Defendant Facilitated Russia’s Acquisition of Millions of Dollars of U.S.-Made Dual-Use Electronics Used in Radar, Surveillance, and Military Research and Development
Vadim Yermolenko, 43, a dual U.S.-Russian national and resident of New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States for his role in a transnational procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services.
“This defendant joins the nearly two dozen other criminals that our Task Force KleptoCapture has brought to justice in American courtrooms over the past two and a half years for enabling Russia’s military aggression,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant admitted to playing a central role in a now-disrupted scheme with Russian intelligence services to smuggle sniper rifle ammunition and U.S. military grade equipment into Russia. The Justice Department will never stop working to aggressively disrupt and prosecute both the criminal networks and the individuals responsible for bolstering the Russian war machine.”
“The illegal export of sensitive, dual-use technologies in support of Russia’s war effort poses a significant threat to the United States and its allies and must not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendant in this case played a key role in exporting U.S. technology that in the hands of our adversaries could pose great danger to our national security. The FBI and its partners will continue to focus on protecting strategic innovation at home and hold accountable anyone who facilitates illegal transfers to hostile nations like Russia.”
“To facilitate the Russian war machine, the defendant played a critical role in exporting sensitive, dual-use technologies to Russia, facilitating shipping and the movement of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This plea highlights my Office and our law enforcement partners continued commitment to use all tools available to prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology to send to Russia.”
According to court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.
The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions and imposed additional export restrictions on Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies used in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”
Sertal was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. The Serniya network’s Russian clients included State Corporation Rostec, the state-owned defense conglomerate; State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (Rosatom); the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); and various components of the FSB, including the Department of Military Counterintelligence and the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Intelligence, commonly known as “Directorate T.”
To carry out the scheme, the defendant helped set up numerous shell companies and dozens of bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.
Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence. The case against co-defendant Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected FSB operative, was dismissed after Konoshchenok was removed from the United States as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the United States and Russia. Defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos’ case remains pending. Defendants Boris Livshits, Alexey Ippolitov, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Yevgeniy Grinin remain at large.
The FBI, BIS, and IRS are investigating the case.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Estonian authorities provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Andrew D. Reich, and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit and Professor of Behavioural Addiction, Nottingham Trent University
Hollywood actor Armie Hammer was accused of sending messages detailing cannibalistic fantasies in 2021.DFree/Shutterstock
After allegedly sending messages detailing cannibalistic fetishes, Hollywood actor Armie Hammer hopes to relaunch his career with a new podcastand movie.
Now, it seems, Hammer is laughing off the cannibalism allegations. Speaking to his first podcast guest, Tom Arnold, Hammer says, “I’m not gonna lie. I’m just like, Hey, I’m a cannibal!”
But being sexually aroused by the fantasy – or reality – of cannibalism is real. I should know, as it’s one of the subjects I discuss in my latest book Sexual Perversions and Paraphilias: An A-Z
Paraphilias are uncommon types of sexual expression often described as sexual deviations, sexual perversions or disorders of sexual preference.
They are typically accompanied by intense sexual arousal to unconventional or non-sexual stimuli such as enemas (klismaphilia), statues (agalmatophilia), teeth (odontophilia) and vomit (emetophilia).
To many people paraphilias may seem bizarre or socially unacceptable, representing the extreme end of the sexual continuum – and in some cases, such as zoophilia (having sex with animals) and necrophilia (having sex with dead people), may be illegal.
Paraphilias may be laughed off, dismissed or leave some people disgusted, but there’s a pressing need for more research into uncommon sexual behaviour given how little we know.
Sexual fantasies and behaviour are a fundamental part of the human experience. What is considered immoral or even illegal changes according to the social and temporal context. But whatever sexual desires are considered illicit or depraved in a particular time and place are also stigmatised.
Researching paraphilias, even the most distasteful or criminal, is essential to help safeguard vulnerable groups. Research can also help minimise the discrimination faced by those with uncommon sexual interests, helping ensure their access to sexual health care and psychological support, which can be lacking.
Vorarephilia
Vorarephilia – or “vore” – refers to being sexually aroused by the idea of being eaten, eating another person or observing this process for sexual gratification.
Most of the fantasies of vorarephiliacs involve being the ones eaten. Devouring someone could be viewed as the ultimate act of dominance by a predator and the ultimate act of submission by the prey.
The most infamous vorarephiliac is arguably Armin Meiwes from Germany.
Meiwes had allegedly been fantasising about cannibalism since his childhood and frequented cannibal fetish websites. He posted around 60 online adverts asking if anyone would like to be eaten by him.
In March 2002, Bernd Jürgen Brandes responded to Meiwes. They met up only once. Meiwes bit off Brandes’ penis, which the two of them cooked and ate.
Brandes was videotaped being stabbed to death by Meiwes in his bath. The body was then stored for Meiwes to eat.
Meiwes was eventually convicted of murder and imprisoned for life. However, it’s worth nothing that although some paraphilias are illegal, most cause no psychological or behavioural problems when they are engaged by consenting adults.
Dacryphilia
Dacryphilia is getting sexual arousal from seeing someone cry.
It showed there were sub-types of dacryphilia, even among such a small group. Based on the interviews, I identified three types of dacryphile.
Compassionate dacryphiles are sexually aroused by the compassion of comforting a crier.
Dominant or submissive dacryphiles are sexually aroused by either causing tears in a consenting submissive partner or by being made to cry by a consenting dominant partner.
“Curled lip” dacryphiles are sexually aroused by the curling of a protruded bottom lip during crying.
Eproctophilia
Eproctophilia involves being sexually aroused by flatulence.
In 2013, I published the first case study of an eproctophile. The case concerned a 22-year-old single man, Brad*, an American from Illinois.
Brad recalled that in middle school he had a crush on a girl who had farted in the class. Brad said:
This blew my mind [I] knew by simple biology that girls farted, but hearing that the girl I had been fawning over was capable of such a thing sparked a strange interest in me.
Brad first engaged in an eproctophilic act with a male friend in his mid-teens. Up to that point he had considered himself heterosexual. However, this changed when he heard his male friend fart.
Brad said it was “appealing in sound” and that he began fixating on it. He set up a bet with the wager being the right to fart in the loser’s face for a week. He continued to lose such bets once every few weeks for about two years.
Apotemnophilia
Apotemnophilia refers to being sexually aroused by the fantasy or reality of being an amputee.
Some apotemnophiles may pretend to be amputees but, for a minority, the behaviour involves obsessive scheming to convince a surgeon to perform a medically unnecessary amputation.
To most people, this might seem like a type of masochism, but case studies suggest that there is no erotisation of pain – only of the healed amputated stump.
Salirophilia
Salirophilia is sexual arousal from soiling or dishevelling someone attractive, which can include tearing or damaging the desired person’s clothing, covering them in mud or filth or messing up their hair or make-up.
My 2019 case study involved Jeff*, a 58-year-old Australian heterosexual. Jeff recounted that when he was young he wanted to masturbate in strange places such as lying under a cabinet in a dirty garage.
Jeff said that he engaged in solitary salirophilic practices regularly but very infrequently with female partners because it was difficult to find like-minded women.
He was also a fan of the television show Fear Factor in which contestants perform revolting tasks for prize money, such as eating rotting food or being submerged in foul fluids. These were a source of sexual arousal for Jeff. He told me: “I just find the defilement of an attractive woman’s body erotic.”
*The names of case study participants in this article have been changed.
Dr. Mark Griffiths has received research funding from a wide range of organizations including the Economic and Social Research Council, the British Academy and the Responsibility in Gambling Trust. He has also carried out consultancy for numerous gambling companies in the area of player protection, social responsibility and responsible gaming.. Views expressed here are his own and not those of these funding bodies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy to Spanish King Felipe VI on Saturday over heavy rainstorms and floods in Spain.
Xi said he was shocked to learn that severe rainstorms and floods have hit many parts in Spain, causing heavy casualties and property losses.
The Chinese president, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, expressed deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured.
Xi also said it is believed that under the leadership of the king and the Spanish government, the people in the flood-hit areas will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Nov. 2 — Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy to Spanish King Felipe VI on Saturday over heavy rainstorms and floods in Spain.
Xi said he was shocked to learn that severe rainstorms and floods have hit many parts in Spain, causing heavy casualties and property losses.
The Chinese president, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, expressed deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured.
Xi also said it is believed that under the leadership of the king and the Spanish government, the people in the flood-hit areas will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date.
Automatically enrolling young people to vote will get them invested in the future of Scotland, says Ross Greer MSP.
More in Education
As the Scottish Greens spokesperson for Education, Mr Greer has lodged an amendment to the upcoming Elections Bill ahead of its Stage 2 proceedings next week, encouraging the Scottish Government to fund projects which would automatically register high school, college and university students to vote.
Having led on the Scottish Youth Parliament’s work on lowering the voting age to 16 ahead of the 2014 independence referendum, the Green MSP believes that automatic registration of students would boost engagement with the democratic process and empower young people to help shape Scotland’s future.
Ross says: “The debates and mock referendums we held in high schools are some of my favourite memories of the independence referendum.
“Giving sixteen and seventeen year olds the right to vote in 2014 didn’t automatically mean they were going to use it, so schools across the country stepped up to help students make their voices heard. Teachers and council staff organised registration events, debates and mock votes.
“As a result, turnout amongst young people was incredibly high and the experience of lowering the voting age was judged so successful that it was made permanent for Scottish Parliament and council elections.
“Some schools have repeated those efforts in the decade since, as have colleges and universities. That hasn’t been a consistent experience though, and young people’s participation in politics has slipped back from that referendum-era high water mark.”
“My amendment to the Elections bill would give the Scottish Government and local councils a strong steer towards making similar efforts to those trialled with so much success a decade ago.
“Automatic voter registration, for example at the point a young person receives their SQA candidate number, would be far better value for money than just encouraging them to register themselves in their own time.
“There is also plenty of international evidence that automatic registration boosts participation in elections. Education institutions are an obvious location for these kinds of efforts to take place, so I hope MSPs on the committee next week will see the value of this amendment.”
GLASGOW, United Kingdom – A new tartan has been created for INTERPOL by one of the world’s leading tartan designers.
The traditional patterned cloth was commissioned by the United Kingdom, in advance of INTERPOL’s 92nd General Assembly which will be held in Glasgow from 4 to 7 November.
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body, made up of representatives from each of its 196 member countries. It is the largest global gathering of senior law enforcement officials.
The INTERPOL tartan
The design was loosely based on the tartan of Scotland’s Black Watch Regiment, formed in 1739 to “Watch upon the braes”, meaning “to guard the hills”. The infantry battalion was tasked with keeping the peace in the Scottish Highlands and was described by designer Brian Wilton MBE, also known as Scotland’s “Tartan Ambassador, as “a very worthy forerunner of today’s international police body”.
Colin Brown, Managing Director of Ingles Buchan which produced the INTERPOL tartan said:
“Tartan is woven into fabric of our nation. It is part of Scotland’s history.
“It is lovely to see tartan being used for an organization like INTERPOL, and this will be very unique for the delegates to have and to take back to their country as something with meaning to them.”
The bespoke tartan features the blue of INTERPOL interwoven with the colours of the UK flag. A wide navy-blue band comprised of 92 threads represents the 92 INTERPOL General Assemblies.
On either side of the navy band, are the threads of 7, 9, 19 and 23 signifying 7 September 1923, the precise date of the 1923 Congress which marked the foundation of INTERPOL.
The unique INTERPOL tartan has now been added to the official Scottish Register of Tartans in Edinburgh.
What is tartan?
Tartan is a design of coloured stripes woven to form a repeated textile pattern, usually consisting of two or more solid stripes running both horizontally and vertically in differing proportions, repeating in a defined sequence.
The roots of this famous chequered pattern, which has become synonymous with Scotland around the world, date back to the 3rd or 4th century.
Nasty culture war agendas, disregard for global climate crisis and more of the same to come from the Tory Party’s new leader.
The election of Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservatives is an alarm bell for Scotland, says Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP.
After a nasty and divisive leadership contest with many unanswered questions, Badenoch is now at the helm of the Tory Party.
Patrick Harvie says: “I’d congratulate Kemi Badenoch on her new position, but I’d be one of the few doing so. This contest has proved beyond doubt that the few remaining voices of moderate, centre-right Conservatism are now utterly marginalised in the modern Conservative Party. They seem determined to emulate the gutter politics of Farage’s far–right Reform.
“While neither of the final leadership hopefuls gave much for their party to put their faith in, it is truly depressing to see the Tory Party now led by someone as unashamedly divisive as Kemi Badenoch.
“She has based her campaign on a nasty culture war agenda, fuelling division and pitting communities against one another. LGBTQ+ people in particular will be deeply worried that a major party is now in the hands of someone so hostile to our human rights.
“Her scaremongering on net zero targets, at a time when extreme weather events and climate impact on the world’s food system are wreaking havoc, underlines why the Tories cannot be trusted with our climate.
“She takes credit for Rishi Sunak’s decision to push back banning petrol and diesel cars to 2035. Most voters know that we don’t have time to spare, and they want Governments to show leadership and make the transition to Net Zero fair and fast.
“She’s been elected by appealing to the worst instincts of the Conservative Party. We know that the politics she represents is no basis for building a fairer society – we have just endured 14 years of them. I’m confident that Scotland will continue to reject the politics of the Tories, no matter who’s in charge.”
A woman has appeared in court charged with the murder of Efthyia Constantinou in Enfield.
Zaneta Peto, 55 (27.03.69) of Charles Street, Enfield, also known as Maria Peto, appeared at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 2 November, charged with murder.
An investigation was launched following a dropped call to police made from an address in Westerham Avenue just after 17:00hrs on Thursday, 30 October.
Officers attended the location and found 62-year-old Efthyia suffering stab injuries. Despite their efforts, Efthyia was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zaneta Peto was arrested in the early hours of Friday, 31 October, and charged as above.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “Our sincerest condolences are offered to Efthyia’s family, friends and the wider community who are so deeply saddened by her death.
“The investigation is at an early stage, but I can confirm that Zaneta was known to the victim and that we are not seeking anyone else in relation to this incident.
“Efthyia’s family continue to be supported by specially trained officers.”
A teenager has been jailed for the manslaughter of a young woman on Christmas Eve.
The then 16-year-old male was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday, 26 July of the manslaughter of Kacey Clarke at her home in Bermondsey.
On Friday, 1 November, the now 17-year-old was sentenced at the same court to six-and-a-half-years’ imprisonment.
Detective Inspector Adam Cliftonwas one of the senior investigators who investigated the death.He said: “Through a thorough investigation we were able to disprove many assertions made about Kacey, leading to the jury rejecting the defendant’s claim to have been acting in self-defence. I am pleased that we have been able to secure justice for her.
“Reducing violence against women and girls remains a key priority for the Met and I would urge anyone who is suffering abuse to reach out for help.”
Police had been called at 22:03hrs on 24 December 2023 to reports of a stabbing at a flat on Jamaica Road, SE16.
Officers attended along with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. They provided emergency first aid to 22-year-old Kacey Clarke, however she sadly died at the scene.
The subsequent post-mortem examination gave cause of death as a single sharp force trauma to the chest.
The youth was arrested near to the scene by police officers responding to the incident. He was known to Kacey but he cannot be named due to his age.
When questioned by police, the youth claimed that Kacey was the aggressor and had confronted him with a knife.
Some three weeks later, workmen found a blood-stained knife in nearby Rail Sidings Road. This was recovered and forensic examination found it to be stained with Kacey’s blood.
Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious collision in Wandsworth.
Police were called at about 22:30hrs on Friday, 1 November to reports of a collision involving a van and a cyclist on Tooting Bec Road at the junction with Franciscan Road, SW17.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended. The cyclist has been taken to hospital where they remain in a life-threatening condition.
The 50-year-old driver of the van was arrested on suspicion causing serious personal injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop at an accident and unfit through drink. He remains in custody at this time.
Detectives from the Roads and Transport Policing Command are investigating.
Anyone with information or dash cam footage is asked to call 101 reference 8934/01Nov.
Breakthrough deal struck on sharing the benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI) at CBD COP16 in Colombia
Negotiations on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) have concluded today (2 November) at CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia.
DSI is genetic information that has been sequenced from the natural world, with the DNA code then made available online for use in research. This is the type of data used by companies across the world for the creation of new medicines, vaccines and other products. By continuing to ensure it is freely available digitally, it will enable scientists to share information and develop the products that we rely on, whilst supporting the conservation of nature.
This research can be applied to medicine, agriculture, conservation and public health, with benefits such as the development of vaccines or adapting plants to be more resilient to climate change.
The deal reached means businesses have the option of voluntarily contributing to a new fund – known as the Cali Fund – if they use this genetic information from nature.
This Fund will then support further use of DSI and the conservation and sustainable use of nature, with a significant proportion flowing to Indigenous People and local communities.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:
We have seen the many benefits of DSI, including identifying infectious diseases, predicting which plants will survive in a warming climate, or helping protect threatened species.
More than half of the global economy is estimated to be dependent in some way on the ecosystem services that nature provides, so this latest deal is critical in supporting future growth and development.
I would like to thank the UK negotiating team and all those involved who helped conclude these important negotiations.
Eva Zabey, Chief Executive at Business for Nature, said:
Nature underpins every aspect of our economy. The benefits of natural resources – including through digital sequencing – must be valued and shared fairly, which is why this deal is so important.
Ms Bupe Mwambingu, Biodiversity Partnerships Manager at Basecamp Research, a UK-based company which is working to build the first fully traceable DSI database, said:
We are thrilled to welcome the COP16 decision on Digital Sequence Information (DSI). We believe that by working together to address the challenges around DSI, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate the development of life-saving medicines, sustainable food supplies, and carbon-negative industries, while also driving the protection of our planet’s precious biodiversity.
Over 196 governments – plus businesses, researchers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities – have been involved in reaching this deal
The UK government will now work with industry on developing a voluntary mechanism.
The WorldSkills Competition took place in Lyon, France, in September. This year, the Construction Industry Council sent seven competitors to participate in six categories.
One of them was Wesley Fong, 20, who graduated from the Hong Kong Institute of Construction in 2022. He won the championship in the 2nd Hong Kong Construction Skills Competition last year, earning the qualification to compete as a finalist in joinery at the WorldSkills Competition, after training and assessment.
“It typically takes five to six years to train a competitor in other countries or regions, but we only had about one year, which necessitated intensive training and precise planning,” Mr Fong’s instructor, Hong Kong Institute of Construction Supervising Instructor Terence Lam explained.
“Initially, Wesley struggled with some of the skills, leaving him frustrated. We needed to push him, even scold him, but sometimes he just needed a bit of encouragement. As Wesley was willing to spend time on weekends to practise, of course we wanted to help him.”
Facing challenges
The 19 joinery trade competitors were required to carry out the requested project within 22 hours over four days. They were given a sketch and asked to create a one-to-one drawing. Working from the drawing, the joiner would measure and cut joints then assemble, install, and finish a door with its frame to a high standard.
Even with adequate preparation, Mr Fong admitted that the road to success did not come easy.
“I made some mistakes in the drawing and felt a little discouraged on the first night of the competition,” he said.
“The next day I made improvements, so I was able to make up for the mistakes and they did not affect me too much. When I saw the competitors next to me working so hard, I was inspired to raise my game.”
Mr Fong’s hard work paid off and he was awarded a medallion for excellence, an outcome he said he never anticipated. The final result has boosted his confidence and he is now determined to continue with a career in the construction industry.
Meanwhile, his instructor Mr Lam, who has been teaching for nearly 30 years, wishes to pass on his knowledge to his students and expressed hope for a sustainable industry.
Family skills
Ricky Chow, 22, also won a medallion for excellence at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 in welding – a skill taught to him by his father, which he was proud to showcase to the world.
Like Mr Fong, he made it on to the WorldSkills team after winning the Hong Kong Construction Industry Skills Competition last year.
The welding competitors had to complete four modules that involved working on carbon steel, a pressure vessel, aluminium and stainless steel within 18 hours. Mr Chow found welding the pressure vessel to be the most challenging task, as it required utilising all welding techniques to ensure it was watertight.
“Initially, most of my pressure vessels leaked, with only one or two being watertight. After practising for six months to a year, I gradually learnt the necessary techniques. Welding a pressure vessel is also physically demanding and time-consuming.”
But Mr Chow stayed focused and recalled his instructor’s advice to pull him through the tough moments of the competition.
“My instructor advised me to stick to my usual methods and once I completed all the modules, I would proceed to the stage where I could receive an award.”
Rigorous training
He missed out on the top three awards, but received a medallion for excellence. His instructor, Hong Kong Institute of Construction Instructor Charles Li attributed Mr Chow’s success to his perseverance.
“Despite training for only one year, compared to Ricky’s competitors from other places who trained for three to five years, he worked diligently. His schedule was demanding, training from 8am to 10pm, including weekends and public holidays.
“Ricky may not have been the most skilled of all the trainees, but he certainly was the most persistent. He was the only one to complete the training.”
Organised biennially by WorldSkills International, the WorldSkills Competition is the largest skills competition globally and hailed as the “Skills Olympics”. This year, the Construction Industry Council sent seven competitors, with two winning medallions for excellence – achieving the best ever results by Hong Kong construction industry players.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Foreign Secretary David Lammy visits Nigeria and South Africa.
Economic growth to underpin work in both Nigeria and South Africa, as Foreign Secretary agrees to develop a new UK-South Africa Growth Plan and a new Strategic Partnership with Nigeria.
Climate continues to top the agenda of Foreign Secretary’s engagement as he visits Earthshot+ event in Cape Town.
Foreign Secretary sets out “Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria, South Africa and beyond.”
David Lammy will begin a visit to Nigeria and South Africa today (3rd November), his first trip to the African continent as Foreign Secretary and the first to visit South Africa since 2013.
Committing to a fresh approach to Africa that works productively from Morocco to Madagascar, the Foreign Secretary will announce the start of a five-month consultation process, to ensure African voices inform and sit at the very heart of the UK’s new approach to the continent. Accommodating the diverse needs and ambitions of 54 countries, the consultation will guarantee the UK’s relationships across Africa are based on mutual respect and partnership.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
Africa has huge growth potential, with the continent on track to make up 25% of the world’s population by 2050.
Our new approach will deliver respectful partnerships that listen rather than tell, deliver long term growth rather than short term solutions and build a freer, safer, more prosperous continent. I want to hear what our African partners need and foster relationships so that the UK and our friends and partners in Africa can grow together.
Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria, South Africa and beyond.
This will mean more jobs, more prosperity and more opportunities for Brits and Africans alike.
In Nigeria, the Foreign Secretary will sign a modern and progressive Strategic Partnership – the first of its kind between the UK and Nigeria. This new dialogue will cover the breadth of the UK-Nigeria areas of shared cooperation from growth and jobs to national security, tackling the climate and nature crisis to strengthening our people-to-people ties.
Nigeria will be the world’s fifth largest economy by 2075 – the Foreign Secretary will advocate for further collaboration on mutual growth via the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership, signed earlier this year. This partnership is the key vehicle for driving trade and market access between the UK and Nigeria and plays a vital role in the UK’s growth mission.
The Foreign Secretary will advocate for further trade and climate collaboration between Nigeria and the UK in high level meetings with President Tinubu, Foreign Minister Tuggar and Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu.
Building on President Tinubu’s macro-economic reforms, the Foreign Secretary will announce a diverse Technical Assistance package to the Nigerian Ministry of Finance, offering British expertise from the Bank of England, HMRC and others to help continue to modernise and diversify the Nigerian economy. Catalysing reform across Nigeria will create further opportunities within the flourishing Nigerian economy for British businesses – generating growth, jobs and incomes for Brits and Nigerians.
Travelling on to South Africa, David Lammy will agree to develop a new UK-South Africa Growth Plan. South Africa is our largest trading partner on the continent and this plan will allow trade to flourish even more through collaboration on market access, a new UK Trade Partnership programme to boost South Africa exports, and a new programme to increase the number of agricultural jobs in rural South Africa. This will simultaneously boost trade for Brits whilst bolstering opportunities within South Africa.
At the biennial UK-South Africa bilateral forum the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Lamola will refresh the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to 2030 – raising joint ambition on climate, nature, trade and security and committing to UK-SA cooperation for the next two years on trade and investment, energy transition, and security.
South African exports to the UK supported over 137,000 jobs in 2020 – the Foreign Secretary will boost this with the renewal of a risk-sharing partnership between British International Investment and Standard Chartered to provide trade finance for SMEs and corporates operating across Africa and Asia.
No growth can be truly inclusive nor effective unless it is green. In both Nigeria and South Africa, the Foreign Secretary will build on the momentum from his Kew Lecture to encourage green growth and climate cooperation. In South Africa the Foreign Secretary will celebrate climate innovation at the Earthshot+ thought leadership conference. Founded by Prince William, The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize and platform designed to discover, accelerate and scale ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet. The Foreign Secretary will speak with these innovators to understand how the UK can support and help channel finance to where biodiversity, climate risk and energy needs are greatest. He will announce a further Biodiversity Challenge Fund to help tackle the illegal wildlife trade and technical assistance to support South Africa’s energy transition.
Floods in southern and eastern Spain have killed two Chinese citizens and left two others missing, the Chinese embassy in Spain confirmed Saturday.
Heavy rainfalls in southern and eastern Spain triggered the deadliest flash floods in the country’s modern history, which have killed at least 211 people.
Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets with Italy’s Senate President Ignazio La Russa in Rome, Italy, Oct. 31, 2024. Li led a CPC delegation on official goodwill visit to Italy from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of the Italian Senate. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
Chinese senior official Li Xi met with Italian leaders this week to deepen strategic ties, marking the 20th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership and advancing cooperation in areas like green energy and digital technology.
Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, met with Italy’s Senate President Ignazio La Russa, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome during his visit from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of the Italian Senate.
During the meetings, Li highlighted the enduring ties between China and Italy, and called on the two sides to advance the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in July.
Li emphasized cooperation through the “China-Italy Action Plan,” which aimed at enhancing political trust and collaboration in existing and emerging sectors like green energy, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence. He also highlighted the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges and multilateral coordination in multilateral arenas such as the United Nations and Group of 20 (G20) to elevate China-Italy relations.
China and Europe share extensive common interests in upholding multilateralism, addressing climate change, and promoting global economic recovery, Li said, noting that China advocates for resolving relevant economic and trade issues through consultation based on pragmatic and balanced principles.
He urged the Italian side to view China-Europe economic and trade relations “with an open attitude and a long-term perspective,” and play a constructive role in China-Europe consultations and negotiations.
China is willing to work together with Italy and other European countries to promote the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations, he noted.
Li also hailed the successes of China’s anti-corruption campaign, which has bolstered public trust in the Party. China will continue to pursue a unique approach to anti-corruption, leveraging institutional and legal strengths to create a system where officials “do not dare, cannot, and do not want to engage in corruption,” achieving both preventive and comprehensive governance, he said.
China is committed to sharing governance insights and enhancing anti-corruption cooperation with other countries, including Italy, Li noted.
La Russa spoke highly of the historic friendship between Italy and China, praising the CPC’s achievements in Party-building and China’s modernization, affirming Italy’s readiness to enhance exchanges between legislative bodies and political parties.
Tajani emphasized China’s role as a vital economic partner, noting that Italy hopes to strengthen economic and trade exchanges with China, fostering a balanced and mutually beneficial relationship. He reiterated Italy’s commitment to open economic policies and to actively working towards resolving trade frictions between Europe and China through negotiations.
Italy also seeks to work with China to promote global peace and stability amid today’s challenges, he noted.
During his visit, Li also traveled to Venice to attend a cultural exchange event titled “Be a Contemporary Marco Polo, Build a New Bridge of Friendship,” commemorating the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s passing.
Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome, Italy, Oct. 31, 2024. Li led a CPC delegation on official goodwill visit to Italy from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of the Italian Senate. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, who is overseeing coalition talks after the country’s September general election, will undergo a routine operation in the next few days, his office said on Saturday.
The 80-year-old, who has been Austrian president since 2017, “has been struggling with disc problems since the beginning of the year” and “will therefore undergo a routine operation on his intervertebral discs,” his office said on social media platform X.
His office added that Chancellor Karl Nehammer will represent Van der Bellen during his treatment and subsequent recovery.
Last week, Van der Bellen tasked Nehammer, also leader of the People’s Party, with forming a coalition government despite the Freedom Party’s victory in September’s parliamentary election. The Freedom Party has not been able to find coalition partners to govern.
Kemi Badenoch was elected the new Conservative Party leader of the United Kingdom (UK) on Saturday, becoming the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK.
Badenoch, former secretary of state for business and trade, won 57 percent of the votes, beating Robert Jenrick, former minister of state for immigration, the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee Chairman Bob Blackman announced.
The Tory leadership race was triggered by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of his intention to resign on July 5 after the Conservatives lost to the Labour Party in the country’s general election.
On July 29, the 1922 Committee announced six contenders had met the requirements to enter the leadership race: Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat.
The list was whittled down to the final two through several rounds of voting among Tory MPs (Members of Parliament) before the Conservative Party members were asked to cast their votes between Oct. 15 and Oct. 31 to decide the ultimate winner.
Badenoch said in her victory speech that the Tories need not only clear “Conservative pledges that appeal to the British people,” but also “a clear plan to change this country by changing the way that government works.”
The new Tory leader also asked her party members to “be honest about the fact that we’ve made mistakes.”
“The time has come to tell the truth, to stand up for our principles, to plan for our future, to reset our politics and our thinking, and to give our party and our country the new start that they deserve,” she said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Badenoch on her election victory on social media platform X, saying that “the first black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Chancellor continues bold reform of the planning system to deliver on the Plan for Change for working people.
Chancellor reveals new plans for more houses near commuter train stations to kick start economic growth, as government continues its bold reform of the planning system to deliver on the Plan for Change for working people.
Sweeping reforms under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will take an axe to red tape that slows down approval of infrastructure projects and the government will work with Parliamentarians to ensure a smooth and speedy delivery.
Chancellor highlights in its first six months the government has already taken 13 planning decisions and approved 9 nationally significant infrastructure projects spanning airports, data centres, energy farms, and major housing developments.
Untapped land near commuter transport hubs will be unlocked to build new housing for working people, as part of bold new steps to reform the planning system and unlock growth to deliver win-win outcomes for the country and the economy. The bold reforms will create secure, high-paying jobs and deliver major infrastructure faster to bolster public services and lower bills.
Ahead of the Chancellor’s speech next week on economic growth, the government has today announced how it will go further and faster to deliver our Plan for Change milestones of 1.5 million new homes over five years and 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament. It follows the ambitious reforms unveiled by the Chancellor in July and delivered by the Deputy Prime Minister at the end of last year through publication of the overhauled National Planning Policy Framework.
The government’s next steps on planning reform include streamlining a set of national policies for decision making to guide planning decisions taken by local authorities and promote housebuilding in key areas.
In a major new growth push, the government will ensure that when developers submit an application for acceptable types of schemes in key areas – such as in high potential locations near commuter transport hubs – that the default answer to development is ‘yes’. This will unlock more housing at a greater density in areas central to local communities, boosting the government’s number one mission to grow the economy. These measures will transform communities, with more shops and homes nearer to the transport hubs that working people rely on day in day out.
As part of these measures, the government will streamline decisions on critical infrastructure projects by slashing red tape in the planning system which is holding up projects. That means looking again at the input from expert bodies who developers are required to consult – and replacing the current systems of environmental assessment to deliver a more effective and streamlined system that reduces costs and delays for developers, whilst still protecting the environment.
The Chancellor also revealed today that she is championing a regeneration project around Old Trafford in Manchester that will see new housing, commercial and public space as a shining example of the bold pro-development model that will drive growth across the region, with authorities exploring setting up a mayoral development corporation body to redevelop the area.
The government is also working with Greater Manchester to release growth-generating land around transport hubs through local development orders, such as around Castleton Station, with the potential for this innovative use of existing powers to kickstart building in these sites to be a blueprint for the rest of the country so that every corner of the UK benefits from growth.
The new proposals tackle the dire inheritance head on. Last year homebuilding fell below 200k and permissions reached their lowest for over a decade, which is why the government is taking radical action necessary to reverse this trend and deliver the homes necessary to reach 1.5 million homes over this Parliament.
This government is turning the page on the decline and decay of the past and choosing growth with a significant number of planning decisions already made by Ministers since July. This includes 13 planning decisions taken by Ministers over 90% of which within the target timeframe, and 9 nationally significant infrastructure projects approved, collectively spanning airports, data centres, solar farms and major housing developments such as the Expansion of London City Airport, a data centre in Buckinghamshire and a new M&S store in Oxford Street, London.
The government has committed to making 150 decisions on these major economic infrastructure applications over this Parliament, more than doubling the decisions made in the previous Parliament and more than 130 made since 2011.
This will unlock the growth necessary to deliver win-win outcomes for the country and the economy – creating stable and high-paying jobs, building more affordable homes, and delivering critical infrastructure faster to bolster public services and lower bills – while improving the environment where it matters most.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:
I am fighting every single day in our mission to kick start the economy, deliver on our Plan for Change, and make working people better off. That includes avenues that others have shied away from.
Too often the answer to new development has been “no”. But that is the attitude that has stunted economic growth and left working people worse off. We need to do things differently and that journey began as soon as I started at the Treasury in July. These are our next steps and I can say for certain, there is more to come.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said:
From day one I have been clear that bold action is needed to remove the blockers who put a chokehold on growth. That’s why we are putting growth at the heart of our planning system.
Growth means higher wages, better living standards, families raising their children in safer homes, and the next generation taking their first steps onto the housing ladder.
This year we will go even further to make the dream of homeownership a reality for millions and fix the housing crisis we inherited for good – getting more shovels in the ground to build the homes and vital infrastructure that our communities so desperately need.
Growth is the number one mission of this Government’s Plan for Change, so we can put more money in people’s pocket. Today the Chancellor is setting out further action on the government’s growth mission by announcing the following:
Planning
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will provide the powers to accelerate the infrastructure and homes needed to deliver on the government’s ambitions – and fast track critical infrastructure such as windfarms, power plants, and major road and rail projects. Today the government is confirming for the first time that the Bill will be introduced in Spring and we will work with Parliamentarians to ensure a smooth and speedy delivery.
Further detail on the Bill is being published today in a working paper on streamlining decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects, including reducing the burden on developers by making consultation requirements more proportionate, strengthening statutory guidance to ensure they are clear over what is and is not required when submitting planning applications, and ensuring that National Policy Statements are updated at least every five years to give more certainty to developers, speeding up decisions. Previous working papers have already set out reforms to the operation of planning committees, and an overhaul of the way developers can discharge their environmental obligations so that they can crack on with building.
The Chancellor is today also announcing reform to the statutory consultee system, which requires developers to consult local communities and expert bodies when making planning decisions. This often means too many organisations consulted on too wide a range of issues, clogging up much-needed development. Today the government has declared a moratorium on any new statutory consultees and the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister will review in the coming weeks the existing arrangements to make sure they meet this Government’s ambitions for growth.
This follows changes announced last week to the rules around challenging major infrastructure projects through the courts – stopping blockers getting in the way of the Government’s Plan for Change and getting nuclear plants, trainlines and windfarms built quicker. Current excessive rules mean unarguable cases can be bought back to the courts three times. This will be overhauled, with just one attempt at legal challenge for hopeless cases that would previously have caused much more delay.
Environment
The government is also reforming environmental impact assessments, which have strayed from their original purpose of supporting decision making and have become voluminous and costly documents that too often support legal challenges rather than the environment.
They will be replaced by Environmental Outcome Reports which will be simpler and much clearer, which will support growth by saving developers time and money, whilst still protecting the environment. The government will publish a roadmap for the delivery of these new Environment Outcomes Reports in the coming months.
This follows a working paper on development and nature published by the government before Christmas setting out a new approach that will turbocharge the delivery of housing and infrastructure while securing positive environmental outcomes. Developers will be able to pay into the Nature Restoration Fund which will allow them to discharge relevant environmental obligations for protected sites and species and focus on building, safe in the knowledge that appropriate action will be taken to support nature’s recovery.
Major infrastructure
A working paper is being published setting out the government’s plan for its 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, which will be focussed on infrastructure’s role in enabling resilient growth, delivering clean energy by 2030 and net zero by 2050 while securing the growth benefits of the transition, and improving public services.
The working paper seeks industry views as part of the government’s continued consultation on the development of the strategy which will be published in late Spring.
Jennie Daly, CEO of Taylor Wimpey said:
We continue to be impressed by the speed with which the government has gripped the need for planning reform to deliver much needed new housing supply. New high-quality housing and the infrastructure it brings are essential drivers of economic growth.
We welcome the commitment from the government to introduce the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as a priority in the spring, and we look forward to supporting the promised consultation work on reforming the planning system to expedite decisions and overcome local barriers to growth.
Mark Reynolds, Mace Group Executive Chairman and Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council said:
When the government and the Construction sector work in partnership we can unlock growth of up to 2% of GDP. The simplification and streamlining of the planning system is a significant contributor to this so the announcements today are a welcome development which could deliver £2 billion per year in savings once fully implemented.
In addition the upcoming publication of the 10 year National Infrastructure Strategy is an opportunity to set out plans for ambitious growth and chart a direction for the industry, instilling confidence in businesses to invest in skills, innovation and deliver profitable growth, we look forward to contributing to its success.
Neil Jefferson, CEO of Home Builders Federations said:
Identifying more land for development and removing the treacle from the planning process that delays applications is essential if we are to increase housing supply. The swift moves to address these blocks in the planning system are very welcome and will pay dividends if the other constraints on housing supply can be tackled. Housing delivery is dependent upon a range of factors, of which planning is a major one, and these changes underline the government’s commitment to increasing supply.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said:
With our devolved powers we’re mobilising the whole Greater Manchester system to lock in growth for the next decade and reap the rewards for our city-region and UK plc.
The project around Old Trafford represents the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012 and is a key part of our 10-year plan to turbocharge growth across Greater Manchester. We look forward working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity our rail network, and unlock massive regeneration potential – delivering benefits across the whole of the North.
As part of its relentless focus to get Britain building and achieve the ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over five years, the government has already:
Overhauled the National Planning Policy Framework, including new and higher mandatory housebuilding targets for councils, a comprehensive modernisation of the Green Belt, and far greater support for growth-supporting development such as labs and datacentres.
Launched a New Homes Accelerator group to unlock thousands of new homes currently in the planning system.
Published a series of working papers on further reforms to the planning system:
‘brownfield passports’, designed to ensure that where planning proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer to planning permission is ‘yes’,
development and nature recovery, detailing a new approach for developers to discharge environmental obligations through payment into a Nature Restoration Fund which then allows them to crack on with building,
planning committees, proposing a national scheme of delegation to speed up the approval process and provide greater certainty to developers.
Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create largescale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.
Awarded £68 million to 54 local councils to unlock housing on brownfield sites.
Awarded £47 million to seven councils to unlock homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules.
Extended the existing Home Building Fund for this year providing up to £700 million of vital support to SME housebuilders, supporting the delivery of around 12,000 additional homes.
Confirmed that government investment in housing will increase to £5 billion for this year, including an extra £500 million in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme to deliver tens of thousands of new affordable and social homes across the country.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Israel’s deadly siege on northern Gaza has entered a 30th day. Early week, the World Health Organisation managed to deliver some medical supplies to the Kamal Adwan Hospital, but on Thursday, Israeli fighter jets bombed the hospital’s third floor, where the supplies were being stored.
Al Jazeera reports Israeli forces are continuing to shell Beit Lahia, the scene of multiple massacres last week. On Wednesday, an Israeli attack on a market in Beit Lahia killed at least 10 Palestinians. Earlier in the week, Israel struck a five-story residential building, killing at least 93 people, including 25 children.
Meanwhile, at the United Nations, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, has released a major report accusing Israel of committing genocide.
Albanese concludes that Israel’s war on Gaza is part of a campaign of, “long-term intentional, systematic, state-organised forced displacement and replacement of the Palestinians” . The report is titled Genocide as Colonial Erasure.
AMY GOODMAN: Francesca Albanese is now facing intensifying personal attacks from Israeli and US officials. She was set to brief Congress earlier last week, but the briefing was cancelled. On Tuesday, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, wrote on social media, “As UN Special Rapporteur Albanese visits New York, I want to reiterate the US belief she is unfit for her role. The United Nations should not tolerate antisemitism from a UN-affiliated official hired to promote human rights.”
On Wednesday, Francesca Albanese spoke at the United Nations and responded to the US attacks.
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: I have the same shock that you have, looking at how the United States is behaving in this context, in the context of the genocide that is unfolding in Gaza. I’m not — I’m not surprised that they attack anyone who speaks to the facts that are, frankly, on our watch in Gaza. And they do that so brutally because they feel called out, because it’s not that it’s that the United States is simply an observer. The United States is being an enabler in what Israel has been doing.
AMY GOODMAN: That was UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese speaking at the United Nations on Wednesday. She joins us here in our studio.
Welcome back to Democracy Now! Thanks so much for joining us.
Well, before we get you to further respond to what the US and Israel is saying, can you lay out the findings of your report?
Colonial Erasure’: UN expert Francesca Albanese on Israel’s “intent to destroy” Gaza Video: Democracy Now!
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: Absolutely. First of all, thank you for having me.
I have to say that this report is the second I write on — and I present to the United Nations on the topic of genocide. And it has been very reluctantly that I’ve taken on the responsibility to be the chronicler of — the chronicler of an unfolding genocide in Gaza.
In March this year, I concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israel had committed at least three acts of genocide in Gaza, like killing members of the protected group, Palestinians; inflicting severe bodily and mental harm; and creating conditions of life that would lead to the destruction of the group. And the reason why I identified these were not just war crimes and crimes against humanity is because I identified an intent to destroy.
And I understand that even in this country, people are quite confused about what is genocidal intent, because it’s not a motive. One can have many motives to commit a crime. And I understand genocide is a very insidious one, and it’s difficult to identify what’s a motive. But this is not about the motives. The intent to commit genocide is the determination to destroy, which is fully evident in — especially in the Gaza Strip, as I identified in — as argued in March already.
The reason why I continue to write about genocide — and, in fact, this report walks on the heels of the previous one — is in order to better explain the intent, especially state intent, because there is another misunderstanding that there should be a trial of the alleged perpetrators in order to have — to attribute responsibility to a state.
No, because not only you have had acts committed that should have been prevented by the — in a rule of law, in a proclaimed rule of law system like Israel, where there is the government, the Parliament, the judiciary, working as checks and balances, genocide has not only been not prevented, [it] has been enabled through the various organs of the state.
And I explain what has happened as of October 7, which has provided the opportunity to escalate violence, to build on the rage and on the fury of many Israelis, turning the soldiers into willful executioners, is that there was already a plan, hatred.
I mean, the Palestinians, like Ilan Pappé says, are victims not of war, but of a political ideology that has been unleashed. Palestinians have always been an unwanted encumbrance in the Israeli mindset, because they are an obstacle both as an identity and as legal status to the realisation of Greater Israel as a state for Jewish Israelis only.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:So, we’ll go back to — because I do want to ask about the Israeli state institutions that you name and the branches of the Israeli state that have been involved in forming this state’s intent. But if you could elaborate on the point that you make, the difference between intent and motive, and in particular what you say in the report about how it’s critical to determine genocidal intent, “by way of inference”?
You know, that’s a different phrasing than one has heard in all of this conversation about genocide so far. If you explain what you mean by that and what such a determination makes possible? So, rather than just looking at genocidal intent in other forms, what it means to infer genocidal intent?
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: So, first of all, what constitutes genocide is established by Article II of the Genocide Convention, which creates a twofold obligation for member states, to prevent genocide so genocide doesn’t have to complete itself. When there is a manifestation of intent, even genocidal intent, there is already an obligation to intervene, because a crime is unfolding.
And then there is an obligation to punish. How the jurisprudence, especially after Rwanda and after former Yugoslavia, there have been cases both for criminal proceedings, where individual perpetrators have been investigated and tried, and [the] responsibility of the state, litigated before the International Court of Justice. This is how the jurisprudence on genocide has developed.
And the intent has been further elaborated upon what the Genocide Convention says. And while it might be difficult to have direct intent, meaning to have — it’s difficult but not impossible, in fact, to have a state official say, “Yes, let’s go and destroy everyone” — although I do believe that there is direct intent in this genocide in Gaza.
But the court also established that genocide can be inferred from the scale of the attack on the people, the nature of the attack, the general conduct. And what it says is that normally there should be a holistic approach in order to identify intent, which is exactly what I’ve done.
And indeed, this is why I proposed in this report what I called the triple lens approach. We need to look at the conduct, like the totality of the conduct, instead of studying with a microscope each and every crime. We need to look at the whole, against the totality of the people, the Palestinians as such, in the totality of the land, that Israel has slated as its own by divine design.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: No, absolutely. And then, if you could — the other precedent you’ve just spoken about — of course, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia — another case that you cite in the International Court of Justice is The Gambia v. Myanmar. So, how is that comparable to what we see happening in Gaza? Why is that a relevant example and different from both Rwanda and former Yugoslavia?
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: Let me tell you what I see as the major differences in the case of Israel, because it’s a very complex discussion. But in all four cases, there is a toxic combination of hatred, ideological hatred, which has informed political doctrines. And this is true in all the various contexts we are mentioning. The other common element is that there is [a] combination of crimes. Like, forced displacement is not an act of genocide per se, but the jurisprudence says that it can contribute to corroborate the intent.
But, again, mass killing or mass destruction of property, torture and other crimes against a person, which translate into an infliction of physical and mental harm to the group, not individuals as such, but individuals as part of the group, these are common elements to all genocides.
What I find characteristic in this one is, first of all, this is not — I mean, the state of Israel is not Myanmar and is not Rwanda 30 years ago. This is not war-torn former Yugoslavia. This is a state which has a separation of powers, different organs, as I said, checks and balances. And let me give you a specific example, because you asked me to comment on the state functions.
In January this year, the International Court of Justice issued a set of preliminary measures in the context of its identification, before even looking at the merits of the case initiated by South Africa for Israel’s breach, alleged breach, of the Genocide Convention, which identified the plausibility of risk for the rights protected — of the rights of the Palestinians protected under the Genocide Convention, which means plausibility — it’s semantics, but it’s plausibility that genocide might be committed against the Palestinians in Gaza.
And the provisional measures included an obligation to investigate and prosecute the various cases of incitement, genocidal incitement, that the court had already identified. And it mentions leaders, senior leaders, of the Israeli state. Has there been any investigation? Has there been any prosecution?
But I’m telling you more. The genocidal statements didn’t resonate as shocking in the Israeli public, not only because there was rage, an enormous rage and animosity, of course. I mean, this is understandable, that the facts of October 7 were brutal and traumatized the people.
But at the same time, hatred against the Palestinians and hate speech, it’s not something that started on October 7. I do remember, and I do remember the shock I felt because no one was reacting, and years ago, there were Israeli ministers talking of — freely, of killing, justifying the killing of Palestinians’ mothers and children because they would turn into terrorists.
AMY GOODMAN: Francesca Albanese, talk about the title of your report, Genocide as Colonial Erasure.
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: This is another element which I think — and, in fact, it’s the most important, where we see the difference between this genocide and others, because there is a settler-colonial component. And again, if you look at what the International Court of Justice in July this year concluded, when it decided that the — when it found that Israel’s 57 years of occupation in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful and needs to be withdrawn totally and unconditionally, as rapidly as possibly, which the General Assembly says by September 2025.
The court said that it amounts to — that the colonies amount to — have led to a process of annexation and racial segregation and apartheid. And these are the features of settler colonialism, the taking of the land, the taking of the resources, displacing the local population and replacing it. This has been a feature.
Now, it is in this context that we need to analyse what is happening today. And by the way, don’t believe, don’t listen only to Francesca Albanese. Listen to what these Israeli leaders and ministers are saying — reoccupying Gaza, retaking Gaza, recolonising Gaza, reconquesting Gaza. This is what they are saying.
And there are settlers on expeditions, not only to Gaza but also to Lebanon. So, this is why I say that the main difference, the main feature of this genocide, apart all the horrible aspects of it, is that this is the first settler-colonial genocide to be ever litigated before a court, an international court.
And this is why coming to this country, which is a country birthed from a genocide, when I meet the Native Americans, for example, I feel the pain of these people. And I say if we manage to build on the intersectionality of Indigenous struggle, the cry for justice behind this case for Palestine will resonate even louder, because it will somewhat be an act of atonement from the settler-colonial endeavor, which has sprouted out of Europe, toward Indigenous peoples. So there is a lot of symbolism behind it.
NERMEEN SHAIKH:And, you know, the analogy — first of all, you talked about the case brought by South Africa, so what they share, apart from South Africa and Israel-Palestine, is both the fact that they were colonial-settler states, as well as the fact that apartheid has been established as having occurred in both places.
Now, in the case of South Africa, it was a decision that was taken by the United Nations at the time of apartheid, was unseating South Africa from the General Assembly. There have been calls now to do the same with Israel. So, if you could — if you could comment on that?
And then, I just want to quote another short sentence from your report, in which you say, “As the world watches the first live-streamed settler-colonial genocide, only justice can heal the wounds that political expedience has allowed to fester.” So, if you could talk about the International Court of Justice’s case in that context, what role you think they can play, South Africa’s case, in resolving or addressing — seeing and addressing this wound?
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: First of all, let me unpack the question of the unseating Israel, because this is one of the recommendations I made in my report. Under Article 6 of the UN Charter, a member state can be suspended of its credentials or its membership by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the UN Security Council. And the first criticism I got is that we cannot do that, because every states commit international law violations. Absolutely. Absolutely.
But there are two striking features here. First, Israel is quite unique in maintaining an unlawful occupation, which has deemed such by — in at least one full occasion, but again, there was already a case brought before the ICJ in 2004, so there have been two ICJ advisory opinions.
There is a pending case for genocide. There has been the violations of hundreds of resolutions by the — on Israel — over occupied Palestinian territory, by the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and steady violation of international humanitarian law, human rights law, the Apartheid Convention, the Genocide Convention. So this is quite unique.
But all the more, this year alone, Israel has conducted an attack, an unprecedented attack, against the United Nations. It has attacked physically, through artillery, weapons, bombs, UN premises. Seventy percent of UNRWA offices and UNRWA buildings, clinics, distribution centers have been hit and shelled by the Israeli army.
Two hundred and thirty UN staff members have been killed by Israel in Gaza alone. UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have been attacked. And this doesn’t even take into account the smear, the defamation against senior UN officials, the declaration of the secretary-general as persona non grata, the referring to the General Assembly as a “cloak of antisemites”.
Again, this has mounted to a level — the hubris against the United Nations and international law has been unchecked and unbounded forever, but now, especially after the Knesset passed a law outlawing UNRWA, declaring UNRWA a terrorist organisation, and therefore disabling it from its capacity to deliver aid and assistance especially in Gaza and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, this is the nail in the coffin of the UN Charter.
And it can also contribute to that sense of colonial erasure, because here it’s not just at stake the function of a UN body — and UNRWA is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, so it’s even more serious. But there is the capacity of UNRWA to deliver humanitarian aid in a desperate situation, and also the fact that UNRWA is seen by Israel as the symbol of Palestinian identity, especially the Palestinian refugees. So there is an attempt to erase Palestinianness, including by hitting UNRWA.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to ask you about your trip here, as we begin to wrap up. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, quoted on — tweeted on Tuesday, “As UN Special Rapporteur Albanese visits New York, I want to reiterate the US belief she is unfit for her role. The United Nations should not tolerate antisemitism from a UN-affiliated official hired to promote human rights.” If you can further address their charge of antisemitism against you?
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: And talk about what happened. You were supposed to come to Congress and speak and brief them, but that was cancelled this week.
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: Yes, it was canceled. But let me — first of all, I’m very embarrassed to read this, because a senior US official who writes this, I mean, it shows a little bit of desperation. I’m sorry, but, you know, I’m very candid.
And let me unpack my antisemitism for the audience. So, what I’ve been accused of — the reason why I’ve been accused of antisemitism — is because I’ve allegedly compared the Jews to the Nazis. Never done. Never done.
What I’ve said, what I’ve done is saying, and I keep on saying, that history is repeating itself. I’ve never done such a comparison where I draw the parallel. It’s on the behaviour of member states who have the legal and moral obligation to prevent atrocities, including an unfolding genocide.
In the past, they have done nothing — nothing — until the end of the Second World War, to prevent the genocide of the Jews and the Roma and Sinti. And they’ve done nothing to prevent the genocide of the Bosnians.
And they’ve done nothing to prevent the genocide of the Rwandans. And they are doing the same today. This is where I insist that now, compared to when there was the Holocaust, now we have a human rights framework that should prevent this. The Genocide Convention to prevent this. So, this is one of the points.
The second point, — which leads to portray me as an antisemite, which is really offensive — is that I’ve said that October 7 was not — I’ve contested, I’ve challenged the argument that October 7 was an antisemitic attack. October 7 was a crime, was heinous. And again, I’ve condemned the acts that were directed against the Israeli civilians, and expressed solidarity with the victims, with the families. I’ve been in contact with the families of the hostages.
But I’ve also said the hatred that led that attack, that prompted that attack, to the extent it hit civilians, not the military, but it was prompted not by the fact that the Israelis are Jews, but the fact that the Israelis — I mean, the Israelis are part of that endeavor that has kept the Palestinians in a cage for 17 years and, before, under martial law for 37 years. And Palestinians have tried — it’s true they have used violence, but before violence, they have tried dialogue. They have tried collaboration. They have tried a number of means to access justice, and they have gone nowhere.
I can — I mean, let me relate just this case, because last year I worked with children. And someone who was 17 years old before October 7 last year had never set foot out of Gaza. This is the reality. And I spoke with children while I was writing my report on “unchilding”, the experience of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. And one of them — I mean, there were these two girls fighting, because one of them had been able to go to Israel and the West Bank because she had cancer and could be treated, and the other was jealous, because, she said, “At least she was sick, and she could go, she could travel. I’ve never seen the mountains.”
And again, this doesn’t justify violence, but, please, please, put things in context. And even Israeli scholars have said claiming that October 7 was prompted by antisemitism is a way to decontextualize history and to deresponsibilise Israel.
I condemn Israel not because it’s a Jewish state. It’s not about that, but because it’s in breach of international law through and through. And were the majority of Israelis Buddhists, Christians, atheists, it would be the same. I would be as vocal as I am now.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Francesca, just one last question, and we only have a minute. Your recent book, J’Accuse, you take the title, of course, from the letter Émile Zola wrote during the Dreyfus Affair to the French president. You came under severe criticism for the choice of that title. Could you explain why you chose it and what it means in this context?
FRANCESCA ALBANESE: Absolutely. I have the sense that whatever I say comes under scrutiny and criticism. But J’Accuse is — first of all, it’s the title that was proposed by the editor, the publisher. And I was against it until October 7.
When I saw the narrative, the dehumanization of the Palestinians after October 7, and what it was legitimising, I said, “This is the title. We need to use it,” because I draw the parallel between what is happening to the Palestinians and what has happened to other groups, particularly the Jewish people in Europe.
I say the Holocaust was not just about the concentration camps. The Holocaust was a culmination of centuries of discrimination, and the previous decades had led the Jewish people in Europe to be kicked out of jobs, professions, to be treated like subhumans, as animals. And it’s this dehumanisation that we need to look at in the face today, in the eyes today, and recognise as leading to atrocity crimes.
AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you for being with us, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HKETO Brussels supports Hong Kong films during Asian Film Festival Barcelona in Spain HKETO Brussels supports Hong Kong films during Asian Film Festival Barcelona in Spain *************************************************************************************
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) supported the 12th Asian Film Festival Barcelona, which is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from October 24 to November 3, 2024. Seven Hong Kong movies are supported by Brussels ETO in the Festival, namely “The Narrow Road”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Dust to Dust”, “Love Lies”, “Where the Wind Blows”, “Cinema Strada” and “Time Still Turns the Pages”. “Time Still Turns the Pages” has been selected as the closing film of the Festival this year. Brussels ETO hosted a reception on November 2 (Barcelona time) for about 100 guests from the local film, cultural and business sectors. Speaking at the reception, Assistant Representative Mr Paul Leung said that Hong Kong is an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and an Asian front-runner in global film history. “To enhance the development of the film industry, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been supporting the film industry through the Film Development Fund in four strategic directions, namely nurturing talent, enhancing local production, expanding markets and building audiences,” added Mr Leung. He highlighted the recently launched Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme, which subsidises film projects co-produced by filmmakers from European and Asian countries to produce films featuring Hong Kong, European and Asian cultures. The scheme aims to support Hong Kong films in expanding to overseas markets. The Asian Film Festival in Barcelona is celebrating its 12th anniversary this year. It is one of the major film festivals in Barcelona dedicated to Asian movies.
Hong Kong recorded nearly 32.6 million visitor arrivals in the first three quarters of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of nearly 40 percent, data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board showed Thursday. Among the total arrivals, over 25.2 million were from the Chinese mainland, increasing by some 35 percent year on year, while visitor arrivals from elsewhere surged by 59 percent during the period. In September alone, Hong Kong recorded nearly 3.1 million visitor arrivals, reflecting a 10-percent rise compared to the same month last year, with approximately half of these arrivals consisting of overnight visitors. Notably, in the first three quarters, the number of visitor arrivals from South Korea exceeded 592,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 171.3 percent, while visitor arrivals from France surpassed 93,700, representing a year-on-year growth of 73.6 percent.
Attendees take part in the “Science and Technology for Risk-Informed Sustainable Development” thematic session at the 2024 World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF), in Beijing, Oct. 24, 2024. [Photo courtesy of WSTDF] The 2024 World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF) held a thematic session in Beijing on Oct. 24 focused on “Science and Technology for Risk-Informed Sustainable Development.” Leading representatives of policymakers, scholars and private sector took part in the event, discussing how to mobilize science and technology to navigate emerging global risks and build a safer, more inclusive and sustainable future. The session was hosted by the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), the International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE) and the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), and supported by the International Science Council (ISC) and the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Salvatore Arico, CEO of the ISC, and Marco Toscano-Rivalta, head of UNDRR’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, co-chaired the event, and it was co-moderated by IRDR Executive Director Yang Saini and Senior Science Officer Han Qunli. Collaboration and shared solutions for global risks As climate change accelerates and disaster risks become more complex, the importance of international scientific cooperation grows ever more crucial. Wu Guoxiong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a researcher at the CAS Institute of Atmospheric Physics, highlighted the significance of international cooperation in early warnings for disasters. He pointed to the Sub-seasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Prediction Project as a successful model of global collaboration. Countries including China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan participate in the project, which allows real-time comparisons of their climate prediction models, improving collective capacity to address climate-related disasters. Rajib Shaw, chair of the UNDRR Asia-Pacific Scientific and Technical Advisory Group, emphasized the need for increased global cooperation to bridge technological divides. He noted that technologies such as artificial intelligence and drones are vital for disaster risk reduction, yet many Global South countries lack access to these advanced tools, making the collaboration essential. Manon Burger, biochemistry publishing director for Elsevier, underlined the importance of open access to scientific research in fostering global knowledge sharing. “We publish more than 3,000 journals, many of which are available open access, ensuring that researchers worldwide can stay updated on the latest scientific advancements,” Burger said. She also introduced Elsevier Foundation, which has partnered with over 100 institutions in 70 countries since it was established in 2005, offering approximately $16 million in funding for initiatives supporting climate action and inclusive health care. Josephine Ngaira, professor of geography (climatology) in the School of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kenya, stressed the need to address the specific challenges of grassroots communities and vulnerable populations in disaster risk management. She advocated for inclusive models that ensure technological benefits reach all levels of society, advancing sustainable development worldwide. DRR education and empowerment of young professionals Young people are a driving force behind technological innovation and sustainable development. Shabhaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, stated that the youth is highly recognized by the United Nations, and can be mobilized and engaged in pilot disaster research activities. Salvatore Arico, CEO of the ISC, underscored the importance of interdisciplinary training for young researchers. He pointed out that current education systems often remain siloed within single disciplines, whereas solving complex global issues requires interdisciplinary research and training. He advocated for education reforms to provide young scientists with more diverse learning opportunities and to encourage cross-sector exploration. Khamarrul Azahari Razak, director of Malaysia’s Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Center, emphasized the importance of investing in human resources and listening to the voices of young people. Meanwhile, professor Christopher Garimoi Orach from the School of Public Health at Makerere University in Uganda, highlighted the need to strengthen disaster risk management education in developing countries, particularly at the higher education level. He noted that training specialists in disaster risk reduction is crucial for future global risk preparedness. Building social resilience through government policies In tackling global risks, national policies and government support are the keys. Robert Walker, fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Academy of Social Sciences Academy of UK and professor at the University of Oxford, stated that social policy should focus on enhancing social resilience by providing people with a sense of security, thus reducing their anxieties and enabling them to contribute to disaster risk reduction. Walker praised China’s efforts in promoting social security and resilience through advancing common prosperity, poverty reduction and energy transition. Salvatore Arico further emphasized that collaboration between governments, communities and scientists is essential for addressing global challenges such as climate change, land degradation and declining water quality. He noted that considering the practical applicability of scientific methods from the beginning of policy design would help enhance implementation effectiveness and ensure technology-driven progress. Rajib Shaw called for greater adaptability in governance mechanisms. Given the existing gap between sci-tech advancements and governance structures, he suggested policy adjustments from governments to facilitate adaptive governance, thus ensuing effective application of scientific tools in disaster risk reduction and management.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says it is appalling that the government has remained totally silent on Israeli military and diplomatic attacks on the United Nations.
PSNA Chair, John Minto, says the Israel parliament decision this week to ban UNRWA operations in Israel and East Jerusalem effectively closes down the major aid organisation’s desperately needed work in the Gaza Strip.
“UNRWA was set up by the United Nations to assist the hundreds of thousands Palestinian refugees expelled by Israel in 1948, pending their right of return – which Israel refuses to recognise.”
“Israel sees UNRWA as an unwelcome reminder of Palestinian national rights and has always aimed to get rid of it. Support for banning UNRWA came from the Zionist New Zealand Jewish Council earlier this year.”
Israel has also recently shelled United Nations peacekeeping positions in Lebanon and has killed an estimated 230 UNRWA workers in Gaza.
“Our government has previously stated how important UNRWA relief work is for Palestinian refugees in Gaza. The US government says the UNRWA supply of food, water and medicine is ‘irreplaceable’”.
“Yet, under no doubt as a result of Israeli lobbying, our commitment to the UN and its work is increasingly exposed as somewhere between shallow and non-existent.”
John Minto says other western governments have been critical of the UNRWA ban and the recent Israeli refusal to allow the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres to enter Israel.
Despite New Zealand having UN peace keepers in the Lebanon border areas, it failed to join the more than 40 countries which condemned the military attacks on a number of UNIFIL bases in south Lebanon last month”.
“Our government refuses to offend Israel in any way. Even major arms suppliers to Israel, particularly the US, France and the UK, have been sometimes critical of what is a genocide by Israel in Gaza.”
“In contrast, the New Zealand government blames Hamas for all the killing and destruction committed by Israel, though it also finds space to condemn Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran.”
Previous New Zealand governments have formally rebuked Israel for its violence, most recently former Foreign Minister Murry McCully in 2010 and former Prime Minister John Key in 2014, both by summoning in the Israeli ambassador.
“This time, when Israeli attacks on Gaza are becoming even more savage and sadistic by the day, our Foreign Minister and his government remains inactive and silent.”
John Minto says the Israeli war crimes in Gaza now clearly include ethnic cleansing.
“Reports of what is called the Israeli ‘General’s Plan’ are now widespread in our news media. The General’s Plan is a vile combination of military assault, starvation and exclusion of both aid workers and news media, to hide and facilitate the ‘death march’ of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from north of the Netzarim Corridor”.
“This is to prepare for a resumption of illegal Israeli colonisation in northern Gaza.”
“In September, our government voted with 123 other countries for a UN General Assembly resolution to demand that Israel withdraw from the Occupied Palestinian Territories without delay.”
“That was welcome.”
“What is not welcome is for New Zealand to then stand by when genocidal Israel carries out ethnic cleansing on a massive scale to once again spit on the UN and increase its occupation of Palestinian lands.”
Letter of the Holy Father on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the erection of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia, 03.11.2024
The following is the Letter sent by the Holy Father to Bishop Philippe Jourdan of Tallinn, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the erection of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia:
Letter of the Holy Father
To The Most Reverend Philippe Jourdan
Bishop of Tallinn
With fond memories of my Apostolic Journey to your country in 2018, I send heartfelt greetings, together with the assurance of my spiritual closeness, to you and the entire Catholic community on the happy occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the creation of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia, recently raised to the level of a Diocese.
This significant milestone in your history marks a century of steadfast fidelity to the Catholic faith, which has enabled this small yet vibrant Church to be a source of compassion and spiritual nourishment for countless men and women across the nation. At the same time, this anniversary commemorates unwavering hope and trust in the Lord through decades of suffering, occupation and oppression.
In this regard, as you reflect upon these past hundred years, I join you in giving thanks to Almighty God for the example of faith offered by your courageous and resilient forefathers who were instrumental in nurturing and sustaining the Catholic community in Estonia. In a particular way, I think of Servant of God Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, whose witness to Christ and fortitude in remaining close to his flock, even to the shedding of his blood, sowed seeds which even today are bearing fruit. May his testimony always be a source of inspiration for you and remind you that even the tiniest of plants, the smallest of gestures and the lowliest of offerings can grow far beyond their humble beginnings to bestow a rich harvest (cf. Mt 13:31-32).
Moreover, I am confident that this admirable legacy of faith and charity that characterizes your Diocese will encourage the present generation of priests, religious and lay faithful to continue to grow in joyful missionary discipleship as they look to the future. Indeed, may the present centenary be an opportunity for spiritual renewal in your land, igniting a renewed sense of zeal for evangelization, especially among young people. In this way, they will more effectively be able to proclaim God’s message of love, mercy, and reconciliation, and so, bring the light of Jesus and the liberating power of the Gospel to the many men and women of today who do not even believe in God.
It is likewise my hope that as the Catholics of Estonia seek to build a society rooted in peace, justice, solidarity, and the dignity of every human person, they will work increasingly with the men and women of other Christian denominations in bearing a united witness to God’s promises. This is especially important in the context of today’s war in Europe, which is a source of deep anxiety and tragically echoes the darker moments of yesteryears. Even so, the Holy Spirit can guide you to be an eloquent sign of continued trust in God’s providence and lead Estonian Christians, together with all people of good will, to extend the hand of friendship to refugees and the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters. May Christ the Prince of Peace bless you with his gifts of perseverance, fraternal unity and concord.
With these sentiments, it is my fervent prayer that the grace of God will continue to accompany you, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Church in Estonia, as you embark upon the next chapter of your journey full of faith, hope, and love. Entrusting all of you to the intercession of Saint Victor and to the loving protection of Mary, Mother of the Church, I gladly impart my Blessing as pledge of abundant heavenly graces.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 1 November 2024
FRANCIS
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, will announce new support for Anguilla’s health and security infrastructure as he makes his first visit to the Overseas Territories this week (2-4 November).
UK Overseas Territories Minister will open Anguilla’s new emergency 911 control room and announce funding for new ambulances to be provided by February 2025
Further funding will finance an additional search and rescue vessel for Anguilla’s maritime search and rescue service
Visit to UK-funded high school and airport to take place as minister assesses impact and progress
The UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, will announce new support for Anguilla’s health and security infrastructure as he makes his first visit to the Overseas Territories this week (2-4 November).
The minister will be opening Anguilla’s new emergency 911 control room, partly funded by the UK government, and a facility that will be vital asset in helping to improve public safety. He will also formally announce the UK government’s provision of two new ambulances to Anguilla, and a new boat for assisting with coastal search and rescue operations.
UK Overseas Territories Minister, Stephen Doughty said:
“UK funding for Anguilla is helping islanders live healthier, safer, and more prosperous lives.
“The new support I will announce is just the latest chapter in the UK’s close relationship with Anguilla, with sustainable investment and close partnership at its heart.”
The minister will make a stop at the Royal Anguilla Police and National Emergency Operating Centre, where he will commend the force for their efforts in reducing gang violence in recent months. The UK has funded seven UK officers to help the Royal Anguilla Police Force tackle gang violence and conduct investigations on the island.
The Minister will also visit the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he will hear about the challenges faced by those working in Anguilla’s healthcare sector. UK funding has already provided a dialysis unit, reconstruction lab, isolation ward, and a new morgue, which will significantly improve coronial and post-mortem processes.
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, issued a statement to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium.
Ottawa, ON– Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium:
“The fall of 1944 was a defining period for the First Canadian Army. After clearing coastal areas in northern France following the successful D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy, tens of thousands of Canadian troops played a leading role in opening the Scheldt Estuary toward the Belgian port of Antwerp.
“Not only did maintaining such a vital supply line allow the Allied armies to continue their push toward Germany, it also helped to ultimately free Western Europe from more than four years of Nazi occupation.
“Eighty years ago today, the people of Belgium were finally liberated. For weeks, Canadian soldiers fought their way across flat, muddy and flooded terrain that offered them little cover as they advanced. Undeterred by the challenges they faced, they succeeded in clearing the Breskens Pocket and liberate the last portions of Belgian territory held by enemy troops, on 3 November 1944.
“The victory was costly, with the Canadian army accruing thousands of casualties including more than 800 Canadian soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice in battle in Belgium. To this day, we remain grateful that our friends and allies in Belgium continue to honour the memory of the hundreds of Canadian service members who were laid to rest at in cemeteries like Adegem Canadian War Cemetery and Schoonselhof Cemetery.
“The lasting bond between our countries was forged by thousands of Canadians and Belgians who bravely fought for freedom during the Second World War. Canadians like Edna Beattie who enlisted in 1940, and served as a nurse in England, France and later Belgium where she treated Allied wounded, and Joseph Ross who served with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada helping liberate the Breskens Pocket.
“Today, we remember them and their families, and all they endured to liberate Belgium and Europe.”
Monday 11 November 2024 is an opportunity to remember the Armistice of 1918 that ended four horrific years of the First World War.
This year’s national Armistice Day commemoration will also mark 20 years since our Unknown Warrior returned to New Zealand and was laid to rest at the National War Memorial in Wellington. Public are welcome to attend the ceremony that will take place at his Tomb.
“The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a poignant symbol of remembrance. The soldier is one of 9000 New Zealanders killed overseas with no known graves and represents all New Zealanders who have died in wartime,” says Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae, Secretary and Chief Executive Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
The Armistice is marked at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, commemorating the moment First World War hostilities ceased. It is a time to acknowledge the trauma and loss of that war, and all the subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which New Zealanders have been involved.
“It is an opportunity to reflect on our shared war experiences with other nations and to reaffirm our hopes for global peace and security.
“Armistice Day, and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, represent what should never be forgotten, the sacrifices of the past in pursuit of a better future,” says Leauanae.
Interview requests:
Event information:
Public who are interested in attending the Armistice Day commemoration should arrive at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park by 10:45am for a 10:55am start.
In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will be held inside the Hall of Memories.
About Armistice Day:
The First World War ended with the signing of an armistice between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918.
New Zealand’s Unknown Warrior:
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior contains the remains of an unidentified New Zealand soldier exhumed from Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in the Somme region of northern France.
He was reinterred at the National War Memorial on 11 November 2004.
The soldier is one of 9000 New Zealanders killed overseas with no known graves and represents all New Zealanders who have died in wartime.
The tomb was designed by sculptor Kingsley Baird and is made of marble, granite, pounamu (greenstone) and bronze. The design was inspired by the Southern Cross constellation, the stars of which guide the warrior back home to New Zealand.
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
PM to outline major investments to smash criminal smuggling gangs at INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow
New capabilities for Border Security Command from £150 million funding pot to drive down Organised Immigration Crime both at home and overseas
New additional funding will cover state-of-the-art tech and information centres, boosts to enforcement and intelligence resourcing and expanding CPS capacity
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
Marking the first time the INTERPOL General Assembly has been hosted in the UK in over 50 years, Keir Starmer will today (4 November) open the Assembly in Glasgow by setting out his personal mission to smash the people smuggling gangs by resetting the UK’s whole approach to this challenge and intensifying international collaboration to meet the global scale of the threat.
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises senior ministerial and policing leads from the organisation’s 196 member states.
In his speech, the Prime Minister will set out his plans to draw on his experience of bringing together agencies to tackle international terrorist and drug smuggling gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions to dismantle the people smuggling gangs who drive illegal migration, profit from human misery and represent a serious threat to global security.
He will also set out how the £150 million will provide additional specialist investigators and state of the art surveillance equipment to ensure those behind this criminal activity are stopped and brought to justice.
This major funding boost for the government’s new Border Security Command will initially be directed towards a range of enforcement and intelligence activity, including:
Investing heavily in NCA technology and capabilities, delivering advanced data exploitation and improvements to technologies to boost collaboration with European partners to investigate and break people smuggling networks.
300 staff for the new Border Security Command, who will strengthen global partnerships, deliver new legislation and lead the system through investment and strategy.
100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers for the NCA, dedicated to tackling criminals who facilitate people smuggling.
Creating a new specialist OIC Intelligence Source Unit which will cohere intelligence flows from key police forces.
Boosting the Crown Prosecution Service’s ability to deliver charging decisions more quickly on international organised crime cases.
The Border Security Command, led by Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, will be provided with enhanced powers – through a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – to tackle organised immigration crime whilst providing for strong and effective border security.
New measures will make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter those seeking to engage in and benefit from organised immigration crime. The Command will also coordinate the work of intelligence agencies and law enforcement, who lead joint investigations with European counterparts to ensure we can bring those responsible to justice.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say:
“The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders.
“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.
“This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.
“We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Criminal smuggler gangs profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk and they have been getting away with it for far too long.
“Our new Border Security Command, with the investment set out today, will mean a huge step change in the way we target these criminal gangs. People smugglers and traffickers operate in networks across borders, that’s why we have launched a major boost to our cooperation with international partners including other European countries, the G7 and Europol, and why we are so pleased to be hosting the INTERPOL conference on tackling international crime in Glasgow today.”
The Prime Minister will also announce that the UK Government has increased its in-year support for INTERPOL’s global operations through a £6 million investment which harnesses the organisation’s unique capabilities to tackle serious organised crime affecting the UK.
Addressing the General Assembly, the Prime Minister will say that closer cooperation with international partners is key as he details how the gangs’ operations span from the money markets in Kabul through to the Kurdish region of Iraq and right across Europe and into the UK.
He will stress the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening security agreements to facilitate greater sharing of intelligence and more joint operational work, in particular through Europol.
The Home Office will also invest £24m in the new financial year to tackle international serious organised crime affecting the UK including drugs and firearms, fraud, trafficking and exploitation. Funds will in part be used to bolster work done by special prosecutors and operational partners in the Western Balkans.
There were more than 5,000 drug related deaths in 2023, with most of the illegal drugs causing these coming from overseas or facilitated by transnational gangs. ISOC funding will also be used to tackle drug smuggling upstream and at the UK border, building on recent successes, such as the effective collaboration with the US and Ecuador, which has resulted in the seizure of 19 tonnes of cocaine.
National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar said:
“Serious and organised crime causes more harm, to more people, more often than any other national security threat. And almost all of serious and organised crime now has an international nexus. Distance, borders and languages are meaningless to criminals. This is why collaborations with INTERPOL have never been as important as they are today.
“Tackling organised crime, and especially immigration crime, remains a top priority for the NCA. We are currently leading around 70 investigations into the gangs or individuals involved in the highest echelons of this type of criminality, and we are devoting more resources to it than ever before.
“We have built up our intelligence sharing effort with law enforcement partners across Europe and beyond, including having more NCA officers based overseas, sharing intelligence and working side by side on joint investigations. This approach is bringing operational results with arrests and prosecutions, but we are also we are seeking to disrupt the people smugglers’ business model, through targeting their social media offering, their supply routes for equipment, and their financial flows.
“We are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle these networks, wherever they operate.”
The announcement comes just a month after Britain joined up to a new G7 anti migrant smuggling action plan which included pledges to bolster border security, combat transnational organised crime, and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation by smugglers.
The plan includes new, intelligence-led joint investigative actions to target criminal smuggling routes, working with social media platforms and internet providers to remove harmful content promoting illegal migration services or advertising fake job opportunities, and strengthening capabilities to monitor and anticipate irregular migration flows at both global and regional levels.
Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
PM to outline major investments to smash criminal smuggling gangs at INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow
New capabilities for Border Security Command from £150 million funding pot to drive down Organised Immigration Crime both at home and overseas
New additional funding will cover state-of-the-art tech and information centres, boosts to enforcement and intelligence resourcing and expanding CPS capacity
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
Marking the first time the INTERPOL General Assembly has been hosted in the UK in over 50 years, Keir Starmer will today (4 November) open the Assembly in Glasgow by setting out his personal mission to smash the people smuggling gangs by resetting the UK’s whole approach to this challenge and intensifying international collaboration to meet the global scale of the threat.
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises senior ministerial and policing leads from the organisation’s 196 member states.
In his speech, the Prime Minister will set out his plans to draw on his experience of bringing together agencies to tackle international terrorist and drug smuggling gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions to dismantle the people smuggling gangs who drive illegal migration, profit from human misery and represent a serious threat to global security.
He will also set out how the £150 million will provide additional specialist investigators and state of the art surveillance equipment to ensure those behind this criminal activity are stopped and brought to justice.
This major funding boost for the government’s new Border Security Command will initially be directed towards a range of enforcement and intelligence activity, including:
Investing heavily in NCA technology and capabilities, delivering advanced data exploitation and improvements to technologies to boost collaboration with European partners to investigate and break people smuggling networks.
300 staff for the new Border Security Command, who will strengthen global partnerships, deliver new legislation and lead the system through investment and strategy.
100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers for the NCA, dedicated to tackling criminals who facilitate people smuggling.
Creating a new specialist OIC Intelligence Source Unit which will cohere intelligence flows from key police forces.
Boosting the Crown Prosecution Service’s ability to deliver charging decisions more quickly on international organised crime cases.
The Border Security Command, led by Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, will be provided with enhanced powers – through a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – to tackle organised immigration crime whilst providing for strong and effective border security.
New measures will make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter those seeking to engage in and benefit from organised immigration crime. The Command will also coordinate the work of intelligence agencies and law enforcement, who lead joint investigations with European counterparts to ensure we can bring those responsible to justice.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say:
“The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders.
“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.
“This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.
“We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Criminal smuggler gangs profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk and they have been getting away with it for far too long.
“Our new Border Security Command, with the investment set out today, will mean a huge step change in the way we target these criminal gangs. People smugglers and traffickers operate in networks across borders, that’s why we have launched a major boost to our cooperation with international partners including other European countries, the G7 and Europol, and why we are so pleased to be hosting the INTERPOL conference on tackling international crime in Glasgow today.”
The Prime Minister will also announce that the UK Government has increased its in-year support for INTERPOL’s global operations through a £6 million investment which harnesses the organisation’s unique capabilities to tackle serious organised crime affecting the UK.
Addressing the General Assembly, the Prime Minister will say that closer cooperation with international partners is key as he details how the gangs’ operations span from the money markets in Kabul through to the Kurdish region of Iraq and right across Europe and into the UK.
He will stress the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening security agreements to facilitate greater sharing of intelligence and more joint operational work, in particular through Europol.
The Home Office will also invest £24m in the new financial year to tackle international serious organised crime affecting the UK including drugs and firearms, fraud, trafficking and exploitation. Funds will in part be used to bolster work done by special prosecutors and operational partners in the Western Balkans.
There were more than 5,000 drug related deaths in 2023, with most of the illegal drugs causing these coming from overseas or facilitated by transnational gangs. ISOC funding will also be used to tackle drug smuggling upstream and at the UK border, building on recent successes, such as the effective collaboration with the US and Ecuador, which has resulted in the seizure of 19 tonnes of cocaine.
National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar said:
“Serious and organised crime causes more harm, to more people, more often than any other national security threat. And almost all of serious and organised crime now has an international nexus. Distance, borders and languages are meaningless to criminals. This is why collaborations with INTERPOL have never been as important as they are today.
“Tackling organised crime, and especially immigration crime, remains a top priority for the NCA. We are currently leading around 70 investigations into the gangs or individuals involved in the highest echelons of this type of criminality, and we are devoting more resources to it than ever before.
“We have built up our intelligence sharing effort with law enforcement partners across Europe and beyond, including having more NCA officers based overseas, sharing intelligence and working side by side on joint investigations. This approach is bringing operational results with arrests and prosecutions, but we are also we are seeking to disrupt the people smugglers’ business model, through targeting their social media offering, their supply routes for equipment, and their financial flows.
“We are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle these networks, wherever they operate.”
The announcement comes just a month after Britain joined up to a new G7 anti migrant smuggling action plan which included pledges to bolster border security, combat transnational organised crime, and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation by smugglers.
The plan includes new, intelligence-led joint investigative actions to target criminal smuggling routes, working with social media platforms and internet providers to remove harmful content promoting illegal migration services or advertising fake job opportunities, and strengthening capabilities to monitor and anticipate irregular migration flows at both global and regional levels.
The Albanese Government is boosting aviation competition, trade and tourism opportunities for Australians, securing new or updated air services arrangements with seven international markets following months of negotiations.
These arrangements will allow Australian airlines to expand their international networks and international airlines to increase operations into Australia, a boost for Australian travellers and diaspora communities.
This includes unrestricted capacity with Canada and Malaysia – the first arrangements of this type since a deal struck with India in 2018.
Along with Canada and Malaysia, arrangements have landed with Hong Kong, Chile, Mongolia, Latvia, and Rwanda.
Australia now has more than 110 bilateral air services arrangements in place with other countries or economies, with today’s announcement following recent enhanced arrangements secured in the past 12 months with Türkiye, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Each arrangement is negotiated to serve Australia’s national interest, with the Australian Government signing with some of our larger tourism markets, including:
Immediate increase in available capacity for airlines to 50,000 weekly passenger seats with Malaysia, and unrestricted capacity for passenger services from 2026
Immediate increase in available capacity for airlines to 50 weekly passenger services with Canada, and unrestricted capacity for passenger services from 2026
Immediate increase in available capacity for airlines to 84 passenger services per week, and unlimited cargo services with Hong Kong
A doubling of available capacity for airlines to and from Chile by 2025
Inaugural arrangements were signed between the Australian Government and the governments of Latvia, Mongolia and Rwanda, each allowing 14 passenger services per week to and from Australia along with unrestricted dedicated cargo services.
These arrangements deliver on our commitment in the Aviation White Paper to expand capacity under our bilateral air services arrangements ahead of demand,ensuring airlines have adequate time to plan for additional future services and add new routes to their schedules. It also aligns with our commitments to prioritise negotiations within our region.
These arrangements have already resulted in significant additional capacity being added into the Australian market, supporting growth in visitor numbers. For example, ABS data for the 12 months to August shows arrivals from Vietnam were 49 per cent higher than pre-pandemic, making it Australia’s fastest growing inbound visitor market.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:
“We’re expanding our international aviation network to increase competition and deliver a better experience for Australian travellers.
“Whether travelling to these countries or using them as stepping stones to the rest of the world, each of these arrangements represents a stronger connection with our global market – for travel, trade and tourism.
“We committed to this in our Aviation White Paper and today we are delivering on that commitment – landing additional capacity in the international sector.”
Quotes attributable to Senator Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism:
“Increased flights means we can welcome more visitors to Australia, boosting our tourism industry and supporting jobs and local economies, particularly in regional Australia.
“It also means we can get more cargo in the bellies of outbound flights, giving our exporters more opportunities for growth and to expand into new markets.”