No one goes into the legal profession thinking it is going to be easy. Long working hours are fairly standard, work is often completed to tight external deadlines, and 24/7 availability to clients is widely understood to be a norm, particularly in commercial and international practice.
But too often, the demands of law can create an unhealthy workplace environment. In 2021, the stress of high workloads, low job control, and risks of secondary trauma led SafeWork NSW to categorise legal work as “high risk” for fatigue hazards – putting it alongside night shift work, emergency services, and fly-in, fly-out roles.
To investigate this problem, we surveyed about 1,900 lawyers across Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia in March and April last year.
We asked them about their workplace culture and its impact on wellbeing, about their levels of psychological distress, and whether they had experienced disrespectful behaviours at work.
We also asked whether they intended to leave either their employer or the legal profession in the near future.
Their answers allowed us to identify the type of workplace culture that is harmful to lawyers’ wellbeing. Here’s why fixing this problem matters to us all.
Unhealthy environments
Among the professionals we surveyed, about half found themselves in a workplace culture with negative effects on wellbeing.
A third of this group said their workplaces were characterised by poor working relationships, self-interest and pressure to cut corners or bend rules.
Alarming numbers of lawyers currently want to leave their current employer or quit the profession entirely. Pormezz/Shutterstock
These poorer workplace cultures involved higher levels of psychological distress and more disrespectful behaviours from superiors and coworkers.
They were also characterised by a lack of effective wellbeing supports such as mental health leave arrangements or workload allocation practices.
Long working hours were common. More than half of participants (53%) said they worked more than 40 hours per week and 11% said they put in more than 60 hours.
About a third of the lawyers we surveyed wanted to quit their firm, while 10% planned to leave the profession, within a year.
Society can’t afford to ignore this problem. Lawyer wellbeing can directly affect the quality of legal services and may even lead to disciplinary action against individual lawyers. All of this can undermine public trust and confidence in the justice system.
Workload ‘cannot be sustained’
We invited participants to explain why they intended to leave the profession. Their answers are telling.
One mid-career lawyer at a large firm said:
I am in my 11th year of practice working as a Senior Associate at a top-tier firm. To put it bluntly, the work rate at which I am currently operating, which is required to meet the billable targets and budgets set for us, cannot be sustained for my whole working life – it’s too much.
A small-firm junior lawyer talked of the workload issues described by many:
The pay is not worth the stress. I can’t sleep because I’m constantly worried about deadlines or making mistakes, and I got paid more when I was a bartender. I love the work, but it’s a very tough slog and damaging my own wellbeing – for what?
Our data showed junior lawyers take a lot of the pressure, reflected in higher-than-average levels of psychological distress. Equally concerning was the extent to which senior lawyers with practice management responsibilities also reported above average distress.
Our research also showed the challenges extended beyond private practice and into government, legal aid and corporate “in-house” settings.
As one mid-career legal aid lawyer put it:
Lack of debriefing and supports, lack of formal mentoring and supervision, mental health toll, high workload and poor workplace culture, lack of training and supports to deal with clients in crisis, [mean it’s] not [a] family-friendly profession.
The positives
There was also good news. Three themes stood out in the responses from the 48% who told us they worked in positive workplace cultures. This suggests where support should be targeted.
For nearly two thirds of our sample, having good colleagues was the most important wellbeing support. As one mid-career lawyer put it:
Informal support such as debriefing with colleagues has been most beneficial for me.
Good flexible working and (mental health) leave arrangements came across as the most important practical support employers could provide.
Good workload allocation practices – and a willingness from managers to “reach out to discuss work-life balance” – make a real difference to peoples’ experience.
Support from colleagues was the most important wellbeing support. UM-UMM/Shutterstock
It matters to the rest of us
The legal profession and its regulators have been engaging with the wellbeing problem for a while now. Our findings suggest there is still more to be done.
For the profession as a whole we felt that there was still a need to develop greater understanding of the specific wellbeing needs of both junior lawyers and those managing them, as these are the two groups experiencing the most distress.
Legal regulatory bodies should work to better understand how economic drivers of legal practice, such as high workloads and billing expectations, can have negative consequences for wellbeing, and whether any regulatory levers could lessen these impacts.
The authors would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of Stephen Tang, clinical psychologist, in undertaking data analysis and coauthoring the original report.
This research was supported by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner (VLSB+C), the Law Society of New South Wales, and the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia. Matched funding for the data analysis was provided by the VLSB+C and industry research seed funding from the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne.
Youths charged in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 11:15 am.
Police have charged a 17-year-old from Bridgewater, and a 16-year-old from Herdsmans Cove, in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont on 10 March. Police will allege the youths deliberately lit fires which damaged recycling facilities at Claremont Plaza, and the door of a Claremont hall. They were bailed to appear before the Youth Justice Court at a later date. Police thank members of the community for the witness information provided which assisted the investigations.
Tasmania Police’s Easter road safety blitz, Operation Safe Arrival, begins today, running statewide throughout the Easter holiday period. Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said dangerous driving behaviours remain the top priority for enforcement. “Tasmania Police will be actively looking out for everyone on our roads this Easter, and we’re calling on motorists to behave egg-cellently,” he said. “Easter in Tasmania means colder and wetter weather is on the horizon, more people are travelling on our roads, and extra caution is essential to prevent crashes.” “As a driver, reduced visibility and slippery roads demand slower speeds and an increased awareness of what’s going on around you.” Operation Safe Arrival will feature both high-visibility and covert patrols across Tasmania’s highways, main roads, rural routes, and back streets. “Sometimes you’ll see us – and sometimes you won’t, as we use both overt and covert measures,” said Assistant Commissioner Bodnar. “My message today isn’t a new one; keeping Tasmanian roads safe is a mission for the whole community.” “Play your part by adapting your driving to match changing weather conditions, obey the road rules and report dangerous driving when you see it.” “Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour should report it immediately to police on 131 444 to enable officers to respond in a timely way.” “If it’s an emergency or life-threatening situation call Triple Zero (000).” “If you can’t report it at the time but have footage, submit it to the police evidence portal online.” The evidence portal can be found at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/report/
Man charged with drug-related offences following search in Scottsdale
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:53 am.
A 51-year-old man has been charged with multiple drug-related offences including trafficking in a controlled substance following a search at a residence in Scottsdale on Tuesday afternoon. During the search, Scottsdale Police allegedly located approximately 1.5 kilograms of cannabis in various forms. The man will be proceeded against for trafficking in controlled substance, supplying controlled plant products, cultivating controlled plants, possessing controlled plant products and possessing things used for the administration of a controlled drugs. He will appear in the Scottsdale Magistrates Court at a later date. Anyone with information about illicit substance is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppers.com.au – information and be provided anonymously.
The Easter long weekend is expected to start off with warm weather across most of Australia but throughout the 4-days, a cold front is likely to cross the south.
The cold front will be moving across southern Western Australia on Friday, before reaching the south-east from Sunday, leading to lower than average temperatures across the southern states.
Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines said while conditions could still change, early forecasts allow Australians to start planning their Easter weekend.
“There will be a distinct change in the weather for the southern states during the long weekend as hot, dry and sunny weather shifts to cool, cloudy conditions with patchy showers and the outside chance of thunderstorms,” Mr. Hines said.
“Southern Western Australia will already be feeling the cooler winds by Friday, but for South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, it’s likely to be Sunday when the weather shifts, while New South Wales and ACT hold onto the sunny and hot conditions until Monday.”
“Rainfall from this passing weather system will be quite patchy during Easter, and on the whole, the rainfall totals will be low.”
A deep low pressure system in the Tasman Sea will also generate large and powerful surf and swell across the New South Wales coast and offshore islands, including Norfolk and Lord Howe Island.
“This low pressure system is very powerful, although it’s a long way offshore. This low will not impact our weather directly but will generate some very large, powerful waves for eastern Australia,” Mr. Hines said.
“These waves will build on Thursday and stay high until Saturday. Coastal hazard and hazardous surf warnings are likely to be issued. Given the fine and hot forecast for the east coast during Friday and Saturday, the community needs to be aware of the dangerous coastal conditions.”
In the west, heavy rain is possible for the northern Western Australia coast if the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Errol move onshore.
“From Thursday, Tropical Cyclone Errol could steer south-eastwards back towards the coast. While it is forecast to weaken, while doing so, it may bring impacts such as heavy rain, thunderstorms and damaging wind to parts of the Kimberley and Eastern Pilbara over the weekend.”
The Easter weekend will be warm across most of the Northern Territory, with some cooler than average conditions pushing into the far south from Easter Sunday.
“While the Top End will be mostly dry through Easter, patchy rain is possible through parts of the western districts as moisture pushes in from the Kimberley.”
While a sunny and dry Easter is expected across Queensland, widespread major flooding continues for south-west Queensland, north-east South Australia and northern New South Wales.
“Significant flooding is likely to continue for weeks to come, as floodwaters move slowly downstream.”
Keep up to date with the latest weather warnings and forecasts over the Easter long weekend on the Bureau’s website www.bom.gov.au or via the BOM weather app.
If you are travelling these school holidays, be sure to enable notifications for your chosen locations in the BOM Weather app.
To hear a state and territory breakdown audio news release with Bureau Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines, click here.
Check the forecasts for your area on the Bureau website:
Ulumbarra Theatre marks a significant milestone today celebrating its 10th anniversary as a world-class performing arts venue and vibrant cultural hub within the walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol.
Over the past decade, Ulumbarra has welcomed approximately 765,000 visitors and hosted over 2,500 events, ranging from major productions like Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle and national and international touring acts to local shows and school performances.
The name Ulumbarra means ‘gather together’ or ‘meeting place’ in the language of the Traditional Owners of the land, the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
As a leading regional arts and community venue, Ulumbarra has played a pivotal role in shaping central Victoria’s cultural landscape. The award-winning theatre, designed by local architecture firm Y2, is a stunning fusion of heritage-listed architecture and contemporary design within the historic Sandhurst Gaol (which operated from 1863 to 2004).
Red brick prison guard towers and an impressive façade frame the stunning theatre entrance. Inside the theatre, the box office is housed in a repurposed prison cell block and visitors can walk under the gangway and peer into prisons cells that remain intact. The theatre’s clever 950-seat design ensures a fantastic experience for every audience member, and other areas in the theatre serve as a hub for community events, art exhibitions, conferences, festivals and student programs.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said Ulumbarra’ s cultural impact on Greater Bendigo had been extraordinary.
“Ulumbarra has enriched our region’s arts and culture scene over the past decade, hosting national and international artists, touring theatre companies, whilst also serving as a space for learning, expression, and a strong community connection through the arts,” Cr Metcalf said.
“It is a testament to the strong collaboration and partnership between the City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo Senior Secondary College and other key local stakeholders to drive this ambitious project for a shared arts and education facility.
“The theatre’s name, Ulumbarra, perfectly captures the spirit of this unique venue bringing the absolute best of art and culture. It’s a place where the community comes together in celebration, storytelling, and shared experiences. As a joint-use facility with Bendigo Senior Secondary College, it is also a place of learning that nurtures the love of live performances amongst younger generations.
“The theatre’s official opening on April 17, 2015, was marked by week-long celebrations including a gala event, a community concert, and a host of top-class performances.
“In 2025, we are thrilled to welcome back several national and international touring companies who performed here in our opening year, including Shake & Stir with 1984, Bell Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Circus Oz, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
“To have these outstanding companies return to our stage is a fitting way to mark this milestone and we look forward to welcoming our community and visitors to Ulumbarra throughout 2025 to share in the celebration of 10 years of performance, creativity, and connection.
“It’s a wonderful celebration for a venue that has become a cornerstone of cultural life in central Victoria.”
To browse forthcoming performances and shows at Ulumbarra, head to:
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Press release
British soldiers take down drone swarm in groundbreaking use of radio wave weapon
British soldiers have successfully tracked, targeted and defeated swarms of drones in the latest trial of a new directed energy weapon developed in the UK.
Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon demonstrator
UK-made, invisible radio wave weapon knocks out drone swarms for the first time.
Weapon has potential to help protect against drone threats as nature of warfare changes.
The project supports more than 135 highly skilled jobs across the UK.
The trial was completed at a weapons range in West Wales and was the largest counter-drone swarm exercise the British Army have conducted to date.
The weapon system demonstrator is a type of Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) and has proven capable of neutralising multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect.
The UK Government has invested more than £40 million in RF DEW research and development to date, supporting 135 highly skilled jobs in Northern Ireland and the South-East of England.
It uses high frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction.
At an estimated cost of 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service it could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems.
RF DEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.
The successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in use in frontline combat in Ukraine. UK Defence Intelligence estimates that last year Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.
With national security a foundation for the Plan for Change, the government is significantly increasing the proportion of MOD’s equipment procurement spend on novel technologies, spending at least 10% from 2025-26. It follows the announcement of the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, as the UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by April 2027.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, said:
This significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms and scientific talent.
We continue to strengthen our defence sector, adding more cutting-edge capabilities to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth across our towns and cities.
The project has been delivered by Team Hersa – a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. The RF DEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK.
Successful experiments included the Army taking down two swarms of drones in a single engagement, and the project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
Sgt Mayers, a Senior Remotely-Piloted Air Systems Operator from 106 Regiment Royal Artillery, had the honour of being the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon.
Sgt Mayers said:
RF DEW is an exciting concept. We found the demonstrator quick to learn and easy to use. With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence.
Protecting national security is the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change and the development of RF DEW systems could help to protect the UK from unidentified drones at security sensitive areas such as defence bases, and could play a role in preventing disruption at airports.
The RF DEW development supports the Defence Industrial Strategy – to support the UK defence industry in mobilising to help face down global threats and ensuring the sector is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK. The MOD is working with a range of industry partners to deliver powerful future RF DEW capabilities for UK forces.
Thales, which led the development of the RF DEW demonstrator, employ around 100 highly skilled engineering and manufacturing staff in Northern Ireland on the project, and there are a further 30-35 highly skilled supply chain jobs in Chelmsford, Essex, that directly contribute to the development of the weapon demonstrator.
Nigel MacVean, MD of Thales Integrated Airspace-protection Systems, said:
Thales continues to be at the forefront of this pioneering technology, and we are proud to continue the research and development in this sector alongside our partners in Government.
A 28 year old Montello woman has been arrested and charged after a targeted search by Western Drugs and Firearms, Taskforce Scelus and the Dog Handler Unit today. About 1pm police executed a search warrant at a Montello address. Approximately 130grams of methylamphetamine in addition to unlawful prescription medication, cannabis and a quantity of cash were located. The woman was arrested and charged with several offences including trafficking in a controlled substance, dealing in property suspected of being proceeds of crime and selling a controlled drug. The woman was bailed to appear in Burnie Magistrates Court in June. Police would like to remind members of the public that if they have any information surrounding illicit drug possession and distribution to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously. Police will continue to target and hold to account those involved in the distribution of illicit drugs within the community.
Curnoe’s Map of North America, first created in 1972, is inseparable from his hometown of London, Ont. The work, artist and city offer valuable insights for navigating this new relationship with our nearest neighbour. My recent doctoral dissertation explores the cosmopolitan outlook of London’s artists and arts publishers, both historic and present. This includes their incisive commentary on Canada-U.S. relations.
Test marketing involves localized experience with a concept or product before incurring large-scale expense. A landmark example for London was the development of Wellington Square, North America’s first enclosed shopping centre, in 1961.
A 1967 cover of the London arts publication 20 Cents Magazine satirically celebrated this “test market” status. It also chided the reader: “Are you getting your share of the business, for fair?” Artists of London have long played with the local flavour of their city, and the city has a distinct arts scene.
Distinct arts scene
Curator and author Barry Lord profiled the city in a 1969 Art in America feature entitled “What London, Ontario Has That Everywhere Else Needs.” Lord positioned London as “younger than Montréal, livelier than Toronto, vying with Vancouver in variety and sheer quantity of output [and] in many ways the most important of the four.”
This scene included the burgeoning London Regionalist movement — an art movement of which Curnoe was a feature — and the birth of Canadian Artists’ Representation (now Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens). Lord lauded London artists as “indelibly Canadian, and perhaps among the first global villagers.”
Nationalist with wicked humour
What would Curnoe make of the present dynamic between Canada and its closest neighbour?
Kraehling continues: “Greg would be making a lot of statements, and I think he’d be very passionate. Just knowing his devout patriotism, his interest in the local and his pro-Canadian sentiments, I think that he would be trying to get a movement going.” Rather than anti-American, however, Kraehling describes Curnoe as a nationalist with a wicked sense of humour.
Historian Judith Rodger emphasizes Curnoe’s Map as “tongue-in-cheek” even as it levies sharp social critique. Observing the negotiations between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico that would lead to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Curnoe revisited the work through the 1980s and 1990s in lithographs and clay.
Curnoe’s Nihilist Party of Canada (NPC), an absurdist political movement formed in 1963, advertised regularly in 20 Cents magazine. One ad encouraged the reader to “STOP the American takeover of Canada,” and to “Stop Pollution, Stop Killing, Stop Exploitation … Get off your Butt – Do Something! THINK NEGATIVELY.”
The track “Destroy the Nations” opens their 1968 No Record album. It begins with Pratten railing: “Destroy the nations! Destroy America! England is dead! Destroy America! AHHHHHH!” The NSB’s performance is a howl against imperial servitude and corporate greed.
In a city forever mimicking the topography and titles of an older London, and so close to the U.S., Ontario’s Londoners are aware of an implied second-fiddle position. Yet Curnoe volleyed his pro-Canadian attitude at the border, just 200 kilometres south. In one of his bicycle series paintings, Mariposa 10 Speed No. 2 (1973), the words “CLOSE THE 49th PARALLEL ETC.” are emblazoned across Curnoe’s bike’s top tube.
Canada, U.S. markets and fine art
Yet the situation is not entirely insular, nor is it comparable with the “Buy Canadian” encouragement seen at supermarkets, liquor stores and other retail outlets today.
Canada’s art market is, in the words of Mackenzie Sinclair of the Art Dealers Association of Canada, “a fragile ecosystem.” Canada’s GDP (including its art) is deeply integrated with the U.S.: many Canadian artists have American dealers, show in American galleries and use American-made materials.
With ongoing threats of American tariffs and export restrictions, Canadian collectors and galleries are abstaining from American art fairs and seeking stronger connections with European markets. Canada’s only international art fair, Art Toronto, is fostering a special new partnership with Mexican galleries, enacting a version of Curnoe’s Map of North America in real time.
For Quick, this cancellation signals a transnational warning. She notes that The Museum of the Americas is an arm of the Organization of the American States, a regional organization that brings together North and South American governments including Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
The call to cancel, she says, far exceeds a phenomena happening only in the U.S.:
“It is a reminder of what role funding has in liberation politics when it comes to the arts. And as we [Canadians] like to other ourselves from the U.S. it’s just as important to remember we are just as much at risk to nationalism dictating values in the arts.”
Ruth Skinner has received funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the London Arts Council (LAC).
Walk into any home or workplace today, and you’re likely to find an array of indoor plants. The global market for indoor plants is growing fast – projected to reach more than US$28 billion (A$44 billion) by 2031.
People keep indoor plants inside for a variety of reasons, including as decoration, to clean the air and for stress relief. But my colleagues and I wanted to delve further. What sort of relationships do people have with indoor plants? And what can this tell us about ties between humans and nature?
We surveyed indoor plant owners in Australia, and found many of us form highly meaningful connections with our leafy companions. Some people even consider their plants as family, get anxious about their health and mourn a plant when it dies.
Evidence suggests Egyptians brought plants indoors in the 3rd century BC. The remains of the former city of Pompeii reveal indoor plants used there more than 2,000 years ago, and in medieval England, indoor plants were used in medicine and cooking.
The keeping of indoor plants became widespread across the world in the second half of the 20th century. The practice was particularly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to a desire to connect with nature when access to outdoor green spaces was limited.
The benefits of indoor plants go beyond nature connection. Studies show they can increase positive emotions, reduce stress, enhance productivity, and even decrease physical discomfort such as pain.
However, people have varying levels of connection to their plants, as research by my colleagues and I shows.
Why we love indoor plants
We surveyed 115 Australian adults, recruited through social media posts and poster advertisements at the University of South Australia. Participants were roughly 69% female, 30% male and 1% non-binary, and ranged in age from 18 to 69.
On average, participants owned 15 indoor plants. Some owned a single indoor plant and one person owned a whopping 500!
Between them, respondents kept 51 different varieties of house plants. The most common were succulents, devil’s ivy and monstera. They most commonly kept the plants in the living room, kitchen or bedroom.
Across all participants, 11 benefits of having indoor plants were reported.
Half the respondents described the aesthetic appeal of indoor plants. Comments included that indoor plants were “nice to look at”, “soften rooms” and “add colour”. Participants also reported air quality benefits, and that they found indoor plants calming.
Other less commonly reported benefits were that the plants helped the respondents set habits, improved their physical health, provided distraction, relieved fatigue and had a pleasant smell.
4 types of relationships with indoor plants
Our research identified four types of relationships people have with their indoor plants:
1. Highly connected (14% of respondents)
These people typically described a deep personal connection to their plants. Comments included:
They are like my children. (male, 28)
I often water them and take care of them as family members. (female, 26)
Well I cried over my plants leaf getting broken off today, so you could say I’m pretty attached
to her. (female, 21)
I feel terrible if one dies, I feel as though I have let it down and generally bury it in the garden. (female, 34)
2. Engaged (42% of respondents)
These people enjoyed and tended to their plants, but without deep emotional attachment. For example:
Watering them and watching them grow is exciting, I feel proud to keep them alive so long (female, 22)
I get sad when one dies or is looking droopy, I feel happy when they look alive and freshly
watered. (female, 22)
These respondents enjoyed having indoor plants but spent minimal time caring for them and reported minimal emotional connections to them. One participant said:
Feel like indoor plants are fine but through our large windows we can see our outdoor plants and that’s more important to us. (female, 45)
4. No relationship (12%)
Participants who did not have a relationship with their indoor plants said:
Hardly watered it as it’s a succulent. (male, 21)
They are all gifts rather than something I’ve gone out to buy. (male, 21)
(For the remaining 9% of participants, their responses to the question of their relationship with house plants were invalid and not included.)
Our research suggests indoor plants can enrich our lives in ways we are only beginning to understand.
It’s important to note that data for our study were collected in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This context may have influenced our results. For example, some participants may have felt particularly connected to their indoor plants because their access to outdoor green space was curtailed. So, further research is needed in the post-pandemic context.
Brianna Le Busque does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Providence, R.I. � The R.I. State Council on the Arts (RISCA) announced today that Teatro ECAS and PVD World Music, both of Providence, were among the recipients of grants to fund cultural sustainability and operating support. Funded by the Wallace Foundation and delivered by the regional arts agencies including the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), Teatro ECAS will receive $100,000 and PVD World Music will be granted $25,000.
The grant provides support to arts organizations of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000. The funding will enable both organizations to sustain and expand their practices; serve their communities more deeply and impactfully; and provide meaningful arts and cultural experiences for larger, cross-cultural audiences.
Additionally, working together as a regional learning cohort with NEFA staff, the recipients will have the opportunity to address some of their self-identified organizational needs.
“The Cultural Sustainability grant acknowledges that arts organizations rooted in communities of color deserve to become long-lasting, well-resourced cultural pillars across New England,” said Harold Steward, NEFA’s executive director. “NEFA is honored to do this work in partnership with The Wallace Foundation and our sister Regional Arts Organizations.”
“Arts organizations rooted in communities are often the cornerstones of the neighborhoods they serve, and as we work to create a more equitable and thriving arts sector having a deeper understanding of how funders can better support their work is vital,” said Bahia Ramos, vice president of arts at Wallace. “The Wallace Foundation is grateful to NEFA and the other Regional Arts Organizations for encouraging us to expand our work to support and better understand their practices.”
“On behalf of RISCA, congratulations to Teatro ECAS and PVD Word Music. RISCA has been long time supporters of both organization through our grant programs, including general operating support and cultural facilities, as well as through the RI Expansion Arts program. Thank you to the Wallace Foundation and NEFA for championing the arts and acknowledging the need for targeted investment to sustain small arts and cultural organizations centered in communities of color,” said Todd Trebour, Executive Director of RISCA, “Both Teatro ECAS and PVD World Music Institute deliver strong and important work in our community � educating our young people; driving tourism; and contributing to the civic and social health of our state.”
Based in the heart of southeastern New England, Teatro ECAS brings together diverse multigenerational audiences to experience the joy of live theater performed in Spanish, fostering self-discovery and cultural connection. With a focus on children, youth and families, Teatro ECAS aspires to enrich the cultural and civic vitality of our community while achieving national prominence for its artists and its artistry. www.teatroecas.org.
Providence World Music Institute (PVD World Music) is a community-centered nonprofit based in Providence. Its mission is to celebrate, promote and preserve the rich musical traditions and arts of African refugee and immigrant communities in Rhode Island. Our vision is to safeguard and shine a light on the intangible cultural heritage of African and Indigenous peoples. We bring cultural enrichment to underserved communities through our flagship programs and are a member of the cohort for the RI Expansion Arts Program, a partnership with RISCA, R.I. Foundation and RI Humanities. www.pvdworldmusic.com.
NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation. NEFA accomplishes this by granting funds to artists and cultural organizations; connecting them to each other and their audiences; and analyzing their economic contributions. NEFA serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. Learn more at?www.nefa.org.
The Wallace Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation focused on the arts, school leadership, and youth development. They collaborate with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields they serve. The evidence-based insights they share�searchable online and free of charge�support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential. www.WallaceFoundation.org.
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency, supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. www.arts.ri.gov.
The federal election campaign has passed the halfway mark, with politicians zig-zagging across the country to spruik their policies and achievements.
Where politicians choose to visit (and not visit) give us some insight into their electoral priorities and strategy.
Here, six experts analyse how the campaign has looked so far in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
New South Wales
David Clune, honorary associate, government and international relations, University of Sydney
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s strategy in NSW seems to include a tacit concession Liberal heartland seats won by the Teals in 2022 are unlikely to come back.
Instead, the Liberals are hoping to make inroads into Western Sydney electorates held by Labor. It’s a fast-growing, diverse area where families are struggling to pay the mortgage and household bills, and young people have difficulty renting or buying homes. Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have concentrated their campaigning in this area, both claiming to be the best choice for cost-of-living relief and housing affordability.
Many of these seats are among Labor’s safest. Most would require a two-party preferred swing of 6% or more to be lost. Historically speaking, swings of this size are unlikely, although nevertheless possible.
Labor is putting much effort into “sandbagging” marginal coastal seats. A major issue is Labor’s emphasis on renewables versus the Coalition’s policy of building nuclear power plants, including one in the Hunter Valley.
Dutton’s messaging in the early part of the campaign was confusing, combining pragmatic politics, such as cutting the excise on petrol, with right-wing ideology, such as slashing the public service. The former resonated in the marginals, the latter did not. Albanese, by contrast, stayed on message, releasing a stream of expensive handouts to win the votes of battling Sydneysiders.
A wildcard is the emergence of Muslim lobby groups, The Muslim Vote and Muslim Votes Matter. These were formed to support pro-Palestine candidates in safe Labor seats in Western Sydney where there is a large Muslim population, such as Blaxland and Watson.
One factor that won’t be influential is the state government. Premier Chris Minns leads a Labor administration whose performance has generally been lacklustre, but which is not notably unpopular. Unlike in Victoria, NSW voters seem to have their baseball bats in the closet.
The opinion polls continue to show the trend developing since February of a swing back to Labor in NSW, mirroring the national trend. According to an aggregate of polling data, as at April 15 the Labor two-party preferred vote in NSW was 51.9%, an increase of 1.7% since the March federal budget.
Queensland
Paul Williams, associate professor of politics and journalism, Griffith University
The fact neither Albanese nor Dutton has spent a disproportionate amount of time campaigning in Queensland underscores the view the Sunshine State is not a pathway to The Lodge.
But the fact both leaders have made several visits – Albanese campaigned here four times in 12 days – also indicates neither leader is taking any seat for granted.
Indeed, Albanese has visited normally tough-to-win seats, such as Leichhardt in far north Queensland (held by the Coalition for 26 of the past 29 years), which reveals an emboldened Labor Party. With the retirement of popular Coalition MP Warren Entsch, and held by just 3.44%, Labor thinks Leichhardt is “winnable”, especially after reports the LNP candidate Jeremy Neal had posted questionable comments regarding China and Donald Trump on social media.
If so – and given the growing lead Labor boasts in national polls – the LNP would be also at least a little concerned in Longman (3.1%), Bonner (3.4%), Flynn (3.8%), Forde (4.2%) and Petrie (4.4%).
At least the opposition can placate itself with this week’s Resolve Strategic poll, which indicates it still leads Labor in Queensland by six points after preferences, 53% to 47%. That’s just a one-point swing to Labor since 2022. However, it would be concerned that the LNP’s lead has been slashed ten points from the previous YouGov poll.
But most concerning must surely be a uComms poll in Dutton’s own seat of Dickson, held by a slender 1.7%, which forecast the opposition leader losing to high-profile Labor candidate Ali France, 51.7 to 48.3%. The entry of the Climate 200-backed independent candidate Ellie Smith appears to have disrupted preference flows.
Labor’s own polling indicated a closer contest at 50% each, while the LNP’s polling indicates an easy win for Dutton, 57% to 43%, despite Labor spending A$130,000 on France’s campaign.
An alleged terror plot against Dutton in Brisbane doesn’t appear to have shifted the dial. But voters’ potential to conflate Dutton with Trump may well have, especially given Trump’s tariffs now threaten Queensland beef producers’ $1.4 billion trade with the United States. In the closing weeks, watch as Dutton draws on the new and popular Premier David Crisafulli for electoral succour.
South Australia
Rob Manwaring, associate professor of politics and public policy, Flinders University
Is there a federal election campaign taking place? In South Australia, there is a something of an elusive air about the current festival of democracy, with many voters disengaged. The lack of excitement reflects the fact that only two seats in the state are marginal: Sturt (0.5%) and Boothby (3.3%).
The party campaigns have sparkled and flickered, but not really caught alight. The signature move was Albanese’s early announcement of the $150 million new healthcare centre at Flinders, in the seat of Boothby. For the ALP, this neatly coalesced around Labor’s campaign on Medicare.
Federal Labor also sees its strongest asset in the state in Premier Peter Malinauskas, who was prominent during the recent AFL gather round – the round played entirely in Adelaide and its surrounds.
In a welcome development for the state, Labor’s announcement Adelaide would be put forward to host the next Climate COP conference in 2026 was an interesting flashpoint. Locally, many businesses welcomed the announcement, as it potentially will generate significant footfall and economic activity.
Yet, the Coalition quickly announced they would not support the bid, trying to shift the attention away from climate to cost-of-living issues.
More generally, there is a perception the Coalition has been struggling to build campaign momentum. Notably, in a recent visit by members of the shadow cabinet, energies appear to be focused more on sandbagging the seat of Sturt than on winning Boothy, which Labor holds with a nominal 3.3%.
Other factors also might explain a sense of indifference in South Australia. There have been key developments in state politics, for example, notably the ongoing criminal case against former Liberal leader David Speirs, and independent MP, and former Liberal, Nick McBride, who faces assault charges related to family and domestic violence (to which he’s yet to enter a plea).
Tasmania
Robert Hortle, deputy director of the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
The Labor and Liberal campaign strategies started quite differently across Tasmania’s five electorates.
Labor is desperate to defend Lyons and Franklin and hopeful of picking up Braddon (though perhaps overly ambitious, given the 8% margin).
Its candidates have focused on promoting Labor’s big, national-level policies. In the first couple of weeks of the campaign, this meant pushing its flagship healthcare and childcare policies. Following the campaign launches on the weekend, housing is the new flavour.
The Liberal Party – there is no Coalition in Tassie – is focused on winning super marginal Lyons (0.9%) and holding Braddon and Bass. In contrast to Labor, the Liberal campaign was initially defined by lots of community-level funding announcements and Tasmania-specific infrastructure support.
Since the Coalition’s plan to halve the fuel excise was announced, the approach has changed somewhat. Tasmanian Liberal candidates are now swinging in behind this and other national policy pronouncements about – you guessed it – housing.
Both major party candidates have been pretty quiet on the controversial issue of salmon farming. This is surprising given the national spotlight on Braddon’s Macquarie Harbour and the waterways of Franklin. The only exception is Braddon Labor candidate Anne Urquhart’s very vocal support for the salmon industry.
For the Greens, the goal is to build on their 2022 vote share and turn one Senate seat into two, although this is a long shot. They have campaigned hard on issues – mainly salmon farming and native forest logging – where agreement between the Labor and Liberal parties has left space for a dissenting voice.
Although the Greens’ chances of winning any of the lower house seats are slim, they will be hoping these issues help them make further inroads into the declining primary vote share of the major parties.
Victoria
Zareh Ghazarian, senior lecturer in politics, school of social sciences, Monash University
Victoria has several seats that can potentially change hands at this election. As ABC election analyst Antony Green reminds us, the state is home to at least a dozen seats the major parties hold by a margin of 6% or less. Additionally, the independents in Kooyong and Goldstein are also on thin margins (2.2% and 3.3% respectively).
Within this context, the campaign in Victoria has been marked by several visits by the major party leaders. The challenge, however, has been how they have worked with their state counterparts.
State Liberal Leader Brad Battin has fallen short of explicitly supporting the Coalition’s focus on nuclear energy. Instead, he says he’s ready to have an “adult conversation” about the prospect. Coal currently provides more than 60% of electricity in Victoria.
Dutton was, however, happy to campaign alongside Battin and also visited a petrol station with the state leader while in Melbourne.
The Labor Party in Victoria, on the other hand, has been grappling with a drop in support in the polls, with Premier Jacinta Allan’s popularity falling. As a result, there’s been much speculation among political commentators about whether Albanese would want to be campaigning with a leader seemingly struggling to attract support.
In one of the first visits to the state, Albanese did not campaign with Allan. This was even though he had been happy to be with the premiers of South Australia and Western Australia while campaigning there.
According to Albanese, it was the fact that parliament was sitting that made it impossible for Allan to join him on the campaign trail. Both leaders were together at a subsequent visit, but this elicited questions about the impact of Allan’s leadership on Labor’s standing in Victoria.
Western Australia
Narelle Miragliotta, associate professor in politics, Murdoch University
Reports the state’s 16 seats will decide which party grouping will form government has resulted in WA voters being treated to regular visits by the major party leaders, including Labor’s campaign launch.
The campaign context in WA is shaped by its mining economy. Perth is the fastest growing capital in the country, which has led to strong growth in the median housing price and an expensive rental market.
On top of this two potentially divisive issues – the nature positive laws and North West shelf gas expansion – have been defused by federal Labor. The party has backtracked in the case of the former. In the case of the latter, it has merely delayed (not without criticism, however) what is likely to be an eventual approval.
Clearer differences have emerged on future of the WA live sheep trade. But while important to communities directly affected by the phasing out of the practice, the issue does not appear to be capturing the attention of most metropolitan voters.
What might we expect? Labor’s two-party-preferred margin is comfortable in eight of the nine seats it holds. The five Liberal-held seats are on much slimmer margins. Polling suggests little improvement in their state-wide share of the two party preferred vote since 2022.
To the extent the polls portend the outcome, the Liberals’ lack of electoral momentum in WA suggests it will be a struggle to regain the target seats of Curtin and Tangney. Only the outcome in WA’s newest seat, Bullwinkel, remains uncertain.
Paul Williams is a research associate with the TJ Ryan Foundation.
David Clune, Narelle Miragliotta, Rob Manwaring, Robert Hortle, and Zareh Ghazarian do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision today in the case of For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, Amnesty International UK Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh said,
“The outcome of today’s judgment is clearly disappointing. It is a long and complex judgment, and we will take time to analyse its full implications.
“There are potentially concerning consequences for trans people, but it is important to stress that the court has been clear that trans people are protected under the Equality Act against discrimination and harassment.
“The ruling does not change the protection trans people are afforded under the protected characteristic of ‘gender reassignment’, as well as other provisions under the Equality Act.
“Amnesty intervened in this case to remind the court that legal gender recognition is essential for trans people to enjoy the full spectrum of rights each of us is entitled to, including safety, health and family life.
“The Supreme Court itself today made clear that the vilification of a marginalised minority group is absolutely wrong.”
“All public authorities in the UK need to unequivocally enforce protections for trans people against discrimination and harassment.”
LUIS GARCIA, also known as “Ebk Lou,” 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Bridgeport street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence. Garcia was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers, and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes. They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.
Text messages and social media posts reviewed during the investigation confirmed that Garcia possessed and sold narcotics and firearms, stole vehicles, and was involved in related violent criminal activity alongside other O.N.E. members and associates.
On August 9, 2018, O.N.E. members stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport. In the following days, O.N.E. members conspired to use the car to kill East End gang members and their allies who they had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport. Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Garcia, Ta’Ron Pharr, and Lorenzo Carter drove the stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union Avenues in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car. After the shooting, O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.
O.N.E. members committed other violent crimes, including murder.
Garcia has been detained since his arrest on September 8, 2021. On September 6, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Approximately 47 members and associates of multiple Bridgeport-based gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.
Pharr pleaded guilty and, on August 30, 2022, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment. On November 21, 2023, a jury found Carter guilty of racketeering conspiracy. He awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, Waterbury Police Department, and Naugatuck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, and Rahul Kale.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
As we approach the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on Thursday 08 May 2025, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is pleased to announce a series of events dedicated to marking this pivotal moment in history.
From poignant ceremonies and educational exhibitions to a celebratory evening and community gatherings, these events aim to honour those who served during World War II and foster a spirit of remembrance across the borough.
The commemorative events will begin with a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving on the eve of the anniversary, Wednesday 7 May at St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh. This poignant gathering will provide an opportunity for people to come together in reflection and gratitude.
A highlight of the VE Day 80th anniversary programme will be a special celebratory event, which will take place at Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre on Thursday 08 May from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
Open to the public, this free event will feature a line-up of musical entertainment including Corcrain Flute Band and Jenny Chambers School of Speech and Drama choir. Attendees will also enjoy some fish and chips – an iconic dish that was not subject to wartime rationing – before a speech by local historian Richard Edgar and a reading of a special VE Day tribute. The evening will then close with a symbolic beacon lighting ceremony at Craigavon Lakes at 9.30pm.
The council has also organised several other initiatives to honour the significance of VE Day.
A VE Day flag will be raised at the council’s three civic headquarters on Thursday 08 May at 9.00am, providing a visual reminder of this historic occasion. Moreover, an exhibition at Armagh County Museum will showcase both digital and physical archives, offering visitors a window into local life during World War II. The exhibition will run from Monday 05 May to Saturday 05 July.
The council has also demonstrated its commitment to community engagement by awarding a total of £40,000 in grants to local community groups, enabling them to organise their own VE Day celebration events from Thursday 01 to Thursday 15 May 2025.
Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kyle Savage, commented,
“As we prepare to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is important that we not only reflect on the sacrifices made during World War II but also celebrate the enduring spirit of strength and resilience in our community. All the events taking place across the borough are a tribute to the bravery of those who served and a reminder of the lessons we must carry forward.”
To register your interest in attending the special celebratory event at the Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre on Thursday 08 May from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, go to armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/veday. Please note, admission is free, but spaces are limited, so be sure to register your attendance in advance.
For more information about national VE Day 80th anniversary events, visit https://ve80.com/
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Patrick Michael Condon, Professor and UBC James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Livable Environments., University of British Columbia
Racial disparities played a significant role in shaping unequal COVID-19 mortality rates. What is less widely understood is how overcrowded housing conditions were an even deadlier variable.
‘Broken City: Land Speculation, Inequality, and Urban Crisis’ by Patrick M. Condon. (UBC Press)
Even less examined is the root cause of this overcrowding. Overcrowding is not just a matter of zoning or population growth, but something more systemic and difficult to confront: the speculative financial forces acting on the land beneath our feet.
Urban land is now assessed by people not for its consumption value for a home but for its ability to hold and increase in cash value — in other words, its “speculative value.”
My recent book, Broken City, paints a picture of how the same market logics that defined the Gilded Age of the late 19th century have quietly returned in our own century, with similarly corrosive consequences for urban life.
Echoes of the Gilded Age
A growing share of average workers’ incomes is being swallowed up by housing costs, often for homes that fail to meet their basic needs. This is not the result of natural scarcity, but mechanical economic processes that inform the price of urban land.
We now find ourselves in circumstances uncomfortably close to those of Victorian England or Gilded Age America, when mass migrations to urban centres were driven by the need for jobs.
A portrait photograph of Henry George, taken after 1885. (Wikimedia Commons)
The demands for the unearned increment, George explained, was only limited by how much a region’s wage-earners and entrepreneurs collectively produced. Almost all of that value eventually went into land price.
Today, we appear to be experiencing the same phenomenon. The social and epidemiological pressures produced by inflated land prices are no longer confined to historically marginalized racial or ethnic groups.
As my book explains, millennials and Gen Xers, who are increasingly working service-sector jobs that dominate today’s economy, especially in countries like Canada and the U.S., are facing housing pressures once reserved only for the poor.
In short, housing precarity has gone mainstream.
Skyrocketing land prices
At the heart of the housing crisis lies a deeper problem: runaway urban land prices are not just a crisis of housing affordability, but a problem of equitable urban design. They are eroding our political capacity to solve many urban problems.
The same inflated land values that burden tenants and aspiring homeowners also restrict what cities can do to address housing and transportation needs, whether through planning, taxation or direct provision.
Urban land prices are spiralling due to the collision of two long-term trends. First, the global economy has shifted from being primarily driven by wages earned through labour to one dominated by returns on assets. Urban land is now the single largest category of fixed capital asset in the world.
Second, this asset-driven economy has widened the gap between wages and home prices, and helped drive the explosion in inequality. Housing has become the primary site where that inequality is expressed.
Public frustration over this yawning gap between stagnant incomes and sky-high housing costs has erupted into political conflict. Many now blame local governments and planning regulations for blocking the supply of new homes. If only we could build more, they argue, prices would fall.
But the evidence tells a different story. Take Vancouver, a city that has tripled its housing stock since the 1960s, largely through infill development. If the supply theory held true, Vancouver should be the most affordable city in North America. Instead, it is the least affordable.
My book offers several solutions and examples for how cities can reclaim land wealth for the common good.
One promising approach lies in tying new housing approvals to affordability requirements. This policy framework — known as inclusionary zoning — requires developers to include a certain number of permanently affordable units as a condition for increased density.
Without such requirements, upzoning — meaning increasing the maximum building size the city authorizes for a parcel — can inflate the value of land, rewarding speculation and driving prices further out of reach.
The path forward is not mysterious. But it does require confronting the truth that the housing crisis is not the result of broken systems — but of a speculative financial systems working exactly as designed.
Patrick Michael Condon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Following a recent public inquiry, Carey London Ltd had regulatory action taken against their Operator’s Licence by the Traffic Commissioner for the East of England, Richard Turfitt. Additionally, the vocational entitlement of the driver was suspended for a period of two months.
In a recent public inquiry, Traffic Commissioner for the East of England Richard Turfitt took regulatory action against Carey London Ltd, a construction and transport operator based in St Albans. A collision with a bridge resulted in the load, an 8-tonne excavator, being knocked off the trailer bed of the vehicle and onto the adjacent footpath, which exposed multiple breaches of safety and compliance obligations after.
Driver Contra drove the excavator onto the load bed and then secured it with the arm of the excavator facing the headboard. He then apparently measured the height of the load using a tape measure (not a measuring stick) before moving to another area of the site where the road plates were collected and secured with ratchet straps. The height of the load was measured to be 15’4”. The arm of the excavator was not re-stowed after the excavator was moved to allow the loading of the plates. There were four chains available, but these were not used to secure the excavator. The risk assessment at that time was not sufficient and consequently control measures such as written instructions were not present.
The vehicle passed under a first bridge without difficulty, but he then struck the second bridge. The operator stated that Mr Contra had seen the bridge height of 15’ but proceeded to attempt to pass under the bridge, at speed.
The driver also failed to adhere to tachograph regulations, and this raised concerns about the operator’s oversight of driver compliance and training. The company was found to have failed in its legal undertakings to ensure that vehicles were fit and serviceable, to employ an effective written driver defect reporting system, and to comply with laws on drivers’ hours and tachograph regulations.
Commissioner Turfitt said “A professional driver is not expected to allow lapses of attention as they are in charge of vehicles which are by their very nature and size, dangerous. The decision to drive in that state presents an unacceptable risk and the decision making is not indicative of a professional driver…..
Whilst safety management is often miscategorised as an antidote to common-sense, all operators need to appreciate that risk assessment is not simply a matter of waiting for a danger to materialise, to then take action after the event. The outcome of this incident could have been truly catastrophic. Effective control measures should prevent an incident from occurring, protecting others from injury, drivers from the lasting impact, the reputation of the business and its liabilities. Compliance should make good business sense to any reputable operator.”
The vocational entitlement of Driver Contra was suspended for a period of two months and the operator had their licence curtailed by half and warned that any further failures would be treated more severely.
The full written decision containing the can be found here.
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It’s hard to imagine now, but people once believed that the bumps on your head could reveal your personality. For one thing, it’s so hard to locate the bumps on your head, let alone the thirty or so bumps the phrenologists said could be discerned. So why was phrenology such an attractive idea for such a long time?
Phrenology was the belief that the brain’s activity could be studied by examining the bumps on the skull, in places where the brain pushed outwards. Phrenologists claimed they could read your personality based on how big different bumps were. Initially, after German physiologist Franz Joseph Gall developed the new doctrine around 1800, it was a subject of serious scientific debate. But it was soon labelled quackery by the academic elite.
But that wasn’t the end of phrenology. In fact, it became more popular in the 19th century, thanks to physician Johann Gaspar Spurzheim who wrote books and gave public lectures in Britain and France – focusing less on skulls and brains, and more on reading the living people. It remained a popular pastime for more than a century, mainly in English-speaking parts of the world but also outside it, for example in China.
Front page of the American Phrenological Journal and Science of Health, 1880. AKaiser/Shutterstock
Part of the appeal of phrenology was that it gave people a vocabulary to understand themselves and others. With urbanisation and a growing middle class, outside rigid class and religious structures, people were curious about new ways to categorise humankind. In the city, you wouldn’t necessarily know everyone nearby or even your neighbours, so your place in society was less determined.
This may have led to more freedom but also to insecurity about what your and everyone else’s place was. Phrenology was a new way of classifying others. But it was not only meant to study others, it was also a way to know yourself, just like diary writing which also gained popularity in this period. With the help of phrenology, people could now see themselves as having an individual self, reflected in the shape of their head.
Those interested could go to a lecture or read a book about phrenology or – if you lived in New York – visit the Phrenological Cabinet, a display of skulls, busts and portraits. If you really wanted to learn something about yourself, you asked a phrenologist for an examination. In the US this would cost you about half a dollar, (US$20 dollars (£15) today). Many popular phrenologists in the UK and the US offered readings. They were often itinerant, setting up shop in hotel rooms or at Brighton Pier in southern England.
After a reading, clients sometimes received a written assessment, but more usually
received a cheaper standardised chart that detailed their characteristics. On it, they received a score for typical phrenological characteristics such as adhesiveness (or friendship), spirituality, benevolence and time (the ability to judge the lapse of time, “essential for musicians”).
The score was based on the phrenologist’s approach. They tended to gauge the size of the bumps in relative size, compared to your other bumps and to other people’s bumps. They claimed that this was a scientific approach, but it gave phrenologists a great deal of freedom in interpretation.
And – surprise surprise – my analysis of about 160 charts between 1840 and 1940 showed that every single person who received a chart scored above average in most if not all traits.
The positive results partly explain the appeal of a visit to the phrenologist. Another explanation, writes history professor Michael Sokal, is the Barnum effect. This is the tendency of people to rate descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored for them as accurate. In fact, they are often so vague and general that they would apply to almost all people.
Many people, for example, would agree with the suggestion that they are of above-average intelligence but also experience anxiety and self-doubt sometimes. And, indeed, in my collections of phrenological charts, the trait that on average gets the lowest score was “self-esteem”. If only you work a bit on your self-esteem, is the implicit message, you can be an even better version of yourself.
Phrenologists were often deterministic when they judged criminals or non-white
people, based on the skulls or busts they had of people from these categories. Their irregular features or skull shapes apparently condemned them to a life in prison or in slavery.
But they took a different approach to the middle-class visitors of their offices. The character trait of “destructiveness”, for example, was seen the trait of a murderer, but for a middle-class individual was usually explained as energy for overcoming difficulties.
According to phrenologists, everyone could play a role in their destiny and people could use their self-knowledge for improvement. Taking time to reflect on the relationship between cause and effect, for example, could slowly increase the size of your “causality” bump, phrenologists said.
According to early 20th-century phrenologist Stephen Tracht, it took three weeks for a child, three years for a young man, and more once you were 45 or 50, to develop a specific part of the brain.
These practices show how in phrenology self-knowledge and self-improvement came to be seen as two sides of the same coin. And while not everyone will have accepted their phrenological assessment as an absolute truth and customers often took only the information from it that they liked, phrenology did become part of people’s vocabulary, and with it the message that with the right tools, they could become a better version of themselves.
Fenneke Sysling received funding from the Dutch Research Council
Salford Licensing Service has joined up with Salford Public Health to promote good physical and mental health
Funded Mental Health First Aid training and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) health checks
Public Health initiative part of Salford City Council’s commitment to creating a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city for all.
To support Salford City Council’s priority to create healthy lives and quality care for all, Salford Licensing Service has joined up with Salford Public Health to offer the opportunity to taxi and private hire licensed drivers, vehicle owners and operators licensed with the Authority, funded Mental Health First Aid training and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) health checks.
This Public Health initiative aims to improve the health and safety of both taxi and private hire drivers and passengers by providing training that can help to improve mental health awareness, confidence in having mental health and wellbeing conversations and how to support others and signpost to available support and services.
The CVD health checks are designed to detect early signs of heart disease and provide people with the information they need to reduce their risk of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia while helping to prevent the onset of serious and long-term health conditions. This initiative also supports people to stay well in work.
The NHS Health Check programme is a cardiovascular disease programme and after the service was successfully relaunched in Salford in April 2023, 13,232 NHS Health Checks were delivered across the city, equating to 20.3% of the total eligible population by April 2024. This resulted in an increase of Salford’s rank to fourth highest performing local authorities (LA) in England, as well as and the top performing LA in Greater Manchester and the North West.
Councillor Mishal Saeed, Executive Support Member for Social Care and Mental Health at Salford City Council said: “As a City Council, we are fully invested in the health and wellbeing of everyone in Salford. That’s why it’s important that we support more people to live healthy lives for longer by promoting good physical and mental health.
“Taxi and private hire licensees deliver important transport services in our communities, to residents and visitors to the city, and supporting school transport. We look forward to positively engaging with licensees, providing health checks and mental health training opportunities, helping to support them in the management of their own health as well as being able to support members of the public, thereby fostering a positive and supportive environment.”
King Charles’s recent visit to the Vatican may appear to be simply a symbolic gesture of ecumenical goodwill. But moments like this provide an opportunity to look at the long-term consequences of church-state relations around the world.
Today’s religious identities have more to do with political decisions made centuries ago than with personal faith. Spain and Portugal are predominantly Catholic not because of the individual choices of their population, but because their monarchs aligned (and maintained the hegemony) of the Roman Catholic church-state. In England, on the other hand, King Henry VIII broke away from Rome in the 1530s, challenging (“protesting”) against the universal papal authority and leading to the establishment of the Church of England.
This religious split also carried over to former colonies. Compare the US, (a Protestant country) to Mexico or Brazil (Catholic countries), and you’ll see the long shadow of these old decisions. My research shows the profound and lasting consequences of religion on these societies.
My findings suggest that countries with historical and legal alignments with the Catholic church — such as Spain, Portugal, Austria, Ireland and much of Latin America — tend to underperform on a number of metrics, including inequality and education, and have more political corruption compared to states that maintained institutional separation (such as through the Protestant Reformation). Historical Protestant countries include the UK, Switzerland, Scandinavian and North American countries.
In particular, countries with strong traditional links to the Catholic church tend to exhibit higher levels of corruption and inequality. They also perform weaker in education, sustainability and competitiveness compared to Protestant countries.
Prosperity and educational differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics are evident even within countries. In Switzerland, the Protestant cantons (such as Geneva and Zurich) are currently the most competitive, while the Roman Catholic cantons (such as Ticino and Valais) are the least competitive. In Germany, Protestants are more educated (0.8 years more) and more prosperous (5.4% higher income) than Catholics.
Before the Reformation, literacy in England was below 10%, and the Roman church largely monopolised education. The Protestant emphasis on individual reading – especially of the Bible – dramatically increased literacy rates and access to knowledge. This paved the way for broader democratic participation, industrialisation and innovation.
Protestantism similarly proved influential in historical law revolutions, gradually separating society from feudal institutions and papalist medieval canon law.
In Britain, the Reformation was not just a theological shift, but a political one, breaking institutional ties with Rome and affirming national sovereignty. The long-term effects of that decision have echoed through the UK’s democratic and economic development.
Church-state relations
The Vatican’s political influence is often underestimated. The Roman Catholic church is the only religious body that is, at the same time, a sovereign political state – with ambassadors, diplomatic immunity and seats at international forums. The pope holds absolute executive, legislative and judicial authority.
Many of today’s Catholic-majority countries maintain formal relations with the Roman See through bilateral treaties called concordats. These agreements exert the power of the church in countries that have them, and are rarely democratically consulted with the population.
In Colombia, for example, concordats throughout history have linked religion and politics, have given church-influenced groups power over the economy, and allowed Rome to control what is taught in public and private education at all levels.
Since then, liberal efforts have reestablished much of the state’s power. But the effects are still evident in the strong cultural identity and presence of Catholicism in the country. Colombia has one of the highest proportions of adults raised as Roman Catholics in the world (92%), after Paraguay (94%).
Historically, informal gestures of religious diplomacy have laid the groundwork for further cooperation and formal agreements with Rome.
But King Charles’s recent Vatican visit is more diplomatic than anything. It reflects modern efforts to maintain and strengthen state-to-state relations and discuss shared global concerns like climate change and peacebuilding.
It is for this reason that the king’s visit matters – not because a formal treaty is on the table, but because it shows the strength of the UK’s experience since the Reformation. An exemplary model of the success of church-state separation, British democracy and prosperity have thrived for centuries – without formal entanglements with the Catholic church.
Dr Jason Garcia-Portilla earned his PhD in Organization Studies and Cultural Theory at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), financed with a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship–ESKAS. Additionally, he holds an MSc in Climate Change and Policy from the University of Sussex in the UK (funded by the British Chevening Scholarship).
Export bars placed on two paintings by 18th century artist Agostino Brunias
Temporary export bars have been placed on two paintings by 18th century Italian artist Agostino Brunias
Export bars have been placed on the paintings to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire them
Export bars have been placed on two paintings of the island of St Vincent by 18th century artist Agostino Brunias.
Both paintings depict the island through the lens of the British Empire, with one showing the signing of a treaty and the other a representation of Indigenous life.
The Committee found that ‘Sir William Young Conducting a Treaty with the Black Caribs on the Island of St Vincent’ met the first and third Waverley criteria for its connection with our history and national life. In addition, the Committee found that ‘A family of Charaibes in the Island of St Vincent’ met the third Waverley criterion for its significance to the study of the history of slavery and colonialism.
The decision on the export licence applications for both paintings will be deferred for a period ending on 15 July 2025 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase one or both the paintings.
Sir William Young Conducting a Treaty with the Black Caribs on the Island of St Vincent is set at the recommended price of £240,000 (plus VAT of £8,000). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.
A family of Charaibes in the Island of St Vincent is set at the recommended price of £180,000 (plus VAT of £6,000). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.
Notes to editors
Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing one or both the paintings should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
Details: A family of Charaibes in the Island of St Vincent
Details of the ITEM are as follows: A family of Charaibes in the Island of St Vincent, c.1773, oil on canvas, by Agostino Brunias (c.1730 – 2 April 1796), 56 x 61 cm.; 22 x 24 in.
Provenance: Commissioned by Sir William Young, 1st Bt (1725–1788), Governor of Dominica; By descent to his son, Sir William Young, F.R.S. (1749–1815), Governor of Tobago; Anonymous sale, Paris, Hotel Drouot, 9 March 1951, lot 74 (as one of a pair); Private collection, France; Anonymous sale, Christie’s, London, 25 September 2003, lot 424; Where acquired by the mother of the present owners.
Details: Sir William Young Conducting a Treaty with the Black Caribs on the Island of St Vincent
Details of the ITEM are as follows: Sir William Young Conducting a Treaty with the Black Caribs on the Island of St Vincent, 1773, oil on canvas, by Agostino Brunias (c.1730 – 2 April 1796), 56 x 61 cm.; 22 x 24 in.
Provenance: Commissioned by Sir William Young, 1st Bt (1725–1788), Governor of Dominica; By descent to his son, Sir William Young, F.R.S. (1749–1815), Governor of Tobago; Anonymous sale, Paris, Hotel Drouot, 9 March 1951, lot 74 (as one of a pair); Private collection, France; Anonymous sale, London, Christie’s, 25 September 2003, lot 425 (where titled ‘Pacification of the Maroon Negros in the Island of Jamaica’); Where acquired by the mother of the present owners.
MIAMI, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMXI), also known as Intermex, will release its First Quarter 2025 earnings before the start of trading on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The Intermex management team will be hosting a conference call on the same day at 9:00 am ET.
Interested parties are invited to join the discussion and gain firsthand knowledge about Intermex’s financial performance and operational achievements through the following channels:
A live broadcast of the conference call may be accessed via the Investor Relations section of Intermex’s website at https://investors.intermexonline.com/.
To participate in the live conference call via telephone, please register HERE. Upon registering, a dial-in number and unique PIN will be provided to join the conference call.
Following the conference call, an archived webcast of the call will be available for one year on Intermex’s website at https://investors.intermexonline.com/.
About International Money Express, Inc. Founded in 1994, Intermex applies proprietary technology, enabling consumers to send money from the United States, Canada, and Europe to more than 60 countries. The Company provides the digital movement of money through a network of agent retailers in the United States, Canada, and Europe; Company-operated stores; our mobile app; and the Company’s websites. Transactions are fulfilled and paid through thousands of retail and bank locations around the world. Intermex is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with international offices in Puebla, Mexico, Guatemala City, Guatemala, London, England, and Madrid, Spain. For more information about Intermex, please visit www.intermexonline.com.
Investor Relations: Alex Sadowski Investor Relations Coordinator Tel: 305-671-8000 IR@intermexusa.com
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV party chairman and Cusher councillor Keith Ratcliffe:
“I am frankly fed up with the lack of action from the Department of Infrastructure when it comes to potholes.
“Back in November I raised particular issues in relation to Marlacoo Road. In spite of several reminders, there has been no action.
“The result is that no longer have potholes. We have large craters which – after the heavy rain today – have literally turned into duck ponds in the middle of the road.
“While the Minister seeks to abuse her office to impose Irish language street signs on Grand Central Station the basic infrastructure which we all rely on to go about our daily lives is falling apart.
“A devolution which results in roads turning into duck ponds isn’t worth having.”
Writing in today’s Evening News, Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker welcomes the 2025 European Festivals Association (EFA) Arts Festival Summit to Edinburgh
Later this month, Edinburgh will host the 2025 European Festivals Association (EFA) Arts Festival Summit. This event will bring together festival representatives, policymakers, and cultural partners from around Europe for a four-day, in-person exchange about the arts and their role in society.
Co-hosted by the Edinburgh International Festival, Festivals Edinburgh, and the Council, this year’s summit offers a unique opportunity for the European festivals community to collaborate and work more closely together.
Edinburgh is home to 11 major international festivals that take place throughout the year. These festivals contribute to the city’s well-earned reputation as The World’s Festival City. Currently, the Edinburgh Science Festival is underway. As the world’s first and largest celebration of science, it will finish this weekend, having hosted 115 events across 30 venues. I’m always very impressed with the interactive exhibits, workshops, and shows designed to make science fun and accessible for children.
Next is the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival in May, followed by the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival in July, and of course, the grand month of August. With preparations for the summer festivals already in full swing, it’s clear that our cultural calendar is packed with dynamic events.
However, these festivals are about much more than performances and exhibitions, they are powerful drivers of community engagement, cultural exchange and economic growth. The Arts Festivals Summit will delve into how Edinburgh’s festivals have helped shape the city’s global reputation, how they continue to define its identity today and how they can support our city into the future both economically and socially.
One theme of the Summit will be the development of the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions – with the Council as one of its seven founding members – as a European community where knowledge is exchanged, and produced, about the role of festivals in their local areas. With the Council continually working to balance the needs of residents, visitors, and businesses while keeping the spirit of the Festival City alive, this international community can become a valuable resource for sharing insights and developing pan-national initiatives.
While I take great pride in how Edinburgh’s dedication to supporting its festivals has become a model for cities around the world, I also believe that we should continually look to learn from others.
This is especially important at this moment in time because Edinburgh’s success story is not without its challenges. The summit will look at the hurdles faced in maintaining its festival culture. Rising costs, accommodation, environmental concerns, and the pressure to evolve in an ever-changing international landscape all present challenges. These are issues many festivals and their host locations across the globe are grappling with, and I’m confident the Summit will provide an invaluable space for sharing solutions, strategies, and ideas that ensure festivals thrive not just survive.
Ultimately, the Arts Festivals Summit is not just a celebration of Edinburgh’s cultural landscape, it’s a recognition of the transformative power of festivals. As Edinburgh continues to lead by example, this summit serves as a reminder of the critical role arts festivals play in shaping the future of our societies, celebrating diversity, and nurturing creativity.
Government announces preferred candidate for S4C Chair
Delyth Evans is the Government’s preferred candidate for the S4C Chair, the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced today.
Delyth Evans
Delyth started her career as a journalist at HTV Wales, working on the flagship current affairs programme ‘Y Byd ar Bedwar’ for S4C. She subsequently worked as a reporter on BBC Radio Four’s ‘World at One’ and ‘PM’ programmes. Delyth became a Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly (now the Senedd) in 2000, representing the Mid and West Wales constituency, and was a deputy minister for Culture, Environment and Rural Affairs. After stepping down from politics Delyth worked in the charity sector as Chief Executive of Smart Works, a women’s employment charity. Delyth is currently a Board member at Sport Wales, a Governor at Coleg Gwent, and a trustee of the Alacrity Foundation and the Urdd.
Delyth will now appear on 23 April before MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny.
This process for appointing the Chair of S4C is set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990.
Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Welsh Government and UK Government Wales office were also represented on the Panel.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
“Delyth began her career as a broadcast journalist, and her vision for S4C’s future reflects a deep understanding of the Welsh cultural and media landscape, as well as an enduring commitment to public service.
“I’m pleased to recommend her for the role of Chair, in which she will no doubt be a proud champion of Welsh-language broadcasting. This marks an exciting chapter for S4C as we develop plans to boost the job opportunities and growth potential of the creative industries in Wales and the rest of the UK.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“Delyth has a great track record in broadcasting and wealth of experience in public service to bring to the role of S4C Chair.
“S4C plays a pivotal role in Wales, sustaining and promoting the Welsh language and strengthening our unique identity and culture. The channel is a cornerstone of the strong creative sector in Wales which is vital for economic growth.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“Delyth has a great track record in broadcasting and wealth of experience in public service to bring to the role of S4C Chair.
“S4C plays a pivotal role in Wales, sustaining and promoting the Welsh language and strengthening our unique identity and culture. The channel is a cornerstone of the strong creative sector in Wales which is vital for economic growth.”
Remuneration and Governance Code
S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, meaning “Channel 4 Wales”) is a British Welsh-language free-to-air television channel.
The Chair of S4C is remunerated at £40,000 per annum and the time commitment will be equivalent to an average of two days a week.
An unoccupied street in Shelton is being closed from next month following years of ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping.
An unoccupied street in Shelton is being closed from next month following years of ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping.
The closure of the vacant site at Pyenest Street comes into effect on Thursday, 1 May, with the aim to prevent illegal dumping, improve public safety and create a cleaner environment that encourages investment and growth.
The road closure, which involves the installation of concrete barriers, will be in place until 1 May 2027.
It is the next step in the regeneration of the brownfield site, which is earmarked for housing development under city council plans.
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This area has been a magnet for illegal dumping for some time. It has also attracted anti-social behaviour. The area has so much potential to be a cleaner, greener and safer corner of the city.”
A planning application was submitted by the council in March for a residential development on the site – for up to 141 homes – following an engagement exercise with local residents.
Discussions are currently underway with developer Genr8 Consortium to look at taking the site forward, but other options may also be considered.
The city council is also engaging with representatives of Homes England to explore financial grant support that will be essential to deliver the proposed scheme.
Meanwhile, subject to appropriate consents being in place, demolition of some of the remaining canal-side buildings on the site will take place in the near future.
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing and planning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This site is one of a number of brownfield sites, and one of three in Shelton alone, that we are prioritising when it comes to developing new homes in the city.
“In almost two years, we have made significant improvements to our housing stock as part of ongoing efforts to raise housing standards in the city.
“Being able to deliver even more new homes in Stoke-on-Trent takes us one step closer to ensuring that everybody has the opportunity to live in a decent home.”
Access for businesses will be maintained and alternative routes will be clearly signposted. Businesses impacted by the road closure will be contacted directly regarding alternative arrangements.
Chasing Amy: A Soulful Tribute to Amy Winehouse by Victoria Geelan
16 April 2025
Following the overwhelming success of her last festival show ‘Feeling Good’, which paid tribute to the legendary Nina Simone, acclaimed vocalist Victoria Geelan returns to the Alley Theatre, Strabane on Friday 25th April with her powerful and personal new show: “Back to Black” – A Celebration of Amy Winehouse.
Presented in the relaxed and intimate setting of the cabaret-style auditorium, this one-night-only performance promises a powerful and personal tribute to one of the most iconic voices of the 21st century.
Titled ‘Chasing Amy’, the show is a reflection on Amy Winehouse’s artistry, influence, and inner world – brought to life through Victoria’s stunning vocals and the backing of a talented band of top-class musicians.
Born in the same year as Winehouse -1983 – Victoria shares a unique connection with the late star. “Amy’s voice, honesty, and fearless lyrics struck me from the very beginning,” she says. “This show is my way of honouring her life, her genius, and the struggles she faced with grace and empathy.”
Audiences can expect an immersive musical journey that moves from Amy’s jazz roots to her chart-topping soul, reggae, and hip-hop hits – including songs from the seminal ‘Back to Black’ album. The show goes deeper than the music, exploring the artists who inspired Amy, whose songs she often included in her own live performances, the media’s treatment of her private life, her battles with bulimia, depression, and addiction, and her impact as a trailblazing female artist who reshaped the landscape of modern music.
“Amy broke the mould of what a female pop star could be – unapologetically real, raw, and relatable,” adds Victoria. “This show is not just about remembering her music but understanding the woman behind the voice.”
This is one unforgettable evening of music and storytelling that will stay with you long after the final note.
Due to some explicit lyrical content and adult themes, this show is recommended for audiences aged 14+. Tickets are £12 available online at www.alley-theatre.com or call 028 71 384444
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston:
“I am delighted to see that the UK Supreme Court has ruled so comprehensively in favour of common sense and biological reality. This is a devastating blow to those who have sought to peddle the fiction that a man can magically become a woman or vice versa.
“Paragraph 265 of the judgement spells out important points including: The Gender Recognition Act did not change the meaning of the terms man and woman in the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act; The Sex Discrimination Act refers to biological sex; The Equality Act of 2010 did not modify the meaning of man and woman and There are aspects of life which require a biological interpretation of sex including changing rooms and medical services.
“There is an onus on the devolved administration in Stormont to take note of today’s ruling.
“The funding of Stonewall – which receives public money both via the Sinn Fein lead Department of Finance and the Sinn Fein and DUP lead Executive Office – must cease.
“Policy documents such as the Inclusive Language Guide which was produced by the Finance Department and seeks to discourage the use of words such as mother, wife and girlfriend must be withdrawn.
“There can be no more nonsense of the Executive Office producing policy documents like their flagship Violence Against Women and Girls document while refusing to say what a woman is.
“The Justice Minister must revisit her policy on housing men in female prison space.
“The Alliance chair of the Executive Office Committee needs to consider the judgement carefully and reflect on how she has chaired meetings in light of the same – although one fears that she may regard it as “gratuitously offensive” given her reaction when I pointed out similar facts in committee.
“Furthermore, there can now be no question of the inquiry into gaps in equality legislation pushing Stormont down the same road as the Scottish Government who so comprehensively lost today.”
TUV party secretary Ann McClure added: “I am proud to be a member of a party which has always taken a stand for women’s rights in relation to these matters. We never bought the nonsense that you can change your gender like you change your socks and are pleased that the highest court in the land has sided with common sense.
“I very much hope that the powers that be in Stormont take this ruling seriously and revisit their policies accordingly.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Funding from Homes England and HSBC UK supports Wyatt Homes to deliver hundreds more houses across the south
It follows a previous finance package provided by Homes England and HSBC UK in 2022
Wyatt Homes’ Rivers Edge Development in Wimborne, Dorset. Credit Wyatt Homes.
Families across the South of England will soon benefit from hundreds of new homes, made possible by a multi-million-pound finance package provided to housing developer Wyatt Homes by Homes England’s Home Building Fund and HSBC UK.
The Home Building Fund is one of the ways that the Agency works with the private sector to deliver on the Government’s mission to build 1.5 million homes this parliament.
This particular finance package will enable Wyatt Homes to grow its output to build over 300 homes year across developments in Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire, which will include the delivery of much needed new affordable housing.
The previous finance package provided by Homes England and HSBC UK in 2022 accelerated the delivery of over 1,000 new family homes across multiple sites.
Nigel Barclay, Director of Loans at Homes England, said:
As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, we are committed to working in partnership with organisations in both the public and private sector, to achieve their ambitions and develop much needed new homes across the country.
Supporting Wyatt Homes’ ambition to grow housing delivery to over 300 homes per year across developments in Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire is an excellent example of how the Agency’s Home Building Fund can be deployed alongside private sector capital from HSBC UK, to deliver high quality new homes in priority locations while supporting the growth of small and medium house builders, that are crucial to building a diverse and resilient housing sector.
Shaun Pettitt, Managing Director at Wyatt Homes, said:
This funding is a pivotal step for us, as we look to scale up and bolster the delivery of hundreds of new homes. Our commitment to quality of design and high standards of construction remains unwavering as we expand our operations through the delivery of a significant pipeline of new developments. In doing so, we will continue to strive to provide not only essential housing, but also to build vibrant, long-lasting communities that will stand the test of time.
Dan Wright, Head of Housing at HSBC UK, added:
Having supported Wyatt Homes over the past five years, we’re thrilled to continue backing its growth journey. This substantial finance package will bolster the business’s operations, enabling it to increase its annual output and address the urgent need for housing in the South of England. Additionally, the financing strengthens our expanding partnership with Homes England to support housebuilding across the country.
Wyatt Homes, headquartered in Poole, is a well-established traditional housebuilder, with a track record of delivering award-winning homes in the South for over 30 years.
Previous developments include: Luzborough Green in Romsey, Weatherbury Place in Puddletown, Harbour Ridge at Canford Cliffs, and Chapel Fields in South Petherton.
Notes to editors
About Homes England
We are the government’s housing and regeneration Agency, and we’re here to drive the creation of more affordable, quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow.
We make this happen by working in partnership with thousands of organisations of all sizes, using our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more quality homes built.
HSBC UK serves over 15 million active customers across the UK, supported by 23,900 colleagues. HSBC UK offers a complete range of retail banking and wealth management to personal and private banking customers, as well as commercial banking for small to medium businesses and large corporates. HSBC UK is a ring-fenced bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc.
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 58 countries and territories. With assets of US$3,017bn at 31 December 2024, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.
