If you’re found guilty of a crime, it’s a basic principle of Australian law that you have a right to appeal.
But having a right and being able to exercise it are two different things, especially when it comes to fresh evidence casting doubt on your conviction.
In Australia, your ability to challenge a conviction with fresh evidence depends on where you live, because each state and territory has different rules. Too often, it also depends on the resources someone can access, including money and knowledge of the legal system.
Everyone should have the same opportunities to clear their name, so how can we make accessing appeals more equitable?
State by state
Direct pathways to appeal differ between the states and territories.
In all postcodes, it’s difficult to get appeal courts to consider fresh evidence in the first instance.
South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland and the ACT allow multiple appeal applications if “fresh and compelling” evidence emerges after your first appeal. Since 2013, six convictions have been quashed this way, including Henry Keogh’s in SA after the state coroner recanted trial evidence.
Tasmania and WA allow subsequent appeals only for serious offences, while SA has no such restriction.
New South Wales and the Northern Territory don’t allow subsequent appeals, so people there have less direct access to the courts if wrongly convicted.
There are, however, indirect ways people can seek an appeal with fresh evidence.
In all states, you can ask the government to refer your case back to an appeal court. For example, the Victorian Attorney-General referred Faruk Orman’s case after evidence emerged about his lawyer’s misconduct. Referral decisions are made in secret and not reviewable.
In the ACT, you can ask the Supreme Court for a judicial inquiry into your conviction. If you get an inquiry, the inquiry officer can refer your case back to the appeal court if they find reasonable doubt. This led to David Eastman’s conviction being quashed.
These inquiries are only available if the issue can’t be properly addressed in an appeal, for example because the time for filing an appeal has lapsed. But, the ACT introduced subsequent appeals in 2024 which have no time limit, so it is unclear whether this pathway is still usable.
You can also ask the NSW Supreme Court for an inquiry or direct referral of your case back to the appeal court. This path is available for all offences and sentences and decisions are public. Since 2014, 59 conviction review applications to the NSW Supreme Court have resulted in one inquiry order and six referrals, with three successful appeals.
The inquiry (currently underway) involves the Croatian Six, convicted in 1981 for conspiracy to bomb sites in Sydney. After many failed attempts, they finally secured an inquiry with fresh evidence casting doubt on police and witnesses’ trial evidence.
These different pathways across the country create an uneven playing field, where some wrongfully convicted people may have more opportunities to clear their name than others.
The right resources
Access to appeals doesn’t just depend on location. It’s also about resources.
To succeed in getting an appeal via any of the above pathways, you need the power to obtain documents and the resources to gather other evidence. You also need the ability to prepare a strong case. That’s before you even get to court.
Judicial inquiries have investigatory powers and resources, but are expensive. For example, the Eastman inquiry cost the ACT government $12 million.
These commissions have the power to compel evidence and resources to investigate claims of wrongful conviction at no cost to applicants. They also have the power to refer cases back to the courts. While these commissions don’t refer many cases overall, about 70% of of cases referred in the UK are successful on appeal.
But, even for commissions, a strong initial application is important. In the UK, the Cardiff University Innocence Project engages law students to investigate claims of innocence and prepare applications for claims with merit.
Canada and the United States don’t have criminal case review commissions. Innocence Projects there review claims of innocence and help prepare applications for government or court review.
This is similar to the work of the few innocence clinics in Australia, such as those at RMIT and Griffith universities.
Innocence initiatives around the world work with limited investigatory resources and powers compared with those of a review commission. In the absence of a such a commission in Australia, second appeals are useful, but they are expensive to run, hard to access and don’t address the resource issue.
The free NSW Supreme Court pathway doesn’t address the resource issue either. But it can lead to an inquiry or referral, is open and accountable, and comes with guiding criteria and discretion to make short shrift of baseless applications.
My research suggests free pathways to appeal are important justice mechanisms for the wrongly convicted, but they work best when applicants have legal help to prepare a clear and concise application. Involving law students to help edit applications could make it easier for decision-makers to review cases and help applicants without lawyers get a fairer chance to be heard.
Kylie Lingard 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.
HONOLULU (Oct. 24, 2024) – The East-West Center’s Board of Governors has elected the Hon. Henry Tuakeu Puna, former Cook Islands Prime Minister and recent Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, as one of the board’s five international members.
“We are delighted that Prime Minister Puna has agreed to join us on the EWC Board of Governors,” said Board Chairman John Waihe‘e III, former Governor of Hawai‘i. “His deep understanding of the political, economic, and cultural dynamics in the Pacific will be invaluable in helping us fulfill the Center’s mission of enhancing understanding and cooperation among our region’s nations and peoples.”
“I am no stranger to the East-West Center and am extremely honored and humbled to serve on the board of such an illustrious institution,” Prime Minister Puna said. “Having recently served the Pacific region for a brief term as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, this role will allow me to continue to serve the region in a different capacity and environment.”
About the EWC Board of Governors: The East-West Center Board of Governors consists of 18 members. The Governor of Hawai‘i appoints five members, the US Secretary of State appoints five members, and these ten members in turn elect five members from Asia and the Pacific. There are also three ex-officio members: the Governor of Hawai‘i, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the President of the University of Hawai‘i. In addition to the members, the board also welcomes three nonvoting invitees from the EWC Foundation, alumni association, and the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders.
About Hon. Henry Puna: The Hon. Henry Puna served as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 2010 to 2020, focusing on issues such as sustainable development, climate change, and regional cooperation. During his time as Prime Minister, he also held various additional ministerial portfolios, including Foreign Affairs, Marine Resources, and Energy. Among other challenges, his administration led the Cook Islands initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including working to allow Cook Islanders stranded overseas to return home.
As Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum from 2021 until May of this year, he worked to enhance cooperation among Pacific nations on issues such as economic development, environmental sustainability, and regional security. He has advocated for the interests of small island developing states in international forums and promoted climate resiliency and economic sustainability in the Pacific region, including the adoption of the Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent during his tenure.
The EAST-WEST CENTER promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.
Source: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
25 October 2024 – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) was proud to host the Waste Expo and All-Energy Australia conference this week, showcasing the latest innovations in waste reduction and renewable energy, aligning with MCEC’s industry-leading sustainability practices.
MCEC Sustainability Manager, Kristen Gillespie said as a hub for collaboration and innovation, MCEC provides the perfect platform for progressive discussions and solutions to address pressing environmental challenges.
“We’re proud to host both the Waste Expo and All-Energy conference under one roof, highlighting the synergy between these important industries to create a brighter future for us all.”
The Waste Expo brought together the brightest minds in waste management and resource recovery to shape a cleaner, greener future.
During the expo, MCEC operated a Zero Waste Café, which featured 33% plant-based items, no plastic packaging and 100% reusable cutlery, crockery and glassware. Any leftover items were donated to food rescue organisation, OzHarvest.
To coincide with the expo and Sustainability Day, Goldfields Cafe served locally roasted speciality coffee, hot chocolate and certified organic and fair-trade tea, in edible cups, made from locally sourced oats and grains.
“The Waste Expo was the perfect opportunity to highlight the innovative solutions we’ve developed to reduce our impact on the environment, and challenge the industry to deliver greener events,” Kristen said.
At the All-Energy Australia conference, important discussions on renewable energy, energy management and sustainability took place.
A fully recyclable cardboard trade show stand, designed by Enphase and Opal, which is a leading sustainable packaging manufacturer, was unveiled. The stand featured a cardboard life-size house and is 100% recyclable, eliminating over 80% of waste that traditional expo stands generate.
“Our partnership with Opal represents one more way that Enphase supports and leads sustainable innovation. Enphase is transforming exhibitions and setting a new standard for environmental responsibility across industries,” said Patrick Matweew, General Manager at Enphase Energy ANZP.
“This life-size cardboard house shows what’s possible when innovation and sustainability join forces. It’s more than just reducing waste, it’s about creating a practical, reusable structure that can serve as a model for future events,” said Chris Daly, Executive General Manager Packaging at Opal.
“We’re excited to host such a forward-thinking project. This recyclable cardboard stand supports our own industry-leading sustainability practices, and we hope it will inspire others to think creatively about reducing their environmental impact,” Kristen added.
MCEC strives to be leaders in sustainability and we seek out everyday and innovative ways to be kind to the environment and our city.
Our Sustainability Strategy is underpinned by the principles of a low-carbon, circular economy that looks to reduce waste, mitigate and adapt to climate change and have a positive social impact.
In addition, MCEC’s Positive Impact Guide contains tips and resources to empower our customers to deliver more sustainable events. From sustainable event switches to First Nations engagement to accessible and inclusive events, explore ways to infuse positive impact into your events here: https://www.mcec.com.au/our-impact/positive-impact-guide
ABOUT MCEC At Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), visionary ideas come to life, and the world’s thought leaders gather. The iconic venue hosts dynamic exhibitions, conferences, galas, and concerts—everyone who visits leaves inspired and excited.
MCEC loves all communities and interests, creating a space where everyone feels welcome. Blending trendy eats, sustainability, and cutting-edge tech, it creates mind-blowing, globally recognised events.
Thanks to its progressive sustainability practices, choosing MCEC means making a positive environmental impact. Feel Melbourne’s vibe, discover the next big thing, and be part of the conversation that shapes the future.
Acknowledgement of Country
Built on the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River), Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Narrm, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to Elders of all First Nations communities that visit MCEC. We recognise the ongoing significance of the Birrarung to Traditional Owners as a life source and a meeting place for millennia and seek to honour this long-standing tradition of building community and exchanging ideas on these lands.
Source: The White House
On Monday, October 21st, President Biden held an East Room ceremony at the White House to present the 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Arts and the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals.
The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists, arts patrons, and groups by the United States Government and honors exemplary individuals and organizations that have advanced the arts in America and offered inspiration to others through their distinguished achievement, support, or patronage. The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.
Below are the citations presented to the 2022 and 2023 medal recipients:
National Medal of Arts – Class of 2022
Ruth Asawa (Posthumously)
For groundbreaking modernism and championing art for everyone. From a family of Japanese immigrants separated in incarceration camps, Ruth Asawa emerged to become a renowned educator and artist, bringing her distinctive wire sculptures to the Nation’s museums, homes, and classrooms, and leaving a legacy as powerful and profound as her portfolio.
Randy A. Batista
For focusing the lens on human nature. Born in Tampa, Florida, to Italian and Cuban immigrants and raised on both sides of the Straits of Florida, Randy Batista is known as the people’s photographer. With the camera as his sixth sense of deep empathy, he captures people’s pain and challenges us to respect their inherent dignity.
Clyde Butcher
For focusing the lens on Mother Nature. From humble beginnings as a self-taught photographer, Clyde Butcher is considered America’s most acclaimed landscape photographer today. From the Rocky Mountains to the Everglades, and countless pristine places in between, his images inspire and challenge us to respect and defend our natural wonders.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
For cataloging one of the Nation’s great homegrown art forms. As the world’s largest repository of country music history, in the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preserves history, honors giants of the genre, and inspires future generations to write their own songs about the American story.
Melissa “Missy” Elliott
For shattering glass ceilings with timeless beats. From a child singing in the church choir to becoming a best-selling female rapper and pioneering hip-hop icon, Missy Elliott’s genre-defying music and rhymes have elevated an industry into a global powerhouse and inspired generations to push the sound and movement of America.
Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez
For harnessing heritage to enrich American music. The son of a musical family in Texas, Flaco Jiménez mastered the accordion and Spanglish lyrics as a trailblazer of Conjunto. Blending Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music with the Blues, Rock n’ Roll, and Pop Music, he sings the soul of America’s Southwest.
Eva Longoria
For recognizing the strength of our diversity and the full talents of our Nation. Actor, producer, director, and proud Mexican American, Eva Longoria has broken barriers on screen and uses her power to lift up Latino voices all across American life — challenging stereotypes and instilling Latino pride in our Nation.
Idina Menzel
For magical songs that lift our spirits and stir our souls. From Broadway stages to movie screens, Idina Menzel’s powerful voice has sold out shows, topped Billboard charts, and above all, empowered millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be strong, use their voice, and lead with their hearts.
Herbert I. Ohta
For redefining ukulele music as a deeply moving American sound. The Hawaiian son of Japanese immigrants, Herb Ohta learned his first chords as a child and played through his service as a United States Marine. A musical innovator and mentor, he has bridged cultures and genres, spreading the peace and hope of aloha spirit.
Bruce Sagan
For seeking the truth as a true public citizen. A Chicago, Illinois, journalism legend and lifelong supporter of the performing arts, Bruce Sagan’s seven decades of leadership and stewardship in building, protecting, and uplifting local newspapers, voices, artists, and dancers have inspired his beloved city and enriched the tapestry of American life and culture.
Carrie Mae Weems
For capturing the resilience and dignity of Black America and our deeper humanity.
Over three decades at the forefront of American expression, Carrie Mae Weems has honed her craft as a renowned artist whose photography, film, video, and art confront hard truths about power and prejudice, while celebrating the indomitable human spirit.
National Medal of Arts – Class of 2023
Mark Bradford
For revealing the full history of the Nation through groundbreaking art. Inspired by the diverse cultures of Southern California, Mark Bradford’s paper-on-canvas storytelling reveals the interwoven hopes, sorrows, and joys of communities of color, with each layer challenging convention, shining light, and reminding us all of the full potential of America.
Ken Burns
For documenting the hope and history of our Nation. From his home in rural New Hampshire and deep from his imagination, Ken Burns´ pioneering documentaries of diverse people, places, and histories have shaped our understanding of the American experience, and defined him as one of the most respected filmmakers of our time.
Bruce Cohen
For championing the arts to express our highest ideals of freedom, justice, and equality.
An entertainment industry icon ahead of his time, Bruce Cohen has produced our biggest moments on screen and stage by lifting up people and stories that need to be seen and heard, making real the promise of America for all Americans.
Alex Katz
For conjuring an enduring portrait of America. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian immigrants, Alex Katz is among the most prolific and distinctive artists in our history. With a ferocious work ethic and visionary style, he continues to condense the complexities of everyday life into iconic faces and landscapes that reveal the essence of who we are as Americans.
Jo Carole Lauder
For devoted support of the arts, culture, and civic causes in America. A renowned philanthropist leading an array of causes — from supporting the White House Historical Association to refurbishing and preserving United States embassies abroad to inspiring participation in Jewish life worldwide —Jo Carole Lauder channels her creative talents to beautify the spirit of our Nation.
Spike Lee
For revolutionizing American cinema and culture. One of the most thought-provoking filmmakers of our time, Spike Lee honors his Brooklyn, New York, roots by daring to capture the depth of the Black experience and lifting up Black culture on the world stage through vibrant films and courtside pride that shapes our Nation’s collective conscience.
Queen Latifah
For leading the Nation as a champion of women’s empowerment. A natural storyteller and one of the first ladies of hip-hop, Queen Latifah breaks the mold for women in entertainment — rapping about overcoming loss and abuse of power to exuding cool and confidence as a critically-acclaimed actor and activist, showing how infinite love is the only hope for unity.
Selena Quintanilla (Posthumously)
For cementing Tejano music into the heart of the Nation. The youngest of the Quintanilla music family, Selena brought Latin music to the masses as the Queen of Tejano music and one of the most celebrated entertainers in our history. Her young life was tragically cut short, but her voice and spirit endure for the ages.
Steven Spielberg
For filmmaking that entertains, educates, and inspires. Growing up moved by the power of films, Steven Spielberg is considered one of the greatest filmmakers ever, using his gift of storytelling to stretch our imaginations, confront the horrors of history, and inspire us to be the characters of our Nation and the world’s future — full of courage, honor, and dignity.
National Humanities Medal – Class of 2022
Wallis Annenberg
For transforming philanthropy in our Nation. The daughter of a groundbreaking media family in Los Angeles, California, Wallis Annenberg is a visionary giver and innovator who has donated to thousands of organizations in the arts, education, environment, medical research, social justice, and more — transforming countless lives by advancing, healing, and inspiring communities across America.
Appalshop
For amplifying the voices of Appalachia. Located in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains for 50 years, Appalshop is home to the world’s largest collection of creative work on Appalachia — a hub for new generations of artists, filmmakers, musicians, and playwrights to share their stories of pride and promise of their American roots.
Joy Harjo
For shining the light on the sacred traditions of Native American storytelling. A member of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma, and the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, Joy Harjo’s distinguished poetry and award-winning music about art, justice, and healing honors ancestral generations and empowers those that follow.
Robin Harris
For educating our youngest students to be dreamers and doers of our Nation. As an elementary school teacher and trailblazing principal in Massachusetts, Robin Harris is redefining K-12 education to empower students, embrace parents, and extend learning and leadership beyond the walls of the classroom and into the free spirit of the mind.
Juan Felipe Herrera
For poeticism that captures America’s imagination. The son of California farm workers, Juan Felipe Herrera takes readers across countries and cultures, genres, and disciplines as a towering figure in Chicano poetry and the first Latino Poet Laureate of the United States, using the power of his pen to give life to our identities and common bonds.
Robert Martin
For dedicating his career to the academic achievement of Native American students. A member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Dr. Robert Martin has led Tribal colleges and launched Indian Studies programs at institutions of higher learning across the country to strengthen Tribal self-determination and empower future Native American leaders.
Jon Meacham
For drawing wisdom from history to shape the future of America. A proud son of Tennessee and celebrated historian and biographer, Jon Meacham chronicles the journey of America with an unmatched mix of historical context, parables from Scripture, and unyielding faith in the goodness of the American people that makes us a truly great Nation.
Ruth J. Simmons
For pioneering equity in our Nation’s higher education system. One of twelve children born into a sharecropper family in Texas, Dr. Ruth Simmons blazed trails in academia as a distinguished professor of literature and the first African American woman president of an Ivy League institution—showing how an education makes one free and fearless.
Pauline Yu
For a lifetime of advocacy for the humanities in America. The daughter of Chinese immigrants raised in Rochester, New York, Dr. Pauline Yu is a respected scholar of Chinese poetry and renowned advocate for the humanities, who has deepened cross-cultural understanding through language and literature, and advanced core democratic values of truth, reason, and free inquiry.
National Humanities Medal – Class of 2023
Anthony Bourdain (Posthumously)
For making food a gateway to understanding the world and one another. A beloved chef, writer, and social commentator, Anthony Bourdain is remembered across the globe for his empathy, openness, and humor—approaching every table with equal reverence for the people it convened, and embodying the best of American curiosity and exploration.
LeVar Burton
For imagining a more optimistic and enlightened America for everyone. A celebrated actor, advocate, and storyteller, LeVar Burton confronted the trauma of history, took us to the depths of space, and transformed literacy in America by sharing the gift of reading with generations of children, unlocking our imaginations and spirit of discovery.
Roz Chast
For healing a Nation with humor and observation. One of the most prolific cartoonists of our time, Roz Chast has wielded pen and watercolor for over 45 years to make ordinary things extraordinary, blaze a trail for women in her field, and define an era of American wit and wisdom.
Nicolás Kanellos
For amplifying Hispanic voices in America’s past, present, and future. Raised between Puerto Rico and Jersey City, New Jersey, Nicolás Kanellos channeled a childhood love for Spanish literature into a distinguished literary career in Houston, Texas, leading the Nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic publishing house and elevating the diversity of American literature.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
For sharing Indigenous wisdom in America’s natural sciences. A citizen of Potawatomi Nation and a renowned scientist and writer, Robin Wall Kimmerer has transformed our understanding of environmental science by incorporating Indigenous knowledge into college curriculum and critical efforts to heal a climate in crisis, offering new hope for generations to come.
Mellon Foundation
For charting an unparalleled course for the arts and humanities in America. For over 50 years, the Mellon Foundation has been the trusted benefactor for thousands of people and organizations harnessing the power of ideas and imagination to advance social justice and freedom, and defend the arts as essential to American democracy.
Dawn Porter
For documenting the good, the bad, and the truth of our Nation. Beginning her career as a lawyer, Dawn Porter pursued filmmaking to showcase the vibrancy of Black culture and history. By chronicling the lives of America’s everyday heroes and legendary leaders, her award-winning documentaries remind us that the work of perfecting our Union is essential and never-ending.
Aaron Sorkin
For trademark storytelling in America. Drawn to theatre at a young age, Aaron Sorkin found his calling as a groundbreaking writer and creator, scripting and show-running iconic films and television shows that inspired an entire generation to believe in the possibilities of our Nation and walk, talk, and answer “what’s next?”
Darren Walker
For showing us hope is the oxygen of democracy. With boundless passion and enduring purpose, Darren Walker harnesses empathy from his modest upbringing in the South to advance the most ambitious philanthropic goals of our Nation, as a visionary leader whose commitment to improving the human condition has fortified justice and good governance in America and around the world.
Rosita Worl
For embodying the resilient community spirit of Native American culture. As a child in Alaska, Dr. Rosita Worl survived the brutalities of Federal Indian boarding school that took her from her family and Nation. As an anthropologist and advocate, she has since spent her life pushing to right wrongs and build a new era of understanding and healing.
Additional information
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), established by Congress in 1965, is an independent Federal agency that is the largest public funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. The NEA’s mission is based on an abiding conviction that the arts play an integral role in our national life and public discourse. The arts strengthen and promote the well-being and resilience of people and communities. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts belong to and benefit everyone in the United States.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Created in 1965 as an independent Federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other humanities subjects by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the Nation that support research in the humanities, foster education, nurture humanities infrastructure, and expand the reach of the humanities. Since 1965, NEH has awarded over six billion dollars to cultural institutions, individual scholars, and communities throughout the United States. The Endowment serves and strengthens the country by bringing high-quality historical and cultural experiences to large and diverse audiences in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five territories; providing opportunities for lifelong learning, expanding access to cultural and educational resources, and preserving the human stories that connect all Americans.
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was founded in 1982 by Executive Order to advise the President on cultural policy. The First Lady has historically served as Honorary Chair of the Committee, which is composed of members appointed by the President. Private committee members include prominent artists, scholars, and philanthropists who have demonstrated a serious commitment to the arts and humanities. Public members represent the heads of key Federal agencies with a role in culture, including the Chairs of the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Librarian of Congress, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services among others. The PCAH facilitates public-private partnerships, promotes interagency cooperation, and proposes programs that enhance arts, humanities, museums, and library services across the country. Over the past 40 years, PCAH has catalyzed Federal programs and played a vital role in the advancement of arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, and the creative economy.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)
PLASKETT MOURNS PASSING OF HOUSE COLLEAGUE CONGRESSMAN RICK NOLAN
Washington, DC, October 21, 2024
For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland October 21, 2024 202-808-6129
PRESS RELEASE
PLASKETT MOURNS PASSING OF HOUSE COLLEAGUE CONGRESSMAN RICK NOLAN
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Plaskett joins her colleagues in mourning of the passing of Congressman Rick Nolan.
“Congressman Nolan had a long, distinguished career in public service, first as a staffer for former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale and ultimately went on to serve six terms in Congress. His dedication to advocacy for American families, particularly those from his home state of Minnesota was unquestionable.
“Representative Nolan will be dearly missed by House Democrats, myself and my staff. I offer my deepest condolences to his family, staff, and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers an important speech titled “Combining the Great Strength of the Global South To Build Together a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” at the “BRICS Plus” leaders’ dialogue in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
KAZAN, Russia, Oct. 24 — As BRICS leaders gathered with non-member countries seeking closer ties with the group on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced strong support for Global South countries.
Participating in the “BRICS Plus” leaders’ dialogue during the final day of the Kazan summit, Xi said “the collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world.”
“We support more Global South countries in joining the cause of BRICS as full members, partner countries or in the ‘BRICS Plus’ format so that we can combine the great strength of the Global South to build together a community with a shared future for mankind,” Xi said.
No matter how the international landscape evolves, said the Chinese president, “we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South.”
Leaders from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as representatives of several international organizations, attended the meeting, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The 16th BRICS Summit’s agenda covered a range of pressing issues, including world peace and stability, reform of global governance, sustainable development, poverty eradication, climate change, and the fight against terrorism and transnational crimes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, chairing the summit, said it is crucial for BRICS members to discuss all these issues with countries from the Global South.
“All our countries share similar aspirations, values and a vision of a new democratic world order that reflects cultural and civilizational diversity,” Putin said.
The Kazan summit marked the first in-person gathering of leaders of BRICS after the group’s membership expansion last year. On Wednesday, the BRICS leaders adopted the Kazan summit declaration, which summarized the summit’s outcome.
According to the declaration, BRICS countries agreed to jointly build the New Development Bank into a new type of multilateral development bank, support its further expansion of membership, and expedite the review of membership applications from BRICS countries in accordance with its general strategy and related policies.
The BRICS countries are also encouraged to strengthen financial cooperation and promote local currency settlement, it said.
Leaders of non-member countries expressed their expectation for BRICS’ future development. The BRICS mechanism has great potential for development, as well as experience in building the future based on respect and partnership, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at Thursday’s meeting.
Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith also said BRICS currently plays a key role in changing the world order.
The world economy is set to rely even more heavily on the BRICS group of emerging economies to drive expansion, according to latest forecasts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Compared with its last round of predictions six months ago, the IMF now expects a bigger share of growth over the next five years to come from powerhouse BRICS economies.
“The BRICS has played an extremely important role in advancing multilateralism,” said B.R. DEEPAK, professor of Center for Chinese and South East Asian Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University in India.
The inclusion of more countries in BRICS cooperation shows “the kind of appeal it has, especially in the Global South, who wants to make best of what BRICS has created,” he said.
Released by: The Premier, Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Homelessness
The Minns Labor Government has passed the most significant rental reforms in over a decade in the NSW Parliament.
This historic legislative package follows through on Labor’s election commitment to improve rental laws and strikes the right balance between the interests of owners and renters.
These reforms will mean that more than 2.2 million renters across the state will soon enjoy the following benefits:
No grounds evictions will be banned;
Rent increases will now be limited to only one per year;
It will be easier to have pets in rentals;
Fee-free ways to pay rent; and
A ban on paying for background checks when applying for a property.
The banning of no grounds evictions will ensure housing security for renters, allowing them to make a house a home. The reforms will also give landlords more clarity on when they can end a fixed term or periodic lease based on clear, straightforward reasons.
Previous protections against multiple rent hikes did not apply to fixed term leases of less than two years, or when there is a change in the type of lease, such as from periodic to fixed term, so this new legislation now closes those legal loopholes.
The changes to make it easier to have pets in rentals will mean a tenant can apply to keep a pet, with landlords only able to decline on certain grounds.
Tenants will now have easy and free ways to pay their rent by requiring property owners and agents to offer zero-fee ways to pay such as bank transfer and Commonwealth Centrepay.
The new laws protecting renters from having to pay for background checks and limiting rent rises to one per year will take immediate effect upon the Bill’s assent.
The ban on no ground evictions and the rules making it easier to have pets in rentals will come into effect once the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019 has been amended in early 2025.
The passing of these laws follows extensive and detailed discussions with renter advocates, industry stakeholders and tenancy experts, as well as a ‘Have Your Say’ public consultation process which received more than 16,000 submissions and survey responses.
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 also complements key initiatives already announced to rebalance the rental marketplace:
Portable bond scheme – Investing $6.6 million to develop and deliver the nation’s first Portable Rental Bonds Scheme. This means eligible renters can move homes and digitally transfer their existing bond with them.
Establishing Rent Check – A new, free tool renters can use to help check whether the rent they’re being asked to pay is fair.
Rental Taskforce within NSW Fair Trading – The Government will invest $8.4 million for a taskforce with investigators, inspectors and support teams to help renters and act on serious breaches of rental laws.
Premier Chris Minns said:
“Renters have been the forgotten people in NSW for too long, and that ends now.
“We have delivered major changes that make it fairer for the millions of renters across our state.
“Millions of people rent in NSW, and we know how anxious and challenging it can be.
“This brings the rental market into the 21st century.
“These are sensible reforms to get the balance right for renters and owners.
“Housing is the biggest cost people have, and renters are now getting a fairer deal.”
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:
“These landmark reforms are a huge leap forward and will create a fairer and more affordable rental system for the 2.2 million renters in this state.
“By limiting rent increases to only one a year, banning no grounds evictions, making it easier to have pets in rentals, and ensuring people can pay their rent without hidden fees, these historic reforms will make it easier for renters in NSW.
“We want a thriving rental market in NSW where landlords have certainty and tenants have security, and these reforms do just that.”
Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson said:
“Renters deserve a fair go. We know how hard it can be for young people and families who are facing consecutive rent increases, unfair evictions and hidden fees.
“Today we are taking historic steps to ban unfair “no-grounds evictions”, ending hidden fees and allowing pets in rentals.
“We inherited a rental crisis and a housing crisis and since day one we’ve been committed to making renting fairer and more secure.
“This is a huge win for renters in our state – it was an election commitment and today we are making the system fairer and more compassionate for all.”
NSW Rental Commissioner Trina Jones said:
“The current rental market in NSW is the toughest that renters have seen for decades, with historically low vacancy rates, and median rent prices for houses increasing by around 7 per cent over the last 12 months.
“These reforms will provide tenants with practical and meaningful support, which will help ease the insecurity and vulnerability of renting in challenging city and regional rental markets.”
The NSW Government has passed legislation addressing the refusal of private insurers to pay their bills in public hospitals.
The refusal of the country’s biggest private health funds to pay the correct single room rate has been robbing public hospitals of $140 million each year.
The bill passed the Legislative Council 21 to 17 with the support of the Greens, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, the Animal Justice Party and the Legalise Cannabis Party.
In the Legislative Assembly it passed 50 to 31 with the backing of six of the eight independents who voted, and the Greens.
The result means the Leader of the Opposition led a vote against the very same legislation he backed a decade ago.
In 2013, Liberal Leader Mark Speakman supported then-Treasurer Mike Baird’s bill to amend the Health Insurance Levy.
This achieved an agreement from the private insurers to pay their fair share.
However in 2019 the major funds began walking away from that agreement, and since then have doubled their profits.
Mr Baird’s 2013 legislation was supported by NSW Labor in a united effort to ensure the big private health insurers paid their bills.
But the Liberal Party’s opposition signals that under Mr Speakman’s leadership, private insurers can walk away from their bills with no recourse.
The Opposition Leader, the Shadow Treasurer and the Member for Vaucluse must explain why they believe wealthy private insurers don’t have to play by the same rules as hard-working families across NSW and pay their bills.
The NSW Government remains open to dialogue with major insurers to resolve the issue.
The Government applauds the majority of non-profit private health funds, including Teachers Health, Nurses and Midwives Health and Emergency Service Health, who continue to pay the correct rate.
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:
“Mike Baird was right in 2013 when he demanded insurers pay their fair share and a decade later, we are right to reinforce that agreement.
“Premiums didn’t go down when the big insurers stopped paying their bills. They shouldn’t threaten families with an increase now. The big insurers can still resolve this impasse by simply paying their bills.
“The Government thanks those on the cross benches in both houses who supported this bill.”
Minister for Health Ryan Park said:
“All we’re asking is that private health insurers pay their fair share of their use of public hospital beds.
“Every day they don’t, it’s costing the state over $338,000 – every single day.
“It is so emblematic of the current Liberal Opposition that they refuse to support the very same bill they proposed when they were confronted with this very same set of circumstances.
“It is so symptomatic of this Liberal Opposition which no longer knows what it stands for, completely devoid of conviction.”
Preventing and eliminating domestic and family violence is a priority for the NSW Government.
Evidence shows that early intervention can improve the lives of children and young people, including those who have experienced family violence, building resilience as they recover.
Funded with $13 million under the National Partnership Agreement with the Commonwealth Government, Safe and Strong uses a dual model of early intervention support for both victim-survivors and their children who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, family violence.
Service providers will deliver specialist early supports such as counselling, family capacity building, and supported playgroups.
Case workers will help families to identify early indicators of violence in their homes, and deliver therapeutic, trauma-informed and culturally safe support focusing on the needs and experiences of victim-survivors and their children.
There are 11 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) that will deliver Safe and Strong in 10 priority locations across NSW, and service delivery will commence in the remaining 22 priority locations in early 2025.
ACCOs are best placed to understand community need and deliver services to achieve better results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and their children, and have been prioritised to deliver this service.
Aboriginal-led, trauma-informed and culturally safe strategies recognise the importance of culture, connection to Country and the role of men’s and women’s business in responding to and healing from family violence.
Locations for delivery of Safe and Strong were selected using domestic violence crime and child protection data, to identify areas of the highest need.
Safe and Strong demonstrates the NSW government’s ongoing commitment to addressing family violence within our communities and aligns with the objectives of the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Plan 2022-2027.
The early intervention service complements the range of domestic and family violence supports already in place in NSW, including the Specialist Workers for Children and Young People program, Staying Home Leaving Violence and Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services.
This project is funded for 12 months and will be independently evaluated to measure its impact and effectiveness.
The NSW Government has committed $245.6 million in the 2024-25 Budget to improve support for domestic and family violence victim-survivors and expand programs that reduce the rate of violence, including in early intervention and primary prevention.
Federal Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said:
“To achieve our goal of ending gender-based violence in one generation, we need to provide genuine support for our young men and boys now.
“That’s why the Albanese Labor Government has worked to elevate the voices of children in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.
“We have invested $3.4 billion to deliver the National Plan over the past 3 budgets and a further $4.4 billion to harness opportunities to prevent violence and support legal services as announced at the 6 September National Cabinet meeting on gender-based violence. This includes work that will have a specific focus on supporting First Nations children and young people.
“Our Government is proud to invest in supports that will lead to long-term change and provide meaningful support to young men and boys to help them break the cycle of violence, as well as support victim-survivors.”
NSW Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington said:
“Domestic and family violence can tear families apart; and the impact on children and young people can be lifelong.
“Many children who enter the child protection system have come from houses of violence and carry that trauma with them.
“The Safe and Strong program is designed to stop the cycle of abuse by identifying families at risk and offering timely support so more Aboriginal children can stay safely with their families.”
NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:
“It is critical that we respond to the impacts of domestic and family violence on Aboriginal people.
“Early intervention is an important strategy and the services to help Aboriginal people and communities, including children, will be developed and delivered by and with Aboriginal people.
“We know the best way to close the gap is by Aboriginal people shaping and driving outcomes for Aboriginal people, in partnership with the NSW Government.”
NSW Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:
“The NSW Government is committed to keeping families safe from the harm and horror of domestic and family violence.
“To make sure our action in this space is meaningful and sustainable, we must address domestic and family violence from every angle – this includes genuine preventative and early intervention action.
“It’s important to treat children and young people as victim-survivors in their own right and ensure that child-focused early support is provided.
“Through Safe and Strong, we are making sure that victim survivors of domestic and family violence and their children have the support they need to recover, heal and rebuild their lives.
Dhungutti woman Ashlee Donohue CEO of Mudgin-Gal Aboriginal Women’s Centres said:
“Mudgin-Gal means ‘Women’s Place’, which reflects our mission to provide a safe space for Aboriginal women and families.
“We are committed to preventing domestic and family violence in our communities through the Safe and Strong program.
“Using a family approach through early intervention, we will continue to deliver culturally safe and trauma-informed support services to families.
“By identifying early indicators of violence, we can support families who are at risk of family violence and stop the violence before it starts.”
Support Services
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, call the Police on Triple Zero / 000.
For confidential advice, support, and referrals, contact 1800 RESPECT or 13 YARN on 13 92 76.
In the lead up to the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto last Sunday, Indonesia established five “Vulnerable Area Buffer Infantry Battalions” in key regions across West Papua — a move described by Indonesian Army Chief-of-Staff Maruli Simanjuntak as a “strategic initiative” by the new leader.
The battalions are based in the Keerom, Sarmi, Boven Digoel, Merauke and Sorong regencies, and their aim is to “enhance security” in Papua, and also to strengthen Indonesia’s military presence in response to long-standing unrest and conflict, partly related to independence movements and local resistance.
According to Armed Forces chief General Agus Subiyanto, “the main goal of the new battalions is to assist the government in accelerating development and improving the prosperity of the Papuan people”.
However, this raises concerns about further militarisation and repression of a region already plagued by long-running violence and human rights abuses in the context of the movement for a free and independent West Papua.
Thousands of Indonesian soldiers have been stationed in areas impacted by violence, including Star Mountain, Nduga, Yahukimo, Maybrat, Intan Jaya, Puncak and Puncak Jaya.
As a result, the situation in West Papua is becoming increasingly difficult for indigenous people.
Extrajudicial killings in Papua go unreported or are only vaguely known about internationally. Those who are aware of these either disregard them or accept them as an “unavoidable consequence” of civil unrest in what Indonesia refers to as its most eastern provinces — the “troubled regions”.
Why do the United Nations, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the international community stay silent?
While the Indonesian government frames this move as a strategy to enhance security and promote development, it risks exacerbating long-standing tensions in a region with deep-seated conflicts over autonomy and independence and the impacts of extractive industries and agribusiness on West Papuan people and their environment.
Exploitative land theft The Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice, in collaboration with various international and Indonesian human and environmental rights organisations, presented testimony at the public hearings of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) at Queen Mary University of London, in June.
The tribunal heard testimonies relating to a range of violations by Indonesia. A key issue, highlighted was the theft of indigenous Papuan land by the Indonesian government and foreign corporations in connection to extractive industries such as mining, logging and palm oil plantations.
The appropriation of traditional lands without the consent of the Papuan people violates their right to land and self-determination, leading to environmental degradation, loss of livelihood, and displacement of Indigenous communities.
The tribunal’s judgment underscores how the influx of non-Papuan settlers and the Indonesian government’s policies have led to the marginalisation of Papuan culture and identity. The demographic shift due to transmigration programmes has significantly reduced the proportion of Indigenous Papuans in their own land.
Moreover, a rise in militarisation in West Papua has often led to heightened repression, with potential human rights violations, forced displacement and further marginalisation of the indigenous communities.
The decision to station additional military forces in West Papua, especially in conflict-prone areas like Nduga, Yahukimo and Intan Jaya, reflects a continuation of Indonesia’s militarised approach to governance in the region.
Indonesian security forces . . . “the main goal of the new battalions is to assist the government in accelerating development and improving the prosperity of the Papuan people,” says Armed Forces chief General Agus Subiyanto. Image: Antara
Security pact The Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) was signed by the two countries in 2010 but only came into effect this year after the PNG Parliament ratified it in late February.
Indonesia ratified the pact in 2012.
As reported by Asia Pacific Report, PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Indonesia’s ambassador to PNG, Andriana Supandy, said the DCA enabled an enhancement of military operations between the two countries, with a specific focus on strengthening patrols along the PNG-West Papua border.
This will have a significant impact on civilian communities in the areas of conflict and along the border. Indigenous people in particular, are facing the threat of military takeovers of their lands and traditional border lines.
Under the DCA, the joint militaries plan to employ technology, including military drones, to monitor and manage local residents’ every move along the border.
Human rights Prabowo, Defence Minister prior to being elected President, has a controversial track record on human rights — especially in the 1990s, during Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor.
His involvement in military operations in West Papua adds to fears that the new battalions may be used for oppressive measures, including crackdowns on dissent and pro-independence movements.
As indigenous communities continue to be marginalised, their calls for self-determination and independence may grow louder, risking further conflict in the region.
Without substantial changes in the Indonesian government’s approach to West Papua, including addressing human rights abuses and engaging in meaningful dialogue with indigenous leaders, the future of West Papuans remains uncertain and fraught with challenges.
With ongoing military operations often accused of targeting indigenous populations, the likelihood of further human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and forced displacement, remains high.
Displacement Military operations in West Papua frequently result in the displacement of indigenous Papuans, as they flee conflict zones.
The presence of more battalions could drive more communities from their homes, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the region. Indigenous peoples, who rely on their land for survival, face disruption of their traditional livelihoods and rising poverty.
The Indonesian government launched the Damai Cartenz military operation on April 5, 2018, and it is still in place in the conflict zones of Yahukimo, Pegunungan Bintang, Nduga and Intan Jaya.
Since then, according to a September 24 Human Rights Monitor update, more than 79,867 West Papuans remain internally displaced.
The displacement, killings, shootings, abuses, tortures and deaths are merely the tip of the iceberg of what truly occurs within the tightly-controlled military operational zones across West Papua, according to Benny Wenda, a UK-based leader of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP).
The international community, particularly the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum have been criticised for remaining largely silent on the matter. Responding to the August 31 PIF communique reaffirming its 2019 call for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua, Wenda said:
“[N]ow is the time for Indonesia to finally let the world see what is happening in our land. They cannot hide their dirty secret any longer.”
Increased global attention and intervention is crucial in addressing the humanitarian crisis, preventing further escalations and supporting the rights and well-being of the West Papuans.
Without meaningful dialogue, the long-term consequences for the indigenous population may be severe, risking further violence and unrest in the region.
As Prabowo was sworn in, Wenda restated the ULMWP’s demand for an internationally-mediated referendum on independence, saying: “The continued violation of our self-determination is the root cause of the West Papua conflict.”
Ali Mirin is a West Papuan academic from the Kimyal tribe of the highlands bordering the Star Mountain region of Papua New Guinea. He is a contributor to Asia Pacific Report and Green Left in Australia.
Police have raided the suspected safehouse of one of the major syndicates involved in the sale of illicit tobacco in South Australia.
Operation Eclipse detectives converged on the Pooraka premises yesterday (Thursday 24 October) and discovered illicit tobacco including imported loose tobacco and more than 200 large boxes of imported cigarette cartons.
Besides the huge quantity of cigarettes, initial estimate indicates street value of up to $1M, detectives also found more than $10K US currency and $10K AUD currency concealed in walls of the premises.
A commercial cash counter was also found at the premises.
Operation Eclipse tactical commander Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby said police suspected the premises was one of several in the metropolitan area being used by the organised crime syndicates to facilitate their illegal activities.
He appealed to the neighbours of any industrial properties and warehouses who had noticed increased movements of vehicles or light trucks in recent months to contact police.
Similarly, any landlord who may have recently rented such a premises to any individual they may have suspicions around to contact police.
“We are aware that illicit tobacco is being transported from interstate in small trucks, such is the quantity being sold,’’ he said.
“I would ask any neighbour or landlord who has noticed this type of activity to contact police,’’ he said.
Members of the public who are purchasing illicit tobacco products are directly supporting the organised crime syndicates who are driving the current Operation Eclipse related crime series.
Anyone who has any information that may assist police in relation to Operation Eclipse offending including the sale and supply of illegal tobacco, is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 33 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au – you can remain anonymous.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)
UNION, NJ –Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Senate President Nicholas Scutari (LD-22), Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (LD-29), and the Union County Board of County Commissioners visited Kean University to underscore the importance of high-impact tutoring programs in combating pandemic-related learning loss, supporting New Jersey students, and expanding the education workforce.
Sherrill’s bipartisanExpanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Actwould help to complement statewide tutoring initiatives championed by Scutari and Ruiz, like the High Impact Tutoring Grant program and the NJ Tutoring Corps, aimed at providing quality tutoring resources to school districts. Recently, Kean University has implemented an innovative tutoring program to help students stay on track in their studies while training aspiring teachers.
“New Jersey is home to the best public school system in the nation and, as a mom of four, I’m committed to ensuring that every student, in every school district and zip code, can reap the benefits of their Garden State education. That’s why I am proud to work with leaders like Senate President Scutari, Majority Leader Ruiz, and the incredible educators and student tutors at Kean University to expand access to high-quality tutoring for New Jerseyans of all ages and backgrounds. I will continue to work to get myExpanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Actacross the finish line to bring back additional federal funding to enact tutoring programs that will help our children get ahead,”said Rep. Sherrill.
“Tutoring is more than an educational resource. It is an investment in our shared future. By helping students recover from pandemic-related learning loss, high-impact tutoring programs are closing achievement gaps and giving our children the tools they need to succeed in life. When our students thrive, our communities thrive,”said Senate President Nicholas Scutari.
“In New Jersey, over half of third graders are not reading at grade level, and the data is even more troubling for students of color, with 73.6% of Black and 72.5% of Latino third graders falling short. We are at a critical juncture and must have bold, innovative conversations about how we educate our children,”said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz. “Academic success leads to better career outcomes and a higher quality of life. If we provide every child, regardless of ZIP code, with the opportunity to reach their potential, we can secure them a brighter future. We’ve made significant state-level investments, and collaboration with Congress will enhance these efforts. I thank Congresswoman Sherrill for her steadfast partnership as we expand high-impact tutoring, close achievement gaps, and strengthen the foundation for our students’ success.”
“As we take this significant step forward with the Managed Peer-to-Peer Tutoring initiative, I am proud to see our vision becoming a reality. This program, developed through strong partnerships between our Union County Commissioner Board with Kean University and key leaders like Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and Senator Teresa Ruiz, is designed to address the learning challenges our students faced due to the pandemic,”said Union County Commissioner Sergio Granados. “By connecting students with their peers, we aim to create a supportive and effective learning environment that will not only help them recover but excel. Together, we are building a sustainable model for academic success and community connection in Union County.”
“As New Jersey’s urban research university, Kean is deeply committed to providing the critical support students need to thrive, from Pre-K through higher education,”said Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.“We were honored to welcome Congresswoman Sherrill, along with state and county leaders, to our campus to discuss vital tutoring initiatives that will address post-pandemic learning loss. These initiatives are crucial to creating an equitable path to success for students of all backgrounds across New Jersey.”
Sherrill has long been a leader in supporting New Jersey’s education system and protecting our children and teens. As a former member of the House Education and Labor Committee, she fought hard to support the American Rescue Plan, which helped our students return to the classroom and is continuing to fund tutoring initiatives across New Jersey. Additionally, she is fighting to hold social media companies accountable with the Kids Online Safety Actand the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act.
Pari Walker, a Kaumatua of Northland hapū Te Parawhau, unveiled the name at a recent dawn ceremony for Wanaka Street – the largest Kāinga Ora development in the region – before he led a group to officially open the homes.
“People call it a blessing but it’s actually a tuwhera,” Pari says. Tuwhera, which can mean ‘opening up’ or ‘to be open’, includes different types of karakia.
“They revolve around things like the earth – the whenua – the buildings, the materials, Tāne’s realm and where all of that comes from, and it’s clearing the spaces.”
Named for ‘whakaaro’
Te Parawhau Kaumatua Pari Walker leads a tuwhera at Wanaka Street in Whangārei.
As the tuwhera draws to a close, Pari explains how Papa Totara Loop’s name came from the relationship between Te Parawhau, Kāinga Ora and build partner Soho Group during development of the homes.
“Once we got through the design phase, we went through our uara,” says Pari Walker. “We have an uara ahurea, which is our cultural values, and we looked at a lot of things.”
Plans originally included the removal of two trees, a tōtara and a pūriri, so mana whenua requested they remain.
“They altered their plans to save the trees,” Pari says, “and so in acknowledgement to their whakaaro and what they did, we named the road Papa Totara.”
Homes for ‘how people live’
The homes here were designed and built by Soho Group for Kāinga Ora customers, and those customers were the focus from the project’s beginning.
“Soho Group wanted to partner with Kāinga Ora because we see the work that Kāinga Ora does as really vital and important – it works to the same core values that we do,” says General Manager Ben Noone.
“We think this is going to be a great place for people to come and live, because it’s taken into account how people live.
“It’s homes built with community gardens, it’s got community space, it’s got greenspace. It’s got the aspect of the sun, and how the weather works, all considered into the development.”
Room to connect
Along with each of the 55 new homes, Papa Totara Loop also connects residents with Te Whare o Tukua o Punga – a community room for residents to gather, have a cup of tea and get to know their neighbours.
Its name was gifted by Northland hapū Ngāti Hau, in honour of the suburb where these homes were built, Tikipunga, and how it was originally known by mana whenua.
‘Partnerships built this’
For Jeff Murray, Kāinga Ora Regional Director – Northland, the development reflects what can be achieved by working together.
“The development is thoughtfully designed and built, prioritising connection and community,” he says.
“Partnerships built this development, and we’re already seeing those same values extend to supporting our customers as they move in.
“Members at HOPE Tikipunga church have prepared welcome baskets for residents. Our Housing Support team will also be here at Te Whare o Tukua o Punga each week, to meet with our customers and help them make the most of this space.”
With strong foundations set, Wanaka Street is on its way to meet Kaumatua Pari’s final hopes for this place.
“Well my hopes are that we’re not just building them a house,” he says. “My hopes are that we’re building them a community.”
Palestinians wait to buy bread from the only operating bakery in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
At least 150 people were killed and injured in an Israeli strike on Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza reported on Thursday.
In a brief statement, the Civil Defense said that the Israeli army bombed “Block 7” in the Al-Hawaja area of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, leading to casualties.
The Civil Defense and medical services are facing significant difficulty in moving the dead and injured, as the Israeli army has disrupted their operations in northern Gaza, according to the statement.
Local residents described the situation to Xinhua as “extremely dire,” noting that the bodies of those killed still lie in the streets or under the rubble of houses following the sudden heavy Israeli bombing.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army regarding the strike.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,847, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In Case You Missed It: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, was honored yesterday by the city of Laredo and awarded the Key to the City for his leadership in streamlining the presidential permitting process and securing presidential permits to build and expand four major international bridges in South Texas, including two in Laredo. Read the articles below:
From Texas Border Business: Sen. Ted Cruz’s Leadership Secured Approval for Four International Bridges
“In a remarkable display of bipartisan cooperation and a commitment to advancing the interests of South Texas, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, has achieved a significant legislative victory, securing the approval for four international bridges. This achievement was celebrated in Laredo, Texas, where Cruz was honored with the Keys to the City by Mayor Dr. Victor D. Treviño. The event was momentous for the Laredo community and the region’s future prosperity.
“Mayor Treviño, in his heartfelt presentation, said, ‘The City of Laredo hereby presents the key of the City of Laredo to the United States Senator Ted Cruz, Senator from Texas, for supporting the Laredo community with historic legislation that advances international trade and ensures future prosperity.’ These words underscored the city’s recognition of Cruz’s pivotal role in championing Laredo’s economic and infrastructural future.
“Taking to the podium, Senator Ted Cruz expressed his deep gratitude: ‘Mayor, thank you very much. I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive the key to the city—an incredible distinction from an amazing place in Texas. I have to say I love South Texas. I love the city of Laredo. It is an incredible hub of commerce, an incredible port to the entire world.’ Cruz’s admiration for the region is evident, but his dedication to improving its infrastructure is even more profound.”
From KGNS News: Laredo hosts trade talks with Sen. Cruz, federal, and international leaders
From Laredo Morning Times: Laredo presents ‘long overdue’ Key to the City to Sen. Ted Cruz
“Cruz gave a brief speech after receiving the honor and spoke about working together on four new bridges in South Texas: two in Laredo, one in Eagle Pass and one in Brownsville.
“‘They were delaying those bridges for three, four, five years,’ Cruz said. ‘A delegation from the city of Laredo asked me to help, asked me to lead the effort, and I told them I was proud to do so.’ …
“Cruz said the legislation could help Texas farmers, ranchers, small businesses and consumers. He briefly mentioned another bipartisan effort involving Interstate Highway 27, which would start in Laredo and extend to Montana.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Proposed road works for public housing developments at Ma On Shan Tsuen Road authorised Proposed road works for public housing developments at Ma On Shan Tsuen Road authorised ***************************************************************************************
The Chief Executive in Council has authorised the proposed road works in Ma On Shan to provide necessary infrastructure for the public housing developments at Ma On Shan Tsuen Road. The notice was gazetted today (October 25). Details of the works are set out in the Annex.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Qualified person prohibited by disciplinary board from certifying prescribed inspection and repair of windows for six months Qualified person prohibited by disciplinary board from certifying prescribed inspection and repair of windows for six months ******************************************************************************************
The Registered Contractors’ Disciplinary Board (the Board) has completed a disciplinary inquiry under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) and decided that a registered minor works contractor (RMWC) appointed as a qualified person (QP) under the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) should be disciplined for failing to discharge the duties or abide by the requirements imposed on a QP under the BO. The Board ordered the RMWC to be prohibited from certifying any prescribed inspection, or certifying or supervising any prescribed repair of windows, for six months with effect from the date of the Gazette, and to pay a total of $46,900, being the costs of the Board and the Buildings Department (BD) for conducting the inquiry. The Board’s written decision and order issued on October 9 was published in the Gazette today (October 25). Details are available at the following link:www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20242843/egn202428436296.pdf. The RMWC submitted a certificate to the BD in July 2020, certifying that a prescribed inspection had been carried out on the windows of a residential unit in Mongkok, and that those windows were safe and no prescribed repair was required. Subsequently, the BD conducted an audit inspection and found that the rivets and screws of some windows showed greyish white powder or rust. The RMWC was later prosecuted, convicted and fined $7,000 in total at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts in January 2022, pursuant to sections 40(2A)(c) and 40(2B)(b) of the BO, for knowingly misrepresenting a material fact in the certificate submitted to the BD and carrying out a prescribed inspection in a manner likely to cause a risk of personal injury or property damage. In view of the convictions and investigation results, the BD notified the Board for its consideration of disciplinary action against the RMWC under the provisions of section 13(1) of the BO. A spokesperson for the BD reiterated that in order to ensure building safety, the BD attaches great importance to the quality of the prescribed inspection and repair of windows by a QP under the MWIS. Any QP who contravenes the relevant provisions of the BO in carrying out a prescribed inspection and repair of windows under the MWIS is not only liable to criminal prosecution but also disciplinary action under the BO. The BD will continue to conduct audit inspections to ensure the quality of prescribed inspections and repairs under the MWIS, he added.
ADVISORY – Governor Shapiro to Announce Targeted State, Local, Private, and Philanthropic Investments to Catalyze Downtown Pittsburgh’s Revitalization Plan
Governor Josh Shapiro will visit Pittsburgh’s Cultural District to unveil a major collective effort with Pittsburgh leaders, nonprofits, and the local business community to make comprehensive investments that will improve Pittsburgh’s downtown area and turn the neighborhood into a thriving center for economic growth, culture, and industry.
The Shapiro Administration has mobilized a united group of local government officials, private sector leaders, and nonprofits committed to Pittsburgh’s success to make targeted investments into a 10-year strategy to revitalize the Golden Triangle. With significant financial backing from the Commonwealth, this plan will help the city of Pittsburgh create more residential housing, breathe new life into public spaces, and create a cleaner, safer, more vibrant neighborhood for residents and visitors.
Following the speaking program, principles will be available to participate in interviews upon request.
WHO: Governor Josh Shapiro Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis DCED Secretary Rick Siger Emmai Alaquiva, Vice Chair of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato Mayor Ed Gainey Senator Jay Costa Representative Aerion Abney David Holmberg, CEO of Highmark Health Shawn Fox, President of Oxford Development Company Greg Bernarding, Business Manager, Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council Susheela Nemani-Stanger, Executive Director, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
WHEN: Friday, October 25, 2024, at 11:00 AM
WHERE: The Backyard at 8th and Penn 801 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222
LIVE STREAM: pacast.com/live/gov governor.pa.gov/live/
RSVP: Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Wine-tourism destinations thrive in Ningxia’s Helan Mountain
Updated: October 25, 2024 10:31Xinhua
Tourists taste wine at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. The eastern foothill of Helan Mountain, with its dry climate and abundant sunshine, is acclaimed as a “golden zone” for grape cultivation and premium wine production. A collection of diverse wineries has created a “wine corridor” at the mountain’s base, which is also home to several renowned scenic spots. [Photo/Xinhua]Tourists taste wine at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]This photo shows a view of the Dulaan Holiday Wine Stroll, a wine-themed complex, in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]A staff member packs bottles of wine at a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members work at a vineyard in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Tourists visit a winery in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Tourists walk at a park in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]Tourists have fun at the Dulaan Holiday Wine Stroll, a wine-themed complex, in Yinchuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Oct. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The exquisite craftsmanship of leaf-vein embroidery in Tongren city, Guizhou province, has made Guizhou embroidery one of the major styles of embroidery in China.
Leaf-vein embroidery first appeared in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and has been used to transmit information by several ethnic groups in the southwestern region.
Yang Li, an inheritor of this technique, has incorporated the traditional embroidery of the Miao, Tujia and Dong ethnic groups into the leaves, showcasing the blending of traditional aesthetics and contemporary craftsmanship.
Leaf-vein embroidery artwork boasts a highly collectible and artistic value due to its complex production process. The key steps include selecting and drying the leaves, then designing and embroidering the pattern. Sourced from rare plants in the primitive forests of the Fanjing Mountain scenic area in Tongren, the leaves with harder veins that are about to fall in autumn serve as the best raw material.
After the leaves naturally soften over the next 20 days, they are warmed and fumigated to preserve them. When soft, the leaves are also extremely fragile. Patterns inspired by ancient stories and nature are drawn on the processed veins.
Yang says that in the last decade there have been barely 20 people in Tongren who can independently complete the whole leaf-embroidery process.
In 2011, Yang’s leaf-vein embroidery work won the special “Guizhou artisan” award, and in 2012 she won several further awards including the gold prize at the First China Silver Embroidery Exhibition. Her works have won her fame and overseas orders, with the most precious pieces reaching as much as 7,000 yuan ($990).
Due to the laborious process and low yield of high-quality products, passing down the traditional skill faces challenges. “I have introduced this technique to universities, communities, villages and even selected skilled embroiderers to learn leaf-vein embroidery skills, but very few have been able to persevere,” Yang said.
In 2011, she opened a processing factory and offered jobs to more than 500 female workers, rural women and people with disabilities. As a result, almost every embroiderer has a collection of handicrafts in their home that could fill a museum.
“I have a sense of mission and urgency. In my generation, I must do it better and pass on this craft,” she said.
In 2022, Yang established the Guizhou embroidery intangible cultural heritage industry base, and has since utilized social media to showcase the traditional techniques of leaf-vein embroidery through short videos with her apprentice Yang Xinyu.
“Leaf-vein embroidery is a treasure. As a young person influenced by Teacher Yang Li, I am determined to inherit this craft and hope that more young people will return to their hometowns to inherit it.” Yang Xinyu said.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s growing threat to global stability, food security and maritime safety as it thickens ties with North Korea, steps up attacks in the Black Sea and seeks to circumvent sanctions.
Location:
Vienna
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is with deep concern that I draw colleagues’ attention to reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) sending combat troops to Russia. Our assessment is that it is highly likely that the transfer of these troops has begun. Russia has already procured significant munitions and arms from DPRK, in direct violation of multiple UN resolutions. The DPRK will surely extract a heavy price for its support. This has security implications for the OSCE region and should be of concern to us all.
Madam Chair, at the beginning of its full-scale invasion, Russia attempted to blockade Ukrainian ports in a cynical attempt to choke Ukraine’s economy. Under the July 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, Ukrainian grain was again able to reach those who needed it most across the world. Regrettably, Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Initiative after one year and began missile strikes on Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities. 300,000 tonnes of grain were destroyed between August and October 2023.
Since then, Russia has repeatedly demonstrated its disregard for global food security and international principles, including freedom of navigation, the bedrock of global trade. Between 5 and 14 October, Russian missiles struck four civilian ships in deliberate attacks on export infrastructure in Odesa, killing at least 10 innocent civilians and injuring many more.
To obscure its illegal actions, last week Russia made false claims about the cargo these ships were carrying and threatened to continue targeting civilian ships using Ukrainian ports. It is unacceptable to target ships engaged only in the transportation of grain.
Russia’s actions deliberately harm global food security. Hindering exports of wheat, maize and barley from one of the world’s top grain exporters hurts everyone, but especially the world’s most vulnerable. The UK condemns Russia’s strikes. They have impacted shipments destined for the World Food Programme in Palestine and southern Africa. They also undermine the stability of the entire Black Sea region, affecting many others around this table.
Russia also threatens maritime safety and security through a 600 vessel ‘shadow fleet’, used to circumvent international sanctions and provide funding for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Many of these vessels are unsafe, lack adequate insurance and engage in dangerous and deceptive shipping practices, including turning off radio transponders in violation of international regulations. These vessels break maritime law and pose significant risks to the environment, and maritime safety and security.
The UK will continue to take action against this illegal and dangerous ‘shadow fleet’. 43 of its oil tankers have been barred from UK ports and from accessing British maritime services. My Prime Minister launched a ‘Call to Action’ against the fleet in July, and we want to thank the 45 partners in this room who signed up to this.
We cannot and will not ignore Russia’s violations of the laws and principles that underpin global trade and food security. They contravene its Decalogue obligations, including Article 10 on the fulfilment in good faith of obligations under international law. We call on the Russian authorities to end this unjustifiable war and return to conformity with the OSCE’s foundational principles. Thank you.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Kristina Dmitrova
SPbGASU has announced a student competition for the concept of the main building’s vestibule. The best project will be proposed for implementation, and its author will go down in the history of their native university. Graduates of our university who have succeeded in their profession and built a career at the international level have been invited as experts. They not only evaluate the works, but also give lectures where they share their experience. Among them is the famous and successful architect Kristina Dmitrova.
Kristina Dmitrova graduated from the architecture department of SPbGASU in 2015 with honors. At the age of twenty-one, she won an architectural competition and went to Rome for an internship at the Exclusiva Design studio, which developed premium-class interior projects. At twenty-four, Kristina opened her own business specializing in the design of public interiors and private homes. One of her first commercial projects was the Alpenhaus restaurant on Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg for 1,200 people. Today, Kristina Dmitrova’s company has accumulated extensive experience in cooperation with various business areas, the public sector, and has designed more than 50 thousand square meters of various objects, including abroad. Based on her own experience, she identified nine golden rules of public interior design and recommended that students carefully study them in order to design a successful project that will be approved by the customer. The lecturer confirmed each rule with real objects.
So, rule #1 “Clarity, clarity, clarity” requires being specific and consistent, being able to correctly and clearly convey the details of your project to the customer and make decisions promptly. Otherwise, decisions will be made by third-party contractors involved in the project, and the reputation of the architect-designer will suffer. “Your task is to competently implement the project, and not dissolve in creative fantasies,” advised Kristina Dmitrova.
Rule #2 “5 percent and 95 percent” clearly distinguishes between time and effort for design and project implementation. As practice shows, only 5 percent of time and labor resources should be devoted to design, the rest should be spent on implementation. For example, out of the entire team, only two specialists are engaged in design during the month, and the rest – in implementation for nine months. “Meanwhile, the success of the project implementation largely depends on these 5 percent. Therefore, the concept must be seriously dealt with, but keep in mind that without the competencies of other specialists participating in the implementation of the project, without experienced managers, success cannot be achieved,” the architect emphasized.
Rule #3 requires the use of wear-resistant materials. Public places usually have a high flow of visitors, so the materials must be durable so that the facility can justify itself functionally. The larger the public project, the greater the flow of people and the more wear-resistant the materials must be. “Otherwise, they will soon become unusable, the establishment will incur repair costs and will be forced to close, which means it will lose profits. Therefore, wear-resistant and easily restored materials are a priority,” the expert advised.
Rule No. 4 provides principles of interaction with contractors. It is necessary to take into account that, in addition to the architect, other specialists are also involved in the project, for example, engineers, who are obliged to comply with standards and requirements. “And here you need to be a mediator-negotiator. They do according to the requirements, and we need to create a beautiful interior. Therefore, our task is to get permission from them and not spoil the design. To do this, it is necessary to study engineering systems in order to understand the engineer’s train of thought in advance,” Kristina emphasized.
Rule #5 requires paying attention to vandalism prevention. Don’t have illusions that people will use everything carefully, everything should be securely fastened.
Rule #6 says: the less maintenance the interior requires, the better. For example, if you want to add greenery, then you should give preference to artificial, because living greenery requires proper care, proper lighting, and hiring additional staff. “Technology in the production of artificial greenery has advanced far, and now it is difficult to distinguish it from living plants. Even in Singapore, where, it would seem, there are all the conditions for growing living plants, this is the rule they adhere to in interior design,” said Christina.
Rule #7 requires working closely with the fire department. Their requirements do not allow for flexibility, so it is necessary to discuss any restrictions with them in advance.
Rule #8 is the proper use of the customer company’s branding elements – corporate colors, symbols. For such interior visualization, you need to request their brand book.
Rule #9 concerns the creation of a unique design. Often, the customer wants not only to receive a unique interior at the time of creation, but also to prevent its further duplication. This is normal practice, and such wishes should be listened to.
The specialist also advised participating in various competitions to gain experience. The students listened to the practicing architect with interest and actively asked questions.
“By participating in the competition as an expert, I thank my home university for the time I spent here, the teachers who gave me deep professional knowledge, and I consider it my duty to contribute to its further development. In addition, I want to help students with practical advice that I would be glad to hear from practicing specialists during my years of study. I am sure that my experience will help them in the competition and in their future profession,” noted Kristina.
The operator of the competition was the Educational Center for Project-Based Learning of SPbGASU. Its director Alexandra Yugay emphasized that the contestants face a difficult task.
“Based on this, we invited not only heads of departments and teachers as experts, but also graduates of our university who have built a career in interior design bureaus, so that they could give applied lectures on public interior design, talk about approaches to design, based on their own practice. This will allow the competition participants to adjust their projects taking into account advice from professionals, and delve deeper into this topic. The semi-final of the competition will take place on November 8, ten finalists will be announced. Taking into account the opinions of experts, they will finalize their projects to participate in the final, which will take place at the end of November,” said Alexandra Yugai.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
President Lai and Vice President Hsiao attend opening of Presidential Office Building permanent and special exhibitions President Lai and Vice President Hsiao attend opening of Presidential Office Building permanent and special exhibitions 2024-10-19
On the morning of October 19, President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao attended the opening of the Presidential Office Building’s all-new permanent exhibition, Together as One with Taiwan: The Ark of Democracy, and special exhibition, Super Taiwan Comics! The Flavors of Taiwan in Ink. In remarks, President Lai stated that the permanent exhibition, with the theme “Ark of Democracy,” has cross-disciplinary, cross-generational, and “cross-universe” features, and symbolizes how the people of Taiwan are all navigators of this Ark. He said that we will continue guiding the nation forward together with democracy and unity, and welcomed the public to visit the exhibition. Vice President Hsiao, in remarks, stated that the public can gain a deeper understanding of the historical context of the office as well as of the development of Taiwan through several eras. In his remarks, President Lai stated that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was born on September 28, 1986 in order to achieve democracy. Over its journey, he said, the DPP has worked together with the Taiwanese people, not just to break free from restrictions on political parties and the media, end martial law, call to abolish Article 100 of the Criminal Code, and achieve 100 percent freedom of speech, but also to tirelessly promote direct presidential elections and the complete re-election of the legislature, helping Taiwan shift from authoritarian rule to democracy. The president said that in 2000, the DPP took office for the first time, opening the Presidential Office Building to the public for weekday tours. This, he said, fully represents the spirit of democracy, as democracy is rule by the people, and the Presidential Office Building is not just the workplace of the president, vice president, and other staff. Its property rights belong to the whole body of citizens, he said, and citizens have the right to enter the Presidential Office Building and learn more about its architecture as well as Taiwan’s past. President Lai indicated that former President Tsai Ing-wen took the opening up of the Presidential Office Building even further by installing a permanent exhibition, similarly upholding the democratic spirit, and helping the public understand the significance of democracy on an even deeper level. The theme of the previous exhibition, he said, was “Power to the People,” while the theme of the new permanent exhibition, “Ark of Democracy,” envisions democratic Taiwan as an ark on the Pacific Ocean, with peace as our lighthouse; democracy as our compass; freedom, human rights, and the rule of law as our banners; culture and ecological sustainability as our hull; and technology as our driving force. The president said that the people of Taiwan are all navigators of this Ark, and we work together to guide a course of engagement with the world and usher in the future – these are the key concepts of the Ark of Democracy’s curation. President Lai expressed that the exhibition has three major features. First, he said, it is cross-disciplinary, introducing Taiwan’s rich natural ecology and technological achievements, showing that Taiwan is a diverse ark of ecology, technology, culture, and democracy. Second, he said, it is cross-generational, displaying not only images of the former presidents, but also exhibiting the history of Taiwan’s semiconductor development, civil movements, and democratization, and even explaining the architectural history of the Presidential Office Building in the first-floor corridors. The president said that members of the public who come to visit will be able to clearly understand that Taiwan’s achievements are hard-won and worth cherishing, and that we should unite all the more closely for even greater accomplishments. President Lai went on to say that the exhibition’s third feature is being “cross-universe,” with one of the exhibits utilizing AI technology to generate multiple universes showing what the world might look like without Taiwan, presenting the technical and futuristic aspects of AI as well as the importance of Taiwan. We will transform Taiwan into an AI island, he said, and this is the first time that AI applications have featured in an exhibition at the Presidential Office Building. President Lai then remarked on the rich variety of the exhibition content, and thanked the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Culture (MOC), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of Transportation and Communications, whose ministers or deputy ministers were also at the event, for their support. He also offered his gratitude to the staff of the General Association of Chinese Culture for their hard work and dedication, which successfully brought the all-new permanent exhibition to completion. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the president noted, the MOC has organized Super Taiwan Comics! The Flavors of Taiwan in Ink, a special exhibition that showcases the abundant and diverse creativity in Taiwan’s world of comics. In that world, he said, one can see a different perspective of Taiwan, which is equally admirable. The president, who would soon tour the exhibition with those present, pointed out that at the end of the exhibition there is a photo booth. He welcomed exhibition-goers to have pictures taken with images of him and the vice president and to share them with friends on Facebook or Instagram. In closing, President Lai again welcomed the people of Taiwan to visit the Together as One with Taiwan: The Ark of Democracy permanent exhibition. All the people of Taiwan, the president emphasized, have the right to visit the Presidential Office Building. He stated that we are all navigators of this Ark of Democracy, and that we will continue guiding the nation forward together with democracy and unity. Vice President Hsiao then delivered remarks, saying that she is very happy to be with President Lai at today’s “unboxing” of the Presidential Office Building’s permanent exhibition. From the inauguration on May 20 to today, she said, many of our fellow Taiwanese have been asking when they would be able to visit and take pictures at the Presidential Office Building again. She said she is sure that everyone is very much looking forward to visiting, as the building belongs to the whole body of citizens, just as President Lai had said, one that has its own history and bears the important vestiges of our continued pursuit of progress. Vice President Hsiao remarked that the exhibition is very diverse in content, spanning ecology, democracy, international affairs, technology, and civil movements. Moreover, she emphasized, it showcases Taiwan’s spirit of resilience. The exhibition also goes into the history of the Presidential Office Building and has displays of important laws and objects, she noted, adding that the public can visit and gain a deeper understanding of the historical context of the office as well as of the development of Taiwan through several eras. Vice President Hsiao pointed out that the “Ark of Democracy” of the title implies that we are all in the same boat. When our international friends visit, she said, they see that even though the island of Taiwan is small, it is home to a diversity of opinions and positions, and that our people are in the end able to find common ground and move forward together. She stated that because we are all in the same boat, we must work together. Noting that Taiwan’s industry landscape is very diverse, Vice President Hsiao said that this exhibition presents the historical context surrounding the development of our world-renowned high-tech industry. She also underscored how it showcases the people of various sectors and professions who have worked together so that the Taiwanese people can live in peace and happiness and the nation can become even greater. Vice President Hsiao said that Taiwan has a very diverse ecology. Even though this Ark is very small, when our international friends come here, she said, they notice that Taiwan has mountains, is surrounded by the ocean, and that getting from the coast to a mountain and back again can take as little as 20 to 30 minutes. She pointed out that this diverse ecology is also seen in our Ark of Democracy, which bears the nation’s beauty and its sorrow, as well as its people’s dreams and future. She said she is looking forward to “unboxing” the exhibition with President Lai and the ministry leaders moments from now, but that she is also looking forward to the people of Taiwan taking the time to walk through the Presidential Office Building and share in the glory of our history and Taiwan’s democracy. Following their remarks, President Lai and Vice President Hsiao took a tour of the exhibits, “Welcome Aboard the Ark of Democracy,” “Presidents of the Republic of China (Taiwan),” “Ecological Treasure Island,” “The Invisible Backbone of Global Technology,” “Taiwan’s Vibrant Democracy, Moving Forward with the World,” “Become One with Us,” and “The Ark Sails Onward,” and the special exhibition of contemporary Taiwan comics, taking in the unique highlights of each area.
If Donald Trump wins the US presidency on November 5, his victory will have profound implications for other countries on many fronts. Not least of them will be climate change policy.
Perhaps the uncertainty now hanging over US politics was on the mind of Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who shilly-shallied this week over when he’ll announce Australia’s 2035 emissions reduction target under the Paris climate agreement.
Bowen refused to be pinned down at the Australian Financial Review’s energy and climate summit on whether the target would be public before next year’s election. Neither his office nor that of the prime minister would be more specific later.
Australia, like other countries, is required under the Paris agreement to put forward its target in February. But, also like other countries, Australia is focused on what’s happening in the US.
Trump wants to take the US out of the Paris agreement for the second time. The first exit took effect immediately after his 2020 defeat and incoming President Joe Biden was able to reverse it at once. This time, there’d be no such quick turnaround.
The Biden administration has been strongly committed on climate issues. If the US exited, the Paris agreement would likely be transformed.
There may be other reasons why Bowen is being cagey about the 2035 target. Climate change and energy will be harder issues for Labor in this election, as it struggles with the realities of the transition, than in the 2022 one.
In the run-up to that election, a desperate Scott Morrison pulled out all stops to win support within the Coalition to sign up to the 2050 net-zero emissions target.
Labor was on the front foot, with a policy for a 43% reduction in emissions (on 2005 levels) by 2030, underpinned by a target of 82% renewable electricity by then. The election promise for consumers was a $275 cut in household power bills by 2025.
Crafting a policy is often easier than implementing it. The journey to a clean energy economy is arduous.
The $275 promise was quickly seen as unrealisable. The government has had to provide rebates to keep prices in check. The rollout of renewables is complicated by local resistance to some projects, including wind farms and transmission lines. At present, more than 40% of electricity comes from renewables.
The cost-of-living crisis has increasingly dominated everything. Climate change remains a significant issue with people, but over time it tends to go up and down their scale of concerns, depending on changing circumstances.
The Ipsos Climate Change Report, done annually, found in 2024 “strong notional support for the energy transition”, but low understanding of what progress had been made.
Concerns about the negative impacts of the transition on cost of living and energy reliability have increased, particularly in the current high inflation environment. The perceived economic benefits of the transition are less clear, with many unsure about the impact on jobs and the broader economy.
The emphasis on cost of living is influencing priorities for the energy transition, with Australians wanting to see energy prices and reliability prioritised. There is a growing sentiment that Australia should only take action if other countries are also contributing fairly to climate change efforts.
Of course a summer of bad bushfires can change people’s priorities suddenly. Barring that, Labor is looking at a 2025 election in which it will be more on the defensive than the offensive on climate and energy issues.
The opposition has already acted to sharpen the difference with Labor over the medium term targets. Peter Dutton will have no 2035 target before the election, and has questioned the 2030 target to which Australia is signed up, although he says a Coalition government would not leave the Paris agreement. He is also running hard on his controversial policy for nuclear energy.
While Bowen is not clarifying whether he’ll announce the government’s target ahead of the election, it would be awkward for Australia not to meet the February deadline.
There would not be a penalty, but it would be a bad look, especially given we are vying with Turkey to host, together with Pacific countries, COP31 in 2026. One unknown, incidentally, is whether a Coalition government would continue this bid, which the opposition has describes as a “vanity project”.
If the government does announce the 2035 target before the election, the big question is how ambitious it will make it.
Bowen will receive advice on this from the Climate Change Authority, to which the government has appointed, as head, former New South Wales Liberal Treasurer Matt Kean.
A 2035 target in the range of 65-75% […] could be achievable and sustainable if additional action is taken by governments, business, investors and households […]. However, attempting to go much faster could risk significant levels of economic and social disruption and put progress at risk.
A bold target would make the government more vulnerable, just when Labor would want the attention on the Coalition’s problematic nuclear policy. On the other hand, if the target were modest, that would be exploited by the Greens.
Next month, Bowen will attend COP29 in Azerbaijan, where the central issue will be a financial goal, replacing the 2015 goal, for developed and major economies to help fund developing countries’ emission reduction efforts. Bowen, with Egyptian Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad, is leading the consultations on this, and so has a significant role at the conference.
At the COP meeting, Bowen will get a better idea of where other countries are on their expected 2035 targets. He indicated this week he has already started taking soundings. “Obviously […] of course you think about international context.”
By the time of COP, which runs November 11-22, America will have chosen its next president. The COP meeting will either be business-as-usual, looking to an incoming Kamala Harris presidency, or trying to anticipate the implications of a Trump administration that could be a major disruptor of international climate policy.
Michelle Grattan 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.
Race hate incidents to the end of June 2024 were already at record levels – before the summer surge in violence
‘Saturday’s march will be a show of support for victims and for all who live in fear that they could be next’ – Patrick Corrigan
Large numbers of people are expected to march in Belfast on Saturday in opposition to ongoing racist attacks in the city.
Following a surge in racist attacks in Northern Ireland during the summer, attacks have continued on a weekly basis, with police figures already showing 2024 as the worst year ever for racist violence in the region.
Race hate incidents had already reached a record high in Northern Ireland by the end of June 2024, before this summer’s surge in racist attacks. A record 1,411 racist incidents and 891 racist crimes were recorded by the PSNI in the year ending June 2024, according to official police data released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
The annual figures showed that racist crimes represented almost 1% of all recorded crime during the period.
Amnesty International is among the organisers of the ‘Belfast for All – stand together against racism’ march and rally which will take place in the city this Saturday and which has the support of scores of organisations, charities and political parties.
Ahead of the march, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director said:
“Racist violence may have dropped from the headlines, but not a week goes by in this city without another family having their home attacked by racist thugs.
“Saturday’s march will be a show of support for victims and for all who live in fear that they could be next.
“The disgraceful events of August, when a racist mob was able to run amok in Belfast, attacking homes and businesses at will, must never be repeated. But neither must we accept the insidious, ongoing attacks which continue to happen under the cover of darkness week in, week out.”
Saturday’s Belfast For All march and rally has been organised by United Against Racism, with support from Amnesty International, Belfast Islamic Centre and the NIPSA trade union, with people asked to meet at Writers’ Square at 11:30am before marching to Belfast City Hall.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Frank Ledwidge, Senior Lecturer in Military Strategy and Law, University of Portsmouth
A friend of mine, usually an intensely optimistic pro-Ukraine analyst, returned from Ukraine last week and told me: “It’s like the German Army in January 1945.” The Ukrainians are being driven back on all fronts – including in the Kursk province of Russia, which they had opened with much hope and fanfare in August. More importantly, they are running out of soldiers.
For most of 2024, Ukraine has been losing ground. This week, the town of Selidove in the western Donetsk region is being surrounded and, like Vuhledar earlier this month, is likely to fall in the next week or so – the only variable being how many Ukrainians will be lost in the process. Over the winter, the terrible prospect of a major battle to hold the strategically significant industrial town of Pokrovsk beckons.
Ukrainian forces are steadily losing ground close to the strategically vital town of Pokrovsk, western Donetsk region. Institute for the Study of War
Ultimately, this is not a war of territory but of attrition. The only resource that counts is soldiers – and here the calculus for Ukraine is not positive.
Ukraine claims to have “liquidated” nearly 700,000 Russian soldiers – with more than 120,000 killed and upwards of 500,000 injured. Its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, admitted in February this year to 31,000 Ukrainian fatalities, with no figure given for injured.
A dreadful debate is taking place in Ukraine. The question revolves around whether to mobilise – and risk serious casualties to – the 18-25 age group. Due to economic pressures in the early 2000s, Ukraine suffered a major drop in its birth rate, leaving relatively few people now aged between 15 and 25. Mobilisation and serious attrition of this group may be something Ukraine simply can’t afford, given the already serious demographic crisis the country faces.
History knows of no example where taking on Russia in an attritional contest has proved successful. Let’s be clear: this means there is a real possibility of defeat – there is no sugar-coating this.
Zelensky’s maximalist war aims of restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders, along with other unlikely conditions – which were unchallenged and encouraged by a confused but self-aggrandising west – will not be achieved, and the west’s leaders are partly to blame. Ill-advised wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East left western armed forces hollow, poorly armed, and entirely unprepared for a serious and prolonged conflict, with ammunition stocks likely to last weeks at best.
Only the US has significant stocks of weaponry in the form of thousands of armoured vehicles, tanks and artillery pieces in reserve – and it is unlikely to change its policy of drip-feeding weapons to Ukraine now. Even if such a decision is made, the lead-time for delivery will be years, not months.
In a confidential briefing I attended recently given by western defence officials, the atmosphere was downbeat. The situation is “perilous” and “as bad as it has ever been” for Ukraine. Western powers cannot afford another strategic disaster like Afghanistan which, in the words of Ernest Hemingway (aptly quoted by the strategist Lawrence Freedman), happened “gradually, then suddenly”.
There will be no decisive breakthrough by Russia’s army when they take this town or that (say, Pokrovsk). They haven’t the capability to do it. So, there won’t be a collapse – no “Kyiv as Kabul” moment.
However, there are limits to the losses Ukraine can take. We do not know where that limit lies, but we’ll know when it happens. Crucially, there will be no victory for Ukraine. Unforgivably, there is not, and never has been, a western strategy except to bleed Russia as long as possible.
The problem, as so often before, is that the west has not defined what it considers a success. The cost, meanwhile, is becoming all-too clear.
To have clearly defined its goals and limits would have constituted the beginnings of a strategy – and the west isn’t good at that. Nato’s leaders now need to move quickly beyond meaningless rhetoric or anything that smacks of “as long as it takes”. We saw where that led in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
We need a realistic answer to what something like a “win”, or at least an acceptable settlement, now looks like – as well as the extent to which it is achievable, and whether the west is really going to pursue it. And then for western leaders to act accordingly.
A starting point could be accepting that Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk are lost – something an increasing number of Ukrainians are beginning to say openly. Then we need to start planning seriously for a post-war Ukraine that will need the west’s suppport more than ever.
Russia cannot possibly take all, or even the bulk of, Ukraine’s territory. Even if it could, it could not possibly hold it. It is amply clear there will be a compromise settlement.
So, it is time for Nato – and the US in particular – to articulate a viable end to this nightmarish ordeal, and to develop a pragmatic strategy to deal with Russia in the coming decade. More importantly, the west must plan how to support a heroic, shattered – but still independent – Ukraine.
Frank Ledwidge 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.
The mirror universe, with the big bang at the centre.Neil Turok, CC BY-SA
We live in a golden age for learning about the universe. Our most powerful telescopes have revealed that the cosmos is surprisingly simple on the largest visible scales. Likewise, our most powerful “microscope”, the Large Hadron Collider, has found no deviations from known physics on the tiniest scales.
These findings were not what most theorists expected. Today, the dominant theoretical approach combines string theory, a powerful mathematical framework with no successful physical predictions as yet, and “cosmic inflation” – the idea that, at a very early stage, the universe ballooned wildly in size. In combination, string theory and inflation predict the cosmos to be incredibly complex on tiny scales and completely chaotic on very large scales.
The nature of the expected complexity could take a bewildering variety of forms. On this basis, and despite the absence of observational evidence, many theorists promote the idea of a “multiverse”: an uncontrolled and unpredictable cosmos consisting of many universes, each with totally different physical properties and laws.
This is article is part of our series Cosmology in crisis? which uncovers the greatest problems facing cosmologists today – and discusses the implications of solving them.
So far, the observations indicate exactly the opposite. What should we make of the discrepancy? One possibility is that the apparent simplicity of the universe is merely an accident of the limited range of scales we can probe today, and that when observations and experiments reach small enough or large enough scales, the asserted complexity will be revealed.
The other possibility is that the universe really is very simple and predictable on both the largest and smallest scales. I believe this possibility should be taken far more seriously. For, if it is true, we may be closer than we imagined to understanding the universe’s most basic puzzles. And some of the answers may already be staring us in the face.
The trouble with string theory and inflation
The current orthodoxy is the culmination of decades of effort by thousands of serious theorists. According to string theory, the basic building blocks of the universe are miniscule, vibrating loops and pieces of sub-atomic string. As currently understood, the theory only works if there are more dimensions of space than the three we experience. So, string theorists assume that the reason we don’t detect them is that they are tiny and curled up.
Unfortunately, this makes string theory hard to test, since there are an almost unimaginable number of ways in which the small dimensions can be curled up, with each giving a different set of physical laws in the remaining, large dimensions.
Meanwhile, cosmic inflation is a scenario proposed in the 1980s to explain why the universe is so smooth and flat on the largest scales we can see. The idea is that the infant universe was small and lumpy, but an extreme burst of ultra-rapid expansion blew it up vastly in size, smoothing it out and flattening it to be consistent with what we see today.
Inflation is also popular because it potentially explains why the energy density in the early universe varied slightly from place to place. This is important because the denser regions would have later collapsed under their own gravity, seeding the formation of galaxies.
Over the past three decades, the density variations have been measured more and more accurately both by mapping the cosmic microwave background – the radiation from the big bang – and by mapping the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies.
In most models of inflation, the early extreme burst of expansion which smoothed and flattened the universe also generated long-wavelength gravitational waves –– ripples in the fabric of space-time. Such waves, if observed, would be a “smoking gun” signal confirming that inflation actually took place. However, so far the observations have failed to detect any such signal. Instead, as the experiments have steadily improved, more and more models of inflation have been ruled out.
Furthermore, during inflation, different regions of space can experience very different amounts of expansion. On very large scales, this produces a multiverse of post-inflationary universes, each with different physical properties.
The history of the universe according to the model of cosmic inflation. wikipedia, CC BY-SA
The inflation scenario is based on assumptions about the forms of energy present and the initial conditions. While these assumptions solve some puzzles, they create others. String and inflation theorists hope that somewhere in the vast inflationary multiverse, a region of space and time exists with just the right properties to match the universe we see.
However, even if this is true (and not one such model has yet been found), a fair comparison of theories should include an “Occam factor”, quantifying Occam’s razor, which penalises theories with many parameters and possibilities over simpler and more predictive ones. Ignoring the Occam factor amounts to assuming that there is no alternative to the complex, unpredictive hypothesis – a claim I believe has little foundation.
Over the past several decades, there have been many opportunities for experiments and observations to reveal specific signals of string theory or inflation. But none have been seen. Again and again, the observations turned out simpler and more minimal than anticipated.
It is high time, I believe, to acknowledge and learn from these failures, and to start looking seriously for better alternatives.
A simpler alternative
Recently, my colleague Latham Boyle and I have tried to build simpler and more testable theories that do away with inflation and string theory. Taking our cue from the observations, we have attempted to tackle some of the most profound cosmic puzzles with a bare minimum of theoretical assumptions.
Our first attempts succeeded beyond our most optimistic hopes. Time will tell whether they survive further scrutiny. However, the progress we have already made convinces me that, in all likelihood, there are alternatives to the standard orthodoxy – which has become a straitjacket we need to break out of.
I hope our experience encourages others, especially younger researchers, to explore novel approaches guided strongly by the simplicity of the observations – and to be more sceptical about their elders’ preconceptions. Ultimately, we must learn from the universe and adapt our theories to it rather than vice versa.
Boyle and I started out by tackling one of cosmology’s greatest paradoxes. If we follow the expanding universe backward in time, using Einstein’s theory of gravity and the known laws of physics, space shrinks away to a single point, the “initial singularity”.
In trying to make sense of this infinitely dense, hot beginning, theorists including Nobel laureate Roger Penrose pointed to a deep symmetry in the basic laws governing light and massless particles. This symmetry, called “conformal” symmetry, means that neither light nor massless particles actually experience the shrinking away of space at the big bang.
By exploiting this symmetry, one can follow light and particles all the way back to the beginning. Doing so, Boyle and I found we could describe the initial singularity as a “mirror”: a reflecting boundary in time (with time moving forward on one side, and backward on the other).
Picturing the big bang as a mirror neatly explains many features of the universe which might otherwise appear to conflict with the most basic laws of physics. For example, for every physical process, quantum theory allows a “mirror” process in which space is inverted, time is reversed and every particle is replaced with its anti-particle (a particle similar to it in almost all respects, but with the opposite electric charge).
According to this powerful symmetry, called CPT symmetry, the “mirror” process should occur at precisely the same rate as the original one. One of the most basic puzzles about the universe is that it appears to [violate CPT symmetry] because time always runs forward and there are more particles than anti-particles.
Our mirror hypothesis restores the symmetry of the universe. When you look in a mirror, you see your mirror image behind it: if you are left-handed, the image is right-handed and vice versa. The combination of you and your mirror image are more symmetrical than you are alone.
Likewise, when Boyle and I extrapolated our universe back through the big bang, we found its mirror image, a pre-bang universe in which (relative to us) time runs backward and antiparticles outnumber particles. For this picture to be true, we don’t need the mirror universe to be real in the classical sense (just as your image in a mirror isn’t real). Quantum theory, which rules the microcosmos of atoms and particles, challenges our intuition so at this point the best we can do is think of the mirror universe as a mathematical device which ensures that the initial condition for the universe does not violate CPT symmetry.
Surprisingly, this new picture provided an important clue to the nature of the unknown cosmic substance called dark matter. Neutrinos are very light, ghostly particles which, typically, move at close to the speed of light and which spin as they move along, like tiny tops. If you point the thumb of your left hand in the direction the neutrino moves, then your four fingers indicate the direction in which it spins. The observed, light neutrinos are called “left-handed” neutrinos.
Heavy “right-handed” neutrinos have never been seen directly, but their existence has been inferred from the observed properties of light, left-handed neutrinos. Stable, right-handed neutrinos would be the perfect candidate for dark matter because they don’t couple to any of the known forces except gravity. Before our work, it was unknown how they might have been produced in the hot early universe.
Our mirror hypothesis allowed us to calculate exactly how many would form, and to show they could explain the cosmic dark matter.
A testable prediction followed: if the dark matter consists of stable, right-handed neutrinos, then one of three light neutrinos that we know of must be exactly massless. Remarkably, this prediction is now being tested using observations of the gravitational clustering of matter made by large-scale galaxy surveys.
The entropy of universes
Encouraged by this result, we set about tackling another big puzzle: why is the universe so uniform and spatially flat, not curved, on the largest visible scales? The cosmic inflation scenario was, after all, invented by theorists to solve this problem.
Entropy is a concept which quantifies the number of different ways a physical system can be arranged. For example, if we put some air molecules in a box, the most likely configurations are those which maximise the entropy – with the molecules more or less smoothly spread throughout space and sharing the total energy more or less equally. These kinds of arguments are used in statistical physics, the field which underlies our understanding of heat, work and thermodynamics.
The late physicist Stephen Hawking and collaborators famously generalised statistical physics to include gravity. Using an elegant argument, they calculated the temperature and the entropy of black holes. Using our “mirror” hypothesis, Boyle and I managed to extend their arguments to cosmology and to calculate the entropy of entire universes.
To our surprise, the universe with the highest entropy (meaning it is the most likely, just like the atoms spread out in the box) is flat and expands at an accelerated rate, just like the real one. So statistical arguments explain why the universe is flat and smooth and has a small positive accelerated expansion, with no need for cosmic inflation.
How would the primordial density variations, usually attributed to inflation, have been generated in our symmetrical mirror universe? Recently, we showed that a specific type of quantum field (a dimension zero field) generates exactly the type of density variations we observe, without inflation. Importantly, these density variations aren’t accompanied by the long wavelength gravitational waves which inflation predicts – and which haven’t been seen.
These results are very encouraging. But more work is needed to show that our new theory is both mathematically sound and physically realistic.
Even if our new theory fails, it has taught us a valuable lesson. There may well be simpler, more powerful and more testable explanations for the basic properties of the universe than those the standard orthodoxy provides.
By facing up to cosmology’s deep puzzles, guided by the observations and exploring directions as yet unexplored, we may be able to lay more secure foundations for both fundamental physics and our understanding of the universe.
Neil Turok 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.
In the UK and Ireland, children who have significant special educational needs and disabilities can receive their education outside mainstream school. This often takes place in “special schools” or “special classes”.
In the UK, as well as the Republic of Ireland, legislation sets out that children have the right to attend mainstream education. This right cannot be refused based on the complexity of the child’s needs. However, many children are educated in specialist schools, and the devolved governments of the UK, and Ireland, have taken differing approaches to this provision.
But there is a problem. Across the UK and Ireland, there are far fewer places available in specialist schools and classes for the number of children identified with needs significant enough to warrant a place.
England
In 2010, then-prime minister David Cameron set out the aim to “end the bias” towards including children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools.
His government felt there had been an overemphasis on inclusion in mainstream schools. As a consequence, England has seen an expansion of specialist education provision. From 2015 to 2023, there has been a 47% increase in the number of pupils at special schools in England – from 109,177 to 161,072.
However, as of May 2024, 4,407 children across England were waiting for school places in specialist provision.
There has also been a large increase in the number of appeals against councils by parents or carers of children with special educational needs in England, challenging the decision made around a child’s school placement and provision.
A new report from the National Audit Office on special educational needs suggests that the current system in England is unsustainable, with many councils set to run out of money by early 2026.
Wales
Wales has also seen a 25% increase in special school provision from 2017-18 to 2023-4.
However, there has recently been a large decrease in the number of learners being identified with additional learning needs. This has coincided with the introduction of a new additional learning needs system.
However, the proportion of all learners in special schools has increased. This means that this reduction in identification does not seem to have changed the number of those who require specialist placements.
Scotland
Scotland has taken a different route. Here, the legal right to mainstream schooling has been taken a step further: there is an underlying “presumption of mainstreaming”, in other words, a right to attend a mainstream school, although exceptions in which a specialist provision should be considered are set out.
This presumption of mainstreaming means that there has been a reduction in the number of special schools. However, alongside this there has been an increase in the proportion of children not spending time in mainstream classes.
This implies that more children are being educated in units attached to mainstream schools, without necessarily participating in mainstream classes. A recent review has raised concerns that the children with additional support needs in mainstream schools are not having their needs met.
Northern Ireland
The number of children with a statement of special educational needs in Northern Ireland increased by 24% in the five years from 2017-18 to 2021-22. A Department of Education official recently told the Education Committee of the NI Assembly that there was a need for an additional 1,000 places for children with SEN. This would require 66 new special school classes and 94 new specialist classes in mainstream schools.
Northern Ireland is addressing the increased demand for special school places by embarking on a programme to develop specialist provision in mainstream schools. It is important to note, however, that although attached to and often under the same roof as mainstream schools, these are separate, specialist classes for children whose needs would ordinarily have been met in special schools, if pupil places had been available.
Republic of Ireland
In the Irish republic, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for specialist provision. There has also been an increase in the number of special schools in recent years, from 123 in 2018-19 to 134 in 2024-25, and further schools are planned.
However, the challenges experienced by children with SEN in accessing school places continues. Some children are receiving home tuition grants because they don’t have a school place, and even more students are waiting to secure a place for the school year 2024-25. To address this, the minister for education in Ireland is now able to compel schools to open special classes under amended legislation.
The challenge
The devolved governments of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, are committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which upholds the right to inclusive education for all learners. This includes the right to be educated without segregation.
Scotland have addressed this by reducing specialist provision – although there have been criticisms of how this has been implemented in practice. Elsewhere in the UK, the demand for specialist provision is leading to each government increasing the amount of specialist provision, as opposed to considering how the principles of inclusive education could be embedded in mainstream schools.
In line with guidance from the UN, it is important to consider how mainstream schools can effectively support and include all learners. If these schools are designed to better accommodate a broader range of learners, the need for specialist placements could well decrease.
However, criticisms of the Scottish system show that without adequate support, placing children with special educational needs in mainstream schools is not enough for students to feel fully included.
Cathryn Knight receives funding from the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.
Joanne Banks receives funding from The Irish Research Council New Foundations Award.
Noel Purdy 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.
Most people imagine philosophers as rational thinkers who spend their time developing abstract logical theories and strongly reject superstitious beliefs. But several 20th-century philosophers actively investigated spooky topics such as clairvoyance, telepathy – even ghosts.
Many of these philosophers, including Henri Bergson and William James, were interested in what was called “psychical research”. This was the academic study of paranormal phenomena including telepathy, telekinesis and other-worldly spirits.
These thinkers attended seances and were attempting to develop theories about ghosts, life after death and the powers exhibited by mediums in trances. My recent archival research has been looking at how these topics shaped 20th-century philosophy.
CD Broad (1887-1971) was a professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge. He is now recognised as one of the most important writers on the philosophy of time. He also published on ethics, logic and the history of philosophy. What is less known, though, is that he was an active member of the Society for Psychical Research, a learned society dedicated to the study of paranormal phenomena. The society twice elected him as their president, and he published widely on topics including clairvoyance and poltergeists.
In his 1925 book, The Mind and Its Place in Nature, Broad developed what has come to be known as the “compound theory” of ghosts. Broad argued that the human mind was a compound of two components. One of these was the “physical factor,” roughly corresponding to the body. The other one was the “psychic factor,” which carries our mental content like emotions or thoughts. The two of them conjointly form the human mind – just like salt is composed of sodium and chloride.
Broad believed that after death, the psychic factor can continue existing for a bit on its own and might enter, like a spirit, a medium during a seance.
Images in the ether
Another philosopher interested in ghosts and spirits of the dead was HH Price (1899-1984). He was a professor of logic at the University of Oxford and is mostly known for his publications on the philosophy of perception. However, just like Broad, he was heavily involved in the Society for Psychical Research and attended several international conferences dedicated to life after death and telepathy.
In his presidential address to the society in 1939, Price tried to offer an explanation of ghosts and hauntings.
At any given moment, he argued, your mind is full of “mental images” – the memory of your last holiday, the things you see outside your window, your hopes and expectations for the future. Price theorised that there is a substance, which he called the “psychic ether” that exists halfway between matter and the human mind. He believed that this ether could carry the images that currently exist in your mind even after you die. A bundle of these images and memories can appear as a ghost to some particularly sensitive people.
What does ‘ghost’ mean?
Casimir Lewy (1919-1991) was one of the most influential philosophical logicians of the 20th century. He spent most of his career at the University of Cambridge – in fact, the philosophy faculty library there is named after him.
Lewy is now mostly known for his work on logic, and few people know that he actually wrote his PhD thesis (which was examined by Broad) on life after death.
Portrait of Casimir Lewy by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (1937). Trinity College
He was primarily interested in language and in the meanings of the terms people use when they talk about ghosts and life after death. What does it mean to say that I might survive the death of my body? What sort of experiences would I need to have as a ghost for the statement “I have survived my death” to be true? Would I have to be able to see myself in the mirror, or to speak to people in the seance room?
Lewy insisted that these questions need answering before looking at the empirical “evidence” for ghosts.
Following a series of scandalous and widely publicised discoveries of fraudulent mediums faking their supernatural powers and accusations of pseudo-scientific research methods, psychical research eventually moved to the fringes of academia. Lewy, for example, never returned to write on these topics after passing the defence of his PhD in 1943.
Nevertheless, despite its brief lifespan, academic psychical research had a significant influence on an entire generation of British philosophers. It shaped their views on time, causation and matter, and gave them an opportunity to think one of life’s most pressing questions: what happens after we die?
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Matyáš Moravec 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.
Source: The White House
Today, the President is issuing the first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The fundamental premise is that AI will have significant implications for national security. The AI NSM sets out goals to enable the US Government to harness cutting-edge AI technologies, and to advance international consensus and governance around AI.
In addition, there are implications for economic policy. The AI National Security Memorandum establishes that retaining US leadership in the most advanced AI models will be vital for our national security in coming years. The US lead today on the most advanced AI models reflects several important US economic strengths: our innovative private sector, the ability to develop and source world class talent, strengths in advanced semiconductor design, dynamic capital allocation, and abundant compute power.
We should not take those strengths for granted in the future. Indeed, we are all familiar with past instances when we saw critical technologies and supply chains that were developed and commercialized here in the US migrate offshore for lack of critical public sector support. That is why we are laser focused on maintaining the strongest AI ecosystem in the world here in the United States. The NSM directs the National Economic Council to coordinate an economic assessment of the relative competitive advantage of the US private sector AI ecosystem.
Sustaining US preeminence in frontier AI into the future will require strong domestic foundations in semiconductors, infrastructure, and clean energy—including the large datacenters that provide computing resources. The private sector is already making significant investments in AI innovation, and now we’re making sure the government is moving quickly on policy changes and the support necessary to enable rapid AI infrastructure growth over the next several years. The historic Biden-Harris investment laws will be critical enablers.
Developing AI systems will require a large volume of the most advanced semiconductors. The CHIPS and Science Act is enabling major investments here in the US for the fabrication of the leading-edge semiconductors that are critical to AI frontier models, in close proximity to world-class chips designers and downstream customers.
One of the most pressing needs is the rapid growth in computational power for the training and operation of frontier AI models. AI datacenters will need to run on clean energy and in order to meet their needs we will need to accelerate the deployment of transmission and clean energy projects. We will meet these needs while keeping residential electricity costs low and meeting our climate goals. Fortunately, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act have given us a good foundation to build on. We are committed to helping navigate permitting processes across the federal government, and working with states and localities. We took a step towards supporting these goals with the Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure that we launched last month. And we have seen a number of recent announcements of companies investing in projects that will bring new clean energy online to power AI data centers.
Having the right workforce and talent will also play a key role in developing large-scale AI datacenters. This will range from AI experts to pipefitters and electrical workers. We are taking action to ensure AI infrastructure creates good jobs, while investing in our workforce to enable American workers to drive innovation.
Of course, all of these efforts must be governed by the critical guardrails established last year by the Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence and commitments we secured last year from leading AI companies to manage the risks posed by AI. Today’s NSM is just the latest step in a series of actions thanks to the leadership and diplomatic engagement of the President and Vice President, and there will be additional steps taken in the coming months to further support US leadership in AI.
