Source: United States Air Force
Headline: CSAF, CMSAF kickoff INDO-PACIFIC trip to engage allies and partners
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi began a week-long tour of the U.S. Pacific Air Force’s area of responsibility following a brief stop at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Police are appealing for witnesses and information following a firearm discharge in West Kensington.
The incident happened at approximately 04:00hrs on Sunday, 13 October outside a nightclub in Russell Gardens, W14.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots after a verbal altercation involving a group of people. All those involved left the scene prior to police arriving.
Officers attended and during a search of the location, casings were found. A crime scene remains in place while investigative work continues.
There have been no reports of any injuries.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in the area and saw events unfold, or anyone who has information that could assist police, to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD1158/13Oct. You can also provide information anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HANOI, Oct. 13 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Sunday that China is ready to work with Vietnam to firmly advance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, jointly meet external challenges and better achieve common development.
He made the remarks when meeting with Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam.
Source: United States Air Force
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi began a week-long tour of the U.S. Pacific Air Force’s area of responsibility following a brief stop at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China ready to strengthen alignment of development strategies with Vietnam — Chinese premier
HANOI, Oct. 13 — China stands ready to strengthen alignment of development strategies with Vietnam, carrying out the plan of synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam’s Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang here on Sunday.
Li made the remarks when meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HANOI, Oct. 13 — China and Vietnam here on Sunday stressed the need to properly handle their differences through friendly consultation.
In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged both sides to stick to friendly consultation, properly handle differences and expand maritime cooperation.
In response, Pham Minh Chinh said the two sides should implement the high-level consensus of the two parties and two countries, properly manage differences through friendly consultation, and jointly safeguard maritime peace and stability.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Previous news Next news
Yuri Trutnev with the winners of the second All-Russian long-range shooting tournament dedicated to the memory of Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Okhlopkov
On October 13, the winners of the second All-Russian Long-Range Shooting Tournament dedicated to the memory of Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Okhlopkov were determined in Yakutsk. The closing ceremony of the competition was held by Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District, Chief Judge of the tournament Yuri Trutnev, Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Aisen Nikolaev and Hero of Russia, Guards Major, Deputy Chief Judge Yaroslav Yakubov. The total prize fund of the tournament was 18 million rubles.
Over the course of two days, more than 140 shooters from different regions of the country, including participants in the special military operation, competed in night and day shooting. Among those who went to the firing line were active military personnel, employees of law enforcement agencies and special forces, as well as civilian shooting enthusiasts.
“Next year we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The tournament we are holding is directly related to this anniversary. The competition is held in honor of the memory of Hero of the Soviet Union Fyodor Matveyevich Okhlopkov. And those who are now standing on the site, put on camouflage not only at the tournaments. We will do everything possible to make the competition interesting, objective and fair, so that through your work and joint efforts our country becomes stronger. I am sure that we need to continue this work. We have chosen a good place: Yakutia – a republic with good traditions of sniper skill. Competition creates opportunities to grow and move forward. Thanks to this tournament, among other things, more high-class shooters will be trained in our country, young guys will become interested in military-sports training, which means the level of sniper skill will grow and our Motherland will become stronger,” said Yuri Trutnev.
“I think the tournament was a success. Many more people came than the first time. The organizing committee headed by Yuri Petrovich Trutnev did a tremendous job to ensure that the best shooters of our country met at the competition. But there is no limit to perfection, we are already starting to prepare for the next tournaments, we will make every effort to ensure that they are held at an even higher level. The results that the participants of these competitions showed, despite the weather, indicate that our Yakutia and all of Russia have traditions of great ancestors, which are continued by their descendants,” noted Aisen Nikolaev.
The third place in the “Night” stage of the tournament was taken by a sniper with the call sign Kolpachok and a spotter with the call sign Vokha. The second place in the “Night” stage went to the pair Hunter and Creed. The first place in the “Night” stage was won by the pair with the call signs Brat and Kos.
The third place in the Day stage was won by the sniper pair with the call signs Agron and Yurich. The second place in the Day stage was taken by Nagirny and Bocharov. The first place in the Day stage was awarded to the shooters with the call signs Kolpachok and Vokha.
The third place winners of both stages were awarded high-precision rifles “Arkuda” of the domestic manufacturer. The second place winners were presented with the keys to the new all-terrain vehicle “Sokol” of the manufacturing plant “Yakt-Sokol” – a resident of the TOR “Patrioticheskaya”. The winners of the competitions received off-road pickup trucks.
Yuri Trutnev presented a high-precision Raptor rifle from the domestic brand Bespoke Gun. “This prize will go to the 155th separate guards marine brigade of the Pacific Fleet. We have met with the commanders and fighters of this brigade on the line of combat contact many times. I am proud of the fighters and their commanders. I hope that they have many victories ahead and, most importantly, a common victory,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Following the two stages, special prizes were awarded from the Combat Sniping Federation and manufacturers of weapons and equipment: Lobaev Arms, ORSIS, Russian Solid, Dedal-NV and others.
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.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a building in Ho Man Tin this morning (October 13), in which a male worker, while dismantling a bamboo scaffold at the external walls of the building, fell from height to the ground. He was certified dead later in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.
The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned, suspending the dismantling, alteration and use of the bamboo scaffold at the external walls of the building. The contractors cannot resume the work until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken.”
The spokesman added, “We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
To prevent workers from falling from height while dismantling bamboo scaffolds at external walls of buildings, the LD reminds employers to take suitable safety measures, including providing every worker engaged in the work with a suitable safety harness that is attached continuously to a suitable and secure anchor point, an independent lifeline or a fall arresting system, and ensuring the proper use of the safety equipment by the workers concerned throughout the work.
The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years on conviction on indictment; or $3 million and imprisonment for six months on summary conviction.
In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application “OSH 2.0”, website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.
The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.
Source: NASA
While in Milan for international meetings, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was among the witnesses as Estonia signed the Artemis Accords and became the 45th nation to join the United States and other signatories agreeing to the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The signing ceremony took place ahead of Italy hosting the 75th International Astronautical Congress beginning Monday, Oct. 14, where government and space officials from signatory countries will discuss advancing implementation of the Artemis Accords, among other topics.
“We welcome Estonia’s signing of the Artemis Accords, which will open the door for more international collaboration,” said Nelson. “This decision also strengthens our family of nations, united by a common cause, and builds on our commitment to explore space for the benefit of humanity under the sound principles of the accords.”
Erkki Keldo, Estonia’s minister of economy and industry, signed the Artemis Accords. Rahima Kandahari, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. State Department and Lisa Campbell, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) president, also participated in the event.
“Estonia is well known as the leading country in e-governance, and it is a great honor for us to enter a next level in space exploration, said Keldo. “We are more than interested to share our knowledge with the global space community to make future collaboration in space exploration a success for humankind. I am sure that joining the Artemis Accords will open attractive opportunities to Estonian enterprises too, to share their valuable knowledge and competences.”
In 2020, the United States and seven other nations were the first to sign the Artemis Accords, which identified an early set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity. The accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
The commitments of the Artemis Accords and efforts by the signatories to advance implementation of these principles support the safe and sustainable exploration of space. More countries are expected to sign in the coming weeks and months.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
-end-
Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth ShawHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the appointment of Mike Savage as the new Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
Mike Savage is a respected former parliamentarian, mayor, and business leader with a lifelong commitment to serving the people of Nova Scotia. He was the Member of Parliament for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for seven years and the Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality for 12 years. Throughout his career, he has been a champion for social inclusion and disability rights, economic growth and affordability, and climate change action and mitigation.
The Prime Minister thanks the outgoing Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, for his service to the people of Nova Scotia and to Canada.
“I congratulate Mike Savage on his appointment as the new Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. He is a passionate public servant and an experienced leader, and I am confident that he will continue to serve Nova Scotians well and make important contributions in his new role.”
Source: United States Department of Defense
At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1. The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.
This is not the first time the United States has deployed a THAAD battery to the region. The President directed the military to deploy a THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the October 7th attacks to defend American troops and interests in the region. The United States previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (October 14) that eight animals were found dead in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens (HKZBG) yesterday (October 13), including one De Brazza’s Monkey, one Common Squirrel Monkey, three Cotton-top Tamarins and three White-faced Sakis. The LCSD had liaised with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Necropsy and laboratory tests have been arranged immediately to help find out their cause of death.
While awaiting test results, the Mammals Section of the HKZBG will be closed from today for disinfection and cleaning works. We will also closely monitor the health conditions of other animals. During this period, other facilities of the HKZBG will remain open.
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
In the early Hours of this morning, 14 October, a man was located with critical injuries on Hampton Downs Road, Whangamarino.
The man remains in a critical condition in Auckland City Hospital.
Police are working to determine the circumstances that led to the man being injured.
Cordons are in place between Hampton Downs Road / junction with Hampton Downs landfill access road and Hampton Downs Road nearby Chris Amon Drive.
If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 241014/2225.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: NASA
Find details about the launch sequences for the orbiter, which is targeting an Oct. 14 liftoff on its mission to search for ingredients of life at Jupiter’s moon Europa.
In less than 24 hours, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is slated to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket. Its sights are set on Jupiter’s ice-encased moon Europa, which the spacecraft will fly by 49 times, coming as close as 16 miles (25 kilometers) from the surface as it searches for ingredients of life.
Launch is set for 12:06 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 14, with additional opportunities through Nov 6. Each opportunity is instantaneous, meaning there is only one exact time per day when launch can occur. Plans to launch Europa Clipper on Oct. 10 were delayed due to impacts of Hurricane Milton.
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NASA’s Europa Clipper is the first mission dedicated to studying Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, one of the most promising places in our solar system to find an environment suitable for life outside of Earth.
With its massive solar arrays extended, Europa Clipper could span a basketball court (100 feet, or 30.5 meters, tip to tip). In fact, it’s the largest spacecraft NASA has ever built for a planetary mission. The journey to Jupiter is a long one — 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) — and rather than taking a straight path there, Europa Clipper will loop around Mars and then Earth, gaining speed as it swings past.
The spacecraft will begin orbiting Jupiter in April 2030, and in 2031 it will start making those 49 science-focused flybys of Europa while looping around the gas giant. The orbit is designed to maximize the science Europa Clipper can conduct and minimize exposure to Jupiter’s notoriously intense radiation.
But, of course, before any of that can happen, the spacecraft has to leave Earth behind. The orbiter’s solar arrays are folded and stowed for launch. Testing is complete on the spacecraft’s various systems and its payload of nine science instruments and a gravity science investigation. Loaded with over 6,060 pounds (2,750 kilograms) of the propellant that will get Europa Clipper to Jupiter, the spacecraft has been encapsulated in the protective nose cone, or payload fairing, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, which is poised for takeoff from historic Launch Complex 39A.
Launch Sequences
The Falcon Heavy has two stages and two side boosters. After the side boosters separate, the core stage will be expended into the Atlantic Ocean. Then the second stage of the rocket, which will help Europa Clipper escape Earth’s gravity, will fire its engine.
Once the rocket is out of Earth’s atmosphere, about 50 minutes after launch, the payload fairing will separate from its ride, split into two halves, and fall safely back to Earth, where it will be recovered and reused. The spacecraft will then separate from the upper stage about an hour after launch. Stable communication with the spacecraft is expected by about 19 minutes after separation from the rocket, but it could take somewhat longer.
About three hours after launch, Europa Clipper will deploy its pair of massive solar arrays, one at a time, and direct them at the Sun.
Mission controllers will then begin to reconfigure the spacecraft into its planned operating mode. The ensuing three months of initial checkout include a commissioning phase to confirm that all hardware and software is operating as expected.
While Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission, it will tell us whether Europa is a promising place to pursue an answer to the fundamental question about our solar system and beyond: Are we alone?
Scientists suspect that the ingredients for life — water, chemistry, and energy — could exist at the moon Europa right now. Previous missions have found strong evidence of an ocean beneath the moon’s thick icy crust, potentially with twice as much liquid water as all of Earth’s oceans combined. Europa may be home to organic compounds, which are essential chemical building blocks for life. Europa Clipper will help scientists confirm whether organics are there, and also help them look for evidence of energy sources under the moon’s surface.
More About Europa Clipper
Europa Clipper’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.
NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.
Find more information about Europa here:
europa.nasa.gov
News Media Contacts
Meira Bernstein / Karen FoxNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
Gretchen McCartneyJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-287-4115gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
2024-139
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA Assistance Tops $50 Million for Illinoisans Affected by Mid-July Severe Storms
FEMA Assistance Tops $50 Million for Illinoisans Affected by Mid-July Severe Storms
SPRINGFIELD – Just under a month since President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for the state of Illinois, FEMA assistance for households affected by the July 13 -16 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding tops $50.6 million. These grants help pay for uninsured and underinsured losses and storm-related damage, including:
More than $1.6 million in long-term, low-interest disaster loans has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration for homeowners and renters to help repair, rebuild or replace disaster-damaged physical property and to cover economic injury for businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations.
Homeowners and renters with July 13 – 16 storm damage to their home or personal property in the seven designated counties including, Cook, Fulton, Henry, St. Clair, Washington, Will and Winnebago, have until the November 19 deadline to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration.
Apply for FEMA assistance several ways:
Learn more about SBA disaster assistance at http://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. Visit http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4819 for more information about the disaster recovery in Illinois.
kimberly.keblish
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Fiveash, ARC DECRA Fellow (Researcher), Western Sydney University
Listening to music can enhance our lives in all kinds of ways – many of us use it during exercise, to regulate our mood, or in the workplace.
But can listening to background music while you work really make you more productive?
It’s a controversial topic. Some people swear by it, others find it painfully distracting. The research agrees there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
The best way to use music in the workplace depends on several factors, including your personality traits, what you’re doing, and what kind of music you’re listening to.
Here’s how to find out what works best for you.
Your personality has a key influence on whether background music can boost productivity or be distracting in the workplace, which relates to your unique optimal level of arousal.
Arousal in this context relates to mental alertness, and the readiness of the brain to process new information. Background music can increase it.
Research suggests that being at an optimal level of arousal facilitates a state of “flow”, enhancing performance and productivity.
Introverts already have a high baseline level of internal arousal.
Adding background music might push them over their optimal level, likely reducing productivity.
Extroverts, on the other hand, have lower baseline levels of internal arousal, so need more external stimulation to perform at their optimal level.
This is why introverts may perform worse than extroverts with background music, especially when the music is highly arousing.
Research has shown the nature of the task you’re doing can also have an important effect.
Because of connections between music and language in the brain, trying to read and write at the same time as listening to complex music – especially music with lyrics – can be particularly difficult.
However, if you’re doing a simple or repetitive task such as data entry or a manual task, having music on in the background can help with performance – particularly upbeat and complex music.
These findings could be related to music’s effects on motivation and maintaining attention, as well as activating reward networks in the brain.
One important and often overlooked influence is what kind of music you choose to listen to.
Research has shown that fast and loud music can be more detrimental to complex tasks, such as reading comprehension, than soft and slow music.
Other research found that listening to calming music can have benefits for memory, while aggressive and unpleasant music can have the opposite effect.
However, these effects also depend on your personality, your familiarity with the music, and your musical preferences, so the type of music that works best will be different for everyone.
Music can be very rewarding and can benefit attention, mood and motivation.
Choosing music that is meaningful, rewarding and makes you feel good will likely help boost your performance, especially when performing simple tasks.
It largely seems that the more complex or demanding the task is, the more distracting background music can be.
One way to harness the motivational and mood-boosting effects of music to help with your workplace productivity is to play music before doing your work.
Using music to boost your mood and enhance attention before starting a work task could help you be more productive in that task.
Playing music before a demanding task has been shown to boost language abilities in particular.
So if you’re about to do a cognitively demanding task involving reading and writing, and you feel that music might distract you if played at the same time, try listening to it just before doing the task.
Music can be both helpful and detrimental for workplace productivity – the best advice is to experiment with different tasks and different types of music, to find out what works best for you.
Try to experiment with your favourite music first, while doing a simple task.
Does the music help you engage with the task? Or do you get distracted and start to become more absorbed in the music? Listening to music without lyrics and with a strong beat might help you focus on the task at hand.
If you find music is distracting to your work, try scheduling in some music breaks throughout the day. Listening to music during breaks could boost your mood and increase your motivation, thereby enhancing productivity.
Moving along with music is suggested to increase reward processing, especially in social situations.
Dancing has the added bonus of getting you out of your chair and moving along in time, so bonus points if you are able to make it a dance break!
Read more:
An education in music makes you a better employee. Are recruiters in tune?
Anna Fiveash receives funding from The Australian Research Council.
– ref. Can listening to music make you more productive at work? – https://theconversation.com/can-listening-to-music-make-you-more-productive-at-work-241123
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide
What might be the most seismic moment in American cinema? Film “speaking” for the first time in The Jazz Singer? Dorothy entering the Land of Oz? That menacing shark that in 1975 invented the summer blockbuster?
Or how about that moment when two hitmen on their way to a job began talking about the intricacies of European fast food while listening to Kool & The Gang?
Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction (1994) celebrates its 30th birthday this month. Watching it now, this story of a motley crew of mobsters, drug dealers and lowlifes in sunny Los Angeles still feels startlingly new.
Widely regarded as Tarantino’s masterpiece, the director’s dazzling second film was considered era-defining for its memorable dialogue, innovative narrative structure and unique blend of humour and violence. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, made stars of Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman, and revitalised John Travolta’s career.
Pulp Fiction is dark, often poignant, and very funny. It is, as one critic describes it, an “intravenous jab of callous madness, black comedy and strange unwholesome euphoria”.
Famous for its non-linear narrative, Pulp Fiction weaves together a trio of connected crime stories. The three chapters – Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife, The Gold Watch and The Bonnie Situation – loop, twist and intersect but, crucially, never confuse the viewer.
Tarantino has often paid tribute to French filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Melville, whose earlier films also presented their narratives out of chronological order and modified the rules of the crime genre.
By inviting audiences to piece Pulp Fiction together like a puzzle, Tarantino laid the way for subsequent achronological films such as Memento (2000), Go (1999) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).
In his influential essay Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, first published in 1984, political theorist Frederic Jameson coined the term “new depthlessness” to describe postmodern culture.
Jameson perceived a shift away from the depth, meaning and authenticity that characterised earlier forms of culture, towards a focus on surface and style.
Pulp Fiction fits Jameson’s definition of depthlessness. It is stuffed with homages to popular culture and a vivid array of character types drawn from other B-movies – hitmen, molls, mob bosses, double-crossing boxers, traumatised war veterans and tuxedo-wearing “fixers”. It is a film of surfaces and allusions.
Jackson, Travolta and Thurman feature alongside established 1990s box-office stars including Bruce Willis and industry stalwarts Harvey Keitel and Christopher Walken, both of whom have brief but memorable cameos.
The film’s most iconic scene takes place at the retro 1950s-themed Jack Rabbit Slim’s diner. Thurman’s twist contest with Travolta fondly echoes Travolta’s earlier dancing in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and pays homage to other dance scenes in films such as 8 ½ (1963) and Band of Outsiders (1964).
Film critic Roger Ebert once noted how Tarantino’s characters “often speak at right angles to the action”, giving long speeches before getting on with the job at hand.
Pulp Fiction is full of witty and quotable monologues and dialogue, ranging from the philosophical to the mundane. Conversations about foot massages and blueberry pie bump up against Bible verses and reflections on fate and redemption.
The film’s 1995 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay was a fitting achievement for Tarantino, who many regard as the snappiest writer in film history. Countless other filmmakers have looked to replicate Pulp Fiction’s mashup of cool and coarse.
Needle drops are just as important in establishing Pulp Fiction’s mood and tone. The film’s eclectic soundtrack pings between surf rock, soul and classic rock ‘n’ roll.
The soundtrack peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and stayed in the charts for more than a year.
Though it was officially released in October 1994, Pulp Fiction had already made a stir earlier that by winning the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Many expected Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colours: Red to take the top prize. Tarantino himself seemed stunned, telling the Cannes audience: “I don’t make the kind of movies that bring people together. I make movies that split people apart.”
The film has divided critics ever since.
Many adored Pulp Fiction for its intoxicating allure and sheer adrenaline-fuelled pleasure. To this day it maintains a 92% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Todd McCarthy called it a film “bulging with boldness, humour and diabolical invention”.
But the backlash was equally robust. Some criticised the film for its excessive gore and irresponsible use of racial slurs. Screenwriting guru Syd Field felt it was too shallow and too talky. Jean-Luc Godard, once one of Tarantino’s idol, apparently hated it.
Nonetheless, its financial success (a box office return of US$213 million from an $8 million budget) signalled the growing importance and cultural prestige of independent US films. Miramax, the studio that backed it, went on to become a major force in the industry.
Shortly after Pulp Fiction’s release, the word “Tarantinoesque” appeared in the Oxofrd English Dictionary. The entry reads:
Resembling or imitative of the films of Quentin Tarantino; characteristic or reminiscent of these films Tarantino’s films are typically characterised by graphic and stylized violence, non-linear storylines, cineliterate references, satirical themes, and sharp dialogue.
Pulp Fiction has since been parodied and knocked off countless times. Hollywood suddenly began mass-producing low-budget crime thrillers with witty, self-reflexive dialogue. Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995), 2 Days In The Valley (1996) and Very Bad Things (1998) are just some example.
Graffiti artist Bansky even stencilled the likeness of Jules and Vincent all over London, with bananas in place of guns. The Simpsons got in on the act too.
Tarantino once summed up his working method as follows:
Ultimately all I’m trying to do is merge sophisticated storytelling with lurid subject matter. I reckon that makes for an entertaining night at the movies.
I’d say there’s no better way to describe Pulp Fiction.
Ben McCann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. 30 years ago, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction shook Hollywood and redefined ‘cool’ cinema – https://theconversation.com/30-years-ago-tarantinos-pulp-fiction-shook-hollywood-and-redefined-cool-cinema-236877
Source: United Nations secretary general
Against the backdrop of the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon and despite attacks that have hit United Nations positions, injuring a number of peacekeepers in the past several days, UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly. The Secretary-General pays tribute to the dedicated personnel of UNIFIL.
The Secretary-General reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times without qualification. In a deeply worrying incident that occurred today, the entrance door of a UN position was deliberately breached by IDF armored vehicles.
UNIFIL continuously assesses and reviews all factors to determine its posture and presence. The mission is taking all possible measures to ensure the protection of its peacekeepers. UNIFIL’s role and its presence in southern Lebanon is mandated by the UN Security Council. In this context, UNIFIL is committed to preserving its capacity to support a diplomatic solution based on resolution 1701, which is the only possible way forward.
The Secretary-General reiterates that UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime.
He calls on all parties, including the IDF, to refrain from any and all actions that put our peacekeepers at risk. The Secretary-General takes the opportunity to reiterate the call for a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Oct. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, is excited to announce the listing of X Empire’s X Coin (X) on its Pre-Market platform, giving users early access to this rapidly growing project. Built on the TON blockchain, X Empire is an innovative AI-powered platform that merges digital identity creation with personalized NFTs and blockchain gaming. This move further establishes Bitget as a top platform for supporting Telegram Mini-App tokens, following the success of previous listings such as DOGS, Notcoin, and Hamster Kombat.
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About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 45 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more. Bitget inspires individuals to embrace crypto through collaborations with credible partners, including being the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Professional Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team).
For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dbc07e81-5f53-4e63-b628-97579d156c46
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE-supported Organic Expo 2024 fosters sustainable agriculture in Central Asia
Ambassador Alexey Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bihskek speaks at the Organic Expo 2024. (OSCE) Photo details
20 – 22 September, Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek hosts the Organic Expo 2024 – a significant milestone in Central Asia’s agricultural development. This regional event aimed to promote sustainable practices, organic farming, and preservation of biodiversity in mountainous areas.
The Organic Expo brought together over 200 farmers, entrepreneurs, government officials along with 50 experts and speakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Russia, and Germany to take active part in a diverse agenda encompassing organic agriculture, ecology, climate change, and sustainable development.
To enhance regional organic agriculture and strengthen co-operation among Central Asian countries a practical three-day Regional Forum was conducted as a side event to the Expo. Keynote speakers underscored that organic farming is crucial for food security, boosting export potential, and combating climate change.
Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Ambassador Alexey Rogov stated, “This forum is a vital step toward promoting organic agriculture as the backbone of a sustainable economy in Central Asia.”
Organic Expo 2024, supported by the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan, the Secretariat of the Special Representative of the President for the Implementation of the Five-Year Programme for Mountain Region Development, and international organizations, contributed to the exchange of agricultural practices in the region. The Expo fostered a unified approach to achieving sustainable development goals by promoting innovative, eco-friendly farming methods and strengthening collaboration across the region.
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
One person has died following a two vehicle crash on State Highway 7, Lewis Pass yesterday afternoon, Sunday 13 October.
Police responded to the crash around 11:45am.
One person was transported to hospital in a critical condition where they have since died.
Two further people were transported to hospital in a moderate condition.
The Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Ashley Rakahuri School, an Enviroschool for 14 years, first partnered with their Enviroschools facilitator, Siobhán Culhane, Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust (WBT), and Daiken last year to connect the students to this area.
This year, they took it further by investigating the terrestrial invertebrates and planting native seedlings, which Daiken generously provided.
These native seedlings were specially chosen to restore this area to being a wetland.
The year three to five students tried out three fun activities:
The students were engaged, eager, and enthusiastic to get planting and reporting!
The 46 ākonga/students, with help from kaimahi/staff from Daiken and other organisations, planted 630 native seedlings, including kahikatea, tōtara, and mataī in just over three hours!
Source: New Zealand Government
New Zealand’s fuel resilience is being strengthened to ensure people and goods keep moving and connected to the world in case of disruptions, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.
“Fuel security is a priority for the Coalition Government. We are acutely aware of how important engine fuels are to our economy and the impacts a fuel disruption would have on New Zealanders. New Zealand imports nearly all of its engine fuels, making us particularly vulnerable to international and domestic supply disruptions,” Mr Jones says.
“Ensuring we hold enough reserve stocks in the right place to ride out possible disruptions is a key pillar of fuel security. It is a critical insurance policy needed to safeguard against the potentially devastating impacts that a severe and sustained fuel disruption might have.
“The previous government introduced a minimum stockholding obligation, which means from 1 January 2025 fuel importers will be required to hold 28 days’ cover for petrol, 24 days for jet fuel and 21 days for diesel.
“Importantly, the minimum stockholding obligation regulations introduce a new information disclosure rule which enables government to have much clearer oversight over how much fuel is held in New Zealand.
“However, I am not satisfied that 21 days’ cover for diesel is enough, nor is the jet fuel stockholding rule sufficient to avoid disruptions to international aviation such as that we experienced in 2017.
“Diesel is our most important fuel – it keeps food and people moving through our country. Without it, New Zealanders would struggle to access everything they need. We need to hold enough diesel onshore to keep essential goods moving through the country and vital services running, even if fuel supply chains have been disrupted.
“For this reason, I am seeking feedback on increasing diesel reserves to 28 days’ stock to help reduce any potential impact of a disruption to supply.
“I am also concerned about security of supply of jet fuel at Auckland Airport. In September I informed the fuel companies which own the jet fuel infrastructure at the airport of my plan to seek Cabinet agreement on regulations that would mandate sufficient jet fuel to be held near Auckland Airport.
“Auckland Airport is New Zealand’s gateway to the world – 75 per cent of all international seat capacity into New Zealand and 90 per cent of all long haul flights come into Auckland.
“New Zealand found out the hard way in 2017 when jet fuel supply was disrupted, forcing planes to be diverted and reducing our connection with the world. Further issues with jet fuel quality in 2022 reinforce the need for action.
“Despite the 2019 Government Inquiry into the 2017 Auckland Fuel Supply Disruption recommending jet fuel companies urgently increase their jet fuel holdings near Auckland airport, little progress has been made. Establishing a location-specific jet fuel stockholding requirement would ensure the jet fuel companies act to secure enough fuel is on hand to ride out any disruption to supply.
“Along with reversing the ban on oil and gas exploration, these actions will further strengthen New Zealand’s resilience and self-determination to ensure disruptions to our energy supply do not halt the economy,” Mr Jones says.
Read the discussion document on increasing diesel reserves from 21 to 28 days and have your say here: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/options-for-improving-our-diesel-resilience. Consultation closes on December 6.
Source: United Nations – English
gainst the backdrop of the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon and despite attacks that have hit United Nations positions, injuring a number of peacekeepers in the past several days, UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly. The Secretary-General pays tribute to the dedicated personnel of UNIFIL.
The Secretary-General reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times without qualification. In a deeply worrying incident that occurred today, the entrance door of a UN position was deliberately breached by IDF armored vehicles.
UNIFIL continuously assesses and reviews all factors to determine its posture and presence. The mission is taking all possible measures to ensure the protection of its peacekeepers. UNIFIL’s role and its presence in southern Lebanon is mandated by the UN Security Council. In this context, UNIFIL is committed to preserving its capacity to support a diplomatic solution based on resolution 1701, which is the only possible way forward.
The Secretary-General reiterates that UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime.
He calls on all parties, including the IDF, to refrain from any and all actions that put our peacekeepers at risk. The Secretary-General takes the opportunity to reiterate the call for a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
Nearly a year on from its formation, it’s clear a three-party coalition is not quite the same as the two-party versions New Zealand is accustomed to.
Normally, the primary dynamic has been clear: the major party sets the pace while the smaller governing partner receives a bauble or two for supporting the lead act. There may be occasional concerns about tails wagging dogs, but the dog is clearly in charge.
With the present National-ACT-NZ First coalition, however, things are more complex and less predictable. The dog has two tails, both of which are more than capable of vigorous wagging.
On the anniversary of the 2023 election, which produced the first three-party coalition government since the MMP system was adopted in 1996, we are perhaps beginning to get a picture of where dog ends and tails begin.
If that picture has been a little blurry until now it’s partly because of the speed with which the government has moved – not always to its own advantage.
In the process of ticking off the 49 items on its plan for the first 100 days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s administration has kept some election promises but broken or fudged others, having to backtrack as a result.
It has delivered tax cuts, but been forced to trim and cap spending in areas (like health and infrastructure) crying out for extra investment.
It has given the impression of urgency and action with its Fast-track Approvals Bill. But it had to scrap the policy’s core element of granting three ministers unprecedented constitutional authority over which projects to fast-track.
Concerns about executive overreach and potential conflicts of interest have dogged other policy areas, too. These range from the repeal of ground-breaking smoke-free legislation to firearms control – both the responsibility of junior coalition party ministers.
This sense of a government somewhat at odds with itself extends to the swingeing cuts made to the public service workforce. Marketed as freeing up resources for front-line staff, the cuts are increasingly likely to be affecting actual service delivery in health, police, defence and elsewhere.
Some of this can be put down to a new government’s distrust of a public service inherited from its predecessor, and a desire to make the most of its first year before the shadow election campaign kicks off mid-term.
But the coalition’s vigorous embrace of the executive authority baked into New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements has still been something to behold. As constitutional lawyer and former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer put it, the fast-track legislation risked turning New Zealand into “an executive paradise, not a democratic paradise”.
The government has used parliamentary urgency more frequently than any other contemporary administration. It has been rattling legislation through the House faster than the wheels of parliamentary democracy are meant to turn.
Submitters on the Māori wards legislation, for example, were given just three working days to prepare their arguments. Those wanting to comment on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill had four days.
And the government has been making less use of parliament’s expert select committees than is standard practice. This has limited public participation and constrained scrutiny of proposed legislation.
Ministers have also been prepared to ignore public service advice while paying plenty of attention to operational matters in the departments that furnish that advice.
New Zealand’s system of public management distinguishes between ministers’ responsibility for policy outcomes and senior officials’ responsibility for the operational decisions required to deliver those outcomes.
Nonetheless, Cabinet has commandeered oversight of operational matters in Whaikaha/Ministry of Disabled People, following botched communications over changes in disability funding. And civil servants have recently been told to stop working from home and return to the office.
The government will be betting this tactical disposition bolsters its “getting stuff done” narrative. But no one wants a concern with short-term operational details to come at the expense of long-term policy thinking.
Nowhere is the coalition’s internal tension more evident, however, than in its confrontational approach to Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi issues.
Having courted voters already sceptical or disgruntled about Māori cultural assertiveness, the coalition moved fast to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora/Māori Health Authority, repeal legislation supporting Māori wards in local government, row back on official use of te reo Māori, and cut funding for Māori language revitalisation.
But its proposed Treaty Principles Bill – an ACT Party initiative – looks set to be especially constitutionally fraught and politically divisive.
National and NZ First have indicated they will not support the bill beyond its first reading, but have agreed it will receive a full six months in front of a select committee.
This only raises the question of why any parliamentary time and money should be spent on the proposal at all – especially given the government’s supposed “laser focus” on cost and efficiency elsewhere.
The politics around the Treaty Principles Bill also reveal just how much the prime minister has had to cede to ACT, for whom the proposed legislation was a bottom line during the government formation process.
And it inevitably casts doubt on the extent and exercise of prime ministerial authority under three-way governing arrangements. ACT leader and soon-to-be deputy prime minister David Seymour has questioned Christopher Luxon’s authority more than once.
And Luxon’s apparent unwillingness to at least censure an under-performing minister from another party (NZ First’s Casey Costello, for example) contrasts starkly with his firmer treatment of those in his own National Party (Melissa Lee and Penny Simmons, both demoted).
One year into a three-year term, these issues can perhaps be dismissed as part of the process of bedding down a new government. But politics never rests. Winston Peters hands the deputy prime minister role to David Seymour at the end of next May. Both NZ First and ACT will want to distinguish themselves from National.
As the next election nears and the jockeying for attention begins, the prime minister’s authority over his administration, and the coalition’s coherence, will be tested further.
Richard Shaw does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Election anniversary: a year into 3-party coalition government, can the centre hold? – https://theconversation.com/election-anniversary-a-year-into-3-party-coalition-government-can-the-centre-hold-240189
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne
When you hear about “science focused on how dogs can live their best lives with us” it sounds like an imaginary job made up by a child. However, the field of animal welfare science is real and influential.
As our most popular animal companion and coworker, dogs are very deserving of scientific attention. In recent years we’ve learned more about how dogs are similar to people, but also how they are distinctly themselves.
We often think about how dogs help us – as companions, working as detectors, and keeping us safe and healthy. Dog-centric science helps us think about the world from a four-paw perspective and apply this new knowledge so dogs can enjoy a good life.
Here are five tips to keep the tails in your life wagging happily.
Sniffing makes dogs happier. We tend to forget they live in a smell-based world because we’re so visual. Often taking the dog for a walk is our daily physical activity but we should remember it could be our dogs’ only time out of the home environment.
Letting them have a really good sniff of that tree or post is full of satisfying information for them. It’s their nose’s equivalent of us standing at the top of a mountain and enjoying a rich, colour-soaked, sunset view.
Agency is a hot topic in animal welfare science right now. For people who lived through the frustration of strict lockdowns in the early years of COVID, it’s easy to remember how not being able to go where we wanted, or see who we wanted, when we wanted, impacted our mental health.
We’ve now learned that giving animals choice and control in their lives is important for their mental wellbeing too. We can help our dogs enjoy better welfare by creating more choices and offering them control to exercise their agency.
This might be installing a doggy door so they can go outside or inside when they like. It could be letting them decide which sniffy path to take through your local park. Perhaps it’s choosing which three toys to play with that day from a larger collection that gets rotated around. Maybe it’s putting an old blanket down in a new location where you’ve noticed the sun hits the floor for them to relax on.
Providing choices doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
People commonly ascribe certain personality traits to certain dog breeds. But just like us, dogs have their own personalities and preferences. Not all dogs are going to like the same things and a new dog we live with may be completely different to the last one.
One dog might like to go to the dog park and run around with other dogs at high speed for an hour, while another dog would much rather hang out with you chewing on something in the garden.
We can see as much behavioural variation within breeds as we do between them. Being prepared to meet dogs where they are, as individuals, is important to their welfare.
As well as noticing what dogs like to do as individuals, it’s important not to force dogs into situations they don’t enjoy. Pay attention to behaviour that indicates dogs aren’t comfortable, such as looking away, licking their lips or yawning.
Even in our homes, we can provide options if our dogs don’t want to share in every activity with us. Having a quiet place that dogs can retreat to is really important in enabling them to opt out if they want to.
If you’re watching television loudly, it may be too much for their sensitive ears. Ensure a door is open to another room so they can retreat. Some dogs might feel overwhelmed when visitors come over; giving them somewhere safe and quiet to go rather than forcing an interaction will help them cope.
Dogs can be terrific role models for children when teaching empathy. We can demonstrate consent by letting dogs approach us for pats and depart when they want. Like seeing exotic animals perform in circuses, dressing up dogs for our own entertainment seems to have had its day. If you asked most dogs, they don’t want to wear costumes or be part of your Halloween adventures.
When dogs are allowed to run off-lead, they use space differently. They tend to explore more widely and go faster than they do when walking with us on-lead. This offers them important and fun physical activity to keep them fit and healthy.
A recent exploration of how liveable cities are for dogs mapped all the designated areas for dogs to run off-leash. Doggy density ranged from one dog for every six people to one dog for every 30 people, depending on where you live.
It also considered how access to these areas related to the annual registration fees for dogs in each government area compared, with surprising differences noted across greater Melbourne. We noted fees varied between A$37 and $84, and these didn’t relate to how many off-lead areas you could access.
For dog-loving nations, such as Australia, helping our canine friends live their best life feels good. Science that comes from a four-paw perspective can help us reconsider our everyday interactions with dogs and influence positive changes so we can live well, together.
Mia Cobb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. The science of happier dogs: 5 tips to help your canine friends live their best life – https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-happier-dogs-5-tips-to-help-your-canine-friends-live-their-best-life-236952
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Blackwell, Research Fellow (Indigenous Diplomacy), Australian National University
It’s one year since the failed referendum to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution.
The vote represents a moment of deep sadness and frustration for many First Nations people for the lost opportunity to move towards meaningful change in our lives, communities and for our futures. Many elders and old people will likely not live to see change.
I was one of the many people in the Uluru Dialogue at UNSW who worked last year across the country educating on and advocating for the constitutional change. I spoke to communities across New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, from Boorowa to Melbourne.
I not only saw the campaign first-hand, I also have read every think piece imaginable in the 12 months since about why the referendum failed.
From the expected pieces blaming the usual suspects (Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Indigenous peoples, the Yes campaign, the No campaign and the media), there were also some weirder supposed culprits.
Some blamed “wokeness”, Donald Trump and dark money, secret elites, identity politics, and all manner of culture war issues.
To my mind, no single thing doomed the Voice. It was a mix of a lot of the above.
Albanese treating the referendum like an election campaign but without the usual level of resourcing and advocacy. The Coalition’s outright opposition to the idea (despite previous indications of support). The media’s failure to grapple with Indigenous issues and dogmatic insistence on giving prominence to “both sides” of the debate.
The YES23 organisation was also disorganised from the start. Yes campaigners were forced onto the back foot daily by relentless misinformation, seemingly deliberate, from the No campaign.
Read more:
Why did the Voice referendum fail? We crunched the data and found 6 reasons
This built on a distinct lack of civic education among most Australians.
It was further amplified by the No campaign’s very successful “If you don’t know, vote no” slogan – the idea being that their untruths warranted little scrutiny.
That’s on top of a large undercurrent of racism that was never properly called out, and which has never been properly addressed.
Campaigns like this are something we as a nation haven’t come to terms with. We’ve seen in the United States how effective misinformation can be at confusing people, creating false senses of reality and distorting public perception.
Even if Australians supported the ideas behind the Voice in the abstract, neither they nor the media were prepared for the level of dishonesty and bad dealing from the No campaign. It was never a fair fight.
The Voice to Parliament represented a consensus plea from Indigenous communities for systemic reform. The idea was that the structure of the Australian political system was, either by design or outcome, causing many of the social and economic issues that we face, and therefore a structural solution was needed.
The No campaign claimed after the referendum that the result was a rejection of this idea of a Voice to Parliament as a solution to issues in Indigenous communities or among Indigenous peoples more generally, “because it wasn’t going to fix the things that needed to be fixed”.
Prominent No campaigner Warren Mundine even called the referendum the “most divisive, most racially charged attack on Australia I’ve ever seen”.
“Australia has voted no to the Voice of division”, was the common refrain from people like Pauline Hanson and other No campaigners. Australians “wanted practical solutions” to Indigenous issues, not a body without any detail that wouldn’t hear “real communities”.
I am not bringing up these issues again to relitigate the issues of the referendum. Instead, I want to ask a very important question: the Voice to Parliament was designed to address our systemic disadvantage, so what solutions to these serious structural issues have any of the No campaigners offered in the past 12 months?
Read more:
A royal commission won’t help the abuse of Aboriginal kids. Indigenous-led solutions will
We have seen some policies from the Coalition. Plans to reduce “fly in, fly out” workers in remote communities. Reforming land rights and native title. A royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. Less need for programs with “a specific Indigenous focus” in urban areas, where most First Nations people live.
Some of these are just a rehash of failed Coalition policies of the past, as many others have mentioned. Some appear to have come personally from Senator Jacinta Price and are seemingly not backed by experts (or many people in Indigenous communities). Others appear to be tied directly into conservative political talking points, rather than really addressing Indigenous need.
The Coalition also abandoned its plan for an alternative second referendum almost immediately after the failed vote.
The Coalition and other leading No campaigners clearly have no plans to address the structural issues facing our peoples. They’re only offering more of the regular policy tinkering and seesawing we have seen far too often before.
The same is true of the government. I have already written for this masthead about the government’s abject failures at implementing the Closing the Gap targets and its lack of meaningful consultation.
The government’s current attempts at Indigenous policy remain exercises in seeking consent over genuine consultation. Its proposed “economic empowerment” agenda for First Nations peoples is a perfect example.
Aside from the lack of codesign and meaningful engagement, such policies have been bandied about for the better part of two decades and still have not substantively moved the dial.
The pursuit of market-based wealth for some privileged few First Nations peoples and communities, under the guise of closing the gap, as well as focusing on the overexaggerated benefits of renewable energy as a driver of Indigenous economic power, is not “economic development” for all mobs.
The policy focus was also announced as Albanese abandoned his commitment to a Makaratta Commission – the Treaty and Truth components that were meant to follow the Voice to Parliament.
These ideas fall into the same tired policy stereotypes of throwing money at some of the usual organisations and peoples who have long benefited, and claiming this solves the systemic problems we face. The problem isn’t money, it’s the very rules of the game.
Research following the referendum shows that 87% of Australians think First Nations peoples should be able to decide for ourselves about our way of life. Moreover, 64% think the disadvantages faced by our communities warrant extra government attention, and 68% believe this disadvantage comes from “past race-based policies”.
Only 35% believe Indigenous peoples are now treated equally to other Australians, and only 37% believe injustices faced by our community are “all in the past”.
This clearly shows a level of recognition by the Australian people that something needs to be done about Indigenous policy and the structural issues in this country.
According to the same data, 87% of Australians agree it is “important for First Nations peoples to have a voice/say in matters that affect them”. This jumps to 98.5% among Yes voters, but also is true of 76% of No voters.
This suggests that Australian people see the problem and can identify the structural issues.
The real work, then, is on civics education, getting people to understand that the structural issues they can see need structural change; but also making them more aware of the effects of misinformation. It’s not right that proposals that should get the support of the Australian people can be derailed the way this was.
But what also isn’t right is the current abdication of Indigenous policy by both major parties and their abandonment of any attempt to remedy structural issues. Following the referendum, the major parties have given up.
To paraphrase myself from February’s Closing the Gap announcement: the next time you run into an MP, ask them what their plan for Indigenous people is. Ask them not just about closing the gap, but to fix the structural issues that so clearly disadvantage our people.
That’s the question no one wants to answer, but it’s what we need to do if we are to move on from the 2023 referendum in a positive direction.
James Blackwell is a member of the Uluru Dialogue at UNSW. He is also an Independent Councillor for Hilltops Council in NSW.
– ref. The Voice defeat set us all back. And since then, our leaders have given up – https://theconversation.com/the-voice-defeat-set-us-all-back-and-since-then-our-leaders-have-given-up-239732
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Procter, Professor and Chair: Mental Health Nursing, University of South Australia
Escalating violence in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon in recent weeks, has brought news of death, casualties and displacement.
In response, the Australian government has organised evacuation flights for Australian citizens and is urging all Australians in Lebanon to take the earliest available flights due to the unpredictable nature of the conflict.
For the more than 248,000 Australians with Lebanese ancestry, and others, this has been a deeply distressing time.
Escalating violence in Lebanon has also resonated deeply with other diasporas in Australia, such as those from Palestine and Ukraine. These scattered communities share similar experiences of conflict and displacement.
So how do Australians with links to Lebanon, Gaza or other conflict zones look after their mental health at this time? And how can you support others who may be struggling?
People with emotional ties to conflict zones overseas identify with the pain and suffering they see and hear. Australians with shared cultural heritage may be living in the shadow of homeland events and experiencing what research has called “push-pull” dynamics.
This may be experiencing periods of calm and ease mixed with intermittent periods of intense fear, uncertainty and emotional pain as upsetting events unfold.
For some, sleeplessness, irritability, fear, frustration, uncertainty and emotional exhaustion combine. People are no longer isolated from their country of origin. Rather, global events influence their personal and social life, and mental health.
The way people manage the interplay between homeland events, sense of powerlessness, and mental health in Australia are complex. It is easy to be rapidly consumed by what is happening. Events are graphic, compelling and fast moving.
So what can you do if you notice yourself or someone close to you is becoming impacted?
Know your distress triggers. For some, this might be witnessing violence on television news or social media. For others, this might be stories about children and young people who have been killed. Seeing and hearing images and stories can be distressing if they are repeated across multiple platforms. Some people may need to minimise their media exposure.
Talk to people you trust about how you are feeling. Describe what is happening and what you notice about yourself. If you are feeling fragile or concerned about your mental health, or the mental health of a loved one, seek support from your health-care provider.
Reconnect with and strengthen personal support networks. Supportive cultural connections and family members, and other supports including friends and colleagues, can protect against the onset or worsening of mental distress.
Getting help early can create more options for support. It can also make it easier to accept help in the future.
Refer to trusted sources of information and calibrate media exposure. While many people need to know about events, news stories and imagery are distressing.
Incorporate activities that comfort and distract you, and make your situation feel safer. This can include:
spending time with family members or friends
spiritual, faith or religious reconnecting
distraction through music or food.
Avoid taking devices to bed to protect your sleep and your mental health.
If you work with or support someone who is impacted, recognise this is a time for sensitivity and compassion. Show you are concerned and, at the same time, check they’re OK. Ask:
What would be most helpful in our support for you?
What is the best way for me/the team at work to be supportive and alongside you?
It is also important to ask about someone’s mental health. You can ask:
With events unfolding, how are things at home for you right now?
When validating a person’s experience, remember it is not always important to know personal detail or circumstances in fine detail. What is important is to demonstrate genuine interest, create trust and psychological safety. Aim to really listen, rather than listening so you can respond.
As a friend, colleague or manager, offering support and listening without judgement may help a person impacted by global catastrophic events.
In times like these, validation, human connection and support are some of the best things you can do to protect your own and other people’s mental health.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Nicholas Procter currently receives funding from Overseas Services to Survivors of Torture and Trauma, Foundation House and SA Health. He has previously received sitting fees from the Department of Home Affairs.
Mary Anne Kenny has previous received funding from the Australian Research Council and sitting fees from the Department of Home Affairs.
– ref. How to look after your mental health right now if you have family in the Middle East or another conflict zone – https://theconversation.com/how-to-look-after-your-mental-health-right-now-if-you-have-family-in-the-middle-east-or-another-conflict-zone-240995
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Savage, Associate Professor of Education Policy and the Future of Schooling, The University of Melbourne
As Australian students begin the final term of 2024, governments are in the middle of a bitter standoff over public school funding for next year.
The federal government has offered states and territories a 2.5% funding increase for schools to the tune of A$16 billion, but some are demanding 5%.
The deadline for states and territories to sign the proposed new school funding agreement ended on September 30, leaving the future of Australian school funding beyond 2025 in limbo.
On top of ongoing funding uncertainty, there are also significant issues with how the proposed new agreement is designed. How can we fix this?
Federal, state and territory governments each contribute to public school funding.
The federal government currently contributes 20% of the schooling resource standard. This is the estimate of how much public funding a school needs to meet students’ educational needs.
The Commonwealth ties this funding to reforms and targets aimed at improving equity and learning outcomes for students. The remaining 80% is up to states and territories to fund.
The current agreement expires at the end of this year and the Albanese government is proposing to replace it with the ten-year Better and Fairer Schools Agreement from the start of 2025.
The new agreement provides some important opportunities to improve schools and student outcomes, including measures to enhance student wellbeing, increase attendance, strengthen the teacher workforce, and increase the proportion of students who leave school with a Year 12 certificate.
Read more:
There’s a new school funding bill in parliament. Will this end the funding wars?
The current round of funding negotiations has been plagued by sour politics and persistent roadblocks.
The new national agreement was originally due to begin in 2024, but was delayed after a damning December 2022 Productivity Commission review. This found the current agreement had “done little” to lift student outcomes.
The federal government then commissioned an expert review panel (of which one of us, Pasi Sahlberg, was a member) to inform a new agreement. This year, we have seen negotiations with states and territories over funding and details of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement were released in July.
But progress has been painfully slow. While Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have signed on, other states and territories are holding out.
In August, federal Education Minister Jason Clare issued an ultimatum: sign the agreement by September 30 or forgo the 2.5% funding increase. The federal government has since downplayed the missed deadline while critics suggest it was always an “arbitrary” ultimatum.
The political theatre and inability to find consensus raises major concerns about how effective the national reform agenda can be.
A closer look at the targets also raises questions about how they might work in practice.
For example, the new agreement is supposed to have equity at its core (it claims to be “better and fairer”) but it lacks a clear definition of equity. It also lacks specific equity targets to narrow achievement gaps between students from low and high socioeconomic backgrounds.
The new agreement has “learning equity targets”. This includes measures to reduce the proportion of students in the “needs additional support” NAPLAN category for reading and numeracy by 10% and increase those in the “strong” and “exceeding” categories by 10% by 2030.
The only specific target for disadvantaged students is there is a “trend upwards” of the proportion in higher NAPLAN proficiency levels.
Past experience suggests schools will likely “triage” students to reach these targets. This means they will focus more on students who are just below or above the target levels, and less on those unlikely to make the mark. This is what happened when similar targets were set in Ontario in the 2000s.
So, even if overall average NAPLAN scores improve, achievement gaps (between advantaged and disadvantaged students) could grow. This will not improve equity – it will do the opposite.
There are also no mechanisms to hold states and territories accountable for meeting targets until schools are “fully funded” under the agreement.
Fully funded means states and territories are receiving 100% of the schooling resource standard. To make matters worse, even when jurisdictions are fully funded, there are no penalties or sanctions for failing to cooperate with the agreement.
Timelines to reach full funding in the bilateral agreements already signed are years away. For example, it is 2026 for Western Australia and 2029 for the Northern Territory.
This means states and territories can choose whether they meet the targets or not.
Failure to fully and fairly fund schools, mixed with an inability to set meaningful targets, creates deep uncertainty for schooling systems as a new year approaches.
For example, last week the Australian Education Union placed a nationwide ban on the implementation of the new agreement, including “unfunded” reforms that would increase teachers’ workloads.
This is not a sustainable situation. So, how can we fix it?
1. Set meaningful targets: it is not enough to have ambiguous goals for improvement that might improve test scores for some but also worsen inequities. At a minimum, we need to rethink targets to ensure they narrow achievement gaps between equity groups. Without this, education systems will continue to fail those who need the most support.
2. Ensure accountability for the targets: we need to make sure states and territories cannot escape or delay their obligations to improve equity and learning outcomes. To do this, schools should be fully funded from 2025, so current (not future) education ministers are compelled to act.
3. Distance the politics from school funding: schools need stability and consistency to plan effectively. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement has a helpful ten-year term but reforms are needed to ensure funding decisions remain fair and consistent across the nation. Instead of messy and protracted political negotiations between governments, we could instead set up a national agency to oversee the distribution of school funding.
These measures would help avoid political interference and ensure funding is allocated in line with student needs, national reform priorities and agreed targets.
The ongoing failure to fairly resource and set meaningful reforms for our schools is a symptom of a broken national funding system.
Unless we address its foundational issues, Australian teachers and students — particularly those in disadvantaged schools — will continue to be short-changed.
Glenn C. Savage receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Pasi Sahlberg was a member of the Australian Government’s Expert Panel to inform a better and fairer education system in 2023.
– ref. Australia’s school funding system is broken. Here’s how to fix it – https://theconversation.com/australias-school-funding-system-is-broken-heres-how-to-fix-it-240908
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Analytics & Resilience, UNSW Sydney
Battery electric vehicle sales in Australia have flattened in recent months. The latest data reveal a sharp 27.2% year-on-year decline (overall new vehicle sales were down 9.7%) in September. Tesla Model Y and Model 3 cars had an even steeper drop of nearly 50%.
Sales also fell in August (by 18.5%) and July (1.5%). There’s a clear downward trend.
Before this downturn, electric vehicle sales had been rising steadily, supported by increased choices and government incentives. In early 2024, year-to-date sales continued to grow compared to the same period in 2023. Then, in April, electric vehicle sales fell for the first time in more than two years.
Australia isn’t simply mirroring a broader global trend. It’s true sales have slowed in parts of Europe and the United States — often due to reduced incentives. But strong sales growth continues in other regions, such as China and India.
A range of factors or combinations of them could help explain the trend in Australia. These include governments axing incentives, concerns about safety and depreciation, and misinformation.
Electric vehicles typically cost more upfront. However, the flood of cheaper Chinese vehicles is lowering the cost barrier.
Federal, state and territory governments also provide financial incentives to buy electric vehicles. These have been among the main drivers of sales in Australia.
Nationally, incentives include a higher luxury car tax threshold and exemptions from fringe benefits tax and customs duty. But several states and territories have scaled back their rebate programs and tax exemptions in 2023 and 2024.
New South Wales and South Australia ended their $3,000 rebates on January 1 this year. At the same time, NSW ended a stamp duty refund for new and used zero-emission vehicles up to a value of $78,000. Both incentives had been offered since 2021.
Victoria ended its $3,000 rebate, also launched in 2021, in mid-2023.
In the ACT, the incentive of two years’ free registration closed on June 30 2024.
Queensland’s $6,000 electric vehicle rebate ended in September.
The market clearly responded to these changes. However, reduced financial incentives alone cannot explain the full picture. Despite several rounds of price cuts, sales of popular Tesla models are falling.
Buyers are increasingly opting for hybrid vehicles instead. In September, sales of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles were up by 34.4% and 89.9%, respectively.
These sales trends reflect other consumer concerns beyond just the upfront cost.
One major issue for car buyers in Australia, and globally, is uncertainty about their resale value. Consumers are concerned electric vehicles depreciate faster than traditional cars.
These concerns are particularly tied to battery degradation, which affects a car’s range and performance over time. And batteries account for much of the vehicle’s total cost. Potential buyers worry about the long-term value of a used electric vehicle with an ageing battery.
For example, a 2021 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus with nearly 85,000km currently lists for about $34,000. It has lost roughly half its value in just three years.
While Tesla offers transferable four-year warranties and software updates, the rapid evolution of EV technology also makes older second-hand models less desirable, further reducing their value.
Electric vehicle fires have made headlines globally. This has created doubts among consumers about the risks of owning them.
In Korea, a high-profile battery fire in August 2024 led to a ban on certain electric vehicles from underground car parks. While similar bans are not common in Australia, some have been reported. These could have harmed local consumer confidence.
Incidents of electric vehicle fires have increased along with vehicle numbers. Statistically, these vehicles are not more prone to fires than conventional cars – in fact, the risk is clearly lower.
For example, analysis of publicly available statistics from South Korean government agencies, one of the early adopters of electric vehicles, show the number of fires per registered electric vehicle is steadily increasing. Fire risk remains lower than for traditional vehicles, although the gap is shrinking as the electric vehicle fleet ages. And the highly publicised nature of their fires is a source of growing buyer hesitancy.
The full environmental benefits of electric vehicles depend on widespread adoption. However, there is a wide gap between early adopters’ experiences and potential buyers’ perceptions.
Persistent misconceptions include exaggerated concerns about battery life, charging infrastructure and safety. Myths and misinformation often fuel these concerns. Traditional vehicle and oil companies actively spread misinformation in campaigns much like those used against other green energy initiatives.
In response, coalitions such as Electric Vehicles UK have formed to combat these false narratives and promote accurate information.
The politicisation of green initiatives adds to the challenge. When electric vehicles become associated with a specific political ideology, it can alienate large parts of the population. Adoption then becomes slower and more divisive.
The electric vehicle market in Australia is facing challenges, despite the growing variety of models and price cuts.
The EV sales trend signals deeper issues in the market. Broader trends, such as the dominance of SUVs and utes, underscore the fact that while the transition to greener vehicles is progressing, it remains uneven.
Further efforts will be needed to reduce misconceptions and misinformation, and bridge the gap between owners’ experience and potential buyers’ perceptions. Only then can Australia enjoy the environmental benefits of widespread EV adoption.
Hadi Ghaderi receives funding from the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, IVECO Trucks Australia limited, Victoria Department of Education and Training, Australia Post, Bondi Laboratories, Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre, Sphere for Good, Australian Meat Processor Corporation,City of Casey, 460degrees and Passel.
Milad Haghani does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Electric car sales have slumped. Misinformation is one of the reasons – https://theconversation.com/electric-car-sales-have-slumped-misinformation-is-one-of-the-reasons-240545
