Source: United States Coast Guard
11/01/2024 04:36 PM EDT
The Unified Command concluded its diesel fuel recovery efforts Thursday after a yacht, The Admiral, caught fire in Marina del Rey Sept. 18, 2024. Coast Guard Incident Management Division responders boarded the vessel on Thursday and confirmed there was no remaining pollution threat from the vessel. Crews worked to recover the diesel, raise the sunken vessel, and remove any pollution threat from the vessel over the last several weeks.
Source: United States Air Force
Carrying fresh insights from a recent tour of the Pacific, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin re-emphasized Oct. 31 the need to aggressively integrate and reshape the service to confront China’s rising threat, as well as the malign actions of other adversaries.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District
Congressman John Garamendi presenting the check with Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Community Housing Development Corporation Executive Director Donald Gilmore, the longest-tenured Pullman Point resident Ms. Linda Daniels, and HUD’s Honorable Adrianne Todman.
Richmond, CA—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08) presented $15,920,000 in federal funding for climate resilience and energy-efficient renovations of affordable multifamily housing units in Richmond, CA.
This funding is part of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which established HUD’s GRRP in 2022 to fund energy efficiency and climate resiliency improvements for multifamily properties participating in HUD’s project-based rental assistance programs.
“I am thrilled to support the Community Housing Development Corporation’s work to ensure our community’s access to resilient and affordable housing in the face of the ongoing climate crisis. Today’s funding was made possible thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate history,” Garamendi said. “I am committed to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to uplift our disadvantaged communities that have been overlooked by federal investment and are now disproportionately facing the effects of climate change.”
“HUD has awarded over $1.1 billion through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program to modernize housing for families across the country as the climate crisis continues to affect our most vulnerable communities,” said the Honorable Adrianne Todman, HUD’s senior official. “These awards advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s housing and clean energy goals to ensure families we serve live in resilient, energy efficient, and comfortable homes where they can thrive.”
“The GRRP award partnership with HUD is an investment that will help us succeed in solidifying the goal at the core of our mission – to address the struggles to find safe, affordable housing options – while building resilience against climate impacts to the direct benefit of residents and the broader community,” said Community Housing Development Corporation Executive Director Donald Gilmore. “Our goal at Pullman Point is to use this award to enhance the building’s environmental resilience and reduce its carbon footprint. We want to implement energy and water efficiency upgrades, incorporate renewable energy systems, improve indoor air quality, integrate sustainable materials, and install zero-emission technologies. The Pullman Point GRRP award project represents our commitment and continued effort to improve the lives of individuals and families and create thriving and vibrant communities. We’re proud of that.”
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Source: United States Strategic Command
RAMSTEIN, Germany –
The next Bomber Task Force-Europe deployment is scheduled to begin in the coming days with U.S. strategic bombers transiting from the continental U.S. to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility.
The long-planned deployment is slated to kick-off with the U.S. Air Force bombers flying on a pre-filed flight plan through international airspace and with the appropriate diplomatic clearances in place for times when aircraft are transiting through a sovereign nation’s airspace.
During the deployment, U.S. bomber aircrews will train and operate alongside NATO Allies and partners for several weeks demonstrating the U.S. commitment to global security and stability.
For more information, contact the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office by calling +49 (0) 6371-47-6558 or e-mailing usafepao.pao@us.af.mil. If after duty hours, please call +49 (0) 1624-25-5428 or e-mail usafepa.pastaffdutyofficer@us.af.mil.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Walter Holt III, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about March 12 and May 27, 2021, Holt prepared and submitted falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loan applications for Charleroi, Pennsylvania, borrowers, for which he took a fee.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Holt.
Source: Tasmania Police
Police investigating traffic crash, Cambridge Road and South Arm Highway
Saturday, 2 November 2024 – 8:38 am.
Police are investigating a hit and run crash on the Mornington roundabout (Cambridge Road and South Arm Highway) that reportedly occurred about 2.50pm on Friday 1 November.
A Silver Mitsubishi Lancer sedan was struck from behind by a white utility, similar to a Ford Ranger, as they travelled through the roundabout on Cambridge Road towards Rosny.
The utility had large white lettering across the top of the front windshield and was seen travelling up the South Arm Highway after the crash.
Anyone with information or dash camera footage is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously. Please quote crash report 24006769.
Source: US State of Colorado
DENVER – Today, Governor Polis released the administration’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget proposal. This strategic budget proposal makes prudent investments that protect Colorado’s funding for education, continue investing in public safety, and prioritize fiscal responsibility to maintain financial reserves and ensure the state is prepared for future rainy days.
“We’ve made real progress on what matters most to Coloradans over the last five years, and this budget is about protecting those investments while ensuring that we are putting fiscal responsibility front and center, driving greater government efficiency, and continuing delivering for Coloradans. This budget reflects tighter budget conditions due to rapidly declining inflation, and I’m proud of the values and priorities represented here,” said Governor Jared Polis.
Since taking office in 2019, the Polis-Primavera administration has delivered on the priorities most important to Coloradans. This includes everything from delivering free, full-day kindergarten and universal preschool; cutting health care costs through Reinsurance, the Colorado Option, Prescription Drug Affordability Board, capping the cost of insulin and more; saving Coloradans money by cutting income, and property taxes; moving closer to the goal of 100% renewable energy while saving Coloradans money on their energy bills, and more. This work all continues.
This budget builds on those investments with continued support to help make Colorado one of the ten safest states. This includes:
This budget also prioritizes education funding to ensure the success of students and educators, including:
Fiscal responsibility is also front and center in this budget with a proposal to maintain a 15 percent reserve level in FY 2025-26. This was made possible by difficult decisions and balancing actions made to balance the budget and protect funding for critical investments in education, public safety and health care.
This budget also requests a number of transfers, efficiencies, and other policy changes to slow the growth in spending and limit spending to create space for critical budget needs.
In addition to these priorities, the budget also makes critical investments in economic growth, housing, child care, higher education, health care and Medicaid funding, support for counties and benefits administration to help connect Coloradans to services faster, support for homelessness, expanding behavioral health care, in Colorado’s state employees, and investments to help Colorado celebrate its 150th birthday and America’s 250th birthday.
In total, this budget requests total expenditures of $46.1 billion, including $17.8 billion General Fund. Read the full budget letter here and view the slide deck here.
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Source: Scottish Government
First Minister thanks people for patience as recovery operation continues.
A further meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) has been chaired by First Minister John Swinney to coordinate the recovery response to Storm Éowyn.
Due to the severity and impact of the storm, there is significant disruption to parts of the country. This includes around 35,000 properties without power and continued transport disruption with road closures and rail, bus, flight and ferry cancellations. It is expected to take some time to get all services fully restored.
Utility companies, national agencies and local authorities are working at pace to restore power and assess the impact, including responding to significant damage, removing fallen trees and debris, to ensure services can fully resume in the coming days.
The First Minister joined a Ministerial COBR meeting chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden earlier this evening. The First Minister also spoke with the Prime Minister today to discuss the ongoing response to Storm Éowyn and the impact on Scotland.
First Minister John Swinney said:
“I want to thank everyone who followed Police Scotland advice not to travel and express my sincere gratitude to the emergency services and to those working in the public, private and third sector who are continuing to support people and communities across the country.
“With yellow warnings in place for wind, snow and ice over the weekend, it is clear the severity of Storm Éowyn will continue into next week and this will have an impact on the speed at which utilities and local services can fully resume.
“Given the damage and disruption facing the network across the United Kingdom, utility companies are under significant pressure and are working in challenging conditions. I have stressed the importance of getting power restored as quickly as is practically possible and have been assured that assessments are being made at pace to ensure power is restored to affected properties in Scotland as soon as possible. Alongside our partners, Ministers are being updated regularly and ensuring all steps are being taken.
“I am pleased at the progress made to restore power to many communities over the course of today however a significant number of properties remain without power. Utility companies are continuing to provide support to customers, including ensuring provisions are in place for the most vulnerable.
“I want to thank people for their continued patience and encourage them to take extra care and look out for each other, particularly those who are supporting vulnerable neighbours and family members.
“As we look ahead to Monday, partners are working at pace to ensure services can resume next week. Local authorities – who are responsible for school closures – will be working to ensure all buildings meet the required safety standards to reopen safely to pupils. We would expect decisions on schools to be clearly communicated by local authorities to parents, pupils and staff, with as much advance warning as possible, and would encourage all parents to follow that advice.
“People should prepare for continued disruption, especially in areas that have been impacted by a loss of power, and I encourage everyone to follow advice being issued by local authorities, as well as continuing to follow updates from national agencies.”
Background
Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
CFA volunteer Fiona Burns
Fiona Burns has been an inspirational member of CFA for more than 21 years, serving as a member of two brigades (Launching Place and Hillcrest) and is the current group officer of Yarra Valley Group.
She has served with distinction as an officer of her brigade and group for 19 of her 21 years of CFA service.
Fiona has distinguished herself through her outstanding ability and reputation as an extremely capable member of incident management teams. As a result, she was chosen to take on Level 3 planning officer role in incident control centres (ICC) at large and prolonged, multi-agency campaign fires in 2013, 2019-20 and again in 2024 in Gippsland and the Grampians.
In addition, she has represented CFA internationally as a planning officer undertaking two five-week stints to support fire suppression in Canada in 2014 and 2015. She has been a Level 3 accredited planning officer for 10 years.
“I love the planning officer role because I can take my fireground skills and use them in ICCs to support our firefighters on the front line,” Fiona said. “It’s a demanding role but I really enjoy the challenges.”
Fiona is also an experienced fireground commander where she identifies emerging operational leaders with whom she willingly shares her significant experience.
Her extensive fire management experience and analytical ability were influential during the successful transition of the former Launching Place and Woori Yallock brigades into one new brigade – Hillcrest Fire Brigade – in 2007.
As brigade captain, Fiona was responsible for driving the creation of an emergency services hub with Ambulance Victoria, co-locating an ambulance at Hillcrest Fire Station to allow better medical response for the Yarra Valley and surrounds.
Fiona was a foundation mentor in CFA’s statewide Women In Leadership mentoring program, and she is still involved in this important initiative. She is also part of the District 13 Captains’ Leadership Mentoring Program, providing guidance to new captains about leadership and administration. These programs align with Fiona’s leadership philosophy.
“Throughout my journey, I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors and supporters who share their knowledge and experiences with me, and I believe that it’s my responsibility to do the same for emerging leaders.
”By sharing my experiences and insights, I hope to inspire others to realise their potential and contribute meaningfully to CFA and beyond.
“I gain as much from the people I mentor as they get from me. It’s not a one-way street.
As a mentor, Fiona encourages diversity and opportunity to the women of CFA and is helping to future-proof CFA by developing a pool of future leaders to replace those currently holding leadership roles.
She has been a CFA trainer and assessor since 2013 and continues to combine her practical skills and knowledge to deliver training in District 13 on General Firefighter, Low Structure and Introduction to AIIMS courses, as well as leading skills maintenance and specialised bushfire training for brigades in the group and other local brigades.
Fiona has made significant contributions to community safety and education. She is a founding committee member of the Teenage Road Information Program (TRIP) and has been the chair of TRIP for the past six years. TRIP is presented by people who have lived the experience of a road crash. It includes all the emergency services agencies who attend a crash and have to deal with the resulting devastation. It’s a hard-hitting program that’s delivered in a funeral home.
“TRIP is my passion. It is primarily aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds because statistics show they have more crashes,” Fiona said.
“The program is designed to be thought-provoking and initiate conversations between mates and families about making good decisions while driving. There are consequences to decisions that drivers make. For every road fatality about 800 people are impacted.”
Along with TRIP, Fiona is an ongoing advocate of creating links to local Yarra Valley community groups that has ensured the development of more integrated emergency preparedness and response planning processes between Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Victoria State Emergency Service, local government, community groups and the local schools.
Post Black Saturday, Fiona recognised that some lives were lost by people who tried to stay to rescue their pets. The Grab and Go Pet Bag concept was developed as a result of a local school art competition. The bags, which are made from reusable calico, include a checklist for pet owners who need to evacuate.
“It was an absolute delight for me to present a framed Grab and Go Pet Bag to the winning student at their school assembly.
“I want to take moment to acknowledge those who have played a significant role in shaping my CFA journey. Brian Willians, my first captain, set a strong foundation for me. Graeme Bourne offered unwavering support during my early captaincy days. Lex de Man for his support to establish and develop Hillcrest brigade, whilst Geoff Conway and Graeme Armstrong provided me exceptional leadership and guidance. Locally, Don Bigham and Roly Rak challenged and supported me, pushing me to grow in ways I hadn’t imagined and seek opportunity to enhance our local brigades’ capacity and capability.
“Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank my mum. None of us can volunteer without the unwavering support of our loved ones, and her encouragement and support has been a cornerstone of my journey.”
| Submitted by | CFA media |
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Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
District:
State Highway 2, north of Takapau remains closed and is expected to be closed for most of the day.
A detour is in place via State Highway 50.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect ongoing delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Australian Human Rights Commission
The Queensland Government’s decision to abolish the state’s Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and repeal its Path to Treaty Act marks a major step backwards for First Nations rights, says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss.
Newly-elected Premier David Crisafulli, who was sworn into office this week, said yesterday he will follow through on his election promise to end the Queensland’s truth- telling inquiry, which is underway, and repeal its treaty legislation.
Commissioner Kiss, a proud Kaanju and Biri/Widi woman who grew up in Rockhampton on the lands of the Darumbal People, was previously the Executive Director of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body supporting Queensland’s Path to Treaty.
“The decision to scrap the Inquiry, denying our First Nations People a chance to share their stories to help accurately convey our state’s history, is extremely disrespectful and harmful,” Commissioner Kiss said.
“It is disrespectful to communities, but also to the many people who put in years of work to make this Inquiry happen. This includes the contributions of everyday Queenslanders – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – who provided invaluable input to support truth, justice and healing.
“The inaugural truth-telling hearings of the Commission that occurred in September showed the enormous contribution that this process can make to public understanding of the treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland, building a basis for dialogue, understanding and compassion. These hearings showed the immense benefits truth-telling has for everyone.
“The Path to Treaty was something our People have long called for. They believe this is what is needed to bring Queenslanders together in a way that fosters unity, understanding, respect, dignity and wellbeing for all. In particular, those Elders who have lived experience of the impacts of colonial policies and practices of the past, and our families and communities who experience the ongoing trauma and effects.
“Now more than ever, we need policies that promote reconciliation and unity – not division and discord. First Nations Queenslanders deserve and need to have their rights upheld and their stories heard.”
Commissioner Kiss has written to Premier Crisafulli, urging him to reconsider his decision and offering to work collaboratively with his government to achieve better outcomes for First Nations people in Queensland.
“I am very keen to establish a positive working relationship with the new Queensland Government – supporting it to advance the human rights of First Nations people. Truth-telling about past and ongoing injustice is critical to advancing human rights and building a better future for First Nations people and all Queenslanders. I urge the Premier to reconsider his decision,” Commissioner Kiss said.
“With the absence now of a First Nations member in the new Queensland Government, it is of great importance to include First Nations People in decisions that affect them. That means meeting with us, talking with us and hearing and incorporating our views into decisions that will impact us all.”
ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897
Source: Ministers for Social Services
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s great to be here with Louise Glanville, who is the National Quality and Safeguards Commissioner for the NDIS, and also with Associate Commissioner Natalie Wade. Two bits of good news for Australians with disability and indeed for Australians generally. The first is that the National Disability Insurance Agency has released its Annual Financial Statement, the AFSR, and it demonstrates that because of the reforms that we’ve undertaken in the last nearly three years, that the Scheme is going to spend $1 billion less in the last 12 months than was expected.
So, Treasurer Chalmers said the forecast was that the Scheme for financial year 2023/24 would be $1 billion higher than it actually was. Now the Scheme is looking after more people than ever in the last 12 months, there’s 660,000 Australians receiving valuable and life changing support on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. What we were able to do is invest in outcomes and actually spend a little less than we forecast we would. So great news for the future sustainability of the Scheme. And it reflects well on the changes which Labor’s been making.
The other bit of really good news is that the National Quality and Safeguards Commission has released its annual statement, its annual report, and it demonstrates that for the first time really since the creation of the NDIS, we’re coming to grips with handling complaints. Complaints are up 78%, not because there’s been a 78% jump in problems, but rather that for the first time, a properly resourced Quality and Safeguards Commission is able to investigate 111,000 different matters.
The Scheme is changing lives, but there have been problems with it. There have been problems because the Scheme’s been treated as the only lifeboat in the ocean for Australians with disability, because there hasn’t been proper scrutiny of the payment system, because whilst most providers are doing a great job, some are not. But what we’re able to say today is that the reforms which Labor has put in place with people with disability, with states and territories, is improving the bottom line of the Scheme. We’re getting better outcomes without having to spend quite as much money as we expected to, which is good news for taxpayers and for people on the Scheme, because quality is being emphasised. But also, the National Safeguards Commission, who is the watchdog, to make sure that participants on the Scheme are both safe and receiving quality services Labor has invested significantly, we’ve doubled their staff, we’ve majorly increased their funding. What it means is we’re now able to ensure that we are now seeing greater attention paid to the quality and the safeguarding of NDIS participants.
Why don’t we leave it at that from me for now. We’re happy to take questions, but I might invite Louise Glanville, the new Quality and Safeguards Commissioner, to explain what’s been happening with how we’re keeping people safe. And then I might invite Natalie Wade, the Associate Commissioner, to add some further remarks.
LOUISE GLANVILLE, NDIS QUALITY AND SAFEGUARDS COMMISSIONER: Thank you for that, Minister. It’s great to be here with you and with Natalie today. And what’s really important about the work of the Commission, that it is building progressively to being a strong regulator. Indeed, we want to be a formidable regulator. We want to ensure that people with disability are receiving the sorts of supports they need and the quality of services that they need. We know there are many providers out there that do fantastic work in relation to the disability space, and we are keen to ensure that that continues into the future.
It’s important that we think about the human rights of people with disability in this respect, and that we deliver on the promise of the NDIS for people to live ordinary lives, like we all do, in every single way. So, it’s wonderful to be here and to watch the way in which the regulatory tools that we can be using to assist with that process are really on the increase and on the improve that the government, the federal government has made substantial commitment to our resourcing to enable us to do that work well. There has been a strong staff grown, and certainly I give credit to my predecessor, Mike Phelan, who has been acting in this space and has done some great work in leading the team at the commission in order to do this very important piece of work that will assist in ensuring the sustainability of the NDIS over time.
NATALIE WADE, NDIS QUALITY AND SAFEGUARDS ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER: Thank you, Minister and Commissioner Glanville. Today’s annual report from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, really highlights that with the increase in complaints there is a demonstrated trust between the Commission, but also the disability community, where people with disabilities are bringing forward to us at the regulator, the issues that they’re facing in receiving quality and safe services.
It is fundamental to our work as a regulator to hear directly from people with disability and for them to trust that when they tell us that there is a problem, that they will be able to receive a response and resolve, and those matters will be [inaudible].
It’s really important to reflect on the increase of regulatory action that has been taken by the Commission in the last 12 months. It is absolutely imperative that providers be supported to understand their role in providing quality and safe services to people with disability. But it’s also fundamental to ensure that when things go wrong or providers do not do what they are expected to do, that regulatory action follows. And today’s annual report really highlights that that is exactly what has been happening in the last 12 months.
Commissioner Glanville and I are very much looking forward to continuing the work from the last 12 months and ensuring that the human rights of people with disability is centred in our work, that providers are most supportive, and that we all move forward to advance the rights of people with disability as we regulate this space.
JOURNALIST: Part of these reports, will anything in the near future be addressing the wait times to get onto the NDIS?
SHORTEN: Yeah, the NDIS has grown remarkably. The year before I became the Minister, it was growing at 23%. That’s too fast. That’s I think reflecting also a lack of other services for Australians with disability. One thing that has happened though in the last 12 months as we’ve been reforming the Scheme, is that there’s been almost the analogy that, there’s almost been a rush for last drinks at the pub, so to speak, by a proportion of providers who have been desperate to try and get some extra money out of the Scheme before they can’t any longer. So that has led to, I think, a surge in people seeking change of circumstances. Listen, long story short, we’ve got to treat every application and every change of circumstance as serious and legitimate until proven otherwise.
But what that has meant is a doubling in the workload of the agency. We’ve surged workforce to help get rid of the backlog of claims. We’re sorry that people have been inconvenienced, but we are now seeing a decrease in the claims coming in and the variations coming in as people calm down and realize that the Scheme isn’t actually just trying to exit a whole lot of people with permanent disability.
And also, some of the shonks are now being chased out. I mean, I think it shows the determination of the Albanese government that we have banned for life, in many cases 200 people, from providing services to the Scheme. 200 plus people have been banned in the last two years, 124 in the last 12 months. This is a clear message that if you just want to use people with disability as human ATMs, if you think that somehow a government Scheme of taxpayer money is easy pickings, you’re wrong. That’s changing.
JOURNALIST: And so, how is that working? How do you monitor those shonks for lack of a better word?
SHORTEN: When I became Minister three years ago, frankly, I was shocked and appalled at what I discovered. The Scheme had been rolled out and there were over half a million people on the Scheme, and that was good by the previous government. But the complete naivety, negligence of a lack of scrutiny of payments meant that people were able to draw down, in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars with no accountability, that there was no pre-checking of the integrity of invoices before they were paid, that we see price gouging, where some service providers will provide an identical service to someone on the Scheme to who’s not on the Scheme, identical, and it could be a shower chair or it could be a some other service, but they charge the NDIS participant more just because they’re on the NDIS.
So, we’ve now got rules against that. We’ve set up what’s called a Fraud Fusion Taskforce. They have got hundreds of investigations underway. It shouldn’t have been the case, but it’s taken until now and this government, to get 21 Commonwealth agencies working with each other. And, you know, we’re now sending people to jail for ripping off the Scheme. I think there was a view in the unethical parts of the community that NDIS is a government Scheme, it’s easy money to cheat. Those wells are drying up, because we are now investing in a state-of-the-art investigation processes. I must always stress though, it is changing hundreds of thousands of lives for the better, and most service providers are doing a good job. But there has been an element of fraud, unethical behaviour, price gouging and opportunism. And we say to those people, get off our Scheme, you’re not welcome, you will get caught.
JOURNALIST: And then just a question, locally in Port Augusta earlier this week, there was the death of a 26-year-old woman with severe intellectual and physical disabilities. Are you aware of that?
SHORTEN: It’s shocking and tragic about Tegan’s passing in Port Augusta. She wasn’t on the NDIS. South Australian Police are investigating it. It’s not compulsory to be on the NDIS, but I think it is a wakeup call for community to look out for each other. This is a more general comment, not reflecting on the NDIS, but just all of us. Someone who’s vulnerable is not someone else’s business. We should all keep an eye out for our neighbours. You can do that without being a nosey parker, but we’ve got to look after each other. SA police will do, I’m sure, an excellent job in getting to what has happened. We certainly will take a keen interest to see what lessons there are.
One thing that the NDIS is doing is that when people are presenting for their plans, we are now – and this is following Annie Smith’s death, that tragedy which was completely avoidable and culpable – what we are now doing is making sure that if you’re on the NDIS, you’ve got more than one relationship. You can’t just be with a carer or just with a family member. We want to make sure that that’s a red flag to us because we it takes it takes a village to support anyone. And that’s what we’ve got to behave. We’ve got to get back to that true Australian value.
JOURNALIST: Are you aware of she was receiving any government payments, Centrelink or?
SHORTEN: I don’t know.
JOURNALIST: And now completely unrelated from Canberra. Um, do you believe the Prime Minister and his claims about contact with Qantas?
SHORTEN: Yes, I do. Um, the Prime Minister has been diligent in reporting, um, any upgrades and disclosures. He’s acted consistently with the standards which are set out for our parliamentarians. The opposition has tried to smear the Prime Minister, but a lot of it seems to have blown back in their own face. Again, you know, Mr. Dutton, he says it’s wrong of Mr. Albanese to accept an upgrade, which he declared. But then again, when you take a favour from Gina Rinehart, you know, is there an expectation? So, their transport spokeswoman, Bridget, just said it came out all guns blazing but managed to shoot her foot off.
So, what Australians want us to do is adhere to proper standards of ethical conduct. What Australians want us to do is be transparent in our dealings with all people, and what they want us to do is get on with the cost-of-living issues. I mean, the opposition, the Liberal Party, has stolen a week of the nation’s life talking about this. All it’s done is probably depress Australians opinions of politicians generally. But in the meantime, people are battling their mortgages. People are trying to make ends meet. That’s where Labor’s head is at. And I think that’s what they expect of all parliamentarians.
JOURNALIST: Someone leaking out of the ministry called the Prime Minister a sook. So, you think that the PM is being a sook in this situation?
SHORTEN: Oh, I’m not even going to respond. I mean, frankly, that is not an accurate characterisation.
Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the website ifsinvesting.com. According to information available to BaFin, the operator is providing financial and investment services on this website without the required authorisation.
The operators of the website refer to themselves only as IFSinvesting without stating the company’s legal form. A business address in London, United Kingdom, is provided.
BaFin has recently become aware of a number of websites with almost identical content and has also warned consumers about them. On all of the websites, the following sentence is displayed at the top of the homepage: “Step Into the Trading Arena with Confidence & [name of website]“.
Anyone providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation. Information on whether a particular company has been granted authorisation by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.
Theinformation provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).
BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Delegation of judges and judicial officers departs for Sichuan for exchange visit
Delegation of judges and judicial officers departs for Sichuan for exchange visit
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The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary: A delegation of judges and judicial officers from the Hong Kong Judiciary will depart for Sichuan for an exchange visit programme on Sunday (November 3). The programme is part of the on-going professional exchanges between judges and judicial officers of Hong Kong and the Mainland. The delegation includes 20 judges and judicial officers. It is led by Mr Justice Jeremy Poon, Chief Judge of the High Court, with Madam Justice Carlye Chu, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, as the deputy head. During this visit, the delegation will engage in exchanges and attend discussion forums and thematic talks on various topics. These will mainly include the Constitution and the Basic Law, judicial system, experience in handling litigations, company law and insolvency, juvenile court as well as the latest developments of the country. The delegation will also visit court buildings and facilities relating to technology and culture, etc. The delegation will conclude the visit and return to Hong Kong on November 10.
Ends/Friday, November 1, 2024Issued at HKT 15:00
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Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Four years on from a fatal shooting in Ilford, detectives are releasing footage of a man they would like to identify.
An investigation was launched on 1 November 2020 when officers were called to Balfour Road, Ilford at 22:14hrs following reports of a disturbance.
Officers arrived at the scene and located Jason Diallo, 30 with multiple injuries. He sadly died at the scene.
A witness told officers that they had seen Jason cycling along the road, when he was knocked off his bike by a car. Two occupants of the car got out and shot Jason in the head before driving away.
Fifteen minutes after Jason Diallo was shot, at 22:29hrs, police were called to a shooting around five miles away in Garvary Road, E16. A 27-year-old man was found with a gunshot injury to his shoulder.
He was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds which were determined not to be life-threatening. When providing a statement to officers, he told them he had been followed by three men driving a car who began shooting at him.
A complex investigation was launched within Specialist Crime North and two men were convicted and sentenced for their involvement.
On Tuesday, 14 June 2022, Mushin Mohamed, 28 (06.04.1996) of Leytonstone Road, E15 was found guilty of murder and attempted murder at the Old Bailey and sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 35 years.
Tyrelle Joseph, 24 (16.09.2000) of Banks Way, E12 was found guilty of assisting an offender and jailed for seven years after being identified as someone who had helped Mohamed and the unidentified suspects leave the scene.
Enquiries have remained ongoing to identify two more suspects believed to be involved in the shootings that night.
Investigating officers are now in a position to release this footage of a man they would like to speak with in connection with this investigation and a financial reward for information is available.
The Metropolitan Police Service is offering a substantial reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for the murder of Jason Diallo and the non-fatal shooting of a 27-year-old man on 1 November 2020.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, the senior investigating officer, said:
“We have continued our momentum behind this investigation to ensure that those responsible for killing Jason Diallo and seriously injuring another man are held accountable.
“Our enquiries have found no evidence to suggest that Jason Diallo or the attempted murder victim were known to one another or those convicted, suggesting that this was a completely unprovoked and violent incident.
“Jason Diallo was described by his family as a devoted father of two who had the softest heart. Our thoughts have remained with his family and friends throughout a difficult four years and we are determined that they see justice.
“We are now in a position to release an image of this man, who we would like to speak with in connection with this ongoing investigation.
“If you know who he is or have any information which could help us, please get in contact.”
Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to call 101 quoting Operation Shenley. You can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
By Jairo Bolledo in Manila
The Philippine Supreme Court has granted temporary protection to an environmental activist abducted in Pangasinan earlier this year.
In its resolution dated September 9 — but only made public this week — the court granted Francisco “Eco” Dangla III’s petition for temporary protection, and prohibited the respondents, including high-ranking soldiers and police officers, to be near the activist’s location.
“Furthermore, you, respondents, and all persons and entities acting and operating under your directions, instructions, and orders are PROHIBITED from entering within a radius of one kilometer of the person, places of residence, work, and present locations of petitioner and his immediate family,” the resolution read.
The respondents are:
Aside from giving Dangla temporary protection, the court also granted his petition for writs of amparo and habeas data. A writ of amparo is a legal remedy, which is usually a protection order in the form of a restraining order.
The writ of habeas data compels the government to destroy information that could cause harm.
These extraordinary writs are usually invoked by activists and progressives in the Philippines as they face intimidation from the government and its forces.
According to witnesses, they saw two men who were forced to board a vehicle in Barangay Polo, San Carlos City.
The two activists, who who had been red-tagged for their advocacies, were serving as convenors of the Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment.
They “vocally defended the people and ecosystems of Pangasinan against the harms of coal-fired power plants, nuclear power plants, incinerator plants, and offshore mining in Lingayen Gulf,” at the time of their abduction.
Three days later, several groups announced that Dangla and Tiong were found safe, but that the two had gone through a “harrowing ordeal.”
The reality
The protection given to Dangla is only temporary as the Court of Appeals still needs to conduct hearings on the petition. In other words, the Supreme Court only granted the writ, but the power to whether grant or deny Dangla the privilege of the writs of amparo and habeas data lies with the Court of Appeals.
There have been instances where the appellate court granted activists the privilege of writ of amparo, like in the case of labour activists Loi Magbanua and Ador Juat, where the court issued permanent protection orders for them and their immediate families.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for other activists, such as young environmentalists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro.
The two were first reported missing by activist groups. Security forces later said they were “safe and sound” and that they had allegedly “voluntarily surrendered” to the military.
However, Tamano and Castro went off-script during a press conference organised by the anti-insurgency task force and revealed that they were actually abducted.
In February, the High Court granted the two temporary protection and their writs of amparo and habeas data petitions. However, the appellate court in August denied the protection order for Tamano and Castro.
Associate Justice Emily San Gaspar-Gito fully dissented in the decision and said: “It would be uncharacteristic for the courts, especially this court, to simply fold their arms and ignore the palpable threats to petitioners’ life, liberty and security and just wait for the irreversible to happen to them.”
Republished with permission from Rappler.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police have arrested a man in relation to domestic violence related offences that occurred this month.
Around 8:30am, officers from the Territory Safety Division arrested a 24-year-old man at an address on Smith Street, Darwin, after multiple alleged assaults against his partner.
The man remains in police custody and is expected to be charged with Aggravated assault, Armed with an offensive weapon and Possess/carry/used a controlled weapon.
Acting Senior Sergeant Alex Noonan said, “Domestic violence will not be tolerated, and we are committed to bringing these offenders before the courts.
“If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, please reach out on 131 444 or in an emergency call 000. You can also anonymously report through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”
Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English
The website operator is simply referred to as “NorthUnion”, and there is no information regarding its legal form. They give business addresses in Zurich, Switzerland, London, United Kingdom, Graz, Austria, and Madrid, Spain.
BaFin has recently become aware of a number of websites with almost identical content and has also warned consumers about them. In each case, the website’s homepage displays the phrase: “Step Up Your Trading with [name of operator]“.
Anyone providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation. Information on whether a particular company has been granted authorisation by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies database of companies.
Theinformation provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).
BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Detectives investigating a high value watch robbery in SE10 are appealing for witnesses or anyone with footage to come forward.
At around 22:30hrs on Sunday, 27 October, three men, aged 20s, were walking on Millennium Way, Greenwich, when they were attacked from behind by a man armed with a heavy object – possibly a gas cannister.
Two of the victims suffered head injuries while the third managed to escape unharmed and called police.
A Rolex watch was stolen from one of the victims.
The attacker is described as a white man with a beard. At the time of the attack he was wearing a white Nike T-shirt.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information or footage should call police on 101 or post on X @MetCC quoting 8042/27OCT.
To remain 100 per cent anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Licence applicants to provide verified e-contact means to TD starting from November 18 (with photos)
Licence applicants to provide verified e-contact means to TD starting from November 18 (with photos)
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The Transport Department (TD) today (November 1) reminded members of the public that, from November 18, 2024, applicants for the new issue or renewal of 21 driving and vehicle licences must provide and verify a Hong Kong mobile phone number or email address as an e-contact means (ECM) for receiving electronic messages issued by the Hong Kong Police Force and the TD in future, in preparation for the Traffic e-Enforcement System to be implemented gradually in the first half of 2025. Starting from November 18:
“Online applications, instant verification”: The TD encourages the public to submit licence applications online, so that they can provide and instantly verify the ECM using a one-time password (OTP) during the application process, thereby saving time and enjoying convenience;
“Applications in paper form, verification via designated platform”: If a paper application is necessary, the applicant must provide and verify the ECM via OTP on the TD’s designated online platform within three months prior to application submission, and provide the same verified ECM in the application form before submission. The designated online platform will be launched at 10am on November 4;
The verified ECM will only be updated in the applicant’s records of driving licence and/or all vehicle(s) registered under his/her name after the application concerned has been approved to ensure that it is accurately updated;
If an ECM cannot be provided or verified, or if the ECM provided is inconsistent with the verification record, the application cannot be processed;
For any change of ECM, the applicant must notify the TD within 72 hours of the change through the online services in GovHK or by submitting form TD559;
Holders of licences that have not yet expired do not need to rush to provide and verify the ECM early; and
Driving licence holders who have not provided an ECM to the TD before are also welcome to provide and verify their ECM through the online services in GovHK or by submitting form TD559.
A spokesman for the TD said, “Providing a frequently used and verified ECM is of utmost importance. If the Hong Kong mobile phone number or email address is incorrect or not frequently used, the licence holder will not be able to receive notifications issued by the Police and the TD, which may result in e-Tickets and tunnel tolls not being paid timely, and may need to bear the legal responsibilities such as penalties or surcharges. Applicants must ensure that their Hong Kong mobile phone number or email address is correct. If different ECMs are provided or verified at different times, the latest record will replace the old one, rendering the original ECM invalid.” Applicants providing a Hong Kong mobile phone number as their ECM should note that the TD has participated in the SMS Sender Registration Scheme under the Office of the Communications Authority. SMS messages issued by the TD will bear the ID “#TDeContact” with the prefix “#” for easy authentication. The TD will not send SMS messages or emails with hyperlinks. From September 2024, the TD has held over 10 briefings for the transport sector, including the goods vehicle, taxi, public light bus and non-franchised bus trades, as well as stakeholders covering driving schools, vehicle dealers and financial institutions, which handle first registration of new vehicles and application for vehicle licences for their clients, to brief them on the new legal requirements regarding provision and verification of ECM. The TD will issue letters in batches to holders whose licences will soon expire, informing them of the detailed steps for providing and verifying an ECM. The TD will also deploy service ambassadors at its four Licensing Offices and the Cross Boundary Unit from November 4 to assist the public in submitting applications and verifying their ECM. The passage of the Electronic Traffic Enforcement (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2023 by the Legislative Council on June 19, 2024, provides a legal basis for the Police to serve fixed penalty notices against traffic offences or contraventions by electronic means; it also requires registered owners of vehicles, holders of various types of licences and permits, and holders of driving licences to provide the TD with their ECM in their applications. The Government then published in the Gazette that relevant provisions on collecting ECM would be implemented on November 18. The public may refer to the TD’s thematic webpage, HKeMobility mobile application and Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk), or call the hotline at 2804 2600 for details.
Ends/Friday, November 1, 2024Issued at HKT 16:30
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Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE and the Spanish National Police train Mediterranean border security officers on gendered aspects of cross-border crimes
OSCE and the Spanish National Police train Mediterranean border security officers on gendered aspects of cross-border crimes | OSCE
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Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
A murder investigation has been launched after a man assaulted in Harrow has died from his injuries.
Detective Inspector Luke Hampton of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “This is a complex scene with multiple people living inside the address. We have made an arrest and our enquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing.
“At this early stage we believe this to have been an isolated incident and there is no apparent risk to the public.
“A man has lost his life and a family has received the worst possible news. If you have information please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”
Police were called by the London Ambulance Service just before 16:40hrs on Wednesday, 30 October to reports of an injured man at an address on Sussex Road, Harrow.
Officers attended. At the scene, a 48-year-old man was found with knife injuries. He was taken to hospital where, despite the efforts of medical professionals, he sadly died at 14:35hrs.
The victim’s family has been notified. A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.
A 37-year-old man was arrested later that evening on suspicion of attempted murder. He was taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries before being taken into custody at a north London police station where he remains at this time.
Superintendent Chris Clarke leading local policing for Harrow, Barnet and Brent said: “We are supporting our Specialist Crime colleagues as they make their enquiries and local people will notice a more visible police presence in the area to provide reassurance.
“If you feel worried or if you have information please don’t hesitate to approach officers or get in touch with your local Neighbourhood policing team.”
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation team is asked to call 101 and quote CAD reference 5281/30OCT24.
To remain 100 per cent anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police Drug and Organised Crime Division (DOCD) have executed a large illicit tobacco seizure earlier today.
On Friday 1 November, detectives from the DOCD attended a convenience store on Progress Drive in Nightcliff and conducted a lawful search after receiving intelligence relating to illegal tobacco products.
During the search, detectives located and seized a total of:
Infringements were issued to a 32-year-old man in relation to the seizure.
Constable Jimmy Parimeros said, “The purchase of illegal tobacco products directly funds organised crime groups, not just locally, but also interstate and overseas.”
Operation Hook was established to disrupt the sale and supply of illicit tobacco and vapes in the Northern Territory by interstate Organised Crime entities. Today’s seizure brings the total estimated value of illicit products seized during Operation Hook to $17.88 million AUD.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
MISSOULA — A Washington man who conspired to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, and formerly of the Flathead Reservation, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court ordered Branson to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
“The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice. Once on the brink of extinction, eagles recovered only because of conservation efforts by the American people and federal laws protecting them. None of that mattered to Travis Branson. Instead, Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks, butchered them, and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market. He knew he was committing felonies and even joked his cost to kill them was the price of a bullet. But his conduct was no laughing matter. With today’s sentence, the cost to Branson was more than a bunch of bullets – he forfeited the very freedom the bald eagle symbolizes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
“The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation’s cherished natural heritage,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Travis Branson’s blatant disregard for the law and the sanctity of these protected species highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement and greater public awareness regarding wildlife trafficking. His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit, and such behavior will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect America’s wildlife and hold accountable all who are engaged in these illicit activities.”
“We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson. “We hope this helps put a stop to illegal poaching on our homelands and gives these birds a chance to recover. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices.”
In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul. Branson and Paul would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive.
The government sought restitution values of $5,000 per eagle and $1,750 per hawk.
The government estimated that from 2009 until 2021, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 by selling eagles feathers and parts for profit on the black market.
The government’s investigation showed that Branson and others killed approximately 3,600 birds during the conspiracy. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were directly traceable to Branson and documented through his own text messages. Branson had taken up to nine eagles at a time. The photograph below shows nine sets of feathers, with one set stacked on top of the other in the upper left corner.
Law enforcement also recovered text messages from Branson stating he was specifically looking to shoot a baby eagle.
Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he also butchered them into pieces to sell. On March 13, 2021, Branson shot and killed a golden eagle near Polson. Law enforcement stopped Branson and recovered from Branson’s vehicle the feet and feathers of the golden eagle and later recovered the remainder of the carcass in a field. The claws are identified here:
Branson knew killing and selling eagles was illegal and that he did not have a permit for any of the activities. When negotiating a purchase price for eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson said:
“I don’t get em for free though ..out hear committing felonies”
Branson told another potential buyer he would obtain other eagle tails by “[g]oing on a killing spree.”
Further, Branson acknowledged that international shipping was illegal:
“International is still illegal ..I just get em for 99 cents ..price of a bullet..lol”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Fish and Game Department conducted the investigation.
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Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
YJB Board member Louise Shorter discusses Child First with Professor Neal Hazel.
Youth Justice Board (YJB) member Louise Shorter met with Professor Neal Hazel to discuss Child First and how it supports safer communities.
Louise is a YJB Board member, charity founder and journalist specialising in criminal justice.
Neal was a YJB Board member from January 2018 to August 2024 and is the Chair of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Salford.
How would you describe Child First?
Child First is a framework for what works best with children in trouble. It’s based on the latest research and evidence and is designed to keep communities safe by helping children achieve their best outcomes and prevent offending.
Until recently, a lot of the guidance that existed in youth justice was based on quite old evidence, but we now understand a lot more. We’ve summed up all our current understanding of what works for children into a four-part framework that we call Child First.
The YJB has produced a guide to Child First. It provides detailed explanations of the 4 parts to Child First – which we call the 4 tenets. For short, the 4 parts of Child First can be remembered as ABCD:
So, Child First is a way of bringing together all the information and evidence we have about what works best for children in trouble. It’s a decision-making tool that can make our policies and practices evidence-informed.
Yes, that’s right. Child First is a summary of the consensus on research on youth justice. It’s not just one approach or one theory. It’s the result of 30 years of evidence and gives us a framework that can be used to guide all aspects of work with children in trouble.
Some people might worry that Child First means that we’re forgetting about victims. What do you say to that?
Child First is about achieving positive outcomes for all parties, so that includes children, victims and communities.
The evidence shows that if we focus on helping all children to develop constructively, we’ll also reduce offending and make communities safer, and that will mean fewer victims.
Does Child First work for all children, even those who commit serious crimes?
Yes, Child First is applicable to all children, whether they have or haven’t offended, and regardless of the severity of their offending. In fact, much of the evidence base for Child First is focused on more serious offences.
We know that children who commit serious crimes often have complex needs, and they need more than just a punishment to turn their lives around.
We absolutely need that contemporary research and understanding around brain development, trauma and identity if we are to help them.
Is Child First a “get out of jail free card”?
As a researcher on preventing offending, I’ve never been interested in whether we’re softer or harder. I’m simply interested in what makes us all safer. It all comes down to “is it effective?”
The fact is that children within the criminal justice system are not simply naughty boys or girls that need a short, sharp shock. We’ve tried that time and time again over the years and it always has disastrous results.
The key is to fix the issue – to look deeper and try to understand what is stopping that child from achieving the same positive outcomes as any other child. That’s a really important point to make, that these children should have the same aspirations, chances and opportunities as other children.
These children are in trouble because there are barriers or problems that are stopping them from moving forward and achieving positive, crime-free lives.
“The fact is that children within the criminal justice system are not simply naughty boys or girls that need a short, sharp shock. We’ve tried that time and time again over the years and it always has disastrous results.”
What do you mean by “positive outcomes”?
Positive outcomes are what we would want for any child. For them to be healthy, safe, have an education, gain skills and importantly, to see themselves as a constructive, positive member of society.
What can we do to provide more positive opportunities for children?
We need to invest in youth services and provide children with safe and supportive environments where they can learn and grow. We also need to challenge stigma and discrimination, which we know encourages crime, and we need to work with children to develop their strengths and potential.
When I was growing up as a child, I had lots of very supportive adults around me who showed me how to be a positive person. Is it true that many children who come into contact with the system, have been failed by adults in one way or another?
When you look at cases of serious violence, as I have done all through my career, one thing strikes you. That is that the vast majority of children have abuse and serious loss (trauma) in their backgrounds. Ultimately, they are in trouble because society and largely adults have failed to recognise and address this.
Adults are generally responsible for the trauma a child experiences and professional adults are also responsible for the failure to correct that. And so, in some cases it feels like the offending is almost a sad inevitability due to the failure of adults. And then children get punished for that.
That’s not to say that the behaviour is not dreadful or that those children haven’t committed it. But we consistently find that it’s due to the failure of adults.
Does Child First relate to children who are older or in their late teens. Some of those might be physically imposing. How do we think of them as children?
It absolutely applies. Most of the evidence base is centred around older children because most offending happens in middle to late teens. Also, we must not forget that all under-18s are legally children.
We also now understand that the brain hasn’t fully developed until after the age of 25. Some of the last elements to develop in the brain relate to decision making and behaviour.
I’ve heard that we don’t talk about children’s ‘risk’ any more. Why is that?
It’s about time we started asking people “risk of what?” We will rarely help children move forward in their in their lives and make society safer if we’re just trying to manage the negatives.
We used to talk about ‘risk of offending’, but we now know that labelling children as potential reoffenders stops them from moving on. So, in the national standards and the case management guidance, this phrase is not used because we now understand the limits and damage it can cause.
However, that is not to say that we shouldn’t be concerned with the risk of harm that a child can cause to themselves or to others, or indeed suffer from others.
This does not equate to moving away from public protection. Public protection is always central. However, what we now understand is that it’s much better to avoid any stigma and negative outcomes. This is tenet 4 of Child First.
So, it’s much better to talk in more positive terms. An example I use is a safety talk on an aeroplane. Rather than talking about the risk of dying, you’re much more likely to get passengers engaged if you talk about keeping them safe. And it’s exactly the same with children. You’re much more likely to engage them if you talk about their safety and well-being than if you talk about them as being risky.
“It’s much better to talk in more positive terms. An example I use is a safety talk on an aeroplane. Rather than talking about risk of dying, you’re much more likely to get passengers engaged if you talk about keeping them safe.”
And engaging them leads to much better outcomes for both children and their communities?
Exactly. Tenet 3 is all about engagement. We’ve learned that you can’t “do” youth justice to a child, they need to be engaged. For children to move forward, they must feel involved in the process. Plans and services need to be relevant to their lives and future. Engagement is about more than just attendance – it’s feeling connected to their goals.
Is Child First being applied consistently across services and the wider youth justice system?
Some services are further along in implementing Child First aligned practice, and this is reflected in inspections. A cultural shift is happening, but it takes time. We’re seeing more understanding in youth justice plans and there’s progress in using the evidence base to inform practice across the wider youth justice system. The Youth Justice Resource Hub provides great examples of these advancements.
Hats off to all those services and professionals across the sector for embracing Child First. There’s a wealth of resources available for those needing support.
Absolutely. While there’s more work to be done, especially with regards to assessments, the dedication and innovation of professionals working in the youth justice system is driving real progress and we’re seeing tangible results.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
On Wednesday, 6 November 2024, the inaugural ministerial meeting of the IAEA World Fusion Energy Group (WFEG) will be held at Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome. Co-organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Italy, the meeting will see governments, executives from public and private institutions, and investors join forces in paving the way for this promising technology to provide the abundant clean energy the world needs to meet its growing development needs.
The meeting will begin at 10:00 CET with welcome remarks by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, followed with opening remarks by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
A family photo will be taken at 09:45 in the Mosaic Room (across from the International Conference Room) before the meeting.
Statements from the Head of Delegation of each invited country will follow. Director General Grossi and Minister Fratin are expected to hold a joint press conference at 13:30.
The meeting and press conference will be livestreamed on the Farnesina YouTube channel.
At the event, the IAEA will launch two publications, Fusion Key Elements and the World Fusion Outlook 2024. The WFEG meeting will also feature three panel discussions on the status of fusion energy; global collaboration and public-private partnerships; and sustaining resources and exploring alternative business opportunities. The tentative programme is available here.
All media representatives wishing to attend the meeting must submit their accreditation request to Italy. Please see this page for more details.
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
The last two events in orienteering took place — the NSU Championship in the Spartakiad of Faculties and Institutes and the Tandem Relay Race as part of the City Cup. The competitions took place in the Student City and the adjacent forest at distances in a given direction. More than 100 people took part in the NSU Championship, the boys ran a 3.3 km sprint with 28 checkpoints (CP), the girls had a distance of 2.6 km with 25 CP.
In the individual competition among young men, the first and third places were taken by VKI students Alexander Demin and Dmitry Oparin, and the second place went to a first-year student of the Faculty of Geology and Humanities, Yaroslav Myasnikov. The winner among girls was Darina Zelenkova (NSU SUNC), and the second and third places were taken by FEN students Liliya Aksenova and Irina Zorina.
The 5 best results, regardless of gender, were included in the team standings of the Spartakiad. The places were distributed as follows:
1 – Faculty of Physics consisting of: Dmitry Alimov, Olga Petukhova, Vladimir Kaygorodtsev, Natalya Utkina and Olga Zablotskaya.
2 — Faculty of Information Technology consisting of: Alina Brysina, Anastasia Kulishova, Snezhana Zhuyko, Anastasia Kuznetsova and Mikhail Biryulya.
3 —. Faculty of Natural Sciences consisting of: Lilia Aksenova, Irina Zorina, Arseniy Shurenkov, Svyatoslav Ezhelev and Marat Maksimov.
4 — Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics.
5 – Higher College of Computer Science.
6 — NSU SUNC.
7 — Faculty of Geology and Geophysics.
8 — Faculty of Medicine and Psychology named after Zelman.
9 — Institute of Philosophy and Law.
10 — Faculty of Economics.
11 — Institute of Intelligent Robotics.
The relay races were run by teams of 2 people, each participant ran 2 stages, alternating with each other. These are very interesting and dynamic competitions, when until the last moment it is not known who will win. And the biggest surprise was given to everyone by our students Arseniy Shurenkov (FEN) and Dmitry Parfenov (MMF), who became the absolute winners of the City Cup. Among the students and employees of NSU, Dmitry Alimov and Liliya Aksenova came in second, and Egor Bitochkin and Anastasia Kulishova came in third.
Congratulations to the winners and prize winners of the competitions, we wish everyone further success in sports and studies! We thank the teachers of KaffV Sofya Zakharova and Andrey Tolstov for organizing the events.
Photos: http://disk.yandex.ru/d/kpaUVsh2LVnIL1K
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.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
A man convicted of the manslaughter of Dragos Carabineanu has appeared in court for sentencing.
Gabriel Silvera, 20 (13.09.04) of Uxbridge Road, Pinner appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 31 October where he was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, plus a further four years on licence.
He has previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the same court on Monday, 3 June. The plea had been accepted by the court and Silvera was remanded in custody to await sentencing.
Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley leading the investigation said: “Nothing can bring Dragos back to his loved ones, however, I was pleased that Silvera’s guilty plea spared them the experience of a trial, where they would have once again heard the details of the incident that took Dragos from them. Our thoughts are with them.”
Shortly after 05:00hrs on Saturday, 28 October, police were alerted by hospital staff when Dragos Carabineanu, aged 46, was brought into a central London hospital for treatment.
Dragos, who was from Burnt Oak, remained at St Mary’s Hospital in a critical condition before he sadly died from his injuries on Wednesday, 1 November 2023.
An investigation found he suffered his injuries just before midnight on Friday, 27 October 2023 outside Burnt Oak Underground Station on Watling Road in Edgware.
Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command arrested Gabriel Silvera on Monday, 6 November 2023 on suspicion of murder. He was charged on Tuesday, 7 November 2023 and was remanded in custody.
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Two other people were arrested in connection with this incident:
On Thursday, 2 November 2023 a 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of theft. He received a caution.
A 38-year-old woman was arrested on Friday, 3 November 2023 on suspicion of theft. Following enquiries she was released with no further action.
Source: Government of India (2)
Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 4:14PM by PIB Delhi
Under the guidance of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the Department of Justice implemented the Special Campaign 4.0 for clearing pendency and focusing on Swachhata of the Office premises. As in previous years, this year too, this campaign spanned over two phases, with Phase-I (from 16/09/2024 to 30/09/2024) being the identification phase, wherein various pending matters, like reference from Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Assurances, References from the State Governments, Inter Ministerial references, Public Grievances and also, sites requiring sprucing, cleaning and beautification were to be identified. Phase-II from 02/10/2024 to 31/10/2024 was to be devoted to the clearance of the identified pendency, cleaning/sprucing up and beautification of identified sites/areas.
During the first Phase of the campaign from 16/09/2024 to 30/09/2024, 03- References from MPs and 281 Public Grievances were identified for disposal, 272 physical files were earmarked for review and subsequently for weeding out, 138 e-files were also selected for review /closure. Besides, 06 Parliamentary Assurances, 01 Reference from the State Government, 01 Inter Ministerial reference, were also identified for disposal. Apart from this, 4 sites requiring sprucing, cleaning and beatification were also earmarked within the office premises of the Department. Department of Justice actively participated in the identification drive and the pendency was also uploaded on the SCDPM portal, on a daily basis.
In the second Phase-II of the Special campaign, from 2nd October, 2024 to 31st October, 2024, efforts were made by the Department to clear the pendency identified in the first phase of Campaign. A Special drive was also launched to clean the premises, corridors, lawn, as well as the respective branches of the Department. The Department of Justice successfully cleared all the identified pending matters within the stipulated time. Besides, 69 items which were identified as scrap which was ripe for disposal, were disposed off through auction. A sum of Rs.1,36,000/- was received from the auction of these redundant items and duly deposited into the government treasury. This exercise also led to freeing up of some space in the department. Daily Report of Phase-II from 02/10/2024 to 31/10/2024 was also uploaded on the SCDPM portal regularly. To give wide publicity to this campaign, tweets and PIB releases, including before and after photographs of various events/best practices were also issued/uploaded from time to time.
On the concluding day of the Special Campaign 4.0 i.e. on 31.10.2024, Shramdaan was organized in a befitting manner by cleaning the front lawn/premises of Jaisalmer House. This was led by Secretary (Justice) and Officers/staff of the Department actively participated in this to successfully mark the end of the campaign.
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SB/DP/ARJ
(Release ID: 2070150) Visitor Counter : 43
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 3:43PM by PIB Delhi
Scientists have devised an experiment for testing the domain of validity of quantum theory for objects much more massive than the usual microphysical objects (atoms, molecules etc), beyond which the classical theory has to be necessarily used. This study can also help in developing high precision quantum sensors which are important tools in the cutting- edge quantum technologies.
The principles of Quantum Mechanics replacing that of Newtonian classical mechanics were developed nearly 100 years back. Yet, a number of quantum foundational issues remain problematic. For example, the boundary between the quantum mechanical microworld and the large scale macroscopic classical world of everyday objects obeying Newtonian Laws remains unspecified. The question–up to what level the quantum mechanical principles be valid for macroscopic objects– continues to be one of the most fundamental open questions in contemporary physics.
This question is also intimately related to another hotly pursued fundamental issue– testing whether gravity is quantum mechanical or not.
All the proposed laboratory-based schemes seeking to demonstrate the quantum mechanical nature of gravity crucially rest on assuming applicability of fundamental quantum principles for sufficiently massive objects.
However, the state –of- the- art demonstrations of quantum features have so far reached only up to macromolecules of masses ten thousand times the hydrogen atom. Hence, breakthrough ideas, feasible to be implemented experimentally in the near future, are the need of the hour in order to scale up the tests of macroscopic quantumness to ever more massive objects.
Prof. Dipankar Home from Bose Institute, Kolkata, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with D. Das, S. Bose (University College London) and H. Ulbricht (University of Southampton, UK) have addressed this challenge by formulating a novel procedure for demonstrating an observable signature of quantum behaviour for an oscillating object like pendulum having any large mass.
These scientists have found a novel way for detecting measurement induced disturbance for an arbitrarily massive quantum mechanical pendulum. They have formulated an implementable scheme based on using lasers to suspend a single nanocrystal of silica (a microscopic glass bead) as it oscillates around the focal point of a small parabolic mirror carved out of a block of aluminum housed in a vacuum chamber.
In a typical classical pendulum, the bead would move regularly from point A to point B and back again, unaffected by any observation. However, a quantum pendulum should behave very differently. Its position will change depending on whether or not someone is watching. If we were to detect at any instant where the pendulum bob was, there would be an immediate change of its future behavior. Such a disturbance is an unavoidable consequence of any measurement process involving quantum mechanical system. The scheme proposed by these scientists would enable detecting such measurement induced quantum disturbance for objects much more massive than usual microphysical objects.
Given the present state- of- the -art technology, this envisaged experiment could be realizable in the coming years for systems ranging from oscillating nano-objects (like that of a grain of dust, about trillion times heavier than hydrogen atom) to oscillating mirrors having effective mass of about 10 kg used for gravitational wave detection.
An experimental study has already been launched by one of the co-authors of this paper, Prof. H.Ulbricht and his group at University of Southampton, UK using optically levitated nano-diamonds about billion times heavier than hydrogen atom.
Thus, this work would pave the way for experiments providing the most emphatic demonstration of large scale quantumness and would open up the possibility for leveraging such macroscopic quantumness for practical applications, such as by developing high precision quantum sensors which are key ingredients in the emerging quantum technologies.
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NKR/KS/AG
(Release ID: 2070133) Visitor Counter : 38