Chinese police have successfully apprehended and brought back a major criminal suspect involved in a high-profile case, in which a Chinese actor was deceived and illegally detained on the Thailand-Myanmar border. The suspect, surnamed Yan, was returned to China on Saturday thanks to the joint efforts of a task force dispatched by China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, and with assistance from Thai law enforcement, the MPS said on Sunday. Several cases involving Chinese citizens being deceived and illegally detained on the Thailand-Myanmar border — where they were forced to participate in telecom and internet fraud — have attracted widespread attention. Wang Xing, a Chinese actor, entered Thailand on Jan. 3 but lost contact near the Thailand-Myanmar border. Thai police tracked his movements and successfully rescued him, identifying him as a victim of human trafficking. An MPS official stated that the police will intensify their efforts to deepen international law enforcement cooperation, launch a strong crackdown, and coordinate rescue operations to protect the personal safety and property of Chinese citizens.
The death toll from Israeli attacks on crowds of Lebanese trying to return to their homes in southern Lebanon has risen to 22, including six women, with 124 others injured, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Sunday.
The injured included 12 women and a paramedic from the Islamic Scout Association, who was carrying out a humanitarian rescue mission, the ministry said in a statement.
A Lebanese military source told Xinhua that an Israeli force, backed by a Merkava tank and a bulldozer, advanced towards a gathering of civilians in the village of Mays al-Jabal, and “fired heavily to intimidate and disperse the residents.”
The Israeli military also blocked the main road at the entrance of the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon located in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, the source said, adding that the military fired several flares over Mays al-Jabal and the Arqoub Heights in eastern Lebanon, and launched machine-gun fire toward Mount Sadaneh, west of Shebaa, in southeastern Lebanon.
Sunday marks the end of a 60-day deadline for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territories. Under a ceasefire agreement reached in late November after months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, the Lebanese army would take control of the areas south of the Litani River, ensuring its security and preventing any presence of weapons and militants.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon, some of which have caused deaths and injuries in the border areas.
Issued for MULCH FIRE AT KANMANTOO, 3km North West of Callington in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Warning level Advice – Avoid Smoke
Action Smoke from a mulch fire at Kanmantoo is in the vicinity of Mine Road, Back Callinton Road, Hollamby Road and Hillview Road and may impact the township of Callington in the Murraylands and Mount Lofty Ranges districts.
Smoke can affect your health. You should stay informed and be aware of the health impacts of smoke on yourself and others.
Symptoms of exposure includes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, burning eyes, running nose, chest tightness, chest pain and dizziness or light-headedness.
If you or anyone in your care are having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention from your local GP. If your symptoms become severe, call 000.
More information will be provided by the CFS when it is available.
Immediately after being sworn in President Trump took executive action to stop the invasion at the southern border and to empower law enforcement agents to deport criminal aliens
“In a move fulfilling one of now-President Donald Trump’s campaign promises, the Trump administration shuttered the use of CBP One, a President Joe Biden-era app meant to help process migrants seeking to apply for asylum in the U.S.”USA Today: Trump kills Biden-era CBP One app for asylum-seekers at the border
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday issued memos to repeal limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents imposed by former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas…ICE agents who spoke to Fox News said they believe that rescinding the Mayorkas order is going to free them up to go after more illegal immigrants.” Fox News: Trump DHS repeals key Mayorkas memo limiting ICE agents, orders parole review
On January 22, ICE law enforcement’s officers arrested Franz Cadet a 43-year-old citizen of Haiti. Cadet was convicted of multiple drug offenses.
On January 22, ICE law enforcement’s officers arrested Franz Cadet a 43-year-old citizen of Haiti. Cadet was convicted of multiple drug offenses. | View Original
“Federal officers swept into sanctuary cities on President Trump’s first full day in office Tuesday, nabbing more than 300 illegal migrant criminals — including an attempted murderer and a child molester — to hold them for deportation.” The New York Post: ICE arrested 308 illegal migrants — including attempted murderer and a child molester — on Trump’s first full day in office
“The Trump administration is attempting to amass a larger force of law-enforcement officials to help carry out deportations by granting agents across the federal government the same powers as an immigration officer, according to an internal memo.” The Wall Street Journal: Trump Gives Gun, Drug Agents Deportation Power
“The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the sources said.” Fox News: Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration
As thousands of children prepare to head back to school, Police are urging parents to be diligent with their privacy settings before posting photos and videos online.
The start of the school year is often memorable, and many people like to mark the occasion by sharing images of their children on social media in school uniform and in front of either their home or school.
Unfortunately, sometimes these images unintentionally share more than just a picture of a happy child – they can share personal details that might put information about you and your family in the wrong hands.
While Police understand the importance of these milestones, parents and caregivers should remain cautious about the information that images posted on social media present and who can gain access to them.
While it’s rare for NZ Police to receive reports about children being located through information shared online in photos or videos, we know from our international counterparts that it does happen.
A few simple tips can protect your and your children’s privacy on social media:
Check there are no identifying features such as school uniforms and logos, school buildings or signs, and street signs. This applies if you are taking photos at home as well. If this is unavoidable, parents can edit and blur school logos and signs.
Research and understand app settings, including privacy settings. Turning off location settings or setting profiles to private/friends only.
Keeping your child’s personal information – including full name and age and what year they’re starting – private.
Report any inappropriate or suspicious behaviour online.
Be proactive with online safety to keep your child and their information safe as they head into a new school year.
ENDS
Where to report cases if you think your privacy has been breached?
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Staff members to keep on constructing new tunnel during Spring Festival in Suifenhe
Updated: January 27, 2025 08:23Xinhua
Staff members walk in the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. Staff members here will keep on with their work during this year’s Spring Festival, carrying out routine monitoring and inspection. The 602-meter railway tunnel is expected to be bored through this May, and once operational, it will replace the three old tunnels that have been in service for over 120 years. As an important port along the eastern corridor of the China-Europe freight train service, Suifenhe port annually handles about 900 China-Europe freight train trips with 88,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members work at the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]This photo shows the entrance of a new tunnel under construction along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members walk into the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members work at the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members walk in the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members work at the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members walk in the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members patrol near the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members work at the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members work at the construction site of a new tunnel along the railway linking Suifenhe and China-Russia border line, in Suifenhe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Headline: President Trump is Already Securing Our Border and Deporting Criminal Aliens
“Federal officers swept into sanctuary cities on President Trump’s first full day in office Tuesday, nabbing more than 300 illegal migrant criminals — including an attempted murderer and a child molester — to hold them for deportation.” The New York Post: ICE arrested 308 illegal migrants — including attempted murderer and a child molester — on Trump’s first full day in office “The Trump administration is attempting to amass a larger force of law-enforcement officials to help carry out deportations by granting agents across the federal government the same powers as an immigration officer, according to an internal memo.” The Wall Street Journal: Trump Gives Gun, Drug Agents Deportation Power “The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the sources said.” Fox News: Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration
Source: The White House
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. The Federal responses to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters demonstrate the need to drastically improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (“FEMA’s) efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA’s bureaucracy in disaster response ultimately harms the agency’s ability to successfully respond. Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most.
There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President. And it has lost mission focus, diverting limited staff and resources to support missions beyond its scope and authority, spending well over a billion dollars to welcome illegal aliens.
Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters. FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience.
Sec. 2. Establishment. (a) There is hereby established the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council (“Council”).
(b) The Council shall be composed of not more than 20 members. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall be members of the Council. The remaining members shall include relevant agency heads and distinguished individuals and representatives from sectors outside of the Federal Government appointed by the President. These non-Federal members shall have diverse perspectives and expertise in disaster relief and assistance, emergency preparedness, natural disasters, Federal-State relationships, and budget management.
(c) The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Council. The Co-Chairs may designate up to two Vice Chairs of the Council from among the non-Federal members of the Council, to support the Co-Chairs in the leadership and organization of the Council.
Sec. 3. Functions. (a) The Council shall advise the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on the existing ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters occurring within the United States and shall advise the President on all recommended changes related to FEMA to best serve the national interest.
(b) The Council shall meet regularly and shall:
(i) respond to requests from the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security Affairs, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or the Co-Chairs for information, analysis, evaluation, or advice;
(ii) solicit information and ideas from a broad range of stakeholders, including Americans affected by natural disasters; the research community; the private sector; State, local, and Tribal governments; foundations; and nonprofit organizations;
(c) The Council shall produce a report for the President that includes the following:
(i) An assessment of the adequacy of FEMA’s response to disasters during the previous 4 years, including sufficiency of staffing;
(ii) A comparison of the FEMA responses with State, local, and private sector responses — including timeliness of response, supplies provided, efficacy, and services (including communications and electricity) provided — during the same period;
(iii) An account of the commentary and debate about the role and operation of FEMA in our Federal system and about the functioning of disaster relief, assistance, and preparedness in the United States;
(iv) The historical background of other periods in the Nation’s history both before FEMA was part of DHS and before FEMA existed and methods by which disaster aid and relief were then provided;
(v) The traditional role of States and their coordination with the Federal Government in securing the life, liberty, and property of their citizens in preparation for, during, and after disasters;
(vi) An evaluation of whether FEMA can serve its functions as a support agency, providing supplemental Federal assistance, to the States rather than supplanting State control of disaster relief;
(vii) Other recommended improvements to FEMA in the current statutory structure; and
(viii) An analysis of the principal arguments in the public debate for and against FEMA reform, including an appraisal of the merits and legality of particular reform proposals.
(d) The Council shall solicit public comment, including other expert views, to ensure that its work is informed by a broad spectrum of ideas.
(e) The Council shall hold its first public meeting within 90 days of the date of this order and submit its report to the President within 180 days of the date of the Council’s first public meeting.
Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Council with information concerning disaster preparedness and relief matters when requested by the Council Co-Chairs and as required for the purpose of carrying out the Council’s functions.
(b) In consultation with the Co-Chairs, the Council is authorized to create standing subcommittees and ad hoc groups, including technical advisory groups, to assist the Council and provide preliminary information directly to the Council.
(c) The Department of Homeland Security shall provide such funding and administrative and technical support as the Council may require, to the extent permitted by law and as authorized by existing appropriations.
(d) Members of the Council shall serve without any compensation for their work on the Council, but may receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707).
(e) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), may apply to the Council, any functions of the President under that Act, except that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary of Homeland Security, in accordance with the guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.
Sec. 5. Termination. The Council shall terminate 1 year from the date of this order unless extended by the President.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 24, 2025.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
International students volunteer during ‘chunyun’, marvel at convenience of high-speed rail
LANZHOU, Jan. 26 — As the Spring Festival approaches, the hustle and bustle of passengers at a railway station in northwest China’s Gansu Province exactly epitomizes the annual Chinese New Year holiday travel rush, also known as chunyun.
Unlike previous years, staff members of the Lanzhou West Railway Station are joined by foreign student volunteers, who help passengers carry luggage, assist with security checks and provide inquiry services, adding a unique and festive touch to the season.
Twenty-four-year-old Afghan student Kazimi Jafar arrived at the station early in the morning, donned a railway uniform and guided passengers into the station.
“Spring Festival is a precious time for family reunions and expressing blessings. People here respect traditional festivals and customs. Just like my family, we all value emotional connections and cherish every moment with family and friends,” said Jafar.
Jafar is one of the 10 international students from Lanzhou University, including those from Kenya, Chad, Laos, Afghanistan and Madagascar, who are volunteering during chunyun and experiencing Chinese Spring Festival travel rush first-hand.
“Please line up! Ticket checking will start soon,” said Rojolalaina Karina Lucette from Madagascar in fluent Mandarin.
Although she has lived in China for five years and is very familiar with Chinese holidays, she was still amazed by the scale of the travel rush.
“In my island nation, people mostly travel by private cars or buses. It’s incredible how China facilitates such large-scale population movement in such a short time,” she said, adding that she felt proud to be part of this effort.
Another Afghan student Ali Reza Rezaie was impressed by the technology powering China’s transport system.
After visiting the train driver’s cabin and the control center at Lanzhou Railway Bureau, he marveled at the precise handling of over 200,000 passengers departing from the station daily during chunyun.
The scale of China’s transport system wasn’t the only surprise for the volunteers.
Orlaphan Sayphaungphet from Laos was amazed at the efficiency of China’s ticketing system. She sold a ticket to a passenger in less than 30 seconds and was pleased to learn foreigners could register for tickets without extra fees.
China’s well-developed railway system also reminded her of the convenience that railways built with China’s help have brought to her own country.
Sayphaungphet noted that the China-Laos Railway has brought her hometown closer to China, allowing her family and friends to experience the comfort of China’s high-speed rail.
She appreciated thoughtful features onboard, such as accessible restrooms and baby-care facilities, and expressed her excitement at riding the train herself and exploring more of China.
Her opinion was echoed by Ngaira Sylvia Indoshi from Kenya, who also volunteered to assist passengers at the station.
Before coming to study in Lanzhou, she often traveled by train between Mombasa and Nairobi thanks to the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi railway.
“Before the railway was built, the journey took eight hours by car, but now it takes just half the time,” she said. Upon learning that China’s high-speed trains can reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, she expressed hope for similar advancements in Kenya.
With an estimated record of 9 billion passenger trips in 40 days, the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush is set to serve as a testament to China’s impressive ability to withstand overwhelming traffic pressure.
China’s high-speed railways, which provided the majority of railway passenger trips in 2024, are preparing for another record-breaking season.
As of 9 a.m. Saturday, 12306, the railway booking platform, had sold 311 million tickets since Dec. 31, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.
China’s 48,000 km of operational high-speed rail, the world’s longest, is continually expanding, with new routes running near or through populous cities in a bid to provide more and faster travel options.
“What I have experienced today is very different from my previous impression of chunyun. The high-speed trains offer great convenience to people’s travels, and I did not feel crowded at all. I am glad to be part of it,” said Jafar.
Pomonal Fire Brigade was today recognised for the firefighting efforts of members during the recent Grampians fires and those last February.
Gathering at Pomonal Town Hall today (27 January) for their Community Australia Day Breakfast and Awards Presentation, members were honoured in front of their friends and family with gratitude expressed for their highly respected operational response over the last two summers.
Chief Officer Jason Heffernan proudly presented the resilient brigade and Captain Steve Field with a Special Recognition Award, the highest of its kind in CFA, for their outstanding service throughout a significant event.
“It is a known risk to CFA members that at some stage you may face a situation in which your own property is under threat from fire, and with that comes the unenviable dilemma of having to choose to either focus your efforts on yourself or protect the broader community,” Chief Officer Heffernan said.
“On the 13 February 2024 and in the days that followed, members of the Pomonal Fire Brigade faced this precise predicament as a fire event that would eventually claim some 47 homes, devastating their community.
“In the midst of this large-scale incident, the local members conducted themselves with great professionalism and demonstrated complete selflessness as they continued working tirelessly at the fire front.
“Their consistent presence on scene and the support provided to the public was widely felt and greatly appreciated by the community, who are proud to have such dedicated CFA members at their service.”
The morning also saw two very deserving recipients, Ararat Group Officer (GO) David Croad and Ararat Deputy Group Officer (DGO) Matt Venn, receive the esteemed Chief Officer’s Commendation.
David Croad is being recognised for his impressive actions as Group Officer during the significant event in February, and Matt Venn for his supportive leadership as the Group Strike Team Leader.
“In a time of great distress for the Pomonal community, David, Matt and their fellow brigade members demonstrated to the highest level, the spirit of CFA and I couldn’t be prouder as Chief Officer,” Jason said.
“Acting GO David Croad put the welfare of members and the local community at the forefront of his actions, and it has been noted with much respect and admiration.
“David exuded calmness and confidence from day one of the fire and provided exceptional operational leadership and communication to fire crews and other responding agencies.
“Despite his own home and that of fellow community and brigade members being under threat, DGO Matt Venn conducted himself with great professionalism, care and concern.
“He was instrumental in key decisions and his efficient manner ensured the effective planning of resources, personnel, logistics, and the recovery effort.”
Throughout the celebrations, District 16 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Steve Alcock also presented nine CFA Service Awards, ranging from 10 years to a notable 45 years.
A further five brigade members were also acknowledged for their devoted service, awarded 30-to-65-year CFA Life Member Awards, alongside a National Emergency Medal to David Gething for the 2019/20 bushfires.
Read more on the efforts of the Pomonal volunteers and Ararat Group members and their reflections of the devasting February 2024 fires on ourwebsite.
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
The Albanese and Cook Governments are building Western Australia’s future, driving economic growth and delivering benefits for commuters with a partnership to deliver a $700 million upgrade to the Kwinana Freeway.
The Albanese Government will invest $350 million to ensure this important work gets delivered.
Widening the Kwinana Freeway will add around 50 per cent capacity to the upgraded sections, easing congestion for motorists and improving the efficiency of moving freight on a road that typically carries 100,000 vehicles every day.
This investment will also support the operations of the future Westport project, while improving safety and delivering congestion relief for commuters.
The upgrades to road infrastructure will also support the growing industrial areas and Defence Assets on the Western Trade Coast.
The Westport project is the linchpin for future trade growth in Western Australia, supporting local jobs and WA’s economy for the long term.
This new funding builds on the previous $67 million joint commitment towards planning and scoping of landside enabling infrastructure for the Westport project.
The Albanese and Cook Governments are working together to build Western Australia’s future, with major projects underway including METRONET, upgrades to the Tonkin Highway and the Outback Way.
The Albanese Government is investing $9.7 billion towards transport infrastructure projects in Western Australia.
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese:
“We’re working with the Cook Labor Government to build Western Australia’s future.
“Western Australia is an economic powerhouse, and we want to make sure we are investing in future job creating projects like Westport, while still delivering the immediate congestion benefits for commuters now.
“This project will support jobs, improve safety and ease congestion for the 100,000 commuters who use the Kwinana Freeway each day.
“Only Labor has a plan to build Australia’s future.”
Quotes attributable to Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook:
“As a Kwinana local, I know how important this project is for our State.
“Western Australia is the economic engine room of Australia, with Westport and the Western Trade Coast critical to keeping our economy strong and creating the local jobs of the future in WA.
“My WA Labor Government is partnering with the Albanese Government to do what’s right for WA.”
Quotes attributable toFederal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:
“The Australian Government remains dedicated to working for all Australians by delivering nationally significant infrastructure projects that enhance productivity and resilience, improve liveability and promote sustainability.
“We are getting on with delivering a better future for all Australians, and this project will increase opportunities and connections, build communities and improve safety.”
Quotes attributable to WA Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti:
“We welcome this critical investment by the Albanese Labor Government.
“The investment will ensure we can continue our Government’s major transformation of the Kwinana Freeway, which has seen the installation of smart freeway technology, the Armadale Road to North Lake Road Bridge Project and widening to large sections.
“The Western Australian Government is working in partnership with the Australian Government on these and other growth-area roads, including the Stephenson Avenue Extension and Tonkin Highway extension.”
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
Holding an emergency meeting following advances by the 23 March Movement, or M23, towards the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and concurrent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers there, the Security Council heard today that urgent action is needed to address a rapidly deteriorating situation while time remains to do so.
“The United Nations is profoundly concerned by the resumption of hostilities,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. On 23-24 January, M23 fired on positions of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He reported that, as a result, several blue helmets were “killed in carrying out the tasks entrusted to them by this Council”. He also noted that M23 has significantly extended its territorial gains over the past few weeks and has opened a new front in South Kivu, from which MONUSCO recently withdrew.
“At this critical juncture, with the lives of countless vulnerable civilians, peacekeepers and respect for this Council’s mandate at stake, MONUSCO remains committed to the robust defence of its mandate,” he stated. He stressed that, for its part, the Council “must honour the sacrifices made by the peacekeepers who laid down their lives in pursuit of this noble goal by sending a clear and unequivocal message to M23 and its backers that actions endangering the lives of civilians and UN peacekeepers will not be tolerated.”
Also reporting on the situation was Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of MONUSCO. Noting that M23 and Rwandan forces have penetrated the outskirts of Goma — “causing mass panic and flight amongst the population” — she said that roads are blocked and that M23 has declared Goma’s airspace closed. “In other words, we are trapped,” she said, calling on the Council to “act now” to secure the civilian population, humanitarian-aid workers and all UN personnel.
Calling on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to continue political negotiations in the context of the Luanda Process, she urged: “More than ever, we must find a political solution.” She also called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from Congolese territory and end support for M23, and on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to “make significant efforts” to neutralize the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, or FDLR.
Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, then stressed that if hostilities spread into Goma, “the impact on civilians could be devastating”. In North and South Kivu, hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured over the last few weeks. Further, hundreds of thousands have fled their homes, humanitarian access remains constrained and hospitals are overwhelmed. Against that backdrop, she urged all parties to “protect civilians and the critical infrastructure they rely on”.
She also urged them to avoid using wide-area explosives and heavy weapons in populated areas. “This will be particularly important should the hostilities spread into Goma, given the risks of conflict in urban areas,” she observed. And, to address the escalating humanitarian crisis “before the situation worsens further”, she called on the Council to end the hostilities, ensure respect for international law and provide adequate funding for humanitarian action.
“The resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] must be political, not military,” stated the representative of Sierra Leone, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia. The Luanda and Nairobi Processes “remain viable paths to peace”, he said, while underscoring that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be respected “by all States and non-State actors alike”. France’s representative, stating that the presence of foreign military forces threatens civilian protection and contributes to displacement, concurred: “Force is not an option.”
Along those lines, China’s representative said: “All external forces should refrain from providing support to M23 and other armed groups to prevent further deterioration.” He also joined other Council members in pointing out that “attacks on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes”. The representative of Greece echoed that, also noting that attacks against MONUSCO peacekeepers constitute a basis for sanctions designations. Also making these points was the representative of the United Kingdom, who observed that “the numbers of those lost and injured is changing by the hour”.
These attacks, stressed Slovenia’s representative, constitute “an attack on peace itself”. Recalling the Council’s recent, unanimous decision to renew MONUSCO’s mandate, she underlined the organ’s responsibility to “stand unequivocally behind [its personnel] in these perilous times and ensure they return safely to their loved ones”. She added: “The international community, and this Council, cannot afford to remain passive in the face of this crisis.” Panama’s representative similarly stated: “History will not judge us on our intentions but, rather, our actions.”
The United Nations must take immediate measures to ensure the safety and security of both civilians and peacekeepers, underscored the representative of Pakistan. Expressing particular concern over a “highly exposed” Pakistani artillery battery near Sake, he stressed that this unit should be quickly redeployed for the safety of its personnel and heavy, expensive equipment. Stating that peacekeepers cannot be expected to implement the “challenging mandate assigned to them by the Council” without adequate support, he also urged the organ to address the root cause of the conflict — the illegal exploitation of natural resources.
On that, Denmark’s representative observed: “The illegal exploitation of natural resources in eastern DRC is a key driver to instability in the Great Lakes region — this must end.” The representative of the United States also expressed concern over the illicit exploitation of mining areas in territories controlled by M23, as did the representative of the Russian Federation: “The struggle to gain access towards strategically important Congolese minerals is one of the reasons for the continuation of the crisis.”
The representative of the Republic of Korea detailed that crisis: “In the past week alone, as [M23] has expanded its territory by 11 per cent, the number of [internally displaced persons] has doubled to 400,000.” He joined other Council members in calling on Rwanda to cease its support for the group and urged both Kinshasa and Kigali to return to dialogue and fully implement their commitments under the Luanda Process. He added: “We recognize the differing interests of the DRC and Rwanda, but further escalation of tensions is simply unacceptable — many lives are at stake.”
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, meanwhile, took the floor to stress that the situation in her country is “not a conflict like others”. Rather, it is “a declaration of war that no longer hides itself behind diplomatic manoeuvres”, she said, stressing that “Rwanda is preparing to orchestrate a carnage in broad daylight”. She also said that it is “clear that this crisis is directly linked to the economic plunder of our country by Rwanda”.
On that, she said that over 150 tons of coltan are illegally extracted and transported to Rwanda each month, where they are fraudulently labelled for export. Yet, while this illicit commerce finances the military activities of armed groups, it is “only one aspect of the aggression carried out by Rwanda”, she stressed. Others include the systematic targeting of peacekeeping forces, the 24 January assassination of the military governor of North Kivu and the sabotage of the Luanda Process.
Underscoring that the Council “cannot content itself with declarations of concern or simply ‘remaining seized of the matter’”, she said that the organ’s duty is to “defend human life without distinction”. It must therefore order an immediate end to Rwanda’s hostilities, impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the aggression, impose an embargo on the export of all minerals labelled as Rwandan — particularly coltan and gold — and revoke Rwanda’s status as a troop-contributing country. “History will remember your decision today,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s representative stressed: “The current crisis could have been averted had the DRC Government demonstrated a genuine commitment to peace.” While the Luanda Process achieved “significant milestones” — including a ceasefire that came into force on 4 August 2024 — the Government and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo decided to increase militarization in the country’s east in October 2024. This included the deployment of heavy weaponry and additional troops — 10,000 from Burundi — along the border.
“By prioritizing militarization of the conflict instead of embracing the regional mechanisms that have been put in place to foster a sustainable solution born out of dialogue, the conflict has continued to escalate — leading to the prevailing situation today,” he said. He added that the FDLR has “even moved from being a suppletive force to a strategic ally of the Kinshasa Government”. Further, he said that the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has publicly vowed to instigate regime change in Rwanda for two years now.
While stating that “no one should harm peacekeepers”, he expressed concern that MONUSCO is “at the risk of being sucked into a conflict in which it would be a belligerent force”. MONUSCO should therefore focus on protecting civilians instead of fighting alongside Kinshasa’s military coalition. Noting that the situation today mirrors that which occurred 12 years ago, he stressed that “the DRC must play a helpful role — after all, this is a Congolese problem, for which the DRC is looking to outsource its solution.”
“It is with profound regret that this meeting is taking place at a time when a number of peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty,” observed South Africa’s representative. Urging the Council to “send a clear message that peacekeepers’ lives matter”, she underlined the need to “value and safeguard the contribution of those entrusted to carry out the mandates adopted in this chamber”. Extending condolences to all victims’ families, the representative of Uruguay reiterated his country’s “steadfast commitment to peace”.
Angola’s representative pointed to “remarkable progress in the implementation of the Luanda Process”. “We need speedy and unconditional de-escalation of the conflict and genuine, renewed engagement of the parties to explore the ways of overcoming the pending issues,” he added. On that, Burundi’s representative said that the Luanda and Nairobi Processes “set out a clear road map to reach a lasting ceasefire”. Calling on the Council to demand an end to foreign interference and act decisively to guarantee that the Democratic Republic of the Congo can fully exercise its sovereignty and restore peace, he stressed: “Security and stability in Central Africa and beyond are at stake.”
The Albanese Government is strengthening vital broadcasting infrastructure that can be deployed rapidly during natural disasters and emergencies to help keep communities safer, connected and informed. The Government’s $20 millionBroadcasting Resilience Program (BRP) has already provided emergency power backup batteries and upgraded satellite inputs to 98 ABC AM and FM radio sites across Australia used for emergency broadcasting. The BRP is also funding five mobile broadcast assets (MBAs) that can be transported to affected sites at short notice in the event transmission fails, including during power outages caused by severe weather. The MBAs also serve as a power supply to charge essential devices such as mobile phones, enabling people to access vital services and keep in touch with loved ones during emergencies. The MBAs will be housed at five strategic locations around the country:
Bald Hills (Brisbane), serving south eastern Queensland and north eastern New South Wales;
Gungahlin (Canberra), serving the Australian Capital Territory, southern NSW and eastern Victoria;
Hamersley (Perth), serving Western Australia;
Mt Bellenden-Ker (northern Queensland), serving northern Queensland and the Northern Territory; and
Pimpala (Adelaide), serving South Australia and western Victoria.
The sites were chosen by BAI based on previous natural disasters, ease of access to the region and the ability to service and store units between events. The BRP is improving the resilience of broadcast transmission infrastructure used for emergency broadcasting, supporting ABC services and commercial broadcasters co-located on site. These upgrades have already kept ABC local radio services running for hundreds of hours during emergency events. The BRP is part of the Albanese Government’sBetter Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, which includes $400 million to improve mobile coverage and increase the resilience of communications services across Australia. For more information on the Plan, visit:https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/better-connectivity-plan-regional-and-rural-australia For more information on the BRP, visit:https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/better-connectivity-plan-regional-and-rural-australia/broadcasting-resilience-program Quotes attributable to the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP: “The safety of Australians is the Albanese Government’s number one priority. “During natural disasters and emergencies, access to timely and accurate information can mean the difference between life and death. “The Broadcasting Resilience Program has already upgraded 98 ABC broadcasting sites around Australia. “As part of the BRP, five new mobile broadcast assets will also be available for rapid deployment to disaster-struck areas when emergency broadcasting transmission fails. “This will help even more communities around Australia stay safe, connected and informed should disaster strike.”
A spike in asthma-related hospitalisations is expected as children flock through school gates for the start of a new year.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is encouraging everyone to be aware of the symptoms of an asthma attack and how to respond, with hospitalisations from attacks at their highest during week 3 of Term 1.
Symptoms of an asthma attack are a worsening cough, persistent wheezing, shortness of breath and/or feeling tight in the chest.
Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says the back-to-school period is always a vulnerable time for the one in eight Kiwi children with asthma.
“The ‘back-to-school effect’ is greater than the ‘winter effect’ when it comes to children’s respiratory disease with the risk of hospitalisation two and a half times higher on the peak day in the third week of term 1 than on the first day of term.”
International studies have shown that various factors are associated with the increase, including a change of environment and exposure to different allergens, changes in emotions such as stress or anxiety, and exposure to more viruses from being around more people, Ms Harding says.
To keep children safe through the return-to-school period, parents and caregivers should ensure that their child has anAsthma Action Plan, which is shared with their school and their teacher, Ms Harding says.
“Make sure your child is taking their preventer medication as prescribed and bringing their reliever inhaler to school, and check that it’s not empty or out of date.”
Asthma is a common illness in New Zealand, affecting one in eight children and one in eight adults. About 96 people die from asthma each year – that’s nearly two people per week.
In addition, one-third of all respiratory-related hospital admissions are children and it is estimated that more than 360,000 school days are lost each year due to asthma-related symptoms in children.
For most children, going back to school is an exciting time, Ms Harding says.
“But unfortunately, for many, this period can lead to severe reactions – putting children at risk.
“That’s why investing in educating children about asthma is a huge focus for us,” she says.
A conservation effort led by Auckland Council rangers to assist one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most treasured native birds is delivering groundbreaking results.
At least 55 rare hihi chicks have hatched in Shakespear Regional Park’s Open Sanctuary this summer – a first for the species in more than a hundred years.
Auckland Council Parks Committee chair, Councillor Ken Turner, says the commitment from staff, local iwi, volunteers, and the Department of Conservation to reintroduce hihi to the Auckland mainland is a significant step to secure the future of this distinctive forest songbird.
“I’m hugely thankful for the work that our rangers and others do to build on the conservation of our region’s flora and fauna. The success of this project will give hihi the boost it needs to flourish again, and Aucklanders an opportunity to experience these little treasures in their natural environment,” Cr Turner says.
The new chicks have emerged following a carefully managed journey in June 2024 for 40 adult hihi, also known as stitchbirds, from predator-free Tiritiri Matangi Island to a new mainland home at Shakespear Regional Park.
Senior Ranger of Shakespear Open Sanctuary Matt Maitland says the council’s Regional Parks northern team, Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society (SOSSI) and Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, who all worked together on the translocation, have been thrilled to see so many of the birds breeding.
“The number of healthy chicks to arrive has exceeded all our expectations, given it’s the first breeding season in their new home,” says Mr Maitland.
“They are the first hihi – one of NZ’s rarest forest birds – to hatch and succeed in the area since disappearing from mainland Auckland in the 1870s.”
Mr Maitland credits an ongoing focus from partners involved in the project for its success, with translocation support provided by the Hihi Conservation Charitable Trust, the Department of Conservation Hihi Recovery Group, and Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi.
A couple of hihi were lost due to natural causes, but this is a great result compared with an unsuccessful translocation attempt in 2022, Mr Maitland says.
The hihi is nationally threatened, with Te Hauturu-o-toi Little Barrier Island holding the only naturally-surviving population since the 1880s.
Recovery efforts have recently established small populations in pockets around the North Island, including at Tiritiri Matangi. Shakespear Open Sanctuary now brings the total number of hihi habitats to eight.
There are thought to be around 2000 hihi in the country, making it one of New Zealand’s rarest native birds.
The council and SOSSI volunteers will continue to closely monitor the new population at Shakespear Regional Park, while working with other partners to provide enhanced protection to their habitat alongside education initiatives.
SOSSI volunteer Maree Johnston and Auckland Council ranger Bruce Harrison carefully undertake the task of banding a hihi chick.
When Grace Akingurwaruh signed up to become a seller of coal-efficient, improved-cooking stoves, she had no idea that she’d be successful enough to purchase her first smartphone – a godsend which enables her to remain in regular contact with her customers and get new business.
Akingurwaruh is a farmer in Hoima, Uganda, a four-hour bus ride from the capital Kampala. The 40-year-old says she was looking for ways to increase her monthly income when a neighbor told her about an African Development Bank-financed training program promoting clean energy businesses like selling stoves that retain heat longer than traditional stoves or open fires.
“They taught us how to make business, so when we finished the training, I started advertising…At times I can have customers that want to buy five or more stoves to put in their shops. So, I [give them] a discount. That’s why I have managed to sell more than my colleagues,” Akingurwaruh said of how she applied the knowledge she learned in the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project.
Financed by the Bank’s Africa Climate Change Fund, the programming was organized by civil society organizations AVSI Foundation and CIDR Pamiga in Uganda.
Akingurwaruh says her roughly 22 percent commission on sales of coal-efficient stoves enabled her to not only buy a smartphone but also a goat – another source of income and nutrition for her family. She is now working as a senior agent for the same company she was linked to through the project and oversees a team of 5 youth agents. She not only sells directly to customers but also earns commissions from the sales generated by the agents she supervises.
Akingurwaruh is one of more than 2,300 people considered sales agents and retailers and participants in the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project. AVSI Foundation says 75% of these beneficiaries are women and young girls aged 18 or above and that the initiative through its sales training and outreach also provided clean cooking technologies and renewable energy solutions for lighting to more than 55,000 new customers.
“By connecting civil society organizations like AVSI Foundation to funding opportunities within the Bank, we have delivered sustainable energy solutions that have transformed lives in Uganda. This collaboration has led to the empowerment of communities, enabling businesses to thrive and households to access clean, reliable power,” said Dr. Martha Phiri, the Bank’s Acting Director of the Gender, Women and Civil Society Department.
About 250 kilometers north of Hoima in the city of Aura, training graduate Gloria Dunia sources coal-efficient stoves from a massive container, then carries them to her roadside stand to sell to passersby.
“I have been trained on customer service and entrepreneurship, and this has greatly helped me,” Dunia said.
Overall, the project supported communities in 14 districts across Uganda and 16 counties in Kenya on how to transition to low-carbon development and to scale up climate finance across through the promotion of jobs from micro, medium and small enterprises in the sustainable energy sector.
The Africa Climate Change Fund also noted the project strengthens the financial service provider capacity to deliver sustainable energy finance as well as improve availability and accessibility of energy products for communities.
Maria Ossola, the project coordinator with the AVSI Foundation, said that the project permitted them to discover the key role that entrepreneurs and the private sector plays in promoting clean energy.
“Through the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project, we gained invaluable knowledge about the critical importance of private sector partnerships in achieving universal access to clean energy. We invite like-minded companies and financial institutions to join us in advancing this mission,” said Ossola.
Clean cooking is one of the African Development Bank Group’s priority areas. In May 2024, the Bank pledged $2 billion over 10 years towards clean cooking solutions in Africa – a move towards saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children estimated who die each year from the effects of secondary smoke from partial combustion of biomass, fuel wood and charcoal.
The Bank is also a key organizer of The Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, scheduled for 27 and 28 January in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It will bring together cross-sector leaders, decision makers in the public and private sector sharing a passion for boosting access to electricity to more homes and businesses across Africa.
The Government of Tanzania is hosting the event in partnership with the African Union, the African Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group. At this two-day summit, government officials, business leaders, funders, and community organizations will chart a path towards Mission 300’s ambitious goal of bringing power to 300 millions Africans by 2030.
Source: African Development Bank Group Across Africa, nearly 600 million people live in energy poverty, deprived of reliable access to electricity—a fundamental prerequisite for modern life. This staggering statistic represents more than just a lack of power. Significantly, it translates to limited opportunities for education, healthcare, gender equality, and…
Considerable progress has been made to restore services following Storm Éowyn but some impacts are set to continue, a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) chaired by the First Minister has heard.
Extensive work by utility companies, national agencies and local authorities has continued at pace over the weekend to respond to the significant damage caused by the storm.
More than 265,000 customers have had their electricity restored since Friday, with the road, ferry and aviation networks resuming a near normal service.
The scale, extent and severity of the storm has made the recovery operation a significant challenge, with issues remaining on the power and rail networks.
There are around 16,000 properties without electricity, with utility companies continuing to provide support to affected customers.
The rail network is recovering from multiple, major issues particularly in the Central Belt. Network Rail are working to repair the damage, with lines opening when safe to do so, enabling ScotRail to run services as soon as they are able.
While most schools are expected to reopen following the weekend, damage to some buildings will mean at least 20 will remain closed until repairs are made.
First Minister John Swinney said:
“I want to thank those working in the public, private and third sector who continue to work tirelessly in difficult conditions to get Scotland fully back on its feet following this extremely serious storm.
“I also appreciate the continued patience of the public while this work continues, and encourage them to take extra care and look out for each other, particularly those who are supporting vulnerable neighbours and family members.
“The severity of the damage caused by this major event has had a considerable impact across a wide area of the country. While every effort has been made over the weekend to fully restore services, unfortunately it is clear some disruption can continue to be expected.
“Utility companies are doing all they can to return power to the remaining affected properties as soon as possible. They continue to provide support to customers, including ensuring provisions are in place for the most vulnerable.
“Network Rail has been dealing with more than 500 incidents, including significant treefall, and some routes are still affected, particularly in the Central Belt. I understand that every possible resource is being used to ensure services are up and running as soon as possible.
“I would therefore urge rail commuters to plan their journeys ahead. The latest information can be found on Network Rail and ScotRail social media accounts and websites.
“While most schools will reopen, a small number are expected to be closed so buildings can be made safe. I expect Local Authorities to be giving advance warning to parents, pupils and staff, where this is necessary.”
Background
SGoRR was attended by Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Contance, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, Rural Affairs and Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon, Acting Net Zero and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs Culture Angus Robertson and Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners.
The latest Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website.
Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website.
Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online.
To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on the SP Energy Website.
During a power cut firefighters can be called to fires started by candles or portable heaters. For advice on how to stay safe during a power cut visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Website.
A swimmer was airlifted to Adelaide after being struck by a boat in the River Murray at Mannum last night.
Emergency services raced to Mannum just before 7pm on Sunday 26 January after reports a boat had collided with a swimmer.
The 20-year-old Mannum woman was taken to the local hospital before being airlifted to Adelaide with serious injuries.
The driver of the boat, a 43-year-old West Lakes Shore woman, was arrested and charged with cause harm by dangerous use of a vessel, operate vessel without due care and operate vessel with prescribed concentration of alcohol – after she allegedly returned a positive reading of 0.142. She was refused police bail and will appear in the Murray Bridge Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Investigations are continuing. Anyone who witnessed this incident or has footage that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or 1800 333 000.
Heard of the “singles tax”? Going it alone can also come with a hidden financial burden you may not be aware of.
Obviously, this isn’t an official levy paid to anyone in particular. It simply refers to the higher costs single people face compared to couples or families.
Single-person households have been on the rise in Australia. It’s projected they’ll account for up to 28% of all households in 2046.
People are marrying later, divorce rates remain high and an ageing population means more people live alone in older age. Many people also make a conscious decision to remain single, seeing it as a sign of independence and empowerment.
This is part of a global trend, with singledom increasing in Europe, North America and Asia.
So, how does the singles tax work – and is it worse for some groups than others? What, if anything, can we do about it?
Why does being single cost more?
One of the biggest drivers of the singles tax is the inability to split important everyday costs. For example, a single person renting a one-bedroom apartment has to bear the full cost, while a couple sharing it can split the rent.
Being single can mean not being being able to split living costs like groceries. Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock
Singles often miss out on the savings from bulk grocery purchases, as larger households consume more and can take better advantage of these deals.
Fixed costs for a house like electricity, water and internet bills often don’t increase by much when you add an extra user or two. Living alone means you pay more.
These are all examples of how couples benefit from economies of scale – the cost advantage that comes from sharing fixed or semi-fixed expenses – simply by living together.
My calculations, based on the most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), show that singles spend about 3% more per person on goods and services compared to couples.
Compared to couples with children, single parents spend about 19% more per person. While government support mechanisms such as the child care subsidy exist, many single parents find them insufficient, especially if they work irregular hours.
Beyond the essentials
The singles tax extends beyond our “essential needs” and into the costs of travel, socialising and entertainment.
Solo travellers, for example, may encounter something called a “single supplement” – an extra fee charged for utilising an accommodation or travel product designed for two people.
Streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify offer family plans at slightly higher prices than individual ones, making them more cost-effective for larger households.
Couples and families can easily split fixed costs, such as streaming subscriptions. Vantage_DS/Shutterstock
A global phenomenon
Reports from around the world paint a similar picture.
In the United States, research by real estate marketplace Zillow found singles pay on average US$7,000 ($A11,100) more annually for housing, compared to those sharing a two-bedroom apartment.
In the United States, for example, tax policies intended to alleviate poverty often exclude childless adults, disproportionately taxing them into poverty.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) reduces tax liabilities by providing refundable credits to low-income workers. It’s had some significant benefits for families, but offers minimal support to single, childless individuals.
Many tax structures disadvantage single-person households. WPixz/Shutterstock
As economist Patricia Apps argues, tax and transfer policies often fail to account for the complexities of household income distribution.
These systems favour traditional family structures by providing benefits like spousal offsets or joint income tax breaks. Single individuals and single-parent households are left bearing a disproportionate financial burden.
Who is affected the most?
The singles tax disproportionately impacts women, who are more likely to live alone than men.
This can compound existing financial pressures such as the gender pay gap, taking career breaks, and societal expectations leaving them with lower retirement savings.
And it can seriously exacerbate financial pressures on single mothers. Many rely on child support payments, which are often inconsistent or inefficient, leaving them financially vulnerable.
Working part-time or in casual roles due to caregiving responsibilities further limits their earning potential.
Alarmingly, men are disproportionately represented among the homeless population, making up 55.9% of people experiencing homelessness, and single men have a higher risk of premature death.
Growing recognition
While the singles tax highlights big systemic inequities, there are signs the issue is receiving more attention.
Similarly, efforts to address homelessness have gained momentum, with increased attention to advocacy and services for single men facing housing insecurity.
There is also the potential to design tax systems to reduce these inequities. Tax systems that treat individuals as economic units, instead of basing benefits on household structures, could mitigate the singles tax and create a fairer system for all.
Nothing to disclose.
Sarah Sinclair 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.
Year 12 is arguably the most important year of school. It is full of exams, milestones and decisions.
It is both the culmination of formal learning and the gateway to what lies beyond. It is an end and beginning all in one.
Unsurprisingly, many Year 12s find it to be a demanding and stressful time. So, what mindsets and habits can you set up now to give yourself the stamina and support you need for the year ahead?
Put your exams in context
The academic focus of Year 12 is an obvious source of stress for many students. While this is natural, there are many things you can do to put all the assignments and assessments in context.
Remember Year 12 should always be framed as preparing students for life after school. It is about working out where you want to go – be it further study or work – and then keeping open as many possible pathways to get you there.
While students might have a particular career goal in mind, there are always many options and they don’t all hinge entirely on your ATAR.
Know what the entrance requirements are for your preferred option (such as getting into a particular course at university), but also research other pathways if you don’t get your desired grades or preferences.
There are always alternative ways into your dream course or field of study. A TAFE diploma can unlock entrance to a bachelor’s degree and a bachelor of arts can open entry into postgraduate law. Many universities also offer early entry schemes that don’t rely on Year 12 grades or ATAR rankings.
Most of all, try to avoid thinking there is only one right path. It is about finding the right path for you at this point in time.
While study is going to play a large role this year, it is important to make time for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. This will help give you stamina to face your study workload and the other demands of the year.
For example, playing sport or making art can help to enhance cognition, reduce stress and improve self-confidence.
Work out a schedule that allows time for study, rest and the things you enjoy. This could also include catch-ups with friends, walking your dog or cooking dinner with your family.
Remember that it is recommended teenagers get 8-10 hours of sleep per day. If you don’t get enough sleep, it makes it harder to think, learn and regulate your emotions.
And while it might be unpopular, it is also important to avoid excessive screen time. This can also help your sleep and decrease stress.
Create habits that can make you less reactive to technology. For example, put your phone on “do not disturb” mode when you are studying, and try to avoid screens at least an hour before bed.
Time with a furry friend can help as you manage the demands of Year 12. Samson Katt/ Pexels, CC BY
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
This may be from teachers or school guidance officers, or it may be from parents, older siblings or friends. Reach out to trusted people early if you are worried or anxious, and support your fellow Year 12s to do the same.
This might be difficulty concentrating, inability to sleep or significant changes in mood and behaviour. Seeking help early can help avoid these issues escalating.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
Steven Lewis receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Rowley, Honorary Associate Professor, The Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Within hours of taking office last week, President Donald Trump made good on his pledges to wind back the United States’ climate action – including withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement.
This political show comes barely a week after 2024 was revealed as the world’s hottest year and following the catastrophic Los Angeles fires. The fires directly killed 20 people; potentially many more will die from toxic smoke and other after-effects.
The science is clear: achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is humanity’s only hope of achieving some measure of climate security. It’s time to think deeply on our chances of getting there.
Here, I outline a few reasons for pessimism, and for hope.
Reasons for pessimism
1. The data doesn’t lie
The landmark Paris Agreement, signed by 196 nations in 2015, aimed to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Achieving that requires reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century.
Yet nearly a decade after the agreement, global emissions continue to rise. The Global Carbon Budget estimates a record-high 37.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ was emitted last year.
And 2024 was not just the hottest year on record – it was the first year to exceed the 1.5°C temperature threshold.
It’s not too late to change trajectory. But sadly, the data show the bathtub is fast filling, and the tap is still running hard.
2. Renewable energy rollout is too slow
Renewable energy deployment is increasing and the price is falling. But it’s not happening fast enough.
According to the International Energy Agency, clean energy investment must more than double this decade if the net-zero goal is to be reached by 2050. In particular, clean energy investment in developing countries must increase significantly.
Richer nations – which are largely responsible for the stock of emissions in the atmosphere driving the climate problem – are failing to help developing countries make the clean energy shift. At the COP29 climate talks in Baku last year, developed nations agreed to give only US$300 billion (A$474 billion) a year in climate finance to developing countries by 2035. It is nowhere near enough.
Richer nations have not provided the funds the developing world needs to make the clean energy shift. PradeepGaurs/Shutterstock
3. The net-zero smokescreen
Net-zero emissions is not the same as zero emissions. It allows some industries to keep polluting, if equivalent emissions are removed from the atmosphere elsewhere to keep the balance at zero.
This means nations that are purportedly committed to the net-zero goal can continue with business as usual, or worse.
In 2023, for example, then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced 100 new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, saying it was “entirely consistent” with his government’s net-zero goal. The same logic has allowed Australia’s environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, to approve new coal mines.
Both decisions came from governments that have pledged commitment to reaching net-zero – yet both are clearly making the goal harder to achieve.
These are just a few of the reasons to feel pessimistic about getting to net-zero – there are many more.
The International Energy Agency projects global renewable capacity will increase by more than 5,520 gigawatts between 2024 and 2030. This is 2.6 times more than the deployment over the six years to 2023.
The growth in rooftop solar is expected to more than triple, as equipment costs decline and social acceptance increases.
Global support for the net-zero goal is significant. According to Net Zero Tracker, 147 of 198 countries have set a net-zero target. Some 1,176 of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies by revenue have also adopted it.
Without seeing the plans, numbers, laws, regulations and investments required to achieve these ambitions, one should be sceptical – but not cynical.
3. Tech innovation and climate response are in lock-step
Twenty-five years ago, smartphones did not exist, email was new and we “surfed” a new thing called the worldwide web with a slow dial-up modem.
Similarly, our technologies will look very different 25 years from now – and many developments will ultimately help deliver the net-zero goal.
Smart electricity grids, for example, use digital technologies, sensors and software to precisely meet the demand of electricity users – making the system more efficient and reducing carbon emissions.
Already, we can use smart meters to monitor electricity generation from our roofs to our cars and home batteries. This allows zero-emissions electricity to both be used and sold back to the grid.
Tech innovation is not confined to the electricity sector. As Australia’s Climate Change Authority has stated, technology offers pathways to reduce emissions across the economy – in transport, agriculture, industry and more.
We already have the means to monitor electricity generation and use at home. aslysun/Shutterstock
4. Human talent and capacity
Many of humanity’s best minds are now focused on reducing climate risk.
Climate change mitigation is attracting remarkable professionals in roles unimaginable 25 years ago – from engineers developing breakthrough renewable technologies to financial experts designing green investment products, policy specialists crafting new regulations, and climate scientists refining our understanding of climate risk.
The fact that humans caused climate change is an enabling truth: we also have the capacity to make decisions to address the problem.
Our choices today will make a difference. It will be a bumpy road – but to achieve some measure of climate security, net-zero is a goal we must achieve.
Nick Rowley 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.
Some communities are “GP deserts”, where there are too few GPs to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it. These communities are typically sicker and poorer than the rest of Australia, but receive less care and face higher fees.
At the 2025 federal election, all parties should commit to changing that. The next government – whether Labor or Coalition, majority or minority – should set a minimum level of access to GP care, and fund local schemes to fill the worst gaps.
People in GP deserts miss out on care
About half a million Australians live in GP deserts. These are communities in the bottom 5% for GP services per person. Most GP deserts are in remote Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and some are in Canberra.
People in GP deserts receive 40% fewer GP services than the national average. This means less of the essential check-ups, screening and medication management GPs provide.
Nurses and Aboriginal health workers help plug some of the gap, but even then GP deserts aren’t close to catching up to other areas.
And some people miss out altogether. Last year, 8% of people older than 65 in these areas didn’t see the GP at all, compared to less than 1% in the rest of the country.
Poorer and sicker places miss out, year after year
GP deserts are in the worst possible places. These communities are typically sicker and poorer, so they should be getting more care than the rest of Australia, not less.
People in GP deserts are almost twice more likely to go to hospital for a condition that might have been avoided with good primary care, or to die from an avoidable cause.
Most GP deserts are in the bottom 40% for wealth, yet pay more for care. Patients in GP deserts are bulk billed six percentage points less than the national average.
These communities miss out year after year. While rises and falls in national bulk billing rates get headlines, the persistent gaps in GP care are ignored. The same communities have languished well below the national average for more than a decade.
Policies to boost rural primary care don’t go far enough
Most GP deserts are rural, so recent policies to boost rural primary care could help a bit.
Older people in GP deserts are much less likely to see a GP than their peers in other parts of the country. Theera Disayarat/Shutterstock
New rural medical schools and programs should help boost rural GP supply, since students who come from, and train in, rural areas are more likely to work in them. A “rural generalist” pathway recognises GPs who have trained in an additional skill, such as obstetrics or mental health services.
But broad-based rural policies are not enough. Not all rural areas are GP deserts, and not all GP deserts are rural. Australia also needs more tailored approaches.
Local schemes can work
Some communities have taken matters into their own hands.
In Triabunna on Tasmania’s east coast, a retirement in 2020 saw residents left with only one GP, forcing people to travel to other areas for care, sometimes for well over an hour. This was a problem for other towns in the region too, such as Swansea and Bicheno, as well as much of rural Tasmania.
In desperation, the local council has introduced a A$90 medical levy to help fund new clinics. It’s also trialling a new multidisciplinary care approach, bringing together many different health practitioners to provide care at a single contact point and reduce pressure on GPs. Residents get more care and spend less time and effort coordinating individual appointments.
Murrumbidgee in New South Wales has taken a different approach. There, trainee doctors retain a single employer throughout their placements. That means they can work across the region, in clinics funded by the federal government and hospitals managed by the state government, without losing employment benefits. That helps trainees to stay closely connected to their communities and their patients. Murrumbidgee’s success has inspired similar trials in other parts of NSW, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
These are promising approaches, but they put the burden on communities to piece together funding to plug holes. Without secure funding, these fixes will remain piecemeal and precarious, and risk a bidding war to attract GPs, which would leave poorer communities behind.
Australia should guarantee a minimum level of GP care
The federal government should guarantee a minimum level of general practice for all communities. If services funded by Medicare and other sources stay below that level for years, funding should automatically become available to bridge the gap.
The federal and state governments should be accountable for fixing GP deserts. These regions typically have small populations, few clinicians, and limited infrastructure. So governments must work together to make the best use of scarce resources.
Some states have introduced schemes where doctors can work in a range of locations. Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock
Funding must be flexible, because every GP desert is different. Sometimes the solution may be as simple as helping an existing clinic hire extra staff. Other communities may want to set up a new clinic, or introduce telehealth for routine check-ups. There is no lack of ideas about how to close gaps in care, the problem lies in funding them.
Lifting all GP deserts to the top of the desert threshold – or guaranteeing at least 4.5 GP services per person per year, adjusted for age, would cost the federal government at least A$30 million a year in Medicare payments.
Providing extra services in GP deserts will be more expensive than average. But even if the cost was doubled or tripled, it would still be only a fraction of the billions of dollars of extra incentives GPs are getting to bulk bill – and it would transform the communities that need help the most.
GP deserts didn’t appear overnight. Successive governments have left some communities with too little primary care. The looming federal election gives every party the opportunity to make amends.
If they do, the next term of government could see GP deserts eliminated for good.
Peter Breadon and Wendy Hu do 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. Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Maher, Lecturer in Politics, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
Elon Musk has emerged as one of the most influential and controversial powerbrokers in the new Trump administration. He spent at least US$277 million (about A$360 million) of his own money to help Donald Trump win re-election, campaigning alongside him around the country.
This significant investment of time and money raises the question of what the world’s wealthiest person hopes to receive in return. Critics have wondered whether Musk’s support for Trump is just a straightforward commercial transaction, with Musk expecting to receive political favours.
Or does it reflect Musk’s own genuinely held political views, and perhaps personal political ambition?
From left to alt-right
Decoding Musk’s political views and tracking how they have changed over time is a complex exercise. He’s hard to pin down, largely by design.
Musk’s current X feed, for example, is a bewildering mix of far-right conspiracy theories about immigration, clips of neoliberal economist Milton Friedman warning about the dangers of inflation, and advertisements for Tesla.
Historically, Musk professes to have been a left libertarian. He says he voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
Musk claims that over time, the Democratic party has moved further to the left, leaving him feeling closer politically to the Republican party.
Key to Musk’s political shift, at least by his own account, is his estrangement from his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson.
After Vivian’s transition, Musk claimed she was “dead, killed by the woke mind virus”. She is very much alive.
He’s since repeatedly signalled his opposition to transgender rights and gender-affirming care, and diversity, equity and inclusion policies more broadly.
However, if the mere existence of a trans person in his family was enough to cause a political meltdown, Musk was clearly already on a trajectory towards far-right politics.
Rather than responding to a shift in the Democratic Party, it makes more sense to understand Musk’s changing politics as part of a much broader recent phenomenon known as as “the libertarian to alt-right pipeline”.
The political science, explained
Libertarianism has historically tended to be divided between left-wing and right-wing forms.
Left libertarians support economic policies of limited government, such as cutting taxes and social spending, and deregulation more broadly. This is combined with progressive social policies, such as marriage equality and drug decriminalisation.
By contrast, right libertarians support the same set of economic policies, but hold conservative social views, such as opposing abortion rights and celebrating patriotism.
Historically, the Libertarian Party in the United States adopted an awkward middle ground between the two poles.
The past decade, though, has seen the Libertarian Party, and libertarianism more generally, move strongly to the right. In particular, many libertarians have played leading roles in the alt-right movement.
The alt-right or “alternative right” refers to the recent resurgence of far-right political movements opposing multiculturalism, gender equality and diversity, and supporting white nationalism.
The alt-right is a very online movement, with its leading activists renowned for internet trolling and “edgelording” – that is, the posting of controversial and confronting content to deliberately stoke controversy and attract attention.
Though some libertarians have resisted the pull of the alt-right, many have been swept along the pipeline, including prominent leaders in the movement.
Making sense of Musk
While this discussion of theory may seem abstract, it helps to understand what Musk’s values are (beneath the chaotic tweets and Nazi salutes).
In economic terms, Musk remains a limited-government libertarian. He advocates cutting government spending, reducing taxes and repealing regulation – especially regulations that put limits on his businesses.
His formal role in the Trump administration as head of the “Department of Government Efficiency”, also known as DOGE, is targeted at these goals.
Musk has suggested that in cutting government spending, he will particularly target diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This is the alt-right influence on display.
Alt-right sensibilities are most evident, however, in Musk’s online persona.
On X, Musk has deliberately stoked controversy by boosting and engaging with white nationalists and racist conspiracy theories.
For example, he has favourably engaged with far-right politicians advocating for the antisemitic “Great Replacement theory”. This theory claims Jews are encouraging mass migration to the global north as part of a deliberate plot to eliminate the white race.
More recently, Musk has endorsed the far-right in Germany. He’s also shared videos from known white supremacists outlining the racist “Muslim grooming gangs” conspiracy theory in the United Kingdom.
Whether Musk actually believes these outlandish racist conspiracy theories is, in many ways, irrelevant.
Rather, Musk’s public statements are better understood as reflecting philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s famous definition of “bullshit”. For Frankfurt, “bullshit” refers to statements made to impress or provoke in which the speaker is simply not concerned with whether the statement is actually true.
Much of Musk’s online persona is part of a deliberate alt-right populist strategy to stoke controversy, upset “the left”, and then claim to be a persecuted victim when criticised.
Theory vs practice
Though Musk’s public statements might fit nicely into contemporary libertarianism, there are always contradictions when putting ideology into practice.
For example, despite Musk’s oft-stated preference for limited government, it’s well documented that his companies have received extensive subsidies and support from various governments.
Musk will expect this special treatment to continue under a quintessentially transactional president such as Trump.
The vexed issue of immigration also presents some contradictions.
Across the campaign, both Musk and Trump repeatedly criticised immigration to the US. Reprising the themes of the far-right Great Replacement theory, Musk claimed illegal immigration was a deliberate plot by Democrats to “replace” the existing electorate with “compliant illegals”.
However, after the election Musk has argued Trump should preserve categories of skilled migration such as the H1-B visas. This angered more explicit white supremacists, such as Trump advisor Laura Loomer.
Musk’s motives in arguing for the visas are not humanitarian. H1-B visas allow temporary workers to enter the country for up to six years, making them entirely dependent on the sponsoring company. It’s a situation some have called “indentured servitude”.
These visas have been used heavily in the technology sector, including in companies owned by both Musk and Trump.
An unsteady alliance
So what might we expect from Musk now that he has both political office and influence?
Musk’s stated aim of using DOGE to cut $2 trillion from the US budget would represent an unprecedented transformation of government. It also seems highly unlikely.
Instead, expect Musk to focus on creating controversy by cutting DEI initiatives and other politically sensitive programs, such as support for women’s reproductive rights.
Musk will clearly use his political influence to look after the interests of his companies. Shares in Tesla surged to record highs following Trump’s re-election, suggesting investors believe Musk will be a major financial beneficiary of the second Trump administration.
Finally, Musk will undoubtedly use his new position to remain in the public eye. This last part might lead Musk into conflict with another expert in shaping the media cycle – Trump himself.
Musk has already reportedly fallen out with Vivek Ramaswamy, who will now no longer co-lead DOGE with Musk.
Exactly how stable the alliance between Trump and Musk is, and whether the egos and interests of the two billionaires can continue to coexist, remains to be seen.
If the alliance persists, it will be a key factor in shaping what many are terming the emergence of a “new gilded age” of political corruption and soaring inequality.
Henry Maher 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.
Regular reviews are also required. In 2023, for example, Elon Musk’s X updated its privacy policy to include the possibility of collecting biometric data.
For these reasons, some privacy scholars have argued that it’s nearly impossible for us to properly manage how our personal data are collected and used online.
But even though it might be hard to imagine, we can regain control over our data. Here are three possible reforms to online privacy policies that could help.
1. Visuals-based privacy policies
One way to shorten privacy policies is by replacing some text with visuals.
There is evidence that suggests this promotes transparency and helps users understand the contents of a policy.
Could visuals work with online privacy policies? I think companies should try. Visuals could not only shorten online privacy policies, but also make them more intelligible.
2. Automated consent
Adding visuals won’t solve all the problems with privacy policies, as there would still be too many to go through. Another idea is to automate consent. This essentially means getting software to consent for us.
One example of this software, currently being developed at Carnegie Melon
University in the United States, is personalised privacy assistants. The software promises to:
learn our preferences and help us more effectively manage our privacy settings across a wide range of devices and environments without the need for frequent interruption.
In the future, instead of reading through hundreds of polices, you might simply configure your privacy settings once and then leave the accepting or rejecting of polices up to software.
The software could raise any red flags and make sure that your personal data are being collected and used only in ways that align with your preferences.
The technology does, however, raise a series of ethical and legal issues that will need to be wrestled with before widespread adoption.
For example, who would be liable if the software made a mistake and shared your data in a way that harmed you? Furthermore, privacy assistants would need their own privacy policies. Could users easily review them, and also track or review decisions the assistants made, in a way that was not overwhelming?
3. Ethics review
These techniques may have limited success, however, if the privacy policies themselves fail to offer user choices or are deceptive.
A recent study found that some of the top fertility apps had deceptive privacy policies. And in 2022, the Federal Court of Australia fined Google for misleading people about how it used personal data.
If a policy was found to be misleading, lacked transparency, or simply failed to offer users meaningful options, then it would fail to get approval.
Would this really work? And who would be included in the ethics committee? Further, why would companies subject their policies to external review, if they were not required to do so by law?
These are difficult questions to answer. But companies who did subject their polices to review could build trust with users.
In 2022, the Federal Court of Australia fine Google for misleading people about how it used personal data. JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
Testing the alternatives
In 2024, Choice revealed that several prominent car brands, such as Tesla, Kia, and Hyundai, collect people’s driving data and sell it to third-party companies. Many people who drove these cars were not aware of this.
How might the above ideas help?
First, if privacy polices had visuals, data collection and use practices could be explained to users in easier-to-understand ways.
Second, if automated consent software was being used, and users had a choice, the sharing of such driving data could be blocked in advance, without users even having to read the policy, if that was what they preferred. Ideally, users could pre-configure their privacy preferences, and the software could do the rest. For example, automated consent software could indicate to companies that users do not give consent for their driving data to be sold for advertising purposes.
Third, an ethics review committee may suggest that users should be given a choice about whether to share driving data, and that the policy should be transparent and easy to understand.
Some car companies, such as Tesla, collect people’s driving data and sell it to third-party companies. Jure Divich/Shutterstock
Benefits of being transparent
Recent reforms to privacy laws in Australia are a good start. These reforms promise to give Australians a legal right to take action over serious privacy violations, and have a greater focus on protecting children online.
But many of the ways of empowering users will require companies to go beyond what is legally required.
One of the biggest challenges will be motivating companies to want to change.
It is important to keep in mind there are benefits of being transparent with users. It can help build trust and reputation. And in an era where consumers have become more privacy conscious, here lies an opportunity for companies to get ahead of the game.
Adam Andreotta 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.
Joint Statement by Nordic Baltic Foreign Ministers on Belarus, 26 January 2025.
The Nordic-Baltic countries support the statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on support to the Belarusian people.
The Nordic-Baltic countries stand in solidarity with the Belarusian people who strive for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus. A future democratic Belarus has a place in the European family. Our countries will continue to support the tireless efforts of the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and independent Belarusian civil society both inside and outside Belarus.
The Nordic-Baltic countries continue to support the democratic right of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders through free and fair elections. This requires rule of law, political pluralism, and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms as genuine democratic preconditions. None of this is, regretfully, observed in today’s Belarus. Instead, the relentless and unprecedented level of repression, including arbitrary detention and torture, mass human rights violations, severe restrictions to political participation for opponents of the regime and highly restricted access to independent media have deprived the process that took place today of any legitimacy. This is also reflected in the decision of the Belarus’ authorities to invite the OSCE ODIHR mission only 10 days beforehand.
The Nordic-Baltic countries strongly urge the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, and their effective rehabilitation. Aliaksandr Lukashenka continues to lack any democratic legitimacy.
A debris flow channel in a severely burned watershed in Idaho.Amirhossein Montazeri/Boise State University, CC BY-ND
While firefighters work to extinguish the Los Angeles-area wildfires, city officials and emergency managers are also worried about what could come next.
Light rain began falling on Jan. 25, 2025, helping firefighters who have been battling fires for nearly three weeks, but rain can also trigger dangerous floods and debris flows on burned hillslopes. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the burned areas through Jan. 27.
What causes these debris flows, sometimes called mudflows, and why are they so common and dangerous after a fire? I am a geologist whose research focuses on pyrogeomorphology, which is how fire affects the land. Here’s what we know.
How debris flows begin
When severe fires burn hillslopes, the high heat from the fires, sometimes exceeding 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius), completely destroys trees, shrubs, grass and structures, leaving behind a moonscape of gray ash. Not only that, the heat of the fire actually burns and damages the soil, creating a water-repellent, or hydrophobic, layer.
What once was a vegetated hillslope, with leaves and trees to intercept rain and spongy soils to absorb water, is transformed into a barren landscape covered with ash, and burned soil where water cannot soak in.
When rain does fall on a burned area like this, water mixes with the ash, rocks and sediment to form a slurry. This slurry of debris then pours downhill in small gullies called rills, which then converge to form bigger and bigger rills, creating a torrent of sediment, water and debris rushing downhill. All this debris and water can transform small streams and usually dry gullies into a danger zone.
Because the concentration of sediment is so high, especially when there is a large amount of ash and clay, debris flows behave more like a slurry of wet cement than a normal stream. This fluid can pick up and move large boulders, cars, trees and other debris rapidly downhill.
In January 2018, a few weeks after the Thomas fire burned through the hills above Montecito, a storm triggered debris flows that killed 23 people and damaged at least 400 homes.
Fire and debris flow scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey use these variables to create models to predict the likelihood and possible hazards from postfire debris flows. They are already developing maps to help residents, emergency managers and city officials prepare and predict postfire debris flows in 2025 burn areas in Los Angeles.
The U.S. Geological Survey modeled debris flow risks after the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles. The map shows some of the highest-risk areas if hit by 15 minutes of rain falling at just under 1 inch (24 millimeters) per hour. USGS
Some of the triggers of debris flows are literally part of the landscape.
For example, the slope angle in a watershed and the amount of clay in the soil are important. Watersheds with gentle slopes – generally less than about 23 degrees – and a lack of clay and silt-sized particles are unlikely to produce debris flows.
Other key factors that contribute to postfire debris flows relate to the proportion of the watershed that is severely burned and the intensity and duration of the rainstorm event.
Early important research in the field of pyrogeomorphology demonstrated that while large, intense storms are more likely to cause large, intense debris flows, even small rainstorms can produce debris flows in burned areas.
Debris flows are becoming more common
A whopping 21.8 million Americans live within 3 miles of where a fire burned during the past two decades, and that population more than doubled from 2000 to 2019. A recent study from central and northern California indicates that nearly all the observed increases in area burned by wildfires in recent decades are due to human-caused climate change.
The warming climate is also increasing the likelihood of more extreme downpours. The amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold increases by about 7% per degree Celsius of warming, leading to more intense downpours, particularly from ocean storms. In California, scientists project increases in rainfall intensity of 18% will result in an overall 110% increase in the probability of major debris flows.
Jon Frye, of Santa Barbara Public Works, shows what happened in the January 2018 Montecito debris flow and why the risks to downslope communities would continue for several years. Source: County of Santa Barbara, 2018.
Studies using models of fire, climate and erosion rates estimate that the amount of sediment flowing downhill after fires will increase by more than 10% in nine out of every 10 watersheds in the western U.S.
Even without rain, debris on fire-damaged slopes can be unstable. A small slide in Pacific Palisades shortly after a fire burned through the area split a home in two. A phenomenon called “dry ravel” is a dominant form of hillslope erosion following wildfires in chaparral environments in Southern California
Preparing for debris flow risks
Research on charcoal pieces from ancient debris flows has shown fires and erosion have shaped Earth’s landscape for at least thousands of years. However, the rising risk of wildfires near populated areas and the potential for increasingly intense downpours mean a greater risk of damaging and potentially deadly debris flows.
As their populations expand, community planners need to be aware of those risks and prepare.
This article, originally published Jan. 23, 2025, has been updated with rainfall in Los Angeles.
Jen Pierce receives funding from the National Science Foundation and is the chair of the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology division of the Geological Society of America.
A debris flow channel in a severely burned watershed in Idaho.Amirhossein Montazeri/Boise State University, CC BY-ND
While firefighters work to extinguish the Los Angeles-area wildfires, city officials and emergency managers are also worried about what could come next.
Light rain began falling on Jan. 25, 2025, helping firefighters who have been battling fires for nearly three weeks, but rain can also trigger dangerous floods and debris flows on burned hillslopes. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the burned areas through Jan. 27.
What causes these debris flows, sometimes called mudflows, and why are they so common and dangerous after a fire? I am a geologist whose research focuses on pyrogeomorphology, which is how fire affects the land. Here’s what we know.
How debris flows begin
When severe fires burn hillslopes, the high heat from the fires, sometimes exceeding 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius), completely destroys trees, shrubs, grass and structures, leaving behind a moonscape of gray ash. Not only that, the heat of the fire actually burns and damages the soil, creating a water-repellent, or hydrophobic, layer.
What once was a vegetated hillslope, with leaves and trees to intercept rain and spongy soils to absorb water, is transformed into a barren landscape covered with ash, and burned soil where water cannot soak in.
When rain does fall on a burned area like this, water mixes with the ash, rocks and sediment to form a slurry. This slurry of debris then pours downhill in small gullies called rills, which then converge to form bigger and bigger rills, creating a torrent of sediment, water and debris rushing downhill. All this debris and water can transform small streams and usually dry gullies into a danger zone.
Because the concentration of sediment is so high, especially when there is a large amount of ash and clay, debris flows behave more like a slurry of wet cement than a normal stream. This fluid can pick up and move large boulders, cars, trees and other debris rapidly downhill.
In January 2018, a few weeks after the Thomas fire burned through the hills above Montecito, a storm triggered debris flows that killed 23 people and damaged at least 400 homes.
Fire and debris flow scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey use these variables to create models to predict the likelihood and possible hazards from postfire debris flows. They are already developing maps to help residents, emergency managers and city officials prepare and predict postfire debris flows in 2025 burn areas in Los Angeles.
The U.S. Geological Survey modeled debris flow risks after the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles. The map shows some of the highest-risk areas if hit by 15 minutes of rain falling at just under 1 inch (24 millimeters) per hour. USGS
Some of the triggers of debris flows are literally part of the landscape.
For example, the slope angle in a watershed and the amount of clay in the soil are important. Watersheds with gentle slopes – generally less than about 23 degrees – and a lack of clay and silt-sized particles are unlikely to produce debris flows.
Other key factors that contribute to postfire debris flows relate to the proportion of the watershed that is severely burned and the intensity and duration of the rainstorm event.
Early important research in the field of pyrogeomorphology demonstrated that while large, intense storms are more likely to cause large, intense debris flows, even small rainstorms can produce debris flows in burned areas.
Debris flows are becoming more common
A whopping 21.8 million Americans live within 3 miles of where a fire burned during the past two decades, and that population more than doubled from 2000 to 2019. A recent study from central and northern California indicates that nearly all the observed increases in area burned by wildfires in recent decades are due to human-caused climate change.
The warming climate is also increasing the likelihood of more extreme downpours. The amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold increases by about 7% per degree Celsius of warming, leading to more intense downpours, particularly from ocean storms. In California, scientists project increases in rainfall intensity of 18% will result in an overall 110% increase in the probability of major debris flows.
Jon Frye, of Santa Barbara Public Works, shows what happened in the January 2018 Montecito debris flow and why the risks to downslope communities would continue for several years. Source: County of Santa Barbara, 2018.
Studies using models of fire, climate and erosion rates estimate that the amount of sediment flowing downhill after fires will increase by more than 10% in nine out of every 10 watersheds in the western U.S.
Even without rain, debris on fire-damaged slopes can be unstable. A small slide in Pacific Palisades shortly after a fire burned through the area split a home in two. A phenomenon called “dry ravel” is a dominant form of hillslope erosion following wildfires in chaparral environments in Southern California
Preparing for debris flow risks
Research on charcoal pieces from ancient debris flows has shown fires and erosion have shaped Earth’s landscape for at least thousands of years. However, the rising risk of wildfires near populated areas and the potential for increasingly intense downpours mean a greater risk of damaging and potentially deadly debris flows.
As their populations expand, community planners need to be aware of those risks and prepare.
This article, originally published Jan. 23, 2025, has been updated with rainfall in Los Angeles.
Jen Pierce receives funding from the National Science Foundation and is the chair of the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology division of the Geological Society of America.
