Source: New South Wales Government 2
17 April 2025
This notice is relevant to importers of tomato and capsicum seed for sowing from all countries, as well as their custom brokers.
The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry have commenced a review of Australia’s policies for testing tomato and capsicum seed, initially focusing on Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and Tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV).
In the first phase of this…
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Death following Austins Ferry crash
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 3:47 pm.
Sadly, police can confirm a 13-year-old boy has died in Southern Tasmania.
The boy was a pillion passenger on a moped which crashed on Main Road at Austins Ferry on 11 April.
Following the crash the boy was taken to hospital in a critical condition and has since passed away.
Inspector Jason Klug said, “Our thoughts and condolences are with everyone affected by this young boy’s death.”
“To the teenagers in our community who are feeling the loss of their friend deeply, I encourage you to support each other and stay safe.”
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Man and woman charged with child abuse and online child exploitation offences
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 4:27 pm.
A man and a woman from North-West Coast have been charged with serious child abuse and online child exploitation offences following an investigation by the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET), a partnership between Tasmania Police and the Australian Federal Police.
On 18 February 2025, JACET officers executed a search warrant at a residence. During the search, investigators located child exploitation material on the man’s phone involving a young child known to both parties.
As a result of the investigation, the man has been charged with:
1. Possession, production and distribution of child exploitation material
2. Indecent assault
The woman has been charged with:
1. Possession, production and distribution of child exploitation material
2. Indecent assault
3. Penetrative sexual abuse of a young person (x2)
The man will appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court on 2 June 2025. The woman will appear in the Burnie Magistrates Court on 22 July 2025.
The child has been placed in alternative care and is receiving ongoing counselling and support services.
Reporting services:
This case represents some of the most confronting and abhorrent offending we investigate. It’s a stark reminder that child sexual abuse often occurs in places where children should feel safest, in their homes and among people they trust.
Police are committed to protecting children from harm and the partnership between AFP and Tasmania Police strengthens our capability to detect and disrupt offenders who betray the trust of the most vulnerable members of the community. We urge anyone with concerns or suspicions about child abuse, including online exploitation and grooming, to come forward.
How to report child abuse or online child exploitation:
1. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000
2. Contact Tasmania Police on 131 444
3. Contact Strong Families Safe Kids on 1800 000 123
4. Report anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au
5. Make an online report to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) at: https://www.accce.gov.au/report
Source: New South Wales Government 2
17 April 2025
All clients required to use the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned maintenance period.
All clients submitting the below declarations:
Source: New South Wales – News
South Australia Police (SAPOL), in collaboration with partner agencies, is urging visitors to Aldinga Beach to be aware of increased local sightings of a great white shark.
Representatives from SAPOL, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), Department for Environment and Water (DEW), Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT), and Surf Life Saving South Australia (SLSSA) met this week to discuss additional risk mitigation measures.
Currently, a fixed wing shark patrol is conducting routine flights between 9am and 5.30pm, which will sound a siren when a shark is sighted.
Coinciding with the Easter long weekend, SAPOL’s Water Operations Unit and all partner agencies will have increased water patrols across inland and coastal locations and will pay particular attention to the Aldinga Beach area.
“We want the public to enjoy our beautiful beaches, but to do so safely,” Senior Sergeant Andrew Suter from SAPOL’s Water Operations Unit said.
“While authorities are monitoring the loitering shark in the vicinity of Aldinga Beach, we encourage beachgoers to be vigilant and adhere to all rules and regulations when on the water.”
Dr Michael Drew, Research Scientist with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) said white sharks can unpredictably visit the near-shore coastal waters of South Australia at any time of year.
“The near-shore coastal marine environment is an important habitat for juvenile and sub-adult (<3-4m) white sharks as it provides access to preferred prey species, such as small-bodied sharks and rays, and larger fish species like Australian salmon and snapper,” he said.
Beachgoers are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and to avoid swimming near food sources like large schools of fish.
Swimmers should also consider not entering murky waters, deep channels, and areas next to deep water and river mouths.
SLSSA will continue stationing members at Aldinga Beach, and in addition to routine club patrol coverage, will have one jet rescue boat dedicated to patrolling the southern beaches over the Easter long weekend. A secondary jet rescue boat will be available on northern metropolitan beaches.
The southern SLSSA jet rescue boat will aim to provide coverage between 10am and 6pm.
Up-to-date hazard alert information for all South Australian beaches is available to the public via the BeachSafe platform: https://beachsafe.org.au.
BeachSafe is a nationally recognised tool that provides current information for every beach in Australia, including patrol services, hazards, and available facilities and weather conditions, swell, and tide information.
The platform is designed to assist the public in selecting the most suitable and safe location for their beach visit. Should SLSSA receive reports of shark sightings over the weekend, it will promptly update the relevant hazard alerts to the affected beaches via BeachSafe.
Additionally, PIRSA would like to remind the public that using blood, bone, meat, offal or animal skin (other than a fish, worm or insect) for berley is prohibited in SA waters and should be reported to the 24-hour Fishwatch hotline on 1800 065 522.
Fishers are advised that gear restrictions for metropolitan shark fishing apply from Outer Harbor to Lady Bay Shacks, south of Normanville. More information can be found at pir.sa.gov.au/fishing-sharks-rays or the Recreational Fishing App.
More information about reducing the risk of shark interactions is available at pir.sa.gov.au/reducing-shark-risks
For more information on boating rules and regulations, visit: South Australian boating safety handbook (marinesafety.sa.gov.au)
Report any suspicious behaviour to SAPOL by calling 131 444.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Lord Khan underscored the UK’s commitment to minority groups on a 3-day visit to Islamabad, including on visits to Faisal Mosque and St Joseph’s Cathedral.
He highlighted the UK’s work to establish over 1,000 community-led village forums, where communities come together to provide support to the most marginalised. These forums provide early interventions to resolve tensions before they escalate.
During his visit, Lord Khan met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister for Law and Human Rights Azam Tarar, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Government of Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora.
“This visit has been a wonderful reminder of the diversity across Pakistan, and the white in the flag representing religious minorities. Our close partnership is helping to keep both of our countries safe, tackling shared threats including climate change, serious crime and irregular migration.”
The Minister also spoke at the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention, an initiative by the Government of Pakistan to connect with overseas Pakistanis from nearly 60 countries. He reflected on his own personal deep connection with Pakistan, with heritage from Gujrat, and spoke about the importance of the 1.6 million Pakistani diaspora in the UK. He also noted the rich trading partnership, with over 200 British businesses operating in Pakistan.
For updates on the British High Commission, please follow our social media channels:
Source: China State Council Information Office
The Chinese embassy in Britain on Wednesday urged the British government to follow the principles of fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination in dealing with the issue of British Steel to make sure that the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in Britain are protected.
The anti-China rhetoric of some individual British politicians regarding the issue of British Steel is “extremely absurd,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Britain said in a statement.
The spokesperson made the remarks as several politicians attacked Chinese companies and the Chinese government following the British government’s recent takeover of British Steel from private Chinese enterprise Jingye Group, which has owned the company since 2020.
The attacks by some individual British politicians reflected “their arrogance, ignorance and twisted mindset,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson stressed that the Jingye Group is a private Chinese enterprise that makes business investments in Britain on the basis of market principles and conducts operation on its own.
British Steel had been losing money for many years before its acquisition by Jingye and actually went into compulsory liquidation in 2019, noted the spokesperson.
“After taking over, Jingye put in substantial funding to keep the company afloat to this day. Had it not been for the involvement of this Chinese company, British Steel workers might have already faced the risk of unemployment,” said the spokesperson.
It is understood that, under the British government’s net-zero strategy, steel companies that use iron ore to produce steel must achieve net-zero emissions by 2035. To that end, British steel companies including British Steel have all negotiated with the government to find a path to decarbonization transition. Among them, the Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales closed its blast furnace in July 2024.
“British Steel’s plan to close its blast furnaces and build electric arc furnaces is a normal decision, and it is understandable that the company conducted negotiations with the government on investment for the transition,” said the spokesperson.
Generally speaking, Chinese companies in Britain have operated in compliance with the law and achieved steady progress, and have made positive contributions to the local economy, the spokesperson said. According to statistics available, Chinese companies in Britain have contributed over 115 billion pounds (152.6 billion U.S. dollars) to the British economy and created nearly 60,000 jobs.
Any words or deeds that politicize or maliciously hype up business issues will undermine the confidence of Chinese business investors in Britain and damage China-Britain economic and trade cooperation, said the spokesperson.
“It is hoped that the British government will continue to engage in consultations and negotiations with Jingye to actively seek a solution acceptable to all parties,” said the spokesperson.
Source: New South Wales Government 2
17 April 2025
Biosecurity industry participants and accredited persons operating under Approved Arrangement Class 19, including self-reporting importers, who are interested in attending an information session on the upcoming release of new industry reporting via the Biosecurity Portal.
The department will soon provide two additional reports to industry through the Biosecurity Portal for all accredited persons…
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivien Holmes, Emerita Professor, Australian National University
No one goes into the legal profession thinking it is going to be easy. Long working hours are fairly standard, work is often completed to tight external deadlines, and 24/7 availability to clients is widely understood to be a norm, particularly in commercial and international practice.
But too often, the demands of law can create an unhealthy workplace environment. In 2021, the stress of high workloads, low job control, and risks of secondary trauma led SafeWork NSW to categorise legal work as “high risk” for fatigue hazards – putting it alongside night shift work, emergency services, and fly-in, fly-out roles.
To investigate this problem, we surveyed about 1,900 lawyers across Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia in March and April last year.
We asked them about their workplace culture and its impact on wellbeing, about their levels of psychological distress, and whether they had experienced disrespectful behaviours at work.
We also asked whether they intended to leave either their employer or the legal profession in the near future.
Their answers allowed us to identify the type of workplace culture that is harmful to lawyers’ wellbeing. Here’s why fixing this problem matters to us all.
Among the professionals we surveyed, about half found themselves in a workplace culture with negative effects on wellbeing.
A third of this group said their workplaces were characterised by poor working relationships, self-interest and pressure to cut corners or bend rules.
These poorer workplace cultures involved higher levels of psychological distress and more disrespectful behaviours from superiors and coworkers.
They were also characterised by a lack of effective wellbeing supports such as mental health leave arrangements or workload allocation practices.
Long working hours were common. More than half of participants (53%) said they worked more than 40 hours per week and 11% said they put in more than 60 hours.
About a third of the lawyers we surveyed wanted to quit their firm, while 10% planned to leave the profession, within a year.
Society can’t afford to ignore this problem. Lawyer wellbeing can directly affect the quality of legal services and may even lead to disciplinary action against individual lawyers. All of this can undermine public trust and confidence in the justice system.
We invited participants to explain why they intended to leave the profession. Their answers are telling.
One mid-career lawyer at a large firm said:
I am in my 11th year of practice working as a Senior Associate at a top-tier firm. To put it bluntly, the work rate at which I am currently operating, which is required to meet the billable targets and budgets set for us, cannot be sustained for my whole working life – it’s too much.
A small-firm junior lawyer talked of the workload issues described by many:
The pay is not worth the stress. I can’t sleep because I’m constantly worried about deadlines or making mistakes, and I got paid more when I was a bartender. I love the work, but it’s a very tough slog and damaging my own wellbeing – for what?
Our data showed junior lawyers take a lot of the pressure, reflected in higher-than-average levels of psychological distress. Equally concerning was the extent to which senior lawyers with practice management responsibilities also reported above average distress.
Our research also showed the challenges extended beyond private practice and into government, legal aid and corporate “in-house” settings.
As one mid-career legal aid lawyer put it:
Lack of debriefing and supports, lack of formal mentoring and supervision, mental health toll, high workload and poor workplace culture, lack of training and supports to deal with clients in crisis, [mean it’s] not [a] family-friendly profession.
There was also good news. Three themes stood out in the responses from the 48% who told us they worked in positive workplace cultures. This suggests where support should be targeted.
For nearly two thirds of our sample, having good colleagues was the most important wellbeing support. As one mid-career lawyer put it:
Informal support such as debriefing with colleagues has been most beneficial for me.
Good flexible working and (mental health) leave arrangements came across as the most important practical support employers could provide.
Good workload allocation practices – and a willingness from managers to “reach out to discuss work-life balance” – make a real difference to peoples’ experience.
The legal profession and its regulators have been engaging with the wellbeing problem for a while now. Our findings suggest there is still more to be done.
For the profession as a whole we felt that there was still a need to develop greater understanding of the specific wellbeing needs of both junior lawyers and those managing them, as these are the two groups experiencing the most distress.
Legal regulatory bodies should work to better understand how economic drivers of legal practice, such as high workloads and billing expectations, can have negative consequences for wellbeing, and whether any regulatory levers could lessen these impacts.
The authors would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of Stephen Tang, clinical psychologist, in undertaking data analysis and coauthoring the original report.
This research was supported by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner (VLSB+C), the Law Society of New South Wales, and the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia. Matched funding for the data analysis was provided by the VLSB+C and industry research seed funding from the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne.
– ref. ‘The pay is not worth the stress’: research finds 10% of lawyers plan to quit within a year – https://theconversation.com/the-pay-is-not-worth-the-stress-research-finds-10-of-lawyers-plan-to-quit-within-a-year-254699
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Youths charged in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 11:15 am.
Police have charged a 17-year-old from Bridgewater, and a 16-year-old from Herdsmans Cove, in relation to deliberately lit fires in Claremont on 10 March.
Police will allege the youths deliberately lit fires which damaged recycling facilities at Claremont Plaza, and the door of a Claremont hall.
They were bailed to appear before the Youth Justice Court at a later date.
Police thank members of the community for the witness information provided which assisted the investigations.
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Police call for egg-cellent driving this Easter
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:53 am.
Tasmania Police’s Easter road safety blitz, Operation Safe Arrival, begins today, running statewide throughout the Easter holiday period.
Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said dangerous driving behaviours remain the top priority for enforcement.
“Tasmania Police will be actively looking out for everyone on our roads this Easter, and we’re calling on motorists to behave egg-cellently,” he said.
“Easter in Tasmania means colder and wetter weather is on the horizon, more people are travelling on our roads, and extra caution is essential to prevent crashes.”
“As a driver, reduced visibility and slippery roads demand slower speeds and an increased awareness of what’s going on around you.”
Operation Safe Arrival will feature both high-visibility and covert patrols across Tasmania’s highways, main roads, rural routes, and back streets.
“Sometimes you’ll see us – and sometimes you won’t, as we use both overt and covert measures,” said Assistant Commissioner Bodnar.
“My message today isn’t a new one; keeping Tasmanian roads safe is a mission for the whole community.”
“Play your part by adapting your driving to match changing weather conditions, obey the road rules and report dangerous driving when you see it.”
“Anyone who witnesses dangerous driving behaviour should report it immediately to police on 131 444 to enable officers to respond in a timely way.”
“If it’s an emergency or life-threatening situation call Triple Zero (000).”
“If you can’t report it at the time but have footage, submit it to the police evidence portal online.”
The evidence portal can be found at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/report/
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Man charged with drug-related offences following search in Scottsdale
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:53 am.
A 51-year-old man has been charged with multiple drug-related offences including trafficking in a controlled substance following a search at a residence in Scottsdale on Tuesday afternoon.
During the search, Scottsdale Police allegedly located approximately 1.5 kilograms of cannabis in various forms.
The man will be proceeded against for trafficking in controlled substance, supplying controlled plant products, cultivating controlled plants, possessing controlled plant products and possessing things used for the administration of a controlled drugs.
He will appear in the Scottsdale Magistrates Court at a later date.
Anyone with information about illicit substance is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppers.com.au – information and be provided anonymously.
Source: Australia Safe Travel Advisories
16/04/2025
Issued: 16 April 2025
The Easter long weekend is expected to start off with warm weather across most of Australia but throughout the 4-days, a cold front is likely to cross the south.
The cold front will be moving across southern Western Australia on Friday, before reaching the south-east from Sunday, leading to lower than average temperatures across the southern states.
Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines said while conditions could still change, early forecasts allow Australians to start planning their Easter weekend.
“There will be a distinct change in the weather for the southern states during the long weekend as hot, dry and sunny weather shifts to cool, cloudy conditions with patchy showers and the outside chance of thunderstorms,” Mr. Hines said.
“Southern Western Australia will already be feeling the cooler winds by Friday, but for South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, it’s likely to be Sunday when the weather shifts, while New South Wales and ACT hold onto the sunny and hot conditions until Monday.”
“Rainfall from this passing weather system will be quite patchy during Easter, and on the whole, the rainfall totals will be low.”
A deep low pressure system in the Tasman Sea will also generate large and powerful surf and swell across the New South Wales coast and offshore islands, including Norfolk and Lord Howe Island.
“This low pressure system is very powerful, although it’s a long way offshore. This low will not impact our weather directly but will generate some very large, powerful waves for eastern Australia,” Mr. Hines said.
“These waves will build on Thursday and stay high until Saturday. Coastal hazard and hazardous surf warnings are likely to be issued. Given the fine and hot forecast for the east coast during Friday and Saturday, the community needs to be aware of the dangerous coastal conditions.”
In the west, heavy rain is possible for the northern Western Australia coast if the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Errol move onshore.
“From Thursday, Tropical Cyclone Errol could steer south-eastwards back towards the coast. While it is forecast to weaken, while doing so, it may bring impacts such as heavy rain, thunderstorms and damaging wind to parts of the Kimberley and Eastern Pilbara over the weekend.”
The Easter weekend will be warm across most of the Northern Territory, with some cooler than average conditions pushing into the far south from Easter Sunday.
“While the Top End will be mostly dry through Easter, patchy rain is possible through parts of the western districts as moisture pushes in from the Kimberley.”
While a sunny and dry Easter is expected across Queensland, widespread major flooding continues for south-west Queensland, north-east South Australia and northern New South Wales.
“Significant flooding is likely to continue for weeks to come, as floodwaters move slowly downstream.”
Keep up to date with the latest weather warnings and forecasts over the Easter long weekend on the Bureau’s website www.bom.gov.au or via the BOM weather app.
If you are travelling these school holidays, be sure to enable notifications for your chosen locations in the BOM Weather app.
To hear a state and territory breakdown audio news release with Bureau Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines, click here.
Check the forecasts for your area on the Bureau website:
[ENDS]
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
Ulumbarra Theatre marks a significant milestone today celebrating its 10th anniversary as a world-class performing arts venue and vibrant cultural hub within the walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol.
Over the past decade, Ulumbarra has welcomed approximately 765,000 visitors and hosted over 2,500 events, ranging from major productions like Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle and national and international touring acts to local shows and school performances.
The name Ulumbarra means ‘gather together’ or ‘meeting place’ in the language of the Traditional Owners of the land, the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
As a leading regional arts and community venue, Ulumbarra has played a pivotal role in shaping central Victoria’s cultural landscape. The award-winning theatre, designed by local architecture firm Y2, is a stunning fusion of heritage-listed architecture and contemporary design within the historic Sandhurst Gaol (which operated from 1863 to 2004).
Red brick prison guard towers and an impressive façade frame the stunning theatre entrance. Inside the theatre, the box office is housed in a repurposed prison cell block and visitors can walk under the gangway and peer into prisons cells that remain intact. The theatre’s clever 950-seat design ensures a fantastic experience for every audience member, and other areas in the theatre serve as a hub for community events, art exhibitions, conferences, festivals and student programs.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said Ulumbarra’ s cultural impact on Greater Bendigo had been extraordinary.
“Ulumbarra has enriched our region’s arts and culture scene over the past decade, hosting national and international artists, touring theatre companies, whilst also serving as a space for learning, expression, and a strong community connection through the arts,” Cr Metcalf said.
“It is a testament to the strong collaboration and partnership between the City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo Senior Secondary College and other key local stakeholders to drive this ambitious project for a shared arts and education facility.
“The theatre’s name, Ulumbarra, perfectly captures the spirit of this unique venue bringing the absolute best of art and culture. It’s a place where the community comes together in celebration, storytelling, and shared experiences. As a joint-use facility with Bendigo Senior Secondary College, it is also a place of learning that nurtures the love of live performances amongst younger generations.
“The theatre’s official opening on April 17, 2015, was marked by week-long celebrations including a gala event, a community concert, and a host of top-class performances.
“In 2025, we are thrilled to welcome back several national and international touring companies who performed here in our opening year, including Shake & Stir with 1984, Bell Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Circus Oz, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
“To have these outstanding companies return to our stage is a fitting way to mark this milestone and we look forward to welcoming our community and visitors to Ulumbarra throughout 2025 to share in the celebration of 10 years of performance, creativity, and connection.
“It’s a wonderful celebration for a venue that has become a cornerstone of cultural life in central Victoria.”
To browse forthcoming performances and shows at Ulumbarra, head to:
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
British soldiers have successfully tracked, targeted and defeated swarms of drones in the latest trial of a new directed energy weapon developed in the UK.
Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon demonstrator
The trial was completed at a weapons range in West Wales and was the largest counter-drone swarm exercise the British Army have conducted to date.
The weapon system demonstrator is a type of Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) and has proven capable of neutralising multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect.
The UK Government has invested more than £40 million in RF DEW research and development to date, supporting 135 highly skilled jobs in Northern Ireland and the South-East of England.
It uses high frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction.
At an estimated cost of 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service it could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems.
RF DEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.
The successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in use in frontline combat in Ukraine. UK Defence Intelligence estimates that last year Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.
With national security a foundation for the Plan for Change, the government is significantly increasing the proportion of MOD’s equipment procurement spend on novel technologies, spending at least 10% from 2025-26. It follows the announcement of the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, as the UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by April 2027.
This significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms and scientific talent.
We continue to strengthen our defence sector, adding more cutting-edge capabilities to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth across our towns and cities.
The project has been delivered by Team Hersa – a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. The RF DEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK.
Successful experiments included the Army taking down two swarms of drones in a single engagement, and the project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
Sgt Mayers, a Senior Remotely-Piloted Air Systems Operator from 106 Regiment Royal Artillery, had the honour of being the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon.
RF DEW is an exciting concept. We found the demonstrator quick to learn and easy to use. With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence.
Protecting national security is the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change and the development of RF DEW systems could help to protect the UK from unidentified drones at security sensitive areas such as defence bases, and could play a role in preventing disruption at airports.
The RF DEW development supports the Defence Industrial Strategy – to support the UK defence industry in mobilising to help face down global threats and ensuring the sector is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK. The MOD is working with a range of industry partners to deliver powerful future RF DEW capabilities for UK forces.
Thales, which led the development of the RF DEW demonstrator, employ around 100 highly skilled engineering and manufacturing staff in Northern Ireland on the project, and there are a further 30-35 highly skilled supply chain jobs in Chelmsford, Essex, that directly contribute to the development of the weapon demonstrator.
Thales continues to be at the forefront of this pioneering technology, and we are proud to continue the research and development in this sector alongside our partners in Government.
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
Government confirms expansion of Advice and Guidance scheme, with more patients now receiving their care closer to home
Tens of thousands of patients are receiving care closer to home, so they don’t have to be added to lengthy NHS waiting lists, as the government confirms the expansion of a GP scheme to shift care from hospital to community.
The scheme named “Advice and Guidance” sees GPs working more closely with hospital specialists to access expert advice quickly and speed their patients through the system, so they get care in the right place as soon as possible.
That means patients are being directed to more appropriate care – such as being prescribed medication, accessing blood tests or scans via their GP, or receiving care in a local women’s health hub or community physio service, rather than being put on long NHS waiting lists.
And new data shows that, between July and December 2024, around 660,000 treatments were diverted from hospitals and into the community thanks to the scheme – a 60,000 increase on the same period the previous year.
The government has pledged to expand the use of the system, with an ambition to increase diversions from the elective waiting list to up to 2 million by the end of 2025/26 – meaning that more patients will benefit from faster and more convenient care. The NHS is now rolling out payments to GPs across the country, replacing the previous approach which led to patchy provision and meant a postcode lottery for patients.
As a result of tough but necessary decisions made at the Budget, the government has been able to put £26 billion of investment into the NHS, which is funding the £80 million expansion of this efficient and effective “Advice and Guidance” service – alongside driving forward work to cut waiting lists and improve care for patients through the Plan for Change.
Thanks to the scheme, patients suffering from something as common as irritable bowel syndrome – which is estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 people – can avoid being added to already long waiting lists, which stand at almost 400,000 for digestive conditions. Instead, after an initial consultation with their family doctor, the GP can seek expert advice and refer the patient directly to dieticians to provide quicker care, closer to home – all without the patient having to set foot inside a hospital.
Health Minister Karin Smyth said:
By caring for patients closer to home, we save time and stop masses of people having to head to hospital for unnecessary appointments in the first place.
We are rewiring the NHS so that we are doing things differently, more efficiently and delivering better outcomes for patients. This scheme is a perfect example of how we are saving patients time and reducing pressure on key NHS services in the process.
It will take time to reverse the damaging neglect the NHS has suffered in recent years, but our Plan for Change is starting to deliver benefits for patients, with waiting lists cut by 219,000 since July, and 1,500 new GPs in post.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS national director for primary care and community services, said:
GPs have been working closely with specialist hospital teams to make sure patients get the right care and treatment.
Expanding this service with this new funding will help even more patients access the right support, closer to their home while reducing unnecessary waits for hospital care.
“Advice and Guidance” opens a channel between GPs and hospital specialists before patients are referred onto waiting lists for hospital care. It enables patients to get the right tests and treatment via their GP or local services within their community.
From April, GP practices can now claim for every request raised via the scheme in recognition of their vital role in helping to deliver the shift from hospital to community. The expansion of the scheme aims to standardise its use across the country and ensure it is being deployed consistently to get patients treated in the right place.
Many patients suffering from certain conditions, can and should be safely and effectively managed in an out-of-hospital setting. This means people can take more power over decision making, which can help to improve overall wellbeing and potentially even reduce healthcare costs.
Other examples of patients who stand to benefit from the expansion include:
Professor Sir Sam Everington OBE, GP in Tower Hamlets since 1989, said:
Advice and guidance enables patients and GPs to get advice direct from a specialist, typically within a week for routine cases. This means that patients get their health problems sorted rapidly, preventing health deterioration and avoiding long waits to be seen. In my experience, over two-thirds of patients with kidney disease can be managed in this way with advice from a consultant and treatment by the GP, removing the enormous stress and uncertainty of waiting a long time.
Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said:
Advice and Guidance, if implemented effectively, can support improved patient care, streamlined referrals processes, and efficient use of resources. It can give the patient and their GP more control over their treatment options and support care closer to home.
For many conditions, we know that hospital treatment isn’t the best option so this measure will support a greater drive to provision of out of hospital services in line with the government’s priorities, and deliver more investment in primary and community services to provide more cost-effective support to patients.
Sharon Brennan, Director of Policy and External Affairs, National Voices, said:
If genuine shared decision-making sits at the centre of the advice and guidance service it has the potential to ensure, where appropriate, patients receive the most suitable care closer to home without having to anxiously sit on consultant waiting lists. To make sure patient develop trust in this new service, we must see real choice offered to patients about what best treatment routes are, and strong communication about what the service is and what it means in practical terms for patient care.
The government has set out its plan to reform and rebuild the NHS, with the ambition that 92% of patients will be waiting less than 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.
The Plan for Change is already delivering tangible impacts for patients – with industrial action ended, NHS waiting lists falling, and over 3 million additional appointments delivered since July 2024.
We have also begun fixing the front door of the NHS, hiring an extra 1,500 GPs since October and changing the GP contract to help bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments.
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Woman charged with drug offences in North West
Thursday, 17 April 2025 – 9:19 am.
A 28 year old Montello woman has been arrested and charged after a targeted search by Western Drugs and Firearms, Taskforce Scelus and the Dog Handler Unit today.
About 1pm police executed a search warrant at a Montello address.
Approximately 130grams of methylamphetamine in addition to unlawful prescription medication, cannabis and a quantity of cash were located.
The woman was arrested and charged with several offences including trafficking in a controlled substance, dealing in property suspected of being proceeds of crime and selling a controlled drug.
The woman was bailed to appear in Burnie Magistrates Court in June.
Police would like to remind members of the public that if they have any information surrounding illicit drug possession and distribution to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
Police will continue to target and hold to account those involved in the distribution of illicit drugs within the community.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health looks at the impact of nitrogen fertiliser on pollen allergies.
Dr Roy Neilson, Soil Ecologist, The James Hutton Institute, said:
“Daelemans et al. take a novel approach of pollen assessment in considering the impact of nitrogen fertiliser application on pollen burden. Using a paired design at 25 grassland sites within a region of Belgium, and based on two sampling periods during May, the authors report that nitrogen-enriched grasslands had a 6·2-fold increase in pollen compared with their unfertilised paired grassland.
“The results of the study arguably support the importance of species-specific grass pollen monitoring given that a subset of grass species may have disproportionate influence on respiratory health responses during peak grass pollen concentrations1. However, it is unclear how nitrogen driven increase in pollen will contribute to the predicted increase in pollen season severity by up to 60% due to a changing climate2.
“Peaks in abundance of pollen occur at different times during the summer across the UK3 thus, it is unclear whether sampling in a single month as the study of Daelemans et al. would have the same outcome across the entire pollen season. Moreover, unlike tree pollen, a recent study reported that grass (Poaceae) pollen seasons are neither becoming more severe nor longer in the UK4.
“Adoption of Regenerative Agricultural principles5 such as reducing synthetic inputs (e.g., inorganic nitrogen-based fertiliser) has potential to contribute to the mitigation of the outcomes reported by Daelemans et al.”
References:
1 Rowney, et al. (2021). Environmental DNA analysis reveals links between abundance and composition of airborne grass pollen and respiratory health. Current Biology, 31, 1-9.
2 Kurganskiy, et al. (2021). Predicting the severity of the grass pollen season and the effect of climate change in Northwest Europe. Science Advances, 7, eabd7658.
3 Brennan, et al. (2019). Grass allergy season defined by spatio-temporal shifts in airborne pollen biodiversity. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 3, 750-754.
4 Adams-Groom, B., Selby, K., Derrett, S., Frisk, C.A., Pashley, C.H., Satchwell, J., King, D., McKenzie, G., and Neilson, R. (2022). Pollen season trends as markers of climate change impact: Betula, Quercus and Poaceae. Science of the Total Environment, 831, 154882.
5 British Ecological Society (2025). Regenerative Agriculture in the UK: An Ecological Perspective. London, UK.
Dr Roberto Picetti, Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) said:
“This study highlights the impact of nitrogen pollution on allergies, which is an under-recognised pathway affecting human health.
“These findings are relevant to the UK, where nitrogen pollution remains a concern both in agricultural areas and in cities, and is already linked to other environmental and health problems, including respiratory illness, biodiversity loss, and air and water quality degradation.
“It builds on well-established research which continues to find a link between high levels of nitrogen and changes in plant communities and pollen abundance, and to increased immune responses in individuals who are allergic to grass pollen.
“This is a high-quality study that adds valuable evidence to an important and emerging area of public health. The conclusions are well grounded in the data, do not overstate the implications, and make a compelling case for further research and policy attention. Although observational studies are not able to account for every possible variable, this research uses a range of scientific approaches, such as ecology, molecular analysis and immunological testing, to strengthen its conclusions.
“This study is a valuable step towards understanding and addressing the growing problem of pollen allergies and supports the case for more comprehensive environmental policies that consider both the health and ecological impacts of nitrogen pollution.
“By reducing nitrogen pollution, we could help protect biodiversity and lessen the severity of pollen allergies.”
(from our friends at SMC Spain) Dr José Gómez Rial, Head of the Immunology Department at the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Servicio Gallego de Salud (SERGAS) (Spain), said:
“The study shows that nitrogen-enriched meadows produce up to six times more pollen than their unfertilised equivalents, and that this pollen has a greater capacity to activate immune cells in allergy sufferers, with a 5.1-fold increase in sensitivity in basophil activation tests and a 1.3-fold increase in specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Although the exact mechanism is not detailed in the article, it is plausible that excess nitrogen modifies the biochemical composition of pollen, increasing the quantity or proportion of allergenic proteins synthesised by the plant, which would enhance its capacity to activate the immune system.
“These findings have important implications for both ecology and health. On the one hand, they reveal that nitrogen pollution not only affects plant biodiversity but can also directly aggravate highly prevalent allergic diseases such as rhinitis or seasonal asthma. On the other hand, they emphasise the need to integrate public health into environmental policies: reducing nitrogen emissions and limiting the use of fertilisers would not only contribute to preserving ecosystems but could also reduce the burden of disease associated with respiratory allergies. The concept of One Health applies not only to human and animal health, but also to plant health and the environment”.
(from our friends at SMC Spain) Prof África González-Fernández, Researcher at CINBIO, Professor of Immunology at the University of Vigo (Spain), said:
“The experiment is well-reasoned, but they analyse few cases (25 people in rich areas and 25 in areas not enriched with fertilisers). It has not been done in other areas, and the in vitro trials were carried out with 20 subjects. There is a lack of healthy controls.
“There are studies from years ago on the increase in allergy and nitrogen fertilisers, as well as on NO2 levels and allergy. There is a lot of literature on the subject. Other studies have been carried out measuring IgE levels and they have included a basophil release test, which is currently used routinely in immunology laboratories in hospitals. They conclude that allergic patients recognise more proteins in the pollen of fertilised plants (enriched in nitrogen) than in those that are not fertilised, with more production of specific IgE and more release of mediators by basophils when exposed to fertilised pollen.
“The same authors wrote a review in 2023: Impact of environmental nitrogen pollution on pollen allergy: A scoping review. In Table 4 they describe the mechanisms by which NO2 would affect pollen and the allergic response.
“I see several limitations:
‘The impact of ecosystem nitrogen enrichment on pollen allergy: a cross-sectional paired comparison study’ by Robin Daelemans et al. was published in The Lancet Planetary Health at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 16th April 2025.
Declared interests
Dr Roberto Picetti: No conflicts of interest to declare.
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ruth Skinner, Sessional instructor, School for Advanced Studies in the Arts & Humanities, Western University
Facing American tariffs and taunts of becoming the 51st state, Canada can look inward for inspiration, humour and reassurance.
On social media, many arts figures or associations have shared versions of Canadian artist Greg Curnoe’s (1936-92) Map of North America.
As seen on accounts that include the Arts Canada Institute, the Banff Centre’s Derek Beaulieu, filmmaker Stephen Broomer, the Embassy Cultural House, the Curnoe estate and others, the map erases the United States from the continent. It re-imagines the longest border to lie between Canada and Mexico.
Curnoe’s Map of North America, first created in 1972, is inseparable from his hometown of London, Ont. The work, artist and city offer valuable insights for navigating this new relationship with our nearest neighbour. My recent doctoral dissertation explores the cosmopolitan outlook of London’s artists and arts publishers, both historic and present. This includes their incisive commentary on Canada-U.S. relations.
London is a leading test market for Canadian and American retailers. This is thanks to its moderate size, demographic composition and proximity to major cities, highways and the border.
Test marketing involves localized experience with a concept or product before incurring large-scale expense. A landmark example for London was the development of Wellington Square, North America’s first enclosed shopping centre, in 1961.
A 1967 cover of the London arts publication 20 Cents Magazine satirically celebrated this “test market” status. It also chided the reader: “Are you getting your share of the business, for fair?” Artists of London have long played with the local flavour of their city, and the city has a distinct arts scene.
Curator and author Barry Lord profiled the city in a 1969 Art in America feature entitled “What London, Ontario Has That Everywhere Else Needs.” Lord positioned London as “younger than Montréal, livelier than Toronto, vying with Vancouver in variety and sheer quantity of output [and] in many ways the most important of the four.”
This scene included the burgeoning London Regionalist movement — an art movement of which Curnoe was a feature — and the birth of Canadian Artists’ Representation (now Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens). Lord lauded London artists as “indelibly Canadian, and perhaps among the first global villagers.”
What would Curnoe make of the present dynamic between Canada and its closest neighbour?
“I think he would be fired up,” says Jennie Kraehling, associate director of Michael Gibson Gallery, which represents the Curnoe estate.
Kraehling continues: “Greg would be making a lot of statements, and I think he’d be very passionate. Just knowing his devout patriotism, his interest in the local and his pro-Canadian sentiments, I think that he would be trying to get a movement going.” Rather than anti-American, however, Kraehling describes Curnoe as a nationalist with a wicked sense of humour.
As the late journalist Robert Fulford wrote in a 2001 column, in the early 80s Curnoe noted: “My work is about resisting as much as possible the tendency of American culture to overwhelm other cultures.”
Historian Judith Rodger emphasizes Curnoe’s Map as “tongue-in-cheek” even as it levies sharp social critique. Observing the negotiations between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico that would lead to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Curnoe revisited the work through the 1980s and 1990s in lithographs and clay.
Curnoe’s Nihilist Party of Canada (NPC), an absurdist political movement formed in 1963, advertised regularly in 20 Cents magazine. One ad encouraged the reader to “STOP the American takeover of Canada,” and to “Stop Pollution, Stop Killing, Stop Exploitation … Get off your Butt – Do Something! THINK NEGATIVELY.”
Rodger notes that despite its strong politics, the party had “no platform and no candidates.”
The NPC preceded the Nihilist Spasm Band, an internationally lauded, multi-member noise band that inspired a second generation of artistic collaboration. Members have included performers John Boyle, Murray Favro, John Clement, Bill Exley, Art Pratten, Aya Onishi, as well as the late Hugh McIntyre, Archie Leitch and Curnoe.
The track “Destroy the Nations” opens their 1968 No Record album. It begins with Pratten railing: “Destroy the nations! Destroy America! England is dead! Destroy America! AHHHHHH!” The NSB’s performance is a howl against imperial servitude and corporate greed.
In a city forever mimicking the topography and titles of an older London, and so close to the U.S., Ontario’s Londoners are aware of an implied second-fiddle position. Yet Curnoe volleyed his pro-Canadian attitude at the border, just 200 kilometres south. In one of his bicycle series paintings, Mariposa 10 Speed No. 2 (1973), the words “CLOSE THE 49th PARALLEL ETC.” are emblazoned across Curnoe’s bike’s top tube.
Yet the situation is not entirely insular, nor is it comparable with the “Buy Canadian” encouragement seen at supermarkets, liquor stores and other retail outlets today.
Canada’s art market is, in the words of Mackenzie Sinclair of the Art Dealers Association of Canada, “a fragile ecosystem.” Canada’s GDP (including its art) is deeply integrated with the U.S.: many Canadian artists have American dealers, show in American galleries and use American-made materials.
With ongoing threats of American tariffs and export restrictions, Canadian collectors and galleries are abstaining from American art fairs and seeking stronger connections with European markets. Canada’s only international art fair, Art Toronto, is fostering a special new partnership with Mexican galleries, enacting a version of Curnoe’s Map of North America in real time.
Curnoe’s nationalist perspective is an important one right now. However, nationalism can quickly devolve into dangerous and exclusivist rhetoric.
Until recently, London-based artist Angie Quick was in a group exhibition curated by Andil Gosine for Washington’s Art Museum of the Americas. The show was abruptly cancelled. Speaking with the Globe and Mail, Gosine speculated this was due to due to the museum pre-emptively bending to the new political order in D.C. in light of the exhibition’s queer perspectives.
For Quick, this cancellation signals a transnational warning. She notes that The Museum of the Americas is an arm of the Organization of the American States, a regional organization that brings together North and South American governments including Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
The call to cancel, she says, far exceeds a phenomena happening only in the U.S.:
“It is a reminder of what role funding has in liberation politics when it comes to the arts. And as we [Canadians] like to other ourselves from the U.S. it’s just as important to remember we are just as much at risk to nationalism dictating values in the arts.”
Ruth Skinner has received funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the London Arts Council (LAC).
– ref. ‘STOP the American takeover of Canada!’ — Inspiration and humour from a London, Ont. art movement – https://theconversation.com/stop-the-american-takeover-of-canada-inspiration-and-humour-from-a-london-ont-art-movement-252980
Source: New South Wales – News
Police and emergency services are responding to a truck crash at Inkerman.
About 6.50am on Thursday 17 April, police were called to Port Wakefield Highway near Prime Road after two trucks crashed.
Traffic on southbound lanes are blocked. Diversions will be put in place shortly.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of South Australia
Walk into any home or workplace today, and you’re likely to find an array of indoor plants. The global market for indoor plants is growing fast – projected to reach more than US$28 billion (A$44 billion) by 2031.
People keep indoor plants inside for a variety of reasons, including as decoration, to clean the air and for stress relief. But my colleagues and I wanted to delve further. What sort of relationships do people have with indoor plants? And what can this tell us about ties between humans and nature?
We surveyed indoor plant owners in Australia, and found many of us form highly meaningful connections with our leafy companions. Some people even consider their plants as family, get anxious about their health and mourn a plant when it dies.
People have grown plants inside for thousands of years.
Evidence suggests Egyptians brought plants indoors in the 3rd century BC. The remains of the former city of Pompeii reveal indoor plants used there more than 2,000 years ago, and in medieval England, indoor plants were used in medicine and cooking.
The keeping of indoor plants became widespread across the world in the second half of the 20th century. The practice was particularly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to a desire to connect with nature when access to outdoor green spaces was limited.
The benefits of indoor plants go beyond nature connection. Studies show they can increase positive emotions, reduce stress, enhance productivity, and even decrease physical discomfort such as pain.
However, people have varying levels of connection to their plants, as research by my colleagues and I shows.
We surveyed 115 Australian adults, recruited through social media posts and poster advertisements at the University of South Australia. Participants were roughly 69% female, 30% male and 1% non-binary, and ranged in age from 18 to 69.
On average, participants owned 15 indoor plants. Some owned a single indoor plant and one person owned a whopping 500!
Between them, respondents kept 51 different varieties of house plants. The most common were succulents, devil’s ivy and monstera. They most commonly kept the plants in the living room, kitchen or bedroom.
Across all participants, 11 benefits of having indoor plants were reported.
Half the respondents described the aesthetic appeal of indoor plants. Comments included that indoor plants were “nice to look at”, “soften rooms” and “add colour”. Participants also reported air quality benefits, and that they found indoor plants calming.
Other less commonly reported benefits were that the plants helped the respondents set habits, improved their physical health, provided distraction, relieved fatigue and had a pleasant smell.
Our research identified four types of relationships people have with their indoor plants:
1. Highly connected (14% of respondents)
These people typically described a deep personal connection to their plants. Comments included:
They are like my children. (male, 28)
I often water them and take care of them as family members. (female, 26)
Well I cried over my plants leaf getting broken off today, so you could say I’m pretty attached
to her. (female, 21)I feel terrible if one dies, I feel as though I have let it down and generally bury it in the garden. (female, 34)
2. Engaged (42% of respondents)
These people enjoyed and tended to their plants, but without deep emotional attachment. For example:
Watering them and watching them grow is exciting, I feel proud to keep them alive so long (female, 22)
I get sad when one dies or is looking droopy, I feel happy when they look alive and freshly
watered. (female, 22)
3. Limited engagement (23%)
These respondents enjoyed having indoor plants but spent minimal time caring for them and reported minimal emotional connections to them. One participant said:
Feel like indoor plants are fine but through our large windows we can see our outdoor plants and that’s more important to us. (female, 45)
4. No relationship (12%)
Participants who did not have a relationship with their indoor plants said:
Hardly watered it as it’s a succulent. (male, 21)
They are all gifts rather than something I’ve gone out to buy. (male, 21)
(For the remaining 9% of participants, their responses to the question of their relationship with house plants were invalid and not included.)
Our research suggests indoor plants can enrich our lives in ways we are only beginning to understand.
It’s important to note that data for our study were collected in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This context may have influenced our results. For example, some participants may have felt particularly connected to their indoor plants because their access to outdoor green space was curtailed. So, further research is needed in the post-pandemic context.
Human–nature relationships are an emerging field of research. By understanding the relationship between people and plants, we may help unlock the potential for nature to improve our health and wellbeing.
Brianna Le Busque does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. ‘They are like my children’: research reveals 4 types of indoor plant owners. Which one are you? – https://theconversation.com/they-are-like-my-children-research-reveals-4-types-of-indoor-plant-owners-which-one-are-you-252387
Source: US State of Rhode Island
Providence, R.I. � The R.I. State Council on the Arts (RISCA) announced today that Teatro ECAS and PVD World Music, both of Providence, were among the recipients of grants to fund cultural sustainability and operating support. Funded by the Wallace Foundation and delivered by the regional arts agencies including the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), Teatro ECAS will receive $100,000 and PVD World Music will be granted $25,000.
The grant provides support to arts organizations of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000. The funding will enable both organizations to sustain and expand their practices; serve their communities more deeply and impactfully; and provide meaningful arts and cultural experiences for larger, cross-cultural audiences.
Additionally, working together as a regional learning cohort with NEFA staff, the recipients will have the opportunity to address some of their self-identified organizational needs.
“The Cultural Sustainability grant acknowledges that arts organizations rooted in communities of color deserve to become long-lasting, well-resourced cultural pillars across New England,” said Harold Steward, NEFA’s executive director. “NEFA is honored to do this work in partnership with The Wallace Foundation and our sister Regional Arts Organizations.”
“Arts organizations rooted in communities are often the cornerstones of the neighborhoods they serve, and as we work to create a more equitable and thriving arts sector having a deeper understanding of how funders can better support their work is vital,” said Bahia Ramos, vice president of arts at Wallace. “The Wallace Foundation is grateful to NEFA and the other Regional Arts Organizations for encouraging us to expand our work to support and better understand their practices.”
“On behalf of RISCA, congratulations to Teatro ECAS and PVD Word Music. RISCA has been long time supporters of both organization through our grant programs, including general operating support and cultural facilities, as well as through the RI Expansion Arts program. Thank you to the Wallace Foundation and NEFA for championing the arts and acknowledging the need for targeted investment to sustain small arts and cultural organizations centered in communities of color,” said Todd Trebour, Executive Director of RISCA, “Both Teatro ECAS and PVD World Music Institute deliver strong and important work in our community � educating our young people; driving tourism; and contributing to the civic and social health of our state.”
Based in the heart of southeastern New England, Teatro ECAS brings together diverse multigenerational audiences to experience the joy of live theater performed in Spanish, fostering self-discovery and cultural connection. With a focus on children, youth and families, Teatro ECAS aspires to enrich the cultural and civic vitality of our community while achieving national prominence for its artists and its artistry. www.teatroecas.org.
Providence World Music Institute (PVD World Music) is a community-centered nonprofit based in Providence. Its mission is to celebrate, promote and preserve the rich musical traditions and arts of African refugee and immigrant communities in Rhode Island. Our vision is to safeguard and shine a light on the intangible cultural heritage of African and Indigenous peoples. We bring cultural enrichment to underserved communities through our flagship programs and are a member of the cohort for the RI Expansion Arts Program, a partnership with RISCA, R.I. Foundation and RI Humanities. www.pvdworldmusic.com.
NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation. NEFA accomplishes this by granting funds to artists and cultural organizations; connecting them to each other and their audiences; and analyzing their economic contributions. NEFA serves as a regional partner for the National Endowment for the Arts, New England’s state arts agencies, and private foundations. Learn more at?www.nefa.org.
The Wallace Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation focused on the arts, school leadership, and youth development. They collaborate with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields they serve. The evidence-based insights they share�searchable online and free of charge�support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential. www.WallaceFoundation.org.
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency, supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. www.arts.ri.gov.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
President, this month we commemorate 31 years since the genocide against the Tutsi.
During this time, we honour the memory of those who lost their lives, and recognise the remarkable resilience shown by the people of Rwanda.
I will make three points.
First, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned at the situation in eastern DRC.
We regret that despite the unanimous adoption by this Council of resolution 2773 almost two months ago, it remains far from being implemented.
While the withdrawal of M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces from Walikale is a positive step, much more needs to be done.
We reiterate this Council’s call for the M23 to cease hostilities and withdraw from all controlled areas, and for the Rwandan Defence Forces to cease support for the M23 and withdraw from Congolese territory.
We call on the parties, in line with resolution 2773, to agree an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and to seriously engage with regional peace processes.
Second, the United Kingdom welcomes regional leadership towards a durable resolution of the conflict.
We welcome the nomination of President Gnassingbé of Togo as the African Union’s mediator for the peace process for eastern DRC.
We hope this will support coordination between regional and international efforts to deliver peace.
And we urge the parties to engage with his efforts and urgently implement the EAC-SADC roadmap to attain sustainable peace and security.
Third, the United Kingdom is deeply concerned by the scale of human suffering from the conflict in eastern DRC, as set out by our briefers, and its impact on the region.
More than one million people have been displaced since the start of the year.
We repeat our calls for all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and to allow safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance by lake, road and through the reopening of key airports including Goma and Kavumu.
We also support greater UN and donor co-ordination to ensure assistance reaches those most in need.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
The federal election campaign has passed the halfway mark, with politicians zig-zagging across the country to spruik their policies and achievements.
Where politicians choose to visit (and not visit) give us some insight into their electoral priorities and strategy.
Here, six experts analyse how the campaign has looked so far in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
David Clune, honorary associate, government and international relations, University of Sydney
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s strategy in NSW seems to include a tacit concession Liberal heartland seats won by the Teals in 2022 are unlikely to come back.
Instead, the Liberals are hoping to make inroads into Western Sydney electorates held by Labor. It’s a fast-growing, diverse area where families are struggling to pay the mortgage and household bills, and young people have difficulty renting or buying homes. Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have concentrated their campaigning in this area, both claiming to be the best choice for cost-of-living relief and housing affordability.
Many of these seats are among Labor’s safest. Most would require a two-party preferred swing of 6% or more to be lost. Historically speaking, swings of this size are unlikely, although nevertheless possible.
Labor is putting much effort into “sandbagging” marginal coastal seats. A major issue is Labor’s emphasis on renewables versus the Coalition’s policy of building nuclear power plants, including one in the Hunter Valley.
Dutton’s messaging in the early part of the campaign was confusing, combining pragmatic politics, such as cutting the excise on petrol, with right-wing ideology, such as slashing the public service. The former resonated in the marginals, the latter did not. Albanese, by contrast, stayed on message, releasing a stream of expensive handouts to win the votes of battling Sydneysiders.
A wildcard is the emergence of Muslim lobby groups, The Muslim Vote and Muslim Votes Matter. These were formed to support pro-Palestine candidates in safe Labor seats in Western Sydney where there is a large Muslim population, such as Blaxland and Watson.
One factor that won’t be influential is the state government. Premier Chris Minns leads a Labor administration whose performance has generally been lacklustre, but which is not notably unpopular. Unlike in Victoria, NSW voters seem to have their baseball bats in the closet.
The opinion polls continue to show the trend developing since February of a swing back to Labor in NSW, mirroring the national trend. According to an aggregate of polling data, as at April 15 the Labor two-party preferred vote in NSW was 51.9%, an increase of 1.7% since the March federal budget.
Paul Williams, associate professor of politics and journalism, Griffith University
The fact neither Albanese nor Dutton has spent a disproportionate amount of time campaigning in Queensland underscores the view the Sunshine State is not a pathway to The Lodge.
But the fact both leaders have made several visits – Albanese campaigned here four times in 12 days – also indicates neither leader is taking any seat for granted.
Indeed, Albanese has visited normally tough-to-win seats, such as Leichhardt in far north Queensland (held by the Coalition for 26 of the past 29 years), which reveals an emboldened Labor Party. With the retirement of popular Coalition MP Warren Entsch, and held by just 3.44%, Labor thinks Leichhardt is “winnable”, especially after reports the LNP candidate Jeremy Neal had posted questionable comments regarding China and Donald Trump on social media.
If so – and given the growing lead Labor boasts in national polls – the LNP would be also at least a little concerned in Longman (3.1%), Bonner (3.4%), Flynn (3.8%), Forde (4.2%) and Petrie (4.4%).
At least the opposition can placate itself with this week’s Resolve Strategic poll, which indicates it still leads Labor in Queensland by six points after preferences, 53% to 47%. That’s just a one-point swing to Labor since 2022. However, it would be concerned that the LNP’s lead has been slashed ten points from the previous YouGov poll.
But most concerning must surely be a uComms poll in Dutton’s own seat of Dickson, held by a slender 1.7%, which forecast the opposition leader losing to high-profile Labor candidate Ali France, 51.7 to 48.3%. The entry of the Climate 200-backed independent candidate Ellie Smith appears to have disrupted preference flows.
Labor’s own polling indicated a closer contest at 50% each, while the LNP’s polling indicates an easy win for Dutton, 57% to 43%, despite Labor spending A$130,000 on France’s campaign.
An alleged terror plot against Dutton in Brisbane doesn’t appear to have shifted the dial. But voters’ potential to conflate Dutton with Trump may well have, especially given Trump’s tariffs now threaten Queensland beef producers’ $1.4 billion trade with the United States. In the closing weeks, watch as Dutton draws on the new and popular Premier David Crisafulli for electoral succour.
Rob Manwaring, associate professor of politics and public policy, Flinders University
Is there a federal election campaign taking place? In South Australia, there is a something of an elusive air about the current festival of democracy, with many voters disengaged. The lack of excitement reflects the fact that only two seats in the state are marginal: Sturt (0.5%) and Boothby (3.3%).
The party campaigns have sparkled and flickered, but not really caught alight. The signature move was Albanese’s early announcement of the $150 million new healthcare centre at Flinders, in the seat of Boothby. For the ALP, this neatly coalesced around Labor’s campaign on Medicare.
Federal Labor also sees its strongest asset in the state in Premier Peter Malinauskas, who was prominent during the recent AFL gather round – the round played entirely in Adelaide and its surrounds.
In a welcome development for the state, Labor’s announcement Adelaide would be put forward to host the next Climate COP conference in 2026 was an interesting flashpoint. Locally, many businesses welcomed the announcement, as it potentially will generate significant footfall and economic activity.
Yet, the Coalition quickly announced they would not support the bid, trying to shift the attention away from climate to cost-of-living issues.
More generally, there is a perception the Coalition has been struggling to build campaign momentum. Notably, in a recent visit by members of the shadow cabinet, energies appear to be focused more on sandbagging the seat of Sturt than on winning Boothy, which Labor holds with a nominal 3.3%.
Other factors also might explain a sense of indifference in South Australia. There have been key developments in state politics, for example, notably the ongoing criminal case against former Liberal leader David Speirs, and independent MP, and former Liberal, Nick McBride, who faces assault charges related to family and domestic violence (to which he’s yet to enter a plea).
Robert Hortle, deputy director of the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
The Labor and Liberal campaign strategies started quite differently across Tasmania’s five electorates.
Labor is desperate to defend Lyons and Franklin and hopeful of picking up Braddon (though perhaps overly ambitious, given the 8% margin).
Its candidates have focused on promoting Labor’s big, national-level policies. In the first couple of weeks of the campaign, this meant pushing its flagship healthcare and childcare policies. Following the campaign launches on the weekend, housing is the new flavour.
The Liberal Party – there is no Coalition in Tassie – is focused on winning super marginal Lyons (0.9%) and holding Braddon and Bass. In contrast to Labor, the Liberal campaign was initially defined by lots of community-level funding announcements and Tasmania-specific infrastructure support.
Since the Coalition’s plan to halve the fuel excise was announced, the approach has changed somewhat. Tasmanian Liberal candidates are now swinging in behind this and other national policy pronouncements about – you guessed it – housing.
Both major party candidates have been pretty quiet on the controversial issue of salmon farming. This is surprising given the national spotlight on Braddon’s Macquarie Harbour and the waterways of Franklin. The only exception is Braddon Labor candidate Anne Urquhart’s very vocal support for the salmon industry.
For the Greens, the goal is to build on their 2022 vote share and turn one Senate seat into two, although this is a long shot. They have campaigned hard on issues – mainly salmon farming and native forest logging – where agreement between the Labor and Liberal parties has left space for a dissenting voice.
Although the Greens’ chances of winning any of the lower house seats are slim, they will be hoping these issues help them make further inroads into the declining primary vote share of the major parties.
Zareh Ghazarian, senior lecturer in politics, school of social sciences, Monash University
Victoria has several seats that can potentially change hands at this election. As ABC election analyst Antony Green reminds us, the state is home to at least a dozen seats the major parties hold by a margin of 6% or less. Additionally, the independents in Kooyong and Goldstein are also on thin margins (2.2% and 3.3% respectively).
Within this context, the campaign in Victoria has been marked by several visits by the major party leaders. The challenge, however, has been how they have worked with their state counterparts.
State Liberal Leader Brad Battin has fallen short of explicitly supporting the Coalition’s focus on nuclear energy. Instead, he says he’s ready to have an “adult conversation” about the prospect. Coal currently provides more than 60% of electricity in Victoria.
Dutton was, however, happy to campaign alongside Battin and also visited a petrol station with the state leader while in Melbourne.
The Labor Party in Victoria, on the other hand, has been grappling with a drop in support in the polls, with Premier Jacinta Allan’s popularity falling. As a result, there’s been much speculation among political commentators about whether Albanese would want to be campaigning with a leader seemingly struggling to attract support.
In one of the first visits to the state, Albanese did not campaign with Allan. This was even though he had been happy to be with the premiers of South Australia and Western Australia while campaigning there.
According to Albanese, it was the fact that parliament was sitting that made it impossible for Allan to join him on the campaign trail. Both leaders were together at a subsequent visit, but this elicited questions about the impact of Allan’s leadership on Labor’s standing in Victoria.
Narelle Miragliotta, associate professor in politics, Murdoch University
Reports the state’s 16 seats will decide which party grouping will form government has resulted in WA voters being treated to regular visits by the major party leaders, including Labor’s campaign launch.
The campaign context in WA is shaped by its mining economy. Perth is the fastest growing capital in the country, which has led to strong growth in the median housing price and an expensive rental market.
While the state’s economic prosperity is one of the drivers of cost-of-living pressures, some of this has been offset by relief measures from the state Labor government, relatively low unemployment and some of the highest average weekly incomes in the country.
On top of this two potentially divisive issues – the nature positive laws and North West shelf gas expansion – have been defused by federal Labor. The party has backtracked in the case of the former. In the case of the latter, it has merely delayed (not without criticism, however) what is likely to be an eventual approval.
Clearer differences have emerged on future of the WA live sheep trade. But while important to communities directly affected by the phasing out of the practice, the issue does not appear to be capturing the attention of most metropolitan voters.
What might we expect? Labor’s two-party-preferred margin is comfortable in eight of the nine seats it holds. The five Liberal-held seats are on much slimmer margins. Polling suggests little improvement in their state-wide share of the two party preferred vote since 2022.
To the extent the polls portend the outcome, the Liberals’ lack of electoral momentum in WA suggests it will be a struggle to regain the target seats of Curtin and Tangney. Only the outcome in WA’s newest seat, Bullwinkel, remains uncertain.
Paul Williams is a research associate with the TJ Ryan Foundation.
David Clune, Narelle Miragliotta, Rob Manwaring, Robert Hortle, and Zareh Ghazarian do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. State of the states: six experts on how the campaign is playing out around Australia – https://theconversation.com/state-of-the-states-six-experts-on-how-the-campaign-is-playing-out-around-australia-253124
Source: Amnesty International –
Following the Supreme Court’s decision today in the case of For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, Amnesty International UK Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh said,
“The outcome of today’s judgment is clearly disappointing. It is a long and complex judgment, and we will take time to analyse its full implications.
“There are potentially concerning consequences for trans people, but it is important to stress that the court has been clear that trans people are protected under the Equality Act against discrimination and harassment.
“The ruling does not change the protection trans people are afforded under the protected characteristic of ‘gender reassignment’, as well as other provisions under the Equality Act.
“Amnesty intervened in this case to remind the court that legal gender recognition is essential for trans people to enjoy the full spectrum of rights each of us is entitled to, including safety, health and family life.
“The Supreme Court itself today made clear that the vilification of a marginalised minority group is absolutely wrong.”
“All public authorities in the UK need to unequivocally enforce protections for trans people against discrimination and harassment.”
Source: City of Liverpool
BBC Radio 1 has revealed an exciting first for Big Weekend 2025, which will take place in Sefton Park, Liverpool from Friday 23 May – Sunday 25 May. The festival will feature a performance from Radio 1 Anthems acts – celebrating iconic tracks and unforgettable moments from the past two decades of music.
The headline Radio 1 Anthems acts are:
Natasha Bedingfield says: “It’s a big deal to be part of Radio 1’s Big Weekend. I can’t wait to jump up on stage and sing my heart out with everyone. Let’s hope some inhibitions get released!”
Sugababes say: “We’re buzzing to be playing Radio 1’s Big Weekend! We’ve heard amazing things about the energy and the crowds, so we’re excited to be part of it this year. Expect a lot of love, big tunes, and a show to remember!”
Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, says: “Radio 1’s Big Weekend is about bringing people together through the music they love, and our Radio 1 Anthems artists are a perfect example of that. These acts have soundtracked unforgettable moments for our audience and continue to resonate with listeners today – whether they’re rediscovering the songs or discovering them for the first-time.
“I’m really excited about this brand-new addition to Big Weekend and can’t wait to see the impact these iconic acts will have on the crowd in Liverpool.”
This exciting new addition to Big Weekend is in keeping with the Radio 1 Anthems extension which launched on BBC Sounds last November (2024) and was provisionally approved by Ofcom last week to launch on DAB+. Radio 1 Anthems helps the station’s young listeners to discover and re-discover a wide range of music and artists championed by Radio 1 throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
With over 100,000 music fans expected to attend across the weekend, audiences can look forward to nostalgia-packed, feel-good sets full of timeless hits and throwback moments from these two iconic acts. They join a stellar line-up including Sam Fender, Tate McRae, Mumford & Sons, HAIM, Tom Grennan, JADE, Lola Young, AJ Tracey plus many more.
More information on the line-up and tickets can be found on the Radio 1 Big Weekend website.
BBC Radio 1 will broadcast live from the festival site across the weekend, with performances and tracks available live and on demand across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and BBC Sounds.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
LUIS GARCIA, also known as “Ebk Lou,” 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Bridgeport street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence. Garcia was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers, and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes. They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.
Text messages and social media posts reviewed during the investigation confirmed that Garcia possessed and sold narcotics and firearms, stole vehicles, and was involved in related violent criminal activity alongside other O.N.E. members and associates.
On August 9, 2018, O.N.E. members stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport. In the following days, O.N.E. members conspired to use the car to kill East End gang members and their allies who they had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport. Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Garcia, Ta’Ron Pharr, and Lorenzo Carter drove the stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union Avenues in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car. After the shooting, O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.
O.N.E. members committed other violent crimes, including murder.
Garcia has been detained since his arrest on September 8, 2021. On September 6, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Approximately 47 members and associates of multiple Bridgeport-based gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.
Pharr pleaded guilty and, on August 30, 2022, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment. On November 21, 2023, a jury found Carter guilty of racketeering conspiracy. He awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, Waterbury Police Department, and Naugatuck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, and Rahul Kale.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in PLOS One looks at protein consumption and amino acid intake in vegan.
Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London, said:
“Protein consists of mixtures of 20 amino acids and 8 of these are regarded as dietary essential because they cannot be synthesised from other amino acids in adults. This cross-sectional study has calculated the intakes of essential amino acids in adult vegans from food tables and compared them with reference intakes. The authors report that intakes of lysine and leucine are lower than reference amounts in vegans.
“Limitations include:
1) There is no omnivore control group for comparison.
2) The amino acid compositional data on foods were limited particularly on the amounts that may be digestible.
3) No account was made of contribution by gut microbiota to dietary intake of lysine.
4) Was the comparator reference intake appropriate? While vegans probably do have lower intakes of lysine and leucine it does not been the intakes suggest deficiency especially as the reference intakes are based mainly on American studies where intakes of protein were high and based mainly on animal products.
“Interpretation of the results:
“Human leucine deficiency has not been described. However, higher intakes have been promoted for body building in the form of whey protein. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that the growth promoting effects of high intakes of leucine and other branch chain amino acids may be linked to increased risk of cancer (especially prostate cancer).
“In practice, protein requirements are estimated for the amounts required to maintain nitrogen balance and support growth. Although plant proteins when tested alone have a lower biological value than milk, eggs, meat and fish (measured by how they support growth in rats) when mixtures of plant proteins (e.g. cereals and pulses) are tested they have high biological value. In most human diets lysine is regarded as the amino acids most likely to limit protein quality. Physiological adaptations do occur on low protein intakes and lysine may be salvaged from lysine synthesised by gut microbiota in the large bowel. This concept was supported by a recent study comparing vegans and omnivores (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02790-y). That study measured plasma lysine concentrations did find levels to be 25% lower in vegans compared with omnivores but concluded the difference was unlikely to be of any significance.”
‘Evaluation of protein intake and protein quality in New Zealand vegans’ by Bi Xue Patricia Soh et al. was published in PLOS One at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 16th April.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314889
Declared interests
Prof Tom Sanders: I have received grant funding for research on vegans in the past. I have been retired for 10 years but during my career at King’s College London, I formerly acted as consultant for companies that made artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes.
I am a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of the Malaysia Palm Oil Board which involves the review of research projects proposed by the Malaysia government.
I also used to be a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Global Dairy Platform up until 2015.
I did do some consultancy work on GRAS affirmation of high oleic palm oil for Archer Daniel Midland more than ten years ago.
My research group received oils and fats free of charge from Unilever and Archer Daniel Midland for our Food Standards Agency Research.
Tom was a member of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee that recommended that trans fatty acids be removed from the human food chain.
Member of the Science Committee British Nutrition Foundation. Honorary Nutritional Director HEART UK.
Before my retirement from King’s College London in 2014, I acted as a consultant to many companies and organisations involved in the manufacture of what are now designated ultraprocessed foods.
I used to be a consultant to the Breakfast Cereals Advisory Board of the Food and Drink Federation.
I used to be a consultant for aspartame more than a decade ago.
When I was doing research at King’ College London, the following applied: Tom does not hold any grants or have any consultancies with companies involved in the production or marketing of sugar-sweetened drinks. In reference to previous funding to Tom’s institution: £4.5 million was donated to King’s College London by Tate & Lyle in 2006; this funding finished in 2011. This money was given to the College and was in recognition of the discovery of the artificial sweetener sucralose by Prof Hough at the Queen Elizabeth College (QEC), which merged with King’s College London. The Tate & Lyle grant paid for the Clinical Research Centre at St Thomas’ that is run by the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Trust, it was not used to fund research on sugar. Tate & Lyle sold their sugar interests to American Sugar so the brand Tate & Lyle still exists but it is no longer linked to the company Tate & Lyle PLC, which gave the money to King’s College London in 2006.”
Source: City of Plymouth
Plymouth voters will be asked to choose how they think the city should be governed in the future, following the verification of valid signatures submitted as part of a petition.
The Council received a petition requesting a directly elected mayor for Plymouth City Council. As per the legislation, the Council has validated each signature to ensure that they are registered electors in the Plymouth City Council area.
Following this process, 10,856 signatures were verified as being eligible, meaning the threshold of obtaining support from at least five per cent of registered electors in the city has been reached to trigger a referendum.
In papers published today, for the Full Council meeting on Monday 28 April, proposals set out that the referendum will be held on Thursday 17 July. This will be formally confirmed when the Notice of Poll is published, following the Council meeting.
At the referendum, those on the electoral register will be asked to have their say on whether Plymouth City Council’s governance model should be changed from a leader model to a directly elected mayor.
This process is separate from – and not related to – the ongoing discussions about Plymouth potentially joining a combined regional authority that could be led by an elected strategic mayor.
There are a number of ways to cast your vote. You can vote in person at a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote.
Registering to vote is quick and easy, it only takes five minutes and can be done online. Once registered you will be placed onto the electoral register. However, you will need to register again if you’ve changed your name, address or nationality.
Once registered, you can request for a postal vote application online. Having a postal vote means that a postal ballot pack containing your ballot paper will be sent to your home, so you can vote via post, avoiding the need to go to a polling station. If you’re unable to vote in person you can apply for a proxy vote and ask someone to vote on your behalf.
All registered voters in Plymouth will also need to show an eligible photographic ID to vote in person at a polling station.
Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a full or provisional UK, EEA or Commonwealth driver’s licence; some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or a blue badge.
Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free Voter Authority Certificate online or by completing a paper form, which is available from the Council.
It is anticipated that the deadlines will be:
• Deadline to register to vote: 1 July 2025
• Deadline to apply or change a postal vote: 5pm on 2 July 2025
• Deadline to apply for Voter Authority Certificate: 5pm on 9 July 2025
• Deadline to apply for a proxy vote: 5pm on 9 July 2025.
For more information about registering to vote or applying for a postal vote or voter ID see our register to vote page.
Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh
As we approach the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on Thursday 08 May 2025, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is pleased to announce a series of events dedicated to marking this pivotal moment in history.
From poignant ceremonies and educational exhibitions to a celebratory evening and community gatherings, these events aim to honour those who served during World War II and foster a spirit of remembrance across the borough.
The commemorative events will begin with a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving on the eve of the anniversary, Wednesday 7 May at St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh. This poignant gathering will provide an opportunity for people to come together in reflection and gratitude.
A highlight of the VE Day 80th anniversary programme will be a special celebratory event, which will take place at Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre on Thursday 08 May from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
Open to the public, this free event will feature a line-up of musical entertainment including Corcrain Flute Band and Jenny Chambers School of Speech and Drama choir. Attendees will also enjoy some fish and chips – an iconic dish that was not subject to wartime rationing – before a speech by local historian Richard Edgar and a reading of a special VE Day tribute. The evening will then close with a symbolic beacon lighting ceremony at Craigavon Lakes at 9.30pm.
The council has also organised several other initiatives to honour the significance of VE Day.
A VE Day flag will be raised at the council’s three civic headquarters on Thursday 08 May at 9.00am, providing a visual reminder of this historic occasion. Moreover, an exhibition at Armagh County Museum will showcase both digital and physical archives, offering visitors a window into local life during World War II. The exhibition will run from Monday 05 May to Saturday 05 July.
The council has also demonstrated its commitment to community engagement by awarding a total of £40,000 in grants to local community groups, enabling them to organise their own VE Day celebration events from Thursday 01 to Thursday 15 May 2025.
Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kyle Savage, commented,
“As we prepare to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is important that we not only reflect on the sacrifices made during World War II but also celebrate the enduring spirit of strength and resilience in our community. All the events taking place across the borough are a tribute to the bravery of those who served and a reminder of the lessons we must carry forward.”
To register your interest in attending the special celebratory event at the Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre on Thursday 08 May from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, go to armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/veday. Please note, admission is free, but spaces are limited, so be sure to register your attendance in advance.
For more information about national VE Day 80th anniversary events, visit https://ve80.com/