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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Global: Assisted dying bill enters parliament – how likely is it to become law?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Gover, Senior Lecturer in British Politics, Queen Mary University of London

    Labour backbench MP Kim Leadbeater has introduced a bill in the House of Commons that aims to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.

    Leadbeater is not a member of the government, but has been able to introduce the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill after topping this session’s private members’ bill ballot in September.

    It’s almost a decade since MPs last voted on assisted dying. Back then, the Conservatives had a majority. Now, the tables have turned and Labour has a large majority. However, it’s not yet clear whether the current cohort of MPs would back this momentous change.

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    Leadbeater’s bill faces additional procedural challenges. Private members’ bills – legislation sponsored by individual MPs rather than the government – face a precarious route onto the statute book. They are highly vulnerable to objections, even if only from a small number of MPs.

    While private members’ bills go through the same basic process to become law as government-sponsored legislation, they are awarded only limited parliamentary time. There are only 13 Fridays per session (typically a year) when these bills are discussed in the House of Commons.

    A House of Commons staffer draws lots in the private members’ bill ballot in September.
    UK Parliament/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    Challenge 1: second reading

    The first major test for this bill will be its second reading stage, due on November 29. For backbench bills, and especially those that are contentious, this stage can be tricky.

    Private members’ bills aren’t “programmed” like government bills, which means there is no mechanism for allocating more time to their discussion if needed. So, it only takes a small numbers of MPs to frustrate a bill’s progress by talking at length to run down the clock.

    To prevent this, supporters can attempt to move the “closure” – a motion to end the debate and make a decision. This, however, requires at least 100 MPs to vote in support – a difficult feat on Fridays, when most MPs are in their constituencies. This problem was illustrated earlier this year on a bill to outlaw conversion therapy. However, on a bill of this profile, there is a good chance of passing the closure.

    For Leadbeater’s bill, simply getting a vote at this stage would be an important accomplishment. It would mean that for the first time since 2015 – also on a backbench bill – the opinion of the Commons could be tested on assisted dying.

    Challenge 2: public evidence?

    Assuming the assisted dying bill passes the second reading stage, it would then be sent to a public bill committee for detailed consideration.

    Some major social changes have come about over the years because of backbench bills.
    Flickr/UK Parliament, CC BY-NC-ND

    Unlike for government bills, this committee cannot, by default, hold public evidence sessions on backbench bills. For a reform of this significance, though, we should expect pressure from some MPs for an exception to be made to allow outside bodies – such as campaign groups, religious organisations and medical professionals – to submit evidence. This would delay the bill’s passage a little, though this need not be lengthy.

    Challenge 3: report stage

    The bill’s biggest test is likely to be at report stage – most likely on April 25 next year. This is when the bill returns to the House of Commons chamber.

    Conventional wisdom is that this stage is often fatal for contentious backbench bills, since opponents can propose large numbers of amendments to the legislation, requiring many separate decisions to be made and time to be drained. Even if supporters attempt to move the closure, with enough amendments they may still run out of time. Something like this nearly happened on an EU referendum bill in 2013.

    Yet, this conventional wisdom may be outdated. The speaker of the house routinely groups report-stage amendments together, reducing the number of separate decisions – and in recent years the norm has been a single group. Since 2019, there has never been more than one group of amendments up for consideration on any private member’s bill. If the speaker follows this recent practice, it may be easier to get the bill through report stage.

    Challenge 4: out of time?

    It is quite possible the assisted dying bill could overcome all these procedural hurdles. But if not, ministers may need to step in to set aside some of the government’s own parliamentary time to discuss the bill further.

    Government time for backbench bills has been rare in recent years, although it did occur in 2019 during the passage of a bill to strengthen the laws around female genital mutilation. But there are some striking historical precedents.

    In the 1960s, private members’ bills were used to pass major social reforms on the laws around homosexuality and abortion, and to abolish the death penalty. In all three cases, the government stepped in to dedicate extra time in the face of attempts to slow these bills’ progress.

    Challenge 5: up to the Lords

    If the bill makes it past these stages, then it also has a good chance of completing its final House of Commons (third reading) stage. But it would then need to complete a similar process in the House of Lords. While there are not quite the same time pressures in this chamber – notably, it does not have the same system of 13 Fridays – there is also no programming for any bills.

    It is hard to predict exactly how the Lords would respond to an assisted dying bill. There have been multiple previous attempts to legislate on this matter over the years. The last time one reached committee stage, in 2015, it got bogged down with amendments and made it no further.

    Leadbeater’s bill will be helped by another bill on assisted dying, started in the House of Lords by Labour peer Charlie Falconer. This is scheduled for debate in the coming months and may help identify and resolve some of the detailed points of contention – though this is not guaranteed.

    It would be unusual, though not impossible, for the Lords to fail to pass a private member’s bill agreed by the House of Commons. Since 2010, there appear to have been only two that were actively held up in the Lords – as opposed to just running out of time. Even so, a small number of determined opponents to assisted dying could make life difficult.

    Were this to happen – at this point an extreme hypothetical – one option available to MPs would be to re-introduce the bill in the subsequent session, perhaps from the new crop of ballot bills. Under the provisions of the Parliament Act(s), this bill might then be eligible to become law without the assent of the Lords. Such a situation very nearly occurred this year on another backbench bill, on hunting trophies, though the timing of the general election intervened.

    Despite these procedural hurdles, the assisted dying bill has a reasonably good chance of passing into law. In the end, much will depend on whether MPs are willing to back this change, and how determined they are to do so.

    Daniel Gover 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. Assisted dying bill enters parliament – how likely is it to become law? – https://theconversation.com/assisted-dying-bill-enters-parliament-how-likely-is-it-to-become-law-241498

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three ways the upcoming UN biodiversity summit could make a difference

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Harriet Bulkeley, Professor of Geography, Durham University

    Projects on the Indus River in Pakistan are helping to tackle biodiversity loss. Salik Javed/Shutterstock

    When negotiations at Cop15 – the UN’s biodiversity conference – ended in December 2022, many delegates breathed a sigh of relief.

    Threatening snowstorms outside the convention centre in Montreal, Canada seemed to lift just as the political weather changed and the long-awaited Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework was agreed. It’s mission: to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 in order to achieve the ultimate goal of a society living in harmony with nature by 2050.

    Fast forward two years and governments, businesses, representatives of Indigenous people and local communities, experts from environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and scientists will gather for the follow-up Cop16 meeting in Cali, Colombia, from October 21. Many due to attend, including myself, wonder whether the promise made to “halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030” is achievable.

    Initial signs are not promising. For starters, no international targets for biodiversity have ever been met.

    Only a handful of countries, including China, Canada and France, have submitted new national biodiversity plans demonstrating how they will implement the promises made two years ago. Most countries, including the UK, (that’s more than 80% in total) haven’t submitted their full plans.

    Countries can also submit updates for the 23 targets listed in the framework. The UK and others have submitted targets such as promising to reduce the impact of pollution on nature and ensuring that 30% of land is effectively protected in line with the framework.

    But crucial questions remain about how those goals will be reached. To make Cop16 effective, three things need to happen.

    1. Decide on a plan

    When delegates gather in Cali, questions of implementation will be front and centre of the negotiations. The first challenge is that the approach for monitoring progress on all 23 targets – including issues such as improving access to nature in cities, reducing harmful subsidies and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems – is yet to be agreed.

    For some, the approach that has been developed so far lacks ambition in crucial areas. Indicators suggested for monitoring progress on reducing the impacts of consumption on nature remain very weak for example. For others, it may prove too challenging.

    For example, countries with limited access to data might not be able to track alien species or assess how critical services provided by nature to make societies more resilient might be affected by climate change. Getting agreement at the Cop16 negotiations will be vital in order to hold countries to account as the 2030 deadline set to achieve all of the targets approaches.

    2. Find the funds

    Another crucial issue is funding: who will pay for the action required? The global biodiversity framework fund (GBFF) was established in 2023 to provide financial support.

    Yet so far, it has only attracted contributions of around US$230 billion (£176 billion) from a small group of countries including Canada, the UK, Germany, Japan and Spain. Leaders gathering in Cali, and especially those from developing countries, are calling for more funding and for greater control over how it is allocated.

    The next UN biodiversity conference will be held in Cali, Columbia from October 21 to November 1.
    Tudoran Andrei/Shutterstock

    3. Make biodiversity matter

    A third debate will decide how best to ensure that biodiversity action is mainstreamed across governments, businesses and communities.

    In Montreal, countries agreed to make sure that the impacts on nature were considered across different policy areas (such as building new roads or developing new energy sources) and in economic sectors, from fishing to agriculture and mining to tech.

    They agreed that groups most likely to be affected by the loss of nature, including Indigenous people and local communities, women and youth, should help make key decisions. While targets such as protecting 30% of the land and sea for nature are crucial, progress will only happen if nature is put on everyone’s bottom line.

    Delivering real change

    The urgent need for action is not lost on delegates gathering in Cali. There is a real risk that the promise countries made in Montreal to deliver “transformative action by governments, and regional and local authorities, with the involvement of all of society” won’t be met.

    But there are some hopeful signs of transformative change to conserve and restore nature and ensure its sustainable use.

    Take, for example, the Tree Equity Partnership in Detroit, US. This partnership between the city, US-based charity American Forests and the local non-profit charity Greening of Detroit aims to plant 75,000 trees. This will create places of beauty, biodiversity and climate resilience in underserved neighbourhoods and generate 300 new jobs in the city.

    In Pakistan, the Living Indus initiative is an umbrella organisation that has identified 25 projects involving local and regional governments, businesses and communities working together to restore the ecological health of the Indus river.

    Businesses are also calling for real change. More than 170 investors have signed a pledge developed by a coalition of financial institutions called the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation to take action for nature across their portfolios.

    New science-based standards are being developed to drive the mainstreaming of biodiversity action through their companies and associated supply chains. Cop16 is expected to see increased interest from the private sector and a focus on tackling climate change and biodiversity together.

    These projects are successfully tackling the root causes of global biodiversity loss. They integrate solutions and deal with social and environmental issues – poverty and exploitation, climate risks and land use change. Tackling these problems is just as vital as the need for sustainable production and consumption plus investment that works for, not against, nature.

    Projects such as these are the ones that give scientists and conservationists like me – and organisations like WWF that I work with – hope. We want to see more projects that take action on nature, climate and social justice together. If Cop16 can make even a small step in this direction, the world will be travelling towards making real progress by the end of this decade.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Harriet Bulkeley receives funding from the European Commission and currently serves as an advisor to the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

    – ref. Three ways the upcoming UN biodiversity summit could make a difference – https://theconversation.com/three-ways-the-upcoming-un-biodiversity-summit-could-make-a-difference-240225

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Award-winning bullfighting documentary likely to anger aficionados and abolitionists alike

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Duncan Wheeler, Professor in Spanish Studies, University of Leeds

    Every year the Spanish ministry of culture awards prizes for different artistic disciplines. From next year onwards, the country’s national bullfighting award will be withdrawn. The current Spanish minister of culture, the Barcelona-born Green politician Ernest Urtasun, supports the prohibition of what has long been known as Spain’s “national fiesta”.

    At the awards ceremony held at the Reina Sofia Museum last week, the minister refused to applaud this year’s winner for “sustained excellence in bullfighting”, Julián López El Juli, the recently retired Madrid-born matador. El Juli retorted to the slight by holding out his hand and publicly calling out the minister’s lack of respect as evidence that he was unfit to hold office.

    Bullfighting predates football as a form of mass entertainment, and has been a source of inspiration for artists and intellectuals for centuries. It still has its followers in the present day, but young urban Spaniards are increasingly sensitive to the undeniable cruelty involved. Bullfighting was banned in Catalonia in 2011. Bullfights, known as corridas, are still staged in much of the rest of Spain, but it can be career suicide for artists, politicians or intellectuals to be associated with them.

    So I, like many in Spain and the Basque Country, didn’t expect the jury of the 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival to award its highest accolade, the Concha de Oro (Golden Shell), to a bullfighting documentary. The director of Tardes de Soledad (Afternoons of Solitude) is Albert Serra, an iconoclastic filmmaker from Gerona, a fiercely pro-independence province of Catalonia.

    The trailer for Tardes de Soledad.

    For five years, Serra and his crew have been following the exploits of two rising stars with the ambition to become figuras, the term for that handful of elite matadors like El Juli, who appear on the most lucrative and prestigious bills.

    Bullfighting and the screen arts have history in and beyond Spain. During cinema’s infancy, early filmmakers the Lumière brothers filmed matadors in Madrid. At annual village fairs, Spaniards would pay to enter a tent and watch recordings of professional corridas. The Valencian Vicente Blasco Ibánez’s 1908 novel Blood and Sand has a strong claim to being the earliest literary text to be written with a future film adaptation in mind.

    In 1951, Hollywood actress Ava Gardner (a close friend of Ernest Hemingway, author of bullfighting novel Death in the Afternoon) starred alongside Catalan matador Mario Cabré in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, which featured corridas in Gerona (the city’s bullring was demolished in 2006). Spanish television started broadcasting bullfights in 1956. Nearly 70 years later, Movistar Spain shut down its dedicated bullfighting channel in March 2023.

    Oscar-winning writer and director Pedro Almodóvar – who received a lifetime achievement award at San Sebastian this year – has his Madrid offices close to the world’s premiere bullring, Las Ventas. In 1986 he portrayed the world of bullfighting in Matador, starring a very young Antonio Banderas, later returning to the subject in Talk to Her (2002).

    This film, which won Almodovar the Oscar for best screenplay, contains scenes in which a female matador is gored in the picturesque bullring in Aranjuez. The British Board of Film Censorship insisted on cuts, and Almodóvar faced legal challenges from animal rights groups. According to Spanish law, corridas are permitted and can be filmed. The legal situation becomes thornier if a bull is killed by a professional matador for the sole purposes of the event being captured on film.

    The trailer for Talk to Her.

    Documenting the glory and the horror

    Nothing is staged for Serra’s documentary. He followed the Peruvian Andrés Roca Rey, a box-office phenomenon often dismissed by serious aficionados as a crass populist; and the more refined Pablo Aguado, a native of Seville.

    Serra connected better with Roca Rey, capturing his fears and solitude in an often hostile professional environment. Pay-for-view television channel Canal+ set a new gold standard for broadcasting bullfights with technical panache. Serra makes no attempt to replicate this labour. Placing the camera at the eye level of the bull and the matador results in a far more graphic and gruesome spectacle.

    The Catalan filmmaker is amongst world cinema’s masters of sound design, and the audience is privy to the bull’s breathing as well as conversations between the matador and his team once the afternoon’s activities in the sand have come to a bloody conclusion.

    Tardes de Soledad is likely to anger and unnerve aficionados and abolitionists alike. Industrial farming is arguably crueller than bullfighting, but recognising this fact is not automatically a defence of the “national fiesta”. It might just be that any hypothetical prohibition needs to framed alongside a wider reassessment of our relationship with, and responsibility to, non-human creatures.

    Some abolitionists suggest that, even though bulls are sold for meat afterwards, it is death and torture being employed for entertainment that renders corridas so problematic. Psychological desensitisation is a real risk, especially when children are in attendance.

    Aficionados claim bullfighting is a rare opportunity to address our own mortality in a society in which death and nature are increasingly kept at a distance. Almodóvar’s pristinely shot bullfighting scenes nevertheless show how ritualised beauty – the vivid stylised outfits, the music, the choreography and the architecture – often divert attention from the blood.

    Serra’s harrowing footage might even shake some enthusiasts out of their complacency. Can so much animal and human suffering be justified in the name of an ancestral art? Conversely, Tardes de Soledad registers the poetry, pain and pathos of bullfighting in and beyond the arena. Dialogues between Roca Rey and his entourage establish a new benchmark for depicting the interior world of a matador, more unforgiving and empathetic than anything by Hemingway.

    A rallying call at anti-bullfighting demonstrations is: “It’s not culture, it’s torture.” Serra’s documentary warrants the Concha de Oro for showing the terms are not mutually exclusive.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Duncan Wheeler 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. Award-winning bullfighting documentary likely to anger aficionados and abolitionists alike – https://theconversation.com/award-winning-bullfighting-documentary-likely-to-anger-aficionados-and-abolitionists-alike-241381

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Haegue Yang’s Leap Year is a bold and diverse show mixing cultural references and folk traditions

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Lang, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Fine Art , University of Lincoln

    Leap Year, a new exhibition of work by South Korean artist Haegue Yang at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery, is a bold and diverse display of contemporary art, mixing materials and ideas in unexpected ways.

    Those with a knowledge of art history over the last 70 years, like me, will appreciate how Yang plays with and combines various art traditions. For example, her use of LED, neon strip-lights, steel, text, projected video and even smell are deliberate references to materials commonly used in contemporary art.

    Yang’s art isn’t particularly “Korean”, but why should it be? Like many artists from around the world, Yang has been influenced by western pop culture. Coca-Cola and Hollywood movies have been as much part of life in South Korea since the Korean war as in Britain. While some see this as a downside of globalisation, many in South Korea embrace these influences, seeing them as a sign of progress. This fusion of cultures is a fact of life for Yang, and it runs through her art.

    In the wall text at the exhibition, Yang claims to have developed a “culturally hybrid visual language”. Her work references modernism, minimalism and conceptual art. Large black-and-white photo collages that bring to mind early 20th-century dada art (a post-war movement that was anti-bourgeois and often satirical and nonsensical) provide the backdrop for sculptures mounted on wheeled frames, reminiscent of stage sets or even fairground rides.

    Another resembles a shower cubicle, but with grab handles on the outside. The title, Sol LeWitt Vehicle, points to the conceptual artist Sol LeWitt. Geometric floor patterns recall the work of Gabriel Orozco, another well-known contemporary artist. In one room, the walls are painted in a blue that’s close to Yves Klein’s famous International Klein Blue (a shade of pure ultramarine he claimed to have invented and which features in his most famous works), although the paint was sourced locally by gallery staff.

    Connecting with tradition

    Yang is particularly interested in the ways contemporary art connects with older folk and craft traditions. For example, she explores weaving practices from different cultures, even working with Filipino artisans. These pieces sit alongside Reflected Red-Blue Cubist Dancing Mask, a sculpture that takes inspiration from how early cubist artists saw African masks as pure aesthetic objects, rather than ritualistic tools.

    Yang’s interpretation has wheels and handles, allowing it to be worn and used performatively, restoring its function, but with a modernist aesthetic twist.

    Her interest in folk traditions goes deeper. During the COVID lockdown in Seoul, she began exploring paper cutting, a traditional Korean craft often linked with shamanic rituals. From there, she expanded her research to include paper-cutting practices from other parts of the world, like wycinanki from eastern Europe and amate from Mexico.

    In her Mesmerising Mesh series, she uses traditional Korean paper (hanji), as well as Japanese washi and graph paper, to create intricate collages. The wooden structures she builds around these works resemble shrines from different cultures. Though some viewers might think of them as something more familiar, like the decor in a western Chinese restaurant. In fact, these designs were inspired by the Hmong people of Southeast Asia.

    In the west, since the second world war, the idea of universal art has often been viewed as tied to colonialism or cultural dominance, yet we embrace universal ideas like healthcare and human rights as progressive. Yang’s work suggests that art, too, has the power to bridge divides and foster empathy, breaking down barriers between cultures. Art may vary greatly across traditions, but at its core, it speaks to our shared humanity – a message as relevant as ever in our polarised times.

    Haegue Yang’s Leap Year: Universal Art for a Divided World is on at the Hayward Gallery in London from October 9 2024 to January 5 2025


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Martin Lang 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. Haegue Yang’s Leap Year is a bold and diverse show mixing cultural references and folk traditions – https://theconversation.com/haegue-yangs-leap-year-is-a-bold-and-diverse-show-mixing-cultural-references-and-folk-traditions-241508

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why breakdancing can give you a cone-shaped head

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, Lancaster University

    Master1305/Shutterstock

    For those of a certain age, Coneheads is an iconic 90s film. But for breakdancers, it seems, developing a cone-shaped head can be an occupational hazard.

    According to a 2024 medical case report, a breakdancer who’d been performing for 19 years was treated for “headspin hole”, a condition also known as “breakdancer bulge” that’s unique to breakdancers. It entails a cone shaped mass developing on top of the scalp after repetitive head-spinning. Additional symptoms can include hair loss and sometimes pain around the lump.

    Approximately 30% of breakdancers report hair loss and inflammation of their scalp from head-spinning. A headspin hole is caused by the body trying to protect itself. The repeated trauma from head-spinning causes the epicranial aponeurosis – a layer of connective tissue similar to a tendon, running from the back of your head to the front – to thicken along with the layer of fat under the skin on top of the head in an attempt to protect the bones of skull from injury.

    The body causes a similar protective reaction to friction on the hands and feet, where callouses form to spread the pressure and protect the underlying tissues from damage. Everyday repetitive activities from holding smartphones or heavy weights through to poorly fitting shoes can result in callouses.

    But a cone-shaped head isn’t the only injury to which breakdancers are prone, however. Common issues can include wrist, knee, hip, ankle, foot and elbow injuries, and moves such as the “windmill” and the “backspin” can cause bursitis – inflammation of the fluid filled sacs that protect the vertebrae of the spine. A headspin hole isn’t the worst injury you could sustain from breakdancing either. One dancer broke their neck but thankfully they were lucky enough not to have any major complications.



    Read more:
    How do breakdancers avoid breaking their necks?

    Others, such as Ukrainian breakdancer Anna Ponomarenko, have experienced pinched nerves that have left them paralysed. Ponomarenko recovered to represent her country in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

    As with other sports, it’s unsurprising to hear that the use of protective equipment results in the reduction of injuries in breakdancing too.

    But breakdancers aren’t the only ones to develop cone shaped heads.

    Newborns

    Some babies are born with a conical head after their pliable skull has been squeezed and squashed during the journey through the vaginal canal and the muscular contractions of mother’s uterus.

    A misshapen head can also be caused by caput secundum, where fluid collects under the skin, above the skull bones. Usually, this condition resolves itself within a few days. Babies who’ve been delivered using a vacuum assisted cup (known as a Ventouse) – where the cup is applied to the top of the baby’s head to pull them out – can develop a similar fluid lump called a chignon.

    Vacuum assisted delivery can also result in a more significant lump and bruising called a cephalohematoma, where blood vessels in the bones of the skull rupture. This is twice as common in boys than in girls and resolves within two weeks to six months.

    If you’ve ever seen newborns wearing tiny hats in the first few hours of their life, then one of these conditions may be the reason.

    Some children may also present with “cone-head” due to craniosynostosis, which occurs in about one in every 2,000-2,500 live births.

    Newborn skulls are made up of lots of small bony plates that aren’t fused together, which enables babies’ brains to grow without restriction. Usually, once the brain reaches a slower growth pace that the bones can keep up with, the plates fuse together. In craniosynostosis, the plates fuse together too early creating differently shaped heads. Surgery can prevent brain growth restriction but is usually unnecessary if the child hasn’t been identified as having an shaped head by six months of age.

    Adam Taylor 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. Why breakdancing can give you a cone-shaped head – https://theconversation.com/why-breakdancing-can-give-you-a-cone-shaped-head-241182

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Behavioural science: could supermarket loyalty cards nudge us to make healthier choices?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Magda Osman, Professor of Policy Impact, University of Leeds

    Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

    Ken Murphy, CEO of the British multinational supermarket chain Tesco, recently said at a conference that Tesco “could use Clubcard data to nudge customers towards healthier choices”.

    So how would this work, and do we want it? Our recent study, published in the Scientific Journal of Research and Reviews, provides an answer.

    Loyalty schemes have been around as far back as the 1980s, with the introduction of airlines’ frequent flyer programmes.

    Advancements in loyalty schemes have been huge, with some even using gamified approaches, such as leaderboards, trophies and treasure hunts, to keep us engaged. The loyalty principle relies on a form of social exchange, namely reciprocity.

    The ongoing reciprocal relationship means that we use a good or service regularly because we trust the service provider, we are satisfied with the service, and we deem the rewards we get as reasonable – be they discounts, vouchers or gifts.

    In exchange, we accept that, in many cases, loyalty schemes collect data on us. Our purchasing history, often tied to our demographics, generates improvements in the delivery of the service.

    If we accept this, then we continue to benefit from reward schemes, such as promotional offers or other discounts. The effectiveness depends not only on making attractive offers to us for things we are interested in purchasing, but also other discounted items that we hadn’t considered buying.

    Does it work?

    So is this the future? The first issue is whether we’re happy to have data collected on us. There is a trade-off between the level of personalisation we want, and the amount of data we are willing to give. Research has shown that the more personalised the schemes are, the more alarmed we are about the crossing of privacy boundaries. For example, many of us dislike tailored communication about services through the use of chatbots.

    The second, related point is that loyalty scheme data is, and will continue to be, of enormous value to third-party organisations. For instance, market research can use loyalty scheme data to track consumer trends more accurately. Researchers can use the data to make inferences about health-related behaviour.

    As valuable as the data from loyalty schemes is for scientific purposes, not all shoppers are happy with having their data shared in this way. In one 2023 survey conducted by Yasemin Hirst from Lancaster University and colleagues of 1,539 people, 39% said they were unwilling to share their personal data with academic institutions, while 56.9% didn’t want to share with private organisations.

    What data people were willing to share also varied: for example, people were happier sharing loyalty card data (51.8%) than social media data (30.4%) for research purposes. In general, people worried about privacy as well as misuses of their data.

    All of this points to data privacy and permission being needed for sharing personal data with third-party advertisers and data brokers for people shopping online.

    Tesco may try to nudge us towards healthier choices.
    Steve Travelguide/Shutterstock

    The final aspect is what the data reveals. Data from loyalty schemes does not present a complete picture of a shopper. We mix and match where we buy our food because of our budget and our geographical location. And some retailers have greater coverage and delivery in rural areas than others – further influencing our behaviour.

    This also means that our degree of loyalty provides only a partial picture of what we end up buying, and how healthy our habits are.

    New research

    In our recent research, Sarah Jenkins and I conducted a study to look at issues related to what Murphy had in mind. We asked 389 people to evaluate ways their grocery shopping behaviour could be influenced.

    We looked at three categories. One included financial incentives and discount offers. The second was classic “nudging” methods, such as labelling healthy or green options, campaigns or education schemes.

    Finally, we looked at technological incentives that could be implemented via smart phones or laptops when making online purchases. For example, there could be suggestions as to nutritional choices, or an automated system that would select only healthy food choices. Alternatively, the system could score your shopping choice according to how healthy they were.

    People assessed all of these options in terms of whether they could help boost healthy and green choices. Generally, participants preferred the financial methods overall, specifically discounts on healthy food options (44.7%). They also judged taxes on unhealthy food items as effective.

    Campaigns for sustainability (6.3%) and automated choices for sustainability (6.5%), such as online shopping algorithms only offering us sustainable options, were least preferred. One possible reason for this might be a lack of understanding of what sustainability actually means.

    Behavioural and financial methods were judged to be slightly more ethical than technological methods, though most people found all options fairly ethical.

    That said, techniques to nudge people’s behaviour in the right direction don’t always work. People like or dislike them depending on a mix of factors, including whether it seems effective, whether it is ethical and whether they actually have a desire to change their behaviour.

    Future options

    Across the different ways market researchers study our shopping trends, the same pattern emerges: about 25% of the time, we buy our groceries online. The precise percentage varies by country and by foodstuffs we buy, but in general the forecasts is that it will increase to about 45% in the next 5-10 years.

    This will mean further innovations in loyalty schemes, designed both to attract new customers as well as maintain the current base. Retailers therefore need to be aware of the shortcomings of such approaches, including that they don’t work on people who don’t want to change their behaviour, that they only provide limited information, and that there may be a point where services are so personalised that many people become unwilling to share their data.

    Some of us will continue to enjoy the benefits of these schemes, so long as we have the chance to exercise choice. Indeed, some want to have suggestions made that ease the selection of healthy or sustainable options, but others don’t. What matters is having a choice.

    Magda Osman receives funding from ESRC, Research England, British Academy, EPSRC, Food Standards Agency.

    – ref. Behavioural science: could supermarket loyalty cards nudge us to make healthier choices? – https://theconversation.com/behavioural-science-could-supermarket-loyalty-cards-nudge-us-to-make-healthier-choices-241283

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why The Rock beats politicians for trust and leadership – and what would-be rulers can learn

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Carl Senior, Reader in Behavioural Sciences, Aston University

    Celebrities can have huge influence and reach enormous audiences. That’s why Kamala Harris was happy to recently gain the endorsement of musician Taylor Swift.

    Due to their media attention and massive fan bases, some Hollywood stars and musicians can appear more powerful than traditional politicians. And these perceptions of influence may also translate into actual impact.

    Indeed, some celebrities have taken up causes, using their fame to overtly push for change (for instance, Bob Geldof and Princess Diana). Others endorse politicians, or successfully run for office themselves (for instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan).

    While it may seem like celebrities who pivot to politics are able to trade on their pre-existing notoriety, few celebrities are well known beyond their fan bases and many people would expect them to lack the gravitas of world leaders.

    However, results of our recent exploratory study conducted in the UK shows that at least one celebrity, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, stands out. He achieved public recognition, leadership and trust ratings as high as the most well-known politicians.

    Indeed, our study found that The Rock’s recognition was on par with the Nobel prize-winning, two-term US president Barack Obama. He was also considered more trustworthy than many politicians.

    In the study, we invited 251 participants to evaluate the faces of 40 seasoned politicians and celebrities to assess their leadership potential and perceived personality traits.

    Only six of the faces had close to universal recognition. Former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, former UK prime minister Boris Johnson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson scored 90% or above. By contrast, US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin were each recognised by 80%.

    Interestingly, The Rock was also judged to be more considerate, competent, credible, intelligent and trustworthy than most politicians.

    When asked to indicate how strongly participants felt about each figure’s leadership potential, the results were surprising. Biden scored 64%, higher than Putin’s 56%, which was in turn higher than Trump and Boris Johnson who both received 42%.

    But a much larger percentage, 72%, rated The Rock as a strong leader, only bettered by Obama’s score of 87%. In our statistical models, two key personality traits, competency and credibility, predicted The Rock’s perceived potential as a national leader.

    The Rock’s fame, stemming from his wrestling career persona, television presence, and Hollywood stardom, seem to demonstrate the impact of a well-maintained media image. His expertise in wrestling’s “kayfabe” style of performance (a dramatic wrestling style that is presented as genuine) has greatly boosted his public persona as an authentic “nice guy”.

    This early experience, and a strong screen presence, is likely to have contributed to leadership scores similar to Obama. Here it seems that The Rock’s heavily cultivated media personality has translated into perceptions of effective leadership.

    This idea connects with the theory of mediated authenticity , which suggests that positive perceptions arise when audiences view media figures in a favourable light. The Rock’s wrestling persona has allowed him to build a connection to his fans and he seems to have developed this further with his Hollywood roles.

    What can Trump and Harris learn?

    Politicians must also connect with the public. Boris Johnson, for example, did well in the 2019 UK election because he knew how to connect and leveraged this ability to his advantage.

    However, leaders also need to be seen as knowledgeable and trustworthy to make an enduring positive difference.

    The Rock was asked about political ambitions.

    Some theorists of power argue that social influence derives from being well-liked, not just being famous. Of course, The Rock is famous for his nice guy image, along with his movie catalogue and perpetually perfect physique. His perceived leadership potential could come from being both popular and seen as a good role model.

    The Rock’s potential has been spotted by political parties. He describes himself as an independent and back in 2023 he revealed that he had been approached by multiple political parties about possibly running for office.

    Can you be a ‘nice’ populist?

    The last few years has seen the rise of numerous political leaders around the world, who have been labelled with the term “populist”. Leading figures on this list include Trump, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and Boris Johnson. However, these leaders tend not to be highly trusted.

    The erosion of trust in politicians and political systems is a significant issue that can lead to decreased engagement with the democratic process, regardless of political level. This ultimately results in a civic structure that fails to represent the people it is meant to serve.

    With the US presidential election just weeks away, and still virtually tied, political strategists for both of the major parties must confront a key question: how much trust does each candidate have from the public?

    Like it or not, The Rock’s wrestling persona relied on building a genuine connection with fans through his kayfabe-style performance, and his friendly image. The careful cultivation of this has given him enduring popularity and, as an unintended consequence of that performance, leadership appeal on the national stage.

    When you are perceived as being a genuinely nice leader, our early research suggests, trust will follow. Something that more politicians clearly need to understand.

    The authors 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. Why The Rock beats politicians for trust and leadership – and what would-be rulers can learn – https://theconversation.com/why-the-rock-beats-politicians-for-trust-and-leadership-and-what-would-be-rulers-can-learn-236987

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel-Iran and the nine stages of how conflicts can escalate and get out of control

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth

    Andy.LIU/Shutterstock

    Tensions are running high in the Middle East. The murderous attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 2023 kicked off a spiral of violence in the region. That has culminated, a year later, in Israel mounting a ground invasion of Lebanon. The invasion, which Israel says aims to confront and destroy Hezbollah, follows 12 months of tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran, which have gradually escalated in intensity.

    Given that Hezbollah is closely associated and supported by Iran, there is mounting concern that this conflict could become a major flashpoint in international relations. The worry is that this war might provide the spark that causes the next global conflict.

    To understand how dangerous the situation could be, it’s worth looking at the theory of conflict escalation. In 1997, Austrian economist Friedrich Glasl published his nine-stage model of conflict escalation, which is generally accepted as the most sophisticated study of how conflicts can develop from disputes to all-out conflict (a step he gives the rather ominous name of “Together into the abyss”).

    Nine stages of confict escalation.
    Graphic by Swinnall, original from Sampi. Derived from: Konflikteskalation nach Glasl.svg, CC BY-NC

    The first level is when a conflict is readily or easily resolved, but when a resolution is not achieved, positions on either side of the argument harden and frustration begin to mount. The next step naturally occurs when conflict parties seek to make their case, hoping to gain advantage in the court of global opinion.

    Stage three of the model sees the adversaries beginning to take action. Neither side wants to yield advantage to the other, while any sense that discussion might mitigate the conflict has disappeared in mutual antagonism and mistrust. Accordingly at stage four, the conflict parties resort to an “us v them” rhetoric in an attempt to build coalitions and attract support. Stage five, described as “loss of face”, is when one or other of the antagonists feels they have become tarnished in the eyes of the community as a whole. Reputation no longer matters as much as achieving their ends. Sometimes one side or the other commits an act that it feels has isolated it, which only serves to harden it position.

    In stage six, threats or ultimatums are issued. This can lead to hostilities spiralling as the conflict parties seek credibility by putting a timescale on a threat, which in turn will heighten the pressure on both sides. This can also bind another of the warring parties to a course of action from where there is little opportunity to retreat. This facilitates the move to stage seven, where the antagonists begin to trade the first limited blows in response to the threats they have made.

    The world is watching the US election campaign unfolding. Sign up to join us at a special Conversation event on October 17. Expert panellists will discuss with the audience the upcoming election and its possible fallout.

    In stage eight, the offensive blows intensify, with the focus on trying to injure – or even destroy – the adversary’s capacity for response or call into question the legitimacy of the other side’s leader. Often this can lead to one or another of the parties fragmenting into warring factions, making the situation increasingly uncontrollable.

    As the conflict hurtles into stage nine, the threat to one or another of the parties has become existential, who are now falling “together into the abyss”. All sense of caution is abandoned as the only goal is the total annihilation of the adversary. A state of total war.

    What stage are we at?

    After years of animosity and denunciation on both sides, the conflict between Israel and Iran has now progressed to the stage that both sides have exchanged limited blows against each other. Reports have linked Iran to the planning of the Hamas attack on October 7. Tehran has recently denied having any part in the massacre. Hezbollah, which is more closely linked to the Islamic Republic, has carried out a year-long barrage of rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel. In response, Israel has now directly struck against Iran’s proxy, invading southern Lebanon to engage and attempt to destroy Hezbollah.

    Both sides clearly want to demonstrate their power and influence in the region. But the stakes could rise if Iran feels an urgent need to protect its proxies. For Israel, its leaders have long argued that its very existence is at stake.

    In terms of Glasl’s stages of escalation, the two countries appear to have reached stage seven, where they are launching limited blows against each other while avoiding direct confrontation. Both want to make their adversary consider whether the cost of continuing is worth the potential rewards that can be gained.

    Iran’s air attacks on Israel suggest that while Iran can see that its regional position is being threatened and is still seeking to support the non-state actors in Gaza and Lebanon, the way in which they have conducted their attacks suggest that Tehran does not feel itself powerful enough to escalate further than it already has.

    The only direct blows the two powers have launched against each other have been from the air. Iran has now launched two (large) barrages of rockets against Israel, one in April this year and again at the end of September. Both bombardments were announced in advance and neither has resulted in Israeli casualties.

    Israel responded in April with a targeted strike against an Iranian airbase close to one of the country’s nuclear installations. It has yet to directly respond to the latest Iranian barrage, but Netanyahu has said Israel would target Iran’s military installations “based on Israel’s national security needs”.

    Analysts believe that both sides – so far at least – are using these limited strikes to signal their unwillingness to escalate. But there is a great deal at stake. Iran will feel its position as a regional power threatened by Israel’s ground campaign in Lebanon. Meanwhile Israel has repeatedly declared that it is fighting for the security of its people. Neither appears to want a wider conflict – and their allies certainly wouldn’t encourage them if they did.

    So it’s clear that – up to now at least – neither Israel nor Iran wants to venture any further down the road to “the abyss” as envisaged by Glasl’s nine-stage model.

    Matthew Powell 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. Israel-Iran and the nine stages of how conflicts can escalate and get out of control – https://theconversation.com/israel-iran-and-the-nine-stages-of-how-conflicts-can-escalate-and-get-out-of-control-240566

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: The main idea of the development strategy is to make Moscow the best city in the world

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Sergei Sobyanin met with students of the Science and Technology University, College and Educational Centre “Sirius”. The meeting was held in the “Atom” hall in Sochi. The Moscow Mayor spoke about new solutions in the sphere of improving the quality of life in cities using the example of the strategy for the development of the capital until 2040 and answered questions.

    According to the Mayor of Moscow, the main idea of the development strategy is to make the capital the best city in the world.

    “For our city to be the best, it must have the most powerful economy in our country, it must have the best opportunities for every person, the best urban environment, and it must be a global center of attraction that the whole world would know and strive to come to Moscow,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    The capital has a large-scale public transport infrastructure – underground, surface and water. Over the past 14 years, the city has built a large number of new metro stations, equal in number to those built throughout the history of Moscow. An above-ground metro has appeared – four Moscow Central Diameters, which allow you to get to the Moscow region and nearby areas. In addition, a decision has been made to build a high-speed railway (VSM-1) to St. Petersburg.

    “This is the President’s project, a high-speed railway (HSR) connecting St. Petersburg and Moscow, then Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh. I think that most of you live in one or another region where this project should come. This means that the entire country will be closer, travel options will be more comfortable, accessible, and the country will develop differently,” the Moscow Mayor emphasized.

    The new rail framework will become a powerful impetus for regional development. The HSR-1 (Moscow-St. Petersburg), the construction of which began in 2024, will cover more than 80 percent of the Russian population. The speed of trains will reach 400 kilometers per hour.

    More than a million trips have been made by passengers on electric ships since the beginning of the year110 carriages of the Ivolga 4.0 train will be launched on the MCD by the end of the year

    New centers of economic activity are being created in the capital. In addition to the historical center, there will be six more comparable in size. They will be located in abandoned depressed areas where a large number of transport highways intersect. Thus, all districts of Moscow will receive their own modern center for life, work and leisure.

    One such center of economic activity is “Yuzhny Port – Tekstilshchiki”It is being created as part of the world’s largest industrial zone reorganization project.

    The city is implementing a complex renovation program that has no analogues in the world. It includes 5,175 buildings. City residents are moving from outdated apartments to new, modern and comfortable ones. In 2024, housing was provided for the resettlement of more than 170 thousand Muscovites. In addition, as part of the renovation program, over 400 social facilities will be built and more than 200 thousand jobs will be created.

    Renovation program: about 75 percent of new residents took advantage of the city’s assistance when movingSergei Sobyanin: About 1.7 thousand capital courtyards were improved this year

    The capital is renewing its urban environment and creating comfortable public spaces. Moscow is developing not just residential areas, but complex districts with parks, squares and embankments where you can work and relax. They are becoming mini-cities with high-quality infrastructure, where there is everything necessary for life.

    The world’s largest monument restoration program is in effect in the capital. More than 2,100 of them were restored in 2011–2024. More than 150 more monuments are planned to be restored annually.

    “In total, more than two thousand monuments have been restored, are in very good condition and continue to serve Muscovites not only as monuments, but also as life, business, public and city organizations,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    Instead of old cultural centers, multifunctional recreation and entertainment centers are appearing in the city. The largest cinema park “Moskino” was built in TiNAO.

    The capital can be proud of its unique, accessible and best healthcare system in the world. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) helps to recognize diseases from CT, MRI and ultrasound images. With the help of AI, it will be possible to predict health problems for each resident and conduct preventive work. The average life expectancy in the capital is expected to approach 80 years.

    Digital technologies are also being implemented in the education system. The world’s largest project, the Moscow Electronic School, allows for the creation of a digital twin of each student and the personalization of their development trajectory. Secondary vocational education is being revived. The capital is dramatically improving its quality and doubling the number of colleges. 75 percent of vacancies on the labor market are for workers with this type of training.

    Moscow Mayor: Funds for school reconstruction included in draft budgetSobyanin: Budget expenditures on healthcare development will be increased by 8%

    The digital ecosystem is developing. Its 90 key projects cover all areas of city life, from public utilities to city services, transport, and education.

    The digital system of Moscow services is the best in the world according to the United Nations. The mos.ru portal offers 420 electronic services. They allow you to draw up documents and social benefits, pay bills, and transmit meter readings.

    A digital twin of a city is a project that helps to see its future for decades to come, plan development, design buildings, structures, engineering and social infrastructure, ensuring a comfortable life for Muscovites.

    The capital is becoming safer thanks to new technologies, artificial intelligence systems, video surveillance, and facial recognition. The crime rate in Moscow is one of the lowest among world cities.

    Sobyanin: The draft budget for 2025 includes the development of digital technologies

    The capital’s economic structure corresponds to the world level: it has a powerful industry, government services, transport, logistics, creative industry, etc. Labor productivity in Moscow is twice as high as the national average.

    “Well, Moscow ultimately occupies a worthy place among all the cities of the world in terms of economy, despite the fact that the largest financial centers of the world are ahead of us. Despite the sanctions, despite the sanctions war declared against us, despite the difficulties, the SVO and so on, Moscow today is one of the world leaders. It is very important that it maintains its leadership. It is the locomotive of the country’s development, and I hope that you will carry this flag further and develop our beautiful capital and wonderful Russia,” the Mayor of Moscow concluded.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11903050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: B.C. election: Party proposals on climate action point in opposite directions

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kathryn Harrison, Professor of Political Science, University of British Columbia

    With affordability, housing and health care at the top of voters’ minds in British Columbia, they haven’t heard much about climate change with less than a week to go until the provincial election.

    In fact, between B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad acknowledging that “man” is impacting the climate and the NDP’s reversal on the carbon tax, casual observers might conclude that the parties have converged on climate.

    But a closer look at the platforms and policy announcements of the province’s Conservatives, New Democrats and Greens reveals fundamental differences on almost every climate-related policy.

    While there is uncertainty about how much B.C.’s emissions would decline under another NDP government, they would almost certainly increase under a new Conservative one.

    Climate action measures

    The parties differ on the threat posed by climate change and urgency of action. The NDP and Green platforms both acknowledge the “climate crisis,” and each devotes a chapter on protecting communities from extreme weather, such as flooding, wildfires and heat domes like the one that occurred in 2021.



    Read more:
    How an ‘atmospheric river’ drenched British Columbia and led to floods and mudslides

    In contrast, the Conservatives claim climate change is not a crisis and that wildfires are a natural occurrence, without acknowledging how the blazes are amplified by climate change-driven heat and drought. The party favours adaptation technology over a “doom cult” perspective.

    The three parties also present very different visions of B.C.’s economic future. Both the NDP and Greens emphasize the province’s comparative advantage in clean energy, and commit to skills training for the renewable energy and clean tech sectors.

    In contrast, the Conservative proposal for a “free and prosperous” B.C. does not mention climate change or clean energy, while the party’s “clean energy” announcement embraces natural gas heating and oil-powered vehicles.

    The Conservatives propose to scrap “any and all carbon taxes,” which suggests both the consumer and industrial carbon taxes. Although the party indicates it would do so “regardless of what happens in Ottawa,” the current federal government would respond by imposing both federal carbon taxes, as it has in other provinces.

    The NDP would repeal only the consumer tax if the federal government does. The Greens would retain both taxes and remove sectoral benchmarks below which industrial polluters don’t pay the tax.

    On electricity, the NDP proposes to double renewable electricity capacity by 2050 to substitute for declining consumption of fossil fuels. The party highlights BC Hydro’s recent call for clean power, which yielded proposals for triple the capacity originally sought.

    The Greens similarly propose to expand rooftop solar and other renewables. The Conservatives welcome “all power sources,” including renewables, but also natural gas plants and nuclear.

    Flood waters cover highway 1 in Abbotsford, B.C., in November 2021.
    THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

    Managing emissions

    Transportation contributes the largest share of B.C.’s emissions at 35 per cent. The Conservatives would repeal the zero-emissions vehicle mandate and low-carbon fuel standard. The other two parties would retain those policies, and both commit to expanding electric vehicle charging networks.

    Oil and gas accounts for the next largest share of B.C.’s emissions at 20 per cent. The NDP election platform commits to implement a cap on oil and gas emissions. In addition, the NDP government announced in 2023 that future liquid natural gas (LNG) approvals will be conditional on net-zero operations within the province.

    The Conservative Party seeks to double LNG capacity, without mention of either an oil-and-gas cap or net-zero commitment. For their part, the Greens would reject all future LNG development, ban fracking and manage a decline of gas production.

    Buildings contribute another 15 per cent of provincial emissions. The NDP government has published documents that propose provincewide adoption of a zero-emission standard for new buildings and high-efficiency heating equipment standards that would significantly reduce gas consumption in existing buildings.

    The NDP and Greens both promise financial support for rooftop solar, home retrofits and heat pumps. In contrast, the Conservatives argue, without evidence, that the grid cannot support heat pumps and promise to repeal the voluntary zero-carbon building code and a “ban” on natural gas heating.

    B.C. has been a climate laggard

    B.C. has been slow to act on climate. That will make it very challenging to meet our 2030 emissions target.

    But progress will only be made by strengthening climate policies, something both the NDP and Greens commit to do.

    In contrast, the Conservatives promise to repeal current climate policies and halt development of others. But with a growing population and plans for LNG expansion, B.C.’s emissions would increase rather than decline under that strategy.

    As B.C. voters prepare to cast their ballots this week, they’ve got a lot to contemplate on climate.

    Kathryn Harrison receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She is chair of the mitigation advisory panel of the Canadian Climate Institute, and a member of British Columbia’s Climate Solutions Council, but her comments do not represent either body nor the University of British Columbia.

    – ref. B.C. election: Party proposals on climate action point in opposite directions – https://theconversation.com/b-c-election-party-proposals-on-climate-action-point-in-opposite-directions-241334

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Pressley Joins Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Pressley Secured $250K in Federal Funds to Support Project

    Video (YouTube) | Photo (Dropbox)

    BOSTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Just A Start, elected officials and community advocates and members for the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons, a 70,000-square-foot facility designed to address the evolving needs of the community. Rep. Pressley secured $250,000 in federal community project funding to support the center.

    The center brings together affordable housing, state-of-the-art job training for youth and adults, Universal Pre-K classrooms, and community resources—all under one roof. By consolidating services, the Hub will serve over 2,800 individuals annually, building long-term pathways to economic stability and opportunity in the region.

    “Today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rindge Commons is a testament to the commitment Just A Start and our communities have to uplifting one another and expanding economic opportunities for our neighbors,” said Rep. Pressley. “I was proud to secure $250,000 in federal community project funding to make this effort a reality, and I look forward to seeing the long-term impact the Economic Mobility Hub will have on families across the Massachusetts 7th.” 

    “The Rindge Commons is an incredible example of collaboration and partnership,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Not only did its development involve federal and state agencies and the private sector, but this building also addresses our state’s need for affordable housing and promotes economic development in Cambridge. Our administration was proud to support this expansion, and we congratulate the team at Just A Start for their hard work.”

    “We are thrilled to see Just A Start growing with its new addition of the Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “This project will support affordable housing, a safe space for children, and career training for adults. We congratulate Just a Start on its expansion, and we’re so grateful for its work supporting Massachusetts residents.”

    “MassHousing is thrilled to be a partner in Just A Start’s Rindge Commons that has delivered 24 brand-new affordable rental homes as well the dynamic Economic Mobility Hub that will be providing educational and job-training opportunities for youth and adults,” said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay. “This development will also allow Just A Start to coordinate its many mission-driven community programs and efforts to promote equitable communities in greater Cambridge from one new, integrated space.”

    “The Rindge Commons development is aligned with LIIF’s commitment to support projects that build equity, opportunity, and wellbeing in communities that need it most,” said Kirsten Shaw, Vice President of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions of Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF). “The development’s wide-ranging impact will improve vibrancy and quality of life in the community, and we’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to support this project with New Markets Tax Credits and additional financing. The Rindge project demonstrates how important public-private partnerships are to driving community revitalization and resiliency efforts.”

    Footage of the event can be found here and photos are here.

    Rep. Pressley secured federal funding for the center in the Fiscal Year 2024 government spending package that passed Congress and was signed into law by President Biden. Rep. Pressley has secured approximately $35 million in federal community project funding for the Massachusetts 7th since Fiscal Year 2022.

    • On June 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley visited Boston Medical Center (BMC) to celebrate $370,000 in federal community project funding she secured to support BMC’s Violence Intervention Advocacy Program. 
    • On June 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley visited Chelsea HealthCare Center to celebrate $1,150,000 in federal community project funding she secured to support Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) efforts to address the statewide shortage of bilingual, culturally diverse mental health providers for immigrant and limited English proficiency communities.
    • On April 22, 2204, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) visited Nubian Square in Roxbury for a roundtable discussion to celebrate the $1,000,000 million in federal funding they secured for the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA).
    • On March 28, 2024, Rep. Pressley visited Roxbury to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal funding she secured to provide emergency childcare support for families experiencing homelessness in the City of Boston.
    • In February 2024, Rep. Pressley visited Chelsea City Hall for a roundtable and press conference to celebrate the $750,000 in federal funding she secured for the City of Chelsea’s and City of Everett’s Island End River Coastal Flood Resilience Project.
    • In January 2024, Rep. Pressley visited Somerville to celebrate the $2.4 million in federal funding she secured to support the community-led transformation of the Clarendon Hill housing community, an ethnically, linguistically and economically diverse neighborhood.
    • In December 2023, Rep. Pressley visited Brighton to celebrate $400,000 she delivered for Amplify Latinx’s ALX Small Business Program.
    • In November 2023, Rep. Pressley visited Roxbury Community College (RCC) to celebrate $1 million in federal community project funding she secured for Northeastern University’s Roxbury Associate’s to Master’s Workforce Accelerator (RA2MWA).
    • In June 2023, Rep. Pressley visited Chelsea to celebrate $2,000,000 in federal community project funding she secured to improve the Broadway Corridor—home to an array of BIPOC-owned small businesses, vibrant public spaces, high frequency public transit routes, and dense residential housing.
    • In April 2023, Rep. Pressley visited Randolph to celebrate $524,000 she secured for Randolph Public Schools to support a mobile library and STEM programming.
    • In March 2023, Rep. Pressley visited Dorchester to celebrate $250,000 in new Community Project Funding she secured for Big Sister Association of Greater Boston’s one-to-one mentoring and enrichment programs for girls.
    • In February 2023, Rep. Pressley visited the African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE) to celebrate the $643,003 in community project funding she secured for ACEDONE to support small businesses in predominately Black, brown and African immigrant communities.
    • In October 2022, Rep. Pressley visited The Dimock Center in Roxbury to celebrate $1 million in federal community project funding she secured to support substance use treatment and programming at the health center. 
    • In August 2022, Rep. Pressley visited Randolph to deliver $275,000 in federal community project funding for culturally responsive resources and digital literacy tools for Randolph Public Schools.
    • In June 2022, Rep. Pressley visited the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology to deliver $300,000 in direct federal funding for the development of a Clean Energy Building Automation Systems certificate and associate degree program.
    • In May 2022, she visited Bunker Hill Community College to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal community project funding she secured to expand the City of Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College program.
    • In April 2022, she visited Randolph to deliver $1,000,000 in federal community project funding for a new school-based community health center at Randolph High School. 
    • In March 2022, she visited La Colaborativa in Chelsea to celebrate the $300,000 in federal community project funding that she delivered for La Colaborativa’s COVID Employment Recovery Program.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: This year’s Nobel prize exposes economics’ problem with colonialism

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jostein Hauge, Assistant Professor in Development Studies, University of Cambridge

    Bumble Dee / Shutterstock

    Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson have been awarded the 2024 Nobel memorial prize in economics for their influential work on how institutions shape economic development. Some would say the decision to award these scholars the Nobel was long overdue.

    The paper that formed the basis of their work is one of the most cited in economics. Acemoglu and Robinson’s subsequent book, Why Nations Fail, has also been hugely influential.

    These works have inspired a rich debate on the relationship between societal institutions and economic development – so in that sense, congratulations are in order. But they have also been the subject of substantial criticism. In the aftermath of the award, it is fitting to highlight the blind spots in their analysis.

    The most important piece of criticism concerns the connection between the quality of a country’s societal institutions and its level of economic development. Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson’s work divides institutions into two categories: “inclusive” and “extractive”.

    Inclusive institutions – such as those that enforce property rights, protect democracy and limit corruption – foster economic development, according to the laureates. In contrast, extractive institutions, which give rise to a high concentration of power and limited political freedom, seek to concentrate resources in the hands of a small elite and thus stifle economic development.

    The laureates claim the introduction of inclusive institutions has had a positive long-term effect on economic prosperity. Indeed, these institutions are today found primarily in high-income countries in the west.

    A huge problem with this analysis, however, is the claim that certain institutions are a precondition for economic development.

    Mushtaq Khan, a professor of economics at Soas, University of London, has analysed Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson’s work extensively. He argues that it mainly shows today’s high-income countries score higher on western-based institution indexes, and not that economic development was achieved because states first established inclusive institutions.

    In fact, history is rife with examples of countries that grew rapidly without having these inclusive institutions in place as a precondition for growth. East Asian states such as Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are good examples. Most recently, so too is China.

    Yuen Yuen Ang’s award-winning books on China’s development process have laid out in detail how China was riddled with corruption during its growth process. In the wake of this year’s Nobel award, Ang went as far as saying that the laureates’ theory not only fails to explain growth in China, but also growth in the west. She points out that institutions in the US were smeared with corruption during the country’s development process.

    Ignoring the brutality of colonialism

    Nations are not wrong to pursue some of the inclusive institutions outlined in Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson’s work. But another worrying part of their analysis is that it legitimises the supremacy of western institutions – and, at worst, processes of imperialism and colonialism.

    Their work has, indeed, been criticised for not paying attention to the brutality of colonialism. We need to dig a bit deeper into their methods to understand this criticism.

    The laureates establish their claim by looking at long-term development in settler colonies versus non-settler colonies. In settler colonies, such as the US, Canada and Australia, Europeans established inclusive institutions. But in non-settler colonies, which include large parts of Africa and Latin America, Europeans established extractive institutions.

    Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson point out that, over time, settler colonies perform better. European institutions are thus better for development, they argue.

    But, considering that the process of colonisation is a central method of their paper, it’s a mystery that the laureates do not discuss the costs of colonialism more broadly.

    Even in settler colonies, where inclusive institutions were eventually developed, years of violence – in many cases verging on the genocide of native populations – predated the development of such institutions. Should this not be factored into the development process?

    According to this year’s laureates, Europeans settled in the poorest and most sparsely populated places, and introduced institutions that contributed to long-term prosperity.
    Johan Jarnestad / Nobel Prize Outreach

    After receiving the award, Acemoglu said that normative questions of colonialism didn’t concern them: “Rather than asking whether colonialism is good or bad, we note that different colonial strategies have led to different institutional patterns that have persisted over time.”

    This statement might come a shock to some people – why is Acemoglu not concerned about whether colonialism is good or bad? But for those familiar with the inner workings of the economics discipline, this statement doesn’t come as a surprise.

    It has, sadly, become a badge of honour in mainstream economics to analyse the world without a normative lens or value judgments. This is a broader issue with the discipline and, in part, explains why economics has become increasingly insular and distant from other social sciences.

    The Nobel prize in economics, which actually wasn’t among the five original Nobel prizes, also illustrates this problem. The list of past winners is narrow in geographical and institutional scope, mainly consisting of economists based at economics faculties in a small number of elite universities in the US.

    Furthermore, a recent study found the institutional and geographic concentration of awards in economics is much higher than in other academic fields. Almost all the winners of major awards have had to journey through one of the top US universities (limited to less than ten) in their career.

    This year’s Nobel prize in economics is no exception. Perhaps this is why it feels like every year, the prize goes to someone who asks “how does a change in variable X affect variable Y”, rather than asking difficult questions about colonialism, imperialism or capitalism – and daring to question the supremacy of western institutions.

    Jostein Hauge 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. This year’s Nobel prize exposes economics’ problem with colonialism – https://theconversation.com/this-years-nobel-prize-exposes-economics-problem-with-colonialism-241400

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC Appoints Hansel Cordeiro as Director of New Office of Professional Conduct

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced its Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Hansel J. Cordeiro as Director of the agency’s new Office of Professional Conduct (OPC). 

    In June, the Board announced the creation of the OPC to serve as a single point of entry for employee complaints of harassment and other interpersonal misconduct.  In this role, Mr. Cordeiro will lead the OPC’s work to receive, investigate and report on complaints of interpersonal misconduct within the FDIC workplace. OPC will also determine and discipline anyone violating the FDIC’s anti-harassment or anti-retaliation policies.  Mr. Cordeiro will report on the work of the OPC directly to the FDIC Board. 

    Mr. Cordeiro was selected from among several highly qualified candidates after a competitive nationwide public solicitation.  Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Accountability and Strategic Business Management at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  In that role, Mr. Cordeiro led the FAA’s anti-harassment program, the largest program within the U.S. Department of Transportation; established the agency’s anti-harassment policies; and oversaw the receipt and investigation of allegations of harassment, sexual misconduct, and retaliation involving FAA employees and contractors, as well as management actions on substantiated allegations.  In addition, he oversaw anti-harassment training for more than 45,000 FAA employees and contractors. 

    Prior to his role at FAA, Mr. Cordeiro served at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in various executive and leadership positions, including leading efforts to remediate deficiencies in the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, which is responsible for improving personnel and organizational accountability within VA. Mr. Cordeiro also served in the Office of General Counsel as a principal legal advisor to several Secretaries of Veterans Affairs on employment and labor law issues. Mr. Cordeiro began his government career at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where he developed and implemented several landmark reforms to the federal government’s personnel systems.

    Mr. Cordeiro has a Juris Doctor from the Washburn University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

    ###

    MEDIA CONTACT: 
    MediaRequests@fdic.gov

    FDIC: PR-89-2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Appoints Ian J. MacLaren to the Montezuma County Court in the 22nd Judicial District

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis appointed Ian J. MacLaren to the Montezuma County Court in the 22nd Judicial District. This appointment fills a vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable JenniLynn E. Lawrence to the District Court in the 21st Judicial District and is effective immediately.

    Mr. MacLaren is the Montezuma County Attorney, a position he has held since 2021. His practice consists of civil matters. Mr. MacLaren is also a Dolores County Court Judge and Dove Creek Municipal Court Judge, positions he has held since 2024 and 2023, respectively. His dockets consist of civil, criminal, and municipal matters. Previously, he was Assistant Montezuma County Attorney (2016-2021) and Private Practitioner at Ian MacLaren Attorney at Law (2016-2021). Mr. MacLaren received his B.A. from the College of Holy Cross in 2009 and his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2012.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do humans have near-equal numbers of male and female babies, unlike many other animals? A new genetic study looks for clues

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Graves, Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University

    Ibragimova / Shutterstock

    We know that boys and girls are produced in much the same frequency. But how – and why – is this 1:1 ratio achieved?

    A new paper searches huge human data sets for gene variants that throw the 1:1 sex ratio off balance, and test the biological and theoretical rules of sex ratio.

    What produces the 1:1 sex ratio?

    Early scientists credited divine providence with ensuring that “every male should have its female”.

    Of course, we now know that sex chromosomes are the real determiners of sex. Females have two X chromosomes; males have a single X and a male-specific Y.

    The Y carries a male-determining gene called SRY, which kickstarts the differentiation of a ridge of cells into a testis. The embryonic testis makes male hormones which direct the embryo to develop as a boy. Without SRY, an alternative pathway is activated that makes an ovary, and the embryo develops as a girl.

    The 1:1 ratio results from the way the X and Y chromosomes are doled out in sperm and eggs. Our cells all have two sets of chromosomes that constitute our genome, one set from each parent. A special type of cell division makes sperm and eggs with just a single set of chromosomes, so that a fertilised egg once again has two sets (one set from the sperm and the other from the egg).

    So sperm all get a single copy of each chromosome – and just one sex chromosome, either an X or a Y. XX females make eggs with a single chromosome set, all of which carry an X.

    When a sperm fertilises an egg, the sex chromosome the sperm carries determines the sex of the baby. Embryos that receive one X from the mother and another X from the father are destined to be XX girls, and embryos that receive a Y-bearing sperm will develop as XY boys.

    So the 1:1 XY ratio in sperm should produce a 1:1 ratio of XX girls and XY boys.

    Sex ratio variation

    But there are lots of exceptions to a 1:1 ratio in the animal kingdom. There are genetic mutations that subvert the orderly segregation of the X and Y, or that preferentially kill male or female embryos.

    Why should the sex ratio be stuck at 1:1 anyway? After all, a few males can fertilise the eggs of many females.

    Indeed, for many animals, unequal sex ratios are the norm. For instance, the mouse-sized marsupial Antechinus stuartii produces only 32% males, even when assessed at birth (so it’s not that male babies die more often).

    Many birds have sex ratios far from 1:1, and some show very specific adaptations that make ecological sense. For instance, the second kookaburra chick to hatch, facing a lower chance of survival, is usually a female, the sex most likely to survive.

    And there are systems of non-standard sex chromosomes. Polar mammals and strange rodents, for instance, are famous for systems in which a mutant X chromosome quashes SRY to form fertile XY females, or a mutated version of SRY doesn’t work. In these species, females predominate, which makes sense for mammals that have to get all their breeding done in a short summer.

    Insects take the cake. An extreme case is a kind of mite that produces a ratio of 15 females to 1 male. In many fruit fly species, 95% of sperm carry the X chromosome, so the progeny are largely female.

    Why a 1:1 sex ratio in humans? Fisher’s principle

    So if sex ratio is so malleable, why have humans (and most mammals) gone for a 1:1 ratio? The great British statistician Ronald Fisher proposed that the ratio is self-correcting and will tend to 1:1 unless there are evolutionary forces that select for distortions.

    The argument is simple. Given every baby must have a mother and a father, if there is a deficiency in one sex, the parents of the rarer sex will have more grandchildren than parents of the more common sex.

    For instance, if males are the rarer sex, parents who by chance produce more sons than daughters will leave more grandchildren than those that produce more daughters than sons. As a result, son-producing genes will get a boost until parity is reached.

    So do we see measurable and heritable departures from 1:1 in the family sex ratio of human sons to daughters? What about Fisher’s principle – is there any evidence that strong evolutionary effects are constraining the human population sex ratio to be 1:1?

    In the new research published this week, researchers Siliang Song and Jianzhi Zhang from the University of Michigan conducted an exhaustive examination of huge human data sets from the United Kingdom and found the answer is an emphatic no. They did identify two genetic variants that affected sex ratio, but these seemed not to be passed on through families.

    So why do humans obey the 1:1 rule? Is it just statistical artefact, because any one family has relatively so few children that even large departures from a 1:1 ratio get evened out across many families?

    Some families have the gene variants to produce more sons than daughters, but other families produce more daughters than sons. Song and Zhang’s analysis suggests this high variability is part of the problem for demonstrating any systematic bias.

    Another possibility is that humans face special evolutionary constraints. Perhaps the human tendency for monogamy places additional evolutionary pressure on humans to adhere to Fisher’s principle in a way that does not apply to other animal species.

    Whatever the answer, this paper by Song and Zhang raises many intriguing questions, and will be a stimulus to further research on the longstanding and fascinating question of parity in the human sex ratio.

    Jenny Graves receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Arthur Georges receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Why do humans have near-equal numbers of male and female babies, unlike many other animals? A new genetic study looks for clues – https://theconversation.com/why-do-humans-have-near-equal-numbers-of-male-and-female-babies-unlike-many-other-animals-a-new-genetic-study-looks-for-clues-241360

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pokies? Lotto? Sports betting? Which forms of problem gambling affect Australians the most?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Russell, Principal Research Fellow, CQUniversity Australia

    ArliftAtoz2205/Shutterstock

    Gambling, especially sports and race betting, is a hot political issue at the moment.

    This is largely due to the recommendations from a 2023 report from a nonpartisan federal government committee, chaired by the late Peta Murphy, called You Win Some, You Lose More.

    This report recommended “the Australian government, with the cooperation of the states and territories, implement a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling”.

    This has led to lots of debate and controversy.

    Recently, Peter V’landys, head of the NRL and Racing NSW, claimed lotteries were more harmful than race and sports betting combined, citing independent statistics.

    Let’s explore the relative harm of different types of gambling and see if this claim holds up.

    Australians love a punt

    Gambling is widespread in Australia, with more than half of adults engaging in at least one form each year.

    According to the latest national data, lotteries are the most common type (40% of Australians buy a ticket annually), followed by race betting (17%), pokies (16%), scratchies (15.7%) and sports betting (9.6%).

    However, the popularity of a gambling form doesn’t necessarily reflect its harm. Different gambling activities have distinct characteristics.

    Two key factors mean that some gambling forms are more harmful than others: the speed of gambling and bet size.

    Pokies allow for frequent, small bets, with spins every three seconds. Race and sports betting can involve much larger sums and betting that is relatively fast, but still slower than pokie spins.

    Sports betting, in particular, is getting faster with in-play betting and microbetting.

    Poker machines, or ‘pokies’ are the biggest single source of gambling losses in Australia.

    Lotteries, on the other hand, are much slower-paced.

    People typically spend a small amount on tickets and wait for a draw to find out if they’ve won.

    Although it’s possible to spend a lot on tickets, people tend not to, unlike with faster gambling forms.

    The average spend on pokies among the 16% who play them is around $4,782 per year, compared to an average spend on lotteries of $377 per year. These are averages. Most won’t spend these amounts but some will spend far more, which raises the average amount.

    V’landys’ claim about lotteries being more harmful than race and sports betting was based on “independent statistics”.

    He said that of 100 people seeking help from a gambling hotline, 70 had issues with pokies, 15 with lotteries, eight with race betting, four with sports betting, and three with casinos.

    We were unable to verify these figures – if anyone has the data, we’d love to see the research to assess them.

    However, we do have publicly available data.

    What the data say

    The NSW GambleAware website’s 2020-21 report shows that of 2,886 people seeking help, 73.3% identified pokies as their primary form of gambling, while only 13 people (less than 1%) listed lotteries. Race betting accounted for 13.1%, and sports betting for 7.9%.

    These patterns were consistent with previous years.

    People who experience problems also usually take part in more than one form of gambling, as the NSW report showed.

    When these secondary gambling activities were considered, sports betting was cited by 35.5%, race betting by 33.5%, pokies by 19.5%, and lotteries by 13.7%.

    What we discovered

    The best evidence on gambling problems and harm comes from large-scale prevalence studies, typically commissioned by governments and conducted by independent researchers.

    These studies offer high-quality insights into how each gambling form contributes to problems.

    While one prevalence study is great, our team recently combined data from seven national and state-based prevalence studies. This resulted in a very high-quality dataset that we can use to study this question.

    In our analysis, we used statistical techniques to show how strongly each gambling form is associated with problems.

    These techniques give us regression coefficients, which are just numbers that tell us how strong the association is. A higher number means a stronger association between that form and gambling problems.

    The most problematic form was pokies (coefficient = 0.147), followed by casino games (0.136), sports betting (0.068) and race betting (0.038).

    Lotteries, with a coefficient of 0.001, were the least problematic and were not statistically significant even in our large sample.

    As you might guess from such a low number, there’s very little relationship between lotteries and gambling problems.

    What about prevalence?

    Prevalence matters too – while pokies were most strongly associated with problems, the number of people participating in each gambling form is also important.

    Let’s consider an analogy – a car that gives out a lot of exhaust fumes. That car is harmful, but if virtually no one owns one, then it’s not going to account for much pollution.

    The same idea applies for gambling forms. If a gambling form is very harmful but very few people do it, it doesn’t account for many problems in the population.

    It works the other way, too – if there is a very clean type of car that many people drive, they also won’t add up to much pollution.

    Similarly, if we have gambling forms that have very little association with problems, it won’t add up to many problems in the population, even if lots of people take part.

    The regression coefficients tell us how problematic each gambling form is. Prevalance tells us how many people do it.

    When we combine these two bits of information, we can work out the degree of problems in the community that come from each form.

    When we did this, pokies were responsible for 52-57% of gambling problems in the community.

    Sports and race betting each contributed 9-11%, with a combined total of around 20%.

    Lotteries accounted for just 0.1-1% of problems.

    Even if we include scratchies as part of lotteries, this only adds another 2-5% of problems, still far below sports and race betting.

    The real issue

    What’s the takeaway?

    Lotteries are widely played but are not typically associated with much harm.

    Sports and race betting, despite having fewer participants, are more harmful due to their faster pace and the potential for large, frequent bets.

    Lotteries involve slower betting and lower spending, making them much less risky.

    If we aim to reduce gambling harm in our community, the focus should be on pokies, which are widespread in pubs and clubs outside WA, casino games and race and sports betting.

    These forms have features that make them far more harmful than slower-paced gambling like lotteries.

    Alex Russell receives funding from Gambling Research Australia, the Department of Social Services, the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, the New Zealand Ministry of Health, the South Australian Government, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, the Alberta Gambling Research Institute and Arts Queensland. He previously provided statistical advice on projects to inform a casino group about gambling and gambling problems amongst their employees, and what could be done to reduce this.

    He is a board member for the Australian Loneliness Research Foundation.

    Matthew Browne has received funding from the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Gambling Research Australia, the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General, the Commonwealth Department of Social Services, the Office of Responsible Gambling, and the South Australian Independent Gambling Authority for various research studies on gambling behaviour, youth gambling, and the social costs of gambling, and gambling-related harm.

    Matthew Rockloff receives funding from Matthew Rockloff has received funding from the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Gambling Research Australia, the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General, the Commonwealth Department of Social Services, the Office of Responsible Gambling, and the South Australian Independent Gambling Authority for various research studies on gambling behaviour, youth gambling, and the social costs of gambling, and gambling-related harm.

    – ref. Pokies? Lotto? Sports betting? Which forms of problem gambling affect Australians the most? – https://theconversation.com/pokies-lotto-sports-betting-which-forms-of-problem-gambling-affect-australians-the-most-240665

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Victorian students will get ‘anti-Tate’ lessons – but much more is needed to tackle gendered violence in schools

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Humanities and Social Sciences, Monash University

    Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock

    The Victorian government has announced new teaching resources to tackle the influence of “manosphere” figures, such as Andrew Tate, in the state’s schools.

    This follows ongoing reports of disturbing events involving sexist abuse by students in both independent and government schools in Victoria and around the country.

    But while this week’s announcement is a welcome and necessary step, we need a more comprehensive plan to eliminate gender-based violence in our schools.

    What is the ‘manosphere’?

    The “manosphere” is an overlapping collection of extreme men’s communities on social media that are anti-women and against women’s empowerment. This includes Tate, the “misogynist influencer” who is facing trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape (which he denies).

    Our recent research found women teachers are increasingly exposed to sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment as the result of boys’ exposure to “manfluencer” ideas and behaviours. These problems are further compounded by the infiltration of far-right sentiments into schools, which has been linked to far-right online forums.

    At the same time, women teachers report they are not being supported by school leadership.



    Read more:
    We research online ‘misogynist radicalisation’. Here’s what parents of boys should know

    What’s in the Victorian resources?

    The new teaching resources were developed by education academics Helen Cahill and Debbie Ollis, in consultation with teachers, students and parents.

    They aim to give students skills to counter the influence of “Tate-types”, and to navigate issues such as consent, sextortion, pornography and gender-based bullying.

    They will be part of respectful relationships education, which is mandatory in Victorian government schools (following a recommendation of the 2015 Royal Commission into Family Violence).

    Problems with respecful relationship education

    There have been implementation issues with respectful relationships education.

    A 2022 review (of which one of us, Naomi Pfitzner, was an author) found problems with the funding, quality of resources and training supplied to schools, and with schools’ levels of commitment

    Previous research also suggests teachers may be hesitant to engage with controversial or tricky topics. There is a risk some issues are being left out of classroom discussions.

    Crucially, respectful relationships is not mandatory in all Victorian schools — independent and faith-based schools in Victoria need to opt in.

    In other Australian states and territories, respectful relationships education is not compulsory in any school system.

    We need more information

    Education departments around the country collect various forms of data about school life, such as learning and attendance. But we don’t have accurate national data on the prevalence of gender-based violence in schools.

    Without the full picture of how widespread gender-based violence is in Australian schools, it is difficult to resource and design an appropriate response.

    Gender-based violence in schools is inextricably connected to the endemic levels of violence against women in Australia.

    We cannot separate a broader culture that enables gendered slurs, misogyny and gender inequity — known enablers of gender-based violence — from attitudes towards women and girls in schools.

    We need more information about the experiences of female students and staff in Australian schools.
    Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock

    What now?

    Women have been raising the alarm about sexual harassment of female teachers for decades. But on top of already slow or inadequate responses, the problem has become more complex.

    The proliferation of online misogynist content requires a new, tailored approach.

    Our current project with Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety is examining how online misogyny in the manosphere influences young boys and men in Australia. We will then create resources to support teachers and help make schools safer for all young people.

    It is shameful many girls’ first experience of gendered violence happens as students at school. And teachers deserve a safe workplace free from misogyny and sexism.

    Stephanie Wescott receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).

    Alexandra Phelan receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).

    Naomi Pfitzner has received funding from the Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, the Victorian and Queensland governments and the Australian government. She was an author of the review into Respectful Relationships Education in Australia mentioned in this article.

    Sarah McCook receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).

    Steven Roberts receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), the Australian government and the Australian Research Council. He is a Board Director at Respect Victoria, but this article is written wholly independently from that role.

    – ref. Victorian students will get ‘anti-Tate’ lessons – but much more is needed to tackle gendered violence in schools – https://theconversation.com/victorian-students-will-get-anti-tate-lessons-but-much-more-is-needed-to-tackle-gendered-violence-in-schools-241473

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Final of China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 held in Shanghai

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Final of China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 held in Shanghai

    Updated: October 17, 2024 09:31 Xinhua
    The project of Xidian University is introduced during the final of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 15, 2024. The final of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 was held in Shanghai on Tuesday, during which six teams from home and abroad competed for the champion. The project of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University won the champion. Since this May, altogether 5.14 million projects from 5,406 colleges of 153 countries and regions have been registered to take part in the competition. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Representatives of contestants are seen during the final of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University is introduced during the final of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Representatives of contestants are seen during the final of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The project of Shanghai Jiao Tong University is displayed during a college students’ innovation achievements exhibition in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A college students’ innovation achievements exhibition is held in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A model of the project of Wuhan University is displayed during a college students’ innovation achievements exhibition in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The representative of the project of the University College London is questioned during the final of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition 2024 in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Green transition key for agri-food sector

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The venue of the 2024 World Agri-food Innovation Conference (WAFI 2024) is seen in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 11, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A global panel of agrarians has called for the innovation-driven green transition of the world’s agri-food system, as part of efforts to curb carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change on food production.
    While some food-producing regions have initially benefited from warmer weather, the substantial uncertainties caused by global warming are disrupting agriculture across Asia, Africa and South America, the experts said.
    They made the remarks on the sidelines of the 2024 World Agri-Food Innovation Conference, held in Beijing earlier this month. The event was organized by China Agricultural University.
    Sun Qixin, president of China Agricultural University and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told China Daily that mainstream models indicate a 6 to 8 percent decrease in food production for every 1 C increase in global temperatures, unless technological innovations are introduced to alleviate these effects.
    “However, the impact of a warmer climate is not uniform across the globe,” he said.
    Despite instances of warmer and wetter climate boosting food production in some areas that were previously cold and prone to drought, the sudden and extreme shifts in weather patterns are causing widespread disruptions in food production globally, Sun noted.
    Given that the green transition necessitates a substantial reduction in agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, it is crucial to invest in research and technological innovations to ensure that these reforms do not result in decreased output, Sun said.
    “We must proceed in this direction despite the challenges,” he added.
    An estimate by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body for evaluating climate science, showed that the agri-food sector, covering the entire cycle from food cultivation to consumption, contributes one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
    Fu Wenge, a professor at China Agricultural University, said that innovations facilitating green transition do not always require groundbreaking scientific discoveries, adding that sometimes, minor and cost-effective reforms in management models and other fields can bring significant changes.
    Fu cited the university’s Science and Technology Backyard project, which encourages students to live and work alongside smallholding farmers in rural areas as part of their education programs. The arrangement aims to help promote high-yield crop varieties and environmentally friendly farming practices among rural farming communities. “This model has been implemented in Africa and other regions,” he said.
    Ismahane Elouafi, executive managing director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, or CGIAR, a global partnership that unites research groups for a food-secure future, said that the green transition could be achieved through innovations that span technological, policy and institutional levels and include models for countries to work together.
    “The impact of climate change is multiplying every day, and the only way forward for us is to adopt innovation in its broad sense to really transform the agriculture system,” she said.
    The experts also called for greater awareness of increasing food production with reduced carbon footprint and more care for the environment.
    Patrick Caron, vice-chair of the CGIAR system board, said that humans have managed to increase food production throughout history, as living conditions improved and consumption patterns changed.
    “However, at the moment, we are looking at the increase of production with a different angle,” he said, referring to greater care to avoid climate change and degradations of land, water and biodiversity.
    Makers of food policy point to China as a source of hope amid the gloomy outlook of increasing food insecurity worldwide, citing the country’s ambitious goal to boost its annual food production capacity to approximately 700 million metric tons by 2030, up from the 695 million tons in 2023.
    Elouafi, the CGIAR executive managing director, said, “I think China really is a bright spot in the global picture, and not only in increasing productivity in a very smart way, but also in reducing poverty and hunger.”
    Despite a recent reversal in global progress, the world made significant strides in alleviating hunger and poverty between 2000 and 2017, largely because of China’s efforts, she said.
    Elouafi noted that China’s adoption of technologies and innovations in the agri-food sector, along with its initiatives to enhance rural incomes, played a pivotal role in the success.
    Wednesday marked World Food Day, which has been celebrated annually on Oct 16 since 1981 to raise awareness and promote action for fighting hunger and ensuring food security for all.
    At a news conference on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that as the world’s largest food producer, China attaches great importance to global food security.
    “China has provided more funding and experts and undertaken more projects than any other developing country under the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s South-South Cooperation Programme,” she said.
    Mao added that China is willing to continue strengthening cooperation on food security with all parties to strive for a world free of hunger.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Thou Shalt Not Steal: new Stan series is a perversely funny road trip through Central Australia

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly McWilliam, Associate Professor of Communication and Media, University of Southern Queensland

    Stan/Ian Routledge

    Stan Original’s newest series is coming to smaller screens, having premiered its first three episodes in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.

    Thou Shalt Not Steal follows Aboriginal teen Robyn (played by the immensely talented Sherry-Lee Watson). She escapes juvenile detention and embarks on a defiant road trip from Alice Springs to Adelaide to uncover a long-held family secret.

    Fellow outsider Gidge (Will McDonald) comes along for the ride. He has run away from his dodgy preacher dad Robert (Noah Taylor, clearly enjoying his character’s exaggerated grossness, from a perpetually stained singlet to overflowing ashtrays).

    In hot pursuit are two incongruous duos. First come detectives Burke and Wills (Shari Sebbens and Darren Gilshenan). Then Robert teams up with the decidely crooked Maxine (played menacingly by Miranda Otto). Where Robert’s deceits are lazily self-serving, Maxine is an outback madam who poses very real dangers to the young people.

    ‘Some bastards have it coming …’

    Thou shalt never go to Coober Pedy

    Each episode begins with a tongue-in-cheek lesson from Robyn’s past. These range from the eponymous “thou shalt not steal” to “thou shalt never go to Coober Pedy”.

    This deadpan humour cleverly introduces significant issues. There are the inordinate rates of incarceration of Indigenous youth, alcoholism, assault, toxic masculinity, bullying and weaponised religion, among others.

    These themes are particularly pertinent in the Northern Territory, where Thou Shalt Not Steal was both set and shot. Earlier this year the NT city of Alice Springs initiated a youth curfew and the territory has now reportedly lifted its ban on using “spit hoods” on young people.

    This context means some of the laughs in the series are uncomfortable. But comedy is a well-established vehicle for social justice and the show remains focused on the heroes’ journey, albeit within an important socio-political context.

    Over the first six of its eight short episodes, Thou Shalt Not Steal maintains a balance between acerbic comedy and perilous road trip. Its final episodes revel in a series of over-the-top scenarios that nevertheless tie up narrative loose ends in an enjoyable way.

    Indeed the shift to outright absurdity reveals the show’s gentler message: about finding a chosen family.

    Miranda Otto and Noah Taylor’s characters are dangerous for different reasons.
    Stan

    Alice Springs (Mparntwe)

    If the tone and topic of the show – described elsewhere as “End of the F…ing World meets Fargo” – sound familiar, it’s because it draws from director, co-writer and co-creator Dylan Rivers’ earlier multi-award-winning Robbie Hood (2019).

    In that show, the Robin Hood mythology falls to 13-year-old Alice Springs’ local, Robbie (Pedrea Jackson). The same desert-dry humour articulates the charming teen’s well-intentioned misadventures through a variety of legal and familial landscapes.

    Alice Springs (Mparntwe) is not just a recurrent muse for Rivers; it is also where he grew up, as the son of award-winning filmmakers Penelope McDonald and Warwick Thornton. Rivers has noted that, while his family actively supports each other, they are also “competitive”, pushing each other to produce their best work.

    The series is set in Central and Southern Australia in the winter of 1980.
    Stan/Ian Routledge

    Slick and self-aware

    Having worked previously with his parents on multiple productions, Thou Shalt Not Steal is also something of a family affair. Co-created and co-written with cousin Tanith Glynn-Maloney, who also serves as executive producer, Thou Shalt Not Steal was developed during COVID lockdowns. The duo slowly developed the premise and the first two episodes over two years, before securing investment and support.

    The result is a slick, well-made series with terrific attention to detail. The gorgeous landscapes contrast with the dank, grimy spaces occupied by the antagonists. The soundtrack is its own treasure trove, ranging from Slim Dusty to the Yamma Family and the Warumpi Band, and always in perfect alignment to the scenes. The chorus of “almost the end, almost the end!” is a highlight in the last episode.

    Rivers says he tried not to

    […] shy away from being a bit cheesy, being a bit self-aware, and being over the top at times. Hopefully there’s twists and turns that people don’t expect. But it was very consciously, like, let’s have fun.

    Thou Shalt Not Steal is most definitely a fun ride.

    Thou Shalt Not Steal is streaming on Stan from today.

    Kelly McWilliam 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. Thou Shalt Not Steal: new Stan series is a perversely funny road trip through Central Australia – https://theconversation.com/thou-shalt-not-steal-new-stan-series-is-a-perversely-funny-road-trip-through-central-australia-241353

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: With reports Kamala might join Joe Rogan for a chat, the US election is showing the power of podcasting

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lea Redfern, Lecturer, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney

    Call Her Daddy/YouTube

    It was big news in the podcasting world when US Vice-President Kamala Harris recently sat down with Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy for an extended interview. This was not just because it was one of the few times Harris has opened herself up to direct media scrutiny, but also because it signalled podcasting’s coming of age.

    Now there are fresh reports she could sit down with Joe Rogan for his top-rated show. Former president Donald Trump has also said he’ll record with Rogan before election day.

    High-stakes interviews are no longer solely the domain of legacy media. Politicians, like celebrities with a story to tell or a film to sell, can pop onto a podcast with a hopefully sympathetic host to reach vast and potentially new audiences. (That said, Harris also did interviews with CBS News, 60 Minutes, The View and CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the same week.)

    So for the VP and Democratic presidential candidate, is this about finding new audiences or answering to a different, perhaps softer style of interview?

    Call her who?

    If you haven’t heard of Call Her Daddy, note the show’s emphasis is on sex and female empowerment. Cooper’s listeners are 70% women and 76% of them are aged under 35. It is often compared to the Joe Rogan Experience, a comparison Cooper hates. Cooper has also been called the Oprah Winfrey of her generation, which may say something about her interviewing skills or her market value.

    The comparisons to Rogan are hard to avoid. Call Her Daddy has been running since 2018. In 2020, Cooper split with her co-host and took the program to Spotify, also home to the Joe Rogan Experience. There, Call Her Daddy rose to be the second most-listened-to podcast globally, behind Rogan, with an average of 5 million weekly listeners. Spotify gave Cooper US$60 million to Rogan’s rumoured $250 million. This particular gender pay gap was recently reduced when Cooper took the podcast to SiriusXM for $125 million.

    A Harris appearance on Rogan’s podcast could give her a larger audience than Cooper’s and parallel access to young male listeners.

    ‘Here’s the thing …’

    Soft or smart?

    Harris’ decision to be interviewed on a podcast aimed at young women brought criticism from those who saw it as the “soft option”, as well as those who don’t rate young women or approve of talk of sex.

    The same commentators seem to have overlooked that for the last year, Trump has been wooing the “manosphere” and has called in to friendly bro-casts such as This Past Weekend with Theo Von. In other podcasts like Full Send, Trump has had scope for friendly freewheeling banter on topics from Ice Spice to golf.

    Cooper says she also invited the former president onto her show to discuss women’s rights.

    In the journalistic tradition of podcasts since Serial, Cooper revealed her process and opened her interview with Harris by sharing the reasoning behind her line of questioning. “Let’s be real, I’m probably not the one to be having the fracking conversation,” she deadpanned.

    Harris said she went on the podcast “to be real, you know, and to talk about the things that people really care about”. There were moments of genuine emotion, such as anger and compassion at the death of a young woman, Amber Thurman, in Georgia in the wake of the US’s newly restrictive abortion laws. Yet at times Harris still sounded rehearsed, in the manner of people in the public eye required to repeatedly answer similar questions and give similar speeches.

    The risk to a politician is that the authenticity and intimacy for which podcasting is known could just as well work against them – a lack of “realness” becomes amplified through headphones, straight into the listeners’ ears.

    While Harris’ cadence sounded like familiar speechifying near the end, perhaps her anecdotes were new to sections of Cooper’s audience. For all the claims that a focus on the concerns of women made for a “soft interview”, it was also a timely reminder of the centrality of reproductive freedom to women’s lives and the election.

    The risks of the interview were more Cooper’s, who hinted at the prospect of losing listeners by interviewing a politician while wanting Call Her Daddy to be “a place where everyone feels comfortable tuning in”. This is a pertinent concern for her as much of the program’s initial popularity was built on Barstool, a media company known for its conservative leanings.

    A different listener

    The question remains: is appearing on extremely popular podcasts with young audiences a good political strategy for Harris? The positives of appearing on Call Her Daddy were clear, given Cooper’s main audience of young women is generally more politically engaged and motivated to vote than young men.

    Rogan’s audience is 81% male with 34% aged 18–35. Making a connection with young men could prove trickier for Harris within the “bro-ey”, jokey framework of the Joe Rogan Experience than it was with Cooper.

    A lot will depend on Harris’ interaction with the host, but Rogan is not known for hostile interviewing and Harris is experienced in connecting with people from a range of backgrounds. And her recent spot on shock jock Howard Stern’s radio show gave her a chance to share her love of car racing.

    In a tight election, which could come down to swing voters in six or seven states, such skills, showcased in the podcasting space, could impact the election. The potential gains seem worth any risks.

    Lea Redfern 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. With reports Kamala might join Joe Rogan for a chat, the US election is showing the power of podcasting – https://theconversation.com/with-reports-kamala-might-join-joe-rogan-for-a-chat-the-us-election-is-showing-the-power-of-podcasting-241462

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Powerful performances by artists with disabilities to celebrate diversity at 2024 OzAsia Festival

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 October 2024

    Photo by Matt Byrne.

    Two films celebrating the dedication and tenacity of Korean and South Australian performers with and without disability will hit the big screen as part of the Asia-focused arts festival OzAsia.

    Counterpoise, which features nine artists from Adelaide-based Restless Dance Theatre and the Korean 29Dong Dance Theatre, is a contemporary black and white dance film created at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Directed by Larissa McGowan and Matt Byrne, the 20-minute dance film highlights the noise of life, as well as quiet loneliness within ourselves. Counterpoise’s detailed choreography melded with electrifying music by KOREAN MUSIC PROJECT using a combination of traditional and western instruments embedded with digital technology.

    Dancing Against the Odds, a documentary directed by Adelaide filmmaker Matt Byrne, follows the innovative and inclusive journey of making Counterpoise over three years. Produced by University of South Australia arts management experts Dr Boram Lee and Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM, the 60-minute film embraces diversity, inclusion and self-expression.

    Both films will screen on 29 October as part of the Adelaide Film Festival and OzAsia.

    The project began in 2020, when dancers could only collaborate virtually due to COVID-19. It wasn’t until 2022, when members from the three companies – Restless, 29Dong Dance Theatre, and KOREAN MUSIC PROJECT – could meet face-to-face in Adelaide for the first time and continue the bonds formed online.

    In 2023, Restless Dance Theatre had the opportunity to travel to Seoul, reuniting the team for a public preview of Counterpoise and workshops with Korean artists with and without disabilities. This journey not only expanded the project’s reach but also nurtured community connections, inspiring a deeper appreciation for inclusive arts.

    Dr Boram Lee says the project connected people across Australian and Korean borders to help foster a network of inclusivity and diversity through the arts.

    “After a three-year saga of overcoming international borders, language barriers, and perceptions of disability, we’ve transformed the impossible into a breathtaking reality,” she says.

    “This collaboration showcases the incredible power of public initiatives, made possible by the steadfast support of the Korean and Australian governments and our diverse partners.

    “With multiple layers of collaboration among dancers, musicians, academics and filmmakers, we’ve fostered deep people-to-people connections, and we’re excited to share our learning with communities around the world.”

    Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM says the project embraced diversity, inclusion and self-expression to help shift stereotypes around the capabilities of artists with disability.

    “These films present disability in a new light. They showcase what the dancers can do rather than focusing on what they can’t do,” she says.

    Counterpoise and Dancing Against the Odds is supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and KOFICE as part of Kore·A·Round Culture 2023, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program, Australia-Korea Foundation, and Arts South Australia.

    Screening of the two films Counterpoise and Dancing Against the Odds

    When: Tuesday 29 October, 5:45pm

    Where: Palace Nova East End, Adelaide

    The screening will be followed by an artists’ talk moderated by Prof Ruth Rentschler and including selected dancers in the film, and Dr Boram Lee.

    More information available on the Adelaide Film Festival and OzAsia websites.

    Images

    Trailer

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview:

    Dr Boram Lee, Senior Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management, UniSA E: boram.lee@unisa.edu.au

    Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM, Professor in Arts and Cultural Leadership, UniSA

    E: Ruth.Rentschler@unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, UniSA Media M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: For Deaf people, train travel can be a gamble. But an AI-powered Auslan avatar can help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Korte, Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology

    Denis Belitsky/Shutterstock

    For Deaf people, train travel can be a gamble. On an average day, nothing goes wrong: they catch their train to their destination and carry on with their business.

    But when something out of the ordinary happens, the situation can quickly get scary, because most updates are only delivered by audio announcements. A Deaf traveller may miss their train because it was moved to a different platform, or watch as their station whizzes by because the train isn’t stopping there today. They may also remain on a train carriage in an emergency after everyone else has evacuated, and have to be rescued by station staff.

    Every single one of these examples has been drawn from the real life experiences of Deaf people in Sydney. But my colleagues and I are working with Sydney Trains and members of the Australian Deaf community to develop an advanced, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered signing avatar which can automatically translate audio announcements into Auslan.

    Our work on the avatar also builds towards the next step: developing AI systems which can “understand” Auslan.

    Journeys don’t always go to plan

    Earlier this year, my colleagues and I ran a pilot study with three Deaf train travellers in Sydney. As well as the stories they shared about what can go wrong during train travel, we learned they use tried and tested strategies for making their journeys go smoothly.

    Their strategies might be familiar to regular commuters. For example, they would plan their journeys with an app, arrive early and look for signage to let them know if anything had changed.

    But they also said they felt they needed to stand near information screens to watch for updates, and ask station staff or other passengers for information when the situation had changed. They also reported being hypervigilant while on the train, watching to make sure they don’t miss their stop.

    But these strategies didn’t always ensure Deaf travellers received important information, including about emergencies. For example, while usually helpful, station staff were sometimes too busy to assist.

    The greatest frustration came in situations where other passengers weren’t willing or able to provide information, leaving our Deaf travellers to just “follow the crowd”. This often meant ending up in the wrong place.

    Developing a signing avatar

    Speech-to-text software might seem like an easy solution to some of these problems. But for many Deaf people, English is not their native language and Auslan can be processed far more easily and quickly.

    Our Deaf travellers told us that, in a perfect world, they would want live interpreters. However, automatic, AI-powered translation using a signing avatar displayed on a platform or train screen which could identify key words in an audio announcement, generate a sentence with correct Auslan grammar, and stitch together the corresponding signs from our vocabulary library was appealing for a number of reasons.

    Avatar by Maria Zelenskaya, QUT. Auslan by Julie Lyons, QUT.

    First, it allows for real-time translation of announcements that use known vocabulary – which is relevant in the trains-and-stations context, where many announcements cover similar topics.

    Second, an avatar and its signing can be customised to the needs of a given situation, such as using information about screen location to ensure the avatar signs in the right direction while pointing out exits or other platforms.

    Third, multiple signers can contribute signs to an avatar’s vocabulary, which can then be smoothly stitched together to make a sentence.

    And importantly, an avatar means no real person has to be the “face” of an organisation’s automatically generated announcements. This is particularly important because the Australian Deaf community is small and close knit, and if something goes wrong with the translation, nobody suffers any reputational damage.

    From a technical point of view, an avatar also allows us to ensure a minimum quality threshold for signing. We’re using motion capture to make sure each sign in our vocabulary library is accurate, and movements are clear.

    It also helps us avoid the “uncanny valley” – an effect where something human-like but subtly wrong is unsettling. We don’t want any of the many-fingered monstrosities you may have seen recently generated by AI.

    AI for everyone

    This work is one step in our broader aim of creating an AI system which can understand Auslan. This AI could be used to help Deaf and hearing station staff converse, or to create “chatbot booths” or app-based assistants that would allow Deaf people to get information on demand in Auslan about their train journeys or other daily tasks.

    Sign languages and Deaf cultures around the world have nuances and complexities that hearing researchers and developers of AI may not be aware of. These nuances and complexities must be embedded in new technologies, and researchers and developers must take a language-first approach to AI data collection and design with – not just for – Deaf people.

    Only then will AI meet Deaf people’s real needs: to ensure their safety and independence in every aspect of daily life.

    Jessica Korte has received funding from Qvest Australia, a technology solutions partner to Sydney Trains.

    – ref. For Deaf people, train travel can be a gamble. But an AI-powered Auslan avatar can help – https://theconversation.com/for-deaf-people-train-travel-can-be-a-gamble-but-an-ai-powered-auslan-avatar-can-help-241016

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Emerging market buyers embrace Canton Fair

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Buyers from emerging markets are steadily taking the lead at the 136th session of the China Import and Export Fair, or the Canton Fair, replacing those from Europe and North America as the primary participants, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

    The global trade event, held twice a year in Spring and Autumn, is being held from Tuesday through Nov 4, in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province.

    A total of 125,000 overseas buyers had registered for the 136th session of the fair by Oct 9. Among them, about 76 percent are from countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, while 12.5 percent are from North America and Europe, said the Ministry of Commerce.

    The driving forces behind this trend include the diversification of China’s export markets, rising business and consumer demand in emerging markets and shifting global trade dynamics, as economies in Southeast Asia, North Africa and South America become increasingly integral to global supply chains.

    “These economies often show strong demand for the industrial products and consumer goods available at the Canton Fair,” said Chu Shijia, director of the Guangzhou-based China Foreign Trade Center under the Ministry of Commerce, one of the Canton Fair organizers.

    As China is in the midst of a green transformation, its traditional exports — like household appliances and industrial equipment — are also making room for a fresh wave of technologically advanced and eco-friendly products, further meeting the needs of buyers from both developed and developing markets, said Han Yonghui, a professor specializing in foreign trade at Guangzhoubased Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

    Emerging markets represented by Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, with their vast market potential and promising development prospects, are attracting a growing number of Chinese enterprises seeking business opportunities, according to a report jointly released by Deloitte and WorldFirst, an international payment services provider.

    As the internationalization of Chinese manufacturers and traders reaches a more mature stage, an increasing number of enterprises are embarking on a deeper level of internationalization — transitioning from product exports to establishing operations overseas — according to the report released on Monday in Guangzhou.

    This involves contract fulfillment supported by the integration of “local entities, local operations and local supply chains”. For instance, according to data from WorldFirst, the number of Chinese merchants using the payment platform to expand their overseas operations in the first quarter surged 56 percent year-on-year.

    Between 2018 and 2023, China maintained high growth rates of exports to its major trading partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Middle East and Latin America, with compound annual growth rates generally exceeding 10 percent, according to the report.

    “Over years of development, we have seen an increased number of trade partners from emerging markets,” said Li Zhaoying, CEO of ChillSun Technology Co.

    The company, based in Huizhou, Guangdong, is attending the Canton Fair. “In addition to maintaining sustainable growth in developed markets, we are making efforts to reach more trade deals with buyers from emerging markets, especially those from member countries of ASEAN,” said Li.

    Xiao Lu, deputy director of the department of foreign trade at the Ministry of Commerce, said China’s new trade growth drivers are gaining momentum. Armed with accumulated capital and technology, Chinese companies are eager to demonstrate their innovation and technological strengths, leveraging digital and green concepts to shape the future direction of the market.

    “For instance, China-made new energy vehicles are now reaching over 170 countries and regions worldwide,” Xiao said.

    Over a million new products and items with proprietary intellectual property rights will be showcased at the Canton Fair this time, including a range of humanoid robots, smart devices and autonomous driving products making their debut, said the Ministry of Commerce.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A man lived to old age without knowing he may have had 3 penises

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Meyer, Senior Lecturer, Anatomy and Pathology, James Cook University

    Life science/Shutterstock

    Do you really know what you look like on the inside? Most people do not, and usually it takes surgery or medical imaging to take a look while we are still alive.

    A case study was published last week where researchers made the rare finding of a man with “triphallia”. Most people would say the man had three penises. But anatomists, like myself, who teach health professionals about the structure of the human body, prefer the term penes (plural of penis).

    This finding emerged from the dissection of the body of a 78-year-old man who had donated his body to science. It is a case that has left many anatomists scratching their heads, and ignited discussions about typical human anatomy and anatomical variation.

    I too have an extra organ – an extra spleen – plus other anatomical variations regarding two muscles. It is highly likely you might also have anatomical variations, and not necessarily know.

    Back to this case

    According to the latest study, only one penis was externally visible. But when his body was dissected, there were two extra, smaller penises inside the scrotum.

    The main penis was 77mm long and 24mm wide, with the smaller ones about half the size. However, the images provided in the study don’t seem to match the written descriptions in all places. So the study does need clarification.

    Intriguingly, researchers identified a single urethra – the hollow tube from the bladder that allows urine (and sperm from the testes) to leave the body. This urethra travelled from the bladder through part of one of the smaller penises and along the length of the main penis, leaving out the third penis entirely.

    Was there a misunderstanding in identifying these anatomical structures? Could the second penis simply be a misidentified part of the main one? Is this actually a case of diphallia – two penises? In either case, the man’s anatomy was different to what you’d typically see in anatomy textbooks.

    The study suggests all three penises contained erectile tissue capable of engorgement. But it remains unclear whether they worked independently or together. Unfortunately, the authors did not confirm structures by examining them under the microscope, or report tracing the nerves or blood vessels, to shed more light.

    Not everyone’s anatomy looks like the textbooks.
    kocakayaali/Shutterstock

    There was an earlier case in a baby

    A separate case of someone with three penises, which was documented in 2020, involved a three-month-old infant.

    In this instance, the main penis was in its typical position, but you could see the extra ones on the perineum (between the anus and the scrotum in males).

    Neither of the extra penises had a urethra, making them incapable of functioning typically. Ultimately, these non-functional penises were safely removed.

    Such cases are rare, with only these two examples reported in medical databases.

    So how does this happen? The answer may lie in how embryos develop.

    Early in development

    The penis begins to develop early in the first trimester of a 40-week pregnancy, a time when a woman may not know she’s pregnant.

    During this critical period, the embryo may be exposed to various influences. These include toxins passed through the bloodstream if the mother falls ill, takes certain drugs while pregnant or is exposed to certain chemicals. There are also genetic factors that shape how organs develop.

    By the fifth week of pregnancy, cells migrate to the midline of the embryo, where they help form the precursor to the penis.

    Problems in this migratory process, abnormalities in a developmental gene (called “sonic hedgehog”), or fluctuations in testosterone levels or receptors during early fetal development, could potentially lead to the formation of additional penises.

    The penis develops early in the first trimester of pregnancy.
    Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock

    Humans are varied

    While the appearance of triphallia may be startling, these rare cases highlight a broader point: our anatomy can vary significantly. Just as individuals differ in their external appearances, so too does our internal anatomy.

    For example, there are anatomical variations in blood vessels, organs, muscles, nerves and even bones that may not be readily visible.

    Indeed, incidental findings during my own medical examinations have found I have a supernumerary (or extra) spleen, called a splenunculus, an extra flexor digitorum longus muscle (in my leg), and I’m missing both palmaris longus muscles (in my forearms).

    While my anatomical variations are internal, a common example of a visible external anatomical variation are extra nipples. These can be mistaken for moles and can also result from developmental issues in the early weeks of pregnancy.

    Why is this important?

    Cases like the man said to have three penises are important reminders of the complexities of human anatomy and the many factors that can influence our bodies from the very start of development.

    Exploring these rare findings emphasises the importance of continued research in anatomy and embryology.

    These findings also highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle for people intending to fall pregnant and who are already. This is so growing embryos can have the best chance of developing typical anatomy.

    Amanda Meyer is affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists, the American Association for Anatomy, and the Global Neuroanatomy Network.

    – ref. A man lived to old age without knowing he may have had 3 penises – https://theconversation.com/a-man-lived-to-old-age-without-knowing-he-may-have-had-3-penises-241475

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Stimulus plan seen around 10 trln yuan

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s much-anticipated fiscal stimulus package could amount to somewhere around 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion), which would represent reasonable and moderate funding to address the most immediate issues facing the world’s second-largest economy, policy researchers and advisers said.

    They underlined the need for policymakers to avoid any overly massive stimulus that could come at a heavy cost, but instead advance deeper, wider reforms along with the stimulus package to secure a more sustainable transition in growth drivers.

    Sheng Zhongming, a research fellow at CF40 Institute, affiliated with the China Finance 40 Forum think tank, said China must confront the key structural issues of local debt risks, government outstanding payables to businesses, real estate concerns and the recapitalization needs of banks.

    Effectively addressing these issues will require at least 10 trillion yuan in additional public funds over several years, Sheng said, adding that he anticipates an annual debt swap program of around 2 trillion yuan, with a cumulative total of 5 to 6 trillion yuan required to substantially reduce the debt load in heavily indebted regions.

    Charlie Zheng, chief economist at Samoyed Cloud Technology Group Holdings, said that a fiscal stimulus package of around 10 trillion yuan may be essential in 2025 to tackle the key issues highlighted by the finance minister.

    The proposed package, which could be financed by ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, would primarily focus on local debt swaps and bank recapitalization, while alleviating the property sector’s challenges and supporting people in difficulties, Zheng said.

    However, he emphasized that China should not rely solely on stimulus measures to revive the economy, warning of the potential for high inflation and an imbalance between the State-owned and private sectors that could result from overreliance on government spending.

    China must advance reforms to boost the private economy at the same time, Zheng said, urging policy clarity for private entrepreneurs that any business is permissible unless prohibited by law, while explaining to government officials that any governmental behavior is infeasible without legal authorization.

    Discussions of the size of China’s stimulus package heated up after Finance Minister Lan Fo’an said on Saturday that the country plans to increase the debt limit by a large scale and replace local government hidden debt, while recognizing there is “relatively large space” for the central government to raise debt and increase the deficit.

    The market is waiting for the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress — the country’s top legislature — to convene in late October or early November to approve the specifics of the plan.

    Gong Liutang, a professor of applied economics at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, said that if the stimulus package comes to about 10 trillion yuan, it won’t be “overly aggressive” given that China’s annual GDP has reached 126 trillion yuan.

    “The key is for the government to comprehensively communicate with the public regarding details of the package as soon as possible so as to provide more certainty to the market and ensure a steadier recovery in confidence,” said Gong, who is also a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body.

    Compared with the stimulus program initiated in 2008, Gong said the latest round of policy buffer should focus more on enhancing consumption and preventing resource misallocation, with increased spending on education, healthcare and social protection, as well as subsidies for low-income and unemployed individuals.

    Upon the recent bigger-than-expected policy stimulus announcement, Goldman Sachs has raised its forecast for China’s real GDP growth from 4.7 percent to 4.9 percent this year and from 4.3 percent to 4.7 percent in 2025.

    “The Chinese government has clearly made a turn on cyclical policy management and increased its focus on growth,” a Goldman Sachs report said, adding that a significant policy offset is needed next year due to the property market’s lingering drag on GDP growth and the possibility of slowing export growth.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How can Australia make housing affordable for essential workers? Here are 4 key lessons from overseas

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicky Morrison, Professor of Planning and Director of Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University

    GettyImages

    Essential workers such as teachers, health workers and community safety staff play a vital role in ensuring our society works well. Yet soaring housing costs in cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are squeezing essential workers out of the communities they serve.

    The issue is reaching crisis point across Australia. Anglicare Australia yesterday released a special edition of its Rental Affordability Snapshot focused on essential workers in full-time work. Housing costs under 30% of household income are considered affordable. In a survey of 45,115 rental listings, it found:

    • 3.7% were affordable for a teacher
    • 2.2% were affordable for an ambulance worker
    • 1.5% were affordable for an aged care worker
    • 1.4% were affordable for a nurse
    • 0.9% were affordable for an early childhood educator
    • 0.8% were affordable for a hospitality worker.

    This trend is creating unsustainable patterns of urban sprawl and long commutes. It erodes workers’ quality of life. It also undermines public service delivery by making it harder to recruit and retain these workers in high-cost areas.

    International experience, particularly in the UK where I have advised on similar policies, shows there are solutions to this crisis. These global lessons fall into four categories.

    Essential workers face long commutes from home when they can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    1. Define essential worker housing

    Essential worker housing typically targets front-line public sector workers on low to middle incomes. Yet eligibility should extend to support roles, such as ambulance drivers, porters and medical receptionists, who play a vital part in enabling front-line services. They too struggle to find affordable housing near their workplaces.

    Conditions of eligibility should also include a cap on household earnings.

    The UK experience highlights the importance of providing both rental and ownership options. To keep key worker housing affordable and accessible over time, both types need to be priced appropriately.

    Australian cities could adopt similar approaches, by requiring housing developers and community housing providers to allocate affordable housing for essential workers. Prices would be below market rates for both rentals and home ownership for the long term, and not revert to market rates. This ensures stability for public service workers.

    2. Financial innovations focused on long-term affordability

    Innovative financial models, such as shared equity schemes, have succeeded in the UK. These allow workers to gradually buy into their homes, creating long-term stability.

    Shared equity involves the government or another investor covering some of the cost of buying the home in exchange for an equivalent share in the property. Australia could explore similar schemes to provide immediate relief while ensuring sustained affordability for future essential workers.

    This approach could build on the Commonwealth’s proposed Help to Buy scheme, currently before the Senate, and existing state and territory shared equity programs. These may need refinement to better serve essential workers by, for example, adjusting income thresholds and eligibility criteria to ensure they qualify. These schemes also need to expand to cover all urban areas where housing affordability is most strained.

    3. Leverage planning systems

    Countries like the UK have leveraged their planning systems to deliver affordable housing for key workers. In England, planning authorities use mechanisms such as Section 106 agreements to ensure a portion of new developments is reserved for key worker housing as a condition of planning approval.

    Australian states could adapt this model, setting targets within existing planning frameworks. For example, they could use Voluntary Planning Agreements to prioritise essential worker housing.

    Yet essential worker housing should not displace housing for other people in urgent need. They include people who are homeless, low-income families, people with disabilities, the elderly, those at risk of domestic violence, veterans and youth leaving foster care.

    4. Use public land for housing development

    The use of surplus public land for essential worker housing has proven successful in several cities, including London, Amsterdam and San Francisco.

    Earmarking land owned by the public sector, such as hospital or education sites, is a strategic way to deliver affordable housing near key public sector employers. It also allows staff to travel to work nearby using sustainable transport instead of cars.

    Affordable housing has profound benefits

    Without action, essential workers are likely to be forced into lower-quality, high-cost housing, shared accommodation, or long commutes from more affordable areas. Over time, these patterns of job-housing imbalances and urban sprawl are unsustainable. These issues are the focus of my current research, particularly in Western Sydney.

    The New South Wales government has set up a parliamentary select committee to inquire into options for essential worker housing. It’s bringing much-needed attention to the housing crisis affecting key public sector roles.

    Tackling these issues through targeted housing solutions has many benefits. It can help create more sustainable communities, reduce recruitment and retention difficulties for employers and ease the strain on infrastructure and services.

    The key takeaway from the UK and other countries is the importance of long-term, sustainable solutions that do not shift the focus away from those most in need of housing. Australia has the opportunity to strike this balance. We need to ensure essential workers can afford to live near their workplaces while not sidelining everyone else in need of affordable housing.

    Nicky Morrison 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. How can Australia make housing affordable for essential workers? Here are 4 key lessons from overseas – https://theconversation.com/how-can-australia-make-housing-affordable-for-essential-workers-here-are-4-key-lessons-from-overseas-239934

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Death of an idol: response to Liam Payne’s death highlights the power of childhood and music

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney

    Former One Direction band member and solo artist Liam Payne has been found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, media reports have confirmed. Payne was just 31 years old – a loved friend and father.

    Alongside his former One Direction band mates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, Payne had a huge influence on popular culture in his home country of the United Kingdom and internationally.

    The group formed in 2010 on the British talent show X Factor and stayed together for about five years before officially splitting in 2016. Throughout this time, Payne remained a valuable member of the band and a clear talent in his own right.

    Although each member auditioned seperately, they were eventually hand-picked by Simon Cowell to form a group.

    After the split (and a brief hiatus from music-making), Payne continued to release music periodically as both a songwriter and collaborator. He most recently released the single Teardrops in March, ahead of an anticipated second solo album.

    News of Payne’s death has led to an outpouring of tributes. Like many young people thrust into stardom seemingly overnight, his life wasn’t without controversy. But the response to his death by fans and industry colleagues alike is proof of the impact he had.

    The making of a pop supergroup

    While One Direction may have not been together for as long as other globally successful acts, their influence far exceeded bands that have been together for decades. They released five studio records – and broke many more, including six Guinness World Records. And even though they didn’t make it to their 10th anniversary together, they had still sold some 70 million records by 2020.

    In the years since the split, fans continued to gather, listen and celebrate – with the most recent anniversary (14 years) seeing fan-led events held in Australia and the rest of the world.

    It’s easy to dismiss pop music and its influence, especially in the face of what feel like increasingly dire global circumstances. But pop, like many other forms of entertainment, provides a practical way for people to gain momentary pleasure and comfort.

    It also provides connection with others – and relief from politics and other daily pressures. For example, one of One Direction’s biggest hits, That’s What Makes You Beautiful, sought to empower young people who might otherwise be overwhelmed by negative messaging.

    Within a year of their debut, the group was met with massive crowds of fans almost everywhere they want.

    One Direction has been compared to The Beatles in terms of their influence on young people – and female and queer fans in particular.

    The impact on fans when their idol dies

    The loss of life, especially a young person’s life, is always a tragedy.

    For some young fans, this might be the first person they “know” who has died. While it may not be the same as losing a family member or close friend, the feeling of loss is significant. Young fans will need support. And in 2024, many will find this support through social platforms and online forums.

    I still remember the impact the deaths of stars such as Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley had on people like me who were teenagers in the 1990s. These were artists I admired and listened to – and whose art I relied on during times of pleasure and pain.

    A similar pang was felt when artists such as George Michael, Aretha Franklin and David Bowie died, albeit later in my life and theirs.

    The experience of losing a music idol is in many ways a universal one. People whose art we attach to our own life experiences become inseparable from our lives. And when they die, it can feel like those experiences are over too.

    After news of Payne’s death broke, hundreds of fans took to the streets of Palermo in Buenos Aires, where Payne had been visiting. They held a vigil, cried and consoled one another in front of the Casa Sur hotel where Payne had been staying.

    One fan, 25-year-old Yamila Zacarias, probably spoke for many when she said:

    He meant a lot to me because the band came into my life at this time when you’re trying to be a part of something, and being a One Direction fan became that something for me.

    Lifelong fandom and memories

    There’s a stereotype of “fans” as hordes of screaming girls, which can really take away from the depth of fandom.

    Anyone at any stage of life can be a fan of just about anything. And the best thing about fandom is that it can, and often does, allow lots of different types of people an outlet for connection throughout their lives.

    Many fans have left comments on old music videos.
    YouTube/screenshot

    The death of US actress Betty White in 2021, as sad as it was, brought people across generations and walks of life together. And not just those who knew her personally, but those who had connected with each other through their love of her work. It reminded me of my own family, including my Nan and Dad, now gone, and the laughs we’d share as we watched her.

    As more details and tributes to Payne’s life and death emerge, the fans will have each other to lean on. If you yourself know someone who is a fan of Payne or One Direction, even reaching out to just acknowledge that person’s grief and experience is important. It says to them, “what you love is valid, and so are you”.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Liz Giuffre 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. Death of an idol: response to Liam Payne’s death highlights the power of childhood and music – https://theconversation.com/death-of-an-idol-response-to-liam-paynes-death-highlights-the-power-of-childhood-and-music-241554

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Palace of Science: What Opportunities Does the Lomonosov Cluster Open for Innovators

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Cluster “Lomonosov” — one of the leading innovation platforms of the capital. It has become the flagship of the scientific valley of the Moscow State University (MSU) named after M.V. Lomonosov. 66 companies — residents of the cluster are engaged in developments in medicine, information and biotechnology, industry, service infrastructure and other areas. They have at their disposal production sites and laboratories, offices and coworking spaces, conference halls and lecture halls.

    A mos.ru correspondent went to the scientific valley and found out how the Lomonosov cluster is structured, what it offers to Moscow companies and what innovative production facilities are located there.

    Driver of Innovation

    The Lomonosov cluster opened in 2023. On behalf of Sergei Sobyanin, the building concept was developed by the chief architect of Moscow Sergey Kuznetsovand architect Ivan Grekov. Lomonosov became one of nine future clusters of the innovative scientific and technological center of Moscow State University “Vorobyovy Gory”. The ten-story building with mirrored facades was erected in less than two years.

    “The Lomonosov Cluster is a project of the Moscow Government, which is being implemented by the Moscow Innovation Cluster Foundation. This is a territory for the development of innovative and high-tech companies. Here, scientists and entrepreneurs create new products and services, improve existing ones, find partners and investors. At the same time, the cluster provides tax benefits to resident companies,” notes Alexander Ulanov, Deputy General Director of the Foundation.

    “Moscow Innovation Cluster”.

    Residents of Lomonosov can reduce their tax burden by up to 30 percent. They are exempt from paying income taxes, value-added tax, and property tax for 10 years. In addition, they are subject to reduced insurance premium rates, and they can also reimburse customs duties paid.

    Capital companies with useful and innovative projects were able to become residents of the cluster. Their developments were related to science, brought new ideas and helped the city. The declared projects passed the examination, and based on its results, the companies were granted the status of a resident.

    Today, Lomonosov’s production facilities employ more than two thousand people. They have original ideas, modern technologies and know-how in their arsenal that can compete with both Russian and foreign products. The inventions of the cluster residents not only help develop the city’s economy, but also make a major contribution to import substitution. For example, the capital’s factories are already using innovative air purification filters manufactured in Lomonosov, and the Arctic seas of Russia are using a hardware and software complex for seismic research.

    Vladimir Putin and Sergei Sobyanin opened the Lomonosov cluster, the flagship of the Moscow State University innovation centerSergei Sobyanin: The Lomonosov Cluster has united the best innovators of the capital

    Offices, laboratories and engineering workshop

    The Lomonosov cluster is located on Ramensky Boulevard (building 1), not far from the Ramenki and Universitet metro stations. Sharp angles, straight projections, and even ribbons of rectangular windows make the building look like a spaceship.

    In front of the main entrance there is an installation of two hemispheres with a truncated lower base, reminiscent of a core divided into two. On the first floor of the building you can examine a model of the future scientific valley, drink coffee and work, sitting in soft chairs with a noise-insulating effect. Here, the cluster employees meet guests and relax at lunchtime. Some go out for a walk in the courtyard.

    We walk to the escalator along the bright interactive signs and go up to the second floor. In front of us is the cluster’s scientific treasure trove with spacious lecture halls and halls. The largest of them is the Molecule hall, where up to 650 people can sit in front of a huge screen. Forums, conferences and congresses are held here.

    Then we take the elevator up. Resident companies rent premises from the cluster and equip them for their needs. Some organize a laboratory, others — an office, an engineering center or a design bureau. The companies also purchase equipment at their own expense.

    “Our main task is to provide residents with the opportunity to create and develop, to unite them in one place so that they can grow together, exchange specialists, developments, suppliers, create joint projects and use each other’s infrastructure. Such an effective synergy,” emphasizes Alexander Ulanov.

    The corridors are spacious and green, plants stretch along the walls, decorating the space. There are logos of residents on the doors. On the fourth floor, we are met by Svyatoslav Krivozubov, the CEO of Adaptto. He opens one of the office doors, and we find ourselves in a small production workshop. Here, electric drives for electric transport are manufactured.

    Engineers have everything they need. The laboratory has a complete cycle of electronic product manufacturing — from applying solder paste to soldering and testing the manufactured devices. Special equipment is used for this: a printer, a component arranger, and a furnace. Manufacturing processes are controlled through a control system.

    “Our flagship products – controllers – have a record high specific power. At peak, the equipment can pump up to 50 kilowatts. In this indicator, we are ahead of manufacturers not only in Russia, but also in the world. And our controllers are four times lighter than their analogues. Such equipment weighs about a kilogram, and can power a two-ton vehicle,” says Svyatoslav Krivozubov.

    The company’s electric drive powers excursion buses, ATVs and snowmobiles, as well as the Muscovites’ favorite wireless robot cleaner “Pixel”You can see such an assistant in the parks “Kuzminki”, “Sokolniki” and 50th Anniversary of October.

    Drug development and shampoo for astronauts

    The specialists of the company “Simurgpharm” work in the neighboring office. It became one of the first residents of the cluster.

    “We develop software for analyzing biomedical data. They are obtained during the testing of new drugs. The Simurg platform created by the company is the first software in Russia for clinical drug development and comprehensive data analysis,” says Kirill Zhudenkov, the company’s CEO.

    The experts work in a modern, high-tech office with panoramic windows and their own lounge. There you can take a break from complex tasks and play table football or guitar.

    “To achieve results, you need to not only work in science, you need to live it. And team spirit and the desire to invest in a common cause are also very important. That is why our work areas are united. There is a feeling of unity. This corresponds to our mission – to create and implement new technologies in the development of domestic drugs. By the way, the cluster itself is organized in a similar way. You can find partners literally in the neighborhood,” emphasizes Kirill Zhudenkov.

    Dmitry Kurshin, CEO of Intersen-Plus, also speaks about the power of common opportunities. Together with another resident of the cluster, they began to produce a line of skin care cosmetics with peptides.

    “Conferences, meetings and other events held in Lomonosov help to unite forces. For example, our company organized about five scientific events in the cluster this year. There you can tell about yourself and meet other residents,” says Dmitry Kurshin.

    The company is located in a small room on the eighth floor. At the entrance, there are long shelves with vessels of different sizes – from jars to canisters. Each has its own valuable product. Behind the glass doors is a laboratory with a picturesque view of Moscow. On the tables are test tubes, flasks, and vials. Experts painstakingly mix the compositions and create new formulas.

    It also produces biopreparations, disinfectants, cosmetics for palliative care and smart hand sanitizer dispensers with the ability to control the flow rate of liquid. In addition, the company’s experts have created a one-of-a-kind desiccant meter for mixing and dosing working solutions of disinfectants.

    “We have also developed a leave-in shampoo for astronauts. It will allow them not to waste a valuable resource in zero gravity — water. The products are currently being tested in the SIRIUS space flight experiment. It is important to note that the cluster provides everything necessary for testing. This is very valuable for companies. And in general, supporting production allows them to grow faster. Therefore, we can say that the Lomonosov cluster is a palace of science and a source of advanced opportunities,” the mos.ru source notes.

    Companies from the fields of IT, biomedicine and robotics have become residents of the Lomonosov clusterSobyanin: Moscow’s innovative infrastructure has grown by a quarter in five yearsPlace of Innovation: How New Developments Are Tested in the Lomonosov ClusterGeneration of Machines, or How Robots Help MoscowSergei Sobyanin presented Moscow awards in the field of architecture and construction

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145307073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Severe thunderstorms are sweeping through southern Australia. But what makes a thunderstorm ‘severe’?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Brown, Research Fellow in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne

    Jamestorm/Shutterstock

    Clusters of severe thunderstorms are expected to strike Australia’s southern regions over Thursday and Friday.

    The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings and forecasts related to these unusually widespread stormy conditions as they move through South Australia today and into Victoria.

    As of October 17th, there’s a risk of severe thunderstorms for parts of central and southern Australia.

    Some areas have already experienced golf ball-sized hail and intense winds.

    While we might not always think of thunderstorms as a threat, severe storms can be surprisingly damaging. The enormous Sydney thunderstorm of 1999 dropped an estimated 500,000 tonnes of hail, causing widespread damage to cars and roofs. At the time, it was the most expensive natural disaster on record, overtaken only by the unprecedented 2022 floods across eastern Australia – which were themselves partly caused by severe thunderstorms in addition to other weather systems.

    When severe thunderstorms bring torrential rain, they can often trigger flash flooding. This is because extreme rain from thunderstorms usually falls over a relatively short time – less than an hour or two in many cases. Lightning can also pose a threat.

    In recent years, severe thunderstorms have also shown they can damage the power grid. In 2016, huge rotating supercell storms brought intense winds and at least seven tornadoes to South Australia, toppling transmission towers and causing a statewide blackout. Smaller thunderstorms caused major outages in Victoria in February this year after taking down six towers.

    But what makes a thunderstorm “severe”?

    The ingredients for a storm

    What triggers thunderstorms? Climate scientists and meteorologists often talk about the ingredients necessary for thunderstorms.

    To make a normal thunderstorm, you need to have a lot of moisture in the air. Then you need vertical instability in the atmosphere, meaning relatively warm moist air near the surface and very cold air above. You also need a mechanism to lift warmer surface air up to a level where the atmospheric instability can be released.

    For a severe thunderstorm, you need all those ingredients and usually one more: vertical wind shear. This means that wind speeds and direction differ with height. For example, you might have strong northerly winds down low, and strong southerly winds up higher.

    Vertical wind shear can make a run-of-the-mill thunderstorm much more intense, in a range of ways. For instance, wind shear can help warm updrafts stay separate from cold downdrafts and rainfall, which can help make the storm last longer.

    If a thunderstorm has large hail, damaging wind gusts or could trigger a tornado or flash flooding, this makes it a severe thunderstorm, according to Bureau of Meteorology classification.

    You might have also heard of supercell storms. These are convective thunderstorms, characterised by strong, rotating updrafts that last for a long time.

    Forecasters can predict the potential for severe thunderstorms several days out by looking for moisture-laden air and winds. But predicting exactly where and when they might pop up is extremely challenging.

    Severe storms can bring lightning, hail, intense winds and rain. Pictured: a previous thunderstorm over Perth’s northern suburbs.
    cephotoclub/Shutterstock

    What’s unusual about these storms?

    The storms this week are unusually widespread, with thunderstorms possible from Kalbarri in central Western Australia down through Esperance, across into South Australia, into Victoria and up through New South Wales and southern Queensland.

    These conditions are due to a large-scale low pressure system moving west to east.

    As this large low pressure system moves east, it brings thunderstorms. This map shows the low pressure system on October 16th.
    Bureau of Meteorology, CC BY-NC-ND

    Ahead of the arrival of this low pressure system, winds from the north are bringing down moisture and instability and priming the system for thunderstorms. When air near the low pressure system begins to rise, energy from the warm, moisture-laden and unstable air can be released. This includes energy release due to condensation of water vapour. These rising air currents can travel several kilometres up into the atmosphere, even reaching the top of the troposphere, 10–15km up.

    Severe thunderstorms in southern Australia are more likely in spring and summer. That’s because there’s plenty of moisture available from the tropics and the warm oceans around Australia, while low pressure systems and cold fronts can still emerge from the cold oceans to our south.

    Thunderstorms, tornadoes and fire

    Severe thunderstorms can also pack a hidden punch. They can trigger tornadoes in extreme cases.

    In August, severe thunderstorms hit northern Victoria and triggered a tornado, a destructive whirling column of air that damaged houses and farms in the high country.

    This surprised many people. It’s generally known that Australia has tropical cyclones in the north, intense tropical storms coming in off the sea, but not as well known to have tornadoes.

    In fact, Australia does get tornadoes – an estimated 30–80 each year. In 2013, a total of 69 known tornadoes caused almost 150 injuries. Many of these tornadoes spin out of supercells.

    In Australia’s hotter months, many fires burn around the country. Thunderstorms can make fires worse by bringing strong, warm northerly winds, often with rapid variations in speed and direction that can increase the rate of spread of a fire.

    Firefighters and first responders dread these conditions. Australia’s most deadly bushfire was Black Saturday in 2009, which killed 173 people. One reason it was so dangerous was its suddenness. Intense northerly winds brought down powerlines and started fires, which were quickly whipped into intense firestorms, including thunderstorms generated in the fire plumes.

    Will climate change bring more severe storms?

    As the world heats up, more water is evaporating off warm sea surfaces and hanging in the air as water vapour. This means there’s more of this ingredient necessary to fuel severe thunderstorms and more intense rain from thunderstorms.

    What we don’t know for certain yet is how prevailing air currents over Australia are changing. This could shift moisture to different regions, or affect other thunderstorm ingredients like vertical wind shear, instability, and lifting mechanisms. If circulation patterns do change, we could see severe storms develop in new areas, or different times of the year.



    Read more:
    We can’t say yet if grid-breaking thunderstorms are getting worse – but we shouldn’t wait to find out

    Andrew Brown receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather.

    Andrew Dowdy receives funding from University of Melbourne, including through the Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and the Melbourne Energy Institute.

    – ref. Severe thunderstorms are sweeping through southern Australia. But what makes a thunderstorm ‘severe’? – https://theconversation.com/severe-thunderstorms-are-sweeping-through-southern-australia-but-what-makes-a-thunderstorm-severe-241555

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –