Issue 1175 - Monday, 8th November

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8 tachwedd 2021 8 november 2021

gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Inside: Gair Rhydd breaks down the rise of drink spiking in the UK and asks what more can be done (Page 3)

Extinction Rebellion protests across UK for climate action Zoe Kramer

Head of News

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xtinction Rebellion has staged a number of protests recently calling for climate action.

With the COP26 conference underway, climate change is a hot button issue, and activists are making their voices heard.

Activists staged a sit-in protest at Glasgow’s Squinty Bridge on November 2nd, just yards away from the COP26 campus at the SEC. Police temporarily closed the road and diverted traffic away. One banner read “How many cops to arrest climate chaos?”

Demonstration ranged across the city, with another taking place outside the JP Morgan building on Waterloo Street.

Extinction Rebellion protesters also broke into the Exxon Mobile oil refinery in Hampshire on the 27th of October.

The 15 demonstrators, including two Olympians, chained themselves to various fixtures of the refinery after cutting electric fences surrounding the area.

The activists called for the government to stop fossil fuel investments as well as for Exxon Mobile to stop its expansion plans to the Fawley refinery.

Laura Baldwin and Etienne Stott, Team GB Olympians, chained themselves to a pink boat which blocked the entrance to the site. Others scaled 50 ft silos with banners reading “Climate Emergency” and “No Future in Fossil Fuels.” Another activist dressed as Boris Johnson set fire to a prop boat with the words “your children’s future” on it. Protests went on for approximately eight hours.

Baldwin told the Telegraph, “I am a deeply protective mother, moved to take direct action in a desperate bid to force this suicidal system to change in time to limit the climate crisis worsening and slipping past the point of no return.

“Watching the news this summer was horrifying and heartbreaking, witnessing catastrophic climate impacts killing people on every continent of the globe.”

Mr. Stott said, “I think it’s totally wrong that oil companies continue to put their profits ahead of everyone’s

right to a future on a living planet.

“We need our government to rein in these rogue companies as a matter of urgency and show to the world ahead of COP26 that the UK is prepared to take a genuine leadership position.”

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said, “ExxonMobil has known the devastating effects of fossil fuel production on the environment for over 40 years, but instead of acting responsibly on that knowledge, they’ve spent tens of millions funding climate denial and misinformation and obstructing a transition to cleaner energy sources.”

An ExxonMobil spokesperson said: “ExxonMobil believes that climate change risks warrant action and it’s going to take all of us — business, governments and consumers — to make meaningful progress.

“Our focus includes reducing our emissions, helping consumers reduce their emissions, and developing loweremission energy solutions, including energy efficiency initiatives, biofuels, flare reduction and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

“At Fawley, we are also directly helping motorists and farmers to reduce their emissions through the manufacturing of lower carbon fuels, and we are also producing the lubricants and chemicals that support lower emissions by use across a range of applications such as wind turbines and electric vehicles.

“Furthermore, our chemicals play a vital role in our daily lives from medical equipment, to clothing, cleaning materials and healthcare products.

“We respect the right to peaceful protest, but our priority is the safety of our people, our neighbours and our operations and we are working with Hampshire Police to ensure this is maintained.

“ExxonMobil Fawley continues to operate safely and is not experiencing any impact on production.

“We apologise to anyone from the local community or beyond experiencing any inconvenience resulting from the actions at Fawley today of this group.”

Police have confirmed that none of the group will face legal action.

To read Zoe's full article detailing Extinction Rebellion's protests around the UK, turn to page 4. 4

Autumn Budget: The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, recently detailed the UK Government's 2021 budget to Parliment. Source: Number 10 (via Flickr)

Rishi Sunak unveils 2021 Autumn budget This sum includes a £2.5bn increase for the Welsh government, £4.6bn for the Scottish government and £1.6bn for the Northern Ireland executive.

The budget also includes funds for ‘levelling up’ areas across the country - a sum of £1.7bn to be invested in local areas. For the NHS, £6bn will be allocated to help tackle backlogs.

Other areas of funding included transportation, with £7bn being provided for projects in areas such as Greater Manchester, West Midlands

and South Yorkshire, and £2.2bn in order to address backlogs in the criminal justice system.

Housing investment totalled £24bn, which includes £11.5bn being spent on building up to 180,000 affordable homes, and schools will receive a £4.7bn increase within four years.

To read Tom's article detailing the recently unveiled 2021 Autumn Budget, turn to page 8.

Dyfodol y radio yn y maes darlledu

Column: Enjoying the small things in life

Facebook re-brands company name to 'Meta'

Alexa Price

Harriet Lowbridge

Edward Sutton

Tom Kingsbury Head of Politics

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hancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has unveiled the UK Government’s 2021 budget.

Key details included the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on and the state of the UK economy, tax changes, and a rise in government spending.

Over the course of the Parliament, an overall increase of £150bn is expected in terms of spending.

Cyfrannydd

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ae datblygiadau'r byd modern wedi gweld sawl newid mawr yn y maes darlledu, a phryder cyson sydd yn cael ei chodi yw dyfodol y radio. Er taw pwrpas cyntaf y radio oedd i ddanfon negeseuon o un lle i’r llall, heb wifrau, mae’r bwriad dal yn debyg heddiw.

Dros amser mae’r radio wedi datblygu i fod yn ddarn o dechnoleg sydd yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar draws y byd i gyhoeddi newyddion, caneuon, yn ogystal â rhaglenni sgyrsiol, a darnau theatr.

I ddarllen erthygl lawn Alexa ar ddyfodol radio ym maes darlledu, trowch i dudalen 6.

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Head of Advice

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Contributor

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hen asked to think about our perfect day, most of us will have a clear picture of what that entails.

Relaxing on a warm tropical beach.

Shopping in the midst of the sale season. Hiking along a forest river. Playing board games with a big group of friends.

Drinking a perfectly crafted cup of coffee. Reading a book whilst heavy rain patters on the window. Falling asleep under the stars. I could wax poetic about all the ideal ways that I could spend my time for hours.

To read Harriet's full column on the importance of enjoying small things in life, turn to page 15.

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he 2020/21 season was a difficult one for Liverpool, with injuries to key players such as Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson seeing them slump to a 4th placed finish as they attempted to defend their title.

However, this season appears to be one of renewed optimism for the Merseyside club. With an almost entirely fit squad, they look to be playing the style of football that won them a Champions League and Premier League trophy.

The question is, are they back to their best, and are they capable of winning those competitions again this season?

To read Edward's full article on Facebook's recent re-branding, turn to page 20.

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EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd 2021/22 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Jack Robert Stacey

Deputy Editors Tom Kingsbury Vicky Witts Zoe Kramer

News

Zoe Kramer Alex Hughes Beth Williams Shivika Singh

Features

Jasmine Edge Eva Rodericks

A note from the Editor Nodyn gan y Golygydd Are students right to be A yw myfyrwyr yn iawn i fearful of drink spiking? fod yn ofni sbeicio diod?

Taf-od

Nel Richards Gracie Richards Nansi Eccott Steffan Alun Leonard

Politics

Tom Kingsbury Ella Lloyd Luthien Evans Manal Ahmed

Comment

Vicky Witts Catarina Pinto Vicente Katherine Wheeler Megan Evans

Advice

Harriet Lowbridge Megan Shinner Ruth Hoey

Review

Iris Knapman Jessica Clifford-Jones

Science and Technology Mia Becker-Hansen Elie Gould Jemma Powell Theodore Tadros

Sport

Anurag Hegde Harvey Palmer Oscar Lucas Tom Hawkins

Head of Digital Media Sophia Grace

Social Media Manager Ella Lloyd

Digital Media Editors Cinzia Appetecchia Emily Smith Joseph Liu

Copy Editors

Beca Fflur Williams Bonnie Wileman Emily Bryant Jess Henderson Libby Griffiths Lois Campbell Maisie Granger Sam Joseph

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. We may occasionally make mistakes, however if you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd.com.

You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints.

Opinions expressed in editorials and opinion pieces are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance.

Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

Drink spiking: Thousands of students have recently taken part in club boycotts around the UK. Source: 453169 (via Pixabay)

Jack Robert Stacey Editor-in-Chief

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ollowing an increase in reports of drinking spiking incidents, thousands of students around the UK have taken part in boycotts of bars and clubs to raise awareness of this issue.

According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the months of September and October saw a total of 198 confirmed reports of drinking spiking with victims including both men and women - As many analysts have asserted, however, it is difficult to fully understanding the severity of the situation due to the likelihood that a number of incidents have not been reported to the Police.

With stories of drink spiking continuing to circulate online over the last few weeks, a number of students have expressed feeling vulnerable about attending in-person night-time events unless significant changes are made.

Bryony Danks, Women’s Officer at Cardiff University Students’ Union, said that, following on from these recent events, students “are bound to feel on edge and be fearful” for their own safety”. As a majority of drink spiking cases involve young women, Danks added that female students “are more likely to feel unsafe” than other groups and, as such, may actively avoid moving around the city at night.

“The knock on effect on women,” she

explained, “is that they are limited to what they believe they can do, may that be going for a run in the evening, or being able to leave a club on their own if they want.”

Recently, a number of demonstrations have been organised around the UK to raise awareness of this key issue and to advocate for increased security measures at nightclubs.

As part of a letter addressed to nightclubs, ‘Girls Night In’, the campaign group behind the recent protests in 45 cities, asserted that the “movement is coming from a place of fear and anger regarding our safety and health” and began with the hopes that “nightclubs will incite meaningful changes and create reform.”

The group have also drafted a petition to the UK Government calling for nightclubs to be legally required to “thoroughly search guests on entry” in order to “prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment” – This petition, created by Hannah Thomson, has received over 170,000 signatures and is due to be debated in Parliament over the next few weeks.

Although there remains to be a wealth of night-time support available in cities like Cardiff, these recent events have understandably raised fears around student safety and, as a result, have prompted a discussion around the role of nightclubs in preventing these incidents from occurring.

Sbeicio diod: Yn ddiweddar mae miloedd o fyfyrwyr wedi cymryd rhan mewn boicotiau clybiau ledled y DU. Tarddiad: 453169 (via Pixabay)

Jack Robert Stacey Prif Olygydd

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n dilyn cynnydd mewn adroddiadau o sbeicio, mae miloedd o fyfyrwyr ledled y DU wedi bod yn boicotio bariau a chlybiau i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r mater hwn.

Yn ôl Cyngor Cenedlaethol Penaethiaid yr Heddlu, yn ystod misoedd Medi a Hydref cafwyd gyfanswm o 198 o adroddiadau wedi’u cadarnhau o sbeicio gyda’r dioddefwyr yn cynnwys dynion a menywod. Fodd bynnag, fel y mae llawer o ddadansoddwyr wedi nodi, mae’n anodd deall difrifoldeb y sefyllfa’n llawn oherwydd y tebygolrwydd nad yw’r holl ddigwyddiadau wedi’u hadrodd at yr Heddlu.

Gyda straeon am sbeicio yn parhau i gael eu rannu ar-lein dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, mae nifer o fyfyrwyr wedi mynegi eu bod yn teimlo’n agored i niwed wrth fynychu digwyddiadau yn ystod y nos oni bai bod newidiadau sylweddol yn cael eu gwneud.

Dywedodd Bryony Danks, Swyddog Menywod Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd, fod myfyrwyr “yn siŵr o deimlo yn ansicr ac ofnus” am eu diogelwch eu hunain yn dilyn y digwyddiadau diweddar hyn. Gan fod y rhan fwyaf o achosion o sbeicio yn cynnwys menywod ifanc, ychwanegodd Danks fod myfyrwyr benywaidd “yn fwy tebygol o deimlo’n anniogel” na grwpiau eraill.

“Yr ergyd fwyaf i fenywod,” esboni-

odd, “yw eu bod yn teimlo fel petai nhw wedi’u cyfyngu i’r hyn y maent yn yn gallu gwneud, dyw hi ddim yn saff i fynd am rediad gyda’r nos neu adael clwb nos ar eu pen eu hunain bellach.”

Yn ddiweddar, trefnwyd nifer o ddigwyddiadau ledled y DU i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r mater allweddol hwn ac i hyrwyddo’r angen am fwy o fesurau diogelwch mewn clybiau nos.

Fel rhan o lythyr a gyfeiriwyd at glybiau nos gan y grŵp ymgyrchu ‘Girls Night In’ a oedd tu ôl i’r protestiadau diweddar mewn 45 o ddinasoedd, haerwyd bod y “mudiad yn dod o le o ofn a dicter ynghylch ein diogelwch a’n hiechyd” a soniodd am y gobeithion y byddai “clybiau nos yn annog newidiadau ystyrlon ac yn creu diwygiadau.”

Mae’r grŵp hefyd wedi drafftio deiseb at Lywodraeth y DU yn galw ar glybiau nos i fod yn ofynnol yn gyfreithiol i “chwilio gwesteion yn drylwyr wrth fynd i mewn” er mwyn “atal arfau niweidiol ac eitemau eraill rhag dod i mewn i’r sefydliad.”

Mae’r grŵp hefyd wedi drafftio deiseb at Lywodraeth y DU yn galw ar glybiau nos i fod yn ofynnol yn gyfreithiol i “chwilio gwesteion yn drylwyr wrth fynd i mewn” er mwyn “atal arfau niweidiol ac eitemau eraill rhag dod i mewn i’r sefydliad” – Mae’r ddeiseb hon, a grëwyd gan Hannah Thomson, wedi derbyn dros 170,000 o lofnodion a bydd felly yn cael ei thrafod yn y Senedd dros yr wythnosau nesaf.

NODEWEDDION

The Truth about Drink Spiking in the UK

Eva Rodericks breaks down the recent reports that drink spiking has reached a ‘record high’ and asks if significant change can be expected anytime soon?

Eva Rodericks Features Editor

(This article contains themes that readers may find upsetting. If any of the following has affected you please don’t hesitate to contact Student Support at +44 (0)29 2251 8888 or email studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk)

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surge in the number of reported spikings across the UK is causing concern amongst student populations and wider society.

Drink spiking has a notoriously low conviction rate and has often been seen as something that simply “just happens”.

But recently, a new wave of criticism has emerged following reports that a student in Nottingham was spiked by a needle whilst enjoying a night out.

Although it can often be difficult to fully grasp the severity of drink spiking in the UK due to a lack of data, it has recently been suggested by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) that 198 reports of drink-spiking related inci-

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dents were confirmed between September and October - This statistic represents an increase from previous months.

There have been mixed responses to this increase with a number of groups calling for a more transparent discussion and education on the impact of drink spiking, whilst others are calling for the UK Government to make it mandatory for nightclubs to search people as they enter.

It seems, therefore, that drink spiking remains to be a key issue for students and other young people on nights out.

With all of this in mind, Gair Rhydd took a look at the ‘truth’ behind this recent rise of drink spiking in the UK and (more importantly) what different initiatives and schemes are currently doing to support students around Cardiff and the rest of the UK.

Matilda’s Story

atilda Wright, from London, was visiting her boyfriend in Manchester when things took a terrible turn. After having just one drink in the club Matilda began to feel “dizzy and tired”.

Detailing the events, she said that, “I went to the smoking area with my boyfriend and was leaning over the rails.

A bouncer pulled me and kicked me out of the club which was so dangerous as they just didn’t pick up my symptoms nor care”.

“My boyfriend and his flat mates got me back in the club then noticed I wasn’t okay and took me home.

I was shivering at home, they put

loads of coats and a hot water bottle on me but I was still freezing”.

Her boyfriend called the ambulance service for assistance. The paramedics took Matilda’s heart rate at 8:30 AM which showed a reading of 120 BPM, similar to someone running. She explained that “slept it off ” and felt “very tired and zoned out the following day” - Matilda revealed that she hasn’t been clubbing since.

The teenager believes that GHB (also known as the ‘date rape drug’) was put in her drink, as she had the common symptoms associated with this drug.

“I’m just so angry about the situation”, Matilda said.

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FEATURES

Jasmine Edge

Drink Spiking in the UK: Source: 453169 (via Pixabay)

Eva Rodericks features@gairrhydd.com

The ‘Big Night In’ Boycotts in Cardiff

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“Big Night In” was staged at the end of October in Cardiff, Swansea, Oxford, Manchester, London and many more cities. This involved women and men boycotting all clubs for one night to protest against how little is being done to tackle spiking.

In Cardiff, this took place on Friday the 29th of October.

The organisers of the ‘Big Night In’ Cardiff have put together a comprehensive list of demands they believe will create safer nightlife for all.

Firstly, they say we need “Regular and comprehensive welfare training for all nightclub and bar staff as well as agency staff like security”. This training would teach people “how to intervene in situations involving spiking and sexual harassment, as well as helping those di-

rectly affected by these issues with their immediate welfare”.

Their second demand, they explained, asks for “a designated and identifiable welfare officer who is trained to help ensure the safety of club-goers. The campaigners say that this would help clubgoers feel safer and prevent the need for police presence. To ensure the welfare of punters, “clubs and bars should provide anti spiking devices and equipment such as drinks covers and spiking test strips to aid prevention and detection”.

Finally, they ask that clubs “have a clearly communicated zero-tolerance policy on spiking”. The organisers of the ‘Big Night In’ stress the importance of people who have been spiked knowing the policies and procedures they can follow.

Source: terimakasih0 (via Pixabay)

What is being done to prevent drink spiking? How to tell if your drink has been spiked

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local bar manager, Lewis Cole, told Gair Rhydd that “on the night it’s incredibly hard to distinguish between one too many drinks and a person who has been spiked. That being said, we always maintain vigilant and remove anyone who is seen to be tampering with a drink in any way.”

In Lewis’ place of work there are “cameras and security to aid in spotting or catching anyone trying to spike a drink both proactively and retroactively,” and they also “implement the ‘Ask Angela’ policy for anyone who feels they may be in an unsafe situation”.

From his perspective, Lewis said that, “this is the best we can offer at this time.”

Lewis emphasises the need to ensure a drink is never left unattended - he believes that this would lead to a drop in the number of spikings. Further, he says customers should avoid accepting drinks from strangers.

A recent statement from the Car-

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diff Student Union revealed a list of measures being worked on which include “Drink Spiking Test Kits, Private Medical Staff, Drink Toppers, Safe Taxi Scheme, Safety Bus, Security Staff, Searches on Entry [and] Extensive CCTV and Body Cameras”.

Students have said that drink covers have been provided at recent SU events, including ‘Yoloween’.

Students have taken matters into their own hands.

‘Walk together Cardiff ’ is a new project being led by Cardiff sports clubs to ensure party-goers can get home safely in response to the recent concerns being raised online about spiking and harassment.

They walk a group of people home on the hour, every hour between 11 PM and 3 AM on Saturday nights, starting at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff city centre. They then stop off at the Student Union, Misfits bar, The Woodville Pub and Talybont halls.

They can be reached via direct messaging on Instagram and spotted in

their red tops.

A Cardiff University Spokesperson says a joint Student Safety Forum “where students will be invited to a safe space to talk to staff about their concerns” has been agreed to, the date of which is yet to be confirmed - All Cardiff University students will be welcome to attend.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel has ordered an urgent police inquiry into spiking, with a special interest in attacks using needles. She maintained that the report may give a clearer understanding of this new phenomenon and the scale of the issue.

Campaigning by several groups poses hope for a reduction in the number of spikings if clubs commit to supplying drink covers and conducting searches for drugs on entry.

Until such commitments are made, it is difficult to predict the future safety of clubs and pubs.

The number of reported spikings remains high, and it is clear there will be no overnight fix.

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t is not easy to tell if your drink has been spiked, especially in a busy dark club. Infact, the drugs dropped into drinks are usually tasteless, colourless and odourless.

However, when Rohypnol is mixed with a light coloured drink it may turn blue. Also, keep your eye out for excessive bubbles and fizzing.

How to help someone who has been spiked

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eep talking to them and get them to a place of safety. If you’re in a club, bar or pub alert a member of staff, whether that be a bouncer, bar worker or manager, make sure someone is aware. If their condition is deteriorating, call an ambulance.

If the person who has been spiked feels comfortable enough, encourage them to take a blood or urine test as traces of drugs are more likely to be found within 72 hours of consumption.

Remind them that whatever happened was not their fault.

Keep talking

and get somewhere safe

Call an ambulance if their condition is deteriorating

Take a test

within 72 hours of consumption

Support avaliable for people who want to learn more about avoiding drink spiking

here is a wide range of support avaliable for students and anyone else who wants to better educate themselves on drink spiking, including online communities, confidential helplines and advice on the measures you can take to minimise the risk of drinking

spiking on a night out.

The Drinkaware Trust, an independent alcohol education charity, offers a detailed outline of drink spiking on it’s website. In addition to breaking down the ‘telltale signs’ that you or someone you know has been spiked, the site outlines some

of the key symptoms to look out for and the appropriate response you can take.

For a more detailed, medical look at drink spiking, NHS Wales has an extensive online page which complies several support helplines together in one place.

For any additional information on the specific drugs commonly used in drink spiking attempts, ‘Talk to Frank’ offers a focused look at each drug and (more importantly) gives a detailed guide on how you can assist the ambulance services by attempting to identify the specific

drug before they arrive.

If you are feel particularly vulnerable or would like to speak to someone about the ongoing situation, Cardiff University’s Student Advice Centre provides a free, confidential and independent service to assist you.

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NEWS

Could there be a fourth lockdown?

NEWS

Alex Hughes News Editor

I Zoe Kramer

Alex Hughes

n late September, a poll commissioned by the i newspaper suggested that 48% of British voters expect another national lockdown by the end of the year, with just 29% disagreeing.

As of early November 2021, new confirmed covid-19 cases in the UK are averaging around 40,000 per day, almost double the rate of last November, when the government imposed a second national lockdown. The difference now, of course, is that a large majority of the adult population have been fully vaccinated, or have acquired immunity postinfection.

This is why daily deaths linked to covid-19 are currently averaging a third of their November trend, at around 150.

So far, Downing Street has held off imposing any new restrictions, but with accelerating infections, that could change.

Researchers believe that the SARSCoV-2 virus spreads primarily in indoor, low air-flow settings, through both droplets and aerosolized viral particles, and people are most infectious prior to developing symptoms. This makes the

colder months – which see primarily indoor socialising – especially conducive to transmission.

The government’s ‘Plan A’ for the winter involves continuing the Track and Trace program, and advising businesses like nightclubs and other large venues to insist on a Covid Pass for admission.

‘Plan B’, a contingency pathway in the event that the NHS faces “unsustainable pressure”, involves stricter measures like compulsory face masks. The British Medical Association is now urging the government to adopt this more hawkish stance, while the health minister has thus far rejected such calls.

Professor Neil Ferguson – the head of the team at Imperial College London whose advice and modelling work has been central to the government’s strategy throughout the pandemic – said in August that “a new lockdown or even social distancing measures of the type we’ve had so far” is unlikely, unless a radically new strain emerges.

While a new ‘Delta-plus’ subvariant, known as AY.4.2, is currently spreading in dozens of countries, and primarily in the UK, it does not appear to be outcompeting the original Delta strain,

or to present a significantly elevated risk in terms of hospitalisations and deaths.

It’s important to remember, though, that intense and widespread transmission of variants to which the population is relatively acclimatised still raises the likelihood that more dangerous strains will emerge, that potentially come with an increased lethality, tendency to lead to post-Covid syndrome, or ability to overcome people’s acquired immunity.

The government will have to consider this going forward, but UK cases represent a small fraction of current global transmission, and evolutionarily viable

strains can emerge anywhere. It is going to have to weigh the concerns about mutations against the implications of another lockdown for the nation’s economic recovery, which is already facing headwinds from global supply bottlenecks, the Treasury’s rapid fiscal tightening and the secondary effects of Britain’s exit from the EU. In all likelihood, even though polling suggests a large majority of voters would back a further lockdown, the government is going to avoid reimposing the kinds of restrictions seen at the start of the year.

and indoor non-seated events for more than 500 people, outdoor non-seated events for more than 4,000 people and any event with more than 10,000 people.

According to the government, the decision has been made because they are venues where large groups of people gather for a long period of time.

This decision is very significant at the moment as coronavirus cases in Wales are on a rise and infection rate seems to be getting worse.

Earlier First Minister Mark Drakeford had warned: “Over the past three weeks, coronavirus cases have risen sharply to the highest rates we have seen since the pandemic began and

more people are falling so seriously ill that they need hospital treatment.

“We hope this action will help to turn the tide of this delta. None of us wants to see a return to restrictions but if rates continue to rise, the cabinet will have no choice but to consider raising the alert level at the next review.

What is the pass?

The NHS Covid Pass can be accessed via a smartphone, tablet or computer that will produce a 2D barcode which can be shown on your phone, downloaded into an Apple or Google wallet, or downloaded as a PDF. People can also show their proof of vaccination letter. They bear the stamps of the health authorities of all four na-

tions, and will be accepted.

For those people who are from outside the UK, the government has a list of acceptable covid vaccine evidence.

EU citizens will need to provide an EU covid certificate or a negative lateral flow test. US citizens will need to provide a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination card plus confirmation of Identification or a negative lateral flow test to enter.

When the international travel regulations change, it is likely that more countries will be able to provide an accepted form of evidence of vaccination.

For those who have not had their vaccine, proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours, works the same.

Another Wave: New restrictions could be introduced if the number of cases does not fall. Source: Cwmcafit (via Wikimedia Commons)

Covid passes required for cinema and theatre in Wales

Shivika Singh News Editor

Beth Williams

Shivika Singh news@gairrhydd.com

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rom November 15, people will be required to show a Covid pass to go to the cinema or theatre. This marks an extension to the list of venues in Wales where a covid pass would be mandatory for entry.

This regulation has come out after First Minister, Mark Drakeford, issued a stark warning that Wales has three weeks to get Covid under control or restrictions will be reintroduced. From 11th October onwards, Wales had already mandated either a vaccine passport or a covid negative test done within 48 hours for venues like nightclubs

Extinction Rebellion protests across UK for climate action

Zoe Kramer

Head of News

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xtinction Rebellion has staged a number of protests recently calling for climate action. With the COP26 conference underway, climate change is a hot button issue, and activists are making their voices heard.

Activists staged a sit-in protest at Glasgow’s Squinty Bridge on November 2nd, just yards away from the COP26 campus at the SEC. Police temporarily closed the road and diverted traffic away. One banner read “How many cops to arrest climate chaos?”

Demonstration ranged across the city, with another taking place outside the JP Morgan building on Waterloo Street.

Extinction Rebellion protesters also broke into the Exxon Mobile oil refinery in Hampshire on the 27th of October.

The 15 demonstrators, including two Olympians, chained themselves to various fixtures of the refinery after cutting electric fences surrounding the area.

The activists called for the government to stop fossil fuel investments as well as for Exxon Mobile to stop its expansion plans to the Fawley refinery.

Pink Boat: A symbol Extinction Rebellion has used on several occasions. Source: visualsumo (via Pixabay) Laura Baldwin and Etienne Stott, Team GB Olympians, chained themselves to a pink boat which blocked the entrance to the site. Others scaled 50 ft silos with banners reading “Climate Emergency” and “No Future in Fossil Fuels.” Another activist dressed as Boris Johnson set fire to a prop boat with the words “your children’s future” on it.

Protests went on for approximately eight hours.

Baldwin told the Telegraph, “I am a deeply protective mother, moved to take direct action in a desperate bid to force

this suicidal system to change in time to limit the climate crisis worsening and slipping past the point of no return.”

“Watching the news this summer was horrifying and heartbreaking, witnessing catastrophic climate impacts killing people on every continent of the globe.”

Mr. Stott said, “I think it’s totally wrong that oil companies continue to put their profits ahead of everyone’s right to a future on a living planet.

“We need our government to rein in these rogue companies as a matter of urgency and show to the world ahead of

COP26 that the UK is prepared to take a genuine leadership position.”

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said, “ExxonMobil has known the devastating effects of fossil fuel production on the environment for over 40 years, but instead of acting responsibly on that knowledge, they’ve spent tens of millions funding climate denial and misinformation and obstructing a transition to cleaner energy sources.”

An ExxonMobil spokesperson said: “ExxonMobil believes that climate change risks warrant action and it’s going to take all of us — business, governments and consumers — to make meaningful progress.

“Our focus includes reducing our emissions, helping consumers reduce their emissions, and developing loweremission energy solutions, including energy efficiency initiatives, biofuels, flare reduction and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

“At Fawley, we are also directly helping motorists and farmers to reduce their emissions through the manufacturing of lower carbon fuels, and we are also producing the lubricants and chemicals that support lower emissions by use across a

range of applications such as wind turbines and electric vehicles.

“Furthermore, our chemicals play a vital role in our daily lives from medical equipment, to clothing, cleaning materials and healthcare products.

“We respect the right to peaceful protest, but our priority is the safety of our people, our neighbours and our operations and we are working with Hampshire Police to ensure this is maintained.

“ExxonMobil Fawley continues to operate safely and is not experiencing any impact on production.

“We apologise to anyone from the local community or beyond experiencing any inconvenience resulting from the actions at Fawley today of this group.”

Police have confirmed that none of the group will face legal action.

“Watching the news this summer was horrifying and heartbreaking, witnessing catastrophic climate impacts killing people on every continent of the globe.” aaaaaaaSLaura Baldwin, Team GB Olympian

NEWYDDION

What the budget means for Wales

Beth Williams News Editor

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he chancellor has promised a £2.5 billion increase to the Welsh government’s budget.

This means the treasury will provide a record amount of £18 billion for Welsh public services this year. £120million of the budget has already been designated to 10 Welsh projects as part of the levelling-up fund.

The funds of the Welsh government will be spent on devolved sectors, such as education and health services.

Ministers will decide exactly how the money will be spent in the next couple of months. Commenting on the increase, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said, “an additional £2.5bn per year in Barnett funding means the Welsh government is well-funded to deliver all their devolved responsibilities, while the people in Wales will also benefit from this government’s commitment to levelling-up opportunity and delivering for all parts of the UK.” The budget documents also showed that Wales’ budget will receive an extra £2.9 billion by 2024.

However, ministers in Wales believe

that the country does not receive its fair share. As part of the EU, Wales received a further £375 million for its budget yearly. As part of the leave campaign, Wales was promised that the UK government would replace the funds lost. It is still unclear how, or if, this promise will be kept. Welsh finance minister Rebecca Evans said: “While the spending review does give us some medium term financial certainty and some additional investment, it is more than offset by the inflationary and system pressures that we are facing. The budget fails to meet the scale of the challenge that families, public services and the wider economy are still facing as a result of the pandemic.”

There has been criticism that the funding fails to address areas of concern in Wales. Despite Welsh government data identifying that over 300 coal tips are in the high risk category, the budget does not designate any extra funds to secure them. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds condemned the budget for cutting air passenger duty for UK domestic flights. She said: “shocking to see the UK government is cutting air passen-

Contributor

Budget: Wales has received a record-breaking £1.8 billion. Source: Elliott Brown (via Flickr) ger duty on the eve of COP26. What message does this send to the world about how seriously we take our climate goals?” This will make flying an even cheaper choice.

The budget has also been accused of bias due to the locations of the projects that will benefit from the levelling up fund. The funds will be heading to predominantly Tory voting areas, disregarding Welsh government input.

The Conservatives won 14 of 40 seats in Wales at the 2019 General Election

Haris Hussnain Contributor

T

Net zero: The policy will require changes on many fronts. Source: Green Energy Futures (via Flickr) involves supporting local communities and businesses in their mission to tackle climate change.

The First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford called for a “decade of action” when he launched the net zero plan for Wales. If Wales is to reach net zero status carbon emissions need to be cut by around two thirds by 2030

but Tory seats will receive over 60% – £73.2m – of the levelling up cash. Discussing the Welsh government’s lack of control in distributing the funds, Finance minister Ms Evans continued: “Devolution is about decisions being taken by those elected by people in Wales, close to the communities they serve who best understand their needs and circumstances, accountable to the Senedd for their decisions. The Welsh Finance Minister will publish their budget for Wales on 20th December.

compared to the levels in 1999. This means that more progress must be made in the next ten years than the progress which has been achieved in the last 30 years in terms of carbon reduction.

Mark Drakeford has already stated that “we are going to have to live our lives differently” in order to achieve

net zero. By 2021 there will be no new build unabated fossil fuel generation in Wales. The government aims to use fossil fuels in power stations by 2035, and will instead replace fossil fuels with low carbon sources. There is also an aim to reduce the carbon emissions from public transport from 22% in 2025 to 98% in 2050 by making use of low carbon technologies. For personal transport, of new car sales 48% of cars sold will be electric. There will be a comprehensive network of charging stations for these electric cars. By 2025, 148,000 houses will have retrofit measures to reduce heat loss. By 2025 all new homes will be built with the net zero goals in mind. In terms of industry the use of electricity will be increased by 3% and the use of hydrogen will be increased by 3%.

This will be a period of adjustment for everyone in Wales, and will involve certain sacrifices. In order for Wales to reduce its carbon footprint everyone must play their part to succeed in fulfilling the net zero plan.

Christmas Market returns for 2021 season Shivika Singh News Editor

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egarded as one of the best Christmas markets in the UK, Cardiff Christmas markets are ready to make a return, after a disruption last year due to Covid 19. The Cardiff Christmas Market will open on Thursday 11 November until Thursday 23 December 2021. The stalls will be located in St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and the Hayes.

This Christmas market, contributed by a plethora of traders, will feature local crafts, produce and food items.

Traders are expected to be seen selling festive favourites, such as mulled

wine, hot chocolate and bratwurst.

Cardiff’s Christmas market is expected to provide original artworks and crafts from traders, such as bespoke silver jewellery, wooden turned gifts, original artwork across all mediums, beautiful fused glass work, hand thrown ceramics, handmade quilts and textiles, and traditional pewter gifts to name just a few. Combined with a variety of seasonal food and drink, the market will create a vibrant Christmas atmosphere.

Cardiff’s famous annual Winter Wonderland is also back for Christmas 2021 and is split into two locations. One part is based in its old location at the Civic Centre at City Hall Lawns with both an ice rink and an ice walk. The

Accidental shooting on film set highlights gun safety concerns Francesca Ionescu

What Wales will look like under net 0 policy he Welsh government has plans to make Wales greener.

With their new Net zero plans released on October 28th,more than 120 policies and proposals have been introduced which are designed to make Wales greener and reduce the effects of climate change. Net zero refers to the balance of greenhouse gas produced versus the amount removed from the atmosphere. Net zero status is achieved when the amount of gas we add reaches a neutral state in regards to the amount removed from the atmosphere.

With the new policies, the government aims to create 20,000 new low carbon homes, plant 30 new woodlands and completely abolish single use plastic. Peat in compost will be banned. The government also aims for zero waste to end up in landfills. The proposal also encourages people to shop closer to home to reduce carbon emissions from their cars. This also

5

secondary winter wonderland site over in the Cardiff Castle grounds where last year the ice walk and other festive fun was located. The winter wonderland will run from November 16 to January 3 and the tickets are already on sale.

Bute Park light walk would be another major Christmas attraction in the winter. This light walk will take visitors on a magical tour around one of the capital city’s most beloved landmarks and through the biggest Christmas lights trail Wales has ever seen. Tickets for this event went on sale from Wednesday, August 18, and the event runs from November 25 lasting until New Year’s Eve. This Christmas event at Bute Park

expects to welcome around 95,000 visitors over a span of five weeks. The park will feature some mesmerising decorations and splendid shows. From November onwards, the park is expected to be taken over by laser shows, a fairy tree avenue, a Lily pond, some flickering fire sculptures, mirror ball displays, massive illuminated trees and much more.

Christmas preparations in Cardiff are fast on going, as evident by small Christmas shops that can be seen all around the city center. Hence, it could be said that although last year’s Christmas celebrations were disrupted by the pandemic, people can have high hopes for Christmas 2021.

A

lec Baldwin, renowned actor, has been involved in an accidental shooting on the set of his new film, Rust. The shot injured one of the directors, Joel Souza, as well as killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. A spokesperson for Baldwin has said that the shooting involved the misfire of a prop-gun, loaded with blanks. Investigators however have said they removed a “lead projectile” from Souza’s injuries and that it seems to have come from a live round.

Santa Fe County Sheriff, Adan Mendoza, has stated that the investigation has already found 600 pieces of evidence, including the projectile from Souza’s shoulder, a firearm, and 500 round of ammunition. He says that the situation is clear, where Baldwin was handled a functional weapon with a live round, and the investigation is to determine whose fault this was. The gun – an antique revolver- was handled by both the film’s armourer, Hannah GutierrezReed and the assistant director, Dave Halls.

Dave Halls has already admitted to not having checked all the rounds before handing it to Alec Baldwin, at which point he called “cold gun”- signifying that the gun was safe to use. The armourer has also stated that while guns were securely stored in a safe before the shooting, ammunition had not been.

Sheriff Mendoza has stated that he believes “there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry and possibly by the state of New Mexico”, adding to the debate of using prop guns on movie sets, as well as the importance of crew safety. Many editors have claimed the use of real guns as props to be unnecessary, as their only use is the flash that makes the shot realistic.

That can now be achieved in postproduction, with a lot less risk to the crew and actors. This is especially accentuated by the similarities to Brandon Lee’s early death in 1993, where the crew made their own ‘dummy cartridges’ which shot out with the same force as a live round, fatally injuring Lee. The controversy around Hutchins’ death also relates to the recent IATSE - International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees- strikes, mostly relating to safety on set for the people behind the scenes.

Baldwin and the rest of the producers have launched a private investigation, hoping to speed the process of finding the person responsible for the accident.

there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry and possibly by the state of New Mexico” aaaaaaaSAdan Mendoza, Santa Fe County Sherrif

6

TAF-OD

TAF-OD Pam fod Facebook wedi ail-frandio?

Gracie Richards Golygydd Tafod

F Nel Richards

Gracie Richards

acebook’ ydy gwasanaeth cyfryngau cymdeithasol a rhwydweithio cymdeithasol ar-lein sydd nawr yn eiddo i ‘Meta Platforms.’

Nad yw’r ail-frandio yn golygu bod yr app cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn newid ei henw ond y cwmni ‘Facebook inc’ sydd berchen ‘Facebook,’ ‘Instagram,’ a ‘Whatsapp.’

Bellach, mae ‘Meta Platforms’ yn gwmni dal conglomerate technoleg ryngwladol Americanaidd. Golygai hyn fod y cwmni’n cynnwys nifer o dechnoleg wahanol ac unigryw sydd i gyd yn dod o dan yr enw ‘Meta Platforms.’

Mae’r ail-frandio yn digwydd, yn ôl

Steffan Alun Leonard taf-od@gairrhydd.com

chuddio logo newydd yn ei bencadlys ym Mharc Menlo, California, gan ddisodli ei logo bawd “Like” gyda siâp anfeidredd glas.

Beth mae’r beirniaid (‘critics’) yn dweud?

Nodir erthygl gan y ‘BBC’ bod yr ail-frandio yn edrych fel ymgais i dynnu sylw oddi wrth y straeon negyddol niferus sydd wedi ymwneud â Facebook yn ddiweddar. Maent yn nodi bod beirniaid yn credu bod Facebook wedi gwneud hyn oherwydd bod y brand wedi dod yn wenwynig.

Ymwneir hyn ag adroddiadau bod ‘Facebook’ wedi bod yn eistedd ar ymchwil a ddangosodd bod ‘Instagram’ yn niweidio iechyd meddwl pobl ifanc, ac wedi canfu hi’n anodd cael gwared ar araith casineb (Hate Speech) o’i llwyfannau, tu allan i’r

UDA. Mae’r ail-frandio yn dod ar ol i Frances Haugen, cyn-weithiwr a drodd yn ‘whistleblower’ ryddhau cyfres o ddogfennau mewnol yn manylu ar frwydrau’r cwmni gyda diogelwch defnyddwyr a chamwybodaeth, allfeydd newyddion, deddfwyr a rheioleiddwyr.

Dywedir Haugen dylid Zuckerberg flaenoriaethu diogelwch ar-lein, dros ail-strwythuro ‘Meta.’

“Credaf y bydd Facebook yn gryfach gyda rhywun sy’n barod i ganolbwyntio ar ddiogelwch” - Frances Haugen.

Nodir Haugen bod y dogfennau yn arddangos y dylai’r cwmni wario mwy o arian ar systemau diogelwch sylfaenol ac nid ehangu i rithwirionedd.

Mae hi wedi galw i Zuckerberg gamu lawr fel Prif Weithredwr.

Dyfodol y radio yn y maes darlledu Alexa Price Cyfrannydd

M Nansi Eccott

y cwmni, i “gwmpasu” yr hyn mae’n gwneud wrth ehangu ei gyrhaeddiadau tu hwnt i gyfryngau cymdeithasol, i feysydd eraill fel rhith-realiti (VR).

“Heddiw rydym ni’n cael ein gweld fel cwmni cyfryngau cymdeithasol, ond yn ein DNA rydyn ni’n gwmni sy’n adeiladu technoleg i gysylltu pobl, a’r metaverse yw’r ffin nesaf yn union fel yr oedd rhwydweithio cymdeithasol pan ddechreuon ni.”- Mark Zuckerberg.

Dwedir Zuckerberg nad oedd y Brand ‘Facebook’ yn medru: “cynrychioli popeth rydym ni’n ei wneud heddiw, heb sôn am y dyfodol.”

Mae’r enw ‘Meta’ wedi ei dewis oherwydd ei hystyr Groegaidd - ‘Beyond.’

Mae’r cwmni hefyd wedi dador-

ae datblygiadau’r byd modern wedi gweld sawl newid mawr yn y maes darlledu, a hryder cyson sydd yn cael ei chodi yw dyfodol y radio. Er taw pwrpas cyntaf y radio oedd i ddanfon negeseuon o un lle i’r llall, heb wifrau, mae’r bwriad dal yn debyg heddiw.

Dros amser mae’r radio wedi datblygu i fod yn ddarn o dechnoleg sydd yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar draws y byd i gyhoeddi newyddion, caneuon, yn ogystal â rhaglenni sgyrsiol, a darnau theatr. Mae’r radio dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf - yn nodedig yn ystod y ganrif yma - wedi dod wyneb i wyneb efo sawl cystadleuydd sydd wir wedi profi perthnasedd y radio, sy’n egluro pam fod y radio dal mor boblogaidd heddiw.

Gwelsom ddatblygiadau arwyddocaol ar ddechrau’r ganrif lle cyflwynwyd y radio ddigidol, sydd wedi caniatáu’r cyhoedd i wrando ar-lein yn eu cartrefu

trwy ddefnyddio echnoleg fodern megis ffônau, gliniaduron, a’r teledu. Achosodd hyn ychydig o gystadleuaeth rhwng y radio ddigidol a’r radio analog. Fodd bynnag, mewn byd lle mae technoleg a chyfryngau cymdeithasol wedi tyfu i fod yn elfen naturiol o fywyd, mae’r datblygiad yma wedi sicrhau cyfleuster gwrando ar y radio. Yn dilyn hyn, datblygwyd sawl sianel radio i sicrhau bod eu sianelau nhw ar gael yn ddigidol, gan fod hi’n debygol y bydd codiad yn y nifer o bobl sydd yn eu gwrando arnynt. Yn ogystal â hyn, gwelwyd cynnydd yn y niferoedd o sianelau radio cymunedol/lleol, sydd wedi bod yn ddatblygiad positif yn sicr!

Mae sianelau poblogaidd fel Heart efo sawl sianel ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig, sydd yn meddwl bod mwy o hyblygrwydd o ran beth y maent yn cyhoeddi, a bod mwy o gyfleoedd i allu personoli’r newyddion a’i ddiweddariadau.

Problem posibl arall sydd wedi codi dros y blynyddoedd diweddaf yw’r cynnydd yn y nifer o bobl ifanc sydd yn defnyddio gwasanaethau ‘streaming’, megis Spotify, Apple Music, a Youtube,

Darlledu: Mae radio yn cael ei herio gan ein byd digidol. Source: ATULBANSALFILMS (via Pixabay)

sydd yn derbyn taliadau misol er mwyn eu defnyddio, lle mae gwrandawyr y radio yn eu defnyddio achos ei fod am ddim. Felly mae’n rhaid gofyn - a ydy’r radio wir yn mynd i ddioddef yn y blynyddoedd sydd i ddod? Efallai, ond er y datblygiadau positif a negyddol dros y

blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae’r niferoedd sydd dal yn defnyddio’r radio yn uchel iawn. Mae’r radio yn cadw ati i fod yn berthnasol ac yn ddefnyddiol, mae’n ddull syml o ddiweddaru â’r newyddion, yn ogystal â dangos cymorth i’r maes cerddoriaeth.

Tashwedd - tyfu mwstas i gefnogi elusen Nansi Eccott

Golygydd Taf-od

E

rs 2003, mae’r elusen Movember (neu Tashwedd) wedi annog dros 6 miliwn o bobl i godi arian i gefnogi achosion canser a hunanladdiad ymysg dynion dros bedwar ban byd.

Erbyn hyn mae Movember wedi ariannu dros 1,250 o brosiectau ar draws 20 o wledydd er mwyn ceisio lleihau’r niferoedd sy’n dioddef.

Yr Argyfwng Yn ôl yr elusen, mae dynion yn wynebu argyfwng iechyd ar hyn o bryd.

Yn fyd eang mae 10.8 miliwn o ddynion yn wynebu diagnosis o ganser y prostad. Mae cynnydd hefyd yn y nifer sydd yn dioddef o ganser y ceilliau – y math o ganser mwyaf cyffredin ymysg dynion ifanc. Yn ogystal â hyn, yn ôl gwe-

Mae’r elusen yn gofyn i’w chefnogwyr dyfu mwstas drwy gydol mis Tachwedd neu godi arian drwy redeg neu gerdded 60km.”

fan Movember, mae un dyn yn marw bob munud o bob diwrnod, drwy hunanladdiad. Mae 75% o’r rheiny sy’n cyflawni hunanladdiad yn ddynion ac erbyn 2030 mae’r elusen yn bwriadu lleihau’r ffigwr yma gan 25%.

Codi arian Mae’r elusen yn gofyn i’w chefnogwyr dyfu mwstas drwy gydol mis Tachwedd neu godi arian drwy redeg neu gerdded 60km dros y mis i gefnogi’r 60 o ddynion sy’n colli eu bywydau drwy hunanladdiad bob awr. Eu nod yw defnyddio’r arian a godwyd er mwyn gwella’r cyfleusterau iechyd a chymorth sydd ar gael i ddynion ledled y byd.

Mae Aled Biston, sy’n fyfyriwr MA yn y brifysgol, wedi codi arian i’r elusen drwy dyfu mwstas am sawl blwyddyn ac yn edrych ymlaen at wneud eto eleni gyda’i ffrindiau. Dywed Aled fod yr ymgyrch yn bwysig iddo oherwydd bod ef a nifer o’i ffrindiau wedi dioddef o broblemau iechyd meddwl ac mae’n stori debyg i ddynion dros y wlad. Mae cymryd rhan yn bwysig iddo “er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth ac arian at y broblem.”

Hoffai Aled weld y toriad i’r stigma

Mae’n bwysig iddo fod “lleihad sylweddol i’r niferoedd o ddynion sy’n colli eu bywydau’n rhy ifanc.”

‘Tashwedd’: Mae’r mis hwn yn gyfle i fyfyrio ar iechyd meddwl.

Source: mmi9 (via Pixabay)

ynghylch iechyd meddwl dynion a sicrhau bod gan ddynion le i rannu eu hofnau a gofidion.

“Gobeithiaf fod Movember yn ailsefydlu’r neges hollbwysig bod hi ddim yn rhywbeth gwan i siarad mas na gofyn am gymorth, os unrhyw beth mae hyn yn arwydd o ddewrder.”

Bwriad Aled yw i “ddefnyddio’r ymgyrch hon i ddangos bod pobl ar gael os oes unrhyw un angen siarad. Bydd ffrindiau, teulu a hyd yn oed pobl ddieithr yn gallu helpu ac yna i estyn llaw pan bod angen.”

Mae Iwan Kellett, myfyriwr yn yr 2il flwyddyn, yn cymryd rhan yn yr ym-

gyrch a chodi arian at achos Movember am y tro cyntaf eleni. Fe fydd ef yn peidio eillio yn ystod mis Tachwedd er mwyn codi arian at achos sydd yn “effeithio gormod o ddynion dros y byd.”

Edrycha Iwan ymlaen at yr her a chodi arian at yr elusen “gwych sy’n codi ymwybyddiaeth am bynciau hollbwysig.”

Mae’n bwysig iddo fod “lleihad sylweddol i’r niferoedd o ddynion sy’n colli eu bywydau’n rhy ifanc.”

Yn ôl Iwan mae’n “galonogol iawn gweld y gwaith arloesol mae Movember yn cyflawni yn y meysydd iechyd ac addysg ynghylch hunanladdiad a chanser ymysg dynion – mae’n bwysicach nag erioed i gefnogi’r achos er mwyn gallu gwella bywydau dynion hyd a lled y byd.”

Neu gallwch ymweld â gwefan movember i ddysgu mwy am yr achos, clywed mwy o straeon pobl a rhoi mwy o arian i achos sy’n agos at galon pawb.

CHWARAEON

Byw yn wyrdd yng Nghaerdydd

Gyda sylw’r hinsawdd i fyny yng Nglasgow - beth sy’n digwydd i lawr yma?

Haris Hussnain Cyfrannydd

Y

gaeaf yma mae’r DU yn mynd i’r afael â phroblem costau byw. Mae’r mudiad ‘Resolution’ yn awgrymu y bydd codi biliau ynni a chwyddiant uchel ynghyd â mesurau lliniaru diwedd Covid yn golygu y bydd miliynau o aelwydydd £300 yn waeth eu byd yn ystod y misoedd nesaf, a £1,000 yn waeth oddi ar y flwyddyn net. Gyda disgwyl i gostau byw godi dros y blynyddoedd nesaf dylai’r blaid Geidwadol fod yn dechrau poeni am eu heconomi.

Nod y cynllun Net-zero yw cael mwy o bobl mewn dinasoedd i feicio neu gerdded erbyn 2030.”

Mae’r DU yn bwriadu lleihau allyriadau carbon gan 68% erbyn 2030. Mae’r ciwiau hir a phrisiau uchel mewn gorsafoedd petrol, a achoswyd gan brinder HGV, wedi achosi i lawer ailystyried eu perthynas â cherbydau sy’n cael eu pweru gan danwydd ffosil. Gan fod 68% o’r holl deithiau yn is na phum milltir, gallwn leihau ein defnydd o ddisel a phetrol drwy fuddsoddi mewn trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ddiogel, fforddiadwy a mwy effeithlon. Ynghyd â lonydd gwell i bobl gerdded neu feicio.

Nod y cynllun Net-zero yw cael mwy o bobl mewn dinasoedd i feicio neu gerdded erbyn 2030. Yr hyn sy’n atal hyn rhag bod yn realiti yw’r diffyg cyllid sydd ar gael i wella trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn y DU. Mae Cymru hefyd ar y trywydd iawn i gael mwy o drenau ecogyfeillgar erbyn 2030. Mae trenau Avanti West Coast o Glasgow wedi

addo buddsoddi dros £100 miliwn er mwyn lleihau’r defnydd o drenau disel yng Nghymru a’i newid am opsiynau carbon isel.

Tra yng nghefn gwlad, lle nad oes trydan, bydd y trenau hyn yn defnyddio disel ac yna’n newid i ddefnyddio trydan wrth deithio drwy drefi neu ddinasoedd gan leihau’r ôl troed carbon.

Mae Caerdydd fel dinas yn bwriadu bod yn garbon niwtral erbyn 2030 gan ddefnyddio’r cynllun Netzero. Nod y cynllun yw lleihau allyriadau carbon Caerdydd gan 22% erbyn 2030.

Nod y cynllun hefyd yw lleihau’r ddibyniaeth ar danwydd ffosil. Mae cyngor Caerdydd yn cynhyrchu cyfanswm o 184,904 o allyriadau CO2 bob blwyddyn. Mae’r ôl troed carbon hwn yn dod o dan ddau gategori - ‘allyriadau uniongyrchol’ ac ‘allyriadau anuniongyrchol’.

Mae gan gyngor Caerdydd gynl-

luniau i leihau’r rhain, gan ddisodli 27,750 o oleuadau stryd mewn ardaloedd preswyl gyda goleuadau LED, bydd hyn yn lleihau costau ynni £500,000 y flwyddyn. Bydd hyn hefyd yn lleihau’r allyriadau carbon o 836 tunnell.

Nod y cyngor hefyd yw meistroli cerbydau trydan drwy ddarparu mwy o orsafoedd gwefru ar gyfer ceir. Erbyn 2025, bydd gan 148,000 o dai fesurau ôl-ffitio i leihau’r golled gwres.

Erbyn 2025 bydd pob cartref newydd yn cael ei adeiladu gan ddefnyddio’r delfrydau Net-zero.

Bydd 20,000 o gartrefi carbon isel newydd yn cael eu hadeiladu yng Nghymru.

O ran diwydiant, bydd y defnydd o drydan a hydrogen yn cynyddu 3%. Er mwyn i Gaerdydd fod yn fwy gwyrdd a lleihau’r allyriadau carbon, rhaid i bawb chwarae rhan i wneud Caerdydd yn wyrdd.

Pryd o Daf-od

Barn y Bobl: Gobeithion pobl ifanc am COP 26?

Tegwen Bruce Deans Cyfrannydd

Trydydd flwyddyn Cwrs: Cymraeg ym Mhrifysgol Bangor wi’n gobeithio y caiff ystyriaeth lawn ei rhoi i’r penderfyniadau sy’n cael eu cynnig yn y gynhadledd ynghylch y weledigaeth tymor hir y byddent yn eu hadeiladu ar gyfer cenhedlaeth pobl ifainc a chenedlaethau i ddod.

Yn ogystal, gobeithiaf y bydd cyfrannwyr breintiedig y gynhadledd yn cofio bod anghydraddoldeb cymdeithasol yn bla nid yn unig rhwng gwledydd y byd ond oddi fewn iddynt hefyd, ac felly mae angen ystyried effeithiau penderfyniadau ynghylch newid hinsawdd i bobl ym mhob un troed bywyd.

D

Dwi’n gobeithio y caiff ystyriaeth lawn ei rhoi i’r penderfyniadau sy’n cael eu cynnig.”

Annell Dyfri: Cwreli Annell Dyfri Cyfrannydd

M

ae hi yr un mor lliwgar o dan y dŵr ac ydyw uwchben’.

Cofiaf yn dda y sylwadau hynny gan aelod o’r teulu tra’n deifio a snorclo yn y môr oddi ar ynys fechan yn y Caribi rai blynyddoedd yn ôl. Y darlun ystrydebol hwnnw sydd wedi meddiannu’r meddwl wrth ystyried bywyd o dan y don ers ein bod yn blant bach.

Y bywyd rhamantus, y bywyd hudol llawn pysgod amryliw a phlanhigion lliwgar. Ond mae’r darlun traddodiadol hwnnw’n prysur ddiflannu wrth inni droi’n golygon i’r hyn sydd wirioneddol yn byw a bod o dan y dŵr. Riffiau cwrel yw’r ecosystemau morwrol mwyaf amrywiol ar y ddaear ac maent yn gweithredu fel cartref i lwyth o anifeiliaid a rhywogaethau. Hebddynt byddai’r ecosystemau yn dadelfennu gan beryglu bodolaeth dwsinau lawer

o anifeiliaid gan arwain, yn y pen draw, at ddiflaniad rhywogaethau amrywiol. Am byth.

Pwy sydd ar fai?

Gyda llygaid y byd ar gynhadledd COP26 yn Glasgow ar hyn o bryd, effaith newid hinsawdd sydd wrth wraidd y dinistr eang sy’n digwydd yn ein moroedd led-led y byd. Mae hyn yn digwydd law yn llaw â llygredd diben-draw, gor-bysgota a chynnydd yn lefel a thymhereddy môr.

Mae’r cyfan yn cyfuno i dagu bywyd o dan y don. A’r hyn sy’n gyffredin i’r prosesau hyn i gyd? Wel, y sawl sy’n gyfrifol amdanynt, wrth gwrs. Ni! Chi a fi! Y sawl sy’n byw ar y blaned. Y sawl sydd wedi meddiannu ei thiroedd a’i moroedd. Ni. Pob un ohonom ni. Ni sy’n dinistrio’r blaned. Ni sy’n gyfrifol bod y cwreli’n diflannu o flaen ein llygaid. Yn ddyddiol. Os na newidiwn ein ffordd o fyw bydd yr ecosystemau hyn wedi llwyr ddiflannu ymhen rhai blynyddoedd. Ac wrth ddiflannu, fydd dim modd eu hadfer. Byth.

Fel arfer, gall gwaith ymchwil ein helpu i ddatrys sefyllfaoedd heriol fel hyn. Ond, yn yr achos hwn, does dim digon o ymchwil wedi digwydd hyd yn hyn a all gynnig ffyrdd posibl o wrthdroi’r difrod a wnaed i’r cwreli led-led y byd. Teg nodi ein bod wedi aros i’r difrod ddigwydd o flaen ein llygaid, gan arwain at ddiflaniad rhywogaethau – yn bysgod, planhigion a chwrel - cyn i ni ystyried gweithredu.

Fel ymateb i’r difrod, mae gwyddonwyr wedi mynd ati i geisio ail-greu modelau o’r cwrel mewn labordai ac yna eu trosglwyddo o dan y dŵr i weld os byddent yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar yr ecosystem. Er bod rhai achosion wedi bod yn llwyddiannus, mae cryn dipyn o waith i ddigwydd eto er mwyn sicrhau adfywiad ar raddfa eang.

Fel un sydd wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus o snorclo mewn sawl cefnfor, mae’r sefyllfa yn un sy’n fy mhryderu’n fawr. Rwyf innau wedi cael y fraint o gydnofio â physgod o bob siâp a maint yn eu cynefin a’m dymuiad fyddai i

genedlaethau’r dyfodol gael yr un wefr ymhen blynyddoedd eto.

Ond, er mwyn i hynny ddigwydd, bydd angen i’m cenhedlaeth innau newid ei ffordd o fyw a newid ei hagwedd at ei hamgylchfyd. Bydd angen i ni gyd fod yn llawer mwy gofalus wrth i ni fwynhau rhyfeddodau’r môr gan sicrhau bod yr eli haul a ddefnyddiwn yn un sy’n garedig i’r amgylchedd a’n bod yn ailgylchu’n bwrpasol a thaflu sbwriel i’r biniau priodol.

Ac, yn bennaf oll, mae angen ein haddysgu ni i gyd am yr hyn sydd o dan fygythiad a’r ffaith y gall y byd rhyfeddol hwnnw o dan y don ddiflannu o flaen ein llygaid yn sgil ein difaterwch a’n diofalwch ni.

Fel un sydd wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus o snorclo mewn sawl cefnfor, mae’r sefyllfa yn un sy’n fy mhryderu’n fawr.”

4. Oes hoff ddiod feddwol gyda ti?

Malimoo’s

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat?

I fod yn onest bob tro fi’n mynd ar ‘night out’ fi’n neud rhwbeth fin difaru.

5. Beth yw dy hoff brofiad?

Chwarae rygbi yn stadiwm principality yn y chweched a sgorio cais.

3. Beth yw dy hoff albwm?

Now thats what i call music, bach o amrywiaeth i fynd ‘da pob achlysur

6. Prosecco neu champagne?

Prosecco (methu fforddio champagne haha!)

7. Beth sy’n cadw ti’n effro gyda’r nos?

Bois caernarfon senghennydd yn dod nol am 6am bob bore wedi bod mas yn yfed.

8. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair. unrhywun, moin, peint?

9. Pam dewis Caerdydd?

Ishe profiad o fyw yn y ddinas gan bo fi’n dod o gefn gwlad.

Iwan Kellett Cyfrannydd

Yr ail flwyddyn Cwrs: Cemeg wi mor falch bod digwyddiad fel COP26. Ond, dwi’n pryderu bydd yn fwy o siarad a dim gweithrediad yn dilyn.

Mae angen i wledydd cymryd camau cadarn yn hytrach na gwneud datganiadau dibwynt. Yn o gystal â hyn mae cwestiwn i’w ofyn, pam mae angen digwyddiad mawr i ddod a gwledydd at ei gilydd gyda gwyddonwyr a phobl gyffredin i drafod peth mor greiddiol i fywyd modern.

Rydym yng nghanol argyfwng hinsawdd, os na fydd y drafodaeth yn parhau yn gadarnhaol yn dilyn y gynhadledd, yn fy marn i fydd hi’n aflwyddiannus. Mae angen i wyddoniaeth bod yn rhan o ddedfrydu yn wastadol, nid ond am bythefnos.

D

Dafydd Orritt Cyfrannydd

Trafod gyda’r Taf-od Elin Williams 1. ​​P wy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio?

Elin Williams - Cymraeg.

7

10. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol?

Spoons, clwb, popworld, in that order.

11. Celebrity crush?

Ifan pritchard (gwilym) 12. Hoff glwb nos?

Clwb Ifor Bach.

13. Pwy fydd yn trafod gyda’r tafod wythnos nesa’? ifan Davies

Wedi graddio Cwrs: Cymraeg a Newyddiaduraeth y mhrif mhryder am y cyfarfod COP26 yw fod na lot fawr o drafod am fod ond dim llawer o weithredu.

Dani di clywed tro ar ôl tro yr holl newidiadau sy angen ei neud ond heb weld neb mewn pwer yn gweithredu.

Dwi ddim yn ffyddiog iawn fydd y cyfarfod yma yn un gwerthfawr - a mae’r tywydd garw a’r trenau wedi ei gohurio yn dweud y cyfan!

F

Dani di clywed tro ar ôl tro yr holl newidiadau sy angen ei neud ond heb weld neb mewn pwer yn gweithredu.”

8

POLITICS

POLITICS Sunak unveils the UK’s 2021 budget Gair Rhydd takes a look at some of the key aspects of the 2021 budget, including the state of the UK economy and the impact of COVID-19 Tom Kingsbury Head of Politics

Tom Kingsbury

Ella Lloyd

Luthien Evans

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hancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has unveiled the UK Government’s 2021 budget. Key details included the current state of the UK economy, the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on it, tax changes, and a rise in government spending.

Over the course of the Parliament, an overall increase of £150bn is expected in terms of spending.

This sum includes a £2.5bn increase for the Welsh government, £4.6bn for the Scottish government, and £1.6bn for the Northern Ireland executive.

The budget also includes funds for ‘levelling up’ areas across the country - a sum of £1.7bn to be invested in local areas. For the NHS, £6bn will be allocated to help tackle backlogs.

Other areas of funding included transportation, with £7bn being provided for projects in areas such as Greater Manchester, West Midlands and South Yorkshire, and £2.2bn in order to address backlogs in the criminal justice system.

Housing investment totalled £24bn, which includes £11.5bn being spent on building up to 180,000

We have had a lot of smoke and mirrors going into this budget, and it’s all very good and well the government promising things, but [that might not] lead to people feeling that extra sup-

Manal Ahmed

Bridget Phillipson, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury

politics@gairrhydd.com

affordable homes, and schools will receive a £4.7bn increase within four years. Schools and colleges will also receive almost £2bn to address the issues created by COVID-19. A £640m sum will be provided to help tackle rough sleeping and homelessness.

Budget week also provided some details on the performance of the UK economy, as well as its projected recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Economic growth has been better than was expected, at 6.5%, from a projected 4%. Inflation was at 3.1% in September this year, with a rise to 4% expected.

The economy is expected to return to its state before the pandemic by 2022, and the Chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes, has said that the long term impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy will be less than that of Brexit, reducing potential GDP by about 2% compared to 4% for Brexit.

Unemployment was forecast to reach 11.9% next year, but the sum has been revised to 5.2%, and borrowing is also predicted to fall, from 7.9% this year to 3.3% next year, and 1.5% in the following four years.

Sunak stated that foreign aid spending will remain at its current reduced rate, but will return to its normal 0.7% of GDP by 2025.

The budget brought about some changes in the government’s tax policies. For example, a 4% tax will be imposed on property developers making profits exceeding £25m, which will be used to fund the removal of unsafe cladding.

A 50% business rates tax reduction will be provided for English retail, hospitality and leisure services by 2023, allowing for a maximum deduction of £100,000. Tax relief will also be continued for museums and galleries for the next two years.

Sunak announced that there will

The red box on show: Sunak emerged from 11 Downing Street on budget day with the budget secure in a red despatch box to reveal the 2021 budget to Parliament. Source: Number 10 (via. Flickr) be a national living wage increase to £9.50 per hour in April 2022, a raise of 6.6%.

Universal credit was a topic of contention in the budget. It was announced that the universal credit ‘taper’ rate will be cut by December.

This means that those earning above the qualifying wage for the benefit will lose 55p for every pound above the amount, down from 63p.

There will also be an increase of £500 per year in the amount people can earn before this taper rate takes effect.

Whilst the move was met with praise as an isolated policy, politicians were quick to point out that for most Britons this will still be a net loss when recent cuts to universal credit by the government are taken into account. Shadow chan-

cellor Rachel Reeves said Sunak was a chancellor that “gives with one hand but takes so much more with the other”.

The Resolution Foundation estimates that out of the 4.4m British households that claim universal credit currently, 3.2m will be worse off overall as a result of government changes, and only 1.2m will be better off, though this does not include those households that will be newly eligible for universal credit.

Sunak is a chancellor who “gives with one hand but takes so much Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Israel to approve 3,000 new homes in the West Bank Ella Lloyd

Politics Editor

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he Israeli Government looks set to approve 3,000 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank.

Final approval was given for 1800 homes, and preliminary approval given for a further 1344.

Anti-settlement, pro two-state solution pressure group Peace Now said in a report that the plans “harm the Israeli interest and the chances of reaching peace”.

Currently there are over 600,000 Jewish people living in settlements in the West Bank and other territories captured by Israel in the sixday war of 1967.

Much of the international community view these settlements as illegal under international law, although Israel denies this, laying claim to the territories as the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people.

Palestinians claim the West Bank and Gaza and wish to form a state out of the territories, with East

Jerusalem as the capital. Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank.

Israel’s expansion comes despite significant opposition from the US, with State Department spokesperson Ned Price saying: “We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which is completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions and to ensure calm, and it damages the prospects for a twostate solution.”

This is a marked change from the previous administration under former President Donald Trump, who said that settlements were not illegal. Plans for some 30,000 settler homes were pushed during the Trump administration.

Adding to the opposition, 11 European countries including France, Germany, and Ireland have also signed a statement opposing the expansion.

Bassam Al-Salhe of the Palestine Liberation Organisation told Reuters: “The behaviour of the Israeli government under Bennett is no less extreme than what it had been under Netanyahu.”

Expansion in the West Bank: Despite reproachment from a number of governments, including long-time ally the US, Israeli is planning to construct over 3,000 new homes in the occupied West Bank. Source: Dennis Jarvis (via. Flickr) The recently elected Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennet, is a far-right former settler leader but

heads a coalition government with differing views on the settlements.

Ultra-nationalist members and

civilians will likely welcome new settlements if they are built. However, Bennet risks straining relationships with centrist and dovish members of the coalition which he holds a slim majority in, as well as Arab parties and the international community.

For construction to begin, permits will have to be issued by Israel’s centrist Defence Minister, Benny Gantz.

Israel-Palestine peace talks fell apart in 2014, and Naftali Bennet has refused to continue them, instead promising to improve living conditions for Palestinians.

The Israeli Prime Minister opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.

Alongside these settlements, the Israeli planning Committee is making plans for 1,300 new homes for Palestinians in areas under Israeli military control.

It would be the largest number of homes Israel has approved for Palestinians in 10 years, though rights groups say that this is just a fraction of what is needed.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

9

Afghanistan’s neighbours gather in Tehran to discuss regional concerns and future steps Manal Ahmed Politics Editor

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enior representatives of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries gathered in Tehran for a one-day conference to discuss coordinating responses to the recent political shift in the war-torn country. The talks were a continuation of previous discussions held online in early September, said a spokesperson of Iran’s foreign ministry.

The foreign ministers of four neighbouring countries – Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan – met in-person, joined by the representatives of China and Russia through video link. Newly elected Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was unable to attend due to a cyberattack that targeted Iran’s online petrol distribution software, which occurred the day before. He was represented by the First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber.

Mokhber stated Iran’s intention was to support the formation of an inclusive government by the

[ISIS are] US proxy forces in the region”, and despite America’s “defeat” in Afghanistan it may continue its “destructive” policies in the region Mohammed Mokhber, First Vice President of Iran

Taliban, and “help shape a future of peace and security in Afghanistan”.

During the conference, Mokhber expressed that despite the United States’ “defeat” in the country, the US would continue attempting to advance “destructive” policies regionally.

The first vice president believes this to be through ISIS, which he referred to as “US proxy forces in the region”. The terrorist group is claiming to have caused multiple explosions across the country, and many neighbours fear this may lead to a civil war.

Iran had previously criticised the Taliban for failing to include ethnic minorities in the cabinet that is largely made up of ethnic Pashtuns and condemned the group for attacking guerrilla fighters in the Panjshir Valley, where resistance against the Taliban remained active until last month.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres later joined, via video, and stated that the crisis in Afghanistan was one of “epic” proportions and demanded immediate worldwide relief. Currently, the UN is in contact with Taliban leaders to ensure delivery of humanitarian supplies, however issues of violating human rights and acts of violence have left Guterres concerned. He implored for a joint resolution to be made in combating the instability.

During the conference, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called on Afghanistan’s neighbours to refuse hosting US or NATO military forces “which plan to move there after leaving Afghan territory”.

Lavrov stated the importance of attending nations controlling migration from the Taliban-led state in order to prevent militants disguised as refugees from entering, a concern that Pakistan shares.

Since the takeover, Russian President Vladimir Putin significantly increased the military presence in their largest foreign military base in Tajikistan, and allowed the US to use Russian military bases in Central Asia.

However, Moscow remains tense at the possibility of Washington maintaining a long-term presence in the region if the volatile situation expands beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi indicated his desire to continue talks and host the next meeting between the seven ministers. Yi stated that in a meeting with top Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar, the Taliban had expressed a great commitment to “dialogue and cooperation” with the international community.

While Iran has taken on a leading role in discussions to support the stability of their neighbours, they refuse to engage in any crisis talks with the United States, believing them to be the cause of the current state of instability in Afghanistan.

Yi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called on the US to lift sanctions on Afghanistan, as the state’s failing economy needs aid and 90 percent of the population are at risk of falling below the poverty line if the situation remains as it is.

An end to the ‘longest war’: The US completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan before the end of August, bringing an end to its longest war to date. Source: Defence Images (via Flickr)

MP safety a rising concern after murder of MP David Amess and death threats to MP Naz Shah Luthien Evans Politics Editor

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ollowing the recent murder of David Amess, the topic of MP harassment and abuse has been a prominent point of discussion, as MP’s have experienced a heightened sense of risk in their line of work.

Amess was stabbed and later died of his injuries during a regular community meeting in October. Fellow MPs have expressed their condolences to Amess’ family, speaking highly of his work ethic and dedication to his constituency’s needs.

Many have also linked this incident to the murder of Jo Cox, who was murdered in 2016.

These two incidents, as well as the 2017 Westminster attack and attack on the Houses of Parliament may display a pattern of violence towards members of parliament.

However, these incidents are not isolated events. Many MPs have expressed concerns for their safety following various counts of harassment and violent acts being perpetrated against themselves and their colleagues.

Marcus Ambrose has recently been charged with the harassment of Kettering MP, Philip Hollobone.

Accusations include the sending of

Death threats: Bradford West MP Naz Shah revealed she had receieved numerous death threats, a recent one being so serious that she felt she had to ring the police and evacuate her children from her home.

Source: Chris McAndrew (via. Wikimedia Commons) over 100 messages between June and September of this year. These messages allegedly came in the forms of “unwanted contact through phone calls and voice messages, sending

emails and text messages and pursuing him when he was jogging”.

It is further alleged that an offensive online post was sent from Ambrose, who has pleaded not guilty of

the charges.

He has been granted bail under the conditions that he does not contact Hollobone or any other serving MP during this period.

A further harassment case is also currently playing out in the courts, regarding Bradford West MP Naz Shah’s recently received death threats and ‘immediate firearms threat’.

The Labour MP was so shaken by the death threats that it has been stated that she dialled 999 and evacuated her children from her home as a response.

Sundas Alam admitted to these charges in the York Crown Court.

Alam used cloned email addresses to contact Shah, leading to a 20hour questioning of an innocent family by officers.

Shah stated that this wasn’t the first time she had received death threats, however these threats she deemed as more realistic in motive, saying “this is somebody stewing for so many hours”.

She also described threats from Alam such as “how do you want this rifle to your head or through your window.”

Referencing Amess and Cox’s murders, Shah stated: “I’m just grateful to West Yorkshire Police, really. It’s really close to home.

We’ve lost two colleagues in the last

five years.” she showed further resilience and strength commenting that “It won’t stop me doing what I do.”

Alam is due to be sentenced later in November after admitting charges of sending malicious communications and one of perverting the course of justice.

Other incidents include when a man entered Glasgow’s city chambers brandishing a samurai sword and threatened to kill former council leader Gordon Matheson in 2014.

As stated by Shah, she and many other MP’s commonly receive death threats during their tenure as a Member of Parliament.

This pattern of violent crimes and threats against politicians is becoming more prominent with the use of social media.

Sentences for the ongoing investigations are yet to be determined.

It’s really close to home. We’ve lost two colleagues in the last five years.”

Naz Shah, Labour Party MP for Bradford West

10

POLITICS

IN OTHER India conducts ballistic missile test amid rising tensions with China NEWS Nalidri Singh Contributor

I The EU faces growing unrest from member states after signalling Poland to roll back judiciary changes which viewed certain EU treaties to be incompatible with Poland’s constitution. The primacy of EU law has been a point of contention between Warsaw and Brussels for some time with Poland’s right-leaning legislation frequently goes against the liberal views of the EU. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned the EU against starting “world war three” should they refuse Poland’s application for €36bn coronavirus recovery package.

The President of the Phillippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has announced that he will retire from politics after next year’s election. Although not eligible for the role of President again, he had previously set out plans to run for Vice President. His political opposition had stated that they would like the legality of Duterte running for Vice President questioned in the Supreme Court. In announcing his retirement he quoted the opposition by stating that many Filipinos would find this ‘a violation of the constitution’.

Fears of conflict in the Balkans have been brought to the surface as member of the presidency of Bosnia Milorad Dodik has threatened to remove Republika Srpska from national institutions. Republika Srpska is one of two semi-autonomous regions in Bosnia created in the Dayton Accords, after the three and a half year war. The International High Representative in Bosnia has described Mr Dodik’s plans as an ‘existential threat’ to the region.

A whistleblower has alleged that due to shortages, Met police officers accused of misconduct including harrassment and assault have been able to be out on patrol, despite being under investigation. Jaysen Veeren, who worked as an internal investigation officer for 18 months, told the BBC he was encouraged to be more lenient with officers due to a lack of staff, and that investigations were interfered with over the period he worked in the department.

politics@gairrhydd.com

ndia’s Ministry of Defence has released a statement reading: “A successful launch of the Surfaceto-Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni5, was carried out on October 27, 2021, at approximately 1950 hrs from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The missile, which uses a threestage solid fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy.’.

This deterrence theory suggests that a threat of punishment will stop the other party from following a particularly dangerous course of action. India’s Agni-V test - conducted by the Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army - was in line with its policy of ‘credible minimum deterrence’ and its commitment to ‘No First Use’.

The Agni-V is a third generation ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Dynamics Limited. It weighs close to 50,000 kilograms and is 1.75 meters tall with a diameter of two metres.

The 1,500-kilogram warhead will be placed on top of the three-stage rocket boosters and is powered by solid fuel.

News of the missile’s testing comes after The Financial Times reported that China had in August tested a new hypersonic missile, which the Chinese foreign ministry denied altogether, claiming it was a ‘space plane’.

While these hypersonic Chinese missiles caught the attention of the Pentagon, India also jumped on

Beginnings of an arms race?: States are seeking improved missile capabilities, including hypersonic missles, which travel at five or more times the speed of sound. India has risen to the third highest military spender in the world, behind only the US and China. Source: AFP PHOTO / HO / INTER SERVICES PUBLIC RELATIONS (via. Wikimedia Commons) the missile tests bandwagon. This dia has joined an ‘elite nuclear club’ fair to say that an arms race has becomes amidst rising tensions with that have ICBMs such as China, gun. Aljazeera reported that the US China over borders along the Line USA, Russia, Britain, and France, army and navy is set to conduct hyof Actual Control (LAC), in the and is the third highest military personic missile test flights in 2022. mountainous regions of Ladakh that spender, only behind the US and However, amidst poor economic have been flaring for more than sev- China. growth, riots, stringent laws regardenteen months, with over 200,000 America’s topmost military offic- ing freedom of speech and a failing troops stationed on both sides of the er General Mark Milley, Chairman position on the World Hunger InHimalayan border. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said about dex, are ICBMs like the Agni-V a As per reports by the Stockholm China’s hypersonic missiles, “I don’t step towards a ‘safer’, higher military International Peace Research Insti- know if it’s quite a Sputnik moment, spending future for India, or is this tute (SIPRI), China possesses 350 but I think it’s very close to that.” just another addition to a long list nuclear warheads, as opposed to InIf China’s hypersonic missile test of triggers setting in motion a race dia, which has 156. With Agni-V, In- is indeed a Sputnik moment, it is India could or should avoid?

China declares Taiwan has ‘no right’ to join the United Nations Ella Lloyd

Politics Editor

C

hina has re-iterated their position that Taiwan has ‘no right’ to join the United Na-

tions.

The statement was made by a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, Ma Xiaoguang, who also commented “The United Nations is an international governmental organisation composed of sovereign states [… ] Taiwan is a part of China.”

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, is claimed by the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan was a member of the UN until 1971, when members voted to instead recognise the PRC. China continues to refuse diplomatic relations with any countries that recognise Taiwan.

The statements from China come just a day after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated his support for the ‘meaningful participation’ Taiwan would bring to the UN. President Joe Biden also recently and controversially said that the US would help Taiwan defend it-

self if China were to launch an attack. However shortly after, the US backpedalled, confirming there was no change to the policy of strategic ambiguity.

The Taiwan Relations Act 1979 binds the US to ‘close and friendly’ relations with Taiwan, but only maintains formal relations with China. These opposing statements come as China has increased the number of fighter jets over Taiwan as a warning to the government.

Taiwan describes itself as under threat from China in a fight for democracy.

At the G20 summit in Rome this October, Blinken met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who criticised perceived US support for Taiwanese independence forces. Earlier this month the Foreign Ministry had accused the US of selling arms to Taiwan.

The presence of American soldiers on the island was confirmed by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, however she stressed this number was ‘not as many as people thought’.

She has also tweeted her thanks to the US government for calls for greater inclusion of the island on the international stage.

A precarious position: Despite some international support for Taiwan, with China’s forceful opposition to any state formally accepting its right to statehood, it faces an uphill battle to be internationally recognised as a state and brought into the UN. Source: Jirka Matousek (via. Flickr)

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR D STUDENT ID CAR

DEBATE & DETE R THE DIRECTION MINE OF STUDENTS’ UN THE ION

18:30 THURSDAY 25TH NOVEMBER THE GREAT HALL, 1ST FLOOR

12

COMMENT

COMMENT

Is protesting the best tactic to get your voice heard?

Holly Hostettler-Davies asks if the impact of protesting has changed in recent years

Holly Hostettler-Davies Contributor

T Vicky Witts

Catarina Pinto Vicente

Katherine Wheeler

Megan Evans

he George Floyd protests, the Boston Tea Party, the 2017 Women’s March. Protests have been a long-standing method of communication for communities looking to get their voices heard.

But how successful actually are these protests, and what might be a better tactic to getting our voices heard?

Let’s take a look at what was likely the largest single-day protest in the United States, and the largest global women’s rights protest in history – the 2017 Women’s March.

The Women’s March was a worldwide protest held on the 21st January 2017, the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, prompted by the fact many people considered several of Trump’s statements as anti-women, or otherwise offensive to women.

According to The Lily, the Women’s March (where an estimated 3 to 5 million American women participated, joined by at least 216 marches in countries across the globe) “heralded a new global wave of women’s activism”. It even resulted in historical numbers of women worldwide running for office.

It’s no doubt that this is a fine example of a protest being the best tactic to get your voice heard. But this success has not been translated in other protests, asking the question of whether protesting is the best tactic to get your voice heard?

For example, the Insulate Britain protest which has been calling for

Protests have been a long-standing method of communication for communities looking to get their voices heard.”

comment@gairrhydd.com

Standing together: Participation in organised protests seems to be a growing trend, with attendance of around 3-5 million people even being recorded in some cases. Source: John Englart (via Flickr) a national programme to ensure homes are insulted to be low energy by 2030, has caused major disruption in recent weeks.

From blocking major roads such as the M1, M4 and M25, more than 50 protestors arrested, to viral videos showing them stopping people from reaching their loved ones in hospital, we really are forced to ask ourselves whether this is an appropriate and successful way of getting their voices heard.

According to an article written by Open Democracy, “by protesting, we alter the agenda and start a debate”.

That is exactly what Insulate Britain have done, and done well. But when other people are losing the ability to go to work, see their loved

ones and live their lives, it’s probably time to step back and look at the alternatives.

How about donating money to a charity supporting your cause? Talking to your local authority leaders?

Even making protest art, music or poetry can make a big impact.

As a society we tend to underestimate the impact that our voices have, we don’t think that people listen.

We just have to find the right people to target. People are more likely to respond and respect what we’re saying when our way of saying it doesn’t stop them from going about their daily life.

Of course, insulating Britain’s homes is important and impacts the whole country, so we need some-

According to The Lily, the Women’s March ‘heralded a new global wave of women’s activism’.” thing powerful to make people listen and to get the message across to everyone, but perhaps considering more creative ways to make a stand would be more impactful.

After all, to reach the goal then we need to work together, so creating this divide isn’t going to help reach the aim of ensuring homes are insulted to be low energy by 2030.

Clearly there is no definitive answer to the effectiveness of protests, but they do bring people together.

Cardiff as a popular filming location

What makes Wales so desireable as the background for film and television?

Katherine Wheeler Comment Editor

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ike it or not, Doctor Who has become a staple of Cardiff life.

Just take a walk around the city and you might bump into a film set. If you’ve got a Doctor Who fan in your house, you may be used to impromptu 2am treasure hunts for filming and wondering what exactly they’re going on about.

Cardiff has been base of operations for the show since its revival in 2005.

Any tour company will include guided walks around prominent filming locations that have now gained legendary status amongst fans. The old tourist information booth on Mermaid Quay, now referred to as ‘Ianto’s Shrine’, is one of them. There’s no doubt that the show has brought a new type of tour-

the BBC had aimed to have 50% of its network shows produced outside of London by 2016.”

ism to Cardiff, a wave of fans exploring the set of their favourite TV show and even better, spending money in local businesses.

With the new series beginning, it seems as if lockdown restrictions have kept the majority of filming in Wales.

The question is: what makes Cardiff the ideal film set?

Number one, Cardiff ’s city streets are seen as far more film-friendly than London’s. Adaptations of classic London-centric stories like Sherlock Holmes require Baker Street looks without Baker Street prices. It’s not just the cost of setting up a shoot but also catering and commuting. With crew members living locally, travelling into work needn’t be an hour on the Underground. It’s not just Cardiff either, diverse landscapes await just outside the city too. Within a sprawling capital like London, an alien planet might be hard to find but in Wales, quarries await round every corner.

Another big motivation is the BBC’s pledge to expand its horizons beyond London. Previously the BBC

the television industry’s love affair with Cardiff and Wales in general isn’t over. ”

Popular shows: Cardiff has been the base of operations for the show Dr Who since 2005. Source: photoeverywhere.co.uk (via Wikimedia Commons) had aimed to have 50% of its network shows produced outside of London by 2016; it seems this expansion is still in motion, with an additional £700 million pledged to areas outside the capital. The move seems to come amongst continued criticism of London centric broadcasting with big names such as

Ant and Dec expressing disappointment with the industry. ‘When we were growing up it was all around us,’ said Declan Donnelly, television was in ‘an accessible place’ for working class hopefuls outside of the London bubble.

Lastly, why put a stop to a good thing?

Doctor Who’s Cardiff-centrism has become the most convenient running gag in TV history. Of course a rift in time and space would open up here!

Of course that quarry looks suspiciously familiar… Location filming makes or breaks a show’s charm. The shows with the strongest cult following have the most recognisable backdrops: Portmerion for the 60s show ‘The Prisoner’, the streets of Birmingham for ‘Peaky Blinders’, Highclere Castle for ‘Downton Abbey’. The list goes on.

The television industry’s love affair with Cardiff and Wales in general isn’t over, and with the ongoing demand for new content constantly growing, hopefully film crews will remain a part of the scenery for a long time to come.

SYLWADAU

Aphantasia: Living without visual imagination

Vicky Witts considers how different ways of thinking alter the university experience

Vicky Witts

Aphantasia may illuminate a need for change in academic curriculum and the ways we are taught to learn.”

Head of Comment

W

ith the many trials and tribulations of life in modern society, our imagination, and the ability to imagine a positive future, seems like an obvious and natural part of life. However, for people with Aphantasia, having an imagination, at least in the visual sense, is not as easy or possible.

According to Aphantasia.com, “Aphantasia is the inability to visualise”, and people with the condition “don’t create images, familiar objects, people, or places in their mind’s eye”. Whilst, to most people, being asked to imagine a beach would conjure images of the sea and sand in their minds, people with Aphantasia can picture nothing. Even something as simple as imagining the face of a friend or family member can be impossible for people with complete Aphantasia.

Discovery of and research into this condition is being conducted by Professor Adam Zeman, a neurologist in Exeter University’s College of Life and Environmental Sciences. Following his research paper on the topic in 2015, Zeman’s team has estimated that around 3-5% of the population have the condition, with different degrees of severity ranging from a complete lack of all mental imagery, to simply lacking auditory imagination such as imagining the sound of a horse neighing.

Why is this significant?

Although such a small percentage of people experience the phenomenon, the findings of Zeman and the ongoing research from his team brings into question just how different everyone’s expe-

Zeman’s team has estimated that around 3-5% of the population have the condition, with different levels of severity.”

No visualisation: Research into Aphantasia has suggested that creatives may have to adapt their methods of working. Source: Tumisu (via Pixabay) riences of the world are, and if there is only one right way to see things.

Gair Rhydd spoke to Professor Zeman about his findings and the implications that they may have on the 3-5% of people with Aphantasia.

According to him, “Aphantasia really doesn’t seem to be some kind of a handicap”, and “it might even in some ways facilitate some kinds of thinking”.

Conditions such as Aphantasia and colour-blindness show us that people can view the world in a variety of different ways and colours, and so, perhaps suggest that trying to encourage children to be imaginative or creating artwork that can only be appreciated by those with full colour vision is a hinderance to a large community of people.

Instead, we should be striving to make our culture acknowledge in greater detail the uniqueness of the human experience- particularly in creative fields.

How does Aphantasia change life as a student?

As a student studying for a BA degree, discovering Aphantasia has made me reevaluate and adjust much of my social and academic life in numerous ways.

Zeman’s research has discovered that people with Aphantasia are usually more inclined to pursue scientific degrees and career paths, as often visual imagery in some form is required for more creative subjects such as creative writing and art.

However, in his interview with Gair Rhydd, Zeman went on to explain that there are creatives with Aphantasia who adapt their approaches so that they are not restricted by their lack of visual imagery. Artists with Aphantasia in particular, he said, often create work where “the end result is indistinguishable compared to things that artists with visual imagery might produce”, although they often approach the canvas in different ways that are more accessible to them.

Notably, Glen Keane, a Disney animator with Aphantasia who is best known for illustrating The Little Mermaid, demonstrates how people with the condition can still be successful in creative fields.

For me, studying English literature means that I have had to change the ways that I approach reading, because I have come to realise that unlike my peers who are able to picture the plot of

the book in their minds, I am left simply reading the words on the page without even a trace image of what the characters look like. Instead, I choose to look deeper into the word meanings rather than the imagery that they create.

In my experience, the academic implications of a lack of awareness of Aphantasia have impacted my time at school, although admittedly not severly in my case.

Looking back, much of the curriculum that we are taught, especially in secondary school English descriptive writing tasks, is focused on our imagination, and being able to visualise solutions to problems. Take mind maps and memory palaces, which in their very names rely on an ability to make mental connections in visual ways that people with Aphantasia are often not able to achieve.

Aphantasia may illuminate a need for change in the academic curriculum and the ways that we are taught, which takes into consideration that students all learn in a range of different ways.

This is all simply my opinion however, as even within people with Aphantasia, every student learns in a different way, and many may find that the current method of education works for them.

What is next in Aphantasia reseach?

Research into Aphantasia is in early stages, with Zeman concluding in the interview that “there are so many other pieces to the jigsaw”, and so the conclusions drawn from these findings are relatively uncertain. However, with future goals for research into genes and quantitative studies, it is hopeful that research into similar conditions can put into perspective just how unique the individual mind is.

Are large venues accessible enough?

Why could COP26 not accomodate for wheelchair users?

Vicky Witts Head of Comment

T

he COP26 climate change conference has caught the attention of many people across the world, focusing on a large number of issues with regards to the climate and global warming. Perhaps more unexpectedly however, was not the issues of carbon emissions and pollution, but rather the lack of accessibility at the venue in which the conference took place.

The summit was held at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, and proved to be a surprisingly problematic venue, as an Israeli minister, Karine Elharrar, was unable to access the grounds in her wheelchair, as the only options to get there were to

a lack of accessible transport may mean that people with disabilities are less likely to work or socialise.”

walk or take a shuttle which was not wheelchair accessible.

Boris Johnson later apologized to Ms Elharrar for the “confusion’, and changes were made to the venue so that she was able to attend easily the following day. Israel’s PM, Naftali Bennett, thanked the prime minister for the “quick intervention on this unfortunate incident”, however the situation does bring to light more general issues with accessibility which need to be addressed.

Evidently, the fact that an event as large as COP26 was not fully accommodating to everyone attending shows that more consideration needs to be given towards the needs of people with disabilities in terms of accessibility to buildings and events.

The Climate Change Conference is not the first time that a person with a disability has been unable to access a building due to unsuitable entrance points. In the 2011 World Report on Disability, the WHO suggested that a lack of accessible transport may mean that people with disabilities are less

Unfair: Problems with accessibility can mean that people with disabilities miss out on some opportunities. Source: David Galbraith (via Flickr) likely to work or socialise, simply because they are not accommodated by buildings and transportation systems.

In 2021, with advances in modern technology and engineering, it seems almost absurd that people are still struggling to get to the places that they want to go, simply because the building that they want to access has a flight of stairs, or a corridor that is

too narrow.

But what should be done to address this problem with accessibility?

Although not all issues are as quick to fix as others, the Government, as well as individual venues, should make an effort to ensure that everyone, regardless of differences such as disability, should have access to the same opportunities and experiences.

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Could Netflix be the future of online news content?

Catarina Pinto Vicente Comment Editor

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n 2018, Netflix announced its idea of creating a news show, even signing up several comedians for the role of host.

The same year, Patriot Act, hosted

by Hasan Minhaj, was released, a political talk-show discussing contemporary issues with a comedic tone. Despite its popularity, the show was cancelled in 2020, to the chagrin of many devoted fans. Since then, Netflix has not attempted cracking into the talk show genre again, which begs the question – does Netflix have an obligation, as one of the most popular streaming platforms, to have content that educates viewers on day-to-day politics?

According to Ofcom’s 2021 Media Nations report, Netflix is carving a bigger role in the media consumption: there are 14.8 million subscriptions in the UK, with the average viewer spending 1 hour and 21 minutes on it daily. Younger demographics are also spending more and more time online, with Netflix being one of the most popular sites to visit.

The same study shows that 40% of 16–24-year-olds consider social media to be their main source of news, showing a growing indifference to traditional broadcast content. Ofcom itself suggested that Netflix create public service news, noting it a worthy decision amid all the change within the television industry. Many have reflected on what such decision would entail, as the streaming service has so much influence over younger demographics and could increase engagement with news content.

Netflix, however, is unlikely to make such a move. Although it is one of the most powerful media giants, venturing into news content would be a risky decision, as it would be stepping away from the brand they have created to go against other longterm competitors. News content is also not valuable long-term, and thus would be a financial gamble, even for Netflix; additionally, it would mean that Netflix would be under more regulations with its news content. Lastly, the streaming service already has some politically educating content, with a wide catalogue of documentaries, despite its reputation for comedy and drama fiction shows.

As of yet, Netflix has given no indication that it aims to venture into the world of news content.

But with its growing influence over media, specifically among younger generations, such a development could be likely in the near future.

40% of 16-24-year-olds consider social media to be their main source of news.”

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ADVICE

ADVICE

How to be productive during the ‘Reading Week’

Everything you can do to avoid burnout as lectures and seminars take a break Megan Shinner Advice Editor

F Harriet Lowbridge

Megan Shinner

Ruth Hoey advice@gairrhydd.com

or those of you expecting a break from classes this semester; you’ll be glad to know that it’s this week! You’d think the concept of ‘Reading Week’ is quite selfexplanatory, however, we can utilise this week in more ways than one.

Catching up yourself up with anything you may have missed This is the most obvious use to the week, and one I would highly recommend. Maybe you had an assignment and missed a few lectures in week 3 or there’s a little bit of extra reading you’d like to do for a project, but you haven’t had the chance to? Now is your time!

A revision timetable would probably be the best way to organise this week. Start with a list and just write down everything you want to get done. Lecture notes, revision cards - the lot! This can even include the weekly food shop, your daily walk, or a bit of housekeeping. This way you can divide up all your time accordingly, making sure you have the time to fit in all the things that need covering whilst also planning breaks, so you don’t burn out. The nice thing about reading week is that you are on your own schedule, meaning you can work advantageously. Find your productive times and use them for the bigger or nasty tasks that you’ve been neglecting so they are out of the way and aren’t weighing in the back of your mind any longer.

Reading Week: There are a number of ways that you can use ‘Reading Week’ to get back on track with your studies. Source: lil_foot_ (via Pixabay) Thinking ahead to your assignments three months that’s quite tricky, why and essays not start tackling it now? This doesn’t Not only is this a chance to academi- have to be much, as I know your course cally redeem yourself; this is a time is still going. However, you may want where we can look beyond the first five to come up with an essay plan if you weeks. Although you should prioritize want to discuss a topic you’ve already making sure you’re up to speed, look- covered in your seminars or maybe acing beyond the skipped work wouldn’t cumulate some readings that are going go a miss. Soon enough the New Year to be helpful towards the topic of your will roll around and the assessment pe- final essay. These are just little things to riod will come out of nowhere! You’ll help you when the task inevitably rolls probably have several assignments of around, and you have no idea where to a few thousand words each and taking start; you have already started. You’ve on board all these larger things at once directed your tasks so have formed a can be overwhelming. This puts you in structure into the assignment already. the danger zone of shifting your pri- This may not have taken you long eiorities from the heavy-weighted large ther; an hour or two at most. Little task to the smaller, safer tasks. If you things go a long way and I promise you can see a task coming up in the next – anything you do now to help your fu-

ture self; you will thank yourself later.

Prioritising your own self-care Even though this week is described as a designated period to catch up; it is also really important that you take some time for yourself. If you’ve fallen behind on sleep; try to head to bed slightly earlier than usual or have a few mornings where there is no alarm. We get used to staying up because we have work to finish off yet there are days where we don’t have anything but stay up anyway purely because we can’t sleep at an earlier time anymore. Now is a great opportunity to fix a bad habit!

Take a break from academic reading and pick up a leisure book instead!

Head off in your hats and scarves for an autumnal walk around Bute Park! Take a long shower or watch that Netflix series you haven’t had the time to. Take all the little things you’ve been pushing away because you have “too much work” and put a little time back into yourself. Days off are just as important as academically productive days to ensure we don’t burn out. Balance is essential – even though it doesn’t feel like it sometimes!

Reading week, as you can see, isn’t just about the reading. Of course, catch up with those missed lectures, but also take some time to wind down from the busy semester it has been.

You’d think the concept of ‘Reading Week’ is quite self-explanatory, however, we can utilise this week in more ways than one.”

Building a Positive Shared Housing Environment with others Ruth Hoey

Advice Editor

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iving in university halls, or even a shared student house, can be a stark difference to living at home. This new style of living takes a lot of getting used to, sharing most of your living space with oftentimes complete strangers. Yet, building a positive shared housing environment is just one of the ways to help yourself relax and maintain a positive mindset throughout your studies.

Often these people you are sharing a house with will have very different lifestyles, schedules and cooking habits to you. University accommodation has the amazing benefit of bringing together people from many different cultures and backgrounds. This is a great way to broaden your perspec-

tive and experience new lifestyles.

However, it may take a while to get used to.

Learning to co-exist and have fun living with new people is one of the best ways to help your mental health at university. Your flat should be a stress free and welcoming place for you. It is afterall your new, temporary, home. A positive shared housing experience can offer you the foundations for academic success. On the other hand, unresolved tension within your living space can leave you feeling drained and on edge. Potentially disrupting your studies and social life.

The Mental Health Foundation suggests that a person’s home is directly related to their mental health. They state that, “having housing problems can make your mental health worse”.

Thus, having a positive environment to call home during your time at uni-

versity is extremely important. So, how to create a positive living environment: Respect Boundaries: This one is often the most essential.

It is crucial to establish the various boundaries that yourself and your housemates expect. This can be in terms of personal belongings, space, and even schedules. For example, find out how each of you feels about entering bedrooms and when is appropriate. Find out how everyone feels about using each other’s kitchen utensils. It is also important to be aware of each other’s sleeping schedules to ensure that you know when to reduce your noise. These are just some ways to be polite to each other.

Keep a clean shared living space: It is also important to remember that the space you inhabit also belongs to the rest of your flatmates. Keeping

your shared spaces tidy is important to maintain a healthy and respectful relationship with your flatmates.

Create a cleaning rota: An effective cleaning rota is a great way to reduce tensions about cleanliness. This may not be necessary in some cases as many university accommodation blocks have cleaners. However, this is often only once a week. It may be a good idea to have a rota to just keep things tidy, or even simply to take the bins out. Rotas have the advantage of saving you from making the passive aggressive texts into the group chat asking people to pick up after themselves!

Spend time together: A great way to build a healthy shared housing environment is to get to know your flatmates. Spend time with them and learn about their backgrounds and interests. You do

not have to be best friends, just being friendly is enough. Have a flat night where you get to know one another.

Whether you have a party or just a movie and pizza night, a social environment allows everyone to relax with each other. You could explore the city together, or even have a weekly grocery shopping trip as a flat.

These tips are just a few of the ways to build a respectful, cooperative, even friendly structure within your flat which is essential to feel more at home.

With flatmates who become your best friends this may be easy. Sometimes however, flatmates do not see eye to eye, or have completely different lifestyles and schedules. The key is to remain respectful and try as much as possible to implement these positive steps for a calm and stress free house.

the lack of sunlight during autumn and winter, which in turn affects the body’s production of the hormone’s melatonin and serotonin.

While the former makes you sleepy, the latter affects your mood, appetite and sleep. However, there are some things you can keep in mind to stay healthy in winter and especially over the holidays - both mentally and physically.

Support your body with a mix of fruit and vegetables These provide you with valuable vitamins that boost your immune system.

Nuts are also rich in nutrients that can help your body fight bacteria and other germs.

This makes them also a great snack to get well quickly when hav-

ing a cold.

Get yourself into a good and regular exercise routine Many people find it hard to motivate themselves to go running in winter or go to the gym when it is already dark outside. However, exercising at home or going for a winter walk is just as good for your immune system and will have a profound effect on your mental and physical health.

It boosts your circulation, releases endorphins and increases your well-being.

Take some time away for yourself While making travel plans for Christmas and shopping for presents, you often do not get enough breaks to relieve stress. However, spending half an hour immersing

yourself in a book, doing a short meditation or just relaxing on the sofa can already help to lower your stress levels and recharge your batteries.

If you find it hard to take time for yourself, schedule it like any other appointment in your calendar.

Stay hydrated The NHS recommends drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day.

If you find this difficult to achieve, you can place a large glass of water by your bed at night and drink it as soon as you wake up.

Furthermore, you might drink a glass of water with every meal and always have a water bottle with you when you are out. Besides, now is the best time to try different kinds of tea, whose Christmas flavours

will surely make it easier for you to drink enough.

These tips might support your health during the festive season so you can enjoy it to the fullest.

Nevertheless, if you think you suffer from SAD or have difficulties coping with it, you should still consider seeing a GP who can check your physical as well as mental health and recommend appropriate treatments.

How to stay physically and mentally healthy over the festive season Svenja Schindler Contributor

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he countdown to Christmas has begun. However, the festive season is also accompanied by cold weather as well as shorter days.

For some people, this can lead to a so-called ‘Seasonal affective disorder’ - also known as winter depression.

According to the NHS, this type of depression manifests itself through symptoms such as low mood, rapid irritability, tiredness during the day and cravings for carbohydrates as well as weight gain. While the exact causes of SAD are not yet fully understood, it is often attributed to

For some people, [the winter season] can lead to a so-called ‘Seasonal affective disorder’ - also known as winter depression.”

CYNGOR 15 Learning to live without your parents at University

Help from Harriet Advice Column

Billy Edwards Contributor

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Enjoying the Small Things: A lot of life’s precious moments pass us by without us noticing and we get so hung up on creating our perfect days. It is important for us to slow down and take the time to find, appreciate, and create space for these small moments. Source: Pexels (via Pixabay)

The importance of enjoying the small things How you can improve your day by focusing on the simple things in life

Harriet Lowbridge Head of Advice

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hen asked to think about our perfect day, most of us will have a clear picture of what that entails.

Relaxing on a warm tropical beach.

Shopping in the midst of the sale season. Hiking along a forest river. Playing board games with a big group of friends. Drinking a perfectly crafted cup of coffee. Reading a book whilst heavy rain patters on the window.

Falling asleep under the stars. I could wax poetic about all the ideal ways that I could spend my time for hours.

Unfortunately, we cannot enjoy these perfect days every day. Life inevitably will always get in the way. Sooner than many of us hope, we are back to the daily grind with work or studying to do. This is where finding enjoyment in the small things makes a difference.

The issue with these perfect days is that we end up spending most of our time waiting for them to arrive. We miss out on the little things in life that commonly pass us by. Unfortunately, this means we inevitably end up focussing on the negative aspects or what our lives are lacking.

It becomes increasingly harder to see the positive when we are constantly comparing our lives to these perfect ideals that we have come to expect.

Our social media does not always do much to help this. With a constant stream of perfectly curated images of celebrity lives and the pressures of everyday life, it is easy to see how this negatively affects our mental health.

We should be working on our mental wellbeing every day.

The events of the last few years especially have demonstrated that a positive outlook is essential to our well-

being. As well as illustrating that we should be working towards a positive change in our mental health as often as we can. We need to be celebrating every little victory that we can find in our daily lives, even if they come in smaller packages.

It is these small victories and pleasures that can really make or break your day. The little victories are also the things that we can find in our everyday lives. The perfect days and grand events only happen sporadically and we can be left feeling a bit empty once they have passed. Without sounding overly cliché, it really is important to enjoy all of the small things that you can find.

These small things can be anything in your daily life.

There is no set list of daily aspects that you should enjoy. I only recommend that you take the time to find small things to enjoy whilst in the moment.

Take a second to reflect on what makes them that bit special to you.

There are two different sets of important aspects that I will outline today.

The first will be some examples of which positive small things you can find in your lives already. The second aspect that I will discuss are the changes that you can make to create more of these small moments to appreciate.

What kinds of things, therefore, should you look out for?

Take a moment to enjoy the natural spaces you find yourself in during your daily life. You might only get to find the time to explore nature during your commute to work or school. Therefore, it becomes even more important to take a moment to appreciate the natural world around you. It could even be the time you spend working outside.

Forget about the concept of guilty

pleasures.

There is no governing body on what content you should and should not enjoy. Just enjoy the pleasures that you can find when you need them. If a barbie movie and popcorn night sounds like a perfect way you then allow yourself that treat. Why feel guilty about it when it is something that brings you joy. Even if it is watching so called ‘trash’ television.

Enjoy the sensations of everyday life.

Cuddling on the sofa. Wearing your favourite comfy clothes. Wrapping up in your favourite blanket. Curl up with your favourite plush toy or person. Allow yourself a few moments to just enjoy the sensations on your skin.

Enjoy your time with friends and family. Our friends and family might not always be in our lives. Take the time to appreciate the time you get to spend with them. Even if that is just to keep their picture somewhere you see daily. Make sure they know that you appreciate them as well. A few kind words will make all the difference.

You should strive to find time to figure out what parts of your life make you happy, and ensure that you fill every day with those small things.

What happens then when you cannot figure out what small things in your life make you happy? So then what changes could you make to create more of these moments?

Find more time in the mornings.

Give yourself an extra half hour if you can. This allows you to start the day gently, rather than in a mad panic.

You get time to enjoy more activities that you enjoy. Whether that is enjoying your hobbies or taking your time getting ready.

Engage more with nature.

Try to find at least five minutes a day just to go walk in nature. You can

even try your hand at gardening. It has become a common belief that spending just a small amount of your day in nature can have a positive influence on your mental health. It also gives you some time just to breath, reflect and bask in the fresh air.

Eat fresh food and make the time for home cooked meals.

Cooking can be a very relaxing time once you have the fundamentals under your belt. It can also be a great part of your day to cook your meals with a friend or a partner. I am also not saying that you have to eat home cooked meals every day of the week, especially if you are studying at university. However, once every few days can make a great impact on your mental wellbeing.

Buy the childhood items that you have always wanted.

This one may sound silly but I have found endless daily joy from watching my new lava lamp. I feel like a queen strutting about the house while I do my chores in tiaras and crowns. Your inner child will find endless entertainment with this one.

Spend your time, not your money.

Going out for the day does not have to be expensive. Spend a day at the beach with your friends. Sit by the river while you eat your lunch. Find a local park to spend time in. Just have a night in with a movie and your friends.

You can even be economical. Go to the pub for a soft drink. Meet up with your mom for a coffee. You will likely find more enjoyment and make more lasting memories with these occasions than if you spend all of your money at the club or shopping all day.

Your life can be full of all sorts of bright and enjoyable moments. It just takes a moment to sit back and appreciate them when you can.

o be new to Cardiff University is to create a routine of living and studying different to anything you will create at home. It can be a big nerve-wracking step to start somewhere new.

Surrounded by new people, new settings, new responsibilities, new challenges, and, crucially, without your parents.

For many, having so much freedom can feel like too much! However, with some key organisation, you will find yourself living comfortably as a Cardiff University student in no time.

First off, do not feel guilty or embarrassed about missing home. It is a perfectly natural feeling that affects most students. Take it easy and allow yourself room and fresh air to adjust to the sudden changes in your lifestyle. It is easy to be unfairly harsh with yourself. Think about some of these tips and you will be cosy in no time.

A big feature of university study concerns independent learning.

Some courses will have considerably more timetabled contact hours, whether they are seminars or lectures. All courses will also have many hours in the week in which you will be expected to study independently.

It can be difficult at first to organise and motivate yourself to persevere with this without somebody checking that you have done your work.

As well as balancing the necessities of adulthood, whether that is cooking, cleaning, or shopping, with your studies. This is where a good, organised planner comes in. Make sure you know exactly of approaching deadlines, aided by a calendar and regular checks on Learning Central and your online timetable.

Find something to ground your new living space, such as books, posters and decorations. For example, I brought a 3D-printed Dalek model that a friend made for my birthday to remind me of home. Alternately consider making your favourite meals fom home.

Both are great ways of making the unfamiliar, familiar. our flatmates and other friends, whether from your course, societies, or somebody you just ran into. Not only will they likely be feeling the same nerves about being away from home, but they can become a substitute family during your studies!

Why not explore the city with your fellow fish-out-of-waters to overcome the fear of unfamiliar surroundings associated with homesickness? It will keep you busy, and by the time you have distracted yourself with all the activities that Cardiff has to offer, you will likely be tired but not so homesick!

If, however, things do feel tough, do not suffer in silence. There are lots of people who can help you.

Be it one of your tutors, your doctors, or your flatmates. It is important to sign up with a local doctor’s practice if you have not already, as they can help you with your mental health upkeep, as well as with your physical health. Student Connect is also a useful resource for information on any further assistance you might need.

16

REVIEW

REVIEW

Dune - “a mind-blowing cinematic spectacle”

Iris Knapman takes a look at the recent adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel Iris Knapman Review Editor

T Iris Knapman

Jess Clifford-Jones review@gairrhydd.com

The Bold Type “a spell on screen” Niladri Singh Contributor

I

’ll admit that I started watching Netflix’s ‘The Bold Type’ because I didn’t know what else to watch. My initial thoughts going into the show was, “Here we go again with an obvious plot and a slight flair for representation”.

Three episodes in, I was hooked.

The series revolves around the hustle and bustle of a magazine company in New York, the challenges one may face in the production of an award-winning magazine, or just the usual-everydayshenanigans that usually come back to haunt us.

Scarlet magazine is much more than just the pages it produces or the people it holds accountable, it is about teamwork, about friendship, love, and life and while that may sound like a slice of every sitcom you’ve ever watched, this one is special because it brings multiple societal problems to the forefront and shines a bright artsy light on them.

Never preachy, always catchy and leaves you wanting for more.

Every character is bound to surprise you, even the ones you don’t necessarily think will. It is a show that will teach you the importance of a healthy mind, a healthy heart, and the implications of a healthy-happy workplace. The three girls, Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Sutton Brady (Meghan Fanny) and Kat Edison (Aisha Dee) share an impeccable chemistry that is hard to miss from the moment you start watching the show.

Apart from every character in the show casting a spell on screen, it is the ease with which every story is connected and simultaneously shines lights on major issues like LGBTQ+ rights, women rights, equality, talks about abortions, breast cancer and a host of other important things. It is a pleasure watching such issues receive the recognition they deserve which is all the more hyped when they have been so intrinsically interwoven into a perfectly well-written script and performed by a cast that feels like they truly are their on-screen characters.

I don’t know if watching The Bold Type will leave you feeling “bold” at the end of it all, but if you ever happen to find yourself on the 59TH Street Station in New York and you will know exactly what to do.

he greatly anticipated movie adaptation of Frank Hubert’s Dune has finally landed in cinemas in what can only be described as a qualified success. Its all-star cast, fantastic visuals, and score composed by the celebrated Hans Zimmer work in tandem to create what is, objectively, a mindblowing cinematic experience.

Plot - 4 Stars If interstellar political intrigue, ancient religious prophecies, and a hopeless fight for survival on an alien planet intrigues you, then Dune is absolutely for you. Dune did faction warfare years before Game of Thrones, immersing us in the affairs of House Atreides as a power player within the Empire.

Here’s the premise: the Emperor strips the barbaric House Harkonnen of its fiefdom over Arrakis, a colonised desert planet rich in melange or “spice,” a psychedelic drug necessary for continued space travel after the in-universe ban on computer technology. Instead, the sandy death trap is offered to Duke

Leto of Atreides, the protagonist Paul’s father.

While the spice market generates much in terms of wealth and power, it would be foolish to consider it a gift from the Emperor. It is explained that House Atreides’ influence within the empire rivals that of the Emperor himself. Therefore, there is likely a fatal catch to his newfound territory. Leto, aware that the lives of his family (and his own) are being threatened, seeks to use it to his advantage.

The Atreides family descend into their duties and establish a relationship with the Fremen, the Arrakis natives with bright blue eyes due to their longterm exposure to spice, and believers in a prophecy that promises a “mahdi” (meaning guided one, or savior) will come to them from another world and lead them to Paradise. Leto hopes that the manpower of the Fremen will be enough to prevent Arrakis from falling under the oppressive Harkonnen rule again (and instead swap it for the less oppressive Atreides rule, I suppose) and protect his family from destruction.

Coming to understand the political conflict and the subsequent suspense

in watching a family devoted to one another thrust into a precarious situation lead to a thrilling watch and I left the cinema feeling inspired.

For someone who hasn’t read the book, the movie did quite a good job of explaining the lore without any jarring expository voice-overs or out-of-place dialogue. There was some information left unexplained (which had to be relayed to me by my friend who had read it), such as the existence of mentats, the professionals trained on melange to replace technology.

Characters - 4 Stars This movie was actually my first time seeing Timothée Chalamet in action, and he did a pretty good job considering Paul is meant to be fifteen. Chalamet’s youthful looks help to convey the character’s age on top of his acting ability. He’s not the only other A-list actor to grace the screen, as he acts alongside other big names such as Spiderman’s Zendaya, Star Wars’ Oscar Isaac, Aquaman’s Jason Momoa, and former professional wrestler David Batista among others. Paul feels somewhat lacklustre, though this is less an issue with the movie or acting but the

original book. Many protagonists suffer from being bland people called towards grand destinies, and Paul is one of them. Nevertheless, there are elements to his character I found endearing, such as him listening to educational holotapes to learn about Arrakis because he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the planet due to his visions.

Otherwise, other characters – such as his parents – felt like their own people with vital importance to the plot as opposed to figures designed only to propel Paul’s story forwards.

Production Value - 5 Stars The enormous budget for this movie is made very apparent upon watching; the cinematography was beyond description, quite honestly. I found myself in awe at the beauty of this movie, as it’s been a long time since I saw a movie that truly wowed me in the visual department given the current standards of CGI. Dune has been described as unfilmable before due to the sheer effort it would take to accurately match the imagery conjured by Hubert. However, Villeneuve has achieved the impossible and I think he deserves credit for his ability to pull this off to great success.

Inside Job - “falls flat despite its vivid world-building”

Jack Robert Stacey takes a look at Shion Takeuchi’s new conspiracy-focused animated comedy Jack Robert Stacey Editor-in-Chief

N

etflix’s latest animated comedy series, ‘Inside Job’, follows a group of highly dysfunctional co-workers at Cognitio Inc., a secretive organisation tasked with maintaining the secrecy of a vast variety of conspiracy theories for their clients, the mysterious ‘Shadow Council’.

The series was created by Shion Takeuchi, the American writer behind a variety of other animated programmes, including Cartoon Network’s ‘Regular Show’ and the critically acclaimed comedy-mystery series ‘Gravity Falls’.

When ‘Inside Job’ first appeared on my watch list, I’ll admit that, as someone who usually strays away from character-based animated comedy shows, I wasn’t particularly drawn to it at first glance.

After I began watching, however, I was quickly captivated by the richly detailed, yet strangely mysterious world that the series inhabits.

In short, the world of Inside Job is shaped around the central concept that all conspiracy theories, regardless of however outlandish or easily disproven they might be in reality, are completely true. With such a vast wealth of conspiracy theories to draw from, the series really runs with this premise. Each episode never fails to find an interesting and often darkly comedic way to reveal the ‘truth’ lurking behind real world events.

In particular, one of my favourites offers an explanation to our ongoing obsession with 80s-themed nostalgia. The episode in question sees Regan and ‘The Gang’ embark on a mission to a small, sub-urban town which (without revealing too much) seems to be permanently stuck in the past.

Each episode never fails to find an interesting and often darkly comedic way to reveal the ‘truth’ lurking behind real world events.

Inside Job: Shion Takeuchi’s latest animated adult comedy series focuses on a disfunctional group of co-workers as the attempt to cover-up a variety of ‘true’ conspiracy theories. Credit: Netflix.

This is, unfortunately, where my praise for Inside Job begins to subside.

While Inside Job does lead with its decidedly strong premise, the series does struggle bring anything new to the table - For me, Inside Job is simply a series that sadly falls flat despite its vivid world-building.

As a character-based animated comedy series, I was expecting more of an emphasis on the characters themselves going into Inside Job. Regan (Lizzy Caplan), perhaps understandably, is the focus of the show whilst the charismatic Brett Hand (Clark Duke) and the rest of ‘The Gang’ are largely relegated to the background, lacking the same meaningful development that Regan personally experiences.

With such a colourful cast of diverse characters with unique skillsets, it almost feels like a disservice that Inside Job chooses to divert attention away from people like Gigi and Dr. Andre, sidelining them in favour of the afformentioned Regan or (occasionally) her disgruntled father (Christian Slater).

Although the series handles its premise well throughout, Inside Job also admittedly struggles to develop its comedy further than quippy oneliners or pop-culture references.

This overreliance on the trope of ‘things the audiences know’ frequently missed the mark for me for a number of reasons and, as a result, took away from my investment in the aforementioned premise.

Other animated adult comedy series, like Bojack Horseman for instance, manage to successfully use humour and character development to encourage the audience to empathise with the bleakness of the series’ overall tone.

With Inside Job, however, the comedy almost feels missued and frequently does little to convince me that the series has been assembled from anything more than a pile of throwaway lines or cheap visual gags.

Despite my hangups with the show’s lack of character development and hit-or-miss comedy style, I do firmly believe that Inside Job has the potential to move past these

Although the series handles its premise well throughout, Inside Job also admittedly struggles to develop its comedy further than quippy one-liners or pop-culture references.” issues and really bring something new to our screens.

In short, I found Inside Job to be an interesting watch complete with a colourful cast of characters and situations that, whilst often underused, did provide some enjoyable moments throughout the first season’s ten.

As it was recently announced that Netflix have already completed a deal with Takeuchi to produce ten more episodes of the show, I’m planning to reluctantly return to the second season of Inside Job to see if these issues as resolved.

Looking at Takeuchi’s previous work on shows like ‘Gravity Falls’, I’m quietly optimisic that she can continue to develop the world and characters of Inside Job.

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18

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SCIENCE

The African tech firm making significant progress

‘Hypernova Space Technologies’ is rapidly becoming a key player in satellite technology George Symonds Contributor

M Mia Becker-Hansen

Elie Gould

ost satellites are simply computers that are tossed out the side of a rocket [that] are tumbling in space,” says Jonathan Lun, however after a recent breakthrough in satellite technology from his company Hypernova Space Technologies, or HST, this could all change.

This new experiment from HST allows satellites to have the independent ability to move around and avoid crashing into one another.

However, this will only be available for nanosatellites (any satellite with mass from 1 kg to 10 kg), but they hope to be able to “change the satellite game completely”.

HST will add micro-thrusters paired with sensors to the bottom of the nanosatellites, meaning that they will be able to sense other nearby technology and change their course of directions, preventing costly crashes.

Jonathan Lun- a chief executive at HST- explained that at the moment there are around 3,200 nanosatellites in orbit. Recently due to the commercialisation and ease of

Nansosatellites: The African tech firm, HST is focused on creating sensors and micro-thrusters. Source: ESA–G. Porter (via Wikimedia Commons)

use, there has been a massive boom in production with Elon Musk’s SpaceX planning on launching at least 42,000 satellites alone. This sudden rise in manufacturing will cause constant collisions between each model, essentially making them futile and adding to the already massive half a million pieces of debris orbiting the planet.

To understand how these new micro-thrusters will improve the ability of the nanosatellite, HST published on their website that they

have “found that an electric reaction will be used to vaporise solid metal fuel, a process which will then create a jet of fast-moving plasma that will propel a satellite along”.

By using the process of an electric reaction rather than the expensive solar power used currently; the ability to produce the nanosatellite will become much more accessible to companies such as SpaceX, but will also allow the thrusters to be fitted pre-launch “removing the need for any last-minute fuelling

Modern scientists like Richard Dawkings have challenged much of the reasoning behind the existence of God, such as a grand design argument and through reductionism: a modern scientific belief that aims to strip everything in the observable universe down to its raw forms and explanations.

Many scientists today and throughout history have believed in a God: Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton are usually the obvious ones who come to mind. The main problem with that though, is that they lived in a time where our understanding of the universe was far less, as Stephen Hawking said; so was it a more convincing explanation of the universe to believe in God?

It would be slightly myopic and slightly more cynical to say that there is no place in the world for religion, but with our understanding of the universe and quantum physics greater than it’s ever been, and notably, people like Einstein didn’t live to see things like the Big Bang theory being proved.

With that being said, Hawking’s remarks can seem somewhat shortsighted, there were many phenomena in the known universe that nor he, or anyone else to date, could explain; and while Dawking’s may have challenged the idea of a grand designer in the Biblical sense, there are still limited ideas and almost no understanding of how the necessary environments came to be for the Big Bang to be set in motion.

before sending satellites off into space.”, which is costly and not environmentally efficient.

How do we know that these thrusters will work out of orbit?

HST have stated that they have done rigorous tests in their base at Stellenbosch University, Cape Town.

Within these tests they have attached the thrusters to mock nanosatellites and submitted them to extreme cold temperatures and high vibration to mimic the out-of-orbit environment.

All the tests have proved successful, meaning the first official HST nanosatellite paired with the microthruster is to be sent into orbit in early 2022 with EnduroSat, a company based in Bulgaria.

This represents a huge breakthrough in satellite technology and accessibility.

All the tests have proved successful, meaning the first official HST nanosatellite paired with the micro-thruster is to be sent into orbit in early 2022.”

Is ‘God Dead’ in the modern Age of Science?

Jemma Powell

Theodore Tadros science@gairrhydd.com

Theo Tadros

Science Editor

I

t’s one of the most used and studied quotes in all of Philosophy: “God is dead”, coined by Friedrich Nietsche in the late 19th century. First used by the German to refer to the age of enlightenment and how the prevalence of Atheism had increased. Over a hundred years later in 2014, Stephen Hawking; arguably one of the great minds of the century, said the same.

According to Nietsche, believing in God only made sense before there existed a more convincing explanation for the existence of God, which apparently, Science does.

The one thing that is always left untouched on this debate is faith, and perhaps it’s because it is not founded on empirical evidence, but rather on just an affinity that some people feel to a higher power. It’s something that over 4 billion people on the planet feel and something that science is unlikely to get rid of in the near future.

Many scientists today and throughout history have believed in a God: Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton are usually the obvious ones who come to mind.”

Study reveals the ‘secret’ behind the colours of Giant Pandas Mia Becker-Hansen

Head of Science and Technology

A

new study has found that the colour of giant pandas actually play a crucial role in their survival in the wild, the puzzle of their coat has questioned experts for generations.

While the bears’ distinctive highcontrast colouring means they stand out in the surroundings of a zoo, where most humans encounter them, the opposing shades of black and white actually plays a counterintuitive but crucial defensive role in the mountain forests of Southern China, where they would normally reside.

Tim Caro from the university of Bristol and his colleagues previously looked at camouflage in other animals to suggest that the colours

the opposing shades of black and white actually plays a counterintuitive but crucial defensive role in the mountain forests of Southern China, where they would normally reside.”

help to conceal from predators like big cats, such as snow leopards. The team have developed this idea by modelling how giant pandas would appear in the eyes of the predators.

The group analysed 15 pictures of giant pandas residing in their natural habitat in Southern China, the photos were taken from between 5 and 150 metres from the panda, including both snowy and sunny environments.

They used a computer model to produce and analyse the images as they would appear to predatory cats and dogs. “We don’t know what a tiger or a leopard’s eye is really like, but we do know how a [domestic] cat or dog’s eye works and so we can extrapolate from that,” says Caro.

The results showed that cats and dogs would struggle to be able to see the pandas in a forest, particularly if far away.

From a predator’s perspective, not only did the panda’s colours match its background, but beyond a distance of 55 metres, the panda began to lose its general outline.

“We’ve seen this effect in things like moths but never a mammal,” says Caro.

The pandas coat also works for all

Giant pandas in the wild would also have a lot of brown mud rubbed into their white part of fur, which would help camouflage them further.”

Giant Pandas: The new study shines a light on the role that their colours play in the wild. Source: Wally Gobetz (via Flickr)

seasons. This is unlike other animals such as Arctic Hares which have a brown coat in the summer and a white coat in the snowy winter. For giant pandas, their coat works all year round for the hot summers and white winters.

Giant pandas in the wild would also have a lot of brown mud

rubbed into their white part of fur, which would help camouflage them further.

Today, giant pandas are generally safe from predators, with a large amount of their dwindling population being kept in protection areas and zoos.

Although giant pandas have pre-

viously been considered to be ‘endangered’, recent efforts have resulted in the species were officially reclassified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being ‘vulnerable’.

This decision came shortly after a census found that 1,864 were living in the wild regions of China - This was 16.8% population increase since a former survey in 2003.

This study, therefore, has the potential to significantly aid in the ongoing efforts to reintegrate giant pandas back into the wild.

This study, therefore, has the potential to significantly aid in the ongoing efforts to reintegrate giant pandas back into the wild.”

GWYDDONIAETH A THECHNOLEG

Sir David Attenborough speaks on climate change

The preeminent broadcaster spoke out about the “devastating effects” of rising temperatures Anna Thomas Contributor

A

head of the COP26 global climate summit this November, Sir David Attenborough warns that we have a “moral responsibility” to mitigate the potentially “devastating effects” of rising global temperatures before it is too late.

In an elegiac interview with the BBC, Sir David Attenborough expressed concerns that “every day that goes by in which we don’t do something about [climate change] is a day wasted.”

The preeminent broadcaster was speaking to the BBC ahead of the Conference of the Parties - COP26 - climate summit which will bring together 20,000 world leaders, environmentalists, and scientists to discuss which actions must be taken in in this “divisive decade” to meet climate goals before 2030.

The increase in global temperatures is indisputable – even the host city, Glasgow, saw its hottest summer on record this year.

Current climate targets aim to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5-2 degrees.

Shockingly, even this 0.5-degree variance could significantly increase incidences of climate poverty, with UN models predicting double the occurrence of heat related deaths if temperatures climb to 2 degrees as opposed to 1.5.

The outcome of the Glasgow summit has the potential to significantly impact the future of climate action on a global scale.

However, since the first COP in 2005, many countries have consistently failed to meet their targets making many sceptical that the reduction in carbon emissions required to prevent global warming’s most severe consequences can be achieved.

Despite its many challenges, COVID-19 did go some way in demon-

strating how systemic change can drastically improve climate outcomes.

In addition to anecdotal stories of clear skies and dolphins in Venice’s canals, the statistics showed that there was a 7% reduction in CO2 emissions in 2020 compared to 2019 demonstrating the colossal power which implementation of government policy can have should they choose to wield it.

Many environmentalists and climate activists are pushing not only for governmental level change, but also urging individuals to take note of their carbon footprint and make greener choices.

Whether action of the individual can make a notable difference is a polarising topic as many argue that small scale action is worthless without supplementary systemic change.

Unfortunately, as raised by Sir David in his interview: “If it’s going to cost money in the short term, the temptation is to deny the problem and pretend it’s not there.”

“every day that goes by in which we don’t do something about [climate change] is a day wasted.” aaaaaaaSir Sir David Attenborough Whilst the evidence on reduction in red meat consumption or the use of energy saving light bulbs may be inconclusive on a global scale, history has taught us that collective pressures such as boycotts and strikes are instrumental in delivering systemic change.

By continuing to make sustainable choices and put pressure on larger organisations to do the same, we as a collective have the potential to evade a climate catastrophe.

Perhaps to witness meaningful positive change, we need to shift our philosophy and start to live our daily lives considering the words of Sir David Attenborough.

The positive impact beavers have on the environment

Is it time to reintroduce beavers back into the UK in order to protect the envionment?

Jemma Powell Science Editor

U

p until the 18th century, beavers were commonplace throughout the UK. Sadly, they were driven to extinction after hunting for their pelt, meat, and scent glands reached record levels.

This led to vast ecosystem change, including complete loss of water bodies and decline in other species such as otters and kingfishers.

After 400 years, is it time to reintroduce beavers back into the United Kingdom?

Why are beavers considered to be important to the environment?

Beavers are the second largest rodent in the world (after capybaras) and are a keystone species. This means they have a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment - Without them, a majority of scientists assert that the system would fall apart.

With their characteristic prominent front teeth and large flat tail, beavers are perfectly adapted for what they do best. Building dams.

What impact do beaver dams have on climate change?

Dams are an effective and cost-efficient way of mitigating environmental disasters.

When a beaver arranges sticks and debris across a river, it forms a dam, blocking water from flowing downstream in the same way.

Instead, some of the water floods the local flat land, creating deep pools of water filled with life. The intricately laid twigs act as a filter, allowing complex life to flourish in the cleaner water downstream.

Dams reduce flood impact by up to 60%, and they provide a water supply in times of drought as well. The wetlands surrounding a newly dammed river create hoes for otters, water voles, kingfishers and many more, while the

A ‘positive impact’: Beavers can have be beneficial to the environment. Source: miloszelezny (via Pixabay)

dam itself can house over 2000 different invertebrate species.

Beavers also bring financial benefits.

For example, the region of Winzer in Bavaria was prone to flooding. To counter this, the government had planned to install a man-made dam, costing over one million euros.

At the same time, recently returned beavers had been building their own upstream. This slowed the flow of water, and mitigated flood damage before the contractors could start building the concrete one.

According to recent data colleted from this region, fewer than 50 beavers saved the town more than €650,000 in total.

What damage can beavers cause?

There are some arguments against the reintroduction of beavers.

The main concerns surround farmers and their land. Beavers naturally making wetlands is great for the environment, but they could result in crops

of grazing fields being flooded.

Another issue is beavers could cause unwanted tree felling, especially in protected areas. Wood for dams is acquired by gnawing down trees and this can cause them to collapse early.

However, there are easy solutions to these issues. Flooding can be avoided by adding drainage channels and pipes into the saturated land, causing the water to rejoin the river lower down. Alternatively, farmers could be given government subsidies and funding to reimburse their lost land.

Tree felling can be prevented by placing wire mesh (which beavers can’t eat through) around protected tree trunks. Also, native British trees such as alder or willow evolved alongside beavers millions of years ago.

These are therefore adapted to beaver gnawing by quickly re-growing from felled stems or cuttings, leading to more trees in the same area.

Rewilding in Britian Some beavers are returning to Britain naturally. Roughly 200 individuals were found along the river Tay in Scotland in 2001. As their numbers started to grow, beavers were proclaimed as a native species in Scotland within the decade, and were granted European protected species status.

Between 2017 and 2021 small groups of beavers were released in controlled areas of Wales, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. While the impact of these reintroductions haven’t been fully investigated yet, they’re predicted to be a success. There’s even a governmental consultation ending on the 17th of November about the public’s opinion on beaver reintroduction.

Rewilding in Britian So, beavers purify water, create new habitats, increase biodiversity, and reduce flooding. Maybe we’ll soon be seeing them around the countryside in much larger numbers.

Word of the week: Climate Change

• ‘Climate Change’ refers to long-term shifts in the Earth’s climate, including changing temperatures and weather patterns.

• As climate change worsens, heatwaves, droughts and floods will increase in severity and frequency.

• According to the United Nations, the main processes contributing towards climate change are the burning of fossil fuels for power generation, manufacturing goods/mining operations, and deforestation.

19

Signs of first planet found outside of our galaxy Mia Becker-Hansen

Head of Science and Technology

A

stronomers have found hints of what could be the first planet ever to be discovered outside our own galaxy.

Nearly 5000 ‘exoplanets’ have previously been discovered outside of our own solar system, but all inside the Milky Way, within 3000 lightyears from Earth. The new discovery is believed to be Saturn-sized, located around 28 million lightyears away in the Messier 51 galaxy (the Whirlpool Galaxy), in a binary system called M51-ULS-1.

The new result is based on transits recorded by NASA’s Chandra XRay Telescope. Transits are a measure of looking at light from a star being blocked by the passage of an object orbiting in front of it. It looks at a dip in brightness which can be analysed to find the size and shape of the object orbiting the star. This same technique has been previously used to find thousands of exoplanets.

This new study was done by looking at dips in X-rays received rather than light from an object called an X-ray bright binary. These objects are usually made up of a neutron star or a black hole pulling in gas from a nearby companion star. The material near the neutron star or black hole becomes very heated up and glows at X-ray wavelengths, which can be seen by an X-ray telescope.

The region that could be producing these X-rays is small, so a planet passing in front could block most of all of the rays, making the transit very easy to spot.

“The method we developed and employed is the only presently implementable method to discover planetary systems in other galaxies,” said Dr Di Stefano from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, US, “It is a unique method, uniquely well-suited to finding planets around X-ray binaries at any distance from which we can measure a light curve.”.

The researchers say that a much larger amount of data is needed to verify their findings. An issue with this is that the orbit of the candidate chosen is so large, it will not pass in front of the star for another 70 years. Another possible explanation for the transit could be the presence of gas and dust passing in front of the X-ray source, but this seems unlikely as the characteristics of the event do not match up with the properties of a gas cloud.

If the planet does exist, it would have suffered a violent history with more peril to come. Being so close to a neutron star or black hole, it would have had to survive a nearby supernova explosion.

The companion binary star could also at some point explode into a supernova, showering this newly found planet with deadly radiation.

This new study was done by looking at dips in X-rays received rather than light from an object called an Xray bright binary.”

20 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Blizzard vows League of Legends World Championship 2021 to “positive Foxcroft changes” after Stuart Contributor backlash Elie Gould

Technology Editor

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ast week Blizzard Entertainment made an announcement via Twitter that fan favourite and long-time playable character Jesse McCree was being given a new name.

As the in-game character is actually named after a developer who worked at Blizzard, the name change follows directly on from an investigation that found evidence of bad behaviour at the company, including a number of discriminatory messages on an internal group chat.

The developer, Jesse McCree, is currently facing allegations of sexual harassment and has been associated with a series of incidents that occured at the so-called ‘Crosby Suite’ at the development studio - As of this point it is unknown if there has been new evidence found that would have led to his termination from the development studio.

According to the recent post by Blizzard following the company’s ongoing sexual harassment scandal, the name change is designed to “make things right” and for the company to take responsibility for the actions of its employees.

This comes at a point in which the company has fired 20 employees with a further 20 leaving the studio.

Last month Blizzard settled a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commision (EEOC) for $18 million, which represents about 2% of the company’s income in a single quarter.

Many commentators have asserted that this recent name change represents a change of course for the studio as it has begun to prioritise a better working environment and the women who exist in it.

Cassidy’s own voice actor had previously stated that this move to change the name, “needed to be done”.

Furthermore, Blizzard says that it has begun work to revamp their in game facilities to ban or report players for unsportsmanship attitudes.

The company has previously faced criticism for the actions of its online community, a community which has been said to frequently engage in sexist and discriminatory behaviour.

Although these changes have been welcomed by many people, some members of the gaming community claim that it is not enough for the company to rename their characters and, instead, needs to take “real accountability” for its actions.

To many, it is clear that real work needs to be done to make this studio, and the gaming industry at large, a better place.

I’ve been thinking about the potential of what I can do as an individual to create the most meaningful change.” aaaaaaa Jen Oneal, Former Co-Leader of Blizzard

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orlds is back again, and as is tradition, millions of players and viewers around the world will be tuning into the upcoming live streams. As many of them may be unfamiliar with the tournament itself, however, it’s important to outline what can be expected from this year’s League of Legends World Championship 2021.

Worlds (or the League of Legends World Championship) is a yearly tournament in which the top teams from regional leagues around the world compete to lift the Summoners’ Cup. There are several stages to the tournament experience, some of which begin before anyone turns up at the final venue: initially, teams have to qualify for Worlds.

For “wildcard” regions, or smaller ones that aren’t called North America, China, Europe or Korea they must win the Summer playoffs of their regional season to progress through.

For the “major” regions, who get multiple spots at Worlds, the first seed goes to the winner of the Summer playoffs. The second seed goes to the team that either scored the highest Championship Points (points based on split ending positions) or the runner up in Summer, depending on the league, then third

Worlds 2021: This year’s League of Legends World Championship is expected to be an interesting set of matches. Source: Marco Verch (via Flickr) and fourth seeds if applicable are alAfter qualifying as a top two team located through additional playoff in the group stage, teams are then brackets or playoff standings. matched against the opposing seed The lower rated teams that qualify in another group (A1 v B2, B1 v A2, enter Play-Ins, where they compete C1 v D2 and D1 v C2) and proceed to in round-robin groups to qualify play out a best-of-five single eliminafor the final spots in the Main Event tion bracket up until two teams regroups. main, leaving the finalists to compete Upper rated teams qualify directly for the Summoners’ Cup. into the Main Event groups based on The League of Legends World their seeding, and then, with the ad- Championship 2021 is an opportudition of the Play-Ins winners, form nity for the best players from around 4 groups of 4 teams. the world to compete against each These groups then play a best-of- other. one double round-robin format to There’s also a significant cash determine the top two teams in each prize on the line for the winning group, with tiebreakers if necessary team - Winning Worlds guarantees to resolve conflict. your team a minimum of $489,500

as of 2021, and even making it out of groups guarantees a minimum of $100,125.

Here’s a recap of the events that have already occurred over the last few years: Here’s a recap of the events that have already occurred over the last few years European teams have struggled to make ground in the competition since last year with only one team making it to the quarter finals and no European teams making it to the semi finals.

Whilst North American teams also struggled, they have made improvements since last year where their first seed TSM went 0-6 in groups last year, losing every single game they played at Worlds.

An unexpected result resulted in Mid-Season Invitational champions ‘Team RNG’ being knocked out in the quarter finals.

League of Legends icon and threetime champion ‘Faker’ was knocked out alongside his team T1 by last year’s champions ‘DAMWON KIA’ and his widely expected successor ‘ShowMaker’ in the semi finals For the second year in a row, there will be no Western teams in the final of Worlds.

The finals this year are on November 6th, starting at 12:00, featuring ‘DAMWON KIA’ (Korea) vs ‘Edward Gaming’ (China), and is certain to be an interesting set of matches.

Facebook re-brands name to ‘Meta’

CEO Mark Zuckerburg has announced the company’s new name and focus moving fowards

Edward Sutton Contributor

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n Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg announced the company would change its name from Facebook to Meta. This name change is for the parent company “Facebook”, not the app, which owns many other popular social platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. At the Connect 2021 Conference, Zuckerberg laid the seeds for the new vision of the company, which is The Metaverse, a “hybrid of today’s online social experiences”.

Zuckerberg is talking about Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), which he believes is the next social frontier after mobile. In the keynote, examples were shown of this new Metaverse, with Zuckerberg meeting his friends in a virtual space station and playing cards.

The concept can be best visualized by thinking about the 2018 film Ready Player One, a virtual playground to interact with your friends. Meta also states that this new universe could expand into enterprise, with work from home becoming a VR experience in a digital office.

In the founder’s letter, Zuckerberg stressed the importance of including privacy and security built into the metaverse from “day one”.

He also hoped that this new venture will reach billions of people, create a new digital economy and

Meta also states that this new universe could expand into enterprise, with work from home becoming a VR experience in a digital office.”

‘Meta’: Mark Zuckerberg spoke on the company’s new focus to create a new social frontier by blending the real world with virtual reality. Credit: Meta/Facebook platform for e-commerce. Meta’s aim is to immerse us in our online social experience and go beyond just looking at a screen. Zuckerberg seems committed to this new project, as he states at the end of the letter, and the recent launch of the Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses show the company is investing in hardware beyond the mobile.

This rebrand comes at a particularly challenging time for Facebook with heavy regularity pressure coming from around the world, especially in the UK and USA. The recent testimony of Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee; has shared thousands of internal documents about the companies’ inner workings.

Speaking to both Parliamentary and Congressional select committees, she accused Facebook of prioritising profits over its impact in the world.

Meta’s push into new areas across all its products has not been subtle and has also attracted regulatory concern, with the addition of Reels to Instagram in 2020 being a blatant challenge to the rising dominance of TikTok. Also, the addition of Instagram stories in 2016 and 2021 View Once in WhatsApp are all features like competitor Snapchat.

This fits into the old Facebook motto of “move fast and break things”, a phrase that has helped them this year to surpass the $1 Trillion market value.

Meta’s push into new areas across all its products has not been subtle and has also attracted regulatory concern.”

For many critics, Meta will hopefully indicate a shift for the company, a shift that will help them break away from the poor image they have garnered over the recent years, and towards a new frontier in technology that we are yet to experience.

It remains to be see in Zuckerburg and Meta will be able to successfully accomplish the company’s new goal to create and establish a new social frontier.

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CHWARAEON 23

Is 2021 set to be the year for ‘British Tennis’?

Harvey Palmer Sport Editor

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ith stunning wins at the US Open for Emma Raducanu and Indian Wells for Cameron Norrie, has 2021 been the greatest year in the history of British tennis?

Coming into the calendar year, there was very little expectation for British tennis players. Andy Murray is still yet to return to his best following his hip surgery in 2019, and players previously tipped for success such as Heather Watson have struggled to reach the heights that were expected of them.

It is quite incredible to think, then, that this year has seen the first grand slam win by a British woman since 1977, and a win at one of the biggest non-major tournaments by a British male player.

At the beginning of 2021, Emma Raducanu, now aged 19, was ranked 343rd in the world, and was set to attempt to reach grand slams through qualifying. She broke through at Wimbledon in the Summer, stunning tennis fans globally as she reached the round of 16. There were fears, however, that she was not ready to compete

Tennis: Emma Raducanu won the US Open earlier this year. Source: US OPEN 2019 (via Wikimedia Commons) at this level, as she retired from her last 16 match against Ajla Tomljanovic, as she suffered with breathing problems and dizziness.

These doubts were soon forgotten.

Raducanu went to the US Open again as a qualifier, and stormed through every round, winning ten matches without dropping a set, and beating fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in a stunning final performance, to be-

come the first British female US Open champion since Virginia Wade in 1968.

These incredible runs of results see Emma Raducanu now ranked 21st in the world, ahead of big names such as Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka.

In the men’s game, it was unclear if any players would be able to rise to the forefront of British tennis this year, with the absence of Andy Murray.

a paltry 55 in just 14.2 overs.

Although the chase wasn’t what one would term as straightforward, England managed to claim a 6-wicket victory over the defending champions. With astounding figures of 4-2 from 2.2 overs, Adil Rashid was England’s standout performer.

England were up against Bangladesh next, another team that they managed to brush aside with relative ease. England’s bowlers were impressive again as they successfully restricted Bangladesh to a tame 124.

Opener Jason Roy made quick work of Bangladesh’s total as he led England

to a comfortable 8-wicket win with a blitzkrieg 61 off just 38 deliveries.

England emerged triumphant for the third time in a row in what was a highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals Australia. The game was eerily similar to England’s previous game against Bangladesh as they once again managed to restrict their opposition, Australia this time, to 125.

It was another opener, albeit Jos Buttler on this occasion, that led the charge for England this time as they marched on to another convincing 8-wicket victory.

Buttler top scored with an unbeaten 71 off just 32 deliveries.

However, a new star may have been born in Cameron Norrie.

Norrie started the year ranked 74th, but has impressed many fans and critics by reaching six tournament finals, and winning the renowned Indian Wells title, one of the biggest titles available outside of the four grand slams. He also looks set to be included in the ATP finals, which feature the top-eight singles players from the rankings, as he currently sits in 13th.

It is worth remembering some of the incredible tennis achievements that have come before these, and have clearly inspired a new generation of talent in British tennis. Virginia Wade’s Wimbledon victory in 1977 was one of the most highly regarded moments in British tennis history, and Andy Murray’s two Wimbledon wins and two Olympic gold medals are some of the most iconic British sporting moments of the last decade.

However 2021, for both the men and women’s game, sets the benchmark for the future and gives a new generation of British talent hope and inspiration to achieve bigger and better things in the future. It also gives a platform for Norrie and Raducanu to have incredible careers, as they get used to top-level successes.

SPORT

Anurag Hegde

Harvey Palmer

England on track for semi-final berth at World T20 Anurag Hegde Head of Sport

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eading into the tournament, England were considered favourites alongside teams like India and Australia and thus far, they have managed to live up to that expectation by winning all 4 of the group-stage matches they’ve played.

England kickstarted their T20 World Cup campaign with an emphatic 6-wicket win over the West Indies. After electing to bowl first upon winning the toss, England dismantled the Windies’ batting line-up and bowled them out for

England’s final most recent win came against Sri Lanka and Jos Buttler was in the headlines once again for scoring a scintillating century that rescued England from a difficult position before eventually helping them post a competitive 163.

The English bowlers were up to the task once again as they managed to bowl Sri Lanka out for 137 in 19 overs to hand England a 26-run win.

England currently sit pretty at the top of the table in Group-A with 8 points to their name and they will face South Africa next .on November 6 in what will be their final group-stage game.

Oscar Lucas

Tom Hawkins

sport@gairrhydd.com

Football: Gair Rhydd’s Premier League ‘Round Up’ Tom Hawkins Sport Editor

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t was another exciting weekend in the Premier League, filled with plenty of goals, action and drama, with must win games for various top club sides in the league.

The weekend got underway when Arsenal travelled to the King Power Stadium to face home side Leicester who were fresh off a win against Brentford the previous week. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side were looking to extend their unbeaten run of eight games in all competitions. The North London side got off to a flying start when Gabriel headed home a corner taken by Bukayo Saka giving them an early lead in the fifth minute.

Emile Smith Rowe then converted an opportunity from short range in the Leicester box to give the Gunners a 2-0 lead within twenty minutes. Leicester were unfortunate not to pull one back when a beautifully curled free kick

Football: It was an exciting and action packed week in the Premier League. Source: Paul Hudson (via Flickr) from James Maddison seemed destined for the top corner only to be met by the outstretched glove of Aaron Ramdsale. The Arsenal keeper was in fine form and the save and his performance would earn him Man of the Match with Arteta’s side managing to hold

off Leicester pressure and see the game out.

Elsewhere, Manchester United travelled to North London to face a mediocre Tottenham side who were struggling for form under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

The red were looking to bounce

back from an embarrassing 5 – 0 defeat to Liverpool in their previous game.

Immediately, the reds appeared to be on the front foot and their press paid off when Bruno Fernandes floated a pass towards the back post, over the head of Ben Davies where who else but Cristiano Ronaldo met the cross to volley home the first goal of the game.

United were then able to sit deep and counter attack against a Spurs side needing to over commit to find an equaliser. That was when a delicious through ball from Cristiano played through his strike partner Edinson Cavani, who chipped an on rushing Hugo LLoris to double the Red’s lead. The score-line was made worse when substitute Marcus Rashford slotted home a third.

It was a poor performance from the home side who couldn’t even register a shot on target.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend was Manchester City’s defeat to Crystal Palace. The Blues got off to a poor start when Wilfried Zaha put Palace in front in

the sixth minute after breaking clear. To make matters worse, Aymeric Laporte saw red after fouling Zaha when the Frenchman was last man, denying a goal scoring opportunity. Palace then sealed the victory, taking advantage of the extra man as Conor Gallagher fired home from close range.

In the other games, Chelsea travelled to Newcastle where they comfortably dispatched the Magpies in a convincing 3 – 0 win.

West Ham beat Aston Villa 4 – 1 who also got a man sent off during the game. Liverpool took a 2 – 0 lead against Brighton only for the Seagulls to score two to bring the game back level where it finished. Burnley beat Brentford 3 – 1 with summer signing Maxwell Cornet scoring and looking bright for his new club. Leeds beat bottom of the table Norwich 2 – 1 and Southampton got the better of Watford in their game which ended 1 – 0. Match week ten was brought to a close on Monday night when Wolves beat Rafa Benitez’s Everton 2 – 1.

CHWARAEON 24

Racism in Cricket: The Quinton de Kock saga Anurag Hegde Head of Sport

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arlier last week, South African wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock made headlines after he refused to take the knee before eventually withdrawing from South Africa’s clash against the West Indies on October 26 in the ongoing T20 World Cup. On Monday, October 25, CSA (Cricket South Africa) had mandated that the entire squad had to take a unified approach in the fight against racism by taking the knee at the start of every game.

Previously, the South African players had adopted one of three gestures - taking the knee, raising a fist or standing to attention, in order to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Post South Africa’s opening game in the T20 World Cup against Australia, however, CSA said that it was important for the team to take a unified approach in their stand against racism.

“Concerns were raised that the different postures taken by team members in support of the BLM initiative created an unintended perception of disparity or lack of support for the initiative. After considering all relevant issues, including the position of the players, the Board felt that it was imperative for the team to be seen taking a united and consistent stand

Cricket: South African wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock had a difficult week. Source: NAPARAZZI (via Flickr) against racism, especially given South Africa’s history. Several other teams at the World Cup have adopted a consistent stance against the issue, and the Board felt it is time for all SA players to do the same.”

De Kock’s decision not to take a knee created controversy and the player’s commitment and support towards antiracism was questioned. Commenting after the game, South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma said; “As a team, we are surprised and taken aback by the news.

Quinton is a big player for the team, not just with the bat, but from a senior point of view, so not having this at my disposal, as a captain, is obviously something I wasn’t looking forward to. In saying that, Quinton is an adult. He is a man in his own shoes. We respect his decision, we respect his convictions, and I know he will be standing behind the decision he has taken.”

To some critics, De Kock’s withdrawal and his refusal to take a knee not only hindered

his team’s chances against the West Indies but it also raised deeper questions about issues of racism in sport. The cricketing community expressed their disapproval of de Kock’s actions with some going as far labelling them ‘racist’.

In the aftermath of the game, however, in a public statement, de Kock clarified the reasoning behind his actions and assured that he was committed to standing against racism. De Kock apologised to his teammates and said that he “never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue”.

Further, de Kock explained his actions by saying that he felt that his “rights were taken away” by the CSA board and that he didn’t understand why he had to “prove his feelings” towards antiracism with a gesture. The statement further read; “I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example. If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.”

De Kock added that “being called a racist because of a misunderstanding” hurt him deeply. He ended by saying that he was “deeply sorry” to his teammates and to anybody else that was hurt by his actions and that he would “love nothing more than to play cricket” for his country again.

New Zealand Beat Wales in Autumn Internationals Tom Hawkins Sport Editor

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he rugby Autumn Internationals kicked off when Wales hosted New Zealand at a packed out Principality. The atmosphere was electric with the home crowd excited at rugby returning to the capital. The stage was set for an entertaining clash following the traditional haka led by scrum half TJ Perenara, which was stared down by the opposition in red.

However, it did not go in the favour of the Welsh as it was the all blacks who got off to a lightning start when Beauden Barrett intercepted a pass from a Welsh line out and ran the ball in-between the posts with no Welsh defenders around to stop him to score the first try of the game in the third minute on his 100th cap. The try was converted to give the All Blacks an early 7 – 0 lead. Several penalties were converted from both sides with the score currently 13 -3 to New Zealand. That was until a swift attack in the Welsh 22 saw TJ Perenara bundle over the line from an offload from Ardie Savea for the second try of the game. Wales would go into half time 6 – 18 after a succession of poor attacking line outs saw Gareth Anscombe opt for the tee instead,

Rugby: Wales suffered a comprehensive defeat at the Principality Stadium on Saturday. Source: Jeremy Segrott (via Flickr) kicking the ball in – between the posts and converting the opportunity.

The second half didn’t start much better for the depleted Wales side when winger Will Jordan caught the ball from a Welsh kick, beat his first man with a dummy pass, kicked it over the welsh full back and blitzed him for pace to get on the end of it

and touch it down for a try. Tries then followed from flanker Dalton Papilii, replacement winger Sevu Reece and centre Anton Lienert – Brown. This was only made worse by three penalties and five conversions from Jordie Barrett. Meanwhile Wales could only conjure up three penalties and a try from Johnny Williams.

In the end the match finished 16 – 54 to the visitors in what was a hefty defeat and the highest ever points total registered by a New Zealand side in Cardiff, trumping the previous record of 43 set in 2002. It was also New Zealand’s highest winning margin. The loss means that Wales are still waiting to end their losing streak against the All Blacks that extends all the way back to 1953.

Although, Wales were without 20 players in total including some big name players and regular starters such as Ken Owens, George North, Joshua Navidi and Justin Tipuric, missing due to injury and Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau and Louis Rees – Zammit missing due to the match being held outside the World Rugby’s International Window.

Wales were also arguably unfortunate not to be a man up for periods of the game when Beauden Barrett could have seen yellow for a deliberate knock on. New Zealand on the other hand came into the game with a full strength side brimming with confidence, fresh off the back of winning the Rugby Championship.

Overall the game was an entertaining one, with Wales looking to improve in their next game against tough opponents South Africa who have dropped to second in the world rankings having been surpassed by New Zealand, who face Italy next.

Wrexham’s new Hollywood owners visit for the first time Liam Billingsley Contributor

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t last, Wrexham Football Club’s takeover was solidified as Hollywood’s Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney visited the Racecourse for the first time as the club’s new owners. The pair was greeted with a raucous reception at their longawaited match debut, witnessing Wrexham take on Maidenhead in an away game on Tuesday 26th October.

While Wrexham fell short with a 3-2 loss, it was the new owners’ presence that grabbed the attention of British news outlets. But is this a simple bankrolling mission from the pair of Hollywood actors across the pond, or has the McReynolds dynamic duo got something bigger in mind?

Back in November 2020, eight months since the world changing pandemic began, fans were greeted with football’s most bizarre news for a while: Ryan Reynolds, the Canadian star of the ‘Deadpool’ franchise, and his equally hilarious close friend Rob McElhenney, creator of FX’s long running comedy hit series ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’, had announced their takeover of Wrexham Football Club’s ownership, via RR McReynolds Company LLC. The deal had received the backing of almost the entirety of Wrexham Supporters Trust’s 2,000 members, something that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. But football fans couldn’t help asking: is this just a glorified midlife crisis? Some kind of huge joke to belittle a small town’s beloved club? From their recent interviews, it’s evident McReynolds have quite the opposite in mind.

Speaking to Sky Sports News on Saturday 30th October, ahead of attending their first home game, Ryan Reynolds’ said that Wrexham’s Maidenhead game was an “absolute torture to watch” but that he “loved every second of it’’. The pair have shown that they have a serious commitment to owning the club, as proven by their efforts to take photos with fans, have Q&A sessions and even join a scheduled walk around the town ahead of Saturday’s game. So, there’s the clear argument to be made that, not only do they care about the Racecourse, but that they also have an interest in Wrexham’s wider community and heritage.

And this interest has been well received: fans have said, ‘the whole area has been given a lifeline’, with businesses returning and an aura of surreal stardust descending on this small, North Walian town. This past Halloween weekend, McElhenney posted on his Instagram: ‘quick jump back over the pond’. Not only are the pair excited to get back to the Racecourse, but their phrasing of ‘over the pond’ voids any sense of distance between this humble football club and their celebrity lifestyles.

Overall, this takeover is looking optimistic. Fans will remember the club’s dismal finish in the 201314 season, but with the passionate support of two monumental overseas stars, Wrexham Football Club can start working to put the past behind them.