The Life News UK. Nov 16, 2019

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Vol. 01 Issue 07 November 16, 2019

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Temperatures on as firefighters still warns danger is not over yet. So be safe TL Bureau,Sydney/Brisbane

The huge bushfires seething crosswise over Australia are relied upon to erupt again as temperatures ascend in coming days. Up until now, four individuals have kicked the bucket from the flames, which are nourishing off dry spell stricken farmland and shrub. Conditions enhanced Friday yet groups were all the while fighting around 120 blasts crosswise over New South Wales and Queensland. Also, specialists have cautioned that a bank of tourist is required to clear the nation over, raising the flames. Temperatures crosswise over Western Australia are anticipated to hit mid-40Cs at the end of the week. The flames have annihilated around 300 homes, and consumed more than 1 million hectares of land in NSW. Queensland specialists said they were anticipating that new flames should break out one week from now with higher breezes and temperatures.

‘I’m not going to stop,’ says pregnant fireman, Firefighters who spared house leave milk ‘statement of regret’ “We’re

1 176 kg of cocaine hidden in bananas seized in Italy TL Bureau, The Hague

On Monday 11 November 2019, the Italian Carabinieri (Carabinieri) and the Italian Finance Corps (Guardia di Finanza), supported by Italian Customs, Europol and Frontex, seized 1 176 kg of cocaine worth €250 million in the Port of Gioia Tauro, southwest Italy. The shipping documents show that the container was destined for Germany. The seized cocaine was hidden in 144 packages within a case of bananas stored in a refrigerated container. The drugs were detected after the Italian Finance Corps and Customs authorities performed an extensive risk analysis to several vessels and containers arriving at the port of Gioia Tauro. The case was then referred to the Antimafia District Prosecution Office. This seizure confirms the port of Gioia Tauro as a major hub for the transit of cocaine trafficked to western Europe. This is also shown in other recent Italian investigations against ‘Ndrangheta criminal structures active in the transnational cocaine trafficking. In the past 12 months alone, the Italian Finance Corps and the Customs Agency have seized over 2.5 tonnes of cocaine passing through this port.

simply anticipating business as usual,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services representative Kevin Reading told the News. He said teams were anticipating battling the flames until January - seven weeks away - when important storms had been estimate.

NSW specialists have given comparable

messages. “It’s warming up right on time one week from now... we’re in for the long stretch,” said NSW Rural Fire Services Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers. In NSW, the most noticeably awful hit state, fires have compromised both inland country territories and a few populated seaside towns.

2 deported North Koreans killed crews.

TL Bureau, Seoul

The unification service said Friday that there is no uncertainty that the two as of late ousted North Koreans had killed 16 individual team individuals before they were caught close to the eastern between Korean ocean fringe.

The service taking care of between Korean undertakings said that the two North Koreans were independently examined yet given nearly a similar story, the validity of which was improved further by the way that North Korea knew about their criminal demonstrations. “There was no uncertainty that they had perpetrated criminal acts, as insight, declarations from independent cross examinations of the two caught anglers and the North’s reaction were all predictable with one another,” the service said in a report submitted to legislators.

A week ago, South Korea sent back the two men in their 20s to North Korea, five days after they were caught close to the eastern between Korean ocean fringe. The two anglers later admitted that they and another group part murdered the skipper of their angling pontoon out of resentment regarding his physical maltreatment before executing the rest of the individual team individuals individually. The third individual was captured in the North when they attempted to sneak back to their nation of origin.

Hong Kong of special status can be gone, if China interferes with protests: US Commission TL Bureau, Hong Kong/ Washington D.C. A bipartisan U.S. congressional commission prompted the legislature to strip Hong Kong of its exceptional exchanging status if China sends its military or police to meddle with progressing master vote based system fights that have injured the semiautonomous district.

The U.S.- China Economic and Security Review Commission made the proposal Thursday as a major aspect of its ordered yearly report to Congress on the national security ramifications of two-sided exchange and the financial connection between the two nations.

In the report, the congressional body made five proposals concerning Hong Kong, including authorizing enactment to repudiate the U.S.- Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 if China sends its military to the area.

It likewise prescribed changing the demonstration to guide the State Department to create benchmarks

estimating Hong Kong’s upkeep of a “high level of self-sufficiency” from Beijing and passing enactment to expand send out control gauges set up for terrain China backups of Chinese organizations working in Hong Kong, among others.

“The future bearing of Hong Kong - and

with it U.S.- Hong Kong approach will settle upon the result of the counter removal charge fight development and the degree to which the Hong Kong government and Beijing regard the desires of Hong Kong residents,” an official synopsis of the report said.

2 The International Criminal Court in the Netherlands approved an examination Thursday into charges of wrongdoings against humankind identified with the treatment of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority.

The court said there’s proof to propose “far reaching as well as fundamental demonstrations of savagery” may have been submitted against the Rohingya dependent on ethnicity or potentially religion.

A U.N. report in August 2018 proposed Rohingya as often as possible experience extrajudicial executions; upheld vanishing and discretionary confinement; assault, sexual viciousness and sexual subjection and torment, among different types of separation and oppression.

The stateless ethnic gathering live in Rakhine state in Myanmar, however oppression constrained them to either move or escape to Bangladesh.

Myanmar isn’t a part condition of the ICC, however, Bangladesh is.

Since abuse may have occurred on the two sides of the fringe, the court said it has purview for an examination.

“Taking note of the size of the supposed wrongdoings and the quantity of unfortunate casualties purportedly included, the [prepreliminary chamber] thought about that the circumstance obviously arrives at the gravity edge,” the ICC said.

“As per the supporting material, an expected 600,000 to 1 million Rohingya were persuasively dislodged from Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh because of the supposed coercive acts.

Taking note of the exploited people’s perspectives, the chamber concurred with the examiner that there are no considerable motivations to accept that an examination concerning the circumstance would not be in light of a legitimate concern for equity.” The 2015 Rohingya exile emergency alludes to the mass relocation of individuals from Myanmar in 2015, all things considered named “pontoon individuals” by global media.

About all who fled headed out to Southeast Asian nations including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand by broken-down pontoons by means of the waters of the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees evaluated that 25,000 individuals have been taken to vessels from January to March in 2015 by transient runners. There are claims that, while on their voyage, around 100 individuals passed on in Indonesia,200 in Malaysia, and 10 in Thailand, after the dealers relinquished them adrift.

In October 2015, specialists from the International State Crime Initiative at Queen Mary

International Court of Justice admits on Rohingya probe.

University of London discharged a report drawing on spilled government records that uncover an expanding “ghettoization, sporadic slaughters, and confinements on development” on Rohingya people groups. The analysts recommend that the Myanmar government are in the last phases of a sorted out procedure of destruction against the Rohingya and have called upon the global network to review the circumstance all things considered.

India would not give the evacuees a chance to enter their nation since it presented national security dangers. In any case, it was discovered that around 40,000 Rohingya’s illicit settlers have taken safe house in Assam, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.

The news made a disappointment among the overall population that Rohingya Muslim settlements in Jammu (city) will change the demography of Hindu larger part and may prompt savagery later on by offering reference to the mass migration of Kashmiri Hindus by Kashmiri Muslims prior. The nearness of Rohingya Muslims in Jammu is therefore considered as a touchy issue for Indian security. The Indian security foundations opinioned that “Some Rohingyas feeling for some aggressor gathering’s belief systems might be dynamic in Jammu, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mewat and can be a potential risk to inside security.” On 7 September 2017 Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State Home Minister of India have said “all the Rohingya displaced people are illicit settlers and will be ousted back”. He, notwithstanding, wouldn’t make reference to when, where and how they will be extradited back. The announcement welcomed analysis from United Nations on which Rijiju reacted by saying “India has the most elevated number of exiles in the whole world,[48] subsequently India needn’t bother with address on evacuee emergency and Management.”

On 10 September 2017, Ministry of External Affairs (India) on solicitation of Govt. of Bangladesh asked Govt. of Myanmar through an official reaction to end brutality, to reestablish commonality in the State, and to “act limitation” with the issue in the Rakhine state, the same number of displaced people escape to the neighboring nations.

A case by the name of “Muhammad Salimullah v UOI” has been likewise documented by Rohingya

Muslims to provoke the Indian government’s choice to expel them back. The Supreme Court of India has expressed that it will hear the contentions dependent on purposes of law and have requested to maintain a strategic distance from passionate contentions as the issue is identified with the philanthropic reason. The court heard the case on 3 Oct and fixed 13 October as the following hearing. Indian Government legal advisor Tushar Mehta told the court during the last hearing that Rohingya outcasts will include monetary pressure Indian masses and furthermore because of their aggressor exercises against Myanmar government can represent a security risk to a previously existing militancy circumstance winning in India released by such similarly invested association. The keep going hearings occurred on 31 January 2018 where Senior Counsel Prashant Bhushan showing up for candidates contended that Rohingya Refugees are being denied minimum essentials like therapeutic mind and access to class. He additionally supplicated that Right to Non-Refoulment (Right against removal) ought to be applied to Rohingya attempting to enter India likewise and not simply to Rohingya previously living in India. The issue has been recorded for 22 February 2018.

The Rohingya Refugee emergencies has become a significant issue for India and Bangladesh. Escaping populace accuses the security powers back in Myanmar for consuming their towns, assaults, and mass killings.

Likewise, the Rohingya Muslim populace is presently stateless as

editorial

Myanmar dismissed citizenship to Rohingya individuals.

Myanmar doesn’t need its 1.1m Rohingya populace since they are considered as illicit foreigners from Bangladesh. Because of this displaced person emergencies, exiles are entering Bangladesh and Indian region by illicit methods.

Bangladesh remote secretary Md. Shahidul Haque has stated, “We anticipate settling the issue calmly and expect that the global network will bolster that, particularly our dear companion, India.

After Bangladesh educated India about the issue regarding rising Rohingya Refugees, India broadened its help with the “Activity Insaniyat”. The word Insaniyat is a Urdu word, which signifies “Mankind” in English.

On 14 September, because of the emergencies, the Government of India started “Activity Insaniyat” as Humanitarian guide to Bangladesh Government to deal with the enormous Rohingya evacuee flood. Indian remote service expressed that India will give free nourishment materials, tea, mosquito nets and specialized help to Rohingya displaced people in Bangladesh. Under the “Activity Insaniyat”, a gathering of Sikh volunteers of Khalsa from India arrived at Bangladesh-Myanmar Border and sorted out Langar (Sikhism) for a large number of outcasts living in camps. On 14 September, the volunteers arranged nourishment for somewhere in the range of 35,000 displaced people. The Indian government has likewise sent 53 Tons of alleviation materials like prepared to eat noodles, salt, bread rolls, mosquito nets, beats, sugar, and so on. The alleviation materials were brought by the Indian aviation based armed forces plane to Chittagong on 14 September 2017.

Also, Now UN’s International Court of Justice is in to help and to test the issue. We should perceive what precisely they get from the obstruction of global association. Trust in the best for any human.

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3 US Secretary Pompeo’s Meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Secretary Pompeo thanked Foreign Minister Al Saud for Saudi Arabia’s continued partnership and for its leadership in facilitating the Riyadh Agreement signed on November 5 between the Republic of Yemen Government and the Southern Transition Council in Yemen. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister agreed that this was an important step towards achieving a comprehensive political solution in Yemen and an end to the war. Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Al Saud discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern, including the need to counter the Iranian regime’s destabilizing behavior.

They also discussed other regional developments including in Turkey and Syria, as well as human rights.

Saudi Foreign Minister Heads Kingdom’s Delegation to Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group Ministerial in Washington TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah headed his country’s delegation at the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group Ministerial in Washington.

The delegation included the Saudi ambassador to United States of America, Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Minister of State for Arab Gulf Affairs, Thamer Sabhan Al-Sabhan

world

Prince of Wales Calls on the Indian President TL Bureau, New Delhi

The Prince of Wales called on the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Nov 13, 2019.

Welcoming the Prince to India, the President congratulated him on his election as the head of the Commonwealth. He said that India considers the Commonwealth as an important grouping that voices the concerns of a large number of countries, including the Small Island Developing States.

The President said that India and the United Kingdom are natural partners bound by historical ties

and shared values of democracy, rule of law and respect for multicultural society. As the world’s pre-eminent democracies, our two countries have much to contribute together to effectively address the many challenges faced by the world today.

The Prince planted a Champa sapling – plant native to the subcontinent which has several uses in Ayurveda – in the Herbal Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was taken around the garden and shown different plants that have medicinal properties. The Prince showed a keen interest in India’s alternative model of healthcare.

IFC, Activa Launch Insurance Program that Seeks to Benefit 1 Million Women in Cameroon

TL Bureau, Douala, Cameroon

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, partnered with Activa Assurances to launch today an insurance program in Cameroon that will boost coverage for women, including women entrepreneurs.

Activa Assurances expects the program to benefit 1 million women by 2022.

Under the program, Activa Assurances will provide women entrepreneurs and traders— or buyam-sellams—with insurance to protect against disruptive events in life or business operations. They will also receive training to expand their businesses.

Women entrepreneurs will have access to a web portal that will provide them with a range of information and services, such as training and toolkits and access to networks to expand their businesses.

Women market traders will access a holistic protection packaged covering their health as well as the management and protection of their merchandise from weather and thefts.

IFC and Activa expect the program to increase insurance penetration in Cameroon, which currently stands at

less than 2 percent.

“There is both a business and social case for integrating gender and targeting women in inclusive insurance,” said Aliou Maiga, IFC’s Director for West and Central Africa.

“Women are critical to the economic growth of our region, making sure they are equipped with strong risk protection mechanisms will further enable them to be active players in the development of Cameroon.”

Richard Lowe, Executive Chairman of Activa Group, said, “Cameroonian women have benefitted over the past decades from better education paths that develop talent and skills, which in turn has provided them with access to better income-making opportunities.

Financial security and empowerment give women real opportunities and choices about their lives and those of their loved ones. Activa, through the program Activ’ Lady, the first Women Insurance Program in Cameroun—is committed to tackling the obstacles that might restrict women from building their financial security and will focus on practical solutions to help improve their lives.”

Joint Communique by Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS

TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

The following is the text of a Joint Communique by Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Over five years of military and civilian engagement, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, with its partners, have liberated Iraq and northeast Syria from Daesh/ ISIS’s grip. At its peak, Daesh/ ISIS controlled nearly 110,000 square kilometers of territory, including major cities in both Iraq and Syria and attracted more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters.

The Coalition campaign has liberated approximately 7.7 million

people from Daesh/ISIS’s control.

Coalition members have helped raise over $20 billion in humanitarian and stabilization assistance in support of the Iraqi and Syrian people, and trained and equipped more than 220,000 security and police personnel to stabilize local communities.

In the most recent Coalition success, U.S. forces raided the compound of Daesh/ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, resulting in his death.

These successes have come at tremendous sacrifice: tens of thousands of local partners in Syria and Iraq have died while fighting Daesh/ISIS, and more than 100

Coalition service members have given their lives as part of the Defeat Daesh/ISIS mission. In the past days, some Italian soldiers of the Coalition have been seriously wounded by an IED attack in Iraq.

Today, these achievements and Daesh/ISIS’s enduring defeat are threatened. The Coalition thus must maintain unity of purpose and cohesiveness in Syria and Iraq. We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group, affirm our common willingness and continued resolve to address a new phase in this fight by pursuing our joint effort against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

The President thanked the Prince of Wales for his support for Ayurveda research. The Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation and the All India Institute of Ayurveda signed an MOU during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK in April 2018. Under the MOU, the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the College of Medicine, UK will be conducting clinical research on Depression, Anxiety and Fibromyalgia. They will also be undertaking training programme for the development of Standard Operating Protocol on “AYURYOGA” for UK Health professionals.

Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin meets Chinese Minister of Education TL Bureau, Bern On 14 November, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), met Chen Baosheng, the Chinese Minister of Education, in Bern. The meeting took place on the fringes of the fourth meeting of the Joint Working Group on Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training, a platform for networking and exchanging information on these topics.

Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo commented on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 14 November 2019 TL Bureau, Helsinki Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo commented on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights against Finland. The judgment relates to an asylum seeker who was expelled from Finland in December 2017. “The judgment of the Court is extremely weighty and significant. It is a very serious matter that our country that is governed by the rule of law has failed, in this case, to protect the most important right of all, the safeguarding of life. I immediately raised this matter at the Ministry, and we will look carefully at how we can ensure that this will not happen again,” Ohisalo says.

The Ministry of the Interior is launching a comprehensive project in accordance with the Government Programme on the effects of the changes made to asylum policy in 2015–2019.

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world

Large network smuggling migrants in lorries dismantled in Germany and Romania

TL Bureau, The Hague

On 13 November 2019, the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) and the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) supported by Europol, concluded their operation into a large criminal network smuggling migrants to western Europe in lorries. Austria, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Eurojust also took part in this two-year, Europe-wide operation.

During this last phase of the operation, the Romanian Police carried out eight searches and arrested four suspected members of the organised crime group. The German Federal Police carried out five searches.

NEARLY 580 MIGRANTS TRAVELLED IN LORRIES TOWARDS WESTERN EUROPE The operation was initiated in Germany in 2018 when authorities detected migrants from Iran, Iraq and Syria entering Germany in lorries via Czechia and Hungary. The investigation uncovered a massive network smuggling people from their countries of origin to Timișoara, Romania then to Germany. During the final leg of the journey to western Europe, the migrants were forced to travel in lorries.

Criminals use container smuggling to move people over borders thereby putting them in lifethreatening situations. Loaded into cargo vehicles,

migrants can suffer from lack of oxygen and dehydration, risking their lives before reaching their final destination.

The investigation into this organised crime group uncovered a network composed of at least 36 members who earned more than €2 million from nearly 580 smuggled migrants.

The final operational results of the two-year investigation include: 580 smuggled migrants identified; Three individuals suspected to be the organisers (high-value targets) arrested in Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom; 36 suspects identified with at least ten individuals arrested (truck drivers and facilitators); Four truck drivers arrested in Czechia and sentenced in Germany ranging from 20 months to over 5 years and another one arrested and awaiting sentencing in Hungary.

Europol facilitated the information exchange between the participating countries and analysed operational information against Europol’s databases to provide leads to investigators.

Europol also provided on-the-spot operational support by deploying one analyst to Timișoara to provide real-time analytical support.

For the needs of the whole operation, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and an Operational Task Force were formed in 2018 to tackle the criminal group. Europol organised regular operational meetings for the investigators to identify three high-value targets (leaders of the criminal network); all of them were arrested during the operation leading to the complete dismantling of the criminal group.

European Court of Human Rights gives judgment concerning Finland in the case of the return of an asylum seeker to Iraq

TL Bureau, Helsinki

On 14 November 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) gave its judgment concerning Finland in the case of the return of an asylum seeker to Iraq. The applicant’s father had sought international protection in Finland against returning him to Iraq in 2015. The Finnish Immigration Service had rejected his application for asylum and residence permit. The

UNESCO General Conference: Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis advocates Executive Board seat for Switzerland TL Bureau, Bern

Administrative Court had dismissed the appeal lodged by the applicant’s father, and the Supreme Administrative Court did not grant leave to appeal in the case. The applicant’s father had returned to Iraq voluntarily while his case was still pending before the Supreme Administrative Court. According to the information presented by the applicant, his father died in Iraq after returning there. The applicant lodged an application with

the European Court of Human Rights, in which she alleged that his father’s expulsion to Iraq constitutes a violation of Article 2 (right to life) and Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Furthermore, the applicant considered that the suffering caused to the applicant herself by her father’s expulsion and death constitutes a violation of Article 3 of the Convention.

Speaking at the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis called for minorities to be respected, pointing out that this is essential to democratic processes. He also said that Switzerland supports the reform proposals intended to enhance the organisation’s effectiveness and explained the strengths Switzerland can bring to the UNESCO Executive Board. Switzerland is campaigning to gain a seat on the Executive Board in the election on 20 November 2019.

education. The funding will be allocated to Unesco’s global campaign in this field and to promoting sexuality education in four priority countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and South Sudan.

A cooperation agreement between Norway and Unesco is to be signed today at Unesco’s General Conference in Paris. Minister of Research and Higher Education Iselin Nybø, who is responsible for Norway’s cooperation with Unesco, will sign on behalf of Norway, and Director-General Audrey Azoulay on behalf of Unesco. ‘Our support to Unesco will contribute to achieving the sustainable development

goals on good health, gender equality and quality education for everyone.

Comprehensive sexuality education can boost the number of children and young people completing their schooling. I am pleased that Norway is supporting Unesco’s efforts and its leadership in this important field,’ said Ms Nybø. ‘Ensuring that comprehensive sexuality education is available is crucial for improving young people’s knowledge about their bodies, relationships, their rights and sexual health. Sexuality education can help to break the stigma around menstruation and prevent unplanned pregnancies, abortions and sexually

transmitted diseases such as HIV,’ said Mr Ulstein. Sexuality education can also promote gender equality and play a part in developing an inclusive learning environment, which will improve school attendance by girls. The Norwegian Government therefore considers it important that comprehensive sexuality education is included in primary and secondary school curriculums and also made available for children and adolescents who do not attend school. In addition, Norway will emphasise that vulnerable groups such as children and young people with disabilities must be able to take part in sexuality education.

Norway increases support for sexuality education in developing countries

TL Bureau, Oslo

‘Girls and boys need knowledge about their bodies, relationships and living together as well as about health and rights if they are to make good choices and develop positive relationships. This is why Norway is increasing funding for comprehensive sexuality education

by NOK 75 million,’ said Minister of International Development DagInge Ulstein. The NOK 75 million in funding will be disbursed during the period 2019–2021 and will be used to support the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (Unesco) work on comprehensive sexuality

5

Government announces business rates and council tax relief following severe flooding TL Bureau, London Households and business owners significantly affected by recent flooding will have immediate relief on their council tax and business rates, the Prime Minister announced today (15 November 2019). Under the measures, households and businesses which have been intensely affected by the flooding will be eligible for 100% relief on their council tax and business rates for at least the next 3 months.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said: It will take time for communities to get back on their feet, and hard-working people and businesses who have experienced intense flooding should not have to worry about paying council tax and business rates while they focus on their recovery. Funding announced today will give all eligible, flooded households and businesses immediate relief on their council tax and business rates for at least the next 3 months, and help communities recover. Measures announced today means a home owner in a Band D property in Doncaster could see a saving of over £400 over 3 months – helping them back on their feet following the floods.

Today’s announcement follows a series of measures introduced by the government to respond to the severe weather in the North of England and the Midlands and support communities’ recovery: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) activated the emergency Bellwin scheme on the first day of the flooding. Under Bellwin, local authorities dealing with the flooding can apply to have 100% of their eligible costs, above a threshold, reimbursed by the government.

UK

Flooding in England

Update on current flooding situation and how the government is responding.

TL Bureau, London

The Environment Agency (EA), emergency responders and local authorities are helping to protect people and properties following the flooding in: Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire.

Environment Agency teams, assisted by the military and emergency services, continue to work 24/7 to reduce the water levels in flood-hit communities, including Fishlake, and prepare them for further possible flood impacts today.

In Yorkshire, we continue to create storage capacity in river systems and washlands by pumping water to the receding River Don and ensure our assets are resilient ahead of any further rainfall. We continue to remove water from residential areas through our pumping. In Lincolnshire, the use of Lincoln storage reservoirs is protecting up to 7000 properties.

Currently we have 55 pumps deployed across South Yorkshire, including at several separate locations in the Fishlake area, moving 50 million litres of water per hour to help protect homes and businesses.

In South Yorkshire, we are pumping 22.95 cubic metres per second. This

would fill Wembley Stadium to the roof in one day.

Around 400 EA operational staff have been out on sites across the country assisting with pumping, and deploying sandbags and temporary barriers ahead of likely further rainfall expected today.

Military personnel are supporting efforts on the ground in Yorkshire with sandbagging and temporary barriers at Eabeck, Stainforthbridge and Fishlake. Cross-government support – announcements Households and business owners significantly affected by recent flooding will have immediate

relief on their council tax and business rates, the Prime Minister announced (Friday 15 November).

The measure was announced following the first meeting of the cross-Whitehall Flood Recovery Taskforce yesterday, chaired by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to support communities as they respond to this serious emergency.Under the measures, households and businesses which have been intensely affected by the flooding will be eligible for 100% relief on their council tax and business rates for at least the next three months.

Train collision with tree, near Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS: November 14 Ministerial meeting Spittal, south-west Wales

TL Bureau, London

Over five years of military and civilian engagement, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, with its partners, have liberated Iraq and northeast Syria from Daesh/ ISIS’s grip. At its peak, Daesh/ISIS controlled nearly 110,000 square kilometers of territory, including major cities in both Iraq and Syria and attracted more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters. The Coalition campaign has liberated approximately 7.7 million people from Daesh/ISIS’s control. Coalition members have helped raise over $20 billion in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance in support of the Iraqi and Syrian people, and trained and equipped more than 220,000 security and police personnel to stabilise local communities. In the most recent Coalition success, US forces raided the compound of Daesh/ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, resulting in his death.

These successes have come at tremendous sacrifice: tens of thousands of local partners in Syria and Iraq have died while fighting Daesh/ISIS, and more than 100 Coalition service members have given their lives as part of the Defeat Daesh/ISIS mission. In the past days, some Italian soldiers of the Coalition have been seriously wounded by an IED attack in Iraq.

Today, these achievements and Daesh/ISIS’s enduring defeat are threatened. The Coalition thus must maintain unity of purpose and cohesiveness in Syria and Iraq. We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group, affirm our common willingness and continued resolve to address a new phase in this fight by pursuing our joint effort against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group, urge all actors operating

in northeast Syria to continue to be vigilant against threats of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, to maintain the progress achieved by the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, to act together against any threats to this outcome and avoid security vacuums in the region that Daesh/ISIS may exploit. Continued detention of Daesh/ ISIS-related individuals, including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, in northeast Syria remains to be of paramount importance. International law, including international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and international human rights law must be upheld under any circumstances.

Despite the challenging situation, we reaffirm our full commitment to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh/ISIS. We reiterate the importance of maintaining and allocating adequate military and civilian means and resources to sustain Coalition momentum and success against Daesh/ ISIS in Iraq and Syria and to best safeguard our collective security interests, in pursuit of the ongoing military campaign. This will enable us to counter any attempt

by Daesh/ISIS to reconstitute or enhance its capacity to plan and execute attacks against our countries as well as our partners and allies. This also includes continuing to train, advise, and support legitimate partner forces in the region engaged in the fight against Daesh/ISIS’s remaining cells and networks in both Syria and Iraq while respecting international law.

We reiterate the importance of ensuring accountability for all Daesh/ISIS terrorists and we commit to promoting their safe and humane detention and eventual prosecution.

We will continue our efforts to hold accountable Daesh/ ISIS terrorists, including to prevent those detained, hiding underground, or sheltering beyond Coalition control, from returning to the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, or relocating elsewhere and plotting attacks against other countries.

Train collision with tree, near Spittal, south-west Wales, 17 October 2019

TL Bureau, London At around 18:33 hrs on 17 October 2019, a train carrying 13 passengers and two members of train crew collided with a large oak tree that had fallen across the line from third-party land.

The train driver suffered a minor injury and was left shocked by the incident. The train did not derail, but

it was badly damaged and the line was subsequently shut for tree felling.

We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident. Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.

The safety digest will be made available on our website in the next few weeks.

6 14th November

freedailycrosswords.com

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US talks to strengthen trade in critical minerals

TL Bureau, Canberra

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan will use highlevel talks in the United States over the coming week to promote Australia as an emerging producer of critical minerals and a reliable global supplier of resources and energy.

Minister Canavan is travelling to the US for talks with senior members of the US Government and to meet executives of major mining, manufacturing and resources companies.

He will meet Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and US Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to promote Australia’s emerging critical minerals sector and to push for international

cooperation to help boost the global trade and diversified supply of critical minerals.

“Critical minerals and rare earths are crucial to the high-technology industries of the future and are essential components of batteries, wind turbines, LCD screens, solar panels, microchips and even mobile phones,” Minister Canavan said.

“The US has a need for critical minerals and Australia’s abundant supplies makes us a reliable and secure international supplier of a wide range of those including rare earth elements.

“Mining and resources have underpinned Australia’s economic growth and prosperity for more than 100 years, and the critical minerals sector provides

an exciting opportunity to build on that foundation as a safe and reliable supplier to the world.”

The visit builds on the September agreement between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Donald Trump to develop a US-Australia Action Plan for Critical Minerals Cooperation to support investment, research and development, and diversity in critical minerals supply chains.

In March, Minister Canavan and Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Simon Birmingham launched Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2019, which focuses on investment, innovation and infrastructure and identifies 24 critical minerals that Australia could potentially supply to key trading partners.

BUSINESS BHP set to build on its success with new leader TL Bureau, Melbourne

BHP is at the heart of the Australian economy and we are pleased one of the nation’s biggest employers will continue to be in good hands under the leadership of Mike Henry, Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“Mike will carry on BHP’s success and enormous contribution to the nation which has been driven by Andrew Mackenzie’s vision and strong leadership. “Andrew has transformed BHP and ensured it has remained a world leader in the highly competitive global resources sector. We should all be proud of his achievements. “Under Mike, BHP will continue as a great Australian company, employing nearly 40,000 people, breathing life into regional towns and cities and bringing value to customers and shareholders.

AI the next frontier to solving national challenges TL Bureau, Canberra

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will build new industries and transform existing ones, unlock new jobs, and tackle national issues according to a new report released today by the Morrison Government.

The roadmap, developed by CSIRO’s Data61, highlights opportunities for AI to solve some of Australia’s biggest national challenges.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said AI

technologies would be powerful tools to boost economic growth and make life better for everyday Australians.

“AI has the potential to provide significant social, economic and environmental benefits, while creating jobs, driving productivity and increasing business competitiveness,” Minister Andrews said.

“We have an opportunity as a nation to draw on our research strengths and expertise across industries to build and use AI technologies to address national issues like drought, energy stability and health.” The report identifies three areas

Competition in NBN wholesale market keeps growing

TL Bureau, Canberra

With more than half a million new services added between July and September, the NBN is now providing over 6.1 million residential broadband services, according to the ACCC’s latest quarterly Wholesale Market Indicators Report released today.

The report also shows that more wholesale access seekers are directly connecting with the NBN at more NBN points of interconnect (POIs). There were at least nine different wholesale access seeker groups directly connected to the NBN at all of the 121 POIs in the September quarter, while at least ten access seekers were connected at 119 of the POIs. The number of higher speed plans taken up by Australian consumers continues to increase. Almost two thirds of all NBN services are now higher speed services of 50Mbps and above.

50Mbps plans continue to be the most popular, comprising 57.1 per cent of all NBN residential services, while 100Mbps plans account for 8.5 per cent.

While access seekers have taken advantage of promotions and wholesale bundles to entice consumers onto higher speed plans, more than 2.1 million Australians remain on 12Mbps and 25Mbps plans.

Just over 1 million consumers are on the entry-level 12Mbps speed tier.

“These lower speed products play a crucial role in the transition from legacy services to the NBN. The ACCC is committed to ensuring that customers who have no need for, or do not want, higher speed services have access to basic affordable broadband products on the NBN,” Mr Sims said.

In October the ACCC announced an

inquiry into NBN wholesale charges with a focus on entry-level products.

Connectivity Virtual Circuit (CVC), which is the NBN bandwidth acquired by wholesale access seekers to provide data to their customers, increased 3.2 per cent on a per user basis over the quarter from 1.75Mbps to 1.80Mbps. This has grown from 1.01Mbps in March 2016, when the ACCC’s first Wholesale Market Indicators Report was published.

Further information, including time series data, is available on the ACCC website at NBN Wholesale Market Indicators.

The ACCC’s Wholesale Market Indicators report contains information on wholesale access services acquired over the NBN. An NBN wholesale access service is used by an NBN access seeker to supply a retail service to its own customers or, alternatively, to supply a wholesale service to another RSP. Most small RSPs do not directly connect with NBN Co, instead reselling NBN services acquired from other NBN access seekers (such as Telstra, TPG and Optus).

Change in speed tiers December 2017 to September 2019

TC4 AVCs 12Mbps 25Mbps 50Mbps 100Mbps December 2017 1,022,494 1,884,662 158,959 400,848 Low/high speed

83.8% 16.2% September 2019 1,005,244 1,119,492 3,532,116 523,095 Low/high speed 34.3% 65.5%

where Australia is well positioned to use AI technologies to transform existing industries and build new ones: for better health, aged care and disability service – to reduce healthcare costs, improve wellbeing and make quality aged care accessible for all Australians; for better towns, cities and infrastructure – to improve the safety, efficiency, costeffectiveness and quality of the built environment; and for better natural resource management – to enhance our natural resource

management, reduce the costs and improve the productivity of agriculture, fisheries, forestry and environmental management.

The report also suggests areas of focus to advance the development and adoption of AI technologies in Australia including skills, infrastructure, research, regulation and data governance. “This report continues the conversation the Morrison Government is leading with our businesses, researchers, and the community to ensure the actions we take benefit all Australians,” Minister Andrews said.

ANZ Terminals, GrainCorp deal not opposed with divestments

TL Bureau, Canberra

The ACCC has decided that it will not oppose ANZ Terminals Pty Ltd’s proposed acquisition of GrainCorp Bulk Liquid Terminals (ASX:GNC).

The ACCC’s review focused on competition for the supply of portside bulk liquid storage services in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, where ANZ Terminals and GrainCorp both provide storage of base oils, chemicals and edible oils/fats. The decision not to oppose the acquisition follows ANZ Terminals providing a courtenforceable undertaking to divest its Osborne facility in South Australia to a purchaser to be approved by the ACCC. In addition, GrainCorp’s bulk liquid facility at Port Kembla has been excluded from the transaction and will remain part of GrainCorp.

“The divestment of the Osborne facility and exclusion of the Port Kembla facility alleviate our competition concerns in New South Wales and South Australia, as the competitive structure in these markets will be maintained,” ACCC Commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said.

The transaction had initially raised significant competition concerns, particularly in NSW and South Australia, which are highly concentrated markets. The ACCC had published a statement of issues seeking further submissions from

interested parties in July.

ANZ Terminals and GrainCorp also operate in Melbourne, where they are the two largest providers of nonfuel bulk liquid storage in the Port of Melbourne.

“Customer switching between ANZ Terminals and GrainCorp in Melbourne is quite limited because of the lack of available storage capacity for third parties.

GrainCorp in particular reserves a significant portion of its capacity for its oils business. We found that a critical driver of competition was not incumbency, but the ability to expand and win contracts based on new tanks being built,” Mr Ridgeway said.

The ACCC found that ANZ Terminals had no ability to expand easily on Coode Island at the Port of Melbourne while others had more options to expand. The ACCC consequently accepted an obligation in the undertaking from ANZ Terminals that it will not lease any more of the limited land remaining at the Port of Melbourne’s Coode Island without receiving ACCC clearance to do so.

“This obligation will allow the ACCC to assess any future land acquisitions

by ANZ Terminals on Coode Island. It will assist in ensuring that competitive tension from the threat of new tanks being built by competitors is likely to continue into the future,” Mr Ridgeway said.

8

FEATURE

Stanford researchers explore how citizens can become agents of environmental change Some programs work better than others when it comes to involving citizens in preserving the environment.

After reviewing those that worked, Stanford researchers propose a blueprint for how others can educate people to maximize their impact.

BY ROB JORDAN, California If you like to walk in the woods, raft a river, dig in a garden or look at butterflies, you could become an agent of change.

Elementary school students in Palo Alto, California, check for eggs at their school farm.

(Image credit: Nicole Ardoin) Science and policy may not be enough to solve complex environmental challenges ranging from species extinction to water pollution, but actively engaged citizens could tip the balance, according to a new Stanford-led study that provides a blueprint for empowering people to turn the tide of environmental destruction. In Biological Conservation, the researchers outline four key facets of programs that have been successful in motivating and training people to have a meaningful impact.

“Effective environmental education moves people to persistent action through engaging with issues in relevant ways,” said study lead author Nicole Ardoin, an associate professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.

“Without it, making sustained change on environmental and sustainability issues simply is not possible.”

While the rate of climate change and species extinction intensifies, the U.S. outdoor recreation sector is growing more than one-and-a-half-times faster than the overall economy.

Environmental education: Keys to success

1) Focus on local environmental issues or locally relevant dimensions of global issues

Example: Students in a reforestation project created nurseries, improved their abilities to serve as custodians, and participated in plantings on school grounds, as well as in other deforested parts of the community, with the goal of reconnecting with local ecosystems and enhancing student capabilities to serve as custodians.

2) Collaborate with scientists and resource managers

Example: A program brought together prison inmates with scientists, students and natural area managers to encourage lifelong learning, support ecological research and promote habitat restoration through plant production and captive rearing of animals in correctional facilities. Conservation practitioners provided the knowledge that resulted in raising and releasing approximately 550 frogs, 4,000 butterflies and 1 million plants.

3) Incorporate action elements into programs

Example: University students’ sea turtle research and habitat assessment resulted in a proposal to the Mexican government for a marine protected area, with recommendations for fishing activity zones for resource and ecotourism uses.

4) Measure and report program outcomes

Example: Researchers in a reforestation education initiative reported not only the number of trees planted but also provided data on the survival rates of planted trees.

Historic federal legislation passed earlier this year is opening more than a million acres of wildlands to public access. Increasingly, nonprofit groups and government agencies are harnessing this growing interest in nature as a force for conserving it. The question for them has been what kinds of activities or educational engagement have the most measurable impact.

To get at that question, the researchers analyzed reviews of more than 100 environmental education programs that addressed topics such as habitat protection and restoration, water quality, energy conservation, climate change and recycling.

From this, the researchers gleaned four keys to maximizing the chance that programs will

help citizens make meaningful environmental impacts: focus on locally relevant issues; collaborate with experts; incorporate action-oriented learning strategies and approaches, such as handson experiments and policy recommendations; and measure outcomes. The researchers point to citizen science as an example of the four principles at work. At its best, citizen science involves members of the general public participating in aspects of science initiatives from design to implementation.

Their hands-on engagement in the conservation effort yields reliable, usable data. These initiatives provide community members with avenues for collecting and measuring localscale data, working directly

with scientists and research managers on relevant research and documenting outcomes.

Incorporating the study’s findings into new environmental education programs could help more conservation organizations and agencies involve the public effectively in improving environmental quality. It could also help cyclists, river rafters, hikers and others contribute directly to the nature they enjoy.

Study co-authors include researchers from Virginia Tech and 4Research. The North American Association for Environmental Education funded the research through its eeWORKS initiative, a collaboration among nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

9

life and real estate

Tourism’s night of nights crowns NSW’s top businesses

The State was on show last night as the NSW Tourism Awards crowned the winners in 27 categories, including the NSW Government’s signature event, Vivid Sydney, which took out the Major Festivals and Events Category.

TL Bureau, Sydney Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, congratulated the recipients and said they epitomized the high calibre and characteristics of the diverse range of tourism products and experiences on offer across NSW. “Tourism is vital to our State’s economy, so to be recognised at the NSW Tourism Awards is a truly outstanding achievement.

“Beyond our spectacular natural scenery and iconic capital city, the highlight for many visitors to NSW is the individuals who front these award-winning experiences, who exude contagious passion and excitement and ensure every trip to our State is simply unforgettable”.

“These businesses now go on to represent our State in the Australian Tourism Awards and I wish them the very best of luck,” Mr Ayres said.

Managed by the Tourism Industry division of the NSW Business Chamber, the state’s peak business organisation, and proudly supported by the NSW Government, the NSW Tourism Awards celebrate and acknowledge tourism excellence in NSW. The 30th annual NSW Tourism Award winners include: MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS sponsored by Sydney Airport Gold – The Australian Reptile Park, Somersby TOURIST ATTRACTIONS sponsored by Destination NSW Gold – Outback Astronomy, Broken Hill Silver – Forestry Corporation of NSW: Sealy Lookout, Orara East State Forest, Coffs Harbour Bronze – Oakvale Wildlife Park, Salt Ash MAJOR FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

sponsored by Sydney Airport Gold - Destination NSW: Vivid Sydney 2019 Silver - Splendour in the Grass 2018, Byron Bay Bronze - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2019: West Side Story FESTIVALS AND EVENTS sponsored by NSW Business Chamber Gold - Grazing Down the Lachlan, Forbes Silver - Deni Ute Muster, Deniliquin Bronze - Lismore Lantern Parade ECOTOURISM sponsored by Forestry Corporation of NSW Gold - Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay Silver – Sydney by Kayak, Lavender Bay Bronze - Wolgan Valley Eco Tours CULTURAL TOURISM sponsored

by Sydney Airport Gold - Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, Port Macquarie Silver – Nundle Woollen Mill Bronze - Old Dubbo Gaol Highly Commended - Q Station, Sydney Harbour National Park, Manly QANTAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER TOURISM Gold - The Giingan Experience

by Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation, Coffs Harbour Silver – Bundyi Cultural Tours, Wagga Wagga Bronze - Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours, Coffs Harbour SPECIALISED TOURISM SERVICES sponsored by NSW Business Chamber Gold - Blue Ginger Picnics, Kingscliff Silver – Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet,

Sydney| Bronze - South Coast Nannies, Nowra VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICES sponsored by Destination NSW Gold – Mudgee Region Tourism: Visitor Information Services Silver – Shoalhaven City Council: Visitor Services Bronze - Warrumbungle National Park Visitor Centre Highly Commended - Albury Visitor Information Centre BUSINESS EVENT VENUES sponsored by Destination NSW Gold – Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains, MGallery by Sofitel Silver - Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley Bronze - Elements of Byron, Byron Bay MAJOR TOUR AND/OR TRANSPORT OPERATORS sponsored by NSW Business Chamber Gold & Hall of Fame – Moonshadow - TQC Cruises, Nelson Bay Silver – AAT Kings, Sydney TOUR AND/OR TRANSPORT OPERATORS sponsored by Signature Media Gold – Port Stephens 4WD Tours, Nelson Bay Silver – Beyond Ballooning, Lovedale ADVENTURE TOURISM sponsored

by Forestry Corporation of NSW Gold – Emu Trekkers, Sydney & Blue Mountains Silver – Sand Dune Adventures, Williamtown Bronze - Beyond Ballooning, Lovedale DESTINATION MARKETING - sponsored by Tourism Australia Gold – Orange360: Extend the Weekend campaign Silver – Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association: Hunter Valley

‘Here’s to the Good Life’ Campaign Bronze - Clarence Valley Council: My Clarence Valley Tourism TOURISM RESTAURANTS AND CATERING SERVICES sponsored

by Sydney Weekender Gold – The River Deck, South Albury Silver – Bent on Food, Wingham Bronze - Yots Café, Darling Harbour TOURISM WINERIES, DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES sponsored by Destination NSW Gold – Heifer Station Wines, Orange Silver – Brokenwood Wines Cellar Door, Pokolbin Bronze - Tumut River Brewing Co CARAVAN & HOLIDAY PARKS sponsored by Caravan & Camping Industry Association NSW Gold – NRMA Port Macquarie Breakwall Holiday Park Silver – Reflections Holiday Parks Seal Rocks Bronze - Ingenia Holidays South West Rocks Highly Commended - BIG4 Great Lakes at Forster-Tuncurry HOSTED ACCOMMODATION sponsored by Business Energy Advice Program Gold – Telegraph Retreat Cottages, Telegraph Point Silver – Eldee Station, Silverton UNIQUE ACCOMMODATION sponsored by Business Energy Advice Program Gold – Sierra Escape, Mudgee Silver – Q Station, Sydney Harbour National Park, Manly SELF CONTAINED ACCOMMODATION sponsored

by Business Energy Advice Program Gold – Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga Silver – Peppertree Hill Luxury Farm Cottages, Mudgee Bronze - Macquarie Waters Boutique Apartment Hotel, Port Macquarie

STANDARD ACCOMMODATION sponsored by Business Energy Advice Program Gold – Macquarie 4 Star, Lake Macquarie Silver – Cadell on the Murray Motel Resort, Moama - Echuca Bronze - Manera Heights Apartments, Dubbo DELUXE ACCOMMODATION sponsored by Destination NSW Gold – Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains, MGallery by Sofitel Silver – Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa Bronze - The Parkview Hotel Mudgee LUXURY ACCOMMODATION sponsored by Business Energy Advice Program Gold – Elements of Byron, Byron Bay Silver – Mt Hay Retreat, Berry Bronze – Dovecote, Gerringong NEW TOURISM BUSINESS sponsored by NSW Business Chamber Gold – Faraway Domes, Warialda Silver – Table Under a Tree, Rosebank Bronze - Bangalay Luxury Villas, Shoalhaven Heads EXCELLENCE IN FOOD TOURISM sponsored by Sydney Weekender Gold – Margan Wines & Restaurant, Broke Silver – Cupitt’s Winery, Brewery & Fromagerie, Ulladulla Bronze - Food I Am, Wagga Wagga * DEAN GORDDARD AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO NSW sponsored by Qantas Winner: Janette Hyde * EXCELLENCE IN ACCESSIBLE TOURISM sponsored by Tourism Australia Gold – Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga Silver – Oakvale Wildlife Park, Salt Ash Bronze - Australia in Style, Randwick.

Ribbon Cut For The “Renovated” Calata Delle QANTAS CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS TAKE OFF AS Vele Quay And Palacrociere Terminal 1.

DIRECT LONDON-SYDNEY RESEARCH FLIGHT LANDS TL Bureau, Savona

Twenty-two million euros invested in the historic port of Savona. Savona.

Palacrociere terminal 1 were inaugurated in the historic port of Savona.

The ceremony was attended by the city’s mayor, Ilaria Caprioglio, the Liguria Region president, Giovanni Toti, the president of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini, and the president of Costa Cruises Neil Palomba. In keeping with tradition, the ceremony was also blessed by Mons.

Angelo Monaco.

The total investment made by the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority to renovate the quay, and by Costa Cruises on the terminal, amounts to around 22 million euros. The work was completed within the expected timescale and has adapted the main cruise ship quay to the requirements of the latest generation of ships. Costa Cruise has therefore regained access to its historic quay, where millions of passengers have regularly disembarked over the last fifteen years or so, making the Savona hub one of the busiest cruise

ports in Italy and Europe.

Allowing the quay to accommodate the most recently built ships required the sea bed to be deepened from the initial -9 meters to -11, which involved reinforcing quays 9 and 10 and the installation of scaffolding supported by pillars on the front of quay 8. The investment of 17 million euros made by the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority fully respected the project timetable for the arrival of the Costa Diadema.

Paolo Emilio Signorini, president of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, said: “ Supporting the cruise sector is a priority for the Port Authority. This priority is shared with Costa Cruises, which made the considerable investments needed to adapt its home port’s passenger facilities as a further successful step forward in the fruitful relationship it has always had with the authority.”

President Signorini continued: “Savona and Genoa are in the top 10 Italian ports with a positive trend for the current year and excellent forecasts for 2020 that reinforce this trend, making Liguria the top Italian region in terms of the number of cruise travelers received.

TL Bureau, SYDNEY Project Sunrise research flight direct from London to Sydney lands after 19 hours and 19 minutes Qantas announces Centenary program to celebrate 100 years of the flying kangarooRoyal Australian Mint unveils commemorative $1 centenary coin Qantas exhibition to visit a number of cities across Australia Qantas has kicked off 12 months of centenary celebrations as it marks a fresh milestone in aviation with a non-stop London to Sydney flight. Flown by the latest addition to the national carrier’s

fleet, a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed in Sydney at 12:28pm, 19 hours and 19 minutes after leaving Heathrow. It follows the non-stop New York to Sydney flight last month as the second of three research flights aim at improving crew and passenger wellbeing on ultra long haul services under consideration.

The direct flight reduced total travel time by around two hours compared with current one-stop services from the east coast of Australia. It is only the second time any commercial airline has flown this route non-stop, after Qantas flew a near-empty 747-400 in 1989. (See more detail on research flight at end of this release.)

10

SPORTS

2020 SUNCORP SUPER NETBALL FIXTURE REVEALED TL Bureau, Fitzroy

The full 2020 Suncorp Super Netball fixture has revealed that netball fans will be treated to 18 weeks of action, all kicking off on Saturday 2 May and ending with the Grand Final on Sunday 30 August.

With the introduction of the league’s first ever split round (Round 8), fans will enjoy 18 weeks of competition and teams will enjoy a mid-season bye with Round 8’s usual four matches split over two weekends in June.

As was revealed earlier this week, the 2020 season gets off to a huge start with the opening round featuring a Grand Final re-match between the NSW Swifts and Sunshine Coast

IOC awards broadcast rights to the Japan Consortium through to 2032 TL Bureau, Tokyo

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the Japan Consortium (JC) the broadcast rights in Japan for the Olympic Games during the period from 2026 to 2032. The broadcaster has acquired the exclusive television and digital broadcast rights with a commitment to broadcast its most comprehensive coverage ever across all media platforms, including every single Olympic sport, with unprecedented digital content and Olympic Games coverage on free-to-air national television channels. IOC President Thomas Bach said: “With the eyes of the world focused on the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, we are delighted to continue and strengthen our partnership with a long-term broadcast partner which has successfully promoted the Olympic values in Japan since the last time the Olympic Games were in Tokyo, in 1964.

Thanks to the Japan Consortium’s sports broadcasting expertise and its passion for the Olympic values, we can ensure outstanding broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games in the years to come.

Lightning at the defending champions new home, Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.

Other fixture highlights include two league-wide themed rounds with Indigenous Round in Round 5 to coincide with National Reconciliation Week and Confident Girls Round in Round 9. The fixture also reveals the return of the hugely successful Queen’s Birthday public holiday showdown between the Collingwood Magpies and Melbourne Vixens, and that matches will be played in Launceston and Canberra, bringing Suncorp Super Netball to regional areas.Suncorp Super Netball CEO Chris Symington said if the 2019 season showed fans anything, it was

that anything is possible with the NSW Swifts not only playing in their first finals series but winning the premiership, and the Collingwood Magpies bumping GIANTS Netball from their finals berth in the dying second of the home and away season.

“Not many could have predicted the storylines that came from the incredible 2019 Suncorp Super Netball season and we have no doubt that 2020 will feature much of the same, edge-of-your seat action,” he said. “Suncorp Super Netball reached more people than ever before in 2019 and we look forward to bringing another stellar season of the world’s premier netball competition to netball fans right across Australia and the

world.” Like previous seasons, two Suncorp Super Netball matches per round will be broadcast live on Nine’s main channel during familyfriendly timeslots and two matches will be exclusive to Telstra TV, with all four matches available on the Netball Live Official App, both live and on demand. All eight Suncorp Super Netball clubs will continue to play each other once at home, and once away.

All matches being held at RAC Arena in Perth will be officially confirmed as soon as possible.

Club memberships for the 2020 season are now on sale and tickets for the season will go on sale in early March.

Stage set for FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying TournamentsImage TL Bureau, MIES (SWITZERLAND)

The stage is set for FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament action, with the rosters of participating national teams finalized across the five separate regional events in Africa, Americas and Asia-Oceania.

Hosted in Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Mozambique and New Zealand, the five tournaments will take place from November 14 to 17 and qualify 10 teams to next year’s FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, where Tokyo 2020 berths will ultimately be decided.

The FIBA Women’s Olympic PreQualifying African Tournament will send two teams to the next phase of the qualification process, while the Americas and Asia-Oceania regions will be represented by four teams each.

All 32 games of the Pre-Qualifying Tournaments will be livestreamed across the FIBA YouTube and Facebook channels.

In Europe, the top six teams from FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2019 have already qualified directly to the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2020.

These teams are Spain, France, Serbia, Great Britain, Sweden and Belgium.

Katy Perry set to ‘Roar’ at ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final on International Women’s Day

TL Bureau, Melbourne

100 days-to-go until the start of the biggest women’s sporting event ever held in Australia.

Global pop superstar Katy Perry will perform exclusively at the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 on Sunday 8 March - International Women’s Day – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Performing

during both the pre-game show and the post-match celebration, Perry will be part of what is anticipated to be the biggest women’s cricket match of all time.

The final at the MCG, to be played under lights, presents a ground-breaking opportunity to set a new world record for attendance at a women’s sporting fixture on the day when equality and women’s achievements are celebrated

globally. The current record crowd of 90,185 was set at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Pasadena, California.

The announcement coincides with 100 days-to-go until the start of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with hosts and defending champions Australia to take on India in a blockbuster opening match at Sydney Showground Stadium on Friday 21 February 2020.

11

The Golden Steering Wheel awards 2019: two wins for BMW.

TL Bureau, Munich.

The winners of the Golden Steering Wheel awards have traditionally been decided on the basis of a readers’ poll and expert opinion – and German motoring magazine Auto Bild and Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag stuck to this proven formula to select this year’s outstanding new automotive arrivals. Two of the sought-after trophies were claimed by BMW, with the new BMW 1 Series picking up the Golden Steering Wheel 2019 in the Compact Cars category and the new BMW 8 Series crowned the year’s most beautiful car.

The awards were presented yesterday at a gala event in Berlin, where Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, accepted the two Golden Steering Wheels for the BMW 1 Series and 8 Series.

The Golden Steering Wheel awards have been running since 1976 and are considered among Europe’s most prestigious car industry accolades. A total of 58 new models were nominated across seven categories this year. First, the three most popular models in each category were chosen in a readers’ poll. And these then came under the critical eye of a panel of 15 highly qualified judges, including legendary racing drivers Walter Röhrl and HansJoachim Stuck. All of the finalists were closely scrutinised by the experts at the Lausitzring proving grounds near Dresden. The readers of Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag were also asked to choose the most beautiful new car of the year from the 58 candidates.

Test drives in the new BMW 1 Series gave the judges the chance to explore its fresh take on the brand’s renowned driving pleasure. The third generation of the premium compact model is the first to

tech/auto

ZF and Danfoss Seal Strategic Partnership

New joint R&D initiative at the interface between power modules and inverters Danfoss awarded automotive traction power modules supply contract for ZF volume production projects

TL Bureau, Schweinfurt/Nordborg

employ BMW’s advanced front-wheeldrive architecture – and it delivers an exhilarating blend of class-leading agility and dynamism. Credit here goes to the flawless interplay of cutting-edge chassis systems and innovative technologies, plus the integration of all key driving dynamics components and control systems. An important factor is the ARB (near-actuator wheel slip limitation) technology familiar from the BMW i models, which is now making its debut in a combustion-engined vehicle. This system significantly improves traction when pulling away, cornering or driving in the wet by allowing wheel slip to

be controlled much more sensitively and swiftly.

The new BMW 1 Series also scored highly for its significantly increased interior space, its sophisticated driver assistance systems and the latest control/ operation and connectivity innovations.

Key new features include the standard Active Guard Plus system featuring Speed Limit Info, lane departure warning, collision and pedestrian warning with city braking function, the BMW Head-Up Display (available as an option for the first time) and the likewise optional voice-controlled BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Danfoss Silicon Power GmbH have stepped up their existing cooperation with a new strategic partnership for silicon- and silicon-carbide power modules. The partners plan to improve the efficiency of electric drivelines by leveraging engineering and cost benefits at the interface between power modules and inverters. “This is a robust long-term partnership that enables ZF and Danfoss to pool their strengths. Coming together on this opens up significant innovation potential to improve the technical and commercial competitiveness of our inverters.

We will utilize this advantage in all our drivetrain applications, from hybrid up to full electric applications,” explains Jörg Grotendorst, Head of ZF’s E-Mobility Division. The partnership will see the two companies engage in joint research and development, with Danfoss also supplying power modules for silicon applications. One of the first major milestones in this new initiative is a supply contract for Danfoss power modules destined for large-scale ZF volume production projects. Beside 400 Volt standard applications the two companies have also begun co-developing an 800 Volt Silicon Carbide power module for a large volume production project, aiming to position themselves at the forefront of this new segment.

likelihood of damage or injury; and high standards of pedestrian protection performance.

An excellent Child Occupant score of 86% included full marks in Child Restraint System installation checks and for child protection in the lateral impact

test. Vulnerable Road User (pedestrian safety) tests achieved a score of 80%, with maximum points for pedestrian leg and pelvis area protection. A score of 77% in the Safety Assist category recognizes the efficiency of the new Mazda CX-30’s comprehensive suite of i-Activsense safety features.

The superior driving dynamics achieved as a result of Mazda’s Skyactiv Technology also contribute to the new Mazda CX-30’s five-star Euro NCAP achievement, delivering a linear, responsive and predictable acceleration, braking, handling, and steering. By making the car easier to drive safely, the technologies reduce the potential for accidents without compromising Mazda’s traditional fun-to-drive character.

Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary-General of Euro NCAP, said: “Congratulations to Mazda for another almost-perfect score in adult occupant safety. There are still several cars to be rated in 2019 but it is unlikely we will see better for this part of the assessment.”

Mazda CX-30 gets record score for safety of adult occupants in Euro NCAP test

TL Bureau, Leverkusen

The new Mazda CX-30 has been awarded the maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP in its latest series of tests with an exceptional 99% score in the Adult Occupant category.

The Mazda CX-30 also achieved maximum points for frontal full-width impact, as well as for both barrier and pole side impacts. Mazda’s Smart Brake Support system also gained full marks in low-speed tests, with collisions avoided in all scenarios.

Following the Mazda6 last year and the All-New Mazda3 earlier this year, this is the third Mazda to achieve an overall five-star rating under the new, more stringent 2018 Euro NCAP crashworthiness ratings.

The Mazda CX-30 performed impressively in all four Euro NCAP test categories - Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Vulnerable Road User (pedestrian safety) and Safety Assist. The rating is a result of three

key factors: the adoption of the very latest Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture, which features a high-rigidity, impactabsorbing yet lightweight bodyshell; a wide range of advanced i-Activsense safety technologies which help drivers identify potential risks and reduce the

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BRICS leaders’ meeting Vladimir Putin took part in a meeting of heads of state and government of BRICS member countries.

TL Bureau, Brasilia Itamaraty Palace in the capital of Brazil was the venue of a meeting of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Before the consultations, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping and Cyril Ramaphosa posed for a group photo.

Speaking at the meeting, Vladimir Putin outlined the priorities of Russia’s BRICS presidency in 2020 and invited the member states’ leaders to the next summit in Russia.

The Brasilia Declaration was adopted following the 11th BRICS Summit meeting.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: President Bolsonaro, Prime Minister Modi, President Xi Jinping, President Ramaphosa, Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I completely agree with President Bolsonaro’s praise of the work done

by BRICS. Over the past 10 years, BRICS has achieved serious results and has gained a reputation as a respected association. At the same time, the coordination mechanisms

established within BRICS make it possible to cooperate effectively in politics, security, trade, finance and culture.It is important that the BRICS countries closely cooperate in addressing global and regional problems. Together we speak in favour of strict compliance with the norms of international law and the central role of the United Nations in international affairs. Our countries promote the influence of developing countries in the global management system, as well the establishment of a more just global order.

NATO Secretary General participates in meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS

TL Bureau, Washington D.C.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (14 November 2019).

Mr. Stoltenberg stressed that all Allies agree on the need to safeguard the gains made by the Coalition, and support UN-led efforts to achieve a sustainable political solution in Syria. He further pointed to NATO’s training missions in Iraq and Afghanistan as important contributions in the fight against international terrorism.

On Wednesday (13 November 2019), the

Secretary General attended a reception hosted by the US Department of Defence and a meeting with a group of chief

09/11).

Only half of Yemen’s health facilities are currently operating, causing people to travel long distances in search of essential services and forcing many to go without. Prior to the conflict in 2015, public facilities were already strained.

Today, the lack of financial resources, doctors, medicine and medical equipment has caused further deterioration, while the increased number of people seeking medical assistance in certain areas has

President of Ukraine had a phone conversation with Donald Tusk TL Bureau, Kyiv

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of the European Council Donald Tusk.

The parties discussed the course of implementation of the agreements of the 21st EU-Ukraine Summit.

Donald Tusk commended a substantial intensification of reforms in Ukraine, particularly in the context of the implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union.

A separate topic of discussion was the energy security in Europe and the situation with the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project. The interlocutors agreed on the importance of unconditional adherence to the EU energy legislation by all EU member states. The President of Ukraine thanked Donald Tusk for his important personal role in the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union during his tenure as President of the European Council and wished him success in his future activities.

For his part, Donald Tusk assured of his continued support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for reforms in our country.

Finland promotes rule of law and security in the Western Balkans TL Bureau, Helsinki

The EU–Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs will take place in Skopje, North Macedonia, on 18–19 November 2019. Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson will chair the justice affairs session. Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo will chair the home affairs session.

At this year’s forum, the ministers will hear how the Western Balkans have progressed in the development of the rule of law and fight against corruption. The aim is to reaffirm the political commitment to continue rule of law reforms, and to discuss how to increase cooperation with the EU in several areas of judiciary.

The ministers of justice will discuss the effective implementation of judicial reforms in the Western Balkans region.

Also on the agenda are prison conditions executives focused on the defence and use of alternative sanctions, and the industry where he delivered a short implementation of recommendations on electoral practices. The home affairs speech. ministers will discuss the situations and needs of the partners of the Western Balkan migration route. The Western overwhelmed health facilities.

Balkans continue to face strong “Our lives are difficult in terms of income, migratory pressures, as the region is education, health services, water and one of the most common routes into transportation,” said Maryam, a Yemeni the European Union. Other topics woman living in Birali, Lahj governorate, of the home affairs session include where IOM helped get the local health closer cooperation in border control centre back up and running. “When there and combating terrorism and organised was no health centre, we had to travel to crime. During its Presidency of the Hadramout or Aden (approximately 120 Council of the EU, Finland wants to and 450 kilometres away, respectively); promote dialogue with the Western a woman in labour couldn’t do that,” Balkans in the area of justice and she added. home affairs.

IOM Provides Over 1 Million Health Consultations in Yemen Since Start of 2019

TL Bureau, Sana’a With more than four years of conflict pushing the public sector to a breaking point, people in Yemen are struggling to access health care. As part of its emergency lifesaving services and support to the health sector to ensure it continues to function, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has carried out 1,095,072 health consultations for displaced and conflict affected Yemenis and migrants in 2019 (as of

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