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Home/News/Latest news/FPA2 Environmental Photography Award calls for humanity's attention to vulnerable Beauty of Nature
FPA2 Environmental Photography Award calls for humanity's attention to vulnerable Beauty of Nature
8 May , 2021
"Traces of life in the realm of death" by Maxim Sayapin, winner of the second category (Technical Jury).© Maxim Sayapin
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (@FPA2) has been fostering nature protection, sustainability and green ethics for fifteen years. Then this key institution, in direct contact with major international decision makers and stakeholders, has decided to deepen through a substantial photo contest the main theme: 'Humanity & Wildlife: crossed destinies, shared territories' in order to celebrate better future achievements.
The Environmental Photography Award, at its first edition, has just had a great success of public and 1,400 photographers from all over the world took up the challenge and sent about 6,000 striking photo shoots within three categories: 1. Incredible Wildlife, 2. Wildlife in Crisis and 3. Reasons for Hope. What best represents the wonder of Nature? How can you hit the viewer's attention on the Environment affected by human impacts? How to demonstrate that Man can live 'peacefully' with other living beings? These are the premises from which all the participants started developing their ideas.
Iconic setting of the 1st Environmental Photography Award exposition by FPA2 (Principality of Monaco, May 2021).© FPA2
The most beautiful snapshots (more than forty) are being shown in world premiere until the 1st June 2021 in the relaxing setting of Jardins des Boulingrins, next to One-Montecarlo and the Casino.
HelloMonaco paid a special guided tour on Wednesday the 5th May 2021. All pics were selected by a quality Jury made up of accomplished photographers and representatives from prominent institutions committed in the sustainable turnaround.
"Gorilla by the Water" by Kathleen Ricker, photographer fond of Ugandan mountain gorillas, was ranked first. This stunning image "has perfectly captured the magic of the moment when the gorilla forgets her presence to concentrate on crossing the river in the heart of the sumptuous Ugandan forest", as underlined by Jean-Michel Krief, experienced chimpanzee photographer, part of the Jury.
"Gorilla by the Water" by Kathleen Ricker on display at Jardins des Boulingrins (Principality of Monaco, May 2021). © FPA2
"This photo contest is truly centred on the beauty of Nature, wildlife in danger and it raises the seeking for hope, boosting a harmonious coexistence with the natural realm, without moralizing", highlighted Olivier Wenden, Vice-President of FPA2 and jury member, in his opening speech – "we set ourselves the parallel objective as for the decision makers invited to give concrete responses for the respect of the environment and human health which strictly depends on it as the present moment is witnessing " – "respect towards animals was a must in selecting the best outcomes, mostly settled in natural reserves or geographical areas particularly ecological", he added.
Olivier Wenden, vice-president of FPA2, and Nick Danziger, photographer, author and documentary film maker (Jardins des Boulingrins, 5th May 2021).© Maurizio Abbati
Any naturalist photographer needs knowledge to get a good result. But what are the win-win ingredients? HelloMonaco asked Nick Danziger (N.D.), established British photographer, author and documentary film maker, particularly attached to Monaco, acting as Juror.
Nick Danziger, photographer, author and documentary film maker (Jardins des Boulingrins, 5th May 2021).© Maurizio Abbati
HelloMonaco: What makes a 'green' shot really unique?
N.D.: It is a combination of several elements: composition, light and context. 'Filling the frame' is the special part which affects the feeling you can inspire. The millisecond can make the different just as being at the right place at the right time. Moreover, being familiar with the local habitat, knowing well further patterns of fauna and a certain amount of luck, can help you a lot. You can spend months to get a picture and fail many times. But you really succeed in the very moment you feel part of the Nature without interfering in it.
"Enchanted Forest" won the podium in the first category. An extraordinary night view by Lincoln MacGregor, biologist, researcher and wildlife photographer from Australia, depicting the very moment a Wombat (Australian marsupial), running about a dense forest, was lit up by fairy tale bioluminescent mushrooms, nicknamed Ghost Fungi.
"Enchanted Forest" by Lincoln MacGregor, winner of the first category (Technical Jury).© Lincoln MacGregor
The first place for the second category went to "Traces of life in the realm of death", a meaningful photo, shot in March by Maxim Sayapin on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. In a completely natural environment a bird nest made of human marine litter jumps to the eye. A warning to all of us to take care of our Planet.
"The stag above the highway" was awarded the first prize in the third category. "This photograph is the result of a 5-month project with the hope of obtaining a unique image which I had been dreaming of for years. It is telling a story about how humans and animals can coexist and evolve around a structure (wildlife crossing over A10 highway, Charente-Maritime) which allows ecological continuity", pointed out Emmanuel Rondeau, French producer, writer and photojournalist.
"The stag above the highway" by Emmanuel Rondeau, winner of the third category (Technical Jury).© Emmanuel Rondeau
Besides the technical judgement, an extra podium for the Public Award was decided by the popular vote. "Hidden from the sight" by Mitchell Lewis won the first category for the unusual pose of a majestic Red Deer stag. "The funny thing was that he was looking straight at me; no doubt he had spotted me long before I spotted him", admitted the photographer.
"Hidden from sight" by Mitchell Lewis, winner of the first category (Public Award).© Mitchell Lewis
"Captive" by Maxime Aliaga dominated the second category for the tremendous emotional power of the young orangutan close-up behind the bars of a cage to raise awareness of illegal trafficking in wild animals with special reference to Indonesia and Malaysia. Great tenderness aroused from "Love in the Jungle" by Mathieu Courdesses, winner for the third category. A scene of great 'humanity' between mother orangutan and son deep in the Sumatran jungle still preserved from deforestation.
"Captive" by Maxime Aliaga, winner of the second category (Public Award).© Maxime Aliaga
"Love in the Jungle" by Mathieu Courdesses, winner of the third category (Public Award).© Mathieu Courdesses
"…After staying a while longer, a feeling of trust settled, and I was able to take this little moment of grace between the vines", stressed the Wildlife photographer.
For further information about 'Humanity & Wildlife: crossed destinies, shared territories', please visit: https://exposition.fpa2.org
Together in the confinement: Martine Ackermann invites everyone to their balcony to sing together


The Rising Star award recognizes outstanding professionals in Kansas City who are under the age of 40 and demonstrate tremendous work ethic and leadership skills in their businesses and communities. The honorees not only contribute time and energy to their work environments, but devote a great deal of effort to their chosen philanthropic organizations and charities.
At Lathrop Gage, Merrigan is the co-leader of the firm's environmental practice area and frequently represents clients in administrative negotiations with both the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies. She also assists clients with federal environmental laws and regulations, including permitting and compliance requirements for various environmental agencies throughout the nation.
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Learning is an active, multidimensional process that occurs both inside and outside the traditional classroom. The Gender and Women's Studies Program highly values the application of course content to the communities in which we live. Participating in internships offers an invaluable opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of social power dynamics and social change by working closely with a local, regional, national, or international organization.
You can learn firsthand how power dynamics affect people's everyday lived experiences and how nonprofit organizations work to shape positive change.
Provide our students with opportunities to contribute toward a more equitable society.
Extremely effective way to integrate theory and practice.
Internship sites can range from community activist or arts organizations to governmental agencies to public charities to educational settings to research groups. The selection of the internship site depends on the combination of student skills and interests, site availability and needs, and student and program learning goals.
Internships can be taken for up to 4 credits to count toward the Gender and Women's Studies major or minor. In some cases, a Practicum may also be appropriate, and students may count up to 3 practicum credits towards their Women's Studies degree.
For more information, please contact the Gender and Women's Studies Director, Beth Berila.
Note: Several majors that are commonly paired with Gender and Women's Studies majors and minors, including Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology, also require or encourage internships. If this is the situation with you, talk with your advisors in Gender and Women's Studies and in your major discipline to explore the possibility of double-counting some internship credits.


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Tan Jee Say (; born 12 February 1954) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who stood for the 2011 presidential election. He also founded the defunct political party, Singaporeans First.

Education
Tan graduated from University College, Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) under the Government Overseas Merit Scholarship.

Career
Tan had worked in the Civil Service for 11 years, including six years in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) from 1979 to 1985, before leaving as Deputy Director for Economic and Manpower Planning. During that period, he served as the secretary to Albert Winsemius, the government's economic adviser, concurrently. He went on to serve as the principal private secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong from 1985 to 1990.

Tan left the Civil Service in 1990 and entered the finance industry, where he has worked for more than a decade. Tan became Director of Corporate Finance at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell in 1990. He subsequently became Head of Peregrine Capital Singapore in 1994. He was the regional managing director for AIB Govett, an asset management company, from 1997 to 2001. Tan was subsequently appointed as Regional Director for ACCA in the Asia-Pacific region in 2006.

Political career
Tan joined the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in April 2011 due to his "dismay" at Singapore's society and economy. During the 2011 general election, Tan contested the Holland–Bukit Timah GRC.

On the economy, Tan proposed S$60 billion to be set aside for a National Regeneration Plan. He called the sum "small change" compared to the government's supposed surpluses and losses in investments. The "small change" label was criticised by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan, who said Tan's plans could put 500,000 jobs at risk.

Tan proposed that Singapore shift its focus away from manufacturing to the services sector. He argued that "we should not promote manufacturing because it requires a lot of land and labour. But Singapore is short of land and labour... We want to promote, we want to use our land, limited tax incentives... promoting services sector such as medical, health sectors, education, creative industries." Tan's suggestion was rebuked by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who questioned his qualifications. Lee said the manufacturing sector is more "steady" compared to the "volatile" services sector. In response, Tan pointed out that his proposals were endorsed by Lord Butler of Brockwell, British Cabinet Secretary from 1988 to 1998. He disputed Lee's assertion that the manufacturing sector is more steady by citing a 2009 study by the Ministry of Trade and Industry which concluded that the services sector as a whole has a relatively low volatility.

During the campaign, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong claimed that Tan left the Civil Service because Goh "did not think he could make it as a permanent secretary." Tan refuted Goh's claims and explained that he had intended to leave the Civil Service in 1984 after his scholarship bond ended, but was persuaded by Goh to become the latter's principal private secretary. After serving as Goh's principal private secretary for five years, Tan said he stated his intent to leave again, which Goh accepted.

Tan's team, composed of Vincent Wijeysingha, Ang Yong Guan and Michelle Lee Juen, lost to the PAP team led by Vivian Balakrishnan, which won 60.1% of the vote.

Singaporeans First
On 25 May 2014, Tan established a new political party, Singaporeans First, which pledged to put "Singaporeans at the heart of the nation". He is now advocating abolishing GST. When Tan was asked by Chris of the TR Emeritus that Singaporeans saw him as an opportunist, he responded that in Singapore there are very few platforms for alternative views to be expressed as the public media is dominated by the government and that Singaporeans heard nothing but the views of the government on issues as though there is only one view in the world. He added that because of this, the General Election and the Presidential Election are important opportunities and important forums to tell Singaporeans what alternative views and solutions there are. The party did not fare long however, as he dissolved Singaporeans First on 25 June 2020.

Return to Singapore Democratic Party
On 29 June 2020, the eve of Nomination Day for the 2020 general election, Tan made a last minute bid to party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan to rejoin the SDP. His appeal was successful and he contested as an SDP candidate in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC. However, his SDP team lost to the PAP team led by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

2011 presidential election
In July 2011, Tan resigned from the SDP and announced his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election.

Platform
He campaigned on a platform of being a candidate who is "clear[ly]" independent from the ruling PAP and declared that he would be the "conscience of the nation." Tan said he could "provide real and effective checks and balances on the excesses of the PAP government" since the President has veto power in some key areas. He cited the country's new casino industry (referring to the Integrated Resorts) as an example of PAP "[losing] its moral compass."

In addition, Tan said he wanted to "raise the profile of all non-PAP forces" in preparation for the next general election. He added that he aimed to show Singaporeans that the office of the president "is not a shoo-in for the PAP."

Tan also emphasised his economics background and policymaking experience.

He pledged to lobby the government to reduce its role in private business to encourage entrepreneurship. He explained: "[I]t is not the business of Government to be in business... I think Singaporeans can get better service from people who are motivated to serve, not because they are civil servants." Among his proposals are to gradually sell Temasek Holdings' assets to the private sector and invest the earnings in education and health infrastructure. Tan estimated that Temasek Holdings accounted for 60 percent of Singapore's gross domestic product, but this claim was discredited by the company, which put the figure at 10 percent.

Tan also hoped for a review on taxes, saying: "The fact that you have accumulated huge surpluses every year... is excess of revenue over expenditure. So by having more revenue than necessary to finance government service, you are overtaxing the people. I think that's wrong."

Tan called for a minimum wage in Singapore, saying that not having one would be "unconscionable." He also said the government's "hard-nosed approach" had left some Singaporeans behind: "Whoever wants a job will get a job, whoever works enough will have a good living – that's not true. There are people who, despite all that they do, cannot make it in life here."

His campaign symbol (which is printed on the ballots) was a heart, which he said represents "empathy and compassion."

Eligibility
Doubts were initially raised over his eligibility as a presidential candidate as he did not meet the criterion of being the chief executive officer of a Singapore company with a paid-up capital of S$100 million. Tan said he was CEO with the title of regional managing director of AIB Govett Asia which managed total assets in excess of S$100 million which, in his view, would make it equivalent to managing a company with a paid-up capital of S$100 million.

He also pointed out that he had met the alternate criterion of having served for not less than three years in "any other similar or comparable position of seniority and responsibility in any other organisation or department of equivalent size or complexity in the public or private sector."

He submitted his application to the Elections Department on 4 August under the latter criterion and was awarded a certificate of eligibility (COE) a week later, along with Tony Tan, Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Kin Lian. The awarding of the COE to Tan Jee Say was seen as a liberal interpretation of the eligibility criteria by the Presidential Elections Committee.

Campaign

Tan was the only eligible candidate with no previous ties to the PAP. He is regarded as the most partisan candidate having participated in a general election under the SDP. His bid was endorsed by opposition politicians Nicole Seah, Vincent Wijeysingha, Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss, Steve Chia, and candidate-hopeful Andrew Kuan (who was not awarded a COE).

His interpretation of the president's role was challenged by Law Minister K. Shanmugam, who pointed out that the president acts only on the advice of the government and has veto power only in specific areas. Nonetheless, Tan persists on the president's check and balance role, and described the office as "a centre of moral power" rather than "a second centre of executive power."

Political pundits suggested that among Tan Jee Say, Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Kin Lian, two candidates should withdraw to facilitate a straight contest between one of them and Tony Tan, who was widely seen as the leading candidate. On 12 August, Tan Jee Say said he wouldn't back out of the contest.

Also on 12 August, Tony Tan said it would be a "grave mistake" to phase out manufacturing in Singapore. During nomination day, his supporters jeered at Tony Tan. Tan Jee Say later acknowledged that their actions were "not the correct way to conduct our campaign."

During a forum hosted by The Online Citizen attended by all four candidates on 19 August, Tan Jee Say got into a heated exchange with Tony Tan over the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows the government to detain people without trial. Tan Jee Say said that the law has been used to detain political opponents of the government, which drew a pointed response from Tony Tan, who labelled it a "very serious charge" and asked the former to back it up. Tan Jee Say shot back: "The people who have been detained have opposed the government. That's what I'm saying," before he was interjected by the moderator.

Result
Tan garnered 25.04% of the vote, behind Tan Cheng Bock's 34.85% and Tony Tan's 35.19% of the vote. Reflecting on the result, Tan conceded that his "confrontational" image may have contributed to his defeat.

After losing the presidential election, Tan declined to join any political party, and announced that he would focus on forming a coalition of opposition parties to contest the next general election. His proposal was welcomed by the Singapore People's Party, National Solidarity Party, and Reform Party.

References

External links
 Official website

1954 births
Living people
Alumni of University College, Oxford
Singapore Democratic Party politicians
Singaporean businesspeople
Singaporean civil servants
Singaporean people of Chinese descent
Independent politicians in Singapore
Singaporeans First politicians

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COVID-19 Response Services
EQUI
What is Bridge
Minding the Gap: Collecting Data on Diversity in the Development and Humanitarian Sector
By Shiro Gnanaselvam, Social Impact and Alicia Phillips Mandaville, IREX
For many organizations in the United States, attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) increased exponentially after the brutal killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 and the massive racial justice mobilization that followed. It was equally visible in international development and humanitarian organizations, a sector that also grapples with legacies of systemic racism and colonial attitudes. Many issued statements condemning the violence, pledged to support changes within and embarked on increasingly tangible pursuits of greater organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion.
However, as many of us who work in the industry are painfully aware, there have been few concrete efforts at the sectoral level to document – and therefore meaningfully address – the extent of our DEI challenge. For years, a lack of detailed, public, sector-wide data on diversity hid the pervasiveness of the problem and thus limited the extent to which individual organizations addressed it. That is about to change.
Data Gap
In the early fall of 2020, a small group of us came together in the spirit of collective action to address the fundamental data gap we had noticed. The only comprehensive, publicly available data we found was for the US government – specifically USAID over the period 2002-2018. On the research, advocacy, and implementation side of the equation, there have been a few ad hoc efforts (such as spot polls conducted by Humentum of some of their members who are participating in a particular event). Still, they have been limited in scope in one way or another. The reality is that we have no comprehensive data on the state of DEI among the hundreds of organizations that comprise our sector. We don't know what the diversity snapshot looks like at the staff, leadership, and board levels across organizations. We don't know whether this profile varies between for-profit and non-profit organizations or by organization size. We don't know what strategies and approaches others are taking to promote equity and inclusion in their organizations so that we might learn from them. And because there is no data on what is, we are limited in our ability to make commitments to improve individually and collectively, hold each other accountable and ultimately change our sector for the better.
Bridging the Data Gap
Our small coalition of organizations set out to leverage our own strengths to address the aforementioned gap by launching an initiative to establish a DEI baseline at the sectoral level. On a purely voluntary basis, we brought together Social Impact, a highly regarded measurement and evaluation company that is contributing its survey expertise; IREX a leading non-profit which brings its long history working to advance prosperous and inclusive communities worldwide; Humentum, a global nonprofit providing community, learning and operational solutions to the humanitarian and development sector; and the WILD Network, a leading global convener about best practices to advance women leadership, equity, diversity and inclusion in the global development sector. This group has been supported by a working group of Humentum members who have provided advice, guidance, and DEI expertise to the initiative.
Which brings us to this moment. In March 2021, our coalition will field the BRIDGE survey—the first sector-wide survey aimed at Benchmarking Race, Inclusion and Diversity in Global Engagement. We hope to reach approximately 400 organizations that work in our field. The survey will be anonymous with no ability (even for the survey administrator) to attribute responses back to responding organizations.
While a variety of actions at the individual, organizational and sectoral level are needed to meaningfully address the legacy of structural racism in our sector and the organizations within it, we believe that this is among the first steps we need to take. When the baseline has been established, we will know where we stand collectively at the industry level and how we compare to other industries. Individual organizations will be able to compare their internal DEI data to the industry-wide benchmark. With this information in hand, we will be able to take action individually and collectively to change the patterns we see in the data and play a part in dismantling the structures that have perpetuated the inequities we continue to see in our industry.
The more participants we have, the better the data we collect. We, therefore, welcome and encourage any and all US-based organizations working in the development/humanitarian sector – non-profits, foundations, for-profits, research entities, advocacy organizations – to take part in this survey. The top-line data will be public. Further, organizations that contribute to the survey will receive access to detailed survey results that will directly benefit their own organizational DEI efforts. To get more information about the survey and/or to ensure that your organization is included in our list of survey recipients, please visit the BRIDGE site.
Since the BRIDGE survey launched in mid March, we've learned about two efforts to measure or track race and diversity issues in the international development and humanitarian sector, and want to also acknowledge their contributions. In 2018, Quantum Impact released its State of Diversity in Global Social Impact Report, which drew on qualitative and quantitative methods to provide analysis of the representation of race and gender in leadership for the global social impact sector. Currently, the Racial Equity Index is also conducting a Global Mapping Survey as one of the first steps to explore the dimensions of racial equity, and help the sector create a true and authentic index and definition of Racial Equity for the global development space. We are especially enthusiastic about the potential complementarity between BRIDGE (with a narrow focus on diversity) and the Racial Equity Index (with a wholistic approach to equity) and look forward to seeing how both projects reinforce needed progress in our sector.
Minding the Gap: Collecting Data on Diversity in the Development and Humanitarian Sector was originally published to Humentum on March 10, 2021. View the original post here.
By Alexandra Agoglia|2021-09-20T15:44:17+00:00March 10th, 2021|
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In 1932, the radiologist Henry Pancoast first described a superior pulmonary sulcus tumor (SST) as a carcinoma (of uncertain origin) developing in the apex of the chest.
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HOUSTON - Ever the techno wrestling geek, Bob Kapur filed his report Twitter-style, giving you short bursts of his wacky life as he packs up to leave Houston -- but not without a genuine hate on for the airport there.
Tues, Apr 7, 4:43am (Houston time) -- What the hell? Get my glasses off the nightstand, and the frame is broken in half. How? Bigger mystery than who drove the white Hummer.
Tues, Apr 7, 5:09am -- On way to airport to drop off Doug, get some tape to fix them up. With my tie-dye shirt and taped glasses, just call me Mahatma Dudley.
Tues, Apr 7, 10:37am -- After some TV back in the room, head off to Houston's famed National Museum of Funeral History. No, seriously.
Tues, Apr 7, 11:42am -- Among other things is a tribute to dead Popes and U.S. Presidents. But I'm marking out for the original death certificates of all FIVE stooges!
Tues, Apr 7, 12:17pm -- Nothing in this world beats an American Denny's Grand Slam breakfast. The U.S. grits are ten times better than back home.
Tues, Apr 7, 1:48pm -- Decide to check into my flight early (5:30 departure). Wanted to buy some booze, but the airport doesn't have a Duty Free store. Heels.
Tues, Apr 7, 2:13pm -- At the food court I buy a $5 sundae. Two steps from my table, I slip on the freshly mopped floor and drop it. I hate the Houston airport.
Tues, Apr 7, 3:05pm -- Ran into George "GT Dynamite" Terzis, and talk with him until we board. Arrange to do a story on him in the near future.
Tues, Apr 7, 5:40pm -- Wheels up, on my way home. The in-flight movie selection does not include The Wrestler. Too bad, that would have been real appropriate.
Tues, Apr 7, 9:50pm (Toronto time) -- Home safe and sound. Thanks for virtual-traveling with me through my ramblings, hope it was fun for you too. See you in Phoenix in 2010!
Bob Kapur's ramblings from Houston are done. Hope you enjoyed them as much as we did. It's the most coherent he's been in months. Email Bob at bobkapur@hotmail.com.


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Pakistan Probe
It's happening now
Narendra Modi donated INR10 million to Edhi Foundation
Narendra Modi did something out of the blue but for a good cause.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered $154,083 (10 million Indian rupees) to Edhi Foundation for taking care of Geeta - a deaf and mute young Indian woman - who had mistakenly crossed border more than a decade ago.
"I don't think any amount of words is enough to thank the Edhi family for taking care of Geeta. They are apostles of kindness and compassion," Modi said in a series of tweets.
"What the Edhi family has done is too priceless to be measured, but I am happy to announce a contribution of 10 million Indian rupees to their foundation," he added.
The Indian prime minister also welcomed Geeta on her return to India and expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his efforts that ensured Geeta's return to India.
Geeta's story got fame when the indian movie Bajrangi Bhaijan got released. She was related to the film's story and philanthropists along media made efforts for her way back to home. Geeta's DNA test was due and after the affirmation, she'll be handed over to her family.
Indian PM's gesture of goodwill is highly acclaimed, this also depicts his vision towards Pakistan. It is necessary to mention here that a series of Profile for Peace was started in favor of promoting peace in both the neighboring countries, after Shiv Sena attacked PCB's chairman and threated Pakistani artists.
Welcome Geeta. It is truly wonderful to have you back home. Was truly a delight to spend time with you today. pic.twitter.com/DngJF2Tk31
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2015
I don't think any amount of words are enough to thank the Edhi family for taking care of Geeta. They are apostles of kindness & compassion.
What the Edhi family has done is too priceless to be measured but I am happy to announce a contribution of Rs. 1 crore to their foundation.
Link related to blog: DT
Posted by Sidra Kausary
Labels: Human Rights, India, International, National News, Pakistan, People
Your feedback is warmly welcomed:
Contac us at: info@pakistanprobe.com
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Home Aviation News U.K. Moves To Stop Ex-RAF Pilots From Training Chinese
U.K. Moves To Stop Ex-RAF Pilots From Training Chinese
Russ Niles
Published: October 19, 2022 Updated: October 20, 2022
The British government is considering making it illegal for retired RAF pilots to train the pilots of military adversaries after the RAF discovered as many as 30 ex-pilots had signed lucrative contracts to train Chinese pilots. The Times reported a South African intermediary had offered the retired pilots as much as $270,000 to teach People's Liberation Army pilots how best to fly against the U.K.'s finest.
The Ministry of Defence has already begun contacting the ex-pat pilots to give them some career planning advice. "We have approached the people that are involved and been clear with them that it's our expectation they would not continue to be part of that organization, and we are going to put into law, that once people have been given that warning, it will become an offense to then go forward and continue with that training," Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said.
The government is also going after "Chinese recruitment schemes attempting to headhunt serving and former UK Armed Forces pilots to train People's Liberation Army personnel." Heappey also reminded anyone who's taken the bait or is thinking about it that they are still bound by the Official Secrets Act.
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Gary B. October 20, 2022 At 7:22 am
How is that not a crime already? Seems like it's at least borderline treason.
Arthur J F. October 20, 2022 At 9:16 am
Pretty much all aviation businesses have transferred knowledge and assets to China.
I think the only issue here is that the money is going to private individuals instead of corporate interests.
Jack E. October 20, 2022 At 9:54 am
Yep. Business interests have long been selling technology to China, blessed by our own government while pols and donors of pols profit.
Now some RAF blokes make a few bucks teaching BFM and the same mob feigns affront.
Eric W. October 20, 2022 At 11:23 am
It's both the same and different, and both practices need to stop.
Arthur J F. October 20, 2022 At 12:05 pm
It's money that matters, in the USA -Randy Newman
Bibocas B. October 20, 2022 At 3:04 pm
Totally right, Mr. Erik W..
roger a. October 20, 2022 At 8:43 am
It's all a giant and confusing mess. Hell no, they shouldn't be training the Chinese. But then, every product on the Walmart shelves or any purchase of Amazon, yep made in China. Until we are able to stop that somehow, this pilot training thing is realistically a bit hypocritical unfortunately.
TJ S. October 20, 2022 At 9:59 am
That's an absurd conflation of two very dissimilar things. People buying the latest rubber dog turd technology from China at Walmart is nothing like teaching a near peer or peer competitor how to beat our front line jets like the F35.
Robert O. October 21, 2022 At 5:22 am
Yes, very dissimilar things. But hardly absurd and, it reveals the effects of the failing American education system and lack of critical thinking skills.
Do you really think Americans are still buying "rubber dog turds" at Walmart a'la 1980's? Are you old enough to remember when Walmart had signs plastered everywhere advertising all the things "Made in the USA? Hint: it was most everything sold in the store(minus the rubber dog turds). Even with the "supply chain issues" we've seen in the last years, you can't see the correlation?
While you note the drastic difference in teaching fighter pilots vs making a purchase at Walmart, you fail to note the similar outcome.
David F. October 20, 2022 At 9:02 am
I've always thought that it was a bit unfair to take away something, such as flying a state of the art fighter jet, that people could really like doing, when they leave the service. That includes being told they are too old to continue flying. This comes from someone who cannot think of life without flying. So for me, I'd ask, are the pilots doing it for the money, or for the capability to continue flying? Possibly both.
So, I'd suggest that if the RAF does not want it's pilots to fly elsewhere, then they should pay for what they want, not pass laws making it illegal. Match what the Chinese are offering. Anything else is is just becoming as bad as the "bad guys".
TJ S. October 20, 2022 At 10:08 am
Do you think the Chinese are letting the ex-RAF pilots fly their top line fighters? No way. I suspect it's more of a "spill your guts for money" exercise.
So the UK and presumably the US should just pay their ex-military pilots whatever they want to keep them from training enemy forces? Just because one leaves the military doesn't mean that person gets to tell anybody the classified information they learned therein.
" So the UK and presumably the US should just pay their ex-military pilots whatever they want to keep them from training enemy forces?"
The US Government does this all the time.
If you don't want ex-military pilots training other pilots, make them a more lucrative offer.
jethro B. October 20, 2022 At 12:50 pm
The UK government already has paid for RAF pilots to fly their top line jets. As government employees. When does the pay for fun end?
The ex RAF pilots can do like so many others and go fly air liners. Some for big bucks. They got their fun flying days for free. Courtesy of the tax payers. Get some fun and the big bucks for flying commercially.
Gary W. October 20, 2022 At 6:30 pm
You don't know crap about military pilots. Free? GMAFB.
jethro B. October 20, 2022 At 9:49 pm
You are correct. They got paid to fly for fun. Did not cost them a dime.
When I was Navy Aircrew I always thought of my flights as free fun time. A4's, helicopters, P2's, C130's, C118's, C45's, etc.. As opposed to me renting a civilian bird and having to pay for it. Now that I think about it some more, I was paid to get free flights.
Most Americans don't know the cost of military service.
I suggest visiting your local VA hospital or National Cemetery.
Better yet, tell the vet with missing limbs or the Gold Star family that their military service "didn't cost them a dime".
P S. October 20, 2022 At 9:50 am
The flight training & experience was provided at the expense of the government. They should definitely have the ability how & where that knowledge is transferred.
Similarly we have a big crisis in the US. There are over 350,000 Communist Red Chinese students in our colleges and universities sucking out technology, trade secrets, research, etc. on the cheap. There needs to be much stronger restrictions on this.
I know the specifics of 20 years ago when I was given mandatory classes and threatened with imprisonment annually if I sold computer hardware to people who I had even a suspicion might be planning to resell it to the ChiComs. I know it would have been wrong for me to leave the army and go teach them my skills.
It was wrong to let the ChiComs buy our plane companies, and we should be looking at ways to get them out of their hands. One idea might be to fight fire with fire and remove any protections they have from third party suppliers making parts. We could perhaps force them to have domestic partner companies to continue selling here. We could stop Garmin and other suppliers from sharing information. If anyone in power gave a rat's behind, it shouldn't be that hard to get things moving in the right direction.
When China takes back Taiwan they can use all of the US and UK trained Taiwanese fighter pilots to fly Chinese fighter jets.
cockpit p. October 20, 2022 At 1:13 pm
If China tries to take back Taiwan none of these comments will matter. The end of Earth as we know it will be no more.
Leroy C. October 20, 2022 At 1:32 pm
No big deal for the Brits.They sold Communist Russia 3 jet engines post WW2 which the Russians quickly copied and put in their Mig15s which in turn shot down many of our B29s and our slower jets.The Brits are like most liberals, they hate themselves.
So, so right You're, Mr. PS
Shane W. October 20, 2022 At 5:47 pm
It can be more subtle than that, the Chinese being trained where I am are 'civilians' from 'airlines'.
Robert G. October 20, 2022 At 7:37 pm
I wonder if retired U.S. pilots are doing something similar.
Gregory W. October 21, 2022 At 11:07 am
If the Bidens can sell out why not?
Heck, the West has been "buying" foreign pilots since the start of the cold war.
Not sure why anyone would be shocked that it goes both ways.
jethro B. October 22, 2022 At 10:10 am
The US is outraged whenever the rest of the world wants to do as we do.
Correct. Russia is suppose to suck it when we tell them they will be getting more NATO bases on their borders but we would threaten WWIII over a russian base 90 miles south of our border.
Eric W. October 22, 2022 At 7:40 pm
That's one of those sayings that doesn't really work for me. What really are you saying?
If I slap you in the face, I expect you to be outraged and vice versa. So what? I might have earned a slap in the face, and perhaps you did not.
Cuba was a Soviet client state, and their military was 90 miles south of us. If Ukraine joins NATO why is that something the US should feel guilty about? If you ask me there were better ideas than recruiting former Warsaw Pact countries, but the reality is the Soviets caused their own demise. They should look in the mirror for who to blame.
Sorry to rant, but Im no fan of false equivalency.
Im not mad at the ChiComs for buying off Brit pilots. That's the sort of thing their government is supposed to do. Im mad at the pilots, and I think there should be repercussions and steps to prevent it in the future. And, btw, I don't think threatening or punishing friends and families or using risky, radioactive assassination methods should be on the table.


With Earth Day approaching, what can your family do to show the earth a little love? How about turning off the TV, powering down your electronics and enjoying a family game night? Blue Orange Games has a great collection of sustainably made wooden games for kids of all ages that makes them a perfect choice for Earth Day.
So not only would you be kind to earth by powering down, playing Blue Orange games as opposed to others would be another kindness to the earth!
Check out their fun, sustainable wooden games and watch for my upcoming review of Gobblet!


text:
Olympic speaker Christine Ohuruogu is a British track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 metres, the event for which she is the former Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champion. Prior to her retirement in 2017, she earned an impressive eight 1st place titles across eight different competitions. As an Olympic speaker, Christine reflects upon her highly successful career, offering her audience an insight into elite sport.
Olympic speaker Christine Ohuruogu is a British track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 metres, the event for which she is the former Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champion. Prior to her retirement in 2017,
A standout athlete from the very beginning, the London native ran track and played netball throughout her childhood, earning a spot in the London Youth Games Hall of Fame. Beginning her running career aged 20, Christine has been working actively as a sporting professional and sports speaker for more than ten years, her first medal coming at the 2003 Tampere European Junior Championships.
Gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and silver medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the Olympic speaker is a double World Champion, having come first at the 400m at two World Championships. She has also won four World Championship bronze medals in the women's 4 x 400m relay as part of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team.
Christine's personal best time of 49.41 seconds set at the 2013 World Championships, beating the previous UK record set by Kathy Cook in 1984 by 0.02 seconds. This also made her the first British female to win two World Championship titles, and the first British female to win three global titles.
Whilst competing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Christine earned a bronze medal at the 4x400m relay – her last victory before retirement in 2017. Christine's Olympic performance secured Great Britain's first medal in the event at the Olympics since 1992. A dedicated and ambitious athlete with an incredible track record, Christine is also a passionate and engaging Olympic speaker – her talks are suitable for perfect for numerous occasions. She has appeared as a guest speaker at charitable fundraisers, private parties and corporate functions.
1 x Olympic Gold medallist - 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in 400m
1 x Olympic Silver medallist
2 x Olympic Bronze medallist
2 x World Championships Gold medallist, 1 x World Indoor Championships Gold medallist
5 x World Championships Bronze medallist, 1 x World Indoor Championships Bronze medallist
1 x Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist
1 x European Indoor Championships Gold medallist
1 x European Cup Gold medallist
1 x European Cup Silver medallist
2 x European U23 Championships Silver medallist
Videos of Christine Ohuruogu


text:
League Standings Jan 5, 2010 12:30:19 GMT
Post by Mark Wightman on Jan 5, 2010 12:30:19 GMT
One more game result posted - and the situation is becoming clearer in division 2, although nobody has clinched a playoff berth yet.
Daiv has almost done it, but as it stands he could still fail to qualify.
We need to chase Ben up to play his remaining games. He's involved of 3 out of the last 5 and could still qualify.
League Standings Jan 12, 2010 12:06:23 GMT
Post by Mark Wightman on Jan 12, 2010 12:06:23 GMT
Updated with the latest result.
Defeat eliminates Ashleigh from contention, and the Massacre keeps Mike in with an, albeit small, chance. And before people ask, yes the table is correct - VP diff/scored is not the first tie-break, it is instead face-to-face record. And although Mike and Chris drew, Mike scored 47vp more than Chris in the game.
Post by mike on Jan 12, 2010 13:51:18 GMT
Sadly, this requires that Ashleigh's goblins massacre Chris' chaos beasts
A remote hope at best, but I shall nonetheless be cheering the greenskins on
Last Edit: Jan 12, 2010 13:52:34 GMT by mike
League Standings Jan 19, 2010 9:39:08 GMT
Post by Mark Wightman on Jan 19, 2010 9:39:08 GMT
Daiv beat Ben last night by a large enough margin to be sure of winning Division 2. I'll update the table once I have the VP score. [Now done]
Daiv will now play Mark in the semi-finals. The last semi-final berth will be decided when Chris plays Ashleigh. Chris needs a single point to claim second place and a semi-final berth vs Stephen.
Last Edit: Jan 19, 2010 11:36:00 GMT by Mark Wightman
League Standings Feb 9, 2010 10:03:39 GMT
Post by Mark Wightman on Feb 9, 2010 10:03:39 GMT
Last week Ashleigh beat Chris, but Chris managed enough points to confirm his second place in the Division.
That makes the Semi-Finals:
Stephen vs Chris
Daiv vs Mark
League Standings Mar 23, 2010 10:25:44 GMT
Post by Mark Wightman on Mar 23, 2010 10:25:44 GMT
Apologies, I've been a bit slack at updating this thread.
The two semi-finals have been played:
Chris beat Stephen
Mark beat Daiv
The final has also been played and
Mark beat Chris
I'm not sure if Stephen and Daiv plan to play off for 3rd place.


text:
A Prediction :: Trump, Un, and Mothman
dom schwab
Given the (following list of) facts:
President Donald Trump is how he is
and in power (bombastic, impulsive,
a frenetic ball of action without thought,
reputation-boaster without substance);
Dear Leader Kim Jong Un is how he is
and in power (bombastic, insane, dead-set
on fulfilling his father's and grandfather's
vision of ruling the Koreans and, what's more,
the entire world by knocking the United States
from their perch at the top, aided in doing so
by China and Russia);
III:
There are nuclear weapons on the table
from America, Russia, and, increasingly,
Un's North Korea, the latter having also
been working fervently on building inter-
continental ballistic missiles capable of
reaching the continental United States,
with recent reports indicating that Un's
North Korea has finally achieved this
objective, evidenced by recent missile
testing in July, 2017;
IV:
The increasingly hostile words expressed
by the volatile leaders of the world's various
countries seem to suggest that tensions around
the world and within various countries are high; &
Since April or May, 2017, and with increasing frequency,
there have been reported sightings of a large bat or owl-like
creature sighted in Chicago's downtown area…a creature
reported to be taller than 6 feet, dark and winged, with glowing
red eyes, which has reportedly been perched atop bridges and
lampposts in front of Harold Washington Library, screeching
hideously through the air, flying along Lake Shore Drive and
above Millennium Park, located between Chicago's downtown/
Loop area and that area's Lake Michigan shorefront…this creature,
in description, seems to most resemble the legendary Mothman
of Point Pleasant, WV, a town which was home to a string of
paranormal events during the 1950s & 60s, with eyewitnesses
reporting encounters with UFOs, Men In Black, prophetic messages,
strange coincidences, and, most famously, a large, dark, red-eyed,
winged creature which was later dubbed "The Mothman," due to
the rise in popularity of superhero comic books at that time, and
was most notably documented in Fortean paranormal investigator
John A. Keel's The Mothman Prophecies…while the Mothman takes
a backseat to the other happenings in Keel's nonfiction book, one
thing is made quite clear: The Mothman seems to be a harbinger
of tragedy, disaster, and doom—that is, the Mothman( or, rather,
the entity/-ies which have come to be known as the Mothman(s))
is a harbinger of death, because the paranormal events afflicting
Point Pleasant, WV, during the 1950s/60s only came to a stop
after the Ohio River-straddling Silver Bridge collapsed without
cause or subsequent explanation, killing a few dozen people who
were stuck in a Christmas Eve traffic jam atop the aforementioned
Silver Bridge…it should be noted that the Mothman did not cause
this disaster, but functioned like a warning against the imminent
tragedy…at the time, Keel and other investigators and researchers
tried to theorize where all of these entities and beings originated,
and some hypothesized that the Mothman was either: 1) lived in
or was affiliated with the nearby nuclear power plant; 2) a mere
hallucination from the old, defunct nearby nuclear power plant;
or, 3) possibly both…nevertheless, the imagery and lore which
surrounded the Mothman spread, in no small part thanks to John
Keel's book…and yet, it should be noted that entities like those
which have come to be known as Mothman have been witnessed
and reported throughout the ages, and when they appear in clusters,
as they have been doing lately in Chicago, they serve as tell-tale
harbingers,
I predict:
The fevered minds of those we unfortunately have
in power around the world will culminate in disaster:
Un, in all of his irrationality, will seek to demonstrate
his power and courage by ordering the launch of an ICBM,
seeking strategically to strike Chicago because Chicago is
located in the central part of the continent and is nestled
next to the country's greatest natural resource: a great lake,
e.g. Lake Michigan, i.e. fresh water, which will prompt Trump
to retaliate against the totalitarian North Korean state,
thus beginning a third, and perhaps final, world war…; &
as for the red-eyed creature: if, as I theorize, Mothman is,
not a physical beast, but is instead a spiritual, ethereal, or
interdimensional being which permeates realms/dimensions
and is attracted to heavy sources of energy (think: nuclear),
then the current sightings of Mothman throughout 2017 in
Chicago may be interpreted as a warning; for, like a moth
battering against a windowpane to reach the source of light,
so, too, the winged being flutters throughout Chicago's Loop,
trying to find the source of the sickly heavy energy which,
outside of this dimension's time, it can sense, and which will
soon be dropped upon the downtown area, where one may
visit Millennium Park, the Harold Washington Library, or
the beautifully inviting beaches of Lake Michigan.
::IN THE NEWS::


The Japan Rail (JR) Pass is really meant for long distance travelling so you see most websites ultimately recommending that you finish local sightseeing on your first stop using local passes or prepaid cards like ICOCA and only activate the pass when you start travelling across cities.
But if you have already activated your JR Pass, why not make full use of it for local travel and sightseeing too?
Below are my personal experiences when I was trying to make full use of my JR Pass to visit popular areas in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Feel free to follow if it helps your planning. And lastly, the usual disclaimer is here.
The interesting areas to visit in Kyoto are towards the East and best served using the subways and private rails. Some also suggest using the bus network which I do not have much good experience with and will keep to another post.
The JR Osaka Loop Line (大阪環状線) is not as good as the subways but it stops at Osaka station where you can make a transfer to Shin-Osaka where the Shinkansen trains stops at.


text:
Fire hall and housing for single mothers and their children open in innovative building
Families and fire trucks: Fire hall and housing for single mothers and their children open in innovative building
Thanks to a new and creative approach, we're taking City-owned land and transforming it into not only a much needed new Fire Hall, but also 31 safe new homes for dozens of women and children.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart
December 2 2019 –
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) newly-redeveloped Fire Hall No. 5 and YWCA Pacific Spirit Terrace opened today at East 54th and Kerr Street, providing a unique partnership opportunity to address the lack of affordable housing for single mothers and their children in Vancouver. The 31 new homes will provide housing for between 65 and 90 women and children.
"Thanks to a new and creative approach, we're taking City-owned land and transforming it into not only a much needed new Fire Hall, but also 31 safe new homes for dozens of women and children," said Mayor Kennedy Stewart. "YWCA Pacific Spirit Terrace is an example of what government and non-profit organizations can do together when we partner to address the housing crisis."
Fire hall
The first two floors of the building replace the previous Fire Hall No. 5 – built in 1952 – which no longer met the needs of VFRS.
"We're pleased to see the opening of this newly upgraded Fire Hall, which has been constructed to meet current and future needs as its community grows," said Vancouver Fire Chief Darrell Reid. "The hall has living facilities that are ideal for our diverse workforce, a dedicated facility for filling and servicing breathing apparatus, and has been designed with minimal environmental impacts in mind."
The four floors above the Fire Hall contain two and three bedroom homes for single mothers and their children, along with a rooftop patio. A range of YWCA services will be offered to ensure residents are well supported. The homes will rent for between $520 and $1,164.
"The YWCA is delighted to expand our services for single mothers and their children, thanks to the support of the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. This is the second mixed-use housing community we have opened in partnership with the City, and we are grateful for their ongoing support and willingness to explore these innovative housing solutions," said YWCA Metro Vancouver CEO Deb Bryant. "YWCA Pacific Spirit Terrace will provide safe and affordable units for women and their children to call home, as well as access to a range of YWCA services."
"I'm so grateful for this life changing opportunity," said Andrea, a YWCA housing resident. "Because of this type of affordable housing, I am able to move forward confidently knowing that I can provide the life my daughter deserves, on my own."
The City has invested almost $11 million for the replacement of Fire Hall No. 5 and $6.66 million for building the housing.
The affordable housing portion of the project costs a total of $11.37 million. YWCA Metro Vancouver fundraised the remainder of the housing costs through a capital campaign that included contributions from the Government of B.C., Pacific Spirit Foundation and Streetohome Foundation. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Reaching Home program.
The City continues to approve and open new affordable homes to respond to the housing crisis and homelessness. In 2018, more than 900 new social and supportive homes opened in Vancouver, including more than 400 temporary modular homes funded by the provincial government, through BC Housing. The City anticipates over 400 units of social housing will open in the first half of 2020.


text:
How do you find the distance between the points (4/5, -1), (2,-1/2)?
Algebra Radicals and Geometry Connections Distance Formula
EZ as pi
Distance = #1.3#
The distance between two points is found by finding the length of the line that would join them The formula is based on the Theorem of Pythagoras.
#abs(AB) = sqrt((x_2-x_1)^2 + (y_2-y_1)^2)#
Using the given points: #(4/5,-1) and (2,-1/2)#
#= sqrt((-1/2-(-1))^2 +(2-4/5)^2#
#=sqrt((1/2)^2 +(6/5)^2)#
#= sqrt(1/4+36/25)#
#= sqrt((25+144)/100)#
#= sqrt(169/100)#
#=13/10#
#=1.3#
What is the Distance Formula?
How can the distance formula be derived from the pythagorean theorem?
How can the distance formula be used in real life?
How do you find the distance when given two coordinate points?
How do you find the distance between (7, 7) and (–7, 7)?
Does it matter which coordinate is #(x_1,y_1)# when applying the distance formula?
How do you find all points that have an x -coordinate of –4 and whose distance from point (4, 2) is ...
How do you find the distance between (2.3, 4.5) and (–3.4, –5.2)?
What is the distance between the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system and the point (5, -2)?
How do you find the length of the line segment between the points (5,1) and (5,6)?
See all questions in Distance Formula


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text:
Field Guides & Natural History Botany Floras & Botanical Field Guides Botany of Australasia
Weeds of the South-East An Identification Guide for Australia
Field / Identification Guide
By: Fiona J Richardson(Author), Rob G Richardson(Author), Ros CH Shepherd(Author)
522 pages, 3000+ colour photos
Publisher: Richardson (RG and PJ)
ISBN: 9780980388541 Edition: 3 Paperback Sep 2016 Usually dispatched within 1-2 months
About this book Contents Customer reviews Biography Related titles
The third edition of this popular title has been fully updated and reorganised to recognise recent taxonomic changes and includes additional species, many new photographs and the latest distribution information.
- includes weeds of agriculture, bushland, waterways, gardens, roadsides, wasteland and amenity areas, as well as new and emerging problem species
- illustrated with more than 3000 photographs including spectacular close-up shots
- key features are described with relevant measurements for easier identification
- comparisons are made to similar species and easily confused natives
- situations where the species are likely to be found
- distribution by State using the latest herbaria records
Written in easy-to-understand language and beautifully illustrated, this is a field guide for anyone interested in the identification of pest plants and the preservation of our native flora. An essential tool for community land and bush care organisations, local and state government weed officers and advisers, rangers, agronomists, agriculturists, survey and identification botanists, horticulturists, landscapers and gardeners.
Identification using flower colour and shape
Ferns and allied plants - Davalliaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Equisetaceae, Marsileaceae, Salviniaceae, Selaginellaceae
Conifers - Cupressaceae, Pinaceae
Monocotyledons - Agapanthaceae, Alismataceae, Alliaceae, Alstroemeriaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Aponogetonaceae, Araceae, Arecaceae, Asparagaceae, Asphodelaceae, Cannaceae, Colchicaceae, Commelinaceae, Cyperaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hemerocallidaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Iridaceae, Juncaceae, Juncaginaceae, Liliaceae, Orchidaceae, Poaceae, Pontederiaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Typhaceae, Zingiberaceae
Dicotyledons - Acanthaceae, Adoxaceae, Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae, Apocynaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Araliaceae, Asteraceae, Balsaminaceae, Basellaceae, Berberidaceae, Betulaceae, Bignoniaceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Cabombaceae, Cactaceae, Campanulaceae, Cannabaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Ceratophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cistaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cornaceae, Crassulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, Gentianaceae, Geraniaceae, Griseliniaceae, Grossulariaceae, Haloragaceae, Hypericaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Lentibulariaceae, Linaceae, Lythraceae, Malvaceae, Martyniaceae, Meliaceae, Melianthaceae, Molluginaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae, Nitrariaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Ochnaceae, Oleaceae, Onagraceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Passifloraceae, Pedaliaceae, Phrymaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Pittosporaceae, Plantaginaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Polemoniaceae, Polygalaceae, Polygonaceae, Portulacaceae, Primulaceae, Proteaceae, Ranunculaceae, Resedaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Salicaceae, Sapindaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Simaroubaceae, Solanaceae, Tamaricaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Tropaeolaceae, Ulmaceae, Urticaceae, Verbenaceae, Violaceae, Zygophyllaceae
Fiona Richardson - Born in the south of England, Fiona gained her Honours degree in Art and Sociology from the University of London in 1978 and worked as a market and business research consultant in Europe before emigrating to Australia in 1994. She now specialises in book design and typesetting for the publishing business she and Rob have built together.
Rob Richardson - Rob gained his Master of Agricultural Science degree from The University of Melbourne in 1976 and spent most of his career as a research scientist at the Keith Turnbull Research Institute in Frankston, Victoria working on the physiology and ecology of weeds, and the application and formulation of herbicides. He now specialises in editing and plant identification for the publishing business he runs with Fiona. They work from their bush property in the Brisbane Ranges of Victoria and are both keen sailors and photographers.
Ros Shepherd - Ros gained her Master of Science degree from The University of Queensland in 1966 and Master of Agricultural Science degree from The University of Melbourne in 1984. She spent many years as an entomologist at the Keith Turnbull Research Institute in Frankston, Victoria working on the biological control of pest plants and animals, which included research in South Africa. She is a keen bush walker, and now spends much of her time travelling in Australia and around the world, photographing and documenting plants.
Bestsellers in Botany of Australasia
Know your New Zealand Native Plants
Name That Flower
Eucalypts of Western Australia
The Diatom Flora of Australia, Volume 3: Diatoms in Arid Australia
Botanical Revelation
A Guide to Flowers & Plants of Tasmania
Rainforests of Australia's East Coast
Australian Rainforest Seeds
Guide to the Wildflowers of Western Australia
Marine Plants of Australia
A Flora of the Liverworts and Hornworts of New Zealand, Volume 3
Browse titles in Botany of Australasia


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Film, Media and Music (105)
Literature and Theatre (323)
Manchester Shakespeare (9)
Manchester Religious Studies (12)
Manchester Literature Studies (344)
Manchester Medieval Studies (35)
https://www.manchesteropenhive.com/browse?page=4&pageSize=10&sort=datedescending&subSite=openhive&t_0=manchester-literature-studies
Manchester Literature Studies x
Augustus Earle's pedestrian tour in New Zealand
Or, get off the beach
Ingrid Horrocks
This chapter outlines a model for re-reading European-authored travel texts of the nineteenth century (and potentially travel writing more generally) that aims to move beyond an approach to their aesthetics shaped by moments of arrival and meeting, and prospect views. It takes a mobilities studies approach and focuses on the example of the 'pedestrian tour' in Augustus Earle's Narrative of Nine Months' Residence in New Zealand, in 1827 (1832). The chapter asks what different understandings of history and coeval 'life worlds' might emerge when we pay attention to mundane, local, and embodied movements within texts such as Earle's – movements of both the European traveller(s) in the text and of Indigenous peoples, in this case Māori. It pays particular attention to what happens when we read mobility within prose travel texts alongside – and to an extent against – the more dominant worldings evoked by the visual art of pre-colonial and early colonial periods.
in Worlding the south
Sarah Comyn and Porscha Fermanis
Australia to Paraguay
Race, class, and poetry in a South American colony
Jason Rudy
Aaron Bartlett
Lindsey O'Neil
Justin Thompson
Hundreds of white supremacist working-class Australians settled in Paraguay at the end of the nineteenth century, establishing a community there called Colonia Cosme. In the poetry and song of their newspaper, the Cosme Monthly, these settler colonialists reflected on the racial and class dynamics of their community, imagining affinities between their community, the defeated American Confederacy, and the White Australia policy that would accompany Australian Federation at the turn of the century. Blackface minstrelsy in particular played an important role in the colony's cultural life, helping to establish a retrograde sense of belonging in a place largely inhospitable to their efforts. This essay considers how the Australians in Paraguay used genre and medium to fix racist identifications at the heart of their colonial culture.
Southern worlds, globes, and spheres
Sarah Comyn
Porscha Fermanis
The introduction to this collection proposes a new literary history of the Anglophone southern hemisphere in the long nineteenth century. Drawing on the methodologies of 'worlding', southern theory, hemispheric analysis, and Indigenous studies, it rethinks the conceptual paradigms, periodisations, and canons of the nineteenth-century 'British world' by focusing on southern cultural perspectives in multiple regional centres from Cape Town to the Pacific Islands. Adopting a perspective that Isabel Hofmeyr has called a 'southern latitude', it argues for the importance of considering the shared and interconnected histories of imperialism, colonialism, and structural inequality that shape the literatures and experiences of the peoples of the southern colonies, deprioritising Eurocentric orientations and identities in favour of southern viewpoints and south–south relations across a complex of oceanic and terracentric spaces. Considering each of the chapters within the collection as part of a related unit of literary and cultural analysis, its aim is to produce a more inclusive literary model of the nineteenth century that takes into account southern histories of cultural estrangement and marginalisation and draws its proof-texts from so-called 'minor' and 'minority' writers, as well as identifying shared thematic concerns, literary forms and tropes, and aesthetic and stylistic practices that are distinctive to the region.
Kiro's thoughts about England
An unexpected text in an unexpected place
Michelle Elleray
In 1850 the London Missionary Society published 'Kiro's Thoughts about England', consisting of translated and abridged excerpts from the travel journal of Kiro, a Cook Islander from the South Pacific who had arrived in England in 1847. Originally intended for Cook Islanders, through its publication in the Juvenile Missionary Magazine Kiro's journal instead becomes a narrative for British children. Kiro's writing prompts us to consider how we are to read literary texts by peoples disempowered through imperial processes, when those texts are only deemed worthy of publication and preservation through their conformity with the dominant structures of power, in this case the London Missionary Society and its British Protestant norms. How do we wrest such texts from the evangelical framework that enabled their publication? How do we position the text's observance of evangelical expectations within a spectrum from accommodation to consent? What work is done by the editor's silent selections and elisions in the process of publication? In disentangling Kiro's text from a pervasive British missionary ontology, this essay demonstrates the agency of Pacific Islanders as they negotiated the new technology of alphabetic literacy, a literacy accessed through Christianity, but not restricted to the cultural parameters of British evangelicalism.
Lag fever, flash men, and late fashionable worlds
Clara Tuite
This chapter engages the rich social, linguistic, and aesthetic repertoire of the flash (originally a cant language of thieves and convicts), using the convict phenomenon of 'lag fever' to complicate the idea of colonial belatedness in Australia. It argues that the flash language of thieves, gypsies, and convicts can be understood as an early kind of 'world language' that connected underclasses with upper classes within and across metropolitan Regency London and the southern climes and convict spaces of colonial Australia (Botany Bay, Newcastle, and Van Diemen's Land). Connecting genealogies of masculine style and self-fashioning, and print-visual form, with the social arenas of fashionability, respectability, exile, convictism, and settler culture across Britain, Ireland, Europe, and Australia, this chapter throws new light on the liminal yet transformative Regency cultures of scandalous celebrity, exile, and convictism.
Making, mapping, and unmaking worlds
Globes, panoramas, fictions, and oceans
Peter Otto
This chapter considers how the first full-scale panorama of Sydney, 'A View of the Town of Sydney', exhibited at Robert Burford's Leicester Square Panorama from 1828 until at least March 1831, conjured an Umwelt rather than just a view or prospect. As an object able to be viewed from numerous points of view, its hyper-realistic illusion aroused audience interest in how it had been constructed, which in turn suggested that the actual world, like the panorama's virtual world, is an appearance within material, psychological, and cultural systems of perception. In this hybrid, fictional space, the real and the imaginary, the objective and the mythological, settler and colonised, even settlement and unsettlement move into surprising proximity with each other.
Mapping the way forward
Thomas Baines on expedition to the coronation of Cetshwayo kaMpande, Zululand, 1873
Lindy Stiebel
In 1873 Thomas Baines – explorer, artist and cartographer – joined the retinue of Theophilus Shepstone, then Secretary for Native Affairs in the colony of Natal, into Zululand to 'crown' Cetshwayo as Zulu king. As Special Correspondent to the Natal Mercury, Baines wrote comprehensive descriptions of the events in which he took part. Moreover, Baines' participation in the 'coronation' encouraged him to produce a detailed map of Zululand, now housed in the Royal Geographical Society in London. This map sheds light on the geo-political state of Natal at that time while also suggesting the later dramatic changes in Anglo-Zulu relations. Baines' friendship with William Emery Robarts en route also yielded a sketch, journal entries, and a sketch map held in the Robarts family archives. The purpose of this chapter is to look more closely at Baines on his last expedition as a writer and mapper of settler interests using the above mentioned resources.
Mokena and Macaulay
Cultural geographies of poetry in colonial Aotearoa
Nikki Hessell
This chapter examines the ways in which Thomas Babington Macaulay's verse was used to articulate the cultural, literary, and political aspirations of nineteenth-century Māori in Aotearoa. The chapter centres around the Ngāti Porou rangatira (chief) Mōkena Kōhere (?–1894), a leading figure in the politics of late-nineteenth-century Aotearoa, and the way in which Kōhere's words, actions, and legacies were framed via lines from Macaulay's poems. It treats poetry generally, and Macaulay's poetry in this instance, as a literary example of what the legal historian Mark Hickford has called 'portals of communicability' in Aotearoa's colonial relationships.
Reading indigeneity in nineteenth-century British Guiana
Manu Samriti Chandler
Nineteenth-century British Guiana witnessed the rise of multiple, conflicting reading audiences, who collided over matters political and aesthetic. The colonial situation was complicated: Afro-creole Guianese periodical culture was defined directly in opposition to the oral cultures of native Blacks and Indians, who were understood to be objects of discussion but never serious participants within the public sphere. Discussing the representation of oral traditions across a range of missionary texts and Guianese journals, this chapter demonstrates the ways in which the 'reading nation' is constructed against the speaking tribe, grounding ideas of humanity in the capacity to read and thereby participate fully in the social life of the colony. Focusing on the poetry of Egbert Martin (1861–90), the chapter argues that the Guianese literati capitalised on assumptions about Black and Indian natives' illiteracy to signal to European audiences the relative value of Guianese readers and writers, and to substantiate claims of 'Creole indigeneity' at the expense of Indigenous peoples. By way of conclusion, the chapter suggests that decolonising cultural recognition not only involves the refusal of recognition from the Global North but also offering recognition to Amerindian communities.
Short stories of the southern seas
The island as collective in the works of Louis Becke
Jennifer Fuller
This chapter repositions the overlooked short stories of Australian-born author Louis Becke as a colonial experiment in archipelagic writing. By examining the stories as a collective, readers are able to view the South Seas of the colonial imagination as a networked vision defined by circulation and exchange. To this end, this chapter offers a reading of each of the stories of Becke's first collection, By Reef and Palm (1894), allowing readers to construct a literary world. By shifting between story and anthology, the singular tale and the collective experience, Becke attempts to narrate the process of globalisation. By refusing to allow a single narrative or viewpoint to dominate the collection, Becke moves readers into a network of literature than can only be fully understood in an interdependent, transoceanic context.


It was the classic midsummer sneak: issue permits for a controversial project when you think people aren't paying attention. In late July, in a move that reverberated from North Dakota to Illinois and then around the world, the Dakota Access Pipeline secured most of the final permits it needed to be built via a fast-tracked federal permitting process led by the Army Corps of Engineers. Apparently it didn't matter to the Corps that Native American tribes along the pipeline's route had raised serious objections to the project and made reasonable requests for consultation and environmental review. Nor did it matter that three federal agencies—the EPA, the Department of the Interior, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation—raised similar concerns. No, instead the Army Corps plodded ahead, relying on an environmental assessment performed by the pipeline builder, and issued permits allowing the pipeline to cross at least 200 waterbodies, including the Missouri River.
But people were watching. Sensing that the Army Corps would once again ignore their requests, the Standing Rock Sioux launched a campaign against the pipeline. They hoped to capture the attention of the national and international media, decision-makers in Washington, D.C., and the public. Their call: show us some respect, show our land and water some respect. As protesters gathered near the confluence of the Cannon Ball and Missouri Rivers in North Dakota, Native youth began an epic 2,000-mile run to Washington, D.C. to present a petition with 140,000 signatures to U.S. officials. Meanwhile, lawsuits were filed, celebrities and late night TV hosts took up their cause, and major news outlets slowly began to pay attention.
Today, thanks to the courage and leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux, construction on the pipeline has been halted while hundreds of native and non-native people from around the world have flocked to the Camp of Sacred Stones in an extraordinary show of solidarity. In fact, this is the first time in 150 years that so many members of different tribes have come together in common cause. Nearby in Iowa, protesters have continued their multi-year fight against the pipeline and recently won a court battle over their right to protest after Dakota Access' request for a restraining order was denied.
Energy Transfer Partners, a Texas-based pipeline company that got its start with natural gas, first made its plans for the Dakota Access Pipeline public in 2014, when it proposed to move oil from North Dakota's Bakken region to a transfer point in Patoka, Illinois. From there, Dakota Access would connect into the Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline, which brings oil to the Gulf Coast. Capable of carrying up to 570,000 barrels per day (bpd), the mammoth project was proposed at the height of the Bakken boom and was promoted—as pipelines always seem to be—as a way to ensure that the U.S. used more domestically produced oil. Today, with the pipeline permitted but unbuilt, that promise has already started to waver with the talk of exports (not to mention the buy-in of a Canadian pipeline company, intent on getting Canadian oil to the Gulf Coast).
With climate change has come rising awareness of the heavy toll the oil industry has taken on our global climate, and with that awareness has come increased scrutiny of every move they make. Opposition to Dakota Access isn't a surprise, but the issues it raises create much-needed attention on the treatment of Native communities in the United States, not to mention the long term impacts of new fossil fuel infrastructure on our shared natural resources, especially fresh water and the climate. But none of this was given meaningful attention during the pipeline's permitting—calls for consideration of tribal concerns and major environmental impacts were ignored.
To get from North Dakota to Illinois, Dakota Access must cross the Missouri River, a fact alarming in itself given recent pipeline disasters in Saskatchewan, Montana, and Michigan. But what makes Dakota Access especially problematic is that it was rerouted to cross the Missouri River just a half mile north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation without any analysis of the possible impact such a move would have on the people living just downstream. Meanwhile, the drinking water supplies for nearby tribal nations, not to mention North and South Dakota, are also at risk if the pipeline were to spill anywhere near the river. Instead of heeding these potential issues, the Army Corps ignored them and published its final decision on the project a few months later.
All of this was made possible because the Army Corps used what are known as nationwide, or general, permits allowed under the Clean Water Act. These permits allow for certain types of projects—those that are deemed to be discreet, with minimal immediate or cumulative environmental impacts—to be permitted without environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. However, in recent years, the Army Corps has begun misusing these permits by applying them hundreds or thousands of times for single projects. This fact makes a farce of the both the Clean Water Act and NEPA, in that it allows the Army Corps to divide up a single large project into hundreds or even thousands of individual, supposedly disconnected projects.
Fighting the oil industry isn't easy, and the Standing Rock Sioux have shown remarkable perseverance throughout their ongoing peaceful protest. While not everyone can travel to North Dakota to show their support, there are ways to provide support to those who have put their lives on hold to call attention to this critical issue. Meanwhile, NRDC and others are working to fix the flawed process that fast-tracked Dakota Access by calling on the Army Corps to either rescind "Nationwide Permit 12" or reform their use of it to ensure it doesn't continue being misused.
Contribute to the Standing Rock Sioux's efforts to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline!


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Voter Registration Deadlines Begin Passing This Week
By Pam Fessler
Published October 4, 2012 at 5:31 PM EDT
Matt Sullivan
Reuters/Landov
A voter registration form and absentee ballot application at a Franklin County polling place in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday. The deadline to register to vote in Ohio is Oct. 9.
If you want to vote in the November elections and you aren't registered yet — you'd better hurry. The registration deadline in five states is this weekend. By the following weekend, the deadline will have passed in more than half the states.
By some estimates, about a quarter of all eligible voters in the United States are not registered. That's tens of millions of people, a big target for groups, such as Rock the Vote, that are trying to sign up as many new voters as possible.
Rock the Vote says it has already registered some 650,000 young voters nationwide this year. President Heather Smith is encouraged by that, but she says she doubts they'll hit the 2 million-plus total they saw in 2008.
"We had a much slower start to the year," she says. "Everything that was done in a 1 1/2, two-year period in the '08 cycle, we're trying to do it in a two- to three-month period."
Smith admits in 2008 there was more excitement, with competitive primaries in both parties, and the history-making potential of electing the nation's first black president. This year, groups such as hers have also had to contend with new restrictions on voter registration drives in states such as Florida.
"We're behind in Florida, but we're doing everything we can to catch up," she says.
That seems to be the trend across the country. Registrations aren't up to 2008 levels, but they are starting to spike, as they always do before a big election.
And this year, there are new efforts to boost the numbers even more. Several states are participating in a new voter-registration program with the Pew Center on the States. They've used motor vehicle department records to identify about 5 million eligible but unregistered voters in their states and are actively pursuing them.
Colorado has launched an $850,000 ad campaign to encourage its residents to register.
And Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller says his office recently sent cards to about 400,000 unregistered voters in his state, encouraging them to sign up.
"Immediately after those mailings went out, we saw an even higher spike in the usage of online voter registration," he says.
And that's another innovation. Thirteen states — including Nevada, California and New York — now allow voters to register directly online. Rock the Vote has a smartphone app that makes it very easy.
Miller says online registrations are a big improvement over getting piles of paper registration forms.
"We get that information without the issue of having to try to read somebody's illegible handwriting," he says, adding, "it saves a lot of money for the clerks and the registrars throughout the state who don't have to pay somebody to input that information into a computer."
Online registrations also bypass third-party registration groups that might lose or falsify a form. That's the accusation against Strategic Allied Consulting, a company hired this year by the Republican National Committee to sign up voters in five key states. The company was subsequently fired and is under investigation.
Both parties are actively recruiting voters, but — as they often do — Democrats seem to have the edge in new registrations. Catalist, a company that compiles data for progressive groups, says in August, Democrats were approaching a 2-to-1 advantage over Republicans in states that register by party. But independents take the lead overall.
David Becker, director of election initiatives for Pew, says there's another thing for parties to consider: Almost a third of voters have moved since 2008, and they need to update their registrations.
"That of course is crucial information," says Becker. "[Election officials] don't want to be mailing out sample ballots and other information to the wrong address. It's very important to try to get that information as soon as possible."
Although in eight states — New Hampshire, Maine, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho — people can relax a little. They're allowed to register, and vote, on Election Day.
Pam Fessler
Pam Fessler is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, where she covers poverty, philanthropy, and voting issues.
See stories by Pam Fessler