North Coast Voices

Looking at the world from where I live in 2026..........

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:44:13 +0000

If one does a brief sweep of the Internet in 2026 looking for up to fifteen million men, women and children who acknowledge in one form or another a connection each with the other, some can be found. The connection apparently coalescing from shared or similar creation stories, claimed ancestry, oral histories, family trauma or migration stories covering generations.

What one is likely to find is a complex and layered diversity within that est. fifteen million as is mirrored by other large groups broadly sharing any cultural identity down through the 18th to 21st centuries.

In such groups there appears to be no evidence of an overarching group hive mind at work. No obvious synchronisation of thought, opinion or intent within loosely aligned large clusters splintered and spread across continents.

One group of fifteen million people is as resistant of organised analysis as any other fifteen million-strong cluster might be.

However, when the geopolitical world tilts on its axis as it has been doing these last four decades, nations and peoples strain to adjust when faced with powerful individuals, authoritarian states or so-called 'great powers' intent on redefining the concepts of sovereignty and belonging. All the while laying waste to international law and human rights hard won from the ashes of two catastrophic world wars only twenty years apart and barely one generation removed from many of those living today.

Sitting in our living rooms watching the growing conflict and chaos from afar brings into sharp relief uncomfortable questions concerning individual and collective responsibility.

In times of conflict and uncertainty bad actors begin to appear whose motives are unclear or deliberately hidden and, social or political division frequently follows in their wake. Sometimes state-sanction measures to silence manifestations of non-violent open debate are briefly reported by mainstream media.

So it was something of a relief to see the Jewish Council of Australia bearing witness to the fact that a diversity of world views, political opinions, personal beliefs and cultural practices exist within one particular loosely-aligned group of more than fifteen million men, women and children spread across all seven of the Earth's continents.

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Jewish Council of Australia,

MEDIA ALERT, 13 October 2026, excerpts,

Molly Crabapple is a Jewish Puerto Rican-American artist, journalist and author based in New York. Known for her political illustration and live-illustrated reportage, she has documented conflicts and human rights issues from Guantanamo Bay to war-torn Syria, and her artwork is featured in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern. [Headshot by Dan Efram]

Bestselling author Molly Crabapple comes to Australia with lessons from Jewish history for an age of rising authoritarianism

As the far right grows in influence across the world, the Jewish Council of Australia is bringing New York Times bestselling author, artist and journalist Molly Crabapple to Australia this November.

Crabapple's latest book, Here Where We Live Is Our Country, tells the extraordinary and largely forgotten history of the Jewish Labour Bund, a revolutionary Jewish socialist movement founded in 1897 that became the largest revolutionary organisation in Tsarist Russia, and later the largest Jewish political organisation in pre-war Poland, fighting antisemitism, nationalism, Zionism and fascism.

Published in April, the book defied expectations, immediately debuting at #4 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Its remarkable popularity speaks to a renewed appetite for histories of resistance and what they can teach us about confronting authoritarianism today....

Why now

As Trump's America embraces increasingly authoritarian politics, and Australia heads towards the Victorian election amid growing anti-migrant rhetoric and far-right organising, the Bund's history has striking contemporary relevance.

At a time when Jewish identity is so often presented as synonymous with Israel and Zionism, the story of the Bund offers another Jewish political inheritance: one of resistance to nationalism and racism, collective struggle, and an understanding that Jewish freedom is bound up with the freedom of others.....

The Jewish Council of Australia is Australia’s largest progressive Jewish organisation, representing over 3,000 Jewish supporters across all States and Territories. Founded in February 2024, it works towards ending antisemitism and all forms of racism and supports Palestinian freedom and justice.

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Peaceful Protest Against Israel President Isaac Hertzog's official visit to Australia to be held at Peace Park, Lismore NSW, on Monday 9 February 2026 at 5:30pm. Also at 23 other venues across the country

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Spearheaded by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, 24 peaceful protest gatherings have been organised around Australia to express opposition to the official visit of Israel President Isaac Herzog and to confirm condemnation of the State of Israel's policies and actions taken in its continuing illegal occupation of Palestinian Territory - of disproportionate war and genocide in the Gaza Strip and violent dispossession & ethic cleansing in the West Bank.

Alleged war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (subject of an International Court of Justice arrest warrant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023) in recent years appears to enjoy the political support of President Herzog.

President Herzog seems to be harbouring the delusion that one of the two principal aims of his visit is to convince Australia and Australians of the error of their ways over the last 77-78 years in both endorsing the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and supporting a Two State solution to the Question of Palestine.

It appears that Messr. Herzog choses to believe that Australia's long history of supporting international law and its people's abhorrence of the crime of genocide is due to the Left's nefarious influence and to a "brainwash campaign" aimed at turning the population against Jews ahead of his visit to Australia.

AUSTRALIA--US RELATIONS: Wither to Australia in 2026?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Australia is well aware it is not at the geopolitical centre of the world but in the last 125 years it has earned its place — diplomatically, militarily, economically and by its long time support of rules-based international law.

Nevertheless, it is but one of over 200 countries across the globe of which 195 are currently recognised as sovereign nations.

It ranks 55 out of 223 countries when it comes to population size.

As well as being considered an advanced economy, usually ranked in the global top twenty for national economies and gross domestic product per capita. While according to International Monetary Fund data, based on the Purchasing Power Parity weight (PPP) of its own gross domestic product it contributes 0.95 per cent of the combined gross domestic product of the World in 2025. Which probably places it in the top 10 per cent based on PPP weight.

Australia could be considered one of the Middle Powers and, in these uncertain times when one of the two Great Powers, an increasingly erratic United States of America, publishes the following national defence strategy, everyone in Australia should note its contents.

It will add much needed context to the decisions made by the Australian Government over the coming decade.

IMAGE: US 2026 National Defense Strategy (2026USNDS) cover page

Late on 23 January 2026 in Washington DC the renamed U.S. Dept of War released its 34 page "2026 National Defense Strategy" (2006NDS).

This strategy document signals that it is U.S. President Donald J. Trump's intention to review all existing defence and security treaties, pacts, agreements and partnerships. Perhaps even ripping up some or all if the mood takes him.

The bottom line of this 2006NDS document is;

the United States sees its current allies as having an obligation to defend U.S. military/trade interests around the world, however it doesn't see itself as having the same full reciprocal obligations to protect these allies when they are under threat.

"Model" allies will fund their own defence & purchase their war matériel from U.S. industries or their commercial partners; and

There is a stated intention on the part of the U.S. for its Trumpian-style bullying of allies to continue.

The document is quite clear about the American position on specific topics.

European interests no longer matter to the United States. Europe must defend itself & the U.S. will give limited materiel/technical assistance if its own interests are involved.

To that end America intends to remain involved with NATO as one of its member nations via the U.S. Dept. of War to better account for the Russian threat to American interests. At the same time the 2026NDS indicates it will scale back financial support of NATO as it prioritises defending the U.S. Homeland and deterring China.

Canada and Mexico as only two nations sharing land borders with the United States are expected to gear their security strategies to defend the US homeland.

Israel will continue to receive unspecified U.S. support as a valuable ally in the Middle East. It is seen as coming close to the expressed ideal of a model ally.

South Korea is to receive more limited support in its region.

The US will continue to strike at "Islamic terrorists" in Africa and aggressively prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The US 2026NDS also pays particular attention to the Indo-Pacific, which it expects "will soon make up more than half of the global economy". The focus is on the Western Pacific "First Island Chain"

Source: Researchgate,
Overview map of First and Second Island Chain Source: Catama (2015)

from Japan through Okinawa onto Taiwan and the northern Philippines before ending in Borneo.

There is an underlying assumption that America's allies in the Western Pacific will align themselves with U.S. foreign and defence policies with regard the Western Pacific because they would also view China as dangerous to their interests.

With the Trump Administration preferred scenario being the United States and its allies fortifying and policing this island chain as a way of restricting China's navy and its sea trade — thus allowing the U.S. to take the lion's share of future trade growth anticipated in the Indo-Pacific.

There is no specific mention of Australia in the entire 2026NDS document. This complete lack of reference to Australia in a document, signalling an attitudinal change to alliance per se on the part of the United States and a commitment to review existing alliances, throws a high level of uncertainty across, at last count, 253 bilateral treaties, agreements and conventions in force between the U.S. and Australia.

A level of uncertainty which may become uncomfortable when it comes to the U.S. plan to contain China in the Indo-Pacific.

In this, the 2nd Trump Administration's position departs markedly from the 2022NDS of the Biden Administration which placed value on its relationship with Australia.

Excerpt from the Biden US 2022 National Security Strategy

The United States in this reworking of its national defence strategy states that it "will prioritise addressing the most consequential and grave threats to Americans’ interests. We will revamp our network of allies and partners to meet the threats we face."

So how is the rest of the world reacting?

The World, Berlin Edition, 26.01.26: "Right from the introduction written by Defense Secretary Hegseth, it becomes clear once again that Trump wants a complete break with the system the West built after 1945....The multilateral institutions built after the horrors of World War II, which underpin democratically mandated international law, are incompatible with "America First"; for Trump, they are merely an illusory "abstraction."....Trump's America does not want to isolate itself. But the sole principle of future defense is to focus on US interests."

European Policy Centre 26.01.26: "The Pentagon published its new National Defense Strategy (NDS) late on 23 January, and defence experts across Europe did not have to look hard to spot a strategic shift. The 2026 NDS is not an incremental update but a deliberate reordering of American defence priorities and expectations.

The most consequential shift is the move from integrated deterrence to an explicit hierarchy of priorities. Rather than attempting to manage multiple challenges simultaneously, the new strategy ranks threats and missions plainly. Defending the US homeland and deterring China sit at the top. Everything else, including Europe, is secondary.

Fortress America. Homeland defence now serves as the organising principle of American strategy, not a supporting task. The NDS frames borders, air and missile defence, cyber resilience, and the Western Hemisphere as core military priorities. It openly revives a Monroe Doctrine–style approach, naming Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Gulf of Mexico as key terrain to be controlled and defended. Forward deterrence abroad is no longer the default expression of US security; territorial defence at home is."

Sunday Independent, Dublin, 25.01.26: "The post continued the threatening and menacing tone the president had expressed during his Davos address.

As did the publication of the US National Defence Strategy late Friday night. Released by secretary of defence/war, Pete Hegseth, it's only the fourth sentence of the introduction before Greenland is first mentioned, and then repeated.

It speaks of the need to "secure key terrain in the Western Hemisphere", that the US would "no longer cede access to or influence over" that key terrain, and that the department is providing the president with "credible options to guarantee US military and commercial access to key terrain… especially Greenland".

None of that sounds like a president who has changed his mind on something that has been repeatedly referred to, since inauguration, and for years, as a key priority of this administration, namely "acquiring Greenland".

The Pioneer, New Delhi, 25.01.26: 'The 34-page page document, the first since 2022, was highly political for a military blueprint, criticising partners from Europe to Asia for relying on previous US administrations to subsidise their defence.

It called for "a sharp shift - in approach, focus, and tone." That translated to a blunt assessment that allies would take on more of the burden countering nations from Russia to North Korea. "For too long, the U.S. Government neglected - even rejected - putting Americans and their concrete interests first," read the opening sentence. It capped off a week of animosity between President Donald Trump's administration and traditional allies like Europe, with Trump threatening to impose tariffs on some European partners to press a bid to acquire Greenland before announcing a deal that lowered the temperature.

As allies confront what some see as a hostile attitude from the US, they will almost certainly be unhappy to see that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's department will provide "credible options to guarantee U.S. Military and commercial access to key terrain," especially Greenland and the Panama Canal. Following a tiff this week at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the strategy at once urges cooperation with Canada and other neighbours while still issuing a stark warning.

"We will engage in good faith with our neighbors, from Canada to our partners in Central and South America, but we will ensure that they respect and do their part to defend our shared interests," the document says. "And where they do not, we will stand ready to take focused, decisive action that concretely advances U.S. Interests." '

The Korean Times, Seoul, 25.01.26: "Seoul is expected to receive a detailed explanation about the new strategy as Elbridge Colby, the U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, arrived here on Sunday for a three-day visit. Colby, who played a central role in drafting the new defense strategy, is scheduled to meet senior South Korean officials, including Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, to explain Washington’s approach and seek cooperation on implementing the new framework.

Ahead of the visit, the U.S. Department of Defense said Colby would travel to South Korea and Japan to promote Trump’s security approach of “peace through strength.” The Pentagon said the trip emphasizes the importance of U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific region as Washington moves to recalibrate deterrence responsibilities among allies....During his visit, Colby is also scheduled to tour Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas. He will travel to Japan following his Korea visit as part of the same regional tour."

The Express On Sunday, London, 25.01.26: "A YEAR ago, newly sworn in President Donald Trump announced in his inaugural address that the "golden age of America begins right now". From that moment, he instituted a "shock and awe" strategy of steering the country hard to the political Right. Having experienced the first Trump administration, the world thought it was prepared, but it did not expect what followed....Most controversially, however, Trump has reshaped geopolitics into one bifurcated between the US and China: Trump's Corollary.....At the one-year anniversary of President Trump's second term, the question is can the "art of the deal" change geopolitics and keep the Nato alliance intact?

Whether one likes him or not, Trump is now one of the most consequential presidents in history. His embrace and deployment of American self-belief and military prowess have set him apart from recent predecessors.

Dramatic change does always come at a cost and the question remains whether the old alliances that held together in the previous world order will adapt to the new one."

In Australia the response is along the lines of....

Embassy of Australia, 2026, Australia and the United States: "Australia and the United States established diplomatic relations on 8 January 1940. Following the establishment of Australian and US Legations in March and July 1940 respectively, the White House announced the elevation of the Legations to Embassy status on 9 July 1946. Australia's first Ambassador to the United States, Norman J O Makin, presented his credentials to the US Government on 11 September 1946. The first US Ambassador to Australia, Robert Butler, presented his credentials on 25 September 1946......A central pillar of relations between Australia and the United States is the 'ANZUS' Treaty, which was originally an agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The ANZUS Treaty was signed by the parties in San Francisco in 1951 and entered into force in 1952. The ANZUS Treaty underpins the Australia-United States Alliance. It binds Australia and the United States to consult on mutual threats, and, in accordance with our respective constitutional processes, to act to meet common dangers. Australia invoked the ANZUS Treaty for the first time on 14 September 2001 in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September."

SBS News online, 31 January 2026: "Donald Trump has started 2026 with US military strikes on Venezuela, threats of an invasion into Greenland and a continuation of his administration's tariff trade war with friends and enemies alike.

While such shocks have become familiar during the controversial president’s two terms in office, they are increasingly testing the tolerance of America’s partners and prompting fresh questions in Australia.

Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, highlighted these concerns in his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month.

"Every day we're reminded that we live in an era of great power rivalry, that the rules based order is fading, that the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer. And faced with this logic, there is a strong tendency for countries to go along to get along, to hope that compliance will buy safety. Well, it won't. So, what are our options?"

In response to President Trump's trade tariffs and his stated desire to make Canada the 51st state of the U-S, Mr Carney's government has chosen to move Canada away from its historically close relationship with its southern neighbour.

Dr Emma Shortis, director of the International and Security Affairs Program at The Australia Institute, is one of a number of foreign policy experts who argue it's time for Australia to do the same.

"This is a president who is unconstrained and who is incredibly dangerous. And for Australia to tie not only our own security, but the security of our region to that again, is incredibly risky and undermines our regional relationships. That risk will only increase as Australia remains tied to this rogue power that is going to continue acting out. There's not many universes in which Trump's behaviour becomes constructive."

A November YouGov poll, commissioned by The Australia Institute, suggests that only 16 per cent of Australians believe the United States is a “very reliable” security ally while a previous poll in May found that 54.2 per cent wanted a more independent foreign policy.

So what has led so many to question an alliance that has defined much of modern Australian history?

The economy and national security are two key pillars of the US-Australia relationship often cited by Labor and the Coalition.

Dr Shortis argues the economic relationship with the US has become increasingly volatile under President Trump.

"The Trump administration has ripped up Australia's free trade agreement with the United States. It is trashing all the rules of global trade, which were of course imperfect, but which for the most part benefited Australia and created prosperity in Australia. Trump is trashing that and that is a risk to our security, our economic security."....

It can be difficult to understand what this decoupling of the US and Australia could look like.

Dr Emma Shortis says a first step from the federal government could be scrutinising the deals and alliances it holds with the US such as the AUKUS submarine deal, which could cost Australians up to $368 billion.

"So I think a starting point is with democratic accountability and scrutiny of the deals that we have with the United States in the first place. And I think what that could look like, for example, is a parliamentary inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal, which the United Kingdom has had an inquiry, the United States has had its own review. There's no reason that Australia can't have a review of its own. That will bring up many questions I think about Australia's broader relationship with the United States issues of sovereignty and independence. And I think that can, I suppose, get the ball rolling in what a reframed relationship with the United States might mean."

What leaders like Canada's Mark Carney are pushing for is middle power countries like Canada and Australia to draw closer together in favour of orbiting a major power like the US or China.

"The middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu. But we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just. This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and most to gain from genuine cooperation."

Dr Shortis says this focus on interdependence is key.

"So building up our regional relationships in particular around climate action and around public health, around education, around the things that really do make us safer. And building our networks and relationships in that way, much in the way that Mark Carney described. Building coalitions, building alliances around shared interests and around shared values."....

Board Of Peace™. Registered 22.01.26, no fixed address. Donald J. Trump, sole trader.

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:15:00 +0000

IMAGE: The Guardian, 23 January 2026

At a side event to the January 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland the US Trump Administration 'birthed' its new organisation which allegedly "seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict" and which apparently intends to sideline what its creators see as a less "nimble and effective international peace-building body" which happens to have stood the test of time for the last eighty years.

The Board of Peace foundational charter, as published, raises a suspicion that it was drafted with more than passing reference to model rules for exclusive & expensive sporting clubs. While its Chair and the composition of the Executive Board all but guarantee it will be under the coercive control of Donald J. Trump.

Chairman of the Board of Peace as of 22 January 2026:

Donald J. Trump

Seven Members of the Executive Board of the Board Of Peace as of 22 January 2026:

Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State
Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law
Sir Tony Blair, former U.K. prime minister
Marc Rowan, CEO, Apollo
Ajay Banga, World Bank president
Robert Gabriel, security advisor

Nineteen Ordinary Members of Board Of Peace as of 22 January 2026:

Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, minister of the prime minister’s court, Bahrain
Nasser Bourita, minister of foreign affairs, Morocco
Javier Milei, president, Argentina
Nikol Pashinyan, prime minister, Armenia
Ilham Aliyev, President, Azerbaijan
Rosen Zhelyazkov, prime minister, Bulgaria
Viktor Orban, prime minister, Hungary
Prabowo Subianto, president, Indonesia
Ayman Al Safadi, minister of foreign affairs, Jordan
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president, Kazakhstan
Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, president, Kosovo
Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, prime minister, Pakistan
Santiago Peña, president, Paraguay
Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, president, Qatar
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, minister of foreign affairs, Saudi Arabia
Hakan Fidan, minister of foreign affairs, Turkey
Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, special envoy to the U.S. for the UAE
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president, Uzbekistan
Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, prime minister, Mongolia

US President Trump also extended invitations to twenty-seven other countries to join his Board of Peace:

Australia

Austria
Brazil
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Finland
Germany
Greece
India
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
New Zealand
Oman
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russian Federation
Singapore
Spain
Switzerland
Thailand
Ukraine
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia, Norway, Cyprus, China, Russia, and Israel were among nations absent from the signing and, although a handful of countries are expected to join the Board at a later date, there are also other nations which have specifically rejected or are reluctant to accept Trump's invitation.

It is reported that the State of Israel expects to be appointed to the Executive at some time in the future.

Twenty-seven signatures on 22 January 2026 doesn't suggest red-hot international enthusiasm.

CHARTER OF BOARD OF PEACE as of 22 January 2026:

CHARTER OF THE BOARD OF PEACE

PREAMBLE

Declaring that durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common-sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed;

Recognizing that lasting peace takes root when people are empowered to take ownership and responsibility over their future;

Affirming that only sustained, results-oriented partnership, grounded in shared burdens and commitments, can secure peace in places where it has for too long proven elusive;

Lamenting that too many approaches to peace-building foster perpetual dependency, and institutionalize crisis rather than leading people beyond it;

Emphasizing the need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body; and

Resolving to assemble a coalition of willing States committed to practical cooperation and effective action,

Judgment guided and justice honored, the Parties hereby adopt the Charter for the Board of Peace.

Article 1: Mission

CHAPTER I-PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS

The Board of Peace is an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict. The Board of Peace shall undertake such peace-building functions in accordance with international law and as may be approved in accordance with this Charter, including the development and dissemination of best practices capable of being applied by all nations and communities seeking peace.

CHAPTER II

MEMBERSHIP

Article 2.1: Member States
Membership in the Board of Peace is limited to States invited to participate by the Chairman, and commences upon notification that the State has consented to be bound by this Charter, in accordance with Chapter XI.

Article 2.2: Member State Responsibilities

(a) Each Member State shall be represented on the Board of Peace by its Head of State or Government.

(b) Each Member State shall support and assist with Board of Peace operations consistent with their respective domestic legal authorities. Nothing in this Charter shall be construed to give the Board of Peace jurisdiction within the territory of Member States, or require Member States to participate in a particular peace-building mission, without their consent.

Article 2.2: Member State Responsibilities

(a) Each Member State shall be represented on the Board of Peace by its Head of State or Government.

(c) Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman. The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.

Article 2.3: Termination of Membership

Membership shall terminate upon the earlier of: (i) expiration of a three-year term, subject to Article 2.2(c) and renewal by the Chairman; (ii) withdrawal, consistent with Article 2.4; (iii) a removal decision by the Chairman, subject to a veto by a two-thirds majority of Member States: or (iv) dissolution of the Board of Peace pursuant to Chapter X. A Member State whose membership terminates shall also cease to be a Party to the Charter, but such State may be invited again to become a Member State, in accordance with Article 2.1.

Article 2.4: Withdrawal

Any Member State may withdraw from the Board of Peace with immediate effect by providing written notice to the Chairman.

CHAPTER III-GOVERNANCE

Article 3.1: The Board of Peace

(a) The Board of Peace consists of its Member States.

(b) The Board of Peace shall vote on all proposals on its agenda, including with respect to the annual budgets, the establishment of subsidiary entities, the appointment of senior executive officers, and major policy determinations, such as the approval of international agreements and the pursuit of new peace-building initiatives.

(c) The Board of Peace shall convene voting meetings at least annually and at such additional times and locations as the Chairman deems appropriate. The agenda at such meetings shall be set by the Executive Board, subject to notice and comment by Member States and approval by the Chairman.

(d) Each Member State shall have one vote on the Board of Peace.

(e) Decisions shall be made by a majority of the Member States present and voting, subject to the approval of the Chairman, who may also cast a vote in his capacity as Chairman in the event of a tie.

(f) The Board of Peace shall also hold regular non-voting meetings with its Executive Board at which Member States may submit recommendations and guidance with respect to the Executive Board’s activities, and at which the Executive Board shall report to the Board of Peace on the Executive Board’s operations and decisions. Such meetings shall be convened on at least a quarterly basis, with the time and place of said meetings determined by the Chief Executive of the Executive Board.

(g) Member States may elect to be represented by an alternate high-ranking official at all meetings, subject to approval by the Chairman.

(h) The Chairman may issue invitations to relevant regional economic integration organizations to participate in the proceedings of the Board of Peace under such terms and conditions as he deems appropriate.

Article 3.2: Chairman

(a) Donald J. Trump shall serve as inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace, and he shall separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America, subject only to the provisions of Chapter III.

(b) The Chairman shall have exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfill the Board of Peace’s mission.

Article 3.3: Succession and Replacement

The Chairman shall at all times designate a successor for the role of Chairman. Replacement of the Chairman may occur only following voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity, as determined by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board, at which time the Chairman’s designated successor shall immediately assume the position of the Chairman and all associated duties and authorities of the Chairman.

Article 3.4: Subcommittees

The Chairman may establish subcommittees as necessary or appropriate and shall set the mandate, structure, and governance rules for each such subcommittee.

CHAPTER IV-EXECUTIVE BOARD

Article 4.1: Executive Board Composition and Representation

(a) The Executive Board shall be selected by the Chairman and consist of leaders of global stature.

(b) Members of the Executive Board shall serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the Chairman and renewable at his discretion.

(c) The Executive Board shall be led by a Chief Executive nominated by the Chairman and confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

(d) The Chief Executive shall convene the Executive Board every two weeks for the first three months following its establishment and on a monthly basis thereafter, with additional meetings convened as the Chief Executive deems appropriate.

(e) Decisions of the Executive Board shall be made by a majority of its members present and voting, including the Chief Executive. Such decisions shall go into effect immediately, subject to veto by the Chairman at any time thereafter.

(f) The Executive Board shall determine its own rules of procedure.

Article 4.2: Executive Board Mandate

The Executive Board shall:

(a) Exercise powers necessary and appropriate to implement the Board of Peace’s mission, consistent with this Charter;

(b) Report to the Board of Peace on its activities and decisions on a quarterly basis, consistent with Article 3.1(f), and at additional times as the Chairman may determine.

Article 5.1: Expenses

CHAPTER V-FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Funding for the expenses of the Board of Peace shall be through voluntary funding from Member States, other States, organizations, or other sources.

Article 5.2: Accounts

The Board of Peace may authorize the establishment of accounts as necessary to carry out its mission. The Executive Board shall authorize the institution of controls and oversight mechanisms with respect to budgets, financial accounts, and disbursements, as necessary or appropriate to ensure their integrity.

CHAPTER VI LEGAL STATUS

Article 6

(a) The Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities possess international legal personality. They shall have such legal capacity as may be necessary to the pursuit of their mission (including, but not limited to, the capacity to enter into contracts, acquire and dispose of immovable and movable property, institute legal proceedings, open bank accounts, receive and disburse private and public funds, and employ staff).

(b) The Board of Peace shall ensure the provision of such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the exercise of the functions of the Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities and personnel, to be established in agreements with the States in which the Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities operate or through such other measures as may be taken by those States consistent with their domestic legal requirements. The Board may delegate authority to negotiate and conclude such agreements or arrangements to designated officials within the Board of Peace and/or its subsidiary entities.

Article 7

CHAPTER VII-INTERPRETATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Internal disputes between and among Board of Peace Members, entities, and personnel with respect to matters related to the Board of Peace should be resolved through amicable collaboration, consistent with the organizational authorities established by the Charter, and for such purposes, the Chairman is the final authority regarding the meaning, interpretation, and application of this Charter.

CHAPTER VIII-CHARTER AMENDMENTS

Article 8

Amendments to the Charter may be proposed by the Executive Board or at least one-third of the Member States of the Board of Peace acting together. Proposed amendments shall be circulated to all Member States at least thirty (30) days before being voted on. Such amendments shall be adopted upon approval by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Peace and confirmation by the Chairman. Amendments to Chapters II, III, IV, V, VIII, and X require unanimous approval of the Board of Peace and confirmation by the Chairman. Upon satisfaction of the relevant requirements, amendments shall enter into force on such date as specified in the amendment resolution or immediately if no date is specified.

Article 9

CHAPTER IX-RESOLUTIONS OR OTHER DIRECTIVES

The Chairman, acting on behalf of the Board of Peace, is authorized to adopt resolutions or other directives, consistent with this Charter, to implement the Board of Peace’s mission.

CHAPTER X-DURATION, DISSOLUTION AND TRANSITION

Article 10.1: Duration

The Board of Peace continues until dissolved in accordance with this Chapter, at which time this Charter will also terminate.

Article 10.2: Conditions for Dissolution

The Board of Peace shall dissolve at such time as the Chairman considers necessary or appropriate, or at the end of every odd-numbered calendar year, unless renewed by the Chairman no later than November 21 of such odd-numbered calendar year. The Executive Board shall provide for the rules and procedures with respect to the settling of all assets, liabilities, and obligations upon dissolution.

CHAPTER XI-ENTRY INTO FORCE

Article 11.1: Entry into Force and Provisional Application

(a) This Charter shall enter into force upon expression of consent to be bound by three States. (b) States required to ratify, accept, or approve this Charter through domestic procedures agree to provisionally apply the terms of this Charter, unless such States have informed the Chairman at the time of their signature that they are unable to do so. Such States that do not provisionally apply this Charter may participate as Non-Voting Members in Board of Peace proceedings pending ratification, acceptance, or approval of the Charter consistent with their domestic legal requirements, subject to approval by the Chairman.

Article 11.2: Depositary

The original text of this Charter, and any amendment thereto shall be deposited with the United States of America, which is hereby designated as the Depositary of this Charter. The Depositary shall promptly provide a certified copy of the original text of this Charter, and any amendment or additional protocols thereto, to all signatories to this Charter.

CHAPTER XII RESERVATIONS

Article 12

No reservations may be made to this Charter.

CHAPTER XIII-GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 13.1: Official Language

The official language of the Board of Peace shall be English

Article 13.2: Headquarters

The Board of Peace and its subsidiary entities may, in accordance with the Charter, establish a headquarters and field offices. The Board of Peace will negotiate a headquarters agreement and agreements governing field offices with the host State or States, as necessary.

Article 13.3: Seal

The Board of Peace will have an official seal, which shall be approved by the Chairman.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized, have signed this Charter.

* my yellow bolding used in this post

[See https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-charter-of-trumps-board-of-peace/]

Note: There is no mention of the Gaza Strip or the Palestinian people in this Charter, nor mention of the recently announced National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) or how this Palestinian body would interact with the Chair, Executive or Membership of the Board of Peace.

The wording of this Charter appears to suggest that the Board is to be funded by Ordinary Members. While at least five of those current representatives for ordinary member countries listed at the end of the charter document as of 22 January 2026 may not be guaranteed entry the United States of America, as their named countries can also be found on the full list of nations whose citizens are banned or partially restricted from entry into the USA or its territories.

To all North Coast Voices readers - past, present and in this coming year

noreply@blogger.com (NCV Admin) — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas to All

noreply@blogger.com (NCV Admin) — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Wishing North Coast Voices Readers a very happy festive season, December 2025

Two-man terrorist attack in Bondi on Sunday 14 December 2025 during an annual Hanukkah event

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:37:00 +0000

So well said I’ll leave this here. pic.twitter.com/VBjxlM72wO
— Tara ❤️ (@THstraya2017) December 15, 2025

NSW POLICE NEWS

Monday, 15 December 2025 06:37:21 AM

16 dead, 40 injured following public place shooting - Bondi

Police are continuing to investigate a mass shooting that resulted in 16 people dying and 40 people being injured in Sydney’s east yesterday evening.

About 6.40pm (Sunday 14 December 2025), emergency services were called to Bondi Beach, following reports of a public place shooting.

Officers attached to Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command, surrounding commands and specialist police immediately responded and located two men using long arms to fire into crowds of people.

Multiple officers exchanged fire with the two men with two officers – a constable and probationary constable – suffering gunshot wounds.

During the incident one shooter – a 50-year-old man – was shot by police and died at the scene.

The other shooter – a 24-year-old man – suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard.

As a result of the incident 14 people died at the scene and 42 people – including four children – were taken to hospitals across Sydney.

Police have since been told two other people – a 10-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man – have since died in hospital.

Those who died are yet to be formally identified; however, police believe their ages range between 10 and 87-years-old.

Five people remain in critical conditions with the others remaining in serious and stable conditions.

Both officers remain in serious but stable conditions.

A significant crime scene has been established closing Bondi Beach and surrounding roads, and detectives from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team have commenced an investigation into the incident.

Following initial inquiries, detectives have located and seized three firearms from the scene. They will all undergo forensic examination.

Investigations are continuing.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

Ahmed, you are an Australian hero.

You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist.

In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that's exactly what we saw on Sunday night.

On behalf of every Australian, I… pic.twitter.com/mAoObU3TZD
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 16, 2025

Heatwaves are more than a nuisance - they are a health hazard in our warming world

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:07:00 +0000

Well this last week of November 2025 certainly brought a reminder that heatwaves are not just a feature of an Australian summer, they are also a definite health hazard for many in our communities.

Particularly those with pre-existing health conditions, as well as the very young and those in older age brackets. People who work outdoors are also at increased risk.

[Australian Climate Service, 2025, "Australia’s National Climate Risk Assessment"]

Between 1990 and 2023, the average annual number of heat wave days was 15.6 days.

[Monash University, News, 21 July 2025, "30+ years of heat wave data to reduce impacts of extreme heat"]

In the four years between 2016 and 2019, the deaths of 1,006 people were attributable to heatwave conditions.

[Zhihu Xu, et al, Sept 2025,Mapping heatwave-related mortality across 2288 local communities in Australia: a nationwide time-series analysis"]

During those same four years the annual heatwave-related attributable mortality rate (per 100,000 residents per year) was 1.08 nationally. While New South Wales had an annual heatwave-related attributable mortality rate (per 100,000 residents per year) of 1.38.

By way of examples closer to home, when it came to the annual heatwave-related attributable mortality rate in North East NSW during 2016-2019:

Casino Region mortality rate was 5;

Kyogle mortality rate was 4.6;

Maclean-Yamba-Iluka area mortality rate 3.7;

Murwillumbah mortality rate 2.9;

Lismore Region mortality rate 2.6;

Grafton Region mortality rate was 1.9; and

Lennox Head-Skennars Head mortality rate 0.9.

[The Guardian, 17 Sept 2025, "Heatwaves caused more than 1,000 deaths in Australia over four-year period, study finds"]

From 2019 to 2022, there were 2,143 hospital admissions related to extreme heat, including 717 patients from Queensland, 410 from Victoria, 348 from NSW, 266 from South Australia, 267 from Western Australia, 73 from the Northern Territory, 23 from the ACT and 19 from Tasmania.

[AIHW, media release, 2 Nov 2023, "Extreme weather is leading to more injury hospitalisations, with heat being the main cause"]

In 2025 it is not only Gaza being starved to death by malice aforethought

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:46:00 +0000

In 2025 it is not only Gaza and its people being starved to death and its infrastructure destroyed by malice aforethought.

Just 16 days days into his term as 47th US president Donald J Trump issued a presidential action document titled WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM AND ENDING FUNDING TO CERTAIN UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATIONS AND REVIEWING UNITED STATES SUPPORT TO ALL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

which can be found at

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-and-ending-funding-to-certain-united-nations-organizations-and-reviewing-united-states-support-to-all-international-organizations/

Historically the United States of America had been the largest member state contributor to the UN annual budget.

In 2025 its financial support was intended to contribute est. 31 percent, with its funding meeting est. 22 percent of the UN regular budget and approximately 26 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget, with the other 193 UN member states contributing an est. 69% of the total annual financial support required.

The intent of this presidential action document appears to be the systematic starvation of the peak United Nations organisation and its agencies, by way of not meeting its obligations as set out in the UN2025 Budget assessment of 8 January 2025 and refusing to pay existing U.S. membership arrears in order to bend this international peak body to his will.

At Day 65 of this second Trump presidency the UN carried state member nation contribution arrears totalling US$2.4 billion of which the United States owed US$1.5 billion.

By Day 180 of this second presidency Trump had not revoked the 4 February 2025 decision, but he had not broken the resolve of the UN to protect its independence. Nor had he managed to shutdown all UN debates & resolutions on the Question of Gaza.

As of 3 October 2025, only 139 Member States (72%) had paid their dues in full. Members that have NOT paid their dues in full included:

9 members of the Human Rights Council: Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Chile, China, Cuba, Ghana, Malawi, Mexico.
4 members of the Security Council: China (permanent), Russia (permanent), the US (permanent), Pakistan.

Come October-September the 2025 mainstream media and others began to comment on the acute liquidity stress the UN was experiencing due to this prolonged reduction in funding.

On Day 247, Tuesday 23 September 2025, Trump delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. Like other member states he was allotted 15 minutes but he spoke for 57 minutes. During which time his audience politely laughed at his barbed humour as he attempted to blame UN staff for the problems caused by his own security and communications teams on his way into the assembly hall and up to the lectern and I suspect many, battered by Trump's global trade war, worried by incessant belligerent/ threatening tweets against their governments or hoping to pour oil on Trump's resentment of the United Nations, sat stoically though the better part of an hour of barefaced falsehoods, boasting and arrogant insults, then clapped him enthusiastically.

On or about 30 September 2025 Trump held a press conference with the alleged war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at which he announced that he would head the Board of Peace. This announcement comes at 2:22 mins into the video below

On Day 302, Monday 17 November 2025 the UN Security Council announced the following in a press release which began:

The Security Council today endorsed the United States-backed “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”, welcomed its establishment of the Board of Peace and authorised the Board and Member States working with it to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza.

Adopting resolution 2803 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2803(2025)) by a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions (China, Russian Federation), the Council also authorized the Board and Member States participating therein to enter arrangements necessary to achieve the Comprehensive Plan’s objectives and to establish operational entities to this end. Such entities will operate under the Board’s transitional authority and oversight.

The Council also underscored the importance of the full resumption of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in cooperation with the Board, in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles, through cooperating organizations — including the United Nations — and ensuring such aid is not diverted by armed groups.

Further, the text states that, as the Force establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw from the Gaza Strip based on standards, milestones and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed between specified parties — “save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat”.

Additionally, the Council decided that the Board, along with international civil and security presences authorized by today’s resolution, shall remain authorized until 31 December 2027, subject to further Council action. The organ also requested the Board to provide it with a written progress report every six months......

Those member states on the Security Council who voted in favour of this resolution, which both what remains of the Palestinian government in Gaza and the State of Israel are believed to object to for different reasons, were Algeria, Demark, France, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.

It would seem the United Nations Security Council remains dominated by the United States of America and, by a U.S. president who could be suspected of being predominately focussed on seeking both the Nobel Peace Prize and his family's enrichment through land/property development deals on the ground in Gaza.

As of 3:30am AEDST a UN direct link to Resolution 2803 (2025) so an alternate source for this resolution was sought.

Full transcript of Resolution 2803 (2025) can be found at end of an article with title & lede; "Full text of the US resolution for Gaza approved by the UN Security Council: UN Resolution 2803 places Donald Trump in control of Gaza and, using vague language, says if certain targets are met there could be a pathway to the creation of a Palestinian state"

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-text-us-resolution-gaza-approved-un-security-council

"Adopted by the Security Council at its 10046th meeting, on 17 November 2025

The Security Council,

Welcoming the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict of 29 September 2025 (“Comprehensive Plan”), and applauding the states that have signed, accepted, or endorsed it, and further welcoming the historic Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity of 13 October 2025 and the constructive role played by the United States of America, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Türkiye, in having facilitated the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,

Determining that the situation in the Gaza Strip threatens the regional peace and the security of neighboring states and noting prior relevant Security Council resolutions relating to the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,

1. Endorses the Comprehensive Plan, acknowledges the parties have accepted it, and calls on all parties to implement it in its entirety, including maintenance of the ceasefire, in good faith and without delay;

2. Welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace (BoP) as a transitional administration with international legal personality that will set the framework, and coordinate funding, for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan, and in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles, until such time as the Palestinian Authority (PA) has satisfactorily completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French Proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. After the PA reform program is faithfully carried out and Gaza redevelopment has advanced, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence;

3. Underscores the importance of the full resumption of humanitarian aid in cooperation with the BoP into the Gaza Strip in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles and through cooperating organizations, including the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent, and ensuring such aid is used solely for peaceful uses and not diverted by armed groups;

4. Authorizes Member States participating in the BoP and the BoP to: (A) enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan, including those addressing privileges and immunities of personnel of the force established in paragraph 7 below; and (B) establish operational entities with, as necessary, international legal personality and transactional authorities for the performance of its functions, including: (1) the implementation of a transitional governance administration, including the supervising and supporting of a Palestinian technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip, as championed by the Arab League, which shall be responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza’s civil service and administration; (2) the reconstruction of Gaza and of economic recovery programs; (3) the coordination and supporting of and delivery of public services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza; (4) any measures to facilitate the movement of persons in and out of Gaza, in a manner consistent with the Comprehensive Plan; and (5) any such additional tasks as may be necessary to support and implement the Comprehensive Plan;

5. Understands that the operational entities referred to in paragraph 4 above will operate under the transitional authority and oversight of the BoP and are to be funded through voluntary contributions from donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments;

6. Calls upon the World Bank and other financial institutions to facilitate and provide financial resources to support the reconstruction and development of Gaza , including through the establishment of a dedicated trust fund for this purpose and governed by donors;

7. Authorizes Member States working with the BoP and the BoP to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza to deploy under unified command acceptable to the BoP, with forces contributed by participating States, in close consultation and cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel, and to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law. The ISF shall work with Israel and Egypt, without prejudice to their existing agreements, along with the newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force, to help secure border areas; stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of the military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups; protect civilians, including humanitarian operations; train and provide support to the vetted Palestinian police forces; coordinate with relevant States to secure humanitarian corridors; and undertake such additional tasks as may be necessary in support of the Comprehensive Plan. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw from the Gaza Strip based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat. The ISF shall, (A) assist the BoP in monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, and enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan; and (B) operate under the strategic guidance of the BoP and will be funded through voluntary contributions from donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments;

8. Decides the BoP and international civil and security presences authorized by this resolution shall remain authorized until Dec. 31, 2027, subject to further action by the Council, and any further reauthorization of the ISF be in full cooperation and coordination with Egypt and Israel and other Member States continuing to work with the ISF;

9. Calls upon Member States and international organizations to work with the BoP to identify opportunities to contribute personnel, equipment, and financial resources to its operating entities and the ISF, to provide technical assistance to its operating entities and the ISF, and to give full recognition to its acts and documents;

10. Requests the BoP provide a written report on progress related to the above to the UN Security Council every six months;

11. Decides to remain seized of the matter."

STATE OF PLAY SEPTEMBER 2025: Trump hides behind 25 Republican members of the 119th US Congress in order to threaten Australia ahead of a United Nations vote on the question of Palestine.

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:15:00 +0000

Unravelling the time line.....

On Friday, 12 September 2025 the United Nations issued a media release which stated in part:

Applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Friday as countries endorsed a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution with Israel.

The New York Declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organized by France and Saudi Arabia, which resumes later this month.

The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States and 142 countries voted in favour of a resolution backing the document.

Israel voted against it, alongside nine other countries – Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States – while 12 nations abstained..... [See: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165835]

The full vote as displayed in the UN General Assembly on Friday, 12 September 2025. Australia clearly voted in favour of the resolution Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution [See: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n25/239/44/pdf/n2523944.pdf]

On Thursday 18 September 2025 the United Nations issued another media release which began:

The United States once again vetoed a UN resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, following a vote in the Security Council on Thursday.

The negative vote was cast as the 15-member Council held its 10,000th meeting against the backdrop of famine spreading in the besieged enclave and an ongoing Israeli offensive to take full control of Gaza City.

The draft also demanded the release of all hostages held by Hamas and for Israel to lift all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid and ensure that it is safely distributed to the population – in particular by UN agencies and partners.....

The US is one of five permanent Council members who possess the right to veto..... [See: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165881]

On 19 September 2025 twelve Republican members of the US House of Representatives and thirteen Republican senators in the US Senate, came together in issuing a joint letter containing a clear threat to take punitive measures against the Commonwealth of Australia, Canada, the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in that order of precedence.

Click on image to enlarge

The letter was copied to the 47th US President and his current Secretary of State. [See: https://files.constantcontact.com/81b76c35801/9888fb71-232f-4c60-863d-292731f12546.pdf].

The Albanese Government quite rightly did not take that letter into consideration in continuing to fulfil its pledge to the Australian people based on a long-held bi-partisan policy with regard to the question of Palestine.

Australia recognises the State of Palestine

Joint media release:

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister Of Australia

21 September 2025

Effective today, Sunday the 21st of September 2025, the Commonwealth of Australia formally recognises the independent and sovereign State of Palestine.

In doing so, Australia recognises the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own.

Australia's recognition of Palestine today, alongside Canada and the United Kingdom, is part of a co-ordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023.

Today's act of recognition reflects Australia's longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, which has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples.

The international community has set out clear requirements for the Palestinian Authority.

The President of the Palestinian Authority has restated its recognition of Israel's right to exist, and given direct undertakings to Australia, including commitments to hold democratic elections and enact significant reform to finance, governance and education.

The terrorist organisation Hamas must have no role in Palestine.

Further steps, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of embassies, will be considered as the Palestinian Authority makes progress on its commitments to reform.

Already, crucial work is underway across the international community to develop a credible peace plan that enables the reconstruction of Gaza, builds the capacity of the state of Palestine and guarantees the security of Israel.

The leadership of the countries of the Arab League and the United States is vital to this task.

Australia will continue to work with our international partners to help build on today's act of recognition and to bring the Middle East closer to the lasting peace and security that is the hope, and the right, of all humanity.

It should be noted that Australia was a founding member of the United Nations having signed the United Nations Charter and Statute of the International Court of Justice on 26 June 1945 (on the same day as the United States) and, in 1947 gave its formal support for the partitioning of Palestine into two independent states.

[See:https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/1947/11/ARES181.pdf]

So it is somewhat of a puzzle as to why anyone in the Trump Administration could believe that the Australian Government should or would blindly do their bidding in the face of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by the State of Israel and the Likud Government

[See: https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203454 and https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-crp-3.pdf]

As Australian mainstream media reported that letter.....

Australian Financial Review, 22 September 2025:

New York | Australia has brushed aside last-minute threats of retaliation from United States Republicans, and protests by the federal opposition and the global Jewish community, to join like-minded allies in formally recognising the State of Palestine, effective immediately at 11pm on Sunday night (AEST).

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially implemented the policy change at the same time as the United Kingdom and Canada, one day before a special summit on Palestine convened by France and Saudi Arabia to be held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who is also in New York, announced that, subject to the Palestinian Authority adhering to the terms of recognition, Australia would establish diplomatic ties and open an embassy.

Conditions include recognising Israel’s right to exist, a commitment to hold democratic elections and “enact significant reform to finance, governance and education”.

As well, “terrorist organisation Hamas must have no role in Palestine”.

The government argues recognition was the best hope to bring to a head a two-state solution rather than waiting for a peace deal – which has remained elusive for almost 80 years – before beginning negotiations.

“We are seeing the Israeli government continue to provide support for illegal settlements and expansion in the West Bank, we’re seeing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfold in Gaza. The idea that Israel is just sitting back waiting to negotiate is not what is happening here. This is about the world saying enough is enough,” said Albanese.

But as Albanese arrived in New York early Sunday morning AEST, a letter co-signed by 25 Republican members of Congress accused Australia and the others of “legitimising a Palestinian terror state” and threatened repercussions.

“Proceeding with recognition will put your country at odds with longstanding US policy and interests and may invite punitive measures in response,” it says.

The letter was addressed to Albanese as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Copies were sent to US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump tried to derail the recognition process by denying US visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and about 80 officials. Australia voted in the UN on Saturday AEST to allow Abbas to address the special summit by video link. The vote passed by 145 votes to five, with six abstentions.

“The State of Palestine may submit a prerecorded statement of its president, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall,” the resolution says.....

Read the full article at: https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-recognises-palestine-despite-us-threats-of-punitive-reprisals-20250921-p5mwok

The 20th statistical analysis, "The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey: Selected Findings from Waves 1 to 23", September 2025, shines a light on Australian society

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 20:15:00 +0000

The Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales had an estimated resident population in 2024 of 318,848 men, women and children, spread across 20,758 square kilometres with a population density of 15.36 persons per square kilometre. [https://profile.id.com.au/northern-rivers/]

The region's residents live in est. 252,350 households of which 29,314 — or est.11.6 per cent of all resident households — contain lone parents with their child/ren.

This percentage is higher than the total percentage for the state's entire regional zone and, represents an increase in Northern Rivers lone parent households of 15,535 over the five years between the 2016 & 2021 national censuses.

In March 2025 the University of Melbourne issued a media release covering aspects of the 20th Annual Statistical Report of the HILDA Survey.

An annual report funded by the Australian Government through the Dept. of Social Services, based on data collected in a longitudinal study over more than two decades, with the same 17,000 people interviewed year-on-year.

That media release stated three uncomfortable facts:

inequality is at a 20 year high in Australia, with higher incomes having grown faster relative to middle incomes. While at the same time, the relative growth of lower incomes has declined;

more than half (51.2%) of survey respondents reported that their real income decreased between 2021 and 2022; and

single parents remain the hardest hit by negative outcomes:

Across the broad spectrum of the survey and the report’s analysis, single parents are often the demographic that is the most negatively impacted by economic factors.

Single parents have seen a 76% increase in child care costs per child since 2006, compared to a 48% increase for couple parents.

Over the 2001-2022 period, single parents were not only the most likely family type to have poor mental health but also took the longest to recover from poor mental health.

With a poverty rate of 25%, single-parent families were significantly more likely to experience poverty, more than four times the rate for couple-parent families (6.2%). They also had the lowest average wealth levels.

The media release also confirmed that floods across Australia are causing spikes in household damage:

In 2022, the percentage of Australians that reported weather-related damage to their house reached a level not seen before in the HILDA survey.

Since 2009, the annual survey has asked participants whether “a weather-related disaster (e.g., flood, bushfire, cyclone)” had damaged or destroyed their home in the last 12 months. The 2022 results therefore included respondents impacted by the various floods across Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria during late 2021 and 2022.

As such, this latest wave saw much larger rates of home damage from weather-related disasters, jumping from 1.3% in 2021, to 4.5% the following year. This eclipses any rate seen before, almost 2 percentage points higher than the previous nationwide peak of 2.7% in 2011. This recent rise in weather damage hit those in the northeast of the country the most, with roughly 9% of respondents in New South Wales and 6% of Queenslanders affected.

This month the 20th statistical analysis, The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey: Selected Findings from Waves 1 to 23, September 2025 was released. It can be found at:

https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/5387806/2025-HILDA-Statistical-Report.pdf

This report presents select findings from Waves 1 to 23 of the HILDA Survey and explores 10 topics:

Households and family life
Household economic wellbeing
The labour market
Retirement
Housing insurance
Bodily pain
Psychological distress
Blood donation
Friendships
Time stress

Following release of the 20th annual report Barnardos Australia issued the following media release.

Media Release, 19 September 2025:

HILDA report reveals children trapped in poverty as inequality reaches crisis point

Australian children are being robbed of their childhood, Barnardos Australia says, as new research reveals that more than one in three children in single-parent families live in poverty.

Today’s landmark Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey shows more than one in three (36.2%) children in single-parent families are living below the poverty line, the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2001.

Research found 30 per cent of children in single-parent families have lived in poverty for more than two decades, but in 2022 the figure reached its peak at 36.2 per cent.

Single-parent households are almost three times more likely to be in poverty than households with two parents.

“This research reflects what Barnardos is seeing in the community. Housing costs are pushing children deeper into poverty, with many single-parent families living below the poverty line,” Barnardos Family Connect and Support team leader Michaela Bestwick said.

“When more than one in three children in single-parent families can’t afford basic necessities after paying rent, it is clear we’re facing a national housing and child poverty emergency that demands immediate action.”

Single-parent families have experienced a 76 per cent spike in childcare costs since 2006, the research shows, leaving many children without access to early learning opportunities.

“How can we break the cycles of poverty and disadvantage when families can’t afford to send their children to daycare?” Ms Bestwick said.

“Children experiencing poverty and instability are removed from their families not because of abuse or neglect, but because their parents simply can’t afford to provide basic necessities.

“The government must do more to ensure families are supported and children are given the opportunity to thrive and enjoy their childhood.

“When children can’t access early childhood education because a single mother can’t afford childcare, or when they’re forced to move schools repeatedly due to housing instability, or when they can’t concentrate in class because they’re hungry - we’re failing them at the most crucial time in their lives.

“Every day of disadvantage in a child’s life will have consequences for years to come.”

ENDS

Rising ocean temperatures in whale breeding grounds to Australia's north may be a factor in Humpback whales leaving calving nursery regions too early in historic migration cycle

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:15:00 +0000

Research Gate

Southern Ocean humpback whales are shifting to an earlier return migration, 25 July 2025:

Authors:

Rebecca A. Dunlop

Emma Gumley

Ella Holding McGrath

Michael Noad

ABSTRACT

The Southern Ocean ecosystem is undergoing unprecedented environmental changes, which have led to shifts in the primary food source of baleen whales, Antarctic krill. Additionally, many humpback whale populations have rebounded from near extirpation due to historical whaling, increasing pressure on now vulnerable krill populations. Since humpback whales rely on energy reserves built up during their feeding season to sustain them during migration, changes in their food supply are likely to influence their migration strategies. In this study, the timing of the ‘return to feeding grounds,’ or southern migration, of the eastern Australian humpback whale population was tracked over a 21-year period. Both land-based and acoustic surveys were used to estimate the timing of the migratory peak in southern Queensland, i.e., the week with the highest number of whales sighted or recorded. Land-based surveys recorded all whales, including females with newborn calves, while acoustic surveys recorded singing adult males. Both datasets revealed that the peak of the southern migration has shifted earlier by approximately three weeks from 2003 to 2024. Although this study does not establish causation, it highlights a strong correlation between changes in migratory timing and sea ice coverage in the whales’ Antarctic feeding grounds. The observed decline in sea ice area, combined with the large increase in the humpback whale population, are discussed as potential factors contributing to the shift in migratory timing.

The Australian east coast is one of three principal migration paths for whales travelling between Summer and Winter feeding and breeding grounds.

The Northern Rivers premier masthead expands on the subject.....

ECHO, 12 September 2025:

Decades of surveys show whale migration shift

As we near the end of the 2025 humpback whale migration, both north and south, a University of Queensland survey has revealed the peak of the southern migration of humpback whales down the east Australian coast is now weeks earlier than it was 21 years ago, and a warming Southern Ocean may be the reason.

Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop from UQ’s School of the Environment found the return migration from northern breeding grounds has shifted earlier by approximately three weeks.

‘Acoustic and visual surveys show the peak of the southern migration in 2003 was in early October but by 2024, we observed it was in the middle of September,’ said Dr Dunlop.

‘While migratory timing naturally fluctuates from year to year by about two weeks, since 2021 there has been a clear and sustained change.’

The cues for migration are not well understood but are likely to be influenced by ecological and environmental factors impacting summer feeding while in the Southern Ocean.

Sea ice and krill populations

‘A big factor is the connection between sea ice and krill populations.’

Apart from the odd temporary stopover, humpback whales do not eat during the winter months when they migrate to tropical and subtropical breeding grounds.

‘Whales likely time their migration to ensure their stay in Antarctic waters is long enough with adequate feed to build the fat and protein reserves needed to fuel their journey to and from the breeding grounds, as well as for reproductive activities,’ said Dr Dunlop.

‘The later years of this study coincide with a pronounced decline in sea ice coverage beyond usual annual fluctuations.’

‘Less sea ice, or a shorter ice season, means less algae which is crucial food for krill.’

‘Less available krill prior to the migration could be forcing the whales back to the feeding grounds earlier.’

Population grown from 300 to 40,000

The eastern Australian population of humpback whales has grown from only 300 in the 1960s after sustained hunting, to around 40,000.

‘We did consider if an earlier departure from the northern breeding grounds could be driven by crowding or even human activity in the Great Barrier Reef,’ said Dr Dunlop. ‘But while the whale population increased steadily over the 21 years of this study, a clear shift in migration timing did not occur until after 2021 when rising water temperatures driven by climate change affected sea ice coverage in the Antarctic oceans.’

This earlier return south is also being seen in other humpback populations – along Australia’s west coast and South America.

‘I am concerned at some point we may see a decline in birth rates because females won’t have the energy to support migrating north, giving birth and getting their calf back to the feeding grounds.’

A research project is underway to determine whether the timing of the migration north away from the feeding grounds has also shifted.

NOTE: My yellow highlighting in this post

NSW Minns Labor Government announced the creation of the Great Koala National Park on Monday 7 September 2025. However, it may be too soon to broach the champagne as there are a number of conditions & caveats of concern & a timeline which may not see this park legally established before the 2027 NSW State Election

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:15:00 +0000

The Minns Labor Government came to power on 23 March 2023 for an initial four year term.

It was elected by the people of New South Wales on an election platform that included the creation of the Great Koala National Park. Indeed this was the third time Labor had taken the Great Koala National Park proposal to an election.

However, despite a recognised koala extinction crisis being underway, no sooner was the Minns state ministry sworn in than this assurance was put on the back burner.

State-owned Forestry NSW was allowed to continue at an increased pace to log native forests within the proposed boundaries of the Great Koala National Park to the detriment of biodiversity and endangered, vulnerable & protected native wildlife.

Now having passed the halfway point of its four year-term in government and facing another election in March 2027, the Minns Government appears to have suddenly realised that it would be politically unwise not to formally announce that at an unspecified date in the future it will legislate the creation of the Great Koala National Park - with qualifications and caveats attached to this announcement set out below in its media release.

MINNS SHARPE MORIARTY SAFFIN - MEDIA RELEASE - THE GREAT KOALA NATIONAL PARK - SUNDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 2025

7 September 2025 at 07:04

OFFICIAL

Chris Minns Premier of New South Wales

Penny Sharpe Minister for Climate Change

Minister for Energy

Minister for the Environment

Minister for Heritage

Tara Moriarty Minister for Agriculture

Minister for Regional NSW

Minister for Western NSW

Janelle Saffin Minister for Small Business

Minister for Recovery

Minister for the North Coast

MEDIA RELEASE

The Great Koala National Park

Sunday, 7 September 2025

MAP: NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Click on image to enlarge

The Minns Labor Government has today confirmed the next major step delivering on an election commitment to protect koalas in the wild, announcing the proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park, alongside a comprehensive plan to support workers, industry and local communities.

On National Threatened Species Day, the NSW Government is announcing:

The proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park
An immediate temporary moratorium on timber harvesting within this proposed boundary

A comprehensive worker and industry support package
$6m in community and small business supports for the mid-north coast region
An additional $60 million to establish the park.

Without action, koalas are on track to be extinct in the wild in NSW by 2050. At the last election, we promised to take action to establish the Great Koala National Park — and today we are delivering on that commitment.

The park will reserve 176,000 hectares of state forest and connect with existing national parks to create a 476,000-hectare reserve – one of the largest in NSW.

This park will protect more than 12,000 koalas, 36,000 Greater Gliders and habitat for over 100 other threatened species.

The Government has imposed a temporary moratorium effective Monday 8 September 2025 on timber harvesting within the proposed park boundary.

The NSW Government has planned carefully and will stand with affected workers, businesses and communities every step of the way.

It’s why today we are announcing comprehensive assistance for impacted business and workers.

The immediate temporary moratorium will have an impact on 6 out of more than 25 timber mills in the region and approximately 300 jobs.

Assistance includes JobKeeper-style payments to support workers by covering salaries, and also financial assistance towards business operating costs.

As well as financial payments to cover salaries, workers and their families will have immediate free access to mental health, financial and legal counselling services and training support.

The Government has contacted every impacted mill and will now commence discussions with them about their long-term options and ensure appropriate support for workers.

The Government recognises there will be challenges as the transition begins and is committed to working with local communities every step of the way.

The NSW Government has also committed $6 million to support new opportunities for tourism and small businesses on the Mid North Coast, with the package to be developed in consultation with local communities to grow jobs and investment as the Great Koala National Park is established.

An additional $60 million in funding is being announced for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to support the establishment of the park. This is in addition to the $80 million announced in 2023.

The final creation of the park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management Method, which is currently moving through the Federal Government assessment processes.

Today's announcement follows extensive consultation with industry and community stakeholders and a comprehensive expert assessment process.

The Government thanks everyone involved for their input and patience during this process.

The Great Koala National Park will not end forestry on the North Coast. The Independent Forestry Panel is continuing to provide advice to the Government to inform the Forestry Industry Action Plan.

Information is available online, via www.nsw.gov.au/greatkoalanationalpark.

Quote attributable to Premier of NSW, Chris Minns:

“Koalas are at risk of extinction in the wild in NSW – that’s unthinkable. The Great Koala National Park is about turning that around.

“We’ve listened carefully and we’re making sure workers, businesses and communities are supported every step of the way.”

Quote attributable to Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe:

“The Great Koala National Park has been a dream for more than a decade. It will ensure koalas survive into the future so our grandchildren will still be able to see them in the wild.

“These amazing old-growth forests are among the world’s top biodiversity hotspots – home to more than 100 threatened species including greater gliders, the powerful owl and yellow-bellied gliders.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty:

“Our government’s priority is to fully support impacted workers with payments and services during this major change.

“That is why we will provide financial assistance to businesses we know will be impacted, so they can continue to pay their staff’s salaries and cover costs.

“We are committed to a sustainable forestry industry in NSW.”

Quote attributable to Minister for the North Coast and Small Business, Janelle Saffin:

“We are delivering on our election promise to deliver the Great Koala National Park for the North Coast.

“This will deliver the protection of our most precious and loved species, our koalas, that everyone in NSW wants to see protected; and the Greater Koala National Park will also provide an economic boon for locals and businesses alike.

“It is important to work together to ensure no one is left behind. We will be supporting impacted workers, businesses, communities and industry to maximise opportunities as we deliver the Great Koala National Park.

“I am committed to ensure that our forest workers and small business forest operators are supported economically and emotionally through this change.”

ENDS

BACKGROUND

Nature Conservation Council of NSW

New data reveals land clearing rates in NSW jump 40% across the state

MEDIA RELEASE

28th July 2025

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the state’s leading environmental advocacy organisation, is calling for urgent protection of rural bushland after Government data released today shows a dramatic jump in land clearing rates.

New South Wales’ latest land clearing data shows we are wiping out over 66,000 hectares of the Australian bush each year – that's equivalent to bull-dozing Sydney’s Royal National Park four times over.

“The jump in land clearing across NSW by 40% during Labor’s first year of governing is a major red flag. The Government needs to get moving on its election commitment to 'end runaway land clearing’,” Nature Conservation Council NSW CEO Jacqui Mumford said.

“Just last month the state’s foremost scientific scorecard – the State of the Environment Report – signalled that nature was getting worse across the board, with vegetation clearing a major driver of biodiversity decline.

“Destroying native bushland directly kills and displaces native animals, opens land up to erosion and weed invasion and decreases the health of the landscape.

“If we continue on the current trajectory, scientists predict NSW will lose nearly 500 wildlife species to extinction within the next century.

“The data released today is yet more evidence that NSW’s environmental laws are too weak.

“We’re calling on Premier Chris Minns to do as promised and strengthen habitat clearing laws urgently.”

Some of the highest land clearing rates are occurring in the western part of the state, which is home to the last populations of endangered malleefowl and critically endangered red-tailed black-cockatoos in NSW.

“Today’s findings are not surprising. When the previous government scrapped the Native Vegetation Act in 2016 we saw land clearing rates triple, and since then it’s remained out of control,” Ms Mumford said.

The data released today confirmed agriculture as the biggest driver of land clearing in NSW. In 2023, 77% of all clearing was due to agriculture – or 51,201 hectares.

It also showed that woodland and forest clearing on private land climbed particularly sharply.

“Tens of thousands of hectares of private land covered with habitat, that could have supported koalas and other species, were cleared in just 12 months, and the creatures that call those trees home are paying the price,” Ms Mumford said.

“Currently, agricultural businesses can bulldoze bushland, including koala habitat, without any independent assessment, due to regulation changes by the previous Liberal National Coalition Government. That needs to end.

“The Labor Government promised to rein in land clearing before the last election, but it's still a free-for-all.”

Background:

· The latest data produced by the NSW Government as part of its annual Statewide Land and Tree Study (SLATS) survey shows that 66,498 hectares of NSW bush was destroyed across the state in 2023 through agriculture, native forestry and development. This is a 47% increase from 45,252 hectares cleared in 2022.

· Based on average yearly land clearing rates, since coming to Government in March 2023 around 192,525 hectares of native vegetation may have been cleared by private landowners.

· At the 2023 state election the Labor Government made commitments to: ‘stop excess land clearing, strengthen environmental protections and reform the biodiversity offset scheme’. These commitments are also articulated in their Planfor Nature.

· In 2023 77% of all vegetation cleared was on agricultural lands, 15% due to private native forestry and 8% attributed to infrastructure development.

· Clearing native vegetation directly kills and displaces native animals. Over time, the effects of habitat fragmentation and disturbance can lead to invasion by weeds and further deteriorate the condition and habitat values of the remnant vegetation.

· According to the latest NSW State of the Environment Report report cards, of the 1000 plant and animal species listed as threatened in NSW only 50% are predicted to be living within 100 years time (i.e. 500 species will be extinct in 100 years).

ENDS

Now Spring has arrived and Summer months are not that far away perhaps it's time to reconsider how to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 20:10:00 +0000

Great White Shark
IMAGE: Australian Geographic

Human and shark interactions are not uncommon in New South Wales, Australia.

Most interactions are benign and have passed without remark over the last 237 years, though records of interactions do go back for the last 234 years. [SEE: Australian Shark-Incident Database Public Version.xlsx]

Of those incidents which have been recorded occurring in open ocean, coastal waters, ocean & surf beaches, rivers, estuaries and harbours, an est.107 resulted in no injury to the surfer, swimmer or diver.

However, an est. 47 human-shark interactions have resulted in injury to the person, with another 78 resulting in death.

Sadly, the last death in New South Wales occurred on Saturday, 6 September 2025.

This is the seventh recorded human-shark interaction in the state in 2025 to date and the first death this year.

As three of these seven incidents occurred in north-east NSW waters, perhaps now is the time for those of us living in the region to reassess our personal and family adherence to water safety rules.

Be SharkSmart is a good place to start to refresh an understanding of current safety advice. It can be found at https://www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au/staying-safe.

How to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

Swim between the red and yellow flags

One of the simplest safety routines to follow is to only swim at patrolled beaches and to stay between the flags. This is the safest place to swim because lifesavers and lifeguards are there to monitor beach and water conditions and maximise the safety of all beach goers. Pay attention to the advice of the lifesavers and safety signs. Patrolled beaches may also sound shark alarms. You should leave the water as soon as an alarm is sounded or a shark is spotted.

SharkSmart swimmers and surfers

Tell an on-duty lifesaver or lifeguard if you see a shark.
Stay close to shore when swimming.
Stay out of the water with bleeding cuts or wounds.
It's best to swim, dive or surf with other people.
Avoid swimming and surfing at dawn, dusk and night – sharks can see you but you can’t see them. [Bull and Tiger sharks are more active at Dawn and Dusk]
Keep away from murky, dirty water, and waters with known effluents or sewage.
Avoid areas used by recreational or commercial fishers.
Avoid areas with signs of bait fish or fish feeding activity; diving seabirds are a good indicator of fish activity.
Dolphins do not indicate the absence of sharks; both often feed together on the same food, and sharks are known to eat dolphins.
Be aware that sharks may be present between sandbars or near steep drop offs.
Steer clear of swimming in canals and swimming or surfing in river/harbour mouths.
Avoid having pets in the water with you.
Keep away from shark nets and other shark mitigation measures.
Consider using a personal deterrent.

There are several commercially available shark deterrent products but the NSW Government recommends investing in a device that has been independently tested and verified.

As a part of the NSW Shark Management Strategy, funding was provided to independently test a number of shark deterrent products. Read the Flinders University report (PDF, 1624.03 KB).

SharkSmart divers, snorkellers and spearfishers

Understand and respect the environment. Find out which species of shark you are most likely to encounter and what behaviour to expect from them.
Realise that diver safety becomes increasingly difficult with decreasing visibility, such as at night or in turbid water and with increasing depth and current.
Discuss dive logistics and contingency plans such as hand signals, entry and exit considerations and separation procedures with your dive partner before you enter the water.
Be aware that using bait to lure fish may attract sharks.
Don't chase, grab, corner, spear or touch a shark.

Don't use bait or otherwise attempt to feed a shark while underwater. Feeding may radically change the shark's behaviour and may lure other sharks.
Observe and respond to a shark's behaviour. If it appears excited or agitated, exhibiting quick, jerky movements or other erratic behaviour, leave the water as quickly and calmly as possible. Try to minimise splashing and noise.
Be aware of the behaviour of fish. If they suddenly dive for cover or appear agitated, leave the water as quickly and calmly as possible. A shark may be nearby.
Do not attach speared fish to your body or keep them near you; use a float and line to keep your catch well away.

Stay SharkSmart with our app

Check the latest sightings and tagged shark detections before you hit the water in NSW.

Download the SharkSmart app today

For iOS visit the iTunes store, or for Android visit Google Play.

@NSWSharkSmart on Twitter/X

MARCH FOR AUSTRALIA 31 August 2025: when people believe what neo-Nazis & white supremacists loudly chant and fail to fact check before they join a march

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:30:00 +0000

"On 18 August, 2GB radio host Ben Fordham said that 1,544 migrants, or the equivalent of five fully-loaded Boeing 787 Dreamliners, were arriving in Australia "day after day, week after week".

Fordham went on to suggest this figure is why the 'March for Australia' protests were organised....

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said these figures are not an accurate reflection of actual migration figures." [SBS News FactCheckers, 1 Sept 2025]

Marchers Attacking and damaging indigenous sovereign camp. Unprovoked. Protesters begging them to stop. pic.twitter.com/u17dfKciXU
— 🕸️Messywebz🔞 (@Messywebz) September 1, 2025

Because the barely concealed 'othering' of large parts of the Australian population should never be tolerated and because the combination of ignorance, racism and hate-filled violence which also occurred during the March for Australia event was a disgrace, here is a brief outline of Australia's genuine migration statistics.

Note: click on tables & graphs to enlarge for easier reading

Australian Bureau of Statistics, National, state and territory population, as of December 2024:

Estimated Resident Population (ERP).

Australia’s population was 27,400,013 people at 31 December 2024.
The quarterly growth was 91,133 people (0.3%).
The annual growth was 445,900 people (1.7%).
Annual natural increase was 105,200 and net overseas migration was 340,800.

Components of annual population change(a) Dec 04 to Dec 24

Components of annual population change by states and territories in 2024

AIFS, Births in Australia, December 2024:

The total fertility rate for Australia in 2023 was 1.50, which is the lowest ever recorded. The previous lowest rate was 1.59 recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020....

Since 1976, the total national fertility rate has been below the replacement level, which is about 2.1 births per woman....

Replacement level is the level at which a population is replaced from one generation to the next without immigration....

Over the last decade it [the fertility rate] has been below replacement level for all states and territories.

[SEE: https://aifs.gov.au/research/facts-and-figures/births-australia-2024]

These figures indicate that Australia is no longer able to sustain a stable population demographic based on live births alone. The beginning of the marked fall in population replacement levels can be pinpointed to 1961 with the introduction of the contraceptive pill.

Total fertility rate in Australia, 1921-2023

[SEE: https://aifs.gov.au/research/facts-and-figures/births-australia-2024]

The figures and graphs also tell us that permanent migration from overseas into the Commonwealth of Australia and its territories has not increased dramatically.

In the year ending 31 December 2024, net overseas migration:

was 340,800 people
decreased by 189,900 (35.8%) people since the previous year.

[SEE:

https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/latest-release

Basically that is a rough average of est. 934 individuals per day arriving in Australia as permanent residents in 2024. Given Australia loses roughly est. 510 individuals per day due to death, then permanent migration figures are hardly the avalanche pushing Australia's population to the unsustainable level that neo-Nazis, white supremacists, far-right lobby groups and the Murdoch media say is occurring in this country. [SEE: https://www.actuaries.asn.au/research-analysis/mortality-in-first-eight-months-of-2024-2-higher-than-predicted]

Looking at state and territory population change below for the year 2024—which is comprised of natural increase, net overseas migration (overseas arrivals minus overseas departures), and net interstate migration (interstate arrivals minus interstate departures) - it clearly shows that population change is not evenly distributed between the states and territories. That metropolitan areas in some states, as well as having markedly mobile resident populations may also have higher levels of both post WWII and post-pandemic migrants.

Net overseas migration by state and territory—annual

Natural increase by state and territory – annual

Perhaps uneven population distribution is one factor which appears to make a sub-section of Australian society more susceptible to the influence of those bad actors on the political stage who are erroneously insisting that out-of-control "mass migration" is "overwhelming the country". The susceptible may come to falsely believe that all migrant numbers are exactly replicated in every corner of Australia.

Confused about Australia's response to US President Trump's latest move creating international trade chaos - this time with low cost mailed goods? Unfortunately, it is up to the Trump Administration to sort out implementation of this policy & supply a coherent explanation to the international community, so Australia is probably in for weeks or even months of frustrating uncertainty .

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:10:00 +0000

On Friday 29 August 2025 US President Donald Trump's tariffs & fees applying to de minimis (low cost) goods valued up to US $800 entering American territory by way of a postal service came into effect. From that day all goods entering the country by mail became subject to a charge reflecting the July-August 2025 US trade tariffs imposed on the specific country of origin/sale of these low cost goods.

Before 29 August no tariff applied to low cost goods under an international de minimis rule within trade agreements between countries. The cut-off amount for tariff exemption varies between trade agreements.

Between 1 October 2024 and 30 June 2025 a total of 945.3 million such mailed items from all points of the globe arrived in the U.S. having been mailed by small businesses advertising directly on the Internet or operating on platforms such as Etsy or eBay, as well as sent as gifts mailed by individuals living abroad to friends or family living in America.

During those nine months the de minimis value of such goods was calculated to total US $49.8 billion, which roughly averages out at an estimated value of US$52.68 per padded envelope/package.

Like most changes to international trade with the U.S. it came via a presidential order containing more rhetorical flourish than established fact or hard detail. This one titled "SUSPENDING DUTY-FREE DE MINIMIS TREATMENT FOR ALL COUNTRIES" dated 30 June 2025.

Given President Trump appears to believe that these new charges/fees on low cost goods imported by mail into America should be borne by the seller not the importer and because of the uncertainty concerning the point along international mail routes at which new charges/fees become payable and by whom, Australia along with at least 32 other countries has suspended all package mail into the U.S., with Australia only continuing the delivery of letters, documents and gifts worth less than $150.

BACKGROUND

CNBC, 28 August 2025, excerpts:

The de minimis exemption lets U.S. consumers import $800 worth of goods free of tariffs, duties and fees. The rule makes it cheaper for consumers who buy products directly from international sellers.

The volume of these low-value shipments has swelled amid the rise of e-commerce, experts said.

In 2024, the U.S. received about 1.4 billion de minimis shipments, more than double the 637 million in 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

The average de minimis shipment was about $48 in 2024, according to CBP data....

All shipments — including beauty products from Korea, leather shoes from Italy, kitchen knives from Japan — will be subject to additional fees and taxes, such as tariffs that the Trump administration has levied on most U.S. trading partners....

“For the consumer, it can be quite a big price increase,” said Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, whose research specializes in trade with China and global supply chains.

The actual price increase for consumers will depend on many factors such as country-specific tariff rates, duties the U.S. places on goods and manufacturing materials, and how businesses adjust pricing, economists said.

Here’s how the end of de minimis would impact some specific consumer goods, according to a FlavorCloudanalysis:

$30 slippers (lightweight, premium cotton) from China would cost about $45, a 51% increase;

$37 nutritional supplements (plant-based, performance-formulated) from Canada would cost about $60, up 60%;

A $240 chef’s knife (with wooden handle and white steel) from Japan would cost about $298, up 24%.

Pablo Fajgelbaum, an economics professor at University of California, Los Angeles, and Amit Khandelwal, an economics professor at Yale University, write that de minimis is a “pro-poor trade policy.”...

ABCNews, 29 August 2025, excerpt:

Why Australia Post halted most US shipping

Australia Post's suspension of most shipments to the US follows the Trump administration axing the "deminimis" exemption.

Until now, parcels of goods worth less than $US800 ($1,230) were not taxed when they arrived in the US — an exemption relied upon by many Australian retailers to send items to the US duty-free.

This exemption was axed for China already in 2025, throwing retailers including Shein and Temu off guard.

Australia Post is taking the extraordinary step of immediately suspending many forms of shipping to the United States.

Originally, this exemption was not supposed to end for the rest of the world until 2027. Yet last month, the deadline was brought forward to August 29, 2025.

"Until such time as the actual decision was going to be enforced, we ran the risk of actually going early and then the US government changing its mind again, which it has done before," Mr Graham told ABC News.

"We couldn't give [our customers] concrete advice."

"It's been very difficult for our team members, but most importantly, difficult for our customers.

"Because there has been a degree of uncertainty around the whole tariff landscape for the US Is it on? Is it not on?

"Originally, we were told that the de minimis would not be removed until 2027 and then the system was brought rapidly forward, but we have to deal with that.

"We have to roll with those punches."

TheWashington Post, 23 August 2025, excepts:

Postal operators in several countries have announced they will suspend certain deliveries to the United States, ahead of an end to a long-standing tariff exemption for packages worth $800 or less.

President Donald Trump has framed the decision as part of a fight against illegal drugs. But mail companies abroad are halting some of their services to the U.S., saying that many aspects of the new rules remain unclear.

Here's what to know.

The facts

Previously, most imported goods with a value of $800 or less were exempt from tariffs. That rule, known as the de minimis exemption, is set to end on Friday — though letters or personal gifts worth less than $100 won't be affected, postal operators said.

A number of national mail companies from countries such as France, Germany, the U.K and India have responded by temporarily suspending some mail services to the U.S.

For consumers, this could mean delays in receiving packages — which may now also incur tariffs of $80 or more.....

What will it mean for consumers?

The extra charges on a package will depend on the methodology used to calculate it, according to the executive order. The duty rate will either match the level of tariff the U.S. has imposed on the country of origin, or a specific duty based on the following:

For countries with a tariff rate of 15 percent or less, such as Britain, each package will incur an additional charge of $80.

Parcels originating from countries with U.S. tariffs of between 16 and 25 percent will incur an additional $160.

Countries with a tariff rate of more than 25 percent will face an extra $200.

Letters, documents and gifts under $100 are exempt — though DHL said in a statement that any parcel declared as a gift "will be subject to even stricter controls than before to prevent the misuse of private gift shipments for sending commercial goods."

UPDATE

See: V.O.S. Selections Inc et al v Donald J Trump et al

1. https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/25-1812.OPINION.8-29-2025_2566151.pdf and

2. https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/25-1812.ORDER.8-29-2025_2566157.pdf

29.08.25 in V.O.S. Selections et al v Trump et al US Federal Court of Appeals handed down decision denying validity of all 5 Trump presidential orders which created US trade tariffs in 2025 to date. Because Trump is filing in the US Supreme Court tariffs remain in place for now. pic.twitter.com/XDeCCeIEVD
— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) August 30, 2025

Donald J Trump braying into a legal headwind pic.twitter.com/ROmA7rJvwW
— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) August 30, 2025

The cost of climate change resulting in bushfires, destructive storms, floods, coastal erosion & inundation is becoming self evident, but where is government consideration of what that really means to regions like the Northern Rivers in NE NSW?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 14:15:00 +0000

Echo, editorial, 15 August 2025:

The cost of climate change

Over the weekend we saw the cancellation of the Byron Writers Festival owing to another significant rain event on the NSW east coast.

Wildfires are burning again in Greece as temperatures ramp up across Europe, California has seen evacuations as fires burn again, and it wasn’t that long ago that our news feeds were filled with the Texas flash flood that washed children and adults away.

According to The Guardian, some parts of NSW have seen more than ‘their average monthly rainfall dramatically exceeded in the first eight days of August’.

It was predicted that climate change in the Northern Rivers of NSW would see an increase in rainfall, and that it would also see an increase in rain bursts, which is when a large amount of rain falls in a short time, which can lead to flash flooding.

‘A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, and more energy to fuel storms,’ explained the Climate Council in their 2025 report At Our Front Door: Escalating Climate Risks For Aussie Homes.

‘We are experiencing more of our rain in the form of short, intense downpours leading to a greater risk of floods.’

Since the 2022 floods we have heard how communities need to be ‘resilient’ in the face of climate change. However, it is not just the soft skills of resilience we need, but hard investments from government to create more resilient infrastructure along with action on climate-change reduction targets.

We are still looking at roads and infrastructure yet to be repaired since the 2022 floods. When grants finally do become available, they are more likely to be ‘like for like’ rather than the government-touted ‘build back better’.

Action is needed from all levels of government to meet the needs of their communities locally, nationally, and globally. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has pointed out the obvious economic pain: ‘Climate change has caused over $3.6 trillion in damage since 2000.’

In addition the Australian Investor Group on climate change (https://igcc.org.au) stated that, ‘New economic modelling shows climate damage will deliver a 14 per cent annual hit to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if current global climate policies continue, wiping out $6.8 trillion from our economy between now and 2050 and cutting thousands of dollars a year out of the pockets of Australians.’

While the cost of action may seem high the cost of inaction is extreme. The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) estimates that climate finance needed to ensure global temperatures do not rise above 1.5°C could increase up to USD 12.2 trillion per year between now and 2050.

When you consider the future cost of inaction, governments should be clearly spelling out the how, the why, and the value of taking action on climate change right now.

Aslan Shand, editor

For those living along the edge of the coastal fringe of New South Wales climate change impacts are very real and, many coastal local governments are no longer in denial of the potential scope of the change facing their communities - even if current available coastal inundation projections may be overly optimistic when it comes to timeframes.

These are the nearest pressure points to where I live - and coastal inundation projections from 2025 to 2090 are not measured in kilometres but in metres from my home in Yamba at the mouth of the Clarence River and estuary.

PRESSURE POINT A

PRESSURE POINT B

Note: Shades of rusty red/pink denote areas of coastal inundation. Clarence Valley Council interactive mapping tool can be found at:

https://cvc.spatial.t1cloud.com/spatial/intramaps/?configId=2d6793d6-10ad-4271-993e-3bd23c178a17&project=4f73a1ac-2f57-4152-80d9-a8fc7efccddf&module=277c0a3d-c21b-497a-b8d9-a5964f4cc537

When comparing the standing of national leaders in their own countries, Australia's Albanese beats America's Trump hands down when it comes to job performance & public approval

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 12:06:00 +0000

NEWSPOLL, published 17 August 2025

Voting Intention at an Australian Federal Election*

*Newspoll survey of 1,283 respondents undertaken by YouGov Australia from 11-13 August 2025. Margin of Error ± 3.

First Preference (Primary Vote):

Labor (ALP) 36 (0)

Coalition (L/NP) 30 (+1)

Australian Greens (GRN) 12 (0)

One Nation (ON) 9 (+1)

Others 13 (-2)

Two Party Preferred Vote:

Labor (ALP) 56 (-1)

Coalition (L/NP) 44 (+1)

Preferred Prime Minister:

Anthony Albanese 51 (-1)

Sussan Ley 31 (-1)

Leaders Approval Rating:

ALBANESE: Approve 49 (+2) Disapprove 46 (-1) Uncommitted 6

LEY: Approve 35 (0) Disapprove 44 (+2)

Uncommitted 23

Comparing US President Donald Trump .......

PEW RESEARCH, 14 August 2025:

President Donald Trump’s current job approval rating stands at 38%, with 60% of U.S. adults expressing disapproval of his performance. This is a modest decline from two months ago, when 41% approved.

And perceptions of some of Trump’s personal traits are more negative than they were following his election victory (or in 2024 preelection polling). For instance, 37% of Americans today say “cares about the needs of ordinary people” describes Trump well. That share is 8 points lower than it was shortly after the November election, and 5 points lower than it was in late-summer preelection polling....

Much of the change in Trump’s approval rating over the last few months has come among his own 2024 voters and people who did not vote in 2024.....

NOTE: Australia's next federal general election occurs in 2028 as does the next US presidential election.

Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful global trade tariffs' list for 99 countries as of 1 August 2025 - in order of descending severity from 50% down to 10%

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 05:34:00 +0000

Since the first days of the 47th US Presidency Donald J. Trump has been publicly ruminating, boasting, threatening, proclaiming and then reversing his previously announced tariff regimes via the White House News & elsewhere.

Therefore the following list must be treated with caution, as like all other matters relating to US policy in 2025 it is subject to the vagaries of Trump's temper as well as his perverse reasoning.

Some or all of the percentages set out below may suddenly change via Donald Trump's own social media posts or formal presidential executive orders. Changes will be updated when confirmed.

Trump's 1 August 2025 global baseline trade tariffs

Brazil 50%

India 50% - on 6 August 2025 Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% to India's announced 25% trade tariff. On the alleged grounds that India is making a profit from purchasing Russian oil by re-selling stock held excess to current requirements.

Syria 41%

Laos 40%

Myanmar (Burma) 40%

Switzerland 39%

Iraq 35%

Serbia 35%

Canada 35%

China 30% - in place until mid-August when a 145% tariff is again mooted/threatened.

Algeria 30%

Bosnia and Herzegovina 30%

Libya 30%

South Africa 30%

Mexico 25% - in place for second 90 day period when expected to rise to between est. 30-35%.

Brunei 25%

Kazakhstan 25%

Moldova 25%

Tunisia 25%

Bangladesh 20%

Sri Lanka 20%

Taiwan 20%

Vietnam 20%

Cambodia 19%

Indonesia 19%

Malaysia 19%

Pakistan 19%

Philippines 19%

Thailand 19%

Nicaragua 18%

Afghanistan 15%

Angola 15%

Bolivia 15%

Botswana 15%

Cameroon 15%

Chad 15%

Costa Rica 15%

Ivory Coast 15%

Democratic Republic of the Congo 15%

Ecuador 15%

Equatorial Guinea 15%

Fiji 15%

Ghana 15%

Guyana 15%

Iceland 15%

Israel 15%

Japan 15%

Jordan 15%

Lesotho 15%

Liechtenstein 15%

Madagascar 15%

Malawi 15%

Mauritius 15%

Mozambique 15%

Namibia 15%

Nauru 15%

New Zealand 15%

Nigeria 15%

North Macedonia 15%

Norway 15%

Papua New Guinea 15%

South Korea 15%

Trinidad and Tobago 15%

Türkiye 15%

Uganda 15%

Vanuatu 15%

Venezuela 15%

Zambia 15%

Zimbabwe 15%

European Union 15%

Falkland Islands 10%

United Kingdom 10%

Australia 10% - it is noted that we like other countries are also subject to additional higher tariffs on certain goods.

The remaining 96 countries not specifically mentioned have a US baseline trade tariff rate of 10%.

Sources: The Guardian/ABC News//The White House.

Notes:

All listed rates exclude product-specific tariffs, such as steel, aluminium & copper carrying 50% tariffs and foreign cars & auto parts subject to 25% tariffs when imported into USA.

Brazil's 50% tariff includes an additional 40% rate linked to prosecution for alleged corruption & fomenting insurrection of former president Jair Bolsonaro. However, tariffs on aircraft, energy & orange juice will be lower.

Trump's own statements suggest that baseline tariffs now applied to Canada are in part a result of its government having recognised Palestinian statehood & effective as of 1 August, while most other nations tariffs commence from 6-7 August 2025.

China's total tariff rate has been in place since 14 May 2025, with some exceptions. The mooted higher rate of 145% & its timing appears to subject to Trump's whim.

Mexico's new baseline tariff excludes higher tariffs on certain goods.

The European Union (EU) baseline tariffs range appears to be on a sliding scale depending on goods being imported into USA. The EU is composed of 27 nations spread across Europe from Ireland through to Scandinavian, Baltic, South-eastern Europe and Mediterranean regions.

Climate Change State of Play 2025: in a rapidly warming world prediction of risk levels and consequences are raising red flags for the planet and humanity

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 18:39:00 +0000

Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, News:

IFoA research included in key climate-risk reports for global finance ministers

17 June 2025

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries has provided a summary of recent climate-related risk research which has been included in reports sent to global finance ministers. These reports were provided ahead of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) 2025 Spring Meetings in late April.

IFoA Fellows and sustainability risk actuaries Sandy Trust and Georgi Bedenham sit on the Technical Advisory Group set up to advise the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. This coalition is supported by the IMF and WBG and brings together fiscal and economic policymakers from 97 countries.

The series of IFoA research reports started in 2022 with ‘Climate Emergency – tipping the odds in our favour: A climate change policy briefing for COP27’. In 2023, we released ‘Emperor’s New Climate Scenarios – a warning for financial services’. This was followed in 2024 with ‘ClimateScorpion – the sting is in the tail’. Although coming too late for the IMF/WBG spring meeting briefings to finance ministers, the latest in the series was released in January 2025 entitled ‘Planetary Solvency – finding our balance with nature’.

Sandy Trust, IFoA Council member and IFoA Climate Risk series lead author, said:

“There is an urgent need for finance ministries to include realistic and current climate assessments risk into their economic analysis and modelling approaches. Global warming has accelerated, and the 12-month average temperature is now above the 1.5°C goal. This is driving increasingly severe impacts – fires, floods, heat, and droughts – which are coming sooner than expected, are worse than expected and outside model projections. Climate change is fast becoming a national security issue with food, water and heat stresses impacting populations.

“Finance ministries have to support important government decisions on prioritisation of climate change action. We urge ministers to adopt a set of principles to develop realistic economic assessments of climate impacts and opportunities. Our contribution to the reports provided ahead of the IMF and World Bank meetings are designed to draw attention to the limitations of first generation climate risk models which understate risks and provide some very specific recommendations to better assess the economic impact of climate change.”

Kartina Tahir Thomson, IFoA President, said:

“Climate change is a risk management issue on a global scale. If we want to avoid severe disruption to the economy and our global society, we need to take action to reduce emissions, limit warming, mitigate the extent of future climate risks and adapt to those we cannot avoid.

“It is great to see this IFoA research being delivered direct to policymakers in over 90 countries. Given their skills and expertise in assessing long-term risk, actuaries are well placed to help draw attention to these climate risk challenges and to offer solutions.”

The report was included in the Coalition of Finance Ministers’ for Climate Action’s Helsinki Principle 4 initiative ‘Economic Analysis for Green and Resilient Transitions’. The IFoA’s contribution was part of its newly published Compendium of Practice.

**********

Excerpt from The urgent need for Ministries of Finance to factor systemic climate risk into their economic analysis and modeling approaches and principles for doing so: a view from the insurance and pensions industry, June 2025:

Key findings—realistic economic analysis to support Ministry of Finance decisions

1. Ministries of Finance have to support important government decisions on the prioritization of climate change, e.g., how much effort to expend on countering it, relative to the effort that must be spent on other issues. They use integrated assessment models (IAMs) to assess economic implications of climate change risks and opportunities, including policy decisions on incentives to accelerate the transition and how to build resilience into societies to withstand anticipated climate impacts.

2. However, IAMs have significant limitations, meaning they can understate both the climate risks and the economic opportunities arising from the energy transition. Basing policy decisions on these models may lead to inadequate adaptation, loss of resilience, and missed economic opportunities.

3. To address these limitations, MoFs should adopt a set of principles to develop realistic economic assessments of climate impacts and opportunities, including adopting a precautionary-principle approach, developing risk management capacity, and providing decision-makers with better information.

4. MoFs should lead the development of National Transition Plans (NTPs)—strategic pan economy plans that direct private sector action around financing, incentivizing, coordinating, and enabling the transition. NTPs should include requirements for realistic risk assessment to support policy decisions to accelerate mitigation and build resilient infrastructure.

5. The backdrop to this analysis is that global warming has accelerated, and the 12-month average temperature is now above the 1.5°C goal. Record high temperatures are occurring continuously across the globe, with multiple locations now experiencing 40°C–50°C peaks. Polar regions are experiencing temperatures 30°C–40°C higher than normal. This trend will likely continue as emissions are ongoing and other factors, such as forest fires, ice loss, and loss of aerosol cooling, are driving warming.

6. This trend is having increasingly severe impacts—fires, floods, heat, and droughts. Climate change is becoming a national security issue, with food, water, and heat stresses impacting populations. If it goes unchecked, then mass mortality, involuntary mass migration events and/or severe GDP contraction are likely.

7. But warming above 1.5°C is extremely risky, with a high chance of triggering multiple climate tipping points, such as the collapse of ice sheets, permafrost melt, Amazon dieback, and halting major ocean current circulation. Impacts could be catastrophic, including significant loss of capacity to grow major staple crops, multi-meter sea-level rise, and further acceleration of climate change through the release of greenhouse gases.

In 2022 in its first term the Albanese Labor Government joined the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action (created in 2018-19), as of May 2025 this coalition comprises of 98 members supported by 21 Institutional Partners and 9 Knowledge Partners.

NOTE: The United States of America, Russia, Israel & North Korea are notable absences from the membership list to date.

Additionally in 2022 the Australian Treasury joined the International Platform on Sustainable Finance (launched in 2019).

The Question of Palestine, international law, crimes against humanity, the international response and the Commonwealth of Australia

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 23:07:00 +0000

MEDIA RELEASE: Israel’s ongoing attacks on starving Gazans

“As Jews, we cannot watch Palestinians starved, concentrated into zones to be shot with impunity, and not remember our own history. The Australian government must urgently act.” pic.twitter.com/gtLA1f2RVB
— Jewish Council of Australia (@jewishcouncilAU) June 18, 2025

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Media release

21 July 2025

We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.

We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.

We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a "humanitarian city" are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel's Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.

We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.

We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.

This statement has been signed by:

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK

The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prime Minister of Australia Hon Anthony Albanese

Statement on the situation in Gaza

Media statement

Friday 25 July 2025

The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears.

The position of the Australian Government is clear: every innocent life matters.

Every Israeli. Every Palestinian.

This conflict has stolen far too many innocent lives.

Tens of thousands of civilians are dead, children are starving.

Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored.

We call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law.

This includes allowing the United Nations and NGOs to carry out their lifesaving work safely and without hindrance.

Any proposals for the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian population must be abandoned.

Australia condemns the terror and brutality of Hamas and we reiterate our call for the immediate release of the remaining hostages.

We continue to support all international efforts to facilitate a ceasefire, recognising that an immediate and permanent ceasefire gives the best hope of bringing hostages home and easing the agony of their loved ones.

Australia is proud to have strongly supported the creation of the modern state of Israel.

Then, as now, the global community envisioned two states: the State of Israel and the State of Palestine.

Recognising the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own has long been a bipartisan position in Australia.

The reason a two state solution remains the goal of the international community is because a just and lasting peace depends upon it.

Australia is committed to a future where both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples can live in peace and safety, within secure and internationally-recognised borders.

Until that day, every effort must be made here and now to safeguard innocent life and end the suffering and starvation of the people of Gaza.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder on the unconscionable deaths of children by starvation in the Gaza Strip

24 July 2025

On 5 June 2025, Mariam, 2 years old, lies on a bed at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Mariam suffers from acute malnutrition. She weighs just 5 kilograms, whereas the average weight for a two-year-old should be around 11 kilograms. Her mother explains that Mariam was in good health when she was born, but she began losing weight a few months ago. Now, she is often too weak to eat and is visibly exhausted. She urgently needs nutritional support and appropriate medical treatment.

AMMAN, 24 July 2025 – “Children in the Gaza Strip are starving to death.

“Severe malnutrition is spreading among children faster than aid can reach them, and the world is watching it happen. Since April this year, the reported number of children who have died from malnutrition has jumped from 52 to 80 - a staggering 54 per cent increase in less than three months, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. In just 48 hours, at least four more children reportedly died of starvation. In total, more than 100 people have died from malnutrition during this war, and 80 per cent of them are children.

“These deaths are unconscionable - and could have been prevented. The UN-led humanitarian response must be allowed to function fully through unfettered aid access to children in need.

"Without that, we will see a further rise in acute malnutrition. In June, the number of children admitted for treatment for malnutrition reached the highest levels since the conflict began, with 6,500 children admitted. July is already tracking higher, with 5,000 children admitted in only two weeks. In Gaza City alone, out of the children screened, the percentage of those detected with acute malnutrition has risen four times from what it was in February.

“UNICEF and partners remain in the Gaza Strip screening and treating children for malnutrition, but to be able to reverse the catastrophic situation we face, a sustained and predictable flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies is urgently needed. Fuel must enter in sufficient quantities that allow life-saving services to function. Children must be protected - not killed, and not left to starve.

“We need a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. And we need it now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UNRWA Commissioner-General on Gaza: A constructed and deliberate mass starvation

25 July 2025

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)

#Gaza : A constructed and deliberate mass starvation. Today, more children died, their bodies emaciated by hunger.

The flawed distribution system (GHF) is not designed to address the humanitarian crisis.

It’s serving military and political objectives. It’s cruel as it takes more lives than it saves lives.

Israel controls all aspects of humanitarian access, whether outside or within #Gaza.

Airdrops are the most expensive and inefficient way to deliver aid. It is a distraction to the inaction.

When bureaucratic and political hurdles are lifted, the humanitarian community has demonstrated it can deliver assistance at scale, in a dignified way, without diversion.

During the ceasefire fire in earlier this year, we succeeded to reverse the deepening hunger.

Today, @UNRWA alone has the equivalent of 6,000 trucks of food and medical assistance stuck in Egypt and Jordan.

The unfolding famine can only be reversed by a political will.

Make "never again" a reality.

If we fail the Palestinians in Gaza, others are likely to be failed too in the future.

Let's not set a dangerous and irreversible precedent.

Background Information:

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

Your support is crucial to help us provide emergency aid to displaced families in Gaza

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.

I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.… pic.twitter.com/VTSVGVH41I
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025

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End unfolding genocide or watch it end life in Gaza: UN experts say States face defining choice

7 May 2025

GENEVA – Escalating atrocities in Gaza present an urgent moral crossroads and States must act now to end the violence or bear witness to the annihilation of the Palestinian population in Gaza – an outcome with irreversible consequences for our shared humanity and multilateral order, UN experts warned today, demanding immediate international intervention.

“While States debate terminology - is it or is it not genocide? - Israel continues its relentless destruction of life in Gaza, through attacks by land, air and sea, displacing and massacring the surviving population with impunity,” the experts said.

“No one is spared - not the children, persons with disabilities, nursing mothers, journalists, health professionals, aid workers, or hostages. Since breaking the ceasefire, Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians, many daily - peaking on 18 March 2025 with 600 casualties in 24 hours, 400 of whom were children.”

“This is one of the most ostentatious and merciless manifestations of the desecration of human life and dignity,” the experts said.

The aggression has transformed Gaza into a landscape of desolation, where nearly half of the casualties are children and thousands remain displaced. The group of experts cited over 52,535 deaths, of which 70 percent continue to be women and children, and 118,491 injuries as of 4 May 2025.

Since March 2025, coinciding with the end of the ceasefire, Israel has reinstated an even harsher blockade on Gaza, effectively trapping its population in misery, hunger, and disease. “Under constant bombardment, amid homes reduced to rubble, streets turned into zones of terror and a devastated environment, 2.1 million survivors are facing the direst humanitarian crisis,” the experts said. “Food and water have been cut off for months, inducing starvation, dehydration, and disease, which will result in more deaths becoming the daily reality for many, especially the most vulnerable.”

Amid this carnage, Israeli statements that fluctuate between outright blocking of aid and conditional releases incumbent on other strategic goals, showcase a clear intent to wield starvation as a weapon of war, and uncertainty in the population for a basic need, increasing the risk for trauma and mental health injuries, they warned.

“Not only is delivering humanitarian aid one of Israel’s most critical obligations as the occupying power, but its deliberate depletion of essential necessities, destroying of natural resources and calculated push to drive Gaza to the brink of collapse further corroborates its criminal responsibility,” the experts said.

“These acts, beyond constituting grave international crimes, follow alarming, documented patterns of genocidal conduct.”

The experts called on states to transcend rhetoric and take enforceable action to immediately end the carnage and ensure accountability for perpetrators.

“The world is watching. Will Member States live up to their obligations and intervene to stop the slaughter, hunger, and disease, and other war crimes and crimes against humanity that are perpetrated daily in complete impunity?”

International norms were established precisely to prevent such horrors. Yet, as millions protest globally for justice and humanity, their cries are muted. This situation conveys a deadly message: Palestinian lives are dispensable, and international law, if unenforced, is meaningless,” the experts said.

They recalled that the Palestinian right to self-determination is irrevocable. “States must act swiftly to end the unfolding genocide, dismantle apartheid, and secure a future in which Palestinians and Israelis coexist in freedom and dignity.

“Arrest warrants from the ICC against Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity require immediate action and compliance. The ICJ Advisory Opinion mandates an end to the prolonged occupation, and the deadline the General Assembly has set is 17 September 2025,” the experts said.

Continuing to support Israel materially or politically, especially via arms transfers, and the provision of private military and security services risks complicity in genocide and other serious international crimes, they warned.

“The decision is stark: remain passive and witness the slaughter of innocents or take part in crafting a just resolution. The global conscience has awakened, if asserted - despite the moral abyss we are descending into - justice will ultimately prevail,” they said.

*The experts: Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Gehad Madi, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment ; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Graeme Reid, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders: Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito (Chair-Rapporteur), Ravindran Daniel, Michelle Small, Joana de Deus Pereira, Andrés Macías Tolosa, Working Group on the use of mercenaries; and Geneviève Savigny (Chair-Rapporteur), Carlos Duarte, Uche Ewelukwa, Shalmali Guttal, Davit Hakobyan, Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas and Bina D’Costa (Chair), Barbara G. Reynolds, Isabelle Mamadou, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls.

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

For more information please contact: hrc-sr-opt@un.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAY 2025: After yet another record breaking flood emergency, NSW now faces the recovery

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 24 May 2025 09:05:00 +0000

Brisbane Times, Updated May 24, 2025 — 5.03pm first published at 7.18am

The NSW State Emergency Service estimates almost 10,000 properties have been affected by flooding this week. NSW SES Acting Assistant Commissioner Allison Flaxman said the agency was moving into a “resupply and damage assessment” phase of the disaster. “If you are isolated and in need of urgent resupply for items such as food and medication or transport to medical appointments, call NSW SES on 132 500 for a resupply request,” she said.

With conditions too dangerous for boats to cross, and with helicopters being used for rescues, the SES sent up a drone to cancer patients across the Manning River to Harrington on Friday night. “We didn’t have much visual on the Harrington side being night, so I used it in infrared mode and used aerial mapping,” said Gabe Mihalas, the agency’s drone pilot. He said people on the other side of the river cheered when the first drop occurred.

9 News, 3:32pm 24 May 2025:

Local palliative care nurse Tiffany Willis worked with SES volunteers to receive the delivery and deliver it to patients. "My boss approached me and said they had spoken to the patients and they were working through ways to help them given their isolation," Willis said. "I spoke directly with the NSW SES throughout and worked with them to find an appropriate location. The communication was really great and seamless. "Within three hours of the drop off I had treated the patients and was back home. "Those two patients were just so relieved and so thankful to receive medical treatment and some reassurance that even though we are still cut off, we're not completely isolated from help. "I feel really proud to have made a small difference and it feels good because it is the right thing to do." The SES has been trialling drones as an innovation program.

Drone delivers urgent supplies to cancer patients in isolated NSW flood-hit community https://t.co/XOIpveAzvx
— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) May 24, 2025

The Federal Liberal Party-National Party Coalition formed in 1945 splits asunder in wake of the May 2025 federal election

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 20 May 2025 07:21:00 +0000

At the 3 May 2025 Australian federal general election the sitting National Party MP in the Page electorate for over 11 years Kevin Hogan received 48,043 of the first preference votes and, as then Deputy Manager of Opposition Business, may have believed he remained an effective representative of his NSW Northern Rivers region electorate.

Pat Conaghan as sitting National Party MP in adjoining Cowper electorate for almost 6 years received 40,833 first preference votes and, as an Opposition 'shadow assistant minister' in two portfolios since June 2022, may also have thought he had a path back to government benches in the House of Representatives by 2028.

Now both men although re-elected to the House of Representatives, along with 7 other party members, are no longer part of the official Opposition.

They have become the very definition of a political waste of space.

Nationwide News, 20 May 2024:

A “nightmare scenario” awaits the Liberals when they rock up to the first parliamentary sitting after the bombshell Coalition split.

The Liberal Party and the Nationals are getting a D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

National Party leader David Littleproud has announced the party will dump the Coalition agreement in the wake of the disastrous election result.

He is blaming a fight over the four policy issues including the future of nuclear power and supermarket divestitures.

It is a historic move, one of the rare splits in opposition since the 1920s.

The last split was during the Joh Bjelke Petersen for Canberra push in the 1980s.

It means the Nationals will sit independently in the new Parliament, Mr Littleproud will cop a pay cut and Liberals will be reduced to just 28 seats in the 150-seat Parliament.......

“It’s with great disappointment that I announce that we’re not going to form part of that Coalition,’’ Mr Littleproud said.

The Liberal Party as it currently stands have been slashed to just 28 seats. In other words they hold one-third of the seats that the Labor Party has now claimed.

It all looked a little more respectable when the Coalition agreement was in force and the Nationals MPs were added to their tally.

The Climate Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY 20 MAY 2025

Climate denial nukes Coalition as Australians call for more climate action

The Nationals Party decision to keep denying climate science, and walk away from the Liberal Party, will hurt their constituents in the bush. Together they were a political drag on Australia’s clean energy momentum.

Climate Councillor and energy expert Greg Bourne said: “Australian voters have moved on, but some politicians are stuck in the mud of climate denial unable to even acknowledge the climate challenge is there, let alone come up with a credible plan to tackle it. And yet many in the farming community are in the direct firing line of climate change driven extreme weather events.

“The 2025 Federal Election result has shown us that parties without credible climate and energy policies are unelectable.”

Mr Bourne said this is part of a fundamental shift in Australian politics, with climate change now a permanent fixture of our elections.

“Australian voters gifted the Albanese Government with its biggest mandate since World War II. Now they have a historic opportunity to keep powering on with renewable energy and storage, do more to regulate polluters and set new, stronger climate targets, and at the same time give support to those most in need from the havoc wreaked by extreme weather events.

“The Albanese Government must demonstrate it is a party of climate science by setting a strong 2035 target that can guide the country on further and faster cuts to climate pollution. The policies that underpin that will need to address the ongoing expansion of coal, oil and gas that is driving harmful climate change. An early litmus test is a decision on the North West Shelf project.”

Greg Bourne said: “The Coalition went to the 2025 election without a plan to cut climate pollution, and a nuclear scheme that would result in massively more climate pollution, not less. They suffered their worst election defeat ever, and now the Coalition is split in two. Climate denial is political poison.”

ENDS

With a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, a solid position in the Senate and four years in which to progress Labor's long held commitment to UN treaties & conventions as well as international law & rules based order, it is being put on notice concerning the national electorate's justifiable expectations - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 15 May 2025 14:15:00 +0000

President Donald J. Trump may be well past his physical & cognitive prime, with a narcissistic personality wrapped within an incoherent 'master race' world view which is rapidly coalescing into a vicious & violent form of fascism, but as yet neither the US Congress nor the American people will remove him from office.

Which leaves America's historical allies and long-time trading partners at the mercy of the delusional reasoning behind Trump's 'America First: Making America Rich & All Powerful' decision making and the never-ending White House churn to date of presidential executive orders (63), memoranda (16), proclamations (258), assorted remarks (35), and accompanying fact sheets (142).

On Monday 12 May 2025, Trump announced representatives of the Trump Administration had met with representatives of the People's Republic of China in Switzerland and the US had agreed to a 90 day pause in import tariffs created since 2 April 2025 — with the US lowering its tariffs on Chinese goods by 115 percentage points for duration of the pause and China agreeing to lower its retaliatory tariffs on American goods by 115 percentage points for the duration.

Leaving Trump and his inner circle trying to spin the fact that as part of this agreement he has insisted on imposing a crippling 30 per cent import tax on America's own domestic industry, business & household consumers of Chinese produce & products until around mid- August 2025.

If ever there was an urgent need for a 'Oh quick, look at that shiny thing over there!' moment it was on that Monday and Trump promptly trotted it out in a bizarre executive order titled Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients, May 12, 2025 and an equally bizarre fact sheet Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Actions to Put American Patients First by Lowering Drug Prices and Stopping Foreign Free-riding on American Pharmaceutical Innovation, May 12, 2025.

What these two documents indicate is that Trump has turned his disgruntled gaze towards "foreign health systems [who] get a free ride" with US citizens "effectively subsidizing socialism aboard [sic]".

That 12 May Executive Order reads in part:

Sec. 3. Addressing Foreign Nations Freeloading on American-Financed Innovation.

The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative shall take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in any act, policy, or practice that may be unreasonable or discriminatory or that may impair United States national security and that has the effect of forcing American patients to pay for a disproportionate amount of global pharmaceutical research and development, including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.

While Sec 5 ends with:

(vi) the heads of agencies shall take all action available, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to address global freeloading and price discrimination against American patients.

According to this same executive order, on or about 10 June Trump's thinly disguised threats — against US multinational pharmaceutical corporations who don't immediately respond by lowering their domestic pricing to a new level set by the Trump Administration — will morph into further "aggressive action" by the US federal government.

It seems that Donald Trump may intend to deflect attention from the failure of his economic war on China, by placing those sovereign nations with universal public health care and welfare safety net systems on a MAGA enemies list and, pursue yet another targeted economic war — this time against countries that are definitely not super powers.

With over 180 other countries due to come out of the original 90 day tariff pause on or about 7 July, it is possible that Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland & Denmark in particular will find themselves among countries publicly labelled by Trump as pharmaceutical "freeloaders" with additional tariffs arbitrarily imposed.

At the beginning of April Trump's ability with the stroke of a presidential black sharpie or a late night social media post to create an over 180 nation-strong rolling global trade disruption & trigger widespread financial market uncertainty seems to have produced in him a personally gratifying inner glow. He will likely want to revisit that sensation.

The Albanese Labor Government now enjoys a record majority in the House of Representatives, in no small measure because the Prime Minister assured the Australian people that he would not allow Trump to dictate to the federal government on matters concerning this nation's own national security, economic stability, biosecurity protections or its universal health care and welfare safety net provisions.

"It's not surprising that there is a push and some opposition to the PBS but let me be very clear and explicit — the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is not for sale," Albanese said during a speech on Thursday, describing the program as a "core part of who we are as Australians".

"It is a monument to the fairness at the heart of Australian life and we don't negotiate our values."

[SBS News online, 19-20 March 2025]

Trump's appetite for the humiliating domination of others is insatiable and seemingly only encouraged by any attempt to placate or negotiate with him as a first response to his political & economic aggression — he will keep insisting on further access & concessions while repeatedly taking economic bites out of any country which he considers weak.

The Albanese Government resisted Trump's expectations that Australia — à la former Coalition Prime Minister Morrison — would publicly support his economic war on China and that won't sit well with a US Administration which sees Australia as nothing more than a convenient geopolitical pawn it can move at will.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese threw his backing behind Indonesia’s bid to join the trans-Pacific free trade pact to help counter the global chaos created by US President Donald Trump’s trade war, Farrell also confirmed the government was not rushing to seek relief from US tariffs from the White House.

“China is our largest trading partner. Chinese trade is almost 10 times more valuable to Australia,” Farrell said in an interview with The Australian Financial Review to mark his reappointment to the trade portfolio after the election. “We don’t want to do less business with China, we want to do more business with China.

“We’ll make decisions about how we continue to engage with China based on our national interests and not on what the Americans may or may not want.”

[Australian Minister for Trade & Tourism Sen. Don Farrell quoted in Australian Financial Review, 15 May 2025]

It appears that the best way forward for any national government — especially the Australian Government — is to repeatedly say no to Trump, lodge a formal complaint against the US with the World Trade Organisation and, in Australia's case, also consider giving notice that it is withdrawing from the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) which Trump has already trashed since his inauguration and, inform the US Government that Australia will be undertaking a formal review of every and all agreements which allow US defence forces a full-time or periodic presence on Australian territory or in its coastal waters as it is proving itself to be an unreliable ally and regional partner.

****

With a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, a solid position in the Senate and four years in which to progress Labor's long held commitment to UN treaties & conventions as well as international law & rules-based order, it is being put on notice concerning the national electorate's justifiable expectations - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:15:00 +0000

Re-elected Albanese government must condemn Israel’s brutality and cut ties

7 May, 2025 / Media Release

On May 5, the Israeli Parliament approved plans to annex and occupy Gaza. These plans have been discussed for months. This is a blatant mission to ethnically cleanse Gaza, advancing Israel’s colonial intentions to take over the territory and rid it of Palestinians.

For the past 19-months Israel has acted with extraordinary brutality, carrying out daily massacres, and ensuring the total decimation of infrastructure, healthcare and anything that might sustain Palestinian life. On Tuesday, one Israeli government minister vowed that ‘Gaza will be entirely destroyed.’ This follows more than two months of blockade of medical, fuel and food supplies to Gaza.

Israel’s infanticide and targeting of women and children is so severe that infants are now being born with debilitating disabilities and conditions, including, most recently, an infant born without a brain. This is due to unfathomable distress and lack of basic medical care, food and supplements.

The deliberate blocking of aid and food, which Israel admits is a tactic to pressure Hamas, is leading to starvation in Gaza, with shocking malnutrition among children in particular. ‘We are starving the children of Gaza’, said the World Health Organization Executive Director this week. ‘We are complicit.’

The re-elected Albanese government must immediately sanction Israel and comply with our obligations under the Genocide Convention and international law. This includes cutting all economic, military and diplomatic ties with Israel.

We don’t have to be a ‘major player’ to show our commitment to the basic humanity of Palestinians and be part of the global movement to pressure Israel to comply with its obligations under international law.

Max Kaiser, Executive Officer of the Jewish Council, said:

‘The election defeat of Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party makes it clear that unconditional support for Israel’s flouting of international law is not a vote-winner. Swings to Greens and independents in seats such as Wills and Blaxland demonstrate that the Australian public is outraged by the atrocities in Gaza.

‘The Jewish Council of Australia is a movement of over 1,000 Jews nationwide. We’re ramping up pressure on Albanese to act—and working side by side with our Palestinian allies to demand that our government pressure Israel to stop killing Palestinians. We are a bold and growing Jewish movement that won’t stay silent in the face of genocide. This government will hear us—and we won’t let them look away.’

North Coast Voices

Looking at the world from where I live in 2026..........

Peaceful Protest Against Israel President Isaac Hertzog's official visit to Australia to be held at Peace Park, Lismore NSW, on Monday 9 February 2026 at 5:30pm. Also at 23 other venues across the country

AUSTRALIA--US RELATIONS: Wither to Australia in 2026?

Board Of Peace™. Registered 22.01.26, no fixed address. Donald J. Trump, sole trader.

To all North Coast Voices readers - past, present and in this coming year

*********Merry Christmas to All*********

Two-man terrorist attack in Bondi on Sunday 14 December 2025 during an annual Hanukkah event

Heatwaves are more than a nuisance - they are a health hazard in our warming world

In 2025 it is not only Gaza being starved to death by malice aforethought

STATE OF PLAY SEPTEMBER 2025: Trump hides behind 25 Republican members of the 119th US Congress in order to threaten Australia ahead of a United Nations vote on the question of Palestine.

The 20th statistical analysis, "The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey: Selected Findings from Waves 1 to 23", September 2025, shines a light on Australian society

Rising ocean temperatures in whale breeding grounds to Australia's north may be a factor in Humpback whales leaving calving nursery regions too early in historic migration cycle

Now Spring has arrived and Summer months are not that far away perhaps it's time to reconsider how to reduce the risk of an encounter with a shark

MARCH FOR AUSTRALIA 31 August 2025: when people believe what neo-Nazis & white supremacists loudly chant and fail to fact check before they join a march

The cost of climate change resulting in bushfires, destructive storms, floods, coastal erosion & inundation is becoming self evident, but where is government consideration of what that really means to regions like the Northern Rivers in NE NSW?

When comparing the standing of national leaders in their own countries, Australia's Albanese beats America's Trump hands down when it comes to job performance & public approval

Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful global trade tariffs' list for 99 countries as of 1 August 2025 - in order of descending severity from 50% down to 10%

Climate Change State of Play 2025: in a rapidly warming world prediction of risk levels and consequences are raising red flags for the planet and humanity

The Question of Palestine, international law, crimes against humanity, the international response and the Commonwealth of Australia

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder on the unconscionable deaths of children by starvation in the Gaza Strip

MAY 2025: After yet another record breaking flood emergency, NSW now faces the recovery

The Federal Liberal Party-National Party Coalition formed in 1945 splits asunder in wake of the May 2025 federal election

Merry Christmas to All