Air China has requested over 100 commercial pilots to attend Australian Airline Pilot Academy, following a halt to pilot training overseas caused by Covid-19. Additional demand for pilots is expected to follow with the pace of post-pandemic passenger rebound, especially in Asia, where the world will require more than 600,000 new pilots between 2022 and 2041, according to Boeing. A regulatory inspection in August, coupled with talks to train pilots for other airlines, are aimed at paving the way for AAPA further extending its pilot training into China.
German forester Peter Wohlleben has published a new book entitled The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them. The work contains chapters on climate change and its effect on forests as well as discussions on how trees change their behaviour over time as a hedge against harsh, future conditions. The book has been criticised, however, for Wohlleben's “sentimental” language and his lack of clarity when discussing policy solutions to climate change. The book has been published worldwide in multiple languages.
What does a 1.5 C increase in global temperatures mean for Canada?
CBC
23-05-18 01:55
There is a two-in-three chance global temperatures will temporarily exceed a 1.5°C increase above pre-industrial levels within the next five years, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organization. This milestone matters because it's what the 2015 Paris Agreement and subsequent climate accords have set as a threshold to limit the most catastrophic impacts from climate change. Every fraction of a degree that global temperatures rise, losses and damages are expected to mount. However, Canada has already blown past 1.5 degrees of warming over pre-industrial levels.
The province of British Columbia will spend three times more on radiation therapy for cancer patients in the US than it would at home, excluding travel costs, according to the province. Beginning on 29 May 2021 and for patients requiring five fractions of radiation therapy, the cost of treatment would be $3,854 at home compared to $12,277 at two private clinics in Bellingham. The programme aims to mitigate unacceptable waiting times at home, and the ministry of health plans to set aside up to CAD39m ($32m) per year for the initiative.
Dame Helen Mirren’s blue hairstyle, revealed at the Cannes film festival, is inspiring a trend. Mirren’s hair colour came courtesy of an aquamarine Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask. A creative colourist will then have added a variety of tones to give the final result. However, numerous shades of blue are already frequently appearing on catwalks and at awards events. This summer’s Met Gala saw Cara Delevingne and Phoebe Bridgers with blue bobs. Other celebrities have also gone blue, including Marge Simpson, Lady Gaga and Mrs Slocombe from TV series Are You Being Served?
Dame Helen Mirren’s blue hairstyle, revealed at the Cannes film festival, is inspiring a trend. Mirren’s hair colour came courtesy of an aquamarine Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask. A creative colourist will then have added a variety of tones to give the final result. However, numerous shades of blue are already frequently appearing on catwalks and at awards events. This summer’s Met Gala saw Cara Delevingne and Phoebe Bridgers with blue bobs. Other celebrities have also gone blue, including Marge Simpson, Lady Gaga and Mrs Slocombe from TV series Are You Being Served?
Canada's Victoria Day, which takes place on May 21, is expected to bring both thunderstorms and sunshine, according to Environment Canada. Rain is expected on Friday evening with thunderstorms possible, with temperatures up to 21 C during the day. The precipitation will carry into Saturday before a sunny Victoria Day Monday with clear skies and a high of 15 C. The TTC, Toronto's transit system, will operate on a modified version of its Sunday schedule. People heading outdoors should be particularly careful near water and know where to go for safety if a thunderstorm breaks out. The weekend will have some closures across the city, while various celebrations are taking place.
A lack of new designs and e-waste recycling options in Australia have made electronic waste a significant problem in the country. The Global E-Waste Monitor found a 21% increase in the volume of discarded electronic devices between 2014 and 2019, with a possibility for doubling by 2030. Australia was placed as the fifth biggest e-waste producer in the world by kilograms per capita. Hard plastic, which makes up an average of 40% of e-waste, is difficult but not impossible, to recycle, said Anthony Karan, CEO of e-waste company Sircel. Manufacturers need to rethink products' recyclability during the design phase, Karan added. Consumers can also repair their own devices using websites such as iFixit. In Victoria, household e-waste disposal has been illegal since 2019, and other states discourage disposal through regular bins; however, 88% of TVs and computers still ends up in landfill, responsible for 70% of harmful chemicals found there.
The State Library Victoria in Australia has begun a photography exhibition called Mirror: New Views. New, large-scale digital projections of post-1950 photographs, alongside contemporary images, show off the library’s remarkable collection in innovative ways. Curators have selected photographs of reflections, shadows, twins and symmetry, among other themes, and invited artists to respond to the photographs using a range of media, including poetry and essay-writing. It is the first purely digital display in the institution's history.
Victoria's net debt is expected to rise to over $165bn by 2025-26, with Treasurer Tim Pallas unveiling his ninth budget today. Many experts believe Victoria has become too reliant on its sources of revenue, such as payroll taxes and stamp duties, and a shift toward a broad-based property tax is required to provide stability in the long term. However, this would not immediately help Victoria's short-term economic woes. Additionally, alternative options could include cutting spending or raising taxes, yet the latter is likely to drive up costs for consumers. Pallas is thought to have only two feasible options: cut spending or raise taxes, yet must work to ensure that austerity measures do not hurt Victorians suffering economic hardship.
Washington state's Lummi tribe is seeking a judicial review of the Canadian government over a major port expansion arguing that a recent supreme court decision means it is owed the same rights of consultation as indigenous groups in Canada. The move could open the door to other US tribes seeking financial compensation from large industrial projects on Canadian soil. "They have to show that they had a historical right at the time of first contact, and that in addition, they’ve been exercising that right continuously since then," said lawyer Doug Rae. The Lummi plan to file an application this week for judicial review of Roberts Bank Terminal 2, a major proposed Vancouver Fraser Port Authority container facility that received federal government approval in late April after a decade-long environmental-review process.
China's state-run carrier, Air China, has reportedly shown a surge in demand for commercial pilots from Australian training academy Airline Pilot Academy. The demand points to a rebound in international travel as the Chinese market resumes overseas flights. The urgency highlights the pace of post-pandemic passenger rebound. According to Boeing, the world will need more than 600,000 new pilots between 2022 and 2041, most of which will be needed in Asia.
Businesses and unions have opposed the Andrews government’s overhauled WorkSafe compensation scheme which will increase premiums and reduce support for people suffering from stress or burnout. The changes will see businesses pay an average of 1.8 per cent of payroll to fund the scheme. While harassment, bullying and post-traumatic stress disorder will remain on the scheme, ongoing weekly benefits for stressed or burnt out workers will end. They will instead receive 13 weeks of treatment. A new agency called Return to Work Victoria will assist people to find new jobs so as to minimise the risk of them languishing out of work and their mental health state worsening. Victorians will have to pass a test after 130 weeks and every two years thereafter, to check whether they are too impaired to work. The WorkCover premium is 1.23 per cent in Queensland and 1.48 per cent in New South Wales but above 2 per cent in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
According to Rowan Moore, writing for The Guardian, late 19th-century mansion blocks are "one of the most civilised modes of London living." With tall ceilings, large bay windows, and beautiful shared gardens, Moore praises these apartments as "a breath of fresh air" in a city filled with "strange conversions, damp basements, awkwardly split communal spaces, and insane rents." At the height of mansion block building, the 1930s, they incorporated Art Deco styling and modern amenities such as swimming pools and squash courts. Although tower buildings became more popular after World War II, mansion blocks are making a resurgence in London as more architects and developers seek inspiration from the city's past.
Victoria Coates, senior advisor to the US Secretary of Energy under President Trump, is interviewed on The Kevin Roberts Show about effective national security policies. Coates suggests that the US has been the greatest force for good in human history and discusses that the country doesn't need to overthrow dictatorial regimes and impose democracy rather encourage, instruct, and be a good example. Coates also discusses the importance of seizing opportunities, flexibility, and not being wedded to rigid ideologies that cut you off from unorthodox solutions. She also notes the importance of historical perspective when dealing with human beings and the hallmark of being resilient.
Coates mentions the difficulty of figuring out the triangle of policy, communications, and politics and navigating it in a world where communications and information is flowing at such a rapid rate. She mentions that moral clarity, the clarity of vision, and purpose are also infectious, not just for the men and women who have the privilege of working for people like that, but also for the country and a group of free people around the planet who are going to respond to any American president who’s bold and has a clear vision and also has the ability to speak.
The New Yorker has published an article on the history of police surveillance, documenting how hi-tech techniques are being used alongside old-fashioned detective work. Ed Caesar, who authored the piece, details activities ranging from the police following suspected hitmen and dressing up as abattoir workers next to illegal gambling dens to dropping stories in the media to gather information from phone-savvy criminals. Caesar notes electronic surveillance is increasingly being used, with the Australian Federal Police and international colleagues downloading 27 million messages from crooks who believed they were using highly secure messaging app An0m. The Australian Federal Police then dropped a series of stories to help fuel the underground chatter and, over time, had a complete view of the dark web underworld. In addition to electronic surveillance, snitches were used, with criminals offered deals to become informers. The ultimate version of covert work is spying, and there are numerous cases whereby undercover officers have infiltrated and helped smash gangs, from undercover cop Nick Cecil, who exposed SP bookmakers in the 1950s, to the two officers who lived among bikies for 13 months.
The National Portrait Gallery in London has undergone a £41.3m ($57.7m) redevelopment. Director Nicholas Cullinan, who took over the role in 2015, oversaw the project, which has included upgrades to facilities and accessibility, four new galleries, eight refurbished rooms, and more than 3,000 objects. The estate comprises about 4,000 paintings, sculptures and miniatures, and 8,500 works on paper, serving as both a repository for artistry and a record of British sitters throughout history. The gallery reopens to the public on 22 June. Attendance before the pandemic was 1.9 million visitors annually, and Cullinan hopes the new additions will attract a wider audience.
Parents applaud push to close citizenship gap for foreign-born adopted children
CBC
23-05-19 08:00
Canadian lawmakers are examining changes that would give the foreign-born children of Canadian adoptive parents the same citizenship rights as those of children born in the country. A parliamentary committee has introduced proposals which might change a rule which bars internationally adopted children from automatically transmitting their citizenship by descent if they have children overseas. The law has been said to create an unjust unfair distinction between Canadian-born and international adoptees, with the latter sometimes facing negative effects on future study and work. In 2009, Canada introduced a “second generation cut-off” that meant automatic transmission of citizenship would stop if both parents were foreign-born. However, children from outside Canada who are adopted under the direct route are seen as the first generation born abroad, and so any children they have would count as the second, not classed as being born by descent.
Comedy playwright, actor and singer Victoria Wood’s life and work is to be celebrated with the creation of a prize for comedy writing and a new release of her sketches. The Victoria Wood Playwrighting Prize for Comedy was announced by the Birmingham Rep to coincide with Wood’s birthday on 19 May. The award will be the first major theatre prize dedicated to comedy writing. Wood studied drama at the University of Birmingham and began her career in theatre. A new double-album release of her sketches from her show, Victoria Wood As Seen on TV has also been announced, as has a re-issue of her script compendium, Chunky, edited by the author of her official biography, Jasper Rees. Wood died in April 2016. In 1985, she became one of the first women to break into stand-up comedy, and in 2006 was awarded a CBE in recognition of her contribution to the performing arts.
Toronto police have announced their plans around the traditional Victoria Day long weekend, including safety measures for its fireworks display in Ashbridges Bay Park. Last year, violence ensued on Sunday, a day before the public holiday, causing injuries, with seven officers among them. The celebrations often result in issues with overcrowding and the use of illegal fireworks.
