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Labor Win – “Australians have voted for change” –  2022 Australian Election

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The current Australian Prime-Minister conceded defeat, after not being able to gain more seats than the Australian Labor Party. Anthony Albanese, leader of the ALP, has already claimed victory and is expected to form the next government.

The defeat of Scott Morrison was already expected, as the Liberal Party of Australia, and the rest of the “Coalition” that formed the about to be unseated Australian government, composed by the LPA and by the National Party of Australia, were not able to manage well the Prime-Ministers troubled government and leadership. Peter Hartcher, political and international editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, considers that Morrison wasn’t able to please the “broad church” that forms the LPA, between liberals and conservatives. In spite of describing itself as a pragmatist, Morrison’s right-wing populism alienated many voters, mainly the ones that live in the suburbs. These voters were considered to be one of the “bedrocks” of the Liberal electorate, but have now moved to independent candidates. This Independent phenomenon was particularly present in Sydney. The Green Party also saw a rise in the vote share. 

Scott Morrison conceded defeat early in the election night, saying that “in a time like this,” it is “very important to have a clear understanding” of the Australian government, and wishing Albanese the “best of luck.”. Despite only having managed to get 52 seats* in the House of Representatives, Morrison won the popular vote, with 3 835 976, against Labor’s 3 554 410 votes. 

“A government as courageous and hard-working as the Australian people are”

Anthony Albanese, leader of the Labor Party, and the next Prime-Minister of Australia, said in his election victory speech. The newly elected Australian PM promises swift action on the climate crisis, by making Australia a “renewable energy superpower”. In his speech, Albanese also vowed to work with all Australians to make the economy “leap” and grow, so the government can protect and expand healthcare and prioritize “equal opportunity for women”.

Labor won 71 seats*

76 seats are needed for a majority in the House.

*13 seats remain to be called, with 66.33% of the vote counted.


Check the live results on the AEC: https://tallyroom.aec.gov.au/HouseDefault-27966.htm

–  Check for updates on this story.

Retirees in Cyprus on free vacation

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Cyprus low-income retirees will be able to go on vacation, fully paid by the state. The new subsidized holiday program is part of measures to support vulnerable groups, as well as to support domestic tourism.

A free 4-day holiday (with three nights) in mountain resorts with full board is provided to low-income seniors, the government has decided.

Subsidized vacations start on June 1 and will last for four months, in June-July and September-October.

The program is available to pensioners who receive the minimum guaranteed income, as well as those whose annual income is up to 15,500 euros (for a single household) and up to 20,000 euros (for families).

The implementation of the plan will cost more than 800,000 euros and will cover about 5,200 people, the social ministry said.

The aim is to support low-income retirees and provide them with quality services, while supporting and stimulating the development of domestic tourism in mountainous areas.

Another government program for subsidized summer holidays and affordable recreation is currently under way in Cyprus, targeting all permanent residents. It started on May 1 and lasts until the end of July.

Google: We are approaching artificial intelligence with human capabilities

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Not everyone is enthusiastic

Google has announced that it is on the verge of creating a comprehensive artificial intelligence. This is an opportunity to learn and manage many different tasks.

Leading researcher at Google’s DeepMind division, Dr. Nando de Freitas, boldly said that “the game is over” and that the scaling of AI will lead to a transition to AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), reports Futurism.

DeepMind is one of the places where scientists are trying to achieve comprehensive artificial intelligence. In practice, he will be able to acquire super-intelligence if he is fed up with sufficiently large and comprehensive databases.

Such artificial intelligence will be able to be used for a variety of tasks without the need for programming from scratch. He will be able to learn different things at the same time and in practice would be similar to the artificial intelligence from the movies.

Achieving AGI has been the number one goal of scientists since the last century. The implementation of such an algorithm turned out to be more difficult than expected, because according to many forecasts, comprehensive artificial intelligence should have already been achieved.

It is believed that the huge number of databases for each aspect of life will facilitate the creation of AGI. However, not everyone is so enthusiastic. Many scientists believe that such artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity.

The platform for Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria blocked, only 50 managed to register

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The technical problem was reported on the first day of its launch, the Refugee Agency explained it with overload

A technical problem in the online platform for collecting data from refugees on May 21 prevented many Ukrainian citizens in Bulgaria from filling out the survey data on the first day of the system’s launch, BNT reported.

The Refugee Agency explained that the system was overloaded as many people tried to enter at the same time. Only with registration will people with temporary protection be able to be transferred to state bases or other hotels after the end of the month. The deadline for filling in the refugee questionnaires is May 25.

According to the story of Ukrainian women to state television, they failed to create their own profile in the system.

“I have not filled in the survey yet, I failed. I am waiting for the electronic system to work well, because today there were many problems to log in and fill in our data. But we definitely want to register because I am here with my son, eldest daughter and “We want to take this opportunity,” says Lina.

Refugees most often ask interviewers where they will be accommodated from the beginning of next month, but so far have not received specific answers.

“Very few people, according to information coming from the field teams, have really managed to enter the survey, create a profile with a username and password, fill out and send the survey,” said the head of the State Agency for Refugees Mariana Tosheva .

More than 50 Ukrainians have somehow managed to overcome the technical hurdle and fill in their questionnaires despite the problem with the platform.

“Once this information is processed, then it will be distributed in different places, but for now we do not have clarity,” said Petya Hristova, Labor Office – Varna.

Teams have been formed from the regional administrations of Varna, Shumen and Dobrich, which visit hotels to help Ukrainian citizens complete the survey. The registration of hoteliers, who will benefit from the government’s program for accommodation of refugees for BGN 15 (env. 7,5 EUR) per day, has also started.

Faith-based Engagement at Stockholm+50

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Faith-based Organisations (FBOs) established an interfaith working group to support faith communities understanding of, and engagement on, issues related to Stockholm+50.

This page is a resource guide to facilitate networking, in-person collaboration, and to inspire and build partnerships with civil society, indigenous groups and all other stakeholders.

The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world; it is the urgent desire of the peoples of the whole world and the duty of all Governments.

1972 Stockholm Declaration

On 4 March 2022 UNEP Faith for Earth facilitated a session during the Faith for Earth Dialogue that spurred coordinated efforts for a consultative interreligious and interfaith approaches to Stockholm+50.

In the dialogue session, FBOs were encouraged to engage in the Stockholm+50 process early enough to set their expectations for governments/leaders for the next 50 years of environment policy and action. Watch the recording

During the Regional Multi-stakholder Consultations, faith representatives highlighted the following key messages:

Latin America and Carribean Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultation

FBOs provide good practice at a local and regional level stressing the need to mobilise FBOs and faith communities. Advance FBO engagement (SDG Platform) and work closely with indigenous groups.

Need for environmental education – collaborate with local experts and scientists about environmental issues.

Faith literacy – how to engage with faith-based organisations in international meetings and need to facilitate faith-based interventions within other Major Groups & Stakeholders.

Africa Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultation

Faith actors as drivers of behavioural change.

Mobilise funding for smaller local actors – encourage divestment of faith-owned assets and investments from the fossil industry and need to secure adequate funding for grassroots stakeholders.

Reimagining the Human-Environment Relationship

Stockholm+50 is a commemoration and a time for reflection on the interconnectedness of humans and the environment. The UN University Centre for Policy Research and the UN Environment Programme are co-leading a collaborative effort that captures, interrogates, and elevates alternative paradigms of the human/nature relationship, by inviting a diverse community of thinkers and voices to supply evidence and shape viewpoints in this important global conversation.

Stockholm+50 is an opportunity to take stock of the progress achieved in the 50 years since the 1972 Conference on the Environment, and instigate serious reflection on today’s environmental crisis. There remains a significant gap between the urgency of the challenges facing humanity and the willingness to undertake the kind of radical action necessary to collectively shift towards more sustainable forms of consumption. Most proposals by the world’s largest emitters remain framed by longstanding models of infinite growth, exploitative energy production, and a belief that human survival will come by way of technological innovation. Current public discourse features limited propositions to tackle pollution, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of our natural environment — the triple planetary crisis that threatens humanity.

The sources of alternative paradigms are both extraordinarily diverse and still unfamiliar to most. Widely differing religious practices offer a range of environmental ethics that could underpin a shift in how the human-nature relationship is conceptualized. Forms of traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous knowledge propose sophisticated and deeply symbiotic frameworks that can also broaden understandings through key ideas such as reciprocity and intergenerational fairness. Paradigm shifts may also come from innovations in more traditional domains. Legal scholars and some states are exploring how the environment and the interests of future generations might be given a legal personality, alongside contemporary humans. Biology and ecosystems research offer non-anthropocentric models for sustainable coexistence, while astrophysics can shift the starting point for many of these conversations, moving beyond the human-environment binary as we identify potentially infinite forms of life.

This curated collection of ideas captures, interrogates, and elevates alternative paradigms of the human-nature relationship – existing and new, and from various disciplines and societies – creating a space to recast our relationship with the environment and inform future policymaking. It has been made possible through a grant by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Managing these security risks requires action across the entire impact chain: work to mitigate climate change; reducing its consequences on ecosystems; adapting socio-economic systems; better management of climate-induced heightened resource competition; and strengthening governance and conflict management institutions. And every dimension of the response must be conflict-sensitive and climate proof. Without the right responses, climate change will mean more fragility, less peace and less security. But this paper sets out illustrative examples of how, with a greater understanding of how climate change interacts with social, political, economic and environmental drivers of conflict and fragility, we will be better placed to make the kind of risk-informed decisions is integral to achieving international peace and security.

A Catholic archbishop has “banned” Nancy Pelosi’s Holy Communion because of the abortion campaign

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Salvatore Cordilleone’s decision comes after information leaked about a draft opinion of the US Supreme Court

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will no longer be able to take communion because she supports the right to abortion and publicly expresses her Catholic faith in expressing her views, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordilleone said in a letter. from Reuters.

An open letter from the archbishop addressed to Pelosi, and another addressed to the faithful, noted that “over the years, Pelosi’s position on abortion has become increasingly extreme, especially in the last few months.”

There is no comment from her office yet.

The archbishop’s decision comes after information leaked earlier this month about a draft U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the 1973 Rowe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion in the United States, would be overturned.

Cordilleone said Pelosi had not responded to his requests to meet in the months since she promised to make abortion protection enshrined in US federal law after lawmakers in some conservative states introduced almost full state-level protection. ban on abortion.

The archbishop said he sent a personal letter to Pelosi in April warning her that he would forbid her to take communion until she publicly renounced her support for the right to abortion and stopped publicly invoking her views. of his Catholic faith.

In his letter to the faithful, Cordileone wrote that “his actions are purely pastoral, not political.”

“President Pelosi remains our sister in Christ,” he said. “Her advocacy for the care of the poor and vulnerable arouses admiration in me.”

Top-secret satellite of the Russian Federation “Cosmos 2555” with the letter Z burned up in the atmosphere

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The Russian optical surveillance satellite has only been in space for 20 days. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation hopes that its successor Cosmos-2556 will be more reliable.

The Russian military satellite Cosmos-2555, launched on April 29 by the Angara-1.2 carrier rocket, burned up in the atmosphere. This was reported by TASS with reference to the data of the US Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The device was launched late in the evening from the Plesetsk cosmodrome into a circumpolar orbit. The letter Z was applied to the satellite – a symbol of a full-scale war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. According to NORAD, the satellite deorbited and entered the atmosphere on the morning of May 18. Now the object does not exist in space, experts say.

Astronautics expert and popularizer Vitaly Egorov told The Insider that it could be a visual reconnaissance satellite that conducted optical surveillance.

“Cosmos-2555” burned down – how the satellite lost its trajectory

Yegorov added that on May 18 the satellite did not send radio signals and did not stay in orbit. They wanted to correct its trajectory by turning on the engines, but this did not give results. Cosmos-2555 was able to carry out only one short-term orbital correction for 15 days – on May 6.

After that, its orbit decreased, but in 10–12 days it lost 30 km and dropped to an altitude of about 260 km. In the next three days, the fall of the satellite accelerated, it approached the Earth at a distance of 120 km.

On May 19, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on the successful launch of another satellite into orbit, which was given the name Cosmos-2556. A stable telemetry connection has been established and maintained with the satellite, its on-board systems are functioning normally, military officials said.

Focus previously wrote that the US Space Force tracked the Cosmos-2555 satellite in orbit, tracking data confirmed the “death” of the launched satellite.

Recall that on May 3, the British tabloid Daily Mail wrote about sending a new top-secret radar satellite Cosmos-2555 into orbit, journalists reported on its use during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Space Intelligence previously noted that the Russian Federation launched the third Bars-M optoelectronic reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

Godwits’ superpower

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Scientists have named a bird that can fly more than 11 thousand km without rest

Many people at least once in their lives dreamed of having wings, but birds not only have this part of the body, but they can also fly for a long time, some of them without stops, food and water.

Birds have a superpower that people can only dream of – they can fly. The ability to fly means being able to move quickly, and some birds, such as geese, are known for migrating up to 2,400 km in 24 hours, writes Grunge.

This is an impressive feat, but there are birds that cover much greater distances. For example, a relatively small shore bird, the bartail godwit, with an unusually long beak, made the longest flight ever recorded by scientists.

According to experts, the godwit is able to overcome more than 11 thousand km without stopping. Even more impressive is the fact that godwit are active fliers, meaning their wings are in motion throughout their flight, unlike the albatross.

Incredible Flyers

Experts have been tracking these birds since 2007 and found that they regularly cover up to 11 thousand km.

Some godwit species are known to travel from Australia to New Siberia, while others migrate from New Zealand to Alaska.

Experts have been tracking these birds since 2007 and found that they regularly cover up to 11,000 km. In the spring, these shorebirds are found along fertile coastlines, where they find plenty of food among beaches and swamps. They also lay their eggs in grassy nests in spring.

In June or July they start their long journey home, where some stop in the Americas or North Africa to feed. Others do not stop at all, spending 8 days on a flight without rest.

The Secret of the Godwit

Godwit has a different way of storing and disposing of fat than many other creatures.

Like most migratory birds, godwit have incredible skills that allow them to navigate the terrain. To make such long flights, birds must be able to navigate, keep track of time, estimate distance, and even predict the weather. But the most important thing they need to do before flying is to put on enough fat to give them energy for the long journey.

It is important to note that godwits have a different way of storing and disposing of fat than many other creatures. While the body of these birds burns fat, it also produces carbon dioxide and water, which are stored in fat. This “superpower” allows them to survive without drinking any water for days on end.

Not without biology

Godwitches’ bodies and wings are aerodynamic, and their respiratory system allows them to survive on less oxygen.

Godwitches’ bodies and wings are aerodynamic, and their respiratory system allows them to survive on less oxygen as they soar above sea level, where there is less oxygen than on land.

Scientists’ research shows that before flying, their pectoral muscles, heart, and lungs double or triple in size, while their stomach, liver, intestines, and kidneys decrease in size. These changes return to normal after the birds reach their destination.

Moreover, these amazing creatures have another ability that many people would probably like to have – they can sleep during the flight.

This is because their brains are unihemispheric, which allows them to experience non-REM sleep. This means that one side of their brain is asleep while the other is awake until they get to their destination.

United global call to act on land degradation and drought concludes major UN meeting

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United global call to act on land degradation and drought concludes major UN meeting

global call – The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 9 to 20 May 2022.

Land restoration project in Africa
Land restoration project in Africa

Countries have sent a united call about the importance of healthy and productive land for securing future prosperity for all”

ABIDJAN, CôTE D’IVOIRE, May 20, 2022 – In brief:* UNCCD COP15 adopts 38 decisions, including on tenure, migration and gender, that highlight the role of land in addressing multiple crises

  • Robust monitoring and data to track progress against land restoration commitments
  • New political and financial impetus to help nations deal with devastating impacts of drought and build resilience

  • US $2.5 billion Abidjan Legacy Programme will help future-proof supply chainswhile tackling deforestation and climate change

  • Regional initiatives launched in support of the Africa-led Great Green Wall

  • Nearly 7,000 participants at two-week meeting included delegationsfrom 196 countries and the European Union

  • Future UNCCD meetings to be held in Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan


A united global pledge to boost drought resilience and invest in land restoration for future prosperity today concluded the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

This two-week meeting on the future of land management drew nearly 7,000 participants, including Heads of State, ministers, delegates from the UNCCD’s 196 Parties and the European Union, as well as members of the private sector, civil society, women, youth leaders and media.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of UNCCD COP15, Patrick Achi, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, said: “Each generation faces this thorny question of how to meet the production needs of our societies […] without destroying our forests and lands and thus condemning the future of those on whose behalf we endeavour.”

He also drew attention to the US$2.5 billion raised for the Abidjan Legacy Programme launched by Côte d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara at the Heads of State Summit on 9 May, which has already surpassed the US$1.5 billion anticipated for it.

At a news conference, Alain-Richard Donwahi, COP15 President, highlighted that it was the first time Côte d’Ivoire hosted a COP for one of the three Rio Conventions, and emphasized his country’s continued commitment to keep land issues high on the international agenda.

Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, said: “Meeting against the backdrop of multiple global challenges, including the worst-in-40-years drought in Eastern Africa, as well as food and economic crises fuelled by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts, countries have sent a united call about the importance of healthy and productive land for securing future prosperity for all.”

Highlights among the new commitments:

  • Accelerate the restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030 by improving data gathering and monitoring to track progress against the achievement of land restoration commitments and establishing a new partnership model for large-scale integrated landscape investment programmes;
  • Boost drought resilience by identifying the expansion of drylands, improving national policies and early warning, monitoring and assessment; learning and sharing knowledge; building partnerships and coordinating action; and mobilizing drought finance.

  • Establish an Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought for 2022-2024 to look into possible options, including global policy instruments and regional policy frameworks, to support a shift from reactive to proactive drought management.

  • Address forced migration and displacement driven by desertification and land degradation by creating social and economic opportunities that increase rural resilience and livelihood stability, and by mobilizing resources, including from the diaspora, for land restoration projects;

  • Improve women’s involvement in land management as important enablers for effective land restoration, by addressing commonly encountered land tenure challenges by people in vulnerable situations, and collecting gender-disaggregated data on the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought;

  • Address sand and dust storms and other escalating disaster risks by designing and implementing plans and policies including early warning and risk assessment, and mitigating their human-made causes at source;

  • Promote decent land-based jobs for youth and land-based youth entrepreneurship and strengthen youth participation in the UNCCD process; and

  • Ensure greater synergies among the three Rio Conventions, including complementarities in the implementation of these treaties through nature-based solutions and target-setting at the national level.

    In addition to the decisions, three declarations were issued during the COP, namely:
  • The Abidjan Call issued by the Heads of State and Government attending the Summit hosted by Côte d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara on 9 May. It aims to boost long-term environmental sustainability across major value chains in Côte d’Ivoire while protecting and restoring forests and lands and improving communities’ resilience to climate change, which will require mobilization of US$1.5 billion over the next five years.
  • Abidjan Declaration on achieving gender equality for successful land restoration, which emerged from the Gender Caucus chaired by the First Lady Dominique Ouattara.

  • The COP15 “Land, Life and Legacy” Declaration, which responds to the findings of the UNCCD’s flagship report, Global Land Outlook 2, a five-year study with 21 partner organizations, and with over 1,000 scientific references. Released 27 April, it reported up to 40% of all ice-free land is already degraded, with dire consequences for climate, biodiversity and livelihoods.

All 38 COP15 decisions are available here: https://www.unccd.int/cop15/official-documents

News release in full: https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/press-releases/united-global-call-act-land-degradation-and-drought-concludes-major-un

Closing press conference: presentation of the outcomes of COP15 (French)

article United global call to act on land degradation and drought concludes major UN meeting

Climate change threatening access to water and sanitation

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Climate change threatening access to water and sanitation

Climate change is set to increase pressure significantly on people’s access to water and sanitation unless governments do more to prepare key infrastructure now, the UN warned on Friday.

“Climate change is already posing serious challenges to water and sanitation systems in countries around the world,” said Thomas Croll-Knight, spokesperson for the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

 

Rising risks

According to UNECE and the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe), despite being a priority aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement, plans to make water access possible in the face of climate pressures, “are absent” in the pan-European region. 

And “in most cases” throughout the region of 56 countries, there is also a lack of coordination on drinking water, sanitation and health, intergovernmental discussions in Geneva heard this week. 

“From reduced water availability and contamination of water supplies to damage to sewerage infrastructure, these risks are set to increase significantly unless countries step up measures to increase resilience now,” warned Mr. Croll-Knight.

It is estimated that more than one third of the European Union will be under “high water stress” by the 2070s, by which time the number of additional people affected (compared to 2007) is expected to surge to 16–44 million.

And globally, each 1°C increase caused by global warming is projected to result in a 20 per cent reduction in renewable water resources, affecting an additional seven per cent of the population.

Dangers are real

Meanwhile, as governments prepare for the next UN climate conference (COP 27) in November and the UN 2023 Water Conference, UNECE painted a potentially grim picture moving forward in parts of Europe.

From water supply and sewerage infrastructure damage to water quality degradation and sewage spillage, impacts are already being felt.

For example, increased energy demand and disruption to treatment plants in Hungary are threatening significant additional operational costs for wastewater treatment.

And challenges in ensuring adequate water supply in the Netherlands have increased, while Spain struggles to maintain a minimum drinking water supply during drought periods.

Resilience

Despite water management adaptation initiatives in many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Action Programmes (NAPs) under the Paris Agreement, governance mechanisms and methods for integrating water and climate are absent, leaving the interface of drinking water, sanitation and health is worryingly unaddressed, in most cases.

Lacking adequate governance mechanisms, stepping up measures under the Protocol on Water and Health – a unique multilateral agreement serviced by UNECE and WHO/Europe – can play a key role

It can support developing more options for the inclusion of water, sanitation, and health in NDCs and NAPs and ensure that national and sub-national drinking water supply and sanitation strategies, integrate a clear rationale towards mitigating climate change, and risk analysis.

Previously, Secretary-General António Guterres had called on all regional countries to accede to the Protocol and fully apply its provisions – a call echoed by Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, who referred  to the Protocol as a key instrument linking public health and the environment.

Climate change threatening access to water and sanitation
UNECE – Examples of climate change impacts on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.