Tag Archives: political

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The Justice Secretary needs to clearly set out what action her department took in response to that 2015 inspection and why it has not worked – Burgon

Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting on the fire at Guys Marsh prison, said:

“Two years ago the prisons inspector said this was ‘a prison that was in crisis, where managers and staff had all but lost control.’

“The Justice Secretary needs to clearly set out what action her department took in response to that 2015 inspection and why it has not worked.

“Her Prisons and Courts bill does not remedy the crisis. Prisons need action on the ground not gestures from ministers.”

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Labour • • •

Dinosaur tracks found in NE China

Dinosaur tracks have been found in northeast China’s Jilin Province, according to an announcement by scientists from China, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

Dinosaur tracks have been found in northeast China’s Jilin Province, according to an announcement by scientists from China, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

The tracks were found on a rural mountain road in Longjing City in the Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Yanbian, Jilin in August 2015.

“The tracks include footprints of hadrosaurs that are 55 centimeters long. The trackmaker’s body could have reached 7 meters long,” Xing Lida, associate professor from China University of Geosciences, told Xinhua.

Several tracks of carnivorous dinosaurs were also discovered with various footprint sizes ranging from 43 to 21 centimeters, Xing said.

The discovery will help with research to understand the region’s landscape during the Cretaceous period, Xing added.

 

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East Asia • •

Dinosaur tracks found in NE China

Dinosaur tracks have been found in northeast China’s Jilin Province, according to an announcement by scientists from China, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

Dinosaur tracks have been found in northeast China’s Jilin Province, according to an announcement by scientists from China, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

The tracks were found on a rural mountain road in Longjing City in the Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Yanbian, Jilin in August 2015.

“The tracks include footprints of hadrosaurs that are 55 centimeters long. The trackmaker’s body could have reached 7 meters long,” Xing Lida, associate professor from China University of Geosciences, told Xinhua.

Several tracks of carnivorous dinosaurs were also discovered with various footprint sizes ranging from 43 to 21 centimeters, Xing said.

The discovery will help with research to understand the region’s landscape during the Cretaceous period, Xing added.

 

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East Asia • •

Press release: ‘Brand Britannia’ dominates the field at world’s largest music, film and interactive media festival

Brit Award and Turner Prize winners, including Rag n’ Bone Man, will join over 70 leading UK tech and digital businesses showcasing ‘Brand UK’ at the world’s largest creative festival in Texas this weekend.

Over 1,500 UK delegates are traveling to Austin, Texas, as the UK is set to have the biggest international presence at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. Performers and businesses will look to break into lucrative US and international markets, supported by government and industry experts such as Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.

The Department for International Trade is supporting UK businesses to attend including virtual reality technology firms from Northern Ireland, companies from London developing smart cities solutions and delegates from Birmingham, Manchester and Wales. They will be helped by DIT to build vital contacts with international investors, bringing in tens of millions of pounds to the UK economy.

International Trade Minister Greg Hands, who will visit the event this weekend, said:

Our huge presence here at South by Southwest, the biggest of any country outside the US, shows the strength of ‘Brand Britannia’ internationally. From what we watch and listen to, to the new technologies making our cities better places to live – UK companies and individuals are here demonstrating ground-breaking ideas that are leading the world.

Last year we helped boost new export opportunities for our home-grown businesses by around £10 million and with our biggest ever delegation, this year aims to be even bigger and better.

The festival, which last year welcomed 87,000 participants including former US President Barack Obama, is a huge opportunity for performers and businesses to attract investment into the UK’s £90 billion creative industries.

Through government support in 2015 over 20 inward investment projects to the UK, and over £10 million in new export business wins for UK companies, was generated from SXSW. One company, Trackd, an app which allows musicians to record and share music studio-style, secured a £1.25 million contract through DIT support at SXSW.

Also, successful artists such as Bastille, and The 1975 have used the festival to launch their US careers, selling millions of records in the country. DIT is the lead partner of the British Music Embassy, a venue in Austin where for the tenth year the department and UK music industry will showcase the best new British music artists. The British Music Embassy will host over 50 performances from artists such as Rag n’ Bone Man and Yorkshire-based punk newcomers Life, who are included in the BBC Introducing showcase.

Throughout the week long event, DIT will host performers, businesses and investors for three days at the Great Britain House – a national pavilion showcasing the very best the UK has to offer in the tech, creative and music industries.

Events include:

  • a Q&A session for British businesses with Mick Fleetwood: legendary drummer, band leader and founding member of world-renowned rock group, Fleetwood Mac
  • sessions on the impact of AI on artists with Arts Council England and nine creative delegates, from an interactive dance company to a cutting-edge virtual orchestra
  • workout sessions from global UK sports brand Sweaty Betty

One company attending SXSW with DIT support is Pavegen, based in London and Cambridge – demonstrating its revolutionary street paving which generates electricity from footsteps and captures data within the urban environment.

Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder and CEO of Pavegen said:

This year’s South by Southwest is crucial for us, helping us to build vital relationships with some of our most important international customers. With the support of the Department for International Trade we’re now closing some of our biggest deals yet, in the US and beyond.

Notes to editors

  • Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film and music industries
  • SXSW 2016 featured more than 2,000 sessions including keynotes by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, plus dozens of visionaries at the forefront of their industries to more than 87,000 participants

Further information

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HM Government • • •

Amid rise of ‘fake news,’ authorities should ensure truthful info reaches public – UN, regional experts

10 March 2017 – Noting growing prevalence of “fake news” and propaganda in both legacy and social media, United Nations and key regional human rights experts have called on State actors to ensure that they disseminate reliable and trustworthy information, including about matters of public interest, such as the economy, public health, security and the environment.

“State actors should not make, sponsor, encourage or further disseminate statements which they know or reasonably should know to be false (disinformation) or which demonstrate a reckless disregard for verifiable information (propaganda),” read a Joint Declaration issued last week by the experts.

The Declaration was made by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, along with his counterparts from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

“‘Fake news’ has emerged as a global topic of concern and there is a risk that efforts to counter it could lead to censorship, the suppression of critical thinking and other approaches contrary to human rights law. In this Joint Declaration, we identify general principles that should apply to any efforts to deal with these issues,” explained Mr. Kaye in a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The Declaration also identifies applicable human rights standards, encourages promotion of diversity and plurality in the media and emphasizes the particular roles played by digital intermediaries, as well as journalists and media outlets, and notes that they should consider including critical coverage of disinformation and propaganda as part of their news services in line with their watchdog role in society, particularly during elections and regarding debates on matters of public interest.

It also notes that States have a “positive obligation” to promote a free, independent and diverse communications environment, including media diversity, which is a key means of addressing disinformation and propaganda.

Further, the Declaration notes that all stakeholders – including intermediaries, media outlets, civil society and academia – should be supported in developing participatory and transparent initiatives for creating a better understanding of the impact of disinformation and propaganda on democracy, freedom of expression, journalism and civic space, as well as appropriate responses to these phenomena.

UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

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UN – Top News Stories • • • •