Sydney – Activist group Sea Shepherd on Tuesday released graphic video of Japanese fishermen harpooning whales in the Southern Ocean after a long battle with the Australian government to make the images public.
Filmed in 2008 by customs officials aboard an Australian patrol vessel, the images show Japanese boats in Antarctic waters harpooning the whales and then dragging their bodies out of bloodied waters.
Sea Shepherd initiated a freedom of information (FOI) request in 2012 to obtain the film from the Australian department of border protection, but was repeatedly refused with the government citing potential damage to “international relations”.
The images were finally ordered released earlier this year after an appeal to Australia’s Information Commissioner, who has power to review government agency FOI decisions.
“The Australian Government has suppressed this footage for years. The main reason given was that the images of this horrific slaughter would harm diplomatic relationships with Japan,” Sea Shepherd’s managing director Jeff Hansen said in a statement.
“The Australian Government has chosen to side with the poachers instead of defending the whales of the Southern Ocean,” he said.
Sea Shepherd has waged an often violent 12-year high-seas battle against whaling in the Southern Ocean, claiming success for saving thousands of the giant mammals and bringing the slaughter to world attention.
The organisation announced earlier this year that it was ending its annual campaign to disrupt Japanese whaling, saying it was exploring different strategies to hinder the hunt as it could no longer match the paramilitary and economic might Tokyo was deploying.
Japan is a signatory to the International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on whaling in force since 1986. But it exploits a loophole allowing whales to be killed for the purposes of “scientific research”, making no secret of the fact that they often end up on dinner plates.
Tokyo was forced to call off the 2014-15 hunt after the International Court of Justice ruled its annual Antarctic foray was a commercial hunt, masquerading as science.
It resumed in late 2015 with cuts to the target catch number, but it still returned with more than 300 minke whales.
Canberra has spoken out against commercial and “so-called ‘scientific’ whaling” in the Southern Ocean.
Sea Shepherd has called on the Australian government to take Japan to an international tribunal for failing to protect whales.
Los Angeles – Another actress added her name Monday to the dozens accusing movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of a litany of depraved sexual misconduct as he was forced to quit Hollywood’s directing union.
More than 100 women have come forward since October to accuse the veteran producer of various degrees of bullying, degrading behaviour over the past 40 years, from intimidation to rape.
In the latest case filed in a New York federal court, aspiring British actress Kadian Noble is accusing Weinstein of inviting her to a hotel room in France and sexually assaulting her.
The civil lawsuit says the producer – who denies all allegations of non-consensual sex – violated US federal sex trafficking laws during the incident in Cannes, France, in 2014.
The suit accuses Weinstein of groping her, pulled her into his hotel bathroom and forcing her to pleasure him, telling her that “everything will be taken care of for you if you relax.”
A spokesman for the Directors Guild of America confirmed that Weinstein had resigned, several weeks after president Thomas Schlamme announced disciplinary charges against the tycoon, but refused to comment further.
The filmmaker has been involved in more than 300 movies spanning six decades but has just two directing credits, for the animated 1987 film “The Gnomes’ Great Adventure” and 1986 comedy “Playing for Keeps.”
The 65-year-old has already been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs the Oscars, and has resigned from the Producers Guild of America.
Here are the actresses who’ve accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, abuse
He also parted ways with The Weinstein Co., the production house he and his brother Bob co-founded, and was suspended by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Two female-led investor groups are interested in taking over The Weinstein Co., which is on the verge of bankruptcy, with a figure in the region of $275 million reportedly on the table.
Announcing disciplinary action against Weinstein in October, the DGA released a statement condemning the “scourge” of sexual harassment and calling for a zero tolerance approach to abuses of power.
“This isn’t about one person. We must recognise sexual harassment is endemic in our society, and painfully, in our industry. We believe that every individual has the right to a safe workplace,” it said.
“The unfortunate truth is that there are those who abuse the power that they hold. For far too long, many have not spoken out – directors, agents, crew, executives, performers, producers, writers. This shameful code of complicity must be broken.”
Noble is seeking unspecified damages, accusing Weinstein of being able “to force or coerce” her into sexual activity in his hotel room by promising her a film role and to wield his influence on her behalf.
She is also suing the Weinstein Co. and Bob, accusing them of being aware of Weinstein’s behaviour and of contributing to his foreign travel to recruit women into “forced or coerced sexual encounters.”
Police in New York, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and London have confirmed are investigating allegations of sexual assault that have been made against Weinstein.
Sydney – Mourners bid farewell to AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young on Tuesday, with his brother Angus carrying a guitar case as he led his coffin out of Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral.
The legendary guitarist passed away earlier this month aged 64 after suffering from dementia for several years.
Among the hundreds of mourners paying their respects were AC/DC singer Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams.
Those at the service were given guitar picks with their programmes, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said, with Malcolm’s Gretsch guitar, which he called “the beast”, resting on top of his casket throughout.
Photo: AFP
Young founded the group with Angus in 1973, and was a driving force in making it one of the biggest rocks acts in the world.
Best known for their hit song Highway to Hell, AC/DC produced 17 studio albums, selling more than 200 million records.
Young emigrated to Australia from Scotland with his family as a child, and was in his early 20s when the group released their debut album “High Voltage”.
While Angus was the public face of the band, Malcolm was renowned for being behind the famous riffs that left fans thunderstruck.
He is survived by wife Linda and their children Ross and Cara.
A 32-year-old male elephant fatally attacked its keeper at Chiang Mai Zoo yesterday morning, acting zoo director Wutthichai Moungman later confirmed. Senior mahout Somsak Riang-ngern died instantly.
The attack at the elephant camp on the hill outside the display zone took place at 8am when the five-tonne Plai Ekkasit, which has apparently been in rut since Sunday, suddenly hit Somsak, who was preparing to feed it, with its trunk.
It then pressed its immense weight against the man, killing him, Wutthichai said.
The animal had been close to Wutthichai since a very young age and was generally friendly and good-natured, so it is believed that Somsak thought he was safe and that he had control over it.
Wutthichai said the tragedy had distressed many staff at the zoo. The elephant was now being kept in strong chains in a safe forested area under the supervision of mahouts from a distance.
Wutthichai said elephant shows and feeding displays would be postponed indefinitely. He said the zoo offered its condolences to Somsak’s family in Surin.
The advertisements for plastic surgeries are expected to disappear from Seoul’s subway stations by 2022, Seoul Metro said.
Seoul Metro said the operator will impose a total ban on plastic surgery advertising when making contracts with advertising agencies from now on and enforce a stricter review of advertisements by launching a new review board.
The plans were made following many complaints from the public, according to the Seoul Metro. More than 1,180 complaints have been filed regarding subway advertisements on Line No. 1 to 4, and 91 per cent of them were related to plastic surgery or women.
Such advertisements have been accused of encouraging lookism and creating an unhealthy and distorted view of women’s body images, the operator said.
Seoul Metro aims to get rid of all commercial advertisements from 40 subway stations by 2022. The advertisements in City Hall Station, Sinseol-dong Station, Seongsu Station, Yangcheon-gu Office Station, Gyeongbokgung Station, Anguk Station, Euljiro 3-ga Station, Sinjeong Station and Gimpo Airport Station will be removed this year.
The spaces will be replaced with advertisements related to art and culture.
TOKYO/WASHINGTON – Japan has detected radio signals suggesting North Korea may be preparing for another ballistic missile launch, although such signals are not unusual and satellite images did not show fresh activity, a Japanese government source said on Tuesday (Nov 28).
After firing missiles at a pace of about two or three a month since April, North Korean missile launches paused in September, after Pyongyang fired a rocket that passed over Japan’s northern Hokkaido island.
“This is not enough to determine (if a launch is likely soon),” the source told Reuters.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported late on Monday that the Japanese government was on alert after catching such radio signals, suggesting a launch could come in a few days. The report also said the signals might be related to winter military training by the North Korean military.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing a South Korean government source, also reported that intelligence officials of the United States, South Korea and Japan had recently detected signs of a possible missile launch and have been on higher alert.
Asked about the media reports, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning told reporters the United States continued to watch North Korea very closely.
“This is a diplomatically led effort at this point, supported by military options,” he said.
“The Republic of Korea and US alliance remains strong and capable of countering any North Korean provocations or attacks.”
Two US government sources familiar with official assessments of North Korean capabilities and activities said that while they were not immediately familiar with recent intelligence suggesting that North Korea was preparing to launch a new missile test, the US government would not be surprised if such a test were to take place in the very near future.
Other US intelligence officials noted North Korea has previously sent deliberately misleading signs of preparations for missile and nuclear tests, in part to mask real preparations, and in part to test US and allied intelligence on its activities.
JAKARTA/AMED, Indonesia – Indonesia’s transportation ministry said on Tuesday it will extend the closure of Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport for a further 24 hours because of ash from the eruption of the island’s Mount Agung volcano.
A report from local aviation navigation authorities showed that “aircraft flight channels are covered with volcanic ash” the ministry said in a statement.
Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed until 7 a.m. local time on November 29, it said.
Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces.
A separate notice showed Lombok airport had been reopened, after an earlier closure overnight due to the eruption.
Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet).
On Monday, authorities ordered 100,000 residents living near the volcano to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be “imminent”. An 8-10 km (5-6 miles) exclusion zone has been imposed around the summit.
Agung’s last eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar.
Authorities raise Mount Agung’s threat warning to highest level
On Tuesday, life continued largely as normal in villages surrounding Agung, with residents setting up traditional markets and offering prayers as the volcano continued to spew tall columns of ash and smoke from its crater.
Many residents evacuated in September when the alert was last raised to the highest level have returned to their homes and farms due to worries over their livelihood and livestock.
Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), which is using drones, satellite imagery and other equipment, said predictions were difficult in the absence of instrumental recordings from the last eruption 54 years ago.
It warned that if a similar eruption occurred, it could send rocks bigger than fist-size up to 8 km (5 miles) from the summit and volcanic gas a distance of 10 km (6 miles) within three minutes.
Recordings now show the northeast area of Agung’s peak has swollen in recent weeks “indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface”, PVMBG said.
SINGAPORE: With the recent Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results out on Friday (Nov 24), the question on many parents’ and educators’ mind is whether the PSLE should remain as a “checkpoint” for students.
As a father of two children, I have been through the nerve-wrecking PSLE results collection twice in the past eight years.
The days leading up were more stressful than any job interview I have ever attended. Honestly, I have never experienced such tension, anxiety, anticipation and stress in my life, even when proposing to my wife, preparing for my wedding or cheering my wife on during the birth of our two children.
As an education and parenting coach, I have routinely observed the national obsession with academic results, especially so in the PSLE. Students and parents alike, take extreme measures at times to prepare for the PSLE, some with extra classes seven days a week. The PSLE has even been jokingly termed as “Please Stress the Life out of Everyone” by some parents and students.
CHANGES TO THE PSLE SYSTEM
Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng mentioned many times the importance of “nurturing a joy of learning in children” so that students enjoy school.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore has also taken steady steps to overhaul the education system, shifting the focus from academic achievements alone to the holistic development of students.
Significant milestones include the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, which was introduced in 2004 to allow students to be accepted into reputable secondary schools based on non-academic achievements, such as sporting and artistic merits.
In 2014, a revised Physical Education syllabus was introduced in primary and secondary schools, setting aside 10 to 20 per cent of curriculum time for outdoor education and physical activities to boost the overall physical wellness of students.
From 2018, the enhanced DSA scheme will see all secondary schools in Singapore embracing this scheme and reserving up to 20 per cent of their cohort space for students applying through the scheme.
Under the enhanced scheme, academic achievement will not constitute a criterion for the application for secondary school. Instead, the admission criteria for the enhanced scheme will be based on students’ strengths in sports, arts, language, mathematics or science.
Through this shift in the admission criteria, the MOE hopes parents support the all-rounded development of their children and ease off the obsession with tuition and enrichment classes for them.
Is success defined by a single sheet of paper?
In 2021, the PSLE will be re-structured to put in place Achievement Level (AL) scoring bands (such as A, B and C) instead of the current aggregate T-scores. The new scoring bands will pave the way for students to be less differentiated in their academic results, given 29 new possible PSLE scores, compared to the current 200+ PSLE aggregate scores.
While some educators and parents have lobbied to do away with the PSLE, I am of the view that the PSLE has its value as a checkpoint for all students. It is a gauge of a student’s learning progress and academic aptitude, after six years of primary school education.
Without the PSLE as a checkpoint, students will not be able to measure their own learning progress in a standardised fashion. They may not be able to identify their academic strengths and weaknesses relative to their peers or discover their interests in various niche areas through exposure supported by parents and the education system in schools.
IS STRESS STILL NECESSARY?
Stress is a regular word that pops up in every one of my education and parenting talks. Students and parents have to recognise that stress is meant to be a healthy motivation for individuals to give their best. It is only when stress is undue and overwhelming for the individual that it becomes unhealthy and even toxic.
Children today need to learn resilience and adaptability in our fast changing and rapidly advancing social, economical and technological landscape. Stress and competition is healthy and necessary in allowing individuals to learn coping skills, time management, self-discipline and other priceless life lessons.
The role parents play is critical in helping their children manage stress, embrace failure and accept disappointment. Failing to achieve one’s goals and expectations, is a natural part of life. Without failure, there is no real success and learning. An old Chinese saying goes: “Experience is the best teacher. Only through failure, do we learn the fine art of success.”
The role parents play is critical in helping their children manage stress, embrace failure and accept disappointment. (Photo: Pixabay)
BEYOND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
In line with promoting holistic development, parents need to encourage a healthy lifestyle for their children – in terms of their daily diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep. Character building, a positive self-esteem and healthy values are just as if not more important than the pursuit of academic excellence.
Amid academic progress, schools will need to nurture creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in their curriculum. There will be an increased emphasis on thinking questions, collaborative project work and opportunities for students to apply their learning in the real world.
With the PSLE system as a checkpoint for all students, parents possess great power in enabling their children to develop their strengths and discover their passions. Every child needs to be sufficiently self-motivated and equipped with healthy coping mechanisms and stress management skills.
These are effective skillsets in achieving long term success and sustenance in their field of choice.
In conclusion, I am in support of the PSLE system as a necessary checkpoint for all students. The PSLE allows students to gauge their academic aptitude and make a wise choice in their application for a secondary school education.
It is also a test of a child’s resilience and stress management skills which are extremely important in preparing them to be ready for the real world.
Jason Ng Boon Hui is an education and parenting coach. He is also the founder of PSLE Hub.
Read also: A commentary on combating the culture of comparison in PSLE results.
