Category: World

The new Great Seal of Australia no longer contains a mention of the monarch, breaking a 120-year tradition. The change in design drew criticism from the opposition for “hidden republicanism.

Australia's formal symbol of sovereignty, the Great Seal, has been redesigned without reference to the monarch, breaking more than 120 years of tradition and prompting criticism of "republicanism in secret," UNN writes citing The Guardian.

Details

The new version of the Great Seal of Australia – a ceremonial stamp approved by the monarch and used on key documents that exercise royal authority in Australia – was approved by royal warrants signed by Prime Minister Anthony Albenizi and King Charles III during his visit to Government House in Canberra earlier this month.

The design was prepared by the Royal Australian Mint and features the Australian coat of arms surrounded by a wickerwork, the national floral emblem.

The design was replaced by one in which the words "Elizabeth the Second Queen of Australia" surrounded the Australian coat of arms, first authorized for use by royal decree in 1973. This version was vetted by the Whitlam government, which insisted on removing historical references to Britain from the modernized design. The seal had previously been relatively unchanged since its introduction by Queen Victoria in 1900 and use by the federation the following year.

The prime minister and cabinet confirmed that the 2024 emblem was approved by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister.

The previous Great Seal of Australia, which was first authorized for use by royal decree in 1973. Photo: National Archives of Australia

Liberal National Party senator James McGrath, a shadow assistant minister to the opposition leader, criticized what he called the secrecy of the design change.

McGrath said: "Albenizi's Labor government likes to hide from the public. Albenizi's removal of any reference to the monarch is covert republicanism.

Philip Benwell, national chairman of the Australian Monarchist League, said the design change is in line with what he sees as the Albenizi government's steps toward republicanism.

Echoing McGrath's words, he also called the design change "covert republicanism." "This is what we expect from this government," Benwell said.

Australia's relatively mild republican sentiment was put in the spotlight during the King and Queen's visit to Canberra and Sydney this month, the newspaper notes.

“You are not our king!": Aboriginal senator challenges King Charles in AustraliaOctober 21 2024, 07:27 AM • 14212 views

A judge orders Elon Musk to appear in court in Philadelphia over the distribution of money to voters. The district attorney accuses the billionaire of trying to influence the presidential election.

Billionaire Elon Musk has been ordered by a judge to appear in court in Philadelphia on Thursday after the district attorney sued him for giving away $1 million to voters. CBS News reports, UNN reports.

Details

According to the court document, the hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in the city hall meeting room in the city center.

According to the Associated Press, Philadelphia County District Court Judge Angelo Foglietta wrote that “all parties must be present during the hearing.

Last week, District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk, claiming that the billionaire is trying to influence voters in next week's presidential election.

“The Philadelphia District Attorney is responsible for protecting the public from public nuisances and unfair trade practices, including illegal lotteries. The DA is also charged with protecting the public from interference with the integrity of elections,” Krasner said in a statement announcing the complaint last week.

Addendum Addendum

Musk has fully endorsed Trump in his run for a second term in the White House. Almost two weeks ago, he pledged to give away $1 million a day until Election Day on November 5 to voters who signed his Coalition Campaign Committee's petition in support of the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution.

Some experts have questioned the legality of Musk's actions in handing out $1 million to voters. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also questioned Musk's concession.

“I think there are real questions about how he's spending money on this race, how dark money is flowing not only into Pennsylvania, but obviously now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. This is deeply troubling,” he said last week.

Musk has been very active in supporting Trump in Pennsylvania, one of the key states in the election. He was in Philadelphia on October 17 for a town hall meeting where he urged Pennsylvanians to register to vote.

At a meeting at Ridley High School in Delaware County, Musk called Pennsylvania a “pivotal state” in the 2024 elections.

Due to the threat of Russian cyberattacks, Sweden and Norway are reconsidering plans to switch to cashless payments. The governments are recommending that citizens have a supply of cash and use different payment methods.

Sweden and Norway are abandoning plans to develop a cashless society due to concerns about possible Russian cyberattacks. This is reported by The Guardian, according to UNN.

Details

It is noted that both countries have developed financial technologies, in particular the Swedish mobile payment system Swish and the Norwegian analog Vipps.

A former deputy governor of Sweden's central bank predicted in 2018 that Sweden would likely become cashless by 2025. The percentage of cash payments has fallen from almost 40% in 2012 to about 10% in recent years.

But Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced the Swedish government to completely revise its defense strategy and join NATO. Norway has also tightened controls on its border with Russia.

In a brochure titled “If Crisis or War Comes,” which will be mailed to every home in Sweden next month, the Ministry of Defense advises people to use cash regularly and to have at least a week's supply in different denominations, as well as to have access to other forms of payment, such as bank cards and digital payment services.

The government is considering legislation to protect the ability to pay in cash. After all, although cash is legal tender in Sweden, some stores may refuse to accept it.

Norway has a law requiring retailers to accept cash, but it has not been enforced due to the growth of cashless payments in recent years. The Ministry of Justice and Public Safety has stated that it “recommends that everyone carry cash due to the vulnerability of digital payment systems to cyberattacks.

Max Brimberg, a researcher at the Swedish central bank, noted that a decrease in the use of cash could be a risk, as cash remains important in a crisis when digital systems may not be available.

Hans Löweng, a professor of defense and security systems science at the Swedish Defense University, however, believes that there is a lack of evidence on whether cash is better than digital payments. Pointing to Ukraine, where digital systems are quite developed even in times of war, he said: “Ukraine is a very good example of moving to the future during a war, not to the past.

Sweden allocates a new aid package to Ukraine: what will 63 million euros go forOctober 28 2024, 07:49 PM • 15388 views

South Korea's defense minister announced a possible exchange of military aid to the DPRK for advanced nuclear technology from Russia.

North Korea is "very likely to ask" Moscow for advanced nuclear weapons-related technologies. In exchange for this, the DPRK could agree to send its military to Russia. This was stated by South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, according to CNN, UNN reports.

Details

Kim Yong-hyun emphasized that North Korea is likely to demand from Russia the transfer of technologies related to tactical nuclear weapons, the development of North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines.

He also noted that he did not believe that North Korea's deployment of troops to help Russia would increase "the likelihood of war on the Korean Peninsula," but that it could lead to "escalation of security threats on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea may send a group to Ukraine to monitor DPRK troopsOctober 30 2024, 07:59 AM • 16167 views

Argentine President Javier Milei dismissed Foreign Minister Diana Mondino over the vote to lift sanctions against Cuba. For the first time during Milei's presidency, Argentina did not support the US position.

Argentine President Javier Milei has dismissed Foreign Minister Diana Mondino after the country voted at the UN to lift the US economic embargo on Cuba. This was reported by the BBC, according to UNN.

Details

The publication notes that Argentina used to have quite friendly relations with Freedom Island, supporting the idea of lifting the trade blockade, for which Cuba recognized Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

However, President Javier Millais, who dismissed Mondino, emphasized that the country now “must reflect the values of Western democracies in every decision and is categorically against the Cuban dictatorial regime that violates human rights.

The vote at the UN was the first time during the Milei presidency that Argentina's position officially did not coincide with that of the United States. Apart from the United States, only Israel opposed the lifting of the embargo.

Argentina's new foreign minister will be Ambassador to the United States Gerardo Vertine.

Argentina rules out sending weapons to UkraineJune 20 2024, 06:23 AM • 96498 views

Severe flooding in Spain has killed 95 people, most of them in Valencia. A three-day mourning period was declared, 115,000 people were left without power, and transportation was disrupted.

The death toll from the worst floods in decades in eastern and southern Spain has risen to 95 as of Wednesday evening, October 30. This was reported by El Pais, according to UNN.

Details

As of 19:00 local time, 92 people died as a result of floods in Spain in Valencia, one in the province of Malaga and two more in Castilla La Mancha.

Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy Angel Victor Torres declared three days of mourning in connection with the natural disaster and promised to provide “all necessary assistance” to the affected regions from state and European funds.

The disaster left 115,000 people without power, roads and rail links between Madrid and Valencia were blocked, and dozens of Valencia residents were forced to spend the night on the roofs of cars, shops or gas stations.

AddendumAddendum

Amidst the deadly disaster, the EU stated that it was ready to provide assistance to Spain, but had not yet received any requests. In particular, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen informed the country about assistance.

It was reported that the Spanish Ministry of Defense is proposing to provide mobile morgues for the flood-affected areas, as there are fears that the number of victims may increase.

Recall

As previously reported, at least 63 people have died in eastern Spain due to flooding . This is the highest number of flood victims in Europe since 2021, when 185 people died in Germany.

The year 2023 set records for climate threats to human health. Experts are calling on governments to reorient their finances from fossil fuels to clean energy.

The threats of climate change to health and life on the planet reached record levels during 2023. On the eve of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference COP29, Lancet Countdown experts are calling for a redirection of trillions of dollars invested in fossil fuels.

Writes UNN with reference to swissinfo.

Details

According to the 8th annual Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change, people in every country are facing record threats to their health and survival from a rapidly changing climate.

The authors call on governments and companies that continue to “add fuel to the fire” by investing in fossil fuels to change course and reorient international finance toward a rapid transition to a clean, emissions-free economy.

HelpHelp

According to the Lancet Countdown study, last year was the hottest year on record, with people experiencing an average of 50 additional days of extreme temperatures, 1,512 hours of heat exposure from light physical activity, and a record 512,000 potential work hours lost worldwide.

A new record of CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere on the eve of Cop29October 28 2024, 01:38 PM • 13337 views

The report, prepared by 122 experts from 57 institutions around the world, also emphasizes the rapid increase in the number of heat-related deaths due to climate change. This is especially true for people over 65. Mortality among this category has increased by 167% compared to mortality in the 1990s.

Recall

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterrescalled on the global community to urgently review climate strategies.

Carbon emission reduction 'miles short' of 2030 target – UNOctober 28 2024, 12:18 PM • 16250 views

The European Commission has stated that it is impossible to start negotiations on Georgia's accession to the EU without changing the country's current course. The report points to problems with the parliamentary elections and the lack of progress in key reforms.

The European Commission has warned Georgia that it is impossible to start negotiations on joining the European Union without changing its current course, according to the European Commission's report on enlargement, which was obtained by Ekho Kavkaza and the Georgian service of Radio Liberty, UNN reports.

Details

Unless Georgia changes its current course of action, which jeopardizes its path to the EU, and demonstrates tangible efforts to address the current problems and implement key reforms, the European Commission will not be in a position to consider recommending the start of accession negotiations with Georgia

– the European Commission report says.

The report notes that in December 2023, the European Council granted Georgia candidate status, but the actions of the Georgian government since the spring of 2024 have jeopardized Georgia's path to the EU and de facto suspended the accession process.

The granting of candidate status to Georgia in December 2023 was not accompanied by sufficient political commitment by the authorities to implement the necessary reforms to move the country forward on its path to the EU. On the contrary, there were significant negative developments, including the adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the legislative package on Family Values and Protection of Minors, as well as strong anti-European narratives by Georgian officials, which seriously affected Georgia's course towards the EU. As a result, Georgia's accession process was effectively suspended. Georgia has also made little progress in implementing the nine steps envisaged by the European Commission's 2023 Communication on Enlargement

– the document says.

Saakashvili calls for "continuous protests" in GeorgiaOctober 29 2024, 02:30 PM • 14181 view

The report also refers to the voting of Georgian citizens in the October 26 parliamentary elections . It is noted that the initial results of the joint international election observation mission led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) revealed several shortcomings during the voting.

According to the document, the elections took place in a tense and highly polarized environment. The European Commission points to recent changes in the electoral law, violations of the secret ballot, procedural inconsistencies, intimidation and pressure on voters, "which negatively affected public confidence in the process.

As noted, the European Commission's report itself will be published later.

Addendum

Georgia's Central Election Commission says it will recount ballots in about 14% of polling stations after independent observers expressed concern about the conduct of Saturday's parliamentary elections.

Also, the Georgian Prosecutor's Office announced the launch of an investigation into the alleged falsification of the parliamentary elections held in the country on October 26.

Volkswagen reported a sharp drop in profits in the third quarter of 2024 due to problems in the Chinese market. The operating result decreased by 42% to €2.86 billion, and profit after tax fell by 64%.

The group's profit fell by 64%, partly because VW is doing poorly in the important Chinese market.

Writes UNN with reference to Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

In the third quarter of 2024, Volkswagen suffered a significant drop in profits.

As reported by the DAX Group, the operating result fell by 42% to 2.86 billion euros. Due to Volkswagen's poor performance in China, the group's profit after tax fell by 64% to €1.58 billion. On the other hand, sales fell by only half a percent to 78.5 billion euros.

According to the company, in nine months, the sales profitability of the main Volkswagen brand will be only 2%.

“This shows the urgent need for significant cost reduction and efficiency gains,” explained VW CFO Arno Antlitz.

Recall

UNN reported that Europe's largest car manufacturer , Volkswagen, plans to close at least three German plants, cut tens of thousands of jobs and reduce wages by 10 percent, a senior company official said on Monday.

Bloomberg: Nokia cuts almost 2 thousand jobs in ChinaOctober 18 2024, 12:38 AM • 17493 views

Brazil's armed forces will provide security during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November. Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are expected to attend the event, among other world leaders.

Brazil's armed forces will be used to strengthen security during the G20 summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in November. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.

Details

It is noted that the law allows the president of the republic to use troops in a certain region if the police are unable to guarantee an adequate level of security.

This practice was previously used during major events involving international delegations and large numbers of visitors, such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

putin refuses to attend the G20 summit in BrazilOctober 18 2024, 03:02 PM • 17865 views

Secretary of State for Security Victor Santos explained that the host country of the summit is responsible for the security of all participants. Many leaders have already confirmed their arrival in Rio, including US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Rio de Janeiro has recently seen an increase in crime. A high-profile case recently occurred when a group of kidnappers used city buses as barricades to block police officers.

Zelensky: G20 countries can easily put Putin in his placeOctober 28 2024, 10:24 AM • 17250 views