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World News in Brief: Terror-crime link alarm, child detention in Australia, judiciary in Maldives, Protection of Civilians Week

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In recent years, criminal and terrorist groups have seized “every” opportunity afforded by growing instability to “entrench, expand, and escalate,” said Ghada Waly, in her opening remarks to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Vienna.

Challenges such as human and drug trafficking, smuggling of cultural and commercial goods, and environmental crimes are on the agenda during the four-day conference which focuses on “evolving and emerging” forms of organised crime.

Emerging threats

The world faces a “fundamental challenge to security, prosperity, and the rule of law,” the Executive Director said, with the link between criminal and terrorist groups becoming a growing concern.

While new technology serves as an enabler for criminal networks, justice systems around the world are being “starved” of the resources and conditions they need to provide equal access to justice.

She said, with criminal threats evolving, it was “certainly not the time to scale back global investment in crime prevention and criminal justice, both politically and financially,” emphasising the importance of multilateral cooperation.

Australia justice system in spotlight over child offenders’ reform

To Australia, where top independent rights experts have expressed concern at proposed legal reforms that could increase penalties for children.

In most Australian states, criminal responsibility begins at 10, allowing youngsters to be incarcerated for a wide range of crimes, if convicted.

Already, disproportionately large numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be jailed in Australia, according to rights experts Jill Edwards and Albert Barume.

The Special Rapporteurs – who are appointed by and report to the Human Rights Council – have insisted that “many new or proposed” laws across the country are incompatible with rights of the child.

Queensland crackdown

These include the so-called “Adult crime, Adult time” legal reform in the state of Queensland.

If adopted later this week, it could result in children serving longer jail time for dozens of criminal offences.

“The first goal should always be keeping children out of prison,” the rights experts said. They emphasised the excessive impact of the Queensland bill on indigenous children and the risk of creating “a future under-class of Australians”.

Aerial view of Malé, the capital of the Maldives.

Aerial view of Malé, the capital of the Maldives.

Maldives’ dismissal of Supreme Court judges raises concern, UN rights office warns

The UN human rights office warned Monday that the dismissal by the Maldives authorities of two Supreme Court justices could jeopardise the independence of the judiciary.

The South Asian island nation launched probes into both judges in February 2025.

At the same time, the Maldives’ parliament adopted a bill to reduce the size of the Supreme Court bench from seven to five judges.

A third Supreme Court justice also resigned, while a fourth judge – the Chief Justice – has since retired.

The investigation against the judges raises questions about how it was conducted, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said in a statement.

Judicial independence

“We remind the authorities of their commitment to maintain and protect an independent judiciary, in line with the Maldives’ Constitution and international human rights obligations,” said OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence.

“Checks and balances between the different branches of the State, including a strong and independent judiciary, play a vital role in ensuring fidelity to the rule of law by all branches of Government and the effective protection of human rights,” Mr. Laurence added.

Previously, independent rights expert Margaret Satterthwaite expressed concern about reports that lawyers for the Maldives Supreme Court justices who were under investigation “were not given the opportunity to speak at the disciplinary proceedings and that these were not public”.

Ms. Satterthwaite reports to the Human Rights Council on the independence of judges and lawyers; she is not a UN staff member.

Protection of Civilians week will work to address ‘culture of impunity’

Over 50,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. In Sudan, the figure is around 18,000 in the past two years – and in Ukraine, the total is 12,000, since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

During Protection of Civilians Week, from 19 to 23 May, these preventable deaths and displacements will be the focus as the United Nations, its Member States and civil society affiliates gather to discuss ways of preventing future armed conflicts.

The eighth annual PoC Week – which is coordinated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Switzerland, the Centre for Civilians in Conflict, and the International Committee of the Red Cross – will focus on the theme of “Tools to Further the Protection of Civilians.”

International guarantees, national violations

International humanitarian and human rights law establishes clear guidelines which protect civilians during armed conflicts.

However, OCHA noted that increasingly there is a “culture of impunity” surrounding the enforcement of these laws, with disregard for them spreading and the application of them increasingly politicised.

“Despite clear protections under international humanitarian and human rights law, civilians continue to suffer the brunt of conflict,” OCHA said, outlining the week ahead.

This is particularly concerning given that civilian deaths have been increasing. In the past decade, the world has experienced a surge in armed conflicts, disrupting what had previously been a 20-year decline.

Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 72 per cent increase in the number of civilian deaths according to UN estimates.

Throughout the week, individual member state missions are also hosting a variety of informal consultations. The calendar for the week is here.

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India to assume G20 Presidency for a year from Dec 1; Sets priorities

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New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) India has listed its priorities ahead of assuming the G20 Presidency for a year from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “Our G20 priorities are in the process of being firmed up, ongoing conversations inter alia revolve around:

  • Inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth;
  • LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment);
  • women’s empowerment;
  • digital public infrastructure and tech-enabled development in areas ranging from health, agriculture and education to commerce,
  • skill-mapping,
  • culture and tourism;
  • climate financing;
  • circular economy;
  • global food security;
  • energy security;
  • green hydrogen;
  • disaster risk reduction and resilience;
  • developmental cooperation;
  • fight against economic crime; and multilateral reforms”.

    Under the role, India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings across the country, beginning from this December.

    The G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State Government is scheduled to be held on September 9-10, 2023 in New Delhi, said the Ministry statement.

    The G20 is an inter-governmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies.

    G20 comprises 20 countries — India, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US — and the European Union (EU).

    Collectively, the G20 accounts for 85 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and two-thirds of the world population, making it the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

  • G20 flags

    India is part of the G20 Troika (current, previous and incoming G20 Presidencies), which includes Indonesia and Italy.

    “During our Presidency, India, Indonesia and Brazil would form the Troika. This would be the first time when the Troika would consist of three developing countries and emerging economies, providing them a greater voice,” the statement said.

    The G20 currently comprises Finance Track, with eight workstreams (Global Macroeconomic Policies, Infrastructure Financing, International Financial Architecture, Sustainable Finance, Financial Inclusion, Health Finance, International Taxation, Financial Sector Reforms)

    Sherpa Track, with 12 workstreams — Anti-corruption, Agriculture, Culture, Development, Digital Economy, Employment, Environment and Climate, Education, Energy Transition, Health, Trade and Investment, Tourism.

    Ten Engagement Groups of private sector/civil society/independent bodies (Business 20, Civil 20, Labour 20, Parliament 20, Science 20, Supreme Audit Institutions 20, Think 20, Urban 20, Women 20 and Youth 20).

    In addition to G20 members, there has been a tradition of the G20 Presidency inviting some guest countries and international organizations to its meetings and summit.

    Accordingly, in addition to regular international organizations (UN, IMF, World Bank, WHO, WTO, ILO, FSB and OECD) and Chairs of Regional Organizations (AU, AUDA-NEPAD and ASEAN).

    India, as G20 Presidency, will be inviting Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE as guest countries, as well as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Asian Development Bank as guest international organizations.

Queen’s secret letter locked in Sydney time capsule, to be opened in 2086

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australian media is abuzz with the news that a secret letter written by Queen Elizabeth II is locked inside a vault or time capsule in Sydney, to be opened in 2086, 100 years after it was written.

According to 7NEWS Australia, the letter is inside a vault in a historic building in Sydney was written in November 1986, addressed to the people of Sydney. Even the Queen’s personal staff are not aware of what the letter says.

Hidden inside a glass case in a secure location, it can’t be opened until 2085. The address was to the Lord Mayor of Sydney, and the instruction clearly says:

“On a suitable day to be selected by you in the year 2085 A.D, would you please open this envelope and convey to the citizens of Sydney my message to them.” It is simply signed, “Elizabeth R.”

Speculation is rife that it could be about a time capsule to be unearthed in 2086 for the people of Australia. The Queen had special place for Australia in her heart and visited almost all the regions during her visits.

Queen Elizabeth II has special ties with Australia, which honoured the Queen as Head of the State and defeated a referendum to replace her in 1999. She had visited Australia 16 times during her 70 years of reign.

“It was clear Her Majesty held a special place in her heart for Australia,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said..

On Friday, Sydney’s iconic Opera House was lit with a tribute to the Queen.

 

DNA screen: World-first preventative saliva test for cancer and heart disease risk

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Young Australians can now access a free DNA saliva test to learn whether they face increased risk of some cancers and heart disease, which can be prevented or treated early if detected, in a world-first DNA screening study.

The nationally collaborative project, led by Monash University and supported by researchers and clinicians across Australia, will screen at least 10,000 people aged 18-40 for genes that increase risk of certain types of cancers and heart disease that often go undetected.

Those found to be at high risk after DNA testing – about one in 75 or 1.3 per cent – will have their situation explained by experts and be offered genetic counselling and prevention measures, such as regular scans and check-ups.

cancer/photo:en.wikipedia.org

Until now, genetic testing for the DNA changes that increase disease risk has only been available on a small scale for those with a known family history or prior disease diagnosis. Population testing, open to everyone, has the potential to drastically improve access and maximize the preventive benefits of DNA testing.

Monash University’s Associate Professor Paul Lacaze said the project enabled a more efficient and equitable approach to genetic testing, identifying far more people at high risk than current testing methods.

“We hope to identify those at risk while they are young and healthy, not after the fact, and empower them to make more informed decisions about their health,” he said. “For some people, this could save their lives through early detection and prevention of cancer and heart disease. This will also save considerable health system costs in Australia through prevention.

“Providing genetic testing based on family history alone is not enough. Up to 90 per cent of those at high risk in the general population are not identified by current family history-based testing. Most people don’t find out about their genetic risk until it’s too late, like after an incurable cancer or heart attack is diagnosed. We want to change that.”

DNA Screen will identify people with DNA variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that lead to an increased risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in women. These genes are also linked to breast and prostate cancer in men, although not as strongly. Men and women who carry DNA variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can also pass them onto their children.

The DNA Screen test will also focus on Lynch Syndrome – another condition that increases risk for colorectal, endometrial, and other gastrointestinal cancers. Both cancer-related conditions have effective, proven interventions available to reduce risk if identified early.

This includes attending annual check-ups and screens from age 30, and the option of risk-reducing surgery for some people. Early detection and prevention are often life-saving for cancer.

The DNA test also encompasses heart disease risk, focusing on familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) or ‘genetic high cholesterol’, which results in high risk of heart disease from a young age. Despite effective medications such as statins being available to reduce risk, an estimated 95 per cent of FH carriers are currently undiagnosed.

Associate Professor Lacaze, from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, is leading a team of national collaborators who were awarded a $2.97 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant for the project. The project is supported by the Precision Medicine laboratory at Monash University and the state-of-the-art Biobanking Victoria facility.

The eventual goal is to develop a new population-based DNA screening program that could be offered through the Australian public healthcare system, available to everyone but targeted on certain medically-actionable conditions where early detection is key.

“We expect to identify about 1 in 75 people at high risk of these diseases. Those found to be high risk won’t necessarily get the disease, but pinpointing risk before symptoms appear enables prevention through regular check-ups, medication, or risk-reducing surgery. It could save their life.

DNA Screen, which is recruiting young people via social media, is expected to save lives and could lead to a wide scale preventive DNA testing program for cancer and heart disease risk, where early detection and prevention can be life-saving.

DNA Screen is the world’s first preventive DNA screening study designed specifically to assess population DNA screening through a national healthcare system. The test is free and involves placing a saliva sample into a small tube received by mail, and sending it back in a postage paid envelope. People can sign up online at dnascreen.monash.edu

 

Sunny side up: Can you really fry an egg on the footpath on a hot day?

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Ah, the Australian summer. When the temperatures top 40℃ and only the bravest or most foolhardy would venture outside in bare feet, there’s a cherished old saying: “It’s so hot outside, you could fry an egg on the footpath!”

But what does the science say? Does this claim stack up, or it half-baked?

To answer this question, we need to understand the chemicals inside an egg, what happens to them during the cooking process, and whether the footpath really gets hot enough to drive these chemical changes.

The first and most obvious point is that the egg’s yolk and white are chemically very different. The white, which makes up about two-thirds of an egg’s mass, is roughly nine parts water and one part protein. The key here is that the protein’s structure changes if you heat it above a certain temperature.

Omelette on road/Photo: Shutterstock

About half the yolk’s mass is water, about a quarter is “fat”, about one-sixth is protein, and less than 5% is carbohydrates. The protein in the yolk is a completely different type of protein, but much like with the egg white, it’s how the protein responds to heat that gives us the texture of fried, scrambled, poached or hard-boiled eggs.

Ok, so how does this work?

We can think of proteins as being long chains of molecules called amino acids. In a raw egg, the protein is suspended in the watery mixture. The chain is curled up in a very particular way, held in shape by weak chemical bonds between different parts of the chain as it folds over on itself. (The animation below shows the folded structure of ovalbumin, the main protein in egg white.) This keeps it stable, and able to mix with the water.

But once it’s heated up, the heat energy starts to break these weak chemical bonds and the chain begins to uncurl, rearrange itself and stick together again in a completely different way.

Suddenly, these reconfigured clumps of protein molecules are no longer water-soluble, so they solidify. This is why eggs get harder if you cook them for longer.

This process is called denaturation, and it can happen to any type of protein. Denaturation is what turns milk into curds and whey, and changes the texture of meat as it cooks.

For eggs, denaturation begins at around 60℃, but this is likely to only slightly cook the egg whites, and the yolk will not turn solid at all.

As you slowly go from 60℃ to 70℃, however, there’s more heat energy available, and all of the egg’s proteins now begin to denature. The egg white begins to turn gel-like and eventually rubbery, and the yolk begins to solidify into a viscous goo, before eventually becoming solid or even slightly powdery in texture.

Get the temperature right and this process unfolds nice and gradually, which means with a bit of practice you can get your eggs to turn out exactly how you like them.

Right, so is a footpath hot enough for this?

That leaves us with the crucial question: How hot does pavement get on a scorching summer day? Does it reach the almost 70℃ you would need for a footpath fry-up?

This depends on a lot of factors, including the air temperature, direct sunlight, the footpath material, and even its colour. Black-painted concrete, for example, absorbs more heat than white or unpainted concrete.

All in all, at the peak of these conditions, on a boiling summer day, a footpath can potentially just about reach the right temperature. But sadly, that’s still not enough to sizzle an egg.

First, concrete is a poor conductor, so it will transfer heat to the egg much more slowly than a metal frying pan. Second, after cracking the egg onto the footpath, the footpath’s temperature will drop slightly.

NASA finds towering storms in Tropical Cyclone Linda

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The GPM core satellite showed that convective storms close to Linda’s center of circulation were producing very heavy rainfall. Storms in an area of strong convection just southeast of Linda’s center of circulation were dropping precipitation at a rate greater than 181 mm (7.1 inches) per hour. Tallest storms stretched to heights of above 17 km (10.5 miles). CREDIT:
NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce

Towering thunderstorms were found southeast of Tropical Cyclone Linda’s center when the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed overhead and analyzed the storm.

Tropical cyclone Linda formed in the Coral Sea west of Vanuatu on March 12, 2018. Linda’s winds have increased slightly while the tropical cyclone moved toward the south-southwest.Tropical cyclone Linda had winds of about 45 knots (52 mph) when the GPM core observatory satellite flew above on March 13, 2017 at 0701 UTC.

Data collected by GPM’s Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) showed that convective storms close to Linda’s center of circulation were producing very heavy rainfall. GPM’s radar (DPR Ku Band) probed storms in an area of strong convection just southeast of Linda’s center of circulation that were dropping precipitation at a rate greater than 181 mm (7.1 inches) per hour.

GPM’s radar revealed that the powerful convective storms just southeast of Linda ‘s center of circulation were reaching very high altitudes. A 3-D view employed GPM’s radar to show a simulated cross section through the tallest storms that were stretching to heights of above 17 km (10.5 miles).

A vertical slice shows that radar reflectivity values returned to the satellite were exceeding 57 dBZ in downpours at the center of this area of convective storms. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.

On March 14 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) Tropical Cyclone Linda had maximum sustained winds are near 45 knots (52 mph/74 kph). Linda is expected to weaken because of cooler waters and increasing vertical wind shear.

Linda was located near 21.3 degrees south latitude and 156.3 degrees east longitude, approximately 347 nautical miles east-northeast of Brisbane, Australia. Linda has tracked south-southwest at 11 knots (12.6 mph/20.3 kph).

Dry air is moving into the tropical cyclone and sapping the moisture needed to create the thunderstorms that make up the storm. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts Linda to move toward the southwest and turn south.

Cassini Takes Plunge Into Saturn, Scientists Cross-Fingered

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In its line up for final plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere, Cassini has once again taken a proximal plunge into the surface of Saturn on June 29, 2017. The final plunge is scheduled for mid-September.

The Cosmic Dust Analyzer’s (CDA) science team, in Germany adjusted the instrument’s settings this week based on experience in recent “proximal” passages between Saturn’s rings and atmosphere. They have created a string of 39 commands that would set the instrument to make the best possible observations during the next proximal plunge. Now the instrument’s data-collection rate has been adjusted to 4 kilobits per second, thus making sure all ring-particle impacts would be sensed.

Here is a week-long update previous to the plunge:

Wednesday, June 21 (DOY 172)

Writers, bloggers, photographers, educators, students, artists and others who use social media to engage specific audiences are encouraged to apply for special access to Cassini’s Grand Finale event in mid-September.

Thursday, June 22 (DOY 173)

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) turned and looked at Saturn’s large icy moon Dione for 3.5 hours today. The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), and the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) – all the other Optical Remote-Sensing (ORS) instruments – rode along to make observations as well. CIRS’s goal was to measure Dione’s surface emissivity at thermal-infrared wavelengths, which hold clues to the composition and structure of that moon’s regolith.

Friday, June 23 (DOY 174)

Beginning late today, the spacecraft trained its High-Gain Antenna dish on the distant Earth. It then accurately tracked our planet for a total of 28 hours. Accordingly, the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) team had Cassini power on its S-band (2 GHz) and Ka-band (32 GHz) radio transmitters, which directed their beams of energy out the HGA along with the main communications beam at X-band (8 GHz).

The result was a high-precision measurement of Saturn’s gravitation, which will be analyzed to reveal deviations from spherical symmetry.

Saturday, June 24 (DOY 175)

CIRS observed the dark side of Saturn’s A ring at far-infrared wavelengths for five hours today, with the other ORS instruments riding along. In addition to studying ring-particle compositions, the observation was part of a campaign to compare the spectral properties of ices among different regions of Saturn’s rings and icy moons.

Cassini and Titan happened to come close to one another today, to a distance about the same as that from Earth to our own Moon.

Sunday, June 25 (DOY 176)

This week’s Titan observing wrapped up with its final 4.3 hours devoted to observing clouds on the planet-like moon; VIMS rode along.

Monday, June 26 (DOY 177)

ISS turned and spent 7.7 hours observing Saturn’s irregular moon Bebhionn, an object of about six kilometers diameter, which orbits Saturn in an inclined ellipse that reaches as far as 25.1 million km from the planet. It might have a binary or contact-binary nature. Bebhionn was named after the goddess of birth in early Irish mythology.

The flight team held a Command Approval Meeting fine-tuning commands with consent from representatives from each of the affected spacecraft subsystems and instruments.

Tuesday, June 27 (DOY 178)

UVIS observed. Ten minutes after the Deep Space Network (DSN) station in Australia acquired Cassini’s downlink, its 18-kilowatt transmitter was turned on, and comands were sent. After a round-trip of 2 hours 31 minutes, telemetry confirmed that the commands had been received and were ready to take effect right before Cassini’s eleventh proximal plunge on June 29.

A total of 58 individual commands were uplinked, and about 1,625 megabytes of science and engineering telemetry data were downlinked and captured at rates as high as 142,201 bits per second.

Wrap up:

Cassini is executing its set of 22 Grand Finale Proximal orbits, which have a period of 6.5 days, in a plane inclined 61.9 degrees from the planet’s equatorial plane. Each orbit stretches out to an apoapsis altitude of about 1,272,000 km from Saturn, where the spacecraft’s planet-relative speed is around 6,000 km/hr. At periapsis, the distance shrinks to about 2,500 km above Saturn’s visible atmosphere on the planet’s total 120,660 km in diameter with a speed of 123,000 km/hr.