NEWS

In light of the passing of Olivia Newton-John, her battle with breast cancer is detailed by our Editorial Assistant, Zoe van der Merwe, who gives homage to Newton-John’s achievements.

After battling breast cancer for nearly thirty-years, beloved music star and actress Olivia Newton John passed away on the morning of 8 August 2022, aged 73. From statements posted to her official social media accounts, her husband John Easterling confirmed the tragic news, saying Olivia “Passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California” surrounded by her family and friends.[1]

Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Newton-John, in her five-decade long career was well known for her many contributions to the music and film industry. She first achieved success as a country music singer, but it was her role as Sandy in the film Grease that transformed her into a household name. Throughout her career she went on to win multiple awards, including four GRAMMYs and ten American Music Awards. In 1981, she even earned her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, her legacy will most notably be remembered for her decades of charity work and efforts in progressing cancer research. Following her sister’s death from brain cancer and her first diagnosis of breast cancer in 1992, Newton-John became a leading advocate for cancer research. She founded her own independent charity, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, and raised millions for research into plant medicine as an alternative cancer treatment. On her mission page for her foundation, she stated: “My dream is that we will realize a world beyond cancer. I honestly believe we can do it!”.[2]

Despite a second diagnosis in 2013 and a third in 2018, she continued to campaign and work towards realising this dream before her passing by establishing the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre. In a statement shared by the hospital running the centre in Melbourne they said, “She was the light at the end of the tunnel for many, many people.” [3]

She received many honours for her advocacy and was even recognised by the Queen, who bestowed upon her the title of damehood in the 2020 New Year’s Honour’s list. Olivia Newton-John will always be remembered for her impact and will be missed by millions across the globe.

Enjoying the memes of five Scott Morrison heads all pictured for different Minister profiles? A brief coverage on what it means will be led by our Editorial Assistant, Zoe van der Merwe.

Scott Morrison made national headlines on 15 August when it was revealed that he had secretly appointed himself to five additional ministry roles while still as acting prime minister.

Between the period of March 2020 and May 2021, Morrison had appointed himself to ministerial responsibilities in the treasury, health, home affairs, finance and resource portfolios, without his own cabinets or the public’s knowledge. There was no official record of his swearing in by the Governor General, and as such he was granted key decision-making powers in these areas.

Current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelled the former Coalition’s leader’s actions as “an attack on the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy as we know it,” and despite the numerous calls from government leaders for Morrison’s resignation and formal apology, he defended his actions at a press conference held two days later [4]. He stated that his actions were undertaken during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and as such he believed it was “necessary to have authority” that could be exercised in “extreme” unforeseen circumstances [5] .

With his actions however comes growing concerns and questions over their legality.

In advice released Tuesday 23 August 2022, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue said the ministry positions were in legal terms “valid.” Under the advice of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, under section 64 of the Australian Constitution, could give additional State ministerial roles to existing Ministers of the State [6]. The problem then lies not solely in the actions themselves but with the formation of these ministries in secret.

In terms of undertaking immediate action, Albanese said he would direct new legislative changes that

would see the practice of publicly publishing ministerial appointments in the Commonwealth Gazette [7] . The actions by the former prime minister, however, have called in to question government accountability, and have placed further pressure on the Federal parliament to ensure there is more clarity and transparency in ministerial changes.

Our Editorial Assistant, Zoe van der Merwe, sheds light on Sydney’s hectic train schedules.

On the week beginning Monday 22 August 2022, NSW train services were again disrupted as a result of ongoing industrial action by the Rail Union against the NSW Government.

NSW Train staff refused to operate train services that did still not meet the minimum maintenance standards, causing significant delays across the majority of Sydney’s rail network. On Monday alone thirty-seven trains were taken out of service, leaving thousands of commuters stranded at railway stations across the city.

This action by train workers sits on the back of months of continuous strikes and protests across NSW transport services concerning the implementation of improved fair work and safety standards. Alex Claassens, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RBTU) secretary, stated that workers “deserve[d] better respect,” and shouldn’t “have to wait to try and get a train fixed” [8] .

On Wednesday 24 August 2022, the NSW Government finalised a new deed which set out alterations to the state’s intercity trains, addressing the key areas of safety concern. Despite this significant breakthrough, on Thursday 25 August, train services on many suburban lines still ran on amended timetables. With the deed requiring 48 hours to be reviewed, this saw a reduction of much needed train services during peak hour travel periods. Commuters were advised to consider alternate travel options available but with many relying on NSW Trains to get to work, school or university, delays caused a significant inconvenience.

Damien Tudehope, the Minister for Employee Relations, said the union’s ongoing industrial action was solely for “political purpose,” and the government committed to the train alterations not because it was necessary, but because they wanted to protect the public from future disturbance [9]. Subsequently, the Regional Transport and Road Minster, Sam Farraway, agreed with this, also stating it was “Now up to the RTBU to sign on the dotted line and give peace to commuters” [10] .

The RBTU however stated that they have tried to get the government to commit to a written legally binding document addressing the safety of intercity trains for “over six years” now [11]. This continuing tension, despite the headway made, leads us to ask if the NSW Government will indeed follow through with their action and implement improved measures for workers and commuters.

by Zoe van der Merwe

[1] Easterling, John. “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends…” Instagram, 9 Aug 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAntToP_D0/. [2] “Mission.” The Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, http://www.onjfoundationfund.org/mission.html. [3] Gillett, Francesca and Matt Murphy. “Olivia Newton-John: Tributes as Grease star and singer dies aged 73.” BBC News, 9 Aug 2022, https://www.bbc.com/ news/entertainment-arts-62472100. [4] Butler, Josh and Sarah Martin. “Scott Morrison secretly appointed to five ministries, including Treasury and home affairs, says PM.” The Guardian, 16 Aug 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/16/scott-morrison-five-more-secret-ministries-minister-portfolio-ministry-including-treasury-home-affairs. [5] Orr, Aleisha and Akash Arora. “The Scott Morrison ministerial self-appointments saga is ‘unprecedented’. What can be done to stop a repeat?.” SBS News, 18 Aug 2022, https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-scott-morrison-ministerial-self-appointments-saga-is-unprecedented-what-can-be-done-to-stop-a-repeat/ kqhss4hkz. [6] Visentin, Lisa. “Morrison’s extra ministry legal but undermined principles of responsible government: solicitor-general.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 Aug 2022, https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-s-ministries-legal-but-undermined-principles-of-responsible-government-solicitor-general-20220823-p5bc2j. html. [7] Ibid. [8] Eldridge, Stacey. “Sydneysiders told to prepare for week of mayhem on NSW trains as ongoing industrial action significantly disrupts services.” Sky News, 22 Aug 2022, https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/sydneysiders-told-to-prepare-for-week-of-mayhem-on-nsw-trains-as-ongoing-industrial-action-significantly-disrupts-services/news-story/535354d48ca27fbcac82147213e967ce. [9] Connell, Cecilia. “Sydney train strike to proceed despite NSW government finalising deed for changes to new fleet.” ABC News, 24 Aug 2022, https://www.abc. net.au/news/2022-08-24/sydney-strikes-going-ahead-despite-government-finalising-deed/101369038. [10] Cockburn, Paige. “Sydney commuters battle another day of cancelled trains as union considers government deed.” ABC News, 25 Aug 2022, https://www.abc. net.au/news/2022-08-25/train-disruption-continues-as-union-considers-government-deed/101370010. [11] Evans, Lauren. “‘We have stuck to our guns’: Chaos on NSW trains continues as RBTU Secretary Alex Claassens confirms Thursday’s strike.” Sky News, 24 Aug 2022, https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/we-have-stuck-to-our-guns-chaos-on-nsw-trains-continues-as-rbtu-secretary-alex-claassens-confirms-thursdays-strike/news-story/521136326339d2c355ef02c7db9b33b7.

Have no idea what “Synbio” means? Have no fear as Jasperine Phetchareun and Jessica Liana from MQ Synbio detail what it means and how it can change the world.

Have you ever thought, “What if we could stop coral bleaching?”, or, “What if we could make something to recycle all our plastics?”. Well, what if we tell you that we can - through synthetic biology. If the words “synthetic biology (SynBio)” have left you with feelings of extreme puzzlement and curiosity, that’s great! This makes it an even more exciting opportunity for us to share with you what synthetic biology is about!

Synthetic biology is a multidisciplinary science that combines ideas from biomolecular science, design and engineering. In this field of science we genetically redesign microorganisms, such as bacteria (e.g. E.coli) or yeasts, by deconstructing their complex biological systems into discrete parts that can then be re-assembled in novel systems to produce new functions. To achieve this, we view microorganisms as little factories that are given capabilities not usually found in their native state. An example of this is how the compound for anti-malaria drugs, artiminsin, that was originally found in wormwood plants can now be synthesised in yeast.

What many people don’t realise is that Macquarie University is one of the central places for synthetic biology in Australia - the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (COESB) being located right on Wally’s Walk. There is a growing body of research in this area being conducted right along the pathway we all walk through on a day-to-day basis. Currently, exciting research is being done at COESB to synthetically build yeast chromosomes in the Yeast 2.0 project. It’s also the place where the MQ SynBio Team of 2022 is working on our exciting project for the Australasian Synbio Challenge 2022.

The Australasian SynBio Challenge requires student teams, supported by mentors in academia, to develop an original synthetic biology project designed and tackle real-world problems and encourage innovation. This is not a competition but rather a chance for students to take part in the process of collaboration and research that is involved in the field. The overarching promise of this challenge is to facilitate a growing and sustainable bioeconomy within the Australasian region for the near future. This challenge is currently happening across various universities across Australasia and will conclude in mid-October this year!

Our project is called Leucine in the Sky with Cas9 (points to you if you recognise the song name). It aims to make a very popular genome editing tool, CRISPR-Cas 9, more effective. CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats and Cas9 is an enzyme! CRISPR allows for precise genome editing in which molecular biologists can incorporate new DNA into an organism by cutting the organism’s DNA exactly where they intend to target, and inserting the new DNA into that cut site. However, there are some limitations to this technique, one main limitation being that this technology is heavily reliant on the natural repair processes of the organism, mainly homology-directed repair (HDR), of which not many organisms are effectively capable of this. Therefore, our project aims to increase HDR efficiency by incorporating a system created by Andrew Hao and colleagues from Adelaide University so that CRISPR can potentially be used in a broader range of organisms. [1]

This project excites us because it’s one of many potential applications of synthetic biology.

What’s interesting about this field is that it encourages us to think about alternative pathways to solve long-standing problems with the help of microorganisms as unconventional tools. It has the potential to alter the industrial production

[1] Hao, N., Shearwin, K.E. and Dodd, I.B., 2017. Programmable DNA looping using engineered bivalent dCas9 complexes. Nature communications, 8(1), pp.1-12.

of resources and to encourage a more sustainable approach in agriculture, manufacturing and more. It’s hard to believe that many years ago it was incomprehensible to think that microorganisms could produce compounds such as artiminsin to cure malaria, or that we could even build synthetic yeast. Yet, we live in that time now, and there’s still so much potential to be discovered. It doesn’t mean that synthetic biology will be the panacea for all our ills. Yet, we believe that we could secure a more promising future for Australia if we simply asked ourselves, “How can we use microorganisms to change the world for the better?”. Now, that’s a question synthetic biologists can’t wait to answer!

Want to learn more about MQ Synbio? Visit their socials on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok: @/mqsynbioteam

Explore these links to find out more: COESB: https://www.coesb.com.au/ Australasian SynBio Challenge: https://www. aussynbiochallenge.org/

by Jasperine Phetchareun and Jessica Liana

Amy King from the Liberal Club (currently unaffiliated with MQ Student Groups) responds to a think piece from Issue 1.

The distinction between the satirical and the offensive has long been a point of conflict in the trenches of the so-called ‘culture wars’. The first 2022 issue of Grapeshot featured an article by the co-president of the Macquarie University Women’s Collective titled ‘Misogyny Under the Guise of Satire’. The author cites the ‘Wheel of Punishment’ at the Macquarie University Liberal Club O-Week stall as an example of satire which enables ‘dangerously misogynistic’ individuals to promote bigotry.

The purpose of the Wheel was to humorously point out everyday scenarios which are seen as insidious by the radical left. These included: Eating meat, being patriotic, and talking to women. Evidently it is the latter which has aggrieved the Women’s Collective.

Although feminism promotes issues of importance for women, it has gone beyond its initial purpose of facitating equality. It divides the genders by highlighting grievances and demanding special rights in the name of ultimate equality. This ultimate equality lies on an infinitely receding horizon; on a day-to-day level, the result is inequality, and a movement which appears openly hostile to men.

Students, including women, appreciate our satire not because of a culture of sexism but because of the excesses of a feminism whose emphasis on victimhood does little to empower women to face the challenges of modernity.

Despite the author’s claims of a misogynistic culture, women command significant power at Macquarie, with dedicated spaces and courses of study for women. The Collective should be proud to call Macquarie a place which nurtures women. Instead, it adopts a battleground mentality which pits it against a ravening horde of sexist white males. But those of us—including women and minorities—who are Liberal or traditionalist must listen as our views are mocked by lecturers and tutors in a manner that would cause outrage or even disciplinary action if directed against leftwing or feminist ideology.

Nobody should be above satire. All ideas can and should be made fun of in a light-hearted way, and not just for comedy; satire is a perennial means of speaking truth to power and must always hold a place in the cultural dialogue.

by Amy King

Grapeshot is not affiliated with any student political groups and the views expressed by the author are not those of the publisher.

In the last year, the Australian Government has endured significant changes. However, between former Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro’s New York position scandal to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s secret appointment to five additional positions, the state of the Australian Government is not to the standard the population expects or deserves. Both incidents have involved withholding information from the media and withholding information from the general public. The unstable nature of the Australian political landscape also takes away from issues Australia should be focusing on. This article will examine the current flaws in the Auspol climate and how reserving information from the media is creating a distrust between the Australian people and the government designed for them. Whilst everyone can admit to taking on more work than they can handle, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison took this to a new level as it was revealed he was appointed to five additional ministerial roles during the COVID-19 crisis. Morrison’s time as PM can be labelled tumultuous from issues such as the delayed vaccine rollout to his holiday in Hawaii during the bushfire crisis, and the passing of the religious discrimination bill, all of which were extensively covered in various Australian media outlets. Morrison’s appointments were all legally valid, with Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue stating that appointments do not need to be publicised and recipients do not have to take an oath. [1] However, if Morrison took all necessary avenues to obtain these positions, why were the media not alerted of the responsibilities he carried for the nation? This evokes just one facet of the problematic nature the government maintains. Subsequently, the Solicitor-General commented that “it is impossible for parliament and the public to hold ministers accountable for the proper administration of particular depart-

As a hot topic on #auspol, Grapeshot’s Deputy Editor, Jackson Robb, delves in detail on the implications of Morrison’s ments if the identity of the ministers who have been appointed … is not publicised”. secret ministry on the Australian political landscape. Calls for Morrisons resignation have emerged from former cabinet members as his actions are deemed an “unprecedented trashing of our democracy” by current PM, Anthony Albanese. [2] Such acts which misled the parliament and the Australian people triggers a parliamentary inquiry, which will reveal exactly why Morrison believed his appointments were not worth sharing. For now, the public have Morrison’s Facebook statement to provide clarity on the situation. Morrison states that due to the uncertain nature the pandemic instilled in government, “The risk of Ministers becoming incapacitated, sick, hospitalised, incapable of doing their work at a critical hour or even fatality was very real.” [3] He continues, saying that to ensure specific departments could function despite the constant changes, it became necessary for him to be appointed to these positions, as a matter of national interest. Morrison labels these arrangements as a “‘break glass in case of emergency’ safeguard,” claiming that “thankfully it was not necessary for me to trigger use of any of these powers.” However, Morrison contradicted this point, stating, “I used such powers on one occasion only,” when deliberating in the PEP11 offshore gas decision. Morrison claims he acted in the benefit of the country during a time of great uncertainty, which is valid to a certain extent. However, his inability to release any form of statement on his new appointments during a period where misinformation was very prevalent, proves why Australians distrust both politicians and the media. So as resources are used to determine why Scott Morrison appointed himself to these positions yet failed to alert the mass media, the government is directed away from other pressing issues of national concern. Such examples include the endangered

status of the Australian Koala Population, [4] ensuring the healthcare system are well equipped to deal with the ageing population, and the revaluation of the net zero 2050 target and 2030 target which are currently in breach of the Paris Agreement, [5] just to name a few.

Australia is suffering at the hands of negligent politicians who prioritise their self-interests over the ministerial roles they work for. Such evidence can be compiled from incidents over the past year, including the ICAC inquiry into former NSW Premier Gladys Berijiklian and the recent assault charges laid against former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro towards a member from Channel 7 media team.

The relationship between the government and the media is critical for a democracy to function as it advises the people about how government officials plan to operate the country. However, the Morrison job scandal is not the first instance of questionable activity occurring within the walls of Parliament House. The most recent example involves, yet again, former Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who was favoured for a New York trade position role, despite more qualified candidates being nominated. [6] Ministers are now denying their involvement as a parliamentary inquiry begins to understand the issue further. Mr Barilaro was favoured for the job over two qualified candidates, solicitor Kimberley Cole and former senior bureaucrat Jenny West, who had already been selected as the successful candidate last August before the offer was rescinded due to recruitment changes. [7] Mr Barilaro, who was facing a defamation case against youtuber, Friendly Jordies, last year, who responds to corruption within government, had stepped down from his position as Deputy Premier last October, claiming the intense scrutiny from the media was a contributing factor. [8] Despite Barilaro priding himself in his application letter for the position on his “energy, resilience and passion,” [9] he has since withdrawn from the New York position.

Such issues surrounding Morrison and Barilaro present worrying concerns over the current workplace culture of Parliament House; an institution designed to represent the people of Australia. While the media has a responsibility to fairly construct a narrative based on given information, this should not be an excuse for politicians to withhold information that the public has a right to be informed of. As inquiries reveal the background information to these issues, hopefully the government can establish trust within the nation and realign with their objective to represent Australians.

by Jackson Robb

[1] Butler, Josh. “Secret Ministries: What The Legal Advice Means For Scott Morrison And Australia’S Parliament”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/23/secret-ministries-what-the-legal-advice-means-for-scott-morrison-and-australias-parliament. [2] Butler, Josh, and Sarah Martin. “Scott Morrison Secretly Appointed To Five Ministries, Including Treasury And Home Affairs, Says PM”.

The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/16/scott-morrison-five-more-secret-ministries-minister-portfolio-ministry-including-treasury-home-affairs. [3] Facebook.com. 2022. https://www.facebook.com/scottmorrisonmp. [4] Cox, Lisa. “Koala Listed As Endangered After Australian Governments Fail To Halt Its Decline”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/11/koala-listed-as-endangered-after-australian-governments-fail-to-halt-its-decline. [5] Evans, Jake. “Prime Minister Says He Has ‘Drawn A Line’ Under Decade Of Australia Lagging On Climate Change, As Nation Steps

Up Commitment”. Abc.Net.Au, 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-16/australia-updates-emissions-reduction-target-paris-agreement/101157008. [6] McGowan, Michael, and Tamsin Rose. “John Barilaro Was Ranked Second By New York Trade Role Selection Panel, New Documents Reveal”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/john-barilaro-was-ranked-second-after-new-york-trade-role-interviews-new-documents-reveal. [7] Raper, Ashleigh. “Secret Documents Contradict Claims By NSW Premier Over US Trade Job”. Abc.Net.Au, 2022, https://www. abc.net.au/news/2022-07-26/nsw-government-documents-about-us-trade-job-released/101269776. [8] Cockburn, Paige. “NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro Resigns As Coalition Crisis Deepens”. Abc.Net.Au, 2022, https://www. abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/nsw-deputy-premier-john-barilaro-resigns/100511638. [9] Aston, Joe. “Revealed: John Barilaro’s Application Letter For New York Trade Job”. Australian Financial Review, 2022, https:// www.afr.com/rear-window/revealed-john-barilaro-s-application-letter-for-new-york-trade-job-20220801-p5b6c2.

James Devaney/GC Images

Editorial Assistant Nilab Siddiqi takes you on a (not so) top secret ride into the FBI’s investigation on Donald Trump.

On 8 August 2022, FBI agents seized 20 boxes of material evidence from Donald Trump’s home. [1] The former U.S. president is currently under criminal investigation for three major criminal violations: apparent violation of the ‘Espionage Act’, obstruction of justice, and the destruction of government records, as outlined by the search warrant. [2]

The ‘Espionage Act’ strictly outlaws any retention of unauthorised national security information which could either directly harm the United States, or aid an adversary. This means that the FBI is under the suspicion that Trump has taken unclassified documents and records from the White House to his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The search of his home revealed that Trump had kept records so sensitive in nature that they were exempt from the inventory detailing what was taken from the home. [3] Further reports from the BBC indicate that some of these taken records contain national secrets so sensitive that they would cause extreme damage to the U.S. national security if revealed. Why exactly is it so dangerous for Trump to have these records?

There are three different levels of classification of materials: confidential, secret and top secret. These labels are given depending on how much damage the material would do to national security if they were revealed to the general public. [4] There are various rules surrounding the handling of these materials, with only certain individuals who have passed relevant security vetting having the permission to view them.

There are also rules determining where the documents can be handled and read. Accordingly, documents which have been marked as “Top Secret” are only to be viewed in secure rooms, known as “sensitive compartmented information facilities”. The 11 records taken from Trump’s home were generally classified as “various classified/top secret/sensitive compartmented information”. When considering that these documents were kept in the basement storage area of his home, it seems that there is a clear violation of law. [5]

While it is certainly in the power of both the president and certain senior officials to declassify these materials, documents cannot be declassified simply by word-ofmouth; there must be a record of them doing so. Typically, a drafted written memo clearly signed by the president would be followed by a consultation process with relevant agencies. If a decision was made to declassify the materials, the document would state that it was declassified and on a certain date. [6] The issue at hand is that it is unclear in the present whether Trump followed this declassification process with the records which were seized from his home.

There has been minimal clarity offered by Trump himself, however, he claims that all the records which were seized were declassified. This claim has been met with much suspicion as the documents have no markings of declassification, which would have been dealt with during the official declassification process. [7]

That being said, it may not be relevant to the case whether the documents were classified or declassified as the ‘Espionage Act’ doesn’t actually distinguish between the two. Unauthorised retention of any documents which are relevant to the statute is a crime, punishable up to 10 years in federal prison. [8]

What were the ramifications?

Following the press coverage of this case, there have been concerning reactions from followers of the Republican party. Both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have seen a spike in violent threats being posed to them online following the search. [9] The nature of the threats have been varied, with some threatening to place a bomb in front of the FBI HQ and some suggesting targeted killings of judicial, law enforcement and government officials associated with the search warrant. [10] For example, at 9am on 12 August 2022, an armed man attempted to breach an FBI building in Cincinnati, Ohio. The gunman, 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer, later died from wounds inflicted during an exchange of gunfire with officers. It is believed that the gunman was in Washington at the time of the insurrection on January 6, 2021, and is suspected to have been at the Capitol on the day of the attack. [11] Federal officials are now tracking a variety of concerning threats to the FBI.

Trump and his allies, including Republicans in Congress, have responded to the situation in anger, inciting more unrest among his supporters. The former president’s allies are also calling him to release the CCTV footage of the raid in hopes that it would encourage and motivate followers of the Republican party. However, some close allies have stated that releasing the footage could have the opposite effect, inciting distaste in viewers at the sight of the sheer amount of material taken from the estate instead. [12]

At time of writing, there is no definitive conclusion to the case.

by Nilab Siddiqi

[1] Evans, Gareth. “What we do and don’t know about the FBI search of Trump’s home.” BBC, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528709. [2] Lowell, Hugo. “Trump under investigation for potential violations of Espionage Act, warrant reveals.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/fbi-agents-trump-search-mar-a-lago-documents. [3] Evans, Gareth. “What we do and don’t know about the FBI search of Trump’s home.” BBC, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528709. [4] Ibid. [5] Lowell, Hugo. “Trump under investigation for potential violations of Espionage Act, warrant reveals.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/fbi-agents-trump-search-mar-a-lago-documents. [6] Evans, Gareth. “What we do and don’t know about the FBI search of Trump’s home.” BBC, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528709. [7] Lowell, Hugo. “Trump under investigation for potential violations of Espionage Act, warrant reveals.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/fbi-agents-trump-search-mar-a-lago-documents. [8] Ibid. [9] Riga, Jessica. “The FBI has warned of a spike in violent threats after their search of Donald Trump’s home. Here’s what we know.” ABC New, 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-15/fbi-homeland-security-warn-of-threats-after-donald-trump-raid/101333242. [10] Ibid. [11] “Armed man who tried to ‘breach’ FBI office in Ohio killed in standoff with US police.” ABC News, 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/ news/2022-08-12/armed-man-tries-breaching-fbi-ohio-office/101326026. [12] Orr, Gaby et al. “Trump considering releasing surveillance footage of FBI Mar-a-Lago search.” CNN Politics, 2022, https://edition.cnn. com/2022/08/17/politics/trump-release-surveillance-footage-fbi-mar-a-lago/index.html.

Chinese boundary breaches with Taiwan led to an alarming rise in tensions between China and Taiwan, as reported by News Section Editor, Olivia Chan.

On 4 August 2022, Chinese naval ships and aircraft crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which have contributed to peace between China and Taiwan for 70 years. This was part of China’s protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei at the beginning of August. Taiwan currently prepares for routine breaches of the median line by the Chinese navy. [1]

According to a Taiwanese source, 10 Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the median line before being driven away by Taiwanese navy ships. Consequently, Taiwan may be forced to react militarily if China continues to breach the line. This began due to targeted military drills conducted by China in zones near Taiwan, shortly after Pelosi’s visits. [2]

Currently, Taiwan has no immediate plan to confer more power to the military or coastguard. This accords with President Tsai Ingwen’s repeated statements against the provocation or escalation of conflict by Taiwan. [3]

Accordingly, the strait currently upholds its status as international waters through the passage of Western navies. Under international law, peace is implied upon international waters, thus preserving an obligation against conflict in the strait. However, such passive retention of peace may cause the erasure of the median line, with respect to active Chinese aggression pushing the limits of international law. As the line itself lacks legal standing, China’s push would not lead to consequences such as international sanctions. This is the basis for the beginnings of military conflict, as shown by China’s repeated incursions to the expense of Taiwan’s patrol forces. Frigates have been pursued by destroyers, while Chinese fighter jets dived short distances past the median line. [4]

This may signify a turning point in the constant tensions between China and Taiwan. The conflict arose from a long-standing political opposition between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Kuomintang (KMT). In short, this arose after the death of Sun Yat-Sen, a key Chinese revolutionary in the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, which resulted in the collapse of the Qing dynasty, and the first leader of the KMT. A struggle for power followed his death, leading to a period of instability and the Chinese Civil War. It was in this period when the left-wing CCP and centre-right-wing KMT broke their alliance against imperialism and feudalism and conflict erupted. Consequently, following the occupation of China by the CCP in 1949, the KMT and its supporters fled to Taiwan, establishing the Republic of China (ROC). [5]

“We need to join our hands with like-minded partners to make sure that the median line is still there, to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” - Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu

Beyond political spats, territorial issues complicate and contribute to the current China-Taiwan situation. In the late 17th century, China gained control of Taiwan for about 200 years, before Japanese acquisition after the first Sino-Japanese War. In 1945, Taiwan was returned to KMT control following Japanese defeat in WWII. Yet, following the KMT’s defeat in 1949, jurisdictional issues have run into a grey area. This was the genesis of China’s ongoing strive for unification with Taiwan. [6]

On the other hand, acquisition of Taiwan would reap militaristic and economic advantages for China in Asia. Particularly, it would threaten the US “island chain strategy”, which uses a barrier of islands between the Chinese mainland and the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, China would be able to grasp control over Asia’s major shipping routes, utilising Taiwan’s geographical situation between the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and the South China Sea. Thirdly, Taiwan would provide economic benefits to China, as the small island alone produced a gross domestic product of almost $US790 billion in 2021; China produced $US17.5 trillion. [8]

The government paper further discusses processes of reunification by proposing a “One Country, Two Systems” mechanism. This would essentially deem Taiwan an administrative region of China. This will be challenging for China, considering that only 1.6% of Taiwanese people supported unification, according to a Taiwanese poll. [9]

With regard to vain attempts at reunification in the past, the paper also warns of the inclusion of the use of force as an option in claiming Taiwan. This draws attention back to the current breaches of the median line, which sketches a birth of conflict on the horizon between China and Taiwan…

by Olivia Chan

“...[reunification is the only way to] foil the attempts of external forces to contain China, and to safeguard the sovereignty, security, and development interests of our country.” – A Chinese government report on reunification. [7]

Artyom Ivanov\TASS via Getty Images

[1] Maguire, Dannielle. “Why Does China Want Taiwan When It’s Already So Big And Rich? The Answer Is About More Than Land And Money.” ABC News, 12 August 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-12/why-does-china-want-taiwan-military-strategic-location/101321856. [2] Lee, Yimou. “Chinese Vessels, Aircraft Make Multiple Incursions Over Median Line - Taiwanese Source.” Reuters, 4 August 2022, https:// www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-made-multiple-incursions-median-line-taiwan-deployed-missile-systems-track-2022-08-04/. [3] (n 1) [4] Ibid. [5] “Nationalist Party.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nationalist-Party-Chinese-political-party. [6] “Taiwan.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Taiwan. [7] “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era”. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and The State Council Information Office, 10 August 2022, http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zgyw/202208/t20220810_10740168.htm. [8] (n 1) [9] Cheng, Joyce and Bang Xiao. “Taiwanese Peopl Take Beijjing’s Fury Over Nancy Pelosi’s Visit In Their Stride.” ABC News, 4 August 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-04/pelosi-visit-taiwan-china-response-taiwanese-australian-views/101295636.

A horrifying yet insightful journey on the current situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime is guided by News Section Editor, Olivia Chan.

With civilians killed, others struggling to scrape meagre amounts of food, and sexist policies placing Afghan women and girls at a retrogressive subjugated position, the Taliban regime has forced upon a humanitarian crisis on the Afghan people in just the past year.

Background

The Taliban took occupation of Afghanistan just over a year ago on 15 August 2021. This became possible after commencing the withdrawal of the US, UK, and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Allies and partners from Afghanistan on 1 May 2021. Consequently, between May and August 2021, the Taliban seized control of regions until they occupied Kabul, the capital, on 15 August 2021. [1]

Statistically, there were 7400 civilian casualties with 2091 killed and 5309 wounded were recorded between 1 January and 14 August 2021 by UNAMA HRS, with women and children contributing to almost 40% of the casualties. 29% of these figures occurred just between 1 July and 14 August. [2]

Of the casualties: • 42% consisted of ground engagements. • 29% involved improvised explosive devices. • 11% were targeted killings. • 7% were contributed by aerial attacks.

These statistics alone already paint a violent portrait of the Taliban regime.

Current Situation

The numbers have slightly lowered, with 2106 civilian casualties with 700 killed, 1406 wounded. 88 women (37 killed, 51 wounded) and 441 children (159 killed, 282 wounded). [3]

26 August 2021, Kabul: ISIL-KP attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport using two suicide bombers amongst a crowd of civilian attempting to leave Afghanistan, killing over 72 and wounding over 140. More casualties were also inflicted on US forces and de facto security forces.

29 August 2021: US drone attack in residential area killed 10 civilians, 7 being children.

However, many attacks were ramped up on mosques, public parks, schools and public transport by ISIL-KP. This demonstrates a targeted approach at ethnic and religious minorities instead. These included Hazara Shias, Shia Muslims in general, and Sufi Muslims. [4]

A few of the multitude of attacks include: • 8 October 2021: Suicide attack in Kunduz city in Sayed Abad Shia Mosque killed over 80 and wounded over 150. • 15 October 2021: Suicide attack in Kandahar city in Imam Bargah Fatimeyah mosque killing over 41 and wounder over 70.

Beyond such violence, sexist ideologies were put into practice. Two days after the takeover, the Taliban pledged that there would be “no violence... and no discrimination against women”. [5] On the contrary, girls have been prohibited from attending secondary school, women are forced to wear the hijab or burqa, park visits are segregated by sex, women have been dismissed and banned from jobs, women are forced to travel to work with a male family member, and many more rules. There was even

a pedantic rule requiring female news anchors to cover their faces on air. On the other hand, men were instructed to grow beards and to wear local clothing. [6]

Furthermore, countries have put on a cold front to Afghan refugees, leading to a refugee crisis. Iran has deported thousands of Afghan refugees whilst the public and authorities subject them to abuse. Turkey has deported over 10000 Afghan migrants. Belgium rejected hundreds of asylum claims. Germany evicted Afghan refugees from their homes within a 24-hour period for Ukrainian refugees instead. Canada will take no more than 40000 Afghan refugees despite having no limit on Ukrainian refu-

gees. [7]

As if the tolls Afghan people are suffering through are not enough, mass hunger also plagues the country, leading to consequential economy impacts that live in a cruel symbiosis with starvation. As measured between March and May 2022, almost 19.7 million people (half the population) are suffering level 3 “crisis” or 4 “emergency” levels of food insecurity. [8] Accordingly, key factors to the food crisis involve: • Economic Decline: Economic isolation including a lack of international grant support (>$8 billion p/a) coupled with a loss of access to offshore assets, financial linkages, and the

Ukraine crisis, have walked Afghanistan into a vicious cycle of economic instability leading to poverty, high unemployment rates, and high inflation, which leave Afghanistan in a trench of economic deflation.

• Drought: A very dry season between 2021-2022 along with high agriculture input costs led to reduced winter wheat cultivation. This is predicted to cause a 7-13% decrease in the expected wheat harvest.

• High Food Prices: High prices of commodities and reduced incomes have forced a double whammy on the already starving population.

Impact of Ukraine Crisis: Increased global food prices as Russia and Ukraine were large exporters of wheat. Regional suppliers would rather keep their resources to themselves. Coupled with high food prices and a low crop harvest, only starvation is on the horizon.

With the implementation of the Taliban’s militaristic regime, the lives of many Afghan people continue to be endangered. One way to reach out is by supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross’ efforts in administering health care, rehabilitation support, welfare support, family reconnection, and access to clean water, sanitation and energy: https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/afghanistan.

by Olivia Chan

Abdullah Sahil/Associated Press

[1] “Human Rights in Afghanistan”. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s Human Rights Service, July 2022, p. 7. [2] Ibid, p. 9. [3] Ibid, p. 10. [4] Ibid, p. 11. [5] Ritchie, Hannah, and Nada Bashir. “Taliban pledge ‘no violence against women’ but say international community ‘should respect our core values’”. CNN, 17 August 2021, https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-17-21/h_18411afdb1e8b9e760b4e07fcdbdc9ff. [6] Asefi, Ferdouse. “Afghanistan A Year After The Taliban Occupation: An Ongoing War On Human Rights”. The Conversation, 1 August 2022, https:// theconversation.com/afghanistan-a-year-after-the-taliban-occupation-an-ongoing-war-on-human-rights-187728. [7] Ibid. [8] “Afghanistan: Nearly 20 Million Afghans Experiencing High Acute Food Insecurity”. ipcinfo.org, May 2022, https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/ resources/resources-details/en/c/1155598/.