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Govt House Presents Award To Randolph Horton

Governor Rena Lalgie recently presented Randolph Horton with an award honouring his contributions to sport and public service. A post on Government House’s Facebook page says, “This evening, Her Excellency the Governor, Ms Rena Lalgie held a formal investiture ceremony for The Hon K H Randolph Horton OBE. “The Hon Mr Horton was appointed as […]




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BHCS Present Safe Hands Award To Dion Stovell

BHCS concluded the Calvin “Bummy” Symonds Safe Hands Award after 25 years, honoring Dion Stovell with their final award. A spokesperson said, “Bermuda Healthcare Services [BHCS] proudly announces the culmination of the Calvin “Bummy” Symonds Safe Hands Award, marking 25 years of celebrating exceptional athletic achievement. The 2024 award presentation, honoring the remarkable fielding performances of […]




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Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award Presented

The Bermuda Captive Conference announced that Bala Nadarajah has been posthumously awarded the Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024, honouring his remarkable career and contribution to the captive industry. A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Captive Conference is proud to announce that Bala Nadarajah has been posthumously awarded the Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award for […]




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Remembrance Day Presentations At Schools

In the lead-up to Remembrance Day, hundreds of young Bermudians are gaining a deeper appreciation of Bermuda’s historical role through engaging presentations by the Royal Bermuda Regiment. A spokesperson said, “A group of officers and soldiers has been visiting primary schools over the past two weeks in the lead-up to November 11. “The engaging and […]




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Bermuda Cricket Board Holds Prize Presentation

Derrick Brangman, the St David’s captain, won five awards at the Bermuda Cricket Board’s annual prize presentation at Gosling’s Wine Cellar at the weekend. The slow left-arm bowler claimed the MVP and most wickets [33] in the 50 Overs Premier Division. He was also named MVP in the Athene T20 First Division, picking up awards […]




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Andrew Stevenson Gives Whale Presentations

Andrew Stevenson, who started the Humpback Whale Research Project in 2007, will be giving two presentations on Tuesday [Mar 19] at BUEI Tradewinds Auditorium. This illustrated lecture will include never-before witnessed, extraordinary underwater video of humpback behavior here in Bermuda as well as their breeding grounds in the Caribbean. Underwater video footage of a mother […]




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Darrell To Present During Roche Science Week

Myles Darrell will deliver a presentation as part of Roche Science Week activities on February 7th, with the presentation to focus on the preservation and protection of Bermuda’s native and endemic flora. A spokesperson said, “Bermuda’s conservation efforts began more than 400 years ago when legislation was passed to protect her sea turtles. Now, well into […]




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Fishermen’s Association To Present Petition

The Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda will be presenting a petition to the Government on Friday [Jan 13] noting that they are ”hardworking Bermudian fishermen who have to date tried to participate in the BOPP proceedings but due to the foreign oversight and predetermined outcomes have been overlooked and undervalued.” A letter sent by the Association to the Government […]




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Video: FAB Present Petition To Government

[Updated] The Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda [FAB] is presenting a petition to the Government today [Jan 13] noting that they are ”hardworking Bermudian fishermen who have to date tried to participate in the BOPP proceedings but due to the foreign oversight and predetermined outcomes have been overlooked and undervalued.” Update: The live broadcast has concluded […]




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2014 Reef Watch Report Presented To Minister

The 2014 Reef Watch Report was formally presented by the BZS to Minister for Health, Seniors and Environment Jeanne Atherden and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Kevin Monkman, today [Dec 17]. The report is a culmination of the data collected during Reef Watch 2014, which was held on Saturday, June 28, and supported by lead sponsor, Hiscox. […]




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Photos: 2024 Cup Match Award Presentation

The Cup Match 2024 awards presentation was held after the match, which saw Somerset claim yet another victory in the annual Cup Match classic. For all our coverage of Cup Match click here and for comprehensive coverage of all aspects of Cup Match please see our dedicated website BernewsCupMatch.com. For extensive coverage of Cup Match spanning over a decade, visit our […]




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Solar Energy Virtual Presentation Tomorrow

The Friends of the College of Library will host a virtual presentation on Solar Energy: The Power of Nature tomorrow [Thursday] at 6.30 pm. The discussion, presented by Cameron Smith of Greenlight Energy, will focus on the “intersectionality of sustainability, renewable energy, and the economy within the context of our island community”. Moderated by Dr […]




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CG Presents Second Annual ‘Slow Race’

CG Insurance “proudly presented the second annual CG Slow Race during Bermuda Charge’s 2024 Scooter Mart Motor Fest, highlighting the firm’s commitment to road safety,” noting that “this event allowed riders to demonstrate their control and precision skills in an exciting competition that focused on safety rather than speed.” Naz Farrow, CEO of CG Insurance, […]




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Tyler Smith To Present Awards At Run Event

Olympian and Somersfield Academy alumnus Tyler Smith will present awards at the 2024 Somersfield Fun Run and Walk, a community fitness event benefiting the school’s Bursary Fund. A spokesperson said, “Somersfield Academy alumnus and Olympian Tyler Smith will be presenting awards at this year’s Somersfield Fun Run and Walk. Smith graduated from the school’s International Baccalaureate […]




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BUEI Silver Screen To Presents ‘Paint’

‘BUEI Silver Screens’ is set to showcase ‘Paint’ at BUEI on Tuesday, March 19, featuring Owen Wilson in the lead role. A spokesperson said, “‘BUEI Silver Screens’ continues at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] with the screening of ‘Paint’ on Tuesday, March 19th at 2 pm in our Tradewinds Auditorium! [wheelchair accessible] “Starring Owen […]




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Review: ‘Gold Bermudians’ Film Presentation

[Written by Dale Butler] ‘Gold Bermudians’ is a new project launched by the Department of Culture in 2023 and, on March 25th, five new films were presented to a full house that left everyone very satisfied but wanting to know why there was such a strict time limit on such important topics. With a new […]




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BUEI Silver Screens Presents ‘Maximum Truth’

BUEI Silver Screens will present ‘Maximum Truth’ starring Dylan O’Brien and Ike Barinholtz, a mockumentary comedy about political grifter Rick Klingman’s quest for truth in Congress. A spokesperson said, “‘BUEI Silver Screens’ continues at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] with the screening of ‘Maximum Truth’ on Tuesday, April 16th at 2 pm in our […]




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BUEI Films Presents ‘Bob Marley: One Love’

BUEI Films will showcase the 2024 film ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ on May 11, depicting the life of the reggae legend. A spokesperson said, “Films at BUEI continue at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] with the screening of the 2024 Musical/Drama, ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ on Saturday, May 11th at 7:30pm in our Tradewinds […]




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BUEI To Present ‘They Shot The Piano Player’

BUEI Films is set to feature the screening of ‘They Shot the Piano Player’ at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] on Saturday, May 25, at 7:30 pm. A spokesperson said, “Films at BUEI continues at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] with the screening of the 2023 docudrama, ‘They Shot the Piano Player’ on […]




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‘Films At BUEI’ Presents ‘Fourth Grade’

BUEI Films will showcase the 2023 Comedy, ‘Fourth Grade’ on Saturday [June 8] at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI]. A spokesperson said, “Films at BUEI continues at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] with the screening of the 2023 Comedy, ‘Fourth Grade’ on Saturday, June 8th at 7:30pm in our Tradewinds Auditorium. [Wheelchair Accessible] […]




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‘Films At BUEI’ Presents ‘Summer Camp’

BUEI Films will showcase the 2024 Comedy, ‘Summer Camp’ on Saturday [August 10] at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI]. A spokesperson said, “‘Films at BUEI’ continues at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI] with the screening of the 2024 Comedy, ‘Summer Camp’ on Saturday, August 10th at 7:30pm in our Tradewinds Auditorium. [Wheelchair Accessible]. […]




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BUEI Silver Screens Presents ‘She Came To Me’

The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute’s [BUEI] Silver Screens series is set to continue with the showing of ‘She Came to Me’ on Tuesday, October 15 at 2.00pm in the Tradewinds Auditorium. A spokesperson said, “BUEI Silver Screens continues at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute with the screening of ‘She Came to Me’ on Tuesday, October […]




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Mirrors Holds Student Artists Prize Presentation

Yesterday [Sept 11], the Mirrors Programme celebrated the talents of Bermuda’s young artists at its 8th Annual Art & Digital Competition Prize Presentation. A Government spokesperson said, “This year’s theme, ‘Feels Like Home,’ invited students to explore and express what home means to them through their art. A total of 160 art entries and 10 […]




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Loren & Masterworks Presents ‘Flora In Flux’

As part of Bermuda Tourism Authority Art Month, The Loren Hotel and Masterworks Museum present ‘Flora in Flux’, a sculpture exhibition running from October 1 to 31, 2024. A spokesperson said, “In celebration of the Bermuda Tourism Authority Art Month, The Loren Hotel and The Masterworks Museum proudly announce the opening of Flora in Flux: […]




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Devil’s Isle Shakespeare Presents ‘The Tempest’

The Devil’s Isle Shakespeare Company will present a Bermuda-themed, musical adaptation of The Tempest from September 27th to October 6th, 2024. A spokesperson said, “Devil’s Isle Shakespeare Company is presenting the world premiere of a Bermuda-themed, musical adaptation of The Tempest from September 27th through October 6th, 2024. The show runs 90 minutes and contains […]




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"Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" to Debut This Sunday, November 17th on FOX Nation

Premiering in two parts, the first four episodes will roll out weekly, beginning on Sunday, with the final four to run in April-May 2025, spanning the Holy season.




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As today’s homes burn faster than ever, this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign presents critical home escape planning and practice messages

Knowing that today’s homes burn faster than ever, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced “Every Second Counts: Plan Two Ways Out” as the official theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, October 8-14, 2017. Experts say you may have as little as two minutes (or even less) to safely escape a typical home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds.




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Trump's return presents opportunities for China

Cao Xin is a senior researcher at The Charhar Institute, a Beijing-based think tank. I had the opportunity to observe the American presidential election on the morning of Nov. 6 (China time) at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. For China, the world's second-largest economy, Donald Trump's victory…




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‘Every Voice’ conference celebrates past, present and future of LGBTQ+ Tigers

Princeton's first alumni affinity conference since 2019 welcomed more than 600 alumni and guests to campus Sept. 19-21, for “Every Voice: Honoring and Celebrating Princeton’s LGBTQ+ Alumni.” 




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Princeton University Concerts presents the Richardson Chamber Players Fall Concert

About the Event Our resident ensemble of Princeton University performance faculty and talented students presents a Sunday-afternoon program of songs with and without words written by female composers on both sides of the Atlantic. Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano by prolific lieder composer Josephine Lang and for mezzo-soprano and mixed chamber ensemble by Dame Ethel Smyth bookend the program, with works for string quartet, solo piano, and flute, viola, and harp, that reference American, Jamaican, and European song and poetry in between. This event is presented by Princeton University Concerts. For a full event listing and tickets, please visit this link.




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Princeton Jazz Vocal Ensemble presents 1959: A very special year in Jazz!

Princeton Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Michelle Lordi, presents a series of jazz pieces from the year 1959.




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Princeton University Concerts presents Isidore String Quartet

About the Event Part of the Princeton University Concerts (PUC) Performances Up Close series, audience is seated onstage alongside the musicians in an hour-long program. Winners of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022, the New York City-based Isidore String Quartet was formed in 2019 with a vision to revisit, rediscover, and reinvigorate the repertory. The young ensemble will do just that when they make their Princeton debuts in a program featuring a recent string quartet by multiple GRAMMY-winner Billy Childs; Henri Dutilleux’s fascinating Ainsi la nuit (“Thus the Night”); and W.A. Mozart’s forward-thinking “Dissonance” quartet. This event is presented by Princeton University Concerts. For a full event listing and tickets, please visit this link.




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Princeton Sound Kitchen presents Gemma Peacocke: ‘A Strange Power,’ Sputter Box, Charlotte Mundy

Gemma Peacocke’s ‘A Strange Power’ is a 45-minute cantata about the tangled web of romance, free love, creation, and death in the early lives of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley and her step-sister, Claire Clairmont. Scored for two sopranos, clarinet, piano, percussion, and cello, the work will be performed by Sputter Box with guest vocalist Charlotte Mundy. The program also features new works for the performers by other Princeton University graduate student composers Aliayta Foon-Dancoes, Devin Greenwood, Gemma Peacocke, and Onche Rajesh Ugbabe.




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Princeton Triangle Club Presents: Pageant Pending

Back for its 134th year, the Princeton Triangle Club premieres a brand-new Triangle Show: Pageant Pending! Welcome to America’s Most Wanted, the biggest pageant event in all 50 states! The lights are blinding, the competition is cutthroat, and the interview questions must be answered in twenty seconds or less. Dreams, schemes, and ripped seams are all exposed under a merciless spotlight in this new musical comedy about a series of sash decisions! Join us for Pageant Pending and discover what has made the annual Triangle Show one of Princeton’s favorite town/gown traditions for over 130 years!




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Princeton Triangle Club Presents: Pageant Pending

Back for its 134th year, the Princeton Triangle Club premieres a brand-new Triangle Show: Pageant Pending! Welcome to America’s Most Wanted, the biggest pageant event in all 50 states! The lights are blinding, the competition is cutthroat, and the interview questions must be answered in twenty seconds or less. Dreams, schemes, and ripped seams are all exposed under a merciless spotlight in this new musical comedy about a series of sash decisions! Join us for Pageant Pending and discover what has made the annual Triangle Show one of Princeton’s favorite town/gown traditions for over 130 years!




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Princeton Triangle Club Presents: Pageant Pending

Back for its 134th year, the Princeton Triangle Club premieres a brand-new Triangle Show: Pageant Pending! Welcome to America’s Most Wanted, the biggest pageant event in all 50 states! The lights are blinding, the competition is cutthroat, and the interview questions must be answered in twenty seconds or less. Dreams, schemes, and ripped seams are all exposed under a merciless spotlight in this new musical comedy about a series of sash decisions! Join us for Pageant Pending and discover what has made the annual Triangle Show one of Princeton’s favorite town/gown traditions for over 130 years!




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Jacques Schwarz-Bart presents Jazz du Tout Monde

Free and open to the public. Jacques Schwarz-Bart is a recording artist with seven albums to his name, as well as a composer and educator. His collaborations include work with Roy Hargrove, Danilo Pérez, John Scofield, Erykah Badu, and many others. In 2005, he released his first project as a leader, Sone Ka-La, which revisits his native Guadeloupean music through the prism of jazz and won worldwide critical acclaim. His latest release, Jazz Racine Haiti, made him an ambassador for a school of modern jazz rooted in voodoo music. He teaches at The Berklee College of Music while keeping up a steady touring schedule.




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Princeton University Concerts presents Ébène and Belcea String Quartets

About the Event Two of today’s finest string quartets become even more than the sum of their parts in octets by Felix Mendelssohn and George Enescu as they return to Princeton University Concerts the evening prior to heading to Carnegie Hall. These monumental works—each, incredibly, written by the prodigious composers in their teens—are quintessential representations of the form, showcasing the sonic power and rich, multilayered possibilities of an octet configuration. This event is presented by Princeton University Concerts. For a full event listing and tickets, please visit this link.




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Digital signage presentation samples for corporate offices and businesses

We have added presentation sample design ideas for you to use in businesses and corporate offices including display graphs for a e-commerce warehouse distribution and electrical distribution companies.




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'A Real Pain' film presents the parallels of generational struggle


From the horror of the Holocaust to the struggles that the cousins face in the modern day, the movie is about the overall pains of life, film star Jennifer Grey iterated.




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Nature presenter Chris Packham settles case over axing of green policy

The TV presenter says the previous Tory administration was "reckless" to scale back climate policy.




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Breaking: Republicans Retain Control Over House of Representatives, Handing Trump the Keys to His Agenda

Republicans have solidified their control of Washington by retaining control of the House of Representatives. President-elect Donald Trump’s overwhelming victory in the presidential race, coupled with GOP control of the […]

The post Breaking: Republicans Retain Control Over House of Representatives, Handing Trump the Keys to His Agenda appeared first on The Western Journal.




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Mass Spectrometry of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Peptidomes Reveals Strong Effects of Protein Abundance and Turnover on Antigen Presentation

Michal Bassani-Sternberg
Mar 1, 2015; 14:658-673
Research




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The US election could create the need for a G7 alternative – without American representation

The US election could create the need for a G7 alternative – without American representation Expert comment jon.wallace

Traditional allies of the US need to find a way to work together on some global policy issues even when the US itself is not engaged. A ‘G6 plus’ group could provide an answer.

When Jamaica pulled out of the nascent West Indies Federation in 1961, Trinidad and Tobago’s then prime minister, Dr Eric Williams, famously said ‘One from ten leaves nought’. In the run up to the US elections on 5 November, the US’s longstanding allies need to ask themselves if the same logic must apply to the G7. 

A Donald Trump victory will result in stark differences between the US and its closest partners on key global economic issues. US allies would no doubt try and persuade the new president to moderate his position, but experience suggests that this will have little, if any, effect.  

They may then want to work around the US, or on a parallel track. But doing so will be very hard unless they have a framework for discussing and developing ideas collectively. Could some form of ‘G6 plus’ forum help?

The role of the G7 today

The G7 no longer acts as a steering group for the global economy. However, it remains a critical forum for the US and its allies to coordinate their efforts to help solve global problems, to defend common Western interests, to resolve internal disputes and to underpin information exchange. 

In the past two years, the G7 has come to be seen by the US and other members as one of the most effective international mechanisms. It has played a critical role coordinating Western efforts to recover from the last pandemic and prepare for future ones.  

It has been pivotal in weakening Russia’s economy following the attack on Ukraine and has acted to strengthen Western economic security and resilience more broadly.  

The G7 has also responded to ‘Global South’ calls for help in dealing with the pandemic aftermath and the Ukraine war. 

Trump’s approach to the G7

The problem is that the G7’s effectiveness depends critically on full US engagement, sometimes as a leader of initiatives (such as the decision to impose an ‘oil price cap’ on Russia in autumn 2022) or as an essential partner. 

If elected, former President Trump is likely to abandon the G7 as an instrument of international economic policy. This is effectively what happened during his first presidency and there are reasons to expect this to be repeated. 

Many of Trump’s international economic policies are highly controversial with US allies, including his apparent determination to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, impose across the board 10-20 per cent tariffs and even punish countries for not using the dollar. His domestic policies, including mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and aggressive deregulation and fiscal easing could lead to further sharp disagreements.  

Furthermore, Trump demonstrates general antipathy towards multilateralism. Under his presidency, US representatives in the G7 and G20 sought to weaken core values and policies that have underpinned international economic cooperation for decades – including the importance of a rules based international system, the IMF’s global safety net role, and the responsibility of the advanced world to assist the poorest countries financially.  

In the event of a second Trump administration, the most likely scenario for the G7 is a repeat of the paralysis of 2017-20.

Other G7 and G20 countries tried to preserve as much as possible of the previous consensus. But in the case of climate change, the only solution was to have a separate text for the US. Critically, such efforts diverted time and attention from the enormous challenges facing the world at the time. 

Trump went through four different G7/G20 Sherpas during his presidency and disowned the final declaration of the 2018 Canadian G7 summit after hundreds of hours of negotiation, and despite previously signing off on the text. The US failed to host a final leaders’ summit, even virtually, during his administration’s G7 presidency.  

Of course, how far Trump carries through his most radical policies will depend, among other things, on the outcome of the Congressional elections and the stance taken by US courts. 

He may also have second thoughts if elected. His first administration sometimes supported significant multilateral economic initiatives, notably the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative and ‘Common Framework’ for debt rescheduling. 

But, in the event of a second Trump administration, the most likely scenario for the G7 is a repeat of the paralysis of 2017-20, which would be even more costly today.

Should Vice President Kamala Harris win on 5 November, the situation should in theory be very different. She will likely continue with President Joe Biden’s collaborative approach to the G7.

Nonetheless, major issues may still arise where America’s allies want to take a fundamentally different approach and need a mechanism to do so. These could include policy on the WTO, de-risking the economic relationship with China, restricting carbon leakage, and regulating US-dominated big tech.  

How should US allies respond?

No US ally will want to be seen to be leading development of a new ‘G6’ that excludes the US. The top priority will be securing the best possible relationship with the incoming president. Political weakness and/or new governments in France, Germany, the UK and Japan will add to this hesitancy.

Any new forum should be described as…intended to coordinate activity among Western economic powers in those areas where the US chooses not to engage.

Any new forum will therefore need to be as low profile as possible. The concept should initially be discussed in private by sherpas from each participating country. Once established, officials should as far as possible meet online. Leaders should only meet online, at least initially.  

Participants should be fully transparent about the forum’s existence and avoid any grand ‘framing’ along the lines of the EU’s ‘strategic autonomy’. Instead, it should be described as a practical, largely technocratic forum intended to coordinate activity among Western economic powers in those areas where the US chooses not to engage. A suitably innocuous name – such as the ‘the sustainable growth club’ could help.

Topics should be limited to those requiring urgent collective global action, such as climate, health, tech governance, development finance and trade – and where the US federal government is not an ‘essential’ partner. Such a forum should not therefore address defence.  




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American Diplomacy: Past, Present and Future






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A Glimpse into Geometric Representation Theory

Mahir Bilen Can and Jörg Feldvoss, editors. American Mathematical Society, 2024, CONM, volume 804, approx. 216 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4704-7090-6 (print), 978-1-4704-7664-9 (online).

This volume contains the proceedings of the AMS Special Session on Combinatorial and Geometric Representation Theory, held virtually on November...




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Representative cancer-associated U2AF2 mutations alter RNA interactions and splicing [Molecular Bases of Disease]

High-throughput sequencing of hematologic malignancies and other cancers has revealed recurrent mis-sense mutations of genes encoding pre-mRNA splicing factors. The essential splicing factor U2AF2 recognizes a polypyrimidine-tract splice-site signal and initiates spliceosome assembly. Here, we investigate representative, acquired U2AF2 mutations, namely N196K or G301D amino acid substitutions associated with leukemia or solid tumors, respectively. We determined crystal structures of the wild-type (WT) compared with N196K- or G301D-substituted U2AF2 proteins, each bound to a prototypical AdML polypyrimidine tract, at 1.5, 1.4, or 1.7 Å resolutions. The N196K residue appears to stabilize the open conformation of U2AF2 with an inter-RNA recognition motif hydrogen bond, in agreement with an increased apparent RNA-binding affinity of the N196K-substituted protein. The G301D residue remains in a similar position as the WT residue, where unfavorable proximity to the RNA phosphodiester could explain the decreased RNA-binding affinity of the G301D-substituted protein. We found that expression of the G301D-substituted U2AF2 protein reduces splicing of a minigene transcript carrying prototypical splice sites. We further show that expression of either N196K- or G301D-substituted U2AF2 can subtly alter splicing of representative endogenous transcripts, despite the presence of endogenous, WT U2AF2 such as would be present in cancer cells. Altogether, our results demonstrate that acquired U2AF2 mutations such as N196K and G301D are capable of dysregulating gene expression for neoplastic transformation.




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Formal Representation for Young People Enhances Politics for All

10 September 2020

Ben Horton

Communications Manager, Communications and Publishing

Michel Alimasi

Member, Common Futures Conversations, Italy

Gift Jedida

Member, Common Futures Conversations, Kenya

Sanne Thijssen

Member, Common Futures Conversations, Netherlands

Mondher Tounsi

Member, Common Futures Conversations, Tunisia
Despite grassroots associations, community organizing and online groups offering pathways for political engagement, the room for youth representation in international politics remains narrow, with many young people still left feeling they are passive participants in policymaking.

CFC Youth Participation EC_10092020.png

Youth protests at Parliament square against a new exam rating system which has been introduced in British education system - London, England on August 16, 2020. Photo by Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

According to UN Youth, people aged 15-24 make up one-sixth of the world’s population but, in roughly one-third of countries, the eligibility for parliamentarians begins at 25 years old and only 1.6% of parliamentarians are in their twenties. Young people are largely being excluded and overlooked, both as political candidates and even as participants in political processes, giving them limited political control over their own futures. 

If politics continues to be regarded as a space for older, more politically experienced individuals from particular backgrounds, young people will continue to be left systematically marginalized, and overall disengagement with politics within societies will continue to grow. Global leaders may increasingly point out the importance of youth representation in national and international fora, but the reality is their real policymaking impact still comes mainly from self-organized and informal activities.

And yet, despite this continued exclusion, huge numbers of young people are interested in political and civic engagement, and they have been driven to create new spaces. Youth networks, movements, and constituencies have emerged which provide the opportunity for younger voices to express political stances, and thus enhance the diversity and inclusivity of political debate. 

From the global Extinction Rebellion protests, to the student-led Rhodes Must Fall movement in South Africa and the UK, there are numerous examples of the power of informal youth networks and movements pushing for change. In certain cases, such as Sudan’s political revolution in 2019, we can see how direct action by young people creates major impact, but unfortunately these successes are few as most informal initiatives remain overlooked and undervalued. 

Putting youth representation into government

Creating diverse representation requires the linking of vital informal networks to formal political processes. In response to a recent Common Futures Conversations challenge, one mechanism with the potential to achieve this aim that emerged is creating dedicated youth representatives within government departments, so that qualified young people with relevant expertise are formally appointed to act as the link between government and informal youth movements. 

These individuals should be hired as employees rather than volunteers and take up the responsibilities of a government employee, supported by a large network of youth-led movements and initiatives as well as a smaller, voluntary advisory board of young people. 

This network then acts as a sounding board for the representative, gathering the opinions in their local communities and bringing forward crucial concerns so the youth representatives can confidently feed into policymaking processes with a clear sense of the substance of youth opinion. Alongside the network, a voluntary board of young people could provide additional support to the representatives when required to consult a broader range of youth organizations.

Both in the youth network and the board, a key priority is to involve different movements and initiatives reflecting diversities such as geographic spread, people who are marginalized due to ethnicity, gender or sexuality, educational and professional backgrounds, and other factors. 

Implementing such a structure would ensure more diversity in youth representation, something which is missing in many existing youth participation and formal political structures. Representation needs to move away from only highly-educated youth living in cities to ensure more influence for those young people usually left on the sidelines. 

Youth involvement in politics leads to better civic engagement overall. It improves the influence and access of young people, and supports governments becoming more inclusive and responsive to the plurality of voices they are representing. It also has the potential of encouraging millions more people to become properly engaged with politics. 

In order to gain support from parliamentarians and policymakers, it is crucial to highlight these benefits and demonstrate how the support of young people helps shift the political landscape for the better. All the necessary parties already exist in most countries, so all that is required is to drive a collective initiative and for both governments and the youth to take responsibility for making it work.

As the former president of Ireland Mary Robinson said during a recent Chatham House Centenary event: ‘We need to make space for young people so we can hear their voices, their imagination, their commitment to question and speak truth to power. We need young people to feel that they are part of the solution.’ 

Building formal structures is a necessary step to achieving this vision, as it provides practical solutions to realize a more diverse, inclusive and meaningful participation of the youth in politics, and also creates more representative and responsive governments.