The road to COP27: In conversation with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry 27 October 2022 — 3:00PM TO 4:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 20 October 2022 Chatham House and Online

What will progress on climate change look like at COP27?

With global attention zeroing in on COP27, policymakers and world leaders will meet in Egypt to take the next step in the fight against the climate crisis. The planet is on course to warm well beyond 1.5°C and climate hazards are increasing our exposure to climate risk. Violent and unpredictable weather events increasingly leave devastation among communities, particularly in vulnerable countries.

At the same time, the ripple effects of the conflict in Ukraine will have wide-ranging economic, social and geopolitical consequences for years to come. Whilst some finance is being made available, more is needed to properly address the damage caused by climate change and fund the transition to net zero worldwide. These challenges have become more acute as the world grapples with a growing energy crisis, the war in Ukraine and a troubling economic outlook.

Joined by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, the following questions are considered:

• Is ‘1.5 degrees’ still on track?

• How can countries better collaborate to move to net zero faster?

• How can we achieve progress on adaptation, climate finance, and loss and damage?

As with all members events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

Read the transcript. 

In conversation with Rahul Gandhi 6 March 2023 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 27 February 2023 Chatham House and Online

The former president of the Indian National Congress discusses how today’s world will set the path for the world’s biggest democracy.

Soon to be the world’s largest population, and with a rapidly growing economy and an increasing presence in global affairs, India’s place in the world is changing.

Hosting the G20 this year, the New Delhi summit in September 2023 is a symbol of India’s growing might, moving from emerging to prominent player on the world stage.

However, challenges faced by the country are substantial. Frosty relations with China, ongoing tension with Pakistan, climate catastrophe, and food insecurity all represent significant global concerns to India.

Internally, the hurdles are imposing. Millions still live below the poverty line and demographic instability poses risks to the country. The state of democracy across the country is consistently questioned.

At this event, Rahul Gandhi explores key questions including:

• How does India see the impact of the war in Ukraine?
• Will New Delhi be able to balance relations between the West and Russia?
• Can India offer an alternative vision for Asia that challenges China?
• Internally, to what extent is democracy in India under strain?
• Can India’s economy evolve to create a wide-reaching, prosperous nation in the coming years?

As with all member events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

In conversation with Ehud Barak 27 March 2023 — 12:00PM TO 1:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 21 March 2023 Chatham House and Online

The former prime minister of Israel discusses his country’s political outlook and foreign policy priorities.

On the eve of its 75th independence anniversary, Israel is at a critical crossroads. Weeks of long, intense protests surrounding judicial reforms pursued by the current government have widened the debate over the role played by the, so far independent, judiciary, notably the Supreme Court.

Supporters on both sides of the argument are fighting over different visions of Israel – a true liberal-democracy, or a much-reduced version of a democratic system. Whichever side of the argument people fall, the debate symbolizes tension in Israel’s society and decline in trust of its political and constitutional institutions.

Abroad, the situation remains intricate. Israel-Iran relations remain on a knife edge while the Abraham Accords normalized relations with parts of the Gulf. Then there are the continual issues surrounding relations with the Palestinians and their right to self-determination and statehood.

Old international challenges are now rubbing up against the new. Israel is part of a changing power dynamic in the Middle East, the result of a much-reduced US footprint. Furthermore, it must now contend with the other global superpower in China and continue to work on its response to the war in Ukraine.

Amid its domestic struggle to maintain its democratic character, fast-moving regional and international developments are in need of addressing. Friends and allies are deeply concerned with the country’s constitutional crisis, potentially re-evaluating their relations with the Jewish state.

Former prime minister of Israel Ehud Barak lays out his views on the complexities of domestic and international challenges facing Israel today.

Questions covered include:

• What are the main root causes of the current constitutional crisis, and how could it be best resolved?
• Could the current situation lead to a breakdown of the political system, even widespread violence?
• How could the current circumstances in Israel and Palestine affect relations between the two and any prospect for peace negotiations?
• How will US-Israel relations stand up against China’s influence in the region?
• What is Israel’s interpretation of the war in Ukraine and how is the country affected?

As with all member events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

Chatham House exhibition - In conversation with the future 19 April 2023 — 6:00PM TO 8:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 31 March 2023 Chatham House

Hear from the innovative leaders and companies driving change towards a more sustainable future.

This event is an opportunity to hear from the innovative leaders and companies driving change towards a more sustainable future.

The evening begins with a panel discussion then, over sustainably sourced drinks and canapés, you are invited to walk through Chatham House and explore the innovative and experimental ideas enabling radical shifts to allow us to prosper without exhausting our planet’s resources.

Our exhibiting partners include Earthshot Prize winner NotPla, Hawkins Brown, Polymateria, and BEEN London. 

Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House, opens the evening at 6pm and introduces our panel of experts, chaired by Ana Yang, head of Chatham House’s Sustainability Accelerator. 

Please note that this event is operating a ballot for in-person attendance. Your place will be confirmed by Wednesday 12 April if you are successful.

In conversation with Edi Rama, prime minister of Albania 23 March 2023 — 5:30PM TO 6:30PM Anonymous (not verified) 13 March 2023 Chatham House and Online

From migration to Russia and China, how is Albania responding to the geopolitical challenges of today?

In late 2022, the UK government made a pointed remark that many of the illegal migrants attempting to get into the country were from Albania. In response, Albania prime minister Edi Rama replied that targeting Albanians as the cause of Britain’s crime and border problems ‘makes for easy rhetoric but ignores hard fact’. 

This nuanced response demonstrated the challenges and complexities that Albania faces, the same as many other countries. As well as being embroiled in the major challenge of international migration, Albania has suffered from a serious cyber-attack in July 2022 from Iran. Government networks were compromised for a month with Tirana removing the Iranian embassy in the capital.

Then there is the ongoing threat from Russia and China. Nestled in the already volatile Balkans, Albania has been at the heart of international affairs in recent months.

Prime Minister Rama speaks at Chatham House to discuss:

• How is Albania responding to Russian aggression and what is its stance on Ukraine?
• Where does Tirana believe China poses the most serious threat?
• How can countries in Europe best respond to illegal migration and better control the flow of people?
• How is the region of the Western Balkans effected by the war in Ukraine and how can it contribute to the security challenges posed by the war?

As with all member events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

The U.S. Space Force will take over satellite communications billets, funding and mission responsibility from the U.S. Army and Navy, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday.

SpaceX on Saturday successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a payload of 22 Starlink Internet communications satellite from Cape Canaveral in Florida, marking a state record 73rd orbital rocket launch this year.

SpaceX has scrubbed Tuesday's launch of 20 Starlink Internet satellites into orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California until Wednesday, adding to its massive constellation designed to provide online servic

SpaceX successfully launched Wednesday a new batch of Starlink satellites into orbit to further its mission to expand Internet access to the global population in now more than 200 space missions.

The first wood-panel satellite is on a SpaceX flight to the International Space Station, where it will test the durability of wood in space.

SpaceX launched another batch of 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Thursday at 3:19 p.m. EST.

SpaceX successful launched a South Korean communication satellite from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday afternoon.

In this ode to improvisation, musician and comedian Reggie Watts beatboxes, raps, loops his own rhythms and reflects upon the everyday power of turning the mundane into magic. After all, he says, we're all just making it up as we go along.

States’ efforts so far suggest there won’t be enough money to go around for all the learning losses of students with disabilities from COVID-19 school shutdowns.

Relying on newly available data under ESSA, a local advocacy group found several districts that spend more money on wealthy students than poor students, despite the state's intentions.

States’ efforts so far suggest there won’t be enough money to go around for all the learning losses of students with disabilities from COVID-19 school shutdowns.

A state department leader outlines the challenges and benefits of partnering with researchers in school turnaround efforts in Tennessee.

The "Manned Orbiting Laboratory," or "MOL," was built to capture high-resolution images of Soviet targets on the ground. It was so advanced, it could pick up objects on earth as small as a baseball

Are you the kind of person who needs to know what keeps satellites from plummeting to the Earth in a big, fiery ball? Then you need to watch this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze gives us the lowdown on what-in-the-name-of-science makes those satellites stay up.

Despite being just one minute long, this Ask Smithsonian video hosted by Eric Schulze is crammed full of strange things you never knew – but should – about Saturn’s rings. Prepare to be amazed.

Atlantic staff writer Frank Foer interviews Damion Thomas about athletes moving from a position of apathy to engagement

Sarah Parcak | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winner for History This tech-savvy researcher of our past uses satellites and other remote-sensing tools to discover and explore stunning new evidence of lost cultures—including, just this year, another possible Viking site in North America. In addition, she has located an astonishing number of ancient Egyptian remains—thousands of settlements, lost tombs and hidden pyramids. A Yale- and Cambridge-trained Egyptologist and archaeologist, Parcak is a professor of anthropology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she serves as founding director of the Laboratory for Global Observation. Read more about Parcak’s work: http://smithmag.co/ZuwTGP | #IngenuityAwards And more about the American Ingenuity Awards: http://smithmag.co/77xPqy

The two discussed their ancestors’ legacy more than 150 years after the famous figures both attended the Seneca Falls Convention. (Credit: Drew Gardner)

A ring could explain a mysterious arrangement of impact craters near the equator and might even have caused an ice age, according to a new study

The baby pygmy hippopotamus in a Thailand zoo has taken the internet by storm, and keepers hope she will help gain momentum for conservation efforts

It's curtains for the NASA mission's close relationship with the satellite

Police have reported that a man was fatally electrocuted in Torbay on Saturday evening. Two others are being treated for injuries.

A new film revisits the 90 minutes before the first episode of "Saturday Night Live" premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war, a source familiar with the conversation said, but the Kremlin denied the two had spoken.

SolidWorks CAD Software Enables Engineering Students to Fit ‘CubeSat’ Components Into a Four-Inch Square Box

Starting in March, the SAT, taken by more than 1.4 Million college-gound students, will undergo its most significant change since 1994.

A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a proposed plan that would have paid certain student-athletes as much as $5,000 annually in deferred compensation.

About two dozen teachers from across the country spent a week wrestling with questions about how to remember the Confederacy.

Many medical scheme members mistakenly believe obtaining pre-authorisation for a procedure or treatment means their claims will be paid in full.

Pre-authorisation does not guarantee payment of your claim but it does help prevent claims that are denied or short-paid.

Prospective students and their families are invited to tour Penn State Berks at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, with Lion Ambassador student tour guides.

A small portion of a $600 million settlement will be used to improve services and supports for children impacted by the city's water crisis.

Three OMers take a five-week missions mobilisation tour across Argentina, covering 7,000 km and talking to hundreds of people.

By striking up a conversation at the garage, worker finds a car mechanic open to talking about prayer and fasting.

The Government Employees' Pension Fund delivered a return of 4.9% on investments for its members in the year to end-March.

A girl from the Netherlands comes to OM Chile with passion to do evangelism. Instead, she gains a true appreciation for mobilisation.

A Central Asian girl receives her first wheelchair.

Google is said to be working on an artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will let users get real-time responses and ask follow-up queries. As per a leak, the new feature is called conversational search, and it is being added to the Google app for Android. With this, when users ask a voice query, the app is said to show real-time responses as well as allow them to ask follow-up questions.

The NISAR satellite, a joint NASA-ISRO Earth observation mission launching in 2025, will provide precise data on shifts in Earth’s surface, focusing on high-risk areas. Using advanced radar technology, the satellite aims to support natural disaster response and infrastructure monitoring by tracking subtle movements in regions prone to earthquakes and landslides. With each organisation contributing specialised radar systems, the collaboration is a significant leap forward in space-based Earth monitoring.

Launched in 1969, the UK's oldest satellite, Skynet-1A, has moved significantly from its original position. Experts believe this was due to a deliberate command in the 1970s. The satellite now orbits over the Americas, near active satellite traffic, raising risks of collisions. Limited records exist regarding its control history, with suggestions of temporary US oversight. The UK’s Ministry of Defence is monitoring the satellite to prevent conflicts with modern space assets, but experts warn of increasing debris risk from aging satellites.

Starlink has been looking to enter India for years and its plans got a major boost last month when New Delhi said it wouldn't auction spectrum for satellite broadband but rather award it administratively - just as Musk wanted. Rival Indian telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani had wanted an auction.

Amjad Khan worked in over 132 films in a career spanning nearly two decades

Rupali Ganguly recently issued a defamation notice to her stepdaughter, Esha Verma, demanding a compensation of Rs 50 crore

Free one-day-only affair showcases one of Delaware’s most historic estates

Free one-day-only affair showcases one of Delaware’s most historic estates.