This thread is for political topics that have not been covered in other threads and can come from anywhere in the world. Should a specific topic grow legs, it could be split.
General Politics without a home elsewhere.
- Thread starter Birdjaguar
- Start date
Thailand and Cambodia are on the brink of war?
Thailand has evacuated more than 130,000 people along its border with Cambodia as the worst fighting between the two neighbours in more than a decade spread to new areas, with both sides firing artillery.
Thailand declares martial law in border areas amid fighting with Cambodia
Thailand has declared martial law in eight districts after deadly cross-border clashes with Cambodia forced over 130,000 civilians to flee. At least 16 people have been killed since clashes tied to a territorial dispute erupted Thursday. Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng reports from northeast Thailand.
- Thailand and Cambodia continue to exchange fire, as their worst cross-border fighting in years that has killed some 15 people – mostly civilians – entered a second day.
- Authorities in Thailand declare martial law in eight districts bordering Cambodia amid ongoing heavy clashes.
- Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet says he backed a regional proposal for a ceasefire but Thailand withdrew its initial support for the plan. Thailand says it agreed “in principle” with the proposal and will consider it.
- Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border as locals seek shelter amid the frontier fighting.
Thailand has evacuated more than 130,000 people along its border with Cambodia as the worst fighting between the two neighbours in more than a decade spread to new areas, with both sides firing artillery.
Thailand declares martial law in border areas amid fighting with Cambodia
Thailand has declared martial law in eight districts after deadly cross-border clashes with Cambodia forced over 130,000 civilians to flee. At least 16 people have been killed since clashes tied to a territorial dispute erupted Thursday. Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng reports from northeast Thailand.
Artillery fire at the moment; I wonder when they will change to drones.
Austria legalises state spyware amidst strong opposition
Austria is set to legalise the use of highly-intrusive spyware by state authorities. The government has justified the law in the name of monitoring encrypted messaging applications. Opponents warn that there is no way to prevent the authorities accessing reams of sensitive information on targeted individuals, despite official promises to the contrary. Civil society organisations and opposition parties have promised to challenge the law in court.
Government officials insist that the spyware will be restricted to targeting messaging apps and that broader system-wide searches will not be permitted.
However, technical experts have repeatedly warned that such limitations are practically unenforceable in real-world applications.
Spyware with the capability to intercept encrypted communications inevitably provides access to a wide array of personal information stored on the device, including photos, files, emails, contacts, and location data.
Critics note that this effectively bypasses all existing security protections, raising serious questions about the proportionality, necessity, and legality of such intrusive surveillance powers.
Austria is set to legalise the use of highly-intrusive spyware by state authorities. The government has justified the law in the name of monitoring encrypted messaging applications. Opponents warn that there is no way to prevent the authorities accessing reams of sensitive information on targeted individuals, despite official promises to the contrary. Civil society organisations and opposition parties have promised to challenge the law in court.
Government officials insist that the spyware will be restricted to targeting messaging apps and that broader system-wide searches will not be permitted.
However, technical experts have repeatedly warned that such limitations are practically unenforceable in real-world applications.
Spyware with the capability to intercept encrypted communications inevitably provides access to a wide array of personal information stored on the device, including photos, files, emails, contacts, and location data.
Critics note that this effectively bypasses all existing security protections, raising serious questions about the proportionality, necessity, and legality of such intrusive surveillance powers.
Broken_Erika
Play with me.
Over 200 candidates sign up for Poilievre's byelection — doubling previous record
91 candidates were on a single ballot last election
More than 200 candidates, mostly associated with a group of electoral reform advocates, have signed up to run in an upcoming federal byelection next month. The number more than doubles the previous record on a single ballot.Former Alberta MP Damien Kurek vacated his seat in Battle River-Crowfoot to give Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a chance to rejoin the House of Commons. Poilievre lost his longtime Carleton riding in April's general election.
A group known as the Longest Ballot Committee has been organizing candidates to run in byelections in recent years in an effort to push for electoral reform.
The committee's organizers want to put a citizens' assembly in charge of electoral reform and say political parties are too reluctant to make government more representative of the electorate.
- Poilievre wants bill to stop 'longest ballot scam' introduced this fall
- 'This is a scam': Poilievre wants rules changed to stop long ballot protests
- Elections chief proposes rule changes to discourage 'longest ballot' protests
As of Sunday evening, 209 candidates had registered to run in Battle River-Crowfoot, exceeding the committee's goal of 200.
That's more than double the previous record of 91 which has occurred twice in the past year: during a byelection in LaSalle-Emard-Verdun last September and Carleton during the last general election.
That number of candidates resulted in a ballot roughly a metre long. The massive ballots have resulted in delays in vote counting and have confounded some voters.
Elections Canada told CBC News on Wednesday that it will finalize ways to minimize disruptions from the long ballots.
"We are looking at ways to [simplify] things based on recent experiences with elections involving a higher-than-usual number of candidates. We will finalize our plans after the deadline for candidate nominations," spokesperson Matthew McKenna said in an email.
Elections Canada has already had to make changes to accommodate the mammoth-sized ballots — mostly through early counting and bringing in extra workers.
Although the Longest Ballot Committee has organized in two elections where Poilievre is running, the group has also targeted Liberal strongholds such as Toronto-St. Paul's and LaSalle-Émard-Verdun in 2024.
But the advocates' efforts to push the limits of a ballot have sparked calls for changes, most recently from Poilievre himself who has called the protests a "scam."
The Conservative leader wrote a letter to government House leader Steven MacKinnon last week calling for legislation to change Canada's election rules in an effort to curb the long ballot protests. A spokesperson for MacKinnon's office said the Liberals share those concerns and are open to changes.
MPs were debating legislation last Parliamentary session that could have implemented some of Poilievre's proposed changes — specifically to limit electors to only signing one nomination form. The advocates have voters sign multiple forms.
Elections Canada head Stéphane Perrault himself made the suggestion in front of a committee of MPs that was studying a bill to amend the Canada Elections Act before Parliament was prorogued.
Perrault argued that "certain penalties" should be imposed on individuals who sign — or encourage others to sign — multiple nomination papers in an effort to get as many candidates on a ballot as possible, though he didn't say what those penalties should be.
The deadline to register as a candidate in Battle River-Crowfoot is Monday. Voters head to the polls on Aug. 18.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ov...-ballot-byelection-canadian-history-1.7592185
Do you know how much it costs to run? In the UK it is £500, and you get it back if you get 5% of the vote.
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What is the point/goal of all this?
I think there are about 200 points.
Traffic fatalities are a political choice
Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
Helsinki has not recorded a single traffic fatality in the past 12 months, city and police officials confirmed this week.
The city's most recent fatal accident occurred in early July 2024 on Keinulaudantie in the city's Kontula district.
Authorities are calling the situation exceptional.
"A lot of factors contributed to this, but speed limits are one of the most important," said Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer with the city's Urban Environment Division.
Slower speeds, safer streets
According to Utriainen, more than half of Helsinki's streets now have a speed limit of 30 km/h. Fifty years ago, that proportion featured 50 km/h limits.
Earlier this summer, Helsinki decided to lower speed limits near schools to 30 km/h, a measure that is set to take effect as the academic year begins.
Smarter design and better enforcement
Street design has also played a key role. Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure has been significantly upgraded in recent years. In addition, cooperation with traffic police has intensified and more traffic cameras and automated enforcement systems have been introduced.
"Public transport in Helsinki is excellent, which reduces car use, and with it, the number of serious accidents," Utriainen noted.
Vehicle technology has also improved, making both cars and other personal transport options safer than ever.
The positive trend extends beyond fatalities. In the past year, there were 277 injury-causing traffic accidents in Helsinki — a sharp contrast to the nearly 1,000 injurious accidents recorded annually in the late 1980s, when traffic deaths in the city commonly approached 30 per year.
Long-term effort pays off
Helsinki's current traffic safety strategy, covering 2022–2026, is nearing completion. It has focused on improving safety for children, youth, pedestrians and cyclists with safer crosswalks and smarter intersection design.
Much of the planning has been data-driven, enabled by improved traffic monitoring tools.
Utriainen credited the improvement to decades of sustained effort.
"The direction has been positive for years," he said, pointing out that no pedestrians were killed in Helsinki traffic in 2019 either.
Traffic education has also improved, but Utriainen emphasised that credit belongs to everyone on the road — motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
One newer challenge has been the widespread use of electric scooters.
"They became popular around five years ago, somewhat unexpectedly. But since then, many solutions have been put in place," Utriainen said.
The EU's long-term goal is zero traffic deaths by 2050 — a policy dubbed "Vision Zero." Is it achievable or wishful thinking?
"For us, it's more about how the goal guides our everyday actions," said Utriainen. "We aim to assess all our decisions based on their long-term impact."
Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
Helsinki has not recorded a single traffic fatality in the past 12 months, city and police officials confirmed this week.
The city's most recent fatal accident occurred in early July 2024 on Keinulaudantie in the city's Kontula district.
Authorities are calling the situation exceptional.
"A lot of factors contributed to this, but speed limits are one of the most important," said Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer with the city's Urban Environment Division.
Slower speeds, safer streets
According to Utriainen, more than half of Helsinki's streets now have a speed limit of 30 km/h. Fifty years ago, that proportion featured 50 km/h limits.
Earlier this summer, Helsinki decided to lower speed limits near schools to 30 km/h, a measure that is set to take effect as the academic year begins.
Smarter design and better enforcement
Street design has also played a key role. Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure has been significantly upgraded in recent years. In addition, cooperation with traffic police has intensified and more traffic cameras and automated enforcement systems have been introduced.
"Public transport in Helsinki is excellent, which reduces car use, and with it, the number of serious accidents," Utriainen noted.
Vehicle technology has also improved, making both cars and other personal transport options safer than ever.
The positive trend extends beyond fatalities. In the past year, there were 277 injury-causing traffic accidents in Helsinki — a sharp contrast to the nearly 1,000 injurious accidents recorded annually in the late 1980s, when traffic deaths in the city commonly approached 30 per year.
Long-term effort pays off
Helsinki's current traffic safety strategy, covering 2022–2026, is nearing completion. It has focused on improving safety for children, youth, pedestrians and cyclists with safer crosswalks and smarter intersection design.
Much of the planning has been data-driven, enabled by improved traffic monitoring tools.
Utriainen credited the improvement to decades of sustained effort.
"The direction has been positive for years," he said, pointing out that no pedestrians were killed in Helsinki traffic in 2019 either.
Traffic education has also improved, but Utriainen emphasised that credit belongs to everyone on the road — motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
One newer challenge has been the widespread use of electric scooters.
"They became popular around five years ago, somewhat unexpectedly. But since then, many solutions have been put in place," Utriainen said.
The EU's long-term goal is zero traffic deaths by 2050 — a policy dubbed "Vision Zero." Is it achievable or wishful thinking?
"For us, it's more about how the goal guides our everyday actions," said Utriainen. "We aim to assess all our decisions based on their long-term impact."
Ordnael
Emperor
Hard not to agree with that premise "Traffic fatalities are a political choice", but even somewhat far away from the big city I am also seeing a rise of electric scooters on the streets mainly tweens and young adults but also grown ups and guess what?...99% of sights without a helmet or any kind of joint protection zipping along road traffic or worst on the sidewalk at 30/40+ kph
...there'd better be safer political choices otherwise we will see a rise in serious injuries!
...there'd better be safer political choices otherwise we will see a rise in serious injuries!I am really really into electric bikes as a transport solution, but I do not see why anyone would choose a scooter over a bike. The whole physics thing with the centre of gravity so far above the axis of the front wheels seems to both massively limit your braking ability and make you highly vulnerable to going over face first if you hit any sort of obstacle. Perhaps they are a little cheaper to make, but the battery and electric motor are the same and they must be most of the cost.Hard not to agree with that premise "Traffic fatalities are a political choice", but even somewhat far away from the big city I am also seeing a rise of electric scooters on the streets mainly tweens and young adults but also grown ups and guess what?...99% of sights without a helmet or any kind of joint protection zipping along road traffic or worst on the sidewalk at 30/40+ kph
Canadian Bluebeer
King
Really silly way to go about it. Oh wait, look what party it came from. (rhino party)
Broken_Erika
Play with me.
Our Politics does have a certain amount of siliness to it, remember when the two conservative parties merged and called themselves the CCRA? Add party to the end of it and you get CCRAP.Really silly way to go about it. Oh wait, look what party it came from. (rhino party)
Voidwalkin
Emperor
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2024
- Messages
- 1,680
Speed. I have several bikes, including an e-bike that tops out at approximately 30. It can go faster, but requires a few mods I've never bothered to make. It really is not a good idea to go faster than 30 anyway.
The scooters being made have top speeds of 55mph and little to no regulation surrounding them. They're really, really fast. Eventually, as accidents predictably start to pile up, that will change, but for now, there is nothing near that fast on the market outta the shop.
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