The Know Daily - Thursday 31 August 2023

_{Thursday 31 August ∙ Read in 5m 50s ∙ Listening to Selena Gomez}

An environmental project has seen the return of Takahē - large, flightless birds once thought to be extinct - to the wilderness of New Zealand’s South Island. This conservation victory comes amid a broader national effort to protect the county’s unique species; last year, kiwi birds were reintroduced to wild spaces on the outskirts of the city of Wellington for the first time in generations.

⚖️ Sentencing law change

Judges will be given the power to order criminals to attend sentencing hearings - including by force if necessary - under new laws proposed by the Ministry of Justice.

What prompted the announcement?
The news comes after a number of “high-profile offenders” - including Lucy Letby and the killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel - failed to attend their sentence hearings, said The Guardian.

How would this work in practice?
“Every effort will be made for victims and their families to see justice delivered,” said the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in a statement published on Wednesday.

The new powers - which only affect England and Wales - mean that custody officers will be able to use reasonable force to make criminals appear in the dock or via video link. In certain cases, those who refuse to attend could have an extra two years added to their sentence.

However, some critics have described the proposals as unworkable, as there is “no incentive” for those with a whole-life tariff to appear in the dock if they do not want to, reported The Independent.

How has the news been received?
Positively - by the tabloids at least. “We’ll see you in court, cowards”, reads today’s Metro front page, while the Daily Mail has led with: “At last, killers will have to face justice”.

But Bryn Hughes, the father of a murdered police officer, has warned against a “kneejerk, headline-grabbing” response. He cautioned that if compelled to appear, some prisoners’ behaviour in court could be extremely distressing for victims’ families.

Anything else I should know?
The MoJ announcement comes as Health Secretary Steve Barclay has confirmed that the inquiry into why hospital bosses did not report Letby sooner would be upgraded to a statutory one.

“The move will give it legal powers to force witnesses, including staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked, to give evidence under oath,” explained The Independent. The decision follows criticism from families of the victims that the initial inquiry did not go far enough.

🎭 Sustainability in the spotlight

Tales of actors’ excessive on-set demands have long made headline-grabbing tabloid fodder - but more than 100 stars have backed a new campaign aimed at making film and TV production greener.

Tell me more.
Stars including Natalie Dormer, Bella Ramsey and Ben Whishaw have publicly pledged support for entertainment union Equity’s “Green Rider” initiative, agreeing to consider and reduce the carbon impact of conditions attached to their contracts.

These conditions are known as “riders” and typically relate to issues such as accommodation, nudity and travel. But as Variety pointed out, “they’ve also been associated with the draconian demands made by high-profile stars who request things like all-white furniture or the use of a private jet”.

So what’s changing?
Equity describes its “Green Rider” initiative as a “template” to help actors negotiate more sustainable practices for the industry. Stars are being encouraged to add specific green clauses into their contracts, such as “rejecting private air travel” or “recycling sets and costumes”, said The Guardian.

And how has the campaign been received?
Some in the industry have greeted the initiative “with scepticism, noting the negative impact and high carbon footprint of many big budget TV shows and films”, said Sky News’ Bethany Minelle.

But the stars backing the campaign have stressed that although there will be limitations, the scheme can make a positive impact. “Just because we can’t do everything, doesn’t mean we can’t do anything,” said actor Mark Rylance.

🌙 Marvellous moon: A rare blue supermoon appeared in the sky last night, peaking at around 2.35am in the UK. Sky News has a stunning gallery of the spectacle.

🚔 Disciplinary system reforms: The government is introducing a change to the law which will see police officers in England and Wales face automatic dismissal if they are found guilty of gross misconduct. The reforms will also enable the sacking of officers who fail re-vetting checks while in post.

🏥 Surgical studies: Patients have better outcomes when they are operated on by female surgeons, according to two major studies by doctors in Canada and Sweden. The researchers are investigating reasons for the difference, but it could be connected to speed, technique and risk-taking.

🇬🇦 Gabon coup: Military leaders in the Central African nation of Gabon appeared on state TV on Thursday, claiming to have seized power from President Ali Bongo. If the coup succeeds, it will be one of at least nine to have taken place in Africa in the past three years.

🐢 Tally the turtle: An endangered sea turtle, who washed up on a beach in north Wales, is being returned to his Texas home 4,000 miles away as part of a “complex operation” which will see him flown across continents.

Trivia answer: A) Activists have been putting up fake warning signs at beaches across Mallorca, Spain, in order to deter tourists. One sign warns of “falling rocks” in English - but a line underneath in Catalan explains that “the problem isn’t a rockfall, it’s mass tourism”.

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