The trials of W. L. Neale

W. L. Neale, the Chief Inspector of the Education Department of South Australia, was invited to accept appointment as Director of Education in Tasmania in 1905. His attempts to centralise control of the Department antagonised the local Boards of Advice and his curricular innovations confused the many incompetent teachers, whom he rebuked and criticised publicly. The opposition of these two groups to Neale was so bitter that three Royal Commissions were held to investigate allegations made against him. The few competent teachers supported Neale, but his own lack of tact alienated public opinion and Parliament accepted the recommendation of the third Commission to terminate his services. His ability was outstanding and his dismissal a sad setback to education in Tasmania

Australia and the Republic of Korea: still allies or just good friends?

Australia's participation in the Korean War of 1950-1953 had more to do with domestic factors and wider international considerations, than with any feelings of affinity with the Korean people. Circumstances have greatly changed since then, but some remnants of that military involvement still survive in the form of the United Nations Command (UNC) and the Sixteen Nation Declaration of 1953. While tensions between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea remain high, the possibility of the UNC becoming involved in a fresh outbreak of hostilities will always remain. Prime Minister Bob Hawke has clearly stated that Australian security interests are not directly engaged in the Korean peninsula, but considering the growth in Australia's bilateral relationship with the Republic of Korea s{nce the war and the alliances both countries now share with the United States, Australia would face a difficult decision should there be another security crisis in Kore a, and Australian assistance once again be sought

Myanmar's armed forces and the Rohingya crisis

"In the wake of the 2016 and 2017 “area clearance operations” against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, this report explores the structure, training, and ethos of the Myanmar armed forces to clarify the implications and challenges of, as well as the prospects for, a solution and an accounting for past events. Drawing on an in-depth review of the literature, extensive field experience, and interviews, the report is produced by the Asia Center at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) as part of its effort to inform policy and strategies on managing violent conflict"

Interpreting Myanmar

Since the abortive 1988 pro-democracy uprising, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has attracted increased attention from a wide range of observers. Yet, despite all the statements, publications and documentary films made about the country over the past 32 years, it is still little known and poorly understood. It remains the subject of many myths, mysteries and misconceptions. Between 2008 and 2019, Andrew Selth clarified and explained contemporary developments in Myanmar on the Lowy Institute's internationally acclaimed blog, The Interpreter. This collection of his 97 articles provides a fascinating and informative record of that critical period, and helps to explain many issues that remain relevant today

MiR-766 induces p53 accumulation and G2/M arrest by directly targeting MDM4

p53, a transcription factor that participates in multiple cellular functions, is considered the most important tumor suppressor. Previous evidence suggests that post-transcriptional deregulation of p53 by microRNAs contributes to tumorigenesis, tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. In the present study, we found that the microRNA miR-766 was aberrantly expressed in breast cancer, and that over-expression of miR-766 caused accumulation of wild-type p53 protein in multiple cancer cell lines. Supporting its role in the p53 signalling pathway, miR-766 decreased cell proliferation and colony formation in several cancer cell lines, and cell cycle analyses revealed that miR-766 causes G2 arrest. At a mechanistic level, we demonstrate that miR-766 enhances p53 signalling by directly targeting MDM4, an oncogene and negative regulator of p53. Analysis of clinical genomic data from multiple cancer types supports the relevance of miR-766 in p53 signalling. Collectively, our study demonstrates that miR-766 can function as a novel tumor suppressor by enhancing p53 signalling.Qingqing Wang, Luke A. Selth and David F. Calle

Burma's secret military partners

Since the armed forces (or Tatmadaw) took back direct control of the country in 1988, Burma has consistently been branded a pariah state by the Western democracies, and made to endure a wide range of political, economic and military sanctions. As a result, the Burmese armed forces have lost much of the access they once enjoyed to the arms, training and military technology of their traditional suppliers, such as the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany. Some countries, however, have deliberately ignored this body of international opinion and developed close defence relations with the Rangoon regime. While a few, such as the People's Republic of China, have barely troubled to conceal such ties, there are other smaller and diplomatically more vulnerable countries which have attempted to hide the links that now exist between their armed forces and arms industries, and those of Burma. Three countries which stand out most strongly in this latter group are Singapore, Israel and Pakistan, all of which currently enjoy significant military partnerships with Burma. Suggestions that Germany has quietly resumed its former links with the Tatmadaw, however, remain unconfirmed