Latest news with #Langbroek
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘When did people get so frightened of ideas': Inside the final days of The Project
'The conventional wisdom was that the show wouldn't last six months because on paper, it's bonkers,' he says. 'But what it had was a spirit and an irreverent attitude that felt of this country and of this place. It chimes with the Australian character in so many ways.' Loading In recent weeks, commentators have suggested the program's declining ratings – due largely to shifting viewer habits driven by technological change – were a result of it being 'too woke'. Such claims were rubbished by Steve Price, who told the Herald Sun that he was both a 'conservative old white guy' and The Project's longest-serving panel member. 'You're not usually talking about people who've spent their time watching the show before forming a view,' Aly says of its more vocal critics, 'so then it becomes something independent of what the show actually is – an avatar, basically. Then people react to that avatar, or to headlines about the show, rather than the show itself. But the response [from viewers] has been overwhelmingly lovely.' Privately, some producers believe the increasingly hostile tenor of public debate – underpinned by an assumption that anyone with an opinion contrary to one's own is not just misguided but morally deficient – contributed to the cancellation of The Project and ABC's Q+A. It's a theme that Langbroek picks up on during Tuesday's episode. 'It's very unusual to [broadcast] work live now, and increasingly so as more and more people have gotten scared about expressing themselves,' she says. 'When this show is gone, I can't think of where that will happen … when did people get so frightened of ideas?' Soon, the conversation shifts to a lighter topic. 'There's a definite 'school muck-up day' vibe,' says a techie as he munches on one of the homemade sausage rolls Langbroek brought in for the team. Behind the desk, Langbroek is throwing M&Ms at Taunton's face during a break. After she lands one in his mouth, Harris crosses off 'Kate throws a lolly in Sam's mouth' from that evening's Project bingo card, which a producer created to brighten the mood ahead of Friday's farewell. 'We've got a different card for every night,' Harris says, pointing to other items on Tuesday's list including 'Sam's hair needs fixing' and 'Kate references a conspiracy theory'.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Queensland literary awards under review after fellowship withdrawn from First Nations writer
The Queensland State Library has confirmed the black&write! fellowships will continue next year, after a First Nations author had a fellowship withdrawn over a social media post. Author Karen Wyld, who writes under the name K A Ren Wyld, made and then deleted a social media post on X, describing slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as a 'martyr' following his death in October last year. She was due to receive a $15,000 black&write! fellowship for Indigenous writers at a ceremony on May 20. However, the fellowship was revoked after Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek wrote to the library's board on May 16 and again on May 19 to express his concerns. A library spokesperson said the decision to withdraw the fellowship was unrelated to Wyld's manuscript, which focused on the stolen generations and received 'high praise for its literary merit from the panel of expert judges'. When asked if it had been withdrawn at the request of the Queensland government, the spokesperson said the decision was made after Langbroek told parliament on May 20 he had 'taken the decision that this award should not be presented' at the state library. Langbroek said there was no place in libraries, music awards or in publicly funded venues for the 'glorification of terrorism', describing the post as 'deeply offensive'. 'This government will always defend freedom of speech including the arts, but that freedom does not extend to celebrating murder and violence, nor does it absolve individuals from the consequences of eroding public confidence or support,' he said. 'Whilst I support the principles of free expression and creative diversity, any perception that taxpayer-funded awards [are] being granted to individuals who justify terrorism undermines public trust, both in our institutions and in the cultural section sector more broadly,' he added.
The Age
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Queensland literary awards under review after fellowship withdrawn from First Nations writer
The Queensland State Library has confirmed the black&write! fellowships will continue next year, after a First Nations author had a fellowship withdrawn over a social media post. Author Karen Wyld, who writes under the name K A Ren Wyld, made and then deleted a social media post on X, describing slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as a 'martyr' following his death in October last year. She was due to receive a $15,000 black&write! fellowship for Indigenous writers at a ceremony on May 20. However, the fellowship was revoked after Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek wrote to the library's board on May 16 and again on May 19 to express his concerns. A library spokesperson said the decision to withdraw the fellowship was unrelated to Wyld's manuscript, which focused on the stolen generations and received 'high praise for its literary merit from the panel of expert judges'. When asked if it had been withdrawn at the request of the Queensland government, the spokesperson said the decision was made after Langbroek told parliament on May 20 he had 'taken the decision that this award should not be presented' at the state library. Langbroek said there was no place in libraries, music awards or in publicly funded venues for the 'glorification of terrorism', describing the post as 'deeply offensive'. 'This government will always defend freedom of speech including the arts, but that freedom does not extend to celebrating murder and violence, nor does it absolve individuals from the consequences of eroding public confidence or support,' he said. 'Whilst I support the principles of free expression and creative diversity, any perception that taxpayer-funded awards [are] being granted to individuals who justify terrorism undermines public trust, both in our institutions and in the cultural section sector more broadly,' he added.
Sky News AU
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'I'm shocked': The Project star Kate Langbroek stunned by one surprising detail about new Liberal leader Sussan Ley's past
The Project host Kate Langbroek couldn't resist a joke after discovering the unusual reason Susan Ley changed her name as a young woman. Ley, 63, made history on Tuesday as the first woman to lead the federal Liberal Party and the most senior female in the party's 80-year existence. The Project panellists weighed in on her appointment during Tuesday night's episode, with co-host Sarah Harris asking Langbroek: "Kate, polling showed that women just did not warm to Peter Dutton, so do you think Sussan Ley is the answer then?" "I'm shocked," Langbroek replied. "It's a very interesting thing, isn't it? I think whenever a woman gets a post like this, it's always like, 'Oh, here's the job that nobody else wanted'." Co-host Waleed Aly contended that the leadership contest wasn't only about gender. "While this will play as a gender thing, because it kind of is, it also plays as a philosophical thing," he said. Langbroek responded cheekily, waving her hands in mock wizardry: "Do you know what means it is a gender thing? She's into numerology." The panel and audience erupted with laughter, before Harris jumped in to explain that Ley had actually changed her name from Susan to Sussan as a teenager, prompting exclamations of surprise and incredulity from her co-stars. The name change is a quirky detail the MP revealed herself in a 2015 interview with The Australian. "I read about this numerology theory that if you add the numbers that match the letters in your name, you can change your personality," Ley said at the time. "I worked out that if you added an 'S' I would have an incredibly exciting, interesting life and nothing would ever be boring. It's that simple." The mother-of-three added that once the change was made, it was hard to reverse, so she stuck with it- even after her interest in numerology faded. Comedian Sam Taunton chimed in with a pun: "Oh my god, it's a glass cliff with three S's on glass. That makes sense." The segment then aired a highlight reel of Ley's moments in public life- from dressing up as Tina 'Ley-na' Turner in parliament, to missing netball shots, to being sprayed mid-interview by a rogue sprinkler. "I've seen worse netball shots, by the way," Aly quipped. Harris came to Ley's defence, noting her surprising background: "She might not be much of a netballer, but she was once a commercial airline pilot and traffic controller." Indeed, Ley's resume is one of the most diverse in Australian federal politics. Born in Nigeria in 1961 to a British intelligence officer, she spent her early years bouncing between continents, from the United Arab Emirates to boarding school in England, before her family eventually settled in Australia. At 13, she arrived on a hobby farm in Toowoomba, Queensland, before the family relocated again, this time to Canberra. Before entering parliament in 2001, Ley juggled motherhood on a rural property with an ambitious mix of jobs, including earning her pilot's licence, mustering stock from the air, working as an air traffic controller, and even cooking for shearing crews. Ten years of study also saw her rise to a senior role at the Australian Taxation Office. She has represented the rural NSW electorate of Farrer for more than two decades and held a string of senior roles, including Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and Shadow Minister for Women, Industry, Skills and Training, and Small and Family Business. After narrowly defeating Angus Taylor in a party room ballot, Ley said she was "humbled, honoured, and up for the job". Among those reacting to her promotion was former Liberal staffer and public advocate Brittany Higgins, who shared her thoughts via Instagram Stories. "This is a pretty momentous day," Higgins wrote. "Irrespective of your view on her politics and putting aside the 'glass cliff' conundrums- what a moment."
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Science
- Epoch Times
Soviet-Era Spacecraft Is Set to Plunge to Earth a Half-Century After Its Failed Launch to Venus
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth. It's too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive reentry, according to space debris-tracking experts. Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek predicts the failed spacecraft will reenter around May 10. He estimates it will come crashing in at 150 mph, if it remains intact. 'While not without risk, we should not be too worried,' Langbroek said in an email. The object is relatively small and, even if it doesn't break apart, 'the risk is similar to that of a random meteorite fall, several of which happen each year. You run a bigger risk of getting hit by lightning in your lifetime,' he said. The chance of the spacecraft actually hitting someone or something is small, he added. 'But it cannot be completely excluded.' Related Stories 4/20/2025 3/6/2025 The Soviet Union launched the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 in 1972, one of a series of Venus missions. But it never made it out of Earth orbit because of a rocket malfunction. Most of it came tumbling down within a decade. But Langbroek and others believe the landing capsule itself—a spherical object about 3 feet in diameter—has been circling the world in a highly elliptical orbit for the past 53 years, gradually dropping in altitude. It's quite possible that the 1,000-pound-plus spacecraft will survive reentry. It was built to withstand a descent through the carbon dioxide-thick atmosphere of Venus, said Langbroek of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Experts doubt the parachute system would work after so many years. The heat shield may also be compromised after so long in orbit. It would be better if the heat shield fails, which would cause the spacecraft to burn up during its dive through the atmosphere, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics' Jonathan McDowell said in an email. But if the heat shield holds, 'it'll reenter intact and you have a half-ton metal object falling from the sky.' The spacecraft could reenter anywhere between 51.7 degrees north and south latitude, or as far north as London and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, almost all the way down to South America's Cape Horn. But since most of the planet is water, 'chances are good it will indeed end up in some ocean,' Langbroek said. By Marcia Dunn
