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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Young Scots back UK Government decision to lower voting age
Of course, here in Scotland, 16 and 17-year-olds have been able to vote in Holyrood and council elections since 2016. So what do young Scots think about the decision to expand voting rights, and which party could benefit most? SNP activist Alex Gill said a "stronger youth voice" could convince the UK Government to pursue more progressive policies. The 22-year-old said: 'This will reshape the electorate and elevate issues that matter most to younger citizens such as action on climate change, access to affordable housing and opportunities for fulfilling work. 'Successive UK governments have shown little appetite for strategic, long-term policymaking, too often chasing short-term optics. With luck, a stronger youth voice will hopefully pressure them to start rectifying that failure. Read more: Shane Painter, a Scottish Conservative who was one of the youngest parliamentary candidates in 2024, is also in favour of expanding the franchise. He said: 'Lowering the voting age to 16 is a good move. It might finally force parties to speak to young people's concerns. In Scotland, 16-year-olds can already vote and they take it incredibly seriously. Painter had strong words for his own party's positions on young people, noting: 'Conservatives must stop being the party of pensioners, back housebuilding, scrap the triple lock & WFP, and invest in the future and young people if we ever want to be in government again.' Painter's position is somewhat unique among members of his party. Former Tory MP candidate Shane Painter. (Image: Aberdeen Conservatives) In the House of Commons on Thursday, Conservative shadow housing, communities and local government minister Paul Holmes told MPs: 'This strategy has finally revealed [Labour's] ambition for allowing a 16-year-old to vote in an election but not stand in it, probably because young people are being abandoned in droves by the Labour Party. 'So, why does this Government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they're voting in? That position was echoed by Joshua MacLeod, the chair of the Scottish Young Conservatives, who told The Herald: "This is just another rushed headline with no serious thought behind it. It's yet another case of Labour trying to rewrite the constitution to suit their own electoral interests. "If voting is meant to reflect adult responsibilities, then let's have a proper debate about adulthood. Not just a spontaneous change to mask their political weakness." Calum Mackinnon, who was unable to vote in the 2019 general election due to his age, says extending the franchise would be a step in the right direction. He told The Herald on Sunday: 'I was literally weeks away from turning 18. It felt like my almost 'mature enough' voice was going to be missed out on by about 60 days. In 2016, Brexit focussed my mind firmly towards independence, having been more sympathetic towards a No vote in 2014. 'Even as a young S2, I still remember 2014 so clearly and how it changed Scotland forever. Having lived and studied in the EU post-Brexit, I am a fierce advocate – despite its imperfectness, so I would have 100% voted in the 2019 general election.' Ellie Gomersall, the Scottish Greens activist and former president of the National Union of Students Scotland, also spoke out in support of the change, which she says is long overdue. Gomersall noted: 'From cracking down on their right to protest, to stripping them of their disability benefits, Westminster governments have consistently failed to represent the needs and interests of young people. 'This change means that young people will be able to have their say in the decisions Westminster takes that have a huge impact on their lives. However, Gomersall believes the government should go further, and introduce legislation to abolish 'the utterly undemocratic first past the post system' and 'replace the unelected – and overwhelmingly old and male – House of Lords.' Scottish Greens activist Ellie Gomersall. (Image: Ellie Gomersall) What about concerns raised by some that teenagers aren't mature enough to make informed decisions about who to vote for? Mackinnon, now 23, concedes that 'nuance' is often lacking at 16. 'It's a tough one,' he says. 'I think that nuance is difficult to obtain at 16/17. That being said, young people are always getting more and more aware and involved in our politics. 'I think, on balance, the young people who vote are probably interested enough to 'do the research' on what they want their politicians to achieve.' University student Caitlin Kelly, 20, shared similar thoughts. 'At 20 do I think differently than 16?' she queried. 'A bit less naive maybe but I largely vote the same. I think it is important to encourage young people to be part of the future of our country, and that is what voting at 16 does. 'When I was 16, the desire to vote was all the more prevalent except I then had the skills to read and research critically, and so being Scottish I was lucky enough to vote.' Fred Byrne, a student at the University of Aberdeen, agrees. 'Many 16 year olds have better informed political beliefs than their parents and grandparents,' he told The Herald. 'At 16, British youth can join the army or attend university, so it's only right they have been granted their long overdue right to vote. Young people are the biggest stakeholders in our future and will cast their votes for a just and sustainable world.' Will 16 and 17-year-olds be persuaded to vote for Keir Starmer's Labour? Hope Merriweather, who recently graduated from Dundee University with a degree in law, says she isn't sure if the change would boost voter turnout. 'I don't know if it would increase participation,' she told The Herald on Sunday, adding: 'I do think that the 16-year-olds that care should get to participate. 'I have some questions about 16-year-olds' ability to think critically, so I would want some level of education around it to prevent their parents from influencing their opinions too much. 'However, overall I think 16 and 17-year-olds have plenty of capacity to think and vote for themselves, as long as they are given the tools to do so. 'That goes for the entire population, the most important issue with voting right now is a lack of voter knowledge. If we could increase that across the board it would improve participation.' Will extending the franchise shift the balance of power, potentially giving Labour a bulwark from which to combat the rise of Reform among working class voters? A leading pollster believes it may. Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common told the Mail: 'Given young voters tend to lean to the left, we should expect the Greens and Labour to be the bigger winners of extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds, with Reform doing well among young men, and the Tories the big losers.' Read more: Meanwhile, Reform's Nigel Farage has hit out at the move, accusing Labour of attempting to 'rig the political system.' Gill believes that the lowering of the vote age could be a boon for the SNP. He said: 'The latest polling shows that 75% of Scots aged 16 to 29 back independence, and support is likely even stronger among 16 and 17-year-olds. "Therefore, expanding the franchise will certainly be a positive development for pro-independence parties.' Of course, with the next general election not scheduled until 2029, the UK's political parties will have ample time to court young people ahead of what could be one of this nation's most consequential electoral contests.
West Australian
15-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
KalGold's Eastern Goldfields gold strike soars to 1450m
Kalgoorlie Gold Mining has significantly expanded its Lighthorse prospect within its Pinjin gold project, 140 kilometre northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia's prolific Laverton Tectonic Zone. A recent air core drilling campaign, comprising 99 holes for 4710 metres, has more than doubled the strike length of Lighthorse to 1450m from an initial 600m. This program identified a second strong gold anomaly 800m north of the original discovery and confirmed mineralisation up to 1150m wide along cross-cutting structures. The expanded footprint now exceeds KalGold's nearby Kirgella Gift and Providence deposits, which host a JORC inferred mineral resource of 2.34 million tonnes at 1 gram per tonne (g/t) gold for 76,400 ounces. Key intercepts include 15m at 0.41g/t gold from 36m and 25m at 0.21g/t gold from 28m, both ending in mineralisation, suggesting potential for higher-grade zones at depth. The gold is primarily hosted in a dacitic sequence, with thicker intercepts near lithological contacts with ultramafic units, influenced by cross-cutting structures identified through geophysical reinterpretation. Gold anomalism extends along 6km of the Lighthorse Corridor, based on the integration of historic and recent drilling data, with minor gaps due to limited drilling coverage. Multi-element geochemistry, including arsenic and antimony enrichment, aligns with gold trends, particularly near Providence South, reinforcing the region's prospectivity. Painter said that when combined with earlier data, including the very high-grade initial discovery intercepts, the size, distribution and intensity of gold mineralisation at Lighthorse is consistent with the potential for significant gold mineralisation at depth. KalGold's systematic exploration approach, using a 0.1g/t cut-off for significant intercepts and tracking 50 parts per billion gold distribution, highlights vectors towards primary mineralisation targets. The company believes the extensive anomalism indicates a potential gold camp hidden beneath cover at Pinjin. To capitalise on this, KalGold is preparing its most extensive reverse circulation drilling program to date to target the new northern and southern anomalies, fill in the Lighthorse discovery zone and test shallow anomalies at the company's nearby Wessex prospect. Additionally, diamond drilling, co-funded by a WA Government Exploration Incentive Scheme grant, will commence this quarter to test a structural intersection between Kirgella Gift and Providence. KalGold aims to complete the project by November. The Pinjin project's prospectivity is further underscored by untested targets, including the Southern Gap, Northern Lighthorse extension and areas along strike from the Anglo Saxon gold mine. The Eastern Flexure Zone and Rebecca Sequence, which potentially correlate with Ramelius Resources' 1.4-million-ounce Rebecca deposit 19km south, also offer significant opportunities. With only 10 per cent of conceptual targets drill-tested, KalGold's systematic methodology continues to yield new prospects, positioning the project as a high-potential exploration hub. KalGold's expanded Lighthorse prospect signals a promising future for the Pinjin project. With robust drilling plans and a strategic approach, the company is well-placed to unlock further value in this richly endowed gold region. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB insider: Phillies should trade these two top-50 prospects in blockbuster deal for All-Star outfielder
Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Phillies are desperate for a right-handed outfield bat that can provide some pop to their lineup. That's why an MLB insider is proposing the Phillies trade two of their top prospects for an All-Star center fielder. Advertisement Center field has been a black hole for the Phillies. They have been platooning Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas, who have combined for a .632 OPS and three home runs, ranking 23rd and tied for 29th in baseball among center fielders, respectively. They have 2022 first-round pick Justin Crawford — 49th-ranked prospect — knocking on the door in Triple-A, hitting .343 with an .867 OPS. But he has his own issues as he hits the ball on the ground too much and only has two home runs this season. With the trade deadline looming, the Phillies need to upgrade their lineup. ESPN's David Schoenfield believes the Phillies should trade for Minnesota Twins All-Star Byron Buxton and give up Crawford and pitching prospect Andrew Painter. 'Buxton has been their best player and best hitter as he's on pace for a career high in WAR. Though he hasn't reached the heights of [Ronald] Acuña at Acuña's best, Buxton's contract is also team friendly, as he's signed through 2028 and making $15.1 million per season. He's 31 years old but is still one of the better defensive center fielders in the game,' writes Schoenfield. Advertisement Buxton has been named to his second All-Star team in his 11-year career as he's slashing .270/.334/.544 with 20 home runs and a 138 OPS+. However, he's consistently been plagued with injuries and has only played at least 100 games twice in his career. Having to give up Painter — 10th-ranked prospect — in a trade would be a big blow. He's expected to make his MLB debut this month after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons due to Tommy John surgery and rehab. Painter was expected to make the Opening Day roster in 2023 but went down with the elbow injury after his first spring training start. 'Trading Painter would be painful, but the Phillies remain deep in the rotation with Zack Wheeler (signed through 2027), Cristopher Sanchez (signed through 2030), Aaron Nola (signed through 2030) and Jesus Luzardo (under team control through 2026). Ranger Suarez, who's having an excellent season, is heading into free agency, so he's the one arm they might lose,' notes Schoenfield. He continues: 'But center field has been a soft spot in recent seasons, with the Phillies in the bottom third in the majors in OPS this year, and the team's overall power output has been below average, even with Kyle Schwarber. Adding Buxton adds more pop to the middle of the order.' Advertisement Buxton would be an immediate game-changer for the Phillies, but if he got hurt and missed significant time, including the postseason, and Painter and Crawford develop into stars, Dave Dombrowski and the front office would never live this trade down. Related Headlines
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Orion S.A. to rationalize production lines in Americas, EMEA
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, announced today it plans to discontinue production at three to five of its carbon black lines at multiple facilities in the Americas and EMEA by the end of 2025. "This decision is part of Orion's strategy to focus maintenance investments on higher-performing production lines – making them more reliable and productive – and to rationalize underperforming assets,' Orion CEO Corning Painter said. 'This move is also intended to enhance free cash flow." Painter added, 'Recently introduced U.S. tariffs, the EU anti-dumping investigation and continued tire capacity investment in both regions should help reverse the local tire manufacturing share loss. However, given the uncertain timing of this recovery, we are choosing to take this action now.' About Orion S.A. Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers' exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has four innovation centers and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company's corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world's longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers' needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.
Indianapolis Star
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Doyel: Unlike recent Boiler greats, Omer Mayer will come to Purdue with greatness expected
Normally we don't have any idea what's about to happen with the Purdue basketball team. Well, slow down. We know what's going to happen, in the larger sense: Purdue's going to win. That's just about all the Boilermakers have done under Matt Painter since 2006. We just don't know exactly how. Because most of the time, we don't know who. Painter tends to recruit players slightly off the beaten path, players with more game than name, players who come to Purdue with little fanfare and leave with school records or All-American honors or both. Some of these players tend to surprise Painter himself, recruits like Carsen Edwards in 2016 and Jaden Ivey in 2020. Painter liked both out of high school, obviously, but did he see Edwards scoring 1,920 career points in three seasons, or Ivey being a two-and-done lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft? No chance. Did he see current Purdue senior Braden Smith, mostly a mid-major recruit out of Westfield until Purdue offered a scholarship, becoming the best point guard in college basketball? Did any of us? No chance. Doyel: Meet the other Braden Smith: 'One of the most misunderstood players in college basketball' And don't get me started on Zach Edey, the No. 429 recruit in the high school class of 2020 who became one of the most decorated, most dominant players in college basketball history. All of this makes what will happen this season in West Lafayette so unusual. Because this time, we see the guy coming. This time we know how. This time, we know who. But in some ways, this is the most Purdue basketball story ever. Because until a few months ago, most people had never heard of Omer Mayer. Thing is, Omer Mayer might not even start for Purdue as a freshman. The Boilermakers are that loaded, returning four starters from last season's 24-win team, including the backcourt of seniors Smith and Fletcher Loyer, who have started since they were freshmen. Thing is, Omer Mayer could be gone after one season, a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The noise around him is that loud, and while I'm not calling that likely, I'm not calling it impossible either. I mean, did you see what he did at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup the last few weeks in Lausanne, Switzerland? These are the best young prospects in the world, from the United States and Germany, Slovenia and Serbia, Canada and France. And Omer Mayer was just about the best player there. Seriously. Did you see what he did? We were posting highlight links almost every time he played, because here at the IndyStar we couldn't believe what we were seeing and there on your cell phone, wherever you are, you couldn't get enough of … what's his name again? Omer Mayer. Big games: Omer Mayer showcased at FIBA U19 World Cup what he brings to Purdue basketball backcourt He's a 6-foot-4 guard for Israel, and it occurs to me that this is awfully late in the story for me to be telling you his height, position and nationality. But it also occurs to me: Most of you know who he is, now. Which is the point of this story. This is the first time Purdue has had one of these — a potentially great college player — show up with the name to match his game since … well, since when? Since Caleb Swanigan in 2015? Biggie Swanigan reported to Purdue with the highest of expectations. The Purdue greats who came after the beloved Biggie (Edwards and Ivey, Edey and Smith) had no such burden. They were able to catch us by surprise. Mayer won't surprise anyone. He's already done that. You see what he did in Switzerland? Mayer played just four games in the FIBA U19 World Cup, but entering his final game he was leading the whole tournament in scoring. Sixteen teams, the best of the best young players from around the world, and nobody was scoring as much as Omer Mayer's 23.3 ppg. Mayer injured his finger early in the fourth game, Israel's quarterfinal loss to Slovenia. He scored just nine points, dropping his tournament scoring average to third in the competition at 20 ppg — and then missed the next two games. X-rays were negative, so this doesn't sound like a major concern entering his freshman season at Purdue, with the first day of practice more than three months away. For the tournament Mayer averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2 steals. He also averaged 3 turnovers per game, but that was inflated by the six he committed against Slovenia, when he was 1 for 7 on 3-pointers. In the first three games, before the finger injury, Mayer committed six turnovers, total, and was 12 for 27 on 3-pointers (44.4%). These are small sample sizes, obviously, which is why — to get a better feel for Mayer — you need to talk with NBA scouts and college coaches who've seen him play. And here's what you'll learn: That he's a future pro. Gold in Switzerland: Sophomore returning to Purdue basketball as gold medalist after FIBA U19 World Cup After one year at Purdue? Nobody's saying he will do that. But nobody's saying he won't, either. He was that good at Switzerland, and he was impressive at the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland in April, when he had seven assists for the international team playing against top U.S. prospects. Before that Mayer was playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, and he was playing more and more as the season went along. In the final game of the season, against Bayern Munich — led by Carsen Edwards, who set a EuroLeague record that day with eight 3-pointers in one quarter — Mayer had 11 points and three assists. Mayer's 18. That's the highest level of pro basketball outside the NBA. If you want a comp, this will have to do until we can see the 6-4, 215-pound Mayer with our own eyes: His production in the EuroLeague, and in FIBA age-group events, dovetails nicely with that of Kasparas Jakucionis. Ring a bell? Jakucionis was a freshman this past season at Illinois. He's big guard like Mayer — taller at 6-6, lighter at 200 pounds — and more reliant on strength and guile than explosion, and Jakucionis averaged 15 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 4.7 apg for the Illini before turning pro and being selected 20th overall by the Miami Heat in the 2025 NBA Draft. Is Omer Mayer on a similar career path? Probably not, no. Illinois needed Jakucionis, its best player, to play 32 minutes per game. Purdue will ask no such thing of Mayer, not with Smith and Loyer back for their fourth season, and with All-American candidate Trey Kaufman-Renn also back as a senior, and with 7-4 sophomore Daniel Jacobsen coming off his own standout performance at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Purdue was entering the 2025-26 season as a Final Four favorite, and that was before Mayer's play last week in Switzerland. Smith and Loyer are lineup locks, but you can see a scenario where Mayer eventually starts alongside them in a three-guard lineup, getting minutes that went last season to wings Myles Colvin (who transferred to Wake Forest) and Camden Heide (gone to Texas), and to returning sophomore guards C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris. What you can't see, not anymore, is a scenario where Purdue has found its long-term replacement for Braden Smith. Perhaps in 2026-27, sure. Smith will be an NBA rookie next year. Mayer would be a sophomore at Purdue. Will he stick around for his junior season? That might be the only way Omer Mayer surprises folks around here. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Threads, or on BlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.
