Latest news with #Platt
Otago Daily Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
‘Noticeable uptick' as mall attracts new brands
Collectibles and blind box retailer Pop Stop has leased on the lower ground level next to the food court. Dunedin's Meridian Mall has seen a "noticeable uptick" in retail inquiries over the past year. Two new tenants have already been added to its lineup over the past month, while an established tenant has upgraded to a larger shopfront. The mall has also teased the debut of three new brands to the city in coming months. The Icon Group managing director Robert Platt said the mall had experienced good inquiry from retailers looking to expand into Dunedin over the past six months — a "noticeable uptick" on the previous 12 months. "And the recent leases shows this demand." Collectables and blind box retailer Pop Stop had leased on the lower ground level next to the food court, while spray tanning salon Tan in The City was also open and trading, on the top floor. Existing tenant Pandora has more than doubled its footprint at its new corner site opposite Michael Hill Jeweller. Existing tenant Pandora had more than doubled its footprint at its new corner site opposite Michael Hill jeweller. Other leases including a new food court operator had also been signed over the past couple of months, bringing Meridian Mall close to 100% occupancy. Most new tenants would begin trading before Christmas this year, Mr Platt said. There have been several high-profile retail exits from Meridian Mall in recent years. In 2020, it lost Australian-owned retail giant Kmart, which cited concerns about required seismic strengthening work within the premises and chose to vacate the building. The H&J Smith Dunedin department store, formerly Arthur Barnett, closed its doors in 2021 after 118 years in business. The mall then lost Smiths City — which replaced Kmart's tenancy — which late last year confirmed it was relocating to the former Animal Attraction premises between Crawford and Vogel Sts. Spray tanning salon Tan in The City is open and trading on the top floor of the Meridian Mall. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH Mr Platt confirmed the former Smiths City tenancy on the top floor had now been leased to three separate "mini major tenants". Filling this lease had been a major project for the mall this year, he said. "I am not able to announce names yet, however building consent is lodged and we should be building the tenancy walls starting in August, target opening in November. "These are new brands to Dunedin and we are really excited to welcome them to Meridian Mall."
Time Magazine
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Why American Revolutionaries Fought to Protect Habeas Corpus
The United States has recently witnessed challenges to the right to due process and a fair trial, including a recent explicit threat to habeas corpus by White House official Stephen Miller, and the actual deportation and imprisonment of people like Kilmar Abrego Garcia far from home. American revolutionaries feared such threats. Among the grievances they laid at the feet of British King George III in the Declaration of Independence was that he was 'transporting' American colonists 'beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.' The founders believed that government suspension of habeas corpus was antithetical to the basic rights long enshrined in cherished documents like the Magna Carta. In 1776, these fears came to fruition in the case of American Patriot Ebenezer Smith Platt, a man who was a transatlantic celebrity in his own time but who is little remembered today. Transported across the seas and imprisoned far from home, Platt had his right to habeas corpus—and his freedom—curtailed by what many viewed as the actions of a tyrannical king. His story became a political lightning rod. Today, Platt is a reminder of the fact that habeas corpus has long been seen as the bedrock of rights to due process under the law. Even British government officials who opposed American independence warned that suspending Platt's right to habeas corpus posed a danger to everyone. When Platt eventually gained his freedom, it was due in no small part to public pressure from such elected officials combined with the efforts of well-connected friends and constant press coverage. Read More: What Is Habeas Corpus and How Is It Under Threat By the Trump Administration? About a year before the Declaration of Independence, Platt relocated from New York to Georgia where he became active in Patriot politics. In 1775, Platt was among a group of Georgia and South Carolina Patriots who used an armed American privateer ship to seize the cargo of a British merchant ship—mostly gunpowder, arms, and bullets—on behalf of the Patriot-run Provincial Congress of Georgia. A few months later, Platt was on another mission for Georgia. This time, he sailed for the French island colony of Saint-Domingue (present day Haiti) to trade for arms and ammunition for Patriot military forces. But his ship was seized by the British and taken to Jamaica. There, Platt encountered Richard Maitland, captain of the British merchant ship whose cargo he had helped seize off the coast of Georgia. When Maitland identified Platt, British Vice Admiral Clark Gayton seized Platt's ship, its crew, and Platt, placing him in chains to await trial. The Jamaican court set Platt free, finding that he could not be tried there when the alleged crime occurred in Georgia, but suggested that Gayton might send Platt on a naval ship for trial in England. Gayton seized Platt again and set sail from Jamaica, keeping him in shackles for months aboard his ship before transferring him to another Royal Navy frigate, which transferred him to a third naval ship headed to England. After months at sea, Platt reached Portsmouth, England, around the time Britons learned the news of the Declaration of Independence. Instead of being sent ashore, Platt was transferred three times from royal naval ship to royal naval ship in the harbor. The transfers were deliberate attempts to avoid due process. If Platt could not be located, attorneys could not serve his imprisoners a writ of habeas corpus on his behalf, and he could be imprisoned indefinitely. After eight months imprisoned in shackles aboard six different ships, Platt managed to connect with a sympathetic attorney who asserted his right to habeas corpus and forced his release for trial. Platt finally made it ashore in England. But his timing could not have been worse. Platt happened to set foot on English soil just before Parliament passed the Habeas Corpus Act, or Treason Act, of 1777. This legislation empowered British authorities to arrest and imprison people 'charged with, or Suspected of, the Crime of Treason, committed in any of His Majesty's Colonies or Plantations in America,' or 'Acts of Treason or Piracy' on the high seas. Platt fit these criteria. He became one of the first, and best publicized, of what would eventually be hundreds of American prisoners in Britain who would be denied both the rights of habeas corpus and the legal status of prisoners of war. Allowed neither a fair trial nor military prisoner exchange, they would be imprisoned 'at the king's pleasure.' For most of these prisoners, this meant remaining imprisoned until a 1782 Act of Parliament changed their official status. It is hard to overstate how treasured the right to habeas corpus was in British law by the revolutionary era. It predated the Magna Carta, though it was also enshrined within it. It was the cornerstone of the due process that entitled every person to have their arrest proven lawful; the process that protected people from unjust and indefinite imprisonment. Numerous treason acts had been passed over hundreds of years of English history, but in previous acts, those accused of treason had the right to habeas corpus. The Treason Act of 1777 not only suspended habeas corpus for those accused under the act, it upended hundreds of years of British legal precedence. On both sides of the Atlantic, people worried about the new precedent for tyranny set by the Act and Platt's imprisonment. British Member of Parliament Edmund Burke declared that the Act 'has this distinguished evil in it, that it is the first partial suspension of the Habeas Corpus which has been made.' British MP John Wilkes, who did not share Burke's politics, agreed. Like Burke, Wilkes asked whether a government 'capable of thus trampling on our most sacred laws' can 'be too narrowly watched, too deeply suspected, too strongly guarded against?' Suspending habeas corpus for one group of people threatened tyranny for all. Read More: Read Conservative Judge's Full Opinion Rebuking Trump Administration Over Abrego Garcia Case Platt went on to spend 14 months imprisoned in London's infamous Newgate Prison, living in a state of destitution, depending on charity for food and basic necessities. Chief among his benefactors was American wax sculptor and undercover spy, Patience Wright who lived and worked in London. Wright launched a campaign on Platt's behalf urging influential people like Benjamin Franklin to help him. Even with all his diplomatic ties, Franklin was powerless to assist Platt because of the Treason Act's suspension of habeas corpus. Newspaper editors and pamphleteers circulated stories about the horrible conditions in the British prisons holding thousands of Americans. They detailed how starving prisoners resorted to eating anything from snails to grass to the marrow in old bones. British as well as American voices raised against mistreatment of American prisoners grew louder throughout 1777. The media storm and outraged public response played an important role in securing Platt's release from Newgate in March of 1778. Upon gaining his freedom, he married Patience Wright's daughter and traveled to France, where Franklin helped arrange passage for the couple to cross the Atlantic to the United States. Once there, Ebenezer enlisted to fight for the Patriots, taking up arms against the king that he and many of his contemporaries viewed as tyrannical, not least for transporting Americans to overseas prisons and suspending habeas corpus. Although he was a Patriot, Platt was no hero. He was an enslaver, a bigamist (he later married a second wife without divorcing his first), and a bit of a grifter (he died owing Daniel Boone a great deal of money). But the right to habeas corpus did not depend upon good behavior or an admirable character then, nor should it now. The once-famous case of Ebenezer Smith Platt reminds us that widespread attention to acts of tyranny that violate foundational rights is critical to maintaining those rights. Such attention, among the press, among concerned private citizens, and among elected representatives of the people, helped free Pratt. Careful attention to questions of habeas corpus today may inspire similar outrage and action in defense of our most cherished rights. Zara Anishanslin is a historian at the University of Delaware. Her latest book The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution comes out July 1, 2025. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Coronation Street's dramatic new look for David Platt's house revealed after the old one burned down
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CORONATION Street viewers have been given a first look at David Platt's newly revamped house - after the old one was destroyed in a dramatic fire. The fresh makeover comes after a huge blaze tore through the iconic Weatherfield property, leaving it completely gutted. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 The Platt house was set ablaze destroying everything inside Credit: ITV 5 But now the new revamped interiors has been revealed Credit: ITV Now, the famous cobbles home has undergone a striking transformation - and fans are already buzzing about the bold new look. The new interiors are also set to pave the way for explosive storylines, as life at No.8 takes a dramatic turn. Next week on the ITV soap, Corrie crook Lou Michaelis (Farrell Hegarty) is caught red-handed snooping where she shouldn't - and fans are left wondering if she's nabbed a wad of cash. The troublemaker clocks a bulging envelope of money stashed in Shona Platt's (Julia Goulding) bag during a boozy toast led by Nick Tilsley (Ben Price). Seizing her moment, Lou slips away into the Platt house - and it's not long before temptation gets the better of her. Just as she toys with swiping the stash, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) bursts in and demands Lou empty her pockets, fearing the worst. But did Lou actually nick the cash - or is she about to talk her way out of another sticky situation? Spoiler pictures reveal the new revamped No,8 with new decorative paintings on a painted grey wall. The new door, stairs and banister are made of wood with clear panels and there is new laminate flooring in the living room and kitchen. The cosy living room has a new velvet sofa with patterned cushions, beige curtains and a glass square coffee table. Watch emotional moment Sue Cleaver films final Coronation Street scenes as Eileen Grimshaw bids farewell The kitchen has new table tops, blinds and other essentials. There is a new dining table with brown leather chairs flaunting an art deco style for a modern touch. It's a fresh start for the Platts - but will it last? Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX. 5 No.8 Coronation Street has a whole new look Credit: ITV 5 The new interiors brings a modern feel Credit: ITV 5 And paves the way from brand new explosive storylines Credit: ITV
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Coronation Street's dramatic new look for David Platt's house revealed after the old one burned down
CORONATION Street viewers have been given a first look at David Platt's newly revamped house - after the old one was destroyed in a dramatic fire. The fresh makeover comes after a Advertisement 5 The Platt house was set ablaze destroying everything inside Credit: ITV 5 But now the new revamped interiors has been revealed Credit: ITV Now, the famous cobbles home has undergone a striking transformation - and fans are already buzzing about the bold new look. The new interiors are also set to pave the way for explosive storylines, as life at No.8 takes a dramatic turn. Next week on the ITV soap, Corrie crook Lou Michaelis (Farrell Hegarty) is caught red-handed snooping where she shouldn't - and fans are left wondering if she's nabbed a wad of cash. The troublemaker clocks a bulging envelope of money stashed in Shona Platt's (Julia Goulding) bag during a boozy toast led by Nick Tilsley (Ben Price). Advertisement read more on corrie Seizing her moment, Lou slips away into the Platt house - and it's not long before temptation gets the better of her. Just as she toys with swiping the stash, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) bursts in and demands Lou empty her pockets, fearing the worst. But did Lou actually nick the cash - or is she about to talk her way out of another sticky situation? Spoiler pictures reveal the new revamped No,8 with new decorative paintings on a painted grey wall. Advertisement Most read in Soaps The new door, stairs and banister are made of wood with clear panels and there is new laminate flooring in the living room and kitchen. The cosy living room has a new velvet sofa with patterned cushions, beige curtains and a glass square coffee table. Watch emotional moment Sue Cleaver films final Coronation Street scenes as Eileen Grimshaw bids farewell The kitchen has new table tops, blinds and other essentials. There is a new dining table with brown leather chairs flaunting an art deco style for a modern touch. Advertisement It's a fresh start for the Platts - but will it last? Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX. 5 No.8 Coronation Street has a whole new look Credit: ITV 5 The new interiors brings a modern feel Credit: ITV Advertisement 5 And paves the way from brand new explosive storylines Credit: ITV Who lives where on Coronation Street? Here is where all of the residents of Weatherfield's main street live 1 Coronation Street - The Barlow family (Ken, Tracy, Steve, Amy) 3 Coronation Street - The Bailey family (Aggie, Ed, Michael) 5 Coronation Street - The Winter-Brown family (Gemma, Chesney, Joseph and the Quads) 7 Coronation Street - The Alahan family (Dev, Asha, Aadi) 9 Coronation Street - The Dobbs family (Tyrone, Fiz, Evelyn, Cassie, Hope, Ruby) 11 Coronation Street - The Grimshaw family (Eileen, Todd, George, Mary, Sean, Dylan) 13 Coronation Street - The Webster family (Kevin, Abi, Jack, Alfie) 15a Coronation Street - Dee-Dee Bailey and Adam Barlow 2a Coronation Street - Craig Tinker 4 Coronation Street - The Metcalfe family (Sally, Tim) 6 Coronation Street - The Nazir family (Yasmeen, Alya, Stu, Eliza) 8 Coronation Street - The Platt family (Gail, David, Shona, Max, Lily) 10a Coronation Street - Rita Tanner 12 Coronation Street - Brian Packham
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'The Chinese have really caught up': Why NASA is in race to land astronauts on the moon
NASA, with the urging of many politicians, has been racing to get astronauts back to the moon — before the Chinese land taikonauts on the lunar surface. But what's the rush to return to a place the United States has already been and left 53 years ago? Especially when Mars looms as an enticing option for interplanetary travel. Space experts say there's plenty of reasons for the urgency: national pride and national security. But also returning to the moon and building habitats would mean long term dominance in space and ensure access to resources that NASA didn't know where there when the Apollo missions flew. Now with the Chinese making significant progress in human space exploration, the clock is ticking. 'The Chinese in the last 20 years have made amazing strides in all aspects of space. They're sending robots to the moon on a very regular basis. Now they're doing some pretty amazing activities even on the far side of the moon, and they have a Chinese space station now in Earth orbit,' said Don Platt, associate professor of space systems at Florida Tech. 'The Chinese have really caught up,' said Platt. 'I do believe that the Chinese are definitely advancing their efforts on the moon, and are identifying it as a critical aspect of their strategic future in space." When asked about the prospect of Chinese astronauts making it to the moon before NASA's planned Artemis III mission, Platt said he believes it's a possibility and he cited the efforts China is making to highlight the importance of the nation's space efforts to its own populace. 'They have some amazing videos. They're really engaging the Chinese public, and really using it to do what what we've always done in space, and that is to inspire the next generation and to show the world the technical abilities of the Chinese,' said Platt. Platt also told FLORIDA TODAY that there was a recent announcement that China and Russia plan to team up on a nuclear power plant on the moon, which would provide sustained power. This means the countries are planning an eventual continuous human presence on the moon. 'The US has always used space as sort of what we could call the ultimate high ground, making sure the US is dominate in space, and you can't be dominant in space if another country is building bases on the moon," Platt said. James Muncy, founder of PoliSpace, a space policy organization, told FLORIDA TODAY in an email that it's settlement on the moon that's key. "In my opinion, what matters is not which country can land astronauts first, but which nation most aggressively pursues industrial development and human settlement of the moon," wrote Muncy. "If in 25 years there are 500 Americans living on the moon with more visiting at any one time and we are harvesting Helium 3 to cool quantum state computers and oxygen from the lunar 'soil' as the heaviest part of rocket fuel to help send missions to Mars, then we win the MARATHON." "It really doesn't matter if we get the first two astronauts (ignoring the 12 that went during Apollo) back to the Moon if in a few decades we only have a few NASA astronauts living and working there. Or worse yet, have retreated again because of the high cost of using Orion and SLS to get there," Muncy wrote. Platt compared the situation to what would have happened if the first European settlers in North America had never returned to the New World. Had that happened, there would be no United States. If America cedes the moon, it not only gives up leadership in space, but the moon's recourses and potential, he said. There are natural resources, such as water ice, on the lunar surface. This is something NASA did not know back when the Apollo missions took place. And with much still to learn about how the human body performs in space, Platt believes the moon is a natural stepping stone for exploration before heading to Mars. While traveling to the moon could take just days, a trip to Mars will take many months. NASA's only available option of getting astronauts to the moon is the much delayed and 140% over budget SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, which will fly the Artemis missions. NASA's SLS rocket launched on the uncrewed Artemis I mission in late 2022. Ever since that flight, delays have pushed the target dates for Artemis II out further. Artemis II aims to send NASA astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, whereas Artemis III is the moon landing. But multiple years have passed since the stacked SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft have sat on Pad 39B. But progress is being made. The Orion spacecraft, which has seen its own delays, was recently brought into the Kennedy Space Center's giant Vehicle Assembly Building to be mounted on the rocket for the planned launch in spring of 2026. "Several leaders in Congress, particularly Chairman Brian Babin of the House Science, Space & Technology Committee, and Chairman Ted Cruz of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, have stressed that, in their opinion, the fastest way for the U.S. to return astronauts to the lunar surface is to fly Artemis II and Artemis III as soon as possible," wrote Muncy. The Trump administration has proposed cutting NASA's budget, but plans continue for Artemis II and Artemis III. Should the Trump administration's proposals pass, SLS and the Orion spacecraft would be axed in favor of more cost effective options past Artemis III. Platt noted how the delayed SLS became a politicized "pork program" which saw states get funding money and jobs even as the goals constantly slipped. But now with China a valid threat, the tone is changing although still not everyone is convinced Artemis is the way to go. 'Unfortunately, it has continuously been behind schedule and over budget. And we haven't really gotten what we wanted to out of Artemis,' said Platt. 'I would definitely not want to see the United States stop the goals of human lunar space exploration, but the program, I do think needs to be revamped." Artemis II was originally set to launch later this year, but now is targeting spring of next year. Artemis III, which will return NASA astronauts to the moon, is heavily reliant on Artemis II being successful. It is also heavily dependent on SpaceX's Starship being ready to act as a human lander. So far, Starship has yet to even reach orbit — experiencing setbacks with the ship being lost less than 10 minutes into the last two test flights. Meanwhile, NASA still awaits confirmation of its next administrator. Trump has nominated Jared Isaacman, a private astronaut with close ties to SpaceX's Elon Musk. "Trump and Isaacman are going to let NASA complete the initial objective of returning astronauts to the moon using Orion and SLS," wrote Muncy. "But then we have to move to faster/better/cheaper ways to get a lot of Americans and stuff there so we can build a first base and then another and start industrializing cislunar space." But in order for this to happen, everything needs to align. This wouldn't be the first time America fell behind in space, Platt pointed out. The Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, and also claimed the first man to reach not just space but orbit. Both of those events sparked a strong reaction amongst the American public. When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Axiom, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral 'If we look back at the Apollo program, President Kennedy decided to have the United States pursue goals on the moon because he thought that was enough out as a goal that the Soviets didn't have a major advantage," Platt said. "And honestly, the way we are right now, I would say it's similar that the Chinese are almost able to compete on equal footing with the US in terms of lunar exploration and pursuing lunar endeavors in the future, especially leading up to even humans on the moon." Platt said he believes that if America were to wake up and see China has landed on the moon, it would instantly trigger another space race. 'People would say 'What happened to us? We were leaders in space, and now there's a Chinese flag on the moon. This is outrageous, and we've got to do something',' said Platt. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: New Space Race with China: NASA pushes to return to moon first
