ChatGPT and Threads reflect the challenges of fast tech adoption

 Omar H. Fares, Lecturer in the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, Toronto Metropolitan University 

Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee, Professor and Associate Dean of Engagement & Inclusion, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University 

•  THE CONVERSATION , July 21,2023

Meta’s Threads platform experienced a significant drop in users recently.© (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

ChatGPT recently experienced a decline in user engagement for the first time since its launch in November 2022. From May to June, engagement dropped 9.7 per cent, with the largest decline — 10.3 per cent — occurring in the United States.

Meanwhile, Meta’s Threads platform experienced a significant drop in user numbers, going from more than 49 million users on July 7 to 23.6 million active users by July 14. In the same time frame, the average time users in the U.S. spent on the app dropped from a peak of 21 minutes in early July to just above six minutes.

In the tech world, companies are always racing to be the first ones to introduce new innovations, aiming for the “first mover’s advantage.” This refers to a firm’s ability to get a head start over competitors by being the first to enter a new product category or market.

However, being a trailblazer doesn’t guarantee an easy ride. While there are perceived benefits, there are also a plethora of challenges that arise.

The recent declines of Threads and ChatGPT attest to this reality, demonstrating that rapid and widespread acceptance doesn’t necessarily lead to long-term success.

There are a few reasons why a fast adoption isn’t necessarily the key to success including unsustainable growth, inadequate scaling infrastructure and a lack of user retention strategies.

Unsustainable growth

The idea of unsustainable growth stems from a platform’s inability to uphold or maintain the quality of the user experience while scaling up at a rapid pace.

This is where the real challenge lies: being able to effectively scale up a product or service. It is precisely at this junction that the concept of unsustainable growth intersects with the Gartner Hype Cycle.

The Gartner Hype Cycle is a model that shows the stages of emerging technology adoption: from the initial hype and inflated expectations, through disillusionment and skepticism, to practical and mainstream productivity.



A graph illustrating how ChatGPT and Threads fit into the Gartner Hype Cycle.

© (Omar H. Fares and Seung Hwan Lee)

In the context of unsustainable growth, products like ChatGPT and Threads appear to have reached the stage known as “peak of inflated expectations,” where the publicity of a new product generates over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. During this stage, users rapidly adopt the product due to its novelty and the hype surrounding it.

However, this stage often leads to the “trough of disillusionment.” During this stage, the product fails to meet users’ unrealistic expectations, causing a decline in their interest.

It indicates the product’s growth may have outpaced its ability to provide an excellent user experience. Without enhancing the product based on user feedback, declining user engagement will ensue.

This rise and fall underscores the challenge of achieving sustainable growth in the face of rapid adoption. The initial hype often attracts a massive influx of users, but without a clear, scalable strategy for maintaining quality and engagement, platforms can quickly lose their appeal.

Inadequate scaling infrastructure


ChatGPT recently experienced a decline in user engagement for the first time this year since its launch in November 2022.© (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

When a platform’s user base expands at a rapid pace, the question of whether that platform’s infrastructure can scale to the demands of its users becomes critical.

The sudden influx of users that accompanies a successful product launch can be a double-edged sword; it brings a wealth of opportunities for data collection, user feedback and revenue, but also tests the scalability of the platform’s infrastructure.

If the underlying technology, support services or operational strategies are not built to scale, the product might suffer from slow loading times, frequent crashes or a lack of timely customer support — all of which are detrimental to the user experience and a product’s long-term success.

For instance, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, had to limit ChatGPT-4 users to 25 messages every three hours due to infrastructure constraints — even for those with a paid membership. While this helps manage the infrastructure load, it presents a challenge from the user’s perspective.

Users who were accustomed to unlimited interactions with ChatGPT-3 now find themselves paying for a service with limitations. This may inadvertently dampen user engagement and drive some users away, underscoring the delicate balance between managing infrastructure and maintaining user satisfaction.

Lack of user retention strategies

One reason why tech businesses struggle to retain users is because they don’t prioritize user-centered design. By failing to incorporate user feedback in product development, businesses can end up offering a product that doesn’t meet user needs.

In addition, businesses must provide effective support for users. Insufficient or unclear onboarding may leave users feeling lost and overwhelmed, leading them to abandon the product. In the case of ChatGPT, OpenAI provides a basic explanation of platform usage, but users are primarily responsible for exploring it themselves.

Users experiment with prompts without a clear understanding of how to generate impactful responses, resulting in uncertainty and frustration. This lack of guidance may contribute to lower engagement rates, as observed in the recent decline.

Read more: ChatGPT could be a game-changer for marketers, but it won't replace humans any time soon

Lastly, increasing concerns about security threats and privacy have raised questions about how new technologies are protecting their users. The conflict between the need for more personalized experiences and privacy can give rise to a phenomenon called the personalization-privacy paradox.

As individuals grow increasingly uneasy about how their personal information is stored, the lack of proper regulations can lead to a decline in the use of personalized services or technologies.

While rapid user adoption is a promising start, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Striking the right balance between growth and infrastructure scalability, adopting a user-centric approach, maintaining user trust and investing in continuous innovation are the cornerstones for enduring success in the competitive tech landscape.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:

Meta’s Threads platform might not be revolutionary, but it poses a challenge to Twitter

The AI arms race highlights the urgent need for responsible innovation

Aki Kikinomakaywin 'learning on the land' camp in Thunder Bay gets Indigenous youth excited about science

Story by Taylor O'Brien •  CBC - Friday July 21,2023

Indigenous youth gathered this week at Lakehead University and Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., in a special camp centred on Aki Kikinomakaywin — Ojibway for "learning on the land."

Seventeen young people aged 12 to 16 came from First Nations across northern Ontario to participate in the second year of the program that began July 16. The activities included conducting stream assessments through Indigenous ways of knowing, combined with Western science.

A big goal of the camp is to teach STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) by way of land-based, hands-on activities, and to encourage youth to want to pursue post-secondary education.

For Nicholas Cada, who's from Mississauga First Nation, the camp helped him learn a lot about his community and people. Nicholas, 16, said he may even pursue a career in pharmacy.

"The most interesting thing [I've learned is] probably the nature or the medicine walk we went on recently," said Nicholas.

"Going out into the wild and just looking at different medicines that we use that are still common in pharmaceutical areas, that are just completely natural, is really cool to me."

The camp covers the cost of food and accommodations for the youth, including a charter departing from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to get to Thunder Bay

Lydia Johnson, project lead for Aki Kikinomakaywin, said this year's camp was months in the making.

"To be here and be with the kids has been amazing, and I think, as you can see, everyone's having a really good time," she said.



Dillon Koopmans, the senior manager of education at Water First Education & Training Inc., teaches young people at Aki Kikinomakaywin how to perform a stream assessment of the river connecting to Lake Tamblyn at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Marc Doucette/CBC)© Provided by cbc.ca

Johnson said leaders work to root the camp in Indigenous culture, stories and teachings.

"We also are attempting to do a two-eyed seeing approach where we weave together Indigenous and Western ways of knowing," she said. "So you'll see through a lot of our activities that we try to bring both of those ways of knowing in."

One of the goals of Aki Kikinomakaywin is to get Indigenous adolescents excited about post-secondary education, through a novel teaching method.

"Being able to show that we can do science, and we can use our culture and use our teachings, and do those things in tandem I think is so important," said Johnson. "And hopefully we'll start bringing a bunch more youth into post-secondary, and also connected youth, into post-secondary."

Sheila DeCorte, from Anemki Wajiw, is one of the knowledge keepers at Aki Kikinomakaywin.

DeCorte said it's important for the campers to learn about the significance of water.

"Water is life, and without water there would be no life," said DeCorte. "So [the youth] need to learn the cultural side of how to protect and care for the water, not only for our generation, but future generations."

Kayden Cherneske, 14, a camper from the Ojibway First Nation of Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, collected a water sample to do a stream assessment, in order to understand the impacts of land use on water. He said testing on several samples will help him learn if the water is safe to drink.



Kayden Cherneske from Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg collects a water sample for Aki Kikinomakaywin's stream assessment. Cherneske says the samples will be tested to determine if the water is safe to drink.

 (Marc Doucette/CBC)

Dillon Koopmans, senior manager of education at Water First Education & Training Inc., taught Aki Kikinomakaywin campers how to perform a stream assessment of the river connecting to Lake Tamblyn at Lakehead University.

Koopmans said it's important to remember the goal is to help, heal and protect the water when doing work on it.

DeCorte said it's the responsibility of Indigenous youth to protect and care for all living things.

"If they want to go into the Western science of water, then they're going to need to also be aware of the cultural side of things, so that they're remembering to honour and respect Mother Earth — remember to honour and respect the water itself, because it is a living entity, and to respect all beings here on Mother Earth."

DeCorte added it's hoped students gaining knowledge from Aki Kikinomakaywin will want to pursue a career in Western science.

"Or maybe they'll become a knowledge keeper in the opposite side of things. But even if the ones that aren't as engaged, even if they retain one thing all week, then that'll be positive too."

Nicholas said he plans to bring what he's learned at the camp back to his community.

"I know that back where I'm from, we have not so much medical attention. So it's going to be good to go out there and maybe offer some traditional alternatives for popular medicines."

Another camper, Kiaya Nowegijick of the Ojibway First Nations of Gull Bay and Webequie, said she has an interest in medicines and stories, and liked how the Aki Kikinomakaywin leaders conducted the teachings, "how they learn how to live on the land and medicines, and just culture stuff, to reconnect with their culture."

Kiaya, 15, also hopes to share what she learned with her community so they can grow together.

"Even before this, I wanted to be an Indigenous advocate for my community, and to fight for our rights and fight for our land back."

CANADA
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May hospitalized for 'overwork, fatigue and stress,' husband says

Story by John Paul Tasker • Jul 10, 2023

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was hospitalized last week for fatigue owing to the "idiotic" schedule MPs kept in the dying days of Parliament, her husband said in a note to constituents.

John Kidder said his spouse was "undone" by a punishing workload and spent a few days "under observation" at a hospital in her Vancouver Island riding before being discharged Saturday to recuperate at home.

May, 69, will be off her feet for another week before resuming some of her usual summer duties, Kidder said.

Kidder, who is himself a founding member of the Green Party in British Columbia, blamed May's hospitalization on marathon voting sessions — which had MPs in the House of Commons until midnight some days in June — combined with her constituency duties and her role as Green Party co-leader.

"Does it not seem odd to you that we expect our parliamentarians to work double shifts through May and June, sometimes nineteen-hour days, to sit until midnight almost every day, to keep up with their always demanding constituency work, and still to have minds at all?" Kidder said.

Government House Leader Mark Holland extended the Commons sitting times to clear the legislative decks and pass some key government bills before a three-month summer recess.

Among the bills enacted were C-47, the budget bill, and C-18, legislation that forces tech giants like Facebook and Google to pay news outlets for posting their journalism on their platforms.

The opposition Conservatives tried to stall some bills but the government, with the support of the NDP, introduced a parliamentary manoeuvre called "time allocation" on several occasions to shut down debate and move bills to votes.

Kidder said that in any "decent union job," grievances would be "flying thick and fast" if workers had to deal with what MPs like May endure.

He said it's acknowledged that, in other professions, people "cannot do their best work when they're over-tired," and yet MPs are expected to handle "routine sixteen-hour days in and out of Parliament, constant travel, instant responses to matters of urgency from constituents and the press, to be available for any and all local matters."

He said May recently attended nine high school graduation ceremonies that lasted hours and Toronto's Pride parade, all while carrying out "the additional multiple-pronged job as leader of the Green Party of Canada, itself nearly regular full-time work for any reasonable mortal."



Green Party Leader Elizabeth May walks in the Toronto Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25, 2023. 

(Chris Young/Canadian Press)

"The summer festivities have been cut down because of the idiotic schedule in the spring, that itself because (my opinion) Parliament spends so much time in idiot bickering that actual legislation always takes longer than expected, and always backs up into the late spring. Predictable, just like climate change," Kidder said.

In response to claims that parliamentarians are overworked, MPs voted recently to permanently extend a COVID-era hybrid policy that allows for virtual attendance and voting.

Kidder also told constituents that May got "a close-up and very personal look" at "troubling elements" of Canada's "vaunted health-care system."

He said they both lack a family doctor and struggled to get May seen by a professional when she fell ill. He said public health care is "a messed-up system" staffed by "wonderful people" who endure workloads like May's with "even more personal stress."

After stepping down from the party's leadership in 2019, May returned to lead the party last year after a disastrous result for the Greens in the 2021 federal election.

The party nearly came apart at the seams due to party infighting during Annamie Paul's fractious time as leader. Paul compared her time at the helm to crawling over broken glass — a painful experience she described as the worst of her life.

Quebec human rights advocate Jonathan Pedneault is the party's co-leader.

Brazilian players at the Women's World Cup urge fans back home to skip work to watch their matches

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Brazil’s players urged their fans back in South America to stay home from work and watch them begin their Women's World Cup campaign against Panama.

The fact that their fans even have that option marks a step forward in the players’ ongoing fight for equality with their male counterparts.

Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently announced that civil servants could arrive at work up to two hours after the final whistle of Brazil’s games in the the tournament. He encouraged private businesses to do the same.

The Brazil-Panama match starts at 8:30 p.m. Monday in Adelaide, Australia. There is a roughly 12-hour time difference between the countries.

“I hope people really follow (the games) and don’t use it just to skip work,” Brazilian defender Antonia said from the team's camp in Brisbane. “I hope people really follow us.”

Taking time off work to watch important soccer matches is nothing new for fans of Brazil’s men’s team, but this is a first for the women’s national team

“It’s an important step for women’s football,” Antonia said. “I believe that it is a little behind, but it happened and we have to value that.”

While it’s a step toward equality, it brings added pressure. The team is aiming for its first World Cup title to prove themselves to their country and the world as a top team in women’s soccer.

Related video: Soccer fans hope USA women's team can make history with World Cup threepeat (Tribune Content Agency)  Duration 1:49   View on Watch

“It’s already a very big movement,” midfielder Angelina said of the team’s support in Brazil, “and the expectation is only increasing.”

Brazil has competed in every Women’s World Cup with their best result in 2007 finishing runners-up to Germany. They have won two silver medals at the Olympics, in 2004 and in 2008. Marta, one of the world’s most well-known and accomplished players, will be playing in her last World Cup. Marta holds the record for most World Cup goals scored by men or women with 17 and the most international goals scored for Brazil with 115.

In March, Lula endorsed Brazil’s bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup alongside Brazil’s sports minister, Ana Moser, and the president of the Brazil's soccer confederation, Ednaldo Rodrigues.

“It will motivate the construction of a political conscience of the Brazilian people so they understand women’s effective participation in every field they can and want to take a part of,” Lula said at the time.

Moser will be visiting Australia and New Zealand during the World Cup, cheering on the team but also strengthening Brazil’s 2027 bid. Brazil is competing against South Africa, as well as two combined bids — from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, and from the United States and Mexico.

Brazil’s players recognize that they're playing for a brighter future for women’s soccer in their country at this World Cup.

“Taking this first step," Antonia said. “I believe it is very important and that it continues to evolve, that it continues like this and that people really wake up and start to follow women’s football from now on.”

____

Molly Lee is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

___

AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Molly Lee, The Associated Press

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Snyder fined $60 million following independent investigation

By Adam Gretz  |  Last updated 7/20/23

The NFL owners approved the sale of the Washington Commanders on Thursday. The league then revealed the findings of an independent investigation into outgoing owner Dan Snyder.

As a result of those findings, the league is ordering Snyder to pay the league $60 million after it was found that he sexually harassed a team employee and deliberately withheld millions in revenue from the NFL's other 31 franchises.

The investigation concluded that Snyder had withheld at least $11 million in revenue that should have been shared with other teams, and potentially even more that the investigation could not account for. 

The investigation was led by former U.S. Attorney and SEC chair Mary Jo White.

"The conduct substantiated in Ms. White's findings has no place in the NFL," said commissioner Roger Goodell in releasing the league's findings. "We strive for workplaces that are safe, respectful and professional. What Ms. Johnston experienced is inappropriate and contrary to the NFL's values."

The investigation was launched almost immediately after a former team employee, Tiffani Johnston, first made sexual harassment allegations against Snyder in front of a house committee last year. 

Snyder denied the allegations, while the report released on Thursday said that Snyder and the Commanders franchise were not fully cooperative in the investigation. 

The $60 million payment Snyder is being forced to pay might seem like a significant amount when compared to other punishments handed out by the league, but it comes on the same day that his sale of the Commanders franchise for $6 billion was approved by the league's owners. 

Roger Goodell addresses potential sovereign investment in NFL teams

Story by Adam La Rose, Pro Football Rumors • July 22,2023

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL witnessed its most recent franchise sale earlier this week and the league remains in a position where (with the exception of the Green Bay Packers) only private individuals are allowed to hold a stake in its teams. Commissioner Roger Goodell was recently asked about the possibility of that model changing.

Sovereign investment in North American and European sports franchises has become in increasingly common in recent years, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) representing one of many examples of the power of foreign money. The proposed merger involving the rival PGA and LIV golf tours is one instance of the PIF’s expanding reach, something which prompted a question to Goodell about the NFL’s stance on the matter.

“We haven’t made the move as other leagues have to any kind of public investment,” Goodell said during an appearance on CNBC (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, on Twitter). “It’s something we’ll contemplate at some point in time, but we really like our basic model now where we have private ownership. Those owners are in the meeting room, they’re part of the league and they’re part of our success.

The level of interest shown in football by the PIF or similar entities remains unclear, so the NFL has little urgency to explore foreign investment for the time being. Developments in that regard could be worth watching closely in other North American pro leagues, however, given the fact that many NFL owners also have a controlling stake in other franchises.

The exploding value of NFL teams has been a notable trend recently and finances were a potential issue raised with the $6.05 billion purchase of the Commanders from the group led by Josh Harris. He assembled 20 minority partners to help fund the deal, but all majority owners are required to provide 30 percent of the sales price up front upon purchase. With the cost of doing so set to continue increasing considerably, the idea of foreign investors joining the league could remain a talking point for the foreseeable future, though Goodell’s remarks point to an acceptance of that being unlikely to take place soon.

ESPN spoke with NBA, NFL about 'strategic partnership,' potential ownership stakes

By Jason Clinkscales | Last updated 7/21/23

NBA commissioner Adam Silver. 

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Leaders at ESPN had early talks with the NBA and NFL about a "strategic partnership," which could lend to potential ownership stakes in the network, per Alex Sherman at CNBC.

Last week while joining other media leaders at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC's David Farber that the company is considering selling some of its media operations but charted a different path for ESPN.

Iger said that he would be looking for a "strategic partner," but offered few details at the time other than stating that the union "could take the form of a joint venture or offloading an ownership stake."

Sherman reports that he and ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro have spoken with sports leagues about bringing them into the fold as minority owners, namely the NBA and NFL, which both have heavy presences on the network.

Whether anything comes from those conversations in the immediate future is hard to determine, but Sherman notes that any further partnership between ESPN and either or both leagues would be a boost for Disney:
The move would be a logical one for Disney as it tries to move past the traditional cable subscriber model and underscores how badly the company wants to find a solution for the sports network as its linear subscribers decline. Still, ESPN ratings have climbed in recent years on major sporting events. There’s no better partner for sports content than the leagues, themselves.

Superficially, it may make less sense for the NBA and NFL, which sign lucrative media rights deals with many media partners that fuel team revenue and player salaries with a range of media companies.

As with just about every television channel, ESPN has been greatly impacted by cord-cutting as consumers continue to give up on typically large cable packages (or cable, period) for streaming options.

Sports have been propping up live viewership for traditional media owners, yet they are also the most expensive properties in their offerings, and those costs have generally been passed down to consumers through higher subscription fees and to cable & satellite operators through affiliate fees.

Disney is also in the negotiation window with the NBA as its broadcasting rights agreement is due to expire after the 2024-25 season. The NBA is no stranger to deeper partnerships with a broadcaster as Warner Bros. Discovery manages NBA TV. The NFL is also looking for a way to offload some equity in its media properties, notably the NFL Network.

Nikolai Bukharin: Imperialism and World Economy

Cambodia holds lopsided election before historic transfer of power

Story by By Prak Chan Thul • July 22,2023

Cambodia holds lopsided election ahead of historic transfer of power

© Thomson Reuters

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) -Vote counting was underway in Cambodia on Sunday in a one-sided election certain to prolong the ruling party's dominance, clearing the path for a historic leadership transition and the end of the reign of one of the world's longest-serving premiers.


Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, attends the final Cambodian People's Party (CPP) election campaign for the upcoming general election in Phnom Penh

© Thomson Reuters

The contest was effectively a one-horse race, with Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP), a political behemoth with a vast war chest, facing no viable opponent after a ruthless, years-long crackdown on its rivals.

Polls closed with a turnout of 78.3%, according to the National Election Committee, with 7.6 million people voting in a much-criticised contest between CPP and 17 mostly obscure parties, none of which won seats in the last election in 2018. There were no Western observers.

Former Khmer Rouge guerrilla Hun Sen, 70, has led Cambodia for 38 years and has brushed off all Western concern about the election's credibility, determined to prevent any obstacle in his carefully calibrated transition to his anointed successor and eldest son, Hun Manet.



Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, attends the final Cambodian People's Party election campaign in Phnom Penh

© Thomson Reuters

No timeframe had been given for the handover until Thursday, when the self-styled strongman signalled his son "could be" prime minister next month, depending on "whether Hun Manet will be able to do it or not". He needs to win a National Assembly seat to become prime minister, which is likely.

Elephants trudge through the jungles of eastern Cambodia    Duration 3:49  View on Watch

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?

Hun Manet, 45, dressed in a green safari shirt, smiled and posed for selfies with supporters after voting in the capital Phnom Penh before a throng of media.

He ducked questions on the prospect of becoming premier and whether he would rule differently from his father. "No comment please, no comment please. I've just come to vote," he said in English, smiling.

Analysts had expected the transition to come mid-term, giving time for Hun Manet to earn legitimacy with the public and political elite.

"Transferring power while he is still physically and mentally well allows Hun Sen to strongly protect his son from any internal challenges," said Gordon Conochie, adjunct research fellow at La Trobe University and author of a new book on Cambodia's democracy.

"As long as Hun Sen is around, nobody will move against Hun Manet."

Hun Manet has given few media interviews and no clues over his vision for Cambodia and its 16 million people.

He earned a master's degree at New York University and a doctorate at the University of Bristol, both in economics, and attended the West Point military academy, helping him rise through the ranks of Cambodia's military to army chief and deputy armed forces commander.

Major powers will be watching closely for signs of whether Hun Manet will maintain the authoritarian status quo of his father or pursue greater liberalisation and a more Western style of democracy.

A key focus will be if he seeks to steer Cambodia out of the orbit of China and patch up ties with the United States that have perennially been strained by his father's iron-fisted approach.

Hun Manet received a rock-star reception at a big rally on Friday, where he promised a vote for the CPP was for a bright future and warned of unspecified "extremist" attempts to "destroy the election".

'PEACE AND PROSPERITY'

The rhetoric echoes that of Hun Sen in his vitriol against opponents and pre-emptive strikes since May that have included disqualifying the CPP's only meaningful rival, the Candlelight Party, over a paperwork technicality.

Authorities also banned self-exiled opposition figurehead Sam Rainsy and 16 allies from voting and contesting elections for two decades for urging Cambodians to destroy their ballots.

Some did that on Sunday, posting pictures of their ballots on social media, some with writing that disparaged Hun Sen and called him a coward. Another said "U.N. pls help".

Election committee spokesperson Hang Puthea said it was too soon to know how many invalid ballots there were. Two people had been detained, he said, for "little irregularities".

The CPP's selling point has been its rural development and ensuring peace and stability after decades of war, which helped spur average growth of more than 7% until 2019, creating jobs in garment manufacturing and construction.

"I don't really need more from the new leader," voter Nin Sinath, 58, said on Hun Sen's succession. "I have what I want now, we have peace and prosperity for the people already."

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Additional reporting by Chantha Lach; Writing and additional reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Robert Birsel and William Mallard)

XYZ Films Boards North American Sales for South African Freedom Documentary ‘London Recruits’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Story by Naman Ramachandran • Variety - July 22,2023

XYZ Films Boards North American Sales for South African Freedom Documentary ‘London Recruits’ (EXCLUSIVE)© Provided by Variety


XYZ Films will represent documentary “London Recruits” for North American sales, it was revealed at the ongoing Durban FilmMart.

Directed by Gordon Main, the film sheds light on a pivotal moment in South Africa’s history. In 1970, the struggle against the apartheid government in South Africa developed a new secret weapon. Oliver Tambo hatched a plan to infiltrate young British activists into the country, posing as tourists. Their mission, in the face of brutal lockdown by the racist regime, was to help inspire ordinary South Africans to join a liberation movement that would never give up till freedom was won.

To mark the partnership, Ronnie Kasrils, now 86, the former underground African National Congress (ANC) freedom fighter at the heart of the story, participated in detonating a bucket “leaflet bomb” outside the market hotel. These were the devices deployed in 1970 by amateur secret agents that Kasrils recruited in London on orders from Tambo. The devices brought messages of hope from the banned ANC to the South African population at large.

The film is produced by Jacintha de Nobrega (“Deep End”), Robyn Slovo (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “McMafia”), Geoff Arbourne (“Forever Pure,” “African Apocalypse”), Colin Charles (“The Surveyor”),

James Barrett (“A Change in the Weather”) and Felix Gill (“78/52″).

XYZ Films’ Todd Brown said: “XYZ couldn’t be more thrilled to be working alongside Gordon and Geoff to bring “London Recruits” to audiences. This is truly one of those so unbelievable it has to be true stories, a real-life espionage tale told with urgency, insight and style. Quite simply, it’s a remarkable story told impeccably well, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

Main added: “If you were looking for the perfect company to represent this film – XYZ would be at the top of your list. From our very first conversations with them, we could tell that they just ‘got’ the movie. Sealing the relationship here in Durban, where we shot so much of it, is a fitting tribute to the talent here on the ground in KwaZulu Natal who helped turn our story into a great film.”

de Nobrega said: “We are delighted that Todd and the cutting edge team at XYZ Films share our enthusiasm for this documentary’s creative and commercial potential. XYZ has been committed to working in South Africa for many years, so landing this deal at DFM in Durban feels like a natural next step. Together, we look forward to unveiling this extraordinary film to audiences worldwide, sparking thought-provoking conversations and leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape.”

Arbourne said: “The positioning of XYZ Films in the global market is truly impressive, and it will undoubtedly take the project to new heights.”

Residential school survivors still waiting for next steps a year after papal visit

Story by Olivia Stefanovich • CBC - July 22, 2023

When Piita Irniq picked up his handmade wooden drum to perform for Pope Francis last year in Iqaluit, he was reclaiming an Inuit tradition that the Roman Catholic Church tried to erase through its residential schools.

"I wanted him to know that this is what you cut off as part of colonialism," Irniq said.

"You thought it was a witchcraft. You thought it was a pagan religion when, in fact, drum dancing has always been a celebration of life."

One year later, Irniq and many other residential school survivors are still waiting for the Roman Catholic Church to outline the next steps it wants to take in repairing its relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

"Nobody has been in touch with me from the church," Irniq said. "It's rather disappointing."


After performing a drum dance, residential school survivor Piita Irniq presents his drum to Pope Francis in the square outside Nakasuk Elementary School in Iqaluit on July 29, 2022. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)© Provided by cbc.ca

During an open air mass last year at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, Canada's Catholic bishops made a pledge to Pope Francis.

"The bishops of Canada are fully committed to walking together with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples," Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith said during the July 26 event.

Although some work has been done, there is still no cohesive national plan from the bishops for working with Indigenous Peoples on reconciliation.

'The Vatican used us'

Ted Quewezance, a residential school survivor from the Keeseekoose First Nation in Saskatchewan, said he personally accepted the Pope's apology for residential schools when he delivered it on Canadian soil in Edmonton. That came after an initial apology made in Rome.

Quewezance said he tried at first to remain optimistic about residential school survivors' prospects for working with the church on reconciliation, but has only grown more frustrated since.

"I really feel I've been used as an individual," Quewezance said.

"The government used us. The Vatican used us. The bishops used us … There's not a peep out of them. It's silence."



Piita Irniq, a residential school survivor and Inuit cultural teacher, says it's disappointing that no one from the Roman Catholic Church has been in touch since last year's papal visit. (Olivia Stefanovich/CBC)© Provided by cbc.ca

Quewezance said he hasn't been able to meet with the bishops to develop a plan for how the church can move forward with survivors and address reconciliation.

"I don't think it really helped our survivors or First Nations across the country," Quewezance said.

"It's the same old, same old. It's everybody protecting their own liability."


Ted Quewezance, former chief of the Keeseekoose First Nation, wants Canadian Catholic Bishops to work with residential school survivors like him on a post-papal visit plan.

(Alexander Quon/CBC)

Although conversations have taken place between Canadian Catholic Bishops, Indigenous leaders and survivors, there have not been any official follow-ups since the papal visit.

The bishops have invited national Indigenous leaders for a meeting but it hasn't taken place yet due to scheduling issues

Bishops 'committed' to working with Indigenous people

Archbishop Smith, who oversaw the papal visit, said the work is going to take time but he remains committed to seeing it through.

"The Pope himself said that the journey is going to take a long time," Smith said.

"His visit was important, but one step … I'm certainly excited and looking forward to walking that journey."

Smith said progress is being made at the local level.



Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith said the Pope's visit was the first step in a long journey towards reconciliation. (Jessie Wardarski/The Associated Press)

At the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, which Pope Francis visited, cultural workshops have started between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

The bishops are working with archivists on releasing more residential school documents through a new national committee, said Smith.

He said they have raised $10 million out of a promised $30 million for reconciliation efforts, including language revitalization.

Smith said that in Edmonton, an Indigenous-led committee is asking for applications to find ways to distribute their portion of the money.

"What is key is for the bishop to show up locally, meet with Indigenous leadership," Smith said.

"It could well be that that takes different amounts of time in local areas, depending upon mutual availability, depending upon resources and these sorts of things. But to me, it's absolutely clear that the bishops are committed to doing this."

Unaddressed demands

Smith said he's encouraged by the work underway. Others say progress has been too slow.

"Just having an apology without action to help the current generations of the residential school survivors and their children is overall inappropriate," said Chelsea Brunelle, a member of Batchewana First Nation in northern Ontario.

"It's not the right way to go about reconciliation between the survivors and ancestors and current generations of genocide because we still live in a colonial society and we are still suffering."

Brunelle unfurled a large banner that said "Rescind the Doctrine" at a mass the Pope led outside Quebec City last year. She and her cousin Sarain Fox were honouring their great-aunt Mary Bell, a survivor of the Spanish Indian Residential School.

The banner is a reference to the Doctrine of Discovery, which is inspired by centuries-old papal bulls that justified the colonization, conversion and enslavement of non-Christians and the seizure of their lands. Scholars say the doctrine laid the foundation for Canada's claim to Indigenous lands and the Indian Act.

Last spring, the Vatican repudiated the doctrine by issuing a new statement.

Brunelle said it's not enough.

"There still isn't any plan to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery," Brunelle said. "That's what I would still request a year later."



Batchewana First Nation members Chelsea Brunelle and Sarain Fox unfurl a banner ahead of a mass at Saint Anne de Beaupre Basillica. 

(Sarah Levitt/CBC/Radio-Canada)

Last year, Irniq asked Pope Francis to personally intervene in the case of Johannes Rivoire, a former Oblate priest who faces charges of sexual assault in Canada.

"They have to get that man back to Canada," Irniq said. "Not doing anything is re-victimizing Rivoire's victims in Canada. That is not acceptable."

Despite international pressure led by Inuit, France is not extraditing Rivoire and it's not clear if Pope Francis has done anything to help in the case.

Even though there are still many demands left unaddressed, Irniq said he still feels inspired by the Pope's historic apology.

Now is the time, he said, for the church to work with residential school survivors on supporting victims of sexual abuse, promoting Indigenous culture and traditions, revitalizing Indigenous languages and making good on promises of financial support.

"I am willing. Inuit are willing to move forward with healing and reconciliation with the church," Irniq said.

"It's your move. It's time for you to make a move … There is no other way of doing it."

Canadian Oil CEO says too much government talking, not enough action, putting climate targets in jeopardy

Story by Elise von Scheel • Yesterday

An oil company CEO says federal and provincial governments are stuck on "academic discussions" about greenhouse gas emissions targets, putting timelines for their own goals in jeopardy.

Derek Evans, the head of Calgary-based MEG Energy, told CBC Radio's The House the lack of concrete details on climate policies are interfering with the chronology for decarbonization.

"The whole 2030 timeline, what we said we thought we could do by 2030, that starts to get risked," he said, adding the dialogue has been productive but lacking action.

Ottawa is crafting policies that would put legislative pressure on the sector to decarbonize more quickly, including an impending emissions cap and killing "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies. An announcement on the latter is expected next week, but specifics have been scarce for years.

Canada has committed to net-zero by 2050, with an interim goal that would require oil and gas to cut 42 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions below 2019 levels by 2030.



Canada's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault photographed speaking in Vancouver in 2022. Ottawa is crafting policies that would put legislative pressure on the oil and gas sector to decarbonize more quickly. (REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier)© REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier

Both levels of government are feuding over 2030 targets, though they agree on the end date of 2050. Both are providing support to industry in the form of funding and tax credits, but disagree on the methods to reach a carbon-neutral economy.

"We are going to lose the next generation"

"We will lose not only the opportunity to decarbonize, we are going to lose the next generation in terms of their belief in are we actually doing what's right for the environment," Evans said.

His daughter often presses him about his work, he said, and whether oil companies are serious when it comes to climate change.

Industry titans, including MEG's partners in the Pathways Alliance that represents 95 per cent of oilsands production, have told the federal government getting to the 42-per-cent reduction goal is unrealistic by the end of the decade (In fact, they say it would take an extra five years to get there at the current pace).

The oilsands produce about 70 million tonnes of emissions annually, according to the Alberta government — about 11 per cent of Canada's total pollution output.

"At some point, if you are serious about decarbonizing the oilsands for a variety of reasons, we need to see some progress towards that," said Andrew Leach, a professor and energy and environment economist at the University of Alberta.

"But I think also … if the government is not going to recognize, for example, enhanced oil recovery as a means of carbon capture and sequestration, industry needs to know that before they can decide where to put their money."

Policies underway, but industry lacks details

The federal government has announced billions in clean energy incentives and tax credits for things like carbon capture and storage. That's what the industry wants clarity on. Alberta has also committed about $2 billion into carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and approved 25 proposals for carbon storage hubs.

CCUS technology traps and stores pollution from production underground. Despite political and industry buzz, it hasn't been proven at a massive scale yet and remains relatively expensive.

Canadian oil and gas companies are hoping to lead the world in its development, but that's becoming a steep task as U.S. measures like the Inflation Reduction Act provide historical investments for green tech.

Canada has been floating decarbonization and carbon capture for 30 years (early mentions appear in a 1994 report on climate to the United Nations).



An oilsands plant in Fort McMurray, Alta. The federal government has announced billions in clean energy incentives and tax credits for things like carbon capture and storage. 

(Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

"We are ready to go. We are waiting for the governments to collectively get at the table and join us and push this across the line. In my personal perspective, this is the single biggest imperative that we as people in the oil and gas business and as stewards of the land and the economy for the next generation, we absolutely need to make this happen as quickly as we can," Evans said.

Record profits prompt questions about investment

Oil companies are also coming off the most lucrative year they've ever seen.

At a time when there's money available, companies have been criticized for not investing more of their record profits into clean technology development or accelerating their commitments to existing options.

Advancing without government direction and support — and out of step with other countries like Norway — would kill the competitiveness of Canadian oil, Evans said.

"I think we would just ultimately say it's probably cheaper for us to pay the carbon tax and not abate the carbon. And then we have lost on two fronts: We have lost a global leadership opportunity … and we have not abated an iota of CO2."

A recent report commissioned by an environmental group concluded it would be significantly cheaper to meet reduction targets for greenhouse gases than it would be to pay carbon taxes on it.

Leach said the path forward depends on whether decisions are influenced more by politics or by global market and environmental factors.

That question rests largely with the industry.

"Is decarbonizing the oilsands something that has to happen for the future of the industry or is it something that has to happen so long as the current Liberal government makes it a priority," he said.

Evans remains optimistic the governments and companies can find a path forward.

"I have never heard a federal official tell me that they want to see production shut in and clearly the premier doesn't either. So with those basics, I feel we're going to be able to thread the needle here."