There are 62 wildfires currently burning across Alberta in the Forest Protection Area, and four mutual aid fires.
19 are classified as out of control, nine are being held and 34 are under control.
There have been seven new wildfires since yesterday.
Since Jan. 1, there have been 651 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, burning more than 679,000 hectares.
More than 1,600 Alberta firefighters, contract firefighters and imported firefighters are currently battling wildfires across the province.
Resources currently being used include heavy equipment, air tankers, helicopters and night vision helicopters.
Alberta has imported firefighters and aircraft from Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Australia, Costa Rica, Washington and the United States Forest Service.
Information about wildfires can be found by visiting the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.
Orders and alerts
Updates on evacuation orders are available on www.alberta.ca/emergency.
On June 30, the County of Grande Prairie County No. 1 lifted its evacuation alert that was issued on June 27.
The Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council’s evacuation orders for Peerless Lake and Trout Lake remain in effect.
Registration centre at 10451 170 Street, Edmonton.
The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17’s evacuation order for Chipewyan Lake also remains in effect.
Reception centre at Lakeview Sports Centre, 102 Opportunity Drive, Wabasca-Desmarais.
Saddle Hills County’s evacuation alert for the Blueberry Mountain area remains in effect.
The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17’s evacuation alert for Red Earth Creek remains in effect.
The Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council’s evacuation alert for the Loon River First Nation (Loon Lake) remains in effect.
Alberta Emergency Alerts are issued by local authorities and are updated at their discretion. For the best source of information on the status of evacuation orders and alerts, residents are encouraged to follow their local authorities’ preferred communication channels for updates.
People living in Alberta are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app, which immediately pushes all alerts out to subscribers.
Fire bans
A fire ban is in effect for the High Level Forest Area as well as parts of the Fort McMurray Forest Area.
Under this ban, all outdoor wood fires, barbecue charcoal briquettes, fireworks and exploding targets are prohibited, and existing fire permits are suspended.
Please confirm advisories, restrictions or bans for your area at alberta.ca/fire-bans.
Fire bans outside the Forest Protection Area are the responsibility of municipalities and counties.
Everyone has a role to play in wildfire prevention. Follow all fire bans and restrictions to avoid new fire starts. If you see smoke or flames in the forest, call 310-FIRE to report it.
Applying FireSmart principles to homes and property can mitigate the risk of wildfire damage. Removing flammable materials and vegetation around the property and preventing embers from accumulating can help protect your home from wildfires. To learn more, visit FireSmart Alberta.
Air quality
Visit Wildfire Smoke Information for air quality monitoring information to make informed decisions about outdoor activities to protect your health. While wildfire smoke is affecting air quality in parts of Alberta, the presence of smoke does not necessarily mean there is fire near your community. Find information about the status of active wildfires and wildfire updates at Alberta Wildfire.
Roads and highways
Highway 686 between Red Earth Creek and Trout Lake is closed due to a wildfire.
511 Alberta is the best source of real time information as conditions change on our highways. Follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @511alberta.
Alberta highways that are affected by the wildfires will open and close frequently depending on safety and weather conditions. Be patient and respect the staff at the closure/detour sites – they are there with your safety in mind.
Health
For information about wildfire resources, including mental health, visit Wildfire Resources | Alberta Health Services.
Child care
One child-care centre is currently closed in response to community evacuations:
o Opportunity Childcare, in Red Earth Creek.
Licensed child-care programs are required to notify Child Care Connect if they close unexpectedly.
Parents and guardians should reach out to their child-care provider for information on closures.
Justice and court services
Court sittings will resume in person at the Chateh courthouse on July 2.
Court sittings will resume in person at the Red Earth Creek courthouse on July 15.
Visit the Alberta Courts website for the most current information regarding court scheduling.
Related information
Active emergency updates
Alberta Emergency Alerts
Download the Alberta Emergency Alerts app
Download the Alberta Wildfire app
How to prepare for an emergency
Wildfire smoke information
Emergency evacuation payments
Free admission to provincial museums and historic sites
Headline: Conscious Integration: The Brian Berneman Story, launched globally 3rd July
The world premiere of Conscious Integration: The Brian Berneman Story, a heartfelt documentary that invites viewers into Brian’s inspiring journey from neuroscience to visionary wellness leadership. The film will launch globally with in-person screenings on July 3, 2025.
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says today marks a major milestone for New Zealand’s science and innovation sector with the launch of three new science organisations designed to unlock innovation, drive economic growth, and improve the lives of hardworking Kiwis. “Science, innovation and technology are the engine rooms of a productive economy and our Government is committed to powering up our scientists and innovators to deliver for New Zealanders,” says Dr Reti. “From today, six Crown Research Institutes will merge to form two new entities: the Bioeconomy Science Institute and the Earth Science Institute. Meanwhile, ESR will refocus its mission to become the Public Health and Forensic Science Institute. “These changes are about sharpening our focus and lifting performance. By bringing together complementary research skills and infrastructure, we’re enabling greater collaboration, better alignment with Government priorities, and stronger commercial outcomes. “These new organisations will be set up to deliver real-world value, creating jobs, boosting exports, and helping New Zealand compete globally.” The new institutes will remain Crown companies, but with a renewed mandate to deliver economic benefits for New Zealand. “This reform is a practical step to ensure our science sector is agile, responsive, and focused on outcomes that matter – jobs, growth and innovation. We’re backing our scientists to turn ideas into impact, and to help New Zealand lead in areas like biotechnology, climate resilience, and public health,” says Dr Reti. Dr Reti also acknowledged the contributions of outgoing Chairs and Board members of the seven Crown Research Institutes, whose leadership has laid the groundwork for this new chapter. He extended thanks to the dedicated staff across the institutes, whose work continues to make a meaningful difference to New Zealand’s economy and communities. “This Government is committed to building a science system that delivers results. These reforms are about unlocking the full potential of our research sector to fuel economic growth, drive innovation, and secure a more prosperous future for all New Zealanders,” Dr Reti says.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says the Government is delivering on its promise to give Kiwis access to more treatments, with Wegovy now available via prescription for weight loss.
Medsafe made the decision to approve Wegovy in April. Stock has now arrived and is ready to be sold to Kiwis who are prescribed the medicine for weight loss.
“More than two in three adults and nearly one-third of children in New Zealand live with obesity or are overweight. This puts a major strain on the health system and can lead to serious health problems down the track. We’re giving Kiwis access to another tool to deal with this problem,” says Mr Seymour.
“The combined impact of these conditions is significant, with reports estimating the cost of excess weight in New Zealand as being between $4-9 billion per year. One of the common implications of obesity is cardiovascular disease, which costs the country approximately $3.3 billion per year.
“Treating obesity early reduces the risk of developing serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver disease.
Wegovy is currently unfunded so patients will pay for the treatment. Any future decisions around funding are for Pharmac and the supplier, and completely independent of the Minister.
“These drugs are making an enormous difference in other countries. I hope that they can be a game-changer for a lot of people in New Zealand now as well,” says Mr Seymour.
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
The ACCC has launched Federal Court proceedings against Edgewell Personal Care Australia Pty Ltd and its US-based parent company, Edgewell Personal Care Company or Edgewell PCC, for allegedly false or misleading claims that its popular Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat branded sunscreens were ‘reef friendly’.
The ACCC alleges Edgewell Australia breached the Australian Consumer Law when it made the claims about many Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreen products across its websites, social media, in retailer catalogues and in other publications. Several Hawaiian Tropic products also contained a logo on the packaging which included the words ‘reef friendly’ and an image of a piece of coral.
The ACCC alleges Edgewell Australia made the ‘reef friendly’ claims between August 2020 and December 2024 based on advice, guidance and direction from Edgewell PCC.
Edgewell claimed that the sunscreens were ‘reef friendly’, including because they did not contain ‘oxybenzone or octinoxate’. These chemicals have been banned in some jurisdictions, including the State of Hawaii, due to the damage they cause to reefs.
However, the sunscreens contained other ingredients which the ACCC alleges either cause harm to reefs, including coral and marine life, or risk causing harm to reefs. These ingredients are octocrylene, homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (also known as 4-MBC or enzacamene), and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (also known as avobenzone). The ACCC’s case relates to more than 90 Edgewell sunscreen products, sold at various times over the four years, which contained one or more of these ingredients.
The ACCC also alleges Edgewell PCC and/or Edgewell Australia were aware of scientific studies, literature or other reports that indicated the ingredients, or some of them, were known to adversely affect reefs or that there was a risk of such harm, and that neither company commissioned any testing in relation to the ingredients and their impact on reefs.
Edgewell PCC removed ‘reef friendly’ claims from its sunscreen products in the US in around 2020, however we allege the claims continued to be made in Australia until December 2024.
“We allege that Edgewell engaged in greenwashing by making claims about the environmental benefits of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens that it had no reasonable or scientific basis to make,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“Many consumers consider environmental factors when purchasing products. By engaging in this alleged greenwashing, we say Edgewell deprived consumers of the ability to make an informed decision and may have prevented them from purchasing a different brand of sunscreen that did not contain chemicals which risked causing harm to reefs.”
“We believe this conduct was widespread and risked potentially misleading a large number of consumers. The sunscreen products were supplied throughout Australia over a period of four years, including in large stores and online websites,” Ms Lowe said.
“Businesses should not shy away from promoting the environmental credentials of their products, but they must be able to substantiate any claims, for example through reputable third-party certification or reliable scientific reports,” Ms Lowe said.
In its case, the ACCC alleges that the Edgewell companies made a number of misleading representations, including that the products did not cause harm to reefs or give rise to a risk of harm to reefs. The ACCC also alleges that the Edgewell companies misleadingly represented that Edgewell had a reasonable basis for making these representations, or that there was a reliable scientific basis for making the representations.
The ACCC is seeking penalties, declarations, injunctions, costs and other orders.
Images of the Reef Friendly Logo on Hawaiian Tropic product packaging
Close up image of the logo
Background
Edgewell Personal Care Australia Pty Ltd (‘Edgewell Australia’) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edgewell Personal Care Company (Edgewell PCC).
Edgewell Australia supplies and promotes the Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreen products in Australia.
Edgewell PCC is a New York Stock Exchange listed, multinational consumer products manufacturer company based in the United States. It is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of personal care products, supplying products in the wet shave, sun and skin care, and feminine care categories, including sunscreen products under the Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat brands.
In December 2023, the ACCC published its guidance for businesses on making environmental and sustainability claims. It sets out what the ACCC considers to be misleading conduct and good practice when making such claims, to help businesses provide clear, accurate and trustworthy information to consumers about the current and future environmental performance of their business.
Concise statement
This document contains the ACCC’s initiating court document in relation to this matter. We will not be uploading further documents in the event these initial documents are subsequently amended.
Commonwealth Prac Payments start today for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students.
Eligible students will receive $331.65 per week while doing the mandatory prac placements as part of their degree, which has been benchmarked to the single Austudy per week rate.
This new payment will provide cost-of-living relief for around 68,000 eligible higher education students and more than 5,000 VET students each year.
Newly published grant guidelines will make sure the Commonwealth Prac Payment is fair and accessible to eligible students.
This includes students who may face additional challenges due to disability, health, or acute family circumstances and life events.
Acting on the Universities Accord recommendation, this payment will help students with cost of living and encourage more people to study nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work.
University students will be able to apply for the Prac Payment through their higher education providers.
TAFE students enrolled in a Diploma of Nursing will have their payment administered directly by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
For more information for higher education:
Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) – Department of Education, Australian Government
Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Commonwealth Prac Payment) Guidelines 2025 – Federal Register of Legislation
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
“This will give people who have signed up to do some of the most important jobs in this country a bit of extra help to get the qualifications they need.
“These are people who are going to teach our kids, who are going to look after us when we’re sick or when we’re old, going to help women during childbirth and help support women in domestic violence refuges.
“And that’s why this is important. It’s a bit of practical support for people while they do their practical training.
“Placement poverty is a real thing. I have met students who told me they can afford to go to uni, but they can’t afford to do the prac.
“Some students say prac means they have to give up their part-time job, and that they don’t have the money to pay the bills.”
Police have now charged a man in relation to a homicide in Ōtāhuhu on Sunday night.
Emergency services were called to a Beatty Street property at about 8.30pm following a report of a person being seriously injured.
A man was transported to hospital but later died of his injuries.
Detective Inspector Karen Bright, of Counties Manukau CIB, says a man was taken into custody yesterday afternoon and Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the investigation.
“A 31-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and will appear in Manukau District Court today.
“This is a great result and Police haven’t ruled out the possibility of further charges.”
Detective Inspector Bright says the investigation remains ongoing and thanked those who had come forward to speak with Police.
As the matter is before the Court, Police are limited in providing further comment.
New Zealanders can now access trusted primary healthcare around the clock, no matter where they are in the country, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“A new 24/7 digital health service, launched today, means people can have virtual consultations with New Zealand-registered doctors and nurses, anytime, anywhere,” Mr Brown says.
“This is about making sure Kiwis can get the medical help they need when they need it, especially when they can’t get a timely appointment with their regular general practitioner (GP), or outside normal clinic hours.”
The service connects patients to clinicians through trusted providers using secure digital technology. Doctors and nurse practitioners can assess symptoms, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and provide referrals – all from wherever the patient is.
Since its pilot launch in May, nearly 4,500 New Zealanders have already accessed the digital service, which is now fully available to the public.
“This means people can receive professional medical advice and treatment when they need it – no matter where they are or what time it is, including:
A mother with a sick child in the middle of the night
Someone waking up with a sudden rash on a public holiday
A farmer in rural New Zealand needing help after hours
A family on holiday in a different part of the country
Someone not enrolled with a local GP.
“It also helps ease pressure on emergency departments by treating non-urgent issues earlier and in the right setting.
“This digital service is giving people greater access to the care they need, but does not replace the critical role of GPs, who are responsible for their patients’ continuity of care. It ensures care is available when and where it’s needed, helping bridge the gap when traditional access to a GP isn’t possible.
“That’s why providers will be required to send clinical notes back to a patient’s GP after an appointment. This ensures safe, consistent treatment and strengthens follow-up care, and is about delivering connected care New Zealanders can trust.
“At the same time, we’re backing GPs with a record up to 14 per cent funding boost this year to support the critical work they do in our communities.
“Our Government is focused on ensuring all New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare. That includes investing in digital solutions to make primary care more responsive and connected,” Mr Brown says.
The 24/7 online GP service is now live atinfo.health.nz/onlinegp, with full details on pricing and how to access care through approved providers, including their operating hours.
The following is a guest post byClare Feikert-Ahalt, a senior foreign law specialist at the Law Library of Congress covering the United Kingdom and several other jurisdictions. Clare has written numerous posts for In Custodia Legis, including Revealing the Presence of Ghosts; Weird Laws, or Urban Legends?; FALQs: Brexit Referendum; 100 Years of “Poppy Day” in the United Kingdom; and most recentlyMr. Bates vs. The Post Office Spurs Possible Law Change.
A small, but important, island known as Diego Garcia has given rise to a number of legal challenges and international agreements that date back to Britain’s colonial era. The challenges surround whether the detachment from Mauritius, and subsequent colonization of the Chagos Archipelago, which consists of several islands and atolls remotely located in the center of the Indian Ocean, including the island of Diego Garcia, was lawful, and whether the removal and prohibition on the return of its inhabitants occurred within the bounds of the law. A recent agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) and Mauritius settles the disputes, by returning Chagos Archipelago to Mauritus and providing the UK with continued use of a military base, which I will describe in a post tomorrow. Today I will look at the history that preceded the agreement.
UK Colonization of Chagos Archipelago
One of the driving forces for the UK colonization of Chagos Archipelago was the establishment of a defense facility, to be operated jointly with the United States (US). Almost immediately upon detaching the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius and establishing the colony of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) the UK, after undertaking a survey to determine the most appropriate location for a defense facility, entered into an agreement with the US to allow Diego Garcia to be used for defense purposes. The US subsequently constructed, and jointly operated with the UK, a defense facility that according to the UK government provides “crucial strategic capabilities, which have played a key role in missions to disrupt high-value terrorists, including Islamic State threats to the UK.”
History of the Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia
The BIOT, which includes Diego Garcia, was the last colony established by the British as its colonial era entered into its waning days and Mauritius was on the verge of obtaining independence. In 1965, the government of the UK and a representative of Mauritius signed an agreement detaching the Chagos Archipelago from the territory of Mauritius.
The agreement between the UK and Mauritius provided the legal foundation for the UK to establish the BIOT as new colony in the Chagos Archipelago, which initially included three other islands detached from Seychelles that were later ceded back to the Seychelles upon their independence in 1976. In return for the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago, the UK government provided Mauritius with a grant of £3 million (approximately US$4 million), along with a commitment to return the islands to Mauritius at a later date when it no longer needed the territory for defense purposes. Once under UK control, in 1966, the UK signed an agreement with the US to establish a military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
Independence of Mauritius Leads to Legal Dispute over Territorial Definition
Mauritius was granted independence from the UK in 1968, but the definition of Mauritius, contained in the Mauritius Independence Act 1968, which became its constitution and was promulgated by the government of the UK prior to Mauritius’ independence, does not include the Chagos Archipelago. Instead “Mauritius” is defined in section 5 of the 1968 Act as “the territories which immediately before the appointed day constitute the Colony of Mauritius.” The Mauritian government later claimed that its independence was made conditional upon the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago from its territory and disputed the sovereignty of the UK over the Chagos Archipelago.
This bilateral dispute progressed through numerous meetings, international exchanges, courts and tribunals for a period of 60 years until the UK and Mauritius signed the recent agreement providing sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius..
United Nations Resolution of 1966
In 1966, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution condemning the British for exercising sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and calling for it to be returned to Mauritius. In the same year, the UK and US reached an agreement providing for the use of an island in the Chagos Archipelago for defense purposes. The agreement provided that the UK government would take any administrative measures necessary to ensure the defense needs were met, which included the resettlement of the inhabitants of the islands.
Challenges Regarding Status Continue
The challenges faced by the Chagossians, along with their efforts to reclaim Diego Garcia are well detailed and documented in the decisions of the courts in which they lodged their claims.
The UK entered into an agreement with Mauritius in 1972 whereby it agreed to pay Mauritius £650,000 (approximately US$875,000) for the cost of resettlement of people displaced from the Chagos Archipelago. The UK reached an additional agreement with Mauritius in 1982, under which it paid a further £4 million (approximately US$5.4 million) to be placed into a trust fund for the Chagossians removed from the islands as a final settlement of all claims, without admitting liability.
Despite these agreements and settlement, Mauritius continued to challenge the legitimacy of British sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and the Chagossians challenged the legality of their resettlement and exile from Diego Garcia. During these challenges, and in response to a judgment from England’s High Court, the UK government conducted a feasibility study in 2002 into the return of the Chagossians to Diego Garcia. The study concluded that if the Chagossians were permitted to return to live on Diego Garcia, the costs of long-term inhabitation would be prohibitive and that natural events, such as flooding and seismic activity “would make life difficult for a resettled population.”
Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
In 2019, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion that the decolonization of Mauritius was not completed lawfully and that an international agreement was not possible when one territory was under the authority of the other. The ICJ stated that the UK “has an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible.” The UK government acknowledged the opinion, but noted it was not legally binding. It stated that it did “not share the court’s approach” and asserted that it has exercised sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago since 1814. The UK affirmed that it stood by its commitment “to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes.”
While advisory opinions from the ICJ are not binding, the UK government in 2025 acknowledged that they do “carr[y] significant weight; in particular it is likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court/tribunal”. This advisory opinion had a “meaningful real-world impact on the sustainability of UK sovereignty and the operation of the Base.” In particular, the UK government determined that if Mauritius made another legal challenge, its “… longstanding legal view is that [the UK] would not have a realistic prospect of success.”
The advisory opinion was followed in 2021, by a case heard by the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea relating to the delimitation of the boundary between Mauritius and the Maldives and the court ruled that the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago could be inferred from the advisory opinion made by the International Court of Justice.
The Congress of the Universal Postal Union also recognized Mauritius as responsible for making decisions regarding international postal services in the Chagos Archipelago. The UK government determined these decisions “confirmed the risk that a future (binding) case could be brought successfully against the UK” and that this “would create serious real-world operational impacts for the Base.”
Between the years 2021-2022, the UK used diplomacy and bilateral initiatives to attempt to steer Mauritius away from commencing further legal challenges, but these were unsuccessful and “… it became clear by mid-2022 that the only viable means to halt the process was to enter negotiations” and the start of these were announced in November 2022. They resulted in the May 2025 agreement, which I will describe in tomorrow’s post. Stay tuned!
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Tomorrow marks exactly halfway through 2025. Luckily there’s a suite of streaming options to help get you through the mid-year bump.
We’ve got iconic classics celebrating major anniversaries, as well as an animated K-Pop spectacle, and a documentary trawling through the controversial tenure of former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Joh: Last King of Queensland
Stan
The new documentary film Joh: Last King of Queensland offers a dramatised account of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s premiership from 1968 to 1987.
Directed by Kriv Stenders, using reenactments (Bjelke-Petersen is played by Richard Roxburgh), archival footage and contemporary interviews, the film portrays him as a complex and polarising figure. Roxburgh highlights Bjelke-Petersen’s rhetorical simplicity. He presented himself as an advocate for “ordinary” Queenslanders, especially in rural and conservative communities.
We are given a man who is socially conservative, economically ambitious and politically divisive. A man who profoundly shaped Queensland’s governance and development. But while the film effectively captures his popular appeal and role in the state’s economic transformation, it simplifies key aspects of his political ascent.
In particular, it doesn’t capture the complexities of electoral mechanics, internal party manoeuvring and the influence of the public service.
Bjelke-Petersen’s legacy continues to polarise. To supporters, he remains a visionary who championed economic growth and conservative values. To critics, he presided over an era of democratic erosion, civil rights suppression and entrenched corruption.
His story reflects the enduring tension between executive authority and democratic accountability in modern Australian political history.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, released 50 years ago, was the first summer blockbuster, received Academy Awards for sound, editing and music, and became the first film to earn US$100 million at the United States box office.
Chief of Police Martin Brody has recently moved from New York City to Amity Island with his wife and two children. As the small town prepares for its crucial 4th of July celebrations, a series of shark attacks threatens the festivities – and the town’s summer economy.
The mayor insists on keeping the beaches open for “summer dollars”. When the shark strikes again, local fisherman Quint is hired to hunt it down. Brody and visiting marine biologist Matt Hooper insist on joining the expedition to save the island.
Apart from one scene using real underwater shark footage from Australians Ron and Valerie Taylor, the shark was mechanical. The mechanical shark sank … a lot. No wonder Spielberg named the temperamental and unreliable shark after his lawyer.
With the lack of a functioning shark, Spielberg made the artistic decision – echoing Alfred Hitchcock – to suggest the shark’s presence rather than show it outright in the film’s first half. Even without appearing onscreen, the shark has an overwhelming presence and effect on the audience, thanks to John Williams’ music.
Jaws is now a cinema classic.
It launched Spielberg’s illustrious career, scared an entire generation from going into the water, and also inspired a new generation of marine activists – such as myself – who love sharks and the ocean.
KPop Demon Hunters is an animated movie that follows a Korean girl band, Huntrix, whose members happen to be covert demon hunters. Their songs and slays have the power to maintain the barrier between the human world and the underworld (called the “honmoon”).
Annoyed demon overlord Gwi-ma (voiced by Lee Byong-Hun) greenlights a devilishly sexy boy band, Saja Boys, to steal the girls’ fans (and their souls). The attack proves to be more than a challenge for lead singer, Rumi (Arden Cho), who has a dark secret she’s keeping under wraps.
For fans of the Spider-Verse films, the animation style will be familiar: a blend of 2D and 3D techniques, with a high-contrast colour palette. KPop Demon Hunters goes an aesthetic step further by adding some distinctive anime touches, such as by using the chibi style, when characters have intense reactions.
The film also showcases several musical interludes voiced by actual K-pop stars such as EJAE, Kevin Woo, Andrew Choi and Rei Ami – as well as an anthem performed by members of TWICE, famous for their 2016 megahit Cheer Up.
To older viewers, the success of this watchable yet somewhat predictable flick may be puzzling, but KPop Demon Hunters will resonate with any Gen Zs in the house. After all, it has catchy tunes, jokes that land, female empowerment, epic battle scenes, and a smidge of teen romance.
There’s also a deeper thematic around the duality of identity, and a message about confronting one’s own demons.
– Phoebe Hart
Poker Face, season two
Stan
Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is back for season two of Poker Face. Creator Rian Johnson is clearly a lover of the whodunnit genre. Between Poker Face and the Knives Out films, Johnson continues to pay homage to the format while pushing it into new directions.
Poker Face takes the format of the inverted detective story, made famous by popular series Columbo (1968–2003), where the episode opens with the killer committing the crime, only for the detective to arrive on the scene.
The joy of Poker Face lies in the viewer trying to figure out how the detective will catch the killer, while also enjoying comedic allusions to several genres. Charlie Cale has a unique skill in that she can always tell when someone is lying: “bullshit”, she calmly says when someone doesn’t tell the truth.
Season two continues the show’s all-star cameo lineup from different eras of popular culture. Standouts include Cynthia Erivo in the opening episode, Cheers star Rhea Perlman, Katie Holmes, and Awkwafina accusing Alia Shawkat of sleeping with her grandma to steal a rent-controlled apartment.
The strongest episode of the season features John Cho and Melanie Lynskey, where Charlie meet a group of scammers at a hotel bar. Cho plays the scammer and Lynskey is his unwitting victim. When Lyonne’s Charlie becomes involved, it becomes a game of who is playing who.
The episodic format never feels tired, as each mystery’s eccentricities and generic allusions shift in each episode. Natasha Lyonne’s performance anchors the show, allowing for the emotional beats to shift seamlessly, from the sadness of death, to the humour of each ridiculous situation.
– Stuart Richards
Sirens
Netflix
Much like The Perfect Couple (2024–), or Succession (2018–23), Sirens offers all the guilty pleasures of watching wealthy but dysfunctional families scheme and unravel inside their opulent homes. It contains the usual metamodern mix of irony, plot twists, clever dialogue and dark comedy (with hints of murder) we’ve come to expect from series that rank in Netflix’s top ten.
However, it’s not quite as binge-worthy or provocative as other shows in this genre. It also drags in the middle. You could probably watch the first episode and the last chapter to follow the narrative and catch all the best scenes.
Sirens tries to distinguish itself by foregrounding strong female leads, and leaning heavily into its postfeminist take on manipulative women of different ages competing against each other. They’re not fighting over the man (played by Kevin Bacon), so much as his estate and the social capital that comes with it.
Unlike Poison Ivy and other 90s classics I have explored, Sirens presents a more sympathetic and nuanced portrayal of the sexy, younger class usurper. Simone DeWitt (played by Milly Alcock) is the working-class personal assistant determined to improve her social positioning by any means necessary.
The series also attempts to elevate itself through images and sounds which reference Greek mythology, with lots of scenes of beautiful women perched precariously on cliff tops, while hapless men are lured in by their haunting high-pitched singing.
The ambiguous politics of it all will leave you wondering if you, too, have been just as expertly manipulated.
– Susan Hopkins
Sunday Too Far Away
Brollie and ABC iView
Released 50 years ago, Sunday Too Far Away deals episodically with a group of shearers led by Foley (Jack Thompson), and the events leading up to the national shearers’ strike of 1956.
The shearers are a ragtag group held together by rum, unionism and competitiveness – as Foley must deal with the camp cook from hell, as well as a threat to his “gun” status.
Like its contemporary Wake in Fright (1971), Sunday also centres on rural male mateship. But while Wake in Fright is revolted by it, Sunday strives for an elegiac celebration that might have drawn from Henry Lawson, of union-based mateship as the only defence against the harshness of life.
It is hard to overstate Sunday’s importance for the Australian film industry and for its producer, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), founded in 1972 by the new Labor government. Sunday would be the organisation’s first film, budgeted at $231,000, with the commonwealth providing half this figure. It was a remarkable demonstration of maximum involvement by a state government body.
Sunday was accepted into the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the first Australian film bestowed the honour, and it went on to win eight of the 12 awards on offer at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The success of Sunday Too Far Away, followed closely by Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Storm Boy (1976), succeeded in establishing the SAFC as a prime mover in Australian film.
Michael Walsh is a consultant for the SAFC on its digitisation project. He has previously written a commissioned history for the organisation.
John Mickel, Phoebe Hart, Stuart Richards, Susan Hopkins, and Will Jeffery do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Tomorrow marks exactly halfway through 2025. Luckily there’s a suite of streaming options to help get you through the mid-year bump.
We’ve got iconic classics celebrating major anniversaries, as well as an animated K-Pop spectacle, and a documentary trawling through the controversial tenure of former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Joh: Last King of Queensland
Stan
The new documentary film Joh: Last King of Queensland offers a dramatised account of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s premiership from 1968 to 1987.
Directed by Kriv Stenders, using reenactments (Bjelke-Petersen is played by Richard Roxburgh), archival footage and contemporary interviews, the film portrays him as a complex and polarising figure. Roxburgh highlights Bjelke-Petersen’s rhetorical simplicity. He presented himself as an advocate for “ordinary” Queenslanders, especially in rural and conservative communities.
We are given a man who is socially conservative, economically ambitious and politically divisive. A man who profoundly shaped Queensland’s governance and development. But while the film effectively captures his popular appeal and role in the state’s economic transformation, it simplifies key aspects of his political ascent.
In particular, it doesn’t capture the complexities of electoral mechanics, internal party manoeuvring and the influence of the public service.
Bjelke-Petersen’s legacy continues to polarise. To supporters, he remains a visionary who championed economic growth and conservative values. To critics, he presided over an era of democratic erosion, civil rights suppression and entrenched corruption.
His story reflects the enduring tension between executive authority and democratic accountability in modern Australian political history.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, released 50 years ago, was the first summer blockbuster, received Academy Awards for sound, editing and music, and became the first film to earn US$100 million at the United States box office.
Chief of Police Martin Brody has recently moved from New York City to Amity Island with his wife and two children. As the small town prepares for its crucial 4th of July celebrations, a series of shark attacks threatens the festivities – and the town’s summer economy.
The mayor insists on keeping the beaches open for “summer dollars”. When the shark strikes again, local fisherman Quint is hired to hunt it down. Brody and visiting marine biologist Matt Hooper insist on joining the expedition to save the island.
Apart from one scene using real underwater shark footage from Australians Ron and Valerie Taylor, the shark was mechanical. The mechanical shark sank … a lot. No wonder Spielberg named the temperamental and unreliable shark after his lawyer.
With the lack of a functioning shark, Spielberg made the artistic decision – echoing Alfred Hitchcock – to suggest the shark’s presence rather than show it outright in the film’s first half. Even without appearing onscreen, the shark has an overwhelming presence and effect on the audience, thanks to John Williams’ music.
Jaws is now a cinema classic.
It launched Spielberg’s illustrious career, scared an entire generation from going into the water, and also inspired a new generation of marine activists – such as myself – who love sharks and the ocean.
KPop Demon Hunters is an animated movie that follows a Korean girl band, Huntrix, whose members happen to be covert demon hunters. Their songs and slays have the power to maintain the barrier between the human world and the underworld (called the “honmoon”).
Annoyed demon overlord Gwi-ma (voiced by Lee Byong-Hun) greenlights a devilishly sexy boy band, Saja Boys, to steal the girls’ fans (and their souls). The attack proves to be more than a challenge for lead singer, Rumi (Arden Cho), who has a dark secret she’s keeping under wraps.
For fans of the Spider-Verse films, the animation style will be familiar: a blend of 2D and 3D techniques, with a high-contrast colour palette. KPop Demon Hunters goes an aesthetic step further by adding some distinctive anime touches, such as by using the chibi style, when characters have intense reactions.
The film also showcases several musical interludes voiced by actual K-pop stars such as EJAE, Kevin Woo, Andrew Choi and Rei Ami – as well as an anthem performed by members of TWICE, famous for their 2016 megahit Cheer Up.
To older viewers, the success of this watchable yet somewhat predictable flick may be puzzling, but KPop Demon Hunters will resonate with any Gen Zs in the house. After all, it has catchy tunes, jokes that land, female empowerment, epic battle scenes, and a smidge of teen romance.
There’s also a deeper thematic around the duality of identity, and a message about confronting one’s own demons.
– Phoebe Hart
Poker Face, season two
Stan
Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is back for season two of Poker Face. Creator Rian Johnson is clearly a lover of the whodunnit genre. Between Poker Face and the Knives Out films, Johnson continues to pay homage to the format while pushing it into new directions.
Poker Face takes the format of the inverted detective story, made famous by popular series Columbo (1968–2003), where the episode opens with the killer committing the crime, only for the detective to arrive on the scene.
The joy of Poker Face lies in the viewer trying to figure out how the detective will catch the killer, while also enjoying comedic allusions to several genres. Charlie Cale has a unique skill in that she can always tell when someone is lying: “bullshit”, she calmly says when someone doesn’t tell the truth.
Season two continues the show’s all-star cameo lineup from different eras of popular culture. Standouts include Cynthia Erivo in the opening episode, Cheers star Rhea Perlman, Katie Holmes, and Awkwafina accusing Alia Shawkat of sleeping with her grandma to steal a rent-controlled apartment.
The strongest episode of the season features John Cho and Melanie Lynskey, where Charlie meet a group of scammers at a hotel bar. Cho plays the scammer and Lynskey is his unwitting victim. When Lyonne’s Charlie becomes involved, it becomes a game of who is playing who.
The episodic format never feels tired, as each mystery’s eccentricities and generic allusions shift in each episode. Natasha Lyonne’s performance anchors the show, allowing for the emotional beats to shift seamlessly, from the sadness of death, to the humour of each ridiculous situation.
– Stuart Richards
Sirens
Netflix
Much like The Perfect Couple (2024–), or Succession (2018–23), Sirens offers all the guilty pleasures of watching wealthy but dysfunctional families scheme and unravel inside their opulent homes. It contains the usual metamodern mix of irony, plot twists, clever dialogue and dark comedy (with hints of murder) we’ve come to expect from series that rank in Netflix’s top ten.
However, it’s not quite as binge-worthy or provocative as other shows in this genre. It also drags in the middle. You could probably watch the first episode and the last chapter to follow the narrative and catch all the best scenes.
Sirens tries to distinguish itself by foregrounding strong female leads, and leaning heavily into its postfeminist take on manipulative women of different ages competing against each other. They’re not fighting over the man (played by Kevin Bacon), so much as his estate and the social capital that comes with it.
Unlike Poison Ivy and other 90s classics I have explored, Sirens presents a more sympathetic and nuanced portrayal of the sexy, younger class usurper. Simone DeWitt (played by Milly Alcock) is the working-class personal assistant determined to improve her social positioning by any means necessary.
The series also attempts to elevate itself through images and sounds which reference Greek mythology, with lots of scenes of beautiful women perched precariously on cliff tops, while hapless men are lured in by their haunting high-pitched singing.
The ambiguous politics of it all will leave you wondering if you, too, have been just as expertly manipulated.
– Susan Hopkins
Sunday Too Far Away
Brollie and ABC iView
Released 50 years ago, Sunday Too Far Away deals episodically with a group of shearers led by Foley (Jack Thompson), and the events leading up to the national shearers’ strike of 1956.
The shearers are a ragtag group held together by rum, unionism and competitiveness – as Foley must deal with the camp cook from hell, as well as a threat to his “gun” status.
Like its contemporary Wake in Fright (1971), Sunday also centres on rural male mateship. But while Wake in Fright is revolted by it, Sunday strives for an elegiac celebration that might have drawn from Henry Lawson, of union-based mateship as the only defence against the harshness of life.
It is hard to overstate Sunday’s importance for the Australian film industry and for its producer, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), founded in 1972 by the new Labor government. Sunday would be the organisation’s first film, budgeted at $231,000, with the commonwealth providing half this figure. It was a remarkable demonstration of maximum involvement by a state government body.
Sunday was accepted into the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the first Australian film bestowed the honour, and it went on to win eight of the 12 awards on offer at the Australian Film Institute Awards. The success of Sunday Too Far Away, followed closely by Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Storm Boy (1976), succeeded in establishing the SAFC as a prime mover in Australian film.
Michael Walsh is a consultant for the SAFC on its digitisation project. He has previously written a commissioned history for the organisation.
John Mickel, Phoebe Hart, Stuart Richards, Susan Hopkins, and Will Jeffery do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Over the past three decades there have been amazing advances in treating and preventing HIV.
It’s now a manageable infection. A person with HIV who takes HIV medicine consistently, before their immune system declines, can expect to live almost as long as someone without HIV.
These drugs are known as as “pre-exposure prophylaxis” or PrEP. These come as a pill, which needs to be taken either daily, or “on demand” before and after risky sex. An injection that protects against HIV for six months has recently been approved in the United States.
So with such effective HIV treatment and PrEP, why are we still spending millions looking for HIV cures?
Not everyone has access to these drugs
Access to HIV drugs and PrEP depends on the availability of health clinics, health professionals, and the means to supply and distribute the drugs. In some countries, this infrastructure may not be secure.
For instance, earlier this year, US President Donald Trump’s dissolution of the USAID foreign aid program has threatened the delivery of HIV drugs to many low-income countries.
This demonstrates the fragility of current approaches to treatment and prevention. A secure, uninterrupted supply of HIV medicine is required, and without this, lives will be lost and the number of new cases of HIV will rise.
Another example is the six-monthly PrEP injection just approved in the US. This drug has great potential for controlling HIV if it is made available and affordable in countries with the greatest HIV burden.
But the prospect for lower-income countries accessing this expensive drug looks uncertain, even if it can be made at a fraction of its current cost, as some researchers say.
So despite the success of HIV drugs and PrEP, precarious health-care systems and high drug costs mean we can’t rely on them to bring an end to the ongoing global HIV pandemic. That’s why we also still need to look at other options.
Haven’t people already been ‘cured’?
Worldwide, at leastseven people have been “cured” of HIV – or at least have had long-term sustained remission. This means that after stopping HIV drugs, they did not have any replicating HIV in their blood for months or years.
In each case, the person with HIV also had a life-threatening cancer needing a bone marrow transplant. They were each matched with a donor who had a specific genetic variation that resulted in not having HIV receptors in key bone marrow cells.
After the bone marrow transplant, recipients stopped HIV drugs, without detectable levels of the virus returning. The new immune cells made in the transplanted bone marrow lacked the HIV receptors. This stopped the virus from infecting cells and replicating.
But this genetic variation is very rare. Bone marrow transplantation is also risky and extremely resource-intensive. So while this strategy has worked for a few people, it is not a scalable prospect for curing HIV more widely.
So we need to keep looking for other options for a cure, including basic laboratory research to get us there.
How about the ‘breakthrough’ I’ve heard about?
HIV treatment stops the HIV replication that causes immune damage. But there are places in the body where the virus “hides” and drugs cannot reach. If the drugs are stopped, the “latent” HIV comes out of hiding and replicates again. So it can damage the immune system, leading to HIV-related disease.
One approach is to try to force the hidden or latent HIV out into the open, so drugs can target it. This is a strategy called “shock and kill”. And an example of such Australian research was recently reported in the media as a “breakthrough” in the search for an HIV cure.
Researchers in Melbourne have developed a lipid nanoparticle – a tiny ball of fat – that encapsulates messenger RNA (or mRNA) and delivers a “message” to infected white blood cells. This prompts the cells to reveal the “hiding” HIV.
In theory, this will allow the immune system or HIV drugs to target the virus.
This discovery is an important step. However, it is still in the laboratory phase of testing, and is just one piece of the puzzle.
Further research on safety and efficacy is needed before testing in human clinical trials. Such trials start with small numbers and the trialling process takes many years. This and other steps towards a cure are slow and expensive, but necessary.
Importantly, any cure would ultimately need to be fairly low-tech to deliver for it to be feasible and affordable in low-income countries globally.
So where does that leave us?
A cure for HIV that is affordable and scalable would have a profound impact on human heath globally, particularly for people living with HIV. To get there is a long and arduous path that involves solving a range of scientific puzzles, followed by addressing implementation challenges.
In the meantime, ensuring people at risk of HIV have access to testing and prevention interventions – such as PrEP and safe injecting equipment – remains crucial. People living with HIV also need sustained access to effective treatment – regardless of where they live.
Bridget Haire has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a past president of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (now Health Equity Matters).
Benjamin Bavinton receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian government, and state and territory governments. He also receives funding from ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences, both of which make drugs or drug classes mentioned in this article. He is a Board Director of community organisation, ACON, and is on the National PrEP Guidelines Panel coordinated by ASHM Health.
Over the past three decades there have been amazing advances in treating and preventing HIV.
It’s now a manageable infection. A person with HIV who takes HIV medicine consistently, before their immune system declines, can expect to live almost as long as someone without HIV.
These drugs are known as as “pre-exposure prophylaxis” or PrEP. These come as a pill, which needs to be taken either daily, or “on demand” before and after risky sex. An injection that protects against HIV for six months has recently been approved in the United States.
So with such effective HIV treatment and PrEP, why are we still spending millions looking for HIV cures?
Not everyone has access to these drugs
Access to HIV drugs and PrEP depends on the availability of health clinics, health professionals, and the means to supply and distribute the drugs. In some countries, this infrastructure may not be secure.
For instance, earlier this year, US President Donald Trump’s dissolution of the USAID foreign aid program has threatened the delivery of HIV drugs to many low-income countries.
This demonstrates the fragility of current approaches to treatment and prevention. A secure, uninterrupted supply of HIV medicine is required, and without this, lives will be lost and the number of new cases of HIV will rise.
Another example is the six-monthly PrEP injection just approved in the US. This drug has great potential for controlling HIV if it is made available and affordable in countries with the greatest HIV burden.
But the prospect for lower-income countries accessing this expensive drug looks uncertain, even if it can be made at a fraction of its current cost, as some researchers say.
So despite the success of HIV drugs and PrEP, precarious health-care systems and high drug costs mean we can’t rely on them to bring an end to the ongoing global HIV pandemic. That’s why we also still need to look at other options.
Haven’t people already been ‘cured’?
Worldwide, at leastseven people have been “cured” of HIV – or at least have had long-term sustained remission. This means that after stopping HIV drugs, they did not have any replicating HIV in their blood for months or years.
In each case, the person with HIV also had a life-threatening cancer needing a bone marrow transplant. They were each matched with a donor who had a specific genetic variation that resulted in not having HIV receptors in key bone marrow cells.
After the bone marrow transplant, recipients stopped HIV drugs, without detectable levels of the virus returning. The new immune cells made in the transplanted bone marrow lacked the HIV receptors. This stopped the virus from infecting cells and replicating.
But this genetic variation is very rare. Bone marrow transplantation is also risky and extremely resource-intensive. So while this strategy has worked for a few people, it is not a scalable prospect for curing HIV more widely.
So we need to keep looking for other options for a cure, including basic laboratory research to get us there.
How about the ‘breakthrough’ I’ve heard about?
HIV treatment stops the HIV replication that causes immune damage. But there are places in the body where the virus “hides” and drugs cannot reach. If the drugs are stopped, the “latent” HIV comes out of hiding and replicates again. So it can damage the immune system, leading to HIV-related disease.
One approach is to try to force the hidden or latent HIV out into the open, so drugs can target it. This is a strategy called “shock and kill”. And an example of such Australian research was recently reported in the media as a “breakthrough” in the search for an HIV cure.
Researchers in Melbourne have developed a lipid nanoparticle – a tiny ball of fat – that encapsulates messenger RNA (or mRNA) and delivers a “message” to infected white blood cells. This prompts the cells to reveal the “hiding” HIV.
In theory, this will allow the immune system or HIV drugs to target the virus.
This discovery is an important step. However, it is still in the laboratory phase of testing, and is just one piece of the puzzle.
Further research on safety and efficacy is needed before testing in human clinical trials. Such trials start with small numbers and the trialling process takes many years. This and other steps towards a cure are slow and expensive, but necessary.
Importantly, any cure would ultimately need to be fairly low-tech to deliver for it to be feasible and affordable in low-income countries globally.
So where does that leave us?
A cure for HIV that is affordable and scalable would have a profound impact on human heath globally, particularly for people living with HIV. To get there is a long and arduous path that involves solving a range of scientific puzzles, followed by addressing implementation challenges.
In the meantime, ensuring people at risk of HIV have access to testing and prevention interventions – such as PrEP and safe injecting equipment – remains crucial. People living with HIV also need sustained access to effective treatment – regardless of where they live.
Bridget Haire has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a past president of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (now Health Equity Matters).
Benjamin Bavinton receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian government, and state and territory governments. He also receives funding from ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences, both of which make drugs or drug classes mentioned in this article. He is a Board Director of community organisation, ACON, and is on the National PrEP Guidelines Panel coordinated by ASHM Health.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva, Lecturer in Government – National Security College, Australian National University
Since US President Donald Trump took office this year, one theme has come up time and again: his rule is a threat to the US-led international order.
As the US political scientist John Mearsheimer famously argued, the liberal international order
was destined to fail from the start, as it contained the seeds of its own destruction.
This perspective has gained traction in recent years. And now, Trump’s actions have caused many to question whether a new world order is emerging.
Trump has expressed a desire for a new international order defined by multiple spheres of influence — one in which powers like the US, China and Russia each exert dominance over distinct regions.
This vision aligns with the idea of a “multipolar” world, where no single state holds overarching global dominance. Instead, influence is distributed among several great powers, each maintaining its own regional sphere.
This architecture contrasts sharply with earlier periods – the bipolar world of the Cold War, dominated by the US and the Soviet Union; and the unipolar period that followed, dominated by the US.
What does this mean for the world order moving forward?
Shifting US spheres of influence
We’ve seen this shift taking place in recent months. For example, Trump has backed away from his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and now appears to be leaving it to the main protagonists, and Europe, to find a solution.
Europe, which once largely spoke in a unified voice with the US, is also showing signs of policy-making which is more independent. Rather than framing its actions as protecting “Western democratic principles”, Europe is increasingly focused on defining its own security interests.
In the Middle East, the US will likely maintain its sphere of influence. It will continue its unequivocal support for Israel under Trump.
Amid shifting global alliances, the Trump administration will continue to support Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. noamgalai/Shutterstock
The US will also involve itself in the region’s politics when its interests are at stake, as we witnessed in its recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
This, along with increasing economic ties between the US and Gulf states, suggests US allies in the region will remain the dominant voices shaping regional dynamics, particularly now with Iran weakened.
Yet it’s clear Trump is reshaping US dynamics in the region by signaling a desire for reduced military and political involvement, and criticising the nation building efforts of previous administrations.
The Trump administration now appears to want to maintain its sphere of influence primarily through strong economic ties.
Russia and China poles emerging elsewhere
Meanwhile, other poles are emerging in the Global South. Russia and China have deepened their cooperation, positioning themselves as defenders against what they frame as Western hegemonic bullying.
Trump’s trade policies and sanctions against many nations in the Global South have fuelled narratives (spread by China and Russia) that the US does not consistently adhere to the rules it imposes on others.
Trump’s decision to slash funding to USAID has also opened the door to China, in particular, to become the main development partner for nations in Africa and other parts of the world.
And on the security front, Russia has become more involved in many African and Middle Eastern countries, which have become less trustful and reliant on Western powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Xinping see opportunities to spread their influence in the Global South. plavi011/Shutterstock
In the Indo-Pacific, much attention has been given to the rise of China and its increasingly assertive posture. Many of Washington’s traditional allies are nervous about its continued engagement in the region and ability to counter China’s rise.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sought to take advantage of the current environment, embarking on a Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia push earlier this year. But many nations continue to be wary of China’s increasing influence, in particular the Philippines, which has clashed with China over the South China Sea.
Strategic hedging
Not all countries, however, are aligning themselves neatly with one pole or another.
For small states caught between great powers, navigating this multipolar environment is both a risk and an opportunity.
Ukraine is a case in point. As a sovereign state, Ukraine should have the freedom to decide its own alignments. Yet, it finds itself ensnared in great power politics, with devastating consequences.
Other small states are playing a different game — pivoting from one power to another based on their immediate interests.
Slovakia, for instance, is both a NATO and EU member, yet its leader, Robert Fico, attended Russia’s Victory Day Parade in May and told President Vladimir Putin he wanted to maintain “normal relations” with Russia.
Then there is Central Asia, which is the centre of a renewed “great game,” with Russia, China and Europe vying for influence and economic partnerships.
Yet if any Central Asian countries were to be invaded by Putin, would other powers intervene? It’s a difficult question to answer. Major powers are reluctant to engage in direct conflict unless their core interests or borders are directly threatened.
While it is still early to draw definitive conclusions, the events of the past few months underscore a growing trend. Smaller countries are expressing solidarity with one power, but pragmatic cooperation with another, when it suits their national interests.
For this reason, regional power blocs seem to be of increasing interest to countries in the Global South.
For instance, the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has become a stronger and larger grouping of nations across Eurasia in recent years.
Trump’s focus on making “America Great Again,” has taken the load off the US carrying liberal order leadership. A multipolar world may not be the end of the liberal international order, but it may be a reshaped version of liberal governance.
How “liberal” it can be will likely depend on what each regional power, or pole, will make of it.
Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva, Lecturer in Government – National Security College, Australian National University
Since US President Donald Trump took office this year, one theme has come up time and again: his rule is a threat to the US-led international order.
As the US political scientist John Mearsheimer famously argued, the liberal international order
was destined to fail from the start, as it contained the seeds of its own destruction.
This perspective has gained traction in recent years. And now, Trump’s actions have caused many to question whether a new world order is emerging.
Trump has expressed a desire for a new international order defined by multiple spheres of influence — one in which powers like the US, China and Russia each exert dominance over distinct regions.
This vision aligns with the idea of a “multipolar” world, where no single state holds overarching global dominance. Instead, influence is distributed among several great powers, each maintaining its own regional sphere.
This architecture contrasts sharply with earlier periods – the bipolar world of the Cold War, dominated by the US and the Soviet Union; and the unipolar period that followed, dominated by the US.
What does this mean for the world order moving forward?
Shifting US spheres of influence
We’ve seen this shift taking place in recent months. For example, Trump has backed away from his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and now appears to be leaving it to the main protagonists, and Europe, to find a solution.
Europe, which once largely spoke in a unified voice with the US, is also showing signs of policy-making which is more independent. Rather than framing its actions as protecting “Western democratic principles”, Europe is increasingly focused on defining its own security interests.
In the Middle East, the US will likely maintain its sphere of influence. It will continue its unequivocal support for Israel under Trump.
Amid shifting global alliances, the Trump administration will continue to support Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. noamgalai/Shutterstock
The US will also involve itself in the region’s politics when its interests are at stake, as we witnessed in its recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
This, along with increasing economic ties between the US and Gulf states, suggests US allies in the region will remain the dominant voices shaping regional dynamics, particularly now with Iran weakened.
Yet it’s clear Trump is reshaping US dynamics in the region by signaling a desire for reduced military and political involvement, and criticising the nation building efforts of previous administrations.
The Trump administration now appears to want to maintain its sphere of influence primarily through strong economic ties.
Russia and China poles emerging elsewhere
Meanwhile, other poles are emerging in the Global South. Russia and China have deepened their cooperation, positioning themselves as defenders against what they frame as Western hegemonic bullying.
Trump’s trade policies and sanctions against many nations in the Global South have fuelled narratives (spread by China and Russia) that the US does not consistently adhere to the rules it imposes on others.
Trump’s decision to slash funding to USAID has also opened the door to China, in particular, to become the main development partner for nations in Africa and other parts of the world.
And on the security front, Russia has become more involved in many African and Middle Eastern countries, which have become less trustful and reliant on Western powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Xinping see opportunities to spread their influence in the Global South. plavi011/Shutterstock
In the Indo-Pacific, much attention has been given to the rise of China and its increasingly assertive posture. Many of Washington’s traditional allies are nervous about its continued engagement in the region and ability to counter China’s rise.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sought to take advantage of the current environment, embarking on a Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia push earlier this year. But many nations continue to be wary of China’s increasing influence, in particular the Philippines, which has clashed with China over the South China Sea.
Strategic hedging
Not all countries, however, are aligning themselves neatly with one pole or another.
For small states caught between great powers, navigating this multipolar environment is both a risk and an opportunity.
Ukraine is a case in point. As a sovereign state, Ukraine should have the freedom to decide its own alignments. Yet, it finds itself ensnared in great power politics, with devastating consequences.
Other small states are playing a different game — pivoting from one power to another based on their immediate interests.
Slovakia, for instance, is both a NATO and EU member, yet its leader, Robert Fico, attended Russia’s Victory Day Parade in May and told President Vladimir Putin he wanted to maintain “normal relations” with Russia.
Then there is Central Asia, which is the centre of a renewed “great game,” with Russia, China and Europe vying for influence and economic partnerships.
Yet if any Central Asian countries were to be invaded by Putin, would other powers intervene? It’s a difficult question to answer. Major powers are reluctant to engage in direct conflict unless their core interests or borders are directly threatened.
While it is still early to draw definitive conclusions, the events of the past few months underscore a growing trend. Smaller countries are expressing solidarity with one power, but pragmatic cooperation with another, when it suits their national interests.
For this reason, regional power blocs seem to be of increasing interest to countries in the Global South.
For instance, the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has become a stronger and larger grouping of nations across Eurasia in recent years.
Trump’s focus on making “America Great Again,” has taken the load off the US carrying liberal order leadership. A multipolar world may not be the end of the liberal international order, but it may be a reshaped version of liberal governance.
How “liberal” it can be will likely depend on what each regional power, or pole, will make of it.
Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Police is celebrating the opening of the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) Auckland Campus.
The RNZPC Auckland Campus was formally opened this morning by Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, Minister of Police Mark Mitchell and Associate Minister of Police Casey Costello.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says the new facilities leased from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University allow Police to hold senior training courses and have the added bonus of a recruit wing.
“I have made it clear my expectation is for high standards. That starts the moment a recruit walks into Police College and continues throughout their policing career.
“To ensure those expectations are met and our front line is supported, ongoing training is essential, and the Auckland Campus will be important for holding our senior courses.
“In recent years we have had to provide more senior courses online and in districts to improve efficiency and to free up space for recruit training at RNZPC in Wellington.
“However, that is not possible for some courses and bringing people together in person is an important opportunity for staff to learn from each other as well.”
Since signing the lease, a huge amount of planning and organisation has gone into making the space fit-for-purpose in time for courses to begin on 30 June. The first senior course at the Auckland Campus, a Leadership and Development group conference, has begun.
The facility includes multiple classrooms, a locker room, storage space, offices, car parks and dorm rooms. Police also has access to other facilities including the gym and recreation centre.
RNZPC Auckland is also being used for recruit wing 390 which has 40 recruits.
The Patron for Wing 390 is former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir John Key.
Commissioner Chambers says: “Being away from home for 20 weeks to attend recruit training in Wellington has been a deterrent for some people wanting to join Police.
“Offering training in Auckland is one of the things we can do to attract as many quality applications as possible.
“Aside from appealing to people who live in Auckland, Wing 390 has a large number of recruits from Northland who will be based in the dorms.
“Northland has been one of our priority districts for recruitment and offering training closer to home has been a real drawcard.”
The Auckland recruits will need to spend about five weeks in Porirua for elements of training we cannot do in Auckland, but being able to do the bulk of the course in Auckland gives them their chance at a career they wanted.
“We will consider the possibility of future recruit wings later in the year depending on demand and the schedule for senior courses,” Commissioner Chambers says.
“Having a Police College campus in our largest city is a significant opportunity for us to continue developing world-class police officers and growing our frontline police presence.
“New Zealand Police offers exciting career progression and more than 30 different career paths.
“Whether you’re taking your first steps into the workforce or considering a career change, the best time to apply is right now.”
If you are ready to start your training for one of the most rewarding careers there is, visit newcops.govt.nz to apply today.
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have signed an agreement strengthening their collaboration on sustainable economic development, designed to boost infrastructure development and economic opportunities across the African continent.
The Memorandum of Understanding, which builds on an earlier one in 2018, was signed by African Development Bank president, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and AIIB President and Chair of the Board of Directors Jin Liqun on Saturday 28 June. The signing took place on the sidelines of a meeting of Heads of Multilateral Development Banks held in Paris, France, the same day.
The agreement outlines continued collaboration from both parties in six priority areas, aligned with the Bank Group’s Ten-Year Strategy 2024–2033 as well as AIIB’s Corporate Strategy and its Strategy on Financing Operations in Non-Regional Members. The areas are:
(i) Green infrastructure
(ii) Industrialization
(iii) Private capital mobilization including Public – Private Partnerships
(iv) Cross-border-connectivity
(v) Digitalization; and
(vi) Policy-based financing
The MOU will promote among other things, co-financing, co-guaranteeing and other forms of joint participation in financial assistance for development projects primarily in sustainable infrastructure. The African Development Bank and AIIB’s existing cooperation in this area, includes providing guarantees to support the issuance of Egypt’s first Sustainable Panda Bond in 2023, valued at RMB 3.5 billion.
This historic issuance—backed by guarantees from both AfDB and AIIB—marked the first African sovereign bond placed in the Chinese interbank bond market. The guarantees provided by the two triple-A-rated multilateral banks were instrumental in de-risking the transaction, enabling Egypt to secure competitive terms and attract investor confidence.
“This partnership continues to be an effective pathway to provide economic development for our member countries, especially in infrastructure. By reaffirming today, we are boosting energy access by accelerating Mission 300 which is targeting to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030,” Dr Adesina said.
Mr. Jin Liqun remarked: “The renewal of our partnership with the African Development Bank reflects AIIB’s commitment to supporting sustainable development beyond Asia. Through this collaboration, we can leverage our combined expertise to deliver transformative projects that will benefit millions across the continent and create prosperity through quality infrastructure investment.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Editor’s note: This press release is re-issued to correct an error in the number of members AIIB has worldwide. An earlier version issued today 30 June, incorrectly stated that it has 84 members, instead of 110.
Contact: Amba Mpoke-Bigg Communication and External Relations Department Email: media@afdb.org
About the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB): The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank dedicated to financing “infrastructure for tomorrow,” with sustainability at its core. AIIB began operations in 2016, now has 110 approved members worldwide, is capitalized at USD100 billion and is AAA-rated by major international credit rating agencies. AIIB collaborates with partners to mobilize capital and invest in infrastructure and other productive sectors that foster sustainable economic development and enhance regional connectivity.
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org
June 30, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
We the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met in The Hague on June 25, 2025, where we discussed recent events in the Middle East.
We reiterate our support for the ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced by U.S. President Trump, and urge all parties to avoid actions that could further destabilize the region.
We appreciate Qatar’s important role in facilitating the ceasefire and express our full solidarity to Qatar and Iraq following the recent strikes by Iran and its proxies and partners against their territory. We welcome all efforts in the region towards stabilization and de-escalation.
We reaffirm that the Islamic Republic of Iran can never have nuclear weapons, and urge Iran to refrain from reconstituting its unjustified enrichment activities. We call for the resumption of negotiations, resulting in a comprehensive, verifiable and durable agreement that addresses Iran’s nuclear program.
In order to have a sustainable and credible resolution, we call on Iran to urgently resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as required by its safeguards obligations and to provide the IAEA with verifiable information about all nuclear material in Iran, including by providing access to IAEA inspectors. We condemn calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi
We underscore the centrality of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. It is essential that Iran remains party to and fully implements its obligations under the Treaty.
We reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. In this context, we reaffirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel.
The 12th European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO), held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands from 25-27 June 2025, provided an important platform for urban resilience practitioners to reinforce their commitment to accelerating local action on resilience, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction in the context of growing urban challenges.
As urban areas in Europe and beyond face cascading risks-from heatwaves and floods to geopolitical instability and infrastructure stress-UNDRR used the platform to underscore the critical role of local governments in driving meaningful disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.
In a video message to the Forum’s opening plenary, Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, emphasized three global priorities: strengthening local implementation of DRR strategies, unlocking resilience financing, and scaling up community-driven innovation.
“If we do not reduce risk at the local level, we will not succeed in reducing losses at the global level,” he stated, calling for stronger investment and partnerships to translate plans into action.
UNDRR’s active engagement throughout the Forum showcased its commitment to supporting cities through the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative. Yigyeong Oh, MCR2030 Regional Focal Point for Europe and Central Asia, spoke in multiple sessions, including the opening plenary “Resilience in Crisis: Accelerating Action for a Just Future” and the panel discussion “Building Urban Resilience in an Era of Polycrisis: The Holistic Agenda.” She highlighted how MCR2030 has grown into a global movement of over 1,850 cities, supporting local governments with risk-informed governance, resilience assessments, and stakeholder collaboration.
“In a time of polycrisis, resilience is not a siloed agenda,” Oh noted. “Cities are facing overlapping challenges-climate shocks, economic pressures, and social inequality-and MCR2030 enables them to plan holistically, act collectively, and learn globally.”
UNDRR also co-moderated the workshop “Local Action to Address Extreme Heat – CitiesHitRefresh,” which addressed one of the fastest growing disaster risks in Europe. Zdravko Maxomovic from Kraljevo, an MCR2030 city from Serbia, shared its practical experiences in managing heat risks and contributing to the upcoming second edition of UNDRR’s Flames of Change report, a knowledge product documenting inclusive urban resilience solutions.
Nature-based solutions were another key theme. UNDRR supported the session “Collaborate, Educate, Transform: Building the Future of Nature-Based Solutions in Cities,” where Małgorzata Bartyna-Zielińska from the City of Wrocław, an MCR2030 Resilience Hub, presented its award-winning LifeCOOLCity project. The session underscored the power of peer learning through networks like MCR2030.
Beyond technical sessions, UNDRR joined ICLEI and other partners for a side meeting with Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, an MCR2030 Resilience Hub, focused on the Ukraine Recovery Roadmap and aligning international support with local resilience priorities.
As the Forum concluded, a common message resonated across sessions: Europe has a unique role in shaping standards, fostering multilevel governance, and investing in long-term resilience. UNDRR reaffirmed its commitment to advancing these goals by supporting local governments with tools, knowledge, and partnerships through MCR2030 and other initiatives. With the urgency of accelerating resilience action, the Forum reinforced the need for collective action-local leadership supported by global collaboration-to ensure no city is left behind.
SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Top California Lender, LLC, a leading private lender in commercial real estate, is thrilled to announce the onboarding of a dynamic group of new investors to significantly bolster its capital base for funding. This strategic partnership enhances the company’s ability to support an expanding pipeline of real estate projects across the nation.
The new investors include a consortium of seasoned real estate magnates, innovative tech entrepreneurs, and forward-thinking family offices, each bringing a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives. Among them are prominent figures from Silicon Valley, known for backing cutting-edge infrastructure projects, alongside East Coast-based wealth managers with decades of expertise in urban development. Additionally, a group of international investors from Asia, drawn by the allure of U.S. market growth, joins the fold, eager to tap into emerging opportunities. Their collective vision emphasizes sustainable growth and resilience, aligning perfectly with current market demands.
This infusion of capital empowers Top California Lender to accelerate closings and broaden its reach across diverse asset classes, including multifamily, office, retail, industrial, mixed-use, and land developments. The added resources will support loans ranging from $3 million to over $100 million, with a strong emphasis on bridge and construction financing.
Jerry Dean, CEO of Top California Lender, shared, “We are elated to welcome this vibrant mix of investors, whose diverse backgrounds and bold strategies will propel our mission to unlock real estate potential across emerging markets. This capital boost positions us to seize rising opportunities and deliver exceptional value to our partners.”
For more information about Top California Lender’s loan programs, including Rehab/Renovation Loans, Construction Loans, Bridge Loans, Commercial Acquisition Loans, and Change of Use Loans, visit www.topcalifornialender.com or contact info@topcalifornialender.com.
DEFIANCE, Ohio, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SB Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBFG) (“SB Financial”), a diversified financial services company providing full-service community banking, mortgage banking, wealth management, private client and title insurance services, today announced that it has been named to the Russell 3000® and Russell 2000® indices.
The annual reconstitution of the Russell US indices captures the 4,000 largest US stocks as of April 30, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the Russell 3000® Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000® Index or small-cap Russell 2000® Index as well as the appropriate growth and value style indices. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indices primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes.
“We are honored to be included in the Russell 3000 Index, a milestone that reflects the market’s recognition of the strength of our financial performance, the resilience of our business model, and the trust placed in us by our clients and shareholders,” said Mark A. Klein, Chairman, President and CEO of SB Financial Group. “This inclusion broadens our visibility within the investment community and underscores our continued progress in delivering consistent financial results and long-term value. As we move forward, we remain focused on disciplined growth and serving the evolving needs of the communities and clients we support.”
About SB Financial Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Defiance, Ohio, SB Financial Group is a diversified financial services holding company for The State Bank and Trust Company (State Bank) and SBFG Title, LLC dba Peak Title (Peak Title). State Bank provides a full range of financial services for consumers and small businesses, including wealth management, private client services, mortgage banking and commercial and agricultural lending, operating through a total of 26 offices: 24 in ten Ohio counties and two in Northeast, Indiana, and 26 ATMs. State Bank has six loan production offices located throughout the Tri-State region of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Peak Title provides title insurance and title opinions throughout the Tri-State and Kentucky. SB Financial Group’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market with the ticker symbol “SBFG”.
About FTSE Russell, an LSEG Business
FTSE Russell is a global index leader that provides innovative benchmarking, analytics and data solutions for investors worldwide. FTSE Russell calculates thousands of indexes that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally. FTSE Russell index expertise and products are used extensively by institutional and retail investors globally. Approximately $18.1 trillion is benchmarked to FTSE Russell indexes. Leading asset owners, asset managers, ETF providers and investment banks choose FTSE Russell indexes to benchmark their investment performance and create ETFs, structured products and index-based derivatives. A core set of universal principles guides FTSE Russell index design and management: a transparent rules-based methodology is informed by independent committees of leading market participants. FTSE Russell is focused on applying the highest industry standards in index design and governance and embraces the IOSCO Principles. FTSE Russell is also focused on index innovation and customer partnerships as it seeks to enhance the breadth, depth and reach of its offering.
FTSE Russell is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group.
Certain statements within this document, which are not statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties inherent in the national and regional banking industry, changes in economic conditions in the market areas in which SB Financial and its subsidiaries operate, changes in policies by regulatory agencies, changes in accounting standards and policies, changes in tax laws, fluctuations in interest rates, demand for loans in the market areas in SB Financial and its subsidiaries operate, increases in FDIC insurance premiums, changes in the competitive environment, losses of significant customers, geopolitical events, the loss of key personnel and other risks identified in SB Financial’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and documents subsequently filed by SB Financial with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and SB Financial undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made, except as required by law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to SB Financial or any person acting on its behalf are qualified by these cautionary statements.
Headline: Members spotlight transparency and development in discussions on standards and regulations
Daniela García of Ecuador handed over the Committee Chairperson role to Beatriz Stevens of the United Kingdom.
Transparency and notification practices
The week opened with a special meeting on transparency, featuring speakers from various regions, complemented by interactive discussions in breakout groups among all members. Representatives from TBT Enquiry Points shared their experiences on domestic institutional arrangements related to transparency, on opportunities to comment on members’ notifications and on ensuring timely preparation and submission of TBT notifications. Speakers emphasized the importance of timely consultation of all stakeholders in the regulatory process to improve the quality of regulations.
Representatives from the private sector shared how they use the ePing platform to track, in real time, the 4,000+ notifications on product requirements circulated annually. They shared examples of how members viewed technical comments positively in the development of regulations, helping to further align them with international standards and avoid unnecessary trade disruptions.
Throughout the session, members highlighted the benefits of using ePing to track information and meet transparency obligations. They welcomed the launch of a new feature in ePing where users can quickly receive translations of notified texts from non-WTO official languages into English, French and Spanish. They also made suggestions to further facilitate stakeholders’ access to ePing and keep track of developments in product regulations.
Members noted the significant progress made by the TBT Committee in strengthening transparency practices since the last special meeting in 2023. This includes the adoption of updates and improvements to the notification templates and guidelines as well as the finalization of a good practice guide for commenting . These improvements build on the work of the Transparency Working Group, reflecting continued efforts to streamline procedures and enhance access to information. The recording of the special meeting can be watched here.
Thematic session: special and differential treatment
A dedicated thematic session held on 24 June examined how developing and least-developed country members can better use flexibilities under the TBT Agreement. In particular, the session explored members’ experiences in using special and differential treatment disciplines under the Agreement, members’ engagement in the Committee’s work and the need for targeted capacity-building activities, including for developing quality infrastructure.
The session drew on the themes of the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference Declaration on Special and Differential Treatment, with the participation of Ambassador Kadra Hassan of Djibouti, Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development in Special Session. The panel discussion featured speakers from Brazil, Cambodia, Ecuador, Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zambia. The recording of the session can be watched here.
Specific trade concerns
A total of 78 trade concerns regarding members’ proposed and final TBT regulations were raised at the Committee’s regular meeting. Among these, 20 were raised for the first time. The full list is available here.
The new trade concerns addressed a wide variety of regulatory issues related to home appliances, cotton bales, industrial chemicals, energy and warehouse storage systems, electrical equipment safety, biodegradable plastic products, and vehicles, among others.
Japan reported that progress was made on the trade concerns it had raised on certain provisions of China’s standard for information security technology for office devices, noting that such provisions have now been deleted, and thanking China for its cooperation.
Side events and training: practical tools and partnerships
Two ePing training sessions, led by the WTO Secretariat, were held on 25 and 26 June.
In addition, three side events were organized. The United States hosted a workshop on international standards for food and agriculture traceability on 24 June, led by the standards organization ASTM. On 25 June, the International Trade Centre showcased how quality and sustainability standards support development, with a case study from Burundi and a demonstration of the Standards Map tool. On 26 June, the United Kingdom and the International Chamber of Commerce UK led a session on market access challenges and how tools such as ePing can support private sector engagement in members’ work on TBT and on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
What is next?
The next TBT Committee meetings will be held from 10 to 14 November. Thematic sessions will focus on international standards for critical and emerging technologies, including AI, semiconductors and positioning systems, as well as good regulatory practices and metrology. A cross-cutting discussion on non-tariff measures under the WTO Information Technology Agreement will also be scheduled.
Headline: Members explore technology transfer case studies, patent information, trade-related IP data
Discussions at the meeting saw a high level of engagement by delegations. Members highlighted how voluntary technology transfer to developing economies can boost innovation, productivity and development, drawing on sectoral case studies. They also focused on better harnessing information from expired patents and underlined the importance of systematic, transparent reporting on global IP trade flows.
A paper entitled “Intellectual Property and Innovation: Technology Transfer case studies” was submitted by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The paper highlights how technology enhances productivity, competitiveness, growth and development, motivating countries to foster an environment that attracts voluntary technology transfer and innovation. The paper invites members to submit case studies on voluntary transfers of patent-protected or trade secret technologies and highlights the importance of domestic policies and capacity-building. The aim of the paper is to inform TRIPS Council discussions on incentivizing mutually beneficial technology transfer to address global challenges.
The paper indicates that practical examples are useful in illustrating how technology transfer occurs across sectors such as agriculture, sustainability and manufacturing. IP offices and WIPO GREEN, an online platform for technology exchange, provide case studies and opportunities to promote green technology exchange. TRIPS Article 66.2 on technology transfer details incentives for transfer to least-developed countries (LDCs). In public health, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) enables voluntary sublicensing of patented treatments, increasing access to lifesaving medicines and supporting local production.
Colombia submitted a communication titled “After-life of patents” proposing joint efforts ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held in Cameroon in March 2026, to explore better use of patent information, potentially expanding the discussion to copyrighted works. The proposal envisions a cooperative WTO approach, without affecting debates on the need for balance in IP protection. Colombia said it is considering an MC14 decision where members would agree to make patent disclosures publicly accessible, promote good practices for their use, permit artificial intelligence (AI) training on such data, and establish a global, publicly accessible repository for such information.
Colombia submitted a second paper for discussion: “Trade-Related Figures of Intellectual Property at the WTO: The Case of IP Royalties at the Global Level”. The paper argues that since the TRIPS Agreement’s adoption in 1995, WTO members have applied common IP standards yet little focus has been placed on trade-related IP metrics. Unlike goods and services, IP trade flows – such as royalty payments – receive limited, inconsistent attention in WTO data. Occasional studies exist but lack regularity. However, reliable data is available through IMF and World Bank sources, which track cross-border royalty payments in national balance of payments statistics, offering an important resource for understanding global IP trade dynamics.
The paper suggests the WTO should implement systematic, detailed reporting on IP-related financial flows, integrating this data into TRIPS Council updates, Trade Policy Reviews and WTO databases. Disaggregated by IP category, such data would support informed policy decisions and foster balanced, evidence-based debate on the global IP regime.
Notifications
Members were updated on notifications under various provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that the Council has received since its last meeting in March.
The Chair of the Council, Emmanuelle Ivanov-Durand of France, said that the pace of notifications to the Council has increased in recent years, but they are still not keeping up with the actual development of laws and regulations relating to TRIPS. She emphasized that TRIPS Article 63.2 is not a “one-off” requirement but a core element of TRIPS transparency and a central part of the Council’s work. It obliges members to notify new or amended laws on TRIPS, including those recently adopted to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
This requirement includes the notification of legislative changes to implement the special compulsory licensing system to export medicines covered by TRIPS Article 31bis. The notification of relevant laws and regulations can assist members in preparing for the potential use of the system. It would also help the WTO Secretariat in its efforts to provide informed technical support to members.
The Chair recalled that the e-TRIPS Submission System is available for members to easily notify their laws and to make other required submissions to the TRIPS Council. The platform also permits digital access, consultation and analysis of information through the e-TRIPS Gateway, an easy-to-use interface to search and display information related to the TRIPS Council.
Members agreed to test the e-Agenda tool at the next TRIPS Council meeting on a trial, non-committal basis. Developed by the Secretariat and already in use across over 20 WTO bodies, the e-Agenda enhances transparency, organization and access to meeting documents and statements. The Chair stressed that implementation costs would be minimal, with a tailored prototype and training available. The trial aims to assess the practical value of the tool without altering established procedures.
Non-violation and situation complaints
Members repeated their well-known positions on the issue of non-violation and situation complaints (NVSCs) under the TRIPS Agreement. With less than a year to go to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), the Chair reminded members that it is a ministerial mandate for the Council to examine the scope and modalities for NVSCs, and that members should make serious efforts to do so.
The Chair noted that members have not displayed much appetite for advancing substantive discussions in this area. If this situation persists in the coming months, it is difficult to foresee any outcome in this area at MC14 other than an extension of the moratorium or its expiry, she noted. She suggested that if discussion on this matter is going to be limited to choosing between these two options, members could decide in Geneva ahead of MC14.
At the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi in 2024, ministers adopted a Decision on TRIPS Non-Violation and Situation Complaints, instructing the TRIPS Council to continue reviewing the issue and submit recommendations to MC14. Until then, members agreed not to initiate such complaints under the TRIPS Agreement.
The Decision on TRIPS Non-Violation and Situation Complaints concerns whether and how WTO members can bring disputes to the WTO alleging that an action or situation has nullified expected benefits under the TRIPS Agreement, even without a specific violation.
Other issues
WTO members continued talks on how to proceed on the long overdue review of the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Under Article 71.1, the TRIPS Council is required to conduct a review of the implementation of the Agreement after two years and at periodic intervals thereafter. However, the initial review in 1999 was never completed and no review has subsequently been initiated.
The Chair recalled that members were able to propose last year a process for the first review, which ultimately could not be adopted. After holding informal consultations in May with the most active member on this issue to find a way forward, the Chair has concluded that the concerns that prevented the adoption of the proposal remain.
Ms Ivanov-Durand noted that the mandate set out in TRIPS Article 71.1 is highly significant and encouraged delegations to keep working towards the initiation of the implementation review. A number of delegations expressed their willingness to continue discussions on this issue. The Chair expressed her availability to conduct further informal consultations once there is greater likelihood of members agreeing on how to make substantial progress.
The Council did not agree on renewing the invitation to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to participate in the TRIPS Council as ad hoc observer. This invitation had been renewed on a meeting-to-meeting basis since 2012. A number of members said that the current list of observers is not balanced and asked the Council to reassess the situation with regards other international intergovernmental organizations whose requests have been pending for years. It was suggested that the Chair could address this issue in the technical meetings she is planning with members.
The updated list of pending requests for observer status in the TRIPS Council by intergovernmental organizations is contained in document IP/C/W/52/Rev.14.
The Chair said that there have been no new acceptances of the protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement since the last Council meeting. This means that, to date, the amended TRIPS Agreement applies to 141 members. Twenty-five members have yet to accept the Protocol. The current period for accepting the protocol runs until 31 December 2025.
Next meeting
The next regular meeting of the TRIPS Council is scheduled for 10-11 November 2025.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of nearly $84 million in grants to 50 states and territories to increase the capacity of Registered Apprenticeship programs, representing an important step toward meeting the Administration’s goal of expanding the program to 1 million active apprentices.
Since the beginning of the Trump Administration, over 134,000 new apprentices have registered across the nation. Today’s awards represent the base formula funding and competitive funding to states to increase their ability to serve, improve, and expand Registered Apprenticeship programs. This represents the third round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula funding the department has awarded.
This investment will further accelerate Registered Apprenticeship programs, incentivize the creation and ongoing success of programs, reduce barriers to entry for new employers and industries, foster innovation, and enhance overall transparency among Registered Apprenticeship stakeholders.
“Registered Apprenticeships are a vital tool for skills development, national economic competitiveness, business growth, and individual opportunity. They will become even more important as President Trump continues to create jobs in critical sectors like manufacturing and construction,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “I am committed to providing states and territories with the resources needed to meet their unique economic demands. Together, we will achieve President Trump’s goal of 1 million new active apprentices.”
State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula funding will support the implementation of several Presidential Executive Orders related to enhancing and expanding the National Apprenticeship system including, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,” “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” and “Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base.”
The funding advances the expansion of Registered Apprenticeships in both traditional and emerging industries, including technology, Artificial Intelligence, advanced manufacturing, supply chain, transportation, building trades, and construction.
The department awarded the following funding through the State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grants:
Recipient
City
State
Amount
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Juneau
AK
$423,872
Arizona Department of Economic Security
Phoenix
AZ
$920,467
Arkansas Department of Commerce
Little Rock
AR
$780,950
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Denver
CO
$856,474
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Labor Workforce Investment Agency Division
Saipan
MP
$75,000
Delaware Department of Labor
Wilmington
DE
$418,450
Georgia Technical College System
Atlanta
GA
$1,100,109
Guam Department of Administration
Tamuning
GU
$330,482
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Honolulu
HI
$556,981
Idaho Department of Labor
Boise
ID
$485,605
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Springfield
IL
$1,665,343
Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Indianapolis
IN
$1,281,731
Iowa Workforce Development
Des Moines
IA
$766,805
Kansas Department of Commerce
Topeka
KS
$543,717
Kentucky Department of Workforce Development
Frankfort
KY
$741,890
Louisiana Workforce Commission
Baton Rouge
LA
$653,593
Maine Department of Labor
Augusta
ME
$420,202
Maryland Department of Labor
Baltimore
MD
$1,069,642
Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
Boston
MA
$1,008,964
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Lansing
MI
$1,475,943
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
Saint Paul
MN
$979,062
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Jackson
MS
$532,030
Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
Jefferson City
MO
$1,337,414
Montana Department of Labor and Industry
Helena
MT
$447,029
Nebraska Department of Labor
Lincoln
NE
$492,392
Nevada Office of the Labor Commissioner
Las Vegas
NV
$695,737
New Hampshire Community College System
Concord
NH
$482,658
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Trenton
NJ
$1,118,059
New Mexico Workforce Solutions Department
Albuquerque
NM
$506,824
New York Department of Labor
Albany
NY
$1,920,269
North Carolina Community College System Office
Raleigh
NC
$1,158,891
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
Bismarck
ND
$399,249
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Columbus
OH
$1,640,376
Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
Stillwater
OK
$590,719
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Salem
OR
$864,103
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
Harrisburg
PA
$1,417,575
Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce
San Juan
PR
$441,721
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
Cranston
RI
$444,939
South Carolina Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education
Columbia
SC
$771,633
South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation
Pierre
SD
$397,630
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Nashville
TN
$939,312
Texas Workforce Commission
Austin
TX
$2,817,802
Utah Department of Workforce Services
Salt Lake City
UT
$629,467
Vermont Department of Labor Workforce Development
Montpelier
VT
$395,708
Virgin Islands Department of Education
St. Thomas
VI
$75,000
Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement
Richmond
VA
$1,129,005
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
Tumwater
WA
$1,355,532
West Virginia Department of Economic Development
Charleston
WV
$515,521
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Madison
WI
$1,015,406
Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
Cheyenne
WY
$352,363
The department also awarded the following competitive State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grants:
Recipient
City
State
Amount
Georgia Technical College System
Atlanta
GA
$5,000,000
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Springfield
IL
$5,000,000
Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Indianapolis
IN
$4,970,242
Maine Department of Labor
Augusta
ME
$5,000,000
Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
Boston
MA
$5,000,000
Montana Department of Labor and Industry
Helena
MT
$4,000,000
Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Salem
OR
$4,990,464
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
Cranston
RI
$4,242,278
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Hawaiʻi County, HDOA Ask Residents to Help Stop the Spread The County of Hawaiʻi, in coordination with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA), is issuing a three-month voluntary compliance order for parts of West Hawaiʻi to stop the movement of host materials for the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB).
The voluntary order is effective July 1 through Sept. 30 and applies to an area where CRB detections have occurred in the last six months. Borders of the compliance area include Waikoloa Road, Mamalahoa Highway (Highway 190) from Waikoloa Road to Palani Road in Kailua-Kona, and along the coastline from Palani Road to Waikoloa Road.
“The coconut rhinoceros beetle poses a serious threat to our island’s agriculture, and we are asking for your kōkua to stop the spread before it gets out of hand,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda. “Early intervention and cooperation are key to preventing long-term damage and protecting our island from this destructive invasive species.”
To stop the spread of CRB, residents and business operators in this area are asked not to transport CRB host materials that include:
Decomposing plant material such as compost, wood or tree chips, and mulch.
Plant propagation material.
Other items, such as landscaping material, that are comprised of decomposing organic plant material.
All live palm plants in the genera Cocos (Coconut palm), Livistona (Fountain palm or Chinese fan palm), Phoenix (Date palm, Canary Island date palm), Pritchardia (Loulu), Roystonea (Royal palm), and Washingtonia (California fan palm, Mexican fan palm) — except unsprouted seeds of these palms.
Residents and business operators within the compliance area who need to get rid of green waste should take the material to proper disposal sites located at the West Hawaiʻi Organics Facility at 71-1111 Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and Kealakehe Transfer Station at 74-598 Hale Makai Place. These facilities, located within the compliance area, heat compost piles to at least 131 degrees to kill CRB larvae.
Host materials, such as decomposing plant material, can contain CRB eggs, larvae, and adults. Moving such infested materials outside the compliance area could unintentionally spread CRB far beyond its current range, complicating eradication efforts and hindering control measures.
CRB primarily targets coconut and other palm species. However, it will feed on other important crops such as ʻulu, banana and kalo when the palm food sources are eliminated.
The voluntary compliance order is a precursor to a mandatory compliance structure that is being prepared by the HDOA.
“Controlling the movement of green waste to stop the spread of CRB is a call-to-action that all of us can do to protect Hawaiʻi Island,” said Sharon Hurd, Chairperson of the Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture.
Best Management Practices for CRB Host Materials
Residents can take the following steps to minimize the risk of spreading CRB:
Inspect and Report
Inspect CRB host materials at least every 4 months, especially finished compost and nearby host palms, for signs of CRB or damage.
Examine incoming CRB host materials before accepting them to ensure they are not infested with CRB.
Collect any suspected CRB and report findings or visible CRB damage to HDOA at 808-643-PEST (7378) or the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) at 808-933-3340. Reports can also be made online at 643pest.org.
If you cannot inspect CRB host materials yourself, contact BIISC, CRB Response (808-679-5244), or HDOA for assistance.
Properly Manage Materials
Chip incoming CRB host materials within 48 hours.
Properly compost CRB host materials by heating piles to at least 131 degrees Fahrenheit.
Monitor finished materials at least every 4 months (visual during turnover). Once compost cools to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, it can be infested and is a good breeding material for CRB.
Do not stockpile or keep a mound of CRB host material. Routinely distribute around plants or thinly spread up to 4 inches in depth to enable it to dry completely.
Prevent the Spread
Utilize or process CRB host materials that are already on-site for end use, eliminating the need to move potentially infested materials.
Safeguard CRB host materials that have been properly composted or treated in completely sealed containers that prevent CRB entry. Containers made of metal, concrete or glass are acceptable. CRB can chew through many plastics.
Ensure CRB host materials are still at acceptable temperatures or are subjected to effective treatment before being transported off site.
Profume, a restricted use pesticide, is one option for treating certain CRB host materials, such as compost. Call HDOA for additional information about the use of this chemical.
If you receive CRB host materials, ensure it comes from a reputable source that follows CRB Best Management Practices. Ask suppliers to provide documentation of their CRB prevention efforts.
For questions about moving CRB host materials, please contact Glenn Sako, County Economic Development Specialist, at 808-961-8811.
4. Exchange of views with H.E. María CASTILLO FERNÁNDEZ, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea
5. Exchange of views with H.E. Jeonghyun RYU, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Belgium, European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
***End of in camera***
6. Exchange of views following the 3 June elections in RoK and the implications for the relations with the EU with:
· Prof. Jae-Seung LEE, Director of Ilmin International Relations Institute and Director of the Jean Monnet EU Center of Excellence, Korea University
· Ms Lin GOETHALS, Director of the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS)
Question for written answer E-002444/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Maria Grapini (S&D)
The reindustrialisation of the EU is one of the objectives of the single market.
The previous Commission introduced a reindustrialisation programme with the aim of reducing dependence on third countries.
Despite this, European manufacturing is being eroded by imports of products from third countries that do not have the same production, quality, social and environmental standards as those imposed on European producers.
One example is the ceramic tiles industry in Romania, Italy, France, Poland and other European countries, which is being greatly affected by imports from India.
Prices of Indian ceramic tiles are half those of European prices, due to the use of cheaper gas from Russia and not having to pay a carbon tax on gas consumption or for Green Certificates (green taxation) for energy consumption.
What are the Commission’s concrete proposals for action to end unfair competition from imports of products not subject to environmental requirements and social standards?
The closure of European companies has led to the loss of jobs and sources of revenue for national budgets.
This study offers an in-depth examination of the European Union’s (EU) trade defence instruments (TDI), focusing on their evolution, implementation and impact on industries, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It takes stock of the European Commission’s trade defence activities and critically examines existing TDI. It highlights procedural complexities, including investigation timelines and provisional measures, alongside the unique challenges SMEs face in accessing TDI. It includes a short empirical analysis of the activity of EU trade defence measures and explores sector-specific dynamics, with examples from steel, ceramics and renewable energy industries, illustrating the protective and adaptive role of TDI against unfair global trade practices such as dumping and subsidies. Comparative insights into international practices from the USA, China and India further contextualise EU approaches.
Please attribute to Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Shanan Gray:
Police are formally releasing the name of the man who died in a fatal crash in Manurewa on Friday, 27 June.
Today, he can be named as Iu Toalua, aged 45, of Auckland.
Police extend our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
A 56-year-old man has been charged with driving dangerously causing death, dangerous driving causing injury and driving while forbidden has been remanded in custody and will reappear in Manukau District Court on 18 July.
Police enquiries will continue, and further charges cannot be ruled out as we investigate further.
While matters are before the Court, we can advise that parties in both vehicles were known to each other.
Police are continuing to ask any witnesses with information or footage to come forward.
If you have information, please update Police online now or call 105.
Please use reference number 250627/8090 or cite ‘Operation Highbury’.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP investigates measles infection case epidemiologically linked to earlier case An epidemiological investigation revealed that the baby girl has not yet reached the age to receive the first dose of measles vaccine. She had no travel history during the incubation period. The CHP believes that she acquired the infection from her family member who was recently confirmed to have measles infection. Her remaining five household contacts are currently asymptomatic and put under medical surveillance. Apart from the baby girl’s household contacts, no other close contacts were identified. Initial investigation revealed that no epidemiological linkages have been established between these two cases from the same family and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong. For more information on measles, the public may visit the CHP’s measles thematic pageIssued at HKT 18:45
