Last month brought warmer-than-average temperatures to most of the country, marking it as New Zealand’s 10th-warmest May on record, according to NIWA’s latest climate summary for May 2025.
Inland and southern parts of the South Island experienced particularly warm conditions, with some areas recording temperatures more than 1.5°C above average.
Rainfall varied across New Zealand, with eastern and southern regions experiencing below-normal rainfall and sunny skies for May, and Lake Tekapo recording its sunniest May since records began in 1928. In contrast, parts of the upper South Island and central North Island were wetter than usual.
Extreme weather events included a high of 24.2°C in Gisborne and Christchurch, a low of -5.0°C in Manapouri and Tūrangi, and a wind gust reaching 200 km/h at Cape Turnagain.
Tauranga topped sunshine and rainfall among main centres, while Auckland was the warmest, Dunedin the driest and least sunny, and Christchurch was the coolest. The three sunniest locations in 2025 so far are Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, and Auckland.
Federated Farmers says proposed changes to Fish & Game are a step in the right direction, but concerns remain about the organisation’s ability to engage in highly political advocacy.
“Farmers have been very clear with Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager about our concerns and frustrations with Fish & Game,” says Federated Farmers hunting spokesperson Richard McIntyre.
“There is certainly some merit in what the Minister is proposing with these reforms in terms of modernising, professionalising and centralising many of Fish & Game’s functions.
“Some of these changes are long overdue and will go a long way in improving the performance and efficiency of the organisation – and that needs to be acknowledged.
“We’re also welcoming a review of Fish & Game’s advocacy function, something Federated Farmers have been vocal in calling for, but we have serious concerns changes won’t go far enough.”
The proposed reforms will mean the New Zealand Fish & Game Council will be able to set a direction that is binding on regional Fish & Game Councils regarding advocacy.
Regional Fish and Game Councils will only be able to take court action in relation to advocacy if explicitly approved by the New Zealand Fish & Game Council or the Minister.
“The devil is going to be in the detail when these changes are made, but Federated Farmers will be watching the Minister’s moves very closely to make sure he delivers,” McIntyre says.
“In practice, what farmers really want to know is whether Fish & Game will still be able to block practical, common-sense actions like removing gravel from rivers when it’s needed.
“We also want to have confidence they will no longer be able to run highly political anti-farming campaigns or waste everyone’s time with expensive and unnecessary court cases.”
While proposed changes are definitely a step in the right direction, Federated Farmers are questioning whether it’s appropriate for Fish & Game to play any role in political advocacy.
“Our argument is that Fish & Game are a statutory body who collect compulsory licence fees from hunters and fishers,” says Southland Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick.
“If you want to hunt or fish you have to pay Fish & Game their fee. You don’t get a choice, but then they take that money and use it to attack farmers or push their personal policy agendas.
“They shouldn’t be able to charge those compulsory fees and then use them to behave like an environmental activist group, particularly when their advocacy doesn’t align with the views of most hunters and fishers.
“I think most people would agree that far too much money has been wasted on highly political advocacy and litigious court cases that have little benefit for sports fish or game birds.
“The Minister needs to make sure he gets these reforms right. He needs to get Fish & Game out of political advocacy and refocus them on their core business.”
Federated Farmers will continue to engage constructively with the Government throughout the select committee process to ensure farmers concerns are adequately addressed.
A new library to be built in Cannons Creek in Porirua in the next two years is being hailed by the Mayor and city councillors as a facility current and future generations will be proud to call their own.
The new building, to be placed on Bedford Reserve, near Cannons Creek Pool, will cost $4 million. Funding comes from already existing budgets within Council’s 2024-34 Long-term Plan.
A report to Council’s Te Puna Kōrero meeting on Thursday outlined safety concerns about the current library, which is located alongside other shops, including instances where staff have had to secure the building due to disorder happening outside.
The Cannons Creek Library, established in 1985 after taking over a former draper’s shop, is “difficult to secure safely”, the report says. Despite this, it is a vibrant community space that has school visits and has become a thriving after-school spot, has a public computer hub and is a drop-in place for people to connect and relax. It also has a NZ Post box.
The report also notes the ageing 1960s building has a leaky roof, limited natural light and heating, inadequate staff areas and not enough seating or study space. The building next door is potentially earthquake-prone and a seismic assessment of the library building is due in September this year.
Mayor Anita Baker said a new library was critical for the suburb and will create a better environment for library staff and visitors.
“We’ve had unsafe actions out on the street that have come into the library itself,” she said.
“This is overdue for our community and something our people have wanted for a long time.”
Cr Geoff Hayward said this was not just about upgrading a building, but “preparing a waka for the journey ahead”.
“This is a gift, a vessel of learning, open to all,” he said.
“This community that has been waiting patiently for a facility that reflects its wairua, its mana and future. A new library is saying ‘Cannons Creek matters’.”
The library will be built with modular technology, meaning it will constructed in a factory and transported to the site, and can be added to or enlarged in the future if required. It will also have new computers for the public to use.
Originally, $20 million was set aside for a community hub in Cannons Creek in the 2018-38 Long-term Plan, but agreeing to the $4 million proposal and bringing the project forward was supported by Mayor Baker and councillors.
The community will be consulted during the design stage of the project.
The PSA is launching a petition today in partnership with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists in support of continued funding for a specialist mental health facility serving patients with complex needs.
Rauaroha – Segar House received notice in May that Te Whatu Ora is considering its disestablishment, 50 years after it was first opened in Auckland.
Designed expressly to meet complex needs, the care at Segar House is multi-disciplinary, with a psychiatrist, psychologists, psychotherapists and an art therapist on staff.
“We’re devastated, gutted really, that the Government is looking at cutting Segar House,” an anonymous clinician who works at the centre said.
“The people we work with have highly complex health histories, with more than one diagnosed issue, as well as horrific early trauma. They can only come to us when they’ve already exhausted all other options – we are the last in the line for them.
“Without us, frankly, we’d already have lost these clients to suicide.”
The wrap-around service provided by Segar House puts an emphasis on relationships and group social interactions to build confidence and ensure graduating clients can live full, social lives in the community.
The proposal put forward by Te Toka Tumai, the Central Auckland arm of Te Whatu Ora, argued that the service was under-utilised, and that its resources were better used elsewhere.
Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the under-utilisation was down to overly restrictive referring rules that meant clients had to exhaust every other option for care, even if their condition otherwise met criteria.
“The clinicians who work at Segar House are in the unusual position for New Zealand in that they’d like to care for more patients, not less.
“After continued pressure from staff, the centre ran a trial last year where they dropped certain referral rules, and unsurprisingly, received more clients who were a good fit for their service.
“The under-utilisation of Segar House has been entirely created by Te Toka Tumai, who have then turned around and blamed the facility for it.
“Cutting this highly specialist, completely unique service that has helped so many people makes zero sense. Surely the answer here would be to retain the service and change the referral rules, rather than cut it altogether.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahiis Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health, and community groups.
AUCKLAND / CHRISTCHURCH, NZ – A Rocha Aotearoa is undertaking a massive tree planting drive in Auckland and Christchurch on Saturday, 14 June to seed more than 1,500 trees to support this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Challenge.
The Christian environmental organisationwill gather Youth Groups from across the country to roll up their sleeves and plant native trees to raisefunds to support the one in six children in the Pacific who face severe food insecurity due to climate change.
James Beck from A Rocha Aotearoa says, “By partnering with World Vision, we’re giving young people an opportunity to plant hope – quite literally – by restoring native bush and improving biodiversity.The climate crisis can feel overwhelming – but small, local actions really do add up.This is about more than planting trees – it’s about planting seeds of justice, hope, and resilience.”
In Auckland, the teams of young people will gather to plant at Unsworth Reserve in Unsworth Heights to restore the ecological balance of the reserve, contributing to a healthier urban environment. They will have support from World Vision, the Upper Waitematā Ecology Network, and local churches.
In Christchurch, youth will gather at South Shore Spit Reserve—an internationally significant ecological site—to help regenerate native vegetation and protect habitats for migratory birds. The project will be run in collaboration with the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust, Christchurch City Council, and forms part of A Rocha’s Good News Project, which equips young people to care for creation as an expression of their faith.
World Vision Associate National Director TJ Grant says the organisation values partnerships with organisations like A Rocha.
He says through activities, like planting native trees and raising funds for communities affected by climate change, the partnership demonstrates that local action can have a global impact. It’s a powerful example of hope, connection, and doing good—together.
“These tree planting events are a powerful example of hope, connection, and doing good—together.We know that climate change isn’t just a distant issue—it’s something we can respond to in our own communities and on behalf of our neighbours across the Pacific.Whether you’re planting trees, taking on a personal 40 Hour Challenge, or donating, every action counts.”
Youth groups interested in participating in either of the events can register online through A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand. To learn more about the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge, visitworldvision.org.nz/40hour.
Autumn 2025 was New Zealand’s fifth-warmest on record, with nationwide average temperatures above the long-term seasonal average for almost all the country, according to NIWA’s latest seasonal climate summary.
Almost all regions experienced above-average temperatures, driven by more frequent northeasterly winds and persistently high-pressure systems.
It was a warm autumn, wet for eastern and northern parts of the South Island, says NIWA Climate Scientist Gregor Macara .
The data shows it was a wetter-than-usual autumn for eastern and northern parts of the South Island, while Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, and western Bay of Plenty also saw above normal rainfall.
Meanwhile, areas such as Dunedin, Whanganui, and Hawke’s Bay remained drier than usual over the three month period, March to May.
Two major weather events marked the autumn season: heavy flooding in Canterbury at the end of April, which prompted a state of emergency in multiple districts, and ex-tropical cyclone Tam, which impacted the North Island in mid-April.
Extreme conditions included a high of 33.6°C in Timaru, a low of -5.0°C in Manapouri and Tūrangi, and the highest 1-day rainfall of 290 mm, recorded at Tākaka on 3 April.
Among the main centres, Auckland was the warmest, Tauranga the sunniest and wettest, and Dunedin the driest and least sunny. More detailed information, including records and local data, is available athttps://niwa.co.nz/climate-and-weather/seasonal
Changes announced to Fish & Game this morning are another move in the Coalition Government’s handover of power to intensive farming and other polluting commercial interests, and will result in the further degradation of our rivers and freshwater, say freshwater campaigners.
Choose Clean Water spokesperson Tom Kay says the changes announced today are clearly designed to remove Fish & Game’s ability to advocate for the health of rivers.
“Fish & Game has used its statutory purpose as a strong advocate for the health of rivers across New Zealand, and as such has helped protect numerous rivers from pollution and degradation.”
“There are some things about the system that do need fixing, but this is not only about that—this is the Coalition Govt taking advantage of an opportunity to reduce Fish & Game’s influence over polluters.”
“When environmental groups, local community groups, or iwi can’t afford to legally challenge a damaging activity or poorly made decision, Fish & Game is often there to ensure waterways are protected—working on behalf of their members to protect habitat for fish. But this Government is trying to stop that.”
The Coalition has stated that Fish & Game’s advocacy functions will be “revised” so regional Fish & Game Councils will only be able to take court action in relation to advocacy if explicitly approved by the New Zealand Fish & Game Council or the Minister and within a new restricted advocacy policy.
This morning’s press release from Minister for Hunting and Fishing James Meager on the changes states they will restrict the organisation’s ability to undertake court proceedings and require “Fish & Game councils to better consider the interests of other stakeholders such as farmers and the aviation sector in decision-making”.
“It’s telling that the Government has said specifically that it wants Fish & Game to better consider farming interests. Why not public health interests? Why not the interests of future generations? Why not the myriad of other commercial interests that operate in our communities? This demonstrates that this decision is another example of the Government enabling more pollution in rivers, lakes, and drinking water sources, and the handing of more power over our water to polluting commercial interests like intensive farming.”
“We know how detrimental the influence of Ministers can be over the statutory purposes of agencies like the Department of Conservation to protect our environment, for example. This is another case of Ministers being given the power to step in and stop actions that would protect our environment.”
Fish & Game led the processes to secure many Water Conservation Orders—similar to National Parks—for our rivers, protecting them for anglers and the public alike to enjoy. In 2002 they launched a large campaign against “Dirty Dairying” and the conversion of land into intensive agriculture, particularly in the South Island.
More recently, Fish & Game took up a legal challenge against ongoing extreme pollution of Southland’s waterways where dairy interests were wrongly claiming “there is no evidence of diffuse discharges from farming activities, either individually or cumulatively, causing adverse effects, including significant adverse effects on aquatic life”.
“Proponents of damaging, intensive agriculture and other major polluters are all over this Government’s decisions. This decision stinks of undue influence.”
Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand has expanded its popular digital lending program, Samsung Finance+, enabling consumer ease of purchase for its wide range of Bespoke AI Appliances. Developed by Samsung R&D Institute in Bangalore & Delhi, Samsung Finance+ ensures a fully digital and hassle-free financing experience with loan approvals in as little as 15 minutes. The initiative aims to provide seamless, quick, and paperless financing solution, making Samsung’s latest AI-enabled appliances including refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners, more accessible to consumers across India.
Samsung Finance+ is designed to drive financial inclusion so that consumers can avail easy credit with minimal documentation and quick loan approvals. Loans under Samsung Finance+ are facilitated in partnership with leading financial institution, DMI Finance, which specializes in digital lending solutions, ensuring a fast and seamless experience.
“At Samsung, we are committed to making premium technology accessible to consumers across India, and Samsung Finance+ is a testament to our vision. By combining digital innovation with seamless and hassle-free accessibility, we are simplifying the financing process and expanding financial inclusion, ensuring consumers can conveniently upgrade their lifestyles with our Bespoke AI Appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners,” said Ghufran Alam, Vice President, Digital Appliances, Samsung India.
How Samsung Finance+ Works
Consumers can avail a loan through Samsung Finance+ via samsung.com and across retail stores in just a few simple steps. At the retail outlets, consumers have to submit their e-documents for KYC verification at the Samsung Finance+ desk. On the completion of verification and credit scoring processes, the loan is sanctioned in as little as 15 minutes. Flexible EMI options are also available, tailored to suit varied consumer needs. This seamless process ensures that customers can purchase their preferred Samsung appliances quickly and without financial strain.
Nintendo’s 7974.T Switch 2 launched on Thursday and is widely expected to be in short supply globally amid pent-up demand for the more powerful next-generation gaming device.
“The level of demand seems to be sky-high,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy.
The Switch launched in 2017 and followed the underperforming Wii U. The home-portable device became a juggernaut with games including two “The Legend of Zelda” titles and COVID-19 pandemic breakout hit “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”.
The Switch 2 bears many similarities with its predecessor but offers a larger screen and improved graphics and debuts with titles including “Mario Kart World”.
“The much larger audience of Switch users should translate to stronger adoption in the opening part of its lifecycle,” said Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis.
“Nintendo is better prepared this time around” to deal with the high demand, he said.
The launch of the $499.99 Switch 2 is a test of Nintendo’s supply chain management during U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.
Nintendo last month forecast sales of 15 million Switch 2 units during the current financial year.
President Shuntaro Furukawa said Nintendo will strengthen production capacity to respond to strong demand and focus on sales promotion in an effort to exceed the forecast.
The company, which is known for conservative forecasts, also expects to sell 4.5 million Switch units.
Nintendo said it received 2.2 million applications for its Switch 2 sales lottery on its My Nintendo Store in Japan. Pre-orders at Target TGT.N sold out in less than two hours.
“You are looking at weeks or months until you can walk into a store and buy a Switch 2,” said Toto of Kantan Games.
Investor expectations for the new device are similarly lofty.
Nintendo’s shares are trading near highs and have gained almost 30% this year.
Concerns include whether momentum for the Switch 2 will be sustained after hardcore gamers have upgraded.
“The volume of first-party games on offer at launch isn’t as strong as it could be, so some more casual users may wait and see how the games available build over the next one to two years before making the leap,” said Ampere’s Harding-Rolls.
Ampere forecasts Switch 2 sales to exceed 100 million units in 2030. Nintendo has sold 152 million Switch units in total.
Several groundbreaking financial inclusion schemes by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government have revolutionised welfare delivery in India in the last 11 years, by plugging leakages and ensuring transparency, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.
Over the past decade, the NDA government has taken pathbreaking steps to uplift several people from the clutches of poverty, focussing on empowerment, infrastructure and inclusion.
“Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has revolutionised welfare delivery in India, by plugging leakages and ensuring transparency. Over 1,200 government schemes now leverage DBT, enabling direct transfer of Rs 44 lakh crore to beneficiaries’ bank accounts,” said FM Sitharaman in a post on X.
This system has already saved the nation Rs 3.48 lakh crore in leakages and inefficiencies, she informed.
Also, PM MUDRA Yojana has given wings to grassroots dreams and made entrepreneurship inclusive.
“Under this scheme, over 52 crore loans worth Rs 33 lakh crore have been sanctioned, out of which 68 per cent belong to women,” said the Finance Minister.
PM Jan Dhan Yojana has made banking universal. Under the world’s largest financial inclusion programme, 55.44 crore accounts have been opened, out of which 55.7 per cent are held by women, said the Finance Minister.
According to PM Modi, the push for DBT, digital inclusion and rural infrastructure has ensured transparency and faster delivery of benefits till the last mile.
Since the money goes directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries, the leakage has been curbed, which has resulted in a halving of subsidy allocations from 16 per cent to 9 per cent of total expenditure, government data showed in April.
“It is due to this that over 25 crore people have defeated poverty. The NDA remains committed to building an inclusive and self-reliant India, where every citizen has the opportunity to live with dignity,” said PM Modi in a post on X.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On June 4, 2025, the State University of Management held a series of events aimed at ensuring the socio-cultural adaptation and integration of foreign students of higher education institutions.
The programme of events was divided into two sections.
The participants of the first section were foreign students of the preparatory department for foreign citizens from countries of Africa, Great Britain, China, Vietnam and Syria, who took part in the interactive training “Adaptation to the environment of a Russian university.
Speaker Kevin Fabrice Yhombi, assistant of the Department of Russian Studies, Ethno-Oriented Pedagogy and Digital Didactics of the Russian Language Institute of RUDN University, spoke about the difficulties of adaptation and learning Russian for foreign students and shared effective practices for improving the language level. A presentation of the Telegram channel “Adventures of Foreigners in Russia” was also held for students.
The event aroused genuine interest among the students. They had many stories of personal adaptation in Russia and questions for the speaker, whose knowledge of Russian aroused general admiration.
The target audience of the second part of the event – teachers of the preparatory department for foreign citizens, employees of the International Cooperation Department, representatives of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work and the Student City – were presented with a presentation of the best practices in social and cultural adaptation of foreign students in Russian higher education institutions. The speaker was Maria Vladimirovna Alimova, Director of the Center for Assistance to Social and Cultural Adaptation and Intercultural Communication at RUDN. The main issues were: the importance of social and cultural adaptation for Russian universities, the impact of cultural differences on the educational process, information support and orientation events, and foreign student support centers.
A round table on “Issues of social and cultural adaptation of foreign students” was also held for the staff of the State University of Management.
In conclusion, those present thanked the speakers for their work and useful information, and wished the project further success.
The event was organized by the State University of Management and the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The first of three Women Wellness Satellites (WWSs), located in Chai Wan, will begin operating on June 12, providing eligible women with prevention-based and more personalised primary healthcare services.
The Government announced earlier this year that women’s health services under the Department of Health would be integrated into the Primary Health Care Commission, with three WWSs being established.
The WWS (Hong Kong) is the first of the three satellites to start operating, and is located on 2/F, Chai Wan Health Centre, at 1 Hong Man Street.
It will open six days a week, with a minimum eight-hour service most days. The satellite will operate until 8pm two days a week.
Equipped with a health promotion and education room, doctor and nurse consultation rooms, and health assessment rooms, it spans a total floor area of about 380 sq m.
The WWS (Kowloon), in Lam Tin, and the WWS (New Territories), in Tuen Mun, are both expected to begin operating in September.
In the interim, the operator, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, will establish two transitional service points, in Yau Ma Tei and North Point, to facilitate delivery of women’s health services.
The WWSs will provide health assessments, individual consultations, cervical and breast cancer screenings, and dedicated nurse clinic services to eligible women. When necessary, cases will be referred to family doctors for follow up.
Eligible women will receive a partial subsidy from the Government, and will have to pay a designated co-payment fee.
Women aged 64 or below who wish to use the services must first register as members of a District Health Centre (DHC) or District Health Centre Express (DHCE). As of June 1, over 680 women have received preliminary assessments through DHCs/DHCEs, with more than 600 arranging to receive services at the WWSs.
Furthermore, DHCs/DHCEs will arrange for women who are Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients or are subject to full or partial medical fee waivers by the Hospital Authority, to receive preventive care and health promotion services at seven selected public clinics.
The Ministry of Environment, R.O.C. (Taiwan) will provide young people in the Asia-Pacific region with opportunities to serve as interns in the environmental education field, participate in environmental education promotion, and observe business management practices. This program aims at cultivating the capabilities of young people in the Asia-Pacific region to connect with international trends, getting to know the diverse cultures of various countries, understanding the responses to environmental issues of various countries, and establishing partnerships in the environmental education fields of various Asia-Pacific countries. Internship sites: 1. Tzu Chi’s Environmental Education Site (Hualien County, Taipei City) 2. Oceanic Hakka Leisure Agriculture Development Association (Taoyuan City) For more details : https://geepaprc.org/en
Government of India has announced the sale (re-issue) of Government Securities, as detailed below, through auctions to be held on June 06, 2025 (Friday).
As per the extant scheme of underwriting commitment notified on November 14, 2007, the amounts of Minimum Underwriting Commitment (MUC) and the minimum bidding commitment under Additional Competitive Underwriting (ACU) auction, applicable to each Primary Dealer (PD), are as under:
(₹ crore)
Security
Notified Amount
MUC amount per PD
Minimum bidding commitment per PD under ACU auction
6.92% GS 2039
16,000
381
381
6.90% GS 2065
16,000
381
381
The underwriting auction will be conducted through multiple price-based method on June 06, 2025 (Friday). PDs may submit their bids for ACU auction electronically through Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) System between 10:30 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. on the day of underwriting auction.
The underwriting commission will be credited to the current account of the respective PDs with RBI on the day of issue of securities.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Ageas Re partners with Slovenian insurer Triglav Group in connection with the Motor insurance business distributed by Italian Insurtech Prima
Today, Ageas Re, the reinsurance arm of Ageas Group, concluded a reinsurance agreement with Slovenian insurer Triglav Group in connection with the partnership entered into by Triglav Group with leading Italian direct Motor insurance distributor, Prima Assicurazioni S.p.A. (Prima), with the objective to expand its business portfolio and to contribute to the Ageas’s Elevate27 profitable growth ambitions.
Under to the agreement, Ageas Re takes an 80% Quota Share on the Prima business underwritten by Triglav Group in 2025, commencing in the coming weeks.
Prima is a rapidly growing, profitable insurance distributor that began distributing personal lines policies, mainly Motor, in 2015. Since then, it has become the number 1 in the Italian Direct Motor business. In 2024, the company generated EUR 1.3 billion gross written premiums, servicing over 4 million customers, and EUR 104 million Group EBITDA.
This agreement is in perfect alignment with Ageas’s Elevate27 strategy to achieve profitable growth in an attractive European Non-Life market. The Italian Motor insurance market generates premiums in excess of EUR 15 billion, with consistent profitability. Through this partnership, Ageas Re teams up with a tech-driven, local champion, with proven track record, providing immediate market entry with considerable scale.
Ageas Re anticipates inflows from this transaction in excess of EUR 500 million in 2025 and a Net Operating Result of around EUR 15 million, spread over 2025 and 2026. The impact on Group Solvency is estimated to be no more than -4 points in 2025.
Hans De Cuyper, CEO of Ageas stated: The agreement with Triglav Group aligns well with many aspects of our newly launched strategy, Elevate27. This collaboration enables us to enter a promising European growth market in Non-Life insurance and achieve profitable growth through a partner with a strong market position.”
Joachim Racz, CEO of Ageas Re continued: “I am pleased to announce this partnership. Along with the entire Ageas Re team, I look forward to establishing a successful collaboration, offering high-quality insurance products to the Italian customer distributed by Prima. We would also like to thank Howden Re for the excellent management of the process and transaction.”
George Ottathycal, CEO of Prima said: “Prima Assicurazioni has experienced remarkable growth in the Italian motor insurance market, surpassing 4 million active customers in just ten years. This success is the result of our sophisticated and rigorous pricing and underwriting, outstanding user experience, and, most importantly, our carefully selected strategic partners who fully align with our cutting-edge, technology- and data-driven business model. Not only will the solidity and trust of the new partners Triglav Group and Ageas Re further expand our growth, but will also deliver significant value to our entire network of agents and brokers—and, above all, to our customers.”
Andrej Slapar, President of the Management Board of Zavarovalnica Triglav, commented: “Our strategic ambition is to grow beyond existing markets and enhance Triglav Group’s international recognition. The Italian motor insurance market presents a strong opportunity to support this goal, and we are pleased to be working with well-established partners Prima and Ageas Re. The Triglav Group will continue to explore opportunities for further growth and for delivering on the other objectives set out in our strategy.”
Ageas is a Belgian rooted listed international insurance Group with a heritage spanning of 200 years. It offers Retail and Business customers Life and Non-Life insurance products designed to suit their specific needs, today and tomorrow, and is also engaged in reinsurance activities. As one of Europe’s larger insurance companies, Ageas concentrates its activities in Europe and Asia, which together make up the major part of the global insurance market. It operates successful insurance businesses in Belgium, the UK, Portugal, Türkiye, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries and long-term partnerships with strong financial institutions and key distributors. Ageas ranks among the market leaders in the countries in which it operates. It represents a staff force of about 50,000 people and reported annual inflows of EUR 18.5 billion in 2024.
Prima Assicurazioni is an insurtech company operating as a specialized insurance agency in the automotive, home, and family sectors, serving over 4 million clients. It has revolutionized the Italian insurance market through innovation, technology, and a data-driven strategy. Thanks to unprecedented growth over its 10-year history, Prima’s evolving business model has enhanced the user experience, offering competitive pricing and fostering greater market competition. A leader in Italy’s online motor insurance sector, Prima also operates a nationwide network of agents. Since 2022, the company has expanded into the United Kingdom and Spain.
For 125 years, the Triglav Group has earned the trust of clients and other stakeholders through its expertise, experience, and financial strength. It is the largest insurance-financial group in the Adria region and one of the leading groups in Southeast Europe. The Group operates in six countries, with broader international presence through insurance and reinsurance activities. Insurance and asset management are the two main pillars of its operations. The Group employs more than 5,000 people. Its mission is to create a safer future. The core values of the Group are responsiveness, simplicity, and reliability. Its vision is focused on strengthening its identity and recognition as an international insurance-financial group. Through sustainable operations, it provides a development-oriented environment for employees, maintains strong partnerships, and represents a stable, secure, and profitable investment for shareholders. The parent company of the Triglav Group is Zavarovalnica Triglav, a Prime Market issuer on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.
An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation, led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, held a series of high-level engagements in Brussels on Wednesday with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), emphasising India’s resolute stance against cross-border terrorism.
The Indian MPs visited the European Parliament and engaged with MEPs, including from the Delegation for Relations with India, the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE).
The delegation briefed MEPs about the cross-border terrorism targeting India, including terror attack in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor and India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.
The discussions focused on enhancing India-EU strategic cooperation, particularly in the area of counter-terrorism, broader India-EU ties, high-level engagements and the deepening Parliamentary exchanges.
The MEPs condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and supported India’s right to defend itself and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Indian Embassy Belgium & Luxembourg said, “Taking India’s strong message against terrorism to the world, members of All-Party Delegation met with Members of European Parliament (MEPs) and discussed combating terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, global peace, and deepening of India-EU ties.”
“The EU side was briefed about the heinous Pahalgam terrorist attack and the calibrated and targeted response of India through Operation Sindoor, giving the message of zero tolerance to terrorism. MEPs expressed their solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack,” the embassy added.
Earlier in the day, the delegation was briefed by Ambassador of India to EU, Belgium & Luxembourg Saurabh Kumar. The delegation also paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the Indian Embassy.
Furthermore, the delegation interacted with members of the Indian diaspora, which expressed its deep solidarity with India’s strong and principled stance and zero-tolerance policy against terrorism.
The delegation underscored the vital role of the diaspora in amplifying India’s voice on the global stage.
The delegation also had a productive exchange of views with some of Brussels’ leading think-tanks and members of the strategic community.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a post on X, “During our visit to Brussels, my colleagues from the all-party delegation and I engaged in a comprehensive discussion on the scourge of terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism targeting India. We deliberated on India’s counter-terrorism initiatives, notably including Operation Sindoor, with prominent think tanks in the region. Our interaction underscored a unified and unambiguous stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism.”
After concluding visits to France, Italy, Denmark, and the UK, the delegation is on a 3-day visit to Belgium.
Apart from Prasad, the delegation includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Samik Bhattacharya, and Ghulam Ali Khatana; Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi; AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai; Congress MP Amar Singh; former Union Minister M.J. Akbar; and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Pyongyang, June 5 (Xinhua) — Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), met here on Wednesday with visiting Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday.
At the meeting, the parties exchanged views on protecting the common key interests of the two countries, discussed cooperation in various areas, as well as the regional and international situation, the report says. It is added that during the meeting, the coincidence of the positions of the two countries was confirmed.
“The DPRK will unconditionally support Russia’s position and foreign policy in all serious international political issues, including the Ukrainian issue, and responsibly abide by the articles of the treaty between the DPRK and Russia,” KCNA quotes Kim Jong-un as saying.
S. Shoigu conveyed special gratitude from the Russian leadership to the DPRK servicemen who participated in operations in the Russian Kursk region.
The two sides also expressed the will of the leaderships of both countries to continue to dynamically expand and develop bilateral relations towards a powerful and comprehensive strategic partnership, the KCNA said in a statement. –0–
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Terranet’s goal is to save lives in urban traffic. The company develops innovative technical solutions for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV). Terranet’s anti-collision system BlincVision laser scans and detects road objects up to ten times faster than any other ADAS technology available today. The company is headquartered in Lund, with offices in Gothenburg and Stuttgart. Since 2017, Terranet has been listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (Nasdaq: TERRNT-B).
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Turkish Airlines to ensure full compliance with international and national aviation safety regulations after a series of inspections revealed multiple lapses in operations across Indian airports.
Between May 29 and June 2, the DGCA conducted Safety Oversight and Ramp (SOFA/RAMP) inspections of Turkish Airlines’ passenger and cargo flights at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. The inspections were conducted under Article 16 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation to assess adherence to ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices as well as DGCA norms.
At Bengaluru airport, the DGCA found that the marshaller responsible for ground operations did not hold proper authorization or a valid competency card. This shortfall raises concerns about the safety of aircraft movements on the ground.
Further, the inspection revealed that during aircraft arrivals, an authorized Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) was not always present, with technicians performing arrival procedures in their stead. M/s Airworks, the authorised engineering service provider for Turkish Airlines, must ensure strict compliance with maintenance protocols.
Cargo handling processes also came under scrutiny. The DGCA noted that dangerous goods, including explosives, were transported without the mandatory permissions required for carriage in Indian airspace. These permissions were neither attached nor mentioned in the relevant Dangerous Goods Declaration.
Ground handling arrangements were found wanting as well. Turkish Airlines was operating without a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) with its ground handling agent at Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Essential equipment such as ladders, trolleys, and Ground Power Units (GPUs) lacked proper accountability and monitoring. Moreover, Globe Ground India was providing ground services without a formal handover from the previous contractor, Celebi, raising questions over operational oversight.
The DGCA has directed Turkish Airlines to promptly address these deficiencies and comply fully with ICAO standards and DGCA regulations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of the poor, calling the past 11 years of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule a period of transformative and inclusive governance.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said the government’s sustained efforts had helped lift more than 25 crore people out of poverty. “Over the past decade, the NDA Government has taken pathbreaking steps to uplift several people from the clutches of poverty, focussing on empowerment, infrastructure and inclusion,” he said. Citing key welfare schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, the Prime Minister said these initiatives had expanded access to housing, clean cooking fuel, banking and healthcare, particularly for marginalised communities.
The Prime Minister also underlined the role of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), digital inclusion, and investments in rural infrastructure in ensuring the transparent and efficient delivery of benefits. According to him, these initiatives, driven by a governance model rooted in compassion, have ensured that help reaches the last mile, offering citizens the dignity of self-reliance.
The NDA government, he said, remains committed to building an inclusive and self-reliant India—“where every citizen has the opportunity to live with dignity.”
A key element of this welfare architecture has been the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a food security programme launched in 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package. Initially introduced to provide free food grains to migrants and economically vulnerable sections during the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme has undergone several extensions over the past few years.
In its latest phase, the PMGKAY has been extended for five years starting January 1, 2024, at an estimated cost of ₹11.80 lakh crore. More than 81 crore beneficiaries—including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) identified under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)—will receive free food grains as per their monthly entitlements.
Under the scheme, wheat is being distributed in six states and Union Territories—Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Gujarat—while rice is allocated to the rest of the country. Beneficiaries include families falling under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories, as identified by respective state governments and UT administrations.
AAY households are those headed by widows, the terminally ill, disabled or elderly persons without assured means of subsistence. Other eligible groups include primitive tribal families, landless agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans, slum dwellers, daily-wage earners in the informal sector, and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families of HIV-positive individuals.
Earlier in the evening, the Prime Minister also chaired a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, though no official details from the meeting were immediately released.
Mental Health Australia has developed a Statement on National Child and Youth Mental Health Priorities to inform the June 2025 Health and Mental Health Ministers meeting.
The advice in this Statement was developed in consultation with members, along with review of recommendations of previous inquiries, strategies and research.
The Statement outlines specific specific recommendations for Health and Mental Health Ministers, as the next immediate steps to commit to at their meeting to improve child and youth mental health:
Integrate mental health in education
Expand and integrate Kids Hubs
Boost national digital mental health supports for children and parents
Increase workforce capacity to support infant and child mental health
Harmonise age ranges for youth mental health services
Reduce wait times for child and youth mental health supports
Children and young people in Australia are experiencing mental ill-health at never-before seen levels, yet many are unable to access support. Australian governments need to work together to develop an holistic system of mental health supports for infants, children and families across the spectrum of promotion, prevention, early and specialist support, informed by both the needs and experiences of children and their families and population data. While this meeting is focused on actions through health portfolios, it is also important to recognise the need for whole of government action to address declining rates of mental health amongst children and young people.
Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro
In the late 1970s, when I was a fine arts student, the Melbourne University Gallery was just one room in a neo-gothic quadrangle. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that the university commissioned Nonda Katzalidis to design a four-story concrete gallery on a narrow site fronting Swanston Street.
The Ian Potter Museum of Art quickly became a vital centre for displaying diverse university collections – from classical antiquities to post-war bark paintings and contemporary art.
The re-opening of the museum, after it closed for renovations in 2018, is an art event of major proportions with the architectural clout to match.
The newest addition by Randall Marsh of Wood Marsh Architects transforms an adjacent red-brick building. A polished-steel portal gives onto stylish spaces: high vaulted ceilings, a light-filled atrium, new teaching rooms and luxurious bathrooms. There is now a serious restaurant with a long dining room, open kitchen and balcony café.
Named “Residence” for its annual chef-in-residence program, starting with the Michelin-starred Robbie Noble, this may well become the go-to space for visitors, academics and students alike.
Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne. Photography by Christian Capurro.
All expectations are exceeded by the opening exhibition 65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art. The title emphasises both the ancient Indigenous presence on this continent, and cheekily suggests that the main art that’s been made here is Aboriginal.
As we recognise the monumental contributions of bark painting from the 1940s on, dot-painting from the 1970s on, and urban art starting in the 1980s, there is much to commend this view.
There is a powerful curatorial will here, led by the legendary public intellectual and Indigenous scholar Marcia Langton, who initiated the project.
She engaged one of the country’s most effective and knowledgeable curators in Judith Ryan, known for her series of field-defining exhibitions over four decades at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro
Working together with associate curator Shanysa McConville, their exhibition is both politically astute in its management of tough historical issues, and visually stunning. The team has sourced superlative, large-scale examples of major artists’ work from private and public sources to sit alongside the university collections.
It’s an exhibition that repays hours of looking, aided by the curators’ exemplary wall labels. A sumptuously illustrated 340-page tome published by Thames & Hudson Australia for the Potter supports a deeper dive. This includes 23 essays by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers who delve into specific groups of work.
An example is the pungent essay by Grazia Gunn, who in 1973 exhibited the University’s rare barks from Groote Eylandt, presented in 1946 by the Jewish refugee Leonhard Adam.
Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro
These barks can be seen again in the show, near a masterful assemblage of early barks from Yirrkala, painted in 1937 at the request of ethnographer Donald Thomson. This selection is unprecedented: a dozen barks with complete body designs for mardayin (mens’ ceremony), organised across clan groups.
Truth telling
Throughout 65,000 Years, there is a powerful truth-telling element on frontier wars and massacres. The early recognition of First Peoples’ work as art in the assembled barks goes some way to balancing Melbourne University’s own chapter of shame.
In the side gallery, Langton and team present the role of Melbourne University medical anatomists, eugenicists and physical anthropologists in grave-robbing, and promoting the illicit collection and sale of Aboriginal remains, right up to the mid-1930s.
On a big-screen video Langton, seated in a massive carved cathedral chair like a modern-day Delphic Oracle, dispassionately retells this grisly truth.
The exhibition is comprehensive as it moves across regions and eras in a deft interplay with the building’s shifting levels. The ground floor (bar a stunning atrium enlaced with newly commissioned women’s baskets and “sun-mats”) deals with the imagery of contact from early colonial settlements.
A group of French and British drawings of First Peoples are true portraits in the sense that the sitters are named. Late 19th century colour drawings by Barak or Mickey of Ulladulla are next to rare archival finds: distressing drawings of police reprisals by Oscar (Kuku-Yalanji), from 1898, and six lyrical drawings by Blak inmates of the Darwin Gaol, mounted together under the title “Dawn of Art” for display at the 1888 Melbourne Centenary Exhibition.
Gordon Bennet (1955–2014), Big romantic painting (apotheosis of Captain Cook) 1993, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 182×400.5×4cm. The University of Melbourne Art Collection
Entering this colonial/decolonial zone, the glowering work of the late, great Gordon Bennett sets the precedent for the current historical citation and appropriation of colonial imagery.
His example has inspired artists from Richard Bell and Brook Andrew to Megan Cope and Daniel Boyd.
Bennett, faithfully represented by Melbourne’s Sutton Gallery through his life, was a McGeorge Fellow at Melbourne Uni in 1993, producing the groundbreaking Mirrorama installation with Groote Eylandt barks in opposition to classical busts. A gentle man and great thinker in art, Bennett then, as now, adds lustre to the Potter.
65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art is at the Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, until November 22.
Roger Benjamin has previously worked as an art selector for the Vizard Collection at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, is an art collector and donor, and a colleague of the exhibition curators; he was not involved in the curation of this exhibition.
When does a school’s responsibility for student behaviour end? Is it at 3pm when the bell goes? Or does a school still have to respond to harmful behaviour after hours?
The Victorian government has announced new powers for government school principals to suspend or expel students for serious misbehaviour beyond the school grounds. The powers will begin in July, from the beginning of term 3.
The state government says this will “address concerns around harmful behaviour that happens outside school hours […] but affects student and staff safety”.
The new powers have a particular focus on online safety and follow similar moves in South Australia and New South Wales.
What does this mean for schools and students?
A blurry line
The line between when “school” starts and finishes is blurry. Anti-social activities and their impacts don’t neatly fall at a convenient time or location.
But the impacts of cyberbullying are very much felt during school hours. Bullying can lead to decreased academic performance – even in primary school. It can also lead to fractured social relationships. So schools are deeply involved. They may need to provide additional academic and welfare support for the student, as well as manage any social tensions and flare-ups on campus.
As the eSafety Commission has warned, teachers can also face online abuse from students.
So school leaders are needing to support both student and staff mental health.
Although the attack took place outside the school grounds, after the final bell, the court determined the NSW public high school had a duty “beyond the confines of the school boundaries and outside of its operating hours”. In part, this was based on previous known violence from one of the perpetrators.
Schools now exist in a dynamic and complex set of ecosystems and the new Victorian powers acknowledge and respond to this reality.
What does it mean for principals?
For some school leaders, there may be relief they can deal with the consequences of the most severe and destructive actions. This could include online harassment or recent incidents such as rating students’ physical appearances.
Research including the annual survey I run with colleagues, shows being an Australian school leader takes an ongoing emotional toll. The work often involves dealing with violence and abuse.
Expelling kids should be a very last resort
As a community, we can all agree schools should be places that are safe and free from violence of any kind.
But the removal of any student from a school signals a series of breakdowns. This is why schools have policies and procedures to try and resolve these issues positively before the consequences become more severe. Schools will normally use intervention strategies such as counselling, behaviour monitoring and formal cautions before suspension emerges as a possibility. Sadly, these do not always result in changed behaviour.
As consequences escalate, so too do their impacts.
Students who begin to disengage from their learning can get caught in a spiral of increasing disengagement, leading to repeat instances of suspension and then expulsion. This can then chart a distressing path for some towards incarceration.
So we need to focus on strategies which reduce this pathway.
This includes initiatives that boost students’ engagement at school such as those in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (part of the new funding agreement between the federal and state governments). We also need funds to increase counsellors and psychologists in schools.
Being able to expel students for out-of-school behaviour will help manage some of the symptoms of poor student behaviour. But unless the underlying causes are also addressed, expulsion will not resolve the issues – and ultimately transport the problem to another community.
Paul Kidson 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 Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
François Brassard
The Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory contains an extensive, awe-inspiring expanse of tropical savanna landscapes. It includes well-known and much-loved regions such as Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and Nitmiluk Gorge.
These tropical savannas feature open forests and woodlands dominated by eucalypts and a diverse grassy understorey. They experience an intense monsoon-driven wet season and long dry season during which fire is common.
The area is home to a spectacular range of plants and animals, including crocodiles, barramundi, speartooth sharks, the spectacularly coloured Leichhardt’s grasshopper and flocks of magpie geese. Some groups are extraordinarily diverse. Several thousand ant species are thought to live there – compared to just 1,000 species in South America’s Amazon basin.
Australia’s tropical savannas are diverse and dynamic, shaped by fire and the cycle of wet and dry seasons. Brett Murphy
Yet, despite their immense ecological and cultural significance, the NT’s tropical savannas face an uncertain future. The landscape is under increasing pressure from invasive species, more frequent and severe fires, climate change, mining, agriculture and development – including water extraction.
Our new report outlines what should be done to ensure conservation and sustainable management of this unique and special region.
A region in trouble
As ecologists, we share a deep passion for tropical Northern Australia but fear for its future. To aid environmental policy and decision-making, we set out to describe the current condition and likely future of the NT’s tropical savannas. This involved identifying existing, emerging and possible future threats.
We found biodiversity in decline. Many species, particularly mammals that were once common and widespread, have disappeared from much of the region. These include the northern quoll, brush-tailed rabbit-rat and black-footed tree-rat.
Species such as the brush-tailed rabbit-rat have declined substantially and are now locally extinct in some areas. Cara Penton
In many parts of the Top End, fires are becoming more frequent and severe. This is in part due to the increasing dominance of invasive grasses, particularly Gamba and buffel grass. Both grasses are highly flammable, increasing the risk and harm of fires.
Longer and hotter dry seasons also increase fire risk and severity, as well as making water less available to wildlife due to higher rates of evaporation. Plants and animals also face greater heat stress and risk of dying during extended periods of extreme temperatures.
The Top End is spectacular and rich in biodiversity. François Brassard
The changing nature of land-clearing
Land-clearing is increasing in the Top End, too. We estimate about 45,000 hectares of savanna habitat was destroyed between 2000 and 2020. That’s equivalent to an area roughly the size of 22,500 Melbourne Cricket Grounds.
Another 146,000 hectares have approval to be cleared, and an additional 100,000 hectares could be cleared for an expanded cotton industry.
It is not just the amount of clearing that matters, but where it occurs. The habitat mainly destroyed to date has been in higher rainfall areas between Darwin and Katherine. This is where most threatened species live. On average, the cleared areas overlapped with more than 12 nationally listed threatened species.
What should be done?
Our report shows current laws are insufficient to protect the Northern Territory’s tropical savannas. Evidence-based law reform is urgently needed.
Decision-making must be collaborative, not controlled by individuals, based on sound science. It must also actively support and involve First Nations peoples and their goals.
The Top End is awe inspiring but without greater enviromental protection its many values may be diminished. François Brassard
Nature is the lynchpin of northern Australia. It characterises and nurtures the place, underpins and embraces Indigenous culture, is a major tourist attraction and helps make our country healthy. We need to recognise its value, and guard against its ongoing loss.
Our report was independently reviewed by experts in the ecology and conservation of Northern Australia, Professors Richard Williams and Christopher Johnson.
Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Victorian government’s Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and President of the Australian Mammal Society.
The research underpinning this report was partly supported by the Environment Centre NT, the Wilderness Society and the World Wide Fund for Nature (Australia).
Brett Murphy receives, or has recently received, funding from the Australian Research Council, Environment Centre NT, and the Northern Territory Government.
John Woinarski is affiliated with Charles Darwin University, and has previously received research funding from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment.
Domestic violence is increasing in Australia. A new report shows one in three men have ever made a partner feel frightened or anxious. One in 11 have used physical violence when angry. And one in 50 have used sexual violence against their partner.
The report, which I co-authored, estimates 120,000 men each year will start to use abuse and violence against their partner for the first time.
So we need to engage these men before they start using abuse and violence. Our work with GPs suggests they can engage men early to prevent harm to families.
Why use GPs?
Men who use domestic violence frequently visit health services and need help to address harmful behaviours in relationships. These men are more likely to have increased alcohol use, substance abuse and mental health issues.
Our new report found men with depressive symptoms, especially those who were severely depressed or suicidal, were at greater risk of starting to use abuse and violence.
We know from experience with men’s behaviour change programs that men who volunteer for these programs are more likely to sustain change than men ordered to undertake them by the court.
GPs can apply this knowledge by identifying men who have internal motivations for change, or who want to be a “better person”.
This echoes a new community campaign that asks men “What kind of man do you want to be?”
GPs and mental health practitioners have great potential to build conversations around behaviours in men’s relationships. However, discussions need to be tailored after learning more about the man’s identity and needs.
How can GPs ask men about potential violence?
GPs can begin by signposting:
Often when I see people who are depressed, it’s helpful to understand what else is going on for them. Can I ask how things are at home?
They then move to more specific questions:
You mentioned that you have been disagreeing a bit with your partner. What happens when you disagree?
Have you ever done something that you later regretted?
The next step is gauging insight about their behaviour:
Are you ever worried about your behaviour?
Do you ever think your partner sometimes feels scared of you?
The final step is offering support:
There’s people you could see and online resources that are helpful for men who are worried about their behaviour in their relationship. Can I give you some info about it?
[Asking] ‘Are you worried about your relationship?’ is good. It’s not asking, ‘Are you abusive? Are you violent?’
They then wanted a response that motivates them:
A tactful way to actually suggest, maybe this is for you, that might help. Because I know if someone tells me that you’ve got to go do this, I don’t want to do it. If someone can plant the seed in someone’s head it might help.
To “plant the seed”, a trained and equipped GP could prepare and motivate men to accept a referral and address other needs, such as parenting issues and alcohol and drug use.
Difficulties for GPs
Many men who use violence never engage with intensive, face-to-face or online behaviour change programs. So GPs can play an important role in offering ongoing support and encouragement for men who use abuse and violence to change their behaviour.
Some of the issues GPs have raised about doing this work include:
It’s often hard, sort of balancing between throwing them a lifeline and putting a way forward, but at the same time really acknowledging and saying that violence is unacceptable – you have to find a way of engaging them in the process of saying, ‘Well look, this is wrong, we need to do something’, without losing them.
If I start pushing, pressuring him, then he becomes closed up or defensive, then that’s obviously going to potentially harm my therapeutic relationship with him.
Men find websites and apps useful
Men are very open to websites or apps that provide a safe, private place for them to reflect on their harmful behaviours and consequences.
My research team has developed a primary care response model called I-engage, which includes GPs engaging men and offering them an online tool to encourage men to seek help.
We also developed the healthy relationship website, Better Man, from discussions with men.
The men we interviewed suggested developing resources that:
“don’t jump down my throat straight away”
“help me realise what I’m becoming”
“give hope for seeing a change in my future”
“make it simple and accessible”.
The resulting website increases men’s early engagement with help-seeking.
Motivational techniques encourage men’s awareness and self-reflection, avoiding stigma and shame.
The program includes four modules:
better relationships encourages a man to reflect on behaviours in his relationship
better values explores how men’s behaviours align with their values
better communication looks at how a man’s communication style may differ with a partner compared to others
finally, take better action reinforces help seeking, provides resources for parenting, alcohol and drug use, and mental health.
GPs need training and funding for this work
Early engagement through the health system requires GPs to be supported, trained and resourced to identify and respond to all members of a family.
We have been calling for funding of a long consultation for a Family Safety Plan through a Medicare item number for a decade.
The health system can engage men using behaviours in their relationships that cause harm to their partners and children.
As one man who we worked with says:
We’ve got to grab them before they hit their partner or their kids. We’ve got to be able to stop them getting to that stage. We’ve got to grab their attention. Let’s help them realise this is the person that they are, or they are becoming and it’s not what society is going to accept nowadays.
For information and advice about family and intimate partner violence contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact 000. Men’s Referral Service (call 1300 766 491) offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.
Kelsey Hegarty leads the Safer Families Centre which receives Australian government funding to train GPs.
The Green Party condemns the unprecedented decision to suspend Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi for 21 days, and MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for 7 days.
“This decision is a disgrace and so is this Tiriti trampling Government,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi promises protection for people and planet. We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of people show up in support of te Tiriti, and today Te Pāti Māori members have been severely punished for doing so.
“The severity of the punishment sought by the Privileges Committee was unprecedented and has raised serious concerns on whether this is a new standard that will only apply when haka, waiata, and other tikanga Māori are expressed in the House.
“There was a better way of dealing with this. We must find ways to incorporate the tikanga this country was founded on into our House of Parliament. Instead, Māori have been punished for using tikanga Māori to challenge the Treaty Principles Bill – one of the most divisive pieces of legislation we have seen.
“When those with assumed power think their privilege is under threat, there is a tendency to scream victim. One needn’t feel intimidated by the power of upholding te mana i te Tiriti o Waitangi in the face of futile attempts to denigrate it.
“These consensus ignoring, Tiriti trampling, democracy mocking, narrowly supported recommendations from the Privileges Committee bring this House into more disrepute than any haka ever has,” says Marama Davidson.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
UNITED NATIONS, June 5 (Xinhua) — Eighteen countries, including China, were elected on Wednesday to three-year terms on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the coordinating body for economic and social work of U.N. agencies and funds.
UN General Assembly President Philemon Young announced the results after a secret ballot.
The council included Burundi, Chad, Mozambique and Sierra Leone from Africa, China, India, Lebanon and Turkmenistan from Asia and the Pacific, Croatia, Russia and Ukraine from Eastern Europe, Ecuador, Peru and Saint Kitts and Nevis from Latin America and the Caribbean, and Australia, Finland, Norway and Turkey from Western Europe and other regions.
These ECOSOC members are elected for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2026.
ECOSOC has 54 members. Its membership is renewed annually by a vote in the UN General Assembly. –0–
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked World Environment Day on Wednesday by planting a sapling at Mahavir Jayanti Park in the national capital, as part of the second phase of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative. The campaign, which encourages individuals to plant a tree in honour of their mothers, aims to promote environmental consciousness through personal and symbolic action.
Launched by the Prime Minister last year with the planting of a Peepal tree at Buddha Jayanti Park, the initiative returns in an expanded version this year — targeting the plantation of 10 crore trees across India between June 5 and September 30.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “This #WorldEnvironmentDay, let’s deepen our efforts towards protecting our planet and overcoming the challenges we face. I also compliment all those working at the grassroots to make our environment greener and better.”
The plantation drive also marks the anniversary of the campaign’s launch. On this special occasion, PM Modi planted a sapling to celebrate the success of the programme.
The theme of the campaign — planting a tree in the name of one’s mother — seeks to blend environmental action with cultural values. Officials said the gesture is meant to highlight the nurturing role of both mothers and trees in sustaining life and securing the future.
In another post on X, the Prime Minister noted that India has seen an increase in forest cover over the past decade. “It would make you all very happy that in the last decade, India has undertaken numerous collective efforts which have led to increased forest cover across the nation. This is great for our quest towards sustainable development,” he said.
