The Australian government has confirmed it will contribute A$3.435 billion ($2.25 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction.
Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by state and federal governments on Thursday.
“The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades,” Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said in a statement.
“We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland.
“The Australian government’s commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country.”
Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year.
Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed Thursday’s announcement as a “significant shift in forward momentum”.
“I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government’s recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get underway …” he said.
The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city’s Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032.
A new aquatics centre to host the swimming in 2032 will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million.
“Today’s landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever,” said Queensland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie.
“We’ve also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan.
“I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia’s most exciting sporting precinct that will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre.”
Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026.
The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said.
The Australian government has confirmed it will contribute A$3.435 billion ($2.25 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction.
Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by state and federal governments on Thursday.
“The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades,” Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said in a statement.
“We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland.
“The Australian government’s commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country.”
Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year.
Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed Thursday’s announcement as a “significant shift in forward momentum”.
“I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government’s recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get underway …” he said.
The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city’s Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032.
A new aquatics centre to host the swimming in 2032 will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million.
“Today’s landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever,” said Queensland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie.
“We’ve also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan.
“I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia’s most exciting sporting precinct that will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre.”
Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026.
The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said.
Immediately after killing Fernando Pereira and blowing up Greenpeace’s flagship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour, several of the French agents went on a ski holiday in New Zealand’s South Island to celebrate.
Such was the contempt the French had for the Kiwis and the abilities of our police to pursue them. How wrong they were.
A new prologue by former prime minister Helen Clark and a preface by Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid, along with an extensive postscript which bring us up to the present day, underline why the past is not dead; it’s with us right now.
Written by David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report, who spent 11 weeks on the final voyage of the Warrior, the book is the most remarkable piece of history I have read this year and one of those rare books that has the power to expand your mind and make your blood boil at the same time. I thought I knew a fair bit about the momentous events surrounding the attack — until I read Eyes of Fire.
Heroes of our age The book covers the history of Greenpeace action — from fighting the dumping of nuclear and other toxic waste in European waters, the Arctic and the Pacific, voyages to link besieged communities across the oceans, through to their epic struggles to halt whaling and save endangered marine colonies from predators.
The Rainbow Warrior’s very last voyage before the bombing was to evacuate the entire population of Rongelap atoll (about 320 people) in the Marshall Islands who had been exposed to US nuclear radiation for decades.
This article is the first of two in which I will explore themes that the book triggered for me.
Neither secret nor intelligent – the French secret intelligence service
Jean-Luc Kister was the DGSE (Direction-générale de la Sécurité extérieure) agent who placed the two bombs that ripped a massive hole in the hull of the Warrior on 10 July 1985. The ship quickly sank, trapping Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira inside.
Former colonel Kister was a member of a large team of elite agents sent to New Zealand. One had also infiltrated Greenpeace months before, some travelled through the country prior to the attack, drinking, rooting New Zealand women and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that led all the way to the Palais de l’Élysée where François Mitterrand, Socialist President of France, had personally given the order to bomb the famous peace vessel.
Robie aptly calls the French mission “Blundergate”. The stupidity, howling incompetence and moronic lack of a sound strategic rationale behind the attack were only matched by the mendacity, the imperial hauteur and the racist contempt that lies at the heart of French policy in the Pacific to this very day.
Thinking the Kiwi police would be no match for their élan, their savoir-faire and their panache, some of the killers hit the ski slopes to celebrate “Mission Accompli”. Others fled to Norfolk Island aboard a yacht, the Ouvéa.
Tracked there by the New Zealand police it was only with the assistance of our friends and allies, the Australians, that the agents were able to escape. Within days they sank their yacht at sea during a rendezvous with a French nuclear submarine and were evenually able to return to France for medals and promotions.
Two of the agents, however, were not so lucky. As everyone my age will recall, Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, were nabbed after a lightning fast operation by New Zealand police.
With friends and allies like these, who needs enemies? We should recall that the French were our allies at the time. They decided, however, to stop the Rainbow Warrior from leading a flotilla of ships up to Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia where yet another round of nuclear tests were scheduled. In other words: they bombed a peace ship to keep testing bombs.
By 1995, France had detonated 193 nuclear bombs in the South Pacific.
David Robie sees the bombing as “a desperate attempt by one of the last colonial powers in the Pacific to hang on to the vestiges of empire by blowing up a peace ship so it could continue despoiling Pacific islands for the sake of an independent nuclear force”.
The US, UK and Australia cold-shouldered New Zealand through this period and uttered not a word of condemnation against the French. Within two years we were frog-marched out of the ANZUS alliance with Australia and the US because of our ground-breaking nuclear-free legislation.
It was a blessing and the dawn of a period in which New Zealanders had an intense sense of national pride — a far cry from today when New Zealand politicians are being referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for war crimes associated with the Gaza genocide.
The French State invented the term ‘terrorism’ I studied French History at university in France and did a paper called “La France à la veille de révolution” (France on the eve of revolution). One of the chilling cultural memories is of the period from September 1793 to July 1794, which was known as La Terreur.
At the time the French state literally coined the term “terrorisme” — with the blade of the guillotine dropping on neck after neck as the state tried to consolidate power through terror. But, as Robie points out, quoting law professor Roger S. Clark, we tend to use the term today to refer almost exclusively to non-state actors.
With the US and Israel gunning down starving civilians in Gaza every day, with wave after wave of terror attacks being committed inside Iran and across the Middle East by Mossad, the CIA and MI6, we should amend this erroneous habit.
The DGSE team who attached limpet mines to the Rainbow Warrior did so as psychopathic servants of the French State. Eyes of Fire: “At the time, Prime Minister David Lange described the Rainbow Warrior attack as ‘nothing more than a sordid act of international state-backed terrorism’.”
Don’t get me wrong. I am not “anti-French”. I lived for years in France, had a French girlfriend, studied French history, language and literature. I even had friends in Wellington who worked at the French Embassy.
Curiously when I lived next to Premier House, the official residence of the prime minister, my other next door neighbour was a French agent who specialised in surveillance. Our houses backed onto Premier House. Quelle coïncidence. To his mild consternation I’d greet him with “Salut, mon espion favori.” (Hello, my favourite spy).
What I despise is French colonialism, French racism, and what the French call magouillage. I don’t know a good English word for it . . . it is a mix of shenanigans, duplicity, artful deception to achieve unscrupulous outcomes that can’t be publicly avowed. In brief: what the French attempted in Auckland in 1985.
Robie recounts in detail the lying, smokescreens and roadblocks that everyone from President Mitterrand through to junior officials put in the way of the New Zealand investigators. Mitterrand gave Prime Minister David Lange assurances that the culprits would be brought to justice. The French Embassy in Wellington claimed at the time: “In no way is France involved. The French government doesn’t deal with its opponents in such ways.”
It took years for the bombshell to explode that none other than Mitterrand himself had ordered the terrorist attack on New Zealand and Greenpeace!
We the people of the Pacific We, the people of the Pacific, owe a debt to Greenpeace and all those who were part of the Rainbow Warrior, including author David Robie. We must remember the crime and call it by its name: state terrorism.
The French attempted to escape justice, deny involvement and then welched on the terms of the agreement negotiated with the help of the United Nations secretary-general.
A great way to honour the sacrifice of those who stood up for justice, who stood for peace and a nuclear-free Pacific, and who honoured our own national identity would be to buy David Robie’s excellent book.
I’ll give the last word to former Prime Minister Helen Clark:
“This is the time for New Zealand to link with the many small and middle powers across regions who have a vision for a world characterised by solidarity and peace and which can rise to the occasion to combat the existential challenges it faces — including of nuclear weapons, climate change, and artificial intelligence. If our independent foreign policy is to mean anything in the mid-2020s, it must be based on concerted diplomacy for peace and sustainable development.”
You cannot sink a rainbow.
Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He contributes to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific, and hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz
Immediately after killing Fernando Pereira and blowing up Greenpeace’s flagship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour, several of the French agents went on a ski holiday in New Zealand’s South Island to celebrate.
Such was the contempt the French had for the Kiwis and the abilities of our police to pursue them. How wrong they were.
A new prologue by former prime minister Helen Clark and a preface by Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid, along with an extensive postscript which bring us up to the present day, underline why the past is not dead; it’s with us right now.
Written by David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report, who spent 11 weeks on the final voyage of the Warrior, the book is the most remarkable piece of history I have read this year and one of those rare books that has the power to expand your mind and make your blood boil at the same time. I thought I knew a fair bit about the momentous events surrounding the attack — until I read Eyes of Fire.
Heroes of our age The book covers the history of Greenpeace action — from fighting the dumping of nuclear and other toxic waste in European waters, the Arctic and the Pacific, voyages to link besieged communities across the oceans, through to their epic struggles to halt whaling and save endangered marine colonies from predators.
The Rainbow Warrior’s very last voyage before the bombing was to evacuate the entire population of Rongelap atoll (about 320 people) in the Marshall Islands who had been exposed to US nuclear radiation for decades.
This article is the first of two in which I will explore themes that the book triggered for me.
Neither secret nor intelligent – the French secret intelligence service
Jean-Luc Kister was the DGSE (Direction-générale de la Sécurité extérieure) agent who placed the two bombs that ripped a massive hole in the hull of the Warrior on 10 July 1985. The ship quickly sank, trapping Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira inside.
Former colonel Kister was a member of a large team of elite agents sent to New Zealand. One had also infiltrated Greenpeace months before, some travelled through the country prior to the attack, drinking, rooting New Zealand women and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that led all the way to the Palais de l’Élysée where François Mitterrand, Socialist President of France, had personally given the order to bomb the famous peace vessel.
Robie aptly calls the French mission “Blundergate”. The stupidity, howling incompetence and moronic lack of a sound strategic rationale behind the attack were only matched by the mendacity, the imperial hauteur and the racist contempt that lies at the heart of French policy in the Pacific to this very day.
Thinking the Kiwi police would be no match for their élan, their savoir-faire and their panache, some of the killers hit the ski slopes to celebrate “Mission Accompli”. Others fled to Norfolk Island aboard a yacht, the Ouvéa.
Tracked there by the New Zealand police it was only with the assistance of our friends and allies, the Australians, that the agents were able to escape. Within days they sank their yacht at sea during a rendezvous with a French nuclear submarine and were evenually able to return to France for medals and promotions.
Two of the agents, however, were not so lucky. As everyone my age will recall, Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, were nabbed after a lightning fast operation by New Zealand police.
With friends and allies like these, who needs enemies? We should recall that the French were our allies at the time. They decided, however, to stop the Rainbow Warrior from leading a flotilla of ships up to Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia where yet another round of nuclear tests were scheduled. In other words: they bombed a peace ship to keep testing bombs.
By 1995, France had detonated 193 nuclear bombs in the South Pacific.
David Robie sees the bombing as “a desperate attempt by one of the last colonial powers in the Pacific to hang on to the vestiges of empire by blowing up a peace ship so it could continue despoiling Pacific islands for the sake of an independent nuclear force”.
The US, UK and Australia cold-shouldered New Zealand through this period and uttered not a word of condemnation against the French. Within two years we were frog-marched out of the ANZUS alliance with Australia and the US because of our ground-breaking nuclear-free legislation.
It was a blessing and the dawn of a period in which New Zealanders had an intense sense of national pride — a far cry from today when New Zealand politicians are being referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for war crimes associated with the Gaza genocide.
The French State invented the term ‘terrorism’ I studied French History at university in France and did a paper called “La France à la veille de révolution” (France on the eve of revolution). One of the chilling cultural memories is of the period from September 1793 to July 1794, which was known as La Terreur.
At the time the French state literally coined the term “terrorisme” — with the blade of the guillotine dropping on neck after neck as the state tried to consolidate power through terror. But, as Robie points out, quoting law professor Roger S. Clark, we tend to use the term today to refer almost exclusively to non-state actors.
With the US and Israel gunning down starving civilians in Gaza every day, with wave after wave of terror attacks being committed inside Iran and across the Middle East by Mossad, the CIA and MI6, we should amend this erroneous habit.
The DGSE team who attached limpet mines to the Rainbow Warrior did so as psychopathic servants of the French State. Eyes of Fire: “At the time, Prime Minister David Lange described the Rainbow Warrior attack as ‘nothing more than a sordid act of international state-backed terrorism’.”
Don’t get me wrong. I am not “anti-French”. I lived for years in France, had a French girlfriend, studied French history, language and literature. I even had friends in Wellington who worked at the French Embassy.
Curiously when I lived next to Premier House, the official residence of the prime minister, my other next door neighbour was a French agent who specialised in surveillance. Our houses backed onto Premier House. Quelle coïncidence. To his mild consternation I’d greet him with “Salut, mon espion favori.” (Hello, my favourite spy).
What I despise is French colonialism, French racism, and what the French call magouillage. I don’t know a good English word for it . . . it is a mix of shenanigans, duplicity, artful deception to achieve unscrupulous outcomes that can’t be publicly avowed. In brief: what the French attempted in Auckland in 1985.
Robie recounts in detail the lying, smokescreens and roadblocks that everyone from President Mitterrand through to junior officials put in the way of the New Zealand investigators. Mitterrand gave Prime Minister David Lange assurances that the culprits would be brought to justice. The French Embassy in Wellington claimed at the time: “In no way is France involved. The French government doesn’t deal with its opponents in such ways.”
It took years for the bombshell to explode that none other than Mitterrand himself had ordered the terrorist attack on New Zealand and Greenpeace!
We the people of the Pacific We, the people of the Pacific, owe a debt to Greenpeace and all those who were part of the Rainbow Warrior, including author David Robie. We must remember the crime and call it by its name: state terrorism.
The French attempted to escape justice, deny involvement and then welched on the terms of the agreement negotiated with the help of the United Nations secretary-general.
A great way to honour the sacrifice of those who stood up for justice, who stood for peace and a nuclear-free Pacific, and who honoured our own national identity would be to buy David Robie’s excellent book.
I’ll give the last word to former Prime Minister Helen Clark:
“This is the time for New Zealand to link with the many small and middle powers across regions who have a vision for a world characterised by solidarity and peace and which can rise to the occasion to combat the existential challenges it faces — including of nuclear weapons, climate change, and artificial intelligence. If our independent foreign policy is to mean anything in the mid-2020s, it must be based on concerted diplomacy for peace and sustainable development.”
You cannot sink a rainbow.
Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He contributes to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific, and hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace McQuilten, Professor of Art and Associate Dean, Research and Innovation, School of Art, RMIT University
Creative Australia’s decision earlier this year to rescind the selection of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as Australia’s 2026 representatives at the Venice Biennale sent shockwaves through the arts sector.
For many artists and arts workers, it reinforced concerns around participation and access for those from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds.
This week’s reinstatement of the artistic team offers some comfort. However, the entire incident has reinforced that, while diversity in the arts is celebrated, inclusion at the highest level can’t be taken for granted.
Some worrying stats
Our 2024 survey of more than 900 visual and craft artists, and visual arts workers (who we define as workers who support the visual arts sector), revealed several concerning findings in relation to opportunity and inclusion for culturally and racially diverse creatives.
The first key finding was more than 67% of artists and 78% of arts workers felt there were cultural and/or access-related barriers to them participating in the sector.
The second was culturally diverse workers in the sector tended to identify as “early career” rather than “established”. This points to challenges for career progression and, in turn, to systemic and structural barriers to career development.
Of all the people we surveyed, 17% of visual artists and 20% of visual arts workers reported being of a culturally diverse background. Of these, only 15% of artists and 14% of arts workers reported being at an “established” career stage.
By contrast, among the general population of artists (including those without a diverse background), 30% of the artists reported being “established” in their careers, along with 26% of arts workers.
Art shouldn’t be at the behest of politics
Issues around political censorship and cultural bias in the sector were not a focus of our survey, which was conducted nine months after the war in Gaza began, and before Creative Australia’s selection (and swift cancellation) of the 2026 Venice Biennale team.
Nonetheless, respondents were concerned their political views, and/or their cultural or racial background, could impact their likelihood of advancing a career in the sector.
Some respondents explained if they were no longer working as an artist or arts worker in five years’ time, it would most likely be due to “systemic discrimination” and “increasing censorship prevalent in this industry”.
According to an independent review into the Sabsabi decision (and its reversal):
While no formal assessment was undertaken, it is clear that there was a general awareness within Creative Australia, among those with knowledge of the selected Artistic Team, that the decision had the potential to be controversial. The Panel heard that, at the time, the decision was described as ‘bold’ or ‘courageous’. The source of potential controversy was seen to lie in the fact of selecting any artist with heritage connected to the Middle East at a time when conflict in that region was so emotive and polarising, rather than because of the proposed nature of the work to be undertaken at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Entrenched harmful biases
Sadly, the negative response from politicians to the initial selection of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino gave credibility to our respondents’ concerns.
One participant told us “being called Ahmed* is a bit of a disadvantage given the international situation”.
Another said “only certain cultures and political plights are given support”.
Financial security is also potentially at risk. As one respondent explained, the main barrier to their personal financial security were political values. “My work is at risk when governments change,” they said.
Artists and arts workers from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds also reported more significant impacts from the cost-of-living crisis, along with poorer mental health and work-life balance.
Importantly, our findings don’t stand in isolation. Similar issues have been identified by Diversity Arts Australia, who in 2022 reported on the significant negative impacts of the pandemic on First Nations artists and artists of colour.
Also, in 2021, Creative Australia reported on problems around inclusion and access for culturally diverse communities in the arts and cultural sector.
What might progress look like?
Our research involved making a number of policy recommendations to tackle these issues.
For one thing, there is a clear need for organisational change. On this front, arts organisations and employers should invest in cultural competency training for all staff and board members. They should also prioritise professional development and career growth for culturally and racially diverse staff.
To drive meaningful change, funding incentives should be introduced to support diverse leadership. This should include higher pay for culturally and/or racially diverse leaders whose backgrounds lead them to having added responsibility in the workplace.
The sector also needs greater transparency around cultural and racial representation in staffing and leadership roles, including board roles. This will promote accountability and help drive cultural change.
Finally, success for artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds requires the Australian art world to engage with multiple world views – and understand not all art will be immediately accessible to all audiences.
The controversy surrounding Creative Australia’s biennale backflip offers an opportunity for the visual arts sector to reckon with deep and troubling issues of structural inequity, along with broader questions of free expression – especially in a fraught political climate.
These issues are wider than the art world. But what better place to start?
*Name changed to protect identity.
Grace McQuilten received funding from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (project LP200100054). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian government or Australian Research Council.
Kate MacNeill received funding from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (project LP200100054). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian government or Australian Research Council.
When flooding strikes, our screens fill with scenes of devastated victims, and men performing heroic dinghy rescues in swollen rivers. But another story often goes untold: how women step in, and step up, to hold their stricken communities together.
Unprecedented floods in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales in 2022 are a case in point. Our research shows female leadership was the hidden backbone of community recovery in the aftermath of the emergency. Women rose to leadership roles, filling crucial gaps left by formal disaster responses. As one woman told us:
I mean there’s some blokes around, I’ve got to give them some credit, but, yeah, I’m amazed … it was always the women saying, what do you need? What can I help with?
And long after the disaster had passed and the media had moved on, women were still there, quietly leading sustained recovery efforts from their homes, community halls and online networks.
But while the labour of men was generally supported and recognised, the complex and difficult work of women was largely overlooked.
In February and March 2022, the region experienced catastrophic flooding and landslips. About 11,000 homes were inundated. Health care facilities were damaged and disrupted. Emergency services were overwhelmed and many communities were cut off, some for weeks.
In response, the community stepped up in extraordinary ways. Our research explored the particular contribution of women to this effort.
The research focused on the contribution of women to community recovery after the Lismore floods. Dan Peled/Getty Images
‘No one else was going to do it’
The research involved interviews with people involved in the flood response and recovery. We also examined notes from public events and transcripts from a NSW government inquiry into the floods.
We found that, despite facing immense challenges, women played an essential role in sustaining their communities during and after the crisis.
For example, they coordinated food relief, managed donation hubs, organised volunteers and provided emotional support to neighbours and strangers. As one female interviewee told us:
It was more than about food … people would just come and then we’d just hug them and they’d just cry … the food relief turned into something deeper.
Emergency-management environments are often dominated by men. As a result, female community organisers often felt excluded from formal decision-making. As one woman told us:
every face in the meeting was a white middle-aged guy with a buzz cut. And, and I was like, there is no women. There is no diversity. There was no sense of community or that whole recovery space.
One woman cited the example of a local council celebrating “men in their dinghies” who took part in a flood rescue, while failing to recognise women who collectively contributed many thousands of unpaid hours towards the recovery effort:
here we are with just simply a trillion women doing all of the childcare, all of the cooking, all of the soft labour, literally everything plus being on dinghies … and there’s just nothing for us.
Some women took unpaid leave from work to coordinate recovery activities in their communities, because, as one woman told us, “no one else was going to do it”.
Women’s roles were not limited to unskilled tasks and care work. Women also brought professional skills to the recovery effort, such as event management, IT, nursing, communications, clinical psychology, trauma healing, business management, social work and public health.
Women: there for the long term
We found while men’s involvement in disaster recovery tended to be concentrated on specific short-term rescue and response, women tended to remain active for months or even years.
For example, two years after the flooding disaster, at a gathering of grassroots community-disaster
organisers, 87% of names on the contact list were female.
Some women continued to volunteer their labour, while others managed to obtain short-term funding. Whether paid or unpaid, the women experienced overwhelm and felt exhausted by the long-term effort, and some experienced vicarious trauma. However, their sense of community responsibility prevented them from stepping back.
Rethinking who we see as leaders
The research confirms women’s contributions are consistently overlooked during and after a disaster. It reflects a broader trend in Australia, where women’s labour is historically undervalued.
Women’s disaster work – coordinating volunteers, providing emotional care and advocating for their communities – was often unsupported by government and continued long after official agencies left.
Yet, these contributions remained largely invisible.
Three years after the floods, many women in the Northern Rivers are preparing for the next emergency, and women comprise the majority of community resilience groups in the region.
Women must be recognised and supported to ensure the health and wellbeing of disaster-affected communities. The health and wellbeing of these women themselves must also be paramount.
More government and private funding is vital. Where possible, philanthropic community grants should also be expanded.
The recently formed Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance involves 50 grassroots groups combining to provide peer support, advocate together, seek joint funding and provide training. Such networks can provide ongoing support to community organisers.
As Earth’s climate becomes more hostile and extreme weather events become more likely, there is an urgent need to support community efforts – and to rethink who we see as leaders in times of disaster. Building resilient communities starts with recognising and resourcing the people doing the work – including local women.
The authors acknowledge Emma Pittaway, Loriana Bethune and Dominica Meade who co-authored the research upon which this article is based.
Rebecca McNaught receives funding from The Peregrine Foundation and Gender and Disasters Australia. She is a board member of not-for-profit Plan C and President of the volunteer group the South Golden Beach, New Brighton and Ocean Shores Community Resilience Team. She attends the Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance.
Jo Longman has received funding from the NSW State Government Disaster Risk Reduction Fund and the Healthy Environments and Lives Innovation Fund. She is affiliated as a volunteer with Plan C’s research team.
Recent cases of prolific alleged child sexual abuse in Melbourne and other Australian early childhood education and care settings have shocked even experienced people who work to prevent child sexual abuse. Parents are right to be outraged, scared and uncertain.
The most pressing issue, then, is what we do about it.
Regulation and practice is still falling short, despite all our knowledge and prior recommendations. We have the benefit of the gold-standard Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (including Volume 6 on making institutions child-safe). We can also draw on rigorous scientific work about how best to prevent child sexual abuse in child and youth-serving organisations.
Criminal history checks are essential, but many offenders will not have a criminal record. These checks are only one part of an entire safety system. Other measures are arguably even more important.
The federal government, together with states and territories, recently announced new measures. However, these are acknowledged as only a first step.
Children have a right to be safe from sexual violence. Continued failure is unacceptable. National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds’ demand for a national inquiry, which can fully understand current limitations in the system and create a comprehensive blueprint for reform, is compelling.
The established evidence has already identified some of these pillars of reform. Here are ten key actions for policy-makers to create key components of safe early childhood education and care settings.
1. Policy. Every organisation needs to operate under a comprehensive policy about child safety. This should include specific guidelines for the prevention of sexual abuse. The policy should also include clear definitions and objectives, and be driven by a zero-tolerance approach.
2. Safe screening and hiring. Every organisation needs to recruit staff through rigorous processes, including criminal history checks (supported by information-sharing within and between jurisdictions). But this is only a starting point. Staff are educators and carers, not babysitters; they should be properly qualified and appropriately remunerated.
Should men be banned from employment in these settings? Employment discrimination based on gender is likely a step too far, but considerations of risk are important and children’s best interests are paramount. Nearly all sexual abuse of young children is by men, and stringent measures could be employed when recruiting men to child-related positions.
3. Code of conduct. A detailed code of conduct is essential. This is the operating manual for the organisation and its staff, and should be made available to parents. A robust code will specify what conduct is prohibited, and what is required. It will have special rules for high-risk situations – for example, bathrooms, changing clothes, physical interaction, and technology use.
4. Supervision and monitoring. A safe organisation must have appropriate measures for the implementation of the safety framework. It must also monitor the framework and its components. For example, there must be: appropriate staff supervision, recording of the approach to safety and its implementation, external auditing and oversight. Parents should be involved in oversight.
All childcare centres should have rigorous prevention, supervision and reporting procedures in place. Shutterstock
5. Environmental risk reduction. Often called “situational crime prevention”, these are actions to create safe environments. It can include measures to prohibit secluded spaces, and improve lines of sight and visibility. This can also include ensuring appropriate ratios of staff to children.
6. Reporting of suspected cases. Across Australia, there are now clear legal requirements for practitioners in these settings to report suspected cases of child sexual abuse. Every organisation needs to ensure its staff knows about these duties, and how to comply with them. Every organisation then needs to deal appropriately with any report that is made.
7. Education and training. Child sexual abuse is a complex field. Staff and leaders need high-quality education and training about child sexual abuse (including its nature, indicators and outcomes), organisational policy, reporting processes, legal and ethical obligations, and the protections they have as employees.
Good education increases knowledge, attitudes and appropriate reporting, and overcomes ignorance, apathy, fear and inaction. This education needs to be multidisciplinary, high-standard, and itself the subject of oversight and monitoring. It is not clear we have high-quality education of practitioners in Australia, both when obtaining qualifications and especially in service.
8. Leadership. We need knowledgeable and ethical leadership in child- and youth-serving organisations, and by regulators and policy-makers alike.
Knowledge about child sexual abuse, and empathy towards children and young people, are preconditions for effective and ethical responses. Organisational leaders set the tone for the broader organisation. If leaders are seen to be knowledgeable, ethical and authentically committed to child safety, it is far more likely staff will be inspired to emulate these qualities.
9. Oversight, enforcement and improvement. The entire system needs to be overseen by an effective regulatory framework and an efficient national regulator.
We need to create comprehensive and stringent regulatory requirements for provider accreditation. Providers that do not meet these standards should be compelled to meet them, or lose funding and eligibility to operate. It is insufficient to be merely “working towards” the standards.
Other accountability mechanisms should also be created; for example, owners of childcare centres could be subject to appropriate financial and other penalties.
10. Locate prevention in these settings as part of a national strategy. As a nation, we have made progress in reducing the prevalence of child sexual abuse in organisational settings. This is partly due to tighter regulation through child-safe standards, legal requirements to report suspected cases of abuse and associated better reporting, and increased social awareness.
However, no case is acceptable, and we have the capacity and duty to dramatically reduce the prospect that any individual can be a prolific offender. These prevention principles apply equally in schools and other settings serving children and youth.
We have work to do: among all Australians aged 16 and over, nationally representative data has shown one in four experienced child sexual abuse. In contemporary Australia, this abuse is still prevalent, with data from 16–24-year-olds showing one in three girls are affected, and one in seven boys. The next generation of prevention is already here, but we know what is required to meet this challenge.
This can be a turning point for Australia. The social and economic return from taking children’s rights seriously and investing in prevention far outweighs the cost of inaction. Safe, effective early childhood education and care is a nation-building strategy, both required for today’s workforce and a key factor in educating and developing young Australians.
Ben Mathews has received grant funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Department of Social Services, the National Office for Child Safety in the Attorney-General’s Department, the Australian Institute of Criminology, and the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse. He takes sole responsibility for the views in this article.
KARL STEFANOVIC: Well, the crisis gripping Australia’s child care sector is deepening, with a second man charged in connection to an abuse investigation that led to the arrest of a Melbourne worker.
JAYNE AZZOPARDI: The Victorian Government has announced a major crackdown which will include a phone ban inside centres. But action is needed at a national level and it is needed now. So, for more on this, we’re bringing in Federal Education Minister Jason Clare. Minister, good morning to you. You revealed yesterday that you actually know a family that has been impacted by all of this. How are they doing?
JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: One of my best friend’s daughters is caught up in this. Two of her little girls. She’s burning with rage, as you would expect her to be, and we’ve spoken a bit over the last 48 hours. She’s angry, she’s confused, she’s feeling all of the guilt and shame and anger that any mum or dad would be feeling when you get that notification. And she’s grappling with what she needs to do now to make sure that her girls are safe.
This is sickening and it’s serious. It’s not the sort of stuff we like to talk about on breakfast TV. But people can’t turn away. We’ve got to act here. There’s steps that we’ve already taken, but not enough and not fast enough. One of the things that I will do as the Minister for Education, is, when the Parliament returns later this month, introduce legislation that will cut off funding to child care centres that aren’t meeting our safety standards or our quality standards. If they’re repeat offenders, if they’re not meeting the sort of safety standards that we meet, that we need and we demand as a country, then we’ve got to cut off their funding. That’s the big weapon that the Commonwealth Government has to wield here.
STEFANOVIC: I’ll circle back to some of those things in a second. This is such a difficult case, right, and it’s difficult too, because there’s a running narrative on the side of this and they’re just charges. But there are so many families affected and, you know, one. And I was just thinking about this the other day. Jayne has kids as well, and I was just going, if that was me, I don’t know what I’d do, but I’d be baying for blood. So, to try and wrestle all those emotions around this is incredibly difficult.
CLARE: And she is. She is. Look, it’s impossible to put yourself in that position until you’re there. I’ve got a sense of it because of the fact that it’s one of my best friends. And these are allegations put aside this individual case. There was an individual that was arrested, charged and convicted with serious acts. Australia’s worst serial paedophile was arrested for actions in child care centres in Queensland a couple of years ago. It’s what prompted me to conduct a child safety review. It’s what’s prompted the actions on mobile phones in centres, as well as mandatory reporting. But it’s also the reason why we’ve got to go further, whether that’s a national register of workers in centres or the sort of action that’s now being taken in NSW and in Victoria around CCTV. Or for that matter, the action that I will take as Minister to introduce that legislation to cut funding to centres that aren’t up to scratch. The fact is that about 70 per cent of the funding that runs the centre comes from Australian taxpayers, comes from the Commonwealth Government through the child care subsidy. It’s what makes these centres work. And if they’re not working in the interest of our kids, then we’ve got to have the power to be able to cut that funding off.
AZZOPARDI: Minister, as a dad yourself, who would be personally paying child care centres, as we do, to look after our children and to have the expectation that they are going to be not only safe, but nurtured and nourished, do you think your Government has done enough here?
CLARE: The honest answer is no, of course we haven’t. We haven’t done enough and we haven’t done it fast enough.
You’re right. One of my little guys is in child care right now. Can I use this opportunity to say thank you to all of the extraordinary child care workers, early educators across the country. They’re as angry as I am, as my friend is right now. I remember the day that we told my big guy, my 8 year old, that Louise was pregnant with his little brother. The first thing he said when we told him that he was going to be a big brother is, “I can’t wait to tell Kelly.” And Kelly is the woman that looked after him when he was in early education and care. And that reminds me that that special bond and connection that our children have with our educators. This is an essential service for mums and dads to help them get back to work. But it’s much more than that for our kids. It helps them to get ready for school, it helps them to get ready for life. Every educator out there that’s seeing this is angry and furious as well. And the responsibility rests with me as well as every other educator in the country to make sure that we make our centres safer than they are today. Not enough’s been done, more needs to be done.
STEFANOVIC: We had a lady on just about half an hour ago saying the men at these child care centres should be banned. There are going to be all sorts of people wanting certain reforms, some of them easily done, some of them not. So, is that something that you would consider?
CLARE: I don’t think that’s going to be the solution here. Have a look at the Four Corners exposé from earlier this year that Adele Ferguson led on. That showed abuse in our child care centres and neglect in our centres, and they weren’t blokes. We’ve had a Royal Commission, we’ve had the child care safety review that I led. We’ve got recommendations there around registers and CCTV and legislation. We know what we need to do, Karl. Now, the obligation on us is to get busy and implement these recommendations.
STEFANOVIC: So, what’s stopping you? And I know you’re a really hardworking guy. I know you deeply feel this story, you raised the Four Corners story. When that happened, we all said, let’s change it, let’s install these reforms and let’s protect our kids. Nothing happened. So, what’s it going to be?
CLARE: People watching aren’t interested in bloody excuses, they’re interested in action. When we got the Four Corners Report, we said we’d introduce that legislation and that’s what I’ll do when Parliament returns. The New South Wales Government also commissioned the former Deputy Ombudsman to do a review. We got that report last week and the former Deputy Ombudsman briefed Education Ministers on Friday. That’s where CCTV reform’s coming from. That’s where increasing penalties and more information for parents is coming from. We’ve got to bring all of these recommendations together. That’s happening now and we’ve got to actually do the work, we’ve got to implement them.
AZZOPARDI: So, when parents who are watching now, what can you tell them? When will this all be in place?
CLARE: Number one, there’s already action being taken on mobile phones. But more action will happen in September when regulations come into effect. Legislation will be introduced into the Federal Parliament when Parliament returns in the first sitting fortnight. And as I said, that’s about cutting off funding to bad actors, to people that aren’t up to scratch when it comes to the safety of our kids. And Early Education Ministers will meet again next month on the next stage of reform.
There’s another part to this as well, Jane, and that’s the Working With Children Checks. Not enough has been done to make sure that they work in the interest of our kids. They’re not a silver bullet because a lot of these offenders haven’t got a criminal record. So, they’re not caught by the system. But the Attorney-General has said yesterday that Attorney-Generals across the country will meet next month to make sure they work better, that there’s exchange of information, but that they’re also updated in near real-time. And Victoria and New South Wales have also announced a package of reforms. I strongly back that. We want to see that rolled out right across the country.
STEFANOVIC: I know your pain will help motivate you to get this done. It needs to be done, pronto. There’s so much, so much at stake. Jason, thank you. And a reminder, a dedicated advice line for parents impacted in Melbourne has been established. You can call 1800 791 241. Just still rattled by all that story.
A beloved dog who went missing for two days has been safely rescued after falling down an abandoned mine shaft in the Wombat State Forest in Langdons Hill.
Peggy, a Kelpie-Border Collie cross, was out bushwalking with her owners when she suddenly took off into the bush and didn’t return.
After two long days of searching on foot, Peggy’s owners tracked her down on Tuesday evening (1 July) and contacted CFA’s Oscar 1 rescue team for assistance.
Crews quickly arrived on scene,and,following a challenging three-hour operation, Peggy was successfully extricated from the shaft, remarkably, totally unharmed.
Her owners said it was a huge relief to have her home, safe and sound.
“The first night was windy, so it was hard to hear anything at first. But the next night the wind dropped off and I heard her faint bark coming from across the ridge,” said the owner.
“Thankfully we found her about four metres down an old shaft.”
This isn’t the first time a member of Peggy’s family has found themselves in a rough spot.
“A couple of years ago, her brother Terry fell into a shaft about 20 metres deep. The Oscar 1 team assisted us on that occasion as well,” said the owner.
“We can’t thank them enough, they were amazing.”
CFA District 15 Commander Damien Scott was the incident controller and praised the teamwork on display.
“This was a great example of how our specialist rescue crews, and local brigades work together to get the job done,” Damien said.
“The Oscar 1 team brought their expertise to a very tricky situation and did a fantastic job bringing Peggy to safety.
“It’s always a good day when everyone goes home safe–humans and dogs alike.”
Peggy is now back at home, safe and in good spirits after her unexpected doggone adventure.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force are continuing to call for information in relation to a hit and run in Leanyer on Friday, 27 June 2025.
About 7:05pm on Friday, emergency services received reports of a hit and run along Leanyer Drive and responded to the incident. A female and male were allegedly struck with the female suffering serious injuries.
Initially police called for information relating to any witnesses of a white Yaris or Getz hatchback in the area at the time; however, upon further investigation police do not believe it was a hatchback and instead are looking for a white Holden Commodore VE Calais SS Station Wagon as pictured. The white Holden Commodore is believed to be missing the passenger side mirror and may have damage on the left side of the vehicle following the incident.
Police are encouraging the driver to make contact on 131 444.
Anyone who may have witnessed this car within the vicinity of Leanyer Drive around the time of this incident, particularly anyone with dash cam footage, is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference number NTP2500065618.
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Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
The People’s Liberation Army’s aircraft carrier CNS Shandong arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 3 to mark the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 7. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]
The nation’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the CNS Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong Special Administrative Region waters on Thursday on its maiden visit to the city, accompanied by a powerful escort fleet.
The sprawling carrier, alongside three escort ships — the Yan’an (Type 055 destroyer), Zhanjiang (Type 052D destroyer), and Yuncheng (Type 054A frigate) — received a grand water salute as they sailed into Hong Kong waters and toward Victoria Harbor at around 8:00 am, drawing cheers from enthusiastic crowds gathered along the waterfront.
The Shandong‘s massive flight deck — standing 20 stories tall and spanning two football fields — showcased 10 fighter jets alongside a formation of more than 700 sailors spelling out guoan jiahao, a Chinese phrase meaning “a secure nation ensures thriving families”.
Shandong‘s visit makes Hong Kong the only city to have played host to two serving Chinese carriers, following CNS Liaoning‘s 2017 visit for the handover’s 20th anniversary.
The People’s Liberation Army’s aircraft carrier CNS Shandong arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 3 to mark the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 7. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]
A welcoming ceremony will be held at 10 am at the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks — the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base on Stonecutters Island — where Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will deliver a speech.
The fleet’s five-day stay in Hong Kong — which includes exclusive public tours — came on the heels of the July 1 celebrations marking the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland.
The timing also aligns with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, blending military display with anti-war themes.
Shandong‘s arrival has been greeted with enthusiasm on social media, as Hong Kong residents eagerly shared tips on prime viewing locations to watch the carrier group’s passage through the scenic East Lamma Channel — the waterway separating Hong Kong Island from Lamma Island — before its final docking.
The People’s Liberation Army’s aircraft carrier CNS Shandong arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 3 to mark the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 7. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]
The PLA HK garrison has distributed 10,000 free tickets through its WeChat account, with 2,000 allocated for tours of the Shandong anchored near Victoria Harbor.
The remaining tickets will provide access to the guided-missile destroyer Zhanjiang and frigate Yuncheng docked at Stonecutters Island.
Commissioned in December 2019, Shandong ushered in China’s “dual-carrier era”, joining the Liaoning, the nation’s first carrier commissioned in 2012.
Shandong surpasses the Liaoning with a larger deck, expanded hangar, streamlined control tower, and upgraded radar and weaponry.
The People’s Liberation Army’s aircraft carrier CNS Shandong arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 3 to mark the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 7. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]
The escort fleet underscores China’s shipbuilding prowess.
For example, the Yan’an, named after a revolutionary base in Northwest China, features stealth and hypersonic missile capabilities, though it is not open to the public this time.
Meanwhile, the Zhanjiang — nicknamed Chinese Shield — and Yuncheng, a veteran of anti-piracy missions, reflect the navy’s global operational reach.
The Ministry of National Defense has said that the visit aims to demonstrate military modernization achievements and the country’s commitment to national security.
Hong Kong legislators have praised the event as a “living patriotic lesson” highlighting China’s military and industrial advancements.
The People’s Liberation Army’s aircraft carrier CNS Shandong arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 3 to mark the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 7. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]
Hong Kong residents and military enthusiasts gather at High West Viewing Point on Thursday morning to photograph the the CNS Shandong. [Photo by Adam Lam/China Daily]
Hong Kong residents and military enthusiasts gather at High West Viewing Point on Thursday morning to photograph the the CNS Shandong. [Photo by Adam Lam/China Daily]
Hong Kong residents and military enthusiasts gather at High West Viewing Point on Thursday morning to photograph the CNS Shandong. [Photo by Adam Lam/China Daily]
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met with two top US intelligence officials – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard – on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Jaishankar noted that he had a “good exchange on the global situation and bilateral cooperation” with Gabbard.
He also shared details of his meeting with Patel, stating, “Great to meet FBI Director Kash Patel. Appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.”
Counterterrorism remains a key area of collaboration between India and the United States. Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, both countries signed the India-US Counterterrorism Initiative in 2010. This cooperation has expanded over the years through frameworks such as the India-US Working Group on Counterterrorism and the US-India Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue, which work to identify terrorists and affiliated organisations globally.
For the US, combating drug smuggling continues to be a major focus – particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
Coinciding with Jaishankar’s meetings in Washington, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in India announced a major crackdown on a transnational drug-smuggling network operating between India and the US.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), intelligence shared by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led to the arrest of a key figure in the network by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA).
“Joel Hall, a major re-shipper based in Alabama, was arrested following a coordinated operation, which led to the seizure of more than 17,000 tablets of controlled medication,” the MHA said. It added that an Indian-American—identified as the network’s primary money launderer—is currently awaiting indictment.
On Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar also participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
In addition to his meetings with Gabbard and Patel, Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with several senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, focusing on key areas of India-US cooperation.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met with two top US intelligence officials – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard – on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Jaishankar noted that he had a “good exchange on the global situation and bilateral cooperation” with Gabbard.
He also shared details of his meeting with Patel, stating, “Great to meet FBI Director Kash Patel. Appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.”
Counterterrorism remains a key area of collaboration between India and the United States. Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, both countries signed the India-US Counterterrorism Initiative in 2010. This cooperation has expanded over the years through frameworks such as the India-US Working Group on Counterterrorism and the US-India Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue, which work to identify terrorists and affiliated organisations globally.
For the US, combating drug smuggling continues to be a major focus – particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
Coinciding with Jaishankar’s meetings in Washington, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in India announced a major crackdown on a transnational drug-smuggling network operating between India and the US.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), intelligence shared by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led to the arrest of a key figure in the network by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA).
“Joel Hall, a major re-shipper based in Alabama, was arrested following a coordinated operation, which led to the seizure of more than 17,000 tablets of controlled medication,” the MHA said. It added that an Indian-American—identified as the network’s primary money launderer—is currently awaiting indictment.
On Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar also participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
In addition to his meetings with Gabbard and Patel, Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with several senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, focusing on key areas of India-US cooperation.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charlotte Gupta, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Appleton Institute, HealthWise Research Group, CQUniversity Australia
Canadian researchers recently investigated this idea in a sample of 1,082 undergraduate psychology students. The students completed a survey, which included questions about how they perceived their diet influenced their sleep and dreams.
Some 40% of participants reported certain foods impacted their sleep, with 25% of the whole sample claiming certain foods worsened their sleep, and 20% reporting certain foods improved their sleep.
Only 5.5% of respondents believed what they ate affected the nature of their dreams. But many of these people thought sweets or dairy products (such as cheese) made their dreams more strange or disturbing and worsened their sleep.
In contrast, participants reported fruits, vegetables and herbal teas led to better sleep.
This study used self-reporting, meaning the results rely on the participants recalling and reporting information about their sleep and dreams accurately. This could have affected the results.
It’s also possible participants were already familiar with the notion that cheese causes nightmares, especially given they were psychology students, many of whom may have studied sleep and dreaming.
This awareness could have made them more likely to notice or perceive their sleep was disrupted after eating dairy. In other words, the idea cheese leads to nightmares may have acted like a self-fulfilling prophecy and results may overestimate the actual likelihood of strange dreams.
Nonetheless, these findings show some people perceive a connection between what they eat and how they dream.
While there’s no evidence to prove cheese causes nightmares, there is evidence that does explain a link.
The science behind cheese and nightmares
Humans are diurnal creatures, meaning our body is primed to be asleep at night and awake during the day. Eating cheese before bed means we’re challenging the body with food at a time when it really doesn’t want to be eating.
At night, our physiological systems are not primed to digest food. For example, it takes longer for food to move through our digestive tract at night compared with during the day.
If we eat close to going to sleep, our body has to process and digest the food while we’re sleeping. This is a bit like running through mud – we can do it, but it’s slow and inefficient.
If your body is processing and digesting food instead of focusing all its resources on sleep, this can affect your shut-eye. Research has shown eating close to bedtime reduces our sleep quality, particularly our time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is the stage of sleep associated with vivid dreams.
People will have an even harder time digesting cheese at night if they’re lactose intolerant, which might mean they experience even greater impacts on their sleep. This follows what the Canadian researchers found in their study, with lactose intolerant participants reporting poorer sleep quality and more nightmares.
It’s important to note we might actually have vivid dreams or nightmares every night – what could change is whether we’re aware of the dreams and can remember them when we wake up.
Poor sleep quality often means we wake up more during the night. If we wake up during REM sleep, research shows we’re more likely to report vivid dreams or nightmares that we mightn’t even remember if we hadn’t woken up during them.
This is very relevant for the cheese and nightmares question. Put simply, eating before bed impacts our sleep quality, so we’re more likely to wake up during our nightmares and remember them.
Don’t panic – I’m not here to tell you to give up your cheesy evenings. But what we eat before bed can make a real difference to how well we sleep, so timing matters.
General sleep hygiene guidelines suggest avoiding meals at least two hours before bed. So even if you’re eating a very cheese-heavy meal, you have a window of time before bed to digest the meal and drift off to a nice peaceful sleep.
How about other dairy products?
Cheese isn’t the only dairy product which may influence our sleep. Most of us have heard about the benefits of having a warm glass of milk before bed.
Milk can be easier to digest than cheese. In fact, milk is a good choice in the evening, as it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps promote sleep.
Nonetheless, we still don’t want to be challenging our body with too much dairy before bed. Participants in the Canadian study did report nightmares after dairy, and milk close to bed might have contributed to this.
While it’s wise to steer clear of food (especially cheese) in the two hours before lights out, there’s no need to avoid cheese altogether. Enjoy that cheesy pasta or cheese board, just give your body time to digest before heading off to sleep. If you’re having a late night cheese craving, opt for something small. Your sleep (and your dreams) will thank you.
Charlotte Gupta 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.
We’ve published draft Practice Statement Law Administration PS LA 2025/D1Public country-by-country reporting exemptions.
It sets out our administrative approach to the Commissioner’s discretion for granting an exemption from the Public country-by-country (CBC) reporting obligations. It applies to all entities subject to Public CBC reporting that may consider applying for a full or partial exemption from publishing information, or from publishing information of a particular kind.
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Learner rider intercepted at excessive speed on Bass Highway
Thursday, 3 July 2025 – 1:48 pm.
A 17-year-old learner motorcycle rider will appear in court and has had his bike seized after he was intercepted travelling 80km/h above the speed limit at Turners Beach yesterday. Around 3.40pm police detected a Honda motorcycle travelling at 160km/h on the Bass Highway. Taskforce Scelus intercepted the rider, who was a 17-year-old holder of a learner licence. The rider was not displaying an L Plate, had an unroadworthy tyre on his bike, and was exceeding the maximum speed limit on his licence which was 80km/h. “The behaviour of this rider was incredibly dangerous, and could have had devastating consequences,” said Detective Inspector Michelle Elmer. “The rider has had his motorcycle seized for 28 days, and he will appear in court at a later date in relation to excessive speed, failing to display L plate, and the unroadworthy tyre.” “Excessive speed, combined with inexperience, could have resulted in death or serious injury for the rider, and other road users.” “Police urge all motorcycle riders to take responsibility for their actions every time they travel on the roads, and do the right thing to keep themselves and other road users safe.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Omid Ghasemi, Research Associate in Behavioural Science at the Institute for Climate Risk & Response, UNSW Sydney
New research led by Viktoria Cologna at ETH Zurich in Switzerland may help to explain what’s going on. Using data from around the world, the study suggests simple exposure to extreme weather events does not affect people’s view of climate action – but linking those events to climate change can make a big difference.
Global opinion, global weather
The new study, published in Nature Climate Change, looked at the question of extreme weather and climate opinion using two global datasets.
The first is the Trust in Science and Science-related Populism (TISP) survey, which includes responses from more than 70,000 people in 68 countries. It measures public support for climate policies and the extent that people think climate change is behind increases in extreme weather.
The second dataset estimates how much of each country’s population has been affected each year by events such as droughts, floods, heatwaves and storms. These estimates are based on detailed models and historical climate records.
Public support for climate policies
The survey measured public support for climate policy by asking people how much they supported five specific actions to cut carbon emissions. These included raising carbon taxes, improving public transport, using more renewable energy, protecting forests and land, and taxing carbon-heavy foods.
Responses ranged from 1 (not at all) to 3 (very much). On average, support was fairly strong, with an average rating of 2.37 across the five policies. Support was especially high in parts of South Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, but lower in countries such as Russia, Czechia and Ethiopia.
Exposure to extreme weather events
The study found most people around the world have experienced heatwaves and heavy rainfall in recent decades. Wildfires affected fewer people in many European and North American countries, but were more common in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Cyclones mostly impacted North America and Asia, while droughts affected large populations in Asia, Latin America and Africa. River flooding was widespread across most regions, except Oceania.
Do people in countries with higher exposure to extreme weather events show greater support for climate policies? This study found they don’t.
In most cases, living in a country where more people are exposed to disasters was not reflected in stronger support for climate action.
Wildfires were the only exception. Countries with more wildfire exposure showed slightly higher support, but this link disappeared once factors such as land size and overall climate belief were considered.
In short, just experiencing more disasters does not seem to translate into increased support for mitigation efforts.
Seeing the link between weather and climate change
In the global survey, people were asked how much they think climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather over recent decades. On average, responses were moderately high (3.8 out of 5) suggesting that many people do link recent weather events to climate change.
Such an attribution was especially strong in Latin America, but lower in parts of Africa (such as Congo and Ethiopia) and Northern Europe (such as Finland and Norway).
Crucially, people who more strongly believed climate change had worsened these events were also more likely to support climate policies. In fact, this belief mattered more for policy support than whether they had actually experienced the events firsthand.
Prior research shows less dramatic and chronic events like rainfall or temperature anomalies have less influence on public views than more acute hazards like floods or bushfires. Even then, the influence on beliefs and behaviour tends to be slow and limited.
This study shows climate impacts alone may not change minds. However, it also highlights what may affect public thinking: helping people recognise the link between climate change and extreme weather events.
In countries such as Australia, climate change makes up only about 1% of media coverage. What’s more, most of the coverage focuses on social or political aspects rather than scientific, ecological, or economic impacts.
Omid Ghasemi receives funding from the Australian Academy of Science. He was a member of the TISP consortium and a co-author of the dataset used in this study.
Police have today charged three men with Criminal Code Assault and destroying property following an incident outside Mood Food, Burnie, in the early hours of Wednesday 2 July. Police allege the 18 year old, 19 year old and 41 year old men – all of Somerset – assaulted an 18 year old man and damaged his vehicle while in possession of a bat. The victim was transported to hospital by ambulance, where he was treated for his injuries and discharged. The three men were subsequently arrested later that day by members of the Western Criminal Investigation Branch, and have since been charged. They will appear in the Burnie Magistrates Court at a later date. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au quoting Offence Report 778979. Information can be provided anonymously.
A driver remains in hospital after a serious vehicle rollover at Myalla in North West Tasmania overnight. Police and emergency services were called to Scotts Road just before 11pm Wednesday 2 July after reports a car had rolled down an embankment. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was transported to the North West Regional Hospital with serious head injuries. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing. Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Have your say on the City’s draft Council Plan 2025 – 2034, a roadmap for delivering the future services and facilities needed to support the City’s growth and wellbeing.
Shaped by feedback from the Wanneroo Liveability Survey and a series of community workshops held earlier this year, the plan proposes five strategic goals and supporting priorities to build and grow:
a safe City
a connected and liveable City
a thriving economy
a sustainable City
a well-governed and managed City
Wanneroo Mayor Linda Aitken said the plan was all about building the kind of future our community wants to see.
“It’s practical, positive and packed with potential,” she said.
“It’s been shaped by what locals have told us matters most – things like safety, sustainability, local jobs and staying connected.
“Now we’d love to hear what you think. Take a look, have your say and help us shape what’s next for our City!”
This is the City’s first Council Plan and will bring together the former Strategic Community Plan and Corporate Business Plan into one cohesive document.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Host nation Switzerland upset basketball powerhouse France 86-79 in overtime in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, advancing to the quarterfinals in its first-ever appearance at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.
France, ranked No. 3 in the world, had finished third, second, and second in the past three editions of the tournament and was considered one of the top favorites this year. Switzerland, ranked 60th in the FIBA World Rankings for boys, had never competed in a FIBA U19 World Cup before 2025.
France took the first quarter 24-13, and both teams struggled offensively in the second, with France entering halftime holding a 12-point lead.
With five minutes, 34 seconds left in regulation, France led 66-54, but Switzerland responded with a 12-0 run to tie the game at 66-66 by the end of the fourth quarter. The Swiss maintained momentum in overtime, closing out the upset with a seven-point advantage.
Dayan Nessah posted 22 points and 15 rebounds for Switzerland, while teammate Oliver Sassella scored a game-high 25 points.
Switzerland will face New Zealand in the quarterfinals after the Kiwis defeated China 99-86.
In other Round of 16 action, the United States routed Jordan 140-67, Germany beat Serbia 92-83, Israel edged Cameroon 86-82, Australia downed the Dominican Republic 106-96, Slovenia slipped past Argentina 81-80, and Canada cruised past Mali 100-75.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A humanoid robot poses during a permanent exhibition at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, March 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
As the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrates the 104th anniversary of its founding this week, the Party’s signature five-year plans continue to serve as a roadmap for China’s modernization drive.
This year, China is set to complete its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and is formulating the blueprint for the next one, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s long-term strategy for national rejuvenation.
From transforming an agrarian society into the world’s second-largest economy to charting a path toward becoming a great modern socialist country in all respects by mid-century, these plans reflect the CPC’s enduring commitment to long-term strategic vision and collective prosperity.
Through this cyclical yet ever-evolving roadmap, China sets strategic goals, defines government priorities, regulates business operations, and mobilizes national resources — all in pursuit of its overarching objective of building a modern socialist nation.
The country’s first plan in 1953 marked its initial push toward industrialization with the establishment of the nation’s first major steel and automobile plants. Fast-forward to the 13th (2016-2020), and it saw the completion of the world’s largest high-speed rail network.
“Five-year plans are to China’s development what construction drawings are to building a house,” said Ran Hao, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. “It tells the government and society which ‘floor’ to focus on and which ‘road’ to build over the next five years, helping avoid a piecemeal approach.”
A FRAMEWORK, NOT A DOGMA
Although China’s five-year plans include quantitative targets, such as the GDP growth goal, first introduced in the seventh five-year plan, it does not mean the CPC is running a centralized planned economy.
“It’s not about the government dictating everything; rather, the plans set the direction and priorities,” Ran said.
Since 2006, targets have been divided into two types: binding targets, which reflect government commitments, such as reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP, and anticipatory targets, which represent desired outcomes like GDP growth, to be pursued primarily through market mechanisms.
In a break from tradition, the 14th Five-Year Plan did not set a quantitative target for GDP growth; instead, it described expected growth in broader terms, in part to emphasize quality over speed.
“Five-year plans are suited to the Chinese mentality and the Chinese idea of thinking long-term,” said British scholar Martin Jacques. For millennia, Confucian classics have taught that those who plan ahead are more likely to succeed.
China’s five-year plans set clear goals but give regions the leeway needed to tailor their own pathways. National plans are broad frameworks that guide local governments in creating their own action plans, explained Yin Jun, a researcher with the Peking University.
At present, the CPC is drafting proposals for the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
Observers said the upcoming plan will emphasize a future-oriented approach to global challenges, foster new quality productive forces, and strengthen the social safety net to improve public well-being.
PLANNING WITH COLLECTIVE EFFORTS
Given their far-reaching impact, China’s five-year plans are developed over several years, and informed by research, expert reviews, inter-agency coordination and public consultation. For example, work on the current 14th Five-Year Plan began as early as 2018.
While drafting the five-year plan, the CPC highly values public inputs, which reflect society’s needs and help foster consensus. In 2020, for the first time, public advice was collected online, with suggestions like mutual-aid elderly care included in the final plan.
Over three months that year, seven symposiums were held with the Party’s leader meeting with entrepreneurs, experts, local officials, and representatives from the grassroots level to listen to their suggestions.
The combination of top-level planning with public participation continued this year. In May, major media platforms invited public feedback, and netizens proposed improvements such as enhancing rural express delivery infrastructure and installing elevators in older communities, among other ideas.
An old saying from Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” offers insight into the success of China’s five-year plans: Triumph comes when the leaders and the people share the same goal.
Visitors learn about a BYD Yangwang U9 at the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Fu Tian)
IMPACT BEYOND BORDERS
China’s five-year plans not only guide national development but also offer opportunities for global investors.
Madiyar Tukpatov, chairman of a public transport company in Astana, Kazakhstan, visited China earlier this year to research electric buses. His company began using Chinese electric buses in 2020 and plans to further integrate Chinese EV technology into Astana’s transport system.
New energy vehicles (NEVs) have been developed as a strategic industry over several five-year plans. Their production and sales each exceeded 12.8 million units in 2024, maintaining China’s position as the global leader in this sector for 10 consecutive years. Chinese NEVs can be found in over 70 countries and regions.
Benjamin Mgana, chief editor of foreign news at The Guardian newspaper in Tanzania, praised China’s approach to planning, saying it demonstrates that developing countries can create workable strategies based on their own realities, rather than copying Western models.
Inspired by China’s success, a growing number of countries have adopted their own medium- to long-term strategies. Poland, Ethiopia and Tanzania have sought support from Chinese institutions to assist in their planning process.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
NT Police are calling for information following an aggravated robbery that occurred in Katherine early this morning.
Around 3:30am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that three unknown males had broken into a residence on Ronan Court wearing face coverings.
It is alleged that the group gained entry to the residence by throwing a brick through the rear sliding door. They were armed with an axe, a shovel and a metal pole. One of the offenders subsequently broke through a bedroom door using an axe. The female victim inside the room at the time yelled and her husband awoke.
At this time, one of the males entered the bedroom and stole several personal items. The male occupant then confronted the offenders, who began swinging their weapons toward the male. He was able to deflect their advances with a pole.
A short time later, the offenders fled the scene, and the male and female victims secured themselves within their residence.
Police attended and a crime scene was established. Both the male and female occupants were not injured during the incident.
The alleged offenders remain outstanding. Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch and Strikeforce Ceberus are investigating the matter.
Constable Matthew Ragless said, “The actions of these individuals are despicable, and incident was traumatising to the occupants of the residence.
“Police urge residents with information or CCTV footage to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number NTP2500067393. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.”
Four young men were arrested for drug trafficking in the State’s Far North earlier this week.
About 1.20pm on Monday 30 June, Far North Highway Police detected a Ford Ranger travelling north at 125 km/h in a 110 km/h zone on the Stuart Highway at Kootaberra, about 50 kilometres north of Port Augusta.
Afer police conducted a u-turn and activated emergency lights to pull the vehicle over, the patrol saw a number of packages being thrown from the car windows.
A search of the vehicle and four occupants revealed a bong and small amount of loose cannabis.
Police recovered the discarded packages and found they contained approximately 1.2 kilograms of cannabis.
The four men, aged 19, 20, 20, and 22, all from interstate, were all arrested and charged with trafficking in a controlled drug.
They were refused police bail and appeared in the Port Augusta Magistrates Court on 1 July, where three of the men were remanded in custody.
Anyone with information about illicit drugs in the community can report it anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
Police seized weapons, including three knives and a gel blaster, following a search of a city address overnight.
Police attended Sturt Street, Adelaide for an unrelated matter about 12.30am on Thursday 3 July.
It will be alleged officers located a gel blaster handgun, a taser, a machete, a flick knife and a double-edged knife during a search of the premises.
A 33-year-old Parafield Gardens man was arrested and charged with possess firearm (gel blaster) without a licence, possess prohibited weapon and possess dangerous article.
He was refused police bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court later today, Thursday 3 July.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 3, 2025.
Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Delanie Woodlock, Senior research fellow, UNSW Sydney Australians are reeling from the news that Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 offences against children, including rape. As 1,200 children await results for sexually transmitted infections, a horror no parent should ever
Overtourism is reshaping communities in Europe – could Australia be next? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Adjunct professor and adjunct senior lecturer in tourism management, University of South Australia Bumble Dee/Shutterstock A media frenzy erupted over the recent Jeff Bezos “wedding of the century” in Venice. Also notable were the public protests that showed tensions around tourism, especially mass tourism, are
How should I talk to my kids about abuse and body safety? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University Jose Luis Peleaz/Getty Hearing about child abuse in trusted places such as childcare centres is every parent’s worst nightmare. So, how can we talk to our kids about it and help them stay safe? While it’s not always possible
Creative Australia’s backflip on Venice Biennale representatives exposes deep governance failures Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cairnduff, Lecturer in Media and Communications, The University of Melbourne The reinstatement of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as Australia’s representatives for the 2026 Venice Biennale closes a bruising recent cultural episode and exposes the fragility of the systems meant to protect artistic freedom
Catholic Church warns against PNG declaring itself a ‘Christian country’ By Reinhard Minong in Port Moresby The Catholic Church has strongly warned against Papua New Guinea’s political rhetoric and push to declare the nation a Christian country, saying such a move threatens constitutional freedoms and risks dangerous implications for the country’s future. Speaking before the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Communication on Tuesday at Rapopo during
Antarctic research is in decline, and the timing couldn’t be worse Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Leane, Professor of Antarctic Studies, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania Oleksandr Matsibura/Shutterstock Ice loss in Antarctica and its impact on the planet – sea level rise, changes to ocean currents and disturbance of wildlife and food webs – has been in the news a lot
Homes are more than walls and a roof, especially for Indigenous people. It’s time housing policy reflects that Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giles Gunesekera, PhD Researcher, University of Technology Sydney Australia is experiencing a housing crisis. But for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the challenge runs deeper than high rents and limited supply. A major problem is that housing in Australia is rarely designed with Indigenous communities
Fallout: Spies on Norfolk Island – SBS podcast Pacific Media Watch In July 1985, Australia’s Pacific territory of Norfolk Island (pop. 2188) became the centre of a real life international spy thriller. Four French agents sailed there on board the Ouvéa, a yacht from Kanaky New Caledonia, after bombing the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland, killing Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira. The Rainbow Warrior was
Trump is not like other presidents – but can he beat the ‘second term curse’ that haunts the White House? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato Getty Images While he likes to provoke opponents with the possibility of serving a third term, Donald Trump faces a more immediate historical burden that has plagued so many presidents: the “second term curse”. Twenty-one US
More and more tourists are flocking to Antarctica. Let’s stop it from being loved to death Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darla Hatton MacDonald, Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Tasmania VCG via Getty Images The number of tourists heading to Antarctica has been skyrocketing. From fewer than 8,000 a year about three decades ago, nearly 125,000 tourists flocked to the icy continent in 2023–24. The trend is
Australia’s superannuation regulator is worried about your fund’s spending. Should you be? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Melatos, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney GettyImages skynesher/Getty Australia’s superannuation regulator has written to Australian superannuation funds raising concerns their spending might not be benefiting members. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority is not just concerned with the type of expenses, but with the corporate
Thumbs up: good or passive aggressive? How emojis became the most confusing kind of online language Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brittany Ferdinands, Lecturer in Digital Content Creation, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney The Conversation, CC BY Emojis, as well as memes and other forms of short-form content, have become central to how we express ourselves and connect online. Yet as meanings shift across different
Lung cancer screening hopes to save lives. But we also need to watch for possible harms Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katy Bell, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney There is much to commend about Australia’s lung cancer screening program, which started on July 1. The program is based on gold-standard trial evidence showing this type of screening is likely to reduce
Uganda’s ride-hailing motorbike service promised safety – but drivers are under pressure to speed Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rich Mallett, Research Associate and Independent Researcher, ODI Global Motorcycle-taxis are one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Uganda’s congested capital, Kampala. But they are also the most dangerous. Though they account for one-third of public transport trips taking place within the city,
Philadelphia’s $2B affordable housing plan relies heavily on municipal bonds, which can come with hidden costs for taxpayers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jade Craig, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Mississippi The Parker administration says it will issue $800 million in bonds over the next four years to fund affordable housing. Jeff Fusco/The Conversation, CC BY-NC-SA Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy initiative, which was included in
Around 250 million years ago, Earth was near-lifeless and locked in a hothouse state. Now scientists know why Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Merdith, DECRA Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide Some 252 million years ago, almost all life on Earth disappeared. Known as the Permian–Triassic mass extinction – or the Great Dying – this was the most catastrophic of the five mass extinction events recognised in
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kerrynne Liddle on seizing more opportunities with Indigenous Australians Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra From this Sunday, Australians will be celebrating NAIDOC Week, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. The week highlights the achievements, history and culture of Australia’s First Peoples. It’s also a time to reflect on the huge effort needed to
Supervision gaps can lead to child abuse – what can be done? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marg Rogers, Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Education; Post Doctoral Fellow, Manna Institute, University of New England Suwatchai Pluemruetai/Shutterstock The horrific allegations of child abuse by an early childhood educator in Victoria came to light at a time when the early learning sector was already under fire for
Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has passed the US Senate – these are the winners and losers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Igor Link/Shutterstock One of the unique aspects of Washington life is a Senate “vote-a-rama,” in which the upper house of Congress tortures itself by pulling a marathon all-nighter of speeches, amendments and votes on a critical
Tonga cybersecurity attack wake-up call for Pacific, warns expert By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Tongan cybersecurity expert says the country’s health data hack is a “wake-up call” for the whole region. Siosaia Vaipuna, a former director of Tonga’s cybersecurity agency, spoke to RNZ Pacific in the wake of the June 15 cyberattack on the country’s Health Ministry. Vaipuna said Tonga and
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 3, 2025.
Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Delanie Woodlock, Senior research fellow, UNSW Sydney Australians are reeling from the news that Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 offences against children, including rape. As 1,200 children await results for sexually transmitted infections, a horror no parent should ever
Overtourism is reshaping communities in Europe – could Australia be next? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Adjunct professor and adjunct senior lecturer in tourism management, University of South Australia Bumble Dee/Shutterstock A media frenzy erupted over the recent Jeff Bezos “wedding of the century” in Venice. Also notable were the public protests that showed tensions around tourism, especially mass tourism, are
How should I talk to my kids about abuse and body safety? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University Jose Luis Peleaz/Getty Hearing about child abuse in trusted places such as childcare centres is every parent’s worst nightmare. So, how can we talk to our kids about it and help them stay safe? While it’s not always possible
Creative Australia’s backflip on Venice Biennale representatives exposes deep governance failures Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cairnduff, Lecturer in Media and Communications, The University of Melbourne The reinstatement of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as Australia’s representatives for the 2026 Venice Biennale closes a bruising recent cultural episode and exposes the fragility of the systems meant to protect artistic freedom
Catholic Church warns against PNG declaring itself a ‘Christian country’ By Reinhard Minong in Port Moresby The Catholic Church has strongly warned against Papua New Guinea’s political rhetoric and push to declare the nation a Christian country, saying such a move threatens constitutional freedoms and risks dangerous implications for the country’s future. Speaking before the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Communication on Tuesday at Rapopo during
Antarctic research is in decline, and the timing couldn’t be worse Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Leane, Professor of Antarctic Studies, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania Oleksandr Matsibura/Shutterstock Ice loss in Antarctica and its impact on the planet – sea level rise, changes to ocean currents and disturbance of wildlife and food webs – has been in the news a lot
Homes are more than walls and a roof, especially for Indigenous people. It’s time housing policy reflects that Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giles Gunesekera, PhD Researcher, University of Technology Sydney Australia is experiencing a housing crisis. But for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the challenge runs deeper than high rents and limited supply. A major problem is that housing in Australia is rarely designed with Indigenous communities
Fallout: Spies on Norfolk Island – SBS podcast Pacific Media Watch In July 1985, Australia’s Pacific territory of Norfolk Island (pop. 2188) became the centre of a real life international spy thriller. Four French agents sailed there on board the Ouvéa, a yacht from Kanaky New Caledonia, after bombing the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland, killing Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira. The Rainbow Warrior was
Trump is not like other presidents – but can he beat the ‘second term curse’ that haunts the White House? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato Getty Images While he likes to provoke opponents with the possibility of serving a third term, Donald Trump faces a more immediate historical burden that has plagued so many presidents: the “second term curse”. Twenty-one US
More and more tourists are flocking to Antarctica. Let’s stop it from being loved to death Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darla Hatton MacDonald, Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Tasmania VCG via Getty Images The number of tourists heading to Antarctica has been skyrocketing. From fewer than 8,000 a year about three decades ago, nearly 125,000 tourists flocked to the icy continent in 2023–24. The trend is
Australia’s superannuation regulator is worried about your fund’s spending. Should you be? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Melatos, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney GettyImages skynesher/Getty Australia’s superannuation regulator has written to Australian superannuation funds raising concerns their spending might not be benefiting members. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority is not just concerned with the type of expenses, but with the corporate
Thumbs up: good or passive aggressive? How emojis became the most confusing kind of online language Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brittany Ferdinands, Lecturer in Digital Content Creation, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney The Conversation, CC BY Emojis, as well as memes and other forms of short-form content, have become central to how we express ourselves and connect online. Yet as meanings shift across different
Lung cancer screening hopes to save lives. But we also need to watch for possible harms Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katy Bell, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney There is much to commend about Australia’s lung cancer screening program, which started on July 1. The program is based on gold-standard trial evidence showing this type of screening is likely to reduce
Uganda’s ride-hailing motorbike service promised safety – but drivers are under pressure to speed Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rich Mallett, Research Associate and Independent Researcher, ODI Global Motorcycle-taxis are one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Uganda’s congested capital, Kampala. But they are also the most dangerous. Though they account for one-third of public transport trips taking place within the city,
Philadelphia’s $2B affordable housing plan relies heavily on municipal bonds, which can come with hidden costs for taxpayers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jade Craig, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Mississippi The Parker administration says it will issue $800 million in bonds over the next four years to fund affordable housing. Jeff Fusco/The Conversation, CC BY-NC-SA Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy initiative, which was included in
Around 250 million years ago, Earth was near-lifeless and locked in a hothouse state. Now scientists know why Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Merdith, DECRA Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide Some 252 million years ago, almost all life on Earth disappeared. Known as the Permian–Triassic mass extinction – or the Great Dying – this was the most catastrophic of the five mass extinction events recognised in
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Kerrynne Liddle on seizing more opportunities with Indigenous Australians Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra From this Sunday, Australians will be celebrating NAIDOC Week, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. The week highlights the achievements, history and culture of Australia’s First Peoples. It’s also a time to reflect on the huge effort needed to
Supervision gaps can lead to child abuse – what can be done? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marg Rogers, Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Education; Post Doctoral Fellow, Manna Institute, University of New England Suwatchai Pluemruetai/Shutterstock The horrific allegations of child abuse by an early childhood educator in Victoria came to light at a time when the early learning sector was already under fire for
Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has passed the US Senate – these are the winners and losers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Igor Link/Shutterstock One of the unique aspects of Washington life is a Senate “vote-a-rama,” in which the upper house of Congress tortures itself by pulling a marathon all-nighter of speeches, amendments and votes on a critical
Tonga cybersecurity attack wake-up call for Pacific, warns expert By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Tongan cybersecurity expert says the country’s health data hack is a “wake-up call” for the whole region. Siosaia Vaipuna, a former director of Tonga’s cybersecurity agency, spoke to RNZ Pacific in the wake of the June 15 cyberattack on the country’s Health Ministry. Vaipuna said Tonga and
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, turns 90 this week – a milestone that’s reigniting speculation over his eventual successor.
While the Dalai Lama is the face of Buddhism to many people across the world, he is actually the head of just one tradition within Tibetan Buddhism known as the Gelug school.
Tibetans believe the Dalai Lama to be the manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and the “one who hears the cries of the world”.
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person, or a mythic representation of a person, who denies themselves enlightenment until all beings can achieve enlightenment. Avalokiteśvara appears to living beings in whatever form could best save them.
Although Avalokiteśvara originated in India as a man, they can be depicted as either a man, woman, or non-binary being. This gender fluidity has led to them being revered as a trans icon in the West.
I have spent the past five years investigating the lives of queer Buddhists in Australia. As part of this research, I have surveyed and interviewed 109 LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians.
The words of these individuals, and my own experience as a genderqueer Buddhist person, reveal how the Dalai Lama emerges an an unlikely inspiration for individuals sharing a trans and Buddhist identity.
The Big Buddha is a large bronze sculpture located near the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash
Letting go of binaries
Through my work I have found LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians are generally reluctant to disclose their queer identities to their Buddhist communities, and may be told to remain silent about their identities.
For some, Avalokiteśvara’s gender fluidity has been important for reaffirming both their queer and Buddhist selves.
One Buddhist trans woman, Annie*, told me Guanyin had special significance for her. Annie spoke about Avalokiteśvara travelling from India to China as a male, before “transitioning” to the mainly female presentation of Guanyin over centuries. Annie said:
I pray to her regularly and often find I get a response. Of course the enlightened state is beyond all manner of worldly binaries, including gender, and is immensely important in letting go of binaries in my journey towards enlightenment.
Walter* has had a long fascination with depictions of Avalokiteśvara that “showed ‘him’ looking effeminate and handsome, with a cute moustache […] A little bit homoerotic, a little bit provocatively gender fluid, as seen through my eyes”.
Walter adds:
A great many people in different cultures, across history, worship these figures. Clever how this figure can morph into a radical trans! We all want to feel comforted, safe and saved from suffering.
As queer Buddhists, we turn to to Avalokitesvara to feel “comforted, safe and saved”.
Another interviewee, Brian*, told me about a Tibetan invocation practice he did with a senior Tibetan monk, in which he encountered Guanyin:
[She] took my right hand and passed some sort of power into it. She never spoke to me but just returned the way she had come. I was given some sort of gift, that’s all I know.
Since this experience, Brian has “always felt a strong connection to the feminine through her”. He has a special Guanyin altar on his farm.
You can’t be what you can’t see
Some Buddhists deny Avalokiteśvara’s queerness.
Asher*, a genderqueer Buddhist I interviewed, told me about a teacher who said to them, “there was absolutely no way a gay person could be enlightened”.
Asher retorted:
What about Kanzeon, the bodhisattva of compassion, who has manifested as both male and female and, in the stories from Japan, has had erotic relationships with monks?
The teacher dismissed this, replying, “those are just stories”.
A black statue of Avalokiteśvara outside a Japanese temple. Wikimedia, CC BY
In her 1996 book Transgender Warriors, trans activist Leslie Feinberg writes: “I couldn’t find myself in history. No one like me seemed to have ever existed.”
Similarly, Annie evoked the statement: “You can’t be what you can’t see.”
I, too, experience this need to see myself as a genderqueer, non-binary practitioner of Zen Buddhism. It was only through doing these interviews with other queer Buddhists that I came to realise Guanyin, a trans icon, is a statuette which adorns the altar of the Buddhist group I belong to.
Knowing Avalokitesvara may be depicted as a man, woman, or non-binary being lets us queer Buddhists know we exist – and have always existed – within Buddhism.
Despite being a cisgender man who has been somewhatinconsistent in his support of queer people, the Dalai Lama, as the manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion, is a possible spiritual link between today’s queer Buddhists and centuries-long traditions of gender transition and fluidity.
*Names have been changed.
Stephen Kerry 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.
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