Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHENGDU, May 29 (Xinhua) — China’s used car exports to countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continue to grow, with deals worth more than 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) concluded at a business meeting on used car exports in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, on Wednesday.
The business meeting was attended by about 40 trade organizations and buyers from 10 countries, including Russia, Iran, Vietnam and Nigeria.
“Everyone at the meeting came here with the obvious intention of buying,” said Huang Ruoyu, a spokesman for the China Automobile Dealers Association, adding that Belt and Road countries, which are currently upgrading their own auto markets, are increasingly looking to China for low-cost supplies.
In March 2024, China completely lifted restrictions on used car exports, speeding up access to Belt and Road countries where car consumption is growing, said Qiao Fang, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Commerce.
According to Qiao Fang, Sichuan Province exported more than 10,000 used cars worth 1.4 billion yuan in the first four months of 2025, up 32 percent from a year earlier. Used car exports have become a new engine for Sichuan’s trade growth, she added.
The meeting also saw the release of a number of documents and the announcement of the creation of contact centers in six countries, including Russia, Iran, Georgia and others, to ensure the sustainability of global supply chains.
China began exporting used cars in May 2019. Sichuan Province received approval to do so at the end of 2022. -0-
If you’re a parent or carer of a child who’s autistic, the odds are you’re spinning more plates than the average person. The emotional, physical and logistical demands stack up, often without the kind of support you need. It can leave you exhausted and wondering if things will ever improve.
Every child is different, and every day can bring new challenges. Some moments are beautiful. Some are overwhelming. Some end in tears and frustration. Just when you think you’re in a routine that works or made some headway, everything can change again.
As a clinical psychologist, this is what parents of autistic children tell me. As a parent of an autistic child, I too experience some of these stresses.
In fact, parents of autistic children have much higher levels of stress than parents of children with other disabilities.
What is autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a developmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts with others, and makes sense of the world around them.
It involves a wide range of traits and abilities. But it often involves difficulties with interacting and communicating socially, such as understanding body language or holding a conversation, as well as patterns of restricted or repetitive behaviour.
Autism is usually diagnosedin early childhood. While every child’s experience is unique, it can influence their behaviour, learning and daily routines in ways that affect the whole family.
For parents, the impact is often intense. This is not just about managing meltdowns or navigating therapy waitlists. The stress can affect everything from mental health, relationships, finances and the ability to cope day-to-day.
It’s an incredibly tough gig for many parents and carers.
Why the stress?
Many parents tell me and research confirms that the hardest part isn’t autism itself – it’s everything around it. The long waits for a diagnosis. The out-of-pocket costs to see specialists, or for therapy or educational supports. The endless phone calls and paperwork. Trying to get help, only to hit another wall.
Parents often spend extra time coordinating appointments, supporting school engagement, and advocating for their child. That invisible workload can take a toll, especially when combined with social isolation, lack of respite and little time to care for their own wellbeing.
Chronic stress and burnout are real risks for many parents, especially when the level of support required just isn’t there.
What can parents and carers do?
A few approaches can help lighten the load:
be kind to yourself, especially on the hard days. Even a short break and some deep breathing to release tension can take the edge off and help you reset. It might not solve everything, but it can give you a small window to regroup and keep going
research shows evidence-based parenting programs can help families of children with disability feel more confident and less stressed. They can also make it easier to manage tough times and strengthen the parent-child bond. The Australian government offers a free, online, self-paced program, which I co-wrote, to help parents cope.
Many parents and carers carry a huge emotional load trying to help their autistic child feel supported in educational settings, such as childcare and schools.
They often become the case manager, counsellor and advocate to make sure their child is included, safe and seen.
If you’re a friend, family member, or part of the school community, try to understand how challenging this can be. The struggle is often ongoing. Parents and carers aren’t being difficult – they’re doing what they can to give their child their best chance.
Ongoing support, even small things such as dropping off a meal, helping with school pick-ups, or sending a kind message, can ease the load more than you might realise.
Information and support for parents of autistic childrenis available. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Trevor Mazzucchelli is a co-author of Stepping Stones Triple P – Positive Parenting Program and a consultant to Triple P International. The Parenting and Family Support Centre is partly funded by royalties stemming from published resources of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, which is developed and owned by The University of Queensland (UQ). Royalties are also distributed to the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences at UQ and contributory authors of published Triple P resources. Triple P International (TPI) Pty Ltd is a private company licensed by UniQuest Pty Ltd on behalf of UQ, to publish and disseminate Triple P worldwide. Trevor has no share or ownership of TPI, but has received and may in the future receive royalties and/or consultancy fees from TPI. Trevor has a child with autism and accesses support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. He is also a member of the Parenting and Family Research Alliance (PAFRA), a multidisciplinary research collaboration of experts from leading Australian universities and research centres. The alliance is actively involved in conducting research, communication, and advocacy pertaining to parenting, families, and evidence-based parenting support. PAFRA is supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Palestinians wait to receive free food at a food distribution center in the al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on May 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Hamas said in an official statement on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on a general framework for Gaza ceasefire.
According to Hamas, the framework includes the release of 10 Israeli hostages and several bodies, in exchange for the release of an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, guaranteed by mediators.
Hamas said it is awaiting a final response to this framework, adding that “it is making significant efforts to halt the brutal war on the Gaza Strip.”
The group said the framework “will ensure a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the flow of aid, and a professional committee assuming control of the Strip’s affairs immediately after the agreement is announced.”
A Hamas official, who requested anonymity, said on Monday that Hamas had agreed to a proposal presented by Witkoff for a ceasefire in Gaza.
However, Witkoff denied that Hamas has accepted his proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, according to the Axios news site.
Israel has not yet announced its official position on the proposal, while Israeli media outlets have quoted officials as saying that Israel rejects the proposal and will not accept it.
Israeli conditions for ending war
Abdel Mohdy Motawe, executive director of the Cairo-based Middle East Forum for Strategic Studies and National Security, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “rejects any idea of ending the war in the Gaza Strip except on certain conditions: Hamas withdrawing from Gaza’s governance, disarming Gaza, and then exiling Hamas leaders” from the Strip.
“There is an Israeli consensus on these conditions with the U.S. administration, making it unlikely for Netanyahu to stop the war unless the conditions are met, though he might accept a partial deal,” Motawe told Xinhua.
Mokhtar Ghobashy, secretary-general of the Al-Farabi Center for Studies in Egypt, stressed that the lack of substantial international pressure has enabled Israel to pursue its strategy in Gaza, adding the U.S. pressure on Israel is insufficient.
“Israel is exploiting the time frame and the regional context to pursue a dangerous, systematic approach for displacing Palestinians,” he said.
Insuffient aid
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that two food distribution compounds operated by private U.S. companies had begun functioning in southern Gaza.
The initiative followed more than 11 weeks of an Israeli blockade preventing humanitarian supplies from reaching the enclave. Limited aid shipments were allowed last week, after UN experts warned that famine is spreading.
Thousands of Palestinians crowded into a humanitarian aid distribution center in Rafah on Tuesday, triggering chaos and a breakdown of order on the site’s first day of operation under Israeli military oversight.
The center, established at the Al-Alam roundabout in southern Gaza by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.-based organization, was intended to deliver food aid to a population facing severe shortages due to Israel’s blockade. But scenes of disorder quickly unfolded as residents overran the facility, seizing food parcels and even dismantling parts of the barbed wire fencing that surrounded the site.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday that the UN is not involved in the GHF’s operations in Gaza, and added that “it is a distraction from what is actually needed.”
Laerke said what is truly needed is the reopening of all crossing points into Gaza.
Israel launched a ground and air offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The ensuing Israeli bombardments have devastated large parts of the enclave, killing at least 54,084 people and wounding 123,308 others, said the health authorities in Gaza on Wednesday.
Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the expiration of the first phase of a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas. It resumed attacks on Gaza on March 18.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China Focus: China builds satellite constellations to enable smart connectivity from space
With four new satellites launched this month to expand the Tianqi constellation, China is accelerating a presence in low-Earth orbit to support its surging demand for smart device connectivity.
Following SpaceX’s lead, an increasing number of Chinese aerospace firms have begun constructing Starlink-style satellite networks over the past years. Some of these commercial space firms are specifically targeting the development of critical digital infrastructure for IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity.
Tianqi, a satellite constellation developed and operated by GuoDianGaoKe Technology, has now reached its first phase with 37 satellites in orbit, forming a global network that provides services for smart cities, marine monitoring, emergency communications and environmental monitoring.
Upon the deployment of these four satellites, the constellation’s revisit time will be shortened to just five minutes, representing a 37.5 percent enhancement in its operational efficiency, which is vital for facilitating real-time data transmission.
“Tianqi has filled a technological gap in China’s low-orbit IoT satellite field. Its technical systems, performance and terminal indicators have reached internationally leading levels,” said Lyu Qiang, chairman of the Beijing-based firm.
Tianqi is now exploring the expansion into consumer markets, including smartphones, smart vehicles and wearable devices. The company plans to design and launch additional satellites in its second phase, aimed at enhancing consumer-level applications.
CAR CONNECTIVITY
Another commercial satellite constellation project, funded by a leading Chinese automaker, is set to revolutionize intelligent connectivity for road vehicles from space.
Geely’s Future Mobility Constellation, developed by commercial space subsidiary Geespace, has placed 30 satellites across three orbital planes. The constellation expanded last September with the launch of an additional 10 satellites.
This deployment enables 90 percent global coverage, making it the first Chinese commercial space enterprise to offer low-orbit satellite communication services to international users.
The constellation is focusing on scenarios in intelligent driving, smart mobility and consumer electronics, said Wang Yang, founder and CEO of Geespace.
It has a three-phase plan: 72 satellites for global real-time data communication in Phase One, 264 satellites for direct smartphone connectivity in Phase Two, and 5,676 satellites for global broadband services in Phase Three, according to Wang.
Supported by the constellation, some Geely’s Zeekr and Galaxy electric vehicles now feature space communication. Users can send and receive messages via satellite when ground networks are disrupted.
In June last year, Geely’s satellite constellation initiated international commercial operations in parts of the Middle East, and it plans to extend services to North Africa by 2025. This expansion marked a milestone for Chinese commercial space firms on the international stage.
Industry analysts note that satellite networks are particularly valuable for autonomous driving applications, as they provide reliable connectivity in areas where traditional networks are unavailable.
According to Grand View Research, the global autonomous driving market is projected to reach 557 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. The Chinese satellite constellation is positioning itself to capture a significant market share by partnering with multiple car manufacturers.
Geespace has established a state-of-the-art factory in Taizhou, a city in eastern China, leveraging modular design and intelligent manufacturing technologies. This facility is engineered to cut production costs by 45 percent and can produce 1 to 2 satellites per day, with an annual capacity of up to 500 satellites.
Another rapidly growing economic sector in China is also creating huge opportunities for low-Earth orbit satellite internet, as the increasing number of drones relies on low-altitude intelligent networking.
China is accelerating the development of low-altitude intelligent networking infrastructure and advancing the research and construction of 5G/5G-A, Beidou navigation, and satellite internet technologies.
“Low-altitude intelligent networking, as the digital foundation for the low-altitude economy, can ensure the safe operation of low-altitude aircraft,” said Lu Feng, a researcher from a Beijing technology research institute.
On June 3, South Koreans will head to the polls to choose the country’s new president. The election may draw to a close one of the most chaotic and contentious periods in the country’s post-1987 democratic era.
South Korea has been embroiled in a political crisis since December, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol disastrously declared martial law.
Yoon ordered security forces to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly, leading to a dramatic late night confrontation. His unconstitutional decree was overturned after just six hours.
The fall-out was equally dramatic: Yoon was impeached and removed from office in a drawn-out process that was not finally resolved until April.
This period coincided with massive street demonstrations both opposing and supporting Yoon, a far-right assault on a courthouse and a physical stand-off between investigators and Yoon’s personal security team.
The country, meanwhile, has cycled through three short-lived caretaker leaders.
With weak economic growth and high costs of living, in addition to an equally challenging security environment, South Korea is in desperate need of bold and effective leadership.
Who are the candidates?
The Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung is the clear frontrunner to be the next president, after finishing a close second in the previous 2022 election.
Recent polling put the veteran left-leaning politician at around 49% support as the race entered the final week.
This is a double-digit lead over his main conservative opponent, Kim Moon-soo, polling at 35%. Another conservative candidate, Lee Jun-seok, is polling at 11%. Notably, for the first time since 2007, there are no female candidates standing to be president.
The high levels of support for Lee Jae-myung suggest a widespread desire among the public to repudiate Yoon’s martial law declaration.
Kim, the labour minister in Yoon’s administration, has apologised for December’s declaration. But his opponents have continued to question him about it.
Kim’s challenge has been to build a coalition of moderates and mainstream conservatives who firmly opposed the martial law declaration, while also winning support from those who believe far-right conspiracy theories around election fraud. Yoon, the former president, is continuing to promote these narratives.
Lee’s compelling background
Lee Jae-myung’s personal story has uplifting parallels with South Korea’s own history of economic and political development.
Lee was born into poverty; the exact date of his birth is not known. He worked in factories from a very young age and permanently injured his left arm in an industrial accident when he was still a child.
Lee went on to earn a scholarship to study law and, by the late 1980s, had established himself as a labour lawyer and activist.
This activist image was highlighted when he live-streamed himself dramatically scaling a fence to enter the National Assembly and vote down Yoon’s martial law declaration in December. He has previously compared himself to populist, progressive US Senator Bernie Sanders.
More recently, however, he has moderated his political rhetoric and policy platform to appeal to centrists and even some conservative voters.
This shift may also help shield Lee from the “red-baiting” claims left-leaning South Korean candidates typically face from conservative opponents that they are “communists”, “pro-China”, or “pro-North Korea”.
But Lee is also plagued by legal troubles, including corruption charges linked to a land development project. These charges, frequently highlighted by his opponents, risk derailing his administration if he wins the election.
What are the main issues?
Some international commentators have focused on how the next president will handle North Korea. South Koreans, however, are more interested in the candidates’ plans to fix the country’s troubled economy.
There has also been a vigorous debate over South Korea’s future energy policy. Kim favours expanding nuclear energy production to around 60% of the country’s energy mix. Lee has voiced safety concerns about nuclear power, arguing “the era of building more reactors should come to an end”.
Additionally, questions remain over potential constitutional reform to end South Korea’s so-called “imperial presidency” system, which has been blamed for centralising too much power in the hands of the president.
The system dates back to the rewriting of the constitution following mass protests in 1987. This established direct presidential elections and a single, five-year term.
Both Lee and Kim support changing this to a four-year, two-term presidential system, similar to the United States.
Big challenges lie ahead
On the international stage, the new leader will face an uphill battle negotiating with US President Donald Trump over his punitive tariffs. Trump imposed 25% tariffs on South Korean goods in April, but lowered them temporarily to 10% until early July.
Before his impeachment, Yoon was widely reported to be practising his golf skills to attempt to find common ground with Trump, much as former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did.
The new leader will also face massive challenges bringing South Korean society together in the current climate. Political polarisation and the spread of disinformation worsened under Yoon’s presidency – and these trends will be hard to reverse.
Alexander M. Hynd 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.
The Liberals, still reeling from their crushing 2025 election defeat and following with brief split in the Coalition, have a new frontbench and their eyes turning to the long road of rebuilding.
New leader Sussan Ley stresses the importance of the Liberals “meeting people where they are” and the party represents modern Australia.
But what that will actually look like for the party is still an open question. To talk about this uncertain future we’re joined by the newly-minted Shadow Assistant Minister for Education, Early Learning and Mental Health, Zoe McKenzie.
McKenzie was elected to the Melbourne electorate of Flinders in 2022. Her seat encompasses the Mornington Peninsula, mixing urban and rural areas. At the May election she held off a Climate 200-funded teal challenger.
On the Liberal Party’s commitment to net-zero by 2050 – which is likely to come up for debate this term – McKenzie says she thinks net-zero is “a given”.
It’s where the markets are heading. It’s our responsibility as a developed economy to contribute to the decarbonisation of the planet. I went to COP-27 a few years back, and you can see that the world’s markets, investment markets, research and development markets have all moved into preparing for a net-zero environment and Australia will be part of that. I do think, though, people are right to say, please don’t take away our manufacturing base.
I am confident that net zero is here to stay. But you cannot disconnect it from what it says about the energy market, energy security, and the future of Australian industry. We’ve got to keep this as an investment rich country.
On the party’s issues with the women’s vote, while McKenzie says the Liberals should look at “all options” she still has some concerns with the idea of quota’s,
I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that we must look at all options. I am fearful for what happens if a woman is selected by the operation of a quota and whether she will feel she has deserved her place there and or whether it will be asserted that she only got there because of a quota.
Asked if Labor’s introduction of quotas is proof they can work, McKenzie says,
Labor sacrificed a generation of talented Labor men to get to 50-50.
That sacrificed generation coincided with our many years of successful leadership of this nation. They are now though, because of that decision and because of the sacrifice that was made, and because of the way they went about it, they are in the enviable position of attracting talented, capable women for election, routinely, for each and every seat.
The Liberal Party, it tends, by its very nature, to preference people who have been able to devote a significant amount of time, often while in your 20s or 30s, to both party and community events. […] It will favour men. It will favour women who don’t have their own biological children, or it will favour women who can afford high quality in-home help. So we are not getting the breadth of women we need presenting for pre-selection and we are going to have to think out of the box.
On the rise of the teals, McKenzie’s looks to global examples to explain why two-party systems are changing,
I’m not sure yet whether teal is here to stay but what I do know is that we have moved well beyond the paradigm when I was a kid, which is when it was a 40-40-20 voting bloc. We all fought over that 20 in the middle. It now looks like the 30-30-40 pattern is here to stay.
That’s a message for all of us, in fact, to do better. So I should say, though, this is not unique to Australia. The demise of the two-party system can be observed worldwide.
If you look at the United States, the Republicans and the Democrats remain, but some would say they remain in name only. They have both morphed significantly as political movements. The Labour and Tory parties in the UK have both evolved over time.
On the Liberal’s lack of appeal to younger Australians McKenzie highlights what went wrong and why the party must do better with those voters,
We hadn’t explained to them the basics of home ownership, let alone what a tax deduction on your interest payments on your first mortgage might look and feel like. If you’re 18, 19, 20, your first mortgage still feels 10 to 15 years away.
We didn’t do enough, I think, to talk about their lives, to understand their lives and their aspirations and how Liberal policy was going to make their life easier. We must do a better job of that […] because the average voter now is either Gen Z or a millennial, no longer Gen X, which is my generation, or boomers above.
Michelle Grattan 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.
Last week, organisations from Australia’s online industries submitted a final draft of new industry codes aimed at protecting children from “age-inappropriate content” to the eSafety commissioner.
The commissioner will now decide if the codes are appropriate to be implemented under the Online Safety Act.
The codes aim to address young people’s access to pornography, high-impact violence, and material relating to self-harm, suicide and disordered eating.
However, the draft codes may have unintended consequences. There is a real risk they may further restrict access to materials about sex education, sexual health information, harm reduction and health promotion.
The eSafety commissioner is in the process of introducing codes of practice for the online industry “to protect Australians from illegal and restricted online content”. The Phase 1 codes, aimed at illegal content such as child sexual exploitation material, came into effect last year.
Now the commissioner is looking at Phase 2. These are designed to prevent young people from accessing “inappropriate” but not illegal content. They will do this via age-assurance mechanisms and by filtering, de-prioritising, downranking and suppressing content.
The codes will apply to operating systems, various internet services, search engines and hardware, such as smartphones and tablets.
Tech companies will have more power (and responsibility) to remove content and suspend users. Companies that don’t follow the codes risk fines of up to US$49.5 million (around A$77 million).
Suppression of sexual health content
The idea of using technology to restrict online content by age is problematic. The Australian government itself has deemed that age-assurance technologies are not ready to be used. State-of-the-art software has shown racial and gendered bias.
And digital platforms have a poor track record of governing sexual media.
International human rights organisations, including the United Nations, have warned that automated content moderation is being used to censor sex education and consensual sexual expression.
Sexual health organisations and educators already face challenges using social media to communicate with key audiences, including LGBTQ+ communities. These include having their content made less visible (“shadowbanning”) or outright removed.
For example, Google’s computer vision software has previously relied on word databases that link “bisexuality” with “pornography”, “sodomy” with “bestiality”, and “masturbation” with “self-abuse”.
Many users currently use “algospeak”. This is language designed to avoid the notice of the algorithms that may flag content as inappropriate, often involving tweaks such as using emojis or “seggs” or “s&x” instead of “sex”.
The government recognises the power of social media. It has committed more than A$100 million towards Our Watch (a leading organisation advocating against violence against women) and its teen-focused social media initiative The Line.
Another A$3.5 million has gone to the Teach Us Consent organisation. This group creates social media content for teens and young people about consent, healthy relationships, pornography and sex.
Social media platforms try to separate health information from general sexual content. For example, they may aim to allow nudity in cases like childbirth, breastfeeding, medical care or protests.
To uphold sexual rights to information, privacy and expression, the codes must shift away from simply giving platforms an incentive to detect and suppress all sexual content.
This task might seem time consuming, resource heavy and difficult for regulators and platforms alike. But the implications of content suppression are too dire to overlook.
In our view, the codes should be paused until they are able to balance protection with rights to information.
Giselle Woodley has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council via Discovery Project DP190102435 ‘Adolescents’ perceptions of harm from accessing online sexual content’ and the ARC’s Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. She currently receives funding under Discovery Project ID: DP250102379: Teen-informed strategies to counter sexual image abuse and sextortion. She is a co-founder of Bloom-Ed, a Relationships and Sexuality Education advocacy group, whose views are not expressed here. Giselle would like to thank Dr Elena Jeffreys and Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland for their contributions to this article.
Kath Albury receives funding from the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship scheme, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making + Society; and FORTE, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare. She has previously received funding from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. She is a current member of pro-bono advisory groups for ASHM, Scarlet Alliance and UNESCO.
Zahra Stardust has previously received funding from the QUT Digital Media Research Centre (for a project on Rainbow Capitalism, Pinkwashing and Targeted Advertising); FORTE, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (for a project on LGBTQ Digital Sexual Health); from Google Asia Pacific (for a project on AI-related Image-Based Abuse); and from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making + Society (for projects on Alternative Sexual Content Moderation, Sexual Surveillance and the Political Economy of Sextech). She previously worked as a policy advisor for ACON (NSW’s leading HIV and LGBTI health organisation) and Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association.
Source: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
The New Zealand Government has unveiled the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund, a new investment initiative designed to accelerate the growth of the Māori economy through science, innovation, and technology.
Formed through the merger of the Te Pūnaha Hihiko – Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund and the He Aka Ka Toro Navigation Fund, He Ara Whakahihiko represents a streamlined, future-focused approach to public investment. The fund aims to strengthen the capability of the science system and the Māori economy to collaborate as a powerful engine of economic growth.
The fund will back science projects that foster effective partnerships between Māori-facing organisations and established research organisations, with a strong emphasis on commercialisation and measurable economic outcomes.
He Ara Whakahihiko is structured around 2 focused funding streams:
Ara Whaihua – Impact Pathways for Research: Supporting 12-month, implementation-ready research programmes with a clear path to commercialisation.
Rangapū Rangahau – Research Partnerships: Investing in 2-year science initiatives that build enduring connections between Māori-facing organisations and the science and innovation ecosystem.
Aligned with the Government’s broader vision for science investment, He Ara Whakahihiko is a bold step toward a more innovative and economically vibrant New Zealand.
In parallel, an additional $1.982 million annually will be administered by the Health Research Council of New Zealand to grow Māori health research capability.
More information about the fund is on the MBIE website:
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
At a fully automated production line in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, cans of energy drinks rolled off conveyors, destined for shelves across China.
Operated by Thai conglomerate T.C. Pharmaceutical Industries Co., Ltd., this 1.3-billion-yuan (about 180.8 million U.S. dollars) facility with four automated production lines exemplifies the deepening foothold of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in China’s consumer market.
Launched in January this year, the plant generated 75 million yuan in first-quarter output value, matching expectations.
“China’s 1.4-billion-strong market, undergoing dual upgrades in consumption and industrial chains, is unlocking opportunities for high-level opening up,” said Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. “ASEAN, as our close neighbor, is uniquely positioned to share these dividends.”
Despite global trade headwinds, China-ASEAN trade surged 9.2 percent year on year to 2.38 trillion yuan in the first four months of 2025, with ASEAN retaining its position as China’s top trading partner, according to China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Guangxi, the country’s gateway to ASEAN, brings this partnership to life. At a center for China-ASEAN specialty commodities in Nanning, capital of Guangxi, Singaporean specialty dishes and Thai spices sit alongside Cambodian rice — all purchasable with a quick QR code scan.
Since its launch in 2022, the center has featured over 5,500 types of products, serving as a one-stop platform for cross-border trade. Malaysian durian mooncakes find their way to Chinese dining tables via promotional livestreaming, while Chinese cosmetics gain traction in ASEAN markets thanks to multilingual influencers’ skillful introduction.
Such centers tackled what was previously a headache for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in ASEAN — a lack of access to efficient cross-border industrial chains and storage solutions.
“By providing these solutions and value-added supporting services, the center helps SMEs in ASEAN capitalize on China’s ultra-large market, facilitating smoother exchanges of high-quality products between China and ASEAN countries,” said Lu Chunmei, a deputy general manager at the center.
This growing trade between China and ASEAN is also reshaping careers. In the bustling cross-border e-commerce training base of Guangxi International Business Vocational College, Indonesian student Putriyani enthusiastically showcased Chinese specialty products to global buyers via livestreaming. Nearby, her classmates from Vietnam, Thailand and Laos could be seen promoting products in their native languages.
As the first college in Guangxi to offer cross-border e-commerce training programs, this institution graduates some 300 professionals annually, nurturing a talent pool fluent in both ASEAN languages and digital trade.
“As the combined population of China and ASEAN accounts for about a quarter of the world’s total, their integrated development has continuously unleashed market potential, establishing an exemplary model of cooperation amid global headwinds,” said Lyu Daliang, spokesperson for the GAC.
This synergy is set to deepen with the recent completion of negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), the world’s largest free trade zone among developing countries. The upgraded pact will introduce nine new chapters, including digital economy and support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that account for the majority of ASEAN’s business entities.
Feng Gui, a law professor at Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, said the conclusion of CAFTA 3.0 negotiations will significantly enhance industrial capacity, technological collaboration and trade ties between China and ASEAN, accelerating their economic growth and industrialization.
“This breakthrough provides renewed support for the multilateral trading system while charting the right pathway for the majority of countries committed to preserving free trade principles,” he added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s second-hand car exports to Belt and Road partner countries are surging, with deals worth over 1 billion yuan (about 139 million U.S. dollars) at a trade event held on Wednesday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, underscoring rising global demand for China’s quality used cars at competitive prices.
The growth follows China’s full opening of used car exports in March 2024, accelerating access to Belt and Road markets where auto consumption is growing, as highlighted at the First Sichuan Used Car Export Supply-Demand Matchmaking Conference, which drew nearly 40 trade groups and buyers from 10 countries including Russia, Iran, Vietnam and Nigeria.
“Buyers arrived with clear purchase needs,” said Huang Ruoyu, who oversees the used car export branch at the China Automobile Dealers Association, adding that Belt and Road partner countries now experiencing auto market upgrades increasingly favor China’s cost-effective offerings.
Georgii Ruabtsev, vice president of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, called the event a “bridge” for global demand, while proposing a joint China-Russia used car trading platform.
Iman Ashtari Talkhestani, representing Iran’s Tehran Car Dealers and Exhibitions Union, emphasized investment opportunities by noting that Iran’s used car market is growing rapidly and promising strong returns in the short and long term.
Sichuan exported over 10,000 used cars worth 1.4 billion yuan from January to April 2025, a 32 percent increase year on year, according to Qiao Fang, deputy head of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce, who added that used car exports have become Sichuan’s new trade growth engine.
The province also released an overseas cooperation opportunity list and an industry self-discipline convention at the conference, while setting up contact centers in six countries to drive sustainable global supply chains.
China has launched exports of second-hand cars in May 2019, with an expansion in late 2022 that allowed Sichuan to conduct exports of second-hand cars.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The China-Germany (China-Europe) Hidden Champions Forum 2025 concluded in Beijing on Tuesday. The importance of investment and collaboration in Chinese market is repeatedly emphasized during three days of in-depth discussions on industrial chain resilience, policy access and new technology cooperation.
The forum brought together over 600 representatives from China and abroad, including company executives, government officials, and industry leaders.
Hidden champions refer to highly successful yet lesser-known small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are global leaders in terms of market share in their respective niches.
Würth Group is a hidden champion that provides over 125,000 product variants, from screws to chemical-technical products for automotive maintenance, assembly technology, rail transportation, etc.
Harald Unkelbach, board member of Würth Group, highlighted the reliability and predictability of the Chinese market for foreign investors, noting that the group plans to increase its investment in China further, as it has already established 38 affiliated enterprises there.
Amid rapid digitalization, forum participants emphasized the urgent need for SME digital transformation and supply chain modernization.
According to Jiang Xiaojuan, professor at University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, digital platforms are helping SMEs engaged in cross-border research and development address challenges like low levels of product localization and slow development cycles.
Another discussion point was the technological complementarity between China and Germany. Ivka Ocharova from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology noted that while Germany excels in foundational knowledge development and manufacturing technology, China leads in generative AI and applied technologies. This complementary dynamic creates vast potential for cooperation.
The innovation cluster network is one of the attractive aspects of Beijing, the host city of this forum. Beijing ranks third in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Science and Technology Cluster Ranking 2024 and that its GDP surged 5.2 percent to 4.98 trillion yuan (about 692.69 billion U.S. dollars) last year, noted Mu Peng, vice mayor of Beijing.
Beijing has continued to improve the business environment by aligning with international standards, and over 8,300 foreign-funded enterprises have been established here in the past five years.
Peng Jian, expert at International Cooperation Center of National Development and Reform Commission, pointed to the evolving role of hidden champions, with many transitioning from “in China, for China” to “in China, for the World.” He added that German enterprises set up research and development links in China for products intended for global emerging markets and gain technical inspiration from this process.
Hans-Peter Friedrich, former vice president of the German Bundestag, said that not investing in China means missing out on prime access to Asia’s vast regional market.
Friedrich shared a proverb at the forum that received applause from the guests in attendance: When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills. He expressed the hope to collaborate with China to jointly create more “windmills” and promote shared development, especially during period of transformation.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the opening of a Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Cameron County to assist small businesses, private nonprofit (PNP) organizations, and residents who sustained economic losses and physical damage from severe storms and flooding occurring March 26-28.
Beginning Thursday, May 29, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center in Harlingen to answer questions and assist with the disaster loan application process. No appointment is necessary, walk-ins are welcome. Those who prefer to schedule an in-person appointment in advance can do so at appointment.sba.gov.
The center’s hours of operation are as follows:
CAMERON COUNTY Business Recovery Center Harlingen Chamber of Commerce 311 E. Tyler Ave. Harlingen, TX 78559
“SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face-to-face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”
Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to these disasters. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.62% for nonprofits, and 2.75% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return physical damage applications is July 21, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 23, 2026.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Few sports have witnessed a transformation as dramatic as darts in recent years.
From its origins as a pub game stereotypically played with cigarette and beer in hand, darts is now serious business.
With surging television ratings and huge demand for live events, the growth of darts continues to leave many sports looking on in envy.
There has been a combination of factors at play – not least one exceptionally prodigious teenager. Before discussing those factors, it’s worth taking a closer look at the numbers.
Becoming big business
Darts sits alongside a select few sports to have achieved significant commercial growth over the past decade.
In addition to the PDC World Championship – the sport’s premier knockout event – viewership records were also broken across the 2024 Premier League Darts season, a league-format competition featuring weekly fixtures between top-ranked players.
Outside the UK, darts viewership also continues to grow.
The Netherlands remains a strong and expanding heartland, while in Germany, viewership for the World Championship final has increased eightfold since 2008.
In Australia, precise viewing figures are not widely available, but the Foxtel Group’s landmark four-year deal with the PDC in 2023 suggests rising demand.
Surging audiences are translating into significantly larger broadcast deals.
In 2025, Sky Sports reportedly outbid Netflix to secure a new £125 million (A$260.3 million) deal for exclusive UK coverage of the PDC for 2026–30. That was double the size of the previous deal.
In contrast, many other sports face stagnation or even sharp declines in media rights value.
For instance, the UK Super League rugby’s rights on Sky Sports fell from £40 million (A$83.3 million) per season in 2021 to £21.5 million (A$44.5 million) in 2024.
Similarly, in soccer, the French Ligue 1’s TV deal with DAZN collapsed due to underwhelming subscriber numbers. Meanwhile, ESPN walked away from its long-standing agreement with Major League Baseball after unsuccessfully trying to cut its US$550 million (A$848 million) annual payment down to $200 million (A$309 million).
Prize money in darts has also exploded.
Next year, the winner of the two-week long World Championship will bank £1 million (A$2.08 million) – doubling this year’s purse.
Like Formula 1 and the UFC, darts benefits from being privately operated.
Without the typical bureaucracy and conflicting interests seen in many traditional sport governing bodies, the PDC can respond more quickly to audience preferences and market opportunities.
This streamlined, commercially driven approach has been key to darts’ growth.
The sport has been expertly tailored to modern audiences.
One of darts’ best-known selling points is the live event experience. The entertainment-first approach is known for loud music, the showmanship of player walk-ons, fancy dress from the crowd and yes, often plenty of alcohol.
The lines are blurred between sport and party and fans love it.
Culturally, darts is seen by many as fun, relatable, and rooted in working-class culture. After all, its heritage is in the pub.
Darts is ideally suited to modern sport media consumption habits: PLD matches last only 20–30 minutes and the up-close TV product works perfectly for social media highlight clips.
It is also one of the few sports where women compete directly against men.
This adds another layer of interest for fans and has helped elevate stars such as Fallon Sherrock, who made headlines in 2019 by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship, eventually reaching the final 32.
A prodigy emerges
The so-called “Littler Effect” has given darts’ profile a significant boost.
The emergence of talented teenager Luke Littler has broken new ground for the sport and drawn global interest.
The English prodigy, who has quickly risen to fame, is by far the sport’s biggest star, but it would be unfair to say darts is a one-man band.
Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen enjoy significant profiles while Phil Taylor is regarded as the sport’s greatest player. Australia’s Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock also forged a successful career.
There is also colourful two-time world champion Peter Wright.
Where to from here?
The success of darts reveals much about modern sports audiences and their preferences.
Darts does not rely on traditional ideas of athletic excellence, nor does it fit the Olympic ideal.
Darts’ success stems from remaining authentic to its working-class roots while evolving into an engaging commercial product suited for television, short-form content and digital media.
For darts to fully achieve its global potential, the next step has to be continued international growth. Although it has grown steadily in markets like Australia and throughout Asia, the UK remains darts’ dominant base.
As the global sports marketplace becomes more fragmented and competitive, darts is well positioned to continue growing.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s local governments issued new bonds worth about 1.49 trillion yuan (about 207.63 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of 2025, data from the Ministry of Finance showed Wednesday.
Of the total, special-purpose bond issuance came in at over 1.19 trillion yuan, while general-purpose bond issuance amounted to 302.3 billion yuan.
By the end of April, outstanding local government debts stood at over 50.69 trillion yuan, according to the ministry.
China has pledged a more proactive fiscal policy this year to shore up sustained economic and social development. The country decided to issue 4.4 trillion yuan of local government special-purpose bonds in 2025, marking an increase of 500 billion yuan from last year, according to this year’s government work report.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The first consignment of Bangladeshi fresh mangoes was exported to China on Wednesday.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, Bangladeshi officials, as well as representatives of import and export companies from both countries, and representatives of Chinese companies in Bangladesh, attended the event.
Yao said that the exportation of Bangladeshi mangoes to China marks a concrete step in implementing the outcomes of Bangladeshi Interim Government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ successful visit to Beijing. The entry of Bangladeshi mangoes into the Chinese market reflects the mutually beneficial and win-win essence of the two countries’ economic cooperation.
In the near future, an increasing number of high-quality Bangladeshi agricultural products will be stocked on the shelves of Chinese supermarkets, said the ambassador.
The Bangladeshi dignitaries expressed gratitude to China for approving the export of fresh Bangladeshi mangoes to China.
LONGBOAT KEY, Fla., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM), the video-sharing platform and cloud services provider, today praised President Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their announcement that they will restrict the visas of foreign officials or nationals who engage in the censorship of Americans. As a company, Rumble has experience in this area as it is currently suing Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, alleging that Moraes violated the free speech protections of the First Amendment when he ordered the suspension of the U.S.-based Rumble accounts of a specific well-known, politically outspoken user.
“Freedom of expression is an innate human right, so it is great to see that President Trump has the United States leading the way once again,” said Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski. “As Rumble has experienced, these enemies of free speech from around the world try to reach into America and supersede the First Amendment. Secretary of State Rubio has made clear that America will stand for freedom of speech around the world and that is tremendous news.”
“This move by the Trump administration is a landmark defense of American digital sovereignty and the First Amendment,” said Martin De Luca and Matthew L. Schwartz, attorneys at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. “Foreign officials like Moraes have spent years issuing sealed censorship orders against U.S. companies, targeting American executives and users of these platforms, and attempting to criminalize protected speech on U.S. soil. We commend President Trump and Secretary Rubio for taking a decisive step to uphold the Constitution and protect digital sovereignty.”
ABOUT RUMBLE
Rumble is a high-growth video platform and cloud services provider that is creating an independent infrastructure. Rumble’s mission is to restore the internet to its roots by making it free and open once again. For more information, visit: corp.rumble.com.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ThoughtSpot, the Agentic Analytics Platform company, today announced significant momentum in the Japanese market, highlighted by the addition of new and existing customers from a variety of industries and the expansion of key strategic partnerships. Over the past year, ThoughtSpot has supported leading organizations across Japan turn to ThoughtSpot to drive AI-powered data-driven decision making and innovation.
With the rapid advancement of AI technologies and increased adoption across industries such as healthcare and automotive, Japan’s generative AI market has seen remarkable growth and is anticipated to reach USD 25.7 billion by 2033. This is reflected among ThoughtSpot’s new and expanding customers, who are in some of Japan’s most respected enterprises, including Toyota, Omron, Kyocera, Seiko Epson, Okumuragumi and JGC. These organizations are leveraging ThoughtSpot’s intuitive search and AI-driven analytics to empower business users, accelerate insights, and unlock new value from their data.
“We’ve built something truly special at ThoughtSpot, and our growth in Japan is a testament to the value we deliver for our customers. Japan represents a massive opportunity for innovation, and we remain committed to supporting customers in the region.” said Ketan Kharkanis, CEO at ThoughtSpot. “We’re proud to help some of the country’s most respected organizations unlock the full power of their data with the latest innovations in AI-driven analytics. As Japanese enterprises accelerate their digital transformation, ThoughtSpot is uniquely positioned to empower every user across all levels of the organization to make smarter, faster decisions. We’re excited to partner with industry leaders and continue investing in local talent, partnerships, and technology to drive the next wave of data-driven growth in Japan.”
ThoughtSpot’s growth in Japan is further fueled by its expanding ecosystem of strategic alliances. The company recently announced a partnership with global IT leader Panasonic Solution Technologies (PSTC), enabling joint customers to harness the power of ThoughtSpot’s agentic analytics platform offerings on Panasonic’s modern cloud data infrastructures, empowering organizations to democratize data usage and accelerate agile decision-making. Additionally, the ongoing collaborations with Kyocera Mirai Envision (KCME) and NTTData Kansai, Zeal among other partnerships continue to deliver integrated solutions that help Japanese businesses modernize their analytics infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation.
This rapid expansion is underpinned by ThoughtSpot’s commitment to local customer success, with dedicated teams supporting implementation, adoption, and ongoing innovation. The company’s investments in bilingual product capabilities and tailored support for Japanese enterprises have been instrumental in driving adoption and satisfaction among customers such as Toyota, who value ThoughtSpot’s ease of use, advanced AI features, and true self-service BI capabilities.
“Japan is a critical market for ThoughtSpot, and we are thrilled to see such strong adoption from industry leaders,” said Kazuyo Yamashita, Country General Manager, ThoughtSpot Japan. “Our team’s relentless focus on customer success and local innovation has enabled us to address unique market needs and deliver real business impact. We are grateful for the trust our customers have placed in us and look forward to deepening these partnerships.”
About ThoughtSpot
ThoughtSpot is the Agentic Analytics Platform that empowers every enterprise to transform insights into action. Our mission is to create a more fact-driven world by delivering a platform where anyone can effortlessly explore any data, ask any question, and uncover actionable insights faster—leading to growth, better business outcomes, and efficiency in their organizations. Agentic AI combined with ThoughtSpot’s intuitive natural language search, every user can confidently discover proactive insights from their business data creating real-time decisioning with impact. The platform’s unified capabilities, along with our agentic AI analyst, Spotter, ensures insights are connected and pervasive, enabling users to create precise, transparent, personalized, and actionable insights with enterprise grade trust, security, and scale. Accessible via the web and mobile app, ThoughtSpot ensures intelligent decision-making happens seamlessly, wherever and whenever needed. For organizations looking to drive value, ThoughtSpot Embedded provides a low-code solution to integrate AI-powered analytics directly into products and services that make every application an intelligent experience, driving data monetization and boosting user engagement for customers. Industry leaders like NVIDIA, Toyota, Hilton Worldwide, Capital One and Matillion rely on ThoughtSpot to transform how their employees and customers take advantage of data to create better business outcomes. Try ThoughtSpot today and experience the new era of analytics.
PR Contact: Lindsay Noonan Director of Communications, ThoughtSpot press@thoughtspot.com
Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association
Headline: Media release: Pioneering marine turtle conservation project takes out top prize at energy industry awards – Australian Energy Producers
A decade-long environmental initiative led by Queensland’s LNG operators has taken out the top honour at the 2025 Australian Energy Producers Excellence Awards, held last night as part of the annual Conference and Exhibition in Brisbane.
The joint initiative from ConocoPhillips APLNG, Shell QGC, and Santos GLNG received the prestigious Chair’s Award for the Gladstone Long Term Turtle Management Plan – Pioneering Marine Turtle Conservation: A Decade of Industry Collaboration and Environmental Excellence.
The project, which exceeded regulatory requirements and achieved transformative outcomes, was recognised for setting a new benchmark in industry-led environmental stewardship.
It significantly advanced scientific understanding of marine turtle ecology and showcased exceptional collaboration between energy producers and environmental scientists.
Australian Energy Producers Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said the Chair’s Award recognises the best of the best, and the awards judges agreed this year’s winner exemplified long-term leadership, collaboration and innovation.
“This initiative not only protected vulnerable marine species but built lasting scientific partnerships that will benefit environmental research for years to come,” Ms McCulloch said.
“The winner of this year’s Chair’s Award demonstrated initiative, collaboration and positive outcomes that stood out among such a quality field on finalists.
“On behalf of our industry, I congratulate all the finalists and award recipients recognised tonight, who are showcasing just some of the extraordinary work our industry is doing around Australia,” Ms McCulloch said.
The annual awards celebrate outstanding achievements in environmental management, workplace safety, community engagement and workforce development. Winners in each category demonstrated excellence and innovation that is shaping the future of Australia’s energy industry.
Award Winners
Environment Project Excellence Award
ConocoPhillips Australia (on behalf of ConocoPhillips APLNG, Shell QGC, and Santos GLNG): Gladstone Long Term Turtle Management Plan
Awarded for its ground-breaking, collaborative approach to environmental research that set a new industry standard and significantly enhanced understanding of marine turtle ecology.
Recognised for achieving zero significant safety incidents across 360,000+ work hours on a complex offshore decommissioning project through strong safety culture and team engagement.
Community Development Excellence Award
Woodside Energy: Roebourne Pathways Program
Awarded for its innovative, community-led early childhood development program in Roebourne, which increased Aboriginal employment and parental engagement in a culturally sensitive framework.
Workforce Development Excellence Award
Santos: Real Thrives Here Program
Recognised for transforming the employee experience through a company-wide initiative designed to energise its workforce in tackling the challenges of the energy transition.
When I despairingly contemplate the horrors and cruelty that Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to, I sometimes try to put this in the context of where I live.
I live on the Kāpiti Coast in the lower North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Geographically it is around the same size as Gaza. Both have coastlines running their full lengths. But, whereas the population of Gaza is a cramped two million, Kāpiti’s is a mere 56,000.
The Gaza Strip . . . 2 million people living in a cramped outdoor prison about the same size as Kāpiti. Map: politicalbytes.blog
I find it incomprehensible to visualise what it would be like if what is presently happening in Gaza occurred here.
The only similarities between them are coastlines and land mass. One is an outdoor prison while the other’s outdoors is peaceful.
New Zealand and Palestine state recognition Currently Palestine has observer status at the United Nations General Assembly. In May last year, the Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of Palestine being granted full membership of the United Nations.
To its credit, New Zealand was among 143 countries that supported the resolution. Nine, including the United States as the strongest backer of Israeli genocide outside Israel, voted against.
However, despite this massive majority, such is the undemocratic structure of the UN that it only requires US opposition in the Security Council to veto the democratic vote.
Notwithstanding New Zealand’s support for Palestine broadening its role in the General Assembly and its support for the two-state solution, the government does not officially recognise Palestine.
While its position on recognition is consistent with that of the genocide-supporting United States, it is inconsistent with the over 75 percent of UN member states who, in March 2025, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state (by 147 of the 193 member states).
NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon . . . his government should “correct this obscenity” of not recognising Palestinians’ right to have a sovereign nation. Image: RNZ/politicalbytes.blog/
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s government does have the opportunity to correct this obscenity as Palestine recognition will soon be voted on again by the General Assembly.
In this context it is helpful to put the Hamas-led attack on Israel in its full historical perspective and to consider the reasons justifying the Israeli genocide that followed.
7 October 2023 and genocide justification The origin of the horrific genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the associated increased persecution, including killings, of Palestinians in the Israeli occupied West Bank (of the River Jordan) was not the attack by Hamas and several other militant Palestinian groups on 7 October 2023.
This attack was on a small Israeli town less than 2 km north of the border. An estimated 1,195 Israelis and visitors were killed.
The genocidal response of the Israeli government that followed this attack can only be justified by three factors:
The Judaism or ancient Jewishness of Palestine in Biblical times overrides the much larger Palestinian population in Mandate Palestine prior to formation of Israel in 1948;
The right of Israelis to self-determination overrides the right of Palestinians to self-determination; and
The value of Israeli lives overrides the value Palestinian lives.
The first factor is the key. The second and third factors are consequential. In order to better appreciate their context, it is first necessary to understand the Nakba.
Understanding the Nakba Rather than the October 2023 attack, the origin of the subsequent genocide goes back more than 70 years to the collective trauma of Palestinians caused by what they call the Nakba (the Disaster).
The foundation year of the Nakba was in 1948, but this was a central feature of the ethnic cleansing that was kicked off between 1947 and 1949.
During this period Zionist military forces attacked major Palestinian cities and destroyed some 530 villages. About 15,000 Palestinians were killed in a series of mass atrocities, including dozens of massacres.
The Nakba – the Palestinian collective trauma in 1948 that started ethnic cleansing by Zionist paramilitary forces. Image: David Robie/APR
During the Nakba in 1948, approximately half of Palestine’s predominantly Arab population, or around 750,000 people, were expelled from their homes or forced to flee. Initially this was through Zionist paramilitaries.
After the establishment of the State of Israel in May this repression was picked up by its military. Massacres, biological warfare (by poisoning village wells) and either complete destruction or depopulation of Palestinian-majority towns, villages, and urban neighbourhoods (which were then given Hebrew names) followed
By the end of the Nakba, 78 percent of the total land area of the former Mandatory Palestine was controlled by Israel.
Genocide to speed up ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing was unsuccessfully pursued, with the support of the United Kingdom and France, in the Suez Canal crisis of 1956. More successful was the Six Day War of 1967, which included the military and political occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Throughout this period ethnic cleansing was not characterised by genocide. That is, it was not the deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of a large number of people from a particular national or ethnic group with the aim of destroying them.
Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians began in May 1948 and has accelerated to genocide in 2023. Image: politicalbytes.blog
In fact, the acceptance of a two-state solution (Israel and Palestine) under the ill-fated Oslo Accords in 1993 and 1995 put a temporary constraint on the expansion of ethnic cleansing.
Since its creation in 1948, Israel, along with South Africa the same year (until 1994), has been an apartheid state. I discussed this in an earlier Political Bytes post (15 March 2025), When apartheid met Zionism.
However, while sharing the racism, discrimination, brutal violence, repression and massacres inherent in apartheid, it was not characterised by genocide in South Africa; nor was it in Israel for most of its existence until the current escalation of ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Following 7 October 2023, genocide has become the dominant tool in the ethnic cleansing tool kit. More recently this has included accelerating starvation and the bombing of tents of Gaza Palestinians.
The magnitude of this genocide is discussed further below.
The Biblical claim Zionism is a movement that sought to establish a Jewish nation in Palestine. It was established as a political organisation as late as 1897. It was only some time after this that Zionism became the most influential ideology among Jews generally.
Despite its prevalence, however, there are many Jews who oppose Zionism and play leading roles in the international protests against the genocide in Gaza.
Zionist ideology is based on a view of Palestine in the time of Jesus Christ. Image: politicalbytes.blog
Based on Zionist ideology, the justification for replacing Mandate Palestine with the state of Israel rests on a Biblical argument for the right of Jews to retake their “homeland”. This justification goes back to the time of that charismatic carpenter and prophet Jesus Christ.
The population of Palestine in Jesus’ day was about 500,000 to 600,000 (a little bigger than both greater Wellington and similar to that of Jerusalem today). About 18,000 of these residents were clergy, priests and Levites (a distinct male group within Jewish communities).
Jerusalem itself in biblical times, with a population of 55,000, was a diverse city and pilgrimage centre. It was also home to numerous Diaspora Jewish communities.
In fact, during the 7th century BC at least eight nations were settled within Palestine. In addition to Judaeans, they included Arameans, Samaritans, Phoenicians and Philistines.
A breakdown based on religious faiths (Jews, Christians and Muslims) provides a useful insight into how Palestine has evolved since the time of Jesus. Jews were the majority until the 4th century AD.
By the fifth century they had been supplanted by Christians and then from the 12th century to 1947 Muslims were the largest group. As earlier as the 12th century Arabic had become the dominant language. It should be noted that many Christians were Arabs.
Adding to this evolving diversity of ethnicity is the fact that during this time Palestine had been ruled by four empires — Roman, Persian, Ottoman and British.
Prior to 1948 the population of the region known as Mandate Palestine approximately corresponded to the combined Israel and Palestine today. Throughout its history it has varied in both size and ethnic composition.
The Ottoman census of 1878 provides an indicative demographic profile of its three districts that approximated what became Mandatory Palestine after the end of World War 1.
Group
Population
Percentage
Muslim citizens
403,795
86–87%
Christian citizens
43,659
9%
Jewish citizens
15,011
3%
Jewish (foreign-born)
Est. 5–10,000
1–2%
Total
Up to 472,465
100.0%
In 1882, the Ottoman Empire revealed that the estimated 24,000 Jews in Palestine represented just 0.3 percent of the world’s Jewish population.
The self-determination claim Based on religion the estimated population of Palestine in 1922 was 78 percent Muslim, 11 percent Jewish, and 10 percent Christian.
By 1945 this composition had changed to 58 percent Muslim, 33 percent Jewish and 8 percent Christian. The reason for this shift was the success of the Zionist campaigning for Jews to migrate to Palestine which was accelerated by the Jewish holocaust.
By 15 May 1948, the total population of the state of Israel was 805,900, of which 649,600 (80.6 percent) were Jews with Palestinians being 156,000 (19.4 percent). This turnaround was primarily due to the devastating impact of the Nakba.
Today Israel’s population is over 9.5 million of which over 77 percent are Jewish and more than 20 percent are Palestinian. The latter’s absolute growth is attributable to Israel’s subsequent geographic expansion, particularly in 1967, and a higher birth rate.
Palestine today (parts of West Bank under Israeli occupation). Map: politicalbytes.blog
The current population of the Palestinian Territories, including Gaza, is more than 5.5 million. Compare this with the following brief sample of much smaller self-determination countries — Slovenia (2.2 million), Timor-Leste (1.4 million), and Tonga (104,000).
The population size of the Palestinian Territories is more than half that of Israel. Closer to home it is a little higher than New Zealand.
The only reason why Palestinians continue to be denied the right to self-determination is the Zionist ideological claim linked to the biblical time of Jesus Christ and its consequential strategy of ethnic cleansing.
If it was not for the opposition of the United States, then this right would not have been denied. It has been this opposition that has enabled Israel’s strategy.
Comparative value of Palestinian lives The use of genocide as the latest means of achieving ethnic cleansing highlights how Palestinian lives are valued compared with Israeli lives.
While not of the same magnitude appropriated comparisons have been made with the horrific ethnic cleansing of Jews through the means of the holocaust by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Per capita the scale of the magnitude gap is reduced considerably.
Since October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry (and confirmed by the World Health Organisation) more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed. Of those killed over 16,500 were children. Compare this with less than 2000 Israelis killed.
Further, at least 310 UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) team members have been killed along with over 200 journalists and media workers. Add to this around 1400 healthcare workers including doctors and nurses.
What also can’t be forgotten is the increasing Israeli ethnic cleansing on the occupied West Bank. Around 950 Palestinians, including around 200 children, have also been killed during this same period.
Time for New Zealand to recognise Palestine The above discussion is in the context of the three justifications for supporting the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians strategy that goes back to 1948 and which, since October 2023, is being accelerated by genocide.
First, it requires the conviction that the theology of Judaism in Palestine in the biblical times following the birth of Jesus Christ trumps both the significantly changing demography from the 5th century at least to the mid-20th century and the numerical predominance of Arabs in Mandate Palestine;
Second, and consequentially, it requires the conviction that while Israelis are entitled to self-determination, Palestinians are not; and
Finally, it requires that Israeli lives are much more valuable than Palestinian lives. In fact, the latter have no value at all.
Unless the government, including Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, shares these convictions (especially the “here and now” second and third) then it should do the right thing first by unequivocally saying so, and then by recognising the right of Palestine to be an independent state.
Ian Powell is a progressive health, labour market and political “no-frills” forensic commentator in New Zealand. A former senior doctors union leader for more than 30 years, he blogs at Second Opinion and Political Bytes, where this article was first published. Republished with the author’s permission.
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
The ACCC has outlined its preliminary competition concerns with Elders Limited (Elders)’ (ASX:ELD) proposed acquisition of Delta Agribusiness (Delta) in a Statement of Issues published today.
Elders and Delta supply rural merchandise such as agricultural chemicals, seed, fertiliser, animal health products and related services, such as agronomy services, through their retail networks. Both companies also supply rural merchandise to wholesale customers in Western Australia.
“Competition in the supply of rural merchandise is critical to Australian farmers and our global competitiveness in agricultural products,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.
“We have preliminary concerns that the proposed acquisition may lead to higher prices or reduced quality in the supply of rural merchandise without an independent Delta competing with Elders following this proposed acquisition.”
The ACCC is concerned that the proposed acquisition may reduce competition in the retail supply of rural merchandise in various local markets, and at a broader regional, state or national level.
“Elders and Delta, through their networks of stores, are both significant retail suppliers of rural merchandise in Australia,” Mr Keogh said.
The ACCC’s preliminary view is that the proposed acquisition is likely to substantially lessen competition in the retail supply of rural merchandise in certain local markets in the North-West Victoria, Northern Wheatbelt (WA), Central Wheatbelt (WA), Great Southern (WA) and Murray-Mallee (SA) regions. The ACCC is also exploring potential concerns in other local markets where both Delta and Elders have a retail presence, and at a broader geographic level.
“We are continuing to investigate how closely Elders and Delta retail stores compete with each other, and the extent to which larger retail chains and smaller retailers (or smaller chains) are likely to compete with Elders if the proposed acquisition were to proceed,” Mr Keogh said.
“A key issue we are testing is the extent to which having a chain of retail stores assists Delta to compete with Elders more effectively than smaller retailers, both in individual local markets, and across a broader geographic area,” Mr Keogh said.
The ACCC is also considering whether the proposed acquisition would reduce competition at the wholesale level in Western Australia, or whether alternative suppliers would be able to compete with Elders effectively, should it acquire Delta.
The ACCC has not reached a concluded view on any of the issues outlined.
The ACCC invites submissions in response to the Statement of Issues by 12 June 2025. Parties can contact the ACCC via mergers@accc.gov.au.
‘Agronomy services’ refer to advice provided to farmers by qualified individuals known as agronomists with specialised knowledge in soil and plant sciences. It encompasses a range of advice and services aimed at optimising crop production and farm management.
Rural merchandise is an umbrella term for agricultural products purchased by farmers as inputs into operating a farm and includes agricultural chemicals, seed, fertiliser, animal health products and other miscellaneous merchandise. Some rural merchandise stores also offer agronomic advice.
Background
Elders is an ASX-listed (ASX:ELD) agribusiness. It supplies rural merchandise through its 245 Elders-owned retail stores across the country and also supplies independent stores via its national wholesale business, Australian Independent Rural Retailers (AIRR). Elders also provides agronomic services, livestock and wool agency, real estate, financial, and feed and processing services across Australia.
Delta is an Australian retail supplier of a range of rural merchandise products and related services. Delta operates 64 retail stores, primarily in regional areas of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and also operates a wholesale business (Delta WA) in Western Australia. Delta also provides agronomic services, livestock agency, grain marketing, real estate and financial services.
Headline: AI in process manufacturing: From operational gains to strategic advantage
80% of manufacturers are exploring AI.1Here’s how leaders are moving from pilots to measurable impact.
We see tremendous AI adoption across process manufacturing industries. The focus is shifting from experimenting with pilots to implementing AI in a way that delivers real business value. Leaders are now focused on how to get started and how to ensure a clear return on investment. Artificial Intelligence in Process Manufacturing: Preparing for an AI Future, a new manufacturing signals industry report published by Microsoft with research by IoT Analytics, presents insights into how manufacturers in process industries prioritize technology today and where AI fits into the picture. The report provides valuable insights for navigating the implementation of AI.
Get the Artificial Intelligence in Process Manufacturing report
AI adoption is accelerating and entering a new phase
AI is gaining real traction in process manufacturing. Building on investments in Internet of Things (IoT), automation, and advanced process controls, manufacturers are focused on how AI can drive enterprise-wide decision-making and long-term value. This shift is no longer about if AI is worth pursuing—it’s about how to start effectively and drive measurable impact. As manufacturers move from pilot programs to broader deployment, the opportunity extends beyond task-level automation. AI is enabling predictive, real-time decision making across operations, research and development (R&D), and the supply chain—unlocking value that legacy systems can’t deliver alone. From my conversations with customers, the biggest barrier to generative AI isn’t the technology, it’s getting the data right.
This next phase of AI adoption depends on strong data foundations, grounded in enterprise data and context, with clear business alignment, and an organization-wide readiness to operationalize insights. Manufacturers that get this right are already seeing the results.
AI is supporting real business priorities
AI is helping manufacturers tackle two of their top business priorities: improving operational efficiency and driving revenue growth. By reducing waste, minimizing downtime, and optimizing output, AI-powered insights enable targeted operational improvements. The same data intelligence also fuels research and development (R&D), accelerates time-to-market, and uncovers opportunities for market expansion and business differentiation. One global chemical company reported that AI helped reduce the time-to-market for molecular enhancements from six months to just six to eight weeks1—a powerful example of how operational innovation translates into business acceleration.
The signals report also explores how industrial AI drives benefits beyond cost and throughput, from better data integration to improved customer satisfaction—ultimately enabling smarter, faster decisions across the value chain.
AI use cases with measurable business impact
The signals report surfaces real-world use cases where AI is delivering measurable results—not just technical improvements, but business transformation. From reducing downtime to accelerating product development, industrial leaders are applying AI in areas such as:
Process optimization
Sustainability, energy efficiency, and waste reduction
Research and development
Predictive maintenance and analytics
Adoption is scaling fast: 80% of manufacturers surveyed are either using or planning to adopt generative AI. These solutions are driving change across every level of the organization—from frontline operations to management decision-making.
A rubber and plastics manufacturer reported significant improvements to plastic design for more efficient production. A chemical company achieved a 90% reduction in demand forecasting costs and dramatically accelerated knowledge retrieval—enabling users to access answers in seconds instead of days.1 And in the words of one life sciences organization: “Our employees have more power to support farmers, help cure diseases and see consumers healthier.”1
These examples offer a compelling view into how industrial AI is already reshaping core operations, creating value well beyond the pilot stage.
Addressing security and complexity head-on
As more manufacturers embrace AI, leading organizations are not just navigating challenges—they’re building the strategies to overcome them. The signals report highlights two areas that require thoughtful planning: security and system complexity.
Security remains a key consideration. Nearly half of respondents say concerns around data protection—from IP theft to regulatory compliance—impact their AI adoption decisions. In industries where uptime, safety, and proprietary processes are critical, protecting sensitive data is non-negotiable.
Fortunately, security and AI aren’t mutually exclusive. Companies are investing in responsible AI practices, secure architectures, and governance models that enable innovation without compromising protection.
Complexity is the other major hurdle. Legacy systems often lack interoperability, and introducing AI may require adapting long-standing workflows. But many manufacturers are proving that modernization is possible—and that the payoff is worth it.
The signals report offers guidance on how to approach these challenges with the right foundation, so AI becomes a source of advantage, not friction.
Laying the foundation
Successful AI adoption requires a strong governance framework—it’s not about experimenting endlessly with every possible AI use case but rather focusing on the most strategic use cases that will deliver business value. Building this framework requires the right foundation to scale impact over time. Leading manufacturers are taking a structured approach: aligning AI investments to business goals, modernizing infrastructure, and investing in the skills needed to sustain innovation.
The signals report outlines four practical steps manufacturers are taking to move from isolated pilots to enterprise-wide transformation:
Identify business needs
Embrace structural flexibility
Get the data in order
Use AI to develop workforce capabilities
These are more than recommendations—they reflect what real manufacturers are doing to turn AI into a competitive advantage. And for many, AI is no longer optional, but essential to unlocking the next wave of efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness. The signals report brings each step to life with examples from the field.
Download the full report on Artificial Intelligence in Process Manufacturing to explore the research, benchmark your readiness, and take your next step toward AI-powered transformation.
Preparing for an AI future
Artificial Intelligence in Process Manufacturing
1 Artificial Intelligence in Process Manufacturing
Yury Gomez
Global Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer, Process Manufacturing Industry, Microsoft
Yury is the Global Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer for Process Manufacturing at Microsoft. With over 20 years of industry experience, she leads the GTM strategy and execution to help Fortune 500 manufacturers innovate at scale with AI and digital tech, driving end-to-end transformation and overcoming adoption hurdles to accelerate industry impact.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Henning, PhD Candidate in Feline Behaviour, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide
Ever wonder if your cat could pick you out of a line up?
New research suggests they could … but maybe not in the way you would expect.
Previous research has found that only 54% of cats could recognise humans by their face alone.
So how does your cat know it’s you?
Studying the sniff
A new study published today in PLOS One suggests your cat can recognise you by your smell. This feat has not been studied before and may reveal another layer of depth within cat-human bonds.
Cats often get a bad rap for being aloof or uncaring about the people in their lives, but a growing number of studies are finding the opposite to be true. We now know that cats learn the names we give them, cats and their guardians form their own communication style, and most cats will pick human social interaction over food, a choice even dogs struggle with.
And now, thanks to this most recent study, we know that cats can identify their people by smell, something they also rely on to identify their close feline social groups.
The study, by Yutaro Miyairi and colleagues at Tokyo University of Agriculture, investigated the ability of 30 cats to differentiate between their guardian and an unknown person based on scent alone.
Cats in the study were presented with a plastic tube containing swab samples from under the armpit, behind the ear and between the toes of either the cat’s guardian or of a human they had never met. As a control, cats were also presented with an empty plastic tube.
The results?
Cats in the study spent longer sniffing the scent of an unknown person compared to the scent of their guardian or the empty tube.
A shorter sniffing time suggests that when cats came across the smell of their guardian, they recognised it quickly and moved along. But when they came to the swabs from an unknown person, the cat sniffed longer, using their superior sense of smell to gather information about the scent.
Similar patterns have been observed previously, with kittens sniffing the odour of unknown female cats longer than the odour of their own mother, and adult cats sniffing the faeces of unfamiliar cats longer than those within their social group.
The findings of this new study may indicate that we, too, are in our cats’ social circle.
Cats do use their sense of smell to tell apart familiar and unfamiliar cats. Chris Boyer/Unsplash
The brain and the nose
The study also found a tendency for cats to sniff familiar scents with their left nostril, while unknown scents were more often sniffed using their right. But when cats became familiar with a scent after sniffing for a while, they switched nostrils from the right to the left.
While this may sound like an odd finding, it’s a pattern that has also been observed in dogs. Current research suggests this nostril preference may indicate that cats process and classify new information using their right brain hemisphere, while the left hemisphere takes over when a routine response is established.
Cats will sniff things with different nostrils depending on whether the information is familiar or not. Kevin Knezic/Unsplash
Why scent?
Cats rely on scent to gather information about the world around them and to communicate.
Scent exchange (through cheek-to-cheek rubbing and grooming each other) is used as a way to recognise cats in the same social circle, maintain group cohesion, and identify unfamiliar cats or other animals that may pose a threat or need to be avoided.
Familiar scents can also be comforting to cats, reducing stress and anxiety and creating a sense of security within their environment.
When you come back from a holiday, if you notice your cat being distant and acting like you’re a total stranger, it might be because you smell like one. Try taking a shower using your usual home products and put on some of your regular home clothing. The familiar scents should help you and your cat settle back into your old dynamic sooner.
And remember, if your cat spends a lot of time sniffing someone else, it’s not because they prefer them. It’s likely because your scent is familiar and requires less work. Instead of being new and interesting, it might do something even better: help your cat feel at home.
Julia Henning 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.
The following article contains material that some readers might find distressing.
Around the world, knives are a popular weapon of choice among criminals. In Australia, for example, they are the most common weapon used in homicides. And in countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, knife crime has recently been on the rise.
As common as they are, stabbings are also difficult to investigate. Our new study, published this week in WIREs Forensic Science, presents the most comprehensive review to date of the methods used by forensic investigators for the reconstruction of knife crimes. It also highlights the limitations of these methods and introduces mechanical and robotic stabbing machines as a solution.
These technologies could significantly enhance forensic science and criminal investigations in the pursuit of justice.
An intensely personal act of violence
Stabbing is an intensely personal act of violence, carefully planned or opportunistic. It reflects not just an intent to harm but also a direct, physical engagement with the victim.
Forensic investigators will rely on a range of evidence to investigate a stabbing. For example, they will gather statements from any witnesses. But witnesses’ memory can be affected by issues such as shock, lighting conditions or their vantage point.
Forensic investigators will also gather physical evidence left behind after a stabbing. This can include bloodstain patterns, sharp-force damage in wounds and clothing, and impression evidence. It can also include trace evidence such as DNA, fibres, soil, glass and pollen from the victims clothing or suspected weapon.
This physical evidence is crucial for the next step of a criminal investigation: reconstructing a crime scene.
Knife cuts from a blunt blade (left) and a sharp blade (right) in cotton fabric reveal distinct yarn and fibre patterns, which forensic experts analyse to help identify the weapon used. Stevie Ziogos
A forensic puzzle
Investigators reconstruct a crime scene to determine the type of weapon used, estimate whether the stabbing was intentional or not and how forceful it was. But many variables complicate the analysis.
For example, the attacker’s (or attackers’) physical characteristics such as their size, strength or preferred hand, their familiarity and experience in handling knives can all influence the stabbing motion. So too can the characteristics of a knife.
The victim’s build, positioning, area of impact, and even the number of clothing layers they have on can also affect how a blade enters the body. For example, stabbing with a kitchen knife and slashing with a machete leave vastly different injuries, just as a thick jacket can slow or deflect a blade.
Reconstructing a stabbing is a forensic puzzle. It requires a combination of scientific analysis, investigative techniques and the collaborative effort of experts. Each specialist provides a comprehensive perspective on the victim, the weapon, the manner in which it was used, and the impact of the surrounding environment.
An accurate simulated stabbing
In many stabbing investigations, it is necessary to confirm evidence through simulation.
Our new research focuses on the different ways stabbing simulations are conducted. It provides an overview of current methodologies used to reconstruct sharp-force events, especially considering the role of clothing in the reconstruction.
A well-planned simulation must account for key variables affecting damage to the body and textiles. These factors fall into three categories:
Pre-impact (garment type, weapon and assailant-victim characteristics)
Impact (stabbing method, force and angle)
Post-impact (body decomposition, manipulation, contamination and environmental effects).
While adding more parameters can improve the realism of a simulation, it may also introduce complexity that reduces accuracy. Because of this, careful planning is pivotal.
A mix of methods is best
The choice of simulation method depends on available personnel, tools and funding. Approaches are typically categorised as manual or mechanical, with emerging research exploring the potential of robotic systems.
Manual simulations rely on human effort to replicate stabbing motions. They remain widely used in forensic testing and provide valuable insights into wound characteristics, biomechanics, and protective materials. But they can be subjective, particularly in force estimation and motion consistency.
Mechanical simulations address this issue by using devices for controlled, repeatable tests. While they reduce variability, they are often limited by restricted motion, force constraints, and a lack of standardisation in forensic protocols.
Robotic simulations offer a promising alternative. They combine the adaptability of manual approaches with the precision and repeatability of mechanical systems.
However, their forensic application is still being developed. They also face challenges such as cost, accessibility, professional expertise and the need for validation in real-world casework.
Our research suggests that combining manual simulations with robotic and mechanical systems can enhance the accuracy and reliability of stabbing simulations. The manual approach can be used to train robotic systems that replicate human actions while ensuring consistent and controlled measurements.
By adopting this combined approach, forensic science can bridge crucial gaps in crime scene reconstruction. In turn, this would improve the interpretation of stabbing incidents and the pursuit of justice.
We acknowledge that the research discussed in this article was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Kari Pitts, ChemCentre.
Alasdair Dempsey, Ian Dadour, and Stevie Ziogos do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
Additional investment in science and technology could mean an extra 41,000 hours of police time available every day across England and Wales to be reinvested in neighbourhood policing and preventing crime.
Police chiefs are calling for the government to allocate circa £220 million to science and technology per year over the three-year spending review period to scale up tested science and technology capabilities.
As police chiefs set out their strategy for use of data and digital technology over the next five years, they make the case for government investment to enable police to roll out technology that has been successfully trialled across England and Wales.
The independent Policing Productivity Review of forces in England and Wales reported examples of science and technology driving productivity. The Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to Policing estimates that these projects saved 347,656 of workforce hours per year and led to direct savings of £8.2 million a year in costs. If they were scaled nationally, and similar gains were made in all 43 forces, potentially up to 15 million hours, worth £370m per year, could be saved and reallocated each year.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said:
“A decade with very limited capital investment into policing has meant prioritising maintaining existing technology over innovation. The vast majority of police force technology budgets are spent on ageing systems and simply keeping the lights on. This has to change.
“Criminals are investing in technology to do harm; we need to invest to keep up and stop them.
“With government investment in the spending review, we are ready to roll out technology which could save millions of hours, finish investigations in days instead of months and keep pace with criminal advancements.
“Without investment, we will fall behind rather than become more productive. We will not be able to restore neighbourhood policing. Halving violence against women and girls and knife crime will become much harder to reach targets.”
A refreshed National Policing Digital Strategy 2025-2030 developed by NPCC, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) working with Police Digital Service (PDS) has also been published today. It sets out police digital and data ambitions and the roadmap to achieving them. This supports the NPCC’s Science and Technology Strategy published in May 2023.
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Digital, Data and Technology Chief Constable Rob Carden, said: “Over the last decade, digital technology and data and analytics have become integral to policing’s ability to deliver an effective and efficient service and policing will spend nearly £2 billion on it in the next financial year. Policing must change the way we approach data, digital and technology to ensure we invest in solutions which can be used nationally across all police forces.
“The National Policing Digital Strategy will provide the direction, purpose and roadmap necessary for forces to enable the changes required. Working towards common goals, which can be upscaled at pace nationally to ensure we are making the savings in time and money in order to help our officers catch criminals and protect the public using data, digital and technology in the most effective way.
“One of our key ambitions is to give local communities more convenient ways to get in touch with their local force through improving things such as websites and apps, whilst developing a range self-service digital engagement channels that anyone is able to use and access.
“Transparency, fairness and ethical standards will be at the heart of all we implement.”
Examples of investment:
Roll out Live Face Recognition units. On average, throughout 2024, there were 60 arrests per month across the three forces currently using Live Facial Recognition, of which a quarter involved registered sex offenders. Live Facial Recognition reduces the time spent on investigations, ultimately meaning swifter justice.
Roll out Rapid Video Response – a video call software that offers a discreet, quick and specialist police response to non-urgent reports of domestic abuse. Developed by Kent Police, it has led to a decrease in the average response time from 32 hours to just three minutes, and a 50% increase in arrests.
Complete build of a newnational digital forensics’ platform. Checking digital devices for evidence takes a lot of police time. A national digital forensics’ platform will help officers to process evidence on digital devices more quickly, return devices faster and make the process less intrusive for victims. This will help to address the current backlog of around 25,000 devices and keep pace with digital crime, which is growing 29 per cent annually.
Enable the public to contact the police in the way that suits them best including adding services like AI-powered assistances and online case tracking, which in turn will reduce wait times for 101 or 999.
Developing data and digital capability to catch offenders and protect victims. This includes creation of a national Data and Analytics Office, which will lead improvements in data quality, compliance and sharing across the criminal justice system. Continued investment in analytical capability will exploit this data, enabling, e.g. predictive tooling for multi-agency risk assessments and geo-spatial analyses to identify and address unsafe spaces. To date, this work has saved around £1m p.a. per force in productive time, by enabling efficient officer deployment, while early ANPR journey analysis has quadrupled drugs seizures.
Funding a national Continuous Integrity Screening capability to provide ongoing detection of unacceptable behaviour from officers and staff and the removal of those who pose a risk.
Expanding our regional centres for Robotic Process Automation. In the three regions where it is deployed, automation is securing a return on investment of £8 in time saving for every £1 spent, covering 150 different administrative and crime management processes in relation to crime management and admin processes. Its national deployment will ultimately reduce administrative burden on frontline officers.
Roll out nationally video and text redaction tools, automatic translation capabilities, summarisation tooling, and new deepfake detection capabilities. Recent trials suggest these tools will offer significant time efficiencies and a better quality of service, with text redaction alone estimated to save around 1 million hours of workforce time, estimated at £16m a year.
Fund the police service’s Aviation Pathway Programme will consider use of Unmanned Arial Systems (i.e., drones). in investigations, surveillance and, to emergency response; improving service and reducing costs.
Latest research from the University of Birmingham and University Sheffield has demonstrated a clear link to increased economic growth and prosperity from investment in policing. Investment in policing, including technology investment, can lead to reduced demand on other parts of the public sector, level the playing field for companies who have to absorb the costs of crime, and reduce the need for the public to spend money as a consequence of crime.
For example the relationship between house prices and crime reduction shows that each £1 invested in policing yields £4.17 in economic benefits. Based on this, a 10% increase in policing i.e. around £1.7bn per year, will generate £14.5 billion in net benefits over twelve years, equivalent to 0.5% of annual GDP. Find out more in Issue 2 of Policing Tomorrow.
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Contact Portfolio today (29 May) announces a significant step forward in policing transparency and efficiency: the publication of monthly 101 call wait time data. This initiative demonstrates the continued commitment of police forces across England and Wales to improving public contact, responsiveness, and service accessibility.
Starting with figures for the financial year 2024/25, the data – published on Police.uk – will offer the public clearer insights into how long it takes to reach their local force via 101. The publication of these figures reflects years of dedicated efforts to modernise police contact systems, introduce technology-driven solutions, and provide greater accountability to the communities that police serve.
Policing Efforts Cut 101 Call Wait Times to Just 32 Seconds
Significant advancements in contact management, including enhanced digital triage, AI-driven call routing, and smarter resourcing strategies, have led to a remarkable reduction in 101 call wait times across the country – now just 30 seconds.
This achievement reflects the dedication of forces in adopting modern solutions and refining call-handling processes to ensure that members of the public receive swift assistance when they need it. Investments in intelligent queuing systems, workforce optimisation, and automated call-back technology have played a pivotal role in delivering these improvements.
The NPCC Contact Management Portfolio remains committed to further refining these systems, driving innovation, and maintaining the highest standards in public service efficiency.
T/DCC Catherine Akehurst is the outgoing NPCC Contact Management Lead and has led the development and implementation of this initiative. She said:
“This marks a defining moment in how policing connects with the public. The journey to reach this point has been one of collaboration, dedication, and sheer determination by colleagues across forces who have worked tirelessly to modernise contact management.
“From refining call-handling processes to integrating new technologies, every step has been guided by a commitment to ensuring that people who need assistance can access it efficiently. I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed their expertise and passion to this project; it is their ingenuity and perseverance that have made this possible.”
DCC Simon Megicks is the Digital Public Contact Lead and new NPCC Contact Management Lead. He added:
“Publishing this data is not only about transparency – it is about progress. Police forces are now leveraging artificial intelligence, digital call-routing, and smarter triage systems to enhance contact management like never before. We are at the forefront of technological transformation in policing, ensuring that public interactions become more efficient, seamless, and responsive.
“I want to thank T/DCC Catherine Akehurst and all those who have worked to bring us to this moment. Now, we move forward – continuing to evolve, innovate, and push the boundaries of what is possible in contact management. The future is bright, and this initiative is just the beginning of what’s to come.”
“This new standard in transparency and data publication reinforces policing’s commitment to continuous improvement in service accessibility, responsiveness, and efficiency. As forces integrate smarter digital solutions and refine operational processes, the focus remains on providing reliable and responsive contact management for communities across the country.”
Think Before You Call – Keep Emergency Lines Clear This Summer
With summer approaching, police forces are preparing for a surge in calls. The warmer months bring an increase in demand, and it’s essential that emergency lines remain clear for those who truly need urgent help.
999 is for emergencies only – serious crimes, threats to life, and situations requiring immediate police response. 101 should be used for genuine police matters, such as reporting non-urgent crime or seeking advice from your local force.
Unfortunately, we receive a surprising number of unnecessary calls, which clog up the system and delay responses for those in real need. Some examples include complaints about fast-food orders, requests for lost remote controls, and even enquiries about celebrity gossip.
Here are some unexpected examples of emergency calls that, in reality, were far from urgent:
Cambridgeshire Police received calls from individuals asking for assistance with homework and even placing requests for fast food.
Gloucestershire Police were dialled on 999 over a spilled cup of coffee and grievances about car wash employees.
Hertfordshire Constabulary had a caller seeking nothing more than a phone number for a taxi service.
Police urge the public to pause and consider before calling – if the issue isn’t police-related, it could be taking time away from someone in distress. Let’s keep the lines open for those who truly need help and ensure our emergency services can focus on keeping communities safe.
Many police forces now offer digital contact options, making it easier for people to get the help they need without picking up the phone.
Police.uk provides a range of services to help people report crimes, seek support, and access policing information. Here are some key services available:
Reporting Crimes – You can report incidents such as theft, fraud, domestic abuse, hate crimes, and missing persons online.
Advice & Support – The site offers guidance on staying safe, dealing with crime, and understanding your rights.
Local Policing Information – Find out about crime rates, policing teams, and safety initiatives in your area.
Performance & Statistics – Access data on police effectiveness and crime trends across the UK.
StreetSafe – A tool that allows people to highlight areas where they feel unsafe, helping police improve public safety.
The Police.UK app, available on Google Play and the iOS App Store, makes reporting crime and accessing vital policing information easier than ever. Whether you want to track local crime trends, find practical safety advice for your home, or stay updated on your local police team’s activities, the app puts essential services at your fingertips. Any contact made through the app is handled by the same trained professionals who manage 101 calls, ensuring consistent and reliable support.
Exceptional Kiwi businesses and outstanding individuals who are driving industry productivity, innovation and job creation have been honoured at New Zealand’s inaugural Minister for Manufacturing Awards. “Manufacturing fuels the economy by contributing over 8.4 percent to New Zealand’s GDP, generating more than 250,000 jobs and reinforcing our position as a global competitor,” Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Chris Penk says. “The 2025 Minister for Manufacturing Awards celebrated the prosperity this industry drives and most importantly, the outstanding people behind it.” Held yesterday evening at Christchurch’s premier industry showcase, SouthMACH, the event was hosted by Mr Penk in collaboration with Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa. “The calibre of finalists and winners reflects the strength and diversity of New Zealand’s manufacturing sector – from suppliers of sustainably harvested timber, to developers of ground-breaking recycling technologies and producers of life-saving medical equipment,” Mr Penk says. “These businesses are led by innovative thinkers and powered by skilled, hard-working Kiwis. Their success is something we can all take pride in and shows that manufacturing will continue to play a significant role in shaping New Zealand into a world-class economy.”
The awards recognise excellence across four key categories. The winners are:
Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year supported by Enztec: Michael Vitale – Pacific Steel Michael is working towards his Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship through Competenz at Pacific Steel. His early completion of theory components and impressive focus on health and safety in example projects shows remarkable dedication, and his success has encouraged the company to open apprenticeships to other operations employees.
Excellence in Manufacturing Leadership supported by Lawson Williams Consulting: Nathan Hay –Argus ManuTech Nathan Hay is a passionate manufacturing leader who has championed technology adoption, grown the workforce and empowered his team through focused upskilling. Mr Hays has led impactful partnerships, including med-tech ventures with MARS Bioimaging, that highlight how progressive manufacturing can drive positive social and environmental outcomes.
Excellence in Process Innovation supported by Swell Group: Breadcraft Wairarapa Ltd Breadcraft Wairarapa is a fourth-generation artisan bakery that’s been proudly baking in Masterton since 1942. Through innovative brands like Rebel Bakehouse, they’re combining tradition, sustainability and creativity to lead New Zealand’s baking evolution.
Manufacturer of the Year supported by BNZ: Douglas Pharmaceuticals Douglas Pharmaceuticals specialises in high-barrier prescription medicines, produced in FDA and TGA-certified GMP facilities. They have grown from a family business into a people-focused industry leader that is continually innovating and delivering strong financial results. Douglas Pharmaceuticals sets the benchmark for New Zealand manufacturing and is a worthy recipient of this award.
“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the outstanding businesses and individuals honoured at the awards ceremony, and a sincere thanks to everyone who entered and attended,” Mr Penk says. “Your dedication to building a thriving industry inspires the future generations of Kiwi makers and creators. I look forward to celebrating your achievements again at future Minister for Manufacturing Awards.”
LAS VEGAS, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jena Acquisition Corporation II (“Jena II” or the “Company”) announced today that it priced its initial public offering of 20,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The units will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and trade under the ticker symbol “JENA.U” beginning May 29, 2025. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one right entitling the holder thereof to receive one-twentieth of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial business combination. The Class A ordinary shares and rights comprising the units are expected to begin separate trading no later than the 52nd day following this date. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and rights are expected to be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “JENA” and “JENA.R,” respectively.
Santander is acting as sole book-running manager. The Company has granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.
The offering was made by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from Santander US Capital Markets LLC, 437 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Attention: ECM Syndicate, by email at equity-syndicate@santander.us, or by telephone at 833-818-1602.
A registration statement relating to the securities became effective on May 28, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The offering is expected to close on May 30, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
About Jena Acquisition Corporation II
The Company is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue a business combination in any business or industry, it intends to capitalize on the ability of its management team and initially focus its search on identifying a prospective target business that can benefit from its co-founder and Chairman William P. Foley, II’s and its co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Richard N. Massey’s historical areas of business expertise. W. Dabbs Cavin, Dexter Fowler and Tim Hsia will be serving as board members.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the proposed initial public offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s preliminary prospectus for the Company’s offering filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.
Since debuting in February 2024, Samsung Electronics’ Bespoke AI Laundry Combo1 has sold more than 100,000 units in Korea and won 21 major awards,2 building a strong presence in the all-in-one washer-dryer market.
Designed to boost convenience and make smarter use of time and space, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo is reshaping daily life. Samsung Newsroom took an inside look at how that transformation is taking place and why.
Wash and Dry in One Go — A Simpler Routine for Better Living
According to a Samsung survey3 of 206 buyers in Korea who purchased all-in-one washer-dryers released in 2024, respondents cited the following top reasons for their purchase — no laundry transfer needed (23%), saving space (21%), single installation for both washing and drying (12%), and one-step operation from wash to dry (11%).
As laundry becomes simpler and more convenient, how and when people do it is evolving. Compared to before purchasing all-in-one models, people are washing their clothes more frequently. Dual-income households, in particular, are increasingly doing their laundry on weeknights after work.
As washing and drying are completed in a single automated cycle, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo allows users to simply load their clothes, press start and walk away. There’s no need to wait around or manually move wet clothes to a separate dryer. Furthermore, the Auto Open Door feature even opens the door automatically once drying is complete, releasing moisture quickly and enhancing hygiene and convenience.
Simple Setup, Smarter Use of Space and AI-Optimized Cycles
The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo also offers improved space efficiency and greater flexibility in installation. Unlike conventional setups that require separate space for both washer and dryer units, the all-in-one unit reduces spatial demand by around 40%,4 with no need to stack two machines or place them side-by-side. Its lower height also allows for extra shelving in laundry or utility rooms.
▲ The Bespoke AI Laundry Combo reduces spatial demand by around 40% compared to conventional washer and dryer setups.
In addition, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo’s AI-powered features significantly boost efficiency. AI Wash & Dry5 automatically selects the best wash and dry settings based on weight, fabric type and soil level, removing the need for manual configuration.
In the survey, customers in Korea expressed high satisfaction6 with features like the Flex Auto Dispense System7 (91%) and AI Energy Mode8 (89%). The Flex Auto Dispense System adjusts the detergent amount to suit the load of laundry when detergent is pre-filled in the compartment, reducing maintenance hassle and preventing overuse or underuse of detergent, which is a common issue with conventional washing machines.
Energy efficiency has also improved, as the 2025 Bespoke AI Laundry Combo consumes 45% less electricity per kilogram than the minimum required for top-rated front-load washers in Korea.9 With AI Energy Mode, users can reduce energy consumption by up to 60% without compromising performance.10
Samsung continues to drive the popularization of all-in-one washer-dryers by introducing products with industry-leading drying capacity.11 The 2025 Bespoke AI Laundry Combo increases capacity by 3kg to a total of 18kg, while reducing drying time by 20 minutes to complete a full wash-and-dry cycle in as little as 79 minutes.12
“We are committed to introducing more products like the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo that bring meaningful changes to users’ daily lives,” said Jong-Hun Sung, Vice President and Head of Clothing Care R&D Group at Digital Appliances (DA) Business, Samsung Electronics. “With our innovative technology and focus on personalized user experiences, we aim to open a new chapter in home appliances.”
As laundry becomes an increasingly seamless experience, Samsung will continue to enable a smarter, more convenient way of living, one cycle at a time.
1 All information regarding the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo in this article is based on products launched in South Korea. Product specifications may vary by country and region of release. For accurate information, please refer to the official sales outlet or the manufacturer’s website in your country.
2 Recognitions include Winner of the iF Design Award (2024, 2025), Finalist of the IDEA Design Award (2024), Bronze for the Good Design Award by the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (2024), Winner of the Korea Innovation Frontier Award by the Korean Standards Association (2024), Honoree at the CES Innovation Awards (2024), Winner of the Ergonomic Design Award by the Ergonomics Society of Korea (2024), Korea Green Product of the Year by the Korea Green Purchasing Network (2024), Winner of the Jang Young-Shil Award by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (2024), Winner of the Korea Electronics Show Innovation Award (2024), No.1 in INNO STAR and GREEN STAR by Korea Management Registrar Inc. (2024, 2025), No.1 in Home Appliance A/S in the KS-SQI and KSQI by the Korean Standards Association and Korea Management Association Consultants respectively (2024), No.1 in the Washer-Dryer Category in the KS-QEI by the Korean Standards Association (2024), Winner of the Korea Brand Hall of Fame by the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies (2025), Winner of the Canstar Blue Most Innovative Award in Australia (2025), and No.1 in the Washer-Dryer Category by Consumer Reports in the United States (2024, 2025).
3 Based on an online survey conducted on 206 buyers of all-in-one washer-dryers in Korea, including 154 who purchased Samsung’s Bespoke AI Laundry Combo. Participants included purchase decision-makers, primary users and buyers of models released in 2024.
4 When installing the Bespoke AI Washer (25kg) and Dryer (22kg) in a stacked configuration, the required height is 1,890mm. In a side-by-side configuration, the required width is 980mm. In comparison, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo has a height of 1,110mm and width of 686mm.
5 Detects fabric type under AI Wash & Dry mode for loads up to 3kg. Detects soil level under the same mode for loads up to 9kg. Detects a total of five fabric types — normal, towels, delicates, denim and outdoor — and when multiple fabric types are mixed, identifies them as either “normal” or the type that most closely matches.
6 Research Methodology: Satisfaction levels for each of the 2024 Bespoke AI Laundry Combo’s 14 features were measured using a 7-point scale. The results reflect the proportion of respondents who selected the top two ratings: “Very satisfied” and “Satisfied.”
7 Based on a 5kg laundry load using the standard wash cycle, with the detergent amount set to “normal” and concentration set to “regular.” Results are based on internal testing and may vary depending on actual usage conditions. When filling the main and optional compartments with regular detergent, the auto-dispense system can operate for up to 13 weeks per refill under a usage rate of three cycles per week.
8 AI Energy Mode activates immediately when “Maximum Saving” is selected as the monthly usage target within the SmartThings Energy service. When “Progressive tier” or “Custom” settings are selected, operation time and energy savings may vary depending on the user-defined conditions. To manage energy use based on tiered electricity pricing, a separate smart meter may be required depending on the user environment. AI Energy Mode is available exclusively via SmartThings, which may have limitations depending on the supported environment and usage conditions.
9 Based on data for front-load (or electric) washing machines listed on the Korea Energy Agency website. The minimum standard for Grade 1 energy efficiency is 45.8 Wh/kg. The 2025 Bespoke AI Laundry Combo’s energy efficiency rate is 24.9 Wh/kg.
10 Conducted using 3kg of standardized test fabric in accordance with KS C IEC 60456, with the fabric type identified as “normal” and the water temperature set to 20°C. Power consumption was compared with AI Energy Mode (set to “Maximum Saving”) turned on and off. Test model: WD25DB8995BZ; Reference model: WD90F25***.
11 As of March 5, 2025, the 2025 Bespoke AI Laundry Combo’s 25kg washing capacity is the largest among household washing machines registered with the Korea Energy Agency. Its 18kg drying capacity is the largest among front-load models as of March 10, 2025.
12 Based on DOE standard test fabric composed of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, using the Quick Cycle. Actual results may vary depending on fabric type, moisture content, characteristics, and laundry load in real-world usage conditions.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, May 28 — Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has underscored the importance of efforts to promote the sound development of the platform economy, and of maintaining a fair, orderly market environment.
Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an investigation and research tour in east China’s Shanghai which lasted from Tuesday to Wednesday.
During visits to online retail, livestream e-commerce and food delivery companies, Zhang said that the platform economy plays a crucial role in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as in boosting domestic circulation. He encouraged relevant businesses to allocate more resources toward the provision of high-quality products and services.
Platform rules should be established in an open and fair manner, Zhang said, stressing that malignant competition characterized by cheap, low-quality products must be prohibited.
All platforms should utilize positive, beneficial algorithms while also ensuring appropriate, transparent pricing standards, Zhang said. He called for strengthened measures to crack down on irregularities, including malicious price comparisons, false advertising and inflated sales rankings.
On market regulation, Zhang called for accelerated efforts to eliminate regulations and practices that impede a unified market or fair competition. He also emphasized the need to address illegal charges on businesses to maintain a favorable market environment.
Additionally, Zhang urged market regulators to expedite the adoption of new technologies, such as those in the fields of big data and artificial intelligence, to enhance regulatory efficiency.
Good morning. Thank you for the invitation to address this conference. Foreign Affairs responsibilities require us to be elsewhere today, so it is with regret that this address to you all must be delivered in this format. Let us begin by acknowledging the board members and management of the Australasian Railway Association; leaders from KiwiRail, Metlink, Auckland Transport, Auckland One Rail, infrastructure firms, and heritage operators, as well as our Australian freight and metro counterparts. As the Minister for Rail – that’s for rail – the chance to share our record and vision was not to be missed. We had responsibility for rail during the 2017-2020 term and we turned things around. Contrast our legacy for rail with any other and you will see who is out in front. We are rebuilding rail In 2020, we changed the law – rail is now funded like roads. A common-sense reform. We funded the third main line between Wiri and Westfield – Auckland’s busiest rail section – and planning is underway for a fourth main line across the whole Auckland southern corridor. New stations are being built in South Auckland and electrification has extended commuter trains to Pukekohe. Northland’s line can now take standard-weight trains and hi-cube containers. Marsden Point’s spur – stalled under the previous Government – is now in Fast Track legislation, alongside the Avondale-Southdown corridor. Remediation and upgrades are occurring across Auckland and Wellington, lifting the quality, reliability and frequency of services. A city rail link in Auckland’s centre and new trains in Wellington. Our regional investments are also about positioning New Zealand for global trade: port connections, less truck congestion, and more freight competition. Just a fortnight ago, the Honourable Shane Jones announced $8.2 million to fund a three-track rail siding connecting Southern Link Logistics to the network. Freight is about getting from A to B. Freight is the lifeblood of our economy. It’s no good making something if it doesn’t go to a customer. Inland freight hubs mean local road freight operators and rail freight can feed regional goods into the hub, and have rail take the combined heavy haul to port. Rail is the clearing house for busy ports, moving vast quantities so ports can handle more ships. More ships enable more exports, more imports, more trade. And, last week, we announced in Budget 2025 the commitment of $604 million for rail. $461 million for the national network, and $143 million to the metro networks in Auckland and Wellington. Both investments continue our focus on arresting the decline of the networks, contributing to better reliability. Freight must pay its way. KiwiRail must cover all its operating and capital costs—just like any other business. Freight volumes are down, as they are across the board. So the turnaround begins with cost. Competitive pricing requires leaner operations, better use of its assets and better, more responsive systems for customers. The second issue is reliability. Big players like Fonterra get a good service from KiwiRail – but KiwiRail must compete on speed and certainty for domestic and export freight. We know that KiwiRail is alive to these issues. They are hungry for customers, and as shareholders we are as eager as their customers are to see that lift in performance. We’re doing our part. Sixty-six new locomotives from Spain will replace the South Island fleet and support the North Island fleet. We’re refurbishing the Hamilton-Palmerston North electric fleet, and planning is underway on electrifying the line to Mt Maunganui. Electric engines haul heavy weights, cost little to run, and emit nothing. We’ve rebuilt Dunedin’s Hillside Workshops and new wagons are rolling out of there. A total of 1,350 wagons will be assembled, creating local jobs and capability, and wagons to reliably move customers’ freight. It is on KiwiRail to deliver a strong freight business on the back of our investment. You will be measured on volumes, reliability, and earnings. Succeeding will open the door to new customers and then we can truly begin to rebalance transport in this country. It is up to freight movers to come to the party, too. The Government is making the investment in rail that’s needed, so use it. The greater the use of the rail network, the greater the savings on reduced road congestion and road maintenance costs. Every person who sees a wagon of logs moving by rail is a person who is not stuck behind a logging truck on the road. Finally: the ferries. We shut down the bloated iReX project. No Taj Mahal in Picton, no Opera House in Wellington. Just safe, reliable efficient ferries for road and rail – by 2029 – and infrastructure that works. Ferry Holdings has two jobs: deliver ferries by 2029 and build low-cost infrastructure to serve them. Picton will get dual linkspans and faster load times. In Wellington, we’ll build on what’s already there. Rail is a primary customer across Cook Strait, and it will be served. We will deliver, and rail is here to stay. In closing: We back rail. Not with words, but with deeds. But do not mistake this for unquestioning support. Let iReX be a lesson to the whole rail system: we do not tolerate waste. As rail people, the delivery is up to all of you and your teams at this conference. All of New Zealand expects you to succeed. Thank you and have a great historic conference.
