Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of the poor, calling the past 11 years of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule a period of transformative and inclusive governance.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said the government’s sustained efforts had helped lift more than 25 crore people out of poverty. “Over the past decade, the NDA Government has taken pathbreaking steps to uplift several people from the clutches of poverty, focussing on empowerment, infrastructure and inclusion,” he said. Citing key welfare schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, the Prime Minister said these initiatives had expanded access to housing, clean cooking fuel, banking and healthcare, particularly for marginalised communities.
The Prime Minister also underlined the role of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), digital inclusion, and investments in rural infrastructure in ensuring the transparent and efficient delivery of benefits. According to him, these initiatives, driven by a governance model rooted in compassion, have ensured that help reaches the last mile, offering citizens the dignity of self-reliance.
The NDA government, he said, remains committed to building an inclusive and self-reliant India—“where every citizen has the opportunity to live with dignity.”
A key element of this welfare architecture has been the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a food security programme launched in 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package. Initially introduced to provide free food grains to migrants and economically vulnerable sections during the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme has undergone several extensions over the past few years.
In its latest phase, the PMGKAY has been extended for five years starting January 1, 2024, at an estimated cost of ₹11.80 lakh crore. More than 81 crore beneficiaries—including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) identified under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)—will receive free food grains as per their monthly entitlements.
Under the scheme, wheat is being distributed in six states and Union Territories—Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Gujarat—while rice is allocated to the rest of the country. Beneficiaries include families falling under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories, as identified by respective state governments and UT administrations.
AAY households are those headed by widows, the terminally ill, disabled or elderly persons without assured means of subsistence. Other eligible groups include primitive tribal families, landless agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans, slum dwellers, daily-wage earners in the informal sector, and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families of HIV-positive individuals.
Earlier in the evening, the Prime Minister also chaired a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, though no official details from the meeting were immediately released.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The platform “Myryadom.online” annually conducts more than 10 thousand consultations. Specialists City Psychological and Pedagogical Center capital Department of Education and Science They respond to requests from Muscovites, offer relevant self-help techniques and advise on how to overcome difficulties.
“Myryadom.online” is a capital-based psychological support platform for schoolchildren, college students and their parents. You can get support from specialists remotely — free and anonymous. To do this, just call by phone, write in the chat or send an email. This year, the platform was updated: its functionality has become more convenient and understandable. In addition, a section with useful materials has appeared. It contains self-help techniques and answers to frequently asked questions,” the press service of the Moscow Department of Education and Science said.
In the new section, some of the topics are designed as comics, where characters discuss unrequited love, dreams of the future and quarrels with friends, and also teach how to cheer yourself up. The site offers selections of books and films with recommendations from experts. They are suitable for family viewing, as well as for relaxing with friends or independent leisure. After viewing, users can discuss their impressions and emotions in a chat with a psychologist.
“Consultations are conducted by qualified psychologists with real work experience: each of them has not only undergone professional training, but also conducted face-to-face consultations. The specialists have years of practice and a special understanding of developmental psychology. Young Muscovites turn to them with various issues, including difficulties in communicating with peers and parents, worries about their future profession, difficulties with academic performance at school, and others,” noted Anastasia Kuznetsova, director of the City Psychological and Pedagogical Center.
On the platform, children can also communicate with the chatbot Boris, who helps them understand themselves, learn to set boundaries, and cope with emotions. Interaction with him is built like a step-by-step game — the final result of a particular task depends on the decision made. At the same time, you can always return to the previous stage to choose another option and see how the situation changes. However, there are no clearly correct or incorrect answers. Boris teaches various techniques: active listening, psychological flexibility, safe expression of feelings, and much more. The methods do not require special training and are suitable for anyone who wants to improve their communication skills.
In addition to children and teenagers, parents can contact Myryadom.online to discuss, for example, the child’s behavior, anxieties, and experiences. Specialists answer questions about what reactions are age-appropriate, how to build trusting relationships in the family, and how to set goals correctly. If necessary, the psychologist will tell you how to sign up for an in-person appointment.
You can find out more and write to a psychologist on the website “WeAreNearby.online”. The anonymous online chat is open Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 21:00. If you need help at other times, you can call the helpline: 7 800 200-01-22 (124 from a mobile phone).
Informing the capital’s students and their parents about psychological approaches to constructive communication, self-realization and leisure activities helps strengthen family relationships, increase the level of self-esteem and effectiveness of the child, and also corresponds to the goals of the “We are together” national project “Youth and Children”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
On June 6, a large summer program will open on Chistoprudny Boulevard, which will transform one of Moscow’s main promenade streets into a center of dance and creative activity. As part of the “Summer in Moscow” project, master classes, battles, performances by dance school students and open-air concerts will be held here. The “Street. Dances” project on Chistoprudny Boulevard will last until the end of the season.
The festive opening is scheduled for 18:00. Guests will be greeted by a DJ, and the main program will begin at 19:00. The host, popular choreographer and international dancer Evgeny Papunaishvili, will take to the stage, which is located almost in the very center of the boulevard. He will introduce the participants and directions of the project to the public, and will also conduct an open master class. The day will end with a bright party, which will begin at 20:30 and last until 22:30.
The audience will get acquainted with the project program and see performances by the leading dance schools of the capital. Their numbers will be shown by:
— “Just Dance” school (salsa);
— All-Russian Federation of Social Dances (bachata);
— center of contemporary choreography Todes (modern dance);
— production center “Young Artist” (children’s choreography, acting);
— “Danceclass” club (boogie-woogie and Lindy-hop);
— school “Lisoborye” (modern swing);
— dance school “TantsBaza” (intellectual modern dances).
All summer long, Chistoprudny Boulevard will operate as a full-fledged festival site. Four specially equipped podiums within the framework of the project “Street. Dances” will become a place for classes by famous choreographers, demonstration performances, open lessons and dance flash mobs. Regular master classes will be held in a variety of areas – from Latin American styles to hip-hop, modern and street improvisation.
Concerts, live performances and special music projects are planned on the central stage with columns. Parties with live music and dancing in the open air will become the calling card of the summer season.
Special attention is paid to street dancing: you can watch hip-hop and breaking battles on the themed platform. Qualifying rounds will be held every two weeks, and the final competition is scheduled for September 7. Both professional dancers and street teams will be able to participate in the competitions. Registration is conducted in advance. The winners will have the opportunity to perform in the final and compete for the title of the best street dancers of the project.
Latin American culture lovers will be able to take part in master classes in bachata, salsa and kizomba, and for guests who prefer a leisurely holiday, there are lounge and photo zones, creative workshops. In addition, in the summer there are planned to be filming of dance videos, open rehearsals and educational formats with the participation of experts.
One of the key elements of the program will be a video contest, organized jointly with Evgeniy Papunaishvili. Anyone who wishes will be able to film and post their dance number on social media, and the dancer’s team will select the best videos and award prizes to the authors.
The project on Chistoprudny Boulevard is part of the large-scale city festival “Summer in Moscow”. It combines active recreation, creativity, sports and city events in different districts of the capital. The dance program will last all summer and will be open to everyone. Participation in all events is free.
Project “Summer in Moscow” — the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and the new season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In Moscow, with the support of the capital Department of Culture The project “Cinema Summer in Zaryadye” has begun. Until September 7, on weekends and holidays, films from the golden fund of Russian cinema will be shown on the site under the glass bark in the park.
Films from 35 mm film will be shown using a mobile cinema. Each film will be presented by famous directors, actors, film experts, writers and other cultural and public figures.
The program includes 30 films from the collection of the Russian State Film Fund, the Mosfilm film concern, the Cinema Museum and Moskino, from romantic comedies and war dramas to space travel and social research. Thus, you can watch the works of directors Vladimir Menshov, Tatyana Lioznova, Karen Shakhnazarov, Grigory Alexandrov, Mikhail Kalatozov and Alla Surikova.
In the space under the glass dome, films by Soviet classics will come to life: the satirical comedy Welcome, or No Trespassing (1964), the romantic comedy Three Plus Two (1963), the light comedy Be My Husband (1981), the dramatic story about love, music and fate Winter Evening in Gagra (1985), the film Jolly Fellows (1934), which became a symbol of the era, and other films.
Some of the film screenings will be timed to coincide with significant events and memorable dates. Thus, for Russia Day (June 12), they will show the animated film Prince Vladimir (2006) — a fairy tale version of the story of Vladimir the Red Sun. On Remembrance and Sorrow Day (June 22), you can watch films about the Great Patriotic War — The Cranes Are Flying (1957) and Brest Fortress (2010). For Family, Love and Fidelity Day (July 8), the project’s curatorial group has prepared a screening of the films When the Trees Were Big (1961), Love and Doves (1984), Relatives (1981), and Men! (1981).
On Youth Day (June 29), two diametrically opposed films will be shown: Karen Shakhnazarov’s social drama “Courier” (1986) about growing up and making choices, and Oksana Bychkova’s melodrama “Piter FM” (2006) about how a combination of circumstances can change the fate of two people. On the Day of the State Flag of the Russian Federation (August 22), viewers will see Yuri Egorov’s legendary feature film “Volunteers” (1958).
On Cinema Night on August 23, you can join a special screening of the cult comedy The Man from Boulevard des Capucines (1987), and in honor of City Day, guests will be treated to three legendary films about the capital: Vladimir Menshov’s melodrama Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1979), Georgy Natanson’s romantic story Once More About Love (1967), and Tatyana Lioznova’s touching film Three Poplars on Plyushchikha (1968).
The schedule of film screenings can be found at link. Free admission.
The partners of the “Kinolet in Zaryadye” are the State Museum and Exhibition Center “Rosizo” and the “Videodrom” project.
Project “Summer in Moscow” — the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and the new season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The Moscow government has approved a territory planning project (TPP) of 432.9 hectares located in the Nekrasovka and Kosino-Ukhtomsky districts. Its part, which is 32.52 hectares, will be reorganized under the integrated territorial development program (ITD). This was reported by Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“The territory allocated for the KRT project consists of six plots with a total area of 32.52 hectares and belongs to the Nekrasovka district. Comfortable housing with social, public, business and industrial infrastructure will be built there. In particular, it is planned to build educational facilities, it is envisaged to create more than 2.5 thousand school and 950 preschool places. The total area of new buildings will exceed 68 thousand square meters. On a plot remote from residential buildings, a facility with an area of 5.72 thousand square meters will be built to accommodate modern high-tech production. Thanks to the implementation of the project, about 3.6 thousand more jobs will be created in Nekrasovka,” said Vladimir Efimov.
The project is being implemented by an operator appointed by the city. The areas that will be redeveloped using the KRT mechanism are located near Nekrasovka Park, on Vertoletchikov, Maresyeva, Lavrinenko Streets and in Proektiruemy Proezd No. 4296. Most of them are not built up. The area has good transport accessibility: the Nekrasovka metro station is nearby, and the Moscow High-Speed Diameter also passes through.
“In addition to housing, social infrastructure and production, it is planned to build a shopping center with underground parking here. This will allow residents of new buildings to make purchases near their homes. In addition, the integrated development project for the territory provides for the improvement and landscaping of about six hectares near residential buildings and other facilities, as well as the construction and reconstruction of almost 3.5 kilometers of roads,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy of the capital
Juliana Knyazhevskaya, Chairperson of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Development, added that the PPT was developed by Moskomarkhitektura taking into account all aspects for improving the urban environment and quality of life of residents. Within the framework of this project, a new pedestrian boulevard with an area of more than 1.7 hectares and a length of about 900 meters will be formed. It will stretch along the Moscow High-Speed Diameter between Sochinskaya and Maresyeva Streets.
According to the program of integrated development of territories, multifunctional city blocks are being created, where roads, comfortable housing and all necessary infrastructure are being designed on the site of former industrial zones and inefficiently used areas. Currently, 302 KRT projects with a total area of about 4.2 thousand hectares are at various stages of development and implementation in Moscow. This work is being carried out on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Since autumn 2022, more than 215 thousand contracts have been concluded on the supplier portal using a trading bot. Reducing the starting price in such purchases allowed customers to save over 11 billion rubles. This was reported by Maria Bagreeva, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Head of the Moscow Department of Economic Policy and Development.
“The supplier portal trading bot allows entrepreneurs to participate in several quotation sessions simultaneously. This way, they save time, and customers receive goods or services at a better price due to the high level of competition. Since October 2022, when the bot began its work, 215.1 thousand contracts worth more than 29 billion rubles have been concluded as a result of procedures using it. The starting price during quotation sessions decreased by 11.1 billion rubles,” said Maria Bagreeva.
Quotation sessions are mini-auctions that last for three, six or 24 hours. During this time, suppliers compete with each other, gradually reducing the initial contract price. The entrepreneur who offers the lowest price wins. The trading bot automates the procedure, independently placing bids until it reaches the minimum price set by the supplier before the auction. This allows entrepreneurs to participate in several sessions at the same time. In just five months of 2025, more than 35 thousand contracts worth over 5.2 billion rubles were concluded with the help of the bot.
“During the service’s existence, entrepreneurs from Moscow and the Moscow Region have used it most actively. They concluded 122.9 and 40.6 thousand contracts, respectively. This is 76 percent of the total number of contracts. The top five leaders in terms of the number of transactions concluded as a result of the digital assistant’s work also included Perm Krai, St. Petersburg and the Pskov Region,” added the head of the capital’s Department of Competition Policy.
As noted in the capital Department of Information Technology, when developing the platform, the city takes into account the needs of entrepreneurs, refining services based on feedback. The automatic bidding bot has become a reliable assistant for users: it optimizes the processes of participation in competitive procedures, saves resources and attracts new suppliers.
Beginners may find the free course “Supplier School” on quotation sessions useful. It helps to understand mini-auctions and practice during the training procedure.
Suppliers portal was created in 2013 to automate small-volume purchases. Today, more than 58 thousand state and municipal customers and over 370 thousand entrepreneurs from all over the country work on the platform. The catalog includes over 3.1 million unique items, and about 1.5 thousand contracts are concluded here daily.
To support users in the regions, representative offices have been opened, where specialists help with work on the site, hold meetings and collect suggestions for improving the service. In addition, you can contact the support service around the clock by phone: 7 800 303-12-34 or through the contact form on the portal.
Development of electronic services for business corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Specialists from the city economy complex have modernized a large gas regulation point (GRP) “Moskvorechye kv. G” in the south of the capital. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.
“The city is conducting systematic work to update gas pressure control points, which are responsible for reducing gas pressure to certain values and maintaining them within specified limits. We have repaired the gas pressure control point “Moskvorechye kv. G”, which provides gas supply to public utilities and the residential sector of the Moskvorechye-Saburovo district,” said Pyotr Biryukov.
The decision to modernize the GRP was made due to the long service life of the equipment. It was replaced with a modern cabinet-type gas control station with a capacity of 970 cubic meters per hour. It is made from Russian components at the in-house production of Mosgaz JSC. The new GRP is reliable, has reduced noise characteristics and meets all safety requirements.
All gas control points in the capital are necessarily equipped with shut-off devices. Their operating parameters are monitored 24 hours a day from the central control room, which allows for real-time management of the city’s gas industry.
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Mental Health Australia has developed a Statement on National Child and Youth Mental Health Priorities to inform the June 2025 Health and Mental Health Ministers meeting.
The advice in this Statement was developed in consultation with members, along with review of recommendations of previous inquiries, strategies and research.
The Statement outlines specific specific recommendations for Health and Mental Health Ministers, as the next immediate steps to commit to at their meeting to improve child and youth mental health:
Integrate mental health in education
Expand and integrate Kids Hubs
Boost national digital mental health supports for children and parents
Increase workforce capacity to support infant and child mental health
Harmonise age ranges for youth mental health services
Reduce wait times for child and youth mental health supports
Children and young people in Australia are experiencing mental ill-health at never-before seen levels, yet many are unable to access support. Australian governments need to work together to develop an holistic system of mental health supports for infants, children and families across the spectrum of promotion, prevention, early and specialist support, informed by both the needs and experiences of children and their families and population data. While this meeting is focused on actions through health portfolios, it is also important to recognise the need for whole of government action to address declining rates of mental health amongst children and young people.
Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro
In the late 1970s, when I was a fine arts student, the Melbourne University Gallery was just one room in a neo-gothic quadrangle. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that the university commissioned Nonda Katzalidis to design a four-story concrete gallery on a narrow site fronting Swanston Street.
The Ian Potter Museum of Art quickly became a vital centre for displaying diverse university collections – from classical antiquities to post-war bark paintings and contemporary art.
The re-opening of the museum, after it closed for renovations in 2018, is an art event of major proportions with the architectural clout to match.
The newest addition by Randall Marsh of Wood Marsh Architects transforms an adjacent red-brick building. A polished-steel portal gives onto stylish spaces: high vaulted ceilings, a light-filled atrium, new teaching rooms and luxurious bathrooms. There is now a serious restaurant with a long dining room, open kitchen and balcony café.
Named “Residence” for its annual chef-in-residence program, starting with the Michelin-starred Robbie Noble, this may well become the go-to space for visitors, academics and students alike.
Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne. Photography by Christian Capurro.
All expectations are exceeded by the opening exhibition 65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art. The title emphasises both the ancient Indigenous presence on this continent, and cheekily suggests that the main art that’s been made here is Aboriginal.
As we recognise the monumental contributions of bark painting from the 1940s on, dot-painting from the 1970s on, and urban art starting in the 1980s, there is much to commend this view.
There is a powerful curatorial will here, led by the legendary public intellectual and Indigenous scholar Marcia Langton, who initiated the project.
She engaged one of the country’s most effective and knowledgeable curators in Judith Ryan, known for her series of field-defining exhibitions over four decades at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro
Working together with associate curator Shanysa McConville, their exhibition is both politically astute in its management of tough historical issues, and visually stunning. The team has sourced superlative, large-scale examples of major artists’ work from private and public sources to sit alongside the university collections.
It’s an exhibition that repays hours of looking, aided by the curators’ exemplary wall labels. A sumptuously illustrated 340-page tome published by Thames & Hudson Australia for the Potter supports a deeper dive. This includes 23 essays by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers who delve into specific groups of work.
An example is the pungent essay by Grazia Gunn, who in 1973 exhibited the University’s rare barks from Groote Eylandt, presented in 1946 by the Jewish refugee Leonhard Adam.
Installation view of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 2025. Photography by Christian Capurro
These barks can be seen again in the show, near a masterful assemblage of early barks from Yirrkala, painted in 1937 at the request of ethnographer Donald Thomson. This selection is unprecedented: a dozen barks with complete body designs for mardayin (mens’ ceremony), organised across clan groups.
Truth telling
Throughout 65,000 Years, there is a powerful truth-telling element on frontier wars and massacres. The early recognition of First Peoples’ work as art in the assembled barks goes some way to balancing Melbourne University’s own chapter of shame.
In the side gallery, Langton and team present the role of Melbourne University medical anatomists, eugenicists and physical anthropologists in grave-robbing, and promoting the illicit collection and sale of Aboriginal remains, right up to the mid-1930s.
On a big-screen video Langton, seated in a massive carved cathedral chair like a modern-day Delphic Oracle, dispassionately retells this grisly truth.
The exhibition is comprehensive as it moves across regions and eras in a deft interplay with the building’s shifting levels. The ground floor (bar a stunning atrium enlaced with newly commissioned women’s baskets and “sun-mats”) deals with the imagery of contact from early colonial settlements.
A group of French and British drawings of First Peoples are true portraits in the sense that the sitters are named. Late 19th century colour drawings by Barak or Mickey of Ulladulla are next to rare archival finds: distressing drawings of police reprisals by Oscar (Kuku-Yalanji), from 1898, and six lyrical drawings by Blak inmates of the Darwin Gaol, mounted together under the title “Dawn of Art” for display at the 1888 Melbourne Centenary Exhibition.
Gordon Bennet (1955–2014), Big romantic painting (apotheosis of Captain Cook) 1993, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 182×400.5×4cm. The University of Melbourne Art Collection
Entering this colonial/decolonial zone, the glowering work of the late, great Gordon Bennett sets the precedent for the current historical citation and appropriation of colonial imagery.
His example has inspired artists from Richard Bell and Brook Andrew to Megan Cope and Daniel Boyd.
Bennett, faithfully represented by Melbourne’s Sutton Gallery through his life, was a McGeorge Fellow at Melbourne Uni in 1993, producing the groundbreaking Mirrorama installation with Groote Eylandt barks in opposition to classical busts. A gentle man and great thinker in art, Bennett then, as now, adds lustre to the Potter.
65,000 Years, a Short History of Australian Art is at the Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, until November 22.
Roger Benjamin has previously worked as an art selector for the Vizard Collection at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, is an art collector and donor, and a colleague of the exhibition curators; he was not involved in the curation of this exhibition.
When does a school’s responsibility for student behaviour end? Is it at 3pm when the bell goes? Or does a school still have to respond to harmful behaviour after hours?
The Victorian government has announced new powers for government school principals to suspend or expel students for serious misbehaviour beyond the school grounds. The powers will begin in July, from the beginning of term 3.
The state government says this will “address concerns around harmful behaviour that happens outside school hours […] but affects student and staff safety”.
The new powers have a particular focus on online safety and follow similar moves in South Australia and New South Wales.
What does this mean for schools and students?
A blurry line
The line between when “school” starts and finishes is blurry. Anti-social activities and their impacts don’t neatly fall at a convenient time or location.
But the impacts of cyberbullying are very much felt during school hours. Bullying can lead to decreased academic performance – even in primary school. It can also lead to fractured social relationships. So schools are deeply involved. They may need to provide additional academic and welfare support for the student, as well as manage any social tensions and flare-ups on campus.
As the eSafety Commission has warned, teachers can also face online abuse from students.
So school leaders are needing to support both student and staff mental health.
Although the attack took place outside the school grounds, after the final bell, the court determined the NSW public high school had a duty “beyond the confines of the school boundaries and outside of its operating hours”. In part, this was based on previous known violence from one of the perpetrators.
Schools now exist in a dynamic and complex set of ecosystems and the new Victorian powers acknowledge and respond to this reality.
What does it mean for principals?
For some school leaders, there may be relief they can deal with the consequences of the most severe and destructive actions. This could include online harassment or recent incidents such as rating students’ physical appearances.
Research including the annual survey I run with colleagues, shows being an Australian school leader takes an ongoing emotional toll. The work often involves dealing with violence and abuse.
Expelling kids should be a very last resort
As a community, we can all agree schools should be places that are safe and free from violence of any kind.
But the removal of any student from a school signals a series of breakdowns. This is why schools have policies and procedures to try and resolve these issues positively before the consequences become more severe. Schools will normally use intervention strategies such as counselling, behaviour monitoring and formal cautions before suspension emerges as a possibility. Sadly, these do not always result in changed behaviour.
As consequences escalate, so too do their impacts.
Students who begin to disengage from their learning can get caught in a spiral of increasing disengagement, leading to repeat instances of suspension and then expulsion. This can then chart a distressing path for some towards incarceration.
So we need to focus on strategies which reduce this pathway.
This includes initiatives that boost students’ engagement at school such as those in the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (part of the new funding agreement between the federal and state governments). We also need funds to increase counsellors and psychologists in schools.
Being able to expel students for out-of-school behaviour will help manage some of the symptoms of poor student behaviour. But unless the underlying causes are also addressed, expulsion will not resolve the issues – and ultimately transport the problem to another community.
Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
François Brassard
The Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory contains an extensive, awe-inspiring expanse of tropical savanna landscapes. It includes well-known and much-loved regions such as Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and Nitmiluk Gorge.
These tropical savannas feature open forests and woodlands dominated by eucalypts and a diverse grassy understorey. They experience an intense monsoon-driven wet season and long dry season during which fire is common.
The area is home to a spectacular range of plants and animals, including crocodiles, barramundi, speartooth sharks, the spectacularly coloured Leichhardt’s grasshopper and flocks of magpie geese. Some groups are extraordinarily diverse. Several thousand ant species are thought to live there – compared to just 1,000 species in South America’s Amazon basin.
Australia’s tropical savannas are diverse and dynamic, shaped by fire and the cycle of wet and dry seasons. Brett Murphy
Yet, despite their immense ecological and cultural significance, the NT’s tropical savannas face an uncertain future. The landscape is under increasing pressure from invasive species, more frequent and severe fires, climate change, mining, agriculture and development – including water extraction.
Our new report outlines what should be done to ensure conservation and sustainable management of this unique and special region.
A region in trouble
As ecologists, we share a deep passion for tropical Northern Australia but fear for its future. To aid environmental policy and decision-making, we set out to describe the current condition and likely future of the NT’s tropical savannas. This involved identifying existing, emerging and possible future threats.
We found biodiversity in decline. Many species, particularly mammals that were once common and widespread, have disappeared from much of the region. These include the northern quoll, brush-tailed rabbit-rat and black-footed tree-rat.
Species such as the brush-tailed rabbit-rat have declined substantially and are now locally extinct in some areas. Cara Penton
In many parts of the Top End, fires are becoming more frequent and severe. This is in part due to the increasing dominance of invasive grasses, particularly Gamba and buffel grass. Both grasses are highly flammable, increasing the risk and harm of fires.
Longer and hotter dry seasons also increase fire risk and severity, as well as making water less available to wildlife due to higher rates of evaporation. Plants and animals also face greater heat stress and risk of dying during extended periods of extreme temperatures.
The Top End is spectacular and rich in biodiversity. François Brassard
The changing nature of land-clearing
Land-clearing is increasing in the Top End, too. We estimate about 45,000 hectares of savanna habitat was destroyed between 2000 and 2020. That’s equivalent to an area roughly the size of 22,500 Melbourne Cricket Grounds.
Another 146,000 hectares have approval to be cleared, and an additional 100,000 hectares could be cleared for an expanded cotton industry.
It is not just the amount of clearing that matters, but where it occurs. The habitat mainly destroyed to date has been in higher rainfall areas between Darwin and Katherine. This is where most threatened species live. On average, the cleared areas overlapped with more than 12 nationally listed threatened species.
What should be done?
Our report shows current laws are insufficient to protect the Northern Territory’s tropical savannas. Evidence-based law reform is urgently needed.
Decision-making must be collaborative, not controlled by individuals, based on sound science. It must also actively support and involve First Nations peoples and their goals.
The Top End is awe inspiring but without greater enviromental protection its many values may be diminished. François Brassard
Nature is the lynchpin of northern Australia. It characterises and nurtures the place, underpins and embraces Indigenous culture, is a major tourist attraction and helps make our country healthy. We need to recognise its value, and guard against its ongoing loss.
Our report was independently reviewed by experts in the ecology and conservation of Northern Australia, Professors Richard Williams and Christopher Johnson.
Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Victorian government’s Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and President of the Australian Mammal Society.
The research underpinning this report was partly supported by the Environment Centre NT, the Wilderness Society and the World Wide Fund for Nature (Australia).
Brett Murphy receives, or has recently received, funding from the Australian Research Council, Environment Centre NT, and the Northern Territory Government.
John Woinarski is affiliated with Charles Darwin University, and has previously received research funding from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment.
Domestic violence is increasing in Australia. A new report shows one in three men have ever made a partner feel frightened or anxious. One in 11 have used physical violence when angry. And one in 50 have used sexual violence against their partner.
The report, which I co-authored, estimates 120,000 men each year will start to use abuse and violence against their partner for the first time.
So we need to engage these men before they start using abuse and violence. Our work with GPs suggests they can engage men early to prevent harm to families.
Why use GPs?
Men who use domestic violence frequently visit health services and need help to address harmful behaviours in relationships. These men are more likely to have increased alcohol use, substance abuse and mental health issues.
Our new report found men with depressive symptoms, especially those who were severely depressed or suicidal, were at greater risk of starting to use abuse and violence.
We know from experience with men’s behaviour change programs that men who volunteer for these programs are more likely to sustain change than men ordered to undertake them by the court.
GPs can apply this knowledge by identifying men who have internal motivations for change, or who want to be a “better person”.
This echoes a new community campaign that asks men “What kind of man do you want to be?”
GPs and mental health practitioners have great potential to build conversations around behaviours in men’s relationships. However, discussions need to be tailored after learning more about the man’s identity and needs.
How can GPs ask men about potential violence?
GPs can begin by signposting:
Often when I see people who are depressed, it’s helpful to understand what else is going on for them. Can I ask how things are at home?
They then move to more specific questions:
You mentioned that you have been disagreeing a bit with your partner. What happens when you disagree?
Have you ever done something that you later regretted?
The next step is gauging insight about their behaviour:
Are you ever worried about your behaviour?
Do you ever think your partner sometimes feels scared of you?
The final step is offering support:
There’s people you could see and online resources that are helpful for men who are worried about their behaviour in their relationship. Can I give you some info about it?
[Asking] ‘Are you worried about your relationship?’ is good. It’s not asking, ‘Are you abusive? Are you violent?’
They then wanted a response that motivates them:
A tactful way to actually suggest, maybe this is for you, that might help. Because I know if someone tells me that you’ve got to go do this, I don’t want to do it. If someone can plant the seed in someone’s head it might help.
To “plant the seed”, a trained and equipped GP could prepare and motivate men to accept a referral and address other needs, such as parenting issues and alcohol and drug use.
Difficulties for GPs
Many men who use violence never engage with intensive, face-to-face or online behaviour change programs. So GPs can play an important role in offering ongoing support and encouragement for men who use abuse and violence to change their behaviour.
Some of the issues GPs have raised about doing this work include:
It’s often hard, sort of balancing between throwing them a lifeline and putting a way forward, but at the same time really acknowledging and saying that violence is unacceptable – you have to find a way of engaging them in the process of saying, ‘Well look, this is wrong, we need to do something’, without losing them.
If I start pushing, pressuring him, then he becomes closed up or defensive, then that’s obviously going to potentially harm my therapeutic relationship with him.
Men find websites and apps useful
Men are very open to websites or apps that provide a safe, private place for them to reflect on their harmful behaviours and consequences.
My research team has developed a primary care response model called I-engage, which includes GPs engaging men and offering them an online tool to encourage men to seek help.
We also developed the healthy relationship website, Better Man, from discussions with men.
The men we interviewed suggested developing resources that:
“don’t jump down my throat straight away”
“help me realise what I’m becoming”
“give hope for seeing a change in my future”
“make it simple and accessible”.
The resulting website increases men’s early engagement with help-seeking.
Motivational techniques encourage men’s awareness and self-reflection, avoiding stigma and shame.
The program includes four modules:
better relationships encourages a man to reflect on behaviours in his relationship
better values explores how men’s behaviours align with their values
better communication looks at how a man’s communication style may differ with a partner compared to others
finally, take better action reinforces help seeking, provides resources for parenting, alcohol and drug use, and mental health.
GPs need training and funding for this work
Early engagement through the health system requires GPs to be supported, trained and resourced to identify and respond to all members of a family.
We have been calling for funding of a long consultation for a Family Safety Plan through a Medicare item number for a decade.
The health system can engage men using behaviours in their relationships that cause harm to their partners and children.
As one man who we worked with says:
We’ve got to grab them before they hit their partner or their kids. We’ve got to be able to stop them getting to that stage. We’ve got to grab their attention. Let’s help them realise this is the person that they are, or they are becoming and it’s not what society is going to accept nowadays.
For information and advice about family and intimate partner violence contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact 000. Men’s Referral Service (call 1300 766 491) offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.
Kelsey Hegarty leads the Safer Families Centre which receives Australian government funding to train GPs.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) introduced a resolution today honoring the life of Sarah Milgrim, an Overland Park native, and her soon-to-be-fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky, who were brutally murdered outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025.
“At just 26 years old, Sarah Milgrim’s impact on our country and her community was profound,” said Senator Marshall. “An Overland Park native, she was a talented musician and chorus singer, deeply devoted to her faith, exceptionally intelligent, and selflessly committed to the well-being of others. Sarah and her soon-to-be fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky, were victims of an unspeakable murder in Washington, DC. While we can never remove the pain of this loss, I hope that this resolution stands as a lasting tribute to Sarah’s remarkable life, her enduring legacy, and the light she brought to all who knew her.”
“The loss of Kansan Sarah Milgrim and her soon-to-be fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky, to a sickening act of antisemitic violence is a tragedy that should never have happened,” said Senator Moran. “This violence and hatred must end. I join Kansans and the Jewish community in mourning the loss of these two young people, honoring their memories and reaffirming my unwavering support for all our Jewish friends and neighbors.”
Background:
On May 21, 2025, Sarah Milgrim and her soon-to-be-fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky, were brutally murdered by a pro-Palestinian terrorist outside the Capital Jewish Museum as they left the American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception in Washington, DC, an event to foster unity and celebrate Jewish heritage.
Sarah and Yaron both worked out of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, where they met and fell in love.
Sarah, a Kansas-native, earned degrees from the University of Kansas and American University.
Sarah began working as the Director of Civil Society Affairs at the Embassy of Israel in 2023.
To read the full text of the resolution, click here.
The Green Party condemns the unprecedented decision to suspend Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi for 21 days, and MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for 7 days.
“This decision is a disgrace and so is this Tiriti trampling Government,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi promises protection for people and planet. We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of people show up in support of te Tiriti, and today Te Pāti Māori members have been severely punished for doing so.
“The severity of the punishment sought by the Privileges Committee was unprecedented and has raised serious concerns on whether this is a new standard that will only apply when haka, waiata, and other tikanga Māori are expressed in the House.
“There was a better way of dealing with this. We must find ways to incorporate the tikanga this country was founded on into our House of Parliament. Instead, Māori have been punished for using tikanga Māori to challenge the Treaty Principles Bill – one of the most divisive pieces of legislation we have seen.
“When those with assumed power think their privilege is under threat, there is a tendency to scream victim. One needn’t feel intimidated by the power of upholding te mana i te Tiriti o Waitangi in the face of futile attempts to denigrate it.
“These consensus ignoring, Tiriti trampling, democracy mocking, narrowly supported recommendations from the Privileges Committee bring this House into more disrepute than any haka ever has,” says Marama Davidson.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 050551
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1251 AM CDT Thu Jun 05 2025
Valid 061200Z – 071200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS TO THE TN/LOWER OH VALLEYS…
…SUMMARY… Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected from the southern High Plains to the Tennessee and Lower Ohio Valleys on Friday into Friday night. Damaging winds and a couple tornadoes are the main hazards. Large to very large hail is possible over the southern High Plains.
…Southern Great/High Plains… A large MCS will likely be ongoing at 12Z Friday from the Ozark Plateau to the OK/TX Red River Valley. Large-scale outflow will trail in the wake of this MCS and modify to the north of it as diurnal heating ensues. Along and south of the boundary, a confined plume of moderate to large buoyancy is expected by late afternoon with MLCAPE of 2000-3000 J/kg. North of it, more modest values are anticipated between the outflow and a quasi-stationary front. Scattered thunderstorms will once again develop along and to the cool side of the front over the Raton Mesa into south-central CO, with more isolated expected southward along the dryline to the Trans-Pecos. A belt of enhanced mid-level westerlies, with strengthening of upper-level flow, is anticipated south of a shortwave impulse moving into the central High to Great Plains through Friday night. This setup should yield favorable hodograph elongation for a sustained, long-lived supercell or two evolving southeastward from southeast CO. While buoyancy will be more muted, it should be sufficient for a significant severe hail and brief tornado threat. A few supercells farther south may have a tendency to be more outflow-dominant per various CAM depictions, but will likewise contain sig-severe hail potential as well.
The Raton Mesa vicinity convection should grow upscale into another MCS Friday night as storm-scale outflows consolidate and with strengthening of the southern High Plains low-level jet. Most guidance indicates a somewhat delayed/slightly weaker jet than on D1. This coupled with signals for negative low-level theta-e advection overnight, given the confined plume of rich low-level moisture along the prior outflow boundary, lowers confidence in highlighting greater coverage of both severe and sig severe wind with the MCS as it likely tracks into/across OK.
…Mid-South to the TN/Lower OH Valleys… A large MCS will likely be ongoing at 12Z Friday from the Ozark Plateau to the OK/TX Red River Valley. This MCS should weaken somewhat in the late morning, but then intensify by midday and persist through the afternoon. A moderately unstable airmass will develop ahead of it from the Deep South into at least southern KY with MLCAPE of 1500-2500 J/kg common. Deep-layer shear should remain modest with southern extent, where multicell clusters will dominate. Closer to the parent MCV, enhanced 700-mb westerlies will be present and should compensate for weaker destabilization. While isolated severe hail is possible, mainly within renewed updrafts along the large-scale outflow and redevelopment on the backside of the MCV, scattered damaging wind swaths should be the main hazard from KY to northern parts of MS/AL/GA.
..Grams.. 06/05/2025
CLICK TO GET WUUS02 PTSDY2 PRODUCT
NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 2 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 1730Z
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 050547
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1247 AM CDT Thu Jun 05 2025
Valid 051200Z – 061200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS…
…SUMMARY… Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected across the High Plains from southwestern Kansas into west Texas. A few tornadoes, large to isolated very large hail, and severe gusts are possible.
…Central/Southern High Plains…
Large-scale pattern is not forecast to change appreciably during the day1 period as broad upper ridging holds across northeast Mexico into the lower MS Valley. Along the northern periphery of this feature, a few weak disturbances are forecast to translate across the southwestern U.S. into the southern/central High Plains region. Each of these features should encourage potentially robust, deep convection.
Early this morning, a notable MCS has evolved over the TX Panhandle. This complex has been partly aided by a low-amplitude short-wave trough that will translate into eastern KS/OK later today. While this convection is currently well-organized, with time this activity should gradually weaken downstream over western OK/northwest TX. Of potential concern will be the influence on boundary-layer stability and the position of convective outflow boundaries. If the MCS continues as currently anticipated, a possible demarcation in buoyancy may extend across the TX South Plains into far eastern NM by peak heating. Remnant outflow will likely serve as the focus for robust convection later this afternoon as temperatures warm into the mid 80s-lower 90s, west and south of the outflow. Forecast soundings along this corridor exhibit strong deep-layer shear and substantial 0-3km SRH. Supercells should develop across the southern High Plains and very large hail may accompany these robust updrafts. Additionally, profiles appear favorable for tornadoes, especially if the aforementioned convective outflow maintains some identity.
A secondary area of potential convective concentration will be across southeast CO into southwest KS. Models suggest strong boundary-layer heating will develop across northeast NM into the western OK Panhandle, just south of a secondary weak frontal zone that should drape itself across this region. Supercells should easily develop along this boundary then possibly grow upscale into a larger complex of storms as it spreads downstream along the KS/OK border after sunset. All hazards are possible with this activity, but any tornado threat will likely be concentrated with more isolated supercells early in the convective evolution.
…Elsewhere…
High-PW plume currently stretches across the lower MS Valley-OH Valley-lower Great Lakes-southeast Canada. Scattered convection will readily develop along this corridor, juxtaposed along a weak frontal zone. Poor lapse rates should limit updraft strength, but some risk for an isolated severe wind gust does exist.
..Darrow/Wendt.. 06/05/2025
CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT
NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 1300Z
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Mesoscale DiscussionsUpdated: Thu Jun 5 06:16:02 UTC 2025 No Mesoscale Discussions are currently in effect.
Notice: The responsibility for Heavy Rain Mesoscale Discussions has been transferred to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on April 9, 2013. Click here for the Service Change Notice. Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated: Thu Jun 5 06:16:06 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid
Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Speech
Ukraine’s Security is our Security. Only a Just Peace Can Secure Ukraine’s Future: UK Statement to the OSCE
UK Military Advisor, Lt Col Joby Rimmer, says that a sustained ceasefire is the quickest route to stop the killing. The UK supports ending the war in Ukraine through a just peace, while Russia obstructs progress.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Last week, we discussed the Code of Conduct, including its stipulation that “In the event of armed conflict, they will seek to facilitate the effective cessation of hostilities and seek to create conditions favourable to the political solution of the conflict”.
To that end, the UK shares President Trump’s desire to bring this war to an end, and will continue to work closely with the US, Ukraine and other international partners to secure a just and lasting peace. We thank Türkiye for hosting talks in Istanbul, including earlier this week. This is a once in a generation moment for the collective security of our continent. Only a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty will deter President Putin from further aggression in the future.
As we have noted each week, Ukraine continues to show its commitment to peace: Its constructive engagement with US peace efforts at every turn; agreement in principle to a full and unconditional ceasefire; sending a senior and empowered delegation to Istanbul; and President Zelenskyy’s readiness to meet President Putin face to face.
Russia, on the other hand, has taken steps to obstruct the pathway to peace. President Putin continues to reject a complete, unconditional and immediate 30-day ceasefire that President Zelenskyy endorsed nearly three months ago; refused to share his memorandum on terms for ending this illegal war in advance of Monday’s meeting; and rejected President Zelenskyy’s call for a direct meeting.
We continue to call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional ceasefire to create the space for negotiations on a framework for a lasting peace. A sustained ceasefire is the quickest route to stop the killing. Ukraine’s security is our security. UK support for Ukraine remains iron-clad, and our support will be sustained. Thank you, Madame Chair.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUANGZHOU, June 5 (Xinhua) — Police in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, on Thursday put 20 suspects on the wanted list for cyber attacks launched by an organization affiliated with Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party administration.
The statement, released by the Tianhe District branch of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, also provided details of the cyber attacks carried out by Taiwan’s Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
MINSK, June 5 /Xinhua/ — Few people know how to do business like their Chinese partners, and Belarusians have a lot to learn, Alexander Yaroshenko, head of the administration of the China-Belarus Industrial Park “Great Stone”, said on Wednesday on the Belarusian TV channel “First Information”.
“We are talking about building the right model of commercial success, building technologies in which China has now succeeded. During the current visit of the head of the Belarusian state to China, the issue of technological cooperation was discussed, among other things. For Belarus, as a country with a fairly wide range of industrial development, this is a very important aspect. Yes, we have our competitive advantages, technologies are developed, but China has gone far ahead. In order not to remain on the sidelines of the development of the global process, we need to move forward together. This is what we are doing at the Great Stone,” A. Yaroshenko noted.
He also reported that among the residents of the Great Stone, Chinese investors account for about 40 percent – 61 projects. In total, Chinese investors have invested more than 300 million US dollars in the industrial park. They also brought their technological innovations, developments, and equipment to Belarus, on which products are manufactured.
In addition, the head of the Great Stone administration pointed out that several large clusters have been formed in the industrial park. Chinese investors are very active in the field of research and development /R&D/.
A. Yaroshenko noted that the medical cluster is developing well in the Great Stone. According to him, the industrial park is working to attract both innovative Chinese medicine and traditional medicine. “We would like to develop Chinese medicine services, and we are making legislative initiatives for this, so that a Chinese doctor here feels no worse than in China,” the head of the park summarized. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ANKARA, June 5 (Xinhua) — Turkish airline AJet will launch direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara to Damascus, Syria, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdülkadir Uraloğlu said on Wednesday.
According to him, the first flight from Istanbul to Damascus International Airport will take place on June 16. Flights from Ankara will begin the next day, June 17.
AJet is a Turkish low-cost airline operating domestic and international flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.
According to the minister, AJet will operate four flights a week between Istanbul and Damascus on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. From Ankara, three flights a week are planned – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
UNITED NATIONS, June 5 (Xinhua) — Eighteen countries, including China, were elected on Wednesday to three-year terms on the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the coordinating body for economic and social work of U.N. agencies and funds.
UN General Assembly President Philemon Young announced the results after a secret ballot.
The council included Burundi, Chad, Mozambique and Sierra Leone from Africa, China, India, Lebanon and Turkmenistan from Asia and the Pacific, Croatia, Russia and Ukraine from Eastern Europe, Ecuador, Peru and Saint Kitts and Nevis from Latin America and the Caribbean, and Australia, Finland, Norway and Turkey from Western Europe and other regions.
These ECOSOC members are elected for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2026.
ECOSOC has 54 members. Its membership is renewed annually by a vote in the UN General Assembly. –0–
Bellerive body investigation: Police seek help of bus patrons
Thursday, 5 June 2025 – 3:48 pm.
Tasmania Police would like to speak with two women who were travelling on a Metro bus at Rokeby last Friday afternoon, as investigations continue into the discovery of a man’s body at Bellerive. The body of Luke Jon Telega, 45, was found in an industrial-sized garbage bin at Percy Street on Monday morning. Police are trying to piece together Mr Telega’s movements leading up to a garbage contractor finding his body. CCTV footage obtained from Metro shows that Mr Telega caught a bus at Tollard Drive, Rokeby, on Friday, May 30, at 4.34pm. A woman in a grey or white hoodie joins the bus at the same time and is then seen to exit the bus at the same stop as Mr Telega, in the car park of the Shoreline Hotel about 4.38pm. While on the bus, a second woman in a red top appears to acknowledge Mr Telega with a wave. There is no suggestion the women are involved with Mr Telega’s death, but police believe they may be able to help with inquiries. (See photos attached) Further, police still wish to speak with a woman shown on CCTV footage standing at a shopfront on Percy Street about 7:50pm on Sunday, June 1. Police believe the member of the public may have spoken with someone in Percy Street at the time and may be able to assist with inquiries. The woman was driving what is believed to be a light-coloured Toyota Prado. A second woman shown on CCTV footage standing near a red SUV in Percy Street on Sunday night has contacted police and no further action is required. If anyone has information that could assist with the investigation, please call police on 131 444 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online crimestopperstas.com.au
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked World Environment Day on Wednesday by planting a sapling at Mahavir Jayanti Park in the national capital, as part of the second phase of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative. The campaign, which encourages individuals to plant a tree in honour of their mothers, aims to promote environmental consciousness through personal and symbolic action.
Launched by the Prime Minister last year with the planting of a Peepal tree at Buddha Jayanti Park, the initiative returns in an expanded version this year — targeting the plantation of 10 crore trees across India between June 5 and September 30.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “This #WorldEnvironmentDay, let’s deepen our efforts towards protecting our planet and overcoming the challenges we face. I also compliment all those working at the grassroots to make our environment greener and better.”
The plantation drive also marks the anniversary of the campaign’s launch. On this special occasion, PM Modi planted a sapling to celebrate the success of the programme.
The theme of the campaign — planting a tree in the name of one’s mother — seeks to blend environmental action with cultural values. Officials said the gesture is meant to highlight the nurturing role of both mothers and trees in sustaining life and securing the future.
In another post on X, the Prime Minister noted that India has seen an increase in forest cover over the past decade. “It would make you all very happy that in the last decade, India has undertaken numerous collective efforts which have led to increased forest cover across the nation. This is great for our quest towards sustainable development,” he said.
The sacred relics of Lord Buddha arrived in Sarnath on Tuesday, welcomed with traditional chants and official honours as hundreds of monks and devotees gathered at the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar.
The relics, which began their journey from the National Museum in New Delhi, were flown to Varanasi and then transported to Sarnath in a ceremonial procession. The District Magistrate of Varanasi, Satyendra Kumar, along with the Senior Superintendent of Police and other dignitaries, received the relics at the VIP Lounge of Varanasi airport before accompanying them to the final site.
The Uttar Pradesh Police presented a guard of honour, while NCC cadets and a ceremonial band participated in the welcome. Devotees, including a large number of Buddhist monks and nuns, had assembled at the vihar to pay their respects.
Speaking at the event, Most Venerable Seewali Bhante recalled his recent visit to Vietnam, where the relics were previously displayed, and described the widespread public reverence he witnessed during the month-long exposition.
Officials from the International Buddhist Confederation, National Museum representatives, and senior monks were also present. The procession and public homage underscore the significance of Sarnath—a site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon—as a centre of global Buddhist pilgrimage.
The event is part of a broader initiative to strengthen cultural and spiritual ties among Buddhist communities worldwide.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has welcomed the significant funding boost for additional resources and equipment provided in the State Budget.
Mr Stevens said the funding package over the next four years, announced today, followed numerous forthright discussions with Premier Peter Malinauskas and Police Minister Stephen Mullighan on the requirements of SAPOL to maintain community safety into the future.
“I have made it clear the increasing demands on police and what is required to keep the community safe,’’ he said.
“The demand for police assistance is increasing, taskings and investigations are now more complex and are taking longer.’’
The Government has committed $240 million over the next four years, which includes provision for almost 300 additional sworn officers including an additional 33 motorcycle patrol officers, funding for an additional 98 Police Security Officers, 20 more civilian positions and the considerable expansion of the mental health-co-responder initiative that has already started relieving pressure on frontline police. This budget is also funding the provision of new pistols and includes a commitment for a range of road safety initiatives.
As a part of this commitment, SAPOL have also been provided $7.5 million a year for our capital program, which enables us to invest in critical works on our facilities, equipment and IT needs to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Funding has also been provided to continue our accelerated recruitment efforts and the increased number of recruit and PSO courses at the police academy.
At present, 97.5 per cent of the sworn positions in SAPOL are occupied and today’s funding boost will ensure the hard work that has achieved this will continue.
Mr Stevens said he had firmly advocated for what is required to maintain police services not just now, but well into the future and this budget is clear evidence the government had responded positively.
“The additional resources moving forward will help ease the pressure on frontline officers who have been doing a magnificent job of maintaining service delivery under significant pressure,’’ he said.
“My discussions with the government have been productive and this budget today will assist in alleviating the pressures SAPOL is facing in the coming years.’’
Police Taskforce Accountable to target recidivist offenders in Clarence
Thursday, 5 June 2025 – 3:04 pm.
Police launched Taskforce Accountable yesterday to target recidivist offenders in the Clarence Division. Inspector Andrew Keane said Taskforce Accountable consists of plain clothes officers from Bellerive Police Station who will be patrolling major shopping and transit precincts in Clarence Division. “Taskforce Accountable will target the recidivist offenders who are responsible for the majority of our violent shop stealing and assaults on retail workers,” said inspector Keane. “The Taskforce will be supplemented by high visibility foot patrols over the coming months, and aims to detect and deter illegal and antisocial behaviours in the Clarence Division.” Between 9am and 9pm yesterday, Taskforce Accountable and Uniform Police detected, arrested and charged nine offenders (four adults and five youths) in relation to offences at Glebe Hill, Eastlands and Lindisfarne shopping centres as well as McDonalds Rosny. Offenders were charged with a range of offences including:
Stealing Stealing with force Unlawful possession Possession of dangerous articles Common assault Computer related fraud Trespass Possession of housebreaking implements Drug offences, and Fail to comply with police directions and/or court bail.
Property recovered and being returned to the owners included clothing, jewellery, cosmetics, and power tools. “Everyone has the right to be safe in our community, and illegal activities and anti-social behaviours will not be tolerated by police.” Anyone who witnesses antisocial or illegal behaviours is encouraged to report to police on 131 444 or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Information can also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania at crimestopperstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000.
