Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Feb. 26 — At the invitation of President Luis Lacalle Pou of Oriental Republic of Uruguay, President Xi Jinping’s special envoy and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun will visit Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, and attend Uruguay’s new President Yamandu Orsi’s inauguration on March 1, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced Wednesday.
Source: World Food Programme
MOGADISHU, Somalia, 26 February 2025 – New data from Somalia shows that 4.4 million people could face hunger by April 2025, driven by worsening drought conditions, conflict and high food prices.
The Federal Government of Somalia and the United Nations agencies warn that without adequate funding for humanitarian action, the country – which in 2022 was pushed to the brink of famine by severe drought, resulting in thousands of deaths, with nearly half being children – could once again face deepening hunger.
Today’s warning from the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) comes as the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis shows that 3.4 million people are already experiencing crisis-levels, or higher, of hunger in Somalia (IPC3+). This number is projected to rise to 4.4 million (23 per cent of the population) between April and June 2025, when below-average Gu rains are forecast.
“Worsening drought poses a severe threat to communities already grappling with immense hardship and ongoing conflict. Urgent action is required to save lives, protect livelihoods, and prevent further suffering,” said His Excellency Mohamuud Moallim, Commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA). “This time, we are not only confronting the devastating impacts of drought but also compounding risks, including conflict and an unprecedented decline in humanitarian funding. These overlapping crises demand immediate, collective and well-coordinated action to strengthen Somalia’s resilience and safeguard our most vulnerable communities.”
The hardest-hit households include those with low agricultural yields who have depleted their food stocks, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and pastoralists with limited livestock and below-average earnings from livestock sales.
“Worsening drought, erratic rainfall, and ongoing conflict are eroding livelihoods, pushing families deeper into crisis,” said FAO Somalia Country Representative Etienne Peterschmitt. “FAO is responding by scaling up its support for increased agricultural production, promoting climate-smart solutions, and strengthening resilient agrifood systems. Through early warning systems and anticipatory action, we help communities prepare for shocks before they escalate, mitigating the worst impacts of food crises.”
Acute funding shortfalls have resulted in life-saving programmes being reduced or cut altogether. The UN is calling for more urgent funding to scale up food assistance, nutrition support, water and sanitation services, as well as livelihood initiatives to mitigate the impacts of the expected drought in Somalia. Today, the 2025 Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, calling for US$1.42 billion, is only 12.4 per cent funded.
“Recurrent climate shocks, protracted conflict, disease outbreaks and widespread poverty, among other factors, have aggravated the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. Aid agencies are doing their best to save lives, but they urgently need adequate funding to meet the most critical needs at this juncture in Somalia,” said Crispen Rukasha, Head of Office, OCHA Somalia.
An estimated 1.7 million children under the age of five face acute malnutrition through December 2025. Of those, 466,000 face severe acute malnutrition – an increase of nine per cent compared to the same period last year. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of the total malnutrition burden is concentrated in southern Somalia, where drought conditions and insecurity are the worst.
“Past climate events demonstrate that children are the most affected, facing severe malnourishment and diseases that increase their risk of death and long-term developmental issues,” said Nisar Syed, UNICEF Somalia Representative Officer in Charge. “As prevention is key, UNICEF provides access to clean water and sanitation, provides micronutrients, trains caregivers to identify early signs of malnutrition and operates in remote areas. Given the recurring nature of these crises, we must emphasize a multi-sector approach while working with all stakeholders and the Government to invest in resilience, anticipatory action and a robust health system.”
The IPC findings also confirm that erratic rainfall in 2024 led to low crop yields, rapid depletion of pasture and water sources, flooding of food crops, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
“Recurrent shocks such as droughts are leaving millions of Somalis at risk of hunger as food prices increase and harvests dwindle. Famine was narrowly avoided in 2022 due to large-scale humanitarian support, which is needed again to provide immediate assistance while implementing longer-term solutions. However, funding shortfalls are forcing us to prioritize and reduce assistance at the worst possible time,” said El-Khidir Daloum, WFP’s Country Director in Somalia.
MORE INFORMATION
Source: Aisle of Wight
Almost 80 Island sporting stars have been selected for the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme for 2025.
Gifted sportsmen and women competing at county level or higher in a non-professional capacity receive support to help them progress within their chosen sports.
Wightlink has sponsored the scheme since its creation in 2013, providing athletes with discounted travel to help with travel to mainland events and training.
Scheme participants also have access to the council’s leisure facilities through 1Leisure and receive discounts with specialist sports and health businesses on the Island: Love Running, Cowes Chiropractic Clinic, RMA Sports Injury Clinic, Physio Care (Isle of Wight), Sports Performance Centre and Amanda Buggy Soft Tissue Therapy & Nutrition.
This year’s scheme supports 78 athletes aged between 9 and 86, with many of those new to the scheme for 2025, in sports ranging from athletics to underwater hockey, and sailing to gymnastics.
After making his debut on the list last year, nine-year-old Finn Husson has again qualified. The talented squash player from Niton has recently broken into the under-11 top 20 at national level and has ambitions to reach the top five in England. He has already competed in the British Junior Championships.
His dad, Chris, said: “It’s fair to say that the help we receive from The Talented Athlete Scheme is the only way that we can achieve all of this and we are truly grateful that we get the opportunity to compete with those on the mainland.
“We feel like part of a wider community representing the Island and being supported by its businesses is truly something.”
Veterans of the scheme include 86-year-old Jenny Ball from Newport, who remains a formidable competitor in the pool, travelling around the country to take part in British Masters events.
She said: “I am very privileged to be an Isle of Wight Council/Wightlink sponsored masters swimmer and am proud to represent both the Island and Wightlink.
“The help with ferry costs is especially appreciated, as I travel to the mainland for all but one of my competitions and championships, annually.”
Wightlink chief executive, Katy Taylor, said: “We know how important this support is for athletes across a massive range of sports and it has been a pleasure seeing athletes on the scheme excel.
“I am looking forward to following the progress of this year’s Talented Athletes and sharing their successes via our social media channels.
“I hope to meet up with many of them in person at our next Wightlink in the Community meet and greet event.”
Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member for regeneration, business development, and tourism, said: “It’s great to see our young sportspeople succeeding. I’m pleased that the council continues to support the Talented Athlete Scheme with help from our sponsors. This vital support enables our talented sportspeople to continue developing and competing at national and international levels.
“I look forward to hearing about this year’s participants; I’m confident they will represent the Island well and meet their personal objectives over the next 12 months.”
PHOTO: From left: Jenny Ball, Talented Athlete, Martin Gulliver, Wightlink Island port operation manager, Sam Woodman, Wightlink partnerships marketing manager, Finn Husson, Talented Athlete, Alec Broome, Isle of Wight Council sports development and events officer.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Devereux, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies
At least 15 million South Africans suffer from food insecurity. That means they don’t have enough nutritious food to live healthy lives.
This is due to a combination of factors, including unemployment, poverty, inequality and food system failures.
More than 1,000 children die from malnutrition each year. This compares unfavourably with 350 child deaths from malnutrition in Brazil, which has more than three times South Africa’s population, and 269 child deaths in Colombia, which has about the same per capita income as South Africa.
A robust indicator of chronic hunger is child stunting. Stunting in South Africa has flatlined at around 25%, or one in four children, since the early 1990s. Other middle-income countries such as Brazil and Peru have made impressive progress. Peru halved its rate from 28% in 2008 to 13% in 2016, after the president committed to reducing stunting.
Read more: South Africa’s hunger problem is turning into a major health crisis
How can South Africa’s government deliver on the right to food and begin the urgent process of eradicating hunger?
We have worked on food security and food justice for many years. We’ve researched the links between social protection and hunger and between food systems and nutrition, and the cost of hunger.
Based on this experience, our view is that food shortages are not a cause of hunger in South Africa. The country produces and imports all the food it needs. Instead, the problem is unequal access to food. While some South Africans live in a world of abundance, with no budget constraints, millions more survive below the food poverty line, unable to afford even a basic nutritious diet for their families.
We believe that the government must deliver on the constitutional right to food and begin the urgent process of eradicating hunger. It can do this by expanding the social grant system, extending the school nutrition programme, reducing food waste, and ensuring access to land for low-income rural and peri-urban households.
Above all, a coherent and coordinated strategy for tackling hunger is needed, led by a minister of food, following models like Brazil’s Zero Hunger initiative. In December 2024, Brazil handed over the G20 presidency to South Africa, after it launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. South Africa should embrace the embrace the spirit and focus of the alliance to develop its own Zero Hunger strategy.
The South African government pays out 19 million social grants a month, or 26 million if the 9 million recipients of the special social relief of distress grant are included. Without these cash transfers, poverty and malnutrition in the country would be even higher. But they are inadequate, especially in a context of high and rising food prices.
Firstly, the following changes should be made to social grant payments.
An immediate increase in the child support grant, followed by further increases. The goal should be to get this grant, which is currently below the food poverty line at R530 a month (US$28), to R1,634 (US$34). This is the minimum amount of money needed to meet basic needs, including nutritious food, clothing and shelter.
Pregnant women should receive a maternal support grant from 12 weeks of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of low birth weight.
Social grants should increase to match inflation every year.
Secondly, the National School Nutrition Programme, which provides one nutritious meal to all learners in poorer primary and secondary schools, has limited impact because meals are provided only on weekdays during school terms.
The programme should be boosted in the following ways:
The Department of Basic Education must deliver adequate nutrition to all children in early learning programmes, all year round.
Programmes for school-age children should be extended to ensure that they all receive at least one nutritious meal every day, including on weekends and school holidays.
Adequate funding should be given to school food gardens and nutrition education. Moreover, the national school nutrition programme starts too late to address under-5 stunting. It only begins when children enter grade R, aged 5.
Read more: Malnutrition in South Africa: how one community wants resources to be spent
Thirdly, interventions are needed in the food system.
Prices of essential food items should be regulated, to keep them affordable for low-income South Africans and to encourage shifts in consumption choices towards healthier, more nutritious diets.
Positive dietary choices can also be promoted through the use of subsidies, discounts or vouchers on “best buy” foods, either for all consumers or for shoppers receiving social grants. They could be given vouchers for nutritious food items along with their cash transfers. Food subsidies or vouchers must include foods that are protein-rich (meat, fish, eggs, dairy), since protein is highly inaccessible to the poor.
Government must extend social security protections to seasonal and informal workers during periods of unemployment and underemployment. Seasonal hunger requires specific attention. Seasonal farm workers – most of whom are women – have low incomes, few savings, and limited access to unemployment insurance. They face food insecurity and hunger during the off-season winter months.
The government’s land redistribution programme should prioritise securing access to land for poor agrarian or peri-urban households, and providing support (water, inputs, extension advice) to farm that land. This would help vulnerable groups which derive most of their food from production.
Agrarian households (smallholder farmers, farm workers, farm dwellers) are poorer and more food insecure, especially the female-headed households who survive below the food poverty line. When farm women with food gardens have direct access to fresh vegetables, their dietary diversity improves, and they earn income by selling produce to meet their basic needs.
Lastly, steps must be take to reduce loss and waste in the food system.
A third of food produced in South Africa, 10 million of 31 million tons, goes to waste each year. This is equivalent to 30 billion meals, in a context where an estimated 20 billion meals would be enough to end hunger. The government has committed to halving food waste by 2030, in its draft food losses and waste strategy of 2023. It must be finalised and operationalised.
These interventions would cost money. And the government will argue that it is doing all it can to address hunger with the resources available.
There are many options for raising additional resources to address the hunger crisis – as seen when the government found R500 billion (US$33 billion) to address the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.
The government should also consider raising additional revenue by introducing a wealth tax targeting high-net-worth individuals. This could be used to increase social grants or subsidise nutritious foods.
Read more: Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study
Finally, government needs to tackle hunger in a coordinated way. Several government departments, including agriculture, social development and health, address issues related to food security. However, no government ministry focuses specifically on hunger.
The president should appoint a minister of food to address the hunger crisis along the lines of the special minister of electricity position established in 2023 to deal with the country’s energy supply problem.
Read more: South Africa needs to change direction on maternal health to solve child malnutrition
At the same time, a national food commission should be established, to monitor and coordinate all initiatives that focus on the goal of eradicating hunger.
The government should be guided by the priorities set down by a new coalition – the Union Against Hunger – which is due to be launched on 26 February. The initiative is a coalition of civil society organisations and academics (the authors are among the founding members). It has compiled a list of 10 demands that reflect our analysis of the causes of hunger and recommended solutions. They include realising everyone’s constitutional right to food, halving child stunting by 2030 and making nutritious food accessible to all.
– 15 million South Africans don’t get enough to eat every day: 4 solutions
– https://theconversation.com/15-million-south-africans-dont-get-enough-to-eat-every-day-4-solutions-250700
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Devereux, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies
At least 15 million South Africans suffer from food insecurity. That means they don’t have enough nutritious food to live healthy lives.
This is due to a combination of factors, including unemployment, poverty, inequality and food system failures.
More than 1,000 children die from malnutrition each year. This compares unfavourably with 350 child deaths from malnutrition in Brazil, which has more than three times South Africa’s population, and 269 child deaths in Colombia, which has about the same per capita income as South Africa.
A robust indicator of chronic hunger is child stunting. Stunting in South Africa has flatlined at around 25%, or one in four children, since the early 1990s. Other middle-income countries such as Brazil and Peru have made impressive progress. Peru halved its rate from 28% in 2008 to 13% in 2016, after the president committed to reducing stunting.
Read more:
South Africa’s hunger problem is turning into a major health crisis
How can South Africa’s government deliver on the right to food and begin the urgent process of eradicating hunger?
We have worked on food security and food justice for many years. We’ve researched the links between social protection and hunger and between food systems and nutrition, and the cost of hunger.
Based on this experience, our view is that food shortages are not a cause of hunger in South Africa. The country produces and imports all the food it needs. Instead, the problem is unequal access to food. While some South Africans live in a world of abundance, with no budget constraints, millions more survive below the food poverty line, unable to afford even a basic nutritious diet for their families.
We believe that the government must deliver on the constitutional right to food and begin the urgent process of eradicating hunger. It can do this by expanding the social grant system, extending the school nutrition programme, reducing food waste, and ensuring access to land for low-income rural and peri-urban households.
Above all, a coherent and coordinated strategy for tackling hunger is needed, led by a minister of food, following models like Brazil’s Zero Hunger initiative. In December 2024, Brazil handed over the G20 presidency to South Africa, after it launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. South Africa should embrace the embrace the spirit and focus of the alliance to develop its own Zero Hunger strategy.
The South African government pays out 19 million social grants a month, or 26 million if the 9 million recipients of the special social relief of distress grant are included. Without these cash transfers, poverty and malnutrition in the country would be even higher. But they are inadequate, especially in a context of high and rising food prices.
Firstly, the following changes should be made to social grant payments.
An immediate increase in the child support grant, followed by further increases. The goal should be to get this grant, which is currently below the food poverty line at R530 a month (US$28), to R1,634 (US$34). This is the minimum amount of money needed to meet basic needs, including nutritious food, clothing and shelter.
Pregnant women should receive a maternal support grant from 12 weeks of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of low birth weight.
Social grants should increase to match inflation every year.
Secondly, the National School Nutrition Programme, which provides one nutritious meal to all learners in poorer primary and secondary schools, has limited impact because meals are provided only on weekdays during school terms.
The programme should be boosted in the following ways:
The Department of Basic Education must deliver adequate nutrition to all children in early learning programmes, all year round.
Programmes for school-age children should be extended to ensure that they all receive at least one nutritious meal every day, including on weekends and school holidays.
Adequate funding should be given to school food gardens and nutrition education. Moreover, the national school nutrition programme starts too late to address under-5 stunting. It only begins when children enter grade R, aged 5.
Read more:
Malnutrition in South Africa: how one community wants resources to be spent
Thirdly, interventions are needed in the food system.
Prices of essential food items should be regulated, to keep them affordable for low-income South Africans and to encourage shifts in consumption choices towards healthier, more nutritious diets.
Positive dietary choices can also be promoted through the use of subsidies, discounts or vouchers on “best buy” foods, either for all consumers or for shoppers receiving social grants. They could be given vouchers for nutritious food items along with their cash transfers. Food subsidies or vouchers must include foods that are protein-rich (meat, fish, eggs, dairy), since protein is highly inaccessible to the poor.
Government must extend social security protections to seasonal and informal workers during periods of unemployment and underemployment. Seasonal hunger requires specific attention. Seasonal farm workers – most of whom are women – have low incomes, few savings, and limited access to unemployment insurance. They face food insecurity and hunger during the off-season winter months.
The government’s land redistribution programme should prioritise securing access to land for poor agrarian or peri-urban households, and providing support (water, inputs, extension advice) to farm that land. This would help vulnerable groups which derive most of their food from production.
Agrarian households (smallholder farmers, farm workers, farm dwellers) are poorer and more food insecure, especially the female-headed households who survive below the food poverty line. When farm women with food gardens have direct access to fresh vegetables, their dietary diversity improves, and they earn income by selling produce to meet their basic needs.
Lastly, steps must be take to reduce loss and waste in the food system.
A third of food produced in South Africa, 10 million of 31 million tons, goes to waste each year. This is equivalent to 30 billion meals, in a context where an estimated 20 billion meals would be enough to end hunger. The government has committed to halving food waste by 2030, in its draft food losses and waste strategy of 2023. It must be finalised and operationalised.
These interventions would cost money. And the government will argue that it is doing all it can to address hunger with the resources available.
There are many options for raising additional resources to address the hunger crisis – as seen when the government found R500 billion (US$33 billion) to address the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.
The government should also consider raising additional revenue by introducing a wealth tax targeting high-net-worth individuals. This could be used to increase social grants or subsidise nutritious foods.
Read more:
Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study
Finally, government needs to tackle hunger in a coordinated way. Several government departments, including agriculture, social development and health, address issues related to food security. However, no government ministry focuses specifically on hunger.
The president should appoint a minister of food to address the hunger crisis along the lines of the special minister of electricity position established in 2023 to deal with the country’s energy supply problem.
Read more:
South Africa needs to change direction on maternal health to solve child malnutrition
At the same time, a national food commission should be established, to monitor and coordinate all initiatives that focus on the goal of eradicating hunger.
The government should be guided by the priorities set down by a new coalition – the Union Against Hunger – which is due to be launched on 26 February. The initiative is a coalition of civil society organisations and academics (the authors are among the founding members). It has compiled a list of 10 demands that reflect our analysis of the causes of hunger and recommended solutions. They include realising everyone’s constitutional right to food, halving child stunting by 2030 and making nutritious food accessible to all.
Stephen Devereux receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF). He holds a Research Chair in Social Protection for Food Security, affiliated to the DSI–NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security and the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Busiso Moyo previously received funding from the Centre of Excellence in Food Security – UWC and the IDRC-Canada. He is affiliated with the Union Against Hunger (UAH) initiative.
Mark Heywood previously headed Section 27, which receives funding and received funding for the Justice and Activism Hub. He is affiliated with the Union Against Hunger initiative.
– ref. 15 million South Africans don’t get enough to eat every day: 4 solutions – https://theconversation.com/15-million-south-africans-dont-get-enough-to-eat-every-day-4-solutions-250700
Source: China State Council Information Office
China aims to cultivate new quality productive forces through technological innovation to empower modern agriculture, a policy priority that has been underscored in this year’s “No 1 central document”, which was released on Sunday.
The blueprint document is the first policy statement released by China’s central authorities each year. And this year, the nation plans to leverage scientific innovation to inject impetus into the modernization of agriculture, amid China’s rapid advancements in biotech and smart farming equipment.
Policy support
China’s “No 1 central document” for 2025 outlines its priorities in deepening rural reforms, and takes solid steps to advance all-around rural vitalization.
The document emphasizes the importance of developing new quality productive forces in agriculture according to local conditions, and calls for the cultivation of leading high-tech agricultural enterprises and the acceleration of breakthroughs in seed varieties.
The country will support the development of smart agriculture and expand the application scenarios of artificial intelligence, big data and low-altitude technologies, according to the document.
Sunday’s release is a top-level development framework for the cultivation of new quality productive forces in the field of agriculture, said Jin Wencheng, director of the Research Center for the Rural Economy, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The document stresses the importance of improving the agricultural sci-tech innovation system, and of nurturing agri-tech talent and emerging enterprises, while accelerating the large-scale application of agricultural sci-tech achievements, Jin said.
To address barriers hindering the application of new technologies and product commercialization, the country will establish a modern institutional framework that aligns with the development needs of new quality productive forces in agriculture.
He noted that a regional approach to the transformation and modernization of traditional agriculture is needed, as it balances the adoption of new technologies with employment stability.
Seed revolution
Seed innovation is crucial to China’s agricultural modernization, and the document emphasizes the importance of accelerating breakthroughs in seed varieties through the country’s key agricultural research platforms, and of advancing the industrialization of biological breeding.
Technology has been boosting the seed industry, said Ru Zhengang, a professor at the Henan Institute of Science and Technology, citing the country’s improvements in grain yields over the decades.
Official data show that the national average grain yield stood at 389.7 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectares) in 2023, an increase of 321.1 kilograms per mu compared to 1949.
“The quality and breeding speeds of crop varieties are important factors affecting grain yields,” Ru said, stressing the importance of leveraging new varieties and technologies to boost total grain yield and ensure the country’s food security.
Ru also noted that interactive collaboration among farmers, agricultural researchers and enterprises has facilitated synergistic development between supply and demand, enhancing agricultural productivity and efficacy.
Industrial upgrade
Beyond seeds, rural industries are reinventing themselves through storytelling and tech integration.
Zhejiang’s Lizu village, for example, has transformed its local pears into a “sweet industry” by branding itself with intellectual-property terms like the name of its cultural mascot — Zu’er — and blending farm products with tourism and entertainment, according to Jin Jing, who is in charge of the village’s business operations and often dubbed the CEO of Lizu.
To stimulate innovative rural industries, the village has established innovation spaces that combine entrepreneurial mentorship, incubation and e-commerce training to provide tailored policy support and funding resources for entrepreneurs who are willing to lay down roots in rural regions.
Locals have also jumped on the startup bandwagon, forming a multitude of wealth-creation industries. In 2024, the local per capita disposable income reached 66,000 yuan ($9,206).
And the changes in Lizu can be seen as a microcosm of rural vitalization in Zhejiang province. Rural industries across the province have attracted 80,000 young entrepreneurs, over half of whom were born after 1990.
To attract talent, Jin stressed the importance of building incubation platforms, and of introducing policy incentives and resources to boost entrepreneurship.
“The countryside needs young people, and young people need the countryside even more,” Jin said, calling on more young people to contribute to rural vitalization.
Source: Australian Ministers 1
THE MOST CONNECTED CONTINENT
I acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and those with connections to the lands of the ACT.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and First Nations people joining, including First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group co-chair Associate Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker.
The Advisory Group continues to progress digital inclusion for First Nations people, particularly those in regional and remote Australia.
In December, the Group delivered the First Nations Digital Inclusion Roadmap: 2026 and Beyond, a blueprint for government and industry as we work towards closing the digital divide.
This follows the Advisory Group’s initial report to Government, which helped to inform the First Nations Community Wi-Fi Program – which has been rolled out in around 20 communities.
Last week, I announced a contestable program to provide the next tranche of Community Wi-Fi.
We have also set up a First Nations Digital Support Hub and Network of Digital Mentors, and improved national data collection.
These initiatives are making a real difference to First Nations communities, which remain some of the nation’s most digitally isolated.
Of course, there is a lot more work to do – collectively – to close the digital divide.
I thank the Advisory Group for their on-going commitment and progress on this, and I welcome their participation at the CommsDay Regional and Remote Forum.
It is wonderful to be part of this inaugural – and very timely – forum focussed on the future of regional and remote connectivity in Australia.
Thank you, Grahame Lynch, for bringing together industry, consumer advocates, and government representatives in the nation’s capital.
It’s great to see so many familiar faces; I know many of you have travelled far to take part.
From Forthside in Tasmania to Belyuen in the Top End, from Moruya on the NSW South Coast to Port Augusta in South Australia, from King Island to Palm Island, everywhere I travel across regional, rural and remote Australia, I see the work of building Australia’s future is gathering pace.
Whether it’s Medicare, superannuation, childcare, or the National Broadband Network, Labor governments have a proud history of expanding universal access to essential services that Australians rely on.
Labor founded the NBN to provide fast, reliable and affordable internet to all people in Australia, regardless of where they live.
Families and businesses in our regions and suburbs should have equal access to the opportunities the NBN delivers.
And Labor’s NBN is already saving households more than 100 hours and $2,580 per year in avoided travel time and costs.
And we are very proud of our record on delivery.
When we came into office, fewer than 300,000 premises had access to NBN fibre upgrades. Today, more than 4.3 million premises do.
The Albanese Government is on track to reach our commitment of extending fibre upgrades to 5 million premises by the end of 2025 – on time and within budget.
Today, there are an additional 2.7 million higher-speed plans taken up – an 80 per cent increase from when we came into office.
We have delivered our $480 million upgrades to NBN Co’s Fixed Wireless and Satellite services, more than doubling average speeds.
Around 800,000 households and businesses in regional, remote and peri-urban areas can now benefit from faster broadband and increased data.
This includes 122,000 premises formerly in the satellite footprint.
This freed up satellite capacity and enabled NBN Co to launch a Sky Muster Premium service with download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and unmetered data.
This resulted in a 75 per cent surge in data consumption for active Skymuster users, delivering important economic and social benefits in health and education.
Our Government is listening to the community – including through the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review – about the importance they place on increasing minimum regulated broadband speeds to reflect today’s needs.
The current legislated guarantee is for only 25Mbps download speeds, which does not reflect the growing capability of the NBN and other telecommunications networks in Australia, consumer expectations or emerging international norms.
I have asked my Department to commence work on a public consultation on the pathway to increase the minimum download speed to 100Mbps.
An increase over time to Australia’s regulated broadband speeds will bring Australia in line with international best practice and help to power the economy.
And ensure fair and equitable access to services that better meet the needs of users in our increasingly digitally-driven economy.
It’s no secret I have a passion for my portfolio.
As Communications Minister, I’ve seen the transformation connectivity is having at every level of our society and economy.
The difference it is making to people, businesses and communities and our regions.
Building Australia’s future to be the most connected continent is more than critical infrastructure – it’s about the long-term interests of consumers.
It demands forward-looking regulatory environments that facilitate competition.
Over the past few years, 5G has been deployed, fibre access expanded, and low orbit satellites are providing next generation services.
Yet the Universal Service Obligation remains stuck in a different era, entirely at odds with society’s needs for mobility.
Introduced in the 1990s, the USO is a consumer protection to support reasonable access to landlines and payphones for people in Australia.
This was a time when the voice-only ‘brick’ phone was exciting and expensive!
The very first 1G phone was introduced in Australia by Telecom in 1987, retailing at a massive $4,250 or nearly $12,000 in today’s dollars.
The idea of being able to walk and talk was novel. The concepts of mobile web browsing or video calling were almost non-existent.
Today, mobile phones are comparatively affordable, and their use is ubiquitous.
The Universal Service Obligation is as dated as those brick phones of the past.
The only way to build regional Australia’s mobile future is with a modern USO, where mobile coverage is an explicit policy objective for the first time.
And I am proud to say this is what Labor will deliver.
The Albanese Government, if reelected, will legislate a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation, known as UOMO.
This is about recognising, in the truest sense of the word, that mobile connectivity is an essential service.
UOMO will require mobile operators to provide outdoor mobile coverage nearly everywhere in Australia where you can see the sky.
This includes the around 70 per cent of our vast continent that does not have mobile connectivity.
UOMO will enable more Australians to send messages and make voice calls, including calls to Triple Zero, during emergencies and natural disasters.
This responds to a key piece of feedback from the Regional Telecommunications Review about the need for multiple connection paths.
And unlike universal landline and broadband where Telstra and NBN Co are effectively the sole providers of the obligation, an express policy objective of Labor’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation is to facilitate competitive coverage.
This reform will ensure up to 5 million square kilometers of new and competitive outdoor mobile coverage across Australia, including more than 37,000 kilometers of new coverage along roads and highways in regional and rural communities.
Just think about what this means for the farmer out in the paddock, the injured hiker on the trail, or the distressed parent whose car has broken down.
I welcome the strong endorsements of ACCAN, the National Farmers’ Federation, regional telecommunication stakeholders like the Better Internet for Regional and Rural Australia group, the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, the NSW Rural Fire Service, the First Nations Digital Advisory Council and a growing list of local and regional councils.
The only mindless opposition is coming from the Coalition.
The Nationals say we are going too slow.
The Liberals say we should not be doing this at all or going too fast.
This smorgasbord of incoherence and freewheeling incompetence is emblematic of a Liberal-National Party that does not know what it stands for.
In contrast, the Labor Party is very clear on where we want to go.
The Albanese Government will work closely with industry, regulators and stakeholders to introduce legislation in 2025, and work on this has commenced.
The initial focus will be on increasing access to messaging and voice services, with a public-safety focus.
We expect the voice and SMS obligation to be implemented by late 2027, with many Australians likely to benefit well before then.
Given our audience here, I’d like to take this opportunity to provide further detail around the regulatory and policy context, and thank them for their participation in this reform process.
Firstly, we understand this is a rapidly-developing market and our implementation timeline has been designed with regard to this.
Where warranted by global supply, spectrum or capability factors, our legislation will afford mobile operators appropriate flexibility on implementation.
Our Government will also engage with industry and examine incentives to promote competition objectives and public interest outcomes.
As I outlined earlier, a top priority of the Government is to facilitate a healthy supply side market, that offers carriers and consumers choice.
Promoting competition is an express policy feature of UOMO’s design.
This aim is to bring forward investments and product partnerships, and remove market barriers to enable Australians to contact emergency services through D2D.
Our policy announcement is a demand signal to global low orbit providers – we want you to expand your capability in Australia.
The D2D capability is initially expected to provide baseline text messaging, then voice calls and, in time, limited mobile data.
Broadly, industry is targeting the availability of D2D messaging from late this year, followed by voice from 2026 onwards.
Our Government’s expectation is that these services will be well and truly in the market by late 2027.
Secondly, D2D is not a replacement for terrestrial mobile networks or the USO.
It will complement existing networks with a thin coverage layer, and ensure we cover as much of Australia as possible, for the benefit of all.
Labor is filling a giant “black spot” that could simply never be addressed through mobile tower deployment at this scale or speed.
As you are well aware, terrestrial-based network expansion can be a “law of diminishing returns” up against challenging geography and customer ratios that do not stack-up to commercial viability.
The Government remains committed to existing co-investment programs, such as the Mobile Black Spot Program, and the Mobile Network Hardening Program.
These programs will evolve with UOMO to deliver the best public policy outcomes for regional communities – of this I am very confident.
Thirdly, I want to affirm our commitment to engagement.
The expanded Universal Service Obligation framework follows two years of evidence-based groundwork, consultation and engagement.
Early this term, I recognised the potential of the opportunity of LEOSat technology.
I established the LEO Satellite Working Group to bring together the perspectives of global operators, Australian telcos, spectrum and engineering experts, and regional stakeholders.
The Working Group, and data emerging from our LEOSat technical trials, is helping to inform our ongoing work on universal services modernisation.
We have also been engaging with:
The Albanese Government, if re-elected, will continue this collaborative approach, working with the satellite industry, regulators, mobile network operators, consumer groups and other stakeholders as we develop, and introduce, legislation this year.
Finally, we have expectations of industry around providing clear, accurate and accessible public information for consumers.
Consumers need a clear understanding of the capability of D2D services and device compatibility.
We are not talking about streaming Netflix from the Pilbara.
I’ve been advised by industry that different devices are being rigorously tested for compatibility, and that more handsets are becoming eligible.
This is in keeping with international developments.
We now have in place a more robust handset testing scheme built around the collaboration of the CommsAlliance, test labs at the University of Technology Sydney and the overarching regime administered by the ACMA.
This will be leveraged to ensure consumers are better educated and receive reliable information.
Because LEOSats orbit close to the Earth, they can provide services to mobile phones that usually communicate through terrestrial networks.
Even during emergencies, when power outages impact the availability of local mobile towers, LEOSats can provide a thin layer of coverage.
Last month, from Los Angeles, we saw this capability in action.
As the highly destructive and deadly wildfires struck, thousands of messages were sent via D2D by thousands of people using standard unmodified devices.
In the depths of crisis, people could text loved ones, neighbours, and, most importantly, emergency services – even when terrestrial networks were silenced.
The public safety implications of D2D cannot be underestimated, particularly during natural disasters – which are becoming far more frequent and destructive.
Closer to home, over the Summer, Australians were transfixed by the disappearance of bush walker Hadi Nazari who got lost in Kosciuszko National Park.
Almost two weeks after he went missing in the unforgiving wilderness he was, thankfully, found alive.
The significant search and rescue operation included a dozen SES teams, 200 personnel, more than 4000 volunteer hours and specialist aircraft.
Hadi’s location could have been known within minutes with a charged mobile phone, Direct 2 Device technology, and a clear view to the sky.
D2D will substantially expand opportunity for people to seek help if they are lost, injured or facing natural disasters in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage.
It will give consumers more connectivity options, as mobile networks are already required to carry all Triple Zero voice calls over their networks.
Early mover markets include the US and New Zealand, where we are seeing limited text to emergency services emerge as an early D2D capability.
In the US, T-Mobile has opened registration for a Beta program, with priority given to first responder agencies and individuals.
One New Zealand provider currently offers D2D text services across a number of premium phones.
My Department is exploring the feasibility and desirability of expanding the Triple Zero service to have message-based capability – recognising that access to Triple Zero by voice is preferred in time critical situations.
It is also important that people know which devices can access D2D services, and the Government will work with the industry regulator to ensure there is clear public information on this.
This is just the first step towards reform to the USO.
The Department will commence consultation to inform the development of legislation, and we encourage all stakeholders to engage in that process.
The Government has also sought advice on incentives and the removal of barriers to support competition outcomes and public interest objectives.
That work is also underway, and if the Government is returned to office, will gather pace as this would be our top communications legislative priority for 2025.
As part of this process, we will develop a roadmap for a basic data obligation, alongside voice and text as technology evolves.
The Government continues to work through the recommendations of the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review alongside progress on USO reform.
Undertaken every three years, the review is an opportunity for people living and working outside major cities to share their experiences, views and expectations regarding connectivity and telecommunications services.
The community response to the 2024 review represented a four-fold increase in participation on the previous review.
The unprecedented interest in the work of the Regional Telecommunications Review reflects the importance placed on connectivity in these communities.
The Committee conducted online consultations and 20 in-person sessions across Australia from Thursday Island to Geraldton, Katherine and Benalla.
In total, more than 4,000 stakeholders took part and more than 3,000 survey responses were received.
The Committee engaged with industry throughout the process to address issues raised during consultations and potential reform options were workshopped.
I’d like to thank Committee Chair, the Honorable Alannah MacTiernan – who will be addressing the Forum this morning.
As well as Committee Members Kristy Sparrow, the Honorable Fiona Nash, Dr Jessa Rogers and Ian Kelly for their extensive work, expert advice and engagement on the ground.
The report’s 14 recommendations address a diverse range of telecommunications issues – from enhanced mobile coverage, consumer affordability, universal service modernisation and the role of LEOSats, through to First Nations inclusion and digital literacy.
We are considering the report’s findings and recommendations and continue to work with key partners like all of you here in the room.
As I noted at the outset, Labor governments have a proud history of expanding universal access and UOMO is the next important piece of architecture.
Australians are proud and early adopters of technology, and we are ambitious to leverage this advantage as part of building a better future.
There is tremendous activity and buzz in the communications space right now.
It’s a time of reform, in-sync with incredible innovation that is making once unviable goals a reality.
This Forum is shining a spotlight on the opportunities this presents for regional, rural and remote Australia.
We know some of these communities face connectivity challenges their city counterparts do not.
Since coming to office, we have been working hard to bridge this divide.
At the last election, we took a record regional telecommunications and connectivity package to the election.
Since then, the Government and NBN Co have expanded fibre access and upgraded fixed wireless, collectively enabling higher speeds to a footprint of nearly 5 million homes and businesses.
Government and industry co-investment has delivered 146 local projects under our Regional Connectivity Plan.
And more than 150 base stations have been built under the Mobile Black Spot Program this term.
These projects have helped carry over 43 million calls, including 48,000 emergency calls.
We are backing Aussie farmers and ag-tech suppliers through our hugely popular On Farm Connectivity Program, which the National Farmers Federation has singled out as one of the best Commonwealth initiatives ever for their sector.
NBN Co has delivered free Community Wi-Fi for First Nations communities, and free home broadband to school kids who would otherwise go without.
And just this week, we have tripled down on our ambition and optimism for the future with our announcement of a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation.
The fact is the Albanese Government is delivering with competence, and with a Labor heart.
And the biggest risk to this progress is a Liberal-National Coalition Government.
Let there be no doubt that if Peter Dutton becomes Prime Minister he will privatise the NBN to pay for his $600 billion nuclear fantasy.
It is Australian consumers and regional communities who will pay the price.
In nine years, the Coalition took Australia back from fibre to copper, and created a new acronym for the universal access framework which they were unwilling to reform.
And just before they were voted out, they sneakily tried to push up NBN wholesale prices by inflation plus three per cent on some products.
Their new Shadow Minister – the third in three years – never once mentioned connectivity during her six years in Parliament before coming into the portfolio.
And Mr Dutton will ensure the Shadow’s effective title will be the ‘Minister for Privatisation’ – not the Minister for Communications.
Australia can do much better than that.
I want to close by thanking the industry, consumer groups, and indeed regional and stakeholders across this portfolio for your engagement throughout this term.
We have learnt much from you. We have left nothing on the field, and sought to do our best.
As a marginal seat holder, and as I’ve said before previous elections, I’ll either be seeing a lot more of you or a lot less of you.
And an important election contest will be fought over the coming month or two.
What I do want you to know is that I and the Albanese Government genuinely value your expertise, and your voice has made a difference.
Now is not a time for thinking small, looking back or aiming low.
This is a time to lean-in to opportunities and forge ahead in making Australia the most connected continent.
Labor is doing this with one eye on the sky, and the other watching out for what’s best for all Australians – regardless of who – or where – they are.
Every Australian deserves access to fast, reliable and affordable connectivity.
Let’s keep working together to build our future, and deliver the modern world-class communications network our country demands and deserves.
Thank you.
Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
On the largest skating rink in Moscow and for the first time on the skating rink of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory on a beautiful date – February 25, 2025 – the capital’s registry offices held off-site wedding ceremonies. The newlyweds exchanged rings on the ice and made the event truly unforgettable. The skating rinks are operating within the framework of the project “Winter in Moscow”.
“Winter wedding ceremonies on skates have become our good tradition for the last few years. During this time, 12 capital couples tied the knot on skates in the company of friends and family. On this beautiful date, over 800 couples got married in Moscow, four new families were created on the skating rinks at VDNKh and on Vorobyovy Gory. The ceremonies were held in different formats – at VDNKh, the newlyweds exchanged rings during the day against the backdrop of the exhibition’s architecture and the Friendship of Nations fountain, on Vorobyovy Gory the celebrations took place in the evening with cozy lighting and wedding decor,” said
Svetlana Ukhaneva, Head of the Civil Registry Office of Moscow.
Marriage registration on ice rinks has become a good tradition of winter seasons. On Tuesday, two wedding ceremonies took place on the largest skating rink in the capital at VDNKh. The newlyweds were on skates and in festive outfits that matched the entourage of the ice rink. The official marriage registration was carried out by employees of the capital’s registry offices.
The largest skating rink at VDNKh this year is located in its traditional place — along the Main Alley between pavilions No. 1 “Central” and No. 58 “Agriculture”. The ice rink goes around the fountains “Friendship of Peoples” and “Stone Flower”. The area of the artificial ice surface is more than 20 thousand square meters.
In addition, the evening ceremonies were held for the first time on the skating rink of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory. It was decorated with modern wedding decor, and the names of the newlyweds were displayed on the multimedia screen during the ceremonies. Natural evening and artistic lighting added coziness to the ceremony.
In addition, on the beautiful date of February 25, 2025, the Wedding Palace at VDNKh celebrated its 11th anniversary since its opening. The building was constructed in 1939 according to the design of the famous architect Nikolai Kolli. The historic mansion has a large hall and living rooms, which are ideal for gathering guests, holding receptions, photo and video shooting.
The area of the ceremonial hall is 100 square meters, which allows for more than 30 people to be accommodated, ensuring a comfortable and solemn event. The interval between registrations here is twice as long as in other wedding palaces in Moscow.
The solemnity of the marriage registration ceremony is provided by the musical accompaniment of a string trio. The newlyweds are offered to choose any of 60 compositions. During the buffet, guests can order a harp performance.
An application for marriage registration is submitted in person at the Wedding Palace at VDNKh, as well as at any government services center “My Documents” or online through the public services portal or Mos.ru.
It is also possible to organize an off-site marriage registration. Among the venues are the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center, the Moscow Sun Ferris Wheel, and the Moskvarium. These places are included in the project “New Addresses of Happiness”.
There are more than 50 venues available for holding ceremonies in Moscow, including wedding palaces, museums, metro stations, estates and restaurants. The service will help future newlyweds make their choice “Our Wedding” on the mos.ru portal. This is a detailed guide to wedding ceremony locations in the capital. Using filters, you can set the necessary parameters, such as the type of venue, interior style, and other features. In addition, the service allows you to specify the desired registration date, the nearest metro station, the maximum number of guests, and much more. The pages of the venues contain detailed descriptions and contact phone numbers.
You can apply for marriage registration on the public services portal or on mos.ru, as well as in wedding palaces. The state fee is 350 rubles.
The first wedding ceremonies of 2025 took place at Mayakovskaya metro station
The Winter in Moscow project is the main event of the season, which until February 28 brings together various events in the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go ice skating, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, and show concern for those who need it.
Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The largest festivals of the capital are organically woven into the project: “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light” and many others. All information about the project and the events of the winter season can be found in a special section of mos.ru.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150504073/
Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The capital’s weekend fairs offer customers fresh products for the family table on Maslenitsa. The shelves offer various fillings for pancakes and holiday treats. This includes farm honey, fresh homemade cheeses, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish products, cottage cheese and much more.
The most popular sweet fillings include honey, jam, condensed milk and butter. In addition, customers often choose chicken with mushrooms, apples and pears with homemade cheese, feta cheese with spinach and beets with basil and goat cheese for their pancakes.
Among dietary ones, vegetable fillings are in demand – these are fried pumpkin, carrots, zucchini and sweet peppers – as well as spinach with grated low-fat cheese with the addition of garlic or berries with coconut condensed milk.
Farmers suggest diversifying the holiday menu and experimenting with ingredients. For example, you can serve cream cheese with herbs and walnuts, chicken with mushrooms and cream, feta with olives and finely chopped tomatoes, and caramelized apples with cinnamon with pancakes. In addition, customers will be offered to try cream cheese with horseradish, pumpkin filling with soft cheese, as well as nut, chocolate and many others.
The capital’s fairs present high-quality farm products from more than 40 regions of Russia. Specialists Veterinary Committee of the City of Moscow They check the goods immediately before sending them to the shelves; 18 mobile laboratories operate on site, which guarantees the safety of the products.
The fair pavilions are located near metro stations and other crowded places. They are equipped with commercial and refrigeration equipment, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and video surveillance systems, so that visitors feel comfortable at any time of the year.
The indoor winter markets are open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 08:00 to 20:00.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150557073/
Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
26 Feb 2025
Vision pack available at https://tinyurl.com/2s4f73kx
The prestigious Farrer Memorial Medal has been awarded to South Australian grain grower and former plant researcher Dr Andrew (Andy) Barr for 2024, recognising his outstanding contributions to plant breeding and agricultural research in not only Australia, but across the globe.
DPIRD Executive Director of Agriculture, Darren Bayley, congratulated Dr Barr on receiving the honour, acknowledging his significant impact on the industry by helping to develop over 25 varieties of oats, barley and wheat , ranging from disease-resistant strains to high-yield cultivars.
“The Farrer Memorial Trust was established to perpetuate the memory of William James Farrer, a pioneering plant breeder, and has upheld a long-standing tradition since 1936 of providing encouragement and inspiration to those engaged in agricultural science, particularly in cropping fields,” Dr Bayley said.
“The NSW DPIRD holds the Chair for the Farrer Memorial Trust and is proud to offer the annual Farrer Memorial Medal that recognises individuals who have dedicated their careers to advancing plant breeding and crop science.
“Andy Barr exemplifies this commitment – he has made remarkable contributions in the development of improved oat and barley varieties such as the well known Echidna oats and Commander barley, all which have significantly benefited Australian farmers and agriculture.”
Among some of Dr Barr’s proudest achievements are:
Dr Barr expressed his gratitude for the honour and credited the many scientists, technicians, research funders, and farmers he has worked with throughout his 30 years in breeding and 20 years in farming, consulting and research management.
“It is a tremendous privilege to be recognised by the Farrer Memorial Trust and I hope that all the great colleagues I have worked with—as a practicing plant breeder, a consultant, and a research administrator—share in this recognition,” Dr Barr said.
“There are many rewarding things about plant breeding – driving around the country and seeing your varieties being grown in farmers paddocks, talking to farmers who have great feedback about the varieties you have bred and working with brilliant researchers to integrate their science into a practical outcome in a breeding program.”
Raised on a mixed farm at Pinery in South Australia, Dr Barr said growing up in a family who valued high quality education prompted his love of plant biology and genetics.
“I attended an Ag careers night with my family when I was in year 10, and that sealed the deal – at uni, I loved plant biology, and genetics in my early years and so it was a natural progression to major in plant breeding later,” Dr Barr said.
Beyond his research, Dr Barr has played a critical role in advancing Australian and global crop science through his work on the boards of CIMMYT, GRDC, and SAGIT, reviewing numerous crop breeding programs and hosting research trials on his family farm which support the development of new and existing varieties.
Looking ahead, Dr Barr remains optimistic about the future of Australian grain research.
“Australia has a proud history of world-class innovation in plant breeding, and I believe that will continue. Exciting technologies such as genomic selection, machine learning, AI, and gene editing are still in their early stages and will mature to deliver even greater benefits to Australian farmers,” Dr Barr said said.
The 2024 Farrer Memorial Medal will be officially presented to Andy Barr at the Australian Crop Breeders Week Event Dinner on Tuesday, 4 March 2025 in Melbourne.
Tickets for the event are available on their website.
For more information on the Farrer Memorial Trust, including how you can nominate someone for the 2025 medal, visit the DPIRD website.
Media contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au
Source: Minister of Infrastructure
Australians were transfixed by the disappearance of bush walker Hadi Nazari who got lost in Kosciuszko National Park this Summer.
Almost two weeks after he went missing in the unforgiving wilderness he was, thankfully, found alive.
The significant search and rescue operation included a dozen SES teams, 200 personnel, more than 4,000 volunteer hours and specialist aircraft.
Hadi’s location could have been known within minutes with a charged mobile phone, Direct 2 Device technology, and a clear view to the sky.
This is because the latest generation of Low Earth Orbit Satellites can communicate directly – by text – to mobile phones.
Which means people can seek help in emergencies in areas that don’t have mobile reception, and when networks are affected by power outages.
So, what we are seeing around the world that is giving us optimism and excitement for this transformative technology?
A recent example was during the highly-destructive and deadly Los Angeles wildfires.
In the first few days, more than 100,000 text messages were sent via D2D from tens of thousands of T-Mobile customers using standard 4G handsets.
People were texting loved ones, neighbours, and, importantly, emergency services.
Just imagine how we could use that capability in Australia. The public safety implications cannot be underestimated.
This is why re-elected Albanese Government will introduce a major reform to ensure competitive universal outdoor mobile coverage across Australia.
Labor’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation – or UOMO – will cover the more than 70 per cent of our vast continent that does not have mobile connectivity.
We are filling the giant mobile black spot that could simply never be addressed through mobile tower deployment at this scale or speed.
Whether it’s in national parks, hiking trails or out on the farm, outdoor coverage will be accessible almost anywhere where Australians can see the sky.
Just think about what this means for the farmer out in the paddock, the injured hiker, or the distressed parent whose car has broken down.
The strong and immediate public safety interest is obvious.
The Albanese Government will introduce legislation in 2025. Implementation of outdoor SMS and voice will be expected by late 2027, with many Australians likely to obtain access before then.
Our initial focus is on the continent-wide emergency contact capability.
D2D is not a replacement for terrestrial mobile networks. It will complement them with a thin coverage layer.
Basic mobile data will be considered in the future as technology roadmaps and capacity considerations develop.
Labor’s longer-term interest is to help facilitate a competitive outdoor mobile coverage market for Australian consumers.
Our policy announcement is a demand signal to global low orbit providers – we want you to expand your capability in Australia.
Building Australia’s future demands forward-looking regulatory environments for the benefit of all.
Whether its Medicare or superannuation, childcare, bulk billed GPs or the National Broadband Network, Labor has a proud history of expanding universal access to essential services and enablers of prosperity.
UOMO is the next important piece of architecture that gives life to these values.
Australians are proud and early adopters of technology, and we are ambitious to leverage this advantage as part of building a better future.
There is tremendous activity and buzz in the communications space right now.
It’s a time of reform, in-sync with incredible innovation that is making once unviable goals a reality.
The biggest risk to this progress is a Liberal-National Coalition always inventing new ways to take Australia backward, as they did with copper broadband.
Australia can do much better than that.
Now is not a time for thinking small, looking back or aiming low.
This is a time to lean-in to opportunities and forge ahead with Labor’s vision to make Australia the most connected continent.
The Albanese Government is doing this with one eye on the sky, and the other watching out for what’s best for all Australians – regardless of who – or where – they are.
Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP
This opinion piece was first published in The Canberra Times, 26 February 2025
Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture
28 February 2025
All importers, customs brokers and appointed analysts who currently lodge imported cargo documentation and are required to submit an Imported Food Inspection Scheme Laboratory Nomination form or Imported Food Inspection Scheme Laboratory Cancellation form.
We continue to ensure that our regulatory activities are undertaken as efficiently as possible, including improving the way we receive documents for…
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
Australians were transfixed by the disappearance of bush walker Hadi Nazari who got lost in Kosciuszko National Park this Summer.
Almost two weeks after he went missing in the unforgiving wilderness he was, thankfully, found alive.
The significant search and rescue operation included a dozen SES teams, 200 personnel, more than 4,000 volunteer hours and specialist aircraft.
Hadi’s location could have been known within minutes with a charged mobile phone, Direct 2 Device technology, and a clear view to the sky.
This is because the latest generation of Low Earth Orbit Satellites can communicate directly – by text – to mobile phones.
Which means people can seek help in emergencies in areas that don’t have mobile reception, and when networks are affected by power outages.
So, what we are seeing around the world that is giving us optimism and excitement for this transformative technology?
A recent example was during the highly-destructive and deadly Los Angeles wildfires.
In the first few days, more than 100,000 text messages were sent via D2D from tens of thousands of T-Mobile customers using standard 4G handsets.
People were texting loved ones, neighbours, and, importantly, emergency services.
Just imagine how we could use that capability in Australia. The public safety implications cannot be underestimated.
This is why re-elected Albanese Government will introduce a major reform to ensure competitive universal outdoor mobile coverage across Australia.
Labor’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation – or UOMO – will cover the more than 70 per cent of our vast continent that does not have mobile connectivity.
We are filling the giant mobile black spot that could simply never be addressed through mobile tower deployment at this scale or speed.
Whether it’s in national parks, hiking trails or out on the farm, outdoor coverage will be accessible almost anywhere where Australians can see the sky.
Just think about what this means for the farmer out in the paddock, the injured hiker, or the distressed parent whose car has broken down.
The strong and immediate public safety interest is obvious.
The Albanese Government will introduce legislation in 2025. Implementation of outdoor SMS and voice will be expected by late 2027, with many Australians likely to obtain access before then.
Our initial focus is on the continent-wide emergency contact capability.
D2D is not a replacement for terrestrial mobile networks. It will complement them with a thin coverage layer.
Basic mobile data will be considered in the future as technology roadmaps and capacity considerations develop.
Labor’s longer-term interest is to help facilitate a competitive outdoor mobile coverage market for Australian consumers.
Our policy announcement is a demand signal to global low orbit providers – we want you to expand your capability in Australia.
Building Australia’s future demands forward-looking regulatory environments for the benefit of all.
Whether its Medicare or superannuation, childcare, bulk billed GPs or the National Broadband Network, Labor has a proud history of expanding universal access to essential services and enablers of prosperity.
UOMO is the next important piece of architecture that gives life to these values.
Australians are proud and early adopters of technology, and we are ambitious to leverage this advantage as part of building a better future.
There is tremendous activity and buzz in the communications space right now.
It’s a time of reform, in-sync with incredible innovation that is making once unviable goals a reality.
The biggest risk to this progress is a Liberal-National Coalition always inventing new ways to take Australia backward, as they did with copper broadband.
Australia can do much better than that.
Now is not a time for thinking small, looking back or aiming low.
This is a time to lean-in to opportunities and forge ahead with Labor’s vision to make Australia the most connected continent.
The Albanese Government is doing this with one eye on the sky, and the other watching out for what’s best for all Australians – regardless of who – or where – they are.
Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP
This opinion piece was first published in The Canberra Times, 26 February 2025
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Hong Kong pop legend Jacky Cheung has become the first Chinese-speaking artist in history to hold 1,000 concerts during a remarkable career spanning more than 40 years.
Jacky Cheung poses at a celebration party in Haikou, Hainan province, Feb. 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]
Known as the “God of Songs” by his fans, Cheung, 63, reached a historic milestone on Feb. 23 as he completed the 218th concert of his current “Jacky Cheung 60+ World Tour” in Haikou, Hainan province. The concert also marked the 1,000th show across his 10 tours, a testament to his impressive singing career. Beginning in 1987 with his first solo tour, the “Jacky Cheung 87 Concert” at the Hong Kong Coliseum, he has performed in more than 100 cities across 18 countries and regions, entertaining over 10 million fans.
“What does 1,000 concerts mean to me?” Cheung emotionally reflected on stage during the concert on Sunday. “It’s a reflection of the past 40 years, where I’ve spent nearly 3,000 hours standing on this stage. I’ve poured all my sincerity and love into every performance.”
He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to his fans, saying: “To every fan who has supported me, whether you’re here with me tonight or not, my journey has been shaped by your unwavering love and encouragement. Without you, I would never have had the chance to do what I love most. These 40 years, these 1,000 shows — they were made possible by you.”
Jacky Cheung performs at his 1,000th concert in Haikou, Hainan province, Feb. 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]
As Adam Granite, executive vice president of market development at Universal Music Group (UMG), pointed out, very few artists in the world have reached this milestone. “Jacky Cheung’s remarkable achievements over the past 40 years have far surpassed the boundaries of the Chinese music industry,” Granite said. “From record-breaking album sales to the global reach of his music and the unparalleled scale of his tours, Cheung has solidified his place as one of the world’s most iconic superstars.”
Although Cheung has always said that breaking records was never his goal, his tours have consistently set new benchmarks. Notable highlights include: In 1995, his “Jacky Cheung Concert 1995” became the first tour by a Chinese artist to reach 100 shows. His “The Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour” from 2007 to 2008 attracted over 2 million people across 105 concerts. His 2010 “Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour,” celebrating his 50th birthday, drew over 2 million attendees in a single year, earning a Guinness World Record for the “largest combined audience for a live act in 12 months,” and eventually wrapped up with 146 shows across 77 cities in 18 months, attended by a total of 2.8 million fans. From 2016 to 2019, his “A Classic Tour” set another record with 233 shows — the highest number for a single tour by a Chinese artist — drawing more than 4.5 million people. Now, his ongoing “Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour,” which began in 2023, has already completed 218 performances, with even more expected.
Jacky Cheung’s music career began in 1984 when he joined PolyGram Records, which later became a subsidiary of UMG, and he has since released more than 50 albums. The superstar was dubbed one of Hong Kong’s “Four Heavenly Kings” in the Cantopop and Mandopop scene in the 1990s, alongside Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai. Over the years, he has mesmerized fans with smash hits such as “Loving You More Every Day,” “Goodbye Kiss,” “True Love” and “Wait Until Flowers Wither.”
Jacky Cheung receives a plaque marking his 1,000th concert from Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China, in Haikou, Hainan province, Feb. 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]
Regarded as one of the most influential Chinese artists worldwide, he has won numerous prestigious awards, including the World Music Award (1996) for World’s Best-Selling Asian Artist and the Billboard Music Award (1994) for Most Popular Asian Singer. Additionally, seven of his albums have been certified as bestsellers in Hong Kong by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Beyond music, Cheung has also had a notable film career, starring in more than 70 movies, including classics like “As Tears Go By,” “The Swordsman” and “July Rhapsody.” He has also ventured into stage musicals, creating the groundbreaking Cantonese Broadway-style production “Snow.Wolf.Lake.” In addition to playing the male lead, he served as the artistic director for the production.
To commemorate his 1,000th concert milestone — an achievement that not only cemented his unparalleled legacy in the Chinese music industry but also contributed to the global rise of Chinese pop music — UMG executives presented Cheung with a special gift on Feb. 23: a 3-meter-long scroll painting capturing his remarkable journey. The painting intricately depicts the stage design, lighting and iconic look of each of his tours, set against a backdrop of fans holding light signs.
Jacky Cheung receives a Chinese scroll marking his 1,000th concert from music executives in Haikou, Hainan province, Feb. 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]
“Mr. Cheung is not only our pride but also a defining figure in the Chinese music scene,” said Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China. “His unparalleled artistry, remarkable professionalism and every breakthrough he has achieved in bringing Chinese music to the global stage continue to inspire us. We look forward to many more years of collaboration, promoting the influence of Chinese culture on the world stage.”
Gary Chan, managing director of Universal Music Hong Kong and senior vice president of Universal Music Greater China, noted that Cheung has become a symbol not just of Hong Kong’s pop music, but of a shared memory for Chinese people globally. “We believe his legacy will continue to serve as a beacon to inspire the next generation of musicians from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, leading them to new heights,” he said.
Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2
Rosalind Park will be a vibrant precinct bursting with family-friendly entertainment, stage shows, hands-on activities, live music, roving performers, and the traditional Easter Egg Hunt with 85,000 eggs nestled in straw. Tickets will go on sale for the egg hunt on March 6 via the Explore Bendigo website
The award-winning Arena Theatre Company will present a Hidden Creature Gallery combining magical adventure and amazing digital art. Using a free Arena free app on a mobile phone, families will love spotting the animated creatures hiding in plain sight in Rosalind Park.
Other highlights include The Mik Maks, The Blurbs, Djaara workshops, the Easter Bunny Stage Show, dragon craft and sand art workshops, Fosterville Gold Mine panning for gold, Farmer Darryl’s Animal Farm, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bendigo Bricks and much more. The lively atmosphere at Carnival Central on Mundy Street comes alive with lights, rides, and a sideshow alley. The CFA Kids Amusement Rides is at William Vahland Place for younger thrill seekers.
The Rotary Club Market returns on Good Friday (Pall Mall and Easter Fair Way) and Easter Sunday (Easter Fair Way) with a range arts and craft, handmade goodies, unique treasures, collectables, tasty produce and more. Hargreaves Mall will host the Moonlight Easter Market from 10am to 4pm on Easter Saturday. Smaller community-run events have something for everyone (check the full program for dates and times). Events include the 38th Annual Easter Model Train Exhibition, the Bendigo Foodshare Easter Bookfair, Steam to the Bendigo Easter Festival, the Rotary Club of Bendigo Easter Art Exhibition and the Photographic Print and Digital Image Exhibition at Dudley House. For live music entertainment, the Bull Street Festival will highlight the best of local and regional talent.
To view the full program, visit:
Source: Oxfam –
A dramatic rise in Israeli military violence has caused the largest forced displacement in the West Bank since the Israeli occupation began. As the ‘Gazafication’ of the West Bank unfolds, vital humanitarian work and projects are being delayed or destroyed, Oxfam warned today.
More than 40,000 people have been forcibly displaced since the Gaza temporary ceasefire came into force on 19 January – the highest number since Israel occupied the Palestinian Territory including the West Bank, in 1967. The recent Israeli military offensive across the West Bank has particularly impacted the north, with an assault on Jenin just two days after the Gaza ceasefire began, and spread now into Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and El Far’a refugee camps.
Palestinian communities across the West Bank are experiencing multiple traumas, including deaths and arbitrary detention, heavily restricted movement and access to jobs and education, and mass demolitions of homes and infrastructure.
Suhair Farraj, Director of Oxfam partner Women Media and Development, said:
“The situation was never as bad as it is now. There used to be occasional raids by the Israeli army, but nothing like this. Closures and checkpoints make aid delivery nearly impossible. A journey that should take two hours now takes twelve.”
Mustafa Tamaizeh, Economic Justice Development Manager and West Bank Response Lead, Oxfam, OPT, said:
“In the last month since the ceasefire, the Israeli escalation of violence and destruction in the West Bank has been unprecedented. The Israeli government is pursuing this destruction with full impunity while aiding and abetting illegal Israeli settlers to attack Palestinian communities.
“Effectively we are seeing fast-track annexation policies and measures that are making it increasingly difficult and dangerous for Oxfam and other organizations to deliver desperately needed humanitarian programs and reach communities. The acute needs are further compounded by the extensive forced displacement of so many people.
“Our staff and partners have reported being denied access or threatened at military checkpoints and aid deliveries blocked. Such restrictions have slowed aid efforts and increased operational costs.”
“In the last month since the ceasefire, the Israeli escalation of violence and destruction in the West Bank has been unprecedented. The Israeli government is pursuing this destruction with full impunity while aiding and abetting illegal Israeli settlers to attack Palestinian communities.
Mustafa Tamaizeh, West Bank Response Lead
Oxfam
Since the beginning of the Israeli forces’ operation in the West Bank on 21 January, 51 Palestinians, including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers have been killed. At Jenin refugee camp, which is now practically deserted, reports from Oxfam partners indicate that Israeli forces have been widening roads and installing Hebrew street signs inside cleared areas.
In Jenin refugee camp, on 21 January an Israeli military attack killed at least 12 Palestinians and displaced more than 20,000 people. A young participant in a youth project run by Oxfam and a partner project said the military had been shooting at everyone, burning houses to the ground and destroying infrastructure, including hospitals. Ambulances were blocked for hours.
With attacks by illegal Israeli settlers soaring, vital humanitarian work and projects by Oxfam, its partners and other aid agencies, are being delayed. Israeli forces’ operations have caused severe damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, disrupting access to water for tens of thousands of people, leading to growing concerns for public health. Agriculture has ground to a halt.
Abbas Milhem, Executive Director of Oxfam partner Palestinian Farmers Union, said:
“Since the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel has cut off farmers from accessing their lands across the West Bank, making their lives almost impossible. This month only, the Israeli army ordered the takeover of 1,000 acres of land in the occupied West Bank, emptying the lands of farmers to make it easy for annexation and settlement expansion.
“Settlers too, have intensified their attacks. The number of settler attacks every day has multiplied. These include physical attacks, damaging and destroying local agricultural projects, uprooting and cutting down trees, and even shooting at farming communities, forcing large numbers to leave their farmland areas.”
Oxfam teams and partners have reported that many rural areas are being put under full closure, cutting off access to humanitarian aid. East Jerusalem is currently closed to Palestinians in the West Bank, as Israel has banned access beyond the restrictions imposed for decades.
Oxfam’s Mustafa Tamaizeh, added: “What we are witnessing is a calculated annexation
strategy. Overnight, movement between cities has been paralyzed, piling economic and social pressure on already struggling communities. Violations of human rights and international law are happening in plain sight, with impunity, as the international community watches on, complicit in its silence.
“As one of our partners described to me, we are now witnessing the same scenes we once watched on TV in Gaza, Rafah, and Deir Al-Balah. We are seeing the ‘Gazafication’ of the West Bank.
“The international community must not turn a blind eye while this historic displacement, de-humanisiation and destruction takes place in the West Bank. For too long, Israel’s illegal occupation, oppression and countless grave breaches of International Humanitarian Law across the OPT have been unchecked. Urgent action must be taken so Israel’s impunity ends and aid agencies are granted access to help Palestinians recover and rebuild from the violence so they can fulfill their right to self-determination and live in dignity, freed from occupation”.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as House Republicans continue to debate whether they will make significant cuts to Medicaid, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington.
The snapshot report includes new data on the percentage of Medicaid patients in each of the State of Washington’s U.S. congressional districts, as well as by region. Congressional District 4 (Central Washington) and Congressional District 5 (Eastern Washington) have the highest proportions of adults and total population on Medicaid. Seventy percent of children in District 4 are on Medicaid.
The report also includes information provided by rural Central and Eastern Washington hospitals, showing how crucial Medicaid funding is for their survival. “We’re struggling to keep our doors open … the only thing left to cut is the hospital itself,” the report quotes Astria Toppenish Hospital Administrator Cathy Bambrick as saying.
Based on interviews and statements from more than a dozen health organizations statewide, the report details how Medicaid cuts — and the subsequent service cuts by providers — would likely affect all Washingtonians.
Children:
47% of WA children are on Medicaid. “Babies could die,” says Dr. Jason Deen, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and pediatric cardiologist at the University of Washington who treats children across Washington state, as children like those he treats could lose access to life-saving specialty care without Medicaid.
Farmers:
Rural hospitals in Central and Eastern Washington would be hardest hit by these cuts. “It is not uncommon for our small family farmers to be on a Medicaid program,” says Garfield County Hospital District CEO Mat Slaybaugh.
People with chronic conditions:
Without health care coverage, people with chronic conditions won’t get the consistent care they need. “People are going to be dying in their homes,” says Spokane-area nurse Jessica Grove.
Anyone with a medical emergency:
Medicaid helps people avoid the emergency room; it also funds first responders in our state. Cuts to the program could mean overcrowded ERs and longer wait times for ambulances. “Every Washingtonian should be concerned about any funding cuts that could lead to slower response times in a life-threatening emergency,” says Dennis Lawson, President of the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters.
Sen. Cantwell’s snapshot report on Washington state is available HERE.
Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to. The program also ensures that hospitals — which are required to treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay — receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. About 1.8 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Apple Health.
Congressional Republicans are proposing deep cuts to Medicaid through the budget reconciliation process. President Trump has said that he opposes cuts to Medicaid, however he has also said that he supports the House Republican budget plan — which includes cuts to Medicaid. Late last week, Senate Republicans launched the budget resolution process, which would allow them to fold budget cuts and policy changes into a single package for an up-down vote. The House is expected to vote on a competing budget resolution this week, and the two chambers will eventually have to reconcile their plans and finalize the package’s details.
During Trump’s first term, he supported — and Sen. Cantwell opposed — an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would have cut Medicaid by $800 billion.
Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW – Media Release
26 Feb 2025
Vision available: Link
The Minns Labor Government has announced the 10-year Trout Cod Action Plan to recover the threatened native Trout Cod fish and delivering on its election commitment to boost the recovery of the fish and ensure its availability for recreational fishers.
The Government is working to deliver better environmental outcomes for regional NSW and to deliver on its election commitments for recreational fishers who consider the Trout Cod a popular fish for angling.
This commitment is demonstrated by the recent Government announcements delivering a review on the recreational fishing trust funds and establishing a $2 million fund for small infrastructure for recreational fishing.
While there are a few small self-sustaining Trout Cod populations left in the wild in NSW the population has been in significant decline.
To bring about the recovery of the threatened Trout Cod populations more than $1 million of allocated funding is already being utilised with early actions of breeding and stocking underway while the broader action plan was being finalised.
The final Trout Cod Action Plan was developed after public consultation took place online and community information sessions in Wagga Wagga, Barooga, Bathurst and Queanbeyan.
Integral to the NSW Government’s commitment to the recovery of the Trout Cod, is increasing the production of fingerlings at Narrandera Fisheries Centre.
Early work to boost populations has seen a significant number of Trout Cod fingerlings bred at Narrandera in 2024 with 47,000 fingerlings released into waterways in the Snowy region, covering the Goodradigbee River and Talbingo Dam.
The Government is well on the way to achieving the Trout Cod Action Plan production target of 100,000 Trout Cod fingerlings per year and is confident of reaching 250,000 in the next 5-10 years.
Trout Cod can be a difficult fish to breed and Narrandera has been trialling innovative ways to achieve better success including using pond spawning techniques rather than hormone induction. Pond based spawning is is potentially more productive and much gentler and kinder on the fish.
The Government’s achievements under the Trout Cod Action Plan over the last 12 months include:
Goodradigbee River has been a focus for conservation stocking efforts as it’s within the historical range of Trout Cod, has pristine and intact habitat including rocks, fast-flowing water, and is an unregulated part of the system with natural inflows to support recovery.
For more information about NSW DPIRD’s threatened species projects, visit: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/threatened-species
NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
“The Minns Government is rapidly progressing its commitment to ensure the recovery of the native Trout Cod in our regional waterways with significant work underway to breed fingerlings while we engaged with the community on feedback for finalising the Action Plan.
“I’m pleased to say many of the participants of the community information sessions are very excited by the prospect of improved Trout Cod recovery.
“The Trout Cod Action Plan provides a 10-year blueprint to guide recovery actions, and while there is a long road ahead, I am confident there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this threatened species.
“There was a lot of interest from recreational anglers who are supporting the recovery of Trout Cod and I am pleased to say that those hoping to go fishing for Trout Cod can do so at Talbingo Dam where a catch and release fishery has been developed.
“We are hopeful that the Trout Cod Action Plan will fast track the recovery of Trout Cod populations in NSW back to a point that they can once again become a genuine target for recreational fishers beyond the current Talbingo fishery.”
“With close to 50,000 fingerlings bred at Narrandera Fisheries Centre in 2024, triple the number produced in 2023, we are well on the way to achieving the goal of 250,000 bred annually.”
MEDIA: Alastair Walton | Minister Tara Moriarty | 0418 251 229
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Neil Ward, Professor of Rural and Regional Development at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia
If the UK is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, over one-third of its sheep and cows will have to go, with their fields being replaced by huge new areas of woodland. That’s one conclusion of the latest report by the the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK government’s independent advisor on climate change.
The CCC is tasked with outlining how much greenhouse gas the UK can emit if it is to achieve its climate targets – its “carbon budget”. The committee also recommends how the country might reduce its emissions to get within that budget. It sets future budgets every five years or so. This latest report, the seventh carbon budget, looks at emissions in the period 2038 to 2043. It updates the sixth carbon budget produced in 2020.
The UK has almost halved its greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, but that was the easy half. Most dirty industries are long gone, for instance, and coal power plants have been replaced with gas and renewable energy.
Next, the country will be grappling with the most challenging sectors including the focus of my academic research: agriculture and land use. This challenge will be worsened by the impacts of climate change and geopolitical uncertainties that raise doubts about the UK’s food security.
Currently, agriculture makes up about 11% of UK emissions, but this proportion will rise considerably over the next 15 years as other sectors decarbonise further. Cattle and sheep contribute most of these emissions, and the latest carbon budget suggests their numbers will have to be reduced by 22% by 2035 and by over 38% by 2050.
This is principally to release land to plant tens of thousands of hectares of new woodland each year (60,000 hectares a year by 2040) and to grow energy crops (38,000 hectares a year by 2040). It will also mean fewer emissions from the animals themselves and from growing animal feed.
The latest carbon budget suggests that dietary change is key to this anticipated change in farming and land use. While British people won’t need to give up meat entirely, they will need to reduce consumption of meat and dairy products by around 35% by 2050 compared to 2019 levels.
Meat and dairy consumption are already falling, however, and the trend has accelerated since 2020. To meet the budget, the decline would need to continue but more rapidly than the long-term trend.
The CCC is in the business of advising on what government should do to address climate change, not in the business of telling people what to eat. It hopes that food labels with additional information about emissions will help people make better choices for themselves.
Emphasising non-meat options and altering the layout of supermarkets may also help change the “choice environment” and so change consumption practices. Nevertheless, before long, the UK and devolved governments will have to grasp the nettle of diet change, land use and livestock. There have already been successful legal challenges for having inadequate plans in this area.
It helps that diets good for the planet are also good for people’s health. In October 2024, the House of Lords food, diet and obesity committee estimated diet-related ill health and obesity cost £98 billion a year. This is a significant drag on productivity and places acute pressures on the NHS.
Energy security is currently prompting much thought and action, but food security has not. Dietary change can also help improve the UK’s food security, however, since meat and dairy take up more land per calorie than healthier alternatives. A large-scale shift in diet and land use could render the UK more resilient to future wars, pandemics or anything else that causes shocks to food prices and supplies.
For farmers and landowners there has been increasing interest in greener approaches to production, sometimes called regenerative farming. Some within, or clustered around, farming will protest about the scale of reduction in animal numbers implied by net zero.
Faced with the basic maths, a marked reduction looks unavoidable. The sooner the conversation can shift from whether change is needed to how it might best be fairly and equitably pursued, the better.
This carbon budget brings positive opportunities for nature restoration, diversifying rural economies and improving the appearance and ecology of the countryside. But for net emissions to come down enough, the amount of wooded land will need to increase from 13% to 19% by 2050 – that’s over a million extra hectares, or roughly equivalent to Cornwall, Devon and Dorset combined.
These are very stretching targets, and tree planting over the past few years has fallen far short of the rates required. Because afforestation is such an important factor in the carbon budget, if the UK fails to meet its targets, the dietary changes may need to be even greater.
Heightened international instability threatening UK food security could mean the same. Indeed, some food, health and environmental organisations will point to the seventh carbon budget and say the CCC has not gone far enough.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
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Neil Ward receives funding from UKRI in his role as Co-lead of the AFN (AgriFood4NetZero) Network+.. He is a member of the Labour Party and the National Trust.
– ref. The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-must-make-big-changes-to-its-diets-farming-and-land-use-to-hit-net-zero-official-climate-advisers-250158
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to speak on President Trump and Elon Musk’s unconstitutional actions to dismantle federal institutions and called on Congress to protect federal agencies, programs, services, and employees that play an indispensable role in the lives of working Americans.
In his remarks, Senator Welch highlighted how the so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) actions to dismantle the federal government have cost jobs and undercut federal programs in Vermont, including at Vermont’s Small Business Administration, for Vermont organizations that receive funding from USAID, and at the USDA office that helps towns recover from natural disasters like Vermont’s floods.
“We should all be outraged at the cruelty with which DOGE is operating. It’s cruel to the institutions that are important for each of our states and it’s cruel to the people who have been doing this work in good faith for so long,” said Senator Welch. “We’ve got to speak up and acknowledge that DOGE is destructive. We can embrace the effort to address waste, fraud and abuse. We can embrace the opportunity to streamline and save money, make things work better. But we can never abandon our commitment to the people of this country who work so hard.”
Watch Senator Welch’s speech below:
Read key excerpts from the Senator’s remarks:
“So, my first question with DOGE is why don’t you look where the money is, where the rip-offs are, instead of just sending out emails overnight telling people they’re fired, whose performance has been absolutely exemplary?”
“This is a situation that obviously is incredibly cruel. You’re working at the Department of Agriculture, you’re working at the NIH, you’re working on an USAID program, and life is going on and suddenly you get this email out of the blue—that it clearly is a mass email—but has a very specific impact on you, your life, your livelihood, and your hopes and dreams. I mean, that is just a savage, savage way to treat people who have been working in our various governmental agencies, and it has enormous impact on our communities.”
“This isn’t just about Elon Musk being a multibillionaire. No matter what happens it’s not going to really affect him. It’s about Elon Musk treating people with what I think is the utmost cruelty…Such disrespect for people who work hard at the VA, work hard in the NIH, work hard in the Department of Agriculture, work hard in the Department of Treasury. So, that element of this, we should all be shocked at.”
■■■
“The verdict is in—[DOGE] has been a colossal failure. It’s done immense damage to many of our institutions and inflicted immense pain on innocent people. Also, it’s not going to be successful in its stated goal of ‘reducing spending and wasteful spending’…But here’s my problem with DOGE: They’re not looking in the right places.”
“We have work to do on saving money, and we have places where it’s absolutely essential we act. DOGE is blind to all of those, all of those situations. And that’s disgraceful.”
■■■
Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) today introduced the “Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act,” which would support public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor wildlife-dependent activities.
“As an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, some of my greatest memories are hunting and fishing with my kids,” said Senator Marshall. “I fully support and am proud to introduce the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, which encourages Kansans to open their land for the public to enjoy the great outdoors. Increased access to these outdoor recreational activities is good for our children and our shared American values.”
“Hunting, fishing, and hiking are huge parts of our Montana way of life, and as a lifelong sportsman myself, I’m glad to lead an effort to expand access to our public lands,” said Senator Daines. “Reauthorizing the Voluntary Public Access Habitat Initiative Program will give more Montanans the chance to enjoy outdoor recreation activities and support critical habitats for wildlife.”
“For years, this program has rewarded Colorado’s family farmers and ranchers for their efforts to improve wildlife habitat, provide new opportunities for sportsmen and women, and expand recreation options for Coloradans. I fought to expand funding for this program in the last Farm Bill, and I’ll continue to work to prioritize successful, voluntary programs like this,” said Senator Bennet.
Read the bill text HERE.
Background:
The “Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025” would reauthorize the Voluntary Public Access Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) for an additional five years and increase the authorization to $150 million. The VPA-HIP provides competitive grants to states and tribal governments to be used to incentivize private landowners to voluntarily open their lands for public use while upholding private property rights. Senators Marshall, Daines, and Bennet also introduced the bill in the 118th Congress.
Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan-6) and Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota-At-Large) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Statements of Support:
“State-led access programs are hurting this year without support from VPA-HIP, and including the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act in a 2025 farm bill would be a major positive development for hunters and anglers. We are thrilled to see such an influential, bipartisan group of leaders recognize the importance of increased hunting and fishing access by introducing this legislation. Thank you, Representatives Dingell and Johnson and Senators Daines, Bennet, and Marshall, for your leadership and support,” said Joel Pedersen, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
“Hunting access is one of the most significant barriers for both new and experienced hunters. The Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act is a win-win for sportsmen and landowners, and we thank Sens. Daines, Bennet, and Marshall for leading this bipartisan effort in the Senate, as well as Reps. Dingell and Johnson for their leadership in the House,” said Kellis Moss, Ducks Unlimited Managing Director of Federal Affairs.
“On behalf of the nation’s recreational fishing industry, the American Sportfishing Association thanks Senators Daines, Marshall, and Bennet for their leadership of the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act. This legislation will support and enable landowners to provide fishing access on private lands, opening valuable waters to anglers. The reauthorization and expansion of VPA-HIP will strengthen a program that has allowed access to private lands since 2008, creating memorable days on the water for America’s anglers,” said Glenn Hughes, President of the American Sportfishing Association.
“Recovering wildlife, restoring habitat, and expanding recreational access on private lands is a win-win for both wildlife and the hunters, anglers, and outdoorspeople, who power the outdoor recreation economy. This common-sense, bipartisan bill will ensure farmers, ranchers, and private land owners have the tools and resources they need through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program to ensure our shared wildlife heritage endures for future generations. Thank you to Representatives Debbie Dingell and Dusty Johnson and Senators Steve Daines, Michel Bennet, and Roger Marshall for working to pass this important bipartisan legislation,” said Aviva Glaser, Senior Director of Agriculture Policy for the National Wildlife Federation.
“There are dozens of state programs throughout the country that help open public hunting access on private lands, but one common thread is that VPA-HIP is the unsung hero that makes much of that access possible. The economic returns for rural communities in VPA-HIP have been shown many times over, and increasing funding for the program is one of our top priorities in the next farm bill. Access is at the core of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s mission, and we thank Senators Daines, Bennet, and Marshall and Representatives Dingell and Johnson for their leadership and support for this very successful program,” said Ariel Wiegard, Vice President of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
“By reauthorizing and expanding the only federal program specifically designed to increase opportunities for hunters and anglers on private land, the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act addresses the number one barrier to participation in our sporting traditions, lack of public access. We applaud the bipartisan leadership of Reps. Debbie Dingell and Dusty Johnson and Sens. Roger Marshall and Michael Bennet on legislation that would expand public recreation opportunities as well as enhance fish and wildlife habitat,” said Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy and Government Relations for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
“We greatly appreciate Senators Daines, Bennet, and Marshall introducing the VPA Improvement Act. As we entered discussions of the next Farm Bill, extending and expanding the impact of VPA-HIP was one of Delta’s highest priorities. As duck hunters across the country look for additional access, increased investments in VPA HIP can lead to new partnerships with private landowners to enhance habitat and also provide access. We hope that this effort will lead to a broader bi-partisan effort to include an expanded VPA-HIP in the final Farm Bill,” said John Devney, Chief Policy Officer at Delta Waterfowl.
“We are proud to support Representative Dingell’s reintroduction of the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, alongside Representative Johnson, Senator Daines, Senator Marshall, and Senator Bennet. Reauthorizing and strengthening the Act will ensure that landowners and sportsmen alike can continue to benefit from sustainable wildlife management and habitat preservation for generations to come,” said Nick Pinizzotto, President and CEO of the National Deer Association.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in introducing the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, legislation that would strengthen U.S. trade remedy laws and ensure they remain effective tools to fight against unfair trade practices and protect American businesses.
This legislation would improve the U.S. trade remedy system and respond to repeat offenders and serial cheaters, leveling the playing field for American manufacturing. It also responds to China’s unfair trade practices, specifically its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which provides subsidies to China-based or China-operated companies doing business in countries outside of China.
“China has been bending the rules for decades,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We have to fight back. Alabama’s manufacturers work hard, and as long as the playing field is level, they can outcompete anyone in the world. This bill is one step toward ensuring that the rules are enforced and China has to play fair.”
“Our bill will protect American jobs and combat China’s unfair trade practices,” said Sen. Young. “China has distorted the free market by dumping undervalued products and subsidizing industries, actions designed to harm American businesses and workers. This legislation will help level the playing field to ensure the United States can outcompete the Chinese Communist Party.”
U.S. Sens. Tuberville and Young were joined by U.S. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jon Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in introducing the legislation.
U.S. Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Terri Sewell (D-AL-7) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
The legislation is endorsed by the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Steel Manufacturers Association, and the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.
Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation in the 118th Congress.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
BACKGROUND:
The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act would revise the U.S. antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws to ensure international trade regulations and requirements do not unfairly favor international competitors, especially in the steel industry. The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act would update U.S. trade remedy laws to establish the new concept of “successive investigations,” which would improve the U.S. trade remedy system’s efforts to curb circumvention efforts from bad actors designed to undercut our domestic industries and increase market share.
American companies are on the receiving end of China’s increasingly predatory economic behavior. In recent years, China’s unfair trade practices have culminated in grave economic consequences that affect American workers. For example, Chinese-supported companies move portions of production to other countries to circumvent American duties, a practice known as “country hopping.” China’s BRI also unfairly subsidizes products made in other countries, rather than just in China. In addition to competing with these unfair trade practices, American companies have to contend with long lead times before the Department of Commerce initiates a new anti-circumvention inquiry.
Around half of the unfair trade cases are in the steel industry. However, these unfair trade cases also affect industries that make engines, furniture, hardwood plywood, pipes and tubes, wood moldings, magnesium, paper, shrimp, carrier bags, kitchen cabinets, quartz countertops, tires, and many others.
The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act pushes back against China’s anti-free market practices by providing the Department of Commerce with more tools to stop circumvention tactics. These tools include:
Establishing the concept of “successive investigations” under AD and CVD laws. The new AD/CVD investigations would improve the effectiveness of the trade remedy law to combat repeat offenders by making it easier for petitioners to bring new cases when production moves to another country
Expediting timelines for successive investigations and creating new factors for the International Trade Commission to consider about the relationship between recently completed trade cases and successive trade cases for the same imported product
Providing the Department of Commerce the authority to apply CVD law to subsidies provided by a government to a company operating in a different country
Imposing statutory requirements for anti-circumvention inquiries to clarify the process and timeline
Specifying deadlines for preliminary and final determinations
Thanks to the state’s rich natural resources and abundance of mineral deposits, Alabama has a proud history as a metals and manufacturing leader. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, there are more than 1,100 metal manufacturing companies in the state, including national and global leaders in steel, pipelines, composites, and specialty metals. Those companies employ more than 45,000 Alabamians and export nearly $1.4 billion worth of metal manufactured goods per year. Today, Alabama is home to three of the top seven largest pipe manufacturing companies in the nation.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed on X praising the progress President Trump and DOGE have made during Trump’s first month in office to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government and save taxpayers’ money.
Read excerpts from the piece below or here.
Trump and DOGE are Making the Federal Government Efficient Again
“Tax season is upon us, and Americans are once again reminded of how much of their hard-earned paychecks is taken by the federal government. Most Americans use this time to reevaluate their spending habits and consider ways to be more fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, the U.S. government doesn’t do the same. The United States is $36 trillion in debt and we are spending nearly $2 trillion more each year than we bring in. If the United States were a business, we’d be dead broke.
Thankfully, President Trump is back in the White House and is working around the clock to audit the federal government. On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), advised by Elon Musk, to take a businesslike approach to auditing waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. A majority of Americans support the President’s efforts to cut wasteful spending, and they support the work the DOGE is doing. President Trump is making the Federal Government Efficient Again.
Thanks to President Trump, the D.C. gravy train is being cut off. So far, Elon Musk and his team have saved American taxpayers a staggering $55 billion. Some of the taxpayer-funded programs that DOGE has uncovered are truly astounding. For example, DOGE found that $59 million was sent by FEMA to house illegal immigrants in fancy New York hotels. It was also discovered that taxpayers were on the hook for a $ 168,000 Anthony Fauci exhibit at the National Institutes of Health Museum, which has thankfully been canceled. DOGE also found $9 million in payments to fund woke programs at the Department of Agriculture, including contracts for “Central American gender assessment consultant services” and “Brazilian forest and gender consultants” – whatever that is.
In addition to cutting waste, DOGE is also restoring accountability and transparency. Under the Biden administration, the Pentagon failed its seventh consecutive audit. That’s ridiculous. If a business tried this in the real world, they’d go bankrupt. American taxpayers spend nearly a trillion dollars annually on the U.S. military. The least we can do is provide an accurate accounting of how their money is being spent. To clean this up, President Trump directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to start cutting the Pentagon budget by 8% in each of the next five years. By restoring fiscal sanity to our armed forces, we will ensure we have the long-term resources to continue defending our interests and national security. […]
Just this weekend, DOGE sent an email to all federal government employees asking for them to submit five things they have accomplished this week. Predictably, the media is throwing a fit about this. When I was a football coach, we had performance reviews where we would discuss an employee’s performance and if they weren’t performing at a certain standard, they would be fired. But apparently, that isn’t allowed in the government.
DOGE has also shone a light on the corrupt relationship between the bureaucrats and the Mainstream Media. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that more than $8 million taxpayer dollars were used for Politico subscriptions. This doesn’t include other outlets taxpayers have been funding like the New York Times, Associated Press, and Reuters. It is completely inappropriate for taxpayers to be forced to fund the Corporate Media. If American taxpayers want to support these publications, they can subscribe themselves. But most do not, which is perhaps why many of these publications are failing.
Thanks to President Trump, Americans are finally witnessing a government that is by the people and for the people. The fake news media and the D.C. Swamp are in DEFCON level 1 over DOGE, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. We should be thanking President Trump and the entire DOGE team for the incredible service they are doing for our country. In fact, as a proud member of the Senate DOGE Caucus, I’m 100% committed to making sure Congress does our part to follow the President’s lead to rightsize the government and cut waste, fraud, and abuse. President Trump promised to fight every day for the American worker – and the hardworking men and women in this country deserve to know that their tax dollars are not being used to fund gender transition surgeries in Africa. Together, we will restore accountability and transparency in Washington and unleash the Golden Age of America.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
Source: United Nations MIL OSI b
UN humanitarians reported on Tuesday that aid workers in Gaza supporting local health authorities have now managed to vaccinate nearly 550,000 children under 10 – nearly all those it aimed to reach.
The campaign has been extended until Wednesday to ensure full coverage, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York, citing UN humanitarian coordinators.
As of Monday, the third day of the campaign, some 548,000 children had been inoculated, or 93 per cent of the target population.
Humanitarian partners have been working to expand aid distribution since the fragile ceasefire began last month.
According to latest news reports, the Israeli Government is seeking to extend the first stage of the agreement, threatening to resume fighting without progress in talks this week on phase two.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered over 30,000 metric tonnes of food, with more than 60 community kitchens across the Strip distributing nearly 10 million meals.
Similarly, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has provided food parcels to two million people and flour to 1.3 million.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also delivered animal feed in northern Gaza for the first time since the ceasefire, benefiting livestock-owning families in Gaza City and Deir al Balah.
Efforts are also underway by partner organizations to repair and reopen schools that had been used as shelters for displaced families in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Deir al Balah.
Despite the steady flow of aid, children in Gaza continue to suffer.
The head of Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday that six children died from the severe cold in recent days, bringing the total number of cold-related child deaths to 15, Mr. Dujarric said.
In the West Bank the security situation remains volatile, with Israeli military operations in the north leading to further casualties, mass displacement and destruction of essential infrastructure.
A two-day military operation in Qabatiya, Jenin governorate, ended Monday, Mr. Dujarric said.
The operation involved bulldozers and exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinians, as well as detentions, disruption to electricity lines, water lines, and school closures.
“We once again warn that lethal, war-like tactics are being applied, raising concerns over use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards,” Mr. Dujarric emphasised.
26 February 2025 – Meridian Energy has reported a net loss after tax of $121 million for the six months ending 31 December 2024, compared to a net profit after tax of $191 million in last year’s interim result.
EBITDAF fell from $443 million to $257 million and underlying net profit fell from $175 million to a $5 million loss. Both of these are non-GAAP measures.
“The combination of particularly low hydro inflows, low wind and gas shortages made the operating environment for the first half of this financial year as tough as I can recall experiencing,” says Meridian Chief Executive Neal Barclay.
“We took a hit for New Zealand. Meridian put this country’s security of supply first and, as New Zealand’s largest renewable electricity generator, our balance sheet tends to underwrite the mitigation of extended droughts. That’s one of the ways the country benefits from having large and financially strong gentailers. While the situation was particularly challenging, we know we rely on Mother Nature for our fuel and accept the financial impact droughts bring. We prepare the business to deal with these kinds of eventualities, including maintaining a strong and flexible balance sheet.”
“There is plenty of time before the coming winter, but we are highly focused on managing risks to winter 2025 security. We have reached a new agreement with NZAS for them to reduce demand by 50MW and are looking for simple rule changes to access this country’s existing contingent hydro storage. The bigger issue, though, is the structural and significant shortage of domestic gas. New Zealand needs to take urgent action to address this. Gas is the biggest factor in setting spot and future electricity prices,” says Neal Barclay.
With a challenging first half to the financial year, the Meridian Board has decided to maintain the interim dividend at the same level as the prior period, and declared an interim ordinary dividend of 6.15 cents per share. The dividend reinvestment plan will apply to this interim dividend at a 2% discount.
Mr Barclay says that Meridian has continued to build strong momentum to set the business up for future growth. This year, the company expects to commit over $1 billion of capital to new development projects.
“The relatively fast decline in gas resources has put even greater emphasis on the need to deploy new renewable developments as quickly as possible, and also get more out of our existing fleet of hydro and wind generation. In that regard, we’ve had a few wins recently. We’ve reinstated capacity in the generation fleet after resolving transformer issues at Manapōuri and West Wind, and we’ve begun commissioning our Ruakākā grid scale battery. We’ve also made great progress in advancing a development pipeline that will deliver additional megawatts for many years to come,” says Neal Barclay.
Meridian recently announced:
A finalised consent for its 120MW Ruakākā solar development (February)
Consent for its 90MW Mt Munro Wind Farm near Eketāhuna (February)
A Scheme Implementation Agreement as part of its bid to acquire the remaining shares in NZ Windfarms (February)
A Power Purchase Agreement with Harmony Energy / First Renewables in respect of their joint venture to build the 150MW Tauhei Solar Farm in the Waikato (January)
A 50-50 joint venture with Nova Energy to build the 400MW Te Rahui solar farm at Rangitāiki near Taupō (December).
The first half of FY25 has also seen tremendous progress in Meridian’s Retail business. Having completed a strategic reset and restructure to enable the business to meet changing technology and consumer needs, the company has launched three new products (Smart Hot Water, Smart EV Charging and the Four Hours Free Plan), with more to come over the remainder of the financial year.
“Customers are responding to these changes, with record numbers signing up. As of 1 January, we had achieved our highest ever market share of electricity connections, with 16.58% across the Meridian and Powershop brands. Our brands also led the industry rankings for new connections in December, with Powershop first and Meridian second, and more than 4,000 connections that month across both brands,” says Neal Barclay.
“The business has weathered an extraordinarily difficult set of circumstances and leveraged our financial strength to ensure the lights stayed on for New Zealand homes and businesses. At the same time, we’ve not backed away from our strategic goals and our customer market share has continued to grow as has our renewable development pipeline.”
Source: US State of Connecticut
On November 6, 2023, Susan D’Addario of Farmington suffered a sudden and life-threatening pulmonary embolism at home. Her husband Peter immediately sprang into action, performing CPR until first responders arrived. Thanks to his quick thinking and the expert care at UConn John Dempsey Hospital, Susan survived against all odds.
Once at the hospital, Emergency Department physician, Dr. Matthew Ledford administered a dose of tPA, a medication, commonly used to treat pulmonary embolism as a “clot-busting” drug that breaks down blood clots in the lungs, restoring blood flow.
Susan was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where her condition remained under close observation. Her care was assumed by ICU physicians Dr. Debapriya Datta, Dr. Raymond Foley, and the ICU team. When her progress remained limited, the team consulted Dr. Juyong Lee, an interventional cardiologist.
Lee successfully removed the clots blocking her arteries, giving Susan a second chance at life. With only 5% of pulmonary embolism cases surviving such a crisis, Susan knows just how fortunate she is. She is grateful to Drs. Lee, Datta, Foley, Ledford and the ICU team that included residents, Drs. Erind Muco, Kiroloss Eskander, Bianca Thakker, Daphne Gonzalez Aponte, Dr. Angela Quental, Fellow, Kellie McPherson, RN, Stacy Philips, APP and Randy Lebron, Nurse’s Aide.
Susan’s story is a testament to the importance of heart health, rapid emergency response, and the dedicated medical professionals who make survival possible. It also highlights the vital role that UConn Health’s cardiovascular experts play in saving lives every day.
Recently, Susan met Dr. Lee for the first time, and together they spoke with WFSB’s Great Day CT about her experience, pulmonary embolisms, and the critical importance of knowing CPR.
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Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
HONG KONG, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex Limited” or the “Company”), an impact technology company specializing in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, is excited to announce the launch of its ESG Ratings Support Service. The innovative service is designed to help businesses secure an ESG score across key rating agencies, including CDP, EcoVadis, Sustainable Fitch, S&P, Sustainalytics, the world’s leading ESG ratings providers. Leveraging Diginex Limited’s expertise and cutting-edge technology, the ESG Ratings Support Service provides companies with a robust framework to optimize their ESG ratings, attract investment, and strengthen stakeholder trust.
The launch of the ESG Ratings Support Service comes at a pivotal moment as investors, regulators, and consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability. With the global ESG investment market reaching nearly USD 29.86 trillion in 2024, according to a report by Precedence Research, and regulatory bodies like the European Union, SEC as well as many stock exchanges globally who are mandating comprehensive ESG / Climate disclosures, businesses need reliable tools to navigate this landscape. diginexADVISORY’s new ESG Ratings Support Service offers a tailored approach, combining expert consultancy with data-driven insights to help organizations report their ESG data and performance to secure competitive advantages.
“We believe our ESG Ratings Support Service is a game-changer for companies looking to align sustainability with commercial success,” said Mark Blick, Chief Executive Officer of Diginex Limited. “By providing clear, actionable recommendations into ESG performance, we’re helping businesses to unlock new opportunities for growth and investment. Sustainability isn’t just a compliance exercise—it’s a prerequisite for long-term prosperity.”
Case Study: Living Style Group’s ESG Performance
A recent example of the service’s impact is diginexADVISORY’s collaboration with the Living Style Group, a global leader in home decor and furnishings generating over $1.2 billion in yearly revenue. Living Style Group successfully completed its first-ever CDP submission, achieving an impressive B score in Climate on its first attempt.
“With Diginex’s expert guidance, we successfully navigated our first ESG disclosure, achieving strong CDP scores on our first attempt. Diginex’s structured approach made a complex process seamless,” said Mark Loomis, EVP Quality, Compliance & Sustainability, Living Style Group. “This report marks an important milestone in our journey toward greater sustainability, and we look forward to building on these efforts in the years to come.”
Through this collaboration, we believe that Living Style Group is now better equipped to attract ESG-focused investors and meet evolving regulatory demands.
A Comprehensive Solution for ESG Success
The ESG Ratings Support Service integrates with Diginex’s award-winning diginexESG platform, which supports 17 global frameworks, including GRI (the “Global Reporting Initiative”), SASB (the “Sustainability Accounting Standards Board”), and TCFD (the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures”). We expect our clients to benefit from end-to-end support, from materiality assessments and data management to stakeholder engagement and report generation through implementation of the ESG Ratings Support Service.
The ESG Ratings Service is available immediately to clients worldwide, with options for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations alike.
About Diginex Limited
Diginex Limited is a Cayman Islands exempted company, with subsidiaries located in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Diginex Limited conducts operations through its wholly owned subsidiary Diginex Solutions (HK) Limited, a Hong Kong corporation (“DSL”) and DSL is the sole owner of (i) Diginex Services Limited, a corporation formed in the United Kingdom and (ii) Diginex USA LLC, a limited liability company formed in the State of Delaware. DSL commenced operations in 2020, and is a software company that empowers businesses and governments to streamline ESG, climate, and supply chain data collection and reporting. DSL is an impact technology business that helps organizations address the some of the most pressing ESG, climate and sustainability issues, utilizing blockchain, machine learning and data analysis technology to lead change and increase transparency in corporate social responsibility and climate action.
Diginex’s products and services solutions enable companies to collect, evaluate and share sustainability data through easy-to-use software. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://www.diginex.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s filings with the SEC.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Diginex
Investor Relations
Email: ir@diginex.com
European IR Contract
Jens Hecht
Phone: +49.40.609186.82
Email: jens.hecht@kirchhoff.de
US IR Contract
Jackson Lin
Lambert by LLYC
Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
Email: jian.lin@llyc.global
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
HOUSTON, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or the “Company”) today reported fourth quarter 2024 net income of $14.4 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, compared to $29.3 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period. Net income for the year ended 2024 was $118.8 million, or $2.87 per diluted share, compared to $86.0 million, or $2.24 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period.
Adjusted operating income(1) for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $33.2 million, or $0.80 per diluted share, compared to $24.3 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period. Adjusted operating income(1) for the year ended 2024 was $126.7 million, or $3.06 per diluted share, compared to $80.8 million, or $2.11 per diluted share, for the same 2023 period.
Highlights for the fourth quarter included:
| (1) See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” |
Skyward Specialty Chairman and CEO Andrew Robinson commented, “We wrapped up another remarkable year for Skyward Specialty, delivering both outstanding underwriting results while growing gross written premiums at over 20% for the quarter and 19% for the full year, with six out of eight divisions growing double-digits over the prior year. Our 16.3% return on equity for the year was again an excellent outcome. Throughout 2024 we continued to thoughtfully diversify our product portfolio, strategically launching new units including Media Liability, Life Sciences, Mortgage and Credit, and Renewable Energy. Our focus and disciplined execution of our “Rule Our Niche” strategy, and the extraordinary efforts of my 600 plus colleagues made 2024 another impressive year for our Company, and we are confident that we have built the foundation that will propel us in 2025 and beyond.”
Results of Operations
Underwriting Results
| Premiums | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | Three months ended December 31, | Twelve months ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| unaudited | 2024 | 2023 | % Change |
2024 | 2023 | % Change |
||||||||||||||||
| Gross written premiums | $ | 388,355 | $ | 321,605 | 20.8 | % | $ | 1,743,232 | $ | 1,459,829 | 19.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded written premiums | $ | (117,328 | ) | $ | (107,488 | ) | 9.2 | % | $ | (619,654 | ) | $ | (549,138 | ) | 12.8 | % | ||||||
| Net retention | 69.8 | % | 66.6 | % | NM(1) | 64.5 | % | 62.4 | % | NM(1) | ||||||||||||
| Net written premiums | $ | 271,027 | $ | 214,117 | 26.6 | % | $ | 1,123,578 | $ | 910,691 | 23.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Net earned premiums | $ | 293,240 | $ | 224,932 | 30.4 | % | $ | 1,056,722 | $ | 829,143 | 27.4 | % | ||||||||||
| (1)Not meaningful | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The increase in gross written premiums for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024, when compared to the same 2023 periods, was driven by double-digit premium growth primarily from our surety, programs, captives, global property & agriculture and transactional E&S underwriting divisions.
| Combined Ratio | Three months ended December 31, |
Twelve months ended December 31, |
||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Non-cat loss and LAE | 60.5 | % | 60.9 | % | 60.6 | % | 60.9 | % | ||||
| Cat loss and LAE(1) | 2.2 | % | 0.4 | % | 1.7 | % | 1.4 | % | ||||
| Prior accident year development – LPT(2) | 4.2 | % | (0.2 | )% | 1.1 | % | (0.2 | )% | ||||
| Loss Ratio | 66.9 | % | 61.1 | % | 63.4 | % | 62.1 | % | ||||
| Net policy acquisition costs | 15.3 | % | 13.4 | % | 14.2 | % | 13.0 | % | ||||
| Other operating and general expenses | 13.9 | % | 16.3 | % | 15.3 | % | 16.3 | % | ||||
| Commission and fee income | (0.3 | )% | (0.1 | )% | (0.6 | )% | (0.7 | )% | ||||
| Expense ratio | 28.9 | % | 29.6 | % | 28.9 | % | 28.6 | % | ||||
| Combined ratio | 95.8 | % | 90.7 | % | 92.3 | % | 90.7 | % | ||||
| Ex-Cat Combined Ratio(3) | 93.6 | % | 90.3 | % | 90.6 | % | 89.3 | % | ||||
| Adjusted Underwriting Ratios | ||||||||||||
| Adjusted loss ratio(2) | 62.7 | % | 61.3 | % | 62.3 | % | 62.3 | % | ||||
| Expense ratio | 28.9 | % | 29.6 | % | 28.9 | % | 28.6 | % | ||||
| Adjusted combined ratio(2) | 91.6 | % | 90.9 | % | 91.2 | % | 90.9 | % | ||||
| (1)Current accident year | ||||||||||||
| (2)See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” | ||||||||||||
| (3)Defined as the combined ratio excluding cat loss and LAE(1) | ||||||||||||
The loss ratios for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024 increased 5.8 points and 1.3 points, respectively, when compared to the same 2023 periods, primarily due to the net impact of prior accident year development related to the LPT. The fourth quarter and year ended 2024 were also impacted by higher catastrophe losses, primarily from Hurricane Milton in the fourth quarter of 2024 and Hurricanes Helene and Beryl in the third quarter of 2024. The improvement in the non-cat loss and LAE ratios for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024, when compared to the same 2023 periods, was driven by the business mix shift.
The expense ratio for the fourth quarter improved when compared to the same 2023 period primarily due to earnings leverage partially offset by the business mix shift. The expense ratio for the year ended 2024 increased slightly when compared to the same 2023 period, driven by the business mix shift.
The expense ratios for all periods presented exclude the impact of IPO related stock compensation and secondary offering expenses, which are reported in other expenses in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.
Investment Results
| Net Investment Income | ||||||||||||||||
| $ in thousands | Three months ended December 31, |
Twelve months ended December 31, |
||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Short-term investments & cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,998 | $ | 3,670 | $ | 17,643 | $ | 11,677 | ||||||||
| Fixed income | 15,909 | 11,680 | 57,631 | 36,547 | ||||||||||||
| Equities | 771 | 880 | 2,745 | 2,212 | ||||||||||||
| Alternative & strategic investments | 52 | (2,226 | ) | 2,667 | (10,114 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | $ | 20,730 | $ | 14,004 | $ | 80,686 | $ | 40,322 | ||||||||
| Net unrealized (losses) gains on securities still held | $ | (7,688 | ) | $ | 8,736 | $ | 7,921 | $ | 11,130 | |||||||
| Net realized losses | (2,721 | ) | (992 | ) | (1,665 | ) | (58 | ) | ||||||||
| Net investment (losses) gains | $ | (10,409 | ) | $ | 7,744 | $ | 6,256 | $ | 11,072 | |||||||
Beginning January 1, 2024 we simplified the investment portfolio classifications to align with our strategy and the underlying risk characteristics of the portfolio. The prior period has been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
Net investment income for the fourth quarter and year ended 2024 increased $6.7 million and $40.4 million, respectively when compared to the same 2023 periods, primarily driven by (i) increased income from our fixed income portfolio and short-term investments due to higher yields and larger asset bases, and (ii) income from alternative and strategic investments compared to losses for the same 2023 periods, which were impacted by the decline in the fair value of limited partnership investments.
Stockholders’ Equity
Stockholders’ equity was $794.0 million at December 31, 2024 which represented a decrease of 0.4% when compared to stockholders’ equity of $797.5 million at September 30, 2024. The decrease in stockholders’ equity was primarily due to a decline in the market value of our investment portfolio partially offset by net income.
Conference Call
At 9:30 a.m. eastern time tomorrow, February 26, 2025, Skyward Specialty management will hold a conference call to discuss quarterly results with insurance industry analysts. Interested parties may listen to the discussion at investors.skywardinsurance.com under Events & Presentations. Additionally, investors can access the earnings call via conference call by registering via the conference link. Users will receive dial-in information and a unique PIN to join the call upon registering.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release contains certain financial measures and ratios that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). We refer to these measures as “non-GAAP financial measures.” We use these non-GAAP financial measures when planning, monitoring, and evaluating our performance.
We have chosen to exclude the net impact of the Loss Portfolio Transfer (“LPT”), all development on reserves fully or partially covered by the LPT and amortization of deferred gains associated with recoveries of prior LPT reserve strengthening in certain non-GAAP metrics, where noted, as the business subject to the LPT is not representative of our continuing business strategy. The business subject to the LPT is primarily related to policy years 2017 and prior, was generated and managed under prior leadership, and has either been exited or substantially repositioned during the reevaluation of our portfolio. The LPT was commuted effective January 31, 2025. We consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for our management and investors to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. While we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating our business, this information should be considered supplemental in nature and is not meant to be a substitute for revenue or net income, in each case as recognized in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate such measures differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. For more information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of such measures to comparable GAAP financial measures, see the section entitled “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
About Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.
Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through eight underwriting divisions – Accident & Health, Captives, Global Property & Agriculture, Industry Solutions, Professional Lines, Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S. SKWD stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which represents the top fourth of all Nasdaq listed companies.
Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, Great Midwest Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. Additional information about Skyward Specialty can be found on our website at www.skywardinsurance.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, all other information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified through use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “enable,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intends,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “predict,” “probable,” “potential,” “possible,” “should,” “continue,” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in Skyward Specialty’s Form 10-K, and include (but are not limited to) legislative changes at both the state and federal level, state and federal regulatory rule making promulgations and adjudications, class action litigation involving the insurance industry and judicial decisions affecting claims, policy coverages and the general costs of doing business, the potential loss of key members of our management team or key employees and our ability to attract and retain personnel, the impact of competition on products and pricing, inflation in the costs of the products and services insurance pays for, product development, geographic spread of risk, weather and weather-related events, other types of catastrophic events, our ability to obtain reinsurance coverage at prices and on terms that allow us to transfer risk and adequately protect our company against financial loss, and losses resulting from reinsurance counterparties failing to pay us on reinsurance claims. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.
Investor contact:
Natalie Schoolcraft,
nschoolcraft@skywardinsurance.com
614-494-4988
or
Media contact:
Haley Doughty
hdoughty@skywardinsurance.com
713-935-4944
| Consolidated Balance Sheets | ||||||||
| ($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts) | ||||||||
| (unaudited) | December 31, 2024 |
December 31, 2023 |
||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Investments: | ||||||||
| Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $1,320,266 and $1,047,713, respectively) | $ | 1,292,218 | $ | 1,017,651 | ||||
| Fixed maturity securities, held-to-maturity, at amortized cost (net of allowance for credit losses of $243 and $329, respectively) | 39,153 | 42,986 | ||||||
| Equity securities, at fair value | 106,254 | 118,249 | ||||||
| Mortgage loans, at fair value | 26,490 | 50,070 | ||||||
| Equity method investments | 98,594 | 110,653 | ||||||
| Other long-term investments | 33,182 | 3,852 | ||||||
| Short-term investments, at fair value | 274,929 | 270,226 | ||||||
| Total investments | 1,870,820 | 1,613,687 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 121,603 | 65,891 | ||||||
| Restricted cash | 35,922 | 34,445 | ||||||
| Premiums receivable, net | 321,641 | 179,235 | ||||||
| Reinsurance recoverables, net | 857,876 | 596,334 | ||||||
| Ceded unearned premium | 203,901 | 186,121 | ||||||
| Deferred policy acquisition costs | 113,183 | 91,955 | ||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 30,486 | 21,991 | ||||||
| Goodwill and intangible assets, net | 87,348 | 88,435 | ||||||
| Other assets | 86,698 | 75,341 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 3,729,478 | $ | 2,953,435 | ||||
| Liabilities and stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||
| Reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,782,383 | $ | 1,314,501 | ||||
| Unearned premiums | 637,185 | 552,532 | ||||||
| Deferred ceding commission | 40,434 | 37,057 | ||||||
| Reinsurance and premium payables | 177,070 | 150,156 | ||||||
| Funds held for others | 102,665 | 58,588 | ||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 76,206 | 50,880 | ||||||
| Notes payable | 100,000 | 50,000 | ||||||
| Subordinated debt, net of debt issuance costs | 19,536 | 78,690 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 2,935,479 | 2,292,404 | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
| Common stock, $0.01 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized, 40,127,908 and 39,863,756 shares issued and outstanding, respectively | 401 | 399 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 718,598 | 710,855 | ||||||
| Stock notes receivable | — | (5,562 | ) | |||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (22,120 | ) | (22,953 | ) | ||||
| Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) | 97,120 | (21,708 | ) | |||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 793,999 | 661,031 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 3,729,478 | $ | 2,953,435 | ||||
| Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income | ||||||||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | Three months ended December 31, |
Twelve months ended December 31, |
||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||||
| Net earned premiums | $ | 293,240 | $ | 224,932 | $ | 1,056,722 | $ | 829,143 | ||||||||
| Commission and fee income | 806 | 247 | 6,703 | 6,064 | ||||||||||||
| Net investment income | 20,730 | 14,004 | 80,686 | 40,322 | ||||||||||||
| Net investment (losses) gains | (10,409 | ) | 7,744 | 6,256 | 11,072 | |||||||||||
| Other income (loss) | 35 | (632 | ) | (167 | ) | (632 | ) | |||||||||
| Total revenues | 304,402 | 246,295 | 1,150,200 | 885,969 | ||||||||||||
| Expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 196,320 | 137,396 | 669,809 | 515,237 | ||||||||||||
| Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses | 85,487 | 66,791 | 311,757 | 243,444 | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 2,091 | 2,774 | 9,496 | 10,024 | ||||||||||||
| Amortization expense | 908 | 462 | 2,007 | 1,798 | ||||||||||||
| Other expenses | 1,042 | 1,303 | 4,392 | 5,364 | ||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 285,848 | 208,726 | 997,461 | 775,867 | ||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 18,554 | 37,569 | 152,739 | 110,102 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 4,148 | 8,304 | 33,911 | 24,118 | ||||||||||||
| Net income | 14,406 | 29,265 | 118,828 | 85,984 | ||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to participating securities | — | — | — | 1,677 | ||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to common stockholders | $ | 14,406 | $ | 29,265 | $ | 118,828 | $ | 84,307 | ||||||||
| Comprehensive income: | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 14,406 | $ | 29,265 | $ | 118,828 | $ | 85,984 | ||||||||
| Other comprehensive income: | ||||||||||||||||
| Unrealized gains and losses on investments: | ||||||||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized (losses) gains on investments, net of tax | (14,735 | ) | 30,825 | 9,792 | 25,516 | |||||||||||
| Reclassification adjustment for losses on securities no longer held, net of tax | (5,682 | ) | (105 | ) | (8,959 | ) | (4,984 | ) | ||||||||
| Total other comprehensive (loss) income | (20,417 | ) | 30,720 | 833 | 20,532 | |||||||||||
| Comprehensive (loss) income | $ | (6,011 | ) | $ | 59,985 | $ | 119,661 | $ | 106,516 | |||||||
| Share and Per Share Data | ||||||||||||||||
| ($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts) | Three months ended December 31, |
Twelve months ended December 31, |
||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Weighted average basic shares | 40,107,617 | 37,570,274 | 40,056,475 | 36,031,907 | ||||||||||||
| Weighted average diluted shares | 41,622,397 | 39,582,352 | 41,377,460 | 38,317,534 | ||||||||||||
| Basic earnings per share | $ | 0.36 | $ | 0.78 | $ | 2.97 | $ | 2.34 | ||||||||
| Diluted earnings per share | $ | 0.35 | $ | 0.74 | $ | 2.87 | $ | 2.24 | ||||||||
| Basic adjusted operating earnings per share | $ | 0.83 | $ | 0.65 | $ | 3.16 | $ | 2.20 | ||||||||
| Diluted adjusted operating earnings per share | $ | 0.80 | $ | 0.61 | $ | 3.06 | $ | 2.11 | ||||||||
| Annualized ROE (1) | 7.2 | % | 19.6 | % | 16.3 | % | 15.9 | % | ||||||||
| Annualized adjusted ROE (2) | 16.7 | % | 16.3 | % | 17.4 | % | 14.9 | % | ||||||||
| Annualized ROTE (3) | 8.1 | % | 23.0 | % | 18.6 | % | 19.0 | % | ||||||||
| Annualized adjusted ROTE (4) | 18.8 | % | 19.1 | % | 19.8 | % | 17.9 | % | ||||||||
| December 31 | December 31 | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Shares outstanding | 40,127,908 | 39,863,756 | ||||||||||||||
| Fully diluted shares outstanding | 42,059,182 | 41,771,854 | ||||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 19.79 | $ | 16.72 | ||||||||||||
| Fully diluted book value per share | $ | 18.88 | $ | 15.96 | ||||||||||||
| Fully diluted tangible book value per share | $ | 16.80 | $ | 13.84 | ||||||||||||
| (1)Annualized ROE is net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period | ||||||||||||||||
| (2)Annualized adjusted ROE is adjusted operating income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period | ||||||||||||||||
| (3)Annualized ROTE is net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending tangible stockholders’ equity during the period | ||||||||||||||||
| (4)Annualized adjusted ROTE is adjusted operating income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending tangible stockholders’ equity during the period | ||||||||||||||||
Adjusted operating income – We define adjusted operating income as net income excluding the impact of certain items that may not be indicative of underlying business trends, operating results, or future outlook, net of tax impact. We use adjusted operating income as an internal performance measure in the management of our operations because we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Adjusted operating income should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define adjusted operating income differently.
| ($ in thousands) | Three months ended December 31, | Twelve months ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pre-tax | After-tax | Pre-tax | After-tax | Pre-tax | After-tax | Pre-tax | After-tax | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income as reported | $ | 18,554 | $ | 14,406 | $ | 37,569 | $ | 29,265 | $ | 152,739 | $ | 118,828 | $ | 110,102 | $ | 85,984 | |||||||||||||||
| Less (add): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment (losses) gains | (10,409 | ) | (8,223 | ) | 7,744 | 6,118 | 6,256 | 4,942 | 11,072 | 8,747 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net impact of loss portfolio transfer | (12,398 | ) | (9,794 | ) | 457 | 361 | (11,598 | ) | (9,162 | ) | 1,427 | 1,127 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other loss | 35 | 28 | (632 | ) | (499 | ) | (167 | ) | (132 | ) | (632 | ) | (499 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Other expenses | (1,042 | ) | (823 | ) | (1,303 | ) | (1,029 | ) | (4,392 | ) | (3,470 | ) | (5,364 | ) | (4,238 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating income | $ | 42,368 | $ | 33,218 | $ | 31,303 | $ | 24,314 | $ | 162,640 | $ | 126,650 | $ | 103,599 | $ | 80,847 | |||||||||||||||
Underwriting income – We define underwriting income as net income before income taxes excluding net investment income, net realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments, impairment charges, interest expense, amortization expense and other income and expenses. Underwriting income represents the pre-tax profitability of our underwriting operations and allows us to evaluate our underwriting performance without regard to investment income. We use this metric as we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our underlying business performance. Underwriting income should not be viewed as a substitute for pre-tax income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define underwriting income differently.
| ($ in thousands) | Three months ended December 31, |
Twelve months ended December 31, |
||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | $ | 18,554 | $ | 37,569 | $ | 152,739 | $ | 110,102 | ||||||||
| Add: | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 2,091 | 2,774 | 9,496 | 10,024 | ||||||||||||
| Amortization expense | 908 | 462 | 2,007 | 1,798 | ||||||||||||
| Other expenses | 1,042 | 1,303 | 4,392 | 5,364 | ||||||||||||
| Less (add): | ||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income | 20,730 | 14,004 | 80,686 | 40,322 | ||||||||||||
| Net investment (losses) gains | (10,409 | ) | 7,744 | 6,256 | 11,072 | |||||||||||
| Other income (loss) | 35 | (632 | ) | (167 | ) | (632 | ) | |||||||||
| Underwriting income | $ | 12,239 | $ | 20,992 | $ | 81,859 | $ | 76,526 | ||||||||
Adjusted Loss Ratio / Adjusted Combined Ratio – We define adjusted loss ratio and adjusted combined ratio as the corresponding ratio (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding losses and LAE related to the LPT and all development on reserves fully or partially covered by the LPT and amortization of deferred gains associated with recoveries of prior LPT reserve strengthening. We use these adjusted ratios as internal performance measures in the management of our operations because we believe they give our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Our adjusted loss ratio and adjusted combined ratio should not be viewed as substitutes for our loss ratio and combined ratio, respectively.
| ($ in thousands) | Three months ended December 31, |
Twelve months ended December 31, |
||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Net earned premiums | $ | 293,240 | $ | 224,932 | $ | 1,056,722 | $ | 829,143 | ||||||||
| Losses and LAE | 196,320 | 137,396 | 669,809 | 515,237 | ||||||||||||
| Less: Pre-tax net impact of LPT | 12,398 | (457 | ) | 11,598 | (1,427 | ) | ||||||||||
| Adjusted losses and LAE | $ | 183,922 | $ | 137,853 | $ | 658,211 | $ | 516,664 | ||||||||
| Loss ratio | 66.9 | % | 61.1 | % | 63.4 | % | 62.1 | % | ||||||||
| Less: net impact of LPT | 4.2 | % | (0.2 | )% | 1.1 | % | (0.2 | )% | ||||||||
| Adjusted loss ratio | 62.7 | % | 61.3 | % | 62.3 | % | 62.3 | % | ||||||||
| Combined ratio | 95.8 | % | 90.7 | % | 92.3 | % | 90.7 | % | ||||||||
| Less: net impact of LPT | 4.2 | % | (0.2 | )% | 1.1 | % | (0.2 | )% | ||||||||
| Adjusted combined ratio | 91.6 | % | 90.9 | % | 91.2 | % | 90.9 | % | ||||||||
Tangible Stockholders’ Equity – We define tangible stockholders’ equity as stockholders’ equity less goodwill and intangible assets. Our definition of tangible stockholders’ equity may not be comparable to that of other companies and should not be viewed as a substitute for stockholders’ equity calculated in accordance with GAAP. We use tangible stockholders’ equity internally to evaluate the strength of our balance sheet and to compare returns relative to this measure.
| ($ in thousands) | December 31, | |||||
| (unaudited) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| Stockholders’ equity | $ | 793,999 | $ | 661,031 | ||
| Less: Goodwill and intangible assets | 87,348 | 88,435 | ||||
| Tangible stockholders’ equity | $ | 706,651 | $ | 572,596 | ||
| Three months ended December 31, | Twelve months ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | % Change |
2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||||
| Industry Solutions | 80,738 | 78,796 | 2.5 | % | 317,198 | 305,476 | 3.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Global Property & Agriculture | $ | 31,681 | $ | 25,996 | 21.9 | % | $ | 311,402 | $ | 273,191 | 14.0 | % | ||||||
| Captives | 57,765 | 40,375 | 43.1 | % | 241,902 | 167,624 | 44.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Programs | 52,151 | 35,694 | 46.1 | % | 218,407 | 178,726 | 22.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Accident & Health | 44,594 | 38,882 | 14.7 | % | 173,073 | 151,701 | 14.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Transactional E&S | 36,262 | 31,560 | 14.9 | % | 169,053 | 122,508 | 38.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Professional Lines | 39,130 | 40,145 | (2.5 | )% | 159,785 | 154,565 | 3.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Surety | 46,034 | 30,157 | 52.6 | % | 152,429 | 106,056 | 43.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Total gross written premiums(1) | $ | 388,355 | $ | 321,605 | 20.8 | % | $ | 1,743,249 | $ | 1,459,847 | 19.4 | % | ||||||
| (1)Excludes exited business | ||||||||||||||||||
Source: United Nations MIL OSI b
“Without the farmers, it is only political policy without implementation” – that was the stark message delivered by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Director-General on Tuesday to delegates attending the latest round of UN biodiversity talks in Rome.
Over 150 countries will be meeting from 25 to 27 February to advance biodiversity finance, accountability and the integration of agrifood systems into global conservation strategies.
Despite groundbreaking agreements on genetic data and recognising the stewardship role of Indigenous Peoples at the first round of the COP16 conference in Colombia late last year, this new Conference of the Parties – or COP16.2 – aims to close some crucial gaps which are instrumental for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
With nature declining at an alarming rate, the challenge now is turning commitments into action.
FAO chief Qu Dongyu called for urgent action to transform agrifood systems, stressing that biodiversity must be embedded in food and farming policies. A key focus is the Agri-NBSAPs Support Initiative, launched at COP16 in Cali, Colombia.
The initiative is designed to help governments integrate agrifood systems into their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, to eliminate any conflicts between agricultural policy and biodiversity goals.
Colombia’s COP16 President, Environment Minister María Susana Muhamad, and Agriculture Minister Martha Carvajalino, underscored the importance of full implementation.
Mr. Dongyu highlighted the deep connections between biodiversity and food security, noting that over half of the Kunming-Montreal Framework’s 23 targets are directly linked to agriculture.
He explained that “biodiversity is also in the soil and in the water” and that it is critical “to look at biodiversity from a holistic, three-dimensional perspective”.
Despite commitments made at COP15, funding remains a sticking point.
Secretary-General António Guterres, warned in a statement that biodiversity is “on the brink” and urged governments to translate pledges into investment. “Success requires accountability. And action demands finance,” he said.
With only a fraction of the required $200 billion per year mobilised, developing nations are pushing wealthier countries to meet their financial obligations.
Discussions in Rome are expected to focus on accountability frameworks to track spending and ensure resources reach the communities most affected by biodiversity loss.
In the coming days, negotiators will work to finalise agreements on biodiversity finance, implementation strategies and monitoring frameworks.
Mr. Dongyu closed his statement by calling for an integrated approach across government sectors.
“We need an integrated approach across government sectors, across Ministries, to ensure the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind,” he said.
With time running out to meet the 2030 targets, COP16.2 is a key test of global commitment – whether countries will step up or risk falling short on protecting the planet’s ecosystems.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
02.25.25
Cantwell-Led Fusion Energy Commercialization Commission Releases Roadmap to Secure American Leadership in Fusion Energy
Cantwell: Expanding fusion can help “meet our growing electricity demand, lower emissions, & increase export opportunities”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy, which is co-chaired by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Ylli Bajraktari, President, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), released a preliminary report titled “Fusion Power: Enabling 21st Century American Dominance.”
“Fusion could provide vast amounts of the type of power we need to keep electricity prices down and increase America’s economic competitiveness,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This preliminary report provides a roadmap for how the United States could lead the world in fusion commercialization in order to meet our growing electricity demand, lower emissions, and increase export opportunities.”
Fusion, the same process that powers the sun, typically utilizes an inexhaustible supply of water as its fuel, and produces negligible atmospheric emissions and zero greenhouse gas emissions. Fusion reactors cannot melt down, and do not generate the high-level, long-lasting radioactive waste associated with nuclear fission reactors.
The Commission’s recommendations are organized into three categories:
Declare Fusion a National Security Priority: The United States should prioritize fusion energy development. A presidential executive order should articulate a National Fusion Goal and establish a national fusion strategy led by the Department of Energy (DOE), with a 90-day action plan to streamline regulations, organize public and private stakeholders, and align the necessary resources. This will ensure U.S. leadership in fusion energy, which is vital for national prosperity and security.
Establish Fusion Leadership and Drive Commercialization: A political appointee at the DOE should be appointed as the national “Fusion Lead” and be empowered to implement the Fusion Executive Order (EO). This senior leader should report to the Secretary and oversee existing DOE fusion commercialization programs, develop the 90-day action plan, and dismantle bureaucratic obstacles.
Strategic Investment to Win the Fusion Race: The United States will not be able to achieve fusion power unless it invests in the fundamental building blocks of commercial fusion: infrastructure, supply chain, and talent. To outpace China, the United States should make a one-time investment towards these strategic assets, de-risk multiple commercial fusion pathways, and sustain basic research to cultivate the next generation of fusion science.
The 13-member Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy, first announced in Fall 2023 at SCSP’s Global Emerging Technology Summit, aims to position the United States not only as the leader in fusion science but also in its scaling as the technology matures. The Commission will hold sessions throughout 2025, culminating in its final report later this year.
This effort represents a step towards ensuring U.S. leadership in a transformative technology, with implications for national security, economic prosperity, and energy independence. The Commission’s work will lay the foundation for a future where fusion energy could be the key pillar of global energy infrastructure.
Sen. Cantwell is a leading Senate champion for the development and deployment of fusion energy.
In July 2024, Sen. Cantwell hosted a Pacific Northwest Energy Summit, joining U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and regional energy stakeholders to discuss technological and policy solutions that will ensure NW ratepayers and our regional economy continue to benefit from abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy. More than 200 business, government, and non-profit energy professionals attended the event.
In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell applauded Everett-based Helion Energy’s announcement that they plan to be the first company in the world to generate and sell electricity from a fusion reactor.
Thanks to leading fusion companies like Helion, as well as Everett-based Zap and Seattle-based Avalanche, many consider the Puget Sound region to be the world’s biggest fusion energy hub.
During a Senate hearing in April 2023, Sen. Cantwell pressed Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about plans to expand federal support for fusion research.
At an Energy Committee hearing in September 2022, Sen. Cantwell asked fusion experts like Dr. Scott Hsu, Lead Fusion Coordinator for the Department of Energy, and Professor Steven Cowley, Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, about what more we can be doing to boost fusion R&D and make sure we can manufacture fusion components domestically.
