LOS ANGELES, May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hanmi Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: HAFC, or “Hanmi”), the parent company of Hanmi Bank (the “Bank”), today announced its participation in the D.A. Davidson 27th Annual Financial Institutions Conference on Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Scottsdale, AZ.
Bonnie Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Ron Santarosa, Chief Financial Officer, will host one-on-one and small group meetings during the conference.
A copy of the presentation being used for meetings with institutional investors will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.hanmi.com.
About Hanmi Financial Corporation Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Hanmi Financial Corporation owns Hanmi Bank, which serves multi-ethnic communities through its network of 32 full-service branches, five loan production offices and three loan centers in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Hanmi Bank specializes in real estate, commercial, SBA and trade finance lending to small and middle market businesses. Additional information is available at www.hanmi.com.
It isn’t easy to figure out how the Earth was built, because it happened 4½ billion years ago, and no one was there to watch. So scientists have had to look at what the Earth looks like now and at all of the other planets, moons and debris in the solar system.
They’ve concluded that the Earth was built in the same way that you would build a big snowball to make a snowman. The mass that would become our home rolled through planetary debris – rocks floating in space – for more than 100 million years, adding more and more material, until it grew into a full-size planet.
How do scientists like me know this is what happened? First, studies of the size, composition and location of asteroids and comets, many of which are as old as the Earth, indicate that 4½ billion years ago the solar system looked the way Saturn looks today, with rings of space rocks orbiting around the Sun. There’s still one such ring around the Sun – it’s called the asteroid belt and lies between Mars and Jupiter, with the Sun’s gravity holding the rocks in orbit.
The solar system that includes Earth formed from a spinning disk of dust and gases.
All of the other bodies that we know as planets today began as similar rings of space debris. An eddy, or area of rolling, developed in each of these rings and caused the debris to clump up in a snowball effect. But these pieces of debris were asteroids that smashed violently into the growing planets.
We can see those impacts on planets and moons whose surfaces haven’t weathered or reformed. If you look at the Moon or the planet Mercury, you can see that they are covered with craters from asteroid impacts.
When asteroids or comets struck these building planets, they crashed into their surfaces at speeds as high as 40,000 to 50,000 miles per hour (65,000 to 80,000 kilometers per hour). The impacts caused huge explosions that emitted massive amounts of dust and broken or melted rock.
In fact, scientists believe that the Moon was once part of the Earth, until a large asteroid crashed into the Earth so hard that the Moon broke away and shot into space. There, it began orbiting the Earth as it does now.
Still under construction
Most big asteroids and comets collided with the Earth when it was young, about 4½ billion years ago. The number of such collisions has steadily decreased ever since. However, at least 100 tons of dust-size space rock rains down on the Earth every day, increasing the size of our planet bit by bit.
The Earth also collides with space rocks, called meteors, that show up as shooting stars in the night sky. Some of these meteors come from an impact that struck Mars at some point, breaking away rock from the planet surface and shooting it into outer space. These rocks have been falling to Earth ever since.
What’s the difference between an asteroid and a comet? Asteroids are large space rocks, while comets are large, dirty ice balls. Meteors are smaller − typically the size of pebbles or even dust.
About 65 million years ago, a huge asteroid struck the Earth in the Gulf of Mexico. The enormous Chicxulub explosion drove large tsunamis throughout the ocean and raised so much dust into the air that it made the dinosaurs go extinct.
Another large asteroid impact, about 35 million years ago, made a huge crater in the area that is now the Chesapeake Bay, near Washington, D.C. More recently, in 1908, an asteroid likely exploded over Tunguska, Russia, flattening 830 square miles (2,150 square kilometers) of trees. Fortunately, no one lived in the area, so there were no known casualties.
Barringer Crater in Arizona was caused by a meteor strike about 50,000 years ago. It measures about 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers) across. D. Roddy, USGS/Wikipedia
Once a mass of space debris was assembled into the Earth, many processes continued to shape the planet’s surface. Wind, water, heat and cold cause rocks to weather and break down and soil to erode. Mountains are created as pieces of Earth’s crust collide and crack. Rivers and glaciers wear down the planet’s surface to make it smoother.
The Earth is a dynamic planet that is constantly being built, and these processes will continue for billions of years into the future.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Alexander E. Gates does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
At 17.00 this afternoon, in the Vatican Basilica, the Eucharistic Celebration in memory of the Roman Pontiff Francis took place, on the ninth day of the Novendiali.
The Papal Chapel was specially invited to the Celebration.
The Concelebration was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals.
The following is the homily delivered by His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Mamberti during the course of the Holy Mass:
Homily of His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Mamberti
Venerable Cardinal Fathers,
Dear brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Liturgy of the Word of this last of the Novendiali in memory of Pope Francis is that of the day, the third Sunday of Easter, and the page of the Gospel of John just proclaimed presents to us the encounter of the risen Christ with some of the Apostles and disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, which ends with the Mission entrusted to Peter by the Lord and Jesus’ command, “Follow me!”.
The episode is reminiscent that of the first miraculous catch of fish, narrated by Luke, when Jesus had called Simon, James and John, announcing that the Lord would have become a fisher of men. From that moment, Peter followed him, at times in incomprehension and even betrayal, but in today’s encounter, the last before Christ’s return to the Father, Peter receives from him the task of shepherding his flock.
Love is the key word of this page of the Gospel. The first to recognize Jesus is the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, John, who exclaims, “It is the Lord!”, and Peter immediately throws himself into the sea to reach the Master. After they have shared the food, which will have kindled in the Apostles’ hearts the memory of the Last Supper, the dialogue between Jesus and Peter begins, the Lord’s threefold question and Peter’s threefold answer.
The first two times, Jesus adopts the verb to love, a strong word, whereas Peter, mindful of the betrayal, responds [in some translations] with the less demanding expression “to care,” and the third time Jesus stresses the expression to care, adjusting to the Apostle’s weakness. Pope Benedict XVI noted in commenting on this dialogue: “Simon understands that Jesus is satisfied with his poor love, the only one of which he is capable. … It is precisely this divine adjustment that gives hope to the disciple, who has recognized the suffering of infidelity. … From that day on, Peter ‘followed’ the Master with a precise awareness of his own fragility; but this awareness did not discourage him. For he knew that he could count on the presence of the Risen One beside him … and so he shows us the way as well”.1
In his homily at the Mass for the twenty-fifth anniversary of his pontificate, Saint John Paul II confirmed: “Today, dear brothers and sisters, I am pleased to share with you an experience that has now lasted for a quarter of a century. Every day that same dialogue between Jesus and Peter takes place in my heart. In spirit, I focus on the benevolent gaze of the risen Christ. Although he knows of my human frailty, he encourages me to answer confidently, like Peter: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you” (Jn 21: 17). And then he invites me to take on the responsibilities that he himself has entrusted to me.”.2
This mission is love itself, which becomes service to the Church and to all humanity. Peter and the Apostles assumed it immediately, by the power of the Spirit they had received at Pentecost, as we heard in the first reading: “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God raised him to his right hand, as head and Saviour”.
We have all admired how much Pope Francis, animated by the Lord’s love and carried by his grace, was faithful to his mission to the utmost consumption of his strength. He reminded the powerful that we must obey God rather than men and proclaimed to all humanity the joy of the Gospel, the merciful Father, Christ the Saviour. He did this in his magisterium, in his travels, in his gestures, in his lifestyle. I was close to him on Easter Day, at the Loggia of Blessings in this Basilica, witnessing his suffering but above all his courage and determination to serve the people of God to the end.
In the second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, we heard the praise that the whole universe gives to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb: “Praise, honour, glory and power, throughout the ages. And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen.’ And the elders prostrated themselves in worship”.
Adoration is an essential dimension of the Church’s mission and the lives of the faithful. Pope Francis often recalled this, as for example in his homily for the Feast of the Epiphany last year: “The Magi have hearts bowed in adoration. … They came to Bethlehem, and when they saw the child, ‘they knelt down and paid him homage (Mt 2:11). … A King who came to serve us, a God who became man. Before this mystery, we are called to bow our heart and bend our knee in worship: to worship the God who comes in littleness, who dwells in our homes, who dies for love. … Brothers and sisters, we have lost the habit of adoration, we have lost the ability that gives us adoration. Let us rediscover our taste for the prayer of adoration. … Nowadays there is a lack of adoration among us”.3
This capacity that gives adoration was not difficult to recognize in Pope Francis. His intense pastoral life, his countless meetings, were grounded in the long moments of prayer that the Ignatian discipline had imprinted in him. Many times he reminded us that contemplation is “a dynamism of love” that “raises us up to God, not to separate us from the world but to ground us more deeply in it” (Audience with Superiors and Delegates of the Discalced Carmelites, 18 April 2024). And everything he did, he did under the gaze of Mary. There will remain in our memory and in our hearts his 126 stops before the “Salus Populi Romani.” And now that he rests at the beloved image, we entrust him with gratitude and confidence to the intercession of the mother of the Lord and our mother.
_____________________
[1] General Audience, 24 May 2006).
[2] Homily, 16 October 2003
[3] Homily, 6 January 2024
[4] Audience with Superiors and Delegates of the Discalced Carmelites, 18 April 2024
Question for written answer E-001668/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D)
A large part of the Recovery and Resilience Facility’s resources has been committed to the implementation of public sector digitalisation projects, which are in many cases undertaken by a few powerful companies. However, there are concerns about delays, low efficiency and the extent to which these projects actually boost regional development and the needs of the agriculture, fishing and local infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, smaller and innovative businesses are often excluded from the process.
In view of the above:
1.What measures is the Commission putting in place to ensure the transparency and efficient implementation of the digitalisation projects financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility?
2.How is equal access to the design and execution of these projects ensured for small and medium-sized enterprises?
3.Is there provision for evaluating the contribution of IT projects to strengthening agricultural production, fishing and regional infrastructure, so that investments also benefit local communities and not just large companies?
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
AFCD staff patrol animal release hotspots A spokesman for the AFCD said, “If members of the public release animals in an improper manner, such as releasing them into unsuitable habitats, it may adversely affect their survival.”
Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169), it is an offence to causes unnecessary suffering to animals by releasing them not in a proper manner. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three years upon conviction.
The AFCD will continue to conduct inspections at locations where animal releasing activities are likely to take place, take enforcement action when necessary, and carry out publicity and education work.
In addition, the AFCD will launch a fish-restocking exercise on National Fish Releasing Day on June 6 to release fish fingerlings in the waters around Tung Ping Chau Marine Park to enhance local marine resources and ecology. The department will promote to the public the benefits of fish restocking to the environment, with a view to engaging them in supporting and participating in these science-based restocking exercises in lieu of animal releases not properly conducted. The public may also consider other charitable activities, such as planting trees or participating in volunteer services with animal welfare groups and environmental organisations. Issued at HKT 17:20
Forests Are Our Lungs, Forests Regulate Climate, Buffer Disasters, and Support the Marginalised, Says VP
The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said,“Forests are extremely important. Forests are our lungs. If a country’s forests are in good shape, its people will enjoy good health—because forests are the lungs. Agriculture is our lifeline. But we need forests as they regulate climate, they buffer disasters, and they support livelihoods—especially for the poor and marginalized.”
Forests बहुत महत्वपूर्ण हैं। Forest are our lungs, just as agriculture is our lifeline. #Forests regulate climate, buffer disasters, and support livelihoods, especially for the poor and marginalised.
Interacting with faculty members and students of the College of Forestry, Sirsi, during a special programme on the “Role of Forestry in Nation Building”, today, Shri Dhnakhar emphasised that,“We must pledge to protect our forests and contribute in every way possible, because climate change is a global challenge—a global menace. The situation is alarmingly cliff hanging, and we have no other planet to live on apart from Mother Earth,” he warned.
Highlighting India’s civilisational wisdom, the Vice-President said, “This land is a confluence of spirituality and sustainability. Sustainability is not just vital for the economy—it is vital for healthy living. Our Vedic culture has preached sustainability for thousands of years. And today, there is no alternative to sustainable development. We cannot engage in reckless exploitation of natural resources. We must restrict ourselves to what is minimally required. We all need to be aware of this.”
This land is a confluence of spirituality and sustainability. Sustainability is vital not only for economy, but also for a healthy life.
Sustainability has been preached in our Vedic culture for thousands of years.
Calling for deeper ecological consciousness, he remarked, “We must develop a sense of self-realisation—that Mother Earth, this environment, the forests, the ecosystems, the flora and fauna—we are their trustees, not consumers. We are duty-bound to pass this on to future generations.”
“Environment is that aspect of life which touches every living being on Earth. When the environment is challenged, the challenge is not just to humanity—it affects everything that exists on this planet. Today, we face a critical test: to protect and preserve the environment, and to find ways to overcome the grave crisis that is unfolding,” he observed.
Stressing the role of education in building a sustainable future, the Vice-President said, “Today, no institution can function as a standalone entity. There was a time when medical education, engineering education, management education, environmental education, and forest education all existed in silos. But now, everything has become interdisciplinary. And therefore, we must adopt an inclusive approach to learning.”
आज के दिन कोई भी संस्था अपने आप में standalone नहीं हो सकती।
एक ज़माना था जब Medicine, Engineering, Management, Environment Education सारे standalone थीं।
आजकल सब कुछ interdisciplinary हो गया है, and therefore, you will have to have an inclusive approach to learning.… pic.twitter.com/BGbt812vis
Encouraging young minds, Shri Dhankhar said, “Be inquisitive—have yearning and desire for new knowledge. The academic pursuit you are engaged in holds immense possibilities—far beyond imagination. In our cultural heritage, wherever you look, you will find a treasure trove. The more you study, the more you will be able to serve creation. The very subject you are pursuing today holds the key to remedies and production. You can truly become an effective crucible of research, especially when it comes to forest produce.”
Applauding the natural setting of the institution, the Vice-President noted, “Sirsi, nestled in the lap of the majestic Western Ghats—is one of the richest biodiversity regions not just in Bharat, but in the entire world. Such an environment transforms the very concept of a classroom. Here, the classroom doesn’t end at four walls; it extends beyond them. This is an open classroom, breathing and brimming with life. The College of Forestry is, fortunately and uniquely, surrounded by nature—in its most pristine form. The view here is truly extraordinary; the atmosphere fills one with joy and celebration.”
Sirsi lies in the lap of the majestic Western Ghats—one of the richest biodiversity regions, not only in Bharat but in the entire world.
College of Forestry, fortunately and uniquely, is surrounded by nature in its most pristine form. यहाँ का नज़ारा ही कुछ और है, वातावरण… pic.twitter.com/EzmZ4L0TOt
Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj S. Horatti, Speaker of Legislative Council, Govt. of Karnataka, Shri Mankal S. Vaidya, District-in-Charge Minister (Uttara Kannada), Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Member of Parliament, Dr. P.L.Patil, Vice Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Police are asking for information from the public after a series of incidents in Invercargill overnight, including two aggravated robberies.
Officers were called to a Dee Street premises about 2.30am on Monday 5 May, after a report of two people entering the store and assaulting the worker, demanding cash. They then fled the scene in a vehicle.
The worker was not seriously injured, however they were very shaken by what occurred.
An attempted burglary and two burglaries were subsequently reported at three further premises, on Windsor Street, Elles Road and Yarrow Street.
Then, about 4.20am, Police received a report that two people had entered a Tay Street premises and demanded cash and items. Fortunately, no one was hurt during the incident.
Police are making enquiries into each incident, and at this stage our information suggests they are linked.
Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents. One of them, a red Toyota Vitz, has been involved in the offending. Police have recovered this vehicle, which was stolen the previous day.
The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car.
We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am.
Anyone with information about these vehicles or those involved is asked to contact Police via 105. Please use the reference number 250505/9732.
You can also share information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, carrying astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, touches down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. The three astronauts are all in good health condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
The return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft landed smoothly Wednesday in the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) declaring the mission a success.
By 2:02 p.m., the Shenzhou-19 crew, Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, had all left the return capsule. They had spent 183 days in orbit and are all in good health, the CMSA said.
The mission set a world record for the longest single-time extravehicular activities (EVAs), and witnessed two historic milestones, namely, Commander Cai Xuzhe fulfilling the most EVA tasks to date in China and the nation’s first female flight engineer aboard the Tiangong space station.
Cai has carried out five EVAs in two spaceflight missions, meaning he has completed more EVAs than any other Chinese astronaut.
“Gazing at the beautiful blue planet countless times in space, I am constantly reminded that this is our shared home, one that we must all work together to protect,” said the 48-year-old mission commander, sitting in a chair in front of the capsule.
Astronaut Cai Xuzhe is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Song Lingdong is the first post-90s Chinese astronaut to conduct EVAs.
“We have transformed the dedication and hard work of all the researchers into fruitful scientific achievements,” said Song. “We are extremely proud of that.”
Wang Haoze is China’s first female spaceflight engineer to enter the space station.
“It feels wonderful to be home, to feel the solid ground beneath my feet once again,” said Wang. “I am now confident and capable of taking on even more challenging tasks in the future.”
The Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, launched in October 2024, separated from the space station combination at 4 a.m. After undocking from Tiangong, the spacecraft executed a fast return mode, said Mao Yongjun, an expert from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
At 12:17 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command through the ground station, and the orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-19 spaceship separated from the return capsule.
Then the brake engine ignited, and the return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The return capsule touched down at 1:08 p.m. at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the CMSA said.
The return of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for Tuesday, had been postponed due to unfavorable wind conditions at the Dongfeng landing site, according to the CMSA.
This return mission featured two technological improvements. Helicopters and search vehicles were equipped with BDS-3 terminals, thus enhancing positioning accuracy and efficiency for ground recovery, Mao said.
According to Mao, a laser meteorological radar was installed near the landing site to obtain detailed wind field data, boosting forecast accuracy from kilometers to within hundreds of meters.
Astronaut Song Lingdong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Bei He)
LONGEST SPACEWALK
During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew completed three EVAs, setting a world duration record of nine hours for single-time EVAs, said CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang at a previous press conference.
The crew successfully resolved an unexpected payload adapter jamming problem during their first EVA, ensuring the success of subsequent experiments, Lin said.
China’s Feitian (“Flying in Space”) extravehicular suits have demonstrated exceptional reliability, having been used for 19 EVAs since the Shenzhou-12 mission, and the most frequently worn suit has been used 17 times, according to Lin.
Lin said that the space station’s robotic arms, which can be connected and “crawl” on the exterior of the space cabins due to their unique designs, enable astronauts to access all EVA areas.
Additionally, the coordination support system between space and ground has been refined to provide robust professional backing for EVA planning, real-time control, cross-system collaboration and emergency response.
Astronaut Wang Haoze is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
RECORD EXPERIMENTS
The Shenzhou-19 crew accomplished multiple scientific firsts aboard the space station.
For the first time globally, they achieved orbital preparation of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates using an all-optical trap, said Lin.
In Tiangong, the crew established the world’s first space-based optical lattice platform for quantum simulations, with atomic temperatures cooled to tens of picokelvins, reaching an internationally leading level.
The trio has successfully bred three generations of fruit flies in orbit, collecting over four terabytes of video data documenting their growth, sleep patterns, locomotor activity and reproductive behaviors.
Upon return, researchers on the ground will analyze the samples brought back by Shenzhou-19 to study the effects of microgravity and a hypomagnetic field on living organisms.
They have participated in 88 projects spanning space life science, microgravity, fundamental physics, space materials, space medicine, and new space technologies, achieving notable results, said Lin.
The Shenzhou-19 mission generated over 102 samples of 13 types, which have been returned to Earth for in-depth analysis by scientists. These studies are expected to produce scientific outcomes in fundamental research, new materials, space radiation effects and hypomagnetic biological mechanisms.
A CMSA video clip has revealed the Shenzhou-19 crew conducting an in-orbit trial of a specialized in-cabin robot — a pipeline inspection system. The astronauts constructed simulated pipelines of varying diameters to assess the robot’s mobility, successfully demonstrating its ability to navigate through pipes of different sizes.
The pipeline inspection robot, featuring 23 degrees of freedom, draws biological inspiration from echinoderm animals like starfish and sea cucumbers, mimicking their tube feet with an innovative movement mechanism.
Equipped with an intelligent control system, it processes real-time sensor data to precisely calculate its position and location, enabling navigation through the space station’s pipe network while maintaining operational safety in confined spaces.
The crew’s work log recorded the human-machine collaborative experiment with an intelligent flying robot “Xiaohang” designed by the Harbin Institute of Technology.
The voice-controlled intelligent robot can assist astronauts with multiple orbital operations, including taking photos, inspections, materials management and product state examination.
During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew carried out tests using brainwave experiment device and the data will be used to investigate how gravity impacts the processing of visual motion information and to reveal the cognitive and neural mechanisms of human perception in microgravity.
Last November, the three Chinese astronauts connected with some Bulgarian youth via video links, sharing their space exploration experiences and answering questions about their work and life aboard Tiangong.
In December, an art exhibition themed “I Love My Motherland” took place simultaneously on the space station and in Beijing and Macao. This marked the fourth exhibition aboard Tiangong and the first to occur in both space and on Earth. The exhibition featured 75 artworks selected from over 20,000 submissions by Chinese teenagers.
The early entry into force of the New Zealand–European Union Trade Agreement (FTA) is paying off, with Kiwi goods exports to the EU surging by 28 per cent during the first year.
“In the last 12 months our goods exports to the EU surged from $3.8 billion to over $4.8 billion,” Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says.
“This is good news for all New Zealanders, especially our sheep farmers, kiwifruit growers and machinery exporters. Sheep meat was up 29 per cent adding an additional $216 million, kiwifruit has increased by 69 per cent contributing a further $316 million, and machinery was up an impressive 104 per cent providing $173 million more compared to the previous year.
“Strengthening ties with trading partners is crucial to growing the New Zealand economy and driving up incomes for Kiwis. Better market access, lower costs, and fewer trade barriers with the EU are key to delivering the Government’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of New Zealand’s exports in 10 years.”
The NZ-EU FTA removed 91 per cent of duties on New Zealand exports immediately, climbing to 97 per cent after seven years. Wine, seafood, and a range of other products are also benefiting from significant tariff reductions.
“Our growing network of trade agreements means exporters now have more choices about where to sell their world-class products,” Mr McClay says.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
On Changxing Island in east China’s Shanghai, a fisheries company operates bustling cold storage facilities to keep seafood fresh, while a nearby energy storage power station plays a crucial role in managing electricity costs.
This energy storage system stores electricity during off-peak hours when rates are lower, and discharges during peak hours when prices rise, thereby helping the fisheries company reduce energy expenses.
Wu Xiaochun patrols the power station to ensure the facilities run safely and efficiently. His role, energy storage power station maintenance administrator, is one of 19 new professions added to China’s list of officially recognized occupations in July 2024. Playfully, he refers to himself as a “green-collar” worker.
As China pushes forward with its green transition, a wave of low-carbon industries has emerged, driving a surge in demand for “green-collar” workers.
To date, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has officially recognized 137 green professions. Notably, by the end of 2024, the number of practitioners in the ecological and environmental protection sector in China had exceeded 3.4 million.
Many graduates are now choosing careers in green industries, such as environmental engineers, environmental, social and governance (ESG) consultants, renewable energy engineers, and environmental policy analysts, according to Yu Aitao from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
“Students are drawn to these professions out of personal interests as well as by promising development potential supported by the country’s favorable policies,” Yu said.
After graduation, Qin Jiawei, a young professional in his twenties, took up a position as a carbon capture technician at a power station on Changxing Island.
In 2023, the station launched a 100,000-tonne carbon capture, utilization and storage project, aiming to capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the plant and supply it to local marine equipment manufacturers.
Qin is among 22 professionals, with an average age of 25, employed by the station to support the project’s operation. “As we plan to expand the project, the demand for skilled workers will continue to grow,” said Shen Hao, general manager of the power station.
To meet the growing need for a green workforce, many colleges and universities have ramped up efforts to cultivate suitable professionals. Xu Juan, vice dean of the School of Ecological and Environmental Science at East China Normal University, said green talent is increasingly equipped with interdisciplinary skills — spanning fields including science and engineering, finance and management.
In a laboratory at the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University, professor Zhang Fengshou leads a team researching the potential of CO2 sequestration using basalt from the sea.
“Civil engineering is not just about building roads and houses as it is generally perceived. We can also cultivate students with expertise in the low-carbon sector,” Zhang said.
To better nurture green talent, Xu highlighted the need to establish academic programs focused on green and low-carbon development, such as carbon neutrality and green finance, as well as offering dual-degree programs and interdisciplinary courses to enhance students’ comprehensive abilities.
Industry insiders have also pointed out that, compared with traditional occupations, emerging green professions still need improved occupational standards and certification systems.
“The establishment of new green jobs is just the beginning,” said Lei Ting from State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company, calling for joint efforts by government and enterprises to regulate such practitioners’ qualifications, guide vocational training, and boost employment and entrepreneurship.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
As part of the 63rd International Scientific Student Conference, which was held at NSU in the second half of April, candidate of biological sciences, head of the laboratory of developmental genetics of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), associate professor of the Department of Cytology and Genetics Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University Nariman Battulin gave a popular science lecture, “Farm of the Future: How Genetic Technologies Change Animals.” The scientist told conference participants in an accessible form about how geneticists can influence the genome of farm animals.
How to read a genome?
A geneticist reads genetic texts (genomes) the same way we all read books or posts on the Internet. There are only 4 letters in DNA – A, T, G, C, but one line of the human genome contains 3 billion letters. These texts describe all the characteristics and features of living organisms, right down to eye color and perception of cold. Geneticists study these texts with great interest and try to decipher them.
— The control section of DNA switches on and off certain genes in the right organ at the right time and at the right stage of development. If we learn to understand the “genetic texts”, we will be able to control the properties of organisms. Replacing just one letter can lead to dramatic changes. For example, “turning” brown eyes into blue. Naturally, this excites the imagination of scientists, because it opens up huge opportunities for them. Knowing the DNA “texts”, it is possible to solve many problems in various fields. The simplest is forensics: if the perpetrator left his DNA at the crime scene, it can be read and certain properties of his body and even some details of his appearance can be restored. A more difficult task is genetic modification. If we learn to modify DNA, we will be able to artificially set the properties of the organism we need. To do this, we need to solve a big interesting problem — learn to find those sections of DNA that are responsible for the formation of a certain feature, — explained Nariman Battulin.
The scientist said that geneticists learn which letters in the DNA “text” are responsible for certain properties of the body using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which helps scientists identify genes associated with a certain disease (or other trait). This method studies the entire DNA set (genome) of a large group of people, identifying small variations called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs. It is based on a statistical procedure that determines the significance of the difference of a particular SNP between groups of people with and without a trait. In this way, it is possible to identify areas of the genome responsible for eye color or hair structure, cognitive abilities and mental characteristics. Up to the genes responsible for a person’s sense of musical rhythm or sense of humor, as well as the grades they receive in class or the level of income they will be able to achieve. Thanks to such studies, geneticists, if a person detects any pathology or body trait, can determine in which area of the genome the gene “breakdown” occurred.
More muscles!
In animal husbandry, similar studies are aimed at identifying genes responsible for economically valuable traits in animals, such as muscle mass in cattle, pigs and sheep, or egg production in birds. Geneticists have learned to identify regions of the genome that enable cows to produce record milk yields, which has revolutionized agriculture, because since this approach was first used to identify the best milk or meat producing animals, there has been a significant increase in agricultural productivity. This approach is no more than 10 years old, but the results achieved during this time allow us to look to the future with optimism and confidently predict further growth in productivity in the livestock industry.
There is another approach: geneticists look for genome sections responsible for any pathological features of an organism by studying the genomes of animals with deformities. “Breakdowns” of genes can lead to the strangest changes in the phenotype of organisms. These changes are an excellent source of information for searching for DNA sections responsible for their development.
Nariman Battulin mentioned the Belgian Blue cow breed as an example. Its characteristic feature is hypertrophied, sculpted muscles. It seems that this is how a product of genetic engineering should look, but no. The reason for this was not the experiments of geneticists, but a random mutation in one gene, which increased muscle growth. It happened quite a long time ago, but was fixed by breeders by selecting individuals with increased muscle mass as an economically valuable trait. Then it turned out that the initial mutation occurred as a result of a “breakdown” of just one gene – myostatin, which prevents the formation of an excessive number of muscle cells. If this gene is knocked out, nothing prevents muscle growth and their volume increases twice as much as normal. And scientists quickly learned to use this.
There is another effective way to interfere with the genome of living organisms. Since they are all distant relatives and have a common ancestor, they also have common genes. If a “broken” myostatin gene is found in cows, this may indicate that a similar gene is present in other animals, and most likely, in their organisms it is responsible for the same trait or property.
There is only one example in the scientific literature of a “breakdown” in a gene that prevents excessive muscle growth in humans—the same one that affects Belgian Blue cows. This is a boy born with a knockout of the myostatin gene. The baby had twice as much muscle tissue as his peers.
— It would seem that here it is, an alternative to grueling workouts in gyms: it is enough to block myostatin, and relief muscles are provided from birth and without any effort. But this medal has a reverse side. All muscles increase twofold, and even those whose increase directly affects the quality of life and health. For example, the tongue, which is also a muscle.
The complexity of such modifications is that each gene affects many traits at once. On the one hand, myostatin knockout increases muscle growth, on the other hand, it creates problems with nutrition due to the tongue being twice as large, and on the third hand, such massive animals with such a large muscle volume cannot be born naturally. For example, the same breed of cows, the Belgian Blue. Almost always, calves of this breed are born by cesarean section. Therefore, before creating such animals using genetic technologies, one should think: will it be economically justified and is it worth settling them on the farm of the future? Yes, they will give much more meat, but how many veterinarians will be needed if the production of meat from such cows is put on stream? After all, the birth of each calf will be accompanied by a surgical operation, – said Nariman Battulin.
As a result, it turns out that the economic effect of one mutation is not really that impressive due to the additional costs of changing the technology of keeping animals with a knocked-out gene. Genetic engineers should always think through such situations. “Improving” one trait can lead to problems with another. And finding a balance so that the desired genetic variants are productive and economically effective is very difficult. In addition, as practice shows, there are very few of them.
“Genetic scissors”
— From the point of view of fundamental biology, if we want to learn how genes work, we need to study this mechanism in animals in which the mutation occurred by chance. But to better understand this mechanism, we need to reproduce it ourselves, transferring this genetic variant to another organism, and see what happens. Geneticists have several tools for this task. The most popular is the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool. It is based on an element of the bacterial defense system that biologists have adapted to make changes to the DNA of plants, animals and humans. It consists of using short RNA that directs CRISPR/Cas9 to the desired site in the genome. After attaching to the target DNA, CRISPR/Cas9 cuts two DNA strands, allowing scientists to either deactivate the gene or insert a new DNA segment in place of the cut. Just one break is enough to “break” the gene and make changes to the DNA. In essence, this genomic editing tool is a biological molecule that can find the right place in the genome to “hit”. This is very important because the human genome, like the genome of a cow and other mammals, consists of 3 billion nucleotides, and finding the right one is not so easy. Genomic editing tools allow us to do this, – explained Nariman Battulin.
With these tools, the most popular genetic variants can be transferred from one animal species to another. For example, the genome of the same Belgian Blue cows contains a knockout of the myostatin gene, while cows of other breeds do not. It is possible to introduce this genetic change by crossing, but it will take too much time. But with the help of genomic editing tools, it is quite possible to introduce the desired genetic variant directly into the DNA of meat breeds. And such calves have already been obtained.
One of the scientific articles on this topic, “Efficient introduction of mutations into the piglet genome using CRISPR/Cas9,” which was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, says that the authors obtained 8 piglets with a knockout of the myostatin gene. And indeed, their muscles were twice as big as those of normal piglets. However, all the modified animals died within a week. But why did genome editing, which is successfully carried out on cows, fail on pigs?
— The thing is that each gene affects not just one function, but several at once. For example, the genomes of Belgian Blue cows contain other genetic variants that compensate for the negative impact of myostatin knockout on the body, while pigs do not have such variants. Therefore, it is important for geneticists to remember that the results of transferring one genetic variant to another genetic background can be unpredictable and undesirable, which is what happened in the case of piglets, in whose genome the myostatin gene was knocked out. But sometimes the results are positive. Lambs successfully tolerated the knockout of the myostatin gene — their muscle mass increased, but, unlike piglets, they were viable. This gene was successfully blocked in fish. In Japan, sea bream was subjected to this manipulation, after which the muscle mass of this species increased by 17%. Experiments on “building up” muscles in these fish continue, attempts are being made to bring genetically improved sea bream to market. But genetically modified salmon has already entered the American market. True, it took the enterprise implementing such a bold project 30 years of work and 100 million dollars in investments. If a regular salmon at the age of 18 months reaches 33 cm in length and weighs 1.3 kg, then its transgenic relative is twice as long and reaches a weight of 3 kg, – said Nariman Battulin.
By the way, the farm of the future will have a place for aquaculture, which is currently becoming an important element of agriculture. Most of the fish that comes to our table are not caught in the wild, but grown in fish farms.
Beneficial mutations
With the help of genetic engineering, scientists can make various useful changes to the genome of animals. For example, depriving cattle of horns, which will avoid many problems, namely, injury to other animals or farm workers.
— There are genetic variants of natural mutations obtained in hornless cows. By identifying the genes responsible for such a beneficial mutation, it is possible to artificially edit the genome of cows of other breeds, and calves will be born that fully correspond to their breed with only one exception — they will not grow horns. At the same time, other features and advantages of the breed remain unchanged. Such calves have already been obtained. Normally, animals of their breed are characterized by long horns, but genetically modified cows of this breed do not have them, — Nariman Battulin specified.
By means of genome editing, it is possible to “adapt” cows to climate change. For example, to global warming. There are genetic variants that allow increasing their temperature adaptation, i.e. resistance to heat stress. For example, if you introduce a corresponding mutation into the genome of Angus cows, “breaking” just one gene, the skin of the genetically modified animal becomes slightly thinner, and the wool becomes thinner, which reduces body temperature by 0.3-0.5 degrees under heat stress. Therefore, despite the fact that the absolute figures are small, from the point of view of the biological system, this is a very significant change.
Cold-resistant animals can be created in a similar way. In this task, geneticists are looking for inspiration in the Yakut breeds of cattle, which can withstand even the harshest frosts. They can winter in open areas, so there is no need to build warm barns. And the reason for such resistance to the cold lies, of course, in their genome. Scientists have identified the very genetic variant that affects the cold resistance of Yakut breeds of cattle. This same genetic variant is found in deep-diving animals, as well as in mammals that can hibernate or significantly change their own body temperature.
— Before actually reproducing these genetic variants in other breeds, it is very important to try to understand the mechanism by which these processes are realized. Therefore, at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, we created modified mice in which we reproduced the genetic variant of Yakut cows. Now we are trying to understand how these mice feel in low temperatures. We are observing changes in the heart rate of mouse embryos depending on the decrease in the ambient temperature. And there is hope that very soon we will understand how this mechanism works and will be able to create cold-resistant mice. But it is desirable that they do not exist on the farm of the future, — the scientist said.
According to Nariman Battulin, the most impressive thing that could be on a farm of the future is pigs that will become organ donors for humans. Unfortunately, humanity does not have the ability to provide donor organs to everyone in need. Genetically modified animals, whose organs can be transplanted to humans, could become an alternative to regular donors. By many parameters, the only species that can be used for these purposes is the pig. In recent years, significant progress has been made in this area. There are known cases of successful xenotransplantation of a kidney from a transgenic pig to a human in the world. However, after this, the few patients lived very short lives. The record holder was a man who underwent surgery in the United States in January of this year. He has been living with such a kidney for four months now.
— The most complex genetic changes that were made on animals were made on pigs for the purpose of subsequent xenotransplantation. In this case, it is necessary to introduce dozens of modifications into the genome, to “break” the genes that produce proteins that our immune system perceives as foreign. In addition, it is necessary to combine the immune systems and blood coagulation systems of humans and pigs. And many such modifications need to be made — the more, the more successful the xenotransplantation procedure will be. Geneticists from all over the world, including scientists from the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok, are working on solving this problem, — the lecturer noted.
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.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 5, 2025.
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Nauru’s ambition to commercially mine the seabed is likely at risk following President Donald Trump’s executive order last month aimed at fast-tracking ocean mining, anti-deep sea mining advocates warn.
The order also increases instability in the Pacific region because it effectively circumvents long-standing international sea laws and processes by providing an alternative path to mine the seabed, advocates say.
Titled Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, the order was signed by Trump on April 25. It directs the US science and environmental agency to expedite permits for companies to mine the ocean floor in US and international waters.
It has been condemned by legal and environmental experts around the world, particularly after Canadian mining group The Metals Company announced last Tuesday it had applied to commercially mine in international waters through the US process.
The Metals Company has so far been unsuccessful in gaining a commercial mining licence through the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Currently, the largest area in international waters being explored for commercial deep sea mining is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, located in the central Pacific Ocean. The vast area sits between Hawai’i, Kiribati and Mexico, and spans 4.5 million sq km.
The area is of high commercial interest because it has an abundance of polymetallic nodules that contain valuable metals like cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper, which are used to make products such as smartphones and electric batteries. The minerals are also used in weapons manufacturing.
Benefits ‘for humankind as a whole’ Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Clarion-Clipperton Zone falls under the jurisdiction of the ISA, which was established in 1994. That legislation states that any benefits from minerals extracted in its jurisdiction must be for “humankind as a whole”.
Nauru — alongside Tonga, Kiribati and the Cook Islands — has interests in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone after being allocated blocks of the area through UNCLOS. They are known as sponsor states.
In total, there are 19 sponsor states in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Nauru is leading the charge for deep sea mining in international waters. Image: RNZ Pacific/Caleb Fotheringham
Nauru and The Metals Company Since 2011, Nauru has partnered with The Metals Company to explore and assess its block in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone for commercial mining activity.
It has done this through an ISA exploration licence.
At the same time, the ISA, which counts all Pacific nations among its 169-strong membership, has also been developing a commercial mining code. That process began in 2014 and is ongoing.
The process has been criticised by The Metals Company as effectively blocking it and Nauru’s commercial mining interests.
Both have sought to advance their respective interests in different ways.
In 2021, Nauru took the unprecedented step of utilising a “two-year” notification period to initiate an exploitation licencing process under the ISA, even though a commercial seabed mining code was still being developed.
An ISA commercial mining code, once finalised, is expected to provide the legal and technical regulations for exploitation of the seabed.
In the absence of a code However, according to international law, in the absence of a code, should a plan for exploitation be submitted to the ISA, the body is required to provisionally accept it within two years of its submission.
While Nauru ultimately delayed enforcing the two-year rule, it remains the only state to ever invoke it under the ISA. It has also stated that it is “comfortable with being a leader on these issues”.
To date, the ISA has not issued a licence for exploitation of the seabed.
Meanwhile, The Metals Company has emphasised the economic potential of deep sea mining and its readiness to begin commercial activities. It has also highlighted the potential value of minerals sitting on the seabed in Nauru’s block in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
“[The block represents] 22 percent of The Metals Company’s estimated resource in the [Clarion-Clipperton Zone and] . . . is ranked as having the largest underdeveloped nickel deposit in the world,” the company states on its website.
Its announcement on Tuesday revealed it had filed three applications for mining activity in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone under the US pathway. One application is for a commercial mining permit. Two are for exploration permits.
The announcement added further fuel to warnings from anti-deep sea mining advocates that The Metals Company is pivoting away from Nauru and arrangements under the ISA.
Last year, the company stated it intended to submit a plan for commercial mining to the ISA on June 27 so it could begin exploitation operations by 2026.
This date appears to have been usurped by developments under Trump, with the company saying on Tuesday that its US permit application “advances [the company’s] timeline ahead” of that date.
The Trump factor Trump’s recent executive order is critical to this because it specifically directs relevant US government agencies to reactivate the country’s own deep sea mining licence process that had largely been unused over the past 40 years.
President Donald Trump signs a proclamation in the Oval Office at the White House last month expanding fishing rights in the Pacific Islands to an area he described as three times the size of California. Image: RNZ screenshot APR
That legislation, the Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act, states the US can grant mining permits in international waters. It was implemented in 1980 as a temporary framework while the US worked towards ratifying the UNCLOS Treaty. Since then, only four exploration licences have been issued under the legislation.
To date, the US is yet to ratify UNCLOS.
At face value, the Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act offers an alternative licensing route to commercial seabed activity in the high seas to the ISA. However, any cross-over between jurisdictions and authorities remains untested.
Now, The Metals Company appears to be operating under both in the same area of international waters — the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition’s Pacific regional coordinator Phil McCabe said it was unclear what would happen to Nauru.
“This announcement really appears to put Nauru as a partner of the company out in the cold,” McCabe said.
No Pacific benefit mechanism “If The Metals Company moves through the US process, it appears that there is no mechanism or no need for any benefit to go to the Pacific Island sponsoring states because they sponsor through the ISA, not the US,” he said.
McCabe, who is based in Aotearoa New Zealand, highlighted extensive investment The Metals Company had poured into the Nauru block over more than 10 years.
He said it was in the company’s financial interests to begin commercial mining as soon as possible.
“If The Metals Company was going to submit an application through the US law, it would have to have a good measure of environmental data on the area that it wants to mine, and the only area that it has that data [for] is the Nauru block,” McCabe said.
He also pointed out that the size of the Nauru block The Metals Company had worked on in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone was the same as a block it wanted to commercially mine through US legislation.
Both are exactly 25,160 sq km, McCabe said.
RNZ Pacific asked The Metals Company to clarify whether its US application applied to Nauru and Tonga’s blocks. The company said it would “be able to confirm details of the blocks in the coming weeks”.
It also said it intended to retain its exploration contracts through the ISA that were sponsored by Nauru and Tonga, respectively.
Cook Islands nodule field – photo taken within Cook Islands EEZ. Image: Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority
Pacific Ocean a ‘new frontier’ Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) associate Maureen Penjueli had similar observations to McCabe regarding the potential impacts of Trump’s executive order.
Trump’s order, and The Metals Company ongoing insistence to commercially mine the ocean, was directly related to escalating geopolitical competition, she told RNZ Pacific.
“There are a handful of minerals that are quite critical for all kinds of weapons development, from tankers to armour like nuclear weapons, submarines, aircraft,” she said.
Currently, the supply and processing of minerals in that market, which includes iron, lithium, copper, cobalt and graphite, is dominated by China.
Between 40 and 90 percent of the world’s rare earth minerals are processed by China, Penjueli said. The variation is due to differences between individual minerals.
As a result, both Europe and the US are heavily dependent on China for these minerals, which according to Penjueli, has massive implications.
“On land, you will see the US Department of Defense really trying to seek alternative [mineral] sources,” Penjueli said.
“Now, it’s extended to minerals in the seabed, both within [a country’s exclusive economic zone], but also in areas beyond national jurisdictions, such as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is here in the Pacific. That is around the geopolitical [competition] . . . and the US versus China positioning.”
Notably, Trump’s executive order on the US seabed mining licence process highlights the country’s reliance on overseas mineral supply, particularly regarding security and defence implications.
He said the US wanted to advance its leadership in seabed mineral development by “strengthening partnerships with allies and industry to counter China’s growing influence over seabed mineral resources”.
The Metals Company and the US She believed The Metals Company had become increasingly focused on security and defence needs.
Initially, the company had framed commercial deep sea mining as essential for the world’s transition to green energies, she said. It had used that language when referring to its relationships with Pacific states like Nauru, Penjueli said.
However, the company had also begun pitching US policy makers under the Biden administration over the need to acquire critical minerals from the seabed to meet US security and defence needs, she said.
Since Trump’s re-election, it had also made a series of public announcements praising US government decisions that prioritised deep sea mining development for defence and security purposes.
In a press release on Trump’s executive order, The Metals Company chief executive Gerard Barron said the company had enough knowledge to manage the environmental risks of deep sea mining.
“Over the last decade, we’ve invested over half a billion dollars to understand and responsibly develop the nodule resource in our contract areas,” Barron said.
“We built the world’s largest environmental dataset on the [Clarion-Clipperton Zone], carefully designed and tested an off-shore collection system that minimises the environmental impacts and followed every step required by the International Seabed Authority.
“What we need is a regulator with a robust regulatory regime, and who is willing to give our application a fair hearing. That’s why we’ve formally initiated the process of applying for licenses and permits under the existing US seabed mining code,” Barron said.
ISA influenced by opposition faction The Metals Company directed RNZ Pacific to a statement on its website in response to an interview request.
The statement, signed by Barron, said the ISA was being influenced by a faction of states aligned with environmental NGOs that opposed the deep sea mining industry.
Barron also disputed any contraventions of international law under the US regime, and said the country has had “a fully developed regulatory regime” for commercial seabed mining since 1989.
“The ISA has neither the mining code nor the willingness to engage with their commercial contractors,” Barron said. “In full compliance with international law, we are committed to delivering benefits to our developing state partners.”
President Trump’s executive order marks America’s return to “leadership in this exciting industry”, claims The Metals Company. Note the name “Gulf of America” on this map was introduced by President Trump in a controversial move, but the rest of the world regards it as the Gulf of Mexico, as recognised by officially recognised by the International Hydrographic Organisation. Image: Facebook/The Metals Company
‘It’s an America-first move’ Despite Barron’s observations, Penjueli and McCabe believed The Metals Company and the US were side-stepping international law, placing Pacific nations at risk.
McCabe said Pacific nations benefitted from UNCLOS, which gives rights over vast oceanic territories.
“It’s an America-first move,” said McCabe who believes the actions of The Minerals Company and the US are also a contravention of international law.
There are also significant concerns that Trump’s executive order has effectively triggered a race to mine the Pacific seabed for minerals that will be destined for military purposes like weapons systems manufacturing, Penjueli said.
Unlike UNCLOS, the US deep sea mining legislation does not stipulate that minerals from international waters must be used for peaceful purposes.
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition’s Duncan Currie believes this is another tricky legal point for Nauru and other sponsor states in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Potentially contravene international law For example, should Nauru enter a commercial mining arrangement with The Metals Company and the US under US mining legislation, any royalties that may eventuate could potentially contravene international law, Currie said.
First, the process would be outside the ISA framework, he said.
Second, UNCLOS states that any benefits from seabed mining in international waters must benefit all of “humankind”.
Therefore, Currie said, royalties earned in a process that cannot be scrutinised by the ISA likely did not meet that stipulation.
Third, he said, if the extracted minerals were used for military purposes — which was a focus of Trump’s executive order — then it likely violates the principle that the seabed should only be exploited for peaceful purposes.
“There really are a host of very difficult legal issues that arise,” he added.
The Metals Company says ISA is being influenced by a faction of states aligned with environmental NGOs that oppose the deep sea mining industry. Image: Facebook/The Metals Company/RNZ
The road ahead Now more than ever, anti-deep sea mining advocates believe a moratorium on the practice is necessary.
Penjueli, echoing Currie’s concerns, said there was too much uncertainty with two potential avenues to commercial mining.
“The moratorium call is quite urgent at this point,” she said.
“We simply don’t know what [these developments] mean right now. What are the implications if The Metals Company decides to dump its Pacific state sponsored partners? What does it mean for the legal tenements that they hold in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone?”
In that instance, Nauru, which has spearheaded the push for commercial seabed mining alongside The Metals Company, may be particularly exposed.
Currently, more than 30 countries have declared support for a moratorium on deep sea mining. Among them are Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu.
On the other hand, Nauru, Kiribati, Tonga, and the Cook Islands all support deep sea mining.
Australia has not explicitly called for a moratorium on the practice, but it has also refrained from supporting it.
New Zealand supported a moratorium on deep sea mining under the previous Labour government. The current government is reportedly reconsidering this stance.
RNZ Pacific contacted the Nauru government for comment but did not receive a response.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
The Australian election result has sent a clear message across the Tasman: voters will not tolerate Trump-style politics that fuel environmental destruction and ignore the climate crisis.
“Australians chose to protect climate and nature over a coalition pushing fossil fuels, destruction, and division. That should be a wake-up call for political leaders here in Aotearoa,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Gen Toop.
In Australia, Peter Dutton’s Coalition promised more offshore gas drilling. In Aotearoa, Luxon’s Government is repealing the oil and gas ban. In the U.S., Trump is gutting environmental protections to make way for fossil fuel expansion.
“Luxon has been increasingly aligning himself with Trump-style environmental vandalism. From backing seabed mining and deep sea oil and gas exploration, to allowing fishing in marine reserves and attacking Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” says Toop.
“But, people are rejecting the Trumpian ‘drill-baby-drill’ mentality, and politicians on both sides of the aisle here in New Zealand should sit up and take notice.”
Last week, Greenpeace lampooned Luxon with aviral spray tan videoon social media, likening him to Trump over his support for seabed mining.
After Greenpeace launched apetition calling on Labour leader Chris Hipkinsto take a stand, Hipkins reaffirmed Labour’s opposition to seabed mining. However, Greenpeace is urging him to go further.
“It’s good to see Labour opposing seabed mining – but it’s not enough,” says Toop. “If Hipkins wants to show voters that Labour stands for nature and people, he needs to commit to revoke any seabed mining consents granted through the Fast Track Act.”
SYDNEY, Saturday 3 May 2025 — In response to the Labor party’s victory in the 2025 Federal Election, David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:
“Today’s election result shows that Australians have comprehensively rejected the Coalition’s Trumpist agenda of climate and nature destruction, and its plan to force dangerous nuclear on communities.
“The Albanese government now has a big responsibility, as well as a major opportunity to listen to Australians, and show true leadership for people and planet. It must work constructively with the crossbench to strengthen nature protection, stop climate pollution, and build a strong, green economy that supports jobs and growth.
“Labor’s first order of business must be to end the track record that saw it deliver 30 fossil fuel approvals in its previous term of government, and fix its unrealised promise to strengthen our nature laws.
“An immediate opportunity for Labor to distance itself from the Coalition’s Trumpist ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda is to reject Woodside’s proposal to extend the life of its North West Shelf gas processing facility, and carry out gas drilling and carbon dumping near the irreplaceable Scott Reef.
“Greenpeace is also calling on Labor to ratify the Global Oceans Treaty within its first 100 days of government. Our oceans are under threat from destructive industrial fishing, the climate crisis, and the emerging threat of deep sea mining, fuelled by profit-hungry corporations.
“Taking urgent action to quickly transition away from fossil fuels and to protect nature is essential for Australia’s future health and prosperity. Winning this election presents Labor with an opportunity to build our renewable energy future, while placing Australian communities and nature over the profits of polluting corporations.
“Greenpeace and our hundreds of thousands of supporters across Australia will be holding Labor accountable to deliver for climate and nature.”
Greenpeace’s policy asks of Labor, in its first 100 days of government, are:
To heed the evidence and reject Woodside’s proposal to extend the North West Shelf extension, and develop the new Browse gas field on top of Scott Reef.
To ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and champion large marine protected area (MPA) sites in our region, prioritising the Tasman Sea.
To support a moratorium on Deep Sea Mining
To lay out a plan and timeline for delivering strong nature law reforms, including a national Environment Protection Agency.
To fulfill Australia’s international commitments by delivering a timeline and plan to transition away from fossil fuels, and demonstrate clear commitment to a genuine Pacific partnership in a co-hosted COP31.
—ENDS—
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Vai Shah on 0452 290 082 /[email protected]or Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 / [email protected]
Auckland’s critically threatened reef heron (matuku moana) is in the spotlight after an initial summer survey, revealing concerning findings with numbers in the inner Hauraki Gulf worryingly low.
As part of their work to protect the biodiversity of bird species in the Auckland region, Auckland Council’s Environmental Services team, alongside a dedicated network of bird experts, boaties and volunteer conservationists, surveyed some of the likely key locations for a reef heron across the region between December 2024 and February 2025. While Auckland is likely a national stronghold for these birds, they have not been monitored previously.
The team’s mission: to uncover the secretive nesting habits of this elusive species and assess its population health.
The results?
A total of only 10 nests were identified, with sightings of two juveniles and three lone birds, where nationally there are estimated to be between 300-500 birds.
Critically threatened reef heron on sea shore.
Auckland’s coastlines are arguably under the greatest pressures in the country from coastal development, our growing population and the increasing uses of coastal spaces. As a consequence, Auckland’s local reef heron population could well be facing greater pressures than elsewhere in New Zealand.
Chair of Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee Councillor Richard Hills, says the survey findings reinforce the need to ramp up protection efforts.
“The reef heron is a fascinating and rare bird that has quietly existed on our shores for centuries. With numbers this low, every nest and every bird count. Protecting them from human disturbance and predators is crucial if we want to ensure their survival for future generations,” says Councillor Hills.
Reef herons, often mistaken for their more common white-faced relatives, prefer rocky shorelines where they stealthily hunt small crustaceans and fish. They are rarely seen, avoiding humans and nesting in secluded caves, rock crevices, and under coastal pōhutukawa trees. Disturbance from boats, people, and pest species like cats and stoats have likely contributed to their decline, forcing them to retreat to small offshore islands.
Auckland Council’s Regional Biodiversity Advisor Jacinda Woolly notes that while the discovery of nine birds in the Manukau Harbour is encouraging, the low numbers in the inner Hauraki Gulf is concerning.
“These birds were once more commonly seen along our coastlines, but habitat loss, increasing human activity, and introduced predators have pushed them into hiding,” Woolly says.
“The fact that we found four nests in the Manukau suggests there are still some areas where they can thrive, but we need to do more to protect their habitats.
The findings from this initial survey will be used by Auckland Council to inform targeted protection measures, such as pest control, signage to reduce human disturbance, and advocacy for safeguarding critical nesting sites.
Despite their rarity, reef herons can still be spotted in the areas they regularly use. They are sometimes seen stalking the shallows, using their wings to create shaded areas that lure unsuspecting prey within striking distance.
With their population so precariously low, Auckland Council asks people to respect the birds’ habitats. Simple actions – such as keeping a safe distance if you see one, controlling pets near coastal areas and always following the relevant dog rules (especially on our pest-free islands), and supporting conservation initiatives can make a significant difference.
“The reef heron is a taonga of our coastal environment,” says Councillor Hills. “If we act now, we can give them the best chance of survival.”
More information is available on New Zealand Bird Online.
Distinguished audience, this conference, BRONCOCON 2025, has come not a day too soon because it addresses issues that are writing on the wall. Issues of huge contemporaneous relevance. It gives me immense pleasure. I take it as an absolute honour to inaugurate the 27th Annual Conference of the Indian Association for Bronchology. The Institute is known for its hallmark excellence in respiratory medicine and innovation.
I’m sure the deliberations will be extremely fruitful. There will be ideation, exchange of ideas and interaction amongst people who are dealing with this menace to humanity that is ballooning by the day. BRONCOCON, according to me, is bound to be a crucible of ideas, redefining the future of pulmonary care in India and beyond, and this is gaining urgency, this is gaining paramountcy, this is gaining absolute attention.
With over hundreds of brilliant minds dedicated to respiratory care, I’m reminded that each breath, that fundamental act of living that defines that we are living, is what your profession protects. You are protecting our lives. Your theme, very well thought out. Beyond the scope, evolving frontiers in pulmonary procedures. This demonstrates remarkable foresight because the issues are known to one and all.
Everyone is concerned and we live in a city where this dominates our mindset for months together. We know the evil consequences of this issue not being addressed. It is cancerous for society. Much beyond COVID, if we analyse the loss for our children, for our elderly citizens and for our youth, apart from those far before me.
The future of pulmonary care lies at the intersections of medicine, technology, environmental science, public policy and community engagement. All are vital to address this problem. Gone are the days when either education or solutions could be by stand-alone institutions. There has to be concerted effort. There has to be convergence of all stakeholders. They have to be on the same page to find resolution of a problem which is diagnosed by everyone in a city like Delhi and beyond. Pulmonologists and bronchologists have been silent sentinels of public health, moving to the frontline during, and who knows better than me, as Governor of the State of West Bengal. COVID-19, what a challenge it was.
I salute your tireless efforts across clinics, ICUs, labs, classrooms and policy-making arenas. When the challenge was so huge, humanity in a non-discriminatory fashion came to face this menace, home to one-sixth of humanity in the land of Atharva Ved, showed the way. We could easily find light at the end of a tunnel and also show light to about hundred other countries that are ever beholden to us. Indian pulmonology has transformed through growing clinical expertise, public awareness and technological adoption.
India, distinguished audience is a land which is witnessing at the moment accessibility to technology, adaptability to technology and technology delivering for the people at large, but in this field also much has to be negotiated. As I just indicated a while ago, our ancient texts, particularly Atharva Ved and envisions, health as a perfect balance of body, mind and spirit. It recognises breath as ‘pran’. If it goes, ‘pran’ doesn’t exist in us.
The vital life force connecting individual wellness with environmental harmony. The importance of health can be visualised. A talented person, a person with passion, mission, ability for execution, for public causes, can be severely handicapped on account of health not being in order.
So such a well-meaning person whose commitment is not in doubt, passion is on the right path, mission is for people at large, execution ability is recognised, he himself becomes a person in need and therefore health is all-important. Our traditional wisdom teaches that respiratory health is inseparable from nature’s equilibrium, reckless exploitation of nature. We are its trustees and we have become its owners and we are exploiting not for optimal need but for our greed.
A time for all of us to think. Our physical prowess, our financial power cannot determine how we use these resources which are meant not only for individual serving having means but have to be utilised equitably for one and all. It is time for us to go back to our wisdom and knowledge that is our treasure recognised by the globe. We have to see indigenous practices of seasonal living. Our elderly people always say to use vegetables which are being grown around the same time. Use fruits which are there around the same time.
Forest conservation and dietary wisdom align remarkably with modern preventive medicine. We therefore have to go back to our roots. No time is better than this because the might of Bharat is being realised, reckoned and recognised by the global powers, by the global fraternity. And it is in this context I remind the distinguished audience the time-tested science of ‘Yoga and Pranayama’. These offer profound solutions but imagine the Indian Prime Minister takes this vision to the global community, makes an appeal to the United Nations. The shortest time the largest number of nations converge to support it and we are now celebrating International Yoga Day.
The population on the planet is uniformly benefiting thereby. Then we have techniques like Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika, Kapalbhati and when I see these being demonstrated on television. I find many people instantly want to take to these, but I will appeal particularly to our youth, impressionable minds to learn it once for all. If you learn the technique once your approach will be stable, sustained, not tentative. These afford not solutions but are recipes for longevity. They enhance immunity, they generate us stress-free, our vitality goes up, the quotient of happiness is enhanced. This will obviously lead to higher productivity.
Modern research has validated that our ancient practices are scientific. Our ancient practices are extremely potent. They afford precautionary, preventive solutions. The integration of traditional wisdom into modern scientific research is the need of the time and I am sure those dealing with contemporary medicine research will address this issue. The surge in interventional pulmonology enables targeted life enhancing interventions. Deploying these at district level health care centres could accelerate our national tuberculosis elimination programme. If metros are fully equipped that is not a solution. We have to reach out up to district level, both in terms of availability and affordability. While lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality, early detection technologies not only offer hope but confidence that the problem can be addressed.
We must expand from the practice of medicine to the reach of medicine ensuring, as I said earlier, affordability and accessibility. Fortunately the government by affirmative policies has done much in this direction but it is the health and mindset of people of a nation that define the nation and health defines the mindset. If we believe and want everyone to believe that our mindset must be nationalistic, we must always keep nation first. No interest whatsoever personal, partisan or fiscal can have overriding impact or national interest but then that requires the first aspect.
Consider the lived realities and now I seek your attention. Look at the plight of children who are close to industrial areas. Look at those tender souls. The elderly exposed to biomass smoke. The farmer faces parali or crop burning issues. The factory worker inhales chemicals, dust. Invisible citizens whose lives are shaped by the air we breathe.
I still recall a person in another country handling the health department in another country saying a sick child is an assurance to the doctors for their work and pharmaceutical companies for survival. We don’t want that scenario. It will be too much for us to go for air purifiers. Selective solutions in democracy do not reflect well on democracy. Solutions have to be for one and all because equality is the hallmark of democracy and we have equality when iniquitous situations are contained in a systemic manner.
As indicated in one report just a year ago in February 2024, respiratory diseases continue India’s largest disease category and account for one-sixth of our population. Just imagine what a staggering figure it is. Asthma arises among children. COPD robs adults of productivity. Tuberculosis persists and tuberculosis is a situation that affects the entire family. Fortunately now the treatment is there. There was a time when there was no treatment. So what is more fundamental is diagnosis. Early diagnosis your treatments emanate easily. The psychological toll, just imagine someone suffering from TB, someone suffering from cancer, the psychological toll not on the only patient but on the family’s huge.
Fortunately now there is hand-holding for the physical part of it but then also much needs to be done. Then there is stigmatisation. Rather than hand-holding we keep to distance ourselves out of ignorance. Environmental factors include and who doesn’t know it, air pollution.
Just reflect today. Air pollution index in this city, you’ll be amazed. When you look at the desirable index and we’re getting away from it. But what is concerning is we are not serious about it. Like climate change, existential challenges, we don’t have another planet to live, but everyone thinks it is anybody else’s job. The job is of one and all. We are cliff hanging. We need to be awake. Then apart from air pollution, vehicular emissions. We don’t pool our resources. We would like to show our wealth by having as many cars as we can have. We have to find a systemic solution. Thankfully our public transport system is being strengthened. We are falling back on alternative automobile culture, but let’s do it while there is time.
Human behaviour, what we use, our level of nutrition and suddenly a new term has emerged in last few decades. Lifestyle disease is something which is correctionable at the level of an individual, at the level of the family, at the level of the society. The problems are compounded because they get in a stream making life of individuals difficult. But I am not in despair. I am full of hope, optimism and confidence. That when there is convergence of mind like yours, the mind that will ideate, the mind that will engage in research.
Let me caution you, research has to be authentic, research must be connected with ground results. Research is not meant for oneself or self, research is not to be for the self. Research is not assimilation. Research has to be real research that not only the nation but countries beyond us can take benefit of it.
Fortunately in our country there is a revolution of green energy, redotting our rural landscape massively but we need to do more on this. We need accelerated phasing out of old vehicles. People have to understand that an old vehicle has to be discarded for reasons that concern our health. Merely because an old vehicle is functional on the road, does not reflect on its road worthiness, that has to be done.
I said public transportation. We must take pride in using public transportation. Our ego should not come in between. In many countries this is done and here also the safest, fastest, surest way to reach an airport is through a metro. But that is something we need to make a habit of.
Look at our urban lungs – water bodies, forests and tree cover. In our Vedic culture we reward them, we worship them. Now we are using it for our own gain. We are destroying our respiratory system that nature has given to us. People go for indoor plants, air purifiers out of necessity. Not recognising that this is indicative of a deep malice that is permeating in the society. Your miniscule solution is temporary for you. You have to find a systemic solution. Systemic solution is one that improves the world.
I deeply appreciate the medical community in our country. Your role transcends healing, encompassing innovation, advocacy, education and inspiration. When we faced pandemic, this was demonstrated. People came with their own ideas and they were safe from Covid.
I therefore appeal to all of you that we must bridge medicine with data science, environmental studies, engineering and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence or let us put it in a broad term, disruptive technologies, these have entered our home, our way of life, our workplace, our research centres.
Disruptive technologies are much beyond the impact of industrial revolutions but the challenges have to be converted into opportunities. According to me, distinguished audience, it is a myth that this technology, when employed, will cut into human resource employability – No. You have to tame the technology, you have to use it for our advantage, and I’m sure you’ll work it out. You are working for a robust environment for us all. Your deliberations are bound to be absolutely wholesome for all of us.
Let us resolve on this day to build a future where every citizen breathes easily, breathes clean air, lives longer, and dreams bigger. Health is the first factor that deprives happiness. May your deliberations be fruitful and transformative.
‘सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः’ is something we have got from our scriptures to be practised.
I am grateful for the Vice-President here, who is also chairman of BRONCOCON 2025, Dr. Vivek Nangia, also Dr. R.P. Meena, the president, and the secretary, Dr. Amita Nene, for affording me this opportunity to interact with brilliant minds, minds that have passion without personal interest, a mission that is not selective, and execution that is uniform, that is helping one and all — ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.’
Fifteen local groups have shared a total of $116,656 in funding from the City of Greater Bendigo’s Community Grants Program Medium Grants category to undertake a diverse range of projects.
City of Greater Bendigo Healthy Communities and Environment Acting Director Andie West said the City’s Community Grants Program is very important for many local groups to undertake important activities that benefit many people in the community.
“The City’s Medium Grants category provides up to $10,000 to support activities that align with the aims of the Greater Bendigo’s Council Plan 2021-2025 Mir wimbul or a local community plan,” Ms West said.
“The Community Grants Program is an important program that has benefited many diverse groups over a long period of time.”
In the latest round the following grants were provided:
$10,000 to Eaglehawk Bendigo Badminton and Table Tennis Stadium for construction of a bus drop-off zone to cater for para-athletes and facility users
$10,000 to Bendigo Basketball Association for the purchase of a trailer to transport sports wheelchairs
$10,000 to Junortoun Community Action Group to develop and prepare a landscape plan for Honeyeater Bushland Reserve
$10,000 to Bendigo Winter Night Shelter towards operation of the 2025 Night Shelter
$9,774 to Bendigo Foodshare Inc towards the purchase of a ride on mower to maintain the grounds of Foodshare’s new premises
$9,000 to Bendigo Region Women’s Shed Inc. towards developing the operation of the shed
$8,730 to Discovery Science and Technology Museum Inc to provide the Beyond Curious – innovation STEM and literacy program
$8,341 to Huntly Men’s Shed Inc. towards the purchase of occupational healthy safety requirements
$7,838 to Eaglehawk North Primary School towards the implementation of a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
$7,100 to Ex-Fortuna Survey Association Inc.to digitise and preserve historical film negatives and slides from the Royal Australian Survey Corps and Women’s Australian Army Corps
$6,500 to Lifeline Loddon Mallee Ltd to support recruitment and training of volunteers
$6,247 Wellsford Forest Friends and Landcare Group to fund an ecological study of vegetation in Wellsford Forest
$6,156 to Bendigo Agricultural Show Society to develop a free of charge Kids Zone for children to explore and learn at the 2025 Bendigo Show
$5,320 to Star Cinema Community Association Pty Ltd to support he Eaglehawk Film Festival
$1,650 to Ostomates – Bendigo Stoma Support Group to support participant education and operation of the group
Oysters are so much more than a seafood delicacy. They’re ecosystem engineers, capable of building remarkably complex reefs. These structures act as the kidneys of the sea, cleaning the water and keeping the coast healthy, while providing homes for millions of other animals.
Oyster reefs were once thought to be restricted to southern, cooler coastal waters where they’re the temperate equivalent of tropical coral reefs. But now, oyster reefs are being found right across Australia’s tropical north as well.
These tropical oyster reefs are bigger and more widespread than anyone expected. In fact, they are some of the largest known intertidal oyster reefs (exposed at low tide) left in Australia. And they’re everywhere – from the southern limit of the Queensland tropics across to the northern coast of Western Australia – yet we know almost nothing about them.
In our recent research, my colleagues and I completed the first detailed study of Australian tropical oyster reefs. These reefs are so new to science that until now, the species responsible for building them remained a mystery.
Using DNA, we identified the main reef-building oyster species in tropical Australia as “Saccostrea Lineage B”, making it a new addition to our national list of known reef-builders.
Lineage B is a close relative of the commercially important Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata), but so little is known about this tropical reef-building species that it is yet to be assigned a scientific name.
The Saccostrea Lineage B oysters we found in Australia’s tropical north are related to Sydney rock oysters. Marina Richardson
Hiding in plain sight
So why are we only learning about tropical oyster reefs now?
Across the globe, oyster reefs have been decimated by human activity. These reefs declined in most tropical regions long ago, even as far back as 1,000 years ago. Most oyster reefs disappeared without a trace before scientists even knew they were there.
However, Australia’s tropical oyster reefs haven’t just survived, in some cases they have thrived.
Despite being delicious to many, the species we now know as Lineage B was not very attractive to the aquaculture industry, due to its small size. And while oyster reefs near Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were dredged and burned to produce lime for mortar, used in the early construction of roads and buildings, this practice was not widespread in tropical regions. This lack of commercial interest is probably the reason why tropical oyster reefs have persisted unnoticed for so long in northern Australia.
Here the tropical oyster reefs were found growing on a combination of both rock and muddy sediment. Marina Richardson
What we did and what we found
We assessed three tropical oyster reefs in Queensland, Australia. At Wilson Beach, near Proserpine and Turkey Beach, near Gladstone, reefs were surveyed in late winter 2022. The reef at Mapoon in the Gulf of Carpentaria was surveyed in early spring 2023.
Using drone footage, we measured reef area and structure. We then collected oysters for genetic analysis.
Oysters are notoriously difficult to identify, because their shape, size and colour varies so much. Oysters from the same species can look completely different, while oysters from different species can look identical. That’s why it’s necessary to extract DNA.
We found almost all reef-building oysters across the three locations were Saccostrea Lineage B.
At Gladstone reefs, several other reef-building species were also present, including leaf oysters, pearl oysters and hairy mussels.
In southern Australia, oyster reefs are critically endangered. But we don’t really know how threatened their tropical counterparts are, although there is some evidence of decline. Further research is underway.
A new project has begun to map oyster reefs across tropical Australia. Since the project launched in June 2024, more than 60 new reefs have been found across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia – including some as large as 5 hectares.
These unexpected discoveries provide a beacon of hope in a world currently overwhelmed by habitat decline and ecological collapse. But tropical oyster reefs are not yet protected. It’s crucial we include them in assessments of threatened ecosystems, to understand how much trouble they’re in and what we can do to protect them into the future.
By locating and understanding these overlooked ecosystems, we can ensure they’re not left behind in the global oyster reef restoration movement.
Scientists and others involved in reef restoration are now inviting everyday people across Australia to get involved as citizen scientists in The Great Shellfish Hunt. Anyone can upload tropical oyster reef sightings to this mapping project. It’s more important than ever to work together and ensure tropical oyster reefs receive the protection they deserve, so they continue to thrive for generations to come.
Marina Richardson currently receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) and the Queensland Government Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) applauds the Trump Administration’s announcement that the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council is prioritizing and designating NewRange Copper Nickel’s NorthMet Project as a FAST-41 transparency project due to its importance to domestic mineral production.
Of this announcement, Congressman Stauber stated, “NewRange’s NorthMet deposit represents a significant opportunity to produce the critical minerals necessary to secure our nation’s economic and security needs. Fortunately, President Trump and his Administration understands the vital importance of this project, as evidenced by this designation. I look forward to seeing NewRange meet and exceed every permitting standard in a timely manner so that they can help make America not just critical mineral independent, but critical mineral dominant.”
Stauber continued, stating,“I call on the Walz Administration to follow the science and the law, while recognizing the need for good paying jobs and the demand for these incredible resources we have right here at home. This project is a win-win for Minnesota.”
The transparency project designation, established by President Trump’srecent executive order on critical minerals, demonstrates that the NorthMet project is a top priority for this Administration.
The transparency designation does not automatically grant permits for mining projects. Inclusion as a transparency project makes the environmental review and authorizations schedule publicly available and this transparency leads to greater accountability, ensuring a more efficient process.
Under this designation, no corners will be cut, and the proposed project will still have to meet the federal government’s strict environmental and safety requirements, which are some of the most robust and stringent in the entire world.
David Clune, honorary associate, government and international relations, University of Sydney
The election results showed, in NSW as with the rest of Australia, a stronger than predicted swing to the government, returning it with a solid majority.
Not only did Labor hold all its NSW marginals, many with increased margins, but it appears to have gained from the Liberals the seats of Banks and Hughes in suburban Sydney. Labor’s Jerome Laxale has retained Bennelong which was notionally Liberal after the redistribution.
The Liberals appear likely to lose Bradfield to Teal Nicolette Boele and former National Andrew Gee seems likely to retain Calare in the central west as an independent.
The three sitting Teals were all easily re-elected and right wing independent Dai Le held Fowler.
At the time of writing, Labor has won 28 seats in NSW to the Coalition’s 12, a gain of three, with four independents so far and the probability of two more.
The ALP two-party preferred vote in NSW was 54.8%, a swing towards it of 3.4%.
Labor’s primary vote was 35.0% to the Coalition’s 31.8%, a swing against the latter of 4.7%.
Albanese staged a Houdini-like escape from what seemed to be, in 2024, a steady decline in his prospects. Although only an average campaigner in 2022, he ran an almost flawless campaign three years later. The prime minister had a consistent, resonant message about Labor’s record, appealing policies for the future, and projected an image of stability in government.
Given the bite of the cost of living, particularly in Western Sydney, the government should have been vulnerable. Instead, Albanese transformed this into a strength by persuading voters he was best placed to deal with the crisis.
Queensland
Swing to Labor: 3.9%
Paul Williams, associate professor of politics and journalism, Griffith University
I long argued Queensland would be inconsequential as to who would win the keys to The Lodge at this election.
I was partly right. If Labor, as projected, wins 93 of the 150 House of Representatives seats, the six Queensland Labor appears to have seized from the Liberal-National Party (LNP) are but a small fraction of the government’s national haul. Even with no Labor gains in Queensland, Albanese could still have governed with a comfortable majority.
But I was also partly wrong. The fact there were primary swings of up to five percentage points away from the LNP across Queensland (even in very safe seats like Maranoa), and the fact Labor appears to have captured two seats (Brisbane and Griffith) from the Greens, suggests the state has behaved very differently from expectations and, for the first time in more than a decade, become one of real consequence.
Labor now looks to hold 13 of the state’s 30 seats, the LNP 15, the Greens one, and Bob Katter returned in Kennedy for the KAP. Few would be surprised that Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (PHON) and Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots failed to win any House seats, although PHON’s Malcolm Roberts is likely to be returned to the Senate.
Nor is it unexpected that Dickson, held by the LNP by a tiny 1.7% margin, should have been in play this election. But that fact Dickson was lost by an opposition leader – the first such occurrence at federal level – is astonishing.
So, too, are the LNP losses in the outer-suburban “battler” seats of Forde and Petrie (held by the LNP since 2010 and 2013 respectively) that embraced former Liberal PM Scott Morrison, even when he was at his nadir.
The additional reality of an LNP losing such contrasting seats as Leichhardt in far north Queensland and Bonner in middle Brisbane suburbia now points to a deep existential crisis for conservatives even in their Queensland heartland.
In the Northern Territory, Labor’s Marion Scrymgour has retained the seat of Lingiari and strengthened her position, with a 6.6% swing in her favour.
So, what happened? How did Queensland, like the rest of Australia, defy electoral gravity? Was it that angry Queenslanders, stinging from a cost-of-living crisis, had already vented their wrath on a state Labor government six months ago? Or did the state finally warm to an Albanese it now concluded was a more competent economic manager? Or did Queensland, like every other state, reject a hard-right Peter Dutton – offering little in meaningful policy amid a ramshackle campaign – as out of touch with a moderate, centrist Australia?
After defeats at local and state elections in 2024, Labor is back in Queensland.
South Australia
Swing to Labor: 5.1%
Rob Manwaring, associate professor of politics and public policy, Flinders University
On first glance, South Australia did not seem to be at the centre of the Albanese government’s landslide win. Of the ten electoral seats in the state, only one changed hands – the seat of Sturt which Labor’s Claire Clutterham won from the Liberals’ James Stevens. Yet, this was a massive win for Labor, with a 57–43 two-party preferred vote.
This is a seismic result and exemplifies all of the Coalition’s electoral problems. Sturt was a classic Liberal blue ribbon seat which the Liberals had held since 1972. The Teal candidate in Sturt, Dr Verity Cooper, might well be disappointed not to have scored a higher primary vote than her 7.2%.
Elsewhere, Labor handsomely improved its position in the hitherto marginal seat of Boothby. A 8% swing to Louise Miller-Frost saw the Liberals’ Nicolle Flint easily routed.
To confirm the Liberal misery in the state, the Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie consolidated her place in Mayo. The scale of Labor’s performance also brought into scrutiny the Liberal regional seat of Grey, where long-standing member Rowan Ramsay retired. The Liberals will retain it despite a swing against them.
Overall, this is now a solidly Labor state, and the party holds a remarkable seven of the ten seats. Those with long memories, will know seats like Kingston and Adelaide, traditionally bellweather, are now solidly safe Labor seats.
The Liberals’ loss of Sturt confirms the party now has only two seats in the state, and no representation at all in the major cities around the country. It might well be a long road back for the centre-right.
Tasmania
Swing to Labor: 8.1%
Robert Hortle, deputy director of the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
If the Liberal Party’s ranks were thinned out on the mainland, in Tasmania they have been clear-felled. The state elected four Labor candidates out of five, and notably, all women.
In Braddon, Labor’s Anne Urquhart overturned the 8.3% margin enjoyed by retiring Liberal MP Gavin Pearce. It looks like the swing to Labor will be around 15%, with Urquhart’s pro-salmon farming and pro-jobs position resonating in the traditionally conservative electorate.
A swing of around 10% to Labor in Bass was more than enough for first-time candidate Jess Teesdale to defeat Liberal MP Bridget Archer. Labor’s messaging that “a vote for Archer is a vote for Dutton” successfully neutralised Archer’s personal popularity in the electorate and reputation for standing up to her party.
Lyons was Tasmania’s most marginal seat after the 2022 election. That’s no longer the case, with Rebeca White, former state Labor leader, securing a swing of around 10%. White’s popularity as a state MP transferred smoothly to the federal level – Labor’s primary vote in the seat looks to have jumped by more than 14%.
So why was the swing to Labor in these Tasmanian seats so much greater than on the mainland? Astute candidate selection played a role – in particular, White and Urquhart were well-known in their communities.
It is also possible the ongoing travails of the state Liberal government played a part. Northern Tasmanians are strongly opposed to the controversial AFL stadium in Hobart, and the ongoing Spirit of Tasmania ferry fiasco has involved prominent mismanagement of port upgrades in Devonport in the state’s north-west. State politics isn’t usually considered to have a big impact on federal elections, but these issues may have been high profile – and long running – enough to make a difference.
The southern seat of Franklin was a focal point for a lot of drama during the campaign. In the end, Julie Collins, Tasmania’s only cabinet minister, received a bit of a scare. She slightly increased her primary vote, but the ABC currently projects her overall margin will be cut in half. Anti-salmon farming independent Peter George achieved the second highest primary vote, but wasn’t close enough to Collins for preferences to get him over the line.
As expected, independent Andrew Wilkie won the Hobart seat of Clark for a sixth time, with a margin of just over 20%. He increased his primary vote, but it looks like Labor will shave a tiny amount off his margin.
Victoria
Swing to Labor: 1.8%
Zareh Ghazarian, senior lecturer in politics, school of social sciences, Monash University
The Liberal Party’s fortunes in Victoria went from bad in 2022 to much worse in 2025.
The ALP’s primary vote increased by about 1% while the Liberal Party’s primary vote fell by about 2.5%. While the percentages are smaller than in other states, this performance had a significant affect on the representation of the parties in Victoria.
The Liberal Party lost Deakin in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Held by Michael Sukkar since 2013, the seat has been marginal for several elections. The primary vote swing against the Liberal Party was 4.2%. In a two-party preferred outcome, Deakin now appears to be a relatively safe seat for Labor.
The Liberal Party primary vote also went backwards in Kooyong which was held by independent Monique Ryan. High profile Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer could not reclaim the seat which had previously been held by then-Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Goldstein, the other inner metropolitan seat won by an independent at the last election, looks to be a closer contest with the Liberal Party’s Tim Wilson experiencing a rise in the primary vote but it may not be enough to defeat incumbent Zoe Daniel.
Compounding the problems for the Liberal Party was that it could not make any inroads in other key seats across the eastern suburbs in Melbourne. This was where the party needed to win seats if it was to be competitive in forming government. In Aston, the seat the party lost at a byelection in 2023, the Liberal Party’s primary vote fell by 5%. The party’s primary vote also went back in Chisholm and McEwen.
In short, this was a disastrous result for the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria.
Western Australia
Swing to Labor: 1.2%
Narelle Miragliotta, associate professor in politics, Murdoch University
WA didn’t disappoint for Labor. Although the two-party swing was more muted than in other parts of the country, it came off the back of a more much stronger electoral position entering this contest. On a two-party preferred basis, Labor gained 56.2% of the vote.
Labor has retained the nine lower house seats it won in 2022, and it has also managed to make decent, even if not spectacular, gains in the party’s share of the primary vote in Tangney (+4.9%), Hasluck (+5.93), Swan (+3.5%), and Perth (+4.7%).
One of the unexpected wins for Labor was the former Liberal held seat of Moore. Labor won the seat on the back of +0.9% increase in the party’s primary vote. Assisting Labor’s electoral fortunes was a former Liberal incumbent who ran as an independent, and whose vote accounts for much of the -10.4% swing against the Liberal candidate.
But it wasn’t all good news for Labor, going backwards on primary votes in Fremantle (-4.48%) Brand (-5.96%) and Pearce (-0.01%).
The Liberals’ performance affirms just how much trouble the party in the West. The Liberals recorded a swing of -5.66% in their primary vote, winning only 28.5% of the first preference vote.
In addition to the loss of Moore, the party failed to win back the once-prized seat of Curtin, despite a heavy investment of resources into the contest. The Liberals also have a fight to retain the seat of Forrest, where is registered a -13.4% swing in its primary vote. The Liberals are, however, expected to win it.
There were very few bright spots for the Liberals. The Liberals did achieve an increase in their two-party preferred vote in O’Connor (+6.3%) and Canning (+3.8%). And at last check, the Liberals are still in the hunt for the new seat of Bullwinkel.
In the senate, the swing against the Liberals on primary votes was even more pronounced (-7.36%) although the party are on track to elect two senators. The Greens senate primary vote held up, enjoying a very slight increase (+0.74%) and comfortably returning a senator. Although recording a -0.04% swing, Labor has two senators confirmed and the possibility of the election of a third.
Paul Williams is a research associate with the T.J. Ryan Foundation.
David Clune, Narelle Miragliotta, Rob Manwaring, Robert Hortle, and Zareh Ghazarian do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
On Saturday, Labor won a thumping victory in the House of Representatives, and this has carried over to the Senate results.
Only 35% of enrolled voters have been counted in the Senate so far, compared with 71% in the House. It’s likely that the current Senate count is biased to Labor, so Labor is likely to drop back in some states as more votes are counted.
There are 76 senators, who have six-year terms, with about half up for election at every House election. Each state has 12 senators, with six up for election, and the territories have two senators each, who are all up for election.
Senators are elected by proportional representation with preferences. A quota in a state is one-seventh of the vote, or 14.3%. In the territories, it’s one-third or 33.3%. I had a Senate preview on April 16.
Comments on each state are below. I disagree with the ABC’s view that Labor is “likely” to win a third New South Wales seat. Putting this seat into the doubtful column reduces Labor to an overall 27 senators with the Greens on 11, so the two main left-wing parties would hold a minimum 38 of the 76 seats in the new Senate.
This would represent a two-seat gain for Labor (one in Queensland, one in South Australia). Labor has reasonable chances to gain further Senate seats.
If Labor and the Greens combined hold the minimum 38 seats after the election, Labor will only need one more vote to pass legislation supported by the Greens but opposed by right-wing parties. Independent David Pocock, former Green Lidia Thorpe and former Labor senator Fatima Payman will be good options.
In NSW, Labor has 2.6 quotas, the Coalition 1.9, the Greens 0.9 and One Nation 0.4. Labor would win three seats on current primaries, but the Senate swing to them is much greater than in the House, so they will drop back.
In Victoria, Labor has 2.4 quotas, the Coalition 1.9, the Greens 1.0, One Nation 0.3 and Legalise Cannabis 0.3. Labor is likely to drop back, with the final seat likely a three-way contest between Labor, One Nation and Legalise Cannabis.
In Queensland, Labor has 2.1 quotas, the Liberal National Party 1.8, the Greens 0.9, One Nation 0.5 and former LNP senator Gerard Rennick 0.35. One Nation is the favourite to win the sixth seat.
In Western Australia, Labor has 2.4 quotas, the Liberals 1.7, the Greens 1.1, One Nation 0.4, Legalise Cannabis 0.3 and the Nationals 0.3. Labor would be the favourite to win the sixth seat on current counting, as the Liberals would absorb right-wing preferences that would otherwise help One Nation.
In SA, Labor has 2.6 quotas, the Liberals 1.8, the Greens 1.0 and One Nation 0.4. Labor won the House vote in SA by 58.4–41.6, so the Senate result looks plausible. Labor and the Greens are likely to win four of SA’s six Senate seats.
In Tasmania, Labor has 2.4 quotas, the Liberals 1.5, the Greens 1.2, Jacqui Lambie 0.5, One Nation 0.4 and Legalise Cannabis 0.3. It’s difficult to determine which parties are the favourites to win the last two seats.
In the ACT (two senators), Pocock has been easily re-elected with 1.3 quotas, and Labor will win the second seat. In the Northern Territory, Labor and the Country Liberals will win one seat each.
Doubtful House seats, and the Greens’ and teals’ performance
There are many seats where the electoral commission selected the incorrect final two candidates on election night and now needs to redo this count. Labor could lose Bean, Fremantle or Calwell to independents. Labor could also lose Bullwinkel or Bendigo to the Coalition.
The Greens have lost Brisbane and Griffith to Labor. They lost Brisbane after falling to third behind Labor and the LNP and Griffith because the LNP fell to third and their preferences will help Labor. Labor is narrowly ahead against the Greens in Wills.
In Greens leader Adam Bandt’s Melbourne, there was a substantial primary vote swing to Labor and against Bandt, and the electoral commission needs to redo the preference count between Bandt and Labor.
Teal independents in Kooyong, Goldstein and Curtin are likely to retain their seats, but they didn’t gain substantial swings that usually occur when an independent elected at the last election recontests. It’s possible they’ve become too associated with the left in their seats. Fortunately for them, the left won a thumping victory at this election.
Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
PRESIDENT OF INDIA GRACES THE LAUNCH OF THE MEDIATION ASSOCIATION OF INDIA AND ADDRESSES THE FIRST NATIONAL MEDIATION CONFERENCE THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM UNDER THE MEDIATION ACT SHOULD BE EFFECTIVELY EXTENDED TO RURAL AREAS SO THAT THE PANCHAYATS ARE LEGALLY EMPOWERED TO MEDIATE AND RESOLVE THE CONFLICTS IN VILLAGES: PRESIDENT DROUPADI MURMU
Posted On: 03 MAY 2025 6:31PM by PIB Delhi
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the launch of the Mediation Association of India and addressed the First National Mediation Conference 2025 in New Delhi today (May 3, 2025).
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the Mediation Act, 2023 was the first step in consolidating the civilisational legacy. Now we need to add momentum to it and strengthen its practice. She emphasised that the dispute resolution mechanism under the Mediation Act should be effectively extended to rural areas so that the Panchayats are legally empowered to mediate and resolve the conflicts in villages. Social harmony in villages is an essential prerequisite of making the nation strong, she said.
The President said that mediation is an essential part of the delivery of justice, which is at the heart of the Constitution of India – our founding text. Mediation can speed up the delivery of justice not only in the specific case under consideration, but also in other cases, by reducing the burden on courts of a large number of litigations. It can make the overall judicial system much more efficient. It can thus open up the developmental pathways that might have been blocked up. It can enhance both the ease of doing business and the ease of living. Mediation, when we see it this way, becomes a key instrument to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The President said that India has a long and rich tradition of judicial mechanisms in which out-of-court settlements were more of a norm than exception. The institution of Panchayat is legendary for fostering amicable resolutions. The Panchayat’s endeavour was not only to resolve the dispute but also to remove any bitterness among the parties about it. It was a pillar of social harmony for us. Unfortunately, the colonial rulers ignored this exemplary legacy when they imposed an alien legal system on us. While the new system did have a provision for mediation and out-of-court resolution, and the old tradition of alternative mechanisms did continue, there was no institutional framework for it. The Mediation Act, 2023 plugs that loophole and has a number of provisions that will form the foundation of a vibrant and effective mediation ecosystem in India.
The President said that the First National Mediation Conference is not a mere ceremonial event; it is a call to action. It calls upon us to collectively shape the future of mediation in India — by nurturing trust, building professional capabilities, and making mediation accessible to every citizen, across all sections of society. The establishment of the Mediation Association of India is a significant step forward in carrying this legacy into the future. It institutionalizes and promotes mediation as a preferred, structured, and widely accessible mode of dispute resolution — an approach that is timely and much needed in today’s dynamic and complex world.
The President said that we should see effective dispute and conflict resolution as not merely a legal necessity but a societal imperative. Mediation fosters dialogue, understanding and collaboration. These values are essential for building a harmonious and progressive nation. It will lead to the emergence of a conflict-resilient, inclusive and harmonious society.
Juba (Fides Agency ) – “Pope Francis worked until the very end for peace in South Sudan,” Sister Elena Balatti, a Comboni missionary in South Sudan, told Fides Agency.“Unfortunately, South Sudan is once again on the brink of civil war. Despite his illness, Pope Francis sent letters to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Vice President Reik Machar, now under house arrest, asking them to work for peace,” said the missionary.At the beginning of March, tensions rose between the faction led by President Kiir and that headed by Machar, who was placed under house arrest on March 26 (see Fides 27/3/2025).“The Holy Father was remembered by South Sudanese people with numerous messages of condolence on social media. The local population remembers well his visit to South Sudan in February 2023,” Sister Elena points out.“The Presidency of South Sudan declared April 25 a national day of mourning for the death of Pope Francis. President Salva Kiir Mayardit, in his message of condolence, explicitly recalled this visit and emphasized that the South Sudanese people understood very well how special a place South Sudan had in the heart of Pope Francis, who worked so hard for peace and brotherhood in this country. The President also recalled the historic gesture with which, after inviting the country’s government and opposition leaders to the Vatican in 2019, he kissed their feet in that ecumenical moment together with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Rev. John Chalmers.”“The Pope’s visit, his gesture of kissing the feet of government and opposition leaders, and the closeness he showed to South Sudan during his illness from the Gemelli Hospital will remain in the hearts of all South Sudanese who remember him with gratitude,” concluded the missionary. (LM) (Fides Agency 3/5/2025)
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In a dramatic parallel, what happened in Canada at the beginning of this week has now been replicated in Australia at the end of the week.
An opposition that a few months ago had looked just possibly on track to dislodge the government, or at least run it close, has bombed spectacularly. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has lost his Queensland seat of Dickson, as did the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in Canada.
Far from being forced into minority government, as most observers had been expecting, Labor has increased its majority, with a substantial swing towards it.
Its strong victory reflects not just the the voters’ judgement that the Coalition was not ready to govern. It was worse than that. People just didn’t rate the Coalition or its offerings.
Multiple factors played into this debacle for the Coalition.
A first-term government historically gets a chance of a second term.
The Trump factor overshadowed this election. It made people feel it was best to stick with the status quo. People also were very suspicious of Dutton, whom they saw (despite disclaimers) as being too like the hardline US president.
After the last election, Dutton was declared by many to be unelectable, and that proved absolutely to be the case, despite what turned out to be a misleading impression when the polls were so bad for Labor.
Even if they’d had a very good campaign, the Coalition would probably not have had a serious chance of winning this election.
But its campaign was woeful. The nuclear policy was a drag and a distraction. Holding back policy until late was a bad call. When the policies came, they were often thin and badly prepared. The ambitious defence policy had no detail. The gas reservation scheme had belated modelling.
The forced backflip on working from home, and the late decision to offer a tax offset, were other examples of disaster in the campaign.
Dutton must wear the main share of the blame. He kept strategy and tactics close to his chest.
But the performance of the opposition frontbench, with a few exceptions, has been woeful. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and finance spokeswoman Jane Hume have been no match for their Labor counterparts Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor ran a very disciplined campaign. Albanese himself performed much better than he did in 2022.
Labor was helped by an interest rate cut in February and the prospect of another to come later this month.
Albanese transformed himself, or was transformed, from last year to this year.
The cost of living presented a huge hurdle for Labor, but the government was able to point to relief it had given on energy bills, tax and much else. The Coalition had opposed several of Labor’s measures and was left trying to play catch-up at the end.
The Liberal Party now has an enormous task to rebuild. The “target the suburbs” strategy has failed. At the same time, the old inner-city Liberal heartland is deeply teal territory.
Hume said, in an unfortunately colourful comment, on Friday, “You do not read the entrails until you have gutted the chicken”.
The chicken has now been gutted. There will be a much more bitter post mortem than in 2022. The leadership choices are less than optimal for the party: Angus Taylor? Andrew Hastie? Sussan Ley?
An interesting thought: if Josh Frydenberg had held his seat in 2022, and led the Liberal party to this election, would be result have been better? One thing is clear: Frydenberg took the right decision in not recontesting Kooyong, which teal Monique Ryan has held.
Anyway, who would want to lead the Liberals at this moment?
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In a dramatic parallel, what happened in Canada at the beginning of this week has now been replicated in Australia at the end of the week.
An opposition that a few months ago had looked just possibly on track to dislodge the government, or at least run it close, has bombed spectacularly. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has lost his Queensland seat of Dickson, as did the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in Canada.
Far from being forced into minority government, as most observers had been expecting, Labor has increased its majority, with a substantial swing towards it.
Its strong victory reflects not just the the voters’ judgement that the Coalition was not ready to govern. It was worse than that. People just didn’t rate the Coalition or its offerings.
Multiple factors played into this debacle for the Coalition.
A first-term government historically gets a chance of a second term.
The Trump factor overshadowed this election. It made people feel it was best to stick with the status quo. People also were very suspicious of Dutton, whom they saw (despite disclaimers) as being too like the hardline US president.
After the last election, Dutton was declared by many to be unelectable, and that proved absolutely to be the case, despite what turned out to be a misleading impression when the polls were so bad for Labor.
Even if they’d had a very good campaign, the Coalition would probably not have had a serious chance of winning this election.
But its campaign was woeful. The nuclear policy was a drag and a distraction. Holding back policy until late was a bad call. When the policies came, they were often thin and badly prepared. The ambitious defence policy had no detail. The gas reservation scheme had belated modelling.
The forced backflip on working from home, and the late decision to offer a tax offset, were other examples of disaster in the campaign.
Dutton must wear the main share of the blame. He kept strategy and tactics close to his chest.
But the performance of the opposition frontbench, with a few exceptions, has been woeful. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and finance spokeswoman Jane Hume have been no match for their Labor counterparts Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor ran a very disciplined campaign. Albanese himself performed much better than he did in 2022.
Labor was helped by an interest rate cut in February and the prospect of another to come later this month.
Albanese transformed himself, or was transformed, from last year to this year.
The cost of living presented a huge hurdle for Labor, but the government was able to point to relief it had given on energy bills, tax and much else. The Coalition had opposed several of Labor’s measures and was left trying to play catch-up at the end.
The Liberal Party now has an enormous task to rebuild. The “target the suburbs” strategy has failed. At the same time, the old inner-city Liberal heartland is deeply teal territory.
Hume said, in an unfortunately colourful comment, on Friday, “You do not read the entrails until you have gutted the chicken”.
The chicken has now been gutted. There will be a much more bitter post mortem than in 2022. The leadership choices are less than optimal for the party: Angus Taylor? Andrew Hastie? Sussan Ley?
An interesting thought: if Josh Frydenberg had held his seat in 2022, and led the Liberal party to this election, would be result have been better? One thing is clear: Frydenberg took the right decision in not recontesting Kooyong, which teal Monique Ryan has held.
Anyway, who would want to lead the Liberals at this moment?
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik the lawmakers underscored the importance of Cooperative Institutes at Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Lafayette, CO — Followingpublic reportsof President Trump’s expected effort to implement disastrous funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in his upcoming budget proposal, Colorado lawmakers—Congressman Joe Neguse and Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper—moved quickly to defend the agency and its Cooperative Institutes (CIs).
Colorado is the only state in the nation to house two such Cooperative Institutes, which are academic and non-profit research centers that provide invaluable support to NOAA’s mission. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), located at the University of Colorado Boulder, is the oldest and largest CI. It employs nearly 800 researchers, support staff, and students focused on research related to drought, wildfire, and space weather. The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), located at Colorado State University, employs nearly 200 individuals who are working to improve weather and fire forecasting.
In an effort to push back on the proposed cuts, Neguse, Bennet, and Hickenlooper penned a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick condemning any plan to terminate funding for these institutions, calling the alleged proposal short-sighted and costly, and underscoring the important work that is ongoing at both CIRES and CIRA.
“Many of NOAA’s CIs have been around for decades and the work they do has been helping our communities for just as long. Cuts to funding, furloughs or layoffs will have devastating impacts on the important work the CIs do. CIs are home to experienced researchers and long-standing data collection programs with major impacts on human societies, moreover they are instrumental in training future generations of workers who continue to contribute to societal needs. It is our fear that if sweeping cuts are made, the damage will be irreversible. Even short-term interruptions in their research could threaten the safety and economies of the communities that CIs serve across the nation,” wrote the lawmakers.
They continued: “Cooperative Institutes are integral to solving some of our biggest problems and making all of us safer and better prepared for short-term and long-term hazards. Any plan to terminate funding for NOAA CIs would be detrimental not just to the people of Colorado, but to people across the entire country. As such, we implore you to reconsider any plans to substantially diminish these powerful and important capabilities.”
Read their full letterHEREand below:
April 23, 2025
The Honorable Howard Lutnick
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Secretary Lutnick,
We write regarding a new proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to terminate funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Cooperative Institutes (CIs). We strongly condemn any such plan and believe terminating this funding would be extremely short-sighted and costly to the American people and economy in the long run.
Colorado is fortunate to be the only state to house two Cooperative Institutes and the largest of the CIs. The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), housed at Colorado State University, employs 193 staff working on developing algorithms for weather forecasting and fire weather forecasting. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) housed at the University of Colorado Boulder is the oldest and largest CI, established in 1967. CIRES is focused on research into drought, wildfire, and space weather, among other important issues. It employs nearly 800 researchers, support staff and students who are working each day to improve our understanding of Earth systems for the benefit of people across Colorado and the nation.
Our CIs have real world impacts and benefits that span beyond the borders of our state. CIRA was involved in the development of the Hurricane Intensity Prediction System (HIPS), a tool that helps predict how strong hurricanes will become, as well as TORUS (Targeted Observations by Radars and Unmanned Aircraft to Study Tornadoes and Supercells) project, which focuses on collecting data to improve tornado and storm prediction. CIRES is, among its many important contributions, helping to enhance drought monitoring and prediction on the Colorado River, aiding water managers in the region. Indeed, some of the greatest beneficiaries of CIRES water and drought analyses reside in Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas. CIRES also received the 2022 Colorado Governor’s Award for High-Impact Research for their rapid response to the Marshall Fire, the most damaging wildfire in our state. The results from the CIRES work on the fire have informed responses to other large fire events elsewhere in the nation, benefiting many thousands of citizens.
Many of NOAA’s CIs have been around for decades and the work they do has been helping our communities for just as long. Cuts to funding, furloughs or layoffs will have devastating impacts on the important work the CIs do. CIs are home to experienced researchers and long-standing data collection programs with major impacts on human societies, moreover they are instrumental in training future generations of workers who continue to contribute to societal needs. It is our fear that if sweeping cuts are made, the damage will be irreversible. Even short-term interruptions in their research could threaten the safety and economies of the communities that CIs serve across the nation.
Cooperative Institutes are integral to solving some of our biggest problems and making all of us safer and better prepared for short-term and long-term hazards. Any plan to terminate funding for NOAA CIs would be detrimental not just to the people of Colorado, but to people across the entire country. As such, we implore you to reconsider any plans to substantially diminish these powerful and important capabilities.
Two people were arrested after allegedly driving a stolen car across the state at high speed.
Just before 7am on Saturday 3 May, police were alerted that a car stolen from a Cummins property, on the Eyre Peninsula, was being tracked by the owner.
The silver Kia was tracked as it travelled at extreme speeds across the Eyre Peninsula and through the Mid North of the State.
PolAir responded and headed to the area while police on the ground attempted to spike the vehicles tyres numerous times as it continued to head towards Adelaide.
The stolen Kia was located in Lysander Place, Salisbury East about midday and the two occupants ran from the vehicle.
It will be alleged the man discharged a small calibre firearm but was quickly apprehended by police. The man was taken to hospital for assessment prior to charging.
No shots were fired by police.
Fortunately, no police officers were injured during the incident.
The firearm has been seized by police.
A 31-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman were arrested and will be interviewed by police. Investigations are continuing.
Anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage of this vehicle that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Proposal Would Deprive 50,000 Low-Income Children In New York State Of Critical Early Childhood Education
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited the PEACE, Inc. Merrick Head Start in Syracuse to condemn President Trump’s actions to dismantle Head Start. Federal funding allows PEACE Inc. to operate Head Start centers across Onondaga County that serve over 900 children. Without this funding, Head Start centers across New York and around the country will be forced to close their doors, which will deprive low-income children of critical early childhood education that gives them the tools to succeed both in and out of the classroom. President Trump has attempted to diminish Head Start through a number of executive actions that are making it harder for Head Start centers to stay up and running, including closing regional offices that help administer the program, laying off staff, and withholding already authorized funding.
Head Start programs provide low-income children from birth to age five with comprehensive child development programs, as well as support and services for families. The services Head Start and Early Head Start offer include early education, health screenings, promoting social and emotional health, nutrition, connection to other social services, and services for children with disabilities. Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve over 50,000 children in New York State.
“Head Start helps make sure that every child has a chance to thrive,“ said Senator Gillibrand. “It is an investment in our kids and our future that has been proven time and time again to be highly effective at preparing children for school and improving both their social and physical health outcomes. President Trump’s actions to dismantle Head Start would hurt the kids and families most in need – including the 50,000 Head Start attendees in New York alone. I will do everything in my power to fight this effort and preserve funding for this vital program through the next fiscal year and beyond.”
“Our Head Start program in Syracuse is an essential resource for families with young children. It provides a nurturing environment focused on learning, fun, and overall development. Many parents rely on it as a safe space for their children while they work. Unfortunately, the Trump administration plans to cut funding for this program in Syracuse and nationwide. These cuts will have a devastating impact on the families who depend on it. We must fight to keep Head Start in Syracuse, and I commend Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for leading the effort to ensure it remains here,” said Senator Rachel May.
“With 7 of its own sites and an additional 14 partnering sites in Onondaga County, PEACE, Inc.’s Head Start program successfully assists 918 low-income families and their children under 5 to access holistic early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family development interventions,” said Peace, Inc. Executive Director Carolyn Brown. “Especially critical are the more than 700 families who are assisted in Syracuse, where early childhood education/childcare options are limited and nearly 1 out of 2 children live in poverty. PEACE, Inc. Head Start levels the playing field for low-income families and their children. In 2024, 81% of our Head Start children entered Kindergarten having reached their math development milestones; 90% of them reached their literacy development milestones. Eliminating Head Start would prove disastrous for our working families and their children. We are grateful for Senator Gillibrand’s passionate support of Head Start, its staff, and its families.”
“As a mother to a young child in this program, I am so grateful for the resources Head Start provides,” said Mitayah Donerlson, President of the Head Start Parent Policy Council. “Beyond early education, this program has connected me with critical social and mental health support—like access to parenting workshops, family advocates, and behavioral support for children . These services have helped me manage stress, strengthen my relationship with my child, and build a supportive community with other parents. Without Head Start, I wouldn’t have the tools or support network I need to care for both myself and my family. Thank you, Senator Gillibrand, for fighting for this vital funding.”
