British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) shakes hands with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that Britain will allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds (2 billion U.S. dollars) of British export finance to purchase more than 5,000 air defense missiles.
“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening Ukraine,” Starmer told a press conference following a summit with Western leaders in London.
The goal is “to put Ukraine in the strongest position” so the country can negotiate from a position of strength, he added.
Western leaders, including more than a dozen European heads of state and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gathered in London on Sunday for a defense summit aimed at advancing a peace plan for Ukraine.
Starmer said leaders at the summit had agreed on a four-step plan to guarantee peace in Ukraine: to maintain military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues and increase economic pressure on Russia; to ensure that any lasting peace guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, with Ukraine at the table for any negotiations; to deter “any future invasion by Russia” in the event of a peace deal; and to establish a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and uphold peace in the country.
The leaders also agreed to meet again soon to sustain the momentum behind these efforts, Starmer said.
The prime minister reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting the peace plan with “boots on the ground, and planes in the air.”
“Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he said, emphasizing that the agreement needs U.S. backing.
“Let me be clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday before the summit, Starmer announced that Britain, France and Ukraine will work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States. He named three essential points to achieve “lasting peace” — a strong Ukraine, a European element with security guarantees, and a U.S. backstop, with the last one being the subject of “intense” discussion.
The summit took place amid diplomatic tensions, following a heated exchange earlier this week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, which led to the cancellation of an anticipated raw materials agreement between the two countries.
On Saturday, Zelensky met with Starmer at 10 Downing Street, where the British prime minister reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering determination” to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. Following the meeting, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko announced that Britain and Ukraine had agreed on a loan of 2.26 billion pounds to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities. (1 pound = 1.26 U.S. dollar)
Many of the tenants who will move into the newly completed homes in the fifth and final building in the Community Lane development will be older people or people with health needs. They will start moving in from mid-March.
“In just under two and a half years our build partner CMP Construction have delivered 236 new warm and dry homes. That’s one new home every four days,’’ says Nick Howcroft, Director Delivery at Kāinga Ora.
“I recently met some of the Community Lane tenants who moved in last year and it was so rewarding to get feedback on their new homes. When we hear our tenants say they feel safe, are using the community lounges to connect with each other, and feel blessed to be living here, I know we’ve done a good job and made a difference to the lives of hundreds of New Zealanders.”
Community Lane sits on a site where there were originally 45 older state homes. Now, there are 236 homes spread across five buildings. Most of the homes have been designed with older people in mind but there are also some apartments for small families.
It is high density living so getting the urban design right in the early stages of the planning for Community Lane was critical. All the buildings were designed to capture the light, with many enjoying elevated views of the communal gardens and the local lane connecting tenants to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Separating the development into five buildings provides a sense of space, and the buildings are nestled around common areas to provide a feeling of safety to those living there.
Each building has its own community lounge and there are gardens and greenhouses providing outdoor spaces where tenants can meet and get to know each other.
“Avondale is a central Auckland suburb, and our development supported Auckland Council plans to revitalise this area. Kāinga Ora site works, and the installation of waste and storm water systems through our land, has enabled private developers to connect and build more new homes in the area,” Nick says.
“During the peak of construction up to 300 workers were onsite so this was busy housing development. The unit cost to build 236 new homes was $572,000 including all of the broader construction costs associated with the development. Commencing construction during a period of rising construction costs and supply constraints presented some challenges, and the overall team did well to execute on the delivery programme. Leveraging many of these learnings and engaging with the industry, we are resetting how we deliver density more cost-effectively in the future.”
Watch this video to learn more about the design and build.
City of Greater Bendigo Director Healthy Communities & Environments Stacy Williams will depart the organisation at the end of the month to take on the Chief Executive Officer role at Murray River Council.
Stacy joined the City in July 2022, having previously worked as the Director of Community Wellbeing at Gannawarra Shire and prior at Campaspe Shire.
During her time with the City, Stacy’s significant achievements include winning the 2024 LGPro Diversity and Inclusion award for the City’s Equity Impact Assessment process, securing funding for the Heathcote Civic Precinct project, the purchase of both the Bendigo Animal Relief Centre and Backhaus Oval, which are both providing opportunities for future development to support growing community needs, the successful transition of Aged Care services to new providers and providing critical response and recovery support through flood and storm emergencies.
CEO Andrew Cooney congratulated Ms. Williams on her new role.
“Stacy has been a great leader for the City, and we are excited and proud of her appointment as the CEO of Murray River Council. Stacy is a skilled communicator who will be a great advocate for staff and support for Council. Murray River Council can look forward to welcoming a great, people-oriented leader for their organisation and community,” Mr Cooney said.
“Stacy can be very proud of her time at the City and the way she has led the Healthy Communities & Environments directorate to help enhance the overall wellbeing of our city in the short and long term.
“I am pleased that she will remain in the region so we can continue to work together to deliver positive outcomes for communities.”
Ms Williams said she is looking forward to this next chapter.
“My time at Bendigo has been amazing. I have worked alongside a wonderful team who are passionate about the Bendigo community and delivering exceptional services. I wish the Mayor, Andrew and the City of Greater Bendigo team all the very best” Ms Williams said.
“I look forward to taking my learnings at the City and supporting not only the Murray River community but contributing to the continued growth and development of regional Vic/NSW Boarder communities”
Ms Williams last day with the City will be Friday April 11.
Taskforce Raven seizes firearms, drugs, stolen property during first month of operation
Monday, 3 March 2025 – 1:21 pm.
Taskforce Raven has arrested 28 people, with more than 116 charges laid, 5 firearms seized and approximately $12,000 worth of stolen property recovered during its first month of operation. Since February 3, taskforce members have conducted searches at a number of properties – with firearms, drugs or stolen property found at each search. Of the 28 people arrested, charges included firearms-related offences, stealing, breaching bail, burglary, aggravated burglary and driving offences. Most recently, during a targeted search at George Town on Monday 24 February, taskforce members arrested a 29 year old George Town man in relation to firearms possession and family violence offences. Police also located drug paraphernalia and cannabis at that address and a 30 year old George Town woman will be proceeded against for minor drug charges. A subsequent search of a second George Town residence resulted in the seizure an air soft gas-powered handgun stored in a plastic bag in a bedroom, an M4 gel baster, a taser, and small quantities of illicit substances. A 32 year old George Town woman will be proceeded against in relation to the seized firearms. The George Town man was detained to appear in court. Two youths have also faced court over two alleged armed robberies in Launceston. A 14 year old boy was charged after he allegedly entered a business on Paterson Street about 7.30pm Saturday 22 February while in possession of a knife. The youth allegedly stole alcohol, before fleeing the business on foot. Nobody was physically injured. The 14 year old has also been charged in relation to a second armed robbery, during which he and another 14 year old boy allegedly entered a business on Invermay Road about 10am Sunday 23 February while in possession of a knife. The pair allegedly stole alcohol before they fled the store on foot. Nobody was physically injured. Both youths were charged by members of Taskforce Raven and detained to appear in court. Detective Inspector Nathan Johnston said these results showed the taskforce was working. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in our community, and we know that there is a small number of people who are responsible for the majority of crime committed,” he said. “We know there have been concerns in the community about anti-social and unlawful behaviour, particularly within the CBD. “Taskforce Raven is just one of a number of strategies and our members will continue to proactively target known offenders to make our community safer for everyone.” “While our taskforce members have been delivering great results, we also need the community’s help. If you have information about repeat offending, we urge you to contact the taskforce on 131 444.” Anyone with information about recidivist offending or anti-social behaviour in the Northern District can contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is predicted to make landfall anywhere between Bundaberg and northern New South Wales this week. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has warned it may bring severe hazards and “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding”.
So, how do you prepare for a cyclone – and what do you do if it’s too late to leave?
How to prepare
Your starting point is to consider the risk to yourself and everyone in your household (including pets). Consider ensuring you have:
non-perishable food that everyone in the family will eat (enough for five to seven days)
water for drinking and cleaning (three litres per person per day)
medication (two weeks worth)
toiletries and first aid kit
pet food/supplies
torches
batteries
a back up battery for your phone
baby formula and nappies if needed
protective clothing and closed-in shoes
cash in small denominations
valuable documents such as passports, title deeds, ID, insurance details, photos (these can be photographed or packed in weather-proof container or envelope)
kids’ books, card games, board games, headphones
anything else you may need or really value (and isn’t too heavy to carry).
Make sure you have a grab-and-go kit that you can carry by yourself if authorities suddenly tell you to evacuate immediately.
Conventional wisdom used to be to prepare enough supplies for three days of disruption. Now, experts recommend having enough for five to seven days. After the initial disaster there may be road blockages or supply chain problems.
Ensure you have enough medication for a week or two, because pharmacies may take days or weeks to re-open. And remember that many medications, such as insulin, need to be refrigerated, so consider how you’d keep them cool if the power went out.
Fill containers with water and stick them in your freezer now; they can keep your freezer cool if you lose power. They can also become drinking water in future.
Talk to your neighbours. Do they have a generator or a camping fridge you can use? This is a great opportunity to get to know your community and pool your resources.
Ask yourself if you have friends with whom you or a pet can stay. One of the main reasons people don’t evacuate is because they can’t bring their pets (not all evacuation shelters allow them, so check in advance).
Consider what you can do now to prepare your house. One of the most common call-outs the SES receives is about blocked drains and gutters, so check if there’s time to clean your gutters now. You won’t be able to do it during the storm.
Stay informed – and don’t rely on hearsay
Have a plan for getting truthful information before, during and after the cyclone.
Rely on the information provided by official sources, as they will tell you when it’s too late to evacuate or when it’s safe to come out. This is highly context-specific and will depend on where you are located.
Get advice where possible from your local council’s disaster dashboard (most councils have one).
It should provide information such as where to get sandbags, which roads are closed (which can affect your evacuation plan) and evacuation centre openings and locations.
Anyone who monitors social media will see how many amateur meteorologists and maps are out there, but these are often not the best source. Always rely on official sources rather than hearsay, trending footage or amateur “experts”.
Always have an battery-operated AM-FM radio. If power goes out, relying on your phone to track information will drain your phone battery very quickly.
You may be able to charge it via your car or laptop, but telecommunications networks may not be active.
So having a battery-operated radio on hand – and plenty of batteries – is crucial.
What if the cyclone hits while you’re at home?
If it’s too late to evacuate, have a plan for sheltering in place.
Find the smallest room in your house with the least windows (which can shatter in a storm). This is often the bathroom, but it could be under the stairs. It is usually on the lowest level of the house.
Bring your food, water, radio, blankets and supplies there. Avoid walking around the house during the cyclone to fetch things; there could be glass on the floor or debris flying around.
It’s hard to predict how long you will need to shelter there, but it’s important not to leave until official sources say it is safe to do so.
Cyclones come in stages. They arrive from one direction, then comes an eerie calm as the “eye of the storm” passes over. Next, the other half of the cyclone arrives. Don’t go outside during the eye of the storm, because it’s not over.
Outside the house, there may be powerlines down, broken glass and other hazards. Don’t venture out until you get official clearance from the disaster dashboard or official sources on the radio saying it is safe.
For non-life threatening emergencies – such as a tree on your roof, or water running through your house – call the SES on 132 500 or register on the SES Assistance app (if you’re in Queensland). They will not come during the event itself but will come later.
If it’s a life threatening emergency, always call triple 0.
After the storm
After the storm, consider how to make your house more cyclone-ready in future. Many houses in North Queensland are designed for cyclone zones, but not as many further south will be.
Climate change means cyclones are likely to be more severe in future. These days, be cyclone-ready 365 days a year.
Yetta Gurtner has received funding in the past from the Bureau of Meteorology. She is a community engagement officer with the Queensland State Emergency Services.
A Palestinian child walks in one of the displacement camps at the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City, on Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The European Union (EU) called on Sunday for a rapid resumption of negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
“A permanent ceasefire would contribute to the release of all remaining Israeli hostages while ensuring the necessary conditions for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza to begin. All parties have a political responsibility to make this a reality,” Anouar El Anouni, the spokesperson for EU foreign affairs and security policy, said in a statement.
The EU reiterates its calls for full, rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid at scale for Palestinians in need and for allowing and facilitating humanitarian workers and international organizations to operate effectively and safely inside Gaza, the spokesperson said.
Flags of European Union (EU) and Ukraine are seen at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
French President Emmanuel Macron proposed on Sunday that the European Union (EU) member states should raise their defense spending to 3 to 3.5 percent of the EU’s total gross domestic product (GDP).
Speaking to the French daily Le Figaro after participating in a defense summit in London, Macron said EU member states should invest “heavily” in European defense to prepare for America’s eventual disengagement and to ensure Europe’s security.
The French president suggested raising considerable amounts together through joint loans or even the European Stability Mechanism. “We probably need initially 200 billion euros (208 billion U.S. dollars) to kick off,” he added.
According to statistics published by the European Council, in 2024, the EU member states’ total defense expenditure reached an estimated 326 billion euros (338 billion U.S. dollars), about 1.9 percent of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Regarding Ukraine, Macon told Le Figaro that he didn’t believe in the possible ceasefire signed by the Americans and Russians.
He, along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, had proposed a one-month “truce” in Ukraine, he said.
Macron stressed again that the European troops would only be deployed to Ukraine after the peace should be established.
Palestinian people have their iftar meal among destroyed houses on the first day of Ramadan in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalia, March 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid to Gaza since early Sunday has sparked fierce condemnation from Palestinian factions, regional countries, and international organizations.
At the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision “to prevent any entry of goods and supplies into Gaza” was made to pressure Hamas into accepting a new proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which he said was put forth by U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
He warned that Hamas would face “additional consequences” if it did not agree to the proposal.
In response, Hamas condemned the decision, calling it in a statement a “blatant attempt to renege on the agreement and evade negotiations for its second phase.” The group said blocking aid to Gaza’s 2 million residents was “cheap blackmail and a war crime” and urged mediators and the international community to press Israel to reverse the decision.
Mahmoud Meedawi, a senior Hamas official, said in a press statement that the group refused to extend the first phase of the agreement with Israel, stressing the need to implement all its phases as originally signed.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called the decision “a flagrant violation of the ceasefire” and an indication that Israel seeks to evade the second phase of the agreement.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine also condemned the decision, calling it an escalation of Israel’s “starvation warfare” against Gaza’s population, which will only deepen the already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Islamic Jihad called the decision “a crime against humanity” in a press statement. It accused the United States of shielding Israel as it continues to provide military aid and political cover for it.
Faisal Aranki, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, told Xinhua that Israel’s decision will worsen Gaza’s already severe shortages of essential goods and medical supplies.
“The Israeli government bears full responsibility for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions due to its violations of the ceasefire agreement and its obstruction of aid deliveries,” Aranki said, urging international pressure on Israel to reopen border crossings.
In a press statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned of the decision’s catastrophic consequences, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
“We strongly reject the politicization of humanitarian aid and its use as a tool for extortion,” it said, calling on the international community to hold Israel accountable and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Sunday that using aid as a weapon of collective punishment and starvation in Gaza is unacceptable and impermissible, affirming that this act represents a blatant and explicit violation of international humanitarian law.
At a joint press conference in Cairo with European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica, Abdelatty reaffirmed the importance of fully and faithfully implementing the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
Israel’s decision constitutes a flagrant breach of the ceasefire agreement and a blatant violation of international law, and poses a serious threat of renewed escalation in the region, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement.
The ministry emphasized the urgent need for Israel to cease using starvation as a weapon against Palestinians and innocent civilians by imposing a blockade, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
It also called on the international community to compel Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement, ensure the implementation of all its phases, and reopen the crossings designated for delivering humanitarian aid to all areas of Gaza.
According to a UN statement posted Sunday on social media platform X, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages,” and urged “all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza.”
Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, called Israel’s decision “alarming” on X.
“International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We can’t roll back the progress of the past 42 days. We need to get aid in and the hostages out. The ceasefire must hold,” he wrote.
The ceasefire has “saved countless lives and provided a glimmer of hope amid immense suffering” and “is essential to prevent the region from plunging back into despair,” Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said Sunday in a statement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) shakes hands with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, March 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that Britain will allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds (2 billion U.S. dollars) of British export finance to purchase more than 5,000 air defense missiles.
“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening Ukraine,” Starmer told a press conference following a summit with Western leaders in London.
The goal is “to put Ukraine in the strongest position” so the country can negotiate from a position of strength, he added.
Western leaders, including more than a dozen European heads of state and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gathered in London on Sunday for a defense summit aimed at advancing a peace plan for Ukraine.
Starmer said leaders at the summit had agreed on a four-step plan to guarantee peace in Ukraine: to maintain military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues and increase economic pressure on Russia; to ensure that any lasting peace guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, with Ukraine at the table for any negotiations; to deter “any future invasion by Russia” in the event of a peace deal; and to establish a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and uphold peace in the country.
The leaders also agreed to meet again soon to sustain the momentum behind these efforts, Starmer said.
The prime minister reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting the peace plan with “boots on the ground, and planes in the air.”
“Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he said, emphasizing that the agreement needs U.S. backing.
“Let me be clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday before the summit, Starmer announced that Britain, France and Ukraine will work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States. He named three essential points to achieve “lasting peace” — a strong Ukraine, a European element with security guarantees, and a U.S. backstop, with the last one being the subject of “intense” discussion.
The summit took place amid diplomatic tensions, following a heated exchange earlier this week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, which led to the cancellation of an anticipated raw materials agreement between the two countries.
On Saturday, Zelensky met with Starmer at 10 Downing Street, where the British prime minister reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering determination” to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. Following the meeting, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko announced that Britain and Ukraine had agreed on a loan of 2.26 billion pounds to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities. (1 pound = 1.26 U.S. dollar)
Covering period of Monday 3rd – Thursday 6th March – After a warm, dry end to meteorological summer, autumn announces itself in a chilly and wet fashion. MetService is forecasting a cool week for most, with wet and thundery weather, and biting southerlies along southern and eastern North Island coastlines. However, brighter weather returns by the end of the working week. Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Alfred now appears less likely to affect Aotearoa New Zealand.
A rain-bearing cold front moves up the South Island today (Monday), delivering heavier falls to eastern areas at times before clearing from the south and west this evening. On Tuesday, it’s the North Island’s turn with rain and showers, reaching Northland by the end of the day. Thunderstorms are also on the cards, particularly for the lower North Island and upper South Island.
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane explains, “Hail is likely from thunderstorms on Tuesday, especially for Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough. While many areas have favourable conditions for thunderstorms, not everyone will see one. However, where they do occur, they could bring intense rainfall in a short period. After a dry start to the year, many places need rain, but a sudden downpour may not be the most beneficial way for it to arrive.”
Showers persist through Wednesday and Thursday for eastern regions and the lower North Island. By Friday, most places can expect brighter skies, aside from some cloud and showers in the far south of the South Island.
Alongside wet weather, a shift to cooler temperatures is on the way. “After highs in the upper 20s and even 30s over the weekend, mid-week temperatures will drop to the mid-teens, with cool nights as well. Parts of the Canterbury High Country may even see frost on Thursday morning, with Twizel forecast to dip to 2°C,” Makgabutlane says.
The cooler air is driven by southerlies, which could be strong at times in the eastern and lower North Island, leading to rough sea conditions. “Swell heights will be something to watch along the Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay coastlines from Thursday. Extra care is advised for anyone planning to be near the water,” Makgabutlane cautions.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which initially appeared to have the potential to turn towards Aotearoa, now looks more likely to track westward towards the Queensland coast of Australia. Our thoughts are with those who may be affected across the Tasman. MetService will continue to monitor developments, and more information on the cyclone’s impact in Australia can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology’s website: https://metservice.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=63982abb40666393e6a63259d&id=aec4796a6a&e=852c839bf9
Protesters have scaled the building of an international weapons company in Rolleston, Christchurch, in resistance to it establishing a presence in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Two people from the group Peace Action Ōtautahi were on the roof of the NIOA building on Stoneleigh Drive, shown in a photo on social media, and banners were strung across the exterior.
Banners declared “No war profiteers in our city. NIOA supplies genocide” and “Shut NIOA down”.
In late December, the group hung a banner across the Bridge of Remembrance in a similar protest.
In 2023, the global munitions company acquired Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, an Australian-owned, US-based manufacturer of firearms and ammunition operating out of Tennessee.
According to the company’s website, its products are “used by civilian sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military and more than 80 State Department approved countries across the world”.
In a media release, Peace Action Ōtautahi said the aim was to highlight the alleged killing of innocent civilians with weapons supplied by NIOA.
NIOA has been approached for comment.
Police confirm action A police spokesperson said they were aware of the protest, and confirmed two people had climbed onto the roof, and others were surrounding the premises.
In a later statement, police said the people on the ground had moved. However, the two protesters remained on the roof.
“We are working to safely resolve the situation, and remove people from the roof,” they said.
“While we respect the right to lawful protest, our responsibility is to uphold the law and ensure the safety of those involved.”
Fire and Emergency staff were also on the scene, alongside the police Public Safety Unit and negotiation team.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Joint operation targets illegal hunting during deer season
Monday, 3 March 2025 – 9:23 am.
Tasmania Police, in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas), conducted a joint operation in the Central Highlands over the weekend to ensure compliance with hunting regulations and promote public safety. “During the operation, police and NRE Tas officers intercepted and inspected over 140 vehicles. The vast majority of hunters were found to be operating within the law, and we commend those who are adhering to regulations and hunting responsibly,” said Inspector Luke Horne. “We want to make it clear that Tasmania Police supports licensed hunters who follow the rules, but we will not tolerate illegal activity. Those who trespass or cause damage not only put themselves at risk but also undermine the efforts of responsible hunters.” “We appreciate the cooperation of the hunting community and thank the NRE Tas officers involved in this operation.” “Joint enforcement efforts such as this will continue throughout the year to ensure public safety, and raises awareness of firearms and hunting laws.” Hunting related information is available at – https://nre.tas.gov.au/agriculture/game-services-tasmania
The Oval Office encounter was expected to be an on-camera meeting between the president and the Ukrainian head of state before the signing of a crucial minerals deal between the two countries that was meant to be a key step toward ending war in Ukraine.
But as reporters described it, the initially routine meeting devolved into a “fiery exchange” in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance “berated” and “harangued” Zelenskyy after he pushed back on Vance’s assertion that Trump’s diplomatic skills would ensure that Russian president Vladimir Putin would honor a cease fire agreement.
Trump’s compulsion to dominate both alliesand enemies seems to have caused him to jettison the negotiation the moment that Zelenskyy declined to perform subservient fealty. The meeting, which was ended by Trump with no agreement signed, illustrated why authoritarians are lousy dealmakers, particularly when autocratic instincts are exacerbated by what’s known as toxic masculinity.
Toxic masculinity is a version of masculinity that discourages empathy, expresses strength through dominance, normalizes violence against women and associates leadership with white patriarchy. It devalues behaviors considered to be “feminine” and suggests that the way to earn others’ respect is to accrue power and status.
Trump’s reaction to Zelenskyy in the Oval Office illustrates how these inclinations stymie the president’s purported dealmaking abilities, undermine democratic values and make the world a more dangerous place.
Excerpts from the Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting, featuring U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Diplomat, dealmaker or mafia don?
Trump staged the public Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy to showcase his ostensible prowess as – in his words – an “arbitrator” and “mediator.” Trump insisted during the first 40 minutes that “my whole life is deals” and asserted that he has what it takes to make Putin conform to a peace agreement with an embattled Ukraine.
Apparently eager to project a persona as a successful diplomat and powerful dealmaker, Trump rejected a reporter’s suggestion that “you align yourself too much with Putin” and not with democratic values.
Trump contended that in order to successfully negotiate, he couldn’t alienate either Putin or Zelenskyy. “If I didn’t align myself with both of them,” he said, “you’d never have a deal.” Instead, he claimed, “I’m aligned with the United States of America and for the good of the world. I’m aligned with the world.”
Vance initially echoed Trump’s message, casting Trump as a consummate diplomat and arguing, “What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy.”
But Vance’s tone shifted the moment Zelenskyy challenged Trump’s framing.
Zelenskyy provided historical examples of U.S. diplomatic failures and observed that Trump and other presidents had been unable to contain Putin. Vance responded by castigating Zelenskyy for not “thanking the president” and repeatedly instructed him to “say thank you” as the exchange grew more volatile.
Trump, seemingly angered after Vance pointed out Zelenskyy’s lack of deference, dropped his diplomatic tone and informed Zelenskyy, “You’ve got to be more thankful because let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards, but without us, you don’t have any cards.”
After the meeting, both the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and Slate’s Kaplan compared Trump to a mafia don. The Daily Beast writer David Rothkopf suggested he was more like “the Luca Brasi for mob boss Vladimir Putin,” invoking Don Corleone’s henchman in the movie “The Godfather.”
After Trump suspended negotiations, canceled lunch and expelled the Ukrainian delegation from the White House, Reuters reported that “most Republicans rallied behind Trump and Vance.”
President Donald Trump, center, and Vice President JD Vance meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Many of his supporters voted for Trump in 2016 because they wanted a “dealmaker in chief,” as one poll characterized it, who could get things done in a fractured Congress.
In his second term, despite having a Republican congressional majority, Trump has established himself as the nation’s sole authority, embracing toxic masculinity’s theory of power and respect. Doing an end run around Congress and flouting the law, Trump initiated scores of policy changes via executive order and asserted that neither lawmakers nor judges have the authority to challenge or constrain him.
Trump’s blow-up at Zelenskyy is much more than a foreign policy snafu. It’s a preview of what will happen when toxic masculinity drives U.S. foreign policy.
Toxic masculinity on the world stage
A screenshot of various U.K. newspapers’ headlines about the Oval Office meeting. CBS Evening News
Trump initially acknowledged that Russian abuses were “tough stuff,” but concern for Ukrainians seems to have vanished after Zelenskyy politely challenged Trump.
Decrying Zelenskyy’s insufficient gratitude and escalating the conflict, Trump asserted, “You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.”
Vance similarly shifted focus from the needs of Ukrainian civilians to paying homage to Trump, demanding that Zelenskyy “offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who is trying to save your country.”
A common tactic employed by abusers is to demand that the person they are bullying show them gratitude.
In their berating, bullying and humiliation of Zelenskyy, the president and vice president of the United States used the language and rhetoric of abusers in an apparent attempt to try to force the proud and dignified leader of a country at war to grovel and get in line.
Their lack of discipline and decorum also upended the negotiation, jeopardizing a deal aimed at halting the fighting in Ukraine and advancing U.S. interests.
In my view, the toxic masculinity on display in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, 2025, was a bald demonstration of something new and alarming to a public accustomed to decorum and diplomacy in that formal setting.
For many, the enduring image of that meeting is an anxious Zelenskyy being hectored by a furious Trump.
But there’s another image that captures equally well the dynamic unfolding in the room. Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova sat in a chair just in front of the assembled members of the press. Papers held steady in her lap with one hand, the normally unflappable member of the diplomatic corps buried her head in her other hand, unable to even look at what was happening.
Karrin Vasby Anderson 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.
This month, as the weather stays high and you’re likely to want to stay under the air-conditioning, our experts have a cornucopia of shows and films they’re watching to suit every mood.
There is Robert de Niro’s romp through politics which “stretches the bounds of credibility”, new seasons of The Traitors from both the United Kingdom and the United States, three new Aussie productions and a new comedy from Aotearoa New Zealand. There is a documentary about Cyclone Tracy for the history buffs – and to round it all out, the intriguingly titled Nightbitch.
Zero Day
Netflix
It seems appropriate that Netflix’s attempt to create a show that captures the state of US politics should be as absurd and troubling as the first months of the Trump administration. Zero Day stretches the bounds of credibility, but, like Trump, it is hypnotic viewing.
A former president, George Mullen (Robert de Niro) is called upon to track down the source of a cyber-attack which turns off all power for one minute, leading to multiple deaths.
Mullen’s own family story becomes central to the plot, involving both his wife (Joan Allen) and daughter (Lizzy Caplan) – who conveniently happens to be a congresswoman, clearly inspired by left-wing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Zero Day is full of such references, from the current president (Angela Bassett), a nod to Kamala Harris, to a populist radio host and a sinister tech tycoon.
American reviews have complained the series tries too hard to appeal across partisan lines, to suggest woke calls from the left is equivalent to extremism on the right. Yes, there’s a fuzziness to the politics of Zero Day. But I saw it as a cry of despair at the state of American public life which is also highly entertaining television.
– Dennis Altman
Optics
ABC iView
What does it mean to tell the truth? And how do we, as consumers of media, differentiate truth from fabrication? Optics, a new comedy series from the ABC, asks these questions through the setting of a public relations firm.
The show expertly balances humour with quick-wit, social media vernacular, and a level of marketing wordsmithing that makes you question if the news has ever told you a true story.
The show is based in the PR firm Fritz & Randell and opens with the death of its aging CEO Frank Fritz (Peter Carroll), in a men-only board meeting no less.
After Frank’s death, the son of the cofounder, Ian Randell (Charles Firth) makes a bid for top spot. But the owner of the firm, Bobby Bahl (Claude Jabbour) is concerned with “optics”, so he puts two young women in charge instead.
Their young, spunky attitude and social media prowess is seen as a massive advantage. And it is. But it soon becomes apparent this move is much more than a feminist fresh-take for the firm – and is rather a bid to push some skeletons further back in the closet.
With outrageous lines such as “is there an emoji for miscarriage”, you are guaranteed an entertaining watch. The show will have you questioning the stories you yourself are presented through news outlets. Further still, it will make you wonder how many hands those stories passed through before they hit the papers and screens.
N00b is a coming-of-age story set in small town Gore, New Zealand, a proverbial “arse-end” of the world. Under show creator Victoria Boult, the series bristles with a vibrancy and edginess.
It’s a familiar story of rugby jocks (“boys”) and popular kids, geeks, misfits, and their witless teachers. It’s something of a modest, reality snapshot of the teen dramas it so confidently riffs on, shows like Laguna Beach and The O.C.
But what makes this a courageous entry in the genre is N00b’s willingness to be both uproariously funny and caustically cynical. This is a very funny teen comedy, and yet it is also dark and provocative in ways I found refreshing and quite surprising.
Boult cut her teeth on film studies at the University of Sydney and then went on to work with Jane Campion on The Power of the Dog. The sureness of vision and the deftness of the way in which Boult understands genre is so impressive. The production is based on Boult’s viral TikTok series of the same name (which I can highly recommend).
I sincerely hope that N00b finds a major audience and perhaps even garners a cult following. Highly recommend.
– Bruce Isaacs
The Traitors US and UK, seasons three
TenPlay (Australia), ThreeNow (New Zealand)
The third seasons from The Traitors UK and US are fantastic companion pieces, with respective hosts Claudia Winkleman and Alan Cumming guiding the plucky contestants with their camp prowess.
With their third seasons, the creative teams behind each version have realised that the more theatrical the better, with Winkleman and Cumming leading the charge with their sass and eccentric fashion choices. The setting of Ardross Castle (for both series) in the Scottish Highlands helps.
The premise is simple: a cast of contestants must complete challenges to earn money for the kitty. Hidden among the faithful contestants are traitors. If a traitor makes it to the end, they keep the money for themselves.
Each episode, the faithfuls must banish a contestant who they think is a traitor. That evening, the traitors also meet in their turret, wearing mysterious cloaks of course, to “murder” a contestant in their sleep.
The British season has a diverse cast of everyday contestants, with standouts being one person who gives herself away as a traitor within seconds of being chosen, and another faking a Welsh accent to appear more down to earth.
The US season is vastly different with a cast of former reality television show icons. Here, it’s fascinating to see how contestants from different franchises, such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, Real Housewives, Survivor and Big Brother all approach the game differently.
Both the American and British versions of The Traitors are fantastic viewing and it’s a genuine shame that the Australian version was let down with substandard casting choices and an aesthetic that was the antithesis of camp.
– Stuart Richards
Cyclone Tracy
9 Now
On Christmas Eve 2024, Australia remembered the 50th anniversary of the destruction of Darwin wrought by Cyclone Tracy. Fittingly, the 9 Now streaming service marked this anniversary by featuring the 1986 miniseries Cyclone Tracy, a vivid depiction of 1970s Darwin and the terrible impact of the cyclone.
Cyclone Tracy stars Tracy Mann as Connie, a widow and mother of two who has just paid off the mortgage of her hotel, which serves as the central stage for the drama.
The series captures the cultural diversity of Darwin (though some portrayals veer towards caricature at times), and the city itself is beautifully evoked through archival footage and great production design. The cyclone itself is frightening, and its destructive power is powerfully evoked (the series’ director of photography, Andrew Lesnie, would later win an Oscar for cinematography).
In the mid-1980s, when this series first went to air, many viewers would have still been coming to terms with this terrible disaster: it was an act of storytelling for the nation. Watching it in 2025, Cyclone Tracy reminds us of the importance of these nation-making television programs that were once such an important part of Australian culture.
– Michelle Arrow
Apple Cider Vinegar
Netflix
Apple Cider Vinegar tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson.
For anyone who followed Gibson during her rise to fame in the 2010s – or her spectacular fall – the show feels eerily familiar.
From the clothing, to the makeup, to the food, Apple Cider Vinegar excels in set design and staging. Every effort has been made to ensure this true story, based on a lie, looks like it did when it was unfolding on our phone screens in the 2010s.
As someone who followed Gibson closely and spent months hunting down the recalled cookbook to see if the health claims were as outlandish as I’d heard (they were), this show was a treat to watch.
The scenes are cut with recreations of Belle’s stylised Instagram pictures of green juices, beaches and food with “no nasties”. Belle’s account was removed from Instagram after the massive public ousting of her hoax.
Apple Cider Vinegar has done an incredible job recreating this account and breathing life back into the deleted content.
Whether or not you are already familiar with Gibson’s story, Apple Cider Vinegar is a compelling watch. You’ll especially love it if you enjoy non-fiction productions that play with ideas of truth such as iTonya, the Tinder Swindler and Inventing Anna.
Stan’s new series Invisible Boys follows four young gay men as they understand and explore their identities while living in Geraldton, a regional town in Western Australia.
Charlie Roth (Joseph Zada), Zeke Calogero (Aydan Calafiore), Kade “Hammer” Hammersmith (Zach Blampied) and Matt Jones (Joe Klocek) represent four very different young men. Yet they share the experience of feeling invisible because of their sexuality.
An adaptation of Holden Sheppard’s novel of the same name, the story challenges linear narratives of progress and typical ideals of queer life. It also shows how such mentalities can lead gay and bisexual men growing up in regional Australia to feel invisible, as they often don’t fit the neat narratives associated with “progress”.
No previous teen drama has been quite as truthful in its representation of some young gay and bisexual men’s experiences.
As someone who grew up gay in regional Australia, it feels like an authentic representation of my own experience. There’s something universal about Charlie, Zeke, Kade and Matt’s stories of not fitting in, and of being invisible to be safe.
Most striking is the way the series captures the complicated mix of joy and fear – the clash of opportunity and consequence – that accompanies becoming visibly gay in these environments.
“Motherhood,” the beleaguered stay-at-home mother of Nightbitch tells us in contemplative voice-over, “is probably the most violent experience a human can have aside from death itself”.
The film sets out to show motherhood is also far more savage and feral than the anodyne images posted on social media by retrograde tradwives or mumfluencers would have us believe.
As Nightbitch puts it, it’s “fucking brutal”.
Mother (Amy Adams) is an unnamed installation artist who places her career on hold to raise her young son. Wrung out by the demands of motherhood and increasingly furious with the lack of support she receives from her incompetent and often absent Husband (Scoot McNairy), Mother starts to spiral out of control, morphing into a dog complete with tail, sharpened canines, extra nipples and a ravenous desire for raw meat.
Nightbitch takes the fear of the reproductive woman literally, drawing on magic realism and horror tropes to show the visceral and psychological metamorphosis women undergo on becoming mothers. Unfortunately director Marielle Heller’s refusal to lean into the body horror results in a neutered narrative with more bark than bite.
Michelle Arrow receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Bruce Isaacs, Damien O’Meara, Dennis Altman, Edith Jennifer Hill, Rachel Williamson, and Stuart Richards 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.
The government recently announced a framework to regulate carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) by New Zealand companies.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts outlined new rules that would allow emitters to capture their carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and inject them underground for permanent disposal. They would then avoid having to pay for those emissions under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Globally, CCUS is currently used mostly by coal or gas-fired power stations, liquefied natural gas plants and petroleum refineries. There are 41 commercial operations around the world, and they capture about 40 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.
Our peers (Australia, the United States and the European Union) already have CCUS frameworks and storage projects. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledges CCUS’s role in curbing emissions, but highlights challenges in scaling and technology readiness.
New Zealand faces the challenge of reducing emissions from strategic industries such as steel, concrete, fossil fuels and their derivatives (methanol, ammonia). CCUS has been tabled as an interim solution, strongly supported by the fossil fuel industry. However, critics warn it could reduce incentives to phase out fossil fuels.
The government argues its CCUS framework aligns New Zealand with international standards. This claim has merit insofar as successful climate action is likely to require international collaboration and technology transfer.
CCUS in New Zealand could enable reinjection of CO₂ produced from the Kapuni gas field in Taranaki, with “utilisation” involving diverting some of the gas for use in the food and beverage or horticulture industries.
However, leakage of CO₂ from long-term disposal sites is a major technical risk and New Zealand’s framework must be clear on how it would deal with this liability.
Rules for CCUS projects generally require operators to monitor, report and remedy any leakage of CO₂. But because the industry is young, it is useful to take a broader look at geological leakage in the past to reveal how future challenges play out.
Lake Boehmer, in the the Permian Basin of West Texas, wasn’t always there. But 20 years ago an old irrigation well started leaking saltwater and hasn’t stopped since.
The well was drilled in 1951 by an oil and gas company. No oil was discovered so the well was handed over to the landowner for irrigation. The well produced water, but also poisonous hydrogen sulphide, enough to kill a farmhand in 1953.
In the 1990s, the well started leaking. Water from a deep aquifer had pushed its way up alongside the well through geological layers of salt. The water dissolved the salt, worsening the leak, and emerged from underground three times saltier than seawater.
The Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas, says they are not liable to plug the well because they only have jurisdiction over oil wells. The original operator, which is claimed to have promised to plug the well “any time it becomes polluted with mineral water”, is no longer in business. No one can find the landowner.
After 20 years, Lake Boehmer has grown to 60 acres. Its shore is rimmed in salt crystals and the odd dead bird from hydrogen sulphide exposure. No one can agree who should fix it.
Could something similar happen with CCUS? Exacerbating factors in the Boehmer case include deterioration of an aged well – it’s almost 50 years since leakage started – and the absence of a backstop party as the final holder of liability. Both could happen with CCUS under the wrong circumstances.
Better ways of dealing with leakage
The Decatur CCUS project in the US state of Illinois has been injecting CO₂ produced from corn ethanol two kilometres deep into sandstone. Over about a decade, 4.5 million tonnes of CO₂ has been injected – emissions diverted from the atmosphere.
The US government imposes strict monitoring rules on CCUS projects. Special monitoring wells are drilled into the disposal aquifer to measure pressure changes and how far the CO₂ has travelled.
Unfortunately, one of these wells started to leak, possibly due to corrosion. It allowed about 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ to escape into overlying geological layers.
This is rightly concerning, but to put it into perspective, the size of the leak is 0.2% of the injected CO₂ volume and none of it has escaped to the atmosphere or shallow groundwater. The leak was detected, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intervened, issuing a notice that the leak be remediated, and the company plugged the well.
This illustrates a functioning CCUS framework. Monitoring requirements ensured the leak was discovered and the regulator was empowered to dictate remedial action.
However, critics have questioned the timeliness of the operator’s disclosure. The site remains on hold but may resume operations if the EPA is satisfied with the fix.
Lessons for New Zealand
A proposal circulated last year suggests the government will model its legislation on Australia and the EU, with CCUS operators being responsible for leaks during disposal operations and for a time after site closure.
This is like the Decatur situation. It makes sense for operators to fix leaks because they have the technical expertise and are the direct financial beneficiaries of emissions disposal.
It gets trickier on generational time frames. Companies can go out of business or might leave the country. In these cases, the government is liable for long-term leakage and may seek financial security from the operator to cover future costs.
A leak arising decades after closure could be more difficult to detect and costly to fix, especially if held up by a protracted fight around liability. This is the Lake Boehmer example.
Some CCUS seems inevitable if the world is to meet climate targets. It is therefore important to prepare for the possibility of a leak by having robust practices and clear responsibility.
Although it may seem unfair to burden future generations with looking after CO₂ disposal sites, we argue it is preferable to a legacy that has those same climate-warming gases in the atmosphere.
David Dempsey receives funding from MBIE for research into carbon dioxide removal.
Andrew La Croix receives funding from MBIE for research into carbon dioxide removal.
Appeals to fiscal restraint have been quiet. Labor is trumpeting its responsible economic management, while the Liberals are promising to “set the right priorities”. There is little talk of slashing and saving.
The combination of the cost-of-living crisis and WA’s strong economy has dampened the public’s appetite for austerity. It has also provided the parties with the cover to spend without seeming fiscally reckless.
While the policy priorities between the parties are broadly similar, there remain significant differences.
Policy debates on housing and climate
In housing, for example, all parties promise to slash stamp duty for first home buyers, but their proposals otherwise differ:
the Greens pledge to regulate short-stay accommodation, strengthen renters’ rights and set housing targets.
For climate policy, the differences are starker. Labor promises a coal-free grid by 2030 and a green energy future built in WA, driven by windfarms and WA-made home batteries. It stops short at reducing natural gas use, unlike the Greens.
However, Labor has also pushed back against environmental regulation. Premier Roger Cook lobbied the federal government to abandon environmental protection legislation.
The recent release of a long-withheld independent report that prompted sweeping changes to the WA Environmental Protection Agency was criticised by conservation organisations for its lack of consultation outside of the mining industry.
The Liberals agree on the need for batteries and wind power. However, they also promise to extend the lifespan of WA’s coal power stations and lift the ban on uranium mining in WA.
In her campaign launch speech, Liberal leader Libby Mettam pledged to cut “green tape” and defund the Environmental Defenders Office. This is on the grounds that “taxpayer money should not be spent propping up activists”.
The culture wars cometh
Mettam’s choice to target “activists” signals the Liberals’ flirtation with the culture wars. This term refers to conflict over social issues concerning identity and inclusion such as gender, race and sexuality. These issues are invoked by politicians to win votes from a polarised electorate.
Centre-right parties around the world have embraced culture wars, including in Australia.
Aligning herself with federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton, Mettam has stated she will refuse to stand in front of the First Nations flags.
She’s also promised to “ban the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone treatments and surgical intervention for children under the age of 16 for the purpose of gender transition” and launch a comprehensive review of these treatments.
There are incentives for the Liberals to engage in culture war tactics.
Labor’s electoral position is stable. It also holds a dominant share of political donations. Public desire for big spending is limiting the effectiveness of traditional conservative attacks on Labor’s economic management.
The Liberals may perceive culture-war signalling as their most viable strategy for winning government. And, if the results of recent elections around the world are anything to go by, then “anti-woke” politics is surging.
Scandals involving various Liberal candidates further deepen the perception the Liberals are engaged in culture wars.
Albany candidate Thomas Brough was ordered to take workplace training with the Australian Human Rights Commission after making comments falsely linking the LGBTQIA+ community with paedophilia. Brough (who is a doctor) was referred to the State Administrative Tribunal by the Medical Board for the comments.
Brough also came under fire for suggesting a “posse” of regional doctors would help gun owners navigate new stricter gun laws introduced by Labor. Brough has not been asked by the party to resign.
Similarly, a rising star for the Liberals and candidate for Churchlands, Basil Zempilas, made widely condemned comments about transgender people on his radio show in 2020, shortly after becoming Lord Mayor of Perth. Apologising after, he said he had “forgotten he was lord mayor”.
The party also preselected candidates whose digital footprints revealed unpalatable views.
During an awkward press conference, Darling Range candidate Paul Mansfield was confronted with what the ABC described as “a series of derogatory social media posts, including homophobic slurs and two lewd posts about women”.
Kimberley candidate Darren Spackman was asked to leave the party after derogatory social media posts he made in 2022 about Indigenous people were republished.
The preselection of these candidates could be written off as the reflection of a hollowed-out party struggling to attract strong candidates.
But under Mettam, the WA Liberal Party is caught between signalling it is part of the anti-woke surge and being seen to resist discrimination.
It is unclear whether the culture wars will secure votes for the Liberals. Recent research shows strong support for issues such as transgender rights among Australian voters.
How WA voters respond to culture-war messaging will undoubtedly inform the Liberals’ position in the federal election.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Last month tech giant Meta announced plans to build the world’s longest submarine communication cable.
Known as Project Waterworth, the 50,000-kilometre cable would link five continents. Meta says it would improve connectivity and technological development in countries including the United States, India and Brazil.
But submarine cables can do far more than just enhance telecommunications. In fact, a recent conference I attended in London highlighted how a relatively new generation of cables can also be used to keep us safe from threats such as climate change and natural disasters.
The Transatlantic submarine cable, connecting British North America to Ireland, was laid in 1858. Rod Allday, CC BY-SA
These cables are equipped with sensors that measure vital environmental data in the ocean. This data includes seismic activity, temperature fluctuations and pressure changes. It can be used to improve early-warning systems for tsunamis and earthquakes as well as tracking changes in the climate.
OFS – short for optical fibre sensing – cables are aimed at protecting critical infrastructure. They use the fibre within to detect vibrations surrounding the cable. This allows cable operators to identify potential disruptions from fishing activity, ship anchors and other physical disturbances.
The topic of sensing cables comes up at conferences, thanks to industry professionals who work on it pro bono. But the technology isn’t widely adopted by the broader industry and governments. For example, SMART cables have been around since 2010, but there are only two projects in development.
The reasons for this slow uptake boil down to three major concerns, as discussed at the conference.
1. Outdated regulation
The legal framework governing undersea cables is outdated.
This legal ambiguity introduces additional complexities to already lengthy and complex processes for obtaining permits when sensing technologies are integrated into cables.
2. No clear business model
Industry executives question the financial feasibility of sensing cables. For example, during the conference in London, several industry executives suggested adding sensors raises costs by approximately 15%, with no clear revenue return.
Unlike data traffic, environmental data doesn’t directly generate income. Unless governments intervene with funding, tax incentives or expedited permits, cable operators have little incentive to absorb these added costs and complexities.
3. Security risks
At the subsea cable conference in London, several industry insiders also warned embedding sensors in cables could create new security risks.
Some governments might view sensing-equipped cables as surveillance tools rather than neutral scientific infrastructure.
There is also concern such cables could become attractive targets for malicious actors.
But there are good reasons for more countries and industry to invest in SMART cables.
For example, information on ocean depth, seabed composition and temperature fluctuations is valuable. A wide array of industries, from shipping and offshore energy to fisheries and insurance, could leverage this data to enhance their operations and mitigate risks.
Scientists have also pointed out that in order to better understand climate change, we need more and better data about what’s happening in the ocean.
Current subsea cable regulatory hurdles make investing in sensing technology challenging. But if regulation is updated, projects such as Meta’s Waterworth Project could more easily integrate sensors.
With experts suggesting the Waterworth Project be viewed as multiple cables instead of one, sensors could just be deployed on less geopolitically sensitive cable branches.
They could facilitate the creation of an open-access, publicly funded database for ocean observation data. Such a platform could consolidate real-time data from sensing cables, satellites and marine sensors. This would provide a transparent, shared resource for scientists, policymakers and industries alike.
Of course, deploying sensing technology may not be feasible in volatile regions such as the Baltic or South China seas.
But there is potential in areas especially vulnerable to climate change, such as the Pacific. Here, scientific data could be harnessed to model oceanic changes and explore solutions to rising sea levels and extreme weather patterns.
Data collected from submarine cables can help us better understand the effects of climate change on the ocean. somavarapu madhavi/Shutterstock
A path forward
Portugal demonstrates a path forward for SMART cables. Despite the regulatory challenges, it is actively investing in SMART cables in order to improve climate data.
Other governments can learn from this if they wish to fulfil their moral duty to invest in infrastructure that serves as a public good.
The idea of embedding sensors in cables may not be the perfect climate change fix. But it’s a step toward understanding the ocean’s invisible rhythms – a small but necessary gesture to stop pretending our planet’s breakdown will fix itself.
Cynthia Mehboob 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 Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Historic £1.6bn deal provides thousands of air defence missiles for Ukraine and boosts UK jobs and growth
Deal will create 200 jobs in Northern Ireland and provide 5000 air defence missiles missiles to Ukraine.
200 new jobs will be created and hundreds more supported at one of the UK’s leading defence manufacturers, after a £1.6bn deal was announced by the Prime Minister today to supply thousands of advanced air defence missiles to Ukraine.
The latest measures in the UK’s support for Ukraine to achieve peace through strength, the deal will also provide a major boost to the UK economy and support 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast, which will manufacture more than 5,000 lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) for Ukraine’s defence. The deal will see production of LMMs at Thales’s factory treble and will also benefit companies in the Thales Supply Chain across the UK – putting more money in working people’s pockets.
It is the largest contract ever received by Thales in Belfast and the second largest MOD has placed with Thales, building on a previous contract with Thales, signed in September 2024 for 650 missiles. The first batch of missiles were delivered before Christmas, and this new contract will continue deliveries.
The deal comes after the Prime Minister announced the Government’s commitment to increase spending on defence to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027 and confirmed an ambition to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next parliament, in order to keep Britain safe and secure for generations to come. This investment will be an opportunity to translate defence spending into British growth, British jobs, British skills, and British innovation.
The deal helps deliver on the Government’s pledge in its Plan for Change to improve the lives of people in every corner of the UK by growing the economy. By spending more on defence we will deliver the national security that underpins economic growth, and unlock new jobs, skills and opportunities across the country.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
My support for Ukraine is unwavering. I am determined to find a way forward that brings an end to Russia’s illegal war and guarantees Ukraine a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security.
I am also clear that national security is economic security. As well as levelling up Ukraine’s air defence, this loan will make working people here in the UK better off, boosting our economy and supporting jobs in Northern Ireland and beyond.
By doubling down on our support, working closely with key partners, and ensuring Ukraine has a strong voice at the table, I believe we can achieve a strong, lasting deal that delivers a permanent peace in Ukraine.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
Three years since Putin launched his full-scale invasion, we are now at a critical moment for the future of Ukraine and the security of us all in Europe.
We all want a secure and lasting peace. As today’s meeting has showed, the UK will continue to lead international efforts to support Ukraine in securing a ceasefire and durable peace. And we will not jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war. This new support will help protect Ukraine against drone and missile attacks but it will also help deter further Russian aggression following any end to the fighting.
This new deal delivers on the UK’s ironclad commitment to step up military support for Ukraine, whilst boosting jobs and growth at home.
Today’s deal marks a historic step for industrial relations between the UK and Ukraine, building on the 100 Year Partnership signed recently by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The contract will enable Ukraine to draw on £3.5bn of export finance to acquire military equipment from UK companies, boosting both the UK’s and Ukraine’s defence industrial bases and support investment in further military capabilities.
Ukraine has already put the highly capable LMM missile to use as part of its air defences where it has proven to be incredibly effective in protecting civilians and critical infrastructure from Russia’s bombardment. A £162m contract announced in September last year saw 650 LMM missiles supplied to Ukraine as an initial order to ramp up production – deliveries started in December 2024.
Thales Northern Ireland will deliver the contract – worth an initial £1.16bn with the potential for around a further £500m of work to be added – in collaboration with a Ukrainian industry partner, which will manufacture launchers and command and control vehicles for the missiles in Ukraine.
The contract has been placed by the MOD’s procurement arm Defence Equipment & Support on behalf of the Ukrainian Government, to be funded by a loan underwritten by United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) after a deal signed last year to allow Ukraine to draw on £3.5bn worth of support from UKEF to spend with UK industry.
As set out in the Plan for Change, national security is the first duty of the Government – and a strong economy is built on the bedrock of strong security. Increased defence spending will support highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the whole of the UK. Last year, defence spending supported over 430,000 jobs across the UK, the equivalent to one in every 60, and 68% of defence spending goes outside of London and the Southeast, benefitting every nation and region of the country.
Andy Start, DE&S CEO and UK National Armaments Director said:
The UK’s Defence Industry has supported Ukraine from the start of the war and this important contract underlines industry’s ability to scale up production at pace to deliver the world-class defence equipment Ukraine requires.
This contract is a critical next step in the work of Task Force HIRST in developing lasting partnerships between the UK and Ukraine’s defence industries. The substantial increase in LMM production capacity will benefit both Ukraine’s fight tonight, as well as the longer-term security of the UK.
The deal marks the next milestone in the work of the MOD’s Taskforce HIRST and the first of a series of “mega projects” to be delivered for Ukraine, with the HIRST team working to build long-term relationships with Ukrainian industry to restore and modernise their defence industrial base, support its future defence and economic growth.
Earlier this month, the Defence Secretary announced a new £150m military support package to support Ukrainian troops fighting Russia on the frontline, part of the UK’s unprecedented £3 billion annual pledge to Ukraine.
The UK has committed to spending £3bn next financial year to support Ukraine, with an additional £1.5bn from interest on seized assets through the Extraordinary Revenue Accelerator – taking the total to £4.5Bn. This will ensure Ukraine can achieve peace through strength and underscoring the new 100 Year Partnership between the UK and Ukraine.
On Valentine’s Day 2025, heavy rains started to fall in parts of rural Appalachia. Over the course of a few days, residents in eastern Kentucky watched as river levels rose and surpassed flood levels. Emergency teams conducted over 1,000 water rescues. Hundreds, if not thousands of people were displaced from homes, and entire business districts filled with mud.
For some, it was the third time in just four years that their homes had flooded, and the process of disposing of destroyed furniture, cleaning out the muck and starting anew is beginning again.
Historic floods wiped out businesses and homes in eastern Kentucky in February 2021, July 2022 and now February 2025. An even greater scale of destruction hit eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina in September 2024, when Hurricane Helene’s rainfall and flooding decimated towns and washed out parts of major highways.
Scenes of flooding from several locations across Appalachia in February 2025.
Each of these events was considered to be a “thousand-year flood,” with a 1-in-1,000 chance of happening in a given year. Yet they’re happening more often.
The floods have highlighted the resilience of local people to work together for collective survival in rural Appalachia. But they have also exposed the deep vulnerability of communities, many of which are located along creeks at the base of hills and mountains with poor emergency warning systems. As short-term cleanup leads to long-term recovery efforts, residents can face daunting barriers that leave many facing the same flood risks over and over again.
Exposing a housing crisis
For the past nine years, I have been conducting research on rural health and poverty in Appalachia. It’s a complex region often painted in broad brushstrokes that miss the geographic, socioeconomic and ideological diversity it holds.
There is considerable local inequality that is often overlooked in a region portrayed as one-dimensional. Poverty levels are indeed high. In Perry County, Kentucky, where one of eastern Kentucky’s larger cities, Hazard, is located, nearly 30% of the population lives under the federal poverty line. But the average income of the top 1% of workers in Perry County is nearly US$470,000 – 17 times more than the average income of the remaining 99%.
This income and wealth inequality translates to unequal land ownership – much of eastern Kentucky’s most desirable land remains in the hands of corporations and families with great generational wealth.
When I first moved to eastern Kentucky in 2016, I was struck by the grave lack of affordable, quality housing. I met families paying $200-$300 a month for a small plot to put a mobile home. Others lived in “found housing” – often-distressed properties owned by family members. They had no lease, no equity and no insurance. They had a place to lay one’s head but lacked long-term stability in the event of disagreement or disaster. This reality was rarely acknowledged by local and state governments.
Eastern Kentucky’s 2021 and 2022 floods turned this into a full-blown housing crisis, with 9,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the 2022 flood alone.
“There was no empty housing or empty places for housing,” one resident involved in local flood recovery efforts told me. “It just was complete disaster because people just didn’t have a place to go.”
Most homeowners did not have flood insurance to assist with rebuilding costs. While many applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance, the amounts they received often did not go far. The maximum aid for temporary housing assistance and repairs is $42,500, plus up to an additional $42,500 for other needs related to the disaster.
The federal government often provides more aid for rebuilding through block grants directed to local and state governments, but that money requires congressional approval and can take months to years to arrive. Local community coalitions and organizations stepped in to fill these gaps, but they did not necessarily have sufficient donations or resources to help such large numbers of displaced people.
Affordable rental housing is hard to find in much of Appalachia. When flooding wipes out homes, as Jackson, Ky., saw in July 2022 and again in February 2025, it becomes even more rare. Michael Swensen/Getty Images
With a dearth of affordable rentals pre-flood, renters who lost their homes had no place to go. And those living in “found housing” that was destroyed were not eligible for federal support for rebuilding.
The sheer level of devastation also posed challenges. One health care professional told me: “In Appalachia, the way it usually works is if you lose your house or something happens, then you go stay with your brother or your mom or your cousin. … But everybody’s mom and brother and cousin also lost their house. There was nowhere to stay.” From her point of view, “our homelessness just skyrocketed.”
The cost of land – social and economic
After the 2022 flood, the Kentucky Department for Local Government earmarked almost $300 million of federal funding to build new, flood-resilient homes in eastern Kentucky. Yet the question of where to build remained. As another resident involved in local flood recovery efforts told me, “You can give us all the money you want; we don’t have any place to build the house.”
It has always been costly and time-intensive to develop land in Appalachia. Available higher ground tends to be located on former strip mines, and these reclaimed lands require careful geotechnical surveying and sometimes structural reinforcements.
If these areas are remote, the costs of running electric, water and other infrastructure services can also be prohibitive. For this reason, for-profit developers have largely avoided many counties in the region. The head of a nonprofit agency explained to me that, because of this, “The markets have broken. … We have no [housing] market.”
Eastern Kentucky’s mountains are beautiful, but there are few locations for building homes that aren’t near creeks or rivers. Strip-mined land, where mountaintops were flattened, often aren’t easily accessible and come with their own challenges. Posnov/Moment via Getty Images
There is also some risk involved in attempting to build homes on new land that has not previously been developed. A local government could pay for undeveloped land to be surveyed and prepared for development, with the prospect of reimbursement by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development if housing is successfully built. But if, after the work to prepare the land, it is still too cost-prohibitive to build a profitable house there, the local government would not receive any reimbursement.
Some counties have found success clearing land for large developments on former strip mine sites. But these former coal mining areas can be considerable distances from towns. Without robust public transportation systems, these distances are especially prohibitive for residents who lack reliable personal transportation.
Another barrier is the high prices that both individual and corporate landowners are asking for properties on higher ground.
The scarcity of desirable land available for sale, combined with increasingly urgent demand, has led to prices unaffordable for most. Another resident involved in local flood recovery efforts explained: “If you paid $5,000 for 30 acres 40 years ago, why won’t you sell that for $100,000? Nope, [they want] $1 million.” That makes it increasingly difficult for both individuals and housing developers to purchase land and build.
One reason for this scarcity is the amount of land that is still owned by outside corporate interests. For example, Kentucky River Properties, formerly Kentucky River Coal Corporation, owns over 270,000 acres across seven counties in the region. While this landholding company leases land to coal, timber and gas companies, it and others like it rarely permit residential development.
But not all unused land is owned by corporations. Some of this land is owned by families with deep roots in the region. People’s attachment to a place often makes them want to stay in their communities, even after disasters. But it can also limit the amount of land available for rebuilding. People are often hesitant to sell land that holds deep significance for their families, even if they are not living there themselves.
Rural communities are often tight-knit. Many residents want to stay despite the risks. AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
One health care professional expressed feeling torn between selling or keeping their own family property after the 2022 flood: “We have a significant amount of property on top of a mountain. I wouldn’t want to sell it because my papa came from nothing. … His generation thought owning land was the greatest thing. … And for him to provide his children and his grandchildren and their great-grandchildren a plot of land that he worked and sweat and ultimately died to give us – people want to hold onto that.”
She recognized that land was in great demand but couldn’t bring herself to sell what she owned. In cases like hers, higher grounds are owned locally but still remain unused.
Moving toward higher ground, slowly
Two years after the 2022 flood, major government funding for rebuilding still has not resulted in a significant number of homes. The state has planned seven communities on higher ground in eastern Kentucky that aim to house 665 new homes. As of early 2025, 14 houses had been completed.
Progress on providing housing on higher ground is slow, and the need is great.
In the meantime, when I conducted interviews during the summer and fall of 2024, many of the mobile home communities that were decimated in the 2022 flood had begun to fill back up. These were flood-risk areas, but there was simply no other place to go.
Last week, I watched on Facebook a friend’s live video footage showing the waters creeping up the sides of the mobile homes in one of those very communities that had flooded in 2022. Another of my friends mused: “I don’t know who constructed all this, but they did an unjustly favor by not thinking how close these towns was to the river. Can’t anyone in Frankfort help us, or has it gone too far?”
With hundreds more people now displaced by the most recent flood, the need for homes on higher grounds has only expanded, and the wait continues.
Kristina Brant has received funding from the National Science Foundation and United States Department of Agriculture to support her past and ongoing research in rural Appalachia.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mahtot Gebresselassie, Assistant Professor, Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada
In late 2024, the Ontario legislature passed Bill 212 giving the provincial government significant control over municipal bike lanes. The law requires municipalities to ask the province for its approval to install bike lanes if they would remove a lane for other vehicular traffic. The legislation also allows for the removal of three major bike lanes in Toronto.
Supporters of such moves argue that bike lanes worsen traffic congestion, negatively impact local businesses and delay emergency vehicles from getting where they need to go. However, research shows that bike lanes improve transportation infrastructure, including preventing injuries.
One of the main values of bike lanes is that they promote safety for all road users. Many cities around the world install bike lanes to wholly or partially separate cyclists from larger vehicles. This separation limits the interaction with cars and makes cycling safer.
A 2016 paper that looked at data on bike networks and injuries in 10 Canadian and U.S. cities between 2000 and 2015 showed that an increase in bike networks led to a decrease in fatal and serious injuries.
The safety associated with bike lanes can also encourage more people to take up cycling. A 2020 poll from the Canadian Automobile Association indicates that 40 per cent of Canadians reported they would feel encouraged to cycle on bike lanes physically separated from other vehicles.
More inclusive roads
Bike lanes can make cycling more inclusive for women, children, older adults, people with disabilities and those with limited transportation options.
Fewer women bike compared to men. A 2014 study that surveyed cyclists in five U.S. cities found that more women than men strongly agreed that protected bike lanes made them feel safe and new ones increased how often they cycled.
Older adults and people with disabilities also benefit from bike lanes, as they provide a more suitable cycling environment for riding with limited physical acuity and slower speeds.
Some argue that bike lanes reduce street parking, which can lead to lower economic activity. However, a 2012 study showed that people who cycle, walk and use transit frequent local businesses more and spend the same or more than those who use private cars.
When it comes to congestion, a 2018 study on the impact of installing bike lanes on arterial roads in Toronto found that the most affected street segments would only result in an estimated one-minute delay.
A 2022 study from Melbourne showed a minor effect on traffic when bike lanes were added to residential streets with low speed limits. It also found the “selective inclusion” of safe cycling lanes, in the worst cases, leads to a delay of less than 10 seconds per kilometre for drivers.
In New York, a 2016 study found that adding bike lanes reduced the average time for car travel on major thoroughfares from an average of 4.5 minutes to 3 minutes.
Examples from elsewhere indicate that removing bike lanes would not bode well for Toronto. A well-used bike lane in London, England was removed in December 2020 following residents’ complaints that they caused traffic congestion. A study found that the removal resulted in longer travel time on the street compounded by cars illegally parking in the space previously reserved for the bike lane.
Toronto Fire Services (TFS) response time increased by 30 seconds within the same corridor compared to a two-second increase for the entire city. However, these evaluations were for two months in 2023. In October 2024, TFS Chief Jim Jessop said the Bloor Street West bike lanes did not lead to an increase in response time.
If these bike lanes are removed and replaced with others elsewhere, it could create a poorly connected bike network. The safety and convenience associated with connected bike networks will be lost as a result.
Based on what research tells us, Toronto’s bike lanes should stay. Bike lanes provide various benefits, including making our streets more inclusive of more people.
Bike lanes offer safety on the roads by reducing the risk of fatal or non-life-threatening injuries on roads, and are a tremendous gain for transportation infrastructure.
Even in cases where a bike lane causes a few seconds of delay, politicians and city planners must consider the trade-off — especially if it means saving a person’s life.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Wildfire season in Canada has historically spanned from late April to August — with the most damaging of these fires typically burning in June and July. But in recent years, we’ve seen a significant change in when wildfires burning; they are no longer a seasonal phenomenon.
For example, in 2024, Alberta’s wildfire season started in February due to the province’s warm and dry conditions. Québec recorded its forth earliest wildfire since 1973 in mid-march of the same year. British Columbia then reported their first wildfires of the season shortly after.
In 2023, Canada had one of its most catastrophic wildfire years — with over 18.4 hectares of forest burned. These wildfires caused approximately 232,000 people to be evacuated from their homes in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Québec.
The huge number of wildfires that burned in 2023 released more than three times the total CO2 emissions of Canada’s entire transportation sector produces in a year. This catastrophic wildfire season also started burning far earlier than normal.
Changing wildfire patterns represent a growing danger to Canadians and our nation’s communities, ecosystems and air quality.
Recipe for a wildfire
The recipe for wildfire is simple and needs only three ingredients: fuel (combustible vegetation), ignition (either from human or natural causes — such as lightning) and favourable weather conditions (hot, dry and windy weather).
But drought can act as a key accelerating factor. As a professor who specializes in sustainable land and water management, I have spent over 15 years researching the impacts of climate change on natural disasters. My most recent research has highlighted the role that droughts play in wildfire vulnerability in Canada.
Droughts not only dry vegetation — which gives wildfires more fuel — they also prolong hot, dry and windy weather. This further creates a high-risk environment for wildfires to ignite and spread.
Canada may appear to be a water-rich country, with vast networks of lakes, rivers and considerable amounts of annual precipitation. But these rich resources suffer from significant seasonal and regional variations.
During 2023, there was a strong link between soil moisture levels measured between May and October and wildfire activity. Areas with the lowest soil moisture levels experienced heightened wildfire activity. This underscores the critical role of drought conditions in amplifying wildfire risks.
The total economic damage and losses are estimated to be more than $250 billion. This catastrophic crisis has clearly highlighted the growing impacts of climate change on densely populated areas at the interface of wildland and urban zones.
But another important factor that significantly contributed to the damage caused by these wildfires in California was the wildland-urban interface (WUI). These are areas where natural, undeveloped vegetation meets human development. This creates a high-risk zone where flammable plants and structures combine — increasing the chance of wildfires spreading from wildlands to communities.
In Canada, the WUI is rapidly expanding as large cities contend with population growth. But this is putting even more Canadians at risk from potentially detrimental wildfires. The recent, severe wildfires in California’s WUI areas offer a clear warning for Canada, highlighting an urgent need to address the risks associated with these rapidly growing zones.
Safeguarding strategies
One way of safeguarding Canada’s expanding WUI zones is by using the leaf area index (LAI). This is a measure of vegetation density.
The more dense the vegetation in a particular region (which means it has a higher LAI value), the greater that area’s risk of wildfire. This is because densely wooded areas contain significant fuel sources for wildfires, making them capable of sustaining and intensifying fire spread.
British Columbia’s coastline, Eastern Canada, Southern Ontario and parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (including Halifax and Saint John) are all densely vegetated, highly populated areas that are highly susceptible to wildfire threats — especially during periods of drought and high temperatures.
By pinpointing Canada’s most vulnerable regions, targeted wildfire prevention strategies can be carried out to mitigate risks and enhance community resilience in the face of escalating wildfire threats. This might include reducing the amount of dry vegetation, carrying out controlled burns and building fire-resistant infrastructure.
Canada announced a new goal to build nearly 3.9 million houses by 2031. For these houses to be built, parts of WUI zones will need to be used. It will be important for planning and development policies to ensure resilience against wildfires.
Canada stands at a pivotal moment in wildfire risk management because of expanding WUI zones, prolonged drought conditions and intensifying fire weather converge. Without a multi-pronged strategy, wildfires will only continue to be a growing threat to ecosystems, infrastructure and public safety.
Hossein Bonakdari does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has accused Israel of “blackmail” over aid and urged the US government to act more like a neutral mediator in the ceasefire process.
“We call on the US administration to stop its bias and alignment with the fascist plans of the war criminal Netanyahu, which target our people and their existence on their land,” Hamas said in a statement.
“We affirm that all projects and plans that bypass our people and their established rights on their land, self-determination, and liberation from occupation are destined for failure and defeat.
“We reaffirm our commitment to implementing the signed agreement in its three stages, and we have repeatedly announced our readiness to start negotiations on the second stage of the agreement,” it said.
Al Jazeera Arabic reports that Israel sought a dramatic change to the terms of the ceasefire agreement with a demand that Hamas release five living captives and 10 bodies of dead captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and increased aid to the Gaza Strip.
It also sought to extend the first phase of the ceasefire by a week.
Hamas informed the mediators that it rejected the Israeli proposal and considered it a violation of what was agreed upon in the ceasefire.
Israel suspends humanitarian aid In response, Israel suspended the entry of humanitarian aid until further notice and Hamas claimed Tel Aviv “bears responsibility” for the fate of the 59 Israelis still held in the Gaza Strip.
Reports said Israeli attacks in Gaza on Sunday have killed at least four people and injured five people, according to medical sources.
“The occupation [Israel] bears responsibility for the consequences of its decision on the population of the Strip and for the fate of its prisoners,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
Hamas denounces blackmail headline on Al Jazeera news. Image: AJ screenshot APR
Under the agreed ceasefire, the second phase of the truce was intended to see the release of the remaining captives, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a final end to the war.
However, the talks on how to carry out the second phase never began, and Israel said all its captives must be returned for fighting to stop.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, an analyst said that although the fragile ceasefire seemed on the brink of collapse, it was unlikely that US President Donald Trump would allow it to fail.
“I think the larger picture here is Trump is not interested in the resumption of war,” said Sami al-Arian, professor of public affairs at Istanbul Zaim University.
“He has a very long agenda domestically and internationally and if it is going to be dragged by Netanyahu and his fascist partners into another war of genocide with no strategic end, he knows this is going to be a no-win for him.
“And for one thing, Trump hates to lose.”
No game plan In another interview, Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was caught between seeing the Gaza ceasefire through and resorting to a costly all-out war that may prove unpopular at home.
“I’m not sure Netanyahu has a game plan,” Goldberg said.
“The reason he hasn’t made a decision is because . . . Israel is not equipped to go to war right now. Resilience is at an all-time low. Resources are at an all-time low.”
War crimes . . . a poster at a New Zealand pro-Palestinian rally in Auckland on Saturday. Image: Asia Pacific Report
In December, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees reported that more than 19,000 children had been hospitalised for acute malnutrition in four months.
In the first full year of the war — ending in October 2024 — 37 children died from malnutrition or dehydration.
Last September 21, The International Criminal Court (ICC) said there was reason to believe Israel was using “starvation as a method of warfare” when it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
Authorities in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have introduced a new legal framework to safeguard the Gobi, a vital part of the desert ecosystem. On Saturday, the city of Hami enacted Xinjiang’s first local regulation aimed at protecting the Gobi Desert, marking a major step in the region’s broader efforts to combat desertification through legal measures. The new regulation requires that city and county governments in Hami develop a comprehensive ecological protection plan with clear conservation and restoration targets. It also mandates that construction, tourism, and commercial activities within the Gobi align with these guidelines to prevent environmental degradation, said Li Qiang, deputy head of the standing committee of the Hami people’s congress. Experts noted that the Gobi’s gravel layer serves as a natural barrier against desertification. If disturbed, dormant dust sources could become active, intensifying sandstorms across the region. The Gobi Desert in Hami covers 94,600 square km, accounting for about 66 percent of the city’s total area, according to Hami’s bureau of ecology and environment. In August 2023, Hami launched an environmental project aimed at evaluating and restoring the Gobi Desert. Scientists from Nanjing City in east China collaborated on the initiative, which also helped advance the birth of the regulation. Xinjiang has long prioritized environmental conservation. In late November, the Taklimakan, China’s largest desert and the world’s second-largest drifting desert, was completely encircled with a sand-blocking green belt stretching 3,046 km.
Britain, France and Ukraine will work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday.
Europe was in a “moment of real fragility,” Starmer told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
His remarks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public clash with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this week. Zelensky was eventually asked to leave the White House early, leaving the planned minerals deal between the two sides unsigned.
“We have to find a way that we can all work together. Because, in the end, we’ve had three years of bloody conflict. Now we need to get to that lasting peace,” Starmer said.
Britain is hosting a defense summit on Sunday, with European leaders gathering in London to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine.
Starmer named three essential points to achieve “lasting peace” — a strong Ukraine, a European element with security guarantees, and a U.S. backstop, with the last one being the subject of “intense” discussion.
“That’s why I’ve been forward-leaning on this about what we would do — and a U.S. backstop,” he said. “That’s the package: all three parts need to be in place, and that’s what I’m working hard to bring together.”
class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section1. Purpose. The production of timber, lumber, paper, bioenergy, and other wood products (timber production) is critical to our Nation’s well-being. Timber production is essential for crucial human activities like construction and energy production. Furthermore, as recent disasters demonstrate, forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects can save American lives and communities.
The United States has an abundance of timber resources that are more than adequate to meet our domestic timber production needs, but heavy-handed Federal policies have prevented full utilization of these resources and made us reliant on foreign producers. Our inability to fully exploit our domestic timber supply has impeded the creation of jobs and prosperity, contributed to wildfire disasters, degraded fish and wildlife habitats, increased the cost of construction and energy, and threatened our economic security. These onerous Federal policies have forced our Nation to rely upon imported lumber, thus exporting jobs and prosperity and compromising our self-reliance. It is vital that we reverse these policies and increase domestic timber production to protect our national and economic security.
Sec. 2. Directives to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
(a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Chief of the United States Forest Service (USFS), respectively, shall each issue new or updated guidance regarding tools to facilitate increased timber production and sound forest management, reduce time to deliver timber, and decrease timber supply uncertainty, such as the Good Neighbor Authority described in 16 U.S.C. 2113a, stewardship contracting pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 6591c, and agreements or contracts with Indian tribes under the Tribal Forest Protection Act as contemplated by 25 U.S.C. 3115a. The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall also each submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget any legislative proposals that would expand authorities to improve timber production and sound forest management.
(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Secretary of Commerce, through the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, shall complete a strategy on USFS and BLM forest management projects under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1536) to improve the speed of approving forestry projects. The Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the FWS, shall also examine any applicable existing authorities that would permit executive departments and agencies (agencies) to delegate consultation requirements under section 7 of the ESA to other agencies and, if necessary, provide a legislative proposal to ensure consultation is streamlined.
(c) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall together submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, a plan that sets a target for the annual amount of timber per year to be offered for sale over the next 4 years from Federal lands managed by the BLM and the USFS, measured in millions of board feet.
(d) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, through the Directors of the FWS and the BLM, and the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the USFS, shall complete the Whitebark Pine Rangewide Programmatic Consultation under section 7 of the ESA.
(e) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall consider and, if appropriate and consistent with applicable law, adopt categorical exclusions administratively established by other agencies to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and reduce unnecessarily lengthy processes and associated costs related to administrative approvals for timber production, forest management, and wildfire risk reduction treatments.
(f) Within 280 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall consider and, if appropriate and consistent with applicable law, establish a new categorical exclusion for timber thinning and re-establish a categorical exclusion for timber salvage activities.
Sec. 3. Streamlined Permitting. All relevant agencies shall eliminate, to the maximum extent permissible by law, all undue delays within their respective permitting processes related to timber production. Additionally, all relevant agencies shall take all necessary and appropriate steps consistent with applicable law to suspend, revise, or rescind all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders, and other agency actions that impose an undue burden on timber production.
Sec. 4. Endangered Species Committee. (a) Agencies are directed to use, to the maximum extent permissible under applicable law, the ESA regulations on consultations in emergencies to facilitate the Nation’s timber production. The Secretary of the Interior, as Chairman of the Endangered Species Committee, shall ensure a prompt and efficient review of all submissions to such committee, to include identification of any legal deficiencies, in order to ensure the timely consideration of exemption applications and, where possible, to resolve such applications before the deadlines set by the ESA.
(b) Federal members of the Endangered Species Committee, or their designees, shall coordinate to develop and submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, that identifies obstacles to domestic timber production infrastructure specifically deriving from implementation of the ESA and recommends procedural, regulatory, and interagency improvements.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior shall ensure that the Director of the FWS, or the Director’s authorized representative, is available to consult promptly with agencies and to take other appropriate action concerning the applicability of the ESA’s emergency regulations. The Secretary of Commerce shall ensure that the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, or the Assistant Administrator’s authorized representative, is available for such consultation and to take such other action as may assist in applying the ESA’s emergency regulations.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Amendments to Approved Document B (fire safety): Circular 01/2025
Circular replacing Approved Document B vols.1 and 2 (2019 ed. incorporating 2020 and 2022 amendments with 2025, 2026 and 2029 amendments) to make corrections.
The circular and circular letter record the withdrawal and replacement of Approved Document B (Fire Safety) Volumes 1 and 2: 2019 edition incorporating 2020 and 2022 amendments collated with 2025, 2026 and 2029 amendments. It details where changes have been made to correct typographical errors. The policy intent, implementation schedule and transitional provisions are unchanged.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is set to redefine mobile AI experiences at Mobile World Congress 2025, taking place at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona on March 3-6. Samsung’s Mobile eXperience (MX) and Networks businesses will present their latest AI innovations, including the next evolution of Galaxy AI1 and its software-centric networks.
Samsung’s vision to deliver a true AI companion through advanced mobile AI innovation will be on full display at MWC, from the Galaxy S25 series to the new Galaxy A series and its first XR headset, Project Moohan. This includes an exclusive look at Galaxy S25 Edge, the slimmest Galaxy S series device ever, which advances Samsung’s legacy of pioneering cutting-edge hardware innovation. Visitors will also be able to explore how AI is shaping the future of health and home life, setting a new standard for intelligent, connected living. These transformative AI advancements are backed by Samsung’s core promise of uncompromising security and privacy at every level for its users.
Experiencing the Full Potential of Galaxy S25
Leading the paradigm shift of mobile AI phones, the new Galaxy S25 series transforms the way people get things done, create, and play. Beyond its AI advancements, the Galaxy S25 series also brings its state-of-the-art camera capabilities and performance to the forefront, with hands-on experiences demonstrating the power and speed that form the foundation of every Galaxy device.
In a space highlighting how Galaxy S25 acts as an indispensable AI companion helping to get tasks done more seamlessly, visitors will get to see and experience.
• Seamless experience across apps2: See how tasks like summarizing a YouTube video into Samsung Notes or quickly finding and sharing restaurant details via Messages become effortless with a single voice command – now available on Samsung, Google, and select third-party apps.
• Circle to Search3 with Google: Enjoy famous art pieces on display by instantly finding more context with a simple gesture.
• Gemini Live4: Use natural conversation for brainstorming, learning, and rehearsing with real-time responses and support for images, files, and YouTube videos.
• Now Brief5: Check out the personalized content snapshot based on tailored insights, as well as proactive recommendations through Now Bar6.
The experience continues with Galaxy S25’s advanced camera technology and introduces new ways to create, including:
Drawing Assist:7 Users can take content creation to the next level with intelligent sketch refinement and enhancement.
Gallery Search:8 Natural language-based search makes it easier than ever to find memories in situations.
Filters: Unique portrait effects and explore new filter options, add a personal touch to photos taken in portrait mode.
The last zone, featuring new ways to play, will give visitors a closer look at:
Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy: The customized chipset in collaboration with Qualcomm pushes its performance to the limit, ensuring high-speed gameplay, enhanced responsiveness, and high-quality visuals for even the most demanding titles.
Alongside the Galaxy S25 series, visitors can see Samsung’s ultimate hardware innovation featuring the most ultra-slim design yet on Galaxy S25 Edge.
With its commitment to democratizing the mobile AI experiences, Samsung will unveil the new Galaxy A series, — including the Galaxy A56 5G, A36 5G, and A26 5G — which integrates Awesome Intelligence, making latest powerful Galaxy AI technology accessible to even more users. The Galaxy A series also takes the camera experience to a new level with creator-focused tools including the fan-favorite Object Eraser. Expanding Samsung’s AI-driven innovations, the new A series delivers reliable performance and long-term value, supported by six generations of OS upgrades and six years of security updates for an ever-evolving, always-secure experience that lasts.
Elevating Everyday Life With AI
Visitors at MWC 2025 will also have the chance to explore how Samsung is enhancing everyday life at home and bringing new levels of control and insight into users’ health journey with intelligent, connected experiences.
In a zone all about new ways to stay healthy, the types of AI-driven daily health insights at Galaxy S25 users’ fingertips will be on display, including Energy Score, Wellness Tips, and Sleep Insights. These features offer detailed and personalized health experiences that provide a holistic view of the user’s health status all tailored to individual health data and interests. With examples showing seamless integration with connected apps like SmartThings and Samsung Food, users can see how Samsung is working to build an end-to-end healthcare experience that simplifies wellness for everyone.
The booth will also bring to life new AI-powered capabilities that allow users to safely and conveniently manage the home through device-to-device connectivity. Protected by Knox Matrix security, Home AI scenarios will showcase smart living with easy device setup and control enabled by the SmartThings platform.
Cutting Edge Innovation Built on a Strong Galaxy Foundation
Security is at the core of Samsung’s AI advancements, ensuring every experience is built on user control, transparency, and robust protection. In a zone for the Galaxy Foundation, helpful information about the Personal Data Engine9 — which ensures personalized data generated on device is protected from access by apps other than Galaxy AI and further secured by Knox Vault10 — will be available.
Samsung will unveil its first Android XR headset, Project Moohan, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-powered extended reality. By integrating multimodal AI with advanced XR capabilities, this ground-breaking device marks a significant step toward more context-aware and personalized experiences that enhance everyday life in incredibly immersive ways.
Visitors can explore these AI innovations first-hand at Samsung’s Galaxy Experience Booth in Fira Gran Via Hall 3.
Realizing an End-to-End Software Network, Where AI Unleashes Its Full Potential
Along with innovative mobile technologies, Samsung will present how it is advancing next-generation networks with AI at a private booth. As a global leader in virtualized and open networks, Samsung offers end-to-end software-based solutions to operators, empowering them to optimize their foundations to apply AI in every layer of their networks.
Key highlights of the booth include Samsung’s versatile virtualized RAN (vRAN) solution, its latest 5G radios, and Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS), an, intelligent network automation solution. Diverse enterprise 5G use cases will be on display as well.
Samsung will also showcase its continued efforts in elevating software-based networks by leveraging its robust partner ecosystem, which spans servers, processors (CPUs, GPUs), cloud platforms, transport, and more. Furthermore, visitors at the booth will see how Samsung CognitiV NOS can bring greater benefits to telecom operators across lifecycle management of its network from installation, operation to optimization. As a set of diverse AI-powered applications, this automation solution works as a key enabler to boosting performance, increasing the energy efficiency of the network in a more intelligent manner.
One of the most eye-catching sections of the booth is the private 5G network zone. Samsung recently collaborated with Hyundai to complete the industry’s first end-to-end Reduced Capability (RedCap) trial over a private 5G network. Using Samsung’s advanced private 5G solutions, the companies proved the potential of next-generation industrial private 5G connectivity by improving the battery life and energy efficiency of 5G IoT devices.
This private booth11 will be located in Fira Gran Via Hall 2.
As the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal concludes, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is closely following developments in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“The past six weeks have provided a fragile but vital reprieve, offering a measure of relief to both Palestinians and Israelis,” said the UN chief in a statement issued by his Spokesperson.
During the period of the truce, thousands of trucks carrying life-saving assistance entered Gaza, reaching nearly every person in the Strip.
According to media reports, the six-week long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended earlier on Saturday with further negotiations between the sides still pending.
The Secretary-General emphasized the importance of preventing a return to hostilities, which he described as potentially catastrophic. “It is imperative that all efforts be made to prevent a return to hostilities,” the statement urged.
Mr. Guterres called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to find a way forward on the next phase of the ceasefire. He highlighted the necessity of a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages to prevent further escalation and protect civilians.
“A permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing escalation and averting more devastating consequences for civilians,” the UN chief said in the statement.
The statement also stressed the need for the humane treatment of all those held under power and the continuous flow of humanitarian aid. The Secretary-General called for the aid to be adequately funded and delivered in a safe environment for civilians and humanitarian workers.
“Humanitarian aid must continue to flow, without impediment, ensuring the safety and security of civilians and humanitarian workers,” he added.
As Ramadan, a time of peace and reflection, begins, Mr. Guterres called for an urgent de-escalation of the situation in the occupied West Bank and an end to all violence.
“The United Nations stands ready to support all such endeavors,” he affirmed and through the statement underscored the commitment of the UN to supporting peace and stability in the region.
Today’s statement comes as the Secretary-General heads to Cairo, Egypt, where he will attend on Tuesday summit-level talks convened by Arab leaders on Gaza’s reconstruction.
The Secretary-General is closely following developments in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory as the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal reaches its conclusion. The past six weeks have provided a fragile but vital reprieve, offering a measure of relief to both Palestinians and Israelis. Thousands of trucks carrying life-saving assistance entered Gaza, with aid having reached nearly every person in the Strip. It is imperative that all efforts be made to prevent a return to hostilities, which would be catastrophic.
The Secretary-General urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and find a way forward on the next phase. A permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing escalation and averting more devastating consequences for civilians. The Secretary-General continues to call for the dignified, immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The parties must ensure humane treatment for all those held under their power. Humanitarian aid must continue to flow, without impediment, be adequately funded, and occur in an environment ensuring the safety and security of civilians and other protected persons, including humanitarian workers.
The Secretary-General also calls for an urgent de-escalation of the alarming situation in the occupied West Bank.
As Ramadan — a time of peace and reflection — begins, the Secretary-General calls on all sides to spare no efforts to end all violence. The United Nations stands ready to support all such endeavours.
The Israeli proposal of extending the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement is “unacceptable,” Hamas said Saturday.
“The extension of the first phase as proposed by the occupation is unacceptable to us, and the mediators and guarantor countries are required to oblige the occupation to abide by the agreement in its various stages,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
“The occupation is trying to bring things back to zero point by shuffling the cards and proposing the extension of the first phase,” Qassem said, noting that the extension aims to recover Israeli hostages “with the possibility of resuming the aggression on the Gaza Strip, which is contrary to the text of the agreement.”
Qassem said there were still no negotiations with Hamas regarding the second phase of the agreement, accusing Israel of “evading the commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.”
On Friday, an informed Egyptian security source told Xinhua that an Israeli delegation proposed in Cairo extending the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for an additional 42 days.
Earlier on Saturday, the 42-day initial phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel expired, with no breakthrough announced for its next phase.
