Met detectives investigating a fatal stabbing in Vauxhall have charged a man with murder.
Abdul Kareem Fawaz, 35 (13.04.1990) of Bondway, SW8 was charged with murder and possession of a knife on Sunday, 6 July.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 7 July.
An investigation was launched after police were called to a residential address at Bondway, SW8 following reports of an altercation on Saturday, 5 July at 05:38hrs.
A man, aged 32, was found with knife injuries. He was treated by paramedics but sadly died at the scene.
While formal identification awaits, he can be named as Daniel Manuel. Daniel’s next of kin have been made aware and are being supported by specialist officers.
Two men, aged 35 and 33, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.
Fawaz has been charged as above. The 33-year-old has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Wimbledon fans will have eyes only for the tennis this week but for those who run the world’s oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam, the real high-stakes contest will unfold not on their grass, but in London’s Royal Courts of Justice.
On one side of the legal net is the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, while facing them in a judicial review of their ambitious expansion plan on Tuesday and Wednesday will be the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).
It is the latest stage of a long-running fight that has split the south-west London “village”, which has been home to the Championships since 1877.
Last September the AELTC secured planning permission from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to treble the size of the main site to include 39 new courts including an 8,000-seat show court by redeveloping a former golf course on parkland land it already owns.
The 200-million-pound ($272.92-million) expansion aims to increase daily capacity to 50,000 people from the current 42,000, upgrade facilities and move the qualifying rounds on site to mirror the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens.
The plans have the backing of several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, and 62% of 10,000 residents in Merton and Wandsworth, the London boroughs that share the new site, also support the scheme, according to the AELTC.
“Our confidence in the development and the proposals that we’ve been working on for many years is as strong as it ever has been,” Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker told Reuters.
“For the championships to continue to be in the position that it is and to deliver all the benefits to stakeholders including the local community it is vital that we are able to stage the tournament on one site and bring all the grounds together.”
However, this week’s judicial review will decide whether the GLA’s decision to grant planning permission was unlawful.
Opponents of the development, including Thelma Ruby, a 100-year-old former actress who lives in a flat overlooking the park, and West Hill Ward Councillor Malcolm Grimston, say the club’s plans will cause environmental damage and major disruption to the area.
“It’s terribly important that it does not go ahead not just for myself but for the whole planet and future generations,” Ruby told Reuters.
“I overlook this beautiful landscape and there are all sorts of covenants that say you mustn’t build on it, and yet the tennis people have this unnecessary plan they admit will cut down all these glorious trees, which will harm wildlife.
“They’re using concrete, building roads, they’re going to have lorries polluting and passing my window every 10 minutes. The whole area will be in chaos as they’re closing off roads,” she said.
Save Wimbledon Park says the GLA failed to consider covenants that were agreed by the AELTC, including restrictions on redeveloping the land, when it bought the Wimbledon Park golf course freehold from Merton council in 1993 for 5.2 million pounds.
The AELTC paid a reported 63.5 million pounds to buy the Golf Club’s lease, which was due to run until 2041.
The campaign group also believes the GLA failed to consider the land’s statutory Public Recreation Trust status which means it should be held as “public walks or pleasure grounds”.
“It is not antipathy towards the AELTC that’s driving this, as some of the benefits are real, such as the extension of lake,” councillor Grimston told Reuters.
“The problem is that it will treble the footprint of the current Championship and turn what currently has very much a feel of being rural England and a gentle pace of life into an industrial complex that would dominate the views of the lake.
“That’s why it’s classified as Metropolitan Open Land, which is the urban equivalent of the green belt that has been protected for many decades in planning law in the UK and rightly so,” he said.
The AELTC say the plans will improve the biodiversity of the park, as well as bringing parts of it back into public use.
“The London Wildlife trust have endorsed the plans, they’ve spent many hours scrutinising our analysis and our expert views,” the AELTC’s head of corporate affairs Dominic Foster said.
“We know that this expansion will deliver a very significant benefit to biodiversity, whereas golf courses are not good for biodiversity.”
AMSTERDAM, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Theta Capital, the largest European investor in blockchain venture capital, has announced two senior hires. Gijs Burgers has been appointed COO, and Eduard van Asten has been appointed Head of Compliance and Risk.
Gijs was previously COO at the Nasdaq-listed company Hilbert Group AB, one of the largest liquid digital assets hedge funds globally. He has a history as board-room consultant and entrepreneur in the fintech and blockchain spaces and has been active in the crypto and digital assets since 2012. He was Corporate Strategist at APG, one of the top five pension funds globally and co-founded Onramper.com, a successful global aggregator of onramp and offramp methods. He has two Master’s degrees from respectively Erasmus University Rotterdam and Tilburg University.
Eduard was previously Head of Compliance and Risk at Zing NL, a subsidiary of HSBC aiming to create a global digital payments application. He was also Global Senior Compliance Expert for ING Group and CCRO for multiple firms including Vivid Money and Pensify Group. He has two Masters degrees and a BA in Law from Erasmus University. He has 14 years of experience in compliance, risk and regulatory matters for financial institutions.
“These are important hires for Theta Capital and demonstrate our on-going growth and institutionalisation as a firm,” said Marc de Kloe, Managing Partner at Theta Capital. “We are building our operational infrastructure and talent base for the future and I am confident that Gijs and Eduard will play an invaluable part for us. They are both extremely senior and experienced experts in their respective fields and we are fortunate they have chosen to join us.”
Gijs Burgers, COO, Theta Capital, added, “Theta has a leading reputation in the blockchain venture capital space globally not only as an investor but also in terms of its institutional grade operational infrastructure. I look forward to continuing to build on this as the firm grows and develops.”
Eduard van Asten, Head of Compliance and Risk, Theta Capital, concluded, “Theta rightly places regulatory compliance at the heart of its operations and I am delighted to be able to contribute my extensive experience in this space to the firm.”
About Theta Capital
Founded in 2001, Theta Capital Management has been among the earliest and largest institutional investors globally to invest in blockchain technology, having deployed capital in the space since January 2018. Theta Capital works with over 45 deeply specialized VC partners leading to more than 1,000 venture style investments in the technology. Deep domain expertise has led to a leading position in the universe of crypto-native venture capital.
AMSTERDAM, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Theta Capital, the largest European investor in blockchain venture capital, has announced two senior hires. Gijs Burgers has been appointed COO, and Eduard van Asten has been appointed Head of Compliance and Risk.
Gijs was previously COO at the Nasdaq-listed company Hilbert Group AB, one of the largest liquid digital assets hedge funds globally. He has a history as board-room consultant and entrepreneur in the fintech and blockchain spaces and has been active in the crypto and digital assets since 2012. He was Corporate Strategist at APG, one of the top five pension funds globally and co-founded Onramper.com, a successful global aggregator of onramp and offramp methods. He has two Master’s degrees from respectively Erasmus University Rotterdam and Tilburg University.
Eduard was previously Head of Compliance and Risk at Zing NL, a subsidiary of HSBC aiming to create a global digital payments application. He was also Global Senior Compliance Expert for ING Group and CCRO for multiple firms including Vivid Money and Pensify Group. He has two Masters degrees and a BA in Law from Erasmus University. He has 14 years of experience in compliance, risk and regulatory matters for financial institutions.
“These are important hires for Theta Capital and demonstrate our on-going growth and institutionalisation as a firm,” said Marc de Kloe, Managing Partner at Theta Capital. “We are building our operational infrastructure and talent base for the future and I am confident that Gijs and Eduard will play an invaluable part for us. They are both extremely senior and experienced experts in their respective fields and we are fortunate they have chosen to join us.”
Gijs Burgers, COO, Theta Capital, added, “Theta has a leading reputation in the blockchain venture capital space globally not only as an investor but also in terms of its institutional grade operational infrastructure. I look forward to continuing to build on this as the firm grows and develops.”
Eduard van Asten, Head of Compliance and Risk, Theta Capital, concluded, “Theta rightly places regulatory compliance at the heart of its operations and I am delighted to be able to contribute my extensive experience in this space to the firm.”
About Theta Capital
Founded in 2001, Theta Capital Management has been among the earliest and largest institutional investors globally to invest in blockchain technology, having deployed capital in the space since January 2018. Theta Capital works with over 45 deeply specialized VC partners leading to more than 1,000 venture style investments in the technology. Deep domain expertise has led to a leading position in the universe of crypto-native venture capital.
AMSTERDAM, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Theta Capital, the largest European investor in blockchain venture capital, has announced two senior hires. Gijs Burgers has been appointed COO, and Eduard van Asten has been appointed Head of Compliance and Risk.
Gijs was previously COO at the Nasdaq-listed company Hilbert Group AB, one of the largest liquid digital assets hedge funds globally. He has a history as board-room consultant and entrepreneur in the fintech and blockchain spaces and has been active in the crypto and digital assets since 2012. He was Corporate Strategist at APG, one of the top five pension funds globally and co-founded Onramper.com, a successful global aggregator of onramp and offramp methods. He has two Master’s degrees from respectively Erasmus University Rotterdam and Tilburg University.
Eduard was previously Head of Compliance and Risk at Zing NL, a subsidiary of HSBC aiming to create a global digital payments application. He was also Global Senior Compliance Expert for ING Group and CCRO for multiple firms including Vivid Money and Pensify Group. He has two Masters degrees and a BA in Law from Erasmus University. He has 14 years of experience in compliance, risk and regulatory matters for financial institutions.
“These are important hires for Theta Capital and demonstrate our on-going growth and institutionalisation as a firm,” said Marc de Kloe, Managing Partner at Theta Capital. “We are building our operational infrastructure and talent base for the future and I am confident that Gijs and Eduard will play an invaluable part for us. They are both extremely senior and experienced experts in their respective fields and we are fortunate they have chosen to join us.”
Gijs Burgers, COO, Theta Capital, added, “Theta has a leading reputation in the blockchain venture capital space globally not only as an investor but also in terms of its institutional grade operational infrastructure. I look forward to continuing to build on this as the firm grows and develops.”
Eduard van Asten, Head of Compliance and Risk, Theta Capital, concluded, “Theta rightly places regulatory compliance at the heart of its operations and I am delighted to be able to contribute my extensive experience in this space to the firm.”
About Theta Capital
Founded in 2001, Theta Capital Management has been among the earliest and largest institutional investors globally to invest in blockchain technology, having deployed capital in the space since January 2018. Theta Capital works with over 45 deeply specialized VC partners leading to more than 1,000 venture style investments in the technology. Deep domain expertise has led to a leading position in the universe of crypto-native venture capital.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Detectives from NT Police Sex Crimes Section have now arrested and charged a 14-year-old male in relation to a sexual assault that occurred on the Tiwi Islands on Sunday.
Around 8:05am, police located a 14-year-old male at a residence, and he was arrested without incident.
The male has been charged with:
Sexual Intercourse without consent
Deprive a person of personal liberty
Aggravated robbery
Aggravated assault
Gross indecency without consent
Aggravated burglary
Possess/ use offensive weapon
He has been remanded to appear in court 8 July 2025.
After seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six and a half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin Patterson murdered her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian: the only guest to survive the beef wellington lunch served in July 2023 at her home in Leongatha.
In delivering the guilty verdict, the jury was satisfied Erin Patterson had complete control over the ingredients that went into the meal portions served to her guests – portions that included death cap mushrooms.
There would not be too many observers surprised with the outcome, given the strength of the prosecution case presented by Nanette Rogers.
There were no procedural surprises in this case. The prosecution presented its case, followed by the defence and ultimately, a jury verdict.
But this much-publicised case raises a number of legal issues that contributed to the length of the trial and its outcome. Let’s unpack them.
Motive doesn’t matter
The first is the question of motive. Defence counsel Colin Mandy made much of his assertion that there was no apparent reason for the accused to kill her guests.
It is, however, a mistake to think there needs to be a motive in order to convict. In cases of murder and attempted murder, all that’s required is for a jury to find a “culpable state of mind”.
In the case of the three deceased, the jury needed to be satisfied, beyond any reasonable doubt, that there was an intention to kill, or to do serious bodily harm.
In other words, it did not matter why Patterson killed her victims, only that she intended to do so, or to inflict serious harm with death resulting. In the case of the surviving guest, the jury was satisfied that there had been an intention to kill.
Establishing a motive is a useful tool that prosecution counsel may deploy to add fuel to the fire in the courtroom, but it was not necessary for Rogers to locate a motive in order for the jury to reach guilty verdicts.
Circumstantial, but substantial
Another oft-repeated fallacy is that guilty verdicts require more than “mere” circumstantial evidence.
In fact, most evidence in criminal cases is circumstantial, because direct evidence (such as an eyewitness or a visual or voice recording) is usually unavailable.
The circumstantial evidence in this case, according to the prosecution, included the attempted hiding of a tainted dehydrator, the doubt cast over whether an Asian grocer was the source of the poisonous mushrooms, and the fact that Erin Patterson’s meal portion was free of the deadly ingredient.
Placed together, this circumstantial evidence was strong enough for the 12 men and women to return guilty verdicts.
Indeed, taking into consideration the strength of this evidence, it is perhaps surprising that Patterson did not plead guilty to murder, given the discount on sentence she may have received. She chose to take her chances with a jury. Ultimately, she failed.
Days of summing up
Another interesting aspect of the case is that the summing up by the two lead barristers, and then the judge, took more than six days. A generation ago, these addresses would have typically taken considerably less time than that.
The change, which has occurred slowly over the last two decades, has been necessitated by appeal judgements following guilty verdicts in long trials. In some of these, defence counsel successfully argued the defence case was not sufficiently covered in the judge’s summing up.
That being the case, the prosecution summary now needs to preempt every aspect of the defence case, knowing the defence counsel summary that follows will attend to every last point that the prosecution has raised.
The process is now laborious and time-consuming. One might pity the jurors hearing everything over and over again.
Indeed, we believe there is little evidence this very expensive change has raised the quality of verdicts.
But one cannot doubt the way that the criminal process now goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that an accused receives a fair trial. We will never know why the jury took over six days to reach its verdict (in Australia they are duty bound not to reveal anything of their deliberations), but it does indicate the seriousness with which they treat their role in this process.
On the other hand, with such drawn-out procedures, it’s perhaps not surprising that court backlogs continue to grow, and ever-increasing numbers of people (currently 42% of the Australian prison population) are sitting in prison on remand, awaiting trial.
What now?
The maximum sentence for murder in Victoria is life imprisonment. This does not necessarily mean life in prison, for the minimum non-parole period is 30 years, unless a court considers it not in the interests of justice to set such a term.
Erin Patterson will likely receive a life sentence, with a non-parole period that is in keeping with the number of victims.
The head sentence and non-parole period will be set by Justice Christopher Beale after sentencing submissions in the days and weeks to come.
The so-called “mushroom case” still has another chapter to run.
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.
After seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six and a half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin Patterson murdered her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian: the only guest to survive the beef wellington lunch served in July 2023 at her home in Leongatha.
In delivering the guilty verdict, the jury was satisfied Erin Patterson had complete control over the ingredients that went into the meal portions served to her guests – portions that included death cap mushrooms.
There would not be too many observers surprised with the outcome, given the strength of the prosecution case presented by Nanette Rogers.
There were no procedural surprises in this case. The prosecution presented its case, followed by the defence and ultimately, a jury verdict.
But this much-publicised case raises a number of legal issues that contributed to the length of the trial and its outcome. Let’s unpack them.
Motive doesn’t matter
The first is the question of motive. Defence counsel Colin Mandy made much of his assertion that there was no apparent reason for the accused to kill her guests.
It is, however, a mistake to think there needs to be a motive in order to convict. In cases of murder and attempted murder, all that’s required is for a jury to find a “culpable state of mind”.
In the case of the three deceased, the jury needed to be satisfied, beyond any reasonable doubt, that there was an intention to kill, or to do serious bodily harm.
In other words, it did not matter why Patterson killed her victims, only that she intended to do so, or to inflict serious harm with death resulting. In the case of the surviving guest, the jury was satisfied that there had been an intention to kill.
Establishing a motive is a useful tool that prosecution counsel may deploy to add fuel to the fire in the courtroom, but it was not necessary for Rogers to locate a motive in order for the jury to reach guilty verdicts.
Circumstantial, but substantial
Another oft-repeated fallacy is that guilty verdicts require more than “mere” circumstantial evidence.
In fact, most evidence in criminal cases is circumstantial, because direct evidence (such as an eyewitness or a visual or voice recording) is usually unavailable.
The circumstantial evidence in this case, according to the prosecution, included the attempted hiding of a tainted dehydrator, the doubt cast over whether an Asian grocer was the source of the poisonous mushrooms, and the fact that Erin Patterson’s meal portion was free of the deadly ingredient.
Placed together, this circumstantial evidence was strong enough for the 12 men and women to return guilty verdicts.
Indeed, taking into consideration the strength of this evidence, it is perhaps surprising that Patterson did not plead guilty to murder, given the discount on sentence she may have received. She chose to take her chances with a jury. Ultimately, she failed.
Days of summing up
Another interesting aspect of the case is that the summing up by the two lead barristers, and then the judge, took more than six days. A generation ago, these addresses would have typically taken considerably less time than that.
The change, which has occurred slowly over the last two decades, has been necessitated by appeal judgements following guilty verdicts in long trials. In some of these, defence counsel successfully argued the defence case was not sufficiently covered in the judge’s summing up.
That being the case, the prosecution summary now needs to preempt every aspect of the defence case, knowing the defence counsel summary that follows will attend to every last point that the prosecution has raised.
The process is now laborious and time-consuming. One might pity the jurors hearing everything over and over again.
Indeed, we believe there is little evidence this very expensive change has raised the quality of verdicts.
But one cannot doubt the way that the criminal process now goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that an accused receives a fair trial. We will never know why the jury took over six days to reach its verdict (in Australia they are duty bound not to reveal anything of their deliberations), but it does indicate the seriousness with which they treat their role in this process.
On the other hand, with such drawn-out procedures, it’s perhaps not surprising that court backlogs continue to grow, and ever-increasing numbers of people (currently 42% of the Australian prison population) are sitting in prison on remand, awaiting trial.
What now?
The maximum sentence for murder in Victoria is life imprisonment. This does not necessarily mean life in prison, for the minimum non-parole period is 30 years, unless a court considers it not in the interests of justice to set such a term.
Erin Patterson will likely receive a life sentence, with a non-parole period that is in keeping with the number of victims.
The head sentence and non-parole period will be set by Justice Christopher Beale after sentencing submissions in the days and weeks to come.
The so-called “mushroom case” still has another chapter to run.
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 week, the Victorian Yoorrook Justice Commission delivered its two final reports to the Victorian governor, concluding the most ambitious effort yet to reckon with these injustices.
The reports, Yoorrook for Transformation and Yoorrook Truth Be Told, contain 100 detailed recommendations across five volumes. They deliver a devastating account of dispossession, family separation, cultural erasure and structural racism, past and present.
Their scope is historic. But the question remains: will they change anything?
Established in 2021, it is Australia’s first formal truth commission and the only one globally to be established alongside a Treaty process in a settler-colonial democracy.
It was designed by the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and has been led and shaped by Aboriginal communities.
Its mandate is wide: to investigate both historical and ongoing injustices across all areas of life from land, law, health and education to housing, finance and child protection.
Over the past four years, Yoorrook has compelled testimony from ministers and senior bureaucrats, visited prisons and out-of-home care facilities, and travelled across the state to conduct on-country truth-telling with Elders.
Our Land, Our Language, Our
Lore and Our Lives have been denied
for far too long. In order to move
forward these must be recognised
an respected. This is Yoo-rrook.
In postcolonial states such as Australia, truth-telling is particularly powerful and necessary, because harm has not only been inflicted but denied.
As anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner put it in 1968, Australia has long maintained a “great Australian silence” – a wilful forgetting of how the nation was built on the dispossession of others.
Yoorrook challenges this silence. It has created an official record of Victoria’s colonial and ongoing harms, and opened a rare space for Indigenous people to define harm on their own terms, including what justice and healing should look like.
Structural injustice laid bare
The commission’s final reports lay out both stories and statistics. These include:
in the past, Victoria explicitly authorised child removals on racial grounds and controlled every aspect of Aboriginal life under protectionist laws
today, the state still removes Aboriginal children at more than 20 times the rate of non-Indigenous children
Aboriginal people remain vastly over-represented in police custody, prison populations and cases of public housing exclusion.
Yoorrook is connecting these dots, showing how the injustices of colonisation did not end but evolved into contemporary legal and institutional forms.
Importantly, the commission has not shied away from naming these harms. It has condemned Victoria’s systemic racism – including alleged genocide – and called for radical change not just recognition.
Among its recommendations are calls to return land and water to Traditional Owners, to embed First Peoples’ control over education and child protection, and to establish reparations and shared governance structures across public institutions.
Will this lead to real change?
Yoorrook’s reports could be transformative if acted on – but this is far from guaranteed.
In Australia, there’s a similar risk that Yoorrook may preach to the choir while political leaders move on. Despite a public apology in 2008, most recommendations of the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody remain unfulfilled.
Since then, more than 500 additional Indigenous people have died in custody.
We must resist the cycle of “truth without justice.”
In recent hearings, Yoorrook commissioners pressed ministers to move beyond rhetoric. While several public apologies were made, including from Victoria’s attorney-general and the police minister, the commission rightly warned apologies without action are hollow.
Where to from here?
The failure of the Voice referendum in 2023 showed just how contested questions of history, race and recognition remain in Australia.
But it also underscored the need for renewed engagement with the truth, not just in parliaments but in homes, schools, workplaces and media.
Yoorrook’s challenge is not only to shape policy but to shift public consciousness. In this sense, it must speak to all Victorians.
Without broader buy-in, even the best-designed truth commission risks being forgotten.
A test of political courage
Yoorrook has done its part. It has listened to more than 1,500 voices. It has built the record. It has made the case for transformation.
Now, the Victorian government and indeed all of us must decide what to do with that truth. Will we confront it? Will we act on it? Or will we retreat once more into silence?
Yoorrook has narrowed the range of permissible lies in this country. But narrowing lies is not the same as achieving justice. That next step is ours to take.
Jeremie M Bracka was awarded the Malcolm Moore Industry Research Grant to support the implementation of the Final Reports of the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
Nearly 70,000 pilgrims have undertaken the annual Amarnath Yatra in the first four days since it began on July 3, officials confirmed on Monday. Of these, 21,512 devotees had Darshan at the holy cave shrine on Sunday alone, marking a strong turnout for one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimages.
Early Monday morning, another batch of 8,605 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two escorted convoys bound for the base camps in Kashmir Valley. According to officials, the first convoy comprising 3,486 pilgrims is en route to the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir, while the second convoy, carrying 5,119 Yatris, is heading toward the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the pilgrimage, said thousands of pilgrims are also arriving directly at the Baltal and Nunwan base camps to register on the spot and join the Yatra. Officials confirmed that two pilgrims have died of natural causes since the Yatra began.
This year’s pilgrimage is taking place under tight security arrangements, especially in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. In response, authorities have deployed an additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to reinforce the presence of the Army, CRPF, BSF, SSB, and local police.
The entire Yatra route, including all transit camps and pilgrim accommodations, has been placed under multi-tiered security cover. The pilgrimage starts at Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar and proceeds toward the two base camps, eventually leading up to the holy cave shrine located at 3,888 meters in the Himalayas.
Amid the tense security environment, local residents in Kashmir have come out in full support of the Yatra, continuing a long-standing tradition of hospitality. As the first batch of pilgrims entered the Valley through Qazigund, they were warmly greeted by Kashmiris holding garlands and placards—a symbolic response to the recent acts of terror. On Sunday, locals offered cold drinks and drinking water to pilgrims returning from the Baltal camp. Many Yatris expressed heartfelt gratitude for the love and support shown by the local population.
The 2025 Amarnath Yatra will continue for 38 days, concluding on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Pilgrims undertake the journey via two traditional routes: the 46-kilometre trek from Pahalgam, passing through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni, and the shorter 14-kilometre Baltal route, which allows for a same-day return after Darshan.
This year, helicopter services have been suspended due to security reasons, making the Yatra a wholly ground-based journey.
At the heart of the Yatra lies the sacred Amarnath cave shrine, which houses a naturally forming ice stalagmite, believed by devotees to represent Lord Shiva. The structure is said to wax and wane with the lunar cycle and symbolizes divine presence.
Nearly 70,000 pilgrims have undertaken the annual Amarnath Yatra in the first four days since it began on July 3, officials confirmed on Monday. Of these, 21,512 devotees had Darshan at the holy cave shrine on Sunday alone, marking a strong turnout for one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimages.
Early Monday morning, another batch of 8,605 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two escorted convoys bound for the base camps in Kashmir Valley. According to officials, the first convoy comprising 3,486 pilgrims is en route to the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir, while the second convoy, carrying 5,119 Yatris, is heading toward the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the pilgrimage, said thousands of pilgrims are also arriving directly at the Baltal and Nunwan base camps to register on the spot and join the Yatra. Officials confirmed that two pilgrims have died of natural causes since the Yatra began.
This year’s pilgrimage is taking place under tight security arrangements, especially in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. In response, authorities have deployed an additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to reinforce the presence of the Army, CRPF, BSF, SSB, and local police.
The entire Yatra route, including all transit camps and pilgrim accommodations, has been placed under multi-tiered security cover. The pilgrimage starts at Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar and proceeds toward the two base camps, eventually leading up to the holy cave shrine located at 3,888 meters in the Himalayas.
Amid the tense security environment, local residents in Kashmir have come out in full support of the Yatra, continuing a long-standing tradition of hospitality. As the first batch of pilgrims entered the Valley through Qazigund, they were warmly greeted by Kashmiris holding garlands and placards—a symbolic response to the recent acts of terror. On Sunday, locals offered cold drinks and drinking water to pilgrims returning from the Baltal camp. Many Yatris expressed heartfelt gratitude for the love and support shown by the local population.
The 2025 Amarnath Yatra will continue for 38 days, concluding on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Pilgrims undertake the journey via two traditional routes: the 46-kilometre trek from Pahalgam, passing through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni, and the shorter 14-kilometre Baltal route, which allows for a same-day return after Darshan.
This year, helicopter services have been suspended due to security reasons, making the Yatra a wholly ground-based journey.
At the heart of the Yatra lies the sacred Amarnath cave shrine, which houses a naturally forming ice stalagmite, believed by devotees to represent Lord Shiva. The structure is said to wax and wane with the lunar cycle and symbolizes divine presence.
Attribute to Detective Phill Hamlin, Criminal Investigations Cromwell:
Cromwell Police are appealing for information following significant damage caused to a rural cellular tower in the Lindis Pass-Tarras Road / State Highway 8 area.
Police were called at around 10.50am with reports of significant damage that had been caused to a cellular tower on Lindis Pass-Tarra Road, between Forest Range Station and Goodger Road.
Detective Phill Hamlin says the tower provides cellular service for residents and travellers in the area.
“Cellular service is especially critical in this rural and alpine area,” he says.
“Rural areas tend to rely on fewer cell towers to cover larger areas, and damage to these towers can cause significant reduction or complete loss of cell service in the area.”
Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen any suspicious behaviour at or near the tower to please contact us immediately.
We are also asking for anyone who travelled along Lindis Pass-Tarras Road between 7am and 1pm on 6 July, and has dashcam footage, to please get in touch.
If you have any information that could help our enquiries, update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250707/0047.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Attribute to Detective Phill Hamlin, Criminal Investigations Cromwell:
Cromwell Police are appealing for information following significant damage caused to a rural cellular tower in the Lindis Pass-Tarras Road / State Highway 8 area.
Police were called at around 10.50am with reports of significant damage that had been caused to a cellular tower on Lindis Pass-Tarra Road, between Forest Range Station and Goodger Road.
Detective Phill Hamlin says the tower provides cellular service for residents and travellers in the area.
“Cellular service is especially critical in this rural and alpine area,” he says.
“Rural areas tend to rely on fewer cell towers to cover larger areas, and damage to these towers can cause significant reduction or complete loss of cell service in the area.”
Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen any suspicious behaviour at or near the tower to please contact us immediately.
We are also asking for anyone who travelled along Lindis Pass-Tarras Road between 7am and 1pm on 6 July, and has dashcam footage, to please get in touch.
If you have any information that could help our enquiries, update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250707/0047.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
As the peak international body on deep sea mining begins a three-week meeting, CSIRO has released aseries of reportscommissioned by mining proponent The Metals Company (TMC) that underscore the severe environmental risks andscientific uncertaintysurrounding the dangerous industry.
The findings confirm international consensus; the deep ocean is too poorly understood to proceed with deep sea mining safely or responsibly, prompting major environmental organisations to call on the Albanese Government to support a moratorium.
The timing of the CSIRO reports appears to align with what was, until recently, TMC’s plan to submit an application to the ISA on June 27 – plans the company has now abandoned in favour of a controversial U.S. based pathway via a dormant 1980s law and enabled by the Trump administration.
Pressure is mounting on the Albanese Government to adopt a precautionary stance supporting a moratorium at the ISA in line with many of its major partners, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand. Currently,37 countriesback a deep sea mining moratorium.
TMC continues to apply pressure on international regulators to accelerate approvals for this high-risk untested industry. With a state-funded agency producing research likely to be used to legitimise mining in international waters, ocean advocates are calling on the Albanese Government to direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC.
The CSIRO reports confirm the likely damage to the seafloor and to the marine environment that civil society, Indigenous Pacific communities, and independent scientists have warned about; deep sea mining is too destructive and there is too much uncertainty to proceed.
“These findings echo the concerns we’ve heard right across the Pacific region – that the deep ocean is a highly complex, precious environment, and that accelerating deep sea mining would be dangerous,”said Phil McCabe, Pacific Regional Coordinator at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
There remains a severe lack of real-world data about deep sea ecosystems – particularly in relation to the long-term environmental impacts and the risk of toxic pollution entering the food chain. Scientists warn that many of these impacts are likely to be irreversible in human timeframes. The CSIRO reports acknowledge the potential for heavy metals to bioaccumulate in marine life, including tuna, swordfish, whales, and dolphins.
“We’ve seen this before; traffic light systems,digital twin technology, adaptive management systems – all designed to give the illusion of sustainable management,”said Dr. Helen Rosenbaum, Research Coordinator at the Deep Sea Mining Campaign.“When the science is this uncertain, the only responsible signal is red.”
TMC’s recent decision to abandon its application to the ISA and instead issue permits through a dormant U.S. law has been widely condemned by governments and legal experts as a direct challenge to international law and multilateralism. The move undermines the ISA’s authority just as states prepare to negotiate key regulations.
“Australia’s credibility is on the line,”said Duncan Currie, International Lawyer and advisor to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.“CSIRO’s involvement with The Metals Company (TMC) risks implicating Australia in their attempt to sidestep international governance. The Albanese Government must now draw a clear line; support a moratorium at the International Seabed Authority, and ensure CSIRO takes no further action on TMC’s behalf.”
“At the ISA, a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep sea mining is the only viable path to protecting the deep sea,”said Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.“Delegates at the ISA must listen to the science and the voices of Pacific nations and back a moratorium to stop deep sea mining before it starts.”
The Deep Sea Mining Campaign, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, and Surfrider Australia call on the Albanese Government to announce its support for a Moratorium at the upcoming ISA meeting in Jamaica; and direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.
Released 26/06/2025
15 firefighters from ACT Parks & Conservation Service (ACTPCS) and 5 firefighters from the ACT Rural Fire Service (ACTRFS) are leaving for Canada today to assist with wildfires burning throughout the country.
The firefighters will be based in the province of Alberta for 38 days helping to control and put out wildfires. There are currently over 290 fires burning this severe wildfire season in Canada and over 50 of these are in Alberta. Australian firefighters have been deployed in Canada since 12 June 2025, and this group leaving today is the first ACT contingent.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Marisa Paterson, is proud to see ACT firefighters giving up their time to help our friends overseas.
“The past year has been a busy one for our ACT emergency services as they’ve responded to incidents across Australia. The deployment of ACT personnel to Canada is a powerful reflection of our people’s unwavering commitment to helping communities in need, wherever and whenever they’re called upon.”
“I would like to wish all our firefighters departing today a safe journey. I look forward to hearing about their experiences and the valuable insights gained upon their return.”
Quotes attributable to ACTRFS Chief Officer, Rohan Scott
“Australia and Canada share a strong resource sharing relationship. ACT firefighters have been supporting Canadian wildfire efforts since 2016 and in return, Canada stood with us during the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020.
“Having just returned from visiting the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, it is clear to me both North America and Australia can benefit from shared experiences and lessons learned. I look forward to seeing what our firefighters learn in Canada during this deployment that can impact how we prepare for and tackle bushfires here in Australia.”
Quotes attributable to ACTPCS Director of Operations, Ailish Milner
“The ACT Parks and Conservation Service is honoured to support Canada by sending our crews alongside the ACT Rural Fire Service to join the Canadian firefighting effort.
“ACT firefighters have a proud history of supporting our international colleagues, joining multiple deployments overseas, including to Canada, over the past decade. Our skilled and experienced firefighters will provide Canada with much-needed relief during their difficult fire season.
“Thank you to the crews deployed today who are really going above and beyond to will help protect life, environment and property abroad.”
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The 2025 NAIDOC Week theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.
2025 NAIDOC Week celebrations will be held from 6 to 13 July 2025.
This story lists free and paid 2025 NAIDOC Week events.
Each year, Canberra celebrates NAIDOC Week with a range of events and activities.
NAIDOC Week 2025 is a special time to stop, reflect and celebrate the enduring culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme is ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy – 50 Years of NAIDOC Week’. It marks an important milestone and honours the voices, culture and strength of Indigenous communities.
The theme looks back on the past with pride and looks forward with hope. It celebrates the work of young leaders, the dreams of communities and the powerful legacy left by ancestors.
Museum of Australian Democracy(MoAD), Parkes From Sunday, 6 July to Sunday, 13 July Hear stories of how First Nations Australians have created change. Learn about Wiradjuri Elders travelling to Old Parliament House, activists who campaigned for a voice and visit heritage spaces of significance. Bookings required. Cost: free.
Australian Parliament House From Sunday, 6 July to Tuesday, 8 July Visit Parliament House to see Michelle Lewis’ breathtaking artwork illuminated on the Parliament House façade. View the striking colours and designs of Michelle’s Tjala Dreaming (Honey Ant), a 2023 artwork. To mark the event, a ceremonial lighting will be held on Monday, 7 July from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm. No bookings required. Cost: free.
National Museum of Australia(NMA), Acton Thursday, 10 July The NMA is featuring a screening of Keeping Country Strong on Thursday, 10 July. This new documentary highlights the critical work of Indigenous Rangers in Indigenous Protected Areas across Australia. A panel discussion with Traditional Owners will follow. Bookings required. Cost: $15 for a standard ticket, $12.50 for a concession and $10 for friends.
National Film and Sound Archive(NFSA), Acton Saturday, 12 July The NFSA is hosting a dementia-friendly screening of A Day at the Movies: Top End Wedding on Saturday, 12 July. Enjoy a warm and light-hearted comedy that celebrates the joyful chaos of family and the strength of community. Bookings required. Cost: $16 for a full price ticket, $12 for concession card holders and free for carers.
National Library of Australia, Parkes Tuesday, 8 July Join Brooke Blurton and Dr Melanie Saward as they yarn about their new young adult novel, A Good Kind of Trouble. They discuss what it means to write Indigenous-led stories for today’s young people. Bookings required. Watch online or attend in person. Cost: free.
Palace Electric Theatre,Canberra Tuesday, 8 July Come and watch the award-winning film from 10 Indigenous filmmakers from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. It interweaves eight stories – both fictional and non-fictional – that span 1,000 years. Each showcases the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples. Bookings required. Cost: admission is free for First Nations attendees and $10 for non-First Nations attendees.
ANCA Gallery, Dickson From Sunday, 6 July to Sunday, 13 July Join Thomas Coen Bonson, an emerging artist and one of Australia’s few First Nations jewellers. His solo exhibition is called Elegance in Heritage: First Nations Jewellery Unveiled. RSVP required Cost: free.
Belconnen Arts Centre, Belconnen Saturday 12, July Belco Arts is celebrating the 10th anniversary of NAIDOC in the North. The event is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture through story, song, art dance and ceremony. Check out a huge program of events. Learn from our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through workshops, performances, activities and entertainment. No bookings required. Cost: free.
Tuggeranong Arts Centre,Tuggeranong From Saturday, 5 July to Sunday, 13 July Visit the Arts Centre for a range of events including workshops and exhibitions that celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Bookings required. Cost: from free to $10.
ACT Historic Places, Tharwa Saturday, 12 July Join Ngunawal custodian Wally Bell on a walk at ACT Lanyon Homestead. Learn about Aboriginal connection to the area and the Murrumbidgee River. Discover the significance of the Canoe Tree to the Ngunnawal people and what its presence here tells us of the strong community that lived within the cultural landscape. Bookings required. Cost: $30 for standard ticket and $25 for concession.
National Capital Authority (NCA),Reconciliation Place From Monday, 7 July to Sunday, 13 July Join the NCA for a guided tour along Reconciliation Place that explores the rich history, culture and contributions of First Nations peoples. Bookings required. Cost: free.
Winnunga Warriors Basketball Club and Basketball ACT Friday, 11 July to Sunday, 13 July Be part of a fun and exciting event with over 125 teams from around the country. Celebrate Indigenous culture through basketball and enjoy games for all age groups as they honour NAIDOC Week together. No bookings required. Cost: free for spectators.
To learn more about NAIDOC Week and explore upcoming events, visit the official NAIDOC website.
Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
Please attribute to Sean Cairns, Area Investigations Manager, Southern District Police:
A young person is set to appear in front of the Youth Court today, after he was arrested in relation to two aggravated robberies in Invercargill on Saturday morning.
At around 6am on Saturday, Police responded to two robberies at commercial premises on Tay Street and Dee Street.
The youth fled from the scene of the second robbery in a stolen vehicle, however was located and arrested by Police a short time later near Otepuni Ave.
Enquiries into the two incidents remain ongoing, however Police are not seeking anybody else in relation to them.
We’d also like to thank the members of the public who assisted Police with information at the time.
Counties Manukau Police continues to appeal to the wider Māngere community for their assistance in locating Ella Davenport.
Ella, 57, has been missing from her Hain Avenue home since Friday 20 June.
Police have information she is still in the local community, with the last unconfirmed sighting of her being around the BP on Massey Road in late June.
She may also frequent the 24-hour laundromat near the petrol station.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Robb Kerr says: “I would like to thank those in the community who have contacted us or spoken to Police about Ella in recent weeks.
“I’m asking for residents in Māngere and Māngere East to keep an eye out for her.
“If you see her, please contact Police straight away.
“We are concerned for Ella’s wellbeing; on top of this we have been experiencing quite cold and wet weather recently.”
If you have other information which might assist Police, you can update us online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250621/8662 for Ella’s case.
Police and Ella’s family thank the community for their assistance.
Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Wescott:
Police investigating the serious injuries caused to a young baby in the Hutt Valley are now in a position to provide further information on the baby girl’s injuries.
On 14 June, Police were notified that a three-month-old baby had been brought into hospital by her family.
The baby girl had sustained nine fractures, including throughout her ribcage and a fracture to her ankle and upper arm.
Some of these injuries occurred at different times, and Police are working tirelessly to find the truth about how the injuries were sustained.
We do not believe that these injuries could have been accidental.
Police would like to thank everyone who has come forward with information so far, and continue to assess all information as it comes in.
The baby’s condition is thankfully improving, but we continue to ask for anyone who knows anything about how this baby girl sustained such serious injuries to come forward.
If you can help, please contact Police via 105, quoting file number 250614/8509.
You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force acknowledges the findings and recommendations handed down today by Coroner Elisabeth Armitage following the conclusion of the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker.
The inquest, which commenced in 2022, has been one of the most comprehensive and difficult processes in the Territory’s recent history. It has examined not just the tragic events of November 2019, but also the broader systemic and cultural challenges that intersect with frontline policing.
We recognise the enduring grief experienced by Kumanjayi Walker’s family, the Yuendumu community, and many others across the Northern Territory. Today’s findings mark a significant moment in what has been a long and painful journey for all involved.
The Northern Territory Police Force will now carefully consider the Coroner’s recommendations in full. We are committed to taking time to review and reflect on the findings and recommendations to continue our efforts to build a modern police force that serves all Territorians with fairness, respect, and integrity.
“We acknowledge the Coroner’s work and thank her for the careful consideration she has given to such a complex and sensitive matter,” Acting Commissioner Martin Dole said. “We extend our sympathies to the family of Kumanjayi Walker and acknowledge the courage of those who contributed to this process. This has been a hard road, and we are determined to ensure that what has been learned is not lost.”
As the inquest progressed, the Northern Territory Police Force initiated a number of internal reforms in direct response to the issues that were raised:
Anti-Racism Strategy: A draft strategy, which has been developed with the assistance of major Aboriginal organisations in the NT, will soon be out for broader consultation.
On going delivery of Cultural Awareness and Anti-Racism Training: Territory-wide programs continue to be rolled out to enhance cultural competency and eliminate racism in all its forms across the organisation.
Recruitment and Training Reforms: New entry and training pathways are in place to better prepare and screen recruits for the realities and responsibilities of policing in diverse communities, particularly Aboriginal communities. These reforms stand alongside our commitment to reach 30 per cent Aboriginal representation across our entire organisation.
Disbanding of the Immediate Response Team (IRT): The unit involved in the incident was disbanded.
Creation of the Cultural Reform Command: Led by Executive Director Leanne Liddle, this command is focused on strengthening relationships, rebuilding trust with Aboriginal people and communities, and tackling racism.
Reform is not a single act — it is an ongoing responsibility and continuous journey. The NT Police Force will continue to work with government, Aboriginal leadership, and the broader community to ensure the recommendations are considered in the spirit in which they were made: to improve, to heal, and to build a better path forward.
Media Contact: NT Police Media Unit Phone: 0417 770 686
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is not considering recruiting personnel from across the Pacific as talk continues of Australia doing so for its Defence Force (ADF).
In response to a question from The Australian at the National Press Club in Canberra about Australia’s plans to potentially recruit from the Pacific Islands into the ADF, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he “would like to see it happen”.
“Whether Australia does it or not depends on your own policies. We will not push it.”
RNZ Pacific asked the NZDF under the Official Information Act (OIA) for all correspondence sent and received regarding any discussion on recruiting from the Pacific, along with other related questions.
The OIA request was declined as the information did not exist.
“Defence Recruiting has not and is not considering deliberate recruiting action from across the Pacific,” the response from the NZDF said.
Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said citizenship needed to be a prerequisite to Pacific recruitment.
Australian citizen “Even a New Zealander serving in the Australian military has to become an Australian citizen,” James said.
“They can start off being an Australian resident, but they’ve got to be on the path to citizenship.
”They’ve got to be capable of getting permanent residency in Australia and citizenship.
“And then you’ve got to tackle the moral problem — it’s pretty hard to ask foreigners to fight for your country when your own people won’t do it.”
James said he thought people might be “jumping at hairs” at Rabuka’s comments.
Unlike Samoa’s acting prime minister, who has voiced concern over a brain drain, both Papua New Guinea and Fiji have made it clear they have people to spare.
Ross Thompson, a managing director at People In, the largest approved employer in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, said if the recruitment drive does go ahead, PNG nationals would return home with a wider skill set.
‘Brain gain, not drain’ “This would be a brain gain, rather than be a drain on PNG.”
He’s spoken with people in PNG who welcome the proposal.
”PNG, its population is over 10 million . . . We’re proposing from PNG around 1000 could be recruited every year.”
Minister Rabuka joked Fiji could plug Australia’s personnel hole on its own.
“If it’s open [to recruiting Fijians] . . . [we will offer] the whole lot . . . 5000,” he said, while noting that Fiji was able to easily fill its quota under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
“The villages are emptying out into the cities. What we would like to do is to reduce those who are ending up in settlements in the cities and not working, giving way to crime and becoming first victims to the sale of drugs and AIDS and HIV from frequently used or commonly used needles.”
Thompson was also a captain in the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers of the British Army and said he was proud to have served alongside Fijians.
Honour serving “I had the honour to serve with a number of Fijians while deployed overseas; they’re fantastic soldiers.
“This is something that’s been going on since the Second World War and it’s a big part of the British Army.”
From a recruitment perspective, he said PNG and Fiji would be a good starting point before extending to any other Pacific nations.
”PNG has a strong history with the Australian Defence Force. There’s a number of programmes that are currently ongoing, on shared military exercises, there’s PNG officers that are serving in the ADF now, or on secondment to the ADF.
“So I think those two countries are definitely good to look up from a pilot perspective.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is not considering recruiting personnel from across the Pacific as talk continues of Australia doing so for its Defence Force (ADF).
In response to a question from The Australian at the National Press Club in Canberra about Australia’s plans to potentially recruit from the Pacific Islands into the ADF, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he “would like to see it happen”.
“Whether Australia does it or not depends on your own policies. We will not push it.”
RNZ Pacific asked the NZDF under the Official Information Act (OIA) for all correspondence sent and received regarding any discussion on recruiting from the Pacific, along with other related questions.
The OIA request was declined as the information did not exist.
“Defence Recruiting has not and is not considering deliberate recruiting action from across the Pacific,” the response from the NZDF said.
Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said citizenship needed to be a prerequisite to Pacific recruitment.
Australian citizen “Even a New Zealander serving in the Australian military has to become an Australian citizen,” James said.
“They can start off being an Australian resident, but they’ve got to be on the path to citizenship.
”They’ve got to be capable of getting permanent residency in Australia and citizenship.
“And then you’ve got to tackle the moral problem — it’s pretty hard to ask foreigners to fight for your country when your own people won’t do it.”
James said he thought people might be “jumping at hairs” at Rabuka’s comments.
Unlike Samoa’s acting prime minister, who has voiced concern over a brain drain, both Papua New Guinea and Fiji have made it clear they have people to spare.
Ross Thompson, a managing director at People In, the largest approved employer in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, said if the recruitment drive does go ahead, PNG nationals would return home with a wider skill set.
‘Brain gain, not drain’ “This would be a brain gain, rather than be a drain on PNG.”
He’s spoken with people in PNG who welcome the proposal.
”PNG, its population is over 10 million . . . We’re proposing from PNG around 1000 could be recruited every year.”
Minister Rabuka joked Fiji could plug Australia’s personnel hole on its own.
“If it’s open [to recruiting Fijians] . . . [we will offer] the whole lot . . . 5000,” he said, while noting that Fiji was able to easily fill its quota under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
“The villages are emptying out into the cities. What we would like to do is to reduce those who are ending up in settlements in the cities and not working, giving way to crime and becoming first victims to the sale of drugs and AIDS and HIV from frequently used or commonly used needles.”
Thompson was also a captain in the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers of the British Army and said he was proud to have served alongside Fijians.
Honour serving “I had the honour to serve with a number of Fijians while deployed overseas; they’re fantastic soldiers.
“This is something that’s been going on since the Second World War and it’s a big part of the British Army.”
From a recruitment perspective, he said PNG and Fiji would be a good starting point before extending to any other Pacific nations.
”PNG has a strong history with the Australian Defence Force. There’s a number of programmes that are currently ongoing, on shared military exercises, there’s PNG officers that are serving in the ADF now, or on secondment to the ADF.
“So I think those two countries are definitely good to look up from a pilot perspective.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Police are continuing to make enquiries to locate missing man Kahu, who was last seen on Friday 27 June.
A vehicle was located in the Whanganui River, matching the description of the vehicle belonging to Kahu.
Kahu is still yet to be located, and we’re asking the public for any sightings of him in the Whanganui area.
He was last seen wearing a black hoody, with red text on the sleeves, and camo cargo pants.
We’re asking anybody who is walking along or near the river or coastline near Whanganui to report any unusual findings or clothing matching the description of what Kahu was wearing.
If you have any information, please contact Police via 105 either over the phone or online, and reference file number 250702/3842.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A telecom fraud suspect is escorted by Chinese police officers at the Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan province, Jan. 30, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
China, Myanmar and Thailand agreed to intensify cooperation to dismantle all telecom scam compounds and arrest all suspects in Myawaddy and other telecom fraud hubs, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced Sunday.
The decision came during a recent ministerial meeting on a joint crackdown against telecom fraud attended by law enforcement agencies of the three countries.
Thanks to their joint efforts, over 5,400 Chinese nationals suspected of fraud in Myawaddy have been repatriated in 2025, marking significant progress in the tripartite crackdown campaign.
This is not the first time China has collaborated with Southeast Asian countries to combat telecom fraud.
In November 2024, the Chinese ministry announced that all large-scale telecom fraud centers located near the China-Myanmar border in northern Myanmar had been wiped out.
By the end of 2024, over 53,000 Chinese nationals suspected of fraud had been arrested through cooperative efforts from Chinese and Myanmar police since the Chinese ministry launched a crackdown on telecom fraud in northern Myanmar in 2023.
During China’s cooperation with Lao police in 2024, a total of 268 people suspected of involvement in cross-border telecom fraud affecting Chinese citizens were returned from Laos and placed in Chinese police custody, the ministry said.
China has also called on other neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam to join hands with China in a resolute crackdown on online gambling, telecom fraud and other types of cross-border crime.
Fighting online gambling and telecom fraud is a necessary choice to safeguard the common interests of China and other regional countries, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in February.
The sophisticated and transnational nature of telecom fraud and related crime requires concerted international efforts to address the challenges facing Southeast Asia, according to Benedikt Hofmann, acting regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The cooperation between China and other countries in the region has been “encouraging” and has created momentum for such collaboration, Hofmann said in an interview in February.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 7, 2025.
The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits of fast-track mining projects Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Much of the debate about the fast-track applications by a number of new or extended mining projects has, understandably, focused on their environmental impacts. But the other
New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Angel DiBiblio/Shutterstock In recent weeks, the US State Department implemented a policy requiring all university, technical training, or exchange program visa applicants to disclose their social media handles used over the
Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Nguyen, Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering, University of Southern Queensland The Story Bridge, with its sweeping steel trusses and art deco towers, is a striking sight above the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2025, it was named the state’s best landmark. But more than an icon,
Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Riley, Co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and Professor in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work; and Chair, Aboriginal Education and Indigenous Studies.original Education & Indigenous Studies., University of Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and/or images
Just $7 extra per person could prevent 300 suicides a year. Here’s exactly where to spend it Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne xinlan/Shutterstock Medicare spending on mental health services varies considerably depending on where in Australia you live, our new study shows. We found areas with lower Medicare spending on out-of-hospital mental health
A Māori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby, Tautoro Māori Engagement Advisor, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research Getty Images In biomedical science, the immune system is described as a cellular defence network that identifies and neutralises threats. In te ao Māori (the Māori worldview), it can be seen as a dynamic
We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy
‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland Pixels Effect/ Getty Images Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students
The Rainbow Warrior saga. Part 2: Nuclear refugees in the Pacific – the evacuation of Rongelap COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle On the last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior prior to its sinking by French secret agents in Auckland harbour on 10 July 1985 the ship had evacuated the entire population of 320 from Rongelap in the Marshall Islands. After conducting dozens of above-ground nuclear explosions, the US government had left the
Legends of a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific – Octo Mote Pacific Media Watch West Papuan independence advocate Octovianus Mote was in Aotearoa New Zealand late last year seeking support for independence for West Papua, which has been ruled by Indonesia for more than six decades. Mote is vice-president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and was hosted in New Zealand by the
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force have charged a 26-year-old male with several drug and traffic offences following a traffic apprehension on Friday night.
Around 11:45pm, Darwin Traffic Operations members apprehended a vehicle on Tiger Brennan Drive, after it was detected speeding at 136km/h in a 100km/h speed limit area.
The driver of the vehicle was subjected to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for cocaine, methamphetamine, and opiates.
Whilst being taken into custody, the driver was searched and was found to have a less than traffickable quantity of cocaine in his possession.
Darwin Traffic Operations members conducted a further lawful search of the man’s vehicle and located a commercial quantity of MDMA, traffickable quantity of cannabis and a less than traffickable quantity of cocaine. The vehicle was seized by police.
The man was arrested, and the matter was referred to detectives from the Drug & Organised Crime Squad. Detectives executed a search warrant at the male’s residence, where the following was located and seized:
• A less than traffickable quantity of cocaine
• A less than traffickable quantity of MDMA
• A less than traffickable quantity of cannabis
• Items indicative of drug supply
The man has been charged with:
• Supply Dangerous Drug Commercial Quantity – schedule 1
• Possess Dangerous Drug Commercial Quantity – schedule 1
• Possess Dangerous Drug Traffickable Quantity – schedule 2
• Possess Dangerous Drug less than Traffickable Quantity – schedule 1
• Receiving or Possessing Tainted Property
• Driver with Prohibited Drug in Blood
• Exceed Speed – 31-45km/h Over Limit
He is remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court today.
Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.
The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.
Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.
On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.
We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.
The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.
The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.
Managing and monitoring environmental harm
Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.
CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.
Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.
The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.
In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.
We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.
Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.
How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)
1. Minerals are not scarce
The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.
There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.
Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.
But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.
Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.
3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.
Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.
For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.
The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.
European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.
Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.
Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.
Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park 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.
Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.
The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.
Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.
On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.
We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.
The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.
The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.
Managing and monitoring environmental harm
Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.
CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.
Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.
The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.
In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.
We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.
Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.
How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)
1. Minerals are not scarce
The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.
There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.
Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.
But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.
Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.
3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.
Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.
For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.
The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.
European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.
Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.
Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.
Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park 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.
