The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Save the Children

At least eight children were reported killed early today, and dozens more are among 100 people missing following the collapse of a six or seven story building damaged by an earlier Israeli strike in Gaza City.

As rescuers comb through the rubble, some digging with their bare hands, Israeli restrictions on the entry of essential machinery and rescue equipment are directly hampering efforts to reach people trapped beneath the rubble, putting more lives at risk.

Save the Children said Israel must lift these restrictions immediately and live up to its obligations under the so-called ‘ceasefire’ agreement.

The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza said at least 50 children could be among the missing. More than 10 families lived in the building, which also reportedly fell on tents and makeshift shelters nearby.

The building had been bombed previously during the war and displaced families were living there due to a lack of available shelter. The Civil Defence warned that some 2,000 damaged buildings, currently sheltering large numbers of people, are at risk of collapse.

Shuroaq, Save the Children Media Manager in the occupied Palestinian territory:

“At dawn while we were sleeping, we heard a blast that sounded like bombing, and the whole house was covered in dust. We thought the building we were in was the target. I have just came back from the site and everyone in Gaza is there trying to help with rescue teams. The situation is dire. People are screaming, and others are digging with their bare hands. Children could be heard screaming and pleading for help from underneath the rubble.

“The building is huge. There are people missing from the tents near the building that collapsed on them. People are scared that with the scarcity of equipment and machinery the rescue machine will take days. In Gaza buildings are constantly collapsing on displaced families. These things have been constantly happening, but this is a huge building. Dozens were living there.

“I saw the bodies of a woman and her child being recovered. They were lying together on a mattress where they had been sleeping. This is not a sight that anyone should or ever could ever get used to. I know a family who lived in this collapsed building. They had only recently moved there, fleeing the artillery shells that were close to their tent. Most of the family members are children, and no one from the family has been recovered yet. This is a danger that threatens everyone here in Gaza.”

Hiba AlHejazi, Save the Children Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media Director in the occupied Palestinian territory:

“Nearly a year after its signing, the so-called ‘ceasefire’ continues to fail children. This tragedy did not happen in isolation. Israel’s destruction of homes has displaced families, while its restrictions on the entry of tents, shelter materials and reconstruction supplies have left them with no safe alternative but to live in damaged and unstable buildings. When those buildings collapse, the same restrictions leave rescue teams digging through the rubble with their bare hands.

“Israel is actively blocking the equipment and machinery needed to rescue people and support meaningful recovery and reconstruction. These restrictions must be lifted immediately. The international community must act urgently to press Israel to lift them, or we will continue to witness entirely preventable mass-casualty events like the one we saw this morning.”

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Source: Flinders University

16 September 2026

Where and when water is available places a pivotal control on environments – with ancient sediments and fossils explaining how rainfall has changed through time, although researchers now believe climate scientists have read some historical signs about rainfall levels incorrectly.

“Sediment and fossil records are a main pillar for our understanding of how the climate works – but climate scientists have got something wrong about Australia’s ice age,” says Dr Alex F. Wall, lead author of a new research paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews.

“Experts tend to think of the last ice age as having less complex rainfall patterns than today. Our new research suggests that narrative may have arisen from what the past can’t tell us, rather than what it can.”

The new study analyses 69 natural paleoenvironmental archives from tropical Australia spanning the past 130,000 years, with no published hydrological records of sub-decadal resolution before 1900 years ago.

Changes in water availability are frequently invoked to explain past changes in human, flora, fauna, and fire behaviour, especially regarding the transition from the Late Pleistocene to the more complex Holocene.

“Technically, we’re still in the ice age, just a relatively warm and wet period called an interglacial,” explains Dr Wall. “The last time the Earth was as wetter than today was a period from 130,000 to 115,000 years ago: the Last Interglacial, which is of great interest to climate scientists because it is also the last time the Earth was warmer than today. This makes it a good analogue for future climate change.”

Scientists have suggested that rainfall patterns were simpler in the past, then became more patchy, less reliable and more complex in the past 12,000 years.

Dr Wall suggests that seeming complexity is a result of bias, and says the research team found no support for the previous hypothesis that the Holocene is uniquely hydrologically heterogeneous. They instead suggest the trend of reduced resolution in the past could be mistaken as a greater simplicity.

“Characterising the Holocene as a period of uniquely erratic rainfall has significant implications for interpreting past human and environmental responses to climate change. Reconstructions from further back in time tend to be poorer quality, which must be considered when comparing records,” says Dr Wall.

“Taking a look at the bigger picture, we found that rainfall during the Last Interglacial and today looks pretty indistinguishable. Unfortunately, that may mean that a warming climate might be even less predictable than we had assumed.

“To understand how any region fits into the greater climate system, Quaternary science must be explicit about what can and cannot be determined from the data available.”

The research – “Hydroclimate complexity across the last glacial cycle in tropical Australia: reassessing the uniqueness of the Holocene”, by Alexander Wall, Emma Rehn, Haidee Cadd, Vanessa Mailhammer, Will Reynolds, Brian Jones, Zenobia Jacobs, Serayah Steele and Tim Cohen – has been published in Quaternary Science Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110253

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Source: Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa

The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) is calling on the Government to replace the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy on insurance policies, saying the current system is outdated, not fit-for-purpose, and unnecessarily adds to the cost of insurance for households and businesses.

In a submission to the Government’s review of FENZ funding, ICNZ states emergency services should no longer be funded primarily through levies collected on insurance policies.

ICNZ Chief Executive Kris Faafoi says ICNZ strongly supports a well-funded FENZ and the work its people do every day but believes it is time to modernise how the service is funded.

“The current funding system reflects a time when fire services were closely linked to fire insurance, but that’s no longer the reality.

“FENZ today responds to a wide range of emergencies including vehicle accidents, medical events and civil defence emergencies. Everyone benefits from having a strong and effective emergency service.

“The key issue is whether the current funding model remains the best way to ensure FENZ is sustainably and fairly funded.

“Insured households and businesses bear most of the cost through the levy, despite the benefits of FENZ being shared across the community. That is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.”

ICNZ says government taxes and levies account for around 40% of a typical home insurance premium, with the FENZ levy making up about 5%. Across all insurance products subject to the levy, it accounts for approximately 9% of premiums.

“The collection and administration of the levy imposes significant compliance costs on insurers, which are ultimately passed on to consumers,” says Kris Faafoi.

ICNZ has recommended FENZ be funded through a broader and more equitable approach, such as general taxation or property and vehicle-based levies, reflecting the public good nature of the services it provides.

“The current approach is inequitable because people with similar assets can pay very different levy amounts depending on the insurance cover they choose, while those who are uninsured contribute nothing towards funding the service.”

The submission notes most Australian states and many comparable overseas jurisdictions have moved away from insurance-based fire service levies, instead funding emergency services through general taxation, local government funding or property-based levies.

“For many years there have been calls for a fairer and simpler approach to funding FENZ. The current review presents an excellent opportunity to create a funding model that better reflects the services FENZ provides today and delivers a more sustainable funding framework into the future,” says Kris Faafoi.

“We believe the time has come to move beyond an insurance-based levy and adopt a funding model that shares the cost of emergency services more fairly across the community.”

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Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

Westport communities and emergency responders will be better placed to respond to future floods, with West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) and Earth Sciences New Zealand delivering the country’s first operational flood inundation forecasting system.

Developed for Westport, the new system brings together weather forecasts, river flow modelling, coastal conditions and rapid inundation mapping. It shows not only when flooding may occur, but also where floodwaters are likely to go and how deep they could be. The project is a major step forward in how flood risk is forecast, communicated and managed.

The system builds on and extends previous Earth Sciences NZ work to develop national-scale river-flow forecasting capability.

Hydrological Forecasting Scientist Dr Céline Cattoën-Gilbert says the West Coast project represents a significant scientific and operational achievement. “This system moves us from forecasting river levels to forecasting potential flood impacts,” she says.

“That is a fundamental shift for emergency management, because it gives decision makers more practical information about what flooding could mean for people, homes, roads and critical infrastructure.”

The work, commissioned by WCRC, was developed by Earth Sciences NZ in partnership with WCRC staff, West Coast Emergency Management, emergency services and Buller District Council. It was shaped by lessons from major floods, including the July 2021 and February 2022 events, during which decision makers relied primarily on weather and river forecasts without real-time inundation information.

WCRC Hydrology Manager Samwell Warren says the project demonstrates the value of sustained collaboration between scientists, councils and emergency management partners.

“Developing the model alongside West Coast Emergency Management, plus our growing focus on impact-based flood intelligence, has helped ensure it meets real operational needs.

“It gives us more than a forecast river level by helping us understand what the forecast could mean for communities, roads and infrastructure. This supports making better-informed earlier decisions.”

The forecasting chain combines ensemble river forecasts, which predict a range of river levels depending on rainfall probabilities, with sea-level information and a pre-computed library of flood scenarios. Together, this means inundation maps can be generated within minutes. The use of ensemble river flow forecasts means the system accounts for uncertainty, enabling emergency managers to consider a range of possible flood outcomes and likelihoods, rather than relying on a single forecast.

West Coast Emergency Management Regional Manager Claire Brown agrees that the work has been important in giving response teams more confidence when making decisions such as when and who should be evacuated.

“These are critical decisions made only after considering multiple factors. Inundation forecasting is a vital part of that decision making. Understanding more about where and when areas will flood give more lead in time to give 12 or more hours’ notice of an evacuation.”

The completion of the project was marked by a two-day workshop in Greymouth and Westport recently. This workshop brought together around 30 participants to review the system, share lessons and discuss future preparedness. Many of these people first met in very different circumstances during the 2021 and 2022 flood responses, when Earth Sciences staff provided weather and river forecasts to support the council and emergency responders and inform emergency responses.

Dr Cattoën-Gilbert says the partnership has delivered more than just a technical system.

“This project has strengthened relationships between researchers, local government and the emergency management sector. It has built shared understanding and created capability that can support communities before and during future flood events.

“We’re extremely grateful to everyone who gave their time to help us develop and refine the outputs and hope that the new inundation forecasts will help improve outcomes next time heavy rains come,” she says.

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

New Zealand has today welcomed home the final contingent of personnel deployed to North America to assist with wildfire response efforts.

Since July, Fire and Emergency New Zealand has led three contingents of firefighters and incident management specialists to the United States and Canada. The “Bravo deployment” who returned today was the largest of the three, comprising 57 people who worked on several large fires, mostly in Washington State.

In all, 68 Kiwis have been deployed in the last eight weeks as part of joint Australia-New Zealand contingents under our long-standing mutual assistance arrangements with the USA and Canada.

The NZ Defence Force, Department of Conservation and the forestry industry have all contributed personnel alongside Fire and Emergency’s own volunteers and paid staff.

Fire and Emergency National Commander Megan Stiffler says that sending our people overseas to help in time of need is more than just being a good global citizen. “The experience that they have gained in complex, large scale firefighting and incident management will be of huge benefit to our own capability.”

Fire and Emergency is preparing for a heightened risk of wildfire over the coming months, due to the Super El Niño predicted to affect the southern hemisphere.

“We are readying ourselves for the likelihood of challenging operating conditions across New Zealand,” Megan Stiffler says. “This is likely to include elevated wildfire risk, periods of severe weather, prolonged dry conditions in many areas, and increased potential for significant incidents requiring sustained operational response.”

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Source: ChildFund New Zealand

New research has found that 78% of water samples tested from public and community water sources, including schools, were classified as unsafe or high risk on the outer island of Tamana in Kiribati.

ChildFund New Zealand’s research also found that half of surveyed households reported at least one household member experiencing a waterborne illness during the previous six months.

ChildFund New Zealand CEO Josie Pagani says the findings are a stark reminder of how precarious safe water access remains for families on remote Pacific islands.

“It’s a failure of infrastructure, rather than a shortage of water. The good news is that it’s fixable,” says Josie Pagani.

The assessment was conducted in collaboration with ChildFund Kiribati, UNICEF, Kiribati government agencies and the Tamana Outer Island Council.

The household survey represents approximately 30% of all households on Tamana.

Of the samples taken from public wells and rainwater tanks:

• 52% were classified as unsafe
• A further 26% were classified as high risk or possibly unsafe
• Only 22% were classified as safe
• Only 24% of households said they always had enough water for drinking, cooking, washing, and sanitation

Much of the infrastructure needed to capture and store rainwater requires repair.

“We don’t always have to create new projects. We can fix what’s already there, especially in schools where children are drinking water that is unsafe.”

The findings come as El Niño strengthens rapidly across the tropical Pacific. Tamana’s water security is vulnerable to both prolonged dry periods and extreme weather. Groundwater can become more saline during prolonged dry conditions and can also be contaminated following storms, flooding and seawater intrusion.

ChildFund Kiribati has identified priority rehabilitation needs and is working to determine options for future repairs and investment, alongside improved access to spare parts and technical support, continued water-quality monitoring and practical education about water treatment and handwashing.

“The encouraging part is that most of these problems have practical solution. A repaired gutter, a working tap, or access to the right spare part can be the difference between a family drinking safe water or not,” says Josie Pagani.

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is warning the public that the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) will be striking tomorrow, Wednesday 16 September, between 12pm and 1pm.

“I want to reassure the public that all 111 calls will be received and responded to during the strike period,” Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler says.

“However, our response times will be delayed in impacted areas as volunteer crews will be responding from the next closest location. So, we are asking the public to remain extra careful.

“Our advice remains the same. If there is a fire, get out early, stay out, then call 111.”

During the one-hour strikes, Fire and Emergency will prioritise emergencies and may not attend less serious incidents, such as private fire alarms where there is no sign of fire, small rubbish fires, traffic-management assistance, and animal rescues.

In addition, Fire and Emergency has established a process with Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance for responding to medical events in impacted areas.

“We remain focused on achieving a fair and sustainable settlement with the NZPFU so we can continue working to keep communities safe,” Megan Stiffler says.

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Four Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel from Auckland, Dunedin, Ōmokoroa, and Richmond were presented with King’s Birthday Honours by the Governor-General, the Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, at an investiture ceremony at Government House in Wellington today.

Fire and Emergency Board Chair Raveen Jaduram was pleased to be part of the Fire and Emergency Royal Honours luncheon, held at Parliament following the investiture ceremony, celebrating the recipients and their well-deserved recognition.

“Our people being honoured today have made outstanding contributions across Fire and Emergency, as well as fostering strong connections within their communities.”

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate their achievements. We thank them for the lasting contribution they have made in service to Fire and Emergency and to Aotearoa New Zealand. Their communities are stronger because of their work.”

An additional two King’s Service Medal recipients, Ralph Pitcher and Graeme Kates, will be attending ceremonies to receive their awards later in September and October.

Congratulations to the recipients:

Mr Esitone (Leota Pauga Esitone) PAUGA, appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Leota Pauga Esitone Pauga has served for more than 40 years with Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the preceding New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS).

Mr Pauga became a career firefighter in 1981 and served until retirement in 2025. He was an operational firefighter for 32 years before attaining the role of Assistant Commander in 2013 and Area Commander in 2015, latterly holding roles with Fire and Emergency national headquarters. He co-founded Afi Pasefika (Pacific Fire) in 1996, an initiative which has become an important part of the People Led Network and Pacific representation and advocacy within Fire and Emergency. Under his guidance Afi Pasefika has grown into a national network of career and volunteer firefighters, support personnel, and executive officers. The network works closely with Pacific communities to deliver fire safety messages, foster recruitment, and provide career advice for Pacific personnel. He was the Fire and Emergency representative on the Te Kiwi Māia Advisory Group from 2021 to 2025. His leadership has enabled firefighters and their family to access specialised wellness and recovery support. He has strengthened the relationship between Fire and Emergency and the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority, establishing collaborative initiatives to enhance operational capability. Mr Pauga led a team of firefighters to Samoa as part of New Zealand’s contribution to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2024.

Ms Michele Margot POOLE, appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Ms Michele Poole has contributed to emergency responses across New Zealand for more than 30 years.

Ms Poole is currently a Senior Regional Communications and Engagement Advisor at Fire and Emergency New Zealand. She is a member of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Emergency Management Assistance Team, the Fire and Emergency Urban Search and Rescue Command and Technical Support team, and the Maritime New Zealand National Oil Spill Response team. She represents Fire and Emergency on the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council Public Information and Warnings Group. She has developed and implemented Fire and Emergency’s Emergency Strategic Communications capability. She trains and supports Public Information Management around New Zealand and has built capability in emergency communication across the public communications sector and in local government. She was instrumental in establishing the New Zealand chapter of Emergency Media and Public Affairs (EMPA) and chaired the New Zealand EMPA Conference from 2014 to 2021. She has contributed to some of New Zealand’s most significant emergency responses including the 2011 Christchurch and 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes, Whakaari/White Island eruption in 2019, and Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. She has been deployed to major emergency responses in New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. For her contributions to emergency communications, Ms Poole was made a Fellow of EMPA.

Mr Ian John BLUNT, awarded King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community.

Chief Fire Officer Ian Blunt has contributed more than 40 years to community service and leadership, primarily through Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Mr Blunt joined Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1984, progressing from Station Officer in 1988 to current Chief Fire Officer since 2002. He has played a key role in regional emergency preparedness and inter-agency cooperation by forging effective partnerships between Fire and Emergency New Zealand, St John, Coastguard, and local Bay of Plenty organisations. In 2015, he pioneered the establishment of New Zealand’s first dedicated Medical First Response Unit staffed solely by medical responders, separate from the firefighting team. This innovation now supports approximately 300 calls annually and is recognised nationally. He has ensured sustainable funding for the station through community and corporate partnerships, enabling the acquisition of vehicles and equipment without requiring members to fundraise. As a long-time member, Chair and Course Superintendent of the Ōmokoroa Golf Club, he has used his own equipment and time to improve the grounds and infrastructure. He has been involved with the Ōmokoroa Boat Club since the early 1980s, serving as Commodore and ensuring ongoing emergency response collaboration to enhance community safety. Mr Blunt has been involved in Ōmokoroa Point School fundraising activities as a member of the Parent Teacher Association and through the Fire Brigade.

Mr Edward Keith (Ted) FORD, awarded King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the dairy industry.

Mr Ted Ford has served the Appleby community over 36 years as a volunteer firefighter and is a prominent member of the Jersey farming industry.

Mr Ford was an inaugural member of the Appleby Volunteer Rural Fire Force in 1988 and was instrumental in its transition to a Fire and Emergency New Zealand Volunteer Fire Brigade in 2017. He worked as a training coordinator and vehicle and equipment coordinator. He has had a long involvement with the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association, becoming Vice President in 2018, and President from 2019 to 2021. He continues to serve as a committee member, focusing on the care and maintenance of the Association’s 100-acre park. He has volunteered with local and national Jersey groups and is a Jersey New Zealand Regional Ambassador for the Upper South Island. He was a committee member for the planning and presentation of the Top of the South New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. He was Chair for the Top of the South Agricultural Industry Training Organisation and offered training on his farm to develop cadets’ practical and theoretical farming knowledge. Mr Ford was Chair of the Appleby School Committee from 1985 to 1987 and continues to support the school with educational farming visits.

Mr Graeme Lawrence KATES awarded King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to conservation and the community.

Mr Graeme Kates has played a significant role in the protection of native biodiversity in the Arthur’s Pass region for more than 31 years.

In 2003, Mr Kates privately funded extensive stoat and rat traps within the Bealey Valley, a conservation initiative which led to the foundation of the Arthurs Pass Wildlife Trust (APWT). With the APWT, he undertook initial work to protect the Great Spotted Kiwi in the Arthur’s Pass National Park, where his subsequent research and data collection led to improved knowledge of the species. He helped install 106 kilometres of trap line and coordinates the volunteers that service them, resulting in over eight thousand predator species caught within the Arthur’s Pass National Park. He created and maintains a website that updates the public on track and mountain conditions, weather stations and webcams within Arthur’s Pass National Park. As an experienced mountaineer, he wrote ‘Arthur’s Pass: A Guide for Mountaineers’, published by the New Zealand Alpine Club. He voluntarily controls invasive weed species and is largely responsible for the eradication of lupins in the Bealey Valley. Mr Kates also volunteered for Arthur’s Pass LandSAR, and served for more than 29 years with the Arthur’s Pass Volunteer Fire Brigade, including five years as Fire Controller and 17 years as Deputy Fire Controller.

Mr Ralph Edward PITCHER awarded King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community.

Mr Ralph Pitcher has served the Whangamatā community for more than 60 years.

Mr Pitcher has been a volunteer firefighter since 1965, still actively serving as part of the Whangamatā Fire Brigade. He assisted with major equipment and building changes to the Brigade and has mentored generations of firefighters. He is founding member, President, and committee member of the Moana House retirement home, where he was integral to the completion of the Wilson Wing Hospital, and five low-cost housing cottages for pensioners. He has served for more than 48 years with the Whangamatā Lions Club, including 15 years as President. He served on several committees and manages the Charitable Trust responsible for dispersing funds to community organisations. He is Trustee of Lions Investment Golf Club, committee member of the Williamson Golf Club and was involved in the establishment of Titoki Golf Club. He was a volunteer ambulance officer and later became Chair of St John’s Whangamatā Ambulance Service. He was a committee member of the Whangamatā Club for 15 years. He was President and was founding member of the Whangamatā Sports Centre and Squash Club, contributing significantly towards the Club’s redevelopment. Mr Pitcher volunteers as a Meals on Wheels driver.

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Source: Federated Farmers

Profitability is the highest it’s been in a decade, but farmers are worried about whether the good times will hold.

Federated Farmers’ latest Confidence Survey shows 72% of farmers are making a profit, with fewer than one in 20 making a loss.

“That’s an incredibly positive result and the highest since we started asking about profitability back in 2016,” Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst says.

“High interest rates, low commodity prices and sky-high input costs were making it really hard for farmers to earn a living just a few years ago.

“Dairy, sheep and beef farmers are now getting strong returns again, meaning farming has been one of the main bright spots in an otherwise sluggish New Zealand economy.”

The July survey of 634 farms found farmers are feeling confident about wider economic conditions right now.

However, confidence about the next 12 months moved sharply in the opposite direction.

Nearly 30% of farmers expect conditions to worsen, compared with only 12% expecting improvement.

“Most of that concern about the year ahead is coming from dairy farmers, with 39% expecting a downturn versus 18% of meat and wool farmers,” Hurst says.

“Nearly 8% ticked ‘don’t know’, suggesting genuine uncertainty rather than settled pessimism.”

When asked to name their top concerns, the reasons for declining forward confidence are clear, Hurst says.

“Farmers who answered our survey describe a sector that’s currently well paid at the farmgate – arable farms a notable exception.

“But even though returns are good, they’re feeling squeezed by high costs, over-regulated, and politically anxious.”

Farmers’ top three concerns are rising input costs/on-farm inflation (33%), the election and domestic politics (30%) and regulation, compliance and red tape (23%).

“In farmers’ written comments, we can see a recurring theme that fuel, fertiliser, freight, insurance and other costs are ratcheting up faster than returns.

“They have limited ability to pass those costs on, so that means profit margins could be eroded.”

Worries about commodity prices and weather, such as a potential El Niño-driven drought, are well back at 12% and 11% respectively.

Despite net pessimism about the year ahead, more than half of the survey respondents plan to increase on-farm spending, and many expect to lift production.

Two in five farms expect to reduce debt against one in nine expecting they’ll have to borrow more.

“Set against rising profitability, it appears our sector is investing and repairing balance sheets while the cash flow is there,” Hurst says.

Unfortunately, while for dairy and meat and wool farmers many of the indicators are holding or positive, that’s not the case for arable farmers.

The arable sector is the only group that expects to have to increase debt rather than pay it down, and the only group negative on current profitability at net -2.6%.

“It’s incredibly concerning that only one in five arable farmers report making a profit, and nearly one in four report a loss,” Hurst says.

“The current conditions lifting the pastoral sector are not reaching our cropping farmers and that’s bad news for all of us.

“Arable farmers supply the platform of seeds, grains and feed required to run the nation’s multi-billion dollar livestock industry.”

Hurst says for political parties wondering what farmers want most from the Government, the clearest single instruction is to finish what has been started.

“The Government has done a good job of slashing red tape and trying to get Wellington out of farming.

“Even so, nearly a third of farmers say cutting regulation and compliance costs is their top priority for the Government.

“What we need is for the Resource Management Act reform to be completed, alongside simplifying consents and audits, and reducing council powers.

“Our election platform lays out a five-point plan to double farm productivity, cut costs and improve the environment, and we encourage all parties to take it on board.”

Other key findings from the July survey:

• Current profitability has risen at every survey January and July survey since a July 2024 trough. In the 2026 July survey, fewer than one in 20 farms report making a loss, compared with roughly one in three at the depth of the 2022-2024 downturn.
• Dairy farmers report strong current profitability, at a net +74.5, with 77% making a profit. Yet they are by far the most pessimistic about the year ahead: 39% expect economic conditions to worsen and 40% expect their own profitability to decline, against 18% and 14% among meat & wool farmers.
• Asked whether pressures such as economic conditions, weather, or government policy and regulation are affecting their mental health and wellbeing, just under one-third said yes, with a further 8% unsure. When first asked in January 2023, at the depth of the downturn, the figure was just over 70%.

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Eco-Business

UNDP and Eco-Business also announced a new partnership – Unlocking AI for Sustainability – advancing AI governance and sustainable deployment of the technology.

Singapore, 11 September: Energy security and climate resilience must be treated as value drivers, not compliance costs, regional leaders said at the flagship Unlocking capital for sustainability (https://www.unlockingcapitalforsustainability.com/singapore/2026) summit in Singapore yesterday, calling for harmonised rules to channel capital into Asia’s underfunded energy transition and adaptation priorities.

Geopolitical conflicts and supply shocks have strengthened the urgency of the energy transition, especially in import-dependent Asia. Yet fragmented regulations and technical standards continue to constrain investment at scale.

In Asean alone, the region will need US$1.3 trillion by 2030 and US$11.9 trillion by 2050 (https://aseanenergy.org/blogs/how-can-asean-close-its-energy-investment-gap-to-foster-its-energy-transition) to finance the clean energy transition – but the region lacks the regulatory coherence to mobilise this capital efficiently.

In a keynote dialogue, Jeffrey Siow, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance for Singapore, said the energy transition in Singapore is especially constrained by the energy trilemma of ensuring secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply in the country.

“Our approach here is to create options as early as possible, and when some of these options become economically viable, we will scale them,” he said in a fireside chat moderated by Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO of Eco-Business.

This includes the Asean Power Grid (APG) but progress hinges on resolving cross-border technical and infrastructure needs.

Siow said the major obstacle to accelerating the APG is regulation as Asean lacks a “unified framework for cross-border electricity”.

“As of now, domestic regulations differ in every country… It’s a patchwork at the moment which is not very helpful. The other constraints are export license durations and the lack of clear norms around how to inspect, maintain and repair subway cables, for instance.”

To accelerate deployment, Singapore and Thailand, as Asean chairs for 2027 and 2028 respectively, will aggressively push APG deployment. Singapore will lead the work on the Asean submarine power cable development framework and address hurdles in the bankability of energy trading projects, Siow said.

Adaptation finance gap widens as risks mount

Beyond mitigation, adaptation and resilience are critical as Asia warms at twice the global average, exposing economies to operational, credit and social risks.

Yet Asia accounts for an estimated 75 per cent of the global climate adaptation finance gap (https://www.temasektrust.org.sg/newsroom/new-CIIP-report-climate-adaptation-and-resilience-solutions-for-asia), with only US$19 billion (9.5 per cent) of the region’s US$200 billion in annual needs currently met. In this scenario, Asian companies could face US$336 billion in annual climate-related costs.

“There’s clearly a recognition of the importance of adaptation resilience, but there are some problems for accessing the finance. It’s not a cost – it’s an investment,” Edward Vrkić, Resident Representative for UNDP Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, said in his keynote address.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Eco-Business also announced a new partnership – Unlocking AI for Sustainability, a new initiative building on the success of Unlocking capital for sustainability.

The platform will bring together thought leadership and convenings to advance five priorities across the region: sustainable AI infrastructure; the use of AI for climate, energy and environmental action; AI’s role in mobilising finance and investment; stronger supply-chain resilience; and AI safety and governance.

Igniting capital, powering progress

Organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, and co-located for the first time with AT ONE IMPACT WEEK 2026 (https://impactweek.com/), the 2026 edition of Unlocking capital for sustainability – Singapore convened more than 300 delegates from government, finance and industry under the theme of “Igniting capital, powering progress”.

“Asia Pacific sits at the centre of the global climate finance gap. Beyond mitigation, adaptation needs here are rising faster than almost anywhere else, yet the communities most exposed to these remain largely outside the financial system altogether,” said Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO, Eco-Business said.

“As weak local interventions, missing data on climate vulnerable borrowers, investors who are still unfamiliar with adaptation as an asset class and simply too few finance professionals fluent in both climate science and inclusive finance, and so this financing gap is widening exactly the time where our region needs it the most,” she added.

The sustainable finance forum also marked the launch of 2027 edition of The Liveability Challenge (TLC), Asia’s largest sustainability solutions platform, which announced a record of over S$5.5 million in catalytic funding to invest in and subsequently scale the next groundbreaking solutions for urban liveability.

Going into its 10th year, and presented by Temasek Foundation, the global crowdfunding platform announced a new Oceans theme where, with the support of co-presenter Asia Ocean Fund, it will seek out pioneering solutions across areas such as maritime and energy and ocean data and intelligence.

Together with the Decarbonisation and Cool Earth themes, these deep-tech solutions are timely as global warming continues to rise, while ocean health and marine ecosystems come under increasing environmental pressures.

“As we mark the 10th edition of TLC, Temasek Foundation remains committed to catalysing greater support for solutions with the potential to scale, reflected in a record funding pool of more than S$5.5 million. The addition of a new Oceans theme, with Asia Ocean Fund coming onboard, also broadens our focus to an area critical to Asia’s climate resilience,” said Heng Li Lang, Head, Climate and Liveability, Temasek Foundation.

The Singapore edition of Unlocking capital for sustainability was also supported by key business partners such as United Overseas Bank (UOB), City Developments Limited (CDL), BDO Unibank, CapitaLand Investment and OCBC Bank, covering a wide range of issues from closing Asia’s adaptation investment gap to pricing nature risks and addressing the climate-human health nexus and more. (see Appendix for partner quotes).

In partnership with Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the forum also hosted closed-door briefing which saw focused on the policy and regulatory constraints to mobilising and allocating climate capital through a new report (https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-barriers-climate-finance-asia-case-studies/), as well as the Regional Adaptation Investment Facility (RAIF) – a regional financing scheme to de-risk and catalyse climate adaptation finance for vulnerable communities.

Unlocking capital for sustainability is hosted in six markets across Asia in 2026. In addition to Singapore, the flagship forum was hosted in Jakarta in June, Kuala Lumpur in July, Manila in August and it will be hosted in Bangkok in September as well as in Hong Kong in November.

Appendix

Melissa Moi, Head of Sustainable Business, Group Corporate Sustainability Office, UOB:

“As climate risks intensify across Asia Pacific, financing for adaptation and resilience will need to scale rapidly as they are critical elements that shape business continuity, supply chain resilience and future growth. We will continue to help advance the conversation on how adaptation and resilience can become a mainstream investment priority across the region. By strengthening partnerships across the public and private sectors, developing common standards and scaling innovative financing solutions, more capital can be unlocked to address a broad range of resilience challenges, including water security.”

Mike Ng, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, OCBC:

“Recent geopolitical conflicts and the growing frequency of natural disasters have reinforced why sustainability and the energy transition remain more important than ever. Energy security, resilience and sustainability have become inextricably linked. Building resilient, low-carbon energy systems is no longer solely about decarbonisation, it is also critical for strengthening the ability of economies and communities to mitigate climate and energy-related risks. Our partnership with Eco-Business reflects our shared commitment to mobilising capital at scale, to help businesses and countries translate sustainability ambitions into impact.”

Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited:

“The line between land and ocean is an illusion; our survival and our supply chains are completely interdependent. As Dr Sylvia Earle famously said, ‘No water, no life. No blue, no green.’ The built environment has a critical role to play, we must shift from just ‘minimising harm’ to actively restoring marine life through superior design, circularity and nature-based solutions. The next chapter of Asian leadership requires businesses to look past short-term trade-offs, be bold and co-create ‘Blue Alpha’ in addition to ‘Green Alpha’, where financial performance and ecological regeneration thrive together. Unlocking investment in the blue economy is the ultimate economic opportunity of our decade to solidify long-term resilience and scale cross-sector growth.”

Andrew Jasudasen, Chief Sustainability and Sustainable Investments Officer, CapitaLand Investment:

“As climate risks intensify, the built environment has a critical role to play in strengthening climate resilience and safeguarding human well-being. As a leading global real asset manager with a strong foothold in Asia, CapitaLand Investment believes that responsible capital stewardship and sustainable real assets can deliver lasting value for both communities and stakeholders. To accelerate progress, we need stronger partnerships, innovative solutions and scalable financing mechanisms that can bridge ambition with implementation, taking into consideration real world constraints. Platforms such as Unlocking capital for sustainability help bring together policymakers, investors and industry leaders to catalyse meaningful action and mobilise capital at scale.”

About Eco-Business

Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s leading business intelligence and advisory platform dedicated to advancing sustainable development. We produce trusted, high-quality multimedia content exploring the world’s most pressing challenges–and the solutions driving change. Our work is aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supported by a 15-year archive of news, analysis, research, and events on sustainable development topics. Headquartered in Singapore, we have a presence in Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, and London.

For more information, visit www.eco-business.com (https://www.eco-business.com/)

UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative

UNEP Finance Initiative brings together a large network of banks, insurers and investors that collectively catalyses action across the financial system to deliver more sustainable global economies.

For more than 30 years the initiative has been connecting the UN with financial institutions from around the world to shape the sustainable finance agenda. We’ve established the world’s foremost sustainability frameworks that help the finance industry address global environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges.

Convened by a Geneva, Switzerland-based secretariat, more than 500 banks and insurers with assets exceeding US$170 trillion work together to facilitate the implementation of UNEP FI’s Principles for Responsible Banking and Principles for Sustainable Insurance, as well as three UN-convened net-zero alliances. Financial institutions work with UNEP FI on a voluntary basis and we help them to apply the industry frameworks and develop practical guidance and tools to position their businesses for the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy.

Founded in 1992, UNEP FI was the first organisation to engage the finance sector on sustainability and incubated the Principles for Responsible Investment, now the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment.

Today, we cultivate leadership and advance sustainable market practice while supporting the implementation of global programmes at a regional level across Africa & the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean and North America.

For more information, visit https://www.unepfi.org/ (https://www.unepfi.org/)

About Unlocking capital for sustainability

Unlocking capital for sustainability is an annual flagship event organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UNEP FI that brings together high-level decision makers in finance, business, government and civic society to discuss and commit to actionable initiatives that mobilise the capital markets for sustainable development projects. Our full list of knowledge partners – past and present – can be found on our website: www.unlockingcapitalforsustainability.com (https://www.unlockingcapitalforsustainability.com/)

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Source: Amnesty International

11 September 2026

Responding to the sentencing of activists who organized Tiananmen vigils in Hong Kong, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks said:

“During most of the 30 years that Hongkongers commemorated the Tiananmen crackdown with an annual candlelight vigil, it would have been unthinkable that the organizers of the event could be jailed for their peaceful activism. But today’s sentencing illustrates just how much Hong Kong has been transformed in the name of ‘national security’.

“This sentencing is a triple tragedy: for the activists being unjustly punished; the survivors and victims of the Tiananmen crackdown itself; and the generations of Hongkongers denied the space to discuss one of the most consequential events in modern Chinese history.

“The persecution of the Tiananmen activists exposes the profound fear of dissenting voices that defines Hong Kong’s ‘national security’ regime. But you do not strengthen national security by imprisoning people for peacefully remembering the dead.

“The authorities may believe that punishing prominent figures will deter others, but history shows that demands for truth and accountability do not disappear simply because they are criminalized.

“Today’s sentence is an insult to the victims’ memory and an affront to history. The Hong Kong Alliance activists have committed no internationally recognized crime and should be immediately and unconditionally released. Their right to appeal against these unjust jail sentences must be protected.”

Background

Hong Kong’s High Court today sentenced lawyer Chow Hang-tung to seven years and three months in prison and her fellow Tiananmen activist Lee Cheuk-yan to seven years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” under the city’s National Security Law. Albert Ho Chun-yan, who previously pleaded guilty to the same charge, was sentenced to five years and two months.

Chow and Lee were among seven members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (Hong Kong Alliance) charged with different offences under the Beijing-imposed law in September 2021. Both have been held in pre-trial detention throughout the years since, having been repeatedly denied bail. They have been designated prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.

Amnesty International has repeatedly raised concerns that the National Security Law, enacted in June 2020, is being used to target civil society groups, journalists, political activists, academics and others for actions that are fully protected under international human rights law.

The Tiananmen vigils commemorated the events of 4 June 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire on students and workers who had been peacefully protesting for political reforms in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Hundreds – possibly thousands – of people were killed. Tens of thousands more were arrested across China in the suppression that followed.

In the 37 years since the crackdown, all discussion of the incident has been heavily censored in China, and authorities have effectively erased it from their version of history.

From the beginning, commemorating the Tiananmen crackdown was forbidden in mainland China. But in Hong Kong, crowds reaching hundreds of thousands of people would gather annually in centrally located Victoria Park to peacefully remember those killed. The vigil participants regularly called on the Chinese authorities to reveal the truth about what happened and accept accountability for the atrocity; for thirty years, local government did not, in practice, interfere or object.

The last major vigil organized by the Hong Kong Alliance was held in 2019. The Hong Kong vigil was banned in 2020 and 2021, ostensibly on Covid-19 grounds. Since then, the National Security Law has effectively criminalized peaceful protest in the city – including Tiananmen commemorations.

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Source: Save the Children

KATHMANDU, 9 September 2026 – About 540 children have been separated from their parents or are unaccompanied two weeks since Nepal’s devastating flash floods, according to an initial assessment, Save the Children said.

As needs for family tracing and reunification grow, a rapid assessment by the National Child Rights Council and child protection experts, including Save the Children, found that 1,233 children are living in holding centres as of 4 September. Of these, 102 are unaccompanied – meaning they do not have a parent or relative with them – and 439 are separated from their parents and being cared for by relatives. [1].

Based on the preliminary number of children that schools and families have not been able to contact, about 630 children remain missing in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, according to the assessment. More than 1,300 people have died and about 5,000 are missing, according to the government. [2].

Some schools closed by the floods in Nepal are starting to reopen today with children returning to classes in Bidur – but only for children who are enrolled in education in the municipality. Children who have moved into temporary shelters in Bidur from other municipalities after being forced to leave their destroyed or damaged homes are not currently able to attend classes.

The wall of water that triggered flash floods on 26 August cut off communities in minutes, breaking bridges and destroying roads, and making rescue by helicopter the only way to safety for many people.

Some children were taken to different locations or temporary shelters from their families – many were at school or travelling to classes when the flood waters struck. Others may have lost one or both parents as villages were swept away.

Unaccompanied or separated children have become scattered across the flood-affected areas, with more than 3,600 people living in displacement sites.

Bishal-, 33, was working away from home when the flood tore through his village, destroying his home. With people moving from shelter to shelter, he had to search for days to find his family.

Bishal- said:

“For three days, I did not know where my family was, and that was the hardest moment of my life. The flood took away our home and shop, and my children were scared and quiet afterwards.”

Save the Children is providing psychosocial support for children, including for those who are without parents or legal guardians.

In one of the tented child-friendly safe spaces, a group of young children play with a toy kitchen, meticulously placing tiny chairs around a table. Next door, children practice writing English in Save the Children’s temporary learning centre.

“Children are looking after children,” said Jhan Kumari Neupane, a psychosocial counsellor working in the safe spaces. “Young children have no idea that their parents might not return, while older children are trying to be resilient but are experiencing nightmares, anxiety and fear.”

Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal said:

“Every separated and unaccompanied child is a protection emergency. Family tracing, reunification and support for family-based care in the aftermath of a disaster on this scale is a huge challenge but a critical priority. It must be done quickly but systematically and safely by local authorities to ensure that children are protected at every step of the process.

“Unaccompanied and separated children living in communal shelters are at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse including trafficking. Save the Children and partners are supporting police at checkpoints to prevent trafficking and the illicit transport of children.

“This is still the emergency phase, and needs are overwhelming. There are simply not enough trained professionals to support the thousands of children who have lost so much.”

For children who tragically cannot be reunited with their parents, Save the Children recommends kinship and family-based care, and is supporting authorities to ensure appropriate interim and alternative care arrangements for children who are unaccompanied.

Save the Children is calling for all children to be able to return to education as soon as possible, including those living in temporary shelters and those not able to go back to destroyed or damaged schools.

Save the Children has so far reached more than 6,100 people, including over 2,220 children, with emergency assistance and support.

The humanitarian and child rights organisation has set up child-friendly and temporary learning spaces, providing children with a safe place to play and learn. In partnership with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation (TPO), we are expanding the number of counsellors who can support children. We are also continuing to deliver aid as response teams reach more areas with items including household and cooking kits and mosquito nets.

Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.

New Zealanders wanting to donate to Save the Children’s response in Nepal can do so here: https://nepal-flood.savethechildren.org.nz/.

References:

[1] The rapid assessment in 30 out of 39 holding centres was led by the National Child Rights Council with support from Save the Children and other child protection partners. Data as of 4 September 2026.

[2] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 September https://mofa.gov.np/content/1879/daily-update-07-september-bhote-koshi-flood/

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

A fire involving a fuel tanker on the Peka Peka Expressway this morning has been contained to the cab of the vehicle and its tractor unit.

Assistant National Commander Bruce Stubbs says that firefighters reached the scene quickly and worked effectively to prevent the fire from spreading and igniting the fuel that the tanker was carrying. “It’s a really good save by our crews,” he says.

Firefighters are still at work dampening down the area and the Peka Peka Expressway remains closed.

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire trucks from multiple brigades are responding to a fuel tanker on fire on the Peka Peka Expressway just south of the Otaki River, on the Kapiti coast.

The first 111 call was received at 5.06am, and the cab of the tanker was well ablaze when the first crews arrived.

As at 6am there are 19 fire trucks, tankers and specialist vehicles at the scene or en route.

The tanker is in the north-bound lane. The Peka Peka expressway is closed from Otaki to Te Horo.

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has welcomed home the team of incident management specialists who have been supporting Canada’s wildfire response for the last five weeks.

Each of the five Fire and Emergency personnel has been working on different fires in British Columbia, filling roles as Divisional Supervisors, Logistics Section Chief, Safety Officer and Helicopter Coordinator. They have been working on extensive and complex fires as members of Canadian Incident Management Teams.

Our International Liaison Officer has been based in Winnipeg, supporting both New Zealand and Australian personnel in Canada.

The team departed for Canada on 6 August and formed the second contingent that Fire and Emergency has deployed to North America since mid July. The other two deployments have been supporting wildfire responses in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Fire and Emergency’s National Commander, Megan Stiffler, says that Canada’s firefighting authorities have appreciated New Zealand’s assistance with their challenging wildfire season. There are around 600 active wildfires burning across several states with many still out of control.

“The people who have just returned from Canada have given of their best and we are very proud of the work they have done to protect communities in British Columbia. Each of them was selected for their competence and experience, as well as their ability to fit in to new teams.”

The third group to deploy to North America is working on fires in Utah and Washington State. The 57 firefighters and incident management specialists include personnel from the New Zealand Defence Force, Department of Conservation and the forestry industry as well as Fire and Emergency.

Megan Stiffler says that the experience gained in the three international deployments will enhance New Zealand’s own readiness for the coming fire season, which is forecast to be longer, drier, hotter and windier than normal in many parts of the country due to El Niño.

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Source: deVere Group

September 8 2026

The yen is closing in on its strongest level this year, a move that demands every global investor revisit their portfolio given how far-reaching the impact of this currency swing could be, warns the CEO of financial advisory giant deVere Group.

The comments from Nigel Green come as the yen surged to 152.89 per dollar, its strongest level since February, having traded near 160 barely a week earlier.

Behind that jump is one of the biggest unwindings of borrowed money the currency markets have seen in decades, with a Bank of Japan meeting on September 18 adding fresh urgency to the swing.

He says: “Put simply, an enormous amount of money around the world has been borrowed cheaply in yen and pumped into other investments.

“Right now, that trade is unravelling fast, and when a trade this size unwinds, it shows up in ordinary portfolios around the world.”

For years, big investors have borrowed yen at rock-bottom cost and used the cash to buy higher-returning assets elsewhere, everything from US tech stocks to bonds in developing economies.

It has been one of the most popular trades in the world, worth an estimated 360 trillion yen, or around $2.35 trillion.

“The trouble starts when the yen itself rises. Those borrowed positions suddenly cost more to hold, and the investors behind them are forced to sell what they bought in order to pay the loan back,” explains the deVere CEO.

“This is not some abstract trading-desk story,” says Nigel Green.

“When investors have to sell in a hurry to cover a currency bet gone wrong, they sell whatever they hold, and that can mean stocks, bonds and funds that ordinary savers are invested in too, often through their pension or their workplace retirement plan.”

What makes this particular move unusual is that it was not triggered by a piece of economic news or a surprise decision from a central bank.

“It was set off by automatic sell orders built into trading systems, designed to fire once the currency hit certain levels.

“Moves like this tend to overshoot before they calm down, and this overshoot is where the real damage to portfolios often happens.”

The yen has also jumped nearly 5% this month against currencies popular with the same kind of borrowed-money trade, including the Mexican peso and the Turkish lira, showing how far the ripple effects reach beyond Japan.

“Anyone holding Japanese shares is looking at a mixed picture,” he notes

“Companies that sell heavily overseas, carmakers and electronics manufacturers among them, take a real hit because the money they earn abroad is worth less once it comes home, while businesses that sell mainly inside Japan or rely on imports can actually come out ahead.

“If you hold US shares or other investments that were quietly propped up by cheap yen borrowing, you can see sudden swings in value even though nothing about the company itself has changed,” says Nigel Green.

“And if your pension or investment portfolio is simply spread across different countries and currencies, this is a reminder that currency moves alone can add to or take away from your returns, regardless of how well the underlying investments are actually doing.”

Traders are now watching whether the yen breaks through 152 as the next marker in this unwinding, with markets pricing a 97% probability that Japan’s central bank raises interest rates by a quarter point, to 1.25%, at this month’s meeting.

“A break below 152 would likely push the yen even stronger and could deepen what is already one of the biggest currency stories of the year.

“Some analysts are already talking about the yen pushing into the mid-140s if this keeps accelerating.

“Investors have spent the summer focused on inflation and interest rates,” says Nigel Green.

“Right now, the currency market deserves just as much attention, and anyone who has not checked how exposed their portfolio is to the yen could be more at risk than they think.”

deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

Wellington City Council’s decision today to cut 47 jobs across three departments is a short-sighted waste of worker talent and institutional knowledge, the union for council workers – the PSA – says.

Staff in the Planning and Development, Property and Capital Projects, and Economic Engagement & Creative Capital group units were handed down a final decision today that will see 141 roles disestablished and 94 created, for a net reduction of 47 jobs.

Workers affected include those working in climate change response and resilience, mana whenua engagement, administration, and resource consenting.

“These changes are a major disruption to council workers at a time when they are already stretched to the maximum working through amalgamation plans and navigating massive changes to resource management, as well as responding to increasingly damaging storms and other events due to climate change,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Duane Leo, says.

“It’s a sad waste to cut experienced staff working in areas critical to the short- and long-term wellbeing of the city.

“Especially when you consider that the council made these changes on account of budgetary restraints – in the same year that they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on an AI-penned report that was based on incorrect and outdated information.

“These changes will undoubtedly affect Wellington communities not only in the short-term but in the decades to come.

“They will also profoundly affect the people who will be cut from the council, who will now have to look for work in the local job market, which has been devastated by government austerity. Many of them – especially those with valuable skills – may well be forced to leave Wellington.

“The PSA opposes the cuts and will be supporting staff members through the next steps of the council’s process.”

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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Source: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland (UoA)

The Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland has launched a $25 million fundraising campaign to accelerate a new generation of health breakthroughs, building on 25 years of research that has transformed the lives of millions of babies and families worldwide.

‘In our hands: A healthy start for a healthy life’ will support six ambitious ‘moonshots’: ensuring healthy beginnings for every family; delivering personalised nutrition for babies born too soon; giving every child a path to treatment; developing new “living medicines”; nurturing tomorrow’s clinician‑scientists; and building the digital future of healthcare.

The campaign launches with $12 million already committed by philanthropic supporters.

Liggins Institute director Professor Justin O’Sullivan says the campaign builds on a legacy of scientists, clinicians, patients, families, communities and donors working together.

Research pioneered by Professor Sir Graham (‘Mont’) Liggins and by researchers at the Institute has saved millions of babies. Landmark achievements include research that led to steroids being given to women at risk of preterm birth, boosting lung development in their babies, and the ‘sugar babies’ study, which showed that oral dextrose gel can reduce the risk of brain damage in newborns with dangerously low blood sugar.

“These and other developments have revolutionised pregnancy and neonatal care,” says O’Sullivan. “But this campaign is about taking discoveries further – from the laboratory to families and into clinical practice. The treatments we develop matter because they can change the course of a person’s life.”

One of the goals focuses on giving every family the best possible start. Each year, one in 13 babies in New Zealand is born prematurely, affecting around 4,500 whānau. The Liggins‑hosted Carosika Collaborative is working with clinicians nationwide to translate scientific discoveries into world‑leading care and reduce preterm birth rates.

For babies born too soon, the Institute aims to deliver personalised nutrition rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. Researchers are developing non‑invasive biomarkers that could allow clinicians to understand in real time how an individual baby is growing and responding to nutrition. They are also pioneering breast‑milk‑derived cell therapies and investigating whether donor milk retains protective effects after pasteurisation.

Another moonshot aims to give children with genetic and rare diseases a path from diagnosis to treatment. The Institute’s rapid genetic diagnosis programme has achieved success rates of around 70 percent in critically ill children. In one case, identifying a rare mutation directly informed treatment and led to a successful bone‑marrow transplant that cured a child. The ambition now is to move from precision diagnosis to precision treatment, using genomic medicine, artificial intelligence and advanced laboratory science to identify the right therapy as quickly as possible.

The Institute is also developing a new generation of ‘living medicines’ that work with the body’s own biology. Research into the gut microbiome has identified bacteria associated with reduced metabolic syndrome, with researchers now working to develop these strains as probiotic treatments.

Another priority is investing in the people who will deliver future breakthroughs. The Clinical Research Internship Programme introduces medical students to research early in their training, creating a pipeline of clinician‑scientists who can identify important clinical questions and turn them into research.

The final goal looks further ahead, using artificial intelligence and advanced data science to transform healthcare. Researchers are developing AI‑powered digital twins that could allow clinicians to test “what if” scenarios before making real‑world decisions. The first platform will create a digital twin of Starship Children’s Hospital, allowing emergency teams to simulate crises such as earthquakes, pandemics and mass‑casualty events. Researchers are also exploring digital twins of children that combine physiological monitoring, AI and computational modelling to predict illness and guide personalised treatment.

O’Sullivan says the goals are deliberately ambitious.

“We have the opportunity to do something remarkable – to change what is possible for a premature baby, for a child waiting for a diagnosis or treatment, for a family wondering what the future holds, and ultimately, for generations of New Zealanders yet to be born.”

Philanthropic support will help researchers pursue high‑risk, high‑reward ideas, respond rapidly to emerging health challenges, generate evidence needed to secure major funding and translate discoveries into better care, he says.

For further information visit: Liggins Institute

RESEARCH GOALS IN A NUTSHELL

The campaign will drive six major ‘moonshots’ over the next quarter‑century:

• Healthy beginnings: reducing New Zealand’s preterm birth rate through nationwide clinical collaboration and research into climate‑related pregnancy risks.
• Personalised nutrition: developing real‑time biomarkers and breast milk‑derived therapies for babies born too soon.
• Pathways to treatment: expanding rapid genetic diagnosis and moving toward precision therapies for children with rare and complex diseases.
• Living medicines: advancing microbiome‑based treatments targeting metabolic disease.
• Clinician‑scientists: growing a pipeline of medical students trained to turn clinical problems into research breakthroughs.
• Digital healthcare: building AI‑powered digital twins of hospitals and children to simulate crises, predict illness and guide personalised care.

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.