Source: BestBrokers.com

Paul Hoffman
August 4, 2026

The world’s billionaires continue to accumulate wealth on an extraordinary scale, with many of the world’s richest individuals seeing their fortunes grow by hundreds of billions of dollars in a single year. Others were not so lucky, shedding significant chunks of their net worth over the past twelve months. While the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and technology has created striking gains for some of the world’s most prominent entrepreneurs, billionaire wealth creation extends far beyond tech, spanning industries from finance and manufacturing to retail, energy, and real estate.

This is what inspired the team at BestBrokers to analyse the Forbes Real-Time Billionaire List as of 27 July 2026. To establish an accurate year-on-year comparison, we used the Wayback Machine to retrieve an archived version of the Forbes list dated 27 July 2025 and recorded each billionaire’s real-time net worth. We tracked how each individual’s fortune changed over the year to identify the biggest increases and declines in wealth, while also examining how billionaire wealth is currently distributed across countries and industries.

Where the World’s Billionaires Live

There are currently 3,356 billionaires in the world, with a disproportionate share concentrated in just a handful of countries. The world’s most populous nations are, perhaps unsurprisingly, also home to some of the largest billionaire populations. The United States leads by a considerable margin, with 990 billionaires, accounting for 29.5% of the global total. The country is also home to nine of the world’s ten richest people, including Elon Musk, Larry Page and Michael Dell. Collectively, U.S. billionaires are worth a staggering $8.43 trillion. Canada ranks second in North America with 78 billionaires worth $449.5 billion, with cryptocurrency entrepreneur Changpeng Zhao standing out as the country’s richest billionaire with a net worth of $107.6 billion. Mexico is home to 24 billionaires with a combined fortune of $258.6 billion, led by business oligarch and investor Carlos Slim Helú, whose $125.4 billion fortune makes him the richest person in Latin America.

China is Asia’s largest billionaire hub and the country with the second-most billionaires globally, with 511 billionaires collectively worth an estimated $2.06 trillion. Much like the U.S., China’s wealthiest billionaires are heavily concentrated in the technology sector, led by ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming, the country’s richest person with a net worth of $69.3 billion. Hong Kong is home to a further 69 billionaires, whose combined wealth stands at $410.4 billion. India’s billionaire wealth is spread across a much wider range of industries, from conglomerates and infrastructure to pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, retail and telecoms, with Mukesh Ambani ($86.8 billion) and Gautam Adani ($85.2 billion) leading the country’s wealth rankings. Other major billionaire hubs in Asia include Taiwan, which is home to 63 billionaires worth $272.2 billion, led by art collector and businessman Pierre Chen ($17.6 billion), and Singapore, with 57 billionaires worth a combined $155.4 billion, led by businessman Jason Chang with a net worth of $20.3 billion.

Germany has Europe’s largest billionaire population, with 205 billionaires whose combined fortunes total $944.8 billion. The country’s richest is Lidl chairman Dieter Schwarz, worth $59.1 billion. Italy is next with 80 billionaires worth $465.0 billion, with cryptocurrency entrepreneur Giancarlo Devasin in the lead, whose $89.3 billion fortune makes him Italy’s richest person. The UK has 60 billionaires worth a combined $278.6 billion, led by hedge fund manager Michael Platt with $20.9 billion. France, despite having fewer billionaires than the UK with 53, has more than twice its combined billionaire wealth at $574.6 billion. The difference is largely driven by the country’s concentration of major fashion and luxury fortunes, with just four billionaires: Bernard Arnault (LVMH), Françoise Bettencourt Meyers (L’Oréal), Alain and Gérard Wertheimer (Chanel) holding a combined net worth of $311.7 billion, or 54.2% of France’s total billionaire wealth.

South America’s billionaire population is overwhelmingly concentrated in Brazil, which is home to 73 billionaires worth a combined $269.3 billion. The country’s richest is Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, worth $33.1 billion, followed by banking heiress Vicky Safra at $25.3 billion and investment veteran Jorge Paulo Lemann at $19.8 billion. Colombia has six billionaires worth $63.8 billion, led by banking and infrastructure tycoon Jaime Gilinski Bacal with $16.9 billion, while Argentina’s five billionaires are worth $20.7 billion, led by Mercado Libre founder Marcos Galperin with $7.4 billion.

Australia is home to 57 billionaires worth a combined $242.8 billion, led by mining magnate Gina Rinehart with a fortune of $25 billion, followed by property developer Harry Triguboff and mining billionaire Andrew Forrest. Africa is home to 29 billionaires across eight countries, with a combined fortune of $143.2 billion. Nigeria leads the continent with four billionaires worth $53 billion, and it is also home to Africa’s richest person, businessman Aliko Dangote, whose $31.2 billion fortune accounts for more than half of the country’s billionaire wealth. South Africa follows with seven billionaires worth $42.7 billion, led by luxury goods magnate Johann Rupert at $17.6 billion. Egypt has six billionaires worth $23.9 billion, while Morocco has three worth $4.7 billion.

Billionaires Who Gained the Most Wealth in One Year

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, also recorded the largest increase in net worth between 2025 and 2026. After briefly becoming the world’s first trillionaire following the initial public offering of SpaceX, his net worth stood at $725.1 billion on 27 July 2026, up from $405.6 billion a year earlier. This means that his net worth increased by $319.5 billion over the past year, equivalent to roughly $875 million in additional wealth every day since last year.

Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell recorded the second-largest increase, adding $107.6 billion to his fortune over the same period. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin ranked third and fourth, increasing their net worths by $104.3 billion and $91.2 billion, respectively. The scale of these gains highlights just how strongly the world’s largest technology companies have contributed to billionaire wealth creation over the past year, with soaring valuations and investor enthusiasm translating into enormous increases in the fortunes of their founders and major shareholders.

Crypto also produced some of the year’s biggest individual wealth gains. Italian businessman Giancarlo Devasini, whose fortune is closely tied to stablecoin giant Tether, saw his net worth rise from $22.4 billion in 2025 to $89.3 billion in 2026, an increase of $66.9 billion. Other major cryptocurrency billionaires also recorded substantial gains, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and Tether executives Jean-Louis van der Velde and Paolo Ardoino, who added $36.4 billion and $29 billion to their net worths over the course of a year, respectively.

DeepSeek Founder Is the Person With the Fastest Growing Fortune

It is one thing to have billions of dollars at your disposal and steadily grow that fortune through smart investments, business expansion and rising asset values. It is another thing entirely to build a multibillion-dollar fortune in the space of just one year. Yet some of the world’s billionaires have seen their net worth increase at extraordinary rates between 2025 and 2026, with the fastest-growing fortunes expanding ten-fold or even more.

Artificial intelligence is at the centre of some of the most dramatic increases. As investment and demand continue to pour into AI models, infrastructure, and applications, the founders and early backers of some of the sector’s most closely watched companies have seen their fortunes surge. Chinese AI entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng is perhaps the clearest example. The founder of DeepSeek, the high-performance AI chatbot that reached impressive compute power at a fraction of the price of leading U.S. large-language models last year, saw his estimated net worth skyrocket from just $1 billion in 2025 to $39.5 billion in 2026 – representing an extraordinary 3,850% increase in a single year, placing him in the top 50 richest people in the world.

The founders of Claude maker Anthropic have experienced a similarly dramatic revaluation. Tom Brown, Jack Clark, Sam McCandlish, Jared Kaplan, Daniela Amodei, Dario Amodei, and Christopher Olah all saw their estimated fortunes rise from $1.2 billion to $15.5 billion, an increase of 1,191.67%. The surge reflects the extraordinary rise in the valuation of the AI company, as investors have poured billions of dollars into the race to develop increasingly capable foundation models and AI applications.

Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of robotics company Figure AI, saw his fortune climb from $1.5 billion to $19.1 billion, an increase of more than 1,170%. Figure AI’s focus on humanoid robots places Adcock at the intersection of two of the fastest-growing areas of technology, as investors increasingly bet on the convergence of artificial intelligence and physical automation.

The gains are also spreading further down the AI supply chain. Chinese telecom and optical component manufacturers have become increasingly important to the infrastructure supporting the AI boom, helping provide the high-speed networking and connectivity required by increasingly powerful data centres. Wang Weixiu, whose fortune is tied to Zhongji Innolight, saw his net worth increase from $4.5 billion to $26.4 billion, a 486.67% increase. Meanwhile, Zou Zhinong of ZTE had his fortune rise from $2.9 billion to $12.5 billion, a 331.03% increase.

But the fastest-growing billionaire fortunes were not exclusively linked to artificial intelligence or technology. Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Greek yoghurt brand Chobani, reached $12.5 billion in estimated net worth (up 443.48% from 2.3 billion in 2025), while metal-processing entrepreneur Yuan Fugen saw his fortune rise from $3.4 billion to $17.4 billion, up 411.76% in one year. Patrizio Vinciarelli, whose wealth comes from power electronics manufacturer Vicor, more than tripled his fortune, from $1 billion to $4.5 billion (up 350%).

Larry Ellison’s Wealth Was Cut Nearly in Half in a Single Year

On the other end of the scale, Larry Ellison, CEO of U.S. cloud company and tech conglomerate Oracle, recorded the largest one-year decline. His net worth fell from $290.60 billion to $151.90 billion, a drop of $138.7 billion, equivalent to roughly $380 million wiped from his fortune every day over the past year. The decline reflects growing scepticism on Wall Street over Oracle’s aggressive AI spending plans and mounting debt load, with investors increasingly questioning whether the company’s cloud infrastructure growth can justify the scale of its investment.

Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg recorded the second-largest decline, with his net worth falling from $245.9 billion to $204.3 billion, a $41.6 billion drop equivalent to roughly $114 million a day. The decline came as investors grew increasingly concerned about Meta’s enormous AI spending, with the company expected to spend as much as $145 billion on capital expenditure in 2026.

Elsewhere, India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani lost $18.5 billion as shares in Reliance Industries weakened, with the conglomerate facing weaker-than-expected earnings, slower growth in its retail business and pressure on its refining operations. Colin Huang’s $12.6 billion decline reflects continuing pressure on PDD Holdings, the parent company of Temu, as the business faced intensifying competition in China and increasing regulatory and trade-policy challenges in international markets. Indonesian tycoon Prajogo Pangestu also saw his fortune fall by $17 billion amid weakness in the shares of companies including Barito Renewables and other businesses in his energy empire; Indonesian stocks linked to Pangestu came under additional pressure after Morgan Stanley Capital International and FTSE Russell both raised concerns around transparency and concentrated ownership.

The Industries Mining Billionaires

Tech is by far the biggest driver of billionaire wealth in 2026, with 511 of the world’s 3,356 billionaires, around 15% of the global total, deriving their fortunes from the sector. Finance & Investments follows with 449 billionaires, while Manufacturing accounts for a further 408. Diversified and conglomerate businesses rank fourth with 267 billionaires, followed by Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare with 256 and Food & Beverages with 241.

The concentration of billionaires in technology is reflected even more strongly in the amount of wealth held by the sector’s billionaires. Collectively, tech billionaires are worth $5.30 trillion in 2026, more than double the combined wealth of Finance & Investments tycoons who collectively own $2.39 trillion. Technology is also home to eight of the world’s ten richest people, including Elon Musk, Larry Page and Jeff Bezos, highlighting the extraordinary fortunes that can be generated by the world’s largest technology companies.

Finance & Investments remains one of the most established routes to billionaire status, with 449 billionaires collectively worth $2.39 trillion. Manufacturing also has a substantial billionaire population, with 408 billionaires and a combined fortune of $1.37 trillion. Meanwhile, diversified businesses and conglomerates account for 267 billionaires worth $1.69 trillion, reflecting the fortunes built across multiple industries and asset classes rather than around a single business sector.

Beyond these leading categories, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Food & Beverages, Real Estate & Infrastructure, and Retail each account for more than 170 billionaires. Together, these sectors demonstrate that billionaire wealth remains highly diverse, spanning everything from healthcare and consumer goods to property and retail, even as technology continues to dominate at the very top of the wealth rankings.

The distribution of billionaire wealth has also shifted significantly over the past year. Technology recorded by far the largest increase, with the combined fortunes of its billionaires rising from $4.28 trillion in 2025 to $5.30 trillion in 2026, an increase of more than $1 trillion in just one year. Finance & Investments followed, with combined billionaire wealth increasing by $263.5 billion, while Manufacturing recorded a $328.3 billion increase, taking the sector’s total from $1.04 trillion to $1.37 trillion.

Several other industries also recorded substantial gains. Cryptocurrency & Blockchain saw one of the fastest expansions in percentage terms, with combined billionaire wealth rising from $189.8 billion to $346.6 billion. Mining & Commodities, Logistics & Transportation, and Telecom also recorded sizeable increases as the fortunes of billionaires across these industries grew during the year.

Not every industry became wealthier over the past year, however. Media & Entertainment was one of the few major sectors to record a decline, with combined billionaire wealth falling from $506 billion to $499.2 billion. The biggest decline came from Canadian billionaire Sherry Brydson, whose fortune fell by $7.6 billion over the year. Her wealth is largely tied to Thomson Reuters, whose shares fell by nearly 18% in February amid concerns over the potential impact of new AI tools on its legal and professional-information businesses.

Consumer Products also declined slightly, from $109.4 billion to $106.8 billion, with Chinese billionaire Chen Zhiping recording the largest individual loss in the sector. The chairman and CEO of vaping-device maker Smoore International saw his fortune fall by $3 billion, from $5.5 billion to $2.5 billion, as the company’s profits fell despite strong revenue growth, with higher costs and increased spending on its own-brand products weighing on its bottom line.

Methodology

To analyse the changing fortunes of the world’s billionaires, the team at BestBrokers analysed data from the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List as of 27 July 2026. To establish a consistent year-on-year comparison, we used the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to retrieve an archived version of the Forbes list from 27 July 2025 and recorded the estimated net worth of the same billionaires at that point in time. This allowed us to calculate how much each individual’s fortune increased or decreased over the one-year period.

Using these datasets, we identified the biggest absolute net worth and percentage gains over a 1-year period, while also calculating how much billionaires’ wealth has increased or shrunk on average every day over the past year. We analysed billionaires by country or territory to compare their numbers and combined wealth, and standardised their primary sources of wealth into 24 industry categories. This allowed us to analyse both the distribution of billionaires globally and how combined billionaire wealth changed across industries between 2025 and 2026.

All figures represent estimates based on Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List and archived Forbes data available through the Wayback Machine. Billionaire net worths can fluctuate significantly with changes in public and private company valuations, asset prices and other market conditions, meaning the figures represent a snapshot of estimated wealth on the specified dates. All calculations and comparisons were based on the same methodology and dates to provide a consistent measure of changes in billionaire wealth over the year.

Read the original report from BestBrokers.com

MIL OSI

Source: Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA)

The EMA (Employers and Manufacturers Association) says today’s increase in unemployment reflects the cautious approach many businesses have adopted as they navigate a challenging and uncertain economic environment.

Stats NZ today reported unemployment rose to 5.6% in the June 2026 quarter, up from 5.3% in the March quarter.

EMA Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald says the result highlights the pressure many businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, have faced over recent months.

McDonald says today’s result is not unexpected, with Treasury forecasts a year ago suggesting unemployment could reach this level by this point in the year, but that does not make the result good news and it should be seen in context.

“Many businesses have been focused on retaining the staff they already have rather than taking on new employees.

“For some firms, higher costs, weaker demand and global uncertainty have meant delaying investment decisions and being much more cautious about growth.”

McDonald says the June quarter coincided with significant international uncertainty, including the conflict in the Middle East and sharp movements in global oil prices.

“Fuel, transport and input costs matter enormously to New Zealand businesses. The volatility we saw during the quarter affected confidence, investment decisions and hiring intentions.”

McDonald says it is important to remember that unemployment is a lagging indicator.

“These figures reflect what businesses were experiencing during April, May and June. More recent business confidence measures and PMI data have shown some more encouraging signs, suggesting many firms are still looking for opportunities to grow when conditions improve.”

McDonald says the significant increase in the number of young people not in employment, education or training reflects the reluctance of many businesses to take on new staff.

“The rise in the NEET rate (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is further evidence that employers are concentrating on holding onto the people they have rather than expanding their workforce.

“When recruitment slows, young people are often the first to miss out because entry-level jobs become less available.”

McDonald says restoring business confidence remains critical to improving labour market conditions.

“Businesses want to invest, grow and create jobs. If uncertainty eases and confidence continues to improve, we would expect hiring intentions to strengthen over the coming months.”

MIL OSI

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

July 2026 – Issued: 4 August 2026

July 2026 summary

July 2026 began on a settled note, with high pressure resulting in widespread clear weather and frosty conditions, particularly for southern and central parts of the South Island. A brief warm northerly airflow delivered record and near-record high daily maximum and minimum temperatures for southern and inland parts of the South Island. From 5-9 July, a broad area of low pressure prevailed over and east of Aotearoa New Zealand, delivering consecutive days of considerable rainfall to eastern parts of the country. Significant impacts resulted from the rain including damaging flooding, with a local State of Emergency declared in Waitaki, Kaikōura, and Wairoa, respectively (see Highlights and extreme events for further details). The middle and latter portion of July was often settled across the country, with a cool southerly airflow prevailing over the final week of the month. El Niño conditions were present in the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean, and by all measures the event strengthened during the month – including the strongest atmospheric measurements on record for July. By the end of July, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) around New

Zealand were mostly near or above average, particularly around much of the South Island and Tasman Sea with Marine Heatwave (MHW) conditions1 experienced in these areas. The nationwide average temperature in July 2026 was 8.9°C. This was 0.8°C above the 1991-2020 July average, making it New Zealand’s 12th-warmest July since Earth Sciences New Zealand’s seven station temperature series began in 1909. Temperatures were above average (0.51-1.20°C above average) or well above average (>1.20°C above average) for most of the South Island. It was especially warm for Fiordland, Arthur’s Pass, and Greymouth where mean temperatures were at least 2°C above the July average, respectively. Temperatures were near average (±0.50°C of average) for much of the North Island, although there were below average temperatures (0.51- 1.20°C below average) in localised inland parts of Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. It was a particularly cool month in Taupō where the mean temperature was 1.1°C below average. Rainfall was above normal (120-149% of normal) or well above normal (>149% of normal) for most of Southland, Otago, southern, inland and northern parts of Canterbury, the West Coast, Marlborough, and Nelson. Several areas observed more than double their normal July rainfall including eastern Otago, and eastern parts of southern and northern Canterbury. Rainfall was below normal (50-79% of normal) or well below normal (<50% of normal) most of the North Island. Further Highlights:

• The highest temperature was 20.4°C, observed at Wairoa on 15 July.

• The lowest temperature was -13.5°C, observed at Lake Tekapo on 12 July.

• The highest 1-day rainfall was 133 mm, recorded at Hanmer Forest on 6 July.

• The highest wind gust was 141 km/h, observed at Puysegur Point on 14 July, and Cape Turnagain on 18 July.

• Of the six main centres in July 2026, Auckland was the warmest, Christchurch was the coolest and driest, Tauranga was the sunniest, Wellington was the wettest, and Dunedin was the least sunny.

• The sunniest four locations in 2026 so far are Nelson (1608 hours), Whakatāne (1587 hours), New Plymouth (1578 hours) and Richmond (1520 hours).

Temperature: A warm month for the South Island

Five locations along the western South Island observed their warmest July on record, including Greymouth and Milford Sound, where records date back to 1947 and 1934, respectively. New Zealand’s warmest location relative to normal was Arapito, where the mean temperature of 10.6°C was 2.4°C above its July normal. No locations observed record or near-record low mean temperatures for the month. Relatively calm and clear conditions prevailed over the North Island 1 Defined as five or more consecutive days with SSTs above the 90th percentile for the time of year.

for much of July. This resulted in many cool and frosty nights, especially for inland locations. Five North Island locations observed record or near-record low mean minimum temperatures during the month. Record2 or near-record mean air temperatures for July were recorded at:

Record or near-record mean air temperatures for July

² The rankings (1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.) in all tables in this summary are relative to climate data from a group of nearby stations, some of which may no longer be operating. The current climate value is compared against all values from any member of the group, without any regard for homogeneity between one station’s record, and another. This approach is used due to the practical limitations of performing homogeneity checks in real-time.

Record or near-record mean maximum air temperatures for July were recorded at:

Record or near-record mean maximum air temperatures for July

Record or near-record mean minimum air temperatures for July

Rainfall: Wet for much of South Island, dry for the North Island

About 33% of New Zealand’s regularly reporting climate stations observed above normal (120- 149% of normal) or well above normal (>149% of normal) July rainfall. Notably, these stations were all located in the South Island. New Zealand’s wettest location relative to normal was Dunedin Airport, where 445% of normal July rainfall was recorded. This made it the location’s wettest July since records began in 1962. Rainfall was also exceptionally high in Oamaru, with the town receiving 400% of its normal July rainfall. In contrast, about 44% of New Zealand’s regularly reporting climate stations observed below normal (50-79% of normal) or well below normal (<50% of normal) July rainfall. All but one of these stations were in the North Island. It was a particularly dry month for Tūrangi, where just 55 mm of rain (36% of its July normal) was recorded. This resulted in the town’s third-driest July since records began in 1968. Record or near-record July rainfall totals were recorded at:

Record or near-record July rainfall totals

July climate in the six main centres

Temperatures were well above average in Dunedin, with above average temperatures in Wellington. In contrast, it was a relatively cool month for Hamilton and Auckland, where temperatures were 0.6°C and 0.5°C below average, respectively. It was a very wet July for Dunedin where rainfall was 231% of normal. The three northernmost main centres experienced a relatively dry July, with rainfall totals approximately half of normal for the time of year. Of the six main centres in July 2026, Auckland was the warmest, Christchurch was the coolest and driest, Tauranga was the sunniest, Wellington was the wettest, and Dunedin was the least sunny. July 2026 main centre climate statistics:

July 2026 main centre climate statistics – Temperature

July 2026 main centre climate statistics – Rainfall

July 2026 main centre climate statistics – Sunshine

¹ Māngere; ² Tauranga Airport; ³ Hamilton Airport; ⁴ Kelburn; ⁵ Christchurch Airport; ⁶ Musselburgh; ⁷ Ruakura. Hamilton rainfall is missing five days of data.

Highlights and extreme events

Temperatures

The highest temperature was 20.4°C, observed at Wairoa on 15 July. The lowest temperature was -13.5°C, observed at Lake Tekapo on 12 July. Record or near-record daily maximum air temperatures for July were recorded at:

Record or near-record daily maximum air temperatures for July

Record or near-record daily minimum air temperatures for July

Rain, flooding, and slips

The highest 1-day rainfall was 133 mm, recorded at Hanmer Forest on 6 July. From 5-9 July, a broad area of low pressure was present over and near New Zealand, delivering consecutive days of rainfall impacts to eastern parts of the country. The primary impacts are listed in chronological order below:

• From 5-6 July, persistent heavy rain caused surface flooding for eastern parts of Otago including Dunedin, Mosgiel, and Oamaru. Waitaki District Council declared a State of Emergency, with flooding affecting homes and businesses along Thames Street in central Oamaru. At least 20 people self-evacuated their homes in Oamaru, with reports of emergency crews responding to people trapped in cars and homes by floodwaters. The Taieri Bowling Club in Mosgiel was opened as an evacuation centre and several families had self-evacuated there. Flooding caused the closure of SH88 from Sawyers Bay to Port Chalmers, SH87 from Factory Road to Cargill Street in Mosgiel, several local roads in the Clutha District, SH1 between Oamaru and Glenavy, and SH83 between Seven Mile Road and SH1.

• From 6-8 July, heavy rainfall impacted eastern parts of Canterbury, and Marlborough. A State of Emergency was declared in Kaikōura as the Kowhai River burst its banks, with an evacuation centre set up for approximately 80 people who were displaced by flooding. SH1 was closed between Ward and Waipara due to flooding, with considerable sections of the highway eroded away by the Conway River between Parnassus and Hundalee. A section of the Cribb Creek Bridge on the Inland Kaikōura Road was washed away, and two vehicles were accidentally driven off the bridge and into the river below. A person was rescued from their car after spending several hours trapped in a vehicle surrounded by floodwaters near Mt Lyford. Part of Hanmer Springs was cut off after flooding damage caused the closure of Woodbank Road bridge. Flooding of the Ōpaoa River in Blenheim led to evacuation of people staying in caravans at the Blenheim Bridges Holiday Park. In Wairarapa, three bridges (Waihenga, Lower Valley and Huangarua) were closed due to heavy rain from 7-8 July, isolating some communities in the region’s south.

• On 8 July, another burst of heavy rain hit eastern parts of Otago, and SH1 was again closed between Oamaru and Glenavy due to flooding. Surface flooding was also reported

on SH83 from Pukeuri to Kurow, and SH82 from Kurow to Waimate. At least eight homes were evacuated in Dunedin due to possible landslips, while three homes were evacuated in Oamaru due to a landslip. Farther north, the Inland Route 70 was closed between Kaikōura and Rotheram (SH7) due to flooding and washouts.

• On 9 July, areas of Hawke’s Bay received heavy rainfall as the area of low pressure moved east of New Zealand, continuing to drive a moist southeasterly airflow over eastern parts of the country. A local State of Emergency was declared in Wairoa following considerable flooding across the district. The Wairoa River flooded, prompting the evacuation of residents from low-lying areas in Wairoa. Roads were closed due to surface flooding and debris including SH38 from Frasertown to Tuai and SH2 at Turiroa Cutting, while 15 streets were closed in the Wairoa township.

On 24 July, SH7 was closed from Greymouth to Stillwater due to surface flooding. On 25 July, a heavy downpour of rain caused surface flooding in parts of Wellington. In Kelburn, 36 mm of rain was recorded in one hour between 9-10 a.m. Preliminary analyses indicate this is the fifth-wettest hour on record at Kelburn. Record or near-record July extreme 1-day rainfall totals were recorded at:

Record or near-record July extreme 1-day rainfall totals

Wind

The highest wind gust was 141 km/h, observed at Puysegur Point on 14 July, and Cape Turnagain on 18 July. From 6-7 July, strong southeasterly winds occurred for northern and western parts of the South Island. Concrete power poles near Harihari snapped due to the strength of the wind, while downed power lines caused power outages in several areas of the South Island. Specifically, around 260 homes were without power between Lake Ianthe to Lake Parinha, and some in the Haupiri area. Nearly 400 homes were also without power in Kaikōura. Twenty homes in the outer Marlborough Sounds were without power near Clova and Beatrix Bay. Several roads were closed due to strong winds and fallen trees including SH6 from Whataroa to Harihari, SH6 from Haast to

Fox Glacier, and SH63 from Kawatiri to Howard (Tasman District). Farther north, power outages also occurred in parts of Wellington. Record or near-record July extreme wind gusts were recorded at:

Record or near-record July extreme wind gusts

Snow and ice

On 1 July, widespread frost and icy conditions caused issues across many South Island roads. Dunedin’s Southern Motorway (SH1) was temporarily closed to southbound traffic from the Riselaw Rd overbridge due to an accident. Other accidents were reported on roads about Roxburgh, Cromwell, and Lumsden. SH8 was closed between Lake Tekapo and Omarama due to black ice. On 2 July, black ice was reported across Dunedin, with Dunedin City Council urging residents to take care on roads and footpaths. Dunedin’s Southern Motorway (SH1) was again closed to southbound traffic near the Riselaw Rd overbridge due to an accident. NZTA warned motorists to take extra care due to ice on SH1 between Dunedin and Palmerston, SH85 between Palmerston and Kyeburn, SH87 between Kyeburn and Mosgiel, SH8 between Milton and Raes Junction, and SH8 from Lake Tekapo to Twizel. From 5-6 July, there was widespread snowfall above approximately 500 m elevation across inland parts of the South Island. Heaviest snowfalls occurred about eastern and northern parts of Central Otago including the Maniototo and about the Lindis Pass, Mt Cook Village, and Lake Tekapo. ESNZ’s monitoring station measured a peak snow depth of 25 cm at Mt Cook village, with similar snow depths reported at Lake Tekapo, Oturehua, St Bathans, and Naseby. Snow damage to powerlines left about 300 customers without power in Clarks Junction, Hindon, Redbank, Ranfurly, Waipiata-Kyeburn and Middlemarch-Bald Hill. Snow caused the closure of numerous roads in the South Island including SH87 from Outram to Kyeburn, SH85 from Alexandra to Palmerston, the Ranfurly-Naseby Road, St Bathans Loop Road, Ida Valley-Omakau Road, Danseys Pass Road from Naseby, SH8 from Tarras to Omarama (the Lindis Pass), and SH8 from Lake Pukaki to Fairlie. On 8 July, snow fell to approximately 300 m above sea level in eastern parts of Central Otago, with heavy snowfall about the eastern ranges and inland areas of Canterbury. Snow and ice caused the closure of SH85 from Kyeburn and Morrisons, SH87 from Kyeburn and Middlemarch, and SH8 from Fairlie to Twizel. Extreme caution was advised to motorists travelling on SH85 from Kyeburn and Springvale, and SH8 from Tarras to Omarama (the Lindis Pass), due to snow and ice. On 25 July, snow was reported in several Canterbury towns including Darfield, Methven, and Glentunnel. Chains were required for vehicles travelling on SH73 between Springfield and Castle

Hill (Porters Pass) due to snow. Farther south, several centimetres of snow reportedly settled in Naseby and Oturehua, with approximately 1 cm of snow reported in Winton. On 31 July, snow caused the closure of SH85 from Palmerston to Kyeburn, and SH87 between Kyeburn and Outram. Snow also impacted highways farther north in the South Island. SH7 was closed from Reefton to Springs Junction turnoff (Rahu Saddle) and from Springs Junction to Hanmer Springs turnoff (Lewis Pass). Chains were required on vehicles travelling from Arthur’s Pass Village to Otira.

Lightning, hail, and tornadoes

On 6 July, a home in Whangamatā suffered considerable damage after being struck by lightning.

Cloud and fog

On 15 July, 17 flights were delayed or cancelled at Auckland airport due to fog. On 20 July, fog at Auckland airport caused the cancellation of 21 domestic flights, with a further 13 domestic flights delayed. On 23 July, flights at Auckland and Hamilton airports were cancelled or delayed due to fog.

© Copyright Earth Sciences New Zealand 2026.

All rights reserved. Information presented in this summary is based on data available at the time of publication, which is subject to ongoing quality assurance procedures.

Earth Sciences New Zealand climate and weather research

MIL OSI

Source: Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Public Service Association

The PSA is criticising a new proposal handed down by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to cut security personnel at its service centres as irresponsible and even dangerous.

After reducing the number of security guards at 20 regional MSD Service Centres earlier this year, the agency has proposed to cut teams at a further 22 sites from three security guards per site to two.

One guard would be inside giving visitors access via CCTV, with the other person on duty roaming the site.

“We’re very disappointed that MSD has forged ahead with their plan to reduce security guard numbers at its sites, even as staff feed back to them that they already feel unsafe at work,” Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Public Service Association National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says.

“The tragedy at Ashburton looms large in workers’ minds, with many people saying that it’s just a matter of time before another major act of violence and even loss of life.

“Every worker deserves to be safe at work. No-one’s whānau should have to worry about whether their loved one is coming home.

“As well as that, everyone visiting an MSD site deserves to be safe.

“The PSA is calling on MSD to ditch this proposal and instate at least three security guards in every Service Centre in the country.”

Many staff are also in favour of re-instating security outside the Service Centre doors to help vet people before they come in, and installing polycarbonate screens between staff desks and the public area.

According to official data from MSD, security incidents have decreased this year.

However, PSA workers dispute this, saying that that violence is under-reported, increasingly normalised, and becoming more aggressive.

“Staff face regular incidents of aggression, including people jumping over their desks, spitting, throwing objects, and making bomb and gun threats.

“Changes to the benefit system under the coalition government, including the traffic light system and harsher sanctions, mean that people visiting MSD Service Centres are under extreme pressure.

“The staff who are there to help them have a huge workload, and report having to rush from client to client – even staff deployed to train others say they don’t have the resources to do their job to a high standard.

“So it’s no real surprise that staff don’t have the time to report the many incidents they’ll see each week. They also say that they feel there’s no real point to reporting violence, as nothing really changes when they do make reports, or the incidents are so common they’re not seen as an issue.”

Consultation with staff at the affected sites closes on 12 August. The PSA will be supporting workers to reject the proposal and strengthen security at all MSD Service Centres.

Previous PSA statements:

MSD plan to cut security guards risks repeating mistakes of the past
https://www.psa.org.nz/news-media/msd-plan-to-cut-security-guards-risks-repeating-mistakes-of-the-past

Notes to editors:

Affected Service Centres are located in:

Dargaville
Flaxmere
Huntly
Johnsonville
Kamo
Kāpiti
Kawakawa
Kawerau
Kerikeri
Morrinsville
Motueka
Mount Maunganui
Ōpōtiki
Paeroa
Richmond
Ruatoria
Te Awamutu
Te Puke
Tokoroa
Tūrangi
Waihi
Wairoa

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.

MIL OSI

Source: deVere Group

August 4 2026

Stablecoins just moved to a core financial infrastructure, and most investors haven’t caught up, affirms the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

Nigel Green of deVere Group’s comments come as Mastercard completed its acquisition of BVNK, the London-based stablecoin infrastructure firm, in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in performance-linked payments.

It marks Mastercard’s largest move yet into digital currency infrastructure, and the biggest stablecoin infrastructure acquisition on record, surpassing Stripe’s $1.1 billion purchase of Bridge in 2024.

He says: “Mastercard doesn’t make an acquisition like this on a hunch. This is one of the most conservative, risk-averse companies in global finance putting real capital behind stablecoins as permanent infrastructure, not a passing trend.

“Investors still treating digital currencies as a speculative sideshow are behind a shift that just received one of the clearest institutional endorsements it could possibly get.”

The deVere CEO points to the scale of what Mastercard is actually buying as evidence this goes well beyond experimentation.

“BVNK isn’t some early-stage startup with a clever idea and no customers,” he says. “It’s already processing around $30 billion in annualised payment volume, and that figure grew more than double year over year.

“Mastercard is buying proven infrastructure with real transaction volume behind it, not a concept.”

He argues the deal signals a broader shift in how incumbent financial institutions view digital currencies.

“For years, traditional payments companies treated stablecoins with suspicion.

“What we’re watching now is the opposite. Mastercard chose to buy this capability outright rather than partner or build it internally, and that tells you how seriously it takes the competitive threat of standing still.”

Nigel Green notes that BVNK’s reach across more than 130 countries and its work with major clients including Worldpay and Visa Direct point to how embedded this infrastructure already is.

“This technology is already sitting inside some of the biggest names in global payments.

“Mastercard isn’t betting on future adoption. It’s buying into adoption that has already happened.”

He highlights the specific use cases driving this shift as particularly relevant for investors focused on business and institutional finance rather than retail speculation.

“Cross-border B2B payments, remittances, settlement and treasury flows are the areas Mastercard is targeting here.

“These are unglamorous but enormous markets, and traditional rails moving money through them have stayed slow and expensive for years.

“Stablecoin infrastructure fixes that problem directly, and that’s where the real commercial value sits.”

Nigel Green points to the wider pattern of consolidation in this space as confirmation the shift is accelerating.

Stablecoin-related transactions have been rising steadily, with more than a dozen announced last year alone.

“Mastercard’s move is likely to push other incumbents to make similar decisions quickly, because nobody wants to be the payments giant left without this capability.”

The deVere CEO concludes: “Digital currency infrastructure is no longer a fringe allocation for investors comfortable with high risk.

“It’s becoming a core part of how global payments actually function, backed by companies with decades of credibility and enormous balance sheets.

“Investors who wait until this becomes obvious to everyone will likely have missed the point at which real value gets created.”

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.

MIL OSI

Source: Flinders University

An international study led by Flinders University has found a fertile area of inspiration to explain an important step in evolution – and it’s a whole lot of poop.

The new study describes the ‘faecal revolution’ to explain a crucial turning point in animal and environmental evolution on Earth.

In a new article in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, fossil and evolutionary experts credit the buildup of lowly excrement for being a key cause for the ‘Cambrian Explosion’ about 540 million years ago, a brief period when the first marine ecosystems developed and most of the major animal groups started to appear.

The scientists from Australia and Germany describe how these pieces of fossilised pellets or ‘coprolites’ deposited by primitive sea creatures in the early Cambrian times played a vital part in evolution, encouraging marine life to evolve and diversify.

The new research, to be published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, gives an alternative view to this remarkable diversification.

“Next to rising oxygen levels and other contributing factors, the importance of faeces in ancient ecosystems is often overlooked,” says Dr Russell Bicknell, an Australian Research Council Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) fellow at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.

“We have considered these ancient diets, increasingly sophisticated digestive systems and trophic interactions as part of a much bigger picture to help explain how more organic matter and nutrients poured into the ancient oceans to accelerate ecosystem development at the end of the Ediacaran and early Cambrian periods.”

After the earliest animals appeared around 600 million years ago during the Ediacaran Period, more complex digestive systems and the first fossilised coprolites start to appear at the onset of the Cambrian Period.

Dr Bicknell, with lead author Dr Julien Kimmig from Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), says the complexity, shapes and sizes of coprolites and fossil gut systems increased as the Cambrian progressed – with evidence of this from more than 35 deposits around the globe.

“The faecal matter includes microscopic pellets through to centimetre-scale coprolites containing shells and other animal fragments,” says Dr Bicknell, an evolutionary biologist and palaeobiologist who specialises in arthropods.

“With this shift, we see increasingly complex digestive systems, particularly in early anthropods which evolve specialised foreguts and digestive glands capable of processing a wider variety of food.

“It becomes clear in the fossil record that the evolution of feeding strategies aligns with the production and distribution of organic carbon and nutrients to start creating conditions we see in modern oceans and later on land where fertiliser today is used to produce our food,” adds Dr Bicknell.

The review article – ‘The Cambrian fecal revolution: Fueling the Cambrian Radiation’ (2026) by Julien Kimmig and Russell DC Bicknell has been published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution (CellPress). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.013

Funding: This research was funded through an Australian Research Council (grant DE250100256) and a MAT Program Postdoctoral Fellowship – both to Dr Bicknell.

MIL OSI

Chemically defined medium removes animal serum and human platelet supplements as Malaysia and Singapore strengthen advanced therapy capabilities

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 August 2026 -Singapore is estimated to record approximately 19,290 new cancer cases in 2024, underscoring the growing demand for advanced treatment options and the manufacturing systems needed to produce them consistently. As cell therapies move from research towards clinical use, the reliability of every raw material used in production becomes increasingly important.

AuctuCel Pte Ltd, a Singapore biotechnology company specialising in AI-powered bioprocess technologies, today announced the launch of AuctuPrime, a next-generation chemically defined cell culture medium developed in collaboration with Sperikon. The formulation is designed to remove dependence on both animal serum and donor-derived human platelet supplements during cell therapy manufacturing.

The launch comes as both markets continue to deepen their advanced therapy ecosystems. The Singapore Economic Development Board reported that the country saw a fourfold increase in locally incorporated biotechnology companies since 2015. In Malaysia, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency issued updated cell and gene therapy product guidance in September 2025, including revised Good Manufacturing Practice requirements. As more research moves towards clinical translation, the reliability and traceability of manufacturing inputs are receiving greater attention.

A less visible bottleneck in cell therapy

Cell therapies are advancing across cancer, autoimmune disease and regenerative medicine, but manufacturing remains one of the major barriers to wider clinical and commercial adoption. Many conventional culture processes still use animal serum or platelet-derived supplements from human donors. These biological materials can vary between batches and may introduce additional sourcing, testing and documentation requirements.

AuctuPrime replaces these supplements with a fully chemically defined formulation. By giving researchers and manufacturers clearer control over what enters the process, it is intended to provide a more reproducible foundation for scale-up from laboratory research to clinical and commercial manufacturing.

The formulation is designed to support:

* Elimination of animal serum and human platelet supplements

* Reduced batch-to-batch variability in the culture process

* Lower dependence on donor-derived biological raw materials

* Greater supply chain resilience through chemically defined inputs

* More consistent scale-up and technology transfer across manufacturing stages

* A xeno-free approach for regenerative medicine and cell therapy workflowsWhy the manufacturing medium matters to patients

“Culture medium is not the therapy itself, but it can influence how reliably cells are produced. By removing animal serum and human platelet supplements, AuctuPrime gives researchers and manufacturers greater control over the process, helping to reduce variability and prepare for larger-scale production.” said Dr Zach Pang, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of AuctuCel.

Supporting Singapore’s advanced therapy ecosystem

Singapore is strengthening its position as a regional hub for advanced therapies, supported by its universities, hospitals, research institutions and biotechnology companies. These organisations are building capabilities that connect early-stage research with regulated manufacturing and future clinical applications. Chemically defined media can support this progress by reducing reliance on variable biological inputs and enabling processes to be reproduced more consistently across local research and manufacturing facilities.

“Singapore’s continued progress in regenerative medicine will depend not only on scientific breakthroughs, but also on the ability to manufacture therapies safely, consistently and at scale. AuctuPrime represents an important step towards building a more reproducible manufacturing platform and can support local research and industry teams as they prepare for future clinical and commercial demand,” said Dr Chee Wai Fhu, Chief Executive Officer of AuctuCel.

For the wider region, stronger manufacturing foundations also matter for healthcare resilience. Cell therapies are complex products with demanding quality requirements, and the ability to manufacture them consistently will shape how quickly promising research can progress towards clinical use.

“The future of regenerative medicine depends not only on scientific breakthroughs, but on our ability to manufacture these therapies safely, consistently and at scale,” said Dr Chee Wai Fhu, Chief Executive Officer of AuctuCel. “AuctuPrime is an important step towards a more reproducible manufacturing platform. By removing dependence on animal serum and human platelet supplements, we hope to help researchers and manufacturers build processes that are better prepared for future clinical and commercial demand.”

Regional collaboration behind the launch

AuctuPrime was developed through a collaboration between AuctuCel and Sperikon, combining AuctuCel’s bioprocess and culture media expertise with Sperikon’s experience in regenerative medicine and cell therapy development.

Behind every cell therapy breakthrough is a production process that must work repeatedly, not only once. Improving that process is one of the practical steps needed to bring the next generation of therapies closer to the patients who may benefit from them.

Notes to editors

A chemically defined medium is a formulation in which the components and their concentrations are known and controlled. In this context, xeno-free means the formulation does not rely on animal-derived materials. AuctuPrime is a manufacturing input used during cell culture and is not itself a cell therapy product.

Hashtag: #AuctuCel

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

About AuctuCel

AuctuCel is a Singapore-based biotechnology company spun out of A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute. The company develops AI-powered bioprocess technologies and ready-to-use culture media solutions that help biotechnology and cell therapy companies improve manufacturing consistency, productivity and scalability. By combining advanced modelling, scientific expertise and bioprocess innovation, AuctuCel supports the translation of research into commercially viable biomanufacturing. The company has active operations and partnerships across Singapore, Malaysia and the wider Asian region.

About Sperikon

Sperikon is a biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine, cell culture technologies and translational research. The company works with academic institutions and industry partners to develop scalable solutions that support the clinical and commercial adoption of advanced cell therapies. Through its collaboration with AuctuCel, Sperikon contributes to the development of next-generation chemically defined manufacturing platforms.

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

Source: deVere Group

August 4 2026

Wildfire catastrophe bonds are moving well beyond their insurance origins to become a genuine new asset class for investors’ portfolios, affirms the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

Nigel Green of deVere Group’s comments come as issuance of catastrophe bonds carrying wildfire exposure has already topped $5 billion this year, according to specialist data provider Artemis, putting 2026 on track to challenge last year’s record.

The broader catastrophe bond market now stands at an unprecedented $61 billion outstanding, after a 45% surge in new issuance last year alone.

He says: “Most investors still think of catastrophe bonds as something insurers deal with, not something that belongs in a serious portfolio. This thinking is already out of date.

“Wildfire losses are rising by roughly 12% a year globally, faster than almost any other category of natural catastrophe.

“Standalone wildfire bonds, once considered too specialised to trade on their own, are becoming genuinely investable instruments in their own right. This shift matters far more than most allocators currently appreciate.”

The deVere CEO points to the fundamental appeal of catastrophe bonds for investors seeking genuine diversification rather than another variation on equity or credit risk.

“These instruments don’t move because of a central bank decision or a disappointing earnings season.

“A wildfire either happens within the defined parameters of the bond or it doesn’t. This is a completely different risk driver to almost everything else sitting in a typical portfolio, and it’s exactly what makes it valuable.”

He argues the improving quality of wildfire risk modelling is the real story behind this year’s surge in issuance.

“Investors were historically cautious about wildfire risk because the modelling wasn’t good enough to price it with confidence,” Nigel Green explains.

“This has changed fast. Firms building these risk models have improved their data and their forecasting to the point where sophisticated investors are now comfortable putting real capital behind the numbers.”

The devastating Los Angeles fires of January 2025, which destroyed more than 16,000 buildings and caused a record $40 billion in insured losses, reshaped how both insurers and investors think about wildfire exposure.

“This event was a wake-up call for the entire industry,” he says.

“California’s state-backed FAIR Plan has seen its exposure grow by over 50% in Los Angeles County alone in a single year, as traditional insurers pull back.

“Capital markets are stepping into a gap that private insurance increasingly can’t fill on its own, and investors willing to take on that risk are being paid well for it.”

Nigel Green believes Europe represents the next major phase of growth for this asset class, even though the market there remains far less developed than in the US.

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth and wildfire risk there is only heading in one direction,” he notes.

“The market hasn’t caught up yet, but it will have to. Once European wildfire modelling matures to the standard investors expect, capital will follow, the same way it did in California.”

He urges investors to look past the unfamiliar mechanics of catastrophe bonds and focus on what they actually deliver inside a portfolio.

“The instinct to treat this as a niche corner of insurance markets is understandable, but it’s increasingly wrong,” Nigel Green says.

“What investors should focus on is genuine, uncorrelated return. During a sharp equity sell-off, a well-structured wildfire bond doesn’t care what the S&P is doing. This kind of independence is rare and valuable, and it’s becoming easier to access than most people realise.”

He concludes: “The growth of this market reflects a broader shift already underway among savvy investors.

“Climate risk used to be treated purely as a cost to manage.

“It’s now becoming an asset class that a growing number of investors can actively allocate towards.”

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.

MIL OSI

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.

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: Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission

Last updated: 03 July 2026

Commission calls for withdrawal of the Move-on Orders Bill, warning it risks criminalising those with greatest need.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission is calling on the Government to withdraw the Summary Offences (Move-on Orders) Amendment Bill, warning it risks criminalising poverty and homelessness rather than improving safety and addressing the root causes of harm in our communities.

In its submission to the Justice Select Committee on 2 July, the Commission believes the Bill gets the problem wrong and as a result, gets the solution wrong. The Bill risks further victimising and negatively impacting people for simply trying to survive sleeping rough, begging, or dealing with health and housing problems they need help addressing.

The Bill also risks increasing police contact, displacement and criminalisation for people already experiencing significant hardship, while doing little to address genuinely harmful or threatening behaviour for which legal tools already exist.

“This Bill doesn’t make anyone safer, it just makes homelessness and poverty harder to see,” says Prudence Walker, Disability Rights Commissioner.

“People don’t sleep on our streets or ask strangers for money because our public spaces are too relaxed. They’re there because housing, health care, addiction support and whānau support have run out. Moving them on doesn’t fix any of that — it just moves the problem down the road.”

The Commission is especially concerned that move-on orders could be issued to children as young as 14.

“A 14-year-old sleeping rough needs care and a safe place to stay — not a move-on order,” says Walker. “This Bill would let us push children further away from the help they need, at exactly the moment they need it most.”

The Commission’s submission also raises concerns under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, noting that Māori are disproportionately affected by severe housing deprivation, and that the Crown has existing obligations to actively protect and support Māori communities.

The Bill is also likely to disproportionately impact others already experiencing disadvantage, including disabled people, Pacific peoples, Rainbow communities, women and children, particularly where poverty, homelessness, family violence, addiction, mental distress or unmet disability support needs intersect.

The Commission recommends the Bill not proceed, and that the Government should instead take a human rights and evidence-based approach to address the upstream conditions that lead to homelessness, addiction and mental health directly. This should be done through investment in stable housing, Housing First approaches, kaupapa Māori housing, accessible health and addiction services, and whānau-centred support.

As a country, preventing poverty and homelessness is how we create a positive shared future for all of us. Lasting safety comes from decent homes, adequate incomes, accessible and culturally safe services, and whānau-centred support and prevention.

Chief Commissioner, Dr Stephen Rainbow adds:

“We have existing laws that deal with genuinely threatening or disorderly behaviour.

“Workers, businesses, residents and communities deserve safe and welcoming public places, but moving people experiencing hardship out of sight will not make communities safer, nor will it solve the challenges associated with addiction or mental distress that afflict many of those most likely to be impacted by this Bill.

“The real issue is the systemic failure behind the growth of antisocial behaviour, particularly in town centres, that’s impacting safety of workers, shopkeepers, public transport users and shoppers. The visible failure to care for the most vulnerable demands a long, hard look at what’s causing this human tragedy.”

Click here to read the Commission’s full submission.

Source link

MIL OSI

Source: Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission

Last updated: 08 July 2026

Rights & Realities: Remembering 1986 draws on first-hand accounts of the 1985-86 campaign that changed New Zealand law.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission today announced the launch of Rights & Realities: Remembering 1986, a new podcast marking the 40th anniversary of the Homosexual Law Reform Act, the law that decriminalised consensual sex between men in New Zealand.

The Act passed its third reading in Parliament on 9 July 1986, following a 16-month nationwide debate that divided the country. It came into force on 8 August, finally ending the threat of prosecution and imprisonment that gay men had lived under.

The Act, introduced as a member’s bill by then-Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde in March 1985, was a major step forward for human rights and justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Act 40 years ago today represented far more than the passing of a piece of legislation – for gay men who lived during that era, the act represented a watershed,” said Dr Stephen Rainbow, Chief Commissioner, Human Rights Commission.

“As New Zealand’s first openly gay Chief Human Rights Commissioner, this anniversary carries particular significance for me,” said Dr Rainbow. “The 40th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on how fortunate we are to live in a democracy that enables minority voices to be heard, protected and promoted.”

Disability Rights Commissioner and Rainbow rights spokesperson, Prudence Walker adds: “This anniversary is a chance to celebrate social progress in Aotearoa New Zealand, while also acknowledging that some Rainbow people don’t yet enjoy the freedoms that generation fought to achieve.”

Rights & Realities: Remembering 1986 is a limited series of five episodes featuring interviews with political and social campaigners, archival audio, and reflection on the impact of the law change for gay men in New Zealand.

For the Human Rights Commission, it’s a chance to reflect on its role in history – including deciding not to recommend to Parliament in 1979 that the Human Rights Act be amended to add ‘sexual orientation’ to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.

“Although the Commission supported decriminalising sex between men and strengthening anti-discrimination in the Human Rights Act later in 1985, we wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge we did not provide the leadership expected of us to Rainbow communities at that time,” says Walker.

In the podcast leaders from Rainbow communities guide us through the changing story of sexuality and gender in New Zealand, revisit the moments that shaped the landmark Bill, and honour the courage of those who fought on the frontlines for equality.

Episodes feature:

• Takatāpui scholar and artist Professor Elizabeth Kerekere, and professor of gender studies, Professor Chris Brickell.
• Frontline activists Linda Evans and Gavin Young.
• Fran Wilde, former Labour MP who introduced the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, and Dr Stephen Rainbow, Chief Commissioner, Human Rights Commission.
• Niuean fakafifine and rights activist Phylesha Brown-Acton, and wahine takatāpui, former MP, and marriage equality changemaker, Louisa Wall.
• Disability Rights Commissioner and Commission Rainbow rights spokesperson, Prudence Walker, and legal scholar and advocate Vinod Bal.

Listen to all five episodes now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Source link

MIL OSI

Source: Greenpeace

Parliament is set to vote today on what Greenpeace says is the most reckless demolition of environmental protections in a generation.

The Coalition Government’s Resource Management Act (RMA) replacements – the Natural Environment and Planning Bills – return to Parliament for their second reading after emerging from the Select Committee process environmentally worse than when they were first introduced.

Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop says, “These Bills are an all-out assault on the law that is supposed to protect the rivers we swim in, the water we drink, the forests that hold our hillsides together, the wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique, and the places New Zealanders love.”

“These Bills turn the purpose of our main environmental law on its head. Instead of safeguarding clean water, healthy ecosystems and communities, these proposed laws would protect companies who profit from polluting and exploiting the environment.”

The Government has retained its controversial ‘regulatory relief’ scheme, which could force ratepayers to compensate companies when stronger environmental protections affect profits, potentially costing the public nearly $2 billion.

They have also removed the precautionary principle – a cornerstone of environmental law that recognises action should be taken when there is a credible risk of serious or irreversible environmental harm, even where scientific certainty is incomplete.

“These Bills even flip the polluter pays principle on its head,” says Toop.

“If a council wants to stop erosion from forestry, a wetland from being drained or strengthen safeguards for native wildlife, the New Zealand public may have to compensate the very companies responsible for the damage. It is absolutely perverse”

Toop says the legislation has become even more extreme since it was first introduced.

“The Government is planning to throw environmental limits and the precautionary principle out the door, tear up agreements between iwi and councils, force the public to compensate polluters, and make it easier for companies to kill native wildlife.”

Among the most alarming changes is the decision to scrap existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe established arrangements between councils and iwi for shared environmental decision-making.

“These Bills roll back Māori participation in environmental decision-making and sideline tangata whenua from decisions about the lands and waters they have cared for for centuries. That is unacceptable. Parliament must reject these Bills,” says Toop.

Toop says the Bills are yet another assault in the Coalition Government’s war on nature and is calling on people to join the March for Nature in Auckland on 19 September.

“From fast-track consenting to proposing to sell off public conservation land, this Government has spent the last three years systematically dismantling the environmental protections New Zealanders fought for over generations,” says Toop.

“Governments can pass laws, but they can’t change what New Zealanders value. On 19 September, we’re calling on people to stand together and march for the forests, oceans, rivers, coastlines and wildlife of Aotearoa.”

MIL OSI

New national pavilions, first-time exhibitors spanning wild-capture fisheries to smart aquaculture technology, and a dedicated Seafood Processing Asia showcase the growing appetite for global suppliers to build strategic relationships across Asia

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 August 2026 – Seafood Expo Asia/Seafood Processing Asia, organized by Diversified, will take place 2–4 September 2026 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. Seafood suppliers from around the world and across the supply chain will converge to debut products, build relationships and learn about the industry’s most timely opportunities and challenges. First-time exhibitors and new national and regional pavilions spanning four continents signal the importance of the event in positioning them strategically at the center of Asia’s growing marketplace.

“Seafood Expo Asia is an important platform for the B.C. Dive Fisheries to continue to strengthen our relationships with buyers across Southeast Asia,” said Lawrence Anderson, Director of Pacific Sea Cucumber and Urchin Harvesters Associations (Canada). “It’s an excellent platform to showcase our sustainably harvested premium quality seafood products.”

New Regional and National Pavilions Demonstrating Global Influence

New regional and national pavilions with a growing number of companies will take advantage of the growing demand for seafood across Asia and connect suppliers across the supply chain with buyers in Asia. New pavilions to this year’s event include British Columbia Government (Canada), Jeju Technopark (South Korea), Ministero dell’Agricoltura della Sovranità Alimentare e delle Foreste (MASAF) (Italy) and The French Chamber of Commerce Singapore (France/Singapore).

Returning pavilions include Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (United States), Beijing Yinqicheng International Exhibition Co., Ltd. (China), CAPPMA (China), Dalian Huihetong Exhibition & Display Co., Ltd (China), Food Export USA – Northeast (United States), Hainan Fuchang Exhibition Service Co., Ltd (China), Japan Farmed Fish Export Association (Japan), Kochi Seafood Export Promotion Association (Japan), National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (South Korea), Seafood Industries Association Singapore (Singapore), Southern United States Trade Association – SUSTA (United States) and Valuedshow Management LLC (China).

New Exhibitors From Around the World

Beyond pavilions, first-time exhibitors are arriving from Ecuador, Chile, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and China, adding new voices, products and solutions to the exhibit hall. Blumar Asia Ltd, the Asia arm of Chile’s Blumar, will exhibit fresh and frozen Chilean Atlantic salmon alongside its jack mackerel and fishmeal lines. Jeju Technopark, a South Korean government-backed research and innovation center, develops smart land-based aquaculture technology for seaweed and laver cultivation using Jeju Island’s mineral-rich lava seawater. Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture Co., Ltd. farms salmon and trout at a base fed by glacial water in the Tianshan Mountains and holds BRC Global Food Safety and NSF antibiotic-free product certifications. Foodman Optoelectronic (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd. specializes in food safety and quality-control equipment for seafood processing, including X-ray inspection systems that detect fish bones and foreign objects on the line.

From Ocean to Table: A Full Supply Chain Event

Seafood Expo Asia/Seafood Processing Asia is deliberately designed to reflect the full breath of the seafood industry. Alongside the new exhibitors, returning participants include AquaChile, Austral Fisheries, Vinh Hoan Corporation, Marennes Oleron Oyster PGI and Omarsa S.A., among others. Processing equipment and solutions companies — including BAADER, Gucheng Shouan New Material Technology, Guy Cotten and Silikal GmbH — ensure that buyers sourcing automation, packaging, cold chain and aquaculture infrastructure reach their business goals in one location.

The 2026 exhibit hall will feature all types of seafood products — fresh, frozen, canned, preserved, value-added, processed and packaged — alongside solutions spanning processing and automation, aquaculture systems, cold chain infrastructure and advanced packaging. This full-spectrum lineup means that a hotel procurement manager, a supermarket buyer, a processing plant manager and a hatchery operator can each attend the same event and leave with new suppliers and new partnerships.

Business Matchmaking, New Products and Educational Opportunities

Beyond the exhibit hall, the event delivers a full program of business opportunities. Qualified high-volume importers and retail/foodservice buyers can participate in the Business Matchmaking Program, which facilitates structured, pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with exhibiting suppliers. The Seafood Excellence Asia Awards, the expo’s product competition, celebrates the best new seafood products on the market, giving innovative suppliers direct visibility with buyers and press at an evening reception.

An educational conference will bring together industry leaders to address seafood consumption trends and market outlook, AI in the supply chain, sustainability certification, RAS fish farming, processing trends across Asia and more. Rounding out the experience, live culinary demonstrations and open product tastings will bring seafood to life on the event floor, connecting buyers directly with the products they are sourcing.

Learn More & Register to Attend

Seafood industry professionals can learn more about Seafood Expo Asia/Seafood Processing Asia, find information on the conference program and other special events, and register to attend for free by visiting www.seafoodexpo.com/asia.

To register as media/press, please visit the press center.

Hashtag: #SEASIA26

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

About Seafood Expo Asia/Seafood Processing Asia

About Diversified

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

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 August 2026 – As gold prices reached historic highs in 2025, more consumers in Taiwan are reassessing the value of jewelry, luxury watches, and designer goods they have kept at home.

According to the World Gold Council, the LBMA afternoon gold price set 53 new all-time highs during 2025, while the annual average price rose 44% year-on-year to USD 3,431 per ounce. As precious metals appreciate in value, more consumers are seeking professional appraisals before deciding whether to sell.

Traditionally, jewelry stores and pawnshops have been common destinations for selling valuables in Taiwan. Today, many consumers are looking for transparent appraisals and the confidence to make decisions at their own pace, contributing to growing interest in specialty buying stores.

Founded in Japan in 2005, Jewel Cafe, operated by Crane Co., Ltd., now operates 22 locations across Taiwan, with stores in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Kaohsiung.

Inspired by Japan’s renowned spirit of hospitality, Jewel Cafe is committed to creating a welcoming environment where customers feel comfortable from the moment they walk through the door. Rather than simply presenting a price, experienced staff carefully explain how each item is evaluated and answer customers’ questions with care. Customers are never pressured to sell, and every decision is respected. This customer-first approach, developed in Japan and brought to Taiwan, is one of Jewel Cafe’s defining strengths.

As Taiwan’s resale market continues to grow, consumers are increasingly seeking expertise, trust, and transparency. By combining Japanese appraisal expertise with Japanese-style hospitality, Jewel Cafe provides a buying experience designed around customer confidence.

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

Source: D-Link ANZ

SYDNEY, 4 August 2026 – D-Link ANZ has unveiled its expanded Industrial Switch Range, delivering enterprise-grade networking solutions purpose-built for Australia’s and New Zealand’s harshest operational environments.

From factory floors and transport networks to outdoor surveillance deployments and remote utility sites, the new range gives systems integrators, IT managers and operations leaders the durability, speed and intelligence they need to maintain mission-critical connectivity where standard enterprise equipment simply cannot survive.

DIS-310G-24X Layer 3 Managed Switch

The expanded portfolio comprises four new models: the flagship DIS-310G-24X Layer 3 Managed Switch, the smart-managed DIS-210G-12 and DIS-210G-12UP PoE switches, and the compact, cost-effective DIS-100E-05 entry-level model. Together they span the full spectrum of industrial networking requirements from high-density aggregation to simple edge connectivity.

As Australian and New Zealand industries accelerate digital transformation, edge networks are being pushed into environments they were never designed for. Extreme temperatures, electrical noise, vibration and power surges are daily realities in manufacturing plants, mining operations, agricultural facilities and outdoor CCTV deployments.

Consumer-grade and even standard commercial switches fail quickly in these conditions, causing costly downtime, data loss and maintenance headaches. D-Link’s Industrial Switch Range addresses these pain points with IP40-rated metal housings, fan-less thermal designs, 6kV surge protection across all Ethernet ports, and operating temperature ratings from –40°C to +75°C.

The flagship DIS-310G-24X is a 24-port Gigabit Industrial Managed Layer 3 Switch designed for larger-scale industrial networks that demand both high availability and advanced traffic management.

It features 16 x 10/100/1000BASE-T copper ports, 4 x Gigabit SFP fibre uplinks, and 4 x 10G SFP+ ports for high-speed backbone or aggregation connectivity, all packed into a compact 100 x 140 x 170 mm chassis that maximises cabinet space.

DIS-310G-24X Key Features

• Layer 3 management with advanced routing, security and QoS functions
• 16 Gigabit copper + 4 Gigabit SFP + 4 x 10G SFP+ ports
• Fan-less design with ruggedised metal housing rated for –40°C to +75°C operation
• 6kV surge protection on all Ethernet ports
• DIN-rail clip and wall-mount options for fast deployment
• Loopback detection and cable diagnostics for rapid troubleshooting
• ERPS ring support for sub-50ms failover redundancy

For enterprise and government customers deploying outdoor surveillance, smart transport networks or large-scale industrial automation, the DIS-310G-24X delivers the performance of a data-centre switch with the resilience of hardened infrastructure. Its 10G uplinks eliminate bandwidth bottlenecks when aggregating multiple high-definition camera streams or sensor arrays, while Layer 3 intelligence enables secure segmentation of operational-technology (OT) and information-technology (IT) traffic.

The DIS-210G-12 is a 12-port Gigabit Industrial Smart Managed Switch that strikes the ideal balance between capability and simplicity for mid-sized deployments. It offers 8 x Gigabit copper ports plus 4 x SFP fibre uplinks, smart management via an intuitive web interface and ERPS ring protection to keep networks running even if a cable is severed.

DIS-210G-12 Key Features

• 8 x 1000BASE-T + 4 x SFP Gigabit uplinks
• Web-based smart management – no command-line expertise required
• 6kV surge protection and IP40-rated metal housing
• –40°C to +75°C operating range
• ERPS ring topology for continuous monitoring and failover
• Fan-less, silent operation ideal for noise-sensitive environments

This switch is purpose-built for city surveillance projects, warehouse automation and distributed building-management systems. The combination of fibre uplinks and smart management means integrators can run long-distance links back to a central site while retaining remote visibility and control over each edge switch, reducing truck rolls and speeding up fault resolution.

The DIS-210G-12UP takes the smart-managed foundation of the DIS-210G-12 and adds High-Power PoE capability, making it the go-to switch for deployments where both data and power must be delivered over a single cable to remote devices.

DIS-210G-12UP Key Features

• 8 x Gigabit ports: 6 x PoE+ (30W) and 2 x PoE++ (up to 60W per port)
• 4 x Gigabit SFP fibre uplinks for long-distance backhaul
• Total PoE budget supports multiple high-draw devices simultaneously
• IP40 housing, 6kV surge protection and –40°C to +75°C rating
• ERPS ring support for uninterrupted surveillance and automation
• Ideal for PTZ cameras, access control, IP intercoms and IoT gateways

With two PoE++ ports capable of delivering 60W each, the DIS-210G-12UP can power the latest generation of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, high-gain wireless access points and door-entry systems without requiring separate power injectors or 240V outlets at every device location. For smart-building and safe-city projects, this slashes installation costs, reduces cable clutter and simplifies maintenance.

The DIS-100E-05 is a 5-port unmanaged industrial switch that proves hardened networking doesn’t have to break the budget. With five Fast Ethernet ports, a fan-less metal casing and DIN-rail mounting, it delivers plug-and-play connectivity for small sensor clusters, remote monitoring nodes and legacy equipment retrofits.

DIS-100E-05 Key Features

• 5 x 10/100BASE-T Fast Ethernet ports
• Unmanaged plug-and-play operation – zero configuration
• Fan-less, silent design with Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE)
• 6kV surge protection on all ports
• 12–55V DC dual-input terminal block for redundant power
• Metal housing, DIN-rail mount, –40°C to +75°C rated
• RRP under $150 makes hardened networking accessible to any budget

For agricultural sensor networks, remote telemetry cabinets and small-scale automation projects, the DIS-100E-05 removes the traditional cost barrier to industrial-grade reliability. Its EEE support reduces power draw during low-activity periods, while the dual DC input allows a redundant power supply to be connected for extra peace of mind.

D-Link’s expanded Industrial Switch Range is more than a product refresh, it is a toolkit that directly addresses the operational and financial pressures facing local industries today.

With 6kV surge protection, wide thermal ratings and ERPS ring failover, these switches keep production lines, surveillance feeds and control systems online through electrical storms, summer heatwaves and freezing winter nights. Less downtime means higher output, safer worksites and lower emergency-repair costs.

Fan-less designs eliminate a common point of mechanical failure, reducing maintenance schedules and extending service life. PoE++ models cut installation costs by delivering power and data over one cable, while smart-management features allow remote diagnostics that stop minor issues becoming major outages.

Whether a site needs five ports today or plans to scale to hundreds of cameras and sensors tomorrow, the range offers a growth path. The DIS-310G-24X’s 10G uplinks and Layer 3 intelligence provide headroom for years of expansion, while the consistent management interface across models simplifies staff training and inventory planning.

Industrial-grade EMC endurance and safety certifications help organisations meet workplace health and safety obligations, particularly in mining, energy and heavy manufacturing where equipment reliability is regulated. Using purpose-built industrial switches demonstrates due diligence in risk management.

All models are available now in Australia and New Zealand via D-Link Australia, D-Link New Zealand and authorised D-Link business resellers, including major IT distributors and systems-integration partners at the following RRPs:-

DIS-310G-24X – AUD$2799.95, NZ$3499.99
DIS-210G-12 – AUD$899.95, NZ$1099.99
DIS-210G-12UP – AUD$1799.95, NZ$2199.99
DIS-100E-05 – AUD$149.95, NZ$179.99

About D-Link

D-Link, a global leader in the networking industry, began expanding worldwide in 1986 and was officially established as D-Link Corporation in 1987. With 90 operational and sales locations across 43 countries, D-Link provides innovative and reliable networking equipment, AI-powered cloud management services, and complete infrastructure solutions for individuals, homes, businesses, and industries.

Copyright © 2026 D-Link Australia. All Rights Reserved.

MIL OSI

Source: Gen Digital Inc.

New Cyber Safety intelligence hub gives Kiwis a live, daily view of the scams and cyber threats shaping online life in NZ and around the world

Auckland, August 4, 2026 – Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its family of trusted consumer brands, including Norton, Avast, LifeLock and MoneyLion, today launched the Fearless Planet Index (FPI), a continuously updated Cyber Safety intelligence hub that provides real-time insights into scams, cyber threats and identity risks, helping people understand where threats are emerging and how to protect themselves.

Visit the Fearless Planet Index at https://fpi.gendigital.com/

A Regional Weather Map for Digital Risk

People check the weather before deciding what to wear or whether it’s safe to travel. Until now, there hasn’t been an equivalent way to understand the digital risks forming around us. Powered by telemetry from the Gen Threat Labs, the Fearless Planet Index transforms billions of real-world security signals into an interactive view of today’s digital threat landscape. Like weather radar tracking storms as they develop and move, the FPI helps Kiwis see where digital risks are emerging in New Zealand, which scams are most active and how those patterns evolve over time.

With the FPI, people can:

• Select a country to explore its most prominent scams, malware threats and identity alerts
• See whether each threat or alert has increased, decreased, remained stable or appeared as new since the previous day
• Open detailed profiles explaining each threat or alert and, where applicable, providing practical guidance to help people protect themselves

One of the most active threats in New Zealand is fake shopping scams.

Storms Brewing: Online Shopping Scams in New Zealand

In New Zealand, online shopping scams rank among the most prevalent consumer scams tracked by the FPI in July, as cybercriminals increasingly impersonate trusted retailers through fake websites, sponsored social media ads, search results and promotional emails offering products at unusually low prices.

The FPI identify the scams and threats people should look out for and gives practical advice on how to protect yourself. For example, for those Kiwis who are getting ready to shop online for winter clearance sale, tips include:

• Shop with retailers you know or research unfamiliar websites by checking independent reviews before making a purchase.
• Look closely at the website. Check the URL for misspellings, and make sure the site includes legitimate contact information, shipping details, and a clear return or refund policy.
• Pay with a credit card or another payment method that offers buyer protection. Avoid paying by bank transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards or other irreversible payment methods.

Fearless Planet Index Reveals Phishing as the Primary Scam Threat Worldwide

The FPI tracks the most prominent threats across 245 countries and territories. Early insights show phishing as the most prevalent scam category globally. Specific threats, including online shopping, dating, tech support and financial scams, vary considerably between countries. This country-level variation allows people to look beyond the global picture and understand which threats are currently most prominent where they live.

At launch, the FPI shows:

• 120M+ phishing attacks detected in the latest 30-day snapshot
• 80%+ of categorised threats were scams or malicious advertising rather than traditional malware
• Online shopping scams rank among the most prevalent named scams across New Zealand, Australia and other parts of the world, reflecting how cybercriminals increasingly target everyday online purchases
• While phishing is the leading scam globally, the mix of threats varies by country and region, giving people a localised view of the digital risks they are most likely to encounter
• North America recorded the highest average digital risk (29.6%), followed closely by Europe (28.5%), Asia-Pacific (27.4%), Middle East & Africa (25.6%), and Latin America (22.0%)

About Gen

Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at https://www.gendigital.com/.

About the Gen Threat Labs

Gen Threat Labs is the Cyber Safety research team within Gen, focused on uncovering and analysing the latest digital threats and scams worldwide. Rooted in data, research, and technical expertise, the team identifies patterns and risks that shape the evolving cyber landscape. Their insights power the security technologies that protect people across Gen’s portfolio of trusted brands, including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, and others.

MIL OSI

Source: Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

Customer research from Hot Spring Spas, just voted New Zealand’s most trusted spa pool and sauna brand by Readers Digest, shows wellness has overtaken entertainment as the reason Kiwis buy a spa, and the power bill is the number one thing that makes them hesitate.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, [August 2026] – New Zealanders are buying spa pools to escape three things: pain, stress and their phones. New customer research from Hot Spring Spas shows 65 percent of buyers purchase primarily to relieve aches and tension, buyers describe the spa as a device-free retreat where the family can connect, and their biggest hesitation is not the price tag but the power bill. Most (63 percent) buyers have never owned a spa before. The research landed in the same winter New Zealanders voted Hot Spring the country’s most trusted spa pool and sauna brand in the 2026 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards.

Key takeaways

• 65 percent of buyers purchase a spa primarily to relieve aches and tension, the strongest motivation by a wide margin (Hot Spring customer survey, May 2026, 199 respondents)
• The school phone ban has a backyard sequel: buyers describe the spa as a device-free retreat where the family connects, as 49 percent of New Zealand teenagers say social media disrupts their sleep, homework and family time (Horizon Research for Smartphone Free Childhood NZ, 540 teens, October 2025)
• Buyers fear the running cost more than the price: Running cost is the most-named purchase hesitation across 198 open-text answers, ahead of the upfront price (Electricity Authority, Electricity Authority takes closer look at price increases)
• Build quality & durability is what tips the decision for most spa pool buyers but the in-person experience at the showroom has the 3rd largest impact on purchasing decisions
• Recommendations from friends and family accounts for a small percentage of buying decisions
• 63 percent of buyers are first-time spa owners; family households are the largest buyer group at 39 percent

Wellness has overtaken entertainment

In a post-purchase survey of 199 New Zealand spa pool buyers completed in May 2026, almost two thirds said they bought their spa to ease aches and reduce stress. Social and lifestyle motivations trailed well behind. The category stereotype of the spa as backyard entertainment no longer matches who is buying: 63 percent are first-time owners, arriving with no history in the category and a clear idea of what they want from it.

A more anxious country wants somewhere to switch off

Asked to describe what they wanted from a spa in their own words, buyers kept returning to the same themes: relaxation, an outdoor sanctuary, wellness and recovery, family connection and private indulgence. The backdrop is a country under measurable strain. In the latest New Zealand government Health Survey, one in seven adults (14.3 percent, around 619,000 people) reported high or very high psychological distress in the previous four weeks, a level that has risen significantly over the past five years (7.4% in 2019/2020).

“Somewhere we can connect and communicate as a family and enjoy the experience of calmness.” – Brian, Auckland, survey respondent

An investment in the home, used all year round

The other recurring driver is the home itself. Family households are the largest buyer group at 39 percent, motivated by family togetherness and a more enjoyable lifestyle at home, and buyers repeatedly describe the spa as the anchor of an outdoor space the whole household uses, in winter as much as summer. In their open-text answers, buyers frame the purchase less as an appliance and more as an upgrade to the place where they spend most of their time: a private retreat, an outdoor sanctuary and a reason to be in their own backyard every day of the year.

“A quiet relaxing space for the family to enjoy together.” – Jason, Auckland, survey respondent

A space where the phones do not follow

Woven through the family connection theme is a quieter one: unplugging. New Zealand households are having the same argument as the rest of the country. In a survey of 540 New Zealand teenagers aged 13 to 17 conducted in October 2025, 49 percent said social media disrupts their daily activities, including homework, family time and sleep, and 32 percent said they spend five or more hours a day on it. More than one in five (22 percent) met the criteria for problematic social media use, rising to one in four among girls.

The concern is now national policy, and escalating. Phones have been required to be away for the day in New Zealand schools since Term 2, 2024, and the Government is currently drafting legislation to restrict social media to those aged 16 and over, which the Prime Minister has said will be introduced before the general election.

In a household where screens reach every room, the spa is the exception. The survey suggests a key driver is buyers wanting to spend more time together without digital devices and to create a retreat where they can connect. It is where the strands of the research come together: a private retreat (26 percent) and a more enjoyable lifestyle at home (47 percent) both feature among what buyers say they want, alongside family connection, and a spa answers all three in the one household space a phone cannot follow.

“A place to relax, unplug from the internet and enjoy our rural outlook all year round.” – Rob, Whangārei, survey respondent

The power bill is the biggest fear

Asked what made them hesitate before buying, respondents named running cost more than any other concern, ahead of the purchase price itself. The anxiety is well founded this winter: most New Zealand households have faced an average 8 percent power price increase for the second consecutive year, and the Electricity Authority is examining the rises.

“How efficient the spa was and the impact on our power bill.” – Colin, Auckland, on his biggest hesitation before buying

What a spa costs to run depends on its insulation, the local climate, the electricity tariff, the water temperature and how often it is used. That variability is part of the anxiety: buyers want a straight number before they commit.

A word from Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

“Running cost is now the first question in almost every showroom conversation, before jets, before seating, before anything. Our own research confirms it: it is the most-named hesitation before buying a spa pool, ahead of the upfront price. People are buying pain relief, a better sleep and family connection, and they want to know what a spa will cost to run before they commit. The industry owes buyers straight answers on that, which is why we point people to an energy cost calculator so they can estimate running costs for their own climate and power prices before they spend a dollar. I think that kind of straight talk is a big part of why New Zealanders named us their most trusted brand, unprompted, in the first year the category existed.”

Aaron Sampson, General Manager, Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

About Hot Spring Spas New Zealand

Hot Spring Spas is New Zealand’s most trusted spa pool and sauna brand (awarded by Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands in May 2026), selling spa pools, swim spas, cold plunge, modular pools and saunas. Hot Spring spa pools are manufactured by Watkins Wellness, the world’s largest spa manufacturer, which has sold more than 2.4 million spas since 1980. Known for industry-leading energy efficiency, durable build quality and a 20-year spare-parts commitment, Hot Spring spas are supported across New Zealand by a network of independently owned, authorised local dealers who provide expert advice, installation, servicing and ongoing care for the life of the spa. For more information, visit https://hotspring.co.nz

Notes

• Hot Spring customer survey: post-purchase survey of 199 verified New Zealand customers, May 2026, combining multi-select questions with open-text responses coded by theme. Full data tables, including motivations, hesitations and buyer demographics, are available on request.
• The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards are conducted annually by Catalyst Research on behalf of Reader’s Digest. The 2026 New Zealand study surveyed 1,788 adults in a nationally representative sample, with quotas across age, gender and region and data weighted to reflect the country.
• Running costs: spa running costs vary with climate, electricity tariff, water temperature and usage. Hot Spring’s published running cost information, including an energy cost calculator that estimates monthly costs by spa size, local climate and local power rates, is at https://hotspring.co.nz/energy-efficient-spa-pools-energy-costs/

Selected survey data

Hot Spring customer survey, May 2026, 199 verified New Zealand customers. The survey was multi-select.

Household type – Share

Purchase type – Share

What buyers want – Share

What tips the decision – Share

Sources

• Hot Spring Spas customer survey, May 2026: post-purchase survey of 199 verified New Zealand customers.
• Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards 2026, independently conducted by Catalyst Research: https://www.trustedbrands.co.nz/
• Ministry of Health, Annual Update of Key Results 2024/25: New Zealand Health Survey (psychological distress figures): https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/annual-update-of-key-results-202425-new-zealand-health-survey
• Horizon Research, teen survey commissioned by Smartphone Free Childhood NZ: 540 New Zealanders aged 13-17, fieldwork 21-28 October 2025, maximum margin of error ±4.2%: https://research.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/727/teen-survey
• Public Health Communication Centre briefing, Problematic social media use common among NZ teens as government examines age limits, led by Dr Samantha Marsh, University of Auckland, 20 November 2025: https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/problematic-social-media-use-common-among-nz-teens-government-examines-age-limits
• Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill and subsequent government drafting: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2025/0216/latest/whole.html
• Ministry of Education, Using phones at school (phones away for the day policy): https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digital-technology/using-phones-school
• RNZ, Most households see an average 8 percent increase in power prices this winter, 29 June 2026: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/640243/most-households-see-an-average-8-percent-increase-in-power-prices-this-winter
• Electricity Authority, Electricity Authority takes closer look at price increases: https://www.ea.govt.nz/news/press-release/electricity-authority-takes-closer-look-at-price-increases/
• Hot Spring Spas, running cost information and energy cost calculator: https://hotspring.co.nz/energy-efficient-spa-pools-energy-costs/

MIL OSI

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

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

Highlights 

• Proposed U.S. redomiciliation: IperionX intends to redomicile its ultimate parent company to Texas, subject to shareholder, court, regulatory and other customary approvals, to align the Company’s legal and capital-markets structure with its integrated U.S. manufacturing, critical minerals and technology operations.
• Simplified Nasdaq structure: Subject to final structuring and exchange approvals, common stock in the new U.S. parent is expected to be listed directly on Nasdaq, replacing IperionX’s existing ADS structure.
• Continuity of operations and strategy: The proposed redomiciliation is not expected to change IperionX’s underlying assets, operations or strategic priorities.
• Building a fully American titanium supply chain: IperionX is developing an integrated U.S. platform extending from domestic titanium minerals and recycled titanium feedstocks through low-cost titanium metal production to advanced manufactured products and components.
• Board strengthened for industrial scale-up: Michael J. Loparco, an accomplished advanced-manufacturing, technology and global supply-chain executive, has been appointed as an independent non-executive director, effective August 3, 2026.

SOUTH BOSTON, Va., Aug. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IperionX Limited (IperionX) (NASDAQ: IPX, ASX: IPX) is pleased to announce two aligned strategic actions to support its next phase of growth as an American titanium metal and critical materials business.

IperionX intends to pursue a redomiciliation to the United States through the establishment of a Texas-incorporated ultimate parent company. The Company has also appointed Mr. Michael J. Loparco, an experienced advanced-manufacturing, industrial technology and global supply-chain executive, as an independent non-executive director, effective August 3, 2026.

Together, these initiatives are intended to align IperionX’s corporate structure, capital-markets framework and Board capabilities with the Company’s evolution into a fully integrated American titanium and critical materials company.

IperionX is developing a domestic titanium supply chain designed to extend from titanium minerals and recycled feedstocks through titanium metal production to advanced manufactured products for defense and other strategically important U.S. industries.

The Company’s U.S. operating platform comprises:

• the integrated Atlas-Titan critical minerals platform in Tennessee;
• titanium metal production and advanced manufacturing in Virginia; and
• titanium technology research and development in Utah.

The proposed redomiciliation is reflective of the majority of IperionX’s customers, strategic relationships and government-supported programs being based in the United States. 

Appointment of Mr. Michael J. Loparco as Non-Executive Director

IperionX has appointed Mr. Michael J. Loparco as an independent non-executive director, effective August 3, 2026.

Mr. Loparco is a highly accomplished executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across advanced manufacturing, industrial technology, automation, global supply chains, corporate transactions and public-company governance.

He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of OrcaWorcs.ai, an AI-native operating platform focused on workflow orchestration and compliance across legal, financial services and industrial markets.

Mr. Loparco previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ: SYM), where he led the company through its 2022 public listing.

Prior to Symbotic, Mr. Loparco spent more than two decades at Jabil Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturing services companies. During his time at Jabil, he held a series of senior leadership roles, including Chief Executive Officer of Jabil Electronics Manufacturing Services and Executive Vice President, with responsibility for global manufacturing, supply-chain and technology operations across 25 countries.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Loparco practiced as a corporate attorney with Holland & Knight LLP. He currently serves on the Board of Sanmina Corporation (NASDAQ: SANM) and has previous board experience with established public companies and newly listed businesses. Mr. Loparco holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Eckerd College and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law. 

Mr. Loparco said:

“IperionX has assembled a leading combination of domestic resource security, proprietary titanium technology and advanced-manufacturing capability within one U.S. platform.

IperionX brings together three capabilities that are rarely found within a single U.S. company: proprietary titanium technologies, an expanding advanced-manufacturing platform and a large-scale domestic critical minerals project. That combination creates a compelling opportunity to build a more resilient, competitive and secure American titanium supply chain.

I look forward to working with the Board and management team as IperionX scales its manufacturing operations, expands commercialization and advances its position as a strategically important supplier to U.S. industry.”

IperionX Executive Chairman, Todd Hannigan, said:

“Michael is an exceptional addition to the IperionX Board. He has extensive experience leading complex manufacturing organizations, scaling advanced technology platforms, managing global supply chains and guiding public companies through periods of significant transformation.

That combination of industrial, technology, commercial and capital-markets experience is directly relevant to IperionX’s next phase as we scale our U.S. manufacturing operations, expand our product capabilities and progress from capacity development into larger-scale commercialization.”

Proposed Domiciliation to the United States

IperionX intends to pursue a redomiciliation under which a newly incorporated Texas corporation would become the ultimate parent company of the IperionX Group. The proposed redomiciliation remains subject to shareholder approval, court approval, regulatory approvals, exchange approvals and other customary conditions.

Subject to final structuring and exchange approvals, IperionX expects the common stock of the new U.S. parent company to be listed directly on Nasdaq, replacing the Company’s existing ADS structure.

The proposed redomiciliation would align IperionX’s legal domicile and capital-markets structure with its:

• principal operating assets in Virginia, Tennessee and Utah;
• U.S.-based workforce and management activities;
• U.S. customers and strategic industrial relationships;
• extensive U.S. Government-supported programs; and
• strategic objective to rebuild secure American titanium and critical materials supply chains.

Against this operating and strategic background, the proposed redomiciliation is intended to complete the alignment of an American operating business with an American legal and capital-markets structure. A U.S. domicile and direct U.S. listed common-stock structure are also intended to provide a simpler and more accessible investment framework for U.S. institutional, sector-specialist and strategic investors.

The proposed structure has the potential to:

• broaden IperionX’s addressable U.S. investor base;
• deepen trading liquidity and price discovery;
• simplify participation by strategic and sector-specialist investors; and
• enhance access to larger and more diverse pools of U.S. growth capital.

The proposed redomiciliation is not expected to change IperionX’s underlying assets, operations or strategic priorities.

IperionX CEO, Taso Arima, said:

“IperionX is an American industrial company in every operational and strategic sense. Our critical mineral platform is in Tennessee, our titanium production and advanced-manufacturing operations are in Virginia, our technology research and development is in Utah, and our customers, strategic relationships and government-supported programs are located in the United States.

The proposed redomiciliation would complete that alignment at the corporate level. It would create a simpler investment structure for U.S. investors and better position IperionX to access the capital, market visibility and strategic relationships required to scale a fully American titanium supply chain.

Importantly, this proposal does not change our underlying business or strategy. It creates a corporate structure that more accurately reflects the American business we have already built and the substantially larger U.S. industrial company we intend to become.”

About IperionX

IperionX is a leading American titanium metal and critical materials company – using patented metal technologies to produce high performance titanium alloys, from titanium minerals or scrap titanium, at lower energy, cost and carbon emissions.

Our Titan critical minerals project is the largest JORC-compliant mineral resource of titanium, rare earth and zircon minerals sands in the United States.

IperionX’s titanium metal and critical minerals are essential for advanced U.S. industries including space, aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, hydrogen, automotive and additive manufacturing.

Forward Looking Statements

Information included in this release constitutes forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “continue”, and “guidance”, or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production outputs.

Forward looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, the Company’s ability to comply with the relevant contractual terms to access the technologies, commercially scale its closed-loop titanium production processes, or protect its intellectual property rights, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the Company operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation.

Forward looking statements are based on the Company and its management’s good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect the Company’s business and operations in the future. The Company does not give any assurance that the assumptions on which forward looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the Company’s business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the Company or management or beyond the Company’s control.

Although the Company attempts and has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements, or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in these materials speak only at the date of issue. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Contacts

Anastasios (Taso) Arima, Founder and CEO
Toby Symonds, President
Dominic Allen, Chief Commercial Officer

Investors: investorrelations@iperionx.com
Media: media@iperionx.com

+1 980 237 8900
www.iperionx.com

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: Piperic Research

We analysed 59 million websites with the help of AI. The result is dismal.

We examined 120,989 live websites in New Zealand. Of these, 35,158 use WordPress, and where the version number was also visible (26,955 sites), 14,583 — that is 54.1% — run a plugin or theme that contains a publicly known security flaw.

Across the websites examined in New Zealand that means 1 in 8, and this is only the lower bound: sites that hide their version number were not counted at all. This shows how poorly these systems are kept up to date!

We requested each homepage once: HTTPS first, plain HTTP only if that failed, and nothing after it. No password was tried, no port was scanned, no form was submitted.

• 13.1% of the live sites we reached answered over plain HTTP — HTTPS was attempted first on both the apex and the www host.
• 50 pages present a password field on a page that was itself delivered without encryption.
• 39.1% of the measured WordPress sites publish a component version whose record carries CVSS “privileges required: none” — documented as needing no account. We tested reachability nowhere.
• 21 sites carry hidden blocks of links to unrelated domains. A homepage cannot tell us whether the owner knows about them.
• 3 sites display text pointing to deliberate destruction of the web page — known in the trade as defacement. This is a snapshot, not a rate of break-ins over time.

Full report for New Zealand: New Zealand security report
Global report and all 59 countries: Global security report
Methodology — definitions, denominators and every bias we know about: Methodology

MIL OSI

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

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