Israel/OPT: Tragically overdue ceasefire will not repair lives of Palestinians shattered by Israel’s genocide in Gaza – Amnesty International

January 16, 2025

Source: Amnesty International

Reacting to the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal that will commence on 19 January 2025, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said:

“The news that a ceasefire deal has been reached will bring some glimmer of relief to Palestinians victims of Israel’s genocide. But it is bitterly overdue.

“For Palestinians, who have endured more than 15 months of devastating and relentless bombardment, have been displaced from their homes repeatedly, and are struggling to survive in makeshift tents without food, water and basic supplies, the nightmare will not be over even if the bombs cease.

“For Palestinians who have lost countless loved ones; in many cases had their entire families wiped out or seen their homes reduced to rubble, an end to the fighting does not begin to repair their shattered lives or heal their trauma.

“The release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees will bring relief to families in Israel and across the Occupied Palestinian Territory but likewise will not erase the ordeals they have suffered in captivity.

“There is no time to waste. Israel’s continuous and deliberate denial and obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza has left civilians facing unprecedented levels of hunger and children have starved to death. The international community which has thus far shamefully failed to persuade Israel to comply with its legal obligations must ensure Israel immediately allows lifesaving supplies to urgently reach all parts of the occupied Gaza Strip to ensure the survival of the Palestinian population. This includes guaranteeing the entry of vital medical supplies to treat the wounded and sick and facilitating urgent repairs to medical facilities and other vital infrastructure. Unless Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza is promptly lifted, this suffering will only continue. They must also urgently grant access to independent human rights monitors into Gaza to uncover evidence and reveal the extent of violations.

“For Palestinians who have lost so much there is little to celebrate when there is no guarantee that they will get justice and reparation for the horrifying crimes they have suffered.

“Unless the root causes of this conflict are addressed, Palestinians and Israelis cannot even begin to hope for a brighter future built on rights, equality and justice. Israel must dismantle the brutal system of apartheid it imposes to dominate and oppress Palestinians and end its unlawful occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory once and for all. Third states have a crucial role to play to bring an end to Israel’s impunity and restore some faith in the rule of law.”

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Australia Banking Sector – 80 per cent of Aussie small businesses experience cash flow challenges – CBA

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

As small to medium businesses brace for continued economic challenges in 2025, CommBank is partnering with AGSM @ UNSW Business School to offer a free course for Australian small business owners who want to know more about managing cash flow.

Nearly 80 per cent of Australian small to medium businesses (SMBs) have experienced impact to their cash flow in the last 12 months, according to a new survey commissioned by CommBank.

According to the research, the most common factors impacting cash flow are declining revenue (35 per cent), low cash reserves (30 per cent), and seasonal fluctuations (27 per cent).

The vast majority (85 per cent) of surveyed businesses employ one or more specific strategies to manage cash flow, such as reviewing or decreasing expenses (34 per cent), maintaining a cash reserve (27 per cent), finding additional revenue streams (26 per cent), and increasing sales and/or pricing (25 per cent).

However, more than a quarter of Aussie small businesses (27 per cent) dipped into personal savings or didn’t pay themselves a salary, or both, in the last year.

According to CBA Executive General Manager Small Business Banking, Rebecca Warren, cash-flow strategies are important for long-term business success, and it’s crucial business owners have the knowledge to help them apply strategies that are right for them.

“For small businesses, success often hinges on a delicate balancing act as they constantly juggle various aspects of their operations, from managing customers and employees to dealing with suppliers and vendors. It’s not surprising that the economic challenges of the past year have resulted in cash-flow impacts for many Australian SMBs.

“While it’s encouraging to see small business owners take proactive steps to manage their cash flow, some of those strategies – like dipping into savings or not paying themselves a salary – may not be what’s best for the business or the business owner for the long term,” Ms Warren said.

Effective cash flow is crucial to the success and sustainability of small business, which is why CommBank is partnering with the Australian Graduate School Management at University of NSW Sydney Business School (AGSM @ UNSW Business School) to create a tailored course to help small business owners better understand and optimise their cash flow.

The Cash Flow Management course includes expert advice, strategies and easy-to-use tools that will empower small businesses to manage their finances with confidence. It’s available online, giving business owners the flexibility to learn at their own pace.

This short, practical course is available free of charge to all 2.5 million Australian small businesses, regardless of whether they’re a CommBank customer. Professor Nick Wailes, Dean of Lifelong learning at UNSW said:

“We recognise the vital role small businesses play in the Australian economy and are dedicated to equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate complex financial challenges. This partnership with CommBank demonstrates how working together can address real-world business needs.”

The partnership with AGSM @ UNSW Business School comes as more than half (53 per cent) of business owners expressed a desire to undertake a course or training to help with business management.

“The Cash Flow Management course is designed to provide practical insights that empower business owners to make informed decisions and build financial resilience. By offering this course, we aim to reach as many small business owners as possible, helping them create sustainable growth and secure their future in an increasingly challenging economic environment,” said Prof. Wailes.

CommBank customers have access to a range of cash flow solutions, such as Stream Working Capital which allows access to cash tied up in unpaid invoices, Business Overdraft which helps manage fluctuations and unexpected expenses, as well as our Cashflow management tool in CommBank app.

“Our partnership with AGSM UNSW highlights CommBank’s commitment to backing small business, and complements a range of products, services and tools to help Australian small business thrive,” Ms Warren added.

The free Cash Flow Management course can be accessed at: navigator.agsm.edu.au/enrol/cba_cashflow_2024

About UNSW Sydney

UNSW Sydney is one of the world’s leading research and teaching-intensive universities, known for innovative, pioneering research and high-quality education with a global impact.

Since our foundation in 1949, our aim has been to improve and transform lives through excellence in research, outstanding education, and a commitment to advancing a just society.

Our cutting-edge research impacts a wide range of areas including housing affordability, water technology, waste management, hydrogen energy storage and cancer research. Solar photovoltaic cells developed from UNSW research are embedded in almost 90 per cent of all solar panels in the world, playing a critical role in the global transition to renewable energy.

International and regional partnerships, first-class academics and state-of-the-art facilities mean UNSW students graduate with relevant, sought-after skills. We offer an extensive range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs that attract students from across Australia and around the world.

About the research

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov. Total sample size was 507 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 31 October – 5 November 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of Australian small and medium business owners and decision makers (aged 18+).

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Finance – To fix or not to fix: Mortgage rate decisions a key theme for 2025 – CoreLogic

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: CoreLogic

Commentary from Kelvin Davidson, CoreLogic NZ Chief Property Economist
In recent months, falls in mortgage rates have understandably meant there’s been a strong focus on the ‘short end’ of the curve, with borrowers mostly choosing floating rates or 6-12 month fixes. However, the timing of a possible shift to longer-term fixed rates is shaping up as a key theme in the mortgage market this year.

The increase in mortgage lending activity has been underway for more than a year, accelerating in recent months. Over September to November, the increase in activity from the same months a year earlier averaged $1.3bn, compared to a rise of $0.8bn in the prior six months.

By loan type, house purchasing and bank switches have been the main contributors to growth, with loan top-ups more subdued. Naturally, it stands to reason that top-ups would be less common in an environment where house prices have fallen and borrowers’ paper equity is lower (or their effective loan to value ratio/LVR is higher) than it might otherwise have been.

However, there are a number of other interesting aspects to these figures:

Average new (note: not existing) loan sizes are significant – around $549,000 for investors in November and $564,000 for first home buyers.

However, there are few material signs that borrowers are reacting to budgetary pressures by going interest-only (I/O) – for example, only about 15% of new owner-occupier loans in November were I/O, a figure that’s been pretty stable for the past two years or so.

Indeed, ‘peak fear’ from the banks about the possible risks of loan defaults also seems to have faded – collective provisions for potential bad housing debts have dropped from $977m in August to $870m now (albeit still much higher than $683m two years ago).

Nevertheless, the appetite and/or availability for high LVR loans remains muted – for example, less than 12% of owner-occupier lending in November was done at <20% deposit, well under the 20% cap.

First home buyers still account for much of that activity – they have consistently taken 75-80% of all high LVR (or low deposit) owner-occupier lending for some time now, with around two in every five FHB loans being done at <20% deposit.

Which brings us to the key question facing borrowers: to fix or not to fix?

On the latest data, only 10% of new loans were fixed for longer than 12 months, whereas only a year ago that figure was right up at 51%.

On the flipside, the share of new loans on floating rates has risen from around 17% a year ago to 28% now.

This can all be seen in the stock measure of loans too (i.e. covering existing mortgages), with the share of debt on floating rates recently having lifted fairly sharply to 14%, the highest level since late 2020 – see Figure 2.

This focus on shorter terms makes sense as mortgage rates fall and borrowers try to ride that wave down as quickly as they can, rather than fixing for longer and having to pay ‘too much’ for a period of time until they can reprice again.

But this also hints at what could perhaps be the most intriguing aspect of the mortgage market in the year ahead: At which point do borrowers again deem there to be good value in the long-term rates and potentially start shifting to those loans?

The answer to that will be a decision for each borrower to make, but there is certainly a sense that most of the Reserve Bank’s eventual full monetary policy easing (and other global factors) has already been factored in to some current mortgage rates – or in other words, those longer-term rates might not fall much further.

Overall, then, we’d anticipate mortgage lending activity to continue to expand in 2025, going hand in hand with a further pick-up in property sales volumes (which we expect to rise from around 80,000 last year to 90,000 or so this year).

Where mortgage rates head and how borrowers react to that will also be a key theme to keep an eye on, alongside the DTI caps – they don’t seem likely to suddenly lock out vast swathes of borrowers in 2025, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see DTIs at least become a much more common part of the general discussion around lending quite soon.

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Gaza: Any pause must become a definitive ceasefire to protect children from bombs and allow life-saving services for malnutrition and disease – Save the Children

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: Save the Children

A pause in hostilities in Gaza will protect children from bombs and bullets for as long as it holds but must be the turning point to secure a definitive ceasefire and to rapidly increase humanitarian aid to children facing malnutrition and disease, said Save the Children.

Save the Children is relieved that the Government of Israel and Hamas have finally reached agreement on a pause in hostilities after 15 months of siege and bombardment by Israeli forces that followed attacks by Palestinian armed groups in Israel on 7 October 2023. We welcome that this agreement will facilitate the release of Israeli hostages, including children, and Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention, and hope it offers the first step towards the peace, protection and accountability that children deserve.

The urgency now is to get shelter, food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza who have lost their homes and loved ones and are struggling daily to survive with the shadow of famine hanging over Gaza and the entry and delivery of humanitarian aid heavily restricted.

More than 17,818 of Gaza’s 1.1 million children have been killed over the past 15 months, according to the latest figures from the Government Media Office in Gaza. The pace and scale of hostilities, along with the decimation of hospitals and search and rescue capacities, means the actual number is undoubtedly even higher. Thousands of others have suffered life-altering injuries.

Reacting to the news of an agreed pause with potential for a definitive ceasefire in Gaza, Inger Ashing, Chief Executive Officer for Save the Children International, said:

“For 15 months, about one million children in Gaza have been caught in a living nightmare with loss, trauma and risks to their lives at every turn. If implemented, this pause will bring them vital reprieve from the bombs and bullets that have stalked them for more than a year. But it is not enough and the race is on to save children facing hunger and disease as the shadow of famine looms.

“The pause must be permanent, and efforts urgently ramped up to end the siege and vastly increase the entry of aid. Crucially, children across the Strip must be able to safely access this assistance, which must be determined by their needs rather than a “truck cap” and arbitrary restrictions on vital goods. People must also be able to return to their homes, safely and unimpeded, in line with their rights.

“We also cannot forget that for more than 17,818 children in Gaza who have already been killed, this pause is too late. Even for children who have survived, their childhoods have been stolen, replaced by injuries and disability, potentially irreversible mental harm, loss of family and friends, destruction of homes, schools, and health facilities, and the indelible consequences of childhood hunger, malnutrition and disease.

“The international community must ensure accountability for the harm children have faced and the lives that have been taken, as is demanded by their obligations under international law. Without accountability, impunity will continue to fuel violations with devastating impacts for children, families, and our common humanity. The international community must come together to ensure that the atrocities that Palestinian children have endured over the past 15 months never happen again – to Palestinian children and to any child anywhere.

“This also means addressing the root causes of repeated bouts of violence and a decades-long child rights crisis by ending the occupation, lifting the blockade on Gaza, and creating the conditions for lasting and definitive peace. Anything less than a definitive ceasefire and comprehensive accountability falls abysmally short of the safety, assistance and broader rights Palestinian children need, deserve and are entitled to – and means the international community is failing them yet again.”

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children since 1953 and has had a permanent presence in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1973. In the event of a pause in hostilities, Save the Children will focus on increasing entry of lifesaving supplies, pre-positioning stock ready for additional entry points to open and aid flows to increase. Recognising that, in the event of a pause, many people will likely seek to return to their homes, we will work to ensure children and families have continued access to the assistance and services we provide wherever they are by establishing new primary health care centres, child-friendly spaces and temporary learning spaces in the north and south as needed, as well as exploring mobile options to assist children and families on the move.

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Gaza Ceasefire – PSNA pleased at temporary ceasefire announcement

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

PSNA is pleased a temporary ceasefire agreement has been reached over the war on Gaza because it will bring some immediate relief to the Palestinian people from Israel’s genocidal campaign against them.

The scale of the humanitarian crisis is overwhelming and the almost total destruction of all civilian infrastructure in Gaza by Israeli forces – including virtually all medical facilities in Gaza – has meant the death toll, while officially at over 46,000, is likely to be 40% higher according to the British medical journal, The Lancet.

Most of those killed by Israel have been women and children according to the United Nations.

We remain deeply worried the temporary ceasefire will not become permanent because the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is sought for trial on war crimes charges, will find a pretext to restart the war for the political survival of his government and its undeclared goal of establishing a “Greater Israel” across the region.

It’s important to point out the ceasefire has been necessary for Israel because it has failed in its aims to destroy Palestinian resistance groups such as Hamas and ethnically cleanse Gaza for Israeli settlements. Palestinian resistance groups have prevented this occurring.

For over 15 months most world leaders, including New Zealand’s, have stood silently by, wringing their hands and refusing to sanction Israel’s genocide or its 77-year history of massacres, ethnic cleansing, apartheid policies, theft of Palestinian land and military occupation. Israel’s military occupation of Palestine was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice on 19 July 2024.

The New Zealand government’s inaction in the face of genocide will leave an indelible stain on this country but from here on the government can play a positive role. The two immediate steps the government should take are to implement sanctions against Israel for genocide and to insist that Palestinians in Gaza are able to elect their own representatives for the administration of the area rather than having US/Israeli imposed administrators.

PSNA will continue to build the international BDS movement here in Aotearoa New Zealand to build international pressure for the liberation of Palestine.

John Minto

National Chair PSNA

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Dairy Sector – DCANZ part of joint call for action on Canada’s market distorting protein exports

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ)

The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) has joined with United States and Australian dairy industry representatives in calling for government action to address the impacts that Canada’s trade delinquency is having on world dairy protein markets.

An 8 January letter to the trade and agriculture Ministers of New Zealand, the United States and Australia details a collective concern that artificially low-priced Canadian dairy protein exports are undermining legitimate export interests. Collective and coordinated action is requested to address the mechanisms being used by Canada to enable these exports to be dumped on world markets.

Of concern is the purposeful design of Canada’s milk pricing mechanisms to under-price the surplus milk protein generated by its domestic supply management system and incentivise disposal onto world markets. Canadian dairy processors’ ability to access milk proteins at below Canada’s cost of production is distorting its export of a range of dairy products.

DCANZ Executive Director Kimberly Crewther says “Canada’s policy approach is at odds with its international trade obligations in much the same way as previous Canadian dairy pricing policies were found to breach WTO export subsidy rules in the past”.

The joint-call is for the Governments of New Zealand, US, and Australia to actively pursue the issue using all available tools. New Zealand and Australia are signatories, alongside Canada, to the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement to maintain the enforceability of WTO rules. For the US the upcoming review of the USMCA agreement offers opportunities.

The letter highlights that action to curb these harmful Canadian policies is a matter of urgency with the imminent prospect of further Canadian processing investment premised on this access to below-cost milk protein. For the New Zealand industry, this issue is additional to the legal dispute about Canada’s limiting of access to CPTPP dairy quotas.

“It is an ongoing battle to ensure Canada upholds its trade commitments on dairy” says Crewther. “DCANZ is pleased to be working with industry organisations from other dairy exporting nations who share the objective of holding Canada to account for its dairy trade commitments.”

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Gaza Ceasefire – Palestine Forum of New Zealand Welcomes Temporary Ceasefire Agreement

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January 16, 2025

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand welcomes the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, offering crucial humanitarian relief to Palestinians enduring immense suffering under relentless military aggression.

The destruction in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, with essential civilian infrastructure and healthcare facilities in ruins. Official reports place the death toll at over 46,000, but *The Lancet* estimates the true figure may be significantly higher. United Nations data reveals that women and children comprise the majority of casualties.

While the ceasefire provides an essential reprieve, its sustainability remains uncertain. The current Israeli government faces mounting international condemnation for alleged war crimes and ongoing violations of international law, raising doubts about its commitment to lasting peace.

The July 19, 2024, ruling by the International Court of Justice, which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestine illegal, has intensified global attention on the legal and moral dimensions of the crisis.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on the government and international community to uphold justice and support Palestinian self-determination.

Maher Nazzal
Palestine Forum of New Zealand

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Gaza Ceasefire – Statement by DAWN

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: DAWN

In response to reports that Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza have agreed to a ceasefire that will include the release of Israeli captives, Palestinian detainees and prisoners, and the staged withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, DAWN issued the following statement:

“Israel bears primary responsibility for the devastation it has wrought, and it should bear the primary cost of reconstructing and rehabilitating the Gaza Strip, including reparations to the people whose lives have been destroyed,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of DAWN. “If the world again allows Israel to externalize the costs of its crimes in Gaza, nothing will dissuade it from repeating its belligerence and abuses.”

“The United States bears grave responsibility for what Israel has done to the Palestinians in Gaza because it has consistently blocked every ceasefire effort in the United Nations and gifted Israel the billions of dollars of weapons and munitions Israel has used against Palestinians in Gaza,” said Whitson.

“A ceasefire agreement does not mean that Israeli war criminals who orchestrated this genocide are off the hook, and we will continue to demand accountability for their crimes,” said Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s advocacy director. “The international community should also hold U.S. officials in the Biden administration accountable for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity with their ongoing support of Israel’s war machine.”

“Ending Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza is of course, a long-overdue and welcome development but without guarantees that Israel can never again carry out such atrocities, it is but a single gulp of fresh air,” said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, director of research for Israeli-Palestine at DAWN. “Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank need an international force to protect them from Israeli aggression and ensure they can exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.”

Raed Jarrar
Advocacy Director
DAWN

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Gisborne gains affordable rental whare

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Mahi has begun that will see dozens of affordable rental homes developed in Gisborne – a sign the Government’s partnership with Iwi is enabling more homes where they’re needed most, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
Mr Potaka attended a sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of earthworks for 48 new homes, ranging from one to four bedrooms, at the Te Mano o Hamo development in the Gisborne suburb of Kaiti today.
This development was made possible through a partnership between Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou and Te Tūapapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou is leading the development, working with the ICONIQ Group which will employ local tradespeople.
“Gisborne has suffered from housing underdevelopment and a lack of supply, coupled with damage from severe weather events. There were 487 households on the Housing Register in Gisborne in November 2024 – this equates to the third highest rate of households per 10,000 people throughout the country’s districts,” Mr Potaka says.
“This partnership will help address the housing shortage and is a great example of how the Government can work with Iwi to deliver real results for whānau.”
The project in Kaiti is one of 12 projects supported by Government grant funding of $82 million to enable 198 affordable rentals through the Ministry’s most recent Māori Housing announcement in November. Projects are located within the priority locations of Northland, East Coast, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki-Central North Island, Bay of Plenty including Rotorua and Waikato. Three of the projects are in Nelson, Taumarunui and Masterton.
The grant funding for the Kaiti development is approximately $16.6 million. The homes are scheduled for completion by August 2026. All 48 homes will be affordable rentals where rent is capped at 80 percent of the market rent in a particular location.
“The Government is deeply committed to making housing more affordable for all New Zealanders together with addressing the housing challenges faced by whānau Māori. This development is just one part of the overall picture of how we are trying to increase the availability of affordable housing,” Mr Potaka says.
“Developments like this also support the Government’s continued good progress to achieve the target of reducing those in emergency housing by 75 percent by 2030.”

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Tapanui man facing numerous drug-related charges

LiveNews Publisher

January 16, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

A 25-year-old Tapanui man is facing a raft of charges relating to the sale and supply of Class A, B and C controlled drugs throughout the Southland, Otago and Central Otago areas.

Roxburgh Police arrested the man yesterday and he is scheduled to appear in Queenstown District Court today (16 January).

An investigation into this offending began following a vehicle crash Police attended in August 2024, where the man was found in possession of cannabis and methamphetamine.

Yesterday’s arrest follows the arrests of a man and woman from Southland in October 2024 by the Invercargill Organised Crime Unit, with the assistance of the Armed Offenders Squad.

The 40-year-old man and 30-year-old woman have been charged with numerous drugs and firearms offences and are currently before the courts.

Police are not ruling out further arrests and we encourage anyone with information or concerns about similar offending in their community to report it to us, by contacting your local police station.

You can also provide information anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.

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