MIL Email Publisher – Foreign Submissions

In response to today’s Tokyo High Court decision that endorsed the Japanese government ban on same-sex marriage, Amnesty International’s East Asia Researcher Boram Jang said:

“The court’s decision today marks a significant step backwards for marriage equality in Japan. The ruling in Tokyo – the final high court ruling of six lawsuits filed across the country and the only ruling to say, in effect, that discrimination against same-sex couples is constitutional – cannot be allowed to hamper progress. But it should serve as a warning of the reluctance to acknowledge the concept of same-sex marriage and the reality of same-sex couples living in Japan.

“While these cases work their way to the Supreme Court, the government can resolve this issue through legislation without further delay. The Japanese government needs to be proactive in moving towards the legalisation of same-sex marriage so that couples can fully enjoy the same marriage rights as their heterosexual counterparts.

“Japan remains the only G7 country without legal recognition for same-sex couples. The law passed by the government in 2023 to promote understanding of LGBTI people is not enough. There need to be solid, legal measures in place to protect same-sex couples and the LGBTI community in Japan from all forms of discrimination.”

Background

On 28 November 2025, Tokyo High Court ruled in favour of Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage outlining that the ban does not violate Article 24(1) and (2) and Article 14 (1) of the Constitution. However, Presiding Judge Yumi Tōa stated that if the current situation continues, “it is inevitable that constitutional violations will arise” and that “the issue should first be thoroughly deliberated in the Diet.”

This decision marks the last high court ruling of six lawsuits filed.

In 2019, five lawsuits were filed in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Fukuoka with an additional lawsuit filed in Tokyo in 2021.

Sapporo High Court was the first high court to hand down a decision on the issue. In March 2024, the court ruled that the provisions of the Civil Code and the Family Register Act that do not recognize same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, as they violate Article 24(1) and (2) and Article 14 (1) of the Constitution.

Other high court decisions followed with Tokyo High Court finding that the same-sex marriage ban violated Article 24(2) and Article 14(1) of the Constitution in October 2024. Shortly after in December 2024, Fukuoka High Court came to a similar decision but also outlined a violation of Article 13 of the Constitution which details the right to pursue happiness.

In March 2025, both Nagoya High Court and Osaka High Court ruled the ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional as it violated Article 24(2) and Article 14(1) of the Constitution.

With all high court decisions made, the cases await a Supreme Court ruling.

Through the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme, eligible CBA customers can bridge the gap between their borrowing power and the price of a home.

28 November 2025

Key information

• CommBank offers eligible Australians access to the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme.
• Help to Buy is a shared equity scheme with an Australian Government contribution towards the purchase price.
•  Buyers can purchase a home with as little as a 2 per cent deposit and a loan from a participating lender.
• The Government contributes up to 30 per cent for existing homes or 40 per cent for new builds.
• Homeowners repay the Government’s share when selling or through voluntary repayments.
• From Friday 5 December, CBA customers can access the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The Scheme is expected to be available in Western Australia in 2026. 

CommBank participating in the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme

As the only major bank currently taking part in the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme, Commonwealth Bank has welcomed the announcement to expand support for home buyers.

Under the shared equity scheme, eligible customers can purchase a home with as little as a 2 per cent deposit, with the Australian Government contributing up to 30 per cent toward the purchase price of an existing home or up to 40 per cent of newly built properties.

CBA’s Retail Bank Group Executive Angus Sullivan says: “We know it can be challenging for first home buyers or someone returning to the market to take that step onto the property ladder. That’s why we’re really pleased to be supporting the Government’s Help to Buy initiative, aimed at making home ownership more accessible for more Australians.”

Customers who purchase a home through the Help to Buy Scheme can repay the Government’s contribution several ways:  

• Through voluntary repayments at any time;
• Buying back the Government’s equity when they have the financial capacity;
• When the property is sold.

“Help to Buy allows eligible customers to get into a home sooner, with support towards the purchase price. It’s also flexible, giving people more choice on how they repay the Government’s contribution,” Sullivan said.

In addition to Help to Buy, CommBank is a leading lender in the Australian Government’s 5% Deposit Scheme.

“Since 2022, we have helped tens of thousands of first home buyers enter the market using the 5% Deposit Scheme and now the Help to Buy Scheme provides another way for Australians to realise their property dreams,” added Sullivan.

Supporting first home buyers remains a key focus for CommBank. In addition to Government schemes, CBA offers tailored lending solutions and connects customers with Australia’s largest network of home lending specialists, supporting them from their first enquiry through to settlement.

“We also offer flexible policies, such as alternative servicing methods for customers able to repay their HELP debt within five years. This can increase borrowing power and help customers achieve home ownership sooner,” Sullivan said.

Places in the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme are limited; customers can find more information including eligibility criteria at firsthomebuyers.gov.au. Commbank.com.au will also be updated.

Eligible customers can apply for the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme through a CommBank Home Lending Specialist from Friday 5 December 2025.

Chișinău, Moldova – November 27, 2025. In less than a decade, Smart Data has grown from a local startup into one of Moldova's top 50 IT companies. 

Singapore, 26 November: Leading decision makers at the Cities: Possibilities 2025 – Singapore forum underscored the urgent need for integrated urban development approaches that combine technology, strong governance and innovative financing to equip the region in addressing its most pressing urban challenges.

Asia Pacific boasts the world's largest urban population with over 2.2 billion urban dwellers, which is further projected to increase by 50 per cent by 2050, but is also contending with inadequate housing, high traffic congestion, air pollution and increased climate vulnerability, according to a United Nations ESCAP report.

Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said governments, businesses and civil society must work collaboratively as the region becomes the centre for urban transformation.

“This means co-creating solutions that reflect diverse needs and aspirations, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital transition. With the appropriate guardrails, we can reduce the risks of reinforcing biases and exacerbating inequalities,” he said during his keynote address at the forum.  

He said UNDP's approach “integrates technology with governance, finance and behavioural change,” while embedding resiliency into every strategy. He cited examples that include harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for traffic management in Batumi, Georgia, and using AI to increase citizen participation in urban and climate scenario planning in North Macedonia and Panama respectively.

The challenge is finding the right solutions for the Asia Pacific region, said experts.

Dr Cheong Koon Hean, Chair for Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, observed that Asia is faced with governance fragmentation which poses a major challenge to urban development and investors.

“Asian countries have very complex national, provincial and local arrangements, where responsibilities for land use, climate action and infrastructure overlap … this is very problematic for most cities, and this really creates a lot of uncertainty and perceive risks for investors,” she said, adding that long-term urban planning and policy consistency would be critical to overcoming this challenge.

Rasmus Grand Bjørnø, Deputy Head of Mission and Counsellor for Royal Danish Embassy in Singapore, said energy consumption from buildings is set to rise by 50 per cent in the foreseeable future, with the Asian region slated for a 2°C to 3°C rise in temperature, if no action is taken

“There's a great potential in energy optimisation of buildings. This includes insulation, active control systems, ambitious building codes and being much more aware of the lifecycle of building materials. More energy efficient buildings mean less demand for energy and thus a faster energy transition,” he said in his keynote address.  

To achieve this requires a holistic approach when developing and investing in cities, encompassing everything from health-centric urbanisation to energy efficiency and environmental impact, he added.

He added there are over 400 Danish companies in Singapore working with public and private organisations on creating sustainable solutions in Singapore, including involving citizens in urban design and local development plans.

Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO for Eco-Business, said achieving the climate goals set out by the Paris Agreement will hinge on aligning national climate policies with urban development,.

“UN-Habitat's latest analysis reveals that the number of national climate plans with strong urban content nearly doubled ahead of COP30, signalling a fundamental shift in how nations view the pivotal role of cities in delivering climate resilience, mitigation and just transitions,” she said in her opening remarks.

She added that Asian cities are taking the lead in the climate movement, citing recent moves by South Korea pledging to phase out coal as an example, while Malaysia as the President of the UN-Habitat Assembly aims to elevate the Asean Smart Cities Network to a ministerial-level forum by 2026. Singapore is also establishing itself as green finance hub, climate innovation leader and anchor for regional cooperation.

Themed ”From risk to resilience: Shaping Asia's cities”, and organised by Eco-Business in strategic partnership with CapitaLand, Zurich Resilience Solutions and UNDP, with Resorts World Sentosa as the venue partner, Cities: Possibilities convened 200 decision-makers across government, urban planning, finance, industry and academia to chart actionable strategies for urban development.

“Urbanisation in Asia presents immense opportunities, but capital often hesitates due to perceived risks and unclear returns. At CapitaLand Investment, we believe sustainability and profitability go hand-in-hand. Our Return on Sustainability framework quantifies how green investments can uplift asset value and mitigate climate risks. Important conversations at Cities: Possibilities inspire collaboration, and align sustainability initiatives with measurable financial benefits for resilient, future-ready cities,” said Vinamra Srivastava, Chief Sustainability and Sustainable Investments Officer for CapitaLand Investment.

Mark Fletcher, Head of Zurich Resilience Solutions, APAC, added that organisations and governments need to think seriously about quantifying climate risk to guide decision making. “When we measure exposure, vulnerabilities and potential losses with real data, mitigation stops being abstract. It becomes a blueprint for adaptation.”

Brian CK Ho, Vice President for Sustainability at Resorts World Sentosa, said: “This conference convenes global leaders to address urbanisation, climate resilience and inclusive growth – issues that resonate deeply with our vision for sustainable tourism. As Singapore's leading lifestyle destination, Resorts World Sentosa champions green infrastructure, biodiversity conservation and decarbonisation initiatives. Hosting this event reflects our commitment with like-minded organisations and partners in helping to shape a future where world-class hospitality and sustainability go hand in hand.”

S&P Global and Workforce Singapore were supporting partners for the Singapore-based forum, and Singapore Green Building Council and Green Network Asia were outreach partners.

Cities: Possibilities is a thought leadership initiative organised by Eco-Business since 2016, convening key decision-makers to identify solutions to decarbonise the built environment and bolster urban resiliency. To read more about our 2024 forum, download our insights report here.

About Eco-Business    

Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific's leading media and advisory platform dedicated to sustainable development. It publishes high quality, trusted content that advances dialogue and enables measurable impact on a wide range of sustainable development and responsible business issues. Eco-Business is headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and correspondents across major cities in Asia Pacific. Visit www.eco-business.com. 

About CapitaLand

CapitaLand Group (CapitaLand) is one of Asia's largest diversified real estate groups. Headquartered in Singapore, CapitaLand's portfolio focuses on real asset management and real estate development, and spans across 270 cities in 45 countries. Visit www.capitaland.com.

About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Visit www.undp.org.

Zurich Resilience Solutions

Zurich Resilience Solutions is a global leader in risk management. We partner with businesses and communities to identify and quantify exposure to risk and drive mitigating actions that help organizations to go forward with confidence. Through everyday risks impacting infrastructure, people and property, to emerging risks around climate change and cybersecurity, our experts are at the forefront of today's world of volatility. Visit www.zurichresilience.com.

Resorts World Sentosa

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Asia's premium lifestyle destination resort, is located on Singapore's resort island of Sentosa. Visit www.rwsentosa.com.

About Cities: Possibilities   

Cities: Possibilities is a premiere sustainable cities event organised by Eco-Business that convenes high-level decision makers from the building, finance, and infrastructure sectors, policymakers, academics and civil society to discuss the latest developments in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11 – creating sustainable cities and communities. Visit www.citiespossibilities.com.

The Philippines’ card payments market is projected to grow by 18.8% in 2025 to reach PHP4.2 trillion ($72 billion), supported by sustained financial inclusion efforts and improving acquiring infrastructure, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics reveals that the total card payment value in the Philippines grew by 20.5% in 2024, with the market reaching PHP3.5 trillion ($61 billion) in 2024. Card spending is increasingly benefitting from the expansion of basic bank accounts, the emergence of digital-only banks, and the gradual shift from cash to electronic payments, even though cash still dominates everyday transactions.

Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Card payments in the Philippines are expanding from a relatively low base, supported by a rising banked population, targeted financial inclusion policies, and a steady build out of acceptance infrastructure.

“Regulatory initiatives from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), including the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022–2028, are reinforcing consumer trust in formal financial services while nudging both individuals and merchants towards greater card usage. As cards become more widely issued and accepted, they are steadily capturing share from cash in both physical and remote commerce.”

Debit cards form a critical foundation of this growth story. In 2025, debit cards account for 35.1% of total card payment value. Their rising usage is closely linked to the expansion of bank accounts and financial access points across the country. The key enablers include BSP’s Circular 992, introduced in 2018, which allowed banks to roll out basic deposit accounts with simplified Know Your Customer checks, no minimum balance, and no maintenance fees.

By contrast, credit and charge cards, while underpenetrated in terms of cardholding, dominate spending. In 2025 they represent 64.9% of total card payment value, significantly surpassing debit cards in transactional value. This is largely due to the compelling value-added propositions such as rewards, cashback, air miles, and merchant discounts, which encourage cardholders to route high ticket and discretionary spending through credit lines rather than debit.

Beyond card issuance, several factors are reinforcing the shift to card payments. The acceptance network is steadily expanding. However, high POS installation costs and merchant service fees continue to constrain uptake among small merchants. To mitigate this, providers are rolling out more economical mobile POS and SoftPOS offerings.

Notably, Singapore-based HitPay partnered with Ingenico in October 2025 to launch an all-in-one payment solution for Philippine SMEs, enabling acceptance of major credit cards and local mobile wallets, an initiative that is expected to indirectly bolster card usage at smaller merchants.

On the policy front, the BSP and the government are leveraging multiple channels—micro banking offices, electronic money issuers, microfinance providers, pawnshops, and remittance agents—to extend formal financial services into unbanked and underserved regions. The National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022–2028 aims to foster inclusive digital finance, strengthen financial education, and enhance consumer protection—pillars that collectively underpin confidence in card based and other electronic payment mechanisms. While cash remains deeply embedded in consumer habits, these structural reforms and infrastructure investments are gradually lowering barriers to card adoption.

Sharma concludes: “Looking ahead, the total card payments in the Philippines are forecast to almost double between 2024 and 2029. The growth will be underpinned by the continued financial inclusion initiatives, the expansion of POS and low-cost acceptance solutions, and sustained consumer preference for value rich credit card propositions. Although annual growth is expected to slow from 18.8% in 2025 to 12.2% by 2029 as the market matures, the structural shift from cash to cards will keep the Philippines among the faster growing card payment markets in the region.”

Notes

Information is based on GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics
This press release was written using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by GlobalData’s team of industry experts

About GlobalData

4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors.

November 26 2025 – The UK Budget is a “masterclass in disincentivising saving and investing”, warns the CEO of one of the world's largest independent financial advisory organisations.

The warning from Nigel Green of deVere Group comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget set out how tax rates on savings, property income and dividends will rise by 2 percentage points.

The Treasury's new tables show that from 2027 savers and landlords will face a straight rate increase of two percentage points across interest, rental and dividend income. For basic, higher and additional-rate taxpayers this pushes tax on saving income to 22, 42 and 47%.

Rental income and interest will face the same treatment. Dividend tax rates rise to 10.75% for basic-rate taxpayers, and 35.75% at higher bands.

The additional revenue — projected at £500 million annually from savings and property income and another £1.2 billion from dividends — comes at a steep cost to investor confidence.

Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, says the message this sends is deeply counter-productive. “When you raise the cost of holding income-producing investments, people will of course reconsider how and where they invest.

“You end up penalising patient capital and rewarding cash withdrawal. This is the opposite of building a thriving stock market.”

For decades the London market has attracted income-orientated investors precisely because of its broad catalogue of dividend-paying, blue-chip companies. Many households rely on that income — often outside ISAs or SIPPs.

The new tax regime hits those investors hardest, making long-term ownership less attractive and encouraging early cash-outs. Rather than hold for dividends, investors may sell shares immediately after the next payout, or shift their holdings to more favourable jurisdictions. The signal is clear: if you want growth and yield, UK equities may no longer offer value once the tax drag begins.

Nigel Green notes the irony. “The government says it wants to rebuild the pension and savings culture, yet it imposes fresh barriers on anyone who actually saves or invests,” he says.

“That sends a simple message that locked-up capital is subject to stealth extraction. Why would someone tie money into UK equities under those rules when other markets reward income rather than punish it?”

The impact extends beyond dividends and savings. Rental property investors now see diminished returns, making buy-to-let schemes much less attractive. That could lead to reduced investment in the private rental sector at a time when housing supply is desperately needed. The broader economy will feel the squeeze as less capital chases property, less cash flows into markets and confidence in UK assets declines.

Moreover, the tax increase arrives against a backdrop of rising inflation, high living costs and mounting financial pressures.

“Many savers already face low real interest rates. With interest income now facing heavier taxation, returns after tax may be negligible or negative. For retirees or those relying on interest to preserve capital, this compounds the squeeze. When saving becomes unprofitable, people look elsewhere — and often overseas,” says Nigel Green.

The global context makes the decision even more alarming. Attractive tax regimes in other jurisdictions compete aggressively for internationally mobile capital. Countries offering lower or zero tax on investment income now look more appealing.

For investors with the choice, locking money into a high-tax, uncertain UK setting becomes irrational. Capital flows will follow the path of least resistance and greatest return. The new UK rules tilt that balance decisively away.

Nigel Green warns the consequences may play out slowly but decisively. “If you weaken incentives to save, invest and own property, you drain the lifeblood of wealth creation,” he says.

“You don't just discourage new money. You encourage old money to move elsewhere.” Over time, that could drain capital from equity markets, property, pensions and long-term investment in the UK.

The UK risks losing not only savings and investment, but its appeal to the global capital that once saw the country as a gateway to innovation, growth and wealth preservation.

The deVere Group CEO concludes with a stark warning. “When you make saving, investing and owning property more expensive, you don't build prosperity. You drive it away.

“History will teach us that Reeves' second – and critical – Budget was a masterclass in disincentivising saving and investing.”

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.

Extreme heat is reshaping the region's disaster landscape and driving the fastest growing climate-related hazards, according to the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising Heat, Rising Risk.

(ref. https://www.unescap.org/kp/2025/rising-heat-rising-risk-policy-pathways-regional-resilience?utm_source=CKMS+Media+Use+Only&utm_campaign=a8146c990b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_11_26_03_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-a8146c990b-512325497 )

Launched today by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the report shows that rising temperatures are “impacting all, everywhere,” with expanding and intensifying risks to food systems, public health, urban living, rural livelihoods, infrastructure and ecosystems. In 2024, the hottest year on record globally, countries across Asia and the Pacific experienced severe heat episodes, including the heatwave in Bangladesh that affected around 33 million people and another in India that caused around 700 fatalities.

New projections in the 2025 report highlight the scale of the threat. By 2100, regional disaster losses could increase from US$418 billion under the current scenario to US$498 billion under a worst-case climate scenario. The frequency of days above critical heat thresholds is set to increase sharply, with South and South-West Asia, parts of South-East Asia and northern and eastern Australia trending toward chronic heat exposure.

Urban centres are particularly vulnerable: densely built cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Delhi, Karachi, Dhaka, Manila, Jakarta and Phnom Penh are projected to become significantly hotter, with the urban heat island effect adding an extra 2°C to 7°C on top of global warming. Vulnerable communities, including children, older persons and outdoor low-wage earners in densely populated areas, face the greatest risks.

“Heat knows no borders; therefore, policy responses must anticipate impacts, reduce exposure and vulnerability at scale and safeguard those most at risk. With urgency, clarity and cooperation, lives and livelihoods across the region can be protected,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

The report calls for strategic, long-term action grounded in science, innovation and regional cooperation. It emphasizes the need to place heat at the centre of multi-hazard planning, supported by heat-ready early warning systems that use interoperable alerting, agreed metrics and trusted last-mile communication. With only 54 per cent of global meteorological services issuing warnings for extreme temperatures, expanding heat-health warning systems in just 57 countries could save approximately 100,000 lives each year, the report notes.

To help countries deal with extreme heat, ESCAP is planning three new regional initiatives: scaling up climate-resilient and inclusive social protection schemes; establishing cross-border green cooling corridors; and using innovative space-based solutions to strengthen heat preparedness and early warning systems.

The report was launched at the Ninth Session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, which is meeting through 28 November 2025 in Bangkok and serves as the intergovernmental forum for reviewing the expanding disaster risk landscape and exploring forward-looking solutions to strengthen regional resilience.

Responding to the extradition of Montagnard and Ede Indigenous human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap from Thailand to Viet Nam, Amnesty International’s Thailand Researcher Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong said:

“This extradition is a grave failure of Thailand’s human rights obligations. Sending an Indigenous activist back to a country with a well-documented pattern of torture and discrimination against Montagnards puts Y Quynh Bdap in serious danger.

“Vietnamese courts have a long track record of convicting activists in proceedings that fall far short of international fair trial standards. By handing Y Quynh Bdap over to the very authorities he fled on the basis of a conviction obtained through an unfair trial, Thailand has violated one of the most fundamental protections in international law.

“Following the return of Uyghurs to China earlier this year, this is the second time Thailand has blatantly returned people to their countries despite risks of grave human rights violations despite a domestic law prohibiting torture and non-refoulment that came into force in 2023.

“Thai authorities must ensure safety and protection for all those fleeing persecution – including Indigenous and religious minorities from Viet Nam – rather than putting them at risk of harm.”

Background

On 26 November 2025, Thailand’s Court of Appeal delivered a verdict authorizing the extradition of Y Quynh Bdap, a UN-recognized refugee who had lived in Thailand since 2018. According to Bdap’s lawyers, the verdict hearing was only scheduled one day in advance.

Bdap was removed to Viet Nam despite long-standing concerns about the safety of Indigenous activists returned there. He had been arrested for overstaying his visa in June 2024 after Vietnamese authorities requested his extradition, claiming he had been sentenced in absentia to 10 years’ imprisonment on terrorism charges earlier that year. Previously, Amnesty International had called for Thai authorities not to extradite Bdap due to high risks of torture.

Bdap, a member of the Ede ethnic minority, co-founded Montagnards Stand for Justice, an organization that documents abuses against Central Highlands Indigenous communities and advocates for their religious and cultural rights. Vietnamese authorities accused him and five other Montagnard individuals of involvement in an attack on a government building in Dak Lak province in June 2023. Bdap has consistently rejected these allegations.

Amnesty International has repeatedly documented widespread persecution of Montagnard communities who face arbitrary arrest, torture, and severe restrictions on religious practice and movement. Following the 2023 attack in Dak Lak, Montagnards reported mass detentions, security lockdowns and violent interrogations. Several people described being beaten, electrocuted or injected with unknown substances during questioning.

According to Bdap, he was tortured during an arrest in 2010, describing severe beatings and mistreatment at a police station. His account echoes patterns Amnesty International has reported for more than a decade, including cases where prisoners were confined in tiny cells for months, chained for extended periods, or given contaminated food and water.

Despite ratifying the UN Convention against Torture in 2015, Viet Nam continues to rely on abusive detention practices. Prisoners of conscience, political detainees and members of ethnic and religious minorities are particularly targeted.

Thailand’s decision to extradite Bdap also breaches its obligations under international and domestic law. The principle of non-refoulement—contained in the UN Convention against Torture and reflected in Thailand’s Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance—strictly prohibits sending anyone to a country where they are in danger of torture. Despite these obligations, Thailand recently deported 40 Uyghur men to China, placing them at high risks of severe human rights violations.

27 NOVEMBER 2025 – In a meeting in the corporate assembly of Equinor ASA on 26 November 2025 Jarle Roth was elected as new member of the board of directors of Equinor ASA.

Jarle Roth is elected as a new member of the board of directors of Equinor ASA with effect from 1 December 2025 and is effective until the next ordinary election of members to the board of directors in June 2026.

This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

After years studying wild birds in the bush, Flinders University experts have described a new call type frequently used by one of Australia’s favourite birds, the Superb Fairy-wren.

In a new article just published in Royal Society Open Science, scientists from the Flinders BirdLab and European experts describe for the first time the shrill whistle-sounding “seet” danger call of these well-known little birds.

“This newly described danger call is produced in response to predators near the nest, particularly when the nest contains vulnerable offspring, and represents a distinct component of the species’ vocal repertoire,” says lead author Dr Lauren Common, PhD from the College of Science and Engineering and researcher at the Konrad Lorenz research group at the University of Vienna.

“The call is given at the highest rates when chicks are still in the nest, when parental investment is high and young are most susceptible to predation, and declines after fledging.”

The research team combined field observations, acoustic analyses, and experiments to document and classify the new call type.

The discovery sheds light on how parents manage risk around their nests, and how evolution shapes communication when offspring are at their most vulnerable.

Senior author, University of Vienna Professor Sonia Kleindorfer, who founded the BirdLab at Flinders University, says the acoustic secrets of one of Australia’s more popular birds are still being unveiled.

“The discovery of a new call type in such a well-researched species highlights how much more there is to learn about avian communication,” says senior author Professor Kleindorfer, from the Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna.

The study shows that the danger call is consistently associated with threats to reproduction and is acoustically distinct from known fairy-wren alarm calls.

“These findings expand our understanding of how small passerines encode threat information in their vocalisations and coordinate group responses,” says Professor Kleindorfer.

Both sexes of Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) give a series of high-pitched trills, with males featuring dazzling breeding plumage.

They have a wide-ranging habitat in eastern Australia but are showing concerning signs of decline particularly in urban environments.

Flinders University senior lecturer in animal behaviour Dr Diane Colombelli-Négrel, director of the BirdLab research group, says the study “underscores the sophistication of fairy-wren communication and its importance for survival in predator-rich environments.”

The article – The 'seet' danger call: An active nest warning in Superb Fairy-Wrens (2025) by Lauren K Common, A Yelimlieş, Diane Colombelli-Négrel, VI Austin, Sonja Kleindorfer – has been published inRoyal Society Open Science. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.251100

Acknowledgements: The fieldwork was conducted at Cleland Wildlife Park, funded by the University of Vienna and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) grants (10.55776/PAT1115224, 10.55776/P36342 and 10.55776/W1262).