25 September 2025 – On World Maritime Day, the international community reflects on the vital role of our oceans in connecting people, sustaining livelihoods, and ensuring freedom of navigation. This year’s theme, “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity,” underscores the responsibility to safeguard maritime rights for all.

As the world observes this day, the Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla as it sails toward Gaza, carrying humanitarian aid and a message of justice. Their journey is a direct affirmation of maritime principles: that the seas are a shared heritage of humanity and must never be weaponized to enforce siege or collective punishment.

For nearly two decades, the people of Gaza have been denied access to their own waters and cut off from the outside world by an illegal naval blockade. This blockade violates the very spirit of World Maritime Day, where oceans are meant to unite, not divide; to sustain life, not deepen suffering.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, through steadfastness and courage, highlights the urgent need to uphold international maritime law and humanitarian principles. On this day, we call upon governments, maritime organisations, and civil society to stand with those who risk their lives at sea to break the silence around Gaza.

The seas must be a path to freedom and solidarity. On World Maritime Day, the Palestine Forum of New Zealand affirms its support for the Global Sumud Flotilla and the right of all people to live with dignity, safety, and hope.

NZ Plays 2025 report reveals parents see video games as a positive force in learning, connection and creativity

New Zealand, 25 September 2025 – Video games are now a regular part of life in most New Zealand homes and new research shows parents are not only on board with their kids playing video games, but are actively embracing it and participating. The 2025 NZ Plays study, conducted by IGEA and Bond University, shows 91% of New Zealand households include someone who plays games. The study also shows that many New Zealand parents see video games as a way to help their kids learn, connect with others and develop useful life skills. NZ Plays has been running for fifteen years and captures the trends and behaviours of New Zealand video gamers.

Families that play together

Video games have created more ways for families to interact. More than half of New Zealand parents (54%) say they play video games with their children as a fun way to connect as a family, while 52% say it's simply a good way to spend time. Nearly half of parents (47%) believe games are a fun way for children to learn, pointing to benefits such as problem-solving (45%), enhanced cognitive skills (37%), and social connection with friends and family (36%).

Parents also report confidence in managing their children’s play. The majority are familiar with family controls (76%) and in-game controls (65%), and many households set rules around play, with 39% enforcing them “very much” and 38% “to some degree.”

“This year’s research shows that a key driver of New Zealand parents playing video games is to build connections with their children. Video games continue to provide a platform and space where families can enjoy doing something fun together,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA.

Why New Zealanders play

For most New Zealanders, the main motivation for play is to have fun, and to feel and experience joy. Video games are widely valued as a way to relax and destress, to relieve boredom and to provide a challenge. Respondents also noted that video games can support mental health, helping both adults and children manage stress, depression and anxiety by building resilience and self-confidence.

Popular genres include puzzle, board and card games, reflecting the combination of mental challenge, stimulation and enjoyment that players seek.

Connection through games

Playing video games also helps New Zealanders form and maintain relationships. For younger adults, the impact is even stronger. Nearly half (48%) of 18-34 year olds have made connections through games. 32% have become involved in a community or social group and 71% prefer collaborative games. Older players also benefit, with 15% of players aged 65 and above using games to stay connected with family and friends and 58% show a strong preference for collaborative play.

“Mental health was a key theme for New Zealand players this year. Respondents provided great insights into the potential benefits they see and experience through playing video games. Connection with others, managing stress and depression, developing emotional intelligence, increased resilience, and building self-confidence were all identified as mental health benefits of playing video games,” said Dr. Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University.

The face of the modern player

Working-age adult averaging 36 years old
Just as likely to be female (47%) as male (52%)
Living in a house with at least two devices
Plays for fun and socially, collaboratively and competitively
Plays with family for connection
Is quite familiar with family controls on devices
Plays outside of the home – in the classroom and on the job

“We know New Zealanders love playing video games and now we can see how much they appreciate the benefits beyond fun and entertainment. New Zealanders also value the power of games to connect with others, to educate, and to provide mental health benefits,” concluded Curry.

If you would like to learn more about New Zealand Plays 2025, you can visit the. IGEA website

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.  IGEA supports the games industry's business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs. For more information, please visit www.igea.net

About New Zealand Plays

New Zealand Plays is a study of 820 New Zealand households represented by adult participants aged 18 and over. Household-level statistics include demographics, household device profiles, attitudes, and knowledge questions. Parents represent 282 of the 820 household adult respondents. Data on play time (including frequency and duration, location, time of day, genre preferences, and common playing experiences) were drawn from adult participants and one other nominated household member (n=1,309). Age, gender and player status were drawn from the participants and all members of the household (n=1,731). Participants were drawn randomly from the Qualtrics XM panel in May 2025; research was designed and conducted at Bond University. The margin of error is 3.5%.

Australian shark experts have tested four bite-resistant materials to assess their ability to reduce injuries and blood loss.

While internal and crushing injuries may still occur, bite-resistant wetsuits can now be added to the ‘toolkit’ of measures available to reduce shark-bite risk and resulting injuries, say researchers from Flinders University’s Southern Shark Ecology Group.

Shark bites on humans are uncommon but can severely impact local coastal communities and businesses, especially where water-based tourism and recreation are common, often prompting pressure for better bather protection strategies.

Governments are often focussed on area-based protection, but as recent studies have shown there is also increasing focus on personal deterrents and/or other personal mitigative measures, such as bite-resistant wetsuits

Funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Shark Management Program, the study tested the efficacy of four bite-resistant wetsuit materials (Aqua Armour, Shark Stop, ActionTX-S and Brewster material) to reduce damage incurred from white and tiger shark bites.

Traditional chainmail suits were protective but too inflexible and heavy for activities like surfing or diving. New wetsuits that incorporate strong and light fibre often used in sailing rope, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, offer both flexibility and protection, making them more suitable for recreational use.

Dr Tom Clarke, Professor Charlie Huveneers, and experts from NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development assessed each material’s potential in reducing injuries from white and tiger sharks by quantifying the amount of bite damage across four categories of increasing severity (ranging from ‘superficial’ to ‘critical’) and comparing it to damage on standard neoprene.

“While there were small differences between the four tested materials, they all reduced the amount of substantial and critical damage, which would typically be associated with severe haemorrhaging and tissue or limb loss,” says Dr Clarke, from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University.

White and tiger sharks are responsible for the most unprovoked bites and are two of the top three species with the highest rate of fatal bites. Interactions between humans and sharks continue to rise in frequency globally, with expanding coastal populations and rising popularity of marine activities.

“Our study showed that bite-resistant materials incorporated into wetsuits can reduce damage from large white and tiger sharks (up to 3 metres) compared to standard neoprene wetsuit, even from moderate and severe bites,” says Dr Clarke.

Professor Huveneers, who leads the Southern Shark Ecology Group at Flinders University, says: “While these suits don’t eliminate all the risk (e.g. internal injuries may still occur), our results indicate that they can reduce blood loss and trauma from major lacerations and punctures, potentially saving lives.

“Our findings will allow for informed decisions to be made about the use of bite-resistant wetsuit materials for occupational activities, as well as enabling the public to make appropriate decisions about the suitability of using these products,” says Professor Huveneers.

Key points:

Wetsuits that incorporate bite-resistant materials have emerged as a new mitigation strategy that aims to reduce fatalities from shark bites, by reducing the severity of injuries inflicted from bites (e.g. lacerations, punctures, tissue and blood loss).
As shark-bite mitigation continues to shift from traditional lethal methods towards non-lethal alternatives, personal protective measures such as electric deterrents and protective wetsuits continue to gain interest as tools to reduce the number of interactions and injuries, and increase the likelihood of survival.

The new article, ‘Effectiveness of bite-resistant materials to reduce injuries from white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) bites’ (2025) by Thomas M Clarke, Paul A Butcher, Marcel Green, James Whitelaw, Lauren Meyer and Charlie Huveneers has been published in Wildlife Research (CSIRO Publishing) https://doi.org/10.1071/WR25019.

Acknowledgements: This study was funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Shark Management Program, and Australian Research Council Linkage (project LP190100992).
No funding was obtained from any of the material inventors or manufacturers.

New analysis from Cotality’s Mapping the Market reveals New Zealand’s housing market has remained subdued over the past three months to September, with sales activity slowly rising but property values largely stagnant. (ref. https://www.cotality.com/nz/our-data/mapping-market )

Leading healthcare provider, ProCare, has today joined medical professionals and authorities across the motu in strongly rejecting the misinformation linking paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism.

The guidance provided by New Zealand’s health authorities, including Medsafe and the Ministry of Health, are clear around the safe use of paracetamol during pregnancy. Claims circulating in international media suggesting a link between paracetamol and autism are not supported by credible scientific evidence.

Dr Allan Moffitt, Clinical Director at ProCare, says: “It’s deeply concerning to see misinformation gaining traction around such a commonly used and well-studied medicine. Paracetamol remains a safe option for managing pain and fever during pregnancy when used appropriately. We urge people to speak with their healthcare provider and rely on trusted New Zealand sources for medical advice.”

“We encourage whānau to seek advice from their GP, midwife, or pharmacist before making decisions about medication. New Zealanders can trust that our clinical recommendations are based on robust, peer-reviewed research and local expertise.

Paracetamol has been used safely for decades, including during pregnancy. The claims being circulated are not backed by credible science, and it’s important that we don’t let misinformation undermine public trust in proven treatments,” he continues.

“As GPs, we see firsthand how confusing health misinformation can be for patients. Our role is to provide clear, evidence-based advice; and that includes reassuring pregnant women that paracetamol, when used appropriately, remains a safe option. Untreated fever, on the other hand, can be harmful to the baby,” points out Dr Moffitt.

“We must be careful not to perpetuate harmful narratives about autism. It’s not something to be feared or ‘prevented’ – it’s a natural part of human diversity. Our focus should be on supporting neurodiverse individuals and their whānau with compassion and respect,” concludes Dr Moffitt.

ProCare also stands with Autism New Zealand in rejecting harmful narratives that stigmatise neurodiversity. Autism is a natural part of human variation, and our health system must continue to support inclusive, affirming care for all.

About ProCare

ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi.

As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz