News In Brief

Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs.
Below are snippets of all the media releases we received from May 25 till the end of the week.
This article updates throughout the week

Magpies Top Bird Count

Perth, May 25: Australians counted more than five million birds in one week during BirdLife Australia’s 2025 Aussie Bird Count, with the Australian Magpie emerging as the country’s most commonly seen bird.
The annual citizen science event drew 64,000 participants, who submitted 153,000 checklists and recorded 621 different bird species across Australia.
One in every two surveys completed in 2025 included a sighting of the Australian Magpie, placing the iconic black-and-white bird ahead of the Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Miner, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Magpie-lark.
“Because rainbow lorikeets are more social, hanging out in flocks, when we see them, we see more of them.” said BirdLife Australia’s National Public Affairs advisor (and chief bird-nerd) Sean Dooley. “But the magpie is the bird we encounter most often. Every second person who did the Count last year added a magpie to their list.”
BirdLife Australia said sightings were recorded across the country, including Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands and sub-Antarctic Heard Island, although about 70 per cent of counts were conducted in built-up areas.
The results also showed changes in urban bird populations, with the Australian White Ibis climbing from 23rd place in 2021 to 14th in 2025, while the Australian Brush-turkey continued to rise in New South Wales and Queensland.
“Birds respond to the changes we make to our environment. Everybody knows the bin-chicken, especially in Sydney and Brisbane where they’re doing well in the city. Birds like these have found ways to take advantage of urban growth, and it’s encouraging to see native species adapting like this.
“Sadly, the flipside to that story is the birds in need of other kinds of habitat, like smaller bush birds, get pushed into decline as their habitats are destroyed,” said Sean. “It’s a reminder that the changes we make have an impact. Adding native plants to your garden can offer a lifeline to those other Australian native birds that we’re more worried about.”
The 2026 Aussie Bird Count will take place from October 19 to 25, with bird lovers encouraged to sign up through the Aussie Bird Count website.

Foodservice Platform Planned

Perth, May 25: NTT DATA Payment Services and SECAI MARCHE have announced a strategic collaboration to support the digital transformation of Malaysia’s foodservice and hospitality industry.
The partnership combines SECAI MARCHE’s fresh produce distribution platform with NTT DATA Payment Services’ digital billing, payment and receivables capabilities under its global brand, ADAPTIS®.
The integrated platform is designed to streamline procurement, invoicing, payment collection and financial operations for hotels, restaurants and cafés across Malaysia.
The service is scheduled to launch in July 2026 and is expected to support about 400 producers and 2,400 HORECA businesses in Malaysia.
“In Malaysia and across Southeast Asia, businesses are increasingly looking for integrated digital solutions that can simplify operations while strengthening financial efficiency. By combining SECAI MARCHE’s procurement and distribution capabilities with NTT DATA’s payment and receivables expertise under ADAPTIS, we aim to support the digital transformation of the foodservice and hospitality ecosystem while creating greater value across the supply chain,” said Shinichiro Nishikawa, Head of Global Payments and Services Division, Japan, NTT DATA.

Nollsie Flight Takes Off

Perth, May 25: Jetstar has celebrated its 22nd birthday with a Shannon Noll lookalike party flight from Sydney to Townsville.
The low-cost carrier said the flight was its first birthday party flight and the first lookalike competition to take to the skies.
More than 50 Shannon Noll lookalikes and impersonators joined the flight, which included giveaways, games and a live appearance from the Australian singer.
The celebration paid tribute to 2004, the year Jetstar first took to the skies in Australia and the same year Shannon Noll released What About Me.
“I’ve played some pretty wild gigs in my time, but performing at 30,000 feet to a cabin full of passengers who look exactly like me is definitely a first.
Jetstar and I both have something to look back on and celebrate, so it’s a massive honour to get the early-2000s gear back on and celebrate 22 years of low-fares flying with my favourite airline,” Noll said.

Households Go Cold

Perth, May 20: Millions of Australians are cutting back on heating and energy use this winter as cost-of-living pressures continue to bite, according to Finder.
A survey of 1,019 respondents found 79 per cent of Australians are taking steps to save money on their winter energy bills, with 49 per cent wearing extra layers and the same number switching off lights more often.
Finder said 12 per cent of Australians would not run their heater at all this winter to avoid high power costs, equivalent to 1.2 million households.
“It’s confronting to see so many Australians deciding it’s simply too expensive to stay warm this winter.
“Energy prices remain stubbornly high, and it’s forcing people into difficult trade-offs between comfort and cost. For some, that means enduring a cold home.
“Going without proper heating isn’t just uncomfortable – it can have real impacts on health and wellbeing, particularly for older Australians and young children.
“The pressure of rising energy bills can also spill into other areas of the budget, with families cutting back on essentials to make ends meet.”
Finder utilities expert Mariam Gabaji said Australians had paid $2.9 billion in loyalty tax for energy in 2025 and urged households to compare plans.
“If you haven’t compared in the last 12 months you are almost certainly paying too much.
“A quick comparison could make a real difference to your bill this winter.”

Deutsche Bank Hire

Perth, May 20: Deutsche Bank has appointed Steve Hair as Head of Platform Sales for its Institutional Client Group in Australia.
The bank said the appointment reinforced its commitment to being a long-term partner to Australian clients and followed recent announcements about its HausFX FX-as-a-Service platform.
Hair brings more than 15 years of clearing experience across Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region, and joins Deutsche Bank from Citi.