On May 21, Andy Park reported on significant events affecting Australia, including a major outage at HESTA, one of the country’s largest superannuation funds, which has left over a million members unable to access their accounts for seven weeks. Many customers expressed distress over the lack of communication regarding the outage, with some facing financial hardships as they relied on their superannuation for urgent expenses, such as home deposits.

In New South Wales, severe flooding has caused widespread devastation, particularly in Taree, where heavy rainfall has trapped residents and inundated properties. Emergency services have conducted numerous rescues, but the situation remains critical as more rain is expected. Local farmers are bracing for a tough recovery, with reports of significant damage to livestock and farmland.

Additionally, the World Health Organization has adopted a new pandemic agreement aimed at improving global preparedness and equitable access to vaccines, although the absence of the U.S. from negotiations raises concerns about its effectiveness. Meanwhile, biodiversity efforts in Kosciuszko National Park are showing promise as feral horse populations decline, allowing native species to recover, despite ongoing debates about the management of remaining horse numbers.