Frequent closures on the M5 motorway have been challenged in Parliament, with MPs pressing the Department for Transport and National Highways to justify disruption levels and adopt new traffic management measures. Calls centre on reviewing incident response protocols and planned works coordination to keep key junctions and long-distance freight corridors open for longer. For civil and traffic engineers, any policy shift could affect lane closure durations, night‑time possession strategies and design of future maintenance schemes on this strategic route.

Western Australia has opened public consultation on eight proposed amendments to the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012 following a 10‑year independent statutory review of the scheme. The discussion paper covers changes to how annual environmental disturbance is reported and levies are calculated for tenement holders contributing to the pooled MRF, which currently replaces traditional unconditional performance bonds for most sites. Geotechs and mine planners should expect potential shifts in closure liability estimation, disturbance mapping requirements and compliance reporting workflows if the amendments proceed.

At least 591 tonnes of illicit gold worth about $74 billion entered the UAE in 2024, including 453 tonnes from African producers and 137 tonnes from countries under international sanctions, accounting for 42% of the country’s total gold imports, SWISSAID reports. Despite 2023 regulations tightening due diligence, only 2 of 52 reviewed Emirati refineries fully apply the new rules, with most still relying on intermediaries and weak traceability. SWISSAID urges reinstating the UAE on the FATF grey list, tougher and public penalties, stronger customs controls, and full disclosure of mined-gold suppliers, warning Swiss refiners—importing 420 tonnes from the UAE in 2024—of elevated sourcing risks.