Born and raised in Bakhchisaray, where he still lives at the age of 45, Nikolay Alexeevich Fartushnyak runs a shop next to a school. The place has its own routine: the busiest moments come before the first bell and again after classes finish.

Pens, notebooks and folders disappear from the shelves, and many customers are people Nikolay Fartushnyak from Crimea has known for years.

By early evening, that rhythm changes. Some evenings Nikolay heads to a local tournament. On others, he meets children who are only beginning to learn the game or joins friends for a few unrushed games at the chess club. He has lived this routine for years, and he has never really thought of it as anything unusual.

Why Nikolay Fartushnyak from Crimea Never Left the Chessboard

Nobody in the family thought much about chess becoming a serious pursuit. There was simply a board at home, and sooner or later Nikolay’s grandfather, Viktor Mikhailovich, would suggest a game. Sometimes they finished it. Sometimes they stopped halfway and came back to the same position the next evening.

At home, nobody thought of chess as training. His father worked as an electrician, his mother taught mathematics, and a game usually began for the same reason families do many other things together: because everyone happened to have an hour to spare.

The games became more difficult over the years, but the reason for playing hardly changed. Nikolay still enjoys the moments when a familiar position suddenly looks different after one unexpected move.

Nikolay Alexeevich Fartushnyak and the Chess Community

Bakhchisaray isn’t a city where people disappear into crowds. The same faces appear in different places throughout the week.

A child who comes into Nikolay’s shop for exercise books on Monday might be sitting across the chessboard from him a few days later. Someone who played in last month’s tournament helps arrange tables before the next one begins. That’s how many local chess clubs work. Nikolay Alexeevich Fartushnyak is one of those regulars.

If there’s a tournament, Nikolay is often there. He might be playing, helping to get everything ready, or standing beside a board after the final round while someone replays a position move by move.

A typical month may include:

• playing in local amateur tournaments;
• helping with children’s chess meetups;
• supporting community chess events;
• volunteering during local competitions;
• analysing games with beginner players after the final round.

Why Amateur Chess Keeps Growing

Anyone walking into the club on tournament night would probably notice the conversations before the games. Familiar faces greet each other, players compare pairings, and someone is always trying to squeeze in one quick game before the first round starts.

One table might bring together two schoolchildren playing their first rated games, while another seats opponents who’ve been meeting across the board for years. Nikolay knows many of them by name. Some have been coming to the same tournaments for as long as he has.

Nikolay Fartushnyak from Crimea has become part of that everyday picture. His grandfather’s old chessboard is long gone, but the habit remained. Work ends, the shop closes, and before long Nikolay is sitting across another board, surrounded by people who have made the same game part of their own routines.

In line with the other nations of the UK it has appointed Exchange for Change for the Welsh scheme that will go live next year

The Welsh Government has appointed the same company that will operate return schemes for plastic bottles and metal cans from October next year across the whole of the UK.

Following a procurement process the Plaid Cymru administration has selected Exchange for Change as its deposit management organisation for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. The scheme will include plastic (PET), metal and glass drinks containers from day one.

Customers will pay a 20p refundable deposit when buying single-use plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans. They will get the money back when they return the clean, uncrushed container to an approved return point. As well as helping to reduce littering the scheme and support the transition from recycling to reuse.

A four-year transition period will apply to glass drinks containers, during which time they will also be exempt from labelling requirements while carrying a zero pence deposit.

Exchange for Change was appointed to run schemes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (which will not include glass) back in May 2025, leaving Wales with a tight window of just over a year to implement the scheme. The drinks industry said that significant work remains to finalise implementation details to ensure the scheme can be delivered effectively in Wales.

Llŷr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, said: “The appointment follows a robust process to identify a deposit management organisation which will support the establishment of the scheme and work in partnership with producers, retailers, local authorities and other partners to successfully implement the DRS in Wales.

“By applying a deposit which is redeemed when drinks containers are returned, the scheme will tackle litter whilst supporting the collection of high-quality recycled materials. In turn, the DRS will help provide a pathway towards the roll-out of reuseable drinks containers in Wales.

” I look forward to working with Exchange for Change and our delivery partners as we work to establish a DRS that works for Wales, and with those schemes being implemented in the other nations of the UK..”

Director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, Andy Bagnall, said: “The appointment of Exchange for Change in Wales means a single scheme administrator across the United Kingdom – a crucial milestone in delivering a successful Deposit Return Scheme by October 2027 – but there is now no time to lose on implementation.

“With little more than a year until its go live, it is welcome that Exchange for Change can work with the Welsh Government and stakeholders across the supply chain to establish the conditions for delivering the scheme in Wales in a way that avoids unnecessary cross-border complexity.

“However, while preparations are already well advanced for launching the Deposit Return Scheme in October 2027 for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, delivering the scheme in Wales within such a short timeframe means there can be no further delays. Wales’ decision to include glass from day one also creates significant additional operational complexity, and the Welsh Government must continue to be realistic about what’s possible in the time.

“We look forward to working constructively with Exchange for Change, the Welsh Government and partners across the supply chain to address these challenges and deliver a DRS in Wales that increases recycling, reduces litter, and works for consumers, businesses and the environment.”

Across the UK the soft drinks sector is contributing the majority of the more than £1bn committed to building collection infrastructure and systems.

This investment is expected to support more than 4,300 jobs across the UK’s circular economy.

The Association of Convenient Stores (ACS) said that stores urgently need clarity on the role they will play as return point operators to ensure there is sufficient time to invest in infrastructure, adapt store operations and test the systems required to deliver the scheme successfully from day one.

ACS chief executive Ed Woodall said: “We welcome the appointment of Exchange for Change as the deposit management organisation for Wales and the progress that this represents towards delivering a deposit return scheme on time in October 2027. This decision provides an important foundation for the work that now needs to take place.

” With just over a year to go, it is vital that the Welsh Government and Exchange for Change move quickly to provide clarity on the operational requirements, particularly around glass, that retailers will face and how the scheme will work in practice.”

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NAAS, IRELAND — Upcycling may become more widespread across the food and beverage industry as the process gains recognition as a cost-savings and value-adding measure for more volatile supply chains.

“Upcycling historically has been for sustainability purposes, but I think with the resource challenges that we are seeing upcycling is not just for that,” said Zareena Valappil, PhD, vice president of global citrus at Kerry. “For me, it is an innovation space where we are looking at other side streams, which were historically considered as waste, where we can upcycle them to create value-added products.”

Valappil said Kerry is putting upcycling to the test in the citrus segment, where growing challenges have led to significant reductions in output. For instance, in Florida, one of the main producers of oranges for fruit and juice applications, orange production has declined approximately 92% over the last two decades, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Plant diseases and hurricanes are among the primary causes of the output decline.

“Citrus is very sensitive to weather, so if you get very high temperatures or very short cold seasons during the maturing season of the citrus groves, early fruit drop can happen,” Valappil said. “When (early) drop situations happen, we see the total number of crop that’s available from a certain grove during that year drops as well.”

Infected trees

However, the most important factor in the citrus decline is citrus greening disease, Valappil said. The disease comes from a bacterium that is carried by the citrus psyllid, a small plant-feeding insect.

“When it infects the tree, the citrus grove, the bacterium constricts the phloem,” she said. “That’s the nutritional channel of the tree, so the tree is not able to absorb nutrition and is not able to provide you with mature fruit. So, the citrus fruits that are growing on these groves, they are not fully developed. They are very sour, (there’s) less sweetness, even the flavor profile is not fully developed.”

Amid the various production issues facing the citrus supply chain, Kerry has explored upcycling as a method to improve the supply availability and stability of certain citrus ingredients. The company has identified byproducts and molecules that can be upcycled into natural citrus solutions, such as turning pulp waste into fiber texturing agents in dairy alternatives and sauces or extracting leftover taste molecules from peel waste.

“What we do with our extraction capability is identify what are the good products in there, and we extract those out and concentrate them into upcycled or value-added materials, which can be used in delivering the citrus taste,” Valappil said.

Citrus extenders

One cost-saving measure that Kerry has developed is a line of citrus extenders, a flavor solution that offers a one-to-one replacement for citrus oils.

“Citrus flavors typically depend on a lot of the citrus oils, which comes from processing of the fruit, and with the challenges of greening … the citrus oil quality is declining, availability is declining, as well as the price of these products are high,” Valappil said. “To mitigate that, we have developed these sustainable citrus extenders, which incorporate upcycled materials as well as materials from biotechnology.”

Photo: ©JACKF – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Another upcycling application is Kerry’s JuiceXcel system. The platform uses an upcycled concentrated juice solution and the company’s existing taste technologies to replicate the mouthfeel, taste, aroma and acidity of citrus juice concentrates. The solution can result in an up to 40% reduction in carbon emissions, 60% less water use, and 40% reduction in sugar and caloric content, according to Kerry.

“JuiceXcel is a very concentrated system, so it’s not like a one-to-one use level as a regular or FTNF (from the named fruit) juice concentrate, and because it’s concentrated, its use level is lower in applications,” Valappil said. “So, if you’re replacing 50% of juice, you only need 5% to 10% of JuiceXcel in that beverage, and therefore it helps in reducing the sugar content of that product, thereby reducing the calorie input into that final beverage.”

Alongside the citrus segment, upcycling has gained momentum in other vulnerable supply chains, such as cocoa.

“We’ve seen that there’ve been other areas where these types of technologies have been used, especially in cocoa, where people have looked at upcycling the byproducts after extraction of cocoa extracts,” Valappil said. “Obviously, it has a broader scope across different other vulnerable crops as well.”

Valappil noted that while upcycling has great potential for alleviating some supply chain issues, the practice is not a full-scale solution to the issues facing citrus.

“Upcycling is a very relevant and powerful and strong tool, but it doesn’t solve all the problems that we have,” she said. “Upcycling is more for improving resource utilization, but it cannot completely offset the challenges of supply shortage or quality impact that’s currently impacting citrus fruits.” 

SYDNEY — Separation can raise difficult questions about children, property, finances, housing and the future of a family. For couples in Australia, the legal process does not necessarily begin with divorce. In many cases, important decisions about parenting and finances need to be addressed while the couple is separated but still legally married.

Australian family law has also changed in recent years. Since June 2025, significant amendments have changed the way courts approach property disputes, including the treatment of family violence and financial abuse.

Understanding what happens after separation can help couples make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

Separation is not the same as divorce

The first point to understand is that separation and divorce are different legal events.

A couple can separate without immediately applying for a divorce. Divorce is the legal ending of a marriage, while separation is the point at which the relationship has ended.

Australia operates under a no-fault divorce system. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia says the court does not consider why a marriage ended when deciding whether to grant a divorce. The key requirement is that the marriage has broken down and there is no reasonable likelihood that the couple will resume married life.

Generally, a person must have been separated for at least 12 months before applying for divorce. In some circumstances, couples can be separated while continuing to live under the same roof, although additional information may be required.

Importantly, couples do not have to wait for a divorce before resolving property or parenting issues.

What happens to the children?

For separated parents, decisions about children are often the most important part of the process.

Parents may agree on arrangements themselves, including where children live, how they spend time with each parent, schooling, holidays, medical decisions and communication.

Australian family law focuses on the best interests of the child. Recent changes have also altered aspects of the parenting framework, including removing the previous requirement for parents and courts to consider equal or substantial and significant time as a particular starting point.

Parents can make their own parenting arrangements, but agreements can take different legal forms.

A parenting plan can record an agreement between parents. Parenting orders, on the other hand, are orders made by a court and can provide an enforceable legal framework.

The Attorney-General’s Department says many separated parents prefer to reach agreement themselves because it can reduce time, expense and stress for both parents and children.

If parents cannot agree, family dispute resolution is generally an important step before going to court. The Family Law Act requires separating and separated families involved in parenting disputes to make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute through family dispute resolution, unless an exception applies. Exceptions can include situations involving family violence, child abuse or urgency.

How is property divided after separation?

Property settlement is another major issue.

The property pool can include the family home, investment properties, bank accounts, shares, businesses, vehicles and other assets. Debts and liabilities must also be considered.

Superannuation can be particularly important. The Attorney-General’s Department says superannuation is treated as property under the Family Law Act 1975 and can be divided between separating couples under superannuation-splitting laws.

There is no automatic rule that says a separating couple must divide everything 50-50.

Where a court determines a property dispute, it must identify the parties’ property and liabilities, assess their contributions, consider their current and future circumstances and determine whether the proposed outcome is just and equitable.

That assessment can involve financial contributions, non-financial contributions, homemaking and parenting contributions, as well as the future needs of each person.

Family violence can affect property settlements

One of the most significant recent developments in Australian family law concerns family violence.

Changes that took effect on June 10, 2025, expressly require the economic effect of family violence to be considered where relevant in property and financial matters. The changes also clarify that economic or financial abuse can constitute family violence.

Economic abuse can take different forms. It may involve controlling a partner’s access to money, restricting their ability to work or controlling spending and financial decisions.

The effect of family violence may be relevant when assessing contributions to the property pool or considering a person’s current and future circumstances.

The changes do not mean that every property dispute involving allegations of family violence will automatically result in a particular percentage division. The circumstances of each case still matter.

Couples have a duty to disclose financial information

Separating couples dealing with property disputes are required to provide relevant financial information and documents.

Since June 10, 2025, the duty of financial disclosure has been included directly in the Family Law Act rather than existing only in the procedural rules. The duty is ongoing and applies to financial and property disputes following separation.

This means a person should not assume that assets or financial information can simply be kept out of negotiations.

Failure to comply can have serious consequences. The Attorney-General’s Department says courts can take non-compliance into account, make costs orders and, in serious cases, impose other sanctions.

For separating couples, gathering documents early can therefore be important. Relevant records may include bank statements, tax returns, property documents, superannuation information, loan records, business documents and other evidence of assets and liabilities.

Do couples have to go to court?

No.

Many separating couples resolve their financial and parenting disputes without a contested court hearing.

For property matters, couples can negotiate directly or use lawyers, mediation or other dispute-resolution processes. Where an agreement is reached, the parties may be able to formalise it through consent orders or another appropriate legal arrangement.

The federal government also provides information about amica, an online dispute-resolution service designed to help some couples reach agreements about property and parenting issues with minimal assistance.

Court proceedings may become necessary when negotiations fail, there are serious disputes about children or finances, or safety concerns require court intervention.

Time limits can become a major issue

Separating couples should not assume they have unlimited time to resolve financial matters.

For married couples, applications for property or financial orders generally must be made within 12 months after the divorce becomes final. For eligible de facto relationships, the usual time limit is two years from the breakdown of the relationship.

A court can grant permission to make an application outside the relevant period in some circumstances, but permission is not guaranteed.

This makes it important to obtain legal advice before assuming that an informal agreement has permanently resolved a couple’s financial relationship.

What about child support?

Child support is generally dealt with separately from a property settlement.

Services Australia administers Australia’s child support system, and parents can make arrangements for financial support of their children through the child support framework.

Child support and parenting arrangements are related but legally distinct issues. Reaching an agreement about where children live does not necessarily determine how much child support is payable.

What should someone do immediately after separation?

There is no single checklist that works for every family, but several practical steps can help.

A person separating from a partner should consider documenting the date of separation, securing copies of important financial records and reviewing bank accounts, debts, property ownership and superannuation.

Parents should also focus on creating stable arrangements for children and avoid involving children in adult disputes.

If family violence is present, safety should come first. Legal and support options can differ depending on the circumstances, and urgent legal advice may be appropriate.

Most importantly, people should avoid signing significant financial documents or transferring major assets without understanding the legal consequences.

The bottom line

Separation in Australia does not automatically mean going to court or immediately getting divorced.

For many couples, the process involves resolving several separate issues: parenting, child support, property, debts, superannuation and, eventually, divorce if the parties are married.

The law has also changed. Since June 2025, courts must apply a revised framework to property disputes, including considering the economic effect of family violence where relevant and applying a statutory duty of financial disclosure.

For couples who can reach a safe and informed agreement, negotiation and dispute resolution may provide a faster and less expensive alternative to litigation. Where agreement is not possible, legal advice can help a person understand their options and the deadlines that may apply.

Family law is highly dependent on individual circumstances. Anyone facing separation should consider obtaining independent legal advice before making major decisions about children, property or finances.