Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
APRA HARBOR, Guam — The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff departed Guam following a scheduled port visit, June 14-17. This port visit marked the first time the Blue Ridge has visited Guam since 2020.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
APRA HARBOR, Guam — The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff departed Guam following a scheduled port visit, June 14-17. This port visit marked the first time the Blue Ridge has visited Guam since 2020.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Red Flag-Alaska 25-2 commenced June 12, bringing together approximately 1,500 participants and more than 70 aircraft from across the United States and allied nations for two weeks of multi-service, multi-platform, coordinated exercises.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Red Flag-Alaska 25-2 commenced June 12, bringing together approximately 1,500 participants and more than 70 aircraft from across the United States and allied nations for two weeks of multi-service, multi-platform, coordinated exercises.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s space program provides larger platform for broader international cooperation
BEIJING, June 17 — Experts from China’s manned space program said Tuesday the country’s space endeavors are providing a larger platform for broader international cooperation.
Li Yingliang, director of the general technology department of the China Manned Space Agency, told a State Council Information Office press conference that China’s space station is expected to make significant discoveries related to fundamental and cutting-edge issues such as the origin of life, the evolution of the universe and the structure of matter.
This will effectively promote the innovative development of human space science, space technology and space applications, he said, adding that China’s space endeavors, represented by its space station and manned lunar exploration, will provide a larger platform for broader international cooperation.
During the press conference, four experts and one astronaut from China’s manned space program shared their stories and views of the program.
Sun Wei, deputy chief designer of the manned space program’s landing site system, said that China is building more ground TT&C (telemetry, tracking and command) stations and developing TT&C satellites to provide richer resources for human space activities.
China has also participated in various international organizations, such as the International Telecommunication Union and the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, according to Sun, who is a TT&C expert.
“The standardization and internationalization of China’s TT&C capabilities are establishing the infrastructure for human space activities, and are providing convenience for global space cooperation,” he added.
Astronaut Fei Junlong said that every time he flew into space, he looked back at Earth — the common home of humanity — through a spacecraft window.
“I believe my international counterparts do the same during their space flights,” said Fei, who was the commander of both the Shenzhou-6 and Shenzhou-15 missions, and the first astronaut to perform extravehicular activities following the completion of China’s space station.
Noting that exploring and developing space is a common mission for humanity, he invited astronauts from around the world to visit China’s space station.
China’s space station has hosted nine mission crews to date. The crew currently on board is undertaking the Shenzhou-20 mission, which was launched on April 24, 2025.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ASTANA, June 18 — Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The following is the full text of the speech:
Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit For High-Quality Cooperation in the Region
Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
At the Second China-Central Asia Summit
Astana, June 17, 2025
Your Excellency President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
I am delighted to join you at the second China-Central Asia Summit in the beautiful city of Astana. I’d like to thank President Tokayev and the government of Kazakhstan for the gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangement.
During our meeting in Xi’an two years ago, we jointly outlined the Xi’an Vision for China-Central Asia cooperation. The six pomegranate trees we planted together are in full bloom today, auguring the vitality of the cooperation among the six nations.
Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have further deepened and substantiated Belt and Road cooperation. Our trade has grown by 35 percent, and we have made important progress in industrial investment, green mining, technological innovation, and other fields of cooperation. The package of projects with Chinese financial support are well underway. While more and more Chinese new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products are entering Central Asian markets, Central Asian agricultural products, including honey, fruits, wheat and poultry, are diversifying the dinner tables of Chinese families.
Two years on, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project has been officially launched. We are making steady progress in planning for the third railway link between China and Kazakhstan, in phase-II restoration of the China-Tajikistan highway, and in China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation. Freight train services are connecting more and more Chinese cities to Central Asia. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has been upgraded and expanded. Green industries, digital economy, artificial intelligence, aviation and space are becoming new drivers of our cooperation. Cross-border e-commerce, online education, and other new business models are benefiting more and more people in China and Central Asia.
Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have made progress in establishing cultural centers in each other as well as in opening branches of Chinese universities and Luban Workshops. China has made mutual visa-free arrangements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, facilitating more than 1.2 million travels between China and Kazakhstan alone in 2024. Tourism and culture years and art festivals of Central Asian countries are very popular in China. Chinese films and TV dramas, such as Min-Ning Town and To the Wonder, have become great hits in Central Asia. The China-Central Asia train services for cultural tourism have been successfully inaugurated. And today, we will witness the number of sister cities between China and Central Asia reach the milestone of 100 pairs.
Two years on, we have launched 13 ministerial cooperation platforms under the China-Central Asia mechanism. The Secretariat is fully functioning, and the core framework of the mechanism is largely in place.
I am pleased to see that our consensus at the first Summit has been implemented across the board — from the millennium-old Xi’an to Astana “the pearl of the steppe,” from the coast of the Yellow Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea, from the Tianshan Mountain Range to the Pamir Plateau. The path of our cooperation is steadily widening, and our friendship is blooming ever more brightly.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Our cooperation is rooted in more than 2,000 years of friendly exchanges, cemented by solidarity and mutual trust cultivated through more than three decades of diplomatic ties, and taken forward via openness and win-win cooperation of the new era. Building on our collective efforts over the years, we have forged a China-Central Asia Spirit of “mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development.”
— We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals. All countries, big or small, are equal. We handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus.
— We seek to deepen mutual trust and enhance mutual support. We firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity. We do not do anything harmful to the core interests of any party.
— We pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and strive for common development. We view each other as priority partners, and share development opportunities together. We accommodate each other’s interests, and work to build a win-win and symbiotic relationship.
— We help each other in time of need and stand together through thick and thin. We support each other in choosing development paths suitable to our respective national conditions and in taking domestic matters into our own hands. We work together to address various risks and challenges, and uphold regional security and stability.
This China-Central Asia Spirit is an important guideline for our endeavor to carry forward friendship and cooperation from generation to generation. We should always uphold it and let it shine forever.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Today, unprecedented changes are unfolding at a faster pace across the globe, thrusting the world into a new state of heightened turbulence and volatility. A strong belief in fairness and justice and an unyielding commitment to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the only way to maintain world peace and achieve common development. There is no winner in tariff wars or trade wars. Unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism will surely backfire while hurting others.
I always maintain that history should move forward, not backward; and the world should be united, not divided. Humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Three years ago, we announced together that we would build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, setting out the goal and direction of our six nations in building consensus, overcoming challenges and pursuing development. We should act on the China-Central Asia Spirit, enhance cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and forge ahead toward our goal of a community with a shared future for the region.
First, we should stay committed to our fundamental goal of unity, and always trust and support each other. China consistently takes Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. With a firm belief in an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood as well as a strong dedication to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China interacts with Central Asian countries on the basis of equality and sincerity. We always wish our neighbors well.
Today, we will sign together a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law. This is a new landmark in the history of the relations between our six countries and a pioneering initiative in China’s diplomatic engagement with its neighbors. It is a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow.
Second, we should optimize our cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, more efficient, and more deeply integrated. We have agreed to designate 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation. We should focus our cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, and roll out more projects on the ground. We should do our best to get early harvests as soon as possible.
China is ready to share with Central Asian countries development experience and latest technological advances, promote connectivity in digital infrastructure, enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence, and foster new quality productive forces.
In order to promote relevant cooperation, China has decided to establish three cooperation centers, i.e. on poverty reduction, on education exchange, and on desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework. China will provide a grant of RMB 1.5 billion yuan to Central Asian countries this year to be used in livelihood and development projects high on their agenda. China will also provide 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries in the next two years.
Third, we should develop a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity. We should step up regional security governance, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly prevent and thwart extreme ideologies, and resolutely fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, so as to maintain peace and stability in our region.
China supports Central Asian countries in modernizing their national defense, law enforcement and security capacities. We will do our best to help Central Asian countries combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and safeguard cybersecurity and biosecurity. We will launch more Safe City projects, and conduct more joint exercises and joint training cooperation.
Afghanistan is our close neighbor. We should strengthen coordination to help the country boost its development capacity and achieve peace, stability, reconstruction and development at an early date.
Fourth, we should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between our peoples. China will enhance cooperation between legislatures, political parties, women, youth, media and think tanks with Central Asian countries, conduct in-depth exchange of governance experience, and share experience in green development, poverty reduction and anti-corruption.
China is ready to set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia, and launch new majors in Central Asian languages in Chinese universities. We will continue to carry out effectively the “China-Central Asia technology and skills improvement scheme” to train more high-caliber talent for Central Asian countries.
China supports deepening subnational cooperation with Central Asia. We will make good use of sister-city relations and people-to-people exchanges to nurture heart-to-heart connections at central and subnational levels, between official and non-governmental actors, and from adjacent to broader areas.
I hope that the travel-facilitation measures we adopt today will be implemented as soon as possible to help our people visit each other more conveniently, efficiently and frequently like relatives, and in the course help them become ever closer to each other.
Fifth, we should uphold a fair and equitable international order and an equal and orderly world structure. China supports Central Asian countries in playing a bigger role in international affairs. We stand ready to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the strenuous times of war, Chinese and Central Asian peoples supported each other through adversity, and jointly made important contributions to the cause of justice of humanity. We should promote the correct view of history, defend the fruits of the victory of World War II, uphold the UN-centered international system, and provide more stability and certainty for world peace and development.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain unwavering in opening up to the outside world, and embrace higher-quality cooperation with Central Asian countries to deepen the integration of interests and achieve common development.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Ancient Chinese philosophy advocates “mutual care and mutual benefit.” Similarly, a Central Asian proverb compares harmony and unity to happiness and wealth. China is ready to work with all parties to carry forward the China-Central Asia Spirit, pursue the goal of a community with a shared future, and strive for new progress in China-Central Asia cooperation.
Thank you.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Railway maintenance underway to ensure safe summer travel rush in China’s Taiyuan
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
When meeting with former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday, a mainland official urged the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to take part in, work for and benefit from Chinese modernization.
Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, met with Ma, who is leading a delegation of young people from Taiwan, in Ningde City, east China’s Fujian Province.
Song called on people on both sides of the Strait, all of whom are Chinese, to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, firmly oppose “Taiwan independence” separatism and external interference, and promote cross-Strait exchange and cooperation.
He also urged people to work together to maintain peace and stability in the Strait, advance the process of reunification, and pursue national rejuvenation.
Ma noted that when the two sides of the Strait work together, they both benefit, but when they drift apart, both suffer.
Stressing that people across the Strait yearn for peace and cooperation, Ma said that by upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence,” the two sides can stride forward hand in hand to jointly forge a bright future.
Before the meeting, Ma and the other members of the delegation visited Xiadang, a model township of poverty alleviation, as well as the premises of leading battery manufacturer CATL.
While working in Fujian, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping made three arduous trips to Xiadang, in a bid to lift the town out of poverty.
Ma said that General Secretary Xi has led nearly 100 million people out of poverty on the mainland, which is a rare achievement in history and around the world, and a historic contribution to the Chinese nation. This achievement is truly admirable and touching, Ma noted.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax and budget bill will increase the deficit by 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars over the next decade, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” is a core agenda for the Trump administration, encompassing a range of policies including taxation, border control, and artificial intelligence. The bill sparked sharp partisan debate within the United States over whether it would increase the national debt.
“It’s not only not paying for all of itself, it’s not paying for any of itself,” Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said Tuesday on social media.
The bill will also increase the wealth gap in the United States, costing the poorest Americans approximately 1,600 dollars per year, while increasing the average annual income of the wealthiest households by 12,000 dollars, according to the report released by the CBO on June 12.
Due to several reports expressing pessimism about the bill and the government’s economic measures, the CBO has faced criticism from some Republican leaders.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the CBO is “notorious for getting things wrong.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the CBO’s projections as “absurd.”
As Trump urges Congress to approve the bill before July 4, the CBO’s predictions could lead to further controversy between the two parties over the bill.
Source: New Zealand Government
International investors have left New Zealand excited about the opportunities created at the first Investor Summit held in Auckland over the past two days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.
“Many millions of dollars is now under discussion and when those deals come to fruition, New Zealanders will not only see their roads, hospitals and schools built faster but they will see jobs created and businesses thrive around the new infrastructure.
“Over the past few days, our growth agenda has been turbo-charged, and I am very excited about the prospects,” says Mr Luxon.
Investors at the Summit from all over the world share that excitement.
Plenary, which is a long-term investor in infrastructure, and holds more than $98 billion worth of assets across the world, has identified New Zealand as a global priority for public private partnerships (PPP) and will launch a New Zealand office in the next 18 months. Patrick Lauren said: “Particularly for a company that’s entering a market, we like to see that it’s not chop and change. We’re going to be bringing over people, we’re going to be bringing over capital here.”
Webuild, which has committed to pursuing at least five PPP opportunities over a five-year timeframe and establishing an office in New Zealand within the next 18 months. Of the Northern Expressway Guido Cacciaguerra said: “It’s the first PPP, of course, which is very important because if the Government gets this right, it’s the most powerful marketing tool to attract more investors in the future.”
Chairman and CEO of Spanish investor Acciona Jose Manuel Entrecanales said the Government was to be congratulated for bringing the investors together at the Summit and indicated his company’s interest in both the Northland Expressway and the second Harbour crossing. “I congratulate the Government and the Opposition for this, it’s a well-worth effort by the Government to bring to international infrastructure investors a mindshare of what opportunities your country has.”
Paul Newfield of Morrison said the Government’s message that New Zealand is
a great place to invest because it is a safe haven in an uncertain world, is a good one. He says stability of institutions and an adherence to the rule of law is an important factor for companies looking to invest.
Global investment group CDPQ from Quebec is also encouraged by the messages at the Summit. Sydney based Managing Director Jean-Étienne Leroux said they have a $9 billion fund available for Australia and New Zealand. “We are looking for predictability and stability. I have been covering this region for more than 10 years and we are now very happy to feel our capital is so welcome in this country.”
“This is just the beginning,” Mr Luxon says.
“We have sent a clear message that New Zealand is open for business and, that message has been received.
“This is a huge boost to our growth agenda, and we will be pursuing these opportunities with every tool we have.
“Because growth is good for New Zealand.”
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia
Job ads down 2.8% nationally in May 2025
Linda
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
A new Revenue and Plan 2025-2029 has been adopted which outlines how revenue is calculated and collected.
Adopted at last Monday’s Council meeting, the Revenue and Rating Plan explains how the City of Greater Bendigo will raise funds to provide services, facilities and infrastructure over the next four years.
This includes finding the most appropriate and affordable rates approach for Greater Bendigo’s residents and businesses. It also includes principles for decision-making for other income sources such as fees and charges.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the new Rating and Revenue Plan provided responsible fiscal planning and is informed by the new Council Plan Mir wimbul 2025-2029.
“The City provides around 60 services, maintains facilities and infrastructure and looks after important projects and initiatives. It must collect revenue to cover the costs for these services and assets,” Cr Metcalf said.
“The most significant revenue streams are from rates revenue, user fees and charges and government grants which together make up over 90% of council revenue each year.
“The total revenue raised for the 2025/2026 financial year is expected to be $263M with $160M from rates and charges, $28M from user charges, fees and fines, and $49M from government grants. In-kind contributions valued at $18M for infrastructure assets are expected to be given during the new fiscal year at no cost to the City. Capital works expenditure is estimated at nearly $70M.
“Greater Bendigo currently has different rating types for different properties, known as differential rates, to allow classes of properties to be assessed at different levels to the general rate set for the municipality. This allows for a more equal distribution of the rate burden, depending on the use of the land.
“In May, the community was invited to complete a Revenue and Rating Plan survey on the City’s engagement platform Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo.
“Drawing on community feedback from the survey and engagement throughout the Budget project, there is a change to the rates and charges structure for 2025/2026 across the different classes of land.
“This includes a 10% reduction in the Farm Land differential rate and 5% increase to the commercial and industrial differential rates to ensure there is a fair and equitable distribution of the rating burden across the different classes of land,” Cr Metcalf said.
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
The City of Greater Bendigo will continue to focus on more targeted and meaningful engagement with older residents through its Let’s Talk community engagement website, events and activities but will discontinue its Positive Ageing Advisory Committee (PAAC).
City of Greater Bendigo Healthy Communities and Environment Acting Director Andie West said in 2024 the City reviewed several advisory committees including the PAAC. The review found that in recent years the City has increased the range of positive ageing initiatives it provides to the community which has resulted in an increase in participation and interest.
“All members of the community can now have their say on a range of engagement opportunities via the City’s Let’s Talk website. This platform has proven an effective alternative to traditional advisory groups to capture the voice of older adults on a range of Council policies, projects and plans,” Ms West said.
“The review of the PAAC coupled with changes to the ways the City engages with community has led to the decision to discontinue the PAAC in its current form and will reinvest funds and resourcing so we have a greater reach and impact into the future.
“Since 2011, through the City’s Positive Ageing Strategy, All Ages All Abilities Action Plan and Positive Ageing Action Plan, the City has worked to support older adults to lead healthy, happy and resilient lives that encourage connection and participation through initiatives, events and programs.
“Recent surveys on the Let’s Talk website have shown that older adults will interact with the City using online channels and this approach will continue along with face-to-face forums to ensure resources are streamlined to deliver purposeful and impactful engagement in line with modern practices.
“In addition, a Positive Ageing Special Interest Group page called Ageing Well in Greater Bendigo has been established on Let’s Talk to enable targeted engagement and allow participants to contribute via a flexible, cost-effective, and relevant platform.
“The aim of this group page is to develop a network of interested community members and provide the opportunity for the voices of older people, advocates and service providers to be heard to help guide the City’s work with older people in the community.
“The page also provides opportunities for the City to invite those who have registered for the page to provide feedback on specific issues related to older adults.
“It is also proposed that an annual Ageing Well in Greater Bendigo Forum with an open invitation be held for older adults. This face-to-face forum would enable engagement on specific, focused topics of importance to them and Councillors could participate in the opportunity.
“In 2024 the City also hosted Be Well Be Connected Expos in Bendigo and Heathcote and this year in Elmore. The expos received extremely positive community and service provider feedback and have directly connected older adults with providers in their local communities.
“The expos have proven a fantastic way for older residents to link to services, provide feedback to the City on current projects and connect with others.
“The City would like to acknowledge and thank all past and current members for their service to the PACC over the past 15 years.”
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
###
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney
In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation.
Horcasitas was tried and convicted of reckless manslaughter.
When it was time for Horcasitas to be sentenced by a judge, Pelkey’s family knew they wanted to make a statement – known as a “victim impact statement” – explaining to the judge who Pelkey had been when he was alive.
They found they couldn’t get the words right.
The solution for them turned out to be having Pelkey speak for himself by creating an AI-generated avatar that used his face and voice, allowing him to “talk” directly to the judge.
This marked the first time a United States court had allowed an AI-generated victim to make this kind of beyond-the-grave statement, and likely the first time something like this had occurred anywhere in the world.
The AI avatar was created by Pelkey’s sister Stacey Wales and her husband Tim, with Stacey writing the words “spoken” by Pelkey – words that were not taken from anything he actually said when he was alive but based on what she believed he would have said.
The avatar was created by using samples of Pelkey’s voice from videos that had been recorded before his death and photos the family had of him – specifically a photo used at his funeral.
In the video, Pelkey “says” he believes in forgiveness and “a God who forgives”, and that “in another life” he and Horcasitas could have been friends.
After the video was played in court, Judge Todd Lang, who had allowed the AI statement to be delivered, stated he “loved” the AI, adding he “heard the forgiveness” contained in it. He further stated he felt the forgiveness was “genuine”.
In the end, Horcasitas was sentenced to the maximum of ten-and-a-half years – more than the nine years the prosecution was seeking but equal to what Pelkey’s family asked for in their own victim impact statements.
In general, court rules are similar across Australian states and territories and it would be unlikely these technological advances would be acceptable in Australian sentencing courts.
These rules allow victims or their families to read their statement to courts, but this is limited to written statements usually edited by the prosecution, although victims may include drawings and photos where approved.
A victim will generally read their own statement to the court. However, where the victim has died, family members can make a statement speaking to their own trauma and loss.
Sometimes victims ask the prosecutor to read their statement, or the prosecutor merely hands over a written statement to the judge.
To date, no Australian court has permitted family members to speak for the deceased victim personally and family members are generally limited to describing harms they have directly suffered.
Victims may also be cross-examined by defence counsel on the statements’ content.
Creating an AI avatar would be time-consuming and expensive for prosecutors to edit. Cross-examination by the defence would be impossible.
Compared to the US, there is generally far less tolerance in Australian courts for dramatic readings of statements or using audio-visual materials.
In the US, victims enjoy greater freedom to invoke emotions, explore personal narratives and even show videos of the deceased, all to give the court a better sense of the victim as a person.
The use of an AI avatar, therefore, is not too far from what is already allowed in most US courts.
Despite these allowances, there is still concern the emotional impact of a more direct statement from an AI victim could be used to manipulate the court by putting words into the victim’s virtual mouth.
As can be seen in the Arizona sentencing, Judge Lang was clearly affected by the emotions generated by the AI Pelkey.
Changes to Australian law would be needed to ban use of AI recordings specifically. But even without such changes, Australian sentencing practice is already so restrictive as to essentially preclude such technology.
It seems Australia is some ways from joining Arizona in allowing an AI avatar of a deceased person speaking from “beyond the grave”.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar – https://theconversation.com/why-a-us-court-allowed-a-dead-man-to-deliver-his-own-victim-impact-statement-via-an-ai-avatar-259045
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea Esterling, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury
This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster also known as the Pleiades.
Yet, ironically, the accompanying celebrations and the legislation that declares Matariki a public holiday miss the mark. They fail to promote and protect the country’s dark skies, which are crucial to seeing the stars in this small constellation.
While the law recognises Matariki’s significance to Māori culture and heritage as the beginning of the Māori New Year, it does not acknowledge that it is predicated on the visual presence of the star cluster.
Even where Matariki is not visible owing to weather conditions, the ability to see other celestial markers is important (for example Puanga/Puaka, also known as Rigel). Light pollution is a visual barrier to experiencing these important stars.
Since the passage of the legislation, local councils across the country have marked the public holiday with various light displays. This year will be no different, with illuminated artworks, projections and lightboxes at Matariki festivals in several cities.
Tirama Mai (bringing the light) will return to Ōtautahi Christchurch with brightly lit displays. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will see some of its most popular sites, including Queen Street, lit up as part of Tūrama, a series of large-scale, illuminated art installations.
In Rotorua, Whakatū Nelson and Ōtepoti Dunedin, Matariki festivities include spectacular drone light shows which will light up the night sky.
After initially ignoring Māori advice that fireworks are not appropriate to celebrate Matariki, many local councils have now abandoned them. But festivities will no doubt continue to contribute to light pollution and ignore the need to protect dark skies at night.
These ill-conceived festivities are not surprising given the legislation fails to even mention dark skies. This is exacerbated by New Zealand emerging as a major player in the increasingly commercialised space sector which has developed rapidly since the first rocket lifted off from Mahia peninsula in 2017.
Much of Aotearoa’s landmass has some of the darkest skies on the planet. Based on land area, 74% of the North Island and 93% of the South Island rest beneath night skies that are either pristine or degraded only near the horizon. Indeed, the area affected by direct illumination is very low.
Yet, intense urbanisation means only 3% of the population regularly experience such skies. About half of all New Zealanders can no longer see the Milky Way in winter.
Globally, the visibility of stars (an indicator of the level of light pollution) decreased by 7-10% per year from 2011 to 2022. The visibility of the night sky in New Zealand appears to be following a similar trend. Between 2012 and 2021, the area affected by light pollution grew at a rate of 4.2% above the global average.
Advertising and tourism campaigns reinforce the perception that Aotearoa has dark skies, but visible satellites could soon outnumber the stars people can see, from New Zealand and worldwide.
At present, there is no explicit domestic law protecting dark skies, nor any international laws. The law declaring Matariki a public holiday missed an important opportunity to provide such protection.
To address this issue, a petition was presented to parliament in January 2023 calling for national legislation to promote and protect dark skies. In March this year, parliament responded it would not take further actions “due to other priorities on the government’s resource management reform work programme”.
This is not surprising. Nevertheless, we call on the government to develop legislation for the governance of dark skies in Aotearoa New Zealand that incorporates mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge).
While there are a variety of ways this could be achieved, controlling light pollution is the crux of the issue. Light pollution emanates both from unmitigated urban lighting as well as the expansion of satellite constellations, which is steadily forming a global net of moving points of light in space.
An incremental approach could be a government-backed education programme to raise awareness of light pollution, followed by the development of a national policy for its control. An amendment to the Matariki public holiday law could then follow in recognition of the national interest.
We are aware the challenges ahead are many. Yet, protecting dark skies is vital from a Māori perspective. Practically, such protections are crucial to the enjoyment and honouring of Matariki as we continue to risk disconnection from one of our most important natural features.
Shea Esterling receives funding from the Borrin Foundation.
William Grant does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars harder to see – https://theconversation.com/matariki-and-our-diminishing-night-sky-light-pollution-from-cities-and-satellites-is-making-stars-harder-to-see-258169
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University
When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies, beetles, snails, worms, octopuses, starfish, corals, spiders and many many more. These creatures make us happy, pollinate flowers, keep soils healthy, clean water, build reefs, maintain oceans and bring colour and wonder to our homes, cities, farms and wild places.
Sadly, almost 1,000 Australian invertebrates are threatened with extinction and need protecting. These species are on one or more official lists, including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Species IUCN Red List, Australia’s national list of threatened fauna, and state and territory lists. Many more unnamed and unassessed species are likely in trouble.
When a mammal or bird goes extinct in Australia, it’s big news. But invertebrates have gone extinct much more frequently – and with much less attention. Since colonisation, an estimated 9,000 invertebrates have gone extinct – and one or two more go extinct every week.
Invertebrates face five big challenges: climate change, habitat destruction, natural resource extraction, pollution and invasive species. For the most part, efforts to conserve them are in their infancy in Australia, likely due to the historic undervaluing of smaller animals and little critters. There are shining exceptions such as the incredible conservation success of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, but such examples are vanishingly rare.
The good news? Because invertebrates live everywhere, the opportunity to help is often literally on our doorsteps. Simple actions can help, such as planting native species, leaving logs in the garden and avoiding insecticides.
Threatened invertebrates live in every Australian state and territory and in our major cities. Of the almost 1,000 threatened species, 27% are snails and slugs, 25% are insects, 19% are corals, 17% are crayfish and 5% are spiders. Here are some you may come across.
Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa). These moths once filled the night skies in their billions. Now they’re listed as endangered because the cool alpine caves they rely on to escape summer heat are warming with climate change. These migratory moths fly across southern Australia, navigating to their mountain refuges each summer using the stars and earth’s magnetic field. Help map their migration to protect them.
Atlas moth (Attacus wardi). This giant tropical moth with a 22 cm wingspan is now considered vulnerable due to habitat destruction and introduced weeds. If you live near Darwin, planting the native Atlas Croton tree will help feed its very hungry caterpillars.
Mangrove ant-blue butterfly (Acrodipsas illidgei). These endangered butterflies lay eggs on grey mangrove trees home to acrobat ants (Crematogaster species), which carry the eggs into its nests. When the caterpillars hatch, they eat ant larvae while in turn nourishing the ant colony with sugary secretions. Mangrove destruction, pesticide runoff and threats to their ant partners pose real threats. Protecting mangroves in southeast Queensland and reporting sightings of butterflies and ants on iNaturalist will help.
Sydney Hawk dragonfly (Austrocordulia leonardi). This strikingly coloured endangered dragonfly is largely found in Sydney. Changes to local waterways and the deep pools its aquatic larvae need threaten the species. Restoring local waterways will help.
Dural land snails (Pommerhelix duralensis). These endangered snails are found only in north-western Sydney and the lower Blue Mountains. They cruise through leaves and rocks munching on fungi and helping add compost to forest soils. You might catch a glimpse during light rain. Help them by leaving large patches of undisturbed native undergrowth – habitat loss poses the biggest threat.
Hairy bee (Leioproctus douglasiellus). This critically endangered burrowing bee lives only in and around Perth. Its numbers have fallen due to habitat loss and pesticides. Leaving patches of open soil in your garden and planting shallow flowers can help these short-tongued bees get nectar.
Giant Gippsland earthworm (Megascolides australis). This iconic earthworm can grow up to 1.5 metres long. It only lives in a patch of southern Gippsland in Victoria and is endangered in part due to farming practices such as ploughing. These gentle giants famously gurgle as they move through their tunnels keeping soil healthy. Local landholders can help by leaving patches of land along stream banks as worm conservation habitat.
Tasmanian live-bearing sea stars (Parvulastra vivipara). Most sea stars lay eggs. Not this species, which gives birth to live young. They’re endangered because they live in intertidal waters of south-eastern Tasmania affected by shoreline development and invasive species. Look carefully and you might see one as it grazes on algae-covered rocks. Join local events to tackle invasive species and log any sightings on iNaturalist.
Invertebrates bring us delight and wonder. Here’s how we can help those in trouble.
Plant flowers. Providing food for pollinators and other wonderful flower-visiting insects can help year-round.
Keep part of your garden a bit wild. If you leave logs, leaves and open soil in your garden, you make space for shiny beetles, singing crickets, native bees and other ground-dwellers.
The creek is beautiful. Help restore waterways, make a pond, learn about local water bugs and support local wetlands.
Be clever with pest control. Avoid snail baits and cancel regular broad-spectrum sprays, as these can harm many non-target species. Use critter-friendly alternatives to protect the whole food chain.
Let the stars shine. Switch off lights at night if safe or close your curtains to help nocturnal creatures such as moths and orb-weaving spiders.
Log your sightings. Conservation scientists need as much data as possible on invertebrates to understand how they are doing out there. Upload your bug photos to iNaturalist.
Kate Umbers receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Commonwealth DCCEEW, Hermon Slade Foundation, and Holsworth Foundation. She is affiliated with Invertebrates Australia, Biodiversity Council, co-chair of the IUCN Grasshopper Specialist Group, and is on the Conservation Committee for the Australian Entomological Society.
Kenny Wolfe is affiliated with Invertebrates Australia.
Megan Head is affiliated with Invertebrates Australia.
Shawan Chowdhury is affiliated with Monash University and Invertebrates Australia.
Tanya Latty co-founded and volunteers for conservation organisation Invertebrates Australia. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council, NSW Saving our Species, and Agrifutures Australia
– ref. Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates – https://theconversation.com/saving-species-starts-at-home-how-you-can-help-australias-1-000-threatened-invertebrates-258285
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University
If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”.
But which is it? Gastro or food poisoning?
What’s the difference anyway?
Gastroenteritis, or gastro for short, is a gut infection caused by a virus, bacterium or other microbe.
The gut is teeming with cells including healthy microbes and the cells lining the gut. But when viruses, bacteria and other microbes start to invade your gut, they colonise, build up in large numbers and eventually cause the cells lining the gut to inflame. The “-itis” at the end of gastroenteritis means inflammation.
Gastroenteritis is extremely common. In Australia there are an estimated 17.2 million cases a year.
So where do these gastro-causing microbes come from? Eating contaminated food is often the source.
However you can acquire these microbes in other ways. For example, if you touch a surface where someone sick from viral gastroenteritis had vomited on, that virus could transfer to your hands. And if your hands touched your mouth, you in turn could contract viral gastroenteritis.
Food poisoning refers to getting sick from eating food contaminated with chemicals, microbes or toxins.
For example if you ate food contaminated with insecticides or methyl alcohol (methanol) that would count as food poisoning. If you ate puffer fish or poisonous mushrooms that would count too. But food poisoning doesn’t include the effects of eating a food you’re allergic to.
The vast majority of food poisonings are as a result of food contaminated by microbes and their toxins. When you eat or drink them it’s like a missile strike. The toxins in particular can rapidly cause inflammation and damage the lining of the gut.
To add to the confusion, food poisoning is often referred to as foodborne gastroenteritis.
Food poisoning (or foodborne gastroenteritis) is also common in Australia. It accounts for about one-third of all cases of gastroenteritis or an estimated 5.4 million cases every year.
Both gastroenteritis and food poisoning have symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, fever and headaches. But these symptoms can come on in different ways.
Viral gastroenteritis, such as with norovirus, usually causes symptoms 24–48 hours after exposure, which can last for one to two days.
But food poisoning after eating microbial toxins can come on very quickly. For example, toxins from the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus can cause symptoms within 30 minutes of eating contaminated food, such as undercooked meat. Fortunately, symptoms usually get better within 24 hours.
Symptoms don’t always come on so quickly in all cases of bacterial food poisoning. For example, it can take as long as 70 days between exposure to Listeria and symptoms occurring, although, on average it’s about three weeks. This long incubation period can make it difficult to work out if a particular food is responsible for someone getting sick.
As a general guide food poisoning occurs quite quickly (within hours of eating contaminated food) while gastroenteritis can take a day or more after eating to get sick. But there is no hard and fast rule.
The same precautions when handling food apply to preventing both gastroenteritis and food poisoning. These steps not only lower your risk of being affected in the first place, they lower your risk of you infecting others.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods to help avoid cross-contamination. Cook food thoroughly and store it at safe temperatures.
Gastroenteritis can involve transmission of microbes through means other than food, for instance, via poo on your hands if you don’t wash your hands after using the toilet or after changing a child’s nappy. So wash your hands afterwards.
To prevent others from becoming sick, make sure you quickly disinfect contaminated surfaces thoroughly after someone vomits or has diarrhoea. First, put on gloves and wash surfaces with hot water and a detergent. Then disinfect using household bleach containing 0.1% hypochlorite.
Treating both gastroenteritis and food poisoning focuses on preventing dehydration and relieving symptoms.
To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of fluids. For moderate or severe cases, you can buy commercial oral rehydration solution from a pharmacy.
You can also make your own oral rehydration solution by adding 6 teaspoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to a litre of water. You can splash in some cordial for taste.
If symptoms are severe or persist you should see your GP or go to the emergency department.
Read more:
Got gastro? Here’s why eating bananas helps but drinking flat lemonade might not
Vincent Ho does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. What’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-food-poisoning-and-gastro-a-gut-expert-explains-252730
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeffrey Fields, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Relations between the United States and Iran have been fraught for decades – at least since the U.S. helped overthrow a democracy-minded prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, in August 1953. The U.S. then supported the long, repressive reign of the Shah of Iran, whose security services brutalized Iranian citizens for decades.
The two countries have been particularly hostile to each other since Iranian students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979, resulting in economic sanctions and the severing of formal diplomatic relations between the nations.
Since 1984, the U.S. State Department has listed Iran as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” alleging the Iranian government provides terrorists with training, money and weapons.
Some of the major events in U.S.-Iran relations highlight the differences between the nations’ views, but others arguably presented real opportunities for reconciliation.
In 1951, the Iranian Parliament chose a new prime minister, Mossadegh, who then led lawmakers to vote in favor of taking over the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, expelling the company’s British owners and saying they wanted to turn oil profits into investments in the Iranian people. The U.S. feared disruption in the global oil supply and worried about Iran falling prey to Soviet influence. The British feared the loss of cheap Iranian oil.
President Dwight Eisenhower decided it was best for the U.S. and the U.K. to get rid of Mossadegh. Operation Ajax, a joint CIA-British operation, convinced the Shah of Iran, the country’s monarch, to dismiss Mossadegh and drive him from office by force. Mossadegh was replaced by a much more Western-friendly prime minister, handpicked by the CIA.
After more than 25 years of relative stability in U.S.-Iran relations, the Iranian public had grown unhappy with the social and economic conditions that developed under the dictatorial rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Pahlavi enriched himself and used American aid to fund the military while many Iranians lived in poverty. Dissent was often violently quashed by SAVAK, the shah’s security service. In January 1979, the shah left Iran, ostensibly to seek cancer treatment. Two weeks later, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in Iraq and led a drive to abolish the monarchy and proclaim an Islamic government.
In October 1979, President Jimmy Carter agreed to allow the shah to come to the U.S. to seek advanced medical treatment. Outraged Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, taking 52 Americans hostage. That convinced Carter to sever U.S. diplomatic relations with Iran on April 7, 1980.
Two weeks later, the U.S. military launched a mission to rescue the hostages, but it failed, with aircraft crashes killing eight U.S. servicemembers.
The shah died in Egypt in July 1980, but the hostages weren’t released until Jan. 20, 1981, after 444 days of captivity.
In September 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, an escalation of the two countries’ regional rivalry and religious differences: Iraq was governed by Sunni Muslims but had a Shia Muslim majority population; Iran was led and populated mostly by Shiites.
The U.S. was concerned that the conflict would limit the flow of Middle Eastern oil and wanted to ensure the conflict didn’t affect its close ally, Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. supported Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in his fight against the anti-American Iranian regime. As a result, the U.S. mostly turned a blind eye toward Iraq’s use of chemical weapons against Iran.
U.S. officials moderated their usual opposition to those illegal and inhumane weapons because the U.S. State Department did not “wish to play into Iran’s hands by fueling its propaganda against Iraq.” In 1988, the war ended in a stalemate. More than 500,000 military and 100,000 civilians died.
The U.S. imposed an arms embargo after Iran was designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1984. That left the Iranian military, in the middle of its war with Iraq, desperate for weapons and aircraft and vehicle parts to keep fighting.
The Reagan administration decided that the embargo would likely push Iran to seek support from the Soviet Union, the U.S.’s Cold War rival. Rather than formally end the embargo, U.S. officials agreed to secretly sell weapons to Iran starting in 1981.
The last shipment, of anti-tank missiles, was in October 1986. In November 1986, a Lebanese magazine exposed the deal. That revelation sparked the Iran-Contra scandal in the U.S., with Reagan’s officials found to have collected money from Iran for the weapons and illegally sent those funds to anti-socialist rebels – the Contras – in Nicaragua.
On the morning of July 8, 1988, the USS Vincennes, a guided missile cruiser patrolling in the international waters of the Persian Gulf, entered Iranian territorial waters while in a skirmish with Iranian gunboats.
Either during or just after that exchange of gunfire, the Vincennes crew mistook a passing civilian Airbus passenger jet for an Iranian F-14 fighter. They shot it down, killing all 290 people aboard.
The U.S. called it a “tragic and regrettable accident,” but Iran believed the plane’s downing was intentional. In 1996, the U.S. agreed to pay US$131.8 million in compensation to Iran.
In August 1997, a moderate reformer, Mohammad Khatami, won Iran’s presidential election.
U.S. President Bill Clinton sensed an opportunity. He sent a message to Tehran through the Swiss ambassador there, proposing direct government-to-government talks.
Shortly thereafter, in early January 1998, Khatami gave an interview to CNN in which he expressed “respect for the great American people,” denounced terrorism and recommended an “exchange of professors, writers, scholars, artists, journalists and tourists” between the United States and Iran.
However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei didn’t agree, so not much came of the mutual overtures as Clinton’s time in office came to an end.
In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush characterized Iran, Iraq and North Korea as constituting an “Axis of Evil” supporting terrorism and pursuing weapons of mass destruction, straining relations even further.
In August 2002, an exiled rebel group announced that Iran had been secretly working on nuclear weapons at two installations that had not previously been publicly revealed.
That was a violation of the terms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which Iran had signed, requiring countries to disclose their nuclear-related facilities to international inspectors.
One of those formerly secret locations, Natanz, housed centrifuges for enriching uranium, which could be used in civilian nuclear reactors or enriched further for weapons.
Starting in roughly 2005, U.S. and Israeli government cyberattackers together reportedly targeted the Natanz centrifuges with a custom-made piece of malicious software that became known as Stuxnet.
That effort, which slowed down Iran’s nuclear program was one of many U.S. and international attempts – mostly unsuccessful – to curtail Iran’s progress toward building a nuclear bomb.
In May 2003, senior Iranian officials quietly contacted the State Department through the Swiss embassy in Iran, seeking “a dialogue ‘in mutual respect,’” addressing four big issues: nuclear weapons, terrorism, Palestinian resistance and stability in Iraq.
Hardliners in the Bush administration weren’t interested in any major reconciliation, though Secretary of State Colin Powell favored dialogue and other officials had met with Iran about al-Qaida.
When Iranian hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president of Iran in 2005, the opportunity died. The following year, Ahmadinejad made his own overture to Washington in an 18-page letter to President Bush. The letter was widely dismissed; a senior State Department official told me in profane terms that it amounted to nothing.
After a decade of unsuccessful attempts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Obama administration undertook a direct diplomatic approach beginning in 2013.
Two years of secret, direct negotiations initially bilaterally between the U.S. and Iran and later with other nuclear powers culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, often called the Iran nuclear deal.
Two years of secret, direct negotiations conducted bilaterally at first between the U.S. and Iran and later with other nuclear powers culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, often called the Iran nuclear deal.
Iran, the U.S., China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom signed the deal in 2015. It severely limited Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium and mandated that international inspectors monitor and enforce Iran’s compliance with the agreement.
In return, Iran was granted relief from international and U.S. economic sanctions. Though the inspectors regularly certified that Iran was abiding by the agreement’s terms, President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in May 2018.
On Jan. 3, 2020, an American drone fired a missile that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Analysts considered Soleimani the second most powerful man in Iran, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
At the time, the Trump administration asserted that Soleimani was directing an imminent attack against U.S. assets in the region, but officials have not provided clear evidence to support that claim.
Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles that hit two American bases in Iraq.
Hamas’ brazen attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, provoked a fearsome militarized response from Israel that continues today and served to severely weaken Iran’s proxies in the region, especially Hamas – the perpetrator of the attacks – and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump saw an opportunity to forge a new nuclear deal with Iran and to pursue other business deals with Tehran. Once inaugurated for his second term, Trump appointed Steve Witkoff, a real estate investor who is the president’s friend, to serve as special envoy for the Middle East and to lead negotiations.
Negotiations for a nuclear deal between Washington and Tehran began in April, but the countries did not reach a deal. They were planning a new round of talks when Israel struck Iran with a series of airstrikes on June 13, forcing the White House to reconsider is position.
Jeffrey Fields receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Schmidt Futures.
– ref. US and Iran have a long, complicated history, spanning far beyond Israel’s strikes on Tehran – https://theconversation.com/us-and-iran-have-a-long-complicated-history-spanning-far-beyond-israels-strikes-on-tehran-259240
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
VIDEO OF KAINE’S REMARKS IS AVAILABLE HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hosted a spotlight forum with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to highlight how President Donald Trump and Republicans’ bill would make major cuts to vital programs that families rely on, including Medicaid and SNAP, in order to pay for massive tax breaks for the wealthy.
“We’re here because of the reconciliation bill … which we call the ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal.’ And my Republican colleagues are trying to pass it by a party-line vote without including us in any of the discussions about what’s in the bill. But it would be disastrous for this country,” said Kaine as he began the forum. “We’ll do everything we can to try and defeat it.”
Kaine continued, “President Trump and congressional Republicans are championing this BBB and it reflects choices – affirmative, calculated decisions about who to help and who to harm … But we don’t have to make a choice to harm middle-class and working people. We don’t have to do that. We can cut taxes for working- and middle-class families without cutting crucial programs that these families rely on. We can choose not to give additional tax breaks to those who have already been so benefitted in the past by tax breaks.
“The top 20 percent of households will receive nearly 70 percent of the tax cuts in the House bill. That is an upside-down priority,” Kaine continued. “According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office … 16 million Americans nationwide will lose health care coverage under the House bill, and that includes more than 300,000 Virginians.
“According to our Joint Economic Committee, the House bill … would cut SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, by 20 percent, slashing away a crucial safety net for about 200,000 Virginians – 800,000 get SNAP benefits [in total in Virginia]. The benefits are modest – $4.70 per day – but 200,000 of those 800,000 will either have their $4.70 benefit reduced or completely eliminated,” said Kaine. “SNAP fights hunger fast. When it’s slashed, families will feel hunger a lot faster.”
Kaine continued, “If we take a second and just tally things up: the tax plan would boot millions off health care, take food from the mouths of hungry children and families, cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and drive up the deficit by 3 trillion, although I saw the Senate version actually knocks it up even further, maybe as high as $5 trillion. This is before you start factoring in historic and illegal tariffs that the administration is levying on the same everyday people who are suffering by these cuts,” Kaine said.
“The Yale Budget Lab found that when you factor in both the reconciliation bill and the President’s tariff actions, the bottom 80 percent of American households are going to be worse off. So I truly hope my Republican colleagues will have a change of heart and rework this product, and we’re sure going to give them an opportunity to do it with all the amendments that we’re going to offer—very targeted amendments that will pose some really important choices for them. They could take out all of the SNAP and Medicaid cuts by scaling back the tax cuts for the wealthy, and still have a bill that costs the same as it is. This legislation is going to harm Virginians and harm Americans,” Kaine concluded.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
VIDEO OF KAINE’S FLOOR SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, spoke on the Senate floor about a war powers resolution he filed this week to express concern about the escalating violence in the Middle East and its potential to pull the U.S. into conflict. The resolution requires that any U.S. participation in offensive hostilities against Iran be explicitly authorized by Congress through a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force. It does not prevent the U.S. from defending itself from an imminent attack. The resolution is privileged, meaning that the Senate will be required to promptly consider and vote upon the resolution.
“There’s no part of the Constitution that’s more important than the Article One provision making plain that the United States should not be at war without a vote of Congress,” said Kaine. “Yet the news of the day suggests that we are potentially on the verge of a war with Iran.”
“I was elected to the Senate in 2012, having served as a Governor from 2006 to 2010 during a tremendous upsurge in the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I visited our troops multiple times in the green zones in Baghdad and in Afghanistan. I went to the deployments and the homecomings. I went to the wakes and the funerals,” Kaine continued. “And I told myself when I came to the Senate that if I ever had the chance to stop this nation from getting into an unnecessary war, I would do everything I could to stop us.”
“I happen to believe that the United States engaging in a war against Iran – a third war in the Middle East since 2001 – would be a catastrophic blunder for this country,” Kaine said. “I think there are some in this body who have a different point of view than me on that point, but I think we should all be able to agree in the fundamental constitutional principle that says we shouldn’t be in a war if Congress doesn’t have the guts to debate it and vote on it. We should all – having taken an oath to the Constitution – at least support the principle that war is something that should be for Congress to declare.”
“Our Constitution has, accordingly, with studied care, vested the question of war with the legislature,” said Kaine. “Other countries don’t do this, but the Framers of our Constitution in 1787 decided we’re going to be different. Before we send troops in harm’s way where they could be killed, where they could be injured, where they could see people that they love – their colleagues killed and injured – before we’re going to send troops in harm’s way in war, we want to see the people’s elected bodies – both houses – have a debate about what the stakes are and whether we should force our troops into harm’s way and potentially lose their lives. And that debate will be in full view of the American public, so the American public can understand what’s at stake and then they can call their representatives or write them a letter and tell them what they think about whether war is necessary and whether the sacrifice we ask of our troops should be the ultimate sacrifice that we are often asking of them in war.”
“The question for this body that we will grapple with over the course of the next couple of weeks is whether the United States should be in another war in the Middle East – in particular, whether we should allow war to start without us, whether we should hide in the tall grass, rather than exercise our constitutional responsibility under Article One. This is fundamentally a debate about Congress being true to its oath of office and actually also being true to the obligations we have to our public,” Kaine said. “The Framers put this in the Constitution so that we wouldn’t be at war without a debate in front of the public.”
“If we have that debate and we decide that war is in the national interest, then the troops go into war knowing that the civilian leadership of this country have had the hard debate in view of the American public and decided that the stakes are sufficient to ask people to make the ultimate sacrifice,” Kaine said. “How dare we ask people to make the ultimate sacrifice if we don’t have the guts to have a debate and decide whether a war is in the interest of this country?”
“We need to have this debate in front of the American public,” Kaine said. “Let them watch us debate the stakes of this – and it might be that colleagues in this body or in the House think a war with Iran is a good idea. Let them put a war authorization on the table. Let’s debate that. Let’s debate that in front of Virginians and Kansans and Californians and hear what our constituents have to say. Let’s debate that in the full view of people whose spouses are in the military or whose kids are in the military. Let’s have that debate in front of them and hear what they think before we cast a vote that would be one of the most serious votes that you ever cast on the floor of a body like this. But we should not allow a war of the magnitude of this to begin with Congress hiding.”
“I will be asking my colleagues to support my simple resolution as early as next week. No war without a vote of Congress. I’ll be asking my colleagues to support it and uphold the oath we’ve all taken to support the Constitution that established that most unusual principle, most unique principle, that is part of what makes this nation special,” Kaine concluded.
For years, Kaine has been a leading voice in Congress raising concerns over presidents’ efforts to expand the use of military force without congressional authorization. In 2017, Kaine wrote a piece in TIME warning of the consequences if President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran. In 2018, Kaine wrote a piece in The Atlantic warning that Trump was blundering toward war with Iran. In March 2020, Congress passed Kaine’s bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran without congressional authorization. In 2023, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation led by Kaine to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today applauded the Senate passage of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, bipartisan legislation to bring much-needed oversight and standards to the $250 billion stablecoin market, and released the following statement:
“For too long, stablecoins have operated in a regulatory gray area, putting consumers, markets, and national security at risk. The GENIUS Act changes that by creating guardrails for responsible innovation, setting high standards for issuers, and reining in potential abuses by big tech and bad actors.
“Many of us have deep concerns about how members of the Trump family have used crypto technologies to evade scrutiny, conceal financial entanglements, and profit off the public trust. We must remain vigilant in exposing and stopping these abuses. But our outrage over that corruption cannot prevent us from building a foundation for responsible innovation in this space. If we don’t lead, others will, and not in ways that reflect our interests or democratic values. With the GENIUS Act, the U.S. will finally begin to set the rules of the road to support innovation while protecting consumers and our national security.”
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
On June 16, the broadcast of the TV series “Catchphrases from the Classics, Favorite by Xi Jinping” (international version) was launched in five Central Asian countries. In this regard, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his warm congratulations.
Launched by China Media Group (CMG), the TV series “Xi Jinping’s Favorite Classical Quotes” (International Edition) carefully selects quotations from Chinese classical poetry and prose masterpieces used by Chinese President Xi Jinping in important speeches, articles and talks. They focus on themes of open cooperation, technological development, environmental protection and cultural innovation. With an international approach and vivid storytelling, the TV project explains to Central Asian audiences the deep historical and cultural roots of the Chinese leader’s ideas on governance, and also showcases the diversity of China’s modernization.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
On June 6, a ceremony was held in Lhasa to launch the filming of the documentary film “The Story of Time,” dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region.
Pictured: Title page of the script for the documentary film “The History of Time”
The documentary, using the “road trip plus memory lane” narrative method, follows the footsteps of 70-year-old Tsering Lhamo from Chamdo to Lhasa. With a professional eye and dynamic film language, the film vividly shows how the remote rural areas of the past have been transformed into vibrant new settlements; how ancient Lhasa, weaving together historical heritage and modern energy, has shone with a new, never-before-seen noble light.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Astana, June 18 (Xinhua) — China and five Central Asian countries on Tuesday reaffirmed their firm support for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the principles of sovereign equality and the inviolability of borders, according to the Treaty of Eternal Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation signed by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
According to the document, the six countries also reaffirmed their determination to jointly build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
All parties stressed that they would not use force or threaten to use it and would resolve disputes peacefully. States committed to supporting each other’s development paths and models chosen in accordance with national conditions and to supporting each other’s positions on issues of fundamental interest.
The parties must not enter into any alliances or groups directed against the other parties and must not support any actions hostile to the other parties, the agreement says.
All parties expressed their willingness to cooperate in the areas of trade, economy, investment, infrastructure connectivity, engineering and technology, energy (including hydro and renewable energy), transport, mineral resources, agriculture, ecology and environmental protection, processing industry, science and technology, as well as other areas of mutual interest, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
The states also agreed to cooperate within the framework of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to jointly combat terrorism, separatism, extremism and transnational organized crime. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
“Lu Ban Workshop” is a Chinese brand of international cooperation in vocational education, which has now become an important platform for technology transfer and talent training in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”. In November 2022, the first “Lu Ban Workshop” in Central Asia was launched in Tajikistan. Over the next year, Lu Ban Workshops were launched in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries. This project not only opened up opportunities for Central Asian youth, but also built a bridge of understanding between the people of China and the Central Asian region.
Lu Ban’s workshops, opened in several Central Asian countries, have achieved good results and reflect three main features of practical cooperation between China and the region. First, it is demand-driven, when all specialties are selected taking into account the actual needs of the industries of Central Asian countries. Second, it is technology adaptation, that is, an organic combination of China’s advanced technologies in infrastructure construction, new energy sources, etc., with local resources and development conditions. Third, it is sustainability, when, based on the medium- and long-term development strategies of countries, not only the current problem of shortage of qualified personnel is solved, but also special attention is paid to the development of the ability for independent economic development. China has always promoted cooperation with Central Asian countries in the field of vocational education on the basis of equality and win-win cooperation, which reflects the Chinese concept of “benevolence, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness” towards neighboring countries.
In the long term, Lu Ban Workshops will continue to play the role of a technology incubator and talent reservoir, providing a steady impetus to long-term cooperation between China and Central Asian countries. As generations of local talents grow and individual joint projects steadily advance, Lu Ban Workshops will become a source of new energy for cooperation between China and Central Asia, laying a solid foundation for building a closer community of shared destiny between China and the region.
Author: Yang Jin, Deputy Director of the Central Asia and Caucasus Department, Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says the Government is delivering on its promise to cut red tape and give Kiwis greater access to more treatments, starting with melatonin and medicinal psilocybin.
“Many New Zealanders have asked me why people can buy melatonin overseas but they can’t buy it from their local pharmacy. Medsafe has assessed this and decided there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be available on pharmacy shelves right here at home,” says Mr Seymour.
Melatonin, a medicine used to treat insomnia and jet lag, has previously been tightly restricted in New Zealand. Right now, only a few melatonin products are approved for people aged over 55.
“In time, adults will be able to buy melatonin directly from a pharmacy with no prescription needed. This is a commonsense decision that will make melatonin more accessible in New Zealand than in many other countries and encourage suppliers bring more products to our shelves.
Melatonin will remain prescription-only for children and adolescents, following expert clinical advice to ensure proper oversight when used by younger patients.
“In another win for patients, Medsafe has also approved the prescription of medicinal psilocybin outside of clinical trials for the first time in New Zealand,” says Mr Seymour.
“Psilocybin remains an unapproved medicine, but a highly experienced psychiatrist has been granted authority to prescribe it to patients with treatment-resistant depression.
“This is huge for people with depression who’ve tried everything else and are still suffering. If a doctor believes psilocybin can help, they should have the tools to try.
“The psychiatrist involved has previously prescribed psilocybin in clinical trials and will operate under strict reporting and record-keeping requirements.
“New Zealand is now in line with Australia, where authorised prescribers have been using psilocybin in clinical settings for some time.
“Kiwis shouldn’t be left counting sheep or desperate for options when other countries are already using these medicines. The Government is committed to putting patients first.”
Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died after a single vehicle incident in Redwoodtown, Blenheim.
At around 10:45am Emergency services received reports of the incident on Lewis Street.
The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance.
The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
Lewis Street will remain closed until a scene examination has been carried out.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
Maritime NZ has filed two charges against KiwiRail after completing a comprehensive and wide-ranging investigation into the grounding of the Interislander ferry, Aratere last year.
The Aratere grounded just north of Picton on 21 June last year, it had 47 people on-board at the time. Thankfully, all passengers and crew were safely returned to shore. The ferry was re-floated the following evening.
Maritime NZ’s Chief Executive, Kirstie Hewlett, says the two charges filed against KiwiRail under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 relate to failures by the operator to keep crew and passengers safe while on-board the ferry.
“This was a complex incident and important investigation given it focussed on KiwiRail bringing in new systems to older vessels and broader safety management. It required us to look at systems, policies and procedures, culture, within KiwiRail in relation to the incident. A significant number of interviews were conducted, as well as collating and reviewing a substantial amount of relevant documentation and evidence.
“The time taken to undertake this investigation, collate and review the evidence, and decide on compliance action is consistent with other complex and major incidents.
As we have now filed charges in court, we cannot talk about what our investigation found,” Kirstie Hewlett says.
Charges:
Charge 1: s48 charge – in that it had a duty as a PCBU, namely to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of those passengers and crew who would sail aboard the Aratere and that failure exposed crew members and passengers to the risk of death or serious injury. Maximum penalty $1.5m
Charge 2: s49 charge under HSWA – in that it had a duty as a PCBU, failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of those passengers and crew who would sail aboard the Aratere. Maximum penalty: $500,000
