Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
Foresight on China Start-ups
China is one of the world’s largest innovation ecosystems, accounting for over half of all AI patents and leading in autonomous vehicle deployment. However, its entrepreneurial landscape is facing increasing headwinds.
How does this shifting trajectory compare with other global ecosystems – and what will be the next chapter?
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) wrapped up Saturday with the Golden Goblet Awards, where the Kyrgyzstani film “Black Red Yellow” won best feature and three Chinese films took top honors in the main competition.
Director Aktan Arym Kubat (center) accepts the best feature film award for “Black Red Yellow” at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony in Shanghai, June 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]
“Black Red Yellow,” directed by Aktan Arym Kubat, follows a master weaver’s forbidden romance with a horse herder, which ends in silent separation and an unfinished carpet — until its unveiling years later stirs old memories.
“This is a glorious moment for Kyrgyz cinema,” Kubat said in his acceptance speech. He said carpets are an inseparable part of traditional culture and daily life in Kyrgyzstan and noted that the award also marks the birth of his grandson. “Black Red Yellow” was the festival’s closing film.
Chinese filmmaker Cao Baoping won best director for the comedy crime drama “One Wacky Summer,” a decade after earning the same honor for “The Dead End” at SIFF. Cao said the new film, with its dark humor, is sharper, funnier and more down-to-earth than his previous works.
Chinese filmmaker Cao Baoping holds his best director trophy for the comedy crime drama “One Wacky Summer” at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony in Shanghai, June 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]
The film continues the lighter, comic direction Cao first explored with his 2006 debut, “Trouble Makers.” Set in Tianjin at the turn of the century, “One Wacky Summer” follows a small-time thug who, trapped in debt, impulsively kidnaps his nephew in a failed extortion plot, sparking family feuds and criminal chaos.
Cao thanked SIFF for recognizing his work for the second time in 10 years, saying it “shows the festival’s encouragement for artistic persistence, as well as its diversity and inclusiveness.”
Wan Qian won best actress for her role as a desperate killer posing as a caregiver in Wang Tong’s “Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts.” The film weaves together themes of elder care, love and crime, delivering a stark examination of human nature and morality.
Wan Qian accepts the best actress award for “Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts” at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony in Shanghai, June 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]
“Turns out there really is a dawn after the wild night,” Wan said on stage. “I’m deeply grateful to the team behind ‘Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts.’ Your professionalism made the film remarkable. As we emerge from the long night and the light shines on us, I hope it’s not just me who is seen, but everyone behind me — because they are the ones truly holding up this trophy.”
“Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts” also won the jury grand prix, an award it shared with the Japanese film “On Summer Sand” by Shinya Tamada.
Director Qiu Sheng (center) holds the outstanding artistic achievement award for “My Father’s Son” at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony in Shanghai, June 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]
“My Father’s Son,” a co-production between China and France, received the outstanding artistic achievement award. Director Qiu Sheng said the film is a tribute to his late father, who died in 2005.
Additional major awards went to Portuguese actor Jose Martins, who won best actor for “The Scent of Things Remembered.” Korek Bojanowski and Katia Priwieziencew received best screenplay for the Polish film “Loss of Balance,” and Markus Nestroy was awarded best cinematography for “You Believe in Angels, Mr. Drowak?”
Director Bian Zhuo jumps as he and producer Zhang Jie receive the Asian New Talent best feature film award for “As the Water Flows” at the Golden Goblet Awards in Shanghai, June 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]
In the Asian New Talent section, “As the Water Flows” by Bian Zhuo won best feature film, while Liryc Dela Cruz of the Philippines took best director for “Where the Night Stands Still.” Best actor went to Chinese actor Shi Pengyuan for “Water Can Go Anywhere” while Indian actress Meenakshi Jayan won best actress for “Victoria.” Prabath Roshan earned best cinematography for Sri Lanka’s “Riverstone,” with Lalith Rathnayake and Nilantha Perera sharing best scriptwriter.
In other sections, the Spanish film “Constanza” won best documentary, while “The Songbirds’ Secret,” a France-Switzerland-Belgium co-production, took best animation. The Chinese film “Crow” won best live-action short, and the Russian-Kazakh film “Son” was named best animated short.
This year’s Golden Goblet Awards received a record 3,900 submissions from 119 countries and regions. The main jury was chaired by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, best known for “Cinema Paradiso.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Beijing on Tuesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
A federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing his plan to bar foreign nationals from entering the United States to study at Harvard University.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued an injunction barring Trump’s administration from carrying out its latest bid to curtail Harvard’s ability to host international students amid an escalating fight pitting the Republican president against the prestigious Ivy League school.
The preliminary injunction extends a temporary order the judge issued on June 5 that prevented the administration from enforcing a proclamation Trump signed a day earlier that cited national security concerns to justify why Harvard could no longer be trusted to host international students.
She ruled after Trump’s Friday announcement that his administration could announce a deal with Harvard “over the next week or so” to resolve the White House’s campaign against the university, which has waged a legal battle against the administration’s various actions against the school.
Trump signed the proclamation after his administration had already frozen billions of dollars in funding to the oldest and wealthiest U.S. university, threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status and launched several investigations into the school.
The proclamation prohibited foreign nationals from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard or participate in exchange visitor programs for an initial period of six months, and directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider whether to revoke visas of international students already enrolled at Harvard.
But Burroughs said Trump’s administration was likely violating Harvard’s free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment by retaliating against it for refusing to meet its demands to cede control over the school’s curriculum and admissions and by targeting it based on what officials viewed as the university’s left-leaning orientation.
The judge said that “at its root, this case is about core constitutional rights that must be safeguarded: freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech, each of which is a pillar of a functioning democracy and an essential hedge against authoritarianism.”
“Here, the government’s misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints seemingly because they are, in some instances, opposed to this Administration’s own views, threaten these rights,” she wrote.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard said the ruling will allow it to continue hosting international students and scholars while this case moves forward. It added it will continue to defend the rights of the school, its students and scholars.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The university has filed two separate lawsuits before Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, seeking to unfreeze around $2.5 billion in funding and to prevent the administration from blocking the ability of international students to attend the university.
The latter lawsuit was filed after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on May 22 announced that her department was immediately revoking Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows it to enroll foreign students.
Almost 6,800 international students attended Harvard in its most recent school year, making up about 27% of its student population.
Noem, without providing evidence, accused the university of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Her action was temporarily blocked by Burroughs almost immediately. While the Department of Homeland Security has since shifted to challenging Harvard’s certification through a lengthier administrative process, Burroughs at a May 29 hearing said she planned to issue an injunction to maintain the status quo, which she did officially on Friday.
A week after the hearing, Trump signed his proclamation, which cited concerns about Harvard’s acceptance of foreign money including from China and what it said was an inadequate response by the school to his administration’s demand for information on foreign students.
His administration has accused Harvard of creating an unsafe environment for Jewish students and allowing antisemitism to fester on its campus. Protests over U.S. ally Israel’s treatment of Palestinians during its war in Gaza have roiled numerous universities’ campuses, including Harvard’s.
Rights advocates have noted rising antisemitism and Islamophobia in the U.S. due to the war. The Trump administration has thus far announced no action over anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate. Harvard’s own antisemitism and Islamophobia task forces found widespread fear and bigotry at the university in reports released in late April.
(Reuters)
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is today proposing to designate Google with ‘strategic market status’ (SMS) in general search and search advertising.
The CMA will consult on the proposal ahead of a final decision in October. If designated, the CMA would be able to introduce targeted measures to address specific aspects of how Google operates search services in the UK.
The CMA has also published a roadmap of potential actions it could prioritise were Google to be designated. Early priorities include: requiring choice screens for users to access different search providers; ensuring fair ranking principles for businesses appearing on Google search; more transparency and control for publishers whose content appears in search results; and portability of consumer search data to support innovation in new products and services.
Google search accounts for more than 90% of all general search queries in the UK – with millions of people relying on it as a key gateway to the internet and more than 200,000 businesses in the UK relying on Google search advertising to reach their customers. These services matter to our economy and society – so it is vital that competition works well.
The CMA’s investigation has heard concerns, including:
The UK’s new Digital Markets Competition Regime can help unlock opportunities for innovation and growth, by promoting competition in digital markets while protecting UK consumers and businesses from unfair or harmful practices. It is flexible and highly targeted, with the CMA able to design proportionate, bespoke interventions to address specific aspects of the way a firm engages in a digital activity. It includes a participative engagement process involving diverse stakeholders, from the largest firms to challengers and consumer groups. The CMA is also applying its ‘4Ps’ – Proportionality, Pace, Predictability and Process – to avoid any action taken hampering innovation or creating uncertainty for investors.
To support pace and provide greater predictability for Google and other market participants, the CMA has published a Roadmap of how it would prioritise actions taken during the first half of any designation period. Measures are designed to promote competition and innovation in ways that benefit the UK economy, while ensuring that UK consumers and businesses are treated fairly.
Early priority measures outlined in the roadmap include:
The CMA plans to consider a second category of actions to address more complex issues over a longer period (starting in the first half of 2026). These include concerns about the impact of Google’s bargaining position on publishers, its treatment of rival specialised search firms, and concerns about transparency and control in relation to search advertising.
The CMA has carefully considered how generative AI is changing the search landscape. While use of AI assistants is growing, it remains significantly smaller than Google search. Google is already incorporating generative AI features – such as AI Overviews – into its search products and developing its own assistant, Gemini. The CMA’s proposed SMS designation would include AI-based search features, though not Gemini AI Assistant itself. This position will be kept under review as usage evolves.
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said:
Google is the world’s leading search tool and plays an important role in all our lives, with the average person in the UK making 5 to 10 searches a day. It is equally critical for over 200,000 UK businesses which rely on Google to reach their customers. Google search has delivered tremendous benefits – but our investigation so far suggests there are ways to make these markets more open, competitive and innovative.
Today marks an important milestone in our implementation of the new Digital Markets Competition Regime in the UK. Alongside our proposed designation of Google’s search activities, we have set out a roadmap of possible future action to improve outcomes for people and businesses in the UK.
These targeted and proportionate actions would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google’s search services – as well as unlocking greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector and broader economy.
The CMA welcomes views on its proposed designation decision and accompanying roadmap. A final decision on SMS designation will be made by the deadline of 13 October.
Alongside its live SMS designation investigations into search and mobile ecosystems, the CMA has been keeping under review the timing and scope of any further SMS designation investigations. The CMA is focused on progressing current SMS investigations and associated actions to improve outcomes in those markets for the remainder of 2025. We will keep under review possible options for a further designation investigation and anticipate this will be considered by the CMA Board in early 2026.
More information about the investigation is available on the case page.
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
NEW YORK, June 24 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that Iran launched a missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation for recent U.S. airstrikes on the country’s nuclear facilities. He called the strike a “very weak response” that caused no casualties and “little damage.”
In a series of posts on the social media site Truth Social, the US president said Iran had fired 14 missiles, 13 of which were intercepted and one was abandoned because it posed no threat. He credited Iran for “advance warning,” which he said prevented any loss of life.
D. Trump called on Iran and Israel to strive for “peace and harmony” in the region.
The US leader also thanked the Emir of Qatar for his role in promoting regional stability. According to him, no Qatari citizens were harmed in the incident.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari confirmed that several Iranian missiles were intercepted over the Qatari capital Doha on Monday. Tehran said the strikes targeted the US-run Al Udeid air base. The spokesman said the base had been evacuated in advance and no casualties were reported.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the missile attack on a US air base, saying the operation was aimed at US military facilities in Qatar and Iraq. The IRGC called the Al Udeid air base “the headquarters of the US Air Force and the largest strategic asset” of the US military in the region. It added that six missiles were fired at the facility.
Despite the attack, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran was committed to its “brotherly and friendly relations” with Qatar, noting that the Iranian operation posed no danger to the country. –0–
Source: Panasonic
Headline: Panasonic’s nanoe(TM) inhibits dust mite allergens hidden within bedding fibers, a common cause of sleep disturbances during the rainy season
Osaka, Japan, June 24, 2025 – Panasonic Corporation (https://holdings.panasonic/global/) (Panasonic) today announced that it has demonstrated that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology can inhibit dust mite allergens*1 located 1 cm beneath the surface of bedding, which are considered one of the causes of sleep disturbances. The demonstration was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Shuichiro Shirakawa, Ph.D., Director of Sleep Assessment & Research Institute, Inc. In addition, joint research with Associate Professor Tomoki Fukuyama of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Azabu University verified at the cellular level that the immune response involved in the itching and inflammation caused by dust mite allergens was also inhibited.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, approximately one in two Japanese people has an allergic disease,*2 with dust mite allergies being the second most common allergy in terms of the number of patients.*3 Many dust mite allergens are hidden in bedding such as futons and pillows. It is said that there are more than 140,000 dust mites per 2 m2 (equivalent to one futon).*4 Dr. Shirakawa points out that dust mite-derived allergens within 1 cm of the bedding surface are stirred into the air by turning over in bed, becoming one of the factors that can trigger allergic symptoms and disrupt sleep.*1 In particular, from the rainy season in June to the height of summer in August, the humid environment favored by dust mites promotes their peak proliferation.*5
The verification test was conducted based on the hypothesis that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), consisting of nano-sized particles one hundred-thousandth the size of a hair, could inhibit dust mite allergens hidden within the fibers. As a result of the verification, two new findings were obtained: nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) inhibited both dust mite allergens hidden within bedding and the cellular reactions that lead to itching and inflammation caused by them. The verification found that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology holds new potential to surpass spatial purification and enhance the quality of the sleep environment. Note that this verification was conducted based on the test conditions described below and did not assess effectiveness in an actual usage environment.
Panasonic aims to contribute to society by providing safe and secure spaces and will continue to evolve nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology while exploring its future potential.
■Comments from Dr. Shuichiro Shirakawa, Director, Sleep Assessment & Research Institute, Inc.
There are more dust mites hidden in futons and pillows than you might imagine. We believe that this is an unavoidable issue when seeking high-quality sleep. We know that bedding care can be provided through methods such as sun drying, cleaning, or washing, but these are time-consuming, and frequent care can be burdensome. On the other hand, this verification test demonstrated that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) can inhibit dust mite allergens without the need for human intervention. We believe this technology has the potential to contribute to creating a comfortable bedroom environment.
* Panasonic requested comments from Dr. Shirakawa, which were subsequently edited and published here.
■Comments from Associate Professor Tomoki Fukuyama, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University
It is no exaggeration to say that dust mite allergies, like hay fever, are a widespread condition affecting many people and are one of the causes of sleep disturbances. This test verified that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology can inhibit the immune response that leads to itching and inflammation by inhibiting dust mite allergens. Based on these results, we believe that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology has the potential to alleviate the symptoms of dust mite allergies and reduce their sleep-disrupting effects.
* Panasonic requested comments from Associate Professor Tomoki Fukuyama, which were subsequently edited and published here.
■Key points of this verification
Dust mite allergens typically reside within 1 cm of the surface of bedding and are considered one of the factors that disrupt sleep. This verification demonstrated that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) can inhibit them.
Exposing cells to dust mite allergens inhibited by nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology demonstrated that nanoe inhibited the activity of the cells leading to inflammation and itching.
■Principle of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generation
Figure 5. nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generator
nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), approximately 5 to 20 nanometers in size and containing hydroxyl radicals, is generated by cooling the atomizing electrode with a Peltier element, condensing moisture from the air into water, and applying a high voltage between the atomizing electrode and the counter electrode.
◆Click here for a summary of this press release.https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/nanoe/ja/topics/2506XX.html
◆Click here for the research results of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technologyhttps://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/clean/hydroxyl.html
Notes:
*1: Reference: Shuichiro Shirakawa, “Interview on factors that disrupt sleep”
*2: Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Rheumatism and Allergy Countermeasures Committee Report”
*3: Reference: Takechika Ohmori, “Trends in Outpatient Therapy for Allergies”
*4: Reference: Hiroki Kamezaki, “Fauna and spatial distribution of house-dust mites in Japanese mattress”
*5: Reference: Junko Miyamoto, “Ecological studies of house dust mites—Seasonal changes in mite populations in house dust in Japan”
Media Contact:
Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationPublic Relations, Corporate Policy Department, Corporate Planning CenterEmail: las-pr@gg.jp.panasonic.com
Customer Contact:
Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationDevices Products Business Unit, Beauty and Personal Care Business DivisionTelephone: +81-(0)749-27-0485 (available 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Tuesday has brought temporary relief to millions of civilians caught in the crossfire of what President Donald Trump called a “12-day war,” as humanitarian organizations scramble to assess the devastating toll on both populations.
The ceasefire was declared after Iranian state media announced that a truce had been “imposed on the enemy” following what Tehran characterized as its military response to “US aggression.” The announcement came hours after Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks targeted a US base in Qatar, marking an escalation that drew American forces directly into the regional conflict.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the conflict has claimed at least 865 lives in Iran alone, with 215 military personnel, 363 civilians, and 287 unidentified individuals killed as of June 22. An additional 3,396 people have been wounded in Iranian territory. These figures significantly exceed those provided by Iranian health authorities, who reported 224 deaths and over 2,500 injuries, though both sources emphasize that the majority of casualties were civilians.
The humanitarian crisis in Iran has worsened significantly, with Israeli airstrikes initially focused on military targets now increasingly hitting residential areas and even prisons. The escalation has triggered mass internal displacement, forcing millions to flee their homes. Casualties include aid workers, children with disabilities, and nuclear scientists, underscoring the widespread impact across Iranian society. Iran’s judiciary reported that Israel has also targeted Tehran’s Evin prison, damaging sections of the facility known for holding political detainees.
In Israel, the human cost has been equally tragic, with Iranian missile strikes killing at least 24 civilians and injuring nearly 600 others. The southern city of Beersheba bore the brunt of the most recent Iranian barrage, with emergency services reporting at least three deaths and eight injuries in the early morning hours before the ceasefire took effect. Israeli rescue services continue searching for survivors trapped under rubble from damaged residential buildings.
President Trump revealed that both Israel and Iran had reached out to his administration ‘almost simultaneously’ seeking peace, as his diplomatic and security teams worked through the night to broker the truce. The ceasefire appears to have taken effect around 4 a.m. local time, with Israeli strikes on Iranian cities ceasing shortly before that time, though Israel had intensified its bombardment in the hours leading up to the agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly commented on the ceasefire announcement, though reports indicate he convened an emergency Security Cabinet meeting that extended into the early hours of Tuesday morning. Credible reports say that Netanyahu instructed his ministers to refrain from making public statements about the ceasefire agreement.
The conflict’s rapid escalation over 12 days has overwhelmed emergency services in both countries, with hospitals struggling to treat the wounded and rescue teams working to clear debris from damaged buildings. The UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies have called for urgent de-escalation, protection of civilians, and unhindered access to deliver aid to affected populations.
The ceasefire’s durability remains uncertain, as both sides have indicated their willingness to resume hostilities if the other violates the agreement. Iran has stated it will halt its retaliation only if Israel ceases its attacks, while Israeli officials have remained largely silent about the terms of the arrangement. The conflict has demonstrated how quickly regional tensions can escalate into full-scale warfare, with civilian populations bearing the heaviest burden of the violence.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Thailand’s military has closed border crossings into Cambodia to almost all travellers, including tourists and traders, citing security concerns as tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbours remain escalated over a simmering border dispute.
The deterioration in ties was sparked by brief armed clashes in a border area that left one Cambodian soldier dead late last month. Both governments have since announced measures designed to punish the other, including Cambodia’s recent suspension of all Thai fuel and gas imports.
Thailand will now restrict all vehicles, tourists and traders from crossing at all land border checkpoints in seven provinces bordering Cambodia, the military said in a statement issued late on Monday, citing security concerns.
There are exemptions for humanitarian reasons, such as for those needing medical attention, students and other urgent matters at the discretion of security units at checkpoints, the statement said.
The restrictions “matched the current security situation, particularly in addressing the conflict in areas between Thailand and Cambodia that continue to intensify politically, diplomatically and militarily,” the statement said.
The military said the measures would also assist in a crackdown on illegal scam centres in Cambodia flagged by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Monday.
Paetongtarn said Thailand would stop cross-border supplies of essentials, including electricity, to areas where illicit operations were taking place.
The prime minister has been under fire for her handling of the border row, particularly after the leaking of a phone call between her and Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former leader, that appeared to show her denigrating a senior Thai military commander.
(Reuters)
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
Scientists from NSU, engineers from Smart Drones LLC (SmartDrones platform) and specialists from the Siberian Fire and Rescue Academy of the State Fire Service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry presented a joint development — an algorithm for controlling a swarm of drones, online detection and determination of the coordinates of detected objects using AI. The technology was tested at an off-site meeting dedicated to the introduction of innovative technologies in the work of agricultural producers, which took place in the Ordynsky District on June 20 with the participation of Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Irina Manuilova, Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region Vadim Vasiliev and Minister of Agriculture of the region Andrei Shindelov. The off-site meeting of representatives of science, developers of advanced technologies and innovative projects was held at the production site of Dary Ordynska OPKh LLC.
The researchers demonstrated the ability of drones to interact in space using the detection-delivery scheme, distributing tasks: one of them detects an object, determines and transmits coordinates to another drone, which carries out delivery according to the specified coordinates. The control algorithm can be scaled to any number of devices and different types of recognized objects.
The joint development is the result of agreements that were reached after testing drone delivery in April. Then, a new model of an unmanned aerial vehicle, developed by NSU scientists for delivering goods to hard-to-reach areas, successfully covered a distance of 4.5 km across the Ob River and delivered the goods to their destination. The test flight was part of the first tests in Siberia of SmartDrones Fires technology for detecting and extinguishing fires using a swarm of drones and AI technologies, jointly with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region.
— Based on the results of the tests, we decided to combine the two technologies and try to work them out in a complex, namely: one drone, controlled using specialized SmartDrones software developed by our company, automatically analyzes data from a video camera, detects a person and transmits his coordinates to the second drone developed by NSU. The second UAV automatically delivers the necessary parcel, which may include water, medicine, etc., according to the specified coordinates. In two months, we took the necessary steps for integration and presented the new technology in action at an off-site meeting that took place at the end of last week, — said Alexey Meleshikhin, founder of the Smart Drones company, a graduate of the Physics Department of NSU.
In the future, NSU researchers and engineers from the SmartDrones startup will work together to improve the technology for controlling a swarm of drones using the “detection-delivery” scheme and plan to create a full-fledged digital platform that will find application in various areas – agriculture, tourism, emergency prevention, etc.
— Now we have worked out the interaction of two drones and tested the algorithm “detection and delivery of water”. We have shown how the automatic data transfer from the first drone to the second one works, so that the latter arrives at these coordinates and makes the delivery. In the future, we plan to conduct testing on a larger number of devices, when we can have several drones, each of them monitoring its own square and solving the problem of detecting different types of objects that need different types of delivery – water, medicine, life jacket, etc. In the future, the technology can be scaled to an unlimited number of devices. In addition, the platform being developed will allow drones to make various joint decisions. For example, to calculate the distance of an object and determine who will fly to it faster and deliver, for example, a first aid kit to a victim; what to do in case of loss of communication with one of the UAVs, etc. All these algorithms will be worked out and implemented on the basis of the SmartDrones digital platform, — explained Alexey Meleshikhin.
The Smart Drones company, founded by NSU graduates and developing the SmartDrones Fires hardware and software complex for automatic fire detection and calculation of the forces and means required to extinguish them using a swarm of drones and AI technologies, is a resident of AkademPark and the winner of the spring, 30th, anniversary accelerator A:START.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Equity benchmarks opened on a strong note on Tuesday, buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and positive cues from global markets. The rally followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump declaring a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
The BSE Sensex rose 756.5 points, or 0.92%, to 82,653.33 in early trade, while the NSE Nifty climbed 229 points, or 0.92%, to 25,200.90. Broad-based buying was seen across sectors, with auto, IT, PSU banks and financial services stocks leading the gains.
Analysts noted that the de-escalation in West Asia is likely to reduce volatility in crude oil and equity markets. “The sharp reactions in the crude oil and stock markets suggest the geopolitical situation is limping back to normalcy,” said Dr. V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.
The Nifty Bank index gained 557.25 points, or 0.99%, to trade at 56,616.60. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 411 points, or 0.71%, to 58,617.80, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 was up 123.05 points, or 0.67%, at 18,443.95.
Aakash Shah, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Broking, said the recovery in the Nifty and Bank Nifty indicates buying interest at lower levels, but added that a breakout above 25,200 and 56,300 respectively would be needed for a sustained rally. “Given the current environment of heightened volatility, investors should remain cautiously optimistic,” he said.
In the Sensex pack, Adani Ports, M&M, UltraTech Cement, L&T, Titan, SBI, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv were among the top gainers. NTPC, BEL and Trent were trading in the red.
On the institutional front, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers on June 23, offloading equities worth ₹1,874.38 crore. In contrast, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth ₹5,591.77 crore.
Asian markets mirrored the optimism, with indices in Bangkok, Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Hong Kong and Jakarta trading in positive territory.
Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones closed at 42,581.78, up 374.96 points (0.89%). The S&P 500 gained 0.96% to end at 6,025.17, while the Nasdaq advanced 0.94% to 19,630.97.
-IANS
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Iran’s national security committee has approved the framework of a bill that would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), deepening international concerns about nuclear oversight in West Asia. The proposed legislation, still awaiting full parliamentary approval, would halt the installation of monitoring equipment, inspections, and reporting obligations until Iran deems its nuclear facilities secure. Iranian officials justified the move as a response to recent attacks on its nuclear sites, stating that safety assurances must precede any further engagement with the IAEA. The agency has not yet commented on the draft measure, but experts warn that the loss of oversight could severely undermine the global non-proliferation regime at a time of heightened instability.
Speaking in The Hague ahead of the NATO summit on June 24th, Secretary General Mark Rutte said the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities did not violate international law. He emphasized that NATO’s primary concern lies in the strategic threat posed by Iran’s nuclear capabilities, rather than the legality of the military action. Rutte dismissed criticism that NATO had applied double standards by not condemning the strikes and acknowledged that while regime change in Iran is not on the summit’s formal agenda, some member states may raise the issue in side discussions.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Monday held a meeting with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The discussion took place on the sidelines of the 20th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Security Council Secretaries.
In their discussions, both sides reviewed recent developments in India-China bilateral relations and reaffirmed the importance of advancing overall ties between the two countries. Emphasis was placed on fostering greater people-to-people exchanges to build mutual understanding and strengthen diplomatic engagement.
NSA Doval highlighted the urgent need for concerted efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He underscored that addressing security threats is essential to ensuring long-term peace and stability in the region.
The two leaders also exchanged views on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest, reflecting the broad scope of the India-China relationship.
Looking ahead, NSA Doval expressed his intention to host Wang Yi in India for the 24th round of the Special Representative Talks on boundary issues at a mutually convenient date.
Source: US Government research organizations
Credit: Crissy Robinson/NIST
As part of the JARVIS workshop series, the 6th Artificial Intelligence for Materials Science (AIMS) workshop will be held as an in-person only event at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) located at 9700 Great Seneca Highway in Rockville, Maryland on July 9 – 10, 2025. This event is sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The scope of the workshop is briefly stated below:
The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) promises to expedite materials discovery through high-throughput computation and high-throughput experiments. The application of artificial-intelligence (AI) tools such as machine learning, deep learning and various optimization techniques is critical to achieving such a goal.
Some of the key research areas for materials AI include: developing well-curated and diverse datasets, choosing effective representations for materials, inverse materials design, integrating autonomous experiments and theory, challenges and advantages of self-driving laboratories, merging physics-based models with AI models, and choosing appropriate algorithms/work-flows. Lastly, uncertainty quantification in AI-based predictions for material properties and issues related to building infrastructure for disseminating AI knowledge are of immense importance for making AI- based materials investigation successful. This workshop is intended to cover all the above-mentioned challenges. To make the workshop as effective as possible we plan to largely but not exclusively focus on inorganic solid-state materials.
Topics addressed in this workshop will include (but not be limited to):
– Datasets and tools for employing AI for materials
– Integrating experiments with AI techniques
– Graph neural networks for materials
– Comparison of AI techniques for materials
– Challenges of applying AI to materials
– Uncertainty quantification and building trust in AI predictions
– Generative modeling
– Foundation models
– Machine learning force fields
– Large language models
– Autonomous experimentation
If registered participants are interested in presenting a poster, please send name, affiliation, title, and abstract to daniel.wines [at] nist.gov (daniel[dot]wines[at]nist[dot]gov), no later than June 27, 2025. We plan to hold a best poster competition for early career researchers.
| Jiaman Hu | Wisconsin |
| Tess Smidt | MIT |
| Brandon Wood | Meta |
| Heather Kulik | MIT |
| Joseph Krause | Radical AI |
| Ichiro Takeuchi | UMD |
| Martin Seifrid | NC State |
| Olexandr Isayev | CMU |
| Ali Hamze | Samsung |
| Simon J.L. Billinge | Columbia |
| Ankit Agrawal | Northwestern |
| Jason Hattrick-Simpers | University of Toronto |
| Arun Mannodi-Kanakkithodi | Purdue |
| Benji Maruyama | AFRL |
| Panchapakesan Ganesh | ORNL |
| Roberto Car | Princeton |
| Shengyen Li | NIST |
| Aditya Nandy | UCLA |
| Steven Torrisi | Toyota |
| Olga S. Ovchinnikova | Thermo Fisher Scientific |
| Milad Abolhasani | NC State University |
| Luis Barroso-Luque | Meta |
| Nathan Johnson | ZEISS |
| Corey Oses | JHU |
A room block has been reserved at the following location:
Sheraton Rockville
Address: 920 King Farm Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850
Rate: $159/night (excluding taxes and fees). Rate includes breakfast and shuttle to and from NCCoE.
CLICK HERE to book your room.
Last day to book your room: June 20, 2025.
Source: US Government research organizations
You will need a government-issued photo ID (e.g., passport or driver’s license) when you check into the Visitors Center at the entrance of NIST and if bringing a vehicle onto the NIST campus, a vehicle registration card.
PLEASE NOTE: Effective July 21, 2014, under the REAL ID Act of 2005 (https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-frequently-asked-questions), agencies, including NIST, can only accept a state-issued driver’s license or identification card for access to federal facilities if issued by states that are REAL ID compliant or have an extension. NIST currently accepts other forms of federally issued identification in lieu of a state-issued driver’s license, such as a valid passport, passport card, DOD’s Common Access Card (CAC), Veterans ID, Federal Agency HSPD-12 IDs, Military Dependents ID, Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC), and TSA Trusted Traveler ID. See Visitor Information for the latest information.
Source: US Government research organizations
The Iris Experts Group is a forum for the discussion of technical questions of interest to USG agencies and their staff that are employing or may employ iris recognition to carry out their mission.
This is the annual meeting. The presentations include status updates on government projects and IEG activities as well as presentations from academic, government and commercial research & development efforts.
The meeting is open to all who can legally transact business with NIST. Registration is required, but there is no registration fee.
Source: US Government research organizations
This is the last year (2025) that NIST Handbooks 44, 130, and 133 will be printed in hard copy. In this informational session, we will discuss how to effectively move through and access information within Portable Document Format (PDF) NIST OWM Handbooks. We will demonstrate how a NIST Handbook publication in a PDF file format can be displayed using various tools and features, including page navigation, bookmarks, search functions, links, and document structure, enabling them to quickly locate specific content within complex PDF documents, often utilizing a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat.
Add to Calendar*
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Microsoft Teams: Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 232 456 423 056
Passcode: Up7JY9fK
There is no fee to attend the event, and no certificates will be issued.
Source: US Government research organizations
This is a two-part CHIPS Metrology + SMART USA workshop series, focused on building meaningful connections between SMART USA members and CHIPS Metrology-funded research teams. The first event will be a virtual on June 17, 2025 that will set the foundation for the in-person workshop on June 24, 2025. The event aims to align research priorities with industry needs, showcase and refine CHIPS Metrology-funded research, and facilitate in-depth knowledge exchange through structured sessions. The workshop will also explore actionable opportunities for integrating SMART USA with METIS, CHIPS Metrology’s data exchange ecosystem, to accelerate innovation and competitiveness in the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Visitor Access Requirement:
*Use of apps, physical photocopies, and/or digital screenshots of your ID, Passport or Green card will not be accepted.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics & International Relations, UNSW Sydney
The United States’ and Israel’s strikes on Iran are concerning, and not just for the questionable legal justifications provided by both governments.
Even if their attacks cause severe damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, this will only harden Iran’s resolve to acquire a bomb.
And if Iran follows through on its threat to pull out of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), this will gravely damage the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.
In a decade of international security crises, this could be the most serious. Is there still time to prevent this from happening?
In May 2015, I attended the five-yearly review conference of the NPT. Delegates debated a draft outcome for weeks, and then, not for the first time, went home with nothing. Delegates from the US, United Kingdom and Canada blocked the final outcome to prevent words being added that would call for Israel to attend a disarmament conference.
Russia did the same in 2022 in protest at language on its illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine.
Now, in the latest challenge to the NPT, Israel and the US have bombed Iran’s nuclear complexes to ostensibly enforce a treaty neither one respects.
When the treaty was adopted in 1968, it allowed the five nuclear-armed states at the time – the US, Soviet Union, France, UK and China – to join if they committed not to pass weapons or material to other states, and to disarm themselves.
All other members had to pledge never to acquire nuclear weapons. Newer nuclear powers were not permitted to join unless they gave up their weapons.
Israel declined to join, as it had developed its own undeclared nuclear arsenal by the late 1960s. India, Pakistan and South Sudan have also never signed; North Korea was a member but withdrew in 2003. Only South Sudan does not have nuclear weapons today.
To make the obligations enforceable and strengthen safeguards against the diversion of nuclear material to non-nuclear weapons states, members were later required to sign the IAEA Additional Protocol. This gave the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wide powers to inspect a state’s nuclear facilities and detect violations.
It was the IAEA that first blew the whistle on Iran’s concerning uranium enrichment activity in 2003. Just before Israel’s attacks this month, the organisation also reported Iran was in breach of its obligations under the NPT for the first time in two decades.
The NPT is arguably the world’s most universal, important and successful security treaty, but it is also paradoxically vulnerable.
The treaty’s underlying consensus has been damaged by the failure of the five nuclear-weapon states to disarm as required, and by the failure to prevent North Korea from developing a now formidable nuclear arsenal.
North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003, tested a weapon in 2006, and now may have up to 50 warheads.
Iran could be next.
Iran argues Israel’s attacks have undermined the credibility of the IAEA, given Israel used the IAEA’s new report on Iran as a pretext for its strikes, taking the matter out of the hands of the UN Security Council.
For its part, the IAEA has maintained a principled position and criticised both the US and Israeli strikes.
Iran has retaliated with its own missile strikes against both Israel and a US base in Qatar. In addition, it wasted no time announcing it would withdraw from the NPT.
On June 23, an Iranian parliament committee also approved a bill that would fully suspend Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, including allowing inspections and submitting reports to the organisation.
Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the US strikes:
[…] delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow to the international non-proliferation regime conclusively demonstrating that the existing NPT framework has been rendered ineffective.
Even if Israel and the US consider their bombing campaign successful, it has almost certainly renewed the Iranians’ resolve to build a weapon. The strikes may only delay an Iranian bomb by a few years.
Iran will have two paths to do so. The slower path would be to reconstitute its enrichment activity and obtain nuclear implosion designs, which create extremely devastating weapons, from Russia or North Korea.
Alternatively, Russia could send Iran some of its weapons. This should be a real concern given Moscow’s cascade of withdrawals from critical arms control agreements over the last decade.
An Iranian bomb could then trigger NPT withdrawals by other regional states, especially Saudi Arabia, who suddenly face a new threat to their security.
Iran’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria’s Assad regime certainly shows it is a dangerous international actor. Iranian leaders have also long used alarming rhetoric about Israel’s destruction.
However repugnant the words, Israeli and US conservatives have misjudged Iran’s motives in seeking nuclear weapons.
Israel fears an Iranian bomb would be an existential threat to its survival, given Iran’s promises to destroy it. But this neglects the fact that Israel already possesses a potent (if undeclared) nuclear deterrent capability.
Israeli anxieties about an Iranian bomb should not be dismissed. But other analysts (myself included) see Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons capability more as a way to establish deterrence to prevent future military attacks from Israel and the US to protect their regime.
Iranians were shaken by Iraq’s invasion in 1980 and then again by the US-led removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. This war with Israel and the US will shake them even more.
Last week, I felt that if the Israeli bombing ceased, a new diplomatic effort to bring Iran into compliance with the IAEA and persuade it to abandon its program might have a chance.
However, the US strikes may have buried that possibility for decades. And by then, the damage to the nonproliferation regime could be irreversible.
Anthony Burke received funding from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council for a project on global nuclear governance (2014–17).
– ref. The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model – https://theconversation.com/the-war-wont-end-irans-nuclear-program-it-will-drive-it-underground-following-north-koreas-model-259281
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Brear, Director, Melbourne Energy Institute, The University of Melbourne
Moving people and things around the world by sea has a big climate impact. The shipping industry produces almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions – roughly the same as Germany – largely due to the movement of container ships, bulk carriers and tankers.
Under international rules, these emissions are not included in any nation’s greenhouse gas reporting. That means they often escape scrutiny.
Unlike cars, international shipping can’t shift to using low-emissions electricity – the batteries required are too big and heavy. So clean fuels must play a role.
A proposed shake-up of the global shipping industry would encourage the use of clean fuels and penalise shipping companies that stick to cheaper, more polluting fuels. Should it proceed, emissions from global shipping would be regulated for the first time.
Using our peer-reviewed modelling, we investigated how the changes might affect Australia’s largest export: iron ore.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the United Nations body responsible for regulating international shipping. It recently approved a draft plan to tackle the shipping sector’s contribution to climate change through a type of “cap and trade” scheme.
The plan would involve setting a limit, or cap, on how much each shipping company can emit. Companies must then either buy credits or be penalised if they go over their limit. Companies that stay under their limit – for example, by using cleaner fuels – would earn credits, which they could then sell.
In this way, high-emitting shipping companies are penalised and low-emitting companies are rewarded.
Under the plan, the total limit for emissions from global shipping would fall each year. This increases the incentive for companies to switch to lower emission fuels and makes higher-emission fuels progressively more expensive to use.
The plan is scheduled to be adopted by the shipping industry in October this year and would begin in 2027.
The proposed change is particularly significant for Australia. As a remote island nation, our imports and exports are heavily reliant on massive ships. This is most important for our commodity exports – iron ore in particular.
Our recently published modelling estimated the emissions and financial impacts of various low-emission shipping options for Australia’s exports.
We estimated Australia’s commodity exports create about 34 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year. This is about 8% of Australia’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not included in Australia’s national reporting.
Using the same modelling, we then examined how the proposed new regulation would affect the cost of shipping Australia’s largest export, iron ore. We chose a common route from Port Hedland in Western Australia to Shanghai in China.
First, we looked at current fuel costs, as well as overall shipping costs measured per tonne of delivered ore. Shipping costs include both the fuel costs and the cost of the ships designed to use it. Then we estimated how much fuels and shipping might cost from 2030, assuming the proposed regulation has come into force.
We also examined three types of fuel.
The first was heavy fuel oil (HFO), one of the main fuels used in international shipping. It’s traditionally the cheapest shipping fuel and also has the highest greenhouse gas emissions.
The second was “blue” ammonia. This fuel is typically made from natural gas using a manufacturing process where the carbon in the natural gas is captured and stored. It has lower greenhouse gas emissions than heavy fuel oil, but it is not a “green” fuel.
Thirdly, we looked at “green” ammonia, which is produced using renewable energy. We examined two types of green ammonia – that produced using current technology, and “advanced” green ammonia, made using new technologies in development.
From about 2030, the overall cost of shipping powered by heavy fuel oil will start to rise significantly under the proposed regulation. That’s because shipping companies using this fuel must purchase credits from those using cleaner options.
Blue ammonia may then make it cheaper to ship iron ore from Australia to Asia. Users of this fuel could generate and sell credits that higher-emitting fuel users buy, offsetting some of the shipping costs associated with using blue ammonia.
But if international shipping is to reach the IMO’s goal of net-zero emissions by about 2050, this is very likely to require a green fuel.
However, green ammonia is more expensive than heavy fuel oil and blue ammonia with current technology. And our analysis found the proposed regulation – and associated subsidy – doesn’t make it the lowest cost shipping option from 2030 onwards either.
This is why technological innovation is important. CSIRO projections of the future costs of renewable energy and green-fuel manufacture suggest that, should technologies improve, green ammonia may compete on cost with heavy-fuel oil in the 2030s, even without subsidies.
If so, this zero-emission fuel could become the cheapest way to export Australian iron ore.
As our calculations show, a combination of regulation and innovation could help international shipping achieve its goal of net-zero emissions.
These fuels could be made in Australia, and potentially used by other industries such as rail, mining, road freight and even aviation.
Such an industry would therefore contribute significantly to the world’s emission-reduction goals, and could help Australia realise its ambition to become a major global exporter of green fuels and other green products.
Michael Brear receives research funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Australian Research Council, the Future Energy Exports CRC and the Clean Marine Fuel Institute. He also receives funding from other government and industry organisations for work on other aspects of energy and transport decarbonisation.
Gerhard (Gerry) F. Swiegers is an ARC Industry Laureate Fellow and the Chief Technology Officer of Hysata. Hysata is a manufacturer of electrolysers which are used for green hydrogen manufacture. Green hydrogen is a key feedstock for the manufacture of green ammonia.
Michael Leslie Johns receives funding from the ARC and Future Energy Exports CRC.
Nguyen Cao receives funding from the Future Energy Exports CRC and the Clean Marine Fuel Institute.
Rose Amal is the leader of the Particles and Catalysis Research Group, Co-Director of ARC Training Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy and the Lead of the PowerFuels Network under NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub. Rose receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC) and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, Department of Education (Trailblazer Recycling and Clean Energy program), ARENA and NSW Environmental Trust. She was an ARC Laureate Fellow.
– ref. A carbon levy on global shipping promises to slash emissions. We calculated what that means for Australia’s biggest export – https://theconversation.com/a-carbon-levy-on-global-shipping-promises-to-slash-emissions-we-calculated-what-that-means-for-australias-biggest-export-258915
Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association
Headline: Media release: Vic Government’s rethink on gas ban recognises Victorians want choice – Australian Energy Producers
The Victorian Government’s partial backdown on its proposed ban on new gas appliances is welcome acknowledgment that Victorians want choice for their homes and businesses, but more needs to be done to address gas shortfalls facing the state, Australian Energy Producers Victorian Director Peter Kos said.
“This is a welcome and pragmatic shift from the wider gas appliance ban the Victorian Government proposed earlier this year, which would have increased costs for households and businesses, stifled crucial gas investment and left Victorians facing higher energy bills and reduced energy security,” Mr Kos said.
“It shows the Government has heard the clear message from households and industry that gas remains vital to Victoria’s energy security and that Victorians want to keep using gas.
“However, the plan to force homes off gas hot water and banning gas connections in new commercial developments further adds to the Government’s mixed messages on gas and does not address the urgent need for more gas supply to avoid structural shortfalls forecast for Victoria from 2029.”
Mr Kos said Victoria’s gas industry is committed to bringing new supply to market, but needs evidence-based energy policy that recognises the long-term role of gas in Victoria’s energy mix to encourage investment in new gas exploration and development.
“Victoria has vast untapped gas reserves in Gippsland and the Otway Basin. The Government should work with industry to unlock this opportunity and ensure Victorians continue to have reliable and affordable energy,” Mr Kos said.
Australian Energy Producers’ submission to the draft Regulatory Impact Statement highlighted the critical role of gas in Victoria’s energy mix, with over 2 million homes and businesses connected to the gas network. The natural gas industry employs over 40,000 Victorians and contributes $22 billion to the Victorian economy each year.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Public invited to Hospital Authority Board Meeting
The HA Board Meeting has been open to members of the public since 1998 to demonstrate the continuous effort of the Authority to enhance its transparency and public accountability. The HA Board holds meetings at regular intervals to discuss major health policy issues that have impacts on the public. Through these open meetings, the community is able to understand more about the role and functions of the HA Board as well as the operation and services of the HA and its hospitals.
The HA Board will discuss the following agenda items in the coming meeting:
The meeting agenda and papers will be made available to the public at the meeting. Members of the public are reminded that they can attend the Board Meeting only as observers and will not be participating in the meeting discussions.
Members of the public who are interested in attending the coming Board Meeting have to make an advance booking by contacting the Secretariat of the HA Board at 2300 6797 before noon on June 26. To facilitate booking arrangements, members of the public are advised to provide their names and contact telephone numbers. In view of the limited seating available in the public gallery of the meeting venue, seating will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Issued at HKT 12:00
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Isakhan, Professor of International Politics, Deakin University
On June 21, the United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – pounding deeply buried centrifuge sites with bunker-busting bombs.
Conducted jointly with Israel, the operation took place without formal congressional authorisation, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers that it was unconstitutional and “unlawful”.
Read more:
Why the US strikes on Iran are illegal and can set a troubling precedent
Much of the political debate has centred on whether the US is being pulled into “another Middle East war”.
Even US Vice President JD Vance understood the unease, stating:
People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.
These reactions have revived comparisons with George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq: a Republican president launching military action on the basis of flimsy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) evidence.
Hauntingly familiar?
While the surface similarity is tempting, the comparison may in fact obscure more about President Donald Trump than it reveals.
In 2003, Bush ordered a full-scale invasion of Iraq based on flawed intelligence, claiming Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs. And while the war was extremely unpopular across the world, it did have bipartisan congressional support.
The invasion toppled Iraq’s regime in just a few weeks.
What followed was a brutal conflict and almost a decade of US occupation. The war triggered the rise of militant jihadism and a horrific sectarian conflict that reverberates today.
So far, Trump’s one-off strikes on Iran bear little resemblance to the 2003 Iraq intervention.
These were precision strikes within the context of a broader Iran-Israel war, designed to target Iran’s nuclear program.
And, so far, there appears to be little appetite for a full-scale military invasion or “boots on the ground”, and regime change seems unlikely despite some rumblings from both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yet the comparison to Iraq persists, especially among audiences suspicious of repeated US military interventions in the Middle East. But poorly considered analogies carry costs.
For one, the Iraq comparison sheds little light on Trump’s foreign policy.
Read more:
The US has entered the Israel-Iran war. Here are 3 scenarios for what might happen next
To better understand the recent strikes on Iran, we need to look at Trump’s broader foreign policy.
Much has been made of his “America first” mantra, a complex mix of prioritising domestic interests, questioning international agreements, and challenging traditional alliances.
Others, including Trump himself, have often touted his “no war” approach, pointing to large-scale military withdrawals from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq,and the fact he had not started a new war.
But beyond this, Trump has increased US military spending and frequently used his office to conduct targeted strikes on adversaries – especially across the Middle East.
For example, in 2017 and 2018, Trump ordered airstrikes on a Syrian airbase and chemical weapons facilities. In both instances, he bypassed Congress and used precision air power to target weapons infrastructure without pursuing regime change.
Also, from 2017 to 2021, Trump authorised US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, enabling airstrikes that targeted militant cells but also led to mass civilian casualties.
Trump’s policy was the subject of intense bipartisan opposition, culminating in the first successful congressional invocation of the War Powers Resolution – though it was ultimately vetoed by Trump.
And in 2020, Trump launched a sequence of attacks on Iranian assets in Iraq. This included a drone strike that killed senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
Again, these attacks were conducted without congressional support. The decision triggered intense bipartisan backlash and concerns about escalation without oversight.
While such attacks are not without precedent – think back to former US President Barack Obama’s intervention in Libya or Joe Biden’s targeting of terrorist assets – the scale and veracity of Trump’s attacks on the Middle East are much more useful as a framework to understanding the recent attacks on Iran than any reference to the 2003 Iraq war.
It is crucial to scrutinise any use of force. But while comparing the 2025 Iran strikes to Iraq in 2003 may be rhetorically powerful, it is analytically weak.
A better path is to situate these events within Trump’s broader political style.
He acts unilaterally and with near-complete impunity, disregarding traditional constraints and operating outside established norms and oversight.
This is just as true for attacks on foreign adversaries as it is for the domestic policy arena.
For example, Trump recently empowered agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate with sweeping discretion in immigration enforcement, bypassing legal and judicial oversight.
Trump also uses policy as spectacle, designed to send shockwaves through the domestic or foreign arenas and project dominance to both friend and foe.
In this way, Trump’s dramatic attacks on Iran have some parallels to his unilateral imposition of tariffs on international trade. Both are abrupt, disruptive and framed as a demonstration of strength rather than a way to create a mutually beneficial solution.
Finally, Trump is more than willing to use force as an instrument of power rather than as a last resort. This is just as true for Iran as it is for the US people.
The recent deployment of US Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles reveals a similar impulse: military intervention as a first instinct in the absence of a broader strategy to foster peace.
To truly understand and respond to Trump’s Iran strikes, we need to move beyond sensationalist analogies and recognise a more dangerous reality. This is not the start of another Iraq; it’s the continuation of a presidency defined by impulsive power, unchecked force and a growing disdain for democratic constraint.
Benjamin Isakhan receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Department of Defence. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of Government policy.
– ref. Hauntingly familiar? Why comparing the US strikes on Iran to Iraq in 2003 is off target – https://theconversation.com/hauntingly-familiar-why-comparing-the-us-strikes-on-iran-to-iraq-in-2003-is-off-target-259668
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Senior Lecturer of Computing and Security, Edith Cowan University
In recent days, Iranians experienced a near-complete internet blackout, with local service providers – including mobile services – repeatedly going offline. Iran’s government has cited cyber security concerns for ordering the shutdown.
Shutting off the internet within an entire country is a serious action. It severely limits people’s ability to freely communicate and to find reliable information during times of conflict.
In countries that have privatised mobile and internet providers, control is often exercised through legislation or through government directives – such as age restrictions on adult content. By contrast, Iran has spent years developing the capacity to directly control its telecommunications infrastructure.
So how can a country have broad control over internet access, and could this happen anywhere in the world?
The “internet” is a broad term. It covers many types of applications, services and, of course, the websites we’re familiar with.
There’s a range of ways to control access to internet services, but broadly speaking, there are two “simple” methods a nation could use to block citizens’ internet access.
Hardware
A nation may opt to physically disconnect the incoming internet connectivity at the point of entry to the country (imagine pulling the plug on a telephone exchange).
This allows for easy recovery of service when the government is ready, but the impact will be far-reaching. Nobody in the country, including the government itself, will be able to connect to the internet – unless the government has its own additional, covert connectivity to the rest of the world.
Read more:
Undersea cables are the unseen backbone of the global internet
Software and configuration
This is where it gets more technical. Every internet-connected endpoint – laptop, computer, mobile phone – has an IP (internet protocol) address. They’re strings of numbers; for example, 77.237.87.95 is an address assigned to one of the internet service providers in Iran.
IP addresses identify the device on the public internet. However, since strings of numbers are not easy to remember, humans use domain names to connect to services – theconversation.com is an example of a domain name.
That connection between the IP address and the domain is controlled by the domain name system or DNS. It’s possible for a government to control access to key internet services by modifying the DNS – this manipulates the connection between domain names and their underlying numeric addresses.
An additional way to control the internet involves manipulating the traffic flow. IP addresses allow devices to send and receive data across networks controlled by internet service providers. In turn, they rely on the border gateway protocol (BGP) – think of it like a series of traffic signs which direct internet traffic flow, allowing data to move around the world.
Governments could force local internet service providers to remove their BGP routes from the internet. As a result, the devices they service wouldn’t be able to connect to the internet. In the same manner, the rest of the world would no longer be able to “see” into the country.
Read more:
Internet shutdowns: here’s how governments do it
In dozens of countries around the world, the internet is either routinely controlled or has been shut down in response to major incidents.
A recent example is a wide-scale internet blackout in Bangladesh in July 2024 during student-led protests against government job quotas.
In 2023, Senegal limited internet access to handle violent protests that erupted over the sentencing of a political leader. In 2020, India imposed a lengthy internet blackout on the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. In 2011, the Egyptian government withdrew BGP routes to address civil unrest.
These events clearly show that if a government anywhere in the world wants to turn off the internet, it really can. The democratic state of the country is the most significant influence on the willingness to undertake such action – not the technical capability.
However, in today’s world, being disconnected from the internet will heavily impact people’s lives, jobs and the economy. It’s not an action to be taken lightly.
Virtual private networks or VPNs have long been used to hide communications in countries with strict internet controls, and continue to be an effective internet access method for many people. (However, there are indications Iran has clamped down on VPN use in recent times.)
However, VPNs won’t help when the internet is physically disconnected. Depending on configuration, if BGP routes are blocked, this may also prevent any VPN traffic from reaching the target.
This is where independent satellite internet services open up the most reliable alternative. Satellite internet is great for remote and rural areas where traditional internet service providers have yet to establish their cabling infrastructure – or can’t do so.
Even if traditional wired or wireless internet connections are unavailable, services such as Starlink, Viasat, Hughesnet and others can provide internet access through satellites orbiting Earth.
To use satellite internet, users rely on antenna kits supplied by providers. In Iran, Elon Musk’s Starlink was activated during the blackout, and independent reports suggest there are thousands of Starlink receivers secretly operating in the country.
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. Iran’s internet blackout left people in the dark. How does a country shut down the internet? – https://theconversation.com/irans-internet-blackout-left-people-in-the-dark-how-does-a-country-shut-down-the-internet-259546
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Iran launched ballistic missile attacks on Monday against the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts US and allied forces, in what Tehran described as retaliation for recent American bombing of its nuclear facilities. The primary target was Al Udeid, the largest US military installation in West Asia, located southwest of Doha, there are also reports indicating that Iran has targeted the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq. Qatari and US officials reported no casualties from the attacks, as Qatar stated the base had been evacuated earlier as a precautionary measure due to rising regional tensions and its air defense systems successfully intercepted the incoming missiles.
A US defense official confirmed that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran, stating that there were no reports of US casualties at the time. The attack occurred hours after Qatar closed its airspace and the US Embassy directed American nationals to shelter in place. Observers witnessed a battle between interceptors and incoming ballistic missiles in the sky over Qatar.
The missile attack, however, has triggered strong condemnation across West Asia and beyond. Countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Yemen, and the Palestinian Authority have all denounced Iran’s strike on the Qatari-based facility.
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has assured residents that the security situation remains stable and under control.
Amid the escalating tensions, the US State Department has issued an updated travel advisory for Kuwait, citing the volatile regional situation. The advisory comes in the wake of the broader Israel-Iran conflict, with the US Embassy in Kuwait urging increased vigilance and implementing temporary access restrictions to key American military installations, including Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, Ali Al Salem Air Base, and Camp Patriot. These facilities are now accessible only to essential personnel, reflecting growing concerns about the potential expansion of the conflict in this strategically significant region.
The crisis has also sent shockwaves through the aviation industry. Air India has announced the immediate suspension of all operations to West Asia. In a coordinated move, the UAE has joined Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait in closing its airspace as a precautionary measure.
In response to the developments, the Indian Embassy in Qatar has issued an advisory urging members of the Indian diaspora to stay indoors, remain calm, and closely follow updates from Qatari authorities.
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
SEOUL, June 24 (Xinhua) — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June, has appointed 11 ministers, including defense, foreign affairs and unification, his office said Monday.
Ahn Kyu-baek was appointed Minister of Defense.
Former Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun was appointed as the head of the department, and Jeong Dong-yeon was appointed unification minister.
All candidates for ministerial posts are subject to approval by the National Assembly. –0–
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Briefing by Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The UN’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, told the Security Council that Afghans believe the country “would be in a far worse place” without international assistance. “At the very least, the international presence provides an element of protection and prevention,” Otunbayeva said.
Briefing the Security Council today (23 Jun) Otunbayeva also said the delivery of UNAMA’s mandate is also complex and sometimes dangerous. She said, “This May, dozens of our female national staff were subjected to explicit death threats from unidentified individuals in relation to their work with UNAMA and other United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, requiring us to implement interim measures to protect their safety. In our subsequent engagements with the de facto authorities, they said they were not responsible, but it was also clear these armed individuals were operating with impunity in a coordinated manner in the capital. This is a strong rebuke to the de facto authorities’ claim that they have established security and secured the safety and dignity of Afghan women.”
—
“We cannot forget the unacceptable situation of Afghan women and girls, even if their continued marginalization under increased enforcement of more and more decrees no longer generates headlines. As one Afghan woman interlocutor said to us, the current struggle is not about dramatic acts of defiance but the quiet and relentless pursuit of daily life, of resilience. She urged the international community to look beyond sensational headlines and recognize that what is happening is an invisible war of attrition where, I quote, “survival itself is an act of rebellion.”
The ongoing ban on girls’ education beyond the primary level is the clearest sign of the Taliban’s discrimination against women and continues to set Afghanistan apart from the world. We call again for this ban to be lifted and for girls and women to be allowed once again the right to education”.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Oil prices tumbled over 6%, falling $5 a barrel on after Iran launched a missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar in retaliation for weekend US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, while notably avoiding any disruption to oil and gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The oil market initially surged on weekend tensions but began selling off sharply after Iran’s measured response targeted the largest US military installation in West Asia rather than energy infrastructure.
Global oil prices recorded their sharpest single-day decline in five years following the missile strike, which was widely viewed as symbolic and calibrated retaliation that reportedly caused no casualties or significant damage. Sources indicated that Tehran may have coordinated the timing and targets with Qatari officials in advance, a move analysts interpret as an effort to avoid sparking a broader conflict that could destabilize energy markets. There was no interruption to Qatar Energy shipments or production after the attack,and no other Iranian attack was detected at any US military base beyond Qatar..
The price decline reflects market relief that Iran’s retaliation strategy focused on military rather than economic targets. Iran’s strike avoided oil facilities, pipelines, and the Strait of Hormuz. The absence of direct threats to energy infrastructure helped reassure markets that supply disruptions were unlikely, contributing to the steep price drop as traders unwound risk premiums built up over the weekend.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Oil prices tumbled over 6%, falling $5 a barrel on after Iran launched a missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar in retaliation for weekend US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, while notably avoiding any disruption to oil and gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The oil market initially surged on weekend tensions but began selling off sharply after Iran’s measured response targeted the largest US military installation in West Asia rather than energy infrastructure.
Global oil prices recorded their sharpest single-day decline in five years following the missile strike, which was widely viewed as symbolic and calibrated retaliation that reportedly caused no casualties or significant damage. Sources indicated that Tehran may have coordinated the timing and targets with Qatari officials in advance, a move analysts interpret as an effort to avoid sparking a broader conflict that could destabilize energy markets. There was no interruption to Qatar Energy shipments or production after the attack,and no other Iranian attack was detected at any US military base beyond Qatar..
The price decline reflects market relief that Iran’s retaliation strategy focused on military rather than economic targets. Iran’s strike avoided oil facilities, pipelines, and the Strait of Hormuz. The absence of direct threats to energy infrastructure helped reassure markets that supply disruptions were unlikely, contributing to the steep price drop as traders unwound risk premiums built up over the weekend.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired the 47th Annual General Meeting of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society at Teen Murti Bhawan, New Delhi. Emphasizing the vital role of museums in connecting people with history, the Prime Minister outlined a comprehensive vision for the future of India’s museum landscape.
The Prime Minister proposed the creation of a “Museum Map of India,” a visionary initiative aimed at offering a unified cultural and informational platform showcasing museums across the country. He stressed the global significance of museums and their power to immerse people in historical experiences, calling for continuous efforts to enhance public interest and the societal standing of these institutions.
Highlighting the importance of technology, the Prime Minister suggested developing a national database of all museums in India. This database would include key performance indicators such as visitor footfall and quality benchmarks. He also advocated for regular workshops focused on capacity building and knowledge sharing among museum professionals.
To infuse new energy and fresh perspectives into the museum ecosystem, PM Modi proposed the formation of committees in each state, comprising five members under the age of 35. These youth-led groups would contribute innovative ideas to strengthen India’s museum network.
Reflecting on the establishment of the museum dedicated to all Prime Ministers of India, the Prime Minister noted that it has helped preserve the legacies of past leaders, including India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru—something he emphasized had not been fully achieved before 2014.
In light of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Emergency, PM Modi suggested the compilation and preservation of all legal documents and battles from that era, ensuring that future generations and scholars have access to this crucial chapter of India’s democratic journey.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of systematically preserving current events and documentation to benefit future researchers. He recommended leveraging the influence of prominent public figures and inviting diplomatic representatives to Indian museums to boost global awareness of India’s rich cultural heritage.
During the meeting, other members of the PMML Society also shared their inputs and recommendations for further strengthening the institution and expanding its reach.
PM Modi also planted a Kapur tree (Cinnamomum camphora) in the gardens of Teen Murti House, symbolizing growth, heritage, and sustainability.