CALGARY, Alberta, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) – Intermap Technologies Corporation (“Intermap” or the “Company”) held its annual general meeting of shareholders (the “Meeting”) on June 26, 2025, at the offices of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, located at 3700, 400 Third Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta. A total of 27,270,817 Class A common shares of Intermap (“Common Shares”), representing 45.93% of the total Common Shares outstanding, were represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting.
Intermap’s shareholders voted in favor of all items of business put forward at the Meeting, being (i) the election of all nominated directors, as more fully described in the Company’s management information circular dated May 28, 2025 (the “Circular”), and (ii) the appointment of MNP LLP as auditors of the Company, as more fully described in the Circular and in the press release issued by the Company on June 20, 2025, copies of which are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
The results of the vote in respect of the election of directors of the Company to hold office until the next annual general meeting of shareholders, until their successors are duly elected or appointed, or until they otherwise cease to hold office, are as follows:
Nominee
Result of Vote
Votes For
Votes Withheld
Patrick A. Blott
Elected
18,579,224 (96.38%)
698,190 (3.62%)
Philippe Frappier
Elected
18,696,326 (96.99%)
581,088 (3.01%)
John (Jack) Hild
Elected
18,694,826 (96.98%)
582,588 (3.02%)
Jordan Tongalson
Elected
18,696,326 (96.99%)
581,088 (3.01%)
The results of the vote in respect of the appointment of MNP LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors of the Company to hold office until the next annual general meeting of shareholders, with remuneration to be determined by the board of directors of the Company, are as follows:
Votes For
26,566,313 (97.42%)
Votes Withheld
704,504 (2.58%)
About Intermap Technologies Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation.
For more information, please visit www.intermap.comor contact: Jennifer Bakken Executive Vice President and CFO CFO@intermap.com +1 (303) 708-0955
Canterbury’s Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre has been allocated permanent test flight airspace, giving advanced aviation companies the freedom to safely trial next-generation technologies, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today.
“The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) permanent special use airspace designation for Tāwhaki anchors Canterbury’s growing reputation as a national hub for space and advanced aviation innovation.”
Ms Collins announced the Tāwhaki designation at the launch of the Waitaha Canterbury Aerospace Strategy, which aims to position Canterbury as a global leader in aerospace innovation by 2035.
“Canterbury is an ideal launchpad for the space and advanced aviation sectors due to its combination of location, test-bed facilities, research and innovation capability, manufacturing capability and workforce.
“We know New Zealand’s space and advanced aviation sectors are growing rapidly. The space sector has grown 53 percent in the five years to 2023-24 to contribute more than $2.47 billion to the economy. The advanced aviation sector contributed $480 million in the same period, with some overlaps with the space sector.
“The CAA is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Civil Aviation Rules to make it easier to test and deploy new aerospace technologies.
“A new rule will, in most cases, allow advanced aviation companies to freely develop their product without needing to seek further approvals.”
“The upcoming New Zealand Aerospace Summit in Christchurch in October will draw an international audience, providing an opportunity to showcase Canterbury’s unique attributes to advanced aviation innovators.
“Overall, this is an exciting opportunity to grow advanced aviation in New Zealand,” Ms Collins said.
Tāwhaki will manage the permanent Special Use Airspaceby activating areas when required for operators, while minimising the effect on other airspace users.
Public consultation about the proposed changes to the Civil Aviation Rules closes on 27 July.
TORONTO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (“BlackRock Canada”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”) (NYSE:BLK) today announced updates to the investment risk ratings of certain iShares exchange-traded funds (“iShares ETFs”), a reduction to the annual management fees of certain iShares ETFs, and the commencement of securities lending transactions of certain iShares ETFs, as further described below.
Risk Rating Changes
BlackRock Canada announces updated investment risk ratings of the iShares ETFs listed below, effective as of June 26, 2025:
iShares ETF Name
Ticker
Previous Risk Rating
Updated Risk Rating
iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF(1)
XDU
Medium to Low
Medium
iShares Japan Fundamental Index Fund (CAD-Hedged)
CJP
Medium to High
Medium
iShares US Fundamental Index ETF(2)
CLU
Medium
Medium to High
(1) This investment risk rating change only applies to the Canadian dollar units (XDU) and not to the U.S. dollar units (XDU.U). (2) This investment risk rating change only applies to the hedged units (CLU) and not to the non-hedged units (CLU.C).
Annual Management Fee Reductions
BlackRock Canada has reduced the annual management fees of the iShares ETFs listed below, effective as of July 2, 2025:
iShares ETF Name
Ticker
Current Management Fee
New Management Fee
iShares 0-5 TIPS Bond Index ETF
XSTP, XSTP.U
0.15%
0.10%
iShares 0-5 TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)
XSTH
0.15%
0.10%
Securities Lending Transactions
BlackRock Canada also announces that it may engage in securities lending transactions (the “Transactions”) from time to time for iShares Bitcoin ETF (“IBIT”) in compliance with applicable securities laws. This is a standard practice for many Canadian iShares ETFs.
BlackRock Canada is issuing this announcement to provide 60 days’ prior written notice to unitholders of IBIT that IBIT may enter into the Transactions on or after August 25, 2025.
The prospectus of IBIT dated June 26, 2025, discloses additional information regarding the Transactions, including the policies related to engaging in the Transactions and the related risks.
About BlackRock
BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate.
About iShares
iShares unlocks opportunity across markets to meet the evolving needs of investors. With more than twenty years of experience, a global line-up of 1500+ exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and US$4.3 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025, iShares continues to drive progress for the financial industry. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock.
iShares ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.
Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). TSX is a registered trademark of TSX Inc. (“TSX”). All of the foregoing trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes to BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), which in turn has sub-licensed these marks to its affiliate, BlackRock on behalf of the applicable ETFs. The Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by BFA and by extension, BlackRock and the applicable ETFs. The ETFs are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively known as “S&P Dow Jones Indices”) or TSX, or any of their respective affiliates. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices nor TSX make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.
MSCI is a trademark of MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”). The ETFs are permitted to use the MSCI mark pursuant to a license agreement between MSCI and BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., relating to, among other things, the license granted to BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. to use the Index. BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. has sublicensed the use of this trademark to BlackRock. The ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI and MSCI makes no representation, condition or warranty regarding the advisability of investing in the ETF.
New GLP-1 agonist (Wegovy) approved for use in New Zealand.
Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) approved for use
In June 2025, Medsafe approved semaglutide (Wegovy) for use in New Zealand for weight loss. Semaglutide has been approved to treat type 2 diabetes, under the name Ozempic, since 2023.
Semaglutide is not funded by Pharmac for either type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) or weightloss (Wegovy). Pharmac has not received an application to fund semaglutide for either weightloss or type 2 diabetes. If we do receive an application, you can find it in our application tracker.
If a health care professional prescribes Wegovy for you, you will need to pay for it. Pharmac does not control this price. You would need to discuss with your pharmacy how much that might be.
Medicines funded to treat type 2 diabetes
Both dulaglutide (Trulicity) and liraglutide (Victoza) are funded for people with type 2 diabetes, who meet the funding criteria. These medicines are also GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide.
Funding had been restricted to help manage a supply issue, but supply has returned to normal so people can be started on these medicines to treat their diabetes.
If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to a health care professional whether one of these medicines might be right for you.
Who to contact
Your health care team are in the best place to discuss whether any of these medicines are right for you.
The Government has agreed in principle to an investment and implementation roadmap to strengthen New Zealand’s emergency management system so it can manage major to severe emergencies, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today.
“This roadmap is part of our response to the Government Inquiry into the North Island Severe Weather Events and complements the work underway to develop a new Emergency Management Bill,” says Mr Mitchell.
“New Zealand is facing more frequent and severe weather events, and we need to ensure our emergency management system is fit for purpose to manage significant, widespread emergencies like Cyclone Gabrielle.
“The roadmap sets out the initiatives needed in the next five years to deliver the change we need.”
Key initiatives include:
Regional support teams based around New Zealand to provide surge support during and following emergencies and boost regional workforce capability.
A refreshed and increased Resilience Fund to empower more communities to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Agreements and partnerships with businesses, iwi/Māori and community organisations to enhance local readiness.
Professional pathways to expand the emergency management workforce and build capability.
Proactive procurement and placement of critical equipment and supplies.
A Common Operating Picture to support shared situational awareness and decision-making.
“Investments in modern technology and trained personnel, along with clear governance structures and assurance, will ensure faster, more effective emergency response and recovery, better coordination across agencies, and more resilient communities.
“These investments will address critical gaps, improving our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies.”
The National Emergency Management Agency will prioritise activity that can be delivered from its current baselines and go back to Government for proposed initiatives that will require new funding from future budgets.
As sport-related concussions continue to spark global concern, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are turning their attention to a largely overlooked group – non-professional athletes – calling for more rigorous return-to-play assessments to protect everyday players.
In a new study, researchers suggest that current return-to-play protocols for semi-elite and community sport athletes might not be enough to ensure the safety of players following a concussion.
A sports-related concussion is traumatic brain injury that occurs when a hit to the head, neck or body causes a sudden jolt to the brain. It can lead to a range of symptoms, with or without a loss of consciousness.
Lead author, UniSA’s Dr Hunter Bennett, says repeated concussions have a host of long-term health effects.
“Concussions are one of the most common injuries across all sorts of sports. But while many sporting organisations have guidelines that dictate the minimum time a player must wait before returning to play, they may not always be enough ensure a full recovery,” Dr Hunter says.
“In the short-term, returning to sport before a concussion has properly healed can lead to impaired balance, coordination and reaction time, which can increase the risk of injury during sport.
“Community sportspeople, including children, are particularly vulnerable, as they don’t have the same access to medical support as professional athletes.”
Dr Bennett says return-to-play decisions for non-professional players should go beyond symptom checks.
“Instead, they should include symptom-based assessments that test balance, memory, and coordination – key areas affected by concussion – in conjunction with personalised rehabilitation plans to support recovery and reduce the risk of reinjury.”
The Australian Institute of Sport recommends that the earliest a non-professional player can return to play is 21 days after a concussion. For elite players in the AFL or Rugby Australia, the minimum is 12 days.
But even with those timelines, Dr Bennett says, there are still gaps in how concussions may be assessed and managed at community and school sport levels.
“There’s a lot of variation in how potential concussions are handled at local levels. And while the intention is always to support and protect the player, sometimes the necessary precautions are not instigated,” Dr Bennett says.
“Even at professional levels, some research suggests that more than 60% of sports physicians and trainers report feeling pressure from athletes to clear them early, and more than half say they’ve felt pushback from coaches.
“We know all players – whether professional or not – want to return to their sport as soon as possible, but it’s essential that we take a cautious and individualised approach.
“Upskilling team clubs, schools and community sports groups to better recognise the signs of concussion, follow proper protocols, and prioritise player wellbeing is key to creating a safer sporting culture at every level.
“Because when it comes to concussion, it’s not just about getting back on the field – it’s about protecting long-term brain health.”
DRML Miner, the revolutionary digital mining ecosystem has announced the commencing of its XRP cloud mining service which is being offered through DRML Miner. This milestone illustrates a broader trend toward increasing XRP accessibility (in response to growing demand from traders and other users). With those barriers out of the way — no costly miners, no complex setups, and no sky-high power bills — DRML Miner is enabling users around the world to mine XRP far more efficiently and safely.
A Timely Initiative Amid XRP’s Market Volatility
As the consistent use case of XRP in blockchain-financial services continues to grow, its value has fluctuated through ups and downs. Investors, more so than ever before, are actively seeking reliable and consistent alternatives to buying XRP without the risk associated with trading volatility.
DRML Miner answers this call by offering cloud mining contracts that provide consistent earnings over time. Users can generate XRP from anywhere in the world without needing specialized knowledge or physical equipment. The cloud model opens up XRP participation to beginners, long-term holders, and even institutions looking to diversify their crypto strategies.
How DRML Miner Makes XRP Mining Accessible
In a nutshell, this is why DRML Miner appeals to people. The process for acquiring XRP through DRML Miner is so simple. After registering, a users selects a mining contract from the available offers and begins earning XRP immediately. Everything is so simple and natural too — for example, even first-time crypto users are already accustomed to interacting with a web-based dashboard that guides their experience without requiring special knowledge.
Key Features of the DRML Miner Platform:
Immediate Activation: Start mining within minutes of selecting a contract.
Real-Time Dashboard; Easy access to track crypto earnings, mining performance and contracts.
No Maintenance; Everything is run with efficiency in the cloud, so no hardware is managed by the user.
Global Access; Open to anyone in a region free from restrictions, almost anyone across continents.
24/7 Operations: Cloud servers operate continuously for consistent performance.
This no-fuss approach helps make crypto mining more inclusive, particularly for users in areas where mining equipment is scarce or prohibitively expensive.
Sustainable and Scalable Mining Infrastructure
DRML Miner’s back-end system is a modern cloud architecture that is hosted in secure, energy-efficient data centers. The modern cloud architecture supports scaling operations while remaining perpetual in uptime, efficiency, and sustainability.
The company is also committed to eco-conscious mining by using energy sources created to minimize environmental impact—one of the ongoing considerations around the carbon footprint of crypto operations. This blend of technology and responsibility puts DRML Miner ahead of many mining services still reliant on outdated, energy-intensive systems.
The Rise of Alternative Crypto Strategies
Many crypto investors today are shifting away from active trading and speculation toward passive income strategies. Cloud mining is one such method that offers predictable rewards without market timing or emotional decision-making.
With DRML Miner’s XRP contracts, users can grow their portfolios gradually and securely. They don’t need to monitor price charts, execute trades, or understand blockchain coding. The system runs automatically, and XRP is credited consistently based on the mining contract.
This makes DRML Miner a compelling option for those who want to gain exposure to XRP with minimal involvement or risk.
Global Reception and Early Adoption
Since its public launch, DRML Miner has reported a steady increase in registrations and mining contract activations. Crypto users from North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa have shown keen interest, especially due to the platform’s ease of use and transparent structure.
While most cloud mining platforms continue to focus on Bitcoin or Ethereum, DRML Miner’s focus on XRP is a bold but strategic move. XRP’s speed, low transaction costs, and practical applications in global finance make it an ideal candidate for accessible cloud mining.
Looking Ahead: Continuous Development at DRML Miner
The team behind DRML Miner has shared that additional features are in development. These include enhancements to the user dashboard, flexible contract upgrades, and support for mining additional cryptocurrencies in future platform updates.
This ongoing innovation shows that DRML Miner is not only launching a timely solution, but also planning for long-term relevance in the rapidly changing digital asset landscape.
About DRML Miner
DRML Miner is a cryptocurrency cloud mining company committed to providing secure, user-friendly, and globally accessible digital asset mining services. The platform focuses on simplifying mining for everyone—regardless of experience level or location. With the launch of its XRP mining contracts, DRML Miner is helping users participate in blockchain-based income generation without traditional limitations.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or trading recommendations. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and the possibility of losing funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey have today marked the beginning of construction on the new Sir Mark Dunajtschik Mental Health Centre in Lower Hutt. Joined by Hutt South MP Chris Bishop, the Ministers took part in a sod-turning ceremony to celebrate the start of a project that will transform mental health services across the Wellington region. “Today, I’m proud to announce the Government is investing $38 million in the construction of this world-class facility – alongside an extraordinary $50 million donation from Sir Mark Dunajtschik, who also generously donated $50 million towards the new Wellington Children’s Hospital in 2017,” Mr Brown says. “This marks an important milestone for Lower Hutt and the wider region. The new centre will provide 34 adult acute inpatient beds – ten more than the existing facility – and will be purpose-built to support modern models of care, helping to deliver better outcomes for patients and their families. “It will also enhance the region’s mental health infrastructure, offering safer, more therapeutic spaces for those in urgent need.” Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the purpose-built centre would help ensure New Zealanders in distress receive timely, appropriate care. “People experiencing severe distress deserve care in the right environment, at the right time – it’s not only better for them, but it also helps take pressure off our busy emergency departments. “That’s why mental health care must be underpinned by high-quality infrastructure that enables clinicians and support staff to deliver the safe, effective, compassionate care Kiwis deserve. “Sir Mark’s generosity is a powerful act of leadership. It reflects deep compassion, civic spirit, and an enduring commitment to the wellbeing of our communities. “His $50 million contribution will leave a legacy of hope and care that will benefit generations to come. “This project is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about improving lives and delivering the mental health outcomes New Zealanders deserve.”
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (TSX: WPRT / Nasdaq: WPRT) (“Westport” or “The Company”) announces that the Company will release Q2 2025 financial results on Monday, August 11, 2025, after market close. A conference call and webcast to discuss the financial results and other corporate developments will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Participants may register up to 60 minutes before the event by clicking on the call link and completing the online registration form. Upon registration, the user will receive dial-in info and a unique PIN, along with an email confirming the details.
Westport today reaffirms its commitment to the pending sale of its Light-Duty Segment to a wholly-owned investment vehicle of Heliaca Investments Coöperatief U.A. (“Heliaca Investments”), a Netherlands based investment firm supported by Ramphastos Investments Management B.V. a prominent Dutch venture capital and private equity firm (the “Transaction”), first announced in March 2025. The closing of the Transaction is now expected to occur in July 2025, slightly later than originally anticipated. The revised timeline reflects an updated regulatory review process. The Company continues to work closely with all parties as the remaining conditions to close are finalized.
About Westport Fuel Systems
At Westport Fuel Systems, we are driving innovation to power a cleaner tomorrow. We are a leading supplier of advanced fuel delivery components and systems for clean, low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane, and hydrogen to the global transportation industry. Our technology delivers the performance and fuel efficiency required by transportation applications and the environmental benefits that address climate change and urban air quality challenges. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, we serve our customers in approximately 70 countries with leading global transportation brands. At Westport Fuel Systems, we think ahead. For more information, visit www.westport.com.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Bloomberg, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Te Kura Ngahere-New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury
The biggest environmental problems for commercial plantation forestry in New Zealand’s steep hill country are discharges of slash (woody debris left behind after logging) and sediment from clear-fell harvests.
During the past 15 years, there have been 15 convictions of forestry companies for slash and sediment discharges into rivers, on land and along the coastline.
Such discharges are meant to be controlled by the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry, which set environmental rules for forestry activities such as logging roads and clear-fell harvesting. The standards are part of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which the government is reforming.
We believe the proposed changes fail to address the core reasons for slash and sediment discharges.
We recently analysed five convictions of forestry companies under the RMA for illegal discharges. Based on this analysis, which has been accepted for publication in the New Zealand Journal of Forestry, we argue that the standards should set limits to the size and location of clear-felling areas on erosion-susceptible land.
Why the courts convicted 5 forestry companies
In the aftermath of destructive storms in the Gisborne district during June 2018, five forestry companies were convicted for breaches of the RMA for discharges of slash and sediment from their clear-fell harvesting operations. These discharges resulted from landslides and collapsed earthworks (including roads).
There has been a lot of criticism of forestry’s performance during these storms and subsequent events such as Cyclone Gabrielle. However, little attention has been given to why the courts decided to convict the forestry companies for breaches of the RMA.
The courts’ decisions clearly explain why the sediment and slash discharges happened, why the forestry companies were at fault, and what can be done to prevent these discharges in future on erosion-prone land.
New Zealand’s plantation forest land is ranked for its susceptibility to erosion using a four-colour scale, from green (low) to red (very high). Because of the high erosion susceptibility, additional RMA permissions (consents) for earthworks and harvesting are required on red-ranked areas.
This map shows areas with the highest and lowest susceptibility to erosion. David Palmer/Te Uru Rākau, CC BY-SA
New Zealand-wide, only 7% of plantation forests are on red land. A further 17% are on orange (high susceptibility) land. But in the Gisborne district, 55% of commercial forests are on red land. This is why trying to manage erosion is such a problem in Gisborne’s forests.
Key findings from the forestry cases
In all five cases, the convicted companies had consents from the Gisborne District Council to build logging roads and clear-fell large areas covering hundreds or even thousands of hectares.
A significant part of the sediment and slash discharges originated from landslides that were primed to occur after the large-scale clear-fell harvests. But since the harvests were lawful, these landslides were not relevant to the decision to convict.
Instead, all convictions were for compliance failures where logging roads and log storage areas collapsed or slash was not properly disposed of, even though these only partly contributed to the collective sediment and slash discharges downstream.
The court concluded that:
Clear-fell harvesting on land highly susceptible to erosion required absolute compliance with resource consent conditions. Failures to correctly build roads or manage slash contributed to slash and sediment discharges downstream.
Even with absolute compliance, clear-felling on such land was still risky. This was because a significant portion of the discharges were due to the lawful activity of cutting down trees and removing them, leaving the land vulnerable to landslides and other erosion.
The second conclusion is critical. It means that even if forestry companies are fully compliant with the standards and consents, slash and sediment discharges can still happen after clear-felling. And if this happens, councils can require companies to clean up these discharges and prevent them from happening again.
This is not a hypothetical scenario. Recently, the Gisborne District Council successfully applied to the Environment Court for enforcement orders requiring clean-up of slash deposits and remediation of harvesting sites. If the forestry companies fail to comply, they can be held in contempt of court.
A typical scale of clear-felling affected by the June 2018 storms. Murry Cave/Gisborne District Council, CC BY-SA
Regulations are not just red tape
This illustrates a major problem with the standards that applies to erosion-susceptible forest land everywhere in New Zealand, not just in the Gisborne district. Regulations are not just “red tape”. They provide certainty to businesses that as long as they are compliant, their activities should be free from legal prosecution and enforcement.
The courts’ decisions and council enforcement actions show that forestry companies can face considerable legal risk, even if compliant with regulatory requirements for earthworks and harvesting.
Clear-felled forests on erosion-prone land are one bad rainstorm away from disaster. But with well planned, careful harvesting of small forest areas, this risk can be kept at a tolerable level.
However, the standards and the proposed amendments do not require small clear-fell areas on erosion-prone land. If this shortcoming is not fixed, communities and ecosystems will continue to bear the brunt of the discharges from large-scale clear-fell harvests.
To solve this problem, the standards must proactively limit the size and location of clear-felling areas on erosion-prone land. This will address the main cause of catastrophic slash and sediment discharges from forests, protecting communities and ecosystems. And it will enable forestry companies to plan their harvests with greater confidence that they will not be subject to legal action.
Mark Bloomberg receives funding from the government’s Envirolink fund and from local authorities and forestry companies. He is a member of the NZ Institute of Forestry and the NZ Society of Soil Science.
Steve Urlich 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.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew B. Watkins, Associate research scientist, School of Earth, Atmopshere & Environment, Monash University
Andrew Watkins
How often do you mow your lawn in winter? That may seem like an odd way to start a conversation about drought. But the answer helps explain why our current drought has not broken, despite recent rain – and why spring lamb may be more expensive this year.
Southern Australia has been short of rain for 16 months. Western Victoria, the agricultural regions of South Australia (including Adelaide) and even parts of western Tasmania are suffering record dry conditions. Those rainfall measurements began in 1900 (126 years ago).
Large parts of southeastern Australia have experienced the lowest rainfall on record over the past 16 months. Serious deficiency means among the driest 10% of such periods on record, Severe deficiency means among the driest 5%. Bureau of Meteorology
Fewer and less intense rain-bearing weather systems have been crossing the southern coastline since February 2024, compared to normal. Put simply, the land has not received enough big dumps of rain.
But June has finally brought rain to some drought-affected regions. There’s even an emerald green tinge to the fields in certain agricultural areas. But it’s now too cold for plants to really grow fast, meaning farmers will be carting hay and buying extra feed for livestock until the weather warms in spring.
Lambs in the Adelaide Hills have little to eat without extra feed. Saskia Jones
Too little, too late
This month, some areas received good rainfall – including places near Melbourne and, to a lesser degree, Adelaide. City people may be forgiven for thinking the drought has broken and farmers are rejoicing. But drought is not that simple.
Unfortunately, the rainfall was inconsistent, especially further inland. The coastal deluge in parts of southern Australia in early June didn’t extend far north. Traditionally, the start of the winter crop-growing season is marked by 25mm of rain over three days – a so-called “autumn break”. But many areas didn’t receive the break this year.
The lack of rain (meteorological drought) compounded the lack of water in the soil for crops and pasture (agricultural drought). Parts of Western Australia, SA, Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales had little moisture left in their soils. So some rain is quickly soaked up as it drains into deeper soils.
In late May and early June, and again this week, there have been winter dust storms in SA. Such dust storms are a bad sign of how dry the ground has become.
Some regions no longer have enough water to fill rivers and dams (hydrological drought). Water restrictions have been introduced in parts of southwest Victoria and Tasmania. The bureau’s streamflow forecast does not look promising.
The landscape near Mortlake in western Victoria was still dry in late May. Typically the autumn break (first post-summer rain event of more than 25 mm) occurs here by early May. Andrew Watkins
A green drought
Remember that lawn mowing analogy? The winter chill has already set in across the south. This means it’s simply too cold for any vigorous new grass growth, and why you are not mowing your lawn very often at the moment.
Cool temperatures, rather than just low rainfall, also limit pasture growth. While from a distance the rain has added an emerald sheen to some of the landscape, it’s often just a green tinge. Up close, it’s clear there is very limited new growth.
Rather than abundant and vigorous new shoots, there’s just a little bit of green returning to surviving grasses. This means there’s very limited feed for livestock. To make matters worse, sometimes the green comes from better-adapted winter weeds.
There will be a lot of hay carting, regardless of rainfall, until spring when the soils start to warm up once again and new growth returns. This all adds up to fewer stock kept in paddocks or a big extra cost in time and money for farmers – and ultimately, a more expensive spring lamb barbecue.
Is this climate change?
Southern Australia (southern WA, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and southern NSW) used to experience almost weekly rain events in autumn and early winter. Cold fronts and deep low-pressure systems rolling in from the west brought the bulk of the rainfall.
Now there is a far more sporadic pattern in these regions. Rainfall in the April to October crop and pasture growing season has declined by around 10–20% since the middle of last century. The strongest drying trend is evident during the crucial months between April and July.
Further reductions in southern growing season rainfall are expected by the end of this century, especially in southwestern Australia. Southeastern regions, including southern Victoria, parts of SA and northern Tasmania, also show a consistent drying trend, with a greater time spent in drought every decade.
Drought is complex. Just because it’s raining doesn’t always mean it has rained enough, or at the right time, or in the right place. To make matters worse, a green drought can even deceive us into thinking everything is fine.
Breaking the meteorological drought will require consistent rainfall over several months. Breaking the agricultural drought will also require more warmth in the soils. Outlooks suggest we may have to wait for spring.
This article includes scientific contributions from David Jones and Pandora Hope from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
Ailie Gallant receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub.
Pallavi Goswami works at Monash University. She receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program, Climate Systems Hub.
Andrew B. Watkins 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.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Olver, Adjunct Professsor, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide
From July, eligible Australians will be screened for lung cancer as part of the nation’s first new cancer screening program for almost 20 years.
The program aims to detect lung cancer early, before symptoms emerge and cancer spreads. This early detection and treatment is predicted to save lives.
Why lung cancer?
Lung cancer is Australia’s fifth most diagnosed cancer but causes the greatest number of cancer deaths.
It’s more common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rural and remote Australians, and lower income groups than in the general population.
Overall, less than one in five patients with lung cancer will survive five years. But for those diagnosed when the cancer is small and has not spread, two-thirds of people survive five years.
Who is eligible?
The lung cancer screening program only targets people at higher risk of lung cancer, based on their smoking history and their age. This is different to a population-wide screening program, such as screening for bowel cancer, which is based on age alone.
The lung cancer program screens people 50-70 years old with no signs or symptoms of lung cancer such as breathlessness, a persisting cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, becoming very tired or losing weight.
To be eligible, current smokers must also have a history of at least 30 “pack years”. To calculate this you multiply the number of packets (of 20 cigarettes) you smoke a day by the number of years you’ve been smoking them.
For instance, if you smoke one packet (20 cigarettes) a day for a year that is one pack year. Smoking two packets a day for six months (half a year) is also a pack year.
People who have quit smoking in the past ten years but have accumulated 30 or more pack years before quitting are also eligible.
Ask your GP or health worker if you are eligible. If you are, you will be referred for a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. This uses much lower doses of x-rays than a regular CT but is enough to find nodules in the lung. These are small lumps which could be clumps of cancer cells, inflammatory cells or scarring from old infections.
Imaging involves lying on a table for 10-15 minutes while the scanner takes images of your chest. So people must also be able to lie flat in a scanner to be part of the program.
After the scan, the results are sent to you, your GP and the National Cancer Screening Register. You’ll be contacted if the scan is normal and will then be reminded in two years’ time to screen again.
If your scan has findings that need to be followed, you will be sent back to your GP who may arrange a further scan in three to 12 months.
If lung cancer is suspected, you will be referred to a lung specialist for further tests.
What are the benefits and risks?
Internationaltrials show screening people at high risk of lung cancer reduces their chance of dying prematurely from it, and the benefits outweigh any harm.
The risks of radiation exposure are minimised by using low-dose CT screening.
The other greatest risk is a false positive. This is where the imaging suggests cancer, but further tests rule it out. This varies across studies from almost one in ten to one in two of those having their first scan. If imaging suggests cancer, this usually requires a repeat scan. But about one in 100 of those whose imaging suggests cancer but were later found not to have it have invasive biopsies. This involves taking a sample of the nodule to see if it contains cancerous cells.
Some people will be diagnosed with a cancer that will never cause a problem in their lifetime, for instance because it is slow growing or they are likely to die of other illnesses first. This so-called overdiagnosis varies from none to two-thirds of lung cancers diagnosed, depending on the study.
The Australian government has earmarked A$264 million over four years to screen for lung cancer, and $101 million a year after that.
The initial GP consultation will be free if your GP bulk bills, or if not you may be charged an out-of-pocket fee for the consultation. This may be a barrier to the uptake of screening. Subsequent investigations and consultations will be billed as usual.
There will be no cost for the low-dose CT scans.
What should I do?
If you are 50-70 and a heavy smoker see your GP about screening for lung cancer. But the greater gain in terms of reducing your risk of lung cancer is to also give up smoking.
If you’ve already given up smoking, you’ve already reduced your risk of lung cancer. However, since lung cancer can take several years to develop or show on a CT scan, see your GP if you were once a heavy smoker but have quit in the past ten years to see if you are eligible for screening.
This is the first article in our ‘Finding lung cancer’ series, which explores Australia’s first new cancer screening program in almost 20 years.
More information about the program is available. If you need support to quit smoking, call Quitline on 13 78 48.
Ian Olver receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
UPDATE 8:20 am: Bad weather and flooding are causing further state highway closures in the top of the South Island this morning.
Drivers must stay off weather-affected highways while they remain closed and avoid any unnecessary travel.
Nelson/Tasman
Flooding has closed State Highway 6 between Belgrove and Richmond.
State Highway 60 has also been closed across its entire length from Richmond to Collingwood because of flooding at multiple locations.
Marlborough
State Highway 63 now has a full closure from St Arnaud to Anglesea Street in Renwick
Update: 6:50am
With heavy rain affecting the top of the South Island overnight, and continuing to fall this morning, road crews are attending multiple incidents on state highways across the region.
Wet weather driving conditions apply and road users can experience traffic management at multiple locations due to flooding, rockfalls, and slips.
Nelson/Tasman
Rob Service, System Manager, says there are multiple flooding and slips sites in the Nelson/Tasman region
“State Highway 6 near Wakefield, is under a temporary closure for light vehicles due to flooding.”
“State Highway 60 at the Riwaka/Kaiteriteri intersection is also affected by flooding and slips have also been reported on the Tākaka Hill,” Mr Service says.
There is also localised flooding at the Three Brothers intersection (SH6/SH60), as well as in Brightwater, Belgrove, and Kohatu.
Mr Service says with heavy rain still falling, the potential for further disruption on local highways remains
“It is essential drivers take extreme caution on the roads while the bad weather continues. Road crews are attending multiple incidents and are doing their best to resolve issues as they arise.”
Marlborough
Flooding has closed State Highway 63 in Renwick between Anglesea Street and Inkerman Street. Local road detours are available, and drivers can expect delays.
System Manager Wayne Oldfield says surface flooding has also been reported at multiple sites.
“This includes State Highway 6 at Havelock, State Highway 63 in the Wairau Valley, and State Highway 1 near Koromiko.”
“These sections of highway are currently open, but driving conditions are challenging. While the rain continues to fall, drivers must be prepared for road hazards and the possibility of road closures,” Mr Old field says.
General advice
The Metservice has regional weather warnings in place until this afternoon and evening for both Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough. This means the risk of flooding, slips, rockfalls remains ongoing.
Drivers must check road and weather conditions before they travel and avoid any area where highways are closed due to bad weather.
All road closures must be obeyed. They are there to keep the public safe.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
June 26, 2025
More than 100 tribes have signed onto letters calling for the Senate to protect the tribal energy programs and clean energy tax credits
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, today released the following statement on Republicans’ reconciliation bill that harms Tribal communities in Oregon and nationwide:
“As extreme heat strains the grid and leaves thousands without power, Senate Republicans are pushing a bill that would hike costs and worsen energy shortages. Their plan slashes investments in the new energy sources we need to meet demand and keep prices down.”
“The bill is particularly harmful to Tribal Nations, pulling the rug out from under projects that would strengthen their energy sovereignty and power local communities. Together, the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program and our Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits have cleared pathways and removed significant barriers for Tribes to finance and build their own resilient energy infrastructure. More than 100 Tribes have advocated to protect these programs, which are already creating high-quality jobs, increasing energy security, and building economic opportunity in Indian Country and across the nation. We are also committed to taking additional steps to level the playing field for Tribal communities and cut the red tape that has limited their access to these energy programs.”
“The Big, Beautiful Betrayal isn’t about energy dominance or making life affordable for working families. It’s about cutting essential programs that benefit people from all walks of life to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”
More than 100 Tribes have signed onto letters to Wyden, Heinrich, and Schatz expressing the importance of the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program and the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act to continue empoweringTribal energy development.
The Tribal letters are here.
In response to a rise in extortion threats against members of the South Asian community, BC Crime Stoppers is launching a digital media campaign to raise awareness and encourage reporting of extortion activity.
“The recent surge in extortion threats targeting members of the South Asian community is very concerning, and we are doing everything we can to support police efforts in investigating these crimes,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Reporting is the most important step in stopping extortion and keeping people safe, so if you are a victim of extortion, or have any information that could help solve a crime, I urge you to contact Crime Stoppers.”
With support from the federal government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, the B.C. government has provided $100,000 to help BC Crime Stoppers run a 60-day extortion awareness campaign. The campaign is launching Thursday, June 26, 2025, and shares important information about recognizing and reporting extortion threats, helping individuals, business owners and families stay safe and informed.
The campaign was developed in consultation with individuals with deep knowledge of extortion, experience in policing and lived experience within the South Asian community. The goal is encouraging people to report extortion threats to help police stop those responsible. The campaign will be available in English and Punjabi, and will include advertisements on radio, podcasts, Spotify, social media and television.
“Since 1982, BC Crime Stoppers and its local programs have offered the community an anonymous way to report criminal activity,” said Gillian Millam, executive director, BC Crime Stoppers. “In partnership with the provincial government, BC Crime Stoppers aims to educate the community on how to recognize and report cases of extortion. The primary goal of this campaign is to inform the public and help solve crime.”
The Province continues to take action to combat serious and organized crime with more than $100 million invested annually to bolster provincial firearm forensic capabilities, strengthen gang enforcement and suppression initiatives, and support community-based prevention and intervention programs.
Provincial efforts are supported by the federal government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, with the B.C. government receiving nearly $11 million from Public Safety Canada for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The funding will go toward anti-gang and crime initiatives throughout the province, including the Organized Crime Agency of BC, and police departments to support operations in dismantling serious and organized crime.
Quotes:
Chief Const. Colin Watson, Abbotsford Police Department –
“The Abbotsford Police Department remains dedicated to safeguarding our community and local businesses from the threat of extortion. Through focused investigations, strong partnerships with other agencies, and proactive community engagement, we strive to prevent further harm and ensure those responsible are held accountable. We continue to support affected individuals and urge anyone with information related to extortion to contact their local police department.”
Chief Const. Harj Sidhu, Delta Police Department –
“I want to thank the Province and BC Crime Stoppers for raising awareness about the growing issue of extortion, which has impacted the South Asian community and others. These cases are often linked to organized crime and have created real fear. Early reporting is critical. Delta Police are committed to supporting victims, working with partners, and keeping our community safe. If you receive a threat or have information, please report it. We are here to help.”
Chief Const. Norm Lipinski, Surrey Police Service –
“Surrey Police Service’s dedicated Extortion Investigations Team is actively working with our policing partners to identify and arrest those engaged in extortion so we can relieve victims and residents of the understandable fear that these crimes create. We remind individuals who are victims of an extortion attempt to report it to your local police as soon as possible. Every detail can help police unravel these highly complex and sophisticated investigations.”
Chief Supt. Duncan Pound, BC RCMP Lower Mainland District –
“The RCMP Lower Mainland District is working with municipal, provincial and federal partners to investigate and disrupt organized crime groups engaged in extortion across the region. The number of victims or complaints have spanned multiple jurisdictions and communities and therefore our investigative approach has been cross jurisdictional and collaborative, to determine any connections or similarities. While progress is being made, police continue to stress the importance of anyone impacted to come forward. The public is urged to report any instances of extortion or suspicious activity to the police, as unreported incidents can enable organized crime to continue operating.”
Quick Facts:
BC Crime Stoppers is a non-profit society and registered charity that receives anonymous tip information about criminal activity and provides it to investigators.
Anonymous tips may be provided by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 or online at bccrimestoppers.com or https://solvecrime.ca/index.php/en/
BC Crime Stoppers accepts tips in a variety of languages and will pay a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest, a charge, recovery of stolen property, seizure of illegal drugs or guns or denial of a fraudulent insurance claim.
Learn More:
To view the campaign webpage, visit: https://bccrimestoppers.com/extortion/
Watch the 30-second campaign in English here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xOhv77PTJqpHJBu1C8xbV9K0t4oQY5BG/view
Watch the 30-second campaign in Punjabi here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PCzPvE801NE1utwarto7y2etxtojVAdG/view
To learn more about government’s action to combat serious and organized crime, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PSSG0040-000714
Victims and their immediate family members may be eligible for benefits to support in their recovery through the Ministry’s Crime Victim Assistance Program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-crime/victim-of-crime/financial-assistance-benefits
To locate a victim service program in your community, contact VictimLinkBC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/victimlinkbc
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament, & Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity
Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war?
We asked three experts for their views.
The Bible
Robyn J. Whitaker, University of Divinity
The Bible presents war as an inevitable reality of human life. This is captured in the cry of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes:
for everything there is a season […] a time for war and a time for peace.
In this sense, the Bible reflects the experiences of the authors and communities who shaped the texts over more than a thousand years as they experienced both victory and defeat as a small nation among the large empires of the ancient near east.
When it comes to God’s role in war, we cannot shirk from the problematic violence associated with the divine. At times, God orders the Hebrew people to go to war and enact horrendous violence. Deuteronomy 20 is a good example of this: God’s people are sent to war with the blessing of the priest but told to first offer terms of peace. If peace terms are accepted, the town is enslaved. Certain enemies, however, are decreed worthy of total annihilation, and the Hebrew army is commanded to destroy anyone and anything that doesn’t produce food.
On other occasions, war is interpreted as a tool, a punishment where God uses foreign nations against the Hebrew people because they have gone astray (Judges 2:14). You can also find an underlying ethic to treat the captives of war justly. Moses commands that women captured in war are to be treated as wives, not slaves (Deuteronomy 21), and in 2 Chronicles, captives are allowed to return home.
In contrast to war as divinely authorised, many of the Hebrew prophets express hope in a time where God will bring peace and people will “neither learn war any more” (Micah 3:4) but rather turn their weapons into tools for agriculture (Isaiah 2:4).
War is viewed as a result of human sinfulness, something that God will ultimately transform into peace. And that peace (Hebrew: shalom) is more than an absence of war. It is about human flourishing and unity between peoples and God.
Most of the New Testament was written during the first century CE, when Jews and emerging Christians were a minority within the Roman Empire. The military power of Rome is harshly critiqued as evil in resistance texts such as the Book of Revelation. Many early Christians refused to fight in the Roman army.
In this context, Jesus says nothing specific about war but generally rejects violence. When Jesus’s disciple Peter seeks to defend him with a sword, Jesus tells him to put away his sword because a sword only leads to more violence (Matthew 26:52). This is consistent with Jesus’s other teachings such as “blessed are the peacemakers” or his commands to “turn the other cheek” when struck or to “love your enemies”.
The reality is that we find various war ideologies in the Bible’s pages. If you want to find a justification for war in the Bible, you can. If you want to find a justification for peace or pacifism, that is there too. Later Christians would develop ideas of “just war” and pacifism based on biblical ideas, but these are developments rather than explicit within the Bible.
For Christians, Jesus’s teaching provides an ethical framework for interpreting earlier war texts through the lens of love for enemies. This counterpoint to divine violence and war points readers back to the prophets, whose hopeful visions imagine a world where violence and suffering are no more and peace is possible.
The Quran
Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University
Islam and Muslims emerged onto the world stage in the hostile environment of the seventh century. In response to major challenges, including warfare, Islam introduced pioneering legal and ethical reforms. The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad’s example laid out clear legal and ethical guidelines for the conduct of war, well before similar frameworks appeared in other societies.
Islam did this by defining a new term, “jihad” rather than the usual Arabic word for war, “harb”. While harb refers broadly to warfare, jihad was defined within Islamic teachings as a legal, morally justified struggle, which includes but is not limited to armed conflict. In the context of warfare, jihad refers specifically to fighting in a just cause under clear legal and ethical guidelines, rather than belligerent or aggressive warfare.
Between 610-622, Prophet Muhammad practised active non-violence in the face of the constant suffering, persecution and economic embargo he and his followers endured in Mecca, despite insistent approaches by his followers to take up arms. This showed that armed struggle cannot be taken up within the members of the same society, as this would lead to anarchy.
After leaving his home town to escape persecution, he established a pluralistic and multi-faith society in Medina. He took active steps to sign treaties with neighbouring tribes. Despite following a deliberate strategy of peace and diplomacy, the hostile Meccans and allied tribes attacked the Muslims in Medina. Engaging these attackers in an armed struggle was unavoidable.
The permission to fight was given to Muslims by the Quran verses 22:39-40:
The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely, God has full power to help them to victory. Those who have been driven from their homeland against all right, for no other reason than that they say, “Our Lord is God” […]
This passage not only permits armed struggle but also offers a moral justification for just war. It means war is clearly just when defensive — while aggression is unjust and condemned. Elsewhere, the Quran emphasises this point:
If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them.
Verse 22:39 outlines two ethical justifications for warfare. The first is when people are driven from their homes (and land) – in other words, through occupation by a foreign power. The second is when people are attacked because of their beliefs to the point of violent persecution and attack.
Importantly, verse 22:40 includes churches, monasteries and synagogues. If believers in God do not defend themselves, all places of worship would be destroyed, so this is to be prevented by force if necessary.
The Quran does not allow for aggression, since “God loves not the aggressors” (2:190). It also provides detailed regulations on who is to fight and who is exempted (9:91); when hostilities must cease (2:193); and prisoners should be treated humanely and with fairness (47:4).
Verses such as 2:294 emphasise that warfare and any response to violence and aggression must be proportional and within limits:
Whoever attacks you, attack them in like manner as they attacked you. Nevertheless, fear God and remain within the bounds.
In the event of unavoidable war, every opportunity to end it must be pursued:
But if the enemy inclines towards peace, then you must also incline towards peace and trust in God.
The aim of military action is to end hostilities and remove the reason for warfare, not to humiliate or annihilate the enemy.
Military jihad cannot be pursued for personal ambition or to further nationalistic or ethnic disputes. Muslims cannot wage war on nations that have no hostility towards them (60:8). But if there is open hostility and attack, Muslims have a right to defend themselves.
The Prophet and the early caliphs specifically warned military leaders and all combatants that they must not act treacherously or engage in indiscriminate killing and pillage. He said:
Do not kill women, children, the elderly, or the sick. Do not destroy palm trees or burn houses.
Because of these teachings, Muslims have had legal and ethical guidelines throughout much of history to help limit human suffering caused by war.
The Torah
Suzanne D. Rutland, University of Sydney
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else, and prayers for peace are central to Jewish liturgy. At the same time, there is a recognition of the need to fight defensive wars, but only within certain boundaries.
In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, the recognition of the need for war is clear. Throughout their journeying in the desert, the Israelites (Children of Israel) fight various battles. At the same time, in Deuteronomy, the Israelites are instructed (chapter 12, verse 10):
When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, then you should keep yourself from every evil thing.
The story of Amalek is the symbol of ultimate evil in Jewish tradition. Scholars argue this is because his army attacked the Israelites from the rear – killing defenceless women and children.
The Torah also stresses that army service is compulsory. Yet, Deuteronomy elaborates four categories of people who are exempt:
someone who has built a home but has not yet dedicated it
someone who has planted a vineyard but has not yet eaten of its fruit
someone who is engaged or in his first year of marriage
someone who is afraid, in case he influences other soldiers with his fear.
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else. Shutterstock
It is important to point out that the disdain of war is so strong that King David was not permitted to build the temple in Jerusalem because of his military career. His son, Solomon, was allocated this task, but no iron was to be used in the building because this represented war and violence, while the temple was to represent peace, the ideal virtue.
The vision of peace for all humanity is further developed in the prophetic writings and the concept of the Messiah. This is seen particularly in the writings of the prophet Isiah, who envisaged an age when, as he describes in his idyllic vision:
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The Mishnah, the first part of the Talmud, raises the concept of an “obligatory war” (milhemet mizvah). This encompasses the biblical wars against the seven nations said to inhabit the Promised Land, the war against Amalek, and the Jewish nation’s defensive wars. It is, accordingly, a clearly defined and recognisable class.
Not so the second category, “permitted war” (milhemet reshut), which is more open-ended and, as scholar Avi Ravitsky writes, “could relate to a preemptive war”.
After the Talmudic period, which ended in the 7th century, this debate became theoretical, since Jews living in Palestine and the diaspora no longer had an army. This was largely the case from the time of the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Rebellion against the Romans (132–135 CE), apart from a few small Jewish kingdoms in Arabia.
However, with the return of the early Zionist pioneers to the Land of Israel in the late 19th and 20th century, the rabbinic debates of what constitutes an obligatory, defensive war and what is a permitted war, as well as the characteristics of a forbidden war has reignited. This is a subject of deep concern and controversy for both academics and rabbis today.
Robyn J. Whitaker is affiliated with The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy.
Mehmet Ozalp is affiliated with Islamic Sciences and Research Academy
Suzanne Rutland has received an Australian Research Council grant for her research on the Australian Jewry and funding from the Pratt Foundation, as well as an Australian Prime Ministers Centre (APMC) fellowship for her research on Soviet Jewry and Australia. She is also involved with numerous NGOs, including the Australian Jewish Historical Society (patron), the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (past president and committee member), and the Australian government’s expert delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In addition, she is a board member of the Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry at ANU; she is on an academic advisory committee at the Sydney Jewish Museum; she is the director of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism; and she is an Australian board member for Boys Town Jerusalem and a board member of Better Balance Futures for faith communities These roles are all undertaken in an honorary capacity. She is also writing the history of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in an honorary capacity.
The Albanese government devoted time and energy in its first term to developing a wellbeing agenda for the economy and society.
It was a passion project of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who wanted better ways to measure national welfare beyond traditional economic indicators such as growth, jobs and inflation.
Chalmers developed the Measuring What Matters framework to try to better align economic, social and environmental goals as
part of a deliberate effort to put people and progress, fairness and opportunity at the very core of our thinking about our economy and our society.
As Labor settles into its second term, what has happened to its wellbeing agenda? And how much was a poor consultation process to blame for it apparently falling by the wayside?
Measuring What Matters
Measuring What Matters was badged as a wellbeing framework to improve the lives of Australians and help better inform policy-making across all levels of government.
There was also a standalone indicator on life satisfaction.
The data is updated annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the Treasury due to report on outcomes every three years.
The first Measuring What Matters statement in 2023 showed improvements across some indicators, such as life expectancy, job opportunities and accepting diversity. But it also revealed higher rates of chronic illness and problems with housing affordability.
The fanfare surrounding the release has since fizzled, and wellbeing is now seldom mentioned.
Furthermore, there is little evidence insights have been taken up by the government. The Australian National Audit Office recently noted the challenge of embedding Measuring What Matters in policy, as well as the absence of any evaluation work to gauge its effectiveness.
The wellbeing agenda appears to have been sidelined for two reasons: an insufficient consultation process to properly develop the framework, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Poor consultation
Wellbeing frameworks have high potential to impact policy. But they need to be developed and implemented in the right way.
One crucial factor is adequate community engagement, which would have helped ensure accurate representation of what people truly value in terms of wellbeing. Done properly, it could also have secured buy-in from the community, depoliticised the initiative, and even strengthened democracy.
But adequate time was not taken to get the consultation process right, with the government in a rush to release Measuring What Matters. Announced in the October 2022 Budget, two consultation phases were undertaken.
The first, mainly with technical experts, took three months. The second, which sought feedback from individuals and community groups, was even shorter. It was over in just one month.
Measuring What Matters was released shortly after, in July 2023.
Our research, recently published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, analysed the public consultation phase. We found it was inadequate across four areas.
Comprehensiveness: the timeframe for phase two was too short to allow organisations and communities to meaningfully engage.
Reach: there was limited engagement with the general public.
Transparency: the community was not informed how feedback would be incorporated in the framework and no consultation report was published.
Genuineness: while some feedback was incorporated in the framework, key topics raised in the consultation were not acted on, including greater involvement of First Nations people.
Greater community engagement would have ensured the framework, and any policy it produced, better reflected what Australians value for their wellbeing. It would have also promoted people’s ownership of the framework, helping to foster greater understanding and support for the initiative.
Although Measuring What Matters is now established, it is not too late to realise proper community engagement.
Taboo subject
The other factor to run interference was the cost-of-living crisis, which dominated the government’s first term.
We can draw some inspiration from an alliance of countries, including New Zealand, Scotland, Finland, Iceland and Wales, which have at various times put people’s wellbeing at the forefront of policy development and evaluation.
Perhaps if the Albanese government had leaned in to its own wellbeing framework to help navigate the cost-of-living crisis, people may have fared better.
The agenda’s future?
The Albanese government’s large majority gives it space to revitalise its wellbeing framework.
Undertaking a national conversation, similar to the one rolled out in Wales, would help build grassroots support and ensure it truly “measures what matters” to people.
A stronger Measuring What Matters would not only provide the electorate with a clear indication the government is listening, but would also help ensure policy improves people’s lives in a meaningful way.
Kate Sollis is a consultant to the Wellbeing Government initiative at the Centre for Policy Development and President of the Bega Valley Data Collective. She was previously employed at the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Paul Campbell is a research fellow, whose work is supported by the ANU-Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government Wellbeing Framework research partnership. He was previously employed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Nicholas Drake 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.
Vancouver, BC, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oxley Bridge Acquisition Limited (the “Company”) announced today the closing of its initial public offering of 25,300,000 units, which includes 3,300,000 units issued pursuant to the exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option in full. The offering was priced at $10.00 per unit, resulting in gross proceeds of $253,000,000.
The Company’s units began trading on June 25, 2025 on The Nasdaq Global Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “OBAWU.” Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share of the Company and one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share of the Company at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to certain adjustment. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “OBA” and “OBAWW,” respectively.
Of the proceeds received from the consummation of the initial public offering (including the exercise of the over-allotment option) and a simultaneous private placement of warrants, $253,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit sold in the offering) was placed in trust.
The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business or industry or at any stage of its corporate evolution. The Company’s primary focus, however, will be to search globally for a target with operations or prospects focusing on global consumer and technology sectors with disruptive growth potential through the use of technology that can benefit from operations in Asia, excluding the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The Company’s management team is led by Jonathan Lin, its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”), and Gary Chan, its Chief Financial Officer. The Board also includes Norma Chu, Enrique Gonzalez, Gan Wee Leong, and Jack Cho.
Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. acted as sole book-running manager for the offering.
A registration statement relating to the securities was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 24, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements.” No assurance can be given that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.
In less than a decade, Korean TV dramas (K-dramas) have transmuted from a regional industry to a global phenomenon – partly a consequence of the rise of streaming giants.
But foreign audiences may not realise the K-dramas they’ve seen on Netflix don’t accurately represent the broader Korean TV landscape, which is much wider and richer than these select offerings.
At the same time, there are many challenges in bringing this wide array of content to the rest of the world.
The rise of hallyu
Korean media was transformed during the 1990s. The end of military dictatorship led to the gradual relaxation of censorship.
Satellite media also allowed the export of K-dramas and films to the rest of East Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia. Some of the first K-dramas to become popular overseas included What Is Love (1991–92) and Star in My Heart (1997). They initiated what would later become known as the Korean wave, or hallyu.
The hallyu expansion continued with Winter Sonata (2003), which attracted viewers in Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Dae Jang Geum/Jewel in the Palace (2005) resonated strongly in Chinese-speaking regions, and was ultimately exported to more than 80 countries.
A breakthrough occurred in 2016. Netflix entered South Korea and began investing in Korean productions, beginning with Kingdom (2019–21) and Love Alarm (2019–21).
In 2021, the global hit Squid Game was released simultaneously in 190 countries.
But Netflix only scratches the surface
Last year, only 20% of new K-drama releases were available on Western streaming platforms. This means global discussions about K-dramas are based on a limited subgroup of content promoted to viewers outside South Korea.
Moreover, foreign viewers will generally evaluate this content based on Western conceptions of culture and narrative. They may, for instance, have Western preferences for genre and themes, or may disregard locally-specific contexts.
This is partly why Korean and foreign audiences can end up with very different ideas of what “Korean” television is.
Genres
When a K-drama is classified as a sageuk (historical drama) but also incorporates elements of fantasy, mythology, romance, melodrama, crime fiction and/or comedy, foreign audiences may dismiss it as “genre-confused”. Or, they may praise it for its “genre-blending”.
But the drama may not have been created with much attention to genre at all. The highly inventive world-building of pre-Netflix dramas such as Arang and the Magistrate (2012) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) prominently feature all the aforementioned genres.
While foreign viewers may think visual media begins with readily identifiable genres, many K-dramas aren’t produced on this premise.
Themes
Western viewers (and other viewers watching through a Western lens) might assume “liberal” themes such as systemic injustice, women’s rights and collusion in politics entered K-dramas as a result of Western influence. But this is a misconception.
The emergence of such themes can be attributed to various changes in Korean society, including the easing of censorship, rapid modernisation, and the imposition ofneoliberal economics by the International Monetary Fund in 1997.
Although gender disparities still exist in South Korea, economic uncertainty and modernisation have prompted a deconstruction of patriarchal value systems. Female-centred K-dramas have been around since at least the mid-2000s, with women’s independence as a recurring theme in more recent dramas.
Local contexts
A major barrier to exporting K-dramas is the cultural specificity of certain elements, such as Confucian values, hierarchical family dynamics, gender codes, and Korean speech codes.
The global success of a K-drama comes down to how well its culturally-specific elements can be adapted for different contexts and audiences.
In some cases, these elements may be minimised, or entirely missed, by foreign viewers.
For example, in Squid Game, the words spoken by the killer doll in the first game are subtitled as “green light, red light”. What the doll actually says is “mugunghwa-kkochi pieot-seumnida”, which is also what the game is called in Korean.
This translates to “the mugunghwa (Rose of Saron) has bloomed”, with mugunghwa being South Korea’s national flower.
These words, in this context, are meant to ironically redefine South Korea as a site of hopelessness and death. But the subtitles erase this double meaning.
It’s also difficult for subtitles to reflect nuanced Korean honorific systems of address. As such, foreign viewers remain largely oblivious to the subtle power dynamics at play between characters.
All of this leads to a kind of cultural “flattening”, shifting foreign viewers’ focus to so-called universal themes.
A case study for global success
Nevertheless, foreign viewers can still engage with many culturally-specific elements in K-dramas, which can also serve as cultural literacy.
The hugely successful series Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) explores the personal and professional challenges faced by an autistic lawyer.
Director Yoo In-sik described the series as distinctly Korean in both its humour and the legal system it portrays, and said he didn’t anticipate its widespread popularity.
Following success in South Korea, the series was acquired by Netflix and quickly entered the top 10 most popular non-English language shows.
The global appeal can be attributed to its sensitive portrayal of the protagonist, the problem-solving theme across episodes, and what Yoo describes as a kind and considerate tone. Viewers who resonate with these qualities may not even need to engage with the Korean elements.
Many K-dramas that achieve global success also feature elements typically considered “Western”, such as zombies.
While the overall number of zombie-themed productions is low, series and films such as Kingdom (2019–21), All of Us Are Dead (2022), Alive (2020) and Train to Busan (2016) have helped put Korean content on the map.
One potential effect of the zombie popularity may be the displacement of Korean mythological characters, such as fox spirits, or gumiho, which have traditionally held significant narrative space.
Shin Min-ah and Lee Seung-gi star in the acclaimed romantic comedy series My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010). IMDB
Local production under threat
The influence of streaming giants such as Netflix is impacting South Korea’s local production systems.
The early vision of low-cost, high-return projects such as Squid Game is rapidly diminishing.
Meanwhile, Netflix is exploring other locations, such as Japan, where dramas can be produced for about half the price of those in Korea. If this continues, the rise of Korean content may slow down.
Sung-Ae Lee 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.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University
It’s quite unsettling to discover something so central to our cultural rituals – the “slop” in the Aussie mantra of “Slip! Slop! Slap!” – can no longer be trusted.
We’ve never really had to scrutinise sunscreen. We slop it on because Sid the Seagull (in his role as spokesbird for the Cancer Council) told us to. We’ve learned about sun protection factors (SPF) and made choices to protect ourselves. We do it because it works.
Or so we thought.
Consumer group Choice recently tested 20 sunscreen brands and found only four met their labelled SPF claims. The findings have shaken consumers’ trust in the brands that make these products, and perhaps, in the institutions responsible for regulating them.
Trust is the silent architecture of our lives that makes everything from catching a bus to undergoing surgery feel possible. Indeed, we are born into trust. From infancy, we are wired to trust, first in our caregivers, then later in life in the cues and symbols such as endorsements, SPF ratings, brands or rankings that help us navigate a complex world.
The original Sid the Seagull video from the Cancer Council.
The role of power in trust relationships
Trust, and its erosion in public life, has become such a critical issue that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has made it a focus of Friday’s Consumer Congress, titled “Who can we trust? Regulating in an environment of declining consumer trust”.
Something that is often missed in discussions around trust is that it is also a social arrangement, shaped by power and vulnerability. Trust is nearly always asymmetric; those with the least power are usually required to place their trust first and most fully.
The powerful rarely have to reciprocate that vulnerability. They hold the information, set the rules and shape the narrative. When things go wrong, the powerful often walk away relatively unscathed, while the vulnerable are left to navigate complex complaints or refund systems.
Increasingly, we are told to be savvy, to read the fine print and to “do the research”.
But putting the responsibility on the individual reframes structural failures as personal shortcomings. It places the burden of vigilance and scrutiny on people who lack the time or expertise to meaningfully assess risk.
A breach of faith
The issue is compounded by a wider trend across many businesses that have misread their relationship with consumers. Much of our trust in brands is automatic.
We are more inclined to trust claims from familiar or warm-sounding sources, with research showing warmth comes first. People tend to judge others and institutions by their perceived warmth before considering their competence. So a brand that feels benevolent often earns our trust before we assess its actual performance.
Qantas, a brand that built its entire identity around the idea that it was “us”, trashed our trust when it began acting like a transactional retail business, rather than one built on relationships.
Management and the board failed to grasp they had been given something rare: a kind of cultural endearment underpinned by trust and perceived reciprocity that made Australians feel personally invested in its success.
While Qantas does retain market share, the erosion of this emotional bond means many customers are more willing to try its competitors. It will struggle to rebuild that trust simply with price deals or heartstring-tugging ad campaigns.
One of Qantas’ ad campaigns with an emotional appeal to customers.
The response matters
For organisations such as the Cancer Council, whose trustworthiness is built on moral authority, the response to failure matters deeply. Its decision to acknowledge the findings and commit to retesting was more than public relations. It was an act of relational repair.
In contrast, some of the other corporate brands in the survey responded by disputing Choice’s methodology. That reveals an outdated corporate reflex – one that attacks the messenger rather than engaging with the message. This defensive posture reflects a mindset shaped more by legal risk and brand control than by public accountability or ethical responsibility.
Still, individual responses are not enough. We need systems designed with human limits in mind. Trust cannot be sustained if it is constantly tested by complexity, misinformation and opaque accountability.
Consumer bodies such as Choice provide a public service by filling the gap between what people assume and what they can verify. But more broadly, businesses and regulators must treat trust as a relationship, not a marketing goal.
The system needs to prevent harm, not deal with the fallout
Rebuilding trust means putting people at the centre of consumer regulation. A human-centred system does not treat people as problems to be managed. It treats them as participants in a shared moral project. It requires systems grounded in evidence, designed around real human behaviour and focused on preventing harm rather than managing fallout.
One way to do this is through collaborative regulation. This approach brings together consumer representatives, regulators, behavioural experts and industry to design rules and standards that reflect how people actually behave (as opposed to how we hope they behave). This reduces asymmetries of power, and ensures trust is earned and maintained over time.
This collaborative approach has been successfully adopted in local government and health. But it only works when collaboration is approached in good faith by all parties, not just a “tick-the-box” exercise.
Of course, this approach runs counter to a legal system that tends to prioritise the system over the people it serves, and process over outcomes. But the goal shouldn’t be to force better ideas into outdated frameworks. Instead, we should design systems that lead to better outcomes for everyone.
Paul Harrison has received research funding from ASIC, the Consumer Action Law Centre, ACCAN, Victorian Health Association, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
“These two weeks were truly exciting. The entire music community watched wonderful, talented people: which of them would become the laureates of the competition. The competition, which is being held for the second time, was born in the year of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 150th anniversary and has now definitely entered not only our musical life, but also the musical life of the entire world,” Tatyana Golikova told journalists.
She emphasized that the competition has become a unique launching pad for gifted, talented musicians.
“I would like to once again congratulate the laureates and express gratitude to our international jury and the heads of the three areas: Denis Leonidovich Matsuev, who stood at the origins of the competition, Valery Abisalovich Gergiev and Alexander Vladimirovich Tchaikovsky. I am very pleased that our country has become the birthplace of new talents,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted. “We see that art knows no borders, and music is becoming an international language of friendship.”
The II International Competition of Pianists, Composers and Conductors named after S.V. Rachmaninov was held in Moscow from June 14 to 26. Over 500 applications from 25 countries were submitted for participation. The winners were 24 artists from 8 countries – South Korea, Italy, China, Belarus, Russia, Spain, Kazakhstan and Great Britain.
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.
KAGOSHIMA, Japan – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) departed Kagoshima June 20, following in-port and at-sea engagements with Japan Coast Guard (JCG), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Japan government officials. This event marks a significant milestone as the first time the trilateral search and rescue exercise with the Philippine Coast Guard, occurred in a region outside the Philippine territorial seas, emphasizing the growing cooperation among the three nations.
For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Tashkent, June 26 (Xinhua) — The key driving force behind the continuous deepening of cooperation between Central Asian countries and China is the shared focus on high-quality development as the main goal, Davron Toshpulatov, senior risk manager at Uzbekistan Mortgage Refinancing Company and Doctor of Economics, said in an interview with Xinhua.
According to him, from the point of view of the states of the region, including Uzbekistan, such a format of interaction not only corresponds to the tasks of modernization and structural reforms, but also opens the way to sustainable development. The expert emphasized that high-quality development has become a common value uniting the countries of Central Asia and China.
“Currently, Uzbekistan is going through an important stage of deep economic transformation, improving the business climate and modernizing the manufacturing sector,” noted D. Toshpulatov. In his opinion, the Chinese experience, especially in such areas as infrastructure development, poverty alleviation, green transition and innovation, serves as a practical guide for Uzbekistan. “It is especially valuable that the Chinese side shares its knowledge and technologies with us on the basis of openness and equal partnership,” he added.
D. Toshpulatov pointed out that cooperation covers a wide range of areas – from the construction of transport hubs and industrial parks to green energy and the digital economy. He cited such illustrative examples as Uzbek-Chinese industrial cooperation projects, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, as well as initiatives in the field of electric vehicles and renewable energy. “We receive not just technologies, but also an impetus for the modernization of local industries, the transition to a sustainable, innovative and inclusive economy,” the Xinhua interlocutor emphasized.
As the expert noted, it is equally important that China consistently promotes the concept of human-centered development. “This fully coincides with Uzbekistan’s goals in such areas as human capital development, professional education, healthcare and social stability,” he said. D. Toshpulatov cited the opening of the Lu Ban Workshops and cooperation in youth training as examples. According to him, these are practical steps that actually improve people’s living standards and strengthen the social base of modernization.
“Looking to the future with optimism, I am convinced that under the banner of high-quality development, Uzbekistan and China will continue to deepen their pragmatic partnership, jointly forming a green, intelligent, efficient and inclusive regional community,” the expert concluded. Such joint modernization, he added, is based on mutual understanding and mutual benefit, and this is the path that meets the strategic interests of Uzbekistan. –0–
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson hosted a bipartisan Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony today to honor the courage and contributions of the Army Rangers of World War II. First activated in 1942, the Rangers formed the tip of the spear of the Army’s special operations in World War II. They fought heroically from North Africa to Europe to the Pacific, playing a pivotal role in some of the most consequential battles of the war, such as the Battle of El Guettar, the Battle of Cisterna, the assault on Pointe du Hoc, and the Philippines raid that liberated more than 500 prisoners of war from Japanese camps.
The ceremony was held in Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol and featured remarks from Speaker Johnson, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Collins, Leader Thune, Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, Senator Duckworth, Senator Ernst, Rep. Miller-Meeks, Rep. Jason Crow, and President of the Descendants of World War II Rangers, Inc., Dr. David Williams. Two Army Rangers who served in World War II, Sergeant Joseph Drake and Private First-Class John Wardell, accepted the medal on behalf of the living and deceased Army Rangers of that war.
Watch the Speaker’s remarkshere
Read Speaker Johnson’s remarks below:
Ladies and gentlemen, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Collins, members of Congress, Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Dan Kaine, and honored guests, welcome to the United States Capitol. We’re so grateful to have you here today.
We gather on this momentous occasion to honor some of World War II’s greatest heroes, the United States Army Rangers. This band of brothers is so deserving, and this day, to be frank, is long overdue.
They formed the spearhead of America’s special operations in the Second World War, and today we express our most profound gratitude for their courage and contributions with the highest honor that this body can bestow. And that is the Congressional Gold Medal.
We are deeply honored to have here with us today, two of these ranger heroes. With us today is Sergeant Joe Drake, right here in front of me on the front row. Sergeant Drake faced down the frozen tundra of Ardennes, where the 6th Ranger Battalion helped to turn the tide at the Battle of the Bulge.
And from the legendary 2nd battalion, we have Private First-Class John Wardell also with us today. John deployed to Normandy just days after his battalion breached Hitler’s Atlantic wall at the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc. And I should also point out that in just two weeks, Mr. Wardell will celebrate his 100th birthday.
Also watching from home are three more of these American heroes and we honor today, Major General John Raaen Jr., Private Cecil Lisk. and Private First-Class Edward Stimer. We salute you all.
I would invite you all to take your seats if you’d like to do that, because we have really an incredible program for you today. It’s fitting for this great honor.
In 1942, under the command of Major William Darby, 473 men formed the first battalion of the US Army Rangers. The day these men arrived on the rocky shores of Northern Ireland, the fate of the free world was sealed.
The rangers came from every corner of American life. They were welders and waiters and factory hands and musicians. They were ordinary men called to extraordinary valor, who stared death in the face. And by the grace of God, achieved the incredible and defended freedom.
These were men of steel who with fighting knives tightly in hand, fought back with everything they had. They were America’s best.
From the first shots of Dieppe to the shores of Sicily, to the bloody waters of Omaha Beach. The Rangers led the way as America and the Allied powers clawed back the continent of Europe.
And in their courage, all Americans found something to be proud of and the free world found reason to hope. Today we take to heart the words of Calvin Coolidge when he said so well “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” We will not be guilty of that.
Today, we remember some of America’s fiercest defenders and we remember their service and sacrifice, and we remember that every day that we rise in a free nation, free to speak and to pray, and to live unafraid.
We enjoy the fruits of liberty paid for by men like these. God bless you all for that service. Thank you for being here and hope you all enjoy the ceremony. Thank you.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
June 12, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statement:
“Trump’s decision to abandon the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement is yet another reckless, shortsighted move that makes one thing clear: this administration has no respect for the trust and treaty rights of Tribal Nations. It’s a betrayal that erases decades of hard work to resolve long-standing conflicts in the region and blows up a historic agreement that supported salmon recovery, reliable clean energy, and water and food security across the Pacific Northwest.
“This was a rare win forged between the federal government and Tribal Leaders from the Nez Perce Tribe, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and the states of Washington and Oregon. It was grounded in science, built on consensus, and designed to protect salmon from extinction while preparing the region for a clean energy future. Trump threw all that away to score cheap political points – and it’s Tribes, working families, and our environment who will pay the price.
“Let’s be clear: this fight isn’t over. Democrats will stand with Tribal leaders in the fight to honor treaty rights, restore fisheries, and build the resilient future this region deserves.”
Please attribute to Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Shanan Gray:
One person has died, and another is in a critical condition following an incident in Manurewa overnight.
A critical incident investigation is now underway, which will establish the full circumstances of what unfolded.
At about 1am, a Police unit was travelling along Roscommon Road after attending an unrelated job.
Staff have then sighted a Mitsubishi vehicle pulling out of Sharland Road closely followed by an Isuzu.
Officers were concerned the Mitsubishi was being chased by the Isuzu and signalled for the Isuzu to stop on Roscommon Road.
Moments after lights and sirens were activated the Isuzu made contact with the Mitsubishi, causing the vehicle to leave the road and collide with a tree.
Officers immediately rendered first aid, however the passenger of the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver was transported to hospital in a critical condition, where they remain.
The driver of the Isuzu was arrested at the scene and transported to hospital with minor injuries.
A scene examination has been completed by the Serious Crash Unit and the road has since reopened.
There are several investigations now underway, which will work to establish all the facts surrounding this morning’s tragic incident.
This includes notifying the Independent Police Conduct Authority, as is standard procedure.
We are also working to support those affected and their families, as well as our staff who were involved.
As part of our investigation, we are seeking information from witnesses who may have been in the area at the time, or prior to this incident occurring.
If you have information, please update Police online now or call 105.
In extreme conditions, please limit yourself to essential travel only, ensure you have had your brakes and windscreen wipers checked. Reducing speed, using headlights and watching your visibility will also ensure a safe trip.
