Source: Reserve Bank of India
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Category: DJF
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MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on June 17, 2025
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MIL-Evening Report: ‘Guerrilla rewilding’ aims for DIY conservation – but it may do more harm than good
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Finnerty, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in conservation and wildlife management, University of Sydney
Ever since modern environmentalism took off in the 1960s, people have tried to undo the damage humans have caused to nature. Efforts have ranged from reducing threats, to restoring habitats, to reintroducing vanished species – and the results have been mixed.
However, these efforts have helped shape modern conservation science. This branch of knowledge uses ecological, genetic and behavioural insights to guide smarter, more ethical conservation actions.
Governments often use this science to decide whether restoration projects should be approved. However, approval processes may be slow, under-resourced and complex, leaving passionate people feeling shut out.
In response, some have turned to “guerilla rewilding” without approval, and often without due consideration of the potential for unintended impacts. As a recent ABC investigation showed, these passionate souls may release species into the wild or build self-managed sanctuaries, often dismissing scientists as “purists”.
What is rewilding?
Rewilding aims to restore wildlife and natural processes to ecosystems where they’ve been lost, often due to land clearing, agriculture or other human activities.
It may involve reintroducing a species that has disappeared from a landscape, or using a similar surrogate species to revive lost ecological functions. The goal is to rebuild functioning, self-sustaining systems. It’s not just about individual species, but the roles they play in sustaining nature.
In Australia, rewilding typically takes place in fenced reserves or on islands where invasive predators such as foxes and cats have been removed. These barriers offer protection, but require intensive planning, long-term management and ongoing funding.
Rewilding often occurs in fenced sanctuaries.
Stephen Mabbs / UnsplashThe term “rewilding” itself has been criticised for harking back to a pre-colonial “wilderness”, overlooking First Nations’ connections to Country. But the goal of these projects is to restore ecological function and self-sustaining wildlife populations in shared, lived-in landscapes – including urban environments.
When done well, rewilding can support species recovery, repair ecosystems, and help reconnect people with nature. But success depends on evidence-based design, clear goals, ongoing monitoring, and (often) additional management over time (such as adding or removing animals).
Guerilla rewilding is risky
Guerrilla rewilding can go wildly wrong. Ecology, evolution, behaviour and welfare are deeply complex — and every species is a unique part of a much larger puzzle.
Scientists and conservationists are still learning how different animals survive and thrive in changing environments. Restoring these delicate systems without unintended consequences is also a challenge.
Without rigorous planning, there is a risk of inbreeding or a mismatch between animals and their environment. Animals raised inside fences may become overabundant, or too naive to survive in the wild. Disease, overgrazing and long-term habitat degradation are other risks.
Learning from science, not bypassing it
Successful rewilding draws on decades of ecological insight — genetics, behaviour, predator-prey dynamics, health, and ecosystem function.
Guerilla rewilders may see these as unnecessary academic add-ons. But when reintroductions fail, it’s often because one of these elements was overlooked. Frequently reported problems include animal behaviour, monitoring difficulties, quality of release habitat, and lack of baseline knowledge.
However, accessing the science – and navigating the approvals that rely on it – isn’t always easy. Conservation processes are often slow, under-resourced and opaque. It’s no surprise some view them as “green tape”.
In Australia, it can be easier to get permission to clear land than to restore it.
Matt Palmer / UnsplashIndeed, in Australia, it’s harder to get a restoration project approved than it is to get approval for land clearing.
Yet bypassing this system risks repeating old mistakes. So if we want rewilding to work, we need to make it easier to engage with evidence, expertise and ethical safeguards.
Engagement may be as simple as working with the right partners from the outset. This may include Traditional Owners, universities, non-government organisations, and local conservation and environmental community groups.
Collaboration, not conflict
A lot of people and groups have the same goal: to restore thriving wild animal populations as part of more complete, diverse and resilient ecosystems. That outcome is best achieved through collaboration, sharing of expertise, and trust.
Traditional Owners, scientists, carers, zoos, non-government organisations and government agencies all bring crucial knowledge. By turning shared passion into practical, evidence-based action, we can ensure rewilding efforts contribute to real, lasting outcomes for Australian and global biodiversity.
So what does this look like in practice? First of all, it’s about getting connected.
People with land or passion to contribute can contact organisations such as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, WWF-Australia, Arid Recovery, several universities, or state parks and wildlife services. These groups have likely already done the groundwork, from habitat assessment to long-term planning. Joining existing efforts may get more done than starting solo.
Policymakers can contribute not only funding, but also transparency. More open and understandable approval processes may lower the barriers for community-led rewilding efforts.
As for scientists like us, we need to step beyond peer-reviewed papers. That means clearer communication, real-world partnerships, and embracing outreach – particularly in urban or accessible rewilding projects.
The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of Peter Banks, Donna Houston, Phil McManus, Catherine Grueber and Mareshell Wauchope to this article.
Patrick Finnerty is the current director for early career ecology at the Ecological Society of Australia, the Early Career Coordinator at the Australasian Wildlife Management Society, and a council member for the Royal Zoological Society of NSW. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Alex Carthey is the founding Director of ReHabitat Pty Ltd. She receives funding from the Australia Research Council and the Hermon Slade Foundation. She is the immediate past-Treasurer and recently ex-Council member of the NSW Royal Zoological Society.
Benjamin Pitcher is a Co-funded Research Fellow in Behavioural Biology at Macquarie University and Taronga Conservation Society Australia. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council and NSW Environmental Trust.
John Martin receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Thomas Newsome receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is immediate past-president of the Australasian Wildlife Management Society and President of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.
– ref. ‘Guerrilla rewilding’ aims for DIY conservation – but it may do more harm than good – https://theconversation.com/guerrilla-rewilding-aims-for-diy-conservation-but-it-may-do-more-harm-than-good-258818
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MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Over 700 quality job vacancies to be offered at Creating New Opportunities Job Fair
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Labour Department (LD) will hold the Creating New Opportunities Job Fair at the Sau Mau Ping Community Hall in Kwun Tong on June 20, providing a large number of vacancies from various industries for job seekers.
The job fair is co-organised by the LD and the Office of Legislative Council Member Mr Ngan Man-yu of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. About 15 organisations will participate in the job fair, offering over 700 quality job vacancies from various industries, among which more than 500 are from the catering, real estate and retail industries. Around 15 organisations will set up booths and conduct recruitment on the spot. A wide variety of positions will be offered, including branch manager/manageress, concierge officer, property officer, guest services agent, sales coordinator, artisan, taxi driver, cleaner, chef, security guard, baker, airport cargo cleaner, shop assistant, technician, etc. Job seekers can visit the LD’s Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) for more details on the vacancies.
Around 92 per cent of the vacancies offered at the job fair are full-time jobs. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from $12,000 to $22,000. About 97 per cent of the vacancies require a Secondary Seven education level or below. Around 72 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant work experience.
Job seekers can submit job applications during the event and may be selected for on-the-spot interviews. They can also make enquiries about the employment services provided by the LD at its counter inside the venue.
The job fair will be held from 11am to 5.30pm at the Sau Mau Ping Community Hall, 100 Sau Ming Road, Sau Mau Ping Estate, Kwun Tong (near Sau Mau Ping Shopping Centre). Admission is free, with the final admission time at 5pm.
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MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 to be gazetted on Friday
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (the Ordinance) and its Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (Commencement) Notice (the Notice) will be published in the Gazette on Friday (June 20).
A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau said, “The Ordinance not only improves the buildings energy efficiency management regime of Hong Kong by extending the scope of energy efficiency regulation to more types of buildings, shortening the intervals of energy audits and disclosing technical information in energy audit reports, but also helps to achieve a win-win scenario of saving electricity costs for buildings, reducing carbon emissions, and boosting the development of the green economy, thereby assisting Hong Kong to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”
The Ordinance will come into effect in two stages. The Notice will be tabled by the Government before the Legislative Council at its sitting on June 25. Upon the completion of negative vetting, the amendments for updating the qualifications eligible for registration as Registered Energy Assessors will commence first on September 20, 2025 (i.e. three months after the gazettal of the Ordinance), to enable professionals’ early registration. The remaining provisions will commence on September 20, 2026 (i.e. 15 months after the gazettal of the Ordinance), to allow adequate time for the sectors to make necessary preparations for compliance with the new regulations. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department will continue the promotion and publicity efforts to inform building owners of the latest statutory requirements in a timely manner, and provide technical support to assist them in complying with the new requirements.
The spokesman added, “Upon the full implementation of the Ordinance, it is estimated that an additional 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 150 000 three-person households, could be saved in 2035.” -
Tehran Command Hit, Shadmani Killed: Iran-Israel War Enters Sixth Day
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Israel’s military has confirmed the killing of Ali Shadmani, Iran’s wartime Chief of Staff and a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike on a command center in Tehran. Shadmani had recently assumed leadership of Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters following the death of his predecessor during Israel’s initial offensive on Friday.
Iran’s Cyber Security Command has accused Israel of launching a widespread cyber war targeting its digital infrastructure, reportedly disrupting essential services, according to the state-run IRIB news agency.
Israel’s air force has struck deep within Tehran, killing one of Iran’s top military officers, Ali Shadmani — a high-ranking adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Continuous and intense explosions are being heard in west Tehran, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA, as the conflict enters its sixth day with no signs of abating.
Iran’s newly appointed army chief has issued a stark warning, saying the strikes carried out against Israel so far were merely a deterrent message.
In a televised address, the new army chief General Abdolrahim Mousavi declared that punitive action will be carried out soon, signaling further escalation.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump made a social media call for Iran to surrender unconditionally.
As tensions rise, the Pentagon announced it is speeding up the deployment of the USS Nimitz and other naval hardware to the Middle East, the second carrier strike group to be deployed to the area.
Calls for restraint are growing louder. Egypt has urged both Iran and Israel to pull back, warning that continued escalation could destabilize the entire region.
Speaking in Brussels, Jordan’s King Abdullah II addressed the European Parliament, cautioning that Israeli strikes on Iran risk igniting a far wider war.
The G7 summit in Canada issued a collective call for a de-escalation of hostilities across the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the group stopped short of directly calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged an immediate cessation of hostilities in phone calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Egypt warned the conflict risked igniting broader regional upheaval, a message echoed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who, in an address to the European Parliament, stressed the potential for wider instability triggered by continued Israeli strikes on Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that a US-backed ceasefire proposal is on the table, though its contents remain undisclosed. Tehran, however, has reportedly maintained a hardline stance on nuclear negotiations, with some sources indicating Iran may only consider compromise after retaliatory action against Israel is complete.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that ongoing operations have dealt a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program, saying, “I estimate we are sending them back a very, very long time.” Israel has reportedly targeted multiple nuclear facilities and eliminated several senior Iranian military commanders in a tightly coordinated campaign.
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MIL-OSI Russia: China’s State Council takes charge of investigation into explosion at fireworks factory in central China
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) — The Industrial Safety Commission of the State Council has decided to take charge of the investigation into the explosion at a fireworks factory in central China’s Hunan Province, the Ministry of Emergency Management told Xinhua.
The blast occurred at 8:23 a.m. Monday in Linli County, killing nine people and injuring 26 others.
The Committee ordered that an investigation into the explosion be promptly organized and conducted, that the causes of the explosion be determined as soon as possible, and that those responsible be held accountable in accordance with the law and regulations.
On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said a task force had been dispatched to Hunan Province to lead rescue efforts at the scene. The ministry called on local authorities to quickly verify information about the victims and make every effort to prevent such tragedies from happening again. -0-
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MIL-OSI New Zealand: Expanding biodiversity markets in NZ – Speech to the NZ Farm Environment Trust alumni
Source: New Zealand Government
It’s my pleasure to be here today amongst some of the strongest guardians of our native biodiversity in the country.
Wouldn’t we rather have more carrot than stick if we work for nature on our land?
That’s what my announcement about expanding a voluntary nature credits market in New Zealand was about last week at Fieldays.
We are backing the expansion of a market that will be durable, measurable and transparent. An enduring legacy of commitment to the land.
The market will hopefully help you and other landowners and conservation groups unlock new income streams for looking after nature on your land.
Now I say ‘hopefully’ because I haven’t yet fully transitioned into being a politician. I’m still a pragmatist. I still prefer to under promise and over deliver, and 28 years of farming makes me a firm believer in Murphy’s Law. But the only way to find out if this will work is to give it a crack, do some trials, see what works and doesn’t, and then take the lessons on board and move forward.
So, assuming Murphy gives us a break, how do I envision these nature credit markets could work?
Nature and carbon credit markets connect investors looking for reputable nature and climate opportunities with landowners, farmers and community groups who are actively restoring and repairing nature by adding biodiversity value to their land.
At a high-level nature and carbon projects are developed, according to established evidence-based standards, to produce voluntary credits that can be issued for sale on a marketplace for purchasers to buy.
Purchasers can then either use the credits, claiming support for the project and retiring the credits, or they can hold onto the credits (without claim) for resale or use down the track.I’m often asked who would buy these credits?
International and domestic investors—including corporates, banks, and philanthropists—are seeking high-quality nature and carbon credits that meet global standards.
They are looking for reputable nature and climate action projects undertaken by landowners, farmers, and community groups. This allows investors to demonstrate their environmental commitment to their customers.
In 2024 New Zealand investors spent over $20 million on voluntary nature and carbon credits; mostly on offshore projects due to the lack of suitable New Zealand projects.
But with the right framework, we can keep more of that investment at home and restore and protect New Zealand’s unique native species.
I’m told there’s interest from international investors in New Zealand credits with overseas companies and international investment funds purchasing them.Expanding the nature credit market is both important to investors and New Zealand’s reputation. We all know how heavily New Zealand’s economy is dependent on the natural environment to support our exports and economy.
Our exports rely on our ‘clean green’ environmental image. 80% of our exports ( $59.6 billion) go to markets where environmental, social, and governance reporting is required.
Voluntary carbon and nature credits can help companies demonstrate commitment to addressing nature loss and climate change while satisfying regulation, trade agreements, and supply chain requirements of international markets and customers.
A successful voluntary nature credits market can enable the many private and public agencies, individuals, and councils that already do great work, but lack the networks, expertise and resources to connect, to do more. This approach has worked well in nature markets in the United Kingdom and Australia.
And it’s worth it financially. A 2024 report from the Worldwide Fund for Nature and EY suggests that halting and reversing biodiversity loss could save New Zealand more than $270 billion over the next 50 years.
Many New Zealand carbon and nature credits projects use international standards to develop credits. However, the high costs and stringent reporting requirements often make this impractical for smaller landowners and projects. This results in untapped potential. Consequently, smaller-scale New Zealand carbon and nature credits projects are effectively excluded from the market due to these prohibitive costs and requirements.
Market participants say formal arrangements and support from the New Zealand Government are necessary to create trust, growth and investment in the New Zealand market.Privately funded pilot projects are underway to test how nature credits markets can work in the New Zealand context. As part of these pilots, we will test the role for Government which may include a government endorsed qual mark for project standards and measures to assure participants that market conduct is fair, honest and transparent.
The pilots represent different land conditions – including many farms – locations, types of market participants, and activities. This real-life experience will provide valuable insights as we move to the next stage of market design.Before I close – you’re probably wanting to know what’s next.
We’ll be announcing further details on the Government’s role and the design of the expanded market in the coming months.
In the meantime, we’re looking forward to working alongside groups and individuals involved in the pilots, and others interested in this project. Please get in touch with the Ministry for the Environment if you’re interested.
It is also my pleasure to announce the Ministry for the Environment’s sponsorship of the biodiversity award which recognizes work done to protect our native flora and fauna. Our government believes in celebrating the fantastic work that you and many other farmers are doing and this is a tangible example of how we will support those who are investing in sustainable agriculture.
Thank you for your time today – and I hope you enjoy the National Sustainability Showcase; I look forward to catching up with you later this evening.
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MIL-Evening Report: Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Murray, Professor in Screen Media and Creative Arts, Macquarie University
Photograph by Robert Walker, Eric Smith in the studio, c.1973 black and white photograph, 52cmx42cm. Barbara Smith Collection. Used with permission There are many routes to artistic obscurity. The surest path, of course, is to have never been discovered in the first place. But this wasn’t the case with the late Eric Smith (1919-2017).
His story is not that of Vincent Van Gogh or Vivian Maier, who only achieved fame after death. Nor did he go out of his way to try and remain obscure, like Ron Gittens or James Hampton.
Rather, Smith’s is a story of a major artist who quite simply, and unexpectedly, vanished from public life.
The Raising of Lazarus, 1953, oil on composition board, 91cmx82cm. David and Diane Taylor Family Collection.
A new exhibition at the Macquarie University Art Gallery, which I am co-curating, will display a range of Smith’s work – including paintings from the last four decades of his career that have never been shown before.
From fame to phantom
Smith was an artist constantly in search of ways to “express truths in our times”, and employed diverse ways of doing so across a career that included religious paintings, portraits and large abstract works.
Between his breakthrough year in 1956, when he won the first of six Blake Prizes with The Scourged Christ, and 1982, when he won the last of his three Archibalds with a portrait of Peter Sculthorpe, Smith was as lauded as an artist could be.
He had a significant role in launching Australian abstract expressionism in the famous group show, Direction 1. His art was installed in churches and public buildings, and collected by major institutions. He was quoted and photographed in the press.
Then, while working as prolifically as ever, he seemed to disappear. Why?
Rudy Komon, 1981, oil on canvas, 184.1cm x 172.4cm x 3.9cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, purchased 1982.
The death of Rudy Komon
Rudy Komon was a Czech emigrant and a larger than life bon vivant and gallerist who launched the careers of many of Australia’s finest painters.
Komon represented Smith, who he called “meister”, from 1963 and throughout the most publicly productive part of Smith’s career. Smith even won the 1981 Archibald with a painting of Komon.
However, Komon died the following year.
And according to David Taylor, an art collector and later a patron of Smith’s, “Eric’s art career died with him”.
“When Rudy died Eric had no one to connect him to the art world anymore. He was a modest man and no self-publicist,” Taylor explained to me.
“It was pretty much only me that was left buying his paintings.”
And there were a lot of paintings. Despite Smith’s exhibiting career grinding to a near halt, with no major-gallery shows after 1989, he spent the next four decades on an 8am to 6pm studio regime punctuated only by lunch and tea breaks.
Untitled [Fool’s Gold], 2004, oil on canvas, 164.5cm x 204.5cm. David and Diane Taylor Family Collection.
“He’d finish just in time for the 6pm news”, Barbara Smith told me.
Barbara is Smith’s daughter and the manager of his legacy.
“Dad was always driven by what he saw as the challenges in his work and resolving them in the studio.”
Smith was also heavily self-critical. He admitted to destroying more than half of his artistic output – completely repainting or throwing away paintings that didn’t meet his vision.
At the age of 90, ever the self-critic and despite his successes, he said to his family: “You can’t change styles like I did and hope to get anywhere.”
Forms that express deeper feelings
Smith converted to Catholicism in the 1950s and was a life-long consumer of art-history and philosophy. These tendencies can be seen in his 1950s religious paintings and later abstract works.
The Scourged Christ, 1956, oil on composition board, 116cm x 85cm. Gift of Hugh Jamieson, Penrith Regional Gallery Collection.
In the 1950s he found inspiration in the works of the Fauvist painter Georges Rouault, and later in the works of Alfred Manessier. We see these influences in the bold outlines and church-window-esque colours used in paintings such as The Raising of Lazarus (1953) and The Scourged Christ (1956).
Smith’s later large abstract paintings such as Eternity I (1998), Orange Dawn (1999) and Untitled (Fools Gold) (2004) are evidence of his artistic quest to “find forms that express the deeper feelings” he wanted to convey.
Orange Dawn, 1999, oil on canvas, 171cm x 213cm. David and Diane Taylor Family Collection.
Some of these later works share concerns aligned with Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman’s explorations of the “sublime” (influenced by Immanuel Kant’s ideas on the sublime), Richard Pousette-Dart’s soulful paintings of geometric forms, and Paul Partos rectangular forms representing inner emotions.
Smith was also skilled in portraiture, as evidenced by his depictions of fellow artists Leonard Hessing, Norman Lindsay, Louis James and Hector Gilliland, as well as his Archibald-winning portrait of Rudy Komon.
His luminous Portrait of Diane (1998), a family friend and patron, is a particularly powerful image which Smith described as his Mona Lisa.
Portrait of Diane, 1998, oil on canvas, 69cm x 50cm. David and Diane Taylor Family Collection.
It’s easy to see why writer and critic Paul McGillick argues Smith should be considered “one of Australia’s most visionary portraitists”.
Yet, without exhibitions and dealers and auctioneers to champion him over the decades, Smith’s work has largely vanished from the public.
Then again, “not having exhibitions didn’t bother him too much, it was the painting and process that really mattered to him,” said Barbara.
An exhibit 40 years in the making
Luckily for posterity, a number of Smith’s masterpieces survived his destructive self-critique.
These works, which are now mostly privately held, will be on display at Eric Smith: The metaphysics of paint. It is the first major exhibition of Smith’s work since the 1980s, and the first retrospective or survey of his work since his death in 2017.
“I’m sure Dad would have been extremely excited and honoured,” Barbara said.
Eric Smith: The metaphysics of paint is showing at the Macquarie University Art Gallery from June 19 to August 1.
Tom Murray works for Macquarie University and receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
– ref. Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works – https://theconversation.com/artist-eric-smith-won-3-archibalds-then-vanished-a-new-show-reveals-his-unseen-works-255957
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MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 18, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 18, 2025.
Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University Atlas Moth (_Attacus wardi_) Garry Sankowsky/flickr, CC BY When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies, beetles, snails, worms, octopuses, starfish, corals,Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars harder to see
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea Esterling, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury Zhang Jianyong/Xinhua via Getty Images This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster also known as the Pleiades. Yet, ironically, theWhy a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Composite image: Arrington Watkins Architects / AI avatar: YouTube/StaceyWales, CC BY In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation. Horcasitas wasWhat’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”. But which is it? Gastro or food poisoning? What’s the difference anyway? What’s gastroenteritis?Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes. But they all follow a centuries-old mathematical rule
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University Rachel Moore From hand-sized lantern sharks that glow in the deep sea to bus-sized whale sharks gliding through tropical waters, sharks come in all shapes and sizes. Despite these differences, they all face the same fundamental challenge:Iran war: from the Middle East to America, history shows you cannot assassinate your way to peace
ANALYSIS: By Matt Fitzpatrick, Flinders University In the late 1960s, the prevailing opinion among Israeli Shin Bet intelligence officers was that the key to defeating the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was to assassinate its then-leader Yasser Arafat. The elimination of Arafat, the Shin Bet commander Yehuda Arbel wrote in his diary, was “a precondition to findingSolomon Islanders safe but unable to leave Israel amid war on Iran
RNZ Pacific The Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry says five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The ministry said in a statement that the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was closely monitoring the situation and maintainingWe tracked Aussie teens’ mental health. The news isn’t good – and problems are worse for girls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Smout, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use and Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank, University of Sydney skynesher/Getty Images We know young people in Australia and worldwide are experiencing growing mental health challenges. The most recent national surveyAustralia could become the world’s first net-zero exporter of fossil fuels – here’s how
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Australian National University Photo by Jie Zhao/Corbis via Getty Images Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of gas and second largest exporter of coal. When burned overseas, these exports resultWould a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia? So far, the evidence is unclear
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University The Conversation, CC BY-NC The first term of the Albanese government was defined by its fight against inflation, but the second looks like it will be defined by a need to kick start Australia’s sluggish productivity growth. Productivity is essentiallyHow high can US debt go before it triggers a financial crisis?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Hartigan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney rarrarorro/Shutterstock The tax cuts bill currently being debated by the US Senate will add another US$3 trillion (A$4.6 trillion) to US debt. President Donald Trump calls it the “big, beautiful bill”; his erstwhile policy adviser Elon Musk called itJaws at 50: how two musical notes terrified an entire generation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Universal Pictures Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby water, or the rustling of vegetation, our fearAs Luxon heads to China, his government’s pivot toward the US is a stumbling block
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Ahead of his first visit to China, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been at pains to present meetings with Chinese premier Xi Jinping and other leaders as advancing New Zealand’s best interests. But there is arguably aThe story of the journalist on the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage, David Robie
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – In April 2025, several of the Greenpeace crew visited Matauri Bay, Northland, the final resting place of the original flagship, the Rainbow Warrior. This article was one of the reflections pieces written by an oceans communications crew member. COMMENTARY: By Emma Page I was on theAs Israeli attacks draw tit-for-tat missile responses from Iran and shuts Haifa refinery, Gaza genocide continues
Israeli media report that Iranian missile strikes on Haifa oil refinery yesterday killed 3 people and closed down the installation. The Israeli death toll has risen to 24, with 400 injured and more than 2700 people displaced. Israeli authorities report 370 missiles fired by Iran in total, 30 reaching their targets. Iranian military report theyView from the Hill: Cancelled Albanese-Trump meeting a setback on tariffs, AUKUS
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese’s failure to get his much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump is not the prime minister’s fault, nor should it be characterised as a “snub” by the president. There was always a risk of derailment by outside events,Decoding PNG leader Marape’s talks with French President Macron
ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The recent series of high-level agreements between Papua New Guinea and France marks a significant development in PNG’s geopolitical relationships, driven by what appears to be a convergence of national interests. The “deepening relationship” is less about a single personality and more about a calculated alignment ofThere’s a new ban on vaping in childcare centres, but what else do we need to keep kids safe?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harper, Lecturer, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney On Monday, the federal government announced new rules to boost safety in the early childhood sector. From September there will be mandatory reporting of any allegations or incidents of child physical or sexual abuse withinRegime change wouldn’t likely bring democracy to Iran. A more threatening force could fill the vacuum
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University The timing and targets of Israel’s attacks on Iran tell us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s short-term goal is to damage Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to severely diminish its weapons program. But Netanyahu has made clear anotherWhy is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Zala, Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, Monash University Maxar satellite imagery overview of the Fordow enrichment facility located southwest of Tehran. Maxar/Contributor/Getty Images Conflict between Israel and Iran is intensifying, after Israeli airstrikes on key nuclear sites and targeted assassinations last week were followed by -
MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 18, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 18, 2025.
Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University Atlas Moth (_Attacus wardi_) Garry Sankowsky/flickr, CC BY When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies, beetles, snails, worms, octopuses, starfish, corals,Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars harder to see
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea Esterling, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury Zhang Jianyong/Xinhua via Getty Images This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster also known as the Pleiades. Yet, ironically, theWhy a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Composite image: Arrington Watkins Architects / AI avatar: YouTube/StaceyWales, CC BY In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation. Horcasitas wasWhat’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”. But which is it? Gastro or food poisoning? What’s the difference anyway? What’s gastroenteritis?Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes. But they all follow a centuries-old mathematical rule
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University Rachel Moore From hand-sized lantern sharks that glow in the deep sea to bus-sized whale sharks gliding through tropical waters, sharks come in all shapes and sizes. Despite these differences, they all face the same fundamental challenge:Iran war: from the Middle East to America, history shows you cannot assassinate your way to peace
ANALYSIS: By Matt Fitzpatrick, Flinders University In the late 1960s, the prevailing opinion among Israeli Shin Bet intelligence officers was that the key to defeating the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was to assassinate its then-leader Yasser Arafat. The elimination of Arafat, the Shin Bet commander Yehuda Arbel wrote in his diary, was “a precondition to findingSolomon Islanders safe but unable to leave Israel amid war on Iran
RNZ Pacific The Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry says five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The ministry said in a statement that the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was closely monitoring the situation and maintainingWe tracked Aussie teens’ mental health. The news isn’t good – and problems are worse for girls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Smout, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use and Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank, University of Sydney skynesher/Getty Images We know young people in Australia and worldwide are experiencing growing mental health challenges. The most recent national surveyAustralia could become the world’s first net-zero exporter of fossil fuels – here’s how
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Australian National University Photo by Jie Zhao/Corbis via Getty Images Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of gas and second largest exporter of coal. When burned overseas, these exports resultWould a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia? So far, the evidence is unclear
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University The Conversation, CC BY-NC The first term of the Albanese government was defined by its fight against inflation, but the second looks like it will be defined by a need to kick start Australia’s sluggish productivity growth. Productivity is essentiallyHow high can US debt go before it triggers a financial crisis?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Hartigan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney rarrarorro/Shutterstock The tax cuts bill currently being debated by the US Senate will add another US$3 trillion (A$4.6 trillion) to US debt. President Donald Trump calls it the “big, beautiful bill”; his erstwhile policy adviser Elon Musk called itJaws at 50: how two musical notes terrified an entire generation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Universal Pictures Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby water, or the rustling of vegetation, our fearAs Luxon heads to China, his government’s pivot toward the US is a stumbling block
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Ahead of his first visit to China, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been at pains to present meetings with Chinese premier Xi Jinping and other leaders as advancing New Zealand’s best interests. But there is arguably aThe story of the journalist on the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage, David Robie
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – In April 2025, several of the Greenpeace crew visited Matauri Bay, Northland, the final resting place of the original flagship, the Rainbow Warrior. This article was one of the reflections pieces written by an oceans communications crew member. COMMENTARY: By Emma Page I was on theAs Israeli attacks draw tit-for-tat missile responses from Iran and shuts Haifa refinery, Gaza genocide continues
Israeli media report that Iranian missile strikes on Haifa oil refinery yesterday killed 3 people and closed down the installation. The Israeli death toll has risen to 24, with 400 injured and more than 2700 people displaced. Israeli authorities report 370 missiles fired by Iran in total, 30 reaching their targets. Iranian military report theyView from the Hill: Cancelled Albanese-Trump meeting a setback on tariffs, AUKUS
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese’s failure to get his much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump is not the prime minister’s fault, nor should it be characterised as a “snub” by the president. There was always a risk of derailment by outside events,Decoding PNG leader Marape’s talks with French President Macron
ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The recent series of high-level agreements between Papua New Guinea and France marks a significant development in PNG’s geopolitical relationships, driven by what appears to be a convergence of national interests. The “deepening relationship” is less about a single personality and more about a calculated alignment ofThere’s a new ban on vaping in childcare centres, but what else do we need to keep kids safe?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harper, Lecturer, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney On Monday, the federal government announced new rules to boost safety in the early childhood sector. From September there will be mandatory reporting of any allegations or incidents of child physical or sexual abuse withinRegime change wouldn’t likely bring democracy to Iran. A more threatening force could fill the vacuum
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University The timing and targets of Israel’s attacks on Iran tell us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s short-term goal is to damage Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to severely diminish its weapons program. But Netanyahu has made clear anotherWhy is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Zala, Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, Monash University Maxar satellite imagery overview of the Fordow enrichment facility located southwest of Tehran. Maxar/Contributor/Getty Images Conflict between Israel and Iran is intensifying, after Israeli airstrikes on key nuclear sites and targeted assassinations last week were followed by -
MIL-OSI USA: Following Reports of USPS Reversing Decision, Cortez Masto, Rosen Demand USPS Recommit to Keeping Local Mail in Nevada
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) sent a letter to Acting U.S. Postmaster General Doug Tulino and the Board of Governors demanding that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recommit to keeping local letter mail processing in Nevada. Despite announcing last year that local first-class letter mail would continue to be processed in Reno, the USPS has removed the press release containing the announcement from their website, and Nevadans have reported seeing local, first-class letter mail being processed out of state.
“On April 23, 2024, USPS officially announced its decision to proceed with its misguided plan to downsize and relocate outgoing mail processing operations from Reno, Nevada to Sacramento, California. After immense pushback from members of Congress, local officials, and the public, USPS agreed to keep local, first-class letter mail processing operations in Reno rather than moving forward with its plan to send local letter mail out of state to Sacramento and back again,” wrote the Senators. “In an August 2024 press release that has since been taken down from the USPS website, USPS officials announced that ‘[t]here will be no change to the location for canceling certain origination mail in Reno. In simpler terms, outgoing single piece mail will continue to be processed at its current location.’”
“We are therefore alarmed to hear concerns from Nevadans that local, first-class letter mail processing operations may indeed move out of state,” they continued. “As such, we would like for the Postal Service to reaffirm its commitment to the public to not proceed with its original misguided plan, and provide us with the official USPS policy at the Reno facility with respect to local, first-class letter mail processing.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has consistently pushed to ensure first-class letter mail is processed in Nevada. She fought alongside bipartisan members of the Nevada delegation in an ultimately successful push to ensure former USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy abandon his ill-advised plan to relocate outgoing mail processing operations from Reno to Sacramento. She repeatedly called on DeJoy provide detailed information about the impact of his misguided plan, and she joined a group of over 20 Senators in a letter urging DeJoy to stop any changes or relocations to USPS processing facilities that could hurt mail delivery and kill jobs nationwide.
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MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Statement on Vote to Pass GENIUS Act
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after voting to pass the GENIUS Act, which would create a new regulatory framework for payment stablecoins and incentivize stablecoin issuers to be headquartered in the U.S., while providing a roadmap for more robust regulations and consumer protections. This iteration of the bill includes hard-fought changes negotiated by Democrats to strengthen national security and encourage domestic industry growth.
“We need to do more to regulate cryptocurrencies and support American businesses, consumers, and our national security,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “If Congress doesn’t act, we risk sidelining ourselves in favor of foreign countries who would gladly take our place in helping shape this growing sector. This bill is the first step to ensure stablecoins issued in the United States are not used to scam or defraud people or facilitate illicit finance, while also providing regulatory clarity our domestic industry needs to innovate here at home.”
The updated GENIUS Act includes Senator Cortez Masto’s language to ensure payment stablecoin issuers can only issue, redeem, and manage reserves to back up their stablecoins. This change bans issuers from engaging in speculative and high-risk ventures that could increase the likelihood of a failure.
The negotiated legislation also increases scrutiny for foreign stablecoin issuers, giving Treasury the power to ban shady offshore actors from trading in the U.S. on centralized exchanges. It cracks down on deceptive marketing, allows for the suspension of an issuer’s registration after reckless and willful noncompliance, and prohibits stablecoin issuers from automatically accessing Federal Reserve Master accounts.
Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported measures to rein in big corporations and crack down on fraud and money laundering. She is also pushing for additional legislation to crack down on crypto corruption by banning the President, Vice President, Senior Executive Branch Officials, Members of Congress, and their immediate families from financially benefiting from issuing, endorsing, or sponsoring crypto assets, such as meme coins and stablecoins.
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MIL-OSI United Nations: Alejandro Radawski Awarded the 2025 World Heritage Scholarship
Source: United Nations
The Cultural and Competence Committee at Region Gävleborg, Sweden, has decided to award the 2025 World Heritage Scholarship to Polish playwright and poet Alejandro Radawski. His poetic project connects the World Heritage Site Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland with the Historic Centre of Krakow – and was selected from among 993 applications from 100 countries.
“It’s fantastic that the World Heritage Scholarship sparks such curiosity. It weaves places together – Gävleborg reaches out to the World, and the World finds its way into Gävleborg”.
Now in its seventh year, the scholarship has attracted record levels of interest. But it was Polish playwright and poet Alejandro Radawski who caught the jury’s attention.
His project, Symphony of the Little Simple Things, is a poetic diary in which each poem reflects sensory experiences from two World Heritage Sites – the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland in Sweden and the Historic Centre of Krakow in Poland. Through words, a journey is created that allows the reader to walk through the two cultural environments.
“That the scholarship has grown so much in seven years is fantastic – and also a challenge. Managing so many applications takes time as interest continues to grow”.
The scholarship gives Alejandro the opportunity to stay at one of the World Heritage farmhouses for one month. He will also receive 50,000 SEK for his project, which is expected to result in a unique literary interpretation of two places with strong cultural histories.
“There is great interest in the World Heritage Site Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland all around the World. We naturally hope that the World Heritage Scholarship will gain even more international recognition going forward”.
A Growing International Success
Since its inception, the World Heritage Scholarship has gained increasing international traction. It is open to professional artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners with a connection to World Heritage – regardless of where in the World they are based. The aim is to encourage innovative thinking and create unexpected encounters between World Heritage Sites, in line with UNESCO’s intentions.
Read more at: halsingegardar.se – stipendium/residens
Contact:- Frida Stål (M), Chair of the Cultural and Competence Committee
frida.stal@regiongavleborg.se | +46 72 147 94 03 - Anna-Karin Ferm, Cultural and World Heritage Development Officer
anna-karin.ferm@regiongavleborg.se | +46 26 65 02 16
- Frida Stål (M), Chair of the Cultural and Competence Committee
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MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Missing 17-year-old located
Source: New Zealand Police
Police can advise the teenage girl subject of an earlier missing person’s appeal has been located.
The 17-year-old girl, reported missing from Takapuna, is safe.
We appreciate the community’s assistance in sharing our appeal today.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
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MIL-OSI USA: Former SBA Employee from South Florida Headed to Federal Prison After Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs
Source: United States Small Business Administration
Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release
A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
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MIL-OSI Security: USS Blue Ridge departs Guam following port visit
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
APRA HARBOR, Guam — The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff departed Guam following a scheduled port visit, June 14-17. This port visit marked the first time the Blue Ridge has visited Guam since 2020.
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MIL-OSI Security: USS Blue Ridge departs Guam following port visit
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
APRA HARBOR, Guam — The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff departed Guam following a scheduled port visit, June 14-17. This port visit marked the first time the Blue Ridge has visited Guam since 2020.
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MIL-OSI Security: Red Flag-Alaska 25-2 begins, enhancing Indo-Pacific readiness
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Red Flag-Alaska 25-2 commenced June 12, bringing together approximately 1,500 participants and more than 70 aircraft from across the United States and allied nations for two weeks of multi-service, multi-platform, coordinated exercises.
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MIL-OSI Security: Red Flag-Alaska 25-2 begins, enhancing Indo-Pacific readiness
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Red Flag-Alaska 25-2 commenced June 12, bringing together approximately 1,500 participants and more than 70 aircraft from across the United States and allied nations for two weeks of multi-service, multi-platform, coordinated exercises.
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MIL-OSI China: China’s space program provides larger platform for broader international cooperation
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s space program provides larger platform for broader international cooperation
BEIJING, June 17 — Experts from China’s manned space program said Tuesday the country’s space endeavors are providing a larger platform for broader international cooperation.
Li Yingliang, director of the general technology department of the China Manned Space Agency, told a State Council Information Office press conference that China’s space station is expected to make significant discoveries related to fundamental and cutting-edge issues such as the origin of life, the evolution of the universe and the structure of matter.
This will effectively promote the innovative development of human space science, space technology and space applications, he said, adding that China’s space endeavors, represented by its space station and manned lunar exploration, will provide a larger platform for broader international cooperation.
During the press conference, four experts and one astronaut from China’s manned space program shared their stories and views of the program.
Sun Wei, deputy chief designer of the manned space program’s landing site system, said that China is building more ground TT&C (telemetry, tracking and command) stations and developing TT&C satellites to provide richer resources for human space activities.
China has also participated in various international organizations, such as the International Telecommunication Union and the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, according to Sun, who is a TT&C expert.
“The standardization and internationalization of China’s TT&C capabilities are establishing the infrastructure for human space activities, and are providing convenience for global space cooperation,” he added.
Astronaut Fei Junlong said that every time he flew into space, he looked back at Earth — the common home of humanity — through a spacecraft window.
“I believe my international counterparts do the same during their space flights,” said Fei, who was the commander of both the Shenzhou-6 and Shenzhou-15 missions, and the first astronaut to perform extravehicular activities following the completion of China’s space station.
Noting that exploring and developing space is a common mission for humanity, he invited astronauts from around the world to visit China’s space station.
China’s space station has hosted nine mission crews to date. The crew currently on board is undertaking the Shenzhou-20 mission, which was launched on April 24, 2025.
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MIL-OSI China: Full text of Xi’s keynote speech at second China-Central Asia Summit
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ASTANA, June 18 — Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The following is the full text of the speech:
Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit For High-Quality Cooperation in the Region
Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
At the Second China-Central Asia Summit
Astana, June 17, 2025
Your Excellency President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
I am delighted to join you at the second China-Central Asia Summit in the beautiful city of Astana. I’d like to thank President Tokayev and the government of Kazakhstan for the gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangement.
During our meeting in Xi’an two years ago, we jointly outlined the Xi’an Vision for China-Central Asia cooperation. The six pomegranate trees we planted together are in full bloom today, auguring the vitality of the cooperation among the six nations.
Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have further deepened and substantiated Belt and Road cooperation. Our trade has grown by 35 percent, and we have made important progress in industrial investment, green mining, technological innovation, and other fields of cooperation. The package of projects with Chinese financial support are well underway. While more and more Chinese new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products are entering Central Asian markets, Central Asian agricultural products, including honey, fruits, wheat and poultry, are diversifying the dinner tables of Chinese families.
Two years on, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project has been officially launched. We are making steady progress in planning for the third railway link between China and Kazakhstan, in phase-II restoration of the China-Tajikistan highway, and in China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation. Freight train services are connecting more and more Chinese cities to Central Asia. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has been upgraded and expanded. Green industries, digital economy, artificial intelligence, aviation and space are becoming new drivers of our cooperation. Cross-border e-commerce, online education, and other new business models are benefiting more and more people in China and Central Asia.
Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have made progress in establishing cultural centers in each other as well as in opening branches of Chinese universities and Luban Workshops. China has made mutual visa-free arrangements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, facilitating more than 1.2 million travels between China and Kazakhstan alone in 2024. Tourism and culture years and art festivals of Central Asian countries are very popular in China. Chinese films and TV dramas, such as Min-Ning Town and To the Wonder, have become great hits in Central Asia. The China-Central Asia train services for cultural tourism have been successfully inaugurated. And today, we will witness the number of sister cities between China and Central Asia reach the milestone of 100 pairs.
Two years on, we have launched 13 ministerial cooperation platforms under the China-Central Asia mechanism. The Secretariat is fully functioning, and the core framework of the mechanism is largely in place.
I am pleased to see that our consensus at the first Summit has been implemented across the board — from the millennium-old Xi’an to Astana “the pearl of the steppe,” from the coast of the Yellow Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea, from the Tianshan Mountain Range to the Pamir Plateau. The path of our cooperation is steadily widening, and our friendship is blooming ever more brightly.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Our cooperation is rooted in more than 2,000 years of friendly exchanges, cemented by solidarity and mutual trust cultivated through more than three decades of diplomatic ties, and taken forward via openness and win-win cooperation of the new era. Building on our collective efforts over the years, we have forged a China-Central Asia Spirit of “mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development.”
— We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals. All countries, big or small, are equal. We handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus.
— We seek to deepen mutual trust and enhance mutual support. We firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity. We do not do anything harmful to the core interests of any party.
— We pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and strive for common development. We view each other as priority partners, and share development opportunities together. We accommodate each other’s interests, and work to build a win-win and symbiotic relationship.
— We help each other in time of need and stand together through thick and thin. We support each other in choosing development paths suitable to our respective national conditions and in taking domestic matters into our own hands. We work together to address various risks and challenges, and uphold regional security and stability.
This China-Central Asia Spirit is an important guideline for our endeavor to carry forward friendship and cooperation from generation to generation. We should always uphold it and let it shine forever.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Today, unprecedented changes are unfolding at a faster pace across the globe, thrusting the world into a new state of heightened turbulence and volatility. A strong belief in fairness and justice and an unyielding commitment to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the only way to maintain world peace and achieve common development. There is no winner in tariff wars or trade wars. Unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism will surely backfire while hurting others.
I always maintain that history should move forward, not backward; and the world should be united, not divided. Humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Three years ago, we announced together that we would build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, setting out the goal and direction of our six nations in building consensus, overcoming challenges and pursuing development. We should act on the China-Central Asia Spirit, enhance cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and forge ahead toward our goal of a community with a shared future for the region.
First, we should stay committed to our fundamental goal of unity, and always trust and support each other. China consistently takes Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. With a firm belief in an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood as well as a strong dedication to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China interacts with Central Asian countries on the basis of equality and sincerity. We always wish our neighbors well.
Today, we will sign together a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law. This is a new landmark in the history of the relations between our six countries and a pioneering initiative in China’s diplomatic engagement with its neighbors. It is a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow.
Second, we should optimize our cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, more efficient, and more deeply integrated. We have agreed to designate 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation. We should focus our cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, and roll out more projects on the ground. We should do our best to get early harvests as soon as possible.
China is ready to share with Central Asian countries development experience and latest technological advances, promote connectivity in digital infrastructure, enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence, and foster new quality productive forces.
In order to promote relevant cooperation, China has decided to establish three cooperation centers, i.e. on poverty reduction, on education exchange, and on desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework. China will provide a grant of RMB 1.5 billion yuan to Central Asian countries this year to be used in livelihood and development projects high on their agenda. China will also provide 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries in the next two years.
Third, we should develop a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity. We should step up regional security governance, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly prevent and thwart extreme ideologies, and resolutely fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, so as to maintain peace and stability in our region.
China supports Central Asian countries in modernizing their national defense, law enforcement and security capacities. We will do our best to help Central Asian countries combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and safeguard cybersecurity and biosecurity. We will launch more Safe City projects, and conduct more joint exercises and joint training cooperation.
Afghanistan is our close neighbor. We should strengthen coordination to help the country boost its development capacity and achieve peace, stability, reconstruction and development at an early date.
Fourth, we should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between our peoples. China will enhance cooperation between legislatures, political parties, women, youth, media and think tanks with Central Asian countries, conduct in-depth exchange of governance experience, and share experience in green development, poverty reduction and anti-corruption.
China is ready to set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia, and launch new majors in Central Asian languages in Chinese universities. We will continue to carry out effectively the “China-Central Asia technology and skills improvement scheme” to train more high-caliber talent for Central Asian countries.
China supports deepening subnational cooperation with Central Asia. We will make good use of sister-city relations and people-to-people exchanges to nurture heart-to-heart connections at central and subnational levels, between official and non-governmental actors, and from adjacent to broader areas.
I hope that the travel-facilitation measures we adopt today will be implemented as soon as possible to help our people visit each other more conveniently, efficiently and frequently like relatives, and in the course help them become ever closer to each other.
Fifth, we should uphold a fair and equitable international order and an equal and orderly world structure. China supports Central Asian countries in playing a bigger role in international affairs. We stand ready to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the strenuous times of war, Chinese and Central Asian peoples supported each other through adversity, and jointly made important contributions to the cause of justice of humanity. We should promote the correct view of history, defend the fruits of the victory of World War II, uphold the UN-centered international system, and provide more stability and certainty for world peace and development.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain unwavering in opening up to the outside world, and embrace higher-quality cooperation with Central Asian countries to deepen the integration of interests and achieve common development.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Ancient Chinese philosophy advocates “mutual care and mutual benefit.” Similarly, a Central Asian proverb compares harmony and unity to happiness and wealth. China is ready to work with all parties to carry forward the China-Central Asia Spirit, pursue the goal of a community with a shared future, and strive for new progress in China-Central Asia cooperation.
Thank you.
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MIL-OSI China: Railway maintenance underway to ensure safe summer travel rush in China’s Taiyuan
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Railway maintenance underway to ensure safe summer travel rush in China’s Taiyuan
A drone photo taken on June 17, 2025 shows staff members examining and maintaining trains at a depot of China Railway Taiyuan Group Co., Ltd. in Taiyuan, north China’s Shanxi Province. Staff members of China Railway Taiyuan Group Co., Ltd. have stepped up maintenance of trains to ensure safe travel for the upcoming summer travel rush. [Photo/Xinhua] A staff member examines and maintains a train at a depot of China Railway Taiyuan Group Co., Ltd. in Taiyuan, north China’s Shanxi Province, June 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] -
MIL-OSI China: Mainland calls for cross-Strait contributions to Chinese modernization
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
When meeting with former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday, a mainland official urged the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to take part in, work for and benefit from Chinese modernization.
Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, met with Ma, who is leading a delegation of young people from Taiwan, in Ningde City, east China’s Fujian Province.
Song called on people on both sides of the Strait, all of whom are Chinese, to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, firmly oppose “Taiwan independence” separatism and external interference, and promote cross-Strait exchange and cooperation.
He also urged people to work together to maintain peace and stability in the Strait, advance the process of reunification, and pursue national rejuvenation.
Ma noted that when the two sides of the Strait work together, they both benefit, but when they drift apart, both suffer.
Stressing that people across the Strait yearn for peace and cooperation, Ma said that by upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence,” the two sides can stride forward hand in hand to jointly forge a bright future.
Before the meeting, Ma and the other members of the delegation visited Xiadang, a model township of poverty alleviation, as well as the premises of leading battery manufacturer CATL.
While working in Fujian, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping made three arduous trips to Xiadang, in a bid to lift the town out of poverty.
Ma said that General Secretary Xi has led nearly 100 million people out of poverty on the mainland, which is a rare achievement in history and around the world, and a historic contribution to the Chinese nation. This achievement is truly admirable and touching, Ma noted.
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MIL-OSI China: Trump’s tax, budget bill to add 2.8 trillion USD to deficit: CBO
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax and budget bill will increase the deficit by 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars over the next decade, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” is a core agenda for the Trump administration, encompassing a range of policies including taxation, border control, and artificial intelligence. The bill sparked sharp partisan debate within the United States over whether it would increase the national debt.
“It’s not only not paying for all of itself, it’s not paying for any of itself,” Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said Tuesday on social media.
The bill will also increase the wealth gap in the United States, costing the poorest Americans approximately 1,600 dollars per year, while increasing the average annual income of the wealthiest households by 12,000 dollars, according to the report released by the CBO on June 12.
Due to several reports expressing pessimism about the bill and the government’s economic measures, the CBO has faced criticism from some Republican leaders.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the CBO is “notorious for getting things wrong.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the CBO’s projections as “absurd.”
As Trump urges Congress to approve the bill before July 4, the CBO’s predictions could lead to further controversy between the two parties over the bill.
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MIL-OSI New Zealand: INVESTMENT SUMMIT: Investors excited at Summit’s opportunities
Source: New Zealand Government
International investors have left New Zealand excited about the opportunities created at the first Investor Summit held in Auckland over the past two days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.
“Many millions of dollars is now under discussion and when those deals come to fruition, New Zealanders will not only see their roads, hospitals and schools built faster but they will see jobs created and businesses thrive around the new infrastructure.
“Over the past few days, our growth agenda has been turbo-charged, and I am very excited about the prospects,” says Mr Luxon.
Investors at the Summit from all over the world share that excitement.
Plenary, which is a long-term investor in infrastructure, and holds more than $98 billion worth of assets across the world, has identified New Zealand as a global priority for public private partnerships (PPP) and will launch a New Zealand office in the next 18 months. Patrick Lauren said: “Particularly for a company that’s entering a market, we like to see that it’s not chop and change. We’re going to be bringing over people, we’re going to be bringing over capital here.”
Webuild, which has committed to pursuing at least five PPP opportunities over a five-year timeframe and establishing an office in New Zealand within the next 18 months. Of the Northern Expressway Guido Cacciaguerra said: “It’s the first PPP, of course, which is very important because if the Government gets this right, it’s the most powerful marketing tool to attract more investors in the future.”
Chairman and CEO of Spanish investor Acciona Jose Manuel Entrecanales said the Government was to be congratulated for bringing the investors together at the Summit and indicated his company’s interest in both the Northland Expressway and the second Harbour crossing. “I congratulate the Government and the Opposition for this, it’s a well-worth effort by the Government to bring to international infrastructure investors a mindshare of what opportunities your country has.”
Paul Newfield of Morrison said the Government’s message that New Zealand is
a great place to invest because it is a safe haven in an uncertain world, is a good one. He says stability of institutions and an adherence to the rule of law is an important factor for companies looking to invest.Global investment group CDPQ from Quebec is also encouraged by the messages at the Summit. Sydney based Managing Director Jean-Étienne Leroux said they have a $9 billion fund available for Australia and New Zealand. “We are looking for predictability and stability. I have been covering this region for more than 10 years and we are now very happy to feel our capital is so welcome in this country.”
“This is just the beginning,” Mr Luxon says.
“We have sent a clear message that New Zealand is open for business and, that message has been received.
“This is a huge boost to our growth agenda, and we will be pursuing these opportunities with every tool we have.
“Because growth is good for New Zealand.”
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MIL-OSI Australia: Job ads down 2.8% nationally in May 2025
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia
Job ads down 2.8% nationally in May 2025
Linda
News and updatesIn the boom’s wake: normalising labour demand and the rise of multiple job holding. Read more. -
MIL-OSI Australia: Four year approach for new Revenue and Rating Plan
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
A new Revenue and Plan 2025-2029 has been adopted which outlines how revenue is calculated and collected.
Adopted at last Monday’s Council meeting, the Revenue and Rating Plan explains how the City of Greater Bendigo will raise funds to provide services, facilities and infrastructure over the next four years.
This includes finding the most appropriate and affordable rates approach for Greater Bendigo’s residents and businesses. It also includes principles for decision-making for other income sources such as fees and charges.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the new Rating and Revenue Plan provided responsible fiscal planning and is informed by the new Council Plan Mir wimbul 2025-2029.
“The City provides around 60 services, maintains facilities and infrastructure and looks after important projects and initiatives. It must collect revenue to cover the costs for these services and assets,” Cr Metcalf said.
“The most significant revenue streams are from rates revenue, user fees and charges and government grants which together make up over 90% of council revenue each year.
“The total revenue raised for the 2025/2026 financial year is expected to be $263M with $160M from rates and charges, $28M from user charges, fees and fines, and $49M from government grants. In-kind contributions valued at $18M for infrastructure assets are expected to be given during the new fiscal year at no cost to the City. Capital works expenditure is estimated at nearly $70M.
“Greater Bendigo currently has different rating types for different properties, known as differential rates, to allow classes of properties to be assessed at different levels to the general rate set for the municipality. This allows for a more equal distribution of the rate burden, depending on the use of the land.
“In May, the community was invited to complete a Revenue and Rating Plan survey on the City’s engagement platform Let’s Talk Greater Bendigo.
“Drawing on community feedback from the survey and engagement throughout the Budget project, there is a change to the rates and charges structure for 2025/2026 across the different classes of land.
“This includes a 10% reduction in the Farm Land differential rate and 5% increase to the commercial and industrial differential rates to ensure there is a fair and equitable distribution of the rating burden across the different classes of land,” Cr Metcalf said.
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MIL-OSI Australia: City remains committed to engaging with older adults
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
The City of Greater Bendigo will continue to focus on more targeted and meaningful engagement with older residents through its Let’s Talk community engagement website, events and activities but will discontinue its Positive Ageing Advisory Committee (PAAC).
City of Greater Bendigo Healthy Communities and Environment Acting Director Andie West said in 2024 the City reviewed several advisory committees including the PAAC. The review found that in recent years the City has increased the range of positive ageing initiatives it provides to the community which has resulted in an increase in participation and interest.
“All members of the community can now have their say on a range of engagement opportunities via the City’s Let’s Talk website. This platform has proven an effective alternative to traditional advisory groups to capture the voice of older adults on a range of Council policies, projects and plans,” Ms West said.
“The review of the PAAC coupled with changes to the ways the City engages with community has led to the decision to discontinue the PAAC in its current form and will reinvest funds and resourcing so we have a greater reach and impact into the future.
“Since 2011, through the City’s Positive Ageing Strategy, All Ages All Abilities Action Plan and Positive Ageing Action Plan, the City has worked to support older adults to lead healthy, happy and resilient lives that encourage connection and participation through initiatives, events and programs.
“Recent surveys on the Let’s Talk website have shown that older adults will interact with the City using online channels and this approach will continue along with face-to-face forums to ensure resources are streamlined to deliver purposeful and impactful engagement in line with modern practices.
“In addition, a Positive Ageing Special Interest Group page called Ageing Well in Greater Bendigo has been established on Let’s Talk to enable targeted engagement and allow participants to contribute via a flexible, cost-effective, and relevant platform.
“The aim of this group page is to develop a network of interested community members and provide the opportunity for the voices of older people, advocates and service providers to be heard to help guide the City’s work with older people in the community.
“The page also provides opportunities for the City to invite those who have registered for the page to provide feedback on specific issues related to older adults.
“It is also proposed that an annual Ageing Well in Greater Bendigo Forum with an open invitation be held for older adults. This face-to-face forum would enable engagement on specific, focused topics of importance to them and Councillors could participate in the opportunity.
“In 2024 the City also hosted Be Well Be Connected Expos in Bendigo and Heathcote and this year in Elmore. The expos received extremely positive community and service provider feedback and have directly connected older adults with providers in their local communities.
“The expos have proven a fantastic way for older residents to link to services, provide feedback to the City on current projects and connect with others.
“The City would like to acknowledge and thank all past and current members for their service to the PACC over the past 15 years.”
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MIL-OSI Security: Former SBA Employee from South Florida Headed to Federal Prison After Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
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MIL-OSI Security: Former SBA Employee from South Florida Headed to Federal Prison After Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.
On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.
In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.
Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.
In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.
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