overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a $6 million State investment to replace the Long Building at the North Elba Showgrounds in Lake Placid, ensuring the continued success of the internationally recognized Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows. The Governor made the announcement during the 55th annual horse shows, which generate $17.9 million in economic activity and support 164 jobs in the Adirondack region.
“I’ll always remember visiting Lake Placid as a kid and experiencing the wonders of this community, and it’s those experiences — shared by residents and tourists alike — that make investments like this one in the North Elba Showgrounds so important,” Governor Hochul said. “This facility will create jobs and spur economic activity for generations of North Country residents, and I look forward to seeing the community grow alongside it into a brighter future.”
The funding, which will be administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), will enable the complete replacement of the aging Long Building, a central facility used for spectator services, catering and event operations during the two-week horse show. The modern facility will provide improved amenities, accessible features, and flexible space to support year-round community programming including Camp Placid, a youth summer program.
The North Elba Showgrounds have hosted the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows for 54 years, with the event spanning the July 4 holiday period. Recent facility assessments determined that without significant infrastructure improvements, the venue risked losing its ability to attract top-tier competitors and maintain its international standing in equestrian sport.
The horse shows represent a significant economic engine for the Adirondack region, generating $17.9 million in total economic impact annually. This includes $13.9 million in direct spending, $2.8 million in state and local tax revenue and support for 164 total jobs. Visitors spend $12.2 million on lodging, dining, retail and entertainment throughout the region during the two-week event.
The project is part of a comprehensive two-phase renovation of the showgrounds designed to meet international competition standards. Phase One, completed this year with $2.1 million in investments from the Town of North Elba and Lake Placid Horse Show Association, included arena improvements, new all-weather competition footing, and infrastructure upgrades. Phase Two is anticipated to begin following the conclusion of this year’s horse shows in July, with the new Long Building planned for completion ahead of the 2026 season.
The Long Building serves multiple functions beyond the annual horse shows. Throughout the year, it hosts community events and provides essential infrastructure for other activities at the showgrounds, including serving as a staging area for Olympic Regional Development Authority events at the nearby ski jumps, home to the 1980 Olympic Torch.
The new facility will feature modern amenities including accessible restrooms, a commercial kitchen, emergency shelter capabilities and flexible space designed to accommodate both large-scale equestrian events and smaller community gatherings. The building will be constructed to current code standards with enhanced fire safety features and ADA compliance.
DASNY President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez said, “DASNY is proud to administer this important investment in Lake Placid’s tourism infrastructure. The North Elba Showgrounds project exemplifies how strategic capital investments can preserve economic drivers while enhancing community assets for generations to come.”
The Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows attract competitors and spectators from across North America and internationally, drawing riders who participate in major competitions including the Olympics and World Equestrian Games. The event strengthens Lake Placid’s reputation as a premier destination for both winter and summer sports, building on the community’s Olympic legacy.
This investment represents Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to supporting tourism infrastructure and economic development in the Adirondack region, ensuring that key attractions and events can continue to draw visitors and generate economic activity for local communities.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, June 28 (Xinhua) — Iran held state funerals on Saturday for military commanders and nuclear scientists killed during the 12-day conflict with Israel.
The ceremony was attended by the families of those killed in the attacks, as well as senior Iranian officials and military commanders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded in Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.
On June 13, Israel launched a series of massive airstrikes on various areas of Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing several high-ranking commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. Iran responded with several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel.
After a 12-day war, a ceasefire was signed between Iran and Israel on June 24.
During the funeral ceremony, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni noted that the United States and Israel have proven their inability to fulfill any of their commitments.
He stressed that the Iranian armed forces remain on high alert and are ready to give a decisive response to any “malicious actions” or breach of promises by the “enemy.”
Funeral ceremonies for the victims will take place on Sunday, June 29. –0–
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 28 (Xinhua) — China’s National Development and Reform Commission on Saturday allocated an additional 100 million yuan (about 13.96 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to support disaster relief and reconstruction efforts in flood-hit Guizhou Province in southwest China.
The department said that, along with the initial 100 million yuan allocated on June 25, the total amount of aid funds has reached 200 million yuan.
They will support the emergency restoration of infrastructure and public services in Guizhou, especially in the severely affected counties of Rongjiang, Congjiang and Sandu, to facilitate the resumption of normal production and daily life as soon as possible.
Guizhou province has been hit by severe flooding in recent days due to incessant downpours, with repeated flooding in Rongjiang County prompting local authorities to re-introduce the highest-level flood alert under the nation’s four-tier system from 12:30 p.m. Saturday. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 28 /Xinhua/ — A Yak-18 light aircraft has crashed in the Moscow region, killing four people, the regional department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported on Saturday.
According to the department, the tragedy occurred near Kolomna, in the area of the village of Panovo. The Yak-18 crashed in a field and caught fire.
According to TASS, which cites a source in the emergency services, the Yak-18’s engine failed during the flight, which caused the crash. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 28 — China’s top economic planner has allocated an additional 100 million yuan (about 13.96 million U.S. dollars) in central budget funds to support emergency response and recovery work in flood-hit Guizhou Province.
This follows an initial 100 million yuan that was allocated on June 25, raising total funds to 200 million yuan, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Saturday.
The funds will support the post-disaster emergency recovery of infrastructure and public services in Guizhou, particularly in counties that have been severely affected, including Rongjiang, Congjiang and Sandu, to help restore normal life and production as soon as possible.
Guizhou has recently experienced severe flooding due to persistent rainstorms, and returning flooding in Rongjiang County has prompted local authorities to re-activate the country’s highest-level emergency flood response, effective from 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
And unlike the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, when national unity coalesced around the defense of Iranian sovereignty, this time the government appeared to fight without significant public support. While accurate polling from within Iran is hard to come by, the lack of pro-government rallies, the low approval numbers for the government ahead of the war and the government’s subsequent crackdown since tell their own stories.
As a researcher of different ethnic groups within the country, I know that many Iranians – especially those from historically marginalized communities – viewed the conflict with Israel not as a defense of the nation but as a reckless consequence of the government’s ideological adventurism and regional proxy campaigns. It puts the Islamic Republic in its most vulnerable position since its establishment after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
Hard and soft power diminished
It is worth taking a snapshot of just how diminished the Iranian government is following the recent series of blows.
Its soft power – once built on revolutionary legitimacy, Shiite ideological influence and anti-Western propaganda – has eroded dramatically.
For decades, the Islamic Republic relied on a powerful narrative: that it was the only government bold enough to confront the United States and Israel, defend Muslim causes globally and serve as the spiritual leader of the Islamic world. This image, projected through state media, proxy militias and religious rhetoric, helped the government justify its foreign interventions and massive military spending, particularly on nuclear development and regional militias.
But that narrative no longer resonates the way it once did. The leaders of Iran can no longer claim to inspire unity at home or fear abroad. Even among Shiite populations in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, support during the Israel-Iran confrontation was muted. Inside Iran, meanwhile, propaganda portraying Israel as the existential enemy has lost its grip, especially among the youth, who increasingly identify with human rights movements rather than government slogans.
It is also clear that Iran’s hard power is getting weaker. The loss of senior commanders and the destruction of important military infrastructure have shown that the government’s intelligence and security systems are severely compromised.
Even before Israel’s attack, a number of reports showed that Iran’s military was in its weakest state in decades. The real surprise in the recent war came not from the scale of the damage by Israeli and U.S. bombs but from how deeply Israel had penetrated the upper echelons of the Iranian military and intelligence sectors. The recent conflict amounted to a security as well as a military failure.
Externally defeated, internally adrift
As its power across the region appears diminished, so too is the Iranian government’s grip loosening internally. A 2024 survey by Iran’s Ministry of Culture revealed “discontent” among the population, with over 90% of Iranians “dissatisfied” with the country’s current position. Elections in November 2024 saw a turnout of under 40%, further underscoring Iranians’ discontent with the political process.
And reporting from inside Iran suggests many Iranians blame government policies for the war with Israel. “I place the blame on this country’s decision-makers,” one resident of Rasht told Reuters, “their policies have brought war and destruction upon us.”
The government has responded with a tactic it has used before: repression. According to government-aligned media, over 700 people were arrested during and immediately after the conflict, accused of collaborating with the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency.
As in past crackdowns, ethnic minority regions – particularly Kurdish areas – have been targeted.
One day after the ceasefire with Israel, the government executed three Kurdish cross-border laborers who rely on smuggling goods to survive in Iran’s underdeveloped Kurdish provinces.
These executions, which were done without a trial or legal counsel, fit a pattern of how the government uses ethnic scapegoating to stay in power. And it echoes a historic pattern: When the government feels threatened, it strikes the Kurds first.
A historical pattern of repression
Kurds are estimated to number 10-12 million in Iran, composing roughly 12% to 15% of the country’s total population – making them the third-largest ethnic group after Persians and Azeris. Iran also includes significant Baluch and Arab minorities.
When the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, many ethnic groups supported the revolution. They hoped for a more inclusive and democratic Iran than what preceded it – the brutal autocracy of the shah that had frequently targeted minorities.
Those hopes were quickly dashed. By rejecting pluralism and promoting a unifying ideology centered on Shiite Islam and Persian identity, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini marginalized non-Persian and non-Shiite groups.
Other ethnic groups were viewed with suspicion, while Shiite Azerbaijanis were mainly co-opted into the system.
Khomeini declared jihad against Kurdish resistance groups, labeling them infidels, separatists and agents of Israel and the United States.
Armed with advanced weaponry inherited from the last Pahlavi shah, the government launched a military campaign in Kurdistan province. Many Kurdish villages and towns were destroyed, and approximately 50,000 Iranian Kurds were killed between 1979 and 1988.
The region was turned into a militarized zone – a status that continues today.
But instead of embracing political reform, it responded with one of the most brutal crackdowns in Iran’s history. Khomeini issued a fatwa, or religious edict, ordering the execution of political prisoners, including large numbers of Kurdish dissidents.
Between late July and September 1988, thousands of political prisoners were executed – many without trial or any legal process. At least 5,000 people were killed and buried in unmarked mass graves, according to Amnesty International.
Khomeini labeled them “mohareb,” or “warriors against God,” and criticized the Revolutionary Courts for not sentencing them to death sooner. This mass execution campaign signaled the government’s resolve to eliminate all dissent, regardless of legal precedent or human rights norms.
This targeted elimination of Kurdish leadership, combined with the mass executions of political prisoners, was a deliberate strategy to decapitate any organized opposition before it could challenge the government’s survival.
A new crisis, the same strategy
The Islamic Republic appears to be using the same playbook now, but under far more fragile conditions.
Given the precarious state of the government, it is fair to ask why there are not more protests now, especially in ethnic minority regions. For many, the answer is fear over what happens next.
Meanwhile, the overall opposition remains fractured and leaderless, both along ethnic lines and in terms of goals. The main opposition groups have traditionally been reluctant to acknowledge ethnic rights, let alone include them in any vision for a future Iran. Rather, they insist on “territorial integrity” as a precondition for any dialogue, echoing the Islamic Republic’s rhetoric.
This is a key legacy of the Islamic Republic: Its propaganda has not only shaped domestic opinion but also influenced the opposition, dividing Iranians at home and abroad. And it has long mobilized the dominant ethnic group against minorities, especially Kurds, by portraying them as internal enemies.
Shukriya Bradost does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SANAA/JERUSALEM, June 28 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthis launched a Zulfiqar ballistic missile that “successfully hit” a “sensitive” site in southern Israel, where an air raid siren was sounded for the first time since the ceasefire with Iran, rebel spokesman Yahya Saria said in an address on Al-Masirah TV on Saturday.
Earlier this week, the Houthis carried out “several military operations” against “sensitive” targets and military installations in the Israeli cities of Beersheba, Jaffa (Tel Aviv) and Haifa, using ballistic missiles and drones, he said. All operations were “successfully carried out,” Saria added.
The actions were “a form of support for the oppressed Palestinian people,” he said, vowing that the Houthis would continue their “supportive military operations until the aggression in Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted.”
In turn, the Israel Defense Forces /IDF/ reported that a rocket flying from Yemen towards Israel on Saturday morning “was most likely successfully intercepted.” –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUIYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has once again hit Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to once again issue the highest-level emergency response, which took effect at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to hydrological forecasts, the water level in the Dulyu River will reach a maximum of 253.5 meters at around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flood flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.
The local flood and drought control headquarters has decided to raise the flood emergency response level from level two to level one, the highest in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.
Local authorities are organizing the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer places.
Rongjiang County has been suffering from severe flooding due to incessant rainfall since June 24. As of Thursday afternoon, six people had died in the flooding. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUIYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has once again hit Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to once again issue the highest-level emergency response, which took effect at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to hydrological forecasts, the water level in the Dulyu River will reach a maximum of 253.5 meters at around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flood flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.
The local flood and drought control headquarters has decided to raise the flood emergency response level from level two to level one, the highest in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.
Local authorities are organizing the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer places.
Rongjiang County has been suffering from severe flooding due to incessant rainfall since June 24. As of Thursday afternoon, six people had died in the flooding. -0-
D6 Thu, Jul 03, 2025 – Fri, Jul 04, 2025 (All days are valid from 12 UTC – 12 UTC the following day)
Note: A severe weather area depicted in the Day 4-8 period indicates 15%, 30% or higher probability for severe thunderstorms within 25 miles of any point.
PREDICTABILITY TOO LOW is used to indicate severe storms may be possible based on some model scenarios. However, the location or occurrence of severe storms are in doubt due to: 1) large differences in the deterministic model solutions, 2) large spread in the ensemble guidance, and/or 3) minimal run-to-run continuity.
POTENTIAL TOO LOW means the threat for a regional area of organized severe storms appears unlikely (i.e., less than 15%) for the forecast day.
Forecast Discussion
ZCZC SPCSWOD48 ALL ACUS48 KWNS 280800 SPC AC 280800
Day 4-8 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0300 AM CDT Sat Jun 28 2025
Valid 011200Z – 061200Z
…DISCUSSION… A mid-level trough will move from the Great Lakes to the Northeast on Day 4/Tuesday. At the surface, a cold front will move east through the period. Moderate instability is expected along this front and some severe weather may be possible from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. Slight risk (15%) probabilities may eventually be needed within this zone, but there is potential for cloudcover/thunderstorm activity from Monday evening to impact destabilization. Therefore, confidence is not high enough for probabilities at this time.
Beyond Day 4, a relative lull in severe weather potential is expected. Multiple reinforcing mid-level troughs will amplify the larger-scale trough across the eastern CONUS. As this occurs, the surface cold front will move south, potentially to the Gulf Coast and into the western Atlantic. This will eliminate the very moist airmass which resulted in moderate to strong instability across much of the eastern CONUS for the past few weeks.
The greater low-level moisture is expected to remain and perhaps advect north across the central Plains beneath a large-scale ridge. This could result in some thunderstorm activity, but shear is expected to be very weak, and the building ridge aloft may suppress convection on D5/Wednesday to D6/Thursday.
By next weekend, this ridge is expected to flatten with some stronger mid-level flow moving across the northern Plains. The exact evolution of the upper-pattern remains uncertain and therefore, confidence is low, but severe weather chances may increase across the northern Plains by next weekend.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jun 28, 2025 0730 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook
Updated: Sat Jun 28 07:23:28 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 280723
Day 3 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0223 AM CDT Sat Jun 28 2025
Valid 301200Z – 011200Z
…THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR PORTIONS OF THE OHIO VALLEY AND MID-ATLANTIC…
…SUMMARY… Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic on Monday.
…Synopsis… A mid-level trough will amplify as it moves through the western Great Lakes on Monday. Meanwhile, mid-level ridging will remain persistent across the western CONUS. At the surface, a cold front will move across the southern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. High pressure will build into the Plains in the wake of this cold front.
…Ohio Valley… Moderate instability is forecast to develop ahead of the cold front in the Ohio Valley on Monday with dewpoints in the low 70s and temperatures warming to near 80. Mid-level flow around 25 to 30 knots may provide sufficient shear for some multicell clusters with a threat for damaging wind gusts Monday afternoon/evening. This threat should be mostly diurnally driven and wane after dark.
…Mid-Atlantic… Moderate instability is forecast east of the Appalachians on Monday as temperatures warm into the low to mid 90s with dewpoints in the mid to upper 60s. Shear will be quite weak, but steep low-level lapse rates will support some threat for damaging wind gusts.
..Bentley.. 06/28/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jun 28, 2025 0600 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook
Updated: Sat Jun 28 05:57:04 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 280557
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1257 AM CDT Sat Jun 28 2025
Valid 291200Z – 301200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM CENTRAL IOWA INTO THE WESTERN UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN….
…SUMMARY… Scattered strong to severe storms appear possible Sunday from the central Great Plains into the upper Great Lakes region, with at least some potential for the evolution of a large, organized severe storm cluster across parts of the mid into lower Missouri Valley and central Great Plains late Sunday through Sunday night.
…Synopsis… A mid-level trough will amplify across the northern Plains on Sunday. At the surface, a cold front will advance slowly east across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
…Central Plains to the Upper Midwest… Very strong to potentially extreme instability is forecast from the central Plains to the Upper Midwest on Sunday. Weak tropospheric flow is forecast across much of Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri on Sunday. This should limit storm organization with only isolated/widely scattered severe wind gusts possible within this large zone of marginal risk.
Mid-level flow is forecast to be somewhat stronger across northern Iowa, but still relatively weak. This may result in slightly more organized convection where very strong to extreme instability is also present. Therefore, the slight risk was expanded south to cover this threat, particularly since scattered to widespread storm coverage is anticipated. Instability will not be as strong farther north across Wisconsin, but stronger mid-level flow (30-35 knots) will be present, which may result in a few rotating updrafts and/or bowing line segments capable of isolated large hail and severe wind gusts.
…Mid-Atlantic… Moderate to strong instability is forecast to develop across portions of the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday. A very moist environment will be in place with PWAT values over 2 inches and dewpoints in the mid 70s. Therefore, wet microburts will be possible with the strongest storms which develop Sunday afternoon/evening.
..Bentley.. 06/28/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 280541
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1241 AM CDT Sat Jun 28 2025
Valid 281200Z – 291200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST TO THE BLACK HILLS REGION…
…SUMMARY… Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, perhaps including one or two organizing clusters, will pose a risk for severe hail, wind and perhaps a couple of tornadoes across parts of the Upper Midwest into the Plains of South Dakota and Nebraska.
…Upper Midwest to the Black Hills of South Dakota…
Seasonally typical early summer pattern will be noted today as stronger westerlies are confined to the northern U.S., and much weaker flow is observed across the southern two-thirds of the CONUS. Latest water-vapor imagery suggests a few weak disturbances are translating across the northern Rockies toward the northern Plains and this will shunt the primary synoptic boundary across much of the Dakotas into the upper MS Valley by early evening. This boundary will prove instrumental in focusing deep convection during the afternoon/evening hours.
Early this morning, scattered clusters of strong/severe thunderstorms are propagating southeast across the eastern Dakotas. This activity will advance into the upper MS Valley early in the period as LLJ focuses across eastern SD into northern MN. While some severe threat will be noted with a possible MCS at daybreak, convective outflow will largely influence subsequent regeneration. Latest model guidance suggests an east-west boundary will drape itself across western WI/southern MN by 18z, likely modified by the aforementioned early-day MCS. Boundary-layer heating is expected to aid buoyancy across the Dakotas southeast of the cold front, and scattered thunderstorms should readily develop along this wind shift by late afternoon, aided in part by a weak short wave trough. Additional convection is also possible along the outflow. Wind profiles favor some supercell development, along with possible clusters. Very large hail could accompany supercells. The east-west boundary should enhance low-level shear such that a higher probability for tornadoes will exist across southern portions of MN.
Stronger heating across the Plains of NE into eastern WY will aid isolated-scattered thunderstorms across this portion of the SLGT Risk. Higher-based updrafts, but steep lapse rates suggest hail/wind will be the primary concerns.
…Northern Middle Atlantic region and upper Ohio Valley…
Weak short-wave trough is advancing east across the upper Great Lakes region early this morning. Southern influence of this feature will encourage convective development by 18z across the upper OH Valley into upstate NY. Modest west-southwesterly flow at mid levels suggests some convective organization is possible; however, poor lapse rates and modest instability should result in mainly a damaging wind threat with the most organized convection. Some consideration was given for higher probabilities across portions of the northern Middle Atlantic into southern NY, but weak lapse rates are concerning and deep-layer shear is not that strong. Even so, gusty winds will likely be noted with this activity as it spreads across PA/NY toward the western parts of southern New England.
..Darrow/Lyons.. 06/28/2025
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Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Heavy flooding has returned to Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to re-activate the highest-level emergency flood response, effective from 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Hydrological forecasts indicate that the Duliu River is expected to reach a peak flood level of 253.5 meters around 5 p.m. on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.
In response, the local flood control and drought relief headquarters decided to upgrade the flood control emergency response from Level II to Level I, the highest level in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.
Local authorities are evacuating residents from affected areas to safer locations.
Since June 24, Rongjiang has been hit by severe flooding due to persistent rainstorms. As of midday on Thursday, six people had died as a result of the floods.
Setting aside any thoughts I may have about theocratic rulers (whether they be in Tel Aviv or Tehran), I am personally glad that Iran was able to hold out against the US-Israeli attacks this month.
The ceasefire, however, will only be a pause in the long-running campaign to destabilise, weaken and isolate Iran. Regime change or pariah status are both acceptable outcomes for the US-Israeli dyad.
The good news for my region is that Iran’s resilience pushes back what could be a looming calamity: the US pivot to Asia and a heightened risk of a war on China.
There are three major pillars to the Eurasian order that is going through a slow, painful and violent birth. Iran is the weakest. If Iran falls, war in our region — intended or unintended – becomes vastly more likely.
Mainstream New Zealanders and Australians suffer from an understandable complacency: war is what happens to other, mainly darker people or Slavs.
“Tomorrow”, people in this part of the world naively think, “will always be like yesterday”.
That could change, particularly for the Australians, in the kind of unfamiliar flash-boom Israelis experienced this month following their attack on Iran. And here’s why.
US chooses war to re-shape Middle East Back in 2001, as many will recall, retired General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe, was visiting buddies in the Pentagon. He learnt something he wasn’t supposed to: the Bush administration had made plans in the febrile post 9/11 environment to attack seven Muslim countries.
In the firing line were: Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, Gaddafi’s Libya, Somalia, Sudan and the biggest prize of all — the Islamic Republic of Iran.
One would have to say that the project, pursued by successive presidents, both Democrat and Republican, has been a great success — if you discount the fact that a couple of million human beings, most of them civilians, many of them women and children, nearly all of them innocents, were slaughtered, starved to death or otherwise disposed of.
With the exception of Iran, those countries have endured chaos and civil strife for long painful years. A triumph of American bomb-based statecraft.
Now — with Muammar Gaddafi raped and murdered (“We came, we saw, he died”, Hillary Clinton chuckled on camera the same day), Saddam Hussein hanged, Hezbollah decapitated, Assad in Moscow, the genocide in full swing in Palestine — the US and Israel were finally able to turn their guns — or, rather, bombs — on the great prize: Iran.
Iran’s missiles have checked US-Israel for time being Things did not go to plan. Former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman pointed out this week that for the first time Israel got a taste of the medicine it likes to dispense to its neighbours.
Iran’s missiles successfully turned the much-vaunted Iron Dome into an Iron Sieve and, perhaps momentarily, has achieved deterrence. If Iran falls, the US will be able to do what Barack Obama and Joe Biden only salivated over — a serious pivot to Asia.
Could great power rivalry turn Asia-Pacific into powderkeg? For us in Asia-Pacific a major US pivot to Asia will mean soaring defence budgets to support militarisation, aggressive containment of China, provocative naval deployments, more sanctions, muscling smaller states, increased numbers of bases, new missile systems, info wars, threats and the ratcheting up rhetoric — all of which will bring us ever-closer to the powderkeg.
Sounds utterly mad? Sounds devoid of rationality? Lacking commonsense? Welcome to our world — bellum Americanum — as we gormlessly march flame in hand towards the tinderbox. War is not written in the stars, we can change tack and rediscover diplomacy, restraint, and peaceful coexistence. Or is that too much to ask?
Back in the days of George W Bush, radical American thinkers like Robert Kagan, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld created the Project for a New American Century and developed the policy, adopted by succeeding presidents, that promotes “the belief that America should seek to preserve and extend its position of global leadership by maintaining the preeminence of US military forces”.
It reconfirmed the neoconservative American dogma that no power should be allowed to rise in any region to become a regional hegemon; anything and everything necessary should be done to ensure continued American primacy, including the resort to war.
What has changed since those days are two crucial, epoch-making events: the re-emergence of Russia as a great power, albeit the weakest of the three, and the emergence of China as a genuine peer competitor to the USA. Professor John Mearsheimer’s insights are well worth studying on this topic.
The three pillars of multipolarity A new world order really is being born. As geopolitical thinkers like Professor Glenn Diesen point out, it will, if it is not killed in the cradle, replace the US unipolar world order that has existed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Many countries are involved in its birthing, including major players like India and Brazil and all the countries that are part of BRICS. Three countries, however, are central to the project: Iran, Russia and, most importantly, China. All three are in the crosshairs of the Western empire.
If Iran, Russia and China survive as independent entities, they will partially fulfill Halford MacKinder’s early 20th century heartland theory that whoever dominates Eurasia will rule the world. I don’t think MacKinder, however, foresaw cooperative multipolarity on the Eurasian landmass — which is one of the goals of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) – as an option.
That, increasingly, appears to be the most likely trajectory with multiple powerful states that will not accept domination, be that from China or the US. That alone should give us cause for hope.
Drunk on power since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has launched war after war and brought us to the current abandonment of economic sanity (the sanctions-and-tariff global pandemic) and diplomatic normalcy (kill any peace negotiators you see) — and an anything-goes foreign policy (including massive crimes against humanity).
We have also reached — thanks in large part to these same policies — what a former US national security advisor warned must be avoided at all costs. Back in the 1990s, Zbigniew Brzezinski said, “The most dangerous scenario would be a grand coalition of China, Russia, and perhaps Iran.”
Belligerent and devoid of sound strategy, the Biden and Trump administrations have achieved just that.
Can Asia-Pacific avoid being dragged into an American war on China? Turning to our region, New Zealand and Australia’s governments cleave to yesterday: a white-dominated world led by the USA. We have shown ourselves indifferent to massacres, ethnic cleansing and wars of aggression launched by our team.
To avoid war — or a permanent fear of looming war — in our own backyards, we need to encourage sanity and diplomacy; we need to stay close to the US but step away from the military alliances they are forming, such as AUKUS which is aimed squarely at China.
Above all, our defence and foreign affairs elites need to grow new neural pathways and start to think with vision and not place ourselves on the losing side of history. Independent foreign policy settings based around peace, defence not aggression, diplomacy not militarisation, would take us in the right direction.
Personally I look forward to the day the US and its increasingly belligerent vassals are pushed back into the ranks of ordinary humanity. I fear the US far more than I do China.
Despite the reflexive adherence to the US that our leaders are stuck on, we should not, if we value our lives and our cultures, allow ourselves to be part of this mad, doomed project.
The US empire is heading into a blood-drenched sunset; their project will fail and the 500-year empire of the White West will end — starting and finishing with genocide.
Every day I atheistically pray that leaders or a movement will emerge to guide our antipodean countries out of the clutches of a violent and increasingly incoherent USA.
America is not our friend. China is not our enemy. Tomorrow gives birth to a world that we should look forward to and do the little we can to help shape.
Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He contributes to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific, and hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) for the next two days, forecasting light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.
According to the IMD bulletin, the weather is expected to remain unstable on June 28 and June 29, with rain and thunder likely to occur both during the day and at night. A dip in temperature is also expected, offering some respite from the persistent heat.
On Saturday (June 28), the maximum temperature in Delhi is likely to hover around 36 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may settle at 27 degrees Celsius.
Light to moderate showers are predicted, especially in the evening and night, along with thunderstorms and lightning. Humidity levels will remain high, ranging between 55 and 70 per cent.
The weather activity is expected to intensify on Sunday (June 29), with rainfall likely to occur throughout the day — in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
The maximum temperature may drop to 33 degrees Celsius, and the minimum to around 26 degrees C, offering a noticeable relief from the current heatwave conditions.
Looking ahead, the IMD has not issued any alert for June 30, although cloudy skies and moderate rain are likely. Similarly, July 1 may witness thunderstorms, but no warning has been issued so far.
Intermittent rain and thunder may continue on July 2 and 3, but again, no weather warnings have been issued for these days. Daytime temperatures during this period are expected to remain between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures will likely hover around 26-27 degrees Celsius.
The IMD expects a slight but steady decline in temperature over the coming days, which may bring much-needed relief from the heat and improve air quality levels in the region.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Vladivostok, June 28 (Xinhua) — The air temperature in Vladivostok, the administrative center of Russia’s Primorsky Krai, reached a record 31.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, which was higher than the previous maximum for that date (exactly 30 degrees) recorded in 1970, RIA Novosti reported on Saturday, citing data from Primhydromet.
The temperature record was caused by the action of the Pacific anticyclone ridge, along the western periphery of which a very warm and dry air mass is carried.
According to weather forecasters, abnormally hot weather has persisted in Primorsky Krai since the beginning of the week, with average daily air temperatures exceeding the climatic norm by 7 degrees or more. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ISTANBUL, June 28 (Xinhua) — Flights between Turkey and Iran partially resumed on Friday after a 15-day suspension due to the Iran-Israel conflict, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdülkadir Uraloğlu said.
Flights from the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad to Istanbul operated by Iranian airlines will resume on Friday, he said. “This marks the partial resumption of air traffic between Turkey and Iran after a 15-day hiatus,” the official wrote on social media.
A. Uraloglu added that the airspace over Tehran and Tabriz, located in western Iran, will remain closed until July 2.
The minister noted that talks are underway with Iranian authorities to give Turkish planes stuck in the country special permission to return. “Efforts are ongoing to fully normalize flights with Iran and return grounded planes to Turkey as soon as possible,” he said.
Earlier, A. Uraloglu said that seven Turkish airline planes were stuck in Iran as a result of the closure of airspace.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that the Islamic Republic had delayed the full opening of its airspace until Saturday afternoon.
Iran closed its airspace on June 13 as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and other areas. The two sides reached a ceasefire on Tuesday after 12 days of conflict. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 28 — China’s meteorological authority on Saturday continued a blue alert for rainstorms in the country’s multiple regions.
From 8:00 a.m. Saturday to 8:00 a.m. Sunday, heavy rains and rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of the provincial-level regions of Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Heilongjiang, the National Meteorological Center said.
North parts of Jiangsu are expected to experience torrential rains, with precipitation up to 150 mm, the center added.
The center has advised local authorities to take precautions for heavy rainstorms, and suggested that necessary drainage measures should be taken in urban areas and across farmlands.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Traralgon South Fire Brigade officially received a brand-new ultralight tanker on Saturday after their slip-on vehicle was stolen and destroyed by fire last year.
On July 31 July 2024, CFA was called to a car fire in Traralgon South. When firefighters arrived at their station, they discovered the station had been broken into and the brigade’s slip-on vehicle was missing.
The brigade alongside Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) responded to the incident and found the burnt vehicle was the missing CFA vehicle.
Traralgon South Captain Pieter van der Leest said he would like to thank everyone who worked hard to get the brigade the replacement vehicle.
“We were pretty shocked and devastated that someone would break into the station and do that to a community asset,” he said.
“The replacement vehicle is a welcome addition to our brigade.
“We live in a very hilly area, and it is great for that sort of terrain. It is a great asset not just for the district but for the state as a whole as it is also able to go on strike teams.”
With improved lighting and stowage, the new ultralight comes with a 500 litres per minute diesel powered pump, a 550-litre water tank, a class A foam system, a permanently connected suction hose, and a live hose reel fitted with 30 meters of lightweight 19mm hose.
The lockers now have hinge-up doors for improved access and have been redesigned to give more room for personal gear as well as helmets.
Deputy Chief Officer for the south east region, Trevor Owen, said this ultralight would improve brigade capability and offer better outcomes for the community.
“The theft of the brigade’s slip-on was a low act, so it was extremely rewarding to help hand over this brand-new vehicle to the brigade,” he said.
“The new Ultralight really prioritises crew safety and comfort allowing them to focus on giving their best every time they are responding to an incident.
“It is now built on the new ANCAP five-rated, four-wheel drive next generation Ford Ranger with all the modern driver enhancements and safety features you would expect in a new vehicle.
“It has a 10-speed automatic transmission, and has an electric rewind for the live reel, making it easier to restow thereby reducing fatigue.
“I have no doubt this replacement vehicle will the see brigade well into the future.”
Traralgon South Fire Brigade officially received a brand-new ultralight tanker on Saturday after their slip-on vehicle was stolen and destroyed by fire last year.
On July 31 July 2024, CFA was called to a car fire in Traralgon South. When firefighters arrived at their station, they discovered the station had been broken into and the brigade’s slip-on vehicle was missing.
The brigade alongside Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) responded to the incident and found the burnt vehicle was the missing CFA vehicle.
Traralgon South Captain Pieter van der Leest said he would like to thank everyone who worked hard to get the brigade the replacement vehicle.
“We were pretty shocked and devastated that someone would break into the station and do that to a community asset,” he said.
“The replacement vehicle is a welcome addition to our brigade.
“We live in a very hilly area, and it is great for that sort of terrain. It is a great asset not just for the district but for the state as a whole as it is also able to go on strike teams.”
With improved lighting and stowage, the new ultralight comes with a 500 litres per minute diesel powered pump, a 550-litre water tank, a class A foam system, a permanently connected suction hose, and a live hose reel fitted with 30 meters of lightweight 19mm hose.
The lockers now have hinge-up doors for improved access and have been redesigned to give more room for personal gear as well as helmets.
Deputy Chief Officer for the south east region, Trevor Owen, said this ultralight would improve brigade capability and offer better outcomes for the community.
“The theft of the brigade’s slip-on was a low act, so it was extremely rewarding to help hand over this brand-new vehicle to the brigade,” he said.
“The new Ultralight really prioritises crew safety and comfort allowing them to focus on giving their best every time they are responding to an incident.
“It is now built on the new ANCAP five-rated, four-wheel drive next generation Ford Ranger with all the modern driver enhancements and safety features you would expect in a new vehicle.
“It has a 10-speed automatic transmission, and has an electric rewind for the live reel, making it easier to restow thereby reducing fatigue.
“I have no doubt this replacement vehicle will the see brigade well into the future.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement following her vote on the War Powers Resolution related to future offensive attacks on Iran:
“As a strong pro-Israel Democrat, I remain hopeful that the mission U.S. servicemembers carried out last weekend will ultimately lead to the full dissolution of Iran’s nuclear facilities. I remain eternally grateful for our servicemembers’ bravery and service, and I’m particularly proud that most of the pilots involved in this mission are graduates of the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel, and the entire world, which is why we must ensure they can never acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. While I am thankful Israel was able to reach a ceasefire with Iran and am hopeful that we are able to proceed with a diplomatic solution, I will continue to back Israel should it need to respond to a break in the agreement. Similarly, if there are any attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, the United States will always defend itself.
“At the same time, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and authorize any offensive attacks on other sovereign nations. The decision to go to war and put our troops in harm’s way is one that cannot be made lightly, and must be made by Congress, which is why I voted today to advance the War Powers Resolution. Let’s be clear: nothing in this resolution would prevent the U.S. from defending our servicemembers or from continuing to provide Israel with the critical support and intelligence it needs. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel has the necessary resources to defend itself.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement following her vote on the War Powers Resolution related to future offensive attacks on Iran:
“As a strong pro-Israel Democrat, I remain hopeful that the mission U.S. servicemembers carried out last weekend will ultimately lead to the full dissolution of Iran’s nuclear facilities. I remain eternally grateful for our servicemembers’ bravery and service, and I’m particularly proud that most of the pilots involved in this mission are graduates of the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel, and the entire world, which is why we must ensure they can never acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. While I am thankful Israel was able to reach a ceasefire with Iran and am hopeful that we are able to proceed with a diplomatic solution, I will continue to back Israel should it need to respond to a break in the agreement. Similarly, if there are any attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, the United States will always defend itself.
“At the same time, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and authorize any offensive attacks on other sovereign nations. The decision to go to war and put our troops in harm’s way is one that cannot be made lightly, and must be made by Congress, which is why I voted today to advance the War Powers Resolution. Let’s be clear: nothing in this resolution would prevent the U.S. from defending our servicemembers or from continuing to provide Israel with the critical support and intelligence it needs. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel has the necessary resources to defend itself.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement following her vote on the War Powers Resolution related to future offensive attacks on Iran:
“As a strong pro-Israel Democrat, I remain hopeful that the mission U.S. servicemembers carried out last weekend will ultimately lead to the full dissolution of Iran’s nuclear facilities. I remain eternally grateful for our servicemembers’ bravery and service, and I’m particularly proud that most of the pilots involved in this mission are graduates of the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel, and the entire world, which is why we must ensure they can never acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. While I am thankful Israel was able to reach a ceasefire with Iran and am hopeful that we are able to proceed with a diplomatic solution, I will continue to back Israel should it need to respond to a break in the agreement. Similarly, if there are any attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, the United States will always defend itself.
“At the same time, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and authorize any offensive attacks on other sovereign nations. The decision to go to war and put our troops in harm’s way is one that cannot be made lightly, and must be made by Congress, which is why I voted today to advance the War Powers Resolution. Let’s be clear: nothing in this resolution would prevent the U.S. from defending our servicemembers or from continuing to provide Israel with the critical support and intelligence it needs. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel has the necessary resources to defend itself.”
Attributable to Senior Sergeant Martin Tunley, Acting Nelson Bays Area Commander:
One person has died following an incident in Wai-iti, south-east of Wakefield, this morning.
At around 9.40am, emergency services were called to a property on State Highway 6 after a person was reportedly hit by a tree while clearing flood damage.
Sadly, despite best efforts by emergency services, the person died at the scene.
Police extend our condolences to their family at this difficult time.
Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing and the death will be referred to the Coroner.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 27, 2025. Guterres on Friday called for a ceasefire in Gaza following the suspension of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. [Photo by William Reilly/Xinhua]
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for a ceasefire in Gaza following the suspension of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
The conflict between Israel and Iran has dominated headlines, but the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza must not be pushed into the shadows, said Guterres. “The ceasefire achieved between Iran and Israel offers hope. And hope is more needed than ever. So it is time to find the political courage for a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, Israeli military operations have created a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions — more dire today than at any point in this long and brutal crisis, he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.
Families have been displaced again and again, and are now confined to less than one-fifth of Gaza’s land. And even these shrinking spaces are under threat. Bombs are falling — on tents, on families, on those with nowhere left to run. People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families, he noted.
“Let me be clear: Israel, as the occupying power, is required by international law to agree to and to facilitate humanitarian relief,” he said, noting that UN-led humanitarian operations continue to be strangled.
For over three months, shelter materials and fuel for critical services have been blocked. Doctors are forced to choose who gets the last vial of medicine, or the last ventilator. Aid workers themselves are starving, he said. “This cannot be normalized.”
A handful of medical supplies finally crossed into Gaza earlier this week — the first from the United Nations in months. But this only underscores the vast scale of the crisis. A trickle of aid is not enough, he said. “What’s needed now is a surge — the trickle must become an ocean. We need concrete actions so aid can reach all people — swiftly, at scale, wherever they are.”
He cautioned that any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe, referring to the aid operations of the U.S.-run, Israel-approved Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. “It is killing people.”
The problem of the distribution of humanitarian aid must be solved. There is no need to reinvent the wheel with dangerous schemes, he said. “We (the United Nations) have the solution — a detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. We have the supplies. We have the experience. Our plan is guided by what people need. It is built on the trust of communities, donors and member states. And it worked during the last ceasefire. It must be allowed to work again.”
It is time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and full, safe and sustained humanitarian access, he said.
“To those in power, I say: enable our operations as international humanitarian law demands. To those with influence, I say: use it. To all member states, I say: uphold the UN Charter you recommitted to just yesterday for the 80th anniversary,” said Guterres. “Let us bring in the life-saving supplies. Let us reach people where they are. And let us recognize that the solution to this problem is ultimately political.”
The only sustainable path to re-establishing hope is by paving the way to the two-state solution. Diplomacy and human dignity for all must prevail, he said.
Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
06.27.25
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after her vote on Senate Joint Resolution 59.
“Yesterday, Congress received a detailed briefing on last weekend’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine. They made it clear that these actions were a limited, time-sensitive response to what was judged, based on intelligence, to be an imminent threat to regional stability and U.S. personnel, as required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
“We received confirmation that these strikes were solely focused on disabling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. While damage estimates are still forthcoming, it is believed that the strikes were largely successful in that effort. The use of force was narrowly targeted in scope and duration.
“I am satisfied that the President’s actions were justified and within his scope of authority under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which is why I voted against this War Powers Resolution. I hope this vote sends a clear message that the world will not allow Iran to become a nuclear-armed nation and provides the President with the necessary flexibility to negotiate a long and lasting peace in the region.
“If a larger offensive military operation is ever deemed necessary in the future, only Congress holds authority under the U.S. Constitution to declare war. I’m hopeful that the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel, negotiated by President Trump, will hold and keep America and our allies safe.
“I want to again commend the professionalism and skill of the U.S. military in executing these strikes. Their actions were truly extraordinary and showcased to the international community what U.S. deterrence looks like.”
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 28, 2025.
Israeli soldiers ‘ordered’ to fire at Gaza aid seekers – 70 killed across Strip Israeli soldiers have said that they were ordered to open fire at unarmed Palestinian civilians desperately seeking aid at designated distribution sites in Gaza, a report in the Ha’aretz newspaper has revealed. The report came as 70 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip — mostly at aid sites belonging to the widely condemned Gaza
RFK Junior is stoking fears about vaccine safety. Here’s why he’s wrong – and the impact it could have Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney The United States used to be a leader in vaccine research, development and policymaking. Now US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr is undermining the country’s vaccine program at the highest level and supercharging vaccine skepticism.
The ‘Godfather of Human Rights’ Ken Roth on genocide, Trump and standing up for democracy By Richard Larsen, RNZ News producer — 30′ with Guyon Espiner The former head of Human Rights Watch — and son of a Holocaust survivor — says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials. Speaking
The sentencing of Cassius Turvey’s killers shows courts still struggle to deal with racism Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The brutal homicide of 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, by a group of white men revealed the racial schisms in
Celebrities, blue jeans and couture: how Anna Wintour changed fashion over 37 years at Vogue Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology After 37 years at the helm, fashion industry heavyweight Anna Wintour is stepping down from her position as editor-in-chief of American Vogue. It’s not a retirement, though, as Wintour will maintain a leadership
Antoinette Lattouf win against ABC a victory for all truth-tellers By Isaac Nellist of Green Left Magazine Australian-Lebanese journalist and commentator Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case win against the public broadcaster ABC in the Federal Court on Wednesday is a victory for all those who seek to tell the truth. It is a breath of fresh air, after almost two years of lies and uncritical
Caitlin Johnstone: The fictional mental illness that only affects enemies of the Western empire Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Within the storytelling of Western politics and punditry there exists a fictional type of mental illness which only affects people the US empire doesn’t like. If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, its crazy lunatic government will flip out and nuke us all.
Do all Iranians hate the regime? Hate America? Life inside the country is much more complex and nuanced Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Theobald, Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame Australia From 2015 to 2018, I spent 15 months doing research work in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. As an anthropologist, I was interested in everyday life in Iran outside the capital Tehran. I was
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 28, 2025.
Israeli soldiers ‘ordered’ to fire at Gaza aid seekers – 70 killed across Strip Israeli soldiers have said that they were ordered to open fire at unarmed Palestinian civilians desperately seeking aid at designated distribution sites in Gaza, a report in the Ha’aretz newspaper has revealed. The report came as 70 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip — mostly at aid sites belonging to the widely condemned Gaza
RFK Junior is stoking fears about vaccine safety. Here’s why he’s wrong – and the impact it could have Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney The United States used to be a leader in vaccine research, development and policymaking. Now US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr is undermining the country’s vaccine program at the highest level and supercharging vaccine skepticism.
The ‘Godfather of Human Rights’ Ken Roth on genocide, Trump and standing up for democracy By Richard Larsen, RNZ News producer — 30′ with Guyon Espiner The former head of Human Rights Watch — and son of a Holocaust survivor — says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials. Speaking
The sentencing of Cassius Turvey’s killers shows courts still struggle to deal with racism Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The brutal homicide of 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, by a group of white men revealed the racial schisms in
Celebrities, blue jeans and couture: how Anna Wintour changed fashion over 37 years at Vogue Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology After 37 years at the helm, fashion industry heavyweight Anna Wintour is stepping down from her position as editor-in-chief of American Vogue. It’s not a retirement, though, as Wintour will maintain a leadership
Antoinette Lattouf win against ABC a victory for all truth-tellers By Isaac Nellist of Green Left Magazine Australian-Lebanese journalist and commentator Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case win against the public broadcaster ABC in the Federal Court on Wednesday is a victory for all those who seek to tell the truth. It is a breath of fresh air, after almost two years of lies and uncritical
Caitlin Johnstone: The fictional mental illness that only affects enemies of the Western empire Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Within the storytelling of Western politics and punditry there exists a fictional type of mental illness which only affects people the US empire doesn’t like. If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, its crazy lunatic government will flip out and nuke us all.
Do all Iranians hate the regime? Hate America? Life inside the country is much more complex and nuanced Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Theobald, Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame Australia From 2015 to 2018, I spent 15 months doing research work in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. As an anthropologist, I was interested in everyday life in Iran outside the capital Tehran. I was
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Air travel between Türkiye and Iran partially resumed on Friday after being suspended for 15 days due to the Iran-Israel conflict, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
Uraloglu noted that flights from the Iranian eastern city of Mashhad to Istanbul, operated by Iranian carriers, is resuming on Friday.
“This marks a partial reopening of air travel between Türkiye and Iran after a 15-day hiatus,” he said on social media platform X.
Uraloglu added that the airspace in the cities of Tehran and Tabriz, located in western Iran, will remain closed, and the restriction will continue until Wednesday, July 2.
The minister noted that talks are ongoing with Iranian authorities to allow Turkish planes stranded in Iran to return with special permits. “Efforts are continuing to fully normalize flights with Iran and bring the grounded planes back to Türkiye as soon as possible,” he said.
Uraloglu had previously stated that seven Turkish airline planes were stranded in Iran due to the airspace closure.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that Iran has postponed the full reopening of its airspace until Saturday afternoon.
Iran closed its airspace on June 13 as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and other areas. Following a 12-day areial conflict, a ceasefire between the two sides was achieved on Tuesday.