Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
NEW YORK, July 3 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday took to the social media platform Truth Social to demand that Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell “resign immediately.”
The White House chief referred to an article about comments by Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte, who called on Congress to investigate alleged political bias and misleading the Senate by J. Powell.
Trump has previously threatened to remove Powell from office before his term ends next year, repeatedly criticizing the Fed chairman for refusing to cut interest rates. –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
VLADIVOSTOK, July 3 (Xinhua) — The 9th Eastern Oil and Gas Forum kicked off Wednesday in Vladivostok, the capital of Russia’s Primorsky Krai, to discuss major investment projects in the oil and gas industry in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, including the construction of processing facilities.
The forum, organized with the support of the Primorsky Krai government, is taking place on July 2 and 3. The event brought together more than 150 participants, including top managers of the country’s oil and gas companies, investors, and government officials.
Acting Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Vladivostok Wang Jun said in his speech at the opening of the forum that profound changes are currently taking place in the global energy sector. Green transformation and technological innovations create new opportunities and challenges for this sector. The Far East, as a key node in the global energy supply chain, plays an important role in ensuring energy security and promoting low-carbon development. According to him, cooperation between China and Russia in the energy sector has broad development prospects.
The two-day forum will discuss key investment projects, industry development strategies, logistics issues, efforts to find and build new export routes in the context of the transformation of global energy. Attention will also be paid to the development of the oil and gas sector in the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CAIRO, July 3 (Xinhua) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation on Wednesday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict and regional developments in the Middle East, the Egyptian presidential office said in a statement.
Speaking about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, A.F. al-Sisi stressed the importance of achieving a diplomatic and political solution, emphasizing the need to “prioritize dialogue as a means of resolving the current crisis.”
According to the statement, he reaffirmed Egypt’s “full support for all efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful settlement as soon as possible.”
During the talks, the two leaders discussed the broader regional situation, especially the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran. The sides stressed “the need to maintain the ceasefire” and resume negotiations to achieve a peaceful settlement.
The parties also discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation in the economic, trade and investment spheres.
The phone call took place amid widespread calls for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that began in February 2022. –0–
The Australian government has confirmed it will contribute A$3.435 billion ($2.25 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction.
Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by state and federal governments on Thursday.
“The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades,” Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said in a statement.
“We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland.
“The Australian government’s commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country.”
Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year.
Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed Thursday’s announcement as a “significant shift in forward momentum”.
“I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government’s recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get underway …” he said.
The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city’s Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032.
A new aquatics centre to host the swimming in 2032 will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million.
“Today’s landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever,” said Queensland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie.
“We’ve also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan.
“I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia’s most exciting sporting precinct that will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre.”
Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026.
The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said.
The Australian government has confirmed it will contribute A$3.435 billion ($2.25 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction.
Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by state and federal governments on Thursday.
“The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades,” Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said in a statement.
“We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland.
“The Australian government’s commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country.”
Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year.
Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed Thursday’s announcement as a “significant shift in forward momentum”.
“I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government’s recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get underway …” he said.
The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city’s Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032.
A new aquatics centre to host the swimming in 2032 will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million.
“Today’s landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever,” said Queensland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie.
“We’ve also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan.
“I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia’s most exciting sporting precinct that will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre.”
Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026.
The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said.
The Australian government has confirmed it will contribute A$3.435 billion ($2.25 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction.
Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by state and federal governments on Thursday.
“The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades,” Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said in a statement.
“We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland.
“The Australian government’s commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country.”
Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year.
Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed Thursday’s announcement as a “significant shift in forward momentum”.
“I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government’s recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get underway …” he said.
The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city’s Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032.
A new aquatics centre to host the swimming in 2032 will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million.
“Today’s landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever,” said Queensland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie.
“We’ve also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan.
“I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia’s most exciting sporting precinct that will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre.”
Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026.
The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said.
A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv on Wednesday that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances.
Ukraine said it had called in the acting U.S. envoy to Kyiv to underline the importance of military aid from Washington continuing, and cautioned that any cut-off would embolden Russia in its war in Ukraine.
The Pentagon’s decision – tied to concerns that U.S. military stockpiles are too low – began in recent days and includes 30 Patriot air defence missiles, which Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, four people familiar with the decision said on Wednesday.
It also includes nearly 8,500 155mm artillery shells, more than 250 precision GMLRS (mobile rocket artillery) missiles and 142 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, they said.
“The Ukrainian side emphasised that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine‘s defence capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace,” Ukraine‘s foreign ministry said.
The defence ministry said it had not been officially notified of any halt in U.S. shipments and was seeking clarity from its American counterparts.
A Ukrainian source familiar with the situation said the decision was a “total shock.”
Deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly said the decision was made “to put America’s interests first” following a Department of Defense review of military support around the world.
“The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” she said, referring to U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the U.S. needed to take care of its stockpiles but told Fox News that “in the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get” when it comes to ammunition and air defence systems.
RUSSIAN AIRSTRIKES
Dozens of people have been killed in recent airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and Russian forces, which control about a fifth of Ukraine, have been making gains in the east.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the decision risks Ukrainian lives, undermines Washington’s credibility and will make it harder to end the war.
“This sends a message to not just our allies, like Ukraine and our European allies, but it sends a message to our adversaries, to China, to North Korea, to Russia, that our allies can’t count on the United States,” she told WKBK radio in her home state New Hampshire.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, he has softened Washington’s position towards Russia, seeking a diplomatic solution to the war and raising doubts about future U.S. military support for Kyiv.
Trump said last week he was considering selling more Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine after meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s national security and defence committee, said the decision to halt shipments was “very unpleasant for us“.
In an email, the Pentagon said it was providing Trump with options to continue military aid to Ukraine in line with the goal of ending the war.
Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of defence for policy, said it was “rigorously examining and adapting its approach…while also preserving U.S. forces’ readiness.”
All weapons aid was briefly stopped in February, with a second, longer halt in March. Washington resumed sending the last of the aid approved under the previous administration, of Democratic President Joe Biden, but no new aid to Ukraine has been announced.
The Kremlin welcomed the news of a halt, saying the conflict would end sooner if fewer arms reached Ukraine.
Kyiv residents expressed alarm at the Pentagon’s decision.
“If we end up in a situation where there’s no air defence left, I will move (out of Kyiv), because my safety is my first concern,” said Oksana Kurochkina, a 35-year-old lawyer.
On the battlefield, a halt in precision munitions would limit the capacity of Ukrainian troops to strike Russian positions farther behind the front line, said Jack Watling, a military analyst at the Royal United Services Institute.
“In short, this decision will cost Ukrainian lives and territory,” he said.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In 2025, the celebration of City Day in Moscow will take place on the second weekend of autumn – September 13 and 14. The corresponding decree was signed Sergei Sobyanin.
Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin
This year Moscow celebrates its 878th birthday. Traditionally, festive events will take place in the historical center, parks, cultural, educational and social institutions, as well as at sites in residential areas of the capital.
The program for celebrating City Day will be approved in the near future.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) — China announced at a press conference on Thursday that an evening gala will be held on Sept. 3 in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The event will be jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the China Media Group, the Political Work Department of the China Military Commission and the Beijing municipal government, according to the State Council Information Office.
China designated Sept. 3 as Victory Day to mark the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.
Immediately after killing Fernando Pereira and blowing up Greenpeace’s flagship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour, several of the French agents went on a ski holiday in New Zealand’s South Island to celebrate.
Such was the contempt the French had for the Kiwis and the abilities of our police to pursue them. How wrong they were.
A new prologue by former prime minister Helen Clark and a preface by Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid, along with an extensive postscript which bring us up to the present day, underline why the past is not dead; it’s with us right now.
Written by David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report, who spent 11 weeks on the final voyage of the Warrior, the book is the most remarkable piece of history I have read this year and one of those rare books that has the power to expand your mind and make your blood boil at the same time. I thought I knew a fair bit about the momentous events surrounding the attack — until I read Eyes of Fire.
Heroes of our age The book covers the history of Greenpeace action — from fighting the dumping of nuclear and other toxic waste in European waters, the Arctic and the Pacific, voyages to link besieged communities across the oceans, through to their epic struggles to halt whaling and save endangered marine colonies from predators.
The Rainbow Warrior’s very last voyage before the bombing was to evacuate the entire population of Rongelap atoll (about 320 people) in the Marshall Islands who had been exposed to US nuclear radiation for decades.
This article is the first of two in which I will explore themes that the book triggered for me.
Neither secret nor intelligent – the French secret intelligence service
Jean-Luc Kister was the DGSE (Direction-générale de la Sécurité extérieure) agent who placed the two bombs that ripped a massive hole in the hull of the Warrior on 10 July 1985. The ship quickly sank, trapping Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira inside.
Former colonel Kister was a member of a large team of elite agents sent to New Zealand. One had also infiltrated Greenpeace months before, some travelled through the country prior to the attack, drinking, rooting New Zealand women and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that led all the way to the Palais de l’Élysée where François Mitterrand, Socialist President of France, had personally given the order to bomb the famous peace vessel.
Robie aptly calls the French mission “Blundergate”. The stupidity, howling incompetence and moronic lack of a sound strategic rationale behind the attack were only matched by the mendacity, the imperial hauteur and the racist contempt that lies at the heart of French policy in the Pacific to this very day.
Thinking the Kiwi police would be no match for their élan, their savoir-faire and their panache, some of the killers hit the ski slopes to celebrate “Mission Accompli”. Others fled to Norfolk Island aboard a yacht, the Ouvéa.
Tracked there by the New Zealand police it was only with the assistance of our friends and allies, the Australians, that the agents were able to escape. Within days they sank their yacht at sea during a rendezvous with a French nuclear submarine and were evenually able to return to France for medals and promotions.
Two of the agents, however, were not so lucky. As everyone my age will recall, Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, were nabbed after a lightning fast operation by New Zealand police.
With friends and allies like these, who needs enemies? We should recall that the French were our allies at the time. They decided, however, to stop the Rainbow Warrior from leading a flotilla of ships up to Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia where yet another round of nuclear tests were scheduled. In other words: they bombed a peace ship to keep testing bombs.
By 1995, France had detonated 193 nuclear bombs in the South Pacific.
David Robie sees the bombing as “a desperate attempt by one of the last colonial powers in the Pacific to hang on to the vestiges of empire by blowing up a peace ship so it could continue despoiling Pacific islands for the sake of an independent nuclear force”.
The US, UK and Australia cold-shouldered New Zealand through this period and uttered not a word of condemnation against the French. Within two years we were frog-marched out of the ANZUS alliance with Australia and the US because of our ground-breaking nuclear-free legislation.
It was a blessing and the dawn of a period in which New Zealanders had an intense sense of national pride — a far cry from today when New Zealand politicians are being referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for war crimes associated with the Gaza genocide.
The French State invented the term ‘terrorism’ I studied French History at university in France and did a paper called “La France à la veille de révolution” (France on the eve of revolution). One of the chilling cultural memories is of the period from September 1793 to July 1794, which was known as La Terreur.
At the time the French state literally coined the term “terrorisme” — with the blade of the guillotine dropping on neck after neck as the state tried to consolidate power through terror. But, as Robie points out, quoting law professor Roger S. Clark, we tend to use the term today to refer almost exclusively to non-state actors.
With the US and Israel gunning down starving civilians in Gaza every day, with wave after wave of terror attacks being committed inside Iran and across the Middle East by Mossad, the CIA and MI6, we should amend this erroneous habit.
The DGSE team who attached limpet mines to the Rainbow Warrior did so as psychopathic servants of the French State. Eyes of Fire: “At the time, Prime Minister David Lange described the Rainbow Warrior attack as ‘nothing more than a sordid act of international state-backed terrorism’.”
Don’t get me wrong. I am not “anti-French”. I lived for years in France, had a French girlfriend, studied French history, language and literature. I even had friends in Wellington who worked at the French Embassy.
Curiously when I lived next to Premier House, the official residence of the prime minister, my other next door neighbour was a French agent who specialised in surveillance. Our houses backed onto Premier House. Quelle coïncidence. To his mild consternation I’d greet him with “Salut, mon espion favori.” (Hello, my favourite spy).
What I despise is French colonialism, French racism, and what the French call magouillage. I don’t know a good English word for it . . . it is a mix of shenanigans, duplicity, artful deception to achieve unscrupulous outcomes that can’t be publicly avowed. In brief: what the French attempted in Auckland in 1985.
Robie recounts in detail the lying, smokescreens and roadblocks that everyone from President Mitterrand through to junior officials put in the way of the New Zealand investigators. Mitterrand gave Prime Minister David Lange assurances that the culprits would be brought to justice. The French Embassy in Wellington claimed at the time: “In no way is France involved. The French government doesn’t deal with its opponents in such ways.”
It took years for the bombshell to explode that none other than Mitterrand himself had ordered the terrorist attack on New Zealand and Greenpeace!
We the people of the Pacific We, the people of the Pacific, owe a debt to Greenpeace and all those who were part of the Rainbow Warrior, including author David Robie. We must remember the crime and call it by its name: state terrorism.
The French attempted to escape justice, deny involvement and then welched on the terms of the agreement negotiated with the help of the United Nations secretary-general.
A great way to honour the sacrifice of those who stood up for justice, who stood for peace and a nuclear-free Pacific, and who honoured our own national identity would be to buy David Robie’s excellent book.
I’ll give the last word to former Prime Minister Helen Clark:
“This is the time for New Zealand to link with the many small and middle powers across regions who have a vision for a world characterised by solidarity and peace and which can rise to the occasion to combat the existential challenges it faces — including of nuclear weapons, climate change, and artificial intelligence. If our independent foreign policy is to mean anything in the mid-2020s, it must be based on concerted diplomacy for peace and sustainable development.”
You cannot sink a rainbow.
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
Immediately after killing Fernando Pereira and blowing up Greenpeace’s flagship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour, several of the French agents went on a ski holiday in New Zealand’s South Island to celebrate.
Such was the contempt the French had for the Kiwis and the abilities of our police to pursue them. How wrong they were.
A new prologue by former prime minister Helen Clark and a preface by Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid, along with an extensive postscript which bring us up to the present day, underline why the past is not dead; it’s with us right now.
Written by David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report, who spent 11 weeks on the final voyage of the Warrior, the book is the most remarkable piece of history I have read this year and one of those rare books that has the power to expand your mind and make your blood boil at the same time. I thought I knew a fair bit about the momentous events surrounding the attack — until I read Eyes of Fire.
Heroes of our age The book covers the history of Greenpeace action — from fighting the dumping of nuclear and other toxic waste in European waters, the Arctic and the Pacific, voyages to link besieged communities across the oceans, through to their epic struggles to halt whaling and save endangered marine colonies from predators.
The Rainbow Warrior’s very last voyage before the bombing was to evacuate the entire population of Rongelap atoll (about 320 people) in the Marshall Islands who had been exposed to US nuclear radiation for decades.
This article is the first of two in which I will explore themes that the book triggered for me.
Neither secret nor intelligent – the French secret intelligence service
Jean-Luc Kister was the DGSE (Direction-générale de la Sécurité extérieure) agent who placed the two bombs that ripped a massive hole in the hull of the Warrior on 10 July 1985. The ship quickly sank, trapping Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira inside.
Former colonel Kister was a member of a large team of elite agents sent to New Zealand. One had also infiltrated Greenpeace months before, some travelled through the country prior to the attack, drinking, rooting New Zealand women and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that led all the way to the Palais de l’Élysée where François Mitterrand, Socialist President of France, had personally given the order to bomb the famous peace vessel.
Robie aptly calls the French mission “Blundergate”. The stupidity, howling incompetence and moronic lack of a sound strategic rationale behind the attack were only matched by the mendacity, the imperial hauteur and the racist contempt that lies at the heart of French policy in the Pacific to this very day.
Thinking the Kiwi police would be no match for their élan, their savoir-faire and their panache, some of the killers hit the ski slopes to celebrate “Mission Accompli”. Others fled to Norfolk Island aboard a yacht, the Ouvéa.
Tracked there by the New Zealand police it was only with the assistance of our friends and allies, the Australians, that the agents were able to escape. Within days they sank their yacht at sea during a rendezvous with a French nuclear submarine and were evenually able to return to France for medals and promotions.
Two of the agents, however, were not so lucky. As everyone my age will recall, Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, were nabbed after a lightning fast operation by New Zealand police.
With friends and allies like these, who needs enemies? We should recall that the French were our allies at the time. They decided, however, to stop the Rainbow Warrior from leading a flotilla of ships up to Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia where yet another round of nuclear tests were scheduled. In other words: they bombed a peace ship to keep testing bombs.
By 1995, France had detonated 193 nuclear bombs in the South Pacific.
David Robie sees the bombing as “a desperate attempt by one of the last colonial powers in the Pacific to hang on to the vestiges of empire by blowing up a peace ship so it could continue despoiling Pacific islands for the sake of an independent nuclear force”.
The US, UK and Australia cold-shouldered New Zealand through this period and uttered not a word of condemnation against the French. Within two years we were frog-marched out of the ANZUS alliance with Australia and the US because of our ground-breaking nuclear-free legislation.
It was a blessing and the dawn of a period in which New Zealanders had an intense sense of national pride — a far cry from today when New Zealand politicians are being referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for war crimes associated with the Gaza genocide.
The French State invented the term ‘terrorism’ I studied French History at university in France and did a paper called “La France à la veille de révolution” (France on the eve of revolution). One of the chilling cultural memories is of the period from September 1793 to July 1794, which was known as La Terreur.
At the time the French state literally coined the term “terrorisme” — with the blade of the guillotine dropping on neck after neck as the state tried to consolidate power through terror. But, as Robie points out, quoting law professor Roger S. Clark, we tend to use the term today to refer almost exclusively to non-state actors.
With the US and Israel gunning down starving civilians in Gaza every day, with wave after wave of terror attacks being committed inside Iran and across the Middle East by Mossad, the CIA and MI6, we should amend this erroneous habit.
The DGSE team who attached limpet mines to the Rainbow Warrior did so as psychopathic servants of the French State. Eyes of Fire: “At the time, Prime Minister David Lange described the Rainbow Warrior attack as ‘nothing more than a sordid act of international state-backed terrorism’.”
Don’t get me wrong. I am not “anti-French”. I lived for years in France, had a French girlfriend, studied French history, language and literature. I even had friends in Wellington who worked at the French Embassy.
Curiously when I lived next to Premier House, the official residence of the prime minister, my other next door neighbour was a French agent who specialised in surveillance. Our houses backed onto Premier House. Quelle coïncidence. To his mild consternation I’d greet him with “Salut, mon espion favori.” (Hello, my favourite spy).
What I despise is French colonialism, French racism, and what the French call magouillage. I don’t know a good English word for it . . . it is a mix of shenanigans, duplicity, artful deception to achieve unscrupulous outcomes that can’t be publicly avowed. In brief: what the French attempted in Auckland in 1985.
Robie recounts in detail the lying, smokescreens and roadblocks that everyone from President Mitterrand through to junior officials put in the way of the New Zealand investigators. Mitterrand gave Prime Minister David Lange assurances that the culprits would be brought to justice. The French Embassy in Wellington claimed at the time: “In no way is France involved. The French government doesn’t deal with its opponents in such ways.”
It took years for the bombshell to explode that none other than Mitterrand himself had ordered the terrorist attack on New Zealand and Greenpeace!
We the people of the Pacific We, the people of the Pacific, owe a debt to Greenpeace and all those who were part of the Rainbow Warrior, including author David Robie. We must remember the crime and call it by its name: state terrorism.
The French attempted to escape justice, deny involvement and then welched on the terms of the agreement negotiated with the help of the United Nations secretary-general.
A great way to honour the sacrifice of those who stood up for justice, who stood for peace and a nuclear-free Pacific, and who honoured our own national identity would be to buy David Robie’s excellent book.
I’ll give the last word to former Prime Minister Helen Clark:
“This is the time for New Zealand to link with the many small and middle powers across regions who have a vision for a world characterised by solidarity and peace and which can rise to the occasion to combat the existential challenges it faces — including of nuclear weapons, climate change, and artificial intelligence. If our independent foreign policy is to mean anything in the mid-2020s, it must be based on concerted diplomacy for peace and sustainable development.”
You cannot sink a rainbow.
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
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace McQuilten, Professor of Art and Associate Dean, Research and Innovation, School of Art, RMIT University
Creative Australia’s decision earlier this year to rescind the selection of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as Australia’s 2026 representatives at the Venice Biennale sent shockwaves through the arts sector.
For many artists and arts workers, it reinforced concerns around participation and access for those from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds.
This week’s reinstatement of the artistic team offers some comfort. However, the entire incident has reinforced that, while diversity in the arts is celebrated, inclusion at the highest level can’t be taken for granted.
Some worrying stats
Our 2024 survey of more than 900 visual and craft artists, and visual arts workers (who we define as workers who support the visual arts sector), revealed several concerning findings in relation to opportunity and inclusion for culturally and racially diverse creatives.
The first key finding was more than 67% of artists and 78% of arts workers felt there were cultural and/or access-related barriers to them participating in the sector.
The second was culturally diverse workers in the sector tended to identify as “early career” rather than “established”. This points to challenges for career progression and, in turn, to systemic and structural barriers to career development.
Of all the people we surveyed, 17% of visual artists and 20% of visual arts workers reported being of a culturally diverse background. Of these, only 15% of artists and 14% of arts workers reported being at an “established” career stage.
By contrast, among the general population of artists (including those without a diverse background), 30% of the artists reported being “established” in their careers, along with 26% of arts workers.
Art shouldn’t be at the behest of politics
Issues around political censorship and cultural bias in the sector were not a focus of our survey, which was conducted nine months after the war in Gaza began, and before Creative Australia’s selection (and swift cancellation) of the 2026 Venice Biennale team.
Nonetheless, respondents were concerned their political views, and/or their cultural or racial background, could impact their likelihood of advancing a career in the sector.
Some respondents explained if they were no longer working as an artist or arts worker in five years’ time, it would most likely be due to “systemic discrimination” and “increasing censorship prevalent in this industry”.
According to an independent review into the Sabsabi decision (and its reversal):
While no formal assessment was undertaken, it is clear that there was a general awareness within Creative Australia, among those with knowledge of the selected Artistic Team, that the decision had the potential to be controversial. The Panel heard that, at the time, the decision was described as ‘bold’ or ‘courageous’. The source of potential controversy was seen to lie in the fact of selecting any artist with heritage connected to the Middle East at a time when conflict in that region was so emotive and polarising, rather than because of the proposed nature of the work to be undertaken at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Entrenched harmful biases
Sadly, the negative response from politicians to the initial selection of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino gave credibility to our respondents’ concerns.
One participant told us “being called Ahmed* is a bit of a disadvantage given the international situation”.
Another said “only certain cultures and political plights are given support”.
Financial security is also potentially at risk. As one respondent explained, the main barrier to their personal financial security were political values. “My work is at risk when governments change,” they said.
Artists and arts workers from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds also reported more significant impacts from the cost-of-living crisis, along with poorer mental health and work-life balance.
Importantly, our findings don’t stand in isolation. Similar issues have been identified by Diversity Arts Australia, who in 2022 reported on the significant negative impacts of the pandemic on First Nations artists and artists of colour.
Also, in 2021, Creative Australia reported on problems around inclusion and access for culturally diverse communities in the arts and cultural sector.
What might progress look like?
Our research involved making a number of policy recommendations to tackle these issues.
For one thing, there is a clear need for organisational change. On this front, arts organisations and employers should invest in cultural competency training for all staff and board members. They should also prioritise professional development and career growth for culturally and racially diverse staff.
To drive meaningful change, funding incentives should be introduced to support diverse leadership. This should include higher pay for culturally and/or racially diverse leaders whose backgrounds lead them to having added responsibility in the workplace.
The sector also needs greater transparency around cultural and racial representation in staffing and leadership roles, including board roles. This will promote accountability and help drive cultural change.
Finally, success for artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds requires the Australian art world to engage with multiple world views – and understand not all art will be immediately accessible to all audiences.
The controversy surrounding Creative Australia’s biennale backflip offers an opportunity for the visual arts sector to reckon with deep and troubling issues of structural inequity, along with broader questions of free expression – especially in a fraught political climate.
These issues are wider than the art world. But what better place to start?
*Name changed to protect identity.
Grace McQuilten received funding from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (project LP200100054). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian government or Australian Research Council.
Kate MacNeill received funding from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (project LP200100054). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian government or Australian Research Council.
When flooding strikes, our screens fill with scenes of devastated victims, and men performing heroic dinghy rescues in swollen rivers. But another story often goes untold: how women step in, and step up, to hold their stricken communities together.
Unprecedented floods in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales in 2022 are a case in point. Our research shows female leadership was the hidden backbone of community recovery in the aftermath of the emergency. Women rose to leadership roles, filling crucial gaps left by formal disaster responses. As one woman told us:
I mean there’s some blokes around, I’ve got to give them some credit, but, yeah, I’m amazed … it was always the women saying, what do you need? What can I help with?
And long after the disaster had passed and the media had moved on, women were still there, quietly leading sustained recovery efforts from their homes, community halls and online networks.
But while the labour of men was generally supported and recognised, the complex and difficult work of women was largely overlooked.
In February and March 2022, the region experienced catastrophic flooding and landslips. About 11,000 homes were inundated. Health care facilities were damaged and disrupted. Emergency services were overwhelmed and many communities were cut off, some for weeks.
In response, the community stepped up in extraordinary ways. Our research explored the particular contribution of women to this effort.
The research focused on the contribution of women to community recovery after the Lismore floods. Dan Peled/Getty Images
‘No one else was going to do it’
The research involved interviews with people involved in the flood response and recovery. We also examined notes from public events and transcripts from a NSW government inquiry into the floods.
We found that, despite facing immense challenges, women played an essential role in sustaining their communities during and after the crisis.
For example, they coordinated food relief, managed donation hubs, organised volunteers and provided emotional support to neighbours and strangers. As one female interviewee told us:
It was more than about food … people would just come and then we’d just hug them and they’d just cry … the food relief turned into something deeper.
Emergency-management environments are often dominated by men. As a result, female community organisers often felt excluded from formal decision-making. As one woman told us:
every face in the meeting was a white middle-aged guy with a buzz cut. And, and I was like, there is no women. There is no diversity. There was no sense of community or that whole recovery space.
One woman cited the example of a local council celebrating “men in their dinghies” who took part in a flood rescue, while failing to recognise women who collectively contributed many thousands of unpaid hours towards the recovery effort:
here we are with just simply a trillion women doing all of the childcare, all of the cooking, all of the soft labour, literally everything plus being on dinghies … and there’s just nothing for us.
Some women took unpaid leave from work to coordinate recovery activities in their communities, because, as one woman told us, “no one else was going to do it”.
Women’s roles were not limited to unskilled tasks and care work. Women also brought professional skills to the recovery effort, such as event management, IT, nursing, communications, clinical psychology, trauma healing, business management, social work and public health.
Women: there for the long term
We found while men’s involvement in disaster recovery tended to be concentrated on specific short-term rescue and response, women tended to remain active for months or even years.
For example, two years after the flooding disaster, at a gathering of grassroots community-disaster
organisers, 87% of names on the contact list were female.
Some women continued to volunteer their labour, while others managed to obtain short-term funding. Whether paid or unpaid, the women experienced overwhelm and felt exhausted by the long-term effort, and some experienced vicarious trauma. However, their sense of community responsibility prevented them from stepping back.
Rethinking who we see as leaders
The research confirms women’s contributions are consistently overlooked during and after a disaster. It reflects a broader trend in Australia, where women’s labour is historically undervalued.
Women’s disaster work – coordinating volunteers, providing emotional care and advocating for their communities – was often unsupported by government and continued long after official agencies left.
Yet, these contributions remained largely invisible.
Three years after the floods, many women in the Northern Rivers are preparing for the next emergency, and women comprise the majority of community resilience groups in the region.
Women must be recognised and supported to ensure the health and wellbeing of disaster-affected communities. The health and wellbeing of these women themselves must also be paramount.
More government and private funding is vital. Where possible, philanthropic community grants should also be expanded.
The recently formed Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance involves 50 grassroots groups combining to provide peer support, advocate together, seek joint funding and provide training. Such networks can provide ongoing support to community organisers.
As Earth’s climate becomes more hostile and extreme weather events become more likely, there is an urgent need to support community efforts – and to rethink who we see as leaders in times of disaster. Building resilient communities starts with recognising and resourcing the people doing the work – including local women.
The authors acknowledge Emma Pittaway, Loriana Bethune and Dominica Meade who co-authored the research upon which this article is based.
Rebecca McNaught receives funding from The Peregrine Foundation and Gender and Disasters Australia. She is a board member of not-for-profit Plan C and President of the volunteer group the South Golden Beach, New Brighton and Ocean Shores Community Resilience Team. She attends the Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance.
Jo Longman has received funding from the NSW State Government Disaster Risk Reduction Fund and the Healthy Environments and Lives Innovation Fund. She is affiliated as a volunteer with Plan C’s research team.
Recent cases of prolific alleged child sexual abuse in Melbourne and other Australian early childhood education and care settings have shocked even experienced people who work to prevent child sexual abuse. Parents are right to be outraged, scared and uncertain.
The most pressing issue, then, is what we do about it.
Regulation and practice is still falling short, despite all our knowledge and prior recommendations. We have the benefit of the gold-standard Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (including Volume 6 on making institutions child-safe). We can also draw on rigorous scientific work about how best to prevent child sexual abuse in child and youth-serving organisations.
Criminal history checks are essential, but many offenders will not have a criminal record. These checks are only one part of an entire safety system. Other measures are arguably even more important.
The federal government, together with states and territories, recently announced new measures. However, these are acknowledged as only a first step.
Children have a right to be safe from sexual violence. Continued failure is unacceptable. National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds’ demand for a national inquiry, which can fully understand current limitations in the system and create a comprehensive blueprint for reform, is compelling.
The established evidence has already identified some of these pillars of reform. Here are ten key actions for policy-makers to create key components of safe early childhood education and care settings.
1. Policy. Every organisation needs to operate under a comprehensive policy about child safety. This should include specific guidelines for the prevention of sexual abuse. The policy should also include clear definitions and objectives, and be driven by a zero-tolerance approach.
2. Safe screening and hiring. Every organisation needs to recruit staff through rigorous processes, including criminal history checks (supported by information-sharing within and between jurisdictions). But this is only a starting point. Staff are educators and carers, not babysitters; they should be properly qualified and appropriately remunerated.
Should men be banned from employment in these settings? Employment discrimination based on gender is likely a step too far, but considerations of risk are important and children’s best interests are paramount. Nearly all sexual abuse of young children is by men, and stringent measures could be employed when recruiting men to child-related positions.
3. Code of conduct. A detailed code of conduct is essential. This is the operating manual for the organisation and its staff, and should be made available to parents. A robust code will specify what conduct is prohibited, and what is required. It will have special rules for high-risk situations – for example, bathrooms, changing clothes, physical interaction, and technology use.
4. Supervision and monitoring. A safe organisation must have appropriate measures for the implementation of the safety framework. It must also monitor the framework and its components. For example, there must be: appropriate staff supervision, recording of the approach to safety and its implementation, external auditing and oversight. Parents should be involved in oversight.
All childcare centres should have rigorous prevention, supervision and reporting procedures in place. Shutterstock
5. Environmental risk reduction. Often called “situational crime prevention”, these are actions to create safe environments. It can include measures to prohibit secluded spaces, and improve lines of sight and visibility. This can also include ensuring appropriate ratios of staff to children.
6. Reporting of suspected cases. Across Australia, there are now clear legal requirements for practitioners in these settings to report suspected cases of child sexual abuse. Every organisation needs to ensure its staff knows about these duties, and how to comply with them. Every organisation then needs to deal appropriately with any report that is made.
7. Education and training. Child sexual abuse is a complex field. Staff and leaders need high-quality education and training about child sexual abuse (including its nature, indicators and outcomes), organisational policy, reporting processes, legal and ethical obligations, and the protections they have as employees.
Good education increases knowledge, attitudes and appropriate reporting, and overcomes ignorance, apathy, fear and inaction. This education needs to be multidisciplinary, high-standard, and itself the subject of oversight and monitoring. It is not clear we have high-quality education of practitioners in Australia, both when obtaining qualifications and especially in service.
8. Leadership. We need knowledgeable and ethical leadership in child- and youth-serving organisations, and by regulators and policy-makers alike.
Knowledge about child sexual abuse, and empathy towards children and young people, are preconditions for effective and ethical responses. Organisational leaders set the tone for the broader organisation. If leaders are seen to be knowledgeable, ethical and authentically committed to child safety, it is far more likely staff will be inspired to emulate these qualities.
9. Oversight, enforcement and improvement. The entire system needs to be overseen by an effective regulatory framework and an efficient national regulator.
We need to create comprehensive and stringent regulatory requirements for provider accreditation. Providers that do not meet these standards should be compelled to meet them, or lose funding and eligibility to operate. It is insufficient to be merely “working towards” the standards.
Other accountability mechanisms should also be created; for example, owners of childcare centres could be subject to appropriate financial and other penalties.
10. Locate prevention in these settings as part of a national strategy. As a nation, we have made progress in reducing the prevalence of child sexual abuse in organisational settings. This is partly due to tighter regulation through child-safe standards, legal requirements to report suspected cases of abuse and associated better reporting, and increased social awareness.
However, no case is acceptable, and we have the capacity and duty to dramatically reduce the prospect that any individual can be a prolific offender. These prevention principles apply equally in schools and other settings serving children and youth.
We have work to do: among all Australians aged 16 and over, nationally representative data has shown one in four experienced child sexual abuse. In contemporary Australia, this abuse is still prevalent, with data from 16–24-year-olds showing one in three girls are affected, and one in seven boys. The next generation of prevention is already here, but we know what is required to meet this challenge.
This can be a turning point for Australia. The social and economic return from taking children’s rights seriously and investing in prevention far outweighs the cost of inaction. Safe, effective early childhood education and care is a nation-building strategy, both required for today’s workforce and a key factor in educating and developing young Australians.
Ben Mathews has received grant funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Department of Social Services, the National Office for Child Safety in the Attorney-General’s Department, the Australian Institute of Criminology, and the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse. He takes sole responsibility for the views in this article.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
A farmer from the Lipetsk region regularly delivers vegetables and fruits to special military operation (SVO) fighters, and also responds to requests for help from residents of border areas.
Vladimir lives with his family in the village of Putyatino. For over 16 years, he has been engaged in agriculture and brings vegetables and fruits to Moscow for sale. His faithful assistants on the farm are his wife and sister. Vladimir’s stall at the weekend fair in the Eastern Administrative District is a real kaleidoscope of gifts of nature: apples, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions and seasonal berries. He also sends all these products to soldiers and residents of border areas.
Organizational issues of sending food products are usually handled by his friend from his native village, it is from her that Vladimir learns what and when needs to be transferred. But there are other cases: when help is needed urgently, people turn to him for assistance directly.
“One day, my fellow countrymen called me because I was at a fair in Moscow at the time: I urgently needed to buy and deliver a stretcher to the border region. Without leaving my work at the counter, I managed to team up with acquaintances and friends, find transport, and by midnight the stretcher was there,” Vladimir said.
At such moments, he admits, you especially clearly understand how important any help is, even if it seems insignificant.
“For me, as a farmer and citizen, it is important not just to pass on something, but to really help, even if it costs me nothing. The most important support is that which allows you to maintain strength, health and fighting spirit. And it is not only food, sometimes it is enough for a soldier to just know that there are people ready to help,” Vladimir shared.
Products are brought to Moscow fairs from more than 40 Russian regions. According to Sergei Sobyanin, since the beginning of 2025, weekend fairs have already been visited two million Human.
Each supplier guarantees the quality and freshness of its products, and specialists State Veterinary Service of Moscow check it before sending it to the shelves. The fair pavilions are provided with all the necessary trade and refrigeration equipment. They are located near metro stations and other crowded places.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Since the beginning of the renovation program, over 70 thousand families have moved from more than 1.2 thousand old houses to new apartments. The new buildings are located in all administrative districts of the capital. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“The resettlement of residents under the renovation program began in 2018, when a new building in the east of the capital in the Severnoye Izmailovo district was handed over for settlement. Today, the number of such houses exceeds 380, and over 70 thousand families have moved into new apartments. More than 12.7 thousand of them celebrated housewarming in the Eastern Administrative District, and over 12.4 thousand more in the South-East. In the west and north of the capital, 8.2 thousand families moved into new apartments with finished improved finishing,” said Vladimir Efimov.
For a more comfortable move under the renovation program, the city provides participants with movers and a car free of charge. The service can be ordered on the mos.ru portal as part of the super service “Moving under the renovation program” or from the administrators of the resettlement information centers.
“Of all the families that moved, about 75 percent — more than 53.5 thousand — used the “Moving Assistance” service. In particular, in the southeast of the capital, over 9.6 thousand families ordered movers and a car, in the east — over 9.4 thousand. In the Northern Administrative District, 7.6 thousand families left requests for the transportation of things from an old apartment to a new one,” clarified the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy
The area around all new buildings is being improved according to the standards of the renovation program: trees and shrubs are being planted in the courtyards, flower beds are being laid out, and children’s and sports grounds are being set up.
In the capital Department of Information Technology noted that general instructions available in the super service will help you prepare for the move “Moving under the renovation program” on the mos.ru portal. With its help, you can find out how the move is organized, get information about the necessary documents for drawing up a contract, and also use links to useful services. If the parameters are configured correctly, instructions for a specific life situation will be available.
Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin reported that this year new housing was received under the renovation program more than 18 thousand Muscovites.
The renovation program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. The Moscow mayor ordered to increase the pace of implementation of the renovation program intwice.
Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction volumes. High rates of housing construction correspond to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Over the past two years, specialists from the capital’s oncopsychological service have conducted more than 22,000 consultations. This was reported by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
“Along with advanced medical care, we pay special attention to the psychological state of both the patient and his relatives. Internal stability and a positive attitude are an important part of the treatment process, on which, among other things, its effectiveness depends. Facing an oncological diagnosis is always stress, anxiety and worries. That is why two years ago we created the Moscow Oncopsychological Service, which today operates in all outpatient oncological care centers. During this time, specialists have conducted over 22 thousand consultations for patients and their relatives,” said Anastasia Rakova.
In addition, in June of this year, a pilot project to provide psychological support to families with children was launched at the Outpatient Oncology Care Center of the Morozov Children’s Hospital. Oncopsychologists help parents to live through difficult feelings and emotions, explain how to properly communicate with children and support them during treatment. Support for those who have encountered cancer remains one of the key priorities of Moscow’s social policy, which has been implementing its own standard of oncological care for five years now. Psychological rehabilitation begins from the moment a cancer disease is suspected. At all stages of treatment – from diagnosis to the period of remission – the service’s specialists help patients cope with their experiences, accept the situation, prepare for treatment, learn to manage anxiety and physical discomfort.
In outpatient oncology care centers, you can get a consultation with an oncopsychologist without an appointment on the day of your request. In addition, remote formats are also available. Thus, over two thousand consultations have been conducted on the online platform “Psychology for Life” in two years of the service’s operation, and over 1.4 thousand requests for psychological assistance by phone have been received through the “EMIAS. INFO” application in the five months since the launch of the new service. Oncopsychologists promptly contact those who have applied, provide emergency support and, if necessary, invite them to an in-person appointment, an online session or to the “Equal to Equal” support group.
Over 400 meetings have been held within the framework of the Peer-to-Peer support group. More than 1,600 people took part in them. In an atmosphere of trust and complete understanding, patients and their loved ones can discuss their fears and experiences not only with a professional oncopsychologist, but also with those who have already gone through a similar path and overcome the disease. Group members talk about ways to overcome the psychological difficulties they face on the path to recovery. Since December last year, you can also join such meetings online.
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If it is up to the European Commission, the options open to member states when it comes to deciding not to consider the substance of an asylum request will be expanded in cases in which the person in question can receive protection in another, safe country outside the EU. The government, along with other member states, asked the commission to come up with a proposal which should ensure that fewer people end up coming to the Netherlands and that we get a grip on migration.
It is currently the case that the substance of an asylum application cannot be considered if the asylum seeker in question has a link to another safe country outside the EU. The proposal would legally allow for this also to be the case in situations in which an asylum seeker has already travelled through another safe country, or in which the EU or the Netherlands have agreements in place with a safe country for the asylum procedure to be conducted there.
As Minister van Hijum for Asylum and Migration explains: “The Netherlands argued for this in Brussels, so it’s good that the European Commission has come up with this proposal. It will establish a legal basis for not every asylum application having to be processed in the Netherlands. We’re continuing to work hard in the European context to get a grip on migration and that’s what I’m committed to going forwards.”
Changing the ‘safe third country’ concept will make it easier to decide that an asylum request is not going to be considered because there is another safe country the asylum seeker in question can go to. However, certain conditions do apply. For example, the asylum seeker must actually be able to gain access to that safe country. In addition, international law and the Asylum Procedures Directive set out criteria a country must meet in order to be considered safe. That will continue to be the case.
Moreover, the point of departure is still that anyone seeking asylum should be able to do so safely. However, if agreements exist with a third country, the asylum application will not necessarily have to be processed in the Netherlands or the European Union. In the coming period, the Netherlands is committed to completing the negotiations on this proposal, both with the other member states and the European Parliament, as soon as possible.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje visited the Amarnath Yatra base camp in Baltal on Thursday and expressed her joy over the spiritual journey and the ongoing development works in the area.
She joined thousands of devotees on the 2025 Amarnath Yatra to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.
Speaking to ANI during her visit, she said, “Today, we are all going to have the darshan of Bholenath. It feels wonderful… May God bless us all. The atmosphere here is very pleasant… people are feeling good because development work is happening here too…”
The Union Minister praised the efforts made by local authorities and the government to improve facilities and infrastructure along the pilgrimage route. She noted that enhanced arrangements have added to the comfort and spiritual experience of the yatris (pilgrims).
Earlier in the day, as a fresh batch of pilgrims set off for the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Baba, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said that the Yatra was not just a religious one, but a journey of the people.
He further stated that security forces, porters, tent service providers and others were all involved in the Yatra.
“This Yatra is not just a religious Yatra. It is a Yatra of the people. Security forces, ‘pitthus’, tents, every service provider is involved in it… The enthusiasm among the devotees is unparalleled. I pray that everyone’s wishes are fulfilled and there is peace and happiness in Kashmir and the rest of the country,” Bidhuri told ANI.
A day earlier, Kashmir Police issued an advisory for devotees undertaking the Amarnath Yatra 2025, urging them to travel only in officially designated convoys.
The advisory, released on Wednesday, directed all pilgrims to start their journey only from the authorised base camps at Bhagwati Nagar (Jammu), Baltal and Nunwan. These routes have been designated to ensure better coordination, security and medical assistance along the challenging mountainous route to the holy Amarnath shrine.
“All the pilgrims undertaking Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2025 are advised to travel only in designated convoys originating from Bhagwati Nagar, Baltal and Nunwan base camps,” Kashmir Police said in a post on X. (ANI)
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje visited the Amarnath Yatra base camp in Baltal on Thursday and expressed her joy over the spiritual journey and the ongoing development works in the area.
She joined thousands of devotees on the 2025 Amarnath Yatra to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.
Speaking to ANI during her visit, she said, “Today, we are all going to have the darshan of Bholenath. It feels wonderful… May God bless us all. The atmosphere here is very pleasant… people are feeling good because development work is happening here too…”
The Union Minister praised the efforts made by local authorities and the government to improve facilities and infrastructure along the pilgrimage route. She noted that enhanced arrangements have added to the comfort and spiritual experience of the yatris (pilgrims).
Earlier in the day, as a fresh batch of pilgrims set off for the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Baba, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri said that the Yatra was not just a religious one, but a journey of the people.
He further stated that security forces, porters, tent service providers and others were all involved in the Yatra.
“This Yatra is not just a religious Yatra. It is a Yatra of the people. Security forces, ‘pitthus’, tents, every service provider is involved in it… The enthusiasm among the devotees is unparalleled. I pray that everyone’s wishes are fulfilled and there is peace and happiness in Kashmir and the rest of the country,” Bidhuri told ANI.
A day earlier, Kashmir Police issued an advisory for devotees undertaking the Amarnath Yatra 2025, urging them to travel only in officially designated convoys.
The advisory, released on Wednesday, directed all pilgrims to start their journey only from the authorised base camps at Bhagwati Nagar (Jammu), Baltal and Nunwan. These routes have been designated to ensure better coordination, security and medical assistance along the challenging mountainous route to the holy Amarnath shrine.
“All the pilgrims undertaking Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2025 are advised to travel only in designated convoys originating from Bhagwati Nagar, Baltal and Nunwan base camps,” Kashmir Police said in a post on X. (ANI)
As the 36-day-long Amarnath Yatra commenced, thousands of pilgrims from across the country converged in Jammu and Kashmir to undertake the sacred journey to the revered Amarnath cave shrine.
The first batch of Yatris began their trek from the Baltal base camp early Thursday morning, while another group departed from the traditional Pahalgam route. Simultaneously, the second batch of 5,246 pilgrims left from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on Canal Road in Jammu for the Valley in two escorted convoys, underscoring the stringent security measures in place.
Speaking to IANS, several pilgrims thanked administration for the arrangements and the Indian Army for ensuring their safety.
“I have been coming to Baba Barfani’s shrine since 2019, and every visit feels wonderful. The arrangements this year are excellent,” said one devotee.
Another added, “The government’s efforts are commendable. We are very happy with the facilities provided.”
This year’s turnout appears to be significantly higher than in previous years. One pilgrim remarked, “Earlier, due to the threat of terror attacks, very few people came for the Yatra. But this time, the number of devotees is overwhelming.”
“When one comes on a pilgrimage, comfort is not the priority. But the arrangements this time are excellent—far better than in previous years,” said another devotee.
Appreciating security arrangements, a pilgrim noted, “The Indian Army has made our journey easy and safe. Their presence is reassuring. The efforts of the Centre and the J&K administration are truly commendable.”
Another devotee added, “Thanks to the Indian Army and the administration, pilgrims feel secure and can perform this holy Yatra without any fear. We are grateful for everything.”
The Yatra was officially flagged off by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from Jammu on Wednesday.
Authorities have implemented an unprecedented security plan in light of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed, supplementing the already robust security presence comprising the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and J&K Police.
Pilgrims have been advised to travel from Jammu to the base camps only as part of escorted convoys and have been warned against undertaking the journey independently.
Due to heightened security concerns, helicopter services for the Yatra have been suspended this year.
As the 36-day-long Amarnath Yatra commenced, thousands of pilgrims from across the country converged in Jammu and Kashmir to undertake the sacred journey to the revered Amarnath cave shrine.
The first batch of Yatris began their trek from the Baltal base camp early Thursday morning, while another group departed from the traditional Pahalgam route. Simultaneously, the second batch of 5,246 pilgrims left from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on Canal Road in Jammu for the Valley in two escorted convoys, underscoring the stringent security measures in place.
Speaking to IANS, several pilgrims thanked administration for the arrangements and the Indian Army for ensuring their safety.
“I have been coming to Baba Barfani’s shrine since 2019, and every visit feels wonderful. The arrangements this year are excellent,” said one devotee.
Another added, “The government’s efforts are commendable. We are very happy with the facilities provided.”
This year’s turnout appears to be significantly higher than in previous years. One pilgrim remarked, “Earlier, due to the threat of terror attacks, very few people came for the Yatra. But this time, the number of devotees is overwhelming.”
“When one comes on a pilgrimage, comfort is not the priority. But the arrangements this time are excellent—far better than in previous years,” said another devotee.
Appreciating security arrangements, a pilgrim noted, “The Indian Army has made our journey easy and safe. Their presence is reassuring. The efforts of the Centre and the J&K administration are truly commendable.”
Another devotee added, “Thanks to the Indian Army and the administration, pilgrims feel secure and can perform this holy Yatra without any fear. We are grateful for everything.”
The Yatra was officially flagged off by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from Jammu on Wednesday.
Authorities have implemented an unprecedented security plan in light of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed, supplementing the already robust security presence comprising the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and J&K Police.
Pilgrims have been advised to travel from Jammu to the base camps only as part of escorted convoys and have been warned against undertaking the journey independently.
Due to heightened security concerns, helicopter services for the Yatra have been suspended this year.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting tenders for a three-year tenancy of the government canteen on a portion of Level 0, Office Building, Civil Aviation Department Headquarters, 1 Tung Fai Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong, subject to the provisions for renewal for a further term of three years.
The premises should be used to operate a canteen that supplies meals, light refreshments, beverages (excluding alcoholic beverages and plastic bottled water) and other food commodities to government employees working in the Civil Aviation Department Headquarters and such other persons as may be authorised by the Director-General of Civil Aviation.
The tender notice was uploaded today (July 3) to the GPA Property Portal www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/index.html. Tender documents are available for collection at the GPA, 9/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during the period from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The documents can also be downloaded from the GPA Property Portal.
Interested tenderers who wish to conduct a site inspection of the premises should make a prior appointment with the GPA by calling 3842 6775 by July 16.
Tenderers must submit their tenders by placing them in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box situated on the Ground Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, before noon on July 24. Late tenders will not be accepted.
The World Health Organization is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.
The United Nations health agency said the move would help cut consumption of the products, which contribute to diseases like diabetes and some cancers, as well as raising money at a time when development aid is shrinking and public debt rising.
“Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO assistant-director general of health promotion and disease prevention and control. “It’s time to act.”
The WHO launched the push, which it is called “3 by 35” at the UN Finance for Development conference in Seville.
WHO said that its tax initiative could raise $1 trillion by 2035 based on evidence from health taxes in countries such as Colombia and South Africa.
The WHO has backed tobacco taxes and price rises for decades, and has called for taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in recent years, but this is the first time it has suggested a target price rise for all three products.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the conference that the taxes could help governments “adjust to the new reality” and bolster their own health systems with the money raised.
Many low and middle-income countries are coping with cuts to aid spending led by the United States, which is not attending the Seville conference. The U.S. is also in the process of withdrawing from the WHO.
FROM $4 to $10
As an example, the initiative would mean a government in a middle-income country raising taxes on the product to push the price up from $4 today to $10 by 2035, taking into account inflation, said WHO health economist Guillermo Sandoval.
Nearly 140 countries had already raised tobacco taxes and therefore prices by over 50% on average between 2012 and 2022, the WHO added.
Sandoval said the WHO was also considering broader taxation recommendations, including on ultra-processed food, after the agency finalises its definition of that type of food in the coming months. But he added that the agency expected pushback from the industries involved.
The initiative is also backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and involves support for countries who want to take action.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on March 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
California, leading a multistate coalition, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over leaking citizens’ personal information.
Charging the Trump administration with illegally sharing Medicaid recipients’ health data with immigration enforcement agencies, the 59-page lawsuit document was filed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and their departments listed as defendants.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta led the state attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington in filing the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs challenged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) granting “unfettered access” to individuals’ health records to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which houses the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying the decision violated privacy laws and longstanding practices separating Medicaid information from law enforcement.
They highlighted that the Trump administration’s illegal actions created fear and confusion among communities that will lead noncitizens and their family members to disenroll or refuse to enroll in emergency Medicaid. Under these circumstances, some patients may not get the emergency health services they need and will suffer fatal health consequences as a result.
“The Trump Administration has upended longstanding privacy protections with its decision to illegally share sensitive, personal health data with ICE. In doing so, it has created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care,” Bonta said in a press release published by his office, noting that the lawsuit was aimed at ensuring Medicaid data would not be used for immigration enforcement purposes.
“I’m sickened by this latest salvo in the President’s anti-immigrant campaign. We’re headed to court to prevent any further sharing of Medicaid data,” he said.
According to California’s Department of Justice, Medicaid is an essential source of health insurance for lower-income individuals and particularly underserved population groups. As of January 2025, 78.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program across the United States.
The Medicaid program allows each participating state to develop and administer its unique health plans. In California, the most populous state in the country, the Medi-Cal program, the state’s version of Medicaid, provides healthcare coverage for one out of three residents, including more than 2 million noncitizens.
Medicaid Act, enacted by the Congress in 1965, and other U.S. federal laws defined the personal healthcare data collected by the program is confidential and could be only shared in certain narrow circumstances that benefit public health and the integrity of the Medicaid program itself, the lawsuit document said, noting that the mass transfer of data between the HHS and the DHS is illegal.
Moreover, it said reports indicated that the U.S. federal government plans to create a sweeping database after collecting data from the HHS to use for “mass deportations” and other large-scale immigration enforcement purposes.
Hamas said on Wednesday it was studying what U.S. President Donald Trump called a “final” ceasefire proposal for Gaza but that Israel must pull out of the enclave, and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would be eliminated.
Trump said on Tuesday Israel had agreed to the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas after a meeting between his representatives and Israeli officials.
In a statement, the Palestinian militant group said it was studying new ceasefire offers received from mediators Egypt and Qatar but that it aimed to reach an agreement that would ensure an end to the war and an Israeli pullout from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the elimination of Hamas in his first public remarks since Trump’s announcement.
“There will not be a Hamas. There will not be a ‘Hamastan’. We’re not going back to that. It’s over,” Netanyahu told a meeting hosted by the Trans-Israel pipeline.
The two sides’ statements reiterated long-held positions, giving no clues as to whether or how a compromise agreement could be reached.
“I hope it would work this time, even if for two months, it would save thousands of innocent lives,” Kamal, a resident of Gaza City, said by phone.
Others questioned whether Trump’s statements would deliver long-term peace.
“We hope he is serious like he was serious during the Israeli-Iranian war when he said the war should stop, and it stopped,” said Adnan Al-Assar, a resident of Khan Younis in Gaza’s south.
There is growing public pressure on Netanyahu to reach a permanent ceasefire and end the nearly two-year-long war, a move opposed by hardline members of his right-wing ruling coalition.
At the same time, U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran and ceasefire agreed on in last month’s 12-day Israel-Iran air war have put pressure on Hamas, which is backed by Tehran.
Israeli leaders believe that, with Iran weakened, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
‘SOME POSITIVE SIGNS’
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was “serious in our will” to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire.
“There are some positive signs. I don’t want to say more than that right now. But our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible,” he said while visiting Estonia.
Of 50 hostages held by Hamas, about 20 are believed to be still alive.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid posted that his party could provide a safety net if any cabinet members opposed a deal, effectively pledging not to back a no-confidence motion in parliament that could topple the government.
At the end of May, Hamas had said it was seeking amendments to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, said this was “totally unacceptable.”
That proposal involved a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians; Hamas would release the remaining hostages as part of a deal that guarantees the end of the war.
“Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” Trump posted on Tuesday, without specifying the conditions.
A source close to Hamas said its leaders were expected to debate the proposal and seek clarifications from mediators before giving an official response.
Gaza health authorities said Israeli gunfire and military strikes had killed at least 139 Palestinians in northern and southern areas in the past 24 hours, and the Israeli military ordered more evacuations late on Tuesday.
Among those killed was Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, in an airstrike that has also killed his wife and five children, medics said.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a “key terrorist” from Hamas in the Gaza City area. It said it was reviewing reports of civilian casualties and that the military regretted any harm to “uninvolved individuals” and takes steps to minimise such harm.
Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost all the 2.3 million population and caused a humanitarian crisis.
“Thanks to this new opportunity, residents of the entire country can become virtual guests of the zoo at any time. This is especially convenient for those regions of Russia where the time difference with Moscow can be several hours. You can watch the animals’ activity in real time during the day, and in the evening, after the zoo closes, a recording of the daytime broadcast is broadcast. In addition, on zoo.mos.ru you can read interesting facts about the inhabitants of the Moscow Zoo and see photos,” said Boris Frolov, Deputy Head of the Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.
A replay of the daytime broadcast is now included on the broadcast pages from 22:00 to 07:30 — during the hours when the Moscow Zoo is closed to visitors. This is especially convenient in cases where it is not possible to watch the animals during the daytime due to personal matters or time zone differences.
The first online broadcasts from the enclosures of the Moscow Zoo appeared in the fall of 2024. Cameras are installed in the exhibition part. During the broadcast, you can see both the outdoor enclosures and the interior space of the pavilions, learn more about the lives of various animals.
Since the broadcasts began, the list of zoo inhabitants that can be admired has increased significantly. Today, everyone can watch representatives of the cat family, different types of bears and pandas, raccoons, honey badgers, meerkats, capybaras, llamas, vicuñas and guanacos, as well as elephants, pygmy hippopotamuses, orangutans and gorillas.
In early June, online broadcasts from three more predator enclosures appeared on zoo.mos.ru. Visitors to mos.ru can see how the predator swims in a spacious pool Polar bear Aika, as it emerges from its hiding place and makes a tour of its territory Puma Gabriel, and also watch the training Far Eastern Leopard Mizera.
The mos.ru portal also launched online broadcasts from the enclosures of three Malayan bear cubs Moscow Zoo. You can watch them during the opening hours of the “Sunny Bears” pavilion, where Luchik, Zvezdochka and Masha live, every day from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
In addition, you can watch broadcasts from the enclosure of rare animals on mos.ru giant otters, who recently settled in the Moscow Zoo for the first time in its 161-year history. These animals are listed in the International Red Book as an endangered species.
The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The Moscow Production Center (Mosproducer) announces a large competitive selection for the project “Mosproducer Showcase – 2025”, which will be held as part of the large-scale forum-festival of the capital “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030”. Artists will perform in Zaryadye Park in a series of summer concerts dedicated to the 11th anniversary of the organization. To get to one of the main city venues, you must fill out questionnaireon the official website of Mosproducer until July 13 inclusive, attaching up to two videos of your performances.
Artists will be selected for various concert programs that will take place on the main stage and in the small amphitheater of the park. The winners will be determined by music industry experts at live auditions. The performances will take place over three days in August and will be part of the forum-festival “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030”, which unites music, art, creative industries and urban culture.
“Mosproducer Showcase – 2025” is not just a series of concerts, but a unique opportunity for musicians to perform their greatest hits and feel the energy of the audience in the very center of the capital. For many artists, participation in the project will be an important step on the path to professional recognition and the beginning of new creative achievements.
Last year, residents of Mosproducer also performed in Zaryadye. The artists created a real holiday for the park guests with fiery music and bright numbers. Thousands of spectators attended the concerts, and for the singers it was an unforgettable experience.
“Mosproducer Showcase” is an integration project that provides an opportunity to perform at major capital venues and events, find a new audience and attract attention to the author’s creativity. Over three years, more than 20 performers presented the city with performances that took place over five days in the small amphitheater of Zaryadye Park, at the festival “Eat. Walk. Breathe” of the “Summer in Moscow” project and at the Central Market on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard.
Moscow production center, subordinate To the Department of Culture of the City of Moscow, has been developing its own projects for musicians, artists, theatre workers and other representatives of contemporary art since 2014. These projects are integrated into the city infrastructure and implemented at the largest capital venues. In addition, Mosproducer creates unique systems for promoting creativity to audiences of thousands.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
During the first month of work, almost 900 events took place at the venues of the International Open Festival “Teatralny Bulvar”. This was reported by the Minister of the Government of Moscow, the head of the capital’s Department of Culture Alexey Fursin.
“During the first month of the festival, city residents and guests visited 850 events, 350 of which were performances. And 500 master classes and creative laboratories gave viewers the opportunity to try themselves in the roles of actors and directors. The total duration of productions and interactive activities exceeded a thousand hours. We are especially grateful to our viewers for their activity and constant full houses at the venues even in cool and inclement weather. Based on the results of the first month, we decided to expand the program of “Teatralny Boulevard”, – said Alexey Fursin.
Dozens of directions and performances for all ages
According to the head of the Moscow Department of Culture, a new chamber stage of the festival opened on Patriarch’s Ponds on July 1, where about 100 theatrical performances will take place until the end of the summer. In addition, due to the high interest of viewers in the events in the amphitheater of the Polytech Museum Park, it was decided to extend its work until August 31. Viewers will see about 50 more performances.
The genre diversity of the festival includes dozens of directions – you can see from classical drama, musical productions, puppet theater performances and circus performances to experimental formats like productions of the theater of taste and plastic theater. Special programs dedicated to memorable dates, including Russia Day, A. Pushkin’s birthday and the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, added depth and significance to the festival.
“Teatralny Bulvar” united groups from different parts of the country, from the Kaliningrad region to the Altai region. Among them, for example, are artists from the St. Petersburg Theater on Vasilievsky, the Perm “Teatr-Teatr”, the Yaroslavl Drama Theater named after F. Volkov.
Famous artists performed at the opening of the festival. For example, Andrey Merzlikin and Darya Moroz played in the amphitheater of the Polytech Museum Park. Anton Shagin and Alexander Oleshko could be seen on Chistoprudny Boulevard. Vadim Vernik transferred his popular television format to the acting studio opened as part of the Teatralny Boulevard. In June, such recognized stage masters as Mikhail Troynik, Vladimir Steklov, Alexander Dergachev and Yaroslav Chinarev became its guests. Meetings with them gave viewers the opportunity to delve deeper into the profession and see the seamy side of the acting craft.
Children’s and family events are now held not only on the boulevards, but also on the main stages of the festival. This has increased the accessibility of the performing arts for all generations. In addition, in July, the “Family Conversations” section will begin working, and “Theater Boulevard” will present the stories of acting dynasties in a unique format. Its heroes will be Konstantin and Polina Raikin, Yulia and Anna Peresild, Igor and Grigory Vernik. Viewers will also be treated to programs dedicated to Family, Love and Fidelity Day, Oleg Tabakov’s birthday and other significant dates.
The current program, map of venues and news can be found on the official website Theater.mo.ru and in the telegram channel “Theater Boulevard”.
The Theatre Boulevard Festival is organised by the capital Department of Culture on the initiative of Sergei Sobyanin and is taking place within the framework of the project “Summer in Moscow”, which started this year with records. In just one week, it collected more than 6.3 million visitors.
Project “Summer in Moscow” — the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Omid Ghasemi, Research Associate in Behavioural Science at the Institute for Climate Risk & Response, UNSW Sydney
New research led by Viktoria Cologna at ETH Zurich in Switzerland may help to explain what’s going on. Using data from around the world, the study suggests simple exposure to extreme weather events does not affect people’s view of climate action – but linking those events to climate change can make a big difference.
Global opinion, global weather
The new study, published in Nature Climate Change, looked at the question of extreme weather and climate opinion using two global datasets.
The first is the Trust in Science and Science-related Populism (TISP) survey, which includes responses from more than 70,000 people in 68 countries. It measures public support for climate policies and the extent that people think climate change is behind increases in extreme weather.
The second dataset estimates how much of each country’s population has been affected each year by events such as droughts, floods, heatwaves and storms. These estimates are based on detailed models and historical climate records.
Public support for climate policies
The survey measured public support for climate policy by asking people how much they supported five specific actions to cut carbon emissions. These included raising carbon taxes, improving public transport, using more renewable energy, protecting forests and land, and taxing carbon-heavy foods.
Responses ranged from 1 (not at all) to 3 (very much). On average, support was fairly strong, with an average rating of 2.37 across the five policies. Support was especially high in parts of South Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, but lower in countries such as Russia, Czechia and Ethiopia.
Exposure to extreme weather events
The study found most people around the world have experienced heatwaves and heavy rainfall in recent decades. Wildfires affected fewer people in many European and North American countries, but were more common in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Cyclones mostly impacted North America and Asia, while droughts affected large populations in Asia, Latin America and Africa. River flooding was widespread across most regions, except Oceania.
Do people in countries with higher exposure to extreme weather events show greater support for climate policies? This study found they don’t.
In most cases, living in a country where more people are exposed to disasters was not reflected in stronger support for climate action.
Wildfires were the only exception. Countries with more wildfire exposure showed slightly higher support, but this link disappeared once factors such as land size and overall climate belief were considered.
In short, just experiencing more disasters does not seem to translate into increased support for mitigation efforts.
Seeing the link between weather and climate change
In the global survey, people were asked how much they think climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather over recent decades. On average, responses were moderately high (3.8 out of 5) suggesting that many people do link recent weather events to climate change.
Such an attribution was especially strong in Latin America, but lower in parts of Africa (such as Congo and Ethiopia) and Northern Europe (such as Finland and Norway).
Crucially, people who more strongly believed climate change had worsened these events were also more likely to support climate policies. In fact, this belief mattered more for policy support than whether they had actually experienced the events firsthand.
Prior research shows less dramatic and chronic events like rainfall or temperature anomalies have less influence on public views than more acute hazards like floods or bushfires. Even then, the influence on beliefs and behaviour tends to be slow and limited.
This study shows climate impacts alone may not change minds. However, it also highlights what may affect public thinking: helping people recognise the link between climate change and extreme weather events.
In countries such as Australia, climate change makes up only about 1% of media coverage. What’s more, most of the coverage focuses on social or political aspects rather than scientific, ecological, or economic impacts.
Omid Ghasemi receives funding from the Australian Academy of Science. He was a member of the TISP consortium and a co-author of the dataset used in this study.