Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray Calls for Kennedy to Reinstate Fired ACIP Members or Delay Meeting Until New Members Appropriately Vetted; Calls Out Elevation of Conspiracy Theorist like Redwood
ICYMI: At HELP Hearing, Senator Murray Presses CDC Nominee on Commitment to Scientific Integrity, Vaccine Access, as RFK Jr. Fires ACIP Members, Pushes Vaccine Conspiracies
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior Member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement in response to news reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) planned to hired notorious anti-vaccine extremist Lyn Redwood, former longtime President of RFK Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense, to help oversee vaccine safety.
“Republicans and Democrats should both be deeply disturbed by the news that our government plans to appoint another anti-vax extremist to allegedly help oversee vaccine safety at our nation’s premier public health agency. This is as disturbing as it gets, and we cannot become numb to it. I’m calling on the White House to immediately reverse this decision. This White House must not give more conspiracy theorists like Redwood a platform to disseminate even more dangerous lies about vaccines—she’s going to get kids killed because their parents will be too afraid to protect their children against preventable diseases like Measles.
“Vaccines work—they are safe, effective, and lifesaving. We cannot allow a few truly deranged individuals to distort the plain truth and facts around vaccines so badly. I know that my Republican colleagues know this is wrong—now is not the time to be silent. Kids’ lives are on the line. Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Lyn Redwood has no place serving as a health advisor at CDC—or anywhere in the Department.”
Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.
Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s dismantling of HHS and attacks on America’s public health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans’ health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.
Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
Program supports Colorado River water users as they explore innovative strategies to conserve water
Bipartisan bill extends Conservation Pilot Program through 2026
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper cheered Senate passage of his bipartisan Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act. The bill extends the System Conservation Pilot Program, which supports voluntary water conservation projects to manage drought on the Colorado River. U.S. Senators John Barrasso, Michael Bennet, Cynthia Lummis, and John Curtis are cosponsors of the bill. Representative Harriet Hageman leads the House version of the bill.
The bill now needs to pass the House before it gets signed into law.
“We don’t need to sit around waiting for a silver bullet while the Colorado River runs dry,” said Hickenlooper. “It will take every tool at our disposal to keep water flowing to all seven basin states. Voluntary conservation is a big part of that. We’re committed to getting this bill across the finish line.”
This legislation extends the pilot program through 2026 as Colorado River Basin states, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and other stakeholders continue discussions on potential long-term water management once current operational rules expire in 2026. The pilot program will help the Upper Basin examine water management strategies that can help water users manage prolonged and severe drought.
Hickenlooper and Barrasso’s bipartisan Colorado River Basin Conservation Act,which reauthorized the System Conservation Pilot Program through 2024, was signed into law in the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus government funding bill. In 2023, the System Conservation Pilot Program received $125 million, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, to enable the Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with the Upper Colorado River Commission, to implement the System Conservation Pilot Program.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s authorization to spend SCPP funds expired in December 2024. In 2024, the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act passed the Senate, but stalled in the House. Funding for the program must be renewed in 2025 for it to continue.
As governor, Hickenlooper helped negotiate the 2019 Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan, which helped protect critical levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead and ensured continued compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.
UN chief said that the Charter of the United Nations is not “an à la carte menu.”
Addressing the General Assembly today (26 Jun) at Informal Plenary meeting to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter, António Guterres said, “The Charter has given us the tools to change destinies, save lives, and deliver hope to the most desperate corners of the world. And we can draw a direct line from the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.”
He highlighted, “Today, we see assaults on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter like never before.”
He stressed, “On and on, we see an all too familiar pattern: Follow when the Charter suits, ignore when it does not. The Charter of the United Nations is not optional. It is not an à la carte menu. It is the bedrock of international relations. We cannot and must not normalize violations of its most basic principles.”
He concluded, “On this anniversary, I urge all Member States to live up: To the spirit and letter of the Charter. To the responsibilities it demands. And to the future it summons us to build. For peace. For justice. For progress. For we the peoples.”
The eightieth anniversary of the signing of the Charter in San Francisco provides an opportunity for the United Nations membership to reflect on the enduring significance and relevance of the Charter of the United Nations.
As geopolitical dynamics shift and new global challenges emerge, the meeting will serve as a moment of collective reaffirmation of the spirit of San Francisco and the founding principles of the United Nations enshrined in the Charter.
This gathering not only honors the legacy of the United Nations but also seeks to inspire continued cooperation in the pursuit of a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world, guided by the Charter and the promise it enshrines.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) — Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), and Yael Bron-Pivet, president of the French National Assembly, co-chaired the 12th meeting of the China-France Legislative Exchange Mechanism in Beijing on Thursday, agreeing to strengthen bilateral ties.
In his opening speech, Zhao Leji said China stands ready to expand all-round exchanges and cooperation with France.
The two sides should deepen cooperation in traditional areas, expand collaboration in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and green low-carbon development, and properly handle trade differences through consultation and dialogue, he said.
Zhao Leji called on the two countries to deepen exchanges in culture, education and tourism and strengthen coordination within a multilateral framework, stressing that the Chinese side believes that France will take concrete actions to uphold the one-China principle.
As the NPC Standing Committee chairman pointed out, given that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, China hopes that China-EU ties will continuously develop in a positive direction so that they will bring more stability and positive energy to the world.
Zhao Leji stressed that this meeting marks the resumption of the exchange mechanism between the two legislatures after a five-year hiatus and is of great significance to deepening cooperation between the two sides.
He stated that the NPC will work with the French parliament to implement the important agreements reached by the heads of state and provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation between China and France. Zhao Leji added that the NPC also wants to expand exchanges and cooperation with the European Parliament.
J. Bron-Pivet, for her part, pointed out that in the current difficult international situation, it is extremely important for France and China, which are supporters of multilateralism, to strengthen communication and solidarity.
The French side hopes to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side in the areas of trade and investment, artificial intelligence, climate change, culture and education, and jointly overcome global challenges, said Bron-Pivet.
She added that the French National Assembly is ready to deepen dialogue with the NPC to give new impetus to the development of French-Chinese relations. –0–
In response to a rise in extortion threats against members of the South Asian community, BC Crime Stoppers is launching a digital media campaign to raise awareness and encourage reporting of extortion activity.
“The recent surge in extortion threats targeting members of the South Asian community is very concerning, and we are doing everything we can to support police efforts in investigating these crimes,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Reporting is the most important step in stopping extortion and keeping people safe, so if you are a victim of extortion, or have any information that could help solve a crime, I urge you to contact Crime Stoppers.”
With support from the federal government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, the B.C. government has provided $100,000 to help BC Crime Stoppers run a 60-day extortion awareness campaign. The campaign is launching Thursday, June 26, 2025, and shares important information about recognizing and reporting extortion threats, helping individuals, business owners and families stay safe and informed.
The campaign was developed in consultation with individuals with deep knowledge of extortion, experience in policing and lived experience within the South Asian community. The goal is encouraging people to report extortion threats to help police stop those responsible. The campaign will be available in English and Punjabi, and will include advertisements on radio, podcasts, Spotify, social media and television.
“Since 1982, BC Crime Stoppers and its local programs have offered the community an anonymous way to report criminal activity,” said Gillian Millam, executive director, BC Crime Stoppers. “In partnership with the provincial government, BC Crime Stoppers aims to educate the community on how to recognize and report cases of extortion. The primary goal of this campaign is to inform the public and help solve crime.”
The Province continues to take action to combat serious and organized crime with more than $100 million invested annually to bolster provincial firearm forensic capabilities, strengthen gang enforcement and suppression initiatives, and support community-based prevention and intervention programs.
Provincial efforts are supported by the federal government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, with the B.C. government receiving nearly $11 million from Public Safety Canada for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The funding will go toward anti-gang and crime initiatives throughout the province, including the Organized Crime Agency of BC, and police departments to support operations in dismantling serious and organized crime.
Quotes:
Chief Const. Colin Watson, Abbotsford Police Department –
“The Abbotsford Police Department remains dedicated to safeguarding our community and local businesses from the threat of extortion. Through focused investigations, strong partnerships with other agencies, and proactive community engagement, we strive to prevent further harm and ensure those responsible are held accountable. We continue to support affected individuals and urge anyone with information related to extortion to contact their local police department.”
Chief Const. Harj Sidhu, Delta Police Department –
“I want to thank the Province and BC Crime Stoppers for raising awareness about the growing issue of extortion, which has impacted the South Asian community and others. These cases are often linked to organized crime and have created real fear. Early reporting is critical. Delta Police are committed to supporting victims, working with partners, and keeping our community safe. If you receive a threat or have information, please report it. We are here to help.”
Chief Const. Norm Lipinski, Surrey Police Service –
“Surrey Police Service’s dedicated Extortion Investigations Team is actively working with our policing partners to identify and arrest those engaged in extortion so we can relieve victims and residents of the understandable fear that these crimes create. We remind individuals who are victims of an extortion attempt to report it to your local police as soon as possible. Every detail can help police unravel these highly complex and sophisticated investigations.”
Chief Supt. Duncan Pound, BC RCMP Lower Mainland District –
“The RCMP Lower Mainland District is working with municipal, provincial and federal partners to investigate and disrupt organized crime groups engaged in extortion across the region. The number of victims or complaints have spanned multiple jurisdictions and communities and therefore our investigative approach has been cross jurisdictional and collaborative, to determine any connections or similarities. While progress is being made, police continue to stress the importance of anyone impacted to come forward. The public is urged to report any instances of extortion or suspicious activity to the police, as unreported incidents can enable organized crime to continue operating.”
Quick Facts:
BC Crime Stoppers is a non-profit society and registered charity that receives anonymous tip information about criminal activity and provides it to investigators.
Anonymous tips may be provided by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 or online at bccrimestoppers.com or https://solvecrime.ca/index.php/en/
BC Crime Stoppers accepts tips in a variety of languages and will pay a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest, a charge, recovery of stolen property, seizure of illegal drugs or guns or denial of a fraudulent insurance claim.
Learn More:
To view the campaign webpage, visit: https://bccrimestoppers.com/extortion/
Watch the 30-second campaign in English here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xOhv77PTJqpHJBu1C8xbV9K0t4oQY5BG/view
Watch the 30-second campaign in Punjabi here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PCzPvE801NE1utwarto7y2etxtojVAdG/view
To learn more about government’s action to combat serious and organized crime, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PSSG0040-000714
Victims and their immediate family members may be eligible for benefits to support in their recovery through the Ministry’s Crime Victim Assistance Program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-crime/victim-of-crime/financial-assistance-benefits
To locate a victim service program in your community, contact VictimLinkBC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/victimlinkbc
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament, & Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity
Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war?
We asked three experts for their views.
The Bible
Robyn J. Whitaker, University of Divinity
The Bible presents war as an inevitable reality of human life. This is captured in the cry of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes:
for everything there is a season […] a time for war and a time for peace.
In this sense, the Bible reflects the experiences of the authors and communities who shaped the texts over more than a thousand years as they experienced both victory and defeat as a small nation among the large empires of the ancient near east.
When it comes to God’s role in war, we cannot shirk from the problematic violence associated with the divine. At times, God orders the Hebrew people to go to war and enact horrendous violence. Deuteronomy 20 is a good example of this: God’s people are sent to war with the blessing of the priest but told to first offer terms of peace. If peace terms are accepted, the town is enslaved. Certain enemies, however, are decreed worthy of total annihilation, and the Hebrew army is commanded to destroy anyone and anything that doesn’t produce food.
On other occasions, war is interpreted as a tool, a punishment where God uses foreign nations against the Hebrew people because they have gone astray (Judges 2:14). You can also find an underlying ethic to treat the captives of war justly. Moses commands that women captured in war are to be treated as wives, not slaves (Deuteronomy 21), and in 2 Chronicles, captives are allowed to return home.
In contrast to war as divinely authorised, many of the Hebrew prophets express hope in a time where God will bring peace and people will “neither learn war any more” (Micah 3:4) but rather turn their weapons into tools for agriculture (Isaiah 2:4).
War is viewed as a result of human sinfulness, something that God will ultimately transform into peace. And that peace (Hebrew: shalom) is more than an absence of war. It is about human flourishing and unity between peoples and God.
Most of the New Testament was written during the first century CE, when Jews and emerging Christians were a minority within the Roman Empire. The military power of Rome is harshly critiqued as evil in resistance texts such as the Book of Revelation. Many early Christians refused to fight in the Roman army.
In this context, Jesus says nothing specific about war but generally rejects violence. When Jesus’s disciple Peter seeks to defend him with a sword, Jesus tells him to put away his sword because a sword only leads to more violence (Matthew 26:52). This is consistent with Jesus’s other teachings such as “blessed are the peacemakers” or his commands to “turn the other cheek” when struck or to “love your enemies”.
The reality is that we find various war ideologies in the Bible’s pages. If you want to find a justification for war in the Bible, you can. If you want to find a justification for peace or pacifism, that is there too. Later Christians would develop ideas of “just war” and pacifism based on biblical ideas, but these are developments rather than explicit within the Bible.
For Christians, Jesus’s teaching provides an ethical framework for interpreting earlier war texts through the lens of love for enemies. This counterpoint to divine violence and war points readers back to the prophets, whose hopeful visions imagine a world where violence and suffering are no more and peace is possible.
The Quran
Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University
Islam and Muslims emerged onto the world stage in the hostile environment of the seventh century. In response to major challenges, including warfare, Islam introduced pioneering legal and ethical reforms. The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad’s example laid out clear legal and ethical guidelines for the conduct of war, well before similar frameworks appeared in other societies.
Islam did this by defining a new term, “jihad” rather than the usual Arabic word for war, “harb”. While harb refers broadly to warfare, jihad was defined within Islamic teachings as a legal, morally justified struggle, which includes but is not limited to armed conflict. In the context of warfare, jihad refers specifically to fighting in a just cause under clear legal and ethical guidelines, rather than belligerent or aggressive warfare.
Between 610-622, Prophet Muhammad practised active non-violence in the face of the constant suffering, persecution and economic embargo he and his followers endured in Mecca, despite insistent approaches by his followers to take up arms. This showed that armed struggle cannot be taken up within the members of the same society, as this would lead to anarchy.
After leaving his home town to escape persecution, he established a pluralistic and multi-faith society in Medina. He took active steps to sign treaties with neighbouring tribes. Despite following a deliberate strategy of peace and diplomacy, the hostile Meccans and allied tribes attacked the Muslims in Medina. Engaging these attackers in an armed struggle was unavoidable.
The permission to fight was given to Muslims by the Quran verses 22:39-40:
The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely, God has full power to help them to victory. Those who have been driven from their homeland against all right, for no other reason than that they say, “Our Lord is God” […]
This passage not only permits armed struggle but also offers a moral justification for just war. It means war is clearly just when defensive — while aggression is unjust and condemned. Elsewhere, the Quran emphasises this point:
If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them.
Verse 22:39 outlines two ethical justifications for warfare. The first is when people are driven from their homes (and land) – in other words, through occupation by a foreign power. The second is when people are attacked because of their beliefs to the point of violent persecution and attack.
Importantly, verse 22:40 includes churches, monasteries and synagogues. If believers in God do not defend themselves, all places of worship would be destroyed, so this is to be prevented by force if necessary.
The Quran does not allow for aggression, since “God loves not the aggressors” (2:190). It also provides detailed regulations on who is to fight and who is exempted (9:91); when hostilities must cease (2:193); and prisoners should be treated humanely and with fairness (47:4).
Verses such as 2:294 emphasise that warfare and any response to violence and aggression must be proportional and within limits:
Whoever attacks you, attack them in like manner as they attacked you. Nevertheless, fear God and remain within the bounds.
In the event of unavoidable war, every opportunity to end it must be pursued:
But if the enemy inclines towards peace, then you must also incline towards peace and trust in God.
The aim of military action is to end hostilities and remove the reason for warfare, not to humiliate or annihilate the enemy.
Military jihad cannot be pursued for personal ambition or to further nationalistic or ethnic disputes. Muslims cannot wage war on nations that have no hostility towards them (60:8). But if there is open hostility and attack, Muslims have a right to defend themselves.
The Prophet and the early caliphs specifically warned military leaders and all combatants that they must not act treacherously or engage in indiscriminate killing and pillage. He said:
Do not kill women, children, the elderly, or the sick. Do not destroy palm trees or burn houses.
Because of these teachings, Muslims have had legal and ethical guidelines throughout much of history to help limit human suffering caused by war.
The Torah
Suzanne D. Rutland, University of Sydney
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else, and prayers for peace are central to Jewish liturgy. At the same time, there is a recognition of the need to fight defensive wars, but only within certain boundaries.
In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, the recognition of the need for war is clear. Throughout their journeying in the desert, the Israelites (Children of Israel) fight various battles. At the same time, in Deuteronomy, the Israelites are instructed (chapter 12, verse 10):
When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, then you should keep yourself from every evil thing.
The story of Amalek is the symbol of ultimate evil in Jewish tradition. Scholars argue this is because his army attacked the Israelites from the rear – killing defenceless women and children.
The Torah also stresses that army service is compulsory. Yet, Deuteronomy elaborates four categories of people who are exempt:
someone who has built a home but has not yet dedicated it
someone who has planted a vineyard but has not yet eaten of its fruit
someone who is engaged or in his first year of marriage
someone who is afraid, in case he influences other soldiers with his fear.
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else. Shutterstock
It is important to point out that the disdain of war is so strong that King David was not permitted to build the temple in Jerusalem because of his military career. His son, Solomon, was allocated this task, but no iron was to be used in the building because this represented war and violence, while the temple was to represent peace, the ideal virtue.
The vision of peace for all humanity is further developed in the prophetic writings and the concept of the Messiah. This is seen particularly in the writings of the prophet Isiah, who envisaged an age when, as he describes in his idyllic vision:
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The Mishnah, the first part of the Talmud, raises the concept of an “obligatory war” (milhemet mizvah). This encompasses the biblical wars against the seven nations said to inhabit the Promised Land, the war against Amalek, and the Jewish nation’s defensive wars. It is, accordingly, a clearly defined and recognisable class.
Not so the second category, “permitted war” (milhemet reshut), which is more open-ended and, as scholar Avi Ravitsky writes, “could relate to a preemptive war”.
After the Talmudic period, which ended in the 7th century, this debate became theoretical, since Jews living in Palestine and the diaspora no longer had an army. This was largely the case from the time of the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Rebellion against the Romans (132–135 CE), apart from a few small Jewish kingdoms in Arabia.
However, with the return of the early Zionist pioneers to the Land of Israel in the late 19th and 20th century, the rabbinic debates of what constitutes an obligatory, defensive war and what is a permitted war, as well as the characteristics of a forbidden war has reignited. This is a subject of deep concern and controversy for both academics and rabbis today.
Robyn J. Whitaker is affiliated with The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy.
Mehmet Ozalp is affiliated with Islamic Sciences and Research Academy
Suzanne Rutland has received an Australian Research Council grant for her research on the Australian Jewry and funding from the Pratt Foundation, as well as an Australian Prime Ministers Centre (APMC) fellowship for her research on Soviet Jewry and Australia. She is also involved with numerous NGOs, including the Australian Jewish Historical Society (patron), the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (past president and committee member), and the Australian government’s expert delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In addition, she is a board member of the Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry at ANU; she is on an academic advisory committee at the Sydney Jewish Museum; she is the director of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism; and she is an Australian board member for Boys Town Jerusalem and a board member of Better Balance Futures for faith communities These roles are all undertaken in an honorary capacity. She is also writing the history of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in an honorary capacity.
The Albanese government devoted time and energy in its first term to developing a wellbeing agenda for the economy and society.
It was a passion project of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who wanted better ways to measure national welfare beyond traditional economic indicators such as growth, jobs and inflation.
Chalmers developed the Measuring What Matters framework to try to better align economic, social and environmental goals as
part of a deliberate effort to put people and progress, fairness and opportunity at the very core of our thinking about our economy and our society.
As Labor settles into its second term, what has happened to its wellbeing agenda? And how much was a poor consultation process to blame for it apparently falling by the wayside?
Measuring What Matters
Measuring What Matters was badged as a wellbeing framework to improve the lives of Australians and help better inform policy-making across all levels of government.
There was also a standalone indicator on life satisfaction.
The data is updated annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the Treasury due to report on outcomes every three years.
The first Measuring What Matters statement in 2023 showed improvements across some indicators, such as life expectancy, job opportunities and accepting diversity. But it also revealed higher rates of chronic illness and problems with housing affordability.
The fanfare surrounding the release has since fizzled, and wellbeing is now seldom mentioned.
Furthermore, there is little evidence insights have been taken up by the government. The Australian National Audit Office recently noted the challenge of embedding Measuring What Matters in policy, as well as the absence of any evaluation work to gauge its effectiveness.
The wellbeing agenda appears to have been sidelined for two reasons: an insufficient consultation process to properly develop the framework, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Poor consultation
Wellbeing frameworks have high potential to impact policy. But they need to be developed and implemented in the right way.
One crucial factor is adequate community engagement, which would have helped ensure accurate representation of what people truly value in terms of wellbeing. Done properly, it could also have secured buy-in from the community, depoliticised the initiative, and even strengthened democracy.
But adequate time was not taken to get the consultation process right, with the government in a rush to release Measuring What Matters. Announced in the October 2022 Budget, two consultation phases were undertaken.
The first, mainly with technical experts, took three months. The second, which sought feedback from individuals and community groups, was even shorter. It was over in just one month.
Measuring What Matters was released shortly after, in July 2023.
Our research, recently published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, analysed the public consultation phase. We found it was inadequate across four areas.
Comprehensiveness: the timeframe for phase two was too short to allow organisations and communities to meaningfully engage.
Reach: there was limited engagement with the general public.
Transparency: the community was not informed how feedback would be incorporated in the framework and no consultation report was published.
Genuineness: while some feedback was incorporated in the framework, key topics raised in the consultation were not acted on, including greater involvement of First Nations people.
Greater community engagement would have ensured the framework, and any policy it produced, better reflected what Australians value for their wellbeing. It would have also promoted people’s ownership of the framework, helping to foster greater understanding and support for the initiative.
Although Measuring What Matters is now established, it is not too late to realise proper community engagement.
Taboo subject
The other factor to run interference was the cost-of-living crisis, which dominated the government’s first term.
We can draw some inspiration from an alliance of countries, including New Zealand, Scotland, Finland, Iceland and Wales, which have at various times put people’s wellbeing at the forefront of policy development and evaluation.
Perhaps if the Albanese government had leaned in to its own wellbeing framework to help navigate the cost-of-living crisis, people may have fared better.
The agenda’s future?
The Albanese government’s large majority gives it space to revitalise its wellbeing framework.
Undertaking a national conversation, similar to the one rolled out in Wales, would help build grassroots support and ensure it truly “measures what matters” to people.
A stronger Measuring What Matters would not only provide the electorate with a clear indication the government is listening, but would also help ensure policy improves people’s lives in a meaningful way.
Kate Sollis is a consultant to the Wellbeing Government initiative at the Centre for Policy Development and President of the Bega Valley Data Collective. She was previously employed at the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Paul Campbell is a research fellow, whose work is supported by the ANU-Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government Wellbeing Framework research partnership. He was previously employed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Nicholas Drake does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
This marks a historic milestone—it is the first time a normative global health policy, rather than a scientific paper, has received this prestigious recognition. The award underscores the transformative power of evidence-informed, system-level reforms and affirms the collective efforts of WHO technical teams, Member States, partners, and the broader oral health community in shaping the global oral health agenda.
The Aubrey Sheiham Award is named in honour of the late Professor Aubrey Sheiham from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—a pioneering advocate for public health-oriented, evidence-based approaches in oral health. His legacy continues to inspire the global integration of oral health within noncommunicable diseases, universal health coverage and development agendas.
“The recognition of the Global strategy and action plan on oral health with this award is a powerful validation of our shared commitment to advancing oral health as a key pillar of global health,” said Dr Benoit Varenne, Dental Officer in WHO’s oral health programme. “It reflects the consensus that oral diseases are a major public health issue that needs a response embedded into a broader primary health care systems reform.”
WHO will be donating the prize money to the One World campaign—a gesture that aligns with the spirit of the award and supports broader public health engagement and resource mobilization.
The award will be formally presented at the IADR Conference in Barcelona on Thursday, 26 June from 17:30 to 18:30 (CEST).
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County resident was charged for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Isiah J. Jordan, 27, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre and was released on $100,000 bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Jordan was part of a multi-person scheme to steal checks from the mail and deposit those checks into bank accounts controlled by his co-conspirators. For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and altered by Jordan and his co-conspirators such that the payee information on the original check was changed so that the check could be deposited into an account controlled by the conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Jordan and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds.
Jordan and his coconspirators then continued to actively recruit other members to participate in and join the conspiracy. Specifically, they recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims whose checks were stolen were aware of the illegal activity.
The bank fraud conspiracy and the bank fraud charges both carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In less than a decade, Korean TV dramas (K-dramas) have transmuted from a regional industry to a global phenomenon – partly a consequence of the rise of streaming giants.
But foreign audiences may not realise the K-dramas they’ve seen on Netflix don’t accurately represent the broader Korean TV landscape, which is much wider and richer than these select offerings.
At the same time, there are many challenges in bringing this wide array of content to the rest of the world.
The rise of hallyu
Korean media was transformed during the 1990s. The end of military dictatorship led to the gradual relaxation of censorship.
Satellite media also allowed the export of K-dramas and films to the rest of East Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia. Some of the first K-dramas to become popular overseas included What Is Love (1991–92) and Star in My Heart (1997). They initiated what would later become known as the Korean wave, or hallyu.
The hallyu expansion continued with Winter Sonata (2003), which attracted viewers in Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Dae Jang Geum/Jewel in the Palace (2005) resonated strongly in Chinese-speaking regions, and was ultimately exported to more than 80 countries.
A breakthrough occurred in 2016. Netflix entered South Korea and began investing in Korean productions, beginning with Kingdom (2019–21) and Love Alarm (2019–21).
In 2021, the global hit Squid Game was released simultaneously in 190 countries.
But Netflix only scratches the surface
Last year, only 20% of new K-drama releases were available on Western streaming platforms. This means global discussions about K-dramas are based on a limited subgroup of content promoted to viewers outside South Korea.
Moreover, foreign viewers will generally evaluate this content based on Western conceptions of culture and narrative. They may, for instance, have Western preferences for genre and themes, or may disregard locally-specific contexts.
This is partly why Korean and foreign audiences can end up with very different ideas of what “Korean” television is.
Genres
When a K-drama is classified as a sageuk (historical drama) but also incorporates elements of fantasy, mythology, romance, melodrama, crime fiction and/or comedy, foreign audiences may dismiss it as “genre-confused”. Or, they may praise it for its “genre-blending”.
But the drama may not have been created with much attention to genre at all. The highly inventive world-building of pre-Netflix dramas such as Arang and the Magistrate (2012) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) prominently feature all the aforementioned genres.
While foreign viewers may think visual media begins with readily identifiable genres, many K-dramas aren’t produced on this premise.
Themes
Western viewers (and other viewers watching through a Western lens) might assume “liberal” themes such as systemic injustice, women’s rights and collusion in politics entered K-dramas as a result of Western influence. But this is a misconception.
The emergence of such themes can be attributed to various changes in Korean society, including the easing of censorship, rapid modernisation, and the imposition ofneoliberal economics by the International Monetary Fund in 1997.
Although gender disparities still exist in South Korea, economic uncertainty and modernisation have prompted a deconstruction of patriarchal value systems. Female-centred K-dramas have been around since at least the mid-2000s, with women’s independence as a recurring theme in more recent dramas.
Local contexts
A major barrier to exporting K-dramas is the cultural specificity of certain elements, such as Confucian values, hierarchical family dynamics, gender codes, and Korean speech codes.
The global success of a K-drama comes down to how well its culturally-specific elements can be adapted for different contexts and audiences.
In some cases, these elements may be minimised, or entirely missed, by foreign viewers.
For example, in Squid Game, the words spoken by the killer doll in the first game are subtitled as “green light, red light”. What the doll actually says is “mugunghwa-kkochi pieot-seumnida”, which is also what the game is called in Korean.
This translates to “the mugunghwa (Rose of Saron) has bloomed”, with mugunghwa being South Korea’s national flower.
These words, in this context, are meant to ironically redefine South Korea as a site of hopelessness and death. But the subtitles erase this double meaning.
It’s also difficult for subtitles to reflect nuanced Korean honorific systems of address. As such, foreign viewers remain largely oblivious to the subtle power dynamics at play between characters.
All of this leads to a kind of cultural “flattening”, shifting foreign viewers’ focus to so-called universal themes.
A case study for global success
Nevertheless, foreign viewers can still engage with many culturally-specific elements in K-dramas, which can also serve as cultural literacy.
The hugely successful series Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) explores the personal and professional challenges faced by an autistic lawyer.
Director Yoo In-sik described the series as distinctly Korean in both its humour and the legal system it portrays, and said he didn’t anticipate its widespread popularity.
Following success in South Korea, the series was acquired by Netflix and quickly entered the top 10 most popular non-English language shows.
The global appeal can be attributed to its sensitive portrayal of the protagonist, the problem-solving theme across episodes, and what Yoo describes as a kind and considerate tone. Viewers who resonate with these qualities may not even need to engage with the Korean elements.
Many K-dramas that achieve global success also feature elements typically considered “Western”, such as zombies.
While the overall number of zombie-themed productions is low, series and films such as Kingdom (2019–21), All of Us Are Dead (2022), Alive (2020) and Train to Busan (2016) have helped put Korean content on the map.
One potential effect of the zombie popularity may be the displacement of Korean mythological characters, such as fox spirits, or gumiho, which have traditionally held significant narrative space.
Shin Min-ah and Lee Seung-gi star in the acclaimed romantic comedy series My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010). IMDB
Local production under threat
The influence of streaming giants such as Netflix is impacting South Korea’s local production systems.
The early vision of low-cost, high-return projects such as Squid Game is rapidly diminishing.
Meanwhile, Netflix is exploring other locations, such as Japan, where dramas can be produced for about half the price of those in Korea. If this continues, the rise of Korean content may slow down.
Sung-Ae Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University
It’s quite unsettling to discover something so central to our cultural rituals – the “slop” in the Aussie mantra of “Slip! Slop! Slap!” – can no longer be trusted.
We’ve never really had to scrutinise sunscreen. We slop it on because Sid the Seagull (in his role as spokesbird for the Cancer Council) told us to. We’ve learned about sun protection factors (SPF) and made choices to protect ourselves. We do it because it works.
Or so we thought.
Consumer group Choice recently tested 20 sunscreen brands and found only four met their labelled SPF claims. The findings have shaken consumers’ trust in the brands that make these products, and perhaps, in the institutions responsible for regulating them.
Trust is the silent architecture of our lives that makes everything from catching a bus to undergoing surgery feel possible. Indeed, we are born into trust. From infancy, we are wired to trust, first in our caregivers, then later in life in the cues and symbols such as endorsements, SPF ratings, brands or rankings that help us navigate a complex world.
The original Sid the Seagull video from the Cancer Council.
The role of power in trust relationships
Trust, and its erosion in public life, has become such a critical issue that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has made it a focus of Friday’s Consumer Congress, titled “Who can we trust? Regulating in an environment of declining consumer trust”.
Something that is often missed in discussions around trust is that it is also a social arrangement, shaped by power and vulnerability. Trust is nearly always asymmetric; those with the least power are usually required to place their trust first and most fully.
The powerful rarely have to reciprocate that vulnerability. They hold the information, set the rules and shape the narrative. When things go wrong, the powerful often walk away relatively unscathed, while the vulnerable are left to navigate complex complaints or refund systems.
Increasingly, we are told to be savvy, to read the fine print and to “do the research”.
But putting the responsibility on the individual reframes structural failures as personal shortcomings. It places the burden of vigilance and scrutiny on people who lack the time or expertise to meaningfully assess risk.
A breach of faith
The issue is compounded by a wider trend across many businesses that have misread their relationship with consumers. Much of our trust in brands is automatic.
We are more inclined to trust claims from familiar or warm-sounding sources, with research showing warmth comes first. People tend to judge others and institutions by their perceived warmth before considering their competence. So a brand that feels benevolent often earns our trust before we assess its actual performance.
Qantas, a brand that built its entire identity around the idea that it was “us”, trashed our trust when it began acting like a transactional retail business, rather than one built on relationships.
Management and the board failed to grasp they had been given something rare: a kind of cultural endearment underpinned by trust and perceived reciprocity that made Australians feel personally invested in its success.
While Qantas does retain market share, the erosion of this emotional bond means many customers are more willing to try its competitors. It will struggle to rebuild that trust simply with price deals or heartstring-tugging ad campaigns.
One of Qantas’ ad campaigns with an emotional appeal to customers.
The response matters
For organisations such as the Cancer Council, whose trustworthiness is built on moral authority, the response to failure matters deeply. Its decision to acknowledge the findings and commit to retesting was more than public relations. It was an act of relational repair.
In contrast, some of the other corporate brands in the survey responded by disputing Choice’s methodology. That reveals an outdated corporate reflex – one that attacks the messenger rather than engaging with the message. This defensive posture reflects a mindset shaped more by legal risk and brand control than by public accountability or ethical responsibility.
Still, individual responses are not enough. We need systems designed with human limits in mind. Trust cannot be sustained if it is constantly tested by complexity, misinformation and opaque accountability.
Consumer bodies such as Choice provide a public service by filling the gap between what people assume and what they can verify. But more broadly, businesses and regulators must treat trust as a relationship, not a marketing goal.
The system needs to prevent harm, not deal with the fallout
Rebuilding trust means putting people at the centre of consumer regulation. A human-centred system does not treat people as problems to be managed. It treats them as participants in a shared moral project. It requires systems grounded in evidence, designed around real human behaviour and focused on preventing harm rather than managing fallout.
One way to do this is through collaborative regulation. This approach brings together consumer representatives, regulators, behavioural experts and industry to design rules and standards that reflect how people actually behave (as opposed to how we hope they behave). This reduces asymmetries of power, and ensures trust is earned and maintained over time.
This collaborative approach has been successfully adopted in local government and health. But it only works when collaboration is approached in good faith by all parties, not just a “tick-the-box” exercise.
Of course, this approach runs counter to a legal system that tends to prioritise the system over the people it serves, and process over outcomes. But the goal shouldn’t be to force better ideas into outdated frameworks. Instead, we should design systems that lead to better outcomes for everyone.
Paul Harrison has received research funding from ASIC, the Consumer Action Law Centre, ACCAN, Victorian Health Association, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The UK remains concerned at the volatile security situation across the Central African Republic: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Caroline Quinn, UK Deputy Political Coordinator, at the UN Security Council meeting on MINUSCA.
The United Kingdom joins USG Lacroix and other Council members in expressing our condolences to all of those affected by the tragic incident at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui yesterday.
We would also like to express our condolences to the family of the Zambian peacekeeper killed on 20 June.
As the USG has said, this marks the third deadly attack against MINUSCA patrols since the beginning of 2025, and it serves as a stark reminder of the volatile security situation the mission operates in.
The UK strongly condemns all attacks on UN peacekeepers.
President, I will make three points.
Firstly, the United Kingdom welcomes progress on electoral preparations by the Government of CAR, in coordination with MINUSCA, including the completion of the first and second phases of voter registration.
We call for the final voter list to be published in a timely and transparent manner.
The upcoming elections represent a significant milestone in the country’s consolidation of a sustainable peace.
We call on the Government of the CAR, with the support of MINUSCA, to ensure a safe environment during all stages of the electoral cycle.
Secondly, President, the United Kingdom welcomes the 19 April announcement that the leaders of armed groups 3R and UPC agreed to cease hostilities and rejoin the 2019 Peace Agreement.
We also take note of the progress made on the extension of state authority in some areas of the country.
However, the UK remains concerned at the volatile security situation across the CAR.
This includes attacks by armed groups against civilians, humanitarian workers, national defence and security forces and MINUSCA.
We encourage the Government of CAR to further consider its security partners, to ensure that the people of CAR achieve the peace they deserve.
The UK also remains concerned by the impact of the Sudan conflict on the CAR.
And we encourage the Government of CAR to enhance border management with Sudan to support refugees and to prevent their exploitation by armed elements.
Thirdly, the United Kingdom is concerned by the 15 percent increase in human rights abuses and violations across CAR, as detailed in the Secretary-General’s report.
We urge the Government of CAR to continue to take action against the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses, including those committed by Wagner Ti Azande as well as other armed groups.
President, to conclude, the United Kingdom remains committed to supporting the Government and people of CAR to consolidate genuine long-term peace, security and prosperity.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the Province have signed an agreement to guide forest stewardship in Squamish Nation territory at a ceremony held at the top of the Sea-to-Sky gondola overlooking Átl’ḵa7tsem (Howe Sound).
“This agreement is a major step forward in asserting our Nation’s role as stewards of our lands,” said Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams, Councillor and elected spokesperson, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). “This will ensure our cultural sites and key environmental areas are protected for future generations. These have been our lands for thousands of years, and the fact they are now back under our direct control provides a greater sense of security for our people, and a strong optimism for our future.”
The Land Use Planning Agreement establishes 33 Siiyamin ta Sḵwx̱wú7mesh cultural sites that will recognize areas of historical and cultural importance to prevent harvesting, new roads and tenures. On top of this, there are six Special Cultural Management Areas (SCMAs), which will be guided by enhanced forest stewardship and cultural management, bringing economic opportunities and increased predictability on the land base for the forestry sector, while protecting important cultural values.
“Forestry is about people and the lands they call home, and by prioritizing these in our vision for forestry, we can build a future rooted in respect and reconciliation,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “This agreement reflects years of meaningful work between the Province and Squamish Nation. By honouring Squamish Nation’s connection to the land and applying their values to forest management, we are charting a path forward that supports economic opportunity and environmental stewardship for our province.”
The agreement will increase protection for riparian and wetland ecosystems, areas of old cedar forests and culturally modified trees. A riparian area is land adjacent to rivers, streams and lakes that support plant and animal life important to ecological balance. By incorporating enhanced riparian management practices, the agreement aims to address the growing impacts of climate change, while protecting fish streams, culturally important plants and food supply.
“Successful land-use planning includes building positive, lasting relationships and trust between First Nations and the B.C. government, communities, stakeholders and the public,” said Randene Niell, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “This agreement, which provides increased protections for riparian and wetland ecosystems, demonstrates what can be done when people work together in good faith to achieve mutually beneficial goals.”
The next step will be to complete a ministerial order, which will include consultation with First Nations, and engagement with the public. It aims to establish objectives for the forestry sector to follow in alignment with the agreement and provide the Squamish Nation certainty in sites of high value.
B.C. is continuing commitments to work alongside rights and title holders to conserve the province’s oldest and rarest trees, while supporting sustainable forestry that adds more local jobs for every tree harvested. The agreement outlines 5,081 hectares of old growth that will not be harvested, 925 hectares within the Siiyamin ta Sḵwx̱wú7mesh cultural sites and 4,155 hectares within the SCMAs, while enabling harvest opportunity to approximately 9,800 hectares of the Timber Harvesting Land Base that was temporarily deferred during negotiations.
Approaching forestry and land-use management in this way secures a more sustainable future for First Nations that benefit from local forests for their economic strength, while ensuring a sustainable land base for harvesting.
Quick Facts:
This agreement builds on a previous Land Use Planning Agreement signed in 2007 between the Government of B.C. and the Squamish Nation.
In 2019, B.C. committed to Squamish Nation to negotiate an agreement regarding areas of interest throughout Squamish Nation territory.
Negotiations began in 2020 and, with this agreement, have completed.
The Timber Harvesting Land Base is used to determine the Annual Allowable Cut.
Learn More:
To view a copy of the agreement (a signed version will be added Friday, June 27, 2025), visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Squamish_Nation_AOI_Agreement.pdf
To learn more about Squamish Nation, visit: https://www.squamish.net/
To read about Forest Landscape Planning, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/forest-landscape-plans
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Massachusetts of the July 28, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the Lynnfield strip mall fire occurring on Sept. 10, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Massachusetts counties of Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk as well as the New Hampshire counties of Hillsborough and Rockingham.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and PNPs cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners and PNPs get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 28, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Massachusetts of the July 28, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the Lynnfield strip mall fire occurring on Sept. 10, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Massachusetts counties of Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk as well as the New Hampshire counties of Hillsborough and Rockingham.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and PNPs cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners and PNPs get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 28, 2025.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
KAGOSHIMA, Japan – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) departed Kagoshima June 20, following in-port and at-sea engagements with Japan Coast Guard (JCG), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Japan government officials. This event marks a significant milestone as the first time the trilateral search and rescue exercise with the Philippine Coast Guard, occurred in a region outside the Philippine territorial seas, emphasizing the growing cooperation among the three nations.
For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 26 (Xinhua) — As in previous years, on June 22, the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union without declaring war in 1941, hundreds of residents and visitors of the capital came to the Belorussky Station in Moscow to honor the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland. It was from here that trains with Red Army soldiers departed during the war, and for many relatives this station became the final place to say goodbye.
Here, “The Sacred War” was performed again – a song that became a symbol of the courage and unbending will of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. The composition, written in the first days of the war, is invariably heard at memorial events in Russia and abroad and has remained part of living historical memory for more than 80 years.
On June 22, hundreds of Muscovites came to the station to honor the memory of the fallen together with veterans. During the Great Patriotic War, trains with Red Army soldiers departed from here to the front. For many relatives, the farewell on the platform was their last meeting. Since 2005, on the initiative of the Moscow City Council of Veterans with the support of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Moscow government, an annual patriotic event has been held at the Belorussky Station. Its key event is the performance of a song that appeared in the first days of the war.
THE BIRTH AND POWER OF THE “HOLY WAR”
The song “Sacred War” was written in the summer of 1941. As contemporaries recall, composer Alexander Alexandrov saw the poems of poet Vasily Lebedev-Kumach in a newspaper and immediately began composing the music. Rehearsals began the very next day.
“This song was probably needed like air, precisely in those days… Therefore, this power, this strength, this entire meaning that the authors of this song put into their work, lives on today, and is performed today,” explained the artistic director of the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army named after A. V. Alexandrov, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Colonel Gennady Sachenyuk.
On June 26, 1941, “The Sacred War” was performed for the first time at the Belorussky Station. It was a one-song concert and its premiere at the same time. According to G. Sachenyuk, after the first chords there was silence, and the composer thought that the song had not been received. However, a few seconds later the station was filled with applause, the soldiers asked to perform it again and again.
KEEPER OF THE PEOPLE’S GENETIC CODE
The Alexandrov Ensemble has preserved the original sound of “The Sacred War” for decades. The song remains recognizable and symbolically important for each generation. According to the musicians, the strength of the work lies in the inseparable unity of poetry and music born of time.
“This song contains the genetic code of our people… something awakens inside, and you feel as one with your country, with everyone standing next to you,” the ensemble’s chief conductor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Nikolai Kirillov, shared with a Xinhua correspondent.
“This is exactly the example of musical art, when both poetry and music are united and complement each other,” noted G. Sachenyuk. He added that the performers each time experience the same emotions as the people during the war.
According to official data, the Soviet Union lost about 27 million people during the Great Patriotic War. And so the song has a deeply personal meaning for millions of Russian families.
“This is the kind of music that many people sometimes even talk about with a lump in their throat, because it is connected with the history of each family,” emphasized the rector of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, Alexander Ryzhinsky.
“SONG AS A WEAPON”
A. Aleksandrov left personal memories of the creation and performance of the song. “I was never a military specialist, but I still had a powerful weapon in my hands. This is a song. A song that can also defeat the enemy, like any weapon. When I performed with the Red Banner Ensemble at train stations and other places in front of soldiers going to the front, this song was always listened to standing, with some special impulse, a holy mood. And not only the soldiers, but also we, the performers, often cried,” N. Kirillov read out the composer’s memories with a feeling of deep respect.
The ensemble’s performers admit that even today they can hardly contain their emotions when they go on stage with this song. It contains the tragedy of war, the feat of the people, the pain of loss and the triumph of life.
“Sometimes tears come, but since we are artists, we hold them back,” says choir member Dmitry Trunov, admitting that each performance is accompanied by a feeling of pride for the country and the realization that “The Sacred War” went to the front along with the soldiers. –0–
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
June 12, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statement:
“Trump’s decision to abandon the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement is yet another reckless, shortsighted move that makes one thing clear: this administration has no respect for the trust and treaty rights of Tribal Nations. It’s a betrayal that erases decades of hard work to resolve long-standing conflicts in the region and blows up a historic agreement that supported salmon recovery, reliable clean energy, and water and food security across the Pacific Northwest.
“This was a rare win forged between the federal government and Tribal Leaders from the Nez Perce Tribe, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and the states of Washington and Oregon. It was grounded in science, built on consensus, and designed to protect salmon from extinction while preparing the region for a clean energy future. Trump threw all that away to score cheap political points – and it’s Tribes, working families, and our environment who will pay the price.
“Let’s be clear: this fight isn’t over. Democrats will stand with Tribal leaders in the fight to honor treaty rights, restore fisheries, and build the resilient future this region deserves.”
Headline: Former Haitian Mayor and Human Rights Violator Sentenced in Massachusetts to Nine Years in Prison for Lying about Past Involvement in Political Violence
The U.S. Attorney announced Jean Morose Viliena, the former mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release by Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV for the District of Massachusetts.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
June 26, 2025
As key vaccine panel meets, Sen. Warren highlights a dozen actions by RFK Jr. to undermine access to vaccines, endangering millions of Americans
“By breaking promises, distorting facts, and pushing out mainstream vaccine experts and disregarding their views while installing anti-vaccination zealots, RFK Jr. has jeopardized the health of millions.”
Report (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) published a new report entitled “Bad Medicine: RFK Jr.’s Dirty Dozen Antivax Attacks,” underscoring the key ways Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK Jr.) has undermined vaccine access and confidence in vaccines and jeopardized Americans’ health. The report was published during the first meeting of the new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which RFK Jr. gutted and replaced with members who will advance his own anti-vaccine agenda.
“Americans should watch carefully to ensure that RFK Jr. and his hand-picked committee do not further undermine public health,” wrote Senator Warren.
Senator Warren’s “dirty dozen” list of anti-vaccine activities that occurred under RFK Jr.’s watch includes:
“Burying” a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that “emphasized the importance of vaccinating people against the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease,” measles. The report, originally set to be released amidst a growing measles outbreak, found that the risk of contracting measles was high in communities near outbreaks with low vaccination rates.
Promoting pseudoscience remedies and falsehoods while downplaying threats from measles as an outbreak swept across the country. Kennedy falsely claimed that the measles vaccine had not been “safely tested” and that its protection was short-lived. Kennedy pushed false information on X that “cod liver oil” and “Vitamin A” would be an effective treatment. As a result, some unvaccinated children who “were given so much Vitamin A…had signs of liver damage.” After the first death from the disease, he claimed that the outbreak was “not unusual” and failed to mention vaccination as a key to stopping the outbreak.
Ending the “Let’s Get Real” vaccine campaign, which provided resources and information to health care providers for communicating and working with hesitant parents.
Removing the COVID vaccine from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, without consulting CDC experts.
Commissioning and publishing the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, advancing scientifically dubious assertions, filled with distorted research and inaccurate claims about vaccine safety. The MAHA report misleadingly claimed that vaccines are responsible for “many possible adverse events for which there is inadequate evidence to accept or reject a causal relationship.” The MAHA report also cited multiple studies that did not exist, and researchers whose papers were cited indicated that the report had misinterpreted their findings.
Canceling a promising study to develop a Bird Flu vaccine, even as the newest strain of the disease spreads, infecting more than 70 people, and public health officials become increasingly concerned about a broader outbreak.
Ending funding for a broad swath of HIV vaccine studies, potentially setting back US-led efforts to end the global AIDS pandemic by a decade.
Reneging on his promise to “work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems and maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes,” on February 20th, Kennedy canceled ACIP’s first public meeting of 2025, before firing all the members of the panel on June 9th. ACIP is an independent panel of experts that makes recommendations to the CDC on vaccines. Kennedy also removed the staffers who oversaw ACIP and were responsible for vetting nominees for ACIP membership, effectively leaving the CDC’s chief of staff, a Trump Administration political appointee, in charge of the committee’s planning.
Breaking his pledge not to appoint ideological anti-vaxxers to ACIP, Kennedy named eight new members to the panel, of which at least half are vaccine skeptics. According to various CDC officials, Kennedy circumvented the CDC’s process to select his new committee members.
Announcing in his first address to agency staff as HHS secretary, Kennedy said he would use the Make America Healthy Again commission to investigate the childhood vaccination schedule, despite his baseless claims that it contributes to poor health outcomes.
Hiring David Geier, a known vaccine skeptic who has promoted the debunked link between immunizations and autism, to study the theory. More than a decade ago, state regulators disciplined Grier for practicing medicine without a license.
Forcing Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) top vaccine official and head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, to step down after Dr. Marks refused to comply with Secretary Kennedy’s wish for “subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies.”
“During his tenure as the HHS Secretary, RFK Jr. has systematically weakened the nation’s vaccine system, stoking parents’ fears and using his position to push his anti-vaccine agenda and limit access to vaccines,” wrote Senator Warren. “Vaccines are vital to protecting the lives of millions, and if Secretary Kennedy is successful in dismantling the nation’s vaccine system, the nation will face an extraordinary public health crisis.”
This week, Senator Warren slammed RFK Jr. for his “reckless” and “shortsighted” decision to fire all 17 independent members of the ACIP and replace them with his own hand-picked nominees. Ahead of today’s meeting, Senator Warren pressed RFK Jr. on his conflicts of interest and those of his appointees, raising concerns about their ability to make public health decisions that benefit Americans rather than line their own pockets.
Headline: Secretary Noem Terminates Wasteful DHS Program that Encouraged DEI in K-12 Schools
lass=”text-align-center”>The “Invent2Prevent” program funneled millions of dollars to a highly politicized organization and targeted school children with radical ideology WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she terminated the DHS “Invent2Prevent” program – a wasteful and highly politicized initiative that cost the American taxpayer over $1
5 million dollars
Despite its high cost, the program accomplished very little towards its apparent mission: preventing terrorism
Instead, it funneled taxpayer money into a highly politicized organization called “The Eradicate Hate Global Summit,” which promoted DEI and LGBTQ ideology at K-12 schools
“President Trump was given a mandate by the American people to eliminate wasteful government spending, and that is exactly what we are doing,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary
“This program was not only wasteful, it was also using public money to support an openly partisan and political organization
Politicized NGOs like Eradicate Hate have been siphoning away taxpayer dollars for far too long
We are ending the grift
” Under the guise of counter terrorism, this program used tax money on initiatives to foster “inclusive environments in schools,” promote DEI, and expose grade school children to sexualized topics like LGBTQ issues
By canceling Invent2Prevent, Secretary Noem is saving the taxpayer $1,523,146
Since childhood, Derrick Bailey always had an early fascination with aeronautics. Military fighter jet pilots were his childhood heroes, and he dreamed of joining the aerospace industry. This passion was a springboard into his 17-year career at NASA, where Bailey plays an important role in enabling successful rocket launches. Bailey is the Launch Vehicle Certification Manager in the Launch Services Program (LSP) within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. In this role, he helps NASA outline the agency’s risk classifications of new rockets from emerging and established space companies. “Within my role, I formulate a series of technical and process assessments for NASA LSP’s technical team to understand how companies operate, how vehicles are designed and qualified, and how they perform in flight,” Bailey said. Beyond technical proficiency and readiness, a successful rocket launch relies on establishing a strong foundational relationship between NASA and the commercial companies involved. Bailey and his team ensure effective communication with these companies to provide the guidance, data, and analysis necessary to support them in overcoming challenges. “We work diligently to build trusting relationships with commercial companies and demonstrate the value in partnering with our team,” Bailey said. Bailey credits a stroke of fate that landed him at the agency. During his senior year at Georgia Tech, where he was pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering, Bailey almost walked past the NASA tent at a career fair. However, he decided to grab a NASA sticker and strike up a conversation, which quickly turned into an impromptu interview. He walked away that day with a job offer to work on the now-retired Space Shuttle Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “I never imagined working at NASA,” Bailey said. “Looking back, it’s unbelievable that a chance encounter resulted in securing a job that has turned into an incredible career.” Thinking about the future, Bailey is excited about new opportunities in the commercial space industry. Bailey sees NASA as a crucial advisor and mentor for commercial sector while using industry capabilities to provide more cost-effective access to space.
“We are the enablers,” Bailey said of his role in the directorate. “It is our responsibility to provide the best opportunity for future explorers to begin their journey of discovery in deep space and beyond.” Outside of work, Bailey enjoys spending time with his family, especially his two sons, who keep him busy with trips to the baseball diamond and homework sessions. Bailey also enjoys hands-on activities, like working on cars, off-road vehicles, and house projects – hobbies he picked up from his mechanically inclined father. Additionally, at the beginning of 2025, his wife accepted a program specialist position with LSP, an exciting development for the entire Bailey family. “One of my wife’s major observations early on in my career was how much my colleagues genuinely care about one another and empower people to make decisions,” Bailey explained. “These are the things that make NASA the number one place to work in the government.” NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate maintains a continuous human presence in space for the benefit of people on Earth. The programs within the directorate are the hub of NASA’s space exploration efforts, enabling Artemis, commercial space, science, and other agency missions through communication, launch services, research capabilities, and crew support. To learn more about NASA’s Space Operation Mission Directorate, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space-operations
Governor Stein made the following statement on his signing of House Bill 612: Fostering Care in NC Act:
“This bill protects our most vulnerable children and strengthens our child welfare system. I applaud the provisions of this bill that better protect children from abuse and neglect, empower a rapid response team to support those receiving mental health treatment, and help more kids stay with their family members. I thank the bill sponsors, Representatives Chesser, Bell, Loftis and Alston, for their work, as well as Senator Sydney Batch for her years of dedication to this issue.”
Governor Stein made the following statement on his signing of House Bill 373: UNC Tuition Discount for Certain Students:
“This bill will help military students afford tuition at our state’s top-tier university system. This way, we can both support those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms and strengthen our workforce of tomorrow. I appreciate Representatives Campbell, Pickett, Chesser, and Willis for their sponsorship of this legislation.”
Governor Stein made the following statement on his signing of House Bill 251: Various Disaster Recovery Reforms:
“North Carolina does not discriminate based on political affiliation or political speech, including when providing disaster recovery assistance. This bill ensures that will remain the case.”
Governor Stein made the following statement on his signing of Senate Bill 400: Adult Protection Multidisciplinary Teams:
“This bill will help counties improve their adult protective services for older and disabled North Carolinians by creating teams that can share information and collaborate, making vulnerable people safer.”
Governor Stein also signed the following into law:
House Bill 40: Various GSC Recommendations
House Bill 91: Define Armed Forces / Religious Prop. Tax Excl.
House Bill 247: Underground Safety Revisions
House Bill 421: Motor Vehicle Dealers
House Bill 476: DST Technical Corrections/Admin. Changes 2025
Senate Bill 344: Pooled Trust Transfers / Public Benefits Elig
Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act limits the use of ADS-B data
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), joined by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Representative Bob Onder (R-Mo.-3), recently introduced the bicameral Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act to limit the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and require greater transparency in how airports impose fees on general aviation aircraft.
“ADS-B is a critical safety technology mandated by the FAA and is more accurate than radar. Abusing this technology to levy unfair, sometimes duplicative fees and threatening pilots with legal action will keep some general aviation pilots grounded, which is a loss for America’s economy, emergency response, and the aviation community at large,”said Senator Budd.
“Misusing vital safety technology like ADS-B for non-safety purposes, such as generating unwarranted fees or initiating inappropriate actions, jeopardizes pilot privacy and undermines the very foundation of this critical airspace system. Prioritizing the trust and participation of pilots is essential by ensuring ADS-B remains dedicated solely to its intended safety function,” said Senator Sullivan.
“Flight safety technologies like ADS-B are vital for pilots to ensure safety on the ground and in the skies, but penalizing pilots for using this technology with arbitrary fees jeopardizes both pilot privacy and flight safety by incentivizing operators to avoid using this critical technology. As we enact reforms to keep American aviation the safest in the world, I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense legislation to increase transparency and make certain pilots across the country can focus solely on the safety of their aircraft and their passengers,” said Senator Sheehy.
“As a pilot with years of experience using ADS-B technology, I understand the game-changing impact it has had on aviation safety. By communicating an aircraft’s identification, airspeed, heading and altitude, ADS-B has dramatically improved situational awareness for pilots, as well as the real-time data air traffic controllers need to keep pilots and passengers safe. Unfortunately, some third parties have taken advantage of this data to impose and collect exorbitant third-party landing fees and frivolous lawsuits targeted at general aviation pilots and travelers. These uses of data for purposes other than air traffic safety act as a deterrent for pilots to equip their aircraft with this potentially life-saving technology,” said Representative Onder.
Background:
While ADS-B is designed to be used as a safety technology, some airports have begun improperly using these systems to track aircraft for the purposes of assessing landing fees and collecting revenue from pilots. To avoid duplicative and unfairly assessed fees, aircraft owners, operators, and pilots may feel compelled to fly without ADS-B installed or active on their aircraft, increasing the risk of close calls and collisions. In addition, these fees are often assessed without justification or transparency, placing unreasonable financial burdens on pilots, flight students, charitable organizations, and small aviation businesses that rely on access to the national airspace.
General aviation plays a critical role in U.S. transportation, economic development, and emergency response. The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act protects the privacy and economic viability of the aviation community, ensuring the freedom to fly without undue surveillance or cost.
Specifically, this bill:
Prohibits government agencies and private actors from using ADS-B data to identify aircraft for the purpose of imposing fees or charges.
Clarifies that ADS-B data may only be used by air traffic controllers for air traffic safety, efficiency, or for other purposes approved by the Secretary of Transportation following public comment.
Ensures that investigations cannot be initiated on the basis of ADS-B data.
Requires public-use airports to disclose financial information and the projected impact before imposing new fees on general aviation, and requires that any such fees must be used exclusively for airside safety improvements.
In response to news that the UK government is considering making concessions on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, Jen Clark, Amnesty International UK’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Lead, said:
“It’s not too late for the Government to change course, but the clock is ticking.
“The alarm has been sounded: the social security system is broken, and these harmful plans would shatter too much of what’s left of it.
“Nearly a quarter of people in the UK are living in poverty – not because of personal choices, but because of political ones. This is not reform, it’s austerity in disguise, and it’s being pushed through at the expense of disabled people’s rights.
“Excluding disabled people’s voices and avoiding proper consultation is not reform, it’s discrimination. The UK government may have hoped to silence opposition, but disabled people have spoken, and many MPs are now listening.
“Parliament must now make a choice: to roll back rights, or stand up for justice, dignity and equality.”
Apparent police collusion is allowing trafficking and enslavement of huge numbers of people
More than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified continue to operate after police raids
First-hand testimony exposes massive and extremely violent criminal operation
‘They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up’ – Survivor Siti*
‘The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to’ – Montse Ferrer
The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labour and torture that are being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
Survivors interviewed for the 240-page report, I Was Someone Else’s Property, believed they were applying for genuine jobs but were instead trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held in prison-like compounds and forced to conduct online scams in a billion-dollar shadow economy defrauding people around the world.
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said.
“Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.
“Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organised gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence.
“Amnesty’s research reveals the horrifying magnitude of a crisis the Cambodian authorities are not doing enough to stop. Their failures have emboldened a criminal network whose tentacles extend internationally, with millions of people impacted by the scams.”
Amnesty’s findings suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.
Held by force
In the most comprehensive documentation yet of the issue, Amnesty’s report identified at least 53 scamming compounds in Cambodia and interviewed 58 survivors of eight different nationalities, including nine children. Amnesty also reviewed the records of 336 other victims of Cambodian compounds. Those interviewed had either escaped from compounds, been rescued or had a ransom paid by their families.
The interviewees’ testimony gives a detailed insight into a sprawling, violent criminal operation that is taking place often with the full knowledge of the Cambodian authorities, whose woefully ineffective – and at times corrupt – response to the scamming crisis demonstrates its acquiescence and points towards state complicity in the human rights abuses taking place.
One survivor, Lisa*, who was 18 and looking for work during a break from school in Thailand when she was trafficked, said:
“[The recruiters] said I would work in administration… they sent pictures of a hotel with a swimming pool… the salary was high.”
Instead, Lisa was taken across a river at night into Cambodia, where she was held for 11 months against her will by armed security guards and forced to work on scams. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten. She said:
“There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole… They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting [me] until I stop.”
Sold into slavery
As part of its 18-month-long research, Amnesty visited all but one of the 53 scamming compounds located in 16 towns and cities across Cambodia, as well as 45 similar sites also strongly suspected to be scamming compounds. Many of the buildings were formerly casinos and hotels repurposed by criminal gangs – mostly from China – after Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019.
Compounds appeared designed to keep people inside, with features such as surveillance cameras, barbed wire around perimeter walls and large numbers of security personnel, often carrying electric shock batons and in some cases firearms. Survivors reported that “escape was impossible”.
Most victims had been lured to Cambodia by deceptive job advertisements posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. After being trafficked, survivors said they were forced to contact people using social media platforms and begin conversations aimed at defrauding them. These included fake romances or investment opportunities, selling products that would never be delivered, or building trust with victims before financially exploiting them – known as “pig-butchering”.
All but one of the survivors interviewed were victims of human trafficking, while everyone had been subjected to forced labour under the threat of violence. In 32 cases, Amnesty concluded the survivors were victims of slavery as defined under international law, with compound managers exerting a level of control over them that amounted to de facto ownership. Survivors also reported being sold into compounds or witnessing the sale of other people. Many others were told they owed a debt to the compound which they had to work to repay.
Forty of the 58 survivors interviewed had suffered torture or other ill-treatment – almost always carried out by compound managers. Some compounds had specific rooms – often known as “dark rooms” – which were designated places for torture of people who did not or could not work or meet work targets, or who contacted the authorities.
Survivors frequently mentioned deaths inside the compounds or nearby; one survivor described hearing a body hitting the roof of a building. Amnesty also confirmed the death of a Chinese child inside a compound.
Survivor Siti* described seeing a Vietnamese person beaten by compound bosses for around 25 minutes. He said:
“They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up…then the boss tell me that they wait until another compound want to buy him.”
Of the nine children interviewed, five were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.Sawat*, a 17-year-old Thai boy, was beaten by several managers before being told he would be stripped and forced to jump off the building.
Police in league with compound bosses
Amnesty’s report found that the Cambodian government has failed to adequately investigate widespread human rights abuses at scamming compounds despite being repeatedly made aware of them.
The Government has claimed to be addressing the scamming crisis through its National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and a number of ministerial task forces, which have overseen a series of police “rescues” of victims from compounds. However, more than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified in the report continued to operate even after police raids and “rescues”. At one compound in Botum Sakor, human trafficking has been widely reported by media and police have intervened multiple times to rescue victims, yet the site remains open.
Police failings stem from their collaboration or coordination with compound bosses. For example, in many of the “rescues”, instead of entering the compounds and investigating, police would simply meet a manager or security guard at the gate, where they would be handed the individual(s) who had called in for help. Business then continued as usual.
In other instances, several survivors said they were beaten after their secretive efforts to contact police for help were somehow uncovered by bosses. One Vietnamese survivor told Amnesty that police “work for the compound and will report requests for help back to the compound bosses”.
Those “rescued” from compounds were often subsequentlydetained in immigration detention centres in poor conditions for months at a time – the Cambodian authorities having failed to recognise them as victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support required under international law.
Meanwhile, the authorities have targeted others speaking out about scamming compounds. Several human rights defenders and journalists working on the issue have been arrested, while the news outlet Voice of Democracy was closed in 2023, apparently in retaliation for its reporting on the scamming crisis.
Amnesty sent its findings to theNational Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which responded by sharing vague data on interventions at compounds, none of which clarified whether the Government has identified, investigated or prosecuted individuals for human rights abuses other than deprivation of liberty. It also did not respond to Amnesty’s list of scamming compounds or suspicious locations.
Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, said.
“The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue.
“Our findings reveal a pattern of state failures that have allowed criminality to flourish and raises questions about the Government’s motivations.
“The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show’.
“Cambodia’s authorities must ensure no more jobseekers are trafficked into the country to face torture, slavery or any other human rights abuse. They must urgently investigate and shut down all scamming compounds and properly identify, assist and protect victims. Slavery thrives when governments look away.”
Survivors interviewed for Amnesty’s report were from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia, but Amnesty also had access to records of hundreds of others from India, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines and many more.
Press conference
Amnesty will be presenting the findings of the report in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 26 June. For further information or to register for the event, visithttps://forms.office.com/e/tZivUqtUv4
*All survivors using pseudonyms for security reasons
Apparent police collusion is allowing trafficking and enslavement of huge numbers of people
More than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified continue to operate after police raids
First-hand testimony exposes massive and extremely violent criminal operation
‘They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up’ – Survivor Siti*
‘The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to’ – Montse Ferrer
The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labour and torture that are being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
Survivors interviewed for the 240-page report, I Was Someone Else’s Property, believed they were applying for genuine jobs but were instead trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held in prison-like compounds and forced to conduct online scams in a billion-dollar shadow economy defrauding people around the world.
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said.
“Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.
“Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organised gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence.
“Amnesty’s research reveals the horrifying magnitude of a crisis the Cambodian authorities are not doing enough to stop. Their failures have emboldened a criminal network whose tentacles extend internationally, with millions of people impacted by the scams.”
Amnesty’s findings suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.
Held by force
In the most comprehensive documentation yet of the issue, Amnesty’s report identified at least 53 scamming compounds in Cambodia and interviewed 58 survivors of eight different nationalities, including nine children. Amnesty also reviewed the records of 336 other victims of Cambodian compounds. Those interviewed had either escaped from compounds, been rescued or had a ransom paid by their families.
The interviewees’ testimony gives a detailed insight into a sprawling, violent criminal operation that is taking place often with the full knowledge of the Cambodian authorities, whose woefully ineffective – and at times corrupt – response to the scamming crisis demonstrates its acquiescence and points towards state complicity in the human rights abuses taking place.
One survivor, Lisa*, who was 18 and looking for work during a break from school in Thailand when she was trafficked, said:
“[The recruiters] said I would work in administration… they sent pictures of a hotel with a swimming pool… the salary was high.”
Instead, Lisa was taken across a river at night into Cambodia, where she was held for 11 months against her will by armed security guards and forced to work on scams. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten. She said:
“There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole… They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting [me] until I stop.”
Sold into slavery
As part of its 18-month-long research, Amnesty visited all but one of the 53 scamming compounds located in 16 towns and cities across Cambodia, as well as 45 similar sites also strongly suspected to be scamming compounds. Many of the buildings were formerly casinos and hotels repurposed by criminal gangs – mostly from China – after Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019.
Compounds appeared designed to keep people inside, with features such as surveillance cameras, barbed wire around perimeter walls and large numbers of security personnel, often carrying electric shock batons and in some cases firearms. Survivors reported that “escape was impossible”.
Most victims had been lured to Cambodia by deceptive job advertisements posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. After being trafficked, survivors said they were forced to contact people using social media platforms and begin conversations aimed at defrauding them. These included fake romances or investment opportunities, selling products that would never be delivered, or building trust with victims before financially exploiting them – known as “pig-butchering”.
All but one of the survivors interviewed were victims of human trafficking, while everyone had been subjected to forced labour under the threat of violence. In 32 cases, Amnesty concluded the survivors were victims of slavery as defined under international law, with compound managers exerting a level of control over them that amounted to de facto ownership. Survivors also reported being sold into compounds or witnessing the sale of other people. Many others were told they owed a debt to the compound which they had to work to repay.
Forty of the 58 survivors interviewed had suffered torture or other ill-treatment – almost always carried out by compound managers. Some compounds had specific rooms – often known as “dark rooms” – which were designated places for torture of people who did not or could not work or meet work targets, or who contacted the authorities.
Survivors frequently mentioned deaths inside the compounds or nearby; one survivor described hearing a body hitting the roof of a building. Amnesty also confirmed the death of a Chinese child inside a compound.
Survivor Siti* described seeing a Vietnamese person beaten by compound bosses for around 25 minutes. He said:
“They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up…then the boss tell me that they wait until another compound want to buy him.”
Of the nine children interviewed, five were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.Sawat*, a 17-year-old Thai boy, was beaten by several managers before being told he would be stripped and forced to jump off the building.
Police in league with compound bosses
Amnesty’s report found that the Cambodian government has failed to adequately investigate widespread human rights abuses at scamming compounds despite being repeatedly made aware of them.
The Government has claimed to be addressing the scamming crisis through its National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and a number of ministerial task forces, which have overseen a series of police “rescues” of victims from compounds. However, more than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified in the report continued to operate even after police raids and “rescues”. At one compound in Botum Sakor, human trafficking has been widely reported by media and police have intervened multiple times to rescue victims, yet the site remains open.
Police failings stem from their collaboration or coordination with compound bosses. For example, in many of the “rescues”, instead of entering the compounds and investigating, police would simply meet a manager or security guard at the gate, where they would be handed the individual(s) who had called in for help. Business then continued as usual.
In other instances, several survivors said they were beaten after their secretive efforts to contact police for help were somehow uncovered by bosses. One Vietnamese survivor told Amnesty that police “work for the compound and will report requests for help back to the compound bosses”.
Those “rescued” from compounds were often subsequentlydetained in immigration detention centres in poor conditions for months at a time – the Cambodian authorities having failed to recognise them as victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support required under international law.
Meanwhile, the authorities have targeted others speaking out about scamming compounds. Several human rights defenders and journalists working on the issue have been arrested, while the news outlet Voice of Democracy was closed in 2023, apparently in retaliation for its reporting on the scamming crisis.
Amnesty sent its findings to theNational Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which responded by sharing vague data on interventions at compounds, none of which clarified whether the Government has identified, investigated or prosecuted individuals for human rights abuses other than deprivation of liberty. It also did not respond to Amnesty’s list of scamming compounds or suspicious locations.
Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, said.
“The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue.
“Our findings reveal a pattern of state failures that have allowed criminality to flourish and raises questions about the Government’s motivations.
“The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show’.
“Cambodia’s authorities must ensure no more jobseekers are trafficked into the country to face torture, slavery or any other human rights abuse. They must urgently investigate and shut down all scamming compounds and properly identify, assist and protect victims. Slavery thrives when governments look away.”
Survivors interviewed for Amnesty’s report were from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia, but Amnesty also had access to records of hundreds of others from India, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines and many more.
Press conference
Amnesty will be presenting the findings of the report in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 26 June. For further information or to register for the event, visithttps://forms.office.com/e/tZivUqtUv4
*All survivors using pseudonyms for security reasons
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Barry Moore
Washington D.C. – Today, Rep. Barry Moore (AL-01) introduced the Define to Defeat Act of 2025, which would apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism to the enforcement of civil rights laws.
“From the halls of our college campuses to the halls of our government, hatred toward the Jewish people has no place in America,” said Moore. “My bill ensures that federal agencies adopt a clear and consistent definition of antisemitism so we can identify it, confront it, and prosecute criminal behavior when necessary. Our judicial system needs this clarity now more than ever to properly confront the record-breaking levels of disturbing antisemitic attacks in our nation.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Barry Moore
Washington D.C. – Today, Rep. Barry Moore (AL-01) issued the following statement in strong support of President Donald J. Trump’s rescissions package, which would cut $9.4 billion in wasteful, unnecessary, or unspent federal funding:
“President Trump understands what too many in Washington have forgotten: this is the people’s money. The rescissions package that House Republicans just passed is a direct strike to the bloated bureaucracy and out-of-control spending habits that we have seen in our federal government for too long,” said Moore. “My constituents sent me here to be a responsible steward of their taxpayer dollars, not to rubber-stamp wasteful projects that do not help the American people. I thank President Trump for leading the charge to restore fiscal sanity and putting America first.”
President Trump’s rescissions package includes targeted cuts to unobligated funds from duplicative programs, NPR, PBS, and foreign aid that fails to serve America’s interests.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
PM call with President El-Sisi of Egypt: 26 June 2025
The Prime Minister spoke to President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi today.
The Prime Minister spoke to President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi today.
The leaders began by discussing the concerning developments in the Middle East in recent weeks and discussed the need for regional security and stability.
The Prime Minister welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, adding it was now time for Iran to come to the negotiating table.
On Gaza, the leaders discussed the intolerable situation on the ground and agreed on the need to push for an urgent ceasefire.
Turning to the bilateral relationship between the UK and Egypt, the leaders underscored the potential to go further and faster on trade and investment to benefit both countries.
The Prime Minister also raised the case of British national Alaa Abd El-Fattah and again pressed for his release so that he can be reunited with his family.
The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.
