At the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will undertake a visit to the People’s Republic of China and take part in the 2025 World AI Conference, from 23 to 26 July 2025.
During his stay in Beijing and Shanghai, SG Dr. Kao will have several key engagements, including a bilateral meeting with H.E. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, as well as meeting with other senior government officials and private sectors such as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), among others.
SG Dr. Kao will also take the opportunity to meet with the ASEAN Committee in Beijing (ACB) and to speak at the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference as well as at the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance. His participation reflects ASEAN’s continued commitment to advancing the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to delivering this year’s priorities, particularly in deepening digital collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN to pay a visit to the People’s Republic of China and to attend 2025 World AI Conference appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
At the invitation of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will undertake a visit to the People’s Republic of China and take part in the 2025 World AI Conference, from 23 to 26 July 2025.
During his stay in Beijing and Shanghai, SG Dr. Kao will have several key engagements, including a bilateral meeting with H.E. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, as well as meeting with other senior government officials and private sectors such as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), among others.
SG Dr. Kao will also take the opportunity to meet with the ASEAN Committee in Beijing (ACB) and to speak at the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference as well as at the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance. His participation reflects ASEAN’s continued commitment to advancing the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to delivering this year’s priorities, particularly in deepening digital collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN to pay a visit to the People’s Republic of China and to attend 2025 World AI Conference appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 22, 2025.
New study finds the gender earnings gap could be halved if we reined in the long hours often worked by men Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndall Strazdins, Professor, Australian National University asylun/Shutterstock There are lots of reasons why people work extra hours. In some jobs, it’s the only way to cover the workload. In others, the pay is poor, so people need to work extra time. And in others still, working back
New study finds the gender earnings gap could be halved if we reined in the long hours often worked by men Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndall Strazdins, Professor, Australian National University asylun/Shutterstock There are lots of reasons why people work extra hours. In some jobs, it’s the only way to cover the workload. In others, the pay is poor, so people need to work extra time. And in others still, working back
Sky TV to buy channel Three owner Discovery NZ for $1 By Anan Zaki, RNZ News business reporter Sky TV has agreed to fully acquire TV3 owner Discovery New Zealand for $1. Discovery NZ is a part of US media giant Warner Bros Discovery, and operates channel Three and online streaming platform ThreeNow. NZX-listed Sky said the deal would be completed on a cash-free, debt-free basis,
Suffering in Gaza reaches ‘new depths’ – Australia condemns ‘inhumane killing’ of Palestinians Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amra Lee, PhD candidate in Protection of Civilians, Australian National University Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies. Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with counterparts from
As female independent MPs descend on parliament, they’re fulfilling the dreams of women across history Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Chappell, Post Doctoral Research, University of New England Australia’s 48th parliament has a record 112 women members. Ten of those women are independents. As they take their seats in the chamber, they’ll be realising the aspirations of some of Australia’s first suffragists who, more than a
Are screenwriters paid for a product or a service? The definition matters for their workplace rights Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Goodwin, Lecturer in Arts Management and Human Resources, The University of Melbourne Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash The film and television sector in Australia employs over 26,000 workers and generated more than A$4.5 billion in income in 2021–22. TV dramas generate a large part of this revenue. Australian screen
NZ and allies condemn ‘inhumane’, ‘horrifying’ killings in Gaza and ‘drip feeding’ of aid RNZ News New Zealand has joined 24 other countries in calling for an end to the war in Gaza, and criticising what they call the inhumane killing of Palestinians. The countries — including Britain, France, Canada and Australia plus the European Union — also condemed the Israeli government’s aid delivery model in Gaza as “dangerous”.
Everyone’s talking about the Perseid meteor shower – but don’t bother trying to see it in Australia or NZ Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland View of the 2023 Perseid meteor shower from the southernmost part of Sequoia National Forest, US. NASA/Preston Dyches In recent days, you may have seen articles claiming the “best meteor shower of the year” is about to start. Unfortunately,
Pumped up with poison: new research shows many anabolic steroids contain toxic metals Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Piatkowski, Lecturer in Psychology, Griffith University MilosStankovic/Getty Images Eighteen-year-old Mark scrolls Instagram late at night, watching videos of fitness influencers showing off muscle gains and lifting the equivalent of a baby elephant off the gym floor. Spurred on by hashtags and usernames indicating these feats involve
How EVs and electric water heaters are turning cities into giant batteries Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bin Lu, Senior Research Fellow in Renewable Energy, Australian National University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock As the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, many worry the increased demand could overload national power grids. In Australia, electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050. If everyone charges their car and
The end of open-plan classrooms: how school design reflects changing ideas in education Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leon Benade, Professor in the School of Education of Edith Cowan University (ECU), Perth, WA, Edith Cowan University skynesher/Getty Imaged The end of open-plan classrooms in New Zealand, recently announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford, marks yet another swing of the pendulum in school design. Depending on
Could Rupert Murdoch bring down Donald Trump? A court case threatens more than just their relationship Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dodd, Professor of Journalism, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne If Rupert Murdoch becomes a white knight standing up to a rampantly bullying US president, the world has moved into the upside-down. This is, after all, the media mogul whose US
PBS and NPR are generally unbiased, independent of government propaganda and provide key benefits to US democracy Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University Congress’ cuts to public broadcasting will diminish the range and volume of the free press and the independent reporting it provides. MicroStockHub-iStock/Getty Images Plus Champions of the almost entirely party-line vote
Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hanri Mostert, SARChI Chair for Mineral Law in Africa, University of Cape Town A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower
A popular sweetener could be damaging your brain’s defences, says recent study Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Havovi Chichger, Professor, Biomedical Science, Anglia Ruskin University Found in everything from protein bars to energy drinks, erythritol has long been considered a safe alternative to sugar. But new research suggests this widely used sweetener may be quietly undermining one of the body’s most crucial protective barriers
Why has a bill to relax NZ foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny? ANALYSIS: By Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process — this time for foreign investment in New Zealand. But it has had almost no public
PSNA calls on NZ to urgently condemn Israeli weaponisation of starvation Asia Pacific Report The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has called on the New Zealand government to immediately condemn Israel’s weaponisation of starvation and demand an end to the siege of Gaza. It has also called for a permanent ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to the besieged enclave. “All political parties and elected officials must break
Labor to put disclaimer under Mark Latham’s caucus room picture Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The picture of Mark Latham on the caucus room gallery of Labor leaders will have an annotation under it saying he was expelled for life and his actions do not accord with Labor values. The first meeting of the new
Pacific leaders demand respectful involvement in memorial for unmarked graves By Mary Afemata, of PMN News and RNZ Pacific Porirua City Council is set to create a memorial for more than 1800 former patients of the local hospital buried in unmarked graves. But Pacific leaders are asking to be “meaningfully involved” in the process, including incorporating prayer, language, and ceremonial practices. More than 50 people
Newspoll and Resolve give Labor big leads as parliament resumes after the election Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With federal parliament to sit for the first time since the election on Tuesday, Newspoll gives Labor a 57–43 lead and Resolve a 56–44 lead. In Tasmania,
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — China has released guidelines to accelerate digital education this year. Based on three years of experience summarizing the national digital education strategy, Chinese authorities have put forward comprehensive work plans to further advance national digital education.
How far has digital education progressed in China now and how will it develop in the future?
A BREAKTHROUGH IN DIGITAL EDUCATION
In 2022, the state public service platform for intellectual education was opened, marking the official launch of the national digital education strategy.
After three years of development, this platform integrates 5 sub-platforms and has access to 32 provincial-level platforms. It has registered more than 163 million users and the number of visits and views on the platform has exceeded 60.8 billion times.
At the same time, the platform has launched more than 110 thousand educational resources for primary and secondary schools, more than 11 thousand high-quality online courses for vocational education and 31 thousand courses for higher education.
“Over the past three years, breakthroughs have been made in implementing the national digital education strategy and the world’s largest platform for public learning resources and services and a lifelong public learning platform have been established,” said Zhou Dawan, head of the Department of Science, Technology and Information Technology of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.
At present, digital education in China is being comprehensively promoted with faster speed and efficiency. All schools at different levels in China are connected to the Internet, and more than 75% of schools have wireless network coverage. In addition, new infrastructure has been built in many places to build provincial-level intelligent education platforms.
“In the future, it is necessary to work hard to build a diversified system of platforms, catalog systems, resources, data and application systems, and improve the platform’s intelligence level to create a digital base with high intelligence and strong interaction,” said Yang Zongkai, head of the advisory committee of experts on digital education at the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.
AI IN EDUCATION REFORM
Nowadays, the application of artificial intelligence is becoming a hot topic in the field of education. From cities to rural areas, many educational institutions have begun to study specific areas of application of artificial intelligence.
In March this year, China released the intelligent version of the national intelligent education platform 2.0 and launched an “artificial intelligence testing ground” to promote innovation in human-computer interaction.
Zhou Dawan noted that in the future, the “AI testing ground” will be improved, focusing on four main aspects – student learning, teacher teaching, educational management and scientific research, and the innovative forces of high-level universities and enterprises will be combined to develop promising practical AI tools.
It should be recalled that the guidelines on accelerating digital education state that it is necessary to promote the digital transformation of academic disciplines, teaching materials and teaching models, and to improve the digital literacy and skills of the entire population, especially teachers and students.
In addition, the document also proposes to establish an “AI education” security assurance system and explore the possibility of establishing an algorithm security assessment system to effectively avoid problems such as cyber attacks, information cocoons, algorithm hegemony and Internet addiction.
PROMOTING DIGITAL EDUCATION AS AN INTERNATIONAL BRAND
The above document points out that the internationalization of digital education should be actively promoted and international cooperation in the joint creation and utilization of resources, joint training of personnel, etc. should be deepened so as to form an international brand of Chinese digital education.
After more than 10 years of development, China ranks first in the world in the number and scale of application of massive open online courses (MOOCs), creating an international brand in higher education worldwide.
In January 2024, the international version of the government’s public service platform in the field of intelligent education was launched, which will provide all-weather support for the education of students around the world.
In addition, according to the data, the state intellectual education platform in the field of higher education has been visited by more than 106 million people, and its users cover 183 countries and regions of the world.
The document also said that it is necessary to deepen the application of the international version of the national public service platform in the field of intelligent education, so that digital education can benefit students all over the world and China’s digital education can become a benchmark for the world.
“Digital education is an inevitable trend of modern development,” Zhou Dawan said, adding that it is not only a technological revolution in education, but also a profound reform of the concept, model and management of education.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
In 2024, only 34 per cent of women and 45 per cent of men on the continent used the internet, compared to global averages of 65 and 70 per cent. Meanwhile, 98 per cent of Africans under the age of 18 do not complete school with even basic STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills, reflecting long-term underinvestment in education.
This slow progress in digital integration and STEM education is impeding Africa’s ability to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the report noted. The “digital divide” hits marginalised groups hardest, including women and rural communities.
“Africa is a vast and populous continent, rich in natural endowments and talents. Yet much of that potential remains underutilised,” said Philémon Yang, the President of the General Assembly in a message to the meeting.
By 2050, there will be over 850 million young people in Africa.
“This is an incredible opportunity. Realising this potential means investing in STEM education now. It means building digital infrastructure that connects talent to
Opportunity,” Ms. Mohammed said.
But current systems do not sufficiently support young innovators – three-fourths of young Africans have insecure employment, lacking basic protections.
This lack of social protection is part of a wider labour rights gap, the report noted. In 2023, only 19 per cent of people in Africa had access to at least one form of social protection –such as social security or health insurance – compared to 53 per cent globally.
“Strong social protection is not just about safety nets. It is about creating the stability that allows societies to take risks, innovate and grow,” Ms. Mohammed said.
People-cantered approaches
The report calls on governments and partners to adopt a people-cantered approach that promotes digital and technological innovation while also decent work, rights and intellectual property.
“Resilience cannot be achieved without governance that places people at the centre of policy design and implementation,” the report said.
Speakers also stressed that African expertise must guide solutions.
“We reaffirm our collective determination to ensure that Africa’s development is led by its own people, grounded in knowledge, innovation and social justice,” said Ahmadou Lamin Sameteh, Minister of Health of the Gambia, speaking for the African Group.
Power of partnerships
In his message, Mr. Yang said no single African country can achieve full digital integration alone; regional cooperation and multilateral support are essential.
“[Digital tools] can offer a way into the future… [but] no country can close these gaps alone…multilateral cooperation with the United Nations at its centre has secured eight decades of unprecedented human progress,” he said.
Ms. Mohammed emphasised the possibilities “when we get this right.”
“The choice is ours — we can continue business-as-usual and watch the 2030 Agenda slip away or we can support systemic transformation.”
Almost a month ago, on 24 June 2025, we delivered our most recent Ministerial statement on the Middle East to this House.
At that time, the world was grappling with Israel and Iran bombing each another. New Zealanders were in harm’s way. The spectre of escalation and a wider regional war was very real. Back then, we called for de-escalation, dialogue and ceasefire. Thankfully, the United States was able to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran – and that wider regional war has, for the time being at least, been avoided.
A month later, though, we continue to be confronted by horrifying scenes playing out in Gaza.
We have the horror of innocent Israeli families, robbed of their loved ones in October 2023 by Hamas’ heinous and immoral hostage taking, still yearning and demanding for them to be freed.
And we have the horror of more and more innocent Palestinian civilians starving, being deprived of their basic needs, and being killed every day – because Israel’s military response to the events of October 7 2023 long ago ceased to be proportionate, reasonable or moral; and because Hamas continues to act with complete disregard for civilian life.
The international community is united in its revulsion to what is happening in Gaza. This horror must end. Too many lives have been lost. Too many people have been traumatised, polarised and embittered – ensuring that yet another generation of Israeli and Palestinian children are born into a situation of insufferable conflict and enmity.
That is why New Zealand has come together with Foreign Ministers from 27 other countries to state as clearly as we can that enough is enough. That this war must end now. That this suffering is intolerable.
In that joint statement, we condemned Hamas’ continued detention of Israeli hostages and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
And we condemned Israel’s policies which are leading to untold and unimaginable suffering and death among Palestinian civilians – and we called for it to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The international community is joined by an overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians in wanting an immediate ceasefire. That is understandable because only a negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing Israeli hostages home and of ending the immense suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
New Zealand has always accepted that it has limited influence over the course of this generations-long conflict. The Middle East is a long way away from New Zealand. But we can and must still do our part. And New Zealand’s position has, for decades, been consistent: we want dialogue, we want diplomacy, we want negotiation, and we want a two-state solution.
We call out all actions which undermine the conditions for a two-state solution. This New Zealand government has designated the entirety of Hamas, whose stated objectives include the complete destruction of Israel, as a terrorist organisation. We have also put in place travel bans against Israeli Ministers who have taken concrete steps to undermine the two-state solution by advocating illegal settlements and settler violence.
As today’s joint statement by 28 Foreign Ministers says: we strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the occupied Palestinian Territories. Such steps seek to undermine the two-state solution, and they must stop.
The only way forward is an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Human suffering is indiscriminate. In this conflict it has been inflicted in vast quantities on Israelis and Palestinians; Jews, Muslims and Christians. Further bloodshed serves absolutely no purpose. It must stop.
New Zealand, with our partners, reaffirms our complete support for the efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt to achieve a ceasefire. We wish them well in this important task.
And, ultimately, what we must see is a political pathway towards peace for Israelis and Palestinians, living securely side by side. Only then can this long-running cycle of conflict be ended – in the hope that the next generation of Israeli and Palestinian children can know better, brighter days.
No matter how hopeless the situation seems, that must be the international community’s objective. And New Zealand will continue to do what it can to contribute to those efforts.
Sky TV has agreed to fully acquire TV3 owner Discovery New Zealand for $1.
Discovery NZ is a part of US media giant Warner Bros Discovery, and operates channel Three and online streaming platform ThreeNow.
NZX-listed Sky said the deal would be completed on a cash-free, debt-free basis, with completion expected on August 1.
Sky expected the deal to deliver revenue diversification and uplift of around $95 million a year.
Sky expected Discovery NZ’s operations to deliver sustainable underlying earnings growth of at least $10 million from the 2028 financial year.
Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney said it was a compelling opportunity for the company, with net integration costs of about $6.5 million.
“This is a compelling opportunity for Sky that directly supports our ambition to be Aotearoa New Zealand’s most engaging and essential media company,” she said.
Confidential advance notice Sky said it gave the Commerce Commission confidential advance notice of the transaction, and the commission did not intend to consider the acquisition further.
Warner Bros Discovery Australia and NZ managing director Michael Brooks said it was a “fantastic outcome” for both companies.
“The continued challenges faced by the New Zealand media industry are well documented, and over the past 12 months, the Discovery NZ team has worked to deliver a new, more sustainable business model following a significant restructure in 2024,” Brooks said.
“While this business is not commercially viable as a standalone asset in WBD’s New Zealand portfolio, we see the value Three and ThreeNow can bring to Sky’s existing offering of complementary assets.”
Sky said on completion, Discovery NZ’s balance sheet would be clear of some long-term obligations, including property leases and content commitments, and would include assets such as the ThreeNow platform.
Sky said irrespective of the transaction, the company was confident of achieving its 30 cents a share dividend target for 2026.
‘Massive change’ for NZ media – ThreeNews to continue Founder of The Spinoff and media commentator Duncan Greive said the deal would give Sky more reach and was a “massive change” in New Zealand’s media landscape.
He noted Sky’s existing free-to-air presence via Sky Open (formerly Prime), but said acquiring Three gave it the second-most popular audience outlet on TV.
“Because of the inertia of how people use television, Three is just a much more accessible channel and one that’s been around longer,” Greive said.
“To have basically the second-most popular channel in the country as part of their stable just means they’ve got a lot more ad inventory, much bigger audiences.”
It also gave Sky another outlet for their content, and would allow it to compete further against TVNZ, both linear and online, Greive said.
He said there may be a question mark around the long-term future of Three’s news service, which was produced by Stuff.
No reference to ThreeNews Sky made no reference to ThreeNews in its announcement. However, Stuff confirmed ThreeNews would continue for now.
“Stuff’s delivery of ThreeNews is part of the deal but there are also now lots of new opportunities ahead that we are excited to explore together,” Stuff owner Sinead Boucher said in a statement.
On the deal itself, Boucher said she was “delighted” to see Three back in New Zealand ownership under Sky.
If Rupert Murdoch becomes a white knight standing up to a rampantly bullying US president, the world has moved into the upside-down.
This is, after all, the media mogul whose US television network, Fox News, actively supported Donald Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 presidential election result and paid out a US$787 million (about A$1.2 billion) lawsuit for doing so.
It is also the network that supplied several members of Trump’s inner circle, including former Fox host, now controversial Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth.
But that is where we are after Trump filed a writ on July 18 after Murdoch’s financial newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, published an article about a hand-drawn card Trump is alleged to have sent to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The newspaper reported:
A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly “Donald” below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.
The Journal said it has seen the letter but did not republish it. The letter allegedly concluded:
Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.
The card was apparently Trump’s contribution to a birthday album compiled for Epstein by the latter’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence after being found guilty of sex trafficking in 2021.
Trump was furious. He told his Truth Social audience he had warned Murdoch the letter was fake. He wrote, “Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so,” referring to Murdoch handing leadership of News Corporation to his eldest son Lachlan in 2023.
Trump is being pincered. On one side, The Wall Street Journal is a respected newspaper that speaks to literate, wealthy Americans who remain deeply sceptical about Trump’s radical initiative on tariffs, which it described in an editorial as “the dumbest trade war in history”.
On the other side is the conspiracy theory-thirsty MAGA base who have been told for years that there was a massive conspiracy around Epstein’s apparent suicide in 2019 that included the so-called deep state, Democrat elites and, no doubt, the Clintons.
Trump, who loves pro wrestling as well as adopting its garish theatrics, might characterise his lawsuit against Murdoch as a smackdown to rival Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant in the 1980s.
To adopt wrestling argot, though, it is a rare battle between two heels.
A friendship of powerful convenience
Murdoch and Trump’s relationship is longstanding but convoluted. The key to understanding it is that both men are ruthlessly transactional.
Exposure in Murdoch’s New York Post in the 1980s and ‘90s was crucial to building Trump’s reputation.
Not that Murdoch particularly likes Trump. Yes, Murdoch attended his second inauguration, albeit in a back row behind the newly favoured big tech media moguls. He was also seen sitting in the Oval Office a few days later looking quite at home.
But this was pure power-display politics, not the behaviour of a friend.
Remember Murdoch’s derision on hearing Trump was considering standing for office before the 2016 election, and his promotion of Ron De Santis in the primaries before Trump’s second term. Murdoch’s political hero has always been Ronald Reagan. Trump has laid waste to the Republican Party of Reagan.
Murdoch knows what the rest of sane America knows: Trump is downright weird, if not dangerous. This, of course, only makes Murdoch’s complicity in Trump’s rise to power, and Fox News’ continued boosterism of Trump, all the more appalling.
But, in keeping with Murdoch’s relationship to power throughout his career, what he helps make, he also helps destroy. Perhaps now it’s Trump’s turn to be unmade. As a former Murdoch lieutenant told The Financial Times over the weekend:
he’s testing out: Is Trump losing his base? And where do I need to be to stay in the heart of the base?
And here is Murdoch’s great advantage, and his looming threat.
A double-edged sword
The advantage comes with the scope of Murdoch’s media empire, which operates like a federation of different mastheads, each with their own market and aspirations. While Fox News panders to the MAGA base, and The New York Post juices its New York audience, The Wall Street Journal speaks, and listens, to business. Each audience has different needs, meaning they’re often presented with the same news in very different ways, or sometimes different news entirely.
Like a federation, though, News Corp uses its various operations to drive the type of change that affects all its markets.
It might work like this. The Wall Street Journal breaks a story that’s so shocking it begins to chip away at MAGA’s unquestioning loyalty of Trump. This process is, of course, willingly aided by the rest of the media. The resulting groundswell eventually allows Fox News and the Post to tentatively follow their audiences into questioning, and then perhaps criticising, Trump.
Fox News audiences could slowly begin to question Trump, or abandon the network entirely. NurPhoto/Getty
The threat is that before that groundswell builds, Murdoch is seriously vulnerable to criticism from a still dominant Trump, who can turn conspiracy-prone audiences away from Fox News with just a social media post. Trump has already been busy doing just that, saying he is looking forward to getting Murdoch onto the witness stand for his lawsuit.
If the Fox audience decides it’s the proprietor who’s behind this denigration of Trump, they may decide to boycott their own favoured media channel, even though Fox’s programming hasn’t yet started questioning Trump.
The Murdochs’ fear of audience backlash was a major factor in Fox’s promulgation of the Big Lie after Trump’s defeat in 2020. The fear their audience might defect to Newsmax or some other right-wing media outfit is just as real today.
History littered with fakery
We also need to consider that Trump might be right. What if the letter is a fake?
Murdoch has form when it comes to high-profile exposés that turn out to be fiction. Who can forget the Hitler Diaries in 1983, which we now know Murdoch knew were fake before he published.
Think also of the Pauline Hanson photos, allegedly of her posing in lingerie, all of which were quickly proved to be fake after they were published by Murdoch’s Australian tabloids in 2009.
There was also The Sun’s despicable and wilfully wrong campaign against Elton John in 1987 and the same paper’s continueddenigration of the people of Liverpool following the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989.
But while Murdoch’s News Corp has a history of confection and fakery, the Wall Street Journal has a reputation for straight reportage, albeit through a conservative lens. Since Murdoch bought it in 2007, it has been engaged in its own internal battle for editorial standards.
Media rolling over
What Trump won’t get from Murdoch is the same acquiescence he’s enjoyed from America’s ABC and CBS networks, which have both handed over tens of millions of dollars in defamation settlements following dubious claims by Trump about the nature of their coverage.
In December 2024, ABC’s owner Disney settled and agreed to pay US$15 million (A$23 million) to Trump’s presidential library. The president sued after a presenter said Trump was found guilty of raping E. Jean Carroll.
Trump had actually been found guilty by a jury in a civil trial of sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and was ordered to pay her US$5 million (A$7.6 million).
CBS’ parent company, Paramount, did similarly after being sued by the president, agreeing in early July to settle and pay US$16 million (A$24.5 million) to Trump’s library. This was despite earlier saying the case was “completely without merit”.
Beware the legal microscope
From Trump’s viewpoint, two prominent media companies have been cowed. But his campaign against critical media doesn’t stop there.
Last week, congress passed a bill cancelling federal funding for the country’s two public-service media outlets, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR).
Also last week, CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s stridently critical comedy show, although CBS claims this is just a cost-cutting exercise and not about appeasing a bully in the White House.
Presuming the reported birthday letter is real, Murdoch will not bend so easily. And that’s when it will be important to pay attention, because at some point Trump’s lawyers will advise him about the dangers of depositions and discovery: the legal processes that force parties to a dispute to reveal what they have and what they know.
If the Epstein files do implicate Trump, the legal fight won’t last long and the media campaign against him will only intensify.
Right now we have the spectre of Murdoch joining that other disaffected mogul, Elon Musk, in a moral crusade against Trump, the man they both helped make. The implications are head-spinning.
As global bullies, the three of them probably deserve each other. But we, the public, surely deserve better than any of them.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with counterparts from countries including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, has signed a joint statement demanding Israel complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The statement condemns Israel for what it calls “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” seeking “their most basic need” of water and food, saying:
The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity […] It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.
Weapon of war
Gazans, including malnourished mothers denied baby formula, face impossible choices as Israel intensifies its use of starvation as a weapon of war.
In Gaza, survival requires negotiating what the United Nations calls aid “death traps”.
According to the UN, 875 Gazans have been killed – many of them shot – while seeking food since the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating in late May. Another 4,000 have been injured.
Gaza has been described as the “hungriest place on Earth”, with aid trucks being held at the border and the United States destroying around 500 tonnes of emergency food because it was just out of date.
More than two million people are at critical risk of famine. The World Food Programme estimates 90,000 women and children require urgent treatment for malnutrition.
Nineteen Palestinians have starved to death in recent days, according to local health authorities.
We can’t say we didn’t know
After the breakdown of the January ceasefire, Israel implemented a humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip. Following mounting international pressure, limited aid was permitted and the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations.
As anticipated, only a fraction of the aid has been distributed.
About 1,600 trucks entered Gaza between May 19 and July 14, well below the 630 trucks needed every day to feed the population.
Israeli ministers have publicly called for food and fuel reserves to be bombed to starve the Palestinian people – a clear war crime – to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages.
Famine expert Alex De Waal says Israel’s starvation strategy constitutes a dangerous weakening of international law. It also disrupts norms aimed at preventing hunger being used as a weapon of war:
operations like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are a big crack in these principles [that is] not going to save Gaza from mass starvation.
Palestinian organisations were the first to raise the alarm over Israel’s plans to impose controls over aid distribution.
UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher briefed the UN Security Council in May, warning of the world’s collective failure to call out the scale of violations of international law as they were being committed:
Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Tom Fletcher briefing the United Nations on the ‘atrocity’ being committed in Gaza.
Since then, clear and unequivocal warnings of the compounding risks of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing have intensified from the UN, member states and international law experts.
Weaponising aid
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claims it has handed out millions of meals since it began operating in the strip in May. But the UN has called the distribution model “inherently unsafe”.
Near-daily shootings have occurred since the militarised aid hubs began operating. Malnourished Palestinians risking death to feed their families are trekking long distances to reach the small number of distribution sites.
While the foundation denies people are being shot, the UN has called the aid delivery mechanism a “deliberate attempt to weaponise aid” that fails to comply with humanitarian principles and risks further war crimes.
Jewish Physicians for Human Rights has rejected the aid’s “humanitarian” characterisation, stating it “is what systematic harm to human beings looks like”.
Human rights and legal organisations are calling for all involved to be held accountable for complicity in war crimes that “exposes all those who enable or profit from it to real risk of prosecution”.
Mounting world action
Today’s joint statement follows growing anger and frustration in Western countries over the lack of political pressure on Israel to end the suffering in Gaza.
Polling in May showed more than 80% of Australians opposed Israel’s denial of aid as unjustifiable and wanted to see Australia doing more to support civilians in Gaza.
Last week’s meeting of the Hague Group of nations shows more collective concrete action is being taken to exert pressure and uphold international law.
Th 12 member states agreed to a range of diplomatic, legal and economic measures, including a ban on ships transporting arms to Israel.
The time for humanity is now
States will continue to face increased international and domestic pressure to take stronger action to influence Israel’s conduct as more Gazans are killed, injured and stripped of their dignity in an engineered famine.
This moment in Gaza is unprecedented in terms of our knowledge of the scale and gravity of violations being perpetrated and what failing to act means for Palestinians and our shared humanity.
Now is the time to exert diplomatic, legal and economic pressure on Israel to change course.
History tells us we need to act now – international law and our collective moral conscience requires it.
Amra 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.
Australia’s 48th parliament has a record 112 women members. Ten of those women are independents.
As they take their seats in the chamber, they’ll be realising the aspirations of some of Australia’s first suffragists who, more than a century ago, staunchly supported independent representation, but failed to gain traction at the ballot box.
Our earliest female political aspirants, Catherine Spence in Adelaide, Rose Scott in Sydney and Vida Goldstein in Melbourne, eschewed party politics, believing significant social issues should transcend political boundaries.
Recent close contests in the electorates of Bradfield and the eponymous Goldstein echoed the challenges of female independent candidates across time.
Australia’ first female candidate
Spence had been declined preselection for the nascent Labor Party in 1896. This was when women in South Australia, including Aboriginal women, became the first in Australia to have the right not only to vote, but also to stand for parliament.
Spence believed issues of social justice and electoral reform should override party allegiance.
The following year, Spence nominated for the federal convention to draft a Constitution for the new Australian parliament. Her strongest commitment was to proportional voting based on the Hare system of the single transferable vote, which was ultimately introduced to the Australian Senate in 1948. Spence believed this was the fairest electoral system to give voice to minority concerns.
She was the only woman to nominate. Although not elected, she won her place in history as Australia’s first female political candidate.
Acknowledging her defeat, Spence reflected:
I stood or fell on a question which both parties thought it expedient to ignore […] I look on my position in the poll as very satisfactory.
Similarly, Goldstein, the first woman to stand for Australia’s federal parliament in 1903, viewed her loss as “virtually a victory”. She explained to her supporters:
I stood as a protest against press domination and the creation of the vicious system of machine politics. I had the prejudice of ages to fight, and yet I secured more than half of the votes of the candidate heading the polls.
Although she did not stand for office, she brought together politicians across the divide with people of influence from the judiciary, publishing and the arts at her Friday evening salons.
Despite her privileged background and private income, Scott’s political leanings were towards socialism.
For more than 20 years she corresponded regularly with both Spence and Goldstein. Their extant letters reveal shared concerns for equal pay and education for women and child welfare.
Significant NSW legislation was reputedly drafted on Scott’s rosewood dining table. She remained staunchly opposed to party politics, scrawling her endorsement across a copy of The Inebriates Act 1900 “non-party and non-sectarian”.
Scott joined Goldstein on the hustings and furnished letters of support in Goldstein’s campaign pamphlets.
Spence, however, recalling the bitter lesson of her own candidature, wrote:
I am not at all sure that Vida Goldstein is wise in standing for the Senate. Women do not vote as women for women.
Successive, but unsuccessful attempts
Like Spence, Goldstein was hampered by misinformation, with questions asked about her eligibility to stand for parliament. Both lacked the financial support available to their opponents backed by party organisations.
Goldstein was attacked in the conservative press for her views on home and marriage. Comments on her dress and appearance trivialised reporting of her political message. Labor newspapers proclaimed that support for Goldstein would split the vote and result in a defeat of Labor’s candidates.
Vida Goldstein tried to enter politics numerous times, but faced many obstacles. Museums Vcitoria
Spence escaped similar attention because she was short, stout and in her seventies when she campaigned.
Goldstein nominated for the Senate again in 1910, campaigning for equal pay and federal reform of marriage and divorce laws.
Although she polled higher than in 1903, her campaign was hampered by lack of funds and negative press coverage.
Party politics had become more polarised. Many women were now actively joining the Labor Party or supporting the conservative Australian Women’s National League.
Between 1910 and her final tilt for the Senate in 1917, Goldstein stood twice for the seat of Kooyong, currently held for a second term by independent MP Monique Ryan.
Goldstein stood as a progressive independent for Kooyong in 1912. Labor did not field a candidate. She polled around half the votes of her male opponent. She stood again in 1915, remaining frank and uncompromising on her independent status:
as a non-party candidate I had difficulties to face that confronted no other candidate. The non-party candidate does not get the support of the party press. And the other special prejudice I have to fight is that of sex.
While their work towards women’s suffrage is acknowledged, the broader social and political contributions of our early feminists are often overlooked. When the right to vote still seemed unobtainable, they were lobbying for fairer divorce, child welfare, prevention of domestic violence and equal pay. Political representation seemed a step too far.
“None of these women could have imagined a Julia Gillard. It would have made their heads spin to think that a woman could be prime minister,” says historian Clare Wright.
An Australian parliament with majority of cabinet positions held by women, with women leading both the opposition in the House of Representatives and the government in the Senate, would leave them stunned, but triumphant.
Elizabeth Chappell previously received funding from the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship 2021-2024
Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with counterparts from countries including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, has signed a joint statement demanding Israel complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The statement condemns Israel for what it calls “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” seeking “their most basic need” of water and food, saying:
The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity […] It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.
Weapon of war
Gazans, including malnourished mothers denied baby formula, face impossible choices as Israel intensifies its use of starvation as a weapon of war.
In Gaza, survival requires negotiating what the United Nations calls aid “death traps”.
According to the UN, 875 Gazans have been killed – many of them shot – while seeking food since the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating in late May. Another 4,000 have been injured.
Gaza has been described as the “hungriest place on Earth”, with aid trucks being held at the border and the United States destroying around 500 tonnes of emergency food because it was just out of date.
More than two million people are at critical risk of famine. The World Food Programme estimates 90,000 women and children require urgent treatment for malnutrition.
Nineteen Palestinians have starved to death in recent days, according to local health authorities.
We can’t say we didn’t know
After the breakdown of the January ceasefire, Israel implemented a humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip. Following mounting international pressure, limited aid was permitted and the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations.
As anticipated, only a fraction of the aid has been distributed.
About 1,600 trucks entered Gaza between May 19 and July 14, well below the 630 trucks needed every day to feed the population.
Israeli ministers have publicly called for food and fuel reserves to be bombed to starve the Palestinian people – a clear war crime – to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages.
Famine expert Alex De Waal says Israel’s starvation strategy constitutes a dangerous weakening of international law. It also disrupts norms aimed at preventing hunger being used as a weapon of war:
operations like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are a big crack in these principles [that is] not going to save Gaza from mass starvation.
Palestinian organisations were the first to raise the alarm over Israel’s plans to impose controls over aid distribution.
UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher briefed the UN Security Council in May, warning of the world’s collective failure to call out the scale of violations of international law as they were being committed:
Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Tom Fletcher briefing the United Nations on the ‘atrocity’ being committed in Gaza.
Since then, clear and unequivocal warnings of the compounding risks of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing have intensified from the UN, member states and international law experts.
Weaponising aid
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claims it has handed out millions of meals since it began operating in the strip in May. But the UN has called the distribution model “inherently unsafe”.
Near-daily shootings have occurred since the militarised aid hubs began operating. Malnourished Palestinians risking death to feed their families are trekking long distances to reach the small number of distribution sites.
While the foundation denies people are being shot, the UN has called the aid delivery mechanism a “deliberate attempt to weaponise aid” that fails to comply with humanitarian principles and risks further war crimes.
Jewish Physicians for Human Rights has rejected the aid’s “humanitarian” characterisation, stating it “is what systematic harm to human beings looks like”.
Human rights and legal organisations are calling for all involved to be held accountable for complicity in war crimes that “exposes all those who enable or profit from it to real risk of prosecution”.
Mounting world action
Today’s joint statement follows growing anger and frustration in Western countries over the lack of political pressure on Israel to end the suffering in Gaza.
Polling in May showed more than 80% of Australians opposed Israel’s denial of aid as unjustifiable and wanted to see Australia doing more to support civilians in Gaza.
Last week’s meeting of the Hague Group of nations shows more collective concrete action is being taken to exert pressure and uphold international law.
Th 12 member states agreed to a range of diplomatic, legal and economic measures, including a ban on ships transporting arms to Israel.
The time for humanity is now
States will continue to face increased international and domestic pressure to take stronger action to influence Israel’s conduct as more Gazans are killed, injured and stripped of their dignity in an engineered famine.
This moment in Gaza is unprecedented in terms of our knowledge of the scale and gravity of violations being perpetrated and what failing to act means for Palestinians and our shared humanity.
Now is the time to exert diplomatic, legal and economic pressure on Israel to change course.
History tells us we need to act now – international law and our collective moral conscience requires it.
Amra 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: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
The following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the ministerial segment of the high-level political forum on sustainable development, in New York today:
This year’s high-level political forum arrives at a time of profound challenge — but also real possibility. Despite enormous headwinds, we have seen just in the last two months what can be achieved when countries come together with conviction and focus.
We saw it in Geneva, where the World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement — a vital step toward a safer, more equitable global health architecture. We saw it in Nice at the third UN Ocean Conference, where Governments committed to expand marine protected areas and tackle plastic pollution and illegal fishing.
And we saw it in Sevilla at the fourth International Financing for Development Conference, where countries agreed on a new vision for global finance — one that expands fiscal space, lowers the cost of capital, and ensures developing countries have a stronger voice and participation in the organizations that shape their future.
These are not isolated wins. They are signs of momentum. Signs that multilateralism can deliver. Signs that transformation is not only necessary — it is possible. And that is the spirit we bring to this high-level political forum.
This forum is about renewing our common promise — to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. We also recognize the deep linkages between development and peace.
We meet against the backdrop of global conflicts that are pushing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) further out of reach. That’s why we must keep working for peace in the Middle East.
Over the weekend in Gaza, we saw yet more mass shootings and killings of people seeking UN aid for their families — an atrocious and inhumane act which I utterly condemn.
We need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access as a first step to achieve the two-State solution. We need the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to hold. We need a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions.
We need an end to the horror and bloodshed in Sudan. And the list goes on, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Somalia, from the Sahel to Myanmar.
At every step, we know sustainable peace requires sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals are not a dream. They are a plan. A plan to keep our promises — to the most vulnerable people, to each other, and to future generations. People win when we channel our energy into development.
Since 2015, millions more people have access to electricity, clean cooking, and the internet. Social protection now reaches over half the world’s population — up from just a quarter a decade ago. More girls are completing school. Child marriage is declining. Women’s representation is growing — from the boardrooms of business to the halls of political power.
But we must face a tough reality: Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. Nearly half are moving too slowly. And 18 per cent are going backwards.
Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing. Trade tensions are rising. Inequalities are growing. Aid budgets are being decimated while military spending soars. And mistrust, division and outright conflicts are placing the international problem-solving system under unprecedented strain. We cannot sugarcoat these facts. But we must not surrender to them either.
The SDGs are still within reach — if we act with urgency and ambition. This year’s forum focuses on five critical Goals: health, gender equality, decent work, life below water, and global partnerships. All are essential. All are interconnected. All can spur change across other goals.
On health, COVID-19 exposed and deepened inequalities — and today, far too many people still lack access to basic care. We know what works. We must boost investment in universal health coverage, rooted in strong primary care and prevention, reaching those furthest behind first.
On gender equality, gaps remain wide. Women and girls face systemic barriers — from violence and discrimination to unpaid care and limited political voice.
But we also see growing momentum: from grassroots movements to national reforms. Now is the time to turn that momentum into transformation — with rights-based policies, accountability, and real financing into programmes that support inclusion and equality for women and girls.
On decent work, the global economy is leaving billions behind. Over 2 billion people are in informal jobs Youth unemployment is stubbornly high. But we have tools to change this.
The Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection is helping countries invest in expanded social protection initiatives, skills training, and the creation of sustainable livelihoods — including in growing industries like clean energy.
Tomorrow, I will deliver an address on the enormous opportunities of the renewables revolution. The upcoming World Summit on Social Development can help spur further progress.
On life below water, our ocean and the communities that count on it are paying the price of overfishing, pollution, and climate change. We must deliver on the commitments of the Nice Ocean Conference — to protect marine ecosystems and support the millions who depend on them. And, finally, on global partnerships — SDG 17 — we need to strengthen all the elements that can support progress.
This means investing in science, data, and local capacity. And harnessing digital innovation — including artificial intelligence — to accelerate progress, not deepen divides.
Throughout, we must recognize the need to reform the unfair global financial system, which no longer represents today’s world or the challenges faced by developing countries.
We must ensure a reform for developing countries to have a stronger voice and greater participation to help advance the Sustainable Development Goals on the ground.
The Sevilla Commitment that emerged from the Conference on Financing for Development includes important steps: Through new domestic and global commitments that can channel public and private finance to the areas of greatest need.
By increasing the capacity of Governments to substantially mobilize domestic resources, including through tax reform. And by establishing a more effective framework for debt relief and tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks to the benefit of developing countries.
In the coming year, we must keep building. We must strengthen and scale up partnerships that deliver — including with the private sector and civil society organizations and local authorities.
We must embed long-term thinking into every decision, as we committed in the Declaration on Future Generations. And we must continue to learn from each other.
Voluntary national reviews — the backbone of this forum — are more than reports. They are acts of accountability. They are journeys of self-discovery as countries develop and build. And they are templates for other countries to follow and learn from.
By the end of this high-level political forum, we will have surpassed 400 reviews — with over 150 countries presenting more than once. That is a powerful signal of commitment. A clear demonstration that solutions exist and can be replicated and expanded.
With five years left, it’s time to transform these sparks of transformation into a blaze of progress — for all countries. Let us act with determination, justice and direction. And let’s deliver on development — for people and for planet.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman in Beijing, capital of China, July 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman in Beijing on Monday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the two sides had always respected each other, treated each other as equals and cooperated in a mutually beneficial manner, adding that their high-quality Belt and Road cooperation has achieved fruitful results.
Noting this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Croatia, Wang urged both sides to enhance exchanges at all levels, increase mutual understanding and mutual trust, continue to firmly respect and support each other, strengthen the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Croatia’s development strategies, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
Wang said that cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) is an important part of China-EU relations. He added that China is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with Croatia based on the principles of openness, transparency and mutual benefit, urging both sides to enhance multilateral coordination and cooperation, adhere to multilateralism and free trade to jointly address global challenges.
Noting this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Wang said that a stable, healthy and positively developing China-EU relationship is in line with the fundamental interests and common aspirations of both sides, adding that China hopes Croatia will continue to play a constructive role in promoting China-EU cooperation.
Radman said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries over 30 years ago, both sides have advanced cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and bilateral relations have maintained a sound development.
He said that the government of Croatia adheres to the one-China policy, believing that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Croatia looks forward to maintaining close high-level exchanges with China, strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity and other fields, and welcomes more Chinese citizens to visit Croatia.
Noting that China is an indispensable and important economic and trade partner of Europe, Radman said that Croatia supports the EU and China in resolving specific differences through constructive dialogue and promoting the sustained and stable development of EU-China relations. China-CEEC cooperation is a beneficial platform for promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two sides. Croatia is willing to continue to actively support and participate in the cooperation.
Croatia attaches great importance to and appreciates the key role played by China in promoting world peace and is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China, he added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
This aerial photo taken on June 23, 2023 shows residential buildings along the Xuyan River, a tributary of the Jinjiang River, in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree that unveils regulations to boost the high-quality development of the housing rental market and facilitate establishing a housing system that supports both housing rentals and purchases.
The new regulations, which will go into effect on Sept. 15, emphasize the integration of the market’s leading role and government guidance in the sector’s development. It also encourages more supply of rental housing through multiple channels and fostering market-oriented, professional housing rental enterprises.
The document specifies regulations on rental activities, as well as the behaviors of housing rental enterprises and brokerage agencies. Rental brokerage agencies must verify and record the information of the entrusting parties, conduct on-site inspections of the properties before listing, and clearly mark the prices of their services, it says.
The regulations underline improved supervision and management of the housing rental sector. Governments of cities and above with subsidiary districts should establish monitoring mechanisms on housing rents and publish rental price levels regularly.
Strict legal responsibilities are stipulated for the illegal actions of lessors, tenants, housing rental enterprises, brokerage agencies and relevant government department staff, according to the document.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Chinese Embassy in Egypt and the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs on Sunday jointly held a seminar in Cairo, emphasizing the steady advancement of China-Egypt relations within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The event brought together senior diplomats, foreign affairs experts, and media representatives from both countries.
In his keynote address, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang pointed out that Egypt is a dialogue partner of the SCO, welcoming Egypt’s active participation in various SCO activities.
He said he expected China and Egypt to forge close coordination and cooperation under the framework of the SCO, and promote bilateral relations towards the goal of building a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era and contributing to world peace and development.
The guests at the meeting praised the booming Egypt-China relations and the role played by the SCO. They expressed hopes that Egypt and China could seize the development opportunities offered by the SCO to work together to improve global governance and promote the revitalization of the Global South.
Ezzat Saad, director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, who presided the seminar, told Xinhua that Egypt has always been committed to strengthening cooperation with China, both at the bilateral level and within the framework of the SCO.
“We believe that the SCO is an important platform for promoting the development of Egypt-China relations. Egypt looks forward to further deepening political and economic cooperation among the countries of the Global South based on the initiatives proposed by China,” he said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Chain Matchmaking Conference was held on July 16 during the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, with the theme “Synergizing Cutting-Edge Innovations, Empowering New Quality Productive Forces.”
Yu Jianlong, vice chairman of the CCPIT, speaks at the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Chain Matchmaking Conference during the 3rd CISCE in Beijing, July 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of CISCE Organizing Committee]
The event gathered over 400 participants, including ambassadors to China, academic experts, industry leaders and senior financial executives. Through keynote speeches, presentations, project promotions, product launches and strategic cooperation signings, the conference comprehensively showcased Hubei province’s advantages and potential in humanoid robot development. It facilitated precise connections across the industrial chain while injecting momentum into global humanoid robotics collaboration.
Yu Jianlong, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), stated at the event that as a pivotal hub where the Belt and Road Initiative intersects with the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Hubei boasts distinct geographical advantages, abundant sci-tech and educational resources, a robust innovation ecosystem and strong openness. In recent years, the province has demonstrated vigorous development momentum in humanoid robotics — from smart manufacturing to core component R&D, and from application scenarios to industrial ecosystem development.
“At this year’s CISCE, Hubei established the exclusive humanoid robotics exhibition zone, featuring 22 provincial enterprises showcasing over 80 exhibits — including 20 fully-integrated humanoid robots — collectively demonstrating Hubei’s complete industrial chain ecosystem for humanoid robotics,” Yu noted.
He emphasized that the CCPIT will continue expanding its enterprise service network and international partnerships, working with Hubei to establish high-quality cooperation platforms for Chinese and foreign enterprises. This will help position Hubei’s humanoid robotics industry as a standout brand in developing new quality productive forces.
Hu Zhonghai, director of the Hubei Sub-Council of the CCPIT, stated in his address that the humanoid robotics industry represents strategic high ground for developing new quality productive forces — serving as both a “barometer” for technological revolution and an “accelerator” for industrial upgrading. He emphasized Hubei’s ideal environment for robotics innovation, with its unique geographic advantages, strong industrial ecosystem support and superior open policies.
The joint exhibition booth of Hubei humanoid robotics enterprises during the 3rd CISCE in Beijing, July 19, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]
He noted the province has prioritized eight major projects, including breakthroughs in humanoid robotics, with 325 Global Fortune 500 companies having now established operations in Hubei. The province is firmly implementing its humanoid robotics industry roadmap targeting initial progress within one year, visible results in three years, and substantial momentum in five years.
Li Zhengxiang, chairman of the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, stated that the center is currently one of China’s largest and most scenario-rich innovation hubs for humanoid robotics. “Through a five-dimensional approach featuring platform leadership, industrial cluster development, financial support, talent empowerment and application scenario implementation, we will build a nationally influential ecosystem for the humanoid robotics industry,” he said.
Zhao Xingwei, legal representative of JCBot and professor at the School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), explained that JCBot has achieved industrialization with technical support from the team of academicians at HUST. The company’s products currently serve over 10 application fields, including industrial production, cultural tourism, emergency firefighting, inspection and warehousing. He emphasized JCBot will continue advancing R&D to expand into higher-value applications and support industrial upgrading.
During the new product launch session, Lou Kaiqi, deputy general manager of Hubei Optics Valley Dongzhi Embodied Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd., unveiled the company’s new humanoid robot model. Lou explained that the robot has already been deployed in various applications including exhibition hall docent services, retail guidance, reception duties and commercial performances, with plans for future expansion into government services, industrial operations, elderly care and other sectors.
A humanoid robot waves to the audience at the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Chain Matchmaking Conference during the 3rd CISCE in Beijing, July 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of CISCE Organizing Committee]
Shao Renjie, deputy director of integration at Hubei Kofon Intelligent Transmission Co. Ltd., unveiled a new drive joint module for humanoid robots at the event. The module integrates core components including high-torque motors, reducers and controllers, featuring high power density, precision control and lightweight design to meet dexterous movement requirements for humanoid robots. Shao noted that the launch of this module helps fill critical gaps in Hubei’s supply chain for humanoid robotics core components, strengthening local industrial self-sufficiency and control capabilities.
At the matchmaking conference, the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Alliance signed strategic cooperation framework agreements with three partners: the Zhejiang Robot Industry Association, the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, and the Zhongguancun Rongzhi Specialized Robotics Alliance. Under the agreements, the four parties will collaborate deeply on technology R&D, market expansion and talent exchange to build a stronger robotics ecosystem, enabling resource sharing and complementary advantages to collectively enhance competitiveness in humanoid robotics.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined “Mornings with Zerlina” on SiriusXM Progress on Friday as part of her week-long series on faith and politics, where he talked about how his faith motivates his public service, especially in fighting for vulnerable communities impacted by President Trump’s sweeping budget bill and rescissions package which both passed the Senate this month.
Senator Coons and Zerlina Maxwell discussed the need for Democrats to speak more openly about faith as a source of compassion and how faith plays into issues like climate change, health care, and global affairs. Senator Coons also talks about the rise of Christian nationalism in America right now and how evangelical conservatives have placed themselves at the center of the intersection of faith and politics in the popular imagination.
A link to the interview and key excerpts are available below.
LISTEN HERE.
Republicans push through Trump’s budget reconciliation bill
Maxwell: As a person of faith, what do you want our listeners at home to know about the damage of this particular law and how it flies in the face of so many faith teachings about how we should take care of people who are vulnerable and hurting?
Senator Coons: There are lots of us in the Democratic caucus in the Senate who first felt called to public service to help others, to try and strengthen our country, to address the issues of health equity, of hunger, of lack of access to clean air and water, to safe housing through a concern for each other that’s rooted in seeing other Americans of different backgrounds and different states and different needs as children of God – as people fully deserving of the respect and the investment and the support that that entails. This bill – this law now, as you pointed out – is going to do massive damage.
I recently did an event at the Delaware Food Bank with my colleagues, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester and Congresswoman Sarah McBride, where we went through in detail the tens of thousands of children, seniors and families who will be hungry as a result of the cuts to the hunger programs of the federal government and the millions of people across the country who will lose access to health care and crowd into emergency rooms sicker with less support, more likely to go bankrupt in ways that will increase their suffering and reduce the health of our country as a whole. The bottom line is that this act, which really was centrally driven by trying to deliver bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, is also going to make us hungrier, sicker, and more divided.
…
For a long time in American history, the faith community, broadly understood, was really at the center of social justice movements, whether it was the civil rights movement, or the labor movement, or the environmental movement, and that was motivated by a broadly shared compassion and concern for each other. If you think about the images of who was marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, it included priests and nuns, rabbis and protestant clergy, folks of a wide range of backgrounds. And just two weeks before the final vote on the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – which was anything but beautiful, it was a big, ugly bill – Reverend Jim Wallis and I helped convene literally hundreds of clergy, religious, civic leaders from around the country in a protest on the steps of the Capitol which began by their reading dozens of Scripture passages from Torah, from the Gospels, from other faith traditions that all put a privilege, a focus, a centrality, on caring for the poor, on caring for the needy, for the widow, for the orphan, for the outcast, and then put in sharp contrast how this law does the opposite.
Democrats needing to open up about their faith
Maxwell: You mention that more Democrats need to talk about their faith. Why is it that so many Democrats seem uncomfortable or unwilling to lean into their beliefs and to talk about it more openly?
Senator Coons: I don’t really know what’s the origin of it, other than, you know, look, we have to recognize that organized religion has harmed many people in the United States, there are certainly folks who have become distanced from their faith traditions because of their own experiences. Someone I was quite close to, and remain close to today, in law school confided in me that his initial very negative reaction was frankly because of something horrible that had happened in his parish when he was a child that had driven him away from the Catholic Church. He wasn’t judging me. He was just reflecting on an unpleasant experience. And the more that folks associate public religiosity with aggressive campaigns by Christian nationalists or exclusive focusing on reproductive freedom issues or death penalty issues, the more they think it’s a narrow concern, not something that speaks to broader concerns, but whether it’s about healthcare, the environment, our communities, or economic justice.
Rise of Christian nationalism
Maxwell: Does your faith inform the way you talk about the rise in authoritarianism or white Christian nationalism in the country right now? Because I feel like there is a space where we can talk about aligning ourselves with values that have a moral grounding that are not what the folks on the other end of the political spectrum are talking about in a moment like this one.
Senator Coons: There are passages in the Gospels and the Torah that I think speak clearly to a sense of who is my neighbor. Who are we connected to? In Christ, there is no East or West, nor Greek, nor Jew, for example, and I have always felt that the calling of the United States to be engaged with the rest of the world, to be supportive of development and addressing disasters and crises in the rest of the world, is rooted in that teaching that we are all children of God, regardless of race, religion, background, ethnicity, faith, language. And here at home, similarly, Christian nationalism presumes that we are a country that is uniquely endowed with an historic mission, and at times that has, in my experience, on the Foreign Relations Committee here, that hurts our partnerships around the world, our alliances around the world, but it also fails to reflect a real embrace of the full creation of the world and the full range of humanity, both here in the United States and around the world.
MIAMI — On July 17, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested Pierre Reginald Boulos, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and citizen of Haiti, for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act contributing to the destabilization of Haiti. This case was investigated jointly with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.
The Department of State determined that Boulos’ presence or activities in the United States would have potential serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States, providing a basis for the charge of removability. Specifically, officials determined that he engaged in a campaign of violence and gang support that contributed to Haiti’s destabilization. Additionally, in his application to become a lawful permanent resident, he failed to disclose his involvement in the formation of a political party in Haiti, Mouvement pour la Transformation et la Valorisation d’Haiti, and that he was referred for prosecution by the Haitian government’s Unit for the Fight Against Corruption for misusing loans, supporting an additional ground of removability based on this fraud. He is currently in ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations detention.
The Department of State has determined that certain individuals with U.S. lawful permanent resident status have supported and collaborated with Haitian gang leaders connected to Viv Ansanm, a Haitian foreign terrorist organization. The United States will not allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of legal status in our country while they are facilitating the actions of violent organizations or supporting criminal terrorist organizations abroad.
With this determination, the Department of Homeland Security can pursue the removal of these individuals under section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These new actions demonstrate the Trump administration’s firm commitment to protecting the American people, advancing our national security interests, and promoting regional security and stability.
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Texas parents gathered outside the White House for a solemn memorial and press conference following the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County that claimed more than 120 lives, including 27 children attending summer camp.
Organized by impacted families and the Make Polluters Pay, a campaign by Fossil Free Media, the memorial featured a powerful visual display of 27 children’s camp trunks on the Ellipse Lawn—each representing a young life lost. Parents placed yellow roses atop the trunks in silence before delivering impassioned remarks demanding federal accountability and urgent action to protect children from worsening climate-driven disasters.
The ceremony concluded with a stirring performance by a local choir, who sang “Lean on Me” and “Rise Like the Water” as families stood arm in arm, calling for justice and change.
Parents directly blamed the Trump administration’s cuts to disaster preparedness and early warning systems, including FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service, which they say left communities vulnerable. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, recently inserted language into H.R. 1 that slashed millions from NOAA programs essential for flood forecasting and public alerts.
“We know that this administration, by destroying renewable energy and using our tax dollars to prop up the fossil fuel industry, an industry that earned $102 billion dollars last year, is doing everything it can to supercharge this climate crisis,” said Texan and momSamantha Gore. “To also be defunding our NWS and NOAA, the agencies we use to keep our children safe, at the same time is unthinkable. How dare they. Parents won’t sit back while our children die from floods that shouldn’t have been supercharged, from DOGE cuts that put their lives on the line, and from weather services not being funded. What are they thinking? We won’t back down. They are destroying everything we love.”
In addition to demanding the restoration of life-saving public programs, demonstrators called on President Trump and Congress to hold fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the damage their pollution has caused.
“Texans are grieving because public safety systems were dismantled to serve fossil fuel interests,” said Cassidy DiPaola, spokesperson for the Make Polluters Pay campaign. “Senator Cruz helped cut flood forecasting programs days before the storm. Now families are paying the price while polluters and their allies deflect blame. Texans deserve accountability, not excuses.”
Speakers stressed that the Kerr County tragedy reflects a growing pattern of climate disasters that will only intensify without bold action and restoration of critical safeguards.
“It feels like we’ve lost our way as a country in a very short time. In the six months since this administration has been in charge they have encouraged, enabled, allowed a temporary government agency, one with no oversight, to wantonly cut budgets and offer early retirements for roles that are crucial to the safety of our communities. There were other serious failures at lower levels of government, all of which directly contributed to the loss of dozens of children’s lives. These weren’t accidents or acts of God. These were intentional choices. Let that sink in,” said Texan and mom Helen Waters. “ This event affected me deeply as I grew up going to summer camp in the area and I have close friends who were caught in the flooding and nearly died. However it’s clear to me that this has, and will, happen in other places. We must fight for a social contract with reliable and accountable.”
“As an Austin mom, I’ve been feeling the losses of the children from my community in a very visceral, immediate way,” said Texan and mom Eileen McGinnis. “As the founder of The Parents’ Climate Community, a climate nonprofit in Central Texas, I was moved to join because it’s also vital to connect these losses, this collective grief, to a larger story: kids around the world are bearing the brunt of climate change’s impacts, and we are failing to protect them.”
To speak with parents or campaign representatives, please contact: Cassidy DiPaola | Fossil Free Media | cassidy@fossilfree.media | 401-441-7196
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Texas parents gathered outside the White House for a solemn memorial and press conference following the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County that claimed more than 120 lives, including 27 children attending summer camp.
Organized by impacted families and the Make Polluters Pay, a campaign by Fossil Free Media, the memorial featured a powerful visual display of 27 children’s camp trunks on the Ellipse Lawn—each representing a young life lost. Parents placed yellow roses atop the trunks in silence before delivering impassioned remarks demanding federal accountability and urgent action to protect children from worsening climate-driven disasters.
The ceremony concluded with a stirring performance by a local choir, who sang “Lean on Me” and “Rise Like the Water” as families stood arm in arm, calling for justice and change.
Parents directly blamed the Trump administration’s cuts to disaster preparedness and early warning systems, including FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service, which they say left communities vulnerable. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, recently inserted language into H.R. 1 that slashed millions from NOAA programs essential for flood forecasting and public alerts.
“We know that this administration, by destroying renewable energy and using our tax dollars to prop up the fossil fuel industry, an industry that earned $102 billion dollars last year, is doing everything it can to supercharge this climate crisis,” said Texan and momSamantha Gore. “To also be defunding our NWS and NOAA, the agencies we use to keep our children safe, at the same time is unthinkable. How dare they. Parents won’t sit back while our children die from floods that shouldn’t have been supercharged, from DOGE cuts that put their lives on the line, and from weather services not being funded. What are they thinking? We won’t back down. They are destroying everything we love.”
In addition to demanding the restoration of life-saving public programs, demonstrators called on President Trump and Congress to hold fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the damage their pollution has caused.
“Texans are grieving because public safety systems were dismantled to serve fossil fuel interests,” said Cassidy DiPaola, spokesperson for the Make Polluters Pay campaign. “Senator Cruz helped cut flood forecasting programs days before the storm. Now families are paying the price while polluters and their allies deflect blame. Texans deserve accountability, not excuses.”
Speakers stressed that the Kerr County tragedy reflects a growing pattern of climate disasters that will only intensify without bold action and restoration of critical safeguards.
“It feels like we’ve lost our way as a country in a very short time. In the six months since this administration has been in charge they have encouraged, enabled, allowed a temporary government agency, one with no oversight, to wantonly cut budgets and offer early retirements for roles that are crucial to the safety of our communities. There were other serious failures at lower levels of government, all of which directly contributed to the loss of dozens of children’s lives. These weren’t accidents or acts of God. These were intentional choices. Let that sink in,” said Texan and mom Helen Waters. “ This event affected me deeply as I grew up going to summer camp in the area and I have close friends who were caught in the flooding and nearly died. However it’s clear to me that this has, and will, happen in other places. We must fight for a social contract with reliable and accountable.”
“As an Austin mom, I’ve been feeling the losses of the children from my community in a very visceral, immediate way,” said Texan and mom Eileen McGinnis. “As the founder of The Parents’ Climate Community, a climate nonprofit in Central Texas, I was moved to join because it’s also vital to connect these losses, this collective grief, to a larger story: kids around the world are bearing the brunt of climate change’s impacts, and we are failing to protect them.”
To speak with parents or campaign representatives, please contact: Cassidy DiPaola | Fossil Free Media | cassidy@fossilfree.media | 401-441-7196
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Noting that federal tax dollars belong to the American people – not the President or federal agencies – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today hailed a federal court ruling that the Trump Administration violated the law by taking down a public disclosure website that shows how taxpayer dollars are apportioned to federal agencies and ordered its reinstatement.
The Constitution clearly mandates that Congress, not the executive branch, has the ‘power of the purse.’ The President signs funding bills and is statutorily responsible for apportioning funds for executive branch agencies to spend in accordance with Congress’s directive under the law. Historically, the responsibility for apportioning funds has been delegated to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by executive order.
In an effort to boost government transparency and accountability and ensure the American people know where their tax dollars are going, Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, helped pass a bipartisan provision in the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-103), made permanent in 2023, requiring OMB to publicly disclose how federal funding is disbursed to federal agencies and make the information available on a publicly accessible website. Previously, OMB’s apportionment decisions were rarely made public. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended making this information publicly available in 2021.
The apportionment database was launched in the summer of 2022. But in March of 2025, the Trump Administration took down the website and dubiously attempted to justify its removal by claiming that apportionments contain deliberative and predecisional information and citing national security risks. However, apportionments are issued only after deliberation and are legally binding decisions that govern agency expenditures. Since March 24, 2025, the public website has been down, and OMB Director Russell Vought said OMB will no longer make apportionments available.
“Americans deserve to know how their government is using their hard-earned resources, that the President is spending their tax dollars in accordance with the law, and is doing so in an effective and responsible manner. This website was like a dashboard to oversee and review executive branch stewardship of U.S. taxpayer funds. The Trump Administration sought to unlawfully conceal this information. Today’s ruling very clearly orders the Trump Administration to stop hiding data from the American people and reinstate this public website. It’s a positive step for taxpayers and the Trump Administration must comply with the law,” said Reed.
The judge’s ruling stated: “There is nothing unconstitutional about Congress requiring the Executive Branch to inform the public of how it is apportioning the public’s money. Defendants are therefore required to stop violating the law!”
The judge ordered the Trump Administration to reinstate the database. But at the Justice Department’s request, the judge paused the order until Thursday morning, so the Administration can decide if it will seek emergency relief from an appeals court.
Bipartisan members of Congress have publicly declared the Trump Administration is required by law to operate the public website and ensure accountability for stewardship of taxpayer funds.
A new petition calls for a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code, automatic compensation and tougher penalties.
Consumer NZ has launched a new campaign – Price it right – calling on the government to crack down on misleading supermarket pricing practices that are costing shoppers tens of millions of dollars a year across Aotearoa.
The consumer watchdog is urging the introduction of a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code, with clear rules, meaningful penalties and automatic compensation for consumers when supermarkets get it wrong.
“We’re asking the government to step in and deal with misleading supermarket pricing,” said Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ chief executive.
“Too often, shoppers are charged more at the check-out than what’s shown on the shelf, or they’re misled in some other way. While pricing errors may seem minor on an individual basis, they add up when multiplied across the population. This isn’t OK, particularly at a time when people are struggling to pay their bills.”
Recent Consumer research found that 62% of New Zealanders noticed pricing errors at the supermarket over the past year.
“This isn’t just the occasional mistake – it’s an ongoing systemic problem that’s adding to the pain people are feeling at the check-out with food prices that are already too high,” said Duffy.
Thanks to hundreds of complaints shared by consumers, Consumer filed a formal complaint with the Commerce Commission in 2023. That led to criminal charges being laid against Woolworths NZ and two Pak’nSave stores for misleading pricing. But the problem persists.
“It’s already illegal for businesses to mislead consumers about prices, but the current law is not forcing supermarkets to up their game. They have had plenty of chances to fix this. The time for talk is over. It’s time for stronger rules with real consequences,” said Duffy.
Consumer’s Price it right campaign is calling for:
a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code with clear pricing rules
automatic compensation when shoppers are overcharged – such as receiving the item free if the scanned price is higher than the shelf price, there is a special that doesn’t offer a genuine saving or the unit pricing is incorrect
clear disclosure of consumer rights in store and online
tougher penalties and infringement notice powers, like those used in Australia, to deter misleading pricing and promotions.
“We’re not asking for much – just fair and accurate pricing that consumers can trust,” said Duffy. “It’s a simple step that would make a real difference.”
What you can do Consumer is asking New Zealanders to sign its petition and demand that the government take urgent action. Minister for economic growth Nicola Willis says she’s considering introducing tougher penalties for supermarkets that breach the Fair Trading Act and other changes to ensure shoppers are not misled by pricing. Signing the petition will show your support for these moves.
Sign the petition: Tell the government to ‘price it right’ “It’s time supermarkets were held to account. By signing and sharing the petition, you’re helping stop misleading supermarket pricing and pushing for real change.” (ref. https://consumernz.cmail20.com/t/i-l-fkkjkyk-ijjdkdttjk-j/ )
Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.
New Zealand has joined 24 other countries in calling for an end to the war in Gaza, and criticising what they call the inhumane killing of Palestinians.
“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
They said it was “horrifying” that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid, the majority at food distribution sites run by a US- and Israeli-backed foundation.
“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively,” it said.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters . . . “The tipping point was some time ago . . . it’s gotten to the stage where we’ve just lost our patience.” Image: RN/Mark Papalii
“Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a ‘humanitarian city’ are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.”
The statement said the countries were “prepared to take further action” to support an immediate ceasefire.
Reuters reported Israel’s foreign ministry said the statement was “disconnected from reality” and it would send the wrong message to Hamas.
“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” the Israeli statement said.
Having NZ voice heard Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report, New Zealand had chosen to be part of the statement as a way to have its voice heard on the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“The tipping point was some time ago . . . it’s gotten to the stage where we’ve just lost our patience . . . ”
Peters said he wanted to see what the response to the condemnation was.
“The conflict in the Middle East goes on and on . . . It’s gone from a situation where it was excusable, due to the October 7 conflict, to inexcusable as innocent people are being swept into it,” he said.
“I do think there has to be change. It must happen now.”
The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians — including at least 17,400 children, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, while displacing almost the entire population of more than 2 million and spreading a hunger crisis.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Israel has rejected a statement by 25 countries calling for an end to the war on Gaza as a move “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”
New Zealand has joined 24 other countries in calling for an end to the war in Gaza, and criticising what they call the inhumane killing of Palestinians.
“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
They said it was “horrifying” that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid, the majority at food distribution sites run by a US- and Israeli-backed foundation.
“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively,” it said.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters . . . “The tipping point was some time ago . . . it’s gotten to the stage where we’ve just lost our patience.” Image: RN/Mark Papalii
“Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a ‘humanitarian city’ are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.”
The statement said the countries were “prepared to take further action” to support an immediate ceasefire.
Reuters reported Israel’s foreign ministry said the statement was “disconnected from reality” and it would send the wrong message to Hamas.
“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” the Israeli statement said.
Having NZ voice heard Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report, New Zealand had chosen to be part of the statement as a way to have its voice heard on the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“The tipping point was some time ago . . . it’s gotten to the stage where we’ve just lost our patience . . . ”
Peters said he wanted to see what the response to the condemnation was.
“The conflict in the Middle East goes on and on . . . It’s gone from a situation where it was excusable, due to the October 7 conflict, to inexcusable as innocent people are being swept into it,” he said.
“I do think there has to be change. It must happen now.”
The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent air and ground war in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians — including at least 17,400 children, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, while displacing almost the entire population of more than 2 million and spreading a hunger crisis.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Israel has rejected a statement by 25 countries calling for an end to the war on Gaza as a move “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”
Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
WASHINGTON—Last week, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Kudlow on Fox Business live from the White House after President Donald Trump signed his GENIUS Act into law.
*Click the photo above or here to watch*Partial Transcript
Hagerty on the impact of the GENIUS Act: “What this [the GENIUS Act] does is it takes a payment system that was designed in the 1970s out of business. We go into the blockchain—much more efficient, much more effective. Trades that took five or 10 days to clear now can be done almost instantaneously. If you think about the working capital that comes out of the system, the counterparty risk that goes away, the currency risk if you’re doing a cross-border transaction—all of that is minimized because of the speed of these transactions.”
Hagerty on increased demand for U.S. Treasuries: “In terms of the impact on the dollar and on Treasuries, I think that’s going to be very significant. The demand for U.S. treasuries is going to go up significantly. In fact, every projection shows that stablecoin issuers will become the largest holders of U.S. Treasuries, because every stablecoin in America has to be backed dollar-for-dollar by a U.S. Treasury or cash. That’s going to stimulate Treasury demand. That’s going to have a great impact on rates, bringing them down. It’ll help the Treasury secretary manage much better. And as we look at the environment we’re in right now, with rates too high and the cost of our debt too high, this is going to be a definite help.”
Hagerty on global dollar dominance: “This [the GENIUS Act] will cement the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of the world. People around the world would much rather own a decentralized, U.S. dollar-denominated currency that they know is backed up by U.S. Treasuries than a Chinese yuan or a euro, currencies that are centralized and controlled by their governments. This is going to be a far better product. And I think what this does is it takes us from being on our heels, which is where we were for the last four years, when the Biden administration waged war on the industry, and moves us into the 21st century.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)
Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Blake Moore (R-UT-01) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jim Banks (R-IN) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Build More Housing Near Transit Act to encourage the construction of low- and middle-income housing in transit-served, walkable locations. Rep. Peters previously introduced a standalone House version of the legislation in 2019 and a bicameral version in 2021 and 2023.
The bill incentivizes the development of more housing near transit stops by tying the competition for federal transit funding to state and local housing plans along transit corridors. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the United States has a shortage of 7.1 million affordable rental homes. In San Diego County alone, there is a shortage of nearly 100,000 homes for extremely low-income renters and that gap is nearly one million homes statewide. It is clear California is not doing enough to keep pace with growing demand – in 2024, the state only permitted 114,069 homes, according to California’s Housing and Community Development Department. Since 2021, San Diego County has permitted only 48,765 homes, just 28.4 percent of the total needed to meet demand according to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation formula.
“The cost of housing remains the greatest barrier to prosperity in California, forcing people to move farther and farther from where they work, which means longer commutes and more air pollution,” said Rep. Peters. “Our bill will get more cars off the road by maximizing federal investments in public transportation and will increase affordable housing options for families across the country. As a Co-Chair of the YIMBY Caucus and founding member of the growth–oriented Build America Caucus in Congress, I look forward to getting this commonsense legislation across the finish line to help relieve the pressure on cost-burdened Americans.”
“Housing has consistently been one of the most pressing issues for Utahns since I joined Congress. In some ways, Utah is a victim of its own success. Our incredible quality of life, economic opportunity, and low unemployment rates have put significant strains on our housing market, which has priced out young families from starter homes and presented major challenges to servicemembers at Hill Air Force Base,” said Rep. Moore. “I’m proud to introduce legislation that will condition federal transit grants on whether states are reducing zoning barriers for housing near new bus or rapid transit lines, something that Utah has already been doing for years through the leadership of partners such as UTA along the Wasatch Front and Connect in Cache Valley. The end result will bring more of Utah’s common-sense policies to Washington and help more families find affordable and accessible homes.”
“The clearest way out of our national housing shortage is by building more housing,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bipartisan bill incentivizes cities and towns to build housing when they expand or redevelop their public transit systems. This will help put more families in homes, grow local economies, and cut carbon pollution. It’s a win for everyone.”
“This bill makes it easier for communities to build homes for working families by cutting red tape and giving them the freedom to create strong, family-friendly neighborhoods near public transit,” said Senator Banks.
The Build More Housing Near Transit Act would direct the Department of Transportation to incentivize local governments to promote housing development and regional growth in and around the transit corridors of future New Starts projects. Specifically, this bill will amend U.S. Code Section 5309, which governs the application process for capital investment grants to:
Direct the Secretary of Transportation to boost a transit project’s rating if the project includes pro-housing policies for areas along the project route;
Define pro-housing policies as a state or local action to remove regulatory barriers to constructing or preserving housing, reduce or eliminate parking minimums or minimum lot sizes, establish by-right approval processes for multi-family housing, commit substantial public property to affordable housing development or preservation, and eliminate or raise residential property height limits; and
Engage the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop a methodology to evaluate the merits of the pro-housing policies documented in a CIG application.
A letter of support from more than 100 national, state, and local groups, including Circulate San Diego, is available here. A full list of supporting organizations is available here.
“In San Diego we have made a conscious effort to spur housing development along our growing public transit system,” said City of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act will provide additional incentives to create affordable housing near transit, helping our region address both our housing affordability and climate crises.”
“America is experiencing a severe housing shortage that affects every aspect of American lives and the economy,” said Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth Action. “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act addresses the critical link between transportation and housing and would create greater access to affordable commutes and abundant housing. We applaud the lead sponsors for introducing this bill, serving as an example of how the federal government can use its leverage to ensure the right types of housing are available in the places people want to live.
“The United States needs to build millions of new homes and rental units for low- and middle-income Americans,” said David Dworkin, President and CEO, National Housing Conference (NHC). “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act would help unlock supply and smarter, more efficient development by linking housing and transit planning and development. Transit-oriented development can help reduce costs, grow local economies, increase affordable housing supply, and increase access to opportunities for families. The National Housing Conference is proud to endorse this legislation, and we are grateful to the leadership of Representatives Scott Peters and Blake Moore, and Senators Brian Schatz and Jim Banks.”
“For decades, the federal government has funded mass transit projects in cities whose growth control laws do not allow people to live near and ride on transit,” said Alex Armlovich, Senior Housing Policy Analyst, Niskanen Center. “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act finally corrects this. It protects transit riders and the federal taxpayer from spending scarce transit capital on projects doomed by rigid zoning regulations to low housing growth and low future ridership, while uplifting projects in localities that welcome housing & transit ridership growth. This bill is the essential first step in restoring bipartisan confidence in America’s mass transit investments for taxpayers and transit riders alike.”
PSNA is urging the government to step in and require Paypal to refund money it refuses to pass on starving families in Occupied Gaza.
Paypal has been freezing accounts which send money to Occupied Gaza – the latest being the account of Wellington-based writer “Emily Writes” who hasposted about her sickening experiences here.
“Paypal is happy to provide backup to Israel’s genocide by ensuring food is only available through the Israeli military which is using it to ethnically cleanse starving Palestinians from the north to the south of the Occupied Gaza strip” says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto.
“Using food aid like this is a war crime and we are asking Minister of Finance Nicola Willis to step in and demand Paypal allow kiwis to donate to starving families in Gaza”
“Low and middle-income New Zealanders kiwis are naturally generous but Paypal is not only freezing these accounts but are refusing to refund the money.”
“The New Zealand government has refused to condemn Israel’s mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians but they can insist money from New Zealanders wanting to help is not frozen for six months while Israel’s war on humanity continues”
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says New Zealand’s signature on a joint statement of 25 countries on Gaza is meaningless without concrete action.
PSNA Co-Chair John Minto says Peters’ statements in the media this morning, fall well short of the condemnation in the joint statement, and are what Minto calls the usual ducking the issue of Israeli culpability.
“Peters still can’t bring himself to criticise Israel in Gaza – even after 21 months of mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians. He condemns a suffering situation, but carefully avoids stating who it causing it.”
Minto says there is an extensive list of actions the government must take if it’s serious.
“I’m sure the Israeli ambassador in Wellington is happily reporting to his ministry in Tel Aviv that the New Zealand government is still tolerating mass starvation, bombing civilians and ethnic cleansing.” Minto says.
“If the New Zealand government was serious, it would implement this list”:
1.Back the call from UN Special Rapporteur for the OPT, Francesca Albanese, for military protection for aid convoys to enter Gaza.
2.Close the Israeli embassy in Wellington
3.End trade and investment ties with Israel
Deny entry visas for all Israeli Defence Forces personnel
5.Introduce legislation to sanction Israel the same as the Russia Sanctions Act
6.Cease approval for Rakon to export crystal oscillators which may be used by the Israeli military for targeting Gaza and other Israeli assault zones
7.Ban all Rocket Lab launches of satellites used for Israeli reconnaissance over Gaza
8.Suspend all bilateral agreements with Israel; movie co-production, overflight agreement and technological cooperation
9.Stop remittances going to Israel, such as funds for the racist Jewish National Fund
10.Cut scientific, academic, sport and cultural ties with the State of Israel
11.Sell all New Zealand’s Superfund investments in Israeli companies
12.Vote to suspend Israeli membership of the United Nations for not withdrawing from all the Occupied Palestinian Territory
13.Cease approving Israeli munitions transporter ZIM Shipping using our ports
14.Join the case against Israeli genocide in the International Court of Justice
15.Sign onto the Hague Group of countries working to ensure Israel complies with International Law https://thehaguegroup.org/home/
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)
Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Improving Access to Small Business Information Act (H.R. 3351), a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), to streamline federal regulations and better support small businesses.
This bill specifies that certain actions of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (Advocate) —such as conducting field surveys—are not a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This allows the Advocate to prioritize facilitating access to capital without bureaucratic delays.
Watch Rep. Kim speak on the floor in support of the bill HERE.
“California is home to over 4.2 million small businesses. Burdensome regulations are getting in the way of the federal government collecting basic data on small business challenges, hurting our government’s ability to support entrepreneurs,” said Rep. Young Kim. “The Improving Access to Small Business Information Act cuts through unnecessary red tape so the Office of the Advocate can ask the right questions, collect timely feedback, and do its job — help small businesses access capital and grow.”
The Improving Access to Small Business Information Act passed the House with strong bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.– Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to protect taxpayer dollars after the Agency announced it has found 2.8 million Americans enrolled in multiple Medicaid or Affordable Care Act Exchange plans, the removal of which is projected to save taxpayers $14 billion annually.
“This effort builds on our work in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, guarding the integrity of our health care programs and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent on the populations they were designed to serve. These are the commonsense steps all agencies should be taking, and I applaud Administrator Oz for his commitment to cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse,” Crapo said.
Background:
CMS announced that an analysis of 2024 enrollment data identified 2.8 million Americans either enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in multiple states or simultaneously enrolled in both Medicaid/CHIP and a subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange plan.
As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, CMS now has new tools it needs to prevent the federal government from paying twice for the same person’s care.
CMS will continue to partner with states by providing the necessary resources and guidance to reduce duplicate enrollment.
