Update 3.0.x release branch for 3.0.8
This PR cherry picks the changes from the following PRs onto the release/3.0.x
branch to finalise the 3.0.8 release:
- #1662
- #1665
- #1669
- #1672
- #1685
- #1687
- #1688
- #1689
- #1690
- #1691
- #1694
- #1695
- #1698
- #1699
- #1712
- #1713
- #1714
- #1715
- #1716
- #1718
- #1719
- #1721
- #1722
- #1723
- #1728
- #1730
- #1733
- #1734