Law and order – LiveNews.co.nz

Migrants network: Luxon must sack Peters, or wear his racism

LiveNews Publisher — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:47:24 +0000

Source: Workers First Union

The Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG) is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to sack Winston Peters as Foreign Minister after his racist “go back to your own country” attack on Green MP Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan in Parliament this week, and to confront the wider pattern inside coalition partner New Zealand First that produced it.

Peters made the comment in the House on Wednesday, also telling Xu-Nan to “go back to where you’ve come from” and accusing China of lying “like a flatfish.” NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones backed him immediately, saying Xu-Nan “should know his place,” on top of Jones’ earlier description of Indian migration as a “butter chicken tsunami” and his call to “put them on the first plane and send them home.” China’s embassy has lodged a formal complaint with MFAT. Labour, the Greens and National’s own campaign spokesperson have all called the remarks racist or called for Peters to go. Prime Minister Luxon has so far called it “attention-seeking” and attempted to move on.

“For migrant communities, those words are not political banter. They are racist, harmful and deeply hurtful,” said Mikee Santos, UNEMIG coordinator.

“’Go back to your own country’ is one of the oldest racist insults there is, and it tells you that no matter how long you’ve lived here or what you’ve contributed, you’ll still be treated as an outsider.”

“Belonging in Aotearoa doesn’t come with an expiry date or a birthplace test, or a requirement to agree with those in power. Mr Xu-Nan has lived here for three decades and makes a valuable contribution to our Parliament and our politics.”

Mr Santos said the comments come from a political party that is increasingly visible as “the racist party”.

“This isn’t two ministers losing their tempers days apart, it’s New Zealand First’s playbook, and it’s rotten to the core. When language like this comes from the floor of our own Parliament, it gives cover for the same language in workplaces, schools and on the street,” said Mr Santos.

“New Zealand relies on migrant labour to run its hospitals, its building sites and its orchards, then has its Foreign Minister tell migrants to go home the moment they speak up.”

“Frankly, it’s very worrying that a petulant man with no impulse control and declining instincts is the same man negotiating trade behind closed doors with the countries he’s just insulted. That should worry every New Zealander, not only migrant communities.”

“There’s a real irony here too. China’s ambassador has felt the need to comment on how a New Zealand MP was treated by our own Foreign Minister. It’s a terrible look on the world stage.”

“Silence is complicity. If Chris Luxon lets this slide, he must wear it too. New Zealanders didn’t ask for imported Trump-era politics and we don’t want it here.”

“Aotearoa is already a great country. It doesn’t need migrant communities frightened and divided by textbook racism to remain that way.”

UNEMIG calls on the Prime Minister to sack Winston Peters as Foreign Minister, rule out going into coalition with a racist political party, and reaffirm its support and appreciation for what migrant workers bring to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background information

UNEMIG is a migrant led, non-profit and non-sectarian organisation of migrant workers across the union movement which aims to protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers in New Zealand.

MIL OSI

Billo on Advertising and AI – Two AI Laws Take Effect August 2. Most Ad Campaigns Fall Under Neither

LiveNews Publisher — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:41:48 +0000

Source: Billo

California will require large generative AI providers to introduce detection and provenance features, while the European Union will require providers, brands and agencies to mark or label AI-generated content that resembles a real or plausibly real person, object or event. New York separately requires disclosure when an advertisement uses a synthetic performer. Many US ad campaigns fall outside all three laws, so revealing AI use is still a trust decision brands make on their own.

July 31, 2026. Two major AI transparency laws will take effect on August 2, 2026, one in California and one across the European Union.

Although both rules address AI-generated content, they regulate different actors and impose different obligations. California’s initial requirements apply directly to providers of publicly accessible generative AI systems with more than 1 million monthly visitors or users.

In the EU, providers must make AI-generated or manipulated content machine-detectable, while professional deployers, including brands and agencies, must visibly disclose deepfakes. These can depict existing or plausibly existing people, objects, places, entities or events where the content could falsely appear authentic or truthful.

A third law, already in effect in New York since June, covers a performer built entirely from AI who resembles no one real.

Neither rule creates a general requirement for every U.S. brand to tell viewers that an advertisement was made with AI.

That leaves three separate definitions of the same problem, and Donatas Smailys, co-founder and CEO of Billo, doesn’t expect any of them to become the real standard yet.

“Nobody is going to wait for three different laws to tell them what to do,” said Donatas Smailys. “Honestly, I’d like to see broader rules here. Most brands are left guessing whether their ads need a label at all, and that’s not good for anyone. Until lawmakers catch up, platforms like TikTok and Google are already labeling AI content on their own. They’re not waiting for brands to disclose first. Keeping track of three separate rules costs more than just labeling everything. Most brands will end up disclosing by default.”

How the Three Laws Differ

Two of the laws will take effect on August 2, 2026, and a third is already live. In each case, disclosure of AI use is defined differently:

California binds providers of generative AI systems with 1 million-plus monthly users, not brands or agencies. Providers must offer a free public detection tool, an optional visible disclosure and a mandatory hidden watermark in AI images, video and audio. Violations can result in a $5,000 civil penalty per violation, with each day of continuing non-compliance treated as a separate violation, under the California AI Transparency Act as amended by AB 853.
The European Union applies Article 50 on the same day. The rule reaches brands directly, but only when AI-generated content copies the likeness of a real person, object, entity or event and it applies to any advertiser whose ads reach EU consumers, regardless of where the company is based. Penalties can reach up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual turnover.
New York, where the law has applied since June 9, covers the opposite case: invented performers who resemble no one. It applies wherever an advertiser’s ads reach New York consumers, regardless of headquarters, and only where the advertiser has actual knowledge. The first violation carries a $1,000 penalty; each one after that is $5,000.

What Consumers Want and What Platforms Are Already Doing

Most consumers want AI use labeled, but most laws don’t require it. A Fractl and Search Engine Land survey of 1,008 US consumers and 150 marketers, conducted in the second quarter of 2026, found 91% want AI-generated video labeled, along with 90% for images, 87% for audio and 84% for written content. Only 20% of organizations say they always disclose AI use but a third of organizations say they never do.

“Six months ago, almost no brand asked us whether a creator used AI in their video,” said Smailys. “Now it comes up in nearly every brief. Brands want to know exactly what was shot on camera and what wasn’t, whether or not a law requires them to ask.”

That shift is starting to show up on platforms too, even without a legal mandate behind it. Google’s My Ad Center now includes a “How this ad was made” panel across Search, YouTube and Discover, with automatic disclosure for ads built using Google’s own generative AI tools.

TikTok was the first video platform to adopt C2PA, an industry content-authenticity standard, in May 2024, and now holds a seat on the standard’s Steering Committee. Using that standard alongside creator-applied labels and invisible watermarking, the platform has labeled more than 3 billion videos as AI-generated. It removed more than 86 million fake accounts in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

What This Means for Brands

For most brands, it comes down to three checks: what tool made the content, whether it resembles a real person, and whether the performer on screen was invented. Billo’s experts recommend four steps to check where a campaign stands before it runs:

Check whether your ads reach New York. The disclosure requirement follows the audience, not the company’s headquarters. A campaign run entirely outside the state still falls under the law if a New York consumer sees it.
Ask your agency whether any person on screen is AI-generated. New York’s law applies where the advertiser has actual knowledge.
If you run campaigns in the EU, check whether the AI content resembles a real person. That resemblance is what triggers Article 50’s disclosure duty for brands.
Platforms may label AI-generated content independently, but brands should not assume every AI-assisted ad will be detected automatically. TikTok and Google are already disclosing AI use on their own. Brands can choose whether that disclosure comes from them first, or from the platform’s detection system.

“Brands that check where they stand under all three laws now will know exactly what to do,” Smailys added. “The ones that skip that step aren’t avoiding the question. They’re just leaving the answer to someone else, a regulator, a customer, or a platform that labels the ad for them. Either a brand decides when to disclose, or something else decides it first.”

About Billo

Billo is the leading UGC creator marketing platform founded in 2019 that connects brands with creators to produce high-performing social video ads. It is based in San Francisco, CA, and is led by the co-founder and CEO, Donatas Smailys. The platform combines the power of UGC content with a streamlined production process, helping brands increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and boost conversions with authentic creator videos on TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and other platforms.

MIL OSI

New research reveals disturbing extent of violence facing care and support workers – PSA

LiveNews Publisher — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:07:35 +0000

Source: PSA

Almost 80 percent of support workers providing vital disability, home and community care, and mental health and addiction services have experienced workplace violence, research launched today shows.

Psychological violence was the most common form reported, with more than half of support workers experiencing insults, threats, bullying or intimidation at work, the W orkplace Violence in Community Based Care and Support Services report said.

Physical violence, sexual harassment and sexual violence were also widely reported.

Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Assistant Secretary, Melissa Woolley, says the findings confirm what support workers have been telling the union for years.

“Almost 80 percent of support workers experiencing violence at work is a shocking number, but for care and support workers it will come as no surprise. They’ve been telling us this for years.

The report details the significant impact on workers of the violence.

Almost three-quarters felt anxious or depressed at the time of an incident, and nearly half still felt that way in the longer term. One in five reported impacts on their physical health in the longer term.

Despite this, the report highlights that training remains patchy. Almost half of workers said their employer didn’t provide training on responding to violence when they started their job, and more than half said refresher training wasn’t available.

“We need funded, mandatory training for support workers and managers across this sector, and we need employers to take reporting seriously instead of leaving workers to carry the risk alone,” Woolley said.

“Workplace violence should never be treated as just part of the job. It’s causing real harm to workers’ mental health, their careers, and their lives outside work.

“These are workers who show up every day to care for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and too often they’re doing it without proper training, without adequate support, and without their employer taking violence seriously.”

At the report launch event, attendees will hear from a support worker sharing their own experience, along with Debbie Hughes, Chief Executive of the Disability Support Network, and MPs Hon Jan Tinetti (Labour) and Hon Lawrence Xu-Nan (Green Party).

The report, W orkplace Violence in Community Based Care and Support Services, was produced by AUT’s Social Transformation Research Institute and New Zealand Policy Research Institute, led by Professor Katherine Ravenswood. It surveyed 299 support workers and managers across the country.

Event details:

Workplace Violence in Community Based Support Services

When: Thursday 30 July 2026 12- 1pm
Where: PSA House, Level 6, 11 Aurora Terrace, Wellington.

Notes:

Full report attached. Report link will be live from 5am Thursday 30 July 2026: https://stri.aut.ac.nz/our-resources/workplace-violence-in-community-settings

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

MIL OSI

Did New Zealand back the Israel/US at the ICC this week or did it back international law?

LiveNews Publisher — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:52:54 +0000

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

27 July 2026

PSNA has today challenged the Prime Minister to explain why his government has not revealed how New Zealand voted at the International Criminal Court on Friday when ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was ousted from his role after intense Israeli/US lobbying.

Khan is under attack from Israel and the US because he sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says Israel and the US intensified their lobbying and diplomatic bullying after an ICC Judicial Panel established to examine the evidence on claims of sexual abuse against Khan declared they were ‘unanimously of the opinion that the factual findings by OIOS (the ICC evidence collecting body) do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework’.

Israel and the US rejected the ICC legal ruling and demanded a vote of all member states of the ICC to remove Khan. That vote was held on Friday and Khan removed from office.

“The key question for Mr Luxon is ‘Did we capitulate to Israel/US pressure, or did we stand up for the ICC’s legal processes?” Tamimi says.

“We are not able to make any judgement on the allegations against Mr Khan, but New Zealand should have voted against his expulsion and insisted a proper judicial process be followed”

“Did we?” asks Ms Tamimi.

“In October last year, Foreign Minister Winston Peters issued a formal statement, with Nordic ministers in Stockholm, to ‘reaffirm our unwavering support for the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court’.”

“Did Mr Peters we waver on Friday?”

“New Zealand has already failed numerous times to uphold international law in the face of Israeli/US pressure. We want an assurance the Coalition didn’t throw in the towel again”

MIL OSI

Treasury figures on wealth tax are wrong – Tax Justice Aotearoa

LiveNews Publisher — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 05:07:41 +0000

Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

24 July 2026

The figures used by the Treasury to predict the rate of reduction in in-scope wealth in the event of a wealth tax being adopted, have been described as wrong by tax reform group, Tax Justice Aotearoa.

“There is no empirical evidence supporting Treasury’s apparent assumption that if you double the tax rate from 1% to 2%, you will get double the reduction in revenue from behavioural change. There is no evidence for a linear behavioural response from taxpayers to changes in tax rates,” says Tax Justice Aotearoa spokesperson Nick Miller.

A front page article in the NZ Herald yesterday relied on modelling Treasury undertook to assess the likely impact of the Labour Party’s proposed wealth tax in 2023 – a tax that was dropped following intervention from Labour leader Chris Hipkins. In 2023 Treasury estimated that a 1% would result in a 17.5% reduction in the in-scope wealth base, but noted the estimate was “subject to significant uncertainty”. The Herald article referred to the Green’s policy for a tax of 2.5% on wealth over $10 million and suggested that, using the 2023 methodology, 43.75% of the affected tax base would be moved off shore.

“The suggestion in the Herald article that a 2.5% wealth tax rate would result in a loss of 43.75% from the wealth base relies wholly on the assumption that there will be a linear behavioural response to increases in the wealth tax rate. This assumption is not mentioned in the 2023 Treasury advice to ministers cited in the Herald article,” says Miller.

“Behavioural changes are impacted by multiple factors, including the design of the tax, socio- economic pressures, geopolitical events, changes in tax in other jurisdictions, the efficiency of the revenue administration and any legislative responses to tax avoidance.”

Tax Justice Aotearoa has also criticised the Treasury’s assumption of a 17.5% reduction in the wealth base if a 1% tax was imposed on an exemption basis, as not appearing to be evidence based.

“The UK Wealth Commission Report from 2020 estimates a loss of 7-17% of the tax base on a 1% tax and this is, according to the report, based on evidence from countries with annual wealth taxes. The range alone indicates that estimating behavioural response is a highly inexact science”, says Miller.

“Furthermore the modelling in the Treasury paper appears to suggest a tapering off of the behavioural response. Table 2 in the paper shows an estimated yield of $1.5bn from a 1% tax applied to a $10m threshold and $2.7bn from a 2% tax applied to the same threshold. It is stated that the figures reflect an estimated 17.5% reduction in the wealth base for a 1% tax.”

“The report is silent about whether, as the Herald article suggests, the reduction in the base is linear – i.e. it would double from 17.5% to 35% if the tax rate doubled. The numbers in the report indicate an expected behavioural response resulting in a reduction in the base of 25% rather than 35% for a tax rate of 2%.*”

The Treasury does not appear to have modelled a linear response and has instead assumed that the behavioural response will taper off. The conclusions therefore drawn by the Herald article appear to be incorrect

*This point can be illustrated as follows:

A 1% tax charge on the $10m threshold yields $1.5bn after the 17.5% reduction. Therefore the yield before that reduction – the “gross” yield would be $1.8bn (1.5bn x 100/82.5). The “gross” yield from a 2% charge would be exactly double – around $3.6bn. Applying a 35% reduction (that is assuming a linear behavioural response) the expected yield would be around $2.35bn but the estimated yield in table 2 is instead $2.7bn. This indicates an overall reduction in the wealth base of about 25% rather than 35%.

MIL OSI

Palestine Forum of New Zealand Condemns Israel’s Escalating Assault on Al-Aqsa Mosque and Calls for Immediate New Zealand Action

LiveNews Publisher — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:16:54 +0000

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand unequivocally condemns the latest Israeli assault on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, where thousands of illegal Israeli settlers, escorted by heavily armed occupation forces and led by the extremist Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed one of Islam’s holiest sites in a deliberate act of provocation and religious aggression.

These actions are neither isolated incidents nor spontaneous events. They form part of a long-standing Israeli policy aimed at asserting control over occupied East Jerusalem, erasing Palestinian identity, and fundamentally altering the historic and legal status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The repeated military raids, restrictions on Palestinian worshippers, and intimidation of Islamic religious authorities constitute grave violations of international law, international humanitarian law, and the fundamental right to freedom of religion.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand is deeply alarmed by the continued silence and inaction of much of the international community. Every failure to hold Israel accountable emboldens further violations, fuels instability, and undermines the very international legal order that democratic nations claim to uphold.

New Zealand Must Not Remain Silent

New Zealand has long presented itself as a principled defender of international law and human rights. That commitment must extend to Palestine.

The New Zealand Government cannot continue to issue generic statements of concern while Israel systematically violates international law with complete impunity. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality, it is acquiescence.

We therefore call on the New Zealand Government to:

Publicly and unequivocally condemn the Israeli government’s escalating violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Reaffirm that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory and reject any attempt to alter its legal or historical status.
Demand an immediate end to Israeli military incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the ongoing restrictions imposed on Palestinian worshippers.
Support meaningful international accountability measures, including investigations into violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
Work with like-minded nations to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians, religious sites, and cultural heritage under occupation.

An Assault on International Law

The targeting of Al-Aqsa Mosque is not merely an attack on a place of worship. It is an attack on the religious freedoms of millions of Palestinians, on the cultural heritage of humanity, and on the international legal framework governing occupied territory.

The repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, the denial of access to Palestinian worshippers, and attempts to impose a new reality by force directly challenge decades of international consensus and numerous United Nations resolutions.

If the international community continues to tolerate these violations without consequence, it sends a dangerous message that international law is optional and that powerful states may act with impunity.

A Call for Principle, Justice and Accountability

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and throughout occupied Palestine.

We call upon political leaders, faith communities, civil society organisations, and all people of conscience across New Zealand to speak out against these grave violations and to demand accountability.

The protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque is not solely a Palestinian or Muslim issue. It is a universal issue of justice, human dignity, religious freedom, and respect for international law.

New Zealand has a proud history of standing on the right side of history. The time has come to do so again.

MIL OSI

“Across the Table” – Iconic Chefs Come Together for Luxury Dining Series at The Naka Island, Phuket

MIL OSI — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:04:13 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Four nights of refined coastal gastronomy and creative collaborations will be staged from August 12-15, 2026, featuring highly acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs from Bo.lan, Andō, Maison Dunand and more.

PHUKET, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 July 2026 – Some of the deepest conversations happen over food – the kind that pull you in close and ensure you stay a little longer than planned. This August, these conversations will become even more meaningful at the “Luxury Dining Series, Across the Table” – a collection of immersive epicurean experiences unfolding across six extraordinary destinations in Asia.

One of these six destinations will be hosted from August 12-15, 2026, at The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket, the five-star sanctuary nestled on an idyllic island in the Andaman Sea, where some of the region’s leading Michelin-starred chefs will join hands for four nights of culinary celebrations and collaborations.

A Gathering of Gastronomic Visionaries

The Luxury Dining Series brings together visionary guest chefs Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and Dylan Jones from Bangkok’s iconic Bo.lan, Agustin Ferrando Balbi, chef-founder of Andō in Hong Kong, and Arnaud Dunand Sauthier, chef-founder of Maison Dunand in Bangkok, alongside mixology maestros Sudarat “Taln” Rojanavanich of Bar Us and Jane Kaew-Yod, co-founder of Lay Heritage Cocktails Space.

They will join The Naka Island, Phuket’s own highly acclaimed Chef Joseph William Talbot, Chef Ratchanee “Kob” Nu-On, and Mixologist Adi Sukasta, along with culinary artists and mixologists from across the Marriott portfolio—including Pastry Chef Sylvain Constans from The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok, Chef Laongdao “Aong” Tohkhot of Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Krabi, and Mixologist Fransiska Siregar from The St. Regis Jakarta—for a series of mesmerizing, multi-hand dining and cocktail experiences spanning four engaging, interactive evenings.

Four Idyllic Evenings, Four Enchanting Chapters

August 12 – “The Art of Culinary Discovery & Craft Brew Experience” will be hosted by chefs Agustin Ferrando Balbi and Joseph William Talbot at the resort’s Multi-Purpose Sala, with handcrafted pass-around bites and live stations inspired by island life, paired with Phuket’s finest craft beers.
August 13 – “The Grand Banquet: Eight-Hand Dinner” will be staged on the Beach Lawn, as chefs Agustin Ferrando Balbi, Arnaud Dunand Sauthier, Joseph William Talbot, and Sylvain Constans come together for an exceptional, wine-paired menu that showcases the essence of Phuket beneath the Andaman sky.
August 14 – “Chefs at the Table: Six-Hand Dinner” will see chefs Arnaud Dunand Sauthier, Joseph William Talbot, and Sylvain Constans present an elegant wine-paired menu at Veranda, balancing Alpine precision, Mediterranean warmth, and French artistry.
August 15 – “Chefs at the Table: Eight-Hand Culinary Journey” will be a celebration of refined Thai cuisine at Aiyara, as chefs Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava, Dylan Jones, Laongdao “Aong” Tohkhot, and Ratchanee “Kob” Nu-On honor the kingdom’s gastronomic heritage, with cocktail pairings by Jane Kaew-Yod.

Beyond the Table: Uncover Phuket’s Culture and Crafts

Alongside these four epicurean evenings, guests are invited to a series of experiences that will connect them with the authentic essence of the island. A Gin Distillery Tour and hands-on Gin Making Workshop, a Dye Textile Workshop rooted in local artisan techniques, and a sunset catamaran excursion along the Andaman coast will highlight the natural, cultural and culinary wonders of Phuket. Every celebration extends into the evening with a curated line-up of cocktail experiences, including a bar takeover by Bar Us and a special cocktail collaboration with The St. Regis Jakarta, bringing fresh energy and creative pairings to The Naka Island, Phuket.

The Ultimate “Experience Dining Package”

Finally, guests staying from August 12-15, 2026, can reserve the “Experience Dining Package”, which includes daily breakfast and a set dinner for two people, with each evening thoughtfully elevated to reflect the spirit of “Across The Table”.

To reserve your place at the “Luxury Dining Series“, please visit luxurydiningseries.com/phuket, and to book the “Experience Dining Package”, please click here.

For more information about The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket, please connect with us via these channels:

Email: naka.reservations@luxurycollection.com
Website: www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/pyxlc-the-naka-island-a-luxury-collection-resort-and-spa-phuket/overview
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thenakaisland

Hashtag: #TheLuxuryCollection #NakaIsland #Phuket

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

ONE YEAR ON: Call for child-focused climate action after landmark ICJ ruling

LiveNews Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:23:58 +0000

Source: Save the Children

One year after the landmark International Court of Justice ruling on states’ climate change responsibilities, Save the Children is calling for more child-focused climate adaptation financing, as children and young people bear the brunt of the ongoing climate emergency.

The Advisory Opinion, delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 23 July 2025, found that states’ legal obligations to address climate change extends beyond existing climate agreements. The ICJ said that a state’s failure to take appropriate action to protect the climate system from greenhouse gas emissions “may constitute an international wrongful act which is attributable to that state”.

The United Nations General Assembly in New York adopted a landmark resolution in May that endorsed the ICJ’s historic advisory opinion on state climate obligations. The resolution, drawn up by Vanuatu, clarifies that nations have a binding legal duty to protect the climate system under international law.

Save the Children NextGen Youth Ambassador, 17-year-old Vepaiamele, travelled to The Hague with the Government of Vanuatu’s delegation to represent the voices of children and young people in the Pacific back in 2024. “What the court confirmed was that protecting the climate system isn’t optional. It’s an obligation under international law and must be consistent with what was agreed to under the Paris Agreement,” she said.

“We welcome the international community’s focus on the Pacific’s ‘vulnerability’ in a changing climate. But on behalf of Pacific youth, we are here to say, work for and with us to give us the agency, the platform to address the issues that affect us in our own unique way.”

According to a 2023 report published by Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative, only 2.4% of climate finance from key multilateral climate funds was found to support projects incorporating child-responsive activities. However, since then some funders have recently acknowledged this gap, and are actively working with partners to bridge child-focused climate finance.

Save the Children New Zealand Heather Campbell said 2026 is a pivotal moment for New Zealand to commit to investing in child-focused adaptation that acknowledges that children are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

“Children across the Pacific, and the world, have been telling us for years that the climate emergency has reached into every aspect of their lives, making it harder to live, learn and thrive. The time is long overdue for global leaders, including leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand, to act on these calls and meaningfully invest in protecting their futures.

“Child-centred climate adaptation financing that takes into account the views of children and young people matters now more than ever, as children face compounding threats to their wellbeing, education and livelihoods due to the climate crisis.”

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

MIL OSI

Universities – Department of Cancer Sciences to strengthen cancer research and care – UoA

LiveNews Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:23:53 +0000

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

The University of Auckland has established a new Department of Cancer Sciences, bringing together leading researchers, clinicians and educators from across disciplines to create one of New Zealand’s most comprehensive cancer-focused academic communities.

The new department represents a major step towards the University’s long-term vision of a comprehensive cancer centre for Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting expertise across the full cancer pathway, from prevention and laboratory discovery through to clinical treatment, living with cancer, and evidence-informed health policy.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in New Zealand. The Cancer Control Agency projects the present around 30,000 cases a year to rise to more than 45,000 by 2044 due to population growth and ageing.

The department brings together the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), the Department of Oncology, and Cancer Trials New Zealand, with more cancer researchers to join from across the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Science and from throughout the University, creating opportunities for collaboration across Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand, community and through international research partnerships.

Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Professor Warwick Bagg, said the new department creates the critical mass required to accelerate progress against one of New Zealand’s biggest health challenges.

“The benefits from cancer research and care will progress more rapidly when researchers, clinicians, educators and policy experts work more closely together. This is more than a new department in the faculty. We’re supersizing cancer research and care at the University. The new Department better reflects the patient’s journey, from the community and bedside to research laboratory, public health and through to advice to inform policy. The goal is to deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders with cancer.”

The founding Head of the Department of Cancer Sciences, Associate Professor Ben Lawrence, a practising oncologist, said the new department dramatically expands the scope of cancer research and teaching.

“The Department spans the complete continuum of cancer sciences, from prevention to fundamental discovery, translating research for real world prevention, care and treatment.”

The Department of Cancer Sciences builds on a distinguished legacy of cancer research at the University, particularly through the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre. Established in 1956 through a community-funded partnership between the University of Auckland and Cancer Society Auckland Northland, the centre became internationally recognised for its contributions to cancer discovery and drug development.

Bagg acknowledged the longstanding contribution of the Cancer Society Auckland Northland and the many donors whose support has helped build cancer research capability at the University.

“The achievements of cancer research at the University of Auckland have been made possible through decades of partnership and philanthropy. We are deeply grateful to Cancer Society Auckland Northland and the many supporters and donors who have invested in better outcomes for people with cancer. Their contribution has helped create the platform for this exciting new chapter in cancer sciences.”

Lawrence said, “The Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre has played a vital role in advancing cancer science in New Zealand for decades. We are proud to build on that foundation.”

Julian Grennell, the chair of Cancer Society NZ and the Cancer Society Auckland Northland said: “I am honoured to support the launch of the University of Auckland’s Department for Cancer Sciences. It’s the beginning of an ambitious journey – one I hope leads, in time, to a comprehensive cancer centre for New Zealand. Cancer touches nearly every family, and this is a vital step toward better research and better outcomes for New Zealanders.”

Andrew Young, chief executive of Cancer Society Auckland Northland division, said the 70-year partnership between the society and the University demonstrated the power of philanthropy. “I am excited about a new Department for Cancer Sciences playing a key role in our vision towards a future free from cancer.”

Bagg also acknowledged Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupuku, the Centre for Cancer Research, a University Research Centre hosted at the faculty, in particular for its work strengthening Māori community networks.

The Department for Cancer Sciences will teach across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and support the development of future researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates and innovators working in cancer care and research.

The formal launch event is at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences on 23 July.

MIL OSI

Universities – Cancer leader’s vision to transform care in New Zealand – UoA

LiveNews Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:11:48 +0000

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

New Zealand has worse cancer survival rates than Australia – and Associate Professor Ben Lawrence wants to turn that around.

The first Head of the University of Auckland’s new Department of Cancer Sciences, Lawrence has a strong sense of what New Zealand needs to do to up its cancer treatment game.

He stepped down as clinical lead of oncology at Auckland Hospital to take up his new leadership role at the University and will continue working two days a week at the hospital.

Lawrence’s vision is for the new department to launch the country’s first comprehensive cancer centre within the next decade.

“The quality of cancer researchers and clinicians in New Zealand is extraordinary, but we don’t offer an environment that brings out the best in them.

“We want to remove the barriers and provide a space where their abilities can shine,” he says.

Lawrence aims to collaborate with cancer experts within the new department and across New Zealand to plan a new cancer care centre that brings together leading healthcare professionals, researchers and the community.

The aim is to offer the best care to patients with all types of cancer – and that starts with research to develop better care strategies, he says.

The new centre will include everything from research about prevention and screening, to developing new drugs in the lab and offering clinical trials for promising new treatments, he says.

“Research shows cancer care is better in places that do cutting-edge research, and research is better in places that do clinical care, because researchers can understand the problems and ask the right research questions.”

Lawrence says New Zealand spends less on cancer research and medicines than similar OECD countries. He expects significant philanthropic funding will be needed to turn the dream of a new cancer centre into a reality.

He has already made a big difference to the lives of many New Zealanders with cancer – and may be familiar through his role in the documentary, Live and Let Dai, with comedian Dai Henwood, who has stage-four bowel cancer.

With University of Auckland Professor Cris Print, Lawrence founded NETwork! in 2013, bringing together more than 100 cancer clinicians from around New Zealand. About 20 specialists from the group attend weekly meetings to discuss the best care for patients with neuroendocrine cancers.

In 2021, NETwork! brought a new treatment for neuroendocrine cancer patients to Aotearoa, in collaboration with patient advocacy group Neuroendocrine Cancer New Zealand. Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) is now making a “massive difference” to these patients, controlling their cancer without the toxic side effects caused by older treatments, he says.

More recently, Lawrence founded the Molecular Tumour Board, which brings scientists and clinicians together to provide top-notch care for patients with all types of cancer in New Zealand.

Over the years, he has won numerous awards and has offered expertise on cancer to the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand.

He has been president of the New Zealand Society for Oncology, served on the boards of Cancer Society Auckland Northland and the Gut Cancer Foundation, and been medical adviser for Neuroendocrine Cancer New Zealand.

He’s not the only leader in the family – his sister, Anna Lawrence, was captain of the New Zealand hockey team from 1995 to 2000.

Growing up in Christchurch and Auckland with a father who was a wool-buyer and a mother who worked as a laboratory technologist before she had children, medicine wasn’t an obvious career choice for Lawrence.

But from the aged of 14, he began to discover the rewards of care work. During his high school years, he worked on Sunday nights in an aged care home, feeding those who couldn’t eat without help.

Initially drawn to study psychology, he gained a Master of Science at Otago University, supporting himself through his studies with a part-time job caring for children with disabilities.

One of Lawrence’s earliest memories is of visiting his grandfather shortly before his death from lung cancer, then his grandmother died of bowel cancer and his aunt died of breast cancer a few years later.

During his training at medical school at the University of Auckland in 2004, Lawrence’s father died of brain cancer. All these losses influenced his decision to specialise in oncology.

After winning a fellowship to Yale University in the United States in 2009, he launched his career specialising in gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine cancers.

Research to try to improve cancer treatment has always been a vital part of Lawrence’s work.

Much of his research has focused on identifying the genetic mutations driving neuroendocrine cancers, finding ways to target their weak spots, and offering the best treatments for individual patients.

He is concerned that Māori have higher cancer rates and worse outcomes than other New Zealanders.

“That’s a health system problem but it’s also a knowledge problem – so it’s a University of Auckland problem to solve.”

Lawrence relishes the challenge of helping people with particularly complex health problems.

“My job sounds tough – half my patients will die of cancer – but in terrible situations, people often discover resilience they didn’t know they had.

“I get to see the best of human nature – and it’s amazing,” he says.

MIL OSI

Government Cuts – More than 200,000 people face a pay cut under the Government’s new leave law, bill to become defining election issue – PSA

LiveNews Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:08:29 +0000

Source: PSA

Progressing employment law will cut the annual pay of more than 200,000 people during a cost-of-living crisis, according to fresh analysis by the PSA.

The Employment Leave Bill, which passed its second reading in Parliament on Tuesday, will strip overtime pay and other allowances from payments to workers while they’re on leave. This adds up to hundreds of dollars a year for people who rely on these extra payments to survive. Based on figures from Stats NZ, the PSA estimates this will leave over 200,000 workers out of pocket, including people working in health, public services, retail, manufacturing and more.

“Supporting this law in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is irresponsible,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. “ACT, National, and NZ First are taking money away from hundreds of thousands of people who are already doing it tough.”

“The Government cannot claim to be ignorant of the harm it’s causing. We presented clear evidence to the select committeeshowing the effects of this bill. Affected workers have met National MPs directly to present their case. And we gave all MPs the opportunity to pledge to oppose any changes that will leave workers worse off – only Labour, Green, and Te Pāti Māori MPs signed.”

“It is particularly galling to see Winston Peters and New Zealand First support this attack on working people at the same time as claiming to be the Party of workers – this couldn’t be further from the truth.”

The PSA will continue to campaign against the bill every day between now and the election, and will inform the public of the scale and severity of its effects.

“Brooke Van Velden claims only ‘edge cases’ will be left worse off by her bill – two hundred thousand people are not edge cases,” said Fitzsimons. “If this doesn’t cut your pay, it will cut the pay of someone you love, or someone in your community who works tirelessly to keep New Zealand going.

“The best time to stop this bill is right now. But if the Government continues to ignore the evidence and passes the bill, we will make sure the devastating effects of this law are on every voter’s mind come November.”

Example of how the Employment Leave Bill will cut workers’ pay

An airport firefighter works 50 hours a week, including 10 hours a week of overtime, which is paid time and a half. Under the current law, their pay while on leave reflects how much they’re paid while working, including their overtime pay. So, if they go on leave for a week, they’d get their usual pay of $2,145, including $585 in overtime pay.

Under the Employment Leave Bill, they will be paid a 12.5% loading for their overtime hours, but those overtime hours no longer count towards their pay while on leave. So, their weekly pay will be $2,193.75, including $633.75 overtime pay, but their pay while on leave goes down to $1560. This adds up to them losing $1,267.50 a year.

Breakdown of workers who will have their pay cut by the Employment Leave Bill

Affected workers include anyone who receives: commissions, higher rates for overtime, variable allowances or shift rates. Figures are drawn from Stats NZ, rounded to the nearest 500.

Manufacturing: meat, seafood, dairy, fruit and vegetables, wood, chemicals and metals – estimated 24,000 affected workers
Electricity supply – estimated 1,500 affected workers
Heavy and Civil Engineering and road construction – estimated 1,500 affected workers
Retail: supermarkets, motor vehicles, electronic goods, and furniture – estimated 11,000 affected workers
Road, bus, rail, water, and air transport – estimated 13,500 affected workers
Newspaper publishing, broadcasting and telecommunication services – estimated 1,500 affected workers
Financial and insurance services – estimated 6,500 affected workers
Police, Corrections, Inland Revenue, Department of Internal Affairs, Department of Conservations, and local government – estimated 35,500 affected workers
Health: allied health, health administration, doctors, nurses, midwives, orderlies, care and support workers, ambulance officers, social workers – estimated 106,500 affected workers
Total – estimated 201,500 affected workers.

MIL OSI

Save the Children – OPT: Israeli forces kill 19 children so far in July with four dying in overnight strike

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:32:11 +0000

Source: Save the Children

At least 19 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territory so far in July with four children reportedly killed in Gaza yesterday morning (local time), with attacks near-daily despite a ceasefire, Save the Children said.

A drone strike on a residential building south of Gaza City in the early hours of yesterday set the building on fire, reportedly killing four children and their parents. This was the latest in a spate of deadly attacks this month, with an average of one child dying each day.

On Saturday, a family of five was reportedly killed when an Israeli fighter jet struck their apartment in Gaza, with one sibling surviving the attack. Last Wednesday, a 6-year-old girl was reportedly killed with her parents and her four-year-old brother injured after an Israeli helicopter targeted an apartment building in Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza. Earlier in July , two siblings, aged seven and eight, were killed when an Israeli drone hit a vehicle in the al-Sabra neighbourhood south of Gaza City.

Another 9 children have reportedly been killed since the start of the month , with the latest fatality last Saturday when a 17-year-old from Al-Mughayyir northeast of Ramallah, died from injuries sustained during a raid on a village the week before. Besides the children killed, many others have suffered severe and long-lasting injuries, with others left orphaned after narrowly escaping the attacks, which have continued to be almost daily despite a nine-month ceasefire.

Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said:

“How can this be called a ceasefire when whole families are still being wiped out? Children with their parents burned alive in a single strike. Others left as the sole survivors, carrying soul shattering injuries that will leave them scarred for life. Is this the new reality?

“This comes less than a month after the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children. Yet children continue to be killed. International law cannot apply selectively. If it does not protect Palestinian children, then it is failing to serve the very purpose for which it exists. Palestinian children deserve life; the targeting of Palestinian children must be stopped.”

Save the Children is calling on governments to immediately suspend the transfer of arms to Israel and ensure that they do not support or sustain unlawful practices in the occupied Palestinian territory. Member States must also ban trade, economic cooperation and services that maintain or support illegal Israeli settlements, in line with the International Court of Justice’s 2024 Advisory Opinion and represents a necessary step to end the systematic violation of Palestinian children’s fundamental rights.

Save the Children has worked in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1953, with a permanent presence since 1973. We work with partners to help provide quality education, protection for children, early childhood development support, and employment opportunities for young people.

Despite continued access constraints, repeated displacement, and a deteriorating humanitarian environment, since the beginning of 2026, Save the Children has sustained life-saving operations across the occupied Palestinian territory. In Gaza, we have expanded learning spaces, scaled up water and sanitation services to displacement sites, strengthened health delivery through partnerships, and reached families with cash assistance. In the West Bank, we are supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and their caregivers, providing children with access to safe and inclusive education and families with cash assistance.

MIL OSI

Animal Welfare – Help Them Escape This Future: Octopus Farming Ban Campaign Goes Huge in Wellington

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:31:55 +0000

Source: Animals Aotearoa

177 organisations worldwide stand with New Zealand against factory farming of highly sentient animals.
Giant octopuses have appeared on billboards overnight, with a key message: Ban Octopus Factory Farming.

The billboards come after advocacy charity Animals Aotearoa wrote to every New Zealand political party, requesting that they include a commitment to prohibit commercial octopus farming in their policy platforms for the upcoming election. The letter, cosigned by the Aquatic Animal Alliance coalition of 177 organisations across 75 countries – including NZ-based SPCA and SAFE – points to scientific evidence that octopuses are highly sentient animals with advanced cognitive abilities. Also highlighted are the absence of validated welfare safeguards, lack of humane slaughter methods, and environmental concerns about farming carnivorous species dependent on animal protein.

“Octopus factory farming is a bad investment in every sense,” says Marianne Macdonald, Executive Director of Animals Aotearoa. “Octopuses are sentient wonders. With three hearts, blue blood, and minds that dream, they navigate their ocean world with intelligence that rivals our own. They solve puzzles, navigate elaborate mazes, use tools, recognise individual humans, and even decorate their dens with shells. These are creatures to be in awe of, not to exploit in sordid factory farms.”

Steve Abel of The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand responded positively to the call to ban octopus farming, “We are concerned about efforts to introduce octopus farming to Aotearoa and support prohibiting octopus farming before this harmful practice can be established”, adding, “Octopus are extraordinary species and farming them is totally unacceptable”. Karen Singleton, Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ said, “Progress isn’t measured by what we can commercialise, but by the wisdom to know who should be left in the ocean. We already ask billions of animals to pay the price of economic growth. We don’t need to add octopuses to that list.”

“New Zealand has a unique opportunity to prevent the suffering associated with octopus factory farming before this industry begins to operate,” said Catalina López Salazar, Director of the Aquatic Animal Alliance. “Around the world, governments are increasingly recognizing that these highly intelligent, curious, and sentient animals cannot be raised humanely in intensive farming systems. By acting now, New Zealand can demonstrate global leadership in protecting animal welfare and set an example for other countries considering this emerging industry.”

Octopus aquaculture – a new form of intensive farming still in the research phase – would cause extensive harm. The New Zealand Government has already granted $1 million of public funds to the University of Auckland to advance this new form of exploitation. But because the octopus farming industry has not yet been established, there is a rare window of opportunity to prevent it from taking hold.

“We showed the octopus reaching out to show how often they’ve sought to connect with people,” Macdonald explains. “We also wanted to highlight that octopuses are escape artists of the highest calibre. These animals can fit through the tiniest of gaps, the size of their beak. But they need our help to escape a future in factory farms.”

A specially commissioned animation by Auckland-based artist Timothy Armstrong provides a glimpse of the risk octopus farming poses. Based on an industry research report, it features Octopus tetricus, the native octopus studied for exploitation in Aotearoa.

“In Aotearoa, the petition calling for a ban on octopus farming has gathered 7,770 petition signatures so far. New Zealanders are making clear they want their country at the forefront of this progress”, says Macdonald.

The campaign reflects a growing global movement. Washington State and California have already banned octopus farming. Legislation has been introduced in Mexico and Chile.

The petition is being officially launched at an event in Wellington, next Tuesday, 28 July. Sign at www.animalsaotearoa.org/stop-octopus-farming/
About Animals Aotearoa
New Zealand’s Animals Aotearoa is a registered charity whose mission is to improve the well-being of farmed animals and end their suffering. They work to protect the welfare of aquatic animals, with a particular focus on preventing octopus factory farming. They also improve the lives of chickens bred for meat by securing welfare commitments from food businesses and raising public awareness of the suffering caused by the way chickens are bred and farmed.

About the Aquatic Animal Alliance
Founded by the Aquatic Life Institute (ALI), the Aquatic Animal Alliance is a coalition of more than 190 advocacy organisations across 75 countries dedicated to improving the welfare of aquatic animals within the global food system. ALI is an international non-profit organisation that works on advancing aquatic animal welfare in both aquaculture and wild capture fisheries globally. They work with certifiers, nonprofits, academic institutions, industry stakeholders, governments, and the public to improve the welfare of aquatic animals.

Notes

Petition to ban octopus farming
Washington State and California have already banned octopus farming; seven more U.S. states are pursuing legislation against octopus farming, including Hawaii and New York, together with Mexico and Chile.
Information about octopus farming
The petition is being officially launched at an event in Wellington on Tuesday, 28th July.

MIL OSI

Advocacy – Will New Zealand back the Israel/US at the ICC this week or will it back international law?

LiveNews Publisher — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:52:48 +0000

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

PSNA has written to the Prime Minister today urging the government to vote against the removal of the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, and instead insist that proper judicial process be followed regarding allegations made against him.

“This is a pivotal moment for the International Criminal Court and New Zealand must stand up for our values and our support for international law” says PSNA Spokesperson Rinad Tamimi. “We are not making any judgement on the allegations against Mr Khan, but New Zealand must insist a proper judicial process be followed”

When allegations were made against Khan, the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), was asked by the president of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to gather evidence from the alleged victims. Between November 2024 and December 2025 more than 5,000 pages of evidence was gathered. The ICC then established a Judicial Panel, comprising three eminent judges selected by the Bureau of the ASP, to analyse the evidence.

After doing so this Judicial Panel declared they were “unanimously of the opinion that the factual findings by OIOS do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework”.

Tamimi says that Now Israel and the US are rejecting the Judicial Panel findings.

“They are blatantly lobbying to remove Karim Khan because he sought arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for ‘war crimes and crimes against humanity’.”

This intensive Israel/US diplomatic bullying has succeeded in having the Judicial Panel findings set aside in favour of a decision to remove Karim Khan being made by the full Assembly of State Parties (ASP) in which New Zealand will vote.

“Karim Khan’s position must be decided through a legal process, not a political process dictated by Israeli/US lobbying” says Tamimi. “New Zealand has already failed numerous times to uphold international law in the face of Israeli/US pressure.”

“They must not throw in the towel again.”

“You can’t pick and choose when you will support international law, and when you can disregard it,” says Tamimi. “New Zealand must do the right thing at the ICC this week.”

Rinad Tamimi

National Spokesperson

PSNA

MIL OSI

Singapore Launches Anchor Professional Services Centre to Help Businesses Expand Across Asia

MIL OSI — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:34:16 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 July 2026 – A Singapore company looking to expand into Vietnam may need a lawyer, accountant, tax adviser, HR consultant and local business connections. Today, businesses often have to find these services one by one, in each market they enter.

A new regional network aims to change that.

The Professional Services (PS) Centre Singapore, officially launched today by Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development, is the latest addition to a growing network of Professional Services Centres that connects businesses with trusted professional expertise across Asia.

Located at Level 2 of ISCA House, the Singapore PS Centre will serve as the anchor hub of the regional network, linking businesses to PS Centres in Hongqiao (Shanghai), Ho Chi Minh City and Nanjing, with Jakarta expected to join later this year. Future centres are also planned in Bangkok, Johor Bahru and Shenzhen.

Rather than building another office, the PS Centre is building something different, a trusted regional network where businesses can access local knowledge, professional expertise and business connections through one coordinated platform.

The initiative is led by the PS Centre Alliance, comprising the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises, Institute of Valuers & Appraisers, Singapore Business Federation, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Singapore Manufacturing Federation, Tax Academy of Singapore, The Law Society of Singapore and the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).

Helping businesses solve real problems
As businesses expand across borders, the challenges they face have become more complex. They are no longer limited to setting up an office or understanding local regulations. Companies today are responding to geopolitical shifts, changing trade policies, supply chain realignment, AI disruption, cyber risks and growing sustainability expectations, while trying to build trusted relationships in unfamiliar markets. No single profession can solve these challenges alone.

The PS Centre brings together professionals from different disciplines, including legal, accounting, tax, corporate secretarial, HR, valuation, sustainability and business consulting, so businesses can access coordinated support instead of approaching each profession separately.

Beyond professional advice, businesses can tap on local business associations, government agencies, chambers of commerce and ecosystem partners connected through the PS Centre network.

More than a networking platform
The Singapore PS Centre will also introduce the Business Growth Clinic, a new initiative where business owners can bring real business challenges to a multidisciplinary panel of professionals.

Whether the challenge is expanding overseas, adopting AI, raising capital, restructuring a business or planning succession, businesses will receive practical guidance and be connected with the right professionals to help move their plans forward.

Early results from the network
Although the network is still in its early stages, businesses are already seeing results. Through the Shanghai PS Centre, Singapore based accounting firm Unity Assurance secured new business opportunities in China and subsequently established a joint venture with a local partner.

The Nanjing PS Centre supported firms such as Morningstar and Fiducia LLP with local business introductions, office setup and talent connections as they expanded into China. In Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City PS Centre has supported Singapore businesses such as Koda Ltd and JDI Ventures in navigating different aspects of regional expansion, such as guidance on pressing cross-border matters and local business introductions to support market entry. The Centre has also connected Vietnamese technology companies such as Techvify and Vinova with relevant networks and market insights to support their entry into Singapore.

These examples demonstrate how trusted local networks can shorten the time needed for businesses to enter new markets while reducing uncertainty.

Strengthening Singapore’s position as a trusted business hub
The Singapore PS Centre complements Singapore’s position as a global business and financial hub by extending trusted professional services into key markets across Asia.

As more centres are established, businesses will be able to tap on one connected network instead of building relationships from scratch in every country.

For Singapore professional services firms, it also creates new opportunities to support clients expanding overseas and to build partnerships with firms across the region.

Mr Lee Boon Teck, President, ISCA, said: “Business is becoming increasingly regional, but professional services are still largely organised country by country. Companies expanding overseas often spend months trying to identify trusted advisers and build local networks. The PS Centre network changes that. We are bringing together trusted professional firms, business associations and local partners across Asia, making it easier for businesses to expand with confidence. Our vision is simple. Wherever a business chooses to grow in Asia, there should be a Professional Services Centre ready to support that journey.”

Ms Junie Fo, Vice President & Head, Professional Services, Singapore Economic Development Board, said “Professional services firms play a critical role in helping Singapore-based enterprises navigate the rapidly evolving global business environment. The Singapore PS Centre will provide access to different professional services to support enterprises’ regional growth needs. EDB looks forward to working with members of the PS Centre Alliance to advance the Professional Services ecosystem.”

About the Professional Services Centre
The Professional Services Centre is a collaborative initiative by the PS Centre Alliance to support businesses expanding across borders through trusted professional expertise, local business networks and market access. The network currently spans Singapore, Hongqiao (Shanghai), Ho Chi Minh City and Nanjing, with further expansion planned across Asia and the Middle East.

Hashtag: #ISCA #CharteredAccountants #ProfessionalServices #ProfessionalServicesCentre #DifferenceMakers #Accounting #Accountancy

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Awards – New crop of arable leaders stand tall – Federated Farmers

LiveNews Publisher — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:41:47 +0000

Source: Federated Farmers

From a couple who set up their own stone-ground milling enterprise to developers of a seed treatment that reduces nitrogen losses, the 2026 Arable Award finalists have been named.

“The annual awards are a celebration of the best and brightest in the industry – the individuals and teams who stand tall in what we do,” Federated Farmers arable chair Chris Dillon says.

“It’s said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that’s true of this year’s crop of finalists.

“The fighting in the Middle East continues to put pressure on fuel and fertiliser prices and it’s really hurting arable prospects with the planting season looming.

“More than ever, we need the innovation, commitment to excellence and environmental sustainability, research and willingness to share knowledge that these growers, agronomists and companies bring to the table.”

Dillon says he’s particularly impressed by the three Innovation Award finalists.

Marty and Georgina Skurr, who work the Canterbury land Marty’s great-grandfather began farming in the 1920s, added another value stream by setting up Minchins Milling, an on-farm stone-ground flour enterprise.

The look and taste of the flour produced is prized by sourdough makers and home bakers, and the direct connections the couple have forged with consumers give their arable business a point of difference and niche market.

Another Innovation Award finalist is agronomist Paul Oliver, who has played a key role in bringing H&T Agronomics’ Always N from development and extensive trials here and overseas, to commercialisation.

This microbial seed treatment helps reduce nitrogen losses, enabling growers to reduce their reliance on synthetic nitrogen inputs.

The third finalist is Lincoln University researcher Mariana Andreucci.

By investigating the relationship between cultivar characteristics, biomass production, and on-farm management practices, her research provides insights that enable growers to optimise crop performance and unlock the potential of individual wheat varieties.

When higher input costs and sluggish returns from the global oversupply put the squeeze on arable growers, it might be thought investment in environmental improvements will take a back seat.

Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie, who convened the judging panels, says the calibre of Environment Award finalists shows growers’ determination to leave the land and water in better shape for the next generation.

Lovett Family Farms, led by Daniel Lovett near Ashburton, has implemented a comprehensive approach to sustainable farming focused on improving soil health, water-use efficiency, and biodiversity.

Judges said that through innovative practices, the family has built a resilient farming system while openly sharing their sustainability journey with the wider agricultural community.

Up against the Lovetts is Tim Gorton, who runs a mixed arable, livestock and dairy farming business near Feilding.

Through extensive planting and management practices, and a commitment to improving waterway health, Tim has demonstrated how productive farming and environmental responsibility can work hand in hand, judges said.

There are three Maize Grower of the Year finalists, in a year that’s seen a record maize silage harvest – one bright spot for arable.

Ashburton’s Mark Shera grows 250 hectares of maize as part of a 1,200-hectare arable operation. Supported by a significant dryer and silo complex, his business is recognised as the largest maize grain operation in the South Island, demonstrating both scale and commitment to crop production.

Donald Stobie, the Federated Farmers Waikato arable chair, operates a 450-hectare farm in Gordonton, growing around 200 hectares of maize. His focus on excellence has resulted in some of the best maize yields in the country, consistently achieving outstanding grain and silage production.

The third contenders are Hawke’s Bay couple Patrick and Belinda Nicolle. They lease land and contract grow 300 hectares of maize grain and 60 hectares of popcorn, earning recognition from judges for their effectiveness and forward-thinking approach.

From these three finalists, and finalists from the Cereal Grower and Seed Grower of the Year, an Arable Farmer of the Year will be named on awards night on 20 August at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch.

Ivan Lawrie says finalists in the three previous Arable Awards of New Zealand have always been of a high calibre and it’s no different this time.

“It fills me with optimism as I see new people coming in,” he says.

“For example, in the agronomist category there’s some relatively young professionals who are committed and have new thinking.

“They’re looking at the broader picture.

“The silo mentality of looking only at growing grain and seeds is gone as they look at how that fits in with livestock and horticultural systems.

“That’s going to provide real integration going forward.”

For tickets to this year’s awards event – https://www.arableawards.co.nz/tickets

The full list of 2026 Arable Industry NZ Award finalists:

Maize Grower of the Year:

Mark Shera, Ashburton

Donald Stobie, Gordonton

Patrick and Belinda Nicolle, Hastings

Cereal Grower of the Year:

Guy and Kathryn Wigley, Waimate

Andrew and Amy Darling, Timaru

Geoff and Joy Hayward and family – Hayward Agricultural, Timaru

Seed Grower of the Year:

Brendan and Rachel Moore, Methven

Jeremy and Kate Simpson, Rakaia

John and Mel McCaw, Methven

Innovation Award:

Paul Oliver, Feilding

Mariana Andreucci, Lincoln University

Marty and Georgina Skurr, Sheffield

Environment Award:

Lovett Family Farms, Ashburton

Tim Gorton, Feilding

Agronomist of the Year:

Nicola Pace, Ruralco

Sean Mulligan, PGG Wrightson Seeds

Mariana Andreucci, Lincoln University

Working Together Award:

SCID Rebuild Team

Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Incorporated

Oat Industry Group.

MIL OSI

International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM) gathers global experts in Chinese Medicine

MIL OSI — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 02:00:16 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Concurrent Food Expo features “Multi-Facets of Chinese Medicine” exhibition

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 July 2026 – The 25^th International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA) together with the HKTDC and ten scientific research institutions, will be held from 13 to 15 August at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), offering industry professionals the latest insights into Chinese medicine. This year’s conference is funded by the Chinese Medicine Development Fund of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is dedicated to strengthening the ties between Hong Kong’s Chinese medicine industry and the international market, while promoting Hong Kong’s leading role in the global field of Chinese medicine.

Register for the conference to stay updated with the latest industry information on Chinese medicine: https://tinyurl.com/tmvryr38

Aligning with the strategic Blueprint with a focus on “Bringing In and Going Global”

The Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint of Hong Kong (the Blueprint) released in 2025 positions Hong Kong as a bridgehead for the global internationalisation of Chinese medicine and a key highland within the national framework for Chinese medicine development. To actively support the strategic direction of the Blueprint, this year’s conference adopts the theme Clinical Translation, Regulatory Policies and Global Innovative Pathways of Traditional Medicine, focusing on two core elements: bringing in and going global. It introduces Hong Kong’s Chinese medicine regulations and resource support to participants from Chinese Mainland and overseas, while inviting overseas regulatory authorities to share their local traditional medicine regulations. This year, some 30 experts and scholars from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, and overseas have been invited to comprehensively explore the latest research and development trends, regulatory interpretations, and success cases in Chinese medicine.

The three-day conference is divided into five major thematic sessions, covering policy blueprints, international regulations, clinical research, success case sharing, and talent cultivation:

The Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint of Hong Kong, development trends, and government support for the industry

To help enterprises from Chinese Mainland and abroad understand Hong Kong’s Chinese medicine regulation and support, Dr. Vincent Chung Chi-ho, Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development, Chinese Medicine Unit, Health Bureau, will elaborate on the Blueprint, while Law Kwok-wai, Robert, Chief Pharmacist (Chinese Medicine), Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office, Department of Health, Dr. Yeung Kin Wai, Senior Chemist, Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute, Department of Health, and Prof. Bian Zhaoxiang, Hospital Chief Executive, The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) , will share in-depth insights into the latest progress in Chinese medicine regulation, quality standards testing, and clinical practice and research at the Chinese Medicine Hospital. Furthermore, Arnold Lau, Associate Director-General, Invest Hong Kong, Dr. William Cheung, Deputy Chief Manager (Life and Health Technology), Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), Angela Yu, Deputy Head of Health Tech and TCM, Hong Kong Productivity Council and Wing Chu, Deputy Director of Research, HKTDC, will participate in a panel discussion to analyse the Hong Kong government’s resource support for the development of Chinese medicine.

International regulations and standards for Chinese medicine and traditional medicine

To provide attendees with a comprehensive analysis of market trends, Prof. Zheng Linyun, Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Academy of International Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, will share reflections and prospects on the transformation of ISO/TC249. Furthermore, Prof. Taruna Ikrar, Chairperson of the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM), Indonesia, Nurul Anisah Binti Shahri from National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), Ministry of Health, Malaysia and Thawatchai Nakkaratniyom, Senior Professional Level Pharmacist, Head of Pre-marketing Control Group, Herbal Products Division at Thai Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand will jointly analyse the regulations and standards of the Southeast Asian market.

Traditional medicine and Chinese medicine development and clinical research

Scientific and clinical experts will share the latest progress in the scientific research and clinical application of Chinese medicine, as well as experiences regarding the R&D application and clinical efficacy of hospital-made Chinese medicine preparations. Prof. Zhang Zhongde, Deputy President of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine & President of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine will share Chinese Mainland’s practices in the research and development of Chinese medicine. Prof. Lee Sanghoon, Dean, International Education Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University will discuss the development of new natural product drugs in Korea. Prof. Pei Xiaohua, Dean of Changping Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Director of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Surgery will discuss clinical needs in developing new Chinese herbal medicines for TCM-advantageous breast diseases. Locally, Prof. Zhang Ge from Hong Kong Baptist University will present innovative achievements in utilising traditional Chinese medicine to drive target discovery for triple-negative breast cancer, while Prof. Xian Yanfang Lisa, Assistant Professor, School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong will share pre-clinical and clinical studies of novel Chinese medicine formula for treating gout.

Sharing of success cases and experience in international Chinese medicine practitioner training

Focusing on successful industry practices, ICMCM provides an interactive platform for the industry, helping to ensure the continuous development and growth of the traditional Chinese medicine sector. Yan Han, Chairman, Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Company Limited will share the cultural heritage and internationalised development of Chinese medicine, and Dr. Celine Cheng, Chief Compliance & Technology Officer of Jacobson Pharma Corporation Limited will share GMP applications in the industry. Several professors from Chinese Mainland, Australia, Canada, Macao, and Singapore—including Prof. Li Min, Dean and Chair Professor, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University; Prof. Xu Hongxi, Chairman, Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Medicine, Honorary Dean & Distinguished Professor, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Prof. Zhu Xiaoshu, Co-Director, Australia-China Chinese Medicine Centre, Western Sydney University, Australia; and Prof. Linda Zhong, Director, Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore —will explore training models for Chinese medicine talent at home and abroad, alongside market demands for Chinese medicine products in potential markets.

Talent cultivation: The 22^nd International Postgraduate Symposium on Chinese Medicine

The Symposium will be held on the morning of 15 August. This year, it is jointly organized by eight institutions, including four Hong Kong universities—The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology—alongside Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, the University of Macau, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The Symposium will kick off with Vincent & Lily Woo Fellowship in Memory of Dr Albert Wong endowed by Vincent & Lily Woo Foundation Award Presentation Ceremony, hosted by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Foundation. This year’s Symposium will feature nearly 100 research presentations, including oral research presentations by 10 postgraduate students from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Serbia, and nearly 90 poster displays. The judging panel will select 10 winners for the Tianjiang Cup Li Shizhen Youth Outstanding Thesis Award. The Symposium not only provides a platform for postgraduate students in Chinese medicine to share their research progress and achievements but also promotes student collaboration and exchange, laying an important cornerstone for cultivating a new generation of scientific research professionals and driving the development of Chinese medicine.

This year’s conference continues to operate under the hybrid model, with simultaneous interpretation in both English and Putonghua offered to enable wider industry participation.

Concurrent Food Expo features “Multi-Facets of Chinese Medicine” exhibition and ICMCM Public Forum to promote public education

In addition to the professional conference tailored for industry practitioners, ICMCM is committed to promoting the popularisation and implementation of Chinese medicine in the community through a public education display area titled “Multi-Facets of Chinese Medicine” at the concurrent Food Expo. In response to the directives of the Blueprint, this interactive and educational display aims to significantly enhance the public’s correct understanding of and confidence in Chinese medicine.

The design of the exhibition is closely aligned with the development direction set out in the Blueprint, providing a comprehensive overview of the new chapter in Hong Kong’s Chinese medicine sector. It covers four main themes including the latest development trends of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, the service features of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority’s Chinese medicine outpatient services, Chinese medicine regulation framework and Chinese medicine practitioner registration system, alongside knowledge on Chinese medicine wellness practices.

A half-day ICMCM Public Forum will be held on Saturday, 15, August 2026, to promote the advantages of Chinese medicine services, interesting Chinese medicine wellness tips and preventive healthcare. By running industry conferences alongside public exhibitions and forums in parallel, the event aims, on the one hand, to foster academic and industrial innovation exchanges among global Chinese medicine experts, and on the other, to embed Chinese medicine culture deeply into the daily lives of the public, thereby jointly promoting Hong Kong’s development as an international centre for Chinese medicine.

Conference programme: icmcm.hktdc.com/pdf/2026/programme.pdf
Website: hktdc.com/icmcm

Concurrent Exhibitions:
HKTDC Food Expo PRO foodexpopro.hktdc.com
HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair hkteafair.hktdc.com
HKTDC Food Expo hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com
HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com
HKTDC Home Delights Expo homedelights.hktdc.com

Hashtag: #HKTDC #ICMCM

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

ACE ROBOTICS Unveils Kairos 3.1 and Expands Its Embodied AI Stack from Data to Deployment at WAIC 2026

MIL OSI — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:15:25 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

The launch combines a unified, action-oriented world model with Ambient Capture Engine 2.0, three commercial solutions and a new industry benchmark, connecting high-density data with real-world robotic operations.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 July 2026 – ACE ROBOTICS today unveiled Kairos 3.1, its latest action-oriented world model, alongside Ambient Capture Engine 2.0 and three commercial solutions spanning instant retail, hospitality and outdoor service scenarios.

ACE ROBOTICS Chairman Wang Xiaogang introduces Kairos 3.1 during WAIC 2026 in Shanghai

The announcements were made at a forum ACE ROBOTICS organized during the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, convened around the theme of advancing physical AI from “understanding” to “execution.” The event brought together economists, technology executives and embodied AI researchers to examine how general-purpose world models can move from laboratory research to industrial deployment.

The forum also marked the launch of PHYSICAL IQ, a unified benchmark for embodied physical intelligence. It was jointly initiated by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Association, the Shenzhen Loop Area Institute and the East China branch of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, with participation from more than 20 universities and industry partners.

Thomas J. Sargent, Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, discussed the limitations of current intelligent systems in rare and previously unseen situations.

A world model built for the physical world

“In the digital world, a model error may result in a flawed image or paragraph. In the physical world, an incorrect action can have real consequences,” said Wang Xiaogang, Chairman of ACE ROBOTICS. “Kairos 3.1 is built around a first-principles approach to embodied world models, helping robots act more reliably in complex and uncertain environments, and accelerating the arrival of physical AI’s Kairos moment.”

Kairos 3.1 is designed as a natively unified model that integrates generative, physical and cognitive intelligence within a single architecture, rather than combining separately developed capabilities.

Built on a hybrid Transformer architecture with a shared mixed-attention mechanism, it brings visual observations, language instructions, force and tactile signals, and policy trajectories into a unified latent space.

This supports an “understand, reason, execute and reflect” loop. The model can break down long-horizon tasks, simulate physical cause and effect across multiple scenarios, rank candidate actions, execute the selected strategy and evaluate the outcome for further adjustment.

At the core of its spatial understanding is ACE-BRAIN-0.5. ACE ROBOTICS said it has achieved state-of-the-art results across 12 public evaluations covering spatial understanding, navigation, manipulation and task-progress assessment, among publicly reported models as of July 2026.

In a household laundry scenario, for example, a robot can identify spatial relationships between objects, divide a task into more than a dozen steps and verify each stage in real time. If a failure occurs, it can identify the affected step and restart from that point rather than repeating the entire task.

For physical generation and reasoning, Kairos-HomeWorld supports whole-home scene generation and object interaction. It is built on 300,000 residential floor plans, 5,000 simulated home environments and 8,700 3D assets covering six categories of physical properties, designed to reflect common residential layouts in China.

The model can simulate multiple action trajectories in parallel and rank them based on predicted success and execution cost before sending instructions to a physical robot.

In internal testing, the Kairos 3.1 8B model achieved an inference latency of 125 milliseconds on the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform at BF16 precision. Its in-house KairosRT computing engine supports real-time, on-device inference.

Kairos 3.1 also incorporates self-reflective iteration. When an action fails, the robot can evaluate the result and adjust its strategy. In one test, for example, it changed from a three-finger to a four-finger grasp after an unsuccessful attempt and subsequently completed the task.

From high-density data to continuous learning

ACE ROBOTICS also introduced what it calls the “Information-Density Law” for embodied models: the value of data is determined not only by its volume, but by whether it contains information capable of changing the outcome of an agent’s actions.

ACE ROBOTICS classifies embodied data across five information-density levels, from L1 to L5. L1 and L2 data support foundational pre-training; L3 and L4 data remain focused on known tasks; and at L5, data incorporates three-dimensional force and tactile signals, failure-recovery trajectories and variables from open environments. The company says these higher-density forms of interaction data support stronger generalization, reflection and continuous learning.

Built on this principle, Ambient Capture Engine 2.0 is a human-centric system for capturing, processing and reusing high-density physical-interaction data.

ACE Ego Kit is a lightweight wireless wearable comprising head, hand and chest components. It includes the ACE Sense Glove, which offers sensitivity of 0.01 newtons and a joint-angle error of less than two degrees. The system can synchronize data from more than 20 heterogeneous sensors with a timing error of less than one millisecond.

ACE Data Engine is an automated data-production platform for continuous, high-precision annotation of long-horizon tasks. It incorporates ACE-ViDiHand, a generative 4D hand-motion-capture framework designed to track movements despite occlusion and rapid motion, which ACE ROBOTICS reports led across three public benchmarks (ARCTIC, HOT3D and HOI4D) as of July 2026. The company recorded a frame-level accuracy of 0.997 and up to a 4.8-fold improvement in motion smoothness.

ACE Ego Matrix standardizes embodied data across four dimensions: spatial coordinates, embodiment structure, action timing and data quality. It is designed to align data collected by different operators, devices and robot platforms for reuse across systems. ACE ROBOTICS has open-sourced the framework, which it says placed first on the RoboCase and RoboTwin leaderboards.

ACE ROBOTICS also announced the open release of ACE-Data-0, an L5 household-interaction dataset featuring complex physical tasks and high-precision annotations.

Three solutions moving into commercial operation

Building on its data infrastructure and Kairos world-model capabilities, ACE ROBOTICS introduced three standardized industry solutions designed for deployment within existing commercial workflows.

Xiaoman, its integrated fulfillment solution for instant retail, is paired with the new W1 fulfillment robot. The W1 has a robot-to-payload weight ratio of less than 2:1, force-control precision within one newton and a minimum required aisle width of 75 centimeters, making it suitable for high-density shelving environments. It is able to grasp both flexible packaging and rigid goods.

The solution connects robot hardware, world-model capabilities, motion control, product information, warehouse locations and order management. It supports lightweight deployment within days across flash-fulfillment warehouses, small-format stores and integrated warehouse-store setups. It has been deployed with customers including Sense MartGo, Kuaikeda and PetroChina convenience stores, using real order and shelf data to improve fulfillment performance. ACE ROBOTICS plans to deploy the solution across 1,000 retail locations over the next year and expand to approximately 10,000 stores within two years.

Xiaoxin addresses hotel-laundry operations, where ACE ROBOTICS estimates that approximately 80% of demand occurs at night.

The solution enables robots to handle collection, loading, unloading, washing, sorting and folding, with ironing capabilities planned for future versions. It is designed to reduce night-shift staffing pressure and improve operational consistency across non-standard hotel laundry environments.

Xiaotu is designed for autonomous operation in complex outdoor environments. Using a “one brain, many bodies” architecture, it applies a general-purpose intelligent brain (Agentic AI) across multiple quadruped robot platforms.

The system supports indoor and outdoor navigation, dynamic obstacle avoidance, autonomous charging, remote dispatch and multi-robot coordination. It has been deployed in visitor-guidance and interactive experience services at cultural-tourism events, including the Begonia Flower Festival in Tianjin.

Building an open embodied AI ecosystem

ACE ROBOTICS also announced a series of partnerships spanning infrastructure, computing and commercial deployment.

The company entered into a strategic collaboration with the Caohejing Development Zone to develop an embodied AI innovation platform.

In retail and fulfillment, ACE ROBOTICS announced collaborations with PetroChina, Kuaikeda and SenseTime Shanhui covering autonomous warehouse stores, front warehouses and unmanned retail environments.

To support the computing requirements of world-model development, ACE ROBOTICS launched the World Model Cloud Ecosystem initiative with Baidu AI Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, Tencent Cloud and SenseCore AI Cloud.

By connecting high-density data, unified world models, robot platforms, commercial applications and shared evaluation standards, ACE ROBOTICS aims to support the transition of embodied AI from individual technical demonstrations to sustained operations in real-world environments.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/acerobotics/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true%EF%BD%9C
https://x.com/ace_robotics

Hashtag: #ACEROBOTICS

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

BRICS Competition Authorities Establish Task Force to Study Global Grain Trade

MIL OSI — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:36:59 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 July 2026 – Competition authorities from BRICS countries have established a task force to conduct a joint sector inquiry into the global grain trade, marking a new step in cooperation on competition policy across international agricultural markets.

The decision was announced during the discussion “Competition Development in Global Grain Trade: Joint Efforts of BRICS Countries”, organized by the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre on the sidelines of the 23rd Session of the UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy in Geneva.

The event included a closed meeting of BRICS competition authorities and a public panel featuring researchers, academics and representatives of international organizations.

Discussions focused on competition in global grain markets, the growing influence of financialization and digitalization across agricultural value chains, and policy tools to improve market transparency. Participants also reviewed the findings of a joint report prepared by the BRICS Competition Centre and UNCTAD (link: https://www.bricscompetition.org/ru/grainreport) , first presented at the 9th BRICS International Competition Conference in Cape Town in 2025.

A coordinated market study

The central outcome of the meeting was the establishment of a BRICS task force that will coordinate a joint sector inquiry into global grain trade within the framework of the BRICS Working Group on Food Markets.

The task force will be co-chaired by Diogo Thomson, President of Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), and Mahmoud Momtaz, Chairperson of the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA).

Thomson welcomed the initiative and proposed making competition in global grain trade a key topic at the next BRICS International Competition Conference, scheduled to take place in Brazil in 2027.

“Brazil is the only jurisdiction that has launched an investigation into digital grain trading platforms such as Covantis. I therefore strongly welcome this sector inquiry, which will help us better understand the impact of digitalization across grain supply chains and the risks it may create for competition. I also support using the BRICS Competition Centre as the coordination platform for this work,” he said.

Momtaz said one of the main conclusions of the BRICS-UNCTAD report was the significant role speculative activity plays in global grain markets.

“One of the key findings of the report presented by the BRICS Competition Centre is the extent to which speculative factors influence global grain trade. The most effective response is greater market transparency. We should not accept a situation where farmers receive only a small share of the value they create while consumers in Egypt pay excessively high prices for bread. Where does this margin accumulate, and who ultimately benefits from it? These are the questions our sector inquiry should answer,” he said.

He also proposed that the task force develop a common AI-powered price monitoring tool covering BRICS grain markets.

“Such a tool would provide the information needed for market analysis and become an important complement to the joint sector inquiry,” Momtaz added.

From analysis to policy recommendations

Hardin Ratshisusu, Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Commission of South Africa, said the study should contribute to the implementation of the BRICS Grain Exchange initiative endorsed by BRICS leaders in the Kazan Declaration (2024) and the Rio de Janeiro Declaration (2025).

“The proposal to establish a BRICS Grain Exchange should become one of the key recommendations of the sector inquiry as an innovative mechanism for restoring competition in global grain trade. Our objective is not merely to identify market problems but to develop practical recommendations that can ultimately be submitted to the leaders of our countries,” he said.

Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, said competition authorities should play a central role in designing the institutional framework of the future exchange.

“The BRICS Grain Exchange should not become another formal institution. It must serve as a practical mechanism for improving competition and market transparency. Competition authorities are uniquely positioned to identify the institutional features that will allow the exchange to achieve these objectives,” he said.

Growing international role

Frédéric Jenny, Chairmanof the OECD Competition Committee, said the initiative demonstrated the growing international role of BRICS competition authorities.

“This project illustrates how BRICS competition authorities are becoming drivers of the global competition agenda. In the past, they largely followed the lead of developed jurisdictions. That is no longer the case. There are very few examples worldwide of such close cooperation between competition authorities. This applies not only to joint market studies, but also to enforcement cooperation and competition advocacy. Rather than acting individually, you have found both the mechanisms and the political will to work together,” Jenny said.

The task force will now begin developing the methodology and work plan for the joint inquiry. Its findings are expected to provide policy recommendations aimed at strengthening competition, improving transparency in global grain trade, and supporting future BRICS initiatives in agricultural markets.

Hashtag: #BRICSCompetition

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Launch ceremony of third edition of Hong Kong Fashion Fest Held on July 9

MIL OSI — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:02:09 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 16 July 2026 – Presented by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, spearheaded and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the launch ceremony of the third edition of Hong Kong Fashion Fest was held on July 9 at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, and representatives of the organisers of the programmes officiated at the ceremony.

Presented by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, spearheaded and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the launch ceremony of the third edition of Hong Kong Fashion Fest was held on July 9 at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law (centre) and representatives of organisers of the programmes officiating at the launch ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Miss Law announced that this year’s Hong Kong Fashion Fest will make its much-anticipated return from September 1 to 14 under the theme “Rhythm of the Heart”. The event will bring together eight flagship programmes curated by six industry bodies and, for the first time, will be combined with CENTRESTAGE — the annual fashion extravaganza organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) — to generate stronger synergies. She added that the Government will continue to work together with the industry to help Hong Kong’s fashion industry shine on the international stage.

This edition of Hong Kong Fashion Fest continues to be spearheaded by CCIDA, in collaboration with the HKTDC, the Hong Kong Design Centre, the Clothing Industry Training Authority, the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, the Hong Kong Fashion Council, and the Hong Kong Design Institute. The rich variety of events spans haute couture, cross-regional menswear, denim culture, sustainable design and more. During the two-week Fashion Fest, Hong Kong will be transformed into a dazzling stage for embracing Eastern and Western fashion cultures and fostering creative exchanges, not only showcasing the creative power of emerging local and international fashion designers, but also sharing the vibrant energy of Hong Kong’s fashion with the public and fashion enthusiasts worldwide.

Since its inauguration in 2024, the Hong Kong Fashion Fest has developed into an annual fashion mega event over the past two years through introduction of new elements and strengthening of international crossover collaborations, bringing top-tier global fashion talents and industry elites to Hong Kong and help local fashion designers develop local and outside markets. For more detailed information and the latest updates on Hong Kong Fashion Fest, please visit the official website (www.hongkongfashionfest.com), or follow the official social media channels on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hkfashionfest), Facebook (www.facebook.com/hongkongfashionfest) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/@hkfashionfest).

Hashtag: #HongKongFashionFest #hkfashionfest #CSTB #CCIDA #CCIDAHK

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo Connects Hong Kong Youth to Future Careers in AI Era

MIL OSI — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:34:18 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Two-day flagship youth to career exploration event unites 30+ corporates and organisations for youth empowerment, officiated by Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 July 2026 – The Central and Western District Office, Central and Western District Youth Network, and FutureGen Youth Foundation (“the Foundation“) co-organised the two-day Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo on 9 and 11 July. This event is funded by the Government of HKSAR, with the Hall of the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex provided as a venue. The event, part of the IGNITE18: Jumpstart Your Career series, brought together over 1,200 participants —including students, parents, teachers, and careers masters —alongside education institutions, prominent industry leaders, and community partners to explore future careers, AI, and the evolving world of work. Committed to expanding the program’s reach across the district, The Council of Central & Western District School Heads served as the event’s education partner.

Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs; Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP, Founder of FutureGen Youth Foundation and Secy Cheung, Founding Board Director of FutureGen Youth Foundation, alongside students, Strive and Rise Program participants and youth

Hosted at co-organiser and seed school St. Stephen’s Girls’ College, and the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, the event was officiated by Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, with a rich lineup of keynote sharing sessions on career insights, future trends and opportunities; AI and future skills workshops; youth dialogue sessions; and career exploration company booths.

Building A Future Talent Pipeline Through Early Industry and AI Exposure

Successfully equipping youth with direct access to leading industry representatives and companies, the signature youth event supported students across the Central and Western District in navigating their career and life planning journeys while strengthening Hong Kong’s future talent pipeline across diverse industries. Bringing together education institutions, corporations, government departments, professional organisations, NGOs and community partners, and spanning across more than 20 industries, the event bridged the gap between education and the rapidly evolving world of work, connecting young people with real-world industry insights and equipping them with the access, opportunities, and resources they need to explore future pathways and prepare for tomorrow’s workforce.

The IGNITE18 event series was pioneered by the FutureGen Youth Foundation, which aims to establish a citywide collective impact ecosystem connecting schools, industry, universities, and parents to support students navigating career and life planning. The initiative seeks to provide exposure to diverse industries, future career pathways, and hands-on future skills and AI experiences, while offering valuable workforce market insights and professional development opportunities for teachers and careers masters. By engaging parents in understanding AI and future-ready skills, the program actively strengthens Hong Kong’s future talent pipeline across diverse sectors. The Foundation plans to expand IGNITE18 across all 18 districts in Hong Kong in the next two years.

“In a world where AI, business transformation, and entirely new fields are reshaping career pathways, there is an urgency to create greater access earlier – from secondary age – to better equip and support youth on their career development journey,” said Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP, Founder of FutureGen Youth Foundation.

“At our Foundation, we have created a platform connecting over 140 Supporting Organisations with representation from education institutions, corporations, public institutes, NGOs, entrepreneurs and innovators to support youth career exploration and development in Hong Kong. Through IGNITE18, we aim to open doors earlier and inspire students to explore diverse career opportunities to be better equipped for tomorrow’s world – with the ultimate hope of building a stronger and more diverse talent pipeline for Hong Kong’s future.”

Uniting Corporate and Education Leaders in a Collective Impact Ecosystem

The Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo brought together an extensive network of participating and supporting organisations across corporate, tech, education, and public service sectors, including:

Strategic Partner: Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited

Fully Supported By: McDonald’s Hong Kong

Supporting Organisations: DALLOYAU; Deloitte Foundation; DETERMINANT; Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry; Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management; Police Community Relations Office, Central District,Hong Kong Police Force; Hong Kong Qualifications Framework; HSBC; JEMS Character Academy; L’Oréal Hong Kong; Microsoft Hong Kong; MTR Corporation Limited; Ocean Park Corporation; Pet Space Group Limited; PRISTER Corporation Limited; Project Management Institute; Story Jungle Education; Tencent Wetech Academy; XPENG Hong Kong; XPENG Hong Kong ARIDGE; Y.L.Yang Foundation; iREd Solutions Limited; Plus One Dimension Interactive Company Limited

Education Partners: Center for Global & Community Engagement (GCE), School of Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; The University of Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong; Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters; Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools; Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan), Higher Diploma in Food Technology and Safety; Lingnan University Department of Digital Art and Creative Industries; Pre-incubation Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; School of Business, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; The Council of Central & Western District School Heads; The Education University of Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

Supporting Statutory Body: The Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen

The event also featured prominent leaders and experts sharing insights across business, finance, education, technology, innovation, and the public sector:

Lawrence Hung – Immediate Past President and Executive Council Member, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management
Gary Wong Chi-him, MH, JP – Chief Hong Kong and Macao Liaison Expert, Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen
Professor Ava Kwong – Chairman, Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer FamilyRegistry; Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
Professor Lee Man Hoi – Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
Serena Tang – Career Development and Training Director, HKU Business School

“We are deeply grateful to our seed schools, education partners, and Supporting Organisations for transforming the Foundation’s vision into action and for joining us in empowering young people,” said Secy Cheung, Founding Board Director of FutureGen Youth Foundation.

“Through our work with students, we have seen how powerful it can be when young people hear directly from industry leaders, professionals, and innovators. Often, a single conversation, sharing unexpected angles, can spark new aspirations and help students see pathways they had never previously imagined. IGNITE18 is about planting those seeds of possibility – inspiring young people to explore, discover, and take their first steps towards shaping their own futures.”

The signature event showcased the boundless possibilities of a strong ecosystem connecting schools, industry, universities, and families in supporting Hong Kong’s future leaders and talents. The IGNITE18 Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo generated strong community momentum that will continue to support students in understanding the future world of work, discovering their own pathways, and stepping into the future with confidence.

Hashtag: #FutureGenYouthFoundation

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Expo Connects Hong Kong Youth to Future Careers in AI Era

MIL OSI — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:43:54 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Two-day flagship youth to career exploration event unites 30+ corporates and organisations for youth empowerment, officiated by Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs

Building A Future Talent Pipeline Through Early Industry and AI Exposure

Uniting Corporate and Education Leaders in a Collective Impact Ecosystem

Strategic Partner: Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited

Fully Supported By: McDonald’s Hong Kong

Supporting Statutory Body: The Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen

The event also featured prominent leaders and experts sharing insights across business, finance, education, technology, innovation, and the public sector:

Lawrence Hung – Immediate Past President and Executive Council Member, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management
Gary Wong Chi-him, MH, JP – Chief Hong Kong and Macao Liaison Expert, Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen
Professor Ava Kwong – Chairman, Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer FamilyRegistry; Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
Professor Lee Man Hoi – Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
Serena Tang – Career Development and Training Director, HKU Business School

Hashtag: #FutureGenYouthFoundation

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Hong Kong probate resource HK Probate Lawyer launches free wills-education site HK Wills Help to help the public plan ahead in plain language

MIL OSI — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:00:11 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

As Hong Kong’s population ages, the platform aims to lower the knowledge barrier around wills and estate administration and reduce future family disputes.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 July 2026 – HK Probate Lawyer (hkprobatelawyer.com), a Hong Kong resource on wills and estate law, today announced the launch of HK Wills Help (hkwillshelp.com), a new free public-education website that explains wills, the probate process, enduring powers of attorney and other end-of-life arrangements in plain language — helping members of the public, and elderly residents in particular, plan ahead and spare their families unnecessary difficulty.

Background: a widespread gap in end-of-life planning

Hong Kong is steadily becoming an ageing society, yet many residents remain unfamiliar with making a will or with the estate-administration process. In practice, the absence of a valid will often makes probate more complex and time-consuming, and can more easily give rise to disputes among family members. At the same time, much of the available information is written in legal jargon that elderly and grassroots residents may find hard to follow.

HK Wills Help: turning complex law into information anyone can understand

HK Wills Help is built around a simple idea — explaining things in everyday language. It offers a series of free guides covering:

what a will is, and how to make one that is valid;
the probate process and the documents required;
enduring powers of attorney and advance medical directives, as preparation before any loss of mental capacity;
a directory of free will-drafting services across Hong Kong (District Offices, District Councillors and social-welfare organisations).

All content is free to read and is updated on an ongoing basis.

Supported by a professional legal resource

The new site is operated with the support of HK Probate Lawyer, which focuses on more complex matters — estate planning, cross-border estates, family trusts and contentious probate — for professional readers. The two sites are complementary, serving the general public and more complex planning needs respectively.

Quote

“Many family disputes over an estate aren’t really about how much money is involved — they happen because there was no preparation, and people didn’t know what options they had,” said [name / title], a spokesperson for HK Probate Lawyer. “What we wanted to do was take complex law and put it back into language Hong Kong people can actually understand, so everyone can make arrangements for their family early.”

Hashtag: #HKProbateLawyer #HKWillsHelp

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

“TVB Green Summit 2026” was Successfully Held

MIL OSI — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:04:12 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

A Smarter Green Future: A New Era of GreenTech Enabled by AI Government, Business and Research Leaders in Dialogue on AI-empowered Green Technology

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 July 2026 – In light of the global net-zero transition, AI and green technology continue to serve as vital engines driving economic growth and industrial advancement. The TVB Green Summit 2026, organised by Television Broadcasts Limited (“TVB”), was successfully held today under the theme “A Smarter Green Future: A New Era of GreenTech Enabled by AI”. The Summit brought together representatives from the government, business, technology and professional sectors to jointly explore how AI accelerates the green transition, drives sustainable economic development, and creates new momentum for the green future of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The TVB Green Summit continues to connect different sectors, foster knowledge exchange and cross-sector collaboration, and work towards a smarter, greener and more sustainable future for Hong Kong.

Photo 1: The “TVB Green Summit 2026” was held today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Summit was officiated by Prof. SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (centre); Mr. Jeffrey LAM, GBM, GBS, JP, Executive Council Member, HKSAR, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (2nd right); Dr. Hoey Simon LEE, MH, JP, Member of the Committee for the Basic Law of HKSAR, Legislative Council of the HKSAR (1st left); Mr. Bryan PENG, Executive Director, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (1st right); and Mr. Sai Wo SIU, General Manager (Business Operations), Television Broadcasts Limited (2nd left).

This year’s Summit examined AI, innovation and technology, low-carbon development, sustainable supply chains, and building decarbonisation from multiple perspectives, promoting cross-sector exchange and collaboration. The Summit was honored to have officiating guests Prof. SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Mr. Jeffrey LAM, GBM, GBS, JP, Executive Council Member, HKSAR, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited; Dr. Hoey Simon LEE, MH, JP, Member of the Committee for the Basic Law of HKSAR, Legislative Council of the HKSAR; Mr. Bryan PENG, Executive Director, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises; and Mr. Sai Wo SIU, General Manager (Business Operations), Television Broadcasts Limited. The Summit also introduced the Environmental, Social and Governance Awards 2026 (TVB ESG Awards 2026) and the judging panel.

Prof. SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, stated in his keynote speech, “The Government is actively enhancing Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem, promoting the development of a comprehensive I&T ecological chain encompassing the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. The Government is providing more favourable conditions for development of green technology. The Innovation and Technology Fund has supported approximately 160 green technology-related R&D projects. The newly established third InnoHK research cluster, ‘SEAM@InnoHK’, focuses on advanced manufacturing, materials, energy, and sustainable development. These initiatives provide support to nurturing of world-class green technology R&D outcomes in Hong Kong, while responding to the nation’s strategic direction in developing emerging industries including new energy and energy conservation.”

Industry Leaders Share Sustainability Practices, Driving Green Transition with Innovative Thinking
Following the opening, industry leaders took to the stage at the Leadership Insights Sessions and the Green Innovation Forum to share how innovative thinking and practical experience drive sustainable development, offering forward-looking inspiration for enterprises. The three Leadership Insights Sessions featured Mr. James TAM, Co-Chairman of EcoCeres; and Ms. Brenda HOU, CFA, Senior Head of Asia-Pacific Global Partnerships and Client Solutions at CFA Institute, as respective speakers. Mr. James TAM shared the application of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the building of a regional circular supply chain based in the GBA to drive the aviation industry’s green transition; Ms. Brenda HOU elaborated that AI is a key driver of green transformation — helping to identify transition risks and optimise capital allocation. Hong Kong can leverage its strengths as an international financial centre to support green and transition finance across the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr. Jeffrey LAM, GBM, GBS, JP, Executive Council Member, HKSAR, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited, presented at the Leadership Insights Session titled “Qianhai and Northern Metropolis Interconnection: Building a New Pattern for Green and Low-Carbon Development”, noted that Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park will leverage the deep interconnectivity between Qianhai and the Northern Metropolis to forge a new green and low-carbon development model for the GBA. By setting ESG targets, developing high value-added green industries, building green infrastructure and offering one-stop, high value-added support services, the Park will drive low-carbon transition and cross-boundary collaboration — achieving a win-win of economic prosperity and sustainability, and contributing to GBA’s high-quality development.

Furthermore, the Green Innovation Forum, themed “From Hong Kong to the World: Building a Global Future through AI and GreenTech”, featured Mr. Bryan PENG, Executive Director, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, as the keynote speaker. He noted that OASES has successfully attracted 124 strategic enterprises to Hong Kong, including Tencent Cloud and Tianqi Lithium, both of which also participated as speakers at the forum. These enterprises will collectively invest a total of $73 billion and create 25,000 job opportunities in Hong Kong, further advancing the city’s development into an International Innovation and Technology Centre. OASES will soon announce its seventh batch of strategic enterprises and continue to attract more leading green energy and green technology companies to Hong Kong. This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Hoey Simon LEE, MH, JP, Member of the Committee for the Basic Law of HKSAR, Legislative Council of the HKSAR. Focusing on how enterprises can seize low-carbon development opportunities across the GBA and global markets, Mr. Mark WANG, Vice President of Tencent Cloud; and Ms. Doris KWOK, Deputy General Manager of Tianqi Lithium Corporation, sharing how enterprises can leverage green data centres and smart energy to balance AI computing demands with carbon reduction, while advancing battery recycling and the utilisation of new energy materials.

In the Industry Insights Session, themed “Guide to Sustainability: The Sustainable Transition of the Textile Industry”, Mr. YEUNG Fan, BBS, Chairman, HK General Chamber of Textiles, introduced that the textile and apparel industry faces shifting market dynamics and evolving consumer shopping habits, enterprises should embrace the philosophy of “governing the enterprise for the greater good”. This drives sustainable development through stronger governance, supply chains and carbon footprint analysis. Mr. Howard LEE, Associate Director, Green Tech, HKSTP, then moderated a discussion with Ms. Anne CHOW, Marketing & Business Development Manager, Consinee Group Co. Limited, exploring new directions and opportunities for sustainability in the textile industry, such as low-carbon cashmere, green technology applications and smart factories.

Spotlighting GBA Innovation, Property Decarbonisation, and ESG Women’s Empowerment — Diverse Perspectives to Unlock Green Opportunities
Mr. Joseph CHAN, JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury, stated in his keynote speech, “Hong Kong’s green debt market has grown at a remarkable pace. Total green and sustainable debt instruments issued in Hong Kong exceeded USD76 billion in 2025, with bonds arranged locally reaching approximately USD38 billion, representing over half of Asia’s market share. As of end-June 2026, the Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme has approved subsidies for over 700 green and sustainable debt instruments issued in Hong Kong, which involves debt issuance amount of over HKD1.5 trillion. We will support the exploration with the Mainland and international multilateral financial institutions of the establishment of a Hong Kong-based Green Technology Projects Accelerator. The Accelerator will provide incubation, acceleration, and empowerment services for green technology projects in the Belt and Road Regions.”

The afternoon session featured a GBA Green Innovation Roundtable, themed “Qianhai Shenzhen–Hong Kong Hub – Accelerating Cross‑Border Collaboration with AI‑Enabled Green Technologies”, moderated by Mr. Ivan LAU, General Manager of Operations (Shenzhen-Hong Kong Nexus). The session engaged Mr. Yee LOCKE, General Manager, South China Region, 51WORLD, in an in-depth exchange on low-carbon transition, AI, and the application of green technology. The discussion explored how enterprises can leverage institutional advantages including flow of capital, data, personnel, and goods, showcasing the immense potential of synergistic development between Qianhai and Hong Kong in advancing green innovation and new quality productive forces.

Thematic Session I, “Advancing ESG Women’s Empowerment for a Sustainable Economy”, was moderated by Ms. Loretta FONG, Sustainability Assurance Leader, PwC Hong Kong. She engaged with Ms. Jennifer TAN, Partner, 01F Group, Senior Advisor, Ant Digital Technologies; and Ms. Yvonne YEUNG, Chief Executive, HKYWCA, in exploring how digital transformation, business collaboration and corporate governance can empower women, sharing relevant success stories and translating ESG vision into concrete action to advance women’s participation in socio-economic development.

At the closing session “SME Transformation in the Supply Chain: Advancing Green and Technology in Parallel”, Dr. Keith CHOY, General Manager of the Green Living and Innovation Division of HKPC, served as moderator, delivering a conclusion on insights across the Summit’s sessions and leading a panel with four guests, namely Mr. Henry HO, Senior Manager – Sustainability, China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited; Prof. Edwin TSO, Associate Dean (Internationalisation and Outreach), Chair Professor of Energy and Sustainability, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong; Ms. Oliver SUM, Network Representative for Greater China and the ASEAN, amfori; and Mr. David LO, Head of Environmental Intelligence and Excellence, Green Living and Innovation Division, HKPC, in a discussion on how SMEs with relatively limited resources can leverage AI and data-driven management to achieve carbon reduction in the most cost-effective way, enhance supply chain transparency, and seize market opportunities arising from green building development and international ESG requirements.

Thematic Session II, “How the real estate industry can use technology to reduce carbon emissions”, was moderated by Mr. Alkan AU, Head of Value and Risk Advisory, JLL. Three speakers includes Mr. Elvis LI, CEO, isBIM Limited; Ms. Melanie KWOK, Deputy General Manager, Sustainability and Innovation, Sino Group; and Mr. Marvin WU, Director, Value and Risk Advisory, JLL. They discussed how the construction and real estate industries can adopt the ESG framework to drive low-carbon operations, introducing solutions such as high-quality data utilisation, automated valuation tools and smart monitoring systems, to strengthen risk management and audit tracking, while capitalising on sustainable planning opportunities arising from new development zones.

TVB ESG Awards 2026 Recognises Outstanding Practices of Enterprises in Hong Kong and Macau
The Summit also introduced the landmark “TVB ESG Awards 2026” and its judging panel. The Awards encompass categories including the “Outstanding ESG Award”, “Best in ESG Practices”, “Best in ESG Report”, “ESG Environmental Innovative Technology Award”, and “ESG Social Innovative Technology Award”, recognising the achievements of enterprises of all sizes across multiple dimensions including ESG practices, reporting, and innovative development.

To further advance TVB ESG’s mission as a local platform for sustainable development exchange, TVB has once again partnered with the Hong Kong Productivity Council’s “ESG One” to launch the “SME ESG Excellence Award”, covering five categories: “Business Decarbonisation”, “Employee Care”, “Supply Chain Partnership”, “Sustainable Governance” and “ESG Tech Enhancement Excellence”. — aiming to comprehensively recognise SMEs that demonstrate outstanding performance in sustainable development. Registration for the TVB ESG Awards 2026 is now open, with the submission deadline of 5pm on 7 August 2026. For further details about the TVB ESG Awards, please visit: https://www.tvbesg.com.hk/latest-awards/esg-awards-2026

High resolution photos HERE

Photo captions:
Photo 1: The “TVB Green Summit 2026” was held today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Summit was officiated by Prof. SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (centre); Mr. Jeffrey LAM, GBM, GBS, JP, Executive Council Member, HKSAR, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (2^nd right); Dr. Hoey Simon LEE, MH, JP, Member of the Committee for the Basic Law of HKSAR, Legislative Council of the HKSAR (1^st left); Mr. Bryan PENG, Executive Director, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (1^st right); and Mr. Sai Wo SIU, General Manager (Business Operations), Television Broadcasts Limited (2^nd left).

Photo 2: Prof. SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, delivered the keynote address.

Photo 3: Mr. Jeffrey LAM, GBM, GBS, JP, Executive Council Member, HKSAR, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited, shared at the Leadership Insights Session III — “Qianhai and Northern Metropolis Interconnection: Building a New Pattern for Green and Low-Carbon Development”.

Photo 4: Mr. Joseph CHAN, JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury, delivered the keynote address.

Photo 5: Leadership Insights Session I — “From Table to Sky: New Pathways for Advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Green Transition”.

Photo 6: Leadership Insights Session II — “From Risk Management to Growth Engine: How AI, Energy and Investment Accelerate Sustainable Development”.

Photo 7: Mr. Bryan PENG, Executive Director, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, delivered the keynote address at the Green Innovation Forum.

Photo 8: Green Innovation Forum — “From Hong Kong to the World: Building a Global Future through AI and GreenTech”.

Photo 9: Mr. YEUNG Fan, BBS, Chairman, HK General Chamber of Textiles, delivered a speech at Industry Insights Session — “Guide to Sustainability: The Sustainable Transition of the Textile Industry”.

Photo 10: Industry Insights Session — “Guide to Sustainability: The Sustainable Transition of the Textile Industry”.

Photo 11: Greater Bay Area Green Innovation Roundtable — “Qianhai Shenzhen–Hong Kong Hub – Accelerating Cross‑Border Collaboration with AI‑Enabled Green Technologies”.

Photo 12: Thematic Session I — “Advancing ESG Women’s Empowerment for a Sustainable Economy”.

Photo 13: Closing Session — “SME Transformation in the Supply Chain: Advancing Green and Technology in Parallel”.

Photo 14: Thematic Session II — “How the real estate industry can use technology to reduce carbon emissions”.

Hashtag: #TVBGreenSummit #ESGAwards

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

CGTN: Navigating the South China Sea Before GPS

MIL OSI — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:49:55 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – Ten years after the South China Sea arbitration, CGTN has published an article exploring the story of the Genglubu – a handwritten navigation manual that guided generations of Hainan fishermen long before GPS, shedding light on a chapter of South China Sea history unfamiliar to many outside the region.

Before GPS. Before weather forecasts. Before satellite navigation.

How did generations of Chinese sailors find their way across the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest and most challenging waterways?

A new CGTN documentary, Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea, explores the answer through a little-known ancient navigation manual passed down for generations of fishermen in Tanmen, Hainan Province. The Genglubu recorded routes, compass bearings and sailing distances, helping fishermen navigate reefs, islands and open seas. The documentary follows the fishermen who crossed the sea, the families who preserved their knowledge and a maritime tradition that connected China with Southeast Asia and beyond.

The People Who Brought the Genglubu to Life

To outsiders, the Genglubu looks like a secret code. A single line of just fourteen Chinese characters can contain an entire sea route: the departure point, direction, destination, distance and estimated sailing time.

“Generation after generation, Hainan fishermen rode the waves – not to rule the sea, but to make their living from it.”

Xin Lixue, Curator, China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea

The documentary follows veteran fishing boat captains whose lives were inseparable from the sea. Wang Shitao first went to sea at the age of nine. At twelve, his fishing boat was caught in a typhoon. Everyone else on board died. Clinging to a piece of floating timber, he drifted alone for three days. Four years later, another violent storm struck. Once again, he was the only survivor. Yet each time, he returned to the sea. Late in life, reflecting on decades spent sailing the South China Sea, he summed up his feelings:

“I love the South China Sea. I hate it. I miss it.”

Wang Shitao, fishing boat captain

The sea demanded sacrifice even as it provided a livelihood. A storm or mishap could wipe out an entire crew.

“Children and brothers should never sail on the same boat.”

Wang Shubao, fishing boat captain

A Maritime Tradition Connecting Asia

The documentary challenges the common assumption that the Genglubu was only about the South China Sea. Research on the Liang Family Genglubu reveals routes extending to Singapore, Malacca and Indonesia, showing that Hainan fishermen also played a role in regional maritime trade.

“Hainan fishermen also took part in overseas trade.”

Zhao Jueqi, China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea

Not every route was written in words. Some Genglubu manuscripts contain mountain-and-water charts. They combine sketches of coastlines with compass bearings, water depth and sea conditions. These drawings helped sailors identify islands, reefs and coastlines and determine their position at sea.

“The Americans and the British produced their own navigational records, which identify the Chinese as being engaged very heavily in fishing on these islands and other forms of economic activity.”

Anthony Carty, International Law Sholar

Today, satellites, weather stations and lighthouses have transformed navigation across the South China Sea. But the purpose remains the same: helping sailors travel safely and return home. Genglubu: Charting the South China Sea traces a maritime tradition shaped by generations of ordinary people. It is a story of navigation, memory and resilience, one that forms part of the shared maritime heritage of Asia.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.