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Arts Events – MAKE LABOUR WEEKEND A QUIET RIOT AT NELSON ARTS FESTIVAL

LiveNews Publisher — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 23:11:43 +0000

Source: Nelson Arts Festival

Spring is in the air and Nelson Arts Festival is about to take over Whakatū, with Labour Weekend packed with theatre, live music, books, dance, film, art, free events and plenty of reasons to get out and make a long weekend of it.

Running from 22 October – 1 November, Aotearoa’s longest-running annual regional arts festival returns for its 32nd year, with JOY as an act of collective hope at the heart of the programme and an invitation to join its very own “quiet riot”.

“For us, a ‘quiet riot’ is about coming together and choosing joy. It might be a brilliant show, a conversation that stays with you, dancing with strangers or gathering on the beach at sunset. Labour Weekend is full of those moments, and we’d love people to come out and get amongst it,” says Artistic Director Janelle Bish.

Get an early start on the long weekend on Thursday 22 October with Auckland Theatre Company’s Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking at the Theatre Royal. The bilingual work follows 186 year old Tiri Mahana from the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to present day Aotearoa. Stay on afterwards for a special opening night kōrero with director Katie Wolfe, Witi Ihimaera Smiler and the cast.

On Friday 23 October, Witi Ihimaera Smiler joins filmmaker Hamish Bennett for The Swimmer & The Whales. At 82 and with three books out in 2026, Witi will kōrero about his new memoir Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer, his return to the world of The Whale Rider and a remarkable life in storytelling.

Later, grab a bite from the food carts and head to Kirby Lane for Tune Up, a free evening of live music featuring rangatahi musicians. 2022 Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka joins Pukapuka Talks for Towards the Truth, delving into life, literature, fiction and power following the extraordinary success of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.

Saturday 24 October is packed. For whānau, Levity Beet’s Bamboo Bucket Boing at Te Noninga Kumu Motueka Library turns repurposed everyday objects into inventive musical instruments for a free interactive show full of songs, sound and silliness.

Book lovers can settle in for a full day of Pukapuka Talks.

“My key message would be to take a punt on a session featuring writers you have never heard of and prepare to be delighted. It’s a chance to get insight into the minds of incredibly creative people, hear about their process and explore some of the big issues they’re grappling with in their writing,” says Pukapuka Talks curator Kerry Sunderland.

Elizabeth Knox joins Kim Hill to discuss Night, Ma, her deeply personal memoir 12 years in the making. Charlotte Grimshaw and Josie Shapiro delve into complicated families, grief, secrets and creativity, while Kiri Allan and Charlotte Glennie share two candid stories of lives dramatically changed by accidents.

From midday, the action spills onto Upper Trafalgar Street with the free Big Spring Street Party, filling the heart of Whakatū with live music, circus, dance, roving performers, games and interactive art. Come along and soak up the creativity, energy and community spirit of one of the Festival’s biggest free gatherings.

As evening rolls around, Ā Mua brings together writer and narrator Tina Makereti, composer and conductor Riki Pirihi and Chamber Music New Zealand, weaving kupu, music and mātauranga Māori through four movements inspired by the Māori creation story.

Or warm up those vocal cords for Battle Chorus – Disco, as Jason Te Mete and Jodes Langdon turn NCMA into one big disco singalong. No singing experience required, just bring your shower voice and your best moves.

On Sunday 25 October, Pukapuka Talks continues with Tina Makereti and Joseph Trinidad exploring ancestry, whānau and the stories that shape us. Tīhema Baker and Lawrence Patchett take on fatherhood and masculinity, while Writing the Future on Climate, chaired by Kim Hill, turns its attention to how tackling climate change can improve our lives.

Film lovers can head to The Suter for Show Me Shorts, with three handpicked programmes of comedy, drama, documentary and animation from Aotearoa and around the world, including a special whānau friendly session.

There is also Commemorating Laura Solomon, a free event marking five years of the NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize, before Writers Write: Actors Read brings short stories by Aotearoa writers Lawrence Patchett and Susanna Eliffe off the page and onto the stage.

There is no slowing down on Labour Day Monday 26 October. Ingrid Horrocks discusses All Her Lives, winner of the 2026 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, while writer Joseph Trinidad and comedian Pax Assadi find the funny side of migration, family, identity and our most cringe worthy moments.

For theatre lovers, Binge Culture’s Werewolf takes over the Theatre Royal. A lycanthropy outbreak has begun, a seven day lockdown has been declared and everyone is looking suspicious in this immersive mix of thriller, dark comedy, deception and survival.

At Tāhunanui, Emma Gilkison and Robin Robilliard share stories of Tāhunanui Beach and Mōhua Golden Bay, while Kahu Paki Paki’s Tāhae: Stolen from the Museum opens at Tāwera. A cheeky act of quiet rebellion, the free exhibition reimagines taonga tuku iho beyond museum glass through the work of Te Tauihu o Te Waka a Māui carvers, weavers and makers.

Then, as the sun goes down, head to Tāhunanui Beach for The Gathering Tide, a major free community event led by internationally acclaimed local choreographer Chloe Loftus. Join in or watch as the shoreline comes alive with movement and music, followed by a communal swim for the brave and music on the sand.

Whether you’re an arts lover, a bookworm, a music fan, looking for something to do with the whānau or simply keen to make the most of the long weekend, there is joy to be found for everyone.

See the full programme and book tickets: Nelson Arts Festival programme

MIL OSI

NZ’s Golden Visa Billions at Risk as Private Banking Infrastructure Lags Global Rivals – Experts

LiveNews Publisher — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 22:26:49 +0000

Source: SFS Private Wealth

Billions of dollars attracted to New Zealand through the Active Investor Plus programme could be repatriated offshore from 2028 unless the country develops private banking infrastructure capable of competing with global wealth centres, with proposed tax changes alone unlikely to retain the capital, an international finance expert warns.

Dr Sharad Nair says New Zealand has successfully attracted a new generation of high-net-worth migrants through its golden visa programme, but risks losing a much larger opportunity to manage their wider global wealth as the first Growth-category investors begin reaching the end of their mandatory three-year investment periods.

His warning comes as Inland Revenue consults on how New Zealand’s tax-residency rules apply to AIP visa holders, with submissions set to close on October 13, and as proposed changes to the foreign investment fund regime progress through Parliament.

Dr Nair says greater tax certainty and more competitive tax settings are important, but will not be enough if New Zealand cannot provide wealthy migrants with private banking services comparable with those available internationally.

He says the challenge now is to turn the initial AIP investment into a much broader financial relationship with New Zealand.

“The fact is when due diligence is being done on these individuals, Immigration New Zealand knows what their wealth looks like and knows that only a small piece of it is coming in,” he says.

“From there on, you need to build platforms for them to interact with the opportunity.”

Dr Nair says the success of the revised visa has accelerated the arrival of globally mobile wealth faster than New Zealand’s private banking infrastructure might otherwise have developed, leaving the sector playing catch-up while the first investors move closer to the end of their compulsory investment periods.

Dr Nair, founder and board member of SFS Private Wealth and himself an AIP visa holder who has spent more than two decades in international private banking and was part of Dubai’s early development as a global wealth centre, says New Zealand’s strategy now needs to shift from attraction to retention.

Almost $5 billion has been committed or is progressing through the investment pipeline under the revised programme. Immigration New Zealand figures show $2.72 billion in capital had been committed and transferred by September 2, with a further $2.215 billion in the pipeline.

Growth-category applicants must invest at least $5 million for three years, while Balanced applicants must invest at least $10 million for five years. The revised settings came into effect in April 2025, meaning the first Growth-category investment periods can begin expiring from 2028.

SFS Wealth co-founder Sunny Nair says retaining the migrants and retaining their wealth are two different challenges.

“I think retaining people and retaining money are two different things,” he says.

“New Zealand sells itself really well… The question is, are we in a place to retain them as well as their money?”

Nair says many AIP investors see the mandatory investment as the cost of securing residency rather than the start of a wider financial relationship with New Zealand.

“Most people who come in on AIP don’t think of the $5 million or $10 million as an investment. They think of it as an expense,” he says.

“They’re saying, ‘I want to move to New Zealand. Where does the money need to go?’ Once that’s done, the box is ticked and they’ve moved.”

The larger economic opportunity, he says, lies in what happens to the remainder of their wealth.

“They have 50, they have 100, they have 500 million, whatever they have. How do I engage them into New Zealand Inc and have that money circulating in the NZ economy?

“Investor migrants typically have wealth well above the minimum visa thresholds, although there is limited public New Zealand data showing exactly how much additional capital they bring with them.

“What we do know is that the average investor migrant brings around 2.5 times the required investment into New Zealand,” he says.

Nair says capturing even a relatively small proportion of that additional wealth could materially increase the economic value of the programme without requiring New Zealand to attract another migrant.

He says New Zealand has already proved it can compete for wealthy migrants despite investors having access to golden visa programmes in jurisdictions such as Malta and Portugal, but the competitive landscape changes once they arrive.

When New Zealand seeks to attract more than the mandatory visa investment, it is competing with established wealth centres including Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, London and Switzerland, as well as some of the world’s largest private banks.

“Competition isn’t other wealth managers in New Zealand, it’s JP Morgan Private Banking, it’s UBS, it’s Julius Baer, it’s all these international institutions who are banking these clients on their home turf,” Nair says.

“Because the five million is a minimum requirement, to win any more money than that, you suddenly have to be competitive against some really big names and some really established competition.”

Dr Nair says New Zealand’s private wealth sector today reminds him of Dubai when he arrived there in 1996, before the emirate developed into a major international financial centre.

“When I moved into Dubai, the wealth management business in Dubai was pretty much what wealth management business today is in New Zealand,” he says.

At the time, wealthy Middle Eastern clients were commonly serviced by “briefcase bankers” flying in from London, Geneva and Zurich, before Dubai developed the institutions, specialist expertise and infrastructure needed to manage international wealth locally.

Dr Nair says New Zealand already has many of the ingredients needed to follow a similar path, including rule of law, low corruption, institutional stability and an international reputation for trust and safety.

“We could be known for our banks. We could be known for banking. We could be known as the world’s global hub for safety,” he says.

Nair says those attributes are the foundations on which financial centres such as Switzerland and Singapore have been built.

“The business of banking or the business of wealth management is the business of trust. So we’ve already got all the secret ingredients. We just need to put it together.”

Nair says New Zealand needs a broader private wealth sector capable of connecting international capital with investment opportunities here.

“We don’t just want to build a business, we want to build an industry,” he says.

“AIP is slightly more complicated because what it requires is a globally competitive ecosystem. New Zealand has it. It’s just fractured.”

Private banking provides wealthy individuals and families with highly tailored advice across areas such as global investment portfolios, lending, wealth structuring and succession planning, but the underlying assets do not all need to be invested in New Zealand.

An investor could hold assets across the US, Europe and Asia while their advice, portfolio management and wider banking relationship are based here, allowing New Zealand to participate in managing international wealth without requiring that capital to be invested solely in domestic assets.

SFS Private Wealth grew out of the Nair family’s own experience of relocating to New Zealand through investor migration and identifying a gap for the bespoke private wealth services available in established international financial centres.

“We’re missing the infrastructure and platforms needed to support this market. That’s really the gap we built SFS to help address,” Nair says.

Operating in the wealth management space since September 2025, the firm has grown to more than 20 staff, is working with dozens of AIP investors and says it has ‘significant assets’ under management.

SFS is also establishing an office in Dubai to take New Zealand investment opportunities directly to international investors, including those who have no intention of migrating here.

“We’re taking New Zealand opportunities right to their doorstep. Let’s sell it to them in their living room,” Nair says.

He says the longer-term opportunity is to attract global capital into and through New Zealand rather than limiting the market to investors seeking residency.

Dr Nair says competing for ultra-high-net-worth families also requires infrastructure beyond financial services, citing a recent conversation with a billionaire who had moved from London to Dubai and told him he had not considered New Zealand because he would be unable to bring the staff who manage his household and affairs.

“He said, ‘I have an entourage of people that look after me. I wouldn’t get work visas for them,’” Dr Nair says, adding that the investor has since bought a US$50 million villa in Dubai.

“We have visas for your pilot, your crew, your everyone, so they can continue. Singapore is also possible,” he says.

Dr Nair says the billionaire’s experience highlights the wider challenge facing New Zealand as it moves from attracting wealthy migrants to building long-term relationships with them.

Having successfully brought a new generation of international investors into the country, Dr Nair says the next test is whether New Zealand can retain their initial capital, capture a greater share of their global wealth and develop the infrastructure needed to compete with established international financial centres.

Nair says his own experience provides one example of the wider economic potential, with his required AIP investment followed by other investments in New Zealand and the establishment of SFS Wealth in Auckland.

The risk is that New Zealand fails to build those relationships before the first Growth-category investors reach the end of their mandatory investment periods, with Dr Nair saying Government can help create the right settings while the private sector develops the platforms and expertise needed to compete for that capital.

Having successfully attracted a new generation of wealthy international investors, Dr Nair says New Zealand’s next test will be whether it can retain their capital, capture a greater share of their global wealth and develop into an international centre for managing it.

Dr Sharad Nair

Dr Sharad Nair is founder and board member of SFS Private Wealth and has more than 20 years’ experience in international private banking. He has worked with institutions including Julius Baer, Barclays and Citibank across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, advising sovereign funds, global corporates, multi-generational families and entrepreneurs. He is also involved with a number of international investment, philanthropic and entrepreneurial ventures and remains active in venture capital.

Sunny Nair

Sunny Nair is Associate Director, Offshore Wealth Management at SFS Private Wealth and was part of the firm’s foundation team. He has an international background spanning Singapore, Dubai and London and combines legal expertise with experience in cross-border investment and wealth management. He holds an LLB (Hons) from King’s College London and a Master of Laws in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of Auckland. At SFS, he focuses on helping international clients and external asset managers use New Zealand as a base for global investment.

About SFS Wealth

SFS Private Wealth is a boutique New Zealand wealth management firm offering independent advice, global reach, and personalised strategies for high-net-worth individuals, offshore clients, and those relocating via investor visa programmes. The firm pairs world-class investment insight with agile, client-centric service. For more information, visit sfspw.co.nz

MIL OSI

Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2026 Concludes Successfully

MIL OSI — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:34:16 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

US$10 Billion in Venture Capital Convenes to Meet Hong Kong Start-ups; Government, Business and Young Professionals Explore Opportunities in the New Economy

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 October 2026 – The Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2026, organised by Hong Kong Youth Professional Global Advocacy, was held on 5 October at the Conrad Hong Kong. Now in its third edition, the Summit coincides with the release of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026–2030) and the latest Policy Address, which together set a clear blueprint for the city’s future. Anchored on these core themes and conducted entirely in English, the full-day programme focused on artificial intelligence, geopolitics, Hong Kong as an education hub, capital markets, life and health technology, and start-up financing. Government and business leaders, corporate representatives and young professionals were invited to examine Hong Kong’s strategic opportunities in the new economic landscape.

The Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2026 brings together more than 600 young professionals, government and business leaders and corporate representatives

The Summit aims to connect young professionals with international resources, enabling participants to engage directly with industry leaders, grasp developments at the frontier of industry, and look ahead to the opportunities and challenges arising from artificial intelligence and Greater Bay Area integration. Previous editions have drawn a strong response. Across three editions, the Summit has attracted more than thousands of in-person participants and about 17,000 online participants from over 30 countries and regions, with social media reach exceeding 50 million.

This year’s Summit was the largest yet, bringing together more than 600 young professionals, government and business leaders and corporate representatives. Participants from over 60 countries and regions joined online. More than 30 distinguished speakers and moderators were invited, including officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and representatives of leading local and international organisations such as Huawei, the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Bullish and Endowus. In addition, consular representatives from up to 20 countries attended the Summit.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr John Lee, GBM, SBS, PDSM, PMSM, delivered a pre-recorded video speech, encouraging young professionals to seize the opportunities of the times and inject fresh momentum into Hong Kong’s high-quality development. He said: “For our young people, I firmly believe that your opportunities ahead outweigh the difficulties. The HKSAR Government will join hands with all sectors to build platforms for you to thrive in Hong Kong, in our country, and in the global arena.”

The Deputy Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, SBS, JP, delivered an opening keynote entitled “Opportunities for the Professional Development of Young People”, and stressed: “As the saying goes, ‘Change is the only constant’—or as our Cantopop classic famously put it, ‘變幻原是永恆’. Today, we no longer measure change in years or decades, but in months and days. For our young professionals, this fast-paced era unlocks unprecedented career horizons. By accelerating Greater Bay Area integration through our new GBA Task Force and empowering you to act as the ultimate ‘super-connectors’ and ‘super value-adders’ helping Mainland enterprises go global, we are turning rapid change into your greatest professional advantage.”

Dr Kevin Lau, MH, Founding Convenor of Hong Kong Youth Professional Global Advocacy, said: “This is more than a high-level forum. It marks a milestone in the maturing of our network of young professionals. This afternoon, venture funds managing an estimated US$10 billion in assets gathered in the room — and what they are looking at is Hong Kong’s next generation. In life and health technology, our core belief is clear: artificial intelligence can assist imaging and diagnosis, but a physician’s care, and the warmth of a human hand, can never be replaced by technology.”

Other distinguished guests included Mr Kevin Choi, JP, Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Ms Bonnie Y Chan, JP, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; and Mr James Chau, President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation and World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals. Mr Bryan Che, Chief Strategy Officer of Huawei, and Ms Cindy Chow, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, also attended in person to exchange views with young professionals.

Panel discussions

Artificial intelligence: from first-time users to advanced users
The opening session began with remarks by Mr Kevin Choi, JP, Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, and was moderated by Ms Stephaine Chan, Director of the Office of the Vice Chairman of Esquel Group. Panellists included Ms Ilaria Chan, Chair of the Tech For Good Institute; Mr Bryan Che, Chief Strategy Officer of Huawei; and Ms Cindy Chow, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund. The discussion focused on whether small and medium-sized enterprises, non-governmental organisations and schools can genuinely put artificial intelligence to use, and on the talent, trust and practical-application issues Hong Kong faces in driving “AI for all”.

Mr Kevin Choi, JP mentioned: “Every major technology shift brings uncertainty. Our theme today from entry-level shock to AI-powered users building the next talent leader.”

Ms Stephaine Chan said: “Every AI conversation ends in the same place, right? More investment, better people, better models and stronger policy.”

Ms Ilaria Chan said: “These days, Al is so powerful that they can scan the Internet and social media and find vulnerable young people or old people. They can find it instantly and have a very sophisticated way to trick them and fraud them from scamming.”

Mr Bryan Che: “One of the opportunities of Al is because the interface is much more natural for most people to interact with. On one sense, it’s a lot easier for everyone to get started.”

Ms Cindy Chow said: “So I guess some of the most damaging thing is not allowing people to use or not, you know, really have the attitude to embrace all this new technology, what this new technology has to bring to you.”

Geopolitics: the super-connector
This session was moderated by Mr James Chau, President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation and World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers included Ms Ilaria Chan, Chair of the Tech For Good Institute; Ms Ellana Lee, Senior Vice President, Managing Editor, Asia Pacific, and Global Head of Productions at CNN; and Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Mr James Chau said: “Against this backdrop, we often hear Hong Kong described as a super connector, typically framed in terms of trade volumes, capital markets and logistics but I think that these connections that we’re speaking of really only become very valuable and we understand and recognize the human bonds that pin these together.”

Professor Frederick Ma , GBS, JP said: “We are part of China. And yet we are under one country 2 systems connected to the rest of the world. That is the power of Hong Kong.”

Ms Ellana Lee said: “We made a very strategic decision when the times were tough to stay and remain in Hong Kong. I think that has and you know, we make these decisions not just out of a whim, but we are very calculative on why we need to stay. I have 8 cities across Asia Pacific. Hong Kong happens to be the hub for Asia Pacific. And there’s it boils down to four major reasons.”

Ms IIaria Chan: “Simple of how tech is helping people, there is an organization, WHO care for children that was founded 20 years ago that helps orphans in developing China back then Vietnam, Thailand now in Africa, Middle East to find loving permanent homes. But their bottleneck is how they train social workers and governments on how to take care of orphan welfare. Now this year we’ve actually been launching an online product that is able to scale these bottlenecks, especially in areas that are underfunded. This is a great example of Al tech.”

Education: Hong Kong as Asia’s education hub
This session was co-moderated by Mrs Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP, Founder of the Future Leaders Foundation, and Ms Jennifer Ma, Founder of JM Edu Consulting. Speakers included Ms Maggie Chau, School Partnership Advisor at the Academy for Educational Development and Innovation of The Education University of Hong Kong; Mr Dion CHEN, MH, Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council; and Professor Charles Ng Wang-Wai, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Mrs Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP said: “An education hub is more than a place with excellent institutions. It is a place that students and families choose, where young people flourish, and connects education with research, innovation, careers and a wider community.”

Professor Charles Ng said: “With our national policy. And I think we should do better to support this great initiatives and thinking back actually 2023 and home government already in in the government policy in October, if I remember correctly to start to increase the local student quota from 20% to 40%.”

Ms Jennifer Ma said: “As a consultant we need demand to meet supply and we are definitely seeing the demand for Hong Kong education at K12 level…….The advocacy for Hong Kong to be the gateway for China Resources and talents to leave China and go into international arenas. But at the same time, we also see a lot of international people interested in what’s happening in mainland, and therefore Hong Kong is a great gateway. So, with that global education, global education philosophy, that means they really appreciate Hong Kong trilingual education by cultural mindset.”

Mr Dion CHEN, MH mentioned: “In 2026, a lot of DSS schools will work very hard to try to welcome and also promote welcome to Hong Kong and also promote Hong Kong’s education to the students in different countries.”

Ms Maggie Chau said: “Maggie: I can see that all the universities are actually implementing AI in their curriculum. Talking about teacher education, the programs we offer, I mean, not just The Education University of Hong Kong, the programs we offer in all universities implement Al in the curriculum in a way that we draw attention to the use of Al is it has to be ethical.”

Capital markets: AI listings, asset tokenisation and the new economy
This session was moderated by Ms Emily CHAN Tan, a former CNBC anchor. Speakers included Ms Bonnie Y Chan, JP; Ms Clara CHAN Ka Chai, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited; Mr Michael Lau, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Business Development at Bullish and Chairman of Consensus; and Mr Samuel RHEE, Co-founder, Chairman and Group Chief Investment Officer of Endowus.

Ms Clara CHAN Ka Chai said: “We always say that from zero to 1 is the most challenging part. So, the patients in terms of having staying power is the core, but it has to go in hand with other qualities like being proactive, being professional.”

Mr Michael Lau said: “I think it’s an interesting proposition to consider that these types of companies that are so capital. I would start looking beyond the current horizon of where we are to see where it could go next. And so I do think that there is a demand looking to that future where this idea of a tokenized capital market could be quite interesting.”

Mr Samuel RHEE mentioned: “First of all, maybe we just take a step back and just try to understand all of the capital markets, not just equities.”

Ms Bonnie Y Chan, JP said: “I want to point out one thing. I mean, we are operating a stock exchange and I think capital markets at the end of the day, the basic function is to match capital with opportunity. So what I’m very focused on is that I’m not just focused on technology or AI.”

Ms Emily CHAN Tan said: “We are not just witnessing a cyclical recovery, but also some would call this the threshold of a capital markets renaissance.”

Life and health technology: building a health-industry hub
This session was moderated by Professor Lo Yuk-lam, BBS, Founding President of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organisation. Speakers included Professor LI King-Chuen, Founding Dean of the School of Medicine at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Dr Sarah SALVILLA, Director of Health and Strategic Partnerships at FWD Group; and Professor Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, GBS, JP, former Chairman of the Hospital Authority and Non-executive Chairman of Trinity Medical Group. The discussion focused on how AI in healthcare can strengthen the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s health industry.

Professor Lo Yuk-lam, BBS said: “Building HK’s holistic wellness hub, this year marks a defining moment for HK. With the release of our first ever five year plan and their chief executive policy address just a few weeks ago, our city’s road map for healthcare and biotechnology knowledge has never been clearer or more ambitious.”

Professor Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, GBS, JP said: “Every country every city is trying to recruit more talent and I think Hong Kong is an ideal position to attract talents.”

Professor LI King-Chuen said: “Our education system will be individualized. And we will do the factual knowledge transfer through mostly self-directed learning. So we guide them, we build an AI system with prescribed information.”

Dr Sarah SALVILLA said: “Prevention for sure in terms of how do we educate people to be much more proactive in their everyday lives, yes you know, kind of the lifestyle things.”

Start-up pitching: connecting with capital
The closing session was moderated by business journalist Ms Elaine Yu, with Mr LU Chin Yung, Senior Vice President (Start-ups) of the Sector Specialist Group at Invest Hong Kong. Representatives of 11 venture funds were present, including the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, Clee Capital, Click Ventures, GT Healthcare Capital Partners, Gobi Partners GBA, HKSTP Ventures, MindWorks Capital, Ryoden Medical Holdings, Seveno Capital, Verge HealthTech Fund and W2 Venture Partners. Together, the funds manage an estimated US$10 billion, have invested in more than 600 start-ups across more than 30 economies, and have backed at least nine unicorns, including Airwallex, Animoca Brands, Prenetics and GoGoX. Start-ups taking part in the pitching session included CELLmeric, Entoptica, PointFit, Syngular, Kodifly, AilsynBio, EveryBaby, A-grade, Orimmune Biotech, Nordia Biotech, Oncolmmu Nostics Limited, The Harbour School (THS), VisionBridge, Eden’s Garden, and CARE CONNECT.

Ms Elaine Yu said: “We have 15 startups and I think a group of students as well, very precocious students WHO are already thinking of ideas, real businesses with commercial viability at the cutting edge of science, research, healthcare and so forth. So, this should be a fun dynamic session.”

Mr LU Chin Yung pointed out: “Hong Kong is great in a lot of rankings in the world and this is not given, this is hard earned by your parents, by some of you sitting here. But as a young founder in Hong Kong, if you come to Hong Kong, you get to enjoy all this very safe environment. You have efficiency and then you also have a very clean government. This one I can say for sure. Yeah. And and all this, it helps the the founders to focus on your business, focus on grow, growing instead of you have to deal with many, many things.”

The Summit closed amid lively exchange. Hong Kong Youth Professional Global Advocacy said it will continue to build the Summit into a platform for dialogue between young professionals and leading figures in government and business, helping Hong Kong’s young talent seize the opportunities of the new economy.

Photos and video: Selected materials can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XowvT4PLTkLo-Vx6k8UJ_YyuM0O0wSlQ?usp=sharing .
Official hashtag: #GYPS2026

Annex 1: Participating venture funds (in no particular order)

Venture fund	Profile
Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund	A HK$1 billion venture fund under Alibaba Group; has invested in 84 start-ups and nurtured seven unicorns
Clee Capital	A Hong Kong venture fund focused on start-up and private equity investment
Click Ventures	A pioneer Hong Kong early-stage technology investor; now invests in 20 funds as a family office
W2 Venture Partners	Venture fund (profile to be supplemented)
Gobi Partners GBA	A pan-Asian venture platform managing about US$2 billion, with cumulative investments in more than 400 companies
GT Healthcare Capital Partners	A Hong Kong healthcare investment fund with investments across North America and Europe
HKSTP Ventures	The corporate venture arm of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, investing directly in seed to Series A start-ups
MindWorks Capital	A Hong Kong pan-Asian venture fund focused on logistics, fintech and enterprise technology
Ryoden Medical Holdings	A Hong Kong healthcare family office investing in biotechnology and regenerative medicine
Seveno Capital	A Singapore longevity and health-technology fund with US$70 million in committed capital over five years
Verge HealthTech Fund	A Hong Kong and Singapore digital-health venture fund with investments across 17 countries

Annex 2: Attending guests (in no particular order)

Guest	Title	Guest	Title
Ms Chan Hoi-yee	Director, Office of the Vice Chairman, Esquel Group	Ms Ilaria Chan	Chair, Tech For Good Institute
Ms Clara Chan	Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited	Ms Chan Nga-ying	Former CNBC anchor
Ms Bonnie Y Chan, JP	Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited	Mr James Chau	President, China-United States Exchange Foundation, and World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals
Ms Irene Chow	School Partnership Advisor, Academy for Educational Development and Innovation (AEDI), The Education University of Hong Kong	Mr Bryan Che	Chief Strategy Officer, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Mr Adrian Chan, MH	Vice-Chairman, Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council	Mrs Carrie Cheng, JP	Founder, Future Leaders Foundation
Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, SBS, JP	Deputy Secretary for Justice, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region	Mr Kevin Choi, JP	Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry
Ms Cindy Chow	Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund	Dr Kevin Lau, MH	Founding Convenor, Hong Kong Youth Professional Global Advocacy
Mr Lau Tak-ho	Senior Vice President and Head of Group Business Development, Bullish, and Chairman, Consensus	Ms Ellana Lee	Senior Vice President, Managing Editor, Asia Pacific, and Global Head of Productions, CNN
Professor King Li	Founding Dean, School of Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Professor Lo Yuk-lam, BBS	Founding President, Hong Kong Biotechnology Organisation
Mr Raymond Lui	Senior Vice President (Start-ups), Sector Specialist Group, Invest Hong Kong	Ms Michelle Ma	Founder, JM Edu Consulting
Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP	Chairman, Hong Kong Trade Development Council	Professor Charles Ng	Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Mr Samuel Rhee	Co-founder, Chairman and Group Chief Investment Officer, Endowus	Dr Sit Wai-nga	Director, Health and Strategic Partnerships, FWD Group
Professor Anthony Wu, GBS, JP	Former Chairman, Hospital Authority, and Non-executive Chairman, 全仁醫療集團	Ms Elaine Yu	Business Journalist
Ms Jeanne Cheng, JP	District Officer (Central and Western)	Dr Elsie Leung, GBM, JP	Former Secretary for Justice, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Professor Teresa Cheng, GBM, GBS, SC, JP	Secretary-General, International Organization for Mediation, and former Secretary for Justice	The Hon Tommy Cheung, GBM, GBS, JP	Non-official Member, Executive Council
The Hon Dr Lam Ching-choi, GBS, JP	Non-official Member, Executive Council	The Hon Chan Hoi-fung, BBS, MH, JP	Legislative Council Member
The Hon Chan Kin-por, GBM, GBS, JP	Non-official Member, Executive Council	The Hon Nixie Lam	Legislative Council Member
Mr Andrew Yao, SBS, JP	Hong Kong Deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress	Professor Herman Hu, GBS, JP	Hong Kong Deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress
Mr Gordon Lam	Hong Kong Deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress	Mr Chan Chung-ni, SBS, JP	Hong Kong Deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress
Mr Ho Hon-kuen, BBS, MH	Hong Kong Member, 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference	Mr Tu Haiming, BBS	Hong Kong Member, 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
Mr Kung Wing-tak	Hong Kong Member, 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference	Dr Lo Kam-wing, BBS, JP	Hong Kong Member, 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and President, The Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong
Mr Li Tai-chong, SBS, OM, JP	Member, National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference	The Hon Lam Wai-chuen	Legislative Council Member
The Hon Lau Man-kwan, JP	Legislative Council Member	The Hon Chong Ho-fung	Legislative Council Member
The Hon Lee Kwong-yu, MH	Legislative Council Member	The Hon Leung Tsz-wing, MH	Legislative Council Member
Mr Ng Yuk-yeung	Hong Kong Member, 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference	The Hon Fong Kwok-shan	Legislative Council Member
The Hon Lau Ka-keung, BBS, MH, JP	Legislative Council Member	The Hon Revd Canon Peter Koon, SBS, JP	Legislative Council Member
Mr Pablo Macedo Riba	Consul General of Mexico in Hong Kong	Dr Esteban Ramírez González	Consul General of Mexico in Hong Kong
Mr Alberto Martínez	Representative, Consulate General of Spain in Hong Kong	Ms Silvia Civera	Representative, Consulate General of Spain in Hong Kong
Mr Javier Sampedro	Commercial Representative, Consulate General of Spain in Hong Kong	Mr Juha Niemi	Consul General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao
Mr O’Brien Ernesto Guerra Córdova	Consul General of Venezuela in Hong Kong	Mr Ammala Saenchonghack	Consul General of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in Hong Kong
Mr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh	Consul General of Pakistan in Hong Kong	Mr Yos Sokhemrin	Consul General of Cambodia in Hong Kong
Mr Maurits Ter Kulve	Consul General of the Netherlands in Hong Kong	Ms Lim Kim Suan	Consul General of Brunei Darussalam in Hong Kong
Mr Hassan Doutaghi	Consul General of Iran in Hong Kong	Mr Ali Abdulla Al-Hitmi	Deputy Consul General of Qatar in Hong Kong
Ms Helen Silvester	British Council	Mr Wilhelm Brauner	Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce
Professor Sin Kuen-fung, MH	Co-Executive Director, Academy for Educational Development and Innovation, The Education University of Hong Kong	Mr Lam Siu-hong, JP	Commissioner for Youth, Home and Youth Affairs Bureau
Mr Arnold Lau	Assistant Director-General, Invest Hong Kong	Professor James Dai	Associate Dean of Students, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Dr Chan Pui-yin	Vice-President, Hong Kong Medical Association	Ms Cecilia Ho	Chief Executive, Lee Hysan Foundation
Mr Quentin Merour	Consulate General of France in Hong Kong	Ms Christine Ma Lau	Founder and Principal, JEMS Character Academy
Ms Agnes Chan, BBS	Senior Advisor, Office of the Chairman, Greater China, EY	Ms Melissa Pang, BBS, MH, JP	Former President, The Law Society of Hong Kong, and Member, National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
Mr Patrick Yeung	Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce	Ms Kimberly Kwok	Founder, Mighty Oaks
Mr Larry Chiang	Founder and Chief Executive Officer, International Finance Capital Group Limited	Ms Sophia Kao, GBS, JP	Former Chairperson, Women’s Commission, and founding Chairperson, Financial Reporting Council
Ms Marie Mercy	Consulate General of France in Hong Kong	Mr Peter Shum	Deputy Chairman of Federation of Hong Kong Industries
Mr Daryl Lin	JCI Hong Kong	Mr Jacky Chung	Hong Kong Trade Development Council (represented by Mr Andrew Chui)
Mr Silas Chu	Hong Kong Trade Development Council	Mr Lot Chan	Assistant Director of Health (Preparatory Office for Centre for Medical Products Regulation)
Dr Jeff Lee	Head of the Health Informatics and Technology Office

https://hkypga.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hkyproadvocacy?locale=sk_SK
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Hashtag: #全球青年力量峰會 #GYPS2026

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

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

IRD cuts will undermine integrity of tax system – Tax Justice Aotearoa

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 01:11:53 +0000

Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

7 October 2026

Tax reform group Tax Justice Aotearoa is extremely concerned about the announcement that Inland Revenue (IRD) will “need to operate within a 20% reduction” to their baseline budget in 2028/29, resulting in cuts to jobs.

“You can’t reduce staffing by up to 20% over three years and expect that it won’t impact on the revenue available for our public services.,” says Glenn Barclay, Chair of Tax Justice Aotearoa.

“We are really worried that this will undermine the ability of the IRD to gather the revenue we need and administer the tax system fairly.”

“Inland Revenue is the main revenue gathering agency in government and its role is critical to the effective funding of public services. We have seen the damage done in previous job cuts, with a ballooning of tax debt and fall in audit activity.”

“That position was just beginning to reverse in recent years, when in order to achieve an upturn in audit activity and start managing and collecting tax debt, staffing increased by about 16% from 2022 to 2025. So a cut of 20% will see IRD’s capacity to do its job go backwards”, says Barclay.

“If we end up with no new taxes, as proposed by National, then we will need IRD to be properly resourced to ensure compliance with existing taxes.”

“With these cuts IRD will struggle to do the bare minimum at a time, when we actually need to be investing in more expertise to be able to crack down on tax avoidance by large multinationals.”

Tax Justice Aotearoa also expressed its concern about the impact on staff at the IRD.

“They have already been through a digital transformation process and now the staff there face even more uncertainty about their future,” says Barclay.

“This will impact on staff morale, which will also have an impact on service delivery.”

“IRD is one of many government agencies tasked with reducing its baseline budget by 2% this year, and 5% in 2027/28 and 2028/29. These decisions are being made largely as a consequence of the tax cuts made in 2024 and it is a sad irony that the effectiveness of our revenue gathering will be further undermined by these cuts,” says Barclay.

MIL OSI

Advocacy – Global March for Palestine 2026 – Tāmaki Makaurau

LiveNews Publisher — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:17:03 +0000

Source: Global March for Palestine Coalition

06 October 2026

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU AUCKLAND – The Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) has issued an urgent call for a coordinated Global Day of Action on Saturday, 10 October 2026. In Aotearoa New Zealand, our kaupapa/purpose is to build a landmark demonstration here as part of this worldwide global mobilisation for Palestine, with demonstrations in every major city.

Why does it matter?

This mobilisation marks three years (1,100 days) of Israel’s systematic genocide against the Palestinian people. Despite diplomatic language and the fiction of a ceasefire, the bombing of Gaza has not stopped. At least 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children, and around 70% of buildings in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. In the West Bank, land seizures and forced displacement continue.

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, the government refuses to act meaningfully against this genocide. This is complicity. The record:

Silence on illegal land seizures — Even when 22 countries, including Australia, Britain and Canada, condemned the latest West Bank land seizure, New Zealand stayed silent.
Refusal to recognise Palestine — The coalition had the chance to recognise Palestine alongside Australia, the UK and Canada, but refused, calling it a matter of “when, not if” — then did nothing.
Blocking sanctions — Chlöe Swarbrick’s Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill was denied even a first reading.
Failure to support the ICJ case — The government does not support South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which centres on Israel’s violations of the Genocide Convention in Gaza.
Refusal to ban IDF holiday visas — The government will not alter the Working Holiday Scheme with Israel.
Ignoring Rocket Lab and Black Sky concerns — The Palestine Solidarity Network of Aotearoa raised concerns with Judith Collins in November 2024; she refused to investigate. On 12 August 2026, Court proceedings were filed in the High Court of Wellington challenging the government’s approval of BlackSky satellites launched from the Rocket Lab site at Māhia, for spying for Israel over Gaza.
Ongoing military cooperation — The NZDF sent its largest contingent in a decade to RIMPAC 2026, alongside Israel and the US. Denying evidence of illegal abduction and torture — The government has dismissed evidence that Israel illegally abducted and tortured New Zealand citizens and tangata whenua during the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission, including videos posted by Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir himself showing him taunting and abusing detained flotilla participants.

“International law is not optional. On the 10th of October, we the people of the world and here in Aotearoa, demand an end to the violence, complicity and the enabling of a system that fuels on crimes against humanity. New Zealand has the responsibility to stand on the right side of history, and we will hold our elected government accountable.” – Rana Hamida, Media Contact Person, Global March for Palestine Coalition (Tāmaki Makaurau)

Who in Aotearoa New Zealand has answered the call to this Global Day of Action?

More than 23 demonstrations will take place across the motu/nation on October 10th, from Whangārei in the north to Waihōpai Invercargill in the south, making this one of the largest coordinated days of action for Palestine ever seen in this country.

In Tāmaki Makaurau alone, more than 50 organizations have endorsed the Auckland rally and march, which will assemble at 2pm at Te Komititanga / Britomart Square before marching to Albert Park.

The march will have speakers spanning from human rights and social justice organisations, political parties, Palestinian families and performances from local artists.

What are our demands?

Sanction Israel immediately and isolate the apartheid regime. Introduce comprehensive sanctions now, particularly targeting companies supporting illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This includes imposing an immediate arms embargo, supporting the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, and backing Chlöe Swarbrick’s Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill.
Uphold international law and end impunity. This includes supporting South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice.
Recognise the State of Palestine.
End complicity in military supply chains. Halt the export of surveillance technology and other dual-use goods that aid Israel’s military operations, including the launch of BlackSky satellites from Rocket Lab’s Māhia site.
Expel the Israeli Ambassador and stop the diplomatic cover.
Revoke the IDF holiday visas programme.
Permit Palestinian families to settle in Aotearoa New Zealand, as was done for Ukrainian families.
Exit RIMPAC and Five Eyes for a robust, independent foreign policy.

Event Website: https://www.instagram.com/globalmarchforpalestine_nz/

Supported by: 350 Aotearoa, Alternative Jewish Voices, Amnesty International Aotearoa, Ankabayan Aotearoa, Anti War Aotearoa, Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine, Aotearoa Liberation League, Artists for Enrolments, Artists for Others, Asia Pacific Media Network, Asia Pacific Report, Auckland Peace Action, Auckland University Students’ Association, Banners for Palestine, Bayan Aotearoa New Zealand, Council of Islamic Organisations of New Zealand, Dayenu: New Zealand Jews against Occupation, Demilitarise Space, Extinction Rebellion, Fiji Centre, Gabriela Aotearoa New Zealand, Global Sumud Flotilla Aotearoa, International League of People’s Struggle Aotearoa, International Migrants Alliance Aotearoa, International Socialists Organisation, ISO – University of Auckland, Justice for Palestine, Kaiāwhina, Kia Ora Gaza, Kiwi Muslim Directory, Letters for Palestine, Make Aotearoa Native again, Matika mō Paretīnia, Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand Association of Rationalists & Humanists, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, New Zealand Rotuman Community Centre, Palestine Collective, Palestinian Forum of New Zealand, Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, Pax Christi Aotearoa, Polynesian Panther Party Aotearoa, Preserved Identity, Protect Pūtiki, Quakers, Revolutionary Communists Aotearoa, Stop Wars Aotearoa, Students’ Justice for Palestine, Sumud Ensemble, Talanoa TV, Toitū te Aroha, Toitū te Tiriti, Waikato Muslim Association, Whanau Community Hub, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom Aotearoa, Working Students Aotearoa

MIL OSI

Ombudsman’s office releases new guidance on official information and the use of AI

LiveNews Publisher — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:17:06 +0000

Source: Office of the Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman has published new guidance on official information and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for requesters, agencies and complainants.

Chief Ombudsman John Allen says the increasing use of AI is reshaping the way information is accessed, interpreted and understood.

“Ministers and public sector agencies have told us there has been a significant increase in the number of people using AI to make information requests. Our investigators are also seeing an increasing number of complaints that appear to have been generated by AI.

“This is putting pressure on the entire official information system.

“There are some benefits in using AI, but it must be used responsibly. Our guidance offers practical advice to help all parties get the most out of AI, while avoiding some of the common problems that can occur.

“If you’re a requester, be clear, concise and focused about the information you really want. If you’re not sure how to describe it, calling the agency and talking to officials will always be a good option to get through the request process quickly.

“Agencies are responding to a high volume of information requests. In the last financial year, central government agencies (excluding Police and Defence which are reported separately) completed over 87,000 information requests.

“Straightforward requests will ensure that the Minister or government agency will be able to understand the exact nature of the information you’re looking for and quickly respond.

“The key is to use AI responsibly and don’t rely on it entirely for accurate advice. It can make mistakes and refer to legislation, cases and obligations that don’t exist.

“If requests are very large, wide-ranging or complex, there’s a high chance the response will be delayed, and requests could also be refused under certain provisions of the Official Information Act.”

The guidance also gives tips for agencies on how to deal effectively with official information requests made using AI.

“Using AI can be helpful, for example, in preparing a first cut of a response especially around identifying relevant information and proposing possible redactions,” Mr Allen says.

“It may save time, free up resources and make the information available to a requester more quickly.

“Ultimately, however, the human element in this process is vital. Ministers, government agencies and local authorities remain accountable for any decisions made on official information requests regardless of the technology they use to assist their decision.”

There is also guidance for people using AI to make complaints to the Ombudsman.

AI can improve access for complainants who need help constructing or expressing their concerns. However, it can also make complaints overly complex, emphasise small insignificant details, and add information that is not accurate, or relevant.

“This can be challenging for our investigators because some of these complaints can lack focus, making them time-consuming to progress,” says Mr Allen.

“Complainants should state clearly who and what they are complaining about and the outcome they are seeking.”

The guides were developed and informed by best practice advice published by the Ombudsman’s overseas counterparts, as well as feedback from our own staff and agencies.

AI is a developing area, and the guidance will be updated as and when required.

Read the guidance:

MIL OSI

New Zealand Police Association 91st Annual Conference ‘Fit mind: Fit for duty – Resilience, wellbeing and performance in every policing role’

LiveNews Publisher — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 22:41:53 +0000

Source: New Zealand Police Association

The New Zealand Police Association, Te Aka Hāpai, will hold its 91st Annual Conference at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, 147 The Terrace, Wellington, from Wednesday 14 October to Friday 16 October 2026.

The theme of the conference is ‘Fit mind: Fit for duty – Resilience, wellbeing and performance in every policing role’.

Media are invited to the following conference events:

Wednesday 14 October

Official Opening

9:45am: All media to be set-up and seated

10:00am: Mihi whakatau: Inspector Rob Rutene

Conference opening speech: NZPA President Steve Watt

Thursday 15 October

New Zealand Police Association Bravery Awards presentation

8:45am: All media to be set-up and seated

9:00am: Mihi whakatau: Inspector Rob Rutene

Brief address and award presentation: Sir Wayne (Buck) Shelford

Attending: Assistant Commissioner Corrie Parnell

RSVP by Friday 9 October by contacting:

Jane Young | Communications Manager/Strategic Advisor, NZ Police Association

Email: jane.young@policeassn.org.nz | Mobile: 027 268 9412

MIL OSI

Pre-COP31: World leaders must show up for the Pacific through action, not just speeches

LiveNews Publisher — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:37:04 +0000

Source: Amnesty International

4 October 2026

Australia must turn its claim to Pacific climate leadership into concrete action
Governments urged to end fossil fuel era and deliver scaled up grants-based climate finance
Amnesty International launches campaign spotlighting environmental human rights defenders

As Pacific leaders, communities and civil society gather in Fiji and Tuvalu for the Pre-COP31 meetings, the expected absence of many world leaders must not become another excuse for climate inaction, Amnesty International said today.

The meetings come after an unusually hot European summer, with August 2026 becoming the joint-hottest month on record. Against the looming threat of a powerful El Niño, widespread wildfires, droughts, and floods, the new UN warning of the world rapidly breaching warming thresholds adds urgency to the need for decisive climate action.

“World leaders have spent years talking about the climate threats facing the Pacific. Now they must come to Fiji and Tuvalu, listen to Pacific communities and act. Rising seas are already eating away at people’s lands, livelihoods and cultures. Concern without action will not hold back the tide,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“Those who do not show up in person cannot evade their responsibilities. Their absence will not stop the seas from rising or erase the obligations of high-emitting countries towards communities paying the highest price for a crisis they did least to cause.

“An empty seat is not the greatest failure. The greater failure is an empty promise. Pre-COP31 must turn years of rhetoric into concrete commitments and action that deliver the climate ambition the world needs at COP31 in November.”

Fiji’s Environment Minister has said that the Pacific-led summit will proceed “with or without” major world leaders.

The Pacific is sounding the alarm

Amnesty International has documented how climate change is already harming human rights in Tuvalu, Kiribati and other Pacific Island countries. Rising seas, extreme heat, droughts and saltwater intrusion are threatening people’s rights to water, food, health, adequate housing and a safe future. Tuvalu contributes less than 0.003% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it faces some of the climate crisis’ most severe consequences.

During her visit to Tuvalu in 2025, Agnès Callamard witnessed efforts by communities and the authorities to reclaim land from the advancing sea and enable people to remain in their homeland.

“To any world leader who hesitates to confront the biggest crisis of our time, I say this: come to Tuvalu. Speak to people living with rising seas and extreme heat. Witness their daily struggle to adapt, protect their rights and push back against the impacts of a climate crisis they did not cause. The reclaimed land in Tuvalu is not a tourist backdrop. It represents a country fighting for its survival,” said Agnès Callamard.

Students from the Pacific took the fight against climate change to the world’s top court, leading the International Court of Justice to issue a landmark Advisory Opinion in July 2025, which made it clear that governments have a legal obligation to protect human rights from climate change impacts.

“The Pacific should not have to plead for the world’s attention. Climate action is no longer simply a political choice. It is a legal and moral imperative,” said Agnès Callamard.

“Governments must end fossil fuel use and expansion through just transitions that leave no one behind, tax big polluters and deliver scaled up grants-based climate finance, providing climate reparations and ensuring communities on the front lines of the climate crisis have the resources and power to determine their own futures. The Pacific is sounding the alarm. If the world fails to act here, it will fail everywhere.”

Australia must turn partnership into action

As President of Negotiations at COP31, Australia has a particular responsibility to stand with its Pacific neighbours and secure an ambitious, human rights-centred outcome. Australia cannot credibly claim climate leadership while continuing to support fossil fuel expansion that deepens the harms facing Pacific communities.

Based on Amnesty International’s recommendations ahead of COP31, Australia and other governments must use pre-COP31 to advance three priorities:

Stop the climate crisis at its source by ending fossil fuel expansion and accelerating a full, fast, fair, funded and human rights-compliant transition away from fossil fuels with states most responsible going further and faster. Renewable energy is less expensive than fossil fuels; governments must stop supporting their allies in the fossil fuel industry with tax-payer funded subsidies.
Support communities to thrive by ensuring the Just Transition Mechanism is operational and accountable and can help deliver funding and support to affected communities, including Indigenous Peoples.
Scale up finance from high income high emitting countries where it is needed most by significantly increasing public, grants-based funding for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage, without pushing lower-income countries further into debt.

“Pacific leadership has helped keep the fight for 1.5°C alive, but Pacific communities cannot carry the burden of global climate leadership alone,” said Agnès Callamard. “Australia must use its presiding role to turn Pacific demands into COP31 outcomes, starting with stopping the crisis at source through a just transition away from fossil fuels.”

No climate justice without environmental defenders

Governments cannot deliver climate justice while excluding affected communities or silencing those who challenge harmful projects. Across the world, Indigenous Peoples, environmental human rights defenders and communities on the front lines of the climate crisis are resisting fossil fuel expansion and fighting for fairer, more sustainable futures. Yet many face harassment, surveillance, criminalization, violence and restrictions on peaceful protest.

Australia’s treatment of peaceful climate activists will be an important test of its climate leadership. There are also concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in Fiji.

Ahead of COP31, Amnesty International is launching a global campaign “Protecting our Future: Environmental Human Rights Defenders Powering Just Transitions” spotlighting environmental human rights defenders and the alternatives they are fighting for around the world. This includes the First Nations people in Australia, who are challenging offshore oil and gas exploration affecting their lands and waters.

The campaign will show what resistance, dignity and a people-powered just transition can look like when communities refuse to see their lands, waters and futures sacrificed for fossil fuel profits.

Australia and Fiji must ensure that civil society, Indigenous Peoples, affected communities and environmental defenders can participate, speak out and protest peacefully without discrimination, intimidation or reprisals.

“Environmental defenders are protecting our shared future. Governments must listen to them, protect them and ensure they have a meaningful say in climate decisions,” said Agnès Callamard.

“COP31 must deliver more than promises. Anything less would betray our shared responsibility to uphold human rights and secure climate justice.”

Background

The Pacific-led pre-COP31 meetings will take place in Nadi, Fiji, and Tuvalu from 5 to 8 October 2026. COP31 will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026.

Official release: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/10/pre-cop31-pacific/

MIL OSI

Dr Maye Musk, author, supermodel, and dietitian, speaks at the Prudential Leadership Forum

MIL OSI — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 13:04:11 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Shares perspectives on leadership, resilience and legacy with nearly 1,000 customers, young professionals, and aspiring leaders

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 October 2026 – Prudential Hong Kong Limited (“Prudential”) welcomed Dr Maye Musk, a globally renowned author, supermodel and dietitian, to the Prudential Leadership Forum, titled Beyond Success: The Blueprint for Leadership, Resilience and Legacy, held on 3 October 2026.

(From left) Lawrence Lam, Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Hong Kong Limited; Dr Maye Musk; and Angel Ng, Regional CEO, Greater China; Group Customer and Wealth, Prudential plc, at the Prudential Leadership Forum, where they shared perspectives on leadership, resilience and legacy planning across generations.

Nearly 1,000 VIP customers, young professionals, aspiring leaders and top-performing financial consultants came together for a conversation on resilience, reinvention and the values that shape lasting family legacies.

Opening the forum, Lawrence Lam, Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Hong Kong Limited, highlighted Prudential’s commitment to customers: “Prudential has earned enduring trust with families by actively listening to their evolving needs across generations. Sustaining that trust requires a forward-looking vision, creating meaningful opportunities for customers to connect with visionary leaders and fresh perspectives. Dr Maye Musk’s journey is a powerful reminder that experience, resilience and ambition can open new possibilities at every stage of life. ”

The centerpiece of the day was an engaging fireside chat between Dr Musk and Angel Ng, Regional CEO, Greater China; Group Customer and Wealth, Prudential plc. Through the exchange, Dr Musk shared candid reflections on rebuilding her career across life stages and countries, empowering her three children to pursue their distinct ambitions, and wealth succession.

Reflecting on her journey, Dr Musk said: “Success is rarely a straight line. Throughout my life, I have had to start over, adapt and embrace new opportunities, often when others thought it was too late. What I have learned is that resilience is built through action, not certainty. Whether as a parent, a professional or a leader, our role is not to create a perfect path for the next generation, but to give them the confidence, values and independence to create their own. Lasting legacies are built not by removing challenges, but by helping others develop the strength to navigate them.”

Angel highlighted Prudential’s vision for legacy: “In today’s rapidly evolving world, planning for the next generation is about more than passing on financial wealth. It is also about passing on the values and judgement that help them make informed decisions and pursue their aspirations. When families pair clear principles with the confidence to make their own choices, they can protect what they have built while creating a stronger foundation for generations to come. Prudential supports families in planning ahead, passing on their wealth with confidence, and building a brighter tomorrow.”

Building on the theme of preparing for the future, the forum then turned to the city’s distinctive advantages and emerging opportunities for talent through a panel discussion titled Hong Kong: Where Global Wealth and Talent Converge. Felix Chan, the Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage; and Jason Fong, Global Head of Family Office at Invest Hong Kong shared perspectives on how the leaders of tomorrow can learn, grow and thrive in Hong Kong.

By bringing together forward-looking perspectives and opportunities to engage with global leaders, Prudential continues to support customers at every stage of life, helping them plan for their health and financial wellbeing, protect what matters most, and build resilience for the future. This commitment is also reflected in value-added platforms such as PruNextGen, through which we support families in planning early for their children’s future, broadening their horizons and laying the foundations for lifelong success.

Hashtag: #PrudentialLeadershipForum

About Prudential Hong Kong Limited

Prudential has been serving the people of Hong Kong since 1964. Through Prudential Hong Kong Limited and Prudential General Insurance Hong Kong Limited, the Company provides a range of financial planning services and products, including individual life insurance, investment-linked insurance, retirement solutions, health and medical protection, general insurance, and employee benefits to protect over 1.41 million customers in Hong Kong. Beyond Hong Kong, Prudential serves the Macau community through its branch, offering health insurance and financial solutions to complete its footprint in the Greater Bay Area. Visit www.prudential.com.hk for more information.

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

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

HKIS – Quantity Surveying Division Conference 2026

MIL OSI — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 14:19:21 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Transforming QS Practice in a New Era: Integrating Digital Construction, Collaborative Contracting and Payment Security

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 October 2026 – The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) Quantity Surveying Division hosted the HKIS Quantity Surveying Division Conference 2026 (the Conference) today at the CIC-Zero Carbon Park.

This year’s theme, “Transforming QS Practice in a New Era: Integrating Digital Construction, Collaborative Contracting and Payment Security”, reflects the evolving role of Quantity Surveyors during a time of economic restructuring.

The Conference brought together around 200 participants both in person and online, including government officials, industry leaders, professionals, academics, and young practitioners.

Mr LAU Chun Kit, Ricky, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) for Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government, attended as the Guest of Honour and delivered a keynote speech.

Quantity Surveyors are trained professionals with expert knowledge of construction costs and contracts who play a crucial role throughout the project development cycle, from investment feasibility studies and procurement strategy to commercial governance, contract administration, and dispute management. The seminar aims to explore how, amidst the ever-changing landscape of the digital revolution and the implementation of new legislation, quantity surveyors can evolve from their traditional roles in contract and cost management into enablers who drive successful value creation in construction projects.

Mr. LAU Chun Kit, Ricky, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Development Bureau, said: “The theme of this year’s conference is both timely and visionary. The Conference serves as a strategic platform for surveying practitioners and professionals to exchange insights, explore best practices, and formulate a collective vision for the future of the surveying profession. The insights and best practices generated will not only contribute in advancing the role of surveying profession in the new era, but also reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a leader in construction excellence.”

The conference featured 20 distinguished speakers from Hong Kong Government bureaux and departments, the private sector, academia, professional institutions, and law firms to share their insights and best practices in the quantity surveying field. Through thought-provoking discussions, the event not only enhanced participants’ technical knowledge but also catalyzed long-term cross-sector collaboration, empowering the industry to continuously deliver highly efficient and resilient built assets in the future.”

Sr WAN Wai Ming, Tony, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, noted in his welcome speech, “As the construction landscape undergoes profound shifts, quantity surveyors are evolving from traditional cost guardians into strategic value architects. Under this year’s theme, we gather to explore emerging challenges, tackle critical issues, and seize new opportunities. Together, we redefine our professional identity, share actionable insights, and shape a forward-looking roadmap for the quantity surveying industry in Hong Kong.”

Sr TING Yuen Chun, Eric, Chairman of the HKIS Quantity Surveying Division, acknowledged that the built environment is facing increasingly complex social and economic pressures. He emphasised that these challenges serve as an important reminder that, while technology is a vital enabler of progress, built-environment professionals must continue to apply their expertise and professional judgement, while strengthening collaboration across disciplines, to navigate change and deliver sustainable value to society.

Sr WONG Kin Yan, Winnie, Organising Committee Chair of the Conference stated in her closing remarks, “Developments in Collaborative Contracting, Digital Construction, and Payment Security present an opportunity for our profession to evolve beyond traditional cost management.

Today’s quantity surveyors are increasingly called upon to serve as trusted advisers, driving collaboration, leading digital transformation, and championing transparency and fairness across the entire project lifecycle. By embracing these changes, we can continue to play a pivotal role in delivering sustainable, resilient and high-performing built assets for our community.”

List of Speakers (in order of presentation delivery)

Keynote Speech by Guest of Honour

Mr LAU Chun Kit, Ricky, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Development Bureau, HKSARG

Session 1: Collaborative Contracting

Mr LEUNG Lap Ki, Francis, Team Leader (Trade & Procurement), Development Bureau, HKSARG
Sr CHOI Wing Chung, Hayman, Project Strategy and Delivery Leader (Asia), Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited
Ir LEUNG Cheuk Lun, NEC Strategic Advisor, Civil Engineering and Development Department, HKSARG
Ir WANG Yan Hua, Chairman and Managing Director, China Road and Bridge Corporation (Hong Kong)
Sr Yau Wan Fong, Deputy Director, WT Partnership (HK) Limited

Session 2: Digital Construction

Mr WU Jin Ying, Technical Officer, Glodon (Hong Kong) Software Limited
Mr Elvis LI, CEO, isBIM Limited
Ir NG Chun Keung, CEO, dRoW Limited
Mr Put HUI, Senior Digital Transformation Lead, Innovative Technology, Gammon Construction Limited
Mr Ronald CHAN, Head of Sustainability for APAC, Currie & Brown
Sr Sunny CHOI, Chairman of Digitalisation Sub-committee, Quantity Surveying Division, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors; Past Chairman of Quantity Surveying Division, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (2021-2023)
Sr Dr Paul HO, Past Chairman of Quantity Surveying Division, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (2005-2006)

Session 3: Payment Security

Sr Tommy CHAN, Executive Director, Arcadis Hong Kong Limited
Cr Sr Ir ZA Wai Gin, Tony, Executive Director, Hip Hing Construction Co., Ltd.
Sr Hinson CHEUNG, Partner, Pinsent Masons
Sr Terry CHAK, Director of North Asia Region, Rider Levett Bucknall Limited
Sr TT CHEUNG, BBS, JP, Past President, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors
Sr CHONG Lui Chuen, Executive Committee Member, CSHK Professional Committee
Mr Eric CHUNG, Barrister-at-Law, Pacific Chambers
Sr Prof LEUNG Hing Fung, Professor and Head, Department of Law and Business, Hong Kong Shue Yan University; Adjunct Professor, Department of Real Estate and Construction, University of Hong Kong; Barrister-at-law, Arbitrator and Mediator

List of speakers and topics are downloadable here

Conference booklet is downloadable here

High-resolution event photos are downloadable here

Photo Caption:

001 Mr Ricky LAU, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Development Bureau, HKSARG, was invited as the Guest of Honour.

002 Sr Tony WAN, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, delivered the welcome speech.

003 Sr Eric TING, Chairman of the HKIS Quantity Surveying Division, delivered the opening speech.

004 Mr LEUNG Lap Ki, Francis, Team Leader (Trade & Procurement), Development Bureau, HKSARG, delivered a keynote speech.

005 Ir LEUNG Cheuk Lun, NEC Strategic Advisor, Civil Engineering and Development Department, HKSARG, delivered a speech.

006 The event received extensive support from the government and industry.

Second Row: From left to right:

Dr Ada TSANG, Lecturer, Department of Construction and Quality Management, Hong Kong Metropolitan University;

Cr Amanda WONG, Council Member, Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers;

Ar Stephen HO, Honorary Secretary, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects;

Prof Ling Kar-kan, SBS, Chairman, Hong Kong Housing Society;

Mr Kelvin NG, Assistant Director/Technical, Highways Department;

Sr Andrew LAM, Assistant Director (Project) 2, Housing Department, HKSARG;

Sr Winnie WONG, Organising Committee Chair of the HKIS Quantity Surveying Division Conference 2026;

Sr Tony WAN, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors;

Mr Ricky LAU, JP, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Development Bureau, HKSARG;

Sr Eric TING, Chairman of the HKIS Quantity Surveying Division;

Mr Arthur LEE, Deputy Director/Regulatory Services, Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, HKSARG;

Mr Samson LAM, Assistant Director/Sewage Services, Drainage Services Department, HKSARG;

Ir Prof Thomas HO, JP, Chairman, Construction Industry Council;

Sr Amelia FOK, Chairman, The Association of Consultant Quantity Surveyors;

Ir Prof Michael YAM, Head of Department and Professor, Department of Construction Management and Intelligence, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University;

Sr Renee CHAN, Senior Lecturer, Department of Design and Architecture, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong

First Row: Past Presidents of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, and Council Member of the Quantity Surveying Division, the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors

007 Sr Winnie WONG, Organising Committee Chair of the HKIS Quantity Surveying Division Conference 2026, delivered closing remarks.

008 The Conference gathered around 200 industry professionals, participating in person and online.

https://www.hkis.org.hk/en/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/hkisofficial
Wechat: HKIS-Official
https://www.instagram.com/hkis.surveyors/
https://www.youtube.com/@hkisofficial

Hashtag: #surveyor #QS #quantitysurveying

About the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors

Established in 1984, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) is the only surveying professional body incorporated by ordinance in Hong Kong. As of 30 September 2026, the number of members reached 11248, of which 8301 (FHKIS: 579, MHKIS: 7722) were corporate members, 49 were associate members and 2898 were probationers and students.

HKIS work includes setting standards for professional services and performance, establishing codes of ethics, determining requirements for admission as professional surveyors, and encouraging members to upgrade skills through continuing professional development.

The Institute has an important consultative role in government policy making and on issues affecting the profession. We have advised the government on issues such as building safety and unauthorized building works, problems of property management, town planning and development strategies, construction quality, construction costs and housing problems. We have also issued guidance notes on floor area measurement, real estates valuation and land boundary survey, etc.

We have an established presence in the international arenas, have overseas connections, and have entered into reciprocal agreements with professional surveying and valuation institutes in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Mainland China recognizing the counterpart’s member’s qualifications. In addition, HKIS is a member of various leading international surveying organisations.

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

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

Huawei Highlights Continuous Innovation, Securing Competitive Edge Through Technological Breakthroughs

MIL OSI — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:34:34 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 October 2026 – Huawei hosted an international media roundtable today featuring Richard Yu, Executive Director, Chairman of the Investment Review Board, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Consumer BG. Yu shared comprehensive insights into Huawei’s consumer business and HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Richard Yu joined Huawei in 1993, working on early developments like the first-generation program-controlled switch and participating in the establishment of Huawei’s wireless communications business, which started with GSM. Over the past decade, Yu has led Huawei’s consumer business with the vision to deliver a seamless AI life experience to all consumers across five key scenarios: HIMA-powered Smart Travel, HarmonyOS Office, Smart Home, Fitness & Health, and Entertainment, which he said is also the long-term strategy for Huawei’s consumer business over the next 10 years.

Between 2007 and 2025, Huawei invested more than CNY1.8 trillion into R&D shifting from roughly 10% of annual revenue in early years to over 20% recently. Huawei has continued to increase investment into the core technologies of the ICT domain and basic research, which has translated into robust core capabilities, extensive intellectual property, and a vast patent portfolio, and helped with achieving a series of breakthroughs in technological innovation.

The Mate 90 series smartphones Huawei just launched come with the latest Kirin 9050 Pro chip. The overall device performance is 31% higher than the previous generation. The Balong modem, image sensor processor (ISP), mobile security processor (MSP), Lingxi CPU, Maleoon GPU, and the NPU that adopts Huawei’s Da Vinci architecture for AI processing are all designed by Huawei. They offer higher energy efficiency and deliver much-improved overall system-level performance.

Even though Yu admitted that Huawei has limited access to advanced semiconductor processes, Huawei recently made a new breakthrough in the semiconductor domain – the LogicFolding technology under the Tau Scaling Law. Unveiled by He Tingbo, head of Huawei’s Semiconductor Business Department this May, this technology vertically stacks the logic layers of chips and restructures the circuit layout through inter-layer high-density interconnect to shorten critical paths and reduce latency. This technology was adopted on Kirin 9050 Pro chip, which shows very strong AI processing power. The Mate 90 series powered by this chip can run a 30B MoE on-device AI model.

In the AI domain, Yu talked about the Ascend compute foundation that Huawei provides, by remarking Huawei’s large models called openPangu, AI capabilities for intelligent driving, and HarmonyOS Celia, which is similar to Gemini in the Google Android ecosystem. Huawei is also using AI to improve the O&M of communications network equipment. By combining AI computing power with domestic open-source large models, Huawei’s vision is to help enterprises and industries around the world to become more productive and bringing more convenience to everyone.

In the past years, Huawei has launched a broad series of products and solutions, including smartphones, PCs, tablets, wearables, TWS audio products, Smart TVs, home routers, smart home control solutions, as well as intelligent electric vehicles together with partners. Underlying these products and solutions are Huawei’s chip hardware platform and HarmonyOS – another OS ecosystem after iOS from Apple and Android from Google that Huawei developed to support all the smart devices and smart hardware across all scenarios.

Development of HarmonyOS began in 2019. Before that, Huawei was a major contributor to the Android community as well as the entire Android ecosystem. Now, more than 90 million devices, including smartphones, PCs, and tablets, currently run on HarmonyOS 6 and HarmonyOS 7. This figure is expected to hit the 100 million mark by the end of this year. The number of apps and services in the HarmonyOS ecosystem has already exceeded 450,000. Its global registered developer count has reached 11 million, and Huawei now has over 23,000 app innovation partners. Expressing his special thanks to all partners and developers for their trust and support, Yu also pointed out that Huawei is considering gradually bringing HarmonyOS to the global market in the future.

Globalization is another topic of the conversation. Yu mentioned that Huawei had very good collaboration with many companies from the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, delivering huge business value and benefits to those partners. When it comes to the difficulties that Huawei overcame since 2019, Yu said that relying on homegrown technologies and capabilities, Huawei gradually designed its own operating system and developed basic tools and software by themselves, putting a domestic supply chain in place. In 2023, Huawei started to manufacture the chips used by smartphones domestically again. With these chips and HarmonyOS, and by relying on China’s domestic supply chain, materials, and process nodes, Huawei has basically gotten rid of the dependence on US technologies.

While Huawei’s global market share was once No. 1, nowadays it only sells several million units of smartphones outside China every year. However, Yu revealed that Huawei is trying to return to the overseas market step by step.

Taking wearables as an example, Huawei is No. 1 in terms of the market share both in China and globally. Other innovative products such as TWS earphones, are also growing fast and have reached No. 1 in many countries. While Huawei’s tablet and PC business was greatly affected after it was denied access to Windows and Intel x86 chips, the HarmonyOS-based tablets are now performing strongly. Another example would be CPE, which is a mobile router that provides connectivity to the unconnected in remote and rural areas. These products are also very well received across many regions outside China, helping more people connect to the rest of the world and live better lives.

Question: Both the Huawei XT 2 and the two most advanced models of the Mate 90 series use a LogicFolding chip. Will LogicFolding chips be used for more phones in the future? We understand that Huawei’s chip production capacity is still limited. Huawei has launched SuperPoDs, and AI infrastructure is a huge business. They are both very important in China. How do you secure a larger share of the chip supply internally?

Richard Yu: We started introducing the chip that adopts the LogicFolding technology powered by the Tau Scaling Law to the Mate XT 2 tri-fold phone. To answer your question, yes, more of our phones will definitely use these LogicFolding chips in the future.

Currently, the production capacity for advanced semiconductors in China still cannot meet the rapidly growing demand. Huawei’s Ascend chips for the AI domain also use such capacity. But we have developed a requirement plan, which also covers the chip requirements of smartphones.

The sharp price increase for memory components over the past two years has somewhat limited the smartphone sales volume. Even though the production capacity remains tight right now, generally it is sufficient to meet our market shipment needs.

We hope that production capacity will ramp up in China’s semiconductor industry so that we can manufacture more advanced products for consumers in the Chinese market as well as the overseas market in the future.

To read the full Q&A session:
https://www.apmultimedianewsroom.com/multimedia-newsroom/continuous-innovation-securing-our-competitive-edge-through-technological-breakthroughs

Hashtag: #Huawei

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

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

Universities – A constitution in question: new book argues case for reform – UoA

LiveNews Publisher — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:17:10 +0000

Source: Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland

Friday, October 2, 2026

Unjust, illegitimate, illegal. This is how Professor Claire Charters describes New Zealand’s constitution in her new book, Sovereignty.

In Sovereignty: The Case for Constitutional Transformation, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland Professor Claire Charters argues New Zealand’s constitution fails to protect Māori rights and calls for fundamental change.

Charters (Ngāti Whakaue, Tainui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Tahu, Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Rehia), an expert in Indigenous law at Auckland Law School, challenges the foundations of New Zealand’s constitutional system and examines what the country could learn from constitutional reform overseas.

Unlike most countries, New Zealand has no single written constitutional document. Instead, its constitution follows the British model, comprising legislation, court decisions, historical documents and unwritten conventions.

Charters questions why New Zealand has been so reluctant to examine its constitutional arrangements and argues that a fundamental weakness of the system is that the courts cannot overturn legislation passed by Parliament, even if it breaches human rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi or Indigenous peoples’ rights under international law.

“Our reluctance to question our constitution may reflect an attachment to the status quo, a desire to preserve existing privileges, or a lack of public awareness and debate.”

Although Sovereignty focuses primarily on Māori rights, Charters argues that the constitutional weaknesses she identifies have implications for everyone.

“New Zealand’s constitution doesn’t just fail Māori,” writes Charters, “it fails us all.”

Charters highlights the case of climate activist Mike Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu). In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that his legal action against major greenhouse gas emitters could proceed, but the Government subsequently announced plans to legislate to prevent climate claims of this kind, illustrating Charters’ concern that Parliament can intervene in court proceedings and restrict people’s ability to pursue legal remedies.

She also points to amendments to the Oranga Tamariki Act, which removed a section requiring Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, to give effect to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi and to work in partnership with iwi and hapū. Parliament proceeded with the repeal despite a Waitangi Tribunal recommendation to abandon the changes.

Drawing on years of international research, she challenges the perception that New Zealand compares favourably with other countries in protecting Indigenous peoples’ rights.

She looks particularly at Mexico, where she spent time while writing Sovereignty, and whose constitutional reforms she considers the most progressive in the world in recognising Indigenous peoples’ self-determination and rights.

Charters also highlights research by the Harvard University Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, which found that Indigenous peoples achieve better economic, social and environmental outcomes when exercising self-determination.

In the book’s final chapter, she explores options for constitutional transformation that would better realise te Tiriti o Waitangi, strengthen human rights protections and make formal space for tikanga Māori.

“I can attest to the fact that constitutional transformation is possible, should not scare us, and can contribute to a more just world.”

Sovereignty: The case for constitutional transformation by Claire Charters was published in October 2026 by Bridget Williams Books (BWB).

MIL OSI

Explore Fully Funded PhD Opportunities at World #18 CUHK

MIL OSI — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:04:10 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

Unlock US$232,420+ PhD scholarship packages—apply by 1 Dec 2026

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 September 2026 – For prospective doctoral and research postgraduate students seeking to elevate their research on a global stage, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has opened applications for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), offering fully funded PhD opportunities for the 2027–28 academic year. Supported by competitive scholarship packages, distinguished faculty mentorship, and cutting-edge facilities, CUHK provides an ideal launchpad for high-achieving international scholars to drive global impact.

Dedicated Doctoral & Postgraduate Scholarships
Through CUHK’s enhanced HKPFS Package, successful PhD candidates receive a scholarship package valued at over US$232,420+, covering annual stipends, full tuition fee waivers, lodging awards, and conference travel allowances across their normative study period. Additionally, competitive international awards, including the Belt & Road Scholarship, are available to cover full tuition fees for eligible research postgraduate students.

World-Class Academic & Research Ecosystem
Ranked 18th globally by QS World University Rankings 2027 and 10th in Asia by Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2026, CUHK provides a top-tier environment for master’s and doctoral candidates alike. Situated on Hong Kong’s largest university campus, CUHK offers 240+ English-taught postgraduate programmes across eight faculties, featuring 20 subjects in the global top 30 and six in the top 10—including Education (#1), Gastroenterology and Hepatology (#2), Nursing (#6), Computer Science (#7), and Arts and Humanities and Artificial Intelligence (both ranked #9).

Research postgraduates at CUHK create real-world impact alongside 430+ top 2% global scientists while accessing 250+ interdisciplinary research institutes, four State Key Laboratories, and pioneering InnoHK centres. Through collaborations with leading universities worldwide, they contribute to innovations that generate tangible impact locally, nationally, and globally. Driven by this dynamic research environment, CUHK unlocked over US$324 million in annual research funding in 2024–25 alone.

Voices of International Students
The transformative impact of CUHK’s academic environment is echoed by its international doctoral students:

“The HKPFS has enabled me to advance interdisciplinary research in Blue Humanities and Pacific environmental literature,” said Ananya Roy, an HKPFS awardee pursuing a PhD in English Literary Studies from India. “Through international conference presentations and forthcoming publications, I am developing a globally engaged research agenda that bridges literary studies and environmental thought.”

Alexandra Rose McCombie, a PhD candidate in Biology from Scotland, added: “The opportunity to study science at CUHK has allowed me to pursue my passion through an intellectually challenging and thoroughly enjoyable programme in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. Researching alongside world-class academics and talented peers has been incredibly motivational and inspiring for my future career.”

Take Your Next Step Global
Applications for the 2027–28 HKPFS intake close on 1 December 2026 (11:59PM HKT).

To help prospective international applicants navigate admission requirements and scholarship applications, CUHK will host a Virtual Info Session on 15 October 2026. Attendees will connect live with professors and current students to gain key tips on admission and scholarship opportunities.

For event registration and application details, visit https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/hkpfs.

https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/hkpfs

Hashtag: #CUHK #HKPFS #PhD

About CUHK

Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a leading comprehensive research university with a global reputation and world-leading rankings. Located in the heart of Asia, CUHK has a vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. The University has eight faculties: Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science, and Social Science. Together with the Graduate School, the University offers over 300 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. All faculties are actively engaged in research in a wide range of disciplines, with an array of research institutes and research centres specialising in interdisciplinary research of the highest quality.

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

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

Greenpeace joins complaint to EU over NZ’s climate policy regression

LiveNews Publisher — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:41:56 +0000

Source: Greenpeace Aotearoa

Greenpeace Aotearoa has joined a complaint to the EU, lodged by EU-based organisation Both ENDS, over New Zealand’s failure to comply with clauses in the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement requiring strong climate action.

Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director Dr Russel Norman says, “The New Zealand Government has spent the last three years systematically undermining climate and environment laws and regulations in our country, often with the explicit stated purpose of gaining trade benefits.”

“We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis, and the UN is warning that we are set to breach 1.5℃ of global temperature rise. We need urgent action to cut climate pollution rapidly, but the Government has instead spent the last three years engaged in a race to the bottom on environmental regulation – and that’s why we have co-sponsored this complaint.”

Norman says that this action comes after years of good-faith engagement with the New Zealand Government.

“Over the last three years we have met with the Prime Minister, Ministers and senior officials on many occasions to urge them to change course and to warn them that they were breaching the sustainability chapter of the free trade agreement with the European Union. We have mobilised people to sign petitions, we’ve made submissions against their legislation, we’ve marched in the streets, and more. But this Government has not listened.”

“Hence today we are joining this complaint in the hope that the risk of losing preferential trade access to the EU market will encourage the New Zealand Government to change course. Sadly it seems that money is the only language they understand.”

The EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2023, requires both parties to ‘effectively implement the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, including commitments with regard to nationally determined contributions’, and ‘to refrain from any action or omission that materially defeats the object and purpose of the Paris Agreement.’

Dr Norman says, “We need to act collectively as a global community to achieve our climate and environmental objectives, yet the New Zealand Government has consistently and deliberately undermined global efforts, and undermined the Paris climate agreement in particular.”

“Whatever the outcome of the New Zealand general election in November, we need to insist that the next New Zealand Government rejoins the nations of the world that take their climate and environment responsibilities seriously.”

The Both ENDS complaint identifies several areas of concern as evidence of a breach of the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement, including:

The reversal of the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration
The weakening of the biogenic methane target
The removal of the ETS backstop for agricultural emissions, and refusal to price agricultural emissions at all.
The Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Act, which retroactively prevents legal action against climate-polluting companies.
A failure to set ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as required under the Paris Agreement

The Both ENDS complaint is co-sponsored by the following New Zealand organisations and individuals: the Environmental Law Initiative, Greenpeace Aotearoa, Ngāti Pūkenga Iwi ki Tauranga Trust, OraTaiao: New Zealand Climate and Health Council, Mike Smith, and Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey.

MIL OSI

University Research – Humanitarian relief failure in Gaza: Outsourcing aid doesn’t outsource legal responsibility

LiveNews Publisher — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 05:47:16 +0000

Source: Edith Cowan University

29 September 2026

The effectiveness of humanitarian aid delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been called into question by a new paper (https://academic.oup.com/jcsl/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jcsl/krag019/8832340), which noted that not only was the distribution of aid being offered inhumane, but could well be violating international law.

Images that have surfaced online since 2025 of hungry civilians forced to walk for miles to humanitarian aid stations amid mass displacement, ongoing conflict and devastating loss, is a haunting example of a failed and inhumane aid delivery model.

Authored by Associate Professor Shannon Bosch (https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/business-and-law/faculty/profiles/associate-professor/associate-professor-shannon-bosch), the paper has shone a spotlight on the failed humanitarian relief outsourced to private security contractors in Gaza.

The Associate Professor from Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) School of Business and Law said the GHF’s concentration of aid distribution through four large, heavily secured aid sites breached international law.

The radically different model for delivering food to Palestinians trapped in Gaza occurred over six months in 2025.

“My research into the GHF model shows why the delivery of humanitarian aid matters. Humanitarian assistance in occupied territory must comply with rules designed not merely to get food into civilian hands, but to protect the people receiving it,” Associate Professor Bosch said.

“The protection of civilians must be at the heart of delivering humanitarian aid.”

Where and how aid is delivered matters

Before the GHF began operating, humanitarian assistance had been distributed through more than 400 UN-coordinated sites across Gaza. The GHF replaced this network with four large distribution sites.

Safe Reach Solutions provided security logistics, while UG Solutions secured distribution sites and interacted directly with Palestinians.

Civilians south of Wadi Gaza could reach the aid distribution sites only using routes that took them through heavily armed Israeli military units and bases, while people in northern Gaza faced long journeys.

“Distribution was also unpredictable. At times, civilians received only minutes’ notice that a site was opening, and sites could remain open for very short periods.”

Associate Professor Bosch argues that the GHF is a model for how humanitarian aid should not be delivered.

“When uniformed and heavily armoured private security personnel are employed to handle the delivery of humanitarian aid – the international law warning bell should be ringing,” she said.

“We often see humanitarian workers with a military-like convoy to protect and guard them in occupied territory against criminal elements trying to hijack aid, but private security contractors are not trained to actually be the ones delivering aid.”

International law requirements

International humanitarian law and international human rights law places extensive obligations on an occupying power towards the civilian population.

Associate Professor Bosch said the GHF model is legally problematic. There are limits to the ways an occupying power can regulate humanitarian operations for legitimate security reasons.

“Calling something ‘humanitarian aid’ doesn’t make it so,” she said.

“Humanitarian relief must remain impartial and needs-based. Civilians must be treated humanely and without discrimination. Relief operations must also be sufficiently independent of political and military objectives to retain their humanitarian character.

“What the GHF model shows is that the delivery of humanitarian aid can be weaponised as a tool of control. It can be used to violate human rights and force people to relocate. How aid is distributed and who is doing it matters.”

Humanitarian aid should reduce civilian vulnerability

The GHF aid distribution points became sites of crowding, stampedes and shootings. Vulnerable civilians attempting to access aid included women, children, older people and people with disabilities. Thousands of Palestinians were reported killed or injured around GHF distribution sites and aid routes.

Associate Professor Bosch’s research argues that activities such as coercive crowd control, intelligence gathering, security screening and the use of force in civilian settings risks crossing the line between protecting humanitarian operations and performing military or government functions.

“A humanitarian system should reduce civilian vulnerability, not repeatedly expose hungry civilians to danger in order to obtain food,” Associate Professor Bosch said.

Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power remains responsible for the treatment of protected civilians by those acting under its authority or control.

“As governments increasingly rely on private contractors to outsource functions once carried out by states or established humanitarian organisations, they ought to be reminded that this does not negate their legal responsibility to uphold international law.”

Humanitarian Aid, Private Security and the International Law Obligations on the Occupying Power: A Commentary on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (https://academic.oup.com/jcsl/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jcsl/krag019/8832340) is published in the Journal of Conflict & Security Law.

MIL OSI

Huawei releases world’s slimmest and largest foldable smartphone

MIL OSI — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:49:39 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

First smartphone to run HarmonyOS 7 and include chip design breakthrough LogicFolding

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 September 2026 – Huawei released the HUAWEI Mate XT 2 | ULTIMATE DESIGN trifold smartphone on September 7. The phone is the first to run HarmonyOS 7, and is the slimmest and largest foldable smartphone in the industry. The Mate XT 2’s Kirin 9050 chip also includes a major breakthrough in semiconductor design. As the first smartphone to feature the LogicFolding Tau (τ) Chip, the Mate XT 2 marks the chip’s official entry into mass commercialization.

World-class engineering and design

The device is proving popular with consumers due to its foldable wing-like form, which means it can be opened up, transforming the phone into a tablet.

The engineering to make this possible is unprecedented. The glass screen must be tough enough to withstand daily use, whilst being able to fold thousands of times. The hinge to allow the screen to fold is the first of its kind. Once open, the handset is just 3.5mm thick. However, the screen is not the only remarkable folding technology in the device.

The first chip with semiconductor design breakthrough, LogicFolding

The Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design includes a major breakthrough in semiconductor design. The phone is the first to use Huawei’s LogicFolding Tau chip Kirin 9050 Pro. Designed by engineers in Huawei’s HiSilicon team, the chip offers a solution to the problem of geometric scaling.

With Moore’s law (the historical observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years) believed to be reaching its physical limit, making chips smaller is becoming more challenging and costly.

For Huawei, faced with external restrictions, the need to find a solution came sooner than expected.

In May this year, He Tingbo, President of Huawei’s HiSilicon division, unveiled a new way of designing and making chips, alongside a new law to measure their performance, the τ (Tau) Scaling Law. The work led to Ms He being recently named one of the world’s leading AI innovators by Time Magazine.

The point of shrinking transistors was never the smallness itself, it’s what the smallness delivered. Shoppers looking to buy the latest smartphone don’t care if the chips inside have 7, 5 or even 2-nanometer nodes, they care about the performance of the device in their hands. What matters to consumers is the time it takes for a task to be completed, a video to be shared or a game to load. The performance of the chip should be measured in the same way: by time, not size. This is why Huawei proposed τ (Tau) Scaling Law as an alternative to Moore’s Law.

Breaking through barriers to improve performance

The Kirin 9050 Pro uses 3D integration to boost performance. Traditional chip advancement focussed on packing more and more transistors into a linear plain by making each one smaller. LogicFolding uses 3D integration to reduce the distance between transistors by stacking them on top of one another, increasing the number of transistors whilst reducing the distance between them.

In fact, in the Kirin 9050 Pro transistor density has risen from approximately 155 to 238 million transistors per square millimetre. That’s an equivalent increase to what was achieved in the previous three years using geometric shrinking.

It was thought that stacking active transistors on top of each other and sealing them inside a solid mobile device would present an engineering challenge. Power turns into heat, which in a confined space would raise the temperature and ultimately break the device.

The key to the solution came in recognising that integrated chips have both transistors and circuits. As He Tingbo explains in her IEEE article, Huawei’s τ Chip Was Supposed to Melt?, the inner workings of a chip can be compared to an office worker’s day of work. Many office workers will use more energy on their commute to and from the office than they do at their desk because they are moving around more on the road. The ‘work’ part of their day is not the most energy intensive part as they are often seated at their desk.

The same is true for chips. The most energy intensive part of the process is the ‘commute’, moving data from point A to point B, not processing it. Integrated circuits use power in two main ways. The first is switching, flipping a transistor gate to change a bit from 0 to 1 and back. The second is the transmission of that data, moving the bits from one part of the chip to another.

This is important in mobile phones where a lot of performance requirements are asked of a single chip. Equally, however, in a large AI cluster 80% of the energy is used in the moving the data, not processing it. In both cases, LogicFolding reduces the space between transistors which in turn reduces the power used. The previous assumption that packing transistors on top of one another would increase the heat turned out to be false. In fact, even with a higher transistor density per millimetre, LogicFolding chips run cooler per unit of work. The result is Huawei’s most powerful smartphone ever.

The first phone to run HarmonyOS 7

The Mate XT 2 is the first smartphone to run HarmonyOS 7. Forty-two percent more powerful than the previous generation, it remains the slimmest and largest foldable display in the industry when open. The cover screen spans 6.5 inches, boosting the screen-to-body ratio from 86.4% to 92.8%. Enhanced with 70% better anti-reflection, the screen exhibits a deeper, cleaner black when off, and pure, crystal-clear transparency when lit.

The Huawei Mate XT 2 also introduces the world-first Smart Shield Privacy Screen on a foldable screen. Two independent pixel sets co-exist within the 10.2-inch display at a micro-pitch of just 9 μm. When Privacy Mode is activated, the screen seamlessly switches from a wide viewing angle to a narrow one while maintaining identical resolution and clarity, protecting your privacy in public spaces without compromising your view.

Industry first ECG analysis

Health tech is increasing important to consumers, and so the Mate XT 2 is the industry’s first smartphone to introduce ECG analysis. Capitalising on the innovative tri-fold form factor, users can simply hold both side frames with both hands while unfolded to capture a 30-second ECG signal. Paired with the medically certified analysis software, it generates detailed ECG reports to help identify Sinus Rhythm, Atrial Fibrillation, and Premature Beats.

The launch of the Mate XT 2 marks a significant moment in Huawei’s journey. The company’s R&D has delivered industry leading, and industry changing innovation. More than half of Huawei’s employees work in R&D. That’s over 100,000 people. The company currently holds 160,000 active patents worldwide. In the first half of 2026 alone, Huawei’s R&D investment was over RMB 121 billion, accounting for 25.94% of revenue, up 25.2% year on year.

The HUAWEI Mate XT 2 | ULTIMATE DESIGN starts at RMB 19,999 and is now available for purchase, along with a stylus set, following its official sales launch at 10:08 on September 12^th.

Hashtag: #Huawei

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

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

From Holiday Getaways to Meaningful Journeys: How Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort Is Reshaping the Festive Season

MIL OSI — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:04:13 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

PHUKET, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 September 2026 – As travellers increasingly seek meaningful ways to celebrate the festive season, Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort is unveiling its festive programme, blending international traditions with Phuket’s culture, cuisine and community through culinary experiences, a community-inspired Christmas Market and signature beachfront celebrations.

According to the Mastercard Economics Institute’s Travel Trends report, purpose-driven travel, including culinary discovery and cultural immersion, is becoming an increasingly important driver of destination choice, as travellers seek authentic experiences and meaningful connections. Luxury hospitality is therefore evolving beyond traditional festive events to create celebrations that connect guests more deeply with the destinations they visit.

“Today’s travellers are looking for more than a holiday. They seek thoughtfully curated experiences that unlock the destination, inspire discovery and create meaningful connections with the people they travel with,” said Jirarat Ninpradub, General Manager of Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort. “Our festive programme celebrates the joy of the season alongside Phuket’s unique culture, flavours and creativity, allowing guests to discover the destination in an authentic and memorable way.”

Throughout December until January 4, 2027, Ocean Kitchen Lawn will host Tuesdays’ Mai Khao Fisherman Market, Thursdays’ Beach BBQ evenings and authentic Thai cuisine, plus live Muay Thai demonstrations, traditional dance, and fire shows every Saturday. J’s Restaurant will offer Asian and International-themed buffets on Mondays and Fridays, alongside a festive Afternoon Tea featuring seasonal pastries and Le Méridien’s signature coffee.

On Christmas Day, the resort’s Christmas Market will showcase handcrafted products by local artisans and resort associates, seasonal treats and live music, combining the charm of a European festive village with Phuket’s distinctive creativity. The market reflects the resort’s commitment to local craftsmanship and community partnerships, giving guests another way to discover Phuket while celebrating the season.

The celebrations culminate in two signature beachfront events. Christmas Eve features an international festive buffet with premium seafood, live cooking stations, Christmas carols, a Santa Giveaway and entertainment beneath the stars. On New Year’s Eve, The Andaman Lumina Soirée transforms Mai Khao Beach with immersive performances, live music, DJs, LED and fire shows, exceptional dining and a spectacular fireworks display welcoming 2027.

By bringing together festive traditions with Phuket’s culture, cuisine and community, Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort continues offering guests a celebration experience that embraces both the season and the destination.

For more information on additional offers, visit Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort Official Website.

Hashtag: #LeMéridienPhuketMaiKhaoBeachResort

About Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort

Set along the tranquil shores of Mai Khao Beach, one of Phuket’s most unspoiled coastlines, Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort offers a relaxed beachfront retreat just 15 minutes from Phuket International Airport. The resort brings together contemporary design, intuitive service, and a curated approach to lifestyle experiences, providing a calm alternative to the island’s busier tourist hubs.

The resort features spacious rooms and suites across 14 categories, with views of tropical gardens or the Andaman Sea, designed to balance comfort and privacy. With expansive grounds and family-friendly facilities, it welcomes couples, families, and groups seeking a more unhurried stay.

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

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

Correcting and Replacing: Global Schools Group Marks 25th Anniversary with S$100,000 Multi-Organisation Community Support

MIL OSI — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:19:49 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

The Group outlined ambitious global expansion with 20 new campuses by 2030 and next-generation student initiatives

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 September 2026 – Global Schools Group (GSG), recognised as the world’s most awarded network of K-12 schools, today officially commenced its 25th anniversary celebrations by committing S$100,000 in philanthropic donations to support community initiatives across Singapore. The announcement was made alongside strategic plans to expand its global footprint by opening 20 new international campuses by 2030, targeting high-growth education markets across Asia and the Middle East.

Global Schools Group Marks 25th Anniversary with S$100,000 Multi-Organisation Community Support

The flagship anniversary event was held in the presence of Guest of Honour Mr Edwin Tong, Minister of Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Singapore who witnessed representatives from key beneficiaries receive donation cheques from GSG. The donations will primarily enhance accessibility features in special education schools across East Coast GRC and support inclusive community spaces, including the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), President’s Challenge, and the People’s Association via the Siglap South Community Centre redevelopment.

GSG also announced new long-term community partnerships with the North East Community Development Council (CDC) and the Community Chest.

Centering on the theme “One Global Community. Shaping the Future,” the GSG event featured a student-led experiential exhibition and the official launch of a commemorative publication, unveiled by Minister Tong to mark the network’s quarter-century journey from a single local campus to a global system of 64 campuses across 11 countries.

Reflecting on the milestone, Atul Temurnikar, Chairman and Co-Founder of Global Schools Group, said: “Twenty-five years ago, we began our journey with just forty-eight students, driven by a commitment to establish an institution anchored in Singapore’s core principles of academic rigour, meritocracy, and continuous learning. Translating this home-grown educational model across sixty-four global campuses in eleven nations demonstrates the universal appeal of these foundational values. As we embark on introducing our next twenty international locations, our steadfast mission is to empower young leaders for future industries while instilling a profound sense of civic duty and social responsibility.”

Driving Academic Excellence and Real-World Innovation

GSG’s 25-year trajectory is backed by industry-leading academic achievements and global quality recognition. The network recently became the first education group globally to receive Japan’s prestigious Deming Prize for Total Quality Management, bringing its total to more than 650 international awards.

Recent academic and industry milestones across the network include:

Top Academic Outcomes: In recent International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations, over 150 GSG students achieved top scores of 44 and 45 points, earning the “IB World Topper” designation and securing placements at institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, NUS, and NTU.
Industry Impact: GSG alumni are actively leading advancements in critical sectors, including Kanika Gakhar, Launch Engineer for the SpaceX/NASA Falcon 9 rocket, and Samanyu Okade, Satellite Design Engineer.
Student-Led Innovation: Current 15-year-old GSG students recently developed LumaBand, an AI-powered wearable device designed to detect and mitigate fall risks among elderly citizens.
Next-Generation Curricula: To prepare its 45,000+ students for emerging technological shifts, GSG is establishing specialised research hubs, including the Centre for AI and Quantum Education, alongside a Silicon Valley Innovation Immersion programme for high-performing students.

Hashtag: #GlobalSchoolsGroup #OneGlobalCommunity #ShapingTheFuture

About Global Schools Group

Global Schools Group has a network of 64 campuses across 11 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Malaysia, where 45,000 students from 70 nationalities study. GSG schools rank high in IB results, with over 100 students scoring World Topper (45/45) and Near Perfect Scores (44/45) in the IB Diploma exams. Over 1000 of its students have achieved A* and A in at least 7 or more subjects in the Cambridge IGCSE exams.

Each year over 150 global universities engage with GSG students who are guided by specialised in-house career counselors. GSG students have been accepted by Ivy League universities such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale, other leading universities such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the G5 of UK such as Oxford & Cambridge Universities, London School of Economics, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). GSG schools are a recipient of over 600 education excellence awards from international quality organisations and UK-Based World Book of Records Recognises GSG Schools as World’s Most Awarded Network of Schools.

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

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

Hunger-Striking Flotilla Organizer Wael Naouar Hospitalized Under Total Blackout as Greta Thunberg, Chief Mandla Mandela, Kneecap, and Global Figures Launch International Open Letter

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:52:27 +0000

Source: Global Sumud Flotilla

As Tunisian authorities refuse to disclose Naouar’s condition, prominent international artists, public figures and human rights advocates unite to demand the immediate release of the ‘Sumud 4’ and an end to the criminalization of Palestine solidarity.

Sept 23, 2026

TUNIS / INTERNATIONAL – The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has issued an emergency alert following the critical hospitalization of steering committee member Wael Naouar, who has been on an open-ended hunger strike for nearly 40 days in Mornaguia Prison.

Tunisian authorities are now maintaining a complete information blackout, refusing to provide any update regarding Naouar’s medical state or the circumstances surrounding his emergency transfer. The alarming silence comes as dozens of high-profile artists, legal scholars, and political leaders— including climate activist Greta Thunberg, anti-apartheid leader Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, Irish hip-hop group Kneecap, actor Liam Cunningham, and legal commentator Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu —launched an open letter urging the Tunisian government to immediately free Naouar and his three co-defendants.

“Wael Naouar’s life and health are the direct responsibility of the authorities holding him in custody,” stated the Global Sumud Flotilla. “This worrying silence and the total refusal to provide information to his family or legal team raise serious concerns for his safety. We hold the President of the Republic, the General Directorate of Prisons and Rehabilitation, and the Ministry of Justice fully responsible for his life and for any harm that may befall him.”

Naouar launched his hunger strike on August 16 to protest his prolonged detention without trial. On September 10, fellow GSF organizers Nabil Channoufi, Ghassan El Henchiri, and Ghassan El Boughdiri joined the open-ended hunger strike just before the a Tunisian court extended their pretrial detention by four months despite a complete absence of credible evidence. All four men have been held for more than six months for helping coordinate a non-violent civilian aid mission to Gaza.

In their open letter, titled “FREE THE SUMUD 4,” the signatories declare:

“A man has been on hunger strike for more than a month in a Tunisian prison because he refuses to accept that solidarity with Palestine is a crime. His heart could stop at any moment… Tunisia has long stood with the Palestinian people and resisted colonialism. We ask its government to remember that history, and to act before another prisoner pays with his life.”

Prominent Signatories Leading the Global Demand:

Greta Thunberg , Climate activist and international civil disobedience leader.
Nkosi Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela , Chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council, anti-apartheid advocate, and grandson of Nelson Mandela.
Kneecap , Acclaimed Irish hip-hop trio and cultural activists.
Liam Cunningham , International actor ( Game of Thrones ) and human rights advocate.
Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu , Prominent lawyer, author, and political commentator.
Tiz Zaqyah Razak , Award-winning Malaysian actress and public figure.

“We know the power of a voice, a name, a stage, an audience,” the signatories state in the collective declaration. “A man has been on hunger strike for more than a month in a Tunisian prison because he refuses to accept that solidarity with Palestine is a crime. His heart could stop at any moment… From Palestine to Tunisia, from the prison cell to the street, people should not be prosecuted for refusing to accept injustice.”

The open letter outlines four non-negotiable demands:

The immediate and unconditional release of the Sumud 4.
Immediate urgent medical care for Wael Naouar and all hunger-striking organizers.
The dismissal of all charges against all GSF organizers.
The removal of arbitrary restrictions imposed on previously released GSF organizers.

The Global Sumud Flotilla reiterates that civil society movements, human rights defenders, and cultural leaders worldwide will not sit idly by while civilian organizers face political imprisonment for coordinating peaceful efforts to challenge israel’s illegal siege on Gaza.

MIL OSI

Labour sanctioned Russia in a day. Now it must show its Israel plan.

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:52:21 +0000

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

On 9 March 2022, Parliament passed the Russia Sanctions Bill through all its stages in a single day. The Bill was introduced the previous day, received its first, second and third readings and completed its committee stage on 9 March, before receiving Royal Assent on 10 March.

The legislation created a dedicated framework allowing New Zealand to impose and enforce sanctions in response to Russia’s military actions and those assisting Russia.

The speed matters.

New Zealand had debated autonomous sanctions for years. But when Russia invaded Ukraine, the Government moved urgently and Parliament acted.

Now Labour has made its Israel policy explicit.

In its foreign-policy speech on 23 September, Labour committed to recognising the State of Palestine, placing economic sanctions on Israel, and requiring the NZ Super Fund and ACC to divest from companies on the UN list operating in the occupied territories. Labour also committed to intervening in South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice concerning the Genocide Convention.

That is a significant step beyond Labour’s earlier position.

In March 2025, Labour supported Chlöe Swarbrick’s bill that would enable sanctions against Israel over its occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Then, in September 2025, Labour called for “meaningful sanctions” including cutting trade and economic ties, freezing assets and travel bans on named individuals, explicitly referring to the approach New Zealand had taken towards Russia.

So the political commitment is now clear.

The mechanics are not.

The Russia Sanctions Act was specifically designed around Russia’s military actions. Its purpose is expressly tied to Russia and those assisting it.

If Labour wants to impose sanctions on Israel under a different legal basis, New Zealand needs to know what legislation Labour would use or introduce.

That is where the questions begin. When?

The Russia sanctions legislation went from introduction to all parliamentary stages in one day.

What is Labour’s deadline for legislation or other legal authority to implement its promised economic sanctions on Israel? How?

Will Labour support and pass Chlöe Swarbrick’s sanctions legislation, amend it, or introduce its own Government bill?

And if new legislation is required, how quickly would it be introduced? What sanctions?

Labour’s current speech says only that it will “place economic sanctions on Israel.”

But Labour has previously identified much more specific measures: cutting economic and trade ties, freezing assets and imposing travel bans on named individuals.

Will those measures form part of the policy?

Would Labour also consider restrictions on settlement-linked trade, procurement restrictions, financial measures, and sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for violations of international law? What comes first?

Labour has now committed to three significant measures: recognition of Palestine, sanctions on Israel, and intervention in South Africa’s ICJ case.

Will these happen simultaneously?

Or will there be a sequence and, if so, what is it?

These are not minor details.

A sanctions policy is a legal instrument, not simply a political statement. It needs legislation or legal authority, definitions, targets, enforcement mechanisms, exemptions, timelines and accountability.

Labour has said the right things about the need for consequences when international law is breached.

It has also demonstrated, through the Russia sanctions legislation, that New Zealand can act with extraordinary speed when Parliament decides that circumstances demand it.

So the question now is simple:

If Labour believes Israel should face economic sanctions, show New Zealand the plan.

Put the legislation on the table.

Put the timeline on the table.

Put the sanctions on the table.

And explain clearly how the promised action will move from a 23 September election commitment to an enforceable New Zealand sanctions regime.

The commitment has been made. Now the mechanics must follow.

MIL OSI

Melco’s Morpheus becomes Macau’s first hotel to receive Three MICHELIN Keys

MIL OSI — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:49:33 +0000

Source: Media Outreach

MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 September 2026 – Melco Resorts & Entertainment (NASDAQ: MLCO) announces that Morpheus at City of Dreams has been awarded Three MICHELIN Keys in the MICHELIN Guide’s 2026 global hotel selection, becoming the first hotel in Macau to receive the distinction. Morpheus was promoted from Two Keys, which it held in the 2025 selection.

Three MICHELIN Keys, described by the Guide as “an extraordinary stay”, is the highest level of recognition in the MICHELIN Key system. The 2026 selection comprises 2,832 hotels worldwide, of which 155 hold Three Keys. Morpheus is one of two hotels in Hong Kong and Macau at this level.

In its citation, the MICHELIN Guide described Morpheus as combining “futuristic architectural design” with luxury hospitality, gastronomy and personalized guest services.

Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO of Melco, said, “When we set out to build Morpheus, we wanted to create a hotel that Macau had never seen. Bringing that ambition to life was a collective achievement, and our colleagues carry it forward through the care they give our guests every day. This recognition belongs to them. It also affirms the direction we have taken as a company: to be defined by the quality of our hospitality, our dining, our design and our people. We are grateful to the MICHELIN Guide, and proud to bring Macau its first Three Keys.”

Designed by the late visionary architect Dame Zaha Hadid and named one of the World’s Most Beautiful Hotels by the Prix Versailles, the global architecture and design award at UNESCO, Morpheus is the world’s first high-rise supported by a free-form steel exoskeleton. Located within Melco’s flagship property City of Dreams, Morpheus seamlessly blends luxury accommodation options, MICHELIN-starred dining, and immersive art experiences to redefine luxury living.

Hashtag: #Melco

About Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited

The Company, with its American depositary shares listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq: MLCO), is a developer, owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe. The Company currently operates City of Dreams ( www.cityofdreamsmacau.com) and Altira Macau ( www.altiramacau.com), integrated resorts located in Cotai and Taipa, Macau, respectively. Its business also includes the Mocha Clubs ( www.mochaclubs.com), the only non-casino based operation of electronic gaming machines in Macau. In addition, the Company operates Studio City ( www.studiocity-macau.com), a cinematically-themed integrated resort in Cotai, Macau. In the Philippines, the Company operates and manages City of Dreams Manila ( www.cityofdreamsmanila.com), an integrated resort in the Entertainment City complex in Manila. In Europe, the Company operates City of Dreams Mediterranean, an integrated resort in Limassol, in the Republic of Cyprus ( www.cityofdreamsmed.com.cy) and licensed satellite casinos in other cities in Cyprus (the “Cyprus Casinos”). In South Asia, the Company operates the casino and manages the Nüwa hotel at City of Dreams Sri Lanka ( www.cityofdreamssrilanka.com), an integrated resort in Colombo, Sri Lanka. For more information about the Company, please visit www.melco-resorts.com.

The Company is majority owned by Melco International Development Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which is in turn majority owned and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is the Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

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

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

Police Mental Health Response Change Programme should be shelved – PSA

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:56:57 +0000

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

The PSA has slammed Health NZ’s decision to move to the final phase of the Police’s Mental Health Response Change Programme as not only ill-conceived but dangerous for health workers and mental health patients alike.

Health NZ confirmed today that the final phase of Police’s withdrawal from mental health call-outs will see handover times at hospital emergency departments cut from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, rather than the 15 minutes originally planned. The final phase had been on hold while the changes were reviewed, following safety concerns raised by health workers, ambulance staff, unions and the Mental Health Foundation.

“This is not addressing the problem with this ill-conceived and poorly planned programme,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“Going from 60 minutes to 30 minutes does not change our fundamental concern about this programme. Mental health workers are still being assaulted, and this was never properly planned for in the first place.

“The whole programme should be shelved. Time and again we’ve raised the dangers with Health NZ and Police, and time and again we’ve been told the changes would proceed regardless.

“This is a serious health and safety issue which why we complained to the IPCA who agreed with us that violence and assaults against mental health workers are a ‘significant concern’ – but stated that it does not have the resources to investigate the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme.

“No health worker should ever be left facing a situation where the police aren’t there to help them. Health NZ have told staff that they should simply remove themselves from a dangerous situation – but we’ve heard from workers that’s completely impractical advice.

“It is fundamental that the safety of workers, patients and the public is the priority here – not an afterthought.

“Just like any New Zealanders, mental health workers should always be able to expect that police will be there to help them – at the other end of the phone, ready to respond – not treated as an option of last resort.

“We’re calling on Health NZ and the Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, to shelve this flawed programme altogether, and to properly resource mental health services so that workers, patients and the public are safe.”

Previous statement:

5 Feb 2026 Police watchdog concedes violence against mental health workers ‘serious’ but too underfunded to investigate

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

Northland vegetation fire update

LiveNews Publisher — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 01:36:49 +0000

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was alerted to a five-hectare scrub and grass vegetation fire on Far North Road in Te Kao at 9.48am today. Firefighters from Houhora and Kaitaia responded, supported by two helicopters. Fire and Emergency and Police have evacuated ten houses as a precaution, with the residents likely to be returned home this afternoon. The fire is currently contained, but windy conditions have made firefighting difficult.

MIL OSI

Advocacy – Invercargill Council 6th Council to Cut Ties with Illegal Israeli Settlements in Palestine

LiveNews Publisher — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 03:36:54 +0000

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Invercargill

Today Invercargill City Council voted 7-3 to join five other councils including Environment Southland to exclude companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank from council contracts, reversing the previous council’s 6–6 decision decided by casting vote.

The motion returned after a petition signed by 1,200 people, and was supported by local businesses, unions, faith groups and community organisations.

The change aligns procurement with UN Security Council Resolution 2334, co-sponsored by New Zealand under a National government in 2016, which states Israeli settlements on Palestinian land are a “flagrant violation under international law” and a “major obstacle” to peace. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled Israel’s occupation unlawful and in breach of international law on apartheid and racial segregation.

Statement from Seren Palliser of PSNA Invercargill: “Since the last council rejected this, 1800+ attacks have been recorded in the West Bank, with 240 Palestinians killed and 1600 displaced. 700,000 settler-colonists now live in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and this winter Israeli ministers announced plans for 3 settlements in Gaza and 400 million to expand settlements.”

“We’re grateful to the councillors who passed this today. This is a small step to stop ratepayer money funding these war crimes, but local councils shouldn’t have to take it – it’s 10 years since UNSC 2334 was passed and parliament, which sanctioned Russia within weeks, still hasn’t put it into action. The relentless double standards have done permanent harm to the international rule’s based order we all rely on.”

The motion was brought by councillor Lisa Tou-McNaughton (supported by Andrea de Vries, Steve Broad, Marcus Lush and Darren Ludlow), and moved by Alex Crackett, seconded by Steve Broad

Votes for: Lisa Tou-McNaughton, Andrea de Vries, Steve Broad, Marcus Lush and Darren Ludlow, Alex Crackett, Ian Pottinger, Ria Bond

Voted against: Tom Campbell, Barry Stewart, Trish Boyle

MIL OSI

Open letter calls National, Labour irresponsible for positioning on tax – Better Taxes

LiveNews Publisher — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:42:01 +0000

Source: Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign

In an open letter released today, fifteen members of the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign coalition are calling out both the National and Labour parties for their irresponsible positioning on tax, and for failing to engage honestly with the public about the revenue challenges we face, in the lead up to the 2026 General Election.

“Both of the major parties, one of which will lead the next government, are running campaigns that perpetuate negative attitudes towards tax, at a time when we desperately need to raise more revenue to fund the things we need to live good lives – like safe staffing in our hospitals, building more public housing, and tackling our infrastructure deficit,” said Kate Stone, Better Taxes campaign manager.

“The National Party is campaigning on having “no new taxes”. The Labour Party has committed to a Capital Gains Tax limited to investment property, but is now buying into National’s anti-tax messaging by trying to minimise it in the public conversation and refusing to commit to any other tax changes.”

“This positioning is irresponsible given the fiscal challenges, outlined by the Treasury and IRD, that are posed by an aging population, increasing health expenditure and the need to respond to climate change and associated extreme weather events.”

“And it is out of step with where the public is at. Polling shows people support increased spending on public services and a recent poll indicates that two thirds would be willing to pay more tax for better healthcare,” said Stone.

“We cannot cut, cut, cut our way out of this situation – the organisations that have signed on to this letter already see the impact of the current underinvestment in public services on our communities.”

“We need to grow tax revenue, but that does not mean taxing ordinary, hard working whānau more. Relative to most countries we like to compare ourselves with we’re a low tax country, they collect more revenue and have better public services than we do. But our tax system is unbalanced and not every part of society is contributing its fair share: working whānau pay income tax and GST, but we do not tax wealth and capital gains in any meaningful way. That needs to change if we’re going to gather the revenue we need, and gather it more fairly,” said Stone.

Comment from NZ Nurses Organisation

“Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, supports the open letter challenging the major political parties’ positions on tax during the election campaign. Chronic underfunding of the health system has caused nationwide staffing shortages, ageing facilities, and an inability to meet community need — resulting in avoidable harm and death. Last financial year, hospitals ran a $1 billion deficit just trying to stand still, while the wider health system deficit is estimated at $4-5 billion in immediate unmet need. Meeting current demand and building a health system fit for the future will require all political parties to commit to tax reform so that every New Zealander has access to high-quality public health care.” NZNO President, Anne Daniels.

Comment from Child Poverty Action Group

“Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) exists to advocate for policies that reduce and ultimately eliminate child poverty and we wholeheartedly support the Better Taxes Coalition open letter. It is very clear to us that New Zealand needs sufficient and sustainable public revenue to meet our obligations under the Child Poverty Reduction Act – now and in the future.”

“We see every day the consequences of underinvestment for children and their families: rising material hardship, inadequate incomes, housing stress, unequal access to health and educational opportunities. These are imposing significant costs on our kids, our communities and the wider economy. Child poverty alone is estimated to cost New Zealand billions of dollars annually.”

“We, too, are calling on Labour and National to have an honest public conversation about how New Zealand will fund the commitments needed to meet the Child Poverty Reduction Act targets, to reduce child poverty, and address the long-term social and fiscal challenges.”

Lyn Amos, Kaiwhakahaere Mātua – Executive Officer, Child Poverty Action Group.

Read the open letter.

The Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign is a coalition of over 20 organisations led by Tax Justice Aotearoa.

MIL OSI