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XIAMEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 Jun 2026 – On June 12, the 7th Cross-Strait Financial Forum and Taiwan-Funded Enterprise Development Forum was held in Xiamen.The event was jointly organized by the Fujian Provincial Financial Regulatory Administration, the Xiamen Municipal Financial Regulatory Administration, and the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, hosted by Xiamen Jinyuan Investment Group, and executed by Jinyuan Uni-President Securities. Under the theme “Three Years of Integration Embarking on a New Journey, United Development Writing a New Chapter,” the forum focused on cross-strait financial cooperation, expanded financing channels for Taiwan-funded enterprises, industrial transformation and upgrading, and financial innovation between Fujian and Taiwan. It aimed to support Fujian’s efforts to accelerate the development of the first-choice home for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland.

This year’s forum is an important supporting event of the 18th Cross-Strait Forum. During the event, nine Fujian-Taiwan financial integration projects were signed, with a total value of RMB 9.1 billion. The projects cover a wide range of financial services across areas including cross-strait industrial cooperation, water supply security for public welfare, capacity upgrades for long-established Taiwan-funded enterprises, technology and innovation industries, and modern agriculture. These initiatives continue to unlock the benefits of financial policies, promote shared access to financial resources for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-funded enterprises, and inject new momentum into industrial integration between Fujian and Taiwan.

At the forum, the Cross-Strait Wealth and Asset Management Cross-Sector Alliance was officially inaugurated. Supported by Jinyuan Group and jointly proposed by its affiliated financial institutions, the alliance was co-founded by Xiamen International Trust, Jinyuan Uni-President Securities, Yuanxin Yongfeng Fund, Fubon Bank (China), Junlong Life Insurance, and Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, among others. Centered on serving the wealth management and asset management needs of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the alliance aims to build a one-stop service platform covering asset allocation for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland, family trusts and wealth succession planning, pension finance, and healthcare protection solutions.

The forum also unveiled a series of innovative financial achievements related to Taiwan. The banking industry’s first group standard dedicated to Taiwan-related financial services on the mainland, the “Specification for Taiwan-Related Financial Services of Banking Financial Institutions,” was officially released. At the same time, the “Bailufen” Taiwan Compatriot Financial Service Platform was introduced, further enhancing financial services for Taiwan compatriots living in Fujian and supporting the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises.

Hashtag: #StraitsFinancialForum

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

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

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A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon has successfully located eight people on two missing boats in the Pacific.

The aircraft was flying to Fiji to refuel, while en route to a Kiribati search and rescue earlier this week, when Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre asked them to conduct the additional search for a small craft in Fijian waters.

On discovering the vessel, the aircraft crew passed on its location and the Republic of Fiji Navy Ship (RFNS) Savenaca was able to rescue five people on board.

Acting Air Component Commander Group Captain Brett Clayton says the quick response to the diversion request and successful rescue was a credit to the aircraft crew, the RFNS Savenaca ship’s company and Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre.

“Thanks to the professionalism and readiness of the personnel involved in the air, on the sea and on land, the sailors on this vessel will make it home to their families.”  

The P-8A Poseidon and crew resumed the search for the missing small Kiribati boat, with three on board, which they were able to locate.

The fishers had got into trouble with an engine issue on Wednesday.

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Tourism pioneer AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand is set to launch the world’s highest lift-and-descent ride at Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower this month.

SkyRide is a new 192-metre high vertical adventure experience that lifts customers up the outside of the Sky Tower before delivering a high-speed, controlled descent back to ground level. The lift portion of the experience sees customers ascend at approximately six metres per second – faster than the tower’s internal lifts – reaching the observation deck in about 90 seconds.
 
The introduction of a new multi-mode ride system – designed in-house by AJHBNZ’s experienced design team in partnership with specialist engineers – means that the existing SkyJump is also in line for a significant upgrade. The multi-mode system now offers customers a range of ways to experience a heart-pumping descent from NZ’s tallest building:

SkyRide: From ground-level at the corner of Auckland’s Victoria and Federal Streets, customers are lifted to the top of the tower before experiencing an exhilarating vertical drop ride, 192m high. This will become the world’s highest lift-and-descent ride and can be experienced as a single or tandem option.

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The CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award of $25,000 is one of the highest value non-fiction prizes in New Zealand literature and it is now open for applications.

He $25,000 te nui o te Karāti Kaituhi o te CLNZ me te NZSA, te karāti mātua mo ngā pakimaero-pono o ngā momo-tuhinga o Aotearoa. Ka taea e ngā Kaituhi te tuku tono mō tēnei karāti.

• Awards $25,000 cash grant to a New Zealand writer
• Assists with research and associated costs
• Is one of the highest value prizes awarded for non-fiction in New Zealand 
• Is open now for entries.

The award was established to provide financial support for writers wishing to devote time to a specific project, and to cover reasonable research expenses relating to it. Writers with work in a broad range of non-fiction genres, including educational works, can apply.

In 2025 the CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award was won by Vincent O’Malley for a project about Māori land loss since 1840.

O’Malley says he had a clear idea of the kind of book he wanted to write but was unsure how he could make it a reality without funding.

“Receiving the CLNZ/NZSA Writers’ Award meant I could launch headlong into the work, and it’s all come together from there,” he says.

The book is now expected to be published by Bridget Williams Books next year and O’Malley says everyone is very excited about the shape the work is taking.

“None of it would have been possible without the Writers’ Award,” he says.

Throughout its history the CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award has supported the creation of many outstanding books by local authors, including:

• Rebecca Macfie’s Helen Kelly: Her Life  (Awa Press), a biography of one of New Zealand’s political legends
• Nic Low’s Uprising: Walking the Southern Alps of New Zealand (Text)
• Nick Bollinger’s Ockham award-winning book Jumping Sundays: The Rise and Fall of the Counterculture in Aotearoa / New Zealand  (AUP)
• Iona Winter’s creative non-fiction project, A counter of moons (Steele Roberts)
• Jade Kake’s Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere (Massey University Press), a tribute to the late architect Rewi Thompson.

Want to Apply?

First: Read the CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award Guidelines: https://us.list-manage.com/1BYM8Iov0Nq?e=466373ae7c&c2id=0262e346be96b3cfb3b6ac8cf3509050

Then: Fill in the CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award Application Form: https://us.list-manage.com/xgsXanm2AvM?e=466373ae7c&c2id=0262e346be96b3cfb3b6ac8cf3509050

All non-fiction writers are encouraged to consider applying for the award and applications across the full range of non-fiction genres are welcome. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. It is the clear intention of the CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award that a book will be published as a result of being a recipient of the award.

Applications must be completed online by 4pm on Friday 17 July 2026.

 Unsuccessful applicants will be advised before recipients are announced. Successful recipients will be contacted directly, and we will also publish the announcement on the CLNZ and NZSA websites and via social media.

The CLNZ | NZSA Writers’ Award is made possible through Copyright Licensing New Zealand’s Cultural Fund. The Cultural Fund’s objectives are to protect writers and publishers’ ability to earn revenue from their works; support the creation and production of new works and assist the commercial success of New Zealand works; and grow the number of works created and skills in the industry.

NZSA is proud to be administering the awards in 2026.

Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) plays a key role in making creative rights valuable assets for all New Zealanders, be they rightsholders like authors, publishers and artists, or users such as educators, students and businesses. CLNZ provides licences to help make copying, scanning and sharing printed works easy and legal.

New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) was established in 1934 and is the principal organisation representing writers’ interests in NZ. A national office oversees 8 branches and hubs, administers prizes and awards, runs professional development programmes, advocates for the sector and to raise the visibility of NZ writers and NZ writing. It works in partnership with Ngā Kaituhi Māori and its developing Youth writer’s network.

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Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa yesterday complained to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, (IPCA).

PSNA has requested the agency investigate a second police decision not to prosecute a pro-Israeli supporter for slashing two tyres on a Palestine supporter’s car in Raglan in mid-April.

The Police Commissioner Richard Chambers last week agreed to have police look at an initial decision, according to PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi.

“But yesterday’s response, was that the police were sticking to their original decision not to prosecute the Auckland businessman, despite the man admitting he did slash the tyres.”

“All that was going to happen, was that he would appear before a local diversion committee.  This for an act that could have easily led to the driver having an accident with tragic consequences.”

“We are shocked at this.  If the situation were reversed, and a pro-Israel supporter had their tyres slashed, the police, the news media and politicians would all be in a frenzy claiming it as a violent, antisemitic attack which endangered Jewish lives.”

“The police pattern we see is to quickly prosecute Palestine protesters, but a great reluctance to prosecute the increasing frequent angry Israel supporters, or when they do, to under-resource the prosecution case.”

Tamimi said the double standard was exemplified by the case of five Palestine supporters charged by police for wilful damage last year.

“They were putting small stickers on the window of a central city business.  It was the mildest of gestures against a genocide.  But here an Israeli supporter slashes tyres and gets a free pass”

“We have been deeply concerned about the obvious pro-Israeli, anti-Palestinian bias at some, though fortunately not all, police levels,” Tamimi says.

“We met with senior police in Wellington earlier this year to get police to take this seriously and they assured us there was no bias”

“Now they tell us it is ‘not in the public interest’ to charge the tyre slasher. That doesn’t make sense because the price of that decision is to undermine public confidence in the police to do their job without fear or favour.”

Rinad Tamimi
National Spokesperson PSNA

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Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today announced permanent changes to its leadership structure, following the interim appointments announced in April 2026.
 
CEO Richard Allen says the Co-op is evolving from a channel-led to a market-led leadership structure to accelerate progress on strategic delivery and value growth.
 
“Our channel-led approach has served us well in establishing momentum in our B2B focused strategy, and the time is right to now make this market-led shift.
 
“With the divestment of Mainland Group complete, this structure will deliver our next era of customer-led growth and innovation across our global Ingredients and Foodservice channels.
 
“Through our new leadership structure, we’ll have a single point of sales accountability in each market for both Ingredients and Foodservice performance, supported by a global growth and strategy team tasked with ensuring our farmers’ milk accesses the highest value demand globally, both now and into the future,” says Mr Allen.
 
The new appointments are:

• Teh-han Chow, CEO Greater China – accountable for leading Fonterra’s Ingredients and Foodservice businesses across Greater China.
• Gaby Amade, President Global Markets – accountable for leading our Ingredients and Foodservice businesses in Oceania, Americas, Southeast Asia, Japan, Middle East and Europe. 
• Elisa Giusti, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer – accountable for developing integrated market, product and group strategies, portfolio optimisation, innovation and global new business development.

“Our strategy is unchanged and builds on the Co-op’s strong foundations. This reorganisation enhances our pace of delivery, focus and accountability,” says Mr Allen.
 
Elisa Giusti’s appointment is effective from 15 June, the remainder of the structure will take effect from 3 August 2026.
 
About Fonterra  

As a global B2B dairy provider, we go to market through our global Ingredients brand NZMP and global Foodservice brandAnchor Food Professionals. We provide high-quality products, valued for our dairy innovation and science expertise and New Zealand provenance, to customers in more than 100 countries around the world.

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In Asia Pacific (APAC), that pressure is even more pronounced as 37% of organizations admit investing aggressively with little evaluation – nearly double the global average, and well ahead of the US (10%) and Europe (13%). The pressure is most acute in Australia (45%) and Vietnam (44%), while in Singapore, more than one in three organizations admit the same.

The IDC InfoBrief, based on a survey of 800 technology leaders across APAC, Europe, and the US, found that AI has become one of the most prioritized technology investments globally, with 51% of organizations planning to prioritize AI or machine learning investment over the next 12 months – rising to 61% across APAC. However, returns are failing to keep pace with the hype. Just 19% of global organizations surveyed say their AI implementations have exceeded expectations, and only 5% report they have significantly exceeded them¹.

Across APAC, 40% say implementations have exceeded or significantly exceeded expectations – ahead of the global average but still leaving the majority falling short. Globally, the most-cited reasons for underperformance are inadequate or poor-quality training data (51%), higher-than-expected costs or ROI not achieved (47%), and AI not performing as well as expected (46%). For APAC specifically, the picture is broadly similar – though costs bite harder: 49% cite poor-quality training data, 54% cite cost overruns or ROI not achieved (rising to 80% in Malaysia), and 46% say AI has simply not performed as expected.

Ben Elms, CEO, Expereo, says: “Every enterprise we speak to is investing in AI, yet the data shows a clear gap opening up between AI ambition and AI outcomes. More often than not, that gap comes down to the network underneath. AI only delivers on its promise when the infrastructure carrying it is built to support it.

Without resilient, scalable, cloud-optimized networks, even the most well-funded AI programs will struggle to deliver ROI. Getting the network right is no longer an IT decision; it is one of the most important conversations happening in the boardroom today to help fulfill AI ambition.”

APAC is also leading on adoption, with 35% of organizations reporting extensive AI use across the business, against a global average of 25%³. Yet adoption alone is not enough without the right foundations beneath it.

Eric Wong, President, APAC, Expereo, says: “Asia Pacific is moving aggressively on AI adoption, but many organizations are discovering that scaling AI successfully requires more than just investment in applications and models. The underlying network, cloud connectivity, and operational readiness matter just as much. Across the region, we are seeing enterprises reassess whether their infrastructure is truly ready to support AI at scale, particularly around performance, resilience, governance, and visibility. Organizations that address those foundations early are generally seeing stronger outcomes and faster operational impact from their AI initiatives.”

Boardrooms are also waking up to the longer-term risks of unchecked AI investment. According to the survey, 54% of global tech leaders cite the creation of new security risks as a significant potential future threat for their organization’s use of AI, while 39% globally are concerned about losing track of AI-related costs and ROI once the technology is embedded across the business⁴. In APAC, that concern is sharper still as 41% of technology leaders in the region are worried about losing oversight of AI-related costs and ROI as adoption deepens – a figure that rises to 54% in Malaysia. Digital sovereignty is also moving up the strategic agenda, with 38% of APAC organizations rating it a high or top priority as they look to retain control over data and navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

Hashtag: #Expereo, #Network, #ArtificialIntelligence, #AI, #Technology, #AIInvestment

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

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

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A new Consumer NZ survey shows food budgets are under strain for 82% of New Zealand households, and 67% have low confidence in government policies to help keep food affordable and accessible.

Consumer NZ says the results show cost-of-living pressure at the checkout is forcing many households to change what they buy and how they shop.

“Food is a basic necessity, but for many households it’s getting harder to afford the food they want and need,” says Consumer NZ head of research and advocacy Gemma Rasmussen.

The survey found more than a third of New Zealanders regularly or very often stretch their food budget.  

Only one in three households say they have enough of the food they want, while nearly half say they have enough food, but not the food they would prefer.

Rasmussen says food insecurity is increasingly showing up as compromise.

“People may still be getting by, but they’re settling for less, changing what they buy and, in some cases, cutting back on fresh and whole foods.”

Among those who changed grocery shopping habits in the past year, 71% are buying more budget or home-brand products, 69% are buying fewer premium items, 59% are buying more in bulk and 30% are buying less fresh or whole foods.

The findings also show little faith in the current policy response, with 67% of respondents saying they have low confidence in the government’s ability to keep food affordable.

“Public confidence is very low, and it hasn’t improved since last year. People want stronger action on supermarket pricing and competition,” says Rasmussen.

86% support an Australian-style rule allowing large supermarkets to be penalised for charging unreasonably high prices relative to supply costs and a fair profit margin.

Rasmussen says concern about supermarket pricing remains widespread.

“Only 35% say they have high trust in supermarket pricing and promotions, and 24% don’t think supermarkets are upfront about them. Nearly a quarter don’t believe discounts represent real savings.”

Shrinkflation also remains a source of frustration. Seventy-two percent of respondents say they’ve noticed products getting smaller without a matching price drop, and three-quarters say supermarkets are not transparent enough about shrinkflation.

Rasmussen says the message from consumers is clear in an election year: “Households are under pressure and want more meaningful action to improve affordability and accountability in the supermarket sector.”

“The grocery market study feels like a distant memory, and we’re yet to see meaningful change at the checkout. It’s no surprise many New Zealanders are fed up.”

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An independent local study has confirmed that the Secure Home programme – delivered by the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) – produces a social and economic return of nearly four times its level of investment.

The Social Return on Investment report by economist Benje Patterson shows this assisted home ownership model currently generates an average of $8.3 million in social benefits every year, with total benefits valued at $186.4 million over a 30-year mortgage horizon. The analysis found that – for every $1 invested – Secure Home returns $3.90 in social value, driven largely by economic benefits such as improved workforce stability, increased productivity, and stronger household finances.

QLCHT chief executive Julie Scott says the report is a compelling representation of their continued work in housing affordability and social inclusion in the Queenstown Lakes.

“This report confirms what we see every day on the ground,” she says. “Secure Home is not just changing lives for the families who live in these homes, it is delivering real, measurable economic value for the entire Queenstown Lakes community.”

As of December 2025, the Secure Home programme supported 93 households and 250 residents, including 156 working‑age adults and 91 children, with a 98 per cent employment rate among working‑age residents.

The report shows that around 69 per cent of Secure Home’s total benefits are economic, reflecting the programme’s role in supporting a permanently housed, locally based workforce in a district where housing insecurity and vacant homes undermine productivity.

“Queenstown Lakes depends on a stable workforce, yet too many workers are forced to leave because they cannot secure long‑term housing,” adds Scott. “Secure Home keeps people living and working here, reduces staff turnover for employers, and strengthens the resilience of our local economy.”

The remaining 31 per cent of benefits are social, including improved mental and physical health, more settled schooling for children, increased community involvement, and the wellbeing gains that come from living in a warm, secure home.

A key driver of the programme’s impact is inclusionary housing, where developers provide land to QLCHT at a reduced cost or as a gift. The analysis found that without discounted land, Secure Home’s social return would fall from $3.90 to $2.60 per dollar invested.

“This clearly shows why inclusionary housing matters,” Julie Scott said. “When land costs are reduced, the social and economic return for the community increases dramatically. It is a smart policy that delivers long‑term value well beyond the initial investment.”

Economist Benje Patterson says the report clearly shows that Secure Home is delivering substantial, long‑lasting value not only for participating households, but for the sustainability of the Queenstown Lakes economy as a whole.

“What stands out about the QLCHT’s Secure Home programme is that its return is driven primarily by economic factors, rather than largely intangible social wellbeing gains often associated with community housing,” he says. “In a high-cost housing market like Queenstown Lakes, secure and affordable tenure helps people stay in the district and remain in the local workforce, which reduces churn for employers. At the same time, these lower housing costs give households more room for discretionary spending, as well as savings and wealth creation.”

www.qlcht.org.nz

About the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust
QLCHT is a not-for-profit social enterprise created to manage and deliver affordable housing solutions to those vital to the community who cannot afford it. Initiated by Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2007, which recognised the affordability issue and acted upon it, the Trust is an independent entity operating throughout the Queenstown Lakes District.

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