Quality HealthCare Opens New Flagship Clinic in Prince’s Building

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September 1, 2025

Source: Media Outreach

WASHINGTON, US – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 September 2025 – On August 30, 2025 (US time), the 23rd Washington “Chinese Culture Festival” themed on “Meeting China · Experiencing China” was grandly held at the Pennsylvania Avenue in the US capital, Washington, which lifted up its curtain with the solemn national anthems of China and the US. A number of important guests, including Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the US, William Zarit, Director of Washington D.C. Office of AP Regional Affairs, Mr. Anthony Andrew, International Business Development Manager of the Washington D.C. Mayor’s Office, and the members of the Maryland State Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the governor of Maryland and the chairperson of the AP Regional Affairs Committee, attended the event and delivered speeches respectively.

The “Colorful Guizhou Style” once again swept the Washington Chinese Culture Festival

Since Guizhou first took part in the Washington Chinese Culture Festival in 2024, “Colorful Guizhou” once again made its appearance at the festival site, which centered around intangible cultural heritage and tourism resources, forging an immersive cultural exhibition area and becoming the center of attention during the entire event.

The 23rd Washington Chinese Culture Festival On-Site Grandeur

To continuously enhance the tourism appeal of Guizhou, a tourism consultation area was set up to provide detailed explanations about the city’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy and convenient services such as “connection of multiple branch air routes” and “small vehicle and small group tours”. Its theme photography exhibition showcases Guizhou’s natural wonders and cultural heritage from four dimensions: “landscape, culture, development, and entertainment”. In addition, the living intangible cultural heritage exhibition is also very popular, with the inheritors demonstrating skills such as Miao embroidery and wax printing on-site, allowing the audience to deeply experience the charm of intangible cultural heritage.

Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the US, visited the Guizhou exhibition booth in person and highly praised the positive role that Guizhou has played in promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and the US. He stated that Guizhou, through its rich and diverse cultural displays and interactive experiences, has built an important bridge for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries.

The stunning reappearance of “Colorful Guizhou” in this event has not only effectively enhanced the popularity and influence of Guizhou culture in North America, but also, through the deep integration of culture and tourism, showcased to the international community the tremendous appeal of the city as a world-class tourist destination. Guizhou’s continuous participation in this grand event has demonstrated its firm determination and strong strength to build a world-class tourist destination. This will surely attract more international tourists to take Guizhou as their next travel destination, making new contributions to promoting humanistic exchanges and tourism and culture integration and development between the two countries.

www.gzascm.com

Hashtag: #ColorfulGuizhouStyle

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

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

Legislation – Foreign buyers’ policy change welcomed by realtors – Sotheby’s

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September 1, 2025

Source: New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty

A New Zealand real estate leader is applauding the Government’s decision to amend the ban on foreign property buyers.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today confirmed that foreign investors with an Active Investor Plus residency visa will now be able to buy or build one home in NZ, with a minimum value of $5 million.

New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty managing director Mark Harris says it’s a prudent move by the Government.

“We are delighted by the announcement,” he says. “Given the state of NZ’s economy, we need as much productive investment as we can get. By allowing foreigners to own a holiday home here, it encourages them to invest in other business ventures in NZ, which then leads to capital expenditure and job creation.

“We have many examples of foreign holiday homeowners here who – prior to 2018 – contributed greatly to the community with business investment. In recent years, Australia has benefitted from the investors NZ has turned away.”

Harris says the impact from allowing foreign buyers to enter the NZ housing market is negligible, but the economic boost is significant. The minimum value of a foreign investor-purchased property is set at $5 million, which equates to less than 1% of NZ homes.

“The ban was introduced to assist first home buyers but it’s had minimal effect – prices have still increased dramatically over the past six years,” he says. “Allowing foreign buyers into the country while introducing a value hurdle protects the domestic buyer and limits the number of investors who can purchase.”

About New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty                

New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty is a specialist agency that focuses on the sale of premium property through quality marketing and global networking. Founded in 2005 by Mark Harris and Julian Brown, the NZ branch of the global company has 28 offices nationwide – Northland, Auckland Britomart, Auckland North Shore, Auckland Remuera, Auckland South East, Waiheke Island, Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, Taupō, Napier, Ahuriri, Havelock North, Palmerston North, Masterton, Greytown, Kapiti, Wellington, Hutt Valley, Nelson, Marlborough, Wānaka, Arrowtown and its head office in Queenstown. It is part of Sotheby’s International Realty – the world’s leading luxury real estate company – with a global network of approximately 1,110 offices and more than 26,100 affiliated independent sales associates throughout 84 countries and territories. It is through this unparalleled luxury network that NZSIR is able to access and market properties on an international level. In 2022/2023 NZSIR was named Best International Real Estate Agency Asia Pacific (5-20 offices) at the International Property Awards and also won Best Property Agency/Consultancy New Zealand at the 2025 International Property Awards for the Asia Pacific region.
www.nzsothebysrealty.com

Fatal crash, Paremata

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September 1, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police

One person has died following a crash in Paremata today.

Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Paremata Road and State Highway 59 at around 1.15pm.

Despite the best efforts of those on the scene, the person sadly died before reaching hospital.

The road remains open.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Oil spill, Taihape Road, Sherenden

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September 1, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police

Motorists on Taihape Road near Hastings should take extra care following an oil spill this afternoon.

Police were alerted to the spill about 2pm. Grit has been put on the spill and temporary speed limit signs have been put in place.

Anyone using the road should obey the traffic signs and take care.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

Energy – Equinor to participate in Ørsted Rights Issue

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September 1, 2025

Source: Equinor

01 SEPTEMBER 2025 – Equinor has assessed the proposal put forward by the Board of Directors of Ørsted A/S on 11 August 2025 for a Rights Issue with pre-emptive rights for existing shareholders (the “Rights Issue”).

Following dialogue with Ørsted, Equinor has decided to support the proposal to strengthen Ørsted’s balance sheet in response to the current industry challenges.

As a long-term industrial shareholder, Equinor intends to participate in the Rights Issue and maintain its 10% ownership share in Ørsted. Ahead of the next annual general meeting, Equinor will also nominate a candidate to Ørsted’s board of directors.

Equinor’s support of the Rights Issue reflects confidence in Ørsted’s underlying business, and the competitiveness of offshore wind in the future energy mix, in selected geographies.

In response to the challenges facing offshore wind, the industry will see consolidation and new business models. Equinor believes that a closer industrial and strategic collaboration between Ørsted and Equinor can create value for all shareholders in both companies.

Equinor is following recent developments around the offshore wind industry in the US closely and will remain in dialogue with Ørsted as the situation evolves.

Subject to the final terms of the Rights Issue, Equinor will subscribe for new shares at a consideration of up to DKK 6 billion, or around USD 939 million, based on a USD/DKK exchange rate of 6.39.

Equinor will participate in the Rights Issue within its communicated financial framework and remains committed to delivering competitive capital distribution.

Equinor’s offshore wind portfolio consists of 0.4 GW net installed capacity, and a further 3.0 GW under development. The current focus is on completing the ongoing development projects in North-West Europe and Empire Wind 1 in the US.

Health – New campaign launches for Gambling Harm Awareness Week, exposing the tactics of the gambling industry

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September 1, 2025

Source: Hapai Te Hauora

Hāpai Te Hauora is marking Gambling Harm Awareness Week (GHAW) with the launch of a bold new national campaign that shines a light on the tactics used by the gambling industry – and the impact these have on whānau across Aotearoa.

Created by creative agency Mahi Tahi in collaboration with Te Rangihaeata Oranga Trust, Poutiri Charitable Trust, and Hāpai Te Hauora, the campaign will run for six weeks across digital and social media platforms.

At the heart are two powerful storylines:

“Their Game is Rigged, Don’t Get Played.” This storyline tackles the way sports betting has been normalised in Aotearoa. From podcasts and TikToks to live odds, multis and group chats, gambling is increasingly packaged as casual, fun and harmless. But behind the hype is a system designed to keep people hooked – using small wins, near misses and constant notifications to lock in attention. The Boys Crew flips the script by showing that what looks like culture and banter is actually the gambling industry’s design.

“Their House Always Wins.” This storyline uses the metaphor of building a whare. On the surface, gambling apps make it feel like you’re in control – making smart moves, building something for yourself or your whānau. But the foundations are flawed from the start, and the “house” is designed to collapse. The campaign follows a builder who notices the cracks and chooses to smash his way out, reminding us that the gambling industry sells the illusion of control, when in reality the odds are stacked to keep you trapped inside their house.

“These campaigns remind us that gambling harm isn’t about weakness or bad choices – it’s about systems built by design for the industry to win and for whānau to lose. By naming those tactics, we can help to change the narrative that whānau are ‘problem gamblers’ to the gambling industry being the problem from the start,” says Jason Alexander, Chief Operating Officer at Hāpai Te Hauora.

The campaign will be launched at Te Taumata o Kupe, Te Mahurehure Marae, Point Chevalier on Wednesday 3 September, 10am-12pm. The event will include a spoken word performance from rangatahi group Rehekōrero, and kōrero from the creators behind both the creative campaign and the Pātea app.

Alongside the campaign, Hāpai will also be officially introducing Pātea: a free, Māori-led digital platform co-designed with whānau to support those navigating gambling harm.

“Gambling Harm Awareness Week is about more than raising awareness. It’s about standing alongside whānau, using creativity to spark kōrero, and reminding our people that they are not the problem – the design is. With tools like Pātea and campaigns led by whānau voices, we are shifting the narrative,” says Jessikha Makoare, General Manager at Hāpai Te Hauora.

Gambling Harm Awareness Week runs from 1-7 September.

Retail Crime Taskforce in the Hutt Valley springs into action

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September 1, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police

The first day of spring was also the first day on duty for the Hutt Valley’s new Retail Crime Taskforce – and the last day of evading Police for a prolific offender they caught an hour after his offending file was sent through.

Inspector Shaun Lingard, Area Prevention Manager for Hutt Valley, said the team was assigned a file from the National Retail Crime Investigation Unit (NRISU) this morning and within the hour had found the offender and arrested him.

“The team of five, led by Sergeant Cameron Cross, are part of a taskforce we’re trialling for six months in the Hutt Valley.

“We’ve seen other teams and taskforces set up around the country having great results, and this area is a priority for Police. So we thought, what can we do here locally to have a dedicated focus on retail crime.

“We want our retailers to feel safer and our community to know that we won’t tolerate this behaviour.

“Today’s case involved a 19-year-old male who had offended across the Wellington District and already had three active charges for shoplifting and had been identified as a suspect in six separate shoplifting incidents.

“The team located the man and he has now been charged with six shoplifting offences and one charge of threatening behaviour.

“I’m excited the new team are now operating and having such great success on day one. I’m looking forward to seeing the results over the next six months and seeing what impact we can make for retailers and our community in this space.”

If you see any unlawful or suspicious activity, please contact Police. If it is happening now, or you have immediate concerns for you or someone else’s safety, call 111.

Information after the fact or in non-emergencies can be reported online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Make a Report” or by calling 105.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

September planned nightworks on the way for State Highway 2, Hutt Valley

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September 1, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

The first major works of the state highway summer maintenance programme are about to get underway in the Hutt Valley.

Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager, says State Highway 2 through the Hutt Valley will have nighttime resurfacing works underway from mid-September to late October.

“Our crews will be resurfacing sections of State Highway 2, at night, from Petone all the way north to Totara Park.”

State Highway 2 Upper Hutt works

Ms Hilliard says work will start in Upper Hutt from Monday, 15 September.

“We expect to be working on State Highway 2 between Whakatiki Street and Totara Park Road for around three weeks.”

“Our first two sites will be between Whakatiki Street and Totara Park Road , then we will move further south on State Highway 2 to a site north of Moonshine Hill Road,” Ms Hilliard says.

The resurfacing works and intersection upgrade will require various night closures with detours through Upper Hutt.

Ms Hilliard says it is the most effective and least disruptive way to get all the work completed.

“Fewer people use the highway at night. So, working in off-peak hours means fewer drivers are affected. Full closures are also much more efficient for finishing work faster and reducing traffic management costs.”

“They are also safer. Removing traffic makes the sites safer for workers while also reducing risk for drivers,” Ms Hilliard says.

Local road detours will be required during the night closures, so road users should allow for extra travel time.

State Highway 2 Upper Hutt closures

Monday, 15 September (one week). Sunday to Thursday nights, 10 pm – 4:30 am (north of Riverstone Terraces)
SH2 CLOSED in both directions
Local road detour available via Fergusson Drive to Totara Park Road.
Access to Riverstone Terraces for residents will be available via SH2 northbound lanes
A shorter detour will be in place once resurfacing is completed at the northern end of SH2.

Other works

Drivers also need to factor in other work happening along the State Highway 2 and State Highway 58 corridors as well.

This includes new traffic lights and intersection improvements at the Moonshine Hill Road intersection, a Wellington Water project at Silverstream, a night closure for State Highway 58, and planned State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill closures.

Travel times will be longer when these projects coincide. Drivers should check road conditions before they travel.

More information

Computer says snow (and potential disruption for the south)

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September 1, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Several more bouts of wintry weather are expected for the South Island this week, according to forecasts; raising the prospect of further highway closures and disruption for road users.

Following a series of recent closures due to snowfall, the MetService says a front moving northward tomorrow (Tuesday) over the South Island will drop the snow level to around 600-700m in the south of the island and to around 800m in central parts. Road snow warnings are in effect for SH73 Arthur’s Pass, SH8 Lindis Pass, the Crown Range Road and SH94 Milford Road, as well as snow alerts for SH8 Kimbell to Twizel and SH6 Kawarau Gorge. There is a low risk of snow settling for SH7 Lewis Pass.

Potentially heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail are also possible in parts tomorrow.

Another front on Thursday may bring further snow risks in a westerly flow over the South Island, but at this stage doesn’t look as cold or intense as Tuesday, MetService says. However, snow may still be possible about Arthur’s and Lewis Passes depending on the timing of the precipitation and the colder air, with lower risks for Burke’s and Lindis Passes as well as the Crown Range.

A cold southerly change is also due to move up the South Island later on Friday into Saturday, with the potential to bring snow as low as around 500m in the east and south of the South Island.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and its road crews are gearing up to respond to further snow dumps affecting state highways at higher elevations around the South Island.

“As is often the case as we move into spring, the weather can be highly changeable and can still pack an icy punch,” says NZTA journey manager for the lower South Island, Nicole Felts.

“Our message to people using the state highways at higher elevations is to plan ahead by knowing the conditions and be prepared for disruption such as road closures or delays. Adjusting your driving to the conditions is also critical to keeping you and other road users safe. Make sure you are visible, reduce your speed, adjust your travelling distance behind other motorists and avoid sudden braking or turning movements.”

SH94 Milford Road is currently open but is due to close today at 5pm between Hollyford Road Junction and Donne River Bridge because of overnight snow forecast and an elevated avalanche hazard. The road is expected to reopen mid-morning tomorrow and to remain open through until Wednesday. Further travel disruption and closures are possible from late Wednesday.