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UPDATE: SH1 blocked southbound at Dome Valley (now open)

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

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UPDATE: State Highway 1 Dome Valley has reopened southbound, following an earlier crash.

Congestion remains in both directions, so please be patient and expect delays while traffic clears.

3:32pm

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises State Highway 1 is blocked southbound at Dome Valley due to a crash.

Our crews are responding, however, traffic is building both southbound and northbound, and people are advised to delay their travel or consider using State Highway 16.

People are encouraged to visit the Journey Planner website for up to date information before they travel.

Journey Planner(external link)

NZTA thanks everyone for their patience.

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MIL OSI

GrandTech Cloud (Singapore)’s “Pizza Blitz” Campaign – To Introduce “A Friend to Startups” to Singapore’s Startup Scene

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MIL OSI
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Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 February 2025 – GrandTech Cloud Services (GCS) announced their Singapore entry with a “Pizza Blitz” campaign, delivering 300 pizzas to over 200 startups, influencers, and VC’s across Singapore this week. This initiative aims to introduce GCS’s business and the vision of “F2SU” (A Friend to Startups), a dedicated platform designed to support startup growth.

Innovative Marketing Strategy to Empower Startups

In today’s highly competitive startup landscape, establishing a strong brand presence and market influence is essential. Recognizing this, GCS has adopted a creative and startup-friendly approach with the “Pizza Blitz” campaign—leveraging one of the world’s most beloved foods to break through traditional marketing conventions. This campaign creates a warm and engaging first impression for GCS and F2SU within Singapore’s dynamic startup ecosystem.

More than just a promotional effort, “Pizza Blitz” is a strategic outreach initiative designed to foster engagement and collaboration within the startup community. Through this campaign, GCS aims to showcase how F2SU can help startups connect with essential resources, accelerate market expansion and growth, and optimize cloud costs.

“We’re not just sending pizzas; we’re sending a message about F2SU,” says Sebastien Khoo, Head of GTM, Singapore at GCS. “We want Singapore’s startups, influencers, and VCs to know about F2SU and how it can help them thrive. “Startup founders face countless challenges every day, and we want to provide them with real, actionable solutions—delivered in a way that’s both engaging, practical and impactful.”

From Pizza to Possibilities: Showcasing F2SU’s Value Proposition

The reason behind choosing pizzas over other types of food is that pizza is a practical meal on its own containing all the necessary ingredients to make a balanced meal, similar to GCS’ fuss-free and practical solutions offered. “It’s fuss-free and can be consumed while working, which is the typical start-up culture of non-stop hustling. Therefore, each pizza delivery is more than just a meal—it’s a reflection of GCS’s commitment to the startup community”, says Sebastien. To show appreciation for every recipient, the GCS team has handwritten over 300 personalized cards, each included in the pizza boxes alongside detailed information about the core benefits of F2SU.

Through this initiative, GCS is not only sparking interest in F2SU within Singapore’s startup scene but also inviting startups to experience its real-world value. This campaign serves as a gateway to deeper discussions on how F2SU can drive tangible business success.

Redefining Traditional Business Approaches with Authentic, Impactful Engagement

Rather than relying on conventional business meetings or standard marketing promotions, GCS has chosen a direct, effective, and personal approach to engaging with the startup community—using pizza as a bridge to foster meaningful conversations.

“Huge thanks to GCS for the unexpected pizza drop-off – it was both thoughtful and delicious! There’s something about sharing a few slices that helps everyone relax and jump into more candid and fruitful discussions on how our we can mutually thrive with our ecosystem partners”, says Hoo Yuanyang, CEO of Paywho.

GCS envisions “Pizza Blitz” not as a one-time promotional effort, but as the beginning of long-term collaborations and business growth opportunities. Moving forward, GCS will continue to expand F2SU’s presence across Singapore and the broader Asia-Pacific region, helping more startups establish themselves in the global market and achieve sustained growth.

More than just a pizza giveaway, “Pizza Blitz” is a sincere invitation from GCS to Singapore’s startup ecosystem—a call to explore new possibilities for success through collaboration, innovation, and fruitful strategic partnerships.

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

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

Release: Two Labour members’ bills drawn from ballot

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Source: New Zealand Labour Party

Bills by Labour MPs to remove rules around sale of alcohol on public holidays, and for Crown entities to adopt Māori names have been drawn from the Members’ Bill Ballot.

Kieran McAnulty’s Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill repeals rules that limit the sale of alcohol on public holidays.

“The Bill will allow hospitality businesses already able to operate on these days to do so under normal conditions,” Kieran McAnulty said.

“This will prevent the need to apply for a special licence to serve alcohol to veterans after Anzac Day services, remove any incentive to stockpile alcohol before Easter, and allow hospitality businesses to operate under normal conditions during some of the busiest and most profitable times of the year.”

Shanan Halbert’s Enabling Crown Entities to Adopt Māori Names Bill aims to fix the issue that Crown entities often adopt names in Te Reo Māori in addition to English names, creating the impression that Māori names are optional or secondary.

“More te reo Māori in the community is a positive reflection of where we are as a more inclusive society, and reflects te reo Māori’s status as an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand,” Shanan Halbert said.

“It is important that public sector organisations reflect the Crown’s commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“Recently the National Government has undermined that commitment and taken the revitalisation of te reo Māori backwards by going back to English names for Te Whatu Ora and Waka Kotahi, which are both Crown entities.”

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MIL OSI

Access for everyone: how we manage bookable spaces

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Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council’s Director of Community Rachel Kelleher responds to concerns about the council’s approach to venue hire of our community meeting halls and shared spaces.

It is with huge gratitude that I acknowledge the messages of support our staff and the council has received over the past few days, regarding our response to the awful disruption of a family-friendly Pride event at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last weekend.

It has been uplifting to see the voices of leaders throughout New Zealand also extend their support to our brave library staff and affected communities, along with the widespread public condemnation of this harmful activity.

We are also grateful for police support, to ensure that all remaining Pride events at our venues continue to be uplifting occasions to celebrate Auckland’s rainbow communities.

We are actively monitoring any health, safety or security risks at future events.

Venue hire

We have been asked questions about the use of our community venues and whether the council should apply tighter restrictions on bookings – particularly from groups like Destiny Church with strong views that not everyone shares.  

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about how Auckland Council provides access to our collection of more than 100 bookable community venues across the region on the principle that they are available for anyone to hire. We are obliged to ensure everyone throughout Auckland has fair and equal access to connect and enjoy using these spaces.

This doesn’t mean that we endorse the content of an event, or the views of participants, but rather that we must manage our venues in a neutral and non-discriminatory manner.

It is not always easy to maintain that careful balance between providing a public service (venues for hire) and expressing our council values, including ensuring our people feel supported on our position on diversity and inclusion.

This sometimes leads to tension, and pressure to do more in support of one community or group, over another.

Here’s the thing.  We remain one hundred per cent committed to protecting and growing Tāmaki Makaurau’s culture of inclusivity and belonging. That’s the foundation we build our practical policies and guidelines on, and what helps us make decisions or remain focussed when dealing with difficult situations.

When differences arise between the views of the various groups using our community venues, and there is potential for conflict or any risk to public safety, we work closely with the police and security experts to determine if activities should go ahead.

An example of this occurred in 2023, when the council terminated venue bookings at the Mount Eden War Memorial Hall in response to safety concerns from two groups with strong opposing views planning to gather on the same night.

Consistent with our obligations as a public authority, we will continue to operate our venues on the principle that they are available to all Aucklanders, but will not hesitate to address or terminate bookings if terms are breached or safety compromised.

With respect to the events at the events at the at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last Saturday, council is supporting the police with their investigations and has not ruled out taking further action against those individuals involved.  

Venue hire requirements:

  • All venue hire bookings agree to comply with council’s venue hire terms and conditions. These set out the circumstances in which the council may terminate a booking and include situations where the event might breach the law or the conditions themselves or where the management or control of the event is deficient.
  • It is always the responsibility of venue hire users to ensure their events are managed safely, and to meet the terms and conditions of our venue hire policy.
  • Where we have concerns that an event may raise health and safety or security concerns we work with the organisers andrelevant agencies to ensure that these concerns are addressed ahead of the event. 
  • Our community venues are operated on the principle they are available for anyone to hire. If a booking is accepted, it doesn’t mean that we endorse the content of the event, but rather that we are obliged to manage our venues in a non-discriminatory manner.

MIL OSI

Three people taken into custody on Karangahape Road

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Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Three people have been arrested following a firearms incident in Herne Bay this afternoon.

At around 1.30pm, information was received that a man was carrying a firearm on Hamilton Road.

A Police camera operator observed the man getting into a vehicle and tracked it travelling along Jervois Road.

Police units conducted an armed traffic stop on Karangahape Road.

As the traffic stop was being carried out, a passenger ran from the vehicle and attempted to get into a vehicle passing by.

Our staff prevented this from occurring and arrested the 35-year-old man, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

No injuries have been reported.

Police arrested two other occupants of the vehicle, a man and woman aged 30, without incident.

On searching the vehicle, Police have recovered a paintball gun.

Charges are being considered for what has unfolded this afternoon.

ENDS

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI

SH3 Rukuhia rebuild is flying ahead

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

From Monday 24 February, both lanes of a short section of State Highway 3 (SH3) between Rukuhia Road and Narrows Road near Hamilton airport will be rebuilt and closed to southbound traffic for approximately 4 weeks.

The rebuild work involves digging out the existing road layers and replacing them layer by layer. The road is then surfaced, swept and line marked. 

The work will be completed 1 lane at a time. The lane not being worked on will be open to northbound traffic at all times. A 24/7 southbound detour will be in place for light vehicles via Raynes Road and State Highway 21 Airport Road, to re-join SH3, adding approximately 7 minutes to journeys between Hamilton and Te Awamutu.  

The intersection of SH21 Airport Road and Raynes Road will be under stop/go between 7.30am and 6.00pm each weekday. 

Any residents travelling southbound will be required to use the detour route to travel north to access their properties. We will make sure that Rukuhia Road will remain open at all times, but it will be left turn in and left turn out only. Once 1 lane is completed, work will switch to the other lane meaning that northbound traffic will stay on SH3 at all times. 

HPMV’s, overweight and over dimension vehicles will be stacked and allowed through the worksite with the buses, however up to 30 minute delays should be expected.  

If you are heading to the airport to catch a flight, you may want to leave a few minutes earlier as there will be additional travel time related to this worksite as well as the works at Ōhaupō Village, which are still underway. 

These works form part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

NZTA thanks road users for their patience.

MIL OSI

Release: Govt losing police faster than it can hire them

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Source: New Zealand Labour Party

The Government is falling even further behind its promised target of 500 new police officers, now with 72 fewer police officers than when National took office.

“Instead of increasing police numbers as promised, Mark Mitchell is taking New Zealand Police backwards and overseeing a reduction in officers,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said.

“The reality is that we’re seeing fewer police officers, more job cuts to police staff, and officers being tasked with extra duties like taking jackets off gang members instead of focusing on criminal behaviour, all of which is stretching Police to a breaking point.

“The numbers reported by the Police Association show that as of January 2025, the total number of police officers has decreased from 10,211 to 10,139 since November 2023, leaving New Zealand with 72 fewer police officers than when National made its announcement 14 months ago.  

“A recruitment campaign launched by Police today to try to turn this around may be a little too late. There are reports of increasing attrition at New Zealand Police, as more Kiwi officers choose to take up the offer of a job in Australia, adding to the record numbers of people taking the Prime Minister’s advice of ‘Everyone Must Go’ and leaving the country.     

“Police are being stretched thin at a time when cocaine and methamphetamine use is surging. It’s time for the National Government to stop making excuses and start delivering the resources our police need,” Ginny Andersen said.

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MIL OSI

Release: Child poverty reduction must remain a priority

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Source: New Zealand Labour Party

The latest child poverty statistics show child poverty reduction must remain a priority for the Government. 

“Children should not be living in poverty, and the latest statistics are hugely concerning,” Labour child poverty reduction spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.

“There are huge challenges that families are facing right now, with high cost of living, high unemployment and housing – and significant work is needed to lift more children out of poverty.

“Labour is staunchly committed to child poverty reduction, and I am proud that it remained a priority for us throughout our time in government, even with the immense challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is still so much more work to do.

“The Government must put our tamariki first. Now is not the time to be bending over backwards for landlords and tobacco companies, instead we must focus on alleviating the struggle for families and their children who need our support most.

“Denying funding to food banks, stopping families from accessing emergency housing, and building no new public homes will only exacerbate these statistics. Stagnating benefits by tying increases to inflation instead of wage growth will mean less money for many families over time. Going against official advice on minimum wage increases means many of our poorest workers are going backwards.

“These statistics come after a recent report showing half of Pacific children sometimes go without food, and homelessness is increasing.

“I urge the Government to take these statistics seriously. Diminishing the child poverty targets to make it easier to achieve is a worrying sign they’re not.

“We made changes that lifted tens of thousands of children out of poverty while in government. Child poverty reduction must remain a priority for this Government too,” said Carmel Sepuloni.

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MIL OSI

More Than Half of Workers in Hong Kong are Considering Changing Employers in 2025, Aon Study Reveals

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MIL OSI
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Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 February 2025 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today released results from its 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study with new insights specific to employees in Hong Kong. The global study of more than 9,000 employees across 23 geographies, including the U.S., UK, China, India and Australia, found that more than half of workers in Hong Kong are considering changing employers.

The research reveals a troubling trend: almost one in five employees (17 percent) in Hong Kong feel undervalued in their current roles compared to seven percent in mainland China and 13 percent globally.

Dissatisfaction with Compensation and Benefits

The study reveals that 60 percent of employees in Hong Kong do not believe their compensation is fair compared to similar roles in the industry, a figure significantly higher than the global benchmark of 37 percent. Further, more than one third of the workforce (35 percent) in Hong Kong is not confident there is adequate investment in their skills development — double the global average. These results point to growing employee dissatisfaction in the Hong Kong market and may explain why the majority (63 percent) either plan to switch jobs or are considering doing so within the next year.

Competitive pay and meaningful benefits are identified as the most influential factors when deciding to stay with or join a company, signalling the need for employers to act swiftly to improve employee benefits and offer competitive rewards.

Paid Time Off Ranked Top-Value Benefit

The study identified the top five benefits valued by employees in Hong Kong:

  1. Paid time off
  2. Medical coverage
  3. Work-life balance programs
  4. Retirement savings
  5. Dental insurance

Medical coverage was the second highest valued benefit across all generations, with Gen X and Gen Z rating it higher than Gen Y (Millennials). Rising cost of living and an ageing workforce has increased health and financial concerns, prompting employees to seek better medical coverage and support.

More than half of the employees (57 percent) would be willing to sacrifice existing benefits for a better choice of benefits, presenting an opportunity for employers to provide personalised and flexible benefit options to meet the needs of their workforce.

A staggering 75 percent of employees in Hong Kong prefer office-based working arrangements, over 20 percent higher than the global average.

Top Employee Expectations

The study also identified the top expectations employees have of their employers:

  1. 33 percent said employers should help employees save for retirement/long-term needs.
  2. 28 percent said employers should support employee wellbeing.
  3. 20 percent said employers should support women’s health (e.g., menstruation, menopause).
  4. 19 percent said employers should help them establish an emergency fund.
  5. 18 percent said employers should support with eldercare or family care.

Ernest Leung, head of Hong Kong for Aon said, “While organisations may perceive unmet salary expectations as the primary reason for employee turnover, employees evaluate all aspects of their roles and total rewards when deciding whether to remain with an organisation. With evolving technologies and an ageing workforce, the growth of businesses in Hong Kong will greatly depend on the ability of organisations to attract and retain top talent across multiple generations. It is crucial, therefore, for organisations to adopt more creative and innovative compensation practices using data-driven analytics and insights as part of their overall people strategy.”

The study also brings attention to the lack of equity in pay and career development practices, with 41 percent of employees not confident their employer ensures gender pay equality. Additionally, women are 11 percent more likely than men to want career development and learning. This reinforces the need for employers to take steps to offer customised benefits across demographics including pay transparency and career development to attract and retain top women talent.

Read Aon’s Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study here.

Hashtag: #Aon

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

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

CUHK Leads Healthcare Innovation Whilst Advancing in Global Rankings

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MIL OSI
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Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 20 February 2025 – The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has achieved its highest-ever rankings: 44th in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025 and 36th in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Through its Faculty of Medicine, CUHK demonstrates how academic excellence translates into meaningful improvements in people’s lives.

The Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine), a cornerstone of CUHK’s success since its establishment in 1981, has impressed the world with outstanding achievements in recent global rankings, driving innovation across its five schools and 14 departments. In Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025 by Subject: Medical and Health, it is ranked 24th globally and 4th in Asia, being one of the youngest medical schools among the top 25 in the world. In the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Ranking by Subject 2024, CU Medicine ranked 1st in Hong Kong, 2nd in Asia; while in the 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) by ShanghaiRanking, CU Medicine ranked 1st in Asia in Clinical Medicine and is the only Asian medical school among the Top 50.

Pioneering Healthcare Solutions

Professor Dennis Lo, the newly appointed CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, has transformed prenatal care globally through Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), benefitting over 10 million pregnant women annually across more than 100 countries. His innovations extend to cancer detection, where his team’s plasma-based screening for nasopharyngeal carcinoma has dramatically improved early detection rates.

Empowering Global Health Talent

Dr. Subhankar Mukhopadhyay, an Indian PhD graduate and Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme awardee, exemplifies the faculty’s success in nurturing talent. “CUHK’s interdisciplinary approach and state-of-the-art facilities created the perfect environment for innovative research,” says Dr. Mukhopadhyay, now a postdoctoral researcher at CUHK’s JC School of Public Health and Public Care.

Building a Healthier Future

CU Medicine is dedicated to enhancing global health through advancing healthcare, medical education and research. It conducts research in areas of primary concern to Asia and Hong Kong, including projects on cancers, gut microbiota, and metabolic diseases. By combining scientific excellence with a deep commitment to social responsibility, CU Medicine continues to pioneer solutions that make quality healthcare more accessible and effective for communities worldwide.

For a full list of postgraduate programmes available at CU Medicine, visit www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/medicine.

Hashtag: #CUHK

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

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

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