The Finnish Ahtari Zoo announced on Monday evening that two giant pandas now living in the zoo would return to China later this year.
The pandas have been living in the zoo since 2018, arriving under a 15-year research agreement for species preservation. The zoo has faced financial difficulties in recent years, according to local media reports.
Risto Sivonen, the chair of the board of the zoo, said that their resources were insufficient to continue as a partner in this unique preservation program. The zoo expressed its intention to pursue debt restructuring on Monday.
Ahtari is located in west central Finland. The Zoo is the main attraction of the small city.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Firing practice for October 2024 Firing practice for October 2024 ********************************
Firing practice will take place at two military sites, namely the San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range and the Tsing Shan Firing Range, next month (October). Red flags or red lamps will be hoisted at the firing areas before and during firing practice. For their safety, people are advised not to enter the firing area. Following are the dates and times for the firing practice sessions in October 2024: San Wai/Tai Ling Firing Range————————————-
The Government is introducing a new aggravating factor for offences against public transport workers as part of its plan to restore law and order, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced.
“In recent months, there has been a worrying increase in abuse and attacks on public transport workers. We want to send a strong message that any attacks on bus drivers, taxi drivers, and anyone working on a public transport train or ferry will not be tolerated,” Mr Goldsmith says.
“Building on the Government’s sentencing reforms package, this change will help ensure there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029 and reducing serious repeat youth offending by 15 percent.”
“All those working on public transport deserve to feel safe while delivering an important service to their communities. These hardworking New Zealanders often work alone with little to separate them from their passengers,” Mr Brown says.
“Our Government is responding to these terrible incidents by introducing tougher consequences for those who engage in this cowardly behaviour.”
The Government is investing $15 million through Budget 2024 to deliver practical improvements to bus driver safety and working environments.
“Attacks on bus drivers and passengers have become far too common as New Zealand has faced an unprecedented crime wave. Industry has been calling for better, safer work environments for bus drivers, and our Government is delivering.
“Local authorities will soon be able to apply for funding for safety improvements, including retrofitted safety screens and real-time CCTV monitoring. Funding will also be made available to provide better restroom and break facilities for drivers.
“It is important we have the bus drivers required to deliver efficient and reliable public transport services so Kiwis can get to where they want to go, quickly and safely. These practical improvements are critical to improving working conditions so we can recruit and retain drivers,” Mr Brown says.
The Government is working with the public transport sector to develop new national guidance on managing passenger safety.
“Following a horrific attack on a young student travelling on a bus in July, I asked officials to look at what can be done to ensure greater safeguards for passengers and drivers on buses while the Government continues to restore law and order.
“Each bus operator is currently responsible for setting its own procedures for responding to attacks or altercations onboard. As a result, inconsistent processes are plaguing the system within the same city, let alone across the country, ultimately putting passengers and hardworking bus drivers at risk.
“Our Government is working with the sector to develop new national guidance on managing passenger safety and responding to incidents to ensure greater consistency and to improve bus safety,” Mr Brown says.
A tsunami advisory that urged residents to stay away from the coastline was triggered after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japanese islands on Tuesday morning, according to the weather agency.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the advisory for Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands, noting that tsunami waves of up to 1 meter are rapidly approaching and are expected to arrive around 9:00 a.m. local time.
The quake, which took place at 8:14 local time, was centered in adjacent sea of Torishima Islands at a depth of 10 km.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)
WASHINGTON, DC — On Monday, Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement:
“Today, I voted against H.R. 8958.
I have long supported the mission of NASA and its many contributions to the State of Texas, and to the country as a whole. However, the bill authorizes tens of billions of dollars in unpaid-for spending and was brought under suspension of the rules, meaning debate was limited and no amendments were considered.
That amounts to an unconscionable end run around the legislative process for an important authorization of a major federal agency. The American people deserve far more from us.
Moving forward, Congress must work to responsibly fund NASA and ensure proper oversight is conducted over what this government is doing with the American people’s money.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (at the podium) speaks at the Summit of the Future at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
As the Summit of the Future entered its second and final day at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday, leaders from the world body’s member countries continued to hail the adoption of the Pact for the Future, with Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations as its annexes.
The pact and its annexes cover a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations and the transformation of global governance.
“The Summit of the Future is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future,” said the world organization in its release. “This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges as well as those that have emerged in recent years or may yet be over the horizon.”
President of Angola João Lourenço said that the adoption of the Pact for the Future represents “a real turning point” for a more dynamic, engaged and assertive approach to the issues that are of concern to the humanity. Stressing the importance of including youth and women as “vital drivers” of transformation and modernization, he called for a commitment “to step up the fight against poverty in all forms and dimensions.”
President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel said that the Pact for the Future creates a solid base for a better and more effective multilateral system. Particularly, he insisted, it is critical to “contribute to our shared understanding of how to handle technology safely on a daily basis and protect ourselves against its misuse by malign actors.”
President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa said that all global decisions and commitments must be determined with “the involvement and contribution of those who today can build tomorrow.” To tackle “the alarming and growing rates of youth unemployment” through targeted investment, he said that this is the only way “to pull youth from the grasp of crime, drugs and transnational organized criminal activities.”
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon said that the inclusion of climate and water issues in the final document “underscores the imperative for sustained and urgent action” to secure a peaceful and sustainable future. Despite some progress, “access to filtered water and sanitation remains insufficient,” he said, voicing the commitment of his country to enhancing collaboration with other nations to advance water resource management and climate change action.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco, said that the Pact for the Future establishes a bedrock for a more prosperous world and allows young people to flourish in an environment protected from security threats such as transnational crime. “Peace is our most valuable asset,” he added, noting that without access to human rights, a world benefiting all people is impossible.
Speaking on behalf of the least developed countries (LDCs) group, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli said that millions of their children are going hungry every day, highlighting the clear inequality evident around the globe. “Nothing could be more unjust and ethnical than to be ignorant to the fact that millions of people in LDCs live in extreme poverty while a small minority in some corners of the world accumulate billions in wealth,” he said, noting that this is not the future that humanity should aspire towards. “The International community must act now to ensure every child and young person has the chance to thrive.”
Nangolo Mbumba, president of Namibia, noted that the world is at a crossroads. One path leads to environmental catastrophe, widening inequality, global conflict, destruction and the rise of dangerous technology that threatens peoples’ security and civil liberties; the other, to peace, the eradication of poverty and hunger and the responsible harnessing of digital technologies for the benefit of humanity.
Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, urged those present to take steps towards a more peaceful, fairer world, stating that, while “the road ahead is rocky,” history will judge member states for their commitment to the plan at hand. The pact can serve as a compass towards cooperation instead of conflict, showing determination to restore international justice and expelling all the talk of polarization, he added.
“We do not have time to waste,” stressed Sadyr Zhaparov, president of Kyrgyzstan, urging “decisive” action to strengthen the connections between nations and forge global partnerships to address challenges such as forced migration, climate threats and the unjust distribution of resources.
Stressing that “inaction is not an option,” Chandrikapersad Santokhi, president of Suriname, pointed to Caribbean nations’ lack of financial resources to invest in health, education and infrastructure due to external debt.
The failure to share global resources will continue to drive humanity to war, social disintegration and migration and “condemn us to live in two separate worlds”, said Mia Amor Mottley, prime minister of Barbados.
“The future is not distant,” stressed Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana. “It is here, and the choices we make here will determine the fate of generations to come.” No nation, regardless of power, can solve today’s challenges alone, he stated.
Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, highlighted the “great responsibilities to those who will succeed us,” and urged them not to back down from the promotion of equality between men and women and the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination. He also stressed that “we cannot live with nuclear threats again, nor fuel new arms races on Earth or in space,” noting that it is unacceptable to regress to a world divided into ideological borders or zones of influence.
The Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti railway on Monday began transporting livestock from central Ethiopia to ports in Djibouti, according to the Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Share Company (EDR).
Takele Uma, chief executive officer of the EDR, in a statement issued Monday, lauded the move, emphasizing that it will further diversify and maximize the 752-km railway’s transportation services between the two countries.
He said the newly launched livestock transportation service will enhance the railway’s role in facilitating Ethiopia’s exports to the international market, in addition to its significant contribution to the shipment of imported goods to central Ethiopia through the Red Sea nation of Djibouti.
“This approach will maximize the use of our open wagons, which were previously used only for imports. It will also boost the exported meat quality by minimizing transport stress on animals, showcasing Ethiopia’s commitment to efficient and sustainable trade,” the EDR chief said.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation after Nigeria with about 120 million people, boasts the largest livestock population in Africa, with an estimated 70.3 million cattle, 95.4 million sheep and goats, and 8.1 million camels, according to recent data from the World Bank.
In recent years, the East African country has been working to address the major constraints in the livestock sector and enhance its contribution to the country’s economy.
In May, the Chinese management contractors of the Ethiopia-Djibouti standard gauge railway officially handed over the railway’s management and operation to Ethiopia and Djibouti after six years of successful operation.
Official data reveal that the railway had transported 680,000 passengers and 9.5 million metric tons of cargo by May 2024, with an average annual transportation revenue increase of 39 percent over the past six years. Since 2018, the railway has developed its freight market and expanded its service offerings, including cold-chain transportation, commuter trains for villagers, and special trains for automobile transport.
The Government’s introduction of its interventions in the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act threatens to throw relations between Māori and Crown into deeper disharmony.
“This legislation is not fit for Parliament and represents an outright assault on the rights of iwi and hapū, disregarding the founding agreement Aotearoa was built upon,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Steve Abel.
“Te Tiriti is foundational, governments are temporary and do not have the right to disregard or trample on the binding contract between Māori and Crown on which our nation is built. Iwi and hapū rights to their customary waters are part of tino rangatiratanga, and are core to the sovereignty tangata whenua never ceded.
“The Government’s Takutai Moana re-write legislation robs Māori of customary rights to the marine and coastal area without moral justification or evidential basis. It is a regression to raupatu.
“The disingenuous narrative of ‘restoring parliamentary intent’ that the Government is using to justify this attack on Te Tiriti is a complete misrepresentation of our history that overrides Māori rights in favour of corporations who want to exploit our oceans for private profit.
“The Waitangi Tribunal was damning in its evaluation of this legislation, stating that it was a clear breach of tino rangatiratanga, antithetical to good government, and sidelined Māori rights and interests in te takutai moana without providing evidence for its claim that the public’s rights and interests require further protection.
“Time and time again, Christopher Luxon has talked about the importance of Te Tiriti, praising it as our past, present and future. But these words are hollow in the context of his assaults on the taonga guaranteed to iwi in our founding agreement.
“The Green Party will stand alongside Te iwi Māori in opposing the Government’s confiscation of their customary rights to the marine and coastal environment,” says Steve Abel.
Gun lobbyist Nicole McKee and her conflict of interest has struck again, this time removing safety regulations from shooting clubs and ranges in New Zealand.
“The lessons of New Zealand’s worst terror attack have been forgotten as the Government tries to wind back the gun control laws put in place after the attack on worshippers in Christchurch mosques in 2019,” Labour firearms spokesperson Ginny Andersen said.
“The Arms (Shooting Clubs, Shooting Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill creates multiple loopholes for gang members and extremists – like the Christchurch terrorist – to exploit. Minister Nicole McKee talks about being a safety expert but is removing safety requirements from shooting clubs and ranges.
“Ammunition is a form of currency among criminals and this bill could increase the supply of ammunition and allow unsupervised shooting at ranges by people without licenses. The Minister needs to be clear about what checks and balances are in place to prevent this.
“The changes also create a frightening precedent for landowners who might find ‘pop-up’ rifle shooting ranges over their back fence. The bill risks the ability of the Police or the firearms regulator to enforce any safety oversight or even inspect the facilities. The Wild West is coming to a backyard near you.
“The cherry on top for Nicole McKee and the gun lobby is the power grab under the section titled ‘other matters’ which removes powers currently held by Police.
“Her justification for the bill seems to be that the previous changes went too far, and that some shooting clubs or ranges are at risk of closing. However, her Cabinet paper provides no evidence of this risk,” Ginny Andersen said.
DUBLIN, Ireland, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Griffin Global Asset Management (“Griffin”) announces the successful closing by GGAM Finance Ltd. of an offering of an aggregate principal amount of $400 million senior unsecured notes. The notes were priced at par.
The offering comprises $400 million of 5.875% senior unsecured notes due 2030 (the “Notes”). The Notes will be guaranteed by Griffin Global Asset Management Holdings, Ltd. and certain of its subsidiaries. Proceeds from the issuance will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include financing the acquisition of new aircraft deliveries and the future repayment of outstanding indebtedness.
John Beekman, Griffin CFO, commented: “We are delighted to announce the closing of our latest unsecured notes offering. This issuance reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the unsecured capital markets and brings our total volume of unsecured notes issued to $2.5 billion in under 18 months. With the issuance of these notes we also disclosed that our secured warehouse was previously reduced to zero, which means inclusive of this issuance we currently have a fully unsecured balance sheet. We are grateful to our expanding investor base for the support they have shown us as we continue along our path to achieving investment grade ratings.”
The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the securities laws of any jurisdiction and may be offered or sold only in a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Notes were offered and sold only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue” or “believe” or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our investors. There may be events in the future, however, that we are not able to predict accurately or control. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
About Griffin Global Asset Management
Griffin is a commercial aircraft leasing and alternative asset management business with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles, CA. Griffin’s team of professionals works closely with airlines, manufacturers, maintenance providers, and financiers to deliver innovative capital solutions globally.
NANCY LU (National): 全能嘅上帝，我哋多謝祢賜畀我哋嘅祝福。撇開所有個人利益，我哋向国王致敬，並祈求喺我哋嘅討論中指引我哋，另我哋能夠以智慧、公義、仁愛同謙卑處理呢個議會嘅事務，為咗新西兰嘅福祉同和平而努力. 阿門.
Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the King and pray for guidance in our deliberations, that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom, justice, mercy, and humility for the welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen.
This piece is the final of a three part series on Australia’s defamation laws. You can read the other pieces here and here.
Defamation laws exist to strike a balance between press freedom and the protection of people’s reputations from wrongful harm. In Australia, this balance has always been loaded against press freedom.
This is due partly to the way the defamation laws have been framed and partly by the way the courts have interpreted them.
Courts examine matters of journalism in the same way they examine matters of law: forensically, with strict rules and high standards of evidence and proof.
While we rightly expect ethical and honest reporting from our media, even the best can prove insufficient under the piercing gaze of defamation law. And in a time when media companies are more cash-strapped than ever, this has a chilling effect on the stories that get told and press freedom more broadly.
Ethics vs the law
Until 2006, each Australian jurisdiction had its own defamation laws. This created a nightmare of complexity for publishers, especially of newspapers and broadcasts that crossed state boundaries, which meant all the main media organisations.
They had to take into account the risks posed by litigation in the jurisdiction least favourable to press freedom.
For many decades, that was New South Wales. It was one of the states where truth alone was not a sufficient defence; there also had to be a public interest in the material. In some other jurisdictions this was called public benefit.
This was a major burden on press freedom and it was removed by the introduction of uniform defamation laws in 2006.
Since then, it has been enough for publishers to prove the substantial truth of the meanings conveyed in an article in order for the defence of truth to succeed.
It may sound straightforward, but proving substantial truth requires producing admissible evidence strong enough to satisfy the civil standard of proof: on the balance of probabilities. That usually means having documents and witnesses who are willing to be identified.
If, as is often the case, the article has drawn on evidence from a confidential source, the publisher is unable to put that source in the witness box because to do so would breach the media’s fundamental ethical obligation to protect the identity of confidential sources.
So unless the source is prepared in advance to be identified should the matter come to court, a story relying significantly on that person’s testimony may not see the light of day unless some other defence is available.
In 2021, those defences were expanded, although quite how significant that expansion turns out to be remains to be seen.
What appears on paper to be the most significant change was the introduction of a general public interest defence. This says that if publication of a story is in the public interest, and the publisher has a reasonable belief that it is, then publication can be defended on that ground.
There has been only one major test of that new defence, and it went against the media.
That case showed “reasonable belief” depended on the journalism being sound. In this case, the court found that the defendant, which was the ABC, had relied on shaky testimony that had not been sufficiently verified and had not given the subject of the story a fair opportunity to respond.
At odds with practicalities
This brings us to the question of how the courts interpret the law.
One of the big disappointments in this respect has been the way the courts have interpreted what, at the time, was hoped to be a significant addition to Australia’s threadbare free-speech jurisprudence.
In a case brought against the ABC by a late prime minister of New Zealand, David Lange, the High Court established the principle that freedom of speech on matters of government and politics trumped a person’s case for protection for their reputation.
If a person wanted to sue for defamation, they had to do so in a way that did not burden freedom of speech on matters of government and politics.
However, the High Court attached a test of reasonableness to this freedom. In several ways, it’s similar to the “reasonable belief” test in the new public interest defence.
Unfortunately, successive courts have applied the Lange reasonableness test in ways that are so strict they require journalists to meet standards demanding more powers of investigation than they possess or to exceed the usual journalistic standards of verification. Journalists can’t subpoena documents or compel people to speak to them.
The result is that this defence has become more or less a dead letter for journalistic purposes.
Is a story worth the cost?
Those accused of defamation can also defend it by saying it was comment or honest opinion. The first requirement of this defence is that the material be a comment and not a statement of fact.
But courts have interpreted this in different ways.
This uncertainty was illustrated by a famous case that became known as “Leo the Lobster”. A restaurant and restaurateur in Sydney successfully sued the Sydney Morning Herald over a review of a lobster dinner written by one Leo Schofield.
Schofield, who was a colourful writer, said the lobster had been overcooked:
the carbonized claws contained only a kind of white powder which might have been albino walrus.
Despite the amusing language, the court interpreted that as a literal factual description, not a statement of opinion.
Courts have a limited sense of humour, which makes satirical writing a chancy business, since the sharper the satire, the closer it is to literal truth.
Cartoons, which are satirical by definition, have more leeway but are not immune to defamation suits.
Then there’s the costs of defamation, particularly for media outlets. They’ve become exorbitant.
It has been estimated that the costs involved in the case brought by Ben Roberts-Smith against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times amounted to about $25 million. The newspapers won, although the matter has gone to appeal.
But even if the verdict is upheld, experience shows it is unlikely they will recoup anything like their full costs.
At a time when all major news media organisations are under acute financial pressure because of the inroads the internet has made on their revenue, there is a strong temptation not to risk publishing material the public has a right to know because of the financial impact an action for defamation would have.
Denis Muller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Photo: A flooded school yard in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. (Khem Krairit / Save the Children)
BANGKOK/HANOI, 24 September 2024 – Floods in Thailand and Vietnam have damaged about 945* schools across both countries, leaving children out of classes as recovery efforts get underway following the worst storm Asia has seen this year, Save the Children said.
In the north of Thailand, floods tore through homes and schools leaving 140 schools damaged, while in Vietnam at least 805[1] schools have been damaged since early September after Typhoon Yagi battered the country.
Asia is the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate and water-related hazards.[2] Across the world, a staggering 774 million children – or one third of the world’s child population – are living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk.[3]
In Thailand, this means learning has been disrupted for more than 30,500 children[4] for an indefinite period.
The floods have also increased the risk of waterborne diseases. Globally, increases in disease related to climate change are projected to have deadly implications for children, including vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. [5]
Classroom floors, chairs, tables and learning materials in schools across Thailand’s northernmost Chiang Rai province remain covered in mud and many schools are in need of new learning equipment.
Children’s psychosocial well-being has also been acutely affected by the loss of their belongings, damage to their schools, their play areas and environments familiar to them.
Patchara*, a 15-year-old student from Chiang Rai province, said she was able to save only some belongings when the floods hit and water levels reached her waist level.
Her family is temporarily staying with relatives. Patchara said she’s worried about waterborne diseases as she travels to school. This is her first severe flood experience.
Many flood-affected areas in Thailand and Vietnam are also still inaccessible due to flooded roads and the danger of landslides, severely hampering rescue and relief operations.
Guillaume Rachou, Save the Children Thailand Executive Director, said:
“Children in Chiang Rai can’t go back to school anytime soon. Others have had to stay at home to help their families rebuild their lives. The recovery effort will take months so it’s important that these children’s lives are as normal and that they can return to their classrooms as soon as, and as safely, as possible and feel supported during the transition.”
Save the Children will provide essential support to children in five districts of Chiang Rai province, including booklets on flood recovery hygiene and on infant feeding.
The children’s charity will also provide 1,500 students with back-to-school kits including learning kits and school uniforms. In collaboration with global apparel retailer UNIQLO, the initiative will also see the distribution of 2,600 items of children’s clothing, which includes 1,600 new pieces of children’s innerwear and T-shirts, along with 1,000 pieces of adult clothing sourced from the brand’s customer take-back program known as “RE.UNIQLO.”
Save the Children is also working with community volunteers, teachers and Thailand’s Department of Mental Health to provide psychological first aid training and training in how to spot children who are at risk of dropping out of school. The children’s organisation will set up a mobile psychological first aid team to support school staff and students at 20 schools where community outreach activities will include theater and arts.
In Vietnam, Save the Children has been in discussions with government agencies to release a flood response plan to help affected children return to school safely and continue their learning.
Save the Children has worked in Thailand since 1979 to support children most impacted by discrimination and inequality running programmes on education, child protection, livelihood, and child rights governance.
Save the Children started working in Vietnam in 1990 and now operates in 22 provinces in partnership with government agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector and academic institutions.
Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis recently appeared on Spectrum News’ In Focus with Loretta Boniti to discuss his state travel and recent bipartisan legislative achievements, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and theBipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation that Senator Tillis helped write, negotiate, and pass into law.
Watch the full interview HERE.
Senator Tillis on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:
“We are approaching $13 billion coming to North Carolina. I was just in Wilmington yesterday, where we were celebrating a $250 million grant, about half of what it’s going to take to upfit the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, and a $100 million grant for the Alligator River Bridge. Every county in the state is benefitting from this bill. This bill includes a billion dollars in connectivity for broadband, and it’s proving to have the impact that I thought it would. That’s why I was willing to take the hits to get it done.”
Senator Tillis on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act:
“The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is the single largest investment in mental health in the history of this country… I’m working very hard to make sure that everyone understands a full implementation of this bill is transformational. And I think North Carolina is on pace to be one of the most successful states to implement it. It’s coming at a perfect time. We are making progress on a challenge that still exists, and it’s the stigma of mental health.”
Senator Tillis on the Bipartisanship:
“The reason why being bipartisan is so difficult today is that people can spread what I think are blatant lies in some cases about what we are trying to accomplish, and it causes people to be very careful and not take risks. I think that the American people suffer when we do that. We’re in D.C. to make changes, we’re not up there to get re-elected.”
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered his opening remarks at the 21st China-ASEAN EXPO (CAEXPO), highlighting the importance of RCEP agreement and the efforts to the realization of the ASEAN-China FTA 3.0 as a bedrock of ASEAN-China economic relations. Dr. Kao stressed that digitalization and sustainability are key megatrends reshaping how businesses operate and how society lives in an increasingly interconnected world.
Download the full opening remarks here.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers opening remarks at the 21st CAEXPO appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
Have you ever noticed changes in your eating habits when you are sad, bored or anxious?
Many people report eating either more, or less, as a way of helping them to cope when they experience difficult emotions.
Although this is a very normal response, it can take the pleasure out of eating, and can become distressing and bring about other feelings of shame and self-criticism.
Adding to the complexity of it all, we live in a world where diet culture is unavoidable, and our relationship to eating, food and body image can become complicated and confusing.
Emotional eating is common
“Emotional eating” refers to the eating behaviours (typically eating more) that occur in response to difficult emotions.
Research shows around 20% of people regularly engage in emotional eating, with a higher prevalence among adolescents and women. In a study of more than 1,500 adolescents, 34% engaged in emotional eating while sad and 40% did so while anxious.
Foods consumed are often fast-foods and other energy-dense, nutrient-poor convenience foods.
But other factors might also contribute to the likelihood of emotional eating. The physiological effects of stress and strong emotions, for example, can influence hormones such as cortisol, insulin and glucose, which can also increase appetite.
First, know that fluctuations in eating are normal. However, if you find that the way you eat in response to difficult emotions is not working for you, there are a few things you can do.
Then, you can start to think about how you handle your emotions and hunger cues.
Expand your emotional awareness
Often we label emotions as good or bad, and this can result in fear, avoidance, and unhelpful coping strategies such as emotional eating.
But it’s also important to differentiate the exact emotion. This might be feeling isolated, powerless or victimised, rather than something as broad as sad.
By noticing what the emotion is, we can bring curiosity to what it means, how we feel in our minds and bodies, and how we think and behave in response.
Tap into your feelings of hunger and fullness
Developing an intuitive way of eating is another helpful strategy to promote healthy eating behaviours.
Intuitive eating means recognising, understanding and responding to internal signals of hunger and fullness. This might mean tuning in to and acknowledging physical hunger cues, responding by eating food that is nourishing and enjoyable, and identifying sensations of fullness.
Intuitive eating encourages flexibility and thinking about the pleasure we get from food and eating. This style of eating also allows us to enjoy eating out with friends, and sample local delicacies when travelling.
It can also reduce the psychological distress from feeling out of control with your eating habits and the associated negative body image.
Try to be flexible in thinking about the pleasure of food and eating with friends. La Famiglia/Shutterstock
When is it time to seek help?
For some people, the thoughts and behaviours relating to food, eating and body image can negatively impact their life.
Having the support of friends and family, accessing online resources and, in some instances, seeing a trained professional, can be very helpful.
There are many therapeutic interventions that work to improve aspects associated with emotional eating. These will depend on your situation, needs, stage of life and other factors, such as whether you are neurodivergent.
The best approach is to engage with someone who can bring compassion and understanding to your personal situation, and work with you collaboratively. This work might include:
unpacking some of the patterns that could be underlying these emotions, thoughts and behaviours
helping you to discover your emotions
supporting you to process other experiences, such as trauma exposure
developing a more flexible and intuitive way of eating.
One of the dangers that can occur in response to emotional eating is the temptation to diet, which can lead to disordered eating, and eating disorder behaviours. Indicators of a potential eating disorder can include:
recent rapid weight loss
preoccupation with weight and shape (which is usually in contrast to other people’s perceptions)
eating large amounts of food within a short space of time (two hours or less) and feeling a sense of loss of control
eating in secret
compensating for food eaten (with vomiting, exercise or laxatives).
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 ED HOPE
(1800 33 4673).
Inge Gnatt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The next federal election will be conducted on new electoral division boundaries in Western Australia after a notice was published today in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette.
While final names and boundaries for House of Representatives seats in Western Australia were announced on 5 September, today’s gazettal is the step that formally sets them in place. Today’s gazettal also provides people with further details about the boundaries.
More detailed division maps and the final redistribution report will be available after the Minister has tabled material in both houses of Parliament.
Editor’s notes:
People on the electoral roll who are affected by the redistribution will now be moved into their new federal electoral division in readiness for the election. No action is necessary.
While the new electoral divisions will be in place from Tuesday 24 September 2024, they will only apply from the next full federal election onwards. Any federal by-election conducted before that point must be conducted on existing divisions to avoid overlap in, or missing, representation.
Anti-Jewish Hate Crimes Increased By Nearly 63 Percent, Reaching Highest Level In Decades
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), and Representatives Kathy Manning (NC-06) and Chris Smith (NJ-04), co-chairs of the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, respectively, released the following statement in response to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2023 Hate Crime Statistics Report. The FBI data shows anti-Jewish hate crimes increased in 2023 by nearly 63 percent from 2022, which is the highest number recorded in almost three decades.
“We are deeply alarmed by the dramatic increase in hate crimes targeting Jewish Americans over the past year, as noted in the FBI’s 2023 Hate Crimes Statistics Report,” said the members. “With antisemitism skyrocketing across the United States following Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, a whole-of-government approach is needed to protect Jewish communities from violence and hate.”
Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose from 1,122 to 1,832 incidents from 2022 to 2023. According to the FBI, a total of 16,009 law enforcement agencies, which represent 95.2 percent of the agencies enrolled in the hate crime data collection program, participated in hate crimes reporting for 2023.
They continued: “As the co-chairs of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, we remain steadfast in our commitment to root out the scourge of antisemitism. We’ll continue working across party lines to ensure the federal government keeps Jewish Americans safe from discrimination.”
Jewish Americans make up around two percent of the U.S. population, yet antisemitic hate crimes accounted for 15.4 percent of all hate crimes reported by the FBI. Anti-Jewish incidents comprised a little over two-thirds of all religion-based hate crimes.
As co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Taskforce for Countering Antisemitism, Senator Rosen has been leading the fight against rising antisemitism. Senator Rosen, along with the co-chairs of the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces, introduced a bipartisan bill to take historic action to counter antisemitism in the United States by establishing a first-ever National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism. In May, Senators Rosen and Lankford sent a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Education to designate a senior official to oversee efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses. They also called on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to hold a full hearing on rising antisemitism on college campuses.
A woman has died following a crash in the city last week.
Just after 12.15pm on Friday 20 September police were called to the intersection of South Terrace and Sir Lewis Cohen Avenue following reports of a crash between a Nissan Micra and a Ford Territory.
The 93-year-old female driver of the Nissan was taken to hospital for treatment of her injuries, sadly today (Tuesday 24 September) she died in hospital.
The occupant and passenger of the Ford were not injured.
Major Crash Investigators are appealing to the public if they witnessed the crash or have dashcam footage and have not spoken to police to please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The woman’s death is the 61st life lost on SA roads this year.
Swimmers in Queensland’s fastest-growing city are a step closer to having a second Olympic-sized pool to enjoy, with works now underway on the $23.1 million Beenleigh Aquatic Centre upgrade.
The 50-metre, eight-lane swimming pool, is expected to open in mid-2025 and replaces the current thirty-three-yard pool which opened in 1964.
As well as being a beacon for local swimming enthusiasts, the new Olympic-sized pool will enable Logan to support more training, competitions and community sporting events.
Representatives from the Australian and Queensland governments and the Logan City Council met in Beenleigh today to celebrate the milestone.
The upgrades also include an expanded children’s water play area, shaded seating areas, modern changeroom facilities, a kiosk, and accessible and family friendly amenities.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the Beenleigh Aquatic Centre will feature solar panelling to generate clean energy, enable storm water harvesting and use of recycled materials.
The project is funded through the $285.8 million SEQ Liveability Fund, one of 29 commitments being delivered under the SEQ City Deal, with the Logan City Council investing $13.4 million alongside contributions from the Australian and Queensland governments of $4.85 million each.
The project will create an estimated 89 direct jobs and 78 indirect jobs for the local community.
The indoor pool remains open to the public while works are completed and existing programs will continue uninterrupted.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Cities Jenny McAllister:
“The Logan community is right to be excited by works starting on these facilities.
“As the temperature ramps up in summer, this will be a welcome retreat for families on weekends and school holidays.
“It’s a very real possibility that some of our future Olympians will start honing their craft right here at the future Beenleigh Aquatic Centre.
“That’s why investing in community sporting infrastructure like this is so important to the Australian Government.”
Quotes attributable to Queensland Minister for State Development and Infrastructure Grace Grace:
“The new Beenleigh Aquatic Centre is a great example of a project that will help create a more liveable, sustainable and healthy community.
“That is what the Liveability Fund is all about – projects that leave a lasting and positive legacy in the community.
“The Beenleigh Aquatic Centre will support the region’s booming population and complement the work being done to deliver a successful Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.’’
Quotes attributable to State Member for Macalister Melissa McMahon:
“With less than 8 years until Brisbane 2032, we’re seeing the city’s newest Olympic sized swimming pool being build right here in Beenleigh.
“A new Olympic pool may see our future swimming heroes develop their skills locally and deliver the goods in 2032.
“And there is something for everyone with this upgrade with new areas for children and more family friendly amenities.
“This is great news for Beenleigh and Logan City.”
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Logan City Jon Raven:
“It will be a modern venue to take our young and fast-growing city into the future as we head towards the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Council is proud to deliver community infrastructure that turns our suburbs into connected neighbourhoods especially as our population grows.
“Last week we announced the nine court Logan Indoor Sports Centre for Logan Central, so we are well and truly starting our warm-up run for sporting success as the Olympics get closer.”
Quotes attributable to Logan City Councillor Karen Murphy:
“The old pool was more than 60 years old, so it is wonderful to see work begin full steam on this upgrade, which will complete stage two of the Dauth Park Masterplan endorsed by Council in 2018.
“I can’t wait to see locals splashing around and swimming laps here in Beenleigh.”
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Hungarian Embassy in China jointly hosted a friendship concert on Sept. 22, marking the 65-day countdown to the second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE).
Ren Hongbin, chairman of the CCPIT, attended the event and met with guests and musicians. Zhang Shaogang, vice chairman of the CCPIT, and Peter Kiraly, deputy head of mission of the Hungarian Embassy, were present and addressed the gathering.
World-renowned violin virtuoso Roby Lakatos, accompanied by young musicians from the China Central National Orchestra, and Central Conservatory of Music, performed a repertoire of global classics, including “Csárdás,” “Sabre Dance,” “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” and “Mo Li Hua” (Jasmine Flower).
Over 300 exhibitors and buyers from the upcoming CISCE enjoyed the musical feast, harmoniously blending Eastern and Western cultures.
Hungary confirmed its role as guest country of honor for the upcoming expo during the event. Officials also named Hungarian violinist Roby Lakatos as the expo’s promotional ambassador.
Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung will leave for a visit to Beijing and Tianjin later today, and will return to Hong Kong on Thursday.
In Beijing, Mr Lam will attend the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2024), hosted by the Ministry of Transport. He will speak at a thematic session and meet ministry officials at the event.
He will then proceed to Tianjin to attend the 11th China Air Finance Development Summit and deliver a speech at its opening ceremony.
During his absence, Under Secretary for Transport & Logistics Liu Chun-san will be Acting Secretary.
The Management Board of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS (registry code 12864036; seat Tallinn, A. Lauteri 5) calls the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on 16 October 2024 at 15:00.
Venue of the general meeting: Radisson Collection Hotel second floor conference centre hall “Tallinn”, address Tallinn, Rävala 3.
The registration of participants of the general meeting starts at 14:00 on 16 October 2024 at the venue of the meeting. The registration ends at 15:00. If possible, we request that all shareholders arrive in time considering the time required to register the participants of the meeting. The list of shareholders who shall be entitled to participate in the extraordinary general meeting shall be fixed seven days prior to the date of the general meeting, i.e., on 09 October 2024 as at the end of the working day of the registrar of the settlement system of the fund’s securities.
The shareholders may also participate by appointing a representative or vote prior to the meeting on the items on the agenda of the general meeting by using electronic means. There will be no video transmission of the general meeting. When appointing a representative, we recommend you to appoint Viljar Arakas, a member of the Management Board of the fund, whom you can give precise instructions to vote on your behalf on each agenda item. In case a shareholder wishes to use the template of power of attorney upon appointment of a representative, the respective template is available on the webpage of the fund https://eref.ee/investorile/uldkoosolekud/.
Electronic voting of draft resolutions Shareholders may vote electronically on the items on the agenda before the general meeting is held in accordance with the following procedure:
The electronic vote must be sent to the address koosolek@eften.ee not later than on 15 October at 16:00 (Estonian time). The shareholder has the right to change or cancel the vote given or submit objections not later than indicated in the previous sentence.
The shareholder’s vote must be given on the respective form available on the fund’s website https://eref.ee/investorile/uldkoosolekud/ and must be digitally signed. In case several correctly filled and signed voting ballots are submitted on behalf of one shareholder, only the latest received voting ballot shall be considered valid, and all previous voting ballots of that shareholder shall be considered invalid. In case the shareholder has submitted the voting ballot, but also attends the general meeting in person, all the voting ballots submitted by the shareholder before the general meeting shall be considered invalid.
In case the shareholder is represented at the general meeting by a representative, a digitally signed power of attorney certifying the right of representation must be submitted to the e-mail address koosolek@eften.ee together with the electronic vote or before submitting the electronic vote.
Shareholders who have voted no later than 15 October 2024 at 16.00 (Estonian time) shall be deemed to have taken part in the general meeting and the votes represented by the shareholders’ shares shall be accounted as part of the quorum of the general meeting, unless otherwise provided by law.
Pursuant to the resolution of the Supervisory Board of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS, the extraordinary general meeting will have the following agenda together with proposals of the Supervisory Board to the shareholders:
Item 1: Management Board’s overview of the fund’s business activities of this year The Management Board shall provide an overview of the fund’s business activities of this year. The item is for informational purposes only.
Item 2: Increase of share capital and listing of new shares on the Main List of Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange To ensure the ongoing development and future investments of the fund, the fund plans to carry out an additional share issue in the amount of up to 30,000,000 euros. According to clause 6.11 of the fund’s Articles of Association, the general meeting has the right to delegate the increase of the share capital to the competence of the Supervisory Board. Proposal of the Supervisory Board: 2.1. To delegate to the competence of the Supervisory Board, the decision on the increase of share capital for a six-month period following this general meeting, considering that the total volume of the additional capital to be raised will not exceed 30,000,0000 euros and the existing shareholders shall retain the pre-emptive right to subscribe for the new shares. 2.2. To apply for the listing and admission to trading of all newly issued shares on the Main List of Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange, and to authorise the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of the fund to carry out all activities and conclude all agreements necessary for this purpose.
Additional organisational information: Documents related to the general meeting, including the approved annual report of the previous financial year, drafts of the board’s decisions and any other information subject to the statutory disclosure requirement are available for examination on the webpage of the fund www.eref.ee and until the date (incl.) of the general meeting, at the premises of the fund (address A. Lauteri 5, 10114 Tallinn, 3rd floor) on working days from 09:00 until 16:00. Questions with respect to the matters on the agenda of the general meeting can be submitted via e-mail address: koosolek@eften.ee or by mail to the address of the fund (Tallinn 10114, A. Lauteri 5) or via phone by calling + 372 655 9515. Questions, answers, shareholders’ proposals with respect to the matters on the agenda and the minutes of the general meeting shall be published on the webpage of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS www.eref.ee.
We request to submit the following to register the participants of the general meeting: – in case of a shareholder who is a natural person, an identity document. A representative of a shareholder shall also present a power of attorney in written form. – in case of a shareholder who is a legal person, an extract from the registry where the legal person is registered, which proves the authorisation of the representative to represent the legal person (right of representation arising from law) and an identity document of the representative. In case the representative is not a legal representative of the legal person, a valid power of attorney shall also be required. Where required by applicable law, documents pertaining to a legal person registered in a foreign country are requested to be legalized or duly apostilled. Documents in foreign language are requested to be accompanied by a translation into Estonian by a sworn translator.
At the general meeting, a shareholder is entitled to receive information from the Management Board on the activities of the fund. The Management Board may decide to withhold information if there is a reason to believe that the disclosure of information may cause significant damage to the interests of the public limited company. If the Management Board refuses to disclose information, the shareholder may demand from the general meeting to adopt a resolution regarding the lawfulness of the information request or to file, within two weeks, a petition to a court by way of proceedings on petition in order to obligate the Management Board to give information.
The shareholders whose shares represent at least 1/20 of the share capital may request for additional items to be included on the agenda of the general meeting, if the respective request is submitted in writing at least 15 days prior to the general meeting to the address EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS, A. Lauteri 5, 10114 Tallinn. The shareholders whose shares represent at least 1/20 of the share capital may present a draft resolution in respect of each item on the agenda in writing no later than three days prior to the general meeting to the address EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS, A. Lauteri 5, 10114 Tallinn.
Prior to the general meeting, the shareholder may notify of the appointment of a representative or the revocation of the representative’s authority by sending a digitally signed notice to the e-mail address koosolek@eften.ee or by delivering the signed documents in person on working days between 09:00 to 16:00 to EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS at A. Lauteri 5, 10114 Tallinn at the latest by 15.10.2024 (Estonian time). In case a shareholder wishes to use the template of power of attorney upon appointment of a representative, the respective template is available on the webpage of EfTEN Real Estate Fund S https://eref.ee/investorile/uldkoosolekud/.
Viljar Arakas Member of the Management Board Tel: 655 9515 E-mail: viljar.arakas@eften.ee
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Secretary for Health receives vaccinations against seasonal influenza and COVID-19 Secretary for Health receives vaccinations against seasonal influenza and COVID-19 **********************************************************************************
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, received vaccinations against seasonal influenza and COVID-19 at Sai Wan Ho General Out-patient Clinic today (September 24). The Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee; the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), Dr Edwin Tsui; the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the Health Bureau, Dr Pang Fei-chau; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko; and frontline healthcare workers also echoed the move and were vaccinated. Professor Lo said, “Seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications. I strongly appeal to all members of the public to receive SIV early as it is now the best timing to get vaccinated for effective protection in the coming year against the influenza strains predicted by the World Health Organization in preparation for the possible winter or summer influenza seasons. Separately, individuals of high-risk priority groups should also receive an additional COVID-19 booster no less than six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection (whichever is later) to enhance protection and reduce the risks of serious complications and death.” He continued, “To boost the SIV coverage rate among schoolchildren, special arrangements have been made under the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach Programme (SIVSOP) this year to offer a more flexible choice of vaccine options for kindergartens and childcare centres. They can choose both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines (IIV) and live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) (i.e. nasal vaccines) for the same or different outreach vaccination activities. Moreover, the DH will roll out a pilot scheme in which LAIV will be provided to primary and secondary schools that had indicated earlier this year their preference for arranging LAIV for their students.” At present, around 870 kindergartens and childcare centres (80 per cent) have already arranged vaccination activities for their schoolchildren. Among them, 246 schools will offer LAIV, eight schools will offer both IIV and LAIV, and the rest will offer IIV. Separately, around 610 primary schools (93 per cent) and around 390 secondary schools (77 per cent) have arranged vaccination activities for their students. Professor Lo added, “I call on those schools that have yet to join the outreach vaccination programme to enrol as soon as possible to seize the optimum timing for vaccination and do their part to provide the best protection for schoolchildren.” Hong Kong generally experiences two influenza seasons each year. The winter influenza season usually lies between January and March or April, whereas the summer influenza season typically runs from July to August. The overall influenza activity has remained at a low level since the end of the influenza season in late July this year. However, with reference to previous surveillance data, as the weather is expected to become cooler gradually, the CHP foresaw that the influenza activity level may rise at the end of the year. All citizens should receive SIV which can reduce the risks of serious illnesses and death. The Government will launch the 2024/25 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programmes, including the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, the Government Vaccination Programme, the SIVSOP and the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme the day after tomorrow (September 26) to provide free or subsidised SIV for persons aged 50 or above (including the elderly living in residential care homes); adults aged 18 to 49 with underlying comorbidities; persons aged 6 months or above with immunocompromising conditions; pregnant women and healthcare workers etc. Furthermore, individuals of the abovementioned groups should receive an additional COVID-19 booster in a timely manner regardless of the number of doses of COVID-19 vaccines received before for dual protection. A COVID-19 vaccine can be co-administered with, or separated from, an SIV under informed consent. The inactivated COVID-19 vaccines currently used in Hong Kong (i.e. Sinovac CoronaVac) will expire on October 3, and the vaccine supplier has confirmed that they will no longer produce inactivated COVID-19 vaccines. Members of the public who would like to receive an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine should make a booking as early as possible. Starting from October 4, only mRNA vaccines will be available under the Government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. For more details, members of the public may call the CHP at 2125 2125 or visit the Vaccination Schemes page.
Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 12:52
Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung is on his way to Chengdu, Sichuan, where he has been invited by the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda to attend a ceremony bidding farewell to An An and Ke Ke, two giant pandas bound for Hong Kong.
Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Mickey Lai and representatives from Ocean Park Hong Kong are joining Mr Yeung on the visit.
Mr Yeung will also visit heritage sites and arts and cultural facilities in Chengdu to learn about the city’s integrated development of culture and tourism, and its promotion of tourism development.
The tourism chief will depart for Hong Kong tomorrow evening. During his absence, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Raistlin Lau will be Acting Secretary.
China launched a Smart Dragon-3 carrier rocket from the waters near the city of Haiyang in east China’s Shandong Province on Tuesday, placing eight satellites into planned orbit. The commercial rocket blasted off at 10:31 a.m. (Beijing Time), carrying Tianyi-41 and other satellites. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center carried out this offshore launch.
The Green Party vows to reinstate the oil and gas ban and revoke permits when it returns to government following the coalition’s introduction of legislation to reopen offshore oil and gas exploration this afternoon.
“A Green Government will reinstate the oil and gas ban and revoke any permits granted under the current regime and their obsession with pouring oil, coal and gas on the climate crisis fire,” says Green Party Co-Leader and spokesperson for Climate Change, Chlöe Swarbrick.
“We can have an economy that supports people and the planet, instead of exploiting both. It’s simply a matter of political willpower.
“Overturning the oil and gas ban risks exacerbating energy insecurity and driving exorbitant power prices. The Government must know this. And yet they persist with their lobbyist’s wish list.
“Luxon’s Government has weaponised the energy crisis to argue for more fossil fuels, conveniently neglecting that it’s the very reliance on those fossil fuels which is behind the energy crisis.
“Climate delay is the new denial.
“We can reduce emissions, lower power bills, and improve the resilience of our energy system. All we need is mainstream political willpower. New Zealanders deserve better than the Government’s attempts to pull the wool over their eyes,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.
On a review of current and evolving liquidity conditions, it has been decided to conduct a Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction on September 24, 2024, Tuesday, as under:
Press release – Paris, Septembre 24, 2024 – 07:00am
HY 2024 Results¹: €8.9 m Annualised ROE 2024: 11.2% | Minimal per share distribution 2024: €0.30
The Board of Directors of ABC arbitrage, presided by the Chairman Dominique Ceolin, met on September 24, 2024 to approve the consolidated financial statements for the first semester 2024¹. Key financial data are as follows:
In millions of euros
June 30, 2024 IFRS
June 30, 2023 IFRS
Dec. 31, 2023 IFRS
Net revenues
€22.8 m
€20.2 m
€39.3 m
Net income
€8.9 m
€8.8 m
€16.5 m
Earnings per share (EPS)
€0.15
€0.15
€0.28
Return on equity (ROE)
11.2 %
11.1 %
10.6 %
Equity
€158 m
€160 m
€155 m
Context – The first half of 2024 was not very active on the financial markets despite the gradual pick-up in mergers and acquisitions, an activity which nevertheless remains 15% below its historical average. Equity transactions, used by issuers to finance their projects, have not yet taken over from debt despite the sharp rise in rates and are still around 35% of the activity levels encountered in 2015. Volatility, around 11% depending on the geographical area, has generally remained, as in 2023, significantly below its historical average (average close to 20%).
Business Performance – ABC arbitrage presents a first half close to that of 2023, consistent with the markets encountered. However, the development of third-party management in 2023 and 2024 remains significantly below ambitions. With assets under management at €313 million as of September 1, 2024, down 9% since December 31, 2023, the revenues from this activity remain for the first half, as in previous years, marginal in the construction of the group’s activity pace. ABC arbitrage was also able to resume its activities on digital assets after obtaining a licence extension by the financial markets authority (AMF – Autorité des Marchés Financiers) on February 6, 2024, which contributed to the construction of the results for the first half. In line with the objectives of the Springboard 2025 strategic plan, the group is also continuing its investments – visible by an increase in overall costs of +23% compared to the first half of 2023 – mainly driven by technological and human dimensions. ABC arbitrage thus presents its 59th consecutive half-year of positive results with a return on equity (ROE) greater than 10%, in all market contexts encountered.
Dividend Policy in 2024 – A quarterly distribution policy has been in place since 2019. On the proposal of the board of directors, ABC arbitrage will make two interim dividend payments of €0.10 per share each, on the following dates:
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 for payment on Friday, October 11, 2024;
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 for payment on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
Outlook – The third quarter presented a very short episode of volatility in August that does not allow for any real change in the Group’s working conditions. The Group’s activity pace therefore remains close to that of 2023. Faced with market parameters that remain well below their historical averages, averages on which the ambitions of the Springboard 2025 strategic plan are based, ABC arbitrage continues to manage its risks and investments according to its level of activity in order to focus on building its short and medium-term profitability. ABC arbitrage therefore continues to implement new strategies that should enable it to grow its results in the long term, including in unfavourable markets such as 2023 or 2024. With its historical know-how and its teams, the Group remains confident in its ability to produce significant ROE and to transcend current market parameters.
1. As of the date of this press release, the work of the financial auditors is being finalised.
EURONEXT Paris – Compartiment B ISIN – FR0004040608 Reuters BITI.PA / Bloomberg ABCA FP