A truck roll before midday on Christchurch’s Southern Motorway eastbound (ie towards Christchurch) is causing significant delays in the area, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). Eastbound traffic is currently back to the Awatea Road overpass.
SH76 remains closed eastbound at the Curletts Road (SH73) off ramp, with a detour in place via the Curletts Road off and on ramps.
Road users should consider using SH1 (Main South Road) or taking the Shands Road off-ramp if travelling towards Christchurch for the next hour or two.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises road users to expect delays on State Highway 30 (SH30) Te Ngae Road Wednesday March 12 while contractors remove overhead power lines near the Wharenui Road intersection.
This work will be done during the day and to minimise disruption will be outside of peak travel times.
For road user safety, SH30 will be closed for short periods under stop/stop traffic management so the overhead work can be safely done. Traffic flow will return to normal between the brief closures.
This is part of the SH30 and Wharenui Road intersection project where traffic lights are being installed. As part of that, Wharenui Road is closed to traffic at the intersection and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h is in place on SH30 Te Ngae Road through the work zone.
We ask for your patience and compliance to ensure the safety of our workers and other road users navigating the site.
This work is currently scheduled for Wednesday 12 March but is weather dependent and may change at short notice. People are encouraged to visit the Journey Planner website for up-to-date information:
People who normally drive south of Christchurch in the evening or early hours of the morning need to plan around some night-time bridge closures, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The work starts this Sunday night, 9 March and will close the Rangitata River bridge initially, followed by the Hinds River bridge. Both bridge decks are being re-surfaced. Detours will be in place for both sites.
Detour for light vehicles and HPMV (not Oversized)
Drivers of light vehicles and HPMV will be able to take the detour route around the bridges, adding half an hour or so to the travel time, however it is not suitable for Oversized vehicles.
All traffic required to stay on the highway (eg including Oversize or permit-restricted) will be allowed across at midnight for 30 minutes, but otherwise SH1 will be closed at the bridge from 8pm to 6am.
The detour route will be operating for all other drivers all night.
The milling machine and paver take up space on the bridge, hence the restrictions around bridge access during this work.
Work will run from Sunday 9 March to Friday 14 March, 8pm to 6am, each night.
Rangitata River Bridge: Closed Sunday night, 9 March to Wednesday night, 12 March
DETOUR: Southbound traffic – turn right onto Dalmaine St, left onto Hinds Arundel Rd, left onto Route 72 Arundel Rakaia Gorge Rd, left onto SH79 Rangitata-Orari Bridge Hwy, then back onto SH1 (detour route will take about 30 minutes). Or consider continuing south through Geraldine and along Route 72 to Winchester and back onto SH1. Reverse for northbound traffic.
Hinds River Bridge: Closed Thursday night, 13 March to Friday night, 14 March
DETOUR: Southbound traffic – turn left onto Longbeach Rd, right onto Poplar Rd, right onto Isleworth Rd, them back onto SH1 (detour route will take about 25 minutes). Reverse for northbound traffic.
Changes to the schedule
This work is weather dependent so check the NZTA Journeys or Travel pages for any updates:
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is welcoming the sentencing last week of two individuals involved with unauthorised vehicle inspections.
Following an investigation by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), vehicle inspector Juan Carlos Acarapi Scoria and mechanic Gideon Tali from Automotive New Lynn were sentenced to five months’ community detention and 60 hours’ community work respectively.
They were sentenced in the Waitakere District Court on 27 February 2025 for accessing a computer system (WoF Online) for dishonest purposes.
Acting on a tip off, NZTA found that from 7 June to 8 July 2022 Mr Tali was carrying out WoF inspections without authority. Mr Tali was following the instructions of his employer Mr Scoria and was using Mr Scoria’s vehicle inspector authority to issue warrants of fitness (WoFs).
The investigation established that 121 WoF inspections were registered and 86 WoF labels were issued to vehicles without a proper safety inspection by an authorised vehicle inspector.
To arrive at the sentence, District Court Judge Singh acknowledged the seriousness and period of the offending, that the vehicles may have been unsafe, the issue of integrity and premeditation.
“We welcome the sentencing of these individuals, and hope it serves as a deterrent to others. We don’t tolerate misconduct by appointed vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations, and we will take action whenever our investigations find unlawful behaviour. The actions of these individuals put road users at risk,” says NZTA Senior Manager Safer Vehicles Nicole Botherway.
“These vehicles had not been checked by an inspector vetted by NZTA to ensure they had the necessary technical skills to understand and meet safety standards. WoF inspections check brakes, tyres and wheels, steering, suspension, exhausts, seatbelts, lighting, and vehicle structure to ensure vehicles are safe and protect people both inside and outside of a vehicle.”
NZTA cancelled all WoFs issued under Mr Acarapi’s name during that period and informed vehicle owners that they needed to get new ones.
NB: The NZTA Safer Vehicles team regularly reviews inspecting organisations and vehicle inspectors to check compliance. If serious non-compliance is found, the team ensures that the right regulatory response is applied, including enforcement action.
Police have arrested a man in Cannons Creek this morning, after a search warrant was executed in relation to fleeing driver events in the Porirua area.
The man, aged 36, has been charged with failing to stop, unlawfully gets onto a motorcycle and dangerous driving.
The man is due to appear in the Porirua District Court on 11 March.
Police also seized three vehicles from the address, a motorbike and a moped, both believed to be stolen, as well as a dirt bike.
Police have seen an increase in fleeing driver incidents involving dirt bikes in recent months and remain committed to holding these people to account.
Often, riders are seen without helmets on, which puts their safety at risk as well as the safety of other road users, due to the speeds these bikes are travelling.
Police are committed to ensuring the community is safe, especially on our roads.
We ask anybody who witnesses antisocial road behaviour to contact Police, on 111 if it is happening currently, or 105 if it is after the fact
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Good morning. It’s great to be with you all today and thank you for showing me around this incredible workplace.
I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet, the Kaurna peoples, and pay my respects to elders past and present.
I extend that acknowledgement to all First Nations people here today.
I would also like to acknowledge today:
Myron Mann, Bedford CEO
Janet Miller, Bedford Board Chair
Erin McCarthy, Bedford Deputy Board Chair, and
the executive, staff and employees at Bedford.
The Albanese Labor Government is deeply committed to creating a more inclusive society where all Australians with disability have the chance to fully participate and thrive in all aspects of community life – and this includes employment.
Australians with disability can and want to work.
They bring talent, curiosity, and fresh perspectives to our workplaces.
But we also know that people with disability with high support needs face many barriers to finding and keeping employment.
My focus as Minister for Social Services and the NDIS is to break down these barriers and create real opportunities – because when we provide the right support, everyone benefits.
Organisations like Bedford have a huge role in opening up the world of work to people with disability.
By transforming business models and providing opportunities for employees to upskill, try different types of work, get promoted or move into open employment – outcomes for people with disability can be improved.
And that’s why evolving the supported employment sector is so important.
We need to move away from static models of service delivery – to approaches that are inclusive, collaborative, and evolve to provide more opportunities and pathways to open employment for people with disability.
We need organisations that make sure people with high support needs are empowered to forge their own paths in life.
I see that in action here today at Cultivate, backed by Bedford, which is providing jobs and pathways for people with barriers to employment, including disability.
We need more of these integrated workplaces in Australia.
And that’s what our Albanese Labor Government’s Structural Adjustment Fund is all about. It is about directly improving employment options available to people with disability with high support needs and helping supported employment providers to adjust their services so they are better at what they do.
Better at:
boosting training and skills for people with disability
creating and expanding pathways to open employment
creating new sustainable employment opportunities
building skills and training and coaching
tailoring plans to meet employees’ goals and aspirations, and
connecting with the community.
Last year, I announced 30 supported employment organisations would benefit from a $14.5 million investment under round one of the Fund.
Today, I am very proud to announce the second round of grants. Another 33 organisations will share an additional $14.6 million in funding.
Over in Lismore in NSW, we’re funding an accessible café that will be a training hub for people with disability.
In the Kimberley region of WA, we are funding a social enterprise that creates sustainable employment and training in horticulture and farming for people with high support needs.
And here in South Australia, we’re proud to provide Bedford with funding to deliver their Bedford Rangers program.
They will build on a trial they delivered with RM Williams to host employment in mainstream workplaces, with an employment coach to create individualised pathways to open employment for supported employees.
This is a really wonderful program – delivering real results.
And Bedford are also receiving funding for the Pathways Hub – which will offer discovery and customised employment, vocational assessment, career navigation and transition support for supported employees wanting to take on different employment opportunities.
This project will feed into resources that will be made available through our new Centre for Inclusive Employment.
The Centre, previously known as the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence, will be an evidence-informed, best-practice hub that provides resources, tools, and training to help providers deliver quality employment services for people with disability.
Thank you to all of Bedford’s leadership and staff for your innovation and commitment to Australians with disability.
There’s about 16,000 Australians with disability who currently participate in supported employment; supported by organisations like Bedford.
And our targeted funding is about helping this sector thrive – so that Australians with disability thrive and participate fully in our communities.
Round 2 of the Structural Adjustment Funding is really exciting and will complement our Government’s new specialist disability employment program – Inclusive Employment Australia.
Inclusive Employment Australia will start later this year and has been designed to shift relationships between providers and participants from administrative and compliance based to one that is built on mutual respect and trust.
The new program recognises that people with disability may be at different stages of their employment journey – and that a one size fits all approach doesn’t work.
It rightly puts the needs of people with disability at the centre of disability employment services and employers as key partners.
Our Government believes that if a person with disability needs help to find employment – support should be available.
And that’s why we will also expand eligibility to volunteers and people with disability with a work capacity of less than 8 hours per week.
And this change to eligibility will help to create more pathways from supported to open employment – and complement the important work of projects under this Fund.
Like you – my focus is on boosting disability employment and opening more opportunities for people with disability who can and want to work.
And only by working with the disability community, and providers like Bedford, will we ensure that people with disability have opportunities to work like other Australians.
Headline: Councils should apply flexibility to keep shelves stocked as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches
Published: 5 March 2025
Statement by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces
The Minns Government is asking councils to take into consideration the need for additional supply chain support when responding to any complaints about operations at warehouses and distribution centres, wholesale and retail centres.
As the community prepares for the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the NSW Government is asking councils to be considerate of the exceptional circumstances and support supermarkets and other essential retailers to help keep their shelves stocked.
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and its regulation authorises councils to take compliance action in response to breaches of conditions of a development consent relating to operating hours, noise limits and vehicle movement caps.
We are reminding councils they also have discretion in choosing whether to exercise their enforcement powers. This includes considering the temporary nature of any breach, the low level of harm caused and the broader public interest in restoring supply chains.
LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood woman was found guilty by a jury today of running a tech-savvy drug delivery business that employed drivers – including a part-time actor – and resulted in three near-fatal fentanyl overdoses.
Mirela Todorova, 36, a.k.a. “Mimi,” was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of distribution of fentanyl, three counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute MDMA (Ecstasy), and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
The jury also found that Todorova must forfeit $498,555 in drug proceeds to the government.
“This defendant used her knowledge of technology to peddle the poison of fentanyl – despite knowing the pills she sold ran the risk of killing people,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Investigating and prosecuting these cases saves lives. I commend our local and federal partners for stopping this dangerous criminal organization and bringing justice to the victims here.”
“This case highlights the importance of looking at every overdose incident,” said Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division. “This case started with a single overdose and led to the identification of the dealer responsible for multiple overdoses. This drug distributor had knowledge of the harm she was creating and didn’t care.”
According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, Todorova from June 2020 to March 2021 orchestrated a technology-savvy drug trafficking operation in which she provided cellphones and narcotics – including counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl – to drivers to facilitate the delivery of drugs to customers across Los Angeles County and elsewhere. Todorova – who is a citizen of the United States, Canada, and Bulgaria – also delivered drugs herself.
Several times throughout the drug trafficking conspiracy, Todorova visited Mexico, where she continued to manage her drug operation while tending to her pet jaguar, “Princess.”
To carry out the scheme, Todorova hired Mucktarr Kather Sei, 39, of Koreatown, as a driver and, later, gave him the keys to her Hollywood drug stash house, allowing him to run the drug ring’s operations while continuing to direct him from abroad.
Despite warnings from customers that the oxycodone pills she was selling were laced with fentanyl and potentially fatal, Todorova continued to sell them. From November 2020 to January 2021, three customers of Todorova’s drug ring suffered near-fatal overdoses of fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills. Despite knowing their danger, Todorova continued to sell these fentanyl-laced pills until February 2021.
In March 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants on Todorova’s person, car, and home, seizing numerous drug trafficking materials and narcotics, including lab-confirmed methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA, as a well as a single purported oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl.
In December 2021, Todorova knowingly made series of false statements to federal law enforcement official when she said she thought the drugs seized from her apartment were vitamins, she never instructed anyone how to package or make drugs, and she only met Sei twice.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a September 12 sentencing hearing, at which time Todorova will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. She has been in federal custody since April 2021.
Sei and two other defendants charged in this case – Christopher Y. Moreno Núñez, 29, of Pacific Palisades, and Ashley Alicia Nicole Johnson, 34, of Los Angeles –each pleaded guilty last year to felony narcotics distribution charges and will be sentenced in the coming months. Sei has been in federal custody since February 2022.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Justice Task Force, which was created to address opioid-related deaths in the greater Los Angeles area, most of which are caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Under the Overdose Justice program for the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, DEA agents collaborate with local law enforcement to analyze evidence to determine if there are circumstances that might lead to a federal criminal prosecution, and, if so, proactively target the drug trafficker.
Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, Assistant United States Attorneys Jason C. Pang and Suria M. Bahadue of the General Crimes Section, and Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
It said the humanitarian catastrophe was continuing in Gaza and hampering journalists’ work on a daily basis.
The Israeli army had killed their colleagues and destroyed their homes and newsrooms, said RSF in a statement.
Gaza’s remaining journalists, who had survived 15 months of intensive bombardment, continued to face immense challenges despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on 19 January 2025 with the first stage expiring last weekend.
Humanitarian aid, filtered by the Israeli authorities, is merely trickling into the blockaded territory, and Israel continues to deny entry access to foreign journalists, forbidding independent outlets from covering the aftermath of the war and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.
Exiled Palestinian journalists are also prevented from returning to the Gaza Strip.
“We urgently call for the blockade that is suffocating the press in Gaza to be lifted,” said RSF editorial director Anne Bocandé.
“Reporters need multimedia and security equipment, internet and electricity.
“Foreign reporters need access to the territory, and exiled Palestinian journalists need to be able to return.
“While the ceasefire in Gaza has put an end to an unprecedented massacre of journalists, media infrastructure remains devastated.
“RSF continues to campaign for justice and provide all necessary support to these journalists, to defend a free, pluralist and independent press in Palestine.”
Reporters face the shock of a humanitarian catastrophe
Working amid the rubble
“The scale of the destruction is immense, terrifying,” said Islam al-Zaanoun of Palestine TV.
“Life seems to have disappeared. The streets have become open-air rubbish dumps. With no place to work, no internet or electricity, I was forced to stop working for several days.”
Journalists must also contend with a severe fuel shortage, making travel within the country difficult and expensive. Like the rest of Gaza’s population, reporters have to spend long hours in queues every day to obtain water and food.
Israeli fire despite the ceasefire
“Entire areas are unreachable,” Al Jazeera correspondent Hani al-Shaer told RSF.
“The situation remains dangerous. We came under Israeli fire in Rafah.”
The journalist explained that due to an unrelenting series of crises, he was forced to choose which stories he covered.
“The destroyed infrastructure? The humanitarian crisis? Abandoned orphans?” he wondered.
Witnesses and targets: the double trauma of reporters
With at least 180 media professionals killed by the Israeli army in the course of 15 months of war, including at least 42 killed on the job, according to RSF figures, surviving journalists must face their trauma while continuing their news mission.
Gaza media sources put the journalist death toll at more than 200.
“We covered this tragedy, but we were also part of it. Often, we were the target,” stressed Islam al-Zaanoun.
“We still can’t rest or sleep. We’re still terrified that the war will start again,” adds Hani al-Shaer.
The suspended lives of exiled journalists
From Egypt to Qatar, journalists who managed to escape the horror continue to live with the consequences, unable to return to their loved ones and homes.
“My greatest hope is to return home and see my loved ones again. But the border is closed and my house is destroyed, like those of most journalists,” lamented Ola al-Zaanoun, RSF Gaza correspondent, now based in Egypt.
The Gaza bureau chief of The New Arab, Diaa al-Kahlout is one of many who watched the Israeli Army destroy his house.
“When they arrested me, they bombed and set fire to my house and car. I’ve lost everything I’ve earned in my career as a journalist, and I’m starting all over again,” he told RSF.
A refugee in Doha, Qatar, he is still haunted by the abuse inflicted by Israeli forces during his month-long detention in December 2023, following his arbitrary arrest at his home in Beit Lahya, a city in the north of the Gaza Strip.
“No matter how many times I tell myself that I’m safe here, that I’m lucky enough to have my wife and children with me, I have trouble sleeping, working, making decisions,” confided the journalist, whose brother was killed in the war.
“I’m scared all the time,” he added.
Asia Pacific Media Network’s Pacific Media Watch project collaborates with Reporters Without Borders.
If you head to the shops to buy bread, you’ll face a variety of different options.
But it can be hard to work out the difference between all the types on sale.
For instance, you might have a vague idea that wholemeal or wholegrain bread is healthy. But what’s the difference?
Here’s what we know and what this means for shoppers in Australia and New Zealand.
Let’s start with wholemeal bread
According to Australian and New Zealand food standards, wholemeal bread is made from flour containing all parts of the original grain (endosperm, germ and bran) in their original proportions.
Because it contains all parts of the grain, wholemeal bread is typically darker in colour and slightly more brown than white bread, which is made using only the endosperm.
Australian and New Zealand food standards define wholegrain bread as something that contains either the intact grain (for instance, visible grains) or is made from processed grains (flour) where all the parts of the grain are present in their original proportions.
That last part may sound familiar. That’s because wholegrain is an umbrella term that encompasses both bread made with intact grains and bread made with wholemeal flour. In other words, wholemeal bread is a type of wholegrain bread, just like an apple is a type of fruit.
Don’t be confused by labels such as “with added grains”, “grainy” or “multigrain”. Australian and New Zealand food standards don’t define these so manufacturers can legally add a small amount of intact grains to white bread to make the product appear healthier. This doesn’t necessarily make these products wholegrain breads.
So unless a product is specifically called wholegrain bread, wholemeal bread or indicates it “contains whole grain”, it is likely to be made from more refined ingredients.
Which one’s healthier?
So when thinking about which bread to choose, both wholemeal and wholegrain breads are rich in beneficial compounds including nutrients and fibre, more so than breads made from further-refined flour, such as white bread.
The presence of these compounds is what makes eating wholegrains (including wholemeal bread) beneficial for our overall health. Research has also shown eating wholegrains helps reduce the risk of common chronic diseases, such as heart disease.
The table below gives us a closer look at the nutritional composition of these breads, and shows some slight differences.
Wholegrain bread is slightly higher in fibre, protein, niacin (vitamin B3), iron, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium than wholemeal bread. But wholegrain bread is lower in carbohydrates, thiamin (vitamin B1) and folate (vitamin B9).
However the differences are relatively small when considering how these contribute to your overall dietary intake.
Which one should I buy?
Next time you’re shopping, look for a wholegrain bread (one made from wholemeal flour that has intact grains and seeds throughout) as your number one choice for fibre and protein, and to support overall health.
If you can’t find wholegrain bread, wholemeal bread comes in a very close second.
Wholegrain and wholemeal bread tend to cost the same, but both tend to be more expensive than white bread.
Margaret Murray 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.
An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows robotic arms processing parts for new energy vehicles at a private company in Changxing Economic and Technological Development Zone, Huzhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
China targets an economic growth rate of around 5 percent in 2025, according to a government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.
The report also outlines an array of other key development goals for this year, including a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent, over 12 million new urban jobs, and an around 2 percent increase in the consumer price index.
The country achieved economic growth of 5 percent in 2024 as an impactful policy package, along with other pro-growth measures, helped fuel strong economic momentum.
On a global scale, an around 5 percent growth rate places China among the world’s fastest-growing major economies, with the economic increment equating to the annual output of a mid-sized nation.
Huang Qunhui, a national political advisor from the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described this year’s economic growth target as scientifically grounded and realistic.
“In the face of a challenging global environment, the proactive and resilient goal suggests that China is braving uncertainties with a clear, determined approach to growth,” he said.
As 2025 marks the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period and is also crucial to crafting the next five-year blueprint, observers believe that the government policies will not only drive sustained growth this year but also lay the groundwork for the country’s modernization drive in the long run.
Fostering high-quality development is a key focus on this year’s government agenda, with priorities ranging from stimulating domestic demand to developing new quality productive forces.
“We will take a people-centered approach and place a stronger economic policy focus on improving living standards and boosting consumer spending,” the report said.
Domestic demand will be made the main engine and anchor of economic growth, the report said. Ultra-long special treasury bonds totaling 300 billion yuan will be issued to support consumer goods trade-in programs.
New quality productive forces will be nurtured in light of local conditions, according to the report. China aims to foster emerging and future industries, such as quantum technology and the low-altitude economy, accelerate the upgrading of traditional industries, and combine digital technologies including AI with manufacturing and market strengths.
By the end of February, cargo volume on the Chancay-Shanghai shipping route had exceeded 22,000 tonnes since the sea link between China and Peru became fully operational in both directions on Dec. 18, 2024, according to Shanghai Customs.
The total cargo value reached 610 million yuan (about 85.03 million U.S. dollars), the customs department said Tuesday.
Currently, two regular voyages operate between the ports each week, benefiting other major Chinese ports along the east coast, including Dalian, Qingdao, Ningbo and Xiamen.
Chancay Port is not only a deep-water hub but also South America’s first smart and green port. As a flagship Belt and Road cooperation project between China and Peru, the direct route has cut sea travel time between the two countries from over a month to approximately 23 days, reducing shipping costs by at least 20 percent.
The new route has enhanced cargo flows from Latin America to Asia, with projected shipments from Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. It also streamlined distribution across Asia, offering faster and more cost-effective shipping services.
Statistics from Shanghai Customs show that in 2024, the import value of goods transported from Peru to Shanghai port reached 26.4 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 23.6 percent; meanwhile, the export value of goods transported from Shanghai port to the South American country amounted to 25.1 billion yuan, up 22.2 percent.
In December 2024, the first month after the sea route was launched, total trade between Shanghai port and Peru surged to 4.68 billion yuan, a 46.1 percent increase from the previous year.
Chinese-made automobiles are among the key exports to Peru, while agricultural products such as fruit and fish powder from the South American country are common imports.
Shanghai Customs has established a “green channel” for cargo and optimized supervision services to ensure safety and efficiency on the route.
Tianjin and Qingdao, two major port cities in China, kicked off the new year with their first inbound international cruise ship of 2025 — the Malta-registered Europa 2, a clear signal of the steady revival of China’s cruise tourism industry.
The luxury liner, carrying hundreds of passengers from countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland is on a global voyage. During its China leg, the tour group headed to major destinations including Xiamen, Shanghai and Tianjin.
After a brief stop in Qingdao in Shandong Province, east China, on March 1, the ship would head to Japan and the Republic of Korea, according to Kristina Jurgawka, a crew member aboard the ship.
An avid history enthusiast, she was deeply impressed by the Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and enchanted by the skyline of Shanghai. “I’m truly grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.
For German tourist Joachin Dopp, the ease of entry into China left the strongest impression. “It’s simple to enter, no need for a visa or all those formalities. It’s great that you can just enter the country and enjoy it [your trip],” he told Xinhua.
His experience reflects well on China’s effort to rejuvenate the cruise tourism sector. In May last year, a policy was rolled out allowing visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups arriving on cruise ships at any of the country’s cruise ports along the coastline.
With a coastline stretching 18,000 km, China has seen steady improvements in its port infrastructure. The country boasts abundant tourism resources and is experiencing rapid growth in the service industry, making it a major destination for international cruise liners.
Wang Hong, president of China Europe International Business School, said in a media interview that the visa-free entry policy for cruise passengers will bring unprecedented development opportunities to China’s tourism and cruise industries. It is expected to attract more foreign visitors to choose cruises as a means of traveling to China, thereby boosting inbound tourism.
Industry leaders predict a strong rebound in international cruise tourism in China this year.
On Jan. 3, an international cruise ship carrying 456 passengers docked at Phoenix Island International Cruise Port in Sanya, a popular tropical destination. From 2006 to the end of 2024, the port handled over 1,600 cruise ship voyages and over 2 million passenger trips.
Days later, the Silver Dawn became the first international cruise ship to arrive in Shanghai this year, bringing over 400 tourists from more than 20 countries, including the United States, Britain, and Australia. During the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, the border inspection authorities in Shanghai reported 22 cruise ship entries and exits, with 72,000 cruise passenger trips.
Tang Ming, head of a Shanghai-based travel agency, noted that since February 2024, the market has steadily recovered. “We expect to see a 20 to 30 percent increase in international cruise tourists this year,” he said.
Cruise ports in Qingdao are expected to receive over 40 cruise ship visits in 2025, twice the number recorded in 2024, according to the city’s culture and tourism bureau. Meanwhile, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port is preparing for increased activities, with more than 40 inbound and outbound cruise ship visits anticipated at Dongjiang Port in the first quarter alone.
Globally, the Cruise Lines International Association estimates that the number of ocean-going cruise passengers will reach 39.5 million by 2027, reflecting sustained demand for cruise voyages.
By 2035, China’s cruise market is expected to welcome 4.2 million inbound foreign tourist trips annually, with total economic output projected to reach 531.7 billion yuan (about 74.12 billion U.S. dollars), according to a report by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, as cited by Liao Minsheng, a marine tourism expert from Hainan Tropical Ocean University.
China’s market, Liao said in a media interview, presents unprecedented opportunities for the global cruise and yacht economy.
“China’s vast market size and growing demand for cruise tourism provide international cruise and yacht companies with ample room for expansion,” he added. “The sector’s growth is expected to drive the development in areas such as ship design and manufacturing, foreign trade, tourism services, port construction and modern maritime services.”
The world’s first floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel with a carbon capture and storage facility was delivered in Shanghai on Monday, according to a Xinmin Evening News report.
The AGOGO FPSO, measuring 333 meters in length and 60 meters in width, has a daily production capacity of up to 120,000 barrels of crude oil and an oil storage capacity of 1.6 million barrels.
By capturing the carbon dioxide generated during sailing and oil production and using the exhaust heat energy to generate electricity, the vessel can achieve both environmental protection and energy saving.
The conventional floating production, storage and offloading units emitted approximately 20 to 30 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per barrel. The AGOGO FPSO is expected to reduce such emissions by about 230,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to the carbon dioxide absorbed by 7,333 hectares of forest within one year.
Offshore oil and gas operations are known to produce substantial amounts of carbon dioxide. The delivery of the AGOGO FPSO marked an important step in the field of offshore carbon capture in China, making a contribution to the decarbonization of the global offshore oil production industry.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 5 — China will formulate policies on boosting birth rates, and provide childcare subsidies, according to a government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.
The country will also vigorously develop integrated nursery and childcare services, and increase public-interest childcare services, read the report.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in Newsweek previewing President Donald J. Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville celebrates the Trump administration’s accomplishments since returning to the White House, including securing the border, negotiating America First trade deals, cutting wasteful government spending, and facilitating peace around the world.
Read excerpts from the piece below or here.
“Tonight, President Donald Trump will give his first joint address to Congress since his triumphant return to the White House. For the past four years, Americans endured a national nightmare under the Biden administration. Democrats opened our borders—allowing criminals, terrorists, drug dealers, and murderers to flood into our country unchecked. They canceled American energy production and forced us to rely on our foreign adversaries for energy. They wrote a blank check to Ukraine—while doing nothing to actually stop the bloodshed. They even went as far as to support men competing in women’s sports. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris brought this country to the brink of destruction.
The last four years were a dumpster fire—a total disaster. ‘Sleepy Joe’ was worn slap out as soon as he got up in the morning. Thinking back on it now, I really don’t know how our country survived. It’s a miracle that we made it through those dark days. One thing is for sure: President Trump’s address will be nothing like the clown show we endured the last four years.
But today, America is ready to usher in its golden age under President Donald J. Trump. We’re only a month and a half in, and President Trump is well on his way to renewing the American dream by reversing some of the Democrats’ most destructive policies. Most importantly, President Trump is keeping his promises to the 77 million Americans who voted for him and his ‘America First’ agenda. A recent poll showed 70 percent of Americans believe President Trump is doing what he said he would do.
We’ve already seen a whole lot of winning. Illegal border crossings have plummeted under the Trump administration, reaching their lowest levels in decades. Democrats’ ‘catch and release’ program has been replaced with detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. Since master-dealmaker President Trump first threatened tariffs, Canada and Mexico have been pulling their weight to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and deadly fentanyl into the U.S. It’s about time they pony up and contribute to this so-called ‘alliance.’
Two weeks ago, the administration officially designated eight different cartel groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Did Border Czar Kamala Harris recommend any of these policies? I don’t think so. She was too busy trying to keep the Left’s radical agenda alive. Border security is national security, and President Trump is making the safety of U.S. citizens his top priority.
President Trump is also hard at work restoring common-sense policies. For example, his administration announced that schools that still enforce COVID vaccine mandates will no longer receive federal funding. President Trump also signed an executive order defining gender as male and female, along with one banning men from competing in women’s sports.
[…]
I was particularly thrilled when President Trump signed an executive order to protect Title IX and keep men out of women’s sports. But unfortunately, executive orders can be reversed. My bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, finally got a vote last night in the Senate. Every Democrat voted against it. Last week, my wife Suzanne and I welcomed our first granddaughter, Rosie Grace. Now that I’m a grandfather, I’m more motivated than ever to continue fighting to permanently keep men out of women’s sports.
President Trump is doing something rare in D.C.: delivering on his campaign promises. From cutting wasteful spending with DOGE to renaming the beautiful Gulf of America, President Trump is renewing the American dream. And he’s not slowing down. Trump has brought unbelievable energy to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He won’t rest until American families, businesses, farmers, and manufacturers are winning again.
We have a long way to go if we’re going to get our country back on track and truly make America great again. But we’re well on our way. I look forward to hearing his address tonight and am committed to helping advance his agenda from the Senate.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
This photo taken on March 3, 2025 shows copies of hand-drawn posters of “Ne Zha 2” at an exhibition on the creative journey of Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
An exhibition about the Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” opened on Monday afternoon in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, offering visitors an in-depth look at the film’s creation process.
The exhibition, themed “Break or Lose It,” features original character sketches, iconic scenes and a milestone wall tracing the film’s record-breaking success. Director Jiaozi’s hand-drawn posters are also on display.
After his visit on Tuesday morning, local resident Chen Jie, 28, praised the exhibition for revealing the dedication of the filmmaking team.
“The care and passion behind every detail of the movie are truly inspiring,” said Chen, an interior designer. “The movie is a source of pride for Chengdu and a testament to the potential of Chinese cinema.”
The exhibition also features immersive audiovisual experiences, allowing attendees to relive key moments from the film.
This photo taken on March 3, 2025 shows copies of hand-drawn posters of “Ne Zha 2” at an exhibition on the creative journey of Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Running until June 1, the exhibition is organized by Chengdu Coco Cartoon Co., Ltd., which co-produced the movie.
Zheng He, a staff member involved in the exhibition, mentioned that the event has been warmly received by the public — with all 1,000 daily visitor slots fully booked for Tuesday and the coming weekend.
“Ne Zha 2” has become the first non-Hollywood film to exceed $2 billion in global earnings, including presales, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.
Ongoing dry weather has tipped Auckland’s total dam storage level just below the ‘preparing for a drought’ level in Watercare’s Drought Management Plan.
Auckland’s total dam storage today is 66.5 per cent, compared to the historical average of 78.4 per cent for this time of year.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says: “Watercare has notified my office and Auckland councillors that the total storage in Auckland’s drinking water supply dams has just dropped into the ‘preparing for a drought’ zone in its Drought Management Plan.
“Watercare is responsible for ensuring the situation is managed. In line with the plan, they’ve provided an update on what they’re doing and how they’re dealing with the situation. I’m satisfied Watercare has it under control and is taking any appropriate action.”
Over summer the Hūnua dam catchments, which traditionally supply up to two thirds of Auckland’s water, received 27 per cent less rainfall than normal. The Waitākere catchments, where Watercare’s smaller dams are located, received less than half the normal rain.
Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne says Aucklanders do not need to be alarmed.
“We’ve been keeping a close eye on dam levels, Auckland’s water demand and the weather and have been actively managing our supply network to put us in the best position to face an extended dry spell.
“While our total dam storage has dropped below where we’d normally like it to be at this time of year, it’s still looking highly unlikely that we’d need to look at mandatory water restrictions in the next few months.
“The most recent weather forecast we’ve received signals March could be fairly dry, but rainfall is likely to return to normal for the rest of autumn. Winter has the potential to be wetter than normal.
“That said, we’re encouraging Aucklanders to continue to be mindful of their water use. They’ve been doing a fantastic job over summer, so we’re really just asking everyone to keep up the great work.
“If you need to water your garden, use a trigger nozzle on your hose to prevent any wastage.
“Another really easy way to keep your water usage down is to take short showers – four minutes or less is ideal. And if you need to take two on these scorching days, challenge yourself to make them two minutes each.
“If we all do something small to keep our water use down, we can further reduce the likelihood of needing water restrictions if the weather turns out to be drier than forecast.”
Auckland’s water consumption crept up last week, with the seven-day average rolling demand at 496 million litres per day today.
“To put that in perspective, when we were in the middle of drought in late summer 2020, water consumption peaked at 549 million litres per day,” Bourne says. “It’s great to see we’re still a long way off that, which to me shows many Aucklanders have maintained those basic water-saving habits we adopted back then.”
What does ‘preparing for a drought’ mean?
Bourne says a cross-functional team has been formed at Watercare to manage the three main “levers” of drought management: Increasing supply, reducing demand and optimising the water network.
“We’re continuing to produce more water at our Waikato water treatment plants, which treat water from the Waikato River. This slows the rate of decline of our dams.
“And right across Tāmaki Makaurau, our maintenance crews are doing a fantastic job at staying on top of leaks. Since the start of summer, 16,208 have been reported and 16,112 have been fixed, leaving a to-do list of just 96.
“As well as fixing reported leaks, we also run proactive leak detection in targeted areas around the city, which helps us to find leaks that may not be visible on the surface.
Anyone can see Auckland’s dam levels live on the Watercare website.
Top tips for going easy with your water use:
Cool off the kids with water pistols, reusable water balloons or even a small paddling pool, instead of under the sprinkler.
Leading healthcare provider, ProCare, has today welcomed the Health Minister’s announcement to increase the number of training places for nurse practitioners specialising in primary care to 120 a year, and support advanced education for up to 120 primary care registered nurses.
This announcement, alongside the two announcements made earlier this week will provide a welcome boost for an underfunded primary care sector.
Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare says: “Nurses are a vital part of any general practice and investing in their skills means better, more accessible healthcare for our communities. We are pleased to see a longer-term commitment to nurse practitioner training and advanced education for primary care registered nurses.
“Increasing the number of skilled nurses will undoubtedly support primary care practices. However, it’s crucial to ensure they receive equitable remuneration compared to their hospital counterparts. Without this, we risk facing the same challenges we do today,” says Norwell.
“We have a meeting with the Minister in the coming weeks and look forward to sharing any updates with our members following those discussions,” concludes Norwell.
Anna Wright, Associate Nursing Director at ProCare highlights, “Nurse practitioners are highly skilled professionals who can provide a valuable alternative for patients who need care but are facing long wait times to see their GP. Additionally, nurses with prescribing authority can provide care for certain conditions while also helping to free up GP capacity.”
“Expanding opportunities for nurses to upskill and take on greater roles in primary care not only keeps them engaged in their profession but also gives patients more choices when seeking care within a practice,” concludes Wright.
It’s no secret there has been immense workforce pressures in healthcare, so these initiatives will go some way to easing this pressure.
About ProCare ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi. As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
March 04, 2025
In a Senate floor speech, Durbin denounced President Trump’s pardon of January 6 insurrectionists and provides update on continued criminal misconduct of pardoned Capitol rioters
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor, providing another update on the criminal misconduct of January 6th insurrectionists since President Trump’s reckless decision to pardon them for their crimes committed during the storming of the U.S. Capitol. The events of that day resulted in the death of five law enforcement officers and the injury of more than 140 others.
Durbin began his remarks by recalling his experience on January 6, 2021, as insurrectionists entered the building, interrupting the constitutional proceeding of certifying the 2020 election results.
“The Senate chamber was filled with members who were witnessing a meeting required by our Constitution where the Vice President presided over the Senate… We gathered here and counted the electoral votes to determine who was the President as a result of the 2020 election. It’s a fairly routine undertaking, but there is some solemnity to it because the Constitution requires it… It was the same day that President Trump, leaving the office because he lost that election in 2020, had called a rally down at the end of the [National] Mall. Thousands of people had showed up, and they decided to march on the Capitol at the President’s urging and invitation,” Durbin began.
“That’s a day I’ll never forget. I’ve been coming into this building since I was a college student at Georgetown years ago. This is a special place to me. It is not my office building. It is the United States Capitol. It carries with it, not only history, but a significance as a symbol. It means something to have a mob take over the Capitol as happened that day, pushing members of the House and Senate to hide in broom closets and to leave the building for their own personal safety. I never dreamed that would happen in the United States of America, but I lived it, it happened, and the American people know it happened because the videos are quite graphic. They tell the story of what was going on that day,” Durbin continued.
Following the January 6 insurrection, the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecuted more than 1,500 individuals for their involvement in the riot. However, on his first day in office, President Trump granted pardons and commutations for those who participated in the insurrection despite the horrific violence they inflicted upon law enforcement officers.
“So what happened when this new President came to office? He [President Trump] decided that isn’t what happened at all on January 6… He ignored the fact that 140 law enforcement officials were injured on that day protecting this building and the people in it… He decided the people who needed our sympathy were the rioters and not the police, and so the President, as one of his first acts in office, President Trump signed the pardon of some 1,600 individuals,” Durbin said.
Durbin continued his speech, describing the heinous acts committed by the insurrectionists since President Trump pardoned them.
“Last week, body camera video was released depicting a traffic-related felony arrest during which a sheriff’s deputy fatally shot former January 6 defendant Matthew Huttle… The video footage confirmed that there was a struggle during the incident, during which Huttle, a January 6 defendant, raised an object that the sheriff deputy believed to be a firearm. At the beginning of the traffic stop, Huttle can be seen on video stating, ‘I just want to let you know that I’m a January 6 defendant,’ and ‘I stormed the Capitol. I’m waiting on my pardon.’ Investigators later recovered a loaded 9 mm handgun and ammunition in Huttle’s vehicle. Huttle was among the 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, pardoned by President Trump. Huttle had pleaded guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds for his role in the insurrection and was sentenced to six months in prison,” Durbin said.
“Peter Schwartz, sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges that included four counts of assaulting police officers during the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Schwartz was seen on body camera footage spraying officers with pepper spray, wielding a baton, and prosecutors alleged that he threw the first chair at officers, creating an opening that enabled hundreds of rioters to push back the police lines,” Durbin said. “Prior to January 6, Schwartz had amassed criminal convictions in more than four different states for crimes including domestic violence, threatening his girlfriend, and assaulting security officers. One of Schwartz’s former girlfriends, Shantelle Holeton, a 43-year old factory worker who has voted for President Trump three times… recently told CBS News that she fears for her safety now that Schwartz has been pardoned and released.”
Holeton reported that Schwartz persistently beat her during their months-long relationship until she called the police in July 2019, alleging that Schwartz was threatening to kill her and her son. In reacting to Schwartz’s involvement in the insurrection, Holeton stated, “He found an opportunity to go and be violent. That man thrives on violence. He thrives on people fearing him.”
Durbin then shared an update on Jeremy Brown, one of the last January 6 defendants remaining behind bars since President Trump’s blanket pardon.
“Jeremy Brown… was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta on Wednesday. Brown had not yet been released because prosecutors did not consider one of his two criminal cases to be related to January 6 and thus covered by President Trump’s pardon; however, the Justice Department has since reversed course. In April of 2023, Brown was convicted in Tampa, Florida, of possessing a short-barrel rifle, a shotgun, and explosive grenades, and willful retention of a national defense document, all resulting from a January 6-related law enforcement search of his residence in September 2021. He was sentenced to 87 months in prison for those charges and released by the pardon of President Trump,” Durbin said.
Durbin concluded his remarks by firmly denouncing President Trump’s pardons.
“This is a horrible situation, and sadly, tragically, these are people who never should have been pardoned by the President. They attacked the police here in this building. They desecrated this Capitol. They were not the victims. They victimized innocent people who were doing their job under the Constitution,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
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Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
March 04, 2025
Requesting a disciplinary investigation into Bove, SJC Dems cite inappropriate conduct by Bove involving the dismissal of charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Democrats in filing a professional misconduct complaint against Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove with the New York State Bar.
In a letter to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department in New York, which handles complaints against lawyers whose offices are in Manhattan or the Bronx, the Senators cite reported inappropriate conduct by Bove involving the dismissal of charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Senators begin by expressing grave concern about actions taken by Bove and request a disciplinary investigation, writing: “We write to express our grave concern about actions taken by Emil Joseph Bove, III that may constitute serious professional misconduct under the New York State Unified Court System Rules of Professional Conduct. Since becoming Acting Deputy Attorney General forthe U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Mr. Bove has abused his position in numerous ways, including using the prosecutorial power of the federal government to coerce an elected state municipal officer to pursue policies to the political benefit of President Donald J. Trump. Rather than carry out an unethical order from Mr. Bove, then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Danielle Sassoon, a SDNY assistant U.S. attorney, and at least five career prosecutors in DOJ’s Criminal Division, including the then-acting chief of the Public Integrity Section and a deputy assistant attorney general, resigned. Due to the serious nature of Mr. Bove’s misconduct, we request that the Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Judicial Department open an investigation to determine whether Mr. Bove, who is a member of the New York State Bar, violated applicable New York State Unified Court System Rules of Professional Conduct and should be subject to disciplinary action.”
The Senators then explain the coercive and political nature of Bove’s role in the dismissal of United States v. Adams, before outlining specific episodes that appear to violate at least four categories of prohibited misconduct by the New York State Unified Court System, writing: “As detailed in official Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the SDNY memoranda and subsequent public reporting, Mr. Bove has explicitly premised the dismissal of charges against Mayor Eric L. Adams upon the extraction of a political favor from Mayor Adams to benefit President Trump. Notably, the dismissal is inherently coercive, because it was without prejudice, therefore allowing Mr. Bove to use the threat of again charging Mayor Adams to ensure the political favor is fulfilled. There is substantial documentary proof of this misconduct, and reportedly dozens of witnesses to verify public reporting of Mr. Bove’s misconduct in this matter[.]”
The Senators conclude with a request for a professional misconduct investigation into Bove, writing: “Mr. Bove’s conduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer; his activities are part of a broader course of conduct by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of Department of Justice’s investigations and prosecutions and the rule of law. When a government lawyer, particularly one entrusted with a leadership role in the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency, commits serious violations of professional conduct, such actions undermine the integrity of our justice system and erode public confidence in it. Public confidence is further eroded when such serious misconduct is met with no consequences. Therefore, we submit this letter of complaint to respectfully request that the Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department initiate an investigation and take appropriate disciplinary proceedings pursuant to N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 22 § 1240.7.”
In addition to Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
For a PDF copy of the complaint against Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, click here.
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Opening Remarks by the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva At a conference on Asia and the IMF: Resilience through Cooperation, Tokyo, Japan, March 5, 9AM JST
March 4, 2025
(As Prepared for Delivery)
I would like to thank Finance Minister Kato for welcoming us today and want to express my gratitude to Governor Ueda for joining. I’m very sorry I can’t be with you in person. But thankfully technology allows me to join you virtually.
Those who have been to Tokyo’s Skytree know that it has the best views of the city. And like so much in Japan, it’s an engineering masterpiece. Gazing across Tokyo’s skyline, it’s hard to imagine just how much the city—and the country—has changed in the 80 years since the Bretton Woods Institutions were established.
After World War II, Japan invested heavily in infrastructure and manufacturing and introduced sweeping reforms. These set the country on a path to becoming an economic powerhouse.
Inspired by Japan’s success, other countries in Asia followed suit. Today, the region contributes over 60 percent of global growth, and is home to some of the world’s largest, most innovative companies.
Of course, Asia is a very diverse continent, with a mix of advanced economies, emerging and frontier markets, and small island states. Demographics and income levels vary too.
But across the region, openness and deepening economic ties have been crucial to countries’ success.
The world is changing, however. Many countries face weaker growth prospects and are saddled with high public debt. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical developments have brought into focus the importance of security of supplies. Trade is no longer the engine of global growth it used to be. And we are in the midst of massive transformations, from rapid advances in AI to changing patterns of capital flows and trade.
Against this background, governments worldwide are shifting their priorities. The new US administration is rapidly reshaping its policies on trade, taxation, public spending, deregulation, and digital assets. And other governments are also recalibrating their approaches and adjusting their policies.
The future of growth
How should countries in Asia adapt? Let me highlight three opportunities.
First, the shift toward services-led growth. While trade in goods has flattened, service flows are surging. In fact, services have already drawn about half of the region’s workers, up from just 22 percent in 1990.
Economists have traditionally thought of services as less productive than manufacturing. Our research suggests otherwise. Asia’s labor productivity in financial services is four times higher than in manufacturing, and twice as high in business services.
Second, digitalization and AI. The demand for digital products and services in the region has accelerated quickly and is on track to continue growing faster than the region’s GDP. Japan’s Rakuten, China’s Alibaba Group, and Indonesia’s GoTo Group now rival e-commerce giants Amazon and Walmart.
In AI development, Japan and China are racing ahead, followed closely by South Korea and Singapore. This could be an important boost for productivity. In Singapore, for example, an estimated 40 percent of jobs could be made more productive by AI. The country has several digital economy agreements now in place, enabling digital companies in the region to connect and share data more easily.
That brings me to my third point: greaterregional cooperation andtrade. On the surface, it might look as if the world is retreating from integration. But regionally, countries are leaning in.
Over the past four decades, intra-regional trade in Asia has increased by 43 percent. Today, more than half of Asian trade is regional.
The trend is the same for foreign direct investment. FDI from Asian countries to Japan, for example has nearly doubled over the past decade, as market opportunities in Japan’s technology sector grow.
Together, the shift toward services, digitalization and AI, and greater regional integration can lift growth. But to harness these opportunities, the region will need to carefully navigate domestic developments and global changes.
The IMF’s role
That is where the IMF comes in. We strive to be trusted partners to our member countries, provide country-specific advice and safeguard the stability of the global economy. Our work spans economic analysis, policy advice, financing and capacity development.
And as the world economy has changed, we too have evolved. From managing fixed exchange rates in the 1970s, to active surveillance of countries’ economic and financial policies and more systematic coverage of spillovers.
More recently, our thinking on capital flow management and foreign exchange interventions has changed, and we’ve upgraded our lending toolkit to include more flexible instruments tailored to emerging market economies.
Thanks in large part to Japan’s support, we are also offering more support to low-income countries, especially in capacity development, and a stronger presence around the world through our regional technical assistance centers.
We are grateful to Japan for the deep engagement in thinking about the future of the Fund. Today’s discussions are an important part of that.
My colleagues and I are keenly interested in ideas and reflections on:
how we can best support our members, especially the most vulnerable among them, to grow and build economic resilience;
how to tailor more of our advice to support countries’ efforts to deepen regional collaboration, by thinking through our strategic engagement with groups like the ASEAN, the Pacific Island countries, as well as medium sized and larger economies; and
how to strengthen the global financial safety net. We’re assessing how IMF facilities can be further improved to support resilience in our member countries. And we are working closely with regional arrangements to enhance crisis prevention and response capabilities.
We know from experience that reforms are hard, but we also know they can steer countries towards stronger and durable growth and can achieve a more stable and prosperous global economy.
You can count on the IMF in this journey.
Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke and the rest of our team are excited to be part of today’s productive discussion. I look forward to the outcome.
Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights.
“Regardless of the reason for his exit, Prebble was never fit to sit on the Waitangi Tribunal. His record speaks for itself- decades of bigotry and opposition to Māori self-determination,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi.
“Prebble thinks that Hobson’s pledge has more mana than the Māori text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, he apparently did not read any tribunal reports until after he was appointed, and he was surprised to find out that Māori did not cede sovereignty.
“His resignation was inevitable- he was always going to leave because he lacked the values and commitment necessary to serve effectively in this position.”
“This was clearly a political stunt, driven by the ACT Party, so they can tell all their followers that the Waitangi Tribunal has gone ‘woke’,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“The Waitangi Tribunal was created to investigate breaches of Te Tiriti and uphold Māori justice. Yet this government installed someone who was a key architect of Rogernomics—the policies that sold off our whenua, slashed Māori jobs, and entrenched poverty in our communities. His appointment was an insult, and his departure is overdue.
“His resignation presents an opportunity. The Crown must do the right thing and appoint more Māori to the Tribunal. This is not a space for stale old politicians who have worked against Māori—it is for those steeped in tikanga, whakapapa, and a lifelong commitment to Te Tiriti justice,” said Ngarewa-Packer.
February was warm and dry for most regions, according to the February 2025 Climate Summary issued by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
Temperatures were above average or well above average for most regions of the country, while rainfall was below normal or well below normal in almost all regions of the country.
At the end of February, soil moisture levels were lower than normal for most of the North Island, parts of the West Coast, inland northern Canterbury, coastal parts of the South Island from Dunedin to Invercargill, and Stewart Island.
February 2025 was characterised by above normal mean sea level pressure (MSLP) over and to the south of Aotearoa New Zealand. This led to extended periods of settled weather throughout the country.
NIWA’s February 2025 Climate Summary shows that sunshine was abundant for wide swathes of the country. Queenstown and Hokitika observed their sunniest February on record, with 275 hours and 278 hours of sunshine, respectively. A further 12 locations observed near-record high sunshine hour totals from as far north as Kaitaia to as far south as Dunedin.
Further highlights include the highest temperature of 33.0°C, observed at Kawerau on 4 February and Clyde on 15 February, while the lowest temperature was 2.1°C, observed at Manapouri on 3 February.
Of the six main centres in February 2025, Auckland was the warmest, driest and sunniest, Dunedin was the coolest, Tauranga was the wettest, and Christchurch was the least sunny.
The sunniest four locations so far in 2025 are Taranaki (621 hours), West Coast (606 hours), Mackenzie Basin (584 hours), and Central Otago (582 hours).
The New Zealand summer was milder overall, and dry for many parts of the country, according to the Summer 2024-25 Seasonal Climate Summary issued by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
Summer temperatures were above average or well above average for northern, western and southern parts of the South Island, and many central, western, and northern parts of the North Island. Rainfall was below normal or well below normal for northern, central, and western parts of the North Island, as well as for western, inland, and southern parts of the South Island.
Rainfall was above normal or well above normal for some eastern parts of Canterbury, northern Hawke’s Bay, and Gisborne.
At the end of summer, soil moisture levels were lower than normal for most of the North Island, parts of the West Coast, inland northern Canterbury, coastal parts of the South Island from Dunedin to Invercargill, and Stewart Island, according to the NIWA summary.
The highest temperature was 34.8°C, observed at Kawerau on 29 December, while the lowest temperature was -0.4°C, observed at North Canterbury’s Waipara River North Branch on 25 January. The highest 1-day rainfall was 154 mm, recorded near Greymouth, on 15 December, with the highest wind gust 196 km/h, observed at Manawatu-Wanganui Tararua district’s Cape Turnagain on 5 December.
The sunniest four locations so far in 2025 are Taranaki (621 hours), West Coast (606 hours), Mackenzie Basin (584 hours), and Central Otago (582 hours).Of the six main centres in summer 2024-25, Auckland was the warmest, Hamilton was the driest, Tauranga was the sunniest and wettest, Dunedin was the coolest, and Christchurch was the least sunny.
More detailed information is available at the full Summer 2024-25 Seasonal Climate Summary available at NIWA’s website:Seasonal | NIWA
The Summer summary is attached as a Word and pdf file, with images available within it for download and use.
The Summer summary is attached as a pdf file, with images available within it for download and use.
Increased production and higher export prices mean that New Zealand dairy farmers will play a big role in New Zealand’s economic recovery Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said in a speech at an Environmental Diary Leaders conference in Wellington today.
“Dairy exports are forecast to grow by around $4.5 billion this year meaning more money in the pockets of Kiwi farmers and more jobs in rural New Zealand,” Mr McClay says.
“The strong performance of our dairy farmers is welcome news for the economy as the government continues to lower inflation through careful spending meaning reducing interest rates and by delivering fewer and less costly regulations.
Milk production for the last season was up 4 per cent on the previous year, marking the highest level in a decade. December alone saw the strongest output in four years, meaning consumers around the world can enjoy more of the world’s highest quality and safest environmentally friendly grass fed dairy.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of our economy with food and fibre exports bringing in over $10,600 for every Kiwi, with dairy exports alone contributed $4,700 per person. The dairy industry also employs over 54,000 people,” Mr McClay says.
“The Government is committed to meeting our environmental and climate change obligations, but we will do this without closing down farms or sending jobs and production overseas.
“The primary sector is fundamental to achieving our ambitious goal of doubling exports by value in ten years and the coalition government is backing farmers to be world best.
“With strong production already in the vat, feed crops coming in, and consumers eager for our products, the sector is well positioned to turbo charge the economy and deliver for every New Zealander,” Mr McClay says.
If you head to the shops to buy bread, you’ll face a variety of different options.
But it can be hard to work out the difference between all the types on sale.
For instance, you might have a vague idea that wholemeal or wholegrain bread is healthy. But what’s the difference?
Here’s what we know and what this means for shoppers in Australia and New Zealand.
Let’s start with wholemeal bread
According to Australian and New Zealand food standards, wholemeal bread is made from flour containing all parts of the original grain (endosperm, germ and bran) in their original proportions.
Because it contains all parts of the grain, wholemeal bread is typically darker in colour and slightly more brown than white bread, which is made using only the endosperm.
Australian and New Zealand food standards define wholegrain bread as something that contains either the intact grain (for instance, visible grains) or is made from processed grains (flour) where all the parts of the grain are present in their original proportions.
That last part may sound familiar. That’s because wholegrain is an umbrella term that encompasses both bread made with intact grains and bread made with wholemeal flour. In other words, wholemeal bread is a type of wholegrain bread, just like an apple is a type of fruit.
Don’t be confused by labels such as “with added grains”, “grainy” or “multigrain”. Australian and New Zealand food standards don’t define these so manufacturers can legally add a small amount of intact grains to white bread to make the product appear healthier. This doesn’t necessarily make these products wholegrain breads.
So unless a product is specifically called wholegrain bread, wholemeal bread or indicates it “contains whole grain”, it is likely to be made from more refined ingredients.
Which one’s healthier?
So when thinking about which bread to choose, both wholemeal and wholegrain breads are rich in beneficial compounds including nutrients and fibre, more so than breads made from further-refined flour, such as white bread.
The presence of these compounds is what makes eating wholegrains (including wholemeal bread) beneficial for our overall health. Research has also shown eating wholegrains helps reduce the risk of common chronic diseases, such as heart disease.
The table below gives us a closer look at the nutritional composition of these breads, and shows some slight differences.
Wholegrain bread is slightly higher in fibre, protein, niacin (vitamin B3), iron, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium than wholemeal bread. But wholegrain bread is lower in carbohydrates, thiamin (vitamin B1) and folate (vitamin B9).
However the differences are relatively small when considering how these contribute to your overall dietary intake.
Which one should I buy?
Next time you’re shopping, look for a wholegrain bread (one made from wholemeal flour that has intact grains and seeds throughout) as your number one choice for fibre and protein, and to support overall health.
If you can’t find wholegrain bread, wholemeal bread comes in a very close second.
Wholegrain and wholemeal bread tend to cost the same, but both tend to be more expensive than white bread.
Margaret Murray 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.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
March 04, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Following news that the General Service Administration (GSA) plans to sell over 400 federal buildings, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:
“This plan raises serious concerns. Which Trump-friendly billionaires could profit from the sale of these federal assets while working people spend more time and money to access critical services no longer in their communities? As Donald Trump and Elon Musk dismantle our government, piece by piece, and sell it for parts, it’s the seniors relying on Social Security, the veterans looking for health care, and entrepreneurs applying for small business loans that are paying the price.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
March 04, 2025
Senator Warren joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Congressional Delegation ahead of President Trump’s joint address to Congress
Warren: “The whole Republican plan fits on a bumper sticker: Billionaires win; families lose.”
Washington, D.C. – At a press conference today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in delivering remarks on Trump’s agenda to benefit billionaires while hurting working people ahead of Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.
Senator Warren called the first six weeks of the new administration a “sandstorm of chaos” meant to distract from President Trump’s goal of jamming through trillions in tax cuts to billionaires at the expense of health care, Social Security, and programs that benefit working people.
Senator Warren was joined by her guest Doug Kowalewski, a former National Science Foundation employee from Wellesley who, after six years of service, was fired unexpectedly in Elon Musk’s and the Department of Government Efficiency’s gutting of the federal workforce. Doug shared his story at Senator Warren’s recent town hall in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Transcript: Press Conference with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Congressional DelegationU.S. SenateMarch 4, 2025
Senator Elizabeth Warren: We are all here today as the federal representatives of the seven million people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And we stand proudly with the Mayor of Boston, who has been “invited” – I think that’s still a word – she has been invited by the Republicans to come and defend Boston and to defend the values that we fight for every day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. So we want to be here, in part, to talk about what this fight is about.
Over the last six weeks, Donald Trump has created a sandstorm of chaos to try to distract us from his real agenda: Tax cuts for billionaires, paid for by cuts to health care and Social Security. These are programs that mommas and daddies and babies and seniors rely on every single day.
Trump and his unelected co-president Elon Musk are dismantling our government, piece by piece, so that it works better for those same billionaires and worse for everyone else. The whole Republican plan fits on a bumper sticker: Billionaires win; families lose.
Trump promised, you may remember, to lower costs “on day one.” Instead, he and co-President Musk have tried to fire the financial cops that keep Americans from getting cheated. They have slashed funding that supports research for cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s. And they have fired thousands of hardworking public servants, including the people who keep us safe when we fly on airplanes, the people who make sure that nuclear materials are safely stored, and people who inspect our food.
One of those hardworking public servants is Doug. Up until two weeks ago, Doug worked at the National Science Foundation — until out of nowhere, he was fired along with over one hundred of his colleagues. And I’ve invited Doug here to share his story. Doug, come on over.
Doug Kowalewski, Senator Warren’s Guest for Trump’s Joint Address to Congress: So, after six years of service at the National Science Foundation, I was fired two weeks ago from today. And me, along with 167 of my colleagues were called into a Zoom meeting to get a mass termination firing with no cause. And this doesn’t just impact me — this impacts all of Massachusetts. A limited workforce at NSF or NST or NIH jeopardizes the billions of federal investments that directly fund our top-notch research and researchers in Massachusetts and powers our local economy.
So, I’m scared for our country. Millions of Americans who have dedicated their lives and dedicated their careers to this country are suffering because of unelected billionaires. I’m here with Senator Warren to fight back against these illegal terminations and to stand up for hardworking civil servants. Thank you.
Senator Warren: Thank you very much, Doug. And I appreciate Doug being here. I just want to say, this is what happens when you go to town halls. I had a town hall in Framingham a week ago and Doug stood up and told his story, as have lots of other people in Massachusetts.
I would say the biggest question at that town hall is: What can we do? And Doug is living proof of what we can do. We can tell our stories because they matter. We build a grassroots movement across this story by not using big words and abstract terms, but by telling the story person by person by person about what kind of work you do and what it means when you just get called in and told, “You’re fired,” because it fits in someone else’s political agendas, so thank you for being here, Doug. I appreciate it.
Alright, I just want to say: Doug is standing up, he’s pushing back and that’s what we’ve all got to do.
Headline: Work ramping up to rebuild Hume Highway at Marulan
Published: 5 March 2025
Released by: Minister for Regional Transport and Roads
The Minns Labor Government is ramping up work to build a better Hume Highway at Marulan as part of a $35 million investment into rebuilding a key section of highway corridor.
To improve safety and provide a smoother journey for motorists, crews will carry out the next stage of repair work on a 1.1 kilometre stretch of the northbound carriageway from the Marulan South Road intersection.
The work, starting from March 17, will include the use of a high-strength asphalt road pavement to replace 500 damaged concrete slabs on a 600-metre section the highway.
This change from the concrete base to asphalt pavement is expected to mean less disruptions to motorists while repairs are carried out.
Once the work has been completed around mid-April, weather permitting, Transport for NSW will evaluate the impact of the change and determine if the new approach should be rolled out on other sections of the highway.
More details of staged future upgrade work will be announced progressively by Transport for NSW.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:
“The Hume Highway is the second largest freight route in Australia, linking Sydney and Melbourne and used by more than 37,000 vehicles daily.
“The Marulan bypass was built in 1986 as part of the Hume Highway upgrade program and since that time the large growth in traffic volumes have put extra pressure on the existing road surface.
“We understand motorists are frustrated by the quality of this section of road and that’s why we have invested $35 million in rebuilding and improvement work.
“We thank the community for its ongoing patience while this essential repair work is carried out.”
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