Latest news with #Auyeung
RTHK
21-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
'Very exciting' HK$165b growth period set for MTR
'Very exciting' HK$165b growth period set for MTR MTR Corporation chairman Rex Auyeung says the group is going all out on new projects. Photo: RTHK The MTR Corporation said on Wednesday the group has entered a "very exciting" growth period that will see investments amounting to more than HK$165 billion. Group chairman Rex Auyeung said the company is going all out in pushing ahead with several new projects, including extensions of the Tung Chung and Tuen Ma lines and the construction of a new station at Hung Shui Kiu. Speaking ahead of the annual general meeting, he noted that these projects involve investments amounting to more than HK$100 billion, which he said is "not a small figure". That's on top of a HK$65 billion investment commitment to maintaining and upgrading railway assets and technology deployments over a five-year period starting from 2023, he added. "We have grown from having only one line 40 years ago to now having 10 lines, during which we've experienced such growth periods that required considerable investment," Auyeung said. "But if we look back at our record, the MTR handled those periods very well. "It has always had a prudent financial strategy. "We have managed this company in a diversified manner, and we'll continue to analyse the money that will be spent in the coming years, and we'll figure out how to do our job well in terms of funds and finances." Auyeung also defended the move to raise Airport Express fares by an average of 9.4 percent, saying it is the first in eight years and lower than inflation rate. He added that the fare hike, which was proposed by the group last month and is set to take effect next month, is necessary as the company plans to use about HK$2 billion to upgrade the line. He apologised for service disruptions centring around Fo Tan and Tai Wo stations on the East Rail line over the past three months. He said the firm has hired an independent expert to look into the disruptions.
RTHK
21-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
'Very exciting' HK$165b growth period set for MTR
'Very exciting' HK$165b growth period set for MTR MTR Corporation chairman Dr Rex Auyeung says the group is going all out on new projects costing over HK$100 billion. Photo: RTHK MTR Corporation said on Wednesday the group has entered a "very exciting" growth period that will see investments amounting to more than HK$165 billion, as it also defended its fare hike on the Airport Express. Group chairman Dr Rex Auyeung said the MTRC is going all out in pushing ahead with several new projects, including extensions of the Tung Chung and Tuen Ma lines and the construction of a new station at Hung Shui Kiu. Speaking ahead of the annual general meeting, he noted that these projects involve investments amounting to more than HK$100 billion, which he said is "not a small figure". That's on top of a HK$65 billion investment commitment to maintaining and upgrading railway assets and technology deployments over a five-year period starting from 2023, he added. "We have grown from having only one line 40 years ago to now having 10 lines, during which we've experienced such growth periods that required considerable investment," Auyeung said. "But if we look back at our record, the MTR handled those periods very well. "It has always had a prudent financial strategy. "We have managed this company in a diversified manner, and we'll continue to analyse the money that will be spent in the coming years, and we'll figure out how to do our job well in terms of funds and finances." Auyeung defended the move to raise Airport Express fares by an average of 9.4 percent, saying it is the first in eight years and lower than inflation rate. He added that the fare hike, which was proposed by the group last month and is set to take effect next month, is necessary as the company plans to use about HK$2 billion to upgrade the line. He apologised for service disruptions centering around Fo Tan and Tai Wo stations on the East Rail line over the past three months. He said the firm has hired an independent expert to look into the disruptions. 'Obviously any incident is not good enough as far as I'm concerned," he said. "Our job is to continue to improve our service. "I do have confidence that we can continue to provide very good service to our Hong Kong public."
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Health
- Euronews
No link between COVID vaccines and infection during pregnancy and developmental delays in toddlers
Women who got COVID-19 or were vaccinated during pregnancy do not have a higher risk of having children with developmental problems, according to a major new study from Scotland. Previous research in Switzerland and the United States offered some reassurance, but the new study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal on Wednesday, is the largest analysis to date to confirm the safety of the vaccine for pregnant women and their babies. The study included nearly 25,000 babies born in Scotland in 2020 and 2021. Health workers visited the families' homes for routine checks when the babies were 13 to 15 months old, monitoring any concerns with speech, language skills, thinking, emotional development, and physical movement. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh then tracked their mothers' health histories – and found no link between COVID-19 infection or vaccination during pregnancy and child development issues. The findings held up regardless of which trimester the mothers were vaccinated or infected. The researchers said the results should bolster parents' confidence in the safety of the jabs, especially given that early COVID-19 vaccine trials excluded pregnant women. 'Vaccination safety is something that has been called into question quite a lot recently,' Bonnie Auyeung, the study's senior author and a reader in child health at the University of Edinburgh, told Euronews Health. 'Hopefully these early findings will support parents and their decisions around whether or not to take the vaccine, and for those who do take it, it does appear that it is safe for the developing child'. Developmental issues more evident in older children According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which regulates drugs and vaccines in the European Union, COVID-19 vaccines do not raise the risk of pregnancy complications, miscarriage, premature birth, or health issues for babies. Notably, women who get COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to fall seriously ill, especially in the second and third trimesters, the agency says. The study authors noted that developmental concerns aren't always noticed until children are older. They said they plan to follow the same families in the coming years to track whether a link emerges. However, for now, the findings should help bolster guidance from doctors and other medical professionals that the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and their babies. 'Clinical guidance is still quite mixed,' Auyeung said, but 'it does appear that vaccination during pregnancy doesn't actually lead to any developmental problems'.
