Latest news with #PacificRegion
Wall Street Journal
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
How China's Military Is Flexing Its Power in the Pacific
HONG KONG—China's military is extending its reach deeper into the Pacific, sending ships and aircraft into new territory in a push that has spurred the U.S. to strengthen defenses and alliances in the region. Beijing has long resented what it sees as interference by the U.S. and its allies in its traditional sphere of influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Now, it is asserting itself more aggressively in its backyard while also pushing well beyond longstanding geographical limits of its military.
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Auckland War Memorial Museum's Māori and Pacific galleries could remain closed until 2029
Auckland War Memorial Museum. Photo: 123RF The Auckland War Memorial Museum's Māori and Pacific galleries could remain closed until 2029. The museum was planning a major redevelopment for its centenary, which would revitalise much of the original 1929 building. That redevelopment was expected to run from about 2026 to 2029, but the discovery of asbestos in May of 2025 had complicated those plans. "The discovery happened because we started doing some scoping around what state the air conditioning systems were in, and we went up into the ceiling and that's when they discovered the remnants of a previous removal effort in the 1980s," museum director David Reeves said. The majority of the museum was reopened on 3 June and more galleries were set to reopen by the end of the year , but Reeves said the original 1929 foyer and connecting Māori Court and Pacific galleries would take a lot longer to reopen. "The Māori Court is a complex job because we're dealing with a glass ceiling, heritage architecture and spaces which are really inaccessible and difficult to get to," he said. "That could be up to 12 months to remedy that, by which time we're probably looking at when we might have had to close anyway for the centenary redevelopment. These two things have ended up colliding." The centenary redevelopment would be "substantial," Reeves said, and require the Māori Court to remain closed for about three years. Though he noted the museum hadn't finished scoping that project. "Our desire is spruce up and make good some of the heritage architecture from 1929, there's renewal of air conditioning, electrics, lighting and things, and there's the renewal of the narratives, the displays, the interpretation of our world class Pacific and Māori collections," Reeves explained. Reeves hoped the asbestos clean-up would be finished sooner, but said it was possible the current closure could lead right into the next. "It is possible things might be closed until 2029, but we don't have the full information and the decisions on that yet," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Toll of Trump's USAID cuts on Australian aid revealed, with projects to help children among hardest hit
The Trump administration's gutting of foreign aid has seen a $400m hit to Australian projects, with 120 projects affected, at least 20 offices closed and people left without crucial support for health, education, humanitarian and climate change issues, the Australian Council for International Development (Acfid) has found. Acfid has surveyed its members and their partners, who deliver projects on the ground, on the impact of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) cuts, which took effect when the president, Donald Trump, froze funding for 90 days from 20 January. By the time the 90 days expired, despite a waiver for humanitarian assistance, 5,200 of the agency's 6,200 programs had been stopped. Those that were left were absorbed into the state department. Workers in Australian programs described 'chaos' and 'total panic' at the time, and warned programs could shut, causing 'unnecessary deaths and suffering'. Some Australian aid projects had direct USAID funding, while others were jointly funded or subsidised through US funding. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'Australian NGOs and their partners have had to reduce operations and staff with dire consequences to local communities that are now no longer receiving essential healthcare, education, food or other assistance,' Acfid's report, released on Monday, says. 'At least 20 partner organisations and/or country offices of Australian NGOs have closed. Some local organisations have also had to close their doors permanently.' The report points out that it collected information during that 90-day period, that it was a time of 'upheaval' and many organisations did not have a clear picture of the impacts. Less than half provided financial data, so the figures 'should be read as a low estimate of impact on the Australian aid agencies and the local partners they work with around the world', the report states. More than 120 projects were hit, with a financial value of more than $400m. The projects were mostly in the Pacific and south-east Asia. Projects to help children, combat climate change and provide humanitarian support were the hardest hit. In Nepal, 307 girls are no longer able to go to school after an education project closed. Without education, girls are at higher risk of child marriage and being trafficked, Acfid says. In Kiribati, almost 2,000 people lost access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices, leading to reduced access to clean water and increased risk of disease. The Acfid policy and advocacy chief, Jessica Mackenzie, said the development sector was only now fully grasping the scale of the fallout. 'We've heard first-hand accounts from people on the ground ranging from communities in the Pacific losing access to clean water, to girls in Nepal deprived of education and fearful they may be forced into marriage,' she said. 'At least $400m in humanitarian and development projects have been directly impacted by the USAID freeze for Australian NGOs. That's millions of people losing access to food, healthcare and education.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The cuts could not have come at a worse time, she said. 'Communities already on the frontline of climate change are losing access to programs that were helping them adapt, prepare and survive.' Acfid says Australia's own foreign aid spending is the lowest it has ever been, at a time when the world needs it most. Other countries including the UK, the Netherlands and Germany have cut their foreign aid, despite the context of growing global conflict and uncertainty. Acfid is calling for the government to increase spending on foreign aid from 0.65% to 1% of the federal budget. Save the Children Australia has made a similar call. Its proposals include spending on climate action, development, and work on gender, disability and social inclusion. In March, Australia moved to plug the funding gaps in the region by directing about $120m in foreign aid to support economic, health, humanitarian and climate responses in the Indo-Pacific. That money came from funding for other programs, which the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, called 'hard strategic decisions'. DFAT has also committed to 2.5% annual increases in aid funding. Wong announced on Friday that another $10m would go to help distribute urgent medical and food supplies in Gaza, taking the total assistance there to $110m since 7 October 2023. On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it would eliminate all USAID overseas positions by 30 September.
Associated Press
07-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacifico Announces Approval Of Maximum Tariffs And Capital Development Program For 2026-2030 For Montego Bay Airport In Jamaica
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) ('the Company' or 'GAP') announces the conclusion of the ordinary review process for the maximum tariffs per passenger and committed investments included in the Capital Development Program of Montego Bay for the 2026–2030 period. The maximum passenger charges are expressed in U.S. dollars and will apply to each year as specified in the following table: The investments approved by the Authority and committed under the Capital Development Program are expressed in millions of U.S. dollars and must be deployed according to the following schedule: Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexico's Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali, and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAP's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'PAC' and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'GAP'. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the Norman Manley International Airport operation in Kingston, Jamaica, and took control of the operation in October 2019. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on management's current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance, and financial results. The words 'anticipates', 'believes', 'estimates', 'expects', 'plans' and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations, and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends, or results will occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Article 42 of the 'Ley del Mercado de Valores', GAP has implemented a 'whistleblower' program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party responsible for collecting these complaints, is 800 04 ETICA (38422) or WhatsApp +52 55 6538 5504. The website is or by email at [email protected]. GAP's Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation.
Associated Press
07-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Announces Approval of Maximum Tariffs and Capital Development Program for 2026-2030 for Kingston Airport in Jamaica
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) ('the Company' or 'GAP') announces the conclusion of the ordinary review process for the maximum tariffs per passenger and committed investments included in the Capital Development Program for Kingston Airport for the 2026–2030 period. The maximum passenger charges are expressed in U.S. dollars and will apply to each year as specified in the following table: The investments approved by the Authority and committed under the Capital Development Program are expressed in millions of U.S. dollars and must be deployed according to the following schedule: Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexico's Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali, and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAP's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'PAC' and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'GAP'. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the Norman Manley International Airport operation in Kingston, Jamaica, and took control of the operation in October 2019. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Article 42 of the 'Ley del Mercado de Valores', GAP has implemented a 'whistleblower' program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party responsible for collecting these complaints, is 800 04 ETICA (38422) or WhatsApp +52 55 6538 5504. The website is or by email at [email protected]. GAP's Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation.
