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Congratulations Manu Samoa We are all very proud of you.

Your hard work and perseverance have paid off.

But there is no time to celebrate just yet, as we must overcome Belgium on November 18th to advance to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Along with all Samoans world-wide, never doubt that your Samoa family from all four corners of the globe stand side by side with you until the final whistle.

Again, Samoa is proud of you and keeping a vigil in prayers for your success.

O tou mama lena

God Bless

PRIME MINISTER OF SAMOA

La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt

November 18, 2025

Source:

REMARKS by the Hon. Acting Prime Minister, Toelupe Maoiautele Poumulinuku Onesemo

Lau Afioga, Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II ma lau Masiofo,

Lau Susuga Reverend Raymond Betham,

Members of the Council of Deputies ma outou Faletua

Ministers of Cabinet,

The Chief Justice and Members of the Judiciary,

Honourable Speaker,

Leader of the Opposition,

Members of Parliament,

British High Commissioner,

Your Excellency, Mr. Gareth Hoar and your good lady,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honor for me to join you all at this evening’s reception to celebrate the 77th birthday of His Majesty King Charles III.

On behalf of the Government and the People of Samoa, I extend through you, High Commissioner, Your Excellency, Gareth Hoar, our sincere congratulations and best wishes to His Majesty for continued good health, happiness and prosperity.

His Majesty’s official birthday was celebrated in June with the Trooping the colours ceremonial event, a remarkable tradition to mark the official celebration of the birthday of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom for over 260 years. This evening’s celebration is of great significance, it is a day when the people of the United Kingdom unite in expressing their loyalty, admiration and gratitude to a Sovereign whose leadership, wisdom and compassion have guided the nation with strength and dignity. The official birthday of His Majesty is not merely a celebration of a personal milestone, but a national occasion that reflects the United Kingdom’s rich history and legacy, achievements and aspirations for the future.

Some of our generations can recall having a large part of their educational life under the tutelage of teaching professionals from the United Kingdom, who besides leaving a legacy of a sound educational foundation for the children of Samoa but also introduced extra-curricular activities as Brownies, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts at the Anglican compound as well as the introduction of soccer and the nine -a -side netball at secondary level. Many people sang the “God Save the Queen’ anthem until 1962. This occasion provides an opportunity for us to reflect on how far we have come in our relations and partnerships with the United Kingdom towards the achievement of our common goals, of peace and prosperity for our respective countries and people.

Samoa and the United Kingdom have enjoyed cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in the last 55 years. Our relations are built on mutual respect, through our common history, our shared values and support for global goals of peace, security and prosperity.

We recall fondly Their Majesties State visit to Samoa in October 2024, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which Samoa proudly hosted. It was His Majesty’s first visit to the Pacific region since his coronation as King in May 2023 and his first CHOGM as Head of the Commonwealth. The visit has further strengthened our collaboration in cultural exchanges, environmental protection and education. The highlight was the bestowal of the honorary titles of “Tui Taumeasina” from the village of Moata’a and “To’aiga oTumua” from Siumu, reflecting the high respect the people of Samoa hold for the UK monarchy.

Today we continue collaboration in the education sector, through the Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship programmes. The recipients of these programmes have pursued higher education in the United Kingdom returning with valuable skills and experiences contributing to and scaling up the cadre of skilled professionals essential for building our labour force.

The United Kingdom has also extended its support to enhance our governance and anti-corruption efforts through multilaterally-led project initiatives and programs, providing specialized training aimed at strengthening institutional capacity.

Our cooperation also includes trade and economic development through the UK-Pacific Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) that ensures trade continuity and support opportunities for Samoa exports.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 stood as a significant testament to the enduring partnership between Samoa and the United Kingdom. The gathering highlighted our shared commitment to advancing common agendas and addressing multilateral challenges. During this historic meeting, Commonwealth nations adopted the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for One Resilient Common Future, a landmark agreement reaffirming our joint dedication to sustainable and resilient ocean stewardship. We acknowledge the United Kingdom’s assistance during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, with the deployment of the Royal Navy HMS Tamar to provide support in partnership with Australia, New Zealand, and our Police force to ensure security and safety of our CHOGM guests in particular, Their Majesties.

As we commemorate the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III this evening, let us also celebrate the friendship between Samoa and the United Kingdom.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please raise your glasses and join me in proposing a toast,

“To the good health and long life of His Majesty King Charles III, and to the warm friendship between Samoa and the United Kingdom. Ia Manuia!”

November 18, 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board Flagship Session – Hong Kong: A Global Maritime Capital today (November 18):

Dr Moses Cheng (Chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board), distinguished industry leaders, partners, friends,       
     Ladies and gentlemen, the course is charted, the consensus is clear, and the capital is ready. In Hong Kong, if not other places. In Hong Kong, you can find more than just a port or a financial centre; you can find your strategic gateway for your green maritime finance capital, with our financial firepower to fund your ambitions, physical bunkering and trading hubs to power your vessels, and the regulatory certainty and global partnerships and a marketplace to de-risk your investments. The tides of change are not a threat to be weathered, but a powerful current we can harness together. We have the strategy, the ecosystem, and the unwavering commitment to succeed. So let me conclude with a clear invitation: Do not just navigate this transition – lead it from Hong Kong. Anchor your sustainable future here, and let us work in partnership to steer the global maritime industry towards a more prosperous and resilient zero-carbon future. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The tender for a non-industrial site in Tsuen Wan has been awarded on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $2.475 billion, the Lands Department announced today.

Town Lot No. 441, at the junction of Wing Shun Street and Texaco Road, was awarded to Fast Mighty, a subsidiary of Chinachem Group Holdings.

It has a site area of about 6,515 sq m and is designated for non-industrial purposes excluding use as a godown, hotel and petrol filling station.

The site’s minimum and maximum gross floor areas are 24,757 sq m and 40,393 sq m.

Both exclude the gross floor area for government accommodation, namely a centre for home care services for frail seniors, a residential special childcare centre and a lay-by, to be constructed by the purchaser under the conditions of sale.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The presentation ceremony of Hong Kong’s NextGen Logistician Awards 2025 was held today (November 18) during the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference 2025, recognising young talent in the logistics industry who have made significant achievements and shown remarkable potential in innovative, high-end, smart and green logistics.
 
     The Awards is an annual event for the logistics industry advocated by the Transport and Logistics Bureau in the Action Plan on Modern Logistics Development, and is co-organised by various sectors of Hong Kong’s logistics trade with the support of the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council (LOGSCOUNCIL). It aims to commend outstanding young logisticians and, through the success stories of the award winners, introduce new development directions of modern logistics to the public with a view to attracting more young people to join the industry to propel its continual growth. Following the success of its inauguration in 2024, the Awards returned in its second edition this year.
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, said that he was glad to see the awardees this year representing a wide range of sectors, including e-commerce fulfilment, engineering, technological innovation, container terminal operation and cargo handling. That reflects the multidisciplinary and cross-sector nature of Hong Kong’s logistics-hub status. He emphasised that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue nurturing logistics talent through various talent development initiatives, including sponsoring promotion activities, providing job-shadowing and internship placements, and organising school talks and visits to logistics companies for primary and secondary school students, with a view to arousing the younger generation’s interest in modern logistics and encouraging them to consider joining the sector in future.
 
     Mr Liu also said that the active participation of industry stakeholders and legislative councilors is indispensable to the development of Hong Kong’s logistics industry. Therefore, he encouraged all voters to cast votes on the polling day of the Legislative Council General Election on December 7 to elect representatives who are capable of and dedicated to contributing to a better future for Hong Kong.
 
     This year’s Awards featured two categories. A judging panel comprising representatives from the Government, LOGSCOUNCIL and logistics leaders selected the following five winners (in no particular order) through a two-stage adjudication process according to five major criteria, namely professional accomplishments, individual contributions and commitment to the logistics industry, continuous learning and self-development, leadership and pioneering endeavours/being an industry first-mover:
 
Young Professional Award:

• Mr Cheung Horace Esmond (Aerovision Technology Limited)
• Mr Sin Ka-yin, Sky (Hongkong International Terminals)
• Mr Leung Pak-hong, Jeffrey (Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited)

Young Executive Award:

• Mr Chan Chi-yuen, Adrian (Hong Kong YunExpress Logistics Limited)
• Ms Lai Tsz-man, Karen (Ove Arup & Partners HK Limited)

     Ahead of the ceremony, a student sharing session was held to connect the awardees with student participants, offering insights into awardees’ career journeys and experiences in overcoming challenges, thereby inspiring the next generation to explore opportunities in logistics.
 
     For more information about the Hong Kong’s NextGen Logistician Awards 2025, please visit www.nextgenawards.org.hk/en/

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the 20th meeting of the Youth Development Commission (YDC) today (November 18).

At the meeting, members were briefed by government representatives on the new initiatives relating to youth development in “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address”. Members were pleased to note that the Policy Address has introduced a series of measures to promote youth exchange and development, providing continuous all-round support for young people to unleash their potential. Among other initiatives, the Government will launch the Young Talent Training Programme, which includes (i) providing more opportunities for young people to intern at international organisations and attend international conferences; (ii) introducing a new media thematic internship programme on the Mainland; (iii) strengthening the Youth Financial Education Programme; and (iv) launching new mediation workshops to enhance young people’s understanding of the mediation industry.

Furthermore, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) reported on the latest progress of promoting youth innovation and entrepreneurship at the meeting. The Alliance of Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurial Bases in the Greater Bay Area, established by the HYAB together with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, and the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province, has pooled resources from 70 member organisations to provide a one-stop information, publicity and exchange platform to support Hong Kong young people who start businesses in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Funded projects under the new round of the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the HYAB Funding Scheme for Experiential Programmes at Innovation and Entrepreneurial Bases have also commenced progressively since this year. The funding schemes respectively provide capital funding and entrepreneurial support and incubation services for youth start-ups and facilitate young people in exploring the on-site entrepreneurial environment in the GBA and other Mainland provinces and municipalities.

Mr Chan said, “The latest Policy Address continues to inject fresh impetus into youth development work. The Government will continue to work hand in hand with the YDC in future, rallying the strength of all sectors of society to implement the various youth development measures in the Policy Address and the Youth Development Blueprint, helping young people achieve their aspirations and realise their full potential.”

​At the meeting, Mr Chan also appealed to members to cast their votes on the polling day of the Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election on December 7 and to help promote the election among their family members, relatives, friends and affiliated associations, so as to elect a new term of responsible, visionary and capable LegCo Members.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (November 18) released the third batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in November, covering 13 survey areas, as follows:

District	Survey Area	November 2025
		First Phase Gravidtrap Index	First Phase Density Index
Central and Western	Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun	0.0%	N/A
Southern	Pokfulam	0.0%	N/A
Sham Shui Po	Sham Shui Po East	0.0%	N/A
Kowloon City	Ho Man Tin	1.9%	1.0
Wong Tai Sin	Ngau Chi Wan	0.0%	N/A
Tai Po	Tai Po West	0.0%	N/A
Yuen Long	Yuen Long Town	5.3%	1.0

District	Survey Area	November 2025
		Area Gravidtrap Index	Area Density Index
Islands	Tung Chung	0.0%	N/A
Sham Shui Po	Cheung Sha Wan	0.0%	N/A
	Lai Chi Kok	0.0%	N/A
Sai Kung	Tseung Kwan O West	0.0%	N/A
Tsuen Wan	Sheung Kwai Chung	0.9%	1.0
Kwai Tsing	Lai King	0.0%	N/A

Among the third batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering seven survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas in November, all were below 10 per cent.

The FEHD has so far released three batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in November 2025, covering 31 survey areas. Among these 31 survey areas, 22 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. October 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Nine other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

• tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises;
• remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
• check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
• change the water in flower vases and saucers of potted plants at least once every seven days;
• properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water; and
• properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as empty lunch boxes and cans.

Starting in August this year, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD is disseminating the relevant information through press releases, its website, and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.

​Following the recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 64 survey areas of the community. During the two weeks of surveillance, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) today (November 18) released the Preliminary Report and Public Notice PLR-2025-04 on an accident involving a Boeing 747-481 BDSF freighter aircraft (registration mark TC-ACF) operated by ACT Airlines (on behalf of Emirates SkyCargo), which veered off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport on October 20, 2025.

A spokesperson for the AAIA said that the Preliminary Report has been published to provide factual information established in the investigation’s early-evidence collection phase to both the aviation industry and general public in a timely manner, and should be regarded as tentative. The full report is available for download from the AAIA webpage (www.tlb.gov.hk/aaia/eng/investigation_reports/index.html).

“The investigation team is conducting a detailed analysis of the data and information collected in order to determine the circumstances and causes of this accident, with a view to preventing a recurrence in conjunction with identifying areas for further investigation or lines of inquiry to follow up,” the spokesperson said.

The AAIA, an independent investigation authority formed under the Transport and Logistics Bureau, is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and incidents in accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations (Cap. 448B) and with reference to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s standards.