New Zealand PM Luxon meets China's Xi Jinping
(Reuters) -New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Friday he and China's President Xi Jinping discussed the role of business, education and science to help boost relations between the two countries.
"I raised the importance to New Zealand of the international rules-based system, as well as the key role that China can play in helping to resolve global challenges," Luxon said in a statement after meeting Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Aurora Cannabis says ‘second instance of misinformation' posted on Investing.com
Aurora Cannabis (ACB) announced that it has become aware of 'a second instance of misinformation' posted on news website On June 18, Aurora advised the market that an article posted on incorrectly stated that Aurora had agreed to acquire New Zealand-based MedLeaf Therapeutics. Later in the day on June 18, a second article was posted on that incorrectly states that Aurora has entered into a strategic partnership with MediPharm GmbH for distribution of medical cannabis in Germany and other EU markets. 'The company categorically denies both articles. Aurora has not entered into any such agreements, has had no discussions with MedLeaf Therapeutics or MediPharm GmbH with respect to any business combination transaction or strategic partnership, and has not made any statements or filed any information pertaining to any such transactions. The erroneous articles posted on state that they were generated 'with the support of AI' and reviewed by an editor. The company is launching an investigation into the genesis of these articles. In the meantime, Aurora confirms that it is not in possession of material non-public information and advises investors that should not be considered a credible source of information regarding the company. Any information regarding material corporate transactions will be announced directly by the company to the market as soon as it is appropriate to do so,' Aurora stated. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See the top stocks recommended by analysts >> Read More on ACB: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Aurora Cannabis Reports Record Revenue and Growth Aurora Cannabis Denies Acquisition Rumors of MedLeaf Therapeutics Aurora Cannabis denies acquisition of MedLeaf Therapeutics Morning Movers: Circle rises following regulatory framework for stablecoins Aurora Cannabis Achieves Record Revenue and EBITDA in Fiscal 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Operational Blind Spots That Are Costing Businesses Millions
Nathan Rice, President of Energy Strategy, Energy CX . getty Most leaders I talk to aren't asleep at the wheel. They're looking at dashboards, managing vendors and doing their due diligence. But over and over again, I've seen that the biggest cost drains aren't the things they're tracking—they're the ones they're not. These are the blind spots—quiet areas of the business that bleed money without setting off alarms. They don't show up in performance reviews or investor calls, but they compound over time, and the cost is massive. Here's where I see companies lose the most without realizing it: SaaS waste is one of the sneakiest problems I see. Teams sign up for tools as they go—marketing gets one platform, sales adds a plugin, ops gets a project tracker. It's all well-intentioned, but it adds up fast. Most companies have no idea how much they're spending on software they're barely using. I've seen entire stacks where people were paying for overlapping tools or using 30% of the features they're licensed for. And because each department handles its own budget, most aren't looking at the full picture. You zoom out, and suddenly, there's six figures worth of waste—just sitting there. Studies show that up to 50% of SaaS licenses go unused, leading to major waste in company software spend. Energy Purchasing This one hits close to home for me because I see it all the time. For a lot of businesses, energy is treated like a fixed expense. You pay the bill and move on. Maybe someone renegotiates every few years, but there's rarely a strategy behind it. The problem? Energy pricing moves constantly. It's a volatile market. Timing matters—a lot. I've seen companies lock in rates at the peak of the market just because 'the contract was up.' No one asked if it was a good time to buy. They just signed. Over time, those decisions can cost millions. The companies that approach energy like an investment—looking at market cycles, using data to guide timing—come out way ahead. But most aren't doing that. Businesses that implement strategic energy procurement methods, such as flexible contracts and market timing, can achieve significant cost savings. However, most commercial energy buyers default to fixed-price contracts. Freight And Logistics In logistics, relationships run deep. A lot of companies stick with the same carriers or brokers for years because it feels stable. But market conditions don't stay still—fuel prices swing, demand shifts, weather happens. And if no one's actively pressure-testing your shipping strategy, you're probably overpaying. I've watched companies realize they're paying 15% to 20% above market after doing a basic benchmark. Not because anything was broken, just because no one had looked in a while. Routes get outdated, contracts don't get renegotiated and no one wants to fix something that isn't visibly broken. Vendor Relationships This one's easy to overlook. A lot of companies renew vendor contracts without really thinking about it: 'They've always done a decent job,' or 'We don't have time to go out to bid.' I get it. But over time, that adds up to missed opportunities. I've seen companies using the same supplier for years without realizing there's a better one out there—with lower prices, better terms or more innovation. Procurement becomes reactive: Just get what we need quickly. But when that becomes the norm, you lose leverage. Strategic sourcing isn't about cutting costs at all costs—it's about realigning spend with what the business actually needs now. High-performing mid-market companies regularly revisit their vendor contracts to identify cost-saving opportunities and enhance supplier performance. The Real Issue: Inertia These blind spots stick around because they're quiet. They don't trigger red flags. No one gets fired over slightly high shipping rates or a dusty software license. And because they don't scream, they get ignored. But in this market, that kind of complacency is expensive. Margins are tight. Expectations are rising. And the companies that stay flat-footed get outpaced—quickly. So What Can You Do About It? Start by asking the uncomfortable questions: • What parts of our spend haven't been reviewed in over a year? • Where are we defaulting to 'the way it's always been'? • Which tools are sitting unused or solving problems someone else has already solved? • Do we have the right internal firepower to evaluate fast-moving markets like freight, energy or tech? Then, build a rhythm. Make auditing part of the culture, not a once-a-year cleanup. Create space for operational curiosity. Let people poke at the status quo. Give teams permission to question old contracts or legacy tools. This isn't glamorous work. It won't end up in a press release. But it's where big wins often come from. Because the companies that win over time? They don't just have great products. They run sharper, leaner and smarter behind the scenes. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
China's Rare Earth Magnet Exports Slump in May, Especially to US
(Bloomberg) -- Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks global trade. Sign up here. Security Concerns Hit Some of the World's 'Most Livable Cities' One Architect's Quest to Save Mumbai's Heritage From Disappearing JFK AirTrain Cuts Fares 50% This Summer to Lure Riders Off Roads NYC Congestion Toll Cuts Manhattan Gridlock by 25%, RPA Reports Taser-Maker Axon Triggers a NIMBY Backlash in its Hometown Chinese exports of rare earth magnets slumped further in May, with shipments to the US showing an especially steep drop due to the trade war with Washington. Rare earth minerals, and the products that use the elements, have been at the center of the dispute since early April, when China imposed export controls in retaliation for punitive tariffs levied on Chinese goods. The two countries have since sought to reset relations, culminating in a meeting in London in early June, which prompted US President Donald Trump to declare that issues around rare earths had been resolved. China accounts for about 90% of the world's rare earth products, most of which are magnets, and whether it allows supplies to flow more freely after the agreement reached in London will be a key focus for governments and markets in the weeks and months to come. Chinese customs data on Friday showed the extent of the impact on supplies of rare earth magnets in particular, an item vital for high-tech industries from carmakers to defense contractors. The controls have affected sales to all countries, with China's total exports roughly halving in April, and then halving again in May, to 1,238 tons. That comes to about $60 million, the lowest-value month in data going back to 2015, barring February 2020 and the onset of the pandemic. The US portion by volume in May was just 46 tons, less than one-tenth of the magnets it imported in March. Other countries including Vietnam, host to a number of Chinese companies, and Germany saw their supplies hold up much better. Those two countries were the top destinations last month, accounting for 19% and 17% of sales, respectively. --With assistance from James Mayger. Ken Griffin on Trump, Harvard and Why Novice Investors Won't Beat the Pros Is Mark Cuban the Loudmouth Billionaire that Democrats Need for 2028? The US Has More Copper Than China But No Way to Refine All of It Can 'MAMUWT' Be to Musk What 'TACO' Is to Trump? Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
