Sep82017

Hospital held negligent over pregnant woman’s suicide

East Asia

Official investigators in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province on Thursday evening said a hospital had been negligent in a case that led to the suicide of a pregnant woman.

The investigation panel, composed of officials with the health and public security departments in Yulin city in Shaanxi, decided the case was a suicide and not a homicide, as angry members of the public had accused the woman’s family and hospital of being murderers. The investigation ruled that Yulin No.1 Hospital had been negligent in its care of the inpatient.

The official case description said the woman went to the hospital on Aug. 30 when she was very close to labor. The hospital had suggested she have a caesarean because a “large foetal head circumference meant vaginal delivery would be risky.”

However, the woman’s family insisted on a vaginal delivery and signed papers accordingly.

From 5:50 p.m. on Aug. 31, the woman walked out of the delivery ward twice to tell her family that her pain were unbearable, but she was escorted back to the ward both times..

At 8 p.m., nurses found that the woman had jumped out of the window of the operation room, and they called for emergency rescue. She was announced dead of severe brain injury, multiple fractures and hemorrhagic shock at 9:25 p.m. The child she was carrying was also dead.

Investigators said that the hospital’s medical procedures were immaculate, but staff failed to give due care and where not prepared for an emergency.

The investigation on the direct cause of the woman’s suicide is ongoing.

Authorities have vowed to deal with the case according to law.

Many people on social media questioned why the woman was not allowed to make her own decision on how to give birth.

Sep82017

Remarks at the MOU Signings — 48th Pacific Islands Forum, Samoa

Australia

The Memorandums of Understanding that we’re signing today, signify the very close and productive relationships we share and which we develop, including through the PIF.

They will help prepare us to address our shared and contemporary challenges. These MOUs demonstrate my personal commitment and that of my Government, to step up our engagement with the Pacific.

They support our ambition, which I know my fellow leaders here today share, for regional stability and prosperity.

The expanded security partnership MOU’s emphasise the importance of working together to combat current security challenges, and we’re entering into those today with Nauru and Tuvalu.

The challenges are complex and difficult. They must be addressed in partnership. They’re called security partnerships because we recognise that efforts to address the current security challenges we all face must be a common and shared endeavor.

Likewise to ensure our mutual economic growth and prosperity, we need to integrate our economies more closely.

So the Pacific Labour Scheme MOU’s we’ll sign today will enhance the existing Labour Mobility Programs for citizens from Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Ensuring priority access for our friends in the region who can most benefit from integration with the Australian labour market and economy.

The Pacific Labour Scheme will provide more opportunities for work experience and skills development through regional and rural Australia, and at the same time it will enable us in Australia to effectively address existing labour shortages in our towns and farms. It’ll boost our regional activity and bring our economic benefits to our regional economy – so again this is a partnership.

Finally, the MOUs on the Pacific Pharmaceutical Laboratory Testing Program, this is a pilot, it will link PIF countries into our testing regime for medicines. Offering the services of the Therapeutic Goods Administration to lower the cost of drugs and make them safer and more effective and classes of drugs will be able to be presented by Pacific Island countries to our TGA for testing, so that they know that what they’re buying, what they’re procuring, is what they need and what is being represented.

Our friends in the Pacific face very serious health challenges and rely on imported medicines and these MOUs are a very practical illustration of how we can integrate our systems to address the challenges in the region.

So we’re determined to work very closely with our partners in the Pacific Island Forum to ensure that we continue to step up our engagement in very practical and collaborative ways.

We’ve had some very good discussions since we got together this morning and I want to thank my fellow leaders for being here and joining us in these partnerships.

[ENDS]

Sep82017

48th Pacific Islands Forum, Samoa

Australia

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) brings together leaders of all Pacific nations to drive stronger regional cooperation and advance our collective security and prosperity.

At last year’s PIF in Pohnpei, I committed to ‘step up’ Australia’s engagement in the Pacific. Today, I am delivering on that promise. Australia is introducing a series of practical initiatives that will bolster regional cooperation on common security challenges and integrate Pacific Island economies more closely with our own.

Security collaboration

This year’s PIF follows the successful conclusion in 2017 of the RAMSI operation in Solomon Islands. RAMSI demonstrated what can be achieved when Australia and our Pacific partners work together to manage common security challenges.

I was pleased that Pacific leaders agreed today to commence work on a new regional security declaration to strengthen cooperation between our countries. This will position the region better to address threats such as people smuggling, transnational organised crime, cyber attacks and major disease outbreaks.

The protection of the oceans and their resources is a vital national interest for all PIF countries. That’s why Australia will also fund a new aerial surveillance mission across the waters of PIF members to help detect and disrupt illegal fishing. This surveillance will be operationally controlled by the PIF’s Forum Fisheries Agency in Honiara. Flights are expected to commence before the end of the year and will also be able to assist in addressing issues such as transnational crime and people smuggling. This new program complements our existing support to regional security efforts through Patrol Boats. The first keel of the new Pacific Patrol Boats was recently laid down in Western Australia – the first of these will be delivered to Papua New Guinea in late 2018.

Australia will also expand its national security training and assistance in the Pacific to support the development of tailored responses to national security challenges.  

Today, I signed new umbrella security arrangements with Tuvalu and Nauru which will provide a framework for new engagement on identity, border and health security.

I will also sign agreements with Nauru, Tuvalu and Tonga to bolster health security by providing support through the Therapeutic Goods Administration for medicine quality and safety testing of drugs in these three countries.  This will reduce costs and increase assurances about the safety and efficacy of drugs.

Economic integration

A new Pacific Labour Scheme in 2018 will give Pacific Island citizens opportunities to work in rural and regional Australia for up to three years, and help plug labour shortages in our towns and on our farms. Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu will have first access to the scheme, with an initial intake of up to 2,000 workers.  Australia will also establish a new Pacific Labour Facility to support the scheme – helping connect Australian employers with workers and monitoring its social and economic impacts.

This initiative builds on the very successful and longstanding Seasonal Worker Program, which itself will be streamlined to support Australian employers and Pacific Island workers to access the program more effectively. My Government is also working with the Australian financial sector, the International Monetary Fund and the New Zealand Government to reduce the cost of remittances so that workers can more easily send home a portion of their income to support their communities.

The PACER Plus trade agreement is central to achieving better integration of economies in the Pacific. Negotiations for the agreement were concluded in Brisbane this year. Economic prosperity and security in the Pacific is good for all Australians, so I was pleased that Vanuatu joined the agreement as its 11th signatory yesterday.

Closer governments and communities

My Government will continue to build strong relationships between governments, communities and businesses in the Pacific through a new $2.2 million, two-year Pacific Connect pilot program. This program will bring together Pacific and Australian leaders across the public and private sectors to learn from each other; the first year’s focus will be on ‘Bringing the Digital Revolution to the Pacific’.

All these initiatives reflect the deep commitment of Australia and its PIF partners to strengthen our practical partnerships, embrace opportunities and manage the shared challenges we face in a changing world. 

Sep82017

BCC forecast: Fall in sterling failing to lift UK growth

British Chambers of Commerce

The British Chambers of Commerce publishes its latest forecast, looking at GDP growth, inflation, exports and other economic indicators for 2017-2019.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Friday) slightly downgraded its medium-term outlook for the UK economy over the next few years. While the BCC has slightly upgraded its UK growth forecast for 2017 from 1.5% to 1.6%, its growth expectations for 2018 and 2019 have been cut from 1.3% to 1.2%, and 1.5% to 1.4% respectively.

The leading business group has slightly upgraded its forecast for 2017, driven by a moderately stronger outlook for consumer spending growth in 2017. While inflation remains elevated, it is expected to peak at 3% by the final quarter of 2017. However, inflation is still forecast to outpace average earnings until 2019, eroding real wages and weighing on consumer spending, a key driver of economic growth, in future years.

A weaker contribution from net trade and more subdued consumer spending growth were the main reasons for the slight downgrade to the BCC’s growth forecast for 2018. While the outlook for export growth remains unchanged, the rate of import growth is expected to increase, with little evidence that customers are switching from imported goods despite their rising cost. Falling real wages, and a slight weakening in labour market conditions, will see consumers rein in their spending in 2018. The slight downgrade for growth in 2019 reflects a lower contribution from net trade and weaker investment compared to our Q2 forecast.  

The UK economy is expected to remain on a slow-growth trajectory for the forecast period, which reinforces the need for decisive action to boost the domestic business environment. The government must use the Autumn Budget to alleviate the burden of upfront costs facing companies, incentivise investment, and improve infrastructure.

Key points in the forecast:

  • UK GDP growth forecast for 2017 is upgraded to 1.6% from 1.5%, and is expected to slow to 1.2% in 2018 (downgraded from 1.3%), before rising to 1.4% in 2019 (downgraded from 1.5%)
  • Inflation of 2.7% is forecast for this year, and 2.9% and 2.5% in 2018 and 2019 respectively.  The previous forecasts were for 2.9%, 2.8% and 2.5% respectively. Inflation is expected to peak at 3% in the last quarter of 2017, lower than our previous forecast of 3.4%, due to the slowing growth in input costs
  • Export growth of 3.1% is forecast this year, and is expected to slow to 2.9% in 2018 and 2.8% in 2019. This is unchanged from our previous forecast
  • Import growth forecasts have been upgraded to 2.9% in 2017, 1.5% in 2018 and 2.0% in 2019, from 2.5%, 1.3% and 1.8% respectively.
  • Consumer spending growth has been upgraded for 2017 from 1.3% to 1.5% but is expected to slow to 0.8% and 1.3% in 2018 and 2019
  • Business investment growth has been revised slightly upward for 2017 and 2018, to 0.4% and 0.8% respectively, but has been downgraded for 2019 from 1.2% to 0.9%,with some firms expected to bring some investment decisions forward
  • Our new forecast is that the first increase in UK official interest rates, to 0.5%, will occur in Q3 2018. This is two quarters later than predicted in our Q2 forecast
  • Looking at sectors, manufacturing has been upgraded from 1.2% to 1.4% in 2017 and is expected to grow at 0.7% and 1.1% in 2018 and 2019. Construction has been revised upwards for 2017, from 1.1% to 1.3% and is expected to grow at 0.7% and 1.0% thereafter. The services sector has been upgraded from 1.7% to 1.8% in 2017, and is forecasts to grow at 1.2% and 1.6% in the following years

Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

“While some businesses report strong trading conditions, the UK economy as a whole is treading water, and there is no sign on the horizon of a return to healthier levels of growth.

“Our forecast suggests that the hoped-for rebalancing of the UK economy towards investment and export is unlikely to materialize in the medium term. The rising upfront cost of doing business in the UK, the uncertainty around Brexit, and the constraints created by skills gaps and shoddy infrastructure collectively outweigh any benefit arising from the recent depreciation of sterling. A cheaper currency does not automatically mean an export boom, no matter how some politicians and commentators will it to happen.

“Business communities across the UK need to see action to boost confidence on two fronts: Brexit and the business environment here at home. A comprehensive Brexit transition deal, and a swift shift to focus on the future UK-EU trade relationship, are needed this autumn. The UK also needs an Autumn Budget that pulls out the stops to support business growth, at a time of significant uncertainty and change.”

Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the BCC, said:

“The changes to our growth forecast suggest that the UK economy is likely to remain on a low-growth trajectory, and will be marginally smaller at the end of the forecast period than we predicted in the second quarter.

“It is increasingly clear that the post-EU referendum slide in the value of sterling has done more harm than good. Inflation is being driven by the sizable increases in the cost of imported raw materials over the past year, and is expected to remain a drag on consumer spending over the near term, with pay growth not expected to outpace price growth until 2019.

“The contribution of net trade to UK GDP growth is not expected to be as strong as we previously predicted, as we see little evidence that the depreciation of the pound is materially boosting the UK’s external position. While the outlook for UK exporters is for modest growth, imports are expected to grow at a faster rate than we previously forecast, with little evidence that consumers or firms are switching away from imports towards domestic alternatives despite their rising cost.      

“Although there remains considerable uncertainty over UK’s growth prospects, the risks to our current outlook are to the downside. On Brexit, our forecast implicitly assumes a relatively smooth exit from the EU. A more sudden departure would be likely to trigger a far more marked weakening in economic conditions.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) sits at the heart of a powerful network of 52 Accredited Chambers of Commerce across the UK, representing thousands of businesses of all sizes and within all sectors. Our Global Business Network connects exporters with nearly 40 markets around the world. For more information, visit: www.britishchambers.org.uk

Media contacts:

Allan Williams – Head of Press and Communications

020 7654 5812 / 07920583381

Orla Hennessy – Press and Communications Officer

020 7654 5813 / 07825746812

Sep82017

Shanghai has a new way to pick judges

East Asia

Shanghai will begin selecting new judges from the ranks of its judge assistants－a position created five years ago as part of the city’s wide-ranging judicial reform.

Newly appointed judge assistants take their oath as they assume their posts in Shanghai. [Photo/China Daily]

Newly appointed judge assistants take their oath as they assume their posts in Shanghai. [Photo/China Daily] 

Up to 160 judge assistants, who serve in the city’s district and intermediate courts, will be promoted and assume new roles by the end of the year, the Shanghai High People’s Court announced.

Nearly 300 candidates took written tests on Sept 2 and will go through simulated court hearings and qualification tests in mid-September.

“We believe the size of the talent pool is big enough, and that the people are ready in terms of professional capability and maturity,” said Wei Jianping, a senior official at the high court.

The average work experience of the candidates is 6.6 years.

The role of judge assistant was created by the Supreme People’s Court in 2012 as part of its effort to streamline personnel, increase efficiency and reduce the workload of judges.

Unlike court clerks, who mainly handle administrative tasks such as filing and taking notes, judge assistants preview case files, coordinate mediation hearings and handle the exchange of evidence, which were all previously a judge’s responsibility.

“When court assistants shoulder the time-consuming tasks, such as pretrial mediation, judges can be more focused on hearing cases,” said Zhang Xiaoli, director of the general political department of the court.

When the reform was rolled out, judges had to reapply for their jobs, with only the best qualified chosen. Others were reassigned as judge assistants, many of whom are law graduates and experienced court clerks.

Shanghai currently has 1,939 judge assistants assigned to help 1,108 judges.

The first round of promotions marks an important step, said Ye Qing, director of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences’s Law Institute.

“Chinese courts are moving forward in deepening personnel management reforms and building a more elite team of judges to respond to people’s high expectations of fairness and justice,” he said.

Candidates with spouses who are lawyers or serve the court in other capacities can only become judges if their spouses leave their positions, a measure designed to protect the courts’ impartiality, Zhang said.

Guo Weiqing, vice-president of the high court, said that from now on all the judges in the district courts will be selected from the pool of judge assistants, and those for the city’s intermediate courts and high court will be selected from the pool of judges from district courts.

The selection of judges from the judge assistant pool will be carried out once a year, he said.