CANBERRA -- The health of Australia's environment declined in 2023 amid low rainfall and a spike in the number of threatened species, a report has said.

Led by researchers from the Australian National University, Australia's Environment Report compiles detailed scientific data to rate the overall health of the country's environment out of 10 every year since 2011. (Australia-Environment Report)

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WELLINGTON -- China is ready to work with New Zealand to actively implement the upgraded version of the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Monday.

The two sides should launch negotiations on the negative list of service trade as soon as possible, so as to push bilateral cooperation to a new level, Wang said while meeting with New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay. (New Zealand-Wang Yi-Meeting)

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TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan on Tuesday decided to end its negative interest rate policy in its first rate hike in 17 years, marking a major shift away from the long-running monetary easing that Japan has seen over the past decade to put an end to deflation.

After a two-day policy meeting, the central bank's policy board decided to guide short-term rate to a range of 0 to 0.1 percent, up a fraction from minus 0.1 to 0 percent, judging that its goal of attaining a stable 2 percent inflation is "in sight." (Japan-Central Bank-Rate)

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HONG KONG -- The Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday passed the safeguarding national security bill, a milestone by the HKSAR in fulfilling its constitutional duty as stipulated under Article 23 of the HKSAR Basic Law.

The bill was passed in a unanimous vote during the third reading at the LegCo. According to the HKSAR's law-making process, when a bill has been given three readings, it becomes an ordinance enacted by the LegCo. (Hong Kong-Article 23-Passage) Enditem

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