Author: Press Room
The £400,000 IHT Bill That Never Was Margaret Ellis died in March 2025. Her estate: £1.8 million London home £420,000 in ISAs £280,000 in shares Total: £2.5 million Her will? A simple “everything to my two children.” HMRC’s letter arrived six months later: “Inheritance Tax due: £400,000. Payable within 6 months or 7.75% interest applies.” Her children — both in their 40s, with mortgages and school fees — faced selling the family home. But here’s the twist: They didn’t pay a penny. Why? Because three years earlier, Margaret had used one phone call and My Tax Accountant to implement Strategy…
European Union countries are divided over the volume of polluting credits their industries could use on their path to hitting the 2040 climate neutrality target, split between those who want more flexibility and those pushing to maintain higher climate ambitions intact. The discussion held by European ambassadors crystalizes the growing tensions among the EU27 member states over the future of the Green Deal, once hailed as the bloc’s landmark policy and engine of clean growth. Nonetheless, as the EU puts the focus on competitiveness, the European industry has voiced concerns about excessive regulation and targets that are too strict, making…
The latest projections suggest New Zealand could be heading into a neutral or La Niña summer, which would bring rainier conditions to the north and east of the country, writes Rewi Newnham.While the prospect of a wet summer might not appeal to most people, for pollen allergy sufferers this could be a blessing in disguise.Our latest research on pollen levels in Auckland backs up what we have long suspected but haven’t had the data to prove.Unlike many developed countries, New Zealand doesn’t routinely monitor airborne pollen, and speculation about how La Niña and El Niño summers affect allergy sufferers has…
Europe’s industry is back: innovative and financially strong! European inventions and patents secure global market leadership in many areas. Clear EU rules ensure fair competition. And loans from the European Investment Bank enable young companies to enter the global market. When it comes to hydrogen technology, European companies are playing in the top league worldwide. Companies from the EU are pioneers when it comes to producing synthetic fuels from renewable energies. In electrolysers made in Europe, wind and solar power are used to split water into its components: oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen is used to produce “green steel” – or…
Two people died in separate crashes in Auckland’s Epsom and Matamata in Waikato yesterday.In Auckland, emergency services were called to a single vehicle crash on Great South Rd at around 6.45pm.”Sadly, despite best efforts, one person died at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. Emergency services at the Auckland crash. (Source: 1News)Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash were ongoing.Earlier, police were called to the intersection of Waharoa Road East and Pohlen Road in Matamata around 4.40pm, where a two-vehicle crash had occurred. One person died at the scene.
Auckland Grammar School has told form 3 and 4 (year 9 and 10) students to stay home today after a person with measles was confirmed to have been at the school last week. In a letter to parents sent last night, headmaster Tim O’Connor said the school was informed that a person with measles was at the school while infectious on Friday, October 24. Measles outbreak: Some high school students told to stay home – Watch on TVNZ+Auckland Grammer closes classroom amid rising cases and concern about vaccination rates. (Source: 1News)The school said it had been conferring with the National…
More than 79 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in the EU in 2023, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. While this marks a reduction of 8.7kg per capita compared with 2022, the figure remains 21.2kg higher than in 2013. In 26 EU countries, paper and cardboard made up the largest share of the total packaging waste, with 14 of these countries racking up a share of more than 40% of the total. There were also substantial amounts of plastic packaging waste, at 15.8 million tonnes (19.8% of the total), glass at 15 million tonnes (18.8%), and wood…
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including measles at a large Auckland school, Prince Andrew to lose the last of his titles, and stars back for the All Blacks. Hundreds of students have been told to stay home from Auckland Grammar after an infectious measles case. The King has initiated the process to strip his brother Andrew of the title of Prince. Kamala Harris has detailed a phonecall between her and Joe Biden which she said made her angry. Three All Blacks stars will be back for the team’s match against Ireland this weekend.
Auckland oyster farmers are furious after what is believed to be the biggest wastewater spill into the Mahurangi River this year.Ten marine farms have been in a lengthy battle with Watercare to stop sewage overflow contaminating their oyster crops.Mahurangi Oysters owner Jim Aitken told RNZ that, in an email on Thursday, Watercare informed them of an overflow at its Lucy Moore Memorial Park pump station.In the email, seen by RNZ, Watercare said at about 2.30pm the pump station overflowed to the stormwater pond and wastewater began entering the Mahurangi River.”We believe the overflow was caused by a power surge that…
A series of posts, videos and photos relayed across X and Facebook have misleadingly purported that US President Donald Trump has extended a personal White House invitation to Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). “Donald Trump has officially invited Weidel and the AfD to Washington”, stated one X user, in a post which has been viewed more than 90,000 times. Other pro-AfD accounts have also relayed the claim, with one German YouTuber alleging that Weidel was planning a flight to Washington “to meet Trump” in a clip which has garnered more than 64,000 views. So…