Author: Press Room
The country’s biggest health insurer and private healthcare provider Southern Cross has posted a large deficit on the back of rising costs and claims, and an accounting change. The not-for-profit group said it had had a surge in business as people turned to the private health system to get around blockages and delays in the public system. Chief executive Nick Astwick said a deficit had been expected, but costs rising faster than premium increases was responsible for about half of the deficit while a change to accounting standards for insurance companies accounted for the rest. But he said demand and…
France has been a key supporter of Israel, defending its right to self-defence for years and sells an average of €20 million worth of military equipment to the country each year. ADVERTISEMENTHundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Paris to call for an end to Israeli air strikes in Lebanon, potentially using weaponry supplied by France.The rallies come as at least 24 people were killed and 29 others injured in strikes on two adjacent buildings in the southern city of Sidon.”We have just one objective, to show the unity of the Lebanese people,” said Hassan Daher, a spokesperson…
Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor, has died.Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii over the weekend, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given.Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such classics standards as Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, Help Me Make It Through the Night, For the Good Times and Me and Bobby McGee. Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his…
Remote alcohol sellers in south Auckland are failing to properly verify the ages of buyers and are not displaying their liquor licences properly on their sites, research has found.Social equality charity The Equal Justice Project (EJP) conducted research on remote sellers in the region, focusing on five local boards.The research focused on remote businesses that sell alcohol over the internet, phone or by mail and deliver the products elsewhere. It excludes online orders from physical bottle stores and supermarkets.Ariana Aminian and Rosa Kweon found that in Manurewa, some remote alcohol sellers did not have proper age declarations on their sites.”One…
Weak growth levels for the Chinese economy represents a big concern for Australia’s bottom line and global finances, the treasurer says.Fresh from his trip to Beijing for major economic talks, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the discussions could not have happened at a more important time.Dr Chalmers was the first treasurer in seven years to visit China, which he said was critical to restoring ties with Australia’s largest trading partner after years of diplomatic tensions.He said lower-than-expected growth levels for the Chinese economy was a worry for Australia.Weak growth in China is driving global economic uncertainty, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says. (Darren…
Rebel Wilson has reportedly married in Sardinia, Italy.The actress tied the knot with partner Ramona Agruma in Sardinia, Italy, after two years together, sources confirmed to People magazine.It had been reported earlier this month that although the couple – who are parents to two-year-old daughter Royce – had originally planned to marry in 2025, they had pushed their plans forward and were looking forward to a “very elegant” ceremony in Europe.A source told DailyMail.com: “Rebel doesn’t want to wait any longer. She is happy to marry this month because she is very much in love with Ramona and wants to…
Spring is the season to clean out the house and start afresh, and the same can apply to your finances.It might feel a bit daunting, but it doesn’t have to be – like other spring-cleaning jobs, it’s just about making a plan and getting started.The hardest thing is sometimes just making the time to sit down and do it, so why not try something different and have some fun by booking in a “budget date night”.“Get some take-aways and talk openly about your money situation – what’s working and what’s not working and what could you do about it,” says…
Speaking to a crowd of around 39,000 in the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, the pontiff wrapped up a difficult visit to Belgium by saying, “There is no place for the covering up of abuse.” ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis has urged all members of the Church to never cover up abuse, saying “Evil must not be hidden.”Speaking to a crowd of around 39,000 in the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, the pontiff wrapped up a difficult visit to Belgium by saying, “There is no place for the covering up of abuse.””Let us think of what happens when little ones are scandalised, hurt,…
Today is the last day that Auckland homeowners can sign up for the region’s buyout scheme for flood- and landslide-affected homes.Auckland Council said more than 7000 properties were impacted by 2023’s catastrophic storms, but fewer than half that number had registered.Council spokesperson Craig Hobbs said anyone whose house flooded more than half a metre, was given a red or yellow sticker, or was affected by a landslide should consider signing up today.”We are making a special effort to reach homeowners we think could be at high risk but haven’t heard back from many of them,” Hobbs said.”Support under the categorisation…
There has been a sharp increase in disciplinary action against children who assault their peers.Stand-downs, suspensions and exclusions for assaults on other students rose nationally in 2023, and doubled in some regions.Schools in 2023 made 11,575 stand-downs for assaults on other students, 23% more than in 2022 and 28% more than in 2019 — the year before pandemic lockdowns prompted a drop in disciplinary figures.In Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast and Bay of Plenty/Waiariki the number jumped more than 40% between 2022 and 2023, with the South Island regions’ figure 92% higher than in 2019.Stand-down numbers for all causes, including assaults, dropped in…