Author: Press Room

Anna Sorokin, the convicted con artist who swindled banks, hotels and friends under the guise of being a “heiress” named Anna Delvey, has reached the end of her run on Dancing With the Stars.As a controversial casting choice on the competition reality series, Sorokin had to don an ankle monitor on stage. Described as the “notorious ankle bracelet fashionista” in the announcement of her casting, Sorokin is under house arrest for an impending deportation case.While she was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities picked her up shortly after she got out, claiming she overstayed her visa and must…

Dairy co-operative Fonterra’s full year profit has eased back from last year’s record high, but still topped the billion dollar mark as it lifted its payout to farmers.Key numbers for the 12 months ended July compared with a year ago:Net profit $1.17b vs $1.6b (from continuing operations)Net profit $1.13b vs $1.58bRevenue $23.0b vs $26.1bEarnings 67 cents per share vs 95 cpsNet debt $2.6b vs $3.2bMilk payout (2023/24) $7.83 a kilogram of milk solids vs $8.22 per kgMSForecast payout (2024.25) midpoint $9 per kgMSFinal dividend 55 cps vs 50 cpsChief executive Miles Hurrell said the tail winds which had driven the…

A juvenile sea lion has reportedly been shot and killed in the Catlins, a loss which the Department of Conservation says is a “huge setback” for the recovering population.The female sea lion, or pakake, was born 60km up the Clutha River Mata-au this year.It is a threatened species which has only returned to the mainland in recent years, according to the Department of Conservation (DOC).DOC murihiku operations manager John McCarroll said the reported shooting is a “disgusting act” and “completely unacceptable”, and added they want to “find out who has done this”.”Staff received reports of a distressed sea lion in…

Hazard mapping is one tool used to determine if a property can be insured, but it’s not the only factor that’s considered, the national insurers’ body has said.The assertion comes after Nelson City Council’s proposed hazard susceptibility overlays were alleged to have had a “chilling effect” on the city’s property market by preventing properties from being insured.Kris Faafoi, chief executive of the Insurance Council of New Zealand, said that hazard susceptibility overlays are just one factor that insurers consider when assessing risk.Insurers have built up an understanding of risk over many decades in regions like Nelson through their own models…

Hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop, who collapsed onstage while performing in Connecticut last month, died of heart disease, the state medical examiner’s office has determined.The official cause of death for the performer, born Isaac Freeman III, was hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a spokesperson for the Connecticut medical examiner’s office said.Fatman Scoop, 56, collapsed while performing in Hamden on August 30 and was taken to a hospital.His family said later on Instagram that “the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon on stage and in life”.A New York City-born rapper and hype man, Fatman Scoop was known for his single Be…

A report into the collapse of a electricity transmission tower in Northland in June this year has confirmed the removal of nuts from the tower’s baseplates was to blame, and highlighted some oversights by the organisation responsible for the national grid, Transpower.It also revealed the economic impact of the tower collapse on June 20 as between $37.5m and $80m, and that without distributed electricity generation it would have been more. It left about 88,000 people without power.Energy Minister Simeon Brown said the cause being the removal of the tower’s nuts was as expected, but “underlying factors” that contributed to the…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ  Inland Revenue (IR) is asking questions about the future of the tax system – including whether New Zealand needs new types of tax, such as on capital gains and land. The issue of whether the country needs a tax on capital gains surfaced again this week, with ANZ’s chief executive Antonia Watson telling RNZ’s 30′ with Guyon Espiner she believed it was time for such a tax. Labour says it is looking at its tax policy and is considering capital gains, wealth or capital income taxes. IR is consulting on the future of the tax system as part of…

Legislation re-introducing charter schools has passed its final reading in Parliament.The third reading on Wednesday saw passionate speeches both for and against the bill, which revives the alternative education model.The change, promised in National’s coalition agreement with the ACT Party, has been spearheaded by ACT leader and Associate Education Minister David Seymour.He told the House groups, including the Iwi Chairs Forum, had written to him expressing strong support for the re-introduction of charter schools.”They [the Iwi Chairs Forum] know that communities know more about how to engage their children than the people in Wellington, most of the time.”And so we’re…

Police are investigating the death of an eight-month-old in Wellington yesterday.Police said a scene examination was taking place today, followed by a blessing.”A post-mortem examination will also be carried out,” police said in a statement.”The investigation continues to progress with the co-operation of the family, and police would like to assure the community there are no wider concerns for safety.”

Two New Zealand restaurants are among Tripadvisor’s best restaurants for 2024. The Travellers’ Choice Awards for the Best of the Best Restaurants go to the eateries that received outstanding reviews and opinions from the website’s users. This year’s lists featured restaurants from 60 countries and covered several categories. These include Date Nights, Fine Dining, Casual Dining, hidden gems, Pet-friendly, Vegetarian, and Vegan, Quick Bites, Outdoor, and Sustainable.Auckland’s The Grove was named the ninth-best fine dining restaurant in the world. Tripadvisor said about the restaurant: “The Grove is known for their superb degustation, or bite-sized, menu. “Don’t miss out on these…