Author: Press Room

By Gyles Beckford of RNZ The government’s books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term as a big dent in the tax take and higher expenses deliver continued budget deficits. But the government has adopted a new measure of its finances, excluding the impact of ACC, which it said has distorted previous forecasts and had the potential to affect spending decisions. Under the new measure the deficits for the next three years would rise less than forecast in the May budget and see a surplus posted in 2027/28. Using the established measure the deficits would…

Former talk show host Carlos Watson was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison in a federal financial conspiracy case that cast his once-buzzy Ozy Media as an extreme of fake-it-’til-you-make-it startup culture.So extreme that another Ozy executive impersonated a YouTube executive to hype Ozy to investment bankers — while Watson coached him, prosecutors said.Watson, 55, and the now-defunct company were found guilty last summer of charges including wire fraud conspiracy. He has denied the allegations and plans to appeal.“I loved what we built with Ozy,” he said in court, initially addressing supporters in the audience before the judge suggested…

An estimated 28.5kg of methamphetamine has been seized by Customs after it was found in two abandoned duffel bags near the baggage claim at Auckland International Airport at the weekend.Customs officers conducting routine checks in the arrivals area noticed two bags that appeared to have been abandoned.X-rays of the bags revealed inconsistencies and a positive indication by a drug detector drug led to the discovery.Two abandoned duffel bags were found near the baggage carousels at Auckland International Airport (Source: Customs)A total of 14 packages of methamphetamine was found in both bags — wrapped in four layers of black film, clear…

Tauranga’s popular maunga Mauao/Mount Maunganui will be closed on Tuesday while vandalism damage to the cultural compass is repaired.The large pounamu touchstone on top of the kāpehu (cultural compass) at the summit of Mauao was found vandalised on Friday.Celestial navigator Jack Thatcher said the damage had been done with a sharp instrument and it left deep scars in the stone.All of the walking tracks on Mauao will be closed on Tuesday from 8.30am to allow the repairs to be done safely and efficiently, the Tauranga City Council said in a statement.The repairs would involve smoothing and polishing the pounamu surface…

Fewer than half of the 100,000 families promised a childcare subsidy boost by the Government have claimed and received payments, figures show. During May’s Budget, the Finance Minister said the FamilyBoost payments would “make a difference to more than 100,000 Kiwi families – that’s 140,000 Kiwi kids”. The policy offered families, earning up to $180,000, a maximum of $75 a week for childcare fees.While 58,770 have registered for the payments, only 41,550 claims have been approved, with 1495 households receiving the full $75 rebate. About $15.7 million had been paid out — while a total of $174 million was budgeted…

This week’s key events presented by Euronews’ EU senior energy and environment reporter Robert Hodgson. Key diary datesMonday 16 December: EU energy ministers meet to discuss future general policy.Tuesday 17 December: EU environment ministers debate emissions reduction target 2020.Tuesday 17 December: MEPs at Parliament plenary in Strasbourg debate Mis- and disinformation on social media platforms and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe.In spotlightADVERTISEMENTEnvironment ministers will remind us when they gather in Brussels on Tuesday of two of the main existential threats facing humankind, both of them directly linked to fossil fuels.In the wake of a COP29 climate…

A George St landlord and “sovereign citizen” has been fined $25,000 after refusing to display a notice declaring his building earthquake-prone. Stephen Lawton’s company Stephen George Ltd was found guilty of five charges brought by the Dunedin City Council. The Dunedin District Court heard, last month, that Lawton failed to get an engineer’s report to determine if his building was earthquake-prone. Because of this, the council issued an earthquake-prone building notice to the defendant on April 3, 2023. It required Lawton to display an A4-sized earthquake-prone building notice in a prominent place on the property. He did not comply. In…

A severe thunderstorm was expected to bring torrential rain and large hail in parts of the Marlborough region this evening.MetService first warned of the thunderstorm in the Awatere Valley, just south of Blenheim at about 7.45pmThe agency also expected it to move north, near Waihopai at about 8.15pm, adjacent to Wairau Valley and the Richmond Range.MetService said the torrential rain could result in surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions “extremely hazardous”.”Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and make driving conditions hazardous.”The warning for Awatere Valley…

Increasingly popular in New Zealand, especially with Pacific people, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus is battling some hefty allegations. Indira Stewart investigates. Watch this investigation on our home for all news, indepth and consumer stories TVNZ+. Over the past two years I’ve received multiple invitations to join Shincheonji’s Bible course and evangelism events. I’ve grown up Christian so I didn’t find the invitations odd. But I repeatedly declined them. However I was curious about the number of Pacific people joining this Korean church. Why were they so devoted to the teachings of 93-year-old Korean man Lee Man-Hee, who doesn’t speak…

One in four people who responded to an annual nationwide drug survey had used pharmaceuticals for recreational or non-medical reasons.The 2024 New Zealand Drugs Trends Survey (NZDTS) surveyed 10,781 people — and 27% of them reported non-medical use of pharmaceuticals in the previous six months.That’s according to a statement from Massey University, which conducted the research.Dr Robin van der Sanden of the New Zealand Drugs Research Team said: “Non-medical use of pharmaceuticals is a complex issue as it can describe people using pharmaceuticals for recreational reasons, or those using them in ways they weren’t directed to by a health professional.”It…