Author: Press Room

Ezibuy’s parent company has appointed administrators — and this time it includes other brands including Katies and Millers.Mosaic Brands told the ASX it had received the support of a majority of its commercial partners and the board had been confident in a restructure process it had under way.That included simplifying operations and reducing the number of shops, focusing on “key growth brands” and reducing costs.Mosaic told the market that the process had involved talking to its lenders, suppliers, landlords and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).The ACCC has issued court proceedings relating to late or non-delivery of goods during…

A landfill fire in Waikato which burned for nearly a year has resulted in a company and director being convicted and fined a total of $170,000.Puke Coal Ltd (PCL) and its director, Kenneth John Campbell, who had active control of the site, were convicted on four charges each relating to discharging contaminants into the air, using land illegally and breaches of abatement notices, the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) said.The company and the director were fined $85,000 each.As a result of the fire and its smell, WRC compliance manager Patrick Lynch said nearby residents described being “prisoners in their own home”…

A criminal court in Paris on Tuesday postponed French actor Gérard Depardieu’s trial on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a film set because of concerns about his health, shifting the start of the proceedings to March.Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged sexual assaults that prosecutors say took place on the set of Les Volets verts (The Green Shutters).The court also ordered an expert to assess the 75-year-old actor’s health issues. Depardieu’s lawyer Jérémie Assous requested the postponement, saying that the actor has heart trouble and diabetes-related…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Ezibuy’s parent company has appointed administrators – and this time it includes other brands including Katies and Millers. Mosaic Brands told the ASX it had received the support of a majority of its commercial partners and the board had been confident in a restructure process it had under way. That included simplifying operations and reducing the number of shops, focusing on “key growth brands” and reducing costs. Mosaic told the market that the process had involved talking to its lenders, suppliers, landlords and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The ACCC has issued court…

Ross Hawthorne hopes to complete his vision of establishing a native forest alongside Ashburton River thanks to a grant from the Ashburton Water Zone Committee.Local biodiversity and pest management projects received a boost when the committee approved the $50,000 of funding to the six applicants last week.Hawthorne received $11,343 for the Hakatere Rākau Group to clear weeds and plant natives alongside the Ashburton/Hakatere River.For the last three years, the meatworker has been transforming a roughly 750m stretch of the riverside between Chalmers Ave and Trevors Rd.Hawthorne, now with a small group of volunteers helping out, has already planted 4900 native…

Over a fifth of the EU’s population is currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion, says a new damning Eurostat report on living conditions. The document also highlights huge income inequalities in the Baltic states and southern Europe. ADVERTISEMENTThe latest Eurostat figures on living conditions say that there are 94.6 million people in the EU who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion — or 21.4% of its population.The numbers show little improvement from 2022, when the rate stood at 21.6%.The dataset identifies 19 regions across the block where the rate of people at risk of poverty or…

A woman in her 40s has died following what police have described as “a water-related incident” off Maraetai Beach, in east Auckland, this afternoon.Police said in a statement that emergency services were called to the scene around 3.30pm.”Attempts to resuscitate the woman were unsuccessful and she died at the scene,” the statement said.Water Safety NZ reported 57 drowning fatalities so far in 2024, seven fewer than the 10 year average.

ASB Bank services are back up and running after customers reported issues accessing the bank’s mobile app and online banking services on Saturday morning. In an update on X, the bank said the ASB mobile app and other online banking services were now back up and running as normal. Earlier on Saturday, it said it was aware some customers were having issues accessing the ASB mobile app and other online banking services. “Our teams are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. “Credit and debit card payments are not affected. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for…

A new round of New Zealand Defence Force recruits are learning to deactivate lethal explosives to prepare for work in war zones around the world – and bases and camps closer to home.The explosive ordnance disposal trade is a small speciality in our military, where recruits learn to locate, identify, destroy, or deactivate ammunition and explosives.”They can have quite catastrophic consequences if they don’t get it right,” NZDF senior instructor Matt Dyson told 1News.The initial trade training requires courses spread across two years, before participants go off to the Army and Air Force to start new jobs.To help with training,…

This week’s key events presented by Euronews’ senior energy and environment reporter Robert Hodgson Key diary datesMonday 28 October: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) releases annual 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024 policy report, ahead of  COP29. Wednesday 30 October: Ex-Finnish President Sauli Niinisto will present Ursula von der Leyen with a report on defence preparedness.Thursday 31 October: Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, and Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner, Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union discuss investment at the International banking Conference in Madrid.In spotlightADVERTISEMENTThere are now just two weeks to go before world leaders gather in the Azeri capital Baku to pay hommage to the goal…