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New Zealand’s Auckland expected to receive further rains as flooding remains
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Flood ravaged Auckland is expected to receive further heavy rain over the coming days, according to the city’s council, even as people start to count the cost of the flash floods that...
Rabuka: Fiji ready to help
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has assured his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins that Fiji stands ready to provide any assistance should the need arise. In a statement, he said he was devastated by the disastrous impact of flash flooding in Auckland that resulted in the loss of lives and property. “Our thoughts and prayers go...
Australia’s IAG receives over 5,000 claims after New Zealand floods
(Reuters) – Insurance Australia Group’s New Zealand divisions have received over 5,000 claims so far following severe storms and flooding across the country, it said on Monday. “The number of claims is expected to rise further over the coming days, with the event still unfolding and as customers identify damage to their property,” IAG said...
28th January
Australia regulator to probe social media influencers for false endorsements
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s competition regulator said on Friday it would check whether influencers on social media platforms had failed to disclose their affiliation with the brands they were promoting. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it would look at more than 100 influencers after several consumers informed the regulator about some endorsements...
Auckland, New Zealand starts clean-up after torrential rains, flash floods
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Authorities in New Zealand’s biggest city Auckland began mopping up on Saturday, a day after torrential rains brought flooding and evacuations, shutting airports and forcing organisers to cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John. A state of emergency remained in place in the city of around 1.6 million people on New Zealand’s...
Auckland Airport still closed, no flights until at least noon
Auckland International Airport remains closed due to flooding, after heavy rain hit the super city on Friday night. There will be no flights into or out of Auckland until noon on Saturday at the earliest, the airport said in a statement overnight. The Auckland region is under a state of local emergency. Information on when...
China’s Xi says ties with Australia moving in “right direction” – state media
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday relations with Australia were moving in the right direction in the latest sign of an improvement in ties between the major trading partners. Xi made his comments in a congratulatory message for Australia Day to Australian Governor-General David Hurley, the Xinhua state-run news agency reported....
27th January
FDA advisers recommend using same strain for initial COVID vaccine and boosters
(Reuters) – Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday unanimously voted in favor of using the same coronavirus strain for the initial COVID-19 vaccine doses and the boosters, to simplify the vaccination regimen in the United States.
Australia regulator to probe social media influencers for false endorsements
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s competition regulator said on Friday it would check whether influencers on social media platforms had failed to disclose their affiliation with the brands they were promoting. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it would look at more than 100 influencers after several consumers informed the regulator about some endorsements...
26th January
EU to promote ‘buzz lines’ to help reverse decline of bees by 2030
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – “Buzz Lines” for bees and other pollinators where they could move across Europe and find food and shelter were among measures laid out by the EU’s executive body on Tuesday to reverse the decline of the insects vital for crop production. Currently, one in 10 bee and butterfly species and one in...
25th January
Oil falls $2/barrel on economic jitters, U.S. crude stock build
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Crude oil prices slipped on Tuesday on concerns about a global economic slowdown and as preliminary data indicated a bigger than expected build in U.S. oil inventories. Brent futures for March delivery fell $2.06, or 2.3%, to $86.13 a barrel. U.S. crude fell $1.49, or 1.8%, to $80.13 per barrel. U.S. business...
As Australian colleges crack down on ChatGPT, disabled students defend AI
MELBOURNE (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Visually impaired student Adam Whitehead has long relied on a computer and assistive technology to help him read course materials and take exams at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He has watched with concern as universities in Australia and beyond move to crack down on ChatGPT – a free...
New Zealand’s Ardern bids emotional farewell on last day as prime minister
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday bid an emotional farewell on her last day as prime minister, speaking of the kindness and empathy New Zealanders have shown her, but said she was ready to be a sister and a mother. Days after stunning the world by announcing she had “no more in the tank”...
New Zealand’s Chris Hipkins set to be officially appointed prime minister
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s Governor General will appoint Labour leader Chris Hipkins as prime minister in a formal ceremony on Wednesday, the government said following the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last week. The Labour party elected former COVID-19 Response and Police minister Hipkins, 44, to lead the party and the country...
Australian Dec business conditions moderate, cost pressures ease – survey
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian businesses conditions moderated for a third straight month in December, while price pressures began to ease, pointing to a likely peak in inflation, according to a business survey issued on Tuesday. The results may reduce pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia to increase interest rates at its next policy-setting meeting,...
