PM Edition: Here are the top 10 business articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 6, 2026 – Full Text
Money tips from ‘Māori Millionaire’ founder: How to get out of survival mode
April 5, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Te Kahukura Boynton says the challenges might be real, but when we can get a good focus on the problems we need to tackle, we can become good at solutions. Supplied by Te Kahukura Boynton
Te Kahukura Boynton of Māori Millionaire is on a mission to bridge the wealth gap by shining a light on how to make better money decisions more clearly – even when times are tough.
The entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, financial influencer, and author of Māori Millionaire: A beginner’s Guide to Building Better Money Habits talked with Stacey Morrison about using her platform to help people build better financial literacy, and how people can get started.
“My saying recently is that you can’t financial-literacy your way out of survival mode”, Boynton says.
“Traditional money advice, it doesn’t address the root causes for why people actually make the money decisions that they make – over 80 percent of the time we’re actually making emotional decisions when it comes to money.”
“What I see a lot in the financial industry is that people are told to just behave better, to have more willpower, to be more disciplined, but it doesn’t actually address why people make those money decisions.”
It can be hard to see a way forward that fits, or to even face looking at the problem, she says.
“I love that financial literacy is becoming more normalised to talk about and I see a lot of wins in this industry, but what I would love to see more of is trauma-informed financial literacy – actually addressing why do people make those decisions. Even if we’re not talking about colonisation at an individual level, things like physical abuse or emotional abuse, these things can leave abandonment wounds, or things that make you have a different relationship with money.”
“Back when I didn’t have much money, I would way rather spend a small amount of money to buy something that’s going to give me a quick dopamine fix, as opposed to putting that small amount of money towards something that’s going to help me long term. This is a direct result of not only colonisation, but even trauma that people have experienced, even if you’re not indigenous or if you’re not Māori.”
Recognising some of the things making money an uphill battle
Recognising money pitfalls is easier if we can identify the things at play influencing us, so we can make clearer decisions, Boynton says.
Penguin
“People want quick ways to give themselves a sense of relief, and especially in times of economic difficulties people are craving that – and so it’s much easier to buy something small to make an emotional money decision, as opposed to doing something that’s going to serve your long term self.
“In 2026 everything is designed to give us quick hits of dopamine – we have more people spending time on their phone. I read something recently that said I think it was like 80 percent of people play on their phones before they fall asleep and first thing in the morning. These are habits we haven’t seen before.
“So everything is designed to teach us that we need quick fixes of dopamine – we’re thinking short term more these days.”
Boynton says before she turned her financial situation she was making bad habits as a way of responding to stresses.
“I didn’t know how to manage my emotions. I was previously a drug addict, so I’d spend a lot of money on drugs if anything happened, or I would end up at the McDonald’s drive-through or I’d be at Kmart, because those were the only ways I knew to cope with my emotions. So telling me to just spend my money better to save more wasn’t actually going to help, because I didn’t have any tools to cope with my emotions other than to spend money to get relief.
“Especially for Māori, Pasifika, or lower income earners, they can carry a lot of shame when the only conversation is ‘spend less, invest more’, and it’s a very simple way of looking at it and it doesn’t address the inequities we see at a systems level. So my goal is that people are actually having a wider conversation, a deeper level conversation about why people make their money decisions, not just telling people to behave better.”
What does help?
RNZ / Quin Tauetau
The first step Boynton recommends is to start a money diary to build self-awareness about what prompts those decisions to buy things. It’s a simple tool, and she still finds it useful now.
“I would note down: What am I buying? How much am I spending? How does it make me feel? and Is this a good investment in myself? … colour coded green or red if it was yes or no … Does this have a positive return on my life or a negative return on my life?
“A lot of people, because they’re carrying shame they’ll do this exercise and then they’ll start having a lot of negative self talk: ‘I shouldn’t have done that’, ‘Why do I always do this?’ ‘I always have these bad habits’. But what I’d encourage people to do is just take note. We live in a very fast world, we have payWave, everything just moves so quickly. And we’ve become disconnected from our tinana – from our bodies.
“So what I’d encourage people to do is pause a little bit, so when you go to the supermarket, when you spend money, don’t just carry on as you would do, but just notice the feelings in your body. Do you feel a little bit of guilt when you buy things you know you probably shouldn’t? Do you feel excitement when you buy the designer things that you want, or you buy new clothes? Just notice the sensations in your body. What are you feeling?”
Then once a week she checks over her experiences from the week – what she calls her Sunday money reset, which helps her see positive next steps she can take.
“At the end of every week … I go back and I think ‘Okay, I notice that on Monday I went to the dairy, and I bought dah da dah da dah – and I actually didn’t need to do that if I just did my groceries on Sunday’.
“So if you have this reflective exercise once per week, when you’re starting to build these better money habits you can go: ‘Ok, I notice that I did that and I don’t really want to do that any more. What systems can I implement so that I don’t do this moving forward?’
“Then I would go … so this week I’m going to do all my meal prepping on Sunday, and I’m going to buy enough food for the week, so that I avoid going to the dairy. Or whatever it is for each person, everyone has different money habits.”
“A lot of people don’t realise how much money they actually spend or where it’s actually going, because …we live in a very fast world. It’s designed to go quickly, so just slowing down a little bit helps you to understand your money habits. Then when you have more self awareness, you can actually choose different habits.”
Unsplash/ Vitaly Gariev
Different challenges for different people
Each person has their own underlying tensions at play in how they might use money, Boynton says.
Some have a scarcity mindset, where they may have lots of feelings of guilt or panic associated with money. Some people are avoidant, feeling overwhelmed by money matters and finding it difficult to face or to start taking steps. We can experience different combinations of these at different times, Boynton says, as she has.
But what we should ideally want to build is what she calls a secure attachment approach to money:
“Where I’m at now and where most people would love to be is feeling secure when it comes to money. So I have a plan with my finances, I’m regularly checking in, I know my numbers, I know what’s coming in, what’s going out. I feel very secure, I feel very safe. I’ve got my safety net there if anything should happen, I’ve got insurance. I just feel on top of my money … and what it gives you is it gives you some breathing space.
“Back when I was worried all the time it felt like I was almost drowning all the time with all of it, and I couldn’t even get up out from the water to have a look and go ‘where are we headed now’.
“But now that I feel more secure I have more energy to focus on my business, I have more energy to focus on my hauora, my health. And that’s where most people want to get, is having a secure relationship with money.”
What about getting through the truly tight times?
123RF
Boynton says she recognises that for many households times are really tough at the moment with the cost of living crisis.
And that stress can be when we tend to fall back into our most chaotic money patterns, she says: “It’s completely understandable if you’re choosing between buying gas for the car or putting kai on the table.”
“But what I would do is be very mindful about your thoughts and what you’re putting your energy into.”
Spending a lot of time and energy absorbed in big picture things we can’t control and social media can sap our resources, she says.
“What I like to say is ‘I’m not the cost of living gods, I can’t control this – but what I can control is what I’m focusing on’. I started focusing on my business and what are the things within my control.”
One down to earth tip is focusing on our health during lean times: “When you are healthier you’re able to make better decisions,” she says.
“So making sure I’m not missing my morning walk or my morning exercise – which is free, so that I have a bit more energy … so that I just have a lot more mental head space to go ‘okay, what more can I focus on today’.”
Then you can put some thinking time into the challenges, having a look at your money situation and the pressures.
“You can go, okay my costs have increased $50 a week as a result of all of this, or $100 as a result of all of this. How can I bring in an extra $50 or $100 a week? And then you might go – actually, I could mow my neighbour’s lawns, or I could do this. Just coming up with random things …
“I like to do a mindmap. What is within my control, and what can I actually do about this? And when you start to think about solutions, your brain starts to come up with all of these cool ideas … and then you get to go through and …trial a few things. Not everything will work, but you can give it a crack and what that does is it builds your confidence.
“And – wow, I made $50 today. Wow, imagine if I made like $500 next week. You can get in that energy of ‘Cool, I can do something about this!’, and you can pull back your power.”
She also recommends not to keep reflexively looking at the progress of long-term investments like KiwiSaver or retirement plans regularly during times the market is chaotic, as it can create a sense of helplessness.
“Something I’ve heard a lot of people says is ‘I’ve logged in and I’ve lost $5000!’… If you log in and notice that there’s $5000 gone, that feels very overwhelming, that can cause a lot of anxiety.
“If it’s a long-term investment, I’m talking over 10 years, you’re looking at a long time horizon. Things like what’s going on right now are within reason – they do go up, they do go down, there’s actually nothing we can do about it. I’m in it for the long term.
“So what I would do is make sure that you are in the right fund… you can seek financial advice just to make sure it is in the right fund – so if say you’re wanting to buy a house you should make sure your financial advisor knows that.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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UK royal family’s dilemma over Andrew’s daughters
April 5, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The downfall of the former prince Andrew has left the British monarchy with a right royal headache — how to handle his daughters caught up in the scandal of US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The uncertain future of princesses Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, the children of Andrew — now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, has filled the British press in recent weeks.
Andrew, the second of the late queen Elizabeth II’s three sons and brother to King Charles III, was arrested in mid-February amid new revelations of his ties to the late billionaire Epstein.
He was questioned for hours at a police station on suspicion of misconduct in public office during his decade-long role as a UK trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing, and has not been charged, but remains under police caution.
“We can now also confirm that we are providing early investigative advice to Thames Valley Police in relation to” Mountbatten-Windsor, prosecutors told AFP on Thursday.
Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in October by the king amid the growing scandal around Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
And while his daughters are not active members of the royal family, Buckingham Palace has made it clear they retain their titles as princesses.
They have always been seen as close to the king’s two sons, heir Prince William and Prince Harry, and were part of the royal family’s inner circle.
In December, they attended the family’s traditional Christmas church service on the eastern Sandringham estate even though their parents were not invited.
But the two women and their young families would not be at Windsor this weekend for the traditional Easter gathering, a royal source confirmed to AFP.
The two had made alternative plans, but will be seen at future family celebrations, the source added.
“They want to avoid any association with them, as the York brand has become toxic,” said royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.
New emails released in January showed Andrew remained in contact with Epstein long after the American’s conviction for trafficking and sex with a minor.
He also appeared to have shared sensitive UK information with Epstein such as trade documents.
The documents also revealed the extent of the ties between Epstein and Ferguson, with the princesses’ names appearing in numerous emails, although there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by them.
In one of the documents, Epstein writes that “Ferg and the two girls” came to visit him, less than a week after he was freed from prison in 2009, following a conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
In light of these new revelations “hard questions will need to be asked”, said royal expert Ed Owens.
“If it is shown that they have benefited from an elite network, that was partially introduced to them by Jeffrey Epstein… this is problematic,” said Owens.
Andrew biographer Andrew Lownie said he believed the sisters are “deeply implicated” rather than “collateral damage”, highlighting a 2010 incident in which Fergie was secretly filmed by a tabloid selling access to Andrew.
“This was a family business. The girls were taken on these taxpayer-funded trips,” he said.
“They’ve built up a very useful contact book which they are exploiting to this day.”
Both women have successful careers. Beatrice was vice president of strategic partnerships at Afiniti, an AI technology company, for a decade, and has now set up her own advisory group.
Eugenie is a director at Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery in London. But last month she quit her role as a patron for the Anti-Slavery International charity.
Both Lownie and Owens believe the royal family must distance itself from the two women.
Their hybrid status “one foot in the monarchy, one foot out” endangers the entire Windsor family, said Owens.
Fitzwilliams added: “We don’t know what might come up next. There might be new scandals”.
Lownie agreed. “There are scandals still in their cupboard” waiting to be exposed, he said.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Life-saving services need priority in fuel plan, aviation sector says
April 2, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The aviation sector is calling for a specific crisis plan around fuel. Supplied / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
The Aviation Industry Association says life-preserving services such as aeromedical, search and rescue, and firefighting need to be prioritised as part of the government’s fuel response plan.
The aviation sector has been calling for a specific crisis plan around fuel for flying as the prices of jet fuel and Avgas have shot up as conflict continues in the Middle East.
Chief executive Simon Wallace said since the beginning of March jet fuel had gone up about 70 percent – from around $1.60 to $2.80 a litre – and Avgas had increased around 100 percent, from around $2.60 to $5.00.
He said those fuel increases needed to be able to be passed back to the agencies they were contracted by.
Simon Wallace. RNZ / Edward O’Driscoll
“This is why the association has really emphasised the importance of all these services, because actually, as operators, they can’t absorb these costs and they can’t continue to provide these services if they are not reimbursed,” he said.
“So we don’t want these services to be a threat and provided they are prioritised in the fuel plan and they’re at the top of the list then these services will be maintained.”
Wallace said they were working closely with agencies.
“Fire and Emergency New Zealand has allowed our operators – like our helicopter operators, for example – to be able to impose a fuel surcharge, which they have to do because of the increases.”
Another area of aviation they wanted to see the government prioritise was agriculture, Wallace said. He said between March and May was a critical time for top dressers putting fertiliser down.
“So it’s really important that they can do that, that they have access to fuel.”
He said it was also important for animal welfare.
“I think the concern for the Aviation Industry Association is that a lot of the smaller operators, particularly agriculture, but also the emergency services, are not overlooked in the development of an aviation-specific plan,” he said.
“We acknowledge the real importance of international air connections, and they are vital not only for passengers and cargo, but we have domestic aviation services which connect the country to itself, and these need to be part of any prioritisation. “
Meanwhile on Morning Report on Thursday morning, Associate Transport Minister James Meager said he was not concerned yet about the jet fuel supply in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s jet fuel stocks have dropped since the last update, leaving about 46 days of cover.
Meager said that was within the normal range, and it was natural that the supply could go down temporarily while the country waited for more fuel to arrive.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Easter Sunday trading rules ‘confusing’, need overhaul, EMA says
April 4, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Small grocery shops are one of the few stores that can be exempt to shop shutdowns over Easter (file image). MARK PAPALII / RNZ
A business association says Easter Sunday trading rules are confusing and need an overhaul.
Restrictions on alcohol sales have just been eased, so that venues that could already open over Easter can now sell alcohol to customers without the requirement they buy a meal.
Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) head of advocacy Alan McDonald told RNZ now was a good time to look at the Shop Trading Hours Act as well.
“Obviously they’ve eased up some of the alcohol laws to clarify them because they were very complex – the Easter ones are just as complex.
“It’s been time to look at them for a long time,” he added.
Easter Sunday was not a statutory public holiday and retailers should be able to decide for themselves whether they open on that day, McDonald said.
A 2016 change to the Shop Trading Hours Act also meant city and district councils could create their own Easter Sunday shopping policies for their respective territories, adding to the confusion, he said.
“You get all sorts of anomalies. Queenstown for example, I think, opens, Rotorua doesn’t. Parts of Parnell in Auckland are allowed to open, but other parts of Auckland aren’t allowed to open.
“You just end up with a multitude of confusing options.”
There are three types of exemption to the shop shutdowns:
- Tourist resorts such as Taupō and Queenstown on Easter Sunday only
- Places where the local council has said shops can open on Easter Sunday only
- Certain kinds of shops (limited to “small grocery shops”, service stations, takeaways, bars, cafes, duty-free stores, “shops providing services” (and not selling things), real estate agencies, pharmacies, garden centres (only on Easter Sunday), public transport terminals, souvenir shops and exhibitions “devoted entirely or primarily to agriculture, art, industry and science”).
The rules needed to be standardised, McDonald said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Property Market – Property values not feeling war effects … for now
April 2, 2026
Property values across Aotearoa New Zealand increased by 0.2% in March, matching the same rise seen in February. While this marks a modest lift, it comes against the backdrop of the Iran conflict that began in late February and continues to weigh on business and household confidence.
Cotality NZ’s latest Home Value Index (HVI) also shows that the national median value in March of $802,599 was -1.3% lower than a year ago and still down by -17.1% from the peak in early 2022 – which was $968,333.
Trends across the main centres were a little more divergent in March, with Kirikiriroa Hamilton and Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington both edging down by -0.1%, while Tauranga and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland were flat. By contrast, Ōtautahi Christchurch was up by 0.6% and Ōtepoti Dunedin by 0.7%.
Cotality NZ Chief Property Economist, Kelvin Davidson said that March’s subtle rise in property values at the national level would pique the interest of those looking for early signs of a market upturn, but he also noted that uncertainty remains high.
“Coming off the back of February’s small gain, the latest rise means we’ve now had two increases in a row, potentially signalling a change in trend.”
“That being said, the increases in national values in the past two months clearly remain small and have only made a minor difference to the drop from early 2022’s peak.”
“The Iran conflict is throwing an extra layer of uncertainty over everything.”
“In the property market, values were already still proving slow to respond to the falls in mortgage rates since mid-2024 and the nascent economic recovery.”
“The missing piece has probably been a confidence factor, and now, in light of the latest conflict and sharply higher fuel prices, it’s difficult to see housing sentiment or property values lifting sharply in the near term.”
“Of course, there are always two sides to the coin, and while some sellers/owners may not be too pleased with current housing conditions, first home buyers are capitalising – provided that they feel secure about their jobs in this current uncertain environment.”
“In a nutshell, both the economy and housing market still face a testing period ahead.”
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland saw flat property values in March across the market as a whole, but this reflected ups and downs at a more granular level. For example, Manukau saw a 0.3% rise, while North Shore was up by 0.2%. Yet Rodney, Waitakere, and Franklin all dropped by -0.3% or more.
Waitakere and Franklin have also been weaker over a three-month period to start the year (down by -0.8% and -0.9% respectively), while North Shore and Manukau have both edged slightly higher since December.
Mr Davidson said, “Auckland’s housing affordability has improved significantly in recent years as more supply has become available, prices have dropped, and incomes have increased. It’s not cheap as such, but better affordability probably does still set the scene for rising house prices eventually.”
“It’s just that in the meantime, general economic confidence around Auckland still looks subdued and it doesn’t benefit as much from a booming agricultural sector as much as say the Canterbury/Christchurch or Otago/Dunedin areas – where property values lifted again in March.”
“Until we can see more of an improvement in the services sector of the economy, Auckland’s housing market may well remain slow – but favourable for buyers.”
Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Variability in property values was also on show in the wider Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington area in March, with Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt for example dropping by -0.6%, but Kāpiti Coast and Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta Upper Hutt both rising by at least 0.7% over the month.
That being said, Wellington has still broadly been one of the weakest parts of the country over a longer horizon, with all sub-markets down to some degree over the past 12 months and all by more than 20% from the peak.
Mr Davidson noted, “to a degree new housing supply will have been one factor keeping a lid on values lately, especially in the markets outside Wellington City itself. But as we also see in Auckland, economic confidence in the Wellington area remains muted and it clearly also has a lower exposure to growth sectors such as farming. In this environment, it’s no great surprise that Wellington’s property values remain patchy.”
“The Iran conflict may again push this year’s election into the background for a while, but as domestic political uncertainty rises later in 2026 this is also cause for caution around Wellington’s house prices.”
Regional results
March’s data showed a pretty consistent picture of rising property values in the next tier of markets down from the main centres, with areas such as Te Papaioea Palmerston North and Ngāmotu New Plymouth only edging higher (0.1% apiece) but Ahuriri Napier up by 0.7%, Tairāwhiti Gisborne 0.8%, and Waihōpai Invercargill by 1.7%.
“Invercargill continues to outperform most other parts of the country, rising by 7.1% over the past 12 months. Wairoa and Grey Districts are the only other areas to have growth of 7% or more since March last year,” Davidson noted.
“Invercargill also sits alongside Grey, Westland, Ashburton, Timaru, Central Otago, Southland District, and Gore as the only markets where house prices are currently at a new peak. Those are all in the South Island and with a strong farming base.”
“Of course, even in these areas, the Iran conflict puts a new level of uncertainty into the mix, especially around diesel supply for primary production. In other words, housing market activity and prices in most if not all parts of the country are vulnerable to this developing economic shock.”
Property market outlook
Mr Davidson noted that the Reserve Bank remains on high alert and although there won’t necessarily be any knee-jerk official cash rate rises in the short term, it’s important to remember that mortgage rates are driven by a broader range of factors.
“Global uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict and concerns about wider inflationary pressure have already seen interest rates rise in world money markets, and that’s flowed through to mortgage rate lifts at some NZ banks.”
“Many households will be watching that very closely and recent data shows there’s recently been a strong shift by borrowers towards fixing longer.”
“That will give some sense of security to individuals, but for the wider housing market the risks of higher inflation, rising interest rates, and/or a softening economy both point to headwinds,” Davidson said.
“Indeed, our modelled forecast for property sales to rise from around 90,000 last year to 100,000 this year is starting to look a stretch. In the end, though, everything is a watching brief at the moment when it comes to the economy and housing market.”
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Media OutReach Newswire Powers Chinese Brands Going Global with Kitty Lee as New Managing Partner, Greater China
April 2, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 April 2026 – Media OutReach Newswire, Asia Pacific’s first and only global newswire, has appointed Ms Kitty Lee as Managing Partner, Greater China. This is a newly created role designed to accelerate the company’s growth in Mainland China and Greater China.
As the first and only newswire company founded in Asia Pacific, Media OutReach Newswire is committed to supporting Mainland Chinese companies as they expand into international markets. The company helps them build brand awareness and reputation through its global press release distribution network, which reaches more than 200,000 journalists and editors across over 500 trade media outlets. The journalist database is researched and maintained by a team of media researchers based around the world. As a result, the distribution has helped Mainland Chinese clients garner earned media coverage and attract journalists’ inquiries for feature interviews.
Additionally, the newswire guarantees news posting on its clients’ press release on real news sites with domain authority. This is especially important as the public are using Gen AI-Citation. Media OutReach Newswire has just launched JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) Schema Markup to enhance the technical infrastructure of clients’ press releases and optimise AI visibility. The company continues to focus on adopting AI across its press release distribution network, workflows, and post-release reporting.
Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO, says: “Our focus has always been on supporting PR, marketing, and communications professionals in achieving real results in building brand awareness for their companies. Together with our Total PR and Communications AI-powered SaaS portal, our total solutions from connecting press releases with real journalists maximising earned media coverage, to creating AI-visible online news postings, and delivering auto-downloadable multi-format reports with data insights and PR campaign intelligence have provided clients with tangible results.”
“We are pleased that Kitty, who brings over two decades of experience in the PR industry and a strong track record of helping Chinese brands successfully expand into global markets, has joined us as Managing Partner,” she added. “Having used Media OutReach Newswire’s press release distribution service for several years, she was impressed by the company’s deep understanding of client needs and the quality of its deliverables.”
Kitty Lee added, “I have seen the important role that Media OutReach Newswire has played in my work, and the brand trust we have helped to achieve for Mainland Chinese companies expanding into global markets. I am inspired by the opportunity to contribute my knowledge, drive change, and foster innovation for the advancement and efficiency of the Chinese Mainland PR industry.”
Ms Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire, further says, “The growing demand for an authentic newswire partner has created a clear opportunity for us to expand into Mainland China, GBA and Greater China. Kitty brings exactly what we need: deep relationships across this region’s PR and marketing community, and a clear understanding of what brand communications must achieve. Her in-depth industry knowledge will guide our market expansion and product development as we our business goal is to support Chinese Mainland companies to build their brand awareness and brand reputation across Southeast Asia, ASEAN, Asia Pacific, the USA, Canada, Latin America, UK & Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.”
Kitty joins from FleishmanHillard, where she served as Senior Vice President & Partner, advising clients across retail, property, healthcare and travel & tourism sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Nottingham and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Hong Kong Baptist University. A Cantonese native, she is fluent in English and Mandarin, and will be based in Hong Kong.
Hashtag: #MediaOutReachNewswire #pressrelease
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Media OutReach Newswire
Media OutReach Newswire is Asia Pacific’s first global newswire, serving as a trusted partner to media, corporations, agencies and governments across the region and the globe.
Founded in 2009 as a champion of the PR industry, Media OutReach Newswire leverages AI and SaaS technology to redefine press release distribution, providing Total Communications Solutions with data insights and PR campaign intelligence for strategic communicators and PR professionals.
With a global network of over 200,000 journalists and editors, 70,000+ media titles, 1,500 media partners, and more than 40 languages, Media OutReach Newswire is the only global newswire with guaranteed verbatim postings on real news sites. Press releases on authentic media with high domain authority are trusted by search engines and AI models, power SEO and GEO for AI search, surfacing brands for LLM citations.
Headquartered in Hong Kong SAR, with offices across Chinese Mainland, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the global press release distribution network spans Asia Pacific, ASEAN, and Southeast Asia, the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
For more information about our services, solutions and network, please visit www.media-outreach.com
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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Gregory Hornblow suppression lapses: Former exec convicted of receiving underage sexual services
April 2, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Greg Hornblow RNZ
The former media executive who admitted paying a 14 year-old for sex and fought to keep his name secret can now be named.
Gregory Rex Hornblow was sentenced in March at the Auckland District Court to 10 months home detention and ordered to pay reparation payments of $3000 to the teenager.
The 60 year-old was the chief executive of One Roof – the property arm owned by the New Zealand Herald publisher NZME – when he was charged with receiving commercial sexual services.
NZME’s chief executive Michael Boggs has confirmed Hornblow was under an employment investigation over other complaints at the time and was sacked when the company learned of his arrest.
In a statement, he said Hornblow was facing disciplinary action and was alleged to have “demonstrated inappropriate behaviour” at a work function and he received a final written warning.
A formal complaint was then made against Hornblow that included accusations he had made “inappropriate comments” at meetings and in the office.
It was during this process, in November, that NZME learned of his charge.
“When we learned of the charge, we immediately terminated his employment. Due to the suppression order we have not been in a position to provide any further detail until now,” Boggs said.
In the coming days Hornblow pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving commercial sexual services from a person under 18.
Details revealed in Court by Judge Kathryn Maxwell show Hornblow referred to himself as a “sugar daddy” and met the 14 year-old on Snapchat in September, 2025.
He bought her Ubereats in exchange for intimate photos and videos, Judge Kathryn Maxwell said.
Over the course of three weeks, she sent 12 photos and 19 videos of a sexual nature, including a short video of her in her school uniform.
He paid $1000 to the teen to come to his house, where the two engaged in unspecified sexual activity in his bedroom, Judge Maxwell said.
The man told the girl he couldn’t pay her for sex, and instructed her to say she wanted to have sex and he had just given her the money.
Judge Maxwell refused Hornblow’s application for a discharge without conviction. Finn Blackwell
Judge Maxwell said the victim felt disgusted by her interaction with the man.
She said he had effectively enticed her to prostitute herself, and coached her to avoid the application of the law.
“I do not accept the offending was less serious because the victim consented,” she said.
Under the Prostitution Reform Act, no one under the age of 18 may be contracted for commercial sexual services. The legal age of consent is 16.
Judge Maxwell said the victim was underage for what he intended, and he knew it.
Judge Maxwell refused Hornblow’s application for a discharge without conviction, as well as his permanent name suppression.
A law change last year meant the victim had to agree to the man’s identity remaining suppressed, which Judge Maxwell said she did not.
She gave discounts for his guilty plea, remorse, and reported good character.
He was convicted and sentenced to 10-months of home detention as well as the $3000 in emotional harm reparations.
At the time, Judge Maxwell granted interim suppression for Hornblow which has now lapsed.
At his sentencing in March, Hornblow’s lawyer, Graeme Newell asked the Court to discharge his client without a conviction. He said Hornblow believed the girl involved to be 17-years-old.
But in reality she was 14.
Greg Hornblow bought his victim Ubereats in exchange for intimate photos and videos. RNZ
Newell said Hornblow would find it hard to find work and the conviction would impact his family.
When Judge Maxwell declined to grant name suppression, Newell said there would be an appeal.
However, on Thursday, the Auckland District Court told RNZ the appeal had been abandoned, opening the way for Hornblow to be named.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Primary teachers’ union NZEI says still gains in new deal, despite same salary settings
April 3, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The union had hoped to negotiate a payment to acknowledge the extra work involved in implementing the new curriculum but was unsuccesful. 123RF
The primary teachers’ union says there have been gains in the deal its members accepted following drawn out bargaining, despite the salary settings being the same as an earlier offer.
Educational Institute Te Riu Roa primary teacher members agreed to a 2.5 percent pay rise with a further 2.1 percent in January next year.
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the pay increase was the same as was offered in December and the delay had cost primary teachers about $550 each.
NZEI Te Riu Roa primary teacher leader and bargaining team member Barb Curran said if the ministry had made the new offer earlier, a settlement could have been reached sooner.
She said there were gains in the final deal, including an increase to the camp allowance, funds for training and parity with secondary school teachers over allowances for extra duties.
“We will finally at the very end of the term of this have our management units be worth the same as a secondary unit. That’s been a point of contention for some time and an anomaly that no-one could satisfactorily explain.”
NZEI Te Riu Roa primary teacher leader and bargaining team member Barb Curran. Supplied / NZEI
The value of a unit would increase from $4500 to $5250 by October 2028.
Around 60 percent of teachers qualified for extra duty payments, Curran said.
“We’re also pleased we’ve got some opportunity for our relievers to do some professional learning and development – you could argue that should be business as usual, that the government would be providing professional learning for all teachers, but our relievers have been missing out, so we’re pleased for them.”
The union had hoped to negotiate a payment to acknowledge the extra work involved in implementing the new curriculum but was unsuccesful, she said.
“We had hoped for some sort of recognition of that work. Primary principals received a lump sum to recognise that work towards the curriculum changes, and we were hoping primary teachers who were actually in the classroom doing the work would be offered something to recognise that.”
Curran said it was frustrating the pay offer was below inflation, especially when there were huge increases in costs around fuel that were seeping into other areas.
“But our members have made the decision, so we’ll move on. We have other things we need to work towards in the education sector.”
It had been a long, difficult bargaining period, including scathing public critiques of teachers by senior government ministers and an unprecedented offer to non-union members ahead of settlement, Curran said.
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the pay increase was the same as was offered in December. Reece Baker/RNZ
The union requested Employment Relations Authority intervention over the stalled pay talks earlier this year after rejecting a mediated offer it described as mostly unchanged from the rejected December offer.
Following facilitated bargaining, a proposed settlement was put to NZEI members late last month.
Under the terms of the settlement, teachers on the top two steps of the salary scale would receive a cumulative pay increase of 4.7 percent by January next year.
This meant teachers at the top of the pay scale would see their base salary increase to $107,886 per annum.
Teachers moving up the pay scale would continue to receive annual increases along with a cumulative 4.6 percent pay increase by January next year.
Secondary teachers accepted a similiar deal in December and primary school principals accepted an offer in February.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Fastener Taiwan 2026: A Global Hub for Sustainable Innovation and Strategic Sourcing
April 2, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 April 2026 – The eighth edition of the Taiwan International Fastener Show is scheduled to take place from April 22 to 24, 2026, at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. As global supply chains face unprecedented cost pressures and industrial structure shifts, this premier event serves as an essential platform for international buyers to connect with the world’s most resilient manufacturing clusters. Industry professionals are strongly encouraged to pre-register online now at the official website (www.fastenertaiwan.com.tw) to secure their entry and explore the latest innovations from over 300 exhibitors.
Being the only B2B international fastener trade show in Taiwan, Fastener Taiwan showcases a comprehensive spectrum of products and services, including finished fasteners, fastener machines and materials, molds and tooling, inspection instruments, and hand tools.
Innovative and value-added solutions can be found from key participants including Sheh Fung, a leader in high-end painted screws; ZYH YIN, the primary screw supplier to IKEA; TAIWAN SHAN YIN, providing dental implants and automotive components, and SPEC, a qualified supplier for global brands like Tesla and Mercedes-Benz. Additionally, Taiwan Steel Group (TSG) will present integrated solutions for the aerospace and renewable energy industries, while machinery giants like JERN YAO and CHIEN TSAI will debut energy-efficient forging and thread-rolling technologies.
International brands are increasingly drawn to Taiwan’s growing markets, with exhibitors like Germany’s Dörken Coatings and Achilles Seibert, Japan’s Fukae Spring, and Korea’s HAWERS utilizing the show to expand their global reach.
Beyond the abundant display, Fastener Taiwan features the Global Fastener Forum, where industry experts discuss industry development and analyze regional regulations and opportunities. The Procurement Policy and Market Briefing will host leaders from major European distributor associations- EFDA, BIAFD and FDS, to discuss the implications of the EU CBAM and evolving procurement standards. To offer a deeper perspective, the Site Visit program provides buyers with exclusive access to local factories to witness fastener production process firsthand, while One-on-One Sourcing Meetings offer opportunities to discuss specific enquiries.
Fastener Taiwan 2026 is more than a trade show; it is where global industry leaders gather to forge the next decade of success. We invite professionals from all sectors, especially the aerospace, semiconductor, infrastructure, medical, and construction sectors, to register for visit now (https://reurl.cc/O6XXD9) to empower your business through fastening innovation.
Hashtag: #FastenerTaiwan2026
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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Ngāti Tahu react to the first successful prosecution for illegally exporting pounamu
April 2, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
14 Poutini Ngāi Tahu (West Coast Ngāi Tahu) pounamu stones weighing close to 60 kg returned on 1 November 2024 by New Zealand Customs. Supplied
Ngāi Tahu wants to see tougher restrictions on exporting pounamu after a mother and son were found guilty of attempting to illegally export pounamu to China over the legal limit.
It is the first successful prosecution of its kind by New Zealand Customs after Boyuan Zhang and his mother Xin Li were found carrying almost 18 [17.9] kilograms in their luggage in 2024.
While not a party to the case, Ngāi Tahu holds legal ownership of all naturally occurring pounamu within its tribal boundaries since 1997 under the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Vesting Act.
Ngāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio is one of the kaitiaki or stewardship hapū of Ngāi Tahu with a particular whakapapa connection to pounamu.
Representative Susan Wallace told Morning Report pounamu is a sacred resource and taonga recognised by many New Zealanders, not just Māori, who wear it and have a connection to the stone.
Descendants of Ngāi Tahu attended the trial in the Manukau District Court last month, and Wallace said the verdict was an emotional moment for them.
“It does serve as a warning that attempts to export pounamu without permission can and will be prosecuted so it’s a huge outcome for us.
“The case also highlighted a number of areas where the export regime could be strengthened, and that includes the current weight threshold. You can currently export up to five kilograms out of the country – this case showed that you can’t get around that by sharing the weight amongst a group of people, which is what happened in this case.”
Wallace said Ngāi Tahu had been working with Customs and the police.
Asked why there was such a large black market for pounamu, Wallace said she believed it was because pounamu was not mined here to the extent it was in other countries.
“So we’re fortunate to be able to have quite a lot of pounamu that is available. As a result of that, others from overseas are coming in quite regularly to take and export pounamu. We’re actually wanting to tighten that up – we think that the weight needs to be lowered significantly.”
Exporting pounamu in quantities over five kilograms was only permitted with the approval of the Customs minister.
Public fossicking for pounamu was only allowed on West Coast beaches, and the size of pounamu allowed to be taken was limited to something you could carry in one hand.
Rivers were able to be fossicked by Ngāi Tahu whānau members, but only with a collection permit granted by the kaitiaki (guardian) rūnanga.
Wallace said the case showed there were areas of the law that needed to be tightened up, including the weight limit for exporting pounamu.
“We’d love to see it reduced down completely and that there is a special permit that might be given that would enable it to be taken out legally, but actually with the support of Ngāi Tahu rather than it being something that is, I guess, managed through the government.”
Ngāi Tahu had an authentication process in place for buyers to check the authenticity of their taonga, she said.
“So we have a unique traceability code from the seller, you can enter that into the Ngāi Tahu pounamu website and trace back where that particular piece of pounamu came from.
“It’s a shame that despite this case there [are] so many online listings for illegally sourced stone, so it is showing the scale of the black market pounamu trade at the moment.”
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