Fire and Emergency New Zealand is moving Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland into a restricted fire season from 6am on Thursday 16 January until further notice.
A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for atcheckitsalright.nz.
Te Hiku Region Manager Ron Devlin says outdoor fires will be restricted in the Waitematā, Auckland City and Counties Manukau districts due to the high fire risk throughout Auckland at present.
“While there is some rain forecast next week, this isn’t going to be enough to counter the effects of the recent warm, dry weather,” he says.
“We continually monitor the weather conditions throughout the region, and keep an eye on how quickly vegetation is drying out.
“Right now, we consider flammable vegetation such as mānuka, kānuka and grass, and forestry areas as being particularly high risk, as these burn easily, spread fast, and can be really difficult to contain.”
The Hauraki Gulf Islands remain in a prohibited fire season, which means all outdoor fires are banned on the islands.
“If you’re thinking about starting a fire, you must go towww.checkitsalright.nzfirst to find out if you can, and what restrictions apply,” Ron Devlin says.
“There’s also excellent safety advice, which I strongly urge people to follow, to help us keep Tāmaki Makaurau fire-free this summer.”
Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke.
Police have arrested and charged a 28-year-old man in connection with an incident at address on Rolleston Street, Thames on Monday 13 January which led to the death of a man and the launch of a homicide investigation.
The 28-year-old man is due to appear in the Kaitaia District Court on 16 January facing a charge of murder.
Police are now able to confirm the name of the deceased. He was 60-year-old Maxwell Connor of Thames. Our thoughts are with his whānau at this time.
Police continue to appeal to anyone with information to come forward. In particular we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed an altercation in Rolleston St at around 3.40pm on Monday afternoon.
If you have any information, please contact Police via 105 either online or over the phone referencing file number: 250113/5723
The Associate Minster of Transport has this week told the community that work is progressing to ensure they have a secure and suitable shipping solution in place to give the Island certainty for its future.
“I was pleased with the level of engagement the Request for Information process the Ministry of Transport ran last year received from both shipping providers and the community,” Mr Doocey says.
The RFI process sought information from potential suppliers who may be interested in providing shipping services to the Chatham Islands when the Southern Tiare reaches the end of its life.
“The Southern Tiare has served the Chatham Islands for many years, but the Chatham Islands now deserve a replacement shipping service that is reliable, fit for purpose and serves the community for many years to come.
“This week I have been visiting the Island, listening to what people have to say and getting a better understanding of what will and won’t work. The Island has a range of needs including livestock shipping, seafood shipping and everyday essentials.
“The Government will be commencing a formal procurement process this year. We will continue to keep the community informed as we enter the next phase of discussions.
“I recognise the importance of a regular and reliable shipping service for the Island and plan to make further announcements in the coming months to confirm my decisions.”
Work has restarted at Tāngarākau Gorge, following the Christmas holiday shutdown, as crews continue sealing the final 1.5 kilometres of State Highway 43.
The gorge sealing project will ultimately see the unsealed 12-kilometre section of the Forgotten World Highway chip-sealed, making the road safer and more accessible for locals and visitors wanting to experience the iconic back country journey.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Project Manager Sree Nutulapati says the project has been incredibly worthwhile and he’s excited to see the gorge sealed.
“This highway is iconic for tourists and for businesses alike – it’s important we get this sealing finished, to ultimately make the gorge safer, and travel more efficient.”
“The sealing will provide a more resilient and safer connection between Taumarunui and Stratford.
“We want to thank road users for their patience over the next few weeks while the sealing gets finished.”
The project is on track to be completed in full by the end of February.
HARARE, ZIMBABWE – EQS Newswire – 13 January 2025 – Next-generation financial services platform Mukuru (www.Mukuru.com) has launched a mobile wallet in Zimbabwe called Mukuru Wallet. The secure digital store of value follows Mukuru’s award of a Deposit-Taking Microfinance Institution (DTMFI) licence in Zimbabwe by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Building on Mukuru’s trusted capabilities, which support more than three-million Zimbabwean customers, the wallet has several benefits, including its standout features: two pockets that allow users to send and receive money locally and internationally from mobile phones, safe storage of funds as well as a free cashout on international transfers.
Marc Carrie-Wilson, Send Money Home Zimbabwe CEO says: “The Mukuru Wallet is a significant development in the country because we have built a reputable brand by consistently ensuring cash availability when needed. To avoid disappointing people who travel long distances to receive their remittances which they use for food, school fees and other essential services, we now have 250 of our own service points. With a network stretching across urban and rural areas, we can reach more people than ever, providing constant cash availability and valuable digital solutions, such as the Mukuru Wallet, to the underserved communities.”
Mukuru Zimbabwe Financial Services CEO, Doug Tait-Knight, says: “Mukuru takes its role as a fintech driving financial inclusion seriously. With this wallet, we tap into our strength which lies in our robust network and technology, as well as our crispy notes that are always available, making this an exciting moment in our evolution in Zimbabwe.
“The wallet environment enables us to start providing additional value such as allowing more affordable domestic money transfers, supporting safety by eliminating the need for customers to walk around with large sums of money, and providing convenience and cost savings, such as paying for electricity, buying airtime, settling DSTV bills and paying for insurance from their couch. Our use of multiple channels also ensures accessibility for our customers,” explains Tait-Knight.
While currently focusing on private end users, soon organisations will be able to partner with Mukuru to make use of its local capabilities and global footprint to facilitate payments, such as distributing money to farmers, supporting payroll for small businesses and securing traceable aid distributions. Various organisations such as Cottco and the United Nations, through the World Food Programme, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) already partner with Mukuru.
Kevin Nyakotyo, Mukuru’s Enterprise Sales Manager for Zimbabwe and Zambia, added, “Our success in the end-user sector has enabled us to set in motion plans to enter the business sector. Whether it is for tobacco or cotton, payments made to farmers are often large sums of money. The Mukuru Wallet will make receiving these large sums of money far safer because beneficiaries won’t need to draw all their cash at the same time.
“We have a mandate to educate the market based on trends we see, and with this wallet, we are reaching out to both organisations and individuals and giving them peace of mind to know their funds will be safe and can be collected at any time. They can draw an amount that suits them with full confidence the cash will be available wherever they are, whenever they need it,” says Nyakotyo.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mukuru.
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Image Caption (1): Marc Carrie-Wilson, Mukuru Send Money Home Zimbabwe CEO
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Image Caption (2): Doug Tait-Knight, Mukuru Zimbabwe Financial Services CEO
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Image Caption (3): Kevin Nyakotyo, Mukuru’s Enterprise Sales Manager for Zimbabwe and Zambia
A firearm, ammunition, drugs, cash, and multiple stolen items have been seized by Police following a search warrant in Napier.
On Tuesday 14 January, staff from the Eastern District Organised Crime Unit executed a search warrant at a property on Thames Street at around 4pm.
A loaded firearm and multiple calibre rounds of ammunition were seized during the search warrant.
Around 60 bags of cannabis and a small quantity of methamphetamine were also seized, alongside a scale and $3900 cash.
A stolen E-Scooter and multiple stolen Milwaukee power tools were also located during the search warrant.
A 34-year-old man has been arrested and is due to appear in Hastings District Court today.
He has been charged with a range of charges including supplying methamphetamine, possession to supply methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing a firearm, and possession to supply cannabis.
Police will continue to target those who supply illicit drugs, which cause extreme harm and damage to our communities. However, we cannot do this alone, and we ask that anyone with information about the supply of illicit drugs contacts us on 105.
Information can also be reported to your local Police station or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.
We encourage anyone affected by drug addiction to seek help through Alcohol and Drug helpline on 0800 787 797, or free text 8681.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 January 2025 – The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) is participating in the two-day “Asian Financial Forum 2025” from today (13 January to 14 January), to promote Hong Kong’s sustainable development and the implementation of the HKFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (HKFRS SDS). At the Forum, the HKICPA President Edward Au shared the importance of HKFRS SDS, and spoke on assisting enterprises in implementing the standards. In addition, HKICPA set up a booth at the venue to showcase the Institute’s journey in setting HKFRS SDS, and took part in the InnoVenture Salon to provide one-on-one consultations to start-ups in the area of sustainability.
The HKICPA President Edward Au participated in the Asian Financial Forum 2025 as a panellist in a panel discussion titled Setting Global Milestone in Sustainability. He was joined by other guest speakers to explore ways for companies and market participants to better understand the best practices, challenges, and opportunities for advancing sustainability initiatives globally.
Co-organized by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the two-day “Asian Financial Forum 2025” commenced today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Themed “Powering the Next Growth Engine”, the Forum attracted more than 3,600 leading figures from finance and business to participate. The event brought together over 100 influential leaders from government, finance, and business communities from all over the world for ground-breaking discussions and exchange of insights on the global economy from an Asian perspective.
The HKICPA President Edward Au (left two) participated in the Asian Financial Forum 2025 as a panellist in a panel discussion titled Setting Global Milestone in Sustainability. He was joined by other guest speakers to explore ways for companies and market participants to better understand the best practices, challenges, and opportunities for advancing sustainability initiatives globally.
The HKICPA President Edward Au said, “The Asian Financial Forum brings together leaders from political and business communities and financial experts worldwide, providing an ideal platform for the HKICPA to showcase its efforts in promoting sustainable disclosure standards in Hong Kong and to gain an understanding on the best practices in sustainability reporting across regions. As the sustainability reporting standard setter of Hong Kong, the HKICPA is committed to creating an enabling environment for the successful implementation of the HKFRS SDS and to contribute towards the development of a comprehensive sustainability disclosure ecosystem in Hong Kong to embrace new growth opportunities.”
The HKICPA published HKFRS SDS in December last year, which are fully aligned with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards), with an effective date of 1 August 2025. President Edward Au today participated in the panel discussion titled “Setting Global Milestone in Sustainability”, under the Global Spectrum seminar series. He was joined by Janey Lai, CEO of the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and Justin Wu, Managing Director, Head of Climate Change Asia Pacific, Global Sustainability, HSBC. The panel explored ways for companies and market participants to better understand the best practices, challenges, and opportunities for advancing sustainability initiatives globally. It also underscored the significance of aligning Hong Kong’s sustainability disclosure requirements with ISSB standards, marking a crucial milestone in the development of efficient and resilient capital markets both in Hong Kong and globally.
In the panel discussion, Edward Au stated, “Hong Kong is among the first jurisdictions worldwide to align local sustainability disclosure standards with the international standards, which is critical to maintaining and enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness among global capital markets. The HKFRS SDS, published by the HKICPA and fully aligned with the ISSB Standards, provide a global baseline for sustainability-related financial disclosures, enabling companies to present more consistent, comparable, and decision-useful information to investors.”
He continued, “The accounting profession in Hong Kong is well-experienced in financial reporting, auditing, internal control and risk management. The profession is thus more than capable of providing high quality sustainability reporting and assurance services. Moving forward, the HKICPA is committed to building capacity for the profession and stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the HKFRS SDS and to solidify Hong Kong’s status as a leading international financial centre and a green and sustainable finance hub.”
The HKICPA set up a booth at the venue to present the development journey of HKFRS SDS, the Institute’s efforts in standard setting and capacity building, and other related topics. Participants’ enquiries about the HKICPA’s role in sustainability development were addressed, enhancing their understanding of sustainability disclosures in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the HKICPA also supported the Forum’s InnoVenture Salon. Cyrus Cheung, the Chair of the Sustainability Committee of the HKICPA, met with start-ups to provide one-on-one consultations to address their concerns related to sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) along their entrepreneurial journey.
For details of Asian Financial Forum 2025, please visit website:
Crews will be resurfacing State Highway 44 Molesworth Street in New Plymouth from next Monday.
The overnight work is scheduled to begin Monday 20 January and is expected to take 10-12 nights to complete.
During the work, crews will be onsite between 7pm and 6am and the road will be under stop/go traffic management.
Delays of between 5 and 10 minutes can be expected.
Outside the overnight work hours, the road will be open with a 30 km/h speed limit in place.
Access to and from some sideroads adjacent to SH44 may be impacted temporarily while work is taking place.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is advising road users to plan ahead during this work and take advantage of alternative routes.
NZTA appreciates the overnight closures will cause disruption and we’re confident that by doing the work overnight, the construction timeframe will be as short as possible.
KUNMING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 January 2025 – On January 6th, China’s first alpine truffle museum was established at the Fuli Palace of Kunming Botanical Garden. This museum, founded by the brand “Dr. Plant”, focuses on alpine truffles and aims to showcase the unique charm and precious value of truffles to the public in innovative ways. While providing robust support for black truffle conservation, it also injects new vitality into biodiversity protection efforts. Xie Yong, Deputy Director of the Wu Zhengyi Science Foundation, Founder and Chairman of DR PLANT, Qin Lan, Alpine Truffle Experience Officer, Niu Yang, Director of Kunming Botanical Garden, and original designer Jia Kemu attended the opening ceremony.
To better protect the truffle ecology from destruction and raise public awareness of truffles, DR PLANT established the country’s first Alpine Truffle Museum, integrating ethnic culture into brand building and promoting the concept of alpine plant skincare.
“National is Global. Doctor Plant always adheres to the inheritance of ethnic culture. The Alpine Truffle Museum allows global consumers to experience the charm of Chinese skincare brands and understand the ethnic wisdom of the Chinese nation. We will uphold this confidence and present and transmit more natural beauty originating from China to the world,” said Xie Yong, Founder & Chairman of Doctor Plant.
Through the Alpine Truffle Museum, DR PLANT visually showcases the perfect fusion of ethnic cultural elements and alpine plant resources, bringing content with ethnic characteristics to the world stage. DR PLANT continuously explores and inherits alpine plant resources, achieving synergistic progress in brand value and cultural inheritance, injecting deeper cultural connotations and vitality into the brand.
“As a domestic brand deeply rooted in the field of alpine plant skincare, DR PLANT has always been committed to bringing safe and effective alpine plant ingredients to everyone. The domestic first Alpine Truffle Museum built in Kunming, Yunnan, in the form of public welfare, allows us to deeply understand the relationship between truffles, ecology, and human skincare through science popularization and immersive interaction,” mentioned Qin Lan, the Alpine Truffle Experience Officer, at the opening ceremony.
China’s first Alpine Truffle Museum not only connects the past and the future but also connects nature and humanity. DR PLANT has fulfilled its social responsibilities and commitments through practical actions, enabling more people to understand the unique charm of China’s alpine plants and illuminating the path for Chinese brands to explore natural cultural inheritance.
“Truffles are typical representatives of growth and harmony among all things, a harmonious life community. China’s black truffles have nearly the same nutritional value as those in France, but their commercial prices differ by dozens of times, mainly due to deficiencies in mining techniques and social impact. The ecological, nutritional, and beauty functions of truffles await exploration. We must not only utilize truffles well but also protect them. This requires contributing Chinese wisdom, technology, equipment, and products!” Xu Jianchu emphasized that the Dr. Plant Alpine Truffle Museum is crucial for the protection and promotion of black truffles in China. Taking the alpine truffle museum as a carrier, he hopes that Yunnan black truffles will go global.
Hashtag: #DRPLANT
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