Friday, March 6

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US election: North Carolina Republican vows to stay in governor’s race after calling himself Black Nazi
World News

US election: North Carolina Republican vows to stay in governor’s race after calling himself Black Nazi

By Daniel Trotta and Joseph Ax for Reuters Mark Robinson, Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina and candidate for Governor, delivers remarks during a campaign event for Donald Trump on 14 August. Photo: GRANT BALDWIN / Getty Images via AFP North Carolina's Republican candidate for governor has promised to stay in the race after CNN reported that he once called himself a "black Nazi" and proposed bringing back slavery in comments posted on a pornography website. Mark Robinson, an African American who denied making the comments, is North Carolina's lieutenant governor and running for governor in the 5 November election against Democratic candidate Josh Stein, the state's attorney general. North Carolina's gubernatorial campaign has implications for the presidential contest. The fortune...
Should we tip hospo staff in New Zealand?
Business

Should we tip hospo staff in New Zealand?

Photo: Unsplash An Auckland hospitality entrepreneur hopes to flip the New Zealand culture of 'no tipping' at bars and restaurants. Luke Dallow told Morning Report a struggling economy means many hospitality spots are employing fewer waiters, so diners are getting slack service. With the cost of goods and rents increasing, something needs to change, he said. "And what is controllable is wages. My concept would be to reduce the menu price on the menu, then that would get more consumers into the restaurants or bars. "Now to top this up you would tip, encourage tipping." He said it would mean minimum wage plus tips for wait staff, though Dallow's maths could be a bit off. "Minimum wage is $24 or I think it's roughly around that at the moment, and a waitress or waiter could easily make $10 i...
Components for pagers used in Lebanon blasts are not from Taiwan, minister says
World News

Components for pagers used in Lebanon blasts are not from Taiwan, minister says

Hsu Ching-kuang, head of Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, speaks to the media outside the company's office in New Taipei City. Taiwanese company Gold Apollo on September 18 denied a report that it had produced hundreds of explosive-packed pagers used by Hezbollah members which simultaneously exploded, killing at least nine people. Photo: AFP / YAN ZHAO Components used in thousands of pagers that detonated on Tuesday in Lebanon in a deadly blow to Hezbollah were not made in Taiwan, Taiwan's economy minister said on Friday. Taiwan-based Gold Apollo said this week it did not manufacture the devices used in the attack, and that Budapest-based company BAC to which the pagers were traced has a license to use its brand. It was not clear how or when the pagers were weaponised so they could be rem...
Wynyard Quarter pedestrian bridge set to reopen in December
Business

Wynyard Quarter pedestrian bridge set to reopen in December

A pedestrian bridge that links Auckland's Viaduct to a strip of waterfront restaurants is broken and stuck in the up position. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi A broken pedestrian bridge across Auckland's Wynyard Quarter is set to reopen in December. The Wynyard Crossing bridge, linking the city centre to businesses in the Wynyard Quarter, has been stuck upright since March. Its closure has caused difficulties for businesses, with foot traffic re-directed via a 15-minute detour. A passenger ferry and pontoon bridge had been a temporary solution. Eke Panuku, the Auckland council agency responsible for repairing the bridge, said the complexity of works meant it could not confirm an exact date for the bridge's re-opening, but it was expected to be in December. "As the project team get further t...
‘If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot’: Kamala Harris warns potential home intruder
World News

‘If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot’: Kamala Harris warns potential home intruder

Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: "If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot." The Democratic presidential candidate and gun owner made the seemingly unguarded comment in an interview with Oprah Winfrey before a live studio audience when the conversation turned to gun laws. "I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later," Harris said, laughing. Harris, who has robust protection from the US Secret Service, made the statement amid heightened concern about political violence after a second potential assassination attempt against her opponent in the 5 November presidential election, Republican Donald Trump. Trump favors few restrictions on arms and ammuniti...
SeaLink offers pay rises to staff threatening to strike
Business

SeaLink offers pay rises to staff threatening to strike

The SeaLink vehicle ferry to Waiheke Island. Photo: Supplied An Auckland ferry company will continue negotiations with workers on Friday to avoid strike action next week. Unionised employees of SeaLink, which operates freight and passenger ferries between Auckland, Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands, will strike from Tuesday over pay disparity in the industry. First Union organiser Justin Wallace said workers want wages and conditions to match that of Auckland Transport's ferries, which had a cash injection to increase pay for crew earlier this year. "SeaLink's workers are struggling with the absurd cost of living in Auckland, while going to work every day knowing that they are being underpaid compared to colleagues who do the same work as them on a different ferry provider." In a statem...
Brazil approves returning to daylight saving time as drought bites
World News

Brazil approves returning to daylight saving time as drought bites

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Leticia Fucuchima, Reuters Former President Jair Bolsonaro abolished daylight savings in 2019, arguing it was no longer benefiting the power sector. Photo: 123RF Brazilian energy authorities have approved bringing back daylight saving time, a senior official said on Thursday, to save energy as the country faces a major drought that has hit power generation. Before it goes into effect, reinstating daylight savings time will need to be backed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A prolonged drought in Brazil has affected some of the country's largest hydroelectric plants, including two fed by an Amazonian river, forcing a shift to more energy imports and driving up power bills. Despite the growth of wind and solar power in Latin America's largest economy, m...
Canadian energy company eyes oil and gas in Taranaki
Business

Canadian energy company eyes oil and gas in Taranaki

Photo: 123rf A Canadian energy company will be in the country next week for a close inspection of possible oil and gas investment in Taranaki region. Monumental Energy said it would work with the New Zealand Energy Corporation (NZEC), which it owns close to nine percent of, to look at new exploration and development projects. The company's director and founder, Maximilian Sali, said its strong links with NZEC made a closer look at New Zealand opportunities sensible. "It seemed only natural for us to take another step farther into oil and gas in this prolific basin in New Zealand and begin assessing opportunities for Monumental to generate its own revenue by partnering on certain assets and potentially bidding on new blocks with NZEC," he said in a statement to the Toronto Stock Exchange....
Nike veteran Elliott Hill to replace John Donahoe as CEO, shares jump
World News

Nike veteran Elliott Hill to replace John Donahoe as CEO, shares jump

By Juveria Tabassum and Nicholas P Brown, Reuters Nike said on Thursday that former senior executive Elliott Hill will rejoin the company to succeed John Donahoe as president and CEO. Photo: AFP Nike said on Thursday that former senior executive Elliott Hill will rejoin the company to succeed John Donahoe as president and CEO, as the sportswear giant shakes up its leadership amid efforts to revive sales and battle rising competition. The company's shares rose 8 percent in after-hours trading. Hill was at Nike for 32 years and held senior leadership positions across Europe and North America where he helped expand the business to more than US$39 billion, the company said. He was previously Nike's president, consumer marketplace, leading all commercial and market operations for the Nike...
Ads from Hell: How a pizza brand’s marketing reveals NZ’s shifting religious attitudes
Business

Ads from Hell: How a pizza brand’s marketing reveals NZ’s shifting religious attitudes

By Dan Fastnedge and Melissa L Gould* of Controversial advertising holds a mirror up to society. It can unite us in laughter or outrage, spark debates that shape our beliefs - and sometimes expose our political differences. But where do lines of acceptability or offensiveness get drawn? Earlier this year the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced the percent7E:text=1.,our percent20pizza percent20for percent20meat percent20lovers. percentE2 percent80 percent9D most complained about ads ever. Categories ranged from political advocacy to household products. And the most complained about spot belonged to Hell Pizza's "Lust condom" mailers. The brand's "Hell Crossed Buns" billboard came in third. This is not surprising, given the brand is often in the hea...