Blog

About 230 workers await news about whether they still have jobs at Winstone Pulp. Photo: Alexa Cook/RNZ It is an anxious time for 230 North Island mill workers who are waiting for a meeting where they will learn if their company is closing down or not. Winstone Pulp International has proposed closing two of its mills near Ohakune because of high wholesale power prices. For the past few weeks Winstone has been meeting with energy company Mercury and ministers to try and find a way to stay open. A petition was launched last week to save the mill - as there are fears the nearby communities will turn into ghost towns because Winstone is the main employer in the area. The final decision was expected on Monday, but it was extended until Tuesday afternoon, and the company planned to meet with ...

By Max A. Cherney and Kenrick Cai, Reuters Apple held an event Tuesday morning to showcase the new iPhone 16, Airpods and Apple Watch models. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP Apple unveiled updated Watches and AirPods at an event focused on its AI-enhanced iPhone 16, although Apple's product showcase risks being overshadowed by Chinese rival Huawei's tri-fold phone, unofficially announced earlier in the day. The Chinese company's website showed on Tuesday that it had garnered more than 3 million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone. This underscores Huawei's ability to navigate US sanctions and solidifies its position against Apple in China, where consumers are hankering for more AI features and are willing to pay for them. Apple shares were barely changed in early after...

Customers who want to return items bought online may face more charges, as some retailers have been adding up the costs Photo: NZ Post The decision by retailer ASOS to start charging shoppers for returns when they frequently want large refunds makes sense in a changing retail environment, commentators say. The large international clothing retailer announced it will charge UK shoppers £3.95 for returns unless they keep £40 of their order. In New Zealand, returns cost $8.99. Retail New Zealand chief executive Carolyn Young said the evolution of influencers had changed how people shopped, and many people now ordered large numbers of items online, only to return the majority. "If the retailer is paying for the freight it will impact on margins and profitability, together with double handlin...