Blog - Viral News

Democratic National Convention: Barack and Michelle Obama rouse crowd for Kamala Harris

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

World News

Democratic National Convention: Barack and Michelle Obama rouse crowd for Kamala Harris

By Jeff Mason, Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw, Reuters Former US President Barack Obama speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: AFP / Eva Hamback Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama delivered a one-two punch at the Democratic National Convention, urging Americans to back Kamala Harris in her 11th-hour presidential bid against Republican Donald Trump. America's first Black president, Obama, has thrown his considerable political capital behind Harris as she seeks to make history herself on 5 November as the first woman and first Black and South Asian person to be elected US president. "We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, an...

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Business

Laybuy company bought by Swedish firm

Laybuy has been bought by a Swedish firm, that says the service will be relaunched. Photo: Screenshot Laybuy is coming back. The buy-now-pay-later provider announced in June it was reporting receivers, blaming an economic downturn that had been more drawn-out than expected. Customers were told they could not make new transactions from that point. Swedish fintech company Klarna said on Wednesday it had bought Laybuy's asserts in New Zealand and planned to relaunch the service in the coming weeks. The company said Laybuy's customers would "benefit from a revitalised platform". "Laybuy established itself as a cherished brand in New Zealand and we're excited to build on those foundations to take Laybuy to new heights under the Klarna umbrella," said Klarna chief commercial officer David Syk...

Mushroom deaths: Erin Patterson’s murder trial to take place in regional Victoria after Supreme Court ruling

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

World News

Mushroom deaths: Erin Patterson’s murder trial to take place in regional Victoria after Supreme Court ruling

Erin Patterson was arrested and charged with murder on 2 November 2023. Photo: Screenshot / ABC Accused triple murderer Erin Patterson will face trial in regional Victoria early next year. Patterson is alleged to have murdered three people by serving a beef Wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms. Her defence team has been pushing for her trial to be held in the Latrobe Valley, although the prosecution wanted it to be held in Melbourne. The Supreme Court today decided that the highly-anticipated trial will be held in Morwell in April next year. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges. In November, prosecutors charged Patterson with three counts of murder over the deaths of father-in-law Don Patterson, mother-in-law Gail Patterson and extended relative Heather Wilkinson, who at...

Mercury more than doubles full-year profit

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Business

Mercury more than doubles full-year profit

Photo: 123RF Mercury has more than doubled its full-year profit, as operating earnings improved thanks to high wholesale electricity prices and changes in the value of unhedged financial assets. Key numbers for the 12 months ended June compared with a year ago: Net profit $290m vs $103m Revenue $3.42b vs $2.73b Operating earnings $877m vs $841m Final dividend 14 cents per share vs 13.1 cps Mercury said hydro generation of 4096 gigawatts was down 21 percent on the prior year's record generation as lake levels fell due to low rainfall. Operating earnings rose by $36 million, supported by an increased trading margin of $1.23 billion (up $65m from 2023), driven by high wholesale power prices and new wind generation from the Kaiwera Downs wind farm. Its net profit w...

Loud budgeting: Influencers buck big-spending trend

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Business

Loud budgeting: Influencers buck big-spending trend

Budgeting how to is finding fans on social media. Photo: IGOR STEVANOVIC / SCIENCE PHOTO Social media trends tend to focus on holidays, partying and dining out - it's all about spending money to feel good. But some influencers are encouraging their followers to save money instead. American comedian and influencer Lukas Battle went viral at the beginning of 2024 for promoting the idea of loud budgeting. It was all about being vocal with your financial decisions. Lara Meyer from New Zealand finance site Sorted said while loud budgeting requires some courage it was good for your bank account in the long run. "There's always gonna be times in life when we need to make the decision that 'actually, I can't afford this', and it does take a little bit of courage." "I'm in that situation at the ...

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Life Style

How to stay focused and get things done

Are you constantly busy but struggle to get things done? Do you feel overwhelmed by the endless demands on your attention? Research shows that our brains have limited cognitive capacity, yet modern technology bombards us with information. In this fast-paced world, finding time to truly focus can feel almost impossible.In this masterclass with Mark Channon, you'll uncover the strategies for mastering focus. You'll learn how to prime your brain, overcome procrastination, and manage feelings of overwhelm. Plus, you'll discover how to apply these techniques to create your own personalised productivity routine, allowing you to regain control of your time and attention. By examining the science behind inattention – what causes us to become distracted and how we can train our brains to be more f...

$227m loss for Fletcher Building, ‘challenging’ year ahead

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Business

$227m loss for Fletcher Building, ‘challenging’ year ahead

File pic Photo: Unsplash / Abdul Zreika Fletcher Building has reported a full year loss of $227 million, with revenue little changed from the year earlier. The building company's underlying profit was at the low end of expectations at $509m but still down 35 percent on the year earlier. Key numbers for the 12 months ended June compared with a year ago: Net profit $227m vs $235m (included $301m in one-time items) Revenue $7.683b vs $7.679b Underlying profit $509m vs $785m Full year dividend nil vs 34 cents per share Acting chief executive Nick Traber said the result reflected slowing demand, inflation and competitive pressures. He said market volumes fell over the year, with New Zealand down 25 percent and Australia down 15 percent on the year earlier. "We expect the year ahead to rema...

Climate change is impacting mental health: WHO

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Health

Climate change is impacting mental health: WHO

Climate change is significantly impacting mental health and psychosocial well-being, the World Health Organization said, while calling on countries to strengthen mental health systems and services to address this growing challenge. A recent report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed that rapidly increasing climate change leads to emotional distress, anxiety, depression, grief, and suicidal behaviour. Yet large gaps exist in mental health needs and the availability and accessibility and services to address them. “Climate change exacerbates many social, environmental, and economic risk factors for mental health and psychosocial well-being,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia. Among WHO regions, South-East Asia is most vulnerable to ...

Zespri continues crackdown on illegal plantings in China

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

Business

Zespri continues crackdown on illegal plantings in China

Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit Photo: Zespri / supplied Kiwifruit company Zespri continues to crack down on illegal plantings of its SunGold variety in China with three people being sentenced to nearly four years in jail for their involvement in the trade of the fruit. Chinese growers have been illegally planting SunGold or G3, which Zespri owns the rights to, since 2016 when a grower took clippings to China. Zespri has since been working with authorities there to crack down on fraudulent plantings and use of counterfeit packaging. The company said as part of ongoing legal activity to protect the Zespri brand, it recently completed successful prosecutions against three individuals in China for online sales of locally grown fruit with counterfeit Zespri labels to the value of more than NZ$700,...

Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck – report

21Aug

By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments

World News

Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck – report

Photo: AFP / ROBYN BECK Singer and actor Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from her actor husband Ben Affleck after two years of marriage, TMZ and other media outlets reported on Tuesday (local time). Lopez submitted divorce papers in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, TMZ said. Spokespeople for the actors did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The couple exchanged vows in a Las Vegas wedding chapel in July 2022, roughly two decades after a high-profile romance that ended in a break-up. In the early 2000s, the pair dubbed "Bennifer" were the most talked about couple in the celebrity world in a relationship marked by his-and-her luxury cars and a large 6.1-carat pink diamond engagement ring. They abruptly called off their wedding in 2003 and split up a few mont...