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☆ New Zealand Govt Ministers Heckled by Protesters Ahead of National Day Celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

During the welcome, or powhiri, Luxon's speech only went ahead after a Maori elder called for respect. The government has also said it will introduce, but are not committed to passing, a bill that would reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi. Organiser are expecting upwards of 60,000 people to attend Waitangi Day events, which started on Saturday making it the biggest event since the 150-year celebrations in 1990. Protest has long been part of Waitangi celebrations and in 1995 official events had to be cancelled due to anger over government policies. In 2016, a minister was struck in the face by a dildo thrown by a woman protesting a trade agreement.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Christopher Luxon, we’d, there’d, Luxon, Lucy Craymer, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, New, British Crown, Waitangi Locations: New Zealand, Waitangi

☆ Citadel is on top, and Schonfeld is picking up steam. Here's how hedge funds kicked off the new year.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Alex Morrell | Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Hedge funds are off to a good start in 2024 after mediocre performance last year. January returns were strong at multi-strategy managers like Citadel, Point72, and Millennium. A leaner Schonfeld closed out a rough 2023 on high note, and it's kept the momentum going in 2024. In 2023, even the best multi-strategy hedge funds trailed the broader stock market. Citadel led its peers with a 15.3% gain last year, but the S&P 500 notched a total return of 26.3%.

Persons: it's, Ari Glass Organizations: Citadel, Business Locations: Point72, Wellington

☆ U.S. Needs to Work With Greater Intensity in the Pacific - NZ for Min
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

“Pillar two (of AUKUS) is the examination we're going to look at beginning tonight and tomorrow and going forward," he told Reuters in an interview. New Zealand has had a nuclear free policy since the 1980s and there has been no indication this will change. Peters also said the U.S. had neglected the Pacific since the Second World War, and that had created a vacuum that others had filled. "They've have certainly upped their game, but they need to work with greater intensity on the immediate problems at the ground level of many of the island nations,” he said. Peters did not mention China by name, but jostling between Washington and Beijing for influence in the Pacific has increased in recent years over issues including security, defence, aid and infrastructure.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Winston Peters, Peters, ”, Lucy Craymer, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Foreign, Pacific Locations: New Zealand, Australia, Britain, U.S, Washington, Wellington, “, China, Beijing

☆ New Zealand Withdraws Bill Allowing 16-Year-Olds to Vote in Local Body Elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON (Reuters) - The New Zealand government on Friday withdrew a bill that would have allowed sixteen year olds to vote in local government elections if it had passed. New Zealand's highest court ruled in late 2022 that the country's current voting age of 18 was discriminatory, forcing parliament to discuss whether it should be lowered. The previous Labour government last year ruled out the possibility of lowering the voting age to 16 for national elections, but had sought to legislate a lower voting age for local government elections. "Worrying about how to implement a new voting age regime would be a costly distraction for councils who have enough issues to deal with right now," he said. "Democracy is when voters choose their politicians, not when politicians choose their voters," they said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Simeon Brown, Lucy Craymer, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, New, Friday, Labour, Local, National Party, Twitter Locations: New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Inflation in New Zealand has slowed to its lowest rate in two and a half years, the country's official statistics agency announced on Wednesday. The agency said falling food and transport prices were the main drivers of the slowdown in the inflation rate which had peaked at 7.3 per cent in 2022. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesNew Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis said a key goal of the government was to lower inflation. “Our immediate focus is getting inflation back into the target range under three per cent,” she said. The result means annual inflation rate is now at its lowest since June 2021, while quarterly inflation was tracked at 0.5 per cent, the smallest rise since December 2020.

Persons: Nicola Willis Organizations: Reserve Bank of New, Reserve Bank, New Zealand Finance Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand

☆ Ken Griffin is on top of the hedge fund world. Read his memo to the Citadel team.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewAnother big year for billionaire Ken Griffin and Citadel has extended the lead the Miami-based money manager has over its peers. It brought the firm's all-time gains to $74 billion, close to $20 billion more than the two firms tied for second all-time, D.E. The two firms have generated $56.1 billion in profits since they launched, according to the rankings. In an internal memo titled "Citadel Widens Lead as Most Profitable Hedge Fund of All Time," Griffin wrote, "We not only retained the #1 ranking, but we also more than doubled our lead over our closest competitors in the past year." Citadel confirmed the contents of the memo but declined to comment further.

Persons: —, Ken Griffin, Shaw, Ray Dalio's Bridgewater, Edmond de Rothschild, Griffin Organizations: Service, Citadel, Business, LCH Investments, Millennium, Bloomberg, LCH, Fund Locations: Miami, Connecticut, Wellington

☆ Thousands of New Zealand Maori Meet to Discuss Response to Government Plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Maori King Tuheitia, who hosted the event, told attendees their voices matter but it was not just talk, a solution that was needed. Critics say these vows are the most significant step backward for Maori rights in decades, and some have taken legal action. The Maori king had called on tribes from around the country last month to gather at his traditional meeting grounds, or Marae in Ngaruawahia, south of Auckland, to discuss how Maori respond. “Just be Maori, Maori all day, everyday, we are here, we are strong,” he said. The prime minister met the Maori king earlier this week and said he was supportive of the meeting.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Tuheitia, we've, Christopher Luxon, “, ” Tuheitia, ”, Luxon, Lucy Craymer, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, New Zealand Maori, reo, awa Locations: North Island, Ngaruawahia, Auckland, Waitangi, New

☆ NZ's Maori to Discuss Govt Plans to Row Back on Pro-Indigenous Policies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Critics say these vows are the most significant step backward for Maori rights in decades, and some have taken legal action. The government of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says its plans address voters' concerns, and are aimed at giving all New Zealanders equal rights. Ngira Simmonds, the king's chief of staff, said in a statement that the gathering will discuss how the Maori translation of the Treaty of Waitangi can be upheld. Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and former Governor General Sylvia Cartwright are both set to speak. The prime minister met the Maori King earlier this week and said he was supportive of the meeting.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Christopher Luxon, Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Queen Te Atairangikaahu, Ngira Simmonds, Jenny Shipley, General Sylvia Cartwright, Lucy Craymer, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, New Zealand Maori, Former Locations: New, Ngaruawahia, Auckland, Waitangi

Notably, the report suggested that inflation was not as powerful a force as it had been a few months back. These numbers point to a strong spring, especially with the Fed getting more dovish. “Both changes would support the economy and extend growth, but also likely weaken the US dollar,” Khurana says. Businesses are entering 2024 in a positive mood, according to Dun & Bradstreet’s quarterly Global Business Optimism index released on Tuesday. The National Association of Homebuilders’ sentiment index improved in January to its highest level since September.

Persons: “, ”, David Russell, Chip, ” Brij, Khurana Organizations: Federal Reserve, “, Fed, Wellington Management, National Association of Locations: York, Dun

☆ Milan Fashion Week: This is what men will be wearing next fall
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Scarlett Conlon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This yellow coat and matching hat channeled fisherman chic at SS Daley. Giovanni Giannoni/WWD/Getty ImagesA seafaring element was evident in the collection at Emporio Armani too. To complement the sleek lines of suits came long coats in fine wool and leather that were part “Bladerunner,” part “Matrix” and part ode to the 1990s. The brooch is back, pinned to lapels at S.S. Daley, Magliano, Emporio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. Functional, useful and classic, as above at Emporio Armani, were the key themes of the season in Milan.

Persons: Milan, Miuccia Prada, Raf Simons, Simons, officewear, Victor Virgile, ”, Daley, Giovanni Giannoni, Emporio Armani, Steven Stokey Daley, Harry Styles, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Anne, Britain's Princess Anne, Alessandro Levati, ” Fendi, Princess Royal, “, chunky knitwear, Neil Barrett, British Harris, Brunello, —, JW Anderson, Justin Shin, tailcoats, Stefano Gabbana, Domenico Dolce, Gabbana, Stefania D'Alessandro, Sabato de Sarno, Tom Ford, Sabato de, Gucci, Daniele Venturelli, de Sarno, Magliano, Massimo Giorgetti, Franco Albini, Gabanna, Armani Organizations: Milan CNN, Prada, CNN, Balmoral, Gabbana, Gucci, Dolce, Milan Metro, diamante Locations: Milan, British, Florence, Wellington, S.S, Saltburn, Italy

☆ New Zealand Lawmaker Resigns After Shoplifting Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A lawmaker from New Zealand quit her job on Tuesday after allegations emerged that she had shoplifted from two clothing stores, actions she said were caused by stress affecting her mental health. I’m sorry,” said the lawmaker, Golriz Ghahraman, in a statement on Tuesday. Image Golriz Ghahraman in 2017. Credit... Hannah Peters/Getty ImageAllegations of shoplifting started appearing in New Zealand’s news media this month. Some reports also published a CCTV video that appeared to show Ms. Ghahraman taking a handbag from a clothing store. Leaders from her party, the center-left Green Party, confirmed that the police were investigating the episodes, which according to the news reports, happened in the cities of Auckland and Wellington last year.

Persons: “, ”, Golriz Ghahraman, ” Ms, Ghahraman, Golriz, Hannah Peters Organizations: New Zealand, United, Green Party Locations: New, United Nations, Iran, Auckland, Wellington

☆ New Zealand Green Party Parliamentarian Resigns Over Shoplifting Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand Green Party parliamentarian resigned on Monday after it was alleged by media she had shoplifted at high end local boutiques on at least three occasions. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well," her statement said. New Zealand Police said in a statement they were investigating an incident at a Ponsonby store in December but would not give any other details. Ghahraman said that she thanked Scotties Boutique for their kindness and empathy. Green Party co-leader James Shaw said that while parliament was a stressful place for everybody, Ghahraman had a particularly difficult time as she had received numerous threats from members of the public since arriving in office.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Golriz Ghahraman, Ghahraman, James Shaw, Lucy Craymer, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Zealand Green Party, Local, Wellington . New Zealand Police, Ponsonby, Boutique, Green Party Locations: Ponsonby, Auckland, Cre8iveworkz, Wellington .

☆ New Zealand ex-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern weds longtime partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony on Saturday, finally tying the knot after canceling ceremonies during strict Covid-19 controls she imposed on the country. She became a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership as prime minister from 2017 to January last year. Ardern, one of just two women to have a baby as national leaders, took her daughter to a United Nations meeting. Among the guests was Ardern’s successor as prime minister, Chris Hipkins, the current opposition leader, the New Zealand Herald said. In her final speech in parliament, Ardern told Gayford, a New Zealand television presenter, “Let’s finally get married.” The couple’s daughter Neve, is five years old.

Persons: Jacinda Ardern, Clarke Gayford, Gayford, Chris Hipkins, Prince William’s Earthshot, Ardern, “ Let’s, ”, Neve Organizations: CNN, New, United, New Zealand Herald, Harvard University Locations: New Zealand, United Nations, Hawke’s, New, Wellington, Christchurch

☆ Life insurers binge on US financing aimed at helping housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Koh Gui Qing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It has been predominantly used by life insurers, because they need to boost their investment returns with cheap funding to meet long-term liabilities. They provide the cheap funding to banks and insurers in exchange for collateral to ensure they get their money back. Insurers are entitled to tap FHLB funding. Insurers’ borrowing from FHLBs picked up in 2008 financial crisis, as those that spread themselves thin with aggressive investments scrambled for cash. They did not explain why insurers need FHLB funding to invest in mortgages.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Ryan Donovan, CMBS, Lawrence White, White, Graphics JUICING, Cynthia Beaulieu, Cornelius Hurley, Hurley, FHLBs, ’, Michael Ericson, Jack Dolan, Koh Qui, Greg Roumeliotis, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Loan, Federal Housing Finance Agency, of Federal Home Loan, FHLBs, FHLB, National Association of Insurance, New York University, MetLife Inc, Equitable Holdings Inc, Corebridge, Brighthouse Financial, MetLife, TIAA, Equitable, Graphics, Wellington Management, Boston University School of Law, Coalition, Silicon Valley Bank, First, American, of, Insurance Coalition, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Boston, Silicon, First Republic, Chicago, New York

☆ People are moving to Canada dreaming of a utopia with free healthcare and more tolerance. But the reality is Canada has its own set of problems.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jordan Pandy | Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two Americans who moved to Canada told Business Insider they did so to escape polarized and divisive politics, inadequate healthcare, and to feel safer in their communities. A lot of the characteristics Ouellet was looking for in New Zealand, he said, he found in British Columbia. Advertisement"In British Columbia, the regulations for being able to own a gun are extremely tight," he said. He added that there is still an opioid crisis in British Columbia, but it's not as striking as it is in Portland. Ouellet has no regrets about moving to British Columbia, but Canada's housing crisis sidelined his dreams of homeownership.

Persons: —, Rae Johnson, Johnson, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, wasn't, Joe Biden, Roe, Wade, Michael Niren, couldn't, Niren, United States —, Canada Chris Ouellet, Ouellet, hasn't, it's, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, Ministry of Health Locations: Canada, Los Angeles, California, United States, American, Portland , Oregon, Victoria, British Columbia, Wellington , New Zealand, New Zealand, Pacific Northwest, Portland, Chicago

☆ New Zealanders gather across country to protest new policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People take part in a march lead by New Zealand political party Te Pati Maori to demonstrate against the incoming government and its policies, in Wellington, New Zealand, December 5, 2023. The protest action was called for by political party Te Pati Maori and coincides with the opening of New Zealand's 54th parliament. "This is not a protest, this is an activation," Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told Wellington protesters who marched through the city to the country's distinctive Beehive parliament building. New Zealand police said there had been traffic disruptions but the protests were peaceful and there were no arrests. David Seymour, leader of libertarian party ACT New Zealand, said in a statement the protest was just theatrics when New Zealanders just want their government to get on with fixing the many issues the country is dealing with.

Persons: Te Pati, Lucy Craymer, Rawiri Waititi, Kathy Hughes, Hughes, David Seymour, Britain's King Charles III, Te Pati Maori's, King Charles, Sandra Maler Organizations: New Zealand, REUTERS, Rights, National Party, New Zealand First, ACT New Zealand, Labour Party, Wellington, police, New, Thomson Locations: New, Wellington , New Zealand, New Zealand's, Wellington, Zealanders, Waitangi, Lincoln

☆ A formfitting blazer and Chelsea boots, or jeans and high-top sneakers? Here's how the 2023 rising stars of VC put together their 'power outfits.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | Ben Bergman | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Many of this year's VC rising stars told Business Insider that their go-to power outfits included apparel like tailored sport coats or Chelsea boots, and more casual pieces like hoodies and well-fitting jeans. Very few investors are wearing collared shirts with their jackets, opting instead to pair it with a t- shirt and jeans. Nmachi Jidemna told Business Insider that for her everyday wear, her go-to was "usually a structured blazer with a relaxed pair of jeans." Lori Harvey (left) and Heidi Klum (right) wearing red outfits. Black flowy trousers, black turtleneck, and chunky black boots."

Persons: that's, Laura Bock, Nmachi Jidemna, Javier Grevely, Ralph Lauren, Tobi Coker, Janelle Teng, Patron's Amber Atherton, Jason Yeh, Ashley Paston, Justin Williams, VCs, Mahati Sridhar, Grady Dick, Michelle Farsi, Pear, Vivien Ho, Lori Harvey, Heidi Klum, Valentina Frugiuele, Bauer, Griffin, Luci Fonseca, RTFKT, Brandon Hoffman, JL, Sarah Wu, Emerson, Fiona Huang, Demi Obayomi, Natalie Borowski, Daisy Wolf, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: Business, Wellington Management, Converse, Seae Ventures, Getty, GV, Nike, Sunset Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures Locations: London, Chelsea

☆ Nobody is talking about Gen X. Gen Xers say they like it that way.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Aimee Pearcy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Everyone's talking about boomers, millennials, and Gen Zers, but Gen X is often left out of the conversation. Many Gen Xers say they like it this way, and they just want to be left alone. Lee questioned why Gen X hadn't been criticized for "not saving the planet," and for failing to fulfill their promises. Gen X viewers immediately began weighing in, and some jumped to defend themselves. It's been viewed more than 300,000 times and has reignited discussion around why Gen X is seemingly ignored in conversations about generational strife.

Persons: Gen Zers, They're, —, X's, TikToker Bryan Lee, Gen Xers —, Lee, Gen X hadn't, Gen, GenX, TikToker @heatherlynntx, It's, Jon Wellington, Xer, they've, Wellington, Xers, they're, TikToker @stygian_strategies, X, Cassandra Carr, Gen Xers, Millennials, — Cassandra Carr 🥄♿ Organizations: Service, Wellington

☆ Kiwi birds born in New Zealand’s capital for first time in over a century
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The two new chicks come just a year after the Capital Kiwi Project reintroduced the country’s iconic national bird to the city of around 400,000 people. The brown kiwi is one of New Zealand’s most common kiwi species, but according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, the birds could be extinct in the wild within two generations without adequate conservation and support. Another 18 brown kiwi chicks are expected to hatch as part of the Capital Kiwi Project, which hopes to restore a large-scale wild population of kiwi to New Zealand’s capital. 95% of wild born kiwi in New Zealand are killed before they reach adulthood, according to Save the Kiwi. Where they get hammered is stoats eating the chicks before they get up to their fighting weight,” Capital Kiwi Project team leader Paul Ward told CNN earlier this year.

Persons: Paul Ward, Ward Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Capital Kiwi Project, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, Capital Kiwi, Kiwi, New Zealand Department of Conservation, ”, Kiwi Project, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, Wellington, New Zealand, Makara, Wellington’s, Zealand

REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, no longer welcome in Western concert halls since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was named on Friday as director of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. After performing for decades on the world's biggest classical stages, Gergiev has been shunned in the West since the start of the war in February 2022. The following month he was fired as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra after the city's mayor said Gergiev had declined to "clearly and unambiguously" distance himself from the invasion. Gergiev, also a former principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, has long been controversial outside Russia because of his support for President Vladimir Putin. He spoke out in favour of Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014.

Persons: Valery Gergiev, Lisi Niesner, Gergiev, Vladimir Urin, Urin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, we're, we've, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, REUTERS, Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, Munich, Orchestra, Bolshoi, London Symphony Orchestra, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Russian, Vienna, Austria, Ukraine, St Petersburg, West, Russia, Crimea, Palmyra, Syria, Islamic State, China

☆ From bouldering to silent meditation retreats: Here's how this year's rising stars of VC are keeping their wellness on track while hunting down deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Samantha Stokes | Madeline Renbarger | Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

And these rising stars of the VC world are at the forefront of the trend, with many adopting various wellness routines. Business Insider asked this year's rising stars to name their best wellness hack that keeps them at the top of their game. Find ways to get movingMany rising stars in VC have a relationship with exercise that goes beyond an obligatory hour at the gym or a forced jog around the block. "It's amazing how taking just 10 minutes out of my day helps set the pace and structure for the rest of the day so well," she told Business Insider. she told Business Insider.

Persons: Base10, Justin Williams, Fiona Huang, Huang, Laura Bock, Amanda Herson, Taylor Brandt, Luci Fonseca, It's, Vivien Ho, VCs, journaling, Ashley Paston, Ahmed Mirza, who's, Amber Atherton, Brandon Hoffman, Tobi Coker, Wellington Management's Javier Grevely, Natalie Borowski, I've Organizations: Business, Seae Ventures, Ventures, Headline, Base10 Investors, Meritech, Sunset Ventures Locations: New York, Eastern, Brooklyn

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s new prime minister plans to ban cellphone use in schools and repeal tobacco controls in the ambitious agenda he released Wednesday for his first 100 days in office. Christopher Luxon outlined 49 actions he said his conservative government intended to take over the next three months. Many of the actions in the 100-day plan involve repealing initiatives from the previous liberal government, which had been in office for six years. Political Cartoons View All 1270 ImagesMany of the plans are proving contentious, including the one to repeal tobacco restrictions approved last year by the previous government. Those included requirements for low nicotine levels in cigarettes, fewer retailers and a lifetime ban for youth.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, Luxon, ” Luxon, Critics Organizations: Health Authority Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand

☆ New Zealand's central bank defends Maori language use
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Governor Adrian Orr is pictured during an interview at the bank in Wellington, New Zealand, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Charlotte Greenfield/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s central bank chief defended its use of the Maori language in official communications on Wednesday, as the country’s new centre-right government looks to roll back the use of the Indigenous language in the public sector. Central bank governor Adrian Orr said at a media conference following the bank’s monetary policy meeting that it was proud of its Maori name "Te Putea Matua" and would continue to use it in addition to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). Over the past few years, the RBNZ has undergone an overhaul that puts the country's Maori heritage and language at the centre of its operations. The government has not released specific details on the policies and it is unclear whether they would directly impact the central bank.

Persons: Adrian Orr, Charlotte Greenfield, Orr, Christopher Luxon's, Luxon, Lucy Craymer, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of New Zealand, REUTERS, Rights, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Labour, New Zealand, prudential, Thomson Locations: Wellington , New Zealand, Central, Te Ao

☆ New Zealand dollar jumps 1% as central bank holds rates, warns of more hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Pedestrians walk past the Reserve Bank of New Zealand headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand, on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. The New Zealand dollar jumped 1% to nearly 0.62 against the U.S. dollar after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand held its official cash rate at 5.5% and warned that rates could go higher to tackle inflation. The kiwi dollar jumped to its highest level in nearly four months after the decision. The currency is down 2.5% so far this year, and is headed for its third straight yearly decline. The central bank noted that inflation remained too high and said monetary policy will need to remain restrictive in order to control it.

Organizations: Reserve Bank of New, New Zealand, U.S, Reserve Bank of New Zealand Locations: Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Wellington , New Zealand

☆ New Zealand’s new government scraps world-leading smoking ban to fund tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A year after passing a world-leading smoking ban designed to save thousands of lives and prevent new generations of young adults from smoking, New Zealand has announced a u-turn to help pay for tax cuts, infuriating public health officials and anti-tobacco groups. Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s initial smoking ban was hailed by public health officials around the world. Months after New Zealand’s announcement, Britain also unveiled plans to phase out smoking for new generations. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the British government remained committed to phasing out smoking, even after New Zealand’s reversal. The anti-smoking group Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) expressed disappointment at the new coalition’s plans to repeal the smoking ban.

Persons: Chris Luxon, Luxon, Christopher Luxon, Marty Melville, Rishi Sunak, ”, Nicola Willis, Saturday, Mario Tama, Ayeshea Verrall, “ What’s, ” Verrall Organizations: CNN, National Party, New Zealand First, ACT New, Radio New Zealand, Government House, Getty, British, World Health, Radio New, Health Coalition Aotearoa, New Zealanders Locations: New Zealand, ACT New Zealand, Wellington, AFP, Britain, Los Angeles , California, Radio New Zealand, New

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