The National Party leader Simon Bridges says it came as a surprise to him that the Serious Fraud Office prosecution relates to two $100,000 donations to the party; and the Serious Fraud Office has today commenced an investigation into the NZ First Foundation.
1.The Serious Fraud Office has today commenced an investigation into the NZ First Foundation. The SFO has been considering whether to launch an investigation after police handed it a complaint from the Electoral Commission. The commission said it had formed the view the secretive foundation had received donations that should have been treated as donations to New Zealand First.
2.The National Party leader Simon Bridges says it came as a surprise to him that the Serious Fraud Office prosecution relates to two $100,000 donations to the party. Court documents obtained by RNZ show charges have been laid against four people over the donations in June 2017 and June 2018.
3.New Zealanders who try to return home independently from the cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan could be prevented by the Government from boarding commercial flights. 11 New Zealanders are among thousands of passengers due to leave the ship tomorrow after spending two weeks, confined to their cabins at the port in Yokohama because of the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic.
4.An infectious disease specialist Michael Baker of Otago University says it is critical people returning home from the Diamond Princess are quarantined again.
5.China’s Ambassador to New Zealand, Wu Xi is strongly urging the Government to lift virus related travel and trade restrictions, in order shes says to preserve the relationship between the two nations.
6.The Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has pledged $15 billion to help fight climate change. The world’s richest man says the money will finance work by scientists, activists and other groups.
7.Top European Union officials have told Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, he’s not doing enough to regulate the content on his platform. At a meeting in Brussels, officials said the company must back up its efforts to curb hate speech and disinformation with regulation and accountability.
8.The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his mother has been shown the hammer used to kill her. Martin Marinovich is charged with murdering 59-year-old Noeleen Marinovich last February.
9.The National Party leader Simon Bridges says that if elected it will introduce a new offence, whereby, anyone who refuses to disclose information relating to child abuse cases could be sent to jail.
10.The Southland Charity Hospital now has a home, a Tavern that has been operated by the Local Licensing Trust. The hospital was the idea of Southland farmer Blair Vining and his wife Melissa.
11.A top Auckland surgeon says medical professionals must move away from a surgery first mind set in treating pancreatic cancer. John Windsor says new developments in chemotherapy and genomics are boosting hopes for survival.
12.The mother of a man who took his own life while in a mental health unit says he had a history of self harm and suicide attempts. An inquest into Sam Fischer’s death is currently being held in Welling District Court
13.The Crown is calling for the jailing and dismissal of two Navy ratings who pleaded guilty to several drug charges. Technician Ryan Carroll and Cadell Heney are today being sentenced at a Court marshall at the Devonport Naval Base.
14.Housing markets across New Zealand have had their busiest January in four years, pushing REINZ’s house price index to a record high. The Real Estate Institute’s house price index – which measures the changing value of property in the market – rose 7 percent in the year to January to a record high of 2922.
15.Power companies are to be banned from offering better deals to customers who want to switch to another company. The Electricity Authority’s move follows a recommendation in last year’s Electricity Price Review, that so called win-backs should not be offered to customers within 180 days of them leaving.
