Vernon Small

🔴 27.03.2026 - Orbán’s Inversion: The Spied-On Journalist Branded a Spy Forbidden Stories stands in full support of investigative journalist @panyiszabolcs, with whom we have worked on multiple cross-border investigations, including the #Pegasus Project. Panyi is a journalist who was himself targeted with the Pegasus spyware—and is now being accused of “espionage” by the Hungarian government. This reversal is as troubling as it is revealing. These accusations come just weeks before national elections and follow his reporting, including with VSquare, on Russian influence operations and the proximity between Hungarian authorities and Moscow . His work serves the public interest. It is precisely why it is being attacked. Turning a journalist into a suspect is a well-worn tactic: when facts are inconvenient, discredit the messenger. We stand firmly with Szabolcs Panyi. - @laurentrichard0 Journalist Founder & Executive Director Forbidden Stories

91 petrol prices nudging above $3.40 in Wellington

In light of the govt’s weekend $52.7m EV charger announcement there was a press release in April 2025 that talked of setting aside up to $68.5m in grant funding for concessionary loans for EV chargers.

Worrying trend in fuel supply chain certainty as UK LNG shipments diverted after other countries outbid them … and now reports from Australia of 6 shipments diverted.

I’m not sure I knew there was a Royal Palace in Naples but it is opulent and only a couple of handfuls of visitors when we were there today. Very taken with the rotating document device. Like having several screens open.

@Frecciarossa_IT Italian train service lists New Zealand on its wifi list as +24 instead of the correct +64 and will not let you change it .. so no wifi for Kiwi passengers.

After ⁦@EurostarUK⁩ left us stuck in London we managed to wrangle a flight to Paris just in time for the New Year fireworks.

Eurostar (@EurostarUK) cancelled our train and all others from London ‘til late afternoon and suggest we rebook but where is extra capacity to replace cancelled trains? So of course seats for next 2 days booked out. Although they do thank us for our understanding which is nice.

Saying gday to the Scottish Parliament.

Saw a Saddleback in our garden near Wellington Botanic gardens today. A first!

Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 27 October newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/27/new…

Spoonbills on Petone beach!

Labour’s half-volley. Labour’s Future Fund is politically strategic, however... | The Post thepost.co.nz/politics/36086…

Today in Parliament there are 5 oral questions from the Opposition’s 7 along the lines: does the minister stand by all his/her statements and actions. A good tactic for testing how across portfolio they are but not for getting information or engaging the public.

Today the Monetary Policy Committee agreed to reduce the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 2.5% - a 50 basis point reduction. Inflation is currently around the top of our 1-3% target band but is expected to return to the 2% mid-point during the first half of 2026. The Committee remains open to further cuts to the OCR as required for inflation to settle sustainably near the 2% target mid-point in the medium term. Read more: rbnz.govt.nz/hub/news/2025/… #rbnz #mpr #monetarypolicyreview

Having a great time on the West Coast - glaciers, forests, food and Ōkārito Lagoon. It always feels like the first rough draft of New Zealand

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#post" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">bbc.com/news/live/c2de…

In deciding to lower the OCR to 3.25 per cent the Reserve Bank of NZ discussed cutting to 3.25 or holding at 3.50 - but not a 50 point cut to 3 per cent. In the end the vote was 5:1 to cut to 3.25 per cent.

Anyone whose spent time - probably a lot of time - at Wgtn hospital ED knows surroundings for waiting sick people and family are uncomfortable, awful and wait times cruel. So govt funds for an upgrade vvv welcome. But a 4 year wait to fix. Really? No intentional irony?