Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward.

The government is adjusting the budget and policies to address cyclone damage

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in a speech on Monday that the Government is moving at pace to understand the fiscal consequences of Cyclone Gabrielle. He warned that the cyclone would be a “significant event”, but that adjustment to the budget is underway.

The brain gain continues for New Zealand

Migration had been tracking back into the black for several months, but the second half of 2022 saw a spike in net migration driven by non-New Zealand citizens.

Produce prices likely to rise following Cyclone Gabrielle

The Government is providing $4 million to help farmers, growers, whenua Mori owners and rural communities mobilise and coordinate recovery efforts from Cyclone Gabrielle. However, despite the aid, prices are likely to rise.

Chinese airlines flying through Russia have an unfair advantage

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, European, Canadian, and U.S. airlines have avoided Russian airspace, making long-haul routes take longer and cost more. As China reopens and flies directly through Russia, other international airlines say they have a leg up.

No more SMS two-factor authentication on Twitter unless you pay

Twitter warned non-Twitter Blue users using SMS 2FA authentication that they have 30 days to switch to another 2FA method. Find out how to keep your account secure here.

Everyone’s scrambling to get on board with AI

With the release of ChatGPT in November, it seems that everyone’s talking about the potential of AI. Everyone from students to CEOs is trying to keep up as we figure out how this new technology fits into our lives.

Meta follows in the footsteps of Twitter

Mark Zuckerburg announced that Meta is launching a pay-for-verification subscription service called Meta Verified for Facebook and Instagram, much like Twitter Blue. The launch begins in Australia and New Zealand this week, with more countries to follow.

Bitcoin is booming, but why?

Everyone’s watching as Bitcoin continues to make steady gains in 2023. But will it climb back to $20K? Forbes has some ideas about why the price of crypto is suddenly climbing again.

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