Two other vote recounts – both in Auckland – are due to begin on Monday.

The mayoral office was not impressed with the assumptions made by AT.

In three of our 10 MMP elections, an error the size of this year’s would have mattered.

At the end of 2018 Ruth Togiai was given just a month to live, following a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Her son Ben had moved back home after the breakdown of his marriage and the days she got to spend with him were precious, believing they were numbered.

It was never expected those numbered days would be Ben's.

READ MORE: How Queenslander lost $500K in retirement savings to investment scam

For the Togiai family, March 1 had always been a day of celebration – the birthday of Ben's niece.

On that day in 2019, he was looking forward to her party but when his boss secured expensive tickets to a boxing match in Melbourne that meant he would miss it, he promised a big celebration to make it up to her.

Benjamin Togiai's family said El Nasher didn't just take one life.

But the father-of-one was killed by Abdullah El Nasher, who fired five shots into a crowd outside the boxing match at the Melbourne Pavilion.

A jury found El Nasher guilty of Mr Togiai's murder, and of intentionally causing serious injury to Omar Bchinnati, who required emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his leg.

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El Nasher on Friday pleaded guilty to two additional charges of being a prohibited person possessing and using a firearm on that day.

Mrs Togiai, who survived her cancer for a second time, said there were no words to express the feeling of a mother losing a child in such a violent and unexpected way.

She was still undergoing chemotherapy when he died, and had to go into hospital for more treatment the night of his funeral.

"It was the hardest night of my life – on a hospital bed with harsh chemo treatment running through my body, knowing I'd go home in a week to a home without my precious son," she said.

For his family, Ben's vibrance and outgoing personality are missed daily and can never be replaced, she said.

For Ben, he has been robbed of seeing his little girl, now eight, grow up and experience all the important milestones of her life.

His sisters described Ben's death as a nightmare and a daily hell they battle, missing the man who had done anything and everything for them – wanting nothing more than his favourite dinner in exchange.

They told El Nasher that he didn't just take one life, but a piece of every life connected to his.

El Nasher was convicted after the jury was told of tension at the boxing event between El Nasher's group on table 28 and another group on table 64 that included Mr Togiai and Mr Bchinnati.

Just before 10pm the groups on both tables were kicked out by event organisers.

As they gathered outside, El Nasher ran across the road and fired five shots.

Mr Togiai was hit once in the chest with a bullet and died at the scene.

Justice Christopher Beale will hand down his sentence on November 28.

A small amount of exercise can reverse the detrimental damage sitting does to heart health, a study from the University of Sydney and ULC has found.

Just five minutes of moderate to intense movement a day can drastically improve heart health if done consistently, the study found.

Vigorous activity was the most beneficial, followed by light activity, then standing. The study also showed that sleeping was better for the heart than sitting.

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The comparative analysis looked at data from six studies, involving more than 15,246 people from five countries, to see how changing movement behaviour over the course of a day can impact heart health.

"The big takeaway from our research is that while small changes to how you move can have a positive effect on heart health, intensity of movement matters," study Author Doctor Jo Blodgett from UCL's Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health said.

"The most beneficial change we observed was replacing sitting with moderate to vigorous activity – which could be a run, a brisk walk, or stair climbing – basically any activity that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster, even for a minute or two."

People who were previously the least active gained the most from switching movement behaviours, such as standing, walking or climbing stairs, the study found.

"What is important to highlight about these findings is that replacing static or sedentary postures with movement is likely to improve heart health only if it becomes a long-term habit," joint senior author from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis said.

Low-intensity movement did help, however, it took longer for participants to gain positive results, the study found.

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"We already know that exercise can have real benefits for your cardiovascular health and this encouraging research shows that small adjustments to your daily routine could lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke," Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation James Leiper said.

"This study shows that replacing even a few minutes of sitting with a few minutes of moderate activity can improve your BMI, cholesterol, and have many more physical benefits."

Cardiovascular disease, which encompasses all diseases of the heart and its circulation, is the number one cause of death globally.

It was responsible for one in three deaths in 2021, totalling 20.5 million globally.

The number of people living with cardiovascular disease has doubled since 1997, with case numbers expected to continue to rise. 

The Reserve Bank has revised its economic forecast, predicting inflation will remain higher for longer than previously expected.

In its latest statement on monetary policy, the RBA said inflation won't fall under 3 per cent until the end of 2025, and will still be at 3.5 per cent in a year's time.

"Inflation is expected to decline more gradually than previously forecast," the RBA said.

READ MORE: Whopping income needed to afford average home after rates rise

"Inflation is forecast to decline to around 3½ per cent by the end of 2024 and to reach a little below 3 per cent at the end of 2025."

Three months ago, the central bank had said inflation would be at 3.25 per cent at the end of next year and "back within the 2–3 per cent target range in late 2025".

Further making things difficult for Australians, the RBA said real household income growth won't pick up for another year.

"High inflation as well as higher interest rates and tax payable have resulted in declines in real household disposable income," it said.

"These factors are expected to continue to weigh on growth of real incomes and consumption for a time.

"As inflation continues to moderate over the coming year or so, real household incomes are expected to grow again and support consumption growth." 

Today's monetary statement also provided an explanation for Tuesday's interest rate rise.

The bank said pushing the cash rate to 4.35 per cent was needed to better ensure inflation will fall within the next few years, even though it noted "inflation expectations remain consistent with the inflation target despite the recent uptick in some measures".

READ MORE: Final big four bank moves to hike rates after RBA decision

"An increase in interest rates in November was warranted to be more assured that inflation would return to target in a reasonable timeframe," the bank wrote.

"High inflation makes life difficult for everyone and damages the functioning of the economy. It erodes the value of savings, hurts household budgets, makes it harder for businesses to plan and invest, and worsens income inequality.

"The board is also mindful that many households are facing a painful squeeze on their budgets, both from high inflation and the increase in mortgage rates to date."

One lucky Melburnian has woken up this morning a multimillionaire after claiming $4 million in last night's Powerball draw.

The unidentified division one winner bought the ticket from Lilydale Village Lotto & News in Lilydale, Victoria.

The lucky punter held one of two of the division one winning entries.

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The winning numbers were 35, 15, 3, 23, 34, 29 and 30, while the Powerball number was 2.

Lilydale Village Lotto & News owner Rakesh Aggarwal said he was ecstatic that his store produced the winning ticket.

"There aren't enough words for us to express the excitement we're feeling after helping change someone's life in last night's $8 million Powerball draw," Aggarwal said. 

"We'd like to send a hearty congratulations to the mystery winner and we hope they check their ticket as soon as possible.

"We hope this win helps them make their dreams a reality."

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Anna Hodbell, spokesperson for The Lott, said they have no way of contacting the winner, and punters need to check their tickets.

"We're urging anyone who purchased a Powerball ticket at Lilydale Village Lotto & News to check their lottery tickets today!" she said.

"Imagine if the Powerball ticket that's sitting in your back pocket, tucked away in your purse or under a magnet on your fridge is worth $4 million!

"All you need to do is visit our website and enter the ticket number at thelott.com, scan your ticket on The Lott app or head to one of our friendly outlets to find out if you're our elusive winner."

The second division one winner was in Western Australia. 

There are many different ways to get help and information about gambling. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858; use online counselling; find information about help services in your state or territory; get information and support for family and friends; get information about how to talk with someone about their gambling; or contact Gamblers Anonymous.

All services are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A baby shark has been born in the US without a father – but not because he swam away.

Last week, the Chicago Zoological Society announced a baby epaulette shark pup had hatched at Brookfield Zoo.

This was considered somewhat unusual as its mother had not been housed with a male shark since arriving at the zoo as a three-year-old in 2019.

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Epaulette sharks usually begin reproducing at around seven years.

Last year, the society said, the female had begun laying monthly clutches of infertile eggs.

However one, after incubating for five months, hatched out the pup in August, the culmination of a process known as parthenogenesis whereby an embryo develops from an unfertilised egg cell.

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Now about two and a half months old, the shark measures about 15cm and is expected to reach about 75cm to 90cm in length when fully grown.

Parthenogenesis is a natural occurrence in some invertebrates, but less so in complex vertebrates, including sharks.

"We are happy to report that our epaulette pup has been eating well on her diet of finely chopped capelin, minced squid tentacles, and other finely chopped seafood," said Mike Masellis, a lead animal care specialist at Brookfield Zoo.

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Our colleagues at New England Aquarium have been a great resource as shark pups produced parthenogenetically can be very delicate.

"We are looking forward to guests being able to see the pup."

Epaulette sharks are usually found in warm, shallow waters off Australia.

The unprecedented Optus outage that hit more than 10 million Australians on Wednesday has fed into a call for banks and businesses to keep cash options open.

Cash Welcome campaign coordinator Jason Bryce has called on banks to stop closing branches and ATMs, and for the government to protect cash access and payments.

"Power, internet and EFTPOS systems can all fail and leave us stranded," Bryce said.

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"Only cash is reliable 24 hours per day, 365 days per year."

Australia's financial services regulator, APRA, revealed in October that in the 2022-2023 financial year, 424 bank branches closed across Australia.

It's a particularly prevalent phenomenon in regional areas – which may also lack reliable internet connections – with 122 of those branches outside the cities.

Regional bank numbers have declined by 34 per cent since 2017.

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"Banks enjoy a special place at the heart of our economy. No Australian can get paid without a bank account so banks have an obligation to provide us with local cash access," Bryce said.

"Other nations protect their citizens' right to choose cash and now the Australian government must also mandate cash acceptance, or require banks to provide us with access to our own cash."

Cash Welcome has an online petition calling for the legal right to choose and access cash, with more than 130,000 signatures.

A Queensland man has lost $500,000 of his retirement savings after he fell victim to a "sophisticated and socially engineered" investment scam.

The 66-year-old saw what he thought was a legitimate investment firm on Facebook and began interacting with scammers, who claimed to be account managers, to generate a "passive income" for himself and his children once he retired.

Ben*, who wishes to remain anonymous, told 9news.com.au it was a vulnerable time for him as he was still grieving the loss of his wife and "soulmate" who died from cancer after a long battle.

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The investment site has since been removed from Google search but appears to still be active via the url.

The scam is one of many that copy existing firms by setting up similar operating systems, with managers who guide potential victims through how to "invest" their funds.

The seemingly reputable investors invite people to open up an investment trading account where the scammers can manipulate chats to represent financial growth through a fake version of a real platform.

For example, someone might put in $100 and three days later the account shows it has grown to $120.

The well-spoken scammers pose as account managers and keep in constant contact with the victim to rebuff any fears.

When the victims ask for their funds to be released, the scammers tell them they must pay down their "credits" or their "contract" if they want their funds to be released but don't give them back their funds.

"It was almost like hypnotism… like being brainwashed," Ben told 9news.com.au.

"It wasn't until my bank stepped in and said hang on, wait a minute, you're being scammed here… and they stopped everything.

"That's when I snapped out of it and by that time it was all too late."

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Ben began using the fake investment firm in April and gradually transferred $500,000 until his bank and scam prevention agency Revolut intervened in late July.

He is unable to get his funds back because he made a payment after he was warned it could be a scam by authorities.

Ben admitted he should have done more research and called his mistakes "stupid" but said the scammers were so "smart and clever".

"Once people get entrapped into this you get to a point where you either stop and count your loss or you keep going and try and make it work.

"That's when I found myself in some financial difficulty.

"I've been told the money is there but I can't have access… There's no mercy with these people."

Ben said he felt like he was on a rollercoaster of emotions while trying to come to terms with the loss.

He hasn't yet told his adult children about the scam because he said he was embarrassed.

"I'm okay, sort of, I'll survive but the guilt that I feel that I've lost everything that my wife passed away for (and) the inability now to help my children…"

Ben said he fell into a "deep depression" when he realised what he had done.

Ben has a supportive friend who was helping him through, is finding comfort in his Christian faith and is seeking support from a counsellor.

"I'm trying to focus every day on what's important in life," Ben said.

"I've never been a money person… I've never really put that much importance on being rich and having this or that or ever Keeping Up with the Joneses."

Ben said he has picked up more shifts and would probably have to continue working until he "falls off the perch".

He said he would be okay as he still had some funds and owned his home and car but it was his children, and the charities he was planning to donate to, who are "the losers in this".

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Lucy Slade at ls****@******om.au

Scam prevention

Ben hopes his story will help to stop others from making the same mistakes he did.

He advises people to not trust any financial investment schemes they find on Facebook, to look up Google reviews before investing and to speak with a professional, like an accountant, before making any investments.

In Australia, $568 million was lost to scams in 2022 according to Scamwatch.

Of that loss, $379 million (67 per cent) was from investment scams.

And the trend is continuing this year as $241 million has been lost to investment scams in 2023.

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Head of financial crime at scam prevention agency Revolut Nelson Yiannakou believes a lot of people are not reporting their losses to scams so the amount was likely three times higher.

"We will never, in my opinion, outrun scammers but we will always attempt to outsmart them," Yiannakou said.

He said there had been a prolific increase in scams instead of fraud, which authorities had done a good job of combatting.

Yiannakou said victims were often misguided by scammers to ignore the warnings.

The scammers tell victims it is a "special type of investment" and it is likely to trigger scam warnings because it is so "unique".

"So one of the most important things is that the financial services organisations… step in and intervene with customers.

"Unfortunately a lot of these customers, they're not computer literate, financially literate, technology savvy."

READ MORE: Telco giants, financial crimes police partner to end scam calls

He said more accountability needed to be placed on social media and telecommunication companies as the source of the scam was likely from social media, phone or email.

"They need to be held far more accountable for the scrutiny and quality of the ads and the information that they place… because there is a cohort of consumers that aren't able to self-regulate."

He also believes there needs to be a greater importance placed on supporting scam victims by law enforcement.

"If someone comes robs your house of $600, the police will come they'll take fingerprints… But if someone comes and robs your account of $600,000 they've got nowhere to go."

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it removed content that was purposefully intended to deceive, wilfully misrepresent or otherwise exploit others for money or property.

"In an effort to prevent fraudulent activity on the platform that can harm people or businesses, we remove content and action on behaviours that intend to defraud users or third parties," Meta said on it's transparency centre website.

"This includes content that seeks to coordinate or promote these activities using our platform.

"We allow people to raise awareness and educate others as well as condemn these activities unless this includes content that contains sensitive information, such as personally identifiable information."

Each state and territory has a police fraud and scam reporting and prevention service.

In NSW, police said it was their "duty" to minimise the amount of fraud and educate people on the risks.

"The NSW Police Force is working with other Australian government agencies as well as business and community groups to help us address this problem," NSW police said on their website.

Most fraud is investigated at the local level and victims can fill out a form via police websites as well as on Scamwatch here.

* Ben's identity has been changed.

Support is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.