Lab workers earn 28% to 32% less than their Te Whatu Ora counterparts.

Australian fashion retailer Mosaic is closing one of its most iconic brands as receivers try desperately to save the company that's been on the brink of collapse for months.

All 136 remaining Rivers stores will shut down by mid-April, with 650 employees axed along with the brand.

Mosaic Brands said in December that the company would be winding back some of their retailers, including Rivers and Millers in an attempt to save them.

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Now, a month later Rivers will join Katies, Rockmans, Autograph, Crossroads, W Lane and BeMe in the retail graveyard of brands axed by the company. 

"Unfortunately, a sale of Rivers was not able to be achieved…this means the Receivers have made the difficult decision to wind down this iconic Australian brand," KPMG Receiver and Turnaround & Restructuring Partner David Hardy said.

"The Receivers would like to thank the Mosaic and Rivers employees who have all worked tirelessly during this difficult period, as well as Rivers' loyal customer base who have continued to support the brands".

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The timing of the stores' closures will depend on remaining stock levels, the receivers also said. 

They are now working on securing a buyer for Millers and Noni B – the last brands remaining in the Mosaic Portfolio. 

It comes as a combined 160 Katies, Millers and Rivers stores were closed in mid-January impacting 480 employees.

The retailer has closed hundreds of stores across nine brands since entering into receivership in October.

United States President Donald Trump has shared what his successor Joe Biden wrote to him in a personal letter left behind at the Oval Office.

Trump was signing executive orders in front of dozens of reporters this week when he was asked whether Biden had written him a letter as part of the inauguration tradition between former and incoming presidents.

He discovered the letter tucked away in the Resolute Desk and held it up for the cameras.

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It was addressed to "47", referring to Trump being sworn in as the 47th president.

"It could have been years before we found this thing. Wow, thank you," Trump said.

Trump read the letter and said it was "very nice".

"Just basically, it was a little bit of an inspirational type of letter, you know? Joy, do a good job. Important, very important, how important the job is," he said, according to local media.

"But I may, I think it was a nice letter. I think I should let people see it, because it was a positive for him, in writing it, I appreciated the letter."

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In the two-paragraph-long letter, Biden wished Trump all the best for his second term.

"As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years," he wrote in the letter which was obtained by Fox News.

"The American people – and people around the world – look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation.

"May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding."

Trump wasted no time entering office and kicked off his first day by signing dozens of executive orders and reversing around 80 actions from the Biden administration.

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Australia's top 10 most valuable brands have been announced, with supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles notably falling in value.

Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a new massive artificial intelligence infrastructure investment from the White House, "first buddy" Elon Musk tried to tear it down.

Trump said the investment would create a new company, called Stargate, to grow AI infrastructure in the US.

"They don't actually have the money," Musk wrote on his social media platform X.

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"SoftBank has well under $10B ($15.9 billion) secured. I have that on good authority."

The leaders of SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle stood alongside Trump during the announcement. Their respective companies will invest $US100 billion ($159.4 billion) in total for the project to start, with plans to pour up to $US500 billion ($797.1 billion) into Stargate in the coming years.

The comments are a notable takedown of a major White House project from someone that is in Trump's innermost circle.

As a sign of how involved Musk is in the first days of the administration, Musk said he was in the Oval Office on Tuesday as Trump signed a pardon for Ross William Ulbricht, founder of the dark web marketplace SilkRoad.

Musk had also dispatched a top staffer from his SpaceX and X companies to help ensure the release of convicted January 6 rioters after Trump signed a blanket pardon.

But perhaps it should not be a surprise that Musk is going after an OpenAI initiative.

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Musk is in an ongoing lawsuit with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, who was at the White House for the announcement.

Musk, who has said he "doesn't trust" Altman, claims in the lawsuit the ChatGPT has abandoned its original nonprofit mission by reserving some of its most advanced AI technology for private customers.

The companies involved in Stargate have not publicly disclosed how they will contribute the funds, but they don't necessarily need the money in the bank to support it — they could raise debt or sign on other equity investors.

SoftBank and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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EDITORIAL: New minister says he will bring a loud voice to the people of the south.

The Kīngitanga and Te Pāti Māori will be welcomed at 3pm Thursday.

Labour is holding its caucus retreat one day after National held its own in Hamilton.

OPINION: ‘Our Government believes that economic growth is the cure-all.’

A small policy announcement is expected in the PM’s State of the Nation speech.