Author: Press Room

Large enterprises are adopting Artificial Intelligence more than small and medium-sized ones, with significant differences in the way each of them uses the technology. ADVERTISEMENTOver 13% of EU businesses with at least 10 employees have embraced Artificial Intelligence, says Eurostat, a 5.5% increase from 2023, with all member states reporting growth in the use of AI technology.Large companies – meaning those with at least 250 employees – reported much higher AI use: 42% on average.There are also significant differences in the most used types of AI technology, with text mining, deep learning and workflow automation features being the most prevalent.In…

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A groundbreaking plan to raise a Hawke’s Bay state highway to allow people to move their Cyclone Gabrielle-hit homes out of Category 2C is in jeopardy.It’s news that has frustrated a Whirinaki homeowner, who has been waiting for two years to return to Category 1.The Whirinaki flood resilience project, announced in November 2023, included raising and strengthening stopbanks and raising a section of State Highway 2, and upgrading its culverts. It was expected to be funded through Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC).But that funding has dried up and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is now asking Central Government to cover costs,…

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Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has revealed New Zealand’s second emissions reduction target of between 51% and 55% compared to 2005 levels.Required under the Paris Agreement, it must be achieved by the end of 2035 and builds on the initial target of a 50% reduction by 2030.Watts confirmed the target at 8pm Wednesday after markets closed, saying it was “both ambitious and achievable”.”Meeting this target will mean we are doing our fair share towards reducing the impact of climate change, while enabling New Zealand to be stronger and thrive in the face of a changing climate,” he said.”We are already…

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Disney+ films will only have to wait nine months to appear on the platform, instead of the previous 17-month wait after theatrical release. ADVERTISEMENTAfter years of lobbying by Disney to change France’s inflexible rules on streaming distribution, the megacorporation has struck a new deal allowing them to broadcast their productions just nine months after their theatrical release. “L’exception culturelle” is the country’s policy when it comes to culture and making sure it stands apart from standard commercial products. As a result, cinema is protected from the free market and any films released in theatres must be given a window of…

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A large vegetation fire in mixed scrub and wetland which grew to 1200 hectares yesterday at Southland’s Tiwai Peninsula is contained and has “not grown further” overnight.The fire grew fivefold in size in hot, windy conditions on Thursday afternoon, but was contained by the end of the day, Fire and Emergency NZ said in an update this morning.At its height, 60 firefighters, eight fire trucks and 10 helicopters were battling the blaze.Incident controller Hamish Angus said 35 firefighters would be on site today with support from five helicopters, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and local forestry companies.”Our focus today is…

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Students march from Belgrade to Novi Sad are demanding accountability for a deadly awning collapse in a train station in November which killed 15 people. ADVERTISEMENTStudent-led protesters continued on Friday their two-day march from the Serbian capital Belgrade to the northern city of Novi Sad after pausing in Inđija, where they spent the night in a football stadium.The demonstrators started their 80-kilometre march on Thursday with plans to participate in the 24-hour blockade of bridges in the regional capital of Novi Sad on Saturday. It is the latest endeavour in the ongoing series of protests over a deadly train station…

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It was a rumbly evening for Taupō residents on Thursday into Friday as more than 50 small and shallow earthquakes were recorded just north of the town.GNS Science said most of them occurred between around 6pm yesterday and 3am today. The largest was a 2.8 magnitude shake which struck at 10.51pm at a depth of 4km.Most occurred before 11pm, but there was another burst around 3am.Duty volcanologist Ery Hughes said swarms of earthquakes are common in geothermal areas.”Although the GeoNet website and app report the earthquakes as “unnoticeable” or “weak” shaking, this does not account for how shallow the earthquakes…

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Finding the right names for new Marlborough streets remains quite a peak to summit, with three new proposals dividing councillors.Blue Hills Estate, which is developing property in Springlands, off Rose St near Blenheim’s Westwood Business Park, wants to name its three new streets Blue Hills Dr, Chalice Dr and Patriarch Cl.The options were proposed as a nod to important geographical features in the region.Mt Patriarch, in the Richmond Ranges, overlooks Lake Chalice, the only alpine lake in the area, and near one of the most challenging sections of Te Araroa trail.Lake Chalice sits below Mt Patriarch in the Richmond Ranges.…

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Health Minister Simeon Brown has confirmed the new inpatient building for Dunedin Hospital will be built on the site of the former Cadbury factory.Brown, who was allocated the portfolio earlier this month, said there would be 351 beds, with the capacity to expand to 404 over time. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin Hospital that will futureproof the provision of timely, quality healthcare for the people of Dunedin and the surrounding Otago and Southland regions,” Brown said. He added that action had been taken to get cost overruns under control.Simeon…

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