Author: Press Room
New rules aimed at lowering power bills in New Zealand could backfire, as Griffith University Professor Richard Meale warns how they may actually drive electricity prices up.In its quest to lower electricity prices for New Zealand households, the Electricity Authority may inadvertently make the situation worse.This week, the authority announced plans to require New Zealand’s “gentailers” – firms that both generate electricity and retail it to consumers – to offer the same supply terms to independent retailers as they do to their own retail arms.The aim is to prevent the gentailers from providing discounted electricity to themselves, thereby levelling the…
Empty shelves in supermarkets can trigger unease, even when you don’t want the missing products. University of Sussex professor Domink Piehlmaier explains why.Have you ever spotted an empty supermarket shelf and felt a sudden pang of discomfort, even though you weren’t looking for that item? You’re not alone. Shocks such as Covid and cyberattacks on retailers have made empty shelves a common sight in many countries. These moments often come with media coverage of panicked shoppers and long queues.But what happens when those shelves are empty while shopping during normal times and when you weren’t even planning to buy what’s…
An Auckland woman who is now in remission from breast cancer has shared her “miraculous” story after initially being given just five months to live.In May 2022, 72-year-old Christine Davies said it was “an absolute shock” to be told her Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), first identified and treated in 2020, had returned with a vengeance. “Because I went through all the breast cancer stuff in 2020, and all through Covid, that whole year was horrendous. You think you’ve got past it, you think that you’re going to be OK, and then suddenly again you find you’re not,” she told…
Satellite tracking of New Zealand southern right whales, or tohorā, has revealed a feeding spot south of Australia that scientists say needs to be protected.University of Auckland scientists tracked 25 tohorā from the subantarctic Maungahuka/Auckland Islands through the Southern Ocean, in a study published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation.Rutherford postdoctoral fellow Dr Leena Riekkola, the study’s lead author, said one destination “was by far the most popular”.Between October and January, after they had wintered at the Maungahuka/Auckland Islands, 90% of the whales travelled to an area about 500 kilometres south of Australia, where different waters converged.The feeding zone…
High blood pressure is a leading contributor to preventable disability and early death so, for some, being able to monitor it at home is an excellent tool. But having the right sized cuff is essential. By Ritu Trivedi, Clara Chow and Dean Picone outline how to make sure you have the device you need. About one in three Australian adults have hypertension, or high blood pressure.High blood pressure is a leading contributor to preventable disability and early death because – particularly when it’s not well controlled – it increases the risk of developing conditions including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease…
A Canterbury contractor fined more than $12,000 for an overweight agricultural vehicle is just the latest hit by rules the industry says are crippling some operators. Rural contractors say current regulations are decades out of date and don’t reflect the size of modern machinery now being used. The requirements are under review but there’s concerns about what will happen in the meantime. A tractor and trailer with cattle feed in tow en route to a local farm in Mid Canterbury last month resulted in a $12,150 fine for the contracting firm operating it. Jacob Holdaway of Jacob Holdaway Contracting told…
By euronews with AP Published on 23/08/2025 – 19:23 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT Protesters took to the streets across the UK on Saturday including in the city of Liverpool to demonstrate against hotels housing asylum-seekers. A number of protests under the Abolish Asylum System slogan, coined by right-wing political parties, were also set to take place in other cities including in Bristol, Newcastle, and London. In Liverpool, a counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism was also held. Police could also be seen leading away protesters from the Abolish Asylum System protest and pushing back demonstrators from the counter protest. The dilemma of how to…
A cyclist has died after a crash with a vehicle in Auckland’s Onehunga yesterday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the crash between a vehicle and cyclist on Neilson Street just before 3pm.”Unfortunately the cyclist died at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. The serious crash unit attended the scene, and the circumstances of the crash were under investigation.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including the Menendez brothers fight for freedom, the level of unhealthy ads our kids see, and the Black Ferns eye up a three-peat. (Source: 1News)
Whakatāne district councillors have expressed surprise that cemeteries, public toilets, animal control, liquor licenses and consents are not considered core services for councils by the Government.“This is bizarre,” councillor Nándor Tánczos said.“The [coalition Government’s] list of core services doesn’t include a whole bunch of functions that the Government itself requires that we do”Whakatāne District Council’s living together committee was approving a submission to the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill on Thursday.The bill was just one of 32 legislative changes that would have an impact on the local government sector, staff informed council at the meeting.Among the key aspects of…
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including the Menendez brothers’ fight for freedom, the level of unhealthy ads our kids see, and the Black Ferns eye up a three-peat. The Menendez brothers will go before the parole board in Los Angeles, as they seek freedom after killing their parents in 1989. Russia has carried out one of its biggest series of strikes on Ukraine this year, even hitting a US owned electronics plant. A new report from Otago University says children are exposed to advertising for unhealthy products and activities dozens of times a day. Scott Robertson’s named a bolter…