Author: Press Room

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ  More “realistic” house sellers are finding buyers – and there is a warning that anyone expecting lower interest rates to mean higher prices right away could be disappointed. CoreLogic data shows the gap between asking prices and selling prices has tightened a bit. In the middle of last year sales prices were typically 5% below asking, but that had reduced to 4% in the latest data. The gap never got as wide this cycle as post-Global Financial Crisis (GFC), when sales prices were more than 10% below the asking price. CoreLogic chief property economist Kelvin…

Switching from gas to electric heating could save homeowners thousands over the life of the appliance.Switching out a single appliance can reap Aussie residents thousands in savings on their energy bills, according to a new report. It found electric heaters can now cost 56 per cent less to run than older gas–powered models.The Environment Victoria study found 44 per cent of homes in the state don’t have cooling. But by switching to a split system, which provides air conditioning and heating, residents could be more comfortable and make savings on their bills.Installing a new ducted gas heating system at the…

Some university departments are reverting to pen and paper for their end-of-year exams because of the difficulty securing digital exams from cheats.Auckland University computer science senior lecturer Dr Ulrich Speidel said universities are generally not doing enough to ensure online exams were secure.He said he has detected students running two computers on one machine to evade automated proctoring, smuggling questions to outside helpers, or sitting in exam rooms while someone outside or even in another country did their exam for them.”We’ve seen all of these techniques used in the wild to cheat,” he said.Speidel estimated 40-50% of his classes would…

For the first time, the Bluey stage show is coming to New Zealand.The production will arrive in April 2025 and will perform in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland.The Bluey stage show (Source: Supplied)It is based on an original new story written by creator Joe Brumm, and will bring the Bluey family — including her younger sister Bingo and mum and dad — to live audiences.”We’re thrilled to be bringing Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show to New Zealand audiences premiering at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre in April,” said director Rosemary Myers of Windmill Theatre Company.“The response to the show from…

House prices are showing “additional signs of stability” with a small average month-on-month rise last month, according to the Real Estate Institute (REINZ).In September, the group’s data suggests national median price decreased 2.3% year-on-year, from $799,000 to $781,000, and increased 2.1% month-on-month from $765,000.For all regions, excluding Auckland, the median price decreased slightly by 0.7% year-on-year (only by around $5000), from $700,000 to $695,000. Meanwhile, the median price increased by 2.2% compared to August 2024, up from $680,000.It follows the Reserve Bank’s decision in August to cut the official cash rate for the first time in years, signalling a loosening…

International relations expert Iati Iati has called for an independent, international inquiry into the sinking of the NZ Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui off Samoa’s coast.The HMNZS Manawanui sank after it ran aground on a coral reef and caught on fire. All 75 crew and passengers were safely evacuated.It remained unclear why the vessel ran aground off the coast of Upolu.”This is an international incident,” Victoria University of Wellington’s Iati told Breakfast. “This took place within Samoa’s territorial sea, it’s within their territory.”If it was played out any other way and New Zealand was the victim here, then New Zealand would…

Over the past decade dating apps have completely changed the game. While a stigma remains when it comes to meeting online, some people are doubling down on technology by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost their dating profile in hopes of finding their perfect “match”.Amy, who’s using a fake name due to work sensitivities, first entered the online dating scene this year after being in a 10-year relationship.The 25-year-old thought it’d be easy to meet people in real life (IRL), but said she quickly learnt it was no longer the case, and was shocked most people met their partners and…

The new European platform for leftist parties – ‘European Left Alliance for the Planet and the People’ – mainly consists of members and observers from the Party of the European Left. ADVERTISEMENTThe ‘European Left Alliance for the Planet and the People’ presented its priorities in the European Parliament on Tuesday, but its founding members are divided on military aid to Ukraine.The new political party, launched in September, is now ready to act as an “alternative to what the neoliberal forces in the EU are proposing,” said its representatives during a press briefing in Brussels.ELA includes La France insoumise, Spain’s Podemos,…

Silver Fern Farms Co-operative has taken a 12.5% stake in Wool Scour New Zealand Ltd, the largest woolscourer by volume in the world. The company, which trades as WoolWorks, handles about 80%, or more than 100 million kg, of the New Zealand wool clip and has scours in Hawke’s Bay and South Canterbury. Jointly owned by David Ferrier and Tanarra Capital Partners, it is chaired by Silver Fern Farms Co-operative director Rob Hewett who was excluded from deliberations and the decision to invest, a statement said. The price has not yet been revealed for the transaction which relates to Silver…

Radiology staff at Christchurch Hospital were exposed to toxic industrial chemical fumes from a nearby construction site, leaving one worker hospitalised, officials have confirmed.Workers reported “a range of symptoms”, including breathing problems, rashes and headaches, said Te Whatu Ora, Te Waipounamu deputy chief executive Martin Keogh.”The fumes are believed to be hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), which is being used in painting work nearby,” he added.Exposure to the chemical could irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, causing asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.Keogh said he was “deeply concerned” that staff had reported becoming ill.”One staff member has been hospitalised and others have reported…