Author: Press Room

The standing desk is often touted, especially for office workers, as the panacea to our sedentary lifestyles. However, a recent study has found standing for long periods might not be much better than sitting. Lead author at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health and deputy director of the Charles Perkins Centre’s Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub, Dr Matthew Ahmadi, told Sunday Morning’s Jim Mora there were other ways for those with a sedentary lifestyle to improve their cardiovascular health. “Standing is certainly better than sitting, but standing by itself will not necessarily lower your risk for heart disease,” Ahmadi said.…

An animal welfare charity is asking people working through the festive season or planning a holiday at home to consider fostering a kitten over the summer months.The SPCA said it could see between 8000 to 10,000 cats and kittens come through its shelters in the next six months, the time of year that kittens are born, and typically 40% of those required time in foster care.SPCA Wellington centre manager Archie Pararasasingam said extra foster homes were needed across the country, to free up space in shelters over Christmas and New Year.It was good for the animals: “They can relax, they’re…

Police launched a large-scale investigation after gangs of youths conducted what Amsterdam’s mayor called ‘hit and run’ attacks on fans that were apparently inspired by calls on social media to target Jewish people. ADVERTISEMENTDutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has cancelled a trip to COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan so that he can stay in the Netherlands to deal with the fallout from assaults on fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team in Amsterdam that authorities condemned as antisemitic.The government will discuss the Thursday night violence at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Schoof posted on X, saying that he would hold…

Wānaka Wastebusters won a hat trick of awards at the 2024 Wānaka Business Excellence Awards on Saturday night. There were 170 attendees at the gala awards dinner hosted by the Wānaka Business Chamber at Rippon Vineyard. Chamber general manager Glen Peat said it had been a challenging year, marked by reduced visitor numbers, rising operational costs, and the lasting impacts of post-Covid economic pressures, but the resilience and innovation of the Wānaka business community shone through, with a record 67 entries submitted. “The record number of entries this year highlights the determination of our business community to not only survive…

New Zealand exporters face uncertain times under Donald Trump’s presidency, but strong diplomatic connections could help protect the country’s interests, experts say.The president-elect’s promised tariffs on imports and potential withdrawal of support for Ukraine could also dramatically reshape geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, with warnings that climate change could slide off the agenda.Former White House official and New Zealander Peter Watson said while Trump’s planned tariffs would have “a chilling effect” on local exports, the country might be partially helped through its existing diplomatic relationships.”For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is deeply respected here,…

Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump’s presidential campaign, claimed the incoming Trump administration indicated restoring lost Ukrainian territory wasn’t a precursor to peace. ADVERTISEMENTUS President-elect Donald Trump’s team has distanced itself from remarks made by a Republican strategist that the White House’s proposal to end the war in Ukraine was about peace and not territory.In an interview with the BBC, Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump’s presidential campaign, outlined some of the incoming Trump administration’s alleged points for peace and suggested restoring lost territory wasn’t a priority.”If President Zelenskyy comes to the table and says, well we can only have…

Tens of thousands of Kiwi homes could become uninsurable within 15 years as climate change drives up insurance costs and risks, new research suggests.A report released today by the Helen Clark Foundation and consulting firm WSP warns that without government intervention, insurance could also become unaffordable for many households, particularly those in flood-prone areas.Lead author Kali Mercier said insurance premiums are increasing due to climate factors, with flood-prone areas facing particular pressure.”I think we need to be thinking about how much is too much within a household, and whether we should then subsidise some people to help them keep insurance.”According…

Thousands of residential properties could be left unprotected and uninsurable in the coming years as new research points to a looming insurance crisis due to climate change. A new report by the Helen Clark Foundation and engineering consultants WSP warned “insurance retreat” could mean insurance premiums for flood-prone properties may be unaffordable. An estimated 10,000 coastal properties in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin could become uninsurable by 2050, due to coastal erosion and inundation. Other properties in flood prone areas further inland were also at risk. The report, titled Premiums Under Pressure, said that without intervention, New Zealand was facing steep…

Like a dog with a bone, investment manager Greg Smith of Devon Funds refuses to give up on a call for a jumbo-sized cut to the official cash rate (OCR) at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s last meeting of the year due to take place in a couple of weeks.He made the same bold call for a 75 basis- point cut for the recent October decision, only to be confounded by the RBNZ’s 50 point cut to 4.75%.Smith is not deterred that he’s swimming against the tide, which overwhelmingly backs a more modest 50 basis point reduction.”A general comment…

Portugal is one of Western Europe’s poorest countries with official data showing that more than half of all workers in country earn less than €1,000 a month. ADVERTISEMENTThousands of people have attended protests in two cities in Portugal to demand higher wages and pensions and improvements to social services like housing and healthcare.Called by the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP), the country’s largest federation of trade unions, marches took place in Porto and the capital, Lisbon.The CGTP’s Secretary General, Tiago Oliveira, said the protests were directed at both the public and private sectors and wraps up a month…