Five injured in south Auckland house fire
At least two fire crew remain at the Maurice St home, bystanders said. Four been people have been hurt, one seriously, in a south Auckland house fire. Two fire crews put a small bedroom fire at a house on Maurice St in the suburb of Papakura just after 4.40pm on Wednesday. A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said two occupants had moderate injuries, and a further two with minor injuries. The injured have yet to be transported to hospital and are being treated at the scene by ambulance crew.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 04:52 UTC
Plane hijacker could get $25,000 compensation if victims don't claim it
Plane hijacker could get $25,000 compensation if victims don't claim itDAVID HALLETT/STUFF Asha Ali Abdille at her sentencing in the High Court at Christchurch in August 2010. New Zealand's only female plane hijacker could receive a $25,000 compensation payment unless her victims claim it. It has now been revealed that $25,000 was paid into a victims' claims trust account in her name. Other compensation paid to offenders which victims can make claims for includes $45,000 for Melissa Brown and $4000 for convicted rapist Nicholas Paul Reekie. Compensation falls under the Prisoners' and Victims' Claims Act if it was paid for a breach of the Bill of Rights or the Human rights Act, or interfered with a person's privacy.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 04:38 UTC
Residents see cows wash away in Queensland flood
Residents see cows wash away in Queensland floodJESS KEENAN/FACEBOOK Heavy rain has been falling in parts of central Queensland. Residents are leaving properties as floodwaters begin to rise in parts of central Queensland due to major rainfall. Gladstone Regional Council deputy mayor Chris Trevor said forced evacuations at Lowmead and Baffle Creek have not taken place, but some residents have chosen to leave their homes. Lowmead resident Jess Keenan said she watched her cows become washed away in the floodwaters. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a major flood warning on Wednesday for Baffle Creek as well as Kolan River, Boyne River and Calliope River.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 04:30 UTC
Students build giant bread tower to highlight food wastage
Students build giant bread tower to highlight food wastageGEORGE HEARD/STUFF The final pyramid towered over its builders and was a visual representation of food wastage, Love Food Hate Waste spokeswoman Jenny Marshall says. A team of student engineers spent two hours erecting a giant bread pyramid in an effort to raise awareness about food waste. The giant sculpture, made out of 2283 loaves of bread, was built in the University of Canterbury's food hall on Wednesday. "Bread is the most wasted food item in New Zealand and the bread pyramid is a great way to show people the scale of the problem," Love Food Hate Waste spokeswoman Jenny Marshall said. Marshall said the exercise illustrated the scale of food waste in a way that was easier to comprehend.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 04:18 UTC
Immigration NZ to deport disabled man back to Fiji on health grounds
Immigration NZ to deport disabled man back to Fiji on health groundsMahvash Ali / Stuff Sagar Narayan's father says he may not survive on his own if deported. MAHVASH ALI/STUFF Lalit Narayan has been told by Immigration NZ his son must leave by the end of October. Immigration NZ rejected Sagar's application for residence as a dependent child on health grounds. MAHVASH ALI/STUFF Sagar Narayan, front, does not know Immigration NZ has declined him a visa to stay in the country. Immigration NZ director of operations Peter Elms said they were working closely with Narayan's family and lawyer to facilitate Sagar Narayan's departure.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 03:45 UTC
A month after Hurricane Maria, the clean-up continues
A month after Hurricane Maria, the clean-up continuesUNICEF The scars from Maria’s devastating winds are evident all around. After the severe impact of Hurricane Irma in September, Hurricane Maria added further pain to this region, taking at least 38 lives. When classes were dismissed on that Friday afternoon, they had no idea that Hurricane Maria would soon shear the school's roof off. MANUEL MORENO GONZALEZ/UNICEF The aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Roseau, capital of Dominica, and Hurricane Irma before it, has added severe humanitarian consequences, taking at least 38 lives. MANUEL MORENO GONZALEZ/UNICEF Four-year-old Adriana Joseph and her brother survived the rising floodwaters from Hurricane Maria by clinging to her mother;s shoulder for over 40 minutes.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 03:33 UTC
Too many vacancies in trucking industry leave companies struggling
Too many vacancies in trucking industry leave companies strugglingTrevor Read/STUFF FBT freight company bosses Malcolm Campbell and John Geraghty. John Geraghty, co-founder of New Plymouth-based freight company FBT, said the "now hiring" signs which have popped up at Taranaki trucking companies are a common sight around the country. MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF Class 5 truck drivers are in high demand in Taranaki, but those in the industry say it's a struggle to fill the positions. DOUG FIELD/STUFF A shortage of truck drivers is a nation-wide issue, industry leaders say. Heavy truck drivers could make between $16 an hour to $25 an hour, Careers New Zealand said.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 03:11 UTC
Iconic Captain Cook closes
Investors said they planned to "refurbish the iconic Dunedin establishment and then offer it for sale to a suitable operator" Photo: ODT FileAn iconic Dunedin bar has once again shut its doors. The pub closed last week and a sign reading "closed for renovation" was attached to a window. The refurbished pub reopened in May 2016 and was even recognised at the Southern Architecture Awards in June earlier this year. The investors said they planned to "refurbish the iconic Dunedin establishment and then offer it for sale to a suitable operator". He said The Cook was not likely to be considered due to its location off campus.
Source:Otago Daily Times
October 18, 2017 03:11 UTC
Behind the scenes with Air New Zealand cleaners
Behind the scenes with Air New Zealand cleanersAbigail Dougherty A behind the scenes look into how Air NZ's cleaning team get things ready for their international and domestic flights. READ MORE:* Air New Zealand plugging-in grounded planes, re-using untouched snacks* Air NZ launches new initiatives for sustainability* Air New Zealand, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin join forcesAnother 250 cleaners with facilities management firm OCS take care of Air New Zealand's corporate offices, airport lounges and other facilities around Auckland, with another 300 cleaners across Air New Zealand's other domestic airports. Air New Zealand Group General Manager Airports Roger Gray says cleaners play an incredibly important role in the airline's operation. "Because our cleaners work behind the scenes, passengers don't always appreciate the hard work that goes into preparing an aircraft for boarding," Air New Zealand group general manager of airports, Roger Gray, said. "Cleaners work day, night, and weekends to keep our clients' working and living environments clean, safe and hygienic, often under the radar," he said.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 03:00 UTC
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop wins award for 'pseudoscientific nonsense'
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop wins award for 'pseudoscientific nonsense'GETTY Since it launched in 2008, Goop has been consistently slammed by health experts and commentators. Gwyneth Paltrow has received her fair share of awards but it's unlikely she'll be celebrating her latest. Paltrow's controversial 'wellness' blog Goop has won the the "Rusty Razor" award for being the "best" at promoting "pseudoscientific nonsense". Gwyneth Paltrow's costly inaugural In Goop Health summit featured IV drips, discussions of leech facials, scented oxygen, aura photographs and crystal healing. READ MORE:* No, Gwyneth Paltrow, women shouldn't put jade eggs in their vaginas* Watchdog comes after Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop over dodgy health claims* Gwyneth Paltrow's latest claim raises eyebrowsA post shared by goop (@goop) on Sep 28, 2017 at 8:56pm PDTA post shared by goop (@goop) on Sep 8, 2017 at 7:51am PDTEven Paltrow agrees it's a pile of goop.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 02:59 UTC
Parent volunteers step up at Southland schools
Parent volunteers step up at Southland schoolsJOHN HAWKINS Invercargill Middle School principal Stan Tiatia. The pet day at a Southland school is under threat due to a lack of parent helpers - but several principals say volunteer numbers at schools are higher now than previously. Southland Primary Principals' Association president Wendy Ryan said she believed there were more parent volunteers now than five to 10 years ago, when they were thin on the ground. "But as a general rule of thumb, I think Southland is a fantastic place for volunteer help in schools. Invercargill Middle School principal Stan Tiatia said his school has more volunteers now than it had had in a long time.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 02:41 UTC
The bravery in our midst
The bravery in our midstRobyn Edie/Stuff Conrad Waihape, left, and Phil Manson . Whether it lies beneath a sunny disposition or a careworn one, bravery like theirs tends not to attract headlines, medals or certificates. But society does tend to express its admiration when people are able to summons bravery in the extremities of a sudden crisis. The significance of Waihape's volunteer firefighter training needs to be recognised. Latent bravery.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 02:37 UTC
Breakers set for round two against Sydney Kings
Breakers set for round two against Sydney KingsGETTY IMAGES Tom Abercrombie was on court when DJ Newbill hit the winning basket against the Kings last Friday. Two games into the new NBL season and Tom Abercrombie believes the Breakers have found their groove. The schedule has the Breakers playing Sydney again on Thursday night at the same venue. But while it's two games in a row against the same side for the Breakers, Sydney squeezed in a home game against Illawarra on Sunday, convincingly winning 103-87. When the two teams met last week, Sydney made a big comeback by sinking plenty of three pointers that the Breakers struggled to defend against.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 02:26 UTC
Married at First Sight's Lacey applies to be new host of reality TV channel
Married at First Sight's Lacey applies to be new host of reality TV channelBRAVO TV Married At First Sight New Zealand's Lacey applies to be Bravo NZ hostGetting married at first sight hasn't dampened Lacey Swanepoel's desire to be on television - the headline-grabbing bride has applied to be the first local host of Bravo New Zealand. The television channel, which screens primarily reality television shows, is currently running a competition to find a Kiwi host. Three Married at First Sight New Zealand participant, Lacey has entered a competition to become a TV host. THREE Married at First Sight New Zealand couple Lacey and Luke on their wedding day. Lacey has been the subject of scrutiny after a fight with her Married at First Sight husband, Luke Cederman, was screened on Monday.
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 02:26 UTC
How Jacinda Ardern could have taken out the election
READER REPORT: How Jacinda Ardern could have taken out the electionCHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Telling people you have a 'vision' is great. She was confident throughout the debates, her appointment bringing new life to the Labour Party and the election campaign. You see, she did well to retain the traditional Labour voters, keeping with left wing policies and not alienating the "die-hard fans" to impress the masses. This is all well and good, until there are no more die-hard Labour voters left - the starting amount minuscule anyway. How many promises could Ardern actually come through on?
Source:Stuff
October 18, 2017 01:52 UTC