This isn’t the first Olympics with cardboard bed frames – the furniture made its debut in Tokyo in 2021, where it drew similar attention from athletes and onlookers. Rumours circulated that the beds were constructed with cardboard to prevent athletes from getting intimate with one another and potentially spreading Covid-19. He called the “anti-sex” nickname “fake, fake news!”The cardboard bed frames were designed with sustainability, rather than chastity, in mind. “These are the famous Tokyo 2020 beds that made it to Paris 2024,” a TikTok posted by the official Olympics account this month states. But Angelica Delgado, a US judo athlete, had a less ringing endorsement: “The cardboard beds are a bit stiff, but it’s okay”.

The research, published online ahead of peer review, revealed widespread occurrence of moderate and strong events, with an increasing trend since 2015. “We also see that this association between marine heatwave events and fish catch is different across the EEZ, with a more pronounced negative association in the southern areas,” Noy said. Ocean heatwaves are growing longer, stronger and more frequent - with the waters around New Zealand proving a global hot-spot. “Things are getting hotter because of climate change – we knew that already – but the accelerating pace of warming of the oceans around New Zealand is surprising,” Niwa principal scientist Dr Matt Pinkerton said. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.

The All Blacks 36-man squad for the Rugby Championship sees the return of former captain Sam Cane and the electric outside back Will Jordan. The All Blacks will kick off their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina in Wellington on August 10, followed by a second match against the same opponent in Auckland on August 17. The All Blacks then head to South Africa to face the Springboks in Johannesburg on September 1 and in Cape Town on September 8. All Blacks captain Scott Barrett has been named in the squad, but is currently being monitored with a finger injury and Josh Lord has been added as injury cover. Barrett injured himself during last weekend’s comfortable 47-5 win over Fiji in San Diego last weekend and required “surgical treatment” after his return to New Zealand, All Blacks management said in a statement.

The ACCA acronym features in many Comanchero tattoos, clothing items and social media posts - the pledge stands for "Always Comancheros, Comancheros Always". Now there is a branch in central Auckland. The image referenced a central Auckland chapter and, among other gang slogans, was captioned: “Welcome to the Brotherhood”. In recent years, the KCs have taken a dim view of anyone encroaching on their traditional stronghold in central Auckland, as well as Māngere. An image taken from a video posted on YouTube by the Comancheros motorcycle gang following a national ride in 2023.

WILKES-BARRE, PA – Energysource (Swan For All) and Hankins Hanover (Walner) got the job done in the $17,000 harness racing featured trots on Saturday afternoon (July 27) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. Hankins Hanover was driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Pinske Stables and David Hoese. Epic Ace finished with a rush to take second, a neck behind the winner and three parts of a length ahead of Shoobie Doo A. Pocono races on Sundays at 6 p.m.; that card will be followed by Monday and Tuesday programs at 1 p.m. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org. From the PHHA / Pocono Downs

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Auction room activity ticked up a bit compared to the previous week at the latest auctions round the country monitored by Interest.co.nz. Interest.co.nz monitored the auctions of 265 residential properties throughout Aotearoa over the week of 20-26 July, up from 212 the previous week. Sales were also higher with 90 properties selling under the hammer, giving an overall sales rate of 34%. That was up from 31% the previous week, and was the highest sales rate since mid-March. However even with that improvement in activity, the total numbers of the properties being offered at auction and the number being sold under the hammer are both very low, and the overall picture they paint is of auction activity bouncing along the winter bottom.

And welcome to today’s 25th Infantry Division’s media roundtable. Some are, we have more quantities than others, but it has enabled us to move very quickly into individual level training and then now to collective level training. So, the shoulder to shoulder fight and training that we’ve been doing inside the Philippines really starts at JPMRC. And Soldiers’ ability or thinking through just being aware of the air threat, how they posture themselves and protect themselves. MGME: Yeah, that is a really, really good question.

The NZ Government 10 year bond rate is now at 4.41%, and down -5 bps from yesterday, unchanged from a week ago. A week ago it was at 60.1 USc so -1¼c lower since. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at 67.9 and down -10 bps from yesterday and near a two year low. The bitcoin price starts today at US$67,495 and up a sharp +4.1% from this time yesterday. A week ago this price was US$66,552 so up +1.4% since then.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has urged the party faithful to build the biggest Green movement the world has ever seen. At a media standup, Swarbrick said she expects to have a 'far larger' Green movement going into 2026 election. Swarbrick said the party is considering the future of Tana, but would not say if the waka-jumping rule will be invoked. "Our caucus has come to the unanimous position that Darleen Tana is not fit to be a member of Parliament," she said. Swarbrick has addressed members at the Green's AGM in Christchurch - her first since becoming co-leader in March.

Ivan Pivac on why being blind is an advantage in acupunctureIvan Pivac lost his sight after an accident when he was 12, and went on to train in acupuncture in Hong Kong. He has worked from his practice below his Auckland home for 50 years.

But what the couple got from the Williams Corporation development was not what they thought they had signed up for. However, when the development was finished, the couple and other owners in the complex discovered they had a toilet and hand basin in their commercial space, but no shower, Muir says. "It's going to cost between $35-40,000," he told Stuff. This is not a quick fix," he told Stuff. Bayleys valuer Will Black told Stuff any extra amenities in a townhouse added value.

PHOTO: ODT FILESA pair of men have been jailed after sharing objectionable publications and taking explicit photos of a young boy. The men, who have name suppression, appeared in the Invercargill District Court today for having sexual conduct with a child, possessing objectionable material and distributing objectionable material. The pair earlier admitted to taking explicit photos of a child and having more than 400 child exploitation images between them. The defendants were also taking explicit photos of a boy under 12 and sending them to people via online chat forums. Both men were automatically registered as child sex offenders.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a fun, irreverent and blood-soaked summer blockbuster that fans of the Deadpool franchise are going to love. Deadpool & Wolverine is most fun when looking back rather than forward. At times, Deadpool & Wolverine feels like a drunken eulogy for the Marvel content produced by 20th Century Fox. Perhaps in the end though, Deadpool & Wolverine is a hopeful metaphor. Deadpool & Wolverine is fun for die-hard Marvel fans – but it won’t save the MCU – https://theconversation.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-is-fun-for-die-hard-marvel-fans-but-it-wont-save-the-mcu-235612MIL OSI – Global Reports –

Photo: RNZ // Angus DreaverWarning: This story discusses rape and sexual assault. A Wellington musician convicted of rape can now be named as Martin Ditlhabi. They first moved to Tauranga and later settled in Wellington where he went to high school. In 2020, numerous online accusations of rape and sexual assault were made. Ditlhabi pleaded not guilty to four charges of rape, two of unlawful sexual connection and two of indecent assault.