The cost of living for the average New Zealand household rose 5.4% in the year to the June quarter, according to Statistics NZ. Each quarter, the HLPIs track how inflation impacts 13 different household groups, as well as an all-households group, also known as the average household. “Mortgage interest payments remain high and continue to make a significant contribution to living costs for many households,” Statistics NZ consumer prices manager James Mitchell says. Property rates and related services make up 7.7% of expenditure for superannuitant households compared with 4.6% for the average household. The most recent high in average household living costs was the 8.2% rise recorded in the 12 months to the December 2022 quarter.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 26, 2024 03:15 UTC
The science group set up to monitor earthquakes and volcanoes said Whakaari has been emitting “an almost continuous stream and gas plume” in recent weeks. “A steam and gas plume is about 80% steam and water vapour [H2O]. This image captured on July 12 shows a plume of gas and steam emitting from a vent from Whakaari/White Island. To help GeoNet communicate the current status of the active volcanoes in New Zealand, the organisation uses the New Zealand Volcanic Alert Level System. GeoNet uses Volcano Activity Bulletins to communicate in-depth and important information about the activity and trends occurring at the volcano.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 25, 2024 21:17 UTC
Source: China State Council Information OfficeLocking China all down on the artificial intelligence (AI) technology is “really wrong,” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and co-founder of Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, said Wednesday. On the question of how the United States should approach the AI competition with China, there’s one strain of thought that we need to lock it all down, and “I think that’s really wrong,” said Zuckerberg in an interview with Bloomberg. The United States thrives on open and de-centralized innovation, he said. “That’s the way our economy works, that how we build awesome stuff.”The Facebook co-founder also said that keeping the United States five or 10 years ahead of China in AI technology is not a “reasonable goal” that can be maintained. “What I do think is a reasonable goal is maintaining a perpetual, like six-month or eight-month lead, by making sure that the American companies continue producing the best AI systems,” he said, adding, “If the U.S. can maintain that advantage over time, that’s a very big advantage.”MIL OSI China News –
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 19:50 UTC
“The All Blacks don’t currently have a set media window on Friday morning, but players are available for interviews the day before a test match. During the two matches against England, New Zealand media attended events and interviewed players on both Fridays, and also did media interviews at events in San Diego the day before the match. It would also be hard for a media relations person to not become embedded or overawed by the stars, especially if players believe media are being unreasonable. On Monday, he held a press conference for Pasifika media and journalism students following confirmation of his move to Moana Pasifika from the Hurricanes. Campbell wrote for TVNZ: “The only reporters there were from Pasifika media outlets and programmes, along with some Pasifika journalism students.
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 18:56 UTC
In 1863, the Crown started a war – known as the Invasion of Waikato – to destroy the Kiingitanga and access Waikato land. For us here, it’s Taupiri te maunga – Taupiri is the mountain; Waikato te awa – Waikato is the river; and Te Wherowhero te tangata - Te Wherowhero is the man [we descend from],” Papa said. It included familiar allegations against Waikato Māori while declaring the lives and property of all “well-disposed people” would be protected. Waikato Māori built elaborate pā as a form of defence during the Waikato Invasion. The Mangatāwhiri Stream was considered an 'aukati' - a line not to be crossed and the boundary between Kiingitanga and Crown lands.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 25, 2024 18:16 UTC
Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:30 pm, July 25th, 2024 - 7 commentsCategories: Daily review - Tags:Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …Share this: FacebookLinkedInRedditPinterestMastodonTwitterPrintEmail
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 25, 2024 11:43 UTC
Apple decided a few years ago it was just too unsafe to have third-party developers poke at things, deep in the operating system. It also improves system security as malicious code is harder to hide deep in the operating system. Microsoft is no doubt aware of the problem, and it has devised mitigations to stop buggy code from taking down the Windows kernel. Even then, it only took one mistake that mysteriously enough wasn't caught early on (it should've been - see below), and a very extensive and expensive disaster struck. Btw the report mentions testing over 20 times, but for those who didn’t catch it - none of the channel tests involve actually putting the updates on a CrowdStrike system.
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 09:13 UTC
Photo: RNZ / Jimmy EllinghamFor more than 15 years Jasmine Taare was a meth addict. Now, she's stopped using it and is part of a groundbreaking Tairāwhiti study into how people's brains and hearts recover from damage caused by its long-term use. "When you think about meth users and you ask people here they immediately think you're out the gate - you can't trust them. Photo: RNZ / Jimmy EllinghamSoon after, she joined Mātai Medical Research Institute's study into the effects of meth on users' brains and hearts. They highlighted the damage meth had done, but also more recent signs of improvement.
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 09:09 UTC
Source: Federated FarmersFederated Farmers are calling for transparency from the Otago Regional Council about the potential impacts and costs of proposed new freshwater rules. In particular Federated Farmers want to know how the new principle of Te Mana o te Wai will be applied under the new regulations. “The regional council needs to urgently confirm whether these cost projections are accurate. Instead, every regional council must engage with communities and tangata whenua to determine how the concept should be applied locally. “The consultation from Otago Regional Council has been woefully insufficient given the serious implications potential costs of these regulations,” Kane says.
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 07:39 UTC
The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last MarchDespite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? led to a ...
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 06:10 UTC
Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:53 am, July 25th, 2024 - 16 commentsCategories: crime, law, law and "order", national, prisons, same old national, Social issues - Tags: report into abuse in careYesterday the Royal Commission’s report into abuse in care was released. Part of the report deals with the Whakapakiri Camp, a form of boot camp run by a formerly famous professional wrestler by the name of John Da Silva. Survivors described extreme psychological, physical and sexual abuse at Whakapakari causing severe mental and physical pain. There is evidence to suggest physical and sexual abuse were used as punishment as well as to intimidate. It failed to respond to the repeated disclosures of abuse by children and young people sent there.
Source:Stuff
July 25, 2024 04:58 UTC
But this is New Zealand, and so GeoNet had to drag in some indigenous knowledge to satisfy the Zeitgeist; in this case, the addition was arrant superstition. Science tells us that Rūaumoko rumbles the Alpine Fault about every 300 years, and the last time was in 1717. The next large Alpine Fault earthquake will be long and strong and significantly alter the landscape of Te Waipounamu as we know it. A large Alpine Fault earthquake happening in our lifetimes is no doubt a scary thought! Yes, indigenous knowledge may be a useful addition to some limited scientific endeavors, but this is not one of them.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 25, 2024 04:47 UTC
Police searched around Dunedin's Botanic Garden yesterday after a young woman was grabbed. Photo: Stephen JaquieryDunedin police are combing CCTV footage after two young women were groped in separate incidents. Sgt Matt Lee said the incidents, which are not believed to be related, happened in North Dunedin yesterday. About 7.45am near Harbour Tce "a middle-aged man wearing nothing but a red t-shirt" approached two young women and slapped one on the backside, before running towards Dundas St. About 1pm a young woman walking through the Botanic Garden on her way home was grabbed on the backside.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 25, 2024 02:37 UTC
A coroner has found “systemic and individual failures” and treatment that “collectively fell below the expected standard of care” led to the death of a Kaikōura toddler. The investigations revealed “systemic and individual failures” in Everly’s case, and treatment that “collectively fell below the expected standard of care”. On April 4 her mother took her to Kaikōura Health, the local after-hours clinic, as her cough had returned. Why did Everly Dunfoy die? He had also written a letter of apology to the Dunfoy family.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 25, 2024 01:44 UTC
You must have experienced this frustration: trying to get those stickers off of individual pieces of fruit without ripping the skin. I suppose it can be done with care, but I don’t have the time. Plus they now have ways to emboss the fruit without stickers, like using lasers. My lunch apple, before:My lunch apple, after sticker removal. The unavoidable crater appears:Now clearly this isn’t a cosmic issue, but it’s one Andy Rooney would have talked about, and now that he’s gone somebody has to!
Source:Stuff
July 24, 2024 23:47 UTC