South Africa will quit Super Rugby for European competition - report
The drum beats are getting louder – South Africa will quit Super Rugby to join a northern hemisphere competition. But one South African writer has warned of the dangers, saying the country would be throwing its lot in with a second rate rugby tournament. The Cheetahs and Kings, dumped by Super Rugby, have already joined the competition involving leading clubs from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy. According to Rapport, there is only room for five South African sides meaning one would miss out on a PRO14 place. You have to wonder, too, just how sustainable an all-Australasian Super Rugby would be, minus the obvious South African clout," he wrote.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 22:52 UTC
Toyota teases updated Hilux in official video
Toyota has teased the refreshed Hilux in a video starring Fernando Alonso. The former F1 champ is shown putting the camo-clad Hilux through its paces alongside the Dakar race truck in a "quite difficult environment." Supplied This is a leaked image of the refreshed Hilux and it might actually be quite close to the real thing. Neeraj Lala, chief operating officer of Toyota New Zealand, confirmed the comments from Toyota Europe when Stuff reached out to him, saying that he expects to be selling the updated Hilux before the end of the year. Toyota already offers its Safety Sense package across the Hilux range as standard so there could be additional improvements on that front too.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 22:52 UTC
Met Opera closed till New Year's Eve
The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. Photo: ReutersNew York's Metropolitan Opera will keep its curtains closed until a New Year's Eve opening gala, as it announced a season shortened by the coronavirus epidemic. "Social distancing and grand opera simply don't go together," general manager Peter Gelb said in a video message on Monday. He held out hope that by December "there will be a medical solution" to the coronavirus crisis that would allow the Met Opera to resume its shows on Dec. 31. London's Royal Opera House and Milan's La Scala, which also suspended performances several months ago, have yet to announce their plans for the 2020-2021 season.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 22:52 UTC
Employee surveillance software sales surge in lockdown
Photo: GettySales of employee monitoring software have skyrocketed since the country went into lockdown, with tech companies reporting a 300 per cent increase for New Zealand customers. "They just don't know what's going on within their company anymore and they're looking for policies, procedures and tools to navigate this new normal and that's where employee monitoring software can help." Both Brown and Norse said it was important employers were open with employees about the purpose of the software. Wagstaff said the growth of such surveillance software was alarming, but not surprising because the culture of New Zealand work tended to be low trust. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has so far not received any requests for information, or complaints, regarding employee monitoring software.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 22:41 UTC
Labour switches up strategy for Māori seats
Labour's Māori electorate MPs are returning to the party list this year after a bold play in 2017 saw them sweep all seven seats. Last election's decision to stay off the list was designed to wipe out the Māori Party and make room on the Labour list for greater Māori representation. Labour's Maori caucus co-chair Meka Whaitiri said the strategy worked with 13 Labour Māori MPs in government and the Māori Party gone. In parts, we succeeded with 13 Māori – the seven party seats, four on the list and two in the general seats. We clearly want a strategy that retains all 13 Māori MPs and it is critical we retain all seven seats," she said.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 22:30 UTC
NZ could be at level 1 by June 10
New Zealand could move to level 1 in just eight days' time if all goes well, the Prime Minister says. Ardern told Hosking she did not condone the rule breaches. But Ardern later hit back, saying nobody argued in level 4 that if people broke the rules it was a reason to remove the rules. He also claimed the transition to level 1 was not even on the agenda for today's Cabinet meeting. Ardern later told Hosking the matter would be discussed when Cabinet meets today.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 21:45 UTC
Dunedin's Kmart reopening soon
The opening of Dunedin's Kmart has been delayedKmart has confirmed it is reopening its Dunedin store, but for how long it will remain at its current site remains unclear. Kmart joined the other large mall tenant, department store H&J Smith, and delayed reopening. READ MORE:* Kmart delays post-lockdown reopening in Dunedin* Aussie owned mall plays hardball with Kiwi tenants* Kmart and H & J Smith delay opening in Dunedin's Meridian MallWhile H & J Smith has since reopened, its future is far from certain as it was on several stores earmarked for closure by the Invercargill-based company. Supplied Kmart in the Meridian Mall is soon to reopenOther tenants in the mall have detailed how they were charged full rent over the lockdown period, forcing several to contemplate their future. A decision on the future of H & J Smith, which is proposing to shut stores in Dunedin, Mosgiel, Te Anau and Balclutha, is expected this week.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 21:45 UTC
Vendors still expect high prices for houses
Photo: Getty ImagesAsking prices for houses are still hitting record highs in some regions, but the number of listings is down. Latest data from realestate.co.nz shows seven regions including Manawatu/Whanganui, the Central North Island and Taranaki had record high averages for asking prices. She said demand also remained high, with traffic to the sight on par with February, its peak month. "There's been a lot of speculation around prices post-lockdown, but what we've seen here is vendors are able to command high prices for their property. "You can't command a high price for your property if the demand isn't there, and when we look, New Zealanders are still busy."
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 21:45 UTC
Correct recycling essential to global buyer's market
Consequently the value of recyclable materials has plummeted and some materials are nearly impossible to send anywhere for recycling. Fortunately, we still have buyers who are willing to buy the high-grade plastics – those plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5. Last year we picked up about 133,000 tonnes of rubbish, garden waste and unwanted materials through our kerbside rubbish and recycling collection service. We don’t want to see the proportion of material going to landfill increasing. Recycling is an easy way to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, and it’s essential that we all take the time to do it right.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 21:22 UTC
Body recovered after tramper washed away by swollen river
A search is under way for a tramper lost in a swollen Hawke's Bay river. A man's body has been recovered after a tramper was swept down a river during Queen's Birthday Weekend in the Ruahine Ranges. Police said the man's body was found on Tuesday morning with the assistance of a Fire and Emergency New Zealand drone. Search and Rescue efforts were thwarted as high river levels and bad weather conditions forced delays until Tuesday morning, a police spokesperson said. "[The Makaroro River] is a pretty big river at low flow.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 21:03 UTC
Auckland language tutor awarded $28k for unjustified dismissal
An English language tutor who claimed he was made redundant by a fake company restructure has won more than $28,000 for his unjustified dismissal. Sharifi started in a permanent role with the Abacus Institute of Studies in September 2018. The ERA also ruled that Abacus' attempt to assess redeployment opportunities for Sharifi was flawed. The ERA ordered Abacus to pay Sharifi $18,000 for the humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings he suffered as a result of his unjustified dismissal. His claim for $6,192 immigration costs was declined because the application was under way before he started with Abacus.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 20:59 UTC
Truck carrying massive wind turbine blade topples over on SH45
A truck carrying one of the large wind turbine blades from Port Taranaki has rolled in Okato on SH45. A truck transporting a giant turbine blade destined for use on a South Taranaki wind farm has tipped on its side along State Highway 45. Taranaki-Daily-News A truck transporting a wind turbine blade for the Waipipi Wind Farm in Waverley tipped over on State Highway 45, just south of Okato. Taranaki-Daily-News The truck was carrying one of the wind turbines from Port Taranaki. Other wind farm components will continue to be transported on a daily basis through to October, NZTA system manager Ross I'Anson said in the written statement.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 20:58 UTC
Winston Peters: If protests condoned 'why are we not at level 1?'
Peters said the breaching of alert level 2 rules at the protests should have resulted in prosecution for the organisers. And if they won't be prosecuted, then there's no choice but to move to alert level 1, he said. "If they condone that and there's no prosecution of the organisers of these two events then why are we not at alert level 1?" "I absolutely understand the strength of feeling and the sentiment" at the protests; level 2 restrictions were in place for a reason, she said. "It would be very difficult if it's not a matter of discussion because of what's happened a day before Cabinet," Peters said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 20:48 UTC
Heneti Morgan: The missing Paralympian and her medal muddle
There is nothing straightforward in the life of Heneti Morgan – the Paralympian who was lost, but now found. Even the medal she came home with from the 1972 Paralympic Games comes with a twist. “But she had to keep schtum about it.”Dane Morgan Heneti Morgan's 1972 Paralympic Games bronze medal. She was pretty determined and headstrong.”Growing up on the Kapiti Coast, Doris Heneti Morgan was known to her friends as ‘Ti’. While the records show Morgan won bronze in the 25m backstroke 1B classification, her husband says she should have won silver.
Source:Stuff
June 01, 2020 20:48 UTC
Pledge for Tapanui cenotaph
Tapanui RSA. Image: Google MapsThe prospect of a new cenotaph for Tapanui has been boosted by a funding pledge from the West Otago Community Board. During its meeting last week, the board pledged up to $10,000 towards a new cenotaph on or near the Tapanui RSA grounds. At present, Tapanui’s community gym houses its honours boards. The RSA will decide at its next meeting whether to proceed with the project.
Source:Otago Daily Times
June 01, 2020 20:37 UTC