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[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:25 | null | 2016-08-30T22:32:12 | 'To know of me and to know me are two very different things, never confuse the two,' says Louise Giltrap. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Ffarming%2F83728983%2FI-haven-t-got-wings-or-a-halo.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/0/a/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dulp3.png/1472596332822.jpg | en | null | I haven't got wings or a halo | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | I haven't got wings or a halo 'To know of me and to know me are two very different things, never confuse the two,' says Louise Giltrap.
Louise Giltrap, second left, with her three daughters Courtney, Siobahn and Brittney.
OPINION: For the record, I am no angel. I'm not above reproach and God alone knows I have made enough mistakes to write a manual on how to screw up in life.
There have been two divorces and a relationship breakdown with a sibling that I'm way past trying to fix, much less worry about. And then there are my three daughters -- please, do not get me started on that subject.
My Irish temper is easily inflamed by ignorance and bad manners, at which point I can become unreasonable and don't care who hears what I have to say… it's probably been coming for months, but can't stay unsaid anymore.
I am an "impossible woman" to deal with, apparently. That has been said by many people, but generally they are people who have tried to do something underhanded and I have called them on it.
The fact that I speak out, stand up and fight for what I believe is right seems to make some people uncomfortable.
It comes with a hefty price tag. People talk about me when they don't really even know who I am.
See, that's why complete strangers are so easy to be kind to. They are child-like in their innocence of who I really am.
They hold no preconceived ideas about what I am like because of gossip they have heard from someone else. They have no judgment of my parenting abilities because they have no idea what has gone on with my children.
They just take me at face value and accept the outstretched hand of kindness for the genuine act that it is -- no grudge holding, no snide comments and no gossiping like silly schoolgirls.
Human nature is a fascinating thing, really. It blows my mind that people can remember what someone did or said to offend them and at the same time conveniently forget any kind things that same person did.
Everyone has at some point made the decision to say or do something that other self-appointed perfect humans will judge them for. And that's okay; we all have things in life that we haven't done perfectly.
For every one of you out there that has emailed and said very nice things about Geoff and I sitting with the upset lady in Brisbane that I told you about two weeks ago, I could find at least five people to contradict them and tell you something completely different.
There was a wall plaque I saw once that said, "To know of me and to know me are two very different things, never confuse the two".
I hear a lot of things about myself and my children, most of which comes from people who have never as much as looked us in the eye.
That's okay, it says more about them than it does me. And it gives us a pretty cheap form of entertainment hearing all the things we have and haven't done.
Those people should be writing novels with their very colourful and vivid imaginations instead of talking rubbish about people they have no clue about.
We have helped family who no longer talk to us, given a home to people to live in for free and then have heard we worked them to the bone by asking them to do some relief milking, which we paid them for on top of the free lodgings.
We have taken people into our home to live with us for months at no charge, then they moved on with not even a text message to say "Hey, how are you guys doing?"
Hours have been spent over the years supporting friends who were struggling with personal problems. We now live too far away to visit them, but still get asked when we are going to be down in their neck of the woods next.
So, for those of you who wonder why I find it easy to help strangers, here is the key.
Strangers move on, they don't become leeches who suck you dry of your good nature then act like you don't exist once they no longer need you.
It is easier to be kind to strangers because being kind to family and friends sometimes does you more harm than good.
People have tried to tell me the way some behave towards me is because of jealousy.
I completely disagree. I believe it is a genuine display of bad manners, coupled with an inability to be decent people -- possibly a result of not being comfortable with their own choices and positions in life.
Do I sound grumpy? Yes I do and I am, because contrary to popular belief I do not live some sort of fairy tale life.
We work hard, get tired like everyone else and don't deserve the nastiness people have thrown at us.
Louise Giltrap is a Northland dairy farmer. She loves to hear from readers at ljgiltrap@xtra.co.nz
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/83728983/I-haven-t-got-wings-or-a-halo | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4a9299a2fb33748e35f9dcadbe481af4681e9e14b87c704aeaeaf8dc59b326a7.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T08:51:05 | null | 2016-08-28T08:13:36 | A second 'moderate' quake struck Christchurch on Sunday evening, putting residents on edge. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fthe-press%2Fnews%2F83644491%2FSecond-moderate-earthquake-wobbles-Christchurch.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/s/j/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dssi3.png/1472372521997.jpg | en | null | Second 'moderate' earthquake wobbles Christchurch | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Hundreds reported feeling the earthquake, which hit at 3.02pm.
Christchurch has been struck with a second "moderate" earthquake on Sunday, both causing light shaking throughout the city.
A magnitude 3.7 earthquake hit just before 8pm. More than 1500 people reported on Geonet that they'd felt it, one as far west as Rakaia.
It struck six kilometres deep, about 10 km west of the city between Prebbleton and Templeton.
An earlier magnitude 3.8 earthquake in the same area was 8km deep, and hit at 3.02pm.
READ MORE: Why Italy's quake was like Christchurch
About six earthquakes hit in the same area throughout the day, with the two "moderate" shakes causing noticeable rattling throughout the city.
Duty seismologist Anna Kaiser said that it was normal aftershock activity from the Canterbury earthquake sequence.
"We'd expect to get aftershocks of that magnitude. Christchurch has had a lot worse," she said.
After the earlier "moderate" earthquake, people throughout greater Christchurch reported they had felt the shaking.
Vanessa Barsby posted on Facebook she felt it "well" in Lincoln.
"Was ready to move thought was going to be bigger than that and start to jolt," she said.
Drew Burrows' umbrella fell over.
"The work in putting it back up is going to take weeks if not months."
Leonie Stead felt it in Woolston: "Just another reminder that they aren't quite finished with us yet."
The Fire Service and police received no reports of damage or injury. | http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/83644491/Second-moderate-earthquake-wobbles-Christchurch | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8dce38192419bb5f45bbad1fd520887f052004ba169d82c28d91508383219033.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:47 | null | null | Councils are breaching the Resource Management Act by discharging poorly treated or untreated sewage into rivers and coastal waterways at a rate of once every five weeks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsunday-star-times%2F10465494%2FRevealed-Councils-dirty-little-secrets.json | en | null | Revealed: Councils' dirty little secrets | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Revealed: Councils' dirty little secrets MARTY SHARPE
MAARTEN HOLL/Fairfax NZ FOUL HABIT: Councils have been penalised for discharging sewage into rivers and coastal waterways, including near Titahi Bay where Chantelle Hemara and Hayden Todd enjoy swimming.
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Councils are breaching the Resource Management Act by discharging poorly treated or untreated sewage into rivers and coastal waterways at a rate of once every five weeks.
Two of the worst incidents, each involving millions of litres of effluent, were resolved in July with large fines imposed on the offending councils.
Porirua City Council was ordered to donate nearly $40,000 to stream restoration in June for discharging a full day's sewage into a stream and the sea near Titahi Bay on October 12 last year.
The overflow killed aquatic life and made the area unsafe for swimming, with a brown plume stretching about 100 metres into the sea and smelling strongly of grease and fat.
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Waikato District Council was fined more than $55,000 after a failure at the Raglan sewage plant in June last year led to five million litres of sewage entering a tribal tributary of Raglan Harbour.
Three staff were sacked and one quit following the incident, which a district court judge said stemmed from systemic failure "revealing poor training, supervision and ultimate management".
Figures released under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act reveal that in the six financial years from 2007/08 to 2013/14 there were 179 actions - infringement notices, abatement notices or prosecutions - against 49 councils.
Sixty-five of those involved the discharging of untreated or partially treated wastewater to water - a rate of one every five weeks over six years. Twelve involved discharging the same to land.
Massey University ecologist Mike Joy said the figures were just "the tip of the iceberg" and he believed fines were issued only as a "last resort after much pleading and threatening".
He wanted to see councils ordered to put funds toward fixing sewerage plants rather than being fined.
"It's like fining some poor person for having bald tires on car - it makes it even less likely they will fix it. But if they were forced to put money into cleaning up it would force them to rethink priorities," he said.
Federated Farmers environment spokesman Ian McKenzie said the figures showed farmers were not solely to blame for poor water quality.
"Most urban authorities need to spend substantial amounts of money to upgrade their sewerage and storm water systems to cope with existing requirements of the National Policy Statement let alone bring water quality standards up to swimming standards," McKenzie said.
Fish and Game chief executive Bryce Johnson said sewage getting into rivers and streams was "undoubtedly an ongoing issue that requires greater attention".
He said pollution by dairy farmers seemed to attract greater fines that those imposed on councils and called for a stronger line.
"That might encourage offending councils to ensure they've invested in the basics before splashing out on vote-catching swimming pools or recreation centres. There is just no excuse for a 21st century wastewater system to discharge untreated sewage into our rivers."
Local Government New Zealand president Lawrence Yule said there was "no evidence" that councils were not held to account as rigidly as rural operators.
"As a broad generalisation, fines for private operators [typically dairy discharges or bulk earthworks for sediment] can be higher than councils for municipal discharges. However, it's a case by case situation. In fact, the figures suggest that [councils] receive the same quantum of fine as rural operators."
Councils often put fine money towards remediation in the catchment area where an incident took place, he said.
Locals at Titahi Bay, north of the Porirua spill site, said this week that water quality was important.
Hayden Todd and Chantelle Hemara swam and fished in the sea over summer.
The quality of the water was "very" important, Todd said, and more should be done to protect it for beachgoers.
Teacher aide Velli Ualesi felt water quality had improved in recent years but beach litter, including used nappies and bottles, was getting worse.
DISHING THE DIRT
- Most pollution in waterways comes from farms but the country's more than 300 sewage treatment plants are also partly responsible, with many carrying out "only primary or secondary treatment, which may be inadequate for reducing pollutants", a 2012 Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report said.
- Of 179 actions between 2007/08 and 2013/14, there were 78 infringement notices which resulted in fines of up to $750, ninety were abatement notices and 11 were prosecutions. (Abatement notices require a person to stop any activity contravening the Resource Management Act, resource consent or council plan. Infringement notices impose an instant fine of $300 to $1000. Prosecutions occur only in the most serious cases).
- Of the 11 prosecutions, seven involved discharges of wastewater entering waterways. \\
- One prosecution was unsuccessful, one was withdrawn with the territorial authority involved (Selwyn District Council) agreeing to donate $32,000 toward stream enhancement, one resulted in an order of costs and some riparian planting. The others resulted in fines of $10,000 (Waipa District Council), $20,000 (donation ordered to be paid by Carterton District Council), $26,843 (Tararua District Council) $30,000 (Taupo District Council), $35,000 (Invercargill District Council), $37,500 (Hamilton City Council), $39,375 (Porirua City Council) and $56,250 (Waikato District Council).
Figures do not include actions taken by the former Auckland Regional Council or Auckland City Council prior to the 2012/13 year.
- Sunday Star Times
Comments | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/10465494/Revealed-Councils-dirty-little-secrets | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/b033ab72ec580c8548e8c1e46fd5799c74ad6e3e65bf23e16f09b7a21d7fc24f.json | |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:10 | null | 2016-08-29T00:48:41 | After bottling a message and setting it adrift 21 years ago, Blenheim's Courtney Stevenson has finally heard back. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83662594%2FMessage-in-a-bottles-21-year-journey-from-Picton-to-Chatham-Islands.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/b/c/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt6gy.png/1472431721680.jpg | en | null | Message in a bottle's 21-year journey from Picton to Chatham Islands | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Message in a bottle's 21-year journey from Picton to Chatham Islands
MOLLY GOOMES Courtney Stevenson's message in a bottle from 1995 has washed ashore in the Chatham Islands.
It's the result every child hopes for - after bottling a message and setting it adrift 21 years ago, Blenheim's Courtney Stevenson has finally heard back.
The message in a bottle released from Shelley Beach, in Picton, has been uncovered about 830 kilometres away in the Chatham Islands.
An 8-year-old Courtney wrote and sealed the message in a 330ml Sprite bottle in March, 1995.
The bottle was discovered by Chatham Islands resident Richard Goomes while walking on the beach.
READ MORE:
* Man discovers heartbreaking message in a bottle from young boy
* Queensland police officer finds message in a bottle
The message offered Courtney's name, date, location and a request to contact her once the message was received.
Goomes' search was made all the harder as Courtney's surname had disintegrated off the note.
"It was quite fragile and falling to bits, so I took the plastic bottle home and cut it with a knife," he said.
"It's been floating around for a very long time.
"I was surprised at how old it was - it could have been to Antarctica and back for all we know."
Goomes and his family attempted to contact Courtney on the phone number included in the note, which was disconnected.
A search on social media took only "eleven-and-a-half hours" to track down Courtney and inform her of the message discovery.
"Courtney was rapt that we found it," he said.
"For me, I've finally found a message in a bottle.
"I spend a lot of time on the beach - I even said to my dog that day 'I wonder when we're going to find a message in a bottle'.
"And bugger me, there it was."
Goomes predicted it was the force of Cyclone Pam last year which washed the bottle ashore. He had laminated the letter to preserve its state.
- The Marlborough Express | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83662594/Message-in-a-bottles-21-year-journey-from-Picton-to-Chatham-Islands | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/3550843dc142b382f2ac2b3b217d6ea5c16e224c2b15182cc80540dd09abd00f.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:50:58 | null | 2016-08-28T13:42:38 | Despite wanting immigration bans, controversial Oz MP Pauline Hanson says she doesn't hate anyone. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Faustralia%2F83651436%2FControversial-Oz-politician-Pauline-Hanson-denies-she-hates-Muslims-and-Asians.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/n/d/q/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxv0.png/1472391758899.jpg | en | null | Controversial Oz politician Pauline Hanson denies she hates Muslims and Asians | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Controversial Oz politician Pauline Hanson denies she hates Muslims and Asians
FAIRFAX MEDIA Pauline Hanson: Not a hater.
Controversial Australian politician Pauline Hanson says she doesn't hate Asians, Muslims or former prime minister Tony Abbott - despite all of her past comments.
The One Nation party leader - famous for her anti-immigrant views - was elected as a senator in July after nearly 20 years out of office.
Her election policies included a ban on Muslim immigration and calls for a royal commission into Islam, yet she denies she detests Muslims.
"I don't hate Asians. I don't hate Muslims - I don't," she told 60 Minutes in an interview broadcast on Sunday night.
READ MORE:
* Hanson horrified by halal food offer
* No congrats from Malcolm Turnbull
* Inside Pauline Hanson's echo chamber
The 62-year-old also denied she has a fear of foreigners, or was xenophobic when she became a federal MP in 1996.
Despite insisting she is not xenophobic; Pauline Hanson does want a ban on Muslim immigration. #60Minshttps://t.co/JRPepsUT1n — 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) August 28, 2016
That was the same year 60 Minutes journalist Tracey Curro asked Hanson if she was xenophobic, to which she famously responded: "please explain".
In her maiden speech 20 years ago, Hanson also warned about the danger of Australia "being swamped by Asians".
Arriving on the political scene in 1996, Pauline Hanson shocked the nation with her polarising views. #60Minshttps://t.co/y4lvhNrYA1 — 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) August 28, 2016
But in 2016, she says it wasn't her intention to offend or "set the world on fire" with that line.
"It wasn't meant to offend the Asians that are here, or people who have come here for a new way of life," she said.
Hanson says her criticisms of Islam stem from her desire to "protect" Australia. She is reading the Koran, and keeps it in her handbag, because she wants to have a better understanding of it.
"What I'd like to see is these Muslims that are not radicals, the ones that want to live their life in peace and harmony ... and love and embrace this nation (to) then work with me with me to find the answers."
Hanson says accusations that she is a racist, or a redneck, are "water off a duck's back".
The senator is also prepared to work Abbott - a colleague in the 45th parliament who she once said she "detested" - if he returned to power.
"He has a job to do, I have a job to do. I'm not a vindictive person," she said.
- AAP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83651436/Controversial-Oz-politician-Pauline-Hanson-denies-she-hates-Muslims-and-Asians | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a55b7438bd7695bb7a049b9af18c61938f6238fe37d7634361293032f73c8e76.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:14 | null | 2016-08-27T00:05:58 | He's accused of ordering goods with payment on delivery, but then failing to pay up. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fcrime%2F83628360%2FTrade-Me-fraudster-on-the-run.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/g/e/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsg20.png/1472256358915.jpg | en | null | Trade Me 'fraudster' on the run | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Trade Me 'fraudster' on the run
NZ POLICE Andrew George, who police are trying to track down.
A man who's been using Trade Me to get items for free is being hunted by police.
Andrew Colin George, 23, is accused of ordering goods with payment on delivery, but then failing to pay up. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The Waikato man was seen early on Saturday in Morrinsville, but as he has ties to the Rangitikei area, police believe he is on the way to Bulls.
Anyone with any information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the Morrinsville Police on (07) 889 5071 or information can be given anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/83628360/Trade-Me-fraudster-on-the-run | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8e3113212d1e992e8e834698699131391e5e20bd6a12442d91312e0499d6dcdd.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:51:54 | null | 2016-08-30T05:56:25 | Landcorp says its strategy of shifting away from commodity selling will pay off. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Ffarming%2F83734614%2FLandcorp-profit-boosted-by-land-sales-but-revenue-down.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/q/o/3/5/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duq1i.png/1472536585359.jpg | en | null | Landcorp profit boosted by land sales but revenue down | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Landcorp profit boosted by land sales but revenue down
Grant McGhie, Landcorp manager of Wairio farm, Wairarapa. The wool from those sheep is destined for premium carpet in Australia.
Landcorp has recorded a net profit after tax of $11.5 million, largely thanks to a $7.4m profit on land sales.
The state-owned enterprise, which Finance Minister Bill English earlier this year described as a "poor investment" although the Government had no intention to sell it off, reported a net operating loss of $9.4m on revenue of $209m for the year ended June 30, 2016.
For the second year in a row it will not pay a dividend to the Government.
Landcorp chief executive Steven Carden said the result reflected higher livestock valuations, a $7.4m profit on land sales,and lower milk revenue. Milk revenue had dropped $12.9m as the payout fell to its lowest level for 10 years.
READ MORE:
* Landcorp a 'poor investment' - but not for sale
* Landcorp to end sharemilking contract for Shanghai Pengxin
"It's been tough for the entire dairy sector, so our result is solid in that context," Carden said.
"The result would have been lower without the progress already made to strengthen our farming systems and our position in the marketplace for Pāmu products."
Green spokeswoman for Primary Industries Eugenie Sage said the result underlined the wisdom of diversifying away from commodities.
If agriculture was covered by the emissions trading scheme, it was likely some of Landcorp's land would be best planted in forestry, she said.
Landcorp had reduced farm working expenses by 9.2 per cent during the year.
The country's largest farmer, which runs 140 farms, saw its total assets increase to $1.79 billion in 2015-16, up $11.6m on the previous year. Bank debt rose from $210.7m to $219.6m.
It made a $2.9m total comprehensive income loss compared to last year's $8.4m.
Landcorp had announced an $8.9m operating loss for the half-year to December 2015 and at that time forecast a full-year loss of between $8-12m.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/83734614/Landcorp-profit-boosted-by-land-sales-but-revenue-down | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/cca331378842de6c7ce466f6fc2561422fe36667930150202aa1773c7d81cd66.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T12:50:58 | null | 2016-08-28T11:55:16 | Mystery over why Adele Townsend got off her Intercity bus, shortly after getting on it. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83650854%2FWoman-who-disappeared-from-an-Intercity-bus-found-safe-and-well-in-Levin.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/s/w/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxeu.png/1472385727806.jpg | en | null | Woman who 'disappeared' from an Intercity bus found safe and well in Levin | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Woman who 'disappeared' from an Intercity bus found safe and well in Levin
NZ POLICE Adele Townsend has been found safe in Levin.
A woman who failed to arrive at her destination after an Intercity bus trip on Saturday has been found safe and well, not far from her departure point, but mystery still surrounds what happened.
Adele Townsend, 53, was due to arrive in Hamilton early Saturday evening after catching a bus from Wellington, but failed to arrive.
Late on Sunday night, police confirmed Townsend had been found safe in Levin.
BRENDON O'HAGAN/ FAIRFAX NZ Adele Townsend was due to travel all the way to Hamilton on an Intercity bus on Sunday.
Townsend's husband Graeme said he was perplexed when the bus arrived at the Hamilton Transport Centre, but his wife was nowhere to be seen.
READ MORE: Woman disappears on bus route
He told NZME he even got on the bus himself to check his wife wasn't there.
Friends and family didn't know where she was, he said.
He contacted police on Saturday night, and filed a missing person's report on Sunday morning.
Police issued a statement on Sunday night, confirming Adele Townsend had been found, and thanking the public for their help. They did not give further details.
It remained unclear why she had got off the bus in Levin.
However, there were other details of Adele Townsend's life that were equally perplexing.
The former part-time teacher stopped working at an afterschool programme about Christmas time last year, but didn't tell her husband.
Graeme Townsend told NZME he had only made the discovery when he rang the school earlier this week to let them know she would not be in - and found out she hadn't worked there for nine months.
His wife had never disappeared before, he said.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83650854/Woman-who-disappeared-from-an-Intercity-bus-found-safe-and-well-in-Levin | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/eef135f70dfd2c6390c813b958e5d759b521446f57b7235d2113c4e3da7d234b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:52:11 | null | 2016-08-30T18:28:05 | Government says making all rivers swimmable is | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fenvironment%2F83738717%2FTwo-meetings-two-visions-for-Canterburys-freshwater-lakes-and-rivers.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/t/c/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dut7h.png/1472582696456.jpg | en | null | Two meetings, two visions for Canterbury's freshwater lakes and rivers | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Two meetings, two visions for Canterbury's freshwater lakes and rivers
ALDEN WILLIAMS/FAIRFAX NZ A climate change activist stands out from the crowd at Nick Smith's state of the environment address at Lincoln University on Tuesday. Two freshwater meetings were given drastically different views of the state of Canterbury's freshwater.
Two freshwater meetings on the same night have heard drastically different views of the state of Canterbury's lakes and rivers.
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith presented a state of the environment speech at Lincoln University on Tuesday, where he outlined the Government's objectives towards freshwater management.
Five minutes away, the Green Party held its own meeting, targeting the health of the Selwyn River as part of its swimmable rivers campaign.
JOSEPH JOHNSON/FAIRFAX NZ The Selwyn River, two kilometres from the river mouth at Lake Ellesmere, near Selwyn Huts. Nick Smith says making all rivers swimmable is "impractical".
While Smith's speech painted a more optimistic picture of the state of freshwater, the Green Party sought to show the opposite.
READ MORE:
* Making every water body swimmable is not practical - Nick Smith
* Green Party launches campaign to point out dirty rivers
* ECan's ploy against non-compliant water users pays off
* More rivers in Canterbury unsafe to swim in
Smith said the Government had several key goals for freshwater management, including improving water quality, allowing for economic development and improving Maori participation.
Joseph Johnson A sign on the banks of the Selwyn River, 2km from the river mouth to Lake Ellesmere near Selwyn Huts, taken in May.
He said the debate around freshwater was too tribal.
"We have a bad habit in New Zealand of turning environmental issues into polarised battlegrounds of winners and losers," he said.
"There are some who believe our nation's water choices are binary: it's either water quality or growing the [economy]. We disagree.
"There are ways to deliver both environmental and economic gains."
A way to deliver both would be to switch from a reliance on groundwater extraction towards storing alpine river water, something he thought would happen in the future, he said.
"One of the most public policy challenges for this region is to engineer the switch from groundwater and those lowland streams to stored alpine water."
While about 75 per cent of public submissions on the Government's recent freshwater consultation raised swimmability as an issue, Smith once again ruled out a target of making all rivers swimmable, calling it "impractical".
He praised the work of the Environment Canterbury (ECan) commissioners and said the calibre of candidates in the upcoming elections was strong.
When questioned about lax compliance – an issue ECan has been criticised for lately, particularly regarding water metering – he defended the regional council, and said it was a sign that there was more information than before.
"Yes, there is angst that some people found out that some water users were taking a lot more than their consents. But for the 20 years previously we never metered anybody and had no idea . . . It's actually a sign that we now know."
At the Green Party's meeting, there was cynicism about Smith's speech.
"I came away from Nick Smith's talk thinking I lived in an alternative universe," Green Party MP Eugenie Sage said.
Speakers at the meeting pointed to the drying up of streams, rising nitrogen levels, and toxic algae blooms at popular recreation sites such as Coe's Ford as examples of the poor state of freshwater.
Sage said river swimmability needed to be a bottom line.
"We have this national bottom line of rivers being fit for wading or boating . . . we have opposed that consistently, and I think that around New Zealand, people realise that national bottom line is far too low."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/83738717/Two-meetings-two-visions-for-Canterburys-freshwater-lakes-and-rivers | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4736beb2fc8717facd5f17157e20b812190ffc188bf9b1fa4eee117412034904.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:51:58 | null | 2016-08-30T00:07:28 | Kiwi retiree's rendition of Shake it Off hits one million views, but there's one person they want to hear from... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2F83706530%2FKiwi-retirees-Taylor-Swift-spoof-video-hits-one-million-views.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/3/9/u/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du4de.png/1472515798771.jpg | en | null | Kiwi retiree's Taylor Swift spoof video hits one million views | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Kiwi retiree's Taylor Swift spoof video hits one million views
Georgia Forrester/FAIRFAXNZ Couple Margaret Gregory, 71, and Gerald Gregory, 77, are among the pensioners at Julia Wallace retirement village, shake, shake, shaking it off in a Taylor Swift parody.
The residents of a Palmerston North retirement village have won the internet's heart with their parody of Taylor Swift's Shake it Off.
It has been a month of interviews from international press for Margaret Gregory, the star of the video which has amassed more than one million views.
But there's still one more person the bunch would love to hear from, Taylor Swift herself.
Speaking on Radio New Zealand Tuesday morning, Gregory, a retired special needs teacher, said the pop star hadn't been in touch, but hoped one of the one million views was hers.
READ MORE
* Palmerston North retirement home top of the pops with their take on Taylor Swift
* Meet Rona Glover, the scuba-diving, dancing 81-year-old
* How 88-year-old Dr Bruce Nicholls stays fit as a fiddle
Supplied The average age of the 50-strong squad starring in Julia Wallace Retirement Village's music video is 82.
"No, very sad about that, but never mind, I keep hoping," Gregory said.
The clip stars a group of 50 residents, staff and grandchildren from Julia Wallace Retirement Village, the average age of the group is 82, and their frame-by-frame version of Shake It Off took a week to make.
Gregory said the video had garnered a terrific response she could have never imagined.
YOUTUBE "It's certainly not what I thought I'd ever be doing in a retirement village." Margaret Gregory is the star of her retirement village's take on a Taylor Swift video.
"I certainly had no idea it would be like this, we've had a lot of fun and a lot of interviews, I've suddenly become a valued member of the Irish community back in Ireland because they did a story on the video," she said, adding she had also been interviewed by outlets in South America.
Asked about the secret to the video's success, Gregory says people just seem to like how fun it is.
"Everybody seems to enjoy it, get fun out of it, and if it makes them feel happy, that's brilliant."
MORNING REPORT/Radio New Zealand The remake of a Taylor Swift music video by residents of a Palmerston North retirement village has topped a million views on Youtube - the pensioners are now planning their next artistic endeavour.
Gregory said the retirement village had no plans for a follow-up, but were busy getting their own production of Snow White and the seven Dwarfs.
"I am not Snow White," Gregory said, "There's 300 other residents up here who can be chosen so let somebody else have all that fun, I'll be an elephant in the forest or something."
Residents of the village are no strangers to fame, having made a nude calendar for charity in 2015 and performing a 'flash mob' dance to Pharrell William's Happy in Palmerston North's The Plaza shopping centre in 2014.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/83706530/Kiwi-retirees-Taylor-Swift-spoof-video-hits-one-million-views | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c1beaf0a30dd063b42a79cc1deee992b0288a6c00ca85a7e944cc074b509116c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:51:40 | null | 2016-08-30T08:26:34 | Among the possession Dylan Elise lost was a $30,000 drum kit. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2F83738427%2FKiwi-drummer-loses-everything-in-house-fire.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/t/0/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duszf.png/1472546973506.jpg | en | null | Kiwi drummer loses everything in house fire | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Kiwi drummer loses everything in house fire
Elise Dylan is widely regarded as one of the best in the world.
Dylan Elise is appealing for help after being left homeless.
The New Zealand-born drummer, widely regarded as one of the best in the world, lost everything her owned in a house fire.
"As some of you may know a couple days ago while on tour in California with Blood, Sweat & Tears, my house in Boston burned to the ground," he posted on Facebook.
"We don't know what caused the fire yet but thankfully no one was hurt Although, me and the two guys I live with lost everything and this was their family home of 20 years so this is especially devastating for them."
Among the possession Elise lost was a $30,000 drum kit.
The Wellington-born drum prodigy, who regularly holds drum clinics, moved to the US last year when he was asked to join iconic American jazz-rock band Blood Sweat & Tears, whose hits include Spinning Wheel and When I Die.
"Only thing to do now is to rebuild and stay positive," Elise posted.
A funding campaign to help him get back on his feet had already attracted $500 within the first few hours.
To help go to: www.gofundme.com
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/83738427/Kiwi-drummer-loses-everything-in-house-fire | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/000b8b93b78a59dd257ceca4451e4654475d973d036e2c7f8862d4cd69cd0716.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T22:50:59 | null | 2016-08-27T22:25:22 | The Olympic Games silver medallist lost ground on the leaders in the third round of a tournament she has dominated. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fgolf%2F83637804%2FLydia-Ko-seven-shots-off-the-lead-in-Canadian-Open-LPGA-title-defence.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/h/c/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsncc.png/1472336722288.jpg | en | null | Lydia Ko seven shots off the lead in Canadian Open LPGA title defence | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Lydia Ko seven shots off the lead in Canadian Open LPGA title defence
GETTY IMAGES Lydia Ko has ground to make up on the leaders at the Canadian Open.
Lydia Ko will have to shoot the lights out to retain her Canadian Open crown.
Tournament winner in 2012, 2013 and 2015, the Kiwi world No 1 will start her final round on Monday morning (NZ time) seven shots behind tournament leader Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.
Ko, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist, shot a respectable two-under par third round of 70 to be tied for 10th in Calgary.
However, Jutanugarn, who began the third round as tournament leader, remained in hot form by recording a five-under par 67 to end the round at 17 under.
READ MORE: Ko all go for Tokyo
The world No 2, who has emerged this year as a real threat to Ko's top ranking, is two shots clear of South Korea's In Gee Chun, who sits in second after a round of six-under 66.
Ko started the day at eight under, needing to make a move, but dropped a shot on the par-four fourth hole but made some amends when she eagled the par-five seventh. However, a birdie on 12 was the only stroke she picked up on her back nine.
Jutanugarn, who won three LPGA events on the bounce in May and was crowned British Open champion last month before withdrawing during the third round of the Rio Olympics tournament with a knee injury, had seven birdies before recording her first bogey of the day on the par-four 16th. She then allowed her chasers a sniff by also bogeying the last with a six on the par-five finishing hole.
Ko became the youngest winner in LPGA history and the tour's first amateur winner in 43 years when she took out the 2012 Canadian Open at Vancouver Golf Club aged just 15.
She won the event again as an amateur the following year, an impressive five shots ahead of runner-up Karine Icher in Edmonton, before returning to Vancouver in 2015 and lifting the silverware after a playoff with leading US player Stacy Lewis.
On the men's Japan Tour, New Zealand's Michael Hendry stayed in contention for a good payday after finishing his third round tied for fourth at the Rizap KBC Augusta tournament.
Hendry repeated his second-round effort of a one-under 71 to be seven-under through three rounds and in a group of seven players sharing fourth spot. Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa leads the tournament at 12 under.
On the second-tier Web.com tour in the US, NZ veteran Steve Alker was tied for 37th late in his third round at the Portland Open.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/83637804/Lydia-Ko-seven-shots-off-the-lead-in-Canadian-Open-LPGA-title-defence | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/462f07cc3d409b50c261a724f14781090329eb7a73be295ade6cbe03741c9b56.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T02:51:58 | null | 2016-08-30T02:48:40 | An innocent gardener had a police gun aimed at his head as he was forced to lie face down on SH1. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fcrime%2F83694489%2FMans-terrifying-encounter-with-armed-police-after-being-mistaken-for-Joshua-Kite.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/b/p/s/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtv2x.png/1472525324544.jpg | en | null | Man's terrifying encounter with armed police after being mistaken for Joshua Kite | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Man's terrifying encounter with armed police after being mistaken for Joshua Kite
Joshua Kite, right, with curly hair, is described as 180cm tall, Maori, with a medium to solid build and armed and dangerous. Regan Ingley is 13cm shorter, Pakeha, slim and neither armed nor dangerous. Yet police mistook the two after a tip-off.
An innocent gardener had a police gun aimed at his head as he was forced to lie face down on State Highway 1.
Despite having little resemblance to Joshua Kite, who has been on the run from police for five days since shooting at two unarmed officers in Northland, Regan Ingley of Plimmerton, north of Wellington, was mistaken for him.
Being forced to lie in the middle of the highway with at least one police rifle aimed at his head was understandable given Kite's actions, he said. But what riles Ingley is that, after police realised they had the wrong man, he is yet to receive an apology or even a call to check he is OK.
CAMERON BURNELL/FAIRFAX NZ Regan Ingley said he had police guns aimed at him when he was mistaken for Joshua Kite, who has been wanted by police since he shot at two unarmed officers in Northland.
READ MORE:
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* Gunman still at large in Northland, police continue hunt
* Police search fails to uncover armed fugitive
* Gunman still on the run after firing shot at police, stealing police car in Northland
His ordeal happened about 11.30pm on Sunday as he was driving back from visiting a friend in Feilding in Manawatu, he said.
Driving into Otaki he passed a truck and, soon after, noticed a police car had begun to follow him. Soon after, another two police cars joined, he said.
STEVE WILLIAMSON Hiding behind his shades: Joshua Kite still on the run from police.
South of Te Horo on SH1 there was "all of a sudden, lights, sirens, three abreast across the road".
He pulled over and was told over the police loud speaker that there were armed police and he had to get out of his car.
Police were shouting at him to move towards them backwards with his hands in the air but, as this involved walking backwards he looked over his shoulder.
"They shouted, 'face the front'."
When he reached police he was made to get on the ground.
"They were yelling at me, 'who is in the car'." Nobody was in the car.
"There was a rifle trained at me. [The police officer] was like 'stay calm man, just relax'."
But relaxing was hard - he had at least one rifle trained at his head, was lying face down in the middle of the highway, and was aware there was a truck and trailer coming down the highway towards them.
"I kept saying, 'what is going on'. One said, 'never f...... mind'."
Officers found his licence and realised they had the wrong man.
"They stood me up and said, 'we are looking for Joshua Kite'."
Realising their mistake they told him to keep driving home.
"I said, "I can't drive now, I'm shaking'."
Two days he is still "pissed off".
"Since then I haven't heard anything from them. Not even a follow-up to say, 'how are you going'?"
He later realised how dissimilar he looked to Kite.
Kite is Maori, 180cm tall, with a medium to solid build and considered armed and dangerous. Ingley is Pakeha, 167cm tall, with a slim build and neither armed nor dangerous.
"I can see the resemblance," Ingley said sarcastically. "We both have two eyes and a nose."
Police would not be interviewed but in a written statement, Manawatu police area commander Sarah Stewart said armed officers stopped the car and "spoke to the occupant" after receiving information Kite was inside.
"Given the seriousness of the events surrounding the ongoing search for Mr Kite, and considering the fact he was believed to be armed, staff responded appropriately and swiftly in the interests of protecting the public by stopping the vehicle and questioning the driver.
"It was a very short time period until his identity was confirmed and at that point the senior officer spoke with the driver and explained the situation and reasons for tactics, and throughout ensured his welfare was taken care of.
"When it became clear the driver was not Mr Kite, he was released to go on his way."
Police were asked why they had not apologised and whether they disputed Ingley's claims. A spokeswoman said they would not elaborate on their prepared statement.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/83694489/Mans-terrifying-encounter-with-armed-police-after-being-mistaken-for-Joshua-Kite | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/29d4907c0fce4c86999e4050db91879b0629057a8f68c8425fb40f8111753b0b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:52:00 | null | 2016-08-30T09:11:09 | Panthers players give thoughts on hit from Titans forward that ended team-mate's NRL season. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fleague%2F83738801%2FTitans-forwards-tackle-on-Reagan-Campbell-Gillard-was-cheap-shot-say-Panthers-team-mates.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/t/b/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dut9t.png/1472548269159.jpg | en | null | Titans forward's tackle on Reagan Campbell-Gillard was cheap shot say Panthers team-mates | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Titans forward's tackle on Reagan Campbell-Gillard was cheap shot say Panthers team-mates
GETTY IMAGES Penrith player Regan Campbell-Gillard, pictured in action against the Rabbitohs, broke his back after being hit in a tackle against the Titans last weekend.
Penrith players have declared the tackle that ended Reagan Campbell-Gillard's NRL season a cheap shot.
The Panthers prop remains in hospital and will miss the team's finals campaign after suffering a broken back in a tackle from Gold Coast forward Ryan James on Saturday.
He isn't expected back home until the end of the week.
GETTY IMAGES Gold Coast forward Ryan James is not in the good books of some Panthers players.
It was the second time in as many weeks James' tackles ended an opposition player's season, having broken Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco's jaw the previous weekend.
READ MORE:
* Kata, Vatuvei miss last Warriors game of season
* McFadden still best choice
* Eels mistaken in allowing Radradra to play
* Radradra arrested on return
* Eels can't shy away from charges
James was charged but escaped a ban for the Tedesco incident while the match review committee deemed he had no case to answer over the Campbell-Gillard one.
The Panthers were still furious when they returned to training on Tuesday.
"Yeah, 100 per cent it was a cheap shot," said winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak said.
"Someone comes in like that, they're going to hurt someone. I know a lot of the boys are filthy."
Centre Tyrone Peachey was also fuming, arguing that Campbell-Gillard was unsighted and held in a tackle and so unable to brace himself for the impact and vulnerable to injury.
He expects a rise in players targeting opposition players' backs in when held in tackles.
"It's been happening all year and refs aren't doing anything about it," Peachey said.
"Something needs to happen there. Having players out for the rest of the season is not a good look for the game.
"There's going to be people flying in for the rest of the season. He's out for the rest of the year now and he's a massive part of our team. This just can't be happening."
Second-rower Isaah Yeo was one of several teammates to visit Campbell-Gillard in hospital after the game, and questioned why James got involved in the tackle.
"Reg thought the tackle was over and we all did as well," said Yeo.
"To come in late and hit him in the back when it wasn't expected, wasn't tensed up, you can really see where the problems are going to happen.
"Myself, I just try and pin the legs together so obviously all his weight goes over the top.
"I don't know what Ryan James is doing in there to be honest. There was already two up top and he went in up top as well, he went in hard above his bum."
- AAP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/83738801/Titans-forwards-tackle-on-Reagan-Campbell-Gillard-was-cheap-shot-say-Panthers-team-mates | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/512e6fdcfe63dfd9d6048377b004b1a3b6197838b915c50c7bcedcd0320dbb80.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T02:52:24 | null | 2016-08-31T02:29:40 | Boy and The Rehearsal actor remains 'stable', but still has not been allowed to go home. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Ffilm%2F83727800%2FBoy-and-The-Rehearsal-star-James-Rolleston-still-in-hospital.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/2/g/p/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duks8.png/1472610580842.jpg | en | null | Boy and The Rehearsal star James Rolleston still in hospital | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Boy and The Rehearsal star James Rolleston still in hospital
FOOTPRINT FILMS The first trailer for the forthcoming film The Rehearsal - Emily Perkins, who adapted the novel for the screen, is one of NZIFF's short film judges.
More than a month on from the car crash that almost killed him, Boy star James Rolleston remains in hospital.
The Waikato District Health Board confirms that there has been no recent change in Rolleston's condition.
An update was released on August 30 stating that the actor is out of intensive care, is in a "stable condition", conscious and communicating with family, who say that "James is progressing well on his road to recovery". They have again asked for privacy.
Stuff Rolleston at The Rehearsal premiere, just before the accident.
Rolleston's latest movie, The Rehearsal, goes on general release on September 15. The movie's publicist, Chris Henry, said: "We are sending all our positive vibes to James for a speedy recovery!"
READ MORE:
* Friend of Boy actor James Rolleston discharged from hospital after crash
* Boy actor James Rolleston in car crash
* The Rehearsal premieres at the the New Zealand International Film Festival
James Rolleston in The Rehearsal
Rolleston was in a car that crashed into the Otara Bridge in Opotiki, the actor's home town in the Bay of Plenty, at about 10.30pm on July 26.
He had to be cut from the wreckage of the vehicle by fire crews. The Rotorua-based Bay Trust rescue helicopter arrived shortly after. Rolleston was stabilised by a paramedic before he was flown to hospital in a critical condition.
The 19-year-old shot to fame in 2010 as the star of Taika Waititi's hit Boy, and went on to feature in The Dark Horse and The Dead Lands.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/83727800/Boy-and-The-Rehearsal-star-James-Rolleston-still-in-hospital | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/9cfc55ac2f47b9c58cece9b4c6b4fc872d692ab5558513debee5fa0a6b318d44.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:11 | null | null | You can report a missing paper at my.stuff.co.nz - it's the easy way to manage your newspaper subscription! | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsunday-star-times%2F2277552%2FWhat-to-do-if-your-paper-doesn-t-arrive.json | en | null | What to do if your paper doesn't arrive | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | What to do if your paper doesn't arrive
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- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/2277552/What-to-do-if-your-paper-doesn-t-arrive | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/df76640115b5df78c393e65d75fd270808bdd47c8bd8dcd988f7bec8a6768089.json | |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:51:19 | null | 2016-08-27T19:26:40 | High-profile rugby star Sonny Bill Williams takes a crack at controversial Australian coach on Twitter. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83636451%2FSonny-Bill-Williams-slams-Wallabies-coach-Michael-Cheika-after-All-Blacks-win.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/m/2/c/8/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsmar.png/1472326000125.jpg | en | null | Sonny Bill Williams slams Wallabies coach Michael Cheika after All Blacks win | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Sonny Bill Williams slams Wallabies coach Michael Cheika after All Blacks win
GETTY IMAGES Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.
Injured All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams is still lining up big hits while not on the field.
Williams, who is sidelined after tearing his achilles tendon while playing for the All Black Sevens side at the Rio Olympics earlier this month, took a shot at Wallabies coach Michael Cheika on Twitter after yet another big loss to New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday night.
While his spelling was a little off target, there was little doubt that he'd fired a shot at the under-pressure Cheika, who was named World Rugby coach of the year last year, despite Steve Hansen guiding the All Blacks to a second consecutive World Cup triumph. .
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83636451/Sonny-Bill-Williams-slams-Wallabies-coach-Michael-Cheika-after-All-Blacks-win | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d3cdd9db3cc7b624a21bd39c2d92141fd6660be1f6898094304aae2c4f13a153.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:04 | null | 2016-08-30T22:37:29 | That's what Michael Fassbender said when told he'd be living in an isolated Kiwi lighthouse for the filming of The Light Between Oceans. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Ffilm%2F83744799%2FMichael-Fassbender-Alicia-Vikander-weren-t-keen-on-living-in-New-Zealand-for-The-Light-Between-Oceans.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/0/c/6/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duxwf.png/1472596649994.jpg | en | null | Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander weren't keen on living in New Zealand for The Light Between Oceans | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander weren't keen on living in New Zealand for The Light Between Oceans
Dreamworks Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander were reluctant to spend months living at a remote Kiwi lighthouse for The Light Between Oceans but ended up loving it.
Neither Michael Fassbender nor Alicia Vikander was especially keen on living at a remote New Zealand lighthouse for the duration of shooting Derek Cianfrance's 1920s period drama The Light Between Oceans.
Cianfrance, the director of the gritty independent films Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines is known for pushing actors to extremes.
To play a married couple in Blue Valentine, he had Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams live together - Williams has said she often has to remind herself that she didn't actually marry Gosling.
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander in The Light Between Oceans.
For The Light Between Oceans, adapted from ML Stedman's 2012 best-seller about a lighthouse keeper after World War I, Cianfrance wanted to keep his stars and small crew at their exotic location: Cape Campbell on the New Zealand coast, to double for the tale's Australian island.
READ MORE:
* The Light Between Oceans trailer features scenes filmed in New Zealand
* Michael Fassbender's Slow West a Western with a Kiwi spin
* Film review: Macbeth starring Marion Cotillard and MichaelFassbender
* Michael Fassbender an Oscar contender as Steve Jobs?
KIM CHISNALL Cape Campbell lighthouse where The Light Between Oceans was filmed.
Fassbender and Vikander are both known for complete commitment to their roles, but neither is a method-acting nut.
"Run for the hills," Fassbender says was his initial reaction, humming the Iron Maiden song of the same name. "Initially I thought, 'Oh god, this is going to be hell: on this peninsula in the middle of the nowhere. It turned out to be a really unique experience, to be in such an extreme environment.''
"They were, especially Fassbender, uncertain,'' says Cianfrance. "I'm like, 'Michael just give me a shot here.' I had to work really hard to convince my production to stay out there. He was like, 'OK, I'll give it one night.' Flash forward five and a half weeks later and he didn't want to leave, and neither did Alicia.''
Karwai Tang Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender loved their five and a half week stint on New Zealand's remote Cape Campbell.
They had other reasons for wanting to stay. Since shooting The Light Between Oceans, which DreamWorks will release Friday, more than a year ago, Vikander and Fassbender have been a couple: one of the movies' most decorated if discreet pairings. Both the film and their romance are, in part, a product of the blurring of fiction and reality.
"We had a chemistry from the beginning, obviously, and sort of to the present,'' says Fassbender, chuckling, "I just found her to be extremely committed and brave and really fierce. She goes for it. She doesn't let the fear of falling on her face stop her from trying things out.''
The two came into the film having only briefly met. This was before Vikander exploded across movie screens last year, in films like Ex Machina and The Danish Girl, for which she won an Oscar. A fan of Fassbender's for films like Hunger and Fish Tank, Vikander says she considered him "one of the best actors of his generation.''
Alicia Vikander won an Oscar for her role in The Danish Girl.
"It's something when you get to work with an actor who immediately vindicates your faith,'' says Vikander. "He pushed me and I dared to do the same back. It was easy from the get-go. He kind of came in with open-arms and was willing to really serve this story justice.''
Fassbender plays a former soldier craving isolation after the war. He and Vikander's character, who lives in the nearest village, fall in love, but their union is haunted by miscarriage and later, a shared deceit. The stark, wind-swept beauty of the film's rugged, romantic location, along with cinematographer Adam Arkapaw's photography, gives the film a classical sweep new to Cianfrance's films.
"I make movies about family. I make movies about relationships. This one just has an epic backdrop,'' says the Brooklyn writer-director. "In some ways when I was shooting it, I was thinking of trying to make a Cassavetes film on a David Lean landscape.''
TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Actor Michael Fassbender admits he thought living in New Zealand "would be hell"
Cianfrance eschews saying "action'' or "cut'' and instead has the actors improvise their way into and out of a scene. He would rouse the cast and crew for first light, or bring them back for the evening sun. They slept in trailers near the lighthouse. For Vikander's first day of shooting, before she arrived on set, he had her picked up at 2 a.m. and driven to the lighthouse. She was asked to cover her eyes until she was to exit a woodshed for her first take.
"I just looked out and saw this huge lighthouse, which is pretty extraordinary,'' Vikander recalls. "And the film crew was up on the top, so I started to climb up to the top. And they had timed it so the second I came up there, the sun just popped up over the horizon. It was probably the most extraordinary sunrise I had ever seen. It's not me acting, really, in the film when I see it.''
The elements, Fassbender says, also made a powerful impression on him, particularly the relentless wind. And the removal from cellphones and other day-to-day pressures turned out to be welcome in focusing on the film's tender and tragic story.
"I'm a big part of superhero franchises and sci-fi franchises but these are real people dealing with life, and what life throws at you and how you handle it and how lives veer off a path that you thought they were destined for,'' says Fassbender. "That struck a chord with me personally.''
"We actually had a true experience on that island. A lot of stuff made the film. A lot of stuff didn't,'' says Cianfrance. "But we were actually living there and the film witnesses the truth of our experience.''
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/83744799/Michael-Fassbender-Alicia-Vikander-weren-t-keen-on-living-in-New-Zealand-for-The-Light-Between-Oceans | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/aae3d965635d7515384db95bb047f74e7d74486fc5f17c37a93bbc12d39e53e5.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:26 | null | 2016-08-28T23:30:49 | Greg Hill helps patrol Auckland's waterways, looking for fishermen flouting the law. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fauckland%2F83576343%2FGreg-Hill-patrols-Auckland-for-illegal-fishing-for-the-love-of-it.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/b/y/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1drbx3.png/1472427050304.jpg | en | null | Greg Hill patrols Auckland for illegal fishing - for the love of it | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Greg Hill patrols Auckland for illegal fishing - for the love of it
SIMON SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Fishery officers patrol the Hauraki Gulf.
Selfish shellfish collectors beware.
The scallop season opens on September 1 and Greg Hill is one of about 60 honorary fishery officers looking out for those flouting the law in Auckland.
Hill says he does it not only to protect sea life but he also enjoys banter with coworkers and fishermen, as well as seeing what they catch.
SIMON SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Greg Hill and Kaitiaki II, the flagship vessel of three patrol boats that fisheries officers have in Auckland. The 7.5-metre Naiad has twin 200 housepower outboards and can travel at up to 45 knots.
The Ranui resident says he has made some major busts in the 15 years he's been volunteering, but has never felt physically threatened.
Even so, he wears a stab-proof vest as where there are fishermen there are knives.
"But a lot of it is people who just haven't quite measured or counted correctly," he says.
SIMON SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Officers inspect the catch of Mt Albert resident Andrew Cronin with his kids Eva Cronin, 2 (centre bottom) and Josh Cronin, 5 (centre left).
"If you treat people in a professional manner they are normally pretty good. I'm quite lucky that I can talk to people ... and we are actually trained how to defuse situations.
"It's only fish," he says. "It's not the end of the world."
Volunteers like Hill help out full-time paid officers in patrolling beaches, boat ramps and on the water, as well as doing education work with the public, for example at boat shows.
SIMON SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Fishery officers on board Kaitiaki II approach a fishing boat near Motutapu Island.
There is no set amount of fines that honorary fishery officers have to meet or number of people breaking the law that they have to catch.
A lot of the job is education and prevention by being visible out in public, he says.
"It's just getting out and meeting people, and working with a neat bunch of people as well."
SIMON SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Hill, top middle, aboard a boat on the Hauraki Gulf looking for hidden catch.
Auckland fishery officer Scott Moore co-ordinates about 22 volunteer fishery officers, and says they are "a massive part" of the Ministry of Primary Industries.
"We can't do without the honorary guys," Moore says.
"It's people of all ages and the effort they put in is phenomenal."
SIMON SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ Greg Hill measures the length of a snapper.
Moore says fishery officers work all year around, as even in the middle of winter there are still people out on cockle beds.
There was also a "significant paua bust" in west Auckland a couple of months ago that is working its way through the courts, he says.
Common fish quota in Auckland, caught with a rod:
Snapper on the east coast - no more than seven fish, minimum length 30cm.
Snapper on the west coast - no more than 10 fish, minimum length 27cm.
Kahawai - no more than 20 fish in a combined bag, any size.
Common shellfish quota in Auckland:
Cockles - bag limit of 50, no size limit.
Scallops - bag limit of 20, minimum length of 10cm. Scallops can only be collected from September 1 to March 31.
Auckland shellfish bans are in force at Cockle Bay, Eastern Beach, Karekare Beach, Umupuia Beach, Cheltenham Beach and Whangateau Harbour.
Go to mpi.govt.nz for the full list of what you can take from the ocean and where.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/83576343/Greg-Hill-patrols-Auckland-for-illegal-fishing-for-the-love-of-it | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/f5e5b7b179b934dc3ec8b666d68e544c4e3c536a8cfa85b12bf376e69a022b6d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:51:37 | null | 2016-08-30T06:17:27 | Aviation watchdog warns Air NZ its swimsuit model video takes the focus away from safety. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2F83732447%2FAir-NZ-swimsuit-model-safety-video-criticised-by-regulator.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/o/l/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duodb.png/1472537894648.jpg | en | null | Air NZ swimsuit model safety video criticised by regulator | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Air NZ swimsuit model safety video criticised by regulator
AIR NEW ZEALAND/YouTube Air NZ has recruited some of the world’s top pro surfers, including Gabriel Medina, Mick Fanning, Laird Hamilton and Alana Blanchard, to demonstrate safety in the new onboard safety video.
New Zealand's aviation watchdog has criticised Air New Zealand for taking the focus away from the safety in one of its safety videos - but still allowed it to be used.
In an email obtained by One News the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) criticised the airline for including "extraneous material" in its Surfing Safari safety ad.
It suggests this is not the first time the CAA has taken Air New Zealand to task.
Air NZ "The extraneous material detracts from the scope and direction of the safety message."
"As we have commented previously, the video diverges materially from the 'safety message' at times, and whilst I appreciate the need to engage the viewers, the extraneous material detracts from the scope and direction of the safety message," the email reads.
READ MORE:
* Air New Zealand releases new safety video
* No sexism, just hobbits for Air NZ's new safety video
* Simmons, Henry in Air NZ vid
The Surfing Safari video starred nine pro surfers, including Sports Illustrated model and surfer Anastasia Ashley.
I think @FlyAirNZ's safety videos are pretty crass, but Civil Aviation's criticism of them as too distracting is even crasser — Peter Dunne (@PeterDunneMP) August 30, 2016
It also also features 2014 world champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil, three-time world champion Mick Fanning of Australia, American big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton, Japanese surfer Masatoshi Ohno and American surfer and model Alana Blanchard.
The CAA provided Stuff with the comment it gave One News.
"The Air New Zealand video even when assessed within its creative envelope, complies with [the rules]."
"We would not comment on any individual instance relating to the production of safety videos."
Air NZ has been contacted for comment.
Its chief marketing and customer officer Mike Tod told travel blogger Shubhodeep Pal the videos "absolutely" drove revenue as well as safety.
"What we have learned with recent videos like our final Hobbit instalment and the Sports Illustrated collaboration is that these pieces of content can put bums on seats," he told the blog.
In that interview, Tod thanked the CAA for the "constructive support" it provided.
"The New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority sets clear guidelines on what we must deliver and has been excellent in allowing us to use creativity to engage customers in safety videos. Without its constructive support we would not have achieved the customer engagement or global attention we have."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/83732447/Air-NZ-swimsuit-model-safety-video-criticised-by-regulator | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/2e38e04c12905b7a0d7a874278eb72b7148d416923703eaf5adc0c6f495002dc.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T10:50:38 | null | 2016-08-27T10:15:10 | Twelve people were rescued when a fire tore through a Russian printing works, claiming the lives of 17 employees. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F83635370%2FFire-kills-at-least-17-in-Moscow-printing-works.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/j/u/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dslgq.png/1472292918020.jpg | en | null | Fire kills at least 17 in Moscow printing works | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Fire kills at least 17 in Moscow printing works
breaker177/TWITTER A fire in a warehouse at a Moscow printing works killed at least 16 people on Saturday morning,
A fire in a warehouse at a Moscow printing works killed at least 17 people on Saturday morning, an Emergencies Ministry official told Rossiya-24 TV station.
"Sixteen bodies were found in a room, four injured were brought to hospitals in Moscow. The fire was completely put out by 0953 (local time)," he said.
The dead are all believed to be migrant workers from Kyrgyzstan, AP reported.
BREAKING: At least 16 dead in huge fire at Moscow warehouse https://t.co/V2FgwT7cpJ (pic https://t.co/UOrr35N0Z9) pic.twitter.com/V8K7YX3QfP — RT (@RT_com) August 27, 2016
The ministry said on its website that 12 people were rescued. The TV station said the people, who lived and worked at the depot, were mostly from former Soviet Union countries.
The fire was reported to have been caused by a faulty lamp, according to AP.
READ MORE:
* Fire breaks out at Siberian coal mine with 50 miners underground: reports
* Four killed after explosions, gunfire in anti-terror raid in St Petersburg, Russia
* Dozens dead in Russian hospital fire
Lax fire safety standards have often been blamed for such incidents in Russia.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/83635370/Fire-kills-at-least-17-in-Moscow-printing-works | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/97a34aef65d38d9130f68cc45acfcd92dc23e2e352a233b0af9112339b113e40.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:53:05 | null | 2016-08-31T07:49:24 | The Star Wars rumour mill has slipped into hyperdrive over a possible Episode VIII plot twist. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Ffilm%2F83778138%2FStar-Wars-fans-in-a-frenzy-over-Snoke-rumour.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/x/6/h/8/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvnmi.png/1472631119911.png | en | null | Star Wars fans in a frenzy over Snoke rumour | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Star Wars fans in a frenzy over Snoke rumour
YOUTUBE Rogue One: A Star Wars Story comes out this year.
The internet rumour mill for upcoming Star Wars movies has slipped into high gear over a possible story twist for the upcoming Episode VIII.
That is, the eighth film in the Skywalker family saga, which follows last year's The Force Awakens, and will be released in cinemas in 2017.
The film does not have an announced title, but what is claimed to be a fragment of the film's script has leaked online revealing the film will contain a major twist.
GETTY IMAGES Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are expected to have big roles in Episode VIII.
That of course assumes the script fragment is genuine and not either a work of fan fiction purporting to be the real thing, or a red herring deliberately leaked by Disney to maintain the uncertainty surrounding the film's plot.
READ MORE:
* A look at Star Wars: Rogue One
* Director spills details on new Star Wars film
* Ten things we loved about The Force Awakens
* Not everyone is a fan of the force
So, warning: what follows may contain spoilers, of the actual, or invented, variety. The script fragment includes a confrontation between the legendary Jedi knight Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, and the film's new lurking-in-the-shadows villain, Supreme Commander Snoke.
Star Wars/YouTube A still from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
During the exchange, Supreme Commander Snoke implies to Luke that he has, in the past, met Luke's father, the late Anakin Skywalker, also known as Lord Darth Vader.
"What father doesn't see his own creation?" Snoke says to Luke, which to put things in a Star Wars context, is more or less like saying, in your best James Earl Jones voice, "No, I am your grandfather."
Fans may recall that in an earlier film, The Empire Strikes Back, when Vader revealed to Luke that Vader was his father, he said "No, I am your father."
For the real Star Wars geeks, that does not sit well with the established canon in the story that Vader – then Anakin – was conceived by "the Force", that is, in a pseudo-Biblical virgin birth by Tattoine slave Schmi Skywalker.
But that story element was connected to the controversial "midi-chlorians", added to the Star Wars story by creator George Lucas, which more or less explains away "the Force" as a biological phenomenon rather than a spiritual one.
In case you missed it: "midi-chlorians" are Force-sensitive cells in a person's bloodstream; the more "midi-chlorians", the more sensitive you are to the ebb and flow of the Force. And, frankly. it never sat well with original trilogy fans.
Shout out "midi-chlorians" at the next Star Wars convention you're at, and this will make more sense to you. You might also want to duck.
Whether Snoke should be taken at his word, or his words interpreted metaphorically, remains to be seen. It's also equally likely it's a bunch of Force baloney which will go up in Snoke.
It would follow the template established in The Force Awakens that the three new films will intentionally bow to the original three Star Wars films, with a world-shaking parental revelation earmarked for the second of the three.
And it would also fit neatly with the Disney strategy that the "trilogy" stories in Star Wars focus exclusively on the Skywalker family, leaving the standalone films planned for "every other year" to focus on other elements of the Star Wars canon.
The first of those, Rogue One, is released this December; Star Wars: Episode VIII will be released in December, 2017.
- Sydney Morning Herald | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/83778138/Star-Wars-fans-in-a-frenzy-over-Snoke-rumour | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/246ea282ca7a1f4b71714a1b9e3f8794ed8675d1ece5e8b98b7db2cb2b0f89ae.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:51:18 | null | 2016-08-28T22:32:55 | REVIEW: Sam Edwards went along to the final in the Waikato International Cello Fest on Sunday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2Fgig-reviews%2F83660264%2FCello-only-ensemble-sublime.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/n/y/m/m/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt4o8.png/1472423575726.jpg | en | null | Cello-only ensemble sublime | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Cello-only ensemble sublime
The Waikato International Cello Fest ended on Sunday.
What: Festival Finale: Cellophonics Extravaganza
Who: Waikato International Cellofest
When: Sunday, August 28
Where: Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber, Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
Director: James Tennant and Richard Aaron
Reviewer: Sam Edwards
With Santiago Canon Valencia's brilliant opening concert last Sunday, this afternoon's festival finale bookended a most remarkable contribution to the musical arts in Hamilton. The topic was the cello, a somewhat arcane instrument for music making in the ordinary world.
The experience was of the cello being discussed and played by international performers who demonstrated its range, its versatility, and above all its beauty. It was heard in virtuosic and unique moments, from body slapping, through intensely beautiful bowing, to pneumatically percussive pizzicato passages, in ways not normally available to New Zealand audiences, and, indeed, with this kind of intensity, anywhere else in the world. It was a wonderful afternoon, but remarkable for an apparent absence of not all but most candidates for office in council elections, where the arts is a significant vote earner. Neither was any senior officeholder of the university seen leaping to the stage to thank James Tennant and his team for bringing so much added value to the institution. What an opportunity they missed. More importantly, what pleasure we had, that they forewent. They will just have to bring the event back next year to find out.
Sunday afternoon's experience showcased a group unique to the Waikato University Conservatorium of Music, the cello-only ensemble known as Cellophonics. The cello-only idea would make club funk rockers' hair stand on end, sans product, even, but the music this group produces is both foot-tapping and seductively fascinating.
The sole variation on the cello-only theme came in the Villa-Lobos work, Bachianas Brasileiras No.5. It contained a vocal solo, in this case sung with a balanced symmetry by soprano Stephanie Acraman, lecturer in voice at the university. It elegantly highlighted the complementary qualities of cello and voice, especially in those moments of vocal delight produced by a single hummed note.
The programme was designed to give pleasure, but we doubled our money when it also allowed us to experience such a range of cellophonic capabilities. Telemann's Canonic Sonata in G major TWV 40:120 set the tone for the afternoon with its discipline, its elegance, and its balance, and a real delight in the adaptations which had been found - or written - for this ensemble.
At times it seemed that scores may have included continuo sections, if for no other reason than the individual cellists showed such relaxed enjoyment and individual passion.
The afternoon was characterised also by moments of incredible beauty. The powerful opening minor chords in Barber's often hackneyed, but potentially captivating Adagio for Strings introduced a fresh and compelling interpretation of the work, and Saint-Saens's newly, uniquely, and enchantingly realised Le Cygne was as visual as it was imaginatively personal.
The ensemble had a wonderful work out when the exciting new composition by Xu Tang, an Honours student in composition at the Conservatorium was played to the delight of the audience, which was allowed a second hearing as an encore at the end of the concert. Had this been a wine tasting, every offering would have had the appellation grand cru. James Tennant ,sir, Please share our thanks with your friends and colleagues. The final standing ovation was the least we could do.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/gig-reviews/83660264/Cello-only-ensemble-sublime | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4fb04bd2bc4a5213b0cfa0c472a6ae730439ba30d74e244b494b5818eefda249.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:21 | null | 2016-08-27T06:44:29 | The final four contenders for the national boys' 1st XV rugby championship have been found, following a day of regional playoffs up and down the country. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2F83633699%2FFirst-XV-semi-finalists-decided-after-regional-playoffs.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/k/6/5/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsk6b.png/1472280270013.jpg | en | null | First XV semi-finalists decided after regional playoffs | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | First XV semi-finalists decided after regional playoffs
Joseph Johnson Ben Chippendale of Christchurch Boys' High scoring a try during the South Island First XV schools rugby final between Christchurch Boys' High School v Southland Boys' High School.
The final four contenders for the national boys' 1st XV rugby championship have been found, following a day of regional playoffs up and down the country.
The South Island clash between Southland Boys' High School and Christchurch Boys' High School was the first to be decided, with the men from Invercargill claiming the spoils, winning 41-20 on the road.
They led 19-0 at one stage, but Christchurch hit back to come within four, 24-20, and set up a grandstand finish. It wasn't to be, however, as Southland ran away with the game from there.
In the Chiefs region final in Rotorua, Hamilton Boys' High School beat Rotorua Boys' High School 26-24, reversing the result from when the two sides met during the Super 8 competition.
READ MORE:
* McCaw: I hope it's closer this time
* Wallabies deluded
* Aust, South Africa lose teams?
An early penalty got Hamilton on the board first, but the two sides traded tries from there, with Rotorua sneaking ahead 24-23 towards the end of the second half, only for a Josh Moorby penalty to give Hamilton the lead when it matters most - at the final whistle.
Auckland's Mt Albert Grammar School were made to work hard to claim the Blues region title, prevailing over Westlake Boys' High School 13-8 in the end in their encounter.
With the scores locked 5-all at halftime, Westlake had given themselves a sniff, only for the Auckland 1A champions to continue their province's dominance of the region in the second spell.
In the Hurricanes region final, Hastings Boys' High School continued their unbeaten run, beating Wellington College 40-14 on neutral ground in Palmerston North, ensuring they will enter the semifinals as favourites.
The top four is also played in Palmerston North, starting with semifinals on Friday, where Southland will play Mt Albert and Hamilton will play Hastings - a rematch of the Super 8 final which Hastings won 30-8 a fortnight ago. The winners will then meet in the final on Sunday afternoon.
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/83633699/First-XV-semi-finalists-decided-after-regional-playoffs | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/b76ab4b23f6fef4b6b96afb423bc98efe202557aa887ba97c696f6d926bb68ab.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:51:40 | null | 2016-08-29T20:00:00 | It's easy to faux-apologise for minor stuff, but why is it harder to apologise for the big stuff as we get older? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2F83672712%2FMy-bad-How-to-say-sorry-as-an-adult.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/k/m/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtea0.png/1472500514706.jpg | en | null | My bad: How to say 'sorry' as an adult | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | My bad: How to say 'sorry' as an adult
123RF "We faux-apologise for minor stuff, but can't apologise for stuff that matters."
OPINION: There's a period in every toddler's life when, no matter how cute they are, they become Satan. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends' kids, but on this day my friend's eldest was rough-housing his little sibling, eventually pushing him over and making him cry.
"Say sorry!" we said, pulling them off each other. For ages, the elder boy refused.
Then he relented, fake-smiled and said in a spooky, sing-song voice dripping with contempt, "Sorryyyy." Then he skipped away happily, like Damien leaving a murder scene in The Omen. "Well, that was chilling," I said as we watched him leave.
Still, most of us aren't gracious about apologising as adults, either. We faux-apologise for minor stuff – "Sorry for being five minutes late"; "Sorry, my house is a mess" – but can't apologise for stuff that matters: not seeing our parents enough, not being better partners, hurting friends carelessly.
READ MORE:
* Scientists reveal the perfect way to apologise
* Lena Dunham urges women to stop saying sorry
* Why do we say 'sorry' so much?
And when we do, our apologies are mangled, delivered through gritted teeth: "I'm sorry you feel that way." In the end, adults are just kids but better resourced.
Sometimes, though, you gotta suck it up.
Recently, I tweeted about how appalling it was that a prominent female journalist had been copping misogynistic abuse online. By pointing out the obvious, I got a lot of righteous likes and re-tweets, and felt nice about being a Good Feminist Bloke. But soon a conservative newspaper columnist shot back, posting a screenshot of something I'd tweeted in 2011 about her female colleague, describing her as a "c… from hell" for one of her columns.
My first thoughts were deeply uncharitable. "Well, I frankly still stand by that assessment!" (I really couldn't.) "But Australia is a country where the c-word is an expression of affection!" (Yeah, not in this case, Ben.) And finally, "Well, she can handle it." (Why should she have to?) I was a dreadful hypocrite. Sure, it was a tweet from five years ago, but I'm with Joan Didion when she wrote: "We are well-advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not."
Then I felt shame.
"Appreciate you bringing this to my attention," I wrote back. "Though it was five years ago, no excuses, unreserved apologies." And I meant it. I'd been a hypocrite and a jerk and needed to acknowledge that.
Surprised, the columnist accepted my apology, her followers were kind, and some of us even talked like humans – rare for the net. "This has been a refreshing display of ownership and humility," one said. "Cheers," I replied, struggling, but doing my best, to grow the hell up.
- smh.com.au | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/83672712/My-bad-How-to-say-sorry-as-an-adult | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/ad7560f3ec930f300db6094d64e023f64ad0e7e11da201bf474bd95a8debcb46.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:51:38 | null | 2016-08-29T22:47:46 | Can birth order affect IQ? How eldest children compare to their younger siblings. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2F83696864%2FAre-first-borns-really-smarter.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/3/m/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtwww.png/1472510866714.jpg | en | null | Are first-borns really smarter? | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Are first-borns really smarter?
123RF The IQ difference they found isn't large - firstborns scored on average 1.5 points higher than second-borns.
A recent study at Leipzig University has confirmed that birth order and IQ are related and, in particular, that firstborns have a higher IQ than their younger siblings.
The study was carried out to address a question psychologists have been arguing over since 1874, when the British anthropologist Francis Galton collected information on a number of English scientists and found that most of them were firstborn sons. As a result, he concluded that the eldest child in the family is likely to do best intellectually.
Galton thought this was because parents are able to offer their firstborn child exclusive attention and rich linguistic input during the period when language is emerging and the brain is developing most rapidly.
A number of researchers tried to prove Galton right, but the studies were too small for anyone to feel certain that the findings reflected the population generally. The Leipzig study, on the other hand, is based on a huge amount of data. The information from studies conducted in the US, UK and Germany was pooled, giving researchers data from 20,186 individuals aged 18 to 98.
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* What second-born status will mean for Princess Charlotte
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The IQ difference they found isn't large - firstborns scored on average 1.5 points higher than second-borns - but it occurred significantly more often than would be expected by chance, so we can feel confident that the conclusion is robust. Firstborns really are likely to have a higher IQ.
But wait. Is it justifiable to conclude therefore that firstborns are more intelligent than their siblings? I don't think so.
The first thing to point out is that IQ is not the same as intelligence. IQ is a limited measure. It depends heavily on good language skills, basic arithmetic and general knowledge, the skills most needed to obtain high marks in exams. It's a good predictor of academic success, but little else.
Intelligence is much more complex. It is the ability to perceive information, to make sense of it and store it as knowledge, and to have the capacity to apply it in ways that are useful to and/or valued by oneself and others. A person can express intelligence through music, art, dance or sensitivity to other people, as well as through the more strictly academic routes.
Every child hopes to be recognised as special and different from their siblings. Because firstborns receive so much language input from their parents and are likely to become accomplished in that way, it's only sensible for later-born children to choose a different area - music, sport or art, for example - in which to excel. I would therefore argue that each child in a family is intelligent - just in different ways.
Linda Blair is a clinical psychologist. Her book The Key to Calm is published by Hodder & Stoughton.
- The Telegraph, London | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/83696864/Are-first-borns-really-smarter | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/494b8abf8dbefd31aa2da402b7db07f7d5746f4c08907d698312d42b81f91628.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:52:30 | null | 2016-08-31T07:21:32 | Trevor Hone's daughter Abi was killed in an intersection crash. Now, he wants to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fthe-press%2Fnews%2F83759393%2FDeath-of-Canterbury-girl-Abi-Hone-inspires-dad-to-support-road-safety-campaign.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/5/1/j/b/p/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dv95t.png/1472629727140.jpg | en | null | Death of Canterbury girl Abi Hone inspires dad to support road safety campaign | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Death of Canterbury girl Abi Hone inspires dad to support road safety campaign
SUPPLIED Ella Summerfield, left, and Abi Hone, both 12, died alongside Ella's mother Sally when Dutch visitor Johannes Appelman ran a stop sign and crashed into their vehicle near Rakaia on May 31, 2014.
Trevor Hone is "terrified" of driving through rural intersections, and for good reason.
In May 2014, his 12-year-old daughter Abi Hone was killed, alongside Sally Rumble and her daughter Ella Summerfield, when a Dutch tourist missed a stop sign and crashed into their car south of Christchurch.
Abi's death prompted Hone to put his support behind a campaign by Selwyn police officer Dan Harker, who has installed new warning signs to alert drivers to upcoming stop signs.
Dean Kozanic Sally Rumble and daughter Ella Summerfield, 12, along with friend Abi Hone, 12, were killed in a crash at the intersection of Somerton Rd and Thompsons Track, near Rakaia.
"For the girls, and for me I suppose, I hope we can make something positive come out of this," Hone said.
READ MORE:
* Gorgeous girls killed in car crash
* Canterbury police officer's road sign project under way
* Dutch crash driver to pay reparation
* Lucy Hone speaks about grief and resilience
* Designer spreads colour in memory of Abi Hone
* Abi Hone's mother praises Sumner community
* Grieving husband dreads first anniversary of triple fatality crash
DAVID WALKER/FAIRFAX NZ Trevor Hone's daughter Abi was killed in an intersection crash near Rakaia in 2014, prompting him to lend his support to a road safety campaign started by Selwyn police officer Dan Harker.
"It's obviously not good driving if you miss a stop sign, but on these roads out in the country, with beautiful scenery around you, it's easy to miss these [stop] signs."
Advanced Warning Signs are being trialled around the Selwyn district until October 2017. They use solar-powered flashing LED lights and vehicle detection sensors to act as a "wake up call" for drivers approaching an intersection.
Two signs have also been placed in Southland.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/FAIRFAX NZ Sergeant Dan Harker is behind the installation of several solar-powered warning signs across Selwyn and Southland.
"It's a simple but clever idea, with cost effective units with a high impact – I can't see any reason [the trial] will run into any objections," Hone said.
Statistics from the trial will be delivered to the NZ Transport Authority, which will decide if the signs will installed elsewhere.
On Tuesday, Hone returned to the intersection where his daughter died, a place he described as "almost tranquil".
"You never get past the emotion. As victims we're going to be carrying this forever, as will the driver.
"We have to realise that we do have dangerous roads . . . and we need to be treating [them] with the utmost respect."
Sergeant Dan Harker said he had attended about 100 fatal crashes during his 31 years with police, and most involved intersections.
"Once the tragedy took place for Trevor's family, and for the Summerfields, I thought, look, there are better ways to do this."
He said the heart of the problem was people making bad driving decisions.
"Every crash is 100 per cent avoidable if people followed the rules – it's about harm minimisation."
A near miss 18 years ago, when a driver hit the tow bar of his car at speed, meant Harker had "always been really nervous about intersections in rural roads, and the stats will back that up".
Nine people died and 73 were seriously injured at Selwyn intersections between 2011 and 2015. The social cost of 484 intersection crashes in the district between 2009 and 2013 totalled almost $100 million.
"We've got technology these days that can make [stop signs] a lot more visible," Harker said.
"Something's got to come from [these tragedies], so let's change the roading system and make it a little bit smarter."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/83759393/Death-of-Canterbury-girl-Abi-Hone-inspires-dad-to-support-road-safety-campaign | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/0f1a11fccaee14db20c3c33535b0431421509d5edb77901a5300173af2c6994f.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T08:50:33 | null | 2016-08-27T08:04:45 | He stripped down to his underwear, scaled a fence, then saw a parked truck with its engine running and made his move. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83635041%2FUS-man-in-boxer-shorts-jumps-fence-crashes-pickup-into-plane.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/9/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsl7l.png/1472285090141.jpg | en | null | US man in boxer shorts jumps fence, crashes pickup into plane | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | US man in boxer shorts jumps fence, crashes pickup into plane
OWH Cops Reporters /TWITTER He said airport security personnel had noticed a man "acting in a bizarre manner" near the perimeter of the airport. The man then stripped down to his boxer shorts, climbed over a fence and ran onto an airport runway as officers gave chase.
A man was arrested after he stripped down to his boxer shorts, scaled a fence and rammed a pickup truck into a Southwest airplane parked at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday, police said.
Two crew members suffered minor injuries on the Southwest Airlines flight, bound for Denver, as passengers were boarding at 9:30pm (local time) when the man drove the truck into the plane's nose gear, said Omaha Airport Authority Chief of Police.
One of the 18 passengers on board the flight was also injured in the incident, the airline said in a statement.
The unidentified man was taken into custody and there was no suggestion the incident was an act of extremism, Connahan said.
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He said airport security personnel had noticed a man "acting in a bizarre manner" near the perimeter of the airport. The man then stripped down to his boxer shorts, climbed over a fence and ran onto an airport runway as officers gave chase.
Man takes off clothes, climbs fence, crashes pickup truck into plane at Eppley Airfield: https://t.co/jGLzDZIm9k pic.twitter.com/Gp1sdqd7UW — OWH Cops Reporters (@OWHCrime) August 26, 2016
The man then jumped into a parked truck, which had its engine running, and drove it into the nose gear of the plane he was apprehended by police, Connahan said.
@ZeddRebel @AP_Oddities Not every high-spirited boxer-sporting mayhem-bent madman is a stochastic domestic terrorist you know... — MrBlifil (@MrBlifil) August 26, 2016
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83635041/US-man-in-boxer-shorts-jumps-fence-crashes-pickup-into-plane | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/881186d7931a8b9fd72398095a5f4cf7aec96103cc61498586b0b12bbe2ce65b.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:50:32 | null | 2016-08-27T12:27:34 | All Blacks prop Owen Franks is in hot water as footage shows him grabbing at the face of Wallabies' Kane Douglas. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83636109%2FAll-Blacks-prop-Owen-Franks-under-scrutiny-from-Wallabies-for-alleged-eye-gouging-incident.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/n/h/u/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsm19.png/1472307547466.jpg | en | null | All Blacks prop Owen Franks under scrutiny from Wallabies for alleged eye-gouging incident | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | All Blacks prop Owen Franks under scrutiny from Wallabies for alleged eye-gouging incident
Phil Walter All Blacks tighthead prop Owen Franks might be in some strife.
The Wallabies expect All Blacks prop Owen Franks to face a judicial hearing, amid eye-gouging accusations in the wake of Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup match in Wellington.
New Zealand beat Australia 29-9 at Westpac Stadium, to heap more misery on the visitors and retain the coveted trophy.
But Wallabies coach Michael Cheika changed the narrative from the pressure that's mounting on him, attempting to transfer it to Franks and the All Blacks.
GETTY IMAGES Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika did his best to obscure the result of Saturday's clash with the All Blacks.
Franks certainly appeared to have his left hand on the face of Australia lock Kane Douglas, during the first half of Saturday's match, with Cheika asked afterwards for an opinion of what occurred.
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"We saw it at the time but I'm sure the match review will pick it up," Cheika said.
"They couldn't miss it, it was pretty in the open. It'd be pretty hard for the match review to miss."
The media contingent at the match hadn't seen the incident live and footage only emerged after All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen had done his post-match press conference.
Suggestions of an eye gouge from Owen Franks on Kane Douglas. What do you think?Via - the tight five rugby union pic.twitter.com/UtZyrx5pPS — EatSleepRugby (@eatsleeprugby) August 27, 2016
Hansen is due up again on Sunday morning, where Franks' hand and its movements will no doubt be on the agenda, as well an apparent Australian Rugby Union (ARU) complaint about a meeting with referee Romain Poite.
It's alleged Hansen and Poite met before the match in Wellington, with Cheika not informed at the time. Reports have since surfaced that the ARU have made a formal complaint to World Rugby about the meeting.
Cheika doesn't give the impression he believes that he and the team and captain Stephen Moore get the rub of the green from officials and made comments after the match that could make his own immediate future a little precarious.
He entered a referees' room at halftime, while coaching the Waratahs in Super Rugby last year and was basically on probation.
That didn't appear to water-down his post-match comments on Saturday about Poite's performance.
"I was bitterly disappointed to be honest," said Cheika, among other things.
"I'm on record with the referees boss Alain Rolland about the treatment to our captain and our players by Romain Poite. There was a time there in the game where in a break in play, when the national captain of Australia was asking the referee when might be an opportunity for me to talk to you and he absolutely ignored him."
- Dominion Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83636109/All-Blacks-prop-Owen-Franks-under-scrutiny-from-Wallabies-for-alleged-eye-gouging-incident | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a53c7a68219588d40f143efc471a5fb0addffd24cbfdde969fc51177585109e0.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:16 | null | 2016-08-26T10:06:53 | Fuel requires deep thought for more Kiwis than ever before, according to new research. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fmotoring%2Fnews%2F83594705%2FSurvey-reveals-petrol-conscious-Kiwis-far-outnumber-the-petrolheads.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/r/m/o/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1drq35.png/1472206013729.jpg | en | null | Survey reveals petrol-conscious Kiwis far outnumber the petrolheads | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Survey reveals petrol-conscious Kiwis far outnumber the petrolheads
SUPPLIED Kiwis still care about performance, but it's a fine balance. One eye's always on the fuel gauge, says Ford survey.
A survey by Ford across 11 markets in the Asia-Pacific region, including New Zealand, suggests that petrolheads are a dying breed.
Eighty-three per cent of new-car customers say that fuel efficiency is more important than power when choosing a new vehicle.
A desire to save money and high fuel prices are the top reasons for avoiding cars with a drinking problem. An interest in being more environmentally friendly follows closely behind.
SUPPLIED The good old days of fueling up and not even thinking about it are long gone, says Ford survey.
The survey was commissioned by Ford Motor Company and covered 9500 drivers, including 774 in NZ.
READ MORE: Fuel efficiency standard call to tackle NZ's love of big cars
When asked the reasons for prioritising fuel efficiency, 85 per cent of respondents from New Zealand cited the desire to save money. Other top reasons included concern about high fuel prices (68 per cent) and an interest in being more environmentally friendly (43 per cent).
Fuel efficiency is such a major factor that nearly one-third (28 per cent) of drivers who currently own a powerful car say that they regret not purchasing a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
"We conducted this survey to learn more about what consumers' attitudes are towards fuel efficiency when they are shopping for a new car," says Kevin Tallio, chief engineer, Engine Engineering, Ford Asia Pacific. "Fuel efficiency remains one of the top concerns. Drivers continue to be sensitive to fuel costs, no matter what the price is at the pump."
The survey reveals that the desire to save money is also reflected in fuel-purchasing habits.
Many NZers said they already apply tactics to save at the pump, such as waiting for lower fuel prices to top up (45 per cent). Forty two per cent say that they always use a coupon when filling up, and 34 per cent say that they only go to fuel stations where they get points for filling up. Only one in three says that they fill up whenever it suits, regardless of price.
This coincides with a general wariness about NZ's fuel prices – four out of five respondents say they don't trust fuel prices to stay stable over the next year. In the March 2016 quarter, NZ was the 19th most expensive of the 35 OECD nations for quarterly premium unleaded petrol prices.
Drivers are starting to change their driving behaviours too. More than 39 per cent of consumers are planning on driving less over the next 12 months and 27 per cent say that they will change their driving habits to use less fuel.
These thrifty behaviours extend to what Kiwis would do if they could save even more on fuel. More than half of respondents (53 per cent) said that if they saved 20 per cent on fuel every month, they would put the extra money towards their savings. Another 42 per cent say that they would use the money to pay off existing debt.
But while New Zealand consumers are eager to protect themselves from the sting of the pump, surprisingly many are unaware of longer-term strategies for saving money:
Nearly half (46 per cent) of those surveyed admit that they do not consider the total cost of ownership – fuel and vehicle maintenance – when shopping for a new car
Only 29 per cent say that they would invest more money at the time of purchase on a more efficient engine in order to save money on future fuel costs
However, there may be signs that behaviours are changing. Many consumers who are planning to buy a new car in the next year are considering more fuel-efficient vehicles: 37 per cent plan to buy a vehicle with a more fuel efficient engine, 19 per cent plan to downsize to a smaller vehicle and 16 per cent plan to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle.
However, their choice is made difficult by the fact that New Zealanders also value performance. More than half (56 per cent) of all respondents say they still consider performance as a factor when buying a new car.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/83594705/Survey-reveals-petrol-conscious-Kiwis-far-outnumber-the-petrolheads | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e46809d4e90250d1a816f5ad9b523a620a953723b5b73c738172a547638ece82.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:00 | null | 2016-08-26T10:54:24 | One seriously injured and another trapped after car hit power pole in wet conditions in Christchurch. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83625468%2FOne-person-in-critical-condition-and-another-in-serious-condition-after-car-hit-power-pole.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/k/n/6/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsdto.png/1472208864867.jpg | en | null | One person in critical condition and another in serious condition after car hit power pole | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | One person in critical condition and another in serious condition after car hit power pole
David Walker Firefighters, police and ambulance staff attended the incident, on Ruru Rd in Bromley just before 9.30pm on Friday.
One male is in a critical condition and a female in a serious condition after their car hit a power pole in east Christchurch.
St John transferred the pair, both in their 30s, to the emergency department at Christchurch Hospital.
Firefighters, police and ambulance staff attended the incident, on Ruru Rd in Bromley just before 9.30pm on Friday.
A police spokesman said Ruru Rd was closed between Maces and Dyers roads with diversions in place.
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He said there had been several minor crashes related to the wet weather on Friday evening.
Serious crash investigators attended.
Orion reported no power outages.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83625468/One-person-in-critical-condition-and-another-in-serious-condition-after-car-hit-power-pole | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/9c03c62e6dd4f577cb9248103640103c7f6a26aa8dbcc1b3aefa8e9eb52610b7.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T02:52:03 | null | 2016-08-30T02:20:24 | Auckland health board slammed after dressing was left inside wound for four months, causing an abscess. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fhealth%2F83712922%2FAuckland-District-Health-Board-slammed-after-leaving-dressing-inside-breast-wound.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/0/a/1/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du9ay.png/1472523624506.jpg | en | null | Auckland District Health Board slammed after leaving dressing inside breast wound | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Auckland District Health Board slammed after leaving dressing inside breast wound
123rf "Mrs A" endured months of pain after a dressing was left inside her breast wound for months.
A foreign body left within a breast wound has sparked a policy change within the Auckland District Health Board.
Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill has found the health board at fault after its nurses left the 5cm foreign body within the woman's breast, thwarting her recovery.
In 2013, the woman, known only as "Mrs A", developed an abscess in her breast a month after giving birth, and underwent surgery to remove it.
District health nurses regularly visited the woman's home over the next four months to dress the 3cm deep wound.
READ MORE: Auckland district health board funding drops
They initially packed it with absorbent Aquacel rope, a portion of which is supposed to be visible outside the wound against the patient's skin.
Subsequent visiting nurses couldn't see the protruding rope, and assumed the patient had removed it herself.
After Mrs A endured months of increasing pain and green pus coming from the wound, a scan revealed the rope to still be inside her breast.
It was removed with surgery and the breast healed fully one month afterwards.
The commissioner's report deemed "the failures of the district nurses to be service level failures that are directly attributable to ADHB as the service provider."
He stated that the health board had "demonstrated a pattern of suboptimal care".
Before the case the health board had no policy for keeping track of foreign bodies within wounds, or the products used to treat them.
It has since introduced a new policy to cover that field and made changes to existing documentation policy.
The commissioner recommended the health board send a written apology to Mrs A.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83712922/Auckland-District-Health-Board-slammed-after-leaving-dressing-inside-breast-wound | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/48a8fbd9ad9232366da6ad399886abf65af1283a6c4880bfae9fd60bd8ee5ff9.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T02:51:09 | null | 2016-08-29T02:29:31 | A drone has helped capture pictures and measure whales off the Auckland Islands. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fscience%2F83673160%2FDrone-used-to-capture-whale-pictures-in-the-Auckland-Islands.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/d/t/t/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtemg.png/1472437773143.jpg | en | null | Drone used to capture whale pictures in the Auckland Islands | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Drone used to capture whale pictures in the Auckland Islands
STEVE DAWSON A 15.01-metre long right whale and her calf, photographed from a drone near the Auckland Islands.
A drone has helped researchers take pictures and measure whales off the Auckland Islands.
The University of Otago's research vessel, Polaris II, completed an expedition to document right whales in Port Ross last week.
The expedition to the subantarctic Aucklands Islands included photographic surveys of the whales from small vessels, and a drone was used to document the condition of each whale.
Expedition leader Professor Steve Dawson said the drone was fitted with a tiny laser range finder, which allowed researchers to measure the size and shape of right whales.
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"This helps us understand the population at the Auckland Islands, and is crucial for figuring out why some right whale populations (such as ours) are recovering strongly, while others, such as the North Atlantic right whale, are not," he said.
The pictures were taken 25 metres to 35m above the whales, with no reaction from the mammals, he said.
"I don't think they knew the drone was there, which means this technology provides a powerful non-invasive tool to assess the condition of individual whales."
Fine weather meant the drone was used for 136 flights on 12 days, with quality images taken of 100 individuals.
"That's a great sample, but we're most excited about getting measurement images of over 50 mothers and calves because these are the ones driving the population's recovery."
The expedition was funded by the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/83673160/Drone-used-to-capture-whale-pictures-in-the-Auckland-Islands | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/57b50b7950f1fc3fe700dd7b933a9e3b67465461048e066df66050ced88ea493.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T06:51:33 | null | 2016-08-29T03:21:49 | VMAs a big night for Parris Goebel despite awards dry run. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2F83688678%2FParris-Goebels-dance-moves-dominate-VMAs-but-no-awards.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/r/1/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtqli.png/1472451811377.jpg | en | null | Parris Goebel's dance moves dominate VMAs - but no awards | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Parris Goebel's dance moves dominate VMAs - but no awards
Jeff Kravitz/FILMMAGIC, INC Parris Goebel attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City.
She might not have won any awards, but Parris Goebel left her mark on the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
The Kiwi choreographer and her dancers were behind a string of crowd-wowing performances by Rihanna at the awards in New York City, USA.
Members of Goebel's dance crew, the Royal Family, were Rihanna's backing dancers across her four performances throughout the night.
Our girls 🔥🔥🔥 #Rihanna #VMAs A photo posted by ROYAL FAMILY VARSITY (@royalfamilydotcom) on Aug 28, 2016 at 8:21pm PDT
Goebel herself was at the awards, appearing on the white carpet dressed in Polynesian princess fashion.
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Her work was up for three awards, with Justin Bieber's video Sorry, which she choreographed, nominated for video of the year, best male video, and the new category best longform video.
Although Sorry failed to take any awards, the work of Aucklander Goebel and her crew was on display for the world to see through their involvement in Rihanna's performances.
Sorry was pipped at the post for video of the year by Beyonce's Formation, while best male video was won by Calvin Harris for his collaboration with Rihanna, This is what you came for.
It was a big night for Rihanna, who won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, a kind of lifetime achievement award.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/83688678/Parris-Goebels-dance-moves-dominate-VMAs-but-no-awards | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/9d9161dd2f749d94f45b31442a58a51a5cfb31f420d5e2b06b5d02759fb08b23.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:50:13 | null | 2016-08-26T17:00:00 | OPINION: We celebrate economic growth. But why? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fopinion-analysis%2F83592252%2FShamubeel-Eaqub-What-good-is-economic-growth.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/g/0/4/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dro70.png/1472169784277.jpg | en | null | Shamubeel Eaqub: What good is economic growth? | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Shamubeel Eaqub: What good is economic growth?
SUPPLIED "For a holistic view on economic progress, our measures of progress need to grow up. We have to reject that growth in and of itself is a good thing," economist Shamubeel Eaqub says.
OPINION: We celebrate growth. But why? We are measuring economic growth for the wrong reasons and with the wrong metrics.
There is no easy alternative. We have to reject the illusion of a simple and single metric of economic wellbeing, and look at the many and complex measures that better reflect wellbeing.
Growth in and of itself is not what we are after. Economic growth measures are proxies, meant to capture broader improvements in economic outcomes and opportunity.
GRANT MATTHEW/FAIRFAX NZ "Perversely, the Canterbury earthquakes boosted economic growth," Samubeel Eaqub says.
For a long time, this did bear out. Economic growth correlated with broader improvements in living standards and reducing inequality.
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This contributed to an increased focus and obsession with economic growth. This wraps up many of our entrenched ideas around the trickle-down theory or that the rising tide lifts all. The 'growth is good' ideology has become unquestioned theology.
Except of course it doesn't always.
Aggregate economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition for societal improvement.
If everyone is better off, the sum total has to increase. But the total also grows if a few are much better off. Increasingly, it's the latter kind of economic growth New Zealand has experienced.
Further, broad economic measures by definition aggregate individual experiences. But can mask significant underlying differences across regions, ethnicities or family background.
Our economy has grown significantly over the last three decades, but some measures of income and wealth distribution show compelling evidence that trickle down has not worked.
Income inequality, as published by the Ministry of Social Development, has not improved since the early 1990s after a significant worsening in the 1980s.
Housing is the biggest store of wealth. But home-ownership peaked in 1991. It has been falling since then and is not at the lowest level since 1956. Wealth is more unequally shared among New Zealanders, despite decades of economic growth.
There is a growing body of work that looks at the weakness of how we measure economic growth.
Tellingly, we do not count the cost of negative things like the damages from the Canterbury earthquakes, or water contamination in the Hawkes Bay, or the degradation of the environment.
Perversely, the Canterbury earthquakes boosted economic growth.
The lost capital in homes, buildings, infrastructure and livelihoods did not count. But the subsequent building activity did.
The way we measure growth, breaking a window and fixing it counts are progress. Except of course that activity just got us back to where we were.
Environmental damage is not counted either. The language surrounding the debate is toxic.
It is valid to bask in the benefit of dairy price increases or increases in output through intensification, but discussions on the degradation of our waterways and natural environment is treated at economic sabotage.
Harder to measure are things like our clean green image and what impact it has on our quality of life or ability to trade with the world. Especially when the image is in fact a mirage – when we measure carbon emission or the quality of our rivers objectively.
Entrenched short term and managerial thinking, and measuring success with the wrong measures, has meant that our public debate around the economy is focussed on the short term, on the aggregate and has lost the true meaning of progress and concepts of stewardship.
There are alternatives. But they are complex. The Treasury's living standards framework or the the OECD's wellbeing framework are both useful ways to think about progress.
Aggregate measures of economic growth are useful for a very narrow purpose.
For a holistic view on economic progress, our measures of progress need to grow up. We have to reject that growth in and of itself is a good thing.
Life is too complex to be reduced down to one convenient measure of wellbeing.
Shamubeel Eaqub is an independent economist and consultant. Follow him on Twitter @SEaqub
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/83592252/Shamubeel-Eaqub-What-good-is-economic-growth | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/6921e60eb583904fe70cc6310ba92bc41a12cb219d7c7afc9e01d0d775bd76fe.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T18:50:31 | null | 2016-08-27T17:00:00 | Real estate agent has sold 48 homes on a single Remuera road, including one house he's sold five times. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83529235%2FAuckland-real-estate-agent-Steve-Koerber-sells-same-house-five-times.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/5/r/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dqbkj.png/1472294971754.jpg | en | null | Auckland real estate agent Steve Koerber sells same house five times | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Auckland real estate agent Steve Koerber sells same house five times
JASON DORDAY/Stuff.co.nz Real estate agent Steve Koerier has sold many houses on the same street he lives on including one $2 million property he's sold five times.
Few real estate agents dominate their patch as much as Steve Koerber - who swears by a trick he calls the "skip bin" test.
For the past 18 years the former navy warfare officer has been stamping his mark in the leafy Auckland suburb of Remuera, with an extraordinary dominance on one street in particular - Armadale Road - home to properties worth in excess of $4 million.
Koerber has completed 48 house sale transactions on Armadale Rd since he first started selling there in 1998 - including one property he's sold a staggering five times.
JASON DORDAY/FAIRFAX NZ Ray White real estate agent Steve Koerber says he decided to focus on the southern side of Remuera Road because the more affluent northern side was too crowded.
The Ray White agent sold 39 Armadale Rd for $447,500 in 2001, $880,000 in 2006, $1.2m in 2007, $1.17m in 2010 and $2.31 most recently in April last year.
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* Celebrities line up to join real estate game
* Auckland house buyers making big bucks through 'flipping'
All up he estimates the run-down five-bedroom villa has brought in $150,000 or more in agent fees.
"The amount that comes to me is not quite that," Koerber said, referring to a cut taken by real estate companies he has worked for.
The most recent buyer of 39 Armadale Rd was a property investor who was most likely land banking the 885 square metre property, he said.
Koerber said it was the first time it had been sold to an investor during his association with the property.
Koerber believed it was a matter of time before the property was subdivided and the 1920s villa removed, to make way for three or four town houses.
There was another section on the street which he sold for $2.5m about 2011, which was subsequently subdivided into three town houses which would now individually sell for close to $3m each, he said.
During his time involved with 39 Armadale Rd very few changes had been made to the house, despite his postulating to buyers that it had "fantastic potential".
"It's very easy for me to show them through and show them the areas that I would change but no one's ever taken my advice.
"They've always just lived in the house and enjoyed it."
There are another four houses in Remuera Koerber has sold three times - two of which were Armadale Rd homes.
Koerber said he liked the area so much he bought his own place on Armadale Rd in 2013.
"I wish I'd done it years ago."
Koerber said he took a risk and bought a plaster town house built in 1999 which was a leaky building.
He invested more than $700,000 re-cladding and bringing it up to a modern standard and it now has an estimated value of $1.9m on homes.co.nz.
"It is difficult buying a house with problems. Banks don't like that."
REINZ spokesman Bryan Thomson said real estate agents tended to be location specialists, demographic specialists or a bit of both.
Koerber was a location specialist and was well known in Remuera, he said.
"He focuses on making sure he is an expert in the area," Thomson said.
Living and working in the area was also a huge advantage.
"If your offices are based in that area it makes sure you're very efficient with your time."
Selling the same property over and over again was not all that unusual for agents who had long and successful careers, he said.
"A huge volume of their business will be on repeat and referral customers."
Out of 658 real estate agents registered with homes.co.nz, Koerber held the top five spots for repeat house sales.
Koerber said when he first began focusing on his patch colleagues questioned why he was not targeting the more lucrative northern side of Remuera Rd with bigger, more expensive homes.
"I thought it's a bit crowded there so decided to specialise on the southern side."
Homes.co.nz sales records show the average Remuera sale price has more tripled since 2000 from $446,750 to slightly more than $1.5m.
While his knowledge of the area and his profile brought a lot of business Koerber conceded he was sometimes scooped by competing agents.
Whenever he saw another agent's sign on the street he compared it to being like a "weed that needed to be pulled".
Last month figures from homes.co.nz showed high numbers of Auckland property speculators were netting huge capital gains through buying and selling property in quick succession - a practise coined known as house flipping.
Between January 2015 and May this year 1427 Auckland homes sold twice, 99 sold three times and eight sold four times.
Koerber said while the market had slowed down slightly over recent months there was no shortage of investors looking at doing up properties for quick buck.
"Over the past two years there's been a lot people doing that and people seemingly making money off it."
When walking his beagle around the neighbourhood Koerber said he keeps a mental note of properties which have skip bins on site, then he makes a "skip bin list" on his office white board.
"I just ring and talk to everyone who has a skip bin because they're probably selling."
Koerber said he had sold more than 700 homes in his year career - about 80 per cent in Remuera and 70 per cent of those on the southern side.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83529235/Auckland-real-estate-agent-Steve-Koerber-sells-same-house-five-times | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/407edac8864bb81d654f2954729eaa224e8411217e736c2f333ef7d75939c3f2.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:52:32 | null | 2016-08-31T06:18:56 | After an hour of high-intensity intervals I was dripping in sweat and told I'd to burn fat for hours. But does it really work? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fwell-good%2Fteach-me%2F83742423%2FIs-the-pain-of-high-intensity-intervals-worth-the-gain-That-may-be-up-to-you.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/b/u/l/d/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duw2f.png/1472624394343.jpg | en | null | Is the pain of high-intensity intervals worth the gain? That may be up to you | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Is the pain of high-intensity intervals worth the gain? That may be up to you
123RF You can complete high-intensity training at a class - or do it yourself.
My first Orangetheory class started with several short bursts of running on a treadmill and ended in the same place, with a minute of hard running followed by another of all-out effort. In between heart-thumping intervals on the treadmill and a rowing machine, there were multiple rounds of squats, weights, side-crunches and more. After an hour, I was dripping in sweat and, according to my instructor, Natalie, poised to burn fat for hours afterward.
It's an enticing claim that has become increasingly trendy thanks to a variety of apps, trainers and franchises including Orangetheory: Fitness gains from spending short chunks of time in severe discomfort can rival those from much longer periods of more-moderate exercise. Some programs tout workouts lasting seven minutes or less.
But does it work?
High-intensity interval training can enhance fitness, improve health and even aid recovery from heart disease, according to a growing body of compelling evidence. But, experts caution, intervals should not replace moderate exercise completely. Instead, the two types of activity can complement each other, offering more opportunities for getting fit and staying motivated.
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* I did HIIT and survived
* How to maximise your HIIT workout
* Fitness Zone: Giving my training a high intensity hit
"The more exercise options we can give to people is a good strategy," says Martin Gibala, an exercise physiologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. "Interval training is not a panacea."
High-intensity interval training has long been standard practice among top runners and other elite athletes. Through short periods of hard effort that alternate with periods of less strenuous recovery, the goal is to get the heart rate to surge repeatedly to the point where it can't go much higher. (With Orangetheory, that means above 84 per cent of maximum effort, but 90 per cent is a common goal for other programs.)
And while it took some time for the science to catch up with early proponents of this approach, studies have demonstrated a variety of benefits after people do these kinds of workouts regularly for a few weeks.
In one seminal study, published in 1996, Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata and colleagues challenged seven active young men to pedal on an exercise bike at a moderate pace that kept them at 70 per cent of their VO2 max for an hour, five days a week. As their fitness improved, intensity increased to maintain that level of exertion. A second group of participants did one moderate workout along with four sessions of seven or eight 20-second high-intensity intervals, followed by 10 seconds of active rest.
After six weeks, both groups showed a rise in VO2 max. (VO2 max gauges the body's ability to turn oxygen into energy.) But the interval training led to a 28 per cent increase in anaerobic capacity, a measure of the body's ability to turn energy into power, while the steady cyclists got no anaerobic boost.
Since then, a variety of studies have produced similar results, showing that while both interval training and moderate aerobic exercise improve health and fitness measures, improvements are equally good and sometimes greater with intervals, and it takes far less time to get there. One tantalising way that intervals seem to excel is with higher levels of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (or EPOC), which is what Natalie was referring to when she told me I'd keep burning calories after my Orangetheory experience.
In one of the latest studies to compare intervals with less-grueling but more time-consuming exercise, Gibala and colleagues put nine sedentary men through three 10-minute interval sessions per week. After a warm-up and before a cool-down, the workout incorporated three all-out sprints on an exercise bike lasting just 20 seconds, with two minutes of easier cycling in between. Another group did 45 minutes of steady cycling at about 70 per cent of their maximum heart rate. After 12 weeks, the team reported this spring, both groups had improved equally on measures of heart health and fitness, even though the interval group exercised for 30 minutes a week compared with the other group's 135 minutes.
Dozens of studies have shown that interval training can be beneficial for patients with Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases. According to a 2007 study of 27 heart-failure patients who were mostly in their 70s and 80s, intervals were three times better than more-moderate exercise at improving aerobic capacity.
"The literature is suggesting that the more intensely you are willing and able to work, the less total exercise you need to perform to reap benefits," Gibala says. "Many more people than we typically think can perform interval-based exercises."
Scientists are still trying to understand how intervals work their magic, but, Gibala says, pushing yourself through intense bursts of exercise is like repeatedly gunning the gas pedal in a car instead of driving at a steady pace: You may end up in the same place but you get there in a different way. In the case of exercise, gunning the engine activates different processes in the body. One way the muscle cells respond to sprints, according to Gibala's work, is by growing more mitochondria, which turn fuel into energy.
Mechanically, intervals also force the heart to pump more blood with each beat, adds Brian Kinslow, a physical therapy doctoral student at Northern Arizona University. Over time, that makes the heart stronger and more efficient.
Intervals may provide a psychological boost, too, giving athletes confidence about their speed and adding variety to exercise routines. In a 2011 study of eight active men, participants rated a 50-minute treadmill workout that included intense running intervals as more enjoyable than a continuous 50-minute run.
One hope is that getting people hooked on intervals might help improve the dismal rates of adherence to public health guidelines, Gibala says, with few people meeting the weekly recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.
As scientific support for intervals builds, plenty of caveats remain. Most interval studies have been small and short. None have tested performance outside the lab or beyond a few months. Studies have also used different interval lengths and ratios, making it impossible to offer universal recommendations. And although some people enjoy opportunities to test their physical limits, others can't tolerate the suffering they need to endure to get benefits from intervals.
For those who want to give it a try, experts advise starting gradually: Even spurts of fast walking can do good for people just starting to exercise. Programs use the energy of a group setting along with creative class designs to make intervals more palatable.
Or you can do them on your own. Based on the bulk of research, Kinslow recommends equal periods of intense effort and active recovery, with 30 seconds of each as a good starting point. Intervals can get longer as fitness improves. Five to 10 intervals in a workout are enough to make a difference. And two or three interval workouts a week are plenty. Beyond that, studies show that back-to-back interval workouts can harm sleep quality and stress muscles without boosting performance. Incorporating interval sessions into a varied workout plan, according to other research, is likely to deliver the best results.
Even elite athletes do a good 70 to 80 per cent of their work at moderate intensities, says Dirk de Heer, an exercise physiology researcher at Northern Arizona University, who adds that whatever gets people moving is what they should do.
"No exercise is bad, and some exercise, whatever it is, is better than none," de Heer says. "Aerobic exercise has all kinds of benefits. Intervals are even better. That's my summary."
- The Washington Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/83742423/Is-the-pain-of-high-intensity-intervals-worth-the-gain-That-may-be-up-to-you | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/5e0d408fad570238a14899dccfc277e57fb993b527d3e966dbe9492c69e31d25.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:29 | null | 2022-01-06T18:44:00 | They have taken on the world's best athletes, but the challenge for 24 New Zealand Olympians on Saturday was answering tricky questions and enduring brutal weather. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2F83630508%2FOlympians-blown-away-by-cool-Cambridge-welcome.json | en | null | Olympians blown away by cool Cambridge welcome | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Olympians blown away by cool Cambridge welcome MIKE MATHER
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/Stuff.co.nz
Ecstatic crowds welcomed home their Olympians in Cambridge on Saturday.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Genevieve Behrent, Rebecca Scown and Mahe Drysdale held court in the signing tent. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Rebecca Scown and Genevieve Behrent - the silver medal-winning women's coxless pair - were crowd favourites. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Fans eagerly await the arrival of their heroes. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Three-year-old Charlie Thompson of Cambridge wore a homemade T-shirt with an image of the cycling sprint team on it. Now he has two images of the team to cherish. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ James Guzzwell, 11, with his younger sister Mia, 8, were thrilled with their collection of autographs. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Cyclist Eddie Dawkins poses with fans. Relevant offers
They have taken on the world's best athletes, but the challenge for 24 New Zealand Olympians on Saturday was answering tricky questions and enduring brutal weather.
About 1500 people braved a cold and blustery day at Victoria Square in Cambridge to get up close to some of the world's best - fresh from their triumphs and near-triumphs in Rio.
And some of the sportsmen and -women had to field a few quirky queries from the crowd.
A bemused Mahe Drysdale, who won gold in the men's single sculls competition, was asked if he wanted to become the mayor of Cambridge.
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"I'm not sure I could go through all that debating and arguing," he replied with a wry smile.
"I want things my way."
Many of the athletes found themselves besieged by fans and well-wishers as hundreds availed themselves of the opportunity to obtain autographs.
Ethan Mitchell, a member of the silver medal-earning men's cycling sprint team, was joyously getting into the spirit of the event, signing shirts, booklets and even bikes.
"It certainly does not get any better than this. It's pretty humbling ... I've never really expected or experienced it before."
Mitchell said he and his fellow team members - Eddie Dawkins and Sam Webster - had also fielded some curvy questions.
"I got asked yesterday if I eat lots of broccoli. Someone asked Eddie if he knows [wresting superstar] John Cena. It's been pretty amazing."
Ten-year-old Oscar Pluck opted to get his mountain bike signed by the cyclists - and not only because he hoped to one day be a member of the Olympic mountain biking team.
"Paper is easily destroyed," he said. "This is going to last forever."
The women's coxless pair of Genevieve Behrent and Rebecca Scown - who also won silver in Rio - proved hot property in the signing tent, with a lengthy queue of adults and children lining up to get things autographed.
Behrent was delighting in the adulation.
"It's fantastic. Even in Rio we had incredible support. It's great to see so many people here, even though the weather was horrible.
"I want to just enjoy this - and then get home and warm up a bit."
Many wanted to hold her medal and see how much it weighed.
For those curious, a silver medal from the Rio Olympics is 500 grams.
"It's mostly been lots of T-shirts getting signed and those things they are banging together in the crowd. Nothing too unusual, thank goodness."
It wasn't just autographs that proved a challenge. The event - slickly managed by Waipa District Council staff, outfitted in snug clothing bearing the Waipa Home of Champions branding - also involved a variety of fun activities that included a four-way tug of war and obstacle courses.
Other Olympians in attendance included members of the men's and women's sprint and endurance teams. The crowd were a kind of informal endurance team themselves, braving the cold squalls that blew in over the grounds, before sprinting for shelter anywhere they could. Many headed straight for the already-packed signing tent.
Waipa Mayor Jim Mylchreest was as thrilled as any of the children swarming around the Olympians.
"They are everyday humble and approachable locals," he told them.
"We all take incredible pride in your presence among us."
- Stuff
Comments | http://www.stuff.co.nz/83630508/Olympians-blown-away-by-cool-Cambridge-welcome | en | 2022-01-06T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/73ee918fc1f0958038de44b1a238049c95ebf1e07e998c61834beda295fdb37b.json | |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:50:57 | null | 2016-08-28T00:35:03 | A man is in a critical condition after falling off the roof of bar in Palmerston North. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fmanawatu-standard%2Fnews%2F83640509%2FMan-in-critical-condition-after-falling-off-bar-rooftop-in-Palmerston-North.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/e/v/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dspfh.png/1472344838931.jpg | en | null | Man in critical condition after falling off bar rooftop in Palmerston North | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Man in critical condition after falling off bar rooftop in Palmerston North
FAIRFAX NZ It is believed the incident took place at The Daily, a popular bar in Palmerston North.
A man was critically injured after falling from the roof of a bar.
Emergency services were called to the bar on Main St, in Palmerston North about 12.50am on Sunday.
A police media spokeswoman said the man was taken to Palmerston North Hospital in a critical condition.
It is believed the incident occurred at The Daily, a popular bar on Main St.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/83640509/Man-in-critical-condition-after-falling-off-bar-rooftop-in-Palmerston-North | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d0f9ee53ddbf13c21c93a8f1b3dbdbecdabdd9aac52badba7f1523bb542a1a07.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:00 | null | 2016-08-26T11:21:11 | Veronica Grondona is flying from Hamilton to Italy after the earthquake killed her mother and brother. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83599865%2FHamilton-kindy-teacher-loses-family-in-Italy-earthquake.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/u/z/5/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dru2h.png/1472210486010.jpg | en | null | Hamilton kindy teacher loses family in Italy earthquake | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Hamilton kindy teacher loses family in Italy earthquake
REUTERS Aerial video shows the central Italian town of Amatrice in ruins following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 73 people in the region and left thousands homeless.
A Hamilton kindergarten teacher has rushed home to Italy after learning that her mother and brother were killed during Wednesday's 6.2 magnitude earthquake.
Anna Maria Masciolini, 68, and Luca Grondona, 35, were killed as they holidayed at their family summer home, near Amatrice in central Italy.
It was an annual tradition the family had to get away from the heat in the city during the warm summer months.
SUPPLIED Luca Grondona's body was found in the rubble soon after the quake.
Veronica Grondona, a teacher at Kindy Totz in Hamilton, spent her childhood with them doing the same.
READ MORE:
* Why Italy's earthquake was like Christchurch
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* New Zealanders in Italy share experiences of earthquake
SUPPLIED Veronica Grondona found out that the body of her mother, Anna Maria Masciolini, had been found while she waited in transit in Australia.
"So she had lovely summertime memories there as a family," her former boss and friend Pauline Milroy said.
But now she's flying back to a town she'll no longer recognise, to mourn the loss of her mother and brother.
"She's just distraught."
Milroy spoke to Grondona on Thursday just after she'd heard the news of their deaths.
"She'd just found out and was trying to get a flight back."
SUPPLIED Veronica Grondona, pictured centre here with daughter Maia and husband Claudio, is traveling back to Italy after hearing that both her mother and brother were killed in this week's earthquake.
At that stage she knew her brother's body had been found, but had little news of her mum.
But as she waited at an airport in transit in Australia, with her husband Claudio, news came that her mother's body had also been found.
Milroy said their deaths would hit Grondona hard as she spoke to her mother several times a week on the phone.
"I think the shock of this will take Veronica a long time to get over because she spoke to her mother very often on the phone...several times a week normally.
"So although she didn't see her mother, certainly being on the phone was something that was very important to them.
"I don't think that until she sees the devastation [she'll know] how bad she is going to feel - seeing the actual devastation of her home. A town that she's loved from childhood. She'll be devastated."
STRINGER Rescuers work at a collapsed building following an earthquake in Amatrice after the qauke.
Grondona came to New Zealand about a decade ago with her husband and daughter Maia, who is now in year 11 at Hamilton Girls' High School.
She knew little English then and worked her way to becoming an early childhood teacher because she loved New Zealand and wanted to stay.
Milroy gave her a job at Hamilton's City Limits while she was still studying.
Carl Court Emergency workers search the rubble of a building that was destroyed during an earthquake on August 25.
She had travelled back to Italy for the first time since leaving only about 18 months ago.
"But the hardest thing to say goodbye to [when returning to New Zealand] was her mother."
A Givealittle page has been set up and Milroy said any bit people could contribute would help.
Grondona would have to pay for airfares, but also didn't know how long she'd have to stay in Italy.
"It could be four to six weeks because she doesn't know what she is going to find. It's just to help give them assistance
"She's just such an incredibly kind woman."
The page had already raised more than $5000 by 2pm on Friday. Donations can be mae by visiting givealittle.co.nz/cause/grondonafamily.
At least 247 people have been killed in the earthquake and hundreds of aftershocks continue to rock the region.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83599865/Hamilton-kindy-teacher-loses-family-in-Italy-earthquake | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/653fc4af957696f0745e06df16278dfd0b5577b13186a8ec825e480f0c50a8d8.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:52:01 | null | 2016-08-29T22:10:25 | About 30 people, including students from as many as five different schools, were involved in an Auckland street brawl, witnesses say. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83699110%2FStudents-from-up-to-five-schools-involved-in-Auckland-street-brawl.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/1/t/0/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtyna.png/1472508632810.jpg | en | null | Students from up to five schools involved in Auckland street brawl | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Students from up to five schools involved in Auckland street brawl
Bevan Read Massey Road KFC where a large brawl spilled into on Monday afternoon.
About 30 people, including students from as many as five different schools, were involved in a south Auckland street brawl, witnesses say.
Monday afternoon's fracas saw dozens of young people clash, with police confirming there were knives, chairs and bits of wood involved.
Thirteen police units were called to the scene, and five people were arrested, including two adults. No-one was reported to be injured.
Pupils spoken to on Tuesday who attend one of several high schools involved said about 30 people were directly involved in the brawl. Other reports have said as many as 100 people were involved.
READ MORE: Students use knives and hurl chairs in street brawl
The pupils said their school was one of five schools involved. They named the schools as Southern Cross Campus, Aorere College, Mangere College, De La Salle College and Otahuhu College.
The fight had been prearranged between two pupils from different schools, they said.
ONE News Now Police say they're eager to track down everyone involved in yesterday's mass brawl at KFC in Mangere.
"The fighting went from one spot to another spot ... it was supposed to be a one-on-one fight but (students from another school) came out of nowhere," one pupil said.
Three students from his school were arrested by police, the pupil said.
Southern Cross Campus principal Robin Staples on Tuesday morning said he had "no comment" about the matter and police had yet to contact his school.
"There's been a lot of rumours about [the fight] but it does concern me that adults were involved," he said.
"We're taking this seriously, this is unacceptable, once we've got the facts we'll be following through and we'll be working with the families to resolve the situation."
Eyewitness Roger Fowler said on Monday that a group of teens gathered at Walter Massey Park before the brawl carried on up and down Massey Rd and into a KFC restaurant.
Fowler, the Mangere East Community Centre director, said it was an "ugly" scene that looked to have been pre-arranged between students.
"It was evident something was up and they weren't just walking through they were congregating and standing around," he said.
The owner of a bakery who witnessed the brawl said on Tuesday she "feels for the KFC staff".
"The fight went through there, it is very scary for them.
"I felt scared, it was a big group."
The woman who didn't wish to be named said she was just about to close her bakery when the first of two fights opposite her shop erupted.
She spotted brawlers picking up chairs inside the KFC.
A solitary police officer arrived to deal with the first fight, she said
By that time the first fight had "lasted maybe a few minutes" before the crowd scattered.
"But then they came back," she said.
Several police units arrived quickly to deal with the returning brawlers, she said.
The woman has owned her business for 16 years and said she's never seen fighting there before in the "good area".
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83699110/Students-from-up-to-five-schools-involved-in-Auckland-street-brawl | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e0c22dac9ac00615f98766223c97e7861219e0bbd209b3603f4574761019f494.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:15 | null | 2016-08-30T22:38:49 | It's easier to make friends in New Zealand than Australia, according to a new expat report. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Ftravel%2Fnews%2F83746310%2FKiwis-are-more-friendly-than-Australians-according-to-expats.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/0/l/u/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duz2e.png/1472596729009.jpg | en | null | Kiwis are more friendly than Australians, according to expats | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Kiwis are more friendly than Australians, according to expats
123rf "Most people tend to mentally lump Australia and New Zealand together - but there are some surprising differences concerning expat life in these destinations".
New Zealand has been ranked the fifth best destination in the world for expats.
That's according to the 2016 Expat Insider report by InterNations, which surveyed more than 14,000 expats across 67 countries.
The survey looked at five indicators, including quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, family life and personal finance.
123RF New Zealand has been named the fifth best destination for expats.
Authors of the report said: "Most people tend to mentally lump Australia and New Zealand together - but there are some surprising differences concerning expat life in these destinations".
READ MORE:
* Kiwi Life: From India to Auckland
* Kiwi Life: From the UK to Christchurch
* New Zealand is open and easy according to British expats living in NZ
* What shocks foreigners about living in New Zealand long-term?
* How being an expat can make you cool
How does NZ life compare to abroad? Share your stories, photos and videos.
While Australians have a reputation of being friendly, New Zealand "does it even better", the report says.
New Zealand was named one of the easiest places in the world to settle in, coming in fifth place, while Australia ranked 20th.
This difference could be partly explained by the friendliness towards foreign residents, judged favourably by 83 per cent of expats in New Zealand, compared to 71 per cent in Australia.
SUPPLIED Kruthi Suresh moved to Auckland from Bangalore two years ago and loves the friendly people.
And 21 per cent of expats in New Zealand found it "very easy" to make local friends, compared to 14 per cent in Australia.
Expats in both countries appreciated the region for its quality of life, with more than one fifth of respondents in each country saying that was their main reason for moving there.
But more than half the expats in Australia (52 per cent) were unhappy with the cost of living, while 43 per cent said the same in New Zealand.
Supplied Sara and Paul Thornton made the move from the UK to Christchurch.
Expat Kruthi Suresh, who moved to Auckland from Bangalore two years ago, said she had been surprised by how "genuinely friendly" Kiwis are.
"There is always someone passing a smile in the street or asking how your day is going at the markets," she said.
Another expat, Sara Thornton, who moved to Christchurch from the UK, said she and her husband Paul felt at home within weeks.
"It was a huge move for us, we had never set foot in New Zealand before and we sold up fully in the UK," she said.
"People go out of their way to help you and offer advice or loan things."
Taiwan was named the top destination overall for expats, holding first place in the quality of life and personal finance indices, with affordable healthcare and good financial prospects.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/83746310/Kiwis-are-more-friendly-than-Australians-according-to-expats | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/f08105c39e651e672a55ebd8a08fcfa387ec2b2a78b5aca406ef8b60717925c9.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:51:26 | null | 2016-08-29T09:06:11 | Adams does what Labour has failed to do - and takes PM's chair. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fbasketball%2F83693419%2FHow-Steven-Adams-would-look-as-prime-minister.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/u/a/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtu97.png/1472463168232.jpg | en | null | How Steven Adams would look as prime minister | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | How Steven Adams would look as prime minister
Facebook If the cap fits...Steven Adams looks right at home in the prime ministerial office.
It's not a coup but Kiwi basketball star Steven Adams sure looks comfortable in the prime ministerial chair.
Adams and some of his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates visited Prime Minister John Key at the Beehive on Monday.
It's the NBA off-season and they are in New Zealand, conducting camps for Kiwi youngsters in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington in the past week.
Adams had a significant height advantage over Key for the meeting - 2.13m versus about 1.8m. They had a hongi and Adams presented Key with one of his No 12 playing shirts.
READ MORE:
* Steven Adams and the kid
* Adams joined by team-mates for camps
* Steven Adams & his thunderous intentions
* NBA star so proud of his big sister
OKC teammates Nick Collison and Andre Roberson and some team officials enjoyed the occasion.
Adams looked right at home sitting at the PM's desk, tilting his camouflage cap for the photo shot.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/83693419/How-Steven-Adams-would-look-as-prime-minister | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/1de1ee7c0a7212b9e1e3d2454e30c215d40b151139594b5b320b318a53e5172d.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:50:33 | null | 2016-08-27T13:15:00 | Jeff Paterson took the fight for Pharmac to fund a live-saving melanoma drug to the steps of Parliament, and won. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fhealth%2F83630542%2FVictory-in-Keytruda-campaign-comes-too-late-for-Jeff-Paterson-who-passes-away-after-cancer-battle.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/4/1/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dshqm.png/1472306734069.jpg | en | null | Victory in Keytruda campaign comes too late for Jeff Paterson who passes away after cancer battle | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Victory in Keytruda campaign comes too late for Jeff Paterson who passes away after cancer battle
BELINDA COLES Jeff Paterson, who fought for Keytruda to be funded by Pharmac, has lost his battle with cancer.
He took the fight for Pharmac to fund the life-saving melanoma drug Keytruda to the steps of Parliament, and won.
But for Jeff Paterson, that victory came too late after he lost his battle with cancer this weekend.
His family issued a statement on Saturday, saying the 23-year-old "slipped away" at 8.43pm on Daffodil Day.
MONIQUE FORD / Fairfax NZ Paterson hands petitions to Labour party leader Andrew Little and deputy leader Annette King outside Parliament in Wellington.
"He went very peacefully, surrounded by family," they said.
READ MORE:
* Keytruda too late for Jeff Paterson
* Auckland student's creative approach to campaigning for melanoma drug Keytruda
* Melanoma patient tells Government to give him a fighting chance
* 'Game changer' cancer drug should be high priority, Jeff says
* Cancer drug Keytruda wanted to help keep Jeff alive
"He was such a fighter to the end, and we know that he wants us to support each other through this time.
"We are so proud of all of Jeffie's achievements, from his relationships with his friends and family, his long nights studying at university, his skilful guitar and surfing, and his sacrifice for the melanoma community.
"Jeffie's message to us would be to stay strong, and also a message of thanks to everybody that has played even a small part in his life journey."
Paterson was diagnosed with melanoma when he was 16 after he noticed a mole on his forearm was flaking.
It later metastasised and spread to his lymph nodes, brain and lungs.
Family spokeswoman Kathryn Williams, also a stage four melanoma sufferer and Keytruda campaigner, said Paterson was an "extraordinary young man and a truly great New Zealander".
"His firm and enduring resolve to fight his cancer by securing funded cancer treatment resulted in melanoma cancer treatment being made available in New Zealand."
Williams met Paterson on March 1 when they delivered petitions with 54,000 signatures to Parliament on March 1 asking Keytruda to be freely available for advanced melanoma patients.
The immunotherapy drug, also known as pembrolizumab, was previously only available at a cost of about $11,000 a month.
In June, Pharmac announced it would begin funding the drug. It will become available to patients from September 1.
But that news was bittersweet for Paterson, who was told he could not benefit from the drug as he was too sick to handle the side effects and would not live long enough to see any improvement in health.
Williams said she "absolutely" believed Paterson might have survived if he was able to access the drug sooner.
"He begged Pharmac for the drugs ... The most heartbreaking aspect of losing such an incredible young man like Jeff is that he fought so hard. It's heartbreaking to watch anyone fight cancer and fight for their life, but to have had to fight for that medicine, and the medicine come too late, and Jeffrey was a key player in getting those drugs across the line. It's devastating."
Williams said Paterson, who lived in west Auckland, was a "beacon of hope" for those fighting advanced melanoma.
"All New Zealanders, and generations to come, owe so much to Jeffrey Paterson. It was his fight and his perseverance and tenacity ... it was a massive campaign by patients and Jeff was key to that campaign.
"If he hadn't decided to fight the way he did, not just for himself but for others, we would not have those drugs. New Zealanders need to know that, and New Zealanders need to remember Jeffrey Paterson. They need to remember that what he did was an incredibly selfless act."
"He held on and he just hoped and hoped and hoped that those drugs would be made available. And he fought and fought and fought. It's such a tragedy and such a waste of such a talented and incredible young man."
Dr Chris Jackson, medical director for the Cancer Society of New Zealand, said he was sad about Paterson's passing. He did not want to comment on the death or his fight for Keytruda out of respect for his family.
"I know people who were affected by melanoma in the time we were waiting. The problem was that the drug was so expensive," he said.
"A number of patients campaigned very hard for access to drugs for advanced melanoma. They hasn't had the chance to make their voices heard through the usual channels so they took to social media."
Paterson was one of those who documented his journey on a dedicated Facebook page, where he used the signature #peacefrompatt to sign off his posts.
Advanced melanoma kills more than 350,000 Kiwis each year, but they could be eligible for Keytruda if it was funding.
Two-thirds to three-quarter of patients see an improvement after using the drug, said Jackson.
"Unfortunately, it's not a magic bullet and it certainly doesn't work for all."
But, he said there had been massive breakthroughs in cancer treatment over the years which could change the cancer cells from the inside.
"What we know is unfortunately the cost of the drugs is very high and that's the problem for our public health system to grapple with."
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83630542/Victory-in-Keytruda-campaign-comes-too-late-for-Jeff-Paterson-who-passes-away-after-cancer-battle | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/45c988cab31f32ca035b1113d9ada278baadee6f1569f9404f97d043207929eb.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:51:24 | null | 2016-08-29T08:00:50 | Steve Hansen's men are not ruining anything with their quest for perfection, writes Marc Hinton. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fopinion%2F83690069%2FAwesome-All-Blacks-aren-t-the-bad-guys-in-this-global-rugby-battle.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/t/i/8/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtro5.png/1472457960945.jpg | en | null | Awesome All Blacks aren't the bad guys in this global rugby battle | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Awesome All Blacks aren't the bad guys in this global rugby battle
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Israel Dagg and the All Blacks are setting a standard right now that few can match.
OPINION: The All Blacks should hang their heads in shame.
They're ruining world rugby with their outrageous talent, fabulous depth, unerring consistency and awesome collective ability.
Just like Usain Bolt sent sprinting to the toilet and Michael Phelps dispatched swimming down the gurgler.
TVNZ The All Blacks first-five praised the young debutant after his first test.
For goodness sake, is there no end to some people's silliness?
READ MORE:
* Something's bugging NZ rugby
* Barrett stays loyal despite big offers
* Tew sees benefits in Aussie rise
* New video angle on Owen Franks eye gouge
* Steve Hansen: Rugby needs better Wallabies
GETTY IMAGES WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 27: Head Coach Steve Hansen of New Zealand reacts after winning the Bledisloe Cup Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Westpac Stadium on August 27, 2016 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
This absurd notion that somehow the All Blacks' dominance in rugby's test arena is bad for the global game needs to be addressed. How on earth can there be a negative aspect to a team setting incredibly high standards for its rivals to attain to?
Sport, surely, is about getting as close to perfect as you can. About working at your craft and your technique and your fitness and your teamwork so as to play a game that others simply cannot match.
Right now Steve Hansen's men are doing just that in international rugby, and they're trotting up some magnificent achievements as they do so.
ONE NEWS Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty has claimed that the current British and Irish Lions schedule is 'not sustainable' for overworked players.
As well as lifting the last two World Cups, the All Blacks have now won their last 13 test matches in a row, their last 42 on the bounce at home and six of their last seven against the Wallabies. In fact, of their last 30 tilts at the New Zealand windmill, the Aussies have managed four wins, two draws and 24 defeats.
Since Hansen took over at the start of 2012, the All Blacks have played 59 test matches, won 54, lost three and drawn two. If there's a better record in international sport, it's wearing camouflage.
And if that's a team ruining anything then the world has gone to hell in a handbasket.
Far from the All Blacks damaging the sport with their excellence, it's the Australians and the South Africans and the French and one or two other nations who should have the finger pointed at them for their shortcomings.
The All Blacks have set a standard; now it is up to the rest of the world to aspire to that level. Some are failing miserably, and their moans of despair are unbecoming.
Yes, the Bledisloe has become a tad predictable and a tad boring after the All Blacks have retained the huge trophy for 14 years in a row now. (And the South Africans appear to be heading in a similar direction.)
But that's on the Aussies for not measuring up. For not finding a way to be more competitive. For not meeting the clear challenge that has been lain at their feet.
No, far from the All Blacks hurting test rugby with their boring dominance, they're setting it up nicely by doing what Bolt has done over the 100 and 200m, what Phelps has done in the Olympic pools and what Mo Farah has done over the 5000 and 10,000m.
They've taken their event and they've owned it. They've said here's how it can be done; now can anyone match us?
How intriguing it will be to see if Eddie Jones can get England up to that level. And whether others can emerge to challenge the pacesetters. Far better for Everest to be a towering, monstrous peak, than some swampy hill that can be knocked off with a deep breath, decent pair of shoes and a backpack.
Instead of the world bemoaning the All Black dominance, they should surely be celebrating it. Rugby can only be the better for having a team like Steve Hansen's setting the gold standard.
On the other hand, the shambles over the Owen Franks non-citing from the second Bledisloe does no one any good. Frankly, it's an embarrassment.
Let's just make one thing clear first: it is not the All Blacks' fault that Franks wasn't cited for what appeared to be, at best, a careless and reckless swipe across the face of Wallaby Kane Douglas in Wellington.
Though it hasn't stopped the accusations flying about the world champions "wearing a cloak of invisibility" and being "above the rules". The conspiracy theorists have had a field day.
This absurd non-decision is wholly and solely a Sanzaar howler. The organisation that presides over the Rugby Championship has had a shocker.
OK, as Hansen suggests, there might be angles that suggest this wasn't as it seemed. Maybe the views the world has seen are indeed deceiving.
But such an action assuredly deserved at the very least a hearing. Then let the facts, and the video, play out. Rugby is trying to clean up its act. Sanzaar has instead muddied the waters terribly.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/83690069/Awesome-All-Blacks-aren-t-the-bad-guys-in-this-global-rugby-battle | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/ffb17adff087ca44701192292aa01cb90a953e304c35fd958ed4104a2b8130e4.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:51:59 | null | 2016-08-30T07:44:25 | Wellington City Council land sale to developer could see revamp of collection of derelict buildings. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2F82787405%2FDeveloper-set-to-buy-Wellington-City-Council-land-at-Shelly-Bay-for-Sausalito-plan.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/l/l/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1daf65.png/1472543065775.jpg | en | null | Developer set to buy Wellington City Council land at Shelly Bay for 'Sausalito plan' | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Developer set to buy Wellington City Council land at Shelly Bay for 'Sausalito plan'
JOHN NICHOLSON/FAIRFAX NZ. Wellington City Council is understood to have made a deal to sell its land at Shelly Bay to Developer Ian Cassels.
Plans for a revamp of Shelly Bay could be given a new lease of life after a developer reached a deal with the Wellington City Council.
Ian Cassels, director of The Wellington Company, has been working on a plan for Shelly Bay that has been likened to San Francisco's seaside town of Sausalito.
The rundown wharf and derelict air force and naval buildings on the Miramar Peninsula would be replaced with a new seaside community.
CAMERON BURNELL/FAIRFAX NZ Property Developer Ian Cassels, who heads The Wellington Company, looks set to buy Wellington City Council's land at Shelly Bay. He plans to create the capital's version of San Francisco's seaside town of Sausalito.
It is understood Cassels is in the process of buying the council's land at Shelly Bay, which will allow him to proceed with his plans.
READ MORE:
* Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust fails to sell Shelly Bay to Wellington Company
* Revamp of Wellington's Shelly Bay gets green-light from Government
While Cassels would only confirm he was in negotiations, council chief city planner David Chick confirmed an agreement had been reached for Cassels to buy the council land.
SUPPLIED Sausalito, a short ferry ride across the bay from San Francisco, has been talked about as the blueprint for Wellington's Shelly Bay.
The council was working through what a partnership model might look like, he said.
"The idea is for a partnership model, where the council land, iwi land and private land come together to create a better outcome," Chick said.
"I think that we can have a housing outcome and rich layers of different experiences that people will come to see."
Wellington City Council voted in October to expand a previously-established special housing area around Shelly Bay, incorporating the wharf and the slopes overlooking the harbour.
It means the area is part of the Wellington housing accord, which allows for fast-tracked resource consents, with no public notification and limited appeal rights.
Resource consent applications for qualifying developments must be lodged by September when the special housing areas lapse, so a decision was imminent, Chick said.
There were still some decisions on the "look and feel" of a final plan but Chick believed the council would like to see it aligned with Cassels' masterplan.
In the meantime, an important step was an agreement between Cassels and iwi, he said.
In December The Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust announced it wanted to sell its Shelly Bay land to The Wellington Company, but failed to get the 75 per cent mandate needed from members of the Taranaki Whanui ki te Upoko o te Ika to enable the sale.
Chick was aware that Sir Peter Jackson was also in discussions with iwi about developing Matiu/Somes Island and the council was bringing the relevant people together for conversations.
"Could you imagine having a ferry connection from Somes Island to Shelly Bay and how rich it could be from a tourism and culture perspective."
Council city shaper manager Ian Pike said a sale transaction with The Wellington Company was not yet complete and commercial terms were being discussed.
"Hopefully we will reach a satisfactory conclusion and bring it to council before the end of the year."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/82787405/Developer-set-to-buy-Wellington-City-Council-land-at-Shelly-Bay-for-Sausalito-plan | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/2b14b26af3979c79a7561c40abd98c4a43ab3e1684dc7017e7e47e1f4b38d510.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:51:32 | null | 2016-08-29T07:48:13 | A provincial cinema has had its lifeline to Hollywood reconnected with an $80,000 upgrade. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2F83621792%2FCentury-old-cinema-decked-out-with-latest-technology.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/s/5/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsazk.png/1472456894219.jpg | en | null | Century-old cinema decked out with latest technology | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Century-old cinema decked out with latest technology
David Unwin/Fairfax NZ Hollywood blockbusters are on their way back to Taihape's Majestic Theatre.
A historic provincial cinema has had its lifeline to Hollywood reconnected.
While many boutique and smalltown cinemas have struggled to keep the curtain raised, The Majestic Theatre in Taihape is set to roll out the red carpet for the latest Hollywood blockbusters after raising $80,000 to upgrade to a digitised projection system.
The cinema, which is open three days a week, ran out of new movies to screen in 2014, unable to keep pace with the industry's progression from film projectors to digital systems. It was reduced to playing DVDs.
David Unwin/Fairfax NZ The Majestic Theatre in Taihape is to get a $80,000 to upgrade to a digitised projection system. Left, manager Simone Simpson and Gail Larsen, chairwoman of the theatre's management committee.
The money took two years to raise, with the cinema applying for grants and trying several novel fundraising ideas, such as asking farmers to donate the proceeds from lamb and ewe sales.
READ MORE:
* Cinema's latest battle hi-tech
* Curtain falls on movie theatre for Dannevirke
The Majestic Theatre manager Simone Simpson said a digital projector had now been bought and was on site, but they were waiting on the sound system to arrive from overseas.
The new system is expected to be up and running by the end of November and screening the summer blockbusters.
"We'll have new speakers, more surround sound and the quality will be better. With the higher resolution the experience is just going to be so much better.
"We can now show all the blockbusters and I imagine it's going to go off very well."
The upgrade is a boost for movie-buffs in the provinces, where cinemas have struggled to remain viable amid changing technology and viewer habits.
The Regent in Pahiatua was saved in 2014 when the Central Energy Trust provided it with an $80,000 grant to upgrade to digital, while its namesake in Dannevirke has been closed since 2012. In the same year Reading shut down its multiplex in Hastings and two cinemas closed in Hamilton.
Simpson said The Majestic still had to secure rights to show films from distribution companies such as Disney and Roadshow Films. Once the theatre had secured those rights they could plan for an opening weekend to debut the new theatre.
"In the past, Taihape people have either had to go to Whanganui or Palmerston North to watch movies and if you're taking a family it soon turns into a daytrip and gets very expensive."
Simpson said the theatre had no plans to increase its prices and would remain $12 for an adult and $10 for a student.
"We want to be affordable and we want people coming through the doors."
It was decked out with new carpet and seats eight years ago, and Simpson said they would like to make further upgrades in the coming years.
"Because we're a heritage building we've got to keep the old look, but there are little elements I think we'll look to modernise in the future."
The cinema, which was almost demolished in 1998 before being rescued by the Taihape Heritage Trust, celebrates its centenary next year.
It is the second cinema to occupy the site after the first one, built in 1912, burnt down in 1916. The current building was opened in 1917 under the name Kings Theatre which was changed to The Majestic in 1929 after a change of ownership.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/83621792/Century-old-cinema-decked-out-with-latest-technology | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8419c65b5dadd0d92849176895449debd6f565e41b6ae595f7cc2fad25403845.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:52:32 | null | 2016-08-31T04:27:05 | Civil Defence exercise tests New Zealand's ability to handle a massive wave in our back yard. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fpolitics%2F83758495%2FCivil-Defence-holds-nationwide-tsunami-exercise-to-test-readiness-for-disaster.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/f/a/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dv8gv.png/1472617625539.jpg | en | null | Civil Defence holds nationwide tsunami exercise to test readiness for disaster | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Civil Defence holds nationwide tsunami exercise to test readiness for disaster
ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ Civil Defence and Emergency Management holding a mock tsunami alert for New Zealand to test responses.
Staff in fluoro jackets huddle around a computer in the bunker of the Beehive, looking at a rolling red tsunami of doom heading towards New Zealand.
Thankfully, the wave isn't real, but part of Exercise Tangaroa, a Civil Defence exercise testing the country's ability to respond to and recover from a major tsunami.
Over a hundred organisations around the country are taking part, including emergency services, local and central government, utility providers and the private sector.
SCOTT HAMMOND/FAIRFAX NZ Civil Defence's Marlborough headquarters are tested out as part of a nationwide tsunami drill.
On Wednesday, the first day of the exercise, the National Crisis Management Centre at Parliament was abuzz with staff working away, as maps on projector screens showed the path of the tsunami and its likely arrival times across parts of New Zealand.
READ MORE:
* What's in Parliament's Civil Defence room?
* Consistency of Civil Defence response questioned
Representatives from US and Australian emergency response agencies are also involved in the exercise, based on the scenario of a regional tsunami kickstarted by an earthquake in the Kermadecs.
Dean Kozanic Surfers have caught waves after previous tsunami warnings in New Zealand, but a major wave would need to be taken far more seriously.
Civil Defence director Sarah Stuart-Black said those involved knew their readiness for a tsunami was being tested, but only found out the size of the wave and likely impact when they arrived in the morning.
"You're playing it cold but with the fact that you're testing all of those arrangements that have been worked through, where there's been training for agencies involved to see, 'OK, how does it work in practice?'
"And what we're seeing is, it works very well."
Crown research institute GNS Science had provided Civil Defence with a realistic scenario for the tsunami, while those taking part were being "overloaded" with information to replicate the pressure of a real disaster.
'NO GENTLE WALKTHROUGH'
"We're being hit with all of those things at once as also trying to understand, 'What's the operational environment, how big is the scale and scope of this emergency', to make sure that we are testing it under pressure and not just a gentle walkthrough."
Stuart-Black said a report on the exercise would be completed by the first quarter of 2017, outlining what went well and the areas for improvement.
Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye said the exercise was a chance to test decision-making and communication processes at a local, regional and national level.
It was crucial that New Zealand was prepared for tsunami, which were a "significant risk" for the country.
"In an event such as a major tsunami, a massive response and recovery effort will be needed...the risk of tsunami is real and we must be prepared," Kaye said.
There are two more stages to the exercise: the response after the tsunami will be tested on September 14, followed by the management of the longer-term recovery two weeks later.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83758495/Civil-Defence-holds-nationwide-tsunami-exercise-to-test-readiness-for-disaster | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/56495a588dc895655695fa86f48e70dbe8020501fbf92efa67cf05dfcf2542e7.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T10:51:10 | null | 2016-08-28T10:16:52 | Black Caps claim two scalps but South Africa still dominant. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2F83649783%2FBlack-Caps-strike-twice-but-South-Africa-maintain-control-of-series-decider.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/w/m/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dswl3.png/1472379413216.jpg | en | null | Black Caps strike twice but South Africa maintain control of series decider | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Black Caps strike twice but South Africa maintain control of series decider
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT Black Caps captain Kane Williamson's decision to bowl first could not be backed up by his attack on day one of the second cricket test with South Africa in Centurion.
New Zealand dashed the dreams of another potential South African hundred maker at Centurion yet the Proteas are still in control of the second and final test early on day two at SuperSport Park.
At the end of another mixed session for the Black Caps, South Africa were 358-5 at lunch, having advanced their overnight score from 283-3.
JP Duminy was dislodged for 88 inside the opening hour though new captain Faf du Plessis enjoyed a reprieve as he tries to navigate his way out of a form slump and replays suggest Neil Wagner might had had Temba Bavuma caught behind had Kane Williamson called for a review.
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT JP Duminy emerged from a run drought with his second half century in 16 innings since he made an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in July 2014.
Fortunately for Wagner - and the Black Caps - Bavuma did not add to his eight before the South African-born pace bowler again used his short-pitched strategy to good effect when Doug Bracewell took an excellent diving catch at fine leg.
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* South Africa v Black Caps Live: Day 2, Second Test
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Removing Duminy, who resumed on 67, and Bavuma lifted New Zealand's spirits after Kane Williamson's decision to bowl first seemed to have backfired as an under pressure batting order made collective improvement since the first test stalemate in Durban.
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT Neil Wagner led the Black Caps pace attack on a frustrating opening day of the second and final cricket test against South Africa in Centurion.
Duminy's most productive innings since an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in July 2014 looked on track for three figures until a lapse in concentration - an ungainly attempted pull shot off Tim Southee - saw him exhale in disgust as BJ Watling took gloved a comfortable catch.
The left hander, who averaged only 18.83 from his previous 15 test innings, finally provided the Black Caps attack with a tangible reward with the second new ball after he faced 158 balls and struck 13 boundaries.
Duminy and was the second South African dislodged near a significant milestone after makeshift opener Quinton de Kock made 82 on Saturday.
LEE WARREN/GALLO IMAGES Proteas captain Faf du Plessis is still struggling for form but will be pleased at South Africa's response after being asked to bat first in the second test against New Zealand.
New Zealand would have made an even brighter start to their bid to limit South Africa's lead but out of form but du Plessis had a potentially significant let-off on 18 when he was dropped on the square leg boundary after displaying a rare show of aggression.
Du Plessis top edged a pull shot to the deep square leg fence where Henry Nicholls was unable to effect a running catch when the score had just ticked over 300.
To compound Trent Boult's woes the delivery cleared the ropes to encapsulate the luckless pace bowler's effort since he opened the attack and troubled the top order with swing and seam movement.
Du Plessis, who restarted a scratchy innings on 13, was beaten by Boult's first delivery of the day and never looked at ease.
Still the 32-year-old, who had made only one half century in his previous 10 tests, brought up his ninth test fifty from 130 balls shortly before lunch - hardly his most fluent effort though after averaging 16.15 in eight tests before this match du Plessis will be content.
He resumes after lunch on 58 alongside Stiaan van Zyl who is yet to score after replacing Dean Elgar when the opener rolled an ankle during training on Friday.
Wagner continues to lead the attack with the superb figures of 3-65 from 29 overs; Southee [1-88] and Bracewell [1-84] were the other successful bowlers..
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/83649783/Black-Caps-strike-twice-but-South-Africa-maintain-control-of-series-decider | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/1aa46f00eeae0f26f35dd16297718c626d1c3343497fca857c7749c95c720395.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:50:21 | null | 2016-08-27T02:43:06 | OPINION: When it comes to sex, honesty is the best policy, writes Teuila Blakely. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2F83629968%2FSex-mis-education-Lets-talk-about-sex.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/z/r/5/1/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dshao.png/1472265787149.jpg | en | null | Sex mis-education: Let's talk about sex | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Sex mis-education: Let's talk about sex
Getty Images New Zealand actor Teuila Blakely talks about sex.
Actor Teuila Blakely shares her advice as part of Stuff's "Sex mis-education" series.
OPINION: When it comes to sex - honesty is the best policy.
Sex isn't something we should be afraid to talk about openly and honestly, especially with our young people. When I was a young girl, I wish someone had told me that my vagina was nothing to be ashamed of.
I wish the older people around me weren't afraid to address sex, openly and honestly. Instead, there was stigma and judgement in spades. Treating the subject of 'sex' as an uncomfortable or embarrassing subject - or to shroud it in secrecy or shame - is precisely how stigmas and judgements around sex are created.
READ MORE:
* Teuila Blakely still 'persecuted' by following Konrad Hurrell sex tape scandal
* 'Wanting and enjoying sex isn't a bad thing'
* Problems with porn
* How technology is changing sexual behaviour
* What young people ask their sexual health nurse
We trust our children to be mature enough to be exposed to all kinds experiences and to process all kinds of information from a young age. In fact we encourage accelerated learning.
Yet, when it comes to the most natural condition of being a human being - being a sexual being - what are we so worried about?
Worried they will make their own decisions around sex without our consent, or have their own sexual experiences and therefore experience their own sexual development?
Newsflash
Our children's bodies and sexual organs do not belong to us parents. They belong to our children. Their sexual preferences, desires and practices, are not for us as parents to decide for them. All that stuff is something that will be - or should be - up for them to decide for themselves as they naturally mature.
We just need to ensure they're supported and have all knowledge they need to make informed choices. Whatever they may be.
To fathers
Sorry, but your daughters' sexuality, when and with whom she has sex with is not actually up to you. So put away the proverbial shotguns please. Give her confidence and respect her. Arm your daughters with the ownership of her body and the permission to be the sexual being that she is, by way of being a human being. We have to allow our girls to acknowledge and express their sexuality, in the same way we allow our boys.
To mothers
Can we please stop passing onto future generations, these same misogynistic ideas that were placed upon us as girls. We, like our mothers' before us, teach our daughters that they need to worry about how others will view what they choose to do with their own bodies sexually.
We reinforce this idea by teaching our boys that the girls who are sexual are bad; that they are less worthy of respect then the girls who do not have sex with them.
We teach girls that they should feel ashamed of themselves for having sex with the boys that want to have sex with them.
We teach those girls that they should feel bad for even wanting to have sex with the boys that want to have sex with them. Then we teach girls who aren't having sex with the boys that want to have sex with them - that as long as they don't - they are better than the girls who are having sex.
We teach the boys that the girls who don't have sex with them, clearly value themselves more then the girls who do have sex with them. Heaven forbid that a girl could possibly have sex because she wants to – and value herself at the same time. Because for females, having sex or not having sex is a direct indication of how much she values herself. Really?
It is completely nonsensical that men are generally congratulated and celebrated for being able to bed multiple women, and yet women are vilified for the exact same thing. We as a society actually have to give women permission to be sexual in any way they please. You know, like we do men.
To judge a female or anyone for their own sexual choices - whether that is celibacy or homosexuality - is as ignorant as judging a person for the colour of their skin.
Let's not raise another fearful and judgmental generation when it comes to sex.
Instead, we could raise a generation who we educate to define sex for themselves. Who deal with sex from a mature level of acceptance and most of all respect.
If only we could just approach sex naturally and normalise it, through open and honest communication and education. Perhaps we'd stop being so perplexed about an issue that we should truly be far more evolved about by now.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/83629968/Sex-mis-education-Lets-talk-about-sex | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/890d3b57e58a32ddbd0ef6a1c31f9f32ee77fc5e1acca0ab67f2cd288f004533.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:50:24 | null | 2016-08-27T02:45:11 | Tennis star feels his chances are good, with a second Wimbledon title, two gold medals and rival struggling with injury. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Ftennis%2F83630557%2FAndy-Murray-seeking-4th-slam-title-at-US-Open.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/h/u/j/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dshr1.png/1472265911418.jpg | en | null | Andy Murray seeking 4th slam title at US Open | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Andy Murray seeking 4th slam title at US Open
MARK COLBE/GETTY IMAGES At 29, Murray knows that his time at the top is limited and is setting his sights on winning more grand slam titles, sooner rather than later.
With a second Wimbledon title in the bag, a second gold medal in his pocket and his biggest rival struggling with injury, Andy Murray believes he has a golden chance to add to his three grand slam titles.
The second-ranked Scot, who has lost just twice since early May, is favoured by some to dethrone an ailing Novak Djokovic next week and win a second US Open title.
At 29, Murray knows that his time at the top is limited and is setting his sights on winning more grand slam titles, sooner rather than later.
"I would imagine if I'm lucky I'd be playing at this level for three, four more years, max, I would think," said 2012 champion Murray.
READ MORE:
* Andy Murray puts BBC presenter John Inverdale right
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"It's not easy to do that. I hope I'm still playing like this when I'm 38 years old but it's pretty unlikely so I'm actually using that as a positive that you have to make the most of every opportunity.
"It's a slightly different mentality to maybe when you're younger and like you feel like you have a bit more time on your side.
"I want to make the most of every tournament I play in and try and win and achieve as much as I can the next few years."
Murray could hardly have arrived in better form, having won four titles this year, all of them since May.
A reunion with his coach Ivan Lendl in June sparked immediate results with victory at Wimbledon but Murray said becoming a father for the first time, back in February, may also be a reason behind his form this year.
"Tennis isn't the most important thing in my life anymore," Murray said.
"Probably when I was younger and didn't have a family, then it was the most important thing. I think having that different perspective helps a lot.
"Maybe I am not putting so much pressure on myself and before a match I'm not stressing as much as I used to."
Murray begins his challenge against Lukas Rosol, the Czech who beat Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012.
After a quick turnaround from Rio to Cincinnati, where he reached the final before losing to Marin Cilic, Murray took a couple of days off to rest and said some minor shoulder soreness was no longer an issue.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/tennis/83630557/Andy-Murray-seeking-4th-slam-title-at-US-Open | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/0ddf3b40520c91f31f8838725396f220c8b4b6e4d22a819b4315013b6cd0b2f6.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:51:49 | null | 2016-08-30T04:29:14 | Love moussaka? Start now for a summer-long supply of eggplants. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fhome-property%2F83716015%2FStart-now-to-grow-your-own-eggplants-from-seed.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/g/a/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dubov.png/1472531354308.jpg | en | null | Start now to grow your own eggplants from seed | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Start now to grow your own eggplants from seed
SALLY TAGG Homegrown eggplants come in a range of colours and shapes.
People seem to feel either love or indifference towards eggplants. The latter group dismisses them as bland, while the former values them for the substance and texture they bring to dishes.
That they're largely tasteless is not often debated. Eggplants do have some flavour – a sort of grassy nuttiness – but it's subtle at best and usually irrelevant. The function of this fruit is more often to carry flavour - as it does in the classic moussaka - rather than impart it.
Many highly bred crops like tomatoes and peppers (both related to eggplants) offer a variety of flavours from cultivar to cultivar, but all eggplants taste the same and are interchangeable in recipes.
SALLY TAGG These mini-fruiting, grafted ‘Ophelia’ eggplants are great croppers.
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* Save money, get fit and be happy: why you should have a vege garden
* Take part in the Great Kiwi Bee Count
* 5 minute gardener: jobs to do this week
For reasons unknown, the skinny-fruited, Asian-style cultivars seem to be more reliable and crop more heavily in many parts of New Zealand than the rotund, black or purple common forms.
THE HEAT IS ON
Eggplants should ideally be started eight to 10 weeks before planting out; in New Zealand that means late July to late August – any later and you may struggle to get decent crops before autumn knocks back growth.
To hurry seeds along, use a heat pad or cover seed trays with plastic wrap and place them on a warm windowsill.
Eggplant seeds and young seedlings are happiest at 18ºC plus. If the temperature drops much below this for long, germination will likely be erratic and damping-off may set in.
PLANT THEM RIGHT
Once they're up – which should be within five days or so – give the seedlings plenty of light. A week or two after germination, thin out any frail or sulky-looking specimens.
Feed weekly with liquid fertiliser to maintain strong growth. After about a month, transplant the biggest and best to small pots. Lavish with warmth and sunlight.
Some gardeners succeed with eggplants that have been sown directly into garden soil, but it can be a hit and miss affair. The plants like warmer soil than most parts of New Zealand consistently deliver, and are prone to collar rot, so it's safer to grow them in containers.
Seedlings started in August will be ready for planting into their outdoor containers (or the garden) from early November. Use PB18 planter bags or cheap plastic buckets (drill holes for drainage), planting two seedlings to a container.
I use a mixture of two parts potting mix to one part compost. Wet, shredded newspaper makes excellent mulch to aid with water retention and reflects light back up at the leaves and fruit.
Mature plants rarely grow higher than 1.5m, but due to the weight of the fruit (over 1kg each in some varieties) they do require staking. To avoid root damage later on, stakes are best positioned at the time of planting.
Place containers in the warmest, sunniest spot you have – next to a heat-absorbing stone, brick or concrete wall would be ideal.
GET YOUR PAINTBRUSH OUT
Bees will do a good enough job of pollinating eggplant flowers, but results will be better if you get in on the action too.
Use a small paint or make-up brush to move some of the yellow pollen from the anthers (the polleny bits) of one flower to the stigma (the central, stalky bit) of another.
The flowers are self-fertile, but the male and female parts aren't always receptive at the same time. Don't worry if some flowers produce pollen but no stigma. This is normal; they can't form fruit but their pollen is still viable.
PESTS & DISEASE
Eggplants are bound to attract unwanted attention. Caterpillars of several species enjoy the foliage but usually cause only cosmetic damage and can easily be tracked via their poo-trail for easy disposal.
Spider mites are a more serious and seemingly inevitable pest. These tiny arachnids form web-tented colonies almost exclusively on the undersides of leaves, where they suck sap, spread disease and make a general nuisance of themselves.
They're at their worst in hot, dry weather so, logically enough, an effective, nature-friendly treatment is to get them cold and wet. Regular hose-blastings of the underside of leaves will wash away entire colonies and make leaf surfaces temporarily uninviting to any newcomers.
While this method won't solve the problem of mites altogether, it does help if you do it regularly.
The recent arrival and alarmingly rapid spread of tomato/potato psyllids - sucking insects that cause disease - has added a new problem to the list for prospective eggplant growers. They can cause distorted foliage, stunted growth and small, discoloured fruit.
There are few, if any, organic solutions to psyllids and even spray-happy commercial growers are struggling to keep on top of them.
You could try cloaking your crops in fine mesh crop covers, available from Lincoln University's Biological Husbandry Unit. Otherwise you might just have to keep your fingers crossed.
- NZ Gardener | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/83716015/Start-now-to-grow-your-own-eggplants-from-seed | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c7fde83a042e7c55c4135924030908cb8139e092d3ba2f77381f0504484b361e.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:39 | null | 2016-08-27T00:41:15 | Barry Wahanui has his medals 47 years after his death. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83446796%2FWar-veteran-awarded-medals-posthumously.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/q/f/n/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dojyk.png/1472258475487.jpg | en | null | War veteran awarded medals posthumously | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | War veteran awarded medals posthumously
TUWHANGAI FAMILY Barry Wahanui was awarded seven medals 47 years after his death in a car accident.
A Kawhia veteran's family has closure after 47 years.
The New Zealand Army has presented Barry Wahanui's family with the medals he earned while serving in Malaya and the Vietnam War.
Wahanui died in 1969, aged 29, in a car accident in Malaysia while recuperating from malaria.
TUWHANGAI FAMILY Barry Wahanui was killed in a car accident in Malaysia while recovering from malaria.
The long-running medal quest started when his family investigated getting Wahanui in the National Book of Remembrance, but discovered he didn't meet the criteria.
Instead, their work uncovered that the former soldier had medals that hadn't been claimed.
The medal situation was a bit of a no-man's land, said Wahanui's niece Maxine Moana Tuwhangai.
TUWHANGAI FAMILY Barry Wahanui's medals
"When we were told about the medals, we had to apply for them, and while doing that we found out that two medals that he was to originally be presented with were now in the hands of a collector in America.
"We couldn't get them back, so we had to apply for replacement medals. The Defence Force granted the application, but it was a bit touch and go as we couldn't prove that they had been stolen. Then we couldn't confirm that they had been lost. All we knew was that they weren't in our possession," Tuwhangai said.
Just over three months later, the Army came and presented the medals to the family on the Mokai Kainga Marae on August 18th, with around 300 to 400 people in attendance.
MAXINE MOANA-TUWHANGAI Barry Wahanui's family are pleased to have his medals awarded to them.
Wahanui was adopted into the Tuwhangai family when he was seven, after his father returned from World War II after serving in the Maori Battalion. He couldn't handle his son, who ran away, and that is when the Tuwhangai family stepped in and raised him as one of their own.
Wahanui served with Whiskey Company in Vietnam. He was then promoted to corporal and posted to the Mortar Platoon at Terendak camp before falling ill.
The family are glad he could finally get official recognition.
"It was an emotional day for the family," his brother Nick Tuwhangai said. "It brought back memories of our brother who went away as a young man and got killed over there. We were fortunate to get his body brought home and he lies in the urupa in Kawhia."
"You see these medals and where he fought and we also saw what it did to him when he came home from Malaysia and went back to Vietnam and then came home. We saw the change in him, we saw the wreck he became."
The family are yet to decide what they will do with the medals but will display them on certain occasions.
The medals awarded to Barry Wahanui were:
• New Zealand Operational Service Medal (instituted in 2002)
• General Service Medal 1962 with Clasps 'Borneo' and 'Malay Peninsula' (instituted in 1964 and 1967, respectively)
• New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Warlike) with Clasps 'Malaya 1960-64' and 'Vietnam' (Wahanui became eligible for these clasps in 2002 and 2008, respectively)
• Vietnam Medal (instituted in 1968)
• New Zealand Defence Service Medal with 'Regular' Clasp (instituted in 2011)
• Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal (issued since 2005 by the New Zealand Defence Force on behalf of the Malaysian Government)
• South Vietnamese Campaign Medal (instituted in 1965 by the South Vietnamese Government)
- Waikato Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83446796/War-veteran-awarded-medals-posthumously | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/3f6f9bb4c204dbf307c3222a98c2078c3ad75fe9d4eacaff42b17be3f8f9653b.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:51:06 | null | 2016-08-28T04:33:02 | A man has been charged with filling a lube dispenser with hydrochloric acid at a gay and bisexual sex club in Sydney's west. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Faustralia%2F83646524%2FAlleged-tampering-of-a-lube-dispenser-at-Sydney-gay-sex-club.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/u/7/s/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsu2k.png/1472358782376.jpg | en | null | Alleged tampering of a lube dispenser at Sydney gay sex club | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Alleged tampering of a lube dispenser at Sydney gay sex club
aarowssydney.com.au Aarows gay and bisexual club in Rydalmere.
A man in Sydney has been charged with filling a lube dispenser with hydrochloric acid at a gay and bisexual sex club in Sydney's west.
The 62-year-old man allegedly tampered with the dispenser fitted to the wall in a room at the Aarows club in Bridge Street, Rydalmere, on Saturday.
Items in the room had been fitted with sensor alarms because similar tampering had happened several times recently, police said.
"Police will allege an alarm sounded and security detained the man before police from Rosehill Local Area Command attended," police said.
Hydrochloric acid is a clear, pungent chemical that is corrosive to the eyes, skin, and mucous membrane. It can cause burns to the skin depending on how concentrated it is.
No serious injuries have been reported to police and a worker at Aarows declined to answer questions on Sunday.
The 62-year-old customer has been charged with administering poison intending to injure or cause distress or pain, entering a building with intent to commit an indictable offence, malicious damage and driving while suspended.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on September 20.
Aarows has previously made headlines over an attempted shooting murder in the carpark of the club in 2013.
Notorious extremist Milad Bin Ahmad-Shah Al-Ahmadzai and another man tried to kill Michael Rooke, who miraculously survived despite being hit in the ankle, torso, groin, liver and lungs.
Shocking CCTV footage depicted a wounded Rooke scrambling to get away and desperately trying to yank open the door to Aarows to escape.
- Sydney Morning Herald | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83646524/Alleged-tampering-of-a-lube-dispenser-at-Sydney-gay-sex-club | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/66c0c122206446dcf54447b0fe745c769355ecaaab068001d42acc4d19c22f45.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T06:51:20 | null | 2016-08-29T06:10:51 | Family of teen pushed off bike demand apology as police launch investigation into officer's actions. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83670033%2FApology-wanted-for-unnecessary-violence-after-teen-pushed-off-bike-by-police.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/r/9/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtc7l.png/1472451052301.jpg | en | null | Apology wanted for 'unnecessary violence' after teen pushed off bike by police | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Apology wanted for 'unnecessary violence' after teen pushed off bike by police
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz Thirteen year-old Matthew Heather was shocked at the heavy-handed treatment by a police officer in South Auckland. The video clip capturing the incident was posted online.
The family of a boy pushed off his bike and slammed onto the ground by police are seeking an apology for what they say was "unnecessary violence".
Police on Monday launched a full investigation into the incident on Saturday night in Mangere Bridge, south Auckland.
A video of the run-in was posted on Facebook showing 13-year-old Matthew Heather being pushed off his bike to the ground then held up against a fence by an officer.
Cee La Tonga Taumoefolau/Facebook Police and teenagers appear to have a confrontation on a south Auckland street.
Matthew said it happen when he and his group, the Siren Assassins, were on their way home from a siren battle; where neighbourhood gangs strap speakers or 'sirens' to their push bikes and compete with other gangs who can make the most noise.
READ MORE:
* Video appears to show south Auckland police officer pushing teen off his bike
* Auckland gangs join speaker battles
* These biker gangs are schoolboys with absurdly large speakers on their bicycles
He said it was about 5.30pm when the police showed up to break up the audio battle.
Lawrence Smith/Fairfax NZ Rangi said officers acted unnecessarily harsh to her son, Matthew.
"They just said to get off the road and hurry home. As they left I crossed the road and decided to bike with the other crew [home]."
He alleges the police saw this, pulled a u-turn and addressed him specifically.
"They told me to f-off the road, and f-off home... I kind of swore to myself, for them not to hear, I whispered for them to leave me alone, and then all of a sudden I saw him get out of the car, and that's when it happened," he told Stuff on Monday.
"A cop came out of the car and came from behind and pulled me off my bike, then slammed me on the ground. Then he picked me up and ... threw me against the fence."
Matthew said he was then cuffed and put in the police car - where the officers took his details.
"[It was] pretty shocking from a police[man] - I would expect it from someone off the streets, but not from my own police. It was uncalled for, unnecessary."
Matthew's mother, Rangi Heather said her son gets "lippy" from time to time, but is a good kid in general and believed the action was out of proportion.
"I don't think it's appropriate for the police to be hitting our children... totally inappropriate, I would say abusive."
"It could have been dealt with better."
Rangi said she would like an apology from police, and to hear their side of the story as well.
"I'm just trying to understand why did he react like that? I just want to get to the bottom of why he was a bit more aggressive than what he should have been."
Counties Manukau West area commander Inspector Jason Hewett said multiple calls to police were made on Saturday evening about a group of youths acting in a disorderly manner.
"There were reports of excessive noise, alleged fighting, and of cyclists weaving in and out of traffic which caused fear for their safety," Hewett said.
However he said police had concerns about what was shown in the video "and accordingly have begun a full investigation into the incident".
A police spokesperson said at the time that it was important to remember the video appeared to start part-way through the communication between the two parties.
Matthew was uninjured in the incident, but this mother said he was in shock on Saturday night and unusually quiet.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83670033/Apology-wanted-for-unnecessary-violence-after-teen-pushed-off-bike-by-police | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c369e680d2c09a86abc2b4c29469d1a30eff7642ac47b8bdf7c467b6270e8b5e.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T02:51:02 | null | 2016-08-28T02:45:41 | Our line-up of beachfront properties may induce intense summer cravings. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fhome-property%2F83638708%2FFive-of-the-best-beachfront-houses-for-sale-in-Auckland.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/q/k/u/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dso1g.png/1472352341658.jpg | en | null | Five of the best beachfront houses for sale in Auckland | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Five of the best beachfront houses for sale in Auckland
123RF This could be you if you had your very own beachfront house.
Long, lazy days at the beach - they're as quintessentially Kiwi as jandals and Goody Goody Gum Drops ice cream.
And if you bought one of these properties, you could sunbathe and skinny dip almost in the privacy of your own backyard.
Here are five of the best beachfront properties for sale in Auckland. Warning: May induce intense cravings for summer.
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The Bucklands Beach beauty, CV $4.9 million
TRADEME The four-bedroom, four-bathroom Bucklands Beach beauty is described as "a landmark of the peninsula".
This 656sqm home boasts a theatre room, library and unencumbered beach access. There's even a boat garage and boat ramp for the seafaring buyer.
Getting around the house seems like a doddle, with a four-car garage, lift and glass walkbridge - perfect for making an entrance.
The Milford marvel, CV unknown
TRADEME The Milford marvel - the ultimate in beachfront luxury.
The view from this beachfront beauty encompasses the Whangaparaoa Pensinsula, Rangitoto Island and outer Gulf Islands. Inside, there are three bedrooms, all with ensuites - but we're betting you'd spend most of your time with your toes in the sand.
The exact value of this house is unknown, but it's for serious buyers only: only enquiries of $5 million or more will be accepted.
The Tindalls Beach treasure, CV unknown
TRADEME The Tindalls Beach treasure is tucked away between the bush and the beach.
This Rodney property boasts beach access and panoramic ocean views, all set on 1537sqm of private, north-facing land.
Inside there's room for a big family, with five bedrooms, three bathrooms and multiple living spaces, and it's close to the marina for those wanting to take to the waves.
The Devonport delight, CV $6.3 million
TRADEME The Devonport delight is just a hop, skip and a jump to the water's edge.
The listing for this wee stunner doesn't say much, but a picture is worth a thousand words.
It boasts five bedrooms and at least six bathrooms - but most importantly, it's just metres from the backdoor to the sea.
Resplendent in Remuera, CV $5.9 million
TRADEME Resplendent in Remuera - four bedrooms, two bathrooms, 100 per cent bliss.
This majestic home faces northwest and, according to the vendors, is "bathed in all day sun".
It has sea views across Hobson's Bay and the harbour, from the Sky Tower to Rangitoto - the perfect backdrop for a day of surf and sandcastles.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/83638708/Five-of-the-best-beachfront-houses-for-sale-in-Auckland | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/5514e462d305cc2d8fb0b5f7ade918d47fe813861e1016e9fd003789a215e7c6.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:53:03 | null | 2016-08-31T07:15:24 | Wading in, an Aboriginal mother added fuel to the fire by posting a photo of her daughter's face painted white. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Faustralia%2F83777606%2FAboriginal-mum-highlights-hypocrisy-over-Nic-Nat-blackface-controversy.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/n/6/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvn7q.png/1472633158517.jpg | en | null | Aboriginal mum highlights 'hypocrisy' over Nic Nat blackface controversy | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Aboriginal mum highlights 'hypocrisy' over Nic Nat blackface controversy
FACEBOOK "Bec Bee" said she saw no difference between her painting her child's face white for Book Week and the Nic Naitanui impersonation that caused controversy last week.
An Aboriginal mother has shared a photo of her daughter with her face painted white to highlight what she says is hypocrisy involving an Australian woman at the centre of a "blackface" furore.
A social media storm erupted last week, when a young Perth boy's face and body were painted black to emulate AFL superstar Nic Naitanui for a school dress-up for Book Week.
But Cairns mum "Bec Bee" used Facebook this week to suggest the youngsters had not shown racism or discrimination and was merely displaying admiration for his hero.
Bee said when she posted a picture of her daughter in "whiteface" to dress up as her favourite Dr Seuss character in 2013, no one batted an eyelid.
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"Unfortunately now this little boy who has been shown by the dark skinned community that his admiration for a black man is unacceptable and has learnt racism," she wrote.
"How do we end racism/discrimination? Do we support education or do we do reverse racism and shun a future adult?
"His childhood experience would have scarred him now.
"Not once did anyone say anything when I painted my black daughter white 3 years ago, We need to stop the double standards, a hero is a hero!"
Bee, whose post has been liked by more than 27,000 people said she faced racism on a daily basis.
"I grew up in communities, out bush, in towns, cities have been over exposed to direct and indirect racism. We cannot expect people or generations to change unless we change our reactions," she wrote.
"How do we create education about who we are?
"We massage people to understand who we are, we seem to be reactive at the smallest issue that a little boy wanting to be like his Fijian hero."
The Perth woman who posted the picture of her son dressed as Naitanui last week, said she was expecting backlash from "politically correct extremists".
"Today I have been called every single name under the sun, labelled as something I'm not," she said.
"Had my words twisted into other people's negative interpretations."
Perth blogger Constance Hall was dragged into the blackface saga after the woman posted the picture on her Facebook page, which has more than 880,000 followers.
Hall originally received death threats, before she got an outpouring of support after posting a picture of her Facebook page crying after the venomous attacks.
She said complete strangers had hugged her on the streets of her hometown of Fremantle, Western Australia.
"You guys have changed everything," she wrote.
"I got dressed. I didn't think I could. But I checked out of the hotel and I was hugged in the lobby by a beautiful woman, I cried again but it was such a relief.
"So I want you to know that all of these messages and supportive comments have reached me.
"So far in the last hour I have been hugged by three strangers. I feel like those hugs are coming from all of you, you have reached me. You'll never know how much you mean to me.
"Thank you so much."
Naitanui - an AFL multicultural ambassador - tried to defuse the the controversy with a calm and measured post on Twitter on Friday.
"The young bloods innocence merely attempting to emulate his hero hurts my heart. Especially when that hero is me!" he wrote.
Honestly I've encouraged this mistake in the past but I'm now educated of its origins.lets grow together #BookWeek pic.twitter.com/syvDibeWSS — Nic Naitanui (@RealNaitanui) August 25, 2016
"It's a shame racism co-exists in an environment where our children should be nurtured not tortured because they are unaware of the painful historical significance "blackface" has had previously on the oppressed.
"I don't believe the mother had any intention to cause harm, just wanted her kid to simply be 'Nic Nat', however (she) may reflect on this and choose an alternate method next time."
- watoday.com.au | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83777606/Aboriginal-mum-highlights-hypocrisy-over-Nic-Nat-blackface-controversy | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/9b98b0db856b7ab2536f526e25394de646b498ae4dabf5c3f5e43b2d23033793.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:52:03 | null | 2016-08-29T22:40:26 | A woman who allegedly drove boozed with her three year old son on her lap has appeared in court. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83704925%2FAlleged-drink-driving-mum-in-court.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/9/s/c/m/u/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du34t.png/1472510670540.jpg | en | null | Alleged drink driving mum in court | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Alleged drink driving mum in court
CAITLIN WALLACE/ FAIRFAX NZ. Tahi Mary Mahu, 34, appeared in Huntly District Court on Tuesday facing a raft of charges over an incident in which a three-year-old was allegedly found driving a car.
A Ngaruawahia woman who allegedly drove boozed with her three year old son on her lap, gripping the wheel, has appeared in court.
Tahi Mary Mahu, 34, appeared in Huntly District Court on Tuesday facing a raft of charges stemming from the incident in Ngaruawahia on August 7.
Police allege the Ngaruawahia local was driving down the Great South Rd on the Sunday afternoon with her son on her lap unrestrained and holding the steering wheel.
When the car swerved in front of a patrol car police stopped the vehicle and breath tested Mahu where she allegedly blew 867mcg of alcohol per litre of breath - more than twice the prosecutable limit of 400mcg.
The legal driving limit is 250mcg.
Mahu appeared before Community Magistrate Ngaire Mascelle in the Huntly District Court where she entered no plea to charges of ill neglect of a child under18 years old, dangerous driving, driving without the appropriate licence and driving with excess breath alcohol - third and subsequent.
Due to the nature of the drink driving charges Mahu was unable to make a plea before a community magistrate and was instead remanded on bail to reappear before a judge on October 20 at 10am.
Bail conditions include not driving any vehicle, not to enter licensed premises and not to consume or possess alcohol.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83704925/Alleged-drink-driving-mum-in-court | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/309061bb32e3eeb882fb96bcc4ce52efca08e310568b7dbd3fdff68c58d3b872.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T18:51:10 | null | 2016-08-28T18:38:21 | It's a ''calm and mild finish'' to winter before those typical spring winds start to strengthen later in the week, says the MetService. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83651871%2FSpring-is-just-around-the-corner.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/3/m/y/b/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsy73.png/1472409501829.jpg | en | null | Spring is just around the corner | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Spring is just around the corner
The first official day of spring is just a few days away.
Spring is almost officially here.
The MetService is forecasting a "calm and mild finish" to winter before the official start of spring on September 1.
On Monday, rain is expected to spread east from the Tasman and clip the north and east of the North Island.
Rain to the North and South causing an NZ weather sandwich tomorrow. https://t.co/oKYtro2Yts ^AH pic.twitter.com/1hGmVxIMEe — MetService (@MetService) August 28, 2016
Gales are expected off the coast east of the upper North Island.
READ MORE: Quake rumbles Christchurch
Later on Monday, twin cold fronts move on to the South Island, bringing rain to most areas and heavy rain west of the Divide.
NZ Monday outlook: Dry in eastern areas, southwest flow bring a few showers in the west https://t.co/d2ipJMFlYI pic.twitter.com/zSP4spYUxq — Chester Lampkin (@chesterlampkin) August 28, 2016
By Tuesday, high pressure starts to build, bringing sun to most of the country although this will be short-lived as winds pick up and typical changeable spring weather arrives.
MetService meteorologist Angus Hines said: "While winter should finish in style, spring looks set to start in typical fashion on Thursday.
"It looks as though we'll see northerly winds picking up ahead of a fast approaching front, which is a classic set up during spring time in New Zealand."
On Monday, Auckland can expect showers, southwesterlies and a high of 14°C.
Wellington is mostly fine, with northerlies developing and 14°C, Nelson is fine with some high cloud and 15°C while Christchurch is mostly fine with a warm 18°C.
Showers will develop in the morning in Dunedin, where the temperature gets to 14°C, and Invercargill has a few showers, westerlies and 12°C.
A weather watch is also in place for the possibility of severe southwesterly gales for coastal Otago and eastern Southland on Tuesday.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83651871/Spring-is-just-around-the-corner | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/635efa667341d9141e2fc8c425d9211ff1cd3bf0e3b2a0216443d87bb02bb553.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T08:50:56 | null | 2016-08-28T08:23:08 | OPINION: It may be open to debate whether the Government faces a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fpolitics%2Fopinion%2F83648411%2FPromises-houses-can-be-more-expensive-and-more-affordable-do-not-compute.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/4/k/u/1/t/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsviz.png/1472372588307.jpg | en | null | Promises houses can be more expensive - and more affordable - do not compute | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Promises houses can be more expensive - and more affordable - do not compute
Hagen Hopkins Finance Minister Bill English and Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith are sugaring the pill over house prices.
OPINION: It may be open to debate whether John Key and his Cabinet are facing a "crisis" over housing.
If you believe those ministers responsible for handling the smorgasbord of problems, from homelessness to affordability to Auckland housing shortage, the public are cutting the Government some slack.
Voters are, the argument goes, fully aware there is no simple solution no silver bullet, no "magicking up" of houses. But they are aware of the efforts being put in across the board, illustrated by the almost daily press releases emanating from the Beehive spin machine.
If you ask the Opposition they will tell you it is top of mind for voters, and a key reason why the Government's popularity is starting to soften. As an issue of concern to the public - ask any party's focus group work - and only immigration comes anywhere close, Opposition MPs say.
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But whether it is a crisis or not, it is certainly becoming a farce.
No more so than in the mutually-exclusive policy aims that Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith has to trot out on behalf of all his colleagues - and he was at it again over the weekend.
Policy goal one is that house prices should not fall, but should rise by single digit percentages.
Policy goal two is that the ratio of house prices to income should fall from the current nine time (going on 12 times) to an average of four to five times across the country.
Policy goal three is that incomes should rise steadily, but not in a highly unsustainable or inflationary way. That will not, for yonks, deliver the $200,000-$250,000 a year household income needed to ensure the average $1 million Auckland home is around five times the average household income.
Play around with the figures, and give Auckland a price margin over the rest of the country (shall we say six times household income?) and you still have a very long wait.
Then add in percentage house price increases that even in single digit percentages are likely to outpace wage increases and ... well you get the picture.
At the nub of the problem is most of our politicians' refusal to embrace even a slow deflation, let alone a bursting of the bubble.
Yet at the same time, from Finance Minister Bill English down, there are dire warnings about the cost of homes and calls for patience from first home buyers.
Labour MPs are hoist on a similar petard by refusing to publicly admit they would like to see a fall in prices. They have one mitigating grace; that they are prepared to use Government cash to build a swag of affordable houses; but refuse to face the inevitable (perhaps even desirable) truth that house prices must soften - not just rise more slowly.
Only Green co-leader Metiria Turei - and a raft of clear-eyed economists - seem prepared to utter the unlovely truth; only a big dive in house prices, especially in Auckland, will provide a significant easing in home affordability in the next 10 to 20 years.
On a daily basis our MPs are promising to feed us affordable homes while pledging we can still gorge on house price inflation. It does not compute.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/83648411/Promises-houses-can-be-more-expensive-and-more-affordable-do-not-compute | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d917305920e45fe77e3302024fec039a634a88f134b10bc3217d4b6ae61b0a12.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:50:51 | null | 2016-08-27T23:48:19 | England's Premier Rugby chief executive takes aim at | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Finternational%2F83638886%2FEnglish-Premier-rugby-boss-slates-unsustainable-Lions-tour-of-New-Zealand.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/o/i/p/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dso6e.png/1472341699302.jpg | en | null | English Premier rugby boss slates 'unsustainable' Lions tour of New Zealand | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | English Premier rugby boss slates 'unsustainable' Lions tour of New Zealand
GETTY IMAGES Warren Gatland and the Lions had a successful tour of Australia in 2013.
The boss of England's Premier Rugby competition is unhappy with the British and Irish Lions' tour schedule of New Zealand for next year, claiming it will create long-term injuries.
Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty said the 2017 10-match tour, which will feature three tests against the All Blacks, will have consequences for Premier Rugby players, The Daily Mail reported.
The Lions play the first match of the tour against a New Zealand Provincial Union XV on June 3 next year - a week after the Premiership final at Twickenham.
"It's a punishing schedule," McCafferty told the newspaper.
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"Personally I don't know why that was signed up to. To play 10 games over that period of time I think is a lot.
"There's going to be a difficulty for sure of players coming back off that tour into the Premiership for [20]17-18.
"The stats will show you that countries that have had a very large contingent of Lions players – and Wales was most recent – tend to suffer more injuries in that following season. It does have an impact. That isn't necessarily cause and outcome you can see directly.
"It's one of the elements that's not sustainable to think that players can go through a club and international season and be involved in that scale of a tour and then be in shape for the following season as well."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/83638886/English-Premier-rugby-boss-slates-unsustainable-Lions-tour-of-New-Zealand | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/df1e81623b8fd1ef7fb07f94aced7c92b55afdbe739ba410dc651151b4a62f1d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:28 | null | 2016-08-29T15:00:42 | Hundreds of reindeer met a sad end on a Norwegian plateau during a freak storm. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F83695027%2FLightning-strike-kills-more-than-300-reindeer-in-Norway.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/v/i/6/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtvhv.png/1472482842912.jpg | en | null | Lightning strike kills more than 300 reindeer in Norway | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Lightning strike kills more than 300 reindeer in Norway
SUPPLIED Thousands of reindeer live on the plateau.
More than 300 wild reindeer have been killed by lightning during a storm in central Norway.
The Norwegian Environment Agency has released eerie images showing a jumble of reindeer carcasses scattered across a small area on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau.
The agency says 323 animals were killed, including 70 calves, in the lightning storm Friday.
NORWEGIAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Officials are yet to figure out what to do with all the reindeer.
Five others had to be euthanised.
Agency spokesman Kjartan Knutsen told The Associated Press it's not uncommon for reindeer or other wildlife to be killed by lightning strikes but this was an unusually deadly event.
"We have not heard about such numbers before," he said Monday.
He said reindeer tend to stay very close to each other in bad weather, which could explain how so many were killed at once.
"I don't know if there were several lightning strikes," he said. "But it happened in one moment."
Knutsen said the agency is now discussing what to do with the dead animals. Normally, they are just left where they fall to let nature take its course, he said.
Thousands of reindeer migrate across the barren Hardangervidda plateau as the seasons change.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/83695027/Lightning-strike-kills-more-than-300-reindeer-in-Norway | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/31cf9e44dae9cd69152605bee6abb8fde0930a99f275bea0fc788d3ae57c6eb7.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:52:56 | null | 2016-08-31T07:56:56 | Cronulla forward Andrew Fifita warned by police in a blow to the Sharks' hopes of snaring title. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fleague%2F83778213%2FCronulla-Sharks-prop-Andrew-Fifita-issued-warning-for-consorting-with-criminals.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/v/c/y/6/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvnol.png/1472630217025.jpg | en | null | Cronulla Sharks prop Andrew Fifita issued warning for consorting with criminals | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Cronulla Sharks prop Andrew Fifita issued warning for consorting with criminals
Cameron Spencer/ Getty Images Andrew Fifita of the Sharks.
Cronulla forward Andrew Fifita has been issued a consorting notice by police in a huge blow to the Sharks' hopes of snaring the minor and major premierships.
Police handed Fifita the notice on Wednesday, just days before the Sharks take on Melbourne at AAMI Park on Saturday night in a clash that will decide the minor premiership.
"Police from the gang squad Strikeforce Raptor have issued a consorting warning to a 27-year-old NRL player under section 93x of the Crimes Act 1900," the police said in a statement obtained by Fairfax Media.
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* Corey Norman stood down by Parramatta Eels
Fifita, who played for NSW in the State of Origin series this year, is considered one of the most destructive forwards in the NRL and will be a focal point for the Sharks against the Storm on Saturday night.
He has become the fourth NRL player this season to be handed a consorting notice.
Parramatta playmaker Corey Norman, Eel-turned Raider Junior Paulo and former Panthers hooker James Segeyaro were also issued with a warning from NSW police for consorting with convicted criminals.
Norman was fined $20,000 and suspended for eight weeks for that and a number of other offences, including being charged with drugs possession and for his role in a sex tape.
- Sydney Morning Herald | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/83778213/Cronulla-Sharks-prop-Andrew-Fifita-issued-warning-for-consorting-with-criminals | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/2d65b407292bf0107fe816b593cf49c12a68a23e752450a9a47a7dc2ef214137.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T18:51:06 | null | 2016-08-28T18:44:22 | The little boy was crying and filthy. The US police officer's fatherly instincts kicked in. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83651551%2FThe-story-of-the-best-little-baby-and-the-state-trooper-who-rescued-him.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/y/a/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxy7.png/1472409862214.jpg | en | null | The story of the 'best little baby' and the state trooper who rescued him | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | The story of the 'best little baby' and the state trooper who rescued him
West Virginia State Police Derek Graham and the baby, mid-bath. Photo courtesy West Virginia State Police
Derek Graham encountered the woman and child during their policing shift.
Graham, a senior trooper in West Virginia, USA, and another trooper had stopped a female driver who was was "highly intoxicated," Graham told The Washington Post.
The troopers started taking inventory of the vehicle, and in the woman's back seat was a baby boy, Graham said. The child wasn't wearing pants or a shirt - just a diaper. And, Graham said, he was covered in vomit.
"I mean, he had vomit all over him, just covered from head to toe, vomit," Graham said. "You could smell feces, urine. It was probably the most disgusting thing I've seen thus far in my law enforcement career involving a child, especially an infant."
READ MORE:
* Boy, 5, secretly calls police after Dad runs red light
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* Dad 'put baby in fridge after leaving her in a hot car'
The woman was placed under arrest, Graham said.
The baby headed off to the state police barracks.
Troopers brought him into the office - probably not the most child-friendly place, if we're being honest. The baby was upset and crying, Graham said.
"And just in my head, I'm a father myself, and I couldn't sit there and let him ... I couldn't let him sit in that," he said.
So Graham found a sink in a kitchen and gave the child a warm bath.
"It was actually really cool," Graham said. "He was crying, just so upset. And as soon as I got him there, and got some bubbles in there with him, we both locked eyes and it was, he started smiling, (at) which I started smiling. It was almost like he knew - he felt so much better. And he was just a completely different baby after that."
"He was the best little baby," another Trooper, B.R. Wood, told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. "He had just started to nod off when CPS (Child Protective Services) arrived."
Graham said the state police contacted CPS "because we didn't even have a diaper, we didn't have anything." After the bath, Graham said, the boy was pretty wiped out. It had been a pretty stressful event, after all.
"He just laid on my chest," Graham said. "Like I said, we don't have pack-and-plays or cribs or anything. So he was my sidekick for the rest of the evening."
Troopers found the boy a teddy bear, Graham said, and he kept him close as he walked around the office.
"He was just clinging on to me for dear life," Graham said. "It was actually really special."
Graham said the baby had a "horrible croupy cough," and was in "bad shape." He is now in the care of a relative, Graham said, and the woman is facing criminal charges. She was so intoxicated during the stop she couldn't tell Graham the child's name, which he says he still does not know.
"I actually don't," Graham said. "It's really sad."
When he thinks about the incident now, Graham said, he remembers the smell, which he noticed before he realised the baby was covered in vomit. After he noticed that, something else kicked in, he said.
"It was almost just my dad instinct popped into play," Graham said. "Forget state trooper, forget law enforcement officer. It was dad that took over, said 'I gotta clean this little guy up.' "
- The Washington Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83651551/The-story-of-the-best-little-baby-and-the-state-trooper-who-rescued-him | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/f40f5bdfec6c7aa8ac6960a1966e080066335956de786a6a076697866ce4f62d.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T10:50:32 | null | 2016-08-27T10:00:16 | Wallabies thrashed again by the far-too-good All Blacks side. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83633272%2FAll-Blacks-rout-the-Wallabies-again-to-retain-the-Bledisloe-Cup.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/d/4/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsjug.png/1472292017079.jpg | en | null | All Blacks rout the Wallabies again to retain the Bledisloe Cup | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | All Blacks rout the Wallabies again to retain the Bledisloe Cup
SKY SPORT New Zealand beat Australia 29-9 in Wellington to retain the Bledisloe cup.
Let's hope it's not too long before the Bledisloe Cup returns to being a contest.
For the second week in succession New Zealand have put Australia to the sword, winning 29-9 at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on Saturday to retain the famous symbol of trans-Tasman test rugby supremacy.
The All Blacks were too smart, too athletic and too strong for these woeful Wallabies, whose lack of attacking prowess and inability to compete physically puts a stain on a proud history. Not than many in the 35,372-strong crowd were inclined to spare a thought for the state of the game in Australia.
GETTY IMAGES The All Blacks swamp right wing Israel Dagg, after he'd scored the second of two first-half tries against Australia in Wellington.
They were too busy celebrating another night when the All Blacks produced a performance their opponents never looked capable of matching.
READ MORE:
* Recap: All Blacks v Wallabies
* Wallabies bring niggle, but little else
* Play-by-play: how the Aussies received another thumping
* All Blacks player ratings
Martin Hunter Halfback Aaron Smith sets off on the run that set up a try for wing Israel Dagg.
Things ran perfectly to script, really, as New Zealand tried to play and Australia did what they could to stop them. If that meant pushing or shoving or holding guys back off the ball, then they were happy to oblige.
Everyone expected the Wallabies to be more robust than they were a week ago and to impose themselves to a greater degree than during that 42-8 defeat. But niggling the All Blacks actually seemed a bit beneath a team of Australia's stature.
Particularly when they were struggling to win any of their own set piece ball. Scrum and lineout prowess often separates the men from the mice and Australia's lineouts throws were being regularly picked off by New Zealand, who also held sway in the scrums.
Referee Romain Poite did his best to bail out the Wallaby scrum a couple of times, but it couldn't obscure the fact that they were being pushed around.
The All Blacks did their best to pick up where they'd left off in Sydney, by producing quick ball for first five-eighth Beauden Barrett and then waiting for him to run himself or release the rest of the backs.
They were 7-0 up quickly, after Israel Dagg collected the first of his two first-half tries. Halfback Aaron Smith had taken off, before the ball was shifted right where - with his first touch at this level - Anton Lienert-Brown put Dagg away to score.
Penalties were traded and then the right wing was in again. Barrett played provider, sweeping in from the blindside of a clever backline move to put Dagg in space. He did well to beat the cover defenders and score.
Not a lot happened between them and when the teams went to halftime with New Zealand 15-9 up. The All Blacks kept threatening to cut loose, but Australia's spoiling tactics - plus some of Poite's interventions - meant proceedings were very stop-start.
Barrett missed a couple of kicks at goal, while Wallabies reserve back Reece Hodge - on for the concussed Adam Ashley-Cooper - booted a massive goal from inside his own half. Three-pointers, though, appeared to be Australia's best means of scoring, as their attack again offered little.
When New Zealand finally got the semblance of a chance, seven minutes after the resumption, they took it in both hands. Barrett did well to put left wing Julian Savea in space and his pace and expert dive did the rest. Barrett's conversion made it 22-9.
Australia's response was to see if Hodge could kick another one from near halfway. He couldn't, but the fact he was asked said everything about how the two teams approach the task of playing test rugby.
That's not to say the All Blacks don't have periods where they grind. But they grind with purpose, as the 62nd-minute try to flanker Sam Cane showed.
Defending like it means something to you doesn't hurt either.
New Zealand 29 (Israel Dagg 2, Julian Savea, Sam Cane tries; Beauden Barrett 3 con, pen) Australia 9 (Bernard Foley 2 pen, Reece Hodge pen). HT: 15-9.
- Dominion Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83633272/All-Blacks-rout-the-Wallabies-again-to-retain-the-Bledisloe-Cup | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/fae8476a7e1def03c3907fd3294a3d814dcccc8099b1f618a68bc9cf844be4b2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:50:05 | null | 2016-08-26T09:36:00 | Auckland bounce back from their Canterbury humbling to win at Eden Park. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fprovincial%2F83611466%2FRecap-Auckland-v-Northland-in-NPC-Round-2.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/3/i/g/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1ds30q.png/1472216701021.jpg | en | null | Recap: Auckland v Northland in NPC Round 2 | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Recap: Auckland v Northland in NPC Round 2
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Auckland Coach Nick White
Eden Park hosts the NPC second round clash between Auckland and Northland.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/83611466/Recap-Auckland-v-Northland-in-NPC-Round-2 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/b356b26dde909250c3514671cee208f1b15d3db364507b25f229c04b2e7d2aa4.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:50:31 | null | 2016-08-27T12:52:08 | Black Caps potentially rue decision to bowl first as South Africa post century stand | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2F83634765%2FSAvNZ-Double-breakthrough-for-Black-Caps-but-South-Africa-in-charge.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/l/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dskzx.png/1472302328714.jpg | en | null | #SAvNZ: Double breakthrough for Black Caps but South Africa in charge | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | #SAvNZ: Double breakthrough for Black Caps but South Africa in charge
GALLO IMAGES Quinton de Kock made a successful transition to opening in test cricket as South Africa's wicketkeeper posted a century stand with Stephen Cook.
Kane Williamson's decision to insert South Africa under clear skies threatened to burn the Black Caps' skipper as the Proteas seized the initiative in the second and deciding test at Centurion.
Williamson's option to bowl first on SuperSport Park on Saturday was under scrutiny at lunch as volunteer opener Quinton de Kock and partner Stephen Cook combined to post South Africa's first century stand in 34 innings since late 2013 against India in Johannesburg.
Fortunately for Williamson the pair were finally separated, and then joined each other in the pavilion in the middle session, though New Zealand would have pinned their hopes on earlier reward on a pitch that looks far from treacherous for the strokemakers.
LEE WARREN/GALLO IMAGES Unfinished business: Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will have a big part to play if the Black Caps are to win their first test series against South Africa.
De Kock, who lobbied to open the batting for the first time in his 10-test career after Dean Elgar rolled an ankle at training, replicated the aggressive form that characterises his batting in ODIs as he cracked an at time fortuitous, yet undeniably deserved 82 from 114 balls.
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* Live: South Africa v Black Caps Second Test
* Series decider no lottery says Williamson
* Black Caps aiming for history
* Black Caps ready to strike
* Off to Lord's? Stick a cork in it
* Jayawardene digs into Smith
The 23-year-old had a reprieve on 42 when counterpart BJ Watling could not glove an inside edge; he then brought up his third test fifty with his 10th boundary as he and the more constrained Cook reached 100 just before lunch.
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT South African opener Dean Elgar has been ruled out of the second and final test against the Black Caps with an ankle injury.
De Kock, despite some edginess through the cordon, looked set for his second ton but ultimately he was undone by South African-born Neil Wagner, who employed his trademark strategy to secure a much-needed breakthrough in the 39th over.
Wagner, back on his old home ground, coaxed de Kock into the pull, a shot that picked out Trent Boult inches inside the rope.
De Kock and Cook added 133 for the first wicket, South Africa's first century opening stand in 34 innings since the Johannesburg test with India in December 2013.
PHOTOSPORT South African pace bowler Dale Steyn took 10-91 when New Zealand first played a test at Centurion in 2006.
Cook, a late-blooming 33-year-old who crafted 115 on debut against England at Centurion in January, reached his half century off 112 balls and added only six more before Doug Bracewell - the unlucky bowler when de Kock was dropped - had the right hander edging to Williamson in the gully.
The Black Caps thought they had the prize wicket of Hashim Amla shortly before tea but the Proteas' key batsman - who averaged 78.50 against the Kiwis before this innings - cannily reviewed English umpire Ian Gould's decision to upheld Trent Boult's appeal.
Amla, on 17, rightly assumed the delivery was missing leg after it pitched, swung and thudded into his front pad.
Boult's LBW which was given out on field on Amla is overturned by a coat of varnish... #savnz ^WN pic.twitter.com/GDiQzB2xCB — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 27, 2016
Gould also erred when Cook was on 36 when turning down Wagner's lbw appeal, but the Black Caps did not call for a review after wasting one in the fourth over when the opener edged a Boult delivery before being struck plumb.
Those lapses summed up the Black Caps bowling effort on a surface that produced some anxious moments for the batsmen, though arguably not enough to vindicate Williamson's judgment not to set a target.
With one session remaining South Africa were 182-2 with Amla on 24 and JP Duminy not out 14.
Wagner was the pick of the five-pronged attack with 1-29 from 13 overs; Bracewell [1-55 from 12] was a touch expensive though also lacked luck.
The Black Caps, who are striving to win their first series against South Africa, named an unchanged line-up from the side frustrated by a weather-affected draw in Durban while Stiaan van Zyl replaced Elgar and will slot into the middle order.
Van Zyl made an unbeaten 101 on debut against the West Indies at Centurion in December 2014 though only has a modest test average of 27.30 from 11 tests after he was promoted up the order.
The Black Caps are seeking to secure their first series win over South Africa after at a ground where they have lost heavily on their previous two tests in 2006 and 2007.
South Africa has only lost two - and won 16 - of 21 tests staged at SuperSport Park since its debut as a test venue in 1995.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/83634765/SAvNZ-Double-breakthrough-for-Black-Caps-but-South-Africa-in-charge | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/ea16331f5057364d97cced48f1135190f17cb23ca819442f201fc690fc65e636.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T18:50:43 | null | 2016-08-27T17:00:00 | You might chuckle at a vet calling a pet's MRI scan a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fmoney%2F83480260%2FCompany-helps-pet-owners-cope-with-giant-vet-bills.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/q/k/q/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dp9s4.png/1472178345837.jpg | en | null | Company helps pet owners cope with giant vet bills | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Company helps pet owners cope with giant vet bills
SUPPLIED Pets, we love them! Laura Lowther with her beloved dog Wallie.
Pets get MRI scans these days, or as vets humorously call them "cat" scans.
Cat scans may help diagnose joint and bone damage, but they don't come cheap.
Laurie Lowther from Pet Funders says cat scans can cost upwards of $1500, which is a bill few pet owners can manage without help.
MARK CORNELL/FAIRFAX NZ There's no national health service for pets. The costs all fall on the owner.
Some have pet insurance, but even those who do often have to pay first, and claim later, resulting in them have to find the four-figure sum themselves.
READ MORE: Pet insurance reveals the true cost of owning animal companions
Some treatments can cost even more.
SUPPLIED Laurie Lowther from Pet Funders says many animal-owners would struggle to pay a big vet's bill.
Medical advancements and people's willingness to stump up ever larger sums to cure their pets have resulted in treatments once reserved for humans now being offered for dogs and cats.
This includes cancer treatments, which Lowther says can cost an owner over $5000.
Surgery after being hit by a car, or eating something toxic or indigestible, can cost thousands. In one case, Lowther says a dog that ate glue ended up costing their owner over $14,000.
In one shockingly expensive case, Lowther said the owner of a Pomeranian spent $17,000 on surgery to treat a condition where its brain was growing, but its skull wasn't.
Even relatively well-paid pet owners would struggle to pay some of these bills.
Lowther set Pet Funders up to help pet owners pay for expensive treatment, as well as giving vets the comfort to go ahead with scans, operations and animal chemotherapy knowing their bills would be paid.
It offers short-term loans of three, six or nine months, which owners apply for through their vet, which has to sign up with Pet Funders to offer the service.
The whole process only takes a few minutes, and that includes the credit checking, which is done by artificial intelligence.
Pet Funders charges interest of 1.85 per cent of the amount borrowed each month, and there's an application fee of $65.
A vet bill of $2000 funded by Fee Funders, and paid back over six months with the fee added to the loan, would result in total interest paid of around $222.
Lowther said the Fee Funders' loans were an alternative to other forms of debt like credit cards, but had the advantage of being repaid over an agreed time period.
Spreading the payments made agreeing to treatment more palatable for owners, Lowther said. And for vets it means being paid immediately.
The typical loan size is around $2000-$3000, Lowther said, but it was early days, and Pet Funders is only being offered through a handful of clinics, though the number was rising fast.
"When you take your pet to the vet, you could find yourself facing $2000-$3000 worth of expenses. That's a lot of money for a pet," he said. "If you were to go back 30 years, people would have been horrified by the amount we spend on our pets."
"We have got vets giving animals MRIs. It is a full MRI cat scan, and there are now full-on cancer treatments for pets as well."
Pet Funders is just one of a related group of companies which help people spread payments for big ticket items including funerals, real estate marketing fees, and accountants' fees.
Pet-owners have various ways they can cope with big bills for medical treatment for their animals.
Options include:
- Pet insurance: Dog and cat owners pay premiums every month. There are different grades of cover. Like house insurance, there are excesses to pay. The pet owner effectively pays more in premiums than the average pet owner would pay for vets' bills over the lifetime of the policy, , but gets immediate cover should treatment be required. The SPCA encourage owners to have insurance, seeing it as a part of responsible pet ownership.
- Saving an animal medical fund: This could involve finding out what pet insurance would cost, and then setting it aside each month. If a bill fell early in an animal's life, there may not be enough to pay it. If that happens, a loan may be the only option.
- Debt: Borrowing to pay for animal treatments is a big call, but credit cards, and Pet Funders are both options.
- Euthanasia: If the cost of treatment is too high, then a family can refuse to pay and ask the vet to put the animal down. It's a sticky moral dilemma for the owner and the vet, but the hard reality of life is not every cat owner can afford to pay for a cat scan.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/83480260/Company-helps-pet-owners-cope-with-giant-vet-bills | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/ed6dc9f1f0f849043dd0a6bb3f3b76dae77cd8fafbe66fc203a0dcf195c92b44.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:51:46 | null | 2016-08-30T00:50:08 | A National Party leader has apologised for praising the | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fpolitics%2F83703605%2FChristchurch-National-Party-leader-backs-sweet-explosive-justice-of-Kiwisaver-weapons-investment.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/5/o/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du245.png/1472518209412.jpg | en | null | Christchurch National Party leader apologises for praising the 'sweet explosive justice' of Kiwisaver weapons investment | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Christchurch National Party leader apologises for praising the 'sweet explosive justice' of Kiwisaver weapons investment
Prime Minister John Key with Peter Maguire.
A National Party leader has apologised for defending controversial Kiwisaver fund investments in weapons.
Christchurch East party chair Peter Maguire had highlighted the "sweet explosive justice" of killing terrorists in comments during a Facebook discussion on Friday, attracting the ire of other users.
On Tuesday he backed down, saying "I made those comments in a personal capacity and they were made in the heat of the moment during a Facebook discussion. They were misguided and I apologise."
MARK TAYLOR FAIRFAX NZ Companies that make "anti-personnel" mines are among those on the NZ Super Fund's exclusion list.
The discussion was about several Kiwisaver providers having been revealed as investing in companies that produce weapons including cluster bombs and land mines.
READ MORE:
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* How to check if your KiwiSaver is invested in cluster bombs, land mines or nukes
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* No KiwiSaver review amid concerns some funds investing in weapon firms
"To be honest I don't mind [the weapons investment]," Maguire wrote.
REUTERS A boy sits in an ambulance after being injured in an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria, on August 18. His brother died.
"The world needs weapons. If I profit from that then that's fantastic. Every time a bomb drops on ISIS I can sleep happily knowing I made a profit from that sweet explosive justice [sic]."
When challenged by other commenters, he continued:
"More people die in the world from tobacco and piss everyday than by military grade weapons and war [sic].
Maguire's comments sparked outrage from other Facebook users.
"War is a unfortunately necessary in this world [sic]. If I can profit from the defence of my country and others I'm all for it."
Comments in response to Maguire included: "Wow. Just wow."
"I am now done with this thread. And done with you."
ABDALRHMAN ISMAIL Women protest while burning tyres, which they said is used to create smoke cover from warplanes, in Aleppo, Syria on July 31. The text on the banner reads:" We will stay here, till the pain is gone".
The Government has said it will not review the Kiwisaver providers' practice. Prime Minister John Key said it was up to savers to be aware of where their money was invested. Such companies are on the New Zealand Super Fund's "exclusion list", barring investment for ethical and legal reasons.
Labour Christchurch East MP Poto Williams said Maguire's justification that weapons killed bad people was misguided.
"Most of us would think that weapons of any sort are fairly indiscriminate in who they target and it's often very innocent people who are targeted and I think that's the distress that's been caused by this investment issue.
"None of us would want to think that our investments are funding the miseries of families or communities anywhere in the world. The notion of terrorism and ISIS is abhorrent but we've got to be mindful that that's not necessarily the target of these weapons."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83703605/Christchurch-National-Party-leader-backs-sweet-explosive-justice-of-Kiwisaver-weapons-investment | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/58139382cfcd51d7aec2e026e2207cd5f4c5cf52bfd72d532a317ac1672c642e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:14 | null | 2016-08-26T11:26:31 | Initial fears there was someone trapped in the blaze were unfounded. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83623832%2FLarge-house-fire-in-Auckland-damages-neighbouring-properties.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/d/h/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsck8.png/1472210792009.jpg | en | null | Large house fire in Auckland damages neighbouring properties | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Large house fire in Auckland damages neighbouring properties
BEVAN READ/stuff.co.nz Fire crews where called to a house fire on Arawa street in New Lynn
A large house fire in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn has spread to neighbouring properties.
The fire, on Arawa St, was fed by strong winds in the Auckland region. At one stage six fire crews were fighting the blaze.
There were initial fears from fire crews that a person was trapped in the house but they proved unfounded.
Bevan Read There were initial fears from fire crews that a person was trapped in the house but they proved unfounded.
Houses on either side of the property were damaged by the fire and police closed Arawa St to through traffic.
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One person was hospitalised and neighbouring houses were evacuated.
Flames from a house fire on Arawa St in New Lynn threatened neighbouring properties.
A fire investigator responded to the scene.
The road remains closed.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83623832/Large-house-fire-in-Auckland-damages-neighbouring-properties | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/2b878fe64ed876e9c1eb9b08babb89ddd5afa938a9c9e8d90ec31b08070a1de4.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:07 | null | 2016-08-28T23:57:50 | Only a quarter of teenagers live with both their biological parents, new research shows. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83658409%2FNuclear-family-a-thing-of-the-past-new-research-shows.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/6/z/m/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt38p.png/1472428671019.jpg | en | null | Nuclear family a thing of the past, new research shows | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Nuclear family a thing of the past, new research shows
SUPPLIED Only six per cent of those surveyed in a study had lived their whole lives in nuclear-family households.
The nuclear family is a thing of the past, according to new research which has found only a quarter of 15-year-olds live with both their biological parents.
Only six per cent of those surveyed had spent their whole lives in households made up of only their mum, dad, and siblings.
The University of Otago research analysed the lives of 209 15-year-olds and found many had unconventional family arrangements.
Next Generation Study researcher Dr Judith Sligo said few teenagers had a consistent pattern of parental-care arrangements and most had experienced multiple changes in who they were living with.
READ MORE:
* A very modern model of a family
* So, what's with those sticker families?
* The rise of multi-parenting
"For example, only 54 (26 per cent) of the participants were living with both of their biological parents at age 15, and just 14 (six per cent) had lived their whole lives in households made up of only their mother, father and siblings," she said.
Overall, the participants experienced an average of eight changes in care arrangements over their 15 years. They also had lived at an average of eight different addresses.
The researchers found while 63 per cent of the children were being cared for by two parents at birth, by 15 years old, 59 per cent were either in sole-parent or some form of multiple-resident care, such as shared arrangements between parents in different households.
Sligo said the research was at odds with the simpler and more static view of family life that underpinned policy-making relating to young people.
Currently, researchers and policy makers used measures which did not capture this diversity and fluidity, she said.
"This means that the policies and support intended for children, young people and their families may not match the realities of their lives."
One example was Working for Families, which required applicants to be the principal child carer and to notify Work and Income New Zealand whenever they had a change in circumstances.
"Our findings suggest that this is unrealistic and likely to cause many children to be excluded from this policy."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83658409/Nuclear-family-a-thing-of-the-past-new-research-shows | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/27b6806a48be87f076fc758e39508bd0e6a0aab1dbf7eea33dc01477dd818c08.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:16 | null | 2016-08-29T04:31:03 | Is sacking the coach answer to the club's woes or does roster need a shake-up, asks Marvin France. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fleague%2F83672028%2FForget-bunker-blunders-Warriors-players-need-to-be-held-accountable-for-another-poor-season.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/o/g/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtdr0.png/1472445063612.jpg | en | null | Forget bunker blunders, Warriors players need to be held accountable for another poor season | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Forget bunker blunders, Warriors players need to be held accountable for another poor season
DAVID LONG/STUFF.CO.NZ Warriors coach Andrew McFadden and captain Ryan Hoffman lament what could have been as they critique their effort against the Tigers.
OPINION: Another year, another season of underachievement for the Warriors.
New Zealand's most frustrating sports team has again lived up to its reputation, with Sunday's capitulation against the Wests Tigers ensuring a fifth consecutive year of watching the finals from home.
Forget the bunker blunders, Sunday's 36-24 defeat to the Tigers was yet another missed opportunity by Andrew McFadden's team in a campaign littered with them.
Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images The Warriors are dejected figures as their NRL finals' hopes disappear once again.
This year was supposed to be different but right from round one, when they stumbled out of the blocks, also against the Tigers, they have failed to live up to expectations.
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Injuries have played a part but what NRL team goes through a season injury free?
The club needs to be held accountable for another failed campaign and for most, this starts with the coach.
The Warriors hierarchy have constantly stood by McFadden but questions have to be asked if he's the right man to take them forward.
A mark of a quality coach is his ability to get the best out of their players when it matters most. But for the third straight year under McFadden's watch, they've faltered with the finals in sight.
DAVID LONG/STUFF.CO.NZ Tigers coach says Warriors need to learn rules.
The last three weeks in particular, the Warriors have played with a distinct lack of hunger and desperation and that can only reflect poorly on McFadden.
He's also raised eyebrows with some of his conservative selections (Jeff Robson over Tuimoala Lolohea and Jonathan Wright over Lolohea to name a couple), while he never really settled on a replacement for Roger Tuivasa-Sheck at fullback.
But is getting rid of another coach going to fix their problems?
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT The Warriors have once again failed to live up to expectations.
For a team that seems to be lacking a hard mental edge, it really does seem to be the easy way out. Particularly if they can't find an experienced alternative - long-suffering fans deserve better than another rookie in charge.
Too often the under-performing playing group has been shielded from responsibility by the revolving door of coaches at Mt Smart and a shake-up could be the best thing for the club.
The Warriors have unearthed two promising props in Albert Vete and Sam Lisone but they have been let down by their more senior teammates.
Jacob Lillyman doesn't bend the line like he used to and, at 32, it's hard to think he will return to his best. Ben Matulino, who should be among the best props in the NRL, looks to be playing within himself.
And as hard-working as the back-row is, they are noticeably lacking in the ball-playing department.
Manu Vatuvei, meanwhile, appeared disinterested against the Tigers.
It's been a difficult year for Vatuvei due to off-field issues but it also seems that years of hurling his body at multiple defenders has caught up with the big winger.
His customary errors are becoming harder to justify and as much as the fans will protest, perhaps a change of scenery would benefit both him and the club.
Then there is the polarising figure of Shaun Johnson.
One of the more disappointing aspects of Sunday's defeat was that when the game was in the balance, it was the young Tigers halves - Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses - who took it by the scruff of the neck, not the Warriors' golden boot winner.
Johnson can't do it all by himself, yet those are the moments that he has to own.
He may have been carrying a quad injury for the last two months, but it hasn't been a good season by his standards with his reluctance to regularly test the line a constant frustration among fans.
The Warriors must persist. Playmakers of Johnson's ability are all too rare in New Zealand for them to go in a different direction.
However, both Johnson and the club must ask themselves whether they are doing all they can to get the best out of him on the field.
One of several tough questions in what is sure to be a long offseason for boss Jim Doyle.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/83672028/Forget-bunker-blunders-Warriors-players-need-to-be-held-accountable-for-another-poor-season | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/7cc884da9074966a4d3c69c762698a0a5d328224c312675119e5378c4e4e3b70.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:52:24 | null | 2016-08-31T04:18:18 | Maurice Williamson was one of a string of new diplomatic appointments announced by the Foreign Affairs Minister. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fpolitics%2F83767989%2FOutgoing-National-MP-Maurice-Williamson-picks-up-plum-LA-diplomatic-posting.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/5/2/0/j/p/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvfsl.png/1472618104345.jpg | en | null | Outgoing National MP Maurice Williamson picks up plum LA diplomatic posting | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Outgoing National MP Maurice Williamson picks up plum LA diplomatic posting
PARLIAMENT TV In 2013 MP Maurice Williamson used the power of laughter to show his support for the gay marriage bill.
Controversial National MP Maurice Williamson has been awarded a sought-after posting as New Zealand's Consul-General in Los Angeles.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully made the announcement as one of a string of new diplomatic appointments around the globe.
It comes just a month after Williamson announced he would be retiring from politics at the next election.
GETTY-IMAGES Outgoing Government MP Maurice Williamson will retire from politics to life in California, where he will replace Leon Grice as Consul-General in Los Angeles.
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Williamson has been the MP for Pakuranga since 1987 and has held several Ministerial portfolios, McCully said, "including Science and Technology and Information Technology".
McCully however, did not mention Williamson's most recent ministerial portfolios - Building and Construction, Land Information and Customs and Statistics.
Williamson has languished on the back benches since his unceremonial sacking from Cabinet in May 2014.
That followed revelations he had approached police seeking information into a criminal case being taken against Chinese businessman Donghua Liu - a National Party donor. Williamson was left with little choice but to resign.
McCully said Williamson would be responsible for engagement with US investors and innovators "to ensure New Zealand policies and exporters remain at the leading edge of change".
"California and other western states of America are major export markets for New Zealand and important investment partners, particularly in added-value food and beverage and technology.
"The United States is New Zealand's largest market for intellectual property-based exports, and those exports will continue to grow strongly."
Williamson has had a chequered political career.
He became an overnight gay icon, when he made a speech in support of Marriage Amendment Bill which allowed gay couples the right to legally marry.
The vision he painted of a "big gay rainbow" over his Pakuranga electorate drew praise across the globe.
A spat with then National Party leader back in 2003 however, saw him temporarily suspended from caucus.
Relations with English remained chilly, but he found himself reinstated and promoted under successor Don Brash.
Most recently, Williamson made a brief return to headlines to apologise for offensive and sexist remarks he made during a speech to a business group in September last year.
He displayed pictures of scantily-clad women, and ended his presentation with an audio clip that offended many.
The fake advertisement features references to sex acts which some in the audience said was degrading to women and gay men.
Williamson "unreservedly" apologised.
Among the other diplomatic appointments announced by McCully was Karena Lyons, who will be the next Consul-General in Hawaii and will also be New Zealand's accredited Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and Republic of Marshall Islands.
Lyons, a career diplomat, has served in New York during New Zealand's United Nations Security Council campaign and most recently as an advisor to McCully.
He said Honolulu was a "vital post for managing New Zealand's relationship with the United States in the Pacific region".
Rachel Maidment will be New Zealand's next Consul-General Guangzhou, China.
Following a 10 year career as a diplomat, she established a leading Asia consultancy, Navigate, providing services to a wide range of government and private sector clients.
"As the third largest municipal economy in China after Beijing and Shanghai, the city is one of the main gateways for New Zealand's burgeoning trade with China," McCully said.
And Michael Upton was appointed as New Zealand's next High Commissioner to Kiribati.
"The High Commissioner will be responsible for overseeing New Zealand's aid programme in Kiribati, which will total around $17 million this year.
"A major focus is working to address the impacts of overcrowding in South Tarawa, where about half of Kiribati's population live, and improving waste management, water and sanitation.
"Kiribati faces some major challenges that will only be made worse by climate change.
"We are currently considering a major programme of investment, alongside other donors, that will help address these issues and offer the people of Kiribati some protection against rising sea levels and King tides," McCully said.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83767989/Outgoing-National-MP-Maurice-Williamson-picks-up-plum-LA-diplomatic-posting | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c5fdbfc86960b2d3f64c609fdf830970b06c3352177804a4af3f997f9ccfd734.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:57 | null | null | Many rookies profess the reluctant tendency to visualise their debut before it takes place. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsunday-star-times%2F9139346%2FSaili-shakes-off-blunders-for-a-solid-debut-match.json | en | null | Saili shakes off blunders for a solid debut match | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Saili shakes off blunders for a solid debut match LIAM NAPIER
SOLID START: Francis Saili overcame a shaky start on test debut. Relevant offers
Many rookies profess the reluctant tendency to visualise their debut before it takes place.
Lying in bed on the eve of the biggest match of their lives, stomach turning with butterflies, they can't resist the urge to ponder what the occasion might bring; whether they will rise to the challenge or choke on the big stage. One can only imagine the tension.
Francis Saili spent the past three months pondering when his dream would be a reality, when he would get to link arms with Blues team-mates Steven Luatua and Charlie Faumuina and sing the national anthem in unison. Last night in Hamilton, his selection in June must have seemed a lifetime ago.
During that long wait if Saili had even a brief premonition of the early moments of his maiden All Blacks test, nightmares would have ensued; a cold sweat would have broke out.
As far as starts go, they don't get much worse.
"You wouldn't want to start a test match like that," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.
After a solid first-up carry, which should have settled his nerves, the fresh-faced 22-year-old dropped a sitter with just his second touch in international rugby. Seconds later, Pumas No 8 Juan Manuel Leguizmon was over to spark the visitors.
Saili only needed to look inside him to see even the world's best make mistakes. Dan Carter threw his opening pass forward and, despite a difficult night with the boot, he knocked over his first kick. Maybe that was a lesson to the youngster.
This week Saili was compared to a young Ma'a Nonu by long-term centre partner Conrad Smith - the reason being he could produce brilliance but was also rather raw. Those within the All Blacks always knew, at this stage, Saili was a calculated experiment.
Assuming Nonu's No 12 jersey is daunting, not least because the All Blacks are desperate to build depth in this role. Suffering such a public blunder could have gone one of two ways. Saili could have dropped his head and lost all confidence in his undoubted abilities. Instead, he shook off the horror error to make several positive contributions.
Critics will recall his botched catch in-front of his sticks, a wasteful left foot clearance and a slightly overcooked grubber for Ben Smith. But those in their comfortable armchairs should also take note of the hard-earned metres in the midfield, some strong defence and sharp distribution to help set-up Julian Savea's second half strike. He may also have gone close to scoring had Pumas captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe not held him back after toeing through a loose ball.
With persistent rain and the commitment to a high tempo game-plan, this was a challenging evening all round for the All Blacks. For large periods their collective skills were sub-standard.
So, sure, Saili wasn't a rip-roaring success. He knows that. But he will learn from this experience, be better for his next test.
Hansen isn't about to cast him aside. Nor should he. Hansen will extend his arm around Saili's shoulder and, in his typical gruff tone, say "Well done, son. It wasn't perfect but we didn't expect you to be."
"He was pretty good after his wee drop. You wouldn't want to start a test match like that. It showed a lot character for him to bounce back from that," Hansen said post match.
"A lot of guys would have gone in the red and shoot away from it. He certainly didn't. He carried well. He didn't drop the ball after that. He did enough things to be satisfied. Yep he made one mistake but he did a lot of good things too."
As for Luatua, the blindside flanker took another step in his progression. He was a menace ranging out wide where he displayed skilful touches, off-loading abilities and powerful charges.
Faumuina, though, won't be so pleased. Without Owen Franks at tight head the All Blacks scrum lost notable potency. The new scrum laws place extra pressure on a No 3 and, last night at least, Faumuina struggled with the step up.
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/9139346/Saili-shakes-off-blunders-for-a-solid-debut-match | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e67c8dbb8a733e9c1933ce95f164138188fa45ff5bdf09407b7e04e3e133dd9b.json | |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:51:56 | null | 2016-08-30T04:38:21 | Cops keeping their ears to the ground over possible retaliation to mass brawl in south Auckland. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83699110%2FMajor-police-presence-to-curb-reprisals-from-teen-brawlers-in-south-Auckland.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/8/u/3/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtyna.png/1472531901828.jpg | en | null | Major police presence to curb reprisals from teen brawlers in south Auckland | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Major police presence to curb reprisals from teen brawlers in south Auckland
JASON DORDAY/Stuff.co.nz Inspector Jason Hewett at Otahhuhu Police Station talks to media. Counties Manukau Police are continuing to investigate a brawl between a group of around 80 youths at KFC in Mangere yesterday evening.
Police say they will crack down on anyone planning another round of street fights, following a mass brawl between students in south Auckland on Monday.
Two teens were arrested and more could face charges over the brawl that involved high school students wielding knives, chairs and bits of wood.
There were estimated to be about 80 people involved in the violent after-school clash near Mangere East KFC.
ONE News Now Footage has emerged appearing to show students caught up in a mass brawl outside a south Auckland KFC.
Counties Manukau West area commander Jason Hewett said it was sparked by two individuals having a fight which "quickly escalated".
Thirteen police units were called to the scene, but no-one was reported to be injured.
A 17-year-old man was charged on Tuesday afternoon with disorderly behaviour, possession of a knife and possession of an offensive weapon.
ONE News Now Kamaljeet Hundal saw masses of school kids rushing towards the restaurant in South Auckland before the brawl erupted.
Another 17-year-old was charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.
Two 15-year-old boys were referred to Youth Aid.
A police spokeswoman said at least one of the teens charged was not a school student.
FACEBOOK An onlooker snapped police hauling away one alleged brawler.
It was not known whether the other youths were students or not.
Hewett said he could not rule out the possibility that more people would be charged and said cell phone footage and CCTV could help police track them down.
"I expect that as we uncover who else was involved further charges are likely," he said.
Bevan Read Massey Road KFC where a large brawl spilled into on Monday afternoon.
He described the fighting as "appalling behaviour".
"Especially given the presence of young children and elderly nearby. They were just trying to go about their business and this was a frightening experience for them.
"We want to assure members of the Mangere community that we will be increasing patrols in the area, including around local schools."
He said a team of officers would set up a large police presence on Tuesday afternoon to monitor any flare-ups or threats of reprisals.
"We're keeping our ear to the ground we're making sure we've got a very high visible presence in and around the location.
"We hope that it doesn't (happen again)."
He said it was a major concern for residents.
"It obviously terrified a lot of people and I would just to like to assure the community of Mangere that we are all over this, we are on to it, I have got a team of investigators looking into the matter."
Pupils spoken to on Tuesday who attend one of several high schools involved said the fight had been prearranged between two pupils from different schools.
"The fighting went from one spot to another spot ... it was supposed to be a one-on-one fight but (students from another school) came out of nowhere," one pupil said.
The principal of one of the schools said on Tuesday morning said he had "no comment" about the matter and police had yet to contact his school.
"There's been a lot of rumours about [the fight] but it does concern me that adults were involved," he said.
"We're taking this seriously, this is unacceptable, once we've got the facts we'll be following through and we'll be working with the families to resolve the situation."
Eyewitness Roger Fowler said on Monday that a group of teens gathered at Walter Massey Park before the brawl carried on up and down Massey Rd and into a KFC restaurant.
Fowler, the Mangere East Community Centre director, said it was an "ugly" scene.
"It was evident something was up and they weren't just walking through they were congregating and standing around," he said.
The owner of a bakery who witnessed the brawl said on Tuesday she "feels for the KFC staff".
"The fight went through there, it is very scary for them.
"I felt scared, it was a big group."
Concerned staff at the nearby Mangere Community Centre made "numerous" calls to police prior to the fight starting.
LARGE YOUTH POPULATION IN MANGERE
Fowler said fights like this could easily be preventable.
"The Mangere East community is in crying need for more community facilities and opportunities that don't currently exist," he said.
There weren't many community facilities, gyms or skate parks to keep youth engaged or steer them in the right direction, he said.
Those spaces provide "positive and healthy behaviours", he said.
Without those it may allow anti-social behaviour to occur.
The area has a high level of deprivation, with a population of about 40,000 people. Half of that are under 25.
Fowler said a number of campaigns were underway to oppose "detrimental" factors in the area.
He cited a number of liquor stores that were located "outside or in the nearest block of shops" to local schools.
He said about six schools in the Mangere area had liquor shops nearby.
"I'm yet to find another area [in Auckland] with similar rates of stores. It's a youthful community, so they'll be on the receiving end of the detrimental impacts."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83699110/Major-police-presence-to-curb-reprisals-from-teen-brawlers-in-south-Auckland | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/7c2c8397f323323ba0f8b1e87cef5aa5c63d7a7adde7f5d7b07882c237ebc7b4.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:08 | null | 2016-08-30T22:34:00 | 18 police and officials ordered to pay US$1 damages each after attack on innocent black man. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83746984%2FInnocent-black-man-punched-Tasered-and-arrested-by-police-Jury-award-him-25.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/0/4/s/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duzl4.png/1472596440389.jpg | en | null | Innocent black man punched, Tasered and arrested by police. Jury award him $25 | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Innocent black man punched, Tasered and arrested by police. Jury award him $25
FRANK POLICH The jury ordered each of the defendants to pay Franklin and his parents US$1 for the violations of their rights. The total award was US$18 (NZ$25) in damages.
DeShawn Franklin was asleep in his bedroom when US police officers, with their weapons drawn, barged in.
He was punched several times, including three times in the face.
He was also Tasered, dragged out of his bedroom, handcuffed and placed in a police car.
"I didn't even know what was going on. I was just asleep," Franklin said. "It was just all a big shock and disturbance."
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One thing became clear immediately: Franklin, then an 18-year-old high school senior, had done nothing wrong. But he did fit the description of a suspect being sought by officers: a slender, African-American man with dreads.
The incident, which occurred in the summer of 2012 in a northern Indiana suburb, prompted a civil rights lawsuit against the police officers and city officials.
Earlier this month, a jury found that the officers violated Franklin's constitutional rights by arresting him and entering his family's home without a warrant.
Still, Franklin and his family feel that justice has been denied.
The jury ordered each of the defendants to pay Franklin and his parents US$1 for the violations of their rights. The total award was US$18 (NZ$25) in damages.
The Reverend Mario Sims, a senior pastor in South Bend, Indiana, where Franklin lives, said the small award sends a strong message to Franklin and his family: "Your rights are worth a dollar."
Russell Thomas Jr, Franklin's nephew, said the whole experience was a "slap in the face."
"To me, it's just solidifying that blacks in America, we have no rights," he said. "How can we fight for something when the system was not made for us in the first place?"
Franklin isn't a thug, Sims said, and he lacks a criminal history. Still the incident four years ago left the now-22-year-old distrustful of law enforcement and in fear that something similar will happen again.
He does not want to be recognised, so he has declined requests from local media for a picture of his face.
"It's traumatising," Franklin said. "It's somewhat of a burden that you have to carry every day."
The incident happened about 2.30am on July 7, 2012, when Franklin and his parents were sleeping.
Officers Eric Mentz, Aaron Knepper and Michael Stuk, of the South Bend Police Department, were looking for Dan Jones, Franklin's older brother, after receiving a domestic violence call.
The officers received information that Jones may have gone to his parents' house, according to an internal affairs investigation report by the police department.
Franklin's mother, Vivian Franklin, answered the door after hearing loud knocks. The officers went inside without a warrant and without asking for permission to go in, according to the report.
The officers told her to stay outside on the front porch.
When they got to DeShawn Franklin's bedroom, they saw him lying on his stomach and woke him up. Startled and afraid, he resisted, so the police officers punched and used a stun gun on him.
His father, Dan Franklin, who is disabled, told the internal affairs investigator that he heard a "pop" and thought the officers had shot his son as he screamed for his mother.
The officers soon realised that they got the wrong person. Still, DeShawn Franklin was handcuffed and placed in a squad car for resisting.
He was released shortly after, according to the report, and the officers apologized to the family.
The following year, DeShawn Franklin and his parents filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive use of force, unlawful law enforcement entry, false arrest, infliction of emotional distress and other violations.
The internal affairs investigation found that the officers used excessive force and unlawfully entered the Franklins' home.
They were disciplined for their actions, including written reprimands, Kevin Lawler, spokesman for the city, told the Indianapolis Star.
The police department also trained the officers on US Fourth Amendment (the prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures) rights and developed new classes on ethics and diversity, the Star reported.
The same three officers involved in the Franklin lawsuit were named in a 2013 case filed by Jonathan Ferguson, a 7-Eleven store clerk with a learning disability.
According to a federal complaint, the officers slashed Ferguson's tyre, and two of them challenged him to eat a teaspoon of cinnamon in exchange for US$30 and a dinner coupon at a local Applebee's restaurant.
Ferguson did, and he vomited for several hours.
The officers took a video of the "cinnamon challenge," as it had become locally known, and posted it on YouTube, according to the complaint. The parties have reached a settlement in that lawsuit.
In a suburb where more than a quarter of the population is African-American, some cite the lack of diversity in South Bend's police force as a source of tension.
Of the 250 officers in 2014, only 25 were black, fewer than 10 were Hispanic and 20 were female, according to a local Fox affiliate.
The city also faces several sex and race discrimination lawsuits filed by current police officers, and have settled three lawsuits involving allegations of racially motivated hate speech by police officers, according to the South Bend Tribune.
This year, however, officials implemented a plan to hire more minorities on the police force. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said there will be "no quick fixes, no silver bullets," but he promised a "sustainable change," the Tribune reported.
Peter Agostino, the lawyer for the police officers and the city in the lawsuit filed by the Franklins, said that the case isn't about racial injustice, but about a lack of evidence.
Although the jury found constitutional violations, there was no evidence presented in court that supported the amount of damages that the Franklins were seeking.
He said the Franklins asked for more than US$1 million in damages.
In civil rights lawsuits, damages are usually measured by medical bills, lost wages, property damage, post-traumatic stress, psychological treatment, impairment and others, Agostino said.
But in this case, no such evidence was presented, so the jury awarded the plaintiffs the default amount of US$1, he said.
"You can say that they experienced a deprivation of their constitutional rights," Agostino said.
"But other than the deprivation of constitutional rights, the jury did not find other damages that go along with that," he said. "They did exactly what they were instructed to do. They applied the law and determined the facts."
According to Agostino, the city did offer US$15,000 to settle the case.
Johnny Ulmer, the Franklins' lawyer, was not available for comment on Monday. But he told the Star that damages for other similar cases are between US$100,000 and US$300,000.
"If they would have put an amount on the table that I felt was appropriate, we would have settled," Ulmer told the Star.
"What happened that night, the physical abuse that DeShawn suffered - they were slapping my clients in the face with the offer they put out there."
Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor who has dealt with cases on excessive use of force, said lawsuits that usually garner big damages involve excessive force that are "so out of proportion that the jury was just shocked."
In the Franklins' case, although it appeared that the jurors agreed the officers used excessive force, it didn't rise to the level that would justify a big amount.
Still, Saltzburg said the amount that the Franklins received doesn't send much of a message to law enforcement about using excessive force.
"I would've expected most juries to have awarded several thousand dollars," Saltzburg said. "It doesn't seem adequate for an illegal entry into a home and for excessive force. It's so low. You can't go any lower. US$18 says, 'We don't really think much of these rights that were violated.' It's an unusually low figure."
Across the US, the 10 largest police departments have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in cases involving police misconduct from 2010 to 2014.
New York City, which tops the list, paid US$601.3 million in misconduct cases, according to the Wall Street Journal. Chicago was a distant second, paying US$249.7 million. Washington at No. 6, paid US$30.5 million.
Buttigieg, the city's mayor, said the US$15,000 that was offered would have been an appropriate settlement, adding that the officers did acknowledge they made a mistake.
"One thing that's really important is that people don't get the impression that civil rights are not taken seriously and that constitutional rights are not valued," Buttigieg said.
He added that, after the incident, police officers went through training on fair and impartial policing. He also called DeShawn Franklin an "outstanding young man."
"I really want him to feel that he has a place here in South Bend, and that the city cares about him," Buttigieg said. "Anything that takes away from that is an example of what we've got to deal with. So long as there is any sense among any part of our community that they don't feel equal, we've got work to do."
DeShawn Franklin now works at the University of Notre Dame, where he sets up equipment and moves furniture. He plans to attend a community college to pursue a general studies degree or possibly study business.
He said the meagre settlement he and his family received is hard for him to accept, but it is also out of his control.
"No one would feel it's appropriate for your constitutional rights to be valued at a dollar," he said. "I can't really say how much it would be worth, but no one's life is really worth that amount of money, you know."
All he can do now, he said, is move on.
"You got to still get up and try to make the best of every situation you have," he said.
- The Washington Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83746984/Innocent-black-man-punched-Tasered-and-arrested-by-police-Jury-award-him-25 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/f365f0fa62a073072c7f7dd8383860df6d4a9b6b8141ad0a593f45e4fab83eda.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:50:21 | null | 2016-08-26T20:35:27 | Australian Rugby Union boss admits he's not sure how many Super Rugby teams will exist beyond next season. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fsuper-rugby%2F83626712%2FBill-Pulver-won-t-rule-out-cutting-Super-Rugby-teams-amid-SANZAAR-review-process.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/x/e/7/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dses8.png/1472243727977.jpg | en | null | Bill Pulver won't rule out cutting Super Rugby teams amid SANZAAR review process | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Bill Pulver won't rule out cutting Super Rugby teams amid SANZAAR review process
GETTY IMAGES Pulver also refused to offer any assurances that sections of Australia's modest but devoted rugby community would not lose their team.
The future of Australia's professional rugby landscape is clouded with uncertainty after ARU boss Bill Pulver admitted he was not sure how many Australian Super Rugby teams would exist beyond next season.
The Sanzaar joint venture is in the midst of a major independent review into the structure of the Super Rugby competition, the results of which are expected to be known by the end of the year.
A 16-team model that would see Australia and South Africa each surrender one licence, potentially as early as 2018, has been discussed at ARU board level. Pulver, only two years ago a staunch defender of the ARU's five-team "national footprint" model, said he suspected Australia would retain five Super Rugby licences but admitted he was "not sure yet".
"I suspect there will be [five teams] but I'm not sure yet," he said. "There is a process going on in Sanzaar, work that's being done with Accenture, to determine the future of the Super Rugby competition and really all aspects of the game. We'll wait and see what comes back from that feedback.
READ MORE:
* Former NZ Rugby boss Moffett says NZ may have to sacrifice a Super Rugby team
* Australia, South Africa drop teams?
* Sanzaar plots 10 year plan and more change in 2018 as major review begins
* Derbies don't pay the bills
* Tew issues ultimatum on global season
"I've always been a fan of a national footprint, I think it's difficult to shrink a game to greatness, but we are one voice at a Sanzaar level, so you've got all the other countries that will be part of that discussion."
There also appears to be considerable uncertainty at the top of the code's administration about what is Australia's preferred model. Board insiders refused to venture an opinion on whether Australia should go to four teams, while Pulver admitted he was not sure if there was any proposed structure the ARU would rule out.
"It's a good question, there might be, I just don't know what they are at this particular point in time," he said.
"Obviously we need to ensure financial outcomes that are acceptable and high performance outcomes that are acceptable, and fan-based outcomes that are acceptable. It's a little early to judge yet but we're not here to approve blandly whatever comes forward. In fairness to Accenture they're doing that research very comprehensively. I doubt that they'll put any ridiculous models up that people are going to walk away from."
Pulver also refused to offer any assurances that sections of Australia's modest but devoted rugby community would not lose their team.
"They're totally engaged in the process, so they've been the recipients of a great deal of review with Accenture, all of their input has been included," he said. "We've also got a nice close relationship with the provinces, they pretty well know in real time where this discussion is going. We'll all be a little wiser come the end of the year when these recommendations come together."
The ARU's prevarication, even so early on in the review process, raises the possibility that it would be prepared to accept a competition structure with a reduced Australian presence if Sanzaar guaranteed no financial disadvantage when it came time to divide up lucrative future broadcast deals. Two years ago, Pulver called such an arrangement, which would allow the ARU to carve a chunk off its cost base with minimal impact on revenue, a "pipe dream". On Friday, he emphasised the solid relationships between the joint venture partners, who would all need to agree to any proposed new competition structure.
"There are very good quality relationships at Sanzaar level, to the point now where I think we each understand the respective issues of the other," he said.
- Sydney Morning Herald | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/83626712/Bill-Pulver-won-t-rule-out-cutting-Super-Rugby-teams-amid-SANZAAR-review-process | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/6bcce428e47cd6a5658fc14bb6319a529d4568eb8a65355be2b06d277a51ecda.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:04 | null | 2016-08-28T16:24:20 | NZ's bid for a series win falls apart with a mammoth first innings deficit as the Proteas continue to flourish. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2F83649783%2FBlack-Caps-in-strife-after-three-wicket-burst-maintains-South-Africas-control.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/x/z/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dswl3.png/1472401469324.jpg | en | null | Black Caps in strife after three wicket burst maintains South Africa's control | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Black Caps in strife after three wicket burst maintains South Africa's control
PHOTOSPORT Opener Tom Latham appeared unlucky to be given out for four on day two of the second cricket test with South Africa at Centurion.
Faf du Plessis and Neil Wagner enjoyed satisfying homecomings at the ground that moulded their cricketing careers, though the South African captain predictably had the widest grin as New Zealand's bid for a maiden series win at Centurion virtually disintegrated.
Rather than beckon, history looks destined to repeat on the highveld as the Proteas maintained a vice-like grip on the second and final test at SuperSport Park on Sunday after du Plessis negated his former schoolmate's fourth five-wicket haul with a relentless unbeaten century.
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT Black Caps captain Kane Williamson's decision to bowl first has backfired after South Africa built an imposing first innings total to control the second test at Centurion.
Du Plessis' return to form with a patient 112 was then complemented in a short order by the Black Caps' long-term tormentors Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn as New Zealand were in survival mode at 38-3 at stumps on day two.
Already unlikely to be in a position to orchestrate a rare victory over the Proteas after their hosts amassed 481-8 declared after Kane Williamson opted to bowl first, the Black Caps were headed for a third successive defeat at the venue with nine sessions remaining - and no rain forecast.
READ MORE:
* South Africa v Black Caps Live: Day 2, Second Test
* Black toss away initiative
* Series decider no lottery says Williamson
* Black Caps aiming for history
* Black Caps ready to strike
* ISIS targeted Aussie cricketers
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT Neil Wagner led the Black Caps attack on his old home ground against South Africa with the fourth five-wicket haul of his career at Centurion.
Having laboured almost two days in the field, openers Martin Guptill [8] and Tom Latham [4] then had only fleeting time at the crease before trudging off inside five overs.
While Guptill edged Philander to second slip, Latham's demise was controversial after third umpire Richard Illingworth gave the opener caught behind out to a Steyn delivery that appeared to brush his trouser pocket.
Steyn gets one through Latham, huge appeal for ct behind & they review. Snicko shows a tiny feint blip & he's given... 13/2 #savnz ^WN — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 28, 2016
LEE WARREN/GALLO IMAGES Proteas captain Faf du Plessis signalled a return to form with an unbeaten 112 to top score in South Africa's mammoth first innings against New Zealand at Centurion.
Australian umpire Paul Reiffel rejected the initial appeal but the South African's were convinced and Illingworth upheld their review after replay technology displayed faint, though inconclusive, contact.
Ultimately Latham's exit should be immaterial as South Africa's quicks unsettled the Black Caps top order from the outset, particularly Ross Taylor who took his first two deliveries from Steyn on the body before running himself out for a single 10 deliveries later.
Steyn welcomes Taylor with back to back nasty bouncers which strike him on the shoulder & arm. Tough Test cricket this! 13/2 #savnz ^WN — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 28, 2016
MUZI NTOMBELA/PHOTOSPORT JP Duminy emerged from a run drought with his second half century in 16 innings since he made an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in July 2014.
Taylor, who had racked up 366 runs without being dismissed on tour, succumbed to a rare misjudgment when short leg Temba Bavuma hit the stumps after the former captain rushed to get off strike and was turned back by Williamson.
New Zealand's quest to prolong the contest now rest with the Black Caps skipper, who resumes on 15 alongside Henry Nicholls [6].
Du Plessis, meanwhile can relax after justifying his recall and leadership responsibility despite averaging 15.58 in the seven tests heading into this series.
The 32-year-old, who last celebrated a century against the West Indies during the Boxing Day test of 2014 in Durban, had a life on 18 when dropped by Nicholls on the square leg boundary in the morning session and then zeroed in on his fifth test ton.
He eventually batted 234 balls and struck a dozen boundaries and two sixes, the first of which eluded Nicholls' grasp.
Resuming on 283-3 South Africa built an imposing lead with relative ease and when du Plessis reached his fifty it was just the second time in South Africa's test history the top five batsmen all recorded half centuries.
Du Plessis needed 130 balls to post his half century and required another 95 before acknowledging his milestone with an exuberant leap and exhortation.
100 for Faf du Plessis on his home ground. A well played captain's knock. 225 balls. 444/7 #savnz ^WN pic.twitter.com/2qKsHE7Cp7 — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 28, 2016
Wagner also had cause for celebration when the Pretoria-born, Dunedin-domiciled left-armer secured his fifth wicket when bending back Philander's off stump.
Unsurprisingly the 30-year-old was the Black Caps most combative and effective seamer though Trent Boult deserved at least a wicket conceding only three runs per over from 35.4 overs of toil.
Boult was the unlucky bowler when du Plessis's near dismissal turned into the first of his brace of sixes while he would have Duminy lbw for 20 had Williamson challenged Ian Gould's decision.
Duminy made the most of his let-off to advance to 88 - his most productive innings since an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in July 2014 - and looked set for a hundred until he edged an ungainly pull to BJ Watling to give Tim Southee belated reward.
Wagner started the day with 2-51 from 22 overs and enhanced his figures to 5-86 from 39 by adding Bavuma [8] and Stiaan van Zyl [35] to his scalps before breaching Philander's defences.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/83649783/Black-Caps-in-strife-after-three-wicket-burst-maintains-South-Africas-control | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/02807dec665dc902474724206e95317145cb42461662dfe94acabddb28949541.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T20:51:04 | null | 2016-08-28T20:24:41 | Vintage Car Club's first charity rally was 'worthwhile'. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fmotoring%2F83642888%2FCharity-rally-likely-to-become-annual-event.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/t/v/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsr9k.png/1472415882069.jpg | en | null | Charity rally likely to become annual event | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Charity rally likely to become annual event
John Bisset South Canterbury Vintage Car Club's Monster Rally to raise money for the Cancer Society.
About 120 cars took part in the South Canterbury Vintage Car Club's first Monster Car Rally on Sunday and it looks set to become an annual event.
The club held it to raise money for the Cancer Society and Hospice.
"We would like more, but then it was for charity so you always want more, don't you ... at that number it was worthwhile," club chairman John Foster said
JOHN BISSET/FAIRFAX NZ Pictured in a 1951 Bradford are Allan Averis and Helen Cholmondeley. The pair were taking part in the South Canterbury Vintage Car Club's Monster Car Rally.
The club covered the costs associated with the rally and all money taken would be donated in equal amounts to the Cancer Society and Hospice.
"We ran this thing as something that we could do for the community, that's what it was all about."
Foster said it was "quite likely" the rally would become an annual event.
There were a few stalls set up selling sausages and coffee, which were also going to donate a percentage of their takings to the charities, Foster said.
"The Cancer Society and Hospice will do alright out of it ... I hope they get at least a couple of thousand each."
The rally began at Caroline Bay on Sunday morning, and made its way to Mt Peel.
"We're very lucky with the weather, it's a lovely day up here," he said.
Foster said all car types were welcome to attend the event and there were a number of vintage and classic cars.
"It was all sorts because it was open to everybody, from old to new. Anybody who wanted to bring a car was welcome to.
"I think everybody enjoyed themselves."
South Canterbury Cancer Society centre manager Leola Smith attended the rally in the morning.
"I think it was certainly a really good turnout. There were lots of beautiful vintage cars there."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/83642888/Charity-rally-likely-to-become-annual-event | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e682a01cbd6aa99f3e0005eb5b6b3d6e3d333c371d552c60438da3b3f946e270.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:52:53 | null | 2016-08-31T07:03:52 | It's the intersection that puzzles Wellington motorists, so what exactly are the rules? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fmotoring%2F83746463%2FExplainer-Whats-the-big-problem-at-Wellingtons-most-puzzling-intersection.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/o/a/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duz6n.png/1472633626875.jpg | en | null | Explainer: What's the big problem at Wellington's most puzzling intersection? | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Explainer: What's the big problem at Wellington's most puzzling intersection?
MONIQUE FORD/Stuff.co.nz Wellington City Council is looking to put traffic lights at a well known four-way intersection in Wellington: the corner of Cuba and Abel Smith streets. Some locals feel it is unnecessary.
Wellington City Council is going to spend $200,000 on traffic lights for the city's most puzzling intersection, at Cuba and Abel Smith streets.
The crossroads is controlled at present by four separate stop signs, leaving many motorists wondering who has the right to go first.
So at least until the lights are installed, what are the rules?
MONIQUE FORD / Fairfax NZ Some local business owners say the intersection is too dangerous for pedestrians.
Basically, give way to your right, say the NZ Transport Agency and the Automobile Association. AA motoring affairs general manager Mike Noon says: "The first thing you must do is stop, because that's the law. The second thing is you should make eye contact with the other drivers. Often it can be a simple shrug or an indication of what move they're going to make. You are trying to get someone to move. If it's all blocked up, it becomes a courtesy call of who should go first."
READ MORE: Council to install lights at Cuba St and Abel Smith St intersection in Wellington
If four cars arrive at the same time, who should do what?
MONIQUE FORD / Fairfax NZ The intersection of Cuba St and Abel Smith St Wellington is one of the roading quirks of the capital.
Always give way to the right. Give way to any traffic not turning if you would be turning across their line of travel. In the unlikely scenario that four motorists all arrive at the four points of the intersection at exactly the same time, and all are wanting to travel straight ahead, common sense and courtesy would prevail.
What are the big mistakes drivers make at intersections?
Using the wrong lane, turning into the wrong lane, failing to signal, failing to give way, and not stopping when they should.
MONIQUE FORD/ FAIRFAX NZ Opinion is split on plans to install traffic lights at the intersection of Cuba and Abel Smith streets.
Why are locals divided on the subject?
"I don't think traffic lights will sort anything out, it'll just create more congestion," says Hamish Halley, owner of the Flesh Wound body piercing studio on Cuba St.
"It's definitely going to cause lots of problems, and loss of car parking as well.
"Leave it as it is, but [have] better driver education – it's pretty simple. And also more police monitoring would make a difference, because every time a cop stands on the corner, people stop properly."
But Steven Frater, of Hireace on Abel Smith St, said he was surprised there had not been more accidents at the site, and he had witnessed more than one incident of road rage.
"I've seen truck drivers get out ready to hit people. I've seen cars both turning at the same time and stop, right nose to nose with each other.
"So there's been heaps of close incidents."
The intersection caused "total confusion", and the problem was not helped by pedestrians treating Cuba St like a mall, he said.
He would have preferred a roundabout, but lights were a good option.
"Traffic lights is never the ideal solution. But it's just too small an intersection for a roundabout, so I think traffic lights is the only other way to fix it."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/83746463/Explainer-Whats-the-big-problem-at-Wellingtons-most-puzzling-intersection | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a4d8f608ee74c323f24be5b2b22a95fae10ee98f3269d6fc62da2af09264f418.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:32 | null | 2015-12-21T15:39:34 | An artist submerged a dress in the Dead Sea for 3 months - and the result is pretty astonishing. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fweddings%2F83662972%2FHow-the-Dead-Sea-transformed-a-wedding-dress.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/7/w/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt6rg.png/1472429808299.jpg | en | null | How the Dead Sea transformed a wedding dress | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | How the Dead Sea transformed a wedding dress
Instagram/ @marlborough_contemporary Three months later, the wedding dress was pulled out of the Dead Sea.
Israeli artist Sigalit Landau and her partner, Yotam From have created a series of eight colour prints documenting the transition of a black dress submerged into the Dead Sea for three months.
The dress is a replica worn by a young bride in a 100-year-old Yiddish play. Landau and From took underwater photos of the transformation in a series called, Salt Bride.
Pretty Strong #Fall2015 #ElmaHotel #StrongWill #SigalitLandau #Style A photo posted by @mayanegri on Dec 21, 2015 at 7:39am PST
"By submerging Leah's dress in the Dead Sea, it is transformed underwater as salt crystals gradually adhere to the fabric," a press release from Marlborough Contemporary reads. "Over time, the sea's alchemy transforms the plain garment from a symbol associated with death and madness into the wedding dress it was always intended to be."
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"Landau's practice is deeply connected with the Dead Sea. The artist shot some of her most iconic videos in its water, and has been experimenting with the salt crystallisation of objects for years.
"The Dead Sea – the lifeless, lowest place on earth, in which the dress was immersed in one state, and from which it was pulled out in a very different form," the press release added.
Studio Landau lifting "Small Salt Bride" from the waters of the Dead Sea. Photo: Matanya Tausig #SaltBride #SigalitLandau #Salt #DeadSea #marlboroughcontemporary A photo posted by Marlborough Contemporary (@marlborough_contemporary) on Aug 3, 2016 at 6:55am PDT
Landau's website showcases the full set of objects she has created salt art with.
"Over the years, I learnt more and more about this low and strange place. Still the magic is there waiting for us: new experiments, ideas and understandings," she said.
"It looks like snow, like sugar, like death's embrace; solid tears, like a white surrender to fire and water combined."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/weddings/83662972/How-the-Dead-Sea-transformed-a-wedding-dress | en | 2015-12-21T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/453dd3f61bacb7cd89d84137a809f650b9e1f023bca473e351b31edea5e81604.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T20:51:25 | null | 2016-08-28T19:12:31 | Kiwi world No 1 golfer on the charge in Calgary in her first tournament back from Rio. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fgolf%2F83652230%2FLive-Lydia-Ko-final-round-at-Canadian-Pacific-Womens-Open.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/h/c/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsyh2.png/1472411551958.jpg | en | null | Live: Lydia Ko final round at Canadian Pacific Women's Open | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Live: Lydia Ko final round at Canadian Pacific Women's Open
GETTY IMAGES Lydia Ko tees off at the 6th in the Canadian Pacific Women's Open at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.
Kiwi world No 1 golfer Lydia Ko is on the charge in Calgary at the Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in her first LPGA tournament back from Rio, chasing victory at the Canadian Pacific Women's Open in Alberta.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/83652230/Live-Lydia-Ko-final-round-at-Canadian-Pacific-Womens-Open | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a0df49df3b12ac6f59ba95ce8c08cc95259cd1edcb753deff2990bd172c08e49.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:51:01 | null | 2016-08-28T13:29:06 | More than 40 people infected in locally-transmitted cases, including 36 foreign construction workers. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Fasia%2F83650927%2FDozens-of-locally-transmitted-Zika-virus-cases-in-Singapore-outbreak.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/9/k/a/7/p/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxgv.png/1472395224977.jpg | en | null | Dozens of locally-transmitted Zika virus cases in Singapore outbreak | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Dozens of locally-transmitted Zika virus cases in Singapore outbreak
JOSUE DECAVELE/REUTERS Zika virus is transmitted through bites from the same kind of mosquitoes that can spread other tropical diseases, like dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever.
Singapore has confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus, mostly among foreign construction workers, and said it expected more cases to be identified.
All but seven of those infected have fully recovered, the health ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on Sunday. Those seven remain in hospital.
On Saturday, authorities had confirmed a 47-year-old Malaysian woman living in southeastern Singapore as the city-state's first case of a local transmission of the virus - which in Brazil has been linked to a rare birth defect.
The authorities said they tested 124 people, primarily foreign construction workers employed on a site in the same part of Singapore.
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That site has been ordered to halt work, and workers' dormitories are being inspected. Seventy-eight people tested negative and five cases were pending. Thirty-four patients had fully recovered.
Four Singaporean men had developed symptoms of the virus in the past week and were hospitalised on Saturday. It was not clear where the foreign workers were from or when their cases were detected. Singapore hosts a large contingent of workers from the Asian sub-continent.
None of those infected had travelled recently to Zika-affected areas. "This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place," the statement said.
The ministry "cannot rule out further community transmission since some of those tested positive also live or work in other parts of Singapore," the statement said. "We expect to identify more positive cases."
Singapore, a major regional financial centre and busy transit hub, which maintains a constant vigil against the mosquito-borne dengue virus, reported its first case of the Zika virus in May, brought in by a middle-aged man who had been to Brazil.
CLEAN-UP
Singapore deployed around 200 NEA officers to clean drains and spray insecticide in the mainly residential area early on Sunday to counter mosquito breeding grounds, and volunteers and contractors handed out leaflets and insect repellent.
Zika, carried by some mosquitoes, was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked in Brazil to more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly - where babies are born with small heads.
All medical services in Singapore had been alerted "to be extra vigilant" and immediately report any Zika-associated symptoms to the health ministry.
Local residents welcomed the NEA clean-up on Sunday.
"I'm very scared of mosquitoes because they always seem to bite me, they never bite my husband," Janice, 31, who gave only her first name, told Reuters. "This concerns me because maybe in a couple of years I want to have another (child)."
REGIONAL RISK
Singapore said there were "ongoing local transmission" cases in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Other countries in the region to have detected the Zika virus since 2013 include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives and the Philippines, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Malaysia said on Sunday it stepped up surveillance at main transit points with Singapore - handing out leaflets on Zika prevention and having paramedics ready to handle visitors with potential symptoms of the virus.
In Thailand, where close to 100 cases of Zika have been recorded across 10 provinces this year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) was screening athletes returning from the Olympic Games in Brazil, but was not otherwise changing its prevention measures.
"Every country in this region has Zika transmission cases," said Prasert Thongcharoen, an adviser to the DDC. "Thailand has, however, managed to contain the problem through early detection."
A foreign ministry spokesman said Indonesia was "following developments". Oskar Pribadi, a health ministry official, said there had been no recent Zika cases in the country.
Vietnam has to date reported three cases of locally-transmitted Zika infection.
The current strain of Zika sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean originated in Asia, where people may have built up greater immunity.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/83650927/Dozens-of-locally-transmitted-Zika-virus-cases-in-Singapore-outbreak | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d880f27fbda268866dd6884a8d2c17e82df6a539b1cd0e321ae60438be609d29.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:17 | null | 2016-08-27T06:43:29 | Silver Ferns start new Quad Series in style with an impressive victory over England at Vector Arena. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fnetball%2F83633232%2FSilver-Ferns-trounce-England-to-kickstart-Janine-Southbys-new-era.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/k/o/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsjtc.png/1472280209972.jpg | en | null | Silver Ferns trounce England to kickstart Janine Southby's new era | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Silver Ferns trounce England to kickstart Janine Southby's new era
Simon Watts Silver Ferns shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio nails a goal under pressure.
If this is the new era, keep it coming.
The Silver Ferns ensured Janine Southby's first match in charge was one to remember, putting England to the sword at Auckland's Vector Arena, and shining a bright light on the future with a surprisingly comfortable 65-39 win.
With pace and panache aplenty, the youthful Ferns belied their experience (332 caps to England's 480) to put on some stunning plays and gel together after just three days' preparation. Not bad for a bunch with an average age of 25.
Southby had to wait nine months since being appointed and admitted to nerves before her first test at the helm. She need not have worried; her fledging combinations blended and embraced a confident style from the opening whistle to crush the English.
Sure, England were average, underwhelming even, at times, but the attitude of the Ferns to let the ball go was pleasing to see. That is, after all, how netball should be played. And the 4700 fans loved every minute.
There were no stutter steps as the changing of the guard stepped forward.
Shannon Francois, pushed into the starting wing attack role as Grace Rasmussen recovered from illness, grabbed her chance in the first half. Her energy and feeding vision set the tone for a quality start that saw the Ferns establish a 17-8 first quarter lead. From then on, it was never a fair fight.
Katrina Grant, in her first match as the 26th Ferns captain, chimed in alongside Kayla Cullen with a couple of intercepts. You would never have know Grant also fought off illness this week.
The Ferns were all over England throughout, and the frustration on the face of the likes of visiting shooter Jo Harten was clear. And it only got worse when they went to the sheds trailing 30-18 at the break.
At the shooting end, where Maria Tutaia was missing, Bailey Mes and Ameliaranne Ekenasio combined nicely. Mes cut the circle, made space and snaffled rebounds; Ekenasio assumed Tutaia's role of dropping in long bombs with a beautiful shot. Interestingly, the pair shared the shooting load rather evenly (Mes 40/43 and Ekenasio 23/31) until Ekenasio made way in the final quarter.
No doubt, they will be given every chance to strengthen their relationship in this series.
Jane Watson, called up as a late replacement this week for Anna Harrison, made an immediate impression on debut, despite enjoying just one training session with the Ferns since arriving in camp.
Injected for the second half, Watson nabbed three intercepts and linked better with Grant than Phoenix Karaka did in the first spell.
Tight zone defence in midcourt forced England to make changes for the final quarter but the Ferns kept the pressure on.
Their dominance was epitomised with Southby able to hand Te Paea Selby-Rickit her test debut at goal attack in the final quarter.
Understandably, smiles and high fives spread among the Ferns as the match came to a close.
They couldn't have asked for a better start to a new four-year cycle.
The challenge now is to build on it, with Australia looming as the ultimate test.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/netball/83633232/Silver-Ferns-trounce-England-to-kickstart-Janine-Southbys-new-era | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/71fff4244fbb602e27875250d7d0ffebb120bed32de3d253721e6c13219a5f45.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T02:52:22 | null | 2016-08-31T01:34:11 | He's worn it to dinner with Willie Apiata and to visit John Key. Adams is obsessed. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Ffashion%2F83754974%2FSteven-Adams-is-obsessed-with-his-camo-jacket.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/u/a/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dv5r2.png/1472607251859.jpg | en | null | Steven Adams is obsessed with his camo jacket | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Steven Adams is obsessed with his camo jacket
FACEBOOK Looking sharp in the prime minister's office, it's Steven Adams and his definite favourite jacket.
We talk a lot in fashion about the cost per wear. Sure, that leather jacket might be $700, but it you wear it three times a week for 10 years, you're getting your money's worth in a big way.
Maybe that's what's going on with Steven Adams.
The Oklahoma City Thunder centre is, as far as I can tell, addicted to his camouflage hunting jacket. In recent days he's worn it to visit Prime Minister John Key at the Beehive, have dinner with New Zealand's only Victoria Cross-holder Willie Apiata, and pop in on some school kids in Taita.
MARK TANTRUM PHOTOGRAPHY Steven Adams, surrounded by fans and wearing his jacket in Taita.
If you go back a little further, he also wore it while fishing in a OKC video released in May. Of all those occasions, that's got to be the most appropriate from a function point of view.
READ MORE:
* NBA star Steven Adams and Kiwi military legend Willie Apiata dine in Queenstown
* Steven Adams in 'The Kiwi Way'
* Basketballer Steven Adams came to Taita
That said, Apiata has worn his fair share of camo, so he probably gets it. From the looks of things, the pair dined at Brazz Steakhouse in Queenstown. They say they have a "relaxed and welcoming environment," which sounds pretty camo-friendly.
FAIRFAX NZ The jacket pops up again in Queenstown.
It'd also be a perfectly acceptable choice for visiting a sports centre, as Adams did on August 30. That was the same day he said hi to Key, which probably explains his less-than-formal choice for visiting our nation's leader.
Of course, Key's whole brand is that he's supposedly the type of bloke you could have a beer with, so he's not likely to have been offended.
I'm sure Adams owns other jackets, but who among us hasn't gotten completely hooked on one piece of clothing?
Pictured here with MP Todd Barclay, Steven Adams and his jacket enjoyed a Queenstown dinner.
This jacket is definitely more hunting camo than army surplus, and Adams has a matching cap OKC cap. He's clearly into it.
If you're seeing these pictures and thinking he's got a pretty strong look, our best guess for the jacket's origins is the outdoors brand Stoney Creek. Adams' exact model isn't on the site anymore, but this one is a bestseller at $349.99.
It's not what I'd usually think of when considering New Zealand fashion, but good on him for buying locally.
FAIRFAX NZ The camouflage factor isn't exactly going to work by the sea, but Steven Adams' choice makes a bit more sense for fishing.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/83754974/Steven-Adams-is-obsessed-with-his-camo-jacket | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/78294daec2ee47e1c76224a0bc49d100384afb2fcd1e65a6714b6b8bb6f2b745.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:52:08 | null | 2016-08-30T00:38:27 | Australian-born British aristocrat in Las Vegas jail facing charges that could put him in prison for up to 14 years. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83713237%2FBritish-duke-faces-US-charges.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/5/h/y/p/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du9jp.png/1472517507522.jpg | en | null | British duke faces US charges | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | British duke faces US charges
Renee Barnes Alexander Montagu-Manchester identified himself to detectives as the 13th Duke of Manchester, said Las Vegas police Officer Laura Meltzer, a department spokeswoman.
An Australian-born British duke is in jail in the US before three court appearances this week on charges that could put him in prison for up to 14 years.
Alexander Montagu-Manchester identified himself to detectives as the 13th Duke of Manchester, said Las Vegas police Officer Laura Meltzer, a department spokeswoman.
Montagu-Manchester, 53, is due to face a judge on Tuesday (Wednesday, NZT) on a burglary charge stemming from a break-in at a home in July.
Police said he was found shirtless about 2.30am in a neighbouring home shortly after the burglary was reported, and said he lived there.
Montagu-Manchester also is scheduled in court on Wednesday in a separate false police report case that led to his arrest on August 12. He's been jailed since then.
He will face another judge on Thursday in a misdemeanour driving under the influence of drugs case from 2015.
Prosecutor Eric Bauman said he's accused of having high levels of the muscle-relaxant benzodiazepine in his system at the time.
Meltzer said police reports didn't specify Montagu-Manchester's citizenship.
A man who answered the phone for the British consulate in Los Angeles said on Friday he could not give information about Montagu-Manchester without his authorisation.
Montagu-Manchester is represented by separate court-appointed public defenders in his three cases.
Lawyers Justin Glasgow, Jennifer Fraser and Robert O'Brien, who are representing him, said in an email on Monday that the charges involve unproved allegations, and that Montagu-Manchester will plead not guilty in each case.
Montagu-Manchester resolved a felony bad cheque charge in Las Vegas in 2013 without being convicted after paying restitution, court records said.
That came after Montagu-Manchester several months earlier pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge alleging he pointed a gun at someone. The charge was dismissed after he completed a court diversion programme.
According to The Peerage website, Montagu-Manchester was born in Australia and attended Geelong Grammar School.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83713237/British-duke-faces-US-charges | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/6dc09669bd654bcd23b149e7216274df3fdd57818a535accca6366b857e8c6fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:51:59 | null | 2016-08-29T22:43:45 | Kiwi NBA star passes time during NZ road trip with rousing rendition of Backstreet Boys song. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fbasketball%2F83704391%2FCarpool-karaoke-with-Steven-Adams-as-Kiwi-NBA-star-belts-out-Backstreet-Boys.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/2/v/f/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du2pz.png/1472510625758.jpg | en | null | Carpool karaoke with Steven Adams as Kiwi NBA star belts out Backstreet Boys | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Carpool karaoke with Steven Adams as Kiwi NBA star belts out Backstreet Boys
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER/FACEBOOK Steven Adams seems like he really enjoyed road tripping back in his home country.
Steven Adams is clearly a big Backstreet Boys fan after belting out his own version of carpool karaoke during his road trip around New Zealand.
Long drives can be tedious affairs, but not with the Kiwi NBA star around as Adams led his van with a rousing rendition of the American boy band's single 'I Want It That Way'.
And Adams seemed in his element, needing little help with the lyrics in the video posted on the Oklahoma City Thunder's Facebook page.
CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX NZ It seems Kiwi NBA star Steven Adams is a big fan of the Backstreet Boys.
Adams is in New Zealand with Thunder teammates Nick Collison and Andre Roberson conducting training camps for Kiwi youngsters in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington.
READ MORE:
* Adams plays hero to shy kid
* If the cap fits.....
* Steven Adams came to Taita
On Monday, the trio visited Prime Minister John Key at the Beehive with Adams presenting Key with one of his No 12 playing shirts and also taking the chance to sit in the prime ministerial chair.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/83704391/Carpool-karaoke-with-Steven-Adams-as-Kiwi-NBA-star-belts-out-Backstreet-Boys | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c7669fde6b68e23aa1e55451d0b48b301b2fc2e7384379b19b4e103218c28d50.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:40 | null | 2016-08-26T23:44:08 | Popular blogger Constance Hall overwhelmed by kindness after receiving death threats for removing post. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fparenting%2F83627818%2FBlogger-Constance-Hall-swamped-with-support-over-Nic-Naitanui-blackface-threats.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/g/3/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsfmy.png/1472255049226.jpg | en | null | Blogger Constance Hall swamped with support over Nic Naitanui blackface threats | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Blogger Constance Hall swamped with support over Nic Naitanui blackface threats
Facebook/Constance Hall "I'm in a hotel room bathroom crying my eyes out on the floor," Hall wrote after the backlash.
Parenting blogger Constance Hall says she has been overwhelmed with support after receiving "death threats" for deleting a photo of a boy who donned blackface at a school event.
An Australian mother posted a photo on Hall's Facebook page of her son dressed up as Eagles star Nic Naitanui, with a black wig and his skin painted brown, for Book Week, in which children are asked to go to school as their favourite hero or book character.
The photo of the boy sparked widespread condemnation on social media and a call for education from injured Naitanui, who later volunteered to meet with the young boy.
FACEBOOK The mum's photo of her son in blackface sparked outrage.
Hall deleted the photo from her Facebook page, which has more than 890,000 followers, because she didn't agree with the "blackface".
Read more:
* Australian mum paints son in blackface for school costume competition - and wins
But the mother-of-four posted on her Facebook on Friday she was not prepared for the venomous attack she copped for removing it.
"I didn't think I was shaming her [the mother] at all, I clearly stated that I don't believe she is racist at all, she has a beautiful son with a great hero," she said.
"I just don't think we should paint our kids in blackface if it offends and hurts people.
"Now I have never received so much abuse in my life. I am being called a c**t from her family, I have received death threats, I ban them and they start new accounts, they are relentless. I have been called every name under the sun, called a fake, told that I am too big for my boots over and over again.
"I thought I had my anxiety under control but I feel like I can't breath [sic]."
But Hall later took to Facebook to thank people for their overwhelming support in the wake of the backlash, with more than 11,000 people commenting on her post.
She said complete strangers had hugged her on the streets of her hometown of Fremantle.
"You guys have changed everything," she wrote.
"I got dressed. I didn't think I could. But I checked out of the hotel and I was hugged in the lobby by a beautiful woman, I cried again but it was such a relief.
"So I want you to know that all of these messages and supportive comments have reached me.
"So far in the last hour I have been hugged by three strangers in Freo. I feel like those hugs are coming from all of you, you have reached me. You'll never know how much you mean to me.
"Thank you so much."
The woman who originally posted the picture of her son dressed in blackface, said she decided to paint the primary school student despite being afraid of backlash from "politically correct extremists".
"Today I have been called every single name under the sun, labelled as something I'm not," the mother posted on her Facebook page on Thursday night.
"Had my words twisted into other people's negative interpretations.
"But I have also received literally a hundred inboxes [sic] from amazing women all over the world ... sending me inspirational messages to make me smile.
"This makes me believe there is still a little hope for humanity."
The mother later told Radio 6PR reporter Lisa Barnes, "having to explain to my nine-year-old what's going on was heartbreaking, his response 'I dream of being Nic Nat, I just wanted to look like him for one day'."
In the woman's original post on Thursday, she boasted how she "painted my boy brown and he looked fanf---ingtastic" - describing the moment as a "parenting win".
"He is pastey white and if I just sent him in a wig and footy gear, no one would tell who he was," she said.
"So I grew a set of balls and painted my boy brown.
"After being told by everyone on Facebook not to do it and it's a horrible idea etc, my son won the f---ing parade!"
But it is understood as many as 50 children may have been rewarded for their costumes.
Naitanui - an AFL multicultural ambassador - tried to defuse the the controversy with a calm and measured post on Friday.
Honestly I've encouraged this mistake in the past but I'm now educated of its origins.lets grow together #BookWeek pic.twitter.com/syvDibeWSS — Nic Naitanui (@RealNaitanui) August 25, 2016
"The young bloods innocence merely attempting to emulate his hero hurts my heart. Especially when that hero is me!" he wrote.
"It's a shame racism co-exists in an environment where our children should be nurtured not tortured because they are unaware of the painful historical significance "blackface" has had previously on the oppressed.
"I don't believe the mother had any intention to cause harm, just wanted her kid to simply be 'Nic Nat', however (she) may reflect on this and choose an alternate method next time."
Naitanui later tweeted that he would "love to meet the little champion reader."
- Sydney Morning Herald | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/83627818/Blogger-Constance-Hall-swamped-with-support-over-Nic-Naitanui-blackface-threats | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/2ffb9cdb9c5bd55bfc826f95b60a46c69a7a6481ccf2d4f1980acc929c06e69d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:51:37 | null | 2016-08-29T18:05:16 | Top Clinton aide dumps her husband, a former US congressman who fell from grace in 2011 for sending women lewd texts. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83695162%2FAnthony-Weiner-dumped-by-wife-amid-new-sexting-scandal.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/v/o/o/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtvlm.png/1472493916576.jpg | en | null | Anthony Weiner dumped by wife amid new sexting scandal | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Anthony Weiner dumped by wife amid new sexting scandal
ERIC THAYER/REUTERS In one of the pictures, Anthony Weiner is in bed with his toddler son while he is texting the woman.
Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin said on Monday that she is separating from her husband, Anthony Weiner, after the former New York congressman was embroiled in yet another sexting scandal.
"After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband," Abedin, vice-chair of Clinton's presidential campaign, said in a statement issued by the campaign. "Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life."
The New York Post published photos late Sunday that it said Weiner had sent last year to a woman, whom it identified only as a "40-something divorcee" who lives "out West" and is a supporter of Donald Trump.
BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS Top Clinton aide Huma Abedin has had enough of her husband.
The photos included several shots of Weiner bare-chested and two close-ups of his bulging underpants. In one of the pictures, Weiner is in bed with his toddler son while he is texting the woman, according to the Post. The tabloid also ran sexually suggestive text messages that it said the two exchanged.
READ MORE:
* Anthony Weiner quits over sexting scandal
* Anthony Weiner blames lewd Twitter pic on hacker
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Weiner told the Post that he and the woman "have been friends for some time".
"She has asked me not to comment except to say that our conversations were private, often included pictures of her nieces and nephews and my son and were always appropriate," he told the newspaper.
Weiner didn't return a call, text or email from AP. Weiner deleted his Twitter account Monday.
EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Weiner sexted a busty brunette while his son was in bed with him https://t.co/f2C7tn1yoy pic.twitter.com/JNmerTREKD — New York Post (@nypost) August 29, 2016
The Post didn't say how it had obtained the photographs and messages.
Weiner, a Democrat, quit Congress in 2011 after it discovered that he was sending women sexually explicit messages. Weiner ran for mayor of New York in 2013, but that bid collapsed after it was reported that he was continuing to sext women.
Since then, Weiner has remained in the public eye, commenting on politics on a local cable news show. A documentary offering a cringe-inducing inside view of his mayoral campaign and its unraveling played in theaters earlier this year and is set to air on Showtime this fall.
In the documentary, Weiner allowed the camera crew extraordinary access even after the new scandal broke. His wife appeared stricken and deeply uncomfortable as the cameras continued to roll.
Abedin, 40, is a longtime aide and confidante to Clinton and is often referred to as Clinton's second daughter. She is widely expected to play an important role in Clinton's administration if the candidate is elected president.
Abedin began working for the former first lady as a White House intern and became a trusted aide and adviser as Clinton won a seat in the Senate representing New York in 2000, ran for president in 2008 and served as President Barack Obama's secretary of state.
She has been under scrutiny as part of the probe of Clinton's use of a private email system while she was secretary of state. Federal prosecutors declined to file charges in the investigation.
Abedin and Weiner were married in 2010 at a wedding officiated by former President Bill Clinton. They have a 4-year-old son, Jordan.
Frequently by Clinton's side, Abedin was spotted outside fundraisers for the Democratic presidential nominee on Sunday in the Hamptons, on New York's Long Island.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83695162/Anthony-Weiner-dumped-by-wife-amid-new-sexting-scandal | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/682f9c2ec7dc0f751a1fbbdbedea1d6e63f0039ac7790be708b2cb6754e82bcc.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:00 | null | 2016-08-30T15:49:04 | A quick kill turned into an agonising death for the Black Caps at Centurion. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2F83737509%2FDale-Steyn-spearheads-South-Africa-to-series-win-over-Black-Caps.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/s/l/o/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dus9x.png/1472572144605.jpg | en | null | Dale Steyn spearheads South Africa to series win over Black Caps | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Dale Steyn spearheads South Africa to series win over Black Caps
RYAN WILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX Dale Steyn claimed two wickets in the first over of New Zealand's second innings to set up South Africa's victory in the second test at Centurion.
A quick kill turned into an agonising death for the Black Caps as South Africa's ruthless attack toyed with them before claiming a deserved series win at Centurion.
SuperSport Park on the highveld was again a happy hunting ground for the Proteas, and especially senior strike weapon Dale Steyn, as New Zealand's attempt to complete a record run-chase was rapidly downgraded to avoiding abject humiliation before they lost the second and final test by 204 runs with a day to spare.
Any faint hopes of creating history at a ground where South Africa had won 16 of its 21 previous tests were dashed six balls into New Zealand's quest for 400.
SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS Henry Nicholls provided a rare positive for the Black Caps with a composed career-best 76 in an otherwise disappointing batting effort.
Steyn, who collected 10 Black Cap scalps when the rivals originally played here in 2006, had the luckless Tom Latham transfixed after his first delivery cannoned onto the stumps via a glove.
READ MORE:
* Recap: Black Caps v South Africa second test, day 4
* Steyn takes long handle to Wagner's batting
* South Africa in control against NZ
* Latham shocker caps horror day for Black Caps
* Black Caps made to suffer
* Black Caps toss away initiative
* Plunket Shield faces nocturnal test
RYAN WILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX Black Caps captain Kane Williamson batting through the pain barrier with a finger injury before joining New Zealand's casualties on a grim morning against South Africa at Centurion.
A continuation of Martin Guptill's underwhelming output against top-tier nations then contributed to a rare bowling achievement in test history when he sparred to Hashim Amla at slip.
His departure for a golden duck meant Steyn removed both openers to the first delivery they faced for the first time since Bob Willis dismissed Pakistan's Mudassar Nazar and Mohsin Khan at Headingley in 1982.
Steyn's double breakthrough consigned New Zealand's premier strokemakers to mount a recovery but Ross Taylor and wounded captain Kane Williamson soon contributed to another unwanted Black Caps' achievement.
LEE WARREN/GETTY IMAGES Martin Guptill's unconvincing run against top-tier test opposition has continued in the two-test series in South Africa.
Taylor, who ran himself out in the first innings, was at least absolved from blame a second time as he retreated for a five-ball duck, smiling ruefully after Steyn picked out a crack and trapped him lbw after the delivery skidded on.
Even Steyn was reluctant to celebrate, though the wicket was significant as he joined Wasim Akram - briefly - as 11th equal on the list of most successful test bowlers.
Williamson, who needed treatment on a finger after being struck by Vernon Philander, soon succumbed to the same bowler on five when caught behind to set a new all-time low at 7-4 - New Zealand's worst score for the loss of four batsmen in 412 tests since their debut in 1930.
RYAN WILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX Tom Latham triggered New Zealand's slide when he played on the first ball of the Black Caps second innings by Dale Steyn.
Inside four overs New Zealand's plan to replace England's 251-8 as the highest successful run chase at Centurion was changed to simply eclipsing the embarrassing 45 they made in Cape Town on their previous test tour in 2013.
Fortunately Henry Nicholls, who capped a dogged display with a career-best 76, and BJ Watling added 68 for the fifth wicket before offspinner Dane Piedt had the wicketkeeper lbw for 32 from 87 balls.
Nicholls, who had tapered off since making an encouraging 59 on debut against Australia at the Basin Reserve in February, brought up his second test fifty from 104 balls to complement his 36 in New Zealand's mediocre response to the Proteas 481-8 declared.
Entrusted with the No 5 berth vacated by Brendon McCullum, Nicholls eased doubts about his suitability for the test arena by twice responding to adversity with mature application.
Nicholls even handled Steyn relatively comfortably during a disciplined nine-over opening spell where he was occasionally unplayable while taking 3-12.
Steyn returned from a well-earned rest to uproot Mitchell Santner's middle stump to improve to 10th on the table of bowling luminaries and then Philander's luck changed after he had Watling dropped, when Doug Bracewell's belligerent 30 ended with an upheld lbw appeal.
Tim Southee then produced another infuriating 15-ball cameo worth 14 before he played extravagantly and over the top of a Kagiso Rabada yorker while Nicholls' hopes of making a hundred ended when Steyn's heir apparent continued to win his battle with Neil Wagner.
Fittingly, Steyn had the final say - and wicket - when Nicholls was caught in the deep with the score on 195 to end a bold 140-ball stay that featured a dozen boundaries.
Steyn finished with 5-33 from 16.2 overs, the 26th five-wicket haul of his career.
South Africa had the luxury of a 267-run advantage at the midway point and although Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma were the only batsmen to thrive with 50 and an unbeaten 40 respectively, Faf du Plessis clearly had more than enough runs when he declared at 132-7 an hour into the morning session.
The Proteas victory capped a successful first series as test captain for du Plessis and saw the team improve a place to sixth on the ICC rankings, one place behind the Black Caps.
Du Plessis replaced the injured AB de Villiers, who presided over a 2-1 home loss to England after Amla was in charge of a 3-0 loss in India.
Williamson, meanwhile, had to contemplate his first series loss as captain following a straightforward clean sweep in Zimbabwe.
He admitted regretting his decision to bowl first after winning the toss.
"If you could save the team that batted first was going to get 450, yes I would have [batted]," he said.
"The pitch was soft and it was very green …. I certainly didn't expect it to break up as much as it did from that second day onwards.
"It was a tough one. Credit to South Africa, the first innings of this match was probably the deciding factor in who won and they outplayed us.
"That first innings certainly put us on the back foot and the class of their bowling attack certainly showed."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/83737509/Dale-Steyn-spearheads-South-Africa-to-series-win-over-Black-Caps | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/19a972298b1437bc5ece4f7923a8d195787662c44a554abcc8c27a1118ee4e5a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:21 | null | 2016-08-26T03:18:01 | He's a primary school age | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fthe-press%2Fnews%2Fmid-canterbury-selwyn%2F83597870%2FSix-year-old-rugby-player-scores-116-tries.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/3/6/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1drsj2.png/1472597295346.jpg | en | null | Six-year-old rugby player scores 116 tries | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Six-year-old rugby player scores 116 tries
KIM TENEBAUM/SUPPLIED Canterbury 6-year-old Carter Bedford in action for Rolleston Silver.
Carter Bedford is only six years old, but he's got mad rugby skills.
The youngster from the Canterbury town of Rolleston racked up a whopping 116 tries for his under 7s team, Rolleston Silver, this season.
"I like scoring tries - it feels good," he said.
HELENA O'NEILL/FAIRFAX NZ Carter Bedford, 6, scored 116 tries for his Rippa Rugby team this season.
Carter began playing Rippa Rugby at the tender age of three, playing alongside his big brother Jerome.
"He was their 'secret weapon'. He knew what to do," mum Kylie said.
Jerome, 9, helps Carter develop his skills, and he has also had a great rugby season with 40 tries under his belt for Rolleston Gold.
"They play all day long until it's dark."
Carter also practises with Jerome's team and is set to move on to tackle rugby next year.
On Sunday, Carter was awarded player of the year for his team, while Jerome picked up most improved player.
While the Rippa Rugby season may be over, Carter is already eyeing up his next sporting endeavours with touch rugby due to begin soon, and he's hoping to start running (athletics). And if that wasn't enough, he's also interested in cricket.
As for the long term future, Carter already knows what he would like to do when he has "grown up". The Rio Olympics caught his attention and he now dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete.
"I really enjoyed the running. I would love to be in the Olympics one day."
He has been following Usain Bolt's success with interest, also writing about him for a school project.
In the meantime, Carter has his own fan base, with his Ashburton-based great-grandfather Don Scott keeping a close eye on both Bedford brothers.
"All the grandparents are proud, but he's a very proud and avid supporter," Kylie laughed.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/mid-canterbury-selwyn/83597870/Six-year-old-rugby-player-scores-116-tries | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/18b536014b0fc9f81391bf00a68c8e17f8da6c5bc53955c06739108ba4175beb.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:51:57 | null | 2016-08-30T04:32:39 | Harmoney tackles fires on multiple fronts as lenders claim loan opportunities thin on the ground. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83729955%2FLendMe-sympathises-with-Harmoney-but-says-not-in-same-boat.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/n/9/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dumg3.png/1472531560020.jpg | en | null | LendMe sympathises with Harmoney but says not in same boat | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | LendMe sympathises with Harmoney but says not in same boat
KANGSHUTTERS/123RF A licencing regime was set up for peer-to-peer lending in 2014 but government regulators have yet to figure out how all laws apply.
Peer-to-peer lending service LendMe says it sympathises with Harmoney over a lawsuit filed by the Commerce Commission though it doesn't believe the whole industry is under threat.
Harmoney, which is part-owned by Trade Me and Heartland Bank, has syndicated $300m of unsecured loans through its website which acts as matchmaker between borrowers and lenders.
But the commission has filed civil proceedings at Auckland High Court, asking it to rule whether fees charged by Harmoney to borrowers fall under the auspices of the Credit Contract and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA).
Harmoney chief executive Neil Roberts said on Monday that an unfavourable ruling could "spell the end of the industry in its current form".
READ MORE:
* Harmoney says court case could 'spell the end' of a growth industry
* Harmoney's top interest rates may feel loan-sharkish to some investors
* Peer-to-peer lending lacking mum and dad investors
* Harmoney celebrates $100m of peer to peer loans
* New peer-to-peer lender LendMe launches with home loans already on the books
That was because Harmoney would then not be allowed to do more than cover its direct costs from borrowers for personal loans syndicated through its online platform.
A commission spokesman noted Harmoney would continue to be able to earn a margin from lenders who advanced money through its website, which those lenders could recuperate through interest payments.
LendMe chief executive Marcus Morrison said it was in a different position to Harmoney as all but one of the $3m of loans it had facilitated were to trusts and small businesses, to which the CCCFA did not apply.
He also believed LendMe was in a different position as it didn't make the drawdown of loans contingent on borrowers' fee payments, though he agreed that distinction was "notional" given the payment of those fees was not voluntary.
Morrison said he sympathised with Harmoney, however. "They are providing a service and they feel they should be able to earn something for that. Harmoney has obviously fulfilled a strong need otherwise they wouldn't have been able to do this level of lending.
"It is good for P2P if they are able to continue operating in some way close to what they are doing," he said.
The commission is separately prosecuting Harmoney under the Fair Trading Act over letters it sent out to borrowers claiming they had been "preapproved" for personal loans.
Another disagreement between Harmoney and competition watchdog opened up after the commission denied a claim by Harmoney that the company had circulated copies of its proposed fee structure to the commission prior to it being granted a P2P lending licence by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in 2014.
"At no time did Harmoney disclose or consult with us about its fee structure before it launched," a commission spokesman said.
Though Harmoney would have disclosed that information to the FMA, that authority "didn't have any involvement with the CCCFA", he said.
Some people who have lent money through Harmoney complained on Stuff that it had had virtually no loans awaiting fulfillment in recent days, meaning they had funds sitting idle on call that they were unable to invest.
Harmoney responded through a spokesman that investors' appetite to lend money through Harmoney had grown at a faster pace than borrowers' willingness to take out loans, even though the latter had doubled.
"100 per cent growth in lending volume isn't enough to keep up with demand from our retail lenders."
Harmoney was working hard to bring additional investment opportunities to the market and there would be further information about that "in the coming few weeks", the company said.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83729955/LendMe-sympathises-with-Harmoney-but-says-not-in-same-boat | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/23bb93eb89524856e7a87d3e0ff90459825f00b0cc9cae95937c42981557047b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:52:04 | null | 2016-08-30T10:20:28 | Australian police confirm death of former Wellingtonian Michael Huria, who went missing near Perth. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Faustralia%2F83738975%2FAustralian-police-identify-body-found-near-Perth-as-missing-Kiwi-Michael-Huria.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/t/v/s/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duten.png/1472552428347.jpg | en | null | Australian police identify body found near Perth as missing Kiwi Michael Huria | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Australian police identify body found near Perth as missing Kiwi Michael Huria
SUPPLIED A body found near Perth on Sunday has been confirmed as former Wellingtonian Michael Junior Huria, who went by Mike Sullivan Huria.
Australian police have confirmed the body found in a park northeast of Perth is missing New Zealander Mike Sullivan Huria.
The body was discovered on Sunday in the Walyunga National Park, near Ellenbrook where the former Wellington man, 23, disappeared on August 22.
Police have since confirmed to several Western Australian media outlets that it was the body of Huria.
The Kiwi went missing from the semi-rural Ellenbrook area northeast of Perth. An extensive search operation found no trace of him last week.
READ MORE:
* Missing Kiwi may be on 'spiritual journey'
* Massive search for missing NZer
A few days later, Western Australia Police were investigating whether his disappearance was linked to reports of a car hitting a pedestrian near a local highway.
After that incident, the driver and police could not find the person who was hit.
At the time, Huria's family said the 23-year-old might have been "on a spiritual journey".
A man thought to be Huria was seen early last week on farmland in Upper Swan, 8km away.
He was also thought to have been seen at a roadhouse on Monday afternoon.
On Saturday, his brother Tamati and father Mark made a public appeal for anybody with information to come forward.
Family members repeatedly said Huria's disappearance was out of character.
It is believed Huria at one point attended Onslow College in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville. His family also had links to the nearby suburb of Newlands and to Hawke's Bay.
Western Australian police told local media the discovery was not being treated as suspicious.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83738975/Australian-police-identify-body-found-near-Perth-as-missing-Kiwi-Michael-Huria | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d2aefcb79b39bb6a6c7eaae2f90fc0db02b2393d65421e88ac96ccbe99c4a5b5.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:52:33 | null | 2016-08-31T06:09:18 | Tickets for what's being touted as the biggest concert of 2017 are quickly disappearing. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2F83742927%2FGuns-N-Roses-to-sell-out.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/n/b/g/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duwgf.png/1472623759357.png | en | null | Guns N' Roses to sell out? | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Guns N' Roses to sell out?
KEVIN STENT/FAIRFAX NZ Guns N Roses concert in the Capital is announced with tribute show at Wellington Railway Station.
Tickets for the what's being touted as the biggest concert of 2017 are quickly selling out.
Guns N' Roses fans flocked to buy tickets for their New Zealand tour.
By 11.30am on Tuesday morning, only 321 tickets to the hotly-anticipated Auckland concert at Western Springs remained.
Guns N' Roses playing in New Jersey.
For Wellington fans, 296 tickets were still available.
READ MORE:
* Guns N' Roses confirms NZ tour dates, finally
* Guns N' Roses to return down under in 2017, but what about New Zealand?
* Kiwi promoter Paul Dainty sets sights on getting Guns 'n' Roses and Adele to New Zealand
* A possible Guns N' Roses reunion is on the cards
* AC/DC paired with Axl Rose 'a tragic insult'
* Axl Rose wants an unflattering 'fat' picture removed from the internet
For the Kiwi super fan, pricey VIP concert packages are on offer for a tidy sum of $825.
Unknown Guns n Roses' are coming to Wellington as part of their Not in this Lifetime tour.
The VIP ticket includes a backstage venue tour and production experience.
Wellington-based fan Doreen Peers was outside the Ticketek office from 6.30am on Wednesday morning, determined to not miss out on tickets for her "die-hard" husband.
"I've actually found in the past that it crashes, because of a overload … it's quite frustrating, I just thought, at least I'll turn up," she said.
"Gone are the days when you could just say right the shows been advertised I can get my tickets … you knew what you were going to get."
Peers was among a group of three punters who had arrived early to ensure they got tickets, and by the time sales began, there was a queue of 11.
Peers said that she had considered asking her son to sleep outside the sales desk overnight, but decided against it, "he's a bit of a wuss".
While it might have been unnecessary to arrive so early, Peers admitted that she didn't mind, "everything's worked out".
Guns N' Roses are scheduled to play two shows in February next year, one at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Thursday February 2 and the other at Western Springs in Auckland on Saturday February 4.
Tickets went on sale at 10am on Wednesday morning, Wellington shows through Ticketek, and Auckland shows via Ticketmaster.
Ahead of Wednesday morning's sale Kiwi concert promoters urged fans that "immediate purchase is strongly advised to secure the tickets and seats you want".
On Thursday, four premium general admission pre-sale tickets were listed on Trade Me and reached a whopping $1,100, however failed to sell.
The rockers will play in the capital before the Waitangi Day long weekend, with thousands of fans expected to travel for the Thursday night concert.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/83742927/Guns-N-Roses-to-sell-out | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/78e49ab25933d5e6e1fa3af13f9c4e469a916f51afa7ba90d23ad6d661aefa50.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:51:57 | null | 2016-08-30T19:27:47 | Top policewoman protecting William and Kate quits with a flurry of controversial remarks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F83740807%2FPolice-officer-responsible-for-protecting-the-Duke-and-Duchess-of-Cambridge-resigns.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/u/v/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duutj.png/1472590080890.jpg | en | null | Police officer responsible for protecting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge resigns | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Police officer responsible for protecting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge resigns
NORFOLK POLICE Senior police officer Sarah Hamlin who is responsible for protecting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has quit over Twitter.
The senior police officer in charge of protecting Prince William and his wife Kate at their home in Norfolk has quit amid a flurry of controversial tweets.
Norfolk and Suffolk assistant chief constable Sarah Hamlin unexpectedly announced she was retiring after 30 years' service, Daily Mail reported.
Hamlin was appointed to lead the Royalty Protection team in 2014, providing security to William, Kate, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at their home Anmer Hall on the Queen's Sandringham Estate.
Indigo A general view of the front of Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate where Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge live with their children.
On Tuesday (local time) Hamlin tweeted saying she was leaving as her "values" no longer fitted with the Norfolk Police.
"After 30 years @NorfolkPolice I've resigned to the fact that my values no longer fit the org. I can't make a difference, support front-line," she said.
After 30 years @NorfolkPolice I've resigned to the fact that my values no longer fit the org. I can't make a difference, support frontline. — Sarah Hamlin (@ACCSarahHamlin) August 30, 2016 And so I wish colleagues & friends all the best. Let's hope #policing can recover & that officers & staff welfare is prioritised — Sarah Hamlin (@ACCSarahHamlin) August 30, 2016 To clarify I am retiring! Looking forward to spending time with family & friends. Playing golf & kayaking! — Sarah Hamlin (@ACCSarahHamlin) August 30, 2016
She has declined to comment further.
Over the last five years the organisation has been forced to trim its budget by £25 million [NZ$45m]. Money has been saved through restructures and by jointly running services with Suffolk Police.
Hamlin was paid around £100,000 [NZ$180,000], according to reports.
Norfolk's chief constable Simon Bailey told the Daily Mail: "As an assistant chief constable for both forces, Sarah has made some significant contributions across many different areas.
"As head of protective services she has helped shape everything from intelligence to major investigations, and throughout her career she has worked closely with some of the most vulnerable members of society.
"Alongside this, Sarah has played a key role in helping us all to think differently about how we deliver policing in today's online world."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/83740807/Police-officer-responsible-for-protecting-the-Duke-and-Duchess-of-Cambridge-resigns | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/f194aa10f7d6cc68e0e2db7b0fd27d599310cd0822cd95d472978ff4dfb5de6e.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T10:50:26 | null | 2016-08-27T10:46:22 | All Blacks highly satisfied with second test effort. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83633298%2FAll-Blacks-believe-Bledisloe-II-stands-them-in-great-stead-for-rest-of-the-season.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/i/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsjv6.png/1472294782176.jpg | en | null | All Blacks believe Bledisloe II stands them in great stead for rest of the season | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | All Blacks believe Bledisloe II stands them in great stead for rest of the season
ANTHONY AU-YEUNG/GETTY IMAGES Left wing Julian Savea scored a cracking try in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup win over Australia.
Steve Hansen showed his softer side on Saturday night.
A less sentimental man than the All Blacks coach might've enjoyed rubbing some Australian noses in it, after New Zealand easily retained the Bledisloe Cup at Wellington's Westpac Stadium. The team's 29-9 win came a week after they'd walloped the Wallabies 42-8 in Sydney and signified a rather gaping gap between the two sides.
Hansen declined the opportunity to gloat, though.
ANTHONY AU-YEUNG/GETTY IMAGES All Blacks wing Israel Dagg slides over to score in the tackle of Wallabies fullback Israel Folau.
"On the scoreboard it looks like we've done it pretty easy, but I don't think anyone would say it was easy out there tonight," Hansen said after the match.
READ MORE:
* McCaw: I hope it's closer this time
* Wallabies deluded
* Aust, South Africa lose teams?
* ABs' blackout partially lifted
"The skill level of our guys was really good tonight, under extreme pressure at times, and at the moment that's probably where we've got a little bit of an edge. But I don't want to sit here and bag Australia, they're one of our best friends."
From the stands it didn't appear as if Australia contributed a great deal to the match. But the All Blacks were the blokes out there and felt the reality was quite different.
On that basis, the New Zealand view was that a lot more had been gained in Wellington, as opposed to Sydney. They certainly had to skin the cat differently, relying on set piece superiority, territory and an ability to convert opportunities into points, compared the way they just wiped the floor with the Wallabies the previous week.
Australia's main contribution was niggle, although it's All Blacks prop Owen Franks who might walk away from this match in any strife. Footage from the seventh minute showed Franks rake the face of Australia lock Kane Douglas in a maul.
Hansen and company weren't aware of that when they came out to do post-match media.
"You had to expect something was coming after last week [when] nothing came. They've copped a fair bit of criticism back home and they're proud people so they were going to come and bring whatever they had to bring and they did that and it was just a good old, hard game of footy," said Hansen.
"It was just a matter of us making sure that we kept our focus where we needed to be, which was playing our game. At times we drifted off and you'd expect that, this is a young side, we've lost 818 caps [since last year] so it's the type of game that'll make this team grow even better.
"They've been through it now and they know what it feels like and they know that if they concentrate on what we have to do, then we'll come out the other side of it okay. So there'll be a bit of trust and self-belief to come from it as well, so ideal game for us."
An Israel Dagg try, created by Aaron Smith, Franks and Anton Lienert-Brown got them under way and the All Blacks eventually went to halftime 15-6 up. Dagg had scored a second try by then, thanks to the sort of gliding run and vision that first five-eighth Beauden Barrett is becoming famous for.
Barrett was at it again, to help set up a 47th-minute try for wing Julian Savea. The big wing took it beautifully too, showing excellent gas, strength and awareness to score.
The finishing touches were applied by flanker Sam Cane, who scored out near the right-hand corner after a period of sustained All Blacks pressure.
Australia offered precious little on attack, yet again, finishing with just a brace of Bernard Foley penalties, and another from replacement Reece Hodge to show for their evening.
Their play did lack ambition, but it should also be noted just how little quality ball the All Blacks allowed them. The home team's ability win steal or disrupt lineout ball was a feature, while they bossed the scrums too.
- Dominion Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83633298/All-Blacks-believe-Bledisloe-II-stands-them-in-great-stead-for-rest-of-the-season | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/1a8cbe951547ddcae3486f96557698ecb790cbe9e16e46a3e802db8dd85bc02a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:37 | null | null | Quade Cooper's trickery often makes for compelling viewing, even if the most ardent Wallabies or Queensland fan occasionally wants to look the other way. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsunday-star-times%2F9027447%2FAttack-coach-rises-to-Quade-Coopers-defence.json | en | null | Attack coach rises to Quade Cooper's defence | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Attack coach rises to Quade Cooper's defence CHRIS BARCLAY
IAIN MCGREGOR/Fairfax NZ QUADE BACK: Queensland Reds first five-eighth Quade Cooper has been recalled by the Wallabies ahead of the Rugby Championship. Getty Images FAITH IN QUADE: Jim McKay (left) talks with Wallabies head coach Ewen McKenzie. Relevant offers
Quade Cooper's trickery often makes for compelling viewing, even if the most ardent Wallabies or Queensland fan occasionally wants to look the other way.
Yet Jim McKay has no problem turning a blind eye to the playmaker's propensity to pressurise his own team in an outrageous manner.
The new Wallabies attack coach, never encountered a player of Cooper's talent during 15 years in the UK and although the 25-year-old's game plan is basically a foreign concept in the English game, McKay recognised a kindred spirit when joining the Queensland Reds staff in 2010.
Playing at Randwick with David Campese when the wing was in his prime in the early 1990s probably conditioned McKay to shrug his shoulders when Cooper throws a no-look pass to nobody in particular, or someone in the wrong jersey.
After all, a double cut out ball to a winger in space might only be a set piece away.
"It's been a privilege to work with Quade," said McKay, who had thinned on top before assisting Ewen McKenzie at the Reds, and as of last Monday, the national side.
McKay isn't blind to the criticism, or deaf to the reaction Cooper receives at home - he was at AMI Stadium last month when Cooper was unable to hush the boorish antagonism of Cantabrians with match-turning plays in their sudden death qualifier with the Crusaders.
But McKay won't hear a word against a showman that polarises opinion within - and outside - the team room. "As far as a coach goes, he makes things happen. If you want to be a key playmaker it's going to polarise people one way or the other. I back Quade because I know what he can do," McKay said.
"Whatever you say about Quade, I know he works really hard at his game and I think he's in a good place at the moment.
"In a sense he's learned some lessons as well."
Cooper reputedly strayed offside with senior Wallabies in the aftermath of his "toxic" assessment of the working environment under Robbie Deans last September.
That outburst followed a bizarre 8-second interview in the lead-up to his last Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland 12 months ago.
The criticism of Deans and life as a Wallaby in general was penalised by a fine while injury ruled him out of the remainder of the Rugby Championship following a shocker against the Pumas.
That performance - reminiscent of his meltdown at the 2011 World Cup - and fluctuating Super Rugby form, made it understandable for Deans to deny Cooper a once-in-a-career shot at the British and Irish Lions.
Cooper spent his exile in virtual silence concerning Deans, refusing to renew his criticism of the New Zealander, who was removed after the Lions retained the Tom Richards Cup at ANZ Stadium last month.
There was an off-field incident after the Reds' tour match with the Lions in June when he was ejected from a Brisbane bar; there are conflicting versions but Cooper was neither charged by police nor sanctioned by the franchise.
Otherwise Cooper has been on his best behaviour while playing a waiting game, realising McKenzie would view him more favourably once he inherited the top job.
Cooper has said he cannot take the Wallabies No 10 jersey for granted for the remainder of the year but he is poised to resume his partnership with Will Genia against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.
McKay would welcome that reunion while downplaying his influence on the gifted, though flawed genius.
"It's mainly [finessing] his game management," he said, though Cooper gave McKay more credit.
"Jim never shuts down any ideas. No matter what position you play, if you have an idea, he's always got an open mind to sit there and listen and take in everything that you have to offer," he said.
McKay actually thought Cooper's exposure to boxing earlier this year knocked some sense into him.
"I think the boxing's helped him a lot.
"Strategically wise, it's given him a different focus, I think that's complemented him really well. It's a discipline that's been good for him."
So might Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor - habitual off-field offenders when the Lions were touring - benefit from time in the ring?
McKay suppresses an awkward laugh. "Yeah, well. I haven't really met Kurtley.
"James seems to have bought in to what we're doing. They've got to fight and earn the right to get in really."
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/9027447/Attack-coach-rises-to-Quade-Coopers-defence | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/89a5cbb320e2b0cb4526bfb0e4690a55e6a59452b4047bc36c913ab21f49374a.json | |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:35 | null | null | Who ya got? Hawke's Bay are the bookies' favourites but the southern men of Southland and Otago are also quietly confident in what shapes as a competitive second-tier of the provincial competition. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fprovincial%2F9027220%2FFavourite-Magpies-facing-southern-challenge.json | en | null | Favourite Magpies facing southern challenge | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Favourite Magpies facing southern challenge MARC HINTON
Who ya got? Hawke's Bay are the bookies' favourites but the southern men of Southland and Otago are also quietly confident in what shapes as a competitive second-tier of the provincial competition.
The Magpies loaded up on talent by adding halfback Alby Mathewson, flanker Brendon O'Connor, hooker Ged Robinson, wing Telusa Veaqinu, lock Mark Abbott and prop Max Lahiff among a large personnel change.
All Black Ben Franks also joined the province but is unlikely to see much action this year.
When you consider that the Magpies retained Zac Guildford, Andrew Horrell, Gillies Kaka and Trinity Spooner-Nera in their backs and Karl Lowe, Ash Dixon and skipper Mike Coman up front, they should have the firepower to match anyone in the championship.
But two teams appear to stand in their way.
Jamie Mackintosh and his Southland Stags have a formidable lineup, with a solid core of Super Rugby performers who always play hard in the maroon of New Zealand's southernmost province.
With Nic Barrett, John Hardie, Elliot Dixon, Tim Boys, Josh Bekhuis and Michael Fatialofa in the pack and Robbie Robinson, Marty McKenzie, Cardiff Vaega and Taylor Adams in the backs, Mackintosh is confident he has a side capable of pushing for the silverware - and promotion.
"Last week we went to Bluff for a camp," he said.
"The last couple of years I think we've taken our team building and values for granted, and that was a great starting point. The boys have worked pretty hard, and there's a good feel about the squad."
Mackintosh said his team's eye was on the big prize but their focus was on making a better start than last season.
Beaten finalists last year Otago will also be worth watching. Most of that squad are back, with former All Black lock Tom Donnelly and quality loosie/lock Ezra Taylor added to boost forward resources.
"It feels like we've got a wee bit more depth, and a wee bit more experience this year so we're looking forward to giving it a good crack," said forward Paul Grant.
Last year Otago played a high-tempo game under Tony Brown and Grant indicated something similar as they again look to move the ball. The presence of Japanese halfback Fumiaki Tanaka will help with that.
Tasman and Northland will also fancy their chances of making the semis while Manawatu and North Harbour will focus on improving on their efforts of last year.
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/9027220/Favourite-Magpies-facing-southern-challenge | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/1494c7fa578dbd8745dcd2591fae93eb76ba437d6b115a050d4010a2faa1412d.json | |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:23 | null | 2016-08-29T00:09:16 | OPINION: Richie McCaw is not very retiring, he's barely had a day off since hanging up his boots. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2F83660958%2FRichie-McCaw-How-can-I-miss-you-if-you-won-t-go-away.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/7/8/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt57i.png/1472429364955.jpg | en | null | Richie McCaw: How can I miss you if you won't go away? | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Richie McCaw: How can I miss you if you won't go away?
A scene from the Richie McCaw film, Chasing Great, in cinemas from September 1.
OPINION: It used to be Richie McCaw was heard and rarely seen.
He was out there somewhere, under a heap of muddied bodies doing what Aussies, Brits and Safas labelled cheating, but Kiwi rugby fans knew as Godzone work.
He held the William Webb Ellis trophy high in 2011, then even higher in 2015. He mumbled a few words in his endearing way, then headed off into retirement.
Michael Bradley/ Getty Images Richie McCaw poses for a selfie with a fan at the 2015 NZ Rugby Awards.
And so ended a rugby career spanning 15 years, 148 tests, several thousand facial cuts, and chapters of helpful advice to referees.
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What would life be without Richie, we wondered.
Well, we're still wondering. We've seen more Richie than ever. Wall-to-wall Richie. Rugger to Richies. A flock of McCaws. Two books (one mostly pictures, one more words), and now out this week, his movie Chasing Great (spoiler alert) about how an ordinary Kiwi kid from Kurow turned into the Messiah who led us rugby's Holy Grail.
"He was an ordinary man, doing something extraordinary," the trailer says.
Hagen Hopkins/ Getty Images Richie McCaw receives the insignia of a Member of the Order of New Zealand from Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae in April.
A movie, about Richie, starring Richie? How much Richie is too much Richie? The guy who told us all he was looking for time out of the limelight has spent much of the year running from one media ruck to the next. On Wednesday, he's holding a press conference to promote Chasing Great.
He says he's surprised at his inability to vanish, telling journalists at his Government House investiture in April: "There's been more [media conferences] than I would have thought when you finish playing rugby. But if you do idiot things like running around the hills [in adventure races] you get that sort of thing."
You're thinking, it's the media's fault for giving him the news ball so often. Fair call; but most coverage has been when he appears in public, on his own terms. His phone number is inside an all black cone of silence.
John Cowpland / Photosport.nz Richie McCaw is interviewed by New Zealand media in Rio during the Olympics in August.
Even if you are among those who are Richie replete and crying in your sleep "enough already, please" you have to admire the way he has reinvented himself.
If rugby is a tough, tough, life in which the peril of an injury or being dropped always lurks, then retirement from rugby is even tougher.
Rugby provides a structure, it dominates life, it is hellish exciting to be a good player and brings fame and fortune (to very few).
CHRIS SYMES/PHOTOSPORT Richie McCaw is swamped by fans at the finish line of the Godzone adventure race in April.
When the rugby's all over, as it always must be, retirement can be a vast meaningless unstructured wasteland leading to former players clutching a pint in the corner of a bar, telling anyone in earshot "do you know who I used to be?"
Not for McCaw. His first year away from the game has been a model of how to transit from has, to has been. Yet again he's made the tough look easy. And like many an inside back, we are unable to avoid his clutches even if we want to.
There was his Kiwi great bugger gong -- one of the 20 greatest living New Zealanders and the youngest in history. He passed his helicopter flying test, survived an adventure race, got engaged to hockey star Gemma Flynn, visited the Rio Olympics.
ALDEN WILLIAMS/FAIRFAX NZ Kade Hamilton, 8, waits for his hero Richie McCaw in Kaiteriteri during this year's Godzone adventure race.
His battered face stares out of book shop windows, he pays nightly visits on TV, where he strolls around farms in the dark and runs around energetically in the daylight.
He's told us farmers get up early so we can have Fonterra milk on our Weetbix, in our Versatile homes, wearing Dr Dre headphones, right before driving to the airport in the Merc, to fly Air New Zealand (or even a helicopter).
Chasing Great proposes to introduce us to the Real McCaw, through "never-before-seen footage" of him, his friends and family, weaving his life story into his final season as an All Black, in his own words.
Michael Bradley/ Getty Images Richie McCaw with the Rugby World Cup at the 2015 NZ Rugby Steinlager Awards.
"What emerges is a very personal insight into high level international sport and a psychological profile of the mind of a champion," the blurb reads.
Sounds worthy, doesn't it? But with the interest$ of $o many inve$ted in Ordinary Guy Richie, expect to learn nothing outside his controlled public image. Expect rugby negative topics, such as concussion, or what really happens at the bottom of a ruck to be red-carded. McCaw's never put a public foot wrong, Chasing Great can only be more careful foot placing.
Ordinary bloke McCaw is a myth. No way is McCaw ordinary. Ordinary blokes get up on Monday pissed off they have to go to work. Life for them mostly does not involve flying helicopters, dressing up for celebrity engagements, or lining up endorsements worth hundreds of thousands.
CHARLOTTE CURD/Fairfax NZ Richie McCaw visits Tahiti School after they won a Fonterra Milk in Schools competition in August.
Ordinary blokes work eight hours a day, and have to pay watch the All Blacks, whether on TV or live. An ordinary guy earns about $55,000 a year (the average wage). If Mr Average has an opinion on the flag, no one else cares what it is, until they tick a little box and their ordinary single vote is counted.
Movies are not made about ordinary guys. It's Superman, not his boring bespectacled alter-ego Clark Kent; caped crusader Batman, not business dweeb Bruce Wayne, and James Bond.
So given the choice the unshaven superhero Crusader, All Black, greatest No 7 in history would win the "more interesting" award over his clean-shaven, product-endorsing, PM-backing, alter-ego every time.
Fiona Goodall/ Getty Images Retired All Black captain Richie McCaw in a whitebait fritter cook off against celebrity chef Ben Bayly in Auckland in March.
But making that choice is no longer an option.
* Kevin Norquay was at Lansdowne Rd in 2001 when Richie McCaw played his first test, and at Twickenham last year when he played his 148th.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/83660958/Richie-McCaw-How-can-I-miss-you-if-you-won-t-go-away | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8351cd22bc2d6eab97b0f557431751972cc45e9a5b7e21ee47a5abb516fc4f6d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:51:51 | null | 2016-08-30T00:32:57 | It's called | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Ffood-wine%2F83709233%2FAdelaides-Viscous-Coffee-serves-a-coffee-with-80-times-more-caffeine.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/9/z/n/j/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du6gh.png/1472517177547.jpg | en | null | Adelaide's Viscous Coffee serves a coffee with 80 times more caffeine | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Adelaide's Viscous Coffee serves a coffee with 80 times more caffeine
123rf An Adelaide cafe has made an ultra-strong brew.
An Australian cafe has created a coffee containing 80 times the usual amount of caffeine.
Viscous Coffee in Adelaide devised "The Asskicker" for a nurse working the night shift in the emergency department.
The iced coffee is designed to be consumed over four hours and gives drinkers 12-18 hours of sustained energy, cafe owner Steve Benington told The Advertiser.
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The drink took the nurse two days to consume, and she stayed awake for three.
A "toned down" version of the creation is available to purchase at the cafe.
The coffee comes with a health warning for people with heart or blood pressure issues, and was issued by a GP, the Daily Mail reports.
The Huffington Post reports 70 cups of coffee would kill a person.
However, "it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to drink 70 cups of coffee, and actually, it may not be possible... it's almost impossible to fit that much in your stomach - and you would start experiencing mania and hallucinations before getting those whopping 70 cups down."
It is theoretically possible to die from lack of sleep.
Slate reports: "While no human being is known to have died from staying awake, animal research strongly suggests it could happen. In the 1980s, a University of Chicago researcher named Allan Rechtschaffen conducted a series of groundbreaking experiments on rats. After 32 days of total sleep deprivation, all the rats were dead."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/83709233/Adelaides-Viscous-Coffee-serves-a-coffee-with-80-times-more-caffeine | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/5649e26012ef07928c8c3d3cde35f3a264585f431507ac6b129fb0f22ebf8426.json |
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