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[] | 2016-08-29T08:51:31 | null | 2016-08-29T08:08:39 | Southern hemisphere governing body not backing down on non-citing of ABs prop for alleged eye gouge on Wallaby lock. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83659114%2FSanzaar-won-t-change-ruling-on-alleged-eye-gouge-from-All-Blacks-prop-Owen-Franks.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/n/h/u/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt3sa.png/1472458119936.jpg | en | null | Sanzaar won't change ruling on alleged eye gouge from All Blacks prop Owen Franks | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Sanzaar won't change ruling on alleged eye gouge from All Blacks prop Owen Franks
GETTY IMAGES Owen Franks has been cleared of eye-gouging, but international media are less than pleased.
Sanzaar will not back down on the non-citing of All Blacks forward Owen Franks for an alleged eye gouge on Kane Douglas despite a major backlash and say they have no indication whether World Rugby will intervene.
In the wake of the All Blacks' 29-9 victory over the Wallabies, the game's southern hemisphere governing body confirmed on Sunday morning New Zealand tighthead Franks had no case to answer.
However, after footage emerged of a new angle showing Franks attempting to put his hands near Douglas' eyes, Sanzaar and World Rugby have copped criticism on social media with some of the game's greats questioning why Franks was not charged.
Irish rugby great Brian O'Driscoll led the chorus of criticism for the non-suspension, labelling the decision a "farce".
READ MORE:
* Owen Franks cleared of eye-gouge
* Hansen hands out hiding to Cheika
* Bledisloe Cup stays put
"This is an absolute sham @WorldRugby," O'Drsicoll tweeted to his 728,000 followers. "Makes a mockery of citing. If nothing comes of this it's a farce."
This is an absolute sham @WorldRugby ???! Makes a mockery of citing. If nothing comes of this it's a farce. https://t.co/sDr92ggzcU — Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) August 28, 2016
A citing commissioner determined the Franks incident did not reach a red card threshold.
Under Sanzaar procedures, it is not possible to appeal a non-citing, meaning even if new footage comes to light, the ruling from an independent commission will stand.
An appeal would be possible, however, if Douglas was prepared to make a complaint if he felt he was eye-gouged.
This is not something Douglas plans on doing, but it does create a debate as to whether it is the player or the governing body's responsibility to come forward, given the Wallabies second-rower will more than likely adhere to the "what happens on the field stays on the field" code among players.
While there has been no official word out of the Australian camp regarding the alleged eye-gouge, it is understood they did not refer the Franks incident to the citing commissioner because they felt it would almost certainly be picked up without their intervention.
It is not clear whether World Rugby will intervene, however they are aware of the incident and the reaction it has received.
Former Wallaby Michael Lynagh also expressed his bemusement an the non-citing, saying there was "no surprise" in a response to O'Driscoll's tweet.
Welsh writer Stephen Jones claimed New Zealand had a "cloak of invisibility" when it comes to foul play incidents.
Test of the NZ cloak of invisibility. TV picks up seemingly horrible gouge by Owen Franks, far worse that two incidents in UK last season — Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) August 27, 2016
In his report of the match, Jones said Franks' actions were the only blot on the All Blacks match.
"The only blot on their copybook was Owen Franks, the New Zealand tight-head prop, who was seen to clearly and repeatedly make contact with his fingers with the eyes of a Wallaby," Jones said in his Sunday Times piece.
"It is unthinkable that this will not be the subject of a citing and a suspension."
Unthinkable, you say. Hence the backlash when Franks wasn't cited, and his asking if World Rugby would intervene, given they had done in the past.
Citing not final judgement. Just a call that there is case to answer. Franks with fingers in eyes of Wallaby -no case to answer? Despicable — Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) August 28, 2016 Last season @WorldRugby intervened when Home Unions made hash of Marler case. Will they take official look at Franks incident? — Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) August 28, 2016 Some dangerous half-wit Down Under says this incident is not a potential citing. Potential blindness but not citing https://t.co/BzUbM63oaq — Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) August 28, 2016
They weren't the only ones to stick the boot in, gobsmacked that the All Blacks prop hadn't been punished.
Quelle surprise. Another refusal to accept responsibility by NZ. From global standard bearers not good enough. https://t.co/oLIDhXHenW — Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) August 28, 2016 Disgraceful non citing of Owen Franks proof positive that ABs play under an entirely different set of laws to rest of the rugby community — Brendan gallagher (@gallagherbren) August 28, 2016 This is now officially ok, ABs free to rake opponents eyes & face anytime they fancy!A Pumas wd get 3 months minimum https://t.co/d8tmDAWQpV — Brendan gallagher (@gallagherbren) August 28, 2016 Shocking that Owen Franks isn't even being cited re alleged gouging incident. Match commissioners must review NZ matches like this... 🙈🙉. — Chris Foy (@FoyChris) August 28, 2016
Needless to say, the fine folks in the Northern hemisphere are less than pleased with Sanzaar's decision in the Franks case.
Comments on this article are now closed.
- Sydney Morning Herald | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83659114/Sanzaar-won-t-change-ruling-on-alleged-eye-gouge-from-All-Blacks-prop-Owen-Franks | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/330776cc925fd99b7c76f66e7ac7c85567f7db5667317f02bf204d163959e446.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:50:29 | null | 2016-08-27T03:09:48 | Pole vault becoming a hot ticket on the back of Kiwi's Olympic heroics. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Folympics%2F83631179%2FEliza-McCartneys-Olympic-success-creates-explosion-of-interest-in-pole-vault.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/i/9/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsi8b.png/1472267388298.jpg | en | null | Eliza McCartney's Olympic success creates explosion of interest in pole vault | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Eliza McCartney's Olympic success creates explosion of interest in pole vault
KAI PFAFFENBACH/REUTERS Eliza McCartney soared and smiled at the Rio Olympics on her way to a memorable bronze medal in pole vault.
Let's call it the Eliza Effect. Suddenly, within days of the curtain coming down on the Rio Olympics, pole vault has become a hot ticket around New Zealand. People are now queuing up for a piece of an athletics discipline once thought of as the realm for track and field nerds.
It's all thanks to one young woman, charismatic North Shore 19-year-old Eliza McCartney, who put pole vaulting on the map in New Zealand with arguably the most unexpected and joyous of the record 18 medals the Kiwi team brought back from Rio. It was just a bronze. Yet so much more than a minor medal.
That it came from a relatively unheralded teen who a year ago didn't even have Rio on her radar captivated the country. We all love a great underdog tale, and McCartney's transformation lived up to that of her namesake from Pygmalion. That the young woman exuded an restrained glee and easygoing approach to the big moments made it even better, and when she executed that succession of first-attempt clearances with such technical excellence, a nation came along for the ride.
It was as though, for the first time, New Zealand was discovering the sheer beauty of pole vault, which is a stunning mix of athletic explosion and aerial ballet. Now we had some skin in the game, we could all appreciate the intricacies and intangibles of it all.
READ MORE:
* Memorable bronze for Eliza
* Dad sensed something special
* Can Adams, Willis go to 2020?
* Athetics NZ chases funding leap
* 'Silver squad' agonisingly close
Actually, there's a second name that needs to be added to McCartney's. It's her coach, Jeremy McColl. In many ways he's even more important because he's not only the man responsible for McCartney's leap into popularity and acclaim, but, as he calmly reassures us, he's got two or three more where she came from.
Maybe even more. For McColl, the quietly spoken North Shore-based national coach, may be on the verge of unleashing a volley of vaulters on to the New Zealand scene. McCartney's Rio coming of age party might just be the sporting equivalent of the genie being let out of the bottle.
Already, just days after McCartney's leap into public consciousness in Rio where she soared over 4.50 metres, 4.60, 4.70 and then 4.80, all at the first attempt, McColl has noticed a ripple effect. A not insignificant one, at that.
"It's made the sport more attractive," he told the Star-Times. "I've been inundated with emails, Facebook posts and messages from kids wanting to start pole vault. It seems to have sparked some real interest. It's something we'll have to see if we can work around it a little."
In some ways, the explosion of interest threatens to overwhelm. McColl is one man. The only specialist coach in this country. He has 13 athletes currently in his various squads. Now he's looking at having to double or triple that.
Then consider the nature of pole vault. You need the dedicated facility, the bars, the runup, the landing mats. And those poles. At around $600 a pop for a basic one (McCartney took 12 carbon fibre beauts to Rio, all worth over $1000 each), a growth spurt does not come without a cost.
Up till now McColl has been like a pole vault Father Christmas. He's brought most of the poles his squad uses himself. He's had to take out personal loans to do so. You could say he's rather invested in his sport.
"It's easily the most interest I've ever had and maybe we're going to have to see if we can potentially have a facility built that can cater for the numbers. It could be an opportunity for a sponsor to get on board and help out funding equipment because we just don't have enough."
But McColl is quietly confident he has the beginnings of something special going on. "I've got a few girls jumping higher than what Eliza was at their age. I'm pretty confident one or two are going to be amazing. It's a bright future, especially now we've got some keen to come in from other events in athletics. That's getting to the point where we can identify and evaluate."
In so many ways McCartney epitomises the future of her sport. The taller, athletic build is where the discipline is heading and McColl hopes she'll inspire others to take the leap : "Every Kiwi kid has that extreme side to them and that's why I've always been so big on the event, because it was something New Zealand kids would be amazing at."
Funnily enough, the more things change for McCartney, in the most important aspect nothing changes at all.
"I knew Eliza should be jumping 4.80 in those championships, and it just happened that 4.80 was good enough for a medal at the Olympics," says McColl. "But it hasn't changed anything in terms of our two-year and four-year plan, and onwards."
What does change for McCartney is the interest now swirling around her. Manager Scott Newman has been inundated with approaches from potential sponsors and the like. "It's been a busy week," he said. "We'll try to minimise her distractions so she can continue on with what's most important, and that's her pole vaulting. But she's certainly a hot commodity, and there is a list of 25 to 30 things we'll need to work through when she's back from her holiday."
Right now McCartney has two principal sponsorship partners, in Nike and Anchor. Newman's job is to sift through the long list keen to add themselves to that inner circle to find the right fit for the athlete, and her available time.
Adds McColl: "It's important it doesn't overwhelm her. But she's got good people around her, and the main thing is to keep her on track next year when we'll be targeting the world championships in London. Then there's the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and probably her biggest competition will be the 2020 Olympics, and she'll be at whole new level by then."
What might have slipped some people's notice was that in Rio, McCartney was a cigarette paper's width from a gold medal clearance of 4.85m at her first tilt. "There was a slight technical fault but I thought she had it," adds McColl. "She did enough to get up and over, but it was just a release thing off the top of the pole and she hit the bar off with her chest or underarm."
But McColl predicts McCartney and her peers will soon be clearing 5 metres and beyond with ease as they take the discipline into uncharted territory (the world record is 5.06m). "I've always said Eliza and the other girls at the same stage are going to be pushing 5.20-plus, especially now we're getting taller and more athletic girls coming through. It's going to be a really exciting event."
And New Zealand is front and centre as it unfolds.
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83631179/Eliza-McCartneys-Olympic-success-creates-explosion-of-interest-in-pole-vault | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/087fbeba153815f794d992bb0cc86db03a2905fae9f2c81687d5311b9533b969.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:39 | null | 2016-08-29T04:49:38 | Harmoney complains competition watchdog knew what its business was before it got a licence to operate. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83657983%2FHarmoney-says-court-case-could-spell-the-end-of-a-growth-industry.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/8/0/x/m/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt2wv.png/1472446178865.jpg | en | null | Harmoney says court case could 'spell the end' of a growth industry | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Harmoney says court case could 'spell the end' of a growth industry
TOM PULLAR-STRECKER/FAIRFAX NZ A ruling has been sought on Harmoney's fees.
Online loan service Harmoney has warned a legal challenge by the country's competition watchdog could spell the end of the peer-to-peer lending industry.
Harmoney operates a website that lets people directly lend money to other people who have requested personal loans, providing an alternative to traditional bank lending. Trade Me and Heartland Bank are both minority shareholders in the venture.
But the Commerce 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.
Harmoney chief executive Neil Roberts said that issue had far-reaching implications and an unfavourable ruling could "spell the end of the industry in its current form".
READ MORE:
* Harmoney defends decision to ask lenders to pick up tab for fraudulent loans
* Half-a-million Kiwis led to believe loans were there for the asking, says watchdog
* Trade Me buys 15 pc stake in Harmoney
"If the court agrees with the commission's view that platform fees are a credit fee, platform providers such as Harmoney will only be allowed to recover costs from transactions. This would make it extremely difficult for peer-to-peer platform providers to create a sustainable business," Roberts said.
Prior to December, Harmoney charged borrowers a fee of between 2 and 6 per cent of the value of their loan, depending on their perceived credit risk, with a minimum fee of $300.
After discussions with the commission that was changed to a flat-rate fee of $375. Lenders are also charged fees.
Harmoney chairman David Flacks said the action by the commission was "disappointing" and would affect an industry that Roberts said had brought competition to a market previously dominated by "traditional lenders".
"The peer-to-peer industry is new to New Zealand and is growing fast both in New Zealand and globally," Flacks said. "It offers benefits both to borrowers and lenders over traditional lending options."
Roberts said the Financial Markets Authority and the Commerce Commission had both been aware of Harmoney's business model before it was granted a peer-to-peer lending licence in 2014.
"We documented the business model in detail following extensive legal advice and working with all stakeholders during the licensing process," he said.
Roberts said previously that Harmoney was keen to extend its service from personal loans to small-business lending. But it would not be making a concerted push into that market "until the regulatory uncertainty around peer-to-peer lending in New Zealand is resolved", he said.
The commission took separate legal action against Harmoney this month, saying letters sent by the company to prospective borrowers "breached the Fair Trading Act by misleading recipients into thinking they had been 'pre-approved' for personal loans".
HARMONEY KEY FACTS
- In business since 2014 following a law change that allowed licensed peer-to-peer lending.
- Facilitates unsecured personals loans at annual interest rates between 9.99 per cent and 39.99 per cent.
- Posted a pre-tax loss of $14.2m before tax on revenues of $8.6m this year.
- Has facilitated loans worth $295m.
- Employs 85 staff, with head office in Auckland
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83657983/Harmoney-says-court-case-could-spell-the-end-of-a-growth-industry | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c86b1045a3a1e78923a018f7a06f3303a60dfdccffe04735824dfb8a087567b0.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:41 | null | 2016-08-29T04:32:00 | Five playoff misses in five seasons makes it 15 in 22 frustrating seasons for Warriors fans. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fleague%2F83664894%2FWarriors-playoffs-failure-Its-an-all-too-familiar-tale.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/e/0/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt88u.png/1472445466802.jpg | en | null | Warriors playoffs failure: It's an all too familiar tale | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Warriors playoffs failure: It's an all too familiar tale
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.
Another season, another playoffs near-miss for the Warriors, who have now failed to make the top eight for five consecutive seasons.
In that time they have recorded regular season finishes of 14th, 11th, ninth, 13th and currently sit in 10th with one game to play in 2016.
A place just outside the top eight is starting to feel like the Warriors' natural home. In fact, since they entered the competition in 1995 they have finished 11th four times, 10th three times (including their provisional 10th in 2016) and ninth once.
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Many Vatuvei puts his head in his hands as the Warriors miss the playoffs for the 15th time in 22 seasons.
Their average position in 22 regular seasons is somewhere between 9th and 10th (9.59 to be exact).
READ MORE:
* Aussie commentators side with Warriors over bunker calls
* Lillyman: 'Last thing Warriors need is another coach'
* Warriors coach McFadden: 'We threw it away'
* Warriors finals hopes dashed with loss to Tigers
They have finished in the top eight, eight times - about 36 per cent of the time.
However, one of those was a seventh place finish in the breakaway Super League competition in 1997, in which only five teams made the playoffs - another near-miss.
If it also feels like the standard Warriors season follows a familiar pattern of pre-season optimism followed by a poor start, a mid-season rally before a late-season slide.
That's backed up by the stats.
They are incredibly poor starters to the NRL season, winning their first game of the season on just five occasions.
It's the middle part of the season where the Warriors have been most successful, historically.
They have a win ratio of 50 per cent in game 10, 55 per cent in game 11, 64 per cent in game 14 and 77 per cent in game 15.
However, that form departs them in the late rounds, more often than not, when they have a win ratio of less than 50 per cent in each of their last six games of the season.
Why might it be that the Warriors find life so much easier in the middle part of the season?
It could have something to do with State of Origin, which takes the best 34 Australian players away from their teams for up to six games (minimum of three) in the middle of the season.
This is advantageous to the Warriors because they generally have few, if any, Origin representatives.
It also highlights another problem the club has historically faced, an inability to attract any of the top Australian players across the Tasman.
That might also go a long way to explaining why they generally struggle when all the best players in the competition are available.
Another point which the data shows is that the Warriors with Ivan Cleary as coach was the club's golden era.
During his reign the Warriors had four finals appearances in five seasons, including a grand final.
Outside of this period the Warriors have only made the playoffs three times.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/83664894/Warriors-playoffs-failure-Its-an-all-too-familiar-tale | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/13a64bb914f1a589227d72abff787cdf1239e601f99ed4390d80105e6bcb1c64.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T10:50:33 | null | 2016-08-27T09:55:12 | How the All Blacks measured up in the Bledisloe clincher at the Cake Tin. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83635300%2FAll-Blacks-Player-ratings-from-the-Bledisloe-clincher-in-Wellington.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/e/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsles.png/1472291713184.jpg | en | null | All Blacks: Player ratings from the Bledisloe clincher in Wellington | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | All Blacks: Player ratings from the Bledisloe clincher in Wellington
ANTHONY AU-YEUNG/GETTY IMAGES All Black wing Israel Dagg crosses for his second try in the Bledisloe Cup victory over Australia in Wellington.
The All Blacks ran up their 42nd home test victory in a row as they dismantled the Wallabies 29-9 in the second test of the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup series. Here's how the stars of the show rated out of 10 at the Cake Tin.
Ben Smith 7
Things didn't go his way early on with a couple of errant kicks, but came into the game well late and showed his class to set up Cane's try. Would have enjoyed the return to No 15.
Israel Dagg 8
Another standout test from an in-form player. Two tries, the second very well finished, indicates the shift to the right wing didn't hold him back any. One great aerial take. Playing with supreme confidence.
READ MORE:
* Bledisloe Cup stays where it is
* Wallaby niggle, but little else
* Recap: All Blacks v Wallabies
Malakai Fekitoa 6
A wee bit untidy early on, but settled down after that to work his way back nicely. Still short of his form from a couple of years back.
Anton Lienert-Brown 7
Excellent debut all round. Carried strongly, made his tackles and did not look out of place in the test arena. Classy first touch to set up Dagg's first try. Couldn't wipe the smile off his face afterwards.
Julian Savea 7
Back in black, and would have enjoyed this outing. Scored one well-taken try down the left touch and took a solid step back into his coach's good books. The Bus is back.
Beauden Barrett 8
Would have been 9 if he hadn't missed three kicks. On top of his game and another top-drawer effort. Kicked well tactically, brilliant run to set up Dagg's second try and a fabulous pass to put Savea in. Owning things right now.
Aaron Smith 8
Another test, another sharp effort from the best No 9 in the business. Made a great jinking run to set up the first try and overall cleared well and established the pace his team needed. Wonderful player.
Kieran Read 7
The skipper led an outstanding pack effort well. Wallabies came with niggle early on and the captain made sure his side stayed on task. Took care of what he had to.
Sam Cane 8
He may have Ardie Savea breathing down his neck, but this excellent No 7 continues to take care of what he has to. Accurate in almost all he did, brought physicality in the tackle and finished with a well-taken try.
Jerome Kaino 7
Another rock solid display, made his tackles, hit the cleanouts and part of a dominant lineout. One outstanding offload too showed the skill in his repertoire. In excellent form.
Sam Whitelock 6
Nothing flashy, but dominated the Wallaby lineout, did all that was required in the tight and helped match that Wallaby physicality. Part of a fabulous second-row combination.
Brodie Retallick 7
The best lock in the world continues to thrive. Does it all and a very important role in a quality All Black pack effort. One handling error but little else that wasn't hugely positive.
Owen Franks 7
Excellent test from the pillar of a dominant All Black scrum. Got through plenty of work and quelled the Aussie fire. One of his better tests.
Dane Coles 8
Another gutsy and skilful display from this mobile hooker. Hit all his lineout targets, got into it physically and thrived around the park. Two or three excellent runs out wide. If those ribs are still hurting, you wouldn't know it.
Joe Moody 6
Solid return to test footy from the big loosehead. Part of a scrum that held sway and did what he had to. Good to have him back.
RESERVES
James Parsons
Played 10 minutes. Not enough to be rated.
Wyatt Crockett 5
A solid 28 minutes off the bench, and continued on where Moody left off.
Charlie Faumuina 6
Got his hands on some ball, scrummed well and would have enjoyed his 28 minutes.
Liam Squire
Just the last 10. Not rated.
Ardie Savea
Only eight minutes. Not rated.
TJ Perenara 6
It's a tough job coming in to fill Smith's boots. But busy and energetic for his 14 minutes. All you can ask.
Aaron Cruden 5
Fourteen minutes late in a game not enough time to establish himself as it got messy.
Seta Tamanivalu
Just four minutes. Not rated.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83635300/All-Blacks-Player-ratings-from-the-Bledisloe-clincher-in-Wellington | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c6e0af6cefae59fab722c88c59ac47c3b0e3e3b8ea2f6828e673dc089685510a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:50:21 | null | 2016-08-26T17:20:31 | France's highest administrative court suspends a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F83626238%2FFrances-top-court-suspends-illegal-burkini-ban-that-breaches-fundamental-freedoms.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/e/f/9/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsef2.png/1472234771276.jpg | en | null | France's top court suspends 'illegal' burkini ban that 'breaches fundamental freedoms' | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | France's top court suspends 'illegal' burkini ban that 'breaches fundamental freedoms'
REGIS DUVIGNAU/REUTERS A man wears a sign with the message, "Burkini = Liberty" outside the Conseil d'Etat after France's highest administrative court suspended a ban on full-body burkini swimsuits that has outraged Muslims and opened divisions within the government.
A French court on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) suspended a ban on full-body "burkini" swimsuits imposed by a Mediterranean resort that has angered Muslims, feminists and civil liberties campaigners.
The Council of State's ruling against Villeneuve-Loubet is expected to set a precedent for the dozens of other French towns that have also laid down such bans.
But it is unlikely to put an end to a controversy that has shown the difficulties France has had integrating its Muslim population.
ADAM HOLLINGWORTH/FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA Fashion designer Aheda Zanetti and her burkini, modeled by Farrah Zbib.
The issue also highlights the problems Muslims in France have experienced following a series of deadly attacks carried out by Islamist militants against the public in the past 20 months, including in Parais and Nice.
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* Burkini ban fury as French police force woman to remove tunic
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* Cannes' Burkini ban is an IS-like attack on personal liberty
* Non-Muslims flock to buy burkinis as French ban raises profile
Conservative and far-right politicians have asked for a law to ban burkinis nationwide.
The court said in a statement the decree to ban burkinis in Villeneuve-Loubet "had seriously infringed, in a manner that was clearly illegal, fundamental liberties such as the freedom to come and go, religious freedom and individual freedom."
The burkinis did not pose any threat to public order in Villeneuve-Loubet, the court said.
The burkini issue has filtered into early campaigning for the 2017 presidential election and early reaction to the ruling showed that supporters of the ban, who include ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, would not let it go.
Some of Sarkozy's closest supporters said they would propose in September a draft law that would allow mayors to ban burkinis.
"We need a law," Nice deputy mayor Christian Estrosi said on Twitter.
Since conservatives do not have a majority in parliament and such a bill would have no chance of being adopted, Estrosi suggested that Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who himself backed the bans, come up with a draft law.
Valls defended the burkini ban on Thursday while some ministers criticised it, exposing divisions within the government as campaigning begins.
While rulings by the Council of State do set precedents, several mayors said they would not suspend their own bans and rights groups said they would bring them to courts, meaning more lawsuits are expected. The Council of State has the final word on such matters.
"There's a lot of tension here and I won't withdraw my decree," Sisco mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni told BFM TV, arguing that in his Corsica town the ban would be justified on security grounds.
"FRANCE HAS CHANGED"
The controversy has also made French cultural identity a hot issue in political debates ahead of next April's presidential election.
Abdallah Zekri, secretary general of the French Muslim Council (CFCM) said of the ruling: "This is a slap for the prime minister and a kick up the backside for Sarkozy."
A spokesman for the ruling Socialist Party and the rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur welcomed the ruling and said they hoped it would calm things down.
But the mayor of Villeneuve-Loubet, Lionnel Luca, of Sarkozy's Les Republicains party, said it would heighten tensions.
"We need to decide if we want a smiley, friendly version of sharia on our beaches or if we want the rules of the (French) republic to be implemented," he said, referring to the Islamic legal and moral code of sharia.
Hakim, a 42-year-old trader of Algerian origin said that while he welcomed the ruling it did not really reassure him.
"The decision by the Council of State is normal. France is a democratic country, there is justice and this is good for Muslim women," he said after Friday prayers at Paris' main mosque.
But he added: "It is because of all these problems that I am thinking of leaving France and returning to Algeria after over 30 years here. It was not like this before, France has changed and it is not easy for us."
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/83626238/Frances-top-court-suspends-illegal-burkini-ban-that-breaches-fundamental-freedoms | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/ddf187ce7f0ce3d055506ddfd7d1b7d54368f726cbe95f04c6e6f60da962ec1d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:06 | null | 2016-08-30T22:44:41 | The theft of dairy cows worth up to $1 million is nothing to joke about, says Federated Farmers. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Ffarming%2F83746733%2FBig-dairy-cow-theft-no-joking-matter.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/0/t/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duze5.png/1472597081610.jpg | en | null | Big dairy cow theft no joking matter | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Big dairy cow theft no joking matter
KIRK HARGREAVES With dairy cows worth about $2000 each, the farm would be taking a serious financial hit.
The theft of 500 dairy cows worth up to $1 million is no joke and if it had been a bank robbed of this amount there would be a big fuss, says Federated Farmers.
Dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard said the theft of the equivalent of a whole dairy cow herd from an Ashburton, South Island farm risked becoming "a bit of a laugh" judging by attitudes on social media to livestock thefts in the past. With dairy cows worth about $2000 each, the farm would be taking a serious financial hit.
"If it was a bank involved it would be big news."
Hoggard said some farmers were frustrated that police did not seem to take their reports of livestock thefts and trespassers seriously, but he urged rural people to report all incidents regardless. Thefts of dairy animals were not common, with sheep and beef farmers the more usual victims.
Hoggard suspected the cows went to a city meat black market. While it was possible they could have been sold to dairy farmers in small numbers, it would be difficult for the thieves to spread them around without arousing suspicion among dairy farmers. "How are you going to find 30 to 40 farmers without scruples, or without running into a farmer with scruples who will know something's up? I can imagine there are some people who wouldn't care and would grab 30 or so (offered) cows but too many people would have to be approached."
Canterbury police think the Ashburton farm cows were probably taken in multiple hits over a period of time. Hoggard said he regularly counted his cows and encouraged his staff to check numbers but counting was not always easy in a big mob. The Ashburton farm runs about 1300 cows.
"With the change to crop grazing it would be hard to count if there are big mobs grazing and not being shifted regularly through a gateway."
Hoggard said if the cows were stolen to on-sell to dairy farmers, it called into question the value of Nait, the National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme which requires all cattle and deer to be tagged with approved radio frequency identification device ear tags. Once tagged, animals are registered in a national database and their details recorded. "If they're ending up in cow herds we seriously need to question how much use Nait is."
He suggested farmers install security cameras, which were not expensive these days, around their property and consider the siting of their loading ramps. If these were in a secluded place or right on the road it made it easier for thieves, who would only need a small truck to take 15 or so cows.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/83746733/Big-dairy-cow-theft-no-joking-matter | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/3043e17e281b3c260196591fa250a056adce2715a54c990cc1080181e6225e9b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:51:50 | null | 2016-08-30T07:56:12 | A hilarious interview propelled them to fame, and two Irish rowers are still cracking gags. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Folympics%2F83717723%2FIrish-rowers-Gary-and-Paul-O-Donovan-return-home-to-heroes-welcome.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/c/y/j/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dud0b.png/1472546633801.jpg | en | null | Irish rowers Gary and Paul O'Donovan return home to heroes' welcome | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Irish rowers Gary and Paul O'Donovan return home to heroes' welcome
GETTY IMAGES Paul O'Donovan (L) and Gary O'Donovan celebrate their silver medal in Rio.
Irish Olympic rowers Gary and Paul O'Donovan have arrived home to new found fame.
The O'Donovans secured their country's first medal in rowing in Rio, taking silver in the men's lightweight double sculls.
They then produced another medal winning performance with a hilarious post race interview which went global.
It covered things such as peeing in a cup for doping tests, being hungry and wanting to eat Nutella and some disappointment at missing out on celebrations in Ireland.
The pair were welcomed back to Cork, with a delirious crowd of thousands at the airport to meet them.
READ MORE:
* Mahe Drysdale wins gold in a photo finish
* Irish silver medallists produce interview gold
They admitted they were "totally overwhelmed" by the scale of their welcome home.
Olympic silver medal winners Gary and Paul O'Donovan answered questions at the Skibbereen Rowing Club. Watch back: https://t.co/6JZW7KxLsA — RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 29, 2016
"People were sending up messages saying you don't know what you're in for," Gary O'Donovan said.
"We got a What's App message saying there were buses coming up from Skibbereen, and we were like jeez this is going to be insane."
Paul O'Donovan said their new found fame had taken them by surprise.
"We were just talking sh*te and being ourselves and answering questions. It escalated fairly quickly and got out of hand."
Gary O'Donovan said he'd probably keep his medal "on the kitchen table."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83717723/Irish-rowers-Gary-and-Paul-O-Donovan-return-home-to-heroes-welcome | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/6b81aaebfde84f024f05e394155dcbbbbc16fda6f4a0cd59ed5732e830781368.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T02:51:37 | null | 2016-08-30T02:47:34 | Police are keeping their ears to the ground over a possible retaliation. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83699110%2FTeenagers-charged-over-south-Auckland-street-brawl.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/8/u/3/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtyna.png/1472525254760.jpg | en | null | Teenagers charged over south Auckland street brawl | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Teenagers charged over south Auckland street brawl
Two teens have been charged over a street brawl involving knives, chairs and bits of wood.
Monday afternoon's fracas saw dozens of young people clash near the Mangere East KFC in south Auckland.
Thirteen police units were called to the scene, but no-one was reported to be injured.
ONE News Now Footage has emerged appearing to show students caught up in a mass brawl outside a south Auckland KFC.
A 17-year-old man was charged on Tuesday afternoon with disorderly behaviour, possession of a knife and possession of an offensive weapon.
Another 17-year-old was charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.
Two 15-year-old boys were referred to Youth Aid.
ONE News Now Kamaljeet Hundal saw masses of school kids rushing towards the restaurant in South Auckland before the brawl erupted.
A police spokeswoman said at least one of the teens charged was not a school student.
It was not known whether the other youths were students or not.
Counties Manukau West area commander Jason Hewett said the police could not rule out the possibility that further people would be charged over the incident.
FACEBOOK An onlooker snapped police hauling away one alleged brawler.
"This was 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," he said.
"We want to assure members of the Mangere community that we will be increasing patrols in the area, including around local schools."
Anyone with footage of the incident was asked to contact Detective Sergeant Steve Nightingale on 09 261 1300.
Bevan Read Massey Road KFC where a large brawl spilled into on Monday afternoon.
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.
The pupils said their school was one of five schools involved.
The fight had been prearranged between two pupils from different schools, they said.
"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.
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 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".
Concerned staff at the nearby Mangere Community Centre made "numerous" calls to police prior to the fight starting.
Centre manager Hone Fowler said staff had feared something might happen about an hour before the fight began.
"There were large groups gathering around Walter Massey Park, it was larger than normal," he said.
"We were calling the police to see whether they could directly respond or prevent the potential for it to escalate."
Fowler and other staff made "numerous" calls to police.
Fowler also tried the sergeant from the local Neighbourhood Policing Team - but only reached his voicemail.
Another colleague made a call to 111.
"One police car was sent out - I think it was someone from the NPT - but the car left afterward."
Staff had hoped police might disperse the crowd, Fowler said.
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/Teenagers-charged-over-south-Auckland-street-brawl | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8f92bc7b98a7977ef49f843c20c2388601c3e031170e124c3db36ba47ef1b623.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:51:22 | null | 2016-08-29T10:28:08 | Widespread chaos reigned at Los Angeles International Airport after a loud noise sparked fears of a gunman on the loose. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83683901%2FGunman-scare-at-LAX-airport-a-false-alarm-man-dressed-as-Zorro-arrested.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/u/s/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtmwt.png/1472466488523.jpg | en | null | 'Gunman' scare at LAX airport a false alarm, man dressed as Zorro arrested | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | 'Gunman' scare at LAX airport a false alarm, man dressed as Zorro arrested
Police have determined that reports of shots being fired at Los Angeles International Airport were only "loud noises", the latest false alarm at a busy US airport.
Police have confirmed that reports of an active shooter that panicked passengers Sunday night inside several terminals at Los Angeles International Airport were false, authorities said.
Reports of gunfire in Terminals 6, 7 and 8 were made about 8:45 pm, prompting airport police to set up a command post and shut down the central terminal area to incoming traffic.
As a further precaution, flight operations were stopped from 9 to 9:30pm on the airport's two southern runways because passengers, who self-evacuated from the terminals, ran onto the restricted airfield.
BOB RIHA JR/REUTERS Delayed passengers are seen inside Terminal 7 at Los Angeles International Airport. After the scare, they were forced to line up to go through TSA security checks.
Later in the evening, authorities prepared to allow passengers who fled from the terminals to re-enter baggage claim areas and gather the luggage they had left behind.
READ MORE: Reports: Shots fired at JFK airport
BOB RIHA JR/REUTERS Traffic congestion is seen near the airport after the evacuation.
Actress Anne Dudek of Santa Monica was one of the travellers who fled from Terminal 7 after her United Airlines flight arrived about 8:30 pm.
She said that she went down the escalator to baggage claim about 8:45 pm and a man who appeared to be panicked ran by, warning everyone to run because he said people were being shot.
"People started dropping bags and running out of the terminal," she said. "Panic spread."
BOB RIHA JR/REUTERS Hundreds of people were caught up in the security scare.
Dudek said she did not hear any shots, but decided to leave Terminal 7. She ran across the street, headed through the parking structure and made her way to the area near Southwest Airlines. She eventually reached her parked car and left the airport.
Airport authorities said in a Twitter post that an individual in a Zorro costume had been detained, without indicating whether that incident was connected to Sunday night's scare.
Before things got really crazy - a man in a Zorro costume with a plastic sword was arrested. pic.twitter.com/COdNEIb1pL — sam macon (@sayczars) August 29, 2016
All terminals, including the Tom Bradley International Terminal, had been cleared by Los Angeles Airport Police by 10:45pm and passengers were allowed to return.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the chaos that unfolded at the airport appeared to be a case of old fashion panic and miscommunication that spread quickly.
"It's almost like a game of telephone, by the time people were hearing things, I think they heard it was an active shooter… that's when chaos can break out," Garcetti said on radio station KNX-AM (1070). "It wasn't really the technology, it was just old fashion of one person yelling out to another and yelling to another."
After an active shooting incident that happened two years ago at LAX, a system was put in place to send text messages to people, he said. However, law enforcement officials can't send anything out until they know the situation is safe.
Within half an hour, there was 80 per cent certainty "that this was probably an incident resulted to some kind of mischief or misunderstanding of some young individuals that were in the terminal area," Garcetti said.
All roads on the arrival and departure levels in the central terminal area also were reopened to traffic late Sunday night.
- MCT | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83683901/Gunman-scare-at-LAX-airport-a-false-alarm-man-dressed-as-Zorro-arrested | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/83d226686265a64d221f056e44877aa5b683460958f83504c3d9f3edfc325439.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:50:24 | null | 2016-08-26T21:57:30 | Advances in artificial limb technology will boost some of our 29 Paralympians' medal chances at Rio in September. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2F83529854%2FParalympics-Techno-athletes-Rio-bound.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/q/m/o/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dqc1q.png/1472248780477.jpg | en | null | Paralympics: Techno-athletes Rio-bound | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Paralympics: Techno-athletes Rio-bound
Lawrence Smith Paralympic swimmer Cameron Leslie has just been fitted with new state of the art prosthetic legs in the lead-up to the Rio Olympics 2016.
Advances in artificial limb technology will boost some of our 29 Paralympians' medal chances at Rio in September. Deidre Mussen talks to some of them before they depart for Brazil.
Gold medallist Cameron Leslie has a new spring in his step.
Four months ago, the Auckland-based para-swimmer became the proud owner of a $70,000 pair of computerised artificial legs, named C-legs.
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz Paralympic swimmer Cameron Leslie has just been fitted with new state of the art prosthetic legs in the lead up to the Rio Olympics 2016.
"I like to call them Cameron-legs," says the 26-year-old, chuckling.
He reckons they're his secret weapon for his bid to defend his world record and gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, kicking off on September 7 at the same venues as the Olympics, which have just finished.
For Leslie and some fellow Kiwi Paralympians, hi-tech prosthetics have joined forces with their sheer hard graft to lift their chances of podium endings.
Cameron Leslie looks forward each day to putting his new legs on. PHOTO: LAWRENCE SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ
It's part of a concerted push by Paralympics New Zealand and the New Zealand Artificial Limb Service to access the best prosthetics available internationally for them to successfully compete at the world's largest sporting event for athletes with disabilities.
Leslie is very grateful the public purse has funded his C-legs, which are "leaps and bounds" better than his old mechanical legs.
"Each day, I look forward to putting my legs on. In the past, it was 'Come on, legs, let's go'."
No-one knows why the Whangarei lad was born with four shortened limbs. His leg stumps end above his knees, his left arm stops half-way down his forearm and his right arm has a thumb, but no fingers.
That hasn't stopped him living life in the fast lane.
He has claimed numerous medals and world records for para-swimming since the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, where he shocked himself by winning gold in a world record-breaking time for the men's 150m individual medley in his category. Four years later, he repeated that golden swim and broke his record at the London Paralympics.
Para-swimmers are banned from using artificial limbs in the water, so his new legs must stay poolside, but he credits them with boosting his performance. Their microprocessor knees control his gait with hydraulics, which saves him precious energy when walking, and built-in shock absorbers make them less exhausting to wear.
"Living my life, I've noticed I've got more energy, so I've got more energy for training.
"It's not day-to-day that I notice the difference. It's when you get to the end of the week, I'm not as shattered."
The new limbs allow him to do gym exercises that were previously impossible, like squats, because their bended knees can weight-bear.
As a result, Leslie's muscles in his core, butt and upper legs are stronger, which has improved his balance and strength in the water, plus he can push off the pool wall better when turning.
They will also make his travel and stay in Rio more pleasant, he says.
In the past, he has relied on his wheelchair to avoid exhausting walks through airports for international swimming competitions.
"When you are trying to conserve your energy, it was easier to hop into the wheelchair."
This time, he will pack his wheelchair, but hopes to rarely use it and walk everywhere instead.
"I enjoy being on my new legs more than being in a chair."
One difference is his new artificial legs need to be regularly charged, even on the plane to Brazil.
"I'm learning to take the charger with me. It's not your normal thing you have to worry about – packing a leg charger," he says, admitting he has been caught out previously.
In June, he got his first taste of his new legs' benefits while competing in Germany.
Not only did he break his world record in the individual medley again, but life outside the pool was far better.
One day, he walked for hours around Berlin sightseeing with fellow Kiwi para-swimmer Jesse Reynolds, who has a mechanical artificial leg.
"The really telling evidence was when I got up the next day and I was as good as gold. For me, if I'd walked that far on my old legs, I would hardly be able to walk the next day," Leslie says.
Reynolds wasn't so lucky.
The Hamilton 19-year-old student, who is now based in Auckland, was exhausted after the pair's jaunt.
It has made him eager to get a C-leg and he hopes that will happen after Rio.
"Looking at Cameron, it's really been a great impact on him. If we can minimise the energy used when I go out, it will help me in the pool too."
His para-swimming coach, Gary Francis, agrees.
"The day after their sightseeing, Cameron was as fresh as a daisy after walking all day. Jesse was very tired and sore. That sums up the modern technology and the older technology.
"We are hoping that they can get a much more functional prosthesis that will enable him to walk with a more normal gait. Walking is still difficult for him. It will make him less fatigued.
"From a training perspective, it will mean his recovery rate will be better in the pool and in the gym as well."
Reynolds was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency. His right femur bone is missing and his knee is fused to his hip, while his lower leg has replaced his thigh. A little foot on its end was amputated in infancy.
He knows his artificial leg's limitations painfully well.
Jesse Reynolds will have to wait till after Rio to get a new computerised artificial leg. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
A week before the Paralympic qualifying trials in March, his prosthesis slipped on the wet pool floor and he fell, snapping his stump's fibular bone in two places.
A cast was out of the question for the Auckland competition and drug testing plus performance impacts also meant he could only take low level pain killers.
He had to tough it out with a broken leg for his first trial, the 400m freestyle. "It was very painful. I was close to vomiting when I got out of the pool," he recalls.
Every kick was agony, but his bravery went unrewarded when he finished outside the qualifying time.
His injury forced him to withdraw, but fortunately, he was granted an exemption for selection to Rio, his first Paralympics, because he had beaten the qualifying time consistently for a number of years.
Nelson's blade runner, Liam Malone, also has experienced the crushing disappointment of ageing artificial limbs.
Last October, the double below-knee amputee competed in the IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, with worn-out and delaminating carbon fibre racing blades, which slowed him down significantly.
"I certainly would have done a lot better if I had newer blades."
Liam Malone's new racing blades took 2 seconds off his 400m time straight away. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
It prompted him to email Iceland-based blade manufacturer Ossur for support. At the start of this year, the company made him a brand ambassador and gave him a new set of blades.
The difference was instant. "I took 2 seconds off my 400m time straight away. Your blades really define how fast you run."
The 22-year-old commerce student, who shifted to Auckland in April to train after two years at Wellington's Victoria University, is unfazed by competing in his first Paralympics.
"I don't really get caught up with it being a big event. I'm just going to be running around in a circle in a different location."
Malone, who hopes New Zealand ingenuity will invent a better moniker for him than Kiwi blade runner, was born with fibular hemimelia.
It is the same congenital condition as disgraced South African blade runner Oscar Pistorius, which involves a lack or shortening of the fibular bone in the person's lower legs.
He had both his legs amputated below the knee at 18 months of age.
His journey to Rio started three years ago when he was struggling to cope with his mother's death after a six-year battle with bowel cancer.
"In the construct of having a disability, Mum was that rock and helped to shape me. I was in a black hole of who I was and what I wanted to do."
Malone needed a new goal and an escape from mind-altering substances that were impacting on his physical and mental health.
After tossing around a range of options, including climbing Aoraki/Mt Cook, he picked training for the Paralympics, which his parents had often suggested as a youngster, but he had dismissed.
A public appeal raised the $20,000 for his first set of blades, which he started learning to use in early 2014.
No-one had run on blades in New Zealand previously, so it was a steep learning curve for him and his prosthetist.
"Even though we did the moulds for my legs, the running itself has so many forces compared to a walking leg. My legs used to bleed like crazy and my stumps would swell up."
And no coaches had taught someone in New Zealand to run on blades.
"I've always been on the back foot," he says, laughing at his pun, "but it is what it is."
He persevered, buoyed by the fact New Zealanders donated their money to help him achieve his dream. "I'm incredibly grateful for the support from New Zealanders. Without their support, I wouldn't be going to Rio."
He hopes his new blades will give him the midas touch, with his best chance at gold in the 400m.
If he does end up on the winners' podium, the medal will join his mother's necklace around his neck, which he always wears.
"I certainly like to think what I'm doing now would make (my Mum) proud and it would make her laugh."
Innovative weight-lifting prosthetics have helped to improve two Dunedin-based para-athletes' training for Rio.
About three years ago, the Dunedin Limb Centre helped javelin thrower Holly Robinson to get an attachment for her training prosthetic arm so she could lift gym weights with both arms.
The Hokitika-born 21-year-old says it has enabled her to strengthen her upper body more evenly, particularly on her weaker left side.
It has improved her running and ability to generate more force for throwing. "I'm moving with both arms, not just one arm, and I'm using my left side a lot more."
She is confident that will translate into a medal-winning throw at Rio, her second Paralympics, and aims for a personal best of around 42m.
"That will give me a very good chance of a medal.
"I'm a world No 1 at the moment. I want to prove myself. The way I see it, the medal is just an added bonus but you've got to focus on you."
Robinson dons a black silver-ferned handless prosthetic on her left arm for competing and has also tweaked its weight to improve her balance for throwing.
Holly Robinson uses a prosthetic arm in the gym. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
She and fellow Dunedin para-athlete Anna Grimaldi, 19, were both born minus a hand and lower forearm.
Grimaldi, who doesn't wear an artificial limb to compete or in day-to-day life, noticed Robinson using her weight-lifting prosthetic arm in the gym and decided to get one too about 18 months ago.
The long jumper and runner is rapt with the improvement in her strength, including her back, arms and legs, which has boosted her sporting prowess.
"I've been able to build strength all over my body, which has made it more even. I guess sport is about symmetry.
"My coach strongly believes your arms control your legs, especially with running. If your arms aren't driving forward, your legs aren't driving as well either."
She can't wait to compete in her first Paralympics and is aiming for a personal best, watched on by her parents and younger sister.
"I'm so excited, I can't quite believe it. Four years ago when the London Paralympics were on, I wasn't even training. It's been crazy."
Paraathletes head coach Raylene Bates says ensuring New Zealand's Paralympians use cutting edge technology for their artificial limbs is vital to allow them to compete on the world stage.
"It's probably something we've put more emphasis on in recent times."
It has included working more closely with artificial limb centres around New Zealand to ensure paraathletes had the best technology possible.
"We've got the best of what we can get."
For those who compete with artificial limbs, one big risk is that something goes wrong with the limb.
"If one of Liam's blades snapped while he was away, you can't go out to the corner shop and buy another one."
Risk management is part of the planning, such as getting athletes to carry their vital prosthetics with them on the plane to losing them if baggage goes missing.
Some prosthetics manufacturers will be at the Paralympics village to do repairs.
Bates says javelin thrower Rory McSweeney, a left below-knee amputee from an accident at age three, has put a lot of work into his prosthetics for Rio.
"We've made drastic changes to his prosthetic since Doha."
Rory McSweeney uses a running blade, a javelin-throwing blade and a walking leg. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The 31-year-old has had surgery on his knee to stabilise his kneecap, which allows him to run better and has meant his prosthetic has been realigned.
McSweeney, who works at Dunedin's Limb Centre, has collaborated with prosthetists to get the best solution for his artificial limb, and uses a running blade, a javelin-throwing blade and a walking leg.
Para-cyclists are also experiencing the added boost from hi-tech artificial limbs, including Wellington's Kate Horan.
Her new artificial cycling leg has been credited with helping her to claim a world ranking in her track cycling event and a world record.
The 41-year-old, who was born missing a bone in her left lower leg, which was amputated below the knee as a child, has excelled in cycling since she switched from running about three years ago.
Rio will be her third Paralympics, following Athens in 2004 and winning 200m silver in Beijing in 2008. She missed the London Games because she was breastfeeding her third child.
Kate Horan's new artificial leg has been credited with helping the Wellingtonian to claim a world record and ranking in her track cycling event. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Her new leg was the result of a collaboration between the New Zealand Artificial Limb Service and Cycling New Zealand.
"Without a doubt, the technology options available to Paralympians will have a direct impact on whether they can make it or not," says the service's chief executive, Sean Gray.
He has been firmly behind the push to ensure more Kiwis needing artificial limbs can access C-legs and other top technology, so hopes the Paralympians' Rio medal haul reflects those benefits.
Leslie hopes he will get to stand tall proudly in his new legs on Rio's dais as a fresh gold medal is placed around his neck.
And afterwards, he may brave it to celebrate his success for the first time on the dance floor.
"I can trust the new legs on the dance floor. On the old ones, you could end up on the floor. If you step wrong, you're on the floor in a second.
"I'm not much of a dancer, but I might give it a go at Rio."
Classifying Paralympians
- The International Paralympic Committee's classification system determines athletes' eligibility to compete in para-sports
- Athletes with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities must have at least one of 10 impairments, including impaired muscle power or range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia – abnormally tense muscles, ataxia – lack of muscle coordination, athetosis – unbalanced, uncontrolled movements with posture problems, visual impairment or intellectual impairment
- The impairment must be severe enough to impact on their ability to compete in that sport
- International Federations for each sport decide their classification system, including what impairments make athletes eligible to compete in their sport
- All athletes are put into sports groups to compete against others with similar classifications. For example, the swimming medley (SM) is ranked 1 to 10 with 1 for the most disabled and 10 the least. Cameron Leslie's SM4 classification is for athletes who are missing three limbs or can use their arms and hands, but not their trunk or legs.
- The Dominion Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/83529854/Paralympics-Techno-athletes-Rio-bound | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/0ed4e7738e9bff702376909231ba924401f0d917825d11788a3a8962dbda88bb.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T18:50:47 | null | 2016-08-27T17:00:00 | Sheep milk producers believe they can grow a high value, high sustainability sector over the next 15 years. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fopinion-analysis%2F83560142%2FRod-Oram-Herding-sheep-milks-potential.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/6/w/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dqzf2.png/1472178559151.jpg | en | null | Rod Oram: Herding sheep milk's potential | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Rod Oram: Herding sheep milk's potential
ROBYN EDIE Keith Neylon's sheep milking sheds were pioneering for the commercialisation of the milk product.
Sheep milk producers believe they can grow a high value, high sustainability sector over the next 15 years or so, thereby avoiding the commodity traps hobbling the mainstream dairy industry.
Currently, the contrast between the two dairy sectors is extreme. New Zealand is a world leader in the science and business of farming, processing and selling commodity cow's milk. Commercial-scale sheep milkers run to only three operations and their yields and efficiency lag the best producers overseas.
Yet, the biggest champion of sheep milk is Landcorp, the country's biggest farmer. Last year, it established the Spring Sheep Milk joint venture with SLC, a group of primary sector investors, led by Scottie Chapman, a former Zespri executive.
The sheep milk industry is looking to produce high value, branded products for smaller international markets, Rod Oram discovered.
Spring Sheep's market research shows rapidly growing consumer interest overseas in sheep milk products. Among appealing attributes are higher nutrition values, easier digestion and a different taste than cow's milk.
READ MORE: Rod Oram - Earth's hopeful future
The venture is one of Landcorp's investments to diversify from commodity dairy and red meat to higher value, high sustainability, branded foods and agricultural products.
Spring Sheep is in its second season of milking 4,000 ewes on a Landcorp farm near Taupo. Nutritional powders from last season's milk are already sold under the Spring Sheep brand in Taiwan through a large pharmacy chain. Probiotic powder, gelato and calcium supplement tablets are coming soon. More products and markets are under development.
Spring Sheep has an enormous challenge on its hands, though. Nutritional powders from ewes' milk are essentially a new product internationally. If the venture establishes markets for it and other high value products such as gelato, it could face intense competition.
The biggest threat is from large European producers, if they are keen to diversify from their traditional products and markets. To match their efficiency and scale, the nascent NZ sheep milk industry needs to rapidly pioneer its own pasture-based farming systems and build scale.
To fast-forward progress, Landcorp, SLC and the government have formed a Primary Growth Partnership, which was launched on Thursday. Over the next six years, they will invest $31.4 million in the project, with Landcorp and SLC contributing $19.8 m and the government $12.6m.
The partners' goals are to deepen consumer, product and market insights and develop high value products to meet those demands; and to develop farming systems that at least match global average yield and productivity measures.
The range of potential products and markets is large, says Chapman, who is chief executive of Spring Sheep. "But my three 'nos' are China, infant formula and cheese." The French dominate the latter, and the other two are increasingly commoditised. Instead, the goal is high value, branded products for smaller markets, such as Korea.
This is very much a market-led rather than production-led strategy. Spring Sheep will only expand its own farming, bring in other farmers and contract manufacturing to meet demand.
Imported genetics and better farming systems are the keys to rapid productivity gains. Issues include adapting imported sheep and genes to the NZ climate, improving pasture and feed, and devising efficient ways for part-time housing of the sheep.
Low environmental impact is another benefit Spring Sheep markets. Per litre of milk ewes produce 30 per cent less pollution than cows. If they are housed half-time, the impact is 60 per cent less.
The farming knowledge developed in the PGP will be public good science and technology made available to other farmers. Spring Sheep already works with its Lake Taupo neighbour Maui Milk, which is 40 per cent owned by Waituhi Kuratau, a Maori land trust, and 60 per cent by a Chinese investor.
Southland farmer Keith Neylon was one of the pioneer commercial sheep milkers in New Zealand. His Antara Ag Farms runs 14,000 ewes, with plans to expand to 100,000 ewes in six years. It sells its milk to Blue River Dairy, a local processor and exporter that's Chinese owned.
There is already a $6m collaboration to improve the local industry involving AgResearch, Otago and Victoria universities, Callaghan Innovation, Blue River Dairy, Kingsmeade Cheese and Waituhi.
Thus, it would make great sense to expand the PGP into a true NZ Inc venture, to maximise the opportunity of creating a new high value food sector.
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/83560142/Rod-Oram-Herding-sheep-milks-potential | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/33fb15b097c6e891522a812b76a332e1eb71f896d08177cc2aece551c9cdf69e.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:50:33 | null | 2016-08-27T00:58:09 | Social media posts promising free flights for doing a survey are a phishing scam, the airline says. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Ftravel%2Ftravel-troubles%2F83628443%2FAir-New-Zealand-issue-warning-over-free-flight-scam-on-Facebook.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/7/x/q/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsg4b.png/1472259489466.jpg | en | null | Air New Zealand issue warning over free flight scam on Facebook | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Air New Zealand issue warning over free flight scam on Facebook
SIMON MAUDE/FAIRFAX NZ The country's largest airline has been caught up in a scam purporting to offer free tickets in return for completing a survey.
Air New Zealand is warning of a phishing scam making the rounds on social media.
A link which has appeared on Facebook redirects web users to an unofficial Air New Zealand website, promising two free airline tickets to anywhere in the world as an inducement to provide personal details.
Participants are asked to answer three survey questions, after which they are required to share the post on their Facebook and send it to 15 of their friends.
The fake website asks participants to share the post with their friends on social media.
READ MORE:
* Rainbow's End, Countdown and New World scams claim to offer freebies
* Elaborate scam hits New Zealand's building industry
Air New Zealand's external communications consultant Emma Field said the airline was aware of the scam message and that some people were receiving it via their timeline or in private messages.
"This post is not from Air New Zealand and we strongly advise anyone who receives the post not to click on any links or to provide any personal details," she said.
Those who click the link are redirected to a fake Air New Zealand website and asked to complete a survey.
The airline has reiterated that statement on their Twitter account, assuring the public it's working with Facebook to have it removed.
The Twitter post has attracted comment from a handful of individuals claiming to have fallen victim to the scam, or others of a similar nature.
One user claimed a link they clicked on directed them to a promotion only open to US residents that stated 20 entrants would win flights to New Zealand.
We are aware of a phishing scam and are working with Facebook to have this removed. Please do not click on any suspicious links. — Air New Zealand✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) August 26, 2016
She says she supplied both her own and her husband's email and phone number when prompted.
It comes just days after Auckland theme park Rainbow's End issued a similar warning in regards to a scam also on Facebook, offering entry tickets in return for filling out a survey.
Another link being distributed via Facebook asks people to fill out a survey in return for an $80 New World coupon.
@FlyAirNZ bugger. Thought it was a genuine goodwill gesture after your recent record profit announcement. Grrr — mad mum (@madmum60) August 26, 2016
Report scams to the relevant organisation:
* Scamwatch (Ministry of Consumer Affairs)
* DIA (Anti-Spam)
* NetSafe – The Orb (Online scams)
* ConnectSmart
* NZ Police if criminal activity is evident
@FlyAirNZ That 20 people thing? Already signed up. Now what?!?!?! — cinders23 (@cinders23) August 26, 2016
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/83628443/Air-New-Zealand-issue-warning-over-free-flight-scam-on-Facebook | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e1d19ffaf6f7b0b251e66b9b9ab8e4b32f8fafdab9c8cec540cf982f87c60c1c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:41 | null | 2016-08-26T08:31:25 | Tears flowed down a Palmerston North teenager's face as he was led to the cells to start a jail sentence for raping a 71-year-old woman. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fcrime%2F83619418%2FMatila-Illia-Neemia-jailed-for-raping-71-year-old-woman-in-her-own-home.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/etc/designs/ffx/nz/stuff/social-media-logos/stuff-180x180.jpg | en | null | Matila Illia-Neemia jailed for raping 71-year-old woman in her own home | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Matila Illia-Neemia jailed for raping 71-year-old woman in her own home
Tears flowed down a Palmerston North teenager's face as he was led to the cells to start a jail sentence for raping a 71-year-old woman.
The Palmerston North District Court heard on Friday that Matila Ilia-Neemia's actions on that day, in August 2015, were totally out of character for him.
The 19-year-old is starting a six-year, three-month jail term for his first criminal offences, after he pulled the woman from her shower and raped her.
Letters provided to the court painted a picture of Ilia-Neemia, who was adopted by an aunt after moving to New Zealand from Samoa, as having a strong Christian faith and being a hard worker.
READ MORE: Elderly woman sexually assaulted at home
Judge Gerard Lynch quoted a psychological report.
"Mr Ilia-Neemia grew up in a protective home with strict religious views, designed for all aspects of life," the report said.
He excelled in schooling and at sports, playing rugby at representative level, but was made to quit school at year 12 and get work to provide for his family.
He was also banned from playing rugby on Sundays for religious reasons by his family, so could not aspire to a higher grade, the report said.
"A buildup of frustration and anger over a period of time potentially exposed Mr Ilia-Neemia to engage in sex as a way of coping with these emotions.
"His sexual offending against an older, vulnerable woman could also be seen as an assertion of sexual power and control."
His offending involved him going to check on his sister's house, a flat.
While there, he heard the shower going at the adjoining flat.
Knowing the woman lived alone, he entered through an unlocked sliding door and hung around in the lounge for a time, before going into the shower, pulling the woman out and raping her in the bathroom and her bedroom.
He also took a camera from the lounge, but left it on the fence while leaving.
Ilia-Neemia initially denied the offending - a denial the judge said may have been down to youthfulness - but made a full admission when confronted with all the evidence.
The judge said Ilia-Neemia had a strong faith and strong family support.
"Young man, you need to draw on that faith to see yourself through until your parole eligibility."
Ilia-Neemia needed to also undertake any rehabilitation programme available, the judge said.
"If you do that, then you stand a good chance of being released at your first meeting with the New Zealand Parole Board.
"If you lose your faith and lose your way, then you will be serving a very long sentence."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/83619418/Matila-Illia-Neemia-jailed-for-raping-71-year-old-woman-in-her-own-home | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4537b69ac25b7a87327c614c7128ca0e0e5fcbabb92c7074ea8392fd6d356d1f.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:51:23 | null | 2016-08-27T20:17:25 | Kiwi woman flying home after | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Ftravel%2Ftravel-troubles%2F83611209%2FKiwi-mum-released-from-hospital-in-Malaysia-is-heading-home-to-face-insurance-drama.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/n/a/u/7/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1ds2tl.png/1472331002433.jpg | en | null | Kiwi mum released from hospital in Malaysia is heading home to face insurance drama | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Kiwi mum released from hospital in Malaysia is heading home to face insurance drama
KANE BEARDSMORE Kane Beardsmore says he is battling with an insurance company who are refusing to cover his mother Bronwyn Ross who has pneumonia.
A Kiwi mum trapped in Malaysia after falling ill and being unable to leave due to a legal battle with her travel insurance company is headed home.
Bronwyn Ross was discharged from hospital on Friday after struck down with pneumonia more than two weeks ago.
She has been told she is well enough to fly home to Otago on Sunday without needing an air ambulance, but her ordeal is not quite over.
KANE BEARDSMORE The family of Bronwyn Ross, 58, say their fighting Southern Cross Travel Insurance over their decision to deny Ross any medical cover for her pneumonia. Her son Kane Beardsmore and his partner Kirsten were in Kuala Lumpur with her when she was admitted to hospital on August 10, 2016.
Her travel insurance provider Southern Cross has rejected her claim and won't cover any of her costs because they say her illness was linked to a pre-existing medical condition.
READ MORE:
* 'Bring mum home': Kiwi woman stuck in Malaysian hospital amid insurance stoush
* Consumers confused by 'gradual damage' exclusion on insurance policies
* Government must step in to solve insurance commission abuses
Ross, 58, has sought legal advice to contest that decision.
AP Malaysia's landmark Petronas Towers and other commercial buildings are seen shrouded with haze in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
She said it has been a "holiday from hell" and she was now nervously waiting to see whether she could be covered or whether she and her family will be thousands of dollars out of pocket.
"I thought I'd filled everything out correctly and thought I'd be covered if something were to go wrong overseas but this has just added to un-needed stress."
Ross has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), however she said her doctor's certificate showed her COPD had been stable while she was in hospital and was not a contributing factor to her pneumonia.
In their decision, emailed to Ross, Southern Cross wrote that her admission to hospital was linked to a pre-existing condition and they were "unable to cover any costs or losses incurred directly or indirectly related to this condition".
Southern Cross Travel Insurance chief executive Craig Morrison said this week he was standing by that decision.
He criticised her for talking to the media, saying: "We are disappointed that the family have chosen to have this play out in the media as opposed to going through SCTI's review process and the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman".
Ross and son Kane Beardsmore had been in Kuala Lumpur to watch his cousin's daughter Isla compete in a junior ice skating championship, but on their fourth day there Ross had shortness of breath and was unable to walk so was taken into hospital.
Beardsmore said the hospital bills and re-booking flights and accommodation have added up to about $16,000 — none of which may be covered.
To make matters worse, his partner Kristen spent a night in hospital in New Zealand after getting swollen legs from her flight back to Malaysia.
"Luckily she was all fine, she had the tests done and she's on antibiotics," he said.
He said it has been a stressful couple of weeks and there could be more rigmarole involved in appealing the travel insurance decision.
"Hopefully we can leave it in the hands of the lawyers, they've got their medical team going through it. I just can't wait to get home and mum is looking forward to having a bit of a rest."
While he's been looking after his mother, his friends back home have set up a Givealittle fundraiser that's already raised $5,800.
The support had been "unbelievable," he said, with so many people donating and getting in contact with him and his mother to see how they were going.
Ross said she was buoyed by the support, which was "overwhelming".
- Sunday Star Times | http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/83611209/Kiwi-mum-released-from-hospital-in-Malaysia-is-heading-home-to-face-insurance-drama | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/b7c9b1c07e0d0abdcab4cc5f43053a8c9afabca80cf2eb4e499404cd64ef37f1.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:21 | null | 2016-08-29T00:07:23 | Rio 2016 is just beginning for Kiwi Paralympians and their supporters. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Ftv-radio%2F83661056%2FRound-two-of-Rio-2016-promises-great-things-for-Kiwis.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/7/p/0/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt5a8.png/1472429244252.jpg | en | null | Round two of Rio 2016 promises great things for Kiwis | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Round two of Rio 2016 promises great things for Kiwis
ROBERT KITCHIN/Fairfax NZ New Zealand's Sophie Pascoe in action
For most sports fans, watching the Olympic Games is exciting enough. For Paralympians and their supporters, however, it is just the warm-up to their own main event.
Paralympics NZ chief executive Fiona Allan has been through this many times before with four summer and winter Games under her belt, starting with Beijing in 2008. Paralympians like to feel that by the time their own event begins, all the issues with the venues have been ironed out. Now it's time for the business end of their own campaigns.
"Seeing the venues, it makes it all very real for us in a few weeks' time," says Allan. "In some ways, it gives you a sense of comfort that the Olympic Games are taking place before the Paralympics."
TV Guide New Zealand shooter Michael Johnson and his loader Anna Skipper.
She and her colleagues will also take comfort from the fact that London 2012 was a runaway success for Kiwi Paralympians, with a tally of 17 medals, including six gold, seven silver, and four bronze. Swimmer Sophie Pascoe was the star of that team, taking three gold and three silver medals.
READ MORE:
*Paralympics: Techno-athletes Rio-bound
*Rio Paralympics 2016: Chris Sharp and New Zealand's para-sailors aim to surprise
*Cash crisis hits Rio Paralympics but NZ officials confident Games will go ahead
*Rio Paralympics 2016: Russia loses appeal against Paralympics ban
The team success has prompted Paralympics NZ to set an even more ambitious target for this year of 18 medals, including 12 gold.
"The team is at 29 (athletes) at the moment," says Allan. "We are aware with the recent IPC decisions on the Russian para-athletes not participating at the Paralympic Games, that the IPC may look at redistributing some of the allocated slots to nations, too."
A question on who she would pick for her best medal bets draws a laugh.
"That's really hard," she says. "We've got a really talented group of athletes. Para-athletics has eight athletes. It's the second-largest team we have had since 2000. Six of the athletes are ranked in the top six in the world (in their events). And we have three number ones in that team. Cycling – a team of seven, and the ones to watch are Emma Foy and Laura Thompson, who are triple world champions. And then Paralympian Kate Horan. She has switched from silver medal in Beijing in the 100m to the cycling, so it will be interesting to see how that transition works out for her."
There is one crew in the para-sailing, and that includes America's Cup sailor and multiple world champion Rick Dodson, plus double Paralympian Andrew May and Chris Sharp. In the shooting, Michael Johnson, current gold medallist and world number one, is at his fourth Paralympics Games.
"But the majority of New Zealand success will likely come in the pool," says Allan, "with the para-swimming team who, between them, hold a staggering nine Paralympic titles, 22 world titles and 10 long-course records."
But even as the 2016 team gets into gear, Paralympics NZ is already looking to the future.
"Planning is already in place for the 2018 winter Paralympics in South Korea and the Tokyo summer Paralympics in 2020," says Allan. "Rio is now for us all planned out and ready and we're just looking forward to watching our athletes perform."
Where to watch: Paralympic Games action screens daily on TVNZ's free-to-air and live-streamed TV channel Duke, from September 8-19, with the Opening Ceremony at 8.30am. Event coverage begins at 6am each day, with a highlights package every night on TV One, and will be available online through TVNZ OnDemand and AttitudeLive.com.
Read more TV Guide stories on our page or connect with us on Facebook
- TV Guide | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/83661056/Round-two-of-Rio-2016-promises-great-things-for-Kiwis | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a645a038edc3313e339b5cd3afd64304bd141b2d5472896eb138ffd2bc4d7d48.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:52:43 | null | 2016-08-31T10:40:36 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Ftravel%2Fnews%2F83779893%2FSevere-turbulence-injures-16-people-on-United-Airlines-flight.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/i/z/d/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvoz9.png/1472640371754.jpg | en | null | Severe turbulence injures 16 people on United Airlines flight | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Severe turbulence injures 16 people on United Airlines flight
SUPPLIED United Airlines now has a regular flight to San Francisco form Auckland International Airport.
Sixteen people were hospitalised with injuries after a United Airlines flight hit severe, unexpected turbulence.
Flight UA880, carrying 207 passengers, 10 flight attendants and three cockpit crew, was en route from Houston, Texas, to Heathrow, London.
It made an emergency landing in the Republic of Ireland about 5.55am on Wednesday (local time), and 16 people were taken to hospital in Limerick, ITV reported.
The plane hit "severe and unexpected turbulence" during the flight, an airline spokesperson said.
"United Airlines is providing care and support to customers and crew of flight UA-880 which experienced severe and unexpected turbulence during a flight from Houston to London Heathrow today.
"We wish these passengers and crew a quick recovery from their injuries."
16 people taken to hospital after United Airlines plane makes emergency landing at Shannon before 6am — Mick McCaffrey (@mccaffreymick) August 31, 2016
READ MORE
* Flight "absolutely terrifying"
* Malaysia Airlines says passengers were injured by turbulence
* Airline gave wrong flight plan to Auckland traffic control
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/83779893/Severe-turbulence-injures-16-people-on-United-Airlines-flight | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/0b1e3f031772feae9a4861f7e69a2dfb3c08235ab93b22a4e814853fc9642789.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:45 | null | 2016-08-29T04:40:44 | Brain injured woman taken to hospital three days after her face was | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83661073%2FBrain-injured-woman-pummelled-in-Dunedin-care-facility.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/k/c/m/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt5ap.png/1472445644676.jpg | en | null | Brain injured woman 'pummelled' in Dunedin care facility | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Brain injured woman 'pummelled' in Dunedin care facility
DAVID WALKER/FAIRFAX NZ A woman with brain injuries was taken to Dunedin Hospital three days after being assaulted inside a Dunedin care facility.
A distraught daughter says her mother's face was "pummeled" by a fellow resident of a Dunedin care facility.
"She was meant to be safe," Emma Shepherd said of her 55-year-old mother.
Pictures of her mother show large bruises around her eyes and mouth, with "some bruises still coming out five days after the assault".
On Wednesday, her mother was bashed at a Pact residential facility where she had lived for the last seven weeks.
Shepherd said a 25-year-old woman assaulted her mother for warning her not to steal another flatmate's vodka.
"This chick just pummelled her face in."
Christchurch-based Shepherd, who is her mother's only New Zealand next-of-kin and her welfare guardian, did not learn of the incident until she visited her on Saturday.
Shocked at her mother's condition, she complained to management who finally took her mother to Dunedin Hospital.
Shepherd said her mother suffered a brain injury in 2013, and survived a long-term abusive relationship resulting in her former partner being jailed. Because of the brain injury, she has been deemed to be incapable of living alone.
"I trusted these people to make sure she is safe, because she is more vulnerable than she has ever been," Shepherd said.
"[Pact] haven't dealt with this the right way, they have tried to cover it up."
Asked why her daughter was not informed of the assault, Pact chief executive Louise Carr said it was "a reasonable expectation for families to be kept informed and it's our intention to do so, subject to clients' wishes".
"Many of our clients are quite capable of making their own decisions regarding such issues and we respect their wishes."
She confirmed the incident was being reviewed, "and, where necessary, measures put in place to prevent them occurring again".
"As part of the incident reporting process, we will assess whether the level of support was appropriate in this instance."
Although she could not discuss specific details due to privacy concerns, "we can say that if a client is ever hurt we offer to take them for medical treatment".
"It is up to the client whether he or she wishes to accept this offer."
Police are investigating the incident.
Shepherd was concerned her mother, who was an alcoholic, was also allowed to buy alcohol and not encouraged to eat decent food.
She paid $125 a week to stay at the St Kilda facility, with just $100 left over for groceries.
"She has been drinking three casks of wine a week, so out of $100 you tell me what she is eating," Shepherd said.
"All she lives on is mushroom and cheese scones and canned food.
"I am disgusted, and there is nothing I can do."
Carr said the flats were the clients' homes and "alcohol is not prohibited, as long as it is used moderately and does not create disturbances to the service, clients or the wider community".
Shepherd said her mother was not being supported in her new home, as "she just stays in bed drinking and smoking cigarettes all day, that's all she does".
"It sounds bad but I've spent my whole life being the parent, it is time for me to put my life together but I'm having to deal with this because the people that are meant to be helping me aren't doing their jobs."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83661073/Brain-injured-woman-pummelled-in-Dunedin-care-facility | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/df448e1bce4f8aab0cf62d4f2c1884819fd1297aa55725043021b84ae5b5ca1f.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T12:50:27 | null | 2016-08-27T11:14:04 | The Wallabies are in bad shape, but their coach has turned the attention to officials following heavy defeat. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Finternational%2F83634382%2FMichael-Cheika-takes-aim-at-officials-after-second-straight-All-Blacks-defeat.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/l/y/c/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dskpa.png/1472296453181.jpg | en | null | Michael Cheika takes aim at officials after second straight All Blacks defeat | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Michael Cheika takes aim at officials after second straight All Blacks defeat
GETTY IMAGES Australian coach Michael Cheika wasn't pleased with the refereeing by Romain Poite.
Only 301 days since they played a World Cup final, the Wallabies find themselves in bad shape.
Six losses on the bounce stretching back to the 2015 Rugby World Cup final in London, a 3-0 series loss to England on home soil, and now a complete humiliation against the All Blacks with a Bledisloe Cup on the line.
New Zealand scored 10 tries in two matches against the Australians, restricting them to just one. The set piece was dominated by the men in black, as was the ruck.
GETTY IMAGES Stephen Moore had few answers to explain the shambolic Wallabies lineout.
In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere the Wallabies excelled.
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You could see the tension on Michael Cheika's face, and the disappointment in captain Stephen Moore's eyes. They looked like men with few answers.
Their default position was to take aim at refereeing decisions, when the quality of ball for their backs has been appalling. A referee can't fix that.
"Well, I was bitterly disappointed, to be honest," Cheika said of the refereeing performance from Romain Poite.
"I'm on record with the referees boss, Alain Rolland, about the treatment to our captain and to our players by Romain Poite and also by Nigel Owens over this past year.
"I'm not quite sure why, I'm not quite sure why, but there was a time there in the game, in a break in play, where the national captain of Australia was asking the referee, 'when might be a good opportunity for me to talk to you?'.
"He just ignored him. He's got the whistle, I understand, but there's a place where that guy, the captain has an opportunity to speak with the referee. The referee might not like the captain personally, that might be his prerogative, but he has to afford him that opportunity if he's affording it to his opponents.
"I think that attitude showed right through. I don't know if it's subconscious or not, but it's there. It's got to be dealt with, because it can't be that the opponent can have every player discussing with the referee.
"It's pretty blatant to anyone listening to the referees."
Maybe it's masterful deflection from Cheika.
He didn't have much to say about the performance of his forwards, but did say his side lacked quality ball.
That was due to a dreadful set piece, particularly a lineout that looked a shambles throughout.
Moore still has confidence in his lineout, however.
Asked if he had lost confidence when throwing into the lineout, he was short and sweet with his answer.
"No."
Asked what needed to be fixed in the lineout, Moore was either keeping the answers secret, or didn't know himself.
"I think we just need to use our options which are going to give us ball in space," he said.
"There are some things we need to do to help us improve there. A lot of things go into it, timing is obviously important, but I think there's other things as well."
They'd better have a great review, because the Wallabies are almost starting from scratch with their set piece. They have two weeks before the Springboks arrive in Brisbane, and that's a side who won't have issues at set piece time.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/83634382/Michael-Cheika-takes-aim-at-officials-after-second-straight-All-Blacks-defeat | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/03dc3bc90289c8edba62995e8051d4df9bc6835e5523390c7c44b1ee38856680.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:34 | null | 2016-08-29T00:43:42 | A statue of Richie McCaw has been commissioned for his hometown of Kurow, but the concept model is a little rough. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2F83655902%2FRichie-McCaw-statue-for-Kurow-in-concept-stages-but-is-it-a-fitting-tribute.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/4/1/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt1b2.png/1472431640938.jpg | en | null | Richie McCaw statue for Kurow in concept stages, but is it a fitting tribute? | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Richie McCaw statue for Kurow in concept stages, but is it a fitting tribute?
SUPPLIED A concept statue of Richie McCaw by Oamaru sculptor Don Paterson. McCaw recently gave the green light to have a statue erected in his hometown of Kurow.
Rugby legend Richie McCaw will be immortalised in a statue at his hometown of Kurow within the next 12 months.
Kurow Musuem Committee chairman John Sturgeon said McCaw had agreed to having the statue erected in his honour.
"Our committee wishes to acknowledge Richie McCaw's outstanding rugby career with a permanent statue of our local Kurow lad," Sturgeon said.
Sturgeon said donations had already started flowing in from the local community and he hoped the whole country would get in behind the statue.
"The committee will also seek funding from various sources and invite members of the public, groups and companies to financially participate in this project.
"We hope there will be interest shown by New Zealand Rugby and indeed all rugby clubs will be encouraged to donate to this worthy project," he said.
DAVID WHITE/FAIRFAX NZ The real McCaw.
Oamaru artist, Don Paterson got a call on Monday morning from a friend telling him he would be the one to immortalise McCaw.
"For me to get a commission like this, is just out of the world," Paterson said.
Paterson said he had been talking with members of the Kurow Museum Committee for the past two months, and had created a small model concept of the statue. The phone call this morning confirmed he would be the one to tackle the project.
KIRK HARGREAVES/FAIRFAX NZ Sculptor Don Paterson with one of his earlier sculptures depicting a father and son reading on a park bench.
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"I've started on a marquette (small model) for them," he said.
"It's as close as I can get it without taking my own photos of Richie. It's hard to create a three-dimensional person with a two-dimensional picture."
Paterson had sculpted statues of antique copper and calcite polymer, and McCaw's statue would likely follow suit.
"At this stage [the Museum Committee] is just feeling the market, because if they can get a person that wants to put money up for a bronze then they will go for a bronze. Otherwise it will be my normal format," Paterson said.
Kurow Museum Committee treasurer Jocelyn McIlraith said the committee chose Paterson because of his "impressive" works around Oamaru and Waimate.
The life-sized statue would be a positive asset to compliment the rugby legend's hometown.
"The impact will be huge. People will be coming to see it from all around," she said.
Plans to erect the statuewould bemade within 12 months, giving the committee enough time to raise funds from the community.
"We need to raise $50,000 by the time it is in place," she said.
For a bronze statue they would need to raise $100,000. This option would be considered if interest and donations were adequate, she said.
An earlier Kurow tribute to the great man: A replica of the Rugby World Cup trophy next a cardboard cut-out of Richie McCaw.
Paterson said he had been commissioned to make small sculptures in previous years for the likes of New Zealand Rugby Union and the Canterbury Rugby Football Union.
"It's just been a big part of my life, playing sport myself," he said.
We realise this is a concept model, but we're not getting a strong sense of Richie from it. Does it look like Richie? If not, then who? Have your say in the comments below.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/83655902/Richie-McCaw-statue-for-Kurow-in-concept-stages-but-is-it-a-fitting-tribute | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/254bf1bf16817895e1e5eae3c7db817929ac9a7571c502a851d5fad777c51ee1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:50:17 | null | 2016-08-26T21:58:46 | Facebook takes first step toward making money from its WhatsApp deal and lots of users aren't happy. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Ftechnology%2F83626806%2FFacebook-takes-first-step-toward-making-money-from-WhatsApp-deal.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/0/k/5/6/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dseuu.png/1472248726536.jpg | en | null | Facebook takes first step toward making money from WhatsApp deal | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Facebook takes first step toward making money from WhatsApp deal
REUTERS WhatsApp has one billion users worldwide and counting. That's nearly one in seven people using the messaging app that has just made changes to its privacy rules.
Facebook is laying the groundwork for its free messaging service WhatsApp to begin making money, easing its privacy rules so data can be used for Facebook advertising and allowing businesses to message its more than one billion users.
It's the first step toward monetising the platform since the social network's chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg paid $30.3 billion (US$22b) for the app in 2014.
WhatsApp announced the change to its terms of service policy today. It allows businesses to communicate with users, including appointment reminders, delivery and shipping notifications and marketing pitches. In a corresponding blog post, WhatsApp said it will be testing the features over the coming months.
The policy shift may help WhatsApp generate revenue, but also could irk users drawn to its strong stance on privacy.
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After it agreed to be purchased by Facebook in 2014, co-founder Jan Koum pledged the deal wouldn't change how the company handles user data. Now WhatsApp says it will begin sharing more information about its customers with the "Facebook family." The data, including a person's phone number, could be used to better target ads when browsing Facebook or Instagram, WhatsApp said.
Facebook agreed to buy WhatsApp for US$19 billion in 2014, but the deal price ultimately rose to US$22 billion because of the social networks' rising stock price. Investors have been anxious to see how Zuckerberg makes money from the deal. Several services in Asia, most notably WeChat in China, have successfully opened up their platforms so businesses can interact with customers. It's a strategy Facebook has also been taking with the communication app, Messenger.
In its blog post, WhatsApp also reiterated its commitment to encryption, saying no outside parties are able to see what its users are saying to each other. The policy has put the company at odds with government authorities in the US and Europe who want an ability to intercept the communication of potential terrorists.
"Our belief in the value of private communications is unshakeable," the company said.
- Bloomberg | http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/83626806/Facebook-takes-first-step-toward-making-money-from-WhatsApp-deal | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/59ebde8063723d2ea4e033ad741241ff9578fb357fb916db3628928ab5a70d38.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:51:39 | null | 2016-08-29T22:01:23 | The pop-star surprised Davidson County residents by showing up for jury duty in Nashville. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebrities%2F83698316%2FTaylor-Swift-reports-for-jury-duty-seriously.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/l/9/0/1/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dty18.png/1472508088389.jpg | en | null | Taylor Swift reports for jury duty - seriously | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Taylor Swift reports for jury duty - seriously
DANNY MOLOSHOK/REUTERS Singer Taylor Swift is ready to her bit for justice, reporting for jury duty on Monday in Nashville.
Taylor Swift may be a world famous pop-star, but that isn't a good enough reason to skip jury duty.
The Blank Space singer surprised Davidson County residents by showing up for jury duty in Nashville.
More photos of Taylor doing jury duty in Nashville today! pic.twitter.com/8tkiZGRs2e — Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftBulletin) August 29, 2016
Media outlets report that Swift reported for jury duty on Monday morning at downtown Nashville's courthouse with security in tow.
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Several social media posts circulated showing Swift taking photos with other prospective jurors.
The case Swift was considered for was a domestic violence case involving a charge of aggravated rape.
After being questioned by attorneys, the 26-year-old was dismissed that afternoon.
- AAP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/83698316/Taylor-Swift-reports-for-jury-duty-seriously | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e5cc52944d9018a82b6b1bbe21cbc6defcd7b7236815c9a692a8ce910bef392c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T02:52:00 | null | 2016-08-30T02:19:36 | Forty years of Circa Theatre and the work of playwright Roger Hall are being celebrated with a new play. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Farts%2F83656967%2FWellingtons-Circa-Theatre-celebrating-40-years-of-Roger-Hall.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/b/r/2/v/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt24n.png/1472523576796.jpg | en | null | Wellington's Circa Theatre celebrating 40 years of Roger Hall | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Wellington's Circa Theatre celebrating 40 years of Roger Hall
CAMERON BURNELL/FAIRFAX NZ Wellington's Circa Theatre.
One of New Zealand's most successful playwrights is bringing his latest work to Wellington's Circa Theatre, to help mark an important milestone.
As part of the theatre's 40th anniversary celebrations this year, rehearsals are well underway for a brand new Roger Hall play, Last Legs.
It's a fitting tribute to the well-known theatre where Hall's debut production, Glide Time, premiered in 1976.
SUPPLIED Poster for a performance of Glide Time by Roger Hall by Circa Theatre, 1976.
The new work features actress Jane Waddell, who has been performing in Hall's plays for years and been cast in more of his works than any other actor.
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The partnership is one she said she thoroughly enjoyed, particularly because she knew just how well audiences reacted to Hall's work.
RUBY MACANDREW CHEERS: The cast raise their glasses to 40 years of Roger Hall at Circa Theatre.
"The thing about Roger is that he does know his audience and when you're playing to a full house, there's nothing like that wave of laughter that starts at the back of the auditorium and rolls right down through the audience and onto the stage," she said.
Waddell will be joined by a small ensemble of Wellington actors, including Ray Henwood and Stephen Gledhill, all under the direction of fellow Hall mainstay Ross Jolly.
Jolly started out as an actor, before slowly turning his focus to directing.
He said the thrill of directing a Roger Hall piece came from knowing that a loyal audience would always turn out to see the play, sometimes solely based on name recognition.
"I call them social comedies. They're enormously popular. He's a brand - people ask for The Roger Hall and he's earned that by writing so many plays."
Last Legs is a comedy set in an upmarket retirement community, where residents fill their twilight years with greed, jealousy, love and lust.
It explores the themes of positive ageing, particularly relevant with New Zealand's ageing population.
The play is set to utilise Circa's compact size to help create a connection with the audience, with parts often breaking the fourth wall to actively engage with those seated in the first few rows.
The audience isn't the only ones at Hall's mercy, though, according to Jolly.
"He's an equal opportunity leg-puller, everybody gets mocked slightly in a Roger Hall play."
* Last Legs is on at Circa Theatre from September 10 to October 8.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/83656967/Wellingtons-Circa-Theatre-celebrating-40-years-of-Roger-Hall | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/5cb2602cf95edbc1e2b1d756d15aedc439e36cc397b28a00b938ffd018eec0fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:50:30 | null | 2016-08-27T01:53:58 | Michael Phelps and the Final Five will rub shoulders with the stars at the Video Music Awards. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2F83614210%2FMichael-Phelps-Final-Five-gymnasts-to-present-at-MTV-Video-Music-Awards.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/q/j/w/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1ds54y.png/1472262838000.jpg | en | null | Michael Phelps, Final Five gymnasts to present at MTV Video Music Awards | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Michael Phelps, Final Five gymnasts to present at MTV Video Music Awards
Instagram/simonebiles US gymnasts Simone Biles, centre, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman will present awards at Sunday's show in New York City.
Recent Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps and the Final Five are heading to the MTV Video Music Awards.
MTV said that Phelps, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian will present awards at Monday's show in New York City.
Jimmy Fallon, Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Puff Daddy will also present awards, while attendees at Madison Square Garden will include Kanye West, Bryson Tiller, 2 Chainz, DNCE, Desiigner and Troye Sivan.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images Michael Phelps and the Final Five will rub shoulders with the stars at the ceremony.
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Britney Spears, Rihanna, Future, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Nick Jonas and the Chainsmokers will perform during the live show.
Beyonce is the leading nominee with 11, followed by Adele with eight nominations. Adele won't attend the show; a representative for Beyonce didn't immediately say if the singer would attend.
Beyonce, Adele, West, Justin Bieber and Drake will compete for video of the year.
The MTV Video Music Awards will air live from New York's Madison Square Garden on Monday, August 29, from 12pm, on MTV. Check out Stuff Entertainment's live blog of the ceremony, from 12pm.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/83614210/Michael-Phelps-Final-Five-gymnasts-to-present-at-MTV-Video-Music-Awards | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/af12dd4878e6128bf8a6297a83a0e1e49c10632a96e601aebfedadf524bf3e5c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:51:50 | null | 2016-08-30T00:12:56 | Crash between fire truck and car slows busy Auckland intersection to a crawl. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fauckland%2F83703943%2FCrash-between-fire-truck-and-car-in-Aucklands-Sandringham.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/2/9/5/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1du2dj.png/1472516544081.jpg | en | null | Crash between fire truck and car in Auckland's Sandringham | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Crash between fire truck and car in Auckland's Sandringham
Elesha Edmonds / Stuff.co.nz Emergency services attended a collision between a fire truck and a car in central Auckland.
A collision between a fire truck and a car blocked a busy central Auckland intersection.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Sandringham and Balmoral Roads on Tuesday morning around 10am.
Fire Service assistant area manager Roger Callister said the Mt Roskill fire crew had been heading to a fire alarm down the road.
ELESHA EDMONDS / FAIRFAX NZ Scene of the crash - intersection of Balmoral and Sandringham Roads
"They were responding under lights and sirens."
Callister said the fire appliance had been "crawling" through the intersection at the time of the crash.
The driver of the car was checked over by St John ambulance staff but was uninjured.
Callister said the fire crew, an officer and three firefighters, were uninjured but shaken by the events.
Traffic lights at the intersection were turned off so police could divert the motorists away from the scene.
The car was seriously damaged while the fire truck sustained scrapes to its side.
The truck would need to be assessed by a mechanic before it would be allowed back on the road, Callister said.
Traffic was affected in all four directions and motorists were advised to avoid the area.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/83703943/Crash-between-fire-truck-and-car-in-Aucklands-Sandringham | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/ee114a887aaa50ff221147c790a473358cd4e166a569fc31b81041884197a71d.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T00:52:12 | null | 2016-08-31T00:47:53 | Several hundred multinationals could be slapped by big tax bills in Europe but the situation here may be different John Key says. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83741844%2FEU-tax-crackdown-one-of-the-most-remarkable-things-to-happen-in-tax-ever.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/w/3/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duvmc.png/1472604473893.jpg | en | null | EU tax crackdown 'one of the most remarkable things to happen in tax, ever' | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | EU tax crackdown 'one of the most remarkable things to happen in tax, ever'
ROBERT GALBRAITH/REUTERS Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the company would appeal the decision that would see Apple paying billions of euro in unpaid back taxes to Ireland.
Apple could just be the first of 700 or 800 companies slapped with big tax bills by the European Union under "state aid" rules, an Australian tax expert says.
But the EU's decision to charge Apple €13 billion (NZ$20 billion) in back taxes and interest did not mean extra tax might also be due from multinationals in New Zealand, Sydney-based KPMG tax partner Grant Wardell-Johnson said. That was because those companies generally had few operations here to tax.
A three-year investigation by the European Competition Commission found Ireland had granted lavish tax breaks to Apple over several years, to the extent that its effective corporate tax rate on its European profits dropped from 1 per cent in 2003 to just 0.0005 per cent in 2014.
RNZ The world's most profitable company, Apple, has been ordered to pay NZ$20 billion in unpaid taxes to Ireland.
Companies including Google, Apple, Facebook, Starbucks and Pfizer are reported to have routed billions of dollars of profits to Caribbean tax havens using the Irish tax loophole, which exploits the fact that companies can be registered in Ireland but not deemed resident in the country for tax purposes.
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Ireland began using its tax laws to persuade multinationals to base manufacturing and other operations in the country in the 1970s, in a policy that was designed to combat its low levels of economic growth and the depopulation that had blighted the country since the 1840s' potato famine.
The combined population of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, at 6.4 million, remains below that recorded in the island's 1841 census of just under 8.2 million.
Wardell-Johnson said a few hundred companies in Ireland might be impacted by the EU action, along with hundreds more that based operations in Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland.
The EU had used three lines of text in the 2009 Lisbon agreement, which provides the constitutional basis for the union, to overrule "a substantial body of national and international tax law", Wardell-Johnson said. "The state-aid cases are the one of the most remarkable things to happen in tax ever."
However, he believed "very few Australian and New Zealand companies" would be affected.
Prime Minister John Key said it was unclear what New Zealand could learn from the EU ruling, although officials would look closely at the decision.
"Every country's tax rules are different: Apple would be probably a much more significant multinational in Ireland than they are in New Zealand."
Key believed Apple was "probably paying their fair share of tax" in New Zealand based on current rules, but the issue was profit-shifting between different countries.
The question is whether the mismatch of all these rules is something these multinationals can arbitrage, and if they are, we would say on balance that's not fair even if it's legal," he said.
Angst over multinational tax rorts has been bubbling in New Zealand for several years, aided by a Dominion Post report in 2010 that Google New Zealand expected to pay just $7726 tax in respect of its previous financial year, less than the average teacher or construction worker.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is in the middle of an unprecedented drive, called the Beps initiative, to put a stop to "double-non taxation" of the sort most commonly exploited by technology firms.
New Zealand would continue to work with the OECD's international working group to "hold hands" on the joint approach to tax reform, but would also consider unilateral action if it would make a difference, Key said.
"We expect a New Zealand company to pay its fair share of tax, we expect a New Zealand citizen to pay their fair share of tax, should we expect a multinational to play by different rules?"
Apple pays more tax in New Zealand than many comparable companies, having paid $8.9 million tax in the year to September 2015 on its pre-tax profit of $26.6m, which was achieved on sales of $732m.
Some other large technology firms book all their sales through overseas offices and only pay their local subsidiaries a fee to just cover their local expenses in providing them with marketing support.
Facebook paid just $43,000 tax in New Zealand, according to its most recent financial statements filed with the Companies Office.
Its tax was about the same amount as a mid-range doctor or lawyer would have paid.
Google New Zealand recorded tax of just over $233,000 in its latest filing. It also has almost no operations here and bills local customers for advertising services from Singapore.
It has been suggested that if the global tax loopholes were closed, multinationals would be likely to distribute their activities more evenly around the world, which could mean they based more activities and paid more tax in New Zealand.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83741844/EU-tax-crackdown-one-of-the-most-remarkable-things-to-happen-in-tax-ever | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/706a7d9b1c5114177c30f4710a6903af353dd85a0fc8fddc0d8688660c3e858b.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T02:52:31 | null | 2016-08-31T02:39:04 | The occupational hazard of being a doctor: Blisters, bumps and body parts over the dinner table. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Ffood-wine%2F83742204%2FDinner-party-diagnosis-The-occupational-hazard-of-being-a-doctor.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/9/u/m/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duvwc.png/1472611144651.jpg | en | null | Dinner-party diagnosis: The occupational hazard of being a doctor | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Dinner-party diagnosis: The occupational hazard of being a doctor
123RF Sick of hearing about your friends' health problems over dinner?
There's not a doctor on this planet who hasn't given out free medical advice to family, friends and even total strangers.
It's happened to me twice just as I'd arrived in a foreign country. The first time, after a passport control officer asked me what my job was and I'd responded, "I'm a physician," he launched into a query about his arthritic hip. The second time, a uniformed young man suspended his passport stamp in midair, asking: "Oh, you're a doctor? If a pregnancy test is negative, how long do you have to wait to be absolutely sure there's no baby?"
Usually, doctors are happy to help out in such situations. But that's not always the whole story. Here's what's actually going on in the doctor's mind when people ask for informal advice. Mary Kiehl, an internist at Washington University in St. Louis, US, says that giving casual consultations is part of her social obligation. In a way, she says, it's payback for the privilege of being a doctor.
123RF Doctors are always on duty, even at parties.
"I am so grateful to have received a wonderful public education in the state of California - thanks to the taxpayers of my home state. As trainees, we're the recipients of tremendous time, effort and resources. I think that privilege brings with it an obligation to be generous. If someone wants me to listen to their medical problem, I'm almost always happy to do it."
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Yalda Jabbarpour, a family physician at Georgetown University Medical Center, puts it more bluntly: "As a doctor, you're always on."
Truthfully, there are times doctors don't want to be on. The reasons can vary.
I remember in medical school when one of our professors, a well-known dermatologist, described the challenges of being a skin doctor at a cocktail party. Everyone always seemed to have a blister, bump or bruise they'd want him to look at. One man turned around and pulled down the back of his pants to reveal a rash at the top of his gluteal cleft.
"What do you think, doc?" he asked. The dermatologist knew right away what the problem was. "That's herpes," he said, embarrassed - but maybe not as much as the man who'd asked.
Ranit Mishori, a colleague of mine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, describes a group hiking trip she recently took in the Alps. On learning she was a doctor, one of her fellow hikers launched into the details of his medical saga for the better part of an hour. He had weakness that turned out to be a viral infection, but it hadn't been diagnosed until he'd been to three specialists, each of whom performed a slew of sophisticated tests. And that was it - one hour of Mishori's vacation spent in medical consultation for no discernible reason.
Understandably, patients find their experiences with illness infinitely interesting, but they can be all too commonplace to the physician, who has seen similar cases hundreds of times. Paradoxically, the last thing we physicians would wish on our friends is that they be an "interesting case." An interesting case is usually one that is unsolvable or, worse, suggests a serious or even fatal condition.
So, yes, when we hear about some bowel symptoms or excruciating dental work (the details of which we are often treated to even though we aren't dentists), we are much relieved to know the humdrum nature of the experience but equally relieved when the story is finally brought to a conclusion.
Being "on" at all times can also mean being available in other, more dire ways. It's not unusual for doctors to have to respond to public emergencies. Many doctors will sheepishly admit that when they are on a plane heading to some well-earned beach time, they cringe when the flight attendant calls for a doctor.
Mishori, a family medicine doctor, tells the story of just such an experience as she and her husband were flying over the Caribbean. Responding to a request for a doctor, she headed nervously toward the back of the cabin, not knowing what dramatic manoeuvers she might have to perform. So she was quite happy to see another doctor already at the scene. Unfortunately, that doctor was just as relieved to see her. "What kind of doctor are you? I'm just a psychiatrist!" he said.
Helping out in an emergency isn't really a choice. We do it even if we don't feel well equipped to pitch in. Kiehl recalls being at the scene of a traffic accident where several people were already dead, including one of the drivers, a woman whose skull had cracked open on impact. While Kiehl was tending to the woman's husband, he kept shouting at her: Why wasn't she treating his wife? The memory of that agonised plea haunted her for months. But another time, while cheering on friends at a marathon, she performed CPR on a runner who'd had a heart attack, saving his life.
Mostly, though, the medical situations doctors deal with outside their routine settings are low in drama. I've often checked the ears of my neighbours' kids when their parents were worried about colds. Not too long ago, I examined a neighbour with Parkinson's to help diagnose his abdominal pain. (My suspicion that his problem was caused by constipation spared him an emergency room visit.)
Another time, I went over to a neighbour's with a scalpel blade to help "Grandpa" with a nail infection. I drained the pus that was gathering around the nail of his index finger. The next day, he stopped by and showed me his finger, bending the top part down so it looked like a stump. "Look," he joked, "it fell off." In fact, his infection was healing well.
The possibility of a bad outcome is certainly a liability when treating people outside the office. But most of what patients want isn't treatment; often they're just looking for a sympathetic ear.
That's why giving friends and family advice isn't a burden, according to Kiehl. "It's less of a burden to me than actually caring for my own patients; I don't assume responsibility for the issue. I just listen and offer gentle guidance, reassurance or empathy." With patients in your office, you have to follow up. You're responsible. But when you're just another guest at a Fourth of July picnic, all you're being asked for is supportive conversation. "It's the rare person who expects to approach me casually for a definitive diagnosis or treatment," Kiehl says. "And that's not something I can provide in a social context."
If anyone needs proof that we're happy to offer advice freely, here's this: We don't ask for anything back. Of course, sometimes people find ways of expressing their gratitude. "Grandpa," the neighbour I treated for a finger infection, showed up again a few days after his nail had healed, carrying a brush and a can and a roll of some sort of vinyl. It turned out he'd come to repair the linoleum in my kitchen. In fact, he'd never been in my kitchen, but word must have gotten around that there was a tear in my floor. And he fixed it so perfectly, you couldn't see it had ever been ripped.
You never know where gratitude will show up. When Kiehl performed CPR on the marathon runner, the police deliberately chose not to include the doctor's name in their report. They were respecting the "good Samaritan" concept that bystanders who are trying to help in an emergency should be protected from legal action if anything goes awry. So when the ambulance came for the man whose life she'd saved, Kiehl never expected him to contact her. But he always wanted to tell her how grateful he was. One day while buying sneakers (he was up and running again), he told his story to a saleswoman at the store. It so happened that she'd heard about his resuscitation from a friend. "Oh, I know who you mean," she said. "That's Dr Kiehl!" And so the man was able to write the doctor a letter and thank her.
Those are the sorts of outcomes of our off-duty existence that we doctors find particularly gratifying.
But there are certain informal patients who can make my physician colleagues uncomfortable:
- Someone who is angry about an interaction with a doctor or a poor outcome and wants us to confirm they received poor care.
- Related to this, people who tell us things that reveal other doctors' errors or problems in the health-care system.
- People who want a firm second opinion off the cuff.
- People who pick an indelicate time or place for the conversation.
- People who are involved in a lawsuit and want to draw us into their dispute.
- Friends and relatives who send texts with pictures of weird lesions from indecipherable body parts.
Most doctors agree that if all a person wants to do is fascinate us with the sordid details of their seemingly interesting story, they should keep it to themselves. In such situations, we have little concrete help to offer.
On the other hand, if patients want some direction on what to do about a symptom or illness, most of us welcome their inquiries. Especially if someone wants:
- Advice on whether they need to check in with their doctor or whether they can just ride out their symptoms.
- Clarification about something their doctor told them or about a medicine they are taking.
- Ideas for home remedies for minor problems.
- A little TLC for self or family.
Within reason, we'll even take a peek at a rash or inside an ear, as long as the requesting individual is prepared to get what they asked for: our honest opinion.
- The Washington Post | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/83742204/Dinner-party-diagnosis-The-occupational-hazard-of-being-a-doctor | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/14245ea1c96fa4b5d834e6a258b3268f7971bbe7db3e479ecc45b5f2441f05a9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:12 | null | null | The Sunday Star-Times is New Zealand's largest Sunday newspaper and is published by Fairfax Media. We value our readers and welcome your thoughts and feedback. Below are our key contact details. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsunday-star-times%2F5895350%2FContact-the-Sunday-Star-Times.json | en | null | Contact the Sunday Star-Times | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Contact the Sunday Star-Times
The Sunday Star-Times is New Zealand's largest Sunday newspaper and is published by Fairfax Media. We value our readers and welcome your thoughts and feedback. Below are our key contact details.
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Follow us on Twitter: @SundayStarTimes | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/5895350/Contact-the-Sunday-Star-Times | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/9e89e90cc9b154ba68731e304d082b95356937a439514e58a6667808ef150e08.json | |
[] | 2016-08-28T00:51:01 | null | 2016-08-28T00:45:51 | Leicester have earned the first win of its Premier League title defence. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fworld-game%2F83640684%2FJamie-Vardy-nets-as-Leicester-beats-Swansea-2-1.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/p/m/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dspkc.png/1472345151412.jpg | en | null | Jamie Vardy nets as Leicester beats Swansea 2-1 | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Jamie Vardy nets as Leicester beats Swansea 2-1
STU FORSTER / GETTY IMAGES Jamie Vardy of Leicester City celebrates scoring his side's first goal.
Leicester earned the first win of its Premier League title defence, beating Swansea 2-1 thanks to goals by star striker Jamie Vardy and captain Wes Morgan on Saturday.
It should have been an even bigger win for the champions in a dominant display at a rain-lashed King Power stadium, with English football's player of the year Riyad Mahrez having a 56th-minute penalty saved.
And it wound up being a nervous end for the hosts after Leroy Fer pulled a goal back for Swansea in the 81st.
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Vardy put Leicester ahead in typical fashion when he ran onto a lofted pass forward by Danny Drinkwater, nudged the ball forward, and thumped a finish into the net off the post in the 32nd minute. The England striker is off the mark this season after scoring 24 goals in Leicester's surprise run to the title in the 2015-16 campaign.
Morgan smashed home the second goal in the 52nd minute at a corner, after the ball had popped up off center-back partner Robert Huth's arm as the pair challenged for a high cross.
"To go two goals up and then?hang on at the end,?we got what we deserved,'' Vardy said. ``The ball was struggling to move in the puddles but that's English weather for you. We're just delighted?to get the three points.''
Aside from Mahrez's failure from the penalty spot, the other negative for Leicester was an injury to goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, sustained as he came out to challenge Swansea striker Fernando Llorente.
Leicester, which won the league at odds of 5,000-1 last season, started its defense of the title with a surprise loss at Hull before drawing 0-0 at home to Arsenal.
``We were disappointed with the first?game of the season but?got a?decent draw last week and played well and we just wanted to keep improving,'' Vardy said.
This was Claudio Ranieri's 100th win as a Premier League manager, including a spell at Chelsea.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/83640684/Jamie-Vardy-nets-as-Leicester-beats-Swansea-2-1 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/050865ec1bcb5a244814968e141c0d9b73e946d460d40b1e293a6b542ccad2a8.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:51:57 | null | 2016-08-30T06:50:43 | Police are on the hunt after three men fled into farmland following an armed incident involving a car in Northland. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fcrime%2F83725094%2FFive-arrested-after-police-chase-over-armed-incident-in-Northland.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/k/s/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duip2.png/1472539843404.jpg | en | null | Five arrested after police chase over armed incident in Northland | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Five arrested after police chase over armed incident in Northland
Bayley Moor Police cordoned off Te Pua Rd in Kaikohe in the Far North after an armed man was spotted by a member of the public.
A group of people who went on the run after an armed incident in Northland were caught on Tuesday night.
The hunt for the alleged offenders started in Broadwood, north of Kaikohe, about 12.30pm where a person pointed a gun at another vehicle.
Police said the five occupants fled and their car was abandoned on Te Pua Rd.
The occupants - four men and one woman - have since been located and arrested, police said.
READ MORE:
* Police still seeking Mark Andrew Fletcher, believed to be armed in north Auckland
* Gunman still at large in Northland, police continue hunt
Road cordons that were earlier in place were lifted on the State Highway One intersection of Te Pua Rd, and at the end of that road on State Highway 12 near Kaikohe.
Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
The incident was not related to separate searches underway for Joshua Kite or Mark Fletcher, police said.
- Stuff.co.nz | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/83725094/Five-arrested-after-police-chase-over-armed-incident-in-Northland | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/378d75afa34fc66a727578e0b4ff4ff22505297ab55690f153220e01898bff50.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:50:16 | null | 2016-08-27T02:51:03 | Meth, GBL and cash seized in series of raids in Auckland. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fauckland%2F83630758%2FMeth-and-cash-seized-in-drug-bust-on-Aucklands-North-Shore.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/p/t/4/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dshwm.png/1472266311856.jpg | en | null | Meth and cash seized in drug bust on Auckland's North Shore | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Meth and cash seized in drug bust on Auckland's North Shore
SIMON MAUDE/FAIRFAX NZ Police say they collected a large amount of drugs and cash during a series of raids on the North Shore.
A bust of a suspected methamphetamine dealing ring has led to the arrest of five people on Auckland's North Shore.
Police said they seized meth, GBL, large amounts of cash and drug paraphernalia after serving a number of search warrants on Thursday and Friday.
Four men and one woman were charged in relation to the supply and possession of methamphetamine.
They were remanded in custody and were due to appear in the North Shore District Court on Saturday and Monday.
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* Police seize large amount of methamphetamine in Auckland
* Even more methamphetamine found in Northland sand dunes
* Police raid a clandestine methamphetamine lab in Taranaki
* Methamphetamine dealer caught in police raid sent to jail
* New Plymouth gran demanding mandatory methamphetamine testing of houses
A spokeswoman would not confirm where the warrants had taken place, only saying it was in the North Shore area.
Detective Inspector Hayden Mander said in a statement he was confident the group had been stopped.
"Police have managed to not only block their supply, but also identified hundreds of their clients who we will be following up with to provide prevention advice and local support services," he said.
Police were committed to looking at ways to reduce meth use in the community, he said.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/83630758/Meth-and-cash-seized-in-drug-bust-on-Aucklands-North-Shore | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/272dbc906bcb9188fc13bc8488492df18281fc9c4c6436f43b0b8ec703fe5400.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:08 | null | 2016-08-28T16:10:47 | No one was injured when an early-morning fire gutted a house in a block of units in Hamilton. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83651536%2FLucky-escape-after-early-morning-fire-engulfs-block-of-units-in-Hamilton.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/y/2/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxxs.png/1472400800736.jpg | en | null | Lucky escape after early-morning fire engulfs block of units in Hamilton | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Lucky escape after early-morning fire engulfs block of units in Hamilton
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/Stuff.co.nz Occupants were woken by sounding smoke alarms after discovering their home was on fire.
The occupants of a house in Hamilton have had a lucky escape from a fire, after being woken by a smoke alarm.
Emergency services were called to the fire at four-house unit on Tennyson Road in Enderley at 12.16am on Monday.
Hamilton senior station officer Alban Osborne said it appeared the fire had started in a kitchen and spread rapidly through the house.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Fire crews arrived to find the house well-ablaze.
When firefighters arrived, the house was "well-involved in fire", but the occupants were outside.
"Fortunately, they have a working smoke alarm, the smoke alarm went off, and it woke them up, and it allowed them to get outside safely prior to the fire developing," he said. It wasn't immediately clear whether other houses in the unit were damaged. The cause of the blaze wasn't yet known. Fire safety investigators were at the site early on Monday morning.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ The house's occupants escaped the blaze, thanks to a smoke alarm.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ It appeared the fire had started in the kitchen and spread rapidly through the house.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83651536/Lucky-escape-after-early-morning-fire-engulfs-block-of-units-in-Hamilton | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/060e537b55dbef54ab16af59a46a950a27b33cc04f02af3ac65dfe231ed218c4.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:51:52 | null | 2016-08-30T04:50:21 | 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-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/1472532621571.jpg | en | null | Developer set to buy council land at Shelly Bay for 'Sausalito plan' | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Developer set to buy 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 developer reached a deal with the Wellington City Council.
Ian Cassels, director of The Wellington Company, has been working on a plan likened to the capital's version of 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-council-land-at-Shelly-Bay-for-Sausalito-plan | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/53c7a6e1074830fa1125ae218a2ea9778822b1d50f19d3e25820fb10619b36e1.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T02:51:11 | null | 2016-08-29T02:39:44 | Detection of faint seismic activity triggered by storms could help us learn more about the Earth's interior. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fscience%2F83657387%2FUnderstanding-the-Earth-underneath-the-Pacific-Ocean-may-have-just-become-easier.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/0/2/y/u/f/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt2gb.png/1472438387626.jpg | en | null | Understanding the Earth underneath the Pacific Ocean may have just become easier | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Understanding the Earth underneath the Pacific Ocean may have just become easier
Reuters Typhoons, such as Halong in the Pacific in 2014, trigger faint seismic waves that can help our understanding of the Earth's interior. This image taken by NASA's Terra satellite.
For the first time scientists have traced the source of a kind of tremor inside the Earth, created by far away storms, promising a new way to study the interior of the planet.
Storms trigger so-called microseisms - faint tremors - through both P and S waves.
Faster-moving storm-caused P waves - that move the ground backwards and forwards along the direction the wave is moving - have been detected before.
S waves are slower and move the ground perpendicular to the wave direction. Japanese scientists have now confirmed they have detected S waves from a weather bomb storm off Greenland in late 2014.
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* Mark Quigley: Can an earthquake on one side of the globe trigger one on the other?
* Scientists use waves to predict the 'big one'
* 'Supervolcano' forming near New Zealand
* Storms give Earth the shakes
A report in the journal Science said P and S waves from the storm were detected on seismic equipment on land and the seafloor of southern Japan. The more than 200 stations are operated by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention in Chugoku district.
The high density array allowed Kiwamu Nishida from the University of Tokyo and Ryota Takagi of Tohoku University to add up many measurements of the same faint signals. By doing that they were able to trace the source back to the North Atlantic.
Dr Peter Bromirski, from the University of California San Diego, who co-wrote a commentary on the study, told the BBC earthquake waves were important to our understanding of the interior of the Earth.
"Most of what we know about the internal structure of the Earth has been determined from studying the way earthquake waves propagate, through the lower crust and the mantle and the core," he said.
"In order to do that, you need to have a source that can generate a signal that propagates to your seismic stations. For some reason there are very few earthquakes in the mid Pacific... so we don't have any sources there.
"These storm-generated P and S wave microseisms will hopefully allow us to better characterise the structure of the Earth below the Pacific."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/83657387/Understanding-the-Earth-underneath-the-Pacific-Ocean-may-have-just-become-easier | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e626a12e9ec024b1adc19e95fb4c1dd2996ba68fd3b44af7d0e04064600cb483.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:50:22 | null | 2016-08-27T04:33:33 | Mum of twins, both of whom need wheelchairs, praises Warehouse for including disabled child in its mailer. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fbetter-business%2F83632179%2FWarehouse-praised-for-showing-child-in-wheelchair.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/j/3/c/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsj03.png/1472272415801.jpg | en | null | Warehouse praised for showing child in wheelchair | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Warehouse praised for showing child in wheelchair
The catalogue in question.
The Warehouse has been applauded by parents for using a child in a wheelchair as a model in their mailer catalogue.
Mother Ana Gray, who has identical twin daughters who both use wheelchairs, thanked The Warehouse for showing her daughters that less-abled children could also be models in mailers.
"My girls are 12 years old and they've never seen anything like this, unless it is specifically part of the disability sector magazines, and flyers never have people in wheelchairs."
Supplied Kataania, left, and sister Mereana.
She told Stuff her daughter Mereana first spotted the photo in the mailer.
READ MORE:
* The Warehouse launches financial services business
* The Warehouse accused of 'bait advertising' in sofa sale
* Giant $13 million expansion for The Warehouse's distribution centre
Mereana, who can't speak unaided, excitedly pointed at the photo and then to her sister, Kataania.
Mereana can walk, but needs a wheelchair for longer distances. Kataania is completely dependent on her wheelchair to get around.
"This is awesome, especially knowing how many people The Warehouse mailers reach," Gray said.
She and several others posted words of thanks on The Warehouse's Facebook page. Her message quickly amassed thousands of likes, and reconnected her with other parents she hasn't seen since her daughters were toddlers.
"It's been choice to see how many people this has touched. I had to turn off my notifications, my phone was going flat.
"It teaches them that anything is possible. It taught Mereana that, you know, your sister could be in a catalogue."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/83632179/Warehouse-praised-for-showing-child-in-wheelchair | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d534d6eebc97e0033cb398dabfd66fce943fde6ed8d1e9aed765882319fc283b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:46 | null | null | Entries are now closed for this competition. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsunday-star-times%2F10228693%2FSunday-Star-Times-Short-Story-Awards-2014.json | en | null | Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards 2014 | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards 2014
Here is your opportunity to be a published writer! Related Links Download your entry form Relevant offers
Entries are now closed for this competition.
Calling all rising writers!
The Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards, one of New Zealand's most prestigious writing awards, will be judged by Emily Perkins and Sarah Quigley. The competition fosters New Zealand writers and has helped launch the career of some of our best-known authors - including Eleanor Catton.
This year's annual Short Story Awards divisions and prizes include:
OPEN DIVISION - 3000 word limit
Winner: $1000 cash, Kobo eReader plus a $100 Paper Plus voucher.
1st Runner Up: $500 cash, a Kobo eReader plus a $100 Paper Plus voucher.
2nd Runner Up: $300 cash, a Kobo eReader plus a $100 Paper Plus voucher.
SECONDARY SCHOOL DIVISION - 3000 word limit
Winner: $1000 cash, Kobo eReader, a $100 Paper Plus voucher plus $1000 worth of books for the School library.
1st Runner Up: $500 cash, Kobo eReader, $100 Paper Plus voucher plus $500 worth of books for the School library.
2nd Runner Up: $300 cash, Kobo eReader, $100 Paper Plus voucher plus $500 worth of books for the School library.
NON-FICTION ESSAY • The New Zealand identity - 1000-1200 words (no age restriction)
Winner: A Kobo eReader, $100 Paper Plus voucher plus story published in Sunday Star-Times or on Stuff.co.nz.
TO ENTER: Simply download your entry form which is available from this page under Related Links, marked 'Download your entry form', and send your manuscript and completed entry form to Sunday Star-Times by 5pm, Friday 26 September, 2014.
It could be your first step to literary fame.
For more details and terms and conditions click here
- Fairfax Media | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/10228693/Sunday-Star-Times-Short-Story-Awards-2014 | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4eb6898f7fe996f0f69f6f4268b58b50cca8dff5ed1b3b8b505f37a87f6af81d.json | |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:01:59 | null | 2016-08-26T10:17:22 | Massive search for Kiwi in Australia, after his disappearance in | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Faustralia%2F83620085%2FDissapearance-of-Kiwi-Michael-Huria-in-Western-Australia-sparks-massive-search.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/d/v/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1ds9o5.png/1472208951396.jpg | en | null | Dissapearance of Kiwi Michael Huria in Western Australia sparks massive search | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Dissapearance of Kiwi Michael Huria in Western Australia sparks massive search
SUPPLIED Michael Junior Huria, who is thought to have ties to Wellington and Hawke's Bay, has been missing since Monday in Western Australia.
A New Zealand man living in Perth has gone missing in what police and news media in Australia have described as highly unusual circumstances.
Michael Junior Huria, who also used the surname Sullivan, went missing on Monday from the semi-rural Ellenbrook area northeast of Perth.
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.
Huria, who is understood to have ties to Wellington and Hawke's Bay, was last seen leaving his Ellenbrook home about 4.15am on Monday. Police said his disappearance was out of character.
On Wednesday, Huria's vehicle was found in Ellenbrook. But the 23-year-old was still nowhere to be found and police had concerns "for his safety and welfare".
A Western Australia Police spokesman said authorities were "assessing" what to do next after Huria was not found this week.
"No physical search is ongoing at this stage," the Perth-based spokesman said on Friday evening.
The search had involved two helicopters, multiple police units, and State Emergency Service volunteers. Horses and dogs were also used in the search.
Police were deciding whether to move their search efforts to a new area.
"We've searched the area we thought he was in."
But Western Australia Police have refused to disclose any details about Huria's background.
It wasn't immediately clear how long the 23-year-old had been in Perth for.
Sources, including a relative, said Huria had ties to Wellington and Hastings, and some of his family had moved across the Tasman in recent years.
The West Australian newspaper said sightings of Huria were also reported on Upper Swan farmland and at a nearby roadhouse on Monday afternoon.
"This springs to mind that this person could be injured, laying somewhere, hence why we've thrown all the resources at it," Acting Inspector Phil Bonner told media in Western Australia.
SES crews searching in Upper Swan for Michael Huria #perthnews pic.twitter.com/CK3vQnTcYX — Claire Tyrrell (@Claire_Tyrrell) August 25, 2016
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83620085/Dissapearance-of-Kiwi-Michael-Huria-in-Western-Australia-sparks-massive-search | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4f5b69b906ec307324d1d23dbf5570208ccc4a3696cf5d68ce825a004fbe425c.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:52:38 | null | 2016-08-31T07:12:31 | OPINION: Maurice Williamson's main qualification for his new job is time spent serving the National Party. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fpolitics%2Fopinion%2F83775178%2FMPs-and-diplomatic-postings-don-t-always-mix.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/j/h/1/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvlca.png/1472628900565.jpg | en | null | MPs and diplomatic postings don't always mix | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | MPs and diplomatic postings don't always mix
PARLIAMENT TV In 2013 MP Maurice Williamson used the power of laughter to show his support for the gay marriage bill.
OPINION: National backbencher Maurice Williamson is about to join a long and not always distinguished lineup of former politicians awarded plum diplomatic postings.
The MP is off to Los Angeles next year - the date of his appointment carefully selected to avoid a by-election in his safe Pakuranga seat before the general election next year.
Let's not beat around the bush here. Williamson's main qualification for job is time spent in the service of the National Party. That and the fact that as a sitting electorate MP Williamson was in a strong position to negotiate the terms of his retirement with National Party bosses bent on rejuvenation.
Phil Walter Maurice Williamson - Hollywood bound.
There is a long history of politicians being parachuted into diplomatic posts. Former Labour MP Jonathan Hunt, also awarded the Order of New Zealand as one of the 20 greatest living New Zealanders, found fame as High Commissioner to London after inquiring about a British pension while over there. Others picking up foreign postings include Tim Groser (Washington), Shane Jones (roving Pacific ambassador), Mike Moore (Washington), Jim Bolger (Washington), John Carter (High Commissioner to the Cook Islands), Mark Blumsky (Nuie), Graeme Kelly (Canada), Maurice McTigue (Canada), John Collinge (Britain)....and on the list goes.
Many merited the honour. Some even made perfect sense. Groser - a former career diplomat and and respected trade negotiator - was the obvious choice for Washington. But other postings are little more than the political equivalent of a gold watch.
READ MORE
* Outgoing National MP Maurice Williamson picks up plum LA diplomatic posting
* National MP Maurice Williamson to retire at election
* Maurice Williamson resigns over police call
* Maurice Williamson: A career of highs and lows
* 'Big gay rainbow' wins votes
* Maurice Williamson apologises for 'sexist' speech
* MP Maurice Williamson accused of sexist remarks
* Minister accuses Kiwis of racism
Twitter, Maurice Williamson Williamson in fancy dress as the greatest American hero
Williamson's biggest moment in politics include a short stint as a maverick in Opposition, and when he later found fame with a speech about "big gay rainbows" in support of gay marriage. But outside that he is chiefly known as an MP who never lived up to his full potential or occasional flashes of brilliance.
A one-time fixture in the National cabinet, Williamson's final years in Parliament have been marked by the ignominy of relegation to the back bench after an indiscretion involving a police investigation.
It's at this time during a Government's third term that MPs start jostling for jobs to transition their life back into civvy street. The promise of such glamour jobs is what stops them getting restless.
That's why diplomatic jobs are such a popular target for opposition attack. And why no leader has ever got rid of them once they are in power.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/83775178/MPs-and-diplomatic-postings-don-t-always-mix | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/3a758305c23c67bab0670b4693bb3c35c7c24e68a65adb288f9ec63c197bf582.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:50:33 | null | 2016-08-26T17:49:39 | Britney Spears is hitting up pop culture one more time. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fentertainment%2Fmusic%2F83626264%2FOops-Britney-Spears-does-it-again-in-latest-pop-culture-comeback.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/e/g/8/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsefs.png/1472233779329.jpg | en | null | Oops! Britney Spears does it again in latest pop culture comeback | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Oops! Britney Spears does it again in latest pop culture comeback
MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS Britney Spears performs at the 2016 Billboard Awards in Las Vegas in May.
Britney Spears is hitting up pop culture one more time, releasing a new album, singing retro karaoke hits and about to take the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) stage for the first time since 2007.
Spears, 34, who became a teen pop phenomenon with breathy, sexually-charged hits like "Toxic" and "Oops!..I Did it Again," released new album "Glory" on Friday ahead of a much anticipated return to the VMA show on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) in New York.
She also became the latest superstar to ride, sing and chat with US talk show host James Corden for his viral "Carpool Karaoke" segment, where both donned the schoolgirl uniforms that shot her to fame as a 16-year old in the 1998 music video for "... Baby One More Time."
READ MORE:
* What Britney Spears wishes she knew back then
* Britney Spears getting Lifetime TV movie treatment
* Spears donates clothes to help Louisiana flood relief
STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS Britney Spears will take the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for the first time since 2007.
Spears dominated pop music before undergoing a personal and career meltdown in 2006-2007 that included shaving her signature blonde locks, losing custody of her two children and being placed under a court-ordered conservatorship.
She made a comeback in late 2008 and for the past three years has been performing a nightly show in Las Vegas. But the new album and the anticipation surrounding her VMA performance have thrust her back in the national spotlight.
Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield said "Glory" was "another fantastic comeback" for Spears, in which she "goes back to the fizzy electro-stomp mode she does best."
"Glory" was top of the iTunes charts in more than 40 nations on Friday, including Saudi Arabia, Chile and Russia.
Billboard's Jennifer Keishin Armstrong said that with the single and music video for "Make Me", Spear had "reclaimed her standout talent, a distinctive dance style that combines cheerleader precision with slinky bits of burlesque."
Spears will perform "Make Me," with rapper G-Eazy, at the live VMA show, her first appearance there since her halting performance of "Gimme More" in 2007 when her career hit a low.
"She has had such a huge impact on this show throughout her career, so for us to have her back is a no-brainer," said Garrett English, executive producer of the VMA show.
"She embodies what the VMAs is to a large extent and she has had some of the biggest moments on this stage, and I think Sunday night will be the same," English added.
Spears is also to be the subject of a 2017 TV biopic for the Lifetime cable channel that will chart her rise to fame along with her stumbles, and her romances with Justin Timberlake and ex-husbands Jason Alexander and Kevin Federline.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/83626264/Oops-Britney-Spears-does-it-again-in-latest-pop-culture-comeback | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e58a2289b1aba9d84bafc606361c308d67c7d3226665eba9973dd5cd2a6ecbe4.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:51:10 | null | 2016-08-28T22:45:30 | Alibaba's many tentacles reach towards New Zealand. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fbetter-business%2F83585576%2FChinas-Alibaba-casts-net-towards-small-Kiwi-firms.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/2/o/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1drj1k.png/1472424331066.jpg | en | null | China's Alibaba casts net towards small Kiwi firms | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | China's Alibaba casts net towards small Kiwi firms
VCG Jack Ma, Alibaba Group's founder, who became China's richest man when the group listed in the US in 2014.
In China's biggest cities, e-commerce giant Alibaba's payment business Alipay is used more frequently than cash.
That's according to a survey by the Financial Times, and one of the many eye-boggling facts about the firm quoted by Alibaba Group's new Australia and New Zealand managing director Maggie Zhou..
Best known for its business-to-business trading platform Alibaba.com, the group has recently opened an office in Australia which also encompasses New Zealand.
ALY SONG A vast Tmall warehouse in Jiangsu province, China. Alibaba leads the hugely popular Singles Day online shopping promotion in China every November.
Zhou says there are many small to medium businesses here, particularly in fresh food, dairy or seafood, that could find willing buyers in China.
READ MORE: Rise in Kiwi businesses using Alibaba as an 'open sesame' to China
"We see this country as clean, green and organic," she said.
Weta Workshop has an online storefront on Alibaba's TMall Global.
There are many other tentacles to the Alibaba group including Taobao, a Trade Me-like website for consumers; AliExpress, its online shopping site; Alimama, a marketing service; logistics and social media arms.
But the platform Zhou is keen to attract SMEs to is TMall Global, a website where Chinese consumers flock to buy luxury goods that are not registered for sale in China.
At the moment it is used by about 500 to 600 New Zealand brands and Zhou says it would like to see more, particularly seafood, fresh food and dairy.
Zhou says much has been made of the purchasing power of China's rising middle-class but increasingly people in rural areas are using online services as well.
"Before people were buying the overseas products like the luxury brands," she said, but now they were buying everyday products that way as well.
Alibaba signed a memorandum with the New Zealand Government in April, and is working heavily with NZTE.
To test the market, a promotion selling New Zealand apples sold 10,000 six-packs of apples in just 90 minutes.
A similar promotion with New Zealand oysters also sold out quickly.
Zhou says on Singles Day, a huge e-commerce shopping day in China, TMall held a big promotion and New Zealand products ranked seventh.
"We want to move the ranking up," says Zhou.
Ultimately, Zhou says, Alibaba's vision is to link people not only to Chinese consumers but to the rest of the world.
That to some degree is already happening as as it finds favour with users in Russia, India and south-east Asia.
A Kiwi connection for Alibaba is its new Australia-New Zealand business development manager, John O'Loghlen, a New Zealander and former NZTE Beacheads adviser to China.
Whlie Alibaba's focus appears to be clearly on attracting would-be Kiwi exporters, its arrival is acknowledged warily by local internet trading platform Trade Me.
Trade Me's head of marketplace Stuart McLean said that while he understood Alibaba was focussed on exporting, "we'd be pretty silly not to think about the impact any large offshore e-commerce business can have on us".
Trade Me has seen its gross merchandise sales had increased for the last five quarters.
"We feel that's the best way for us to compete – stick to what we're good at and make sure we keep providing our members with the best ways to buy and sell what they want."
However, Zhou says Trade Me and others should not be concerned. While AliExpress allowed shoppers to access Chinese products, it would only supplement their local purchases.
"We do not see [AliExpress] as a direct competitor to New Zealand businesses."'
How big is Alibaba?
* Became one of the world's most valuable tech companies after raising US$25 billion (NZ$34b) from a US initial public offering in 2014.
* Its market capitalisation ranks fourth behind Apple, Google and Microsoft and ahead of Facebook.
* AliExpress is reportedly the most visited e-commerce website in Russia.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/83585576/Chinas-Alibaba-casts-net-towards-small-Kiwi-firms | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d0b33a561378b2e17164c5d70636f3a8a7f77474d31e554559d2071394594062.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:51:58 | null | 2016-08-30T04:36:47 | The meat retailer is a household name but needs a makeover if it wants to compete. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83696780%2FMad-Butcher-needs-a-revamp-if-it-wants-to-compete-analyst.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/5/h/j/z/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtwuk.png/1472531807507.jpg | en | null | Mad Butcher needs a revamp if it wants to compete - analyst | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Mad Butcher needs a revamp if it wants to compete - analyst
KEITH WHITTEN/FAIRFAX NZ Three unprofitable Mad Butcher stores closed in six months.
The Mad Butcher is in need of a revolution to make the discount butcher chain competitive against supermarkets, a retail expert says.
Veritas Investments, the owner of Mad Butcher and struggling gourmet supermarket brand Nosh, reported a $4.6 million loss for the year to June 30.
That compared with a $3.3m profit the year before.
BRUCE MERCER/FAIRFAX NZ Nosh supermarkets lost Veritas $1.9 million last year.
Veritas chairman Tim Cook said the loss was largely due to $5.6m of impairments and losses associated with Mad Butcher, the closure of Kiwi Pacific Foods and the sale of three bars in Hamilton, and other restructuring costs.
READ MORE:
* Mad Butcher owner's shares plunge by almost half
* 'Time to let go and move on'
* Veritas to franchise out Nosh
Allowing for those the profit after tax for the ongoing business was $3.16m.
Most of the Mad Butcher stores were profitable and the chain made an operating profit of $4.6m.
But the retailer has struggled with supply shortages, product choice and pricing, Cook said.
Veritas closed three "consistently unprofitable" Mad Butcher stores between January and June.
At least 10 Mad Butcher franchisees have faced liquidation since late 2012.
There are currently 33 Mad Butcher stores, 31 of which are franchised and two are owned.
However, two weeks ago Veritas took ownership of a previously franchised store in Pt Chevalier, Auckland.
When asked about this Cook said the owner had health issues and Veritas was helping him to "remarket" the store.
First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said the only way for Mad Butcher and Nosh to compete in the market was to upgrade their value proposition to consumers.
This was increasingly important as local outlets of the larger supermarket companies catered more and more for their local communities.
Mad Butcher had a "super discount model" and did well in lower socioeconomic areas, but even so, the number of stores was shrinking and Wilkinson said that was a clear indicator that there was some distress going on.
"I think it's time for some revolution," he said.
Mad Butcher had lost some of its consumer appeal without its colourful founder Sir Peter Leitch fronting the brand.
Leitch opened the first Mad Butcher store in Mangere, Auckland in 1971 when he was 23
"When he stepped away, it was interesting to see how things faltered," Wilkinson said.
"The big question is, does it have a nationwide appeal, or is the appeal more localised in certain markets?"
The original Mad Butcher store went into liquidation in July this year and liquidator Peter Jollands criticised the business model as being in favour of the franchisor.
Nosh had a particularly "disappointing" year, making a operating loss $1.9m.
Nosh had lost its way too and did not offer a strong consumer proposition, Wilkinson said.
"Where a business like Nosh will succeed is where it can achieve differentiation. Because Nosh has so few skews (different items) it's very easy for large supermarket group like Progressive or Foodstuffs to pick them off," Wilkinson said.
But even fellow gourmet supermarket Farro Fresh seemed to be doing better due to its strong community engagement and its more collaborative, friendlier approach to customers.
Earlier this year, Veritas said it would franchise existing Nosh stores and was working through a short list of potential franchise operators.
Veritas closed Kiwi Pacific Foods, its meat patty joint venture with Burger King franchise operator Antares Restaurant Group, after the joint venture was terminated in September last year.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83696780/Mad-Butcher-needs-a-revamp-if-it-wants-to-compete-analyst | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c2d1d45d5f01cf2ffcfa9dc625636f36120ecf1f9f7c883860f96de2812522c8.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:17 | null | 2016-08-30T22:42:00 | Property mogul the latest in a string of owners for tower, which was previously Terry Serepisos' office. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2F83326962%2FSir-Bob-Jones-buys-ASB-Bank-Tower-for-32m-the-latest-in-a-string-of-owners.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/9/q/1/4/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dlzhu.png/1472596920556.jpg | en | null | Sir Bob Jones buys ASB Bank Tower for $32m, the latest in a string of owners | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Sir Bob Jones buys ASB Bank Tower for $32m, the latest in a string of owners
ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ Sir Bob Jones has bought ASB Bank Tower for $32 million.
Property mogul Sir Bob Jones has snapped up a high-rise Wellington building that has been passed from a bankrupt property developer, to a lawyer who escaped bankruptcy, to another developer.
ASB Bank Tower, which has views of the Wellington waterfront, was once owned by Terry Serepisos who had his offices in the 16-storey tower. He paid $23.5m for it in 2006.
Six years later, Wellington lawyer Michael Garnham's company Sams Bay Holdings snapped up the property for $22m.
SUPPLIED ASB Bank Tower has changed hands four times in the past 10 years.
Garnham escaped bankruptcy earlier this month by settling his debts with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
READ MORE:
* Old Terry Serepisos offices ASB Bank Tower up for sale - again
* IRD drops bankruptcy case against former Abel Tasman beach owner
* Terry Serepisos' former head office at ASB Bank Tower changes hands - again
* Wellington lawyer buys Serepisos' former head office
* Sir Bob Jones buys Leaders building in central Wellington for $3.7m
* Sir Robert braves Scotland's property market
In mid-2015, a company owned by Wellington developer Mark Dunajtschik bought the building from Garnham's company for $20.25m.
ANDREW GORRIE/FAIRFAX NZ The building was once the head office of former bankrupt property developer Terry Serepisos.
At the time, Dunajtschik labelled the deal as "quite an unusual transaction", but refused to comment further.
Dunajtschik then put the building on the market last month, which was promptly snapped up by Jones for $32m.
Robt Jones Holdings Wellington manager Sam Cooper said Jones was "delighted" to be the building's new owner.
SUPPLIED Wellington lawyer Michael Garnham escaped bankruptcy earlier this month by settling his debts with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
"He plans to embark on further refurbishment and upgrading of the building including the installation of new lift services, completion of the current seismic strengthening programme, and other upgrading and building enhancement works."
Jones, whose estimated worth is $650m, holds a $1.5 billion portfolio in Auckland, Wellington and Sydney.
This latest purchase comes just months after he bought the eight-storey Leaders building in Wellington for $3.7m.
The ASB Bank Tower deal was brokered by Matthew St Amand and Bill Leckie, of CBRE Wellington.
Last month, St Amand described the ASB Tower as a "trophy property".
"It has everything investors could want…it is a truly exceptional market offering."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/83326962/Sir-Bob-Jones-buys-ASB-Bank-Tower-for-32m-the-latest-in-a-string-of-owners | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/e2949507561418f642c756b5f814435f7b2dbd2fcbc55458ab396f30cf997f3d.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:52:23 | null | 2016-08-31T06:06:37 | $800m project races ahead in Kapiti, but it's been too wet at Tawa end, engineers say. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fdominion-post%2Fnews%2F83743878%2FSand-steel-and-stalled-work-Transmission-Gully-lagging-in-the-south.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/j/q/0/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dux6u.png/1472623597236.jpg | en | null | Sand, steel, and stalled work - Transmission Gully lagging in the south | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Sand, steel, and stalled work - Transmission Gully lagging in the south
SUPPLIED Works at the northern end of Transmission Gully viewed from State Highway 1, at the site entrance at the former Car Haulaways premises.
Most of us thought Wellington had been having a warm, mild winter – but not in Tawa, according to the engineers working on the $850 million Transmission Gully motorway.
Work has been surging ahead at the Kapiti end of the motorway, but contractors had been struggling at the southern end because of months of lousy weather, senior managers told Paekakariki Community Board on Tuesday.
Contractors working at the planned Linden junction "have really been struggling with weather" over the past three months, senior project engineer David Wheatley said.
ADAM POULOPOULOS/ FAIRFAX NZ Exiting the hills: Transmission Gully work opens up into Kapiti.
The southern sites were still being cleared, with drainage work expected in September or October, and earthworks "proper" not starting till summer.
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"They don't have that sand type of material that we've been able to move [in Kapiti] over winter ... so they're still pioneering, still clearing through the rest of the project."
ADAM POULOPOULOS/ FAIRFAX NZ New water tanks being built near Transmission Gully for Kapiti's water supply. Existing tanks are in the way of the motorway and will need to be demolished.
Project director Boyd Knights said on Wednesday that the 27-kilometre gully project was still on track, despite the setbacks at Linden.
"Over the course of any project, especially a five-year project, there is likely to be some movement inside the construction programme. However, the completion date of April 2020 has not changed."
MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said that, although the past three months had been warmer than usual, some extreme weather, including gale-force winds and heavy rain, had hit Wellington.
Between the south coast and Titahi Bay there were a range of micro-climates and those higher up – such as Tawa – could be significantly more exposed to rain as moisture moved up from the sea, she said.
NORTHERN END SURGES AHEAD
Most of the work clearing the project's northern site, around McKays Crossing, was completed in June, Wheatley said. Earthworks had already begun.
Sand had been dug from NZ Transport Agency-owned dunes just north of State HIghway 1 and placed alongside the existing highway for a new embankment.
The sand, stacked about three metres high, drained well and allowed foundation work to steam ahead in Kapiti over winter.
Wheatley said tall rigs on the worksite were punching holes in the ground to allow water to be "driven up" when preloading is stacked on saturated peat beneath the planned motorway.
"It's unsuitable for road construction. Instead of digging it all out and replacing it, what we're doing is putting up a load of material above the road, and driving the water out."
He said tanks being built on the southern side of the SH1 were new water supply tanks for Kapiti residents.
Once the new water supply system was completed, the contractors would demolish the council's old tanks, which were directly in the Gully's path.
Paekakariki Community Board chairman Philip Edwards said the update was requested to help explain what appeared to be construction-site sprawl.
"It's 50 metres wide and growing, and there are avenues coming out of this, avenues coming out of there. Can you please explain to us: what are they? Is that one road, six roads?"
Senior environmental advisor Reuben Mill said the wide footprint included the new coastal link road and drainage, on the western side. Then there was the four-lane Transmission Gully motorway site right beside it.
"That's why it's so wide there."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/83743878/Sand-steel-and-stalled-work-Transmission-Gully-lagging-in-the-south | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/722d549d5e7511082048bd167722d85330d381439a21294ca706277ea9424823.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T10:50:55 | null | 2016-08-28T09:36:21 | A car has careered off the road and into a building in Napier. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83650716%2FA-man-hospitalised-after-Hawkes-Bay-crash.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/0/g/8/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxb0.png/1472376981782.jpg | en | null | A man hospitalised after Hawke's Bay crash | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | A man hospitalised after Hawke's Bay crash
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ One person in critical condition was taken to Hawke's Bay hospital.
A car has careered off the road and into a building in Napier.
The car, a late-1990s model V8 Land Rover, hit the building in the suburb of Pandora at about 6.30pm on Sunday.
Police, fire and paramedics attended the scene and one person in a critical condition was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital.
Facebook users have described their shock at seeing the crash scene earlier on Sunday evening.
Kiri Tristram said she had stopped to help and did what she could until the ambulance arrived.
It was "pretty scary stuff", she said.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83650716/A-man-hospitalised-after-Hawkes-Bay-crash | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c86c2831a5cfbd280d718a1da0371d5f3f2a19e6da8365c92787b211188aaa3a.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:51:28 | null | 2016-08-29T11:29:08 | Eels farewell home stadium, earmarked for demolition, with resounding victory over disappointing St George Illawarra side. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fleague%2F83694603%2FBevan-French-stars-as-Parramatta-Eels-vanquish-St-George-Illawarra-Dragons.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/v/5/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtv63.png/1472470164080.jpg | en | null | Bevan French stars as Parramatta Eels vanquish St George Illawarra Dragons | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Bevan French stars as Parramatta Eels vanquish St George Illawarra Dragons
MARK NOLAN/GETTY IMAGES Parramatta's Bevan French goes over the line in his side's victory.
Parramatta said farewell to Pirtek Stadium and Monday night football in style with a comprehensive win over a disappointing St George Illawarra side.
On the eve of next month's A$300m (NZ$313m) knockdown-rebuild job, the Eels honoured the lives of past players Ken Thornett and Mitchell Wallace with a minute's silence before crafting one last positive memory in front of dozens of past players on hand for this historic night.
It included genuine contenders for the season's best try and biggest hit as Parramatta dazzled in front of 13,553 fans on a balmy evening.
The third of Bevan French's tries had to be seen to be believed. Parramatta spun the ball out wide to Brad Takairangi who snapped the ball onto his right foot, banana kicked the football straight to French who ran over to score unopposed.
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Also likely to make the highlights reel was Semi Radradra's crunching tackled early in the game on Josh Dugan, moments after the tattooed fullback reeled in a hospital pass from Drew Hutchison.
The new stadium is expected to be complete by 2019, by which time Parramatta might just be genuine premiership contenders once more and the endless nightmare that was season 2016 should just be but a distant memory.
St George Illawarra will also be hoping to forget this year as soon as possible, but the Dragons look to be facing a much longer road to premiership contention.
Once again on Monday their attack lacked any serious punch until late and this is definitely a side in need of some high-powered recruitment.
[Top talent: Bevan French scores a try during the round 25 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the St George ...]
Top talent: Bevan French scores a try during the round 25 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Pirtek Stadium. Photo: Mark Nolan
Meanwhile there's some serious ability in this Eels team, and you can't help but wonder what kind of impact they'd have had on this year's finals were it not for that deduction of 12 competition points for salary cap breaches.
Corey Norman will resume his place in the halves next season after recently signing a $2.2 million dollar deal for the next three years.
He has a talented forward pack to work behind and one of the NRL's most exciting backlines with speedster French and the brute power of Radradra among other super talents.
Midway through the first half the Eels opened their account when French scored the first of his hat-trick, finishing a superb backline move that whisked the ball out wide to Radradra, who drew two defenders before flicking the ball back inside to his unmarked fullback.
Thirteen minutes later the lead was doubled when Kenny Edwards took a quick tap 12m out from the Dragons line and ran straight past a clutch of inattentive forwards.
It was one of those rare occasions the referee allowed the quick tap without pulling it up and pointing to the patch of grass upon which the penalty was conceded, which happened earlier in the game to Eels hooker Isaac De Gois.
St George Illawarra hung in there and were rewarded right on halftime when Hutchison barged over from close range. Hutchison was standing in for the dumped Benji Marshall, hoping to convince coach Paul McGregor that he belongs in the halves next season once Marshall has departed.
Parramatta extended the lead eight minutes into the second stanza when Clint Gutherson ran at the line drawing two defenders before offloading to French.
Michael Gordon also managed to grab a try to go with his five goals, latching onto another Takairangi kick before Kurt Mann scored two late consolations for the visitors.
Tyson Frizell doggedly shook off a left knee injury before seeming to injure his ankle. Once again this season, the Dragons were left nursing another dose of bruised pride.
Eels 30 Dragons 18
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/83694603/Bevan-French-stars-as-Parramatta-Eels-vanquish-St-George-Illawarra-Dragons | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a8e22da242dc99832a20e0b9fab6cbd4ad7d767fa4e4d887d92034a7a6b1b337.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T00:52:28 | null | 2016-08-31T00:43:32 | John Key talks down calls of nationwide move, despite thousands falling ill in Havelock North. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fhealth%2F83753938%2FJohn-Key-talks-down-mandatory-water-chlorination.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/m/m/6/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dv4ya.png/1472604212155.jpg | en | null | John Key talks down mandatory water chlorination | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | John Key talks down mandatory water chlorination
Prime Minister John Key says cities like Christchurch pride themselves on their unchlorinated drinking water.
Prime Minister John Key has downplayed calls for mandatory chlorination of the country's water supply following the Havelock North gastro outbreak, saying any forced change would be "quite controversial".
Thousands of people in the town have fallen ill from water contaminated with campylobacter, while dozens have been hospitalised and the deaths of two elderly people have been linked to the outbreak.
Havelock North's water supply was unchlorinated before the outbreak, although chlorine was added in mid-August following suspicious water test results and a large number of school absences.
RNZ Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule hopes the boil-water notice in Havelock North will be lifted tomorrow.
Some local councils have spoken out against mandatory chlorination, with the mayors of Napier and Lower Hutt among those opposing any change to the current situation.
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* Questions on water crisis begin as residents return to health
MARTY SHARPE/ FAIRFAX NZ Shops in Havelock North have been forced to close their doors following the gastro outbreak.
Key said chlorination was among the issues that the Government and the regional council would consider, but any move to mandatory chlorination would be "quite controversial".
"Take Christchurch for instance, which was long prided itself on its artesian wells and its unchlorinated water.
"I think they would be concerned about any forced move by the Government to make the people of Christchurch drink chlorinated water."
However, a recent Christchurch City Council report on the city's drinking water said there had been 125 positive tests for E coli bacteria in the last four years.
Key said the inquiries into the Havelock North outbreak needed to be completed before any conclusions could be drawn regarding nationwide changes.
"We don't know that [the cause] yet: there's lot of speculation, but that's the purpose of two very strong independent inquiries...
"When we understand all of that, I think we can understand what we need to do next."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83753938/John-Key-talks-down-mandatory-water-chlorination | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c81e30226a6773fbde8342c68b965f839a47de4a3b747270801dddc599aef936.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:51:28 | null | 2016-08-29T10:00:02 | NRL refs boss says decision to not award crucial try in defeat that ended team's playoff chances was incorrect. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fleague%2F83659439%2FNRL-referees-boss-Tony-Archer-confirms-Warriors-were-robbed-of-crucial-try-against-Tigers.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/4/7/f/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt41b.png/1472464803423.jpg | en | null | NRL referees boss Tony Archer confirms Warriors were robbed of crucial try against Tigers | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | NRL referees boss Tony Archer confirms Warriors were robbed of crucial try against Tigers
SKY SPORT Two controversial bunker calls against the Warriors cost them the game and their playoff hopes.
NRL referees boss Tony Archer says the Warriors should have been awarded a crucial try in a defeat that ended their chances of making the playoffs.
Andrew McFadden's side was bundled out of finals contention for the fifth-straight year on Sunday following a 36-24 defeat to the Wests Tigers that was marred in controversy.
Warriors centre Solomone Kata appeared to have scored one of the tries of the season just before halftime only for the bunker to call it back for obstruction, even though the Tigers defender in question, Jordan Rankin, never looked in a position to stop the try.
ANTHONY AU-YEUNG/GETTY IMAGES Shaun Johnson had a try disallowed due a questionable call from the bunker.
In his weekly analysis of contentious decisions, Archer said that particular decision was a complex one, but was ultimately overturned incorrectly.
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"The elements of an obstruction are if you run behind a team-mate and you disadvantage the defensive line, that is a no try. The determination from the bunker needs to be as to whether or not the impact on Rankin is sufficient enough to overturn the live decision of try."
ONE NEWS The Warriors should have been awarded a try but referees boss Tony Archer says officials got it wrong.
"Because of the position of where the ball is scored over on the far side and the ability of Edwards and the other defenders to defend, I don't think there is sufficient [evidence] to overturn the live decision. The should have confirmed the try."
"There is some impact on Rankin, there is no doubt about that and there is indicators that support an overturn."
An Australian NRL commentator has claimed the video referees wrongly took a forward pass into account when making the call.
The video officials are unable to rule on forward passes, but Fox Sports commentator James Smith, who played for the Roosters, Magpies and Rabbitohs in the 1990s, had no doubt it influenced the bunker's decision.
"You can't forget the forward pass because it forms part of the opinion of the referee," Smith said.
"What they're thinking is, if I get the right outcome, it doesn't matter how I got there."
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.
Fellow commentator and former Kangaroos and New South Wales centre Mark Gasnier said it could be seen as "cheating" if officials were trying to atone for earlier missed calls.
And he was equally disappointed with the obstruction ruling, particularly with the finals just around the corner.
That wasn't the only obstruction call that went against the home team.
With 13 minutes to go, Shaun Johnson scored a try that could have potentially given the Warriors a 12-point lead.
But again the bunker intervened, claiming Tigers prop Aaron Woods was impeded when Johnson ran behind a teammate.
On this occasion, Archer backed the decision to deny the Warriors another try.
"This one is a little different," he said. "Woods attempts to defend Johnson and Johnson goes behind a team-mate and takes the space provided by that contact and ultimately goes and grounds the ball in the in-goal.
"There is certainly sufficient evidence to overturn that live decision of try. It's the correct call ... we've been very consistent on that this year and it was correctly ruled."
The two disallowed tries were huge talking points after the match. But while McFadden refused to blame them for the defeat, he did believe the video referees were in the wrong.
"I think it shows a lack of awareness from the match officials," the Warriors coach said.
"I'm certainly not going to put down the loss to that. We had more than enough opportunities to win the game.
"They didn't help. To me there's some real issue around that.
"Both of those tries, if you play them in live motion, they're just not obstructions."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/83659439/NRL-referees-boss-Tony-Archer-confirms-Warriors-were-robbed-of-crucial-try-against-Tigers | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/34f6adefb74fcbd342384a9fb140246c08631fc69729218843b03cb885566789.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:52:20 | null | 2016-08-31T04:37:19 | There was little sign from Melina Roberge's posts of her holiday that it would end up with Australia's biggest drugs bust. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Faustralia%2F83767702%2FFrom-Instagram-to-95-000-grams-Australias-biggest-cruise-ship-drug-bust.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/v/j/4/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dvfkm.png/1472618246010.jpg | en | null | From Instagram to 95,000 grams - Australia's biggest cruise ship drug bust | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | From Instagram to 95,000 grams - Australia's biggest cruise ship drug bust
Melina Roberge/INSTAGRAM Melina Roberge was enjoying a luxury holiday, when she was caught for smuggling a record amount of cocaine.
It seemed like the perfect holiday, and Melina Roberge was only too happy to share her snaps of exotic locations such as French Polynesia, Ecuador and Bermuda.
Travelling with fellow Canadians Isabelle Legace, 28, and Andre Tamine, 63, aboard the US$20000-a-head (NZ$276000) MS Sea Princess, Roberge was enjoying all the trappings of a luxury two-month trip around the world.
But the idyllic holiday came to a shocking end in Sydney when Australian border police boarded the cruise ship with sniffer dogs and discovered 95kg of cocaine stuffed into their suitcases.
Melina Roberge/INSTAGRAM Melina Roberge was enjoying a luxury holiday.
The amount was a record for drugs seized on a cruise ship coming into Australia.
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Melina Roberge/INSTAGRAM Melina Roberge (left) and Isabelle Legace are originally from Quebec, Canada.
Australian Border Force had been acting on a tip-off from Canadian and US authorities and said the find was a great example of international cooperation against drug syndicates.
"These syndicates should be on notice that the Australian Border Force is aware of all of the different ways they attempt to smuggle drugs into our country and we are working with a range of international agencies to stop them," Assistant Commissioner Clive Murray said.
Melina Roberge/INSTAGRAM She had travelled to exotic locations including French Polynesia and Chile.
The three accused got on the ship in England in early July, which then travelled to several ports in North America, the Caribbean and South America.
The maximum sentence for the charge of importing a commercial quantity of cocaine is life in prison.
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- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/83767702/From-Instagram-to-95-000-grams-Australias-biggest-cruise-ship-drug-bust | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/cce349c68d01dd7284834ffcfff6e883fb69f3ee59edb6c79db1346634903079.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T02:50:52 | null | 2016-08-28T02:41:32 | OPINION: All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is winning his battle with Michael Cheika, writes Hamish Bidwell. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fopinion%2F83639602%2FSteve-Hansen-is-beating-opposite-number-Michael-Cheika-in-every-respect.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/q/c/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsoqa.png/1472352309257.jpg | en | null | Steve Hansen is beating opposite number Michael Cheika in every respect | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Steve Hansen is beating opposite number Michael Cheika in every respect
TVNZ The All Blacks coach has pointed out that the relationship between the two countries is about more than just rugby.
OPINION: The margin was narrower but the result no less humiliating for the Wallabies.
Sunday meant yet another bullseye for Steve Hansen.
The All Blacks coach is rarely wide of his intended target and certainly didn't miss Michael Cheika on this occasion.
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, left, and captain Stephen Moore aren't far off being on borrowed time.
"They'll come right, though, I'm confident of that," Hansen said of the Wallabies on Sunday. "They've certainly got the players to be a very good side."
Wonder what might be missing, then?
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GETTY IMAGES The All Blacks, including coach Steve Hansen, quite enjoy being Bledisloe Cup holders.
Only one coach is winning the trans-Tasman at the moment and it isn't Cheika. Hansen has his opposite number beat and can afford to have a little fun.
Sticking to just rugby for a minute, what the Wallabies produced in losing 29-9 to the All Blacks at Westpac Stadium on Saturday was just woeful. After the week they'd had since losing 42-8 in Sydney, offering such a limp response was embarrassing.
Sure they mouthed off and made nuisances of themselves, but their set pieces were lamentable and they offered nothing in attack. Damage limitation must have been their primary motive because up-and-unders and penalty goals were never going to beat New Zealand.
More than the odd All Black must have looked at each other in a huddle and asked: is this really all they've got?
Hansen says world, and New Zealand, rugby needs the Wallabies to be strong. And no doubt part of him believes that. It's just that part of Hansen appears to need Cheika to be humiliated too.
The tweet on Saturday night from injured All Black Sonny Bill Williams, wondering how anyone could have voted for Cheika as 2015 world coach of the year, spoke volumes.
You won't hear anyone from the New Zealand camp say it this explicitly, but they seem to regard the Wallabies are dim and prone to whinge.
Cheika could have taken his lumps on Saturday night. He'd again been outwitted by Hansen and his team thoroughly outplayed and saying so would have shown some substance.
Instead he rounded on referee Romain Poite. Cheika said Poite was one of the high-profile whistleblowers on the circuit that don't give the Wallabies or captain Stephen Moore the respect they deserve. He'd made that point to World Rugby, he said, so the fact the problems persisted meant he was right.
Even if Hansen's not as convinced.
"I've always said the game's extremely hard to referee so, in my humble opinion, there's not much point having a crack at the referees," said Hansen.
"You've got to be consistent and careful when you do that sort of thing. He [Cheika] didn't have a crack at the ref [Craig Joubert] in Scotland at the World Cup [last year] so you've got to be consistent.
"I know he was upset that the ref didn't talk to Stephen, but if I was in their shoes I'd be wanting to ask myself what it is we're doing that's making him not want to talk to Stephen.
"If you listen to the [referees'] commentary, you've got to pick your moments. The best captains in the world pick their moments, they don't try to talk to him about everything.
"They just pick their moments and if I was in their shoes that's what I'd be sitting looking at, rather than having a crack at the ref."
And because Hansen cares, he's also counting just in case Cheika loses track of how many defeats in succession he's suffered now.
"They've just lost six games in a row and I can only imagine what we'd be like if we were in that situation."
Bullseye.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/83639602/Steve-Hansen-is-beating-opposite-number-Michael-Cheika-in-every-respect | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/60c6ac8c906392264f623b4bf4d8d79622bff49a63d740257db28fc31c404093.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T02:51:20 | null | 2016-08-29T02:20:14 | Estate agent allegedly bought a client's home he knew was worth $1.2m for $530k, then on-sold it for a profit. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83671169%2FAgent-who-flipped-house-facing-fraud-charges.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/g/u/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtd35.png/1472437830408.jpg | en | null | Agent who 'flipped' house facing fraud charges | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Agent who 'flipped' house facing fraud charges
GRAHAME COX/FAIRFAX NZ Former real estate agent Aaron Hughes is facing more charges.
The Real Estate Agents Authority has laid fraud and unlicensed trading charges against Auckland agent Aaron Hughes.
Last month the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal stripped Hughes of his real estate agents' licence on two misconduct charges relating to the rapid on-selling of properties, a practice known as "flipping".
The new charges were the result of an "extensive investigation" of Hughes' activities, the REAA said.
The fraud charges involved two other properties, one a Mt Wellington property which Hughes bought through his company for $530,000, while acting as an agent for the vendors.
READ MORE: Real estate agent licence cancelled after selling a house twice in a day
He allegedly did not disclose to the vendors that he had obtained a valuation for the property of $1.2 million and three months later, on-sold the property for $1,255,000 "causing the vendors to suffer loss".
The second charge alleges that Hughes, while acting as agent for the vendor of a Mangere Bridge property, did not disclose to the seller that he had a valuation for the property of $720,000.
He again bought the property through his company for $590,000 and still owns it.
Hughes also faces a charge of unlicensed trading for carrying out real estate agency work without a licence, in relation to three properties, after he had voluntarily surrendered his real estate salesperson's licence in April.
The first of the charges are expected to be heard later next month in the Auckland District Court.
REAA chief executive Kevin-Lampen Smith said buying and selling of property was "a big deal, both financially and emotionally.
"New Zealand's consumers should be able to trust that the person they are dealing with is licensed, will treat them fairly and that they are playing by the rules."
In the earlier case, Hughes, a former Barfoot & Thompson Papatoetoe salesperson, admitted he had failed to get the best price possible for the vendors of two Papatoetoe properties.
One was on-sold the same day for 15 per cent more, which the authority said "brought the industry into disrepute".
The other changed hands again a few days later. Hughes was charged with failing to get the best price, not providing an adequate appraisal, or advising vendors of the disadvantages of not fully exposing the property to market before accepting an offer.
Attempts to reach Hughes for comment have been unsuccessful.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83671169/Agent-who-flipped-house-facing-fraud-charges | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/cc52b5544b0dfc0683396932a3b85b0997f8e77026aad8c65d9184c7a58e9b23.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T02:51:13 | null | 2016-08-28T01:45:02 | Fashion Week has almost drawn to a close, but not before a handful of famous-ish faces took to the runway. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Ffashion%2F83638817%2FNew-Zealand-Fashion-Week-Celebrities-on-the-runway.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/j/c/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dso4h.png/1472349853217.jpg | en | null | New Zealand Fashion Week: Celebrities on the runway | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | New Zealand Fashion Week: Celebrities on the runway
DAVID WHITE Fairfax Media Swimwear hits the runway at Fashion Week
New Zealand Fashion Week has almost drawn to a close, but not before a handful of famous-ish faces took to the runway.
These are the better-known models we spied strutting their stuff this week.
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* Teen showcases design at New Zealand Fashion Week
* NZ Fashion Week 2016: Best street style trends
* Tears and turns as young models hit catwalk
MICHAEL NG/GETTY IMAGES Stan Walker, left, with designer Rochelle Goodrick and Silver Fern Maria Tutaia.
STAN WALKER
The erstwhile Australian Idol winner, who went on to be a platinum-selling recording artist, judge on The X Factor NZ, and has latterly dabbled in acting, took the stage to preview his new single You Never Know, at the Rochelle show on Friday.
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images Stan Walker with Silver Fern Maria Tutaia before the Rochelle show.
MARIA TUTAIA
The label's first show at New Zealand Fashion Week also featured Silver Fern Maria Tutaia, who appeared alongside designer Rochelle Goodrick and Walker himself, in the final moments of the set. The netballer's 1.88-metre frame cut a commanding figure in an off-the-shoulder white gown, which was among the garments in Goodrick's collection, Renewal.
MATILDA RICE
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images Matilda Rice leads All Black Sevens players down the runway.
Meanwhile, the winner of the first season of The Bachelor NZ and brand ambassador for underwear company Jockey bravely fronted audiences in nothing but briefs and a crop top at Resene's Designer Selection Show.
Sevens team' member Sonny Bill Williams, who has not shied from being photographed in his undies in the past, was not among them, perhaps due to the torn achilles tendon he sustained in Brazil.
FIONA GOODALL/GETTY IMAGES All Black Sevens players Sam Dixon, left, Lote Raikabula, Regan Ware, The Bachelor winner Matilda Rice, centre, DJ Forbes and Scott Curry.
Rice herself was walking wounded, saying she'd been unable to work out much before the show because she had recently broken her finger.
"I've done the odd (work out) but really just tried to cut out carbs pretty much," she said.
DOMINIC BOWDEN
JASON DORDAY/FAIRFAX NZ Dominic Bowden at NZFW.
The host of everything from New Zealand Idol and Dancing With The Stars New Zealand to Are You Smarter than a Ten Year Old? and The Next Great American Band took an uncharacteristically non-verbal role at this year's fashion week, walking for Working Style at the NZ Weddings Magazine show on Thursday.
His mate Colin Mathura-Jeffree, former judge of New Zealand's Next Top Model and New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker, cheered him on from the front row.
ANNA REEVE
JASON DORDAY/FAIRFAX NZ Anna Reeve with twins Oscar and Hunter.
Former model and tv presenter Anna Reeve and her ZM radio host husband Jay Reeve accompanied their social media sensation twins at the Kids Show on Saturday. The identical youngsters Oscar and Hunter, known as the "Nuggets", toddled down the runway for Little Flock of Horrors, who create chic kids' wear from merino wool. Reeve, who has alopecia, rose to international fame for her unorthodox look. She has modelled with and without wigs, and is a global ambassador for the condition.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/83638817/New-Zealand-Fashion-Week-Celebrities-on-the-runway | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/5e51e04c13179ff9991b06e76b5c07c455e2a22be0c6e4940b647fff4f34c3e2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:50:16 | null | 2016-08-26T22:25:53 | Contaminated water has caused previous disease outbreaks in Canterbury, with fears of a Havelock North-style one feared. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2Fhealth%2F83457130%2FPoisoning-the-wells-a-history-of-infected-drinking-water-in-Canterbury.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/1/l/j/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dorxm.png/1472250982669.jpg | en | null | Poisoning the wells: a history of infected drinking water in Canterbury | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Poisoning the wells: a history of infected drinking water in Canterbury
IAIN MCGREGOR/FAIRFAX NZ Darfield was struck with a water contamination in 2012.
After a gloomy week of rain, the sun finally returned to Darfield. But the rain had brought poison, and the town soon fell sick.
The crisis began with a smattering of upset stomachs, but ended with more than 100 seriously ill people.
For a week in 2012, locals were vomiting and nauseous, struck down with diarrhoea and crippling abdominal pain.
Residents piled into the local pharmacy. An employee told The Press about a toddler who had been vomiting every half hour for 40 hours straight.
Days after the sickness began, a routine test found the town's supply was contaminated with E coli bacteria at 70 times the safe limit for human consumption.
It was the third such drinking water contamination in Canterbury in four years.
The unfolding crisis in Havelock North, where thousands have become sick from drinking the water, has echoes in rural Canterbury where small towns have been poisoned by contaminated water.
DAVID HALLETT/FAIRFAX NZ A notice for a public meeting in Springston regarding the town's contaminated water.
READ MORE
* Stomach bug lays 110 low in Darfield
* Council criticised after Darfield outbreak
* Virus outbreak in Springston traced to water
* 'Crunchy,' occasionally yellow tap water plagues district
The Canterbury outbreaks, though smaller in scale, were just as severe, and provided a blueprint for the unfolding crisis in Hawkes Bay.
By the end of the Darfield outbreak, 138 people had probable cases of campylobacter, about 4 per cent of the population.
A study estimated it cost the economy around $1 million. Some became wary of drinking the water from their taps.
One affected resident was the teenage son of Green MP Mojo Mathers. He was nauseous, vomiting, and off school for three days.
"I was not worried about him, but obviously found it upsetting, as tap water at school should be safe for our children to drink," she said this week.
An independent report found that Darfield's contamination was caused by a basic, preventable failure.
Water was being supplied from the Waimakariri river, but the chlorinator treating it was broken.
Nobody realised because the device that would have alerted the council was not hooked up.
The heavy rain had swept animal faeces into the swollen river, through the broken chlorinator, and down the throats of Darfield's population.
'WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR WATER'
"The consequences of drinking water contamination can be very severe," said Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey.
"We've been fortunate they [outbreaks] have been small ones."
New Zealand's rate of gastro illnesses is among the highest in the developed world. Canterbury's rate is about a third higher than the national rate.
It is partly due to the high number of farm workers, but drinking water plays its part too.
Because most of Canterbury's drinking water is untreated, there needed to be multiple barriers to prevent contamination.
When that does not happen, it can lead to crisis.
"We have to protect our source water," Humphrey said.
"In some parts of the world they put barbed wire and soldiers around their reservoirs, but we don't do that here.
"The way to avoid [contamination] is to put in place as many barriers as you can."
Four years before the Darfield outbreak, Springston's water became poisoned with faeces. All it took was one broken pipe to make a town sick.
Residents had complained of bad drinking water for a couple of years, but over one week in February 2008, some fell gravely ill.
An advertisement for a town meeting was headed "Devils in the water".
The majority of the town's 500 residents attended, about half of whom appeared to have been affected by sickness.
"It was the most distressing public meeting I've been to in a long time," said Eugenie Sage, then an Environment Canterbury (ECan) councillor and now a Green MP.
"There were several women talking about how they were too scared to bathe their children because of the risk of them getting sick. So it's not just water for drinking, it's water being used in the household."
After testing stool samples, health authorities confirmed several cases of campylobacter.
More alarmingly, they found one case of E coli 0157, a toxic infection that can result in kidney failure and death.
"If you were infected with toxic E coli, which is carried in many cattle in New Zealand, you could end up on renal dialysis for the rest of your life, or at least until you got a renal transplant," Humphrey said.
"We dodged a bullet in Springston."
There have been no issues with water in Springston since, which now comes from a deep bore.
In 2009 there was a contamination in Dunsandel, a small community surrounded by dairy farms.
The town's 70-metre deep bore had become infected with E.coli, despite being considerably deeper than bores usually at risk.
At the time, some enraged locals blamed the dairy farms
The council traced the source to a "ruminant animal," and suggested it could have been a sheep, goat or llama.
Critics ridiculed the council for avoiding the word "cow".
CANTERBURY AT RISK OF HAVELOCK NORTH-SCALE OUTBREAK
It is difficult to connect sickness with drinking water, as symptoms occur several days afterwards, and most don't go to the doctor.
It means the exact number of Cantabrians made sick by their water is unknown.
In rural areas with small populations, anecdotal reports of sickness have been tied to poor drinking water quality, but are rarely confirmed.
Areas with water supplies testing positive for E.coli since 2012 include Rolleston, Hanmer Springs, Waiau, Arthur's Pass, West Melton, and Darfield.
It has improved in some areas. In Cheviot, residents were on a permanent boil notice for about a decade.
During that time there were scattered reports of illness caused by drinking unboiled water.
Jane Demeter grew up in the area, and was visiting in 2001 when she became sick with the symptoms of campylobacter.
"I went to bed, curled up in the fetal position for a week, and thought I was going to die," she said.
"People figure they'll just get well. That was me: I kept saying I'll be fine tomorrow, but it was a week of miserableness before I was feeling fine."
In 2009, the Hurunui District Council began treating Cheviot's drinking water, after Humphrey invoked powers under national legislation allowing him to force the council to make it safer. It worked.
While there have been no outbreaks in Canterbury since Darfield, a crisis on the scale of Havelock North could happen, Humphrey said.
For every confirmed case of gastro sickness, there were about nine unreported cases.
There are many thousands reported in Canterbury each year.
"Most gastro cases don't present, so we don't hear about them. The cost is much higher than you might assume."
FAST FACTS:
- Canterbury drinking water has caused at least three outbreaks of serious gastro illness: Springston in 2008, Dunsandel in 2009 and Darfield in 2012.
- The region has among the highest rates of gastro illness in the developed world
- Research shows reported cases are about 10 per cent of actual cases
- Most Cantabrians drink untreated water
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83457130/Poisoning-the-wells-a-history-of-infected-drinking-water-in-Canterbury | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/b31fcb0f166d60a07bc057d1fab75f8233e508d997afc6a1e4934358729380da.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:51:00 | null | 2016-08-28T04:01:29 | She got on a bus to go from Wellington to Hamilton but never arrived at her destination. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83644841%2FWoman-disappears-along-Wellington-to-Hamilton-bus-route.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/s/w/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dssrt.png/1472356889195.jpg | en | null | Woman disappears along Wellington-to-Hamilton bus route | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Woman disappears along Wellington-to-Hamilton bus route
NZ POLICE If you have seen Adele Townsend, 53, police ask that you ring Hamilton Police Station immediately on 07 858 6200.
A woman who got on a bus in Wellington failed to arrive Hamilton - and police are asking for help to find her.
The brother of Adele Townsend, 53, saw her off from Wellington on Saturday, when she got on a bus back to Hamilton.
But she did not arrive in Hamilton that evening, police said.
"Police are unsure if Adele got off at an earlier stop or if she was not seen by family when the bus arrived in Hamilton," a statement said.
"At this stage it is unclear where she may have gone, as she was planning on heading home."
She is 150cm tall and has long brown hair.
She had a large, blue and white material bag with her on the bus, but there is no description of her clothing.
If you have seen her, or you know where she is, police ask that you call the Hamilton Police Station immediately on 07 858 6200.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83644841/Woman-disappears-along-Wellington-to-Hamilton-bus-route | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/c57b2c3f08ac1fb5fb0b2a085defc2b2631311b3c4fc701255294350e0372523.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:50:39 | null | 2016-08-26T18:22:13 | Listening device found in All Blacks team hotel had a battery life of about three days. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83626318%2FListening-device-in-All-Blacks-hotel-had-battery-life-of-just-three-days.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/e/h/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dseha.png/1472235733021.jpg | en | null | Listening device in All Blacks hotel 'had battery life of just three days' | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Listening device in All Blacks hotel 'had battery life of just three days'
CHRISTOPHER PEARCE/FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA New Zealand Rugby Union boss Steve Tew outside the Intercontinental Hotel Double Bay on August 20.
The listening device found hidden in a chair at the All Blacks team hotel in Sydney had a battery life of about three days and was still operational when discovered, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald.
The new information – gleaned from a "well-placed Australian source" by the Herald – suggests the All Blacks were the intended target of the device and narrows down the range of possible suspects.
The lifespan of the device's batteries appears to discredit speculation that previous guests at the InterContinental Hotel in Double Bay could have been the targets, not the New Zealand side.
Police are continuing their investigations into the identity of who planted the sophisticated listening device.
READ MORE:
* All Blacks ask for stadium windows to be blacked out
* Are All Blacks just being paranoid about 'bugging'?
* All Blacks bugging scandal: Five-day delay 'far from ideal'
* Steve Hansen and ABs comfortable with how they handled bug discovery
* All Blacks bug: Police say delay in reporting device makes probe 'tougher'
* All Blacks bug reports exciting but hardly worrying
Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver has categorically cleared the ARU from any involvement with the device and described its discovery the day before last weekend's Bledisloe Cup opener as an "unnecessary distraction". He also revealed that New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew had shown him a picture of the bug at an annual board dinner on the Friday before the match in Sydney.
"Literally at about 10 o'clock that night Steve Tew showed me a photograph of this funny little device that looked like two batteries with a little wire, pretty innocuous," Pulver said.
"I've never heard of any sports team sweeping rooms for listening devices so I was surprised by that revelation as well," he said.
"I'm not going to describe the All Blacks as paranoid, it's up to them to run their team the way they want to but I can tell you we don't sweep rooms. To think of listening devices in the world of rugby is not something we would expect and it's not something I've ever heard of.
"I don't think there was anything sinister about it."
However, this latest revelation will inevitably focus suspicions on the involvement of gambling interests in planting the device to gather team information about the All Blacks.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83626318/Listening-device-in-All-Blacks-hotel-had-battery-life-of-just-three-days | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4d3735a9abcaa7461987057af84ea59a0a2ab5de2bc3df490dc179fff9f64ce8.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:46 | null | 2016-08-26T09:01:27 | He's killed seven people in nine drive-by shootings, mostly at night. Police are desperate to stop him | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83624915%2FSerial-Street-Shooter-haunts-Phoenix-as-police-plead-for-help-to-stop-him.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/d/i/x/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsdeb.png/1472204146527.jpg | en | null | 'Serial Street Shooter' haunts Phoenix as police plead for help to stop him | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | 'Serial Street Shooter' haunts Phoenix as police plead for help to stop him
CITY OF PHOENIX POLICE DEPT Sketch of the "Serial Street Shooter", the serial killer police are hunting in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
A serial killer is terrorising the streets of Phoenix, in the US state of Arizona - police are pleading with the public for help stopping him.
Dubbed the "Serial Street Shooter" by police, the gunman is suspected of killing seven and wounding two in nine drive-by attacks since March.
Most of the incidents took place at night as the victim was standing or sitting in a car outside a home. They occurred in two mostly Hispanic, working-class areas.
CITY OF PHOENIX POLICE DEPT Another perspective on the "Serial Street Shooter".
In most of the cases, witnesses did not get a good look at the suspect's face or the vehicle leaving the scene.
READ MORE:
* How can the US solve its gun problem
* Sports superstars call for end to racial, gun violence
It has been a more than a month since the last attack on July 11. Unlike other victims, the man who survived that shooting got a clearer glimpse of the suspect.
In a recently released police report, authorities say the 22-year-old victim was driving home in central Phoenix, US, after spending the afternoon at the laundromat. His four-year-old nephew was sitting in the front passenger seat.
According to the victim, he came to rest at a stop sign at a four-way intersection when a black BMW made a right turn. At that point, their vehicles were facing each other.
The man told police he looked over at the other driver, who then pointed a handgun at him.
The driver fired once.
The victim said he immediately ducked and reached for his nephew. He heard more gunfire and sped away. He made it home, where he called police.
Investigators found three bullet holes on the victim's car, according to police records. They also recovered five shell casings from the intersection.
The victim described the suspect as a light-skinned Latino, in his 20s and with short black hair. He was also believed to be alone in the BMW.
Police have canvassed the neighbourhood and obtained footage from surveillance cameras in area businesses.
Despite an overwhelming amount of physical evidence including ballistics, investigators said they believe their big break will come from the public.
"We collectively know somebody out there has information about the suspect involved in these crimes, and we desperately need that information," Police Chief Joe Yahner said.
The chief was joined at a news conference by the mayor, the Arizona attorney general and officials from the FBI and the US Marshal Service.
"We also know that serial killers like to brag about the atrocities that they commit," US Marshal David Gonzales said.
"We don't think that this is any different."
The Arizona Attorney General's Office has increased a reward for information leading to an arrest to US$75,000 (about NZ$102,000).
The top prosecutor for metro Phoenix also said that witnesses or victims fearful about their immigration status should not be afraid to come forward.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said his office does not file charges in cases where someone's immigration status is discovered as a result of being a witness or a victim of a crime.
So far, immigration status has not been in issue in this case, he added.
"For heaven's sake, I don't want anyone to be reluctant in coming forward with information whether they think it's significant or not and then be concerned because they shared that information, they could get in trouble," Montgomery said.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83624915/Serial-Street-Shooter-haunts-Phoenix-as-police-plead-for-help-to-stop-him | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/a22003e935507bdece94880d723c40f77083cb1e6363d80ba2c9435d1b44f12b.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:50:59 | null | 2016-08-28T14:27:03 | No one was injured in a late-night fire that completely gutted a house in Hamilton. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnational%2F83651536%2FHamilton-houses-occupants-have-lucky-escape-from-fire.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/2/u/7/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsxxs.png/1472394423500.jpg | en | null | Hamilton house's occupants have lucky escape from fire | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Hamilton house's occupants have lucky escape from fire
FAIRFAX NZ The cause of the blaze was not yet known.
A house in Hamilton is destroyed after a late-night blaze.
Emergency services were called to the house on Tennyson Road in Enderley at 12.16am on Monday.
The house's occupants got out before the fire completely engulfed the house, a reporter at the scene said.
A fire service spokesman said no one was injured.
Fire safety investigators were at the site early on Monday morning.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/83651536/Hamilton-houses-occupants-have-lucky-escape-from-fire | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/4be8c883b072215595e24b8d5f9467ec50aab8c9f42dc278c169df90c56d526e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:52:01 | null | 2016-08-30T18:37:12 | Vladimir Putin has been arrested at a Florida supermarket. No, not that Vladimir Putin. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F83740836%2FVladimir-Putin-no-not-that-Vladimir-Putin-arrested-in-Florida.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/u/u/x/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duuuc.png/1472582232319.jpg | en | null | Vladimir Putin - no, not that Vladimir Putin - arrested in Florida | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Vladimir Putin - no, not that Vladimir Putin - arrested in Florida
Vladimir Putin, a 48-year-old Florida man, was arrested in West Palm Beach after screaming at employees and refusing to leave a Publix supermarket.
Vladimir Putin has been arrested at a Florida supermarket. No, not that Vladimir Putin.
Police in West Palm Beach say a 48-year-old man who shares the name of the Russian president was arrested at a Publix supermarket in the city's downtown on August 21. Police say Putin was screaming at employees and refused to leave the store.
Vladimir Putin arrested at Publix.https://t.co/gjOgbBrCBB — WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) August 30, 2016
MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin has never visited a Publix supermarket in Florida ... as far as we know.
Records with the Palm Beach County sheriff's office show he's charged with trespassing and resisting an officer without violence.
Putin appeared in court on Monday morning (Tuesday NZT) and was released on his own recognisance.
Court records do not list an address for him. Sheriff's Deputy Eric Davis says he didn't know if Putin had a lawyer.
- AP | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/83740836/Vladimir-Putin-no-not-that-Vladimir-Putin-arrested-in-Florida | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8d2b99adaceea5d2c86e1cf042f76ecf9d16fe907feaf051fc4ca8f57fc73b44.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:52:06 | null | 2016-08-30T20:41:15 | Head office to intervene after Waikato SPCA loses $393k and it's understood 12 staff positions could be cut. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fwaikato-times%2F83621325%2FJobs-may-go-at-Waikato-SPCA-after-massive-loss.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/b/r/8/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsaml.png/1472589675956.jpg | en | null | Jobs may go at Waikato SPCA after massive loss | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Jobs may go at Waikato SPCA after massive loss
PETER DRURY/FAIRFAX NZ Executive officer for Waikato SPCA Sara Elliott-Warren is on leave and not answering phone calls.
A $393,000 loss at the Waikato branch of the SPCA has sparked an intervention from head office in order to cut costs.
It's understood 12 paid staff positions could be lost.
And it's uncertain how many paid staff there are because repeated requests for comment went unanswered.
Waikato SPCA chairwoman Jan Thomson is refusing to comment on the financial situation of the animal charity.
The $393,000 loss is recorded in the 2015 annual report posted on the Waikato RNZSPCA website. A year earlier, according to the 2014 annual report, the organisation posted a profit of $24,000.
The 2015 annual report shows an income of $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.
While it moved into a new building that calendar year - in Northway Street, Te Rapa - the building was donated free and unencumbered to the Waikato SPCA from the Waikato Animal Welfare Foundation (WAWF).
PETER DRURY/FAIRFAX NZ Waikato SPCA chairwoman, Jan Thomson far right at the Performing Arts Centre University of Waikato distinguished Alumni Award .From left Rhonda Ingle,Mike Pohio,Karen Pohio,Mark Ingle. Thomson is refusing to comment on the state of affairs at the SPCA.
Also according to the 2015 annual report, a $100,000 loan was granted by Westpac bank, but it is unclear what the money was used for.
Expenses for the organisation in the 2015 report show that two new vehicles were purchased for almost $60,000, after new-vehicle purchases were also recorded in the 2013 and 2014 reports; wages increased by $174,000; and legal fees increased by $26,000 from $7800 in calendar 2014.
No local person involved in the Waikato SPCA would comment on the annual report or the financial statements. The only person who was prepared to comment was the national organisation's chief executive, Ric Odom.
Odom said that Waikato SPCA executive officer Sara Elliott-Warren "is on leave". When asked why she was on leave, Odom replied, "That's a matter I can't really comment on".
Several messages left for Elliott-Warren on her cellphone, asking for comment, went unanswered.
Odom stressed the Waikato SPCA is its own entity and responsible for its own financial accounts and is only supported by the national Royal New Zealand SPCA.
Odom's thoughts on the 2015 financial statements were clear.
"They are not good, are they?
"I can't confirm or deny if any jobs have been lost, but you can draw your own conclusions," Odom said.
"We are working through a process in reducing costs. There's no easy way to put that. We have to look at every aspect of the organisation because of the size of the deficit.
"The actions are somewhat more robust than what we would normally take."
He has sent some of his staff to help out the beleaguered charity.
Defending the organisation, he said it was not unusual for charities' earnings to go up and down as they rely on donations from the public, much of which could not be predicted, just estimated.
He said extra staff had been hired for the new centre, and there were greater operational costs in the move to the new building than first thought.
"They have just spent more than they have earned.
"They were probably a bit slow in realising that.
"Yes, it's a difficult situation, but I can assure you the service will continue in the Waikato.
"That's not going to stop."
Volunteer Hayden Watts said staff have been told that paid employees will find out on Thursday whether they will keep their jobs.
Chartered accountant Linda Cooper was listed in the 2015 annual report as Waikato RNZSPCA chairwoman. She stood down in March at the Waikato SPCA annual general meeting, Odom said.
Cooper would make no comment on the Waikato group's status, her personal assistant said when contacted on Monday.
Jan Thomson has moved into the position of chairwoman, Odom said. Thomson is also chairwoman of the WAWF, according to the New Zealand Charities Register.
Several messages left for Thomson on her home phone and cellphone voicemail went unanswered.
Thomson relayed through Waikato SPCA funding events and marketing officer Catherine Fletcher, whose call she did answer, that all of the issues the organisation faces are a national body matter.
Treasurer Raywin Balderston has also left, replaced by Alecia Wright, according to the 2015 annual report.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/83621325/Jobs-may-go-at-Waikato-SPCA-after-massive-loss | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/8bd66dc0128031f3bfc261178b4149d190934a89f629b76bc44ae001824df577.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:51:24 | null | 2016-08-29T13:03:08 | South Africa to extend 267-run advantage before push for series victory | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2F83692011%2FBlack-Caps-concede-massive-deficit-despite-Kane-Williamsons-defiance.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/t/e/p/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtt63.png/1472475788844.jpg | en | null | Black Caps concede massive deficit despite Kane Williamson's defiance | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Black Caps concede massive deficit despite Kane Williamson's defiance
SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS Kane Williamson top scored with 77 as the Black Caps fell 267 runs short of matching South Africa's total at Centurion.
Kane Williamson was appropriately the last Black Caps wicket to fall as a resolute captain's knock at least delayed the inevitable as South Africa continued to boss the second and final test at Centurion.
Williamson, who took guard in the fourth over of New Zealand's response to South Africa's impregnable 481-8 declared stood tall to the bitter end at SuperSport Park as the Black Caps conceded a 267-run deficit.
The Black Caps were routed for 214 before tea on day three, a total boosted by some lusty late hitting by hometown boy Neil Wagner, who complemented his superb 5-86 with a defiant 31 from 30 deliveries.
SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS Raw pace bowler Kagiso Rabada's claimed three wickets as the Black Caps folded on day three of the second cricket test at Centurion.
While Wagner went on the offensive he was welcomed to the crease with a bumper that deflected on to his helmet - Kagiso Rabada's retribution for being struck by a similar delivery in Durban - Williamson produced another classy knock that ended 23 short of what would have been his first century in South Africa.
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At least he will have an opportunity to improve on his 133-ball 77 and tick off another career milestone - counterpart Faf du Plessis is expected to set a target in the range of 450 at some stage on Tuesday after resisting the urge to enforce the follow-on.
SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS Henry Nicholls triggered the Black Caps slid on day three of the second test at centurion when he was dismissed for an encouraging 36.
Unlike his predecessor Martin Guptill and his batting partners, Williamson looked in total control as he compiled his 22nd test fifty, three figures beckoned had he received greater support from the specialist strokemakers.
Any prospect of Williamson guiding the Black Caps to a historic series win over South Africa were revised to an exercise in damage limitation when they resumed on 38-3 and although he added 60 for the fourth wicket with Henry Nicholls, the seven-test rookie's demise triggered a slide that left New Zealand at a parlous 118-6 at lunch.
After labouring almost two days in the field under the highveld's mid-winter sunshine, New Zealand's batsmen were only able to spend 58.3 overs in the middle on a pitch that wasn't deteriorating as acutely as the second innings score suggested.
RYAN WILKISKY/BackpagePix Dale Steyn in full cry as he appeals for the wicket of New Zealand opener Tom Latham, who was given out caught behind.
Instead it was South Africa's three-pronged pace attack - add 21-year-old Rabada to Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander as a scourge of the Kiwi top order - who reinforced their runmakers' dominance with an intimidating collective effort.
Nicholls, who started the test with an average of 18.16, made an encouraging 36 from 67 balls before he became the first of Rabada's three scalps after du Plessis wisely reviewed an unsuccessful lbw appeal
The usually reliable Watling [8] was also undone by DRS after he gloved a Steyn delivery to counterpart Quinton de Kock.
Santner played on Philander, who now has 30 Black Caps wickets at 15.43, so Williamson was consigned to co-existing with the tail.
Williamson, who previously averaged 34.25 against South Africa, brought up his half century with his fifth boundary; he added three more and a towering six, perhaps inspired by Wagner's belligerence.
The Pretoria-born 30-year-old, who earlier admitted he was rapt to have his name and fourth five-wicket haul in tests added to the pavilion's honours board, then set about mangling his rivals figures, particularly Steyn.
Wagner, who needed a new helmet after being sconed by Rabada, took 18 from one of the fired-up veteran's overs, though Steyn had the final say when de Kock took a straightforward edge.
Steyn finished with figures of 3-66 from 20 overs while Rabada, who wrapped up the innings when Williamson also feathered an edge to the Proteas wicketkeeper, took 3-62 from 16.3.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/83692011/Black-Caps-concede-massive-deficit-despite-Kane-Williamsons-defiance | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/436159ebeae3927da405c3ef455b845aa8a184b417b257ee9fe30dbb585a4277.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:51:13 | null | 2016-08-28T22:15:43 | The world's largest producer of king salmon is going fishing for $180 million through a planned initial public offering. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Findustries%2F83655651%2FNZ-King-Salmon-plans-to-go-fishing-for-180-million-list-on-NZ-and-Australian-stock-exchanges.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/1/a/v/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt143.png/1472422543622.jpg | en | null | NZ King Salmon plans to go fishing for $180 million, list on NZ and Australian stock exchanges | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | NZ King Salmon plans to go fishing for $180 million, list on NZ and Australian stock exchanges
SUPPLIED New Zealand King Salmon has been selling salmon for 30 years.
New Zealand King Salmon plans to raise $180 million through an initial public offer (IPO) and dual list on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges.
Money raised will be used to repay debt, fund investment and working capital, and to allow existing shareholders to cash in on some or all of their investment.
New Zealand King Salmon has been growing and selling salmon for more than 30 years and is the world's largest producer of king salmon.
It owns three brands: Ora King, Regal and Southern Ocean and operations include breeding, growing, harvesting and processing.
READ MORE: New Zealand King Salmon opens two new salmon farms in Marlborough Sounds
Majority shareholder Oregon Group first invested in New Zealand King Salmon 20 years ago and will retain a significant stake in the company.
New Zealand King Salmon Chairman John Ryder said the company sold products in North America, Australia, Japan and other parts of Asia, and Europe.
"By investing in New Zealand King Salmon, Kiwis will have the opportunity to share in our future as we continue to expand to satisfy growing international demand," Ryder said.
The company owns and operates eight sea farms in the Marlborough Sounds, including three new farms consented in 2014 with a 35-year term.
The new farms are expected to eventually double annual production to 12,000 tonnes.
In the year to June 30 New Zealand King Salmon earned $114.1m in revenue.
For the 2017 financial year, it was expecting to issue $5m in dividends and $5.6m in 2018.
A priority offer was intended for eligible residents in the Marlborough and Nelson Bays regions.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/83655651/NZ-King-Salmon-plans-to-go-fishing-for-180-million-list-on-NZ-and-Australian-stock-exchanges | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/d7b0cb61a38ed4aab59a51d3972de5e1c60a5db7fcfadbc90ec169cba7e171b7.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:28 | null | 2016-08-27T04:50:49 | Australia cruise to comfortable 68-43 win over South Africa in opening Quad Series match in Auckland. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fnetball%2F83631148%2FCaitlin-Bassett-leads-Australia-to-dominant-Quad-Series-win-over-South-Africa.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/j/i/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsi7g.png/1472273449071.jpg | en | null | Caitlin Bassett leads Australia to dominant Quad Series win over South Africa | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Caitlin Bassett leads Australia to dominant Quad Series win over South Africa
Simon Watts Australian defender Sharni Layton steals a pass from South Africa's Lenzie Potgieter.
Caitlin Bassett's importance to Australia was there for all to see as the inaugural Quad Series favourites cruised to a predictably comfortable win over South Africa.
Bassett, Australia' towering shooter, nailed 28 from 30 attempts in the first half of Australia's 68-43 victory at Auckland's Vector Arena.
But without her as a tall target to feed in the second spell, South Africa enjoyed periods of revival.
In the third and fourth quarters South Africa put up credible showings, losing those periods by four and five goals after being a distance nine goals behind following the opening quarter.
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It's this sort of intensity that will be invaluable for the Norma Plummer-coach side, who came off a series sweep over eighth-ranked Wales.
Australia were clearly never in danger of losing the match, but if something were to happen to Bassett, New Zealand and England's chances of upsetting the world No 1 would rise significantly.
Bassett's dominance meant shooting partner Natalie Medhurst only hit eight of nine shots in her two first two quarters.
Australian coach Lisa Alexander used the hit-out to get all 12 players out on court, handing debuts to goal attack Stephanie Wood and goal keep Kristiana Manu'a.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/netball/83631148/Caitlin-Bassett-leads-Australia-to-dominant-Quad-Series-win-over-South-Africa | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/41f0963da0b19d10efe99c26823bf8d16b87652f07c8d4a22c231c47da9f4fde.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:21 | null | 2016-08-29T04:22:56 | A coroner is hearing how two motorcyclists racing in an annual hill climb died on the same corner two years apart. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fdominion-post%2Fnews%2F83658730%2FMotorcycle-hillclimb-deaths-investigated-by-coroner.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/t/3/5/d/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dt3hm.png/1472444577252.jpg | en | null | Motorcycle hillclimb deaths investigated by coroner | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Motorcycle hillclimb deaths investigated by coroner
SUPPLIED Malcolm Foster died while racing in the Cliffhanger HillClimb in 2012.
Two experienced motorcycle riders died after crashing on the same number 13 corner of the annual Cliffhanger Hillclimb two years apart.
Wellington coroner Peter Ryan on Monday began hearing an inquest into the deaths of Malcolm Foster and Kevin Waugh.
Both died while racing in the annual Cliffhanger Hillclimb in Te Wharau Rd, Gladstone, near Carterton. Foster, 59, of Tawa died on March 11, 2012 while Waugh, 59, of Newlands died on March 9, 2014.
FACEBOOK Kevin Waugh died in 2014, on the same corner where Malcolm Foster was killed two years earlier.
The coroner said he was hearing the two together because they were so similar in circumstance.
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The course is described as a 6.1-kilometre climb up through the Wairarapa hills. It rises 300 metres and has 27 corners.
Constable Glenn Marshall of the Wellington crash unit investigated both deaths.
He said Foster was probably travelling at 178kmh on his Ducati motorcycle when he failed to take the moderate corner on his last run of the two-day event.
Foster had already done five time trials and three competition runs, getting faster each time.
"He was riding at or near the limit of his ability," Marshall told the coroner.
He said the aim was to get to the finish line in the shortest possible time. There were no speed restrictions, which he said must be part of the attraction for riders and increased the risk of injury or death.
Foster had owned and ridden large motorcycles for a number of years and had been to the event before.
Marshall said Foster knew the inherent dangers and signed a waiver at the start of the event.
Kevin Waugh was doing the first run of the day when he crashed, Marshall said. His motorcycle was found in a ditch by another rider.
Waugh had failed to take the same corner as Foster. He could have been travelling between 188kmh and 218kmh.
Waugh could not negotiate the corner at the speed he was going and the line he had taken. The road was not suitable to the speed involved.
Marshall said he had been on call for one of the events recently and spent the time "at home chewing my nails".
The course was dangerous and there was no room for error.
A fence that both men hit had now been moved but Marshall said this had improved the corner only slightly.
The coroner asked if Foster could have been affected by a bird strike given feathers were found.
Marshall said yes, but that Foster would have had no time to react and no bird was found.
Jim Tuckerman, past president of the international motorcycling federation FIM Oceania, said there were concerns over the way the event was run and he did not think it would have got permits from Motorcycling New Zealand the way it had been.
Concerns related to health and safety, safety briefings, scrutiny of the motorcycles, more control over who was on the course, and needing more marshalls.
Tuckerman saida full review of the event needed to be undertaken.
He agreed with the coroner that it was a concern that several riders had gone through one of the crash scenes before they knew there had been a crash.
However, he still thought the fatalities would have happened.
Ian James, course steward for the Cliffhanger race, said safety briefings now specifically included talking about corner 13 and warning riders that it was difficult.
He said on each of the years there were deaths the course had been checked before it started and checked again during the day if there had been rain or if anything was noticed on the road.
He said it was a case of very experienced riders making errors of judgment.
The coroner asked how the deaths could have been prevented.
"They could have been prevented if they cancelled it [the event]," James said.
Competitor Peter Butler said he crashed on the same corner in 2013, skidding and ending up sliding on his back. He thought he had been going close to 180kmh.
He said the corner had been included in safety briefings, particularly that there had been a death there, and that it had road cones.
The coroner is to consider his decision.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/83658730/Motorcycle-hillclimb-deaths-investigated-by-coroner | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/0c4fc419fa721d3bfb4255d87f5e191390833eee0086042b77ec2786184d78d9.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T02:51:23 | null | 2016-08-29T02:48:17 | NZ Rugby boss heaps praise on rising All Blacks first five as the No 10 re-signs until 2019. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fall-blacks%2F83668407%2FBeauden-Barrett-ignored-overseas-offers-to-remain-with-New-Zealand-Rugby-until-2019.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/r/q/r/f/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dtayf.png/1472438898148.jpg | en | null | Beauden Barrett ignored overseas offers to remain with New Zealand Rugby until 2019 | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Beauden Barrett ignored overseas offers to remain with New Zealand Rugby until 2019
MAARTEN HOLL/Fairfax NZ Beauden Barrett signs up with NZ Rugby until 2019
Money doesn't bring you happiness. There couldn't be a truer statement for Beauden Barrett.
Several offers from overseas clubs came in for the All Blacks first-five as his contract with New Zealand Rugby was edging to a close, but Barrett wasn't interested.
No, the money on offer up north wasn't considered in the slightest. All that mattered was wearing black, be it the stripes associated with Taranaki, the swirl of the Hurricanes or the only colour associated with the national team.
PHOTOSPORT All Blacks first five-eighth Beauden Barrett.
Barrett was sold on remaining in New Zealand, and didn't need a single dollar to convince him of that.
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Hence he has signed and initialled a contract keeping him in New Zealand, playing for Taranaki and the Hurricanes, through to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
"Playing footy in New Zealand, it's as good as it gets," Barrett said.
"The black jersey was a huge factor. I love playing for the Hurricanes, I love the Naki, always a Naki boy, and obviously the black jersey, every opportunity I get to pull it on, it's why I play rugby."
Hurricanes fans will be pleased he has committed to playing at Westpac Stadium for the next three years, given all the talk about a potential move north to join Tana Umaga and the Blues.
Barrett said that was never a real option.
"It was clear in my mind right from the start, although there was a little bit of speculation.
"Particularly after the season we've had, or the last two seasons we've had, the core group of players we have and the talent that's around.
"[The Blues] was never an option."
Heading overseas was also off the table, despite a number of offers coming in for his services.
Barrett admitted that his agent had been approached by overseas teams, and it was suggested French clubs were among those.
There is huge money on offer up north, but Barrett wasn't ever tempted.
"To be honest, there were negotiations or approaches made to my agent, Warren, but that's where it was left.
"I never got into any of those discussions, I was clear where I wanted to be and my job was just to focus on playing footy. It never progressed too far at all.
"I've just realised this last six years has gone really quick, so it's always in the back of your mind, what's going to happen down the track.
"When it comes to the serious negotiations or considerations, New Zealand rugby is the only thing in my mind at the moment."
Confidence if flowing through Barrett's veins at the minute, hence he signed the longest deal of his professional career.
In the past, Barrett has inked one or two year deals with NZ Rugby, leaving his options open.
"I guess, I was sort of finding my way in New Zealand rugby," Barrett said.
"It was always a year or two at a time, but based on a lot of factors it's pretty clear in my mind that I'm a Hurricane, I want to play for the Hurricanes and I want to play my footy in New Zealand. It's been a lot more obvious of late.
"If you're in the All Blacks team, that in itself gives you a lot of confidence. You want to be playing for the All Blacks and you want it to last forever."
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew said they were delighted to have such a key player, and World Cup winner, locked in through until 2019.
"This is a huge deal for us. Beaudy is playing outstanding rugby and is going from strength to strength.
"It's been great for all of us who have watched him develop from a young rugby player into a world-class All Black and we're all excited to see how he grows as a player."
Added All Blacks coach Hansen: "He's fast becoming one of 'the' players in the world. He'll continue to grow − he's not the finished product yet, by any stretch of the imagination − but as he does, I think we'll see something pretty special, so it's nice to have him signed up and secure."
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83668407/Beauden-Barrett-ignored-overseas-offers-to-remain-with-New-Zealand-Rugby-until-2019 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/99a5401b9c084cbde51d266bbc23852489c14514418b189e998682324d40b6bc.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T22:50:55 | null | 2016-08-27T22:18:46 | The Pumas have beaten South Africa 26-24 with a penalty in the dying minutes. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Finternational%2F83637601%2FPumas-snatch-win-over-South-Africa-with-late-penalty.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/n/c/s/w/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsn6p.png/1472336334887.jpg | en | null | Pumas snatch win over South Africa with late penalty | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Pumas snatch win over South Africa with late penalty
GETTY IMAGES No way through for Springbok Francois Louw.
A week after letting a winning chance slip through its fingers, Argentina beat South Africa 26-24 in the Rugby Championship on Saturday to claim only its second-ever victory over the Springboks.
Replacement Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, the third goalkicker used by Argentina, kicked a penalty with three minutes remaining to clinch the win after South Africa snatched the lead with a Morne Steyn goal five minutes earlier.
For the second week in a row, Argentina saw a 10-point second-half lead evaporate. Last weekend in Nelspruit, South Africa, the Pumas led by 10 points with nine minutes remaining only to concede two late tries and lose 30-23.
This time, Argentina held its nerve after Steyn seemed to snatch another Springboks victory, reclaiming the lead to match its first victory over South Africa in Durban last year.
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South Africa was left to rue goalkicking lapses: Starting flyhalf Elton Jantjies and Steyn jointly missed four kicks at goal while Nicolas Sanchez, Juan Martin Hernandez, and Iglesias maintained perfect records for Argentina, sharing six goals from six attempts.
A try to fullback Joquin Tuculet, converted by Sanchez who also kicked two penalties, helped Argentina to a 13-3 lead at halftime. But the Springboks erased that lead in only four minutes after the restart with a penalty to Jantjies and a try to winger Bryan Habana, converted by Johan Goosen.
Argentina began to dominate at the breakdown through the middle stages of the second half and was rewarded with a 48th minute try to flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon which was converted by Hernandez who made the lead 23-13 with a 53rd-minute penalty.
Hernandez was carried from the field after a head clash with South Africa's Oupa Mohoje, and the goalkicking duties fell to Iglesias, who showed steely nerves to slot the final goal, delighting 20,000 Argentina fans.
``When we held onto the ball we performed well," Argentina scrumhalf Martin Landajo said. ``But both teams performed well at times and for that reason it was a tight match."
Until that last scoring act, South Africa lifted its performance, closing to 23-21 with a penalty to Steyn and a try to replacement Pieter-Steph du Toit. Steyn missed the conversion of that try, which would have tied the scores, but nailed the 72nd-minute penalty which gave South Africa the lead for the first time in more than 40 minutes.
That goal seemed a crushing blow to Argentina, who had once again let a defensible lead slip away. But they continued to play a game of territory _ both teams employed strong kicking games _ and won the chance to save the game with a late penalty.
``We expected a physical match, we expected a tough game," Springboks captain Adriaan Strauss said. ``Well done to Argentina, they played a fantastic game.
``We made a lot of errors, couldn't build the phases, especially through the first half, played against ourselves, and that cost us on the day.
``We need to go back and have a hard look at ourselves. We need to start finding our rhythm and start playing towards what we want to be and the team we want to be."
Argentina next plays New Zealand in Hamilton on Sept. 10, while South Africa plays Australia in Brisbane later that day.
Argentina 26 (Joaquin Tuculet, Juan Manuel Leguizamon tries; Nicolas Sanchez conversion, 2 penalties, Juan Martin Hernandez conversion, penalty, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias penalty), South Africa 24 (Bryan Habana, Pieter-Steph du Toit tries; Elton Jantjies 2 penalties, Johan Goosen conversion, Morne Steyn 2 penalties). HT: 13-3.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/83637601/Pumas-snatch-win-over-South-Africa-with-late-penalty | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/2b2dd1c2c458a9b8ea505e8a11710b59ae510e57a2393b2ae48b77dd7624b274.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:50:51 | null | 2016-08-28T04:46:48 | Four rockets were fired at a police checkpoint outside the Diyarbakir VIP lounge. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fworld%2F83638479%2FSuspected-Kurdish-militants-fire-rockets-at-Turkeys-Diyarbakir-airport.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/l/5/h/y/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dsnv3.png/1472359608359.jpg | en | null | Suspected Kurdish militants fire rockets at Turkey's Diyarbakir airport | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Suspected Kurdish militants fire rockets at Turkey's Diyarbakir airport
RUPTLY Four rockets were fired at Diyarbakir Airport in the South east of Turkey on Saturday night reportedly by Kurdish militants.
Suspected Kurdish militants fired rockets at the airport in Turkey's main southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Saturday, sending passengers and staff scrambling for shelter, Dogan news agency said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Four rockets were fired at a police checkpoint outside the VIP lounge, and passengers and staff were taken inside the terminal building for safety, the private news agency said.
Broadcaster NTV said the rockets landed on wasteland nearby.
Defne Karadeniz Four rockets were fired at a police checkpoint outside the VIP lounge, and passengers and staff were taken inside the terminal building for safety.
Diyarbakir is the main city in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast, where Kurdish militants have waged a three-decade insurgency.
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The attack comes days after Turkey launched a military incursion into Syria aimed at driving back Islamic State and at preventing territorial gains by Kurdish fighters.
There were no casualties and no disruption to flights, Diyarbakir governor Huseyin Aksoy told broadcaster NTV.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/83638479/Suspected-Kurdish-militants-fire-rockets-at-Turkeys-Diyarbakir-airport | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/288668a4c1b3756a6650f1913c6275ce5a169f91ccc4a1ffe1eb31be54d9a8d5.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T02:52:13 | null | 2016-08-31T02:26:13 | Gisele Bundchen, Karlie Kloss and Kendall Jenner all made the cut - but who comes out tops? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fbeauty%2F83744785%2FBrazils-Gisele-holds-top-spot-in-Forbes-model-list-Jenner-jumps.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/8/2/r/g/q/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1duxw1.png/1472610373467.jpg | en | null | Brazil's Gisele holds top spot in Forbes model list; Jenner jumps | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Brazil's Gisele holds top spot in Forbes model list; Jenner jumps
GETTY Gisele Bundchen and Kendall Jenner, runway queens.
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen remained the highest-paid female model in the world with annual income of $30.5 million, while Kardashian clan member Kendall Jenner more than doubled her earnings, according to Forbes' 2016 list on Tuesday.
Jenner, 20-year-old member of reality TV's Kardashian family, tied for third, up from 16th the prior year, and she was the biggest gainer on the 2016 list. Her salary increased from $4 million in 2015 to $10 million in 2016 in part due to partnerships with Estee Lauder and Calvin Klein, Forbes said.
Illinois native Karlie Kloss, 24, was also ranked third and doubled her income to $10 million. The magazine said Kloss had more campaigns than any other model on the list.
Bundchen, 35, has made more money than any other model since 2002 and continues to collect top dollar from endorsement deals with Chanel, Carolina Herrera and Pantene.
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REUTERS Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid both made it on the list.
Coming in second with $10.5 million was fellow Brazilian Adriana Lima. The longtime Victoria's Secret model works with Maybelline and IWC watches.
The highest-ranked of six newcomers on the list was Gigi Hadid at fifth. Hadid has more than 22 million fans on Instagram, and Forbes said brands like Maybelline and Tommy Hilfiger are eager to reach her audience.
LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS Model Adriana Lima on the runway.
The 20 models earned a combined $150 million between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. The results included income from cosmetics, fragrance and other contracts and were based on interviews with managers, agents and brand executives.
- Reuters | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/beauty/83744785/Brazils-Gisele-holds-top-spot-in-Forbes-model-list-Jenner-jumps | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/3d85d8ced33a40638038d8e9f43aa198e1984be51f1fe5dac137714a15abefa1.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T06:51:01 | null | 2016-08-28T04:56:35 | Timaru woman Aimee Bennett had a rough road to parenthood. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Flife-style%2Fparenting%2Fbaby%2F83256389%2FThree-months-in-Ronald-McDonald-House-for-Timaru-mum.json | http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/s/n/r/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1dkh1h.png/1472360195394.jpg | en | null | Three months in Ronald McDonald House for Timaru mum | null | null | www.stuff.co.nz | Three months in Ronald McDonald House for Timaru mum
John Bisset Timaru woman Aimee Bennett spent a lot of her pregnancy at Ronald McDonald house.
Imagine spending three months of your pregnancy in a hospital bed.
That was the reality facing Timaru woman Aimee Bennett, 33, who was rushed to Christchurch Hospital at 23 weeks pregnant.
Bennett and partner Paul Mercer, 33, are now proud parents to twin daughters Laura and Emily, but their road to parenthood was not an easy one.
JOHN BISSET/FAIRFAX NZ Twins Laura and Emily Mercer are now back at home in Timaru with mum Aimee Bennett.
When Bennett went to have a scan at Timaru Hospital, results showed complications with her pregnancy.
She has a shortened cervix, which gave the impression that she was in labour.
"They thought the twins were on their way," she said.
Supplied Timaru woman Aimee Bennett was rushed to Christchurch Hospital after complications with her pregnancy.
She was taken by ambulance to Christchurch, where she spent a week in hospital before moving to Ronald McDonald House.
It was a difficult time - Bennett had previously miscarried a baby at 23 weeks.
"I was a bit of an emotional wreck," she said.
"We were on edge every day, thinking they were going to arrive."
However, after balking at the thought of spending the rest of her pregnancy in hospital, moving to Ronald McDonald House was a huge relief, she said.
She spent the three months socialising with other families and making "crafty things" for the twins' room.
Mercer stayed in Timaru, but made day trips to Christchurch to visit. While Bennett did not like the idea of not being at home, Mercer said "you just have to do it".
It was a feeling he knew all too well. He spent six months in the Burwood Spinal Unit following a car crash, and now uses a wheelchair.
"He's the sort of guy, if that's what you have to do, then that's what you have to do," Bennett said.
In a random twist, there were three sets of twins born to parents from Timaru who were staying at Ronald McDonald House at the same time.
The parents still keep in touch, she said.
The twins were born on April 28 at 33 weeks, and spent a further two weeks in the neo-natal unit at Christchurch Hospital before the family returned home to Timaru.
"We were so lucky to get to 32 weeks, luckily we had no complications at all."
While she was relieved to get home, Bennett said the team at Ronald McDonald House were "amazing".
"The girls there are just so lovely," she said.
Being so close to the hospital was also a bonus, as she could walk over to visit the twins while they were in the neo-natal unit.
Her experience has prompted her to encourage people to support the Host a Roast campaign.
The campaign asks New Zealanders to invite their family and friends to dinner in September, to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House South Island.
Proceeds from the campaign will go towards providing accommodation for families while their seriously ill children undergo hospital treatment in Christchurch and Southland Hospitals.
Ronald McDonald House South Island chief executive Matthew Mark said the need for the organisation's services was increasing, with occupancy for both the 26-room Christchurch House and Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital, above 90 per cent for the majority of 2016.
"Our mission is simple: To provide accommodation for families and remove the stresses of everyday life so they can focus on what matters most – helping their children heal.
"However as all Kiwi families know, there are significant costs to running a household, and as we receive no direct government funding we rely on community support to keep our doors open 24/7 to families in need."
People can find more information about the campaign at www.hostaroast.squarespace.com.
- Stuff | http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/baby/83256389/Three-months-in-Ronald-McDonald-House-for-Timaru-mum | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.stuff.co.nz/627bc4f27d060f33bf82e2e538ac23d788b8499858475e83c242010b9b4eceae.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:56:01 | null | null | Vaba Eesti Sõna | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vabaeestisona.com%2Findex.php%2Fnews-in-english%2F6888-foreign-minister-marina-kaljurand-s-video-message-to-estonian-expatriates-on-the-occasion-of-25th-anniversary-of-the-restoration-of-independence-of-estonia.html.json | http://www.vabaeestisona.com/templates/ves-siteground-j16-9/favicon.ico | en | null | Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand’s greetings to Estonian expatriates on the occasion of 25th Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of Estonia | null | null | www.vabaeestisona.com | Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand’s greetings to Estonian expatriates on the occasion of 25th Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of Estonia
20. August 2016 - 9:19
Dear friends,
Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the restoration of the Republic of Estonia. Surely many of you remember the anxious days in August 1991. Today 25 years ago the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia functioning as a parliament adopted the Resolution on the national independence of Estonia that restored the independence of Estonia. Years of hard work and fighting for Estonia’s independence preceded 20 August both in occupied Estonia and in exile. Estonians in exile carried the legal continuity of the Republic of Estonia, explained what had happened to the Baltic states and the importance of non-recognition policy, distributed information on the situation in Estonia, preserved and developed the Estonian language, culture and civic society.
In his new year’s address in 1993 Lennart Meri said the following: “But the restoration of a state is not as simple as pressing a lamp button which will instantly overpour you with biblical light. A state is born like a baby - in labour and pains. Still, like a baby it is born of love and itself gives birth to love.” Many people forced to leave Estonia against their will and Estonians born abroad have contributed to rebuilding Estonia and to its development. Many of them have helped reconstruct the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Representations, many of them are my good colleagues even today and many are still working on ensuring Estonia’s security and developing foreign relations.
Estonia has changed and achieved a lot in the 25 years of freedom following the restoration of independence. Estonia has changed from a totalitarian society into a country, where human rights are respected, freedom of speech applies and the principles of democracy and rule of law are followed. Estonia is a NATO ally, a member of the European Union and belongs to other most important international organisations. We work every day to remain a trustworthy partner and an ally and to share our values with other countries. During the second half of next year Estonia will face a huge responsibility, Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
For 25 years there is no iron curtain between Estonians living in Estonia and Estonians abroad. In a globalised and mobile world the two terms have lost their former meaning and instead of talking about Estonians at home and expatriates, we talk more and more about “global Estonians”. Entrepreneur Rainer Sternfeld active both in the US and Estonia recently said at the Opinion Festival in Paide that Estonian border is where Estonians are and he does not feel like he has been away from home because technical solutions enable him to keep in touch.
Different estimates say that there are around 120,000 – 200,000 people from Estonia living abroad. It’s our greatest potential. Among yourselves are people that went abroad before the Republic was declared, those who fled from occupation but also people that have left during the past 25 years for shorter or longer periods. All of you have a connection with Estonia, your Estonian story, your dreams about Estonia. We are all connected by a wish that Estonia would do great. I believe that most of you keep in touch with developments in Estonia, are happy with the country’s successes and are worried about challenges facing Estonia. Everyone of us – regardless of where we are – has a chance to contribute to the improvement and future of Estonia.
Estonia’s global influence today is much stronger that one would assume from our small population. It’s partly because of you who are unofficial representatives of Estonia in different parts of the world. You introduce Estonia and share information about Estonia, you help to make Estonia more visible, you speak about Estonian language and culture. Thanks to you my work and my colleagues’ work of introducing Estonia as diplomats is much easier.
Just like Estonia needs the support of Estonians living abroad, you need the support of Estonia. Every Estonian Representation abroad has to keep in touch with Estonians living in the respective country. Our Representations ask you to come together during the holidays important to our country and our nation, they help to organize local culture events, share information and keep in touch with the local Estonian community.
The concept of the 12th Youth Song and Dance Celebration taking place in Tallinn next year is roots that connect us to Estonia wherever our life takes us and we welcome Estonians from near and far. You all, too. In 2018 the Republic of Estonia will celebrate its 100th Independence Day and we will celebrate it all over the world, regardless of the location, regardless of where we are at that point.
The independence of Estonia is a reason to be happy about our country, our land and our nation. Long live Estonia!
Details Published: 20 August 2016 | http://www.vabaeestisona.com/index.php/news-in-english/6888-foreign-minister-marina-kaljurand-s-video-message-to-estonian-expatriates-on-the-occasion-of-25th-anniversary-of-the-restoration-of-independence-of-estonia.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.vabaeestisona.com/5028fa873bb668288ebc6e59194f19cf37064dfd89fc579e6f5815663ce15266.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:38 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fwere-you-disappointed-no-mans-sky.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Were you disappointed with No Man's Sky? | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | I bit my fist to stop myself from screaming like a teenager when I first heard about No Man’s Sky.
The hype for the game was huge and the system was very impressive. The game uses random generator technology to produce varieties of planets for the virtual space traveler to explore, many with randomly generated life forms. I had never heard the number “quintillion” before, but apparently that’s how many planets are actually in the game.
It’s basically infinite. Developers say that if they leave the servers up for decades, all of the players put together still won’t have explored even one percent of the available planets.
“Take my money! Take it!” I said.
Of course, my PC is incompatible with No Man’s Sky and a laptop that would run the game would cost about $1,000. There’s also a PS4 version, which is apparently more stable. I had committed myself to buying a Playstation 4 just for this game. Forget my student loans and car payments. I was going to have this game.
But then I went to Youtube and watched some guy’s video of himself actually playing the game. That’s when I decided that I could live without it.
I don’t think it’s a bad game, it looks really good (although I haven’t played it), but it’s not quite the miracle of modern technology that I was thinking it was.
Lets start with some common consumer complaints. The trailer showed a herd of large alien animals. Some were bathing in rivers, another got agitated and charged, knocking down trees. None of the people who’ve already spent thousands of hours actually playing the game have seen animals bathing in water, moving in herds, affecting their environments, and no rivers at all. Animals are still cool, but not as complex as we thought. There’ also seems to be no such thing as a sandworm in the game, which was apparently seen in a trailer.
I could go on. In fact, there’s a huge list online of features that developers said would be in No Man’s Sky that never made it to the actual game. But the point of it is that the game is not nearly as in depth and complex as players believed from the hype and talk from the creators.
I joined a couple of Facebook groups, because the game is still cool enough that I enjoy looking at the pictures of aliens that players have posted. In those groups, I’ve watched the anger heat up to a steady boil.
The game is $60. Considering how mad I get when I spent $10 on something and it’s not what I expected, I certainly understand. Sales have also dropped faster than a crashed space ship, another trailer feature which has yet to be seen in the game.
In my opinion, it’s not all the creators’ faults. Some or a lot of it is, but a lot of it is the over blown hype. Hype can get too big for the creators to control, although it might have helped with the backlash if they’d taken time to say “sorry everyone, we had to take this feature out,” or “this feature isn’t ready yet.”
This is also the major reason why I never pre-order a game.
A little more honesty in the trailers wouldn’t have hurt either. I watched the trailers and I believed I was watching actual gameplay footage. But what killed it for me was the apparent repetitiveness. Again, I could easily be wrong since I haven’t actually played the game. There’s only so much you can learn from a Let’s Play video.
But in this guy’s video, he spent three hours exploring 10 planets in 10 different solar systems. First he stopped at the space port to buy or sell supplies, then he stopped at the planet side ship dock to do the same, then he collected resources until the sentinels attacked him for breaching the prime directive.
All of those things repeated 10 times in a row: port, dock, mine, repeat.
And personally, I was at a loss to see what the big difference was between all of the planets. The animals were cool, the planets had some differences, but they all seemed very similar to me.
That’s one point that the fans of No Man’s Sky always argue about. Some say “All of these planets look exactly alike,” and others say “You’re just mad because you were expecting something different.” (Plus a lot of cuss words.)
The game has no shortage of supporters, and it should. It looks good, just not as good as I thought.
I’d certainly be as angry as any of the other raging Facebookers if I’d actually bought PS4 without doing my research. If I had the correct system, I’d still get it. I love wide open sandbox, and I’ve gotten to where I enjoy the casual, laid back exploration type games rather than the tense, nail biting boss battles and dungeon crawling. But as it stands now, one Youtube blogger saved me from blowing two weeks pay on the system I would have needed for this game and for that I thank that glorious nerd.
And to save myself from another near miss, I’m committed to not reading any of the articles about Star Citizen. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/were-you-disappointed-no-mans-sky | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/979cc9fde777ed29279df06fab2137e68f001a4d89d8d5566f64d35abe1a8119.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:59:31 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fchamber-breakfast.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Chamber Breakfast | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | The Chamber Breakfast will be on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 8 a.m. at the College of the Ouachitas. Thursday's program will be about the Arkansas Department of Corrections. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/chamber-breakfast | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/635f68aa1bc01c1ede0fb2bbd8dddf86845c733537a6a2c1fd6659bebd27e75f.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:52 | null | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fwarcraft-and-ghostbusters-why-did-these-movies-fail.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Warcraft and Ghostbusters: Why did these movies fail? | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | Some weeks back, I wrote a column titled “Ghostbusters will thrive against menanist backlash.”
I was wrong.
I recently looked into two movies: Ghostbusters and Warcraft, two movies I liked and I found out that they both (probably) lost money. Why is that?
For starters, both films brought in more than the reported budget. But the reported budget doesn’t account for everything. Studios spend a lot of extra money on advertising in so many different places and that doesn’t necessarily get reported, especially if they want to deny that a film was a failure. I haven’t been able to find solid answers online on in if they lost money or not, which is why I said “probably.” The consensus seems to be that Warcraft lost money at the start. There’s word on Ghostbusters, even though Ghostbusters had a much smaller wolrdwide gross compared to the reported budget than Warcraft. But unless Ghostbusters spent less than 45 million dollars in advertising, it’s a pretty fair bet that the movie is probably in the red right now.
That’s a shame because I liked the movie. Not enough to really hope for a sequel, but I got my money’s worth and I’d hoped Sony would too.
It wasn’t until I saw the movie that I figured out the creators were intentionally baiting the menanists and haters so they could use the backlash as free advertising. A lot of fans probably picked up on that sooner and didn’t like it, or it might also contribute to that second weekend slump that most movies go through during week two.
That sort of baiting is great for getting the attention of social justice warriors who will defend the movie on Facebook, but not necessarily the sorts of people who will leave their rooms and pay to see the movie when it comes out.
Even if people didn’t plainly see what was going on, people could still pick up on the message of “Female Ghostbusters! In your face!” That would lead potential viewers to believe that the franchise had been reduced to a gimmick with no substance. I found substance in the movie, but Sony might have failed to make that clear in the advertising, which was squarely focused on the fact of female Ghostbusters and over-the-top CGI while ignoring the other things that the film had to offer.
But Warcraft’s lackluster performance came as a bigger surprise. And heartbreak.
I liked Ghostbusters, I loved Warcraft.
This is another one that I can maybe put on the advertising, if only from a financial standpoint. For a 433 million dollar worldwide box office gross verses a 160 million dollar budget to still be reported as a loss, the advertising budget must have been massive. Another contributing factor is that only about 47 million of that came from domestic box office. The reason that matters is because, apparently, studios take a smaller cut from international box office gross.
The advertising may have also failed to portray the depth that the film offered. I groaned the first time I saw the previews because I thought, “oh man. This is going to be worse than listening to fingernails on a chalkboard and I’m going to have to review it.”
It wasn’t until I was sitting in the theater that I realized it was a good movie. Even then I kept expecting some massive fail in the plot or characters to completely ruin it, but that never happened. It was just plain good.
But the theory of poor advertising doesn’t really hold water when you consider that Warcraft fell over 70% over the second weekend. Even for the second weekend, that’s a lot. Was it because people hated the movie and told all of their friends? I doubt it. Fan response for Warcraft is generally more positive than the critics reviews. Again.
In my opinion, that massive second weekend drop can be explained in two words: Finding Dory.
Bad luck.
I hold out hope for a Warcraft sequel. They were clearly setting up to tell the entire history of Azeroth, at least up to Reign of Chaos. But I’ve still got the video games and the DVD when it comes out, even if we don’t get a sequel.
It’s worth mentioning that the battle isn’t over yet. There’s still money to be made on home releases. I won’t speak for Ghostbusters, but Warcraft will probably be one of the rare movies that I buy new, rather than waiting for the prices to drop.
In any event, both of these movies were decent enough. Win or lose, they deserve a space on your book shelf, or where ever other people keep their DVDs. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/warcraft-and-ghostbusters-why-did-these-movies-fail | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/b7ea54b389019f0dadf0859eb7854ae194df72566dfb33d96d4665c25d4204f3.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:39 | null | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fhealthy-hsc.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Malvern Daily Record | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | If you could only eat one of these foods for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Choices Potatoes Beef Corn Chicken Green beans Peas Pork Broccoli Apples Bananas Bread Oranges Cheese | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/healthy-hsc | en | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/864941e345a1aa4247e390ac6096acb6d084b17f734da43bb02ce173162c75dc.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:48:37 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fap-poll-anomaly-starting-finishing-no-1.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | AP Poll: The Anomaly Of Starting, Finishing No. 1 | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | It happens about as often as an eclipse. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. In this stat-astic video, see how often a college football team has started the preseason number one and finished the season with a ticker tape parade. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/ap-poll-anomaly-starting-finishing-no-1 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/e4cb0d1aeb7edfc837142843b89ebd01c3514cf5f21d1ac26fff3111a528b86d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:17 | null | 2016-08-20T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fnaramore-not-guilty.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | NARAMORE not guilty | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | HOT SPRINGS — Judge Wade Naramore was found not guilty on Friday by a jury of 12 in the hot car death trail.
Naramore’s 18-month-old son died after being left in a hot car in July 2015.
On Friday Naramore took the stand. Defense and prosecution touched on several topics, including timeline of events that happened leading up to the boy’s death.
The jury came to its verdict after appearing before a special judge twice. During these times they stated they were unable to reach an unanimous decision. Jurors were stuck at a 10 to 2 margin and the second time they appeared they were stuck at 11 to 1.
After being explained the process of a hung jury, they jurors returned a third time with an unanimous vote.
If Naramore had been found guilty, he could have faced multiple punishments, ranging from suspension with or without pay, written reprimand, a recommendation for removal from the bench, which can be sent to the Supreme Court. It was also possible that he could have faced not punishment.
Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission’s ethics investigate into Naramore will continue. Which would have continued regardless.
The Commission will investigate Naramore’s emotional and mental stability and if he is able to be a judge after this incident.
The Commission is not responsible for the debarment of Naramore. Disbarment comes from the Supreme Court Committee of Professional Conduct. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/naramore-not-guilty | en | 2016-08-20T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/ee04d5fb6d4667394dbf28e7b3e37bf2227a1f0784619891dbc7baacfd0b1b05.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:49:17 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fhot-springs-man-sentenced-20-years-prison-drug-trafficking.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Hot Springs man sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | Hot Springs, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Cedric Easter, age 30 of Hot Springs, was sentenced yesterday to 240 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to the plea agreement, during the month of April, 2014, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and detectives from the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force began investigating Easter for selling methamphetamine in the Western District of Arkansas. In June, 2014, officers executed a state search warrant at a residence in Hot Springs and recovered documents associated with Easter as well as a large amount of U.S. currency and a 9mm pistol.
Investigators were able to review numerous phone records which showed incriminating text messages between Easter and others dating back to March, 2014 wherein drug amounts were discussed.
Between July 30, 2014 and December 9, 2014, law enforcement made four controlled buys of methamphetamine from Easter. Subsequent to the last controlled buy, agents executed a search warrant at Easter’s residence where he was located and arrested. During the search, agents located and seized marijuana, a 9mm pistol, and $5,560 in U.S. currency. Agents also executed a search warrant at Easter’s neighbor’s residence due to information that Easter was keeping drugs at that residence. Agents discovered approximately four ounces of methamphetamine and $9,000 in U.S. currency.
During a post-Miranda statement, Easter admitted to selling methamphetamine in the Hot Springs area with others and admitted that the drugs and money found at the neighbor’s residence were his. He also admitted that he knew about the two firearms seized during the investigation. The suspected substances obtained were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab where they tested positive for methamphetamine.
Easter was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 19, 2014 and pleaded guilty on July 31, 2015.
“Removing drugs and weapons from our communities makes them safer and will remain one of our top priorities”, said Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans Raymond R. Parmer, Jr. “Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to target these criminal elements.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case for the United States. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/hot-springs-man-sentenced-20-years-prison-drug-trafficking | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/080fa5822e13dee1b06aa907d62c9b075ea34d44d2892e213d022bdad985732b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:03:40 | null | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fstudents-are-back-school.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Students are back to school | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | If you could only eat one of these foods for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Choices Potatoes Beef Corn Chicken Green beans Peas Pork Broccoli Apples Bananas Bread Oranges Cheese | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/students-are-back-school | en | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/22e96497f4e9bd2006e4d668fc4859e41d1694cca5a3e7d1640c5315b1b644be.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:02:51 | null | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fschool-bus-safety-tips.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | School bus safety tips | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | Each day thousands upon thousands of children board school buses to take them to and from school. Parents and caregivers entrust their children’s well-being to the care of school bus drivers and aides. Although parents may worry about school bus accidents, such accidents are few and far between.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises that school buses are designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in avoiding crashes and protecting against injury. Buses are arguably the safest mode of transportation for getting kids to and from school. By keeping millions of cars off the roads surrounding schools, school buses contribute to less crowded roadways, which are less conducive to accidents.
Danger zone
Though parents may feel buses are most likely to be in accidents while in transit, experts advise that children are more likely to get hurt during pickups and drop-offs when they’re in the “danger zone” of the bus. The danger zone is a 10-foot radius around the outside of the bus. Bus drivers and other motorists find kids in the danger zone are more difficult to see, and children can get struck by either the bus or oncoming cars that fail to stop when the bus is picking kids up or dropping them off.
Knowing the safety rules
While a large part of protecting children is on the shoulders of the school bus driver, it is also vital for passengers to learn the basics of school bus safety. Kindergarteners or children who are riding the bus for the first time should be taught the rules of school bus safety.
Some schools offer a school bus tour prior to the new school year. This lets youngsters acclimate themselves with the look and feel of the school bus. This introduction also may include information about bus safety, but parents can also educate their children (and themselves) about using caution in and around the bus by following these guidelines.
• Get to the bus stop 5 to 10 minutes prior to the assigned pickup time. Rushing last-minute can lead to injury, especially if you’re chasing down the bus.
• Remain on the sidewalk or grass at the bus stop. Do not step off the curb into the street until the bus has arrived and is completely stopped.
• When boarding the bus, go directly to a seat and sit down. Buckle up if there are seatbelts on the bus.
• Remain seated while the bus is in motion.
• Keep voices low so as not to distract the driver.
• Keep your head and hands inside of the bus, and never hang out of the window.
• Do not throw things on the bus or play rough with friends or classmates.
• Keep the aisle clear at all times.
• Be careful when getting off the bus. Hold on while going down the stairs.
• Only get off at your designated stop unless you have permission to get off elsewhere.
• When exiting the bus, walk at least 10 steps past the front of the bus and cross in front where the driver can see you. Do not cross behind the bus.
• Wait for the driver to give you a signal that it is safe to cross. Be sure to check that all cars on the road have come to a complete stop.
• Get to the sidewalk or off the street as quickly as possible.
• If you’ve forgotten something on the bus, do not run back and attempt to retrieve it. The driver might not see you and start the bus. Rather, call the bus company and see if you can pick it up at another time.
• Do not get into the cars of strangers waiting around bus stops, even if they offer to take you home.
Parents can arrange to meet with bus drivers so that they will recognize their faces. Adults also can encourage schools to host bus safety courses to further ensure their youngsters are safe. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/school-bus-safety-tips | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/81249863d603ccfccf88e675b61f369735275114905179fe12aa7fa36b895086.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:01:21 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Frutledge-urges-dc-circuit-strike-down-unlawful-firearm-law.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Rutledge Urges D.C. Circuit to Strike Down Unlawful Firearm Law | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, urging the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals to strike down a restrictive and unlawful firearm law put in place by the Washington D.C. City Council.
The District refuses to issue a public-carry license to any law-abiding citizen unless the District believes, on a case-by-case basis, that a citizen has “good reason to fear injury.” The attorneys general believe that such a scheme makes it almost impossible for a normal citizen to obtain a license to carry a firearm, thus infringes the Second Amendment, and does nothing to improve public safety.
The attorneys general write in the brief that “the challenged regulation represents a policy choice that is foreclosed by the Second Amendment. Amici states are concerned that upholding the challenged regulation would rest on an erroneous construction of the United States Constitution and would infringe on individual rights. While states may enact reasonable firearm regulations that are substantially related to the achievement of an important governmental interest, the challenged regulation does nothing to improve public safety and instead may be counterproductive.”
“It is not my role, nor is it my intent, to interfere with local policy choices, but I have a duty to speak out when law-abiding citizens are having their Second Amendment rights trampled,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “The District, like Arkansas, is entitled to create permitting laws consistent with the Constitution, but this law goes far beyond that. It requires citizens to have and prove a special reason to exercise their right to bear a firearm. The permitting scheme is being applied to prevent the large majority of D.C. citizens from lawfully carrying a weapon.”
Led by Arizona, Rutledge is joined in the brief by attorneys general from Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. She is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected to the office. Since taking office, she has begun a Mobile Office program, a Military and Veterans Initiative, a Metal Theft Prevention program and a Cooperative Disability Investigations program. She has led efforts to teach Internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge also re-established and co-chairs the National Association of Attorneys General Committee on Agriculture.
A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for Gov. Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and subsequently was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/rutledge-urges-dc-circuit-strike-down-unlawful-firearm-law | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/9e3e492fc1a26206c31e7bdfbd4927198e615407c193ca51dcbe665b7f3a1ec9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:48:50 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fgrant-county-player-wins-200000.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Grant County player wins $200,000 | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | LITTLE ROCK— Ruby Goza of Prattsville (Grant County) has claimed a $200,000 top prize Tuesday after playing the $10 Bonus Bonanza instant game from the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. In her winner’s statement, Goza said she first told her husband about the win, and that she plans to use the winnings to pay off a lot of bills! The winning ticket was sold at Flash Market #42, 26213 I-30 South, in Bryant, which will receive a 1 percent commission on the prize for selling the winner.
About $10 Bonus Bonanza
Bonus Bonanza is a $10 instant game from the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery that launched May 31. With 1 in 3.15 overall odds of winning, an estimated more than $2.5 million in prizes ranging from $10 to $200,000 remain on this game. (All prizes remaining are estimated according to winning tickets that have already been claimed. The ASL cannot determine how many winning tickets may be lost or purchased but as of yet remain unclaimed. All win combinations for each prize amount have been combined into the same prize tier row. Prizes remaining are updated daily.)
About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
More than 92 cents of every dollar of Lottery revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions and other expenses in Arkansas. Since Lottery sales started in 2009, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has provided more than $600 million for in-state college scholarships to Arkansas students, $2 billion in prizes to players and $170 million in commissions to Lottery retailers. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/grant-county-player-wins-200000 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/b482836b2d2f4673d1eb46d9dbf28c9733a3b6c259208173efec24f3c5d2ccf7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:33 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fcelebrate-malvern-daily-record.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Celebrate with the Malvern Daily Record | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | Today the Malvern Daily Record Honors Geneva McDaniel for 40 years with the MDR. Everyone is invited to join us today from 1 to 3 p.m. for refreshments and wish Geneva a happy anniversary.
Malvern Daily Record is located at 219 Locust Street in Malvern. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/celebrate-malvern-daily-record | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/de2a6a797389ada7167ffe400038b51b095342e8fb4abd1fba00cd5ff18f876f.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:57:53 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fitaly-earthquake-kills-least-120-reduces-towns-rubble.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Italy earthquake kills at least 120, reduces towns to rubble | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | AMATRICE, Italy (AP) — Rescue crews using bulldozers and their bare hands raced to dig out survivors from a strong earthquake that reduced three central Italian towns to rubble Wednesday. The death toll stood at 120, but the number of dead and missing was uncertain given the huge number of vacationers in the area for summer's final days.
Residents wakened before dawn by the temblor emerged from their crumbled homes to find what they described as apocalyptic scenes "like Dante's Inferno," with entire blocks of buildings turned into piles of sand and rock, thick dust choking the air and a putrid smell of gas.
"The town isn't here anymore," said Sergio Pirozzi, the mayor of the hardest-hit town, Amatrice. "I believe the toll will rise."
The magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, including Rome, where residents woke to a long swaying followed by aftershocks. The temblor shook the Lazio region and Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.
Premier Matteo Renzi visited the zone Wednesday, greeted rescue teams and survivors and said the casualty toll stood at 120 dead and was likely to rise. Another at least 368 were injured. He promised the quake-prone area that "No family, no city, no hamlet will be left behind."
Hardest hit were the tiny towns of Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Rome, and Pescara del Tronto, some 25 kilometers further east. Italy's civil protection agency, which was coordinating the rescue and care for survivors, said dozens were injured and thousands in need of temporary housing, though it stressed the numbers were fluid.
Italy's health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, visiting the devastated area, said many of the victims were children: The quake zone is a popular spot for Romans with second homes, and the population swells in August when most Italians take their summer holiday before school resumes.
The medieval center of Amatrice was devastated, with the hardest-hit half of the city cut off by rescue crews digging by hand to get to trapped residents. The birthplace of the famed spaghetti all'amatriciana bacon and tomato sauce, it is made up of 69 hamlets that teams from around Italy were working to reach with sniffer dogs, earth movers and other heavy equipment.
Rocks and metal tumbled onto the streets of the city center and dazed residents huddled in piazzas as more than 200 aftershocks jolted the region into the early morning hours, some as strong as magnitude 5.1.
"The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me," marveled resident Maria Gianni. "I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn't hit, luckily, just slightly injured my leg."
Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she didn't know what had become of her loved ones.
"It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there's nothing left," she said, too distraught to give her name. "I don't know what we'll do."
As the August sun bore down, residents, civil protection workers and even priests dug with shovels, bulldozers and their bare hands to reach survivors. Dozens were pulled out alive: There was relief as a woman emerged on a stretcher from one building, followed by a dog.
"She's alive!" two women cheered as they ran up the street in Pescara del Tronto, after an 8-year-old girl was pulled from the rubble after nightfall.
And there were wails when bodies emerged.
"Unfortunately, 90 percent we pull out are dead, but some make it, that's why we are here," said Christian Bianchetti, a volunteer from Rieti who was working in Amatrice.
A steady column of dump trucks brought tons of twisted metal, rock and cement down the hill and onto the highway toward Rome, along with a handful of ambulances bringing the injured to Rome hospitals.
"We need chain saws, shears to cut iron bars and jacks to remove beams. Everything, we need everything," civil protection worker Andrea Gentili told The Associated Press in the early hours of the recovery. Italy's national blood drive association appealed for donations to Rieti's hospital.
Despite a massive rescue and relief effort — with army, Alpine crews, carabineri, firefighters, Red Cross crews and volunteers, it wasn't enough: A few miles (kilometers) north of Amatrice, in Illica, residents complained that rescue workers were slow to arrive and that loved ones were trapped.
"We are waiting for the military," said resident Alessandra Cappellanti. "There is a base in Ascoli, one in Rieti, and in L'Aquila. And we have not seen a single soldier. We pay! It's disgusting!"
Agostino Severo, a Rome resident visiting Illica, said workers eventually arrived after an hour or so. "We came out to the piazza, and it looked like Dante's Inferno," he said. "People crying for help, help."
The magnitude 6 quake's epicenter was located near Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto and had a shallow depth of just four kilometers, Italy's geological institute said. Generally, shallow earthquakes pack a bigger punch and tend to be more damaging than deeper quakes.
"The Apennine mountains in central Italy have the highest seismic hazard in Western Europe and earthquakes of this magnitude are common," noted Dr Richard Walters, a lecturer in Earth sciences at Durham University in Britain.
The head of Italy's civil protection service, Fabrizio Curcio, noted that the region is popular with Romans escaping the heat of the capital to their country houses, swelling the population during the summer months. This weekend, Amatrice was due to celebrate its annual festival honoring its native pasta dish, possibly adding to the number of people in town.
The devastation harked back to the 2009 quake that killed more than 300 people in and around L'Aquila, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the latest quake. The town, which still hasn't fully recovered, sent emergency teams Wednesday to help with the rescue and set up tent camps for residents unwilling to stay indoors because of aftershocks.
"I don't know what to say. We are living this immense tragedy," said a tearful Rev. Savino D'Amelio, a parish priest in Amatrice. "We are only hoping there will be the least number of victims possible and that we all have the courage to move on."
Another hard-hit town was Pescara del Tronto, in the Le Marche region, where the main road was covered in debris.
Residents were digging their neighbors out by hand since emergency crews hadn't yet arrived in force. Aerial photos taken by regional firefighters showed the town essentially flattened and under a thick gray coat of dust; Italy requested EU satellite images of the whole area to get the scope of the damage.
"There are broken liquor bottles all over the place," said Gino Petrucci, owner of a bar in nearby Arquata Del Tronto where he was beginning the long cleanup.
One rescue was particularly delicate as a ranger in Capodacqua, in the Marche province of Ascoli Piceno, diplomatically tried to keep an 80-year-old woman calm as she begged to get to a toilet, even though she was trapped in the rubble.
"Listen, I know it's not nice to say but if you need to pee you just do it," he said. "Now I move away a little bit and you do pee, please."
The mayor of Accumoli, Stefano Petrucci, said a family of four had died there, one of the few young families who had decided to stay in the area. He wept as he noted that the tiny hamlet of 700 swells to 2,000 in the summer months, and that he feared for the future of the town.
"I hope they don't forget us," he told Sky TG24.
A 1997 quake killed a dozen people in central Italy and severely damaged one of the jewels of Umbria, the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, filled with Giotto frescoes. The Franciscan friars who are the custodians of the basilica reported no immediate damage from Wednesday's temblor.
Pope Francis skipped his traditional catechism for his Wednesday general audience and instead invited the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square to recite the rosary with him. He also sent a six-man squad from the Vatican's fire department to help with the rescue.
___
Nicole Winfield reported from Rome; Valentina Onori in Amatrice and Fulvio Paolucci in Illica contributed to this report.
___
This corrects the locator of Norcia to northeast of Rome, not northwest. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/italy-earthquake-kills-least-120-reduces-towns-rubble | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/ed1c421f4a1d90f2a7dd6760140f2672060c6f8b97ed29b0783cab0cd253445e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:03:15 | null | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fzoo-closed-maintenance.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Zoo closed for maintenance | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | If you could only eat one of these foods for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Choices Potatoes Beef Corn Chicken Green beans Peas Pork Broccoli Apples Bananas Bread Oranges Cheese | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/zoo-closed-maintenance | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/5ea78161026480575526d642201e307ab5d48c738987f5e47c0dffe7efe6381d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:59:55 | null | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Fbest-olympics-pictures-august-18.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | The best of the Olympics, in pictures, from August 18. | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | If you could only eat one of these foods for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Choices Potatoes Beef Corn Chicken Green beans Peas Pork Broccoli Apples Bananas Bread Oranges Cheese | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/best-olympics-pictures-august-18 | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/84b8a7ea1c92a37713b732c9d9710e14e932eabadbefe8c7ca16eb5ab515f4d8.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:48:16 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malvern-online.com%2Fcontent%2Flast-day-celebrity-waiter-tickets.json | http://www.malvern-online.com/misc/favicon.ico | en | null | Last day for celebrity waiter tickets | null | null | www.malvern-online.com | Today (Friday, Aug. 26) is the last day to get tickets for Celebrity Waiter, which will be held at the Malvern Community Center on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 5 p.m.
The event is to raise money for relay for life. Celebrity waiters include Sylvia Keen with Southern Bancorp, Sheila Williams with Baptist Health, Jay Isenhour with Acme Brick, Diana Riggins with PLD Transport, Representative Laurie Rushing, Marca Paul, Camilla Hunter with the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Scott White with Farmers Bank and Trust, Mike Brashier and John Brashier.
Tickets can be bought from any celebrity waiter or from Kathy Ramsey at Southern Bancorp. Tickets are $50 each and all proceeds go to The American Cancer Society. | http://www.malvern-online.com/content/last-day-celebrity-waiter-tickets | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.malvern-online.com/f1e5ad77ce2e8ead7eb6ff1523ab0494e3bfd8ed0580cdba4e4216295490da58.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:24 | null | null | The Inverness Oran is a newspaper publication established in 1976 serving the communities of Inverness County on the island Cape Breton located in Nova Scotia, Canada. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.invernessoran.ca%2F8-the-inverness-oran%2F32-the-inverness-oran.json | en | null | The Inverness Oran | null | null | www.invernessoran.ca | The Inverness Oran is a weekly newspaper publication operating in the county of Inverness, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Inverness Oran has been bringing news to their community since 1976. Its goal started out and continues to be to serve and reflect the people of Inverness County.
The Inverness Oran (Inverness Communications Ltd.) releases its weekly newspaper publication every Wednesday, 52 times a year. Inverness Communications Ltd. also provides an essential service to the community by producing special publications such the annual Sunset Side Activity Guide. | http://www.invernessoran.ca/8-the-inverness-oran/32-the-inverness-oran | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.invernessoran.ca/177d16e6e73a459f0be26cca2c7c34868d59b3e28f373f20ab02978beeb023dc.json | |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:13 | null | 2016-06-07T00:00:00 | Economy Professor John Hassler has calculated how much refugees would cost to welfare state in Sweden and Norway. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Feconomy%2F5312-swedish-professor-in-norway-record-number-of-refugees-does-not-threaten-the-welfare-state.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/refugees.jpg | en | null | Swedish Professor in Norway: Record Number of Refugees Does not Threaten the Welfare State | null | null | www.tnp.no | He has come to Norway to participate in the government’s seminar on what immigration costs for the Norwegian economy, and to share Sweden’s experiences after arrival of record 160,000 asylum seekers last year.
Hassler notes that it has a significant impact on the public economy, but it is not dramatic. It is not a fundamental threat to the welfare state, it concerns around 1 percent of GDP of Sweden and even less for Norway, according to the Swedish professor.
Good integration is crucial, he adds and admits that Swedes have long way to go in integration issue.
- It is essential that the people who are in the country have access to good education and they enter in the labor market, says he.
He also believes that unskilled newcomers should be paid with lower wages than current regulations dictate.
Finance Minister Siv Jensen (FRP) has invited the Swedish professor to Oslo on the occasion of Finance Ministry’s seminar on immigration impact on the Norwegian economy.
The Minister of Finance is skeptical to Hassler’s proposal to lower wages for refugees.
- The Government will consider it as challenging, especially considering that many are concerned about social dumping in Norway, she says to NRK.
John Hassler manage the fiscal council in Sweden, a government-appointed body that investigates whether fiscal policy is working properly. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/economy/5312-swedish-professor-in-norway-record-number-of-refugees-does-not-threaten-the-welfare-state | en | 2016-06-07T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/d6904116a8f06c5ae491b83811047c7f00448b0124db4d2c98afd82bdc082dd7.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:24 | null | 2016-06-15T00:00:00 | Norway and the USA signed a joint statement on deeper collaboration on forests and climate change. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpanorama%2F5315-norway-and-the-us-strengthen-their-collaboration-on-climate-change.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/climate_wind_power.jpg | en | null | Norway and the US Strengthen Their Collaboration on Climate Change | null | null | www.tnp.no | - Norway and the US share the goal of halting global deforestation. By strengthening collaboration between our two countries on forests and climate change, we can contribute to a more rapid and forceful implementation of the Paris agreement and the sustainable development goals, says Vidar Helgesen, Minister of the Climate and Environment in Norway.
Minister Helgesen signed a joint statement on deeper collaboration on forests and climate change, with State Secretary of the US, John Kerry.
In the statement, which was signed during the world’s largest rainforest conference Oslo REDD exchange, Norway and the US underscore that the global climate goals will not be within reach unless the remaining tropical forest is protected.
Measures in forests can contribute with up to one-third of the effort that is needed to limit global warming to well below two degrees. Through its international climate and forest initiative, Norway has pledged up to 3 billion NOK annually for this effort.
The Paris agreement will underpin efforts to reduce deforestation, in the years to come. Many countries have included forest sector measures in their nationally determined contributions under the agreement. Norway and the US will support implementation of these climate targets, in cooperation with ambitious forest countries.
- We all know that the threat of deforestation and its implications for changing climate are real, grave, and they are growing,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry. “This isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s an economic issue. It’s an energy issue. It’s an issue that touches on our deepest values and our basic sense of responsibility as stewards of the fragile planet we inhabit.
The private sector must join
Mobilising private investments to the benefit of the climate is a key part of the collaboration.
- Interest in investing climate-friendly, in tomorrow’s solutions, is on the rise. We will support business strategies for deforestation free supply chains. Business and the financial sector must be part of the solution. I hope the global investor community will engage more in sustainable forest and land use, said Minister Helgesen.
Illegal logging
The joint statement between Norway and the US also highlights combating illegal logging and illegal deforestation as an area of priority. According to Interpol, illegal logging accounts for 50-90 per cent of all forestry activities in key producer tropical forests, such as those of the Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and 15-30 per cent of all wood traded globally.
Illegal logging also occurs in many formally protected forests, especially in tropical countries. The trade in illegally harvested timber is highly lucrative and estimated to be worth between USD 30 and USD 100 billion annually.
Experiences from Brazil show that halting illegal logging can give rapid and considerable reduction in deforestation. However, it is a challenge that many countries have low capacity to implement and enforce legislation and forest protection. In the US, the Lacey Act is a key legal instrument, which makes it a crime to import plants that have been collected illegally in the country of origin.
- Illegal logging is not just a forest problem, it is also part of the financial basis of international organised crime. This is another reason why we raise this issue higher on the agenda, says minister Helgesen. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/5315-norway-and-the-us-strengthen-their-collaboration-on-climate-change | en | 2016-06-15T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/0c591b833f727915615abc6acbb45137f726da0ea8ede957acda38aea9c48e07.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:47 | null | 2016-06-30T00:00:00 | Oslo District Court declined Edward Snowden’s lawsuit against the Norwegian state. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpolitics%2F5326-snowden-will-pay-7000-nok-to-norway.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/snowden.jpg | en | null | Snowden Will Pay 7000 NOK to Norway | null | null | www.tnp.no | In April, Edward Snowden was awarded the prestigious Ossietzky Prize by Norwegian PEN. He has been invited to receive the award in Oslo in November.
Snowden wants to come to Norway to receive the award in November, but fears that the Norwegian authorities will extradite him to the United States.
As a result, Norwegian PEN had commisioned the law firm Schjødt to ensure that Snowden could travel safely to Norway to receive the prize, without risking extradition to the United States. On behalf of Snowden and Norwegian PEN, Advokatfirmaet Schjødt had filed a lawsuit against Norwegian Ministry of Justice to Oslo City Court in order to allow Snowden to travel to Norway without fear of extradition to the US, where he faces decades of imprisonment under the “Espionage Act.
The Norwegian State defended that the lawsuit had to be dismissed because the judicial examination of disclosure issues needs to be considered by the court criminal proceedings.
Such judicial review can only occur when there is an extradition request. Snowden is not in Norway, and the United States has not submitted extradition request in this case.
Oslo District Court agreed on this defense, and ruled that Snowden must compensate 7000 NOK legal costs of the Norwegian state in the lawsuit. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/politics/5326-snowden-will-pay-7000-nok-to-norway | en | 2016-06-30T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/cd91655b1f525fd2fa9a1720d99248ada5a6ace4e5f61cbf892a801d62c065c6.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:34 | null | 2016-08-21T00:00:00 | This week a total of 15,053 people have quit their membership to church and 2963 reported that they have been mistakenly registered as members of the Norwegian Church. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpanorama%2F5358-15-000-people-in-norway-quit-church-membership-in-four-days.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/church_norway.jpg | en | null | 15 000 People in Norway Quit Church Membership in Four Days | null | null | www.tnp.no | According to Aftenposten’s report, most resignations came on Monday, when a new solution for enrollement and withdrawal for church membership came online , reports the Norwegian Church.
Currently, 3.8 million, almost three out of four in Norway, are member of the Norwegian Church.
However, there are many who reports that they were listed as members without their consent in 1998 when the population register was used as a basis of church membership.
Leading bishop of the Norwegian churches, Helga Haugland Byfuglien, is not surprised that many opted out as soon as they eased the system of withdrawal and membership.
- We were prepared for a significant number of resignations and have great respect for the individual’s choice. We take these signals seriously, she said in a statement.
- Our task ahead is to pass on the Christian message and to convey the important role the church can have in people’s lives, continues Byfuglien.
Church council leader Kristin Gunleiksrud Raaum also beleives that nbody should be member of a religious community against their will.
-Therefore I am glad that this system is in place. Those who were mistakenly listed as a member of the Norwegian Church or who do not wish to be member can now easily change their status, and it will give us a more accurate registry, says Raaum. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/5358-15-000-people-in-norway-quit-church-membership-in-four-days | en | 2016-08-21T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/79f3fc630955bf988bddd50a943db368b326d87086587f8332cb9c06ae0452df.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:11:07 | null | 2016-06-02T00:00:00 | Norway contributed significantly to the current success of the producer of electric cars Tesla Motors. Now the country’s energy minister Tord Lien wants Elon Musk to share his knowledge and technology with Norway. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Feconomy%2F5310-norway-asks-tesla-for-help-in-developing-new-energy-systems.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/Tord Lien.jpg | en | null | Norway asks Tesla for help in developing new energy systems | null | null | www.tnp.no | Tesla benefited a lot from Norway, thinks the minister of petroleum and energy Tord Lien. It’s been years since the country became the most important market for Tesla electric cars and contributed significantly to company’s growth. Now, Norwegian energy minister thinks it’s time for Norway to benefit from its generosity. This was the message he brought to the Silicon Valley this week.
- Norway has always been important for Tesla, and I think it is only fair if the company also gives something in return, commented the minister Tord Lien to E24 in a telephone talk from San Francisco.
The official reason of Lien’s trip to the US was to attend the technology conferences Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation in San Francisco, according to Regjeringen.no. During this travel Lien also visited Silicon Valley, where he went to see Nordic Innovation House and the headquarters of Google and Tesla.
Special attention Lien paid to the possibility of collaboration between Norway and Tesla on the development of more efficient energy system in the country. Since Norway has helped Musk’s company a lot with promotion and PR, the minister expressed his hopes that Tesla may be interested in sharing their knowledge and experience in the sphere of efficient energy use to renovate the current system in Norway, where different renewable resources are not coordinated while producing energy.
One of the energy trends that will characterize our future everyday life is a smarter management of consumption: for example, hot water tanks, instead of running in the morning when everybody takes shower, may in the future turn on during the day, to reduce the load on the power grid. The same applies to washing machines, electric vehicle charging and other functions.
According to E24, the Norwegian government is planning to establish eight new research centers for environmentally-friendly energy and technology (FME centers). The centers will specialize in different fields and sectors, including smart cities and zero emissions energy systems, sustainable solar technology and intelligent power distribution.
Lien has in fact asked Tesla to share its technology and expertise in order to develop new energy systems and related technology in Norway.
- The reason why we want a bilateral cooperation with Tesla, among others, is that we through FME scheme are investing heavily in the development of smart cities, storage and charging smart grid and zero-emission transportation. Tesla might like to contribute to these initiatives, says Lien.
Tesla founder Elon Musk, apart from his work with electric cars is also developing buisnesses in such spheres as space travels with SpaceX and photovoltaic plants with SolarCity. The company also sells solar batteries for domestic use, which save electricity that they produce from solar “cells” adjusted to the roof. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/economy/5310-norway-asks-tesla-for-help-in-developing-new-energy-systems | en | 2016-06-02T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/de361f27641d0dd7f155c09cf6cabbf9a181073ac6b534486318d82ef5226387.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:49 | null | 2016-06-24T00:00:00 | The government is concerned about the political developments in Europe after Britain’s decision to leave EU. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpolitics%2F5320-norway-about-brexit-there-are-difficult-days-to-come.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/erna_solberg_parl1.jpg | en | null | Norway about Brexit: There Are Difficult Days to Come | null | null | www.tnp.no | Europe minister Elisabeth Aspaker said to VG that there would be demanding days to come for all in Europe.
- This should be a warning the EU leaders and national leaders in the European countries, that giving young people voice and keeping job promises are among the most important things we have to do, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg to NRK on Friday morning.
Solberg is most concerned about the political consequences of the Brexit.
- We expect market turbulence in the short term. We must ensure that we maintain good relations both to the UK and the EU, and we must ensure that the EEA agreement works well, so that Norwegian industry has predictability. Today we are delighted that we have EEA agreement, she said.
Europe Minister Asparker agrees with Erna Solberg and further notes that the decision will have consequences on issues like climate change aggreement and immigration crisis.
- It is quite clear that the UK and Europe faced major challenges before. This decision will affect resources in Brussels for using to follow up climate agreement and dealing with migration crisis in Europe, says Aspaker to VG.
Liberal Party leader Trine Skei Grande pointed out the United Kingdom, France and Germany have cooperated closely and this cooperation has been good for peace in Europe for the last 70 years.
- Let’s hope this does not lead to so strong complications for European financial cooperation as there is reason to fear, says she.
Labor Party leader Jonas Gahr Støre, on the other hand, believes the referendum will reveal a deeply divided Britain.
- The road ahead is unclear and uncertain. There will be a lot of political and economic uncertainty in the coming days. Now it is time for political leaders to take responsibility, he said. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/politics/5320-norway-about-brexit-there-are-difficult-days-to-come | en | 2016-06-24T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/f285790d86edb99aca5be62ab68d98d8a720dcc6eeb47ace5bde0f57026c6fd0.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:19 | null | 2011-05-21T08:00:00 | Norway is known as one of the most expensive countries in Europe to receive dental treatment. So, it might become a double nightmare for many to go to dentist. However, if you are well informed about the procedures, you can find a more affordable dental care plan. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fexclusive%2F2293-advice-on-choosing-your-dentist-in-norway.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/20110521-0819.jpg | en | null | Advice on Choosing Your Dentist in Norway | null | null | www.tnp.no | The Norwegian Consumer Council suggests that patients should not just sit in the chair of the first dentist they can find. So thoroughly going over your options is a good strategy. Here are several tips for an economic dental treatment plan in Norway.
1. Be flexible and don’t be afraid to change your dentist. You should ask friends and colleagues about their experiences with various dentists.
2. Try two to three dentists before you decide.
3. Do not be fooled by low prices during your research. Many dentists charge more after treatment.
4. For major treatments, it can be very cost-effective to obtain multiple offers.
5. Be critical of your own dentist. Ask questions about the proposed treatments. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/exclusive/2293-advice-on-choosing-your-dentist-in-norway | en | 2011-05-21T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/a5cbdd56ab0b4675609d3db83bc878677fe41e3ea00b630462ef69c943fa6501.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-29T20:50:22 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | There were 135 000 unemployed persons in the last month, adjusted for seasonal variations. This corresponded to 4.8 per cent of the labour force. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Feconomy%2F5362-unemployment-in-norway-increases-up-to-48-per-cent.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/workers_construction.jpg | en | null | Unemployment in Norway Increases Up to 4.8 per cent | null | null | www.tnp.no | The Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that the seasonally-adjusted figures for unemployed persons increased by 5 000 in three months. In comparison, the number of people registered as unemployed or on government initiatives to promote employment with the Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) increased by 1 000 in the same period. This figure is also based on seasonally-adjusted figures and three-month averages.
Small changes in employment
The LFS shows that the seasonally-adjusted number of employed persons decreased by 3 000, a change which is within the LFS error margin. According to the LFS, there have only been small changes in the seasonally-adjusted number of employed persons since the winter of 2014/2015. However, the seasonally-adjusted number of employed persons under 25 years has decreased while the number among those aged 25 years or over has increased somewhat during this period.
Even though the number of employed persons has remained fairly stable since the winter of 2014/2015, the population has increased during this period. The employment rate has therefore decreased. Of the population aged 15-74 years, 67.4 per cent was employed in June, adjusted for seasonal variations. This is a decrease of 0.2 percentage points since March 2016 – and down by roughly 1 percentage point since the winter of 2014/2015. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/economy/5362-unemployment-in-norway-increases-up-to-48-per-cent | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/13c8ea7e89f00ff9b7c652237a408d51429f0ec9d2bae5c34736ed12e14f183b.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:12 | null | 2016-07-30T00:00:00 | The number of employed persons decreased by 19 000 from February to May, adjusted for seasonal variations. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Feconomy%2F5349-unemployment-decreases-in-norway.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/women_worker.jpg | en | null | Unemployment Decreases in Norway | null | null | www.tnp.no | According to Statistics Norway (SSB)’s new report, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7 per cent in May, roughly unchanged from February.
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that the seasonally-adjusted figures for employed persons decreased by 19 000 from February (average of January-March) to May (average of April-June). The decline in the number of employed persons was strongest among those under the age of 25.
Of the population aged 15-74 years, 67.2 per cent was employed in May. This is a decrease of 0.6 percentage points since February.
Small changes in unemployment
From February (average of January-March) to May (average of April-June), the LFS shows that seasonally-adjusted unemployment increased by 2 000. This change is within the LFS error margin. Adjusted for seasonal variations, 131 000 persons were unemployed in May.
The number of people registered as unemployed or on government initiatives to promote employment with the Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) remained unchanged from February to May. This figure is also based on seasonally-adjusted figures and three-month averages.
The LFS has shown a gradual increase in unemployment from 3.2 per cent in May 2014 to 4.6 per cent in August 2015. Men had the strongest growth. Since August 2015, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment has been fairly stable at around 130 000, approximately 4.6 per cent of the labour force. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/economy/5349-unemployment-decreases-in-norway | en | 2016-07-30T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/4e034c76040f6ec364a455d43540c2c987331e5120733f55d1f76a7bbf9025b9.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:36 | null | 2016-07-13T00:00:00 | The Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman demands Tinder to take Norwegian and European consumers seriously, and put into place terms and conditions that consumers can understand. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpanorama%2F5339-consumer-ombudsman-of-norway-puts-pressure-on-tinder-for-user-rights.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/tinder.jpg | en | null | Consumer Ombudsman of Norway Puts Pressure on Tinder for User Rights | null | null | www.tnp.no | Following a complaint from the Norwegian Consumer Council on the popular dating app Tinder, The Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman this spring asked Tinder to make several changes in the contract terms, so the terms are in accordance with Norwegian law. As a consequence, Tinder has made some changes. But the contract terms are still too long, difficult and unclear. So the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman further demands Tinder to make significant changes, so that Norwegian consumers can understand what they in reality are accepting when they start using the app.
– Tinder now has the possibility to be one of the first, international apps who takes Norwegian consumers seriously by giving them terms and conditions they can understand and accept, says Consumer Ombudsman Gry Nergård.
In a press release, the Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman demands:
•That the terms are made easier to understand
•That they are translated into Norwegian
•That Tinder makes clear what the company means by giving themselves the right to reuse content that the users have produced in the app (pictures, text etc).
•That Norwegian consumers can solve unresolved issues with Tinder by the Norwegian court, so they do not have to travel to Texas for this purpose.
•That it is made clear that Norwegian law, not Texan law, is applicable.
•That users are appropriate informed when Tinder makes significant changes in terms and conditions.
•That they give users information about what happens with their content if they terminate the contract
•That Tinder has clear rules for when the company can terminate an account, and that users are informed about the cause of the termination if they are kicked out of the app.
Long, complicated and unclear user terms in apps are a widespread problem. Since many of the companies are international, it is important that consumer authorities cooperate across national borders, writes the ombudsman.
– We will contribute to lifting this problem up on the international agenda for consumer authorities, and hope we can develop a common European standard for how app terms shall be designed, says Nergård.
The Consumer Ombudsman is also in dialog with The Norwegian Data Protection Authority concerning the obtaining and use of personal information in app terms.
– It is important that we do something about this problem now, before it grows in scope. We hope the Tinder-case can contribute by putting into place contract terms that can be used as an industry standard, where app terms are designed in an easy and understandable way, so consumers easily can understand what they accept when they take the app in use. This is for the best, both for the consumers and for the companies behind the apps, says Nergård.
About The Consumer Ombudsman of Norway
The Consumer Ombudsman (CO) is an independent administrative body with the responsibility of supervising measures in the market and seek to exert influence on traders to observe the regulatory framework.
The CO considers cases upon complaints from consumers and traders, but also at its own initiative look at marketing measures.
Through negotiations with traders it is sought to arrive at voluntary arrangements for consumers.
The Consumer Ombudsman carries out supervision of the Marketing Control Act as well as with certain parts of the regulatory framework governing advertising in broadcasting. The CO and the Market Council have authority to issue decisions banning unlawful marketing and contract terms and conditions in standard contracts when deemed necessary in the interests of consumers.
The current Consumer Ombudsman is Gry Nergård, who took office 5 November 2010. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/5339-consumer-ombudsman-of-norway-puts-pressure-on-tinder-for-user-rights | en | 2016-07-13T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/420d1c93fd36505aed19c1d6632c82bd656d8e4a50a9dc0a2655cfcb336e1fcd.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:07 | null | 2016-08-11T00:00:00 | Representatives from the Labour Party (Ap) and Centre Party (Sp) integration committee proposes prohibition of niqab at educational institutions, and preventive policies against children with hijab at primary schools. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpolitics%2F5355-norways-labor-and-centre-party-want-ban-on-niqab-at-schools-and-foreign-funds-to-mosques.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/hijab_child.jpg | en | null | Norway’s Labor and Centre Party Want Ban on Niqab at Schools and Foreign Funds to Mosques | null | null | www.tnp.no | NRK has gained access to the new integration policy document by the integration committee by the two parties. The Committee believes face covering (niqab, burka) inhibits communication and interaction. To avoid conflicts around the identification, face covering should be prohibited at schools.
As a rule, it is not be possible to use niqab as a public servant at public institutions that require identification and direct contact with people.
Prohibition was previously introduced in Belgium and France. France’s ban was approved by the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
When it comes to children hijab, the commission demands a national guideline for the school’s efforts to prevent the use of hijab at schools.
- School leaders should work systematically to ensure that children do not wear hijab. The individual school should not make the choice themselves, but there should be clear national guidelines on hijab use, writes the report according to NRK.
Moreover, the committee proposes a review of the security system to make it more profitable for people with low-income jobs to participate in labor market.
The reason is immigrants’ low labor force participation, and that over half of non-Western immigrants drop out working before the age of 50.
Also religous organizations may lose support if they promote hatred and violence, violate laws intended to protect children’s interests and rights, and do discrimination.
Also financing of mosques from abroad is required to be limited. The commission wants to limit foreign funding of Norwegian communities. In practice, this means that one of the biggest foreign funder Saudi Arabia will not be able to support religious groups in Norway, writes NRK. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/politics/5355-norways-labor-and-centre-party-want-ban-on-niqab-at-schools-and-foreign-funds-to-mosques | en | 2016-08-11T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/c546eb9883aa6ad1d864796dbbb48c98f83ab977cda5388c41bced665fbf4be6.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:13 | null | 2016-06-06T00:00:00 | Norwegian oil services company, Aker Solutions won a contract to deliver its longest-ever umbilicals system at the Zohr offshore gas field in the Egyptian part of the Mediterranean Sea. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Feconomy%2F5311-norway-aker-solutions-wins-order-for-umbilicals-at-egypt-zohr-offshore-gas-field.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/akersolutions.jpg | en | null | Aker Solutions Wins Order for Umbilicals at Egypt’s Zohr Offshore Gas Field | null | null | www.tnp.no | The agreement with Petrobel in Egypt is worth more than NOK 1 billion and will be booked in the second quarter. It stipulates the delivery of 180 kilometers of steel tube umbilicals that will connect the Zohr subsea development to an offshore control platform. Petrobel, a joint venture between The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and Eni, is responsible for the development and operations at Zohr.
"Aker Solutions is building on its previous experience offshore Egypt to now deliver its largest-ever umbilicals project," said Luis Araujo, chief executive officer of Aker Solutions. "We are very pleased to support Petrobel and Egypt on this important development."
The work will be led by Aker Solutions’ subsea division in Oslo and manufacturing will start immediately at the umbilicals plant in Moss, Norway.
The company has invested substantially in the Moss facility over the past years. The plant has more than 20 years of experience in making the most advanced and complex umbilical systems, which are used to transport data, power and liquids between oil and gas installations on the seafloor and facilities onshore or on platforms.
The umbilicals system will be delivered by mid-April 2017. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/economy/5311-norway-aker-solutions-wins-order-for-umbilicals-at-egypt-zohr-offshore-gas-field | en | 2016-06-06T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/146a3a21586e867fa28e1a13de9dc0aaa7aac4f4b46d88363ed7f16260eb3eb0.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:38 | null | 2016-06-01T00:00:00 | Norwegian Progress Party (FrP) warns about segregation existing in Norwegian capital city. In some areas immigrants constitute more than half of the population, whereas in others – there are almost none. FrP means this might lead to formation of an uneven society in Norway. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Fpolitics%2F5309-fear-segregation-in-oslo.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/Oslo Barcode Ekeberg.jpg | en | null | FrP Fears Segregation in Oslo | null | null | www.tnp.no | Norwegian Progress Party is occupied with the increasing segregation in the country’s capital. The recent figures show that in some suburbs of Oslo more than 70 % of the population has immigrant background.
In Oslo there are four satellite towns where immigrants - mainly from Africa and Asia - account for more than 60 % of the population. A decade ago there were only two such towns, writes Klassekampen. The figures, which have not been published previously, show that Haugenstua, Oslo’s satellite city, has the fewest ethnic Norwegian part. Here 71.7% of residents are immigrants and 66.1% are from non-Western countries, according to ABC nyheter. Rum, Furuset and Fossum in Stovner and Alna districts also have a non-Western immigrant proportion higher than 60 %.
Progress Party (FRP), using the figures provided by Oslo’s municipal statistics bank, draws a gloomy picture of how Oslo will look like if the trend continues. The head of the municipal committee of the Parliament, Helge André Njåstad (FRP), means that Norway is on a track towards forming an uneven society.
- The most important thing we should work on today is to secure understanding among Norwegian politicians that Norway cannot accept more immigrants than we manage to integrate, said Njåstad to Klassekampen.
However, the segregation of Norwegian capital is neither unusual, nor new. Traditionally, rich families have lived on the West Side of Oslo, while working class and low income groups tended more towards the East Side. Oslo has been segregated for so long that there was formed a specific housing market which makes it especially hard today to break the pattern, according to Science Nordic. It is simply impossible to move certain low income groups or immigrants to the Western part of the city or vice versa. Therefore, the city’s distinction in terms of nationalities is only the consequence of the previous class distinction in Oslo. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/politics/5309-fear-segregation-in-oslo | en | 2016-06-01T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/cf6f8e18ddbcf3ed79290bf074bfcc5a921d941f3fc81c12e1c917b82d713f5b.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:00 | null | 2016-07-10T00:00:00 | If Britain cuts corporate tax, Norway must follow them, says Conservative (Høyre) politician Svein Flåtten. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Feconomy%2F5334-conservative-politician-wants-corporate-tax-cut-in-norway-to-compete-with-britain.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/stortinget_lion.jpg | en | null | Conservative Politician Wants Corporate Tax Cut in Norway to Compete with Britain | null | null | www.tnp.no | The statement came after Finance Minister of Britain, George Osborne proposed cutting corporate tax to 15 percent, writes NRK. Svein Flåtten, chairman of the Finance Committee in the Norwegian Parliament, fears that Norway will become less attractive for businesses if they do not adopt tax cuts.
Norway’s corporate tax is currently at 25 percent, and by 2018 it will be lowered to 23 percent.
Talking to NRK, Flåten says they compete to attract new companies and to ensure Norwegian companies not to move out of the country.
- When coporate tax is lowered, a smaller share of corporate profits go to pay taxes. Therefore, a low tax level could attract companies and help them establish and carry out in Norway, says he.
But Professor of Economics at the University of Oslo, Halvor Mehlum thinks Britain is not important enough for Norway and lowering corporate tax can lead to more serious consequences in terms of financial relations with other countries.
- I understand the logic of Svein Flåtten, but Britain has not sufficient importance that has something to say for Norway. It would be quite strange if Norway joins Britain in such a tax competition, he said to NRK.
Mehlum further explains that Norway can anger neighboring countries that are far more important, if it reduces taxes. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/economy/5334-conservative-politician-wants-corporate-tax-cut-in-norway-to-compete-with-britain | en | 2016-07-10T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/eea5c7f9bb8848165f046583bba3ce9bc918a1079e42f13c6485cafff3ced96a.json |
[
"The Nordic Page"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:12 | null | 2016-07-02T00:00:00 | At least 18 Norwegian flights have been canceled, writes NRK. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tnp.no%2Fnorway%2Ftravel%2F5329-norwegian-passengers-stuck-due-to-cancellations.json | http://www.tnp.no/newsimg/gardermoen_departures.jpg | en | null | Norwegian Passengers Stuck Due to Cancellations | null | null | www.tnp.no | According to Avinor, 18 Norwegian flights have been canceled on abroad and domestically since last night.
Head of Communications at Norwegian, Anne-Sissel Skånvik says to NRK that shortages of aircraft and pilots have led to problems.
- In addition, we have received some acute sickness notice from some employees. Then we are in a vulnerable situation, says Skånvik.
She further notes that high season makes it additionally difficult to hire pilots and planes from other companies, or rebook passengers to other flights. | http://www.tnp.no/norway/travel/5329-norwegian-passengers-stuck-due-to-cancellations | en | 2016-07-02T00:00:00 | www.tnp.no/12d9cd30dd915f2642a07b286d38115a3dea69aed8d1fdd8b619171e59a3024d.json |
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