Fifteen people were taken to hospital after the single-vehicle crashes occurred 100 metres apart on the Tekapo-Twizel highway (State Highway 8) about 8.40am, police said. "You're looking -5, -4 [degrees Celsius], foggy conditions - that State Highway 8 should have been closed. There's just a big black sign up by the airfield saying 'dangerous conditions, black ice'. She wanted to see action so travellers were better informed about the road conditions and the highway was better maintained and able to cope with the conditions. Sub-zero temperatures means they freeze, black ice, and you can't see black ice.

Bishop’s legislation proposes to get rid of the current urban-rural zonings in the district plan. This will mean that unfettered urban development will happen all the way from Wanaka to Hawea. Nobody will be able to stop this because it will be “as of right” development permitted by Bishop’s proposed legislation. The Queenstown Lakes District proposed district plan has been developed over ten years, taking into account thousands of submissions from the public. Bishop’s proposed legislation trashes these rules-it is madness.

Minister David Seymour claims Pharmac ‘burned energy’ considering Treaty as he sets expectationsPharmac Minister David Seymour claims the drug-buying agency “burned a lot of energy” considering the Treaty of Waitangi as he directs Pharmac to refrain from doing so. “I do not believe this is an appropriate expectation to place on Pharmac,” Seymour said in his letter. ACT, a political Party who has a pimp from the Pharmaceutical Industry inside their caucus…Investigation: David Seymour’s special medicines envoy has investments in Big PharmaFormer pharmaceutical company executive turned Act MP Todd Stephenson has been appointed to a special role representing Pharmac’s new government minister, his party leader and Associate Minister of Health David Seymour. Stephenson’s experience with drug companies is seen as a boon by some – but others are concerned about his links to Big Pharma. When people attack The Māori Party rhetoric as violent, this is the actual practise of structural racism they are protesting against and calling out.

Photo: Supplied / Simon EvansAn increase in visitors hoping to catch the southern lights has resulted in a call for the Catlins to be made a dark sky reserve. It specifically wanted support with a lighting policy which would align with dark sky requirements. "The importance of having a dark sky reserve here is really to highlight the Catlins natural, unique beauty, and its night skies," Hanley said. If ultimately successful, the area would join six other communities in New Zealand with dark sky accreditation. Those included dark sky reserves Aoraki Mackenzie, Wai-Iti (Tasman district) and Wairarapa, and dark sky sanctuaries in Oxford, Great Barrier Island/Aotea and Stewart Island/Rakiura.

Sugar causes hyperactivity: Top of the sugar myth pile is the widespread belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children. Sugar is a carb and bad for our body: The human brain uses glucose, a sugar molecule, as its primary energy source. It recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake. However, reducing intake to less than 5% of energy or about six teaspoons of free sugar daily may provide further health benefits. So, natural sugar sources like honey and maple syrup are no better than refined sugar in the health stakes.

Press Release – StuffA customised AI tool which assists accurate reporting of public documents such as council meeting minutes, submissions and Government reports at speed and scale is being trialled by Stuff Group. The Democracy AI tool gives journalists the abilityStuff Masthead Publishing Managing Director, Joanna NorrisImage/SuppliedA customised AI tool which assists accurate reporting of public documents such as council meeting minutes, submissions and Government reports at speed and scale is being trialled by Stuff Group. The Democracy AI tool gives journalists the ability to scan, prioritise and report on hyper-local decision-making documents in great volume, so that communities have a much clearer view of what is happening in their local bodies. Stuff Masthead Publishing Managing Director Joanna Norris says the AI tool requires keen oversight from journalists but allows for far greater coverage of important democratic processes. “This is AI for the people, improving the hyper-local news we publish and allowing our journalists to focus on the unique content AI cannot deliver.”Content Sourced from scoop.co.nzOriginal url

Stuff Group is trialling a customised AI tool so its journalists can cover more local democracy news, the media company says. The tool, Democracy AI, has been on trial for several weeks, helping journalists accurately report public documents, such as council meeting minutes, submissions and government reports. Democracy AI has been giving Stuff journalists the ability to scan, prioritise and report on hyperlocal decision-making documents in higher volumes than before. Streamlining the newsroomStuff Masthead Publishing Managing Director Joanna Norris says the AI tool requires keen oversight from journalists, but allows far greater coverage of important democratic processes. “This is AI for the people, improving the hyperlocal news we publish and allowing our journalists to focus on the unique content AI cannot deliver,” says Norris.

By Laura Frykberg ofPhoto: STUFF / RYAN ANDERSONEmployees of a plumbing and gas fitting business in Wainuiomata have threatened to boycott the office, after crematorium construction work next door was done without building consent. "I am a bit upset at how it just seems to have popped up. I feel very strongly that something like this should be in the public conscience," Strang told Stuff. However, public access to the funeral parlour and crematorium had been blocked, after the owner did not get building consent. "Construction at the Haven Falls Funeral Home building containing the crematorium and alterations to the funeral home were undertaken without a building consent," Hutt City Council building control manager Richard Barton said in a statement.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)NEW YORK, July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The board of directors of Royalty Pharma plc (Nasdaq: RPRX) has approved the payment of a dividend for the third quarter of 2024 of $0.21 per Class A ordinary share. The dividend will be paid on September 13, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 16, 2024. About Royalty PharmaFounded in 1996, Royalty Pharma is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a leading funder of innovation across the biopharmaceutical industry, collaborating with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and non-profits through small and mid-cap biotechnology companies to leading global pharmaceutical companies. Royalty Pharma has assembled a portfolio of royalties which entitles it to payments based directly on the top-line sales of many of the industry’s leading therapies. Royalty Pharma Investor Relations and Communications+1 (212) 883-6637ir@royaltypharma.comThe MIL Network –

Annual inflation has fallen to 3.3% after consumer prices rose just 0.4% in the June quarter, according to data released by Statistics New Zealand on Wednesday. This marks a major milestone in the Reserve Bank’s war on inflation, with the headline rate now the lowest it has been since inflation first left the target band in June 2021. This latest release will be more reassuring for the policymakers with both imported and local inflation easing. More moderate prices in restaurants, local holiday accommodation, and retail shops also contributed to an improved headline inflation rate. While the significant decline in headline inflation appears to set the scene for an easing in monetary policy, the RBNZ is unlikely to act unless it sees core inflation falling as well.

In large part as a result of that promise, Ward’s party – United, hitherto in third place – was able to form the next government. (Ballance had been both Prime Minister and Treasurer during 1891 and 1892.) Ward became Prime Minister – and, in what was becoming a tradition, also Finance Minister – in 1906 following Richard Seddon’s death. Ward was Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Ward died early in 1930, with his earnest and conservative Deputy – George Forbes – taking over as both Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Redefining Our Terms: “When an angry majority is demanding change, defending the status-quo is an extremist position.”, asked Laurie, eyeing suspiciously the two glasses of red wine deposited in front of him.“A nice drop of red. I thought you’d be keen to celebrate the French Far-Right’s victory with the ...

And he’s the kind of person that the Government will be getting no argument from today over its draft emissions plan which, in my view, is smoke and mirrors and a pipedream. The Government’s also pinning its hopes on new technologies that can capture emissions but, generally, it’s all about threes. It reckons it can plant 22,500 thousand hectares in trees - 5,000 hectares of indigenous trees in 2027, 7,500 in 2028; and 10,000 hectares in exotics from 2027. Here’s what the draft plan document itself says about that: “Estimates of the area of Crown land that is suitable for planting are preliminary and conservative. The Government says it wants to take the approach outlined in its draft plan because it doesn't want to sacrifice economic growth to save the planet.

A new poll has revealed New Zealander's thoughts on selling the Interislander, and a Wellington school is facing further allegations of bullying. To talk through the stories, NZ Herald's Wellington issues reporter Georgina Campbell joined Nick Mills for her regular Capital Letter slot. LISTEN ABOVE

Ivan LawrieSouth Island growers appear to have escaped the brunt of the financial pain from a maize glut catching out northern farmers. Unlike the North Island, where many growers are maize-growing specialists, South Island growing is on a smaller land base and growers produce a range of crops. Mr Lawrie said South Island growers had the advantage of producing a wider range of crops with infrastructure developed for more options. "But the main demand of that maize in the South Island is feeding the dairy industry and it does supply the dairy industry quite directly. Mr Lawrie said irrigated Far trials of maize generating "excellent" results in the South Island were on par with North Island production in many cases.