Disquiet grows over hospital build
McKay major projects manager Rhys Farrand said he "prefers not to talk about this [the hospital build] right now . However, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ), the government department responsible for the inpatient build, confirmed McKay as "a preferred subcontractor". The Dunedin inpatient build’s costs "could approach $3b" and a cheaper option was sought — a hospital refurbishment or a smaller build. On May 30, the new National-led government had received a review of the inpatient build from health infrastructure guru Robert Rust. In 2020, a Treasury review of the Dunedin hospital build warned it would be "paramount that sufficient commercial expertise exists both within the MoH procurement team and across industry" to complete the build.
Source:Otago Daily Times
November 08, 2024 19:08 UTC
Disc golf enjoying a surge in popularity in the South
Maree Cummings tees off at the Brockville Disc Golf course. PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSONDisc golf is taking flight in Dunedin as the sport enjoys a post-pandemic boom. Also known as frisbee golf, disc golf is a flying disc sport in which players aim to get a disc in a basket, or hole, in as few throws a possible. Dunedin Disc Golf chairman Errol Nye said the club had been around for about 10 years but had significant growth recently. Seasonal leagues and school competitions were fixtures of Dunedin’s two disc golf courses at Brockville and Chingford Parks.
Source:Otago Daily Times
November 08, 2024 17:49 UTC
Madeleine Riffaud, who fought for Paris with French Resistance, dies at 100
In early 1941 in Nazi-occupied France, a German officer stopped a 17-year-old girl and her ailing grandfather. “He fell like a sack of wheat,” said Ms. Riffaud, who died Nov. 6 at her home in Paris at 100. The uprising left hundreds of Resistance fighters and others dead but managed to drive Nazi forces back to garrisons around the city. Ms. Riffaud was known as Rainer, reflecting her admiration for Rainer Maria Rilke, a poet born to a German-speaking family in Prague and who died in 1926. Ms. Riffaud had a five-decade relationship with the North Vietnamese poet and composer and Ho Chi Minh political ally Nguyen Dinh Thi, but they did not marry.
Source:Stuff
November 08, 2024 16:37 UTC
Popular south Auckland playgrounds hit by vandalism, graffiti
Photo: LDR / Mary AfemataA multi-million dollar south Auckland playground is among more than a dozen play areas hit by repeated vandalism and graffiti in recent months. Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chairperson Apulu Reece Autagavaia said he was saddened to see recent vandalism deface the board's efforts to beautify community spaces and showcase artists. "Before, families told us they had to travel to other parts of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to enjoy good quality playgrounds. Manukau Ward councillor Alf Filipaina is urging those behind the vandalism and graffiti to stop and for the community to care for playgrounds and report incidents. To report damage or vandalism to a playground or park, call 09 301 0101 or use the report a problem tool.
Source:Stuff
November 08, 2024 12:21 UTC
Daily review 08/11/2024
Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:30 pm, November 8th, 2024 - 4 commentsCategories: Daily review - Tags:Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …Share this: FacebookLinkedInRedditPinterestMastodonTwitterPrintEmail
Source:Stuff
November 08, 2024 11:27 UTC
China, already grappling with a weak economy, braces for Trump’s return
Some people on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of X, proposed that Musk could be the next U.S. ambassador to China. Advertisement“China has been preparing for a long time,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, but another trade war would be hugely damaging. “Given China’s very difficult internal economic situation right now, a renewed trade war or more comprehensive efforts to decouple would pose a much more severe threat to China’s economic competitiveness,” Zhao said. AdvertisementAn insufficient stimulus package, coming on the heels of Trump’s reelection, will constitute “a very bad day” for China, she said. “China could hope to undermine American efforts to isolate China through a broader Western coalition,” he said.
Source:Stuff
November 08, 2024 09:02 UTC
Weekly Roundup 7-November-2024
Happy Friday, there’s been some significant world events this week but welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. The Week on Greater AucklandThe Longest CommuteAs apart of The Spinoff’s Travel Week, Joel MacManus attempts to travel from the bottom to the top of New Zealand without using a car or plane. When New Zealanders go on their international OE, they almost always choose to get around by train or bus tours. St Patrick’s SquareA few years ago there was a real issue with people illegally parking on St Patrick’s Square in the city. Select vehicles accessing or parking in front of the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph for weddings or funerals.
Source:New Zealand Herald
November 08, 2024 07:03 UTC
‘We have won’: Russians envision new global system with Trump victory
Members of Russia’s elite were more blunt in their response to Trump’s victory. After our victory on the battlefield.”In more immediate terms, Trump’s election victory was expected to have a dramatic impact on Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Leonid Slutsky, head of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “The expectation is that under Trump, decisions will be reached faster to end the conflict and ease sanctions.”“For big business, Trump’s election is a hopeful factor,” he added. “If everything goes okay, then Trump will lift sanctions” to pull Moscow out of China’s orbit, Markov said. “This would be a colossal victory for Trump,” Markov said.
Source:Stuff
November 08, 2024 06:08 UTC
Open mike 08/11/2024
Despite the success of reo Māori music, a shortage of Māori music managers means many Māori artists struggle to thrive in the business side of the industry. The Māori music scene in Aotearoa is arguably as strong as it has ever been. Reo Māori waiata are topping the charts, and ...
Source:New Zealand Herald
November 08, 2024 05:23 UTC
Ex-Irish player: Haka should be contested 'or else it becomes one-sided pageantry'
Former Ireland midfielder Gordon D’Arcy says opposing sides should be encouraged to face the All Blacks’ haka“or else it becomes one-sided pageantry”. “I believe we have won the begrudging respect of the All Blacks. There was a lot said in the aftermath of the loss to the All Blacks in the World Cup quarter-final but there was also plenty left unsaid publicly. “It has been a long road to this point but I am now looking forward to watching the haka on Friday night [Saturday NZT], knowing that Ireland will accept the challenge as peers.”All Blacks v Ireland, Saturday 9.10am. Live match blog at nzherald.co.nz.
Source:New Zealand Herald
November 08, 2024 02:18 UTC
All Blacks v Ireland: Former Irish player says haka should be contested ‘or else it becomes one-sided pageantry’
Ardie Savea performs the haka. Photo / PhotosportFormer Ireland midfielder Gordon D’Arcy says opposing sides should be encouraged to face the All Blacks’ haka “or else it becomes one-sided pageantry”. The haka needs to be answered in some fashion or else it becomes one-sided pageantry.”Speaking ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated clash between the All Blacks and Ireland, D’Arcy said teams that hit upon the “correct tone” for facing the haka tended to have one common trait: they possessed “the capacity to beat the All Blacks”. “Whether it was England during their tour of 2003, South Africa periodically in the Rugby Championship, France in and out of World Cups and now more recently Ireland, the haka is taken as it is meant to be, a challenge. “The aforementioned teams had the ability to accept the challenge, and that tension is felt right across the stadium, shared by the players facing each other as well as the fans.”
Source:New Zealand Herald
November 08, 2024 01:34 UTC
S&P 500, Nasdaq end at records again after Fed rate cut
The US has avoided a recession, achieved a near perfect labour market and interest rate cuts are underway. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq powered to fresh records after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, extending a buoyant post-election rally. While the Dow finished essentially flat, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq jumped to new all-time highs, with large tech companies like Facebook parent Meta and Apple surging. The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.7 percent to 5,973.10, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was unchanged at 43,729.34. The US Federal Reserve shrugged off political uncertainty in Washington and moved ahead with a quarter-point rate cut on Thursday, easing monetary policy further as inflation continues to cool.
Source:New Zealand Herald
November 07, 2024 22:39 UTC
Auckland to get new animal shelter in Pukekohe as demand soars
Photo: Stuff / LDRA new animal shelter will be built in south Auckland to help ease the pressure on three other Auckland Council-owned facilities. According to the council's Animal Management latest annual report, work on the new facility in Pukekohe was underway. Chair of the regulatory and safety committee Josephine Bartley said Animal Management staff were under huge pressure to find room in shelters. "The role of keeping Aucklanders safe from harm is getting harder every year for our Animal Management officers and shelter staff," Bartley said. "I would like to commend and thank all Animal Management staff members for their efforts."
Source:Stuff
November 07, 2024 19:18 UTC
Around the World: Trump, Google and break-ups
Credit: X [@realDonaldTrump]The best use of election TV advertising yet? The European Commission determined that Google had unlawfully prioritised its own comparison shopping service in search results while suppressing competitors. With four million followers invested in their lives, splitting the digital assets wasn’t exactly straightforward. In the end, Kat took the TikTok handle, rebranded as KatStickler, and soared to nearly 10.5 million followers, while Mike inherited the YouTube channel – which unfortunately didn’t survive the split. Turns out, in the world of influencer breakups, followers don’t always follow both sides.
Source:Stuff
November 07, 2024 18:01 UTC
Even Microsoft’s humble Notepad is getting an AI beef up
Microsoft is incorporating AI text editing into Notepad. The company’s new Rewrite feature allows users to “rephrase sentences, adjust the tone, and modify the length of content” based on their preferences. Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Copilot Pro subscribers in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand can use AI credits to Rewrite in Notepad. Microsoft 365 subscribers in these regions get 60 AI credits monthly. Microsoft Paint is also getting a generative AI buff with the addition of generative fill and generative erase features that have made it onto Microsoft’s other camera and design software.
Source:Stuff
November 07, 2024 17:35 UTC