Health and Fitness

No time to waste on tackling fentanyl

Now is not the time for hollow, unrealistic assertions on opioid use. We need to follow the evidence and act urgently before lives are lost, writes Fiona Hutton Comment: Fentanyl has been circulating the international illicit drug market since about 2013 and is responsible for approximately half of all overdose deaths in the US. So it was perhaps inevitable it would eventually cause problems for us in New Zealand. Fentanyl is a strong opioid...

High cost of flood insurance keeping Windsor and Wilberforce residents under water

Any other day, Ted Kelleher will rave about his neighbourhood in flood-affected Greater Sydney. But as flood waters rise, he is taking fresh stock of the home he loves.

Plans for $2b spend on Wellington's hospitals moving 'at pace' despite DHBs' demise

"Stark" findings about the poor state of the Wellington region's hospitals have triggered a rush to get a $2 billion fixit plan underway.

'I'm proud of them': Two rural police officers who arrested March 15 gunman awarded bravery decorations

"They just got in there and did what they needed to do, they're humble and I'm proud of them."

'Marvelous Ms. Maisel' star Rachel Brosnahan says 'enough is enough is enough' after Highland Park shooting in her hometown

Brosnahan, who grew up in Highland Park, tweeted Monday that she wouldn't wish the feeling of calling friends to see if they were safe on anyone.

We must learn to live with the road toll

Zero road deaths is a laudable but impossible goal. Instead we should do nothing at all to improve road safety. Opinion: After years of effort and billions of dollars of government money, hundreds of people are still dying on our roads every year. It's clear that what we've tried hasn't completely solved the issue. That's why we should do nothing at all about road safety. Why is there so much fuss about road deaths, when 26 people are dying of...

ACC told to pay up after bullying of ex-employee leads to depression

An employment specialist says the woman's successful case against ACC gives weight to workplace mental injury claims.

New on Netflix, Amazon, Disney and HBO in July 2022

Prince Charles: Embed religious freedom in school culture or risk ‘totalitarian society’

Prince Charles has said religious freedom should be embedded in school culture or we could face a “totalitarian society”. His comments came as he opened the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief on Tuesday, attended by more than 600 delegates from 100 countries and multilateral organisations around the world. They in...

Introducing the West’s new weapon working overtime to tilt war in Kyiv’s favour

On Monday, the Ukrainian ministry of defence released footage of a rocket launcher firing from the middle of a highway somewhere in the Zaporizhzhya region, the rockets arching high into what looked like an early evening sky. They did not say what they were firing at. But the same day, a massive strike was reported on the airbase at the occupied ci...

New MBIE guidelines mean tenants won't be rushed out of earthquake-prone buildings

Hutt Hospital was one of the buildings deemed unsafe, but now it's avoiding any forced closure.

Ezra Miller accused of kidnapping, grooming and violence: read all the allegations here

Vegas Crypto Scam Artist Collected 39 Teslas At The Expense Of Others

In addition to the 39 Teslas, the scammer had 19 other vehicles, including a boat, RVs, a Ferrari, a Rolls-Royce, and much more.

Sundown review: Tim Roth is a wealthy tourist adrift in a sea of luxury and violence in Mexico's Acapulco

The Reservoir Dogs actor plays opposite Charlotte Gainsbourg in an unsettling drama of class and disconnection, set in Acapulco.

Schools worry winter illnesses and Covid-19 may hit even harder next term

Schools close for holidays at the end of the week and principals are worried that severe disruption from winter illnesses and Covid-19 will be even worse when they reopen.

Covid-19 isn't done with us yet

You might have been lulled into thinking life was getting back to normal, but as Covid-19 and flu run rampant over winter, it's clear the pandemic isn't done with us yet. It's an odd time in the Covid-19 cycle in Aotearoa. We've had well over a million cases. Almost 1600 deaths. Most of us know someone who's had the virus. Every day, thousands more cases are announced. But the 1pm press conferences are gone. The models that suggested 80,000...

Poor state of some children's teeth an inequality issue, experts say

A Northland principal is sounding the alarm over the dental hygiene of children in his region.

A confounding step backwards for accessibility

The appearance of a new staircase on what was once a bike path in Grey Lynn has local residents wondering what direction the council is going in when it comes to improving accessibility to public spaces A project to make a central Auckland park more accessible has cut off a main route for prams, wheelchairs and e-bikes, raising questions about council planning processes from local residents. Until very recently, the path into Bayfield Park and...

20 mystery movies for thrills and chills

There’s nothing like a good mystery movie when you feel like curling up on the couch and escaping the daily grind for a couple of hours. Whether it’s a “whodunit” or a puzzler filled with mind-bending twists, the mystery film is a genre that’s been popular with moviegoers since the early days of cinema. Let's a look at 20 films that deliver on suspense and intrigue.

Tourists fined for bringing Pacific shell, coral souvenirs into NZ

The travellers were each fined $600 for importing the items without the necessary permits.

Daphne Caruana Galizia: Suspect admits killing Maltese journalist

Daphne Caruana Galizia: Suspect admits killing Maltese journalist - ‘For me it was just business. Yeah. Business as usual,’ says George Degiorgio

Sunak and Javid: big hitters who quit UK government

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid were two of the biggest hitters in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government until they quit on Tuesday in protest at his scandal-hit leadership. Sunak, 42, had been on a meteoric trajectory to power that could have made him Britain's first Hindu prime minister. Javid, 10 years Sunak's senior and also with a past career in high finance, was his immediate predecessor, and a polished political performer. But they...

Photo emerges of Robert Crimo disguised in women’s clothes to flee Highland Park shooting

Photo emerges of Robert Crimo disguised in women’s clothes to flee Highland Park shooting - Robert Crimo III, 21, dressed in women’s clothing as a disguise so that he could blend into the crowd of panicked parade-goers as they fled the scene of terror

Third man arrested over murder of Whakatāne man Mark Hohua

A 34-year-old will appear in the Tauranga District Court on Wednesday.

Mayoral candidate Paul Eagle on putting new billboards after taking down the last lot

Wellington mayoral candidate Paul Eagle has removed digital billboards over the weekend after being asked to do so, but has put up billboards on new sites and says it is legal.

Warriors to grant Walsh early release, sign Raiders star Nicoll-Klokstad - reports

Teen star Reece Walsh is reportedly on his way back to Brisbane Broncos.

Google removes images of Highland Park shooter Bobby Crimo

Searches for photos of 'Bobby Crimo' or 'Robert Crimo' generated fewer than five results on Tuesday, as did searches for 'Highland Park shooting' or 'Highland Park parade'.

Lindsey Graham and Rudy Giuliani subpoenaed in Georgia probe of Trump election schemes

Lindsey Graham and Rudy Giuliani subpoenaed in Georgia probe of Trump election schemes - Mr Graham and Mr Giuliani both assisted Mr Trump’s push to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election win in the Peach State

What we know about the 21-year-old suspect in the Highland Park July 4 shooting

The suspect in the July 4 shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, disguised himself in women's clothing to blend in with fleeing parade-goers, police said.

Sajid Javid: The health secretary who resigned on the NHS’ birthday

Sajid Javid: The health secretary who resigned on the NHS’ birthday - It is the 74th anniversary of the NHS.

Three charts that show even the safest US states are never far from a mass shooting

Until Monday, the affluent Chicago suburb of Highland Park was known for little more than being the idyllic backdrop of whimsical John Hughes films, such as Home Alone. “This isn’t the sort of thing that happens here,” commented one resident as it counted its dead after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle on a July 4 parade. While gun violen...

Exclusive: Kyiv asks Turkey to probe three more Russian ships it alleges transported stolen grain

By Jonathan Spicer and Reade Levinson ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Ukraine has asked Turkey to help investigate three Russian-flagged ships as part of Kyiv’s efforts to probe what it alleges is the theft of grain from Russian-occupied territory, according to official documents. In a June 13 letter, which hasn’t previously been reported, the Ukrainian pro...

The runners and riders who could replace Boris Johnson as the next Tory leader

Boris Johnson’s premiership has been rocked by the resignation of two of his most senior Cabinet ministers within moments of each other. On Tuesday night the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, announced he was standing down, closely followed by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. Mr Javid said he can “no longer continue in good conscience”, and moments later ...

Uber Pool Is a Zombie

Shared rides are back for the first time since March 2020. Did anyone notice?

Govt could yet force tech giants to pay NZ media

An Australian-style legislative response against global digital giants to make them pay for media firms' content remains possible as a new minister says too many news firms are hurting Google and Facebook's use of New Zealand media companies' content without sufficient payment is still on the radar of the Government, with new broadcasting minister Willie Jackson saying "something must be done to rectify the situation". Officials are continuing...

The first Māori Bahá’í

The great painter Dame Robin White on her Ngāti Awa father My grandfather, Albert Bennett White, was born in Whakatāne, the son of Abraham Bennett White, an English immigrant trader, and a Ngāti Awa woman of high rank, Mereana (or Mere te Wia), the daughter of Tikitu. Abraham Bennett White was killed during the Hauhau uprising in the 1860s and Mereana, perhaps fearing for the safety of her children, sent them to the care of a relative in...

Ardern, Andrews catch up after similar COVID responses as PM faces questions over traffic light settings

Ardern said gidday to an old mate.

'We will see an extra surge': Expert warns COVID-19 will be around for a while, urges vaccination to protect hospitals against new variant

BA.5 is easier to catch, better at evading immunity, and is set to take over BA.2 to become the most-dominant variant.

Highland Park teen tells lawmakers to 'come to see what their loose gun laws have done' after mass shooting leaves 6 dead

"You never think your town will be on the list of mass shootings in the United States until it is," one teen told Insider.

German drugmaker accused of stealing Covid vaccine technology

The team behind Britain’s most-used Covid booster vaccine is being sued by a German pharmaceutical firm which has accused it of stealing the technology behind the jab. CureVac has filed a lawsuit against BioNTech in Germany, saying it is seeking “fair compensation” for infringement of its intellectual property rights related to the mRNA technology ...

Mergers, acquisitions activity resembles pre-Covid levels, data shows

Merger and acquisition activity is returning to pre-pandemic levels after last year's record highs.

Seven people arrested, guns, cash seized as police thwart major meth distribution network

Police also seized a myriad of methamphetamine, firearms.

New Hawke's Bay health services to be informed by mātauranga Māori

Kaupapa Māori health providers in Te-Matau-a-Māui say whānau can now get immediate mental health support, instead of having to jump through hoops.

Tuesday evening UK news briefing: Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resign from the Cabinet

Rishi Sunak has quit as Chancellor and Sajid Javid has resigned as health secretary as Boris Johnson's leadership faced a fresh crisis following the Chris Pincher scandal. Mr Sunak said "the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously", adding "I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why...

What you can do to keep kea safe

As concern rises over a spate of kea deaths, people who come across the protected birds are being urged not to feed them.

Boris Johnson latest news: PM fights for his future as Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid lead resignations

Rishi Sunak: Our approaches are just too different Sajid Javid attacks PM's lack of 'humility' Seven resignations so far - via letter, Twitter and live TV Who could replace Boris Johnson? Those bombshell resignation letters, in full Boris Johnson is tonight fighting for his political survival after Rishi Sunak quit as Chancellor and Sajid Javid res...

Sir Keir Starmer backs general election calls after ministerial resignations

Sir Keir Starmer backs general election calls after ministerial resignations - The Labour leader also suggested a change of government would help to address the ‘big issues’ like the cost-of-living crisis.

6 dead after Chicago July 4th parade mass shooting - Governor calls attacks a 'weekly American tradition'

Twist of irony: Manapōuri Power Station may be undoing fjord's natural carbon absorption

It might be hampering our 2050 carbon-neutral goal.

'We're still battling this': Goughs Bay community feel let down by council

Residents in Banks Peninsula's Goughs Bay believe community leaders deserted them when they needed urgent support - following torrential rain in December.