Thursday, April 23

Blog

Raygun’s first interview: ‘The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming’
World News

Raygun’s first interview: ‘The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming’

Photo: AFP/Screenshot Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn, better known as B-Girl Raygun, has not been able to break again after copping a huge backlash for her performance in Paris. In her first interview since the event a month ago, Gunn told The Project Australia she was still processing the world's reaction - she has not been able to watch footage of her Olympic outing in which she lost all three of her round robin battles, where breaking made its Olympic debut. "I got some mental health support pretty quickly and I also went off social media, I went off the internet. But it's pretty up and down, it's just hard to process, it's still pretty hard to process," Gunn told host Waleed Aly via a video interview on Wednesday night. Gunn, a 36-year-old Australian university lecturer, was pill...
Mobile companies told to make cellphone coverage easier to compare
Business

Mobile companies told to make cellphone coverage easier to compare

The Commerce Commission's changes require providers to produce standard coverage maps so consumers can compare options. Photo: 123RF Mobile network operators will be required to make it easier for consumers to compare coverage between providers, and to exit without penalty if they run into problems. The Commerce Commission's changes require providers to produce standard coverage maps so consumers can compare options, which must be easy to find on their websites. The maps must be accessible within two clicks from the providers home page. Telecommunications commissioner Tristan Gilbertson said too many consumers were not getting the coverage they expected. Mobile network operators were expected to work together to standardise their maps within 12 months, with regular progress reports. The...
Australia plans AI rules on human oversight, transparency
World News

Australia plans AI rules on human oversight, transparency

By Renju Jose, Reuters Photo: 123rf Australia's centre-left government said on Thursday it planned to introduce targeted artificial intelligence rules including human intervention and transparency amid a rapid rollout of AI tools by businesses and in everyday life. Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic unveiled 10 new voluntary guidelines on AI systems and said the government has opened a month-long consultation over whether to make them mandatory in the future in high-risk settings. "Australians know AI can do great things but people want to know there are protections in place if things go off the rails," Husic said in a statement. "Australians want stronger protections on AI, we've heard that, we've listened." The report containing the guidelines said it was critical to enable huma...
Uncertain future stalks celery growers
Business

Uncertain future stalks celery growers

Celery prices are down, which is hurting growers. Photo: Adreas Fischer / 123rf Some established celery growers say their future in the sector is uncertain after nearly a year of being paid below the cost of production. Stats NZ figures show celery prices for July were down 56 percent on the same time last year. While low prices are great for the consumer, growers said they will push them out of business or force them to downsize. Auckland region growers who have all been in business more than 50 years, said they appreciate the ebb and flow of supply and demand, but said something more is happening to market dynamics. They believe a newer entrant is trying to squeeze them out, and for over ten months they have been forced to sell their celery at a big loss. The growers said they have no...
Giuliano Pirone dies in hospital after spending 15 hours unconscious in Perth gym shower before being found
World News

Giuliano Pirone dies in hospital after spending 15 hours unconscious in Perth gym shower before being found

By Nadia Mitsopoulos, ABC News Photo: 123rf A Perth bodybuilder who spent 15 hours unconscious in a gym shower without anyone noticing has died. Giuliano Pirone, 33, suffered a brain injury and had been in an induced coma, on life support, at Joondalup hospital for two weeks. He had been working out at a 24-hour gym in Wanneroo when he felt unwell, made his way to a shower cubicle and collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, 20 August. After they were unable to contact him, his family reported Pirone missing. Police located Pirone at the gym at 10.30pm by pinging his mobile phone and had to break the shower door down to get to him. They found him lying on the floor under cold running water. Police performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. Pirone did not regain consciousness and an MRI...
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau weakened after main ally unexpectedly pulls support
World News

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau weakened after main ally unexpectedly pulls support

By David Ljunggren, Reuters Justin Trudeau. Photo: Dominika Zarzycka / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suffered an unexpected blow on Wednesday when the small party helping keep his minority Liberal government in power withdrew its automatic support, forcing him to attempt new alliances to govern. Promising to continue governing and pushing through social programs, Trudeau dismissed talk of early elections after the left-leaning New Democratic Party's leader Jagmeet Singh said he was "ripping up" a deal struck between the two men in 2022. But the move leaves Trudeau reliant on support from other opposition lawmakers to survive confidence votes in the lower chamber of Parliament at a time when polls show he will lose badly if an election were held no...
Five things households should know about the first annual grocery report
Business

Five things households should know about the first annual grocery report

The Commerce Commission is planning to ramp up regulation and enforcement of NZ's grocery industry. File photo. Photo: 123RF We're paying higher prices, specials are confusing and loyalty schemes aren't delivering overly significant rewards. Those aren't just the musings of a frustrated supermarket shopper - but are some of the findings in the Commerce Commission's first annual grocery report, issued on Wednesday. It might have been depressing reading for anyone hoping for major change in the sector. But what does it all mean for consumers? Here are five things households should know. High prices aren't in your head The report notes that food is a major expense for New Zealand households - and that what we pay is high by international standards. In the year to June last year, the averag...
Nawazuddin Siddiqui reveals why `Sacred Games` season 2 didn`t work
Entertainment, Movies

Nawazuddin Siddiqui reveals why `Sacred Games` season 2 didn`t work

Bollywood’s seasoned actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui needs no introduction. He can transform himself into any character and has earned a special place in the audience`s hearts with his work. His character Ganesh Gaitonde from `Sacred Games` became extremely popular after India opened its doors to OTT. Nawazuddin, who hasn’t delivered a hit project since the series shut down after its second season, dissects what went wrong.  Nawazuddin Siddiqui on why `Sacred Games` season 2 didn’t work  In a conversation with ANI, he admitted liking the first season over the second and revealed that the latter was not as successful as its predecessor because it did not connect with the audience. He explained, "There were new characters, so it didn`t work. There were 3-4 new characters so it didn`t work at a...
Grenfell Tower report lashes UK governments, construction industry for ‘decades of failure’
World News

Grenfell Tower report lashes UK governments, construction industry for ‘decades of failure’

An inquiry laid most of the responsibility for the disaster on companies involved in the maintenance and refit of the apartment tower. Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP A public inquiry into the devastating 2017 London Grenfell Tower blaze on Wednesday blamed the disaster on failings by government, the construction industry and most of all the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding. Seventy-two people died when the fire ripped through the 23-storey social housing block in one of the richest areas of west London during the early hours of 14 June, 2017. It was Britain's deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War II. In its long-awaited final report, the inquiry laid most of the responsibility for the disaster on companies involved in the maintenance and refit o...
Mumbai: 31-year-old man overcomes Psoriasis, achieves dream of getting married
Health

Mumbai: 31-year-old man overcomes Psoriasis, achieves dream of getting married

After undergoing successful treatment, a 31-year-old man has conquered generalised plaque psoriasis and fulfilled his aspiration of marriage.  In 2016, Rahul Kumar (name changed) from Mumbai, proprietor of an events company, exhibited symptoms such as scaly or flaky skin, rashes on the scalp, trunk, upper and lower extremities sparing his palms, soles, face, and genitals, and nails. He tried ayurvedic and homeopathic treatment but couldn’t find any relief. Then, the patient came to Dr Rinky Kapoor for treatment. He was given regular medications for a few years. However, due to irregular usage of medicines, and side effects developing over time, his quality of life deteriorated, he was looking at marriage proposals, and all this took a toll on his mental state. He wanted to go off all app...