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Ultra-processed foods have been making a (bad) name for themselves in the news lately. Nutritionist Claire Turnbull Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro And rightly so. Often, ultra-processed foods (UPF)s, are lab-formulated food designed so that "once you pop you can't stop" (to quote the famous marketing tagline from the chips Pringles, which are solidly in the UPF category). Not only do we tend to overeat them, they are often void of many of the nutrients and minerals our bodies need. "If you turn to the back of the packet and something has 50 ingredients in it, lots of names and things that you don't recognise, that is the first red flag," says Claire Turnbull, an Auckland-based nutritionist and author. UPFs are sneaking their way into our daily foods courtesy of convenience and clever front-of...

Akuhata Edward Robert Hammind. Photo: Supplied The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has confirmed a New Zealander has died in Pattaya, Thailand. The Bangkok Post reported a man from New Zealand fell to his death from a luxury hotel in Pattaya last week. MFAT says it was providing consular assistance to the family, but would not provide further information due to privacy reasons. The Post said he was Akuhata Edward Robert Hammind, aged 36, and suggested drug use may have been a factor. He was reportedly seen shouting "help me" and appeared to be hallucinating before he fell seven storeys onto electric wiring. A number of people from different countries had died in Pattaya in recent months under similar circumstances, the paper said. A Givealittle page was set up by Hammind's ...

People could be fined up to $7000 for accidentally feeding crocodiles in Queensland. Photo: DAVID GRAY / AFP By Jack McKay, ABC Queenslanders who unintentionally feed a crocodile by leaving scraps at a jetty or campsite could be by hit with a A$6400 (NZ$7092) fine under new rules brought in by the state government. Penalties for disturbing or deliberately feeding crocodiles are also more than quadrupling to above A$25,000 as part of a crackdown that the government says is about boosting safety. Under the reforms, which have already come into effect, it will be illegal to "unintentionally" feed a crocodile by discarding food in a way that attracts them to a public place. It could include leaving behind fish frames or bait at a jetty and pontoon, or discarding food scraps at a camping are...

Vehicles outside a Volkswagen Group factory in Germany. Photo: AFP / DPA Volkswagen considers one large car plant, one component plant in Germany to be obsolete, the works council says VW, which employs around 680,000 staff, said it also felt forced to end its job security programme The works council has promised 'fierce resistance' to the plans Volkswagen is considering closing factories in Germany for the first time, in a move that shows the mounting price pressure Europe's top carmaker faces from Asian rivals. Monday's move marks the first major clash between CEO Oliver Blume, who analysts have described as more of a consensus builder than his often combative predecessor Herbert Diess, and unions that command substantial influence at VW. VW considers one large vehicle plant and...