Friday, April 24

Blog

UK suspends 30 of its 350 arms export licences to Israel
2Sep By No Comments
World News

UK suspends 30 of its 350 arms export licences to Israel

The British government was concerned equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. Photo: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP Britain will immediately suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licences with Israel because there is a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, foreign minister David Lammy said on Monday. Lammy said the decision to suspend the licences did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, but only involved those that could be used in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Soon after the Labour Party won an election in July, Lammy said he would update a review on arms sales to Britain's ally Israel to ensure these complied with international law. "It is ...
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Crunching the numbers: Over-65s spending almost all of pension on sky-high rent
2Sep By No Comments
Business

Crunching the numbers: Over-65s spending almost all of pension on sky-high rent

The number of over-65s who are renting could double by 2048. File photo. Photo: 123rf / Warren Goldswain Some pensioners are spending up to 95 percent of their superannuation on rent. In the next instalment of RNZ's Crunching the Numbers series, Checkpoint spoke to some superannuitants about how they are forced to navigate sky-high rents and few accommodation options, instead of being able to settle into a comfortable retirement. The issue is only expected to get worse, with the Retirement Commission estimating the number of over-65s who are renting could double by 2048, to more than 600,000. A pensioner in Whanganui - who Checkpoint agreed not to name - pays $450 a week for her two-bedroom rental, with just $70 dollars left over from her pension. She has to work part-time to cover her ...
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What are breakfast ultra-processed foods?
2Sep By No Comments
World News

What are breakfast ultra-processed foods?

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...
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The food price spike over, but what are we left with?
2Sep By No Comments
Business

The food price spike over, but what are we left with?

Overall food prices are more than 18 percent higher on last year, says an economist. File photo. Photo: 123RF Food prices are no longer increasing at the dizzying pace recorded in 2023 - but the recent run of inflation has left grocery shoppers shelling out significantly more for their groceries. Food price inflation picked up pace from the end of 2022 and peaked mid last year, with increases running into double-digit percentages. It has dropped significantly in recent months. In June, the first annual food price drop in six years was recorded. But Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen calculated that overall food prices were a bit more than 18 percent higher in July this year than they were in July 2021. Fruit and vegetable prices were 7.3 percent higher, meats, poultry and fish were ...
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Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to secure hostage deal
2Sep By No Comments
World News

Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to secure hostage deal

President Joe Biden didn't elaborate after he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach a hostage deal. Photo: AFP / NurPhoto By Jeff Mason and Matt Spetalnick, Reuters President Joe Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and the US was close to presenting a final proposal to negotiators working on a hostage and ceasefire agreement. Biden was speaking to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces over the weekend recovered the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a tunnel in Gaza. Israel's military said they were recently killed by Palestinian Hamas militants. That has sparked criticism of the...
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Study shows kidney drug can boost treatment outcomes for heart attack patients
2Sep By No Comments
Health

Study shows kidney drug can boost treatment outcomes for heart attack patients

An international team of researchers, led by one of Indian origin, has demonstrated that a drug used to treat kidney diseases can be safely administered to patients who are hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction -- heart attack.  The team led by Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital demonstrated that the drug empagliflozin can reliably lower heart failure episodes in individuals who have had a heart attack, regardless of the patient`s pre-existing renal function. Acute heart attack patients are particularly vulnerable to acute renal injury because of prolonged exposure to kidney stressors, such as diuretics or contrast agents used during cardiac catheterisation. Because of this danger, doctors are hesitant to start empagliflozin soon after a heart attack because there is little data r...
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Fact Check: Did IC 814 makers intentionally name hijackers Shankar and Bhola?
2Sep By No Comments
Entertainment, Movies

Fact Check: Did IC 814 makers intentionally name hijackers Shankar and Bhola?

Anubhav Sinha`s recent directorial `IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack` has landed in controversy over the onscreen names of hijackers. A section of netizens have accused that the hijackers of the `IC 814` were `given` Hindu nicknames on the show. Hijackers on board the plane from Kathmandu to Delhi were using nicknames to hide their real identity. But did the makers intentionally change the names of the hijackers and spread a false narrative? Here`s the truth behind the nicknames of the hijackers.  As per the makers of `IC814: The Kandahar Hijack`, the "six-episode series thrusts you into the nerve-wracking reality faced by passengers and crew trapped at 30,000 feet. With every moment steeped in tension, the series follows a relentless team in India racing against time, deciphering the hijacker...
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Best low-key luxe travel bags for men 2024
2Sep By No Comments
Life Style

Best low-key luxe travel bags for men 2024

When it comes to holiday planning, we all go through the same checklist. You book your route, be it road, rail, air or sea. You need to make hotel reservations. You might even pre-organise a dinner or two (especially if you’re type A). But then, every time, you leave one of the most essential tasks to the last minute – packing. If you haven’t got quality luggage to hand, packing becomes a whole lot harder. The right bag can make travel a breeze, but it depends on a few things. For a weekender, you might want a leather holdall. Heading a short trip abroad? Perhaps you’d prefer a carry-on case. Or for a two-week sojourn, it’s more likely you’ll need a lightweight hold case (ideally on wheels) which you can fill without exceeding the standard 23kg limit. On top of needing a range of sizes to ...
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Ryman Healthcare raises prices to fill financial holes
2Sep By No Comments
Business

Ryman Healthcare raises prices to fill financial holes

Ryman Healthcare's Miriam Corban retirement village. Photo: Supplied Ryman Healthcare raising prices for new residents Suspends any new building projects Revamps structure - three senior executives made redundant Retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare is raising prices, slowing construction, and cutting senior jobs as it looks to restore its finances. The company, which operates 49 villages in New Zealand and Australia, is raising the deferred management fee (DMF) paid by residents when they leave a village, to 25 or 30 percent, depending on the initial entry price paid, from the current 20 percent. The weekly fixed charges for new residents will also be raised or they can pay fees indexed to rises in NZ superannuation or Australia's consumer price index. Executive chairman Dean...
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Consultation on open banking, open electricity begins
2Sep By No Comments
Business

Consultation on open banking, open electricity begins

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Energy Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Consultation on open banking and open electricity has begun. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Energy Minister Simeon Brown have now asked for feedback in both of those areas. Open banking was expected to be the first cab off the rank, with a view of it being operational by the end of 2025. Bayly said that was well before the target set by the recent Commerce Commission banking market study. "At the moment, banks and electricity companies are operating inside a walled garden," he said. "New entrants face high barriers to entry and as a result consumers do not benefit from innovative new products and services." Bayly said the government was seeking feedback...
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