Sunday, October 25

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Wellington cafe offers discounts for customers ordering in te reo Māori
21Sep By No Comments
Business

Wellington cafe offers discounts for customers ordering in te reo Māori

Karaka Cafe manager Cam Cuff. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai A Wellington cafe is offering customers the chance to save money by using a little bit of te reo Māori - something which could help the normalisation of the language. For te reo speakers, going out for lunch often means leaving a language bubble - but as te reo gradually becomes more normalised, cafes and restaurants could become spaces where hearing the language is common. Karaka Cafe on Wellington's waterfront offered customers a chance to knock 10 percent off the price of their meal during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. All they had to do was say a te reo phrase when paying: "Tēnā koa poroa te tekau paihēneti o te utu", or "Please trim 10 percent off the price". Cafe manager Cam Cuff said this was the first year the cafe had run the p...
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Can video games help relieve post-traumatic stress symptoms? New study finds out
21Sep By No Comments
Health

Can video games help relieve post-traumatic stress symptoms? New study finds out

Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? A novel study has shown that playing video games can help lower symptoms of the condition, which can lead to terrifying nightmares and severe anxiety. The study, published in BMC Medicine, provides “scientifically controlled evidence that a single guided digital treatment session can reduce the number of intrusive memories”. It can also be used safely by patients, said the researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden. Unpleasant and intrusive memories of a traumatic event in the form of mental images or flashbacks are the hallmark symptoms of PTSD. Avoidance, excessive tension, and problems such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating are others. The team monitored the intrusive memories of trauma in 164 participants for a week. Whi...
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NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s planned megacity in the desert, is popping up in influencer vlogs. Where is the project at?
21Sep By No Comments
World News

NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s planned megacity in the desert, is popping up in influencer vlogs. Where is the project at?

By Nelli Saarinen, ABC News A handout picture provided by Saudi's NEOM on July 26, 2022 shows the design plan for the 500-metre tall parallel structures, known collectively as The Line, in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM. Photo: AFP PHOTO / NEOM NEOM, a massive infrastructure project by the Saudi Arabian government, has been advertised on social media for years with the help of otherworldly concept images and animations. Vloggers showcasing their lives inside the urban development underway in the Saudi desert have been gaining traction on social media, but audiences have pointed out it does not look quite as glamorous as expected. One influencer who shared vlogs showcasing her life in NEOM deactivated her TikTok account after her videos received backlash online. Here is what N...
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Why divorce is illegal in the Philippines — and how that might soon change
21Sep By No Comments
World News

Why divorce is illegal in the Philippines — and how that might soon change

By Max Walden, ABC News Photo: 123rf If a wife and husband fall out of love in the Philippines they are legally required to remain married - even in cases of infidelity. As the ABC reported earlier this year, it also means that women who are abused by their husbands cannot escape. So, why does divorce remain forbidden in the Philippines? What does the Filipino public think of divorce? And when might the law change? Why is divorce illegal? In a word: Catholicism. The religion arrived with the Spaniards who came to colonise the archipelago in the 16th century. "Catholic Church teachings emphasise the indissolubility of marriage. It is a lifelong commitment that cannot be dissolved by human authority," said Cecilia Francisco-Tan, a Melbourne-based theology lecturer. "A consummated marria...
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Jamie xx: ‘I’m so ready to be out there and playing again’
21Sep By No Comments
World News

Jamie xx: ‘I’m so ready to be out there and playing again’

British musician and producer Jamie XX Photo: Alasdair McLellan When it comes to fine-tuning a dance track, nothing beats real-time feedback from a live audience says electronic musician Jamie xx. "As a DJ you get to stand there and really engage with how a song works. A lot of it has to do with the structure and where the bass and the kick sit and how they hit and how they feel on a massive sound system," he told RNZ's Music 101. As he completed his new solo record In Waves, xx says he was excited to finally share the finished songs. "If I'm still in love with that piece of music I can get such an instant visceral reaction from the crowd." This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Jamie xx (aka James Smith) has made three albums with indie band The xx and rel...
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NZ pilot Phillip Mehrtens freed from captivity in West Papua
21Sep By No Comments
World News

NZ pilot Phillip Mehrtens freed from captivity in West Papua

Former Acting Regent of Nduga, Edison Nggwijangge, far left, with Susi Air Pilot Phillip Mehrtens, right, after his release. Photo: Dok. Istimewa New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been freed from more than 1 1/2 years in captivity in West Papua, Indonesia, Indonesian police announced on Saturday. "We are prioritising approach through religious leaders, church leaders, traditional leaders and Egianus Kogoya's close family to minimise casualties and maintain the safety of the pilot," the chief of Cartenz 2024 Peace Operations, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani said in a statement released to media. Mehrtens was freed and picked up by a joint team in Nduga Regency and is undergoing health check-ups and a physiological examination in Timika regency, the police said. "We managed to pic...
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I’m losing my job, can I pull out of purchasing a house? – Ask Susan
21Sep By No Comments
Business

I’m losing my job, can I pull out of purchasing a house? – Ask Susan

RNZ's money correspondent Susan Edmunds. Photo: RNZ Send your questions to susan.edmunds@rnz.co.nz I've just found out that I'm being made redundant but I am due to settle on my first home in a few weeks. Can I pull out, now the deal is unconditional? Lawyer Thomas Biss, from Henderson Reeves, says it might be tricky. He says, once you have an unconditional agreement for a house purchase, that's a fixed commitment from both sides that you will settle. "The purchaser has accepted the risk of a change in their circumstances. If they are not able to settle then they are likely to lose their deposit unless some concession is made by the vendor." But that may not be something to hold out much hope for, because the vendor will probably have used a significant chunk of your deposit to pay the...
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NZ pilot Philip Mehrtens freed from captivity in West Papua
21Sep By No Comments
World News

NZ pilot Philip Mehrtens freed from captivity in West Papua

Philip Mehrtens is seen in video from Indonesian media. Photo: Screenshot New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has reportedly been freed from more than 1 1/2 years in captivity in West Papua, Indonesia. The Indonesian police announced it in a statement on Saturday, Reuters reported. "We are prioritising approach through religious leaders, church leaders, traditional leaders and Egianus Kogoya's close family to minimise casualties and maintain the safety of the pilot," the chief of Cartenz 2024 Peace Operations, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani said in a statement released to media. Mehrtens was freed and picked up by a joint team in Nduga Regency and is undergoing health check-ups and a physiological examination in Timika regency, the police said. New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens wa...
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15 of the best Greek island hotels
21Sep By No Comments
Life Style

15 of the best Greek island hotels

If Crete is the island in your sights, it doesn’t get much better than Elounda Peninsula. Boasting its own smooth sand beach, the suite-only hotel has boutique vibes and unbeatable views across the Aegean Sea and Sitia mountains. Last year it had a sleek, modern makeover, with all suites and villas rebuilt, and a new beachfront villa with a pool was added. It also boasts the largest waterfront accommodation in Crete, the six-bedroom Diamond Residence — in case you and your crew are feeling flush. Add a Six Senses spa, a multi-award-winning Japanese restaurant, Sumosan, water sports and a nine-hole golf course and you’ll be hard pushed to explore everything the hotel has to offer during your stay. Visitors with little ones will be delighted by the kids’ club (which is complimentary for ages...
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US Secret Service finds lack of diligence ahead of Trump rally shooting
21Sep By No Comments
World News

US Secret Service finds lack of diligence ahead of Trump rally shooting

By Andrew Goudsward and Kanishka Singh, Reuters Republican presidential candidate, former US president Donald Trump is whisked away by Secret Service after shots rang out at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Photo: JEFF SWENSEN / AFP / GETTY A US Secret Service probe found communication gaps and a lack of diligence ahead of the July attempted assassination of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. "There was complacency on the part of" some agents "that led to a breach of security protocols," Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe told reporters on Friday, adding that agency employees will be held accountable. "These penalties will be administered according to our disciplinary process," Ro...
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