Friday, October 30

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Who’s the biggest one-hit wonder of all time?
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
World News

Who’s the biggest one-hit wonder of all time?

By Matt Neal of the ABC Hanson was huge for a moment thanks to MMMBop. Photo: Wikipedia Hanson. Toni Basil. The Knack. Baha Men. Minnie Riperton. Chumbawumba. If you know these acts, reading their names has probably started a song playing in your head. For most people, it will be the same song. MMMBop. Mickey. My Sharona. Who Let The Dogs Out? Loving You. Tubthumping. This is the magic and the curse of the one-hit wonder - that your name is instantly recognisable and forever connected to a single piece of music, but that's as far as your career extends in the minds of the masses. But who is the ultimate one-hit wonder? And can we use maths, Spotify data and good old-fashioned common sense to answer that question? Defining a one-hit wonder No musician wants to be a one-hit wonder - t...
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How Selaks went from making sherry for friends to becoming one of NZ’s biggest wine brands
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Business

How Selaks went from making sherry for friends to becoming one of NZ’s biggest wine brands

Inside Selaks' Hawke's Bay site. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook One of New Zealand's biggest wine brands is celebrating its 90th birthday. The Selaks brand began in 1934 when Croatian immigrant Marino Selak first sold wine made from the 300 grape vines growing in his West Auckland market garden. Marino was the great-uncle of Michael Selak, who said the family only started making wine so they could drink it with friends. "It sort of grew from there. People said 'well this isn't bad compared to what we can buy elsewhere - can you make some more for us', so they started selling to friends and friends," he said. The company now sells more than one million litres of wine a year. "It's one of the largest wineries in New Zealand now, with grape holdings and size of production. It's a value brand so...
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Steel & Tube full year net profit falls 85% to $2.6m
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Business

Steel & Tube full year net profit falls 85% to $2.6m

Steel & Tube says underlying profit was in line with expectations. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Steel manufacturer and distributor Steel & Tube says its full year result reflects weak economic conditions, but is poised to take advantage of the rebound. The company's full year net profit for the year ended June fell 85 percent to $2.6 million, with revenue down 19 percent to $479.1m. However, underlying profit was in line with expectations at $14.5m, reflecting a 21 percent drop in volumes. "While the timing and pace of an economic recovery remains unclear, our expectation is that conditions should start to improve in the 2025 calendar year," chief executive Mark Malpass said. "We are navigating a challenging trading environment, but we are well positioned for demand growth when it...
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Poor sleep may give rise to weight gain and cholesterol issues, finds study
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Health

Poor sleep may give rise to weight gain and cholesterol issues, finds study

People who sleep poorly are likely to experience greater levels of fatty triglycerides -- a type of blood cholesterol -- and abdominal fat that can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, and other health issues, according to research. The study, led by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the US, finds that maintaining sleep hygiene, such as putting your screen away at night or going to bed when you`re exhausted, can make a person healthier. The study builds support for the importance of good sleep habits. Good sleep habits, such as putting your screen away at night or going to bed when you`re tired, can help to promote good overall health, said Brooke Shafer, a postdoctoral researcher at the Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory at the OHSU School of Nursing. ...
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Dairy company fined $420k over false claims on packaging
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Business

Dairy company fined $420k over false claims on packaging

File pic Photo: Sorin Gheorghita for Unsplash A Hamilton dairy company has been fined $420,000 for using false claims on its packaging. Milkio Foods Limited had descriptions like '100 per cent Pure New Zealand' and 'from the clean green pasture based dairy farms in New Zealand' on its ghee products - despite using butter imported from India. It also used false and incomplete information to retain approval to use the FernMark logo - a trusted symbol to identify products made in New Zealand. The Commerce Commission was referred the case by the Ministry for Primary Industries and charged Milkio with 15 breaches of the Fair Trading Act. The company pleaded guilty to the charges. When handing down the sentence Judge Thomas Ingram emphasised the significant damage the misrepresentations could...
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Court dismisses Uber’s appeal arguing drivers are employees, not contractors
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Business

Court dismisses Uber’s appeal arguing drivers are employees, not contractors

Uber drivers rallying outside the Court of Appeal in Wellington on 19 March 2024. Photo: RNZ / Pretoria Gordon The multi-billion dollar global rideshare company Uber has lost a landmark appeal against a New Zealand Court, which has ruled that drivers should be treated as employees not contractors. In 2022 the Employment Court made a historic ruling against Uber, when four Uber drivers were granted workplace protection. This gave the drivers employee benefits such as leave entitlements, minimum wage and holiday pay. Uber appealed against the decision in June 2023, but today the court dismissed the appeal, ruling in favour of the drivers. Nurredin Abdurahman, one of the four drivers who took the original court case, said the decision is a hopeful one. "This is a win for all working people...
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Lower than budgeted financial result for Port Taranaki
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Business

Lower than budgeted financial result for Port Taranaki

Port Taranaki. Photo: Supplied / Port Taranaki Challenging economic conditions and production difficulties in the energy sector have impacted Port Taranaki's financial result for the 2023-24 year. For the year ended 30 June, Port Taranaki recorded net profit after tax (NPAT) of $6.88 million, down from the previous year's all-time record of $13.87m. Chief executive Simon Craddock said the result was lower than budgeted and a reflection of difficult times, particularly for the port's energy customers and rising costs. "High interest rates and inflation, increased insurance costs, reduced gas production, lower log export volumes, and increased operational costs, have all combined to impact our result." A tax law change, in which the government removed tax deductions of industrial and comm...
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No agreement in Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo; process to continue, sources say
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
World News

No agreement in Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo; process to continue, sources say

By Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Steve Holland for Reuters Palestinians inspect the destruction of an Israeli airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza, on August 8, 2024. Photo: AFP / Saeed Jaras There was no agreement on Sunday in the Gaza ceasefire talks that took place in Cairo, with neither Hamas nor Israel agreeing to several compromises presented by mediators, two Egyptian security sources said, casting doubt on the chances of success in the latest US-backed effort to end the 10-month old war. A senior US official, however, described the talks as "constructive", saying they were conducted in a spirit on all sides to reach "a final and implementable agreement". "The process will continue over the coming days through working groups to further addre...
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Property for Industry reports $21.2 million half-year profit
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
Business

Property for Industry reports $21.2 million half-year profit

Photo: 123rf Auckland developer Property for Industry (PFI) has reported a half-year profit of $21.2 million. Chief executive Simon Woodhams said PFI's leasing of industrial property in Auckland continues to generate cashflow and maintain stability. "While vacancies for industrial property in the Auckland market have begun to rise slightly, weakening demand is expected to be somewhat mitigated by high levels of new supply already being pre-committed," Woodhams said. An analyst said the solid result reflected higher financing costs and a dip in the value of its property portfolio to $2.1 billion. PFI changed its balance date and reported adjusted funds from operations for the six months to June, slightly below the prior year. Its portfolio is 98.6 percent occupied (1.4 percent vacancy) wi...
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6.9 earthquake strikes off Tonga
26Aug By Raayan ThompsonNo Comments
World News

6.9 earthquake strikes off Tonga

update The earthquake was 72km from Pangai. Photo: USGS / Screenshot A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck the Tonga region, the US Geological Survey is reporting. The quake hit about 12:30pm local time. The USGS reports the epicentre was 72km west of Pangai at a depth of 106km. The US Tsunami Warning System says no tsunami was expected, Reuters reports. The quake was initially reported as a magnitude 6.6 but later upgraded. - RNZ / Reuters Source link
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