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Acting Prime Minister David Seymour says Labour and the Greens blocked his bid for Parliament to honour Charlie Kirk, the American political commentator, who was assassinated this week. · Seymour said Kirk’s death was “the bitter and tragic irony that a person promoting free speech over political violence was subject to political violence,” arguing that it resonated with many New Zealanders. · Seymour wanted the House to record a statement…

Large weight swings or weight loss in later life aren’t just physical health risks, they’re tied to fast memory and cognitive decline, a new study has found. It underscores the importance of weight stability for brain health in older adults. · As we move through life, we’re told to maintain a healthy weight to address the risk factors for so many conditions, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. But what effect does losing…

BMW has been one of the forerunners in the roof scooter segment, having been at it since the early 2000s with the C1. For much of the last few years, the concept had been largely forgotten – until BMW unveiled the Vision CE last month. · It revived a unique two-wheeler space that does away with helmets. Now, with the emergence of XYTE One, I can confidently say, BMW has got competition. · It comes from a certain XYTE Mobility GmbH, a German…

Fact: Koi Carp are designated as an unwanted organism and a noxious species. They are very successful breeders in New Zealand conditions and cause habitat loss for plants, native fish, invertebrates and waterfowl. · Koi females produce approximately 100 000 eggs per kg of body weight. A typical female can produce 300 000 eggs annually (or more if they spawn^11^ more than once). Koi carp spawn throughout the summer. As they gather for…

The future of farming is no longer confined to the soil. It is soaring in the skies, led by a fleet of intelligent nano-drones that promise to make agriculture smarter, greener and more resilient. · Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, have transformed large-scale farming with high-resolution imagery and real-time data for monitoring crops. · They help detect pests, assess water stress and guide precise fertilizer and pesticide spraying. Some…

Scientists have bred the world’s first horses with CRISPR-mediated genomic edits to enhance their muscle power and speed.Credit: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters · These horses might look like ordinary horses, but there is something highly unusual about their genomes. They are the first of their species to have their DNA edited using CRISPR–Cas9, a technique that cuts the genome at a specific location to change gene expression and achieve a desired…

The advocacy group Resist Gender Education says the Law Commission’s new Ia Tangata report has “declared open season on girls’ rights.” · The report recommends changes to the Human Rights Act that would prevent schools, sports, and public facilities from excluding people of the opposite sex if they identify differently. · Spokesperson Fern Hickson argued the changes would erode the purpose of single-sex schools and safe female spaces, saying:…

Kiwifruit aren’t just a nutritious snack. They’re delicious in this sweet and tart pineapple and kiwi relish to pair with smoky prawn tacos · A great hack for if you are constipated is to eat a couple of kiwi fruits a day. They are full of fibre and the enzyme actinidin, which helps soften things for many people. The trouble is that it can get quite boring eating plain kiwi every day. These tacos are topped with a delicious sweet and tart…

Te Pāti Māori MP Takuta Ferris sparked cross-party condemnation after posting: “This blows my mind. Indians, Asians, blacks, and Pākehā campaigning to take a Māori seat from Māori.” · The remark, aimed at volunteers backing Labour’s candidate in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, Peeni Henare, was widely labelled racist, including by Labour’s Willie Jackson. · TPM issued an “apology” claiming their members are experiencing trauma, in part, from…

Not every invention started with a well-thought-out plan. In fact, some of the products that we use in our everyday lives and were created out of accidents, curiosity or even frustration. From a paddock of dying sheep that became a blood thinner to the pharmacist who almost set himself on fire with a stick, history is filled with stories of accidental inventions that changed the world.   · In this article we explore 10 discoveries that happened…