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Regulation Minister David Seymour has introduced the Regulatory Standards Bill to Parliament, aiming to improve the quality and transparency of lawmaking in New Zealand. Seymour argues that poor regulation has contributed to low productivity and wage stagnation. · The bill is a part of the ACT-National Coalition Agreement and is targeted for enactment by early 2026. · The government argues that the legislation sets out principles for…

The $89 billion Greens’ alternative budget plan includes a 33% inheritance tax, a 2.5% annual wealth tax on assets over $2 million, new taxes on private jets, trusts and higher income brackets, and a pledge to nearly double net Crown debt. · The plan would also reportedly reduce the after-tax income of the average registered nurse, · Labour leader Chris Hipkins admitted he agreed with “many elements” of the plan “on the surface,” and refused…

For years, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome technology has been reshaping genetic engineering, a precision tool to transform everything from agriculture to medicine. With its incredible efficiency, this molecular tool has been applied to plants, animals, and even bacteria. But until now, no one has used CRISPR-Cas9 on spiders. · Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have recently successfully bred the world’s first CRISPR-Cas9-modified spider to…

A nuclear deal between the US and Iran could help fund terrorism, Republican lawmakers have warned. · Donald Trump on Thursday said that America was “very close” to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, and that Tehran had “sort of” agreed to the terms. · Any deal would likely involve the US offering sanction relief in exchange for guarantees from Tehran to scale back its uranium enrichment programme. · However, the president faces stiff…

Haloumis can ve equally overated or under appreciated, but here it works well with the raw courgette, which retains a welcome bit of bite, the lemon and garlic. It think it would be great for a simple dinner tonight, or for lunch  tomorrow. · Add a few toasted pine nuts if you fancied a bit of crunch, or some fried breadcrumbs. I almost put basil in this but decided I just wanted the clean, fresh taste of the courgette and lemon. But some sort…

The world’s media descended on New York this week to churn out wall-to-wall coverage from the “trial of the century” where Sean “Diddy” Combs is in the dock for sex trafficking. · But legacy media journalists must jostle with true crime sleuths and podcasters for a coveted place inside the courthouse. · Resplendent in navy blue braces and a fedora, Sean Gunby prepares to go live to his 160,000 followers in his 1950s-esque garb. · “Yo, we live,…

Editors note: while this story deals with mainly brands available in both the UK and USA, it is worth noting that the top selling solar panels in NZ are made in China and so this could just as easily happen here.  · “Cheap, clean power, to give us energy security,” declared Ed Miliband, as he strode through a grassy field flanked by rows of solar panels. · With a film crew in tow, the Energy Secretary visited Castle Hill solar farm, in East…

New Zealand has the highest child suicide rate of 36 wealthy countries, according to UNICEF’s Innocenti Report Card 19. · The report also ranked New Zealand last for child and youth mental health and 32nd overall for child wellbeing. · The suicide rate among New Zealand children is nearly three times the OECD and EU average. The country also ranked second for bullying rates among children. · Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said…

In the final months of the 2020 US election, Donald Trump was trailing in the polls and banking on the announcement of a Covid-19 vaccine to boost public confidence and revive his re-election campaign. · Trump had promised that a vaccine could arrive “sooner than the end of the year… maybe even sooner than the November 3 election.” · The effort, known as “Operation Warp Speed,” became one of his administration’s flagship initiatives. · But the…

19 May 1846 · This journey was part of Thomas Brunner’s epic 1846–48 exploration of the South Island. He was guided by Kehu (Hone Mokekehu) of Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri and accompanied by Charles Heaphy, a draughtsman and artist with the New Zealand Company. · Brunner arrived in Nelson in 1841. From August 1843 he explored the hinterland with survey parties, persisting in his efforts despite not finding rumoured ‘great plains’. In February 1846…