Category Archives: New Zealand

New Zealand has likely passed the peak of the most recent COVID-19 wave, thanks to strong hybrid immunity in the community and with the number of hospitalisations at the lower end of what was originally expected.

The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases has fallen steadily from a peak of around 10,000 on July 15 to just under 7,800 yesterday.

The number of reported cases depends on how many people actually test when they feel unwell. The true number of infections is likely to be significantly higher. But there is no reason to think testing has dropped off significantly in the past two weeks, or even in the past few months.

The levelling off and subsequent decline of cases fits with the wave naturally reaching a peak. The amount of virus being detected in wastewater has also decreased in the past week. Altogether this means the fall in cases is likely to be real.

Importantly, cases have been falling in all age groups, including over-70s. This is particularly good news because the increase in case rates in older age groups had been a key driver of the steep rise in hospitalisations and deaths in this wave.

We may yet see an increase in cases in families with school-age children as they returned to school this week after the winter holiday break. But this is unlikely to be enough to reverse the falling trend, and hopefully wont affect older age groups to the same extent.

Hospitalisations typically lag behind cases by a week or two. Consistent with this pattern, the number of people in hospital with COVID has recently shown signs of levelling off. It will probably start to fall in the coming week.

The BA.5 variant is driving the current wave. BA.5 has taken over from BA.2 as the dominant variant in New Zealand, as it has in other countries.

The leading hypothesis for why BA.5 has been able to outcompete BA.2 is its increased ability to evade immunity whether that was acquired through vaccination or previous infection with a different variant.

However, new evidence from Qatar and Denmark (both yet to be peer-reviewed) suggests people whove had a previous Omicron infection have relatively strong immunity against BA.5. Qatar and Denmark both have highly vaccinated populations and this is evidence of the strength of hybrid immunity.

Read more: Hybrid immunity: a combination of vaccination and prior infection probably offers the best protection against COVID

In England, it is estimated people who havent had COVID previously still account for the majority of new cases, despite being less than 15% of the population.

The strength of hybrid immunity induced by high vaccination rates and the large and relatively recent BA.2 wave in Aotearoa likely means this BA.5 wave is smaller than it would have been otherwise.

Following the first Omicron wave in March, cases dropped relatively slowly and plateaued at case numbers between 5,000 and 8,000 for several months. Its possible we will again see a relatively slow decline in cases.

But there are also grounds for optimism that hospitalisations and deaths could drop lower than they did between the BA.2 and BA.5 waves. Although immunity isnt perfect and wanes over time, those who havent yet been infected with Omicron are the easiest targets for the virus. But theyre getting harder to find as the number of people in New Zealand who havent yet been infected dwindles.

The rollout of fourth doses for eligible people more than six months after their last dose, coupled with building evidence for the strength of hybrid immunity, suggest New Zealands population is increasingly well protected against currently circulating variants.

Currently, New Zealand is reporting around 500 potential reinfections per day, making up about 6% of all cases. Reinfections will certainly grow over time as immunity wanes.

The true number of reinfections is almost certainly a lot higher because cases cant be classified as reinfections if the first infection wasnt reported. And its possible people who know theyve had COVID before are less likely to test, especially since their symptoms are likely to be milder the second time around.

Read more: Reinfection will be part of the pandemic for months to come. Each repeat illness raises the risk of long COVID

But the fact reinfections are still a small proportion of cases is consistent with evidence that prior Omicron infection provides strong, albeit imperfect, protection against getting reinfected with BA.5.

Continuing to rely solely on people getting tested to keep track of where the virus is spreading will lead to greater and greater uncertainty, particularly if access to free testing becomes restricted in the future.

A regular prevalence survey of a representative sample of the population would be a much more reliable indicator of the true prevalence of the virus in the community.

Another new variant is likely to trigger the next wave. Its impossible to predict its timing or exact characteristics with any certainty. The Ministry of Health plans to launch a random testing survey to determine the true community prevalence of the virus.

Having a prevalence survey in place before the next variant takes over would enable us to estimate the size and severity of the next wave more accurately. Combined with wastewater testing and genome sequencing, this would give us a world-class COVID surveillance system that could provide a blueprint for managing other existing or newly emergent pathogens.

Originally posted here:

New Zealand's latest COVID wave is levelling off, with fewer people in hospital than feared - The Conversation

Richard Barker, CEO Cairns Airport: Domestically, we are connected with every state and territory capital except Hobart, Tasmania so we see that as an opportunity, and we hope to build on some of the new services that came out of COVID such as Newcastle. Internationally, our recovery is based on our core markets of Singapore, New Zealand and Japan, as well as Papua New Guinea, and these services are all now back on our route map.

Cairns Airport is located at the entry of not one, but two, World Heritage areas the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. These locations encompass a variety of tourism opportunities, including interaction with native animals, scenic experiences, and outdoors adventure activities.

Cairns Airport serves as a central transportation hub to regional areas such as Cape York and Torres Strait Islands and provides fantastic opportunities for interstate and overseas visitors to experience the diversity and richness of First Nations cultures, knowledges and histories. Australias Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the oldest living cultures on earth, says Richard Barker, CEO Cairns Airport.

The climate in Far North Queensland makes it a popular destination for travellers, particularly during the winter months. As the world continues to open, it is clear that travellers who would typically go overseas for their mid-year break have instead chosen to visit Cairns and the Far North, Barker explains. During the recent school holiday period, throughput at Cairns Airport exceed pre-pandemic domestic passenger levels. The increased number of visitors has also been reported by hotels, tour operators and restaurants.

Domestically, Cairns Airport is connected with every state and territory capital except Hobart, Tasmania which it sees as an opportunity, while also hoping to build on some of the new services that came out of COVID such as Newcastle. Internationally, our recovery is based on our core markets of Singapore, New Zealand and Japan, as well as Papua New Guinea, and these services are all now back on our route map, says Barker. With aircraft technology evolving we see more markets in Asia being accessible such as Vietnam and South Korea as well regional ports in Japan. We do hold out long-term aspirations to see direct services from North America and Europe in the future.

Cairns Airport recently welcomed the return of Air New Zealand services to Auckland, with the airline operating three weekly frequencies on the route. Cairns Airport celebrated with a spectacular route launch cake.

Cairns Airport recently welcomed the return of Air New Zealand services to Auckland, with the airline operating three weekly frequencies on the route. More than 38,000 visitors from New Zealand travelled to the region in pre-pandemic 2019, staying for an average of 10.5 nights and injecting almost $67 million into the economy.

Direct Air New Zealand flights between Auckland and Cairns show a clear vote of confidence in our region and mark a vital step in the recovery of the Far Norths economy, says Barker. These flights will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to travellers itineraries, both for those seeking a warmer, tropical holiday in the Far North and for local adrenaline seekers keen to hit the slopes in New Zealand. They will also enable easier and more frequent travel for those who have been separated from loved ones during the peak of the pandemic. Importantly, this flight route significantly enhances travel options to and from North America. One-stop, seamless connectivity from Los Angeles or San Francisco via Auckland opens the pathway to see more visitors in the Far North from the USA.

Cairns Airport also welcomed the inaugural Singapore Airlines service in March, with the carriers network providing connections to the United Kingdom, Europe and North America, as well as Asian markets such as South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia. Since this route recommenced, we have seen a growing number of international travellers visit the Far North and locals who have been waiting to go overseas have been able to do so with more ease, Barker comments.

Cairns Airport welcomed the inaugural Singapore Airlines service in March, with the carriers network providing connections to the United Kingdom, Europe and North America, as well as Asian markets such as South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Most recently, Jetstar began operating year-round direct flights between Japan and Cairns eight times per week from 20 July. The first flight between Cairns and Tokyo is particularly momentous, as it is the first Jetstar aircraft to leave Australia for Japan since March 2020, says Barker.

Jetstar will operate five flights per week between Narita International Airport (Tokyo) and Cairns, and a further three flights between Kansai International Airport (Osaka) and Cairns.

We know Tropical North Queensland is a highly sought-after destination for visitors from Japan and we expect to see a welcome injection of tourists due to these flights, and as confidence around international travel continues to grow, Barker explains.

Budget domestic carrier Bonza has also flagged plans to operate non-stop flights from Cairns to the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton and Mackay. These routes are currently unserved by non-stop services.

We work closely with our state and regional tourism partners to support new routes with marketing and promotional activity to raise awareness of new markets and support the entry of new airlines into the region, Barker adds.

Meanwhile, plans are well underway for a series of upgrades to Cairns Airports international terminal, with work expected to begin later this year. We are also welcoming a raft of new retail options in the domestic terminal and expect the majority of these new stores to be trading by Christmas, Barker explains. Sections of our domestic taxiway are scheduled for resurfacing works from October, and a series of upgrades continue in the General Aviation precinct. Demolition of some older, derelict buildings will begin this month and two new buildings will be constructed to enhance the precinct and provide opportunities for new and existing stakeholders.

The rest is here:

Cairns Airport international recovery focused on core markets of Singapore, New Zealand and Japan | anna.aero - anna.aero

The reigning Commonwealth champions England will begin the defence of their netball title on Friday in Birmingham with an understanding that what lies ahead will not be easy. Four years ago, on Australias Gold Coast, the Roses dramatically stole victory from the home team, bringing an end to the antipodean stranglehold on the Commonwealth title that had existed since netball was introduced to the Games in 1998.

England, led by captain Natalie Metcalf and vice-captain Jo Harten, have been drawn in Group B for the tournaments opening rounds. They will meet Trinidad and Tobago first, at midday on Friday, then Malawi, Northern Ireland and Uganda, before facing world champions New Zealand.

Group A, meanwhile, the proverbial group of death, includes world No 1 Australia, fourth-ranked Jamaica, the always dangerous South Africa, Scotland, Wales and Barbados. The top two in each group progress to the semi-finals on 6 August with the final the day after as one of the showpiece finales of the Games.

With six members of the golden team returning to the 12-strong squad, England have prioritised experience in the quest to go back-to-back on their home court. The 37-year-old Geva Mentor and 38-year-old Jade Clarke together account for more than a third of Englands 925 caps, which make the Roses one of the most tested teams in Birmingham.

Five players Mentor, Harten, Helen Housby, Stacey Francis-Bayman and Eboni Usoro-Brown compete in Australias Super Netball league while the remaining seven Metcalfe, Clarke, Eleanor Cardwell, Laura Malcolm, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Layla Guscoth and Imogen Allison are based in the UKs Superleague.

Notably absent are 2018 gold medallists Serena Guthrie and Beth Cobden. In a big blow to Englands defence, Cobden was ruled out through injury with three weeks to go while former captain Guthrie announced her pregnancy and subsequent retirement this year.

To guarantee the smoothest road to the gold-medal match England must finish on top at the end of the group stage. To do that will involve navigating past some tricky teams, namely Malawi and Uganda who both possess formidable shooting talent, but the major task will be defeating New Zealand. Two-time Commonwealth winners, New Zealand were typically a shoo-in for any final until England upset the world order in 2018.

But in 2022 an air of unpredictability stalks the Silver Ferns. With key names out through injury and pregnancy, and the inability of star shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio to hit fitness standards in time, the squad challenging for this years Commonwealth title looks to be lacking a killer instinct.

Buoying England will be their historic Test series win over New Zealand last year. It was a triumph followed up by another win against the Silver Ferns in Januarys Quad Series. Overcoming Dame Noeline Tauruas side will not be easy, but England are capable.

Next up should be the semi-finals. England can expect to meet either Australia, Jamaica or South Africa at the crossover stage. Given South Africa are suffering from some big players being out, the most likely runner-up in Group A is Jamaica.

Before England dared to push Australia and New Zealand, their greatest rival has always been the Sunshine Girls. With two of the worlds best players in Jhaniele Fowler and Shamera Sterling, and arguably the best defensive unit in international netball, Jamaica bring a lot to Birmingham. Historically, the Caribbean team have struggled to string together 60 consistent minutes but the recruitment of Australian Rob Wright as a technical coach might be the missing piece for a side hunting their first major international final.

England ought to be cautious but not pessimistic. In December 2021, they gained a 2-1 home Test series win over Jamaica, proving they have the necessary arsenal to quell their familiar foes.

Whichever side makes the final will probably face Australia. The 11-times World Cup winners arrive in Birmingham as the team England will be most wary of playing.

Though they might shun the label of favourites, owing to a lack of preparedness in a four-year-cycle ravaged by Covid-19, when the Diamonds were finally put under the cosh in this years Quad, they came out sparkling. Via a rampaging Gretel Bueta, a player to watch at this tournament, Australia brushed the competition aside including crushing England 58-46 in the final.

The shock one-goal loss on their home soil four years ago hurt and, with a new coach in Stacey Marinkovich as well as a star-studded lineup, all teams better beware an avenging Australia.

See original here:

Experienced England face early New Zealand test in netball title defence - The Guardian

A couple from New Zealand who spent more than $4,500 to rent an Airbnb in Toronto were evicted by police in the middle of the night after a man showed up claiming the unit was his.

Syeda Farhana Shariff and Shariff Masudul Haque rented the apartment, advertised as a "luxury two-bedroom condo," which is located next to the CN Tower on Front Street, for one month.

"It was no where near to luxury," Haque told CTV News Toronto on Friday. "It didn't look right and it is a badly maintained property."

The tourists were more than two weeks into their one-month stay in Toronto when on Wednesday around 1 a.m. they got an unexpected knock on the door from a stranger.

"He said we had to leave. I was really taken aback by this," Haque said.

According to Haque, the man claimed he was the rightful lessee of the apartment.

CTV News Toronto has viewed the couple's Airbnb confirmation e-mail, which shows they paid to rent the apartment from July 5 until August 2.

Haque and his wife said they initially refused to leave, but then the man called the police.

"He called the cops, and the cops said they were convinced with the paperwork that he is the lease holder," Haque said. "The police told us to leave the place within 30 minutes before things escalate. They didn't care how we did it, they just wanted us out."

Haque said they decided there was no point arguing with police, packed up their belongings and went to the building's lobby.

Haque said they spent two hours on hold waiting to speak to someone with Airbnb.

They did nothing, except say will review the situation, Haque said.

Haque said the couple found another place to stay for the rest of the night, but had to pay $580.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, police said they responded to a call on Wednesday for an "unwanted guest at an apartment building."

Police said a man arrived at an apartment to find two people who are not known to him.

"The couple retrieved their belongings and left the unit upon police arrival and confirmation that the complainant is the rightful lessee of the unit," police said.

Haque said the couple received a message from Airbnb on Thursday afternoon saying they would be refunded, but still don't have any answers about what actually led to the incident.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto on Friday, a spokesperson for Airbnb said they "take this incredibly seriously."

"After an investigation, the listing has been deactivated, and we have provided the guests a full refund for this experience."

Haque said they are grateful for the refund, but thinks Airbnb could have been "more proactive" in helping them in the moment.

The rest is here:

Couple evicted from $4,500 Airbnb in the middle of night - CP24 Toronto's Breaking News

A celestial firework display is in store for Aotearoa, with three meteor showers expected tonight. Photo / 123rf

By RNZ

Three meteor showers combining to provide a celestial firework display are expected throughout the night.

Otago Museum director and astronomer Ian Griffin said tonight's show would be beautiful, with 10 to 20 meteors expected to be visible every hour - and not just tonight but all through the weekend.

"These showers have been observed by astronomers over the last decade or more in some cases. They regularly appear this time of year and this year it's almost perfect conditions because the moon is new today and that means the sky is really dark."

He told Morning Report that anyone - including in cities - with a spot well away from streetlights and other sources of light could enjoy the show.

They should look to the north for the best view.

Any time of the night was good, he said, but "the meteors are going to be easier to see and brighter after midnight".

"As long as the sky is clear and you got no clouds, you should see between ... it could be as many as 20 meteors an hour and maybe a few more. Some will be fast-moving, and some will be slow and bright.

"So if you do sit down over the course of an hour or so, you should see quite a few of them and it should be an interesting display."

He explained as the Earth orbited the Sun, it crossed the path of old comets.

"And as a comet goes around the Sun and materials blasted off it leaves like a trail behind it. And this time of year the Earth is passing through three trails of three different comets, and those trails are full of little bits of dust.

"When you see a meteor or shooting star in the sky, it's these little grains of comet dust burning up high in Earth's atmosphere. And they burn up because they're moving really quick. Some of them as fast as 20 kilometres per second and as they move through the atmosphere, they bump into the atoms in the atmosphere, they glow and then dissipate.

"So when you look at these shooting stars in the sky over the weekend, you're seeing the dying embers of comets that passed across the Earth's orbit many years ago."

He said even those without telescopes could watch easily.

- RNZ

See the original post here:

NZ skies ready for celestial show of up to '20 meteors an hour' - New Zealand Herald

The warning about our road toll, bye-bye to Ashley Bloomfield and more schools forced to lockdown due to threats in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

In what could be a landmark prosecution, a Taup man is believed to be the first person ever charged with sabotage in New Zealand - a historic offence which was originally passed into law to prevent foreign interference on our shores during World War II.

But a High Court judge has ordered the details of the alleged offending must be kept secret, barring media from reporting what led to authorities laying the charge.

Graham Philip, an IT professional and anti-vaccination campaigner, was charged with seven counts of wilful damage in December. He has been held in prison on remand since.

In May, the charges were upgraded by the Crown to seven of sabotage. Philip has pleaded not guilty to all. The alleged offending relates to New Zealand infrastructure.

Sabotage is legally defined in the Crimes Act as any activity which impairs or impedes the operation of "any ship, vehicle, aircraft, arms, munitions, equipment, machinery, apparatus, or atomic or nuclear plant" on New Zealand shores.

A person can also be charged with sabotage if the person "damages or destroys any property which is necessary to keep intact for the safety or health of the public."

A conviction also requires a proven intent to prejudice the health or safety of the public.

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.

The Crown successfully sought a non-publication order surrounding the details of the charges.

Open Justice understands the basis of the order is not for the protection of witnesses or fear of trial prejudice, but rather a concern from authorities that details of the charges could lead to "copy-cat" offending.

Speaking to Open Justice, University of Waikato law professor Alexander Gillespie, who specialises in international and conflict law, says he is not aware of any instance where the charge has been laid in New Zealand, largely due to the offence being subsumed by the country's modern terrorism legislation.

"It's a historical offence. A lot of the rules around sabotage came out in the Second World War when we were scared about foreign interference," Gillespie said.

The legislation was kept after societal unrest led to concerns of homegrown offending.

"Then there was a concern about sabotage at the 1951 Waterfront strike. It was kind of a pre-terrorism charge, it came from a period when there was public disorder, but not terrorism as we know it today.

"It was mainly about the unions if I'm honest - the militant left. There were concerns some would do things like bring down bridges or destroy locomotives."

Gillespie said it was surprising to hear authorities utilising the typically idle section of the Crimes Act.

The most recent example of where the charge was considered was the case of Peter Murnane, Samuel Land and Adrian Leason, who were all arrested on suspicion of breaking into Blenheim's Waihopai spy base and bursting a satellite dome in 2008.

Police openly considered laying sabotage charges, but ultimately decided against the move after seeking legal advice.

Lawyer Matthew Hague, who is representing Philip, also believes this is the first time an individual has been charged with sabotage since the introduction of the Crimes Act in 1961.

His client is currently held on remand at Spring Hill Prison. An unsuccessful bail hearing was heard in the High Court at Hamilton last month.

Initial indications from the court suggest Philip will have his trial heard in late 2023, meaning he would have spent almost two years in prison before having his case heard. That time frame is not unusual in the justice system currently, but Hague has concerns with Philip's ongoing detention in the absence of a conviction.

"It's very concerning, first of all, that he's held in custody for that length of time without receiving a trial, and secondly, the conditions of which he's being held, especially the challenges with communication."

Hague says Philip has not seen his wife since December, either in person or via teleconference, "as is his right". Pre-arranged calls have been stymied on multiple occasions, Philip's wife has claimed.

The lawyer also refers specifically to an affidavit he had sent to Philip to sign in mid-July. He says Corrections still hasn't scanned and emailed the document back, despite assurances they would do so. Without the affidavit, there is little substance for further bail appeals.

"He's received it, he's signed it, and Corrections has not scanned or returned it to me like they normally would for any other prisoner.

"Corrections has also repeatedly failed to facilitate phone calls, even when they're scheduled in advance," Hague says.

Hague has complained to the Office of the Prison Inspectorate and Corrections central regional manager on behalf of his client.

Responding to the claims, Corrections regional commissioner Terry Buffery said a complaint has been received, and Corrections is currently investigating.

"Although in-person visits have been suspended while this person has been in custody, they have been able to have regular phone calls with their wife. After they recently requested an AVL [audio-visual link] visit with their wife, one was scheduled for later this week. We have no record of any earlier requests for an AVL visit."

As for the affidavit, Corrections says the legal document must be signed by a visiting justice before it is provided to Philip's lawyer. "We have already booked an appointment for the affidavit to be signed when a Visiting Justice will next be [at the prison]"

The alleged communication issues aren't a first for Spring Hill, which is currently undertaking an investigation into communication breakdowns which led to a teenage offender being held on remand for months for crimes unlikely to attract an actual prison sentence. A District Court judge penned a complaint to the director of the prison.

View post:

Man charged with sabotage believed to be first in NZ history - Bay of Plenty Times

Schedule and results for New Zealand athletes at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (all NZ times), * if qualified:

Bowls

Womens singles (Katelyn Inch beat Singapores Shermeen Lim 21-17), mens triples (Ali Forsyth, Mike Galloway, Andrew Kelly beat India 23-6, lost to Malta 22-12), womens fours (Val Smith, Tayla Bruce, Selina Goddard, Nicole Toomey beat Wales 18-12, beat Niue 29-3), mens pairs (Shannon McIlroy, Tony Grantham beat Niue 23-14, lost to Canada 15-11) para mens pairs B6-8 (Graham Skellern, Mark Noble lost to Australia 17-7, lost to England 19-11), para womens pairs B6-B8 (Pam Walker, Lynda Bennett lost to England 12-10).

Hockey

Black Sticks women 16-0 Kenya, womens pool B

Rugby sevens

Black Ferns Sevens beat Canada 45-7 and Sri Lanka 60-0 in womens pool A

All Blacks Sevens beat Sri Lanka 63-5 and Samoa 19-17 in mens pool A

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Michaela Blyde is a key figure in the Black Ferns Sevens medal bid in Birmingham.

Swimming

Women's 400m IM (Mya Rasmussen 3rd in heat 2, 7th in final)

Women's 200m freestyle (Erika Fairweather 2nd in heat 3, 5th in final; Eve Thomas 4th in heat 3, DNQ)

Women's 100m freestyle S9 (Sophie Pascoe 1st in heat 2, GOLD MEDAL; Tupou Neiufi 4th in heat 1, 8th in final)

Men's 100m backstroke S9 (Jesse Reynolds SILVER, Joshua Willmer 7th)

Men's 50m butterfly (Cameron Gray 5th in heat 6, 4th in semifinal, into final)

Mens 100m backstroke (Andrew Jeffcoat 1st in heat 5, 2nd in semifinal, into final)

Women's 100m butterfly (Helena Gasson 5th in heat 5, 6th in semifinal, DNQ for final; Hazel Ouwehand 5th in heat 3, DNQ for semifinals)

Triathlon

Mens individual race (Hayden Wilde SILVER, Dylan McCullough 7th, Tayler Reid 8th)

Womens individual race (Nicole van der Kaay 9th, Andrea Hansen 18th)

Squash

Mens singles round of 64 (Temwa Chileshe beat Jules Snagg of St Vincent and the Grenadines 3-0, Lwamba Chilese beat Feanor Siaguru of PNG 3-0)

Cycling, track

Womens team pursuit final (Ellesse Andrews, Byrony Botha, Michaela Drummond and Emily Shearman SILVER)

Mens team pursuit final (Aaron Gate, Jordan Kerby, Tom Sexton and Campbell Stewart GOLD)

Womens team sprint final (Rebecca Petch, Olivia King, Ellesse Andrews GOLD)

Mens team sprint bronze final (Bradly Knipe, Sam Dakin, Sam Webster BRONZE)

Gymnastics, artistic

Mens team final (New Zealand 7th) and individual qualifying (Misha Koudinov, Ethan Dick qualified for the all around final, Ethan Dick qualified for pommel horse final, Sam Dick qualified for vault final).

Netball-

Silver Ferns beat Northern Ireland 79-20

Boxing-

Mens under-80kg, round of 32 (Onyx Lye lost to Taylor Bevan of Wales by KO)

Hockey-

8am: Black Sticks men v Scotland, mens pool A

Phil Walter/Getty Images

The Silver Ferns face Northern Ireland in their Commonwealth Games opener.

Bowls-

7.30pm: Womens singles (Katelyn Inch) rounds 3 and 4, mens triples (Ali Forsyth, Mike Galloway, Andrew Kelly) round 3, para mens (Graham Skellern, Mark Noble) and womens (Pam Walker, Lynda Bennett) pairs B6-B8, round 3

Cycling, track-

9pm: Women's sprint qualification (Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King, Rebecca Petch)

9.41pm: Women's 3000m IP qualification (Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman)

10.33pm: Womens sprint 1/8 finals and quarterfinals* (Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King, Rebecca Petch)

11.22pm: Men's 4000m IP qualification (Aaron Gate, Jordan Kerby, Tom Sexton)

Swimming, heats-

9.30pm: Men's 200m freestyle (Cameron Gray, Lewis Clareburt)

10.28pm: Women's 100m backstroke (Hazel Ouwehand, Helena Gasson)

10.42pm: Men's 400m IM (Lewis Clareburt)

Cricket-

10pm: White Ferns v South Africa, pool B

Rugby sevens-

10.06pm: Black Ferns Sevens v England, womens pool A

11.34pm: All Blacks Sevens v England, mens pool A

Boxing-

11pm: Mens under-71kg, round of 32 (Wendell Stanley), womens under-70kg, round of 16 (Ariane Nicholson), mens under-57kg, round of 32 (Alex Mukuka)

Squash-

11pm: Mens singles (Paul Coll, Lwamba Chilese, Temwa Chileshe), womens singles (Joelle King, Kaitlyn Watts), round of 32

(Sunday, July 31 NZT-)

Bowls-

2am: Mens pairs round 3 and 4 (Shannon McIlroy, Tony Grantham), womens fours round 3 (Val Smith, Tayla Bruce, Selina Goddard, Nicole Toomey), para mens (Graham Skellern, Mark Noble) and womens (Pam Walker, Lynda Bennett) pairs B6-B8, round 4

Basketball, 3x3-

2.30am: NZ v England, mens pool B

2.58am: NZ v England, womens pool B

Cycling, track-

3am: Men's keirin round 1 + repechage (Sam Dakin, Callum Saunders, Sam Webster)

3.22am: Womens sprint semifinals* (Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King, Rebecca Petch)

3.30am: Women's 3000m IP finals* (Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman)

4.26am: Men's 4000m IP finals* (Aaron Gate, Jordan Kerby, Tom Sexton)

4.51am: Womens sprint finals* (Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King, Rebecca Petch)

5.17am: Mens keirin finals* (Sam Dakin, Callum Saunders, Sam Webster)

Squash-

5am: Mens singles (Paul Coll, Lwamba Chilese, Temwa Chileshe), womens singles (Joelle King, Kaitlyn Watts) round of 32

Basketball 3x3-

6.30am: NZ v Australia, mens pool B

Netball-

7am: Silver Ferns v Uganda, pool B

Swimming-

6.07am: Men's 50m butterfly final* (Cameron Gray)

6.43am: Men's 200m freestyle final* (Cameron Gray, Lewis Clareburt)

7.22am: Women's 100m backstroke semifinals* (Helena Gasson, Hazel Ouwehand)

7.49am: Men's 400m IM final* (Lewis Clareburt)

7.58am: Women's 100m butterfly final* (Helena Gasson, Hazel Ouwehand)

8.05am: Men's 100m backstroke final* (Andrew Jeffcoat)

Beach volleyball-

6am: NZ v Kenya, womens pool A (Alice Zeimann, Shaunna Polley)

7am: NZ v Cyprus, mens pool C (Sam ODea, Brad Fuller)

Rugby sevens-

7.42am: Womens semifinals

8.26am: Mens quarterfinals

Hockey-

8am: Black Sticks v Scotland, womens pool B

Andrew Cornaga / http://www.photosport.

Megan Hull and the Black Sticks are looking to win back to back Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Bowls-

7.30pm: Women's singles (Katelyn Inch) and men's pairs (Shannon McIlroy, Tony Grantham) round 5

Hockey-

8pm: Black Sticks men v Pakistan, mens pool A

Gymnastics, artistic-

8pm: Mens individual all-around final* (Misha Koudinov, Ethan Dick, Sam Dick, William Fu Allen, Jorden OConnell-Inns)

Read more:

Commonwealth Games: New Zealand schedule and results at Birmingham 2022 - Stuff

Travel

29 Jul, 2022 04:35 AM3 minutes to read

Prime Minister outlines his main objectives for his trip down to Antarctica, which has today been put on hold due to bad weather.

Former prime minister Sir John Key will be joining an expedition ship south to Antarctica as a guest expert on New Zealand's relation with the frozen continent.

As a longtime advocate for Antarctica, this will be Key's third visit to Antarctica. He first visited Scott Base in 2007 and again in 2013 as PM.

Although bad conditions meant he was unable to get as far as the South Pole, like his predecessor PM Helen Clark, the continent is a place that captivated him.

His premiership saw a major commitment towards investing in science in the region.

"I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to revisit a place I love, a place I never thought I would get a chance to see again in my lifetime," said Key.

"I'm also very excited about being part of the VIP cruise - making new friends, having new experiences and getting to do the polar plunge!"

This will be his first time exploring the Antarctic peninsula, on the far side of the continent to New Zealand's Scott Base. Travelling alongside Key will be Dr Mike Stroud, a physician and extreme conditions specialist who joined the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes in skiing to both poles.

The adventurer and expert on extreme conditions has presented several TV documentaries on survival skills and will be sharing his insights from 95 days skiing across the continent. Just who you want, joining you on a trip south.

They will be joined by 191 paying passengers, hoping to get as far as 65 degrees South and Cuverville Island.

Trip operators Viva Expeditions say that it will be the trip of a lifetime "travelling with these two inspiring and respected guests to the most awe-inspiring and indescribably breathtaking place on Earth."

Departing November 2023, the sailing will take 13 days to complete on the newly built Ocean Albatross.

She is one of two X-Bow class ships designed cope with the rough South Sea and Drake Passage. Running on four diesel engines and two electrical ones, she can run on half the fuel of a comparable expedition vessel. This is a key consideration for visiting the fragile Antarctic environment.

For more details about the voyage contact Viva Expeditions, nzherald@vivaexpeditions.com, 0800 131 900 or vivaexpeditions.com/nzherald

Original post:

Key of the Antarctic: Ex New Zealand PM leads expedition cruise south - New Zealand Herald

Disruption to Air New Zealand flights this month kept travel agents busy. Photo / Marty Melville

Travel agents' frustration at Air New Zealand slashing commissions is mounting as they do more work for the airline for free.

This month, Air New Zealand cut longstanding 3 per cent short-haul commissions for travel to Australia and the Pacific Islands completely and slashed long-haul commissions from 5 per cent to 1 per cent.

The airline has said "adjusting" its commission on international fares was not a decision made lightly, "however remaining competitive is critical to our long-term success and is an important step in our recovery plan".

But the Travel Agents' Association of NZ (Taanz) says the move by Air New Zealand - half-owned by Kiwi taxpayers and the beneficiary of more than $2 billion of support during the pandemic - was a slap in the face.

The changes came in at the start of the month and Qantas has also cut commissions, which airlines have whittled away from close to 10 per cent around 20 years ago.

Air New Zealand cut down the role of agents about 10 years ago but had since worked more closely with the trade, until the commission cut.

While agents have benefited from government wage and business support and were paid a small percentage of the close to $700 million in refunds that they won, Air New Zealand has been underwritten as a business that is "too important to fail".

The association's chief executive, Greg Hamilton, said Air New Zealand was a dominant carrier in a small market and travel agents were disappointed. Many were concerned about the future, particularly smaller businesses.

Travel chaos in many parts of the world, and in this country during the recent school holidays, meant agents were doing work for airlines whose call centres were overwhelmed.

Air New Zealand customers have reported waiting hours to get through to its call centre, which is now desperately hiring to plug gaps.

"It is a bit of a slap in the face to the agency community," said Hamilton. "The travel agent is doing a lot of extra work because of the capacity issues. You could argue a lot of that work should be in the airline's court, but no travel agents are going to leave the client hanging and often will be doing work absolutely for free."

The work during the current travel squeeze came after agents put in thousands of hours for nothing to get clients home or win refunds in the emergency stages of the pandemic in 2020.

Hamilton questioned whether slashing commissions was a meaningful solution to help fix airline balance sheets, given that very little agency commission was paid throughout 2020 and 2021. It was hard to imagine that the cost of sales through airlines' travel agency partners was any more expensive than running call centres, he said.

"It just seems like it's really unfortunate timing when you've got what looks like the national carrier which has acknowledged that it's really struggling to support [passengers] when they've got a really good loyal retail distribution network out there."

Asked for a response to the Taanz view, Air New Zealand this month re-sent a media release issued when it announced the cuts last year, saying it didn't have "anything more to add at this point".

The airline's chief customer and sales officer, Leanne Geraghty, said last December that working through the impacts of Covid-19 had been difficult for the travel industry.

"Looking at where we've come from and what we've achieved as an industry, we remain optimistic about the future of aviation and the industry itself in Aotearoa. But we know what's around the corner will look different, and that the way we have operated in the past is no longer sustainable as we recover from the impacts of the pandemic and rebuild," she said then.

"We look forward to continuing our strong travel agency partnerships as the new travel environment emerges, and we adjust to the changes together."

Before the pandemic, Air New Zealand had about 40 per cent of international traffic to and from this country and although its own capacity is a long way from being restored, neither is that of rivals.

Some airlines are still paying commission. Asked whether agents will be more inclined to put clients on Air New Zealand's rivals, Hamilton said that would depend on individual circumstances.

"The agent will do the best thing for the client - if Air New Zealand is the best choice, that's what they'll do. But there may be cheaper deals with other carriers. The job of the travel agent is scoping all them to come up with the best one."

Hamilton said travel agents were high-volume, low-margin businesses. The cutting of airline commissions had accelerated the move to charge flat fees for the work they do.

These had been applied to corporate travel for years and now were increasingly being charged for leisure journeys.

"The consumer wants the travel industry to be viable also, so in a situation where it can't collect a commission from an airline such as Air New Zealand, then typically there will be a fee that goes along with it."

Depending on the complexity of travel, he said, fees could range from $100 to about $350.

"People are doing really creative things, acknowledging today an agency gives a consultancy value - like an architect. I know of one agency charging a consultancy fee but then actually refunding it when it gets the booking," he said.

"We want to give everyone a fair deal and it has to be commercial."

Hamilton said that problems travellers had faced during travel lockdowns, and now with disruption in the aviation system, had proved the worth of traditional agents, especially compared to online travel agents (OTAs).

"There is alot of empathy, if you like, for the work that travel agents, as humans, do."

He said agents had been doing a ''heroic job'' as travel rebounded.

Globally, the entire airline value chain Is under extreme pressure as a result of Covid, severe staff shortages in airlines including pilots, at airports, ground handlers etc, and weather events.

''This makes arranging travel more complicated and time consuming, and where things can quickly go off track or become messy. This shouldn't put people off travelling that's what travel agents are there for.''

Taanz members were one of the most secure parts of the booking chain, with trust accounts, and they were audited.

Before the pandemic there were about 3500 front-line agents and while that fell to about 1500, numbers had built up to about 2300 as travel takes off.

Travel is booming around the world.

This week Flight Centre Travel Group said it was on track for a break-even result in the second half of this financial year. It reported more than $A10 billion ($11.1b) in total transaction value for the year, a huge gain on the $A3.95b for the 2021 financial year.

Aviation consultancy IBA says global flight capacity has grown by almost a third compared to last year but is still about 20 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

And airline profitability is improving despite economic headwinds and a cooling capacity growth linked to labour shortages. In the US, Delta returned to profit in the second quarter with an 11 per cent operating margin. American posted a quarterly operating margin of 4 per cent and United, 7 per cent.

"We expect European and Asia-Pacific results to show an improving trend over previous quarters."

Preliminary June 2022 traffic figures released by the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed robust growth in international demand, as the increasing willingness to fly continues to drive a recovery in both leisure and corporate travel.

The number of international passengers carried rose more than six-fold year-on-year to a combined 9 million in June, bringing demand to 28.3 per cent of the corresponding pre-pandemic month in 2019.

And today it was revealed that New Zealand's largest business events industry tradeshow, MEETINGS 2022 in Christchurch, last month broke records for attendance, and for the value of business it generated.

An independent survey commissioned by Business Events Industry Aotearoa after the event showed $107.5m worth of business was provisionally secured during the two days - a 45.3 per cent increase on last year.

Continued here:

'Slap in the face': Travel agents' anger at Air NZ's axing of commissions - New Zealand Herald

ANZ Economics has released its Business Outlook survey for July, which shows that both business activity and confidence have tanked:

Business activity and confidence have crashed.

The result follows the collapse in both consumer and government confidence to near record lows in June:

New Zealand consumer and government confidence has also collapsed.

The outlook is especially dire for New Zealands housing market, with ANZ recording that residential construction intentions plummeted again to a fresh record low:

Residential construction intentions point to recession.

ANZ notes that housing consents are now dropping and that the ANZBO data suggests consents may have a lot further to fall yet. It also explains that the fall in early 2020 was due to lockdown but that its difficult to imagine what would lead to such a rapid bounce this time.

Therefore, construction intentions are pointing to a sharp slowdown in building activity, which will weigh heavily on New Zealands economy over coming quarters.

Arguably, the bigger worry for the economy relates to house prices, which have already fallen sharply in response to the Reserve Bank of New Zealands (RBNZ) aggressive interest rate hikes.

The REINZs latest House Price Index the preferred measure of the RBNZ recorded a steep 5.4% decline over the June quarter, with all major urban areas registering quarterly falls.The Trade Me property index similarly posted a record a 1.9% monthly fall in June amid skyrocketing supply.

Household consumption is the major driver of New Zealands economic growth. Therefore, the sharp lift in mortgage rates, combined with plunging house prices, suggests household consumption will soon fall sharply, presenting further stiff headwinds for the economy.

The RBNZ this month stated that it would continue raising interest rates to fight inflation, which hit a 32-year high 7.3% over the June quarter.

If the RBNZ follows through with its guidance, New Zealand housing will face its biggest ever crash, which also risks throwing the economy into a painful recession.

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also Chief Economist and co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.

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New Zealand housing faces biggest ever crash - MacroBusiness