Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police can now name the man who died in a crash on Christchurch Akaroa Road/SH75, Little River, on 8 December.
He was Eric Grainger, aged 27, from Christchurch.
Police extend our sympathies to his friends and family.
Enquiries into the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Attributable to Otago Coastal Area Commander, Inspector Marty Gray:
The man being sought by Police in Clutha for firearms offending has been located deceased.
Police, including specialist squads supporting local staff, have been at a rural property overnight working to resolve the matter safely.
The incident began about 9am on Tuesday, when Police began working to locate a person of interest in relation to alleged firearms offending in the Clutha area.
This morning, Police made entry to the house around 10:15am and the man was located by officers inside, deceased.
His death will be referred to the Coroner and Police will assist the Coroner with those inquiries.
The man’s family are being supported at this very difficult time.
While this is not the outcome Police would have hoped for, I want to thank the frontline staff and specialist teams for their hard work in responding diligently to this very lengthy incident.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: Media Outreach
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 February 2025 – Globally recognized multi-asset broker JustMarkets received three awards from AllForexBonus, a leading Financial Portal that covers all types of Forex, CFD & Options’ Promotion released by brokers worldwide. The company has earned the prestigious titles of the Best Forex Broker Middle East 2024, Best Educational Broker 2024, and Best Mobile Application 2024, solidifying its high position in the trading industry.
These awards once again prove JustMarkets dedication to constant improvements and customer satisfaction. The broker has always prioritized the latest technologies, competitive conditions, and friendly support, and the team continues to move forward.
Expanding Opportunities for Traders in MENA
Recognition as Best Forex Broker Middle East 2024 highlights JustMarkets growing presence in the MENA region. The company keeps strengthening in this key market by providing tailored services and access to a broad range of financial instruments.
The broker also ensures that traders from MENA have access to Arabic-language support, region-specific payment solutions, and educational initiatives to give them more growth opportunities.
Empowering Traders Through Knowledge
As Best Educational Broker 2024, JustMarkets has been acknowledged for its commitment to trader education. The company offers extensive learning materials, market insights, and analytical tools designed to help traders at all experience levels.
Understanding that knowledge is a key driver of success, JustMarkets has developed a comprehensive educational ecosystem, featuring in-depth guides, case studies, daily analytics, Help Center section, and 24/7 support for any questions.
Setting a New Standard for Mobile Trading
The Best Mobile Application 2024 award follows a significant upgrade to JustMarkets Trading App in June 2024. This update introduced In-App Trading, allowing traders to execute trades directly from their mobile devices.
Previously, the app was only used for managing orders, but with the new functionality, traders can seize market opportunities anytime and anywhere. The JustMarkets app is highly popular among users, being available for download on both Google Play and the App Store.
Focusing on Innovation and Client Success
Since its founding in 2012, JustMarkets has built a strong reputation in the trading industry, serving clients in more than 180 countries. The company operates under multiple regulatory licenses, including the Financial Services Authority in Seychelles, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority in South Africa, and the Financial Services Commission in Mauritius. Its dedication to transparency, security, and trader success has earned JustMarkets more than 50 industry awards.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized by the trading community,” a JustMarkets spokesperson said. “This recognition inspires us to continue improving our services, expanding our offerings, and delivering the best possible trading experience to our clients from every part of the world.”
https://justmarkets.pro/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/justmarketsofficial/
https://x.com/justmarketscom?s=21
https://www.facebook.com/JustMarketsComOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/justmarkets.official/
Hashtag: #JustMarkets
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
| NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
People travelling in and out of Hanmer Springs village next Monday night, 17 February, through to Tuesday morning, 18 February, will need to plan around a full night closure over the Waiau River bridge.
The bridge, at the start of SH7A off the Lewis Pass highway, will close at 9 pm and reopen at 5.30 am Tuesday morning.
Midnight opening
There will be an hour’s opening midnight to 1 am to let traffic through in both directions, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
Crews will be repairing the bridge deck. NZTA thanks all night-time drivers for working around this closure. Emergency vehicles will be allowed across at short notice.
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
The first planned night closures of State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill for 2025 are coming up.
The route is set to be closed to traffic for five nights, 9 pm to 4 am, from Sunday, 23 February to Friday morning 28 February, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
Mark Owen, Regional Manager Maintenance & Operations Wellington / Top of the South for NZTA, says the route has been kept open since last December to cater for the extra traffic from KiwiRail’s closure of the Wairarapa Line for upgrades and maintenance.
“Now the rail line is open, it’s crucial we make sure the road remains in good shape for the wetter winter months ahead.
“Our road crews will be hard at work carrying out resurfacing, sign replacement, clearing drainage, maintaining barriers and line marking as well as the remedial work to the slip on the Featherston side of the hill, where the Slow Vehicle Lane is currently closed,” Mr Owen says.
He says it is essential drivers are aware of the closures and are ready for them. As well as the closures in February, more are planned overnight in March, April, May and June.
Pahiatua Track, Saddle Road alternative, longer routes, or book to be escorted
“We do not want people to be caught out by these overnight closures, as the only alternative detours are via the Pahiatua Track or Saddle Road to the north – a much longer trip.
“Escorted crossings for drivers of light vehicles are available during closure nights but must be booked in advance and can be made on the NZTA website,” Mr Owen says.
“During this closure we are only able to accommodate one escorted crossing per direction each night due to significant resurfacing works.”
Mr Owen says full closures mean maintenance works can be finished faster and they are safer for road crews.
“A critical factor is far fewer vehicles use the route at night. Around 7,000 vehicles on average travel over the hill daily, but of this 300 or fewer travel at night.
“Night closures have a far lower impact on drivers than if the work was done under stop/go during the day. They really are the best option for this work,” he says.
Important information for Remutaka Hill closures
More information about planned maintenance closures for Remutaka Hill can be found here:
State Highway 2, Remutaka Hill, planned night closures. February – June 2025:
|
Nights Closed |
Start 9 pm |
Finish 4 am |
|
5 |
23 February |
28 February |
|
1 |
9 March |
10 March |
|
5 |
6 April |
11 April |
|
1 |
18 May |
19 May |
|
1 |
15 June |
16 June |
Source: New Zealand Government
Two independent reviews are being undertaken to boost ACC’s performance and ensure it continues to deliver for New Zealanders, ACC Minister Andrew Bayly says.
“ACC provides crucial support to injured Kiwis. It is the only no-fault accident compensation scheme like it in the world, and Kiwis should feel immensely proud of it,” Mr Bayly says.
“But ACC faces challenges on multiple fronts and action is required to ensure its sustainability and longevity.
“Over the last 10 years, ACC’s performance has steadily decreased. Costs are up, with levies struggling to keep up. Meanwhile, rehabilitation rates are down, slowing down people’s return to independence following an accident.
“Clearly if this trend is left unabated, the viability of the scheme is at risk, saddling future generations with immense costs. A robust plan is required to improve ACC’s long-term financial sustainability without having to make large increases to levies.
“That’s why the Government has commissioned two independent reviews to assess ACC’s performance and effectiveness:
A review of ACC’s operational performance, with a focus on case management. This is being led by actuarial firm Finity, who have significant experience with both accident compensation and private insurance schemes.
A review of ACC’s investment strategy and how it manages the nearly $50 billion it invests. This is being led by investment consulting firm Willis Towers Watson, who have considerable global asset management experience.
“This will be the first external assurance review of ACC’s investment function. Reviewing ACC’s investment performance now ensures we are getting the best returns from the fund and that it can support ACC’s sustainability.
“I have met with both review teams and have been clear about my expectation that they deliver actionable recommendations to improve ACC’s performance.
“I will be holding ACC accountable to its fundamental purpose, which is to prevent injuries and get Kiwis back to independence as quickly as possible after an accident.”
Notes to editors:
The terms of reference for the two reviews are attached.
Progress reports on both reviews are expected by April 2025, with final reports expected to be delivered by June 2025.
Source: New Zealand Labour Party
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report.
“This devastating report shows just how far this country has gone backwards under this coalition of chaos,” Labour’s social development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.
“While Government parties scrap with each other, our kids are going hungry, more people are living in cars and our best and brightest are leaving for Australia.
“Across most of the report’s indicators in the past year, outcomes have either worsened or not changed for children and youth.
“Homelessness is on the rise as the Government kicks families out of emergency housing without knowing where they all go, and next year the number of Kainga Ora homes in Auckland will go backwards.
“Unemployment is on the rise, with about 1 in 10 Māori and Pacific people unemployed while the Government chooses to give billions to landlords and tobacco companies, instead of helping struggling families.
“The Government is shamelessly boasting about growth, but the only growth we’re seeing is in the numbers of hungry, homeless and unemployed New Zealanders,” Carmel Sepuloni said.
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Source: Green Party
The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to prioritise long-term prosperity of our oceans in its consultation on the Fisheries Act.
“Our oceans are in a state of decline, continuing to put short-term profit before long-term sustainability will see the health of our ocean life wash away,” says Green Party’s Oceans and Fisheries spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.
“Minister Jones has stated ‘sustainability will always be the bottom line for fisheries management,’ but we have seen decisions from the Government completely contradict and undermine this. Today’s proposed changes seem to reward industry for overfishing, posing a significant threat to the sustainability and longevity of our oceans.
“If the Minister truly cared about sustainability he would ban bottom trawling and champion sustainable, adaptive fishing practices, which will increasingly be required in the context of climate change.
“If we want our oceans to thrive for generations to come we must commit to protecting more of our waters. We campaigned on doing exactly this by establishing a Healthy Oceans Act that would create a legally binding framework to protect at least 30 per cent of Aotearoa’s ocean by 2030.
“The crisis facing our ocean is growing more urgent by the day – and it is communities who depend on the moana for their livelihoods, including Māori and Pasifika communities, who will be impacted most of all. This Government needs to prioritise the sustainability of our oceans, which in turn prioritises long-term wellbeing of tangata whenua and tagata moana.
“It is high time the Government turned the tide on the exploitative and extractive fishing practices that have seen our ocean environment’s health decline and our fisheries be depleted.
“Our oceans are the lifeblood of Aotearoa. It is incumbent upon us to protect them, not only for their beauty, but for their essential role in sustaining life on our planet,” says Teanau Tuiono.
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
State Highway 6 near Atawhai Drive, Nelson is currently closed following a crash.
The two-vehicle crash involving a car and a motorbike was reported just before 11:30am.
One person has been seriously injured.
Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to expect delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Media Outreach
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 February 2025 – X0PA AI, a leading innovator in AI-powered talent acquisition, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Agentic AI Suite, featuring advanced AI-driven agents designed to transform the hiring landscape. The initial release introduces two powerful AI agents, Alex and Kate, marking a significant milestone in recruitment automation and intelligence.
Meet the Agents:
Alex – An AI-powered screening expert agent, revolutionizing candidate evaluation with unprecedented precision. Alex automates and streamlines the screening process by analysing multiple data points to evaluate skills, experience, and cultural fit, ensuring only the best-matched candidates move forward in the hiring pipeline.
Kate – A recruitment analytics specialist agent, delivering real-time, data-driven insights for strategic hiring decisions. Kate transforms complex recruitment data into actionable intelligence, enabling HR teams to optimize their recruitment strategies and enhance hiring outcomes through predictive analytics and trend analysis.
“As hiring the best suited talent for the company becomes increasingly critical, AI-driven bias free and precision hiring is the key to staying ahead,” said Nina Alag Suri, Founder and CEO, X0PA AI. “Our Agentic AI Suite revolutionizes the recruitment journey, empowering businesses to find, engage, and secure top talent effortlessly while ensuring data-backed decision-making.”
X0PA AI’s position as an industry leader is firmly established through:
The Agentic AI Suite is built on responsible, explainable AI principles, ensuring fairness and transparency throughout the hiring process. This commitment to ethical AI practices is validated by X0PA AI’s AI VERIFY certification, demonstrating the company’s dedication to responsible innovation.
“We at X0PA are always in the lookout for any technology that can augment recruiters in talent acquisition process and the launch of our Agentic AI Suite delivers that balance perfectly.,” explained Sri Harsha Allamraju, CTO of X0PA AI. “Over the next coming weeks, we plan to put in front of our customers a system of AI experts that can work alongside recruiters from job requisition, screening, sourcing to hiring and onboarding. This marks the transition of our AI Recruiter platform to a system-of-experts platform ideology. Additionally, this framework allows us to move towards minimalistic user experience thereby contributing to reduced cognitive load for our end users. We are excited for this launch and can’t await to see the potential upside it provides to our customers across Enterprise and other segments. “
Future Expansion: This launch marks just the beginning of X0PA AI’s vision for intelligent recruitment. The company is developing additional specialized agents focused on:
Each new agent will be designed to enhance specific aspects of talent acquisition, making hiring faster, smarter, and more strategic than ever before.
Hashtag: #x0paai
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
