The Bull Ring

'𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕪 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕕' 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕖 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕚𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕤 - 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕘𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕧𝕖𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕣𝕠𝕡-𝕠𝕗𝕗 𝕚𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕘𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕖𝕟𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 '𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕪 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕕' 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕖 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣, 𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕪 𝔸𝕝𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕤. In a July Tony Alexander monthly mortgage advisers survey released on Tuesday, a net 19 percent of advisers reported seeing fewer investors. But the result, while still negative, was less so than results over March to June, making it the "least weak outcome" in five months. Tony Alexander said overall, there's still an "easing back" of buyers from the market. Results show a stronger drop-off in investor enquiry, compared to first-home buyer enquiry. But following  reinstatement of loan-to-value ratio (LVR) re...

ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℙ𝕝𝕪𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟 '𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘', 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕥 '𝕕𝕖𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖' 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕆𝕍𝕀𝔻-𝟙𝟡 𝔸𝕟 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℙ𝕝𝕪𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕝𝕪 𝕦𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕝𝕪 ℂ𝕆𝕍𝕀𝔻-𝟙𝟡 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪, 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕪'𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕣𝕦𝕤. Two samples tested positive for the traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus this week,  the Ministry of Health said on Friday.  It's not clear where they came from, with officials suggesting it could be from a recently infected person continuing to shed the virus, but no longer infectious.  Epidemiologist Michael Baker of the University of Otago says shedding can "go on for many weeks, even months" after an infect...

ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕒𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕚𝕟 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℂ𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕-𝟙𝟡 𝕧𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤, 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕤 ℙ𝕗𝕚𝕫𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕠𝕤𝕤 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕒𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕠 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕕𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕗𝕚𝕫𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕-𝟙𝟡 𝕧𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕖, 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕔𝕖𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕪’𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕒 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕. Anne Harris said Pfizer would continue to meet its contractual obligations, as the severity of the pandemic continues to change for each country.  She said the company was constantly in touch with countries about their fast-changing medical needs and vaccine strategies.  “That’s how we are basing this [vaccine distribution]: On the need and what the specific requirements of that country and how they wish to engage with us.” . . As soon as the vaccines were manufactured, they were sent from the factories straight away, she said.  “This is pandemic supply … we aren’t holdi...

ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕂𝕚𝕨𝕚𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕕 ℙ𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝟜𝟘 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 - 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕤𝕡𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪 𝕥𝕠 "𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥". Almost  40 percent  of adults and  19 percent  of children in New Zealand don't have enough food. Poverty researcher Dr Rebekah Graham said while working on her thesis on food insecurity, she interviewed a woman who walked for 90 minutes each day to get a free community meal. "That was her only meal of the day. It was all she was eating." Others went without to make sure their children had food, or were constantly trying to stretch food to make more meals from it, she said. Graham said the people she interviewed had a grim acceptance that this was normal. "They ...

ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝟙𝟚 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝟞𝟝 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕆𝕍𝕀𝔻-𝟙𝟡 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝟙𝟚 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕛𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕆𝕍𝕀𝔻-𝟙𝟡 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕝𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪. The report, compiled by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), dubbed the 12 online personalities the "Disinformation Dozen" for their anti-vaccination campaigns and conspiracy theories. By analysing 812,000 Facebook posts and tweets CCDH found 65 percent of the misinformed posts could be traced back to the Disinformation Dozen. On Facebook alone, they are responsible for 73 percent of all anti-vaccination content. Shockingly, 95 percent of this content was not removed, despite being proven false.  Among the Dozen are pseudoscience-laden physicians Jospeh Mercola and Christine Northrup, various wellness coaches and bodybuilders, and notably Robert F...

𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤: 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕤 $𝟞𝟘𝟘,𝟘𝟘𝟘 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 $𝟞𝟘𝟘,𝟘𝟘𝟘 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕒𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕜𝕖𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕗𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕤. While weather conditions are beginning to clear, heavy rainfall caused significant flooding in Marlborough, Tasman, and Buller on Saturday, and around 900 people were evacuated from their homes as a result. A State of Emergency was also declared in Marlborough. While in the Buller district on Sunday afternoon assessing flood damage, acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor announced several funding contributions for affected communities. The first is $300,000 towards a Buller Mayoral Relief Fund and another $100,000 towards a similar fund for Marlboroug...

𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙚: ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕪𝕡𝕠𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕐𝕠𝕦'𝕕 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖, 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕟 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕓𝕚𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕒 𝕗𝕖𝕨 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕡𝕪 𝕖𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕔𝕜-𝕛𝕠𝕓 𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕤. 𝘖𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯:   Two weeks ago, a heatwave in Canada and the US caused one thousand deaths. Yesterday, floods in Germany killed at least 125 people. Hundreds of people in Buller are being evacuated because of massive rainfall. And New Zealand's farmers are back home.  You'd have to agree, for the most part, the protest yesterday was a good bit of theatre. There were a few loopy extremists with whack-job signs, but the majority of tractor drivers are normal and presumably decent people who turned out because they feel unfairly picked on. Freshwater regulations, a ute tax, emissions reductions; they feel they're being subjected to specia...