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In the eight months to January 2025, 62 percent of commercial honeybee colonies in the US died. In June, scientists announced that they had identified the culprit, viruses spread by parasitic mites. Every single one of the mites was resistant to amitraz, the only viable mite-specific pesticide. Researchers are trying to develop ways of attacking honeybee viruses directly, rather than focusing on controlling varroa mites. But promising experimental treatments are still years away from leaving the lab.
The need for another expensive enquiry into glyphosate, the active compound in Roundup, still draws different opinions from equally qualified experts. Whether or not another enquiry gets the green light will depend on the decision of the judge following a recent hearing where the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) was taken to court by the Environmental Law Initiative .
Proficiency with AI tools has quickly become a top skill, and companies are working to train their employees how to use it. At the same time, AI is also emerging as a useful training tool in its own right. Fortune says AI is helping companies create training materials faster and more efficiently, as well as allowing them to design new, more interactive methods to train workers
Even in the countries with the most developed senior-housing markets, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, only around five percent of seniors currently live in dedicated senior housing. McKinsey consultant Sam O’Gorman examines approaches in how operators can expand into the retrofit market and innovate with cutting-edge technology. He outlines approaches that could make senior housing more appealing, expand its reach, and enable better and more affordable care.
CBRE Research estimates that 74 percent of AsiaPacific hotel supply between now and 2030 will be aligned with one of the top eight listed hotel companies – a significant increase over the currently operational market share of 18 percent. With hotel brand penetration still relatively low compared to the US and Europe, the AsiaPacific has become a key growth market. The report analyses the current state of the hotel brand landscape, and explores the brand strategies that owners and operators are pursuing to adapt to ever-changing market dynamics.
The tyre recycling industry across the ditch is experiencing a significant transformation as companies embrace advanced sustainable recycling technology to meet growing environmental demands. In a new report from ISWA (The International Solid Waste Association, an international network of waste professionals and experts) RPM Automotive Group, a leading Australian automotive parts distributor, has partnered with Fornnax to revolutionise its waste processing capabilities through innovative shredding solutions.
Genetically modified cells known as chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have become potent cancer fighters, and scientists are now studying them as treatments for autoimmune diseases and other illnesses. But making them involves harvesting and transforming a person’s immune cells — a process that can take so long that patients sometimes die before the therapy is ready. A new approach induces the patient’s body to produce its own CAR-T cells, relying on the same messenger RNA (mRNA) technology that was instrumental for some COVID-19 vaccines.
Renters are, on average, $1400 better off per year than they were this time last year as national weekly rental prices continue to trend down. New data from realestate.co.nz shows the national average rent in May 2025 fell to $633 per week, a drop of $27 per week, or 4.1 percent, compared to the same time last year.
Auckland Council has completed a region-wide study to map landslide susceptibility, The maps provide information to planners, infrastructure authorities, owners, developers, and engineers so that they can understand and manage the risks from landslides. The study is an assessment of which factors may pre-dispose particular land to becoming unstable. These maps do not describe hazard or risk. This means that they do not show how many, or how often, landslides will occur (the hazard), or what the consequences could be (the risk).
You can now claim 20 percent deductions for the costs of new (or new to New Zealand) business assets that you bought – or finished constructing – on or after 22 May 2025. “Bringing new technology, tools and equipment into a business bolsters productivity, which raises incomes and fuels ongoing reinvestment. This is how we build resilience,” says Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, Chris Penk. Inland Revenue has more information, including examples of what it means for businesses.
Researchers made the discovery while studying nurse sharks. Like humans, the marine predators rely on the pancreas to control blood sugar and produce digestive enzymes. But they also use it to make antibodies and fine-tune certain white blood cells against microbial threats, according to a study published last month in The Journal of Immunology. Sharks may not be the only animals to enlist the pancreas for defence, the study implies, and other organs could take on unexpected immune functions.
The modern apprenticeship model shatters outdated perceptions that limited such programs to entry-level, lower-paying positions in manual labour industries. Today’s apprenticeships span diverse sectors including IT, healthcare, engineering and accounting, offering specialised expertise and pathways to leadership roles. A recent report from the US is a long (52 page) read but parallels needs in New Zealand and offers sound advice on what is needed to meet contemporary workforce needs.
According to Science Adviser President Donald Trump’s administration is shuttering a network of centres funded by the National Institutes of Health that aims to prevent future pandemics. The research is “unsafe,” NIH has concluded.
Dry and pre-action fire sprinkler systems face unique challenges from internal corrosion which can compromise their performance and service life. While high-purity nitrogen has long been used to mitigate these effects, Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors (VCIs) are showing convincing results in tests in fire protection systems. In April General Air Products picked up the 2025 Corrosion Innovation of the Year Award with the Vapor Pipe Shield, a delivery system of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VpCI®)
The recent flurry around the release of CV values for Auckland based on data more than 12-months old appears to have prompted leading information provider Cotality to join the fray of up to the minute value suppliers with an interactive tool Mapping the Market . The June 2025 edition shows stand-alone houses are beginning to regain ground in many suburbs while growth across townhouses and flats has remained more subdued and uneven.
What promises to be an authoritative webinar panel next week with Envirosuite and Josh Rembusch, Vice President of the Colorado Chapter of SWANA and VP at Byers Scientific. This session will dive into the evolving landscape of methane regulations and explore innovative, real-world strategies for managing landfill emissions and odour. This session brings together two industry leaders to discuss proactive approaches to monitoring, odour control, and the future of methane management in solid waste operations. Register here
You are training your sales teams on products, features, and competitors. You build videos, courses, and role-plays when suddenly a new regulatory change takes place and the competitive situation changes. An AI-native learning platform would upload and update the new regulations along with a learning platform, build a virtual coach and answer questions like “what is the impact of this regulatory change on our sales message?”
McKinsey talks to the chairman of Ecolab who believes that businesses can help solve the global water crisis if they engineer water circularity into their processes. Ecolab has 48,000 staff and provides water management services to more than 170 countries. It recently expanded its services to data centres where it provides chip-cooling solutions that minimise water use.
