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7 Aug 2025

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Government should match enthusiasm for AI with investment in teachers - principal
Education Minister Erica Stanford has said AI marking will be critical for NCEA's replacement.

Opinion: NCEA isn’t perfect but New Zealand shouldn’t forget why it was introduced in the first place – The Conversation
OPINION: NCEA Levels 2 and 3 will become the New Zealand Certificate of Education.

Hawke’s Bay local elections: Debates, forums, candidate evenings and where to get to know the mayoral and council candidates
Grey Power candidate events are also coming, the first on Thursday.

Culverden locals angry about proposed removal of town's two police officers
Residents say a proposed restructure would mean the nearest officers are at least an hour's drive away, but police are promising locals won't be any worse off.

What's with all the added protein in food? Is it necessary?
Food companies are rushing to add more protein to food, create new high-protein products or emphasise the protein in existing marketing.

St John's volunteer changes alarm nurses union
The charity is planning to axe a programme that puts volunteers in hospital emergency departments.

Devastating cyclones to get 20-35 percent wetter with fossil fuel emissions
Researchers have used more precise climate modelling to reveal how fossil fuel emissions could affect cyclone behaviour.

New Zealand v Zimbabwe: Tom Latham out of second test
New Zealand have had another player ruled out of the second test.

Rocky Horror Show: Iconic musical back for NZ tour after 16 years
Tickets go on sale next week through Ticketmaster and Ticketek.

Mum ready to reclaim the goal shock cancer diagnosis put on hold
Bobbie Henry considered herself “just an average mum” but after a shock cancer diagnosis, a double mastectomy and months of gruelling treatment, she’s lacing up to prove to herself and others she’s much more.

Ryan Fox eyes final ‘big goal’ of the year
The Kiwi golfer has achieved plenty in 2025, but there’s still one final goal to tick off.

Does getting NCEA mean you earn more?
NCEA may be on the way out - but has it been delivering better jobs and income for the students who've completed it?

Dannevirke’s Phil Lamason memorial project unveiled to honour WWII bravery
Phil Lamason talked a German firing squad into disobeying an order to shoot.

Crash at Mill Rd intersection near Clive in Hawke’s Bay sparks petition for roundabout
Aaron Pohatu was taking his 11-year-old son to rugby when cars collided 'like a bomb'.

Microsoft is testing a Gaming Copilot AI on the Windows Game Bar
Stuck on a boss? Don’t know how to “perfect parry?” Microsoft is adding its AI assistant, Copilot, to help you with your games via an addition to the Windows Game Bar application. Right now, what Microsoft is calling “Gaming Copilot (Beta)” will show up only for those enrolled in previews for Xbox Insiders on the PC platform. Microsoft has issued a similar update for handheld PCs, too. Microsoft says that Gaming Copilot understands what game you’re playing, which makes sense. A Voice Mode allows you to open an oral conversation via the “microphone” widget and then pin the widget to your screen as you play. You can also snap a screenshot of your screen and then let Gaming Copilot “look” at it for additional help. To use the new Copilot-equipped Game Bar, you’ll need to be enrolled in the program, launch Game Bar (the Windows key+G) and then look for the Gaming Copilot logo on the home bar to open the widget, Microsoft says. It’s available for Xbox Insiders in the United States, but only if you’re 18 or older. Microsoft doesn’t explain the last requirement. Oddly, Microsoft already has a technology to “see” your entire screen and help you out: Copilot Vision, which Microsoft says is out of beta and is available for all PCs in the United States. But Copilot Vision’s vision was pretty lousy when I tested it on games like Solitaire, let alone quick first-person games. Microsoft may have improved its “vision” capabilities with the new Copilot Game Bar, but I wouldn’t expect it to be as helpful as an online guide or just a nearby buddy. But with the Copilot application cropping up everywhere — within Windows, the Edge browser, even applications like Microsoft Excel — expect Copilot’s march to continue into pretty much every PC application that Microsoft owns.