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This is the exact time, day and month of the year you’re most likely to die, according to science 

By dailymail.co.uk

Some prefer not to dwell on the exact moment we will depart this Earth, others are morbidly curious.

But science has unearthed several distinct patterns around when people tend to die.

Just as you have a ‘body clock’ which helps to dictate when you wake and sleep, it also influences the time of day when you die – with a distinct ‘spike’ in the morning.

Other studies have shown that certain days of the week are far deadlier – and one day of the year in particular sees more deaths than any other.

Some of this is due to factors such as drug overdoses and firearms – but other ‘spikes’ are more difficult to explain.

What time of day are you most likely to die?

Your body clock doesn’t just make you feel hungry and sleepy – it also influences when you die, according to science.

The time people are most likely to die is 11am, according to Harvard Medical School research published in 2012.

Professor Clifford Saper, the lead author of the paper, said: ‘Virtually all physiological processes have a circadian rhythm, meaning that they occur predominantly at certain parts of the day.

‘There’s even a circadian rhythm of death, so that in the general population people tend on average to be most likely to die in the morning hours. Sometime around 11am is the average time.’

But the picture is actually slightly more complex than that.

Saper’s research, which involved 1,200 healthy people aged 65, found that people with a certain genotype (the genetic variants a person carries) have different sleeping patterns – and a different average time of death.

People with the G-G genotype (guanine-guanine) tend to sleep around an hour later, generally speaking, and die at around 6pm instead of the 11am most people die at.

Saper said: ‘There is really a gene that predicts the time of day that you’ll die. Not the date, fortunately, but the time of day,’

What day of the year are you most likely to die?

One day of the year has more deaths than any other (Shutterstock) 

More people die in the cold winter months than any other time of year, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

January and December tend to be the deadliest months of the year – but analysis by Professor David Philips of 57 million death certificates between 1979 and 2004 pinpointed one day as the deadliest.

Philips found that New Year’s Day is the deadliest of the year – and the reason isn’t due to celebrations, alcohol or traffic accidents.

‘I died and saw the afterlife, but I was turned away for an unexpected reason’ 

Philips said: ‘This pattern turns up in every natural cause of death, but not for external causes like auto accidents. It’s hard to understand why that would be.’

More recent research highlighted Christmas Day as the deadliest day of the year (when it comes to heart attacks at least), with a significant spike between Christmas and New Year.

Dr Donald Lloyd-Jones, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, said, ‘The holidays are a busy, often stressful, time for most of us. Routines are disrupted; we may tend to eat and drink more and exercise and relax less. 

‘We also may not be listening to our bodies or paying attention to warning signs, thinking it can wait until after the new year. All of these can be contributors to increasing the risk for heart attack at this time of the year.’

What day of the week are you most likely to die?

Analysis of 39 million deaths between 1999 and 2004 found that there is one day of the week where you are most likely to die – Saturday.

Researchers at LiveScience analysed CDC data for all deaths and found a small but significant rise in deaths on Saturdays.

Some of the reasons behind this are fairly simple: deaths from drug overdoses, car accidents and firearms all peak on Saturdays.

More recent research in 2018 found that you are still more likely to die when admitted to a hospital at the weekend.

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that, among patients with cardiac arrest, 25.2 percent survived on week days, while 21.9 percent survived on weekends and week nights.

Man hospitalised after being shot by police on West Auckland motorway

By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

A man has been hospitalised after being shot by police following an attempted carjacking on a West Auckland motorway.

In a statement, relieving district commander Waitematā Superintendent Shanan Gray said at about 3.20pm police signalled for a vehicle to stop on Te Atatū Road on the Te Atatū Peninsula, but it failed to do so.

Police pursued the vehicle west towards the Lincoln Road off-ramp, he said.

Gray said on the Lincoln Road overbridge, the driver got out of the vehicle with a firearm, and unsuccessfully tried to steal two other vehicles. One of those vehicles has hit the offender, he said.

Armed police were quickly on the scene and the offender then ran towards a truck and climbed in the passenger side of the cab resulting in the truck driver exiting out the driver’s door, he said.

Police then fired at the offender which resulted in him surrendering, Gray said.

The man was taken to hospital with gunshot injuries but they were not thought to be life threatening, he said. Police later told RNZ they took the man to hospital themselves – St John ambulance was notified around 3.38pm but were stood down by police en-route.

Police are considering charges and will notify the Independent Police Conduct Authority “as standard procedure in these situations”.

A scene examination will be carried out.

Police earlier said no-one had been injured.

The off-ramp to Lincoln Road was earlier closed, but it has now reopened.

Auckland Transport says 110 buses are now returning to their normal route.

Air New Zealand launches bag tracker feature

By rnz.co.nz

Travellers flying with Air New Zealand will be able to track their bags, starting from today.

Air NZ passengers will now have the option of a tracker to help them keep track of the journey their bags are on, alongside their own. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The airline is updating its app to include a tracker that keeps customers informed about the status of their baggage.

The feature has already been widely adopted by several international carriers, including United Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

“We’re always listening to our customers to understand how we can make their journey with us as smooth as possible,” chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said in a statement.

“We heard from them that being able to track their bags’ location would make their experience even more stress-free, so we quickly began making that customer request a reality.”

Geraghty said Air New Zealand had been testing the programme since April, with 25 percent of domestic customers and 5 percent of international customers having access to the feature during the last six months.

“Since April, over 8000 customers have successfully tracked their checked in baggage in our trial phase with the in-app feature,” she said.

“We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers who have tested the feature too.”

She hoped the feature would give passengers peace of mind, allowing them to double-check that their luggage was with them on their flight.

After dropping off their bag, customers would see a “check status” option on their app that would update each time the bag was scanned.

Missing or damaged bags could be reported directly from the app, Geraghty said.

Goods ‘tampered with expiry dates’ seized in Tongatapu

Convenience stores in Tongatapu face charges after allegations staff have been tampering with expiry dates on products.

Tampered product. Photo/Consumer Protection & Fair Trade

Tonga’s Department of Consumer Protection & Fair Trade would not reveal the details of the products and stores embroiled in a probe but had confirmed its inspectors had identified the products in question.  

“Dear Consumers, please be cautious of some products with expiry dates tampered”, the department said in a post on its Facebook account.

It said some shops had breached the Consumer Protection Act the items had since been seized.

“We will appreciate if you can contact us if you notice the same behaviours in shops near you.

“Contact our Toll-Free Line 0800600 if you come across such issue”.

University of Auckland bestows honourary doctorate on revered academic ‘Epeli Hau’ofa

The University of Auckland is to bestow a posthumous honourary doctorate on the late Professor ‘Epeli Hau’ofa.

Epeli Hau‘ofa at the Oceania Centre for Arts and Culture, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 21 April 2006. Photo by Ann Tarte.

Hau’ofa was described at the time of his death by the Sydney Morning Herald as an “inspirational writer, satirist and scholar  . . . . truly a man of the Pacific, one of the region’s leading writers who promoted a positive vision of Oceanian culture and history.”

Tongan academic Dr Melanaite Taumoefolau said the university would honour Professor Hau’ofa at a graduation ceremony at the Fale Pasifika on Saturday October 14.

The ceremony will be held from 10am to midday followed by lunch.

Dr Taumoefolau said there would be a small kava circle with Dr Malakai Koloamatangi and Professor ‘Okusi Māhina and a few others.

It is expected there will be about 100-150 guests, mostly Tongan academics and family from the community.

The ceremony will begin with a prayer, followed by speakers who are expected to include  Tongan poet and academic Konai Thaman and Sione Tu’itahi.

This will be followed by foaki e mata’itohí, then entertainments from TAUA Tongan students Association. Sione Tu’itahi will be MC.

Hauʻofa was born in Papua New Guinea to Tongan missionary parents. He went to school in PNG, Tonga and Fiji and then attended the University of New England and the Australian National University in Australia and McGill University in Canada. He graduated from the ANU with a PhD in social anthropology.

He taught at the University of Papua New Guinea and was a research fellow at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. From 1978 to 1981 he was keeper of the palace records in his role as Deputy Private Secretary to King Tupou IV.

While in Tonga he and his wife Barbara edited the literary magazine Faikava. He became the first director of USP’s Rural Development Centre, based in Tonga, in 1981.

He taught sociology at USP in Suva, eventually becoming Head of the Department of Sociology. In 1997, Hauʻofa founded the university’s Oceania Centre for Arts and Culture. Through the centre he was mentor to a new generation of artists, sculptors, dancers and musicians at the USP in Suva.

Hau’ofa was a noted writer. His books included Mekeo: Inequality and Ambivalence in a Village Society, based on his PhD thesis, a novel, Kisses in the Nederends and probably his best known work, Tales of the Tikongs, a lively satire of contemporary South Pacific life, featuring multinational experts, religious fanatics, con men, villagers and corrupt politicians.

Hauʻofa died in Suva on January 11, 2009. At the time of his death, an academic colleague said “his vision and person were extraordinary.”

Biden makes new pledges to Pacific island leaders

By rnz.co.nz

President Joe Biden met Pacific island leaders for a second White House summit in just over a year on Monday, part of a charm offensive aimed at curbing further inroads by China into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard.

US President Joe Biden, right, stands with Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown, middle, and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape as they participate in a group photo with other leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum as part of the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House on September 25, 2023 in Washington. Photo: Win McNamee

Before welcoming the Pacific Islands Forum leaders, Biden announced US diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue.

“The United States is committed to ensuring an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, prosperous, and secure. We’re committed to working with all the nations around this table to achieve that goal,” Biden said at the welcoming ceremony.

Biden pledged to work with Congress to provide $US200 million more in funding for the region for projects aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, spurring economic growth, countering illegal fishing and improving public health, the US said in a document issued after a working lunch with the group.

“These new programs and activities continue to demonstrate the US commitment to work together with the Pacific Islands to expand and deepen our cooperation in the years ahead,” the document said.

A joint statement said the sides agreed to hold another summit in 2025 and political engagements every two years thereafter.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and Forum chair called the summit “an opportunity … to develop our partnerships for prosperity.”

He urged Washington “to actively engage at the highest level” in the 52nd PIF leaders meeting he would host in a few weeks to endorse its 2050 Strategy.

US wants to help island nations fend off China

Biden hosted an inaugural summit of 14 Pacific island nations a year ago and was to meet them again in Papua New Guinea in May. That meeting was scrapped when a US debt- ceiling crisis forced Biden to cut short an Asia trip.

Last year, his administration pledged to help islanders fend off China’s “economic coercion” and a joint declaration resolved to strengthen their partnership, saying they shared a vision for a region where “democracy will be able to flourish.”

Biden said recognising the Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states would “enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples’ lives.”

He highlighted a personal link to the region – an uncle killed in World War Two after crash landing off the coast of Papua New Guinea. He said the summit, as then, was “to build a better world.”

In Baltimore on Sunday, Pacific island leaders visited a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and were briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

They also attended Sunday’s National Football League game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts. Dozens of NFL players are of Pacific Islander heritage.

Some skip summit

Representatives of all 18 Forum membners attended the summit, but not all at leader level.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened ties with China, did not attend and a senior Biden administration official said the US was “disappointed” by this.

Washington appears to have made no progress on offers of substantial infrastructure funding and expanded aid to the Solomons. Sogavare visited China in July, announcing a policing agreement with Beijing that builds on a security pact signed last year.

The White House in 2022 said the US would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands.

Australia’s Lowy Institute Pacific Island Programs director Meg Keen said that while the US had opened new embassies and a USAID office in the region since last year’s summit, Congress had yet to approve most of the funding pledges made last year.

She added that Pacific island countries “welcome the US re-engagement with the region, but don’t want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarisation.”

Names of children found dead in suitcases revealed

By RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission

The two children whose bodies were found in a suitcase in a storage facility last year can be named.

Hakyung Lee appears in the High Court in Auckland in November, 2022. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro

They were Yuna Jo, who was born in September 2009, and Minu Jo, who was born in March 2012.

Coroner Tania Teitaha ended a suppression order that had been in place since the bodies were found in August 2022.

Their bodies were discovered after a family bought the contents of an abandoned storage locker in Papatoetoe in an online auction.

Haykung Lee, who is their mother, was extradited from Ulsan, South Korea in November last year.

She has pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder and is set to go to trial at the High Court in Auckland next year.

Two bodies loaded into vehicle at Moncrieff Avenue in Clendon Park

Police and forensic experts at the scene where two bodies were found Clendon Park. Photo: RNZ / Rayssa Almeida

Rugby World Cup stars forced to wash their own kit and denied snacks as chiefs sent plea

By Back MCeachen of express.co.uk

Rugby World Cup star Charles Piutau has opened up on how he and his Tonga team-mates have been forced to wash their own kits and practice with replica rugby balls ahead of the tournament in France, dramatically highlighting the stark contrast in resources between teams.

Charles Piutau and some players of ‘Ikale Tahi team. Photo/Tonga Rugby Union

Pitau and his team were defeated 59-16 by Ireland in their opening game, but despite the visibly tight finances they will be hoping to bounce back with a positive result against Scotland on Sunday.

Piutau made 17 caps for New Zealand but has not been picked since 2015, with Tonga taking advantage of the World Rugby eligibility amendment that allows players to switch national teams if they haven’t played for one team for three years and are eligible to represent another country.

Coming from New Zealand to a Tier Two side in Tonga was a culture shock, Piutau admitted, having opened up on how the team sometimes have to pay out of their own pockets to travel for training camps prior to the World Cup and are not always able to replenish their bodies after training sessions.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Pitau told The Telegraph. “It is a different experience coming into a Tier Two nation with the resources that we have, the time we have together as a team. It’s just about helping the guys around me in the environment to get better. The best thing I can do for the team is be at my best and try to perform.”

Peters returns as Kingmaker under Newshub-Reid Research poll

By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

National and ACT would need Winston Peters’ support to form a government under the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll.

NZ First leader Winston Peters Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
  • National: 39.1 percent, down 1.8 points (49 seats)
  • Labour: 26.5 percent, down 0.3 points (33 seats)
  • Greens: 14.2 percent, up 1.9 points (18 seats)
  • ACT: 8.8 percent, down 1.3 points (11 seats)
  • NZ First: 5.2 percent, up 0.6 points (6 seats)
  • Te Pāti Māori: 2.2 percent, down 0.9 points (3 seats)
  • TOP: 1.9 percent, up 1.2 points
  • New Conservatives: 1.1 percent

Between them, National and ACT would have 60 seats, just short of the 61 needed to form a government and requiring the support of NZ First’s Winston Peters.

Luxon confirmed on Monday National would form a government with NZ First if required, but his first preference would be for a two-party coalition with ACT.

“If New Zealand First is returned to Parliament and I need to pick up the phone to Mr Peters to keep Labour and the coalition of chaos out, I will make that call. And frankly, I think Chris Hipkins will ultimately do exactly the same thing.”

The left bloc of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori falls well short of governing, with just 54 seats between them. Peters and Labour’s have Chris Hipkins ruled out working with one another.

On the preferred prime minister stakes, National’s Christopher Luxon has also risen, clearly overtaking Hipkins – who dropped 3.4 percentage points.

  • Christopher Luxon: 24 percent, up 1.5 points
  • Chris Hipkins: 19.1 percent, down 3.4 points
  • David Seymour: 6.1 percent, down 0.9 points
  • Winston Peters: 6 percent, up 1.4 points
  • Chlöe Swarbrick: 4.4 percent, up 1.2 points

The previous Newshub-Reid Research poll a fortnight ago had National up 4.3 points to 40.9 percent, and Labour down 5.5 points to 26.8 percent.

The poll surveyed about 1000 eligible voters between 17 and 23 September and was weighted for demographics, with a margin of error of 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval.

Minor parties shuffle: Greens up, ACT down

The biggest shifts in the party vote were the 1.9-point lift for the Greens, and the respective 1.8 and 1.3 percentage point drops for National and ACT.

Political editor Jane Patterson told RNZ’s Checkpoint the Greens were likely picking up some of the support of left-leaning voters disillusioned with Labour – but with the major party falling were on track for the opposition benches.

“So they’ll be looking at a strengthened caucus, which does help in terms of resourcing, in terms of number [of MPs] and heft – even in opposition – but really unless they have a very strong Labour Party it’s not going to advantage them in terms of a path to government.”

She agreed ACT leader David Seymour floating the possibility of a confidence-only deal could have been partly behind that party’s fall, although Seymour had been clear his preference was to work directly with National.

The polling period also included TVNZ’s first head-to-head Leaders’ debate with Hipkins and Luxon, and the Newshub Powerbrokers’ debate between minor party leaders.

“We saw David Seymour and Winston Peters on the same stage and I think it was dawning on them even at that point that they needed to be showing that they could be constructive working partners, even if they had maybe different ways of showing it that night,” Patterson said.

Labour’s decline

Patterson said some of Hipkins’ decisions around the wealth and capital gains tax policies were debatable in terms of popularity, but the months of personnel scandals that dogged Labour was probably more damaging.

“I think that really chipped away at the cumulative view of Labour in terms of competence and just the calibre of their ministerial lineup at that point, and Chris Hipkins as leader.”

Voters could also be disillusioned the more centrist path Hipkins had taken Labour in, in a bid to contest closely with National.

Working with Peters was never really much of an option for Hipkins, however, with NZ First having ruled out working with Labour again very early on.

Hipkins ruled out working with New Zealand First if re-elected, saying their values did not align with Labour’s.

On Monday, he described a National-New Zealand First-ACT government as a “three-headed monster”.

Peters has often said voters would ultimately have the final say, however.

Patterson said National would have seen NZ First’s steady rise in the polls, and the decision to keep that option open had not hurt them much, but NZ First was relying on a different constituency.

That would likely mean the party would be unlikely to always listen to Luxon.

Rugby World Cup 2023: Tonga outscored and outpointed by Scotland in Nice

By Iliesa Tora of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Tonga is out of the running for a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal spot as they were outscored and outpointed by Scotland 45-17 at Stade De Nice in Nice on Monday morning.

Scotland won full points from the game scoring seven tries for a bonus point while Tonga managed to get two tries on the scoreboard.

While Scotland led 24-10 at halftime the game was anyone’s going into the second half.

Captain Ben Tameifuna dived over after Solomone Kata had countered from a Scottish long kick and the former Mate Ma’a Tonga winger set up a ruck in front of the Scotland tryline.

Tameifuna scored and William Havili’s conversion reduced the scoreline to 24-17.

But an option from Tameifuna for a kick towards touchline with a kickable penalty for Havili inside the Scottish 22-metre line backfired and the Scots opened up the scoring with three tries after that.

Tonga looked beaten mid-way through the second spell and were barely hanging on as the game progressed.

In frustration number eight Vaea Fifita hit a ruck illegally and was sent off with a yellow card adding to the earlier one on Afusipa Taumoepeau in the first half. That was upgraded to red after the game, which means his World Cup is now over.

In the end, Scotland had done enough to keep their hopes alive of a possible quarterfinal berth, even though they have Ireland to beat on the way there.

Tongan fans at the Tonga v Scotland match for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Nice, France.

Tonga fans showed up despite the team’s loss. Photo: RNZ / Iliesa Tora

Tongan captain Ben Tameifuna said it was mixed emotions and feeling after a tough rugby battle.

But he was still proud of the team and the effort they put in, saying the scoreline did not do justice to what they threw into the game.

“Bit of mixed emotions and feeling,” Tameifuna said.

“The boys played with their hearts out there. I know the score does not reflect how much effort we put in throughout this week. I said to the guys you can’t afford to give away easy penalties like that against Scotland with the amount of firepower the backs had.

“They just capitalised on it and I think against South Africa we just have to look at ourselves in the mirror and we can’t afford to give away easy penalties like that. But I am still proud of the boys we fronted right up to the 80th minute.”

Head coach Toutai Kefu said although they are out of the running now for a quarterfinal spot they will play with pride as they had always wanted to do for Tonga, the King and his people.

He said the players let on some easy tries but he was generally happy with how they played, especially on defence, which they were doing a lot of times in the game.

“We’ve always based our pride on our performance and that’s always what we we wanted to put out on the field, and we wanted a performance that not only us but family and the country is proud of.

“I think the boys did that largely. Again we let in some easy tries but there were some really defensive efforts where the boys were absolutely onsong and held out the opposition team for some period.

“I think we are tracking the right way, we will take each game as it comes and I think we have always said that.

“South Africa provides us a massive challenge. We don’t get to play the Springboks often so the boys will be up for that no doubt.”

Tongan fans at the Tonga v Scotland match for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Nice, France.

Tonga fans were out in full force. Photo: RNZ / Iliesa Tora

He said he was happy that the team improved from what they did against Ireland in their first pool match.

“The biggest difference between both games was we got some balls to fire some shots, we took some opportunities and scored a couple of tries.

“There were probably a couple of opportunities that we missed and we were just not able to sustain pressure on them.”

Game progress

Hooker George Turner opened the scoring in the first half when he dotted down after he was driven over by his fellow forwards to give them a perfect start on five minutes.

Finn Russell converted and Scoland led 7-0 before Havili kicked a penalty and reduced the scoreline to 7-3.

Then winger Solomone Kata raced clear after experienced Malakai Fekitoa and Charles Piutau combined to put the former Mate Ma’a Tonga winger in the clear. Havili converted and Tonga was in the lead 10-7.

Wingers Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn bagged quick tries before flanker Rory Darge secured the bonus point on the stroke of half-time after wing Afusipa Taumoepeau was yellow carded.

Tongan fans at the Tonga v Scotland match for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Nice, France.

Some fans were rooting for both teams. Photo: RNZ / Iliesa Tora

Skipper Tameifuna smashed his way through the Scotland defence to bring his side within seven points, but tries from replacement scrum-half George Horne, full-back Blair Kinghorn and replacement wing Darcy Graham sealed their first win of Rugby World Cup.

Mastercard Player of the Match Van der Merwe spoke said it was tough.

“It was pretty tough out there for the first half an hour,” he said post-match.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been hit like that before. But with boys like Finn [Russell] giving me opportunities, it’s just amazing.”

Scotland’s stand-in captain Russell said the bonus win gives them hope of getting into the quarterfinal.

“We’re going to have to get better if we want to stay in this competition after the group stages but we got what we needed tonight, which was a bonus point win.”

Scots dominate stats

Scotland dominated the statistics in the game.

They claimed 59 percent of possession and 64 percent of territory.

They had 335 balls in hand and attacked hard during the game, while Tonga only managed 190 balls to attack with.

The Scots carried the ball over 1095 metres compared to Tonga’s 528 and made 47 tackle breaks, against 11 that Tonga managed.

Tonga made 152 tackles against Scotland’s 110 and missed a total of 47 tackles. Scotland was more spot on with their tackles, missing only 11 in the game.

Tonga coach Kefu said the statistics were against them but they defended well when they could and missed a couple of one-on-one tackles also.

Scotland will now meet Romania and will play Ireland in their last pool match while Tonga gets to tackle defending champions South Africa and then Romania in their last game.