Author: Press Room

Many consider the case against Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, seen as the biggest challenger to Erdoğan’s 22-year rule, to be politically motivated. ADVERTISEMENTTurkey’s president has accused the political opposition of “sinking the economy” during the country’s biggest protests in more than a decade following the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments come after İmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for a boycott of companies it says support the government.Erdoğan said the opposition is “so desperate that they would throw the country and the nation into the fire”.In an address to lawmakers of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK…

Green MP Tamatha Paul is doubling down on her comments that a “visible police presence” makes people feel “more on edge.””I’m not surprised that people are upset that a young, brown woman is being critical of an institution that has let her and her communities down for a very long time,” she told RNZ.Labour leader Chris Hipkins, a potential coalition partner, hit out at the earlier comments, saying they were “ill-informed; were unwise; in fact, were stupid”.Other coalition MPs hit out at the comments too, with the Prime Minister saying Paul was in “la-la land”.Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul. (Source:…

The Indonesian naval chief of staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, said the project would address various maritime security challenges, including piracy, terrorism and other illegal activities. ADVERTISEMENTTop diplomats from France and Indonesia have agreed to a new maritime security project which aims to “to ensure peace and safety” at sea in the Indo-Pacific region.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s visit to Jakarta, his second stop on his four-day Asia tour, comes amid ongoing trade tensions between the European Union and Beijing.He told reporters on Wednesday that the Indo-Pacific Port Security Project “is close to my heart,” promising France’s support.Neither he nor his…

Police investigating the death of a man in Christchurch earlier this month are apppealing for sightings of a vehicle of interest.A homicide investigation was launched after Mairehau man Tyrone Munns was found with critical injuries on Innes Rd around 9.15pm on March 9.The 39-year-old died at the scene.Emergency services at an address on Innes Rd, in the Christchurch suburb of Mairehau. (Source: 1News)Officers were now seeking sightings and information about a light-coloured people-mover that was in the area at the time, Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells said.The vehicle was also seen on Innes Rd between Philpotts Rd and BP Mairehau…

After at least four cases of the disease were detected, there are rising concerns about potential shortages of milk and meat. ADVERTISEMENTAs Slovakia continues its efforts to rid the country of foot-and-mouth disease, after a state of emergency was declared across the whole country on Tuesday.A new outbreak of the disease has been detected in Hungary, approximately 15 kilometres from the Slovak border near Bratislava. Disinfection mats have been installed at Hungarian border crossings, veterinarians are monitoring the situation in the field, and the disposal of infected animals is ongoing.Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč provided details about the situation during…

Bank rules designed to stop money laundering, and the withdrawal of physical branches, may be making it harder for people to open bank accounts, Reserve Bank research has shown.It has found a third of frontline staff said they were unable to open a bank account for a customer either on a monthly or weekly basis.The main barriers were customer due diligence requirements, which are used to meet anti-money laundering laws, and the way those laws are implemented.Problems included people who did not have proof of address or photo identification, language barriers, or lack of access to a bank branch.The Reserve…

European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is heading to China as the country’s companies come under the EU’s investigatory lens. But with a trade war with the United States intensifying, what’s he after in a rapprochement between the EU and China? ADVERTISEMENTFor the first time since taking office, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will travel to China on 27 and  28 March to meet China’s vice premier He Lifeng, Minister for Customs Sun Meijun and Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao. Maroš Šefčovič’s visit to the Asian giant, against a backdrop of tense trade negotiations with the Americans, will be closely scrutinised. Here are…

A New Zealand woman who found her biological father with the help of a genetic testing company is alarmed at news of the company’s bankruptcy and is warning the security of highly personal data may be at risk.23andMe announced it had filed for bankruptcy on Monday and is looking for a buyer.Although it promised to protect customer data throughout the process, California’s attorney-general has advised users to consider deleting their information.Rebecca Hamilton said the genetic testing company was an “absolute lifeline” for her when she was searching for her biological father.”I tried every possible avenue. It was the only place…

The claims appear to have sprung from reports that the Nordic countries have started advising citizens to keep a supply of cash at home in the case of a digital banking crisis. ADVERTISEMENTA false narrative spreading online claims that Norway and Sweden are doing away with e-money and are returning to a fully cash-based society.For example, one post circulating on social media says the countries are now going back to paying in cash because they’ve supposedly realised that it’s the most secure payment method, as digital accounts allow the authorities to block your transactions.Another popular post says that Sweden is…

A former Invercargill councillor has been ordered to clear her gorse-covered section after losing a battle with the council she once represented.But Karen Arnold says she is giving no regard to the outcome and blames the gorse on neighbouring land which is co-owned by Invercargill City Council.The vacant section in question at Theodore St, Bluff, has failed eight inspections since 2022.On March 4, it was the subject of a hearing after Arnold took exception with a December notice which requested it be cleared of long grass and noxious plants within 60 days.Arnold is adamant the cause of gorse and broom…