Author: Press Room

Police have admitted to misidentifying an 11-year-old girl, who was taken to a mental health facility, handcuffed, and injected with antipsychotic drugs, as a missing 20-year-old patient.Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora has apologised and launched an investigation into the incident, while Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this morning described it as “incredibly concerning”.Police in Waikato were called to the Fairfield Bridge in Hamilton after a female described as being in her 20s was seen climbing onto the railings at around 6.40am on March 9. “Fearing for her safety, police units, including a police boat, responded immediately, and staff attempted to…

Turkey is cracking down on large protests triggered by the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul Mayor and rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. ADVERTISEMENTTurkish authorities have arrested several journalists at their homes, a media workers’ union said on Monday, amid escalating protests triggered by the imprisonment of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.The Disk-Basin-Is union said at least eight reporters and photojournalists were detained in what it said was an “attack on press freedoms and the people’s right to learn the truth”.”You cannot hide the truth by silencing journalists!” the union wrote…

Five teenagers will face charges after three vehicles were allegedly stolen from a rural property north of Dargaville, with one colliding with a house while attempting to flee police.Police said three vehicles were stolen from Mamaranui at around 1am on Sunday.Inspector Maria Nordstrom, Whangārei-Kaipara Area Commander, said the vehicles travelled in convoy south into Dargaville where they were spotted by police.”All three vehicles failed to stop for the unit near River Rd, before beginning to drive at excessive speeds.”Police did not pursue the vehicles, she said.”Police soon came across one of these vehicles which had collided with a house on…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Plenty of New Zealanders are working into their 70s. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is one. Chief ombudsman Peter Boshier was another, until a rule forced him to resign. Data shows significant numbers of New Zealanders are working longer, even in the industries traditionally seen as physically taxing and potentially requiring an earlier exit. Data from Stats NZ shows there are almost 200,000 New Zealanders aged 65 or older reporting they are still in the workforce. Almost 90,000 are aged over 70. Over-65s made up 10.3 percent of machinery operators and drivers, 8 percent of…

A man’s lung cancer doubled in size after being missed despite nine scans over nine years in Southland Hospital.In a Health and Disability Commissioner report released today, deputy commissioner Dr Vanessa Caldwell found he was not provided an appropriate standard of care.The man had nine scans or x-rays between 2017 and 2022, when advanced stage four cancer was diagnosed and had spread to his spine.The man’s lung tumour was first overlooked during a CT scan at Southland Hospital in 2017, then again during further scans in the following years.Caldwell said there were several missed opportunities to identify the cancer and…

An unlicensed asbestos remover has been ordered to pay reparations and sentenced to community work after pocketing more than $20,000 by misrepresenting his employer. Barrie John Crockett was working in a project management role at Demasol Limited at the time of his offending. Between December 2021 and June 2022, Crockett used Demasol’s name and letterhead to invoice three customers for work. The money, totalling $21,938, was sent to Crockett’s personal bank account.After a dissatisfied customer contacted Demasol, an investigation was launched, which revealed the illegal activity following Crockett’s redundancy in May 2022. Since Demasol was not involved with the work,…

As the EU faces increasing security challenges, questions have arisen over whether France has the military capability to lead a joint defence initiative. ADVERTISEMENTFrench President Emmanuel Macron has positioned France at the heart of European rearmament initiatives, following signs of a rapprochement between the US and Russia. With the US scaling back its military protection of Europe and Russia posing a growing threat to the continent’s security, the EU is pushing for increased spending and the pooling of resources on joint defence projects among its members.However, despite Macron’s ambitions, there are questions over whether France’s army — which is the seventh…

The Government says its new replacement for the Resource Management Act will cut administrative and compliance costs by 45%.The Government will look to progress its reforms, introducing two Acts to replace the RMA by the end of 2025.RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Undersecretary Simon Court said replacing the RMA with law based on property rights would grow the economy and lift living standards.”The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build the infrastructure and houses New Zealand desperately needs, too hard to use our abundant natural resources, and hasn’t resulted in better management…

A new draft law presented on Friday in Budapest would allow Hungary’s National Electoral Office to revoke the mandates of members of the European Parliament if they fail to comply with financial transparency rules. ADVERTISEMENTA draft law presented on Friday evening by MPs from Hungary’s ruling coalition Fidesz-KDNP party would beef up transparency rules for MEPs and threatens to target opposition leader Péter Magyar, according to Magyar himself and a political commentator.If approved, the new law would require all Hungarian MEPs to disclose their financial assets in a similar manner to their counterparts in the Hungarian Parliament.But the new law…

The spotlight is on shrinkflation – when a product becomes smaller but the price remains the same – after a damning inquiry into Australia’s supermarkets raised the issue.It’s led to calls for supermarkets to be more transparent on shrinkflation in New Zealand.Consumer NZ chief executive officer Jon Duffy said a notice on the shelf saying a product is smaller would help customers.“Just so that consumers coming to that product are aware that they perhaps should be looking at a competing product because they might be getting a better deal.”Stats NZ measures shrinkflation when it looks at prices – and has…