Author: Press Room

By Peggy Corlin & Romane Armangau Published on 21/05/2025 – 18:27 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTBusiness representatives gave a jaundiced welcome to a new single market strategy designed to strengthen internal trade presented on Wednesday by EU Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, following years of promises on the issue by the European Commission.“Every Commission term seems to feature a flagship communication on the single market, going back to the Monti Report in 2010, but unfortunately these have not always led to tangible improvements for businesses,” Ben Butters, the CEO of Eurochambres, which represents businesses across Europe, told Euronews.  Then Competition Commissioner Mario Monti’s 2010 report sketched a strategy…

A man who lost $2000 when he got one number wrong in a bank transfer has been told to drop his complaint.He complained to Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL) after the money was lost.The man realised he had entered the recipient account number incorrectly when the money did not turn up. FSCL said he had entered 05 instead of 55 as the suffix, and did not pick up on the mistake before the transfer was processed.He contacted his bank, but was told it could not help because he had authorised the transfer.The money transfer service said it was not its…

ADVERTISEMENTFor almost three months, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers held out against Russian attacks in the bunkers and tunnels of the Azovstal steel plant, becoming a symbol of resistance against Russian aggression. Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, around half a million people lived in Mariupol, the biggest Ukrainian city on the Sea of Azov and the main port serving the industries and agriculture of eastern Ukraine. Russia had already tried to occupy Mariupol when it invaded Ukraine for the first time in 2014. The city was under Russian control for two months before Ukrainian forces took it back. Ten…

Kāinga Ora has confirmed it will cut 620 roles, of which 194 are vacant, as part of its restructuring.The roles are predominately from its back-office and corporate functions, with frontline tenancy management roles not impacted.Kāinga Ora had initially proposed cutting 673 roles, but said it made some changes to the proposal after consulting with staff.It said the changes would enable the organisation to focus on providing and managing state-owned social housing more cost effectively.”We need an organisational model and workforce that reflects our new, narrower focus on managing and providing social housing. We also need to align our back-to-basics focus,…

ADVERTISEMENTThe EU foreign policy chief has called on Israel to investigate after IDF troops fired what the Israeli military said were “warning shots” near a delegation of foreign diplomats in the West Bank on Wednesday.”I’ve heard about the incident in Jenin today where Israel Defence Forces shot warning shots but still shots at a group of diplomats approaching the refugee camp within a visit organised by the Palestinian Authority,” Kaja Kallas said.”Any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable. So as Israel is also a signatory to the Vienna Convention, I mean the obligation to guarantee the security of all foreign…

A person has died following a single-vehicle crash near Northland’s Matakohe this afternoon.Police say they were alerted to the crash on State Highway 12 west of Gallie Rd around 1.30pm.”Police extend condolences to the family of the victim.”A full road closure was put in place while the serious crash unit carried out a scene examination.Motorists have been thanked for their cooperation.An investigation is now underway into the circumstances of the crash.

ADVERTISEMENTMalta, Belgium, Iceland, Denmark and Spain are the top five countries in this year’s LGBTQ+ rights ranking, according to this year’s ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map. Malta has been at the top of the ranking for the last decade, with a score of 88,83%. With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.    Despite Belgium jumping to second place in the index over Iceland, the latest figures from Belgium’s Centre for Equal Opportunities Unia and the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men reported “worrying” cases of violence and discrimination against…

Police are urgently seeking information on the whereabouts of a man who fled from a rural property near Gisborne after being handcuffed this morning.Sonny Kennedy was arrested at a Whakarau Rd address around 9.30am, police said. He was searched before being handcuffed at the front of his body.However, the 36-year-old fled on foot towards Whakarau Rd as an officer walked him to a patrol vehicle, police said.”The property is approximately 6km south-east of Matawai, around 26km from the intersection with State Highway 2.”Kennedy was dressed in a dark-coloured hoodie and light-coloured trousers and sneakers. Police said he may have fled…

ADVERTISEMENTThéophile Humann-Guilleminot grabs his 100,000 euro suitcase, a special high-tech camera: “Today we are going on the hunt for methane emissions in Croatia. We analyse oil and natural gas plants.” Thermal imaging technician Theo works for the international climate protection organisation CATF and has already undertaken 500 “methane hunts” from Romania to Spain. He always found what he was looking for!Methane is responsible for a third of global warming. In a 20-year comparison, methane is even 80 times more harmful to the climate than CO2. Agriculture, poorly sealed landfill sites and the use of fossil fuels are the main man-made sources. Compared…

Auckland department store Smith & Caughey’s has made the “heartbreaking decision” to close its doors by the end of July after 145 years.The move to close the flagship Queen St store and its online offering follows the latest consultation process with staff about its ongoing viability.Its closure will result in 98 redundancies. On May 29 last year, the store initiated a staff consultation proposal regarding the potential closure of all retail operations in early 2025. This included prominent department stores in Queen St, Newmarket, and online. It cited a range of external factors that created the “perfect storm” for the…