Author: Press Room

Carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and other hazardous chemicals remain in widespread use across Europe due in part to lax enforcement of EU regulations by national authorities, according to a new report from the legal charity ClientEarth. ADVERTISEMENTWith inspections rare, non-compliance rarely sanctioned and fines “almost non-existent”, hazardous substances remain in widespread use and pose a risk to workers and the wider environment, ClientEarth has warned as the European Commission plans to simplify EU rules.Under the regulation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (dubbed REACH), substances identified as particularly dangerous are banned by default, and authorisations for strictly controlled substances are granted on a case-by-case basis where…

The Commerce Commission is filing criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak’nSave supermarkets for inaccurate pricing and misleading specials. The charges will be made seperately against Woolworths, Pak’nSave Silverdale and Pak’nSave Mill Street. The commission said there are ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act. In a statement, deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations are. “Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials, and we’re not satisfied with the continuing issues we’re seeing across the industry. “Pricing…

Firefighters continued to battle a large vegetation fire, fanned by strong winds, west of Christchurch today — with efforts focused around “blackening out” a containment line.Fire and Emergency NZ said the fire north of West Melton was reported around 9pm yesterday.A Fire and Emergency (FENZ) spokesperson said people who were evacuated have since been able to return home.Speaking to media this afternoon, FENZ incident commander Dave Key said the fire is now 130ha, with a perimeter of 6.5km, and crews will remain overnight to add “reassurance” to the community.He added about 75 firefighters were on the ground today, who were…

The economic downturn has taken a toll on the wedding industry with fewer bookings, smaller guest lists and people ditching luxuries like flowers and hair stylists.Summer is wedding season but celebrants, wedding planners, caterers and the like say business this year is tough.Valley D’Vine in Hawke’s Bay won’t cater a reception until 2025.Greg Miller runs the restaurant on the Linden Estate winery in Esk Valley and said he’s never had a season quite like it.”Normally I would have done ten weddings by now, from August on, but I haven’t done one yet. My first wedding’s not until January. I’ve lost…

According to One Roof, there are more than 770 houses for sale in Dunedin at present. The recent interest rate cuts and the normal “spring surge” seem to have combined to create this record figure. So far, house prices appear to be holding up in the face of this increased supply. In recent months one of my most common client conversations has been about downsizing to release equity. For most New Zealanders their house is the most significant financial asset they own. Downsizing is not a decision to take lightly and can be a pivotal decision in shaping a client’s…

Another 40,000 chickens will have to be culled due to bird flu at an Otago farm.It will bring the total number of chickens culled at the Mainland Poultry farm to 200,000 since a high pathogenic strain of avian influenza was detected at the premises last week.Biosecurity NZ deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said continued testing and monitoring showed no sign of the high pathogenic avian influenza outside of the Hillgrove farm.The site was under a strict biosecurity lockdown.”The depopulation to date covers all four layer sheds, which held a capacity of 160,000 chickens in total,” Anderson said.”We’ve had an animal welfare specialist…

A Rotorua liquor store was targeted last night by a small group armed with a machete and hammer among other weapons, leading to the arrest of a teenager.Police responded to the store on Old Taupo Rd at around 9.40pm to reports a small group of people had entered the store, one armed with a machete, one with a hammer, and others with various tools.”The group has stolen items including alcohol and tobacco, before leaving the scene in a stolen vehicle,” a police spokesperson said.One of the young people was found “thanks to some quick thinking” by responding staff who had…

The decision comes as millions of refugees are now able to return to Syria following the fall of al-Assad’s regime. ADVERTISEMENTGermany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has put a hold on asylum applications from Syria on Monday, according to local media. A spokespeson reportedly said the decision was made as Syria’s politicial future is currently too uncertain. Local authorities said 47,270 applications were impacted by the application freeze, but that existing applications, which were already decided on, have not been impacted.Reacting to the news, CDU’s Johann Wadephul said it must be assumed “that the rebels who have now won,…

A man who allegedly attempted to steal copper piping from a vacant West Auckland property last night has been taken to hospital after receiving an electric shock.Police received a call reporting a man had been injured and was trapped under a house on Meadowcroft Way in Henderson at around 11.20pm.Senior Sergeant Damian Albert said it appeared the man was in the process of stealing copper piping when he was shocked after touching a live wire.”Fire and Emergency NZ has attended and made the scene safe so the male could be rescued and transported to hospital immediately.”Albert said the shock “could…

No photographic evidence that the ousted Syrian president is in Moscow has emerged, despite confirmation from the Kremlin and Iranian officials. ADVERTISEMENTA photo circulating widely on social media claiming to show the ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his wife in Moscow was in fact taken in February 2023 in Aleppo, according to Euroverify’s analysis.Russian news agency TASS first reported that al-Assad and his family had arrived in the Russian capital after fleeing Syria on Sunday, citing a Kremlin source. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has since suggested President Putin personally granted al-Assad’s asylum.But a reverse-image search shows that photos claiming…