Author: Press Room

EU probes into Apple, Alphabet and Meta — which were opened last March — remain unclosed. ADVERTISEMENTProbes against companies for breaching the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) should be wrapped up soon to stop ongoing breaches of the competition rules, a group of different associations and businesses urged Teresa Ribera, European Commissioner for Competitiveness, in a letter sent on Tuesday.The DMA aims to ensure fair competition between online platforms and started to apply early 2024, but none of the European Commission investigations into US tech giants Apple, Alphabet and Meta for alleged breaches of the law, have been closed. “The…

The Chief Human Rights Commissioner has called for a “hotline” set up to report Israeli soldiers holidaying in New Zealand to be shut down. The hotline was promoted in a newsletter from the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) last week and encouraged people to report any IDF soldiers or reservists visiting New Zealand. “We need your help to track them down so we can let them know they are not welcome here.”Today Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow called for the “immediate end” to the hotline. He said the commission had received more than 90 complaints about it.Rainbow said…

In ten years, the global space economy could triple in size. Europe wants to remain at the forefront of this sector, but risks being left behind if words are not matched by action, said EU Commissioner for Space and Defence Andrius Kubilius. ADVERTISEMENTEuropean Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called for the EU to adopt a “big bang” approach to space, injecting investment along lines similar to new priorities on defence, speaking at the the 17th European Space Conference in Brussels. Kubilius said he wanted Europe to be a leader in the space industry, but admitted that the budget is…

A driver is in custody after allegedly fleeing police across Auckland this afternoon — with the pursued vehicle spiked multiple times and damage to three police vehicles.Police first observed the vehicle with mismatching plates travelling city-bound on the Northwestern Motorway before 3pm.Inspector Kerry Watson said police staff approached the blue Subaru in Western Springs a short time later, intending to ask the driver to stop.”Instead, the driver took off from police at speed on Great North Road towards Pt Chevalier.”Police have not pursued this vehicle, but the police Eagle helicopter continued to monitor this vehicle’s erratic and dangerous driving behaviour.”The…

Copenhagen is boosting its military spending and holding talks with European allies as Trump ramps up his expansionist rhetoric. ADVERTISEMENTDenmark will inject 14.6 billion kroner (€1.95 billion) into boosting its military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic region, the country’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Monday, as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded to buy or otherwise take control of Greenland.“There are serious challenges regarding security and defence in the Arctic and North Atlantic,” Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement, adding that the package would include three new Arctic naval vessels, two…

Three Southland roads are at risk of reverting to gravel as the district council struggles to maintain its network amid funding issues.A report prepared for a Wednesday meeting said Southland District Council had the second largest road network in the country with close to 5000km of roads.But, with a small ratepayer base — and unable to secure enough funding from the National Land Transport Plan — it was now having to make sacrifices.That included reverting sections of three sealed roads back to gravel because it was not economical to maintain them.The roads in question were Crooked Rd near Riversdale, Waterloo…

A helicopter search is underway for a man who went missing while swimming in a group at Auckland’s Piha Beach this afternoon.Lifeguards witnessed the group being swept out to sea in a rip at around 4pm, according to a Surf Life Saving spokesperson. Police said six swimmers were involved. “Police are aware five swimmers were rescued. However, the sixth member of the group was not located,” a spokesperson said.”Search efforts are ongoing to locate this man,” police said. “The police Eagle helicopter has also deployed to assist with aerial-based searches.”An Auckland Coastguard patrol helicopter has also been called to join…

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand isn’t getting the “reciprocal reaction we expect” from Kiribati as the two nations’ relationship hits rock bottom.1News revealed yesterday that New Zealand’s entire aid programme to Kiribati was put on hold while it’s reviewed because of a lack of “open dialogue” from the small country.The move came after Kiribati President Taneti Maamau pulled out of a pre-arranged meeting with Foreign Minister Winston Peters last week, just days before it was set to happen. Peters had repeatedly tried to meet with Maamau, who is also Kiribati’s Foreign Minister.Speaking about the decision to hold aid,…

A group of Wairoa retirees are gearing up for a legal battle, saying their landlord has breached a Tenancy Tribunal order against rental increases.Already financially stretched by living off their pensions, the retirees fear that any unreasonable increase to their current rent will leave them without the means to survive.The group received a letter before Christmas advising them their rent would increase from $360 to $415, starting on January 27 this year.The retirees were adamant that the rent hikes were unreasonable and planned to go to court to prove it. The group have had two years of legal battles against…

Pascal Lamy, the former chief of staff to European Commission President Jacques Delors and former two-term head of the World Trade Organization, told Euronews how the EU should deal with Donald Trump if the American president follows up on threats to impose tariffs. ADVERTISEMENTUS President Donald Trump should realise that the EU is a big market and could retaliate in a tariff war, harming US exporters, Pascal Lamy told Euronews’ Shona Murray in an exclusive interview Radio Schuman features today.The former European Commissioner for Trade and twice Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), downplayed the importance of Trump’s “show”…