Author: Press Room

A representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports — especially photographs and police body-camera video — related to the recent deaths of Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after their partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home last month.Authorities last week announced that Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease as much as a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — took the life of his 65-year-old wife.Hackman’s pacemaker last showed signs of activity on…

A South Auckland councillor who has endured cyberstalking is calling for proposed legislation aimed at tackling stalking and digital harassment to be prioritised.Angela Dalton spoke about the personal toll that cyberstalking had on her as a community leader.”Over the past year, I have been subjected to cyberstalking, which has damaged my reputation, relationships, and opportunities.”I had no recourse for this, and it has been a major reason for my decision to step down from my current position.”The councillor, who represents the Manurewa-Papakura ward, says she supports the Bill and urges the Law and Public Safety Committee to prioritise its passage.Local…

Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically questioned what would happen to Russia’s Kursk region and the Kremlin’s demands, which Moscow refers to as the “root causes” of its all-out invasion of Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENTVladimir Putin said on Thursday he was in favour of a 30-day ceasefire proposal, but he stressed that there are “nuances” to what he would agree to.In a speech at a news conference in the Russian capital, the Russian president said that in the eyes of Moscow, the proposal should lead to an “enduring peace” and should tackle what the Kremlin calls “root causes”. These are the pretexts Putin…

Dame Jacinda Ardern will be releasing a children’s book in September based on things her daughter Neve said to her while she was prime minister. In an announcement posted to Facebook on Thursday morning, Ardern shared the title of her new book – Mum’s Busy Work – which is told through the eyes of a child. Ardern told her followers she began to work on the book while writing her “valedictory to leave parliament”.”I wanted to do anything other than write that speech, and so I ended up writing this instead.”Kiwi illustrator Ruby Jones has done the artwork for the…

Five endangered turtles have been returned to the wild at a Northland beach after being rescued near death and nursed back to health.The green turtles were released yesterday at Rangiputa Beach, on the Karikari Peninsula, while a crowd of hundreds – including children from local schools and kohanga reo – watched from the shore.The release also marked the start of New Zealand’s biggest turtle-tracking study to date, with two of the juvenile turtles fitted with satellite tracking tags that will transmit data on their movements every time they surface.Project leader Karen Middlemiss, a senior marine science advisor for the Department…

This article was originally published in Portuguese The government, led by the Social Democrats in an alliance with a smaller party, fell amid a controversy that has revolved around potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of outgoing Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s family law firm. ADVERTISEMENTPortugal will hold an early general election on May 18, the country’s president announced Thursday, two days after a minority government lost a confidence vote in parliament and stood down.President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has no executive power but can dissolve parliament and call elections, described the government’s collapse as a shock that was neither…

A curious white pointer shark has been snapped getting up close and personal with a research team’s underwater camera equipment in Fiordland. Department of Conservation staff and researchers from Sea Through Science were carrying out a baited remote underwater video (BRUV) survey in Fiordland’s Tamatea/Dusky Sound in February when the shark was seen sniffing around – and mouthing – a bait pot attached to the equipment.Sea Through Science researcher Adam Smith, who was contracted to undertake the work said it was “quite a shock” to see the curious mature male pointer shark getting so close to the BRUV cameras. “The…

Hungary’s resistance has put the EU in a situation of maximum suspense less than 72 hours before the individual sanctions are set to expire. ADVERTISEMENTEuropean Union countries are in a race against time to convince Hungary to renew the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on more than 2,400 individuals and entities, mainly from Russia, in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Sanctions need to be renewed every six months by unanimity.The veto has played out throughout the week in meetings between ambassadors. After unsuccessful attempts on Monday and Wednesday, envoys gathered again on Thursday, hoping a breakthrough could…

A student who died yesterday after being struck by a train in Waikato has been named by Matamata College as Sarie Morton. “It is with deep sadness that we inform our school community of the sudden passing of one of our beloved students, Sarie Morton, following an incident after school yesterday,” Matamata College board presiding member Craig Alexander and principal Dr Angela Sharples posted today on the school’s Facebook page.”Our heartfelt condolences go out to Sarie’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”Emergency services were called to the railway tracks alongside Firth St, near the intersection with College St,…

Belgian judicial authorities sealed two offices of parliamentary assistants on Thursday as part of the latest corruption investigation in the European Parliament. ADVERTISEMENTThe offices of two parliamentary assistants from the European People’s Party and Renew Europe have been sealed by Belgian judicial authorities amid investigations on alledged bribes from Chinese tech company Huawei to influence EU decision-making. One belongs to the assistants of Marco Falcone (Italy/EPP), Paolo Campisi and Francesco Vasta. The other is the office of Adam Mouchtar, assistant to Nikola Minchev (Bulgaria/Renew Europe). Belgian authorities have accessed the offices of Falcone’s assistants around 17:00 CET, for over an hour. As…