Author: Press Room

In response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, survivors have a new way of accessing their records online, launched this week.Government and faith-based institutions were responsible for the care of more than 650,000 people between 1950 and 2019 but getting hold of personal files has been hugely challenging for many.The new website called Kōnae doesn’t hold their personal files, it’s independent of the government, but it shows survivors how to access their records — their legal right.Kerry Dalton, the Citizens Advice Bureau chief executive, told 1News: “There is a map that can be searched, a directory…

ADVERTISEMENTRadio Schuman spoke with Euronews correspondent Sasha Vakulina, who has been closely following the whirlwind events leading to what could be the first face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine in 2022. She discussed a change in tone from Putin, why the Russian leader now finds himself in a tight spot, and whether this week could see the end of the three-year war.We’ll also look at today’s potentially landmark ruling in the ‘Pfizergate’ case on a multibillion-euro vaccine deal. And finally, will the EU ban phones at school?This episode of Radio…

More asbestos has been discovered in the Auckland War Memorial Museum, closing the landmark building until further notice and forcing staff to work remotely.In a statement issued on Friday, a spokesperson said the building was closed for the weekend after asbestos dust was located in the old museum building and Grand Foyer.However, in an updated statement today, it was announced that asbestos was discovered in “additional areas of the building”.”As a precaution, we are temporarily expanding the closed areas of the Museum while we work to establish the full extent of the affected spaces and prepare for cleaning and removal.”Museum…

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the Government will “without a doubt” meet its goal of hiring 500 new police officers — but only during its current term in office. NZ First leader Winston Peters said New Zealanders wouldn’t care about the delay in delivering on the Government’s promise.Under the National-NZ First coalition agreement, the Government set a target of recruiting an extra 500 officers within its first two years in office.Peters today told media at Parliament: “We’ll get there. But sometimes we overperform, and sometimes it takes a bit longer.”Mitchell said: “We will deliver our 500 police officers this term,…

The owner of an ambulance stolen from outside Timaru Hospital early on Tuesday morning and taken for a joyride while a patient awaited transfer to Christchurch has described the incident as “gut wrenching”.Dashcam footage provided to 1News showed the stolen ambulance travelling through thick fog at speeds of up to 82km/h.Don Gutsell, who ran health and safety training provider ProMed, said the ambulance was left running to warm up while medical staff were preparing a patient to be transferred to Christchurch.”It was a really cold, foggy night, and we left the vehicle running to heat up the back of it.”Gutsell…

Chaser Mark Labbett almost met his match in the latest episode of The Chase, threatening to quit just minutes into the show in the face of extraordinary contestants.Julie, Aaron, Elaine and Michael went on a near perfect run early in the episode, leaving Labbett – nicknamed The Beast – on the ropes.Julie, 62, answered every question correctly in her head-to-head. That earned her £8,000 in her cash-builder, which she went for – despite a high offer of $40,000.Host Bradley Walsh, noting her performance, said: “I really think you could have gone with the £40,00. What a team we’ve got here.”Second…

Schools are welcoming the Government’s $100 million maths initiatives but some in the education sector are raising concerns about finding staff for the roll-out. The initiatives include $56 million for the equivalent of 143 full-time maths intervention teachers, $40 million for intermediate students who aren’t meeting curriculum expectations to receive tutoring and $4 million for a maths test for students at the end of Year 2 to determine if they need additional support.”It is a quality investment so long as… there are hard-to-staff areas and I just don’t know what what they’ll do to make this accessible,” Cambridge Middle School…

A Taranaki health service says vulnerable patients are about to lose dedicated help during complex, often frightening medical care because of a government funding cut.Local Democracy Reporting has found that from July there will be no more money to pay some 130 healthcare guides across the country.Called kaiāwhina, they give guidance and wraparound support to people facing difficult illness and injury.Ngāti Ruanui Healthcare says its sole kaiāwhina is key to ensuring comprehensive care for South Taranaki communities and GP practices.Ngāti Ruanui Healthcare is iwi-owned and run, but non-Māori make up almost half of its enrolled patients.Graham Young, Ngāti Ruanui Tahua…

New Zealand’s illicit drug market is increasingly being shaped by gang control and digital technology, with rising methamphetamine sales by gangs and a surge in purchasing via social media, according to a new nationwide survey released today.More than 10,000 people participated in the annual New Zealand Drug Trends Survey, which asks about drug use patterns, pricing, access to services, and perceptions of drug policy.A key finding was that one third (33%) of meth buyers purchased from a gang member or gang associate, much higher than for cannabis (13%), cocaine (6%), MDMA (5%) and LSD (3%).Rates of purchasing meth from a…

ADVERTISEMENTEuropean Council President António Costa visited Sarajevo on Tuesday as part of his Balkans tour. He was given a warm reception upon his arrival prior to his meetings with members of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.In a statement, the European Council chief announced that the EU “remains committed” to European future of the country. He also praised Željka Cvijanović, Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić and Borjana Krišto – all members of the presidency – for their role in maintaining stability and security in the country and the region.Recently, tensions have been brewing domestically over the leader of Republika Srpska…