Author: Press Room

A proposed amendment to Slovakia’s language legislation could prove a fresh setback to diplomatic relations between Bratislava and Budapest. ADVERTISEMENTA draft Slovak law that would crack down on the use of minority languages in public has raised concerns about the rights of the country’s Hungarian population.The proposed amendment to Slovakia’s existing language law states that Slovak text must appear first on public signs and advertisements, and that minority languages would be prohibited on public transport and in places such as post offices, according to local media reports. People who fall foul of the legislation would face fines of up to…

By Farah Hancock of RNZ An East Otago gold mining company, with a fast-tracked expansion project, has a poor history complying with consent conditions. An audit of OceanaGold’s Macraes mine, completed in October by the Otago Regional Council, found “continued or repeated non-compliances” with several resource consent environmental monitoring conditions between 2019 and 2024. It also found a trend of declining aquatic health in the surrounding ecosystem, but did not deem this a breach by itself. The council did not take enforcement action against the company, which said it was working proactively with the council to improve compliance. The East…

Angela has spent most of this year looking for work.She had a fixed-term contract that expired in June, but started to look for her next move in January, knowing the end-date was approaching.The 46-year-old, who has worked since she was 16, specialises in the arts and culture sector and has a master’s degree.She broadened her search this year to other industries and estimates she applied for about 70 roles across project management, communications and engagement positions with not-for-profits and other organisations.Recruitment sites showed there were hundreds of other applicants for the roles. There were almost 1000 for an operations co-ordinator…

In Charente-Maritime, France, rising child cancer cases are suspected to be linked to pesticide exposure. Local residents are pushing for stricter national and EU regulations on pesticide use. ADVERTISEMENTThey are invisible, but traces of them can be found everywhere: in our food, in plants, in the soil, in groundwater, in the air and in our bodies.These are pesticide residues. Europe is one of the world’s biggest consumers of them, and the leading exporter.The risks they pose to the environment, and to animal and human health, are at the heart of a vigorous debate, particularly as regards their intensive use in…

An investigation has been launched following a “suspicious” house fire in Hastings early this morning. Emergency services were called to the fire at a vacant house on Lowe Street at about 3am today. “Initial enquiries suggest people were seen running away from the house a short time before,” police said. Police wanted to hear from anyone living on Lowe Street who might have CCTV footage that could help with the investigation. “We’d also like to hear from anyone who heard or saw something which might be relevant, who has not yet spoken to us.”Anyone with information was asked to update…

The European Commission is proposing a voluntary single digital portal for companies posting workers to another member state to provide cross-border services. Stakeholders are divided over its ‘added value’. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Commission on Wednesday proposed an initiative to cut red tape, reduce administrative delays and harmonise different national requirements for companies that temporarily post workers to another member state to provide a service.   The initiative will introduce both a single digital portal and a standard electronic posting declaration to facilitate the cross-border provision of services by some five million posted workers in the single market.   “The proposal will reduce one…

One NZ is facing criminal charges over claims made in its ‘100% mobile coverage’ advertising campaign that the Commerce Commission says may have breached the Fair Trading Act.It related to an advertising campaign to promote a proposed future satellite direct-to-cell mobile phone service in collaboration with Space X. The country’s second biggest telecommunications company, One NZ, formerly Vodafone, was asked by the Commission to stop the high-profile 100% mobile coverage advertising campaign last year.Commerce Commission deputy chairperson Anne Callinan said the Commission has now filed criminal charges. It said headline representations made during the campaign could be “misleading and distort…

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Brussels for urgent talks with EU and NATO officials on boosting support for Ukraine, amid concerns over potential policy shifts after Donald Trump returns to the White House. ADVERTISEMENTUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Brussels on Wednesday for urgent discussions with EU and NATO officials aimed at increasing support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.Blinken held separate meetings with the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The talks come at a crucial time as officials anticipate a shift in US policy on Ukraine and…

Spring has arrived, bringing “a wave of positivity and optimism to New Zealand’s property market”, according to the Real Estate Institute (REINZ).In citing its latest figures, the organisation said there was an “increase in sales and ever so slight increases in median prices” with “light at the end of the tunnel” for the market.REINZ chief executive Jen Baird said data suggested the market was coming back to life.”There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.”Although challenges like the cost of living remain, positive signs are emerging. Falling interest rates, increased inventory in the market, and…

This article was originally published in French The trade agreement could get the green light next week’s G20 summit in Brazil, but the prospect has triggered discontent among farmers. ADVERTISEMENTEuropean farmers took to the streets of Brussels on Wednesday to demonstrate against a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, mobilised by the European farmers’ federation Coordination Européenne de la Via Campesina (ECVC) and the farmers’ union FUGEA.Negotiated since 1999 and due to be signed in 2019, this agreement between the EU and five Latin American countries – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and, more recently, Bolivia – which has…