Author: Press Room

The coroner’s inquest into Oliva Podmore’s sudden death resumed in Christchurch today with a forensic psychologist saying the Olympic cyclist suffered “trauma” before she died.Dr Erik Monasterio spoke of the emotional distress Podmore experienced following the release of the Heron Report in 2018. The report was commissioned after an incident before the Rio Olympics where Podmore uncovered an inappropriate athlete-coach relationship at a training camp in Bordeaux.Monasterio said Podmore’s role as a whistleblower was a key factor. “We know that people who are whistleblowers carry a considerable burden of distress, psychological and psychiatric problems thereafter,” he said.“What has become clearer…

Police have appealed to “critical witnesses” as part of the investigation into the homicide of a man who was fatally assaulted in Auckland’s St Johns over the weekend.Emergency services were called to a bus stop on St Johns Rd shortly before 10pm on Saturday, following reports a person had been attacked by at least two offenders.The victim was transported to hospital in a critical condition with “serious head injuries”, where he later died.Former colleagues have named Kyle Whorrall, 33, as the victim of a fatal assault at a bus stop in Auckland’s St Johns. (Source: Facebook)Former colleagues have named him…

ADVERTISEMENTRussian President Vladimir Putin has expressed, for the first time in years, a willingness to hold direct bilateral talks with Ukraine, signalling potential diplomatic movement as pressure mounts from the US for both sides to reach a ceasefire deal. Speaking to Russian state media on Monday, Putin claimed Moscow was open to discussing the possibility of halting strikes on civilian infrastructure directly with Kyiv, referencing a short-lived “Easter truce” declared by Russia over the weekend – a move that both sides later accused the other of violating. “We have a positive attitude towards any peace initiatives,” Putin said. “We hope that representatives of…

Four people have been sentenced after running an illegal tobacco operation from a Gisborne restaurant. Two men aged 30 and 34 were sentenced last week in the Gisborne District Court to home detention for eight and a half months and seven months, respectively. “A 61-year-old male and 59-year-old female who played a lesser role in the operation and faced two charges each, were individually fined $10,400 and ordered to pay court costs,” New Zealand Customs said.  Customs began an investigation in November 2023 after discovering numerous airmail packages containing undeclared cigarettes and loose tobacco hidden in Chinese tea packets.  The offenders…

ADVERTISEMENTThe EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef shared with Euronews his concerns about potential budget cuts to Erasmus, following reports that some member states had proposed reductions in the 2025 annual budget. Although the budget was ultimately slightly increased, Micallef acknowledged ongoing discussions about the possible impact of the EU’s shifting priorities—particularly toward defence and competitiveness—on future funding for cultural and youth initiatives like Erasmus in the 2028 long-term budget.The commissioner emphasized the EU’s commitment to strengthening the Erasmus Plus Programme, highlighting its four-decade legacy of fostering European identity among millions of young people. Radio Schuman also brings you to key debates…

Children adopted overseas, have been raped, beaten and held captive in New Zealand in cases where their adoptive parents had previous criminal histories, according to court documents and child welfare agencies.A 12-year-old boy was among them, put to work in New Zealand and assaulted despite his adopted ‘father’ already having convictions for violence.Immigration New Zealand said it was not its role to carry out police checks on adoptive parents when it is issuing dependent or adoption visas to minors.A trafficking expert said the documented cases of children being trafficked through adoption spanned more than a quarter-century, amid several warnings to…

The weather is set to take a turn for the better after heavy winds and rain put a damper on the Easter weekend for much of Aotearoa.More settled conditions have been forecast by MetService this week as a high pressure builds across the country.However, temperatures are also set to drop as winds swing from the warm north to the cool south.By Anzac Day, MetService is forecasting generally “dry but cold” conditions across the country, and meteorologist Michael Pawley added it is “time to bring the woollen jumper again”.“It will be a cold start to the day on Anzac Day, especially…

Oscar voters will no longer be able to skip watching some of the nominated films.The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced that members will from now on be required to watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round of Oscar voting. Up until now, Oscar voters had only been encouraged to watch the nominees, and vote in categories they felt qualified in.In recent years, what films get watched by academy members has been increasingly seen as a significant factor in what wins. At the same time, the publication of anonymous…

Catholic communities across New Zealand are mourning the death of His Holiness Pope Francis and will be holding special Masses in the coming days to allow people to pray.Pope Francis, who was elected to the papacy in March 2013 and became the first pope in a millennia from outside Europe, died on Monday evening (NZ time). The 88-year-old pontiff died of a stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure at his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.Catholicism was the largest religious group in the country at the 2023 census, with more than 400,000 New Zealanders identifying with the faith.New…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said King Charles was interested in how New Zealand was “handling things economically” when the two met in London. Luxon is in London to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer before heading to Türkiye to mark the 110th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli. Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Luxon said he wouldn’t go into detail about his meeting with the King, but said the monarch had a “great amount of time” for New Zealand, and was interested in what was happening in the country. “There’s a long standing convention we don’t talk about…