Author: Press Room
Explainer: It’s July 1 tomorrow and believe it or not we’re halfway through 2025, which means the Government will roll out several new changes to policies and regulations.Here are some of the highlights you need to know:Healthy Homes standards come into effectOne big change is mandatory Healthy Homes standards which all rental properties must now comply with.The rules set basic standards for heating, insulation and ventilation.Among them:Landlords need to provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat a home’s main living room. These need to meet the minimum heating capacityProperties need to be insulated in the ceiling and…
ADVERTISEMENTViral claims that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has “just classified the pill as a group one carcinogen” are flooding TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform.“The pill is now classified as a level-one carcinogen. Like tobacco. Like alcohol. Like drugs,” one TikToker claims, prompting alarm among users of the platform. Others urge their followers to stop taking the pill altogether.Euroverify has investigated these claims and found that, while the WHO’s specialised cancer agency does consider some types of contraception pills to be carcinogenic to humans, the reality is much more nuanced.Certain contraceptive pills listed as carcinogens since 2005It’s not true…
Specific criminal offences for “coward punches” are to be introduced by the Government.Announced by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, the new law will introduce an assault offence for one punch attacks which cause grievous bodily harm.The maximum penalty when the offender intended to cause injury or acted with a disregard for safety would be eight years imprisonment.If an offender was found to have intended to cause grievous bodily harm, the maximum penalty would be fifteen years imprisonment.The new law would also introduce a culpable homicide offence for a one punch attack which resulted in death with a maximum penalty of life…
ADVERTISEMENTNorway’s state-owned gambling company Norsk Tipping mistakenly told “several thousand people” they had won “excessively high” Eurojackpot prizes on Friday, due to “an error in the code that converts Eurocents to Norwegian kroner in the gaming system.”In a press release, Norsk Tipping announced that it had removed the incorrect prize amounts from its website and app on Friday evening, adding that the correct prize overview was uploaded to its platforms on Saturday evening. According to Norsk Tipping, no incorrect pay-outs were made.After amassing sharp criticism from Norway’s gambling regulator, as well as from customers who were left disappointed, the company…
Despite uproar from the community, multi-millionaire Auckland couple entrepreneur Anna Mowbray and former All Black Ali Williams will be allowed a helicopter pad at their Auckland property.After weeks of deliberation, three independent hearing commissioners appointed by Auckland Council have approved the couple’s controversial resource consent application — with some concessions.The commissioners’ decision released on Monday, June 30, stated flights would be limited to no more than two per day and 10 per month.”The use of a helicopter for property access in the Auckland Unitary Plan residential zones is a permitted activity, being an activity that is inherently associated with residential…
A police officer is recovering at home after suffering a head wound during an arrest in Hawke’s Bay this morning.Police were alerted to a person breaching a protection order in Hastings at about 8.45am today but they left before officers arrived.The man was located at the BP petrol station in Clive at about 9.20am.He allegedly resisted arrested and police used pepper spray which was unsuccessful in subduing the man.Police said an officer suffered a head wound during a struggle with the man and was taken to hospital for treatment.”He is now recovering at home,” a police spokesperson said.A 45-year-old Hastings…
By Mihhail Salenkov & Euronews Published on 30/06/2025 – 11:26 GMT+2•Updated 11:26ADVERTISEMENTAzerbaijan has cancelled all cultural events planned by Russian state and private institutions in protest over the deaths of two Azerbaijanis after police raids in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, Azerbaijani officials said Sunday.Azerbaijan’s Culture Ministry wrote on X that concerts, exhibitions, festivals and performances were cancelled on account of “the demonstrative targeted and extrajudicial killings and acts of violence committed by Russian law enforcement agencies against Azerbaijanis on ethnic grounds in Yekaterinburg.””Recently such cases have become systematic,” it pointed out.The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry demanded “an immediate investigation into the case and…
A Christchurch employer has been sentenced to four months’ home detention after providing false information to Immigration New Zealand stating an employee was their visiting relative.New Zealand Immigration (NZI) said the employer, Ava Young, pleaded guilty to two charges of providing false or misleading information to Immigration New Zealand, and one charge of aiding and abetting the breach of visa conditions.Young had recruited a Thai national from overseas, and facilitated her entry into the country on a visitor visa. For the job and the visa, Young charged the individual NZ$7500 – a debt she owed to Young. Despite this, NZI…
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to media after Cabinet met earlier today.The briefing follows two announcements on law and order in the past 24 hours.Yesterday, the Government announced that people who assaulted on-duty police officers, firefighters, paramedics or prison officers would face longer prison sentences under new criminal offences.Those who assaulted with intent to injure would face up to five years in jail, while those who injured with intent could receive up to seven years — an offence that would also trigger the Three Strikes regime, requiring mandatory minimum sentences.And, this afternoon, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith unveiled a specific…
By Louise Ternouth of RNZ Whether it is a block of butter or cheese, a kilogram of mince, a dozen eggs or a cooked chook, food prices have gone up rapidly. The latest Stats NZ figures show in the past 12 months food prices have gone up 4.4 percent – the highest increase since December 2023. Over the last three years Checkpoint has been tracking a weekly shop from the same suburb at a Woolworths and Pak’nSave supermarket to see just how much things have gone up at the checkout. Some of the results are more eye-watering than mouthwatering. For over three years, Checkpoint has…