Author: Press Room

Czechia’s ANO movement won in ten out of 13 regions in regional elections held on Friday and Saturday. ADVERTISEMENTCzechia’s main opposition party dominated regional elections on Friday and Saturday, winning in ten out of 13 regions, just as it did four years ago. The ANO (YES) movement won in Vysočina, Plzeň, Central Bohemia, Ústí nad Labem, Karlovy Vary, Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Zlín, Olomouc and Moravia-Silesia regions. In the South Moravian Region the coalition SPOLU won, in the South Bohemian Region the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) won, and in the Liberec Region the Mayors for Liberec Region won. Voter turnout was…

Changes to off-licence hours would have little effect on Dunedin’s hard-partying students, a liquor store owner says. The Dunedin City Council will consider a draft replacement of its local alcohol policy at a council meeting tomorrow. A report to councillors said the proposed changes included amending the hours off-licence premises could sell alcohol to between 7am and 9pm, as opposed to 7am to 10pm, prohibiting the promotion of alcohol on the exterior of premises and a ban on new off-licence premises in an area north of the Octagon. Chris Hart — who owns Liquorland Leith St and Liquorland Meenans, in…

The Government has been criticised for its decision not to advance modern slavery legislation by business and legal experts, sparking concern New Zealand will fall behind other countries by failing to act.In July last year, the Labour government announced a plan to make businesses report publicly on their actions to address exploitation risks in their operations and supply chains.This proposal was developed with support from the Modern Slavery Leadership Advisory Group, chaired by former Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe, which was tasked with helping develop laws to combat the issue.”The vast majority, well over 90%, were in support…

The latest projections at 8pm on Sunday indicate that the ruling SPD maintains its narrow lead on the far-right AfD, but its leader urged members to “put on the euphoria brakes” until the final results are clear. ADVERTISEMENTGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz has likely narrowly averted questions being asked about how secure his future is as Germany’s leader, as his party looks set to maintain its lead in the Brandenburg state election.The latest Infratest dimap exit poll at 8pm indicates the SPD got 30% and the far-right AfD party got 29%.The populist AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance both recorded significant…

Björn Ulvaeus has married for a third time.The ABBA singer, 79, got hitched in Copenhagen to his 51-year-old Danish partner of two years Christina Sas.Former Great British Bake Off host Sandi Toksvig, 66, officiated the ceremony.Ulvaeus – who declared his 41-year marriage to his second wife, music journalist Lena Kallersjö, 75, was over a year after he met Sas – announced the news he had said “I do” to his third wife by sharing a string of photos from their big day on his Instagram.He captioned the professionally-taken images, which showed him in a black suit and white T-shirt, and…

Virtual reality is being used to teach teenagers about the risks of vaping.OVRcome uses cell phones and headsets to place students in virtual situations like the toilet or park, where they’re offered a puff of the fruity-flavoured nicotine vapour.Students are then asked to consider the triggers of vaping and what they should do if they wanted to stop.Five schools are taking part in the pilot, developed by clinical psychologist, in the hopes it could be rolled out more widely.Among those participating are students from Rangiora High School in Canterbury.Acting principal Remihana Emery said it’s important to dispel some of the…

The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as tit-for-tat attacks threaten all-out war. ADVERTISEMENTHezbollah fired over 100 rockets early on Sunday across northern Israel as Tel Aviv returned fire and launched hundreds of strikes on Lebanon.Meanwhile, at the funeral of three killed militants in Beirut, attended by hundreds of supporters, Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Kassem declared an “open-ended battle” was underway between the Islamic militant group and Israel.Kassem says Hezbollah, which has lost several senior military leaders in recent months, has “returned stronger, and the frontline will witness this.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

The “r” sound in te reo Māori can be difficult for some people to pronounce — but even more so for Google Maps and Siri. This caught the attention of Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland engineering PhD student Isabella Shields (Ngāti Porou), whose research will address technology’s mispronunciation of Māori words. Shields said the correct pronunciation is critical in speech technology, and she believes it’ll help revitalise te reo. This research may also improve Google Maps’ and Siri’s pronunciations of Māori words, she said.”One of the things missing from our understanding of te reo Māori is the variation in…

Changes to off-licence hours would have little effect on Dunedin’s hard-partying students, a liquor store owner says. The Dunedin City Council will consider a draft replacement of its local alcohol policy at a council meeting tomorrow. A report to councillors said the proposed changes included amending the hours off-licence premises could sell alcohol to between 7am and 9pm, as opposed to 7am to 10pm, prohibiting the promotion of alcohol on the exterior of premises and a ban on new off-licence premises in an area north of the Octagon. Chris Hart — who owns Liquorland Leith St and Liquorland Meenans, in…

New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has been freed after more than 18 months of captivity in West Papua, Indonesia.Indonesian police announced the release in a statement on Saturday, Reuters reported.Mehrtens was ambushed by a group of armed men as he landed on a remote airstrip in the mountainous area of Nduga on February 7 last year.The Christchurch pilot was taken hostage by a group of separatist fighters, known as the West Papua Liberation Army, who have been demanding independence for the region.Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he was “pleased and relieved” to confirm the release.”This news must be an enormous…