Author: Press Room

Despite reassurance from the European Commission regarding gas supply security, EU stockpiles hold 16% of gas less as compared to the beginning of 2023. Only Portugal has a gas storage volume exceeding 100%. ADVERTISEMENTThe suspension of Russian gas flows through Ukraine has sparked concerns about the gas supply across the EU. Moscow previously supplied nearly 40% of the EU’s natural gas through pipelines.The latest figures show that Portugal has the highest working gas storage volume, exceeding 100%. Sweden follows at 88%, and Poland at nearly 79%. By contrast, the Netherlands has the lowest working gas volume in storage at 48.96%, followed by…

A surge in demand from students taking up sport, music and art is stretching resources at Canterbury schools.Kaiapoi High School principal Jason Reid says more students have been signing up for sports and clubs since the Covid-19 restrictions of 2020/21.Music has seen a huge boost, putting pressure on limited instruments and music tutors.Last year, the school had to find nearly $50,000 to buy more instruments and pay for more lessons due to the demand, Reid said.Even then, there were waiting lists.”We’ve had donations of instruments to provide opportunities, but I can’t get enough instruments and tutors.”You hear all the time…

In some EU countries, as many as four-fifths of the population believe in tropes such as Jews controlling the media, the Anti-Defamation League said. ADVERTISEMENTAround half of the world’s adult population holds deeply entrenched antisemitic attitudes, double the number from a decade ago, a new survey by US campaign group the Anti-Defamation League has found. In some European countries, as many as four-fifths of adult populations believe in tropes such as that Jews control the media and business, or are responsible for most wars.“Antisemitism is nothing short of a global emergency,” ADL Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement.“It’s…

Helicopters and multiple fire crews are responding to three vegetation fires burning in the Waikato, Auckland and Manawatū-Whanganui regions this evening.Crews were called to a vegetation fire in the Tahorakuri Forest area northeast of Taupō at around 12.40pm.Thirty-two firefighters from Taupō, Tokoroa, Lake Taupō and Lake Okareka brigades were in attendance.”Twelve trucks, tankers and support vehicles are on the ground, while two helicopters are working from the air. A third helicopter is about to take off to head to the fire,” a spokesperson said.The fire was not “contained or controlled” and was around four hectares in size as of 3.15pm,…

The Moscow-controlled breakaway region of Moldova will receive gas as a “humanitarian gesture” from the Kremlin, while the rest of the country will remain cut off after Russia halted supplies on 1 January, citing alleged unpaid debts. ADVERTISEMENTMoldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria will receive gas from Russia as “humanitarian aid,” but the rest of the country will remain cut off from Moscow’s supply, the Kremlin-backed separatist leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said on Wednesday. Moldova and Transnistria both declared an emergency after Russia cut gas supplies on 1 January, citing an alleged $709 million (€688m) debt for past supplies — an allegation…

What would the job ad for a start-up employee look like? Many start-ups use phrases like “dynamic, fast-moving team” and “customer-obsessed”. They promise you’ll “challenge the status quo” and be “at the forefront of innovation”. And, universally, they ask that you be “comfortable with ambiguity”. Ambiguity, or uncertainty, is a defining start-up characteristic. One of the best colleagues I’ve ever worked with hated ambiguity. You could see the distress in her body language. And this discomfort was one of the greatest strengths in our team. She was so uncomfortable with ambiguity that she would always try to get rid of…

The Hawke’s Bay chapter of a motorcycle club are mourning a former branch president killed in a crash late last week, saying he “died doing what he loved”.Police have named Mark Macaulay, 68, as the person who died in a crash on Colyton Rd, Bunnythorpe at around 2.55pm on January 12.Three others were injured in the two-vehicle crash — two moderately and one in a minor condition.”Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing,” a police spokesperson said.Ulysses Hawke’s Bay president Tony Hickmott said in a Facebook post the club had lost a “staunch member” of the Ulysses family…

The Kremlin has previously denied Western claims that Russia has organised acts of sabotage and attacks across Europe. ADVERTISEMENTPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Russia on Wednesday of orchestrating global acts of sabotage, including “acts of air terror” targeting airlines.Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Tusk said he could confirm the validity of “fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland, but against airlines around the world.”The Kremlin has previously dismissed Western allegations of sponsoring sabotage and attacks in Europe as unfounded.Western security officials, however, suspect Russian intelligence of…

The European Commission has presented a new action plan to enhance the cybersecurity of the healthcare sector amid a rise in ransomware attacks. ADVERTISEMENTThe plan aims to improve the security of hospitals and other digital providers by strengthening capacity to prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. “As the sector undergoes a critical transformation it must address significant challenges such as securing electronic healthcare records and integrating AI into the healthcare workforce,” said Henna Virkkunen, commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, during the presentation of the plan.  The proposal is the first of a series of measures envisioned for the first…

More than 160,000 students can now view their NCEA results on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) website.Students will be able to login using their National Student Number (NSN) or Student Login to access the results. In a statement, the organisation said NZQA’s call centre would stay open until 7pm today, with a specialist team of experienced advisers to answer students’ questions about their results and offer further guidance.”For privacy reasons, NZQA can only give results and NSNs to the students themselves,” NZQA said. While the results are live, students would only be able to view their assessed NCEA exam…