Author: Press Room

Court documents have revealed the child found dead in South Auckland last month was allegedly smothered.A 37-year-old Conifer Grove man, who has interim name suppression, was charged with murder after a child was found dead in his car in early January.He appeared in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday morning but did not enter a plea.Both the man and the victim were granted identity suppression. However, court documents obtained by RNZ have revealed details of what happened, much of which cannot be reported.The court documents allege the child was smothered with a pillow in the car.The man was remanded…

Ahead of Poland’s presidential elections in May, the country’s government unveiled the ‘Election Umbrella’ program – with the goal of protecting the nation’s cybersecurity from Russian influence. ADVERTISEMENTThe Polish government announced a new program to protect national cybersecurity ahead of presidential elections in May. The “Election Umbrella” program was unveiled by the country’s deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski. It hopes to combat disinformation, model the process of financing the election campaign and train election committees. Speaking to Euronews, Gawkowski said Poland is one of the countries most exposed to cybercrime. He reports that Polish services close over 200…

A venomous sea snake found on an Auckland beach recently is the first of its species to be found alive in New Zealand in seven years, said the Department of Conservation.A member of the public contacted DOC after they came across the snake, identified as a blue-lipped sea krait, on a beach while walking their dog in Auckland’s Devonport earlier this week.DOC senior science advisor Karen Middlemiss said rangers went out to investigate but the krait could not be found and was likely to have swum off.The last confirmed blue-lipped sea krait found alive in New Zealand and reported to…

Some state schools could convert to charter school status later this year, the head of the Charter Schools Agency says.Seven of the publicly-funded private schools are opening this term.The coalition Government has set aside $153 million for 15 new charter schools and the conversion of 35 state schools for 2025 and 2026. However, there are questions about the effectiveness of charter schools, and concerns over how they’ll be monitored and how student achievement will be measured.Charter Schools Agency chief executive Jane Lee told RNZ’s Nine to Noon that more schools were in the pipeline.”We have a number in the pipeline,…

Poland already spends more of its GDP on defence than any other NATO country, followed by Estonia and the US. ADVERTISEMENTPolish President Andrzej Duda announced on Wednesday that his country plans to spend 4.7% of GDP on defence this year.According to Duda, the national defence budget is expected to reach €30 billion, which would make it the largest defence budget among NATO countries. Poland already spends 4.1% of its GDP on defence.During a meeting with top commanders of the Polish armed forces, Duda also emphasised that Poland intends to strengthen its defence alliance with the US. “We have a permanent,…

A Gloriavale man who admitted sexual offending against eight girls in the Christian community has been jailed for four years and two months.Fervent Ben-Canaan last year pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault and indecent acts — some of which were representative — against girls aged 11 and over.The offending occurred between 2004 and 2018.The 45-year-old preyed upon some girls as they slept and touched them while they were caring for children or working in Gloriavale.Ben-Canaan was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court today.Judge Neave says he has caused long-standing psychological damage to his victims.Where to get help for…

German authorities suspect the Kremlin of orchestrating a sabotage campaign targeting hundreds of vehicles to stoke anti-Green party sentiment ahead of the election. ADVERTISEMENTHundreds of cars across several German states appear to have been deliberately sabotaged — their exhaust pipes filled with construction foam and stickers featuring the Greens’ chancellor candidate alongside the slogan “Be greener”.This was not a campaign gimmick gone wrong, however. German authorities suspect Russia to be behind the attacks.More than 270 vehicles in Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, and Bavaria are believed to have been targeted, seemingly to stoke anti-Green sentiment during the election campaign.Initially, investigators suspected radical…

A woman is in a critical condition in hospital after being assaulted in Christchurch this morning.Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said the victim was found injured at the Richmond Village Green on Stanmore Rd at around 9.20am today.”A scene examination of the area is underway.”As part of our inquiries, police would like to speak to anyone who may have information that would help us determine what happened.”St John said it responded with one ambulance and one rapid response vehicle.”One patient was assessed at the scene and transported to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition.”

European metalworkers in Brussels called for job protections and more training during the green transition. Since 2019, nearly one million industrial jobs have been lost, and many more are at risk. ADVERTISEMENTDiscontented metalworkers from across Europe gathered in Brussels on Wednesday to express concern over job security during the continent’s green transition.They are calling for the EU’s new industrial policy to include stronger protections for workers and their families within the sector. One key demand is for the EU to prioritise effective training and retraining programmes, even if it means reducing working hours to accommodate these initiatives.Lieve De Preter, president…

Last month was the coldest January recorded since 2017, according to NIWA. NIWA released its monthly climate summary today, noting the nationwide average temperature was 16.4C last month — the same average temperature as January eight years ago. Below-average temperatures were recorded in the central and southern North Island and much of the South Island. Six locations — Martinborough, Māhia, Winchmore, Waipara West, Diamond Harbour, and Le Bons Bay — recorded their coldest January on record. A further 17 locations experienced near-record-low mean temperatures for January. Waiau was New Zealand’s coldest location, with its 50C mean temperature that was 3.1C…