Author: Press Room
So far, 22 people have died with the Health Minister Alexandru Rafila saying none of the fatalities had had the flu vaccine. ADVERTISEMENTHealth authorities in Romania have issued an alert after cases of respiratory infections rose for three consecutive weeks.In one week alone from 20-26 January, the National Institute for Public Health (INSP) reported 133,600 cases of respiratory infection linked to flu, up more than 6% compared to the previous week.So far, 22 people have died, including a three-year-old child. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said all of the fatalities were people who had not had the flu vaccine.Rafila also said…
The Department of Conservation (DOC) says the Whangamarino Wetlands in Waikato have proven to be more resilient than expected, after a large fire in October last year.The fire burned through about 1000 hectares of peatland in one of the few remaining raised peatlands in the Southern Hemisphere.DOC ranger Lizzie Sharp said the damage could have been much worse, were it not for the healthy state of the peatland – which had relatively high water levels when the fire broke out.”The hydrology of that central bog was wet and intact and healthy, and that meant that there was a higher water…
US President Donald Trump says he will impose hefty new tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on imports from China, and nothing can be done by the nations to forestall them. Trump did, however, reference a potential carve out for oil from Canada, saying on Friday that rate would be 10% versus the 25% planned for other goods from the United States’ northern neighbour. But he indicated wider tariffs on oil and natural gas would be coming in mid-February, remarks that sent oil prices higher. Trump has been threatening the tariffs for weeks, saying they would be imposed…
A protest by environmental groups in Waihi today didn’t stop Resources Minister Shane Jones from revealing his new mining strategy. Jones announced today that metallurgical coal and gold were being added to the list of minerals critical for economic growth. The list now covers 37 minerals following a consultation period that was started in September last year. Today’s announcement was part of the Government’s promise to double the value of exports to $3 billion over the next 10 years – up from the previous government’s target of $2 billion. “I’ve spoken at length about how a lack of long-term strategic…
Former ACT Party president Tim Jago can now be named as the former political figure who abused teenage boys in the 1990s.Warning: This story details sexual abuse that may be upsetting to some readers. Helplines are provided at the end of the article.Jago indecently assaulted two teenagers he had been mentoring through a sports club between 1995 and 1999.He has had name suppression since being charged in January 2023 — preventing the media from identifying him during his trial last year.Jago’s lawyer Ian Brookie told the Court of Appeal his client was abandoning his name suppression fight this afternoon and…
Te Awanui Ward councillor Mikaere Sydney has resigned as an elected member of the Tauranga City Council, citing ill health.”Te Awanui Ward councillor Mikaere Sydney and his whānau have notified Tauranga City Council that they wish to prioritise his recovery.”They and Mikaere have therefore made the tough decision that he resign as an elected member, effective immediately,” the Tauranga City Council said in a statement this afternoon. Sydney was elected as the representative of Te Awanui Ward at last year’s council election. The councillor had been on an extended leave of absence “for medical reasons”.Mayor Mahé Drysdale said he was…
Invercargill’s newest and only Distinction Hotel is progressing nicely and expected to open about mid-2025, project manager Hayden Rankin says. Redeveloped from the former Menzies Building in lower Esk St, the 4.5-star hotel would provide 150 guest rooms as well as a ground floor restaurant and reception. The former Southland Frozen Meats site opposite the hotel was also being developed to include a three-storey 120 carpark building as well as 12 two or three-bedroom apartments. The construction crew were trying to ensure the opening of the carpark coincided with the the hotel opening. But Mr Rankin expected…
Khaby Lame, the Senegal-born world’s most popular TikTok personality who never says a word in videos watched by millions of followers, addressed the youth in his native country on Friday when he was appointed as UNICEF goodwill ambassador.The 24-year-old influencer, who has over 162 million followers, rose to fame with charming videos of his reactions to everyday life in which he never says a word. His following surged during the pandemic, when he was fired from his factory job and used the extra time on his hands to make and upload more videos.Being a UNICEF ambassador will allow him to…
The ACT Party has released a statement after it was revealed today that its former president Tim Jago has been convicted and sentenced for abusing teenage boys in the 1990s.Jago’s name suppression was lifted this afternoon, two years after he was charged in January 2023. Until now, the media had been unable to identify him. Jago was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenagers he had been mentoring through a sports club between 1995 and 1999. Jago had been the ACT Party’s president for nearly four years when he resigned after being…
This article was originally published in French The handover of the last French military base in Chad and the Sahel marks a loss of influence for Paris and European interests in the region. ADVERTISEMENTFrance has finally ended its 60-year military presence in Chad by closing its last military base there. Kosseï camp in the capital N’Djamena was also the last of its bases in the Sahel, which were themselves a legacy of France’s domination of the region as the main colonial power there. On Friday the last of nearly 1,000 French soldiers left.Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby’s decided last November to…