Author: Press Room

The Police Commissioner and a sexual violence advocate have condemned the “significant failings” of the handling by senior officers of serious complaints made against disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.Yesterday a scathing IPCA report revealed serious misconduct at the highest levels of police over how they handled the accusations of sexual offending. The release has caused shockwaves and seen former top cop Andrew Coster go on leave from his position as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency.And Minister of Police Mark Mitchell said this morning that there had been “clear instructions” given to police staff in the ministerial…

One in five cardiovascular deaths in the EU could be prevented by improving the environment, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the EU, according to the European Society of Cardiology. In 2022, more than 1.7 million people died from it, making up one-third of all deaths within the bloc that year. It also contributes significantly to disability, early retirement, and absenteeism, which lowers quality of life and reduces life expectancy. In addition to the human cost, cardiovascular diseases cost the EU over €282 billion annually due to…

Shaan Ross always thought she would practise law in a law firm, working towards a partnership. But a job opportunity at Aurora Energy “completely reshaped” her career path, giving her broader perspective as to what else was available. During her eight years at Aurora, she led regulatory affairs and later broadened her portfolio to include risk, assurance, and compliance. Recently, she was appointed head of legal, risk and compliance at MTF Finance, where she joins the company’s senior leadership team. While Ms Ross started with a law degree from the University of Otago, she developed a transferable skillset, largely due…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including police hit by cover-up scandal, congestion charges coming, and why science says working out in the morning sucks. The Police Minister says leadership failings reflect unfairly on the wider police force. Congestion charges are coming, but lots of details are still unclear. Roadside drug testing begins next month. England have made seven changes to the squad to face the All Blacks. Science has a reason why you might hate working out in the morning.

The European Commission unveiled its new Democracy Shield on Wednesday, a roadmap to better protect democracies and electoral processes from foreign interference and information manipulation — including those originating within the bloc itself. At the heart of this strategy lies Russia and its “state or non-state proxies”, which for over a decade have conducted online destabilisation campaigns across the EU. These efforts have been amplified by the rapid development of new technologies that make false information more convincing and its dissemination more viral. Recent elections demonstrated how damaging online campaigns can be to democratic processes. Last December in Romania, presidential…

She once had a dream of being on the stage. And, in a way, Mary-Anne Kirkness achieved that when she received the Provident Insurance leadership award at the recent Financial Services Federation Awards. Humbling and exciting was how MTF Finance’s head of customer solutions described receiving the award and she was proud to represent Dunedin on the national stage in Auckland. MTF was represented by three finalists; the Solutions team for Team Spirit, Debbie Duncan for Workplace Champion and Ms Kirkness. She was quick to stress the award was not just for her, but also belonged to those that she…

Kiwis across the country will be keeping an eye on their Lotto numbers tonight with a whopping $45 million up for grabs.The powerball jackpot rolled over to $45 million on Saturday night – the biggest jackpot since an Auckland family won $44.67 million last year. Tonight’s draw comes almost five years after Lotto’s largest must-win draw in 2020, where the jackpot hit $50 million. Two winning tickets split that prize, each taking home $25.1 million. “High jackpots are exciting, and we know New Zealanders all around the country will be dreaming about what they would do if they won $45…

The Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police over how they handled accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. It also commended the work of several police staff who stood up. RNZ’s National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood reveals the identity of the staff who spoke up.Standing at the podium inside the Beehive’s theaterette after acknowledging there had “interference at the highest levels of police” in relation to a woman’s accusations of sexual assault by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers acknowledged a group of police officers who…

The location of a second Costco store in the Auckland region has been revealed. Property developer Kiwi Property said today it had agreed to sell a 6.4-hectare plot of land to the US-based mega store chain at its new development in Drury, south of Auckland.No opening date was announced. “We are very excited to be entering into this agreement with Kiwi Property in a location as great as Drury,” Chris Tingman, Costco country manager, said. “Whilst still subject to planning and corporate approvals, our aim is to introduce our unique high-quality, low-cost merchandise to Drury, serving our significant membership base…

Officers are continuing their hunt for the suspect in what is believed to be a gang-related shooting in Christchurch on Monday evening. A woman was found critically injured with a single gunshot wound at a property on Shortland Street in Wainoni at around 8.45 pm. Today, police said the woman was in a stable condition in hospital. Police said initial inquiries suggested the incident was “gang-related”. “Police would like to reassure the community this is believed to be an isolated incident with no increased risk to the public,” Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan said today. Police were “following strong lines…