Author: Press Room
Published on 04/12/2025 – 11:44 GMT+1 •Updated 18:19 Over two-thirds of Europeans believe their country would not be able to defend itself militarily against a Russian attack, a new poll has revealed just days after Vladimir Putin said his country is “ready right now” to take on Europe. Sixty-nine percent of the 9,500 respondents surveyed in nine European Union member states by pollster Cluster 17 for Le Grand Continent said they had no confidence in their country’s ability to successfully defend their territories against a Russian aggression. The country with the highest confidence in its military’s ability to take on…
Five new cases of measles have been confirmed by the Ministry of Health today.The total number of cases since October 8 is now 27 – 22 of which are no longer infectious.One of the five new cases iwas a person in Dunedin. Three were in Auckland, and one was in Waikato.The Ministry of Health called the increase in cases “concerning” and demonstrated the highly contagious nature of measles.”As we head into the summer season, we are especially encouraging people to check their immunisation status and get their MMR vaccination if required.”If travelling overseas, the ministry recommended vaccination anyone not already…
Two dozen humanitarian workers who participated in search and rescue operations on the Greek island of Lesvos from 2016-2021 have now begun their long-awaited trial. Once a paradisial tourist hotspot, Lesvos became the key entry point for individuals and small boats headed to Europe in 2015, a year which marked the peak of the continent’s migration crisis. More than 10 years on, the accused – 24 in total – face up to 20 years in prison for charges including alleged participation in a criminal organisation, facilitating the entry of third-country nationals into Greece and money laundering. While the trial focuses…
A recent episode of the The Kardashians shared some startling news about Kim Kardashian’s brain, writes brain researcher Sarah Hellewell.Discussing Kim’s results, her doctor pointed out “holes” on her brain scan he said were related to “low activity”.While this sounds incredibly sad and concerning, doctors and scientists have doubts about the technology used and its growing commercialisation.I study brain health, including imaging the brain to look for early signs of disease.Here’s what I think about this technology, whether it can really find holes in our brains, and if should we be getting these scans to check our own.What can imaging…
Expelled MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has filed for an interim injunction, court records show, against Te Pāti Māori President John Tamihere.The urgent hearing is set to take place tomorrow morning at Wellington’s High Court.Kapa-Kingi has previously said that she would file court action to challenge her expulsion from the party.She held a hui in Te Tai Tokerau a week ago, which was called by Ngāpuhi.The hui was not attended by Te Pāti Māori’s leadership, despite them being requested to attend.Tomorrow’s hearing comes days before the party was due to hold its annual general meeting in Rotorua on Sunday.At the AGM, the…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 17:33 GMT+1 The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has confirmed it will support the European Commission’s project to create large artificial intelligence “gigafactories” across the European Union. The agreement was signed in Brussels on Thursday by Commission Executive Vice-President for Technology Henna Virkkunen, EIB President Nadia Calviño and European Investment Fund Deputy CEO Merete Clausen. The goal is to speed up the development of the massive computing centres needed to train advanced AI models. “The EU is determined to become a global leader in artificial intelligence” Virkkunen said. “These gigafactories will form the backbone of Europe’s…
A historic building on the corner of Dunedin’s main drag could soon be transformed into a new cafe. Resource consent has been granted by the Dunedin City Council for alterations to the facade of a character-contributing building at the corner of George and St Andrew Sts. The two-storey commercial building was constructed about 1882 and was proposed to be used for a cafe, a report said. It was located within the George St Heritage Precinct, dominated by Victorian and Edwardian architecture, but very few buildings had original ground-floor facades on to the street. It was proposed to refurbish the existing…
Police have released the name of the woman found dead at a house in Camberley, Hastings on October 29.She was Teishallia TePaea, aged 37.Police found TePaea deceased at the house on Kotuku Street. A homicide investigation, Operation Knell, is ongoing in relation to her death.Police are continuing to appeal for information from the community.”A team of investigators is working hard to get answers for Teishallia’s whānau, and to support them as they mourn the loss of a much-loved family member,” said eastern district manager Detective Inspector Martin James.James said police believe there are people in the community who know what…
By Euronews Published on 04/12/2025 – 11:55 GMT+1 A post on X claiming that Denmark has introduced an IQ threshold of at least 85 for sperm donors has sparked confusion, debate and memes, but ultimately is misleading. In reality, Denmark has no legal IQ requirement for sperm donors, although donors must go through a risk assessment interview and medical history review to check for any genetic risk factors. The country, which is well known for its liberal sperm donation laws, has at least a dozen sperm-bank operations active, despite no definitive public registry. The two largest that are internationally recognised are…
Mature macrocarpa trees at two Invercargill sites are one step closer to being removed due to safety concerns.On Tuesday, the council’s infrastructure and growth committee met to discuss trees located near the intersections of Queens Dr and Don St, and Elles Rd and Tay St.Severe weather on October 23 toppled a tree at the latter site, sending debris across the road.Mayor Tom Campbell said it was lucky nobody was killed.“Because it would not have been an injury, it would have been a death, if one of those trees had come down and hit somebody.”Councillor Andrea de Vries said it was…