Author: Press Room

Most EU respondents in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Spain think that effective regulation of AI is a greater priority than encouraging its development, according to a recent YouGov survey. Spain is the country most in favour of greater AI regulation among the seven member states, at 73%. On the other hand, only between 11% and 20% take the opposing view that “it is more important that new technology, such as AI, can be developed freely, even if this means that the industry is less regulated”. Most EU citizens in these seven countries are still unsure whether…

Costs of specialists court reports have gone up by over 60% in the past five years, with one lawyer saying she was quoted nearly $16,000 for a single report – four times the usual amount. A lack of psychiatrists means private providers are being called upon, in some cases costing thousands of dollars more and often paid for by the taxpayer.Since 2020, costs for specialists reports, including those for mental health, has jumped from $14.7 million to $23.7 million this year.It’s believed a lot of the cost is funded by legal aid, which is funded by taxpayers. The Government said…

No matter how many symptoms you have, if they’re not having an impact on your day-to-day life, a diagnosis of ADHD shouldn’t be made, writes psychiatrist and mental health academic Professor David CoghillAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects around 2.5% of adults and 7% of children. It causes difficulties with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.If unrecognised and untreated, ADHD can significantly impact educational and work achievements, and social and emotional wellbeing. It can also increase the risks of serious accidents and injuries, offending, mental illness and substance abuse.A strong link has been found between ADHD and substance…

Falsified claims, fabricated quotes, and inaccurate reporting can destroy a journalist’s credibility and, for some, even their career. But what happens when a journalist finds their name and photo on a story they never even wrote? This is becoming an increasingly common occurrence, as part of campaigns orchestrated by pro-Russian disinformation actors — some of which fit into the Storm-1516 operation, a Russian propagandist group that spreads false narratives about Ukraine and the West online. As part of this strategy, the work of legitimate news outlets — from Euronews to the BBC and ABC News — is impersonated, while journalists’…

A single Kiwi mother of two living in Western Australia has been left with severe burns to a quarter of her body after a firebombing attack on her car early last month.Penny Travers, a Perth-based disability support worker, spent 17 days in hospital after a firebomb was hurled at her vehicle in the early hours of October 6.Though it was hurled at Travers’ car, it failed to go through the window but set her carport on fire.Perth firebomb attack leaves Kiwi mum hospitalised – Watch on TVNZ+A single Kiwi mother of two living in Western Australia has been left with…

Iwi leaders will meet with Te Pāti Māori leadership at Parliament on Tuesday in an effort to put a stop to extraordinary infighting.The National Iwi Chairs Forum took the unusual step of requesting a hui with the political party last week in a bid to mend divisions.Since then, the party’s president John Tamihere has publicly asked for MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to quit politics.Tamihere accused the pair of conspiring to overthrow the leadership, after Ferris’ Te Tai Tonga electorate launched an online petition for Tamihere to stand down.Party president John Tamihere called for Kapa-Kingi to throw in the…

8:47 GMT+1 Get ready for an action-packed day Today is D-Day for enlargement as leaders from six of the candidate countries will join Euronews in Brussels for an exclusive summit to discuss their accession progress, just as the European Commission will unveil its annual report card. Here’s the schedule for the summit (all times CET):14:10: Keynote by European Council President Antonio Costa;14:16: The Europe Conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy;14:38: The European Conversation with Moldova’s Maia Sandu;14:59: EU Enlargement Talks panel with Albania’s Edi Rama, North Macedonia’s Hristijan Mickoski, and Montenegro’s Filip Ivanović;16:00: The Europe Conversation with Marta Kos;16:24: The Ring…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a Kiwi mum pleads for help after a firebomb attack, the NZ hopes at the Melbourne Cup, and a notorious pitch invader strikes again. A Kiwi mum has been left “scarred for life” after a firebomb attack in Australia. Convicted triple murderer Erin Patterson has been granted leave to appeal her convictions. A trainer and two Kiwi jockeys are leading the NZ charge at today’s Melbourne Cup. A notorious pitch invader has been arrested and charged after his latest stunt.

Christchurch photographer Tom Rae has spoken of the “very difficult” set of conditions that needed to come together to help capture a picture of rare red sprites in the sky above the South Island. Rae, along with two other international photographers, set out to shoot the Milky Way over the Ōmārama Clay cliffs in McKenzie International Dark Sky reserve on October 11 when they snapped the crimson flashes. Red sprites — also known as red lightning — are large, brief flashes of red light that occur in the upper atmosphere, 50-90km above strong thunderstorms. Rae told Breakfast they were “one…

Warning: This story discusses suicide and mental health, and may upset some readers.A teenager’s suicide has highlighted the dangers of children being exposed to pornography and sexualised online interactions, a coroner has found.The 16-year-old Marlborough girl took her own life after suffering long-term trauma from early exposure to pornography, online grooming by older men and exploitative sexual contact.The teenager, whose identity is suppressed, died in 2023 after being hospitalised due to her mental health earlier that year.At the age of nine or 10 she had accessed pornography online by accident, and had later done so again due to a compulsive…