Author: Press Room

A lawyer for a woman who accused former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending says police failed his client by dismissing her complaints and ultimately prosecuting her for speaking out.The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and the woman who, at the time, was a junior non-sworn police employee.The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former Commissioner Andrew Coster in relation to how police responded to the claims.Former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming was initially believed by his peers when accused of sexual misconduct. (Source: 1News)An internal report in…

Published on 11/11/2025 – 14:18 GMT+1 •Updated 14:19 Lasers, electromagnetic jammers, and other patrol satellites are among the military assets France seeks to bolster as part of its “national space strategy” set to be unveiled on Wednesday by President Emmanuel Macron. The French leader will deliver his speech from the southern city of Toulouse where the country’s space agency (CNES) and leading aerospace companies, including Airbus, are based. There, he will also inaugurate a new building in which 500 military officers work on space operations. “Space is no longer a peaceful place,” the French presidential palace said ahead of the…

The European People’s Party is opposing setting up an inquiry committee by the European Parliament to investigate an alleged spying ring led by Hungarian secret services in Brussels on the basis that it could be weaponised by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In October, the European Commission launched a probe after several media reports alleged that the Hungarian government tried to recruit EU employees in Brussels as informants. The agents reportedly posed as diplomats of the Hungarian Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels, which was led between 2015 and 2019 by Olivér Várhelyi, who is now the Hungarian European Commissioner.…

You may have heard that vaping is the “safer” choice than smoking. But what if the very thing supposed to protect your health also puts your heart at risk? By UK public health experts Preeti Mahato and Anusha SeneviratneVaping does not exist in isolation. It is part of a wider story about smoking, inequality and the growing burden of heart disease in the UK. Even after years of public health campaigns, smoking remains common in England’s most deprived areas.The reasons are complex. People living with financial strain, insecure jobs and chronic stress are more likely to smoke. Targeted marketing and…

It was the heist that shocked the French nation: on 19 October, a team of thieves brazenly broke into the Louvre Museum, stealing jewels worth approximately €88 million in broad daylight. But as with every major news story, internet users took to social media platforms to comment and speculate on the burglary, while others used the opportunity to peddle disinformation and false allegations. One narrative blamed Russian nationals for the heist, alleging that Russian passports had been discovered inside the museum following the incident, with one X post peddling this claim garnering more than 7 million views. Euronews put allegations…

“Bloody minded road vandalism.” That’s how many residents in Papamoa have reacted to news their previously asphalted roads are going to be resurfaced in chip seal.Residents said they would rather their streets had no resealing work and were left as they were.However, Tauranga City Council said roads were scheduled for resealing only if they were showing early signs of surface deterioration and leaving a road to deteriorate further would result in higher costs.In October, RNZ reported on the surprise many residents had when their roads were resealed with a different surface and a general public preference for asphalt.Papamoa Residents and…

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday that an EU directive aiming to establish an “adequate” minimum wage in all 27 member states is valid, after Denmark tried to block it on the basis that the EU overreached its powers by legislating on pay. Denmark had brought the EU institutions to court over the directive adopted in October 2022, claiming it exceeds the EU’s authority and calling for it to be entirely overturned. Copenhagen, aided by Sweden, maintained that member states should decide how wages are set, primarily through collective agreements between trade unions and employers, and that…

A coroner has warned that five years after the death of a “sociable” and “straight-talking” former publican at Taranaki Base Hospital’s Emergency Department, the risk of catastrophic events happening there remains high.Hāwera man Leonard Collett died following a fall at the ED in July 2020, aged 78, after being admitted with shortness of breath.An inquest was held into his death in September.Coroner Ian Telford found the primary cause of death was bleeding from injuries caused by the fall, which ultimately led to terminal cardiac arrest.He said Collett’s fall was both “foreseeable and preventable” and shortcomings in the nursing care provided…

A former co-leader of Te Pāti Māori has expressed his sadness and disappointment at the expulsion of two of its MPs.Te Pāti Māori’s National Council has decided to expel Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris, a decision both MPs said was “unconstitutional”.The MPs have vowed to challenge the decision, which one electoral law expert said would hinge on whether the party appropriately followed its constitution, particularly its dispute resolution processes.Representatives from Kapa-Kingi’s electorate Te Tai Tokerau were excluded from voting, following a resolution to ‘reset’ the electorate executive last month.The electorate executive in Te Tai Tonga, Ferris’ electorate, abstained. Ferris’ social…

Fire and Emergency New Zealand ground crews are continuing work to extinguish the blaze which burned more 3000ha at Tongariro National Park after wet weather significantly helped efforts yesterday. An observation flight yesterday afternoon over the conservation land found no visible signs of fire after rainfall aided efforts to fight the gigantic blaze which began on Saturday and triggered evacuations of trampers and residents, including in Whakapapa Village.Incident controller Nigel Dravitzki told Breakfast that crews would gather again this morning to head back out into the field. “Obviously the weather has worked in our favour here a little bit at…