Author: Press Room

The Minister for Workplace Relations says she is looking to cut health and safety red tape for low-risk businesses and create a hotline to enable reporting of overzealous road cone use.Brooke van Velden spoke of the plan at this week’s post-Cabinet press conference with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.She said Cabinet had agreed to narrow the focus of the Health and Safety at Work Act to risks that could cause death, serious injury or illness in small enterprises.Van Velden said small, low-risk businesses were unsure of what risks to focus on and had been struggling to meets the costs of complying…

Meanwhile, Russia used two ballistic missiles and 131 drones in its aerial assault, Ukrainian authorities reported. ADVERTISEMENTUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the US and its partners to increase pressure on Russia to “break its capacity to wage war”. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said “Putin couldn’t care less about diplomacy”. “For several weeks now, there has been a US proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, and almost every day, in response to this proposal, there are Russian drones, bombs, artillery shelling, and ballistic strikes.””Russia deserves increased pressure – all the tough measures that can break its capacity to wage…

Marco Rojas’ second stint at the Wellington Phoenix has been cut short, after a season which has been limited to seven appearances, of which only two were starts.The Phoenix said Rojas and the club have agreed to cut his time short, with the remaining three months of his one-year contract terminated “by mutual consent”.The All White forward, who started his professional career in Wellington in 2009, went on to play 21 A-League matches for the Phoenix before heading to Melbourne in 2011, for the first of three successful spells at the Victory.Rojas was looking forward to rejoining the club after…

With the European Commission due to propose the EU’s next seven-year, trillion-euro budget in the summer, security analysts are calling for a focus on green energy alongside increased military spending. ADVERTISEMENTBolstering the resilience of Europe’s energy complex is as important as pouring money into armaments and troops, a group of political analysts warns in a letter to finance ministers as negotiations on the EU’s next trillion-euro budget ramp up.“Long-term stability relies not only on military strength but also on reducing our dependency on volatile energy supplies,” runs the letter signed by energy and security analysts from six leading think tanks…

Health New Zealand is sending a team of senior clinicians to Nelson Hospital, after a 1News investigation revealed major concerns with the hospitals staffing and wait times.On Sunday, 1News published an interview with senior doctors at the hospital, who voiced their concerns with staffing and patient safety due to long wait times.They said they had raised the concerns with management for months, if not years – and the lack of staff in their departments has led to waitlists blowing out and putting lives in danger.A senior emergency department doctor at the hospital also spoke to 1News about his concerns, and…

Police investigating a homicide and aggravated burglary in the Wellington suburb of Miramar are appealing for information about a vehicle.At about 2am on Monday, March 17, police were called to an address at Darlington Rd after the occupants discovered an intruder in their home.A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary in relation to the incident.Twenty minutes after police were called to the home, at 2.20am, 63-year-old Abdul Nabizadah was found with serious head injuries nearby at the intersection of Camperdown Rd and Totara Rd.He later died in hospital and a homicide investigation was launched.A reference photo of…

This week’s key events presented by Euronews’ editor in chief for EU news Jeremy Fleming-Jones. Key diary datesMonday 31 March – Commission statement before European Parliament plenary on need to ensure democratic pluralism, strengthen integrity, transparency and anticorruption policies in the EU.Wednesday 2 April – US reciprocal tariffs are due to enter into force affecting imports from EU.Wednesday 2 April – Friday 4 April – Annual American Bar Association Spring gathering of international competition and data privacy enforcers in Washington DC, including EVP Teresa Ribera.In spotlightADVERTISEMENTExecutive Vice-President Teresa Ribera will be in Washington in her capacity as the Commission’s competition chief…

Authorities say they have thrown out more than six million expired doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in New Zealand since the virus hit our shores.More than five years after the start of the pandemic that stopped the country, and the world, Covid-19 is still killing New Zealanders every week.The virus remained in almost every corner of the country – and more than 500 cases were reported in the past week alone. Immunisation Advisory Centre general practitioner and medical director Dr Nikki Turner said it was “likely to be a lot more than that”.“It circulates in the community – some people…

ADVERTISEMENTAre non-alcoholic wines the key to sustaining the declining wine industry, or Is alcohol an essential characteristic of wine? Today Radio Schuman explores this topic with Euronews reporter Gerardo Fortuna.Last week, the European Commission launched a package to help the industry navigate changing societal tastes, manage its production and develop new opportunities, including tapping into the growing non-alcoholic market.It included three standardized denominations – ‘Alcohol-free’, ‘0.0%’ and ‘alcohol light’ as a means of making new wine varieties more attractive to customers.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with audio editing by David Brodheim. Music by Alexandre Jas.

Auckland Airport is lowering its price planned increases after the Commerce Commission said it was overcharging by nearly $200 million.The competition regulator has published its final report on the airport’s next price-setting period, concluding its forecast revenue was excessive and targeted returns were too high.It said the airport was targeting excess profit of $190m and its charges were too high, with businesses and consumers likely to end up carrying much of the cost-burden.The commission said excess profit represented a targeted return of 8.73% from priced aeronautical activities – such as aircraft landing and passenger terminal charges – compared to the…