Source: New Zealand Police
Motorists are advised to take alternative routes due to a bloackage on State Highway 1, between Tokoroa and Putāruru, following a crash this afternoon.
Police were alerted to the two-vehicle crash between Taupo Street and Domain Road, at around 2:50pm.
Indications are people have received moderate to serious injuries.
ENDS.
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died following a serious crash early this morning in Waipukurau.
Police received a report of a single vehicle crash at the intersection of Takapau Road and Racecourse Road at around 3.50am.
Sadly, despite best efforts of emergency services, the sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.
The road was closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination. The road is now clear.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
The leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have signed a deal that may bring the autonomous region’s quest for independence closer.
Called “Melanesian Agreement”, the deal was developed earlier this month in 10 days of discussion at the New Zealand army base at Burnham, near Christchurch.
Both governments have agreed that the national Parliament in PNG has a key role in the decision over the push for independence.
They recognise that the Bougainville desire for independence is legitimate, as expressed in a 2019 independence referendum result, and that this is a unique situation in PNG.
That is the agreement’s attempt to overcome pressure from other parts of PNG that are also talking about autonomy.
The parties say they are committed to maintaining a close, peaceful and enduring relationship between PNG and Bougainville.
Both sides said that to bring referendum results to the national Parliament both governments would develop a sessional order, which was a the temporary adjustment of Parliament’s rules.
Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee
They said that a Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Bougainville, which would provide information to MPs and the general public about the Bougainville conflict and resolution, is a vital body.
The parties said they would explore the joint creation of a Melanesian framework with agreed timelines, for a pathway forwards, that may form part of the Joint Consultations Report presented to the 11th National Parliament.
Once the Bipartisan Committee completes its work, the results of the referendum and the Joint Consultation Report would be taken to the Parliament.
The parties said they would accept the decision of the national Parliament, in the first instance, regarding the referendum results, and then commit to further consultations if needed, and this would be in an agreed timeline.
In the meantime, institutional strengthening and institutional building within Bougainville would continue.
To ensure progress is made and political commitment is sustained, the monitoring of this Melanesian Agreement could include an international component, a Parliamentary component, and the Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee, all with UN support.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
The leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have signed a deal that may bring the autonomous region’s quest for independence closer.
Called “Melanesian Agreement”, the deal was developed earlier this month in 10 days of discussion at the New Zealand army base at Burnham, near Christchurch.
Both governments have agreed that the national Parliament in PNG has a key role in the decision over the push for independence.
They recognise that the Bougainville desire for independence is legitimate, as expressed in a 2019 independence referendum result, and that this is a unique situation in PNG.
That is the agreement’s attempt to overcome pressure from other parts of PNG that are also talking about autonomy.
The parties say they are committed to maintaining a close, peaceful and enduring relationship between PNG and Bougainville.
Both sides said that to bring referendum results to the national Parliament both governments would develop a sessional order, which was a the temporary adjustment of Parliament’s rules.
Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee
They said that a Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Bougainville, which would provide information to MPs and the general public about the Bougainville conflict and resolution, is a vital body.
The parties said they would explore the joint creation of a Melanesian framework with agreed timelines, for a pathway forwards, that may form part of the Joint Consultations Report presented to the 11th National Parliament.
Once the Bipartisan Committee completes its work, the results of the referendum and the Joint Consultation Report would be taken to the Parliament.
The parties said they would accept the decision of the national Parliament, in the first instance, regarding the referendum results, and then commit to further consultations if needed, and this would be in an agreed timeline.
In the meantime, institutional strengthening and institutional building within Bougainville would continue.
To ensure progress is made and political commitment is sustained, the monitoring of this Melanesian Agreement could include an international component, a Parliamentary component, and the Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee, all with UN support.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
ANALYSIS: By Eugene Doyle
Setting aside any thoughts I may have about theocratic rulers (whether they be in Tel Aviv or Tehran), I am personally glad that Iran was able to hold out against the US-Israeli attacks this month.
The ceasefire, however, will only be a pause in the long-running campaign to destabilise, weaken and isolate Iran. Regime change or pariah status are both acceptable outcomes for the US-Israeli dyad.
The good news for my region is that Iran’s resilience pushes back what could be a looming calamity: the US pivot to Asia and a heightened risk of a war on China.
There are three major pillars to the Eurasian order that is going through a slow, painful and violent birth. Iran is the weakest. If Iran falls, war in our region — intended or unintended – becomes vastly more likely.
Mainstream New Zealanders and Australians suffer from an understandable complacency: war is what happens to other, mainly darker people or Slavs.
“Tomorrow”, people in this part of the world naively think, “will always be like yesterday”.
That could change, particularly for the Australians, in the kind of unfamiliar flash-boom Israelis experienced this month following their attack on Iran. And here’s why.
US chooses war to re-shape Middle East
Back in 2001, as many will recall, retired General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe, was visiting buddies in the Pentagon. He learnt something he wasn’t supposed to: the Bush administration had made plans in the febrile post 9/11 environment to attack seven Muslim countries.
In the firing line were: Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, Gaddafi’s Libya, Somalia, Sudan and the biggest prize of all — the Islamic Republic of Iran.
One would have to say that the project, pursued by successive presidents, both Democrat and Republican, has been a great success — if you discount the fact that a couple of million human beings, most of them civilians, many of them women and children, nearly all of them innocents, were slaughtered, starved to death or otherwise disposed of.
With the exception of Iran, those countries have endured chaos and civil strife for long painful years. A triumph of American bomb-based statecraft.
Now — with Muammar Gaddafi raped and murdered (“We came, we saw, he died”, Hillary Clinton chuckled on camera the same day), Saddam Hussein hanged, Hezbollah decapitated, Assad in Moscow, the genocide in full swing in Palestine — the US and Israel were finally able to turn their guns — or, rather, bombs — on the great prize: Iran.
Iran’s missiles have checked US-Israel for time being
Things did not go to plan. Former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman pointed out this week that for the first time Israel got a taste of the medicine it likes to dispense to its neighbours.
Iran’s missiles successfully turned the much-vaunted Iron Dome into an Iron Sieve and, perhaps momentarily, has achieved deterrence. If Iran falls, the US will be able to do what Barack Obama and Joe Biden only salivated over — a serious pivot to Asia.
Could great power rivalry turn Asia-Pacific into powderkeg?
For us in Asia-Pacific a major US pivot to Asia will mean soaring defence budgets to support militarisation, aggressive containment of China, provocative naval deployments, more sanctions, muscling smaller states, increased numbers of bases, new missile systems, info wars, threats and the ratcheting up rhetoric — all of which will bring us ever-closer to the powderkeg.
Sounds utterly mad? Sounds devoid of rationality? Lacking commonsense? Welcome to our world — bellum Americanum — as we gormlessly march flame in hand towards the tinderbox. War is not written in the stars, we can change tack and rediscover diplomacy, restraint, and peaceful coexistence. Or is that too much to ask?
Back in the days of George W Bush, radical American thinkers like Robert Kagan, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld created the Project for a New American Century and developed the policy, adopted by succeeding presidents, that promotes “the belief that America should seek to preserve and extend its position of global leadership by maintaining the preeminence of US military forces”.
It reconfirmed the neoconservative American dogma that no power should be allowed to rise in any region to become a regional hegemon; anything and everything necessary should be done to ensure continued American primacy, including the resort to war.
What has changed since those days are two crucial, epoch-making events: the re-emergence of Russia as a great power, albeit the weakest of the three, and the emergence of China as a genuine peer competitor to the USA. Professor John Mearsheimer’s insights are well worth studying on this topic.
The three pillars of multipolarity
A new world order really is being born. As geopolitical thinkers like Professor Glenn Diesen point out, it will, if it is not killed in the cradle, replace the US unipolar world order that has existed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Many countries are involved in its birthing, including major players like India and Brazil and all the countries that are part of BRICS. Three countries, however, are central to the project: Iran, Russia and, most importantly, China. All three are in the crosshairs of the Western empire.
If Iran, Russia and China survive as independent entities, they will partially fulfill Halford MacKinder’s early 20th century heartland theory that whoever dominates Eurasia will rule the world. I don’t think MacKinder, however, foresaw cooperative multipolarity on the Eurasian landmass — which is one of the goals of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) – as an option.
That, increasingly, appears to be the most likely trajectory with multiple powerful states that will not accept domination, be that from China or the US. That alone should give us cause for hope.
Drunk on power since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has launched war after war and brought us to the current abandonment of economic sanity (the sanctions-and-tariff global pandemic) and diplomatic normalcy (kill any peace negotiators you see) — and an anything-goes foreign policy (including massive crimes against humanity).
We have also reached — thanks in large part to these same policies — what a former US national security advisor warned must be avoided at all costs. Back in the 1990s, Zbigniew Brzezinski said, “The most dangerous scenario would be a grand coalition of China, Russia, and perhaps Iran.”
Belligerent and devoid of sound strategy, the Biden and Trump administrations have achieved just that.
Can Asia-Pacific avoid being dragged into an American war on China?
Turning to our region, New Zealand and Australia’s governments cleave to yesterday: a white-dominated world led by the USA. We have shown ourselves indifferent to massacres, ethnic cleansing and wars of aggression launched by our team.
To avoid war — or a permanent fear of looming war — in our own backyards, we need to encourage sanity and diplomacy; we need to stay close to the US but step away from the military alliances they are forming, such as AUKUS which is aimed squarely at China.
Above all, our defence and foreign affairs elites need to grow new neural pathways and start to think with vision and not place ourselves on the losing side of history. Independent foreign policy settings based around peace, defence not aggression, diplomacy not militarisation, would take us in the right direction.
Personally I look forward to the day the US and its increasingly belligerent vassals are pushed back into the ranks of ordinary humanity. I fear the US far more than I do China.
Despite the reflexive adherence to the US that our leaders are stuck on, we should not, if we value our lives and our cultures, allow ourselves to be part of this mad, doomed project.
The US empire is heading into a blood-drenched sunset; their project will fail and the 500-year empire of the White West will end — starting and finishing with genocide.
Every day I atheistically pray that leaders or a movement will emerge to guide our antipodean countries out of the clutches of a violent and increasingly incoherent USA.
America is not our friend. China is not our enemy. Tomorrow gives birth to a world that we should look forward to and do the little we can to help shape.
Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He contributes to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific, and hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz
Source: New Zealand Police
Attribute to acting Detective Inspector Greg Brand:
Police can confirm the death of a man at Mt Eden Corrections Facility is being treated as a homicide.
Police were made aware at about 4pm yesterday of a man who had died at the prison following an incident.
Officers continue to follow positive lines of enquiry.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police
Attributable to Senior Sergeant Martin Tunley, Acting Nelson Bays Area Commander:
One person has died following an incident in Wai-iti, south-east of Wakefield, this morning.
At around 9.40am, emergency services were called to a property on State Highway 6 after a person was reportedly hit by a tree while clearing flood damage.
Sadly, despite best efforts by emergency services, the person died at the scene.
Police extend our condolences to their family at this difficult time.
Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing and the death will be referred to the Coroner.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Israeli soldiers have said that they were ordered to open fire at unarmed Palestinian civilians desperately seeking aid at designated distribution sites in Gaza, a report in the Ha’aretz newspaper has revealed.
The report came as 70 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip — mostly at aid sites belonging to the widely condemned Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — in the last 24 hours.
Soldiers said that instead of using crowd control measures, they shot at crowds of civilians to prevent them from approaching certain areas.
One soldier, who was not named in the report, described the distribution site as a “killing field,” adding that “where I was, between one and five people were killed every day”.
The soldier said that they targeted the crowds as if they were “an attacking force,” instead of using other non-lethal weapons to organise and disperse crowds.
“We communicate with them through fire,” he continued, noting that heavy machine guns, grenade launchers and mortars were used on people, including the elderly, women and children.
The increased attacks, particularly those targeting aid-seekers, come as Gaza’s government Media Office said at least 549 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces while trying to get their hands on emergency aid in the last four weeks.
‘Evil of moral army’
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara described what was happening in Gaza was more than the genocode.
“It is the evil of the most moral army in the world,” he said.
Israeli forces continued their attacks across the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing at least three Palestinians in an attack on Khan Younis, in the south, while also heavily bombing residential buildings east of Jabalia in the north.
Medical sources also said a Palestinian fisherman was killed, and others wounded, by Israeli naval gunfire off the al-Shati refugee camp, while he was working.
Gaza’s Ministry of Interior responded to the attacks with a statement, accusing Israel of “seeking to spread chaos and destabilise the Gaza Strip”.
Malnutrition soars
Gazans have continued to desperately seek aid provided by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, despite the hundreds of people killed at its sites, as malnutrition soars in the territory.
Two infants have died this week due to malnutrition and the ongoing blockade on Gaza.
For weeks now, health officials in the enclave have raised the alarm over the critical shortage of baby formula, but aid continued to be obstructed.
The two infants were buried on Thursday evening, after they were pronounced dead at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Medical staff said the cause of death was a lack of basic nutrition and access to essential medical care.
One of the infants, identified as Nidal, was only five months old, while the other, Kinda, was only 10 days old.
Mohammed al-Hams, Kinda’s father, told local media that children are dying due to severe malnutrition, sarcastically labelling them “the achievements of Netanyahu and his war”.
“Not a second goes by without a funeral prayer being held in the Gaza Strip,” he continued.
Malnutrition ‘catastrophic’
On Wednesday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said the humanitarian situation in Gaza had reached “catastrophic” levels, noting that there had been a sharp increase in malnutrition among children, particularly in infants.
According to Palestinian official figures, at least 242 people have died in Gaza due to food and medicine shortages, with the majority of them being elderly and children.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023. The war has levelled entire neighbourhoods, and has been called a genocide by leading rights groups, including Amnesty International.
In Auckland last night, visiting Palestinian journalist, author, academic and community advocate Dr Yousef Aljamal spoke about “The unheard voices of Palestinian child prisoners”.
Dr Aljamal, who edited If I Must Die, a compilation of poetry and prose by Refaat Alareer, the poet who was assassinated by the Israelis in 6 December 2023, also described the humanitarian crisis as a “catastrophe” and called for urgent sanctions and political pressure on Israel by governments, including New Zealand.
Soldiers admit Israeli army is targeting aid seekers Video: Al Jazeera
Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz
Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died following a serious crash in Tokoroa overnight.
At around 12am Police were alerted to a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on Lomond Avenue.
Despite best efforts of emergency services, one person died at the scene.
The Serious Crash Unit has conducted a scene examination.
The road was closed for a period of time, however reopened early this morning.
Police continue to make enquiries to determine the circumstances of the crash.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police
Police are investigating a serious crash in Kumeu last night, which has left four teenagers in hospital, two of whom remain in a critical condition.
The crash occurred around 8.20pm on Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, shortly after Police signalled a vehicle to stop due to the manner of driving. The vehicle fled and was not being pursued at the time of the crash.
A short time later, the vehicle lost control and crashed, coming to rest upside down against a residential property. Four nearby Police staff, who had been seizing a separate vehicle, heard the crash and responded immediately, locating the vehicle and providing first aid to those inside.
“This is a horrific incident with devastating consequences for the young people involved,” says Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan. “It is extremely fortunate that no other members of the public were injured.”
The Serious Crash Unit has completed a scene examination, and Police are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the crash and the events leading up to it. Due to the nature of the incident, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has been notified.
“We are supporting the families of those injured, and the officers who responded to this tragic scene,” Superintendent Hassan said. “We are still in the early stages of our investigation and expect it will take time to answer all the questions surrounding this incident.”
“At the heart of this is a tragic decision to flee Police. We want to reiterate—if you are signalled to stop, please pull over. No life is worth the risk.”
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police
Attributable to Detective Sergeant Neale Saunders
Tokoroa Police investigating an alleged sexual assault are appealing for information from the public.
At around 11.20pm on Friday 27 June, Police were called to Dumfries Road where a woman walking her dog was sexually assaulted by an unknown person.
The offender left the scene prior to Police arrival.
Police would like to hear from anyone who may have been in the Dumfries Road area at the time of the incident, alongside anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage.
In particular, Police would like to speak to a man who was seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt on a bicycle around the time of this incident.
While we have no reason to believe this man had any involvement in the incident, we are eager to speak with him as we believe he may have valuable information to share.
If you have information that can assist in our enquiries, please get in touch online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250628/1758.
You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Government
Around 135,000 women across New Zealand who are eligible but not currently enrolled for breast cancer screening will benefit from the successful national rollout of a new digital platform, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
“The launch of Te Puna across the country is a major step forward for delivering faster and smarter screening services,” Mr Brown says.
“Te Puna replaces an outdated legacy system with a modern, streamlined platform that makes it easier for women to enrol, book, and manage their breast screening appointments – helping more women get screened earlier.”
The new system, which began rolling out in February, is now live nationwide. It introduces a more proactive approach to screening, with women now automatically identified when they become eligible and invited to book a mammogram – shifting from an opt-in to an opt-out model.
“This change will significantly boost participation and help close the gap for the 135,000 eligible women who aren’t currently getting screened.
“Early detection through regular mammograms is critical. Women diagnosed through screening are about 34 per cent less likely to die from breast cancer. This new system will make it easier for more women to get the checks they need, when they need them.”
Te Puna significantly enhances data tracking, accuracy, and reporting – helping providers identify and reach women who have never screened or don’t screen regularly. It also improves convenience for patients, allowing women to book or change appointments using a secure personalised link or QR code sent via text, email, or letter.
“This Government is focused on lifting screening rates to save more lives and improve treatment outcomes. Te Puna will play a vital role in achieving that.
“We’re also delivering on our commitment to extend breast screening to women aged 70 to 74, with rollout of the expansion beginning later this year.
“Every woman deserves the chance for early detection and timely treatment. Te Puna is about putting the right tools in place to deliver better care, faster – and ultimately, to save lives,” Mr Brown says.
Source: New Zealand Police
Police are continuing investigations after a sexual assault on a woman on the Rangituhi/Colonial Knob walking track, near Porirua, on Wednesday 18 June.
Detective Senior Sergeant Pete Middlemiss says Police have received a great amount of information from the public, and are calling for anyone else who was in the area to come forward.
“We’re especially interested in speaking to anybody who entered or exited the walkway from the Raiha Street carpark entrance between 3pm and 4.30pm, on 18 June.
“From the information we have already received, we have some lines of enquiry which the investigation team is continuing to follow.”
Police are still appealing for any information about a man who was wearing a dark-coloured long sleeve top, dark-coloured track pants and a cap.
If you have any information, please contact Police via 105, either over the phone or online.
Please reference file number 250618/1395.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: Press Release Service
Headline: Medspartner Support Program for Patients Facing High Drug Costs
Medspartner helps New Zealanders legally access affordable cancer and rare disease drugs from global FDA/EMA-approved manufacturers through guided personal importation and patient support.
The post Medspartner Support Program for Patients Facing High Drug Costs first appeared on PR.co.nz.
Source: Press Release Service
Headline: Winter Slowdown Drives Tax-Deductible Website Upgrades
With tax returns due 7 July, NZ businesses are urged to invest in website upgrades now. It’s a smart, tax-deductible move during the winter slowdown.
The post Winter Slowdown Drives Tax-Deductible Website Upgrades first appeared on PR.co.nz.
By Richard Larsen, RNZ News producer — 30′ with Guyon Espiner
The former head of Human Rights Watch — and son of a Holocaust survivor — says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials.
Speaking on 30′ with Guyon Espiner, Ken Roth agreed Hamas committed “blatant war crimes” in its attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which included the abduction and murder of civilians.
But he said it was a “basic rule” that war crimes by one side do not justify war crimes by the other.
There was indisputable evidence Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza and might also be pursuing tactics that fit the international legal standard for genocide, Roth said.
30′ with Guyon Espiner Kenneth Roth Video: RNZ
“The acts are there — mass killing, destruction of life-sustaining conditions. And there are statements from senior officials that point clearly to intent,” Roth said.
He cited comments immediately after the October 7 attack by Hamas from Israel’s former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who referred to Gazans as “human animals”.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also said “an entire nation” was responsible for the attack and the notion of “unaware, uninvolved civilians is not true,” referring to the Palestinean people. Herzog subsequently said his words were taken out of context during a case at the International Court of Justice.
The accusation of genocide is hotly contested. Israel says it is fighting a war of self-defence against Hamas after it killed 1200 people, mostly civilians. It claims it adheres to international law and does its best to protect civilians.
It blames Hamas for embedding itself in civilian areas.
But Roth believes a ruling may ultimately come from the International Court of Justice, especially if a forthcoming judgment on Myanmar sets a precedent.
“It’s very similar to what Myanmar did with the Rohingya,” he said. “Kill about 30,000 to send 730,000 fleeing. It’s not just about mass death. It’s about creating conditions where life becomes impossible.”
‘Apartheid’ alleged in Israel’s West Bank
Roth has been described as the ‘Godfather of Human Rights’, and is credited with vastly expanding the influence of the Human Rights Watch group during a 29-year tenure in charge of the organisation.
In the full interview with Guyon Espiner, Roth defended the group’s 2021 report that accused Israel of enforcing a system of apartheid in the occupied West Bank.
“This was not a historical analogy,” he said, implying it was a mistake to compare it with South Africa’s former apartheid regime.
“It was a legal analysis. We used the UN Convention against Apartheid and the Rome Statute, and laid out over 200 pages of evidence.”
He said the Israeli government was unable to offer a factual rebuttal.
“They called us biased, antisemitic — the usual. But they didn’t contest the facts.”
The ‘cheapening’ of antisemitism charges
Roth, who is Jewish and the son of a Holocaust refugee, said it was disturbing to be accused of antisemitism for criticising a government.
“There is a real rise in antisemitism around the world. But when the term is used to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel, it cheapens the concept, and that ultimately harms Jews everywhere.”
Roth said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had long opposed a two-state solution and was now pursuing a status quo that amounted to permanent subjugation of Palestinians, a situation human rights groups say is illegal.
“The only acceptable outcome is two states, living side by side. Anything else is apartheid, or worse,” Roth said.
While the international legal process around charges of genocide may take years, Roth is convinced the current actions in Gaza will not be forgotten.
“This is not just about war,” he said. “It’s about the deliberate use of starvation, displacement and mass killing to achieve political goals. And the law is very clear — that’s a crime.”
Roth’s criticism of Israel saw him initially denied a fellowship at Harvard University in 2023. The decision was widely seen as politically motivated, and was later reversed after public and academic backlash.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Source: New Zealand Government
Pacific Peoples and Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti departs this week for visits to Spain and the United Kingdom.
In Spain, Dr Reti will represent New Zealand at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.
“The Conference is an opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals at a time where the Goals, and the international development cooperation system, are facing major challenges,” Dr Reti says.
“An important role as Minister for Pacific Peoples will be working with Pacific partners and other Small Island Developing States to prioritise their interests at the Conference.
“While in Seville I will meet with counterparts from across the world to discuss how shifts in donor funding, and the deteriorating geostrategic environment, are affecting our efforts to realise the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.”
Dr Reti will then travel to London, United Kingdom to deepen science, innovation and technology ties.
“Harnessing science, innovation and technology is a core pillar of the Government’s Going for Growth agenda, and the UK is a key partner for New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.
UK and New Zealand researchers have strong collaborative relationships across a broad range of important areas such as medical and health science, physics, biological science, and engineering.
“While in London I will meet with counterparts to explore new areas of cooperation and ideas to reform and modernise New Zealand systems,” Dr Reti says.
Dr Reti will also take the opportunity to discuss approaches to census delivery with the UK.
New Zealand and the UK are both looking towards administrative data to support future census delivery and provide more relevant, useful, and timely information to support decision making.
Dr Reti departs New Zealand on Friday 27 June and returns on Sunday 6 July 2025.
Source: New Zealand Government
Pacific Peoples and Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti departs this week for visits to Spain and the United Kingdom.
In Spain, Dr Reti will represent New Zealand at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.
“The Conference is an opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals at a time where the Goals, and the international development cooperation system, are facing major challenges,” Dr Reti says.
“An important role as Minister for Pacific Peoples will be working with Pacific partners and other Small Island Developing States to prioritise their interests at the Conference.
“While in Seville I will meet with counterparts from across the world to discuss how shifts in donor funding, and the deteriorating geostrategic environment, are affecting our efforts to realise the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.”
Dr Reti will then travel to London, United Kingdom to deepen science, innovation and technology ties.
“Harnessing science, innovation and technology is a core pillar of the Government’s Going for Growth agenda, and the UK is a key partner for New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.
UK and New Zealand researchers have strong collaborative relationships across a broad range of important areas such as medical and health science, physics, biological science, and engineering.
“While in London I will meet with counterparts to explore new areas of cooperation and ideas to reform and modernise New Zealand systems,” Dr Reti says.
Dr Reti will also take the opportunity to discuss approaches to census delivery with the UK.
New Zealand and the UK are both looking towards administrative data to support future census delivery and provide more relevant, useful, and timely information to support decision making.
Dr Reti departs New Zealand on Friday 27 June and returns on Sunday 6 July 2025.
Source: New Zealand Police
Emergency services were called to an address on Coatesville-Riverhead Highway at around 8:20pm to reports of a car crashing into a house.
Initial indications suggest that four people have serious to critical injuries.
The Serious Crash Unit has been notified.
The road is currently closed, motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible, and follow diversions.
ENDS.
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Amnesty International
In response to today’s execution in Japan of a man convicted of the murder of nine people, Chiara Sangiorgio, Death Penalty Advisor at Amnesty International, said:
“The execution of Takahiro Shiraishi – the first in Japan in nearly three years – is the latest callous attack on the right to life in Japan and a major setback for the country’s human rights record.
“Last year’s acquittal of Hakamada Iwao, formerly the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner, laid bare the unfairness of Japan’s criminal justice system and use of the death penalty and was an ideal opportunity to change course.
“But instead of moving to reform and ensure full protection of human rights, the government has chosen to resume executions. This is a significant setback to efforts to end the use of the death penalty in Japan.
“As of today, 113 countries worldwide have completely abolished the death penalty in law, and more than 144 have abandoned it in law or practice, yet Japan continues to use this inhuman punishment.
“The secrecy that continues to surround the notification of executions make the use of this punishment in Japan additionally cruel. The Japanese authorities must immediately introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step toward abolishing the death penalty entirely —and commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment.”
Background
According to Japan’s Ministry of Justice, the execution of Takahiro Shiraishi was carried out on 27 June 2025.
Shiraishi was convicted in 2020 of the killing of nine people in 2017 by Tokyo District Court and sentenced to death.
This is the first execution under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who came to power in October 2024, and the first since July 2022.
Executions in Japan are shrouded in secrecy, with prisoners typically given only a few hours’ notice and given no warning at all before their death sentences are carried out. Their families are usually notified about the execution only after it has taken place.
Japan is one of a small group of countries that has carried out executions in recent years. Amnesty International recorded 1,518 executions in 15 countries in 2024 (excluding the thousands believed to have been carried out in China), an increase by 32% from the 1,153 recorded in 2023 largely driven by a spike in three countries in the Middle East – Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
On 26 September 2024, a long-awaited ruling was delivered by Shizuoka District Court to acquit Hakamada Iwao, described as the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.
Source: New Zealand Police
A man is due back in court in two weeks charged with offending relating to alleged road rage in Tauranga last month.
On 20 May, Police received a number of reports from members of the public about the manner of driving of a utility vehicle, including an instance where the driver allegedly brandished a knife at a motorist.
Inspector Logan Marsh, Relieving Western Bay of Plenty Area Commander, says this week’s arrest comes after significant Police enquiries to locate the alleged offender, which culminated in Police executing a search warrant at a Welcome Bay address this week.
A 52-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday, charged with operating a motor vehicle recklessly, and possession of an offensive weapon.
He has been remanded in custody to reappear on 11 July.
“We’d like to thank the public for the information they provided, which was a key component to our investigation,” Inspector Marsh says.
“Our teams have worked to locate the person responsible and I’d like to acknowledge their hard work.
“Police will continue to take action where we can against any dangerous driving activity on our roads,” he says.
Police continue to urge anybody who witnesses any dangerous or illegal behaviour to report it to Police.
Please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report via 105 if it is after the fact. Information can also be reported anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police
An alleged car thief in Napier picked the wrong location to try her luck – getting arrested within 10 minutes of stealing a vehicle parked opposite the Police station.
Shortly before 10am today, a courier driver was delivering a parcel to a premises on Station Street, opposite the Napier Police Station.
Senior Sergeant Su Robinson says the driver left his vehicle running, as was his usual practice, when a woman got into the vehicle and drove off with the van loaded full of parcels.
“The driver has urgently run into the front counter of the Police Station and let front desk staff know,” she says.
“An immediate call went out to all staff on the radio with the details, and staff have sprung into action.”
Officers have made area enquiries, and located both the van and the woman on Masefield Avenue.
The 27-year-old woman was arrested, and she is due in Napier District Court on 3 July charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.
Senior Sergeant Robinson says the woman will also face a burglary charge, after the arresting officer located property on her relating to a previous burglary.
“While officers were fortunate to make an incredibly quick arrest on this occasion, we’d urge anyone leaving their vehicle even for a short time to please ensure it is locked – as it only takes a second for someone to steal it.”
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Police
Auckland City Police is continuing to look for Solomon Kapua Apihai.
The 41-year-old man has a warrant for his arrest and is continuing to evade Police.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk says Police staff have been actively searching for Apihai in recent days.
“He is wanted to arrest for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm,” she says.
“We are advising the public to contact us if they see Apihai, and not to approach him.”
Apihai is known to frequent areas around Mt Roskill and Auckland’s CBD.
“We know Apihai is also a frequent user of the bus network, so we are asking anyone who sees him to contact us,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Kirk says.
If you see Apihai, please call 111.
Anyone with further information on his whereabouts can update Police online now or call 105.
Please use the reference number 250623/5869.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: Privacy Commissioner
In 2021, a government agency mailed a client’s health information to the wrong address. The agency had the correct street but had misidentified the house number.
The agency had the incorrect address in its systems as the verified address for the client, because a staff member had misheard the street number they said and verified the incorrect address in the agency’s systems. The agency said it had taken steps to verify the address, and so it did not consider it had made a mistake.
The client was not satisfied with this response and complained to the agency. Further enquiries showed that the agency had the client’s correct address details at the time the information was sent to the wrong address but had not updated their file.
The client asked for compensation, but the agency said it did not consider the breach had caused significant emotional harm, because the information that had been sent was “relatively generic.”
However, the client said that their previous experiences meant that the harm of the information being sent to the wrong address was greater for them than it might have been for someone else. The client lodged an application for review of the agency’s decision. The agency was directed by the reviewer to obtain an external opinion on the emotional harm suffered by the client. This independent opinion said the breach had caused significant emotional harm and had exacerbated the client’s pre-existing conditions. Following this, the agency made a compensation offer to the client, however it miscommunicated how long the client had to consider and accept the offer. The client had lost trust in the agency by this point and was not willing to negotiate with the agency directly.
The client asked our Office to assist, advising that they would like to meet with the agency to discuss how the privacy breach had impacted them and to further attempt to resolve the complaint.
This complaint raised issues under rules 5 and 8 of the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (the Code).
Rule 5 requires agencies that hold health information to ensure that the information is protected by reasonable safeguards to protect against loss, misuse or unauthorised disclosure.
Rule 8 requires agencies to take reasonable steps to ensure that information is accurate, up to date, complete, relevant and not misleading before using or disclosing that information.
This was a case where the agency accepted it had breached its client’s privacy, but it didn’t fully understand the harm the breach had caused the client. Further, the relationship between the agency and its client had broken down, such that they weren’t able to resolve the matter between them directly.
We focus on resolving complaints where possible, and instead of investigating we decided to explore a settlement under section 77 of the Privacy Act.
Section 77 provides for the Commissioner to use best endeavours to settle the complaint without an investigation. An investigation may or may not follow if the Commissioner is unable to secure a settlement.
We facilitated a conciliation meeting between the agency, the client and the client’s psychologist, who attended as the client’s support person, and was able to help the client articulate the harm the privacy breach had caused them. It was clear that the breach had exacerbated pre-existing mental health conditions and caused a significant impact on the emotional state and the life of the client.
At the meeting, the agency did a good job of hearing the complainant’s concerns. Its representatives provided the client with a heartfelt apology. The client thanked the representatives and said it was the first time that they felt the agency had listened and understood how they felt. The conciliation meeting ended with both parties agreeing to settle the matter.
As part of this resolution, the agency agreed to pay financial compensation, which was more than twice the amount offered previously. The agency also agreed to pay for ongoing psychological treatment to help the client to recover from the interference with their privacy.
The matter was settled, and we closed our file.
When agencies are considering whether harm has been suffered by a complainant, it is essential that it seeks to understand the actual impact on the client, not what they think the impact should be without having lived that individual’s life experiences. What might not affect one person, can have a significant impact on another.
Additionally, it is critical that agencies take responsibility for errors from the outset and put things right early. In this instance, the complaint could have been resolved far earlier if the agency had accepted what had gone wrong earlier, and if it had considered the information it already had, in the form of the independent opinion about the harm the client had experienced.
Instead, the agency’s management of the breach and the subsequent complaint led to a further breakdown in the relationship between the parties, and this meant the matter wasn’t able to be resolved without our Office’s assistance. However, when the parties came to the conciliation with a genuine desire to hear the other and with an intention to resolve the matter and move forward, we were able to facilitate a conversation that allowed that to happen, and both sides to get closure.