Blog

Theo Spierings. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook The former high-profile and controversial head of dairy co-operative Fonterra, Theo Spierings, has died. A brief statement issued through a consultancy he worked for said Spierings had died over the weekend in the Netherlands after a brief illness. "His legacy, and the impact he had on those he worked with and who knew him, will be remembered fondly." "At this difficult time, Theo's family has requested privacy. They appreciate the outpouring of love and support from around the world during this sad time." Spierings was involved in many high-profile moments for the company. Photo: RNZ Spierings, a 30-year veteran of the dairy industry in Europe and New Zealand, had returned to Holland after his resignation from Fonterra in 2018. He was appoint...

A non-contact version of rugby is hoping to stem the number of people leaving the sport over head injury concerns. Photo: Joseph Johnson England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) has announced plans to introduce a non-contact version of the game in schools with the aim of halting a decline in youth participation. An independent review commissioned by the national governing body "found evidence of decline in a number of schools with strong rugby traditions - driven by concern about injury and a widespread view amongst schools not playing rugby that it is a difficult game to introduce". Head injuries have become a major issue within the sport in recent years, with a group of former players currently involved in legal action against World Rugby and other governing bodies. The individuals allege...

By Riley Stuart, ABC British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has praised King Charles III, saying he was doing a "fantastic job", after the monarch was heckled by independent senator Lidia Thorpe. Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a reception at Parliament House, 21 October, 2024. Photo: Lukas Coch / ABC Senator Thorpe's protest, which involved her shouting at the royal, who had just delivered a speech at an event in Canberra, made global headlines. The Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman yelled "you are not our king" and "this is not your land" at the king before striding towards the stage in The Great Hall at Parliament House and continuing: "You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land ...

A Met Police officer. Photo: 123RF By Sam Tobin, Reuters A British police officer has been acquitted of the murder of a Black man he shot dead in London two years ago, an incident that led to large protests and anger among the capital's Black community. Martyn Blake, 40, had pleaded "not guilty" to the murder of Chris Kaba, who was unarmed and died from a single gunshot to the head in south London on 5 September, 2022. Blake had shot Kaba through the windscreen after he tried to drive his car, which had been linked to a reported shooting the previous evening, away from police vehicles that had boxed him in. The head of London's Metropolitan police force, Mark Rowley, said Blake had made a split-second decision. "Any fatal use of force understandably prompts huge concern among communitie...

Activist Korey Wise (C) speaks on stage as representatives from the Central Park Five, (L-R) Activist Kevin Richardson, New York City Council Member Dr. Yusef Salaam, and Activist Raymond Santana, along with Rev. Al Sharpton (2nd-R) look on during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on 22 August, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: ANDREW HARNIK / AFP By Devan Cole, CNN Members of the 'Central Park Five' sued former President Donald Trump on Monday over "false and defamatory" statements they allege he made about their 1989 case during a presidential debate last month. The five men claim in a federal lawsuit that Trump knew he was acting with "reckless disregard" for the truth when he said during the September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris t...