“A final act of frustration.”That’s how Rotorua district councillor Peter Bentley describes his resignation during a firey council meeting yesterday. Bentley told Local Democracy Reporting he drafted his resignation statement…

The trial of the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins is set go ahead as planned.

Bruce Lehrmann is accused of sexually assaulting Ms Higgins inside a Parliament House office in 2019.

He has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Mr Lehrmann's defence team tried to stop the case going to trial by applying for a stay application.

This would have effectively put an end to any future trial, however their bid was unsuccessful.

Several types of sunscreen have been recalled after it was found they contained low traces of benzene, a known carcinogen.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said benzene is not an ingredient in sunscreen, but can contaminate other materials in the manufacturing process.

"Benzene is a chemical that can cause cancer in humans, depending on the level and length of exposure," the TGA said.

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"It has been detected in one batch of a raw material used in the manufacture of a number of products and the TGA is working with affected companies to confirm if benzene is present in their medicines and if it is, how much is there."

While the quantity of benzene found in the sunscreens is considered too low to have serious health effects, several products have been recalled as a precaution.

Those who have purchased the Cancer Council's Sensitive Sunscreen SPF50+ 110mL in a tube, as well as Cancer Council's Sensitive Sunscreen SPF50+ 200mL in a pump bottle, are urged to discard the products and seek a refund.

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Two Nivea sunscreens have also been recalled, the Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture SPF30 Lotion in 200ml and the Sun Protect & Moisture SPF50+ roll on.

Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Lotion Spray Coconut Beach in 200ml has also been recalled as has the Baby Bum Mineral lotion, SPF 50+ 88mL.

"Although exposure at the levels detected would not be expected to cause serious adverse health effects, and risks to users are considered low, the sunscreens are being recalled to ensure consumer safety," the TGA said.

A refugee who befriended an underage girl on social media before plying her with alcohol and having sex with her has been jailed.Colombian-born Danilo Cadena-Cundumi was 32 when he began messaging the 15-year-old victim through…

Anyone who spent time in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s has been unable to donate their blood to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood – until now.

Australia's medical regulator, the TGA, has lifted the ban which stemmed from concerns surrounding the UK's mad cow disease epidemic during the two decades.

Almost 22 years ago, the TGA prohibited blood donations from people potentially affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in December 2000.

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ABS statistics show that around 700,000 people in Australia who spent time in the UK during that period will now potentially be able to donate their blood, but not immediately.

The organisation will first need to update its donor screening processes to accommodate the change.

Lifeblood spokesperson Helen Walsh said the TGA is confident with their move to drop the ban.

"They're confident that we can maintain a blood supply – a safe and secure blood supply – here in Australia," she said.

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The news has been warmly welcomed in Western Australia, as one in 10 people living in Perth were been born in England.

UK expat Helen Berry who lives in Perth said she'll be lining up to donate as soon as she can.

"As soon as they've bought it online, yep I'll be one of the first in the queue," she said.

An Otago Member of Parliament is calling for people to find more constructive ways to express their grievances after her car was despoiled with faeces.Taieri MP Ingrid Leary said today started off as a beautiful, sunny day and she…

Western Australia homicide squad detectives have charged a 28-year-old woman over the death of a 14-month-old child in Mandurah.

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Police were called to the residence, south of Perth, at about 4.50am. They then made the call to paramedics at 5.15am.

Upon arrival, officers found the unresponsive child. It is believed resuscitation attempts were made in the kitchen, but the child couldn't be saved.

The woman has been refused bail and is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court tomorrow.

Grande Vue Ace was bred for one purpose only – to chase a lure. In only her second race, she failed. In the world of greyhound racing, her slight distraction during a race meeting in Christchurch on April 5 was a serious misdemeanour…

Doctors are warning that Pasifika and Māori immunisation rates in Waikato need to lift as winter approaches.”Our borders being closed for two years protected us from influenza, but now they’ve reopened we will be exposed to…

Police now say they are not treating the death of a child in Western Heights as suspicious.Earlier today, police taped off a property on Brookland Rd in Western Heights while investigating the child’s “unexplained” death. yesterday…