Author: Press Room

The Government has directed officials to change the proposed direction of reform to the Holidays Act, based on feedback that the draft Bill isn’t going to solve issues with the current situation. “The Government recently conducted targeted consultation on an exposure draft Bill which built on work that had started under the previous government. The feedback I have seen indicates that the draft Bill is not going to solve the issues of the Act,” Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said. “Not only have I heard from submitters that further simplification is possible but there were some who…

There is disappointment in New Plymouth at the theft of $10,000 worth of fluorescent Christmas lights and equipment ahead of the city’s popular Festival of Lights. New Plymouth District Council’s events leader Lisa Ekdahl told 1News that fluorescent lights and spotlights were stolen from Pukekura Park overnight on December 5, and lighting equipment for an artist’s installation were stolen on December 10. She estimated the total value of equipment taken to be around $10,000. The lights were being set up for the TSB Festival of Lights, a free community event which attracted more than 175,000 people over five weeks last…

The mayor of the southwestern town of Pau and leader of the centrist MoDem party will have the difficult task of passing France’s 2025 budget plan ADVERTISEMENTFrench President Emmanuel Macron named long-time centrist ally François Bayrou as the country’s new prime minister after MPs voted to oust the previous government under Michel Barnier last week.The 73-year-old is the founder of the centrist Democratic Movement party (MoDem) and mayor of the southwestern town of Pau.Just like his predecessor, François Bayrou does not have a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament). To avoid the same fate as Barnier, he…

Almost 30,000 extra people are living in three south Auckland suburbs compared to five years ago as subdivisions in the popular areas boom.Local politicians promise they will continue to do right by their communities but admit there will be challenges and speed bumps along the way.Approximately 27,300 more people live across Franklin, Papakura and Manurewa compared to 2018, according to the 2023 Census.There were 84,357 people in Franklin in 2023 — up 9519 on 2018. There were 72,318 in Papakura — up 14,682 and there were 98,784 in Manurewa — up 3114.“We won’t get everything right, but we will continue…

In our 100th episode of ‘Brussels, my love?’, we discuss the delicate diplomacy and political turbulence behind the spectacular reopening of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, and the fate of Syrian asylum-seekers after the fall of Assad’s regime. ADVERTISEMENTWe are joined by Bart Szewczyk, global policy expert with the German Marshall Fund, Maria Tadeo, correspondent with Le Grand Continent and Nessim Achouche, policy expert with the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation.The panel reflected on the recent meeting between US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who were both in Paris to see the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a…

The Government has ended the year with a flurry of proposed changes to employment laws. 1News explains what New Zealand’s workers can likely expect for 2025.An income threshold for unjustified dismissal claimsThe Government will make changes through the Employment Relations Amendment Bill to stop anyone earning more than $180,000 a year from making unjustified dismissal claims.Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced the threshold late last month, saying it would “provide greater labour market flexibility, enabling businesses to ensure they have the best fit of skills and abilities for their organisation”.The current law is so confusing employers are…

The Government has revealed three new North Island highways will be tolled, and how much it will cost to travel on them. Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the tolling decision today, which will include charges on new highways in Auckland, Tauranga and the Wellington region.The user pays models will see some motorists pay tolls up to $6. (Source: 1News)He said: “Tolling on these roads will support the ongoing cost of delivering these roads and maintaining and operating them.”This will help motorists in Auckland, Tauranga, and Greater Wellington gain faster, safer, and more reliable journeys. Each of these routes retains a…

Police have arrested one man and are seeking two other men after the trio allegedly stole more than $1000 worth of meat from an Auckland supermarket last night.Two men entered a supermarket on Mount Wellington Highway just before 7pm on Thursday and filled an entire trolley with meat products, said Auckland City East Area Commander Inspector Jim Wilson.”Both men brazenly walked out with the stolen meat and loaded it into a nearby waiting vehicle.”Police had been contacted and a unit attempted to stop the vehicle as it was exiting the car park.”Wilson said the driver fled from police at speed…

Additional firefighters have been brought in to continue the work of extinguishing a vegetation fire near Burnham today.The fire broke out alongside State Highway 1 yesterday afternoon, closing the road for a short period of time.The scene of the fire yesterday. (Source: 1News)Crews worked to battle flare-ups overnight — including “candling”, when whole trees were on fire.Incident Commander Dave Berry said rural crews today were systematically digging out deep-seated hotspots where the roots of gorse plants and other vegetation burning underground can reignite surface fires.The scene of the Burnham fire. (Source: FENZ)”Career firefighters have also been at the scene today,…

A man accused of sneaking into a nursing home and raping an elderly women has been charged with her murder, a year after the alleged offending. Brett Anthony Crawford, 34, allegedly broke into a NSW Central Coast aged-care facility shortly after midnight on November 15, 2023 and attacked the 90-year-old woman in her room. She suffered serious injuries and was rushed to hospital after raising the alarm with staff. She died 13 days later.Arrested five days after the alleged attack, Crawford was initially charged with aggravated breaking and entering to commit a serious indictable offence, inflicting actual bodily harm with…