Author: Press Room

Electricity sector boss Stew Hamilton’s career trajectory has provided an interesting perspective. He went from Tiwai Point — New Zealand’s largest consumer of electricity — to chief executive of Mercury NZ, one of New Zealand’s largest creators of electricity. Mr Hamilton returned to his old stomping ground of Southland last week for an Institute of Directors’ Otago-Southland branch event, attended by more than 40 people. He joined New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) 25 years ago as a graduate engineer, and later became the boss of the aluminium smelter before leaving in 2021 to become general manager of generation at Mercury.…

A “nameless legend” spread “delicious joy” during major delays at Auckland Airport yesterday – and now, the search is on to find out who that person was.Yesterday morning, an external tech issue led to huge queues for check-in at Auckland Airport’s international terminal. Congestion lasted for hours.Amid the disruption, a “Kiwi hero” shared a “big feed” of KFC with other stranded travellers, Air New Zealand said in a statement.The airline’s Grabaseat team was now searching for that mystery person, to reward them.”To honour this hero’s extra tasty act of kindness, Grabaseat and KFC are offering up a special gift,” the…

The mandates of the committees – which will scrutinise and report on legislative proposals – will now have to be voted on and given the final green light by the Parliament’s plenary next Wednesday in Strasbourg. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Parliament’s group leaders reached a political agreement on Friday to set up two new special committees on housing and foreign interference, and to upgrade the subcommittees on public health (SANT) and security and defence (SEDE).  The mandates of the committees – which will review and report on legislative proposals – will now have to be voted on and given the final green…

An estimated $5000 worth of playground equipment was stolen from Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Ngākau Mahana in Auckland’s Henderson over the weekend. In a statement, police said: “Who would steal a childcare centre’s playground?”Waitematā West Detective Sergeant Anna Freestone said the childcare centre was hit between 4.30pm on Friday and 7am on Sunday. “The offender, or offenders, came into the centre on Smythe Rd and removed several items,” she said. She said slides, climbing structures, ladders, blocks, bridges and a circular swing were all taken from the children’s play area. Freestone said the “thoughtless act” left around 30 children…

The man, known only as H6, was found to have been in communication with the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese state. ADVERTISEMENTA Chinese businessman and suspected spy for Beijing with close ties to Prince Andrew has been barred from the UK on national security grounds. The 50-year-old, referred to as H6 in court documents, was removed from a flight from Beijing to London in February 2023, and banned from the UK the following month over his alleged “covert and deceptive activity” for an arm of the Chinese Communist Party.H6 had appealed against the ban at…

A Woodend resident in the path of a proposed bypass is frustrated as property negotiations go sour.The Woodend Bypass will be a 9km extension to the Christchurch northern corridor, otherwise known as the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway.Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has confirmed the route will go from Pine Acres, north of Kaiapoi, to north of Pegasus and Ravenswood.Paul Hoglund said he has been corresponding with The Property Group, which is acting on behalf of the Crown to acquire land by compulsory acquisition in the bypass corridor, since July.”We were contacted on October 1 and told it would be a…

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s criticism of the sandwich sparked a retort from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and fierce debate in Britain. ADVERTISEMENTThe UK’s political leaders have traded barbs again, not over immigration, the economy or multiple crises overseas — but Britain’s much-loved lunchtime staple: the sandwich. The row, of sorts, started on Thursday after the new Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch declared that she was “not a sandwich person” in an interview. “Lunch is for wimps,” Badenoch told the Spectator magazine. “I have food brought in and I work and eat at the same time.””Sometimes I will get a…

The Government has ordered a review of ACC and has confirmed the earners and business levy and those paid by motor vehicle owners are increasing. The levy rises were subject to a consultation period in September and October.”Today I am announcing that the earners and business levy is having to be increased by up to 5% a year for three years to meet the rising costs of the scheme,” ACC Minister Matt Doocey said.Examples to demonstrate new annual ACC levy payments for earner’s account. (Source: Supplied)“For somebody on the median full-time wage of about $70,000 a year this equates to…

For Syrians in Europe, watching the fall of al-Assad’s regime was a euphoric moment that gave way to uncertainty and anxiety over their country’s still uncertain political future. ADVERTISEMENTSince 2015, nearly 4.5 million Syrians made their way to Europe, fleeing an unending civil war and a deep humanitarian crisis. Many of them watched in disbelief over the weekend as rebels led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group moved through the country, eventually taking the capital Damascus. Bashar al-Assad’s sudden departure to Moscow ended a decades-long dynasty characterised by brutal crackdowns and human rights abuses. “My whole family was crying,”…

Volcanologists say Whakaari / White Island is currently emitting larger steam and gas plumes than normal — however, no ash has yet been detected.Volcanologist Yannik Behr of GNS said scientists had noticed a “general increase in sulphur-dioxide emissions from the volcano” seen above the island, 48km offshore of Whakatāne, over the past two weeks. A Volcanic Alert Level 2 remained in place, indicating moderate to heightened volcanic unrest, and the Aviation Colour Code remained at Yellow.Behr said the larger steam and gas plume was seen on webcams and satellite images on December 10, and on clear days could also be…