Author: Press Room
A Christchurch food bank is “absolutely heartbroken, mad, and gutted to the core” after thieves broke in and stole frozen and chilled food meant for hundreds of families in need, but are “overwhelmed and humbled” by support from the community.Two men dressed in balaclavas and gloves were caught on CCTV breaking the locks of the food bank’s walk-in freezer and chiller on Sunday night before making off with large quantities of meat and other items.In all, around four to five months worth of stock was taken.”You have completely depleted all supplies of any meat and frozen and chilled items that…
Creditors of Titan Bulk Haulage — one of the companies owned by beleaguered Otago businessman Malcolm Burns — have been left out of pocket by more than $1 million. Administration of the liquidation of the Mosgiel trucking company has been completed and the final report this month said $3.33 had been recovered from its bank accounts. Titan Bulk Haulage was placed into liquidation in the High Court at Dunedin in May last year on the application of Inland Revenue, the cause appearing to be related to a failure to account for taxation. The liquidator’s final report said Kiwi Asset Finance…
The South Island’s largest wildlife sanctuary is scrambling to fix a large hole in its predator-proof fence after heavy rain struck Nelson yesterday. While staff at the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary are still getting to the bottom of the damage, initial estimates put the repair cost at more than $50,000. Around half a month’s rain fell in just a few hours yesterday, causing widespread flooding in the centre of Nelson, forcing a number of businesses to close. But the sanctuary is tucked away in the hill behind the city and the rain on Monday was worse than the 2022 storm which…
ADVERTISEMENTEurope began to wean itself from its dependence on Russia after the full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which led to a spike in energy prices.Sanctions have led to significant cuts in imports over three years: oil fell from 27% in 2022 to 3% in 2025, gas fell from 45% to 19% in the same period and coal, which at the time accounted for 50% of EU consumption, stopped entering the EU altogether.However, the EU continues to contribute significantly to Russia’s budget, with energy imports in 2024 bringing €23bn into Moscow’s coffers. The EU executive now wants to phase out all such imports by 2027,…
A kura kaupapa Māori in Wellington is set to get a long-awaited upgrade to its buildings after decades of operating from dilapidated and rundown classrooms.Education Minister Erica Stanford made the announcement at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna in Seatoun.“When [their teachers] said there would be a library, and a multipurpose space – so a gym and it can be used for other purposes as well – the excitement on their faces was just, it was so worth it,” she said, “and they deserve it.”Construction on the new build is expected to start before the end of the year…
By Thomas Blade & Maud Zaba Published on 27/05/2025 – 17:31 GMT+2•Updated 17:32ADVERTISEMENTIn 2014, just over a quarter (26%) of EU citizens aged 25–74 had completed higher education. By 2024, that share had risen to 33.5%.Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus lead the pack, with more than 60% of young adults (25–34) holding university degrees. Romania sits at the other end of the spectrum, with fewer than 30% of that age group pursuing higher levels of education, the lowest rate in the EU.The generational divideThe figures reveal shifting attitudes toward education across generations. Among adults aged 25–54, 82.7% have completed at least upper-secondary education,…
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is consulting its staff on another round of job cuts, with a proposal on the table to remove 84 jobs, primarily affecting women.It comes on top of two earlier proposals to meet the Government’s demand for a 6.5% reduction in spending – one was announced earlier this month, which would see 68 roles disestablished, but replaced with new roles, meaning nobody would be put out of work.Another, announced in April last year, would see a loss of 130 roles.Now, Mike Tully, deputy director-general for organisation support, said the agency was consulting staff on a proposal…
Gisborne District Council has recovered half of just over $100,000 spent on what its legal representative described as “avoidable” legal costs in an Environment Court decision against a Chinese-owned forestry company.The case followed several recent enforcement actions taken by the council across several forests, including Kanuka, West Ho, Te Marunga, and Wakaroa, which the council says have resulted in forestry operators reducing risks and improving compliance.Environmentalists said they were pleased with the legal outcome but believe these issues should be addressed through stronger regulations.The council spent $101,175 on legal and expert witness costs associated with a four-day hearing in July…
ADVERTISEMENTThe prospect of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine being mediated by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican is unlikely due to the influence of Russian Orthodoxy and Moscow’s mistrust of the Catholic Church, according to political analysts and religious figures.Shortly after being elected, Pope Leo XIV said that the Vatican could act as a mediator in global conflicts, without specifically mentioning Russia’s war against Ukraine.He later confirmed it to Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying the Vatican was indeed willing to host the next round of negotiations to try to put an end the war between Russia and Ukraine.…
Doctors at Gisborne Hospital are preparing to strike over dangerous staffing shortages, warning that it is “on the brink of collapse”.The hospital has the worst vacancy rate out of all the hospitals in New Zealand. Senior doctors say as of March 2025, 44% of senior roles vacant, up from 37% last July. The figure was disputed by Te Whatu Ora, but was unable to provide 1News with another figure. Thirty Tairāwhiti doctors have written twice to government officials calling for them to intervene. Among them is physician Alex Raines, who was based in North Carolina before moving to Gisborne three…