Author: Press Room

Tough economic times might mean more baches for sale — but there’s a warning to think carefully before buying one.Property listings website Realestate.co.nz said this week that there appeared to have been an increase in the number of secondary homes listed for sale in places like Coromandel and Pauanui.Pauanui has about 65 homes listed for sale, compared to 10 to 15 at the peak of the market post-Covid.Realestate.co.nz spokesperson Vanessa Williams said she had spoken to real estate salespeople in different parts of the Coromandel who said that, due to the rising cost of living and high interest rates of…

A Powerball player from Hamilton has won $10.5 million in last night’s Powerball First Division draw. The winning numbers were 9, 15, 7, 12, 1, and 33. The bonus ball was 10 and the Powerball was 3.The winning ticket was sold at Glenview Centre Lotto & Post Shop in Hamilton. The prize was made up of $10 million from Powerball First Division and $500,000 from Lotto First Division.The win comes just weeks after a Taranaki couple won $8.3 million. The couple are looking forward to helping their family,” a Lotto spokesperson said. One other player won $500,000 with Lotto First…

At a leaders summit in Madrid the Patriots for Europe (PfE) party says it will launch a ‘reconquest’ under the banner of ‘Make Europe Great Again.’ ADVERTISEMENTThe far-right Patriots for Europe party wants to be the new ‘normal’ in Brussels and across the EU. That’s the message its leaders have conveyed in Madrid during its two-day leaders’ summit, and it’s been mapping out a strategy to take over the Socialists, Liberals and European People’s Party to carry it out.It also seeks to very obviously replicate Trump’s “Make America Great Again” in Europe, adapting policies used in the United States and…

Meanwhile, three civilians were injured after the Russian army shelled the city of Kherson on Saturday morning, local media reported. ADVERTISEMENTOne person was reportedly killed and 10 wounded on Saturday in a Ukrainian strike on the city of Makiivka, a town in Ukraine’s partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, officials installed by Russia said.And three civilians, including a child, were injured after the Russian army shelled the city of Kherson on Saturday morning, Ukrainian media reported.The head of Kherson’s Military Administration said several houses were damaged, with one catching fire.Moscow sent 139 drones into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian officials said.…

The mission to find love is becoming increasingly dangerous for Kiwis using dating apps, with one in four users worldwide reporting being targeted by a scammer. A global survey by cyber security company Norton showed dating scams surged by 60% last year, with over 20,000 profiles blocked per month. Loneliness was a driving force behind many app users’ risky decisions while swiping. Amor Apps founder Emily Hazlewood said the report highlighted an alarming trend. “Seeing suspicious profiles weekly, that is super high, that is incredibly high, and then was it one in three people [experiencing] suspicious activity, or they are…

Maritime New Zealand is considering whether legislation needs to be changed to ensure they can ban poor-quality vessels coming to New Zealand.Currently, the authority only has the ability to inspect and detain vessels — it can’t prevent a vessel from travelling here even if there are concerns. Maritime New Zealand’s deputy chief executive of regulatory operations, Deb Despard, said concern about vessel quality was a worldwide issue. “Feedback from port states around the world over the last three-five years is that there has been an increase in the number of poor quality or poorly managed ships in operation,” Despard said.…

Russian forces seized the nuclear plant after invading Ukraine in2022. They’ve held it ever since, but fighting around it has raised fears of a nuclear accident. ADVERTISEMENTThe head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said attacks around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have increased.Rafael Grossi made the remarks, reported by the TASS news agency, after talks with Alexei Likhachev, the chief of Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom.”So the situation as I was saying is unprecedented. The operation of such a big, biggest in Europe nuclear power plant in the middle of an active combat zone,” Grossi said.Grossi…

Consumers are being warned to check their gift cards and rights carefully after a number of people were left with gift vouchers they can’t use – or have to spend money to redeem – as businesses continue trading after hitting financial strife.The issues occur when stores are put into administration or liquidation but are still trading.Cosmetic chain The Body Shop was one business that has been in a slow decline, with stores closing worldwide and only a few still open in New Zealand.Chief executive at Consumer NZ, Jon Duffy, said, “Unfortunately for consumers, there are very little protections for them…

Fico’s views on Russia have largely differed from the European mainstream. He ended Slovakia’s military aid for Ukraine, criticised European Union sanctions on Russia and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO. ADVERTISEMENTHuge crowds have gathered in dozens of cities and towns across Slovakia to mount vocal protests against what they say are the pro-Russian policies of Prime Minister Robert Fico.The latest wave of anti-government rallies was fuelled by Fico’s recent trip to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, a rare visit to the Kremlin by a European Union leader since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Fico’s recent remarks that Slovakia’s foreign policy…

The Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board (OPLB) has expressed strong support for a mural in Manukau honouring the late Fa’anānā Efeso Collins.The project, initiated by Eke Panuku, a council-controlled organisation, was presented to the board during a workshop on January 28, as the first anniversary of Collins’ passing approaches in two weeks.Fa’anānā, a champion for social justice and youth and a former politician, collapsed and died at a charity fundraiser in Auckland’s Britomart on February 21, 2024.Local Democracy Reporting spoke with Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia, who said, “Yesterday we had our workshop, and the local board gave a strong…