Author: Press Room

Ursula von der Leyen has offered minor concessions on her €2 trillion draft EU budget to placate the four centrist parties that back her pro-European parliamentary majority but threatened to reject her ambitious blueprint if their demands were not met. The tweaks foresee a stronger role for regional authorities, a new target to ensure a minimum of funds flows into rural areas and expanded oversight powers for the European Parliament. None of them alter the fundamental structure of the plan. The draft changes were discussed on Monday in a crisis meeting among the heads of the three institutions: Ursula von…

Beef mince is going from a budget-friendly option to a luxury for families who struggle with steep food bills. Families feeling the pinch could always rely on beef mince to stretch the grocery budget, but prices have increased about $3.50 a kilogram from a year ago. The average price analysed by Statistics New Zealand was up about 17.5% at $23.11 per kilogram in the year to September. Shoppers are looking at smaller mince portions and shopping around or buying chicken and pork to extend their food dollar. However, the Christchurch City Mission said the escalating weekly grocery bill was leaving…

Four Kiwi contestants have pulled off a full-team victory on The Chase New Zealand, taking home a combined $43,000 after outsmarting the Chaser in Monday night’s episode. The episode, which aired on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+ last night, pitted contestants Kahu, Ash, Andy and Wendy against The Supernerd in a nail-biting round of the New Zealand spinoff of the hit quiz show, hosted by Paul Henry.After all four successfully made it through their individual chases, the team banked a four-step headstart in the final chase. They then rattled off 16 correct answers to set a formidable target of 18 – a…

A woman who repeatedly sought help for severe stomach pain and dramatic weight loss, told her GP she felt “fobbed off” as she was never referred for specialist care – despite clear red flags that later led to a diagnosis of terminal bowel cancer.The woman, referred to as Ms A, died at age 43, around 18 months after a diagnosis of metastatic colonic adenocarcinoma. Her symptoms, including severe abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, and dramatic weight loss, were repeatedly attributed to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by doctors at her local GP centre over a two-year period.According to a Health and Disability…

Young people and men are among Europe’s most vulnerable groups to loneliness, according to the OECD’s latest Social Connections and Loneliness report. Unemployed individuals and those with a low income are also around twice as likely to report feeling lonely. In 21 European OECD countries, daily face-to-face interactions with friends and family declined consistently between 2006, 2015, and 2022, while remote contact increased following the COVID pandemic. In 2022, the share of people reporting that they felt lonely “most of the time” or “all of the time” over the past four weeks was the highest in France and Lithuania, at…

A judicial review into the Government’s decision to ban Greyhound racing next year has been withdrawn by Greyhound Racing New Zealand.Greyhound Racing NZ chief executive officer Edward Rennell said the matter had proceeded to a point in Parliament where there was no point in pursuing a review through the courts.The case was set to be heard next month.Rennell said the body would instead challenge the decision at its “last avenue” in the select committee process.He said more support was required for those in the industry deal with the ban, after many had upgraded their facilities at “considerable cost”.Last year, the…

Advocates for women and domestic abuse victims are calling for men to take responsibility for “their whanaunga” (relatives) and for tamariki to be put at the centre of decision-making in disputes. The call came as singer Ria Hall told her story of physical abuse on TVNZ’s Marae programme. Her ex-partner Eruera Keepa was convicted of assault and then shortly afterwards took a prominent speaking role for his iwi at Koroneihana.Watch the full report and panel discussion on TVNZ +.The programme highlighted the impact of men with a background of domestic violence and abuse being afforded the cultural right to speak…

A cul-de-sac in Auckland’s Māngere has become a “persistent target” for illegal dumping, with contractors called out 55 times between February and October to clear waste.Now, Auckland Council has convicted and fined the owner of a vehicle whose occupants were seen dumping rubbish at the site. Officials said the legal action was taken as part of a zero-tolerance crackdown.In June last year, cameras captured waste being unloaded from a vehicle on the kerbside. The registered owner of the vehicle was tracked down but refused to identify those responsible and the matter was taken to court under the Litter Act 1979.The…

Key diary dates COP30 kicks off in Belém, Brazil ENVI committee in the European Parliament votes the 2040 climate law Commission presents European Democracy Shield European Parliament mini- plenary in Brussels Eurogroup meeting in Brussels European Parliament mini-plenary in Brussels Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels Economic and Financial Affairs Council In Spotlight The European Commission will announce this Wednesday a landmark plan to counter foreign interference and misinformation in elections and democratic processes in Europe. The “European Democracy Shield” – as the plan is known – comes after multiple ballots held in the EU over the past year…

Two people raided a Queenstown liquor store with a stolen car in the early hours of this morning, stealing $900 worth of alcohol before abandoning the vehicle in Lake Whakatipu.The incident happened at Super Liquor Remarkables Park, on the intersection of Tex Smith Ln and Hawthorne Dr. Police were alerted to the burglary at around 2.15am this morning.Store general manager Glen Christiansen told 1News the pair attacked the front window with weapons before using the car to break the glass.”It’s toughened glass, so it’s a bit of a chore,” he said, adding it was the first break-in at one of…