Author: Press Room

Khaby Lame, the Senegal-born world’s most popular TikTok personality who never says a word in videos watched by millions of followers, addressed the youth in his native country on Friday when he was appointed as UNICEF goodwill ambassador.The 24-year-old influencer, who has over 162 million followers, rose to fame with charming videos of his reactions to everyday life in which he never says a word. His following surged during the pandemic, when he was fired from his factory job and used the extra time on his hands to make and upload more videos.Being a UNICEF ambassador will allow him to…

The ACT Party has released a statement after it was revealed today that its former president Tim Jago has been convicted and sentenced for abusing teenage boys in the 1990s.Jago’s name suppression was lifted this afternoon, two years after he was charged in January 2023. Until now, the media had been unable to identify him. Jago was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenagers he had been mentoring through a sports club between 1995 and 1999. Jago had been the ACT Party’s president for nearly four years when he resigned after being…

This article was originally published in French The handover of the last French military base in Chad and the Sahel marks a loss of influence for Paris and European interests in the region. ADVERTISEMENTFrance has finally ended its 60-year military presence in Chad by closing its last military base there. Kosseï camp in the capital N’Djamena was also the last of its bases in the Sahel, which were themselves a legacy of France’s domination of the region as the main colonial power there. On Friday the last of nearly 1,000 French soldiers left.Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby’s decided last November to…

As of last week, Simeon Brown is no longer the transport minister – he’s now the minister of health. Will his new portfolio lead him to consider evidence that New Zealand’s cycleways, initiated by former prime minister John Key, could save lives and billions in healthcare dollars? And will he regret that he slashed their funding? By Gill HigginsOur cities’ bike networks are a work in progress. In Christchurch, the major routes are 65% complete, in the Capital, it’s 32% and in Auckland, just 22% of the network’s been finished. Yet, when he was transport minister, Simeon Brown slashed the…

As Ukraine enters its fourth year of full-scale war following Russia’s invasion, its armed forces face a growing crisis. ADVERTISEMENTThe initial wave of volunteers eager to defend their country has waned, leaving the military struggling to replenish its ranks. Exhausted troops on the front lines urgently need reinforcements, yet an increasing number of Ukrainian men are going to great lengths to avoid conscription.Dwindling volunteers, rising avoidanceAcross Kyiv, billboards and online campaigns urge citizens to enlist. Army brigades have been given direct authority to recruit, intensifying mobilisation efforts. However, enthusiasm for voluntary enlistment has diminished, replaced by a growing reluctance among…

After a years-long battle to expand an office space in Martinborough, a new ruling shows the council had no grounds to refuse the consent.In December 2021, the owner of a Jellicoe St property applied for a building consent to renovate and extend the commercial part of the building and change shared internal walls between the building’s commercial and residential spaces.A recent determination from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment showed South Wairarapa District Council repeatedly asked the owner to apply for a “change of use” for the building and would not accept the consent unless this was done.But the…

Dunedin property values showed more resilience during a downturn compared with other main centres, an economist says. According to the results of CoreLogic NZ’s latest hedonic Home Value Index (HVI), for January, property values in New Zealand decreased by 0.1% in January marking the fifth month in a row with “limited movement”. After a cumulative decline of 4.1% over the six months from March to August last year, there had only been a further combined fall of 0.4% since then — a potential sign that a rebound in prices could be taking shape. The national median property value now stood…

An analysis of Southland’s most recent emergencies has identified a range of issues with how they were managed.On Friday, a review of Emergency Management Southland’s response to Gore flooding in September 2023 and Bluecliffs erosion in February 2024 was discussed by key stakeholders.While no lives were lost in either event, both resulted in evacuations, and Bluecliffs residents were outspoken at the time about how the situation was handled.The review gave a tough assessment of communication, staffing levels and a lack of process when it came to declaring emergencies.It said that at the time of the Gore event, the team was…

Analysis: There has rightly been much debate and analysis over New Zealand’s decision to review the aid it gives to Kiribati.It’s a big deal. So much is at stake, especially for the I-Kiribati people who live with many challenges and depend on the $100 million aid projects New Zealand delivers. It would be clearly unwise for New Zealand to threaten or cut aid to Kiribati — but it has every right to expect better engagement than it has been getting over the past year.What has been disturbing is the airtime and validation given to a Kiribati politician, newly appointed Minister…

A 15-minute window to meet your child’s teacher may seem brief, but get it right and you’ll get the school year off to a good start. Here’s how to make the most of it.What’s the point of meeting my child’s teacher or Wānanga?”It’s about strengthening the home-school partnership,” explains education consultant and former high school teacher Mark Osborne.”We talk about the golden triangle or the magic triangle between the child, the teacher, and the family … research shows that when parents are actively involved in their child’s education those kids are likely to have better outcomes from education.”By breaking ice…