Author: Press Room

ADVERTISEMENTThe European Commission has demanded that Hungary withdraw a controversial draft law aiming to limit foreign funding of NGO’s and media organisations in a fresh political campaign against foreign interference.Critics fear the draft Hungarian bill titled “Transparency of Public Life”, which was tabled in the Budapest parliament on 13 May, would offer the Hungarian government sweeping powers to crack down on the press and critical voices in civil society.The law would enable authorities to register foreign-funded NGOs and media on a list, if the government sees them as a threat to national sovereignty, and freeze funding. Severe fines are envisaged…

Police have recovered 400kg of cannabis and 40g of cocaine from several drug operations running out of northwest Auckland over the past week. Three people have been arrested after police executed search warrants at large cannabis grow houses around Kumeū. Police said the operations were run by Vietnamese organised criminal groups. Warrants across two properties were carried out May 21 and May 16. Waitematā North Area Commander, Inspector Mike Rickards, said Kumeū and Helensville police staff conducted a search warrant on a Station Rd property on Wednesday.  “At the property, we located 931 cannabis plants weighing 237 kilograms,” Rickards said.  On May 16,…

Police investigating the stabbing of a 15-year-old boy in Napier are urging people to tell the truth about what happened on the night he died.Kaea Karauria was found critically injured in Onekawa on Alexander Avenue at about 3am Sunday, May 11. Despite all efforts by ambulance staff, he died at the scene.Police were yet to find his killer.Detective Inspector Martin James said there was a team of 20 investigators working on the homicide case.”We have built a picture of what happened and are now drilling into the detail. We have covered off the route taken by Kaea on the night…

The Government’s $747 million boost for learning support is getting the thumbs up from schools, despite the cuts it caused in other areas of education spending.The Principals’ Federation described the increase as a “breakthrough”, teacher union the Educational Institute Te Riu Roa said it was welcome but “a drop in the ocean”, while the Post Primary Teachers’ Association said increases to the funding pool for children with the most serious needs would make “a significant difference” for those students.Principals at a post-Budget briefing on Thursday afternoon told RNZ they agreed with Education Minister Erica Stanford’s description of the increase as…

Published on 24/05/2025 – 9:00 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTIt’s 45 days after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-Day pause in the trade war he launched against partners across the globe, but negotiations between the EU and the US appear not to have moved on one inch in that time.A week after both sides sent each other letters with their respective offers, Trump threatened on his social media Truth to impose “a straight 50% tariffs on European Union” starting on 1 June 2025.“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very…

McLean’s Mansion — one of the country’s largest wooden buildings, a 53 room, 2200sq/m Jacobean behemoth — is back on the market.The elaborate homestead served as a home for one of Canterbury’s richest men, Allan McLean, and later, for his housekeeper, a hostel for dental nurses, a resthome and a vocational training school. It was then condemned for post-earthquake demolition and later saved from the wreckers ball, becoming the site of an ambitious restoration project, latterly backed by former rich lister, art patron and convicted sex offender James Wallace.In a statement, Wallace, who was released from prison in December 2023…

ADVERTISEMENT”The longer Russia wages war, the tougher our response,” High Representative Kaja Kallas declared this week after foreign ministers of the European Union formally adopted a new round of sanctions against Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The measures blacklisted 189 vessels belonging to Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”, bringing the total number of ships under restrictions to almost 350.The following day, Poland made a startling announcement.”A Russian ship from the ‘shadow fleet’ under sanctions was performing suspicious manoeuvres near the power cable connecting Poland and Sweden,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media.”After effective intervention by our military, the…

A submission to change the Bay of Islands town of Russell’s name to the traditional Māori name of Kororāreka has been declined. More than 1800 submissions were received — 52% in support of the name change and 48% against it.  Minister for Land Information Chris Penk said he consulted with colleagues across the Government to make his decision “given the close margin and the historical weight of the decision”. “Through that process, it became clear there was insufficient support to proceed with the proposal,” Penk said. Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board publicly consulted on the proposal from the Kororāreka Marae…

Michael Mayne has been confirmed as the Football Ferns’ new head coach through to the 2027 Women’s World Cup — becoming their first New Zealand-born coach in more than 20 years.The 40-year-old has been in the role on an interim basis since former coach Jitka Klimkova quit last September due to an undisclosed employment matter, halfway through a six-year contract.Klimkova had earlier chosen to skip last year’s Paris Olympics tournament, opening the door for Mayne, who oversaw three losses in a campaign dominated by the Canadian “drone-gate” scandal.Coach Jitka Klimková. (Source: Getty)In five other international friendlies in charge, Mayne has…

Published on 24/05/2025 – 7:00 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTIn this edition, we are joined by Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, the Irish politician, barrister, and former broadcaster who represents the Ireland South constituency in the European Parliament since July 2024, Yves Bertoncini, the French political scientist and consultant specialising in European affairs and Bruno Waterfield a seasoned British journalist based in Brussels, currently serving as the Brussels correspondent for The Times.  Reset Summit or Surrender Summit?The panel reflect on the EU/UK summit that took place last Monday in London. Called the ‘Reset Summit’ by some and the ‘Surrender Summit’ by others, a potential deal was…