Author: Press Room

ADVERTISEMENTAt least six Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in a Russian missile strike in the north-eastern region of Sumy, officials have said. Ten others were injured in the strike on a military shooting range, a Facebook statement from Ukraine’s National Guard said.According to the statement, the unit commander has been suspended while an official inquiry is being conducted into the incident which happened on Tuesday. “An internal investigation into the incident is underway. The commander of the military unit has been suspended, and the necessary information has been passed on to law enforcement agencies,” Ukraine’s national guard said in a…

Auckland Transport is spending tens of millions of dollars to improve public safety on its buses and trains – but also to stop people from riding for free.While AT said it has seen an escalation in fare evasion in recent years, figures released to 1News under the Official Information Act show most of those fined for free rides also aren’t paying up.Transport officer Clifford Morris told 1News some can be “really difficult to deal with”.”They want to ride for free and will try and use shouting or verbal aggression.”There are 60 transport officers like Morris. In the last eight years,…

A man who heckled Winston Peters in Wellington yesterday morning is being investigated by his employer, Tonkin + Taylor. Minister for Rail Winston Peters was speaking to reporters about new rail funding while at Wellington Railway Station, alongside Minister of Transport Chris Bishop, when he was interrupted.The heckler, who appeared to be wearing a lanyard with work identification, could be heard saying, “a load of bollocks, Winston”.The Deputy Prime Minister was heckled as he made an announcement at the Wellington Railway Station. (Source: 1News)In a statement, a spokesperson from engineering consultancy company Tonkin + Taylor confirmed it was “aware of…

After 145 years in business, Auckland department store Smith & Caughey’s has announced it will close on July 31. In a statement posted to social media, Smith & Caughey’s said 98 staff would be made redundant when the Queen St retail and online stores close. Smith & Caughey’s closed its Newmarket store last year and reduced its CBD store to a single-floor format due to financial difficulties. The company cited increased competition from new shopping malls, continued economic uncertainty and low consumer confidence and spending power has contributed to their closure. Smith & Caughey’s also said many city office workers were continuing to…

Tuifa’asisina Sir Bryan Williams is calling on Aucklanders to keep Western Springs stadium in public hands.Auckland Council and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited have launched a public consultation on the future of Western Springs Stadium.Tuifa’asisina, former All Black and Ponsonby Rugby Club stalwart, is backing a community-led proposal to transform the stadium into a multi-use venue, as he fears a commercial redevelopment would erase a vital community space.”This is not just about rugby — it’s about preserving public access to one of Auckland’s most iconic community spaces,” Tuifa’asisina said. “We’re not looking to build walls or gates. We’re building access — access…

It was organised chaos this week at Costco when another delivery of butter arrived.This butter is not just any butter — while the other supermarkets are selling a 500g slab for up to $10, Costco’s butter is $9.99 for a kilogram.Jody Middleton was among the crowd waiting to stock up on Monday.”I have to say most people were pretty polite about it,” she said. “We all knew what we were there for, Costco staff came out and had a chat before they even opened the door, answering questions.”She said it was worthwhile braving the crowds. She bought 12 boxes of…

By Euronews Published on 21/05/2025 – 8:26 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTAt least three people have died and two remain missing after heavy rainfall and storms caused flooding in southern France since Monday. An elderly couple were found dead in their car in the Cavalière area, reported local media. Their car was swept up in floodwaters as they tried to leave their homes, public prosecutors said. Another woman was found dead in her vehicle in the commune of Vidauban.The rainwater caused widespread damage to the region, disrupting at least two regional trains, flooding streets and causing power and water outages. French President Emmanuel Macron posted…

Animal advocates are calling for a halt to future government funding of octopus aquaculture research, saying farming the wild, solitary creatures is an “atrocious idea”.In 2022, $1 million in taxpayer dollars was awarded to a three-year research project by the University of Auckland aimed at improving knowledge surrounding the rearing and feeding of the larvae of a native octopus species.Raising octopus larvae in captivity was described as a “bottleneck” to the viability of commercial aquaculture in the university’s proposal to secure the funding.Animals Aotearoa’s Jennifer Dutton said farming octopus would be “immensely cruel” as the animals were solitary creatures, which…

On the outskirts of Hamilton, in a sought-after suburb, the residents of Birchwood Lane are at odds over the road’s speed limit, and the traffic calming measures the council has introduced.Last Tuesday the residents of Birchwood Lane in Tamahere came home from school and work to find a “new road layout” that was announced by a Waikato District councillor on Facebook earlier that day.”Following evidence of continual speeding down this road — and many complaints from local residents and discussion at Tamahere Community Committee level, including hosting a Waikato Police presentation —the council is introducing traffic calming measures as a…

A real estate agent has been busy fielding inquiries about iconic Otago Harbour property Lewis Cottage which is on sale after being in the same family for nearly 120 years. Tall Poppy Real Estate owner Andrew Berryman said the property was on the market for just two weeks, during which time it received nine offers before deadline. “This has been my busiest-ever listing in nearly 10 years of real estate. “Over 120 Tall Poppy digital leads have been received, there were 38 email inquiries from other websites, there were 15,070 unique website views and 26 groups viewed the property.” The…