Author: Press Room

Millions of cigarettes are being intercepted at the border each year, and the methods criminal organisations are using to smuggle them are growing more sophisticated. According to numbers released to 1News by Customs, over 3 million individual cigarettes have been caught at the border in 2025 so far. Over 8 million were intercepted last year, and it’s expected to hit similar levels by year’s end. The size of the shipments also appear to be growing, with the “overwhelming majority” of seized items destined for the black market. In late August, customs investigators seized nearly one million cigarettes imported illegally, evading…

House prices are generally flat, but values are starting to pick up in some of the cheaper parts of the country, Cotality says.The property research firm – formerly Corelogic – has released data showing the performance of suburbs around the country.Over the three months to September, 56% of suburbs recorded falls in house prices.But about 40% of these had falls of less than 1%.In total, 33% of suburbs had house values drop at least 1% and 44% had values rise or remain flat.Some areas had house price rises of more than 5%, including Cobden, in Grey District, Springs Junction, in…

A huge Auckland cannabis bust has led to the arrests of 30 people, 10 tonnes of the drug being destroyed, and 120 grow houses shut down. The investigation, which took place between late July and August, saw police search 128 properties nestled in suburban and rural communities. Police said the houses were “hidden in plain sight” and appeared to be “average-looking” rentals. Some of the properties were found in areas like Pōkeno in the south, Pakuranga in the east, Henderson in the west and Torbay in the north.Police said the houses were “hidden in plain sight” and appeared to be…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a serious crash closes roads in central Auckland, how smugglers try to sneak cigarettes into the country, and Zelensky’s message at the UN. A serious crash closed a major road in central Auckland, disrupting the morning commute. Smugglers are getting increasingly sophisticated about how they try to bring cigarettes into New Zealand. A series of busts has shut down more than 120 cannabis grow houses across Auckland.Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged world leaders to help end the war n Ukraine, or he says Russia will try to expand the conflict. Typhoon Ragasa…

ADVERTISEMENT Young people in the European Union left their parents’ house at an average age of 26.2 years in 2024. This figure is slightly down from 26.3 years in 2023, according to the latest Eurostat figures. People in southern and eastern Europe wait the longest to leave the parental home. Croatia leads, at 31.3 years, followed by Slovakia at 30.9 years, Greece at 30.7 years, Italy at 30.1 years, and Spain at 30 years.   In contrast, young people leave the nest at a younger age in Finland (21.4 years), Denmark (21.7) and Sweden (21.9).  More than 80% of young people…

A person has died and another is seriously injured after a vehicle fire in Taitā overnight.Police said they were called to Taitā Drive, Lower Hutt, at around 1.30am.One person was taken to hospital.The death was not thought to be suspicious.An RNZ reporter at the scene at Fraser Park said a tent had been set up behind police tape.There were a number of emergency service vehicles at the scene.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a serious crash closes roads in central Auckland, how smugglers try to sneak cigarettes into the country, and Zelensky’s message at the UN. (Source: Breakfast)rnz.co.nz

Published on 25/09/2025 – 15:02 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT A €400 million financing facility was formalised for Palestine during a signing ceremony in New York on Wednesday, held alongside the UN General Assembly. The program is structured as an intermediated facility, channelled through the PMA and local financial institutions, to improve access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as mid-cap companies. The plan is part of an overall €1.6 billion EU facility over 2025–2027. European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica and EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle sealed the agreement, together with the Palestinian ambassador to the UN…

Dairy co-operative Fonterra has reported a slight drop in full-year net profit, but still made more than a billion dollars with revenue up 15%.Chief executive Miles Hurrell said the full year ended July had been one of the co-op’s strongest years yet, with the current year positioned to deliver another positive result for shareholders.Key numbers for the 12 months ended July compared with a year ago:Net profit $1.079b (includes tax expense) vs $1.13bUnderlying profit $1.732b vs $1.527bRevenue $26.45b vs $23.0bReturn on capital $10.9% vs $11.3%Adjusted net debt $2.605b vs $2.620bEarnings per share 65 cps vs 67 cpsFull year dividend 57…

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is “brassed off” after New York road closures stopped him from attending a presidential reception, for the second time.Peters had been invited to a reception with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday night (local time). But because of the sheer number of world leaders in the city at the moment, road closures are frequent as they travel around the Big Apple in their motorcades. Peters was unable to make it, a repeat of last year, when closures prevented him from attending the same event. Peters…

ADVERTISEMENT United States President Donald Trump made a string of misleading and false claims during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 23 September 2025, including many aimed at the European Union and European countries in general. To determine where the facts lie, Euroverify has taken a look at Trump’s assertions.  On European immigration Addressing the UNGA, Trump attacked the whole continent of Europe for what he called “the unmitigated immigration disaster.” “It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have to end it now. I can tell you, I’m really good at this…