Author: Press Room

As a new report highlights the grim reality of the 50,000 New Zealand women it calls “unhoused, unnoticed and unsafe”, Indepth reporter Gill Higgins investigates the story of one of those – Cheyenne of Tauranga – and talks to her sister Misty, who’s determined to help the sister she loves into a home of her own. Watch this story on our home for news, indepth and consumer stories TVNZ+Most of us are free to ignore the growing group of homeless people in New Zealand, but Misty from Hamilton doesn’t have that option. Misty is a young mum, but it’s not…

A Russian attack on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia has killed at least nine people and wounded close to 20 others, according to Governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Ivan Fedorov. ADVERTISEMENTFootage released by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service showed firefighters putting out fierce fires on Friday night in the aftermath of the deadly attack. Air raid alerts sounded across the city from 17:00 local time (16:00 CET) as Ukraine’s Air Force warned of more potential attacks. Fedorov says the Russian shelling of Zaporizhzhia targeted a service station, which was destroyed, and caused damage to several nearby homes, businesses and vehicles on the streets.Fedorov called…

A Taranaki farmer, who has been ordered to pay $180,000 over his objection to the Mt Messenger Bypass route on State Highway 3, says the decision will ruin him.The Environment Court awarded the costs to the Minister for Land Information after earlier ruling 11 hectares of Tony and Debbie Pascoe’s farm required for the project could be purchased under the Public Works Act.Tony Pascoe said the couple, who farm beef cattle in Mangapēpeke Valley, would be left with no home and no way to make a living.”How are we going to survive? I’ve worked hard all my life and then…

It’s hatching season for the endangered tarapirohe, or black-fronted tern, along the banks of the Clarence River in the Kaikōura Ranges.But, over the course of three nights, one feral cat destroyed a colony of 94 nests, with only eight surviving.Speaking to Breakfast this morning, ecologist Baylee Connor McClean, who had been monitoring the tarapirohe population, said the number of birds had plunged from 180 to 20.Although some of those were adults that had left their nests, McClean said it meant about 60 chicks had been killed.“We had 20 cameras set up over different nests and, on the same three nights,…

A raft of weather warnings and watches are in place for much of the South Island and parts of the north from Sunday morning, MetService says.Temperatures are easing today and tomorrow after some hot conditions this week, before northwesterlies usher in a large frontal weather system, Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said.MetService has issued orange heavy rain and strong wind warnings alongside a number of watches.Westland is under an orange heavy rain warning from 4am on Sunday to 3am on Monday, with 250-310mm expected around the ranges and 100-150mm nearer the coast.”Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult…

Police have reportedly resorted to more heavy handed tactics in a bid to clamp down on the unrest with more than 400 protesters, including opposition leaders and activists, detained and more than 100 people treated for injuries. ADVERTISEMENTPolice in Georgia have used water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds as mass protests sparked by the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union continue for a ninth night.Police have reportedly resorted to more heavy handed tactics in a bid to clamp down on the unrest with more than 400 protesters, including opposition leaders and activists, detained and more than…

A second young person is on the run from the Government’s trial boot camp, after one vanished while at the funeral of another participant, Oranga Tamariki senior executives have told a parliamentary committee.On Thursday it was reported that one of the young men taking part in the boot camp pilot was on the run after attending the funeral of another who had died in a car crash in Tīrau last week.Those taking part in the pilot were released from the youth justice facility in Palmerston North in October, and have been in the community phase of the boot camp programme.Oranga…

Two drone operators have been brought in as the search for three missing climbers on Aoraki Mount Cook resumes, but the clear weather window is already closing.The search for Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, from the United States and a Canadian national was launched on Monday morning after the trio were reported overdue.They planned to summit the 3724m peak via Zurbriggen Ridge, having flown into Plateau Hut at 3.30pm on Saturday. The alarm was raised when they failed to meet their 8.30am flight out on Monday.The operation had been on hold since Monday evening due to the weather,…

New Zealand has reached agreement with Australia to restart the export of some chicken products there after it was shut down due to the bird flu outbreak in Otago.Agriculture Minister Todd McClay revealed the breakthrough when addressing a select committee this morning during Parliament’s scrutiny week.New Zealand’s $200m poultry exports were put on hold after the highly pathogenic H7N6 virus was detected at Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove Farm.Trade officials have been working on resuming trade as quickly as possible – and McClay said they’ve come to an agreement with Australia.He said Australia, like New Zealand, was taking a risk-based approach.Bird flu…

Independent far-right presidential candidate Călin Georgescu has slammed Romania’s top court after they decided on Friday to annul the results of the first round of the presidential vote and cancelled Sunday’s runoff citing Russian interference. ADVERTISEMENTIn a recorded clip aired on Romanian broadcaster Realitatea TV Georgescu accused the Constitutional Court (CCR) of subverting democracy.  “Dear friends, we are in the Christmas fast and today is St. Nicholas Day. On this day the Romanian state has taken democracy and trampled it under foot. Today’s CCR ruling is more than a legal controversy. It is basically a formalized coup d’état,” said Georgescu…