Author: Press Room

More than 40,000 people made their thoughts about the Government’s Treaty Principles Bill clear in Wellington this week. Now, the whole country is being invited to share their views on the proposed legislation.Around the same time the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti reached Parliament on Tuesday, the Justice Select Committee officially called for public submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill.What happens over the coming weeks and months will shape how the contentious bill looks at its next reading. 1News explains how.1News political editor Maiki Sherman reports from Parliament as tens of thousands of people converged for Hīkoi mō te Tiriti.  (Source:…

Russian opposition figures organised a protest march leading to the Russian embassy in Berlin to mark 1,000 days of war in Ukraine, an event which leaves some Ukrainians with mixed feelings. ADVERTISEMENT1,000 days into the Ukraine war, the anger by many Ukrainians towards Russians is growing, as many believe that not enough is being done on their part to stop the war. Russian opposition activists Yulia Navalnaya, Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza organised a march against the war in Berlin to mark the occasion, but its participants expressed mixed feelings.”Russians and Putin’s allies are not the same thing,” says Sergei,…

New Zealanders are being warned to take care when drinking alcohol in Laos after two Australian teenagers suffered suspected methanol poisoning in the Southeast Asian country.Friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles from Melbourne — both believed to be 19 — were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel when they fell critically ill last week after suffering suspected methanol poisoning.The pair are now on life support in separate Thai hospitals. There were also reports two Swedish nationals died and others too fell sick.New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has updated its advisory for the country – and also…

The incident in Novi Sad, which left 15 dead, has triggered a wave of protests against the authorities over the past weeks. ADVERTISEMENTClashes between police and protesters continued for a second day in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad over an awning collapse at the city’s railway station that left 15 people dead earlier this month.Anti-government protesters on Wednesday sought to block a courthouse in Novi Sad, where the roof collapsed at the station on 1 November. According to the authorities, riot police acted swiftly to prevent protesters from entering the building after a group of opposition lawmakers managed…

The closure of a section of Desert Rd over summer will provide a welcome boost to Ruapehu businesses which have been hit with indifferent ski seasons and the mothballing of the Tongariro Chateau, its mayor says.The New Zealand Transport Agency plans to shut down State Highway 1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru for most of January and February to undertake major roadworks.Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton said up to 20,000 vehicles would be diverted to regional roads more familiar with 2000 vehicle movements a day, and take motorists through towns such as Ohakune, National Park and possibly even Taumarunui and Raetihi.”It will…

Member states close the door to further tweaks to the new deforestation rules pushed by unusual right-wing majority in the European Parliament. ADVERTISEMENTEU diplomats have rejected European Parliament amendments to the Commission’s proposal to push back the entry into force of the bloc’s new deforestation rules by one year.Instead, member states insist on adhering to the original text presented by the EU executive in October.The legislation aims to combat global deforestation by imposing due diligence obligations on traders importing raw materials such as beef, cocoa, coffee, and soy into the EU.Among the amendments, largely championed by the centre-right European People’s…

Nelson’s mayor has shut down a community’s plea to speak about controversial airport extension plans due to the legal risk it could have for council.Emotions were running high at the public forum of Tuesday’s joint committee of the Nelson and Tasman councils.Three speakers wished to discuss Nelson Airport and its contentious proposal to extend its runway, but one was barred from presenting while another speaker was cut off during their presentation.Even before they spoke, elected members debated whether they should be able to present.The meeting was then closed to the public while the committee took advice on whether the presentations…

A Wellington dairy owner says she was alone only for 15 minutes — but in that time, four masked men stormed the shop, assaulted her, and made off in a stolen vehicle with thousands of dollars worth of cash and cigarettes.Police are still investigating Sunday evening’s aggravated robbery at Lower Hutt’s Two Ten dairy, and have expressed concern at the level of violence shown by the offenders.Shreya Gandhi said her husband, Dhruvin, had only just left when a car full of masked men pulled up outside the Knight’s Rd store shortly before 7pm.The Two Ten dairy in Lower Hutt. (Source:…

Singing filled Parliament’s debating chamber after members passed a bill which will restore New Zealand citizenship for thousands of Samoans who were stripped of it four decades ago.The Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill was unanimously backed by all political parties in Wellington today, closing a bitter chapter in New Zealand-Samoa relations.Green MP Teanau Tuiono, who submitted the bill, said there had been powerful testimonies from the impacted Samoan community during the consultation period.”I hope that the passage of this bill is a milestone in addressing historical injustices acknowledging inter-generational harm and fostering accountability for past actions,” he said.Dawn Raid…

Residents are returning home after a large vegetation fire burned through 3.5 kilometres of shelter belt in the Western Bay of Plenty this afternoon.Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called following reports of numerous shelter belts on fire near Snodgrass Rd in Te Puna around 3.20pm.”Multiple shelter belts are on fire, but the fire is currently contained to the area,” Fire and Emergency said in an update this evening. Ten properties were evacuated. Sixteen fire crews and multiple support vehicles would be working to extinguish the fire overnight. A helicopter would provide assistance with firefighting efforts until twilight. “The fire…