Author: Press Room

Libelle Group, a major provider of school lunches that went into liquidation this week, has agreed to sell its lunch operation to Compass Group NZ.Compass had contracted with Libelle previously to deliver 125,000 meals a day as part of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme.”The liquidators are pleased to have been able to reach an agreement with Compass that will see the continuity of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme,” said liquidator David Webb in a statement.”We appreciate the combined efforts of the Compass and Libelle teams in continuing to provide school lunches with minimal disruption while…

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has announced it will conduct speed reviews on some roads subject to automatic reversals, including on Gisborne’s State Highway 35.Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said she was “relieved” and that it would have been an “insult” to not consult with a community that had already had a discussion.Affected residents say it is “fantastic news” and are “hopeful” the review will show the speed limits should not be reversed.NZTA regional relationships director Linda Stewart told Local Democracy Reporting a speed review process would be carried out for some sections of state highways subject to automatic reversals “in…

An examination of the dog found dead along with actor Gene Hackman and his wife in their Santa Fe home shows dehydration and starvation were likely what led to the animal’s demise.A report obtained by The Associated Press from the Santa Fe County animal control agency details partial mummification and noted that while the severe decomposition could have obscured changes in the organ, there was no evidence of infectious disease, trauma or poisoning that could have resulted in death.The report noted that the dog’s stomach was mostly empty except for small amounts of hair and bile.The kelpie mix named Zinna…

The potentially devastating impact of a landslide on visitors to Milford Sound far exceeds standard risk levels from natural disasters, says Tim Davies of the University of Canterbury.The 2019 volcanic explosion on Whakaari/White Island, which killed 22 people touring the crater and severely injured 25, is one of New Zealand’s worst disasters.But an even more devastating catastrophe could happen at one of New Zealand’s most iconic tourism destinations, Piopiotahi/Milford Sound. And it is unclear how this disaster can be prevented.The outcome of the Whakaari tragedy was that tourism on the island ceased immediately. The risk of tourism-related deaths there was…

A temporary ban will be in place until the end of the investigation carried out by Belgian prosecutor over alleged corruption case ADVERTISEMENTHuawei lobbyists were banned from entering the European Parliament’s premises on Friday, following allegations of bribery linked to the Chinese company’s lobbying activities in the Chamber.“The Parliament decided, as a precautionary measure, to suspend the access to Parliament of representatives attached to the Huawei company with immediate effect,” a Parliament spokesperson told Euronews.The ban is temporary and will remain in place until the authorities conclude their investigation. It relates to Parliamentary premises in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and across all…

Jasper is a kleptomaniac cat who runs a solo crime ring in Christchurch.He steals so much from his neighbours in the seaside suburb of Sumner that his family have set up a Facebook page for locals to know where their belongings — mainly socks — have disappeared to.The feline felon started stealing when he was just six months old. He’s six now and brings home up to eight socks every single day. His owner Mette Kristiansen-Benge has noticed one sock in particular keeps returning, “this one, this really amuses me, the [brand] Stolen sock”.Jasper the cat (Source: Supplied)1News asked her…

The new initiative by Kaja Kallas is facing unresolved questions and political resistance that threaten to slow down its approval and roll-out. ADVERTISEMENTHigh Representative Kaja Kallas has pitched an ambitious plan to mobilise up to €40 billion in fresh military support for Ukraine, which, if achieved, would represent a twofold increase from the defence assistance the European Union provided last year.The plan, already nicknamed “the Kallas initiative” in Brussels, seeks to fulfill Ukraine’s priority needs to fight Russia’s war of aggression, with special emphasis on artillery ammunition, air defence systems, missiles, drones and fighter jets.Non-lethal provisions, such as training and…

A young Gloriavale man’s death was the result of a tragic accident after experimenting with “blacking out”, while his ability to recover was affected by brain damage caused by exposure to solvents, a coroner has found.Warning: This story discusses suicide and sexual abuse.Sincere Standtrue, 20, was found unresponsive at the Christian community’s paint shop where he worked in October 2018. He died at Christchurch Hospital 10 days later.In findings released on Friday, coroner Alexandra Cunninghame discounted a scenario in which Standtrue died by suicide, instead finding that “Sincere’s death was an accident, which occurred in the course of him attempting…

After the Bulgarian Constitutional Court ordered a partial recount of October’s election results, the ultranationalist, pro-Russian Velichie party now has 10 seats in parliament. ADVERTISEMENTThe make-up of Bulgaria’s parliament has changed, after the country’s Constitutional Country ordered a partial recount of votes from October’s election. As a result of the recount, the ultranationalist and pro-Russian Velichie party — whose name means “greatness” in Bulgarian — reached the necessary vote threshold to enter parliament. The party had previously just missed out on the 4% of votes they needed. Following the court’s ruling, the Bulgarian parliament welcomed 10 Velichie politicians on Friday…

Homegrown New Zealand music festival kicks off today for its final time on the Wellington Waterfront.Fans are saying the magic of the event will be hard to recreate when it moves on from the capital next year.But a city councillor said Wellington could do better and local and international creators were lining up to fill the gap.Move on or risk stagnatingOrganisers announced in January Homegrown would be finding a new home for 2026.This week, director Andrew Tuck said he could have only dreamed the festival would thrive and grow in Wellington for nearly 20 years.The event had gone from strength…