Author: Press Room

Finland’s foreign minister Elina Valtonen says Greenland is protected by Article 5 of NATO. Any attempt to militarily take over the autonomous Danish territory – as hinted at by US President Trump – would be covered by NATO security provisions. ADVERTISEMENTGreenland is protected by NATO’s Article 5 which invokes mutual defence in the case of any armed attack or invasion, the Finnish Foreign minister has said.According to Minister Elina Valtonen, Article 5 is extended to Greenland as an autonomous territory of Denmark which is a NATO ally.Asked to confirm whether there is cover for Greenland through Denmark as a member of…

There’s more than a few ways to earn a crust – one man who calls Canterbury home makes his living with laughter. Fraser Hooper – who trains clowns here and around the globe – is back down under for Christchurch’s World Buskers Festival. “I’ve wanted to be a clown since I was four or five years old so it was in me. It’s what I wanted to do. It was my dream – my life’s dream – and I’ve been doing it now… this will be my 35th year professionally, playing around the world.”Hooper doesn’t just don the suit –…

The new US administration has sent jitters across the world with trade plans that could severely damage the EU. ADVERTISEMENTRaising tariffs is not the right tool to address economic or national security concerns, European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Thursday, recommending that US President Donald Trump instead focus on tackling economic inequality.”On aggregate, things seem to be working quite well in the United States; where there are some issues, they are probably more linked to income inequality,” the Latvian, who was previously EU trade chief, told a panel organised by the World Economic Forum in Davos.Dombrovskis, who is now Commissioner…

A major water outage is affecting six West Auckland suburbs with official warnings that supply may not be restored for up to 24 hours.The outage affects residents in parts of Henderson, Glen Eden, Sunnyvale, Henderson Valley, Kaurilands, and Oratia.A break in a large-diameter water main on Mountain Rd in Henderson Valley has caused the supply disruption, according to council supplier Watercare.Glendene, Konini, north Titirangi, Kelston and Waitākere may also be affected.Three water tankers are en route to the affected suburbs and local residents are being urged to conserve water.Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne said investigations into fixing the outage…

This article was originally published in German The party’s state association in Saxony is now officially classed as a “right-wing extremist” organisation. Could the AfD soon be facing a national ban? ADVERTISEMENTWith a federal election looming, the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) suffered a blow after a court ruled that its Saxony branch can now be classified as a right-wing extremist organisation. The party has no recourse to appeal the judgement.Its youth organisation “Junge Alternative”, which was only recently separated from the AfD at large, had already been given the same classification.The court justified its decision by stating that various…

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told his caucus the party needs to up its game on the cost of living, crime and the economy.They are the key issues the coalition campaigned on and focused on in their first year of government; issues the public have clearly told Labour it needs to do better on.MPs are at their annual caucus retreat at the Distinction Hotel in Palmerston North, having returned from their summer breaks.The sun is out and Hipkins is still in jandals but his opening remarks were serious in tone as he told his MPs Labour would pivot from listening…

This article was originally published in Hungarian Law enforcement is investigating the threats, believed to have come from the same source, and have taken precautionary measures. ADVERTISEMENTEmails containing a bomb threat were sent to multiple educational institutions in Hungary on Thursday morning, causing them to temporarily shut down out of precaution, the National Police Headquarters (ORFK) said.The threats have affected at least 268 schools nationwide, prompting an investigation by the authorities. No bombs have been found at schools searched so far in an ongoing effort to deem all schools safe.“We will not go to bed today, and the police will not…

Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po has been welcomed on to Rātana Pā for the annual celebrations of the church’s founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, reaffirming the strong ties between the church and Kiingitanga.It’s her first official appearance at the pā as queen following the passing of her father, Kingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII.Tainui iwi leader Tukoroirangi Morgan told Māori media that today was about taking the kawe mate (a ritual of mourning) of Kingi Tuheitia to Rātana. “I tērā atu tau i tae ā tinana mai ia i muri mai i te hui o Te Kotahitanga…

A court in Paris has accused the overthrown Syrian ruler of complicity in war crimes in relation to a deadly attack on civilians in 2017. ADVERTISEMENTJudges in France have reportedly issued a new arrest warrant against Syria’s deposed leader Bashar al-Assad for alleged complicity in war crimes linked to a barrel bomb attack on civilians in 2017 that killed a French-Syrian man. A legal source with knowledge of the case told French outlets that the Paris Tribunal’s special unit for crimes against humanity and war crimes issued the mandate this week as part of a probe into the death of…

The European Commission has proposed financial support for farmers negatively impacted by the EU-Mercosur trade agreement – but the safety net would only be triggered in the ‘worst-case scenario’ and the EU executive says it won’t be needed. ADVERTISEMENTFarmers fear the as-yet unratified deal with the Latin American bloc comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia could disrupt European markets, particularly in sensitive sectors such as beef and poultry.The EU has promised to introduce safeguards, partly to win over countries like France and Poland, where farmers hold considerable political sway. But recent communications about these safeguards have sown confusion.At a…