Author: Press Room

The Pope will use the the electric Mercedes G-Class to greet crowds during General Audiences and official ceremonies. ADVERTISEMENTThe Vatican unveiled Pope Francis’ new ‘Popemobile’ on Wednesday, a Mercedes G-Class, which will be used to drive through St Peter’s Square to greet pilgrims.The four-wheel-drive marks the first all-electric Popemobile and will have zero carbon emissions, aligning with the Pontiff’s stance on climate protection, as the Pope has been vocal about addressing environmental issues.CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group Ola Källenius said it is a great honour to provide the Pope with his next installment of the Popemobile, which he says is part…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has sold another investment property – potentially making a significant tax-free capital gain.Records show the Grey St, Onehunga property in Auckland was last purchased in 2015 for $620,500. It was sold on 25 November. The sale price has not been made public yet but the property was advertised for $930,000. Homes.co.nz gave it an estimated value of $970,000.That means Luxon may have made about $300,000 on the sale – although from that gain he would have had to have paid for the costs of sale, including real estate commission, and he may have had work done…

Five secret reports from different Romanian institutions and agencies have been made public by the country’s president upon their request. ADVERTISEMENTDeclassified information from Romania’s intelligence agencies has revealed that the sudden rise of populist hard-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the first round of last month’s presidential election was “not a natural outcome”. Instead, the reports show that it was the result of a coordinated social media campaign, most likely orchestrated by a “state actor.”Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis released on Wednesday five classified reports from various national institutions and agencies on election interference, following requests from the institutions that authored them.A…

Almost two dozen long-finned pilot whales stranded in Tasman have been returned to the water by a massive effort by volunteers under the guidance of Project Jonah.In an update early this afternoon, the conservation group said: “A huge effort this morning saw the whales regrouped and refloated on the incoming tide. The whales spent some time socialising before swimming strongly into deeper water.”Project Jonah said the whales were being monitored from a boat close by and from shore.Long-finned whales which restranded in Golden Bay. (Source: Project Jonah)”The efforts of the almost 80 people on this third day of strandings was…

Once Michel Barnier formally resigns, he will become the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s modern history. ADVERTISEMENTFrance’s National Assembly — the lower house of the Parliament — toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government on Wednesday night.A total of 331 MPs, from the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) and the far-right National Rally, voted in favour of the no-confidence motion, out of 577 lawmakers.The move has thrown the country into a period of political and economic uncertainty, just six months after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly following his party’s heavy loss in the EU elections.How different parties reacted…

Woolworths supermarket in Papakura. Photo: Supplied Police are investigating after needles were found in two different food products at a supermarket in Auckland. The needles were reportedly found at the Woolworth’s in Papakura yesterday.  Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle said food safety officers would be at the store today to support police. “Police are making initial inquiries into the matter, with New Zealand Food Safety’s support, to ensure that consumers are not at risk.” The affected product has been removed from the shelves, Arbuckle said. “We are closely monitoring the situation. Based on information to date there is…

A new synthetic drug “indistinguishable” from MDMA has been seized by Customs at the border, prompting a warning from High Alert.The seizure of the synthetic cathinone, N-isopropylbutylone, was the first confirmed detection of the drug in New Zealand. It was also identified by drug checkers in a sample of presumed MDMA within the last week. Drug information service High Alert said it was “almost certain” the drug would be misrepresented as MDMA if it continued to enter the market. High Alert urged caution and recommended people have their drugs checked to help minimise harm. The N-isopropylbutylone was found in a…

It’s that time of year: Spotify has released its annual Wrapped, personalised recaps of users’ listening habits and year in audio.Spotify has been giving its listeners breakdowns of their data since 2016. And each year, it’s become a bigger production — and internet sensation. Spotify said its 2023 Wrapped was the “biggest ever created”, in terms of audience reach and the kind of data it provided.So, what does 2024 have in store? Here’s a look at what to know.What exactly is Spotify Wrapped?It’s the streaming service’s annual overview of individual listening trends, as well as trends around the world. Users…

An Auckland man who secretly hid cameras in bathrooms and filmed multiple women and girls has pleaded guilty to 42 charges.There are 21 known victims of his crimes, including a police officer, though the identity of three victims remain unknown. The filming happened over a period of eight years.The 41-year-old appeared in court via an AVL link this afternoon and has continuing name suppression with that issue set to be argued at his sentencing on April 3.Victims have also been granted name suppression.The case is unusual on a number of fronts, including the scale of the man’s crimes. Charges were…

This is the first time since 1962 that a French government has fallen after a no-confidence vote ADVERTISEMENTFrench Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government collapsed on Wednesday following a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly (lower house of parliament). The left-wing coalition NFP and the far-right National Rally party (RN) cast their ballots en masse against the former Brexit chief negotiator after Barnier used Article 49.3 of the Constitution to push through the 2025 social security budget plan without a parliamentary vote. So, what’s next for France?Michel Barnier will likely be asked to stay on as a caretaker government, just like former…