Author: Press Room

Retailer Briscoe Group has reported near record full-year sales, though tight profit margins hit the bottom-line. The owner of Briscoes homeware and Rebel Sport said both brands delivered positive sales growth, though trading conditions were expected to remain tough. “Looking forward we do not underestimate just how tough trading will continue to be with the first half expected to be especially challenging,” managing director Rod Duke said. “We expect this will see second half profitability exceed that produced for the first half in a return to a more normalised shape of profitability. “We are hopeful that the economic recovery will…

Double murderer Scott Watson has appeared before the parole board, where it emerged he was involved in a misconduct incident in prison last year.The 53-year-old has spent nearly half his life in jail for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope in the Marlborough Sounds in 1998.Watson wore his grey prison uniform during what is now his sixth parole hearing.But he didn’t get a chance to speak as the hearing sat for an unusually long six hours.The parole board wanted to understand his level of risk after previously receiving three reports with differing views.The hearing heard about Watson being…

“In the end, successful business is people working together.” That was one of the messages from economist Shamabeel Eaqub to those attending a People Expo in Oamaru this week, organised by Dairy New Zealand and the Dairy Women’s Network. Mr Eaqub outlined both global and national economic trends, and spoke about what farming businesses must to do stay successful and attract and retain people. With so much change and so much uncertainty, the world was becoming harder to make sense of, he said. People were used to a world that was relatively stable and where global politics “kind of makes…

When Re: News visited Ashburton and Greymouth as part of our new series The Regions, we asked rangatahi where they hung out in their free time. Why did so many of them say Macca’s?Fast food joints are a favourite hangout spot for young people, especially for those living in the regions. But not all small towns want their own Macca’s. In February, a consent application to build a McDonalds in Wānaka was declined.The commissioners who made the decision said the proposed restaurant would be “at odds with the character typically associated with rural living”.The Queenstown Lakes District Council received more…

Bosnia’s state-level prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the entity of the Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and two other officials, accusing them of anti-constitutional conduct. ADVERTISEMENTBosnia’s state-level prosecutors issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for three top Bosnian Serb officials — including the president of the Western Balkan country’s Serb-majority entity of the Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik.Dodik, who has previously said he does not recognise the country’s state-level prosecutor’s office, has rejected the warrant’s validity and any attempts at his arrest, and said he will not go to Sarajevo for questioning. “There is no such blow or suffering that I…

As a teenager, Jeremy Duckmanton did not like the idea of milking cows or getting out of bed early. Fast forward 25 years and he says a career in the dairy industry was one of the best things he could have done. Mr Duckmanton, of DMT Dairies Ltd, is a 50:50 sharemilker of 1900 cows over two farms in Mid Canterbury. He shared his farming journey and approach to achieving productivity gains through different technologies and data at a People Expo, organised by DairyNZ and Dairy Women’s Network, in Oamaru this week. Milking his first cow in October 1999, he…

Vienna’s three-party coalition announced their aim on Wednesday to prevent close relatives of asylum seekers from joining them in the country. ADVERTISEMENTAustria’s three party coalition agreed on Wednesday that it would temporarily halt family reunification procedures for migrants — a legally controversial move critics say is a violation of common European asylum law. The country’s new three-party coalition between the centre-right People’s Party, the centre-left Social Democrats, and the liberal Neos announced they decided on the measure, which is to be passed through parliament as soon as possible. Chancellor Christian Stocker justified the proposal by pointing at Austria’s social services,…

Education Minister Erica Stanford has had her meeting with Associate Education Minister David Seymour, with issues facing the school lunch programme on the agenda.Speaking to reporters before question time, Stanford said this morning’s meeting was “really productive”.”We went through some of the complex and challenging issues and I offered David [Seymour] my full support, anything he needed from my office, we would be providing it.”Seymour said the meeting was on “all sorts of things” and was “a fantastic meeting as we always have”.”We discussed a whole range of issues around the school lunch programme and how it’s getting better and…

Construction of the bridge across the Strait of Messina will start this year, assures the Italian government. This mammoth undertaking that aims to link the island of Sicily to the region of Calabria is one of the most expensive and controversial infrastructure projects worldwide. ADVERTISEMENTTalks of building a bridge across the Strait of Messina date back to Roman times. Yet, the bridge over the Strait has never gone beyond the planning stage. Too expensive or technically too complex, it’s been part of Italian governments’ political agendas since the 60s. Now, the far-right Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini has set his…

Four people have been arrested and had assault-related charges filed against them as part of an ongoing investigation into a Destiny Church-linked protest.Police have been investigating complaints about Man Up and Legacy protester’s actions on February 15 at the Te Atatū Community Centre when they stormed the venue to protest a children’s science show hosted by a drag artist.Eight victims had filed complaints with police and six witnesses supplied statements.Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said police attended attended addresses in south and West Auckland this morning.”Four people were brought to the Henderson Police Station for interview and have since…