Author: Press Room

Renters in many parts of the country are in a prime position, as the number of rental listings they have to choose from reaches record levels.Renting a property is taking significantly longer than in recent years and average asking prices are dropping.Opes Partners economist Ed McKnight used data from Trade Me to determine that properties in South Taranaki are taking 35 days to rent, 23% longer than this time last year.In Stratford, the 33 days it is taking to find a tenant is up 50% year-on-year.Westland’s 29 days is 30% up and Auckland’s 22 days is 10% up. Wellington is…

ADVERTISEMENTOperations at Brussels South Charleroi Airport have resumed following a bomb threat on a Ryanair flight earlier on Tuesday, Belgian media reported.All flights into and out of the airport were suspended for several hours after reports were received shortly before 11 am of a bomb on board a Ryanair flight from Faro in Portugal.That prompted airport authorities to divert the aircraft to a separate area of the airport and set up a 500-metre security perimeter.The terminal was not evacuated as it lies outside the security zone.Police carried out security screenings and determined that air traffic could resume.”Since 13:45, the runway…

Police are investigating a Wellington man over “multiple complaints” of assault, which RNZ understands relate to sex crimes.Two women – who did not want to be named – told RNZ they had been assaulted by the same man in incidents which occurred years apart.Both said they had reported their experiences to police.The women connected after a social media post about the man – which had since been deleted.They said the post prompted several women to share information about the man, including allegations of rape, violence and use of alcohol or drugs to subdue victims.Wellington District crime services manager John van…

ADVERTISEMENTThe 144-page coalition deal signed last week between Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU political union and the centre-left Social Democrats outlines steps to address “disinformation” and “targeted influence on elections”, citing “serious threats to our democracy”.The move comes amid mounting concern in Europe over the impact of electoral disinformation, and after a series of clashes between Washington and Berlin over free speech and democratic principles. Ahead of February’s German election, Trump ally and tech mogul Elon Musk tried to bolster the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), just as J.D. Vance delivered a blistering criticism of supposed free speech suppression in Europe at the…

Small power retailer Flick Electric is to be sold by Australian-owned fuel retailer Z Energy to one of the big four power generator-retailers, Meridian Energy.Meridian will pay $70 million for Flick’s 41,000 customers, most of whom are domestic consumers. The acquisition will lift its market share to about 18%.”Ampol’s divestment of Flick is about strategic fit as Z Energy evolves its strategy to focus on public, business and home EV charging solutions to scale and deliver a strong customer value proposition to support the energy transition,” a statement from Meridian said.Meridian, which already owns small retailer Powershop, said it would…

The state-backed Elevate venture capital fund is to get a $100 million injection in next week’s Budget as part of Government measures to boost high-growth technology companies with strong export potential.Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced the allocation in a pre-Budget speech focused on government measures to lift economic growth through lifting productivity, exports, and encouraging direct foreign investment.”The short-term goal is to increase start-up funding. The long-term goal is to help build a self-sustaining venture capital market in New Zealand in which returns from previous investments fund future investments.”Willis said $61 million from this year’s government contribution to the NZ…

Pornography found on the work computer of former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming is being investigated as alleged objectionable material, RNZ understands.McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop on Monday amid a four-month investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.RNZ understands his resignation came after he was confronted with allegations that pornography, being investigated as alleged objectionable material, was found on his work computer.McSkimming declined to comment on the allegations through his lawyer.A spokesperson for Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said in a statement to RNZ that he had nothing further to add and would “not be commenting…

One man has been arrested by police investigating the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of railway sleepers from Auckland’s Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Witnesses called police on May 2 after seeing two men removing railway sleepers from beside active track.Waiuku Sergeant Michael Robinson said the witnesses managed to record a vehicle number plate as well as take video footage that helped to identify one of the men.”Police executed a search warrant a Pukekohe address where a number of railway sleepers were located and seized.”A man was also arrested at the address and will appear in court next month.”The heritage railway…

ADVERTISEMENTThe three Polish members of the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group in the European Parliament are currently at odds over attitudes to Russia with other members of the group, according to several sources familiar with the matter.Poles Marcin Sypniewski, Stanisław Tyszka, and Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik, elected on the “Confederation” list, are reportedly unhappy with their fellow MEPs’ general stance on Russia and the behaviour of some individuals in the group, according to the sources.Attendance of Bulgarian party Revival’s delegates – including MEP Stanislav Stoyanov – at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May, was an aggravating factor according to the…

The Prime Minister and Opposition leader are in a political feud over who is lying about the overhaul of the pay equity regime.Last week’s surprise law change raises the threshold for workers to prove they’ve been paid poorly as a result of sex discrimination.The move will save the Government billions of dollars — which would’ve otherwise gone to increased wages.Labour was calling that a pay cut, but National’s Chris Bishop, the party’s attack dog and previous campaign manager, said that was just not true and the Labour Party had “crossed the line into outright lies”.Finance Minister says $61m of the…