Author: Press Room
Catholic communities across New Zealand are mourning the death of His Holiness Pope Francis and will be holding special Masses in the coming days to allow people to pray.Pope Francis, who was elected to the papacy in March 2013 and became the first pope in a millennia from outside Europe, died on Monday evening (NZ time). The 88-year-old pontiff died of a stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure at his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.Catholicism was the largest religious group in the country at the 2023 census, with more than 400,000 New Zealanders identifying with the faith.New…
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said King Charles was interested in how New Zealand was “handling things economically” when the two met in London. Luxon is in London to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer before heading to Türkiye to mark the 110th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli. Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Luxon said he wouldn’t go into detail about his meeting with the King, but said the monarch had a “great amount of time” for New Zealand, and was interested in what was happening in the country. “There’s a long standing convention we don’t talk about…
New Zealand is extending its military assistance in support of Ukraine’s self-defence until December 2026.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made the announcement early this morning (NZT) from London.”New Zealand is unwavering in its support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion,” he said.”That is why we are extending our deployment of up to 100 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers in the UK and throughout Europe, and provide intelligence, liaison and logistics support through to December 2026.”Luxon said the announcement signalled New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine in the fact of Russia’s aggression. It brings the total…
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has been announced as Yale University’s 2025 Class Day speaker.In a statement, the US Ivy League University said Dame Jacinda was widely praised for her inclusive and empathetic approach to leadership during her term as New Zealand prime minister from 2017 to 2023.Ardern championed women’s empowerment and led the country in navigating significant challenges, including the 2019 Christchurch terror attack, a volcanic eruption, and a global pandemic, the Yale statement said.”With a people-first approach grounded in kindness, she helped New Zealand achieve one of the lowest losses of life during the pandemic among developed…
One Lotto player is unknowingly half a million dollars richer, with the prize from a winning First Division ticket still unclaimed nearly four months after it was purchased. The winning $500,000 First Division ticket was bought at Fresh Choice in Pāpāmoa in Bay of Plenty for the New Year’s Day draw on Wednesday, January 1. Two lucky players shared the $1 million jackpot in the draw. The other winning ticket was sold at Mirrabooka Superette in Auckland, and this prize has been claimed.Lotto corporate communications head Will Hine urged any players who bought a ticket at the Bay of Plenty…
By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Tauranga man Scott Koster says it’s “tone deaf” for Air New Zealand to be showing off its new uniforms at the same time that many travellers are facing particularly high airfares. He has been trying to fly his daughter back to university in Wellington and said it was currently cheaper for her to take a bus to Auckland, an Uber to the airport and then fly Jetstar to Wellington than it was to fly on Air New Zealand from Tauranga to Wellington. “I work for a non-profit and like a lot of Kiwis right now…
A Tauranga man says it’s “tone deaf” for Air New Zealand to be showing off its new uniforms at the same time that many travellers are facing particularly high airfares.Scott Koster has been trying to fly his daughter back to university in Wellington and said it was currently cheaper for her to take a bus to Auckland, an Uber to the airport and then fly Jetstar to Wellington than it was to fly on Air NZ from Tauranga to Wellington.”I work for a non-profit and like a lot of Kiwis right now there’s not a lot of discretionary money. But…
After one of Wanaka’s busiest Easter weekends, councillors and businesses are calling for a change to “archaic” and out-of-touch Easter trading legislation limiting the offering in the tourist town. Wanaka stores are exempt from closing on Easter Sunday, but Good Friday is still off-limits and alcohol restrictions are in place for all bars and restaurants. Queenstown Lakes district deputy mayor Quentin Smith yesterday called the bylaws “archaic” and said he did not see any reason for closures to be in place during this time. “Easter’s one of the busiest weekends of the year in Wānaka and so it does impact…
ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis died aged 88 on Monday morningat around 7:30 am, delivering both grief and shock to his followers around the world.Euronews intercepted journalist Loretta Bondi, who was walking around the Borgo Pio neighbourhood in those very minutes, as she does every morning, and witnessed live the reactions to the news from those who lived a stone’s throw from the Vatican.Her testimony is in the video above. The Vatican has announced that the pope’s body will be moved to St Peter’s basilica on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis implemented significant reforms to increase transparency and accountability within the Vatican. He also consistently highlighted the plight of migrants and refugees. Here are five events that defined his papacy.Preference for the poorPublication of Evangelii Gaudium, November 2013In his first work of guidance, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis called for a renewed missionary spirit in the Church and emphasised the need to serve the poor and marginalised.Action on climate changeEncyclircal Laudato Si’ on the environment, June 2015Pope Francis released Laudato Si’, an encyclical addressing environmental issues and climate change, urging global action to protect “our common home”.Death…