Author: Press Room

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, fighting is intensifying near the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk. Euronews reports on the human impact of the conflict. ADVERTISEMENTAs the war in Ukraine enters its third year, tensions are escalating on the frontline in the country’s Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces are engaged in a difficult battle.There are growing fears that if Russian troops capture or bypass the city of Pokrovsk, they could advance further into the Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the western Donbas, Ukraine’s coal mines, which are critical for the nation’s energy supply and a potential target for Moscow, are…

Police are appealing for sightings of a vehicle as part of the investigation into arsons at several churches in Masterton on Saturday.Four Masterton churches suffered damage ranging from “moderate to significant” on Saturday in a group of suspicious fires believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am.The churches affected were the Anglican Church of the Epiphany, St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Masterton Baptist Church, and Equippers Church Masterton.A graphic showing the locations of the church fires in Masterton. (Source: 1News)Police said they were following “strong lines of inquiry” and sought information about a green Ford Festiva seen leaving one of the…

Greece, Portugal and Romania have below-average scores on more than half of the indicators. ADVERTISEMENTResearch conducted on OECD countries in the EU has shown that around eight in 10 people aged 45 and over who saw a primary care professional in the previous six months have at least one chronic condition.   Over half have two or more, and over a quarter have three or more.There are 11 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries that are also in the EU: France, Belgium Luxembourg, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Romania, Portugal, Italy.More than 70% of people in…

One person is in a critical condition after a collision between a pedestrian and a bus in central Wellington this afternoon.Police responded to the incident on Manners St, between Victoria and Cuba streets, at around 4.40pm.”One person is in a critical condition,” a police spokesperson said.”Part of Manners St will be closed to traffic and pedestrians while the serious crash unit conducts a scene examination.”Metlink has been approached for comment.It comes after a woman was left in a critical condition after being hit by a car while crossing Courtenay Pl in central Wellington last night.Emergency services were notified of the…

Protesters at Rotorua’s tapu Lake Rotokākahi say they are tired and angry after facing off with police, but feel they “made history” and have no plans to leave.They are critical of a “forceful” police presence overnight on Monday as work restarted on a controversial sewerage scheme.Police, who arrested seven protesters, say they had a job to do and have not – and will not – impede anyone’s right to protest.Rotorua Lakes Council thanked protesters for their co-operation overnight and says work is progressing as planned.Council contractors resumed work to enable the last 1.3km of pipeline in the $29 million Tarawera…

The Ministry for Primary Industries has stopped seconding its staff into NZ First Minister Mark Patterson’s office.Patterson is the Minister for Rural Communities and the Associate Agriculture Minister.A whistleblower came forward to 1News raising concerns about the treatment of MPI staff in the Minister’s office. It is understood formal complaints have been made and more than one MPI staff member has left the office. No MPI staff are still working in the office.Patterson is not directly involved in the incidents and the Minister brought in Ministerial Services once he was made aware of the complaints.In a statement, MPI’s Director People…

Four people have been injured following an incident in Skippers Canyon near Queenstown this evening.St John said two rescue helicopters were called to the scene at around 5.04pm.”Two had moderate injuries and another two had minor injuries,” a spokesperson said.Police directed inquiries to St John.Helicopters Otago chief executive Graeme Gale confirmed to 1News that two of its helicopters were responding.

A former French surgeon is on trial accused of raping or sexually assaulting almost 300 people, mostly children. ADVERTISEMENTFormer French surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec went on trial in France on Monday for the alleged rape or sexual abuse of hundreds of victims.The case details that Le Scouarnec has sexually assaulted 299 people who were his patients, most of them children, in what investigators and his own notebooks describe as a pattern of violence spanning over three decades.“I committed odious acts,” admitted Le Scouarnec to a court in Vannes, “they were only children.”The 74-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison if…

Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford says he believes a large pile of rubbish dumped at the door to his electorate office is related to his recent criticism of Destiny Church.The Labour MP shared a photo of the pile of rubbish outside his office in Henderson this afternoon.”I’ve been speaking out in recent days on Destiny’s violent behaviour at the Te Atatū Peninsula Community Centre, and while I’ve had loads of positive feedback, clearly someone is not happy by the look of this load of rubbish dumped outside my office door in Henderson this morning,” he said in a post to…

The 88-year-old pontiff remains in critical condition after spending eleven days in hospital with pneumonia in both lungs. ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis has “rested well, all night long” the Vatican said on Tuesday morning. The 88-year-old pope has pneumonia in both lungs and remains in critical condition despite showing signs of slight improvement after spending eleven days in hospital. Doctors said Monday he had resumed work from his hospital bed and called a parish in Gaza City that he has been in contact with since the Israel-Hamas war began. Meanwhile, around 4,000 people gathered on Monday night in a rain-soaked St Peter’s…