Author: Press Room

In this edition, we hear how Austria is on the cusp of crowning a far-right leader, and examine NATO chief Mark Rutte’s plans to mend relations with the EU. ADVERTISEMENTOur guests this week include Austrian socialist MEP Andreas Schieder, Marta Mucznik, EU senior analyst with the International Crisis Group and Riho Terras, Estonian MEP with the European People’s Party. The panel reflect on the first visit this week by NATO’s new Secretary General to the European Parliament. Mark Rutte, who was Dutch Prime Minister for years, is courting EU institutions and political parties as he seeks to improve relations and boost…

Fishers are being urged to stop lighting fires to cook their catches at Auckland regional parks.It is illegal to light open fires or discharge fireworks in public areas in the region but Auckland Council regional parks manager Scott De Silva said that was not stopping fishers camping overnight.”Most fires we’ve had at regional parks relate to unauthorised fires by fishers,” he said.”Our parks are great environments to catch fish… and a small action like that can have devastating consequences.”Please be cautious about how you’re cooking your food and our preference is that you take it home.”People were able to use…

Stephen King has called for the Oscars to be cancelled amid the Los Angeles wildfires.The 77-year-old author insisted he won’t be casting any votes this year as he urged the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to ditch the 2025 ceremony. King said he doesn’t feel it is appropriate for such a “glitzy” event to take place while people have lost their homes.He wrote on Bluesky: “Not voting in the Oscars this year. IMHO they should cancel them. No glitz with Los Angeles on fire.”The Academy Awards nominations announcement has already been delayed due to the fires, with the…

Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a man as they investigate a suspicious fire outside of a primary school in Christchurch. The fire took place at Mairehau Primary School on Christmas Day. “We believe he may be able to assist with our ongoing enquiry,” police said in a Facebook post. “If this is you, or you know who this is, please contact police on 105 either online or over the phone and quote file number: 241227/6639.”Information could also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-nz.org.

After a “gruelling year” for many businesses in the capital, owners who have survived till 2025 are hopeful the worst is behind them.A common theme among Wellington business owners spoken to by RNZ was that 2024 was tough — with very few exceptions. Many people were unaware of just how tough, Business Central chief executive Simon Arcus said.”It was a gruelling year. It was a recession that was very deep and had comparisons to some of the big recessions of the past.”He said job cuts, businesses closing, and a general feeling of malaise all contributed to a difficult 12 months.The…

Retail investors are feeling more confident with record trading on the Sharesies platform over the three months to December.The Sharesies Index score of 55 indicates user sentiment moved into the confident range for the first time since 2022.Do-it-yourself retail investment app Sharesies said combined Australian and New Zealand trading on the platform of $3.12 billion in the last quarter of 2024 was nearly double the previous record.The company said almost all the key indicators that inform the Sharesies Index showed gains.”The ratio of deposits to withdrawals finished the quarter strong, with interest in the new Sharesies PIE Save (portfolio investment…

Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Lebanon, his first in more than four years, follows a 60-day ceasefire deal that aims to end the Israel-Hezbollah war. ADVERTISEMENTFrench President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut on Friday to meet with Lebanon’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the effects a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah and a devastating economic crisis.It’s Macron’s first visit in more than four years, and follows a 60-day ceasefire deal that aims to end the war. France helped broker the deal and a French officer is a member of the committee that is supervising the truce,…

Police have arrested five people over damage that cost around $1 million in damages to the businesses who manage the Kinleith Forests.The offenders would face charges that included “intentional damage, unlawful possession of firearms, and theft”, as well as illegal hunting.Tokoroa police sergeant Neale Saunders said police have arrested five people between the ages of 30 and 34 since November last year and all were due to appear in Tokoroa District Court over the next few months.The alleged incidents included damage to the “companies and contractors’ equipment and lost productivity”, said Saunders.Several gates were cut open across the forests to…

Three lawyers who represented late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were sentenced to up to 5,5 years in prison. A verdict that reflects escalating Kremlin repression. ADVERTISEMENTThree lawyers who previously represented the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny received prison sentences in Russia on Friday, intensifying the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent. The lawyers, Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin, and Alexei Liptser, were sentenced to terms ranging from 3,5 to 5,5 years by a court in Petushki, about 100 kilometres east of Moscow.The charges, tied to allegations of involvement with extremist groups, were linked to Navalny’s organisations, which Russian authorities outlawed in…

Two people have died after a single-vehicle crash in the Taupō suburb of Acacia Bay.Police said in a statement that emergency services were called to Mapara Rd, about 11.45pm.Two people died at the scene, police saidDiversions were in place overnight while the Serious Crash Unit examined the scene, with the road reopening shortly after 7am on Saturday.”Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing,” police said