Author: Press Room

France has fervently opposed the free trade agreement between the EU and five South American nations. ADVERTISEMENTAfter decades of negotiations, the Mercosur treaty continues to stir up controversy. Hundreds of farmers have been protesting for the past weeks in France and other European countries against the free trade agreement between the EU and the South American bloc comprising of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia (also known as Mercosur). Euronews looked into why the Mercosur treaty is so controversial and whether opposing countries, such as France, can block the deal. What is the Mercosur treaty?It is a free trade agreement…

A large fire that broke out in a car scrapyard in Auckland’s Takanini last night has been contained. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told 1News there were multiple calls to a car scrapyard fire on Tironui Rd at around 10pm last night. At its peak, the fire reached a third alarm level with 19 fire trucks attending. Fire and Emergency New Zealand said 19 fire trucks attended the blaze at its peak in Takanini. (Source: 1News)The fire has since been contained, with one crew remaining overnight to monitor and dampen down hotspots.A notice urging people to stay inside has now…

Sir Elton John has hailed his husband David Furnish as his “rock” after he “lost his eyesight”.The 77-year-old music legend lost vision in his right eye due to an infection and hasn’t been able to “see” his new musical, The Devil Wears Prada, properly. However, he said the cast “sounded great” as he attended a charity gala event put on by the stage adaptation of the 2006 flick in aid of the Elton John AIDS Foundation at London’s Dominion Theatre on Monday.Wearing oversized, red-tinted spectacles, he is quoted by various outlets as saying: “As some of you may know, I…

Fourteen North Island community newspapers will learn their fate this week — they could be closed down by Christmas as NZME look to cut costs in its regional paper operation.Among them are the Hauraki Coromandel Post, Katikati Advertiser, Te Puke Times, Taupō and Tūrangi Herald, Napier Courier, Hastings Leader, CHB Mail, Bush Telegraph, Stratford Press, Whanganui Midweek, Manawatū Guardian, Horowhenua Chronicle, and Kāpiti News.The Te Awamutu Courier, which has been in print since 1911, was also on the list.First Up took a trip over the Bombay hills to hear from the Waikato community desperate to keep their local rag.Dean Taylor…

The results of the election mean Ireland has partly bucked the global trend of incumbents being rejected by disgruntled voters after years of pandemic measures, international instability and cost-of-living pressures. ADVERTISEMENTIreland’s two dominant centre-right parties look likely to form the country’s next government as the final results from a fractured national election trickle in.But both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, part of the incumbent governing coalition, took a reduced vote share and face complex coalition negotiations to put the new administration together.Public broadcaster RTÉ reports 153 seats in the 174-seat lower house of parliament, the Dáil, have been called. Fianna…

Shot in the face while responding to the 2023 Auckland CBD shooting, Detective Shaun Winstanley has lost count of the number of operations and procedures he has undergone. He spoke to Breakfast’s Jenny-May Clarkson about his recovery, the physical and emotional toll it took, and his determination to move forward.On the morning of July 20, 2023, Detective Shaun Winstanley was nearly finished his morning protein shake when a call crackled over the radio — a shooter was at large in the Auckland CBD. Detective Shaun Winstanley spoke to Breakfast’s Jenny-May Clarkson about his recovery, the physical and emotional toll it…

A passenger onboard an Air New Zealand flight to Sydney that experienced engine trouble says the plane made a rapid descent.Flight NZ249 was about an hour into its journey from Wellington on Sunday when it had a problem.Ruth Ann Herd was a passenger on board the plane and told RNZ’s Morning Report she was having her dinner when the inflight entertainment stopped.”And then we dropped, then we descended and it was quite a rapid descent.”I looked out the window and I could see we were closer to the ocean then before and then we did a big swing and turned…

A newly published review of the government’s lunches in schools scheme, from a kaupapa Māori perspective, is full of praise for the current programme.Ka Ora, Ka Ako provides free, nutritious kai for the 25% of schools and kura at the lowest end of the socio-economic spectrum. As of June 2024, it catered for 235,000 learners at more than 1000 schools and kura.However, significant changes to the programme were announced in May, with the Government scaling back its cost and unveiling a new menu, which it said would save more than $130 million a year.Those changes would come into play from…

The oil and gas lobby has asked the Government to underwrite the risk of fossil fuel exploration, with the taxpayer potentially taking “some or all” of the risk if new gas supplies fail to eventuate.Resources Minister Shane Jones said he was considering options to support gas exploration, but “no decisions have been made either way”.On July 8, the body representing oil and gas producers, Energy Resources Aotearoa, wrote to Energy Minister Simeon Brown, saying the industry was unlikely to invest in exploring for new gas without “government support to help manage risk”.It said the Government should consider whether the taxpayer…

A fire at an Auckland home believed to have been caused by a phone being charged has prompted a warning from Fire and Emergency about the dangers of cheap cables.A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told the NZ Herald a cord being used to recharge a phone had been placed on soft material in a Greenhithe house when it overheated and caught fire on November 23.An internal investigation has reportedly been launched by discount online retailer Temu.Fire and Emergency New Zealand risk reduction and investigations manager Peter Gallagher told Breakfast that similar incidents were not uncommon.Fire and Emergency’s Peter Gallagher speaks…