Author: Press Room

A car fire which spread to vegetation northeast of Whanganui prompted an emergency services callout to a section of State Highway 4 this afternoon.Fire and Emergency NZ said it was called to a vegetation fire near Te Rimu Rd around 3.19pm.The fire – measuring 100x200m in size – began in a car and spread to vegetation on the side of the road, a spokesperson said.”Two crews and a tanker are in attendance from Whanganui.”Stop/go traffic management with a 50km/h speed restriction is in place, according to the New Zealand Transport Agency.No one was injured in the incident. Footage provided to…

Business liquidations have hit a 10-year high with 2500 companies folding last year, marking the highest annual figure since 2014 amid challenging conditions for construction and retail.The figure represents an increase of nearly 700 liquidations compared to 2023, while receiverships also climbed to their highest level since 2012, with 186 companies entering receivership – up by 84 from the previous year.Liquidation and receivership numbers have been trending upward since the pandemic.Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young highlighted the severity of the situation facing retailers, saying it had anecdotally been the toughest period in decades for some.”We’ve spoken to a number…

Across 21 different professions, Europeans trust doctors and scientists the most. Meanwhile, politicians are the least trusted, despite a gradual increase since reaching a low in 2018. ADVERTISEMENTDoctors and scientists are the most trusted professions across 11 EU countries, while politicians are the least trusted.The data was compiled from the latest Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index, involving more than 23,000 adults under the age of 75 across 32 countries, including 11 EU countries like France, Italy, Romania, and Hungary.In the Netherlands, 73% of respondents trust doctors, the highest percentage among EU countries, followed by France and Spain at 66%. Scientists and…

Five people have been injured – one critically – following a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 2 south of Waihī.Emergency services, including six ambulances and two helicopters, were called to the crash near Tauranga Rd around 5.40pm.One person was critically injured in the collision.Another person is in a serious condition, while three others sustained moderate injuries.Two people were airlifted to Waikato Hospital, while three others were taken by ambulance to Tauranga Hospital.A St John spokesperson said nine vehicles responded to the incident, including five ambulances, two rapid response vehicles, and two operations managers.The serious crash unit has been advised.Part of…

A number of countries in Europe ranked misinformation as one of its top five risks, due its ability to influence voter intentions and harm the wider geopolitical environment. ADVERTISEMENTMisinformation and disinformation will be the top risk to countries around the world over the next two years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has revealed in its annual Global Risk Report.The WEF surveyed hundreds of experts worldwide and found that false and misleading content is seriously harming the geopolitical environment in a number of ways.It enables foreign entities to affect voter intentions, it can sow doubt among the public about what is…

Two people were taken into custody in Auckland last night after a gun was allegedly fired from one vehicle at another, while a third is accused of driving through a police cordon. Police said an altercation took place between two groups outside a restaurant on Lunn Ave in Mt Wellington before the two parties separated and got into two vehicles.Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the occupants of one vehicle allegedly fired a shot towards the other one.”Both vehicles fled immediately after, however our staff were in the area, and signalled one to stop.”The other vehicle continued on towards Mt Wellington…

In ten days, EU foreign affairs ministers will gather in Brussels to discuss relaxing the bloc’s sanctions against Syria. The lifting of sanctions was under consideration since the Islamic militia faction HTS toppled Syria’ former president Bashar al-Assad. ADVERTISEMENTThe EU’s notion to lift sanctions against Syria has to be considered a good start, Middle East expert Maria LuisaFantappiè tells Euronews Radio Schuman today.Fantappiè, from Italian think tank Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), says the proposal to lift sanctions would be a start but that more is needed to create the conditions for engaging with the current forces in power. The EU plans to…

Wellington City Council will dig up 1000 cubic metres worth of asbestos, arsenic, lead and other materials at a scenic South Coast beach.In late 2021, a member of the public told local authorities they could see asbestos on a bank at Te Raekaihau Point, which sits between Lyall Bay and Princess Bay, an area popular for walkers, runners and cyclists.The council did investigations of the site in July 2022 and August 2023 which found evidence of asbestos, oil, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, zinc, arsenic and lead.They said it appeared the area was used for sand extraction in the 1930s, with it…

The first weather warnings for 2025 could come next week, MetService says, but not before Aotearoa enjoys a “long-awaited summer feel”.Aside from the Far North and “some places inland”, fine weather is expected across New Zealand, MetService meteorologist Surprise Mhlongo said.”The good news is that we are forecasting a wind flow change from the cool southerlies to easterlies, bringing in warmer temperatures for most.”The exception to this will be the east of the North Island, including Wairarapa where conditions will remain cool, cloudy and showery.”Wellington – which has its anniversary holiday on Monday – will reach highs of around 21C…

While thousands of homes will be built in Hawke’s Bay in the next 30 years, there won’t be any extra water to go around.The aquifers in the region – which is now suffering from near-perpetual summer water restrictions – will not be giving up any more water than they do today, and it’s unlikely that councils will allow more of it to be taken.In fact, the amount of water consented to be taken from the Heretaunga Plains aquifer – which helps feed Napier and Hastings’ water supply – could soon be almost halved.The Tutaekuri-Ahuriri-Ngaruroro-Karamu Plan has set an interim limit…