Author: Press Room

ADVERTISEMENTFollowing the impact of bird flu on the US egg industry, the global price of eggs has become a focal point for consumers, especially online. The average price of eggs in the EU rose by 6.7% in March 2025 compared to March 2024, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. The Czech Republic experienced the highest annual inflation rate for eggs at 46.0%, followed by Slovakia at 29.8% and Hungary at 26.1%. In contrast, the Netherlands experienced the largest decrease in egg prices, with a drop of 3.6%, followed by Luxembourg at 3.2% and Greece, where prices fell by 2.0%.So far…

ADVERTISEMENTA bag from a high end European fashion house such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton or Prada is a pricey purchase, which can cost hundreds of thousands of euros.While many luxury European brands promise their goods are produced in Europe — which for many shoppers acts as a quality guarantee — TikTokers claiming to be Chinese manufacturers say they are the ones who really make luxury brands’ goods. So, what’s really going on and are luxury fashion houses actively concealing the truth?What do these videos claim and who is posting them?Tens of thousands of TikToks have been posted under the viral…

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has joined world leaders in paying tribute to Pope Francis, praising the pontiff’s “unwavering commitment to the vulnerable” following his death at age 88.The Pope’s death was announced this evening (10am Vatican time) with tributes to Francis pouring in from around the world – from presidents to people of all walks of life.As crowds flocked to St. Peter’s Square, well-wishers worldwide laid flowers at churches — many of whose bells tolled in honour of Francis, including at the recently reopened Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.In a statement this evening, Luxon praised the pontiff’s dedication,…

ADVERTISEMENTAfter a nine-day mourning period and funeral for Pope Francis, known as the Novendia, the Catholic Church will arrange the next conclave. The mysterious process, which is not open to the public, will take place in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Here, the College of Cardinals will gather to elect the church’s next head. The rules, as of 22 January 2025, state there are 138 electors out of 252 cardinals. Only those under the age of 80 may take part in the secret ballot. Four rounds of voting take place daily until one cardinal receives a two-thirds majority of…

Hundreds of homes were briefly left without power after a vehicle collided with a power pole in Tauranga this afternoon.The collision occurred on Sherwood St around 5.40pm.”The vehicle left the scene and is yet to be located,” police said.No injuries have been reported. The road is currently blocked.Lines company PowerCo earlier showed 989 properties were without power after the crash.The number has since dropped to 135 properties affected. Power is estimated to be restored by around 9.45pm, PowerCo said on its website.

Protesters attempting to shut down a coal mine on the West Coast have been trespassed by the mining company.About 70 activists have been camping on Denniston Plateau in opposition to mining company Bathurst Resources seeking fast-track approval to extend its Stockton mine.The mining company wants to extract 20 million tonnes of coal from the Denniston and Stockton Plateau over the next 25 years.Climate activist Adam Currie said he and several others had climbed into cable cars used to transport coal at Stockton mine in an effort to halt production.”We’re drawing attention to the company’s plans to expand coal mining across…

ADVERTISEMENTRussian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin at the weekend killed three people in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, the local governor has said.Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram that the casualties occurred over the last 24 hours, adding that three others were wounded.Overall, Russia violated the ceasefire more than 2,900 times, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram statement in the early hours on Monday.Zelenskyy said that Russian forces carried out 96 assault operations along the frontline, shelled Ukrainian positions more than 1,800 times and used hundreds of drones during the course of the ceasefire.”The nature…

ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis died on Monday morning at the age of 88, The Vatican ‘Camerlengo’ Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, announced this morning.“At 7.35 this morning, the bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church. He taught us to live the values of the gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love…

Scientists are trawling for hundreds of pest fish as part of a mass cull to save what was once one of Auckland’s most pristine and biodiverse freshwater lakes.Lake Tomarata, on Auckland’s northern border, was a haven for mussels and native freshwater plants, until an English immigrant named Stewart Smith introduced rudd and tench into the lake in 1971.He also released thousands of invasive fish into New Zealand’s lakes, rivers, and streams in the hope of establishing a population for coarse fishing.”We now have this 50- to 60-year legacy of his activities with lots of different species being introduced all over…

It’s been a tough four-month wait for the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest for those close to Olivia Podmore.On Tuesday the inquest into the Olympic cyclist’s 2021 suspected suicide continues after a court adjournment in December, the reasons for which can’t be reported. Podmore’s mother Nienke and her husband Chris Middleton represented themselves during the initial three weeks of the inquest in Hamilton and will do the same for the continuation in Christchurch. The transfer to the hometown of Podmore’s family has been to help ease some of their financial burden. Her family said the delay has been tough on…