Author: Press Room

A Hawke’s Bay free diver has captured footage of abundant sea life off the Ahuriri coast, just 30 metres from shore.Harry Machiela said the Bay’s marine life is the healthiest he has ever seen it and, “I hope it will get even better”.The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council was currently preparing its state of the environment report, due to be released later this year.Machiela’s video was put together from four clips he took off Hardinge Rd in Ahuriri. It included blue moki, hiwihiwi (kelp fish), wrasse, leatherjacket, trevally, and paketi (the spotty one).The businessman, who is also a lifeguard for Pacific…

Ukraine’s air force says it intercepted six missiles and 71 drones, while it successfully jammed the signal of 40 drones. ADVERTISEMENTRussia fired seven ballistic missiles and 127 Shahed and other decoy drones at 11 Ukrainian regions overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.Ukraine’s Emergency Service said at least three districts in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv were struck, with one person killed and four injured in the Obolonskyi district. Two office buildings were reported to have been severely damaged.“There was an alarm and then after the alarm started ringing the explosions started, said Hryhorii Danylovych, who works at a dry-cleaning…

Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris deliberately misled the House last year for denying he called other MPs “liars”, Parliament’s Privileges Committee has found.The committee recommended Ferris be required to apologise to the House, and said his actions amounted to contempt.During general debate on September 18, Ferris, who is MP for Te Tai Tonga, said “a knowledge gap is a dangerous thing. It allows lies to be presented as truths. Politicians call this obfuscation — the art of making something unclear, intentionally vague, ambiguous, to conceal or obscure the truth, to confuse others. Lies, in other words. Many in this…

Many middle managers are actively looking for another job amid stress and burnout reasons. The majority of them feel ignored by their boss and lament didn’t receive enough training on key issues before starting out. ADVERTISEMENTMiddle management is currently among the most under-pressure positions in the workplace.A survey conducted in the UK by Capterrra found that 75% of them feel overwhelmed, stressed or burned out.Having to deal with individual and administrative duties at the same time means 61% of them do not have enough time in an average week to accomplish all their tasks.The survey found 44% of their time…

A witness who called the police after a man was hit by multiple vehicles on Auckland’s South Western motorway last week says the fact no one stopped is disgusting.Police were appealing for any dash camera footage and asking anyone travelling on State Highway 20 between 1.30am and 2am to come forward.The man died on a section of State Highway 20 near Mt Roskill, after walking onto the motorway from the north-bound Dominion Road onramp in the early hours of last Friday.Detective Senior Sergeant Kathy Bostock said he was hit by at least three cars, none of which stopped.Genevieve was on…

NATO allies are currently negotiating an upward revision to the defence spending target, despite several countries failing to reach the current 2% of GDP threshold. ADVERTISEMENTDefence spending from Canada and European NATO allies jumped by 20% year-on-year in 2024, but “considerably” more money is needed before the end of the decade to deter a Russian attack, Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.”In 2024, NATO allies in Europe and Canada invested $485 billion (€467.5 billion) in defence, a nearly 20% increase compared with 2023,” the NATO Secretary General told reporters.”With a full two-thirds of allies spending at least 2% of their GDP…

The first train to be tested in Auckland’s City Rail Link is set to take place tonight.The test will be deliberately slow at around 5km/h to allow technicians on board to complete their first round of checks underground.The test run would take place between the Maungawhau and Waitematā (Britomart) stations, and would travel about 3.45km.City Rail Link said the trial marked the start of an extensive programme of train testing that would accelerate in the coming weeks, and continue right up until opening next year.Chief executive Patrick Brockie said testing trains in a live tunnel was an exciting milestone which…

If you’re looking for a new rental property this year, keep in mind that your prospective landlord can’t ask about your employment, your spending habits or your relationship status.The Privacy Commissioner’s office has updated its guidelines for the rental market.”There’s often a lot of pressure on people, especially students, to find a flat quickly, which risks privacy shortcuts being taken, and that can put both tenants and landlords at risk,” commissioner Michael Webster said.”Tenants are often desperate to find a flat, so they might disclose a whole lot of personal information that isn’t legally required. Essentially, they’re giving others power…

New Zealand cyclist Bryony Botha has set a new world record on day two of the UCI Oceania Track Championships in Brisbane today.Botha, a noted medallist at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships, has now added a world record to her palmares.She was fastest qualifier in the women’s 4000m individual pursuit, clocking 4:31:446 at the Anna Meares Velodrome, ahead of teammate Emily Shearman (4:32.588) and Australian star Maeve Plouffe (4:35.633).This is the first year that women have moved up to 4000m for the individual pursuit, the same distance as the men, having previously raced this discipline over 3000m.The…

A karakia, or blessing for the Te Matatini stage has taken place at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands to mark the start of its build ahead of the national kapa haka competition in less than two weeks.Carl Ross, chief executive of Te Matatini Society Incorporated, said the blessing is a significant moment that connects past festivals to Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga, the name given to this year’s event.“When kaihaka stand on the Te Matatini stage, the mana of the mahau and those that have stood before stands with them.”Elijah Pue, chair of hosting committee Te Kāhui Maunga, said it was…