Author: Press Room

Thousands of protesters flooded the streets surrounding the Georgian Parliament to voice their objection to the ruling party’s decision to suspend EU-accession talks. ADVERTISEMENTProtesters clashed with police in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi on Thursday after the government suspended talks on its bid to join the European Union for four years. The prime minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, of the Georgian Dream party announced the decision on Thursday in a press conference, stating the long sought after bid to join the bloc will not be on the agenda until the end of 2028.  The announcement came just hours after the European Parliament adopted a…

Former Ports of Auckland boss Tony Gibson has been found guilty of failing to comply with health and safety regulations, putting port workers at risk of death or serious injury. The 69-year-old appeared in court earlier this year on two charges related to the death of port worker Pala’amo Kalati in August 2020. The stevedore, a 31-year-old father of seven, was working a night shift when a container fell on top of him and killed him. A Maritime NZ investigation led to several charges being laid against the company and Gibson who was chief executive of Ports of Auckland (POAL)…

At a plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs debated foreign interference and espionage by non-EU countries in European universities. ADVERTISEMENTUniversities are nerve centres of research and innovation, as well as spaces for debate and the exchange of knowledge. They are, however, also targets of foreign interference by third countries such as China, Russia and Iran, said MEPs during a plenary debate.”This topic, in terms of possible interference at the university level, is a blind spot for our policies. It is a proven fact there can be two types, either outright espionage when it comes to research, or influence,” Renew Europe MEP…

A Disney film sets a cinematic milestone, new hope for an endangered bird species, how a community saved a pod of whales, and the world record-breaking grandmother.Moana 2 makes wavesMoana 2 has become the first Disney film to be released simultaneously in both English and an Indigenous language — te reo Māori.Previously, translated versions of Disney movies were only released a year or more after the original.Piripi Taylor, who plays Maui in Moana 2 Reo Māori, said Disney recognises the power of the Māori language. (Source: 1News)The cast are feeling proud.Piripi Taylor, who plays Maui in Moana 2 Reo Māori,…

Homeowners can expect a further lowering of mortgage rates after the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) cut the official cash rate (OCR) to 4.25% — a fall of 50 basis points.Cuts to the OCR are generally followed by retail banks lowering their mortgage rates and reducing the interest return on savings. Today’s announcement will be the final one for 2024. Several major banks immediately cut their loan rates in response to the decision. The Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee said inflation was “now close to the midpoint” of the central bank’s target range of 1% to 3%. (Source: 1News)”Inflation expectations are also…

‘Freedom’ is an autobiographical book by Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor from 2005 to 2021. It retraces her national and European political career. ADVERTISEMENT”Freedom” is the political book of the year. In an autobiography, former Chancellor Angela Merkel looks back on her 16 years at the helm of Germany. Originally from the East Germany under the German Democratic Republic, the Christian Democrat leader profoundly impacted the European project. The publication of her memoirs, almost 700 pages long, is an opportunity to analyse the political legacy of Merkel, who was often described as the most powerful woman in Europe.In the book,…

A health practitioner who worked with Olivia Podmore has accepted it was “inappropriate” not to take notes from their sessions during her time in the Cycling NZ programme.Warning: This story discusses mental health and suicide. Helplines are published at the end of this article.An inquest into the suspected suicide of the young Olympic cyclist heard on Wednesday that the practitioner could not produce any records from his sessions with Podmore.The practitioner, who has interim name suppression while the case is being heard, worked with Podmore for more than four years, meeting regularly over that period.He told the Coroner’s Court in…

Finding a site willing to host a memorial for the 257 victims of the Erebus plane crash has been “tricky” and “heartbreaking”, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture’s deputy secretary of Māori Crown Partnerships says.In just two days’ time, it will be 45 years since the Air New Zealand scenic flight over Antarctica crashed into the side of Mount Erebus, killing everyone onboard.Plans for a memorial in Auckland’s Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens.That proposal was eventually abandoned after cyclone damage and land instability meant it was no longer…

Ongoing negotiations between the EU and Switzerland are focused on the country’s contribution payments, which Switzerland makes to gain partial access to the EU’s internal market. ADVERTISEMENTSwitzerland and the EU are coming closer to reaching an agreement on how much the neutral country should contribute to access the EU’s internal market, top diplomats have said.EU Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic met Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Bern on Wednesday as part of the ongoing negotiations. Together with their top diplomats, they met to review talks about the amount Switzerland is required to contribute as a cohesion payment to the EU.Despite…

Major banks have dropped their home loan rates as the Reserve Bank again decides to cut the official cash rate.The central bank’s decision, which will be its final for 2024, to drop the OCR by 50 basis points (0.5%) will be passed on to borrowers as home loan rates are expected to drop.Cuts to the OCR are generally followed by retail banks lowering their mortgage rates and reducing the interest return on savings. The reductions announced have mostly been for variable lending rates, although the country’s largest bank and Westpac have cut several fixed-term mortgage rates.Bank of New Zealand in…