Author: Press Room

German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl says that Moscow’s acts of sabotage against Western targets could spur NATO to invoke Article 5 defence clause. ADVERTISEMENTRussia’s hybrid warfare tactics against the West could eventually lead to NATO invoking the alliance’s mutual defence clause, Germany’s intelligence chief has warned.Bruno Kahl, the head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), said on Wednesday that he expected Russia to increase its hybrid attacks, which can range from physical acts of sabotage such as arson to cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns.”The extensive use of hybrid measures by Russia increases the risk that NATO will eventually consider…

An Auckland community leader is calling for increased vigilance after recent vandalism at South Auckland playgrounds.In a recent incident at Ngāti Ōtara Park, a user spotted vandals setting fire to a slide.Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia expressed disappointment over the recent damage to playgrounds.He said young people were the first to be affected. “I’m really disappointed.”The first lot of people that lose out when this happens is our young people, our kids, our children, who won’t be able to use some of these playgrounds until they’re fixed.”He said parents might also question the safety of these spaces, which…

A plan is being considered to relocate the flood-prone West Coast town of Westport.Westport has been repeatedly inundated by flooding since European settlement but that has escalated in recent years.The Buller River spilled through the town regularly with July 2021’s flood particularly devastating.A draft master plan proposed relocating the town to government-owned Pāmu-Landcorp farmland southwest of its current location.While such a proposal raised the spectre of managed retreat and caused concern for residents, master planning project lead Paul Zaanen told Buller District Council last week it was a long-term plan.”This isn’t happening next month, it isn’t happening next year, but…

The far-right, Moscow-friendly candidate rose dramatically in the polls to lead the first round of presidential elections, which now risk annulment. ADVERTISEMENTRomania’s Constitutional Court will debate on Thursday whether to annul the first round of presidential elections, in which relatively unknown, TikTok-famous candidate Călin Georgescu beat several well-established candidates with 23% of the vote. Two candidates who lost in the first round, Christian Terheș and Sebastian Popescu, have filed complaints, with Popescu alleging Georgescu misled the electorate and received support from outside the country to bolster his campaign. Terheș said that the withdrawal of another candidate just before the election…

An elevated level of arsenic has been found in two drinking water suppliers who treat water from the Waikato River.Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has been briefed and has asked New Zealand’s water regulating authority to ensure water providers in Auckland and Hamilton are taking appropriate action.In a statement this evening, Watercare said there was “no immediate risk” to public health. It said the maximum acceptable value for arsenic in New Zealand was 0.01 milligrams per litre. Watercare reported a result of 0.011 milligrams per litre to national water regulator the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai from a sample…

Immigration New Zealand has declined a visa application from conservative US commentator Candace Owens ahead of a planned speaking event in Auckland — citing her recent ban from Australia.In a statement to 1News, INZ confirmed the 35-year-old had applied for a Entertainers Work Visa. “Under section 15(1)(f) of the Immigration Act, an individual may not be granted a visa to come to New Zealand if they have been excluded from another country.”In October, Australia rejected Owens’ visa application ahead of a speaking tour, which was set to also stop in New Zealand. At the time, Australian immigration minister Tony Burke…

A video is being shared on social media which allegedly shows Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, calling for the abolition of cash in order to reduce our carbon footprint. ADVERTISEMENTChristine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, is hoping to stop climate change by overhauling the entire economy, including eliminating cash completely, according to claims made in a social media post.Similar posts suggest that the European Central Bank (ECB) is planning to replace cash entirely with a digital euro, which is currently under consideration.One post on X (formerly Twitter) describes this as the biggest…

Lotto’s Powerball jackpot has grown to $12 million after no tickets won this evening. The winning numbers were: 25, 27, 39, 12, 28, 17, bonus ball 5, and Powerball 10.However, one lucky player from Christchurch has won $1 million with Lotto First Division. The winning ticket was sold at New Brighton Lotto & Discounter.Strike Four has also rolled over and will be $1.5 million on Saturday’s draw.

The University of Otago wants the sale of glass bottles to be banned at liquor stores around its main campus, in a bid to clean up the perennial problem of broken glass in the streets of North Dunedin.The Dunedin City Council has been hearing submissions on its local alcohol policy, with several submitters saying it should include a ban on glass alcohol containers at North Dunedin off-licenses.University proctor Dave Scott made one of the submissions on behalf of the educational institution, calling for the stores to stop selling alcohol in glass bottles.He told RNZ’s Checkpoint the submission was one the…

The first-ever Warriors captain, Dean Bell, knew a lot was on the line when he led his team out for its very first game on March 10, 1995.“I didn’t want to let the whole country down because it felt like the whole country was with us,” he told 1News presenter Melissa Stokes. Bell said it was great to be part of the amazing night — one he’ll never forget.“I remember standing there in the tunnel and I think, yeah, I was nervous but I was excited as well. Obviously, the crowd were excited.”It was a capacity crowd of 30,000 at…