Author: Press Room

Meteorologists are forecasting a warm end to spring, with tomorrow in particular set to see high temperatures in places.”Settled weather and warmer temperatures are on the cards this week for most, due to a deep ridge of high pressure over the North Island,” MetService said.”This controls the weather for Aotearoa New Zealand as we head into summer — despite the best efforts of two rain bands from the south, which cannot make it past the West Coast.”A heavy rain watch has been issued for Fiordland from 11am to 6pm tomorrow.”With meteorological summer starting on Sunday, this coming week could be…

The goal to have fewer than 5% of New Zealanders be smokers by the end of next year is “within reach”, but requires “renewed” efforts, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello says.Costello launched a new Te Whatu Ora Health NZ action plan this morning which outlines the final push to achieve the long-running Smokefree 2025 goal.The goal to have fewer than 5% of New Zealanders be smokers by the end of next year is “within reach”, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello says. (Source: 1News)It sets out a “renewed focus for smoking cessation services, health promotion, and community mobilisation, while enhancing compliance…

Solar power company SolarZero has been put into liquidation, leaving some customers worried about the contracts they have signed with the company.The company — which offers customers solar power systems with no upfront cost but an ongoing, multi-decade lease — said the directors had requested its shareholder appoint a liquidator.It said directors had requested its senior lenders take enforcement action, and appoint another provider Verofi, to ensure power service for customers was not interrupted.”The directors have advised company employees that due to unsustainable operating losses, and liquidity constraints, the business is unable to continue trading in its current form.”As a…

As MEPs vote to approve the upcoming European Commission, a significant proportion of those opposing von der Leyen’s executive picks are French MEPs. ADVERTISEMENTAt least 57 of the 81 French MEPs are likely to vote against Ursula von der Leyen’s new European Commissioners, including 13 from the Socialist group, according to an Euronews investigation.Why are so many French politicians opposing von der Leyen and her new Commission? We spoke to several French MEPs after they left the Strasbourg hemicycle on Tuesday.Socialist and Green MEPs—some of whom had supported von der Leyen in July—explained they would boycott her 26 new commissioners…

Banning new off-licences in Dunedin’s student quarter may not be enough to combat the “mountain of alcohol-related harm” the city faces, councillors have heard. Public submissions on a draft replacement of the Dunedin City Council’s local alcohol policy (LAP) were heard at a hearings subcommittee meeting today. The current LAP came into force in February 2019, which the council was required to review within six years of it taking effect. The draft replacement contained several proposed changes including amending the hours off-licence premises could sell alcohol to between 7am and 9pm, as opposed to 7am to 10pm, prohibiting the promotion…

The Government will invest $82 million to help Māori housing providers build nearly 200 rent-capped homes, with construction expected to begin within a year.It comes as the coalition shifts towards supporting community housing providers instead of scaling up the state housing agency Kāinga Ora. All the homes will be affordable rentals where rent is capped at 80% of the market rent in a particular location.Supported by funding administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the providers will create a “total of 198 whare in areas where there is a high demand for affordable housing. The aim is to…

By Susan Edmunds A nationwide solar power company that was founded in Christchurch has been put into liquidation, leaving some customers worried about the contracts they have signed with the business. SolarZero – which offers customers solar power systems with no upfront cost but an ongoing, multi-decade lease – said the directors had requested its shareholder appoint a liquidator. It said directors had requested its senior lenders take enforcement action, and appoint another provider Verofi, to ensure power service for customers was not interrupted. “The directors have advised company employees that due to unsustainable operating losses, and liquidity constraints, the business…

Bus and train fares are set to increase across the country, with the transport agency asking councils to hit higher revenue targets.Waka Kotahi NZTA has sent letters to local councils and transport authorities asking them to increase their private share — that is, the proportion of the total cost of providing public transport that comes from things other than rates or government funding.Greater Wellington Regional Council transport chairperson Thomas Nash said meeting the targets set for Greater Wellington would require fare increases of 71% next year, “which is the exact opposite of what we need in a cost-of-living crisis”.That would…

Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has millions of likes on TikTok and hundreds of thousands of followers. He ran a successful social media campaign to emerge victorious in the first round of the country’s presidential elections. ADVERTISEMENTRomania is reeling from the unexpected rise of far-right extremist Calin Georgescu who won Sunday’s first round of the presidential elections as an independent. His rise went unnoticed by the political system – with his victory representing the first time a fringe candidate won a national election solely through a sophisticated media campaign. Georgescu rode a wave of public discontentment with the political establishment…

A man was arrested overnight after he allegedly pulled an imitation firearm during a Facebook Marketplace transaction.The incident took place at a petrol station in Auckland’s Takanini at around 9.20pm, where two men had arranged to meet to sell a vehicle.The pair had agreed on a sale price for the vehicle, according to Senior Sergeant Minho Lee, but things soon went wrong.”During the course of the transaction a disagreement arose around the final purchase price,” Lee said.At one point, the man allegedly showed the seller what he believed to be a firearm.Once the transaction had been completed, both men left…