Author: Press Room

Multiple warnings and watches have been issued with heavy rain and strong winds forecast to lash most of the South Island and the lower North Island on Wednesday into Thursday.MetService said a front preceded by a “humid” northwest flow would move across the country from late Tuesday until Thursday.Several orange-level heavy rain warnings have been issued for the South Island.Up to 200mm of rain is expected in the ranges of Westland and the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, with peak intensities reaching 35 mm/h. Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound was also under a warning, with up…

A man has been arrested in Auckland for allegedly smuggling 10kg of an illegal drug known as kamini into the country from India.Customs investigators conducted search warrants at a business and home in Auckland after they found the pills concealed in packets of snacks sent from India two months ago.The pills were sent for testing and analysis by the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science), which certified the pills as kamini, which contained class B and C controlled drugs. The kamini pills were concealed in packets of snacks sent from India two months ago. (Source:…

ADVERTISEMENT The EU rules on AI should be paused while potential “drawbacks” are assessed, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday during a conference considering the European Commission’s progress in implementing the recommendations set out in Draghi’s landmark report from 2024.  The AI Act which entered into force in August last year, but will fully apply in 2027, is “a source of uncertainty”, the former Italian premier said. The rules aim to regulate AI systems according to the risk they pose to society, ranging from minimal enforcement to more compliance for high-risk systems and prohibitions. “The first rules—which…

The Government is promising changes to the Commerce Act it says will prevent “creeping acquisitions and predatory pricing”.Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson said the changes would set out clear rules for mergers, and streamline approvals for business collaboration.The Commerce Commission would be restructured with stronger tools to seek a High Court injunction to require companies to comply with the act.Simpson said it would also have the ability to pause or “call in” risky mergers before they are completed.”This targeted power ensures problematic deals can be properly assessed.”The changes would set out clear…

Published on 16/09/2025 – 10:24 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT A video has gone viral on social media alleging that a Muslim terrorist group has threatened to burn the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, unless French authorities release Brahim Aouissaoui. He is a Tunisian citizen who killed three people in a terrorist attack in Nice in 2020. The video shows three masked men issuing their ultimatum before setting a model of Notre Dame on fire. They each bear a logo on their sleeves that resembles that of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group formerly led by Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa. “Your churches…

Once again higher prices for milk, cheese, and butter were the main drivers behind an increase in food prices, which rose 5% in the 12 months to August.The data, released by Stats NZ, showed the second consecutive 5% increase in annual prices, following the same figure in the 12 months to July. The biggest contributor to the most recent increase was items in the grocery food group, which rose 4.7%, “The price increase for the grocery food group was due to higher prices for milk, cheese, and butter,” Stats NZ said. The price of two litres of milk rose 16.3%…

More than 100 jobs are on the line in Tokoroa as Carter Holt Harvey plans to shut down its local plywood manufacturing site.E tū delegate Andrew Dobbs, who had worked at CHH in Tokoroa for 24 years, said members were devastated.”It’s just really sad. We knew things were tough, but I didn’t expect them to stop manufacturing altogether. You’d say people are feeling sad and depressed – it’s not quite a closure, but there will be so few people left there, making nothing, just reprocessing imports to send to market.”Basically, imported product is just too cheap for us to compete…

Trailers equipped with speed cameras are set to be rolled out on New Zealand’s roadsides from tomorrow. The first trailer would begin operating in Auckland, the New Zealand Transport Agency said. Nine more trailers were set to join the fleet over the coming months. They would join the 34 mobile cameras already operating out of SUVs. NZTA said that with the trailers, mobile cameras would be operating for a total of 6500 hours a month. “The camera technology in trailers is the same as we’re using in our SUVs, but having both vehicle types gives us more flexibility to move…

A mayor’s petition calling on the Government to back the restoration of the Chateau Tongariro will be formally handed to Parliament today.Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton will present the petition – signed by 15,469 people – to Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne on the steps of Parliament at midday, before it is lodged with the House.The derelict Chateau has been closed for two years after it was deemed unsafe due to its earthquake risk.Before its closure two years ago, the 96-year-old hotel employed between 70 and 100 people. (Source: Q and A)Kirton said the strong response showed the depth of public feeling…

ADVERTISEMENT Donald Trump has thrown down his gauntlet: he wants European nations to impose 50% to 100% tariffs on China as part of a joint strategy to counter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The demand, which had already leaked to the press, became official US policy when the president made it public on a social media post over the weekend. In his “letter”, as he called it, Trump argued the punishing tariffs on China, coupled with an immediate end to all purchases of Russian oil, would be of “great help” to end “this deadly but ridiculous war”. “China has a strong…