Author: Press Room

Police have confirmed a man has died at Auckland’s Takapuna Beach today after being pulled from the water unresponsive. Emergency services were called to the North Shore beach around midday after the man was seen unresponsive in the water and had been pulled onto the beach.Police and other emergency services provided medical attention, but it since been confirmed that he died. A police spokesperson said the man’s death will be referred to the coroner. Police also today confirmed that a man died after getting into trouble in the water at Riversdale in Wairarapa on Thursday afternoon.The man, aged in his…

Published on 17/11/2025 – 14:36 GMT+1 •Updated 14:36 The European Union has opened the final negotiation stretch for Albania to join the bloc. The Western Balkan country is expected to conclude accession talks by the end of 2027, putting it on become a member of the EU by 2030. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has injected momentum in negotiations calling it a geopolitical imperative. “Albania is the best example of the transformative power of enlargement,” European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told reporters on Monday. “It shows that when you deliver, you progress”. According to the latest Commission’s…

The Prime Minister is giving a briefing to media after a meeting of Cabinet ministers in Wellington today, with an announcement of major changes to the clean car standard expected.The media conference comes after a week dominated by the scandal over former Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.Also on the political agenda has been a new leader and name for the Opportunity Party, formerly TOP, and the passing of the controversial Regulatory Standards Bill. The Congestion Charge Bill was passed in to law, as were the first steps towards replacing petrol tax with road user charges.

A pair of Hungarian nationals have been sentenced over a “sustained and calculated deception” involving false identities and forged documents to gain visas and residency in New Zealand.A 50-year-old man and 44-year-old woman, both with interim name suppression, were today sentenced in the Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to 16 charges of immigration and identity fraud.The man was sentenced to three years in prison, while the woman was sentenced to 11 months’ home detention.Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) national manager investigations Jason Perry said the couple’s deception came to light following an investigation by Immigration NZ. The…

Ursula von der Leyen has implored European Union countries to agree by December on a plan to cover Ukraine’s military and financial needs for the next two years, estimated at a staggering €135.7 billion, according to a letter sent on Monday and seen by Euronews. “It will now be key to rapidly reach a clear commitment on how to ensure that the necessary funding for Ukraine will be agreed at the next European Council meeting in December,” the European Commission President wrote to the 27 leaders. “Clearly, there are no easy options,” she added in the letter. “Europe cannot afford…

The Government is tinkering with the Clean Car Standard – again – saying most importers are unable to meet the targets under the scheme as it currently stands.It will also fully review the scheme, with recommendations to Cabinet due by June 2026.The Government last year watered down the standard to align CO₂ emissions standards with Australia – saying that change would strike the right balance between reducing transport emissions and ensuring vehicles would be affordable.The standard charges importers for vehicles that have CO₂ emissions-to-weight ratios above a certain target, with credits for vehicles with ratios below that target.Govt moves to…

Thousands of indigenous leaders in education have gathered in Auckland for the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education, the event returning to New Zealand for the first time in 20 years.Hosted by Auckland University of Technology and in partnership with iwi Manaaki Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, the conference launched on Sunday with a pōwhiri at The Cloud and a parade of nations up Queen St. Keynote speakers, panel discussions and workshop sessions started today.Professor Ella Henry, the event’s academic committee chair, described he World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education as the “Glastonbury of Indigeneity” that brings together scholars, communities, and leaders…

A crane operator who was killed as he delivered timber had earlier raised concerns with his employer about how close the power lines were.Wesley Talakai, 38, struck live lines with his truck-mounted crane outside a house building site in Greenhithe, northwest Auckland, in August 2023.WorkSafe said the crane was just 2.5m from the lines, when the legal minimum is four.”Mr Talakai raised concerns with his employer, NZ Solid, about limited space at the site and proximity to overhead power lines, however the company gave him a gate code to access the site and continue the work,” said the agency on…

The NZ Transport Agency has performed a U-turn on plans to partially close part of a major Rotorua road after the city’s eastside ground to a halt on Monday.The decision followed a stinging rebuke from Mayor Tania Tapsell and a major backlash from city businesses and residents.State Highway 30A between Te Ngae Rd and Fenton St was closed for resurfacing yesterday. Work was scheduled to continue until December 12.But road users experienced huge delays for usually routine journeys in and out of the city for much of Monday morning and early afternoon.Those delays forced Tapsell to send an “urgent request”…

Six shipping containers have been placed in the canals at Ashburton’s popular Lake Hood to be used in water quality trials.Ashburton District Council is trialling treatment options in an effort to stave off algae blooms that have plagued the lake over the last three summers.The containers have been placed to create a controlled area in part of a canal along Huntingdon Avenue, to test five different applications, and other areas of the lake will be used to monitor three different types of sonic equipment.The data collection and monitoring will be led by a team from Lincoln University.Council’s infrastructure group manager…