Author: Press Room
Published on 04/12/2025 – 13:55 GMT+1 The European Commission has presented a legislative package aiming at fighting drug trafficking, a criminal business that is more and more affecting European citizens’ lives in the form of violence, corruption, environmental pollution, and the exploitation of the legal economy. Illegal drug use is increasing dramatically in the EU, with the situation reaching “a crisis point”, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner declared on Wednesday. Some 7,500 people die in Europe a year because of drug use, he said. 419 tonnes of cocaine have been seized across Europe in 2023, and 500 synthetic drug…
The rumble of thunderstorms across the country this week is a noisy reminder that summer is arriving – and with it, the mix of heat, humidity and unstable air that fuels these bursts of wild weather, writes geography professor James Renwick.Strolling to the Meteorological Society of New Zealand’s annual conference in Hamilton yesterday morning, I could sense this atmospheric shift about me.These early storms sit in a transition zone, where strong daytime heating combines with lingering spring volatility. Put the ingredients together and thunderstorms can form readily.The influence of La Niña, now present in the tropical Pacific, can also provide…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 13:04 GMT+1 The controversial Mina do Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal will retain its official status as a “strategic” project after the European Commission concluded that the venture will not strain water reserves. The project had been recognised by the Commission as “strategic” in March but a public backlash against its impact on the environment and legal challenges held up its development. Meanwhile, Savannah Resources, the Anglo-Portuguese consortium behind the lithium project, conducted an impact assessment of the region’s water resources. The company said that several changes made to the initial project to monitor and…
As 2025 draws to a close, the global web-browsing giant Google has revealed the most common searches among Kiwis this year. The assassinated political commentator Charlie Kirk was New Zealand’s top-trending search in 2025. A spokesperson said Kiwi’s search habits painted a “picture of a population that is pragmatic, hyper-vigilant and digitally aware”.The top three most searched topics by New Zealanders this year were Charlie Kirk – the conservative commentator murdered at an event in Utah in September. This was followed treatments for chronic obstructive lung disease and osteoarthritis.There was also plenty of interest in Marokopa fugitive father Tom Phillips;…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 11:24 GMT+1 As part of the European Commission’s plan to create what it calls “a social Europe”, the Romanian Commissioner will today present the Commission’s plan to upskill workers to adapt to Europe’s current labour needs and prepare them for the green and digital transitions. “Social Europe is not dead. Social Europe is the backbone of the European Union,” Executive Vice President of the European Commission in charge of Jobs and Social Rights Roxana Mînzatu told Euronews’ Europe Today on Thursday. Mînzatu addressed concerns that social rights have been traded off in the name of competitiveness,…
A truck driver has died after crashing into a building in Lower Hutt this morning. Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash on Rutherford St about 5.30am. Firefighters were called by police to reports of truck hitting a building in Hutt Central. It sent two rescue trucks, and one pumping truck from Avalon, Seaview, Johnsonville stations.Firefighters helped free the driver of the vehicle.A fuel truck pictured at the scene of a crash on Rutherford St. (Source: 1News)Footage taken from the scene by 1News showed emergency services including Fire and Emergency NZ and police officers at the scene next to…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 10:42 GMT+1 Oh, the Eurovision. One would say it’s a celebration of music that unites all of Europe. And, for some reason, Australia too. But your daily reporter has a different take. To him, it is all about the game of Bingo that you play every May with your loved ones. And as at Euronews we are one big family, so why don’t we cast some bets? The 2026 edition of Eurovision is facing a historic meltdown, with some countries threatening to boycott the party. Why, you ask? There are two reasons. Allegations of Israel topping…
The government is putting $15 million towards a United States and NATO initiative to supply weapons and equipment to Ukraine, the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins revealed the decision in the early hours New Zealand time, calling the funding a significant contribution to support Ukraine’s defence.”The defence of Ukraine has significant implications not only for the security of Europe, but also for the Indo-Pacific,” Peters said.A written statement said the money would only be used for weapons and equipment that met New Zealand’s international obligations and domestic policies.Collins said New Zealand stood…
FAIR GO: Eager to spare her children the cost of a funeral, Bronwen Christianos paid thousands into a policy that made little financial sense but proved very difficult to exit. Gill Higgins reports. When Bronwen Christianos signed up for NZ Seniors funeral insurance at age 78, she thought she was doing the right thing. Having had two strokes and years of financial struggle as a single mother of eight, her motivation was simple – “so I wouldn’t be a burden to my children.” Bronwen Christianos and her daughter Rachel Adams (Source: Fair Go)But three years later, her daughter Rachel Adams…
By euronews Published on 04/12/2025 – 7:38 GMT+1 •Updated 8:22 After key talks in Brussels, NATO has said it is ready to ‘do what it takes’ to protect Europe. This in response to Vladimir Putin’s comments that Russia did not want it, but would be ‘ready for war’ with Europe. Euronews correspondent Shona Murray has spent most of the week at the NATO headquarters and joins us now on set for an update. Coming up, we will be joined by Roxana Mînzatu, an Executive Vice-President of the European Commission. The Romanian socialist politician spent years as minister for European funds and…