Author: Press Room
Published on 04/12/2025 – 17:33 GMT+1 The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has confirmed it will support the European Commission’s project to create large artificial intelligence “gigafactories” across the European Union. The agreement was signed in Brussels on Thursday by Commission Executive Vice-President for Technology Henna Virkkunen, EIB President Nadia Calviño and European Investment Fund Deputy CEO Merete Clausen. The goal is to speed up the development of the massive computing centres needed to train advanced AI models. “The EU is determined to become a global leader in artificial intelligence” Virkkunen said. “These gigafactories will form the backbone of Europe’s…
A historic building on the corner of Dunedin’s main drag could soon be transformed into a new cafe. Resource consent has been granted by the Dunedin City Council for alterations to the facade of a character-contributing building at the corner of George and St Andrew Sts. The two-storey commercial building was constructed about 1882 and was proposed to be used for a cafe, a report said. It was located within the George St Heritage Precinct, dominated by Victorian and Edwardian architecture, but very few buildings had original ground-floor facades on to the street. It was proposed to refurbish the existing…
Police have released the name of the woman found dead at a house in Camberley, Hastings on October 29.She was Teishallia TePaea, aged 37.Police found TePaea deceased at the house on Kotuku Street. A homicide investigation, Operation Knell, is ongoing in relation to her death.Police are continuing to appeal for information from the community.”A team of investigators is working hard to get answers for Teishallia’s whānau, and to support them as they mourn the loss of a much-loved family member,” said eastern district manager Detective Inspector Martin James.James said police believe there are people in the community who know what…
By Euronews Published on 04/12/2025 – 11:55 GMT+1 A post on X claiming that Denmark has introduced an IQ threshold of at least 85 for sperm donors has sparked confusion, debate and memes, but ultimately is misleading. In reality, Denmark has no legal IQ requirement for sperm donors, although donors must go through a risk assessment interview and medical history review to check for any genetic risk factors. The country, which is well known for its liberal sperm donation laws, has at least a dozen sperm-bank operations active, despite no definitive public registry. The two largest that are internationally recognised are…
Mature macrocarpa trees at two Invercargill sites are one step closer to being removed due to safety concerns.On Tuesday, the council’s infrastructure and growth committee met to discuss trees located near the intersections of Queens Dr and Don St, and Elles Rd and Tay St.Severe weather on October 23 toppled a tree at the latter site, sending debris across the road.Mayor Tom Campbell said it was lucky nobody was killed.“Because it would not have been an injury, it would have been a death, if one of those trees had come down and hit somebody.”Councillor Andrea de Vries said it was…
Friedrich Merz, the federal chancellor of Germany, will travel to Brussels on Friday to meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a bid to unblock the reparations loan to Ukraine. The three will gather on Friday evening for a private dinner at the Berlaymont building, a Commission spokesperson confirmed to Euronews. A spokesperson for Merz also confirmed the trip, noting the last-minute change of plans had prompted the cancellation of his trip to Norway. The sudden move represents Merz’s most forceful intervention to make the bold proposal a reality and…
Surfers have been towed by boat, jetski, and cable, but a group of Hawke’s Bay enthusiasts have recently pulled off a first in New Zealand by drone surfing.At the Clive River mouth, thrill seeker Jack Jensen became the first in the country to try the new sport as part of a mental health campaign.The “Spark That Chat” campaign, run by Jensen’s production company MSFT Productions, focused on uncomfortable challenges, and has resulted in followers sending in clips from all over the world.“It’s also about putting the phone down, disconnect and reconnect with what is in the present… it’s about ripping…
By Stefan Grobe & Lauren Walker Published on 04/12/2025 – 12:10 GMT+1 •Updated 12:15 The use of drones in the war in Ukraine and the violation of EU airspace by these aircraft requires a realignment of defence strategy, according to the bloc’s top military official. All military, political, and economic structures of the EU must be prepared and ready to defend themselves, the Chairman of the EU Military Committee (CEUMC), Irish General Sean Clancy, told Euronews. To that end, the EU and the NATO alliance need to work together more closely. “There is a stronger relationship required between the EU and NATO. There…
Many shoppers are bracing themselves for chaos as IKEA prepares to open the doors of its Auckland store, the first in the country.Up to 20,000 shoppers are predicted to visit on the first day, and traffic management are warning of 40 minute queues just to get off the motorway, and up to another hour to find a parking space.AUT macromarketing professor Ben Wooliscroft told RNZ the opening was an exciting phenomena for Kiwis.However, with heavy delays and high foot traffic expected, he said there are a few key ways that shoppers can make their experience as enjoyable as possible.Take public…
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…