Author: Press Room

The European Commission is today unveiling its “Digital Omnibus”, a plan meant to simplify the EU’s sweeping digital regulations. Among the legislation it covers is the AI Act, which was adopted last year. The legislation is being implemented only gradually – but with the Omnibus, the Commission has officially announced that some provisions on the riskiest iterations of the technology are set to be delayed. In particular, the Ominbus offers more time for businesses and organisations deploying “high-risk” AI technologies, which are used for purposes such as analysing CVs, evaluating school exams or assessing loan applications, will now not come…

Police say they have located a body during the search for missing Upper Hutt woman Anita Hart.The 61-year-old was reported missing on November 13 after last being seen on CCTV around 11.43am on November 12, walking along Gillespies Rd towards Akatarawa Rd. Detective Senior Sergeant Kylee Cusin said Hart was “sadly located deceased” today.“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, we hope it will help provide some closure for her family and loved ones,” Cusin said.Hart’s daughter Julia posted on Facebook, thanking the community and search teams for their support.“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to…

Published on 19/11/2025 – 17:43 GMT+1 •Updated 17:52 Albania deserves to become a member of the European Union as soon as possible after a decade of reforms and civil support, Prime Minister Edi Rama told Euronews. The Western Balkan membership hopeful has entered the final stretch of negotiations with the EU and looks at 2030 as a possible entry date to the bloc. Albania has been a candidate country for more than a decade, but has benefited from the geopolitical impulse to enlarge the union triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Albania is now seen as…

You could say it is a Selfe-made business. Oamaru Honda has been named Honda motorcycle dealer of the year, acknowledging the work of the Selfe family and their wider team in what could truly be described as a family business. It was established by Rick and Janis Selfe in the 1970s and, over time, their three sons Blair, Brad and Leighton all joined the business. Leighton, who looks after sales and marketing and finance, said there was no real boss as the three brothers all did their own thing. Blair was responsible for the workshop and parts while Brad was…

New Interislander ferries and portside infrastructure will cost $1.86 billion, in addition to the half-billion spent on the cancelled iRex project, the Government has revealed.The long-awaited cost estimates come after years of political wrangling over the delayed replacement vessels — one of the coalition’s first political headaches in office.Rail Minister Winston Peters said the new “no nonsense” infrastructure programme was helping save the taxpayer money when the two ships enter service in 2029.”Next week we will travel to Guangzhou with the Ferry Holdings chairperson and ships programme director to acknowledge the significant agreement, not just between the shipyard and Ferry…

Ultra-processed foods are fuelling a rise in obesity and other serious health problems, according to international experts who say urgent policy changes are needed.A series of papers published in The Lancet today warned such products – high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats – were linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and mental health issues. Researchers argue governments must act with measures such as mandatory front-of-pack labelling, sugary drink taxes, and bans on junk food marketing to children.Health NZ data released today showed one in three adult New Zealanders, 34.2%, were classified as obese, up from 31.3% five years…

House prices are rising again across the EU, and many single youngsters are facing increasing barriers to getting on the property ladder. After a brief dip in 2023, property price tags inflated again in 2024 and surged by 5.4% in Q2 2025, according to the latest Eurostat data. One of the social fallouts is that people who are not in a relationship are feeling increasingly shut out of the housing market. More specifically, 37% of solo dwellers now believe they will never be able to buy a home. This is one of the key findings of a new survey of…

Roadworks that brought Rotorua to a standstill on Monday have now been postponed until next year.It comes after a dressing-down for the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) from Rotorua’s MP and mayor over the impact SH30A’s closure had on businesses, schools, medical providers and general road users.NZTA had closed all four lanes of SH30A between Te Ngae Rd and Fenton St for resurfacing.However, after extreme levels of congestion occurred on the city’s eastside, the road was partially reopened on Monday afternoon.In a statement today, NZTA apologised for the disruption caused and confirmed it would rethink its approach.”We have now made the…

A popular tourist and trucking route in the Marlborough Sounds needs widening due to blind spots and trucks crossing the centre line, a new report says.The report by Sentec, commissioned by Marlborough Roads, looked at the safety of heavy commercial vehicles, particularly logging trucks, on Port Underwood Rd and Queen Charlotte Dr.Marlborough District Council’s infrastructure and community facilities committee heard recommendations from the report on Tuesday.The report was originally commissioned following “numerous” complaints of trucks forcing residents’ vehicles onto the road shoulder or off the road entirely.Sentec did an in-depth analysis of the two routes, including observations from inside a…

Police are investigating around 20 cases of alleged misuse and inappropriate content on work-issued devices following a sweeping review triggered by the Jevon McSkimming scandal.McSkimming, then deputy commissioner, was found with objectionable material on his police-issued devices in June. He has pleaded guilty to charges of possessing child exploitation and bestiality images and will be sentenced next month.The revelations prompted Police Commissioner Richard Chambers to order a rapid review of security settings in June. That review found weaknesses in monitoring and governance and recommended urgent changes to prevent staff accessing harmful content on police devices.Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers today…