Author: Press Room

Published on 08/12/2025 – 16:43 GMT+1 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that he was “sceptical” over certain aspects of the US-backed peace plan for Ukraine, following a meeting in London with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Keir Starmer, and Emmanuel Macron. The gathering in London followed the conclusion over the weekend of the latest round of talks between Ukrainian and US negotiators on a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. “I’m sceptical about some of the details which we are seeing in the documents coming from the US side but we have to talk about that, that is why we…

Two high-profile appointments to Dunedin-based startup Givenwell are casualties of a restructure after just several months in their positions. Former professional rugby player Craig Hudson, once the face of Xero in New Zealand, joined Givenwell as chief customer officer three months ago to help scale its impact in workplace wellbeing. His part-time appointment was followed soon after by that of his wife Bronwyn Hudson — a registered clinical nutritionist, health coach and PhD researcher — as director of education and impact. In a recent Linkedin post, Mr Hudson said he and his wife were “caught up in a recent restructure”…

New Zealand’s economy is showing clear signs of recovery after a turbulent year marked by recession, according to ASB’s latest economic forecast.ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley said the outlook for 2026 was looking positive, driven by lower interest rates, resilient exports, and renewed consumer confidence.”We’re seeing clear signs that the recovery is gathering pace,” he said. “Consumer spending is up, especially on big-ticket items like cars and electronics, and rural incomes are holding strong despite global uncertainty. With interest rates at their lowest in years, more New Zealanders are set to benefit as mortgages refix at better rates.”New Zealand’s export…

Analysis: At the last election, Te Pāti Māori won six of the seven Māori electorates. Other stories dominated the 2023 election, of course – the change of government and the negotiations that shaped the incoming National-Act-New Zealand First coalition. But winning six of seven seats was a triumph. A party born, in 2004, out of Labour MP Tariana Turia’s protest against her own government’s Foreshore and Seabed Bill, a party that had largely survived the tides that might have been expected to swamp it once that galvanising purpose had gone, and a party that had renewed itself in opposition to…

Frustrated Puketapu residents fed up with ongoing fly-tipping in the area say the offenders are taking it to another, far more dangerous level by setting their rubbish on fire.There were eight deliberately lit fires across Hawke’s Bay in November, with four of them on one road – Springfield Rd in Puketapu.The latest on November 30, spread to wooden fence railings along the newly installed cycleway, which was wiped out by Cyclone Gabrielle.Heather Symons, whose family has lived on Springfield Rd for generations, said the road, which was on the way to Redclyffe Transfer Station, has always been a hot spot…

Two teenagers have been arrested after an aggravated robbery outside a Mt Wellington petrol station overnight.Auckland City East Area Commander Inspector Jim Wilson said a man was approached on the forecourt of the petrol station on Mt Wellington Highway shortly after 11.30pm.”Two males approached the victim and wanted him to buy items from the store.”When the victim didn’t oblige, the pair allegedly assaulted him and stole a necklace from him.”The pair took off on their bikes before police were called.“Police have used CCTV cameras in the area to quickly track their movements and we established they were still in the…

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says claims from former police commissioner Andrew Coster that he knew more than previously admitted about allegations made against Jevon McSkimming are “complete and utter nonsense”.Mitchell said he was first informed of misconduct allegations regarding the disgraced former deputy police commissioner last November.In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A with Jack Tame which aired on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they had publicly admitted, including then minister of police Chris Hipkins in 2022, and later Mitchell.He said Mitchell’s assertion he had been informed of misconduct allegations on November 6, 2024, during Coster’s…

A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a shooting in the Auckland suburb of Papakura left another man critically injured over the weekend.Emergency services were called after a man was shot on Maadi Pl at around 2.30am on Saturday. He was rushed to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition and is now described as serious but stable.Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor said a man was arrested on Sunday and would appear in the Papakura District Court today.”The 20-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to grievous bodily harm,” he said.”Police believe the victim and the…

Credit card reward schemes are predicted to continue to become less generous, as the Commerce Commission clamps down on card fees.Since December 1, domestic Visa and Mastercard payments have been subject to new caps on interchange fees, which are paid to the card issuer for each credit or debit card transaction processed. Caps for foreign-issued cards come in next May.It is the second stage of changes to the rules for these fees. The first step, in 2022, led to a reduction in credit card rewards schemes and this latest move is already having similar effects.BNZ said it had reviewed its…

Published on 08/12/2025 – 10:04 GMT+1 •Updated 10:07 Dictators are testing the borders of Europe and must be confronted by democratic forces across the European Union, the exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with Euronews’ flagship morning show Europe Today. From Moscow to Minsk, authoritarian leaders pose a threat to the European security architecture and should be met with resistance, she warned, adding that Ukraine is the main stage of global conflict, but could go beyond if the country ends up with a bad deal. “For us, this goes well beyond Ukraine. This is…