Author: Press Room
Political pressure is mounting on Belgium to lift its reservations and agree to a bold plan to issue an unprecedented reparations loan for Ukraine using the Russian frozen assets. The proposal would see a €140 billion loan issued as the main financing vehicle to fund Ukraine’s military and budget needs for the next two years. The idea is groundbreaking and support for it is intensifying after the European Commission and finance ministers praised its merits as the best option available. “My takeaway is that the Commission’s proposal is the best and most realistic option and should be treated as a…
ASB has allocated $1 billion to a land optimisation programme which is projected to add up to $4.5b to GDP over the next five years. In what has been described as a first for New Zealand, the bank’s Every Hectare Matters initiative will fund independent agri-consultants to develop optimisation options specific to farmers’ land, goals and succession needs. It will lend up to $5 million per customer, with wraparound advisory support over five years to help bring their new model to life. The greatest opportunity is cited within sheep, beef and Māori land. ASB general manager rural Aidan Gent described…
Customs has arrested five people in just over a week while seizing 51kg of methamphetamine at Auckland Airport.The drugs have a total street value of approximately $15.2 million.In the first incident on November 2, three United States nationals aged between 31 and 48 arrived on a flight from Los Angeles.A baggage search of suitcases belonging to one of the passengers uncovered nearly 30kg of methamphetamine in 11 vacuum-sealed packages, with a street value of $8.9 million.The trio were arrested for their roles in the smuggling attempt.A week later, a 69-year-old French national travelling from South Africa was arrested after Customs…
By Euronews Published on 13/11/2025 – 17:00 GMT+1 Italy’s Chamber of Deputies Justice Commission has approved an amendment to the sexual violence bill to include mandatory consent, in a shift from previous law that focused on physical coercion or threats. The amendment, presented by Michela Di Biase of the Democratic Party (PD) and Carolina Varchi of Brothers of Italy (FdI), was backed directly by party leaders Elly Schlein and Giorgia Meloni following contacts in recent days, according to parliamentary sources. “This is an important step forward for the Italian penal code,” Di Biase said during commission proceedings. “This new text represents…
A multimillion-dollar feat of engineering, custom-built in Dunedin, will soon be sitting atop a Sydney high-rise. The 60-tonne retractable access machine is being manufactured by Farra Engineering for a world-class hotel in Sydney. Managing director Gareth Evans said the “complex and bespoke piece of machinery”, fully designed and manufactured in Dunedin, was expected to be disassembled and shipped by mid-January. This type of access machine, a building maintenance unit (BMU), was used to clean windows and perform facade maintenance. It featured a suspended cage for operators and an integrated material hoist, Mr Evans said. “This BMU will be one of…
Space weather forecasters have issued an alert for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colourful northern lights and disrupt equipment, including electricity transmission lines in the South Island.In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that could reach Earth overnight. The potential severe geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.In New Zealand, Transpower issued a grid emergency notice this afternoon as it removed some South Island electricity transmission lines from service due to the possible storms.”Removing the…
Brussels has, once again, voiced harsh opposition to attempts to revive a European Super League. “The Super League was, is and will continue to be a mistake. This is not a good idea,” EU Culture and Sport Commissioner Glenn Micallef told Euronews in an exclusive interview. The Super League was a brainchild of top clubs from England, Spain and Italy to establish their own competition and break away from UEFA, Europe’s professional football governing body. The concept was to have some of the richest clubs compete permanently, ostensibly allowing the participating clubs to earn more income, like in the United…
Rainbow sand from Educational Colours and coloured sand from Creatistics have been recalled because Tremolite — a naturally occurring asbestos in quartz — has been found in samples during lab testing.The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said people need to stop using the products immediately.”We are taking immediate precautionary action, while we establish the extent and risk of the potentially contaminated product,” said Ian Caplin, MBIE product safety spokesperson.”We urge anyone who has bought these products, either for personal use or potential use in a workplace to act immediately. Creatistics – Coloured Sand (Source: Supplied)”Stop using the sand,…
European lawmakers backed on Thursday a proposal to slash due diligence requirements for business operators under the European Union’s anti-deforestation law, after pressure from industry groups and countries outside Europe claimed the law was too burdensome. The ballot followed the European Commission’s announcement last month of an IT glitch that effectively delayed the law’s implementation until the end of 2026, the second delay, as the law was initially due to take effect from 30 December 2024. However, tensions among economic operators, including the United States and Brazil, have led EU governments to rethink the law last year and delay its…
A Facebook post in 2018. A LinkedIn one in 2023. 105 in 2024. Complaints against Jevon McSkimming surfaced for years but were never properly investigated. 1News traces the timeline of how police failed to act on allegations against one of their own, based on an explosive IPCA report.2016Jevon McSkimming, then a superintendent, began a relationship with Ms Z through a sporting club where he was a coach. Ms Z was 21. McSkimming was 40 and married.While not her coach, the relationship “developed” at a February 2016 competition, changing from a platonic to a sexual relationship around a month or two…