Author: Press Room

One person has died and another is in a stable condition in hospital following a house fire near Wellington early this morning. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesperson told 1News crews arrived at a property on Lanyon Pl in Whitby, Porirua at around 2.20am.Five fire trucks and two specialist vehicles were sent to the property, and more firefighters were called to the scene shortly after arrival. A police spokesperson confirmed one person had died, while another person was in a stable condition in hospital.”A dog also died in the fire.”One person and a dog have died in the…

The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down its judgement of a long-running legal dispute involving a former high-profile footballer. ADVERTISEMENTA set of existing FIFA rules on player transfers conflict with European Union legislation regarding competition and freedom of movement, the bloc’s top court said on Friday.The European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) judgement concerns a case involving former France international Lassana Diarra, who legally challenged FIFA rules following a dispute with Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow dating back a decade ago.Diarra argued that FIFA’s restrictions meant he was unable to find a new club once his four-year contract with Lokomotiv…

It is the last day for Winstone Pulp International after operating for 45 years in the Ruapehu District, providing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars for the local economy.For many of the mill’s workers, the place was more than just a job, they have spent years there — building lifelong friendships and communities, and growing their skills in the industry.As worker Zach Ryan headed into his final shift at the mill, he told RNZ that he first walked in the doors 14 years ago, fresh out of high school.”I’ve done my apprenticeship here and learned a lot of good…

Baku Climate Action Week highlighted the need for cleaner natural gas as NGOs push for reduced methane emissions from oil companies before COP29. ADVERTISEMENTAcademics and businesses discussed the need to clean up natural gas at the Baku Climate Action Week summit, held in the Azerbaijan capital ahead of COP29. NGOs are calling on oil and gas companies to limit methane emissions and for countries to require importers to commit to do so.Methane is one of the largest contributors to global warming and contributes to air pollution around the world.A non-for-profit focused on climate change says it is independently gathering data…

Three people have been injured, one seriously, after a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 7 Lewis Pass.Motorists are being asked to avoid the area and expect delays following the crash at around 7.30am this morning.”One person has received serious injuries, and two people have received moderate injuries,” a police spokesperson said. The New Zealand Transport Agency said State Highway 7 between Springs Junction and south of Magdalen Valley Rd was closed due to the crash, and advised road users to delay their journey or consider an alternate route. Motorists were also asked to take care on the roads due to…

Gail Maney says she is ready to fight for compensation after she was acquitted of murder yesterday, having spent 15 years in prison. Maney and co-defendant Stephen Stone were convicted for the murder of 21-year-old Auckland man Deane Fuller-Sandys in 1999 and at a retrial in 2000. Stone was also convicted of raping and murdering sex worker Leah Stephens, who the Crown said witnessed the Fuller-Sandys killing.  Maney’s brother Colin Maney and Mark Henriksen were convicted as accessories to Fuller-Sandys’ murder.Deane Fuller-Sandys. (Source: TVNZ)Yesterday, at the Court of Appeal in Wellington, the Crown admitted a miscarriage of justice had occurred…

The controversial system allowing foreigners to effectively buy EU citizenship has raised security concerns – but a legal opinion issued Friday may offer a reprieve. ADVERTISEMENTMalta’s controversial golden passport scheme, allowing foreigners to purchase EU citizenship in exchange for investing upwards of €690,000, could be offered a legal reprieve following an opinion produced for the EU’s top court on Friday (4 October).  Granting citizenship is a power EU member states kept for themselves, said the non-binding report by Advocate General Anthony Collins, brushing aside European Commission concerns of undermining the EU’s integrity.  “Member States have decided that it is for…

A 19-year-old man was arrested in August after an “SMS Blaster” was discovered operating in New Zealand for the first time, sending thousands of alleged scam messages to unsuspecting victims.The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) was alerted to the scam in late July, when “irregularities” were found between information received through its public reporting system and its banking and mobile network early warning systems.Soon after, the DIA and police — supported by other government organisations, the banking and mobile phone sectors, and the Australian Federal Police — launched an investigation dubbed Operation Orca.On August 23, a search was carried out…

Seven pedestrian level crossings in Auckland are to be removed to improve safety ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL).Works on the removal of two in South Auckland at Wiri’s Homai Train Station on the Southern Line was currently underway, along with five more in other parts of the city.Auckland Transport programme director Kris Gibson said the removal was for operational and safety reasons.”When CRL goes live, the number of trains that will be run on the network progressively increases,” Gibson said.”More trains means the barrier arms are down longer, which means it has an operational impact…

Though many countries still believe a diplomatic solution to end the conflict is achievable, so far, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions have failed to bring about concrete results. ADVERTISEMENTThe increasingly worsening crisis in the Middle East has Europe and the world further polarised, experts warn, and a wider regional war could have massive implications for the EU and the continent at large.Prof Luigi Narbone, a former EU ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries, believes the bloc’s member states are paying the price for being too divided over the matter.The warning comes as G7 leaders called for de-escalation and a…