Author: Press Room

As the chances of another pandemic increase by the year, New Zealand should collaborate more closely with Australia to prepare, according to a Covid-19 modeller.Physicist Professor Shaun Hendy and his team at Te Pūnaha Matatini modelled Covid-19 scenarios for the Government during the height of infections. These models were instrumental in shaping decisions about lockdowns, border controls, and vaccination. In his new book, A Covid Response, Hendy said climate change, industrial agriculture, and the displacement of natural habitats “seem to be increasing our exposure rate to novel viruses by about 5% each year”. While New Zealand was better prepared for…

A live sea snake found on a beach north of Auckland this morning may have been blown ashore by recent wild weather, the Department of Conservation says.A member of the public found the yellow-bellied sea snake near the sand dunes on the southern end of Omaha Beach on Sunday.DOC senior ranger Karl Fisher said they were alerted at around 10am by an email from the member of the public.”We have sent one of our rangers to check it out, but in the meantime, we want people and their dogs to stay away from the dunes at the southern end of…

ADVERTISEMENTRussia’s Federal Security Service said it’s detained a suspect in the killing of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, a top Russian military officer who died in a car blast on Friday, claiming the suspect is a Ukrainian operative. “He turned out to be an agent of the Ukrainian special services Ignat Kuzin, born in 1983, who has a residence permit in Ukraine,” the Investigative Committee’s spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said.”Investigators of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee are working with the suspect, the circumstances of the crime are being established, evidence is being collected,” she added.Moskalik was the deputy…

In an interview on Q+A with Jack Tame, former Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull said both New Zealand and Australia needed to do more to ensure their defence capabilities are “sovereign”, and not controlled by another country. “For countries like Australia and New Zealand, we are confronted with a United States with whom we shared the same values for 80 years now no longer sharing those values,” said Turnbull.He said Trump instead believes in the ethos of “might is right”, and that should be very concerning for smaller countries that rely on the rules-based international order. Turnbull cited the bullying…

One person has been transported to hospital with serious injuries after an alleged firearms incident in Auckland Central.Police said it was called to Fort Street after reports a firearm was discharged just before 4am.”Cordons are currently in place on Fort Street and Jean Batten Place while a scene examination is conducted.”Police said it is making inquiries following the incident.

Auckland FC have claimed the A-League Men premiership in their first season, while Melbourne City will lick their wounds and turn their focus to locking in second place after falling short.Second-placed City were held to a 0-0 draw by Adelaide United at AAMI Park on Saturday night,Saturday night’s draw also means City could yet let second place slip – and with it an Asian Champions League Elite berth and the first week of finals off – while Adelaide’s finals hopes are all but over.A victory at AAMI Park would have kept pressure on Auckland at the top.Instead, Steve Corica’s charges,…

The Lotto Powerball prize has grown to $5 million after no tickets won the jackpot evening.The winning numbers were: 02, 05, 11, 13, 23, 40, bonus ball 04, and Powerball 09.Strike Four has also rolled over to Wednesday’s draw.Lotto First Division will be $1 million and Strike Four will be $400,000 on Wednesday. Wednesday’s draw will have a combined prize pool of $6.4 million up for grabs.

ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis has addressed the subject of marginalised groups in many of his sermons. He was particularly concerned about migrants or prisoners, uncompromisingly calling for a change in society’s view of the situation of these people and their treatment by both the church and state governments, which often exposed him to attacks from individuals and structures committed to conservative values. He was also an important figure for the LGBTQ+ community.’Many reject those he embraced’Although Pope Francis did not change as much in the Catholic Church as quite a few people belonging to the LGBTQ+ minority would have expected, he was…

An investigation is underway into a fire at a vacant house which damaged a neighbouring property in Wairoa last night.Emergency services were called to a house fire on Apatu St about 7pm on Friday.”The house had been vacant for several years, and no injuries were reported,” Detective Inspector Marty James said.”The house suffered substantial damage, and a neighbouring property was also damaged by the fire.”Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand services carried out a scene examination today.The cause of the fire is being treated as unexplained. “Enquiries are ongoing, but at this stage we are satisfied the fire is…

ADVERTISEMENTAfter the funeral of Pope Francis in the presence of numerous world leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi.The conversation between the two lasted just under an hour. According to a note released by Palazzo Chigi, during the talks “the leaders reiterated their support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, capable of guaranteeing a future of security, sovereignty and freedom for Ukraine.””Meloni expressed, also on behalf of the government, her condolences for the victims of the recent Russian attacks, renewing her firm condemnation of such acts and…