Author: Press Room

ADVERTISEMENTJust hours before a meeting in Washington with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Rachel Reeves, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer – the finance minister – said that the UK’s trade relationship with the EU remained a higher priority than its economic ties with the United States.“I understand why there’s so much focus on our trading relationship with the US but actually our trading relationship with Europe is arguably even more important,” Reeves told reporters in Washington, adding: “Because they’re our nearest neighbours and trading partners.”US president Donald Trump imposed 10% tariffs on UK exports on “Liberation Day”, the day he…

For 23 years, they’ve been a sister act. Now Brydone Wholefoods co-owner and director Sue Smith is calling time on the business in the former Totara Hall, south of Oamaru, where her sister Cathy Watt has also worked since its inception. Mrs Smith said the business was closing at the end of May, although the premises would be leased and she was excited the building, built more than a century ago, would continue to have a life under new operators. Being able to work alongside her big sister was something that had been “really special”, Mrs Smith said, while Mrs…

Police are seeking photos of a Russian stuntman who went missing in New Zealand almost 23 years ago.Before vanishing, the man had worked on the locally produced hit series Xena: Warrior Princess.No it is hoped images may help identify partial remains that were located at Motuere earlier this year, police said.Artour Melikov was 36-years-old when he was reported as missing on September 10, 2002. At the time, Tūrangi Police located his vehicle at Jellicoe Reserve, 400 metres north of Bulli Point at Lake Taupō.”The car key was left inside the vehicle, along with Artour’s throwing knives, clothing, passport and other…

ADVERTISEMENT”Crimea will stay with Russia,” US President Donald Trump has said in his latest interview published Friday, in the latest example of the US leader pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to end Russia’s war, now in its fourth year.”Zelenskyy understands that,” Trump said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “and everybody understands that it’s been with (Russia) for a long time.”Trump made the comments to Time magazine conducted on Tuesday but published on Friday.Earlier this week, Trump accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by resisting negotiations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.Crimea is a strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in…

Adelynn Campbell’s last plane trip ended with a panic attack that she got through largely with the help of a kind flight attendant.That was last year — before 67 people died in January when an American Airlines jet collided with a helicopter over Washington, DC, in the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century.Now, Campbell is even more hesitant to book a flight.“It’s definitely spiked my concern about getting on a plane and it’s making the whole situation a little more stressful than it used to be,” said Campbell, 30, who manages a coffee shop in San Diego.Being…

ADVERTISEMENTAs Bulgaria progresses on its path to join the eurozone by 2026, false information has been skewing the national conservation around the adoption of the euro.The pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party, also known as Revival, has been one of the key actors spreading disinformation about the eurozone. In February its members attempted to storm the headquarters of the European Union’s mission in Sofia, as part of a protest against the eurozone. In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen labelled the attack “outrageous.”Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, but its target date for joining the eurozone has been pushed back…

Wreaths have been laid and solemn oaths recited as thousands of Kiwis gathered to commemorate veterans at dawn services and commemoration parades across the country.Today marks the 110th anniversary of Australian and New Zealand soldiers landing before dawn on Turkish shores on April 25, 1915 alongside British, French and Indian troops.Around 2770 New Zealanders died during the eight-month campaign on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Türkiye, about a fifth of those who fought there.Anzac Day is also unique time in New Zealand when most businesses are required to close their doors for half of the day.It marks the 110th anniversary of…

ADVERTISEMENTLondon, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Oslo are the five European cities in the top 10 of the world’s most dynamic and liveable cities, according to the IESE Cities in Motion (CIMI) index.  The 2025 CIMI ranking assessed 183 cities across 92 countries based on nine key criteria: human capital, social cohesion, economy, governance, environment, mobility and transportation, urban planning, international profile and technology. For the third year in a row, London continues to lead its regional and global position in the ranking, standing out in areas such as human capital, governance, urban planning and international profile. The UK capital stands out because of…

One person has died after a car crash in the south Auckland suburb of Clevedon yesterday. In a statement, police said a vehicle left the road and entered a creek on Papakura-Clevedon Rd shortly before 7pm yesterday. “Sadly, one person died at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. The Serious Crash Unit has examined the scene, and inquiries into the circumstances of the crash remain ongoing.

ADVERTISEMENTA cross-party group of members of the European Parliament has penned a joint letter urging Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to take “all necessary measures” to block new sales of Greek-owned vessels to Russia, warning these transactions are helping the Kremlin sustain its shadow fleet and bypass the G7 price cap on oil.The MEPs also demand further measures to curb ship-to-ship transfers, a technique used to conceal the provenance of the merchandise, and to discourage Greek companies from transporting Russian oil.The letter was endorsed by 36 lawmakers from different countries and political parties and sent to the prime minister’s office…