Author: Press Room

The bloc’s warning comes amid signs Israel is ramping up its offensive with a land incursion into Lebanon. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Union’s foreign ministers have called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Hezbollah and Israel amid reports Israel has launched small raids into Lebanon ahead of an imminent ground invasion.”The sovereignty of both Israel and Lebanon has to be guaranteed and any further military intervention would dramatically aggravate the situation and has to be avoided,” the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a statement following emergency talks between the bloc’s foreign ministers.”We are very much concerned about the risk of this…

Charities could be forced to turn away desperate Australians as they face an unprecedented surge in demand for essential non-food items.About eight in 10 charities across Australia say demand for essential non-food products has exploded, according to a report from charity distributor Good360.The survey of more than 500 Australian charities and disadvantaged schools revealed 84 per cent expect the cost-of-living crisis to supercharge demand for these items in the coming year, with personal hygiene products, clothing and educational supplies topping the list.Struggling double-income earners are increasingly seeking help from charities. (HANDOUT/OZHARVEST)Eastern Hills Community Pantry handed out $900,000 worth of items…

Key points: Legislation re-introducing charter schools passed its final reading in Parliament last week. ACT leader and Associate Education Minister David Seymour says New Zealand could operate more like England’s “academy” school system. New Zealand Education Institute’s Mark Potter says charter schools do not provide the improvements that they promised. The president of the country’s largest teaching union says David Seymour’s lofty ambitions for charter schools in New Zealand would be an expensive “experiment”, saying there is no evidence to suggest the alternative schooling model can deliver on promised outcomes. Legislation re-introducing charter schools in New Zealand passed its third…

A number of firefighters worked to extinguish a house fire on Auckland’s North Shore that broke out early this morning. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told 1News fire crews responded to multiple calls about a house fire on Beach Rd in Castor Bay shortly before 2.30am. They said seven trucks and 34 firefighters were working on extinguishing the blaze, which was contained to the one-storey property. There were no people in the house at the time.

An EU veteran with an established relationship with Donald Trump, ex-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is well-placed to tackle NATO’s challenges, defence experts have told Euronews. ADVERTISEMENTAs Mark Rutte takes the reins at NATO, the defence pact is confronting challenges new and old – but is the former Dutch Prime Minister well-placed to meet them?  The 57-year-old, one of Europe’s longest-serving democratic leaders, will have to face up to a belligerent Russia, fractious EU relations, and the potentially existential threat from a Donald Trump White House, defence experts have told Euronews.Rutte, a history graduate, has since 2010 presided over four…

Several Kiwi families say they are okay with their children bunking school to go on holiday early because flights are cheaper.On Thursday – one day before the holidays began – dozens of travellers at Auckland International Airport told First Up they were checking in early for flights to the Pacific Islands, United States and Australia.One woman heading to Rarotonga said she would have to pay at least $500 more if she travelled after school holidays started.Another whānau said their children were skipping two days of school so they could save $2000 on airfares.Meanwhile last week, Associate Education Minister David Seymour…

The designer behind this year’s World of Wearable Arts (WOW) Supreme Award-winning garment says she was inspired to create the piece after seeing an abundance of “high vis” during a trip to the South Island. US-based designer Grace DuVal took out the coveted award with her garment Curves Ahead — a piece made from reflective construction signs with a striking road-cone headpiece. DuVal told Breakfast she had been working on the winning piece for seven years, and seeing it brought to life on the stage at the annual Wellington event “just means everything to me”. “I’ve been entering WOW on…

Key points: Health Minister Dr Shane Reti defended the Government’s announcement that it would seek advice on two options for delivering the new hospital project after a cost blowout. Over the weekend, 35,000 people across the region protested the move. Reti said the Government had invested a further $290 million into the project. He said the original budget failed to account for several costs, which would have made the build too expensive.Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has defended the Government’s decision to potentially downgrade Dunedin’s proposed new hospital after 35,000 people showed up across the region to protest the controversial…

Over 6000 people performed Aotearoa’s best-known haka over the weekend, bringing back home the record for the world’s largest haka, which was previously held in France. A total of 6531 people performed Ka Mate at Eden Park on Sunday night, surpassing the previous record which was set in France in 2014 (4028 people).Among those attending the event were American TV host Conan O’Brien, director Taika Waititi and boxer David Tua. O’Brien, on his first visit to New Zealand, told RNZ: “We got here yesterday, heard about all this, we were invited, and thought, ‘yes!'”To see this many people come together…

Officials told New Zealand First minister Casey Costello that Philip Morris would be the biggest winner from tax cuts for Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs), which they said were toxic and more harmful than vaping.Despite a long list of problems Treasury identified with the proposal, Costello claimed she had got her own “independent” advice to the contrary and went ahead with a 50% excise tax cut for HTPs, at a cost of up to $216 million.Associate Health Minister Costello has been criticised by public health experts, who last week said the excise tax cut amounted to an untested, radical experiment.When the…