Author: Press Room

New Zealand is extending its military assistance in support of Ukraine’s self-defence until December 2026.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made the announcement early this morning (NZT) from London.”New Zealand is unwavering in its support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion,” he said.”That is why we are extending our deployment of up to 100 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to train Ukrainian soldiers in the UK and throughout Europe, and provide intelligence, liaison and logistics support through to December 2026.”Luxon said the announcement signalled New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine in the fact of Russia’s aggression. It brings the total…

Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has been announced as Yale University’s 2025 Class Day speaker.In a statement, the US Ivy League University said Dame Jacinda was widely praised for her inclusive and empathetic approach to leadership during her term as New Zealand prime minister from 2017 to 2023.Ardern championed women’s empowerment and led the country in navigating significant challenges, including the 2019 Christchurch terror attack, a volcanic eruption, and a global pandemic, the Yale statement said.”With a people-first approach grounded in kindness, she helped New Zealand achieve one of the lowest losses of life during the pandemic among developed…

One Lotto player is unknowingly half a million dollars richer, with the prize from a winning First Division ticket still unclaimed nearly four months after it was purchased. The winning $500,000 First Division ticket was bought at Fresh Choice in Pāpāmoa in Bay of Plenty for the New Year’s Day draw on Wednesday, January 1. Two lucky players shared the $1 million jackpot in the draw. The other winning ticket was sold at Mirrabooka Superette in Auckland, and this prize has been claimed.Lotto corporate communications head Will Hine urged any players who bought a ticket at the Bay of Plenty…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ  Tauranga man Scott Koster says it’s “tone deaf” for Air New Zealand to be showing off its new uniforms at the same time that many travellers are facing particularly high airfares. He has been trying to fly his daughter back to university in Wellington and said it was currently cheaper for her to take a bus to Auckland, an Uber to the airport and then fly Jetstar to Wellington than it was to fly on Air New Zealand from Tauranga to Wellington. “I work for a non-profit and like a lot of Kiwis right now…

A Tauranga man says it’s “tone deaf” for Air New Zealand to be showing off its new uniforms at the same time that many travellers are facing particularly high airfares.Scott Koster has been trying to fly his daughter back to university in Wellington and said it was currently cheaper for her to take a bus to Auckland, an Uber to the airport and then fly Jetstar to Wellington than it was to fly on Air NZ from Tauranga to Wellington.”I work for a non-profit and like a lot of Kiwis right now there’s not a lot of discretionary money. But…

After one of Wanaka’s busiest Easter weekends, councillors and businesses are calling for a change to “archaic” and out-of-touch Easter trading legislation limiting the offering in the tourist town. Wanaka stores are exempt from closing on Easter Sunday, but Good Friday is still off-limits and alcohol restrictions are in place for all bars and restaurants. Queenstown Lakes district deputy mayor Quentin Smith yesterday called the bylaws “archaic” and said he did not see any reason for closures to be in place during this time. “Easter’s one of the busiest weekends of the year in Wānaka and so it does impact…

ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis died aged 88 on Monday morningat around 7:30 am, delivering both grief and shock to his followers around the world.Euronews intercepted journalist Loretta Bondi, who was walking around the Borgo Pio neighbourhood in those very minutes, as she does every morning, and witnessed live the reactions to the news from those who lived a stone’s throw from the Vatican.Her testimony is in the video above. The Vatican has announced that the pope’s body will be moved to St Peter’s basilica on Wednesday.

ADVERTISEMENTPope Francis implemented significant reforms to increase transparency and accountability within the Vatican. He also consistently highlighted the plight of migrants and refugees. Here are five events that defined his papacy.Preference for the poorPublication of Evangelii Gaudium, November 2013In his first work of guidance, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis called for a renewed missionary spirit in the Church and emphasised the need to serve the poor and marginalised.Action on climate changeEncyclircal Laudato Si’ on the environment, June 2015Pope Francis released Laudato Si’, an encyclical addressing environmental issues and climate change, urging global action to protect “our common home”.Death…

ADVERTISEMENTFollowing the impact of bird flu on the US egg industry, the global price of eggs has become a focal point for consumers, especially online. The average price of eggs in the EU rose by 6.7% in March 2025 compared to March 2024, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. The Czech Republic experienced the highest annual inflation rate for eggs at 46.0%, followed by Slovakia at 29.8% and Hungary at 26.1%. In contrast, the Netherlands experienced the largest decrease in egg prices, with a drop of 3.6%, followed by Luxembourg at 3.2% and Greece, where prices fell by 2.0%.So far…

ADVERTISEMENTA bag from a high end European fashion house such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton or Prada is a pricey purchase, which can cost hundreds of thousands of euros.While many luxury European brands promise their goods are produced in Europe — which for many shoppers acts as a quality guarantee — TikTokers claiming to be Chinese manufacturers say they are the ones who really make luxury brands’ goods. So, what’s really going on and are luxury fashion houses actively concealing the truth?What do these videos claim and who is posting them?Tens of thousands of TikToks have been posted under the viral…