Author: Press Room

By Russell Palmer of RNZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has talked up economic growth in his big scene-setting State of the Nation speech this year. However, four economists – two on the left and two on the right – are critical of several aspects of the strategy so far. They largely agree a tourism focus will not lead to long-term prosperity, and say the devil will be in the detail when it comes to science reforms. A new foreign investment agency might help, if done right – but the effect may be limited, and could risk making things worse. On the…

Some charter schools say they are turning students away before they have even opened.Seven of the publicly funded, privately owned schools are scheduled to open their doors over the next two weeks.Tipene is a boarding school opening on the site of the former St Stephen’s School, in Auckland’s Bombay, on Waitangi Day.One of its two tumuaki, Nathan Durie, said it was the first Māori boarding school to open in 100 years and it had received four times as many applications as places for its first intake.”We ended up with just over 120 applications so we re-approached the trust board to…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Last year was a tough one for the labour market, as unemployment rose and wage increases slowed. But the impact was not spread evenly, and some sectors did much better than others when it comes to what they were paid. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen looked at recent data to determine where the biggest and smallest increases were in 2024. He said healthcare and social assistance was at the top of the increases, with their pay up 7.9% in 2024. “Higher pay rates for the broader health workforce show through in the numbers. Education was…

The township of Mangawhai has been described as looking like a war zone, with houses destroyed, roofs torn off, debris scattered across the roads, power poles ripped off the base, and trees snapped like twigs after a tornado hit Northland yesterday.Two people were taken to hospital in a serious condition. One was flown to Auckland Hospital by helicopter and the other was taken to North Shore Hospital.Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson said at least four homes were destroyed.But he said the numbers displaced will be much higher.”There’s a whole heap of them that have temporary tarpaulins on their roofs, missing…

One person was taken to hospital in a critical condition yesterday evening after a tree fell on a campervan in Canterbury. Police were called to the incident on Balmoral Station Road in Balmoral at 7.20pm yesterday. A FENZ spokesperson said two units spent a “considerable amount of time” at the scene while they used a digger to lift the tree off the campervan. “The person was safely removed just before 10pm.”Hato Hone St John said it responded with one first-response unit, two rapid-response units, one ambulance, and one manager.”Our crews assessed and treated one patient who was transported to Christchurch…

The protests took place while AfD was opening its election campaign in the central city of Halle on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENTThousands of people across major cities in Germany on Saturday protested the rise of the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of a 23 February general election.In one of the protests at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the German capital, participants lit up their phones, blew whistles, and sang anti-fascist songs.Some activists, including the group calling itself Fridays for Future, dubbed the Berlin rally the “sea of light against the right turn.” In Cologne, protesters carried banners denouncing…

The Justice Committee chair says the Treaty Principles Bill select committee process is “unusual, but still business as usual.”National MP James Meager also acknowledged it was “just not practical” to be able to listen to everyone who wanted to make an oral submission, despite receiving thousands of requests.Oral hearings began on Monday, with the committee set to listen to 80 hours of submissions in total after the Bill received an unprecedented number of written submissions.David Seymour – who is in charge of the Bill – would be the first to make an oral submission this morning, in addition to the…

Thousands took to the streets of Brussels on Sunday demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as sanctions against Israel by both the Belgian government and European Union. ADVERTISEMENTThousands marched on the streets of Brussels on Sunday, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and urging both the Belgian government and the European Union (EU) to sanction Israel.Protesters demanded the protection of the Palestinian population, the release of politically detained individuals, and access to international aid for those in Gaza currently facing a humanitarian emergency. Organisers on social media also urged the Belgian government to impose a comprehensive international military…

Growers on the east coast have successfully grown a new variety of melon better-suited to New Zealand’s climate.Melon growers at Gisborne-based food producer LeaderBrand have been busy taste-testing their latest melon variety.They’ve never been mass-grown in the country before and are so new, they don’t even have an official name. Anyone wanting to have a taste for themselves will get the chance soon, with the melons hitting supermarket shelves in the coming weeks.LeaderBrand head melon grower Andrew Rosso told 1News the melon is something most Kiwis haven’t had before. “It’s really nice and it’s not as musky as the rock…

World leaders will be attending the ceremony at Auschwitz on Monday including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s King Charles III. ADVERTISEMENTOn Sunday, hundreds gathered at the Auschwitz Memorial in Wertheimpark, Amsterdam, to honor the victims of the Holocaust on its 80th anniversary. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof joined the solemn event, standing alongside survivors and members of the public.Jacques Grishaver, representing the Dutch Auschwitz Committee, spoke about the enduring pain of the Holocaust and the responsibility it places on humanity. “The pain has not gone away,” he said. “But it has always given me the…