Author: Press Room
Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s. ADVERTISEMENTGlobal public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up…
One Aucklander will have another reason to celebrate this Christmas after winning $5.3 million with Lotto Powerball. The winning numbers were: 06, 13, 15, 18, 29, 31, Bonus Ball 26, and Powerball 02.The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto.The prize is made up of $5 million from Powerball First Division and $333,333 from Lotto First Division.Meanwhile, two Lotto players have won $333,333 with Lotto First Division. The winning tickets were sold at Ōpōtiki Pharmacy in Ōpōtiki and on MyLotto to a player from Tauranga.Strike Four has rolled over and will be $500,000 on Saturday’s draw.
Britain’s King Charles III has delivered his annual Christmas message from a former hospital chapel.New Zealand is the first country in the Commonwealth to broadcast King Charles’ message.King Charles singled out and thanked the medical profession for its dedication and service.In a break from tradition, the King, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, spoke from a former hospital chapel, rather than from one of the royal residences.He praised those who care for others and gave his own personal thanks in the six-minute address.”All of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our…
Christmas Day is all about family and in Christchurch, one Driving Miss Daisy driver was determined to make sure nobody missed out on Christmas dinner with their whānau.One group of passengers Anne Williams ferried across the city in time for lunch were five women using wheelchairs. “I have done this for the last two or three Xmas days and it’s fun… they get out to see their families. Normally, their families would have to come to them,” Williams told 1News. Another set of passengers was 89-year-old Lindsay Green and his wife Marie.”Anne knows we appreciate her looking after us,” he…
New Zealand Defence Force personnel have sent Christmas messages as they spend the holidays far away from their loved ones. From as far flung as Egypt and South Sudan to South Korea and Antarctica, active duty NZDF troops are spending the day without their whānau – some for the first time.”Yeah, it is actually my first Christmas away from the family,” Major Matthew Horn, who’s stationed in South Sudan, told 1News.There are currently 140 NZDF personnel spread across the world on 12 different missions.For the team at Scott’s Base, Christmas décor is fuelling the festive spirit.”We’ve decorated our bar and…
Euroverify breaks down what we know about the carbon footprint of the centrepiece of Christmas decorations. ADVERTISEMENTIt’s a big dilemma at Christmas: is a real or artificial Christmas tree better for the environment?It seems there’s not one clear answer and many elements to factor in when making the decision.Experts also say that comparing the relative carbon footprint of the real and artificial options could simply be the wrong question to consider and that we should contemplate whether having a tree is necessary, given the toll on the environment.Let’s first break down what we know about the real option.An estimated 60…
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is alerting swimmers to look out for great white sharks after sightings in the Kawhia harbour in Waikato over recent weeks.A video posted on a Kawhia community Facebook page showed what appeared to be a great white approaching a fishing boat.”Two great whites were seen in the harbour yesterday by our local kids swimming quite close to the wharf,” the post read. “Thought I better post before everyone lets their tamariki go swimming.”DOC has issued a warning on its social media page, urging people to avoid swimming in areas where sharks have recently been seen.”If…
Mariah Carey thought she was too young to record a Christmas album.The 55-year-old singer is celebrating 30 years since she released her Merry Christmas LP and its most famous track, All I Want For Christmas Is You, but she admitted she was very hesitant about the project when it was first suggested.She recently told Best magazine: “I remember that I really wasn’t sure about doing a Christmas album, even though the record company thought it would be a good idea.“I thought you did a Christmas album when you got older, not when you’re in your 20s, as I was at…
Christmas music is echoing through the halls of a Christchurch hospital thanks to some generous pianists.Almost every day, musicians have volunteered their time to play the piano in the foyer of Burwood Hospital to spread some cheer. “I think it’s great and it’s a beautiful atmosphere so you can hear the piano all over the hospital – literally,” one woman said. The instrument was given to the hospital by an anonymous donor.Volunteer Aynsley Ward, 89, said tapping on the keys “has been a lifesaver for me” since his wife’s death four years ago. “It’s something I could do, something I…
Denmark moves to boost Greenland’s defence capabilities after US President-elect Donald Trump doubles down on controversial remarks of US dire to control the arctic nation. ADVERTISEMENTThe Danish government has announced a major plan to bolster Greenland’s defence capacity just hours after US President-elect Donald Trump publicly repeated his desire to purchase the arctic country, home to just 56,000 people.Without giving specifics, the Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish media outlet Jyllands-Posten that Copenhagen would invest a “double digit billion amount in Danish krone to upgrade the country’s defences.The unspecified defence spending could amount to anywhere from €1.34 billion…