Author: Press Room

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ New Zealand’s economy suffered the biggest hit in the world in 2024, HSBC says, but there are signs that conditions are starting to improve. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham made headlines in 2014 when he described New Zealand as a “rockstar economy”. He said in an update on Friday that was far from the case at present. “Interest rate increases in response to post-pandemic inflation had pushed the country in to a recession and unemployment increased sharply. Across the developed world, HSBC’s estimates suggest New Zealand’s economy had the largest contraction in GDP in 2024.”…

A Lower Hutt man claims he is the one who has been randomly delivering racy fiction to mailboxes in the harbourside community of Eastbourne.Titles such as Shirlee Busbee’s Midnight Masquerade and Barbara Benedict’s Lovestorm had been appearing in mailboxes, leaving the community all a flutter over who was behind the spicy deliveries.Richard Dalziel, 59, says he’d been working to clear out a space in the home of a family friend and had come across “three to four apple boxes” worth of the colourfully titled books.He said he often fished in the bays around Eastbourne and had been having fun popping…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Government ministers were told that the state of the Māori nation was at the “highest level of concern” during whaikōrero at Rātana Pā.Kiingitanga representative Rahui Papa made the comment in his closing remarks as the final speaker on the haukāinga side.“We keenly listened, Prime Minister, to the State of the Nation speeches that were held over the last couple of days. Well, I’m here to tell you that the state of the Māori nation is at the highest level of concern that it has been for a whole lot of years.”Kiingitanga representative Rahui Papa…

Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, a Spanish socialist MEP and former chairman of the civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE) commitee, told Euronews about the consequences for Europe of US president Donald Trump’s crackdown on migration. ADVERTISEMENTHow should the EU deal with the impact of Donald Trump’s migration policy? Today Radio Schuman answers the question together with Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, a Spanish socialist MEP with experience on EU migration policies.The International Centre for Migration Policy Development has said there will be a surge of migrants from South America to Spain as a result of Trump’s policies.But though Aguilar thinks…

A major Auckland motorway was blocked for a period this afternoon as armed police arrested a man for allegedly making threatening comments on social media.Police said a vehicle of interest was found travelling on State Highway 20B and stopped by officers who were armed as a precaution. Both occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without incident.”A man is being spoken to by police in relation to non-specific threatening comments made on social media earlier today,” a police spokesperson said.Charges were being considered, they added.”Police acknowledge motorists’ cooperation, as a lane was briefly blocked to allow our staff to…

Italy’s interior minister says he expelled Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court because he posed a danger to society. ADVERTISEMENTItaly repatriated a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to security concerns.Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi made the comments to lawmakers during a Senate session on Thursday, in the government’s first remarks on its decision to expel instead of hand the warlord over to face charges.Ossama Anjiem – also known as Ossama al-Masri – was flown back on an Italian government plane back to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, where he received a hero’s welcome. He…

Christopher Luxon says Auckland Council should open up Eden Park to unlimited concerts.”Kiwis spend thousands flying across the Tasman to see massive concerts, go out to bars and restaurants, and boost the Australian economy when, back home, Eden Park sits empty because of council event rules,” the Prime Minister said in a state of the nation address today to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.”Now in fairness, the council has increased the limit, but I think they should seriously consider abolishing it completely.”There’s always a reason to say no, but if we keep saying no, we’ll keep going nowhere.”We need larger…

Poland says it acquired a rare manuscript of a ballad by Frédéric Chopin from private owners after confidential and lengthy negotiations. ADVERTISEMENTThe manuscript for Ballade No. 4 in F minor is now being displayed at the Chopin Museum in the Polish capital, Warsaw.Warsaw’s Frederic Chopin National Institute has bought the four-paged manuscript using state funds but said the price could not be disclosed due to a clause in the contract.The manuscript was in the possession of private owners, who handed it over to Polish hands after a deal was finalised last year following what was described as lengthy and confidential…

More than 100 lambs have been killed by three roaming dogs, and more injured, in two separate incidents at a regional working farm in south Auckland.Warning: An image in this story may be upsettingThe attacks occurred on two days — on January 16 and January 19 — at Puhinui Reserve in Manukau.A total of 142 lambs were killed and another 86 were injured in the two attacks.Council’s regional parks farming business manager, Mozz Trueman, in a statement, said the incident was “grisly”.The council-run sheep and cattle farm is open to the public and has walking tracks.Staff took swift action to…

Police have opened an investigation into the use of its intelligence database to access documentation in relation to the death of police officer Lyn Fleming.The use of the National Intelligence Application was governed by strict rules.Police said the rules were in place to “protect privacy” and “prevent the disclosure of sensitive information”.”A process is now underway to determine the rationale for and legitimacy of each of those checks.”Unauthorised use of NIA will not be tolerated and final decisions on any sanctions for staff will be decided by a dedicated team.”Last week, Fleming was farewelled in Nelson by family and colleagues.…