Author: Press Room
By Carolina Cardoso & Damaso Jaivenois Published on 29/08/2025 – 13:37 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT Dangerously hight traffic noise levels are putting nearly 112 million people at risk of serious long-term health issues, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) report. Road traffic is the main source of noise pollution, affecting about 92 million people across the EU. By comparison, railway noise affects 18 million people, and air traffic impacts about 2.6 million. France has the highest number of people exposed to transport noise above the EU’s safety limit, with 24 million affected. Nearly 90% of this is caused by road traffic. At night,…
MetService said settled conditions are set to “rapidly deteriorate” from today, warning of impending “heavy, persistent and thundery” weather across the country. The forecaster said strong winds, thunderstorms and rain had already hit the South Island, with gusts of 116km/h recorded at Mount Cook Airport, 112km/h at Roxburgh Airport and 98km/h in Wallacetown this morning. A band of rain with blustery northerly winds would also move onto the North Island. ‘Nasty, gnarly weather’ – watch Daniel Corbett on TVNZ+”Additionally, there is a chance of thunderstorms with heavy rain and small hail for Taranaki this evening. “Furthermore, the chance of thunderstorms…
ADVERTISEMENT When the 27 foreign affairs ministers of the European Union meet in Copenhagen on Saturday, they will face one burning question: What do we sanction next? Russia’s relentless campaign of killing and terrorising Ukrainian civilians, which this week severely damaged the EU delegation in Kyiv, has hardened the resolve to tighten the screws on Moscow’s war economy and force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. “The discussions are ongoing, and as you know, we always put a lot of things on the table. And then eventually we have to agree,” High Representative Kaja Kallas said on Friday upon arrival…
Disruptions are expected amid “substantial works” to resurface and rebuild parts of Transmission Gully this summer. Mark Owen, NZTA regional manager Lower North Island/Top of the South, said the agency was working with Ventia – the maintenance contractor for the section of State Highway 1 – on resurfacing, drainage, and rebuild works over the summer maintenance period between October and March. The cost of the work “is still to be quantified,” Owen said. The planned works come just three-and-a-half years after the $1.25 billion stretch of road opened to the public.“Substantial works are planned and are part of remaining work…
A Wellington woman who ran over her mother while drunk at the wheel after a tangi in Lower Hutt has avoided prison, and has instead been sentenced to 11 months’ home detention.Tepaea Awatere, 25, pleaded guilty in June to reckless driving causing the death of her mother, 60-year-old Vanessa Houpapa, and injuring another, in Naenae in March.Justice Grau told the High Court in Wellington today there was no motive for the crime, which was the “utter tragedy” of the situation.Tepaea was “in a bad state, made worse by alcohol” following a family tangi.”When she tried to leave, and her mother…
More than a hundred unionised staff at Stuff have gone on strike, saying “journalists have taken hit after hit” of “insulting” pay offers at the media company.Members of union E tū walked off the job at 3pm to join picket lines planned at Stuff’s Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton newsrooms.The move represented the most recent low point between the publisher of the country’s largest news website and its unionised journalists. E tū director Michael Wood told 1News that around 160 staff are on strike today, representing “the overwhelming majority of working journalists”. Auckland-based Stuff journalist and union delegate Sapeer Mayron…
A new report has found one in every eight central Auckland retail stores is empty.Bayley’s New Zealand Retail Market Update reported a 13% vacancy rate within the Auckland CBD, far exceeding Wellington’s 5.3% and Christchurch’s 3.3%.Bayley’s national director for retail sales and leasing Chris Beasleigh told RNZ the city had been through the wringer.”If you look at Auckland, it’s gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. It had [City Rail Link], Covid-19, work from home, and interest rate increases that have dented consumer confidence,” he said.That vacancy figure included former retail giant Smith and Caughey’s, which closed in July and was…
Reserve Bank chair Neil Quigley. Photo: RNZ The chair of the Reserve Bank Neil Quigley has resigned with immediate effect. A statement from the Finance Minister said Quigley had decided that having overseen a number of key workstreams for the bank, now is the appropriate time for him to hand over to a new chair. Earlier this week, it was revealed Quigley had told the Treasury it would destroy the goodwill between Treasury and the bank if it publicly released details of a meeting before Adrian Orr’s resignation as governor. Nicola Willis said she disagreed with Quigley’s comments, and it…
A man has been charged for allegedly importing blocks of methamphetamine into New Zealand, disguised as lollies. Blocks of pressed methamphetamine — wrapped and labelled as Malaysian Rinda pineapple lollies — were unknowingly handed out in Auckland City Mission food parcels last year, prompting some to seek medical attention after tasting the lollies.Detective Sergeant Ilona Walton said an investigation by the National Organised Crime Group identified a 32-year-old man, who was charged with importing 3g blocks of meth, wrapped in Rinda Packaging. Police said there was “insufficient evidence” at this time to link the person arrested to the meth distributed…
Warriors coach Andrew Webster has stood up for Ivan Cleary, insisting Penrith have every right to rest their first-choice NRL side – even if it could end up having a flow-on effect on his team’s hunt for a top-four finish. Panthers coach Cleary drew criticism after he opted to put 16 of his NRL regulars on ice this week.Cleary has named a side boasting just 398 games of first-grade experience combined, in what is the least-experienced teamlist in the NRL era. Penrith’s significant reshuffle rocketed the Bulldogs into favouritism and turned up the pressure on the Warriors to ensure they…