Author: Press Room

After Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed to “immediately” start negotiations on Ukraine, Europe wonders if it will have a seat at the table. ADVERTISEMENTIt took an hour and a half to bulldoze three years of unity.With his “highly productive” phone call with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump has cast aside the West’s rules of procedure to propose himself as the sole intermediary who can possibly bring Russia and Ukraine to the table.”We have agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” Trump wrote on social media. The tone of his post was so flattering that the reader could not…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ New Zealand’s government and Reserve Bank realised too late that the economy was not as damaged by the Covid-19 pandemic as they had expected it to be, economists have told an economic forum at Waikato University. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner, Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen and ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley spoke to a panel on Thursday morning, where they were asked what lessons about monetary policy had emerged from the pandemic. Tuffley said the response to Covid had been a “grand experiment” here and around the world, as about a third of the…

International supermarket chains and local investors have expressed interest in entering the New Zealand grocery market, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Wills has said, as she aims to remove “unnecessary regulatory hurdles” that discourage new entrants. Willis made the comments today during a speech to the New Zealand Economics Forum. In her speech Willis discussed the 2022 Commerce Commission report on the country’s supermarket sector. The report found competition within the industry, which has a duopoly of Foodstuffs and Woolworths with a fringe of other retailers, was not working well for consumers.Willis said: “Competition between grocery retailers is muted, profits are…

The phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has stoked fears that Europe will be completely removed from the peace process. ADVERTISEMENTEuropean leaders hardened their tone on Thursday in reaction to the phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, reminding the American president that any peace settlement will require Europe’s involvement to work in practice.Wednesday’s call, in which the two leaders agreed to “immediately” start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, has gone down badly across the continent and raised fears that Europe would be completely removed from the nascent peace process.Securing a seat at the table…

Bianca Del Rio doesn’t just cross the line – she dances over it in six-inch stilettos, throws in a roast, and leaves audiences gasping for breath (or running away).Now, the RuPaul’s Drag Race season six winner and self-proclaimed “clown in a gown” is back in New Zealand, wrapping up her mammoth Dead Inside world tour with three final shows.In an exclusive chat with Seven Sharp, Bianca opens up about why she loves Kiwi audiences, her unfiltered take on Drag Race, and whether she’d ever step into RuPaul’s legendary heels.’You lot are sick—and I love it’ Bianca Del Rio attends The…

Former National Minister Hekia Parata said the Treaty Principles Bill is “unreliable and unnecessary,” recommending the Justice Select Committee report the “irretrievably flawed” bill back to the House, and “waste no further resources nor our nation’s tolerance”.Parata and former Labour prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer were among those making submissions on Thursday as the Justice Select Committee resumed hearings on the bill.The committee is due to hear 80 hours in total of submissions on the controversial bill over the course of a month.Parata said the principle of equality was well known to New Zealanders.”My issue is not that we need…

JD Vance and Marco Rubio are set to speak with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security conference. They are expected to discuss Donald Trump’s push for Ukraine and Russia to begin negotiations ADVERTISEMENTUS Vice President JD Vance landed in Munich on Thursday, where he is set to hold critical talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Russia’s nearly three-year war on Ukraine.Vance, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is due to sit down Friday with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. They are expected to discuss President Donald Trump’s intensifying push for Ukraine and…

Builders are being warned to check their security after a flurry of burglaries from construction sites in South Auckland. Over the past week police have charged four people for burglaries in Pukekohe, Pōkeno and Papakura. Items stolen include tapware, light fittings, building materials, tools and appliances yet to be installed, said Counties Manukau South CIB detective Simon Taylor. “One of the four has also been charged with seven separate shoplifting charges and other driving matters.” Police said CCTV footage had been gathered during the investigation and they were not ruling out further arrests and charges. “It’s pleasing we have been…

Two experts have told Euronews that Trump’s bellicose rhetoric towards America’s allies is playing to Russia’s advantage. Aiming to do deals on trade deficits and raw materials in exchange for continued military support is the best policy given the circumstances Europe faces. ADVERTISEMENTTrump’s ‘chaotic’ actions targeting EU partners as well as Canadian and Mexican neighbours with tariffs is ‘exactly what Russia wants’, experts on US and Russian policy told Euronews in The Europe Conversation.“This sort of instability in American institutions is sort of chaos. It’s exactly what Russia wants and it’s exactly what they exploit to amplify discord, to amplify polarization,…

Mount Maunganui locals say they are fed up with the rubbish and broken glass left by people partying on the beach and drinking outside their homes.They are calling for more police enforcement and for alcohol-free zones to be extended in the beachside suburb.John Tawharu, who lives near the intersection of Oceanbeach Rd and Marine Pde, said there had been groups drinking on the beach for years.“All of us kaitiaki, all the surfers, all the community are picking up glass and broken glass and lots of it.”It was frustrating because people were also having to put out bonfires still burning the…