Author: Press Room

The Commission’s proposal will only apply to Georgian holders of diplomatic and service passports, exempting the general population. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Commission has proposed to suspend the visa-free travel regime for Georgian diplomats and officials in response to the violent crackdown on protesters, who have been taking to the streets for weeks to denounce the ruling party’s gradual pivot away from Europe and towards Russia.The demonstrations, now in their 22nd day, began in late November after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze unexpectedly announced he would not pursue EU membership talks until 2028, despite an obligation in the Constitution that compels state bodies…

Access to the world’s biggest kauri is set to be restored this Saturday after an almost three-month project to upgrade visitor infrastructure and protect the tree from a deadly pathogen.At 51.5 metres tall, Tāne Mahuta, in Northland’s Waipoua Forest, is the largest survivor of the kauri that once cloaked much of the upper North Island.Its precise age is unknown but could be as much as 2500 years. The estimate used by the Department of Conservation is 1500 years.The tree has been off-limits since late September while contractors replaced a 30-year-old walkway described by DOC Kauri Coast operations direction Stephen Soole…

China’s head of mission to the EU, Cai Run, has called for friendship between EU and China against a turbulent geopolitical backdrop, trade disputes and with Donald Trump poised to begin his second term as US president. ADVERTISEMENTThere is far more consensus than divergence, and far more cooperation than competition between China and the EU making the pair “partners not rivals”, the head of China’s mission to the EU has said in an exclusive opinion piece for Euronews.The emollient intervention comes against what Ambassador Cai Run – who recently took up the post in Brussels – described as “a moment…

A Wellington parrot and its signature phrase has beaten the Prime Minister and sporting stars to win the Quote of the Year competition.The annual contest is run by Massey University and had 10 finalists, with the winner announced at midday today.Pepper the cockatoo took top spot after hitting the headlines when she was stolen from a wildlife park in the Hutt Valley last month.The bird was handed to police in Porirua nearly a week after she was taken. Police were able to confirm Pepper’s identity after she squawked her signature phrase, “Hello Darling”, at the police station.Quote of the Year…

A fatal house fire in Auckland’s Ranui earlier this week is not suspicious, police say.Emergency services were called to the fire on Swanson Rd at around 4.41am on Wednesday, where a man was found dead inside. He was 55-year-old Andrew Mark Orr of Rānui, Auckland.”Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” a police spokesperson said. “Initial investigations indicate the fire was not suspicious.” A scene examination has been completed and an investigation into the cause remained ongoing.The death would be referred to the coroner.

Zelensky sharply criticised Putin during a Brussels summit but struck a more measured tone towards incoming US President Donald Trump, calling him a ‘strong man’ and emphasising the need for detailed discussions about Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENTRadio Schuman goes behind the scenes at last night’s European Council meeting in Brussels today with Euronews journalist Shona Murray, to analyse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s interventions on the sidelines following his discussions with EU leaders.During the summit, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to increasing support for Ukraine, stressing there is no time to speculate on what actions the upcoming US president Donald Trump may take…

Auckland’s Laneway Festival has apologised after its application to host 16- and 17-year-olds was rejected, meaning those aged under 18 will have their ticket refunded. The festival released its 2025 dates and venues earlier this year, with the Auckland leg confirmed to return to Western Springs on February 6, headlined by British pop star Charli XCX.In a post to Instagram today, Laneway shared the “unfortunate news” that tickets already purchased by under-18s would be refunded after the Auckland District Licensing Committee last week rejected its application for 16- and 17-year-olds to be able to attend. “We worked closely with Police,…

Authorities in Poland admitted that it was legally “unprecedented” for another European country to grant asylum to a fugitive wanted under a European Arrest Warrant. ADVERTISEMENTThe Hungarian government on Thursday granted political asylum to former Polish justice minister and current PiS lawmaker Marcin Romanowski, who is wanted in Poland for alleged corruption during his time as minister in the previous PiS government. Authorities in Poland have been looking for Romanowski since last week, after a Polish court approved a request for the lawmaker to be put in pre-trial detention. After a fruitless search, prosecutors issued a European Arrest Warrant for Romanowski…

Julian Lennon has had to have emergency skin cancer surgery.The 61-year-old singer – who is the son of late Beatles legend John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia – took to social media to reveal to his fans that he had been diagnosed with melanoma just before heading on a press tour and had to “urgently” head back from it to undergo an operation.He wrote on Instagram: “Well, here’s how this goes…”Before I flew to New York from Los Angeles, for ‘Good Morning America’, Sirius XM, iHeart Radio and My Fotografiska Q+A Book Signing Event, I went to see, as…

The roundabout exit to nowhere. What was going to go there and why didn’t it? Local Democracy reporter Linda Hall takes a look.There’s a roundabout in Hastings at the intersection of two busy arterial roads – Pakowhai and Evenden – which has an odd dead-end exit.Over a fence, there are two blocks of land side by side, 1411 and 1403 Pakowhai Rd, a 3-hectare site that, if it could ever be developed upon, would be highly sought after by commercial tenants.Title information indicates that the land is owned by Australian garden and homeware giant Bunnings.It purchased the land in 2010…