Author: Press Room

Next time you want to have a courageous conversation at a meeting, how about ditching the proverbial mints and replacing them with something altogether more tasty? One strategy for de-escalating conflict is to use food. Food lover and playwright Oscar Wilde observed this in A Woman of No Importance when he wrote “after a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s relations” and “the way to everyone’s heart is through their stomach”. Sharing food signals vulnerability and trust-building. It gives a communal focus to the people at the table. It can shift the tone of the room, even through the small…

Restoring a Northland wetland illegally drained and sprayed for a watermelon farm will take huge effort and expense, a local expert says.In a recent Environment Court decision, Paul Harvey and New Zealand Watermelon Distributors were ordered to undertake “immediate remedial work” to undo damage to the protected Kaimaumau Wetland, the largest wetland in Northland and one of the most ecologically significant.The decision stated that much of a 55 hectare area of wetland at Motutangi, north of Kaitāia, had been cleared, sprayed with herbicide, drained with 600m of illegally-dug channels, and pugged by cattle.The damage was first discovered by Northland Regional…

More than 1,200 police officers carried out a series of dawn raids targeting the Cosa Nostra mafia in and around Sicily’s capital of Palermo. ADVERTISEMENTAround 150 people were arrested on Tuesday in a huge sting operation against the mafia in Sicily’s capital of Palermo, according to local police. More than 1,200 officers took part in the dawn raids targeting the Cosa Nostra criminal organisation, an action that Italian media said was the biggest such crackdown on the mob in four decades.A total of 183 arrest warrants were issued against the mob’s members, although 36 of the suspects were already in…

A Marlborough iwi has been unsuccessful in its challenge of a council bylaw restricting vehicle access on the coast.The East Coast Vehicle Bylaw, which came into effect on July 1, 2023, aimed to protect the environment by banning vehicles on beaches from the Awatere River to south of the Waima/Ure River, except for in a “yellow zone”.Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust challenged the lawfulness of the bylaw, and the process of adopting it, in the High Court over two days in May 2024.Rangitāne o Wairau Group kaiwhakahaere matua (general manager) Corey Hebberd said the decision was disappointing, but…

Half of New Zealanders are not confident Finance Minister Nicola Willis will deliver good economic growth over the term of this Government, according to a new 1News Verian poll, while 34% of people are confident.For the 1News Verian poll, people were asked: “Nicola Willis is the Minister for Finance and Minister for Economic Growth. Are you confident or not confident that Nicola Willis will deliver good economic growth over the term of this Government?”The responses found 50% were not confident, 34% were confident and 17% didn’t know or didn’t want to say. The poll of 1002 eligible voters was conducted…

After years of work, remains of two Moriori ancestors will return to New Zealand. The karapuna (ancestors) will return in the care of Hokotehi Moriori Trust trustees Belinda Williamson and Jared Watty.”We hold this mahi, this work, this activation for repatriation, or rematriation, with the highest regard,” Williamson told AAP.”To serve not only our many living Moriori but our karāpuna by doing this.”Watty said bringing the karāpuna home was the most important work for members of the trust.”It’s pretty special, it’s very warming to get the opportunity to take our karāpuna home,” Watty said.The ancestral remains had been held at…

Police are investigating multiple complaints about alleged extortion of customers at a South Auckland supermarket at the end of January.A police spokesperson says they are speaking with a number of people about the “series of incidents” at the Pak’nSave store in Manukau.”Those people we are speaking with are supporting our enquiries into establishing what has occurred.”Police enquiries are “still ongoing at this point”, they said.”Police encourage anyone who believes they have had similar experiences at Pak’nSave Manukau to contact us, to ensure the matter is reported.”RNZ’s Checkpoint spoke to one complainant on the condition of anonymity, who said she was…

The detentions come amid growing concerns that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government is targeting opposition figures in Istanbul. ADVERTISEMENTTurkish police on Tuesday detained 10 senior officials from opposition-run district municipalities in Istanbul over their alleged links to Kurdish militants, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.The arrests, which include deputy mayors and municipal council members, are the latest in a widening crackdown on opposition-led districts in Turkey’s largest city.Among those detained are the deputy mayors of Kartal and Ataşehir, along with eight district municipal council members, all of whom belong to the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party.The suspects…

Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, spoke to Euronews about Ukraine’s role in the German election campaign and what he says is a lack of political courage. ADVERTISEMENTGermany’s election is less than two weeks away, with topics like migration dominating debates. But one issue seems to have been somewhat overlooked in recent weeks: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Since the start of the full-scale war, Germany has pledged to stand firmly by Ukraine’s side, providing military, financial, and humanitarian aid. In the first TV debate between SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz of the CDU, however, Ukraine played a…

Better signage wouldn’t have prevented a woman dying following a water incident at the Rakaia River mouth in Canterbury, a local councillor says.The woman died after a group of people became stuck in the river on Saturday afternoon, police said.Ashburton District councillor Russell Ellis has been a bach owner at the South Rakaia Huts for over 20 years and is the president of the bach owner’s association.Ellis did not want to criticise or lay blame on anyone involved in the incident, but said the tragedy was an opportunity to remind people about their safety in the area.“It’s not the river,…