Author: Press Room

Three companies have been sentenced after separate incidents involving a worker being killed and another suffering serious injury while near around powerlines. The sentencing of Coogan Contracting in Taumarunui, and Church Bay Services Limited and Joan Carpenters Limited in Auckland has prompted a warning from WorkSafe about safely working near powerlines. The most serious case took place when 25-year-old Irish national Sean Clear was electrocuted while working on a farm near Whakapapa Village in February last year. His mower had become bogged down, and a digger was brought in to pull it out. The vehicle contacted an overhead powerline carrying…

One person has died while two others were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash near Thames this morning. The crash was reported just after 10.10am and occurred on State Highway 25 at Orongo. “One person sadly died at the scene, two other people were seriously injured,” police said. The road has been closed while the serious crash unit conducts a scene examination. “Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.”Hato Hone St John said the two seriously injured people were taken to Waikato Hospital by helicopter. One other person suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

The Ukrainian President warned that his brigades are unequipped to face Russia and that only continued US and European unity will enable Kyiv to prevail. ADVERTISEMENTUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday described a Hungarian proposal for a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange as “not serious” and “political PR” and reiterated calls for Western allies to provide the war-torn country with security guarantees and additional weapons.Zelenskyy told reporters in Brussels after updating European Union leaders on the latest developments on the frontlines that he learnt about the Hungarian proposal “from mass media”.Viktor Orbán announced last Friday during his weekly address to the…

The economy was in a deeper-than-expected recession in the middle of the year, many sectors undergoing widespread contraction.   Stats NZ data shows gross domestic product, the broad measure of economic growth, fell 1% in the three months to September, to be 1.5% lower than a year previously.   Significant revisions to previous figures resulted in a fall of 1.1% in the June quarter, meeting the definition of a technical recession.   These were the biggest quarterly falls since late 2021 at the height of the pandemic and lockdowns, but excluding those the six-monthly fall was the largest since mid-1991.…

MetService is forecasting a wet start to the weekend, but says conditions should be nice for most on Monday and Tuesday.MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said wet weather would set in from tomorrow in central and northern parts of the North Island and continue into the weekend “for almost the entire country”.”While there will be drier spots through the weekend, rain or showers are expected right across the country at various points of the weekend – make sure you are ready for all conditions, even if you are staying home,” she said.A heavy rain watch remained in place for Gisborne/Tairawhiti and…

Despite pure petrol cars maintaining the largest individual share, 48.3% of the total 10.7 million new cars registered in the EU for 2023 were hybrid and electric. ADVERTISEMENTIn 2023, 48.3% of the 10.7 million new cars registered in the EU were hybrid and electric vehicles.According to the latest Eurostat figures, this amount nearly equals the 48.8% share of traditional petrol and diesel cars.The number of battery-only electric passenger cars in the EU countries in 2023 also exceeded 4.4 million, which was about 88 times higher than in 2013 and 12 times higher than in 2018.Yet, pure petrol cars maintained the…

Port Otago and Napier Port have formed a joint venture to build and buy a $36million trailing suction hopper dredge from Dutch shipbuilders Damen Shipyards.   The partners will form a new dredging company via a limited partnership agreement.    Port Otago  is to manage and operate the dredge.   Chief executive Kevin Winders said the collaboration strengthened New Zealand’s maritime infrastructure.    It would enhance operations at both ports and reduce duplication of investment within the sector.   The new Damen TSHD-1000  would be fitted with industry-leading dredging and monitoring systems.    Replacing the port’s 40-year-old New Era suction…

Conan O’Brien has paid a glowing tribute to his parents after they both recently died.The 61-year-old TV star lost his dad, Dr Thomas O’Brien, on December 9 at the age of 95, and his mum, Ruth O’Brien, on December 12 at the age of 92, and O’Brien has now paid a heartfelt tribute to them both.He told the Boston Globe newspaper: “I think what my mother and father saw in each other was that they were kindred spirits. They were incredibly hard-working and disciplined.”O’Brien observed that his dad “was the dreamer” in their family.The talk-show host explained: “My dad was…

Thirteen people have been arrested as part of a “significant investigation” into an organised criminal group in Rotorua which saw 300 grams of methamphetamine, two Tasers, three firearms and several vehicles among the items seized by police.Warrants were executed at addresses in Rotorua, Tokoroa, and Te Puke over the past three weeks by the Bay of Plenty Organised Crime unit as part of an investigation into sale and supply of methamphetamine in the area.One of three firearms seized by police as part of “significant investigation” into methamphetamine sale and supply in Rotorua. (Source: NZ Police)Police located and seized 300 grams…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed he will not attend events at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Waitangi Day.He also said he won’t attend the National Iwi Chairs Forum in Waitangi on February 4. He said he met with iwi leaders in Wellington today. In a statement, Luxon said he had been in Waitangi for the last two years – including his first as Prime Minister – and had decided to head to another part of the country next year. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different iwi,” he said. “I have…