Author: Press Room

Members from two Timaru families have worked more than 300 years combined at the Smithfield plant, they’re now among hundreds of people trying to figure what to do next after losing their jobs.The Alliance processing plant axed 600 jobs last month, closing its doors on 139 years of operation. Many families have had generations working there and it wasn’t uncommon for people to spend their entire working life at the site.Two families with a very long and proud history working for Smithfield are the Mobberleys and Holdens — who’ve worked more than 300 years between them.Siblings Angela and Nigel Mobberley,…

The late Queen Elizabeth II is making a surprise Hollywood movie cameo.Her Majesty, who died aged 96 on September 8, 2022 at her beloved Balmoral estate in Scotland, will be appearing in Paddington in Peru when it is released on 8 November.It has been a seven-year wait since Paddington 2 was released about the marmalade-loving bear.The late monarch was famed for her sense of fun when it came to getting involved in Hollywood stunts – appearing with Daniel Craig in a James Bond sketch to mark the start of the London Olympics in 2012.She also sat down with a version…

The process to remove fuel from the HMNZS Manawanui after it sank in Samoa is expected to begin this month, the New Zealand Defence Force says.However, an academic has expressed concern with the pace of the operation and monitoring around the wreck.The NZ Navy vessel sank on a coral reef off the coast of the island of Upolu after running aground and catching fire on October 6. All 75 of its passengers and crew safely evacuated.Local authorities said about 200,000 litres of diesel leaked from the wreckage in the week following the incident.Samoan international relations expert Iati Iati said the…

Ukrainian soldier Yevhenii spoke exclusively to Euronews about his journey from DJing to the front lines, sharing how music provides solace amid the chaos of war. ADVERTISEMENTWhen Russia’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022, Yevhenii called his mother, saying: “Mum, I’m leaving Kyiv. Missiles are striking all around me. It’s deafening.” In her calm and typical way, she replied: “Alright, son, I’m makingborshch. We’ll be waiting for you.” Today, he chuckles at the memory. Before the war, he worked as a DJ and dancer, but his life was to change drastically in 2022. When Russia started attacking Ukraine, many were faced…

Two people have been injured, one critically, after an assault in Auckland’s Papatoetoe this afternoon.Police said they were called to a commercial address on East Tamaki Rd at around 1.19pm.”Two people had been reportedly injured with a weapon (not a firearm),” a spokesperson said in a statement.Hato Hone St John said it responded to the scene with two ambulances at 1.13pm.”Two patients have been transported to Middlemore Hospital, one in a critical condition and one in a moderate condition.”Police said they were making a “number of inquiries” to locate those believed to be involved.Anyone with relevant information should contact police…

A controversial housing development north of Wellington has been granted resource consent.The Plimmerton Farm project in Porirua seeks to build 2400 new homes in addition to a commercial area, retirement village, and school.It has been widely criticised by environmental groups amid concerns about runoff into the wetland, known as Taupō Swamp.The project — earmarked by the Labour government for fast-track consenting under the Covid-19 Recovery legislation — received the green light to be included in the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill last month.At the time, Porirua mayor Anita Baker, a longtime advocate for the project, said the region was in desperate…

The new aid package includes weapons that will be pulled from existing US stockpiles, including air defence interceptors for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and munitions for HIMARS rocket systems. ADVERTISEMENTThe Pentagon has said it will send an additional $425 million (€392 million) in military assistance to Ukraine as Kyiv prepares to face Russian forces augmented by more than 10,000 North Korean troops.The new aid package, announced by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, includes weapons that will be pulled from existing US stockpiles, including air defence interceptors for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and…

The majority of submissions made about a McDonald’s restaurant opening in Wānaka are not lovin’ it.Consent is being sought to open a 455 square-metre restaurant at the Wānaka-Luggate Highway, with a drive-thru operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Of the 366 submissions made to the Queenstown Lakes District Council, 339 were opposed, 21 were in support, and six wanted changes.One hundred and six people have agreed to speak at a meeting later in November.Wao Aotearoa Charitable Trust, strongly opposed to the idea, had concerns about the visual and aesthetic impact on the town.”The proposed site is highly visible…

Further north in Sumy, a nine-storey building was hit by a Russian air strike on Friday evening, injuring at least five. ADVERTISEMENTAt least one police officer has been killed and 40 other people injured in Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv.The Prosecutor General’s office said in a statement that a location used by police officers had been hit, without clarifying what exactly it was.”At 16:00, the enemy struck twice at the Osnovianskyi district of Kharkiv. They hit a private residential area. The explosion destroyed two private houses, damaged five private houses, damaged the facades of five multi-storey buildings…

Rapper Young Thug is a free man after pleading guilty to gang, drug and gun charges.About two-and-a-half-years after he was arrested on the charges in a sprawling gang and racketeering indictment, Young Thug was released from custody Thursday evening (local time). It was a remarkable development in a trial that’s dragged on and been plagued by problems.Jury selection at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta began in January 2023 and took nearly 10 months. Prosecutors had called dozens of witnesses since opening statements last November in the trial of six defendants.Here are some things to know about the plea:Who is…