Author: Press Room

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov vowed retaliation for the attack, amid an escalation in drone and missile attacks betwen Kyiv’s and Moscow’s forces. ADVERTISEMENTA Ukrainian drone struck a facility belonging to Russia’s National Guard in Chechnya on Sunday, as Kyiv continues to fight back after a large-scale air attack by Moscow.Footage shared on social media captured the drone flying over the Chechen capital, Grozny, located 800 kilometres southeast of the front line in Ukraine, before exploding. No casualties were reported. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov confirmed that the drone hit a site belonging to the Akhmat Grozny riot police battalion. Two other drones…

Residents of Wellington’s Mt Victoria say the city council has betrayed them by changing planning rules that may allow a seven-storey apartment building to go up in the neighbourhood.But the developer says the high-end residential block – named Mayfair – is the beginning of the suburb’s rejuvenation and the start of a fresh look for Wellington.Homes in Mount Victoria sit on sunny slopes between the city and the green belt. Real estate there is expensive, and features a number of heritage areas and well-kept character homes.Earlier this year, Wellington City Council voted to shrink the city’s ‘character areas’ and remove…

The EU has taken the first step to directly engage with HTS, the Syrian rebel force, while maintaining its designation of a terrorist organisation. ADVERTISEMENTKaja Kallas has instructed a senior diplomat from the European Union to directly engage with the provisional government set up by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel force that led the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s autocracy.The move represents the strongest indication yet about the bloc’s willingness to begin normalising ties with HTS, which has been blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations due to its previous alliance with al-Qaeda.The designation has been transposed…

The government’s financial outlook is expected to deteriorate as a sluggish economy and weaker tax take further delay a return to budget surplus and cause an increase in borrowing.The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released tomorrow with updated financial and economic forecasts for the next few years and comparison against May’s budget.Westpac senior economist Darren Gibbs said he expected a deeper shade of red for the numbers.”The Government is trying to keep tight control of its spending, but even there spending is running ahead of the budget forecasts.”1News’ Business Correspondent Katie Bradford joined Breakfast to preview…

Prices for domestic flights rose 10.8% in November compared with October, Stats NZ said today.And the cost of domestic accommodation also rose by 6.9%.The jump in domestic airfare prices was the highest increase in domestic flight prices since July 2023, the agency said.”The higher prices for domestic flights coincided with performances by several global artists around New Zealand,” Stats NZ spokesperson Nicola Growden explained.”We also saw increased domestic hotel prices, so the cost of exploring New Zealand has become more expensive.”But anyone looking to travel further afield was in luck.”International airfares and international accommodation prices decreased 2.7% and 4.6% respectively,”…

Several online submissions on a proposed North Canterbury managed fill landfill have been lost.Environment Canterbury (ECan) has confirmed it was aware of issues with submissions on the resource consent applications by Protranz Ltd.Christchurch-based Protranz International Ltd has applied to ECan and the Waimakariri District Council for resource consents to establish and operate a quarry and landfill operation at White Rock.More than 500 submissions were received, but several more appear to have gone missing, ECan consents manager Aurora Grant confirmed.”While working through all the submissions we received, we have identified a technical issue with our online submission platform.”This resulted in some…

Qantas has apologised to passengers after a flight from Christchurch to Melbourne was forced to return to the airport not once, but twice this morning.Flight QF168 first took off for the Victorian capital at around 6.46am but turned around after reaching the Tasman Sea.A Qantas spokesperson said pilots chose to return to Christchurch due to an issue with their radio.”The issue was fixed by engineers and the aircraft cleared to return to service.”The Boeing 737 landed back in Christchurch two hours on from its departure.The plane was then back in the air just after 9.30am, but FlightRadar24.com showed it again…

New Zealand businessman Mark Bryers has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail by an Australian court.The A$10 million fraud’s main beneficiary, George Alex, will spend more than six years behind bars for what was described as the “monetary form of rape and pillage”.The 53-year-old was sentenced on December 6 along with co-conspirators Bryers, 67, Pasquale “Peter” Loccisano, 55, Lindsay John Kirschberg, 66, and Gordon McAndrew, 62.Justice Desmond Fagan said Alex’s motivation was to maximise and accelerate the extraction of money from his labour-hire firms.”His approach to the business was a monetary form of rape and pillage,”…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Whether you were in the mood for Coldplay, Pearl Jam, Crowded House or the Queenstown marathon, there was no shortage of gigs and events to get to in November. But it appears anyone trying to fly to one might have had to shell out a bit more than normal – and Consumer NZ says it is further proof there is a need for a market study into domestic aviation. Stats NZ data shows domestic airfares were up 10.8 percent in November compared to October, the biggest increase since July 2023. Domestic accommodation prices also rose, up 6.9 percent over the…

Many people are used to eking things out between paydays, but once you reach retirement and you’re not working, this is no longer an option.Retirement can last for several decades for many, so it’s important to keep your money working even when you’re not.Fisher Funds’ Wealth Advice Lead, Laura O’Reilly, has some tips for entering this new chapter with confidence and ensuring your nest egg can see you through.Advisers would generally plan out a client’s retirement to age 90, and there are several options to consider when you reach the big milestone of 65, whether you are retired or continue…