Author: Press Room

A fault at a gas field in the North Island sparked low generation warnings by Transpower, says an electricity company.The national grid operator issued two “low residual” customer advice notices on Tuesday, explaining that electricity generation was “tight” amid further sub-zero temperatures around parts of the country.The notices were in place between 5.30pm and 8pm yesterday and again for today between 7am and 8.30am.A similar notice was issued by Transpower last month, warning power companies they may be unable to meet demand if there are any unexpected failures in the North Island amid freezing overnight temperatures around much of the…

Hamilton’s mayor has explained why the city decided to start charging concessions for out-of-towners to access its famous themed gardens. Starting today, out-of-town visitors will need to pay a $20 entry fee to enjoy the themed areas of the Hamilton Gardens, while locals and children under 16 will still be able to enter for free. Until today, the gardens were free for anyone to access, regardless of where they lived. The gardens are one of New Zealand’s top tourist attractions, seeing millions of visitors each year. They are best known for their 18 themed gardens, which include the Italian Renaissance,…

Tupperware Brands Corp and some of its subsidiaries have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, giving in to dwindling demand for its once-iconic food storage containers and mounting financial losses. The US company’s struggles resumed after a short-lived Covid-19 boost, when increased home cooking briefly drove demand for its colourful, airtight plastic containers. A post-pandemic jump in costs of raw materials such as plastic resin, as well as labour and freight, further dented Tupperware margins. “Over the last several years, the company’s financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment,” Chief Executive Officer Laurie Goldman said in a statement on Tuesday.  Tupperware has been planning to…

The closure of Oji’s paper recycling mill in Auckland’s Penrose has been confirmed, with 75 jobs to go. In August, Oji Fibre Solutions told staff it was considering closure and entered a four-week consultation period with employees and the union. This was followed by a two-week decision period. The mill’s closure will leave 75 employees out of a job. 1News Katie Bradford is outside the Oji Fibrre Solutions plant in Auckland’s Penrose. (Source: Breakfast)1News understands the mill’s last day will be December 18. The mood was sombre as workers attended an 8am meeting to hear the fate of the mill…

The move is a response to the geopolitical urgency of enlargement and the EU’s spiralling reputation in its southern neighbourhood. ADVERTISEMENTEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has formally severed the EU’s policy towards neighbours in North Africa and the Middle East from its approach to aspiring members on its eastern flank, in a move critics say risks perpetuating the EU’s “double standards”.For two decades, the bloc has coordinated its partnerships with neighbouring countries from one executive branch helmed by a single European Commissioner.But the new team pitched by von der Leyen on Tuesday morning features a Commissioner for enlargement…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ High interest rates and the rising cost of council rates and insurance are pushing many high-income earners into financial stress – even when they earn well into six figures. When Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said this week she had sold her car to help pay her bills, some questioned how she was under pressure when she earned $190,000 a year, and had previously won a reported $1.4 million in Lotto. But Angela Smart, customer service team lead at helpline MoneyTalks, said Whanau was far from alone. There had been a notable increase in higher-income people asking for…

One person has died after an incident at a workplace in Cambridge yesterday.Emergency services were called to the commercial address on Peake Rd at about 12.30pm.”WorkSafe has been advised,” a police spokesperson said today.”Police will be making enquiries on behalf of the Coroner.”In a statement to 1News, a WorkSafe spokesperson said the agency had opened an investigation into the death. “Our investigators have been at the scene gathering evidence to understand the circumstances.”

All the latest military updates on the war in Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENTRussia has likely suffered over 610,000 causalities – killed or wounded – since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, according to the UK Defence Ministry’s latest intelligence update.Russian officials said that in 2023, the defence ministry was recruiting at a rate of 1,600 daily. However, publicly cited figures this year put the rate at around 1,000 daily. The Washington Post, meanwhile, claims that the total number of Ukrainian and Russian servicemen killed or wounded since the start of Russian aggression has reached one million.The WSJ, citing confidential data dating back…

A test case to measure the future environmental impacts of emissions from onshore fracking exploration has failed in the Northern Territory after the Supreme Court found in favour of Tamboran Resources.Central Australian Frack Free Alliance claimed former environment minister Lauren Moss approved an exploration licence for US-based gas company, Tamboran Resources, to drill 12 wells 600km south of Darwin without considering the extent of future environmental impacts.CAFFA claimed that if exploration was to proceed to production then the environmental management plan which formed part of Tamboran’s exploration permit was inadequate.Chief Justice Michael Grant, however, said the predication of the argument…

Two men were arrested in Auckland this morning after driving an allegedly stolen vehicle all the way from Matamata after it initially failed to stop for police in Mount Maunganui. The reportedly stolen vehicle was spotted in the Mount Maunganui area earlier and failed to stop for a police unit. Offices chose not to pursue the vehicle at the time, but it was soon seen again on State Highway 27 near Matamata at 3.44am. “The vehicle was signalled to stop but fled and was not pursued,” police said. Police could not confirm if it was the same diver behind the…