Author: Press Room

There are “no plans” for Ursula von der Leyen to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, the European Commission has confirmed. ADVERTISEMENTUrsula von der Leyen has not received an invitation to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th US president but she is seeking to establish “early contacts” with the new administration, the European Commission confirmed on Friday.Von der Leyen, a staunch advocate of transatlantic relations, is currently recovering from severe pneumonia in Hanover, Germany. As a result, the Commission president has cancelled all her external engagements for the first half of January.She is working from home and…

Some Uber passengers claim they’ve been ripped off by drivers forcing them to pay directly with cash or via a bank transfer.Upper Hutt woman Lauren Mudgway told 1News getting home after a night out in Wellington used to be a stress-free affair but two Uber trips at the end of last year changed all that.”So the guy both times took my phone and cancelled the ride from my phone on Uber and then just took me home. At the end, he was like, ‘OK, so you have to pay eftpos or cash,” Mudgway said.She was charged by Uber through the…

Sarkozy is accused by prosecutors of having struck a deal with Libya’s late dictator Muammar Gaddafi to receive millions of euros in illegal funding. ADVERTISEMENTFormer French President Nicolas Sarkozy has vigorously denounced receiving any money from Muammar Gadhafi at a Paris trial over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the Libyan government while under its late dictator. Sarkozy, who served from 2007 to 2012, is facing charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds and criminal association, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.In his first remarks since the trial…

Wellington landlords are offering incentives – including grocery vouchers and periods of free rent – as they compete for tenants in a renters’ market.Wellington renter Cait MacLennan said she gave notice for her previous flat with nowhere to go, but easily found a new place to call home.”Because the rental market’s been good at the moment, from what we’ve heard from all of our mates and stuff, we felt really confident that we could find a flat before our four weeks’ notice was up,” she told 1News.”We definitely did that with about two weeks to spare, I think, and we…

Officials say the damage to Estlink 2, a power connection with the capacity to provide half of Estonia’s winter electricity needs, did not disrupt service, although it did drive up energy prices in the country and the other Baltic nations. ADVERTISEMENTNaval authorities in Estonia say they have stepped up patrols in the Baltic Sea in a show of force after last month’s suspected cable sabotage.Maritime officials say at least three Estonian navy ships are part of the patrols by NATO countries following the damage done to Estlink-2 power cable and communication links between Finland and Estonia on 25 December. According…

The percentage of smokers in the EU has remained almost static since 2020. ADVERTISEMENTNearly a quarter of EU citizens (24%) are smokers.The latest Eurobarometer survey on smoking highlights that the smoking rate has remained relatively unchanged between 2020 and 2023, with just a 1% drop.The heaviest smokers are in Eastern Europe, with 37% in Bulgaria, 36% in Greece, 35% in Croatia, and 34% in Romania.Sweden has the lowest rate of smokers (8%), followed by the Netherlands (11%) and Denmark (14%).Men are more likely to use tobacco products than women (28% vs 21%). At the same time, 56% say they never…

A “monster” wasp nest in South Auckland has been destroyed with exterminators taking two days to get rid of over 200,000 wasps.The multigenerational nest was in a conifer tree on a farm in Karaka, and stood at 1.6 metres high, and 1.5 metres wide.It took two technicians two trips to treat it completely and is the biggest nest lead exterminator and wasp expert Lloyd Carpenter had seen above ground in 20 years.”It’s one of those nests that’s been living away undisturbed for the last few years,” he told Morning Report.”Probably because we’ve had such warm winters, as generally they die…

“High levels” of faecal bacteria have been found in water samples taken from a bay in Canterbury, prompting Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to issue a health warning.The water quality in Duvauchelle Bay on Banks Peninsula “is not considered suitable for recreational uses, including swimming, because of the risk to health from the bacteria and other pathogens”, the National Public Health Service’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Cheryl Brunton, said today in a statement. A number of other popular swimming sites in Canterbury may also have high levels of contamination after recent rainfall, she warned. People have been advised…

Rome anticipates a €17 billion economic boost from the 2025 Jubilee, though experts caution that estimates might be overblown and housing costs could rise. ADVERTISEMENTJubilee spending and tourism are expected to boost the economy of Italy’s capital, but it seems estimates might have been too optimistic. More than 30 million pilgrims are set to flock to Rome. Nearly one month in, half a million visitors have already passed through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.But some have not yet felt the massive influx — and major earnings — everyone is expecting.Alessandro Galardo owns a bed and breakfast in Rome…

A small warning sign pinned low on a parking barrier wasn’t enough to stop a whānau swimming in – and swallowing water from – a river that had been polluted by sewage from a New Plymouth shopping centre.New Plymouth District Council says its warning signs matched the risk – yet it changed a crucial alert sign from green to red after Local Democracy Reporting raised concerns.A private sewer line at the Valley Shopping Centre blocked by fat from a food outlet first overflowed for two hours on Saturday morning, sending human waste via a stormwater drain into the nearby river.On…