Author: Press Room

The Prime Minister has told the 2025 ASEAN Future Forum in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi we are now living in a world where “rules are being subsumed by power” to advance countries’ interests.Christopher Luxon warned that this poses a clear risk to both New Zealand and the region. The ASEAN Future Forum was a one-day conference aimed at developing a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for the South East Asian region. Christopher Luxon has told the ASEAN Future Forum in Vietnam that diplomacy and transparency are key in a world where countries are increasingly wielding their power.  (Source: 1News)Luxon told the…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ  If you are a two-adult, two-car household with two children, you need to be earning at least $78,500 to be able to afford the cheapest median-priced house in New Zealand. Real Estate Institute data shows the cheapest houses in the country in January were on the West Coast, where the median price for the month was $375,000. Assuming a 20% deposit, that means borrowers there need to be able to service a $300,000 mortgage. That is likely to require a family income of at least $78,500 a year. Loan Market mortgage adviser Karen Tatterson said…

Napier City Council looks set to be the first council in Hawke’s Bay to install water meters, with money allocated in its Long Term Plan to bring them in some time between 2029 and 2034.The project to install water meters to support leak detection and enhance system monitoring has a budget set aside of $2 million to $5 million.But Hastings is holding fire on any such commitment for the time being, even though a trial in the district has already helped stop tens of thousands of litres of water leaking out of broken pipes.A total of 2000 electronic water meters…

This article was originally published in French The European Commission has presented its Clean Industry Pact to support companies in the race to develop clean technologies. It has announced that it is putting €100 billion on the table initially, in response to international competition. ADVERTISEMENTThe European Union must become the global destination for green technologies. This is one of the stated objectives of the Clean Industry Pact, presented on Wednesday by the European Commission.The idea is to make decarbonisation a factor in the continent’s growth and reindustrialisation. The plan is designed to enable the 27 Member States to make the transition…

On a bright Monday afternoon, Vasa Fia Collins stands in a car park lot in South Auckland.Behind her is the freshly-inked mural of her late husband, Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, his smile beaming across Manukau from the wall of Ronwood Carpark.”It’s a beautiful reciprocation of love,” the widow says.”A year on, it still feels surreal. As a family, we’re still devastated by the loss, but it’s been beautiful to see tributes like this honouring Efeso’s legacy.”Fa’anānā died suddenly at a charity event in February 2024, at the age of 49.At the community unveiling, Collins thanks the artists and those gathered for…

A 25-year-old Southland man hopes his nomination in a national award will inspire other young people across the region to go after what they want. William Murrell, along with his business partner Ben Phillpotts-Scales from KiwiFibre, were named yesterday finalists in the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards in the innovator category. They were acknowledged for their pioneering work of exploring the harakeke (flax) and composite textiles as a replacement for carbon fibre and fibreglass to make things such as parts of race cars, boats and even snowboards. The initiative could also put unproductive land to sustainable use. Mr…

Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 Harriet the Spy hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl — has died. She was 39.Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8am (local time) at luxury residential tower in midtown where “officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” according to an NYPD statement.Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. No foul play was suspected and the New York Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death, police said.Representatives for Trachtenberg did not…

The number of young people being abused in state care has increased, says a report by the Independent Children’s Monitor.It also shows young people are still not receiving the minimum standards of care required by legislation.Chief executive of the Independent Children’s Monitor Arran Jones said it’s “disappointing” and Oranga Tamariki “need to do better” — but he’s not expecting to see improvement in the next report.The annual Experiences in Care report looks at agency compliance with the National Care Standards Regulations, which have been in place since 2019.The independent children’s monitor says close to one in 10 young people in state care…

Police are appealing for information about a bizarre incident involving a house falling off a truck, a blocked road, and a vanishing truckie.Speculation in the Far North as to what happened ranges from an amateur house-moving attempt gone horribly wrong to an extraordinarily brazen theft attempt.What is known for certain – as confirmed by the police and the Far North District Council – is that a house fell off the back of a truck on Orakau Rd, in the Punakitere Valley south of Kaikohe.A police spokesman said the incident came to light at 7.40am yesterday when a motorist reported coming…

It has sea views, room for a pony and even its own World War 2 observation bunker. The former Smithfield meat processing site is on the market following the 139-year-old Timaru plant’s closure last year, affecting about 600 jobs. The 32.4ha site, which is next to the new bulk-retail showgrounds development, is being marketed by Colliers by a deadline private treaty. Timaru District Council records last year showed the site had a capital value of more than $36million and a land value of $3.2m. The marketing blurb said the site presented a “multitude of options” for developers and occupiers alike.…