Author: Press Room

Opinion: The country’s new transport plan won’t provide the systems our cities need, writes Tim Welch for The Conversation.The Government’s new National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) could easily have been renamed the “highway funding project”, given its intense focus on road building.Released this week, the plan outlines funding priorities for the next three years. If it comes to fruition, much of the spending will be driven into major highway schemes, and steered away from sustainable transport alternatives for the main cities.The programme allocates $7 billion for state highway improvements between now and 2027, most of which goes to the newest…

As Kīngi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest on Thursday, his funeral service promises to be a historic, poignant event. A ceremony to anoint his successor will also be held in the hours before Kīngi Tuheitia is laid to rest. Here is what to expect from the occasion.Te Whakawahinga – the raising up ceremony for the new Māori monarchThe anointment of a Māori monarch is steeped in ritual and ceremony. Known as Te Whakawahinga, or ‘the raising up’, this ceremony will take place ahead of the final funeral service for Kīngi Tuheitia.The Kiingitanga has confirmed proceedings for…

Agigea, Tuzla, Costinesti, Eforie, Mangalia and Vama Veche have been the most affected with hundreds of homes flooded and many streets submerged. ADVERTISEMENTThere has been significant damage to property in a string of towns along Romania’s eastern coast after torrential rain caused extensive flooding.Agigea, Tuzla, Costinesti, Eforie, Mangalia and Vama Veche have been the most affected with hundreds of homes flooded and many streets submerged.In Venus, tourists staying at one hotel found their cars full of water on Saturday morning.And the popular tourist resort of Vama Veche is currently without electricity and an extensive cleanup operation is underway to repair…

A prosecutor asked a New Mexico judge to reconsider the decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie, according to a court filing.Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said there were insufficient facts to support the July ruling and that Baldwin’s due process rights had not been violated.State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case halfway through a trial based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defence in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of…

School funds are being flushed down the drain thanks to a “toilet tax” imposed by councils.The disparity between what schools are paying to councils across New Zealand means some are forced to dip into funds set aside for learning.”It takes away from what we can do for the kids,” said Greytown School principal Paula Weston.Her school was paying $37,000 in rates this year because the council charged $1033 for each of its 33 toilets. This was five times the amount per student than some other schools.”When we compare what we’re paying to what other schools are paying, there’s no equity…

Germans are casting their votes on Sunday in Saxony and Thuringia, in the east of the country, in an election that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the strongest party for the first time and produce painful results for the unpopular national government. ADVERTISEMENTAbout 3.3 million people are eligible to vote in Saxony and nearly 1.7 million in Thuringia. While the three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition were weak there already, they risk dropping under the 5% support threshold needed to stay in the state legislatures.Alice Weidel, a national co-leader of the anti-immigration Alternative for…

A New Zealand woman once celebrated for turning $50 into a multimillion-dollar business empire is now facing angry investors upset at how recent financial problems have been handled.Otago woman Anna Ross founded cosmetic brand Kester Black, which says it makes “natural nail care” and takes a “holistic approach to beauty”.In 2021, it was reported that the business had made more than $1.16 million in revenue in the past 12 months.That same year, the Australian-registered arm of the business, Kester Black Pty Ltd, raised more than AU$2 million from investors via equity crowdfunding platform Birchal. At that point, the company was…

The disruption is another hiccup for Paris’s efforts to clean up the river for future public swimming, which had been one of Paris’s most ambitious promises ahead of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. ADVERTISEMENTParalympic triathlon competitions in Paris scheduled for Sunday were postponed over concerns about water quality in the Seine River after heavy rainfall, organisers said.The 11 paratriathlon events are now scheduled for Monday, if upcoming water testing allows, the Paris 2024 organising committee and World Triathlon said in a joint statement.Rainstorms hit the French capital Friday and Saturday. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow…

A former worker has won a settlement against popular Dunedin restaurant Alley Cantina which has gone into liquidation. The Otago Daily Times understands the Mexican restaurant closed in June after more than a decade of operating in a laneway off George St. Alley Cantina’s sole director is Thomas Bankier and his mother, Ruth Bankier is the sole shareholder. These two company positions were previously held solely by a family member who passed away in 2021. Attempts to reach representatives have been unsuccessful. The business is in the process of being liquidated. A representative from liquidator Laing Insolvency said it was…

Investigations into the behaviour of Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark have cost ratepayers more than $60,000 this year.Figures were released by the council this week under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, revealing the final bills for two code of conduct complaints.The first related to a March 16 incident where Clark attended a United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) event and received a complaint for actions which included verbally attacking the female MC and labelling volunteer firefighters second-class citizens.Five days later, an earlier-recorded interview with comedian Guy Williams went to air on satirical news show New Zealand Today.It showed Clark…