Author: Press Room

On the frozen edge of the world, staying in practice as a professional musician takes ingenuity, grit and a plastic instrument for schoolchildren that’s guaranteed not to freeze to your fingers or face.Natalie Paine is a French horn player in New Zealand’s navy who, since October, has been among 21 military members stationed in Antarctica. There, her melodies drift across the frozen Ross Sea from perhaps the most remote practice room on Earth.“It’s beautiful and very inspiring,” Paine told the Associated Press. “I’ll sit there by the window and I will do my routine and play music in my time…

Montenegro will tighten visa rules for Russian citizens to be in line with EU policy, which the Western Balkan country hopes to join by 2028. His country intends to implement appropriate measures “very soon”, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said on Euronews’ The Europe Conversation following the Commission’s first Enlargement Forum in Brussels. Earlier this month, the EU announced stricter visa rules for Russian citizens to enhance security following hybrid drone attacks attributed to Russia. From now on, Russian nationals will no longer be eligible for multiple-entry visas to the EU. Instead, they can only receive single-entry visas, requiring them to…

Market conditions have delayed plans to build a new supermarket in South Dunedin, Foodstuffs says. Plans to build a New World supermarket, at the corner of Midland and Otaki Sts, were given the go-ahead in April 2022. Foodstuffs South Island was granted resource consent by the Dunedin City Council for a new 3364sqm supermarket building, cafe, 140 car parks and a distribution centre on the 0.8ha site. A Foodstuffs South Island spokesperson said the site was continuing to be used as overflow storage to support its Dunedin Distribution Centre and Trents Wholesale Dunedin operations. “At this stage, there are no…

Breakfast presenter Jenny-May Clarkson said ahead of her final appearance on the show this morning that she was anxious but prepared.She also said she was looking forward to being able to give her kids a kiss and a hug before school once she no longer has to get up in the early hours to present the early morning show.Earlier this month, it was announced Clarkson would be leaving TVNZ after nearly two decades at the broadcaster.Clarkson fielded questions from fans on Instagram this week, sharing her thoughts ahead of the final show. One person simply asked: “How are you feeling?””Excited,…

Criminal investigations have begun into three police staff in relation to “misuse and inappropriate content”.RNZ earlier revealed several police staff were under investigation, including an officer who had been stood down after inappropriate material was found on a police-issued device.It follows an audit of staff internet usage sparked by the resignation of former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming who recently pleaded guilty to possessing objectionable publications, including child sexual exploitation and bestiality over a four-year period.Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers told RNZ on Thursday six out of 20 staff under investigation in relation to “misuse and inappropriate content” had…

Russia is merely playing “lip service” to Donald Trump by drafting a new peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, High Representative Kaja Kallas said on Thursday as she doubled down on calls for Europeans to have a seat at the table. Her warning comes amid a whirlwind of reports about a 28-point blueprint apparently designed behind closed doors by the United States and Russia, without Ukraine’s input. “Our position has not changed. For any peace plan to succeed, it has to be supported by Ukraine, and it has to be supported by Europe,” Kallas said after a meeting…

Dunedin high-tech engineering firm United Machinists has been named the supreme winner of The Grand Business South Awards. The awards — the southern region’s premier celebration of business excellence — were presented at a black-tie dinner at the Dunedin Town Hall last night. United Machinists won the excellence in manufacturing award before going on to be named supreme winner, fitting recognition for owners Alex and Sarah Ramsay and the wider United team. The couple, who bought the family business from Mr Ramsay’s parents Doug and Lesley in 2016, have transformed it into a global mission-critical component supplier — shifting from…

Police have charged a third person and believe a second incident where a man was found injured in nearby Paraparaumu is linked to a homicide investigation on the Kapiti Coast.Officers were called to Kākāriki Grove in Waikanae at about 3.15pm on Wednesday to reports of an altercation.Detective Inspector Jamie Woods said a man was found critically injured and died at the scene despite medical attention.Three men, aged 20, 25, and 26, have been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to the incident that resulted in the man’s injuries.Further charges were under consideration, Woods said.1News…

With the European Union bringing back the use of carbon credits as a mechanism to help European industries and businesses offset their greenhouse gas emissions, Euronews talked to Sebastien Cross, co-founder and chief innovation officer at the London-based carbon rating agency BeZero Carbon. Founded in 2020, the agency’s primary role is to assess carbon credits and analyse the likelihood that they offset a tonne of carbon, a method analogous to the way financial rating agencies assess the probability of default on bonds and financial instruments. “What we do as a rating agency is rate credits,” Cross said. “We don’t provide…

A fire has broken out at the Blenheim Transfer Station and Resource Recovery Centre with nearby residents urged to close their windows.Flames could be seen coming from within the Resource Recovery Centre building, where visitors sort their recyclable waste, and acrid smoke billowed towards the road.The Marlborough District Council issued a statement at 2.50pm on Thursday saying that fire crews were battling the fire.”There is considerable smoke. Residents and businesses nearby are advised to close all windows and avoid smoke inhalation.”The facility is closed to the public until further notice.”A council spokesperson said about 5pm the fire was still burning,…