Author: Press Room

A Jewish organisation has asked the authorities of the German capital to acquire the derelict villa of the chief propagandist for Nazi Germany and turn it into an education centre against propaganda as a tool of hate. ADVERTISEMENTDeep in the outskirts of Berlin lies an abandoned building with a notorious past. The villa of Joseph Goebbels, who spearheaded propaganda for the Nazis, has been covered in shrubs and weeds for years, and the city is so desperate to have someone take it off its hands that it may give the property away for free.The European Jewish Association said it’s interested…

Retailer members of her organisation are closing their businesses every week, chief executive of Retail NZ Carolyn Young says.”It’s incredibly tough,” she said. “Part of it is like the culminating factor – businesses hang on, hang on, hang on – April through to September are quieter months in retail.”We’ve come off eight quarters in a row of negative growth, at some point businesses are going to run out of cash. They’ve used all their lines of credit, they can’t stay open any more. Sometimes it’s their choice, sometimes it’s forced on them.”Data from Centrix shows the number of retail businesses…

A newly released report from New Zealand’s intelligence service has laid out recent security threats — including case studies — in more detail than ever before. It’s the second such report from the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), which found the security situation was increasingly impacted by international conflicts and the threat of violent extremism. Last month international pop star Taylor Swift was forced to cancel three European shows after two teenagers plotted to kill thousands of concert goers. NZSIS Director-General Andrew Hampton told 1News the organisation was finding more young people “who may not have a fixed ideological…

Swimmers at Stephens Bay Lagoon in Tasman are risking their health, with faecal bacteria present more than half the time in the water.Concerns have also been raised about the nearby Kaiteriteri Beach and a stormwater pipe, found with disease-causing organisms, which “is like a magnet for children”.Sampling of swimming sites around Tasman during the 2023-24 season found that the proportion of the bacteria at the Stephens Bay Lagoon exceeded alarm guidance 54% of the time.This far exceeds second place Rototai at 20% and third’s Port Riuwaka at the mouth of the Riuwaka River at 17%.However, Stephens Bay Beach – outside…

The attacks on Kyiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia came as children across Ukraine returned to school on Monday. ADVERTISEMENTSeveral regions in Ukraine were hit by Russian strikes over Monday and Tuesday, which killed two in Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday morning and one in Dnipro on Monday night. In Zaporizhzhia, regional premier Ivan Fedorov said a woman and an 8-year-old boy were killed by an air strike that hit a hotel.Fedorov also said a 12-year-old girl is in intensive care as a result of the strike having suffered a fractured limb and severe burns. Explosions in Dnipro late on Monday night killed a…

Film studios will require permission to bring stars back from the dead through the use of AI.A new law has been made by the California Senate that will require studios to ask the late actor’s estate before featuring their artificial likeness in their movies.The crackdown is expected to come into force across the US, and potentially across the rest of the world, once it has been passed by the state’s governor Gavin Newsom and will also apply to TV shows, video games and other media.Film studios do not currently need consent from estates to use AI to replicate deceased performers,…

A woman has been arrested and charged after a man was allegedly stabbed during an an altercation in Auckland’s Manurewa last night.Police received a report that a man had been injured at an address on Antalya Pl, Manurewa shortly after 11pm.”The man’s injury was consistent with a stab wound, and he was transported to hospital in a serious condition,” a spokesperson said.”A scene examination has been undertaken and police inquiries into the matter are ongoing.”A 29-year-old woman at the address was taken into custody without incident.She is scheduled to appear in the Manukau District Court today charged with wounding with…

Richard Gere has quipped that he had “no chemistry” with Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.The 75-year-old actor has reflected on his role as rich businessman Edward Lewis in the 1990 rom-com classic and poked fun at the part being “criminally underwritten”.Speaking at a masterclass at Venice Film Festival at the weekend, he said: “I was playing a character that was almost criminally underwritten.”It was basically a suit and a good haircut.”He then said he and 56-year-old Julia’s prostitute character Vivian Ward “had no chemistry”.He joked: “I mean, no chemistry.”This actor and this actress obviously had no chemistry between them… I…

Four people were arrested, and nearly 40 infringement notices handed out after police targeted boy racer events in Hutt Valley over the weekend. At around 10pm on Saturday, officers arrived in Petone to stop a group from setting up a skid pad. Around 10 vehicles were stopped, and their drivers were spoken to. Police said “several” infringement notices and non-operation orders were issued. Police were then informed that other members of the group were gathering at a location on Eastern Hutt Road. When police arrived, they found about 100 vehicles at the site. An officer speaks to a driver during…

A Kiingitanga leader has described the thousands of people descending on Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn Kīngi Tuheitia as a “flood of love”.It’s the fourth day of mourning today, following Kīngi Tuheitia’s death, aged 69, in the early hours of Friday last week.The Kiingitanga estimates about 9000 people are now on site.Tekau-mā-rua – the 12 – is the Kiingitanga council, made up of 12 representatives.Speaking to media today Tekau-mā-rua chairperson Che Wilson said people were coming to Tūrangawaewae, in Ngāruawāhia, from all over the country.”It’s a flood – It’s a flood of love. It’s a flood of respect as we aspire…