Author: Press Room

All Blacks and Blues winger Caleb Clarke says he’s “deeply sorry and embarrassed” after being discharged without conviction for clocking speeds of 110km/h on a motorbike in a residential area. “Just want to apologise for my actions, especially to the police for taking up their time and resource,” he told reporters in a prepared statement read outside court.“This is all on me and I absolutely accept the consequences and respect the court’s decision today.”On December 3, the 26-year-old was spotted by police travelling above the 80km/h speed limit on State Highway 16 shortly after midnight. Police signalled for him to…

Published on 23/06/2025 – 15:43 GMT+2•Updated 17:26ADVERTISEMENTHungary and Slovakia announced they would block the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia during the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday, adding that the move came in response to the European Commission’s RePowerEU plan that aims to cease all energy imports from Russia.”They demanded today that we create a sanctions package that is as strong, as comprehensive, and as severely punishing the energy sector as possible. However, we, together with Slovakia, prevented the adoption of the sanctions package today. We did this because, in parallel with…

Police are continuing to appeal for information on a motorcyclist who drove off after striking a 24-year-old pedestrian in Rotorua on June 15.The pedestrian, who was sight- and hearing-impaired, died in hospital on June 19.The motorcyclist allegedly overtook a stationary vehicle and struck the 24-year-old as he was crossing Edmund Rd and Mangakakahi at around 2.15pm on Sunday.Earlier, police said the rider then performed a U-turn, rode back towards the crossing, and fled the scene without stopping or checking on the victim.The pedestrian was then airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition. Edmund Rd was closed while emergency services…

ADVERTISEMENTNATO’s increased defence spending target will see allies finance a five-fold increase in air defence capabilities, the purchase of “thousands” more tanks and armoured vehicles and “millions of rounds” of artillery ammunition, the alliance’s chief Mark Rutte said on Monday on the eve of a summit in The Hague. Leaders from the 32 allied countries are expected to sign off on a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP on Wednesday, more than double the 2% level agreed in 2014 at a summit in Wales. Rutte described the hike as “a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic and fundamental…

A Crown prosecutor has told a court Wellington woman Julia DeLuney violently attacked her mother, leaving her dead or dying, in January last year.A post-mortem found Khandallah resident Helen Gregory, aged 79, died from complications of blunt force trauma, with 12 lacerations to her head and three skull fractures.Her daughter DeLuney is charged with murder, to which she has pleaded not guilty, with her trial opening Monday morning in the High Court in Wellington.Crown prosecutor Nicole Jamieson told the court that on the evening of January 24, DeLuney visited her mother to book tickets to the ballet.But sometime between 8.16pm…

Published on 23/06/2025 – 16:29 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTA Ukrainian journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was freed on Sunday after being detained by Russian authorities for more than four years in occupied Crimea, according to the media organisation.Vladyslav Yesypenko was arrested and imprisoned on 10 March 2021 in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.Yesypenko was charged with spying for Ukraine — a charge he denied — and a Russian-installed court in the territory sentenced him to six years imprisonment in February 2022, although his sentence was later reduced to five years.As well as being denied by Yesypenko himself,…

David Seymour is is taking questions from the media following the regular meeting of Cabinet.The ACT leader, who took over as Deputy PM from Winston Peters this month, is in the hot seat as acting Prime Minister while Christopher Luxon is in Europe.Cabinet met today after a two-week break, which included “scrutiny week” when MPs get to grill ministers about their departments and ministries.The meeting came against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, with an RNZAF C-130 en route to the region to help evacuate Kiwis.Luxon has also been in China where he met President Xi Jinping.

ADVERTISEMENTMultiple studies have proven that raising taxes on alcohol and cigarettes contributes to cutting consumption and health risks. However, not everyone likes to be told what to do.The 2025 ‘Nanny State index’ says Lithuania is the most interventionist country in the EU when it comes to cracking down on unhealthy lifestyles through levies and bans.Lithuania on all-out war against alcoholThe Baltic nation is the only EU member state to ban alcohol sales to anyone under 20. Its legislation also tightly regulates the hours, forbidding sales before 10.00 am or after 08.00 pm (03.00 pm on Sunday). Marketing is also affected…

The Minister for Ethnic Communities says he was “appalled” by a Destiny Church march on Saturday which was neither “Kiwi, nor Christian”.Church followers marched down Auckland’s Queen St on Saturday against “foreign religions”, with leader Brian Tamaki saying the church was building a “Commonwealth crusade” to “reclaim Christian nations”.A number of flags were also set on fire but were put out before firefighters arrived.In a post to Facebook, Minister Mark Mitchell said everyone had a right to freedom of speech and protest.”That does mean, however, that New Zealanders are free to condemn behaviour that is not in keeping with our…

The chairman of a southern regional council says he is surprised by the number of available vacancies following a recent restructure.Environment Southland disestablished 51 roles and created 56 new ones in a shake-up which impacted almost a quarter of staff this year.When the proposal went live in February, a source told Local Democracy Reporting there were “lots of tears”.It has now been revealed 48 roles were yet to be filled, with the council indicating there was no rush for some.Council chairman Nicol Horrell said he was under the impression the figure was in the 20s, but didn’t think the vacancies…