Author: Press Room

Five people were injured in a multiple-vehicle crash south of Wānaka yesterday afternoon. Emergency services were called to Cardrona Valley Road at around 4pm. According to a St John spokesperson, a total of five people were injured in the crash. One was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition, two people were airlifted to Dunedin Hospital in a serious condition, and one in a serious condition and one in a moderate condition were transported to Dunstan Hospital. “Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing,” police said. The road was closed as a result of the crash, but…

ADVERTISEMENT The new rules aim to protect the editorial independence of journalists, as well as their sources, including against the use of spyware. In the Media Freedom Act (MFA) there are also provisions to ensure the independence of public service media from state interference and to enhance transparency of media ownership.  “At the end of the last decade, two investigative journalists have been killed, Jan Kuciak in Slovakia and Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta. This was a wake-up call for the European Union that the media freedom was in danger,” says Sandor Zsiros, who covered the legislation for Euronews.  “This was only the…

Immigration New Zealand helped clear the way for an adopted girl to live with a family investigated by police for people-trafficking.The case was detailed in a no-surprises briefing to Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, where the agency flagged the adopted 17-year-old’s situation as high-risk, but explained its hands were tied.Police said their interview raised concerns that the adoptive family or parent — the redactions makes it unclear which — was “controlling all aspects” of their children’s lives, including their finances.Immigration officials said they had concerns over the number of children adopted by the supporting parent and that the teenager would have…

ADVERTISEMENT Europe is experiencing an upsurge in GPS interference in areas such as the Baltic and Black Seas, particularly near airports and critical infrastructure. The plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was hit by GPS interference on Sunday in Bulgarian airspace on an official tour of seven Member States bordering or located near Russia and Belarus. The Bulgarian authorities suspect Russian interference. “Since the start of the war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, since February 2022, there has been a considerable and very noticeable increase in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) jamming, and recently there have been…

An Auckland property director, who ran an illegal boarding house for migrant workers, has been fined $54,000. Paul Knights, who was acting as director of 4 Corners Investment Ltd, had earlier pleaded guilty to the offending. The court said he “knowingly flouted requirements for financial gain”. The fine was part of a wider prosecution over the converted warehouse – owned by Knights – on Maich Road in Manurewa, which predominantly housed workers from the Philippines. Between 2017 and 2019, the workers, sourced by Radius Contracting Limited, lived in 22 unconsented container-style cabins which lacked adequate fire safety systems and appropriate…

ADVERTISEMENT Defence and security were identified as the key priority to bolster EU global influence by most respondents (37%) to the Eurobarometer Spring Survey 2025, it was revealed on Wednesday, followed by competitiveness, the economy, and industry (32%), and energy independence, resources, and infrastructure (27%). Defence and security ranked as the top priority in 13 of the 27 EU member states, including France, Germany and Poland. In 10 countries – including Italy and Greece – competitiveness, the economy, and industry were cited as the most relevant priorities. Meanwhile, food security and agriculture topped the list in Slovenia, Slovakia, and Romania.…

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has revealed the opening date for country’s flagship store in Auckland. This morning, it announced the store in Auckland’s Sylvia Park would open to the public on December 4.First look inside IKEA’s Auckland store as opening date revealed – see more on TVNZ+In July, the company signalled it would be open in time for the busy Christmas shopping period. Mirja Viinanen, chief executive and chief sustainability officer for IKEA Australia and New Zealand, said: “I’m proud we can finally deliver the good news to New Zealanders that exactly three months from today, on December 4, IKEA…

Published on 04/09/2025 – 21:11 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT The “credibility of EU foreign policy is collapsing” over member states’ inability to sanction Israel for “war crimes” in Gaza” and unabated settlement activity in the West Bank, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot told the Europe Conversation.  He said European countries such as Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic, which are blocking the EU from taking any action against Israel over Gaza, are obliged to uphold international law. “I think that all the European countries have to do more. Of course, Germany is an important actor, but there are other European…

An Auckland company has been sentenced after a “dramatic” scaffolding collapse in January 2024 which left a number of cars damaged.Kylin Scaffolding Limited was ordered by the court to pay $8500 in reparations after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.WorkSafe northern regional manager Brad Duggan said it was “extremely disappointing” the company failed to ensure the nine-metre high structure was safe.“How this collapse did not end in tragedy is nothing short of miraculous. This was a seriously deficient set up, and a blatant risk to public safety. Businesses must manage their health and safety…

ADVERTISEMENT Three-quarters of EU citizens currently live in urban areas – a figure that is set to rise to 78% by 2050. Europe’s cities are vital engines of economic growth, innovation and employment. However, they are not without their problems. A recent Eurobarometer survey has shown that urban populations are increasingly concerned about key local issues. More than half of the bloc’s city dwellers consider affordable housing an immediate and urgent problem, with respondents in Cyprus, Ireland and Spain feeling the issue more acutely than elsewhere. The quality of public services and safety in public spaces also top the list of…