Author: Press Room

Kiwis looking to head overseas this summer are being urged to check their passport expiry dates, with the first of the re-issued 10-year passports expiring this month.The 10-year passport was reintroduced in November 2015 and, between now and December 31, a total of 26,420 passports are set to run out. Another 250,000 will then expire in the first half of 2026.The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), which issues passports, said it had been preparing for the surge in renewals by recruiting more staff and cross-training existing workers to handle peak periods.It said most applications were being dealt with within 10…

Published on 13/11/2025 – 11:45 GMT+1 France’s inaugural issuance of a “European defence bond” to raise €1 billion for the country’s defence companies was massively oversubscribed, with two-thirds of investors coming from outside its borders. The bonds, due to mature in five years, received strong support, with a final order book exceeding €3.8 billion — nearly four times the value on offer, France’s public sector investment bank (Bpirance) said in a statement. In a sign of growing pan-European support for the initiative, 66% of allocations went to investors outside France, including 22% from the Nordic countries and 20% from Southern…

Powerball has rolled over to Saturday night, where the jackpot will be a record-breaking $55 million – and must be won. The $55 million Powerball jackpot is the largest prize ever offered by Lotto NZ and was made available due to predicted strong ticket sales.Once the Powerball division one prize pool reaches $50 million, the game cannot jackpot over to another draw, so it becomes a must be won draw.In a must be won draw, if no-one wins Powerball first division, the prize pool rolls down to the next highest division with winners.”Lotto head office and our retailers are buzzing…

One person has died after their vehicle hit a tree near Wellsford, north of Auckland, early this morning.Police said the single-vehicle crash was reported on Waiteitei Rd shortly before 2am. “Sadly, the sole occupant died at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. Waiteitei Rd has been closed between Farmers Lime and Whangaripo Valley roads. The serious crash unit attended and police inquiries are underway. Second fatal crash A passenger in a vehicle that crashed south of Whangārei has also been killed.The single-vehicle crash occurred on Waiotira Road near Mangapai at 10.50pm yesterday.”Sadly, the passenger of the vehicle died despite medical…

A woman who accused former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending remains before the court on charges of harassing another police officer and his wife.A damning report released this week by the Independent Police Conduct Authority found serious misconduct at the highest levels, including former Commissioner Andrew Coster, over how police responded to the allegations.The claims arose from an affair between McSkimming and the woman, who at the time was a junior non-sworn police employee.The woman was charged in May last year with causing harm by posting digital communication in relation to over 300 emails she allegedly sent to…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including Andrew Coster’s future hanging in the balance, Lotto rolls over to its biggest ever draw, and is your passport ready for a summer trip?Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche says “all matters are on the table” in an employment process with Andrew Coster. Thousands more Epstein files have been released, including some naming Donald Trump. Lotto has rolled over to its biggest ever draw, after no one struck Powerball. People are being urged to check their passport’s expiry date ahead of summer travel.A solar storm has sent brightly coloured aurora into southern skies.

A group of migration hardliners led by Poland and Hungary say they are ready to challenge the EU over a plan to redistribute asylum seekers based on quotas. On Tuesday, the European Commission announced a new distribution plan to ease the burden of hotspot countries like Italy, Spain and Greece. That means some central and eastern European countries will have to offer assistance. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have said they will not participate in a quota system and are ready to challenge the Commission. According to the Pact on Migration and Asylum, all EU countries have to…

There are “serious concerns” for the wellbeing of a 61-year-old woman who was last seen in Upper Hutt yesterday. Anita Hart was last seen on CCTV at around 11.43am on Gillespies Road heading towards Akatarawa Road. Her vehicle was also found on Gillespies Road.She was seen wearing a blue beanie with a pompom, a blue jacket, and dark-coloured trousers. “Police Search and Rescue volunteers will be visible in the area of Gillespies Road and the Hutt River,” a police spokesperson said. “Police and her family have serious concerns for her wellbeing.” Anyone who has seen Hart or has information that…

The Culture Compass for Europe, a novel framework through which the European Union will take an integrated approach to culture for the first time, was adopted by the College of Commissioners on Wednesday. Developed by European Commissioner for Culture, Youth and Sports Glenn Micallef, it is a forward-looking mechanism to gather insight, promote best practices, and shape future legislative priorities in the sector. “It’s the strategy that’s long-awaited by the sector, by institutions, by the parliament, and by the council, but more importantly by artists,” Micallef tells Euronews in an exclusive interview following the approval of the text. “It’s a…

The Charter School Agency signed a charter school contract with a trust that did not exist.In October, Associate Education Minister David Seymour posted a notice in the New Zealand Gazette that the agency had entered a contract with the “NZPAA Charitable Trust” to set up the New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa as a charter school.But no such trust or trust with a variation of that name existed or exists in the Charities Register.The secondary school is to be established in Trentham next year, with a focus on young athletes in Years 11 and 13.It would be based at the New…