Author: Press Room

Published on 23/06/2025 – 11:30 GMT+2•Updated 11:36ADVERTISEMENTRussian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight killed at least 10 people, with seven deaths reported in the capital Kyiv, local officials said on Monday. Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 352 drones and decoys overnight, as well as 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles. The air force said it intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they could reach their targets. Drones and missiles hit residential areas, hospitals and sports infrastructure in several districts across Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, emergency services said. The most severe damage was…

A woman with an intellectual disability living in supported accommodation lay dead for more than two days before staff found her, an investigation by the Health and Disability Commission has found.In a just-released decision, Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall said Spectrum Care Limited breached the woman’s rights by failing to ensure she was taking her anti-epilepsy medication or carry out adequate checks on her well-being.A post-mortem examination found the woman in her 30s, who died in early 2021, had not been taking her medication as prescribed.The report noted the woman (Ms A), who had suffered a traumatic brain…

Golf NZ says converting half of a prominent Auckland golf course into a stormwater reservoir would be a missed opportunity.Auckland Council was in the early stages of comparing two plans to incorporate a flood catchment into the Takapuna Golf Course, including its proposal to convert half of the course into a flood catchment and recreational area.The council’s proposal was to use the land to capture about 550,000 litres of water during a storm, reducing the flood risk to 10 hectares of homes, nearby schools and North Shore Hospital.Council was working with Takapuna Golf Club to assess the feasibility of an…

ADVERTISEMENTSupport for increasing national defence spending appears widespread in Europe although most seem to think that becoming independent from the US when it comes to security and defence before the end of the decade is impossible, a major new survey has found.Most of the more than 16,400 respondents polled across 12 European countries by the European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) stated that they are in favour of their countries upping their national defence spending with clear majorities in Poland, Denmark, the UK, Estonia, and Portugal.Pluralities in Romania (50%), Spain (46%), France (45%), Hungary (45%), Germany (47%), and Switzerland (40%)…

The people have spoken — and the NZ Transport Agency has listened— with the speed limit through Rakaia to remain at 50km/h along State Highway 1.Rakaia Community Association chairperson Neil Pluck said it’s a win for the community.“And a victory for common sense around New Zealand as we weren’t the only victor on the day.”Rakaia was one of 16 sites nationwide where the speed limits were reviewed after a community outcry.The Government had planned to automatically reverse the road to its previous higher speed limit of 70km/h.Rakaia’s speed dropped to 50km/h in 2024 after a two-decade campaign by the community.After…

Nearly 200 applications have been received for the so-called ‘golden visa’ since changes were made to liberalise access. The government made changes in April to make it easier for wealthy foreigners to gain New Zealand residency through investment. Since then, Immigration New Zealand has received 189 applications for the visa. Economic growth minister Nicola Willis said that was significantly more than the 116 appliciations received over more than two and a half years under the previous settings. “Investor migrants are clearly attracted to New Zealand’s growing reputation as a safe, pro-business, high-potential economy. In a world where countries compete for dollars and…

There’s growing concern about the prevalence of artificial intelligence being used to doctor photos of children for sinister means.Holly Brooker, co-founder of Makes Sense, said pictures of children being turned into abusive material is something the New Zealand Police have increasingly been alerting the public about.“It’s an emerging trend that’s growing rapidly,” she told Breakfast.“The Internet Watch Foundation reported recently that there’s been a 380% increase in AI-generated child abuse material in the last year.”Brooker said schools could be more front-footed in tackling the increasing risk.(Source: 1News)“I don’t think that it’s something that all schools have thought about and considered…

Auckland’s ageing rain radar needs to survive another year before it can be replaced with a new model.The radar on Mount Tamahunga was commissioned in 1989 and regular upgrades have kept it running well beyond its typical 20-year lifespan.MetService’s general manager of observing systems Kevin Alder told Nine to Noon the radar was a critical piece of infrastructure.”Its job is to provide information on current weather conditions, so where precipitation is actually falling, and it does this by scanning every seven and a half minutes,” he explained.”It has a range of 300 kilometres so it can see weather coming in…

A former fishing company boss who knew fish – including nearly 15 tonnes of snapper – was being illegally caught and landed has been jailed for 16 months.Glen Owen Wright was sentenced in the Auckland District Court last Thursday for his role as a former director of All Weather Fishing Company Limited.Prosecutors said Wright’s company illegally caught and landed nearly 15 tonnes of snapper, and more than 140kg of kahawai and 40kg of grey mullet.The 37-year-old faced a representative charge under the Fisheries Act for failing to prevent the offending, along with obstructing a fishery officer, according to Fisheries NZ.Wright…

Police are investigating an assault which took place at a sports complex in Takanini yesterday afternoon. It said two people were treated for minor injuries after the incident,at about 5pm.Initially, police said the assault took place at Takanini Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib on Takanini School Rd but this was updated with a clarification a few hours later.”While the incident took place on the grounds itself, it occurred at a sports complex located next to the Takanini Sikh Temple, not in the temple itself,” a police update said.Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor of Counties Manukau CIB earlier said an offender had…