Author: Press Room
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is reportedly proposing to cut 169 roles as it looks to shave costs. According to the PSA union, the cuts amounted to 13% of non-firefighting staff across the country, shaving 10% of its annual budget – roughly $70 million.Fire and Emergency NZ said the proposals in the restructure would affect around 700 roles across the organisation, resulting in the net loss of around 140 positions.Chief Executive Kerry Gregory said no frontline firefighter positions were impacted, although some supporting functions might change.”This proposal is about ensuring we are best positioned to deliver a modern and responsive…
Central Nelson retailers are looking forward to the end of major roadworks on their doorstep as some businesses struggle with fewer customers.The Nelson Turkish Kebab House has seen a 70% drop in profit, said owner Hayati Unudulmaz. He blamed reduced foot traffic and street parking caused by the ongoing Bridge St upgrades.“Everyone wants the [car]parks. We opened the back door [to Buxton Square carpark], but also people don’t know,” he said.“I have four staff. I have contracts. I need to pay the wages.”Hayati Unudulmaz says his kebab shop has seen a significant drop in profit due to roadworks. (Source: Local…
The scale of the destruction is worthy of a certain blockbuster movie set against Tongariro in the role of Mt Doom.Drone footage by Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) has revealed large tracts of Tongariro National Park blackened with ash from a huge wildfire that broke out over the weekend. After an epic effort to contain the massive vegetation blaze, Fire and Emergency NZ today handed back control of the area to the Department of Conservation (DOC).Parts of the park’s infrastructure were destroyed in the fire. (Source: Supplied)Damian Coutts, DOC Central North Island operations director, said the department took the lead…
Published on 13/11/2025 – 11:45 GMT+1 •Updated 14:08 The European Commission will probe whether Google is unfairly demoting news sites in its search results as a result of a policy the tech giant says is designed to fight spam. The EU executive said Thursday it had found “indications” that news sites were being deprioritised in search listings when carrying promotional third-party content, something a Commission spokesperson described as a “legitimate commercial practice” for news organisations. Google is suspected to have applied its policy in a “non-justified way” to news content, meaning “loss of revenue” and “loss of visibility” for media,…
Breakfast hosts Jenny-May Clarkson and Chris Chang shared a heartfelt moment as they opened the show this morning, after it was announced Clarkson would be leaving the show. After 20 years with TVNZ, and five as co-host of Breakfast, the former Silver Fern said she was leaving with gratitude and pride. Her final appearance on Breakfast will be on Friday, November 21.”It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to be invited into your homes every single morning,” Clarkson said.”I am going to miss that… But I’m not going to miss getting up at three o’clock in the morning.”…
An 18-year-old man has been charged with arson after a fire destroyed the old Fitzherbert Tavern in Palmerston NorthThe fire on October 30. was deemed suspicious following initial enquiries and scene examination.Detective Senior Sergeant David Thompson said members of the public and CCTV footage helped identify and locate the man.”Our investigation has identified a number of individuals who had been in the building during the afternoon of the incident, and they have been spoken to as part of our enquiries,” Thompson said.He said further action against those people was also likely.Emergency services responded to the fire at 5.15pm on the…
Political pressure is mounting on Belgium to lift its reservations and agree to a bold plan to issue an unprecedented reparations loan for Ukraine using the Russian frozen assets. The proposal would see a €140 billion loan issued as the main financing vehicle to fund Ukraine’s military and budget needs for the next two years. The idea is groundbreaking and support for it is intensifying after the European Commission and finance ministers praised its merits as the best option available. “My takeaway is that the Commission’s proposal is the best and most realistic option and should be treated as a…
ASB has allocated $1 billion to a land optimisation programme which is projected to add up to $4.5b to GDP over the next five years. In what has been described as a first for New Zealand, the bank’s Every Hectare Matters initiative will fund independent agri-consultants to develop optimisation options specific to farmers’ land, goals and succession needs. It will lend up to $5 million per customer, with wraparound advisory support over five years to help bring their new model to life. The greatest opportunity is cited within sheep, beef and Māori land. ASB general manager rural Aidan Gent described…
Customs has arrested five people in just over a week while seizing 51kg of methamphetamine at Auckland Airport.The drugs have a total street value of approximately $15.2 million.In the first incident on November 2, three United States nationals aged between 31 and 48 arrived on a flight from Los Angeles.A baggage search of suitcases belonging to one of the passengers uncovered nearly 30kg of methamphetamine in 11 vacuum-sealed packages, with a street value of $8.9 million.The trio were arrested for their roles in the smuggling attempt.A week later, a 69-year-old French national travelling from South Africa was arrested after Customs…
By Euronews Published on 13/11/2025 – 17:00 GMT+1 Italy’s Chamber of Deputies Justice Commission has approved an amendment to the sexual violence bill to include mandatory consent, in a shift from previous law that focused on physical coercion or threats. The amendment, presented by Michela Di Biase of the Democratic Party (PD) and Carolina Varchi of Brothers of Italy (FdI), was backed directly by party leaders Elly Schlein and Giorgia Meloni following contacts in recent days, according to parliamentary sources. “This is an important step forward for the Italian penal code,” Di Biase said during commission proceedings. “This new text represents…