Author: Press Room

Legislation boosting marine protections in the Hauraki Gulf has passed its third reading, but not without criticism over a carve-out for commercial ring-net fishing in high protection areas.The Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill builds on decades-long efforts to protect the gulf from the degradation of human activities.It extends two existing marine reserves, where removing any marine life is prohibited, and establishes five seafloor protection areas (SPAs), where the bottom of the ocean can’t be significantly disturbed.The bill also establishes 12 high protection areas (HPAs) where a range of activities, including most commercial and recreational fishing, are prohibited.These HPAs…

Disgraced former realtor and convicted fraudster Aaron Drever has been handed more jail time for concealing income and property that could have been used to pay creditors while bankrupt. Drever, who was already behind bars for insolvency crimes, was sentenced to a further eight months in prison at the Auckland District Court on Monday. His latest sentence was for continually lying about being unemployed and on the benefit, when he was actually working. The sentence handed out Monday was the latest in a saga of legal troubles for the once high-flying real estate agent and business owner. He had been…

Whakatāne mayoral candidate Wilson James says he has no idea who is placing replica volleyballs from the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away on his election signs – but says it adds a fun element to his campaign.The Awakeri farmer and rural councillor for Rangitaiki ward said at least four of the balls had been placed as of last week and appeared to move from sign to sign from one week to the next. “Someone is going to some effort to do it as most signs are not only quite high off the ground, requiring a ladder, they also have to…

ADVERTISEMENT On Tuesday, events across Germany commemorated the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had some strong words of support for Israel. “As a German, I am automatically the clearest defender of Israel, not just as Johann Wadephul,” he told Paul Ronzheimer, host of Germany’s number one daily current affairs podcast. Wadephul praised himself for being “the one who always stands most clearly on Israel’s side” when he is surrounded by his EU counterparts in Brussels. At the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Tuesday, the names of the Israeli victims on that day…

Thirty paintings created by the bushy-haired, soft-spoken Bob Ross will soon be up for auction to defray the costs of programming for public US television stations suffering from cuts in federal funding.Ross, a public television stalwart in the 1980s and ’90s, “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone”, said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.”Bonhams in Los Angeles will auction three of Ross’ paintings on November 11. Other auctions will follow in London, New York,…

Police update on the investigation into a fatal house fire in Auckland’s Bucklands Beach last week. Two people were killed in the fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday, October 2. Two others were injured in the fire.Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va’aelua, spoke with media from the Counties Manukau Police Station.

ADVERTISEMENT France’s political and economic woes are not yet ringing alarm bells across the EU, but concerns are rising that a prolonged crisis could impact the eurozone’s growth prospects and negotiations for the bloc’s €2 trillion long-term budget. The French government of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has been in caretaker mode since Monday morning after it spectacularly collapsed less than 24 hours after its ministers were announced. At the heart of the crisis are disagreements in the hung parliament over how to bring the country’s strained finances into order. The political deadlock — Macron burned through his fifth prime minister…

There are renewed calls for the Government to fund more counsellors in schools, as new research shows demand for mental health support among students continues to climb.A new Barnardos Aotearoa survey of schools has found more than half believe existing counselling services are failing to meet the needs of their students.Seventy-six per cent of schools reported an increase in students seeking counselling, up from 60% in 2023.Barnardos’ chief executive Matt Reid said the rise reflected the wider challenges many children faced.”Poverty, housing, family violence – one in eight children in New Zealand are currently living in material hardship. So, there…

For Ngamako Rota, hauora isn’t found in a clinic or a wellness app, it’s found in the whenua, the awa, the misty mornings, and the rhythm of her feet hitting the road at 5am. Looking out to Rangitoto and being five minutes from Auckland Viaduct. In this Re: News partnership with Department of Conservation (DOC), Ngamako Rota (Waikato) talks about finding the balance between being an urban Māori, while also being connected to her whenua back home. Through her mahi as a cultural liaison at Middlemore Hospital, her boxing training, waka ama, daily runs and her deep connection to Rāhui…

The sister of US country legend Dolly Parton is asking for prayers, two weeks after the singer postponed her Las Vegas residency, citing unspecified “health challenges”.The Jolene singer, 79, postponed her first Las Vegas residency in 32 years on September 30.”My doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” Parton said on social media. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”The philanthropist said the decision was made to postpone the residency as she was “not going to be able to rehearse…