Author: Press Room

In the past 15 years, the average Kiwi household mortgage repayment has nearly doubled.The sharpest rise was in the last couple of years — with the average repayment going from $475 a week in 2022, to $606 a week in 2023.Jackson Hapeta told First Up he was one of those homeowners who got caught in the rise when he had to re-fix his loan.The interest rate on his mortgage went from around 2.5% to nearly 7%.His repayments went up by about $1000 a fortnight, and he said it has been difficult balancing the books.”We had to cut back on quite…

The EU institutions have been on hold since the European elections in June. The EU executive was supposed to be up and running on December 1st, but a clash among political groups might delay the start. ADVERTISEMENTDoubts are growing over whether the European Parliament be able to approve the new European Commission, the EU’s arm executive, on 27 November as planned.On Wednesday, the European People’s Party (EPP), set to secure the most European commissioners, threatened to block the appointment of Spain’s Teresa Ribera. They demanded the competition commissioner designate explain in a Spanish court why her government failed to anticipate…

Police say there is growing concern for the welfare of a Porirua man as time passes since he was reported missing on Sunday.Graham Russell Smith, 77, was last seen on November 10 in the vicinity of the Doctor Track on the Colonial Knob walkway. He was reported missing at around 6.30pm the following day.Police said ongoing searches will utilise the efforts of police search and rescue and land search and rescue volunteers.The Police National Dive Squad searched reservoirs in the reserve on Wednesday and Thursday, while Fire and Emergency assisted police by using a drone with thermal capability.A CCTV image…

At least 200 drivers employed by ride-hailing platforms including Uber are demanding lower commissions, higher pay rates, and unified rules for taxis and so-called street cabs in Belgium. ADVERTISEMENTThe demonstration in Brussels on Thursday was organised by the Belgian Association of Limousine Drivers and involved drivers working for ride-hailing platforms including Uber and Bolt.Some of the drivers said they were on the brink of filing for bankruptcy due to rising commissions and competition from other ride-share apps and traditional taxis.The protesters met with unions before heading to the Brussels parliament and Uber headquarters where they vented their frustrations.Shah Syed, a…

A Taranaki building company has gone into liquidation owing creditors hundreds of thousands of dollars and leaving families with unfinished projects.JT Construction trading as Level Build New Plymouth went into voluntary liquidation last week.According to liquidators Insolvency Matters the company, whose sole director and shareholder was Jarom Tipene, owed unsecured creditors $400,000 and Inland Revenue $250,000.Cass Gray and her husband Darren contracted Level Build to do a $400,000 fixed-price extension and renovation of their Vogeltown property in New Plymouth.She said they first got wind something was up when a friend they had organised to do the kitchen cabinetry had not…

Thursday’s game was held in a tense atmosphere and under exceptional security measures a week after violent clashes broke out in Amsterdam between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli football fans. ADVERTISEMENTHundreds of protesters gathered in a suburb north of Paris on Thursday night, just two kilometres away from the Stade de France, where a controversial UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel took place.Many at the protest in Saint-Denis denounced France for hosting the game and expressed their anger that President Emmanuel Macron and other prominent politicians attended.”Every evening, I walk around listening to Palestinian songs and I cry for…

The man in charge of the country’s public health system has stepped in to ensure all staff can still have a drink of Milo at work.In a message to staff posted on an internal web page yesterday, Health New Zealand advised that an earlier decision to restrict supplies of the beverage had been personally overturned by the commissioner, Dr Lester Levy.”Milo will remain available to all. Authorised staff will be able to make Milo purchases using the same system as before. We appreciate all the work that you are doing – thank you.”Dr Levy was installed as commissioner by Health…

An investigation into mass illness among residents at a Canterbury University hall has confirmed “contamination of a chicken dish” due to unsafe preparation processes was to blame. More than 150 students from University Hall fell sick after their dinner on November 3, in the middle of the busy end of year exam period. Health New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries worked together to establish the bacteria Clostridium perfringens was the cause.It came from inappropriate handling of shredded chicken served to students as part of their meal. New Zealand Food Safety’s deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said “both the bacteria…

A French military taskforce is wrapping up training of a new brigade of several thousand Ukrainian fighters who will be joining the war against Russia. They will be armed with France-supplied tanks, artillery canonn and other heavy weaponry. ADVERTISEMENTThe group of 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers known as the ‘Anne of Kyiv’ brigade, which has undergone two months of intense military training in eastern and southern France, is being put through its final paces before returning to Ukraine.Once deployed, the French-trained brigade could prove to be a formidable force on the battlefield. It will eventually comprise 4,500 troops formed of infantry battalions,…

An investigation by the police watchdog has found an officer was justified in shooting a man who had been holding a screwdriver to a woman’s throat.The findings come after an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation into the death of 36-year-old Tane Wipa, who died of a cardiac arrest after being shot by police at a rural property in Wainuiomata near Wellington in November last year.The details of the incident were released by the IPCA today.Police were first called to the Coast Road property at around 11.45am on 16 November 2023 after witnesses saw the man assaulting his partner on…