Author: Press Room
Mature macrocarpa trees at two Invercargill sites are one step closer to being removed due to safety concerns.On Tuesday, the council’s infrastructure and growth committee met to discuss trees located near the intersections of Queens Dr and Don St, and Elles Rd and Tay St.Severe weather on October 23 toppled a tree at the latter site, sending debris across the road.Mayor Tom Campbell said it was lucky nobody was killed.“Because it would not have been an injury, it would have been a death, if one of those trees had come down and hit somebody.”Councillor Andrea de Vries said it was…
Friedrich Merz, the federal chancellor of Germany, will travel to Brussels on Friday to meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a bid to unblock the reparations loan to Ukraine. The three will gather on Friday evening for a private dinner at the Berlaymont building, a Commission spokesperson confirmed to Euronews. A spokesperson for Merz also confirmed the trip, noting the last-minute change of plans had prompted the cancellation of his trip to Norway. The sudden move represents Merz’s most forceful intervention to make the bold proposal a reality and…
Surfers have been towed by boat, jetski, and cable, but a group of Hawke’s Bay enthusiasts have recently pulled off a first in New Zealand by drone surfing.At the Clive River mouth, thrill seeker Jack Jensen became the first in the country to try the new sport as part of a mental health campaign.The “Spark That Chat” campaign, run by Jensen’s production company MSFT Productions, focused on uncomfortable challenges, and has resulted in followers sending in clips from all over the world.“It’s also about putting the phone down, disconnect and reconnect with what is in the present… it’s about ripping…
By Stefan Grobe & Lauren Walker Published on 04/12/2025 – 12:10 GMT+1 •Updated 12:15 The use of drones in the war in Ukraine and the violation of EU airspace by these aircraft requires a realignment of defence strategy, according to the bloc’s top military official. All military, political, and economic structures of the EU must be prepared and ready to defend themselves, the Chairman of the EU Military Committee (CEUMC), Irish General Sean Clancy, told Euronews. To that end, the EU and the NATO alliance need to work together more closely. “There is a stronger relationship required between the EU and NATO. There…
Many shoppers are bracing themselves for chaos as IKEA prepares to open the doors of its Auckland store, the first in the country.Up to 20,000 shoppers are predicted to visit on the first day, and traffic management are warning of 40 minute queues just to get off the motorway, and up to another hour to find a parking space.AUT macromarketing professor Ben Wooliscroft told RNZ the opening was an exciting phenomena for Kiwis.However, with heavy delays and high foot traffic expected, he said there are a few key ways that shoppers can make their experience as enjoyable as possible.Take public…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 13:55 GMT+1 The European Commission has presented a legislative package aiming at fighting drug trafficking, a criminal business that is more and more affecting European citizens’ lives in the form of violence, corruption, environmental pollution, and the exploitation of the legal economy. Illegal drug use is increasing dramatically in the EU, with the situation reaching “a crisis point”, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner declared on Wednesday. Some 7,500 people die in Europe a year because of drug use, he said. 419 tonnes of cocaine have been seized across Europe in 2023, and 500 synthetic drug…
The rumble of thunderstorms across the country this week is a noisy reminder that summer is arriving – and with it, the mix of heat, humidity and unstable air that fuels these bursts of wild weather, writes geography professor James Renwick.Strolling to the Meteorological Society of New Zealand’s annual conference in Hamilton yesterday morning, I could sense this atmospheric shift about me.These early storms sit in a transition zone, where strong daytime heating combines with lingering spring volatility. Put the ingredients together and thunderstorms can form readily.The influence of La Niña, now present in the tropical Pacific, can also provide…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 13:04 GMT+1 The controversial Mina do Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal will retain its official status as a “strategic” project after the European Commission concluded that the venture will not strain water reserves. The project had been recognised by the Commission as “strategic” in March but a public backlash against its impact on the environment and legal challenges held up its development. Meanwhile, Savannah Resources, the Anglo-Portuguese consortium behind the lithium project, conducted an impact assessment of the region’s water resources. The company said that several changes made to the initial project to monitor and…
As 2025 draws to a close, the global web-browsing giant Google has revealed the most common searches among Kiwis this year. The assassinated political commentator Charlie Kirk was New Zealand’s top-trending search in 2025. A spokesperson said Kiwi’s search habits painted a “picture of a population that is pragmatic, hyper-vigilant and digitally aware”.The top three most searched topics by New Zealanders this year were Charlie Kirk – the conservative commentator murdered at an event in Utah in September. This was followed treatments for chronic obstructive lung disease and osteoarthritis.There was also plenty of interest in Marokopa fugitive father Tom Phillips;…
Published on 04/12/2025 – 11:24 GMT+1 As part of the European Commission’s plan to create what it calls “a social Europe”, the Romanian Commissioner will today present the Commission’s plan to upskill workers to adapt to Europe’s current labour needs and prepare them for the green and digital transitions. “Social Europe is not dead. Social Europe is the backbone of the European Union,” Executive Vice President of the European Commission in charge of Jobs and Social Rights Roxana Mînzatu told Euronews’ Europe Today on Thursday. Mînzatu addressed concerns that social rights have been traded off in the name of competitiveness,…