Author: Press Room
About 100 people crowded into the Whakatāne District Council chambers yesterday in a show of support for the restoration of Ōhope Beach’s iconic West End walkway.A second meeting room with video and audio links to the chambers was opened to accommodate supporters of Austin Oliver and Angus Robson’s proposal to allow volunteers to restore the track.Four years after the section of Ngā Tapuwae o Toi walkway between Otarawairere Bay and West End, Ōhope, was closed by slips, the track around a steep, rocky point providing one of two access points to the secluded Otarawairere Bay remains closed.Oliver and Robson told…
The Trump administration has released a new National Security Strategy for the United States in which it describes Europe as a continent in decline, warns that European nations are facing “civilisational erasure” because of migration and proposes to “cultivate resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations”. Published on Friday, the strategy spells out the administration’s vision for the US’s role in the global order, doubling down on President Donald Trump’s “America First” mantra and insisting that he is a “president of peace” who will err on the side of non-interventionism. However, it also accuses European governments of “subversion of…
A second teenager has been charged with being involved in a series of crimes across Christchurch, including the stabbing and robbery of a dairy owner.Officers were called to a report of robbery and assault carried out by three people at a business on Opawa Rd shortly before 7am on Tuesday.”During the incident, the store owner was stabbed, causing serious injuries to him,” Christchurch District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill said at the time.The trio fled the scene in a vehicle – a silver Toyota MarkX – taking a till and “other items” with them.It followed at least four reported aggravated robbery…
Concerns have long been expressed about vapes making teens more susceptible to nicotine addiction. However, Belgium’s first-ever drug commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch, has warned that there is a much darker side to the use of e-cigarettes among youngsters. She told Euronews that children could get “hooked” on the hidden opioids found in illegal vapes. “I’m very concerned about illegal vapes,” Van Wymersch said in Euronews’ flagship interview programme 12 Minutes With. “Of all the illegal refill capsules for vapes which we have seized [in Belgium], more than 80% contain synthetic opioids, and they don’t have a specific smell or colour.”…
A recall has been issued for three Tom & Luke brand Low Carb Snacka Balls products due to the possible presence of hard plastic. The affected products include batches of its chocolate-coated Cookies and Cream (BB: 11 SEP 2026), Raspberry (BB: 15 SEP 2026, 11 SEP 2026, and 16 OCT 2026), and Hazelnut (BB: 03 SEP 2026 and 11 SEP 2026) Snacka Balls.The products were sold at selected retail outlets and supermarkets across the country and exported to Australia.”These products should not be eaten. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that’s not possible,…
The European Commission slapped a €120 million fine on Friday on Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for the first time under its landmark Digital Services Act following a two-year investigation. At the centre of the probe is the blue checkmark, previously used to signal official accounts at no cost but now sold for €7 a month, which risks confusing users about the veracity of identities. Under the new X settings, an account with a checkmark may not signal a real user and could instead be a bot, the Commission said. As a result, it decided…
Three men have been charged with selling cannabis and possession of cannabis for supply, following an operation targeting the supply of illicit drugs in Masterton.The men – aged 21, 22 and 43 – were arrested on December 2, after a search warrant was carried out at a residential Masterton address.Officers found 273.6g of cannabis, packaged and ready for sale, along with various items used in the sale and supply of dugs during the search. Officers found 273.6g of cannabis, packaged and ready for sale, and several imitation and modified air rifles. (Source: NZ Police)Police also found several imitation and modified…
More than 4000 people have been affected by an Inland Revenue error that could have meant they paid the wrong amount of tax.RNZ was contacted by a reader who said he had noticed the error when he went to finalise his tax return.Inland Revenue now issues income tax assessments each year for most New Zealanders, which tells them whether they have paid the right amount of tax.The man said he and his wife would fill out an IR3 every year. “Nowadays the income, tax and imputation credits are automatically filled in, whether that be from investments in bonds, equities, or…
Housing Minister Chris Bishop might be encouraging tenants to negotiate a cheaper rent deal as prices drop — but how exactly do you do that?RNZ reported that rents were at their lowest level in two years in September.Bishop said after a select committee hearing on Wednesday that tenants should take the opportunity to ask for lower rent if they could.We talked to two tenancy experts about how you might do that.Arm yourself with dataBoth David Faulkner, a property management expert and general manager of property management at Property Brokers, and Sarina Gibbon of Tenancy Advisory, said it would be important…
Published on 05/12/2025 – 11:22 GMT+1 Europe will never go back to Russian energy after Moscow’s all-out war in Ukraine, Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen told Euronews’ flagship morning show Europe Today, adding that a new law to ban Russian oil is in the works and will be presented soon. Jørgensen described the EU27’s ban on Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a point of no return moment for the bloc during an exclusive interview with Euronews. “Even when there’s peace, we won’t buy Russian gas again. Our agreement will stand even after a peace agreement between Russia…