Author: Press Room

Cardi B testified that she didn’t touch a security guard who alleges the rapper cut her face with a fingernail and spat on her in an altercation outside an obstetrician’s office during the hip-hop star’s not-yet-public first pregnancy.”She couldn’t get a scratch from me because I didn’t touch her,” Cardi said on the stand in her second day of testimony in a Los Angeles County court.Ron Rosen Janfaza, lawyer for the plaintiff, Emani Ellis, asked her if she had been angry.”Yes I was angry!” Because I’m pregnant!” Cardi replied. “And this girl’s about to beat my ass!”She acknowledged that the…

A survivor of the deadly hostel fire in Wellington more than two years ago, begged emergency call takers for help over the phone, saying “I don’t want to die like this.”Toetu Tui Saili phoned 111 as his room filled with smoke, repeatedly telling them he couldn’t breathe and had no way out. Today, he gave evidence at the trial for a 50-year-old man charged with arson and murder at the High Court in Wellington. The lawyers for the accused man, who has name suppression, were pursuing the defence of insanity. Saili, a former Loafer Lodge resident, was clearly distressed in…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Whether it’s award-winning Napier restaurant Pacifica closing its doors, Wellington brewery Fortune Favours shutting down, or Ponsonby’s KOL hosting its last dinner service, it seems barely a week goes by where there isn’t a high-profile hospitality business closing. Data supplied by Centrix shows there have been 297 hospitality businesses liquidated in the past 12 months, compared to 199 in the prior year. In the past 12 months, 2564 hospitality businesses have shut, 19 percent more than the 2158 a year earlier. Chris Wilkinson, of First Retail Group, said some businesses were reaching a tipping point that…

A recall has been issued for Vimms Enterprises Ltd’s Deep brand of frozen vegetables due to the possible presence of Salmonella. The affected products included all batches and dates of Deep’s Sprouted Mat, Sprouted Moong beans and Surti Undhiu Mix. The products were sold at Arjun Supermarket on Rankin Ave in New Lynn; Lotus Supermarket on Cavendish Dr in Manukau; and Yogiji’s Supermarket on Lincoln Rd in Henderson. Surti Undhiu Mix (vegetable mix) was also sold in ethnic supermarkets nationwide.”Salmonellosis can be serious, so it is important that people do not eat these products,” New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general…

Air New Zealand has announced its earnings for the 2025 financial year, posting a net profit after tax of $126 million. That’s down from $146 million in the 2024 financial year. This afternoon, Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran told RNZ that passengers should expect a 5% increase for airfares soon to offset the rising operating costs.The airline said earnings before taxation were $189 million for the 2025 financial year, compared with $222 million year prior. This result was at the upper end of the guidance range provided to the market in April. Chairwoman Dame Therese Walsh said today’s…

It has all the trappings of reality show Escape to the Country — except this particular couple escaped their country. Anabel Tweedale and Matt Edwards had lived in Sydney all their lives when they decided to up sticks and move to Dunedin to open a boutique hotel. The fact neither had worked in hospitality was a minor detail; Ms Tweedale worked in magazine advertising and Mr Edwards was in office fit-outs. But both were in jobs they were not particularly enjoying and the couple — who have been together 18 months — questioned whether they wanted to continue in those roles for…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including manhunt after Australian police fatally shot, how water could help deal with stress, and the price tag for Taylor Swift’s engagement ring.The man believed to have fatally shot two police officers in the Australia state of Victoria has been identified as a subscriber to the ‘sovereign citizen’ movement. A coroner has recommended lifejackets be compulsory for anyone fishing off rocks. The former CEO of The Wiggles has launched legal action, claiming he was fired unlawfully. A glass of water could help people manage stress, according to new research. ADVERTISEMENTTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce…

ADVERTISEMENT Many people dream of owning the house they live in, and for many Europeans, this dream has come true, as 69% of them are homeowners. A quarter of this group even owns a secondary residence, according to the latest European Housing Trend Report published by international real estate company Re/Max. Bulgaria is the European country with the largest share of homeowners who have a second home. Here, almost half (46%) of respondents own a second residence, which is significantly higher than the European average of 25%. More generally, homeownership is strong in Bulgaria, with 80% of respondents owning at…

A woman who was told by a power company that she should put on more clothes is just one of hundreds of New Zealanders who have told RNZ they are struggling with power bills this winter.Patricia, whom RNZ has agreed not to identify, said her power bill of $420, for herself and two children, made her feel as though she was drowning.”I adjust weekly payments to suit paying it off before the next bill, I’m now at $120 per week. I asked what can I do to the power company – they suggested we wear more clothes.”Another woman said her…

Published on 28/08/2025 – 17:05 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT In Europe, the 2025 wildfire season has broken records for the amount of land burnt. More than a million hectares has gone up in flames in the EU so far this year, a larger surface area than the entirety of Corsica. That’s more than four times as much as last year. In total, more than 1,800 forest fires have been declared, emitting more than 38 million tonnes of CO₂. Out of the European Union’s 27 member states, only the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta have reported no wildfires. At the top…