Author: Press Room
A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific Island nation earlier this week.The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from the Vanuatu government.The 7.3 magnitude quake struck on Tuesday, and more than 200 people were injured.People about to depart Vanuatu on a RNZAF Boeing 757 (Source: NZDF)The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said late last night that a flight carrying 93 passengers, almost all Kiwis and their families, had left Port Vila at about 7.45pm New Zealand time.”A small number…
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s expressive face has often led to her being romantically paired with other prominent global figures online, and her recent appearance with Elon Musk has prompted the emergence of “Muskloni” fans. ADVERTISEMENTA video circulating online appears to show Tesla CEO Elon Musk sharing a passionate embrace with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.The clip has been widely shared across social media platforms like X and Instagram, often with captions suggesting the pair’s affection for one another. One caption, for instance, reads “è amore,” meaning “it’s love” in Italian, which is often considered one of the most romantic…
Wellington City Council has agreed to hold off on demolishing the City to Sea bridge for now, following legal action from a lobby group.The council voted earlier this month to tear down the footbridge connecting the capital’s waterfront and Civic Square.A seismic assessment found the bridge was an earthquake risk – though some experts disagreed with that – and council staff deemed the $85m price tag for strengthening it too high.But the Wellington Civic Trust applied to the High Court in Wellington for a judicial review of the decision, after criticising the consultation process.The council had agreed not to do…
Tensions were high at Nelson City Council yesterday as the controversial plan that would allow Nelson Airport to extend its runway north was only narrowly approved.There were claims of intimidation by the mayor and half a dozen points of order were raised as elected members found themselves wedged between a legislative requirements and community opposition.The council delegated its responsibility for hearing submissions on the proposal to an independent panel of commissioners due to the council’s conflicting roles as a 50% shareholder of the airport and as the regulatory authority.Last week, the panel formally recommended to the council that the airport’s…
The installation of a rainbow crossing in Tauranga is bittersweet for the pride advocate who made it happen.The new zebra crossing was installed on Devonport Rd in the city centre on Wednesday flanked by the progress pride flag.LGBTQIA+ advocate Gordy Lockhart told Local Democracy Reporting he was unhappy that Tauranga City Council hadn’t held an opening ceremony for it.Lockhart campaigned for six years for the crossing and petitioned Tauranga City Council for one in April.The council’s community, transparency and engagement committee approved the crossing in September.Lockhart said he was so proud he had a lump in throat when he first…
A homicide investigation has been launched following the death of a man in the Napier CBD early on Wednesday morning.Police were called to the scene near the intersection of Emerson and Hastings streets around 3.15am on December 18, following a report of a person lying on the street.The man has today been formally named by police as Boy Taylor, 58, of Napier.A post mortem has been completed, confirming Taylor sustained injuries consistent with assault, Detective Inspector David de Lange said.”A large team of investigators are working on this investigation and would like to hear from anyone who has information that…
An experienced crew of Kiwi urban search and rescue personnel is set to arrive in Vanuatu later today to assist with search efforts in the wake of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake. At least 14 people are confirmed dead following the 7.3 magnitude quake, with more than 200 injured. An NZDF Hercules, carrying the urban search and rescue personnel, was set to land in Port Vila last night but needed to be diverted to Noumea due to an engine fire warning.In a statement at about 11.40am this morning, the defence force confirmed a second flight had landed in Noumea to recover the…
An Auckland-based labour hire company at the centre of a migrant exploitation investigation is in liquidation, and 190 workers – mostly migrants on work visas – are set to lose their jobs.Prolink NZ was under investigation by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) as early as September last year, after complaints from workers who say they have been cheated out of thousands of dollars, but have had little to no full-time work.Licensed Insolvency Practitioner Pritesh Patel was appointed by Prolink NZ to liquidate the company yesterday.Workers received letters from Patel saying that “further employment is no longer available with the company”.Patel said…
The nation’s stock of rental properties is “abundant”, Trade Me Property says, with listings up 36% year-on-year.The company’s latest Rental Price Index was released this morning. It showed listings were at their highest level since 2019. Listings were up 4% month-on-month.Trade Me Property’s customer director Gavin Lloyd suggested the rise in listings could possibly be caused by “homeowners seeking additional income, an increase in Kiwi moving overseas, or maybe people are simply choosing to not leave the nest and live at home a while longer”.”As a result of the oversupply, landlords may need to soften price expectations to meet the…
MrBeast’s ambitious reality show, which the YouTube megastar hopes will expand his giant online reach and turn the corner on recent controversies, is already raising questions from consumer advocates over a partnership with a fintech company.Prime Video’s Friday premiere of the record-setting Beast Games capped off a tumultuous year for Jimmy Donaldson and his production company. Shortly after reaching never-before-seen YouTube subscriber totals, MrBeast began facing heightened scrutiny over past “inappropriate content”, the channel’s philanthropic efforts, its workplace culture and allegations of dangerous on-set conditions that Donaldson has denied.As MrBeast’s loyal following tunes in to watch 1000 contestants compete for…