Author: Press Room
A man has been charged with murder after a woman’s death in Christchurch yesterday evening. Emergency services were called to Lamorna Road in Parklands at around 7.50pm following reports that a woman had suffered critical injuries. “The woman was unresponsive when emergency services arrived and tragically was unable to be revived,” Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said. A 36-year-old man was taken into custody a short time later and was charged with murder. He was due to appear in the Christchurch District Court this morning.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including Ozzy Osbourne dies, a worrying find on Rakiura Stewart…
A person has been killed in a house fire in New Plymouth.Emergency services were called to the single-storey house on Oranga St just before 11pm on Wednesday.Fire and Emergency shift manager Belinda Beets said an adult was found dead in the blaze, while a child was in hospital with burns to their hands.It was initially reported as a bedroom fire, however, firefighters found it “well-involved” upon arrival.Beets earlier said it was unclear whether everyone had escaped the fire because “people kept going back into the house, so we weren’t sure if everyone was out or not”.That prompted an immediate response…
By Euronews Published on 25/07/2025 – 7:30 GMT+2 •Updated 8:16 ADVERTISEMENT After the one-day EU-China summit, the European Union announced on Thursday a tentative agreement with China to alleviate restrictions the country had placed on critical exports of rare earths. How soon might this agreement yield results? What more progress can be expected ahead to ease the lingering trade and political tensions between the two sides? Euronews reporters will explain the upshot of the Beijing meeting on Euronews’ Europe Today special summit edition. Anchor Mared Gwyn Jones also quizzes electric vehicle boss Lothar Schuppert, the acting CEO of China’s Zeekr, about…
Rotorua Lakes Council has thrashed out two proposals that will shape the city’s future approach to water and treated wastewater services.But it was not straightforward in the meeting on Wednesday, with councillor Robert Lee’s suggestion to dump treated wastewater into a stream rebuked by fellow councillors, and debates over mana whenua and te ao Māori principles.Rotorua’s current wastewater system uses spray irrigation in the Whakarewarewa Forest under a temporary agreement until 2026.The council was voting on whether to establish a Recovered Water Working Group to assess alternatives and recommend a new permanent discharge method by early 2027.The vote was divided…
Published on 25/07/2025 – 7:45 GMT+2 •Updated 7:49 ADVERTISEMENT The sophisticated pro-Russian disinformation campaign, dubbed Matryoshka, has ramped up its efforts to spread propaganda in Moldova. It aims to discredit its pro-European Union government as parliamentary elections loom, according to a study. The transparency tool NewsGuard said that the operation promoted false claims that Moldovan President Maia Sandu embezzled $24 million (€20 million) and that she’s addicted to “psychotropic drugs”. It said that one campaign alone targeted Moldova with 39 made-up stories in three months since the elections were called in April this year, compared to zero the year before.…
Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura has retired after 37 years of service.Police Minister Mark Mitchell said Kura had notified the Governor-General of her intention to retire from the role and from New Zealand Police in November this year.”I wish to acknowledge Deputy Commissioner Kura for her service, and I wish her and her family the best for the future.”Kura was the first female police commissioner in November last year on an interim basis after Andrew Coster stood down and before Richard Chambers was appointed.In 2023, she was also the first female police officer to be appointed deputy commissioner.Kura joined police…
By Mared Gwyn Jones & Jeremy Fleming Jones Published on 25/07/2025 – 7:00 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT China’s electric vehicle (EV) company Zeekr is committed to a broad expansion throughout the EU despite tariffs slowing its pace, the company’s top European executive has told Euronews. Lothar Schubert, the acting CEO of Zeekr Europe — which is the EV arm of Geely Holdings, one of the Chinese companies targeted by EU tariffs last year — told Euronews’ Europe Today the brand was “committed” to Europe. Last October the EU slapped steep duties on China-made electric vehicles (EVs) to offset the effects of Chinese state subsidies, including…
South Park co-creator Trey Parker had the briefest of responses on Friday to anger from the White House over the season premiere of the animated institution, which showed a naked President Donald Trump in bed with Satan.“We’re terribly sorry,” Parker said, followed by a long, deadpan-comic stare.Parker was asked for his reaction to the fracas as he sat on the stage at San Diego’s Comic-Con International at the beginning of a Comedy Central animation panel that also included his South Park partner Matt Stone, Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge, and actor Andy Samberg, who co-created the animated Digman!Earlier in…
A group of healthworkers — including specialists, GPs, nurses and paramedics — have signed an open letter to MPs asking them to waive private healthcare during their time in office.Politicians making critical decisions about the public health system system — to cut funding, defer maintenance, or implement restructures — should not be allowed to “insulate” themselves against the consequences, they write.Their prescription?All MPs — and the families of Cabinet ministers — should rely on the public system.The group’s spokesperson, Northland cardiologist Marcus Lee, said the public deserved leaders who were so committed to public healthcare that they were willing to…
Local council rates have increased by 7% to 12% a year on average across the country over the last four years, ANZ economists say. In their latest Property Focus update, they examined the rise in council rates as one of a number of costs of ownership that had increased significantly since the pandemic, alongside insurance and interest rates. “Interest costs are now falling, and insurance and maintenance costs have, on average, largely stopped increasing. However, council rates bills continue to shoot upwards.” Council rate inflation hit a record-high of 12.2% across the country last year. ANZ’s economists said councils had…