Author: Press Room

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has received Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk in the Ukrainian city of Lviv on Tuesday. Tusk expressed his country’s unwavering support to Ukraine, as Warsaw gears up to take-over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. ADVERTISEMENTPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reaffirmed Warsaw’s commitment to Ukraine’s support as it continues to fend off Russia’s invasion. The Polish premier made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian city of Lviv on Tuesday where he met President Zelenskyy.Tusk gave Zelenskyy assurances that Poland is a partner Kyiv can rely on. “Our history is both complicated and…

The government is removing four wellbeing provisions from the Local Government Act, saying councils were using them to justify spending on nice-to-haves.The local government minister says the provisions were leading to rates increases, but Labour says there is no evidence of that.On Monday, Simeon Brown said the government wanted local government to get back to basics, namely pipes, potholes, and core services.”It is clear that rates are out of control. These increases are unacceptable to ratepayers, and unacceptable to the government,” he said.Brown said the wellbeing provisions (adding the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of communities to the statutory…

Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has been the subject of a Japanese arrest warrant for more than a decade. ADVERTISEMENTAnti-whaling activist Paul Watson was released from prison in Greenland on Tuesday and will not be extradited to Japan over criminal charges dating back to 2010, according to Danish authorities. The US-Canadian citizen, 74, had been in custody in Greenland — an autonomous territory of Denmark — since July when he was arrested under a Japanese warrant after his ship docked at the island’s capital, Nuuk. Japan had issued an international arrest warrant for Watson, the founder…

Whakaari/White Island could be entering a “new eruptive episode”, volcanologists say.In a volcanic activity bulletin released on Monday, GNS Science duty volcanologist Agnes Mazot said the volcano had been seen producing larger steam and gas plumes and the occasional “passive” emission of volcanic ash.”The volcano is not actively erupting but the current activity could be leading to a new eruptive episode.”The Aviation Colour Code has been raised to orange while the Volcanic Alert Level remained at 2.Orange indicates that the volcano is “exhibiting heightened unrest with increased likelihood of eruption”. Alert Level 2 indicates volcanic unrest hazards and the potential…

In this episode we ask why the EU is determined to reduce the protected status of wolves, a species almost extinct in this part of the world about a century ago. ADVERTISEMENTWolves are now present in almost all EU countries and their numbers have increased from 11,000 in 2012 to more than 20,000 last year. Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and Spain have populations of more than 2,000.The species that was almost extinct in the mid-20th century recovered after being granted strict protection status by the Council of Europe’s Berne Convention in 1982 and the EU Habitats Directive in 1992.But farmers in some EU Member States called for…

Orana Wildlife Park will temporarily stop importing animals from other zoos following a major investigation into its animal welfare procedures and culture. The investigation report was put together by experts at the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia and has found a need for significant change at the Christchurch zoo. It will have an immediate and lasting impact at Orana, which is now promising to make significant reforms that stretch right across its operations. Those changes will include the creation of a new animal welfare advisory group, a fresh review into the park’s governance, a plan to change its culture…

Western naval nations have vowed checks on a network of ageing tankers that may be helping Putin circumvent sanctions and fund his war effort. ADVERTISEMENTEU authorities will now demand papers from ageing oil tankers which may pose an environmental threat, and help Russian President Vladimir Putin fund his war, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Tuesday. The remarks come just a week after the EU imposed new sanctions on around 50 ships that Moscow is believed to be using to evade western price caps on crude oil exports.  “Yesterday we decided together … to do more to disrupt and deter…

A hearing panel has recommended approval of a plan to extend Nelson Airport’s runway to the north.Nelson City Council will vote on the contentious matter on Thursday, however it has limited legal grounds to reject the panel’s recommendations.An extended runway is sought to improve safety and to better cater for future growth and low-emission aircraft, which the airport has argued will be heavier and thus need a longer runway.The airport has said the extension was not about catering to commercial jets to land which would require another consultation and planning process.The runway is proposed to be extended north, towards Tāhunanui,…

Although informal, parliamentary intergroups are a mirror of Europe’s ever-changing priorities—part tradition, part reinvention, and occasionally, a little bit of whimsy. ADVERTISEMENTAs the European Parliament embarks on a new legislative mandate, fresh topics are set to capture the attention of MEPs and bring new Parliamentary ‘intergroups’ to life.These intergroups—informal networks of MEPs from different political groupings—focus on specific issues, often with input from civil society.Although not official parliamentary bodies, intergroups are formally recognised by the Parliament and established at the start of each term.For this tenth legislative term, political groups have approved a list of 28 intergroups. Many are being…

Bluey is heading to the big screen.The Walt Disney Co and BBC Studios announced overnight that a film based on the hit Australian animated series will arrive in theatres in 2027. The movie will be written and directed by series creator Joe Brumm, with a voice cast led by the series’ regulars, including Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack.According to the companies, the CGI-animated film will “continue the adventures of Bluey, a lovable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo”.”I’ve always thought Bluey deserved a theatrical movie,” Brumm said in a statement. “I…