Author: Press Room

ADVERTISEMENT Many EU products currently pay high export tariffs to the Mercosur bloc, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Some notable examples are cars (35%), wines and spirits (up to 35%), cheese (28%) and machinery (up to 20%). With the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, these tariffs will be eliminated or significantly reduced, creating new opportunities for a market of 780 million consumers, representing 25% of world trade. The European Commission has just presented a proposal for the ratification process of the political agreement reached in December 2024. However, farmers, environmentalists, some groups in the European Parliament and member states oppose the agreement.…

A Dunedin automation and robotics company hopes to grow its workforce in the city by 50% over the next five years. Scott Technology unveiled its five-year strategy, “Destination 2030”, at its inaugural investor day in Auckland last week. In a statement to the New Zealand stock exchange, the company said it was targeting $530 million in revenue by 2030, up from $276m reported in the 2024 financial year. Chairman Stuart McLauchlan said yesterday the announcement was a big one for Dunedin. The company was growing and keeping its base in Dunedin, whereas many other companies over the years had moved…

A Motueka woman who has limited use of her arm says she’s in limbo after a public referral to a specialist was declined. Maria Best had been on opioids for for years to cope with worsening pain in her left arm, which had now started to impact her right arm too. “The pain down my arms is like being stung by a thousand bees on the inside,” she said. In 2014 she was in a workplace accident and eventually underwent spinal surgery. Doctors treating her found a rare brain condition and a second surgery saved her life. She said she…

ADVERTISEMENT In an interview with Euronews, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas confirmed the strategy to suspend trade-related provisions within the Israel-EU Association Agreement.   The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner. “We have a trade of 42.6 billion euros with Israel, in 2024. So, it is a significant amount. And when it comes to the preferential treatment, then 37% of that trade really has preferential treatments. So definitely this step will have a high cost for Israel”, Kaja Kallas confirmed.  However, it’s up to EU member states to decide if the measure can pass, and so far,…

A person has been injured and a gun has been fired at a vehicle following an altercation outside an Auckland supermarket this afternoon.Police said they were called to a supermarket in Hobsonville around 4.40pm following reports of an incident unfolding.”At this stage it appears an altercation between two groups of people has taken place,” Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Renfree said.A gun was fired towards a vehicle in the carpark during the incident, he said.”Thankfully there were no reports of injury in relation to this.”However, one person was taken to hospital with moderate injuries after being injured with a weapon.Renfree…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a record run for Geordie Beamish at the world champs, the most expensive place to rent isn’t Auckland or Wellington, and Trump might save TikTok.Geordie Beamish has stunned the athletics world to win the 3000m steeplechase at the World Championships in Tokyo. A group of clergy are still chained to the door at Nicola Willis’ electorate office, wanting more sanctions on Israel. Otago now has the highest median rent in the country, according to new TradeMe data. The White House says the framework of a deal to save TikTok in the US has…

Analysis: Public interest in the wellbeing of Tom Phillips’ children is understandably high. After almost four years in isolation – away from family, social supports, friends and schooling – what will be the impact of their experiences since being abducted? Kirsty Ross explains.The traumatic circumstances of their father’s death, and the shooting of a police officer, add to concerns about the immediate and long-term needs of the children, particularly for the oldest child who was present.Many questions remain unanswered about why the search went on so long. But what we do know about children in these situations is that parental…

ADVERTISEMENT Germany must come up with “measures” and “bring alternatives” to break the EU’s deadlock on Gaza, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in an exclusive interview with Euronews. Kallas spoke as Israel toughened its military campaign in Gaza and launched a ground offensive on Tuesday.  She also spoke a week after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during her State of the Union speech that she would propose to suspend its “bilateral support” with Israel and partially suspend the trade parts of the EU-Israel association agreement. To make good on von der Leyen’s announcement, Kallas told Euronews that the…

A group of priests spent the night chained together outside Nicola Willis’ Johnsonville office, calling on the minister to “come and break bread”. The protesters chained themselves to the door yesterday in a call for the Government to impose sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza and for New Zealand to recognise Palestine as a state. The group remained chained to the door this afternoon and said they would stay until Willis met with them. A second group of priests were trespassed after staging a sit-in at Health Minister Simeon Brown’s electorate office in Pakuranga, Auckland.Rev Mel McKenzie of…

Multiple warnings and watches have been issued with heavy rain and strong winds forecast to lash most of the South Island and the lower North Island on Wednesday into Thursday.MetService said a front preceded by a “humid” northwest flow would move across the country from late Tuesday until Thursday.Several orange-level heavy rain warnings have been issued for the South Island.Up to 200mm of rain is expected in the ranges of Westland and the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, with peak intensities reaching 35 mm/h. Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound was also under a warning, with up…