Author: Press Room

Community housing providers will be able to borrow money at a cheaper rate as the Government pushes social agencies to build more homes.Reforms that would allow the fast-track of medium-size greenfield developments were also announced today.Housing Minister Chris Bishop revealed the Government would provide $150 million for lower-cost debt in a speech to KangaNews Debt Capital Markets Forum in Auckland on Thursday.Housing Minister Chris Bishop. (Source: 1News)Government housing agency Kāinga Ora had an arrangement to borrowd through the Crown which gave it a competitive advantage, compared with community housing providers which borrowed through the private market, he said.Community housing providers…

Four of the five elected parties in Greenland agree to form a broad coalition on the eve of US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the arctic island. ADVERTISEMENTGreenlandic lawmakers agreed on Thursday to form a new government, banding together amid pressure and renewed threats from US President Donald Trump to annex the Danish crown Arctic nation.Four of the five parties elected to Greenland’s Parliament earlier this month have agreed to form a coalitional that will have 23 of 31 seats in the legislature. The agreement is set to be signed on Friday, according to local media.The agreement comes as…

A second senior manager has left Orana Wildlife Park amid major changes to leadership at the embattled Christchurch zoo.The park confirmed today that Rachael Mason, the manager of exotic species, has resigned.This follows the resignation of the park’s former long-time chief executive Lynn Anderson late last year after 28 years in the top job.Both changes come after a 1News investigation into the park in 2024, where 20 current and former Orana staff raised concerns about the way staff – and animals – were treated.The whistleblowers leaked photos and videos that exposed several previously unreported incidents at the park, including a…

A privately-owned Greymouth landfill that has been prosecuted for breaching its resource consents and health and safety rules wants to expand its operation.Taylorville Resource Park Ltd is inviting public comment on its plans, on its website and in newspaper advertisements.The company is applying to the West Coast Regional Council for a Class 2 landfill consent that would allow it to dump more contaminated material at its site overlooking the Grey River.The company says its current consents have 17 years to run, but their complexity make them unfit for purpose.It can lawfully dispose of clean fill, demolition and construction waste, asbestos,…

The French Foreign Minister’s two-day visit to China is an opportunity to gauge Beijing’s attitude toward Ukraine ahead of major talks on a possible European peacekeeping force. ADVERTISEMENTFrance’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has started a two-day visit to China, holding talks with his Chinese counterpart on the war in Ukraine and longstanding trade disputes between China and Europe.Barrot met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said in a news conference that both countries should “choose multilateralism over unilateralism…and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes instead of decoupling and isolation”.His words echoed language frequently used by China to criticise US foreign…

Auckland’s first dog adoption centre in south Auckland is offering a new leash on life to abandoned and forgotten canines in the region.The Pukekohe Adoption and Education Centre opened in March to ease the pressure on Auckland Council’s other shelters in Manukau, Henderson and Silverdale that were almost always at capacity.Less than half of roaming dogs in the region were reclaimed by their owners last year – the lowest level in a decade.The Pukekohe centre takes in unclaimed dogs from council’s three animal shelters, to train and prepare them for forever homes.Senior shelter operations Kayleigh Hatcher said since they opened…

In 12 EU countries, women’s satisfaction with the quality of care has decreased, with Greece reporting the lowest score at 32%. ADVERTISEMENTAustria was the top country in Europe for women’s health, ranking third on a global index, according to a new study. Finland, Germany, and Denmark also took places in the top 10 of the world’s best countries for women’s health. This is the fourth year that the company Hologic has published the Women’s Health Index, a survey conducted among 146,000 participants from 142 countries and territories. The data was gathered in 2023 and analysed in 2024.The research takes into consideration criteria such…

A councillor says Ruapehu District Council should apologise for plans to dump a small town’s recycling station.Councillor Fiona Kahukura Hadley-Chase says the council should keep Raetihi’s recycling station open and work with the community to find a sustainable solution that meets the town’s needs.“We haven’t done enough to support them. We owe the Raetihi community an apology,” Hadley-Chase told fellow councillors at yesterday’s council meeting in Taumarunui.Her comments followed a community consultation session in Raetihi on Tuesday night seeking residents’ views on recycling issues.“They do so well in their waste management. They love their community,” Hadley-Chase said.“We need to re-think,…

The two ministers had planned to speak with the interior and foreign ministers of Syria’s interim government and with representatives of UN agencies. ADVERTISEMENTThe German and Austrian interior ministers have cancelled a planned trip to Syria because of a possible threat to their delegation, German authorities said.Germany’s Nancy Faeser had planned to visit Damascus with her Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner on Thursday, with a German military plane set to fly Faeser’s delegation into Syria from Jordan.But her ministry said that the two ministers decided to break off the trip before the flight could depart from Amman “because of concrete warnings by…

The critically acclaimed New Zealand TV show After The Party, co-created by actor Robyn Malcolm, has been nominated for a British Bafta TV award. The show, written by Dianne Taylor and filmed on location in Wellington, has been nominated for the best international series award. The show follows Malcolm’s character, Penny, who accuses her husband, Phil, of a sex crime against her daughter’s teenage friend. Nobody believes her, and five years later, Phil returns from Scotland and moves in with Penny’s daughter and grandchild.The show found success in the UK after it was released by Channel 4. You can watch…