Author: Press Room

Thirty-eight European Parliament lawmakers from four political groups wrote a letter to the European Commission urging an end to funding for all Libyan security forces. The MEPs asked the Commission to condemn what they call the violent actions of the Libyan Coast Guard against humanitarian vessels in the Mediterranean, and to “immediately halt all forms of support — financial, technical, or operational — to the LCG, the (Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration) DCIM and any other Libyan entity.” Following the ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi and the end of the civil war in 2020, Libya remains politically divided, with two…

Work on the West Coast’s long-awaited new conservation management strategy is officially on hold – pending new laws controlling what can and can’t be done on public conservation land.More than a thousand people responded to a survey last year on what was important to them on West Coast conservation lands and waters; how those places should be managed and what activities should be allowed where – including commercial ones.DOC, Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board had almost reached the point of public consultation on a new draft conservation management strategy (CMS).And at the board meeting…

Two journalists, one imprisoned in Belarus and the other in Georgia, have won the European Union’s top human rights honour, the Sakharov Prize, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced on Wednesday. Andrzej Poczobut is a correspondent for the influential Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. He was convicted of “harming Belarus’ national security” and sentenced to eight years, which he is serving in the Novopolotsk penal colony. Mzia Amaghlobeli, a prominent journalist who founded two of Georgia’s independent media outlets, was convicted in August of slapping a police officer during an anti-government protest. She was sentenced to two years in prison in…

Dairy giant Fonterra will spend $75 million to expand butter production as it looks for earnings growth after the sale of its global consumer business.The investment at its Clandeboye plant in South Canterbury would increase the site’s butter production capacity by up to 50,000 metric tonnes a year.The announcement comes ahead of next week’s farmer shareholder vote on its $4.22 billion deal to sell Mainland Group to French company Lactalis, as Fonterra looks to focus on its ingredients and foodservice businesses.”We’ve said that through focused execution of strategy, we are targeting our earnings to be back at FY25 levels by…

European Union countries are mulling how to respond to China’s sweeping restrictions on rare earths, a decision that has reignited a high-stakes commercial confrontation that Brussels had hoped to resolve at a summit in July. The issue is poised to come up during a summit of leaders on Thursday, even if no specific item is foreseen on the agenda. “It’s an important topic that leaders are aware of,” a senior EU official said. During preparations for the summit, France raised the subject of rare earths and suggested wording be added to the conclusions, several diplomats told Euronews. Poland supported the…

EU environment ministers have again delayed a decision over national emissions targets for 2035 and 2040, just weeks before the UN climate change summit in Belém, Brazil, where the bloc is expected to present its contribution to green goals. Pressure to set an ambitious 2035 target to present at COP30 comes as the EU is struggling to settle a 2040 climate goal at home. Both targets will affect European industries through major upfront investment and the reskilling of workers, ultimately sending a strong signal to businesses and investors. The European Commission has proposed a binding target of 90% emissions reduction…

Opposition parties have promised to repeal the coalition’s changes to the Marine and Coastal Area Act (MACA) if re-elected.The coalition has pitched the changes as restoring the legislation to its original intent, while critics argue they diminish Māori rights.The MACA law was introduced by National in 2011 in response to Labour’s highly controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.It has been contested in the courts, with a key Court of Appeal ruling making it easier for groups to win customary title in 2023.Govt facing major pushback over foreshore and seabed legislation changes – watch on TVNZ+The Supreme Court went on to…

The EU’s trade rules have been called into question after US President Donald Trump shared a video on his Truth Social platform, which claims to show Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attempting to strike a direct trade deal with the US. On 19 October, Trump shared a link to an X postwhich has amassed thousands of likes and shares, with a caption alleging that Meloni has “defied the EU”. “In a stunning political move, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced that Italy will ignore EU trade rules and strike a direct deal with Donald Trump’s administration, effectively breaking ranks with…

BNZ has cut most of its fixed home loan rates from today.It’s the second cut to interest rates BNZ has made since the Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate by 50 basis points on October 8. Six of the banks’ standard fixed loan rates were dropped by between 0.04% and 0.40%.The new rates will be effective as of today. The biggest cuts were for five-year rates (dropping 0.40% to 4.99%), and two-year rates (dropping 0.16% to 4.49%) Other cuts included six-month loans, which dropped to 4.79% (down 0.10%), 18-month loans, which fell to 4.45% (down 0.04%), a three-year loan,…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including fire destroys homes near Kaikōura, wild weather set to intensify, and the memoir by Prince Andrew’s accuser is published.Five homes are among 14 buildings destroyed around Kaikōura after strong winds fanned flames. The bad weather is set to continue today. The posthumous memoir by Prince Andrew’s accuser, Virginia Giuffre, has been published. A planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to discuss peace in Ukraine has been put on hold. Health officials here are urging vigilance, as more measles cases emerge. A Parkinson’s disease patient has played her clarinet during brain surgery…