Author: Press Room

Ten-year-old Evelyn Sykes is a marvel at getting money out of stone.Her love of painting stones and hiding them in parks for others to find — known as happy, smiling, or kindness stones — has now become a means of raising money for community projects in Sykes’s hometown of Carterton and neighbouring Masterton. Setting up “stone” stalls on the roadside and outside supermarkets has seen her raise more than $1500 for Wellington Free Ambulance’s new station being built in Masterton. She’d hoped her contribution would pay for the entire project, but at $7 million and counting, she’s three or four…

A Wellington musician convicted of rape can now be named as Martin Ditlhabi.Warning: This story discusses rape and sexual assault.He was found guilty in November of one charge of rape in a retrial — after previously being cleared of other sexual assault charges — and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.The now 27-year-old was arrested after a raft of sexual allegations on social media.Ditlhabi had lived in New Zealand since 2009, after he and his family emigrated from Botswana.They first moved to Tauranga and later settled in Wellington where he went to high school.During the first trial…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says anyone with evidence about claims of a paedophile ring involving politicians and civil servants in the 1980s should go to police.The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s report was made public on Wednesday, and included a small section about a confidential separate investigation into claims of a paedophile ring in the ’80s.The report said the investigation began early in the inquiry’s process and considered seven broad allegations, including that children were sexually abused by former central government politicians and prominent public servants in Horowhenua and Wellington.However, it said the investigation was challenging and…

Police are seeking witnesses after a motorcyclist died after colliding with a parked vehicle while fleeing police in Gisborne yesterday. A 36-year-old Gisborne man died following a crash on State Highway 35 at about 4pm.”From our initial inquiries, police had stopped the man near Makaorori Beach due to his speed, but the rider fled before officers could speak to him,” Inspector Darren Paki said.A blue vehicle was nearly hit as the motorcyclist attempted to overtake a truck. He then collided with a parked vehicle. “The man crashed a short time later and died at the scene, despite the efforts of…

A man and woman from Kaikōura have been charged and are due to face court after police allege they were supplying illicit drugs. The man, 43, was arrested this morning after he attempted to drive home after being in the North Island. Police allege the trip was made for the purpose of “restocking the pair’s supply of methamphetamine”.A search of his vehicle lead to the discovery of 85 grams of methamphetamine, a “small amount” of cocaine and “other items consistent with being equipment used in the supply of controlled drugs”.The Tasman Organised Crime Unit then executed a search warrant at…

The fires, reported before dawn on Friday, paralysed train travel into Paris for around 800,000 people across Europe, including athletes heading to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. ADVERTISEMENTTechnicians from France’s high speed railway network have started to repair fire damage caused by arsonists that took place hours before the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony.The fires paralysed train travel into Paris for around 800,000 people across Europe, including athletes heading to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.Targeting remote locations far from the capital, the apparently coordinated attacks sought to cut off rail routes into the city from all directions.The…

Police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a man with a warrant to arrest in relation to multiple serious offences.Toka Vercoe, 40, is believed to be located in the Bay of Plenty area.”He is believed to be dangerous and should not be approached,” a spokesperson said.Anyone with relevant information that could assist in locating Vercoe should contact police on 111 or 105 if it is after the fact.

The coalition government has released its Q3 action plan (July 1 to September 30, 2024).  The plan includes beginning public consultation on reform of the Holidays Act and deciding, at a cabinet level, on legislative amendments to clarify the employment status of contractors. Contractor Status The proposed contractor law reform is driven by Act New Zealand. Act is proposing to amend the Employment Relations Act to exclude independent contractors from the definition of ‘‘employee’’ so that contractors who have explicitly signed up for a contracting arrangement cannot challenge their employment status in the Employment Court. Act proposed that contracts would…

Three university students with a shared love of nature and exploring completed an “epic” challenge earlier this week by visiting all 51 of Auckland’s mainland volcanoes in just over 16 hours.Nicholas Carlyle, Henry Nicholson and Jacob Warren began their 248km journey across the city at 7am at the summit of Mount Victoria and wrapped it up at the summit of Mount Eden at 11.15pm — an average of one volcano visited every 19 minutes.Carlyle said the trio like to take on “big challenges” and that last summer the group trekked the length of the East Coast Bays from Long Bay…

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark has been requested to make a “sincere” apology to the public after dodging an opportunity to present at a council meeting.The embattled mayor was a no-show at a Friday meeting held specifically to discuss an investigation into his behaviour on a television show.During his March appearance on New Zealand Today, Clark repeated the ‘n-word’, insisted host Guy Williams say it, used a homophobic slur, and featured a book titled Twisting the Treaty — A Tribal Grab for Wealth and Power.His behaviour was described by an independent investigator as “disrespectful, discourteous, insulting, degrading, offensive, and/or discriminatory”.No explanation…