Author: Press Room
Since arriving emaciated in Italy from Gaza, little Shamm Qudeih has celebrated her second birthday and gained weight on a new diet that includes a special porridge – progress welcomed by doctors treating her for severe malnutrition worsened by a genetic metabolic disease.Just weeks ago, the toddler was all skin and bones as she clung to her mother in a hospital in southern Gaza. She spent being unable to get the food and treatment she needed because of an Israeli blockade aimed at pressuring the Hamas militant group to release hostages. Then she was evacuated to Italy for medical treatment,…
The Regional Development Minister is talking up a plan to burn woodchips and sawdust to power a paper mill – and talking down his coalition partners.Shane Jones, at New Zealand First’s annual meeting, said Cabinet had tasked him with looking into an on-site generator for the Kinleith paper mill, to be fuelled with by products.He told reporters at the event Cabinet had not set a specific limit on funding, but it was to come out of the Regional Infrastructure Fund.Whether it took the form of a loan – as National has typically preferred – or a grant, was yet to…
Te Pati Māori’s Oriini Kaipara says she was surprised by her decisive victory over Labour’s Peeni Henare as the “new kid on the block” in Tāmaki Makaurau.Kaipara scored a decisive win over the Labour list MP in yesterday’s by-election, with the candidate retaining around 64% of votes and a 2900-vote lead in a preliminary count.The candidate spoke to TVNZ’s Marae this morning, alongside party co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, about the party’s retention of the seat. “I went up against Labour, and not just anybody — Peeni Henare. I know I’m the new kid on the block. I’m not…
The Chase star Mark “The Beast” Labbett has been described as “the worst loser in the world” by fellow Chaser Darragh Ennis following a series of dramatic walk-offs and outbursts on the set of the UK game show.Ennis, who joined the show in 2020 and was known to fans as the Menace, made the comments during an appearance on the podcast Dempsey’s Dozen hosted by Ian Dempsey.He said the Chasers took losing seriously, recalling a recent episode where Labbett stormed off set after losing in the final seconds.”Mark is, and he would not mind me saying this, the worst loser…
Rotorua Lakes Council is pleading for residents to make “informed choices” before getting a dog, as it aims to put down fewer animals.While rehoming statistics were positive and euthanasia rates trending down, the council said it was still “deeply upsetting” for animal control staff to put down impounded puppies.In the calendar year to August 31, the council euthanised 98 dogs. This was tracking lower than in the past two full financial years – 439 in 2023-24 and 379 in 2024-25.Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston saw this decrease as “heartening”, alongside the rehoming of 135 dogs so far in…
Three people have been arrested after $12,000 worth of tobacco was stolen from a Porirua store, police say. An alleged burglary took place on Main Rd, Tītahi Bay about 10.40pm on Thursday, when offenders took off with a suitcase of cigarettes in a waiting vehicle.Police tracked down three people of interest thanks to help from community members, said Kāpiti Mana Area Commander Inspector Renée Perkins.”Thanks to the people who reported that suspicious behaviour, we were able to prevent a significant loss to a local business,” A 19-year-old Porirua man and two teenage boys have been charged and are due to…
A committee of MPs is pushing for a law change which stops some children of parents born outside marriage getting New Zealand citizenship.Earlier this year, BBC journalist Laura Ancell told 1News about her journey to uncover her family’s history, and her subsequent fight for her New Zealand lineage to be recognised with official citizenship by descent.Ancell had struggled to obtain this for herself because of her father’s “illegitimacy”, and was told that because her father had been born to unmarried parents, he would not have been granted citizenship.The rule applies to people born overseas before 1977.As an individual, unrelated to…
The body of a person has been recovered from the sea near Raglan after police say they reportedly fell into the water near Te Akau Split Rock.Officers were alerted to the incident at about 10.40am yesterday.”A rescue helicopter located the person about 11.30am, but sadly they were deceased,” a police spokesperson said.”The body has been recovered and inquiries are ongoing,”
Te Pāti Māori’s Oriini Kaipara will become the next MP for Tāmaki Makaurau after handily winning yesterday’s by-election against Labour’s Peeni Henare. The Electoral Commission confirmed that 9377 ordinary votes were counted on election night, according to a preliminary count. There are still an estimated 2621 special votes to be counted, expected to account for around 21.8% of total votes. Early results from the by-election had former broadcaster Kaipara in a commanding lead.Te Pāti Māori’s candidate held 64% of the vote with around a 2900 vote lead over her Labour rival, who is already a party list MP in Parliament.…
Former National Party MP Harete Hipango has joined New Zealand First.Hipango was MP for Whanganui from 2017 to 2020, and returned to Parliament on the list in May 2021 after the resignation of Nick Smith.She put her name forward to contest the Te Tai Hauāuru seat in the 2023 election – the first National MP to contest a Māori seat since the 2002 election – but was unsuccessful, coming third behind Te Pāti Māori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Labour’s Adrian Rurawhe.Hipango told RNZ whether she was considered for a role will be a matter for the New Zealand First leadership to…