Author: Press Room

Search efforts have been called off for a boat believed to be carrying 700kg of methamphetamine off Northland’s east coast, police say.Earlier this week, 10 people were charged with conspiracy to import a class A drug and participating in a criminal organised group.The search and charges were part of what police have dubbed “Operation Fantail”, an investigation targeting a transnational organised crime group believed to be facilitating the importation of 700kg of methamphetamine by sea.After appearing in court, nine were remanded in custody, while one person was on bail ahead of further appearances “in the coming months”.Yesterday, police confirmed a…

A man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a security guard in the neck in Auckland’s Newmarket this afternoon.Police said the incident occurred on Broadway at around 2.35pm. There were cordons in place in front of luxury store Moncler.Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said security guards approached a man when he produced a knife.”One of the guards has sustained a serious stab injury to the neck as a result.Scene of an alleged stabbing in Auckland’s Newmarket (Source: 1News)”At this point, we have established they were trying to engage with the man in relation to an earlier incident.””The victim has sustained…

Evidence on the benefits and risks — or lack of either — of puberty blockers when used to treat gender dysphoria in children and young people is limited, the Ministry of Health says.In releasing its long-delayed evidence brief on Thursday, the ministry urged “a more precautionary approach” for the care of adolescents with gender identity issues.”The ministry’s assessment is that the starting point for treatment is a holistic assessment determining the full spectrum of needs a young person may have, including social and mental health,” it said in a statement.”The new precautionary approach signals the need for clinicians to exercise…

Education Minister Erica Stanford apologised in Parliament today after allegedly calling Labour’s education spokesperson Jan Tinetti a “stupid b****” during question time.Tinetti had been questioning Stanford about rural bus routes being cancelled when the Minister mouthed the comment at Tinetti. Labour’s Duncan Webb raised Stanford’s unparliamentary remark with the Speaker and suggested she apologise for her comment. Stanford promptly rose to her feet and said “I withdraw and apologise”. Tinetti told media shortly afterwards what had happened. “She said ‘stupid b-*-*-*-*’ to me except the word…I think she was frustrated and under pressure from the question and that was her…

Pamela Hayden, the longtime voice actor behind Milhouse Van Houten — Bart Simpson’s very uncool friend — is stepping away after 35 years of whining.Hayden, 70, who voiced Milhouse, Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey and Malibu Stacy, will sign off from The Simpsons on November 24 in a Treehouse of Horror episode.”It’s been an honour and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show,” Hayden said in a statement.”Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield. She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss…

Families who set screen time rules for their children promote healthier childhoods with better sleep patterns which could reduce the risk of obesity, according to a new study.Research from the University of Auckland and City St George’s, University of London used data from 5733 children and their mothers, derived from the Growing Up in New Zealand study to investigate how family screen time rules at age two affected childhood obesity at age four-and-a-half.Lead author Dr Ladan Hashemi, a University of Auckland honorary senior researcher in social and community health said the findings suggest that adhering to family screen time rules…

A teenage boy has been charged after a woman was allegedly violently assaulted in Auckland’s Balmoral early this morning.Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said the woman and teen had met at a Balmoral Rd property at around 2am when an argument occurred.Friend said the alleged offender was asked to leave but the “situation escalated”.”The offender forced his way back inside the house and subjected the victim to a violent assault.”He then fled in a vehicle which was seen by a police unit which had arrived at the scene.Friend said the vehicle did not stop for police but was soon stopped…

Hungary has offered to settle its Erasmus dispute with Brussels, which has left 21 Hungarian universities without access to the popular programme. ADVERTISEMENTHungary has made an overture to settle a long-running dispute with the European Commission over access to the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe funds while, in parallel, refusing to pay the fines imposed by the European Court of Justice over serious breaches of asylum law, which have ballooned to €360 million.The first dispute dates back to December 2022, when the Commission excluded more than 30 Hungarian institutions, including 21 universities, from receiving Erasmus and Horizon funds due to the…

Alec Baldwin’s Western Rust has had its world premiere at a film festival in Poland with a dedication to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot in an accident on the set three years ago.Organisers called for a minute of silence before showing the film, which opened to a full house at the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage in the city of Torun, and received applause at the end.Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2021 when the revolver went off,…

Police say officers are ready to enforce new gang laws that will come into effect from midnight. The Gangs Act 2024, passed into law earlier this year, gives police new powers to disrupt and target gang activity from November 21.The legislation prohibits the display of gang insignia in public and provides police the power to issue dispersal notices on gang members who are believed to be unreasonably disrupting the activities of the public.It also provides for the making of non-consorting orders, which prohibits association and communication between specified gang offenders for three years.”With the establishment of district gang units, police…