Author: Press Room

A person was found dead following a house fire in Hastings yesterday afternoon. Emergency services were called to Tamatea Street in Mahora at around 2.40pm yesterday.Two fire trucks were called to the blaze, which was subsequently extinguished. One person was found dead. “The formal identification process is ongoing, as is the investigation into the circumstances of the fire,” police said last night. Cordons were in place on Tamatea Street between Duke Street and Tamatea Place while emergency services remained at the scene. The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a big bank’s prediction for interest rates coming down, Trump’s warning…

“You get what you put in.” That has been the philosophy of Dunedin business leader Neil Finn-House, who leaves the city this week for a new role in Wellington as chief commercial and operating officer at Business Central NZ/Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Mr Finn-House has spent nearly 12 years as chief executive of the Mitre 10 Mega Dunedin business, alongside a strong involvement in the business community since moving south from Tauranga in 2003. “It’s been very, very good to me, this city,” he said. The Englishman started in the retail industry as an 18-year-old and moved to New Zealand…

In a case of double vision that nobody can explain, shoppers in Napier can buy their groceries from one of two Woolworths in the central city that are diagonally opposite each other.The two stores – Woolworths Carlyle, or until recently Countdown Carlyle, and Woolworths Napier, formerly Countdown Napier, are separated only by a street.They’ve both in recent days rebranded to Woolworths, but their continued existence has raised plenty of questions.Is this an example of landbanking? No, says Woolworths. Or is it some mistake?Author of the Napier in Frame blog Andrew Frame is an expert on the supermarkets’ histories.”Carlyle was a…

An alternative proposal to retain 100% farmer ownership of Alliance Group is not credible in the time-frame set by the company’s banking partners, chairman Mark Wynne says. Five Southland farmers have written to fellow shareholders outlining a plan to recapitalise Alliance, rather than selling a 65% stake to Irish company Dawn Meats Group for $250 million which is proposed subject to shareholder approval. Yesterday, Mr Wynne said the new proposal risked giving farmers “false hope”, adding those behind it did not have access to the full financial information, much of which was commercially sensitive. “To meet today’s banking requirements, farmer-shareholders…

A vehicle was driven into a restaurant and a fire started during a burglary early this morning in Auckland’s Orewa. The offenders were still on the run, and an investigation into the incident has been launched by police. Police were called to the Shoreward Gastrobar on Hibiscus Coast Highway at around 12.40am, following reports that a vehicle had been used to break into the business. Footage from the scene showed the vehicle fully inside the restaurant, with the front door smashed open. “It’s understood the occupants of the vehicle have then set fire to the premises before fleeing on foot,”…

BNZ will cut its standard one-year fixed home loan rate by 26 basis points to 4.49%. BNZ customer products and services executive Karna Luke said the bank was continuing to compete hard for new loan customers by offering attractive rates.”We’re seeing strong customer demand for our 1-year fixed term as borrowers look for the right balance between securing a competitive rate and maintaining flexibility in an evolving rate environment.”He said the cut would provide “meaningful savings” for new and existing customers.”At 4.49%, this is a nearly 40% drop from the February 2024 peak of 7.35% for the 1-year fixed term…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a big bank’s prediction for interest rates coming down, Trump’s warning over a Gaza peace plan, and the Wallabies get reinforcements for the weekend’s All Blacks clash. One of the big banks has predicted ‘aggressive’ interest rate drops before Christmas. Police are on the hunt for the people who allegedly drove a car into a building and then set it on fire. Donald Trump has issued a warning to Hamas, if they don’t agree to the latest proposal for peace in Gaza. Experts warn our measles vaccination rates are too low to prevent…

A man already facing firearm and drug charges after a traffic stop in New Lynn last week is now facing further charges, following the discovery of a second weapon and more drugs during a police search warrant in Glen Eden.The 36-year-old, who was forbidden to drive, was initially stopped in New Lynn last Tuesday, with a loaded sawn-off shotgun, methamphetamine, and $5000 cash found in his vehicle.He was charged with breaching bail, unlawfully possessing a firearm and failing to comply with the terms of his licence.Detective Senior Sergeant Josh Lautogo said the Waitematā gang disruption unit then executed a search…

ADVERTISEMENT Earlier this month, Ireland threatened to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel’s bid were to proceed. “RTÉ believes that Ireland’s participation would be unacceptable given the appalling loss of life that continues in Gaza”, Irish public broadcaster said in a press release on 12 September. The move was the latest in a long line of demonstrations, boycotts and calls for sanctions, as the majority of Irish people remain highly supportive of Palestine and critical of Israel. 71% of those polled believe that the Palestinians live in an apartheid set up by Israel, according to a poll carried…

The Government has met three out of five milestones in the first year of measuring its health targets, with the Health Minister celebrating shorter waits and faster cancer treatments.But child immunisation rates are still short of where the Government hoped they would be, with Northland significantly lower than other regions, and shorter stays in emergency departments are just shy of its milestone.Last year, the Government set five targets to measure progress in the health system, with the hope of improving healthcare in New Zealand.90% of patients to receive cancer treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat (first annual…