Author: Press Room

Police now say they believe a woman who died after being stabbed on an Auckland bus this week may have known the man charged with her murder.The woman died after she was stabbed on a bus in Onehunga on Wednesday.On Thursday, 37-year-old Kael Austin Leona of Onehunga was arrested after handing himself into police.He appeared in court on Friday charged with murder – as well as with threatening to kill another woman on the same day, among other charges.Police initially said it was believed the woman and her attacker were not known to each other – but in an update…

Sections of South Island state highways remain closed this morning due to surface flooding and slips as the cleanup continues from the weekend’s wet weather.MetService issued severe weather warnings and watches yesterday and NZTA said weather was affecting all state highways across the top of the south.State Highway 6 remained closed between Murchison and O’Sullivans Bridge and between Kawatiri and Kohatu this morning.”Avoid this route or delay your journey if possible,” said an NZTA spokesperson.Flooding also closed State Highway 6 between Inangahua and the Lower Buller Gorge on the West Coast.NZTA said this meant access from Nelson and Blenheim to…

Auckland and Wellington commuters and long weekend visitors are being warned both city’s trains will shut down because the tracks and stations are closing for maintenance and upgrades.Auckland Transport is replacing all trains with buses from late Friday evening until Tuesday.AT said its partners, including KiwiRail, will be carrying out essential work in preparation for the City Rail Link (CRL) underground metro which is due to open in early 2026.Buses will also be replacing trains in the Wellington region over Labour weekend.KiwiRail and Greater Wellington are midway through a major project aimed at providing faster and more frequent commuter train…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ A move to remove New World and Pak’nSave online shoppers’ ability to sort items by price is “surprising and disappointing”, Consumer NZ. The change had been made “quietly” to both supermarket brands’ websites, the consumer advocacy group said. Consumer NZ spokesperson Chris Schulz said shoppers were used to having the option, and other retailers, including The Warehouse and Woolworths, still offered it. But he said New World and Pak’nSave now defaulted to sorting by popularity. “Such a move may limit options for shoppers and ultimately bolster supermarket profit margins at the expense of local suppliers,”…

MetService has issued a number of severe weather warnings and watches impacting areas across the country as New Zealand enters the long weekend.NIWA Weather said on X: “A smorgasbord of active weather will affect NZ on Saturday.”Snow in Twizel this morning. (Source: Kat Corlett)Orange heavy rain warnings have been issued for the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti/Gisborne from 9pm tonight to 9am tomorrow; the Tasman District west of Motueka from 9am to 6pm today; Canterbury High Country from 9am to 8pm today; the Richmond and Bryant ranges, also the Rai Valley from 9am to 8pm today; and…

The fence at the worksite of a controversial sewerage scheme was taken down on Friday while Rotorua’s council awaits a court decision to continue.It is the second time Rotorua Lakes Council has asked the court for help to progress its $29 million Tarawera Sewerage Scheme.The first time was in May when it applied for an injunction to stop “interference” with the construction of the scheme. It proposed a 1m buffer around the work zone on Tarawera Rd.It followed protest action earlier in the year, with mana whenua holding concerns the pipeline was through a wāhi tapu area at Lake Rotokākahi,…

New Zealand has no action plan to meet its commitments towards a global agreement, likened to the Paris Agreement on climate, that aims to halt biodiversity loss, environmental advocates say.They say the lack of a plan is disappointing and proposed legislation, such as the Fast-track Approvals Bill and RMA reform, puts the country even further at odds with reaching its targets.New Zealand was one of 196 countries to sign the United Nations Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. The overarching goal of the agreement is to halt and reverse the loss of nature.A summit underway in Colombia until November 1…

Moscow has capitalised on political instability within the EU and NATO’s south-eastern member Bulgaria ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENTBulgarians are voting on Sunday in the seventh general election in just over three years, as their country faces growing political instability that could encourage the rise of pro-Russian and far-right sentiment. Only two of the six general elections since 2021 have produced an elected government. However, they both collapsed after trying to introduce reforms and cut remnants of the country’s reliance on Russia. The latest vote held in June produced no clear winner and the seven factions elected in the fragmented…

ASB Bank services are back up and running after customers reported issues accessing its mobile app and online banking services on Saturday morning.In an update on X, the bank said the ASB mobile app and other online banking services were now back up and running as normal.Earlier on Saturday, it said it was aware some customers were having issues accessing the ASB mobile app and other online banking services.”Our teams are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”Credit and debit card payments are not affected.”We’re sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience.”There were more than 5000…

Police will “increase their presence” on Auckland’s public transport network after the fatal stabbing of a woman on a bus earlier this week, the Government has announced.Police Minister Mark Mitchell said police have increased staff presence across public transport to “improve safety and provide reassurance to workers and users”.”This attack has shaken Aucklanders, and particularly public transport users … Kiwis deserve to be able to get on a bus, train or ferry and be safe doing so,” he said.The Government also signalled tougher consequences for people who commit offences. Transport Minister Simeon Brown said he would be asking the “justice…