Author: Press Room

An Auckland man controlled two teenagers “as if they were his property”, put them to work and kept their money, a jury has been told.Moeaia Tuai, who is 63, is standing trial on two charges of dealing in slaves.He is also accused of two rapes, eight charges of indecent assault, six of sexual violation by unlawful connection and assault with a statue and a broom.”The modern-day charge of dealing in slaves might not match the picture of slavery you might have in your mind, perhaps, or the ball and the chain and someone holding a whip,” Chis Howard, prosecuting, told…

ADVERTISEMENT Europeans continue to grapple with the idea of a potential summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, which would mark the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Putin, a man under sanctions and an arrest warrant, sets foot on European soil. As they gathered on Monday for a meeting in Luxembourg, foreign affairs ministers of the European Union walked a fine line between supporting Trump’s diplomacy and defending the integrity of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where Putin is wanted for the deportation and transfer of tens…

Would-be Kaipara mayor Snow Tane is seeking a vote recount.Tane is just 21 votes behind incoming new mayor Jonathan Larsen after Friday’s local election results.Dargaville’s Tane has 3117 mayoral votes, compared with Topuni’s Larsen on 3138 votes.Matakohe’s Dr Jason Smith, who achieved 3081 votes, has confirmed he won’t be seeking a mayoral vote recount. He was 57 votes behind Larsen, 36 votes behind Tane.Tane confirmed this afternoon his team will be lodging an application for a judicial vote recount in the Whangārei District Court before the end of today.Newly-voted-in Larsen will be completely knocked out of Kaipara District Council (KDC)…

Published on 20/10/2025 – 13:37 GMT+2 German social media users have been widely sharing a picture that they say shows supporters of Russia flying in a hot air balloon emblazoned with the face of President Vladimir Putin in Berlin. In the photo, we can see Putin against the colours of the Russian flag, with the balloon flying over the Brandenburg Gate and the Fernsehturm, or TV Tower. One of the users sharing the picture appears to affiliate themselves with the far-right AfD party, adding captions that say that “political sympathisers” of Putin were responsible for the balloon, which was flying…

ASB has cut a number of its fixed-term home loan rates.Its six-month rate will drop by 10 basis points, from 4.95% to 4.85%. Its 18-month rate will drop by four basis points, to 4.45%.The two-year rate drops to 4.49% and the three-year to 5.79%. The four-year rate falls to 5.09% and the give-year to 5.15%.The latest consumer price index update showed inflation was hitting the top of the Reserve Bank’s target band, with a 3% year-on-year rise.But economists did not expect it to alter the direction of interest rates, at least in the near term.Kiwibank’s economists said the result was…

Key diary dates Monday 20 October : European Parliament — debate on the decision to impose a fine on Google: defending press and media freedom in the EU. Tuesday 21 October : 2026 Commission work programme Communication on the generational renewal in agriculture 2025 annual overview report on simplification, implementation, and enforcement Thursday 23 October : EU leaders meeting in Brussels to discuss Ukraine, the Middle East, European defence and security, competitiveness and twin transition, housing and migration. In spotlight ADVERTISEMENT The European Commission is set to unveil its 2026 work programme on Tuesday, outlining the new initiatives planned for…

New Zealand households are wasting an average $1300 each per year on unused food, and a misunderstanding of best before dates may be part of the reason.Love Food Hate Waste has released research that shows that confusion over food date labels could mean millions of dollars’ worth of food is binned unnecessarily each year. It is estimated that New Zealanders collectively waste about $3 billion worth of food every year.Love Food Hate Waste’s research showed one in 12 people incorrectly thought food should not be eaten after its best before date.A third thought, “use by” was only a quality guide.…

An Upper Hutt academy will become New Zealand’s first sports school when it opens as the latest charter school early next year.The New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa (NZPAA) would open its doors in term 1 2026 with the aim to support students with sporting ambitions with skills for a professional career alongside academic education.The NZPAA joins Aotearoa Infinite Academy, which is based online, Te Aratika High School in Hawke’s Bay, and Altum Academy in Wellington as new charter schools opening in Term 1 next year.It would be based at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport, which is where…

Annual electricity price increases are at their highest since the late 1980s, as Stats NZ reveals inflation has risen to 3.0% — now sitting at the top of the target band.The latest consumer price index figures show inflation to the September quarter sitting at the top of the Reserve Bank’s target band after four quarters comfortably within it. The household essential that’s helped push inflation to 15-month high, watch on TVNZ+It’s the biggest jump in 15 months, with electricity prices spiking in a way not seen for decades. Economists had picked the 3.0% figure in their forecasts for today’s release.Stats…

An Auckland plasterer who defrauded the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy scheme of more than $125,000 has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.Deva Brown Phuhathakarn, a plasterer from Avondale, was sentenced in the Waitākere District Court on October 15 after pleading guilty to two representative charges of using a document for pecuniary advantage.The charges related to 23 applications Phuhathakarn submitted between March 2020 and March 2021 under his own name and thorugh his company Complete Plastering Solutions Limited.Nine of the applications were successful, resulting in $125,103.20 paid into his bank accounts. The remaining 14 claims, worth $33,976.40, were…