Author: Press Room

A man has been arrested and charged with murder after a person was fatally struck by a car in Auckland last night.Emergency services were called to the scene on Lanham Lane in Massey around 6.50pm on Tuesday, police said.Waitematā CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Williams said a vehicle had struck the victim on the driveway and was driven away from the scene immediately afterwards.”Sadly, despite the best efforts of ambulance staff at the scene, the victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene,” he said.Williams said the vehicle involved in the crash was found and seized from an Avondale address…

Human Rights Watch alleged abuses and illegal pushbacks at the border between Poland and Belarus, asking the Polish government for accountability towards rights of asylum seekers. ADVERTISEMENTViolent illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers are taking place at the border between Poland and Belarus, a report by Human Rights Watch revealed on Tuesday (10 December). The report, based on in-depth interviews conducted in November 2024 with 22 asylum seekers, states that border officers are preventing individuals arriving from Belarus from applying for asylum, even after they have crossed into Polish territory. This includes cases where Polish border officials apprehended migrants several kilometers…

Scientists have revealed the reason the Southern Alps turned a red colour in the summer of 2019 and 2020. Victoria University of Wellington researchers studying the environmental phenomenon found desert dust storms that sent massive amounts of red dust across the Tasman Sea was to blame, and the event was likely to occur more often as the climate warms.”Media reports in 2020 generally assumed the blanket of red on the mountains was caused by ash swept across the sea from Australia’s devastating New Year bushfires,” said the study’s lead author and environmental scientist Holly Winton. “But the red dust that…

A motorcyclist crashed and died shortly after a police pursuit earlier this year – with a watchdog finding the officer failed to comply with police policy during the chase.The crash occurred on State Highway 30 in Whakatāne on March 16.The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) today revealed the motorcyclist was pursued by an officer before the crash but, “on the available evidence, the authority was unable to conclude that the officer’s actions caused the motorcyclist’s fatal crash”.”The motorcyclist crashed a short time after the officer abandoned the pursuit, and died at the scene.”The incidentThe officer recorded the Harley Davidson travelling…

Independent commissioner Gina Sweetman heard about “nauseating odours” endured by logging yard employees near the Kawerau worm farm over the past 10 years, at a hearing on Tuesday.The hearing, held at Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Whakatāne office, was to hear submissions and reports on Ecocast’s application for resource consents from the regional council and Whakatāne District Council to expand its worm farm operation on the outskirts of Kawerau.The worm farm has been operating since 2008, but increased the amount of biosolids it received from council wastewater plants as it took on waste from more Bay of Plenty councils, including…

A number of kapa haka preparing for next year’s Te Matatini are mobilising to draft submissions on the government’s proposed Treaty Principles Bill, and they’re increasing awareness by posting a challenge on social media for other kapa to jump on board.North Auckland-based Te Uri o Manumanu, who qualified in Te Taitokerau regional haka competition, held their haka wānanga over the weekend and took time out of learning waiata and choreography to hold a workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.Te Uri o Manumanu kapa haka holding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and submission workshop. (Source: Te Karere)Kapa leader and tutor Joe Pihema…

The president of Napier’s Mongrel Mob Barbarian chapter, Heil Dogg, is being farewelled at a tangi on Friday.Police are preparing for a large number of gang members from across the country to visit the region, and say extra staff have been called in to monitor the funeral.Angus Benson — also known as Angus Ratima and Heil Dogg — would be taken from Palmerston North Hospital to his mother’s place in the Napier suburb of Maraenui, and then to the Mongrel Mob’s Napier Aoteoroa gang pad for his final night before the funeral on Friday.A social media post about the tangi…

A search warrant has been executed at Dunedin’s King Cobra gang pad this morning, which police believe was linked to a “stolen to order” crayfish theft crime ring.Three search warrants targeting two individuals and three residential and commercial properties in Dunedin were carried out at 7am, police said, after a “months-long investigation” into the alleged theft of 3750kgs of commercial crayfish.The crayfish, which police say were stolen from a local business between October 2023 and October 2024, left “huge” losses and a “significant impact” on the victim.Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said “Operation Larry” had been targeting a “large-scale, organised crayfish…

An electrical fire broke out at Auckland strip club Showgirls this morning.Firefighters were called to the scene in Auckland’s CBD at about 11.30am, a Fire and Emergency (FENZ) spokesperson said.Eight firetrucks and a support vehicle attended, the spokesperson added.Police said a stretch of Customs Street East was closed to traffic due to the incident.Emergency services responded to a fire at Auckland strip club Showgirls this morning. (Source: 1News)”The road is closed between the intersections with Commerce and Gore streets,” a statement said.”Fire and Emergency NZ are currently responding to a fire. Those heading into the CBD are advised that closures…

Two new ferries for the Cook Strait are expected to begin operation in 2029, the Government has announced.The price of the new ferries was not revealed, however, with Finance Minister Nicola Willis saying it was commercially confidential until procurement and negotiations for landside infrastructure were completed.“However, a funding envelope has been established and the costs are expected to be much less than would have been the case with Project iRex – even once break fees are included.”Winston Peters was appointed Minister for Rail today. In 2018, the coalition between Labour and New Zealand First struck a deal for two mega…