Author: Press Room

Inland Revenue (IR) says even people with relatively small tax debt could expect to receive a phone call chasing them up for it as part of a new effort to stop them spiralling out of control.The department started phoning some taxpayers on October 9, targeting people with more than $1000 in overdue GST or employer tax dating back between six months and five years.It said in a statement that most customers stayed on top of their tax.”But for those who don’t Inland Revenue wants to be clear – ignoring debt will only make things worse.”Customers would be advised of the…

Police have released the name of man who died in a motorcycle crash in Otago over the weekend and thanked members of the public who came to his aid.Emergency services responded to the crash north of Palmerston at the intersection of Horse Range Rd and Trotters Gorge Rd at 2.50pm on Saturday.Trevor John Harris, 57, of Timaru was killed in the crash.Sergeant Tony Woodbridge said police would also like to acknowledge a father and son who came to Harris’ aid.”[They] stopped and helped by administering CPR before emergency services arrived,” he said.”Your efforts did not go unnoticed.”Victim support services had…

By Russell Palmer of RNZ The Regulations Ministry’s next review will tackle the hospitality sector. Minister David Seymour announced the move with Hospitality Minister Louise Upston this morning.  It would cover regulations for restaurants, cafes, bars, food stalls at markets, food trucks, caterers and hotels, but exclude gambling regulations. Seymour said the industry was hit hard by Covid-19, and red tape had made it hard to bounce back. “Every Kiwi has a cafe or bar they wish was still open. Inconsistent requirements cost owners valuable time and money. “For example, some business owners might be required to get resource consents on…

Alec Baldwin and his younger brother Stephen have escaped injury after their vehicle struck a tree in New York.In a video posted to Instagram late Monday (New York time), Alec Baldwin said he was driving his wife’s Range Rover in East Hampton when he was cut off by a garbage truck “the size of a whale”. The 67-year-old actor and his 59-year-old brother and fellow actor were in the vehicle on their way back from attending the Hamptons International Film Festival, where Alec Baldwin serves as co-chair of the executive committee.Alec Baldwin said that neither he nor his brother was…

A house fire that killed a Southland woman and her 11-year-old son was potentially caused by a heater setting alight bedding, a Coroner says.Kellyanne Kemble, 47, and Kelly Kerr, 11, died when fire ripped through their Manapouri home early on July 4 last year.Fire investigators found the fire on View St, was caused by an industrial heater in the boy’s bedroom.There were no working smoke alarms in the house.Coroner Heather McKenzie, in findings released on Tuesday, said the temperature was very cold at the time, dropping to -0.1 degrees Celsius overnight.”[The house] was known to be cold and heaters and…

Scrapping advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and some public holidays could generate a multimillion- dollar annual boost for the industry, the government says. Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith said new legislation passed its third and final reading in Parliament yesterday.  Section 81 of the Broadcasting Act prohibits broadcast television advertising on Sunday and Anzac Day mornings between 6am and noon. Similar restrictions were in place for TV and radio broadcast advertising on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Goldsmith believed the move would make the media sector more competitive. “We need to level the playing field by…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including the return of all living hostages from Gaza, Te Pāti Māori hits back at a former ally, and a try scoring machine on his way to the Warriors. The Gaza peace deal has been formally signed, after the return of all living hostages. Rolling teacher strikes begin today, ahead of next week’s ‘mega strike’.Te Pāti Māori has hit back at former ally Eru Kapa-Kingi over his criticism of the party. The Warriors have signed Titans try machine Alofiana Khan-Pereira on a three year deal.

One-year home loan rates have dropped the most from their peak, but some of the longer-term fixes have moved by less than half the drop in the official cash rate.ASB has released its latest Home Loan Report, which shows how home loan rates have responded to the falling interest rate environment.The official cash rate has dropped from a peak of 5.5% to 2.5%.Senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown said home loan rates were not solely influenced by the official cash rate.”Fixed-term mortgages have been moving slightly lower across many maturities in between each Reserve Bank decision, including over the past month.”Financial markets…

Published on 14/10/2025 – 21:17 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT Pope Leo XIV thanked Italy on Tuesday for its efforts to combat human trafficking but urged the country to remain open to welcoming and integrating migrants as he took part in a pomp-filled meeting with the Italian president. The pontiff completed the rite of passage for every new pope by travelling across Rome to the Quirinal Palace for a meeting with President Sergio Mattarella. Escorted by the presidential horse honour guard into the palace courtyard, the pope thanked Italy especially for its welcome of pilgrims during the 2025 Holy Year, which has seen…

Education Minister Erica Stanford says “parents should be furious” as the teacher’s rolling strikes fall on exam days.Seven days of strike action by 21,000 school teachers is set to begin today.Teachers would refuse to teach certain class levels on certain days this week, take part in a full day national strike on October 23, carry out a ban on extracurricular activity on October 29 and take part in a full, national, two-hour strike on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 5.The strikes occur in the lead up and during the NCEA exams, which go from November 4 until November 28.PPTA and…