Author: Press Room

Police have laid charges against a man they called a “prolific” shoplifter who had allegedly targeted shops across the Auckland region. The 31-year-old man appeared in Auckland District Court, charged with 23 shoplifting offences.Police Auckland City East Area prevention manager Inspector Rachel Dolheguy said the charges related to incidents in New Lynn, Mt Eden, Mt Albert, Newmarket and Auckland central.He was arrested last week at an Onehunga address, along with a 39-year-old woman who was also facing 13 charges.Both appeared in the Auckland District Court. “Police successfully opposed the 31-year-old man’s bail, and he has been remanded in custody until…

On the first day of shooting Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro held up a drawing of the creature he had made when he was a teenager.“He said, ‘This is like Jesus to me’,” recalls Oscar Isaac.For the Mexican-born filmmaker, Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel and the 1931 film with Boris Karloff are his personal urtexts: The origin of a lifelong affection for the monsters del Toro has ever since, in reams of sketches and in a filmography doted by them, breathed into life. For a misunderstood kid growing up in a devout Catholic family, Frankenstein’s creature, unloved by his maker but…

Rescue teams have been searching for a missing person in the water near a deadly fishing spot.Police were leading the search for a person who had been seen falling into the water at Papanui Point, in Raglan, at 9.45am on Monday.Multiple people have died at Papanui Point, an area of coastline known for large rogue waves.”Search and Rescue, Coastguard, Raglan Surf Life Saving and St John are supporting the search,” a police spokesperson said.”The person has not yet been located and the search is ongoing.”rnz.co.nz

The Reserve Bank is proposing to lower the amount of capital banks should hold, but immediately downplayed the broader economic and financial impact of the changes.It’s started consultation on a review on how much money banks should be required to holding to back their lending, but also maintain a high level of security against financial turmoil.The banking sector, politicians and the Commerce Commission complained the capital requirements, which were devised in 2019 and were being progressively increased, were too much and were stifling competition, modernisation and innovation.The RBNZ paper said its board had decided it could relax the requirements, because…

Are you in need of some free firewood? The Tasman floods may have collected some for you, provided you collect it safely.Councillor Christeen Mackenzie drew attention to the large pile of woody debris at the Wai-iti River next to State Highway 6 during Thursday’s meeting of Tasman District Council’s Operations Committee.“What [do] we do with those big piles? Presumably, we need to move it away; otherwise, it’s going to end up back in the river.”The council’s group manager for community infrastructure, Richard Kirby, confirmed that the piles of debris being collected across the district would eventually be tidied up, but…

ADVERTISEMENT Several EU countries are pushing to use a forthcoming EU strategic deal over the Mediterranean to drop trade barriers with selected North African and Middle Eastern states and having them “align with EU single market rules”, according to a European Commission document seen by Euronews. The proposal is outlined in a summary prepared by the European Commission before April 2025 seen by Euronews, which contains inputs by EU member states, partner countries, and stakeholders, on the upcoming Pact for the Mediterranean. Diversifying trade exchanges away from Russia and China has been emphasised by European Commission president Ursula von der…

US President Donald Trump has threatened countries that have digital taxes with “subsequent additional tariffs” on their goods if those nations do not remove such legislation. Sources said earlier that the Trump administration was considering imposing sanctions on European Union or member state officials responsible for implementing the bloc’s landmark Digital Services Act. Many countries, particularly in Europe, have levied taxes on the sales revenue of digital service providers, including Alphabet’s Google, Meta’s Facebook, Apple and Amazon. The issue has been a longstanding trade irritant for multiple US administrations. “With this TRUTH, I put all Countries with Digital Taxes, Legislation, Rules, or Regulations,…

A vehicle has been impounded in Levin after it was allegedly driven at a patrol car overnight, and then failed to stop, police say.The vehicle was later impounded, however inquiries were underway to identify the driver at the time of the incident.At the same time, police said they were also investigating an incident in the early hours of Saturday, August 23, when shots were allegedly fired towards a house in Vincent Street.The latest incidents followed several acts of violence police have previously blamed on an internal gang feud which had escalated into multiple shootings.A Gang Conflict Warrant was put in…

A pet food manufacturer says the business will need to make some tough decisions if access to the Chinese market is not restored soon. Pet food exporters have been shut out of China since bird flu was found in New Zealand late last year. Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) officials were meeting their Chinese counterparts on Tuesday to discuss how pet food and other poultry products might be allowed back into China. When the bird flu – H7N6 – was detected on an egg farm in rural Otago, movement controls were placed on the site and all chickens were culled. Tests…

A man had to be rescued in Tauranga on Monday afternoon after he crashed down a bank into water on his mobility scooter.Police said emergency services were advised about 2.30pm that a mobility scooter had entered the water off Chapel St. “The person riding, an older man, was taken to hospital by ambulance for medical attention for cuts to his hand, foot, and head,” a police statement said. A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency NZ said a call was received at 2.29pm and one crew from Tauranga attended and rescued the man from down the bank.A Hato Hone St John…