Author: Press Room

A teenager who evaded police for nearly three hours after allegedly stealing a car in Whangārei has been arrested and now faces multiple charges.Police were called when a Whangārei woman reported her vehicle stolen while she was visiting friends in Dargaville at around 4.45pm.Whangārei-Kaipara area commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom said officers quickly located the stolen car, but the driver fled.”The vehicle’s driver was quickly identified by officers, and members of the public directed police to a rural property they believed the youth was at. Police attended but the youth had already fled into nearby bush.”A police dog team was sent…

The Reserve Bank has announced a new official cash rate (OCR), choosing a more aggressive rate-cutting option than some had forecasted. The announcement was the second-to-last before the end of the year, with economic experts expecting the central bank to be responding to indicators of inflation and lacklustre economic growth.

An economist says the Reserve Bank’s aggressive 0.5% cut to the official cash rate (OCR) highlights how much work is needed to turn the economy around.The monetary policy committee today reached consensus on the jumbo-sized 50-basis-point reduction, bringing the OCR down from 3% to 2.5%. The decision means the cash rate has plummeted from 5.5% to 2.5% in just over a year. The Reserve Bank also signalled that it was “open” to further cuts in the medium-term. Several bank economists, including those at ASB, Westpac and Kiwibank, had expected the 0.5% cut, while ANZ and BNZ economists had forecast a…

Two people stuck down a cliff face off Tindalls Beach, in the north of Auckland, have been plucked from the precipice this afternoon. Police said they were called to the scene on Whangaparāoa Rd around 2.50pm.”Both were unable to get back up the cliff after climbing down to retrieve an item they had dropped,” a police spokesperson said. The Eagle police helicopter “is monitoring the pairs’ location and have confirmed neither have sustained any injuries”.A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson said five trucks were at the scene “assisting in a level 3 lines rescue”.”Crews were sent from Manly and Silverdale…

A federal judge tossed out a defamation lawsuit that Drake brought against Universal Music Group on Friday, ruling that lyrics branding the superstar as a paedophile in Kendrick Lamar’s dis track Not Like Us were opinion.Judge Jeannette A. Vargas rejected the suit in a written opinion that began by citing “the vitriolic war of words” and saying the case arose “from perhaps the most infamous rap battle in the genre’s history”.Filed in January, the lawsuit alleged that UMG published and promoted Not Like Us even though it included false paedophilia allegations against Drake and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante…

An Auckland primary school teacher who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an 11-year-old student more than 20 years her junior has been sentenced to six months home detention.The woman, in her 30s, earlier this year admitted to charges of grooming a young person for sexual conduct and doing an indecent act on a boy under 12.She appeared in North Shore District Court before Judge Paul Murray, who said her offending had a devastating impact on the boy and his family.Where to get help for sexual violence. (Source: 1News)Judge Murray lifted name suppression, but her lawyer David Jones told the court…

The collapse of large retailer Smiths City has liquidators expecting many creditors will go unpaid after adding up more than $26.8 million in liabilities. About 240 companies are owed money and unsecured creditors are also likely to be out of pocket after liquidators Colin Gower and Diana Matchett from BDO Christchurch combed through the company’s assets and debts in their first report. “Unfortunately, we do not anticipate that there will be any funds available for a distribution to unsecured creditors,” they said. Founded in 1918, the Christchurch institution operated nine stores mainly in the South Island with a focus on…

A woman has pleaded not guilty to interfering with human remains after the body of a newborn baby was discovered in an Auckland wheelie bin earlier this year.Police found the body in a bin on Renall St in Freemans Bay in July.Officers at the time described the death as a tragedy.Appearing in Auckland District Court via audio-video link from Auckland Women’s Prison on Wednesday, the accused entered a not guilty plea by reason of insanity.The identity of the woman remained suppressed.She was remanded in custody, and was expected to reappear next Wednesday.rnz.co.nz

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Fiordland Lobster Company group human resources manager Toni Magi says she’s never seen anything like it. The company recently received 91 applications for a factory hand role in Te Anau and more than 120 for a position in Auckland, not including overseas applicants and those without work visas. “There’s a shortage of roles within New Zealand. There’s certainly not the wide range of positions that are touted to be available and people are desperate for work.” The jobs were entry level roles that did not require specific qualifications. The increased number of applications had been noticeable in the past…

Kiss rock star Gene Simmons is recovering after he fainted while driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and crashed his SUV into a parked car, authorities said.Simmons, a co-founder and bassist for the legendary band, was evaluated at a hospital before being released. He posted on social media that he was doing well.”Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens,” he said on X.The 76-year-old’s SUV crossed several lanes before hitting a parked car along the highway, agencies that responded to the crash told several media outlets. Simmons was…