Author: Press Room

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including the trial for a man who set fire to Loafers Lodge begins, Erin Patterson’s back in court, and how dirty is your drink bottle?The trial for a man charged after the deadly fire at Wellington’s Loafers Lodge begins today. A post-mortem will be carried out on the body of a baby found in Auckland’s Albert Park over the weekend. Erin Patterson will face the families of her victims at a pre-sentence hearing in Melbourne today. Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano has spectacularly erupted,shooting lava 30 metres into the air. ADVERTISEMENTScientists say if you’re not washing…

The Education Ministry suspects some schools have been opening for fewer days than legally required, documents obtained under the Official Information Act show.The documents also show the ministry is preparing a crackdown – monitoring schools next year and limiting the number of days they can choose to close this year.The Secondary Principals Association challenged the ministry’s evidence that schools were breaking the rules.It also said the ministry’s interpretation of what counted as being open for instruction was wrong, and it had legal advice to that effect.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including the trial for a man who set fire…

Eight people have been taken to hospital after a van rolled in a Bay of Plenty crash this morning.Emergency responders were called to Wilson North Road, near Paengaroa, at 7.41am. Of the eight taken to Tauranga Hospital, two were in a serious condition, five were in a moderate condition, and one was in a minor condition, St John said.Two other injured people were assessed and treated at the scene. Police were managing traffic while “contractors remove the vehicle from the road”. Four ambulances attended to the crash, according to St John, alongside two operations managers and one rapid response unit.…

The Commerce Commission has announced it has filed proceedings against Westpac NZ in the High Court. It alleged the bank breached lender responsibility principles, after multiple failures meant customers did not receive legally required information about their loans and, in some cases, agreed interest rate discounts.The responsible lending principles impose obligations on lenders when advertising, before entering into a loan, and during all subsequent dealings with borrowers and guarantors. Commerce Commission competition, fair trading, and credit general manager Vanessa Horne said the Commission expected banks to invest in robust compliance practices to ensure they are complying with the Credit Contracts…

As the public health system struggles with colonoscopy waitlist targets, more Kiwis are forking out thousands for the procedure privately.Malcolm Mulholland usually advocates for other people struggling with the public health system. Today the tables are turned and the chair of Patient Voice Aotearoa is now fighting for himself. A colonoscopy last year discovered polyps which had a high chance of becoming cancerous. They were removed, but the diagnosis put him in the high-risk category for bowel cancer, meaning he should now have an annual surveillance colonoscopy.Instead, in December last year, he received a letter from Health NZ saying surveillance…

Police and Customs have intercepted a massive methamphetamine shipment hidden in machine parts sent through air cargo, preventing $37 million worth of drugs from flooding New Zealand communities.The bust, part of Operation Vault, began in June when Customs intelligence specialists flagged a suspicious package. The consignment was linked to a group allegedly connected to the Killer Beez gang.While initial shipments contained no drugs, police allege these were sent as “dry runs” or “test runs”.Last week, a shipment from Canada arrived containing 124 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside machine parts.$36,000 in cash was seized in search warrants at Auckland addresses last…

A Northland skipper critically injured when his ferry was hit by a power boat travelling at high speed more than two years ago has died.Bill Elliott from Russell was left paralysed by the collision that also threw one passenger into the water, injured others, and sank the 90-year-old vessel Waitere, also known as the Blue Ferry.Nineteen passengers – mostly visitors making the most of the school holidays – were on board the ferry at the time, which had just left Russell on its regular run to Paihia.Elliot’s injuries had long term effects on his health and left him requiring full-time…

Police have been in touch with 11 schools after reports of a man approaching female students offering cash for “inappropriate favours” earlier this month. Police were told of incidents on August 4 in the Merivale/ St Albans area.”He was allegedly offering cash in return for inappropriate favours and Police have sent a letter to 11 schools in the area alerting them to the offending. “The person of interest is believed to be an older caucasian man.” People with information about the man were urged to get in touch with Police by calling 105 and using file number 250804/3588.

A woman has been charged following the discovery of a deceased newborn baby in central Auckland’s Albert Park yesterday morning.The 36-year-old woman has appeared in the Auckland District Court today charged with concealing the dead body of a child.The woman was granted name suppression and will reappear in court on Wednesday to enter a plea. She has been granted bail and ordered to surrender her passport.Auckland City CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews said police were called to the scene after a park worker discovered the infant at about 7am on Sunday.”This investigation remains ongoing and police are speaking with…

A prominent sportsman on trial for serious family violence was “shocked” to hear of an infant’s injuries, according to his police statement.The man, accused of crushing the baby’s ribs in July 2023, had his police statement read to the Dunedin District Court this morning.The Crown argued the injuries were not intentional but were reckless, and that a squeezing movement around the torso of the victim was an unreasonable risk requiring “significant force”.X-rays conducted when the victim was taken to Dunedin Hospital showed at least a dozen rib fractures and a broken clavicle.The sportsman’s charge of injury with reckless disregard carried…