Author: Press Room

An 18-year-old Dunedin man has been arrested in connection with an online bomb threat targeting a Wellington mosque earlier this week.Police said the man was taken into custody on Saturday night and was assisting police with inquiries.”Charges are yet to be confirmed,” a police spokesperson said.The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) said the threat included the exact address of the Wellington Islamic Centre (Kilbirnie Masjid).”As a necessary precaution, all community activities have been stopped at Kilbirnie Masjid. All the other mosques and Islamic centres in Wellington have been advised of the threat.”FIANZ thanked police for their swift…

Former US vice president Kamala Harris has signalled she may run for the presidency again in 2028, telling the BBC she is “possibly” considering another bid for the White House.Harris, who was defeated by Donald Trump in the 2024 election, told the BBC she was confident a woman would become US president in her grandniece’s lifetime.Asked if it would be her, she said, “possibly”, confirming she was considering another run at the top job.Harris said she had not yet decided but said she still sees herself as having a future in politics.”I am not done,” the former vice-president said. “I…

A fledgling Otago AI company named one of the best places to work in the country says there will always be human elements that computers “can’t replace”. Visir AI was named the winner in the micro-workplace category (five to 20 employees) at the “2025 Best Places to Work” awards, announced at an event in Auckland on Wednesday. Executive director Josh Hobbs said it was humbling to be considered one of the best places to work in New Zealand. They were “beyond words”. “I never thought we would actually win. “Just being included in the finalists was great recognition for us.”…

States of emergency in place for Southland and the Clutha District are likely to stretch into next week as thousands of residents remain without power or water.Nearly 15,000 properties in the lower South Island remain without power after severe weather downed trees, damaged homes and shut down more than 100 cell towers on Thursday, with many potentially facing no power until this coming Friday.PowerNet chief executive Paul Blue said progress restoring power to thousands still cut off in Southland and Otago would slow as crews addressed more extensive damage.While some larger areas such as Te Anau and Winton have had…

Powerball has rolled over once again after no ticket matched all the numbers in Saturday’s massive draw, bringing the jackpot to $30 million for Wednesday night.The winning numbers were 3, 20, 22, 24, 36, and 27. The bonus ball was 19 and Powerball was 5. Saturday’s $28m prize was the second-largest jackpot of 2025 so far, behind June’s $30m prize split between two players. While no one claimed the top prize, many Kiwis still walked away with smaller wins. Nine lucky Lotto players from Kaitaia, Auckland, Waikato, Papamoa, Hastings, Horowhenua, Lower Hutt, and Wellington will be in for a treat…

FENZ is warning of “high fire danger”, with the slightest spark in windy weather capable of causing a fire that would spread very quickly.FENZ assistant national commander Ken Cooper said warm weather, low humidity and moderate-to-strong winds – forecasted for the weekend – would add up to “continued high fire danger”.While severe winds – which fanned the flames of fires in Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty this week – had subsided, he said a ban on all open-air fires and fireworks would remain in place in Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Wairarapa, Marlborough and Canterbury until 9am Monday.”That means no fires…

Parents want what’s best for their kids – including a financially comfortable future – but how do you set them off on the right path?That can be a daunting prospect, particularly if you’re not especially confident with money yourself.Here are some expert tips.To KiwiSaver or not to KiwiSaver?Although there’s no longer a $1000 incentive to sign up, experts say KiwiSaver can still be a good tool for young people.”Opening a KiwiSaver account and regularly contributing can help kids develop a lifelong savings habit,” said ANZ head of investments Fiona Mackenzie. “KiwiSaver can help them save for a first home and…

The European Union is working on a strategy to reduce its dependency on Chinese critical raw materials, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday. The renewed strategy comes in a response to China’s decision in October to implement tighter restrictions on rare earths exports. The Asian giant had likely done so in response to trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, but von der Leyen pointed out the impact it would have on Europe. “If you consider that over 90% of our consumption of rare earth magnets come from imports from China, you see the risks here…

Southland and the Clutha district remain under states of local emergency, after extreme winds on Thursday toppled trees and powerlines, and knocked out power, water and communications.Amid widespread damage, many farming communities are isolated.Those without power are encouraged to stay with friends or family out of town, or in unaffected areas.Some lower North Island households are also without power.Here’s what you need to know:Tens of thousands without powerMore than 25,000 Southland and Otago properties are without power, with warnings some more remote areas may not be restored for another week.Southland District Mayor Rob Scott said that would be a “mammoth…

A Wairarapa leader’s property was saved from destructive winds by the local fire brigade.Adrienne Staples, recently re-elected as Wairarapa representative on the Greater Wellington Regional Council [GWRC], had high praise for the Featherston volunteer fire brigade, who arrived within five minutes of her call on Thursday.“I just can’t fault them,” she said.“I think they are fantastic and we are lucky to have them.”Staples’ rural property near Featherston was hit hard by Thursday’s gale-force winds, with a gust of 163km per hour recorded there at 2pm. The wind speed averaged more than 100km/h for most of the day.“We are used to…