Author: Press Room

A bus service in Whangārei has been temporarily re-routed for safety after continued incidents of rocks being thrown, smashing bus windows.Northland Regional Council transport manager Chris Powell said bus windows had been smashed in separate rock-throwing incidents on Matai St in the suburb of Ōtangarei.Rocks were first thrown on Saturday and Monday, but “several more incidents” had occurred throughout the week, including today, he said.Powell said the drivers and passengers had been shaken by two incidents in particular.”We take these incidents very seriously as, in both cases, there were passengers on board and either incident had the potential to injure…

Customs have seized more than 36 kilograms of methamphetamine found in unaccompanied bags at Auckland International Airport yesterday.The two bags arrived on March 5 on a flight from Los Angeles and were referred to Customs for inspection.A search of both bags identified several plastic-wrapped, vacuum-sealed parcels which tested positive for methamphetamine.It is estimated the amount of methamphetamine would have had a street value of up to $13.5 million and caused around $37.9 million in potential harm and cost to New Zealand.Customs Auckland Airport manager Paul Williams said it was an example of collaboration by agencies and stakeholders to combat the…

Canberra captain Joe Tapine has accepted a two-game ban while star winger Xavier Savage will miss one match after pleading guilty to charges from their win over the Warriors in Las Vegas.Tapine went to the sin bin for shoulder-charging Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett in the second half of the 30-8 victory that opened the NRL season on Sunday.He will miss Canberra’s next two games against Brisbane and Manly, avoiding the risk of a third match with an early guilty plea for his grade-two charge.Savage will miss the Broncos clash for attacking Chanel Harris-Tavita’s legs as he kicked in the first…

Former president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker cautioned against Ukraine joining Nato as a form of security guarantee. Talking to Euronews for The Europe Conversation, he also said that Ukraine should be granted limited EU membership. ADVERTISEMENTJean-Claude Juncker, former president of the European Commission, has cautioned against Ukraine joining NATO as a form of security guarantee. Juncker warned that NATO membership for Ukraine could trigger Article 5—the NATO clause asserting collective defense, which could lead to a direct confrontation between the alliance and Russia. He emphasized that, as long as Ukraine is at war and under attack, it cannot…

Sheep and beef farmers are only half chuffed as they wait for an international trade war to play out on an expected turnaround in farmgate profits from higher export prices. Red meat export returns are projected to increase by $1.2 billion in 2024-25 — up 13% to $10.2b — by Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) mid-season update. The industry body’s team of economists and analysts have found the red meat sector is on track for a strong rebound, as farm profitability and export returns head for a marked increase. At this stage, weaker demand from China is being offset…

Salvage crews have finished removing more than 300,000 litres of diesel fuel from the HMNZS Manawanui, according to the Defence Force.A precautionary fishing zone around the vessel has now been removed, and salvors are now focusing on removing equipment, weapons, ammunition and debris from in and around the ship before making it secure, according to the Defence Force.The Navy vessel sank after it ran aground on a coral reef off the coast of Upolu and caught fire on October 6. All 75 crew and passengers were evacuated.Local authorities said about 200,000 litres of diesel leaked from the wreckage in the…

Christchurch’s Acrux Wool Systems is bringing wool garment manufacturing back to the city with the help of robotic knitters. The company was started by a father and son, Don and Tim Symon, joined by a group of investors last year to accelerate growing the business at the Phillipstown site. So far, 14 whole-garment knitting machines, each fed by six to eight spools of yarn, are computer programmed to put out a garment every 50 minutes to 1.5 hours. About 500 to 700 garments are being made a week, with plans to step this up into a 24-hour shift operation to…

Police have arrested a man after a five-month-old baby sustained serious head injuries in Dargaville at the end of last year.The infant was initially taken to Dargaville Hospital on December 28, said Whangārei Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer.He was flown to Whangārei Hospital for treatment and later taken to Auckland’s Starship Hospital where he was discharged in January.Pilmer said the time it was “concerning” for investigators when anyone sustained serious injuries but these concerns heightened when they involved “some of our most vulnerable members of the community”.A 22-year-old man was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily…

Queenstown businesspeople sent a clear message to Wellington yesterday, via Act New Zealand leader and deputy prime minister-in-waiting David Seymour. In the resort with Regulation Ministry chief executive Grainne Moss to speak at a Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce lunch — largely focused on regulation — Mr Seymour was asked by Destination Queenstown chairman Richard Thomas to set the record straight with his colleagues. “This region wants to supercharge tourism and growth, but we need the public sector to pony up the infrastructure and the brick and mortar to enable us to do it. “We can’t do the roading and…

Mayor Tory Whanau and a group of councillors have called for Wellington Water chairperson Nick Leggett to be removed after a scathing report into the organisation. The council has written to the Wellington Water Committee following Monday’s release of reports showing unplanned water maintenance spending had risen dramatically compared to other councils across the country among issues at Wellington Water.The letter to the committee, signed by Whanau and 13 councillors and pouiwi, called for Leggett’s removal and requested refunds for ratepayers from contractors who allegedly overcharged for maintenance work.”The public response to the reports is one of anger and frustration.…