Author: Press Room

A couple who had $50,000 of tools stolen from a work vehicle in Christchurch were shocked to find them being auctioned off on behalf of police more than two years later.Gaston and Louise Monge-Grassi own Piranha Tools in Tasman, which sells building and fine woodworking tools from around the world.Gaston was staying in Diamond Harbour on a work trip to Christchurch in July 2023 when a thief broke into several cars, including Gaston’s ute.Hundreds of tools were taken, including Gaston’s toolbelt. The thief left behind only a 10 kilogram sack of onions.”I found the truck completely open, empty and it…

Dog owners will not be able to walk their pets at a rural Auckland beach during breeding season of native shorebirds.From October 1 until March 1, 2026, dogs will be prohibited at all times at Ōrere Beach and intertidal areas within Ōrere Point Beach Reserve car park and east of the Ōrere River mouth.Auckland Council conservation adviser Maddie White said in a statement that the region was a hotspot for shorebirds, including the endangered New Zealand dotterel, Caspian tern, variable oystercatcher, white-fronted tern and South Island pied oystercatcher.All are native to New Zealand and formally classified as threatened or at…

Two long-time customers of the much-loved Christchurch trailer business, Ice Cream Charlie, have taken over the business. Gareth and Sarah Eddy are the proud new owners of Ice Cream Charlie after the business went up for sale in June. The more than 100-year-old business also changed hands in late 2019. Over the past few years, it has been operating at Victoria Square, Sumner and the Christchurch Farmers’ Market at Riccarton Bush. Ice Cream Charlie has been around since 1903 when the relatively mysterious Sali Mahomet set up a cart in the south-east corner of Cathedral Square. Little is known about the origins…

The Government has today announced the company that will construct a new Chatham Islands supply vessel to replace its ageing ship.The 76-metre vessel will be built as a joint venture between McCallum Bros Ltd. and Nova Marine Carriers, Associate Transport Minister James Meager has announced.”Contract negotiations will ensure the Chathams have a secure, reliable, long-term service which maintains or exceeds current levels, and has capacity to grow alongside the Island,” he said.”This represents a major step in the progress of a replacement supply vessel, which is a vital economic and community lifeline for the Chatham Islands.”At nearly 40 years old,…

A lawyer for food giant Talley’s has accused a 1News reporter of a “hit piece” in the High Court in Auckland today.Talley’s is suing reporter Thomas Mead and TVNZ over a series of stories on health and safety concerns.TVNZ said its reports are fair and accurate, and are in the public interest. Talley’s, meanwhile, have said the stories are untrue and have damaged its reputation.In the High Court today, Mead outlined his investigation in the witness box.Mead said he protected the identities of some sources he’d spoken to because they feared retaliation from Talley’s.”Because of these deep-seated concerns, I have…

On a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel gave the country’s police and spy bosses gifts of inoperable pistols that were illegal to possess under local gun laws and had to be destroyed, New Zealand law enforcement agencies told The Associated Press.The plastic 3D-printed replica pistols formed part of display stands Patel presented to at least three senior New Zealand security officials in July. Patel, the most senior Trump administration official to visit the country so far, was in Wellington to open the FBI’s first standalone office in New Zealand.Pistols are tightly restricted weapons under New Zealand law…

A trial using oral ketamine and psychotherapy to treat treatment-resistant depression in Aotearoa is showing moods lift.Treatment resistance, in which those affected do not respond well to at least two different antidepressants, is a problem for nearly one in three people diagnosed with depression globally.Otago University scientists are theorising that ketamine can treat the disorder by helping the brain reset through “neurogenesis, the formation of new brain cells”, associate professor Dr Ben Beaglehole told 1News.Participants are being given two doses a week of liquid ketamine mixed with orange juice.”I was quite sceptical coming into the trial and doing these interviews,…

A sharp rise in homelessness in Marlborough has put people working to house and feed them under serious pressure.Jeanine Sadd, who managed the community kitchen Crossroads Marlborough Trust, said the service was starting to struggle due to the high numbers of people coming in for food, a shower, and the washing machine.”I’m getting closer to 60 and I’ve never seen it this bad,” Sadd said.”Our numbers are going up but our financial supports are all down. There’s just not enough of anything ‒ money, houses, people.”It’s always down to money because you need highly trained staff, the right location [and]…

Nearly two years after the death of Lower Hutt toddler Baby Ru, RNZ can reveal police have taken a significant step towards solving the case that shocked the nation. National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood reports.The little boy was just three days away from celebrating his second birthday when he suffered blunt force trauma so severe it fractured his skull and led to his death.Baby Ru, officially named Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall, died at Hutt Hospital on October 22 2023.Police have previously said there are three people of interest, Rosie Morunga, her partner Dylan Ross, and the child’s mother,…

Two former colleagues remember how Nigel Latta swore like a trooper, worked the room like a stand-up comedian, and touched the lives of a huge range of New Zealanders. TV producer and director Mark McNeil remembers driving through some of Flaxmere’s least fancy streets with Latta. They were filming a piece about poverty in New Zealand and as they passed a gang HQ, their cameraman, who was on foot, was confronted by a couple of “gang prospects” who tried to wrestle his camera from him. Nigel wound down the car window. “They suddenly see Nigel, and they go, ‘Nigel, what…