Author: Press Room

A former commercial fisher has been fined $50,000 after illegally selling seaweed online. In November 2022, fishery officers discovered an online post advertising liquid seaweed fertiliser in 1000-litre containers for $500, and $20 for a 20-litre bucket. A search warrant of a property found 14 of these containers of liquid seaweed fertiliser. Analysis of the seaweed found it to be Macrocystis pyrifera, which can be used for fertiliser and in some food products.Ryan Campbell McManaway, 36, was sentenced at the Invercargill District Court on September 26 on four charges under the Fisheries Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry…

The woman charged with ill-treating a young child who was found in a suitcase stowed in a bus luggage compartment has been granted permanent name suppression.A hearing was held on Wednesday at the Auckland District Court, which the woman did not attend.Judge Nicola Mathers said the suppression was because of automatic suppression given to child complainants.”In this case, obviously the child is the complainant,” she said.The court was told the woman is on electronic monitored bail and was well engaged with community mental health services.She was taking medication voluntarily and was not subject to the Mental Health Act, the court…

Black Caps batter Rachin Ravindra has been ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia at the Bay Oval in Tauranga after suffering a freak injury at training yesterday. The Black Caps confirmed this afternoon he will be replaced by Jimmy Neesham in the squad.Yesterday, Ravindra suffered a facial injury after colliding with the boundary fence while attempting to take a catch during a fielding drill.Coach Rob Walter said today the “freak accident” meant he required stitches.”We’re all really disappointed for Rachin to be forced to miss the series,” he said.“He sustained a major laceration to his upper lip and…

RNZ will close its youth platform TAHI and make other changes to programming following a review into how it covers music, arts and culture.The review followed Budget 2025, when funding for the public broadcaster was cut by $18 million over four years, equivalent to $4.6 million annually or about 7% of its $67 million yearly operating budget. RNZ’s review of its shows sought to “determine whether it could be more effective at reaching audiences across platforms and be more efficient”. Today, it has announced programming changes including shuttering youth platform TAHI, the Sunday Sampler show, and the At the Movies…

A blueprint for investment and growth in Dunedin is designed “to create a bit of Fomo” among investors outside the city, a business leader says. Business South today unveiled its 10-year investment and growth plan “Invest Ōtepoti Dunedin”. Starting in Dunedin and scaling to the wider Otago region, it proposed “a clear blueprint for sustainable economic growth” with the vision of positioning the city “as one of the most dynamic, inclusive and globally connected cities in the southern hemisphere”. The plan focused on attracting new business and investment, supporting the city’s existing enterprises and unlocking the potential of its people,…

Tributes to psychologist and broadcaster Nigel Latta, who died after a battle with cancer yesterday, have steadily flowed in.Latta’s death was confirmed through a post on his Facebook page this morning, which said he died “with the same dignity and positivity that he carried through life”. The 58-year-old had been battling stomach cancer since 2024. Since the announcement, Kiwis across the country have offered their condolences to Latta’s family, as well as paying tribute to him. In the post announcing he had died, Latta’s wife Natalie Flynn said: “You were never dying, just living until the moment you weren’t. You…

Former ACT Party president Tim Jago has lost an appeal against convictions and sentence for historical sexual abuse against two teenage boys. A jury last August convicted Jago of indecently assaulting the teenagers he knew through an Auckland surf lifesaving club in the 1990s. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Where to get help for sexual violence. (Source: 1News)The businessman appealed the convictions on the grounds of an unreasonable conviction and sentence.In a decision released this evening, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeals.The Court of Appeal said it was “serious and repeated sexual offending”…

The head of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce says the recent job losses in the region are the worst she can recall in almost 30 years. On Friday Sealord announced plans to make part of its fishing operation seasonal, proposing to cut 59 roles. Sealord chief executive Doug Paulin said it’s been a difficult three years for the company and it’s not the news he wanted to share. “I know a lot of these people, I’ve worked with them for the 15 years I’ve been at Sealord and it’s incredibly tough. It’s a pretty sh***y thing to have to…

Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage, bringing a surprising end to a long and seemingly successful union that brought together two superstars from the worlds of movies and music.The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor petitioned on Wednesday to end her marriage to the 57-year-old Grammy winning country singer in a Nashville court. The documents state the couple has undergone “marital difficulties and irreconcilable differences”.Kidman and Urban have been red carpet fixtures throughout their two-decade relationship, with Northland-born Urban joining his wife at the Oscars and Kidman attending music events like the Academy of Country…

The public are being given a rare opportunity to witness moko kanohi, or traditional Māori facial tattooing – usually performed in private.Over three days, Wellington’s Te Papa is hosting a celebration of the history and living art of moko kanohi, led by national tā moko collective Te Uhi a Mataora.On the opening day, 21-year-old Fernleigh Rangihaeata received his moko surrounded by whānau and friends.”What my moko means to me is the way that I was raised, who I was raised by, which is my kuia. She is the one who gave me these taonga,” he said.He’s one of 10 people…