Author: Press Room

A police officer has been convicted with assault with a weapon following an unlawful arrest in which excessive force was used against a motorcycle rider not wearing a helmet in Auckland last year.The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) oversaw a police investigation into the allegations, with a summary report released on Tuesday.The officer attempted to stop the rider at a gas station in April 2024, using their patrol car to pin the bike against bollards protecting the gas pump.”The police investigation established that the officer intended to stop the rider because they were not wearing a helmet,” the report summary…

After years of payroll failures, billions in remediation payments and persistent calls for reform from businesses and unions alike, the Government is scrapping and replacing the Holidays Act in a move it says will finally fix New Zealand’s “broken” leave system.Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden revealed today that Cabinet had agreed to repeal and replace the Holidays Act 2003 with a new Employment Leave Act.The changes were aimed at making leave calculations more straightforward and ensuring that workers received their correct entitlements.”Full-time and part-time workers will start earning annual and sick leave in direct proportion to the…

A company co-owned by a former All Black which ran a Canterbury restaurant has gone into liquidation owing more than $450,000 to creditors. Tap And Go Ltd had operated the Grain & Grape establishment in the small township of Darfield. The New Zealand Companies Office lists Murray Davie and Bernadette Taylor as directors and equal shareholders of Tap And Go. A previous company owned by the business partners, Kick for Touch Ltd, went into liquidation in 2023, after a Rolleston bar and restaurant struggled through Covid-19 restrictions. Mr Davie, 69, is a former All Black who made the national team…

A woman has been guilty of murdering her two children, whose bodies were found in suitcases years after their deaths. Hakyung Lee – also known as Ji Eun ‘Jasmine’ Lee – faced two murder charges over the deaths of her children Yuna and Minu Jo in 2018.The bodies of Minu and Yuna, aged six and eight at the time of their deaths, were found in suitcases almost four years after they were killed, when a family bought the contents of an abandoned storage locker in an online auction.A family photo of Ian Jo, Hakyung Lee, Yuna Jo and Minu Jo.…

A mother has been found guilty of murder after admitting killing her two young children and storing their bodies in suitcases in an Auckland lockup. Yvonne Tahana attended much of the trial and reflects on the harrowing evidence heard in court room 6.Warning: This story contains details about mental health and suicide that may disturb some readers.For three years, the existence of little Minu Jo and his older sister Yuna had been reduced in the public consciousness to the awful mental image of small bodies in suitcases.Almost as if they hadn’t been here, except for the mere fact of their…

Cruise ship visits are down by about 15% in Dunedin this summer and Mickey and Minnie Mouse are not going to make an appearance as tourism businesses face a hit in the pocket. But the decision to continue to sail into Milford Sound saved the cruise business in the South, one Port Otago executive says. The schedule for cruise ships across the country was released this week and Dunedin has a schedule of 79 ships coming to the city, compared with 94 scheduled visits last year. Port Otago general manager customer Craig Usher said the numbers were not great but…

Paracetamol is safe for pregnant women despite claims made by US President Donald Trump, the New Zealand College of Midwives says.Earlier today, Trump said the medication – typically used to treat pain and fevers – should not be taken by pregnant women, as it “can be associated” with an increased risk of autism in children.The announcement was made with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who was launching an investigation to identify all causes of autism.Kiwi health experts slam Trump’s ‘crazy’ autism claims – Watch on TVNZ+Associated Press reported the claims were unproven, and new evidence was not provided to…

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden is speaking to media about her overhaul of the Holiday’s Act. Earlier today, 1News reported the Government will scrap and replace the Holidays Act in a move it said would finally fix New Zealand’s “broken” leave system.Van Velden revealed today that Cabinet had agreed to repeal and replace the Holidays Act 2003 with a new Employment Leave Act.The changes were aimed at making leave calculations more straightforward and ensuring that workers received their correct entitlements.

A company co-owned by a former All Black which ran a Canterbury restaurant has gone into liquidation owing more than $450,000 to creditors. Tap And Go Ltd had operated the Grain & Grape establishment in the small township of Darfield. The New Zealand Companies Office lists Murray Davie and Bernadette Taylor as directors and equal shareholders of Tap And Go. A previous company owned by the business partners, Kick for Touch Ltd, went into liquidation in 2023, after a Rolleston bar and restaurant struggled through Covid-19 restrictions. Mr Davie, 69, is a former All Black who made the national team…

A Christchurch resident says he had “a culture shock” during a recent visit to Kairaki Beach, witnessing what he described as “a ramshackle slum-like camp”.The resident, who LDR agreed not to name, said the behaviour of some campers and whitebaiters at the beach, near Kaiapoi, was concerning.A Waimakariri District Council spokesperson said staff were aware of the concerns and were monitoring the site alongside Environment Canterbury (ECan).”Council and ECan staff have visited Kairaki Beach several times over the last week and have spoken to about a dozen campers and several whitebaiters, who were not camping.”These numbers are in line with…