Author: Press Room

It was Mike Nelson’s mother who inspired him to get into the flatpack coffin business. His mother, “a good Scottish lady”, had a stroke at 93 so Nelson realised he should start looking into funeral arrangements. “I went to a local undertaker and said ‘I know nothing about funerals, just educate me’. So he went through all this, that and the other, and at the end of the conversation, he said, ‘What sort of coffin would you like?’ “And I said, ‘Well, mum’s a good Scottish lady, so something affordable?’ And he said, ‘Well, our cheapest coffin is $1850’ -…

Two people are still in hospital after an altercation in the Auckland suburb of Takanini on Friday night.The incident, on Kutukutu Street at about 7.50pm, left three people in hospital with injuries the police said were “consistent with stab wounds”.In an update on Monday, police said one person had been discharged, and the others were in a stable condition.A 34-year-old man, arrested while allegedly fleeing the scene, was due to appear before Manukau District Court on Saturday.He faced three charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.Police at the scene in Takanini. (Source: 1News)The police said he remained…

Wellington Water has released a scathing report, after a probe uncovered alleged theft, poor value for money from contractors and structural issues.Last month, the water provider told Wellington City Council it would need $37.5 million from its shareholding councils over the next three years, largely to fix its end of life IT systems.At the time, the water entity’s chief executive Pat Dougherty said their top priorities for improvement were its structure, IT and value for money from contractors and consultants.On Monday, a report released by the organisation, detailing the amounts being charged by contractors and suppliers, showed the level of…

Anora, a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards today, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize.In a stubbornly fluctuating Oscar season, Anora, the Palme d’Or-winner at the Cannes Film Festival, emerged as the unlikely frontrunner. Baker’s tale of an erotic dancer who elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch – unusually explicit for a best-picture winner – was made for just US$6 million (NZ$10.7 million).But Oscar voters, eschewing blockbuster contenders like Wicked and Dune: Part Two, instead added Anora to a string of recent…

The town of Wairoa could lose out on a $70 million government fund for flood protection if a solution isn’t confirmed by the end of this month.Wikitoria Hauraki’s home was submerged in Cyclone Gabrielle, and under the flood mitigation proposal it will be moved or demolished, but she’s supporting the plan.”Decisions are going to be made, we can’t sit here with no protection, no solution… We’re trying to help save as much of our community as we can to the best of our abilities.”We might not like solutions or outcomes… but I don’t think there’ll ever be a perfect solution,”…

Heavy rain and cooler climes will be sweeping across the country this week, as New Zealand says goodbye to the hot and humid summer days and rings in autumn.MetService is forecasting a cool week for most with wet and thundery weather, and biting southerlies along southern and eastern North Island coastlines.But the last vestiges of meteorological summer will be felt by the end of the working week, with sunny skies returning for many.A rain-bearing cold front will move up the South Island today, delivering heavier falls to eastern areas at times before clearing from the south and west this evening.On…

More than 20 headstones have been vandalised at a Hawke’s Bay urupa over the weekend.Police said it had received a report on Sunday afternoon that between 20-25 headstones at the Ōmāhu Urupa had been damaged sometime on Saturday night.Ōmāhu Urupa was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 with many burial sites impacted by flooding.An aerial picture of Ōmāhu Urupa. (Source: Supplied)Reverend Zhane Tiopira Tāhau said the community was “devastated” by the vandalism but had built “so much resilience” from the weather event.He provided an aerial picture which showed the vicinity of the damaged plots.”We are respecting the sensitivity of…

The Warehouse Group has warned of more tough financial times ahead.In a preliminary financial update, the company said while it has seen positive signs its new product and pricing strategies are resonating with customers, “ongoing headwinds” in New Zealand have “slowed the pace” of a financial turnaround.The Warehouse Group has been plagued with financial issues for some time. Last year, it posted a $54.2m loss.In today’s update, it said group sales were down 1.6% in the first half of the 2025 financial year to 1.607 billion.First half earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were expected to be between $18 and…

Lydia Ko finally conquered the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Championship, clinching her first title at her 11th attempt with a dominant four-stroke win over Ayaka Furue and Jeeno Thitikul in Sunday’s final round.The 2024 Olympic gold medallist and Women’s British Open champion overcame a middling start before finding her rhythm with a birdie on the par-5 sixth.Ko added back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8, seizing control of the leaderboard from then on.Despite dropping two bogeys after the turn, the world No. 3 closed with a solid 69, sealing a 13-under-par 275 total at Sentosa Golf Club.“I dreamt last night…

The karakia from Māori kaumātua (elders) carries through a room filled with human specimens at the University of Auckland as a long line of students file towards the Human Anatomy Lab for the start of another year.The specimens – brains, lungs, eyeballs – are a precursor to what awaits the second year medical students in the next room. They’re about to meet 35 cadavers, the donated human bodies that will play a crucial role in the students’ journey into the medical profession.The cadavers are often referred to as a doctor’s “first patient”, a single body that a group of 10…