Author: Press Room

A person has died and two others were airlifted to the hospital after a Four Wheel Drive rolled on a beach in Northland last night. Emergency services were called to Tokerau Beach in the Far North on the Karikari Peninsula at around 7.30pm. “Sadly, one person was located deceased at the scene,” police said. Two other occupants of the vehicle were airlifted to the hospital, one in a critical condition, the other in a moderate condition. “Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.”

A body has been found, and another person remains missing, after their boat was reported overdue in Northland yesterday. About 9pm, family members called emergency services to report the 17-foot vessel was two hours overdue returning to Pataua South following a fishing trip.Police said a search began immediately and ran through till 4am, supported by the police Eagle helicopter. The search was ramped up this morning, and involved police, Land Search and Rescue, volunteers from Coastguard Tūtūkākā, Coastguard Whangārei and Coastguard Air Patrol, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Auckland Maritime Unit, and members of the community.Detective Sergeant Paul Overton…

US rapper Eminem is taking an Australian beach brand to court over its name: Swim Shady. According to 9News, the rapper – whose real name is Marshall Mathers – filed a lawsuit against the company, arguing that it was using his pseudonym “Slim Shady” without permission. Mathers trademarked the pseudonym, which was made famous by many of his songs including The Real Slim Shady and My Name Is.Swim Shady was founded by NRL executive Jeremy Scott and his partner, Elizabeth, last year. They sold a range of beach products, including beach shades, bags, towels, and swim shorts. Eminem performs during…

Someone in New Zealand is going to wake up tomorrow a whole lot richer after tonight’s record $55 million must-be-won draw – even if they have to share the prize pot. Lotto expects to sell around 3 million tickets ahead of the draw. It’s the first must-win draw since seven tickets won $7.18 million from the $50 million jackpot in June last year. It’s the 12th must-win draw in Lotto’s history. READ MORE: How the odds on the $55m Lotto jackpot could move in your favourAhead of the draw, Lotto said it would change how it communicates the results to…

The recall of coloured sand products has been expanded to four more products after asbestos was detected in additional samples. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said independent testing had identified four additional products that tested positive for tremolite asbestos. The products identified were a 14-piece Sandcastle Building Set, and anko brand Blue, Green and Pink Magic Sand sets sold at Kmart.”We urge families who have purchased these products to stop using them immediately, secure them safely, and contact your local council for advice on where and how to dispose of the contaminated material safely,” Ian Caplin, MBIE product…

Higher food prices could have New Zealanders rethinking their Christmas meal plans — and a barbecue is likely to be an expensive option, one economist says.Infometrics has released its latest Grocery Supplier Cost Index, which measures the change in the cost of grocery goods charged to Foodstuffs supermarkets.It shows there was an average annual increase of 2.5% in October.”October’s rise was the fastest pace of supplier cost increases since mid-2024,” said Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen.”Material cost increases for a number of key items continue to drive an acceleration… with protein cost rises now a more dominant driver.”Underlying costs for…

Two North Canterbury mayors are backing a call to ban the sale of fireworks. Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon and Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said they would support a ban on fireworks sales, while Kaikōura’s Craig Mackle believes a ban is “inevitable”.The mayors were responding to calls by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters for a ban on the sale, manufacture and importation of fireworks for private use.Peters said the misuse of fireworks wreaks havoc on pets, emergency services and the environment.A private member’s bill is set to be entered into the ballot by New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft.The Waimakariri…

The theft of a solid bronze Peace Bell weighing a tonne overnight on Tuesday is a tragic loss for the community, local councillors say.On Tuesday morning, Auckland Council staff discovered the bell – a treasured symbol of friendship between New Zealand and Japan – was missing from the Japanese Garden beside the Henderson Civic Building.Henderson-Massey Local Board chairman Chris Carter said the bell had been gifted to the former Waitākere City Council from the Japanese city of Kakogawa in 1997 following the signing of a friendship agreement between the two cities six years earlier.”It represents decades of friendship and cultural…

New figures show Australian visitor arrivals surged over the past year — while migration data shows a record number of New Zealanders leaving.Stats NZ said visitor arrivals from across the Tasman reached 1.48 million in the year ended September, up from 1.33m the year before.Stats NZ said it was the second-highest number of Australian visitor arrivals after 2019, pre-pandemic.”The increase in visitor numbers from Australia in the September 2025 year coincided with an increase in flights between Australia and New Zealand, and a Tourism New Zealand marketing campaign from early 2025 targeting the Australian market,” Stats NZ international travel statistics…

Thousands of te reo learners are gathering in Hawke’s Bay for the second year of Aotearoa’s national Māori language festival Toitū te Reo.Described as a two-day “celebration, inspiration, education, and activation of the language and culture”, it is being hosted in Heretaunga Hastings on Thursday and Friday.The audience has the chance to hear from those still learning te reo, such as broadcasters Mike McRoberts and Moana Maniapoto while rubbing shoulders with long-time advocates such as Sir Tīmoti Kāretu.The festival is divided into two zones: Rangimamao, entirely in te reo Māori and Pūmotomoto, entirely in English.Part of Hastings Street North is…