Author: Press Room

The mother of a 10-year-old Australian girl who drowned during a visit to New Zealand says a coroner’s report into her daughter’s death has spurred feelings of overwhelming sadness as well as some comfort.Tegan Chen, of Lindfield, New South Wales, drowned in the fast-flowing Marian Creek in Fiordland National Park in January last year after she fell in and was swept downstream.In findings released on July 9, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale described Tegan as “a very active and happy girl”.Tegan’s mother, Deb Fung, said she missed her daughter “every moment, every day”.Fung said pictures in the coroner’s report showed how easy…

Worry and speculation about the future use of New Zealand’s largest livestock station are rising following the sudden resignation of its long-term manager.Crown-owned Molesworth station has about 200,000 hectares in the high country — stretching from inland Blenheim to Hanmer Springs further south.The farm manager of 24 years, Jim Ward, abruptly resigned this week, and sources say he was increasingly frustrated about the lack of action to control wilding pine trees that are starting to cover parts of the station’s farmland.There’s also speculation that parts of it could be converted into pine forests, despite it having the largest cattle herd…

Astigmatism is a common condition that becomes even more common as we age. Untreated it can lead to reduced vision, eye strain, or fatigue. Flora Hui and Angela Duan on what to do if you have it. Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football?Or perhaps you’ve noticed your vision is becoming increasingly blurry or hard to focus?You might be among the 40% of people in the world who live with astigmatism.What causes astigmatism?The eye acts like a camera, capturing light through the front surface (the cornea)…

Some of our most basic items harbour bacteria that can cause harmful infections – how do you protect yourself? Medical microbiologist Manal Mohammed explains.From your phone to your sponge, your toothbrush to your trolley handle, invisible armies of bacteria are lurking on the everyday objects you touch the most. Most of these microbes are harmless – some even helpful – but under the right conditions, a few can make you seriously ill.But here’s the catch: some of the dirtiest items in your life are the ones you might least expect.Here are some of the hidden bacteria magnets in your daily…

ADVERTISEMENT Germany deported 81 Afghanistan nationals to their country of origin on Friday, marking the second such operation since the Taliban seized power in 2021 and the first under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government, which has promised a firmer stance on immigration. In a statement, the Interior Ministry confirmed that the men, all of whom had previously come to the attention of judicial authorities, were returned on a flight organised in cooperation with Qatar.  “These are Afghan men who are legally required to leave the country and who have a criminal record,” the ministry said, according to local media. Each…

A fire has extensively damaged a two-storey building in the Wellington suburb of Newtown overnight. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told 1News the fire began in the two-storey building on Mansfield St shortly before midnight. They said the building had been extensively damaged. Nobody was located inside the building. Two crews of firefighters were still at the scene. (Source: 1News)Two crews of firefighters were still at the scene, and fire investigators would return at first light to establish the origin and cause of the fire. The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a Wellington house fire, the UK lowers the…

A top Kiwi rower who was arrested in Seattle after a post-regatta celebration bolted from police while being questioned over an alleged assault and then hid in a bush, official documents say.As first reported by RNZ in May, Zack Rumble, a member of the New Zealand men’s elite team, missed his flight home from the US with his team as he was in police custody. He has now admitted his actions were “not okay”, is banned from drinking while representing Rowing NZ and is on a final warning.The May 3 incident prompted Rowing NZ to launch an independent review of…

A 256-year-old anchor described by Heritage New Zealand as “one of the oldest relics of early European contact with New Zealand” has been located after vanishing for 43 years.The anchor, lost by a French ship more than 250 years ago, had been located by the famous underwater treasure hunter Kelly Tarlton in 1982, but nobody had seen it since.Efforts to relocate the anchor have been the focus of the RNZ podcast Kelly Tarlton’s Final Treasure Hunt.”I think we found… well, I don’t think – I know we found the last de Surville anchor,” marine engineer Brendan Wade said in a…

The Crown says on the evening of 24 January last year, murder-accused Julia DeLuney simply lost control.DeLuney is on trial at the High Court in Wellington, accused of murdering her mother, 79-year-old Helen Gregory, in a violent, possibly financially-motivated attack, which she denies.The Crown began its closing argument on Thursday afternoon, delivered by lead prosecutor Stephanie Bishop.”You will no doubt, members of the jury, have personal feelings about what you’ve heard throughout the course of this trial,” she said. “You will no doubt feel sorry for Mrs Gregory, and the violent end to her life, and you’ll of course, you’ll…

An Auckland man has become the first person in New Zealand to be convicted and sentenced for aiding and abetting his company’s possession of electronic tools that helped evade tax assessments and payment.Gurwinder Singh, who ran a pizza outlet called Just Pizza in Waiuku, was sentenced in the Manukau District Court on July 15 to seven months home detention on tax evasion charges and a charge of aiding and abetting his company for possessing electronic sales suppression tools (ESST).As part of an Inland Revenue (IR) investigation, searches were carried out at his home and business. Bank records were also obtained,…