Author: Press Room

A teenage girl has been arrested and charged with allegedly threatening a witness in the homicide investigation of 15-year-old Kaea Karauria in Napier last month.Karauria, 15, was found critically injured at an Alexander Ave address following reports of a disorder event at 3.10am on May 11 and died at the scene despite efforts by ambulance staff.Police are yet to arrest anybody for the killing.Detective Inspector Dave de Lange said the teenager allegedly approached and threatened a witness on May 12, a day after the fight in which Karauria was killed.He said police had learned of the incident on June 6…

A court has heard former ACT Party president Tim Jago’s appeal against his sexual abuse conviction and sentence.Jago was found guilty of sexually abusing two teenage boys in the 1990s after a jury trial last year.One of the boys was under 16 years old, and the other was over 16 years old.Jago sought to have his conviction overturned as a miscarriage of justice, arguing the jury had reached an unreasonable verdict and that the judge’s summary was unbalanced.Jago appeared remotely from custody at the Court of Appeal in Auckland today as he served his two and a half year sentence.His…

ADVERTISEMENTPoland is strengthening its borders as it attempts to ward off threats amid heightened tensions from Russia’s war in Ukraine.Authorities in Warsaw say they have added minefields to the “East Shield” project, the name given to the protective barrier whose construction began in November last year. Work on the project now takes place year-round, seven days a week. The barrier spans over 20 kilometres along the Polish border adjacent to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad extending to the Baltic Sea. According to Karol Frankowski, a press officer for the Polish army, the new corridor is a show of force. “We…

A growing number of New Zealanders see Asia as important or very important to the country’s future, according to an annual survey by the Asia New Zealand Foundation.The New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian People survey, released by the Asia New Zealand Foundation, presents “changes in views over the past year, as well as longitudinal trends of public attitudes across demographics, regions and sectors”. Figures from the report noted Japan to be regarded by New Zealanders as the friendliest and most trusted country in Asia, and was the relationship New Zealanders would like to see further investment in. Kiwis…

Good news for renters – rents are predicted to remain subdued until well into next year.Realestate.co.nz said renters were, on average, $1400 a year better off this year than last, because asking rents were falling.The average rent being asked across the country in May was $633 per week, a drop of $27, compared to the same time in 2024.That was also the lowest price since December 2023.Realestate.co.nz spokesperson Vanessa Williams said demand had slowed at the same time that more listings had come to the market.For the first time in almost a decade, more than 7000 rental listings were added…

West Coast Regional Council chair Peter Haddock has called for a staff report on why it has taken 17 months to process a resource consent for a gold mine in the Arnold Valley.West Coast Mining Ltd has appealed to councillors after compliance staff shut the site down on May 31, alleging it was mining without resource consent.In a letter to councillors last week, the company said it had been dealing with the Council since 2023 and had been assured that the consent was about to be issued.Based on that, it had closed down its other two mine sites and moved…

Invercargill mayoral hopefuls are coming out of the woodwork in what is shaping up to be a full field.The city will welcome a new mayor in October, with Nobby Clark confirming he will be “fully into retirement” at the end of this term.Councillor Ria Bond is the latest to throw her hat in the ring, telling Local Democracy Reporting she made the decision 18 months ago.One of the main reasons for standing was seeing the public mistrust in council, which was noticeable during consultation periods.“There’s various reasons, but it all comes back to the fact that people of Invercargill deserve…

Two Labour MPs have apologised after swearing during an appearance by David Seymour at a testy select committee hearing today.Seymour was speaking as Regulation Minister, alongside officials from his Regulation Ministry, as part of Parliament’s so-called “scrutiny week” where ministers and agency chief executives are made available for questioning by MPs. The two Labour MPs in question, Deborah Russell and Duncan Webb, both withdrew and apologised for their off-the-cuff remarks. David Seymour appears at select committee. (Source: 1News)Russell’s comments came shortly after Seymour’s opening remarks, when National MP Ryan Hamilton brought up something he had heard while the minister was…

ADVERTISEMENTUrsula von der Leyen used her participation at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, to warn against a “new China shock” and denounce Beijing for perpetuating what she called a “pattern of dominance, dependency and blackmail” vis-à-vis its trading partners, in language seemingly designed to appeal to Donald Trump’s agenda.China holds a quasi-monopolistic position over so-called rare earths, the 17 metallic elements that are crucial for advanced technologies. The country commands roughly 60% of the world’s supply and 90% of the processing and refining capacity.”China is using this quasi-monopoly not only as a bargaining chip, but also weaponising it to undermine…

Business leaders are backing changes to the Employment Relations Act aimed at improving labour market flexibility, but the Public Service Association says the changes are “radical” and warns it will amount to less secure employment.”I’m announcing the introduction of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill to Parliament, marking a key milestone in this government’s efforts to help New Zealand businesses employ or contract with confidence and create more and better opportunities for workers,” Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said on Tuesday.The bill looks to change the distinction between “employment” and “contracting”.It also aims to simplify the personal grievances…