Author: Press Room
Mourners from across the country are converging on to Tāpeka Marae in Waihī Village, near Tūrangi, over the next few days to pay their respects to Ariki Sir Tumu Te Heuheu, who died on Tuesday.Today, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po was welcomed on to the marae early this morning. Tā Tumu’s final public appearance was at Te Arikinui’s first Koroneihana earlier this month. Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said there were strong kinship ties between the two ariki houses of Te Wherowhero and Te Heuheu.Tribes from Te Tairāwhiti were called on to the marae this morning too,…
A sense of relief and justice was palpable at the High Court in Wellington as the man who lit the fatal Loafers Lodge fire was convicted of five murders.But it was underscored by incredible heartache.The jury of 10 were unanimous in finding Esarona Lologa guilty of five counts of murder, and one of arson, for setting the Wellington hostel alight in 2023.The families of the five victims – Michael Wahrlich, Melvin Parun, Peter O’Sullivan, Kenneth Barnard and Liam Hockings – gathered in courtroom one to hear the verdict.There were whispered exclamations of “yes” as the jury foreman said “guilty” to…
Motorists are being advised to take care on the Auckland Harbour Bridge tomorrow afternoon as strong winds are expected to sweep through the city, with severe gusts also on the way for other parts of the country. According to MetService, gusts of 75 to 85km/h are possible across Auckland between 1pm and 5pm tomorrow. Electronic message boards on the motorway will update drivers if speed limits need to be reduced or lanes closed, New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said.”Lowering the speed limit gives motorists time to react and take more care if there is potential for sudden and high wind…
Seafood giant Sealord has proposed making its Nelson wetfish and by-products factories and fresh fish trawler seasonal rather than year-round – a change that would affect dozens of jobs.This proposal would lead to the disestablishment of 59 roles if it went ahead, and followed the proposed closure of its coated-fish factory earlier this month.Under the new proposal, the wetfish and by-products factories and fishing vessel Thomas Harrison would operate from May to September during the busy hoki season.Sealord chief executive Doug Paulin said the proposal followed a review of the company’s business model, which identified the need to reduce costs…
A new measles case has been discovered in the Bay of Islands, Health NZ says.The Northland case was notified to public health services on Thursday and was likely to be linked to overseas travel. They were no longer infectious.National clinical director Dr Susan Jack said there were currently six other individuals associated with the case who were being assessed for measles infection.”The six individuals being assessed were identified as part of initial contact tracing efforts. Public health is still identifying close contacts and possible exposure locations.”Jack said Health NZ “strongly urged” people in the Bay of Islands area to watch…
The Wellington City Council is investigating after reports a stash of confidential documents was found by a member of the public in an old mayoral desk bought from the tip shop.The NZ Herald is reporting there are hundreds of papers.The council told RNZ it was “taking the situation extremely seriously and are working with our legal and privacy staff – along with staff and contractors involved with the disposal of the Town Hall furniture – to understand what has happened”.They had also contacted the member of the public who found the documents, and alerted the Privacy Commissioner.The building was shut…
Police have appealed to the public for information on a man believed to have committed a series of aggravated robberies before fleeing on an e-scooter each time.Three food outlets at the Dinsdale Shopping Centre had been targeted in the last few days, police said.Detective Sergeant Matt Lee said the man arrived on a black e-scooter and entered the store demanding money while brandishing a knife.”On September 24, he robbed one shop, on September 25, he robbed two shops before fleeing the scenes on the e-scooter.”A victim was assaulted by the man during the second robbery.The man allegedly committed aggravated robberies…
Three weeks after absconding from a mental health facility in Auckland, Esarona Lologa set fire to Wellington’s Loafers Lodge hostel, killing five people. RNZ’s National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood reveals police were searching for the “recidivist offender” before the blaze, but had no idea he was in Wellington until it was too late.Police in Auckland were looking for Esarona Lologa in the weeks before he lit the fatal fire at Loafer’s Lodge, killing five people, unaware he was in Wellington.Lologa absconded from a mental health facility on April 21, 2023, three weeks before the fires, and there was a warrant…
Prince William has described 2024 as the “hardest year I’ve ever had” after both his father, King Charles, and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, were diagnosed with cancer.The Prince of Wales made the remarks during a short preview of upcoming Apple TV+ show The Reluctant Traveller, starring actor Eugene Levy.In the episode, the Canadian actor and comedian —best known for Schitt’s Creek and American Pie—received a personal invitation to Windsor Castle from Prince William.The invitation, written on Kensington Palace stationery and dated January 2025, read: “Dear Eugene, I heard that your travels have brought you to the UK and…
A southern council work car has been clocked travelling at 133km/h amid an uptick in speeding over recent reporting periods.Environment Southland releases quarterly numbers on speeding incidents in its work cars, as monitored by an in-car system.Its latest set of results showed there were 528 occasions where the limit was exceeded by at least 10km/hr during the April to June period.Of those events, 18 were for exceedances of 20km/h or more.The numbers are the highest recorded since the July to September 2024 quarter, where a total of 923 events were reported.Council health and safety manager Paul le Roux said the…