Author: Press Room
A record number of New Zealand citizens left the country in the year to September, and about half of them went to Australia, Stats NZ says.It has released new data showing the country had a net migration gain of 44,900, sharply down from a provisional peak of 136,300 recorded in the year to October 2023.Stats NZ said the number of people moving to New Zealand was down and departures had increased.There was a net loss of 54,700 New Zealand citizens in the year, driven by 79,700 departures and 24,900 arrivals.ASB economists said it was likely that departure numbers would remain…
An Auckland man has claimed the $30.2 million Lotto prize after finally checking his ticket which he had stashed in the top of his wardrobe for weeks following the draw.Lotto NZ said the man brought some of his children with him to Lotto HQ as he claimed the seventh-equal largest prize in Lotto history yesterday.”I still can’t believe this is actually real,” said one of the man’s daughters. “It feels like someone’s going to pop their head in at any moment and tell us it’s all a big joke.”The man is a regular player who picked up his usual ticket…
A house in Christchurch’s Northcote has been gutted by fire this afternoon.Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) told 1News it was called to the single-storey home at around 1.12pm.All people are accounted for. Four crews were at the scene at the height of the blaze, and two remain dampening down hotspots. A house next door was evacuated, while police attended to assist with traffic. A fire investigator remains on site, FENZ said.
The Highlanders have applied to place a recruiting agency into liquidation, saying it owes the rugby club $120,000 in sponsorship fees. Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership has filed an application to the Christchurch High Court requesting that Canstaff Recruitment Ltd be placed into liquidation. The company is owned by Matt and Tracey Jones, of Darfield, and described on its website as a specialised recruitment and labour hire agency for New Zealand construction, civil construction, engineering, manufacturing and logistics sectors. “We are disappointed Canstaff have not fulfilled their commitment to the sponsorship contract despite the Highlanders investing significant resources into this…
Tā Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies has been laid to rest following a moving funeral service that saw thousands descend on to Te Papaiouru Marae, Ōhinemutu, in Rotorua to pay their final respects.The 99-year-old was the last surviving member of the 28th Māori Battalion and was given a send-off that acknowledged both sides of his whakapapa from Te Arawa and Tākitimu waka, as well as his military background.After the service, Tā Bom was carried from the mahau of the whare across the marae ātea to St Faith’s Anglican Church for a brief visit.He was then placed on a gun carriage and, after…
The final video taken by alleged murder victim Yanfei Bao on the day the Crown says she was killed has been shown to the jury.Giving evidence at the High Court in Christchurch, Detective Leanne Benjamin told the court the short clip was recorded on the victim’s phone at 11.26am on July 19, 2023.The Crown’s case is that the real estate agent met the defendant Tingjun Cao at a property in Hornby, where he attacked her.They claim she arrived at the for-sale property at around 10am and that Cao arrived just before 11am.Benjamin told the court that she recognised the dark…
New Zealand rock legends, Shihad, will set off on their last ever tour this summer, it’s been announced.The band of frontman Jon Toogood, Karl Kippenberger, Phil Knight and Tom Larkin, formed in Wellington in 1988 as high school students with a love for American speed metal.To mark 36 years of making memories, the band has announced Loud Forever — The Final Tour. They’ll perform a circuit of summer festivals, including Rock The Bowl in Taranaki, Kickdown in Coromandel, and Homegrown in Wellington. Additional headline shows are scheduled at the Rhythm and Alps site in Wānaka, Black Barn in Hawke’s Bay,…
A swimmer has died at Piha Beach this afternoon after being caught in a rip.Police said it was notified the person had been pulled from the water just after 3.30pm.”Medical attention was administered, however sadly the person died near the scene.”Our thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”The death will be referred to the coroner.
By Phil Pennington of RNZ The American headquarters of Rocket Lab has threatened a New Zealand academic with defamation action over his comments claiming it helped the US military with nuclear weapons control. Associate professor Damien Rogers of Massey University told RNZ’s Morning Report programme in September that Rocket Lab launches from Mahia Peninsula had not been questioned enough. The company immediately complained to RNZ, asking how Rogers’ nuclear claim was substantiated. RNZ removed a reference to that from its online story. Rocket Lab then wrote to Rogers saying it was “not against freedom of speech and recognises the value of fair…
Police have announced a nationally focused operation that will support the enforcement of new legislation targeting gangs which comes into effect next week.The Gangs Act 2024, passed into law earlier this year, gives police new powers to disrupt and target gang activity from November 21.The legislation prohibits the display of gang insignia in public and provides police the power to issue dispersal notices on gang members who are believed to be unreasonably disrupting the activities of the public.It also provides for the making of non-consorting orders, which prohibits association and communication between specified gang offenders for three years.Assistant Commissioner Paul…