Author: Press Room

A New Plymouth man assaulted outside a local rugby club has died.Daniel Nganeko, aged 37, was punched in the head in what police say was an unprovoked attack outside the Tukapa clubrooms on Gladstone Road on Saturday evening.”It is with deep sadness that Taranaki Rugby acknowledges the passing of Tukapa supporter Daniel Nganeko,” Tukapa Rugby Club chairperson Scott Siffleet wrote on social media.”Our heartfelt aroha goes to the Nganeko whānau, a long-standing and respected Tukapa family.”We stand in support of Daniel’s whānau, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy, and trust that the justice process will bring swift accountability.…

Māori life expectancy has increased more than any other ethnic group between 2005-2007 and 2022-2024, but still remains lower than other ethnic populations, new figures have shown.Stats NZ published new figures today, revealing Māori life expectancy was 75.8 years in 2022-2024, up 3.1 years from 2005-2007. For people who identified as ‘European or Other’ – which includes New Zealander – Pacific, or Asian ethnicities, each increased by 1.5-1.6 years in the same period.In 2022–2024, life expectancy at birth for other ethnicities was:• 81.8 years for the population of Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole• 82.8 years for people who identify…

The phone of missing West Coast tramper Roy Arbon was active in an open area just 12 minutes before a search helicopter flew over the exact location without spotting any sign of him, authorities say. Other trampers in the same route in the same direction also didn’t report seeing any sign of the 75-year-old at the time, which has been deemed “really odd”.Police today released more details on efforts to locate the missing Rūnanga man, who hasn’t been seen since July 23 when he left home for a walk in the hills. Arbon left a handwritten note, police told 1News,…

A former police directive to staff on retail crime thresholds has led to a significant decrease in the number of files being investigated across the country, documents released to RNZ reveal.The directive, which has since been scrapped, told staff they would no longer be investigating allegations of retail crime below certain financial thresholds.In the first 12 days of the directive, Wellington had the biggest shift in total number of cases going from an average of 60 per day to 30.Auckland City had a 26% drop, Tasman 56%, Canterbury 13% and Southern 37%.RNZ earlier revealed a directive was sent to staff…

A man who died after being found on the side of a Bay of Plenty highway has been named by police. He was Zain Mateng Taikato-Fox, 20, from Rotorua. Taikato-Fox was found critically injured on the side of State Highway 33 by four men at 7.10pm on Saturday. He was taken to Rotorua Hospital but died a short time later. “Police offer our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said. An investigation was launched following his death. “Police are continuing to work to establish the circumstances leading to the man’s injuries.”On Monday, police urged…

A 19-year-old Lower Hutt man faces multiple charges after police discovered two firearms and ammunition during a search warrant linked to gang insignia breaches.Police said the man was seen “wearing gang insignia in a public place” at a May tangi, after which an investigation was launched.Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Sears said officers from the Wellington gang disruption unit carried out a search warrant at a Taita address earlier today. Police said they located two firearms (Source: NZ Police)”Police located two firearms, along with about 90 rounds of ammunition. A gang patch was also located and seized during the search,” he…

The Conservation Department is defending its plan to charge for parking at Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and other tourist hotspots in National Parks.DOC is about to trial paid parking in its carpark next to the new Punangairi Visitor Centre in Punakaiki, and at Franz Josef and Aoraki Mt Cook. Punakaiki café owner Grant Parrett has objected, telling the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board this month that DOC would be effectively charging people to visit a National Park.But DOC’s senior project manager John Dore said the parking charges would not contravene the National Parks Act.”The Conservation Act 1987 allows for charging…

A Whanganui whānau is rallying behind their mother, a pioneering New Zealand Army veteran, as she battles Stage 4 lung cancer and seeks support for a life-saving medication not funded in New Zealand.Suzanne ‘Su’ Gingles made history in 1978 as one of the first women to serve in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and was the first to complete Combats Corps Training, qualifying for the distinctive red diamond.She then faced a fight lasting more than 40 years to be properly recognised as a woman for her military achievements.Now, Gingles is fighting a different battle after she was diagnosed with…

A record number of New Zealand mortgage holders changed lenders in June, with more than 3500 borrowers refinancing their loans worth a total of $2.5 billion in lending.Short-term loan structures, minimal break fees, and competitive cashback offers drove the refinancing surge, which was the largest since the Reserve Bank began tracking the data in 2017.Cotality NZ chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said the elevated level of switching likely reflected that borrowers were actively monitoring rates and terms.”With nearly 14% of mortgages on floating rates and another 39% fixed and due to roll off by the end of 2025, a large…

An Auckland non-profit organisation is furious at what it calls a deepening crisis after a litter of six puppies was found dumped in a shoe box in a block of public toilets.According to the Saving Hope Foundation, a woman using the bathroom at the Weymouth boat ramp in Manurewa last week discovered a “slightly moving and squeaky” shoe box. The woman and her partner opened the box and found six tiny newborn puppies with their umbilical cords attached. They put the box in their car and headed straight to the vet, where the puppies were warmed and fed. One of…