Author: Press Room

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Woolworths staff are feeling anxious and scared about a proposed restructure for the supermarket chain’s workforce, the union representing them says. Woolworths says it is consulting with staff on proposed changes to its store operating model. “Our customers are looking to us to improve their shopping experience, and we believe that our proposed model would put the right expertise in the right place at the right time to do exactly that. It would mean more team on the store floor helping customers, ensuring the products they need are on the shelves, and improving our overall…

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will join a phone call with other world leaders tomorrow night to discuss the potential deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of the “coalition of the willing”.The call, which is being arranged by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would also include the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Canada.Australia’s Anthony Albanese will also join.An initial meeting of leaders in London was held this month and a meeting of defence officials in Paris took place earlier this week.New Zealand defence attaché Brigadier Lisa Ferris was present at the latter meeting.Defence ministers from some European…

Seven people have been arrested over a serious assault in Auckland’s Pukekohe at the end of 2024.Detective Senior Sergeant Rob Hunkin said police were called to reports of disorder at a petrol station on Edinburgh St on December 18, 2024. He said up to 10 people from one gang arrived at the petrol station forecourt around 10am. “This group has attacked another man, who is a member of a rival gang, and then set on his partner.” Hunkin said the incident was “a cowardly attack that occurred in broad daylight in the middle of a petrol station forecourt”. The BP…

Rough sleepers whose belongings are obstructing footpaths in the New Plymouth’s CBD are being warned to remove them or risk them being impounded.Mayor Neil Holdom said council staff have begun telling rough sleepers they have to remove their belongings and structures within seven days.”The response comes in the wake of growing concern about the increase of rough sleepers in the city centre and the impacts of that activity, including items blocking shop entrances, drinking alcohol in the alcohol ban area, drug taking, violence, intimidation of members of the public and generally making the area look untidy and feel unsafe.”So far…

A New Zealand-led international maritime task force in the Arabian Sea has seized 318kg of heroin and 83kg of methamphetamine.It is the second drug bust this year for Combined Maritime Task Force 150 — an operational task force aimed at disrupting drug smuggling operations in the Middle East currently being led by the Royal New Zealand Navy’s commodore Rodger Ward.The UK Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster was patrolling the northern Arabian Sea when one of the ship’s drones identified “suspicious nighttime activity”, said a New Zealand Defence Force statement.A Wildcat helicopter was sent to investigate and observed packages being transferred…

Disgraced real estate businessman Aaron Coupe has been sentenced to four years and five months in jail for causing millions of dollars in losses to business partners, banks and creditors.Details of the 48-year-old’s offending can be reported after an appeal for permanent name suppression was abandoned.At sentencing in the Auckland District Court last month, Judge NR Dawson said the gravity of offending and culpability were both “very high”.He described Coupe as a “very glib huckster; very talented at taking in people with all your tales about over-ambitious projects and you managed to take in experienced businesspersons with your tales.”You take…

A representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports — especially photographs and police body-camera video — related to the recent deaths of Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after their partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home last month.Authorities last week announced that Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease as much as a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — took the life of his 65-year-old wife.Hackman’s pacemaker last showed signs of activity on…

A South Auckland councillor who has endured cyberstalking is calling for proposed legislation aimed at tackling stalking and digital harassment to be prioritised.Angela Dalton spoke about the personal toll that cyberstalking had on her as a community leader.”Over the past year, I have been subjected to cyberstalking, which has damaged my reputation, relationships, and opportunities.”I had no recourse for this, and it has been a major reason for my decision to step down from my current position.”The councillor, who represents the Manurewa-Papakura ward, says she supports the Bill and urges the Law and Public Safety Committee to prioritise its passage.Local…

Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically questioned what would happen to Russia’s Kursk region and the Kremlin’s demands, which Moscow refers to as the “root causes” of its all-out invasion of Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENTVladimir Putin said on Thursday he was in favour of a 30-day ceasefire proposal, but he stressed that there are “nuances” to what he would agree to.In a speech at a news conference in the Russian capital, the Russian president said that in the eyes of Moscow, the proposal should lead to an “enduring peace” and should tackle what the Kremlin calls “root causes”. These are the pretexts Putin…

Dame Jacinda Ardern will be releasing a children’s book in September based on things her daughter Neve said to her while she was prime minister. In an announcement posted to Facebook on Thursday morning, Ardern shared the title of her new book – Mum’s Busy Work – which is told through the eyes of a child. Ardern told her followers she began to work on the book while writing her “valedictory to leave parliament”.”I wanted to do anything other than write that speech, and so I ended up writing this instead.”Kiwi illustrator Ruby Jones has done the artwork for the…