Author: Press Room

Kim Baker Wilson attended eight weeks of the Polkinghorne trial in which Polkinghorne and Hanna’s lives, histories and families were trawled for evidence. Some moments will stay with him forever.Her voice cut through an otherwise mundane courtroom. It was a shock, surprise piece of evidence that played with little warning. It was Pauline Hanna’s voice.Her cheerful tone. Her angry tone. Her exasperated tone. We heard her way with words in her own words, and so did the jurors.Pauline Hanna photographed at her stepson’s wedding. (Source: 1News)They were told it was recorded by chance while Pauline and her family were discussing…

The body of missing man Bret Hill has been found.Police were notified yesterday that a body had been found by a member of the public near the Birchville Dam in Upper Hutt.”Formal identification has established the body is that of missing Upper Hutt man Bret Hill,” a police spokesperson said.The 50-year-old had been missing since September 15, when he was last seen on Hillside Dr in the Upper Hutt suburb of Māoribank.Police said Hill’s body was removed yesterday afternoon, and a scene examination was carried out.”We extend our sympathies to his family and friends.”We would like to thank the members…

Shoppers have been urged not to place “simple trust” in the major supermarkets as the benefits of competition depend on making price comparisons.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Coles and Woolworths to court, accusing the supermarket behemoths of breaking consumer law by duping customers with misleading discount pricing claims on hundreds of products.Watchdog chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb dispelled rumours the grocery giants were in cahoots on these allegedly fake markdown schemes but noted they monitor each other’s prices and suggested customers do the same.”They price check each other and they price check other competitors to set their prices…

Hundreds of thousands of North Island homes could be covered in ash after a volcanic eruption – and assessing the damage could take months, the Natural Hazards Commission says.It has funded GNS to design a model that will enable authorities to quickly identify in real time where the ash is falling, and how much there is, to help emergency managers respond.Mount Ruapehu last erupted in 1995 and 1996.GNS natural hazard and risk scientist Dr Josh Hayes, who is helping to create the model, said while those eruptions were significant, there was not much damage – they were more of a…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ The outcome of an investigation into supermarket pricing practices is expected by the end of this year, the Commerce Commission says. Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission on Tuesday launched legal action against Woolworths and Coles, alleging they breached consumer law by misleading customers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of products, local media report. A spokesperson for the Commerce Commission said it would be “watching with interest” to see what lessons could be applied to the New Zealand market. “The Commerce Commission is investigating Woolworths NZ, Foodstuffs South Island, and Foodstuffs North Island in relation to…

A boost in renewable technology investment is being spruiked as evidence wind and solar power in Australia trumps a plan for nuclear energy.The Clean Energy Regulator is expecting an average of more than 40 per cent of the energy grid to come from renewable energy in 2024.Renewable capacity being installed in 2024 could be enough to power about 3.5 million households, the energy minister estimated using the regulator’s figures of seven gigawatts of renewable energy capacity.Energy Minister Chris Bowen seized on the figure to underscore the efficacy of the federal government’s push to boost investment in the sector as it…

Courteney Cox can’t imagine a reboot of Friends happening.The 60-year-old actress starred as Monica Geller in the iconic sitcom — which ran for a decade from 1994 to 2004, and followed the lives of a group of friends living in New York City — and she finds it “hard” to envisage the programme being re-done.The group also included Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, and the late Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing.And the show’s creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane recently revealed they keep getting pitched…

Routine rental inspections can seem like an inconvenience. Every three months or so, tenants will need to worry about how clean the place they’re renting needs to be to pass the grade. Is the landlord or property manager going to open the wardrobes and cupboards? Will I be forced to pay for that worn-out carpet which was old anyway?While these check-ups may feel annoying, they can help protect the tenant from unfair claims at the end of a tenancy, said Ray White business development manager Jessica Currie, who has 15 years of experience in Auckland property management.On the other hand,…

EGate access at the New Zealand border is being expanded to 15 more European Union member states from today, which Customs says means more than 85% of travellers to NZ now have access to automatic border processing.Customs said all 27 EU Member states have eGates access from today.Group Manager of Border Operations Dana McDonald said the move will make it “seamless” for more travellers entering the country.”Our eGates use sophisticated biometric software and information from ePassports to carry out necessary checks within seconds, enabling Customs frontline officers to place increased focus on other tasks like assessing high-risk travellers, such as…

Australia’s largest coal producer has criticised the Queensland government over its “short-sighted” resource tax policies and lack of industry consultation.BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Asset President Adam Lancey said the coal mining industry in Queensland was at risk due to the government acting “unpredictably and unreasonably”, driving future investors away.”The risks of sudden policy and fiscal changes being made without meaningful consultation with the industry … have made it harder for Queensland to be competitive,” he will tell Queensland’s Resources Media Club on Tuesday.Queensland has significant progressive coal royalties and some in the resources sector describe them as the highest taxes…