Author: Press Room

Janet Jackson is sorry she questioned US Vice President Kamala Harris’ race.The singer, 58, was met with a huge backlash over the weekend after she falsely claimed during an interview with The Guardian the 59-year-old Democrat wasn’t black, in an echo of a right-wing conspiracy theory.Today, the Grammy winner issued an apology statement for her remarks to People, which said: “Janet Jackson acknowledges that her recent comments about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity were based on misinformation. “She extends her sincerest apologies for any confusion caused and reaffirms her respect for Harris’ dual heritage as both Black and Indian.”“Janet…

Employment disputes have ramped up at WorkSafe as it has restructured.The Crown agency has cut about 120 jobs and this year has narrowed down its range of operations.Figures newly released to RNZ show 11 staff lodged personal grievances in the year to July 2024. That compared with a total of just four across the entire three years before that.WorkSafe had settled eight of the 11 claims, paying out $330,000.Three were still open, and a further, singular personal grievance had been lodged in the 2024/2025 financial year.”WorkSafe undertook an organisational change in 2023 and the majority of the PGs in 2023/2024…

Comedian John Mulaney and actor Olivia Munn now have a second child, a daughter named Méi June Mulaney.Munn said in an Instagram post today that the girl was born via a surrogate on Thursday (local time).“I had so many profound emotions about not being able to carry my daughter,” Munn said in the post that included a photo of the parents and baby together on a hospital bed. “When I first met our gestational surrogate we spoke mother to mother. She showed me so much grace and understanding, I knew I had found a real-life angel. “Words cannot express my…

Airfares might be falling but it could take a long time for them to get back to pre-pandemic levels, experts say.Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran told RNZ in August that fare prices on average were down and were driven by supply and demand.Stats NZ data backs that up – but while prices are down 23% on average from the peak for international airfares, and 13% for domestic, they are still up more than 50% from their lowest point, just before Covid hit.Aviation expert Irene King said it was still likely that the long-term trend for airfares would be…

Australia’s two biggest supermarket chains will face court after allegedly misleading buyers with fake discounts.The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission launched legal action in the federal court against Woolworths Group Limited and Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd on Monday.The watchdog claims both retailers bumped the prices of products by 15 per cent for brief periods before placing them in Woolworths’ Prices Dropped promotion and Coles’ Down Down promotion at prices lower than during the price spike but higher than, or the same as, the regular price.ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the duopoly breached consumer law by making “misleading claims about…

A man is in a critical condition after a “drug-induced incident” in Northland’s Cable Bay yesterday.He reportedly became heavily intoxicated after ingesting a psychedelic drug, a police spokesperson said.At around 4pm, he damaged vehicles with members of the public inside in two separate incidents.”Thankfully nobody was hurt, but this was a terrifying incident for the victims who had their cars damaged while they were inside,” the spokesperson added.”It has also been distressing for the man’s whānau.”He was flown to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.Police said charges would be considered once the man recovers.

Hundreds of homes are without power across the west of the North Island as thunderstorms with “frequent lightning” move over the region.MetService issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Waitomo, Taumaranui, Taranaki, Taihape and Whanganui on Sunday, for the period from approximately 1.20pm to 5pm.A band of “very active” thunderstorms is moving slowly northeast over the area this afternoon, the forecaster said.These thunderstorms bring localised heavy rain of 10-25mm/h, hail and squally wind gusts of 80-110km/h in some western areas.”Although the rain, hail and wind associated with the thunderstorms may not reach severe thunderstorm criteria, the thunderstorms are producing widespread frequent…

A man has been arrested following an alleged stabbing at a premises in South Auckland this afternoon which left another man seriously injured.Police were called after reports a man had been stabbed on Great South Rd in Ōtāhuhu around 2.15pm. Officers tracked the man to Atkinson Ave, where he was taken into custody.”Charges will follow,” a police spokesperson said.St John said it responded with one ambulance, one rapid response vehicle, and an operations manager around 2.31pm.

Police have released the name of the man who died following an assault at a Levin property earlier this week.Terrence Clough, 57, died at a Chester St address after being assaulted on Thursday evening.Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson said a post-mortem has now been competed and Clough’s body has been returned to his family.”The investigation is ongoing to establish the events that led to Terrence’s death, and as part of that police are seeking information from the public.”He said police would like to speak to anyone in the area of Chester St and Levin North School between 9.30pm and midnight…

Runaway deer have been spotted running amok in suburban Christchurch today.Security camera footage captured three deer as they wandered outside a house in Halswell this afternoon. “I heard some noise in the driveway and went outside to check. There were three big deer in my driveway and I rushed back inside scared,” witness Manvi Tandon told 1News. “They ran away hearing the door sound and rushed towards an empty section area and jumped.”Photographs also showed a deer behind a fence, and another running down a street. A deer seen behind a fence in Halswell, Christchurch. (Source: Supplied)Police said it had…