Author: Press Room

A rescue mission is underway this evening for three people and two dogs trapped in a cable car suspended above the Whanganui River. Fire and Emergency New Zealand services and police are at the scene along Whanganui River Rd.”Three people and two dogs are trapped in a private cable car that suspends above the river,” a Fire and Emergency spokesperson told 1News.Police said they were alerted to the incident around 5pm.

New Zealanders are continuing to prioritise international travel, with Kiwi holidaymakers breaking records – despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis affecting households across the country.Statistics NZ figures show May was the busiest on record for New Zealanders returning from an international trip – exceeding numbers from before the Covid-19 pandemic.Paula Rhodes, owner of Hornby House of Travel, said the appetite for travel remains strong across all age groups.“A lot of it is about making up for lost time,” she said. “That older generation especially; there’s a sense that you need to make the most of those years. You’ve got to get…

A man has been arrested and charged following a house fire in Palmerston North this afternoon.Emergency services responded to a house on fire on Main St just before 4pm.Police said a man at the scene who allegedly had a weapon was arrested and treated for potential smoke inhalation.The 26-year-old was expected in Palmerston North District Court tomorrow on two charges of wilfully setting fire to a property and one of possession of an offensive weapon.Fire and Emergency NZ said the house was “well involved” in flames when crews arrived following multiple calls.

A shuttle bus driver says he and his passengers were “centimetres” from a potentially fatal collision on the road to Whakapapa ski field, after two cars attempted risky overtakes on a blind stretch yesterday morning.Dashcam footage of the incident provided to 1News shows two vehicles overtaking the bus on Bruce Rd at around 9.20am on Saturday.A Volkswagen Golf can be seen narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with an oncoming Mercedes, cutting back in front of the bus at the last second.”I thought, this is it – we’re gonna hit something or we’re gonna be hit,” Ruapehu Scenic Shuttles owner operator…

A proposed council bylaw to close off a popular Wairarapa paper road has triggered a backlash from users who fear it will set a precedent for other wilderness areas. The paper road, which is an unformed public road, is east of Cape Palliser and passes through Māori land to a Department of Conservation Reserve. It is a heritage protected area with archaeological sites spanning back to its early Māori occupation around 1000 AD. The owners of the land, Ngāti Hinewaka, say, for years they’ve had to put up with vandalism, including fires which had destroyed native bush. A big concern…

New Zealand’s Young Farmer of the Year, Hugh Jackson, believes new technology could help significantly boost cattle numbers on his Te Akau sheep and beef farm.Jackson, speaking on Q+A, said new technology could transform grazing management on land like his Waikato property, which has been in his family’s hands since World War II. He suggested the farm could potentially double its cattle capacity, saying they “should easily be able to sort of double the amount of cattle that we could run”.The technology uses GPS collars to create virtual boundaries, allowing farmers to manage grazing without physical fencing. Jackson said the…

An “extremely rare” software fault was behind Saturday’s air traffic control disruption that delayed and left flights circling across the country, says Airways NZ chief executive James Young.New Zealand’s sole air traffic service provider experienced an issue with a component of the air traffic control system that looks after traffic between New Zealand and Australia at around 4.30pm yesterday.Young told 1News the issue stemmed from a technical failure during a routine operational shift in the Tasman airspace sector.”During quiet times, we consolidate sectors, so air traffic controllers look after a larger part of the airspace. In busy times, we what…

It’s a familiar sight in local Facebook groups: a CCTV image, a caption like “Do you know this person?”, and a warning that someone has allegedly been caught shoplifting, scoping a house for a burglary, or even worse.The posts, often widely shared across platforms by businesses or individuals, might appear to be a form of community justice, but the legal risks that come with making them are real.In New Zealand, publicly accusing someone online of committing a crime can have legal ramifications.The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) says it receives complaints about public shaming or identification on social media…

An 87-year-old contestant on The Chase has captured the hearts of viewers after pausing her appearance on the popular quiz show to pay tribute to her husband, who is living with dementia.Ann, one of four contestants, paused before her cash builder round to make a personal request to host Bradley Walsh.”Could I make a plug for my husband?” she asked. Walsh responded immediately, “Plug away, darling”.Ann then addressed the camera: “His name is John, he is in a care home and they’ll all be watching. Can you say hello to John and all the staff?”Walsh obliged, delivering a heartfelt message:…

Two people have been arrested after a firearms incident in the Christchurch suburb of Shirley overnight. Emergency services received a report of “a group of people allegedly holding a firearm” and making threats from a vehicle in Shirley at about 1.20am. Police cordoned off an address on Marshland Rd, where two people were taken into custody. Armed officers attended the scene as a precaution. No injuries have been reported as a result of the incident.A 32-year-old man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on August 18, facing multiple charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of…