Author: Press Room

NZ Post services to the US should resume within weeks, as it figures its way through the Trump administration’s tariffs.The postal service had temporarily suspended parcel services to the US because of confusion caused by the tariff regime.This included American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.NZ Post’s Jared Handcock told Morning Report the process was complex because the tariffs rate would depend on the origin of the goods.”So this falls to the sender to actually determine where the goods are manufactured.”He said NZ Post was relying on the sender therefore to declare the origin…

A man has been arrested in Christchurch following reports of female students being approached by a “suspicious person” offering cash for “inappropriate favours”. An investigation was launched by police after it received “reports of concern” in the Merivale and St Albans areas on August 4. Police said yesterday that a man was allegedly offering cash in return for “inappropriate favours”. Letters were sent to 11 schools in the area, alerting them to the incidents. Detective Constable Andrea McDowell said this “resulted in more reports of students being approached”.Officers made inquiries and checked CCTV footage. A 53-year-old man was due to…

A 20-year-old law student has won a court case against Auckland Transport after deciding to “give it a go” himself to avoid having to pay hefty fees for legal representation.Sean O’Loughlin took a case to the High Court at Auckland arguing Auckland Transport (AT) failed to follow the law when installing three speed bumps and a raised pedestrian crossing on The Parade in Bucklands Beach.Justice David Johnstone found the installation had been unlawful.”Regrettably, when making its decision to install the crossing and humps, AT did not consider whether they would unduly impede vehicular traffic.”Instead, its decision-making commenced with the assumption…

New supermarkets that could boost competition will be eligible for fast-tracked approval, under changes announced by the government today. Building consent processes will be streamlined too, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said, and the Overseas Investment Act amended to clarify “pathways available for grocery investments, including through grocery-specific provisions”. “We’re creating an express lane for new supermarkets to boost competition and deliver better deals for Kiwi shoppers,” Willis said. In June, the IPSOS Issues Monitor survey had Labour overtaking National as the party New Zealanders believe is most capable of handling the cost of living. Food prices were about 3% higher in…

A man was arrested in Auckland yesterday for the alleged illegal importation of nearly one million cigarettes and evasion of $1.4 million in taxes. An investigation was launched after Customs officers at the Auckland Processing Centre intercepted two shipments from China declared as clothes. The first contained around 340,000 uncustomed cigarettes of the Chinese Double Happiness brand. The second shipment contained 587,000 cigarettes of the same brand. The cigarette shipments were intercepted by Customs. (Source: Supplied)Investigators found that neither the man or the company listed as the consignee had an import permit for the cigarettes, making it an illegal importation.…

An Ashburton man has been sentenced after his 12 horses were left underfed and in poor condition on a small paddock covered with rubbish. Barry Alexander Hill, 55, had been keeping his dozen horses on a 1.2-hectare lifestyle property that had the capacity to hold only two horses. When animal welfare inspectors visited the property, they found it was rundown, and the animals living in “hazardous conditions” with rubbish strewn across the paddock. Ministry of Primary Industries district manager, animal welfare and NAIT compliance, Canterbury, Richard Notley said: “There was no grass cover to graze, and a lack of decent…

By Eloise Gibson of RNZ Changes to road user charges are a “leap into the unknown” and will increase New Zealand’s emissions, a researcher says. Massey University mathematics professor and climate writer Robert McLachlan said the current petrol tax paid by drivers was the equivalent of paying a carbon tax of $448 per tonne of emissions, more than four times New Zealand’s actual carbon price. Right now there are two payment systems operating: road user charges (RUCs) which are levied by the kilometre on diesel vehicles and EVs, and a petrol tax paid for by the litre for petrol cars. Dr…

The search for a vessel that made a mayday call in the Cook Strait last night has been suspended. Police said the call was made via VHF channel 14 around 10pm, with a report that several people were on board a boat that was in trouble around three nautical miles from Karori Rock.Multi-agency search called off as police announce inquiry into the nature of the emergency call.  (Source: 1News)Police Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp said the person who made the call indicated the boat was taking on water with two people on board. “They failed to respond after several further transmissions, and…

It started with a friendship bracelet. It ended with an engagement ring. Taylor Swift, the pop superstar, and Travis Kelce, the football champion, are engaged.The fiancés, both 35, announced the news in a joint post on Instagram. It is the latest chapter in the couple’s love story, one that has spanned two years, two Super Bowls, an album announcement and the highest-grossing tour of all time.Here is a look at some of the major events in their relationship.The couple shared a photo of the engagement ring to fans. (Source: Instagram )A friendship bracelet, undeliveredIt started, fittingly, with a friendship bracelet.It…

New Zealand ticketing and event listing business Eventfinda has sold to Ticketek.Eventfinda chief executive James McGlinn said the deal would bring Ticketek and Eventfinda together and allow the Ticketek group to service a “really important segment of the live event ecosystem with Eventfinda’s agile self-service ticketing platform”.He said Eventfinda had been providing that to venues and organisers for the better part of 20 years.”With ticketing flexibility and white label functionality that has really resonated with that part of the market.”Ticketek has a world-class system that operates at the part of the market where they are providing incredible ticketing services to…