Author: Press Room

Former Labour Minister Stuart Nash has spoken at New Zealand First’s annual conference.Nash was widely rumoured to be aligning himself with the party. He told members it was no co-incidence leader Winston Peters and second-in-command Shane Jones were filling halls around the country.Nash said he was not a member of any party and had not joined NZ First but indicated his support for it.”I mean, I wouldn’t be speaking at the conference if I didn’t,” he told reporters. “I’m not so arrogant to think that I can just jump into New Zealand First.The one-time Labour Cabinet Minister says he “didn’t expect…

ADVERTISEMENT The French are (rightfully) proud of their cheese. It is seen as a must for any decent family meal, a great economic asset for the country, and perhaps more surprisingly, a fantastic tool of diplomacy. That is why “diplomacy through cheese” will be one of the roundtables at an unprecedented two-day event by the French foreign ministry which aims to lift the veil on what diplomacy is and counter what is seen as a growing image deficit for the sector. But unlike say, Roquefort, which is undeniably French, this disconnect between diplomacy and the wider public affects most democratic…

The former Christchurch city councillor who is next on the Green Party’s list is still deciding whether he wants to join Parliament, after Benjamin Doyle resigned yesterday.Mike Davidson, who was running for the community board in the Innes ward in this year’s local body elections, is next on the Green Party list.Davidson is currently the Operations Manager at Whitiora, a skills and employment centre. He represented the Papanui ward as a councillor between 2016 and 2022.At a mayoral debate in Christchurch, Davidson told 1News that the “opportunity” to go to Parliament is “something that I need to consider quite strongly,…

Some Air New Zealand passengers have been stranded in Wellington after wild weather cancelled dozens of flights on Friday night.Thunderstorms lashed the region, with strong winds closing parts of State Highway 2.An airline spokesperson said the weather cancelled 28 flights in the capital.”Impacted customers have been rebooked on the next available service, with the majority travelling today.”An RNZ staffer on a flight from Queenstown that landed around 5.30pm said passengers were visibly relieved to touch down safely.”The cabin was very quiet as the plane came in to land, and then many people clapped and cheered.”They said the wind was already…

An Auckland dairy owner says his store was smashed up twice by the same man in a matter of hours.Police charged a man over an alleged assault and wilful damage at a Symonds St dairy two weeks ago.The man was arrested after allegedly throwing products off the shelves of the dairy and damaging the pie heater.Police said he was taken into custody before officers realised he had an existing injury that needed medical treatment, instead giving him a court summons and taking him to Auckland City Hospital.He was also given a trespass notice.A couple of hours later, police received a…

A Hawke’s Bay community leader says deploying more police will do little to address the underlying causes of gang conflict.Extra police have been deployed to the region, and a gang conflict warrant has been placed after two serious assaultsbelieved to be linked to the Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs.The warrant gives officers power to search vehicles of suspected gang members and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles.It comes after a gang conflict warrant already in place for Levin had been extended to cover Manawatū as well on Tuesday, after police were fired on twice in two days in Palmerston…

Shoppers are becoming increasingly price-sensitive and drawn to shops offering a discount, Consumer NZ says.It has released its latest retailer survey, which showed the shops with the most satisfied customers, and those not meeting the standard.Top of the whiteware and appliances category was 100% Appliances, PB Tech was top for home and mobile technology, Stihl Shop and Mitre 10 for hardware and Macpac for sports and outdoors.Consumer NZ spokesperson Kate Harvey said Stihl Shop and Macpac had the highest satisfaction ratings, at 94%.”Stihl Shop rated particularly high for its customer service and staff members’ product knowledge,” Harvey said.”Macpac beat its…

Two people have been seriously injured following an incident in South Auckland this evening. Police said they were called to the scene near the corner of Te Irirangi Dr and Great South Rd in Manukau around 6.10pm following a report of disorder.”Other parties have left the scene in a vehicle,” a police spokesperson told 1News.”Police attended immediately and are actively working to locate others believed to be involved.”

Early risers across New Zealand are in for a celestial treat on Monday with a total lunar eclipse set to paint the Moon a deep red in the morning sky — the first of two eclipses this month.On September 8, the Moon will slip into the Earth’s shadow, creating a lunar eclipse visible across Aotearoa.Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told 1News the lunar eclipse next week would be followed by an “arguably more exciting” partial solar eclipse later in the month.Monday’s eclipse begins at around 3.30am when the Moon enters the Earth’s umbra, or dark shadow.Totality, the moment where the Moon…

Installing solar is good for Dean Dunning’s soul. Mr Dunning is a director of the Think Solar Group which was recently named runner-up in the best large business at the Sustainable Energy Association New Zealand (SEANZ) awards. The awards recognised the best and most innovative solar energy projects and businesses in the country and the citation for Think Solar Group said it was recognised for strong growth developed through its people-first culture – empowering staff and driving ‘‘exceptional’’ customer service. Think Solar Group started as Wanaka Solar in 2016 and it has grown from there. It now comprised a group…