Author: Press Room

Pāua poaching has worsened in Wellington — 30% of people checked are breaking the law.The area limit is five pāua per person, but officers are catching people with hundreds of the dark-fleshed delicacy.On Good Friday, two divers were caught with 433 pāua near Red Rocks on the south coast, returning from shore about 7.30pm under the cover of darkness.There were also reports of illegal shellfish trading in organised crime.Normally one in 10 people checked nationwide are found to be over the limit with their pāua or taking undersized juveniles. Officers were disappointed that Wellington’s rates were much higher — and…

Some of the feedback on the Ministry of Education’s draft framework for how relationships and sexuality should be taught in schools includes that it’s “dangerous”.The ministry released the draft relationships and sexuality framework for consultation last week, outlining the proposed teaching to be covered in relationships and sexuality education each year, from Years 0 to 13.InsideOUT managing director Tabby Besley told 1News the LGBTQIA+ education and support organisation is “incredibly disappointed” there was no mention of gender diversity in the draft. “We think that’s incredibly harmful for trans young people who deserve to see themselves reflected in the curriculum.””It’s dangerous.”The…

She’s been described as “pretty rural” and that moniker sits just fine with Central Otago9 lawyer Alice Sanders who juggles her day job with life on the land. She talks to business and rural editor Sally Rae about the call of home. Lawyer, hunter, self-described junior farmer — Alice Sanders wears a variety of hats in any given week. The 35-year-old combines a legal career based in Wānaka with high country farming where she also introduces newcomers to hunting on her family’s property, Mount Campbell Station, near Alexandra. At first glance, it might seem an unusual combination, particularly as she…

ADVERTISEMENTPeople of all ages gathered on Liberation Square in Ruse on Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ together, a unique joint celebration, as this year’s Easter coincided for both Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox faiths. The majority of Bulgarians identify as Eastern Orthodox, while Roman Catholicism is a minority religion. The latter usually celebrate Easter a few days before Orthodox Christians, however every so often, the dates coincide. For the eigth time since 2001, Christians from both groups have come together. Hundreds of dancers and citizens took part in a folk line dance performed in circles and chains.One of…

The mystery of missing Southland boy Mike Zhao-Beckenridge, who disappeared a decade ago with his stepfather John Beckenridge, is back in the Coroner’s Court next week.A coroner’s hearing was adjourned in 2023 after two weeks of evidence and will resume on Tuesday with fresh evidence from five new witnesses.John Beckenridge broke a court order and picked up his 11-year-old stepson from his Invercargill school in March 2015.A week after the pair’s disappearance, Beckenridge’s car went off a nearly 90m cliff in Southland.There were no signs of bodies when the vehicle was recovered and the pair remain missing.The new information to…

ANALYSIS: New Zealand’s freight system is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Building resilience means rethinking our reliance on trucks and investing in alternatives, as Cécile L’Hermitte explains.In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the driving time between Napier and Wairoa stretched from 90 minutes to over six hours, causing major supply chain delays. Retail prices rose and shoppers faced empty shelves.Natural hazards such as earthquakes and flooding can wreak havoc on Aotearoa New Zealand’s freight system. These crises can cause extensive road damage, isolating communities and creating disruptions in supply chain operations.Cyclone Gabrielle was by no means a one-off. The 2021…

A slip is blocking a south-bound section of State Highway 1 through Northland’s Brynderwyn Hills this afternoon.Police responded to reports of a slip between State Highway 12 and Artillery Rd at around 4.40pm on Sunday.”Motorists in the area are asked to drive with caution,” a police spokesperson said.NZTA advised caution due to the slip and urged motorists to follow the instructions of emergency services.The closure occurred at the usual peak time for motorists travelling southbound as Auckland and further southern holidaymakers faced the return home after what has been a wet long weekend due to ex-Cyclone Tam.The Brynderwyn Hills were…

A fire has been contained aboard a crew-only ferry sailing in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf this afternoon.Emergency services were alerted to the engine fire aboard the Fullers ferry at around 5.30pm on Sunday.Footage captured by 1News showed emergency services at the Marine Rescue Centre at Mechanic’s Bay and the police boat Deodar heading towards the affected vessel.No passengers were on the ferry at the time of the fire, Fullers said.”Safety of crew are paramount and Coastguard has attended.”Fire & Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) said it was alerted to the incident by a 111 call at 5.28pm, reporting a fire on a…

Every Thursday night in Upper Hutt, teenagers gather at the Salvation Army to hang out.There’s no set agenda, just space to shoot hoops, chill upstairs, eat, talk, or not talk. And that’s the point.”It’s like my getaway,” one teenager said, “to get away from home and stuff.”The rules are simple: no vaping, no smoking, no drugs, and no alcohol.”I wanted to get these kids out of their bedrooms,” founder Kim Hina said. “Off the PlayStation, off their phones, that’s what’s important for mental health.”Hina started Hangout eight years ago when her daughter Lily was struggling, with a close friend of…

ADVERTISEMENTUS Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Francis at the Casa Santa Marta, where the pontiff is recovering from double pneumonia after his 38-day hospital stay.Sources at the Vatican said that Easter greetings were exchanged during the meeting, which lasted a few minutes. The meeting was a rapprochement between the Trump administration and the Vatican, after Pope Francis repeatedly criticised the US administration’s tough immigration policies.Vance’s Rome visitVance, who is visiting Rome with his family for Easter, met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday, including Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with…