Author: Press Room
Two Vietnamese nationals arrested in an Auckland cannabis bust yesterday are believed to be part of an organised crime syndicate, police said.Three people were arrested yesterday as part of an investigation targeting an “opportunist profit-driven business” across Auckland, Wellington and Marlborough.A local Picton man was arrested after being found with a suitcase full of vacuum-packed cannabis packages as he walked off the Interislander in Picton yesterday.A search of his house found $12,000 in cash, a BB gun resembling a Glock pistol, and a small amount of MDMA.Two Vietnamese nationals were subsequently arrested after they delivered a suitcase of cannabis to…
Parents and staff of a Taranaki community childcare centre are shellshocked it has been forced to close.Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube said the 52 children who attend the Waitara & District Community Childcare have been left with nowhere to go and families were reeling.”They are absolutely devastated and distraught. I’ve been to the centre that is a treasured part of the Waitara community. There is nowhere for these children to go.”The centre, which had a 44-year history, leased part of a building managed by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).Head of Crown Property Sonya Wikitera said LINZ…
A new report says Europe could face a new aggression within the next decade. Here’s what it needs to defend itself without the Americans. ADVERTISEMENTA new joint report by the Bruegel think tank and the Kiel Institute has warned that new Russian aggression in Europe is “conceivable”, citing NATO claims that Moscow could be “ready to attack within three to ten years”. According to official data, the US has over 80,000 American servicemen on the continent, which would be at least tripled in case of foreign aggression.However, the recent deterioration of transatlantic ties is sparking concerns about an American disengagement,…
Two young people have been arrested following two assaults in a Queenstown park on Sunday and Tuesday. The young males were arrested after police searched a local Queenstown address on Wednesday. The search was in relation to the two assaults in Jardine Park on Sunday, February 23, and Tuesday, February 26. Victims from both assaults were left with injuries requiring hospital treatment. The offenders were also charged over a burglary in the area, which occurred earlier in the month. Both were charged with aggravated burglary, threats to kill, assault with a weapon and possession of an offensive weapon.The duo were…
Two meetings of European leaders will take place over the coming days to discuss Ukraine and possible security guarantees. ADVERTISEMENTThe one-two charm offensive Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer unleashed on Washington this week appears to have cajoled Donald Trump into softening his stance on Ukraine somewhat but Europeans, and especially EU member states, remain at pains to thrash out common positions on security guarantees the US expects them to bear the brunt of. European leaders will now gather for two additional meetings over the coming week in the hope of bridging the existing gaps over what they can provide the war-torn country…
The inclusion of Cxbladder Triage as the standard of care in an amendment to the American Urological Association’s clinical guideline for management of patients presenting with microhematuria has been described as a “significant milestone” for Pacific Edge. As a result, the Dunedin-based cancer diagnostics company expected an uplift in demand for Cxbladder tests as more clinicians in the United States and around the world began to observe the updated guideline and incorporate the tests into care pathways. In an update to the NZX, the company said it also expected to leverage the guideline language in its ongoing policy dialogue with…
A long-serving Taupō District Councillor has admitted to drink driving.Anna Park appeared in Auckland District Court on Friday afternoon, after failing a compulsory breath test on the Control Gate Bridge in Taupō in November.In a statement sent by her lawyer, Park said she took full responsibility for her lapse in judgement.”I am deeply sorry for the disappointment and hurt my actions have caused to my family, friends, colleagues, and the wider community,” she said.”I am committed to learning from this mistake and earning back the trust I have lost. deeply sorry for the disappointment and hurt her actions have caused.”Park…
Audi operations will be moved to China and Mexico due to high costs. Future uses for the site in the Brussels neighbourhood of Forest are being considered. ADVERTISEMENTAudi Brussels factory is set to close in the Belgian capital, releasing its 3,000 workers who went in for their last shift on Friday.Halfway through last year, production was already reduced, and between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs were cut. At the end of October, no serious investor or buyer had emerged, leading to the decision to close the factory this February.”It just feels weird that it’s coming to an end,” one employee said.…
Listed retirement village operator Summerset is considering changes to its care model, blaming the state of aged-care underfunding in New Zealand. Announcing the company’s full-year results yesterday, which included a record underlying profit, chief executive Scott Scoullar said it would have to consider making its care centres available to its village residents only and no longer accept referrals from the public health system. “It’s not a step we want to take, but we need to focus our limited funding and staffing resources on our village residents and their needs. “We don’t want to end up overstretching our staff. “We know…
Business owners on Thornton Road in Whakatāne say poor communication over road closures this summer crippled their businesses for at least a month.Thornton Bar and Eatery owner Brenda Collins said her revenue dropped by between 50% and 75% when Whakatāne District Council closed Thornton Road for renewals, and she had asked for compensation for costs to her business.“The impact the closure had on my business was immediate, and in that moment, plans to hire a second chef and extend my business hours going into my busiest time of the year were quashed.”Collins said during the road closure, she often closed…