Author: Press Room
Two teenagers are fortunate to be home and dry tonight after one was swept down a river north of Wellington today.The two 15-year-olds were returning from an overnight hike to Kapakapanui Hut in the Tararua Forest Park when they got into trouble trying to cross the Ngatiawa River, police said.Constable Alex McCormack said the river was rising from heavy rain and the flow swept one of the boys off his feet and carried him downstream.”His friend made the right choice not to go in after him. The boys thought it was crossable, but underestimated the power the water was packing.”The…
ADVERTISEMENTJavier Cercas likes to describe his book as a non-fiction novel, a mixture of chronicle, autobiography and biography (of Pope Francis). “It is impossible to invent something as exotic and extraordinary as the Vatican. Believe me, it’s totally impossible. Why would I make it up?” The Vatican opened its doors wide to him and for two years he was able to meet a whole series of high-ranking officials.”It’s part of what was unusual about this pope. He was able to open doors. The Church had never done that before, opening the doors of the Vatican to a writer to ask…
Police say they are concerned at the lack of information they’re receiving from the public as methamphetamine use in the small rural Central Hawke’s Bay town Waipukurau surges. Wastewater testing site at Waipukurau recorded the biggest increase in meth consumption in the country in 2024 — up 333% on 2023. District crime manager Detective Inspector Martin James told 1News that the high readings are “very concerning for us” but Police needed more information to act. Police in Waipukurau are alarmed at the lack of information they’re getting from the public, as meth use soars. (Source: 1News)”One of the key concerns…
The last three years have not been easy for Pita and Selu Hingano.The retirees in south Auckland lead a humble life and have struggled to make ends meet after losing tens of thousands of dollars in a 2021 pyramid scheme. Pita had seen the Tongi Tupe Nuusila (New Zealand) scheme on numerous Facebook feeds and posts – including live feeds from a business yard in Otara. Every Saturday, Tongans who had invested money in the scheme would line up to collect envelopes of cash from Ofa Siasau who ran the New Zealand arm.1News exposed the illegal scheme in 2021 when…
ADVERTISEMENTYoung Portuguese men vote five times more for the far right than girls. The conclusion, presented in a report by the European Policy Centre, reflects a growing trend that marks a gender divide among European youth when it comes to politics – men are oriented towards far-right ideals, while women lean towards progressive movements.In Portugal, in the youth population, every female vote for a far-right party is matched by 4.9 male votes. This is the second highest figure in the European Union, behind only Croatia (6.0), and ahead of countries like Spain (4.6), Denmark (4.4) and Finland (4.2). The pattern…
Tonight’s Good Sort Trevor Goodin runs a health shuttle between Oamaru and Dunedin — but his business model is less about money and more about compassion.He started after a desperate call from Janice, who had already missed an urgent oncology appointment. The old transport service had stopped suddenly, and Trevor stepped in. That was two years ago and he’s been driving ever since.His passengers pay what they can. Some give nothing , and sponsors help, but Goodin says he’s about $40,000 out of pocket.”I bought the shuttle myself. If someone’s loved one died because they couldn’t get to an appointment,…
Police have arrested and charged a man after fires were set at six churches and a business in Masterton earlier this year.Emergency services responded to a series of suspicious fires on February 22 believed to have been started between 4.25am and 4.35am.The Anglican Church of the Epiphany, St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Masterton Baptist Church, and Equippers Church Masterton all suffered damage ranging from “moderate to significant”.Crews responded from across the Wairarapa region and from as far away as Avalon Station in Lower Hutt.Police said officers had carried out checks at other churches in the town on Saturday morning — and…
The Government has announced $164 million in Budget 2025 to expand urgent and after-hours healthcare services across the country over the next four years, aiming to improve access and reduce pressure on hospitals.New 24-hour urgent care services would be established in Auckland’s Counties Manukau and Dunedin by the end of 2025, Tauranga in 2026, and Whangārei and Palmerston North in 2027.New and extended daytime urgent care services were expected to roll out in Lower Hutt in 2025, Invercargill and Timaru in 2026.Trials of rural and remote services were planned to take place in Twizel, Tākaka, Tūrangi, Te Kūiti, Coromandel and…
Two people have died following separate single-vehicle crashes in the Hawke’s Bay region overnight.Emergency services were first called to Kopu Rd in Wairoa at around 1.05am on Sunday.”One person died at the scene,” a police spokesperson said.At around 4.05am, a second single-vehicle crash was reported on Racecourse Rd in Waipawa.One person also died at this scene, police said.The serious crash unit had examined both sites and inquiries into the circumstances of the crashes were ongoing.
Opened with great fanfare 18 months ago, Queenstown’s Wahlburgers – part of a burger chain created by Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg – has quietly shut up shop. The restaurant, advertised for lease, was on the ground floor of the Upper Village entertainment precinct, below the Skyline gondola, which originally opened for business in late 2021. Boasting itself as North America’s fastest-growing burger chain, the Queenstown franchise was its 112th store and the second in New Zealand after Auckland premises opened eight months earlier. At the time, Wahlberg stated: “The opening of our store in the adventure capital of the world…