Author: Press Room

Inflation has fallen to 2.2%, bringing it into the Reserve Bank’s target range for the first time in more than three years.Stats NZ announced the figure for the three months to September today. It comes a week after the Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate by 0.5% as it believed inflation was coming under control.“For the first time since March 2021, annual inflation is within the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s target band of 1 to 3%. Prices are still rising, but not as much as previously recorded,” Stats NZ’s consumer prices manager Nicola Growden said.Higher rent was the…

European citizens collectively waste nearly 60 tonnes of food annually, and authorities are aiming to slash the figure by 2030. ADVERTISEMENTEuropeans produce a staggering amount of food waste.According to the latest Eurostat data, the average EU citizen generates 132 kilograms each year, amounting to an annual total 59.2 million tonnes across the bloc.Households are responsible for 54% of the total, while 46% comes is produced in supply chains.Among the 27 EU member states, Cyprus and Denmark are by far the biggest food wasters: the Mediterranean island produces an average of 294 kilograms of food waste per person annually, and Denmark…

The Police Commissioner has apologised to Alan Hall for “shortcomings in the investigation” that saw him wrongly convicted of murder in 1985. In a statement today, Andrew Coster said he met with Alan Hall and apologised on behalf of the New Zealand police for “shortcomings in our original investigation that led to his wrong conviction”. Alan Hall was wrongfully imprisoned for 19 years after being convicted in 1985 for the murder of Arthur Easton.The Supreme Court quashed Alan Hall’s conviction in 2022, and last year he was awarded $4.9 million in compensation.Last month, three men charged in connection to the…

A young man came home from work, cracked a “beer” and died last year. Today, a man’s trial has begun for alleged manslaughter over the death.Aiden Sagala died aged 21 in March 2023 in Auckland City Hospital. He’d innocently drank from a can of “Honey Bear House Beer” — not knowing it was laced with liquid methamphetamine.Aiden Sagala. (Source: Supplied)In the wake of Sagala’s death, police launched an investigation and two men were arrested. Last week, one of them pleaded guilty to a number of drug charges.This morning in Courtroom Seven at the High Court in Auckland, the second man’s…

Nine out of 10 Ukrainian prisoners of war are subjected to physical and moral torture, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin. But many are executed before they are taken prisoners. ADVERTISEMENTPhysical and moral torture, sexual violence, illegal sentencing and violent execution — this is what Ukrainian prisoners of war are going through once in Russian captivity. Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin says up to 90% of all returned POWs stated they have been subject to torture in Russian prisons, a stark violation of the third Geneva Convention, of which Moscow is a signatory. Yet, Russia is “determined to ignore the…

Winter and a wetter-than-usual spring on the West Coast have kept regional council staff on their toes this year – checking out potential rule-breaking by resource consent holders.In the three months from late June to September, compliance staff made a total of 258 site visits around the region — about half of them to monitor resource consents for mining.But they also investigated 50 complaints from the public involving everything from illicit gravel and sandmining to smelly landfills and dead cows sailing downstream.Ten of the complaints proved well-founded, leading to warnings, abatement or infringement notices.Among the more notable:In South Westland, a…

The European Union has urged its member states to respond to Lebanon’s request for medical equipment and medications following the Israeli ground operation in the southern part of the country. ADVERTISEMENTEU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides and Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič have called on EU member states to provide medical aid to Lebanon, in a letter addressed to member states, obtained by Euronews.The letter cites “the continued hostilities, which have put a severe strain on medical services in Lebanon.” Since 30 September, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed militant group…

The police watchdog has confirmed it is investigating errors that led to a miscarriage of justice for four people who collectively spent more than four decades in prison.Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal quashed murder and rape convictions for Stephen Stone and acquitted his co-accused, Gail Maney, as well as Colin Maney and Mark Henriksen.The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) launched an investigation after the police notified it about the case.Yesterday, Stephen Stone was released on bail after 26 years in jail for the murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens. He may still face a retrial.The wait for…

The Government says it’s taking advice on a potential intervention at Wellington City Council. 1News explains how it got to this point.Money’s too tight to mention for local councils and their ratepayers of late. Rates have been rising steeply around the country, with some regions proposing rate hikes of more than 20%. Wellington City Council’s budget for the coming year included an average rate increase of 16.9% – but recent events have left a dark cloud hanging over the organisation’s long-term finances and questions about how that might further affect rates.Tory Whanau today called councillors in for an urgent meeting…

A patched Head Hunters gang member has been arrested after an alleged “dangerous late-night ride” on Auckland’s State Highway 1 overnight. Police spotted a speeding motorcycle along the Southern Motorway in Grafton just before midnight.”Police signalled for the rider to stop but he fled at speeds well over the legal road limit,” Senior Sergeant Dave Plunkett said.”We did not pursue the motorbike, due to this dangerous manner of driving.”The Police Eagle helicopter observed the motorbike as it exited the motorway towards Mount Wellington to a house on Panama Rd. Police were called to the scene where they were met by…