Author: Press Room

Periods of heavy rain and wind are on the cards for western parts of the South Island, while humid temperatures persist. MetService said a series of fronts preceded by humid northerlies would move across the South Island into Thursday. The forecaster issued orange heavy rain warnings for Tasman west of Takaka, Westland and Canterbury headwaters south of Arthurs Pass, with thunderstorms possible for some areas. In Westland, it expected “peak intensities of 25 to 35mm/h about the ranges, with thunderstorms likely”.”Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible,” MetService said. A wind warning for…

Kiwis have been knocking back more lower-alcohol beers, but it’s less about the alcohol and more about their waistlines, one expert says. New Stats NZ data for the year to September showed while Kiwis are drinking almost the same amount of beer overall, those drinking mid-strength drafts are on the increase. For the year ending September 2025, overall beer volumes fell only marginally, from 281.6 million litres to 279.0 million litres. But within that total, the most significant change was a major shift away from higher-strength beers and a rapid rise in moderate-strength and lower-ABV [alcohol-by-volume] options. Beer magazine editor…

An Auckland executive who has admitted paying a teenage girl for sex met the teen on Snapchat, where he described himself as a “sugar daddy”.After a couple of weeks of the 14-year-old girl messaging the man intimate pictures and videos of herself, they met in person and the executive paid her $1000 for sex.The man, whose name is suppressed, earlier this month admitted a charge of paying a person aged under 18 for sex. The law says it’s illegal for anyone to enter into a contract, or “other arrangement”, for sex with someone under 18.The executive will be sentenced in…

The four-part local spinoff of The Chase came to a close on Monday night, with a whopping total 1.29 million having tuned in on TVNZ 1, and a further 154,000 accounts streaming it on TVNZ+ throughout.The Paul Henry-hosted The Chase New Zealand was in the top 10 most-streamed shows on TVNZ+, as well as in the top 10 most-watched broadcast shows this year.Content director Nicola van der Meijden said it was fantastic to see Kiwis get behind the show in the past four weeks.”Paul, our Chasers Anne and Issa, alongside the ITV Australia team, did an incredible job putting together…

A track record of operating in Christchurch for nearly 90 years has ended for Idiens Sheetmetal & Roofing after it was forced to shut its doors owing creditors $1.13 million. The cladding, roofing and flashing business was put into liquidation at the High Court in Christchurch after an application by Inland Revenue Te Tari Taake. A total shortfall owed to creditors includes nearly $647,000 to IRD and 25 unsecured creditors totalling nearly $480,000. Idiens’ eight employees were paid in full after being let go, including a four-week notice period. PwC insolvency practitioners Wendy Somerville and Malcolm Hollis said in their…

Police are hunting for an attacker after a woman was seriously assaulted in her Whangārei home early this morning.Officers were called to Murdoch Cres in the suburb of Raumanga just after midnight on Tuesday to reports of a person injured.Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said a woman had been “seriously assaulted” in her home.St John said one ambulance responded to the incident, with a patient assessed at the scene and taken to Northland Base Hospital in moderate condition.Inquiries were underway to identify and locate the person responsible, Pilmer said.”Police are focused on identifying this person and understanding exactly what has…

The US State Department has ordered the US embassy in Wellington to begin collecting information on migration data and “migrant-related crimes and human rights abuses”. US President Donald Trump has made migration a priority in his administration – both as a domestic and foreign policy issue. “They are flooding Europe with people from all over the world, and Europe is becoming a different place,” Trump told reporters in the White House earlier this month. “And I tell the leaders all the time, you better stop, or you’re not going to have Europe anymore. It’s a very dangerous thing they’re doing.”…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Falling interest rates are driving savers to look for other ways to get a better return on their money – but there is a warning that they should understand the risks they are taking. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to cut the official cash rate today, which is good news for home loan borrowers but not so good for savers. Households have $80.5 billion in savings accounts and $144b in term deposits. But from interest rate peaks, one-year term deposits have fallen from offering more than 6% to 3.5%. Two-year rates have fallen from…

A judge says the employer of a chef found guilty of sexually harassing young female workers needs a “wake-up call” as the offender continues to be employed at the restaurant.Sumeer Thapa was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday to four months’ home detention after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of indecently assaulting four women aged between 15 and 18 between 2021 and 2024.The women worked as servers at Lazeez Mediterranean Grill and assisted with food preparation. For many of them, it was their first job.”They would come along to work excited by this new step…

Police are calling for the public’s help locating a man described as “dangerous” who is wanted on an active arrest warrant.Paul Rimene is 176cm tall with a large build and extensive tattoos.Police said he had numerous gang associates in Wellington and Wairarapa.According to Stuff in 2012 he was jailed on meth charges. Police said Rimene was considered dangerous and should not be approached.Any sightings should be reported to police on 111.