Author: Press Room

A Rotorua landlord has been fined $12,000 and given a three-year restraining order for charging rent above market rate for a property he “failed to sufficiently maintain”, the Tenancy Tribunal has ruled.The landlord, Stephen Chiman Bhana, has since applied for a rehearing of the decision at the Tenancy Tribunal and in the District Court.After complaints from multiple tenants, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment investigations team visited the property owned by Bhana four times between November 2022 and April 2023.The team observed the two-bedroom property to be in a “very poor state of repair”. A badly leaking roof, cracked…

Cher is in talks to perform at Glastonbury.The 78-year-old pop icon has held “meaningful discussions” with the festival organisers about playing the coveted legend’s slot at Glastonbury in 2025.A source told The Sun newspaper: “Cher is practically the legend of all pop music legends. She would be incredible.”It’s been a long time coming but she is finally in meaningful talks with Glastonbury about playing the legend’s slot.”Cher hasn’t toured the UK since 2019 and while a full tour “doesn’t interest her anymore”, she’s open to the idea of performing at Glastonbury.The insider added: “Everything is very much in the planning…

As the water warms up and evenings become lighter for longer, beachgoers have been issued with a timely warning after a rescue yesterday at an Auckland beach. Three people walked around the rocks at Auckland’s Muriwai Beach to collect mussels on Sunday evening when they became trapped in a small cave by the incoming tide. Senior Sergeant Garry Larsen, of the Auckland Maritime Unit said a man made it back to the beach to alert authorities, prompting police Eagle helicopter and surf lifeguards to assist the remaining two women out along the rocks and back to safety. Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguard…

Authorities are working toward plans to re-float the Manahau barge that ran aground on a Westport beach over the weekend. Maritime New Zealand said the near 100m Manahau barge, a Westland Mineral Sands barge, ran aground at Carters Beach about midnight Saturday during a storm.It had 11 people on board. No-one was injured and there were no leaks. There was also no cargo on board at the time.Yesterday, it was reported that the barge may be grounded at the Westport beach for a number of days as Maritime New Zealand worked alongside local and regional authorities to ensure the safety…

The farewell for Kīngi Tuheitia is steeped in cultural significance, where traditional customs and values known as tikanga guide proceedings. 1News explains what those customs are and why they’re observed.Thousands of people have descended on Tūrangawaewae Marae to pay their respects to Kīngi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who died last week.Political Editor Maiki Sherman reports on how the ceremonies for Kiingi Tuheitia are respecting centuries of culture. (Source: 1News)The days-long event is marked by certain tikanga. Here is what some of those traditions mean.Black clothing and the wearing of greeneryWhat people are wearing to Kīngi Tuheitia’s tangihanga – namely,…

A passenger on yesterday’s Air New Zealand flight that landed with smoke billowing from an engine has spoken of the moment she saw “glowing” coming from outside the plane as it prepared to land in Wellington.Lucy MacLeod was sitting next to her son on flight NZ5366 from Christchurch to the capital when she looked out her window and saw a “glowing red light” coming from the engine. “And then the glow got larger… turned out to be flames, a bit of smoke and, as we were landing, someone yelled out ‘fire’,” MacLeod said.”Hard landing; all the power went off; big…

A United States forensic specialist has told the Philip Polkinghorne murder trial that a mark on the stairs at his home in Auckland’s Remuera was the accused man’s blood.Warning: This article contains content that could be disturbing to some people.This contradicted earlier evidence from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) that no blood was found at the spot in question.Polkinghorne, 71, is accused of killing his wife Hanna by strangling her and making it look like a suicide at their home at Easter 2021.The Crown maintain he was caught in web of infidelity, money troubles and meth and…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Food prices are no longer increasing at the dizzying pace recorded in 2023 – but the recent run of inflation has left shoppers shelling out significantly more for their groceries. Food price inflation picked up pace from the end of 2022 and peaked mid last year, with increases running into double-digit percentages. It has dropped significantly in recent months. In June, the first annual food price drop in six years was recorded. But Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen calculated that overall food prices were a bit more than 18 percent higher in July this year…

Retired hydrologist John Waugh says the “most useful thing you could do is do nothing” at Lake Camp.Waugh was invited to the Ashburton Water Zone Committee on Tuesday to share his expertise on the situation at Lake Camp.He’s been going to the Ashburton Lakes since the 1960s and recalls times Lake Camp went low and other times it overflowed — emphasising the lake’s natural fluctuations.”The best thing you could do is actually leave it alone and let it operate as a natural system. It’s been operating like that for 12,000 years.”Lake Camp’s water level has dropped considerably, sparking a community…

The man accused of murdering an eight-year-old yesterday has appeared in the Hamilton District Court.Police were called around 5.20pm on Sunday to a property in the suburb Bader, after receiving reports of a “violent altercation”.Three people were taken to hospital, including the eight-year-old boy in a critical condition. The boy later died from his injuries.A 37-year old was arrested at the scene and appeared in court today in a blue jumpsuit with his arms folded.Swearing and crying could be heard from the public gallery as the man stood in the dock, with some people asked to leave the courtroom.The accused…