Author: Press Room

The police watchdog has found “significant failings” in the police – including former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster – in its handling of serious complaints made against disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.McSkimming, 52, pleaded guilty in the Wellington District Court on Thursday to three representative charges of possessing objectionable publications, namely child sexual exploitation and bestiality material knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the publication is objectionable.The allegations arose from a sexual relationship between McSkimming, then aged 40, and a 21-year-old complainant.‘Damning report’ on police inquiry into McSkimming case – Watch on TVNZ+The complaints, formally referred to…

The HappyMoose division of a Dunedin-based photo printing firm – which counted e-commerce giant Amazon among its clients – has been sold by liquidators. Earlier this year, Trevor and Emma Laing, of Laing Insolvency Specialists, were appointed liquidators of Accelerando Ltd, which traded as HappyMoose, by shareholder resolution, owing more than $454,000. The liquidators previously said a decision was made in October last year to sell the HappyMoose business and use the proceeds to fund the international expansion of Keepers Photos Ltd, which developed a photo storage application and was wholly owned by Accelerando. But agreement could not be reached…

Fire investigators looking into the blaze in Tongariro National Park are asking for dashcam footage from drivers in the area.Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it wanted to hear from anyone with a dashcam who was on State Highway 47 on Saturday afternoon between 1-3pm.A particular area of interest was SH47 from the intersection with SH4 to the intersection with SH46, it said.FENZ said SH47 would reopen at 5pm on Tuesday with speed restrictions in place.FENZ district commander Nigel Dravitzki said aerial mapping has confirmed 2935 hectares of the park has been scorched, and while no obvious signs of fire had…

A Dunedin distillery, known for upcycling bakery waste into spirits, has taken the next step in growing the business by turning its hand to ‘‘bread whisky’’. Dunedin Craft Distillers, which claims to be the first distillery in New Zealand to produce botanical spirits from surplus bakery products, has to date only produced gin, vodka, select liqueurs and a naked spirit. But the distillery will soon mark its foray into the world of whisky – a limited run of ‘‘bread whisky’’ due to hit shelves by early December. Co-founder Jenny McDonald said the distillery was used to branching out and whisky…

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers today issued a damning statement about his predecessors and an apology to the woman who tried to get police to investigate Jevon McSkimming.”The findings of the IPCA review into the Police handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming show inexcusable conduct by former senior leaders of NZ Police.”The events and findings set out in the IPCA report made for appalling reading and showed a total lack of leadership and integrity at the highest levels of Police.”I was shocked by the report’s account of departures in 2023 and 2024 from the expected processes for dealing both with sexual…

A year ago, small businesses in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe were reporting brisk trade around the Indian festive season of Diwali.But walking the streets of Papatoetoe on a sunny Friday afternoon in early October ahead of this year’s Diwali celebrations, foot traffic appears to have dried up to a trickle.Small business owners in the area say the decline in customer numbers is a consequence of protective measures they have installed over the past 12 months to prevent armed robberies.Many jewellery shops have installed impregnable metal security doors at their entrances and thick metal bars inside windows.And once customers…

A lawyer for a woman who accused former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending says police failed his client by dismissing her complaints and ultimately prosecuting her for speaking out.The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and the woman who, at the time, was a junior non-sworn police employee.The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former Commissioner Andrew Coster in relation to how police responded to the claims.Former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming was initially believed by his peers when accused of sexual misconduct. (Source: 1News)An internal report in…

Published on 11/11/2025 – 14:18 GMT+1 •Updated 14:19 Lasers, electromagnetic jammers, and other patrol satellites are among the military assets France seeks to bolster as part of its “national space strategy” set to be unveiled on Wednesday by President Emmanuel Macron. The French leader will deliver his speech from the southern city of Toulouse where the country’s space agency (CNES) and leading aerospace companies, including Airbus, are based. There, he will also inaugurate a new building in which 500 military officers work on space operations. “Space is no longer a peaceful place,” the French presidential palace said ahead of the…

The European People’s Party is opposing setting up an inquiry committee by the European Parliament to investigate an alleged spying ring led by Hungarian secret services in Brussels on the basis that it could be weaponised by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In October, the European Commission launched a probe after several media reports alleged that the Hungarian government tried to recruit EU employees in Brussels as informants. The agents reportedly posed as diplomats of the Hungarian Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels, which was led between 2015 and 2019 by Olivér Várhelyi, who is now the Hungarian European Commissioner.…

You may have heard that vaping is the “safer” choice than smoking. But what if the very thing supposed to protect your health also puts your heart at risk? By UK public health experts Preeti Mahato and Anusha SeneviratneVaping does not exist in isolation. It is part of a wider story about smoking, inequality and the growing burden of heart disease in the UK. Even after years of public health campaigns, smoking remains common in England’s most deprived areas.The reasons are complex. People living with financial strain, insecure jobs and chronic stress are more likely to smoke. Targeted marketing and…