Author: Press Room
At least three flights over the Tasman Sea have reportedly been forced to change routes after fears Chinese naval vessels were carrying out live-fire drills in the region. Australia has warned airlines flying to and from New Zealand to beware of warships conducting live-fire exercises, the country’s foreign minister Penny Wong said.Wong confirmed media reports that regulator Airservices Australia had warned commercial pilots of a potential hazard in the airspace between New Zealand and Australia as three Chinese warships conducted exercises off the Australian east coast.Defence Minister Judith Collins said, as on Friday night, the New Zealand Government had no…
Thousands of anti-government protesters commemorate the seventh anniversary of the killings of an investigative journalist and his fiancée in Slovakia. ADVERTISEMENTThousands rallied across Slovakia on Friday to mark the seventh anniversary of the killing of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, who were shot dead at their home town of Velka Maca, east of Bratislava, in February 2018.They were both aged 27 at the time of their death and the incident sparked major street protests unseen since the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.The ensuing political crisis led to the collapse of a coalition government headed by…
Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have been called to fires at four churches in Masterton this morning. It is now thought up to seven churches were targeted, although fire took hold at four sites.A Masterton church damaged in a fire. (Source: 1News)The four fires were believed to have started between 4.25am and 4.35am and the “damage to the churches ranged from moderate to significant”, a Fire and Emergency spokesperson said.”The fires are being treated as suspicious and have been referred to police.”The churches damaged were: Anglican Church Of The Epiphany, St Patrick’s Catholic Church Masterton, Masterton Baptist Church, and…
Fourteen councils have been ordered to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water. Who is following the order and who’s fighting back? Local Democracy Reporting takes a look.Deadlines are fast approaching for councils who must fluoridate their drinking water supplies or face a hefty fine.That’s caused anger in some places with one mayor claiming he’ll go to prison rather than follow the order.In 2022, then Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield issued the fluoride directive to 14 councils.Of those, five councils are yet to start fluoridating their water supplies: Far North District, Rotorua Lakes District, Waipa District, Western Bay of…
The firefighters’ union has written to Fire and Emergency requesting a review into a serious multi-property fire in a new north Auckland subdivision this week.One house was destroyed and three others were damaged on Lees Street in Wainui on Wednesday.Professional Firefighters Union vice president Martin Campbell said he wanted a review to assess crews’ ability to respond to fires in small, close together subdivisions.It would help determine whether narrow roading, speed calming measures, out of date maps or staffing and workload problems had hampered crews’ efforts to respond to the fire in a timely manner, he said.”The ideal solution would…
A declining roll and high staff turnover means a Gisborne primary school will shut down after over 60 years.The decision was made by the Ministry of Education after consultation with the school, whānau, and other community members.Cobham School in Lytton Rd has served the southern Elgin area since it opened on November 29, 1962.Students will have their last day on June 27, 2025.A commissioner ran the school from September 2023 due to its ongoing challenges.The school of 25 predominantly Māori and Pacific Island students has a family-focused ethos, with the motto: “He iti pounamu, he whānau kotahi” (small but precious,…
A live-fire exercise carried out by China’s navy is raising international tensions, as Australia and New Zealand’s airlines divert to avoid to three warships.Australia’s military remains monitoring the ships after were spotted moving down the coast about 280km east of Sydney, in international waters, on Thursday.Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with her Chinese counterpart and demanded answers as to why they only offered short and limited notice before the firing was carried out.China’s actions are believed to have complied with international law and Australia’s defence force has advised of no imminent threat to its or New Zealand’s assets, with the…
A roadside dispute in Waikato overnight has ended with one man dead from stab wounds and another taken into custody.Police said in a statement today that a homicide investigation has begun after a man was stabbed in Rotongaro, west of Huntly.Police were called to Hetherington Rd around 10.40pm after reports of a stabbing following a roadside altercation.”A 25-year-old man has been taken into custody,” said Detective Inspector Daryl Smith.The man died at the scene and police said they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.St John responded with one ambulance and one rapid response unit but said…
A Rotorua company has been fined $234,000 after a teenage contractor was struck in the face by a 412-kilogram steel beam being manoeuvred by a modified crane.Harrison Gilbert was knocked unconscious following the incident at Lakeland Steel on the day of his 17th birthday in October 2022, WorkSafe said today in a statement.Gilbert received more than 100 stitches in his face, a broken nose and eye socket, several teeth which had been smashed or lost, and skull fractures.He required facial reconstruction surgery and has more planned in the future.A WorkSafe investigation found the mobile crane had no certificate of inspection,…
“Dunedin has a past; Queenstown has a future.” They were the words of Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers during an economic update yesterday focused on the case for a regional deal for Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago, in partnership with the Otago Regional Council. His comment was prompted by Arrowtown-based regional economist Benje Patterson, who told Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce members if present trends continued, the combined population of the Central Lakes — Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell and Alexandra — would be higher than Dunedin by 2039. Mr Patterson said that presented “an extraordinary growth opportunity for New Zealand…