Author: Press Room
The body of a diver missing in Wellington Harbour has been found this afternoon.Police said in a statement they were called to Lowry Bay in Lower Hutt at about 11am after the diver failed to surface when they were due to.”The Police National Dive Squad searched the area and located the body of the diver around 5pm this evening,” a police spokesperson said in an update. “Police are providing support to the next of kin.”
Homeowners will soon be able to build small structures like garden sheds, sleepouts and garages closer to their property boundaries without requiring building consent following regulatory changes announced by the Government today.Cabinet agreed to remove the minimum distance required between single-storey buildings under 10sqm and a property boundary or other residential building, and reduce it to one metre for buildings between 10 and 30 square metres.Previously, these structures needed to be set back from boundaries by at least their own height unless a building consent was obtained.The changes, which would be made by amending Schedule 1 of the Building Act,…
The Government is forging ahead with plans to change the law governing New Zealand’s foreshore and seabed, despite a Supreme Court ruling last year that appeared to undercut the rationale for the change.The proposed legislation stems from a clause in National’s coalition deal with NZ First, which promised to revisit the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act.That commitment was driven by fears that a 2023 Court of Appeal decision could have made it significantly easier for Māori groups to win recognition of customary rights over parts of the coastline.The Government introduced a bill to Parliament last year to prevent…
A man was concussed and sustained facial injuries after being assaulted while walking with his wife last week in Ōtorohanga.Police were called to the Stopbank walking track on July 28 at around 5.10pm.”The victim and his wife reported that they were approached by an unknown male walking two dogs, one white and one brown,” a police spokesperson said.”The male has then assaulted the victim leaving him with facial injuries and a concussion.”Police said a number of inquiries had been made but that they were unable to identify the alleged offender.”We are asking anyone who has information about this incident or…
Published on 05/08/2025 – 16:30 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT Shortly before last year’s European elections, the parliamentary assistant of Maximilian Krah was arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for China. The news rocked Berlin and Brussels alike, as the German MEP was the lead candidate of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) party. His assistant, Jian Guo, who was dismissed shortly after his arrest, was accused of being employed by the Chinese secret services. German prosecutors allege he handed over around 500 sensitive files to China and provided information about the inner machinations of European lawmaking. Guo’s trial began in the…
After a West Auckland builder was yesterday sentenced to five years in prison for collecting what he thought was a shipment of 200kg of meth, Yvonne Tahana looks at the economics behind drug operations.The value of a large consignment of drugs quickly spirals when you start doing the maths, as Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, head of Police’s National Organised Crime Group, explains.Asked about the 200kg of meth that Joshua Auina-Anae thought he was picking up from a commercial unit in Hobsonville in November 2023, Williams said you’re looking at “about $130,000 a kilo… that’s a wholesale price”.Inside police’s fake meth…
ADVERTISEMENT In 2024, 5.9% of EU citizens aged 16 and older reported feeling discriminated against when looking for housing. This figure, however, rises to 10.1% among people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to the latest Eurostat figures. A similar trend is observed in interactions with public services or administrative offices, where 9.2% of citizens at risk of poverty reported experiencing discrimination, compared to only 4.2% of those not at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Although self-perceived discrimination in public spaces and educational settings was less common overall, it was still more frequently reported among individuals at…
A lack of young Māori voices at one of the world’s biggest conferences on climate change has led to a selection of 10 rangatahi to join Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation heading to the UN Climate Change Conference for the first time.The rangatahi, aged between 18 and 30, will represent iwi from across the motu on behalf of the National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF). They will present and participate in discussions at the global COP30 gathering in Brazil. The group held their first in-person wānanga last week, hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.Kyla Campbell-Kamariera (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Taranaki tūturu) said she…
A 27-year-old Northland woman charged with neglect after allegedly shutting a 2-year-old girl in a suitcase on a bus was denied bail during her second appearance in the North Shore District Court today.The judge referred the woman, whose identity is suppressed, to a mental health unit in custody. She has yet to enter a plea and will reappear in court next week.Judge Anna Fitzgibbon acknowledged two family members in court and said they were facing a difficult time.Throughout the 25-minute bail hearing, the woman stood with her head bowed, facing the wall.The bus stop where the 2-year-old girl was discovered…
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake has jolted the eastern Bay of Plenty this afternoon.Geonet said the quake struck 25km north of Whakatāne at 4.56pm at a depth of 124km.Shaking was reported by more than 600 people within 15 minutes of the tremor and was described as “weak”.It was reportedly felt as far south as Hastings.