Author: Press Room

Kaitāia is reeling from the violent death of a man described as “an absolute legend” in business circles and as a generous, “relentlessly optimistic” advocate for his hometown by his friends.Monty Knight, who turned 80 earlier this year, died at his home just outside Kaitāia on Sunday afternoon.Police said they found him critically injured after responding to reports of an assault, and arrested a 57-year-old woman a short time later.She had since been charged with murder.Among those shocked by his death is Colin Kitchen, a Kaitāia community stalwart, former fire chief and newly elected regional councillor.The entrances to Monty Knight’s…

Friends of a Manawatū mother mourning the loss of her three children say it “feels like the whole of Aotearoa is with her” after a devastating house fire at the weekend.The blaze broke out at a home in Sanson, northwest of Palmerston North, on Saturday at around 2.30pm.Four people died in the fire — three children aged 7, 5, and 1, and their father.They have been named by friends of their mother as August, Hugo, and Goldie. Police said investigators were working to determine the circumstances of the deaths with a scene examination underway.Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said…

Published on 19/11/2025 – 8:00 GMT+1 EU member states will have just three days in peacetime and six hours in emergencies to allow other European military troops and equipment to cross their borders under a new “military Schengen” proposal from the European Commission designed to significantly improve military mobility across the bloc. “Today, in order to move military equipment and troops from, let’s say west to east, unfortunately it takes months,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. “What we want to do is to make it happen within days.” “You cannot defend a continent if you…

A developer has been fined $48,750 for unlawful earthworks at two North Shore properties, after “turning a blind eye” to the damage it was causing.COD Crown Projects Limited had pleaded guilty in the Environment Court to two charges under the Resource Management Act, relating to unauthorised earthworks and sediment discharges at sites in Browns Bay and Northcross.It resulted in significant sediment discharge and breaches of the Auckland Unitary Plan.The case is one of about 20 Auckland Council prosecutions this year for breaches to the RMA and Building Act. A number of cases are still in various stages of court, awaiting…

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said an explosion on a section of railway line used for deliveries to Ukraine was an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.A Polish security source told The Associated Press that authorities are investigating whether the blast on Sunday on the line linking Warsaw to southeastern Poland is connected to Russia, Belarus or their proxies.Tusk has vowed that Poland will catch the perpetrators, “whoever they are”.While visiting the site Monday, the prime minister said the incident had taken place on a line that is vital for delivering aid to Ukraine. Polish officials said they were sure an explosive…

Authorities are ramping up prevention and detection efforts in the Whanganui River after the invasive freshwater gold clam – already established in Waikato – was confirmed in Taranaki.Horizons Regional Council environmental manager Craig Davey said the Whanganui River Clam Response Group is already working to stop the destructive species from reaching local waterways.“Everything that touches the water, that includes fishing and boating gear and equipment, swimwear, even the dog, needs to be checked, cleaned and dried,” he said.Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui kaihautū/chief executive Nancy Tuaine said immediate action was needed.“We all have a role in keeping the clams out…

The Methodist Church has dissolved the Wesley College Trust Board and will launch an external review into the school’s governance amid ongoing concerns about boarder safety at the South Auckland institution.The church resolved at its conference last week to dismantle the current board structure, with findings from the review to inform how a new board will be reconstituted.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including weather warnings back in force, a spate of suspicious fires in Dunedin, and the stoush over vegemite in prison. (Source: 1News)During the transition, Methodist Church president Te Aroha Rountree will act as the interim Wesley College…

Warnings and watches have been issued as two slow-moving fronts stall over the South Island, bringing heavy rain and possible strong winds to parts of the country over the next two days.MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino says the collision of two fronts, one from the north and one from the south, has caused them to become “stuck” over Canterbury and Westland.”This front is moving slower and slower up the West Coast, it’s not making a lot of progress, so we’ve got this rain sticking around Westland for the rest of the day,” Martino said.The northern front moving across the upper North…

British celebrities Sir Cliff Richard and Noel Edmonds have reunited in New Zealand, sharing laughs as they joked about their ages. “It’s Monday, November 17 in Wellington, and at last I get to see you again after all these years”, exclaimed Edmonds in a video shared to his Instagram account.”I know, it’s been too long, I mean, a hundred years separating us is unbelievable,” Sir Cliff joked back in the video, Edmonds went on to confirm, “It was 25 years ago that you were on my Christmas Day show… So I wanted to come and say thank you. But I…

The Chase host Bradley Walsh briefly halted the quiz show to deliver a surprise on-air announcement, marking a significant milestone for one of its biggest stars.In a recent episode of The Chase UK, contestants Nykia, Eilidh, Adam and Dave were hoping to outsmart one of the show’s world-best quizzers.Dave opened the game with an impressive £5,000 (NZ$11,600) in the cash builder before facing Mark ‘The Beast; Labbett in the head-to-head. Watch The Chase UK daily at 5pm on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+But before the round could begin, Walsh stopped proceedings.”We’ve got a special announcement to make,” he told viewers, revealing the…