Author: Press Room

MetService has confirmed Thursday is officially Auckland’s hottest November day since records began.MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said, for the first time in the month of November in Auckland, temperatures had surpassed 26C at its recording station.”Auckland Airport reached 26.2 degrees this afternoon, which has broken its November maximum record temperature, sitting at 25.9 degrees.”Ferris said MetService’s temperature records for the Auckland region began on December 31, 1965.He said many parts of the country had experienced warm weather on Thursday, some exceeding 30C.”With record or near-record temperatures turning up in parts of the country, it’s not too surprising to see Auckland…

Christmas has come early for Dunedin Airport with Jetstar increasing to four the number of weekly flights direct to the Gold Coast. From March next year, Monday flights will be added to Jetstar’s existing schedule along its Dunedin—Gold Coast route. The Australian airline’s service had until now only been available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In a statement, Dunedin Airport chief executive Daniel De Bono said he was ecstatic about the increase in flights. ‘‘We’re thrilled to be able to offer an early Christmas present to our locals and our Aussie mates who have given us outstanding support on this service since it launched…

Treaty advocate and lawyer Tania Waikato has responded to comments made by Education Minister Erica Stanford over the creation of a list of schools that have committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi.As of yesterday, 1306 schools – more than half of schools in the country – feature on what is dubbed Te Rārangi Rangatira. Waikato has been publishing a daily update of the list with a map of Aotearoa showing the location of schools.Stanford was unrepentant when asked by a journalist this week if she was concerned about the response from schools.“I think there’s a huge amount of pressure…

The owners of Christchurch company Idiens Sheetmetal & Roofing are disputing the total amount owed to creditors after going into liquidation and ending a nearly 90-year business link. The cladding, roofing and flashing business was put into liquidation in the High Court at Christchurch after an application by Inland Revenue (IRD) on October 16. A first report to creditors and shareholders estimated an initial total shortfall of $1.13 million owed to all creditors included nearly $647,000 to IRD and 25 unsecured creditors nearly $480,000. But this is being disputed by family members, who said the shortfall was taken from preliminary, unverified…

The mountain guide killed while attempting to summit Aoraki/Mount Cook has been described by fellow mountaineers as a talented and “inspirational” climber. Thomas Vialletet and a client from the United States died when they fell from a ridge onto the west side of the mountain around 10.45pm on Monday. Their bodies were found the next morning and recovered in the early afternoon. They were part of a group of four who had been attempting to summit the mountain. Vialletet’s death has rocked the New Zealand mountaineering community, with those who knew him describing him as a skilled climber. ‘Special’ mountain…

Two New Zealand nationals faced have been charged after allegedly attempting to move 36kg of methamphetamine through Melbourne Airport.Australian Border Force (ABF) officers seized the illicit drugs on November 24 after selecting two women, both aged 22, for a baggage examination after arriving on a flight from Malaysia into Melbourne.The officers allegedly located a white crystalline substance in each of the women’s suitcases, totalling about 36kg. Initial testing of the substance returned a positive result for methamphetamine and the matter was referred to the AFP for investigation.This amount of methamphetamine has an estimated street value of more than $33 million…

A Christchurch chef who sexually harassed four teenage workers has been fired, with his former boss saying he would’ve done so sooner had it not been for a “misunderstanding”.Sumeer Thapa was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday to four months’ home detention after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of indecently assaulting four girls aged between 15 and 18 between 2021 and 2024.Thapa was a chef at Lazeez Mediterranean Grill, where he continued to work after the employer first became aware of the investigation in December 2023.RNZ contacted Lazeez Mediterranean Grill for comment after sentencing but…

Dunedin pharmacists say prescription fees and competition with chain stores are putting community retailers under pressure, which could lead to more closures. Green Island Boutique Pharmacy announced in a post on social media it would be permanently closing at noon tomorrow after nine years of business. “This decision has not been easy, but with the current funding challenges facing small independent pharmacies, it has become increasingly difficult to remain sustainable while providing the level of care we have always strived for,” it said. Its two pharmacists were both locally trained at the University of Otago and had more than a…

Six weeks after a woman was killed in Pahīatua, police are continuing to search for her son who is wanted in connection with her death.Karen Gilbert-Palmer, 74, was found dead at a home in Arthur St on October 15 by a friend who had been unable to contact her.A homicide investigation then began, and her son, Jeremy Robertson, was identified by police as a suspect.Gilbert-Palmer’s car was found at the Blue and Green Lakes lookout in Rotorua the following morning. However, six weeks on, Robertson remained missing.On Wednesday, Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson told RNZ police believe Robertson was likely…

A New Zealand company is breaking down barriers for the Deaf community by creating AI avatars with the ability to sign and translate to NZ Sign Language.The inclusion of Māori signs and concepts have Turi Māori, those in the Māori Deaf community, throwing their hands up in celebration.The hyper-realistic avatars, created by Kara Technologies, will learn from a yet-to-be-completed digital library consisting of more than 10,000 signs, also incorporating well-known Māori concepts used by Turi Māori.The avatars are designed to be an additional support in situations where the community may face delays or have no access to NZSL interpreters in…