Author: Press Room

Two teenagers are alleged to be behind a recent string of burglaries and an arson attack in a Waikato town throughout the past month. Counties Manukau South Police say the pair targeted key local facilities and several homes in Otaua. In total, police recorded 12 burglaries and an arson, with Otaua School bearing the brunt of the damage.”Otaua School had been targeted for seven burglaries and an arson,” Senior Sergeant Melody Brown said.The community hall and bowling club were also hit, prompting an investigation by the Waiuku Community Engagement Team. Earlier this month, a shed at the school was extensively…

Police have named the man killed in a hit and run in Auckland’s Henderson last weekend, and a woman has been arrested and charged over the incident. The victim was 58-year-old Dion Raymond Kainamu. Emergency services were called to the intersection of Tango Pl and Larnoch Rd at around 2.50am Sunday after a “person was located injured on the road”. It was alleged a vehicle struck the man and fled the scene. Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting said a woman was arrested at West Auckland address on Sunday afternoon.”A 47-year-old Henderson woman is currently facing charges of failing to stop…

Pike River families are still waiting to hear if police will lay criminal charges, as a result of the disaster that left 29 men dead 15 years ago.Bernie Monk, whose son Michael died in the mine, said it was outrageous to still be waiting for a prosecution.”They owe this to the country to do the right thing and I can’t understand why we’re still here, still battling for the same thing.”To honour the anniversary, Monk said families would meet at the memorial site in Atarau on Wednesday morning, before heading up to the mine in the afternoon.”We’ll all gather at…

By Monique Steele of RNZ The hunt for the cheapest fruit and vegetables by both supermarkets and shoppers is putting pressure on locally produced crops in New Zealand. Over the past few months, well-known brand Wattie’s New Zealand of Hawke’s Bay made a series of cuts to local production, firstly of canned peaches, then tomatoes, beetroot and corn. A spokesperson for the brand, owned by American food giant Kraft Heinz, said it annually reviewed its crop intake to respond to market demand, increased competition from imported goods and rising input costs. David Hadfield, chairman of grower group Process Vegetables (representing processors McCains,…

What does New Zealand’s economic situation mean for you? An upcoming 1News special – You, Me, And the Economy – hosted by Jack Tame will have the answers you need on Tuesday, November 25. The light at the end of the tunnel. Signs of life. If you’ve been following news about the economy, you’ve almost certainly heard a phrase like this. They all mean one very simple thing – that New Zealand has been going through some really tough times. We’ve all felt it. In the last five years, the cost of living has skyrocketed, and our incomes haven’t kept…

Chipseal is cheap seal – that was the message to council, as Pāpāmoa residents continued their campaign against chipseal road resurfacing.After an RNZ story last week, Tauranga City Council acknowledged residents’ concerns, which included changing some streets from asphalt to chipseal.The council said it was committed to listening to the community and, on Tuesday, it got a chance to do just that, when Pāpāmoa Residents and Ratepayers Association chair Philip Brown presented at the council meeting’s public forum.”The current [council] maintenance plan to resurface all hotmix roads with chipseal will result in a citywide downgrade of all street surfaces,” he…

A 43-year-old Masterton man has been arrested after multiple mailed packages containing methamphetamine were intercepted by Customs.In July, officers stopped 10 separate packages containing an estimated 10kg of methamphetamine, concealed in items including a painting and roller-skate knee pads. The haul carried a street value of around $3 million. Follow-up inquiries linked the consignments to an individual. Seized consignment of methamphetamine concealed in a paintaing (Source: Supplied)Yesterday, officers carried out two searches, arresting a man and seizing $7000 in cash, 100 grams of methamphetamine, drug utensils and 12 established cannabis plants.He is due to appear in the Masterton District Court…

The CEO and co-founder of Affirm, which offers buy now, pay later plans, says artificial intelligence is poised to transform shopping by taking over human tasks and making financial products more transparent. AI agents will soon be able to instantly weed out products with prohibitively high interest rates or late fees, forcing businesses to rethink fee structures, Max Levchin said at the Reuters Momentum AI Finance conference in New York on Tuesday. “I think we’re headed for a future where we have a profound elimination, for lack of a better term, of business models that are designed to prey on stupidity, or lack of attention ……

Former Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira is calling for a rebuild of Te Pāti Māori in the face of the “greatest barrage of racist, anti-treaty, anti-environment, anti-worker legislation we have ever seen from one government”.In a statement posted on social media, the former Te Pāti Māori MP said the party was “tearing itself apart with not an enemy in sight” as its constituents were left wondering “what the hell is going on?””Our people don’t understand what’s happening with the Party, but what they do know is that they are getting hammered, every single day.”He listed hardships such as benefit…

One new cases of measles has been reported – linked to Auckland Airport – bringing the total number of measles cases nationwide to 19.Health NZ said the new case was confirmed late on Tuesday and was domestic. Officials said the case was linked to Auckland Airport. The infected person was now isolating, with public health services in touch to provide advice and support. “No other new cases of measles have been identified by public health at this time,” the statement from Health NZ said.Locations of interest for the case were still being assessed, with an exposure event so far being…