Author: Press Room

Heather Marks was last seen walking towards a public swimming pool in the morning when she disappeared.Four decades later and her family are still holding out hope for any information about her whereabouts.Her granddaughter, Natalie Jackson has appealed to anyone with any information to come forward.”We are really hopeful the passing of time means someone may feel more comfortable to come forward to help us uncover what happened to our grandmother,” she said on Monday.”To everyone else my grandmother is a missing person, but to us she is just really missed.”The woman with grey hair and blue eyes who lived…

The search for a missing West Coast man has moved into a review phase following 10 days of “intensive searching” after the experienced hiker left for a walk and did not return.Roy Arbon, 75, was overdue from a walk in the Mt Davy area northeast of Greymouth on July 23.He left a handwritten note, police told 1News, that read: “Gone for walk. Mt Davy to Mt Sewell. Back tonight or tomorrow morning..”He was seen later that morning heading from Rūnanga to the Mt Davy area on a red bike.Police said around 1700 search hours had been carried out, but Arbon…

By Gyles Beckford of RNZ Unemployment is set to hit its highest level in nearly nine years, as the lagging effects of last year’s recession and the sluggish recovery hit hiring and wages. Economists expect the rate to rise to 5.3%at the end of June – the highest since the end of 2016 – and up from 5.1% in the previous quarter, with jobs having been shed and hiring almost at a standstill. “We expect the unemployment rate to rise… as very modest growth in the labour force – labour supply – meets a small contraction in employment – labour…

Police say buying or selling gang insignia is not illegal, as products featuring patches pop up for sale online.RNZ has seen blankets and plaques for sale on the online shopping website Temu, with known gang insignia displayed prominently. These products have since been removed.The Government banned the display of patches in public places last year.RNZ has found products on Temu featuring the logos of the Killer Beez, Mongrel Mob, Black Power and the Headhunters.Several accounts are listed as sellers for the products, but one in particular has sold products from both Black Power and the Mongrel Mob.The origin of the…

A pedestrian is in critical condition after a crash involving a bus in Auckland’s Onehunga this morning.Police said it was notified of the incident at 11.20am.”Church Street is currently closed between Selwyn Ave and Upper Municipal Place.”The serious crash unit had been advised and will examine the scene.Police asked motorists to take an alternative route if possible and to expect delays.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including toddler found in suitcase on bus, Russian volcano erupts, and Liam Lawson pips former world champion. (Source: 1News)Hato Hone St John said it responded with one ambulance and two rapid response units.”One patient,…

Police are asking for the public’s help to identify vehicles and potential witnesses who may hold key information about the murder of 20-year-old Tyreece Te Pairi in central Hamilton last month.Emergency services were called to Alexandra St shortly after midnight on July 20 to reports of an altercation between two groups.Te Pairi was critically injured and taken to hospital but died a short time later. He was celebrating his upcoming 21st birthday.An 18-year-old had been arrested in relation to the death, with all facts in relation to the charges and ongoing investigation suppressed.Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said police were…

Oprah Winfrey is heading back to Australia and New Zealand later this year for a series of live speaking engagements in what will be her first visit to the region in a decade.The tour, titled Oprah In Conversation: Presented by Lilly, included five events across major cities in Australasia, finishing up in Auckland on December 14 at Spark Arena.”One of the things I have always enjoyed is sitting down for real, honest, enlightening conversations, and this experience is all about that,” said Winfrey. The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including toddler found in suitcase on bus, Russian volcano erupts, and…

New Zealand’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is in for a major shakeup as the Government proposes replacing all levels of NCEA.At the announcement in Auckland this morning, Education Minister Erica Stanford and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the proposal would “restore excellence to New Zealand’s education system”, by scrapping the current qualification system for secondary school students. “For over two decades, NCEA has been the foundation of our senior secondary education. It has been designed as being a flexible, inclusive and to recognise the wide range of skills and learning,” Stanford said. “And while it has delivered in…

The Government is proposing to replace the current NCEA with new national qualifications, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford announced this morning. The pair made the announcement in Auckland this morning, saying the current system “doesn’t always deliver what students and employers need”. “We want every New Zealander to reach their full potential and contribute to a thriving economy — and that starts with our students,” Luxon said. “The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. (Source: 1News)The proposal includes:Removing NCEA Level 1, requiring students to take English…

North Shore Hospital has an entire ward of people stuck in hospital with no medical reason to be there.The 20-bed ward was created in May for patients who were effectively medically discharged but did not have anywhere to go for lower level care, such as an aged care facility.RNZ understands they were not under the direct care of doctors, but were looked after by nurses and allied health staff such as physiotherapists and social workers.Some were there for weeks.Health NZ’s Waitematā operations director Brad Healey said started the dedicated ward to help boost capacity in the busy winter period.It had…