Author: Press Room
RNZ has opened a voluntary redundancy scheme for staff, weeks after the Government announced it would slash the broadcaster’s budget by almost $5 million annually.Chief executive Paul Thompson confirmed the move, saying he knew the move would be “unsettling” for people working in his organisation.”I can confirm that RNZ has opened a voluntary redundancy scheme,” he said.”Applications for voluntary redundancy will be considered against the need to retain necessary skills, knowledge and experience within teams or critical risk areas. “Any discussion around leaving an organisation, even if this is voluntary, is unsettling for the people involved and out of respect…
Cyclists will be able to bring their bikes on some buses travelling across Auckland’s Harbour Bridge as a trial of interior bike racks expands.Fifteen double-decker buses on the NX1 bus route – around a third of the fleet – will be fitted with a bike rack inside the bus.The trial will run for a year from July. It follows a pilot in November last year where two types of internal bike racks were testing on double-decker NX1 buses.Auckland Transport (AT) said allowing bikes on buses provided a “consistent service” for passengers using rapid transit services, as bikes can already be…
By Malek Fouda with AP Published on 17/06/2025 – 7:10 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTA Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight on Tuesday killed at least 14 people and wounded more than three dozen others, according to Ukrainian officials.The attack is the latest in a series of mass drone and missile attacks on Kyiv. It came at a time when world leaders convened at the Group of Seven – or G7 – meeting in Canada, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend.Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko told reporters at the scene that a US citizen was among those killed in…
Police are appealing for witnesses to an alleged hit-and-run at a pedestrian crossing in Rotorua that left a sight- and hearing-impaired man in a critical condition over the weekend.The motorcyclist allegedly overtook a stationary vehicle and struck the 24-year-old pedestrian as he crossed Edmund Rd in Mangakakahi at around 2.15pm on Sunday.Police said the rider then performed a U-turn, rode back towards the crossing, and fled the scene without stopping or checking on the victim.St John said two ambulances, one rapid response unit, and one helicopter responded to the incident.”Our crews assessed and treated one patient who was airlifted to…
The public “deserves an inquiry” into the forensic mental health system, says the Chief Victims Adviser, after revelations an elderly mental health patient who murdered a pensioner killed his brother 50 years ago.Elliot Cameron was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch last week to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years by Justice Rachel Dunningham for murdering 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps, known as Faye.A suppression order was lifted on Monday, allowing RNZ to report Cameron killed his brother Jeffrey Cameron in 1975. A jury found him not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and detained as…
The protected heritage status of the derelict Gordon Wilson Flats in Wellington will be scrapped through an amendment to the Resource Management Act (RMA) in the coming weeks. The Gordon Wilson Flats were used as social housing until 2012, when a engineer’s report deemed them unsafe. They have been left vacant since.However as they are listed as heritage protected in the Wellington City District Plan, it became nearly impossible for anyone to get a resource consent to demolish them or alter them.RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the building has become “more dangerous and more of an eyesore…
The housing market remains mired in a glut of properties, uncertain buyers, static prices and weak sales volumes, according to Quotable Value’s (QV) price report.It showed average housing values rose 0.1% in the three months ended May – the same as April – with the average value staying close to $914,000, down 1.1% on a year ago.QV operations manager James Wilson said prices and sales were not changing much, but there were signs the market’s mood was.”The housing market is still softening, but doing so at a slowing pace with signs of tentative confidence beginning to surface.”With interest rates easing…
Canterbury’s newest and largest supermarket is set to “open two months early”. Foodstuffs South Island retail and property general manager Tim Donaldson told the New Zealand Herald the 8100sq m Pak’nSave Rolleston has cost $50m to build and will be the largest retail outlet in the South Island. The Levy Rd supermarket was set to open at the end of 2025. But Donaldson told the Herald it is now expected to open on October 14. The supermarket will have 485 car parks and employ about 250 staff. The recruitment process is set to start this month with senior leadership roles coming up in…
A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star’s overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Tuesday.Dr Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, federal prosecutors said in a statement. They said the plea carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and Plasencia is expected to enter the plea in the coming weeks.Plasencia and a woman accused of being a ketamine dealer had been the primary targets of the prosecution, after three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty…
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is travelling to China today as he prepares for an official meeting with President Xi Jinping later this week.There’ll be plenty to discuss across a range of areas including trade, education and tourism.Two-way trade between our nations was valued at just over $38 billion last year.New Zealand’s major goods exports include dairy – predominantly milk powder, butter and cheese – while fruit such as kiwifruit and apples are also a favourite within the Chinese market. Meat products are also high in demand as are forestry and wood products.“I want to grow everywhere, so it’s China and…