Author: Press Room

A body has been found in the search for a man reported missing after his car was found in a ditch near Tongariro National Park.A search was begun after Geoffrey Kelly’s vehicle was discovered on Makokomiko Rd in Hikumutu around 10.30am on February 21.The body was found after police and a cadaver dog were deployed in Hikumutu this afternoon, police said.Police had previously carried out extensive searches of the surrounding area with a drone, Police Search and Rescue, Land Search and Rescue volunteers, local farmers and residents, and a private helicopter.”While the formal identification process is yet to be completed,…

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A judge has told a man accused of stealing critical medical supplies from an Otago rescue helicopter that he was “talking nonsense” in court.The 31-year-old, who had interim name suppression, appeared via video link at the Dunedin District Court on Thursday.At his last court appearance, the man made a sovereign citizen speech after sacking his lawyer and opting to represent himself.On Thursday he pointed at the camera and asked “Who is that person talking to?”, to which Judge Deidre Orchard replied “you”.The man then repeatedly asked if there was anyone by the name of “you” in court, before the Judge…

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The price of butter has increased by 60% in one year, with a 500g block now averaging $7.32, Statistics NZ says. But how does this compare to butter prices around the world?The increase is stark, up from just under $4.50 at the start of last year and just under $5.20 four years ago.At supermarkets this week, the cheapest butter could be found at Pak’nSave at $6.89, while at FreshChoice it went for $10.50.Fonterra, the country’s largest dairy exporter, released its half-year profit of $729 million today and 1News asked why the price of butter remained so high in the face…

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A crashed car sitting on Hastings District Council land is now in a “precarious position” after months of vandalism, a nearby property owner says.Sandra Duthie who owns a tenanted home in Te Mata Peak Rd, Havelock North, says she has contacted the council multiple times about the abandoned car, which was today sitting propped up by a piece of wood.The hatchback came off the road accessing the peak on December 20, 2024. No one was hurt in the crash.The stretch of road leading to one of Hawke’s Bay’s most popular scenic tourist attractions has seen more than a dozen crashes…

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The former president of the European Commission tells Euronews the EU’s wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow inevitably ties the the bloc to any negotiations on a peace settlement. ADVERTISEMENTRussia is the “first to be interested in having Europe associated” with future talks on peace in Ukraine, José Manuel Barroso, the former president of the European Commission, told Euronews in a live interview on Friday morning, hours after the EU’s 27 leaders wrapped up a summit in Brussels.“Mr. Putin said it already: there will be no peace without the lifting of sanctions that have been imposed by the European Union,” Barroso explained.“Sooner…

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“Truly disgusting” online comments calling for “Christchurch again” have been condemned as Australia’s Islamic community demands greater protection.Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west was the latest targeted by online comments invoking an Australian man’s terrorist attack in New Zealand in which 51 worshippers were murdered during prayers.The vile reference to the 2019 attack in Christchurch was posted on a video Lakemba Mosque shared on TikTok showing worshippers leaving during Ramadan.”Enough is enough,” the mosque said today.”This is not just online hate – we have seen where unchecked racism leads,” it said in a Facebook post.”We will not wait for another tragedy…

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Professor Bev Lawton has been named the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.The awards honour the achievements and contributions of inspirational Kiwis who have made positive contributions to the country.Lawton (Ngāti Porou) is recognised as a “pioneering force” in women’s health in New Zealand and is the founder of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa).Along with driving critical advancements in screening for cervical cancer, maternal health, and indigenous health equity, Lawton also led the charge through her advocacy for New Zealand’s historic shift to HPV self-testing as the primary method for cervical screening.Her…

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Former Commission President José Manuel Barroso chews over the details of the EU Summit during Friday’s edition of Europe Today, Euronews summit special. ADVERTISEMENTWith a flurry of summits and special meeting being convened, what is the best way for leaders to chew over the big decisions?Is the plan of EU High Representative Kaja Kallas to muster up to €40 billion in fresh military support for Ukraine up in smoke after leaders failed to endorse it during the EU Council Summit?Now that Ursula von der Leyen’s blueprint to mobilise up to €800 billion for defence over the next four years has…

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Documents reveal a World War II era shipwreck could trigger a $200 million oil spill clean up but the government is going against officials’ advice to at least do a risk assessment survey.In June 1940 the RMS Niagara was sailing out of Auckland for Vancouver, Canada, with 349 passengers and crew on board.It was sunk by Germany in the Hauraki Gulf but decades later its oil has never been retrieved.Maritime NZ had been recommended since 2019 to survey the Niagara shipwreck to work out how much oil is on it, but successive governments have declined.New documents eleased to RNZ reveal…

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By Nick James of RNZ Bluebridge has announced it will buy a new ship to replace its 28-year-old Cook Strait ferry. The company currently sails its Strait Feronia and Connemara ferries through the route between the North and South Islands. Bluebridge will replace the Strait Feronia, which first launched in 1997, with the Stena Livia, which began sailing in 2008. The Stena Livia is currently sailing for the company Stena Line between Germany and Latvia. StraitNZ chief executive Shane McMahon said as the owner of Bluebridge, the company was delighted to have secured the vessel as part of its continued commitment to upgrade services for customers using the critical Cook…

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