Author: Press Room

A 63-year-old man who died after being found injured on a street in Wellington’s Miramaris now believed to be the victim of a robbery.Around 2am on March 17, police were called after an intruder was discovered in a home on Darlington Rd.Twenty minutes later, 63-year-old Abdul Nabizadah was found with serious head injuries at the intersection of Camperdown and Totara roads.A homicide investigation was launched after Nabizadah, originally from Afghanistan, died of his injuries in hospital.Parallel investigations were launched into both incidents.Forensics at the scene of a home invasion where a resident received minor injuries in Wellington’s Miramar. (Source: 1News)A…

Five years ago, New Zealand introduced the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme which allows doctors to prescribe cannabis products to patients. But GPs have remained reluctant to prescribe it, with two thirds of doctors saying they would not prescribe it if a patient asked, according to research from Massey University. Baz Macdonald looks into the medicinal cannabis sector for Re: Investigates. Watch it on TVNZ+The number of medicinal cannabis prescriptions given out in New Zealand has risen exponentially, from around 6000 in the first year of the scheme to over 105,000 in 2023, according to Ministry of Health data. This has gone…

ADVERTISEMENTAt least seven people, including two children, have died after a boat carrying migrants from Turkey to a nearby Greek island capsized, Greece’s coast guard has said.A search and rescue operation off the northern coast of Lesbos recovered the bodies.The coast guard said 23 people have been rescued.Reporting on what appeared to be the same sinking, Turkish media said the incident was attended by the Turkish coast guard after a rubber dinghy sank in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish mainland and Lesbos.Those rescued were taken to a hospital and the search continued, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.Weather in the…

The next property market upturn may be slowly building, according to CoreLogic.In March, property values rose by 0.5%, which followed a 0.4% lift in February, and a flat result for January.Property data analysts CoreLogic said this confirmed the market was now into its next phase of growth, and had come on the back of lower interest rates and “improved affordability”, after the previous value falls.On the CoreLogic hedonic home value index, or HVI, the property value rise in March was the strongest since January last year.Across the country, the average property value is now sitting at $812,195, the highest since…

ADVERTISEMENTSecretary of State Marco Rubio has reassured NATO allies of the US’ commitment to the military transatlantic alliance at his first meeting of NATO foreign affairs ministers, while recalling Donald Trump’s message that the European countries and Canada need to further increase defence spending.  “The United States President Trump’s made clear he supports NATO, we’re going to remain in NATO,” Rubio told reporters in Brussels, stressing that the US wants the alliance to be stronger against any potential threat. “The only way NATO can get stronger and more viable is if our partners, the nation states that comprise this important alliance, have…

Westpac’s chief economist has thrown a cat among the forecasting pigeons by saying the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) should not cut the benchmark official cash rate (OCR) at next week’s monetary review.Kelly Eckhold said he expected the RBNZ will go ahead with a smaller sized cut of 25 basis points to 3.5%, because it had already strongly hinted a further cut would happen when it reduced the OCR in February by a third consecutive 50 point cut.But he has questioned whether another cut is needed or should be delivered right now.”This OCR cut is likely the wrong thing to do.”Eckhold said…

ADVERTISEMENTThe prime target of US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs is European regulation rather than EU tariffs on American imports, according to MEP Bernd Lange (Germany/S&D) the chair of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee, but EU law is non-negotiable, he said.“[In this report,] you find 30 pages about the EU,” Lange said, citing a report from the US Trade Representative, claiming that this is “more or less a comprehensive overview of our legislation. This is an indication that the president Trump is not looking on tariffs.”According to the MEP, the only justification proffered by Trump’s team to arrive a figure…

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has shared some of the profanity-laden online abuse she has received over a sewerage pipe near a sacred lake.It came after a protester’s emotional outburst in a public meeting, criticising Tapsell for the council’s handling of the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme.The $32 million project will connect about 440 Lake Tarawera households to the public wastewater network and aims to reduce lake pollution from septic tanks.On Tuesday, the Environment Court dismissed applications to halt construction of the final 1.4km of pipeline past Lake Rotokākahi.The council has said it now intends to restart work as soon as possible.Mana whenua…

ADVERTISEMENTSocial media users are claiming that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have come out against a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine, as talks to bring about a temporary halt stall.One post on X says that the countries are “afraid” that an “undefeated” Russian army will invade them once a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine.Another says that the Baltic states believe a ceasefire would give Moscow time to rearm and turn its attention to its borders with NATO.Others share images that appear to depict Russian forces advancing towards Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.But the spirit of many of these posts ranges from…

The deaths of a British couple found dead at a home in the Wellington suburb of Roseneath are being treated as a suspected murder-suicide, police confirmed this evening. Their bodies were found after a concerned family member asked police to carry out a welfare check at the Palliser Rd property around 10.25pm on Monday. “Police are providing support to the family at the centre of this tragic event,” police said. “The family have requested privacy as they grieve their loss.”A neighbour earlier told RNZ the couple had fallen in love with the country and had plans to make their stay…