Author: Press Room

Police say they are disappointed in the actions of a “minority” of rugby league fans after 31 people were arrested and more than 200 infringements issued during the final weekend of the Pacific Rugby League Championship.The Kiwis defeated Toa Samoa 36-14 at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium on Sunday.Additional staff were deployed to Ōtāhuhu, Māngere, Ōtara and Clendon as fans took to the streets of Auckland following the match.Counties Manukau district commander Superintendent Shanan Gray said fans turned out in their hundreds, causing congestion on roads and in surrounding areas.”Police would like to thank the majority who celebrated peacefully and lawfully,” he…

Eighty-five years after a group of Rongotai College students helped move thousands of books into Wellington’s old Central Library, today’s students have followed in their footsteps, shifting thousands more into the city’s newly revamped building.More than 4000 books were carried into the quake-strengthened Te Matapihi Central Library today by 50 students from the school, echoing an effort from 1940 when the same college lent a hand after the council failed to budget for moving costs.“When the previous library on the corner of Wakefield and Mercer streets closed, the council hadn’t allocated any funding to move the books,” said Wellington City…

You keep your trusty reusable bottle filled with only clear, delicious water. Do you still need to wash it?Experts say reusable bottles get grubby no matter what liquid they’re filled with, and it’s important to clean them regularly.Water bottles pick up germs from our mouths when we take a sip, and from our hands when we touch the straw or lid. They’re covered in tiny, tough-to-reach nooks and crannies which can become breeding grounds for mold, bacteria and other microbes if left un-scrubbed.“It seems like something mundane, but it is extremely important,” said nurse practitioner Michele Knepper, who works at…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including firefighters back at the Tongariro blaze, BBC execs quit over Trump speech, and the link between grey hair and cancer. Misty conditions have helped limit the spread of the Tongariro National Park fire. Two top BBC executives have quit amid criticism of the editing of a speech by Donald Trump. Aerial footage shows the scale of damage from a tornado in Brazil. Science says grey hair could be part of our body’s natural defence against cancer. Cyndi Lauper has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Te Pāti Māori national council has moved to expel MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris from the party.A letter seen by 1News which was sent to Te Tai Tokerau MP Kapa-Kingi this morning said the council met last night and made the decision to expel her. A similar letter was also sent to Te Tai Tonga MP Ferris. There was the option of warning or suspending them. At a media conference held this morning, co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer explained the decision, which was driven by what the party said was breaches of its constitution. Ngarewa-Packer said it…

ANZ New Zealand has reported a statutory net profit after tax of $2.53 billion, up 21% on last year.It said the increase was largely driven by gains of $163 million from economic hedges, compared to losses of $195 million in the 12 months to September 30, 2024.Revenue was up 2%, which the bank said reflected lending and deposit growth. Expenses were up 3%, which the bank said was driven by inflationary impacts.ANZ New Zealand reported a credit impairment release of $25 million, compared to a charge for $44 million for the 2024 financial year.Customer deposits were up 5%, while gross…

The Department of Internal Affairs has given notice to gambling website 20Bet to stop advertising in New Zealand.The offshore gambling website is registered in Cyprus but has been targeting New Zealanders with paid ads on YouTube promoting online pokies and sports betting.Promoting overseas gambling is prohibited under the Gambling Act, and sports and racing betting is banned outright unless controlled by TAB.”The Department is aware of recent advertising by 20Bet on YouTube,” DIA director of gambling Vicki Scott told RNZ.”We have instructed 20Bet to cease these activities. We will continue to monitor the situation and take further action if necessary.”Copy…

The mayors of Whanganui, Ruapehu and Rangitīkei will receive pay increases of between 3 and 6.5%, while councillor salaries will rise by as much as 30.5%.The independent Remuneration Authority has set pay for elected members across Whanganui, Ruapehu, Rangitīkei and Horizons Regional councils.The new rates reflect updated size indices for each council and revised governance remuneration pools that account for workload increases in some areas.Whanganui District CouncilWhanganui mayor Andrew Tripe will be paid $166,304, up about 3.25% from $161,075.His councillors are in line for a 25.5% pay rise, with the minimum councillor salary rising from $39,541 to $49,644.The council’s governance…

By Nona Pelletier of RNZ Top shelf employees are expected to cost employers much more to retain and recruit as the economy recovers. Recruitment consultancy firm Robert Walters said the brain drain to Australia was already sending ripples of concern, particularly in Wellington, which saw its workforce gutted after the last change of government. Wellington-based Robert Walters associate director Tim Wright said there was a looming talent shortage, as many senior level executives had already relocated to Australia for better pay and conditions. He said winning them back would not be cheap. The strong labour market conditions seen in 2022…

Which bank consistently offers the lowest advertised home loan rates? And does it actually matter?Data compiled by economist Ed McKnight from Opes Partners shows that since August 2023, across all home loan rate terms, Westpac most often advertised the cheapest home loan rates.It had the joint lowest rates advertised 54.5% of the time, and it had the strictly lowest rates 19.3% of the time.BNZ was jointly lowest 42.9% of the time but only strictly lowest 3.5%. ASB was joint lowest 38.5% of the time and strictly lowest 2.5%.Kiwibank was joint lowest 37.7% of the time and lowest 18.1%, and ANZ…