Author: Press Room

Yesterday, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the country’s far east. Australian earthquake scientist Dee Ninis and Victoria University professor John Townend explain what it may mean for New Zealand.Originating at a depth of roughly 20 kilometres, the powerful earthquake – among the 10 strongest in recorded history and the largest worldwide since 2011 – has caused building damage and injuries in the largest nearby city, Petropavlosk-Kamchatsky, just 119 kilometres from the epicentre.(Source: The Conversation)Tsunami warnings and evacuations have reverberated through Russia, Japan and Hawaii, with advisories issued for the Philippines, Indonesia, and…

A 23-year-old is in court charged with drink driving after a vehicle was filmed swerving across lanes and “narrowly avoiding” multiple collisions on a Waikato highway. The footage, filmed on State Highway 29 around midday on Thursday, July 24, was shared by Waikato police on social media. It showed the vehicle swerving between lanes, crossing double yellow lines. At several points, the vehicle narrowly avoids colliding with other road users. At one point, while in the wrong lane, the vehicle narrowly avoided what could have been a head-on collision with a truck. “Police were nearby when the call came in,…

A woman charged after a baby’s body was found in an Auckland bin earlier this month has appeared in court for the first time.Police found the body of a newborn baby in a wheelie bin outside a house on Renall St in Freemans Bay.A 32-year-old woman was charged with interfering with human remains.The woman appeared via audio-video link in Auckland District Court on Thursday morning, with members of her family present in the court room.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including tsunami threat remains for NZ and quake sparks Russian volcanic eruption, plus the pop star and the politician spotted…

A Southland dairy company and its owner, previously found to have exploited three Indonesian workers, has been hit with more fines after being found to have obstructed employment authority investigations. Rural Practice Ltd has been ordered to pay $10,000 and owner Reza Abdul-Jabbar $5000 after the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) made its determination earlier this month. The penalties come on top of $215,000 in fines imposed last year when the ERA found the company and its owner had breached minimum employment standards.The obstruction occurred when Abdul-Jabbar claimed one of the workers involved in the case owed $5000 in recruitment costs,…

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell is speaking as the threat of coastal surges for New Zealand’s coastline continues.He earlier apologised for the early morning wake up New Zealanders received due to the loud emergency alert to mobile phones.“We’re a coastal nation, and it was really important to notify people,” he said.An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s far east yesterday, leading to warnings across the Pacific.NEMA said New Zealand could still expect “strong and unusual currents” and “unpredictable surges” at the shore until mid-afternoon.

Ozzy Osbourne returned to the “home of metal” for the last time on Thursday as an emotional Birmingham honoured one of its most cherished sons.Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects to the band’s frontman as his hearse made its way through the city centre, followed by his tearful wife and children.The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last week at the age of 76, went down Broad Street, one of the city’s major thoroughfare, to the Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019.“Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi,” fans screamed.Six vehicles carrying…

There’s concern that Howard Temple will stay on as Gloriavale’s leader, despite admitting to abuse against girls and young women.On Wednesday, the 85-year-old grandfather pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault, five of doing an indecent act, and two of common assault.He had earlier denied 24 charges of sexual offending over more than two decades during his trial at the Greymouth District Court.Temple refused to answer questions as he left the court. He was remanded on bail until August 11, when a date will be set for sentencing.Brian Henry, who has represented men and women who have left Gloriavale,…

The property at the centre of a deadly mushroom lunch has been restrained by the court after Erin Patterson was found guilty of triple murder.Victorian Supreme Court Justice Michelle Quigley granted the confiscation application over Patterson’s Leongatha property on July 23 following a closed court hearing.A suppression over the restraining order was lifted yesterday. Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of murdering her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.She was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson.The jury found she deliberately served the four people beef Wellingtons…

Many New Zealanders were woken up by an emergency mobile alert sent out today at 6.30am but for some, the alerts have either come repeatedly or not at all.Officials say the risk of strong currents and unpredictable surges is still very high following Wednesday’s big earthquake in RussiaThe threat for New Zealand’s coast is likely to remain in place until midday.NEMA Civil Defence Emergency Management director John Price told Morning Report a technical glitch is to blame for issues with the alert.He said there have been two official alerts sent out, one on Wednesday afternoon and one on Thursday morning.Follow…

With the sixth series of Taskmaster NZ launching in August, host Jeremy Wells reveals the five new cast members competing for this year’s trophy, and shares his honest impressions of each of them. You can learn a lot about a human being by observing their behaviour on the set of Taskmaster NZ. Jeremy Wells should know – he’s hosted all six series of the show – each one boasting a fresh lineup of fiercely competitive and complex individuals. Jeremy Wells with the latest cast of Taskmaster NZ. (Source: TVNZ)“You expose yourself in quite a unique way on Taskmaster,” he says.…