Author: Press Room

Horowhenua’s mayor says the recent spate of gang shootings is “causing some real concern” among residents who are worried about ongoing criminal behaviour.It comes after a Gang Conflict Warrant was put in place for Ōtaki, Shannon, Foxton and Levin after four gang shootings in three days.A Gang Conflict Warrant gives police more powers to search vehicles without a warrant.By Saturday evening, they had seized four guns and a large knife.Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden said people were still feeling anxious, and he hoped things would be resolved quickly.”Obviously, we get isolated incidents every now and then, but this continuing behaviour and…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Even retirees who have paid off their homes are struggling with the cost of living as pressure goes on rates and insurance, financial mentors say. An RNZ survey looked into the cost of living in households around the country, even if the mortgage has been paid off. It showed that in some cases, people were having to pay almost $800 a month. The data included average 2024 rates payments, average cheapest house insurance premiums and the cheapest electricity option available on Powerswitch for the region for a two-person household with someone home during the day, using electricity for heating…

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was allegedly assaulted while trying to help another motorist near Tokoroa in the early hours of Friday morning.The incident happened around 4.15am near the intersection of Old Taupo Rd and Baird Rd. The man stopped his vehicle to assist another driver when he was allegedly attacked, suffering a head injury.”He is now recovering at home,” a police spokesperson said.Police were working to establish the full circumstances of what had occurred and to locate the other party believed to be involved.”We would like to hear from anyone who saw one or two cars…

Jerry Adler, who spent decades behind the scenes of storied Broadway productions before pivoting to acting in his 60s, has died at 96.Adler died Saturday, according to a brief family announcement confirmed by the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York (local time). Adler “passed peacefully in his sleep,” Paradigm Talent Agency’s Sarah Shulman said on behalf of his family. No immediate cause was given.Among Adler’s acting credits are The Sopranos, on which he played Tony Soprano adviser Hesh Rabkin across all six seasons, and The Good Wife, where he played law partner Howard Lyman. But before Adler had ever stepped…

A body has been found in the water at Wairau Bar in Marlborough.Police said a member of the public reported the body in Spring Creek at around 3.50pm on Saturday.”A formal identification process is underway and may take some time,” a police spokesperson said.”Inquiries into the matter are ongoing and police are unable to comment further at this stage.”A rāhui was put in place for the Wairau River, Ōpaoa and Wairau River confluence to the River mouth.It prohibits the gathering of kai, swimming, and entering the water and was expected to be in place for five days.

Despite Dunedin and Christchurch being two of the colder cities in New Zealand at this time of year, new research shows they have some of the lowest potential to reduce heat-related carbon emissions. University of Otago physicist and Sustainable Energy Programme director Associate Professor Michael Jack said it was because the cities had low use of LPG/natural gas to heat homes and water. He said the research showed how much energy was used in each New Zealand region to heat its homes and hot water, and the carbon emissions associated with that. By contrast, Taranaki and the upper West Coast…

A woman is assisting police after a newborn baby’s body was discovered in an Auckland CBD park this morning.Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews said police were called to the scene at Albert Park at around 7am after a park worker discovered the infant.”Sadly, when examined, there were no signs of life.”Newborn baby found dead in popular Auckland park – Watch on TVNZ+A scene examination was underway and police were speaking to a woman believed to be the baby’s mother.A post-mortem examination would be carried out in the coming days.

A Palestinian affairs expert says recognising statehood without concrete follow-up action would be “meaningless” as New Zealand considers its position on the issue.Australian National University senior lecturer Anas Iqtait, who has worked for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Palestinian Issues, told Q+A that recognition followed by inaction would “cement the current realities” for Palestinians.The Government has said it will decide soon how and when to recognise a Palestinian state, following moves by Australia, Canada, and the UK towards recognition.Iqtait argued Western states should instead sanction Israel for its operations in the West Bank and Gaza,…

The leader of a Wairarapa hapū, who wants to close a public paper road over their land, says they will consider lodging a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal if a council bylaw supporting the closure doesn’t pass.The proposed bylaw to shut the road on the southernmost tip of the North Island has triggered backlash, with the Wairarapa District Council receiving 3500 submissions on it.Ngati Hinewaka chairperson Haami Te Whaiti is not surprised at the response.“I’m not surprised,” he said, “because the right of passage over our land is something they think they’re entitled to because it’s been happening for a…

Christchurch company CProPainterPlaster has collapsed owing Inland Revenue an estimated unpaid tax value of over $1 million. The business working in the house construction industry went into liquidation under an application filed by the IRD at the Christchurch High Court on July 10 with the New Zealand Insolvency and Trustee Service appointed as liquidator. In the first liquidators report released on August 15 the cause was understood to be a failure to account for taxation. The liquidator was working to establish communication with sole director and shareholder, Christopher Pabaira, to obtain the company’s financial statements and position. CProPainterPlaster is estimated…