Author: Press Room

A lucky Lotto Powerball player from Auckland has won $23.3 million in last night’s First Division draw.The winning numbers were 10 19 22 24 31 40, Bonus 37, Powerball 01.The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto to a player from Auckland. The prize is made up of $23 million from Powerball First Division and $333,333 from Lotto First Division. Last night’s winner is the eighth Powerball multi-millionaire this year. Two other lucky Lotto players will also be celebrating after winning $333,333 in Lotto First Division. The winning tickets were sold at Pak’nSave Mangere in Auckland and on MyLotto to a…

A 16-year-old youth has been remanded in custody after being charged with murdering Kyle Whorrall.He was also facing a charge of aggravated robbery.The accused youth entered no plea and would reappear in the High Court in May.A 32-year-old woman also appeared this afternoon, charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact.Charging documents alleged she actively suppressed evidence against the murder accused, by selling a vehicle, “in order to enable him to escape… arrest”.She was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody without plea to reappear at the same time as the murder-accused, in the High Court.Sixteen-year-old charged…

ADVERTISEMENTTens of thousands of faithful and tourists alike flocked to the Vatican after the body of Pope Francis was transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday.While many were intrigued by the historical significance of the event, others took the opportunity to pay their respects to the late pontiff by expressing their condolences.In most cases, people simply felt compelled to say a final goodbye.Some of the faithful cannot hold back their tears. Violetta and Pavel are from Poland but live in London. Both were so shocked by the pontiff’s death that they immediately changed their travel plans to see him one…

Banks will now be required to reimburse scam victims up to $500,000 if they fail to adequately warn and protect a consumer from a scam. The Banking Association has announced five new protections introduced to the Code of Banking Practice, which will be progressively rolled out over the next seven months.Where a bank fails to meet the five new commitments, institutions will compensate all or part of the loss for eligible customers. Banks will also retain the discretion to pay compensation beyond what is set out in the code.Banks would also continue to compensate losses for eligible customers when services…

ADVERTISEMENTPolish President Andrzej Duda has said that only the United States — and in particular, his US counterpart Donald Trump — has the power to bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Duda warned that a future peace deal will require painful compromises from both sides, including concessions from Ukraine, and called for renewed transatlantic cooperation to ensure long-term stability in the region.“Today my conclusion is absolutely unequivocal, there is no one outside the United States who can stop (Russian President) Vladimir Putin,” Duda said. “That’s why I believe that President Donald Trump,…

People heading out to dawn services across the country tomorrow won’t need an umbrella, but will need warm layers, says a MetService meteorologist. The forecaster expected settled but cooler temperatures for much of the country for the rest of the week. MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane told Breakfast it would be “a chilly start” for many parts of the country on Friday morning, with some beginning the day with single-digit temperatures. Watch the full interview with MetService on TVNZ+. “For most of us, we won’t be needing an umbrella on Friday morning, apart from just a few spots. Parts of Northland,…

A new NZ First member’s bill seeking to define the meaning of a “man” and “woman” in law is a “distraction” from other issues, two MPs from National and Labour say.The proposed legislation, submitted by NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft, would “ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law,” according to the party. NZ First leader Winston Peters said the bill would “fight back against the cancerous social engineering” and what he called creeping “woke ideology”.While the bill was not Government policy, and would only be debated if pulled from the ballot, it has seen…

Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing.It’s the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021’s Solar Power.The single, which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length, was released at 4pm New Zealand time.Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week.On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption “tonight 7pm”.Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager…

Nearly $30 million worth of cocaine was seized at a business in Auckland’s Mount Wellington after a worker discovered the illicit haul while unloading a shipping container.Police were called to the Carbine Rd premises after the worker found five duffle bags containing cocaine in the container.Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Darvill said more than 75 packages of cocaine were wrapped in cellophane in the duffle bags.Police said there were around 75kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of close to $30 million.”Cocaine is a highly addictive drug and causes a concerning level of harm in our communities,” Darvill said.”This is…

ADVERTISEMENTTensions flared in Bosnia on Wednesday following reports that Bosnian state security officers tried to arrest the pro-Russian Bosnian Serb president but were prevented by his armed police.Milorad Dodik, the president of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia, is facing legal action for his separatist policies. Bosnian courts issued an arrest warrant for Dodik in March after he failed to appear for questioning.Details surrounding Wednesday’s events east of Sarajevo, where Dodik was holding meetings, were unclear.A spokesperson for the State Investigation and Security Agency, or SIPA, Jelena Miovcic, said the agency members “tried to implement a (court) order but SIPA…