Author: Press Room

A truck route “in a constant state of deterioration” might become a lot quieter after a Gisborne District Council decision regarding heavy vehicle permits.During council meetings last year, councillors and community members raised safety concerns around trucks travelling along Back Ormond and Ormond Rds.A man who drove daily along Ormond Rd to and from work said he had seen too many “near-misses” involving schoolchildren.In July, the council added new maps to NZ Transport Agency’s (NZTA) “H” permit system, which exclude Back Ormond and Ormond Rds.Trucks that carry over 44 tonnes require “H” permits to be driven on roads.These permits were…

Internet experts say the government must do more to avoid internet outages, after a warship knocked out services to Taranaki and Marlborough.Interference from an Australian warship’s navigation radar caused internet and radio services to fail in those regions on Wednesday.The 230-metre HMAS Canberra was sailing through Cook Strait when its systems disrupted 5 GHz wireless access points.The chief executive of the Telecommunications Users Association, Craig Young, said it showed the vulnerability in the country’s network.”It was fixed quite quickly once they figured out what was going on,” he said.”But it does show that we do have a weakness in the…

Police have called off the formal search for a 79-year-old Christchurch woman missing in sub-zero temperatures.The woman, Elisabeth, was reported missing in Riccarton on Wednesday night.Police were still appealing to the public for information, and asking people in Riccarton and surrounding areas to check their security cameras, sheds and garages.There was an unconfirmed sighting of her at Moa Vale at around 10am on Thursday morning.Elisabeth was wearing blue pants, a dark coloured long-sleeved top, black shoes and had distinctive long blonde/white hair.She had been admitted to a Christchurch rest home the day she disappeared.A Ryman spokesperson said she was referred…

The chairman of a Southern council group is unrepentant about his behaviour at a recent meeting which was dubbed “disrespectful” by a council leader.Mataura Catchment Liaison Committee chairman Hugh Gardyne has also rejected the use of “kia ora” in an email which reprimanded him for his actions.The committee Gardyne oversaw was one of eight in the region which supported Environment Southland with local river work.In May, Gardyne gave a blunt presentation to councillors alleging catchment management was in “a state of paralysis” under the watch of the council chief executive, and that communication was ineffective with the general manager in…

Opposition parties have called for a tikanga committee for Parliament following last night’s vote on record suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs who performed a haka to protest the Treaty Principles Bill. Speaking to 1News after the debate, Labour MP Willie Jackson said Speaker Gerry Brownlee should put a tikanga committee in place to be chaired by fellow Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe.Jackson said he was worried the New Zealand Parliament would be “misrepresented around the world” over “the worst suspension” in its history. “That would be disgraceful, given the amount of offences and what’s gone on in this House…

A New Zealand teenager has been arrested at Auckland International Airport after 15 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine was allegedly found in his luggage.The 19-year-old arrived at the airport from Los Angeles yesterday and border officers discovered 15 vacuum-sealed packets hidden in his suitcase, Customs said today.Thirteen of the packages contained methamphetamine, while two others were found to contain cocaine.A teenager’s suitcase, which was found to contain methamphetamine and cocaine. (Source: NZ Customs Service)Customs Auckland Airport manager Paul Williams said criminal syndicates would prey on the young and vulnerable, but anyone caught up in this sort of crime faced the…

A boy racer charged over his involvement in what’s been called the “Levin invasion” has come forward and apologised.The street racer said he had written apology letters to people disrupted by the event and was selling the now impounded car he used to do a burnout.Police said a crowd of about 1000 gathered at the event last Friday.Four bystanders aged between 16 and 20 were hit by vehicles. One woman had both her legs run over.Fireworks and vehicles were used against officers trying to break up the gathering.Several of their cars had tyres slashed and police had to use sponge…

A warning has been issued after an orange powder being sold as heroin was instead found to be a nitazene – a highly potent synthetic opioid.The discovery was made after a sample of the substance was sent to a New Zealand Drug Foundation checking clinic in Auckland, High Alert said. The powder was possibly in circulation nationwide.”Further analysis of the sample conducted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) confirmed the presence of a nitazene,” High Alert said, “but, at this stage, the specific substance remains unknown. No heroin was detected.”The powder did not react to nitazene test…

Published on 07/06/2025 – 7:00 GMT+2In the hot seatADVERTISEMENTThis week we are joined by Mika Aaltola, a Finnish MEP representing the centre-right European People’s Party, Dorota Bawolek, a seasoned EU correspondent for Polish broadcaster TVP and Ian Lesser, Vice President of the German Marshall Fund, the transatlantic think tank.EU-US trade tensionsUS President Donald Trump’s renewed trade offensive has left Brussels rather stressed with sweeping tariffs hitting European steel, aluminium, and car exports — and threats of more to come. European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is trying to defuse the crisis, warning that retaliatory EU measures could kick in as early…

The odds of winning the Lotto are infamously low, but can you increase your chances of winning the $15 million up for grabs in tonight’s draw by picking your numbers or by tracking down a winning store? Playing Powerball, you have a one in 38.3 million chance of winning. Your chances of a Strike win are higher at one in 2.2 million, and better still for Bullseye, which is one in 1 million. According to Lotto, a typical week in 2025 had 39% of Lotto players select their numbers, as opposed to 61% who chose a random Lotto family ‘dip’.…