Author: Press Room

A Russian state-backed messenger application cast as a rival to WhatsApp, which critics say could be used for surveillance purposes, must be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets from next month, the Russian government has ordered. The decision to promote the popularity of MAX, the new state-controlled messaging app, comes after Russia restricted some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases. The government, which is seeking greater control over the internet space, said in a statement on Thursday that MAX, which will be…

Police have arrested three men and seized nearly 8 kilograms of synthetic cannabis after a series of coordinated search warrants across Christchurch this morning.The operation involved five separate searches and uncovered a firearm, 50 rounds of ammunition, imitation firearms, a “significant” amount of cash, and assets suspected to be linked to criminal activity.Detective Sergeant Brad Grainger said there had been an increase in the manufacture and supply of synthetic cannabis across the district in the last month.”Although this is not a top-of-the-line ‘sexy’ drug, the significant increase in the supply of synthetic cannabis lately has affected retail offending and disorderly…

New Zealand mother Sarah Shaw has spoken to media for the first time since her release, describing her three-week stay in a US detainment centre.Shaw and her six-year-old son Isaac were held at the Dilley, Texas facility for three weeks after a mix-up with her visa at the Canadian border.Speaking to King 5 news in her home state of Washington, still wearing an ankle monitor and facing further court dates, she described living in close quarters with dozens of other detainees, six-year-old Isaac constantly with her.”If I needed to go to the bathroom, Isaac was there, yelling at me outside…

By Felix Walton of RNZ  Budget airline Jetstar has apologised to New Zealand customers, as it anticipates a hefty fine after pleading guilty to misleading passengers about their rights. The Commerce Commission took Jetstar to court over charges that it discouraged consumers from seeking compensation they were legally entitled to for delayed or cancelled flights. Representatives from both parties appeared in the Auckland District Court today for sentencing, however Judge Gibson reserved his decision for a later date. The New Zealand watchdog argued that Jetstar’s offending was not just careless but reckless, and continued despite multiple warnings and similar charges…

A Nelson man has pleaded guilty to 50 charges related to the creation, distribution, and possession of child abuse and bestiality material. Warning: This article includes details that may be distressing to some readers. An investigation into Storm Constable-Carter, 22, was launched by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Digital Child Exploitation Team after a video depicting bestiality involving an infant was identified in a cloud storage location. “The file was subsequently located in two separate internet accounts operated by Constable-Carter,” a DIA spokesperson said. The man was charged with four counts of creating objectionable material depicting bestiality and urination; 21 counts…

A prisoner who spent the night on the roof of an Otago prison has come down.Otago Corrections Facility general manager Dave Miller said the remand prisoner got up on the roof at 12.45pm on Wednesday. He voluntarily came down at 7.30am on Thursday.Miller said the prisoner would be “held to account”.He was placed in segregation and was being assessed.The prisoner’s arm was believed to have been injured while he was jumping around.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including growing threats to our security, a monster hurricane brewing, and has the robot takeover begun? (Source: 1News)’No threat’Earlier, Corrections staff were talking…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ  Consumption of natural gas dropped to its lowest level since 2011 last year, and the Ministry of Business, innovation and Employment is warning that gas supply may be falling faster than previously expected. MBIE’s latest Energy in New Zealand report notes 45.5% of the primary energy supply came from renewable sources in 2024 – a record high. Just over 85% of all electricity was from renewable sources, down from 88.1% the year before. The fall was driven by low inflows to hydro lakes in dry conditions through May, June and July, which prompted electricity spot prices to soar.…

The Crown says it will request a retrial if the Supreme Court quashes David Tamihere’s double murder convictions.Tamihere’s appeal in the High Court at Auckland has concluded, with a panel of judges reserving their decision.His lawyers were appealing an earlier Court of Appeal ruling that found a miscarriage of justice but upheld his convictions for murdering Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen.Crown lawyer Rebecca Thomson said their case at trial was that the only reasonable conclusion to draw from the facts was Tamihere’s guilt, indicating they would seek a retrial if the appeal was upheld.”If the court were minded…

A man who issued nearly 80 warrants of fitness without being authorised or inspecting the majority of the vehicles has been sentenced to six months in prison.Dwayne Lord was sentenced in the Auckland District Court recently for several breaches of transport law.Between December 2022 and June 2023, Lord fraudulently accessed the NZTA vehicle inspection system using his employer’s credentials, despite not being an appointed vehicle inspector.He issued 78 warrants of fitness without inspecting most of the vehicles on four separate occasions.An NZTA investigation uncovered the deliberate abuses of the system and confirmed very few of the vehicles had been inspected…

A diesel spill of more than 16,000 litres from a fatal petrol tanker crash has prompted fears of pollution in the Puarenga Stream in Rotorua.Council staff and iwi have teamed up to absorb the fuel and prevent it from reaching the Whakarewarewa Village, an historic pā site further downstream.Te Maiora Rurehe, environmental manager for Tuhourangi Tribal Authority, said there was a “huge volume” of oil floating on the water, as well as seepage into the earth.“As you go down, you can smell the diesel, you can basically feel the diesel, and you can see where it’s seeping into the waterways.…