Author: Press Room

The Chase’s Paul Sinha says his Parkinson’s diagnosis has been a “tough” one to come to terms with, speaking during a comedy set about where he sees his future.Speaking from the stage at Ealing Comedy Festival, the quiz master known as The Sinnerman opened up about his Parkinson’s disease, describing it as a “tough diagnosis” to come to terms with.”I’m well aware that in 15 to 20 years time, I might be completely immobile and totally expressionless,” he said, the Daily Express reports.True to form, however, he turned the dark moment around with his trademark humour.”But hey – I’m still…

An underprepared tramper rescued from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing last weekend is being held by police as a reminder of how quickly winter conditions can turn dangerous in the backcountry.Police received a call from a man who got into difficulty on the crossing at around 7.30pm last Saturday.Senior Constable Barry Shepherd said the man knew he was not going to be able to make it out alone.”He realised that he was not dressed or equipped at all for the harsh reality of the landscape in winter.”There had been recent heavy snowfall with freezing conditions. He didn’t have food with him…

Te Pāti Māori says the Government’s changes to passports are an attempt to whitewash the national identity.The Government confirmed on Friday that New Zealand’s passport is being redesigned to place the English words above the te reo Māori text. The new look won’t start being rolled out until the end of 2027.Since 2021, passports have had “Uruwhenua Aotearoa” printed in silver directly above New Zealand Passport.Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said the positioning of text on passports will change to reflect the Government’s commitment to using English first.She said the redesign, which would be unveiled later this year, was…

Shots were fired during an armed robbery at a bar in Whangārei last night, with the offenders still on the run.Police were called to the bar on Kensington Ave at around 10pm after a man entered with a firearm and demanded money.”The man is reported to have fired a shot towards the roof of the bar and assaulted one of the patrons,” Detective Sergeant Ryan Cooper said.”The man then took cash from the bar’s tills and left in a car, which had been waiting in the car park.”St John said it responded with one ambulance and one manager.”Our crews assessed…

An artist whose 5.5 metre steel sculpture was stolen from his West Auckland studio believes the thieves mistakenly thought it was made from copper.  Chris Moore’s sculpture, worth $50,000, was stolen from his studio in Oratia yesterday morning. His neighbour initially believed it was him when they heard noises around 6am, but “when he realised it wasn’t, he turned the lights on, and I think that startled the people who were stealing it, and they took off up the road”.  His neighbour got in their car to follow the vehicle and watched as the artwork, which was not entirely on the…

Damage to a stopbank caused by 4WD vehicles has cost Hawke’s Bay ratepayers $4000.A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council ranger on a routine patrol came across the damage in Ford Rd, Waipukurau.A council spokesperson said they were “gutted”.“We’ve spent more than $25 million repairing stopbanks following the cyclone,” the spokesperson said.“A critical part of these repairs is establishing adequate grass cover. Mature grass is essential because it protects the stopbank from erosion caused by river flow.“Without it, the stopbank weakens, and during a high-flow event, this can lead to significant erosion and potentially more serious consequences.”They said the stopbanks are vital…

New Zealand opera singer Hayley Westenra says she is “completely heartbroken” following the murder of two long-time friends at their Los Angeles home earlier this month.American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband Tom De Luca were found dead in their Encino home by police on July 14.The incident occurred four days earlier on July 10.Westenra took to social media to express her sadness earlier this week.”My heart is broken into a million pieces. My surrogate aunty and uncle Robin & Tom were brutally murdered in their home on the 10th July in LA. Somehow I only found out…

A new outpatient hysteroscopy service at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital will help women get a faster diagnosis, says Health Minister Simeon Brown.Brown said the service would combine the first specialist assessment and a diagnostic procedure into a single visit.”This is a practical, patient-focused pathway that means women can get the answers they need sooner, without the stress and delays of multiple appointments or hospital admission.”A hysteroscopy is a procedure used to look inside the womb and its lining.A sample is generally taken as part of a diagnostic hysteroscopy to look for abnormalities.Previously, women needing a hysteroscopy would attend an initial…

The NZ Warriors could find no miraculous comeback on Saturday, as they slumped to a 24-16 defeat against the bottom-of-the-table Gold Coast Titans at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium.Early tries to centre Adam Pompey and second-rower Leka Halasima put the home side in prime position, but they conceded the next 24 points, including try doubles to Titans centre Jojo Fifita and winger Phillip Sami, to lose control of the contest.They lost hooker Wayde Egan to concussion in the first half and then had to play short-handed, when winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was sent to the bin for taking out a player without…

A Kiwi tradie who was living on the Gold Coast became paralysed from a surfing accident just 24 hours before flying home for his engagement party last year.Jonathan ‘Johnny’ Konings, now 32, moved to the beachside neighbourhood of Kirra in Queensland in 2022 with his partner of seven years, Charlie. Coming from Hamilton, the couple hoped to start a life full of sunshine, beaches, and surfing.  However, on June 18 last year, Johnny had a freak wipeout while surfing at Duranbah beach, landing him in a wheelchair potentially for the rest of his life.Johnny told the Daily Mail the morning of the…