Author: Press Room

A Hamilton man has been told to move his shed – or be stung with a fine of $20,000 per day – despite an incoming law change that will scrap the rules that make it non-compliant.Brian Morgan had built the shed right beside his property’s boundary without consent. He told RNZ he felt targeted by the Hamilton City Council as there were other houses on his street in the suburb of Rototuna that had sheds next to the boundary, and had done for much longer, but he was the only one being forced to comply.”We’ve just bought the house earlier…

New Zealand’s job market is showing “encouraging” signs of momentum as job ads rose 1% in August for the third consecutive month, according to employment website Seek. The site’s New Zealand Employment Report for August 2025 revealed annual growth in job ads had reached 4%, marking the first time jobs have grown year-on-year since November 2022.Applications per job ad also surged 2% in July, setting a record high.Seek country manager Rob Clark told 1News that hiring activity had noticeably picked up this quarter, and said the results were “encouraging, but not a trend yet”. “There was increased activity across most…

New Zealand will be treated to a rare sight on Monday morning as the moon appears to take a bite out of the rising sun – the first solar eclipse visible on our shores in more than a decade.On September 22, a rare partial solar eclipse will be visible at dawn across the country.Stardome Observatory said the sun will rise while the eclipse was already in progress.What you need to know about partial solar eclipse over NZ – see more on TVNZ+Astronomer Josh Aoraki said the partial solar eclipse was so special because just a few countries, including a few…

ADVERTISEMENT In a bid to fight back against mass online disinformation, an increasing number of fact-checking outlets are cropping up online. Some are integrated into traditional newsrooms, while others are standalone entities.  But what happens when fact-checking websites become vehicles used to conceal propaganda campaigns? One outlet which fits into this category, is the Global Fact-Checking Network, which started posting articles in April 2025. Although it may seem like a legitimate fact-checking website, boasting a clean aesthetic and a series of intriguing newsworthy headlines, its facade conceals a Kremlin-backed disinformation tool. In April, the Kremlin’s spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova,…

Police said a 66-year-old woman reported missing in Christchurch on Wednesday has been found dead following a large-scale search. The woman was reported missing after she did not show up to a planned lunch date, and her Tesla was also found. She was found by police search and rescue at around 6pm yesterday. “Police would like to thank all those who assisted with the search, including Coastguard Sumner volunteers, Land Search and Rescue volunteers, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand staff,” a police spokesperson said. “We would also like to acknowledge everyone who contacted Police with possible sightings following our…

Retirees may be costing themselves thousands of dollars by switching to too-conservative investments too early.The Financial Markets Authority’s KiwiSaver report for the most recent financial year shows that people who are over 65 are increasingly drawing their KiwiSaver funds down gradually, and leaving more money invested.Total withdrawals by members aged over 65 dropped by 1.3% to just under $3 billion, while the number of withdrawals fell from 36,652 to 31,470 – a 14.1% decline.That is despite there being more people aged 65 in the scheme and able to withdraw their money.But they may be investing too much in lower-risk funds…

Published on 19/09/2025 – 14:15 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT The European Commission has unveiled a new round of sanctions to cripple Russia’s ability to wage war on Ukraine and bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. The proposal, presented on Friday by President Ursula von der Leyen, targets banks, 118 vessels from the “shadow fleet” and, for the first time, the cryptocurrency platforms that Moscow uses to launder transactions in the global financial market. If approved by member states, it will mark the 19th package of sanctions since February 2022. Discussions among ambassadors are already underway. “Our economic analysis is clear: our…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including Trump slams Kimmel ahead of UK departure, new details on Jorja Miller’s injury, and is chocolate about to get cheaper?Donald Trump has left the UK after talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.The president also took the chance to criticise talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, after his show was suspended indefinitely. A surge in job advertisements has fuelled cautious optimism about the job market. New details have been released about the injury keeping Jorja Miller out of Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against Canada. Commodities traders say cocoa prices should ease off from record…

Hobson’s Pledge says it’s not concerned if its advert against Māori wards impacts the mana of a New Plymouth councillor, whose name and photo were used despite his objections.Last election, councillor Dinnie Moeahu regained his general seat as New Plymouth’s top-polling candidate – but he’s devoting most of his 2025 campaign to keep Māori wards in Taranaki and beyond.The Hobson’s Pledge social media ad says Moeahu’s win shows “Māori don’t need mandates to lead”, urging a no vote in this year’s referendums.Moeahu said the ad “reeks of disinformation.”“It’s just disgusting: It’s my name, it’s my whānau.“I couldn’t believe Hobson’s Pledge…

Lake Hāwea locals have made it clear the water’s not going down without a fight, as Contact Energy pushes for fast-track approval to drop the lake’s levels.The company has proposed reducing the lake’s minimum operating level from 338m to 336m above sea level – and, in extreme circumstances, dropping it as low as 330m – to boost renewable energy generation and help safeguard electricity supply.It lodged a referral application with the government in June to enter the proposal into the fast-track consenting process.On Thursday night, nearly 300 people packed into a public meeting, where 12 speakers set out what they…