Author: Press Room

Hato Hone St John says it is has assessed 31 patients after a crash in on Broadlands Road, Bay of Plenty this morning.The crash, involving a bus, occurred on Broadlands Road, near Rotorua at 7.30am, police confirmed.”Diversions are currently in place off Broadlands Road at Ohaaki Road and Vaile Road, and are expected to remain in place for some time.”St John said four ambulances, two helicopters, one rapid response unit, one manager, and four clinical support units and one MIST support unit responded to the scene.It noted 19 patients were uninjured, and confirmed patient statuses for twelve patients who have…

New Zealand and Ireland have proposed a scientific panel be set up to examine the effects of a nuclear war.In a statement delivered to the United Nations, Ireland’s permanent representative Fergal Mythen said the last UN-mandated study was done in 1989.He said since then, scientific progress has advanced markedly – including climate and data modelling.Mythen said the 21 experts on the panel would focus on the physical effects and consequences to society of a nuclear war.He believed the study would also aid nuclear disarmament and arms control.The comments were posted on the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade…

Key points:There are 190 more people on the National Gang List and 80 fewer police officers on the streets than in November 2023 when Labour was in government.Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the National-led government is seeing success and there are many police officers in training to come through, but there is “a lot more to do”.Former police officer Lance Burdett says the gang patch ban will have the opposite of the intended effect, forcing criminals underground.The Government came to power with a promise to “restore law and order” but as it nears the end of its first year in…

A veterinary clinic has been severely damaged during a fire in Wellington overnight.Fire and Emergency New Zealand told 1News they were called to the scene in Kilbirnie at 11.50pm last night.Animals were present inside the building, but it was unknown how many and whether they were rescued.The fire was extinguished at about 2.30am this morning. Nine appliances and five specialist support vehicles were on the scene.Crews remain at the scene this morning dampening down hotspots.A fire investigator will visit the scene today, FENZ added.

West Coast councils spent close to half a million dollars working on speed limit changes that the coalition Government has now binned.The West Coast Regional Transport Committee was forced to withdraw its draft regional speed management plan yesterday, after Transport Minister Simeon Brown signed a new Speed Limit Rule that overrides it.It also strips councils of their ability to submit their own safety plans in future, staff have reported.The four councils on the West Coast had written a single regional plan to improve efficiency and coordination, including some small, fixed-speed zones around schools.It also proposed to lower speeds limits on…

Air raid sirens wailed over five hours in Kyiv as Russian drones rained down on the capital. ADVERTISEMENTFallen debris from intercepted Russian drones resulted in damage across Kyiv after Moscow targeted the Ukrainian capital in an hour-long drone attack. The debris caused destruction in six city districts, according to Kyiv’s City Military Administration. Ukraine’s air force said that Moscow launched a total of 71 Iranian-made Shahed drones towards the capital overnight on Saturday, most of which were intercepted or sent off-course using GPS jamming. Ukrainian forces shot down 39 out of the 71 drones, and ‘lost’ another 21. According to…

In an emotional and tearful ceremony, close to 60kg of pounamu has returned to its rightful guardians, Poutini Ngāi Tahu.The seized pounamu, including 12 pieces taken from a passenger at Auckland Airport in 2016 and two stones seized at the International Mail Centre in 2022 were returned to manawhenua at Arahura Marae in Hokitika on 1 November 2024.New Zealand Customs Service and Ngāi Tahu Pounamu said this return was a part of an ongoing joint commitment to stop the illegal trade of New Zealand taonga.Francois Tumahai, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae chair, said he was pleased to have their pounamu…

A charity event raising money for a suicide prevention trust has been granted a liquor licence following a short-notice hearing.The fashion show, which will be hosted at Dunedin’s Wall St mall on Saturday and hit the spotlight following comments by Mike King, was granted a liquor licence by the city’s District Licensing Committee this morning, despite some opposition.The More than Just a Fashion Show is raising funds for Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust and awareness for mental health.Police and the licensing inspector opposed the licence being granted, “but all parties acknowledged the quality of the event’s organisation and objectives,” DLC…

Department of Conservation and Wellington Zoo staff attempted to release a rare Adélie penguin that washed up at Petone last month back into the wild today, but the Antarctic bird had other plans.The penguin was taken to the Ōrongorongo River east of Wellington to a release point so it could begin its 30-day journey back to Antarctica.Wellington Zoo senior veterinarian Kirsten Anderson said the penguin unfortunately chose not to go into the ocean.”She wandered back up the beach and we just gave her plenty of space, plenty of time, but monitoring her over the last kind of 20 minutes or…

It is getting closer to the time when locking in a longer-term home loan rate might be worth it, ANZ economists say, with retail rates having dropped further than the official cash rate might fall, and global rates pushing up.In their latest property market update, ANZ economists noted interest rates had fallen again through October, led by a fall in floating rates which followed the official cash rate (OCR) down by 50 basis points.”Large falls were also seen in the median six-month and one-year rates — down 0.36% and 0.3%, respectively — but two- and three-year rates fell only 0.1%…