Author: Press Room
NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle has officially stepped back from his council role, recalling highlights but also the darkest day of his career during his valedictory speech.The councillor-turned-MP leaves behind a career at the Marlborough District Council that started in 2010, when he opened his mouth in his first meeting and made himself “unpopular from the beginning”.“I remember saying we should all be paid the same,” he said, at a full council meeting on Thursday, his last day at the table.“You could imagine on the day, first council meeting, talking about the remuneration and [having] no respect for chairs and…
Property values across the country saw another drop during October, according to new CoreLogic numbers, but there could be signs “of an approaching floor for property values”.According to CoreLogic’s latest hedonic Home Value Index, property values in New Zealand fell by -0.5% in October, the eighth drop in a row. This means property values have declined by -5.1% since February.The average value in New Zealand now sits at $805,984, around 18% below the post-Covid cyclical peak but still 16% higher than the pre-Covid level from March 2020.Wellington was the main centre that saw the biggest drop in October, falling -1.2%.…
By Susan Edmunds of RNZ It’s 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 (OCR) 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 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…
There was one housing story that sparked Central Pacific Collective’s Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira into action to push for a Pasifika-style village to be built in Porirua.”A provider told me one day there were grandmothers being discharged early from hospital, and they came to their home — a dilapidated state house in Porirua — with no ablution facilities in the middle of winter, and her children had to go and find a bath from the dump,” he told 1News, speaking about the incident from 2018.”All of the commitments that our communities have made … generations … the story of the migration…
US rapper Young Thug pleaded guilty today to gang, drug and gun charges.The 33-year-old Grammy winning artist, whose given name is Jeffery Williams, entered his pleas without reaching a deal with prosecutors after negotiations between the two sides broke down, lead prosecutor Adriane Love said. That leaves the sentence completely up to the judge.Young Thug pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges. He also entered a no contest plea to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning that he decided not to contest those charges and accepts punishment for them.The judge was…
One person has died and two others are in hospital following a single-vehicle crash in Palmerston North early this morning. Police were called to John F Kennedy Drive just after 1.50am. One person died at the scene, while two others were taken to hospital, a police spokesperson said. One was in a critical condition, while the other was in a serious condition. “The Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination, and enquiries are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the crash,” police said. The road has since reopened.
New Zealanders are turning away from high-end fashion when it comes time to refresh their wardrobes, with op shop chic likely to be a big look this summer.Figures from Stats NZ show retail sale volumes per person have been falling for the last two-and-a-half years and some clothing retailers are feeling the pinch.New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester will be closing down in 2025, Juliette Hogan has closed its Ponsonby store, and Smith and Caughey’s has closed its Newmarket store and significantly downsized its CBD operation.At the same time, the appetite for pre-loved, more affordable designer clothing is quickly growing.Kate Sylvester’s…
The US has estimated a total of 10,000 North Korean troops are in Russia. Seoul and its allies said that the number has increased to 11,000, while Ukraine has put the figure higher, at up to 12,000. ADVERTISEMENTThe Biden administration has said that around 8,000 soldiers from North Korea are now in Russia near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days.The new figure is a dramatic increase from a day earlier, when Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would only say “some” of the troops had moved toward Ukraine’s border in the…
With fireworks going on sale tomorrow, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is once again urging Kiwis to be smart and safe when setting them off. Kiwis will be able to buy fireworks between November 2 and November 5 ahead of Guy Fawkes on Tuesday. Speaking to Breakfast this morning, FENZ senior community engagement and education specialist Tom Ronaldson said the fire service usually gets “busy” at this time of year.“Over the last five years, we’ve seen 676 incidents caused by fireworks, 513 of which are vegetation fires,” he said. He said that if you were choosing to light fireworks…
With NCEA exams set to get underway, clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland joined Breakfast to share his top tips on creating the best study environment.His first tip, for parents, was to “give your teen some space and some time off”.”If they have to do some chores or look after the younger kids, give them some space from that so they can actually have some space to study.”His next tip was to “map out” when the exams are scheduled, and study accordingly, giving priority to those which are set for closer dates.But when it comes to actually studying, Sutherland said “just do…