Author: Press Room

The defence force is looking for the descendants of two recently identified WWI soldiers – killed while serving in Belgium nearly 100 years ago. New research from independent, volunteer researchers, with further information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and NZDF, identified the final resting places of 31-year-old Sergeant Thomas Smith and 27-year-old Corporal Thomas Nigel McFarland. The two men were both members of the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps and were killed on October 12, 1917, at the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium. New Zealand and its allies had launched an attack on Bellevue Spur. At least 843 New…

Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning star of “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” films and “Father of the Bride,” whose quirky, vibrant manner and depth made her one of the most singular actors of a generation, has died. She was 79.People Magazine reports that she died in California with loved ones, citing a family spokesperson. No other details were immediately available, and representatives for Keaton did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press.The unexpected news was met with shock around the world. Keaton was the kind of actor who helped make films iconic and timeless, from her “La-dee-da, la-dee-da” phrasing as…

The All Whites are still searching for their goal-scoring moments, a problem that coach Darren Bazeley wants to find the solution to.A 1-0 loss to world no. 36 Poland on Friday was the first time the All Whites had played against a European team, in Europe, since November 2023 when they held Ireland to a one-all draw.”I think there is a lot of moments in this game where we’re in good possession around the edge of the box and that final little slip pass or final little movement isn’t quite ruthless or clinical enough,” Bazeley said.”We have to take our…

Two men have been sentenced this week for being in possession of objectionable images depicting sexual exploitation and abuse.Warning: This article includes details that may be distressing to some readers. Helplines are provided.The sentencing followed two separate investigations by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Digital Child Exploitation team.Visen Keo, 41, was sentenced in the Manukau District Court on October 8.Keo pleaded guilty to four charges related to the possession of more than 50,000 objectionable images depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of babies and children.Three of the charges were representative, meaning Keo had committed similar offences multiple times. He was…

Actress Diane Keaton, who won an Academy Award for her iconic role in Annie Hall, has died at the age of 79, People Magazine has reported.The legendary actress died in California, according to reporting by the magazine, which confirmed the news with Keaton’s family. Further details about her death were not available, and her family has requested privacy, according to a family spokesperson.Keaton, born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, rose to fame in the 1970s through her collaborations with director Woody Allen and her portrayal of Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather films. She won an Oscar for Best…

Parliament’s Speaker Gerry Brownlee says he will seek a meeting with Te Pāti Māori co-leaders next week following what he has described as “contempt of the House” during the maiden speech of MP Oriini Kaipara yesterday.Kaipara’s 23-minute speech exceeded her allocated time, with repeated bell chimes from Brownlee ignored as she continued to speak.”This is not on,” he said.Around 100 people sat in the public gallery for Kaipara’s maiden speech and, despite an agreement that only a waiata would follow, two haka were performed, prompting Brownlee to suspend the House.”When we have people coming into the House who decide they’re…

ADVERTISEMENT Carrying Polish flags and marching through the streets of the capital, thousands of demonstrators expressed their opposition to illegal migration and Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s ruling coalition. The event’s main organiser and president of Law and Justice, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, spoke at a rally before the protest began, appealing to participants not to trust the prime minister’s words, calling them “old games”. “I said there would be no relocation of migrants in Poland and there won’t be! It’s a done deal. That we will seal the barrier on the border with Belarus – and it is the best-guarded border in…

Police have arrested a 41-year-old gang associate for the robbery of a Hamilton restaurant on Father’s Day.On September 7, staff at Chartwell’s Smith & McKenzie Steak House were preparing for a busy day ahead when three people arrived in a stolen vehicle at around 11.20am.Police said two of the offenders were heavily disguised, and presented a firearm at staff and stole a small amount of money.They all then fled the scene. The vehicle was then located a short time later by police.Detective sergeant Matthew Lee said a search warrant was conducted in Enderley early this morning with the assistance of…

Nobby Clark’s eventful stint as mayor of Invercargill will draw to a close in the coming days.Clark has not sought re-election, meaning his final day in the job will likely come sometime next week after official results are declared.His lone-term as mayor was marked by widely publicised controversies, including public use of the ‘N-word’, two code of conduct breaches and calls for his resignation.It also included sign-off on the city’s new $87 million museum – a major project which has been years in the making.Clark was approached for an exit interview in recent weeks but did not respond.However, his five-minute…

The Government is exploring the potential sale of its stake in telecommunications lines company Chorus in a bid to free up money for other projects next year.National Infrastructure Funding and Financing or NIFFCo, provided debt and equity funding and will investigate the feasibility of selling the debt and equity securities it holds in Chorus.If it went ahead with the decision, the money would be redirected to other capital projects.Govt seeks to fund schools and hospitals but Opposition says it’s a broken election promise. (Source: 1News)Finance Minister Nicola Willis said with the completion of the ultra-fast broadband fibre initiative, there was…