/news/rss 九一星空无限 Get the latest news from 九一星空无限talk ZB. From breaking news to the debate and opinion, we bring NZ the news from around the world as it happens.   Sat, 19 Apr 2025 00:39:21 Z en /news/national/family-police-concerned-for-missing-man-who-vanished-from-auckland-airport/ /news/national/family-police-concerned-for-missing-man-who-vanished-from-auckland-airport/ Police and whānau are urgently seeking the whereabouts of 36-year-old Kory-Dean Wirihana, who has gone missing after vanishing at Auckland Airport.  Wirihana was scheduled to fly to Christchurch on Friday morning to attend a netball tournament.  According to the family, he checked in for his flight and cleared security at Auckland Domestic Airport but never boarded the plane.  Police are seeking the public’s assistance to locate Kory-Dean Wirihana. Photo / Supplied  The family last heard from him about 4am on the day of his departure.  Since then, all attempts to reach him have failed.  “Our brother last made contact at 4am this morning,” a family member wrote on social media.  “He checked in for his flight, cleared security, but never boarded. He was going to Christchurch for a netball tournament and never arrived.”  The post also noted that Wirihana’s phone and luggage have been handed in to the airport’s lost property office, and he currently has no vehicle after his car was reportedly stolen a few weeks ago.  With no phone, no transportation and no confirmed sightings since the early hours of Friday morning, his family believes he has “literally disappeared from the airport”.  They also expressed concern for Wirihana’s mental health, saying he had been struggling following the recent loss of his husband.  “Come home bro, we’re all waiting to hear about how you pranked us all.”  Police have echoed the family’s concerns and are appealing to the public for help locating him.  “Kory was due to catch a flight yesterday morning but did not get on the plane. His family and police are seriously concerned for his welfare and want to know he’s safe.”  Wirihana is described as being 178cm tall, of thin build, and is believed to be on foot.  If anyone has seen Wirihana or has information about his whereabouts, they are urged to call police on 111, quoting file number 250418/7495.  For non-urgent information, contact police on 105.  Fri, 18 Apr 2025 23:32:32 Z /news/national/cyclone-tam-live-updates-auckland-councillor-shane-henderson-demands-answers-after-warnings-issued-hour-into-thunderstorms-dozens-of-homes-flooded/ /news/national/cyclone-tam-live-updates-auckland-councillor-shane-henderson-demands-answers-after-warnings-issued-hour-into-thunderstorms-dozens-of-homes-flooded/ Dozens of Aucklanders were hit by flooding inside their homes as authorities scrambled to respond to 175 callouts during ‘intense’ thunderstorms.  Residents say the storm hit before any warning was issued, while the Metservice said thunderstorms are “notoriously difficult to forecast”.  The rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning – with up to 750 strikes.  A Civil Defence centre has been set up in Three Kings at the Fickling Convention Centre.  Ex-tropical Cyclone Tam brings heavy rain and large waves to the North and upper South Islands today.  An Auckland councillor is demanding answers after official warnings arrived only an hour into the city’s damaging thunderstorms and flooding.  Residents were left with a “vacuum of information, no advice and no real guidance” on what was to come, Waitākere councillor Shane Henderson told 九一星空无限talk ZB.  “I want to know why warnings weren’t issued a bit earlier …these things are notoriously hard to predict, but I’d just say that we err on the side of caution, and maybe MetService needs to have a look at some of the trigger points, because it was certainly pretty gnarly well before the warnings came out.”  Dozens of Aucklanders were hit by flooding inside their homes as authorities scrambled to respond to 175 callouts during the wild weather with up to 110mm of rain falling overnight.  Henderson and many others had noted the similarity with the deadly and damaging Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods two years ago, where there were failings in how quickly and appropriately residents were warned of the coming danger.  “We’re afraid of that kind of situation repeating, and people need to be assured that we’ve got those systems in place so that we know what’s going on.”  Asked why there was no warning before the weather system arrived, MetService meteorologist Alec Holden earlier told 九一星空无限:  “That is a very good question.“  “In this case thunderstorms are historically and notoriously difficult to forecast. In this case the worst of it came from the fact that none of those individual thunderstorm cells were particularly notable, but it was the unfortunate incident of them coming one after another after another … to result in such high rainfall amounts.”  STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG  (function(n){function c(t,i){n[e](h,function(n){var r,u;if(n&&(r=n[n.message?"message":"data"]+"",r&&r.substr&&r.substr(0,3)==="nc:")&&(u=r.split(":"),u[1]===i))switch(u[2]){case"h":t.style.height=u[3]+"px";return;case"scrolltotop":t.scrollIntoView();return}},!1)}for(var t,u,f,i,s,e=n.addEventListener?"addEventListener":"attachEvent",h=e==="attachEvent"?"onmessage":"message",o=n.document.querySelectorAll(".live-center-embed"),r=0;r',c(t.firstChild,i)))})(window); STORY CONTINUES  Streets were swamped, cars were stranded, homes surrounded by water and power knocked out during the night.  A North Shore resident said it was the most severe storm she had experienced on the Shore by far.  “House shaking, no power, crying and scared 5-year-old and no warning at all.”  Another person said: “Insanely loud sound of the thunder and lightning over Bayview.”  Many Aucklanders are now asking about the apparent lack of warning and comparing the situation to the devastating Auckland Anniversary weekend floods.  Holden of MetService said an “arm of rain” that stretched out from the centre of Cyclone Tam was responsible for the intense downpours and thunderstorms.  A home surrounded by floodwaters at the intersection of Potter and Parkinson Aves, Mt Roskill. Photo / Hayden Woodward  Areas between Mt Roskill and Albany appeared to have been worst hit, with some areas recording between 55mm to 110mm overnight rainfall.  A man climbed out through his car window after becoming trapped by floodwaters on Onehunga Harbour Rd early this morning. Photo / Hayden Woodward  A Herald phot... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 22:44:57 Z /news/national/auckland-thunderstorms-power-outages-rattling-houses-as-750-lightning-strikes-hit/ /news/national/auckland-thunderstorms-power-outages-rattling-houses-as-750-lightning-strikes-hit/ Thunderstorms rolled across Auckland early this morning, with residents reporting power cuts, shaking houses and terrified pets.  There were 750 lightning strikes in Auckland as the “conga line” of thunderstorms was pushed into the city by Cyclone Tam, MetService says.  Residents described the thunderstorms as the worst they’d experienced in the city.  Power outages, shaking houses, blaring car alarms, terrified pets and baked beans at 1am – it was a wild night for thousands as thunder and lightning crashed and flashed across New Zealand’s biggest city early this morning.  There were 750 lightning strikes across Auckland between about midnight and 4.30am, MetService confirmed, in a late flick from Cyclone Tam that pushed a “conga line” of thunderstorms over the city.  “Right, why have I been woken up by a biblical storm?” an English holidaymaker asked on Reddit’s Auckland subreddit at 1am.  “I have no idea if this is normal, but is everyone else awake?”  Auckland weather update #4 thanks to allouttabubbles on reddit https://t.co/KWUNlsNW3L pic.twitter.com/NnA7Qf2L6Z— Yannick Stevaert (@YannickStevaert) April 18, 2025 They were.  One described the sound of the storm as “like a truck falling on my house”, another wrote that “my house is going to fly away soon, I’m sure of it”.  “I find it weird that for the last 3hrs, the weather has been a metric f*** tonne worse than the actual cyclone lol”, wrote one city resident of the early-morning sleep-stealer.  “These thunder slaps are godlike.”  Lightning striking the Sky Tower during the thunderstorms that hit Auckland. Photo / Vishal Umashankar  Several posted that the thunderstorms were the worst they’d experienced living in Auckland, including one who has notched up almost half a century in the city.  “I’ve lived here most of my 50 years and that is one of the loudest, longest storms I’ve heard.”  Some took to comfort food after the unexpectedly early start to the day, including baked beans, salami sandwiches, pumpkin soup and “chicken and cheesy toast”.  “I’m actually just a bit annoyed because I’ve been woken up by a villainous thunderclap, and now I’m eating baked beans at nearly one in the morning”, one wrote on Reddit.  Up to 750 lightning strikes hit Auckland overnight.  Pets were also unimpressed, among them a “deaf as a post” dog and a cat that “came flying in at 100mph looking crazed”, but still managed a pitstop at his dinner bowl.  “Yeah that’s some hard-out thunder and lightning! Can’t say my house has ever been shaken quite so violently by thunder before. Epic. Terrified my dog. And he’s deaf as a post.”  Heavy rain in Auckland overnight. An arm of unstable rain moved over Auckland, resulting in a conga line of thunderstorms drenching Albany through to Mt Roskill. There were also around 750 lightning strikes over the event. pic.twitter.com/wlf2NtCCbC— MetService (@MetService) April 18, 2025 Then, after all the rattling, flashing and booming, tranquility.  “And now, all of a sudden it’s completely still and quiet”, a Reddit user wrote after the worst passed.  “I was loving the chaos … watched the lightning earlier and it was f***ing magical.”  Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.  Fri, 18 Apr 2025 21:47:26 Z /news/national/rapist-luca-fairgray-s-120k-taxpayer-funded-battle-to-keep-identity-secret/ /news/national/rapist-luca-fairgray-s-120k-taxpayer-funded-battle-to-keep-identity-secret/ Serial sex offender Luca Fairgray’s years-long battle to keep his name secret cost the taxpayer $120,000 in legal aid bills.  The mother of one of his victims said the bill “reads like an offensive joke” and described it as a “rort”.  Fairgray launched several appeals after name suppression was denied in relation to his sexual offending against teenage girls.  Fairgray admitted his crimes and was sentenced to home detention and supervision by an Auckland District Court judge in 2022.  While three of his victims waived their right to automatic name suppression to speak publicly about what happened and to protect other women, he fought at every step to keep his anonymity.  Each bid was unsuccessful and his final appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court.  In 2023, while he still had interim name suppression on his first case, Fairgray had sex with a 13-year-old girl and earlier this year was convicted and jailed on three charges of sexual conduct with a young person.  A breakdown of his legal aid costs to date, released to the Herald under the Official Information Act, shows Fairgray received $112,976 in legal aid funding for his two cases in the district court.  On top of that amount, the taxpayer funded Fairgray’s repeated appeals to try to keep name suppression.  Just under $20,000 was paid out for his High Court appeal, and another $23,614 for the Court of Appeal.  His legal aid fees for the Supreme Court totalled $76,688.  Fairgray appealed his recent convictions in February. A second Court of Appeal legal aid bill is listed as costing $3266 to date.  Legal Services Commissioner Tracey Baguley, in its response to the Herald, said legal aid was an important part of Aotearoa’s justice system and ensured people were not denied justice because they could not pay for representation.  Legal aid is considered a loan and people may have to repay some or all of their legal aid bill, depending on their income and assets.  Luca Fairgray testifying in the Auckland District court earlier this year. Photo / Supplied  One of Fairgray’s survivors who waived their automatic right to name suppression was Auckland woman Mia Edmonds.  Her mother, Tracey Edmonds, told the Herald she was “so dismayed” by Fairgray’s legal aid bill and pointed out the cost the Crown would have also incurred in opposing the “endless name suppression appeals”.  “His legal aid-funded appeals prevented his latest victim from being able to protect herself from him ...”  “The multiple survivors, though? No financial assistance for them. I think they were paid $120 per full day of court attendances. In contrast to Luca, his survivors were forced to rely on handouts – the generosity of a volunteer victim advocate, donated pro-bono legal services from private lawyers and their own commitment to protect other young women from this predator,” Tracey Edmonds said.  Rosie Veldkamp (left) and Mia Edmonds bravely waived their automatic name suppression to speak out about Luca Fairgray's offending. Photo / Sylvie Whinray  She believed Fairgray’s funding for his name suppression appeals read “like an offensive joke”.  “How is any of this promoting justice? It’s a misnomer to describe this system as a justice system at all. Let’s call it what it is – a rort."  Fairgray’s serial sexual crimes  Fairgray’s serial sexual offending began in 2017, when he and his first victim were 14.  In 2018, he sexually offended against two girls, one of whom he raped while she was unconscious at a party.  Two of the charges related to consensual intercourse with another 13-year-old, resulting in two charges of having a sexual connection with a young person.  He sodomised another girl.  Later that night he got on top of and restrained his sixth victim, before he was interrupted by the fifth girl.  His sentence for his crimes in his first cas... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:45:16 Z /news/sport/formula-1-liam-lawson-avoids-stewards-punishment-logs-solid-day-in-practice-for-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/ /news/sport/formula-1-liam-lawson-avoids-stewards-punishment-logs-solid-day-in-practice-for-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/ Liam Lawson has completed a solid day of practice for Formula One’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, completing 39 laps on the difficult track in Jeddah.  The Racing Bulls driver logged the 11th and 14th fastest times in the respective sessions, in his first experience of driving the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in a Formula One car.  The Kiwi’s only blemish came in the form of being investigated for failing to comply with race director’s instructions, twice in FP1, and was warned by the stewards after entering the painted area between the pit entry and the track.  The stewards found that while Lawson’s infringement was worth punishment, the fact he’d done it in practice gave him no advantage, and did not warrant further action.  Across both sessions, Lawson logged a best time of 1m 29.488s - achieved in free practice two - and finished 1.221s back from Lando Norris of McLaren, who set the best mark of the day with 1m 28.267s. Teammate Oscar Piastri was 0.163s back from Norris.  Lawson’s teammate, Isack Hadjar was 15th in practice one, but bettered the Kiwi with 12th place in practice two, coming away with a 0.182s gap between the two Racing Bulls cars.  Given the high speed nature of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, laps driven were the key objective of the first session, before timed efforts took precedence in the second.  More than one driver struggled to come to grips with the fastest street circuit on the calendar, including newly minted world championship favourite Oscar Piastri, who clipped the wall in his opening laps.  Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, Lawson’s replacement at Red Bull, clipped the wall at turn 27, crashed, and triggered a red flag that all but ended the second session of the day, before it resumed with less than two minutes remaining.  The earlier session saw temperatures on track touch 60 degrees Celsius. However, those temperatures effectively rendered the first session as meaningless, given the grand prix itself is raced at night, which sees cars and tyres behave differently on a cooler track.  The evening session, meanwhile, saw Lawson complete the majority of his laps on soft tyres, as preparation for Sunday’s (NZ time) qualifying. And given every race in 2025, so far, has been won by the driver that started on pole, qualifying will be key for all drivers, in the last Grand Prix of this three week block.  The two practice sessions also saw Lawson complete no laps on the hard tyre, which will be used for the most part in the Grand Prix.  Helping Lawson’s confidence even further are his results at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in junior categories. In 2021, on his first visit there, Lawson finished second in the Formula Two sprint race. A year later, he won that same race.  Earlier, in free practice one, neither of the two Racing Bulls were able to make use of the full session, and spent a significant amount of time in the garage to readjust both cars’ rear wings.  That meant both Racing Bulls cars recorded the fewest laps in the opening session. Lawson managed 17, with 11 coming on medium tyres and six on softs. Hadjar meanwhile only put in 14 laps, nine on mediums and five on softs.  Lawson was able to set the 11th fastest time of the opening session, crossing the line with a best effort of 1m 29.907s. That mark was just 0.668s off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who set the fastest time with 1m 29.239s.  Hadjar was 15th with a best effort of 1m 30.011s, 0.104s back from his teammate. The two Red Bull cars of Verstappen (1m 29.818s) and Tsunoda (1m 29.821s) finished ninth and 10th respectively.  McLaren pair Norris and Piastri recorded the second and fourth best times of the first session.  Qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix takes place at 5am on Sunday, before the 50-lap race begins at 5am on Monday.  Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked f... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:17:34 Z /news/national/cyclone-tam-live-updates-civil-defence-centre-set-up-in-auckland-after-intense-thunderstorms-flooding/ /news/national/cyclone-tam-live-updates-civil-defence-centre-set-up-in-auckland-after-intense-thunderstorms-flooding/ A Civil Defence centre was set up in Auckland overnight after intense thunderstorms caused flooding.  Streets filled with water, cars were stranded and homes surrounded by the rising deluge.  Ex-tropical Cyclone Tam brings heavy rain and large waves to the North and upper South Islands.  A second weather system is approaching, with low potential for developing into a tropical cyclone.  An “arm of rain” that stretched out from the centre of ex tropical Cyclone Tam dumped a deluge of water on Auckland during severe thunderstorms overnight causing flooding in worse-hit areas.  Streets filled with water, cars were stranded and homes surrounded by flooding as up to 110mm of rain began falling just after midnight.  The rain was accompanied by intense thunder and lightning – shaking sleeping Aucklanders’ homes, as well as their nerves.  Firefighters responded to a report of a person trapped in her vehicle on Sandringham Rd.  And a man had to climb out of his car window after becoming trapped by floodwaters on Onehunga Harbour Rd.  Asked why there was no warning before the weather system arrived, MetService meteorologist Alec Holden briefly paused before saying to the 九一星空无限:  “That is a very good question”.“In this case thunderstorms are historically and notoriously difficult to forecast. In this case the worst of it came from the fact that none of those individual thunderstorm cells were particularly notable, but it was the unfortunate incident of them coming one after another after another … to result in such high rainfall amounts.”  A Civil Defence centre has been opened in Mt Albert at the Fickling Convention Centre for those who need to leave their home and seek shelter due to flooding.  STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG  (function(n){function c(t,i){n[e](h,function(n){var r,u;if(n&&(r=n[n.message?"message":"data"]+"",r&&r.substr&&r.substr(0,3)==="nc:")&&(u=r.split(":"),u[1]===i))switch(u[2]){case"h":t.style.height=u[3]+"px";return;case"scrolltotop":t.scrollIntoView();return}},!1)}for(var t,u,f,i,s,e=n.addEventListener?"addEventListener":"attachEvent",h=e==="attachEvent"?"onmessage":"message",o=n.document.querySelectorAll(".live-center-embed"),r=0;r',c(t.firstChild,i)))})(window); STORY CONTINUES  A North Shore resident said it was the most severe storm she ever experienced on the Shore by far.  “House shaking, no power, crying and scared 5-year-old and no warning at all.”  Another person said: “Insanely loud sound of the thunder and lightening over Bayview.”  Many Aucklanders are now asking about the apparent lack of warning and comparing the situation to the devastating Anniversary Weekends floods.  Holden, MetService’s meteorologist, said an “arm of rain” that stretched out from the centre of Cyclone Tam was responsible for the intense downpours and thunderstorms.  A Home surrounded by floodwaters at the intersection of Potter Ave and Parkinson Avenue, Mt Roskill. 19 April 2025. New Zealand Herald photograph by Hayden Woodward  Areas between Mt Roskill and Albany appeared to have been worst hit with some areas recording between 55mm to 110mm overnight rainfall.  A man climbed out of his car window after becoming trapped by floodwaters on Onehunga Harbour Rd early this morning. Photo / Hayden Woodward  A Herald photographer said the worst affected areas appeared to be around the Mt Roskill and Sandringham areas, including Stoddard and O’Donnell Avenues, and Sandringham Rd.  “There was no warning at all. Residents are absolutely p***ed.”  Fire and Emergency NZ said they received more than 170 weather-related calls across Auckland at the peak of the storm.  A person staying at the Cordis in Auckland’s CBD said the thunder appeared to have set off the fire alarm and hundreds of people were in the the street.  Storm hangs on this Easter weekend  After severe rain and wind lashe... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:08:55 Z /news/national/government-proposes-compulsory-consent-education-in-new-zealand-schools/ /news/national/government-proposes-compulsory-consent-education-in-new-zealand-schools/ The Government is seeking feedback on making consent education compulsory in relationships and sexuality education. The draft framework includes age-appropriate consent education for all year levels, from Years 0 to 13. Consultation is open until May 9. The Government is considering a shake-up of how relationships and sexuality education is taught in schools, including proposals to make consent training compulsory. This week the draft relationships and sexuality framework was released by the Ministry of Education for consultation. The Government is calling for feedback from parents. The Government had promised to review and replace the existing Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) guidelines as part of a coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First. Education Minister Erica Stanford said young people had been very clear that consent education is important to their development and had advocated for its inclusion in the national curriculum. “We have ensured that age-appropriate consent education is present in all year levels of the draft framework.” For example, the draft framework said students would be taught ways to communicate giving and refusing consent, including what to do in situations where consent is acknowledged or given and where it is not acknowledged or given. The proposal was developed by subject matter experts and outlines the proposed teaching to be covered in RSE each year, from Years 0 to 13. Minister of Education Erica Stanford at Browns Bay School. Photo / Supplied Research conducted by the Education Review Office (ERO) last year found more than 75% of recent school leavers say they didn’t learn enough about consent. “As young people grow up, they deserve the chance to be equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to interact respectfully with others,” Stanford said. “Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) can play an important role in this. Parents deserve certainty and clarity on what their children are learning ... so they can make informed decisions about their education.” Stanford said it aims to ensure the content is age-appropriate, evidence-informed and detailed about what is taught and when. The consultation period is open until May 9.  “The new curriculum will give certainty to schools about what is to be taught, choice to parents over the level of their child’s participation, and consistency across the country, so all young people get the information they need to keep them safe and healthy.” NZEI Te Riu Roa president Te Manukura Ripeka Lessels said the minister had given “little notice” for the consultation. “For a learning area that contains vital and incredibly important information for ākonga, it is vital that educators and whānau have adequate opportunity to provide feedback. “It is unacceptable to have such late notice for consultation.” Lessels told the Herald schools were last month directed to stop using the 2020 guidelines and instead directed to use the 2007 guidelines. “The 2020 guidelines were developed to [enrich] the learning area and did so significantly. “We are concerned that the needs of ākonga to be able to access culturally appropriate non-judgemental information, including about puberty, contraception, gender and sexual identities, may be impacted by the new draft if schools are not able to maintain sufficient flexibility to teach to the needs of their communities, and instead have to follow narrower, year-by-year content based solely on the chronological age of students.” Minister for Women Nicola Grigg said she wanted all women and girls to be safe from all forms of violence, including sexual violence. “Statistics show that in New Zealand, women are nearly three times more likely to experience sexual violence compared to men,” she said. Minister for Women Nicola Grigg. “It is important that both boys and girls are taught how to engage in healthy relationships and that parents are aware of... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:38:17 Z /news/sport/warriors-v-broncos-adam-pompey-eager-to-celebrate-special-milestone-with-victory/ /news/sport/warriors-v-broncos-adam-pompey-eager-to-celebrate-special-milestone-with-victory/ New Zealand Warriors stalwart Adam Pompey has been the ultimate quiet achiever during his NRL career. The 26-year-old will bring up his 100th NRL match for the Warriors when he runs onto the field for Saturday’s clash against the Brisbane Broncos at a sold-out Go Media Mt Smart Stadium. Pompey will become the 31st player to play 100 games at the Auckland-based NRL club, and he’ll join Simon Mannering, Jerome Ropati and Bunty Afoa as the few players on that list to have only played first-grade for the Warriors. Although it has taken some time to reach the milestone. Pompey is in his seventh season at the Warriors, and initially it took time to stamp his mark. However, he’s developed into one of their most reliable and consistent players, whether that’s in the centres or the wing, and sometimes the bench if required. If Pompey has it his way, the Warriors will be the only team he plays for. “It’s pretty special, not only for myself but my family,” said Pompey. “Hopefully I’m just a one club man. The club’s been really welcoming and played a big part of my life and my career so far. “I’m excited for this weekend. They [Broncos] got a good pack coming over and I’m just keen to run out there on my 100 and being in front of our fans and family.” Pompey was first spotted as a teenager playing first XV rugby for Wesley College by Peter O’Sullivan, who was the Sydney Roosters recruitment manager at the time. Initially he would attend school in Pukekohe during the week and then fly to Sydney on Fridays to train with their SG Ball (under 19s) team and play the following day. In total, he was at the Roosters for four years, as he went on to play for their under 20s side and reserve squad, but after missing home, he returned to Auckland, not knowing where his future lay. He was spotted by O’Sullivan again, who was now working at the Warriors, and snapped up on a train and trial contract before the 2019 season. That quickly turned into a development deal, before being elevated to the Warriors top 30, and it didn’t take long for Pompey to make his NRL debut in a win over the Cronulla Sharks in Wellington. After playing five games in his rookie season, Pompey has gone on to play at least 50% of the Warriors’ matches every season, with his biggest output being in 2023 when he played all but 10 minutes across 27 matches in the club’s run to the semi-finals. In total, he has scored 24 tries - the highlight likely being the game-winner in the come-from-behind 34-31 win over the Canberra Raiders in 2021 - along with 45 goals. Adam Pompey dives over to score the winning try against the Canberra Raiders in 2021. Photo / Photosport. “He’s got that loyalty to the club,” said Afoa, the Warriors’ current longest serving player. “It’s a hard gig and you can finally say you are an NRL player when you reach that mark. He’s done really well.” Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf agrees, saying Pompey is a classy teammate. “He’s one of the boys in the changing rooms that everyone loves,” said Metcalf. “He will do whatever is needed for the team and he always puts in a solid performance.” Along with celebrating Pompey’s milestone, the Warriors will wear a special Pasifika-themed jersey against the Broncos. As the Warriors had the bye during the NRL’s multicultural round, they are using the occasion to celebrate the strong Pacific connection at the club. Warriors coach Andrew Webster says Pompey’s 100th, celebrating culture and facing the Broncos should make for an exciting occasion. “When you talk about special occasions, playing the Broncos, and those two others, it’s awesome,” said Webster. “I think if you play 100 NRL games, that’s always awesome, but if you can do it at one club, that’s pretty special, so we’re really excited for Adam and hopefully we can have him celebrating.” The Warriors beat the Broncos 32-16 in their last meeting during the 2024 season. The Broncos last won in Auckland back in 2019. Ben Francis is an A... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:34:40 Z /news/national/easter-ponies-and-pets-day-brings-cuddly-fun-to-whakam%C4%81rama-farm/ /news/national/easter-ponies-and-pets-day-brings-cuddly-fun-to-whakam%C4%81rama-farm/ It’s home to Scruffy the rabbit that’s often mistaken for a stuffed toy, Rosie the cantankerous goat, a one-eyed chicken, horses, guinea pigs and a friendly water dragon. And this Easter weekend, you can pat, stroke, cuddle and feed all of them as well as ducks, dogs and eels at The One and a Half Acre Wood in Whakamārama. “I’ve got all the misfits,” owner Dianne Amott said. For the last three years, Amott has offered home-schooling and after-school courses in holistic pet care as well as therapeutic sessions for children who are neurodivergent. Now Amott opens her petting farm to the public each month – this month she’s hosting an Easter Ponies and Pets Day on Saturday. “For working parents who live on smaller properties with their animal-loving kids, we offer a way for them to get their pet ‘fix’,” Amott said. Twelve-year-old Sophie Amott with one of her farm’s rabbits. Photo / Brydie Thompson “Also, the high amount of screen time most kids get these days means they’re not outside connecting with nature like they used to, which can be detrimental to their mental health. “There is research showing how skin-to-fur contact decreases cortisol levels, improving feelings of well-being. We also have a beautiful natural setting here that promotes a sense of peace and calmness, with lots of cuddle-friendly animals.” Among the menagerie is an angora rabbit named Scruffy and Rosie the Arapawa goat, considered one of the rarest breeds in the world. “They were left on Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds by Captain Cook as a meat source, but they were heavily culled by Department of Conservation before the islanders realised they were the last of their kind and initiated a conservation effort,” Amott said. “Rosie was the size of a chihuahua when we first saw her at a day old. We bought her for our son and she’s still a star attraction. Her favourite treat is seaweed crackers.” ‘Scruffy’ the rabbit, meeting the Easter bunny. Photo / Brydie Thompson Amott offers private pet coaching, teaching youngsters what each animal needs to be healthy, body language signals and where each animal prefers to be patted with a focus on respect and kindness. “If a rabbit hops away, we don’t chase it,” Amott said. “We also don’t flip them onto their backs. That’s terrifying for them. “There are a lot of old-fashioned ideas that need to be undone, like feeding a whole carrot to a rabbit. It’s like giving a child a couple of bags of lollies. They need grass and hay. A slice of carrot is fine as a treat.” The Easter Ponies and Pets Day at The One and a Half Acre Wood, 80 Odey Rd, Whakamārama, is on Saturday. Entry $10 per person with horse rides $10. Book a session from 10am-12pm or 1pm-3pm by emailing: allaboutanimals80@gmail.com. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:31:13 Z /news/national/boy-12-dies-of-dengue-fever-in-auckland-after-contracting-disease-in-samoa/ /news/national/boy-12-dies-of-dengue-fever-in-auckland-after-contracting-disease-in-samoa/ Misiafa Lene, 12, died of dengue fever in Auckland. He had been medically evacuated from Samoa, where he contracted the disease. Samoa declared a dengue fever outbreak on Thursday. Fiji is dealing with an even more severe outbreak. Travellers are advised to take precautions during school holidays. Just over two weeks ago, 12-year-old Misiafa Nathaniel Lene was enjoying a day at the beach in Samoa; running around on the sand and splashing in the water, laughing. A week later, he was fighting for his life in Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital after being medically evacuated. He had contracted a severe case of the mosquito-borne virus dengue fever in Samoa. Despite every effort to save his life - including surgery to relieve pressure on his brain - he could not be saved. Misiafa died peacefully in his parents’ arms on Sunday, April 13 in Auckland. Dengue fever, also known as break-bone fever, is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people and causes symptoms including sudden high fever, intensely sore joints and muscles, pain behind the eyes and a rash. Misiafa Nathaniel Lene, 12, died in Auckland after contracting dengue fever in Samoa. New Zealanders heading to the Pacific Islands these school holidays are being told to take precautions as dengue cases surge. Fiji is dealing with a more severe dengue outbreak - with more than 5000 cases confirmed since January. A young student died of dengue there earlier this month. Misiafa’s father, Taito Louis Lene, keeps thinking about his son enjoying that last day on the beach. “On that Saturday, I went to swim with my kids. We had a good time. Then all of a sudden, he was sick - that’s why it’s really hard for us to take. “Within one week, everything has changed for us.” When I’m hungry, I can’t eat. When I’m tired, I can’t sleep - just thinking about my son." Misiafa’s death is the first dengue-related death reported in Samoa this year. Samoa’s health authorities officially declared an outbreak yesterday, after 15 confirmed cases since January. Travellers to the Pacific are advised to take precautions - such as wearing loose-fitting clothing, packing mosquito-repellent and removing containers or areas where water could settle and act as mosquito breeding grounds. The mosquito species that typically transmit dengue are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The warning comes as many families are enjoying the school holidays overseas. Taito and Taunese with their children, Misiafa, 12, and Niulina, 6. Misiafa’s grieving parents Taito and Taunese Lene say they are struggling with how fast he succumbed to the disease. He woke up early on Sunday, April 6 complaining of a headache and fever. His parents gave him Panadol and took him to a district hospital in Lalomanu. His condition did not improve and by Thursday, doctors confirmed he had severe dengue fever. ‘We were desperate’ “He was vomiting blood by then and they said they’d never seen anything like that before,” Taito said. “By then we were looking up costs to bring him to New Zealand. We were desperate.” On arrival in Auckland last Saturday, April 12, Misiafa and his mother were rushed by ambulance to Starship. However, by the next day the family made the difficult decision to take him off life support after surgery on his brain did not relieve pressure as hoped. “When he started bleeding from his ears... we didn’t want him to suffer. It was very hard,” Taunese said. “They brought another bed next to him and we lay there with him, just listening to his heartbeat. His last heartbeat was around 6.30 that night.” The family is from Samoa, but has lived in Fiji for five years for work. They returned to Samoa last month and Taito’s elderly father died the day they arrived. ‘I miss my brother’ Their family trip to the beach two weeks ago was a family treat, a getaway following the funeral when family obligations had been completed. Taunese Lene said they oft... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:28:19 Z /news/politics/benefit-numbers-show-big-year-on-year-rise-more-jobseekers-than-when-government-formed/ /news/politics/benefit-numbers-show-big-year-on-year-rise-more-jobseekers-than-when-government-formed/ There continues to be many more New Zealanders on the Jobseeker benefit than when the Government took office, with the coalition’s target remaining far off. The number of people remaining on a benefit for longer than a year also remains high, while there’s been a significant increase in the number of sanctions being handed out to beneficiaries not fulfilling their obligations. Social Development Minister Louise Upston is, however, pointing out some green shoots. Though there are more people on the benefit than this time last year, the number who exited into employment over the past three months is higher than in the March quarter last year. Upston said she was “encouraged” by some of the figures, but stressed she was taking a “cautious approach as our Government continues to drive for economic and job growth in a challenging global and domestic environment”. The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) this week released its March-quarter snapshot of benefit figures, revealing the number of New Zealanders on a main benefit is 398,163, up 27,912 or 7.5% compared with this time last year. That is the most people on a main benefit in the March quarter in at least five years, but is down from the December quarter when there were 409,665 people on a benefit. It’s common for people to drop off the benefit between December and March, with the Government noting the decrease in the past quarter was driven by students returning to study. Upston highlighted that over the past three months, 23,268 people left a benefit to enter work. That is 2421 or 11.6% more than what was seen in the March 2024 quarter. The Government has a target for Jobseeker benefit numbers. Photo / Mark Mitchell However, Jobseeker Support numbers remain high. At the end of March, 209,838 people were on the Jobseeker benefit, up 21,852 or 11.6% on this time last year. It has dropped slightly from the December quarter (when it was 213,321 people), but again, a decrease between December and March is common. The Jobseeker Support figure is one the Government is tracking carefully as one of its nine public service targets is to reduce the number of people on the Jobseeker Support benefit by 50,000 by 2030 when compared with December 2023. In the December 2023 quarter, during which the present Government was formed, there were about 190,000 people on the Jobseeker benefit, meaning its goal was to get that down to 140,000 people by 2030. Last month, the Government published its latest quarterly report on its public service targets. That captured the December benefit numbers and highlighted this target as being “at risk”. The report blamed “prolonged economic conditions” for increases to Jobseeker numbers, but expected these to decrease “as economic conditions improve” and new “welfare system interventions are embedded in 2025”. When the targets were first published in April last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said they “are not going to be easy to achieve”. Addressing the welfare target, he said “excuses have to stop”. Among the Government’s changes to the welfare system is the new traffic light system to make clear beneficiaries’ obligations, more work seminars, and a new phone-based case management service. More sanctions are also being added via legislation in Parliament, including money management and requiring more job search activity and upskilling. Some of these are expected to be active from the end of May. Prolonged poor economic conditions have been blamed for the increases in benefit numbers. Photo / 123rf Upston said she was “particularly encouraged by the work of MSD staff over recent months”. “One of the drivers behind the increased number of people moving into work is MSD’s heightened focus on employment,” the minister said. “MSD frontline staff are doing a great job engaging proactively with Jobseekers, informing them not only of the obligations and sanctions we’ve introd... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:26:35 Z /news/national/healthcare-strikes-loom-as-doctors-nurses-protest-pay-conditions/ /news/national/healthcare-strikes-loom-as-doctors-nurses-protest-pay-conditions/ Senior doctors and Auckland theatre nurses have voted to go on strike on May 1. 5500 senior doctors will strike for 24 hours, and 370 nurses will strike for 2 hours over pay and workforce issues. Health NZ says it is “very concerned” about the impact on patient care Senior doctors and Auckland theatre nurses are planning on striking, potentially leading to thousands of planned surgeries, procedures, and appointments being cancelled or rescheduled. Up to 5500 senior doctors will go on strike on May 1 over pay rates and workforce shortages. About 370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will also strike on the same day. New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) chief executive Paul Goulter said Health NZ is attempting not to pay nurses for involuntary overtime. “They are fed up with their goodwill being taken advantage of. They have sacrificed enough and want recognition for the years of work they have done.“ Goulter said the perioperative nurses have been doing involuntary and unpaid overtime for years because “they put their patients first”. “Te Whatu Ora has now raised a last-minute claim in collective agreement negotiations which can only be seen as a shameful attempt to avoid paying these nurses appropriate compensation for working past their shifts to help patients having operations,” Goulter said. New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) chief executive Paul Goulter. Photo / File The senior doctors are being represented by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) in the union’s first 24-hour strike since it was established in 1989. President of the Aotearoa NZ Committee at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Dr Hamish McCay said the Government doesn’t have a clear solution. “A strike action is absolutely the last resort for healthcare workers. This decision highlights just how urgent the need for change is.” McCay said the strike underscores concern that cuts to the health budget will worsen the healthcare workforce crisis. “The Government’s Healthcare Workforce Plan recognises that we need at least an additional 3,450 doctors over the next nine years, yet the Government has not articulated a clear pathway to achieving that goal and has slashed the health budget.” McCay said the demand for medical specialists has continued to grow at the same time that the healthcare system is facing a severe workforce shortage. “This has meant that doctors and other health professionals have been navigating unsustainable workloads and inadequate working conditions.” ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton said the union has been in bargaining with Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora since August, and the organisation had not moved “an inch”. Hospital specialists were seeking a 12% pay rise, and Dalton said they were being offered around 1% to 1.5%. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists chief executive Sarah Dalton. Photo / Supplied Dalton also said specialists with 15 years of experience were earning less than a first-year specialist in New South Wales. “We’ve got people completing their training here in New Zealand, about to take up their first specialist appointment and contemplating a pay drop,” Dalton said. “It is important that specialists earn more than the doctors they are required to train and supervise.” Dalton said little was being done to address worsening staffing gaps in hospitals. Shortages at regional hospitals in Nelson and Gisborne were at crisis levels. Strike action “disappointing” - Health NZ Auckland City Hospital group operations director Mike Shepherd said the two strikes may “potentially compound patient impact”. Shepard described the strike action by the nurses as ”disappointing” and said “re-engaging in discussion” is the most effective way to “resolve outstanding issues”. Contingency planning is under way to ensure safe care during the strike, but Shepard warned services could be impacted. “If th... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:23:20 Z /news/national/south-taranaki-mourns-loss-of-waitotara-hotel-after-fire/ /news/national/south-taranaki-mourns-loss-of-waitotara-hotel-after-fire/ Countless pub memories and a piece of history were lost when South Taranaki’s Waitotara Hotel went up in flames on Thursday evening. South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon said it was really sad for Waitōtara and the surrounding rural community because the hotel had operated as a meeting place, dairy and post office. “It’s a real cornerstone of the community,” Nixon said. “This is a big loss, it’s not just Waitōtara, it’s out to Waiinu as well. The communities could get what they need from there.” More than 20 appliances responded when the blaze broke out about 6pm. Neighbour Chrissy Rae Tunbridge said she was shaken up after going outside to call her cats and seeing the pub in flames. “I took a second look and couldn’t believe my eyes,” Tunbridge said. “We ran over to see if Chris the publican was out of the building. That was it – everyone here standing, watching the pub burn, it was sombre.“ She said Chris Swetman – the hotel’s licence owner – was able to save only the clothes on his back and his little kitten. A Givealittle page set up for Swetman said he had run the pub for the past 16 years and had poured his heart and soul into the place, building a welcoming space for locals and travellers. “The patrons weren’t just customers – they were friends, neighbours, and family. “Now, with the building gone, Chris has lost everything: his home, his livelihood, and the close-knit community he created within those walls.” Nixon said the community was rallying around Swetman, with the Waitotara School opening its school hall on Friday to accept donations of food and goods for him. The Waitotara Hotel had been a drop-in point for many residents and workers out at the Silver Fern Farms to get a pie, paper or a drink, he said. Tunbridge said it was the end of an era for the hotel and pub. History of fires, fond memories of the Waitotara Hotel Nixon said it was ironic because the original hotel building had burned down in 1924, 101 years ago. According to the online heritage collection Te Rangi AoaoNunui, the first fire on June 26, 1924, destroyed the 16-room Waitotara Hotel in a blaze that began about 10pm. After the Waitotara Hotel was rebuilt, 86-year-old Vaughan Isaac was just 7 years old when her dad took over ownership. “It was a very lively little community in my childhood,” Isaac said. “There was a lot of farms up the Waitōtara River and the farmers used to gather in the pub at night. It was a very loyal group of customers that Dad enjoyed.” As a child, Isaac has memories of holding up a lantern for her grandfather, who was the chef for the hotel, while he was cooking chips and saveloys on a coal range for the Friday night pubgoers. “How the hell he managed that I don’t know. But I know he didn’t have electricity because I was holding a lantern.” Another fond memory of Isaac’s was when a tanker carrying beer to the pub had tipped over and crashed on the bridge near the Waitotara Hotel. “All the locals were able to get their beer straight out of the tanker.” In her time, she said, the pub “was a delight” and beautifully looked after by her father. She was shocked that the old building had gone up in flames on Thursday night. But Isaac also remembers another fire that started in the neighbouring billiard saloon when she was a child, in the late 1940s. Her father, with help from the locals, had fought “tooth and nail” to keep the hotel and pub from burning down that day. Cause of the fire unknown, investigation to take a few days Fire and Emergency specialist investigator Andrew Cotter said all appliances had left the scene by noon on Friday. Fire investigators, police and insurance investigators were working together to determine the cause of the fire. “We’re still working through our investigation at the moment,” Cotter said. The primary area the team was looking into was the kitchen. Cotter said it could take a few days for their investigation to reach an outcome. “It was a commercial building and they had an approv... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:37:08 Z /news/national/south-taranaki-s-waitotara-hotel-burns-down-in-a-dramatic-blaze-investigator-to-return/ /news/national/south-taranaki-s-waitotara-hotel-burns-down-in-a-dramatic-blaze-investigator-to-return/ A fire investigator will return to a South Taranaki hotel that burned down last night in a dramatic blaze. Photos from the scene show orange flames leaping from the two-storey Waitotara Hotel and smoke billowing from the out-of-control fire. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said a standby crew remained on the scene overnight after 20 trucks were initially sent to fight the fire. “There [were] in excess of 80 personnel on site.” The blaze broke out about 6pm yesterday. Crews had 10 pumps and pump rescue tenders, a mobile command unit, six water tankers, an incident commander and other resources fighting the blaze. “There is one aerial responding and another on the way” Fire and Emergency said last night. “Please keep well clear of Waitotara township. Fire and Emergency have also set up a water supply area in the Four Square in Waverley for tankers to refill so firefighters can continue to fight the fire.” A spokesperson later confirmed everyone was accounted for and there were no injuries. “The fire was contained about 9.50pm and now crews are dampening down hot spots. “The building is pretty much destroyed.” Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:21:16 Z /news/lower-north-island/rotorua-s-air-quality-improves-with-burner-checks/ /news/lower-north-island/rotorua-s-air-quality-improves-with-burner-checks/ The Bay of Plenty Regional Council will conduct wood burner checks in Rotorua to improve air quality. A ban on older burners in 2020 has improved air quality, but more work is needed. Wood smoke contains fine particles that can cause serious health issues, including premature death. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is hoping for clearer skies in Rotorua this winter as it prepares to carry out annual wood burner checks across the city. Historically, Rotorua has had some of the worst winter air quality in New Zealand because of smoke from wood burners, a press release from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council said. A decade-long education campaign and a ban on older-style burners in 2020 have led to air quality improvements – but more work was needed. According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution is the leading environmental threat to human health. Wood smoke contains fine particles that, when inhaled, could penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Health impacts from fine particles included premature death, hospitalisations (for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases) and restricted activity days. The regional council was responsible for monitoring and managing the region’s air quality, making sure it did not exceed the national standards, which set a minimum level of health protection. Senior regulatory project officer Marion Henton said everyone had a right to breathe clean air. “The hidden harm from wood smoke cannot be ignored as there is clear evidence about the negative health impacts,” Henton said. Smokey fires in Rotorua and the Rotorua Airshed, where non-complying wood burners are banned under the Rotorua Air Quality Control Bylaw. Photo / supplied “While most in the community have already made the switch to cleaner heating, regardless of whether a burner is legal or not, all wood burners produce smoke, and smoke is harmful to humans. “There is no safe level of air pollution, so reducing smoke from wood burners or avoiding wood burning altogether is the best thing you can do to breathe cleaner air in your home and neighbourhood.” Residents who were unsure about the legality of their wood burners were encouraged to contact the Rotorua Lakes Council. If you do have a compliant wood burner, make sure you: burn only dry, seasoned firewood (12-18 months); avoid overloading the firebox; burn your fire hot and bright to reduce smoke; don’t bank up the fire, and shut it down before bed; check the chimney flue 20-30 minutes after lighting – there should be no visible smoke, just a heat haze; never burn rubbish or treated/painted timber. For more information about improving Rotorua’s air quality, visit www.boprc.govt.nz/Rotorua-air. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:18:10 Z /news/national/double-murderer-mark-lundy-s-release-how-will-he-adjust-to-life-outside-prison/ /news/national/double-murderer-mark-lundy-s-release-how-will-he-adjust-to-life-outside-prison/ Mark Lundy, convicted twice for murdering his wife and daughter, will be released next month on parole. Lundy, 66, has spent more than 23 years in prison and maintains his innocence. Friend Dave Jones has spoken about what he believes life will be like for Lundy on the outside. Convicted double murderer Mark Lundy will be nervous about going out in public until he becomes another “faceless” stranger in the street, a friend says. Lundy, who was convicted twice for the murder of his wife Christine and his 7-year-old daughter Amber, will be re-integrating into a post-Covid society and totally new world next month, after the Parole Board yesterday granted his release from prison. He has spent more than 23 years behind bars for the killing of Christine and Amber, who were found bludgeoned to death in their Palmerston North home 25 years ago with what is believed to have been an axe or tomahawk. Lundy, 66, has always denied carrying out the killings and continues to fight to prove his innocence decades on from the deaths. He took his fight against the first conviction to the Privy Council, which quashed the guilty verdict in 2013, only for him to be found guilty again in 2015 on retrial and sent back to prison. Friend and brother-in-law Dave Jones said it had now been 10 years since Lundy was last out of prison on bail while he awaited his retrial, and the world had changed dramatically. “Things have changed, the world’s changed, we’ve had Covid,” he told the Herald. “Now he’s got to come out into society ... he will experience a lot of these things for himself. It will just take time for him to adjust. “He’s a little bit nervous, as you would expect. It’s just re-integrating back into the community. Until he becomes that faceless person walking down the street, when people walking down the street don’t recognise him – that was what was difficult during the bail period too.” Jones said Lundy was “always nervous” and took a long time to build the courage to go out in public alone. “He will fit in fine, it’s just going to take a bit of time.” A grieving Mark Lundy during the funeral of his wife and daughter in 2000. Photo / Mark Mitchell Another big change would be moving from a prison setting where he was surrounded by many other people all the time, to living nearly alone. Jones expected this would be the biggest change. “We spoke to him yesterday afternoon. We had time with him after the hearing and then he contacted us about an hour or so later after we got home. It probably hasn’t really sunk in yet.” Lundy is now past retirement age and as far as Jones was aware, did not have any plans to re-enter the workforce. Any job he might want to get would then have to be approved by his parole officer. If he were to work, it’s unlikely he would take a public-facing role, Jones said. “He’s not going to be working at Bunnings or Mitre 10 – even though he would be very good at that, he would be excellent at that sort of thing,” Jones said, noting Lundy’s background in carpentry. Regardless, Jones wanted to reassure people they did not have to worry about Lundy being out of prison. “He’s not a risk to anyone,” he said. “When he was out on bail, I would say 99.9% of the people he came in contact with who actually spoke to him ... went, ‘Oh, he’s a nice guy’. I said, ‘Well of course he is, because he didn’t do what he was convicted of’.” Mark Lundy in the dock during his retrial in the High Court at Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell Lundy’s parole decision was announced yesterday after the hearing. It was his third appearance before the New Zealand Parole Board since being re-convicted. Christine’s sister-in-law, Maria Norrelle, yesterday told 九一星空无限 she felt “resigned” about Lundy’s pending release. “It’s been a long time, he had to come out at some point,” she said. “He’s coming out into a world that has changed considerably … it’s not much of a future for him.” Lundy was first convicted in 200... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:14:34 Z /news/national/former-bay-of-plenty-teacher-lynda-hills-journey-from-mental-health-crisis-to-phd/ /news/national/former-bay-of-plenty-teacher-lynda-hills-journey-from-mental-health-crisis-to-phd/ This article discusses suicide and mental health issues. If you need support, helpline information can be found at the bottom of this story. At age 27, Lynda Hills tried to take her own life in Tauranga after years of struggling with her mental health. She was left critically injured. Now 43, she’s a mum living in Hamilton and researching suicide prevention. She recently returned to the Bay of Plenty to share publicly, for the first time, her story of finding hope. Growing up, Lynda Hills always struggled with her mental health. She recalls having her first suicidal thought aged 8 or 9. She was a good student but the challenges continued on and off through school, and she saw her first counsellor at 19. In the eight years that followed, she would see psychologists and psychiatrists, try prescription medication and alternative therapies, and spend time in a mental health facility and a Christian respite centre. “Pretty much you name it, I tried it,” she told the Bay of Plenty Times. “My sole focus was trying to get better.” Lynda Hills lived in Mount Maunganui for about 10 years. Photo / Megan Wilson After dropping out of university three times, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Te Reo Māori and mathematics, then studied primary school teaching. Three weeks into her first fulltime teaching job in Tauranga in 2008, she found herself at a crisis point. “I was not coping at all.” She was admitted to a mental health facility and discharged after six weeks. Friends helped her find relief teaching work, but her health went downhill after a bad break-up. Her worried mum encouraged her to see a psychologist but Hills feared this would lead to being readmitted, which she felt she could not bear. At this point, she had been battling bulimia, anxiety and depression for more than eight years. She attempted suicide in 2009 at age 27. The attempt left her critically injured in Tauranga Hospital and facing a “10% chance of survival”. In intensive care, Hills said she had a “strange … near-death experience”. “It felt like a force came through me …” It “took away” the suicidal thoughts that had plagued her for so long. But she faced a long physical recovery. Hills spent more than seven months in hospital and, over the years, has had 42 surgeries. She had to learn to walk again. “According to ACC, I’m “69% permanently disabled.” ‘I love my life’ She shared her story publicly for the first time at a free community talk in Pāpāmoa on April 4 about hope beyond suicide. Today, Hills is a mum to two sons – Seneca, 5, and Ezekiel, 3. They love going to the beach together. Mentally, she feels “happy” and “grateful”. “I love my life.” Health issues had stopped her return to teaching, but a discussion with a professor about life with disabilities set her on a new career path. She said she had stopped using disabled parking, despite holding a permit, because people yelled at her when they saw she could walk. “It was a coping strategy … (I) tried so hard to be normal and fit in.” The professor told her many disabled people hid their pain or disability. “That blew my mind, that meeting, so I started using my permit.” She got her master’s in disability and inclusion studies, and has started a PhD at Auckland University. She researches suicide, including the risks and benefits of common treatments used for suicide prevention such as antidepressant and antipsychotic medication. After graduating, she hoped to collaborate with medical professionals to create educational material focused on suicide prevention, to support “frontline” prescribers. She hoped to one day also produce material for patients and support people. Her lived experience has informed her research and goals. In retrospect, she recognised she had other options apart from attempting suicide. Hills said she was told if she took medication, she would feel “a little bit worse” for two or three weeks but would then feel better. “What I wished tha... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:10:44 Z /news/lower-north-island/rangit%C4%ABkei-mayor-andy-watson-to-stand-for-mayoralty-for-fifth-term/ /news/lower-north-island/rangit%C4%ABkei-mayor-andy-watson-to-stand-for-mayoralty-for-fifth-term/ Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson will stand for the mayoralty for the fifth consecutive term, saying his passion still lies in local government. The long-time elected member revealed to the Chronicle he wants to extend his 12-year mayoral reign at the October 2025 local government elections. When standing for his fourth term in 2022, Watson said it would likely be his last. However, earlier this year he indicated he might delay his decision to step down because of a lack of younger mayoral candidates and the relationship challenges ahead with the Government, iwi and local government. Watson said he wanted to lead the district for three more years to help guide and progress several large projects. “I have done a lot of soul-searching. Last election I said that it would be my last term. The situation for me has changed. “I have been repeatedly asked over the last year what my intentions were and whether I’d reconsider so, in fairness to the community, I thought it was time that I made a decision.” Watson said the reforms of the Resource Management Act and Local Water Done Well were catalysts for his decision to stay on. “They have taken much longer to proceed and that will be such a challenging space for all local authorities. I want to be in a position where I can help guide people through that and guide council,” he said. “After decades of work with Marton water, we are on the cusp of changing our water source which will get rid of the odour and taste issues that we’ve had for decades - I want to see that.” The progression of infrastructure projects such as the Taihape Town Hall redevelopment and Marton Swim Centre’s upgrade after the partial collapse of its roof were “personal level reasons” for his wish to continue. Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson has more than 20 years of council experience. Photo / 九一星空无限 Watson has had more than 20 years of council experience and said his motivation to remain in the job was still high. “My drive and desire to work for the district and community hasn’t changed; local government and helping the community is my passion. “A huge part of helping has been in my role as Mayor but also as a volunteer. I love this community and I admire the people that put a huge amount of time into it - I’d like to be part of that.” Helping and mentoring was something Watson wanted to do for a younger council representative during his current term of office. However, no one had put their hand up, resulting in his decision to stand again. He was not aware of anyone else running for Rangītikei Mayor. Watson was pleased with the progress his region had made since he stepped into the role, reflecting on the “zombie towns” perception of the region’s towns. “Our population numbers were going to be dire by prediction; the population was going to continue to drop for the Rangitīkei,” Watson said. “We wouldn’t have been sustainable at the level of 12,000 people that it was suggested it could drop to. “We have seen a massive turnaround over the last handful of years with housing developments and there are a number of opportunities that are coming our way in terms of people wanting to be here and wanting to use our logistic networks to support business. “It’s fantastic.” Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:08:06 Z /news/national/hauraki-mum-calls-on-auckland-council-to-remove-neighbour-s-tree-after-daughter-s-near-miss/ /news/national/hauraki-mum-calls-on-auckland-council-to-remove-neighbour-s-tree-after-daughter-s-near-miss/ Part of a tree landed on a car just-exited by a 10-year-old Auckland girl and her nanny during Cyclone Tam. The girl’s mother Esme Barber wants Auckland Council to remove the tree, among others on a neighbour’s property that have previously proved problematic. Auckland Council told the Herald they can’t generally force property owners to remove or trim trees on private land, but are looking at whether an order can be made under safety provisions relating to “exceptional” circumstances. The property owner couldn’t immediately be contacted. A North Shore mum is broadening the fight for her neighbour’s tree to be removed, contacting schools, public transport operators and unions for support after part of the tree landed on a car her young daughter had just exited. Maintenance of trees on private property is the responsibility of each landowner. However, Auckland Council is looking at whether an order to trim or remove the tree should be issued - as it can be when there is a safety risk to road users or public amenities, a council manager said today. Esme Barber’s 10-year-old daughter and the child’s nanny were lucky to escape harm when part of tree on a property across the street came down on the nanny’s car parked outside Barber’s Northboro Rd home in Hauraki, as Cyclone Tam swept past the country yesterday. The pair had just returned home briefly and were leaving the house again when part of the tree landed across the car, which is insured. Her daughter hadn’t processed their lucky escape yet but her nanny was “very shaken”, Barber said. “She can understand the gravity of it. It would’ve been fatal for her because it [came down] on the driver’s side. It was literally a matter of seconds as they were already out of the house. “They were lucky, and the next people might not be, so that’s why I’m not sitting on my hands”, Barber said. She is lobbying Auckland Council to have the tree removed, and has emailed principals of three nearby schools, Ritchies Transport and bus unions. The red car of Esme Barber's nanny is barely visible under part of a tree which fell during Cyclone Tam in Hauraki, Auckland yesterday. Barber's 10-year-old daughter and the child's nanny had just exited the car. Yesterday’s incident was one of many involving trees on her neighbour’s property, she said. “The unmaintained trees have dropped branches onto the path and road numerous times, both during storms and in the middle of the day in fine weather, nearly missing cars and people walking along the path. “This has been reported to the council many, many times … if the property owner was making excessive noise, or storing unsafe items, I’d be able to report the matter to the council, who would take action.” Auckland Council can’t instruct property owners to carry out regular tree work within their property, said Taryn Crewe, the council’s general manager of parks and community facilities. “Occasionally, when a tree has not been well maintained over the years, disease can set in and go unnoticed – which sometimes causes complete failure." Homeowners should regularly prune and monitor the health of their trees alongside roads and public property, Crewe said. “In exceptional circumstances where a tree presents a high safety risk to road users or public amenities, we work closely with Auckland Transport to seek a notice ordering the owner to trim or remove a tree.” The council had previously investigated tree issues at the Northboro Rd property, and a tree they’d received complaints about was removed by the owner in 2022. “We are looking into whether additional concerns have been raised more recently at the site. Records held by our arboriculture team do not indicate any complaints received after 2022.” There was another incident of a tree coming down across the road from Esme Barber's Hauraki home in Auckland in 2022. North Shore councillor Richard Hills, who replied to a comment on a community Facebook page about the incident... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:06:11 Z /news/crime/brian-tito-of-whang%C4%81rei-sentenced-to-home-detention-for-meth-supply-shows-rehabilitation/ /news/crime/brian-tito-of-whang%C4%81rei-sentenced-to-home-detention-for-meth-supply-shows-rehabilitation/ A methamphetamine dealer who has been battling addiction for 23 years has proven to the court that he has turned his life around. This week, Brian Tito, 38, appeared for sentencing in the Whangārei District Court before Judge Gene Tomlinson. The court heard how Tito had spent more than two decades locked into addiction but has more recently been working on his rehabilitation and was now leading a “meaningful life”. But he still had residual court matters that needed to be addressed. The sentencing sitting heard that in April 2022, Tito was charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply after police discovered his criminal activity through phone communications. He was remanded into custody and granted bail in October. But within a month, he was back before court on further charges of supplying, as well as resisting arrest, driving offences and possession of meth and three tabs of LSD. In total, Tito was found to have dealt 87g of methamphetamine and had “tick lists” of money owed totalling around $50,000. Crown lawyer Ben Bosomworth said Tito had told police much of the “tick” money was his own debt. But Bosomworth said it would be unusual if debt noted on such a list was money he owed himself. Bosomworth acknowledged Tito had done everything he could to rehabilitate, but said his role in the earlier meth supply was still significant. Tito had a large crowd of supporters in court, including Northland stalwarts in addiction rehabilitation Phil Paikea, Ngahau Davis and Chris Nahi. Brian Tito was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court. Nahi addressed the court and said that of all his clients at the Victory House rehabilitation centre, Tito was on the higher level of those wanting to change and had trained himself in mental health and addictions services. “I believe wholeheartedly he is rehabilitated,” Nahi told the court. It was heard Tito had been battling addiction for 23 years after coming from a home he described to pre-sentence report writers as “10 times worse” than the movie Once Were Warriors. Defence lawyer Mathew Ridgley, the Crown and the judge agreed that although Tito’s offending was significant, his rehabilitation made for a difficult sentencing exercise. “The rehabilitation he has done for the two years he’s been on bail has been significant. It’s been around the clock,” Ridgley submitted. “At the point of exiting Victory House, it could have gone one of two ways and Mr Tito stayed the course because he has been self-driven.” Judge Tomlinson reminded the court of the impact Tito’s offending had on the community. “Northland is plagued with violent crimes, burgs, thefts, and receivings. All because of addiction to this vile drug. “You now being clean, and having been clean a long time, I hope you look back on your old self with shame. You look back on the harm you’ve put in the community, I hope with disgust.” The judge said he was pleased Tito had shifted his mindset to the future, providing value to others around Northland at rehabilitation centres and was satisfied he was no longer a risk to the community. “You have, with the assistance of all the people here today, grabbed the opportunity to change your life. “You’ve now got a meaningful life, you are now effecting change in others because you have lived the life. “Every day you have to answer the question, ‘No, I’m not going to use.” Tito was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention, 180 hours of community work and was disqualified from driving. Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined 九一星空无限 in 2023. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 01:52:18 Z /news/business/google-has-illegal-monopoly-in-ad-tech-us-judge-rules/ /news/business/google-has-illegal-monopoly-in-ad-tech-us-judge-rules/ A US judge on Thursday ruled that Google illegally wielded monopoly power in the online ad technology market, in a legal blow that could rattle the tech giant’s revenue engine. The federal government and more than a dozen US states filed the antitrust suit against Alphabet-owned Google, accusing it of acting illegally to dominate three sectors of digital advertising - publisher ad servers, advertiser tools, and ad exchanges. “Google’s monopolies allow it to soak up excessive profits, leaving less for the workers and businesses whose livelihoods depend on online advertising,” said New York attorney general Letitia James, whose state took part in the suit. “Everyone from major news organisations to small independent bloggers has taken a financial hit because of Google’s conduct.” It is one of two federal suits targeting Google that could ultimately see the company split up and curb its influence - and part of a wider government push to rein in Big Tech. The vast majority of websites use Google ad software products that, combined, leave no way for publishers to escape Google’s advertising technology, the plaintiffs alleged. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema agreed with most of that reasoning, ruling that Google built an illegal monopoly over ad software and tools used by publishers, but partially dismissed the argument related to tools used by advertisers. “Google has willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising,” Brinkema said in her ruling. The judge concluded that Google further entrenched its monopoly power with anticompetitive customer policies and by eliminating desirable product features. “In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web,” Brinkema wrote. Google quickly vowed to appeal the ruling. “We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half,” the company’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, said in a statement. “The court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition,” Mulholland said. For Emarketer senior analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, “The bigger picture is crystal clear: the antitrust tides have turned against Google and other digital advertising giants. “The extent of the fallout will depend on the legal remedies employed,” Mitchell-Wolf told AFP. What to do? Launched under the presidential administrations of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, five major antitrust cases from the Federal Trade Commission and the US Justice Department are proceeding against major US technology companies. These cases represent an aggressive shift in antitrust enforcement, after a relatively quiet period in antitrust prosecution since the Microsoft case in the late 1990s. In August last year, a US judge ruled that Google maintained a monopoly with its dominant search engine. The company has appealed that ruling as well. Online advertising is the driving engine of Google’s fortune and pays for widely used online services such as Maps, Gmail, and search offered free. Money pouring into Google’s coffers also allows the Silicon Valley company to spend billions of dollars on its artificial intelligence efforts, as it tries to keep up with rivals. Brinkema gave attorneys on both sides of the online ad tech case seven days to submit a schedule for arguing their positions regarding what remedies should be imposed on Google. Ordering Google to spin off its ad publisher and exchange operations is likely to be among the plaintiffs’ proposals. For Mitchell-Wolf, the ruling has “profound implications for the advertising industry”. “The open web is so deeply rooted in Google’s advertising t... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 01:48:34 Z /news/upper-north-island/weather-clean-up-to-cyclone-tam-begins-in-northland-as-winds-ease/ /news/upper-north-island/weather-clean-up-to-cyclone-tam-begins-in-northland-as-winds-ease/ About 4600 homes and businesses in Northland are still without power, down from a peak of more than 24,000. Most Northland roads are now open but motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution due to downed trees and branches. A damaged pipe in Paihia has led to a water conservation message in the Bay of Islands. MetService predicts continued wind and showers today, but some respite is expected over Easter. Northlanders are beginning to clean up fallen trees and sodden properties as the rain and wind from Cyclone Tam begins to ease. About 4600 homes and businesses in Northland are still without power, down from a peak of more than 24,000 on Thursday. Northpower - the lines company for Whangārei and Kaipara - said it still has around 2800 customers without power but crews are making steady progress. A helicopter is helping locate faults as repair work continues today, with crews coming up from Hamilton to help. Top Energy is reporting 28 different faults in the Far North today, impacting more than 1800 homes and businesses. It has crews from Hawke’s Bay joining the restoration response today. Both companies are urging people without power to be patient, as repairs in isolated areas could still take days. Northpower chief executive Andrew McLeod said the lack of wind and rain today will help the restoration process. Paihia road closure, water restrictions State Highway 11 at Paihia - also known as Marsden Rd - remains closed due to coastal inundation which has undermined the road and the services underneath it. Northland MP Grant McCallum said the storm damage is unacceptable both for tourism businesses and local residents and an urgent solution is needed to stop the ongoing closures. Motorists are able to pass through Paihia with a small detour. Far North District Council is urging all residents and businesses in Paihia, Waitangi and Ōpua to conserve water for the next 24 hours while a water main, exposed by the high waves, is repaired. In other areas, roads and highways are beginning to reopen as the flooding subsides. State Highway 1 at Hōreke, just south of the Mangamukas, reopened at 8.40pm on Thursday, after being closed for most of the day by flooding. At about 10am on Thursday, the floodwaters trapped a man and his Mini, who was rescued by Fire and Emergency crews and police, said Northland group manager Graeme Quensell. Police also helped rescue a person who fell down the riverbank on Princes Rd in Ruakākā at about 5.30pm on Thursday. The person was found uninjured and given a lift home. The Mini trapped in floodwaters on Rangiahua Bridge, SH1 in Hōreke. Photo / Joe Marshall The fragile Mangamuka Gorge south of Kaitāia and Brynderwyn Hills south of Whangārei have both stood up to the weather. Kaipara District Council is reporting road closures at Monteith Rd, Oparakau Rd and Waimatenui East Rd this morning, while caution is also needed on Sandy Beach Rd and Service Lane 4 Hokianga Rd. The roads are expected to be open by the end of the day. In Whangārei district, Finlayson Brook Rd is closed due to a number of underslips making the road unsafe. There are also a number of partial closures due to flooding, with the roads open only to high-sides four-wheel-drives. They are Russell Rd near Punaruku, Waiotu Block Rd and Otonga-Marua Rd. Whangārei District Council also urges extreme caution for motorists driving in the area, as other roads may also be impacted by the storm. Far North District Council was last night reporting five road closures due to flooding: Horeke Rd, Iwitaua Rd, Okaka Rd, Pukepoto Rd (Okaihau) and Waikare Rd - although they were likely to reopen as the flooding subsided. Greenacres Drive was also closed by a fallen tree. Whangārei resident Andy Mayhew says this tree fell on his Kauri driveway yesterday, cutting power, which was restored in the middle of the night. Photo / Andrew Mayhew Mobile coverage returning as power restored Cyclone Tam impacted cellphone r... Fri, 18 Apr 2025 01:23:58 Z /news/national/missing-dunedin-woman-75-year-old-heather-may-have-been-in-ross-creek-area/ /news/national/missing-dunedin-woman-75-year-old-heather-may-have-been-in-ross-creek-area/ A 75-year-old woman has been reported missing from Dunedin since Thursday afternoon. Police are seeking public help to locate Heather, last seen in Maori Hill. She may have been in the Ross Creek area; call 111 with information, quoting event P062274708. A 75-year-old woman has been reported missing from Dunedin since Thursday afternoon. Police said they are making inquiries to locate the woman and are seeking help from the public. Heather was last seen at her home in Māori Hill on Thursday around 2.30pm. Police said that there are concerns for Heather’s welfare. The 75-year-old may have been in the Ross Creek area yesterday, and police are seeking information from anyone who was in and around this area at the time. Police said it is unclear what she may have been wearing, but possibly a green knitted cardigan and beige sandshoes. Police are appealing to anyone who may have information that could help to call 111 and quote event number P062274708. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 01:08:14 Z /news/national/coroner-to-deliver-findings-into-death-of-gore-toddler-lachie-jones-in-june/ /news/national/coroner-to-deliver-findings-into-death-of-gore-toddler-lachie-jones-in-june/ A coroner will deliver final findings into the death of Gore toddler Lachie Jones in June. On Thursday, Coroner Alexander Ho confirmed he has completed provisional findings in the inquest into the death of Lachlan Paul Graham Jones. Lachie was 3 years old when he was found dead in a Gore oxidation pond on January 29, 2019. Two police investigations concluded the toddler had wandered from his mother Michelle Officer’s home, travelled more than 1.2km and drowned accidentally. Lachlan Jones, 3, was found dead in an oxidation pond in Gore, January 2019. Photo / Supplied Lachie’s father Paul Jones, who was separated from Officer after a turbulent relationship, has long disputed this version of events and pressed for further scrutiny. Over three weeks at the Invercargill courthouse last year, the inquest heard emotional testimony from family, neighbours, experts and police. Officer, who was the first to report Lachie missing, faced intense cross-examination from Jones’ lawyer, who alleged she had something to do with her son’s death - accusations she tearfully denied as baseless and cruel. Her two older sons also faced similar allegations. The findings have been provided to specific individuals and organisations referenced in the report, in accordance with natural justice principles and Section 58 of the Coroners Act 2006, which allows for adverse comments to be responded to before finalisation. Those parties have until May 16 to respond. In the minute yesterday, Ho wrote that the provisional findings were not final and are subject to editorial changes as well as any feedback received. The inquest into the death of Lachlan Paul Graham Jones, held by Auckland-based Coroner Alexander Ho, took place over two phases last year. Photo / Pool / Southland Times They have been distributed on a “strictly limited release basis” and are not for publication. The case has drawn national attention since the 3-year-old’s death, prompting a coroner’s inquest and intense public scrutiny. “Given the high community interest in Lachie’s death, I think this is one of those rare cases where oral delivery would be appropriate,” Ho wrote. He has proposed to deliver the findings in person at Invercargill on June 3, 2025, with confirmation of the date and time to follow after responses are received. The court continues to treat the matter as live, and no details from the coroner’s provisional findings may be published at this stage. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:41:28 Z /news/world/plane-passenger-shoots-kills-us-hijacker-on-belize-flight/ /news/world/plane-passenger-shoots-kills-us-hijacker-on-belize-flight/ A passenger on a small plane from Belize on Thursday shot dead an American armed with a knife who was attempting a hijacking, police in the Caribbean nation said. The would-be hijacker threatened the pilot shortly after the Cessna Grand Caravan from Belize’s Tropic Air took off in the morning with 14 on board from the town of Corozal. It was headed for the Belizean island of San Pedro, but the man ordered the pilot to head “out of the country”, police commissioner Chester Williams told Channel 5 news. The plane hovered for some time over the international airport of Belize City before landing just as it was about to run out of fuel, at which point the hijacker stabbed two fellow passengers. One had a firearm he was licensed to carry, and shot the attacker dead, according to officials and local media. Police identified the assailant as 49-year-old US national Akinyela Sawa Taylor, who was apparently a military veteran. The injured passengers were taken to the hospital. The US Embassy in Belize expressed its regret over the incident on the eve of the Easter long weekend. “It really highlights the importance of safety and security,” the embassy’s public affairs officer, Luke Martin, told reporters. “We have a strong relationship with Belizean law enforcement, and in times like this, that partnership proves crucial,” with a quick exchange of information, he added. -Agence France-Presse Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:58:27 Z /news/national/mark-lundy-timeline-the-events-that-followed-the-deaths-of-christine-and-amber/ /news/national/mark-lundy-timeline-the-events-that-followed-the-deaths-of-christine-and-amber/ By Jimmy Ellingham of RNZ Convicted double murderer Mark Lundy has been granted parole and will be released from prison next month. The now-66-year-old was twice found guilty of killing his wife Christine and daughter Amber in their Palmerston North home in August 2000. He maintains his innocence. Here’s a timeline of how events unfolded. August 30, 2000: Christine and Amber Lundy’s bodies are found in their Palmerston North home by Christine’s brother Glenn Weggery. September 2000: Christine and Amber’s funeral is held in Palmerston North. November 2000: Police say they know who killed the pair and they had “one main suspect”. Flowers lined the footpath outside the Lundy home as police and forensic scientists were working at the murder scene inside. Photo / Mark Mitchell February 2001: Mark Lundy is arrested for the murders. March 2001: He is denied bail at a court appearance. February 2002: His trial begins in the High Court at Palmerston North. March 2002: Lundy is found guilty of the murders. The jury returns its verdict in less than six hours. A crowd outside the courthouse cheers the news. April 2002: He’s sentenced to life in jail, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years. August 2002: The Court of Appeal rejects Lundy’s appeal against his convictions, but partially accepts a Crown appeal against the non-parole sentence, raising it to 20 years. November 2012: Lundy’s legal team, then led by high-profile London lawyer David Hislop, KC, files an appeal with the Privy Council in London. February 2013: The Privy Council agrees to hear the case. June 2013: The appeal is held in London. October 2013: The Privy Council quashes Lundy’s convictions and orders a retrial. After a hearing in the High Court, Lundy is released on bail to a location that is suppressed. February 2015: Lundy’s retrial begins in Wellington. Mark Lundy in the dock during his trial in March 2015. Photo / Mark Mitchell April 2015: He is again found guilty after 16 hours of jury deliberations. His life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years is reimposed. October 2017: The Court of Appeal hears Lundy’s appeal against his convictions. October 2018: That appeal is dismissed. August 2019: The Supreme Court then hears Lundy’s case. December 2019: It too dismisses Lundy’s appeal. 2021: Lundy files with the Criminal Cases Review Commission. August 2022: Lundy is eligible for parole, but is denied a release from prison by the Parole Board. May 2023: The Parole Board again rejects Lundy’s application for release. April 2025: Lundy is granted parole and will be released from jail next month. - RNZ Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:26:09 Z /news/national/high-court-dismisses-ex-husband-s-appeal-in-divorce-dispute-over-relationship-property/ /news/national/high-court-dismisses-ex-husband-s-appeal-in-divorce-dispute-over-relationship-property/ Mona Nygaard* won a Family Court case for her share of relationship property. Her ex-husband, Oscar Nygaard*, appealed but the High Court dismissed it and upheld his former wife’s cross-appeal. The High Court decision has left him having to pay slightly more in compensation. A woman forced to fight her ex over the division of relationship property once worth millions of dollars, says two rounds in court felt like walking into quicksand, which pulled her under and threatened to drown her. The success Mona Nygaard* achieved earlier in the Family Court was short-lived, when soon afterwards, her ex-husband Oscar Nygaard* appealed the decision that left him with less than $100,000 of the multimillions they once held in the home and the value of their company. But he has been left no better off after the High Court dismissed the appeal last month and allowed his ex-wife’s cross-appeal. Mona Nygaard told 九一星空无限 she had no words to describe what she had been through and the resilience it had taken to fight. “I don’t even know how to describe it. It is consuming, and it is ... It’s really, really hard because it often seemed there was no end to it, and it kept bringing up all sorts of things. “It’s like you’re stuck in the past. I can see why people give up.” She said the past few years had been “soul-destroying and a massive stress”. “I was just extremely lucky and fortunate that my lawyer understood my situation.” The Nygaards had been together for more than 25 years and married for most of that time. Oscar Nygaard had worked hard to build up a company worth $1.7 million, with help from Mona’s family. When they separated, Mona was ordered out of the upmarket home they shared. She left with little more than a bag of clothes and a small amount of cash. Her ex also ditched the company they built together, rendering it worthless. Oscar argued that the loss of the company’s value was caused by economic conditions at the time and by the stress he was suffering as a result of the separation. However, he accepted he had once told his former wife he would do what he could to create debt within the company and the trust so that she would receive nothing if they separated. Mona took her grievance to the Family Court, which last year ordered Oscar to recognise her rightful share in what they built, plus compensation. Judge Kevin Muir ordered him to pay Mona $762,219, which her lawyer, Jennie Hawker, told 九一星空无限 was the equivalent of a half share in the relationship property pool. Judge Muir said it included compensation for the “deliberate reduction in the value of the company”. He said it was arguably vengeful. “It was not only an obvious outcome of what he did, it must have been his intended outcome.” Judge Muir said his decision was not meant to be punitive; it simply reflected the reality that the parties would have been in following their separation if not for Oscar’s decisions. A specialist in relationship property law, Jeremy Sutton, told 九一星空无限 that it was a fair decision and should serve as a warning to others in acrimonious splits not to make unilateral decisions. Lawyer Jeremy Sutton said it was a case study in the need for couples to keep working in a business post separation even though they may not want to. Photo / Supplied “In this case, the judge found that it was a unilateral decision made at his wife’s expense in that he had been in a valuable business and caused a considerable loss to him and his wife.” Sutton said in his experience, such a move wasn’t out of the ordinary, but a lot of people perhaps didn’t understand that during a separation, they had obligations to the other party to maintain the value and status of the relationship property. “They think that they can unilaterally do things, but they can’t. “If they don’t keep maintaining the value of the business after separation, then they can be criticised for that. “Clearly, in this case, that’s occurred.” Included in the... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:20:28 Z /news/national/northland-petrels-disorientated-in-ex-tropical-cyclone-tam-seek-refuge-of-city-lights/ /news/national/northland-petrels-disorientated-in-ex-tropical-cyclone-tam-seek-refuge-of-city-lights/ At least 16 Cook’s petrels or tītī have been taken to Whangārei’s Native Bird Recovery Centre this week, storm-ravaged and exhausted from ex-tropical Cyclone Tam. One was found by firefighters under a fire appliance at the Whangārei station, bird recovery centre founder Robert Webb said. Cook’s petrels are small common seabirds endemic to New Zealand that normally spend their lives at sea. At nights, they shelter together - sometimes in their thousands - forming large rafts on the surface of the water, Webb said. However, the birds were prone to becoming disoriented in storms and were attracted to bright lights. They sometimes landed exhausted in urban centres as they had in Whangārei during the ex-tropical cyclone this past week. Some were as far inland as John St in the city centre. Native Bird Recovery Centre founder Robert Webb says Cook's petrels usually only need a few days rest before they can be released. Twelve birds were brought in earlier in the week after encountering the cyclone further out at sea. They stayed at the centre a couple of days - long enough to have a good rest, before being released at Whangārei Heads before Tam made landfall on Wednesday night, Webb said. Since then four more of the birds had been brought to the centre. Webb encouraged anyone who found a Cook’s petrel to contact the centre on 09 438 1457 or 027 675 0564. Advice would be given as to whether the bird needed to be taken to the centre or could be cared for by its finder. Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate. She has nearly 20years experience in journalism, most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:10:26 Z /news/entertainment/wet-weather-won-t-stop-tauranga-jazz-festival-s-62nd-year/ /news/entertainment/wet-weather-won-t-stop-tauranga-jazz-festival-s-62nd-year/ The annual Tauranga Jazz Festival is ramping up for a weekend full of music - and the wet, windy weather isn’t stopping the show. The festival, in its 62nd year, began on April 7 and runs to the end of Easter Weekend, when the Jazz Village and Downtown Carnival attract thousands. The Jazz Village has moved indoors to the Baycourt Addison Theatre and will deliver entertainment for everyone in true New Orleans style from 11am on Good Friday. Starting from midday on Saturday, the downtown carnival will take place indoors with live performances held at cafes and bars on Tauranga’s Strand, Wharf St and Red Square. These performances celebrate international artists and New Zealand’s top jazz talent. Festival manager Marc Anderson said there was little that could prevent a 62-year-old festival from occurring, especially not the weather. “We are accustomed to working creatively and have made necessary adjustments to ensure all events proceed this Easter as planned. “Due to the weather, we will be taking the music back indoors into the many fine bars and restaurants downtown.” Anderson said this format was similar to the 2024 Downtown Carnival, attended by about 15,000 people. National Jazz Festival manager Marc Anderson (left) and Tauranga Jazz Society president Jeff Baker in 2021. Photo / George Novak “Its success comes from the dedicated Tauranga Jazz Society who has continued throughout the years to ensure the festival continues its fine tradition of showcasing jazz. “We stick to the kaupapa and bring the Tauranga community with us,” he said. The festival will feature a special concert honouring jazz icon Rodger Fox, with performances by two big bands. Fox, a respected educator, musical director and big band leader, died in 2024. The Celebrating Rodger Fox event will showcase 50 years of the Rodger Fox Big Band’s music, featuring talented musicians and soloists who worked with him. It will take place on Saturday at the Baycourt Community and Arts Centre. Anderson told The Bay of Plenty Times Rodger Fox’s name was part of the Jazz Society’s story. “Rodger leaves a huge legacy, a lifetime of service and commitment to jazz. “We honour and celebrate the music of the man and The Rodger Fox Big Band at this special Baycourt concert on Saturday.” Anderson said the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga was the longest-running jazz festival in the Southern Hemisphere. He said it had a proud 62-year history of delivering an Easter Weekend full of live music and experiences. “I think we can claim the longest in length as well as age now. The extended length of our programme ensures there is something for the visitors to do for a longer period.” Swarms of people attend the Downtown Carnival on The Strand in Tauranga. Photo / 九一星空无限 In his Winston Watusi entertainment blog for SunLive, Tauranga musician Derek Jacombs said it was the biggest jazz festival he could remember. “There’s not a single concert in Baycourt Theatre I wouldn’t highly recommend, depending on your taste. Mine leans towards Adrian Cox’s brilliant clarinet-led New Orleans ragtime or Jess Deacon’s singing, with a side of bebop from Lockie Bennett’s ‘Boplicity’ Quartet, but there is something for everybody.” Jazz Village Details When: Friday April 18 Timings: 11am-5pm Where: Baycourt Community & Arts Centre Addison Theatre and foyer Downtown Carnival Details When: Saturday April 19 & Sunday April 20 Timings: 12pm-6pm Where: The Strand, Wharf St, Red Square, inside bars and cafes. Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:07:54 Z /news/entertainment/the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north-ciar%C3%A1n-hinds-on-remembrance-aussie-accents-and-bringing-the-unseen-side-of-a-pow-story-to-life/ /news/entertainment/the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north-ciar%C3%A1n-hinds-on-remembrance-aussie-accents-and-bringing-the-unseen-side-of-a-pow-story-to-life/ Justin Kurzel’s small-screen adaptation of the award-winning book The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a harrowing story of love and loss set during, before and after the construction of Burma’s Death Railway. In a timely discussion ahead of Anzac Day (and the series release on April 18) the Herald’s Mitchell Hageman chats with leading man and Belfast-born acting royalty Ciarán Hinds about the importance of remembrance and realising the complexity of the human condition when it’s put to the ultimate test. It’s an understatement to say that Ciarán Hinds dove deep into a complex emotional realm for his latest performance, an impassioned portrait of a broken former POW named Dorrigo Evans. The small screen is no stranger to stories showcasing the horrors of war, but very rarely do they paint the full picture of its psychological toll and the impacts it had on those who didn’t serve. The Narrow Road to the Deep North does, and Hinds says it’s the expertly woven messages of love, loneliness, sacrifice and loss that drew him in. The five-episode adaptation of Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize-winning novel takes on the complex task from all sides, anchored by Hinds playing an older, emotionally scarred version of Jacob Elordi’s young soldier. “I kind of devoured [the novel] and was really deeply, profoundly, emotionally engaged,” Hinds tells the Herald. Ciarán Hinds digs deep for his new role as the older version of tortured war hero Dorrigo Evans. Photo / Misan Harriman It’s a raw, visceral, disturbing affair, yet it expertly plays with the juxtaposition of beauty amid the chaos. Much of that comes down to its masterful use of timeline and pointed performances. The series, set to be released a week before Anzac Day, follows Evan’s life before, during and after his time as a POW working on Burma’s Death Railway, while dealing with his unwinding personal and professional life. “He’s got a double hammer hitting him over the head,” Hinds says of his character, who juggles a scandalous forbidden affair, his past baggage and mounting troubles in his career as a doctor. By the end of the story, the reluctant hero will “end up as a kind of a shell in a way”. A quote near the end of series by Evans’ “dutiful” wife struck Hinds the most, and it will no doubt strike a chord with audiences as well. “I think you’re the loneliest man I’ve ever met,” she says, which Hinds thought was “quite an indictment to say that about someone after spending 40 years together”. Jacob Elordi (left) plays the younger version of Dorrigo Evans. Photo / Ingvar Kenne The pain of loneliness and a need for affection is also expertly realised in the series, with the camaraderie slipping away as men’s spirits begin to break. Hinds is no stranger to treading this thematic ground, having covered it before in the likes of tortured epics such as There Will Be Blood and Rome. In The Narrow Road to the Deep North, his character is a popular, well-established doctor after the war, yet he distances himself from those around him emotionally in many ways. Hinds described getting into this character mindset as a multifaceted approach. “You need to go inside. You may be physically present, but your mind isn’t. It’s about trying to take command of the language and thought, and how the human manifests it.” While they play the same character, Hinds only briefly saw his younger counterpart Elordi and “apologised for him turning into me at a late age”. He also “hoped he didn’t offend anyone” with his Australian accent, which he worked with an accent coach to get realistic and historically appropriate. “It’s complicated to do Australian, because you don’t want to lay it on too thick,” he says. Hinds described working with Australian actress Heather Mitchell as a "dream". Photo / Ingvar Kenne Having just wrapped up filming in New Zealand of the highly anticipated East of Eden (starring alo... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 22:57:25 Z /news/national/bethlehem-baptist-church-easter-exhibit-features-depictions-of-crucifixions/ /news/national/bethlehem-baptist-church-easter-exhibit-features-depictions-of-crucifixions/ Eleven men are hanging on a cross for an hour each at Bethlehem Baptist Church. The exhibition, involving nearly 400 volunteers, includes immersive experiences depicting biblical scenes. The event is free, open to all, and runs from April 17 to 20. Over the Easter weekend, 11 men will hang on a cross for an hour each in an “emotional journey” as part of the Easter exhibition at Bethlehem Baptist Church, which is held every two years. Congregation member Bryson Moulton is one of the men, and he said it would be the first time he had been up on the cross, a depiction of the crucifixion the church hosted every year. “It is an honour and a privilege,” he said. Bryson Moulton gets ready to play his part and will be suspended from the cross for one hour. Photo/ David Hall He said the make-up for the role took about an hour to apply and would be a very immersive experience for visitors. The most challenging aspects would be physically hanging on the cross and spiritual elements, he said. “It is quite an experience. “These guys will be seeing people’s emotions coming through.” Moulton took three months of training to get ready for his role. Photo/ David Hall Initially, the idea of going up on the cross came about 15 years ago, when Bethlehem Baptist Church began recruiting a team, senior pastor Craig Vernhall said. “This is quite gruelling,” he said. Vernhall said the one-hour stint on the cross at Tauranga’s Bethlehem Baptist Church was just one of the exhibits on display during the Easter Journey exhibition. “Nearly 400 volunteers have worked tirelessly in preparation for the exhibition,” Vernhall said. Certain aspects of the biblical story of Jesus have been challenging to depict, Vernhall said. “It’s been difficult to capture this because you don’t want it to be overly gruesome.” Visitors are transported to Bethlehem, Judea, and the Sea of Galilee in linked rooms. Vernhall said the exhibition was held every two years and evolved, experimenting with new ideas. “It was a lot simpler than it is now.” This event is free and open to all. Thursday: 3pm – 8.30pm Friday and Saturday: 9am – 6pm Sunday: 9am – 2.30pm Thu, 17 Apr 2025 22:47:13 Z /news/lower-north-island/ballance-agri-nutrients-proposal-potential-loss-of-62-jobs-a-concern-for-tauranga/ /news/lower-north-island/ballance-agri-nutrients-proposal-potential-loss-of-62-jobs-a-concern-for-tauranga/ Ballance Agri-Nutrients has proposed converting its Mount Maunganui manufacturing plant to a storage and distribution centre, with a net loss of 62 roles. Chief executive Kelvin Wickham said the proposed change aimed to improve efficiency and adapt to sector changes, with consultation with staff ongoing. The potential loss of 62 jobs is “a concern for Tauranga”, says the head of the region’s economic development organisation Priority One. Ballance Agri-Nutrients is proposing to stop its manufacturing operations in Mount Maunganui and turn the site into a storage and distribution centre. In a statement on Wednesday, the company said it was consulting with staff on ceasing the manufacturing of sulphuric acid and single super phosphate at its Hewletts Rd site. This would impact some specific roles associated with acid and phosphate manufacture, and 68 roles would be disestablished, six new roles created, with a net reduction of 62 roles, the statement said. Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said the potential loss of 62 specialist jobs was “a concern for Tauranga” but Ballance would “retain a strong presence in the city”. “This will be a disappointing time for those affected, and should the proposal go ahead, we hope that they can find other opportunities in the region.” The nationwide farmer and grower co-operative said it intended to use the facility, which had direct access to Port of Tauranga, for nutrient storage and distribution, and for its national support office. Ballance chief executive Kelvin Wickham said consultation with Ballance people was the “immediate priority” and anticipated that would take four to six weeks. He said the proposed change aimed to “improve efficiency and adapt to sector changes” and the co-operative would continue manufacturing phosphate in Invercargill and urea in Taranaki. The proposal was part of “a wider process” the organisation had undertaken in the past year to get ahead of sector changes and identify future opportunities to support New Zealand farmers and growers. “In coming years, we expect to see an increased range of products and services that more efficiently and effectively deliver essential nutrients for farmers and growers, which will result in reduced overall demand for single super phosphate from historical peak volumes.” Wickham said the number of existing facilities making this product in New Zealand meant there was an “overcapacity of supply”. Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd's chief executive, Kelvin Wickham, reveals proposed changes to its Mount Maunganui manufacturing plant. Photo / Supplied The change would enable more “agility” in nutrient sourcing, new ways to provide value to shareholders, exploring more blended fertilisers and other products being utilised from the Mount Maunganui site. He said the Mount Maunganui facilities needed substantial investment to keep them operating reliably and the company would face “increasing regulatory constraints” to continue heavy manufacturing. “Manufacturing remains an important part of how we supply New Zealand’s farmers and growers with reliable, secure and affordable access to nutrients. “Keeping a presence in Mount Maunganui as a strategic location for nutrient supply through the Port of Tauranga and our home base for our national support office is also a priority,” he said. Wickham said the company would take some time to consider feedback before making a final decision. Unions response to Ballance’s proposal A Maritime Union of NZ (MUNZ] spokesman said he understood that MUNZ had 21 members working at the Ballance Mount Maunganui site, 14 whom would be affected by the proposal. “At this point, the proposal will be discussed with those members next week when MUNZ will work through the process and the goal is to maintain as many jobs as possible for members.” Steve Westoby, a national industrial organiser for the Aviation and Marine Engineers Association (AMEA), said one of its members worked at th... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 22:44:10 Z /news/sport/peter-burling-makes-surprise-appearance-at-young-sailors-optimist-national-championships/ /news/sport/peter-burling-makes-surprise-appearance-at-young-sailors-optimist-national-championships/ Ask and you shall receive. For three young sailors from the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club, it’s a notion they will long remember. Before last week’s Optimist National Championships at Royal Akarana Yacht Club, they put a message out to Black Foils driver Peter Burling, who came up through the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club, in the hopes of having their sporting hero make an appearance. The three-time America’s Cup winner and three-time Olympic medalist answered the call. Burling made an appearance at the event’s prizegiving, which had been brought forward a day to Tuesday because of the storm that was due to hit Auckland on Wednesday. The 34-year-old took time to mingle with the competitors, posing for photos and signing autographs. While many of the young athletes competing will have been inspired by Burling’s accolades in the top levels of the sport, he, too, once competed in the Optimist National Championships; a 12-year-old Burling winning the title in 2003. This year’s overall open fleet was won by reigning champion Matteo Barker, the son of former Emirates Team NZ and American Magic America’s Cup helmsman Dean Barker, ahead of Hamish Brown and Will Fyfe. The girls’ open fleet was won by Zofia Wells – also a back-to-back champion – ahead of Charlotte Handley, who in March won the starling class in the annual Girls Regatta, and Greta Hutton. Peter Burling made a surprise appearance at the prizegiving of the Optimist National Championships at Royal Akarana Yacht Club. Photo / Suellen Hurling, Live Sail Die The gesture came just days after the shock news that Burling would not be part of the next America’s Cup campaign with Team NZ, who withdrew a contract offer that was on the table for their incumbent skipper, with team chief executive Grant Dalton saying they could not let any more time go by before they moved on with their campaign. Burling is yet to share his view on the two parties going their separate ways, but wished the team all the best in their next defence of the Auld Mug in an Instagram post. “I’m proud of the battles, the wins, and being part of one of the greatest sporting teams in the world,” he wrote. “I want to take this time to thank you all. My family, friends and Kiwi sailing fans for the amazing support over the past decade. I’m hugely grateful to everyone who’s been part of this chapter. “I’m incredibly excited for the future – growing the Black Foils, proudly representing New Zealand both at home and on the global stage, and driving positive ocean action through Live Ocean.” Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 22:05:55 Z /news/world/ukraine-us-sign-deal-for-access-to-critical-minerals/ /news/world/ukraine-us-sign-deal-for-access-to-critical-minerals/ Ukraine and the United States signed a memorandum for US access to Kyiv’s natural resources. The deal includes an Economic Partnership Agreement and an Investment Fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Kyiv seeks military guarantees, while the US aims to deter Russian aggression through business interests. Ukraine and the United States have signed a “memorandum of intent” to move forward with a fraught deal for US access to Kyiv’s natural resources and critical minerals, Kyiv said. “We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine,” Ukraine’s first Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X. Kyiv and Washington had planned to sign a deal on extracting Ukraine’s strategic minerals weeks ago, but a clash between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February derailed work on the agreement. Trump wants the deal – designed to give the US royalty payments on profits from Ukrainian mining of resources and rare minerals – as compensation for aid given to Ukraine by his predecessor, Joe Biden. Svyrydenko did not publish details of the memorandum, but said work continued towards securing a final agreement. ‘Beneficial for both’ “We hope that the Fund will become an effective tool for attracting investments in the reconstruction of our country, modernisation of infrastructure, support for business, and the creation of new economic opportunities,” she said. “There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries.” US officials say boosting American business interests in Ukraine will help deter Russia from future aggression in the event of a ceasefire. Kyiv is pushing for concrete military and security guarantees as part of any deal to halt the three-year war. - Agence France-Presse Thu, 17 Apr 2025 22:04:03 Z /news/sport/formula-1-liam-lawson-shrugs-off-red-bull-demotion-looks-ahead-to-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/ /news/sport/formula-1-liam-lawson-shrugs-off-red-bull-demotion-looks-ahead-to-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/ Being dropped two races into his career with Red Bull’s senior team hasn’t impacted Liam Lawson’s confidence, the Kiwi driver has declared. Lawson, 23, was the latest victim of Red Bull’s ruthless driver merry-go-round, and was switched for former teammate Yuki Tsunoda after the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai. The pair spent the end of 2024 battling to impress Red Bull to slot in alongside Max Verstappen. And while Lawson initially won that race, Red Bull senior team principal Christian Horner has since admitted they’d asked too much, too soon of the New Zealander. In a sport as high stakes as Formula One, any driver would be within their rights to take a knock to their self-esteem after such a move. Lawson had spent his whole career trying to earn a drive with Red Bull, after signing for the team as a teenager. However, to see that cut short after just two races is a move that has been dubbed as unfair across the Formula One paddock. Now, Lawson is back with Racing Bulls, the team in which he raced 11 grands prix for, before his promotion to start the new season. In those 11 races, spread across two seasons after replacing Australian Daniel Ricciardo, twice, Lawson achieved three different points finishes, coming ninth in Singapore, Austin and Brazil. This year, though, Lawson is still adjusting to Racing Bulls’ VCARB02, and has finished outside the points in both Japan and Bahrain. On Monday (NZ time), Lawson will look to break that duck in Saudi Arabia, as the final race of Formula One’s triple header of three races in three weeks. And speaking to media at the start of the race weekend, Lawson outlined that there hasn’t been any long-term damage. “Honestly, confidence-wise, nothing really changed from the start of the year,” he said in Jeddah. “I didn’t spend anywhere near enough time [at Red Bull] for me to reflect on those two races and go, ‘oh my god, I’ve really struggled in this car, I’ve lost my ability’. It wasn’t really like that. “I did two races that were two very messy weekends from a lot of factors, but I think confidence-wise that didn’t really change. “It’s just been about getting used to a new car again, and the team, and trying to do all that as quickly as possible. I think that’s really been where the focus is at. “Confidence-wise I feel, honestly, as I always have.” If there’s any example to show Lawson’s confidence remains intact, look no further than his drive in Bahrain. While the Kiwi was hit by two separate penalties, for collisions with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, both came as a result of attempting to pull off late braking overtakes. On both occasions, Lawson went wheel to wheel into corners, looking to brake late, gain an advantage, and accelerate out. And although he finished 16th once penalties were applied, Lawson’s display in Bahrain should give both himself and Racing Bulls hope that results are achievable this season, as already evidenced by teammate Isack Hadjar. Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies described Lawson as having made “a very significant step forward” over the course of the race weekend. Helping Lawson’s confidence even further is his results at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in junior categories. In 2021, on his first visit there, Lawson finished second in the sprint race. A year later, he won that same race. However, given there are such small gaps between teams fighting for midfield positions this year, Lawson won’t predict how things will unfold this weekend. “Naturally, each weekend we spend in the car, me personally, I get more comfortable,” he said. “As a team, we work out things that suit us best. Bahrain was more competitive for us, we just didn’t show it. That’s a good feeling coming here. “But at the same time, it’s a very different track. [It’s a] different surface, completely high speeds. That’ll be a big adjustment. “The midfield is so tight right now, it’s so hard to predict where we sit with e... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 22:01:02 Z /news/national/cyclone-tam-auckland-man-saves-crane-truck-driver-from-10-metre-drop-during-heroic-rescue/ /news/national/cyclone-tam-auckland-man-saves-crane-truck-driver-from-10-metre-drop-during-heroic-rescue/ An Auckland man undertook a dramatic rescue of a crane truck driver stranded on the edge of a 10-metre gully. He used his 35-year-old 4x4 to pull the truck from danger. The rescued driver had been helping repair power lines during Cyclone Tam. A heroic Auckland man used his 35-year-old SUV to pull a crane truck - with the driver still inside - out of a steep gully during Cyclone Tam. West Auckland resident Mike Mitchell told the Herald this morning he’d been driving around yesterday looking for downed powerlines or fallen trees. “I found one tree, cut that up and took it off the road. I found a downed power line and reported that to Vector,” Mitchell said. Earlier in the day, he spotted a truck replacing a downed power pole on his street in the Waitākere Ranges. When he returned several hours later, the truck was sliding down an estimated 10-metre bank. “I offered my assistance, which I had done with so many other things in my life,” Mitchell said. Mike Mitchell used his SUV to rescue a crane truck driver slipping down a 10m gully in West Auckland. He offered to use his 1989 Nissan Terrano SUV to winch the 18-tonne vehicle. “I attached my shackle to the truck and managed to pull it out of the ditch. “It was an amazing experience. One lady was crying, and others were cheering and high-fiving.” The driver of the other vehicle was still inside, and Mitchell feared that if the rescue had been unsuccessful, he would have been dragged down the bank. “I always assess the situation at hand before going into it. It was definitely one of the riskiest I’ve done. “I felt a sense of pride in being able to help people.” Mitchell had his dog Odin in the front seat of his during the whole ordeal. “He was fine. He was just watching it all unfold as he always does.” Mike Mitchell and his dog Odin were on patrol looking for people to help during Cyclone Tam yesterday when they came across a crane truck driver slipping down a 10m gully in West Auckland. Mitchell’s sister Claudia Pye described her brother as a “Kiwi bloke” who liked to help people during crises. Despite her older brother placing himself in dangerous situations, she was very proud of him, Pye said. “It warms my heart that my brother is like this. It makes me proud to hear these stories because there is always something with him.” David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:10:04 Z /news/national/teen-raydin-hunia-narrowly-avoids-prison-for-extreme-violence-in-tauranga-cbd-1/ /news/national/teen-raydin-hunia-narrowly-avoids-prison-for-extreme-violence-in-tauranga-cbd-1/ A teen who took part in a violent and unprovoked street attack, coward-punching one of his victims, has narrowly avoided jail after a judge ruled it would not be the “just” outcome. Raydin Hunia was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court this week, where the judge detailed the events that led the now-19-year-old to face serious violence charges. Hunia, who was then 18, was hanging out with a group of mates on The Strand in Tauranga, early on March 3 last year. They’d been drinking heavily when they crossed paths with two strangers who had been in town, and were looking for a ride home. Judge Stephen Coyle said, “for reasons that have never been explained”, Hunia’s “mates” without any provocation began “attacking” the pair. One of the mates began harassing one of the pair in events that were captured on CCTV footage. The victim is shown to be backing off with his hands up, which the judge said was “as if to say, chill bro”, but the response by Hunia’s mate was to hit him. “And your immediate response was rush in and join in the assault,” the judge said to Hunia. Hunia coward-punched the victim, causing him to fall to the ground. The judge said there were far too many people who, having acted in the way Hunia did, found themselves before the High Court facing manslaughter “because of a king hit that resulted in someone falling, hitting their head, and being killed”. When the victim was on the ground, Hunia continued the attack, punching and kicking him to the head. The CCTV footage shows Hunia being coaxed to leave by one of his group. He stopped the attack but seconds later, turned around and headed back to continue assaulting both men. By this time, the two men had made their way to a porch area outside one of the restaurants. Rather than leave them be, Hunia and his mates continued to attack. “This was a violent, unnecessary, and unprovoked attack by a group of thugs, including you, on two members of the public who were doing no more than trying to find a ride home,” Judge Coyle said. “There is no justification and no excuse for what you did.” One of the men suffered a swollen face, memory loss; the other had cuts to his eyeball and cheek, two broken teeth, a cut tongue, and memory loss among his injuries. Hunia was charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and injuring with intent to injure. He pleaded guilty after a sentence indication given earlier this year. Raydin Hunia was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court this week, on serious violence charges. The Crown pointed to the “extreme violence” as an aggravating feature of Hunia’s offending. The judge agreed that the only way to characterise the violence was as “extreme”. “This wasn’t just fleeting, it wasn’t just a king hit,” said the judge. “You went away and you came back. You went away again, and you came back again, and again.” There had been multiple kicks to the head and body, and multiple punches. The attacks to the head were particularly aggravating, especially given the victims were on the ground. Judge considers what is ‘just’ The Crown sought a starting point of five years’ imprisonment. Both the Crown and defence agreed a discount of 20% for Hunia’s guilty plea was appropriate, and the judge adopted a starting point of four years’ and nine months’ imprisonment. The judge said a clear message needed to be sent, particularly when efforts were being made to revitalise Tauranga’s CBD, that those who came looking for trouble, could expect “an appropriate response”. Hunia’s lawyer Nephi Pukepuke advocated that this sentencing principle could be achieved by a sentence of home detention. Judge Coyle reached an end sentence, after applying discounts for guilty plea, youth, and remorse, of two years and 10 months imprisonment. Pukepuke urged the judge to consider the impact that sending Hunia to prison would have, given his age. The judge decided that despite it falling outside the two-year window where home detention can b... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:06:40 Z /news/national/easter-trading-rules-2025-store-closures-and-exemptions-explained/ /news/national/easter-trading-rules-2025-store-closures-and-exemptions-explained/ Easter weekend will see most stores closed due to the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990. Good Friday and Easter Sunday have restricted trading, with exemptions for essential services and specific areas. Public holiday surcharges apply on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with alcohol sales regulated separately. Expect New Zealand towns and cities to be a little sleepier this weekend, as Easter delivers a four-day break for Kiwis and most shops closed this Friday and Sunday. Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, retail stores in Aotearoa are required to close over three-and-a-half days every year. With Good Friday and Easter Sunday counting for two of the restricted trading days, this weekend looks especially different for employers, workers and customers. In 2016, the act was amended to let councils set their own local Easter Sunday trading policies - although Good Friday remains a restricted trading day under the changes. Regulations and bylaws vary across the country, complicating rules around which stores can actually open over the long weekend. Here’s what to expect to help you plan ahead this Easter. Customers and businesses face confusing regulations over Easter, so we've broken it down for you. Photo / 123RF What can open? Nationwide, only certain shops are permitted to open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, depending on what they sell. According to Employment NZ, shops can open on these days if they’re defined as one of the following: Small grocery shop Service station Restaurant Cafe Takeaway store Duty-free store Service-providing shop (e.g. barber) Real estate agency Pharmacy Garden centre (Easter Sunday only) Certain shops in public transport stations Certain shops at an exhibition, show, or market Souvenir shop Exempt stores are also subject to restrictions that dictate what they can and can’t sell. Retail NZ says open stores should only sell services or essential goods. This includes items “people can’t put off buying until the next day, such as baby formula or pet food”. The rules for each day still look a little different, as Good Friday is a public holiday and a restricted trading day, Easter Sunday is also restricted but not a public holiday, and Easter Monday is a public holiday without trading restrictions. If you’re eating out on Good Friday or Easter Monday, prepare to pay a public holiday surcharge. This is typically set at 15%. Prepare to pay a surcharge if you're heading out to eat on Good Friday or Easter Monday. Photo / Getty Images What can’t open? Supermarkets are not allowed to trade on Good Friday and Easter Sunday - but smaller grocery stores and dairies are exempt. Cafes, restaurants and bars can open, but can only serve alcohol if patrons buy a meal with their drink, while off-licence stores must remain closed on both days, with alcohol sales regulated separately by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Of course, shops in areas with valid exemptions can open under local Easter Sunday policies. Who’s exempt from the national restrictions? Although the main city councils have yet to introduce their own Easter Sunday trading bylaws, some have exempt areas with shops permitted to open. For Auckland, that’s Parnell Village, while Christchurch’s Arts Centre can open its doors too. Queenstown, Paihia and Taupō are designated tourist destinations and are exempt from the national Easter trading restrictions, meaning they can open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Shops in Picton’s Mariners Mall can trade on both days too, but a cruise ship must be docked in port to allow Easter Sunday trading to occur. Queenstown, Paihia and Taupō are exempt from Easter trading rules, being designated tourist areas. Photo / Amanda Tutton, Destination Queenstown Golden Bay businesses have an exemption from the Tasman District Council to trade on Easter Sunday if they wish. Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt do not have any exempt areas, while Dunedin’s Carnegie Centre can only sell... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:03:46 Z /news/national/south-taranaki-s-waitotara-hotel-burns-down-in-a-dramatic-blaze/ /news/national/south-taranaki-s-waitotara-hotel-burns-down-in-a-dramatic-blaze/ A South Taranaki hotel has burned down tonight in a dramatic blaze. Photos from the scene show orange flames leaping from the two-storey Waitotara Hotel and smoke billowing from the out-of-control fire. More than 20 appliances are responding to the fully involved hotel fire, Fire and Emergency NZ said. The blaze broke out about 6pm. More than 20 appliances are responding to the fully involved Waitotara Hotel Fire that broke out about 6pm. Photo / Jay Preeter Fire and Emergency said crews have eight pumps and pump rescue tenders, a mobile command unit, six water tankers, an incident commander and other resources fighting the blaze. “Please keep well clear of Waitotara township. Fire and Emergency have also set up a water supply area in the Four Square in Waverley for tankers to refill so firefighters can continue to fight the fire. “As well as all the other appliances, they have an aerial responding to tackle the two-storey fire.” Police and ambulance have been notified and are still responding to the scene. More to come Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:00:33 Z /news/national/teen-raydin-hunia-narrowly-avoids-prison-for-extreme-violence-in-tauranga-cbd/ /news/national/teen-raydin-hunia-narrowly-avoids-prison-for-extreme-violence-in-tauranga-cbd/ A teen who took part in a violent and unprovoked street attack, king hitting one of his victims, has narrowly avoided jail after a judge ruled it would not be the “just” outcome. Raydin Hunia was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court this week, where the judge detailed the events that led the now-19-year-old to face serious violence charges. Hunia, who was then 18, was hanging out with a group of mates on The Strand in Tauranga, early on March 3 last year. They’d been drinking heavily when they crossed paths with two strangers who had been in town, and were looking for a ride home. Judge Stephen Coyle said, “for reasons that have never been explained”, Hunia’s “mates” without any provocation began “attacking” the pair. One of the mates began harassing one of the pair in events that were captured on CCTV footage. The victim is shown to be backing off with his hands up, which the judge said was “as if to say, chill bro”, but the response by Hunia’s mate was to hit him. “And your immediate response was rush in and join in the assault,” the judge said to Hunia. Raydin Hunia narrowly avoided a sentence of imprisonment after a judge decided it wouldn't be the "just" outcome for him. Photo / Hannah Bartlett Hunia “king hit” the victim, causing him to fall to the ground. The judge said there were far too many people who, having acted in the way Hunia did, found themselves before the High Court facing manslaughter “because of a king hit that resulted in someone falling, hitting their head, and being killed”. When the victim was on the ground, Hunia continued the attack, punching and kicking him to the head. The CCTV footage shows Hunia being coaxed to leave by one of his group. He stopped the attack but seconds later, turned around and headed back to continue assaulting both men. By this time, the two men had made their way to a porch area outside one of the restaurants. Rather than leave them be, Hunia and his mates continued to attack. “This was a violent, unnecessary, and unprovoked attack by a group of thugs, including you, on two members of the public who were doing no more than trying to find a ride home,” Judge Coyle said. “There is no justification and no excuse for what you did.” One of the men suffered a swollen face, memory loss; the other had cuts to his eyeball and cheek, two broken teeth, a cut tongue, and memory loss among his injuries. Hunia was charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and injuring with intent to injure. He pleaded guilty after a sentence indication given earlier this year. Raydin Hunia was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court this week, on serious violence charges. The Crown pointed to the “extreme violence” as an aggravating feature of Hunia’s offending. The judge agreed that the only way to characterise the violence was as “extreme”. “This wasn’t just fleeting, it wasn’t just a king hit,” said the judge. “You went away and you came back. You went away again, and you came back again, and again.” There had been multiple kicks to the head and body, and multiple punches. The attacks to the head were particularly aggravating, especially given the victims were on the ground. Judge considers what is ‘just’ The Crown sought a starting point of five years’ imprisonment. Both the Crown and defence agreed a discount of 20% for Hunia’s guilty plea was appropriate, and the judge adopted a starting point of four years’ and nine months’ imprisonment. The judge said there needed to be a clear message sent, particularly when efforts were being made to revitalise Tauranga’s CBD, that those who came looking for trouble, could expect “an appropriate response”. Hunia’s lawyer Nephi Pukepuke advocated that this sentencing principle could be achieved by a sentence of home detention. Judge Coyle reached an end sentence, after applying discounts for guilty plea, youth, and remorse, of two years and 10 months imprisonment. Pukepuke urged the judge to consider the impact that sending Hun... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:48:12 Z /news/crime/twice-convicted-double-murderer-mark-lundy-to-be-released-from-prison-on-parole/ /news/crime/twice-convicted-double-murderer-mark-lundy-to-be-released-from-prison-on-parole/ Double murderer Mark Lundy will be released from prison next month, despite holding firm to the position that he never killed his wife and daughter. Lundy has spent more than 23 years behind bars for the murder of his wife Christine and his 7-year-old daughter Amber, who were found hacked to death in their Palmerston North home 25 years ago with what is believed to have been an axe or tomahawk. The now 66-year-old has always maintained someone else killed his family. He took his fight against the conviction all the way to the Privy Council, which quashed the guilty verdict in 2013, only for him to be found guilty again in 2015 on retrial and sent back to prison. Now, following his third appearance before the New Zealand Parole Board, Lundy is due to be released from prison next month. This doesn’t mean that he’s free, rather he’s subject to an extensive list of release conditions and if he breaks them he can be hauled back behind the wire. Friend, supporter and brother-in-law Dave Jones told 九一星空无限 Lundy was overwhelmed with the result. “I think he was hoping for the best and expecting the worst.” He said Lundy also plans to continue his fight to clear his name. “He’s got principles and he didn’t do this, so of course he’s going to stick to his guns.” Lundy has an application in with the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Jones said it would be much easier for him to meet with them and his lawyers now he is being released. The Lundy Family, R-L; Christine, Mark, Amber. Photo / Supplied. The CRCC has the power to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal. “The fight to prove his innocence will continue,” Jones said, but for now they were just focused on getting him settled outside the wire. Christine’s sister-in-law, Maria Norrelle, told 九一星空无限 she felt “resigned” about the pending release. “It’s been a long time, he had to come out at some point,” she said. “He’s coming out into a world that has changed considerably … it’s not much of a future for him.” ‘Elephant in the room’ Lundy was first convicted in 2002, even though the murder weapon has never been found. At his first trial, the Crown argued that he travelled from Wellington, where he was on a business trip, back to Palmerston North to commit the murder and then travelled back to the capital, where his alibi maintained he was with a sex worker at the time. An appeal to the Privy Council in 2013 based on the time of the victims’ deaths, the presence of organic tissue on Lundy’s shirt and the time Christine’s computer was turned off resulted in his convictions being overturned. Mark Lundy supported after the funeral of his wife Christine and daughter Amber in 2000. Photo / Mark Mitchell In his 2015 retrial, the window of the time of death was expanded to 14 hours, with the Crown instead alleging Lundy had returned home in the early hours of the morning to kill his family. Lundy was found guilty a second time after this trial and has remained behind bars since, with bids in 2017 to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court failing. In 2022 his minimum period of non-parole expired, meaning Lundy became eligible for early release from prison. However, because he maintained his innocence, he butted heads with Parole Board members who questioned how they were meant to assess a safety plan for release from prison if his argument was that he wasn’t any risk in the first place, because he didn’t murder his wife and child. At his hearing, one of Lundy’s lawyers, Ella Burton, addressed the “elephant in the room”: his professed innocence. Burton said that while it might be “neater and more palatable” if Lundy had simply professed his guilt, it wasn’t a factor the board was required to consider. “He should not be detained because of a lack of admission,” she said. “Life does not mean life in New Zealand in terms of never being released.” The principle of the Parole Board is “undue risk” and its primary function is to determine if a prisoner is going to cause further harm to the co... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 08:41:39 Z /news/world/russian-missiles-hit-sumy-civilians-as-military-held-ceremony-soldier-says/ /news/world/russian-missiles-hit-sumy-civilians-as-military-held-ceremony-soldier-says/ Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr was sitting at a military medal ceremony in a university building basement on Sunday when two Russian ballistic missiles tore through the surrounding area. From the hospital where his wounded stepdaughter is being held in intensive care, Oleksandr described how spraying shrapnel struck passing civilians and the city streets were engulfed in flames. While the soldiers, including fellow troops from his 117th Brigade, sat safely underground waiting for the all clear, Oleksandr’s wife – who had been walking on the street with their children – used her hand to plug their 6-year-old’s shrapnel wound as the girl’s lung filled with blood, he said. The Russian missile attack on the centre of this crowded city on Palm Sunday killed 35 people and wounded more than 100 others, almost all of them civilians, according to local authorities. The carnage enraged Ukraine, supporting Ukrainians’ views that Russia remains intent on killing them and demolishing their cities even as President Donald Trump’s negotiators make repeated visits to Moscow, hoping the Kremlin will agree to a deal. The strikes came just two days after Trump envoy Steve Witkoff flew to Moscow for an hours-long meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump later told reporters he understood the attack on Sumy to have been a “mistake,” adding to Ukrainian distrust in Washington’s views of the war. But many in this grieving city, including Oleksandr, 38, have also directed their fury at the organisers of the military medal ceremony, which may have been the target of the Russian strikes. In an hour-long interview, Oleksandr, whom The Washington Post is identifying only by first name in keeping with military rules and to avoid retribution from higher command, said that plans for the wartime pageantry probably attracted Russia’s attention. Under international law, both sides must take measures to avoid civilian harm. Russia’s launch of ballistic missiles into a busy intersection in a major city amounted to the highest number of civilian casualties in a single incident in Ukraine so far this year. However, the law also requires Ukraine to avoid placing military targets in heavily populated civilian areas. That arrangement can prove extraordinarily complicated in Ukraine as troops defend civilian areas from assault, but events such as medal ceremonies, which Russia has targeted in the past, are not vital defensive positions. Oleksandr said holding the event in Sumy was unnecessary and irresponsible. The city sits just 18 miles from the Russian border, lacks adequate air defences and comes under regular attack. Russians may have intercepted communications or been informed by a local collaborator about the plans. Oleksandr had recently been fighting just inside the Russian region of Belgorod and was annoyed to be called home for the ceremony. Soldiers were needed on the battlefield, he said, not in a basement in the centre of Sumy. “I don’t need these medals or these papers,” he said from the children’s hospital where his stepdaughter, Elina, had shrapnel and bone removed from her lung. “I want to kill all Russian soldiers and go home to my civilian life.” “We’re fighting for Ukraine,” he added. “For me, Ukraine is that little girl in her hospital bed. It’s the woman standing next to her.” On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the head of Ukraine’s regional military administration, Volodymyr Artiukh. He acknowledged his presence at the ceremony to Ukraine’s national broadcaster but denied organising it. Oleksandr said Artiukh was “100% responsible” for the deaths and injuries caused by the strikes. Artiukh did not respond to a request for comment. The Ukrainian Government has not publicly acknowledged that there was a ceremony but has instead focused on the large number of civilian casualties – which Post reporting confirmed – including people headed to church services. Russia, meanwhile, has claimed without evidence... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:30:02 Z /news/sport/crusaders-v-blues-beauden-barrett-s-definitive-case-for-all-blacks-no-10-jersey-amid-super-rugby-pacific-form/ /news/sport/crusaders-v-blues-beauden-barrett-s-definitive-case-for-all-blacks-no-10-jersey-amid-super-rugby-pacific-form/ If the Blues are to haul themselves from the mire and prove their back-nine resurgence is no short-lived façade, they must overcome their Christchurch demons on Friday night. And to achieve that, they need Beauden Barrett to continue his purple patch of form. Barrett’s influence on the Blues has been compelling, as he signals his intent to retain the All Blacks’ No 10 jersey he wrestled from Damian McKenzie last year. Before breaking his hand against the Brumbies in early March, Barrett scored a brilliant individual try and directed the Blues to a comfortable halftime buffer. Without him in the second half, the Blues fumbled their way to a 21-20 defeat. The Blues didn’t win a match in Barrett’s absence, losing to the Chiefs and Crusaders before resetting with some pointed internal conversations during their bye. Three weeks ago, Barrett returned from injury against the Hurricanes, where his creative kicking game, including several brilliantly executed banana-benders, propelled the Blues to a narrow escape. The All Blacks centurion was at it again last week against Moana Pasifika too, with a chip-and-regather try on the edge. Barrett’s rich vein of form comes not long after McKenzie re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through to 2029, and with Richie Mo’unga remaining ineligible for the All Blacks until mid-next year while he sees out his Japanese contract. After the uncertainty of last year, with McKenzie starting the All Blacks’ first seven tests of the season before Barrett largely took charge, there’s little doubt who Scott Robertson will entrust to grasp the reins against France in July. The evergreen Barrett, that’s who. The 33-year-old, for his part, deflected praise from his recent performances, but acknowledges settling into his favoured No 10 role has helped. “I don’t know, really. I’m just enjoying playing footy at No 10. Time in the saddle is nice. I’m grateful for the opportunities,” Barrett said. The four weeks he was sidelined with his broken hand allowed him time to hone his kicking game – and that will need to be on point if the Blues are to defy their one win from their last 14 attempts in Christchurch. “I love kicking out of the hand. It goes way back to the days where I thought of playing AFL and I was encouraged by a key person at Francis Douglas. Those kicking variations are all fun parts of the game where I can express myself. When I broke my hand, fortunately I was still able to kick. “The challenge going south is a huge one. They’re top of the table at the moment so that’ll be a real test of where we’re at. “Winning matters, performing matters, that’s what we’re looking for down there. They’ve got a great record down there and they’re proud of that.” While the Blues’ record in Christchurch is dire – and two wins from their last 24 games against the Crusaders anywhere isn’t much better – the team who trek south are decidedly different from the one that conceded seven tries in the 42-19 humbling at Eden Park one month ago. There are eight starting changes for Vern Cotter’s side from that horror night against their arch-rivals, which includes Zarn Sullivan’s big boot returning to fullback for the first time this year. Barrett, Ricky Riccitelli, Patrick Tuipulotu, A.J. Lam and Anton Segner were also absent at that stage, during the worst of the Blues’ injury toll. Barrett expects the Crusaders to come hard at the Blues at the breakdown, where they savoured success last time, while noting their set-piece strength and ability to play out the back and through the front door. While only four points outside the top six and with a more favourable run home than others, the Blues must maintain momentum garnered from their first successive wins this season to vastly improve their quest to defend last year’s title. Claiming the treasured Crusaders scalp at home would instantly alter the complexion of their underwhelming campaign. “We were perhaps guilty of making some assumptions early on this season. We’ve high... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:17:41 Z /news/business/job-hunters-facing-more-fraud-and-ai-powered-deepfake-video-interviews/ /news/business/job-hunters-facing-more-fraud-and-ai-powered-deepfake-video-interviews/ Job hunting for some people might have just got even trickier. Fake job sites and scammers using AI for deepfake video “interviews” have sparked concern from Microsoft. The company’s Australia and New Zealand chief security officer Mark Anderson said AI was generating realistic but deceptive job postings. And it was even enabling deepfake video interviews, he said. “For Kiwi job seekers, the risks are no less significant than anywhere else in the world.” Anderson said people should never share personal or financial information with unverified employers. “Watch for red flags, such as upfront payment requests or communication via free email domains, which are often signs of fraud.” He said it was essential to verify employer legitimacy through official websites or platforms such as LinkedIn or Glassdoor. Scammers generated fake profiles with stolen credentials, fake job postings with auto-generated descriptions and AI-driven email campaigns, he said. These campaigns aimed to trick job seekers into giving away information. Anderson also urged caution if a remote video call interview seemed unnatural. He said “odd facial expressions or speech delays” could indicate AI was being used to deceive people. And it was now possible for scammers using AI to establish fraudulent e-commerce websites within minutes, Anderson said. Kiwi clothing and outdoor brand Kathmandu was one recent target of an imposter shop on Facebook and it told the Herald the scams were getting more frequent. And today, ASB said a share trading platform scam used text messages and then an invitation to connect on platforms including WhatsApp. Kathmandu customers and a Reddit user raised suspicions about what turned out to be a scam e-shop. Photo / DeerSimilar8170 Reddit “AI-powered scams are making it harder for people to distinguish legitimate offers from fraudulent ones, whether through fake product reviews or convincing countdown timers on e-commerce sites,” Anderson said. He said Kiwis should avoid impulse buying by verifying deals, and cross-checking domain names and reviews before clicking on social media ads. People should also use secure payment methods with fraud protections instead of direct bank transfers or cryptocurrency, he said. In response to scams, Microsoft said it had introduced new in-product safety controls. Anderson said the “Fraud-resistant by Design” policy introduced in January meant Microsoft product teams must perform fraud prevention assessments and implement fraud controls as part of their design process. He said consumer awareness and vigilance was the most powerful tool to tackle scams, backed with technological solutions. “The battle against scams will continue, and we remain committed to empowering consumers to protect themselves and their data.” An online scam misusing New Zealand actor Martin Henderson's identity is one high-profile recent con, but Microsoft says fake job listings are increasingly problematic. Composite photo / Sylvie Whinray Microsoft said in the year to April it had thwarted US$4 billion ($6.74b) in fraud attempts globally. “AI has started to lower the technical bar for fraud and cybercrime actors looking for their own productivity tools, making it easier and cheaper to generate believable content for cyberattacks at an increasingly rapid rate,” the tech company added. Microsoft said it had also blocked about 1.6 million bot sign-up attempts on average every hour. In its Cyber Signals Issue 9 report released today, Microsoft said some bad actors were luring victims into increasingly complex fraud schemes using fake AI-enhanced product reviews. These scams could also involve AI-generated storefronts, where scammers created entire websites and e-commerce brands. The sham companies could include fake business histories and customer testimonials. Actors Russell Crowe and Martin Henderson, and New Zealand singer Anna Coddington are among public figures who have been impersonated by scammers. And after scammers... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:09:26 Z /news/business/asb-securities-impersonated-scammers-suspected-of-targeting-volatile-economy/ /news/business/asb-securities-impersonated-scammers-suspected-of-targeting-volatile-economy/ ASB says an impersonation and investment scam currently doing the rounds uses text messages and then an invitation to connect on WhatsApp. The bank said the scam promised “too good to be true” investment opportunities and falsely claimed to be from ASB Securities. The scammers asked potential victims to connect over WhatsApp and other channels, then click on a link to log into their “investments” or bank account. Brodie Macdonald, ASB GM for fraud and scams, said the scammers seemed to be taking advantage of current market uncertainty. Macdonald said in the current turbulent environment, investments could be front of mind for many people. Local sharemarket investor sentiment has been subdued, with the Sharesies Index falling into the “cautious” range in the first quarter as worries about US tariffs mounted. Other issues potentially worrying some investors included inflation creeping back up and volatile sharemarkets. Macdonald said at such times, people might be more susceptible to act quickly and potentially miss some of the red flags around scams. “I encourage everyone to be vigilant, particularly if you’re asked to make a payment or provide sensitive information,” Macdonald said. “Anyone can fall victim to a scam, and staying alert to scammers is our first defence.” She said the bank’s fraud experts were available at all times, including over the public holidays. ASB Securities is the bank’s share trading platform. The bank said anyone who clicked on a suspicious link or handed over their payment details should block their cards and contact their bank immediately. People receiving a suspicious text could report the message to the Department of Internal Affairs for free by forwarding it to 7726. Macdonald said ASB customers affected could phone the bank by calling 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372). Thu, 17 Apr 2025 03:51:13 Z /news/world/earth-s-water-may-not-have-originated-from-asteroids-after-all/ /news/world/earth-s-water-may-not-have-originated-from-asteroids-after-all/ With water covering the majority of our planet, scientists have been wading through ideas to answer a fundamental question: Where did it all come from? A popular theory suggests asteroids or comets helped bring the precious resource to Earth in chance encounters, but new evidence may be sinking this idea. A study published in the journal Icarus showed the ingredients for water may have been present as early Earth was developing, indicating that the creation of water may be a more common process on planets than previously thought. “We always kind of assumed that Earth was unique,” said Tom Barrett, the lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford. “We have massive oceans on our surface that are crucial to the way that we live our lives.” Contrary to previous notions, the materials that made our planet seem to have contained the ingredients for water, he said. Scientists have long questioned whether an early Earth could have contained the appropriate hydrogen and oxygen on its own to create the water on our planet. The International Space Station orbits Earth. Photo / 123RF Some think clues could be embedded in a meteorite thought to be similar to our new-born planet, called an enstatite chondrite. These types of meteorites were formed in the inner solar system and “probably represented the bulk contribution of the material that formed Earth 4.6 billion years ago”, Barrett said. Used as an analogue for early Earth, these meteorites embody a promising prospect for water formation. Previous research showed they contained enough hydrogen to account for the formation of Earth’s oceans, but it identified the location of only about 20% of the hydrogen in these meteorites. It was unclear whether the rest of the hydrogen existed intrinsically in the meteorites or if the sample was contaminated on Earth. Barrett and his colleagues aimed to account for the rest of the hydrogen. Using X-ray technology to probe an enstatite chondrite meteorite found in Antarctica, they discovered significant portions of the hydrogen attached to sulphur. To their surprise, they found the compounds in the matrix of the rock - like the dough that holds bigger grains in rock together. The team proposed methods of how hydrogen may have appeared there. Barrett said that in the early solar system, existing iron sulphide compounds in the meteorite could have been acting as a catalyst to create the hydrogen and sulphur compound, acting like a hydrogen factory. He said the compound could have been formed in the bigger grains within the rock and was pumped into the matrix material, which is “quite an effective way of storing quite notable concentrations of this hydrogen-bearing compound”. The meteorite also contained oxygen, but the team did not investigate how the hydrogen-sulphur compound eventually led to water. Other researchers say the analysis is an important step in understanding the origin of water on Earth. “What is new is that researchers have found the location of hydrogen in enstatite chondrites, the likely building blocks of the Earth,” said Yves Marrocchi, a cosmochemist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, who was not involved in the research. Marrocchi was part of the team that previously found that these meteorites have a high hydrogen content but couldn’t identify the locations. He said the findings affirm his previous conclusions that hydrogen was inherited from early in the solar system and that these meteorites contain enough hydrogen to produce Earth’s oceans. “Earth may have had more than enough ingredients to form water from the beginning,” said planetary scientist Patrick Shober, who was not involved in the research. He added that the research shows that “water abundance on Earth is not a freak accident; it’s what was expected”. But Shober points out that asteroids or comets could have still played an important part later in Earth’s history. For instance, the hydrogen in these enstatit... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 02:44:32 Z /news/national/cyclone-tam-auckland-mum-and-daughter-shaken-as-tree-crushes-car/ /news/national/cyclone-tam-auckland-mum-and-daughter-shaken-as-tree-crushes-car/ By RNZ An Auckland mother is “relieved but shaken” after a tree fell on a car mere minutes after her 10-year-old daughter left the vehicle. Ex-cyclone Tam has knocked over dozens of trees throughout Auckland as strong winds bear down. North Shore resident Esme Barber said her young daughter and her babysitter had just arrived when the tree fell. A tree fell across Northboro Rd in Belmont on the North Shore during Cyclone Tam. Photo / Calvin Samuel, RNZ “They had parked momentarily to go inside the house to get a few bits, and they were just coming out and it sounded like a really loud noise,” she said. “Then they got out and ... Yeah, a massive tree on the car. So glad they weren’t inside [the car], that would’ve been terrifying.” She had been concerned about the tree on Northboro Rd for some time. “I’ve reported it to the council multiple times. There was a branch down a week or two ago, and the council arborists came by and did it. So they’re very well aware,” she said. “It’s been well reported, the council know about it, but for some reason, they’re not getting the owners of the trees to do anything about it. It could have ended up really badly today.” Auckland Council has advised anyone travelling on Thursday to be cautious due to the strong winds and risk of surface flooding. Auckland and Great Barrier Island remain under strong wind warnings through to midnight on Thursday. A heavy rain watch was due to continue to the early hours of Friday morning. -RNZ Thu, 17 Apr 2025 02:33:20 Z /news/sport/ryan-fox-praises-rory-mcilroy-on-masters-win-returns-to-action-in-dominican-republic/ /news/sport/ryan-fox-praises-rory-mcilroy-on-masters-win-returns-to-action-in-dominican-republic/ With the Masters monkey off Rory McIlroy’s back, it might be time for the rest of the PGA Tour field to watch out. On Monday, the 35-year-old Northern Irishman completed his career grand slam when he won his first Masters title in his 17th appearance at the famed tournament, having to beat Justin Rose in a playoff to get the job done. Last week’s event was McIlroy’s 11th attempt at completing his career grand slam of major championships, after adding the 2014 PGA Championship and Open Championship to his 2011 US Open title. With that now completed, Kiwi PGA Tour player Ryan Fox told the Herald we could see the best of McIlroy moving forward. “I’m chuffed for him. He’s such a nice dude, he’s had heartbreak at Augusta multiple times, he’s had heartbreak in majors multiple times since his last win in 2014 and I can’t think of anyone who had more pressure on them to win a golf tournament than he had on Sunday [local time],” he said. “He went through so much adversity on that Sunday and still managed to get through it. I’m chuffed for him and I hope he has a damn good celebration. “It might be time to watch out. That weight’s off his shoulders now and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on a bit of a tear and throws a few more majors under his belt now that the pressure’s off.” Fox, who for the first time in the past three years did not qualify for the Masters, watched through McIlroy’s rollercoaster final round and admitted he felt at times like it was going to be another one that got away from McIlroy. “That’s the most nervous I’ve been watching golf for a long time,” Fox said. “Granted, I probably don’t watch a lot of golf anymore, but I was riveted to that all of Sunday. I really wanted Rors to win for a lot of reasons. I felt like several times he had the tournament completely done, then all of a sudden he’d hit a couple of bad shots and you’d think, oh no, he’s going to fail again and it’s going to be heartbreak. “The mental strength and resilience he showed was pretty incredible, to be honest. It was a rollercoaster of emotions to watch. I’m sure most of the golfing world thought the same thing. I can’t imagine what he was feeling inside the whole time on that back nine. It was up and down, that’s for sure.” After a week off, Fox will return to the PGA Tour tee boxes this week, playing in the alternate field event in the Dominican Republic. It’s the first time Fox has visited the Caribbean nation, and looms as a good opportunity to bank some points towards his FedEx Cup ranking with the top-ranked players featuring in the RBC Heritage signature event, which is limited to a field of 72 with no cut. The tournament wasn’t always on Fox’s schedule, but about a month ago he decided to pencil it in, and it was easy to commit to after he missed the cut in the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio a fortnight ago. With the Corales course at Puntacana Resort being next to the sea, the wind can cause a bit of trouble if it gets up. During a practice round early in the week, Fox was surprised to find himself teeing off with a three-wood on a par three – and that being the right club for the hole in the conditions. “It’s a cool part of the world. At my age and with how much golf I’ve played, you don’t really get to go to new places that often, so I’ve been enjoying the Dominican Republic so far, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s one of those golf courses, I think if the wind stays down, you can definitely shoot some good scores and take the golf course on. If the wind gets up, it’s going to be a bit of a brute this weekend, so I’m definitely expecting it to play a decent factor in the tournament.” Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 02:14:32 Z /news/national/johnsonville-incident-armed-police-descend-on-wellington-suburb-after-firearm-spotted/ /news/national/johnsonville-incident-armed-police-descend-on-wellington-suburb-after-firearm-spotted/ Armed police have descended on Johnsonville after a person was reportedly spotted with a firearm in the Wellington suburb. A police spokesperson said some officers have been armed as a precaution. A cordon was initially set up in the Broderick Road area but has since been stood down. Enquiries are continuing but there is not believed to be any threat to the public. Social media users have reported seeing several police cars racing to Johnsonville up the Ngauranga Gorge with lights flashing and sirens wailing. Others have posted about seeing armed police outside Onslow College and Alex Moore park. More to come. Thu, 17 Apr 2025 02:00:03 Z /news/world/webb-telescope-detects-a-possible-signature-of-life-on-a-distant-world/ /news/world/webb-telescope-detects-a-possible-signature-of-life-on-a-distant-world/ A distant planet’s atmosphere shows signs of molecules that on Earth are associated only with biological activity, a possible signal of life on what is suspected to be a watery world, according to a report that analysed observations by Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope.  The peer-reviewed report in the Astrophysical Journal Letters presents more questions than answers, acknowledges numerous uncertainties and does not declare the discovery of life beyond Earth, something never conclusively detected.  However, the authors do claim to have found the best evidence to date of a possible “biosignature” on a planet far from our solar system.  The planet, known as K2-18b, is 124 light-years away, orbiting a red dwarf star.  Earlier observations suggested that its atmosphere is consistent with the presence of a global ocean. The molecule purportedly detected is dimethyl sulfide (DMS).  On Earth, it is produced by the decay of marine phytoplankton and other microbes, and it has no other known source. The astronomers want to observe the planet further to strengthen the evidence that the molecule is present.  The lead author of the new paper, Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in England, repeatedly urged reporters in a briefing to be cautious in describing the new research. But his warning bracketed more dramatic statements.  This possible detection of a biosignature could be “potentially one of the biggest landmarks in the history of science”, Madhusudhan said.  “This is the first time humanity has ever seen biosignature molecules - potential biosignature molecules, which are biosignatures on Earth - in the atmosphere of a habitable-zone planet,” he added.  The habitable, or “Goldilocks”, zone is the distance from a star that could allow water to remain liquid at the planet’s surface.  K2-18b, which is within our galaxy, the Milky Way, cannot be seen by any telescope as a discrete object. But it has a fortuitous orbit that crosses its parent star as seen from Earth.  Such transits dim the starlight ever so slightly, which is how many exoplanets have been discovered. The transits also change the starlight’s spectrum in a pattern that - if observed with instruments on a telescope as advanced as the Webb - can reveal the composition of the planet’s atmosphere.  In 2023, Madhusudhan and colleagues reported that two instruments on the Webb had detected carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere of K2-18b, as well as hints of DMS.  His team observed the planet for an additional eight hours last April using the Webb’s mid-infrared instrument. The resulting data boosted their confidence that DMS or an almost identical molecule, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) - or possibly both - are present.  The paper describes the result as “an important step forward in the search for signatures of life on exoplanets”, but it adds that strengthening the finding will need “a dedicated community effort in multiple directions - observational, theoretical, and experimental”.  In a statement, Cambridge University said: “While an unknown chemical process may be the source of these molecules in K2-18b’s atmosphere, the results are the strongest evidence yet that life may exist on a planet outside our solar system”.  Even if further observations strengthen the case that K2-18b has an atmosphere that contains DMS, the scientific community would probably want a great deal more evidence that this is truly a biosignature and not something with an abiotic origin.  A molecule glimpsed in the air of a planet 729 trillion miles (1173 trillion km) away is a thin reed upon which to rest what would be the historic discovery of alien life.  The Webb telescope is an international collaboration among Nasa and the space agencies of Europe and Canada, but the agencies have not sought coverage of the new findings, an indication that the community wants to se... Thu, 17 Apr 2025 01:17:46 Z