/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.   Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:04:34 Z en /news/national/driver-charged-after-a-crash-kills-11-year-old-cyclist-in-flaxmere/ /news/national/driver-charged-after-a-crash-kills-11-year-old-cyclist-in-flaxmere/ A woman has been charged after a crash that killed an 11-year-old girl cycling in the Hawke’s Bay suburb of Flaxmere on Thursday evening.  A police spokesperson said that a 34-year-old woman is set to appear in Hastings District Court, charged with driving in a dangerous manner. They had not ruled out further charges.  The fatal crash happened on Chatham Rd just before 6pm.  A St John spokesperson said they responded to the incident about 5.55pm and sent one ambulance, one rapid response vehicle, and one operations manager.  Police say they were not in pursuit of the vehicle at the time of the crash.  Investigations into the crash are ongoing.  Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:04:23 Z /news/entertainment/singer-marianne-faithfull-dies-at-78/ /news/entertainment/singer-marianne-faithfull-dies-at-78/ British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull has died at the age of 78.  The 1960s icon and Rolling Stones muse achieved popularity following the release of her hit song As Tears Go By, which peaked at No.9 on the UK singles chart. She went on to star in films such as 1968’s The Girl on a Motorcycle, 1969’s Hamlet, 1995’s Moondance, and 2006’s Marie Antoinette.  “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Friday (NZ time).  “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family.  “She will be dearly missed.”  Marianne Faithfull attending the wedding of singer Gene Pitney on January 28, 1967. Photo / Getty Images  Faithfull famously dated Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger from 1966 to 1970, with the two becoming an “it” couple of London’s swinging 60s. The pair, who suffered a miscarriage in 1968, had a notoriously turbulent relationship, with Faithfull believed to have inspired the iconic Rolling Stones’ tracks Wild Horses and You Can’t Always Get What You Want.  Her 1964 hit As Tears Go By marked the first song ever written by Jagger and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, while her eponymous debut album in 1965 and 1966’s North Country Maid propelled her popularity in the United States — making her a central figure of the “British Invasion”.  Her 1979 album Broken English received critical acclaim and earned Faithfull her first and only Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.  Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull attended court on May 29, 1969 to face charges of marijuana possession. The couple, arrested during a police raid on Jagger's apartment, were released on a $120 bond. Photo / Getty Images  The singer-songwriter suffered health issues throughout her career. She battled heroin addiction and eating disorders in the 1970s, and in 2004 was hospitalised for exhaustion after collapsing on stage in Italy.  In 2006, Faithfull announced she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, forcing the postponement of a US and European tour. Less than two months after revealing her diagnosis, Faithfull said she had made a full recovery.  In April 2020, it was reported Faithfull had been admitted to a London hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. She also suffered from emphysema after decades of smoking.  She released seven studio albums post-2000, the last of which were 2018’s Negative Capability and her final project, She Walks in Beauty, in 2021: one year after her battle with Covid-19. In 2009, Faithfull was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women’s World Awards, and in 2011 she was made a commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France.  The singer married and divorced three times. She wed artist and the father of her child, John Dunbar, in 1965, followed by Ben Brierly of punk band the Vibrators in 1979. Her last marriage was to actor Giorgio Della Terza from 1988 to 1991.  Faithfull is survived by her son Nicholas Dunbar, 59, and three grandchildren.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Rolling Stones (@therollingstones) Jagger ‘saddened’ by death of ‘wonderful friend’  The Rolling Stones led tributes to Faithfull following the news of her death, with Jagger, her former partner, taking to social media to share his devastation.  “I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull. She was so much part of my life for so long,” the 81-year-old said in a statement, alongside a carousel of photos.  “She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered.”  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mick Jagger (@mickjagger) Guitarist Keith Richards also penned a short tribute on Instagram, wri... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 22:15:43 Z /news/politics/not-all-conservation-land-is-equal-shane-jones-starts-mining-conversation/ /news/politics/not-all-conservation-land-is-equal-shane-jones-starts-mining-conversation/ Resources Minister Shane Jones wants to have a conversation about mining on conservation land — and he thinks he’s found a way of saving his endangered amphibian nemesis, “Freddy the frog”.  He argues that the revenue generated from mining poor quality land with limited conservation value and the conservation initiatives of mining companies themselves would have a net conservation benefit. He made the remarks in a speech in Waihī, home to a large gold mine. Jones also released the final Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals list — a list of minerals the Government argues are critical to New Zealand’s prosperity.  Controversially, the Government has added metallurgical coal to the final list. Better-known as coking coal, this is a critical component in the manufacturing of steel, although new, less coal-intensive methods are coming available, including in New Zealand thanks to a grant by the last Government.  It is part of a broader Government push to support more mining and to link it to better incomes and social services for New Zealanders.  Not everyone is convinced. The Greens have dispatched MP Steve Abel to Waihī today to make their opposition known.  Jones is particularly keen to talk about mining opportunities on stewardship and other categories of DoC land, while promising that national parks and the highest value DoC land is “not on the table” for mining.  Jones has been locked in a rhetorical battle over “Freddy the frog”, also known as Archey’s frog, an endangered species that could be put further at risk by mining.  “It is correct that our Archey’s frog is endangered,” Jones said today, “but it is not from mining.  “The real threat to Freddy is the rats, stoats and pigs that populate significant extents of our stewardship and conservation land.”  Jones argued that “responsible mining” was “the best news Freddy has had for a long time”. He said that under a Fast-Track project, OceanaGold, a mining company “will be stepping up with an intensive predator control programme in the Coromandel Forest Park”.  “In fact, it’s because of OceanaGold and its specialist conservationists that we have some of the most insightful research collected on the species to date. Over $600,000 towards ecological outcomes around this mining site,” he said.  “Actually a much larger sum when one considers the broader commercial footprint including Macraes, Otago, South Island. Such a quantum is not possible without a successful business.”  Jones wanted an “honest and considered debate on mining”, although he might have undermined the “considered” part of that debate in his very next sentence, describing one side of the debate as “woke collar spongers”.  Jones said the critical minerals list acknowledged how important minerals were to daily life. He said that of the 37 on the list, 21 are produced or could be produced in New Zealand.  “We are a prospective destination for sought-after minerals like antimony and we have operators working rare earth, vanadium and titanium projects, which I note are all ways for New Zealand to support a transition to a clean energy future.  “Some people argue against minerals extraction, but gladly rely on the conveniences of modern society and economy built by those resources. As our Prime Minister said, we don’t have the luxury of turning off growth.  “We are now targeting a goal of doubling our exports to $3b by 2035, up from the previous target of $2b, with a roadmap for how we will get there.”  Thomas Coughlan is Deputy Political Editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Thu, 30 Jan 2025 22:07:36 Z /news/national/dunedin-hospital-announcement-expected-today/ /news/national/dunedin-hospital-announcement-expected-today/ Health Minister Simeon Brown is expected to confirm the Dunedin Hospital project’s future amid cost concerns.  The Government capped funding at $1.9b, sparking a 35,000-strong protest.  Proposed downsizing or staged development has faced a public outcry.  Health Minister Simeon Brown is expected to confirm the future of the Dunedin Hospital project today.  The new health minister is in the city to make an announcement later this morning amid ongoing concerns about cost overruns and potential design changes.  The hospital for Dunedin was a key election promise from both Labour and National, but the project has since been mired in delays, budget blowouts, and political controversy.  The Dunedin Hospital inpatient building site. Photo / Ben Tomsett  Work on the inpatient building, on the former Cadbury factory site, was paused last year following an announcement by former health minister Dr Shane Reti and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop.  The outpatient building remains on track to open in 2026.  Concerns about potential cutbacks to the hospital’s design led to a massive public outcry, culminating in an estimated 35,000 people marching through Dunedin in protest.  Since last year’s announcement, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has maintained that the hospital will be built for $1.9b, but not at the higher estimated cost of $3b.  An estimated 35,000 people marched against the Government's proposed hospital cuts in Dunedin last year. Photo / Ben Tomsett  The Government is considering two options to rein in spending: reducing the size of the planned inpatient building while retaining some clinical services in the old hospital, or a staged development that includes refurbishing the current ward tower alongside the construction of a smaller clinical services building.  Both proposals have drawn criticism for their potential impact on the quality of care and hospital operations.  The Dunedin City Council, along with the grassroots “Save Our Southern Hospital” campaign, has been pushing back against any cuts.  Clinicians and hospital staff have warned that further reductions would create an inefficient, fragmented facility that could compromise patient safety.  Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin.  Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:58:25 Z /news/national/lunches-to-arrive-late-for-all-schools-across-auckland-after-issue-with-ovens/ /news/national/lunches-to-arrive-late-for-all-schools-across-auckland-after-issue-with-ovens/ A technical problem with ovens will cause school lunches to arrive late today, Auckland schools have been told.  Principals criticised the lunch programme’s quality, comparing meals to “dog food” and noting lateness.  David Seymour urged principals to “take a step back”, citing “teething issues”.  A technical problem with ovens will see school lunches arrive late across Auckland today.  It comes after principals took issue with the new lunch programme this week, comparing the meals to “dog food” while the Associate Education Minister, David Seymour, blames the food’s lateness and poor quality on “teething issues”.  And Seymour has today hit back at upset principals forking out to feed their kids, saying they need to “take a step back”.  An email has been sent to Auckland schools explaining that there has been a “technical problem” with the ovens.  “Other Compass kitchens around Auckland are being used to heat meals, however, we anticipate all meals will arrive late to school today.  “We apologise to you and to the students for the number of times this week the lunches have arrived late.”  The email from the School Lunch Collective said that schools would be reimbursed for any food they would have to purchase to feed students.  The School Lunch Collective is being approached for comment.  It comes after reports the food was showing up at schools hours after lunchtime and the quality was well below what was promised when Seymour reformed the programme last year.  Auckland Primary Principals' Association president Kyle Brewerton said kids have been comparing the lunches to “dog food” and refusing to eat it. A school lunch described as "unidentifiable pasta ball and lentils".  “The quality was sort of being touted [last year] as something that was going to be quite nutritious and delicious, and we haven’t experienced that yet.”  Brewerton said several other issues are being presented by principals including portions too large for youngsters and schools receiving meals hours after lunchtime had ended.  “There were quite a few cases where food did not even get delivered during school time.  “Little kids by lunchtime are not going to be learning and they’re certainly not going to be interested in school because they’ll be sitting there with rumbling tummies.”  Seymour told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast that principals need to “take a step back”.  “This is a Government with a $7 billion deficit, we spent $130 million on this programme while actually providing more meals for kids this year.  “We are doing something new, it is only day five, day four in some places. So we’ve got to get a bit of a reality check.”  He said the media are taking the worst reviews and comments about the lunches to make it seem “terrible”.  Seymour argued if there were a survey of the lunches 75% of students are still getting from their parents there would be “mixed reviews” as well.  David Seymour, Associate Minister of Education, says principals need to take a step back. Photo/Michael Craig  Yesterday, an Auckland parent said their kids brought their school meal home as it was delivered late, after lunchtime.  “We got home and while I was working they brought it to me to eat as they tried it and it was ‘yuck’.”  The quality of the lunches had gone downhill since the change of provider, they said.  “Kids normally loved the lunches last year and would go and check if there was any left at reception to eat or take home, they were that good.”  The family of a child at Sylvia Park School described a different meal as an “unidentifiable pasta ball and lentils” in a post on social media.  “Not one child could stomach the food and so after offers to give food away to the local community were declined, all several hundred of these went into the rubbish,” they claimed.  “Food arrived at 2p... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:43:00 Z /news/national/auckland-cyclist-spins-through-air-after-collision-confronts-pensioner-driver-at-home/ /news/national/auckland-cyclist-spins-through-air-after-collision-confronts-pensioner-driver-at-home/ A New Year’s Day bike ride took a dramatic turn when a cyclist spun 180 degrees in the air after an SUV driver pulled into his path in Clover Park, Auckland.  The cyclist later confronted the pensioner driver at her home, asking for more than $12,000 in damages to the custom-built road bike and posting footage of both the crash and the confrontation online.  The SUV’s driver, Mele Kauvalu, says she looked but didn’t see the cyclist, can’t remember if she indicated and doesn’t know how she’ll pay for the repairs if a Disputes’ Tribunal case finds in favour of the cyclist, who also reported the incident to police.  A cyclist captured in startling video footage flipping 180 degrees over his handlebars after being cut off by an SUV later confronted the driver at her home, demanding she pay more than $12,800 in repairs for the uninsured custom-built $20,000 road bike.  Driver Mele Kauvalu – who is also uninsured – told the Herald she looked but didn’t see the cyclist before pulling out, but couldn’t remember if she’d also indicated.  The dramatic New Year’s Day incident happened as she was leaving her priest’s home in South Auckland.  “They want me to pay the money. I don’t know where the hell I’m gonna get the money … they may have to take it off my pension every damn, bloody fortnight”, the Ellerslie grandmother said of the damages claim now going before the Disputes’ Tribunal in late March.  The cyclist, a Wellington-based road and traffic safety engineer, was the second rider in a single-file group of four on Boundary Rd in Clover Park just after 8am when, he claims, Kauvalu pulled her black 2022 Mitsubishi ASX out from its parking spot without warning.  “I was forced to brake, and as my brakes locked up … I flipped 180 degrees in the air and landed on my back, nearly breaking my neck in the process.”  The man, who didn’t want to give his full name, was riding at a speed of 30-35km/h at the time of the crash, which was captured on a fellow cyclist’s camera and later shared on social media.  A screengrab of a fellow cyclist's camera shows the Wellington cyclist halfway through a 180 degree flip during the New Year's Day incident in Clover Park, Auckland. Photo / Screengrab via YouTube  The crash left him with heavy bruises, grazes and in shock, forcing him to take a week off work to recover.  But it could’ve been worse, the cyclist said.  “My helmet saved my life … it has a massive dent on it. It could’ve been a fatal accident.”  Police are investigating the incident, including a claim Kauvalu left the scene after the collision, they said today.  Kauvalu says she got out of her vehicle but left soon after because the cyclist didn’t appear injured and she didn’t think she was involved.  “Police have since received additional information to assist our inquiries”, a police spokesman said.  “We are in the process of speaking with the registered owner of a nominated vehicle.”  Meanwhile, the cyclist lodged a Disputes’ Tribunal claim for $12,805 repairs to the bike, including $3800 for the buckled carbon wheelset, $3290 for damage to the carbon fork/frame and $2100 for the damaged carbon PM crankset.  His $599 ABUS Gamechanger helmet and $699 Garmin Edge 530 GPS bike computer were also damaged, along with the rear derailleur, left shifter and handlebar, and it would cost $360 in labour for a mechanic to replace parts on the damaged bike, he said.  The cyclist landed on his back after the crash in Clover Park, Auckland, but his helmet also took some impact – saving his life, the man says. Photo / Screengrab via YouTube  Asked why he was uninsured, the cyclist said the bike was built just before Christmas and he’d “barely had a chance to ride it, let alone specify it on a contents policy”.  “Insurance is primarily useful when you are at fault for something. Its secondary purpose is for when your property is damaged … i... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 18:22:23 Z /news/world/washington-dc-plane-crash-no-survivors-after-helicopter-collides-with-aircraft-carrying-64/ /news/world/washington-dc-plane-crash-no-survivors-after-helicopter-collides-with-aircraft-carrying-64/ Footage shows an American Airlines plane colliding with a military helicopter, killing 67 people.  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating, emphasising a careful, fact-based approach.  Donald Trump blamed diversity hires and the helicopter’s pilots, contrasting the NTSB’s cautious stance.  Footage of an air traffic control room screen shows the moment the American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter in Washington DC.  The collision occurred yesterday as the airliner came into land at Reagan National Airport after a routine flight from Kansas, and first responders are still working to recover the bodies of the 67 people who were killed.  🚨#BREAKING: Shared to me anonymously shows the Playback from official Air Traffic Control radar 📌#Washington | #DCWatch as exclusive playback, sent anonymously by @avgeekjake to Rawsalerst, reveals official Air Traffic Control radar footage displaying the Collision Alert.… pic.twitter.com/s2SvT2OTPJ— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 30, 2025 US investigators say it will take time to understand the cause of a deadly midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter, a sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s snap pronouncements on the crash.  “We conduct an important safety mission where we take a very careful approach,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy told journalists. “We look at facts... and that will take some time.”  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 NTSB board member Todd Inman likewise said there would be no immediate conclusions on the cause of the disaster.  “We don’t know what we know just yet. We do not know enough facts to be able to rule in or out human factor, mechanical factors, that is part of the NTSB investigative process,” Inman said.  Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. Photo / Getty Images  Trump took the opposite approach earlier in the day, blaming the helicopter’s pilots, night-vision goggles and above all diversity hires as he launched an attack on his Democratic predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden for championing diversity practices.  “Because I have common sense, OK?” Trump replied when asked how he had reached the conclusion that programmes to counter racism and sexism had played a role.  28 bodies have been recovered so far – including one from the helicopter. Photo / Getty Images  There were no details on the cause of the crash, with transport officials saying both aircraft were on standard flight patterns on a clear night with good visibility. “Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told the news conference. The Bombardier plane operated by an American Airlines subsidiary, with 60 passengers and four crew on board, was approaching the airport when the collision happened. Photo / Getty Images  Dramatic audio from air traffic controllers showed them repeatedly asking the helicopter if it had the passenger jet “in sight”, and then just before the crash telling it to “pass behind” the plane.  ‘A fireball and it was gone’  “I just saw a fireball and it was gone,” one air traffic controller was heard telling another after communication with the helicopter was cut. ... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 18:06:23 Z /news/national/changes-could-soon-be-coming-to-e-scooter-rules-following-a-sharp-spike-in-acc-injury-payouts/ /news/national/changes-could-soon-be-coming-to-e-scooter-rules-following-a-sharp-spike-in-acc-injury-payouts/ The Government says it’s open to changes to e-scooter rules, following a sharp spike in ACC injury payouts. New data released to 九一星空无限talk ZB shows ACC had paid out almost $15 million for scooter injuries last year, an increase of almost 50% on the year before. ACC received 3400 new claims, a rise of almost 500 on the year before, with about a third of claims coming from Auckland. Claim numbers increased across every age group, with almost in four coming from people in their 20s. About half of claims were for soft tissue injuries, while more than one in twenty were for fractures and dislocations. The AA has written to the outgoing and new Transport and ACC ministers asking for regulations around e-scooter use to be updated to reflect the increased adoption of more modern privately-owned e-scooters. Principal Advisor Terry Collins said one current rule – requiring scooters over 300 watts to only be used on private property – doesn't correspond to reality. “Nowadays you can buy 3.6 kilowatt e-scooters that are capable of 120 kilometres an hour and can carry a 100 kilogram person or two people,” he said. Collins said riders should also be subject to drink and drug-driving rules, should be banned from using phones while riding, should be required to wear helmets, and should be allowed to use cycleways and shared paths as many currently already do. “The regulation shouldn’t just be on the technology. It should follow how they’re used and where they’re used.” New Transport Minister Chris Bishop said he’s open some transport rules changes, including some of AA’s proposed changes like allowing e-scooter injuries in cycle lanes. He said there will be a vehicle regulation system review this year that will cover e-scooter rules. The increase in costs and claims relating to e-scooters comes as ACC levies are set to rise steadily over each of the next three years. Both earners’ and business levies will increase by up to 5% a year, for three years, from April 1, after the state insurer reported a $7.2 billion loss in the year to June. ACC said while it runs on a no-faults basis, it encouraged e-scooter users to wear a helmet, start off slowly and keep space from other people.   Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:00:58 Z /news/national/hamilton-district-court-tinder-date-cleared-of-filming-sex-with-drunk-woman-on-snapchat/ /news/national/hamilton-district-court-tinder-date-cleared-of-filming-sex-with-drunk-woman-on-snapchat/ A man has been cleared of making Snapchat videos while having sex with a woman he met on Tinder after his lawyer argued she was too drunk to remember giving consent. However, the man, who has interim name suppression, has been found guilty of showing a video to a mutual friend. After the one-day judge-alone trial in the Hamilton District Court, Judge Stephen Clark said the woman’s admission that she was “9 or 9 out of 10″ level of intoxicated was a “looming feature of this case”. “It’s not a situation which I disbelieved her. “It’s a situation where I have to be sure in terms of reliability and the question of alcohol, loomed really large in this case in terms of recall of events.” Given the mixed verdicts, the defendant’s lawyer, Glen Prentice asked the judge not to enter a conviction as he would now file a Section 106 discharge without conviction application. He also successfully asked for interim name suppression. “Ultimately a discharge without conviction has no benefit if there’s publication of the proceedings. “This is a young man. Any time he goes for a job, a Google search will reveal he’s involved in this case.” ‘Let’s go to the bedroom' The pair matched on Tinder in late July 2023 and met at a Hamilton pub the next night. The woman had been drinking since mid-afternoon as she and her friends got ready to head to a private party at the pub. After the function, the man and a friend met the woman and her friend there and had more drinks, including shots, before leaving for his house. The group watched movies before the woman alleged the man said, “let’s go to the bedroom”. They started having sex and the man admitted grabbing his phone and filming her, twice. He claimed he asked her and she gave her permission; however, the woman rejected that and told Judge Clark that she would never agree to let anybody film her naked. The woman said she didn’t remember much of the night; leaving the pub or taking her clothes off but remembered having sex with the man. She admitted being a 9 or 10 out of 10, on an intoxication scale, or “near black-out drunk”. However, later that day, she began having “flashbacks” of a light, or camera light, being on her and hearing her voice being played back to her. Concerned, she messaged her two friends in a group chat but was ultimately reassured all would be fine. That was until the woman and her friend went to a Waipā pub for a party the following week, where the man and his group of friends also turned up. She claimed one of his friends “screamed my name” and throughout the evening got “weird gestures from him and I felt like they were talking about me”. “At one point the guy made a sexual act with his fingers and it made me click back to [flashbacks].” She immediately left the pub, however, her friend later went back to his house for “kick-ons”, or post-pub drinks. The woman’s friend gave evidence that he “looked like a zombie” and she went up to him and asked if he was all right. “He asked to speak to me privately and that’s where things escalated,” the friend said. She claimed the man told her the woman was a “crazy b****” before saying he had “proof”. He then opened Snapchat and showed her one of the videos, both of which were saved in the app’s memories. She told him it was disgusting and they deleted both of them. ‘The defendant says you said yes’ Defence counsel Glen Prentice put to the woman that she had agreed to being filmed but she just couldn’t remember. “[He] says he asked you if he could film you and you said ‘yes’.” “No, that did not happen,” she replied. Prentice repeated his suggestion, and she said she would “never say yes to anyone recording me”. Prentice put to her that people could make decisions that would, “in the cold light of day”, regret. “People wake up in the morning after lots of drinking the night before and think ‘why did I do that?’ “What I’m suggesting is that this is that situation ... that you had given consent to a video being filmed but you just c... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:04:39 Z /news/national/parents-upset-over-unidentifiable-school-lunches-after-scheme-shakeup/ /news/national/parents-upset-over-unidentifiable-school-lunches-after-scheme-shakeup/ Parents are upset over poor-quality and late-delivered school lunches following the scheme’s shake-up. Associate Education Minister David Seymour reformed the programme last year, saying it would save taxpayer dollars. The lunches are supplied by School Lunch Collective, led by British company Compass Group. Parents of kids returning to school are dismayed at new school lunches described as “unidentifiable” following David Seymour’s reforms to the scheme. An Auckland parent said their kids brought their school meal home as it was delivered late, after lunchtime. “They complained it didn’t look good. “We got home and while I was working they brought it to me to eat as they tried it and it was ‘yuck’.” The meal was supposed to be macaroni cheese but the children thought it was mashed potatoes. “I normally try to not waste food but when I tasted it, it was just so bland. If I guessed it was a white sauce with not much cheese, couldn’t actually taste the ham, and the veg/mac was so overcooked that they were just soggy.” An Auckland parent said this meal was "supposed to be mac n cheese" but the "kids thought it was mashed potatoes. " The quality of the lunches had gone downhill since the change of provider, they said. “Kids normally loved the lunches last year and would go and check if there was any left at reception to eat or take home, they were that good.” Tuesday’s lunch this week was butter chicken with no chicken, just rice and sauce, they said. “The cuts were bad enough, but the issue, in my opinion, is that it looks to all be delivered from the same provider, I don’t know who was doing the lunches last year but they were miles better.” The family of a child at Sylvia Park School described a different meal as an “unidentifiable pasta ball and lentils” in a post on social media. “Not one child could stomach the food and so after offers to give food away to local community were declined, all several hundred of these went into the rubbish,” they claimed. “Food arrived at 2pm, one hour after lunchtime finished.” A school lunch described as "unidentifiable pasta ball and lentils". Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced in May last year he would reform the free school lunches programme, known as Ka Ora, Ka Ako, saying it was too expensive and amounted to “wasteful spending”. The $85 million annual contract was won by the School Lunch Collective, a partnership between Compass Group NZ, Libelle Group and Gilmours. The new lunch programme directives follow a strict budget of $3 per meal, about $5 cheaper than the previous model. The School Lunch Collective apologised to schools and students for meals being delivered to students late. “We acknowledge there have been teething problems in the first days of the Healthy School Lunches Programme,” said spokesman Paul Harvey. “With over 127,000 meals being sent around the country every school day, we are learning each day, and are committed to supporting students’ education through the Healthy School Lunches Programme.” The School Lunch Collective didn’t respond to questions regarding complaints about the quality or taste of the food but provided a statement saying nutritionists and dietitians were involved in menu development. “They’ve undertaken nutritional analysis of recipes and will evaluate and monitor production of the meals to ensure they meet the agreed nutritional guidance,” Harvey said. Seymour said the School Lunch Collective is “holding itself to account” for the problems some schools have experienced. “It is important to recognise that this is the first three days of a major programme, requiring 242,000 hot meals to be delivered on time and at the right temperature to schools each day,” he told the Herald. “The majority of those meals have been delivered on time and at the right temperature on the first attempt. The delivery processes will only get better and I expect the collective to work with principals to do this.” He acknowledged th... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 07:56:52 Z /news/crime/bay-of-plenty-man-aramu-rangi-imprisoned-for-hammer-attack-on-mongrel-mobster-mark-walker/ /news/crime/bay-of-plenty-man-aramu-rangi-imprisoned-for-hammer-attack-on-mongrel-mobster-mark-walker/ WARNING: This story contains some crime scene images A patched Mongrel Mob member’s family said he was “left for dead” in the corner of a shed, where he was found bashed and bleeding from his head by his 12-year-old son. Aramu Rangi was today sentenced to imprisonment for the violent attack, during which he repeatedly hit Mark Walker’s head with a hammer. The Crown alleged Rangi attacked Walker at his home in Ruatoki, south of Whakatāne, because he wanted to avenge the Mob-related killing of Meihana Mason, with whom Rangi had a strong whānau connection. A victim impact statement read by Crown prosecutor Tobias Taane, on behalf of Walker’s whānau, said while he survived the attack, the man they knew was gone. Walker’s son had memories of his father’s skull “smashed open and bleeding profusely on the shed floor”. “You left that 12-year-old boy holding his father with life-threatening injuries ... He lost his childhood that day.” Walker now has a metal plate in his skull, and can only eat soft foods and soups. “You used the hammer to deliver life-threatening blows to Mark’s skull, causing the skull to shatter into minute pieces,” they said. “You attacked him in the shed and left him for dead.” Aramu Rangi, 38, was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court to nine years' imprisonment for a violent attack on Mongrel Mob member Mark Walker. After the attack Walker was taken inside the house and up to the bathroom where whānau brought “towel after towel after towel, until there were no towels left, to help stop the bleeding”. “You left his partner with a Mark that now requires 24/7 care and the relationship’s changed from husband and wife, to mother and child.” Walker suffers from seizures and suffers headaches so severe he can’t walk. He has paranoia, is constantly cold, and doesn’t sleep for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. He could no longer be left to care for his children or do activities with them. Despite this, the whānau said they were “determined not to carry a revengeful heart” and were a “forgiving whānau”. ‘One-out’ gone too far, or avenging attack? Rangi was found guilty by a jury last September on a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Judge Bill Lawson said the facts established at trial were that the now 38-year-old had arrived at Walker’s house in February 2022, where he was invited into a shed often used for social gatherings and entertainment. The shed was used for gatherings and entertainment, and was the scene of the violent attack on Mark Walker whose son found him bleeding in the corner. From there, it wasn’t clear exactly what happened. Rangi’s account was that they’d had an agreed “one-out”, or agreed fight, and at its conclusion, Walker had got up and attacked Rangi further, after Rangi had turned his back. Rangi’s lawyer Nephi Pukepuke said his client accepted things had “gone too far” and excessive self-defence had been used. However, Judge Lawson did not accept that and said evidence given at trial, and supported by the jury’s guilty verdict, pointed to the Crown’s case that Rangi went to Walker’s with a motive. He believed Walker to have been involved in the Mongrel Mob-related killing of Meihana Mason, a man it’s understood Rangi thought of as an uncle. Walker had been spoken to by police in connection to Mason’s death twice when the investigation was under way. The judge said the evidence at trial pointed to Rangi retrieving a hammer from his car and returning to the shed, where blood spatter patterns analysed by ESR showed Walker had been seated in a chair when he suffered multiple blows to the back of his head. Judge Lawson did not accept there had been any element of self-defence, excessive or otherwise. The Crown said there was an element of victim vulnerability, given Walker had been seated in the chair and the attack was unprovoked. The judge paid particular attention to the ESR evidence which analysed the blood splatter, and pointed to Mark Walker having been s... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 07:47:37 Z /news/politics/mexican-embassy-wades-in-after-nz-first-minister-s-comments-pm-christopher-luxon-repeats-rhetoric-warning/ /news/politics/mexican-embassy-wades-in-after-nz-first-minister-s-comments-pm-christopher-luxon-repeats-rhetoric-warning/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has refused to say if he’ll reprimand New Zealand First’s Winston Peters and Shane Jones over comments that have been labelled “xenophobic” by the Greens, instead deciding to just tell all MPs to “watch their language”. Responding to Jones calling out in Parliament “send the Mexicans home”, the Mexican Embassy in New Zealand said it was “following up on this matter through diplomatic channels”. In a statement, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Peters said he was “aware of concerns raised by the Mexican Ambassador with MFAT” and looked forward to seeing the Ambassador at Waitangi next week. “In the heat of the moment in the robust environment of Parliament, sometimes some members say things when provoked that, on reflection, may have been expressed differently.” However, Peters earlier said he wouldn’t speak to Jones about his remarks and he stood by his own remarks. Winston Peters and Shane Jones. Photo / Tania Whyte Peters caused a stir on Tuesday when he told Green MPs Lawrence Xu-Nan and Francisco Hernandez to “show some gratitude” for being in New Zealand. That same day, Jones shouted out “send the Mexicans home”, which the Greens’ Ricardo Menéndez March (born in Mexico) said was “xenophobic”. He said that type of language “emboldens” others to say similar things in public and called on the Prime Minister to act. Luxon on Thursday refused to say whether he would reprimand his two ministers. “They are not remarks I would make myself,” he said. “I obviously have conversations with colleagues all the time. All I will just say is having seen remarks from members of parties across Parliament, even in the last 48 hours, my call, as I said last year, was every MP needs to watch their rhetoric.” He said he hadn’t had a chance to speak to the ministers about their remarks. Asked how it was appropriate for his ministers to make those comments and not face consequences, the Prime Minister again said he had seen comments from other MPs that weren’t helpful. The Herald pushed for him to address the comments of his ministers rather than those from MPs from different parties. He responded by saying, “everyone just needs to watch their rhetoric” as they were in Parliament to focus on New Zealanders. Peters said a lot of comments in the House are “absolutely overreacted to” and “this is one classic case”. He wouldn’t speak to Jones about his interjection and believed the Greens were “separatists” and “divisionists”, whereas he was a “nationalist”. When the Herald asked whether he would watch his language as the Prime Minister had asked all MPs to, Peters responded: “I’m watching my language all the time, I’m more concerned about your language actually”. He stood by all his comments. “I have been here a darn long time. I know what is par for the course. I know what is acceptable. I am not going to be one of those gutless twits who the moment he gets offended thinks it’s a Standing Order matter. No, it’s not.” Peters believed he had helped improved the relationship between New Zealand and Latin America. The Mexican Embassy told 九一星空无限 it was “following up on this matter through diplomatic channels”, but Luxon said he wasn’t concerned it was affecting New Zealand’s international relations. Labour’s deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said it wasn’t good enough the Prime Minister wasn’t acting. “That’s indicative of the weak leadership that we’ve seen from him as a Prime Minister. “They may be Members of Parliament from a different political party, but they are ministers in his Cabinet. He is responsible for them and their actions and statements. He needs to hold his ministers to account.” Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 03:47:40 Z /news/world/washington-dc-plane-crash-aircraft-plunges-into-potomac-river-after-colliding-with-black-hawk-helicopter-major-emergency-response-flights-grounded/ /news/world/washington-dc-plane-crash-aircraft-plunges-into-potomac-river-after-colliding-with-black-hawk-helicopter-major-emergency-response-flights-grounded/ A US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington’s chilly Potomac River on Wednesday after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, prompting a major emergency response and the grounding of all flights. The plane had been about to land after flying from Kansas. American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the flight, said “there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft”. A US Army official said the helicopter was a Black Hawk model carrying three soldiers - their status is currently unknown. Washington police said, “There is no confirmed information on casualties at this time”, although a massive search and rescue operation was in progress. The Washington Post quoted unnamed sources saying police had started to pull multiple bodies from the Potomac. President Donald Trump said in an official statement that he had been “fully briefed” and said of any victims, “may God bless their souls”. But less than four hours after the disaster - and while other officials stressed they were waiting for investigations to unfold - he went on social media to critique the air traffic control. “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing,” Trump wrote on his app Truth Social. “Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” Emergency response units assess helicopter wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport. Photo / Getty Images A helicopter assists with search and rescue operations over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport. Photo / Getty Images Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Centre shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball. Footage shared on social media shows a helicopter searching the river with a spotlight. Witness Ari Schulman described “a stream of sparks” and what looked like a large firework when the night-time collision erupted overhead as he drove home. “Initially I saw the plane and it looked fine, normal. It was right about to head over land,” he told CNN. “Three seconds later, and at that point it was banked all the way to the right ... I could see the underside of it, it was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks underneath it,” Schulman added. “It looked like a Roman candle.” Dark, near-freezing river The Federal Aviation Authority ordered the grounding of all planes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Washington’s police said on X that “multiple agencies” were responding to the crash site in the Potomac. Kristi Noem, the country’s new Secretary of Homeland Security, posted on X that she was “deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA”. US Senator Ted Cruz posted on X that the death toll was unknown but “we know there are fatalities”. Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the river, where any work was complicated by the fact it was dark and close to freezing. Dozens of fire trucks headed toward the airport and divers could be seen going off boats into the Potomac. The FAA said a Bombardier regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines “collided in midair” with a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan about 9pm (local time). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas. On its website, American Airlines said in a statement: “We’re aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident. We will provide informat... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 03:10:46 Z /news/national/emergency-services-swarm-caltex-m%C4%81ngere-after-person-badly-burned-patient-in-critical-condition/ /news/national/emergency-services-swarm-caltex-m%C4%81ngere-after-person-badly-burned-patient-in-critical-condition/ Emergency services have this afternoon responded to a serious incident at a South Auckland petrol station where it is understood someone has suffered critical burn injuries. Emergency services responded to Caltex Māngere on Savill Drive shortly after 1pm. A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said two ambulances, one rapid response unit and an operations manager attended. “One patient, in a critical condition, was transported to Middlemore Hospital.” Fire and Emergency New Zealand refused to comment on the situation and referred all questions to ambulance personnel. Police have also been approached for comment. When the Herald called Caltex Māngere about 2.10pm, an employee confirmed an incident had occurred involving a person who suffered serious burns, but that all emergency services had since left the scene. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:40:12 Z /news/sport/lpga-tournament-of-champions-dame-lydia-ko-believes-she-s-a-stronger-player-ahead-of-grand-slam-bid/ /news/sport/lpga-tournament-of-champions-dame-lydia-ko-believes-she-s-a-stronger-player-ahead-of-grand-slam-bid/ Winning early in 2024 set Dame Lydia Ko up for the most historic year of her career. Winning early in 2025 would set her well on the way to achieving the lofty goal she has set herself. The 2025 season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions sees Ko take to her Floridian home course at Lake Nona as defending champion – the newly minted dame hopes to repeat the hot start she had last year in her quest to complete the “grand slam” of LPGA major titles. “After having a tough year in ‘23, to win the first tournament back last year gave me a lot more confidence and good momentum [going] into a year that was very important for me, with the Olympics and the majors. “It helped a lot with confidence. It gave me the belief that I could be back in the winner’s circle and in the Hall of Fame – that was the year it happened to be. “It all started here, and this being my home club, I got a lot of home crowd support,” Ko said ahead of the first round in Florida. Ko has three of the five major titles in her cabinet already – her British Open victory at St Andrews last year followed the Evian Championship and Chevron Championship, leaving the the US Open and the Women’s PGA Championship still to be won. “I would love to do the career grand slam,” Ko reiterated after revealing her new goal while speaking to media before her Damehood was announced. “It’s hard winning one major championship, but to win five, and [they’d all be] different ones, it’s a very small group of players who have done it. If I could be [counted among] that small group, it would be pretty amazing. “It doesn’t matter what happened last year. I still know I’ve got a lot more things to do and achieve and get better at.” A new goal isn’t the only change for Ko in 2025 – she will no longer be the solo Kiwi on the LPGA tour, with Auckland’s Fiona Xu qualifying via the Epson Tour to join her Hall of Fame compatriot. “It’s been me, myself and I these last few years on tour, but I’m excited as there’s an LPGA player now [who] came up from the Epsom Tour called Fiona Xu. I’m excited that, first off, I have another fellow Kiwi playing on tour.” 20-year-old Fiona Xu. Photo / Getty Images Another change this season is the International Crown changing their rules to include players from outside the US, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Sweden and China, meaning Ko will be eligible to play in the team event for the first time under a world team. “I love team play,” Ko said, “Unfortunately, I haven’t really been able to be in that kind of a format very much... so when I heard the announcement there was going to be a world team I was super-excited, and I’d love to be part of it.” Early-season form was the driver for Ko’s historic 2024, but she says she now knows it is not the maker or breaker of a year in professional golf. “Last year I won here, and then I played well the next week... it was a good kick-start to 2024. As much as it’s small differences [between] winning and not winning, there’s a huge confidence matter that goes on. “Even if you play well and don’t win, I think, always, the doubt creeps into my mind. But I feel like now, after the year that I had last year, coming off from one of my worst years in ‘23, I have the belief that even if I don’t play well for a span of a few weeks, I don’t need to get too down on myself because I know what direction I’m going in. “I just believe I can overcome my lulls, so I feel like I’m a much stronger player in that sense, and hopefully I do get off to a good start, but I’m not going to let that reflect on how I’m going to approach the rest of the season.” Ko’s bid to defend her Tournament of Champions crown tees off overnight Thursday (NZT). Will Toogood is an online sports editor and golf reporter for the NZ Herald. He enjoys watching people chase a ball around on a grass surface so much, he decided to make a living out of it. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:36:34 Z /news/politics/green-mp-benjamin-doyle-apologises-for-not-wearing-seatbelt-in-cab/ /news/politics/green-mp-benjamin-doyle-apologises-for-not-wearing-seatbelt-in-cab/ By RNZ New Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle has taken “full responsibility” after not wearing a seatbelt in the back of a cab on Thursday morning. They shared video on Instagram this morning, promoting their speech for this afternoon’s third reading of the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill. It’s clear Doyle is not wearing a seatbelt in the headshot video, which has since been taken down. Green Party musterer Ricardo Menéndez March said it would not happen again. “Benjamin made a mistake. They take full responsibility for it and will ensure it is not repeated.” It comes a day after the Green Party criticised the coalition Government’s move to lift speed limits on some stretches of state highway. The party’s transport spokeswoman Julie-Anne Genter said the change would kill people and ruin lives. Menéndez March said the party stood by this criticism. “It’s absolutely critical that we address the systemic issues which can make our roads more or less safe for all of us. That’s why we’ve been clear about the need for safe speed rules.” Doyle entered Parliament in October. – RNZ Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:26:02 Z /news/national/auckland-jury-acquits-police-officer-james-cox-of-perjury/ /news/national/auckland-jury-acquits-police-officer-james-cox-of-perjury/ Auckland police officer James Phillip Cox was acquitted of perjury after saying he was authorised to use a radar gun. Cox’s lawyer argued the false statement was an honest mistake due to clerical error and lack of oversight. The jury agreed, concluding there was no intent to mislead. An Auckland police officer who issued hundreds of speeding infringements with the help of a radar gun he was not authorised to use has been acquitted of lying under oath about his qualifications. The lawyer for James Phillip Cox, 31, acknowledged from the start of his jury trial in the Auckland District Court this week that the “keen, conscientious young police officer” was wrong to have said he was certified to use the device while in the witness box at the North Shore District Court during a Jan 2023 trial before a justice of the peace. But it was an honest mistake, caused in part by a clerical error by his employer and lack of sufficient oversight by his superiors, Todd Simmonds, KC, argued. A witness cannot be convicted for perjury if an untrue statement under oath was a simple error not intended to mislead, he noted. Cox, who was charged last January, could have faced up to seven years’ imprisonment had he been convicted of the offence. He has been on paid leave over the past year while awaiting the outcome of the case. The officer took deep breaths after the jury foreman read the verdict aloud. He was allowed to step out of the dock to hug crying supporters in the gallery as Judge Paul Murray thanked jurors for their service. “If you’re looking to criticise here with the benefit of hindsight, I suggest to you most of the blame lies with the organisation, with the supervisors...” Simmonds had said during his closing address a day earlier. He added that he didn’t want to “put the boot in to police” but if someone had to be scapegoated it shouldn’t be Cox, who he repeatedly described as “a good young guy making a positive contribution to the community”. “What the heck were his bosses doing here? People were asleep at the wheel. If this [using a radar gun] was an issue, why didn’t a supervisor raise it? We’re talking about three or four years here. “It’s extraordinary, and it doesn’t speak well of the level of supervision ... of this young guy who is learning the ropes.” Cox did not give evidence during the three-day trial but jurors were shown a police interview in which he denied knowingly lying about his certification. He also said he couldn’t remember who had trained him, which Crown prosecutor Robin McCoubrey described as “simply not credible”. ‘Not true and he knows it’ McCoubrey acknowledged that the issue appeared to initially stem from a clerical error dating back years before the perjury allegation. After taking a course on how to use a laser speed detector, a more straightforward device that requires four hours of training, Cox received a certificate from the national road policing manager in 2018 stating he was certified to use both laser and radar detectors. But radar guns require 16 hours of training, which Cox would have surely realised he hadn’t received, McCoubrey said. While the two speed-detection devices might seem similar to the layperson, they’re quite distinctive to those involved in road policing, he said. “It’s common sense he knew he hadn’t done 16 hours of radar training,” McCoubrey said. “There’s no way he’d somehow forgotten ... A young constable would be aware of what they’ve been trained on and what they haven’t been trained on. Sixteen hours ... isn’t something you forget. “He knows he hasn’t done a single minute of radar training and he knows he’s not certified.” McCoubrey alleged that Cox was arrogant but not confused when testifying about being certified. He’d been issuing speeding tickets via a radar gun for more than two years at that point and hadn’t yet been called on it. Jurors were shown an email in which Cox estimated he had conducted 600 or more traffic stops using the device. Crown prosecutor... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:19:17 Z /news/national/whang%C4%81rei-motorcyclist-death-police-launch-homicide-investigation/ /news/national/whang%C4%81rei-motorcyclist-death-police-launch-homicide-investigation/ Police have launched a homicide investigation after a motorcyclist was found dead in a Whangārei creek. The man’s body was discovered in a creek adjacent to Ōtaika Valley Road, State Highway 15, after 5am on Wednesday. His motorcycle was found on the side of the road. Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said the person’s family members were coming to terms with “their loved one succumbing to foul play”. Police believe the man was killed on Tuesday between 7pm and 11pm in a layby opposite the entrance to the Ōtaika Valley Scenic Reserve. Pilmer said police were still figuring out the reason for the homicide. Details about the motorcyclist would be released once formal identification procedures were complete. A post-mortem examination was under way. Police are focused on tracking the whereabouts of a blue and silver coloured road bike found in the layby area. Pilmer said they were interested in sightings of the bike between 8pm on Tuesday and 5am yesterday. Police also wanted dashcam or CCTV footage from Ōtaika Valley Rd, between the intersections of SH14 and Loop and Cemetery roads, during that same time period. “I am asking anyone with a dashcam or CCTV cameras to prioritise checking these now, and contact our investigation team,” Pilmer said. People can upload photos or footage to an online portal. Information can also be provided to police via 105 - reference file number 250129/0335 - anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. A rāhui has been placed by Te Parawhau hapū on the area where the man was found dead. It will be lifted on Friday at 8pm. Ōtaika Valley Rd between SH1 Ōtaika and SH14 Maungatapere has been closed since 9.30am yesterday but was expected to reopen at 2pm. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 01:02:37 Z /news/business/exports-burger-demand-fuels-trade-as-us-overtakes-australia-to-be-new-zealand-s-second-biggest-export-partner/ /news/business/exports-burger-demand-fuels-trade-as-us-overtakes-australia-to-be-new-zealand-s-second-biggest-export-partner/ The United States became New Zealand’s second-largest export market last year, according to new Stats NZ data. And demand for cheap beef to make burger patties was driving much of that. “They’re rebuilding their beef herd in the US so they need more imports,” Westpac senior economist Darren Gibbs said. Cheap New Zealand lean trimmings were sent to the US and turned into burgers. “The US economy has been doing well. I presume on the back of that, burger demand has been rising.” Relative beef shortages worldwide had pushed up some prices, Gibbs added. Meat and edible offal exports to the US were up $87 million from a year earlier, according to new Stats NZ merchandise trade data. ANZ economist Henry Russell said demand for New Zealand meat in China had been sluggish for some time but the US was a different story. “The beef inventory in the US has been in decline for some time.” He said US fast-food chains liked New Zealand beef. The American Farm Bureau Federation last year said the country’s cattle inventory was the smallest since 1951. Trump tariffs The new Stats NZ data emerged soon after Donald Trump started his second term as President, and brought talk of tariffs with him. Russell said it was not yet clear if universal tariffs or targeted tariffs would be applied. He said Trump’s tariff rhetoric was mostly aimed at individual countries such as Mexico and Canada, with whom the US had large trade deficits. US President Donald Trump launched his second term with talk of tariffs. Photo / Getty Images But the US deficit with New Zealand was only NZ$925m last year, Russell said. The economists said if the US placed tariffs on all foreign nations, New Zealand would not lose any competitive advantage. And universal tariffs would largely be paid for by US consumers. But if Australia was spared Trump’s tariffs and New Zealand was not, that would be problematic for Kiwi exporters, Gibbs said. Trade surplus New Zealand in December recorded its first merchandise trade surplus in six months. Goods exports rose by almost $1 billion last month compared to December 2023, to $6.8b. Imports were up too, but only by $404m or 6.5%, to $6.6b. Across the year, exports to the US reached $9b. China was still New Zealand’s biggest export partner. “Although the US is our second largest export partner, New Zealand ranks outside the top 50 countries from which the US purchases goods,” Stas NZ international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward said. The US last year received 12% of all New Zealand’s exports by value. A decade earlier, the US received just 9.4% or $4.7b of New Zealand’s total goods export value. Merchandise exports year-on-year were up across all major markets. Exports to China last month amounted to $342m, up 22% on a year earlier, with dairy products the biggest driver. Exports to the US were up $82m or 11% compared to December 2023, with meat and edible offal exports alone surging by $87m. To Australia, exports were up $64m or 8.7% compared to a year before, with dairy exports having the biggest impact. To the European Union, exports were $110m or 39% more valuable than a year earlier, with dairy and aluminium exports well up. And to Japan, total exports rose by $9.2m or 3.5%. Dairy products and live animal exports to Japan were also up. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:32:01 Z /news/world/robert-f-kennedy-jnr-accused-of-spreading-vaccine-mistrust-during-samoa-measles-crisis/ /news/world/robert-f-kennedy-jnr-accused-of-spreading-vaccine-mistrust-during-samoa-measles-crisis/ By RNZ The deadly Samoan measles outbreak in 2019 has been raised during the confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy jnr in the US Senate. Kennedy is US President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He has been accused of promoting mistrust of vaccines while visiting Samoa in 2019, with the measles outbreak on the island killing 83 people, many of them young children. Senator Ron Wyden accused Kennedy of contributing to the deaths by “spreading lies” on the island. Kennedy told the Senate his trip to Samoa was not related to vaccines, but instead to help digitise health records. He said the vaccination rate on the island was already low before he arrived. “I went there for nothing to do with vaccines. I never gave any public statements about vaccines,” he said. “You will not find a single Samoan who says I didn’t get a vaccination due to Robert Kennedy.” However, following the trip, Kennedy wrote that it had been organised by a local vaccine critic. New Zealand vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris told RNZ’s Morning Report there would have been people in Samoa who absolutely did not get vaccinated because of Kennedy’s influence. “There has been an active opposition to vaccines in Samoa for many years, and that disinformation source is RFK and his organisation,” Petousis-Harris said. “Yes, I think you can directly lay some responsibility on that organisation.” In 2019, Petousis-Harris said Kennedy had weakened an “already fragile trust” in Samoa. “A person who has the status of RFK junior just, I guess, further amplifies what those local anti-vaccine advocates had been saying,” she said. “And there’s a big price to pay, isn’t there? I mean, these were children’s lives.” Kennedy said if he was confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services he would not interfere with people’s rights to get vaccinated for measles and polio. – RNZ Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:26:10 Z /news/crime/teenager-undergoes-head-surgery-after-hammer-attack-in-dunedin-road-rage-incident/ /news/crime/teenager-undergoes-head-surgery-after-hammer-attack-in-dunedin-road-rage-incident/ A teenager brutally attacked with a hammer remains in hospital following a road rage brawl in Dunedin. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said at about 1.30pm yesterday, a Mazda vehicle with four occupants, including a baby, hit a Mercedes on Jetty St. This collision was witnessed by the occupants of a Subaru vehicle, who then joined the Mercedes in chasing after the Mazda. The vehicles travelled through Dunedin before reaching McRae St in Mornington, where the Mazda came to a stop. The cars crashed into several parked vehicles, Bond said. Advertisement Advertise with 九一星空无限.Advertisement Advertise with 九一星空无限. The occupants of all three vehicles got out on McRae St, and an assault took place between the groups. A 16-year-old occupant of the Mazda allegedly used a hammer to strike another 16-year-old occupant of the Subaru in the head. The person who allegedly used the hammer was arrested and charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and appeared in the Dunedin Youth Court this morning, Bond said. Advertisement Advertise with 九一星空无限.Another 16-year-old from the Mazda who was allegedly involved in the altercation was arrested and charged with assault. He has been bailed to appear in the youth court next Tuesday. Bond said the 16-year-old victim from the Subaru, a passenger in the vehicle, was driven away by a 20-year-old male, who was subsequently stopped by police on Princess St. Police identified that the head injury needed medical attention, and the 16-year-old was taken to the hospital, with the 20-year-old following in the Subaru. Upon arrival at the hospital, the 20-year-old was told that the Subaru would be seized. Bond said the Subaru driver then allegedly attempted to remove a bag containing 70 grams of cannabis, which was quickly discovered by police. The 20-year-old was then arrested for possession and supply of cannabis. The 16-year-old victim who was struck with the hammer underwent emergency surgery last night and remains in hospital. Further charges may be laid as inquiries continue into the eight people and three cars involved, Bond said. Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Information can be provided online or by calling 105, quoting reference number 250129/2948. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:21:25 Z /news/politics/christopher-luxon-faces-questions-over-winston-peters-shane-jones-xenophobic-comments/ /news/politics/christopher-luxon-faces-questions-over-winston-peters-shane-jones-xenophobic-comments/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says remarks made in the House about Mexicans which have been branded ‘xenophobic’ by the Green Party are “not words I would use”. Luxon has faced questions this afternoon about the conduct of his senior ministers Winston Peters and Shane Jones after they were accused of making “xenophobic” and “racist” comments. Luxon said every MP needed to “watch your language” and mind the rhetoric being used in Parliament. A press conference is being livestreamed at the top of this file. The Greens’ Ricardo Menéndez March alleges that the ministers engaged in “xenophobic and anti-migrant rhetoric” this week that potentially “emboldens poeple on the ground who may feel like they’ve been given a greenlight to say that kind of stuff in public”. “That can lead to violence,” Menéndez March said. “The Prime Minister’s missing in action when it comes to holding his own ministers to account.” On Tuesday, while speaking in the House, NZ First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Peters told Green MPs Lawrence Xu-Nan and Francisco Hernandez to “show some gratitude” for being in New Zealand. Shane Jones in his Beehive office. Photo / Mark Mitchell “The very people who are here on the very refuge that we give to them have come here with their ideas, foreign to our country, native to theirs, and they wish to impose them upon our Parliament. No, you don’t. “You’re not going to succeed here. You might be laughing now, you might be laughing now, but you’ll be crying tomorrow. Come to this country, show some gratitude.” Also that day, NZ First’s Jones shouted out “send the Mexicans home”. Menéndez March, who was born in Mexico, called that “xenophobic” too. The Green MP said he wasn’t particularly interested in getting into a tit-for-tat with Jones, but was concerned about the flow-on effect for those in migrant communities. “What I’m interested in is preventing further harm to our migrant communities, and this is why this has to go to the Prime Minister.” Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March. Photo / RNZ Asked by 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning whether he stood by his comments, Jones said “It’s a Mexican stand-off”. Peters posted on X (formely Twitter) saying the Greens needed “to stop the pearl clutching and the faux outrage when confronted with the truth”. “When we have some Green Party MPs who have been here for five minutes lecturing us all on their woke globalist agendas, New Zealand First won’t sit back and take it. “ Jones’ comments follow National Minister Todd McClay yelling “you’re not in Mexico now” during a debate in July last year. McClay later apologised. Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:18:07 Z /news/world/kumbh-mela-tragedy-30-dead-in-pre-dawn-human-stampede-in-india/ /news/world/kumbh-mela-tragedy-30-dead-in-pre-dawn-human-stampede-in-india/ A pre-dawn human stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering has killed at least 30 people in India. Many more were injured after a surging crowd spilled out of a police cordon and trampled bystanders. Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj. As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, people sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming towards them in the darkness. “The entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told AFP. “When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.” Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site weaved through piles of clothes, shoes and other discarded belongings. Police were seen carrying stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with thick blankets. “Thirty devotees have unfortunately died,” senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told reporters during an evening news conference at the festival. “Ninety injured were taken to the hospital.” Krishna’s briefing came nearly 18 hours after the stampede and was the first official death toll given by authorities. Festivities had otherwise been allowed to continue almost as normal during the day, with millions still trekking to the riverbanks to immerse themselves in the water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the stampede “extremely sad” and offered his “deepest condolences” to relatives of those killed. “I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured,” he added. Dozens of relatives were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival near the disaster site. The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the festival, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in tandem with a planetary alignment in the Solar System. Officials had attempted to divert crowds away from the disaster site, instructing them to bathe at other locations. “We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot,” said one festival staffer, his voice crackling through his megaphone. “Please cooperate with security personnel.” But even as news of the stampede spread, crowds pushed through cordons to move towards the river, shrugging off aggressive orders from police to turn back. Officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for staging the festival, said millions had participated in the ritual bathing through the day. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the disaster on poor crowd control that prioritised the comfort of distinguished visitors. “Mismanagement and the administration’s special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident,” he wrote on social media. Railway police Superintendent Ashtabhuja Singh told AFP that special train services taking pilgrims to Prayagraj were still running, after earlier reports that they had been halted because of crowding in the city. “My family got scared, so we’re leaving,” attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP. The Kumbh Mela is rooted in a mythological Hindu battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. Organisers have likened the scale of this year’s festival to a temporary country, forecasting up to 400 million pilgrims would visit before the final day on February 26. Police this year installed hundreds of cameras at the festival site and on roads leading to the sprawling encampment, mounted on poles and a fleet of overhead drones. The surveillance network feeds into a sophisticated command and control centre meant to alert staff... Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:12:46 Z /news/national/covid-19-brain-fog-likely-factor-in-near-miss-train-crash-in-south-island/ /news/national/covid-19-brain-fog-likely-factor-in-near-miss-train-crash-in-south-island/ A KiwiRail engineer experiencing after-effects of Covid-19 failed to stop at a red signal nearly causing a train collision last year.  The engineer ran a red light at 44km/h but avoided a crash as track settings kept it on the main line.  TAIC has warned of post-Covid cognitive issues affecting safety-critical workers.  An investigation has found brain fog from Covid-19 likely played a role in a KiwiRail coal train’s near miss with another train.  Investigators concluded the locomotive engineer was likely still suffering the after-effects of Covid-19 early last year when they failed to stop at a red signal and entered a main line, which was occupied by another train.  A Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report detailed how the loaded coal train bound for Lyttelton, departed Arthur’s Pass on February 27 last year.  The engineer had taken over Train 850 at the pass station and had been instructed to cross another train at Cora Lynn, approximately 15km to the east.  The west end of Cora Lynn showing the main line, the loop and signal. Photo / TAIC  A yellow intermediate signal approaching Cora Lynn indicated that the arrival signal was set to stop, requiring the engineer to bring the train to a halt.  However, the train continued past the red arrival signal at 44km/h and entered the main line, narrowly avoiding a collision with an opposing train in the loop.  Fortunately, the points were set for Train 850 to remain on the main line, preventing a potentially serious crash, the report said.  While the engineer was unable to explain why they failed to stop, they later disclosed that they had recently been unwell with Covid-19 while on annual leave.  In hindsight, the engineer believed they should not have returned to work so soon, as they were still experiencing lingering effects of the illness, they told investigators.  The TAIC report highlighted concerns about the impact of acute illnesses such as Covid-19 on cognitive functions like memory and concentration.  “Medical advice received by the commission was that potential effects of Covid-19 on cognitive impairment [‘brain fog’] are well documented and can be long-lasting, continuing after the infection has cleared,” the report said.  “The locomotive engineer could not remember the indication on signal 10530 and were unaware that signal 10244 had been passed at stop. Symptoms of cognitive impairment because of a recent Covid-19 illness can include temporary lapses in concentration and a reduced capacity for situational awareness.”  It recommended that safety-critical workers carefully assess their fitness before returning to duty and called on organisations to recognise the risks posed by post-illness fatigue.  The engineer in question was required to stop for at least 10 seconds to confirm the track was correctly set, but this step was skipped.  The error was not immediately reported, as both locomotive engineers involved initially failed to realise a signal had been passed at danger.  Once the oversight was recognised, the incident was reported to KiwiRail management, triggering an internal investigation.  The engineer had been employed by KiwiRail since 2012 and was an experienced driver and instructor, the report said.  The train consisted of two DXC class diesel locomotives, stretching 439m and weighing 1904 tonnes.  The report noted that weather conditions were clear with good visibility at the time, ruling out environmental factors as a cause.  Ben Tomsett is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin.  Wed, 29 Jan 2025 23:55:01 Z /news/sport/dame-sophie-pascoe-announces-retirement/ /news/sport/dame-sophie-pascoe-announces-retirement/ New Zealand’s greatest Paralympian is hanging up her swimming cap and goggles.  In front of friends and family in Christchurch, Dame Sophie Pascoe announced today that she won’t return to the pool - ending an unparalleled career.  Entering her first Paralympics at Beijing in 2008 as a 15-year-old, Dame Sophie goes out having claimed 11 gold medals (19 medals in all) across four Paralympic Games.  Dame Sophie has also won multiple World Championships with a haul of 27 medals and five medals in three Commonwealth Games.  “Representing New Zealand in the pool has been the greatest honour of my life,” she said.  Sophie Pascoe celebrates her gold medal in the Women's 100m Freestyle S9 Swimming medal ceremony at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, during the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Photo / Photosport  “Every medal, national record, world record and milestone has been a reflection not just of my efforts, but of the collective dedication of my coaches, teammates, family, friends, supporters and the Swimming New Zealand family.”  Now 32, Dame Sophie reflected on an international career that began when she was just 11.  “As I step away from the pool, I carry with me countless memories of triumph and challenge, lessons learned, and friendships forged.”  “While my competitive career may have come to an end, I remain passionate about giving back to the sport that shaped me. I hope to continue inspiring future generations of swimmers and foster an inclusive environment where every athlete feels empowered to achieve their dreams.  Dame Sophie and her husband Rob Samson welcomed a baby boy to their family last year.  She has been named Disabled Sportsperson of the Year on six occasions at the Halberg Awards and was named Para Athlete of the Decade in 2020.  Pascoe was also the New Zealand flagbearer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the Tokyo Paralympics.  Dame Sophie underwent a below the knee amputation on her left leg following a lawnmower accident aged two. She began swimming aged seven and soon after was identified by Paralympians Roly Crichton and Graham Condon who were impressed by her potential and asked her to join the QEII Swim Club.  Her determination and talent quickly became evident, and she debuted on the international stage aged just 11, before competing at her first World Championships when she was 13, winning bronze in the 200IM in Durban. Her first Paralympic Games was Beijing 2008 where she won three golds aged only 15.  Since then she has cemented her status as one of the world’s best swimmers, breaking more than a dozen world records and claiming numerous World Para Swimming Championship titles in addition to her Paralympic success. At Tokyo 2020 she completed a famous four-peat by claiming her fourth consecutive gold medal in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley.  Sophie Pascoe qualifies for the 100m freestyle in world record time during the 2015 New Zealand Open Swimming Championships. Photo / Supplied  ‘True sporting great’  Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns paid tribute to Dame Sophie.  “We have been privileged to have worked with Dame Sophie for around two decades,” said Johns.  “She has been a leader in and out of the water and an inspiration to athletes, young women, anyone with a disability, and to New Zealanders all around the country.  “Her sustained excellence along with her drive and determination have been second to none and she is a true sporting great.”  Dame Sophie Pascoe’s accolades  Four-time Paralympian.  Eleven-time Paralympic champion.  Seven-time silver medallist at Paralympic Games.  One-time bronze medallist at Paralympic Games.  Five-time gold medallist at Commonwealth Games.  New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian.  In 2022 Pascoe was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to swimming.  Wed, 29 Jan 2025 23:41:33 Z /news/entertainment/drake-reschedules-auckland-shows-fans-scramble-to-change-flights-accommodation/ /news/entertainment/drake-reschedules-auckland-shows-fans-scramble-to-change-flights-accommodation/ Drake has landed himself in hot water after the five-time Grammy Award winner rescheduled his two New Zealand shows one month out from their original dates, sparking panic among fans both at home and abroad.  Announcing his Anita Max Win tour of Australia and New Zealand in November last year, the Hotline Bling singer revealed he’d return to Aotearoa after an eight-year absence for back-to-back shows at Auckland’s Spark Arena.  Drake had originally scheduled to play in the City of Sails on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1, after he wrapped up his Australia shows in Brisbane.  However, fans gearing up for next month’s events were notified by Ticketmaster on Wednesday that the original dates had been changed because of “scheduling conflicts”.  The revised dates for his Auckland shows are now Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16.  It is not known why Drake postponed the shows by two weeks, but two more shows in Australia were recently added on March 4 (Brisbane) and March 7 (Sydney).  Drake fans received an email on Wednesday notifying them of the postponement of the rapper's two Auckland shows. photo / @certifiedloveral  Fans expressed their dismay on social media after Ticketmaster emailed to inform them of the changes, with dozens flocking to Facebook ticket resale groups to try to sell or swap their tickets immediately after the announcement.  A Reddit user shared the new dates in a forum and questioned why “artists always pull this s***” when visiting New Zealand.  “Sounds familiar doesn’t it,” one person replied.  “Convinced I jinxed this happening,” wrote a TikTok user from the United States who was planning to fly into the country for one of the shows. “Such an L.”  Another fan travelling from the US to see Drake asked others to “pray” for them as they attempted to change their itinerary.  “I was flying from California to see this show. Now I’m on hold with my travel agency hoping I can move my dates around,” they wrote on Reddit.  @the.pop.cult KIWI DRAKE FANS: Drakes two NZ shows have been rescheduled from Feb 28 and March 1 to March 15 and 16 due to “scheduling conflicts” ‼️ give me your thoughts on this below 😬 #drake #draketour #drakenz #newzealand #anitamaxwynn ♬ Champagne Poetry - Drake Others weren’t so convinced that the move was a big deal.  “So he gave you over a month to accommodate yourselves ... this isn’t a last-minute thing,” a Reddit user said.  The God’s Plan rapper last graced New Zealand shores in November 2017 when he held two sold-out concerts at the same waterfront arena as part of his Boy Meets World tour.  Drake isn’t the first artist to have been called out by Kiwi fans for the disruption made and costs accrued from rescheduling shows, but his move highlights a trend led by international artists that is becoming a regular occurrence within Aotearoa’s events industry.  Travis Scott faced backlash in October last year after he moved his Eden Park concert forward by one day and significantly dropped ticket prices, while earlier that year, Blink-182 cancelled their performance in Christchurch just two weeks before the concert was set to take place.  RNZ recently reported on the growing number of concerts and festivals that have been cancelled or postponed in New Zealand, providing an overview of the rights consumers have in such situations.  US rapper Travis Scott faced backlash in October last year after he moved his Eden Park show forward by one day. Photo / Getty Images  Ticketholders are immediately entitled to a refund if faced with a cancellation or change to an event. However, whether they’re able to claim money back for expenses such as travel and accommodation depends on how culpable the seller is deemed to be within the Consumer Guarantees Act.  “If they’ve breached one of the guarantees, you may be entitled to claim for any reasonably foreseea... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:55:04 Z /news/national/new-k%C4%81inga-ora-apartments-on-malfroy-rd-impress-rotorua-locals-but-concerns-remain-about-tenants/ /news/national/new-k%C4%81inga-ora-apartments-on-malfroy-rd-impress-rotorua-locals-but-concerns-remain-about-tenants/ Rotorua residents browsing controversial new Kāinga Ora apartments - originally described by some as being like “container homes” - say they are impressed with what they have seen, but remain concerned about who will move in.  Kāinga Ora held a community drop-in session yesterday for neighbours and those involved to take a glimpse of what the homes looked like inside.  Locals have seen the apartments slowly develop in the past nine months since the shells were dropped on to the site on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd in April last year. Some locals at the time were shocked, saying they looked like shipping containers and were an “eyesore”.  The shells of the new Kāinga Ora apartments on the coroner of Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St. Photo / Andrew Warner  However, Kāinga Ora assured locals last year there was still a lot of building work to be done on the apartments.  The three blocks of four one-bedroom apartments are now finished. Those living in emergency housing motels or other temporary accommodation are being given priority to move in.  Each apartment has a balcony or patio and parking space and a small garden area. The apartments were blessed by Ngāti Whakaue yesterday morning before the drop-in session started.  Retired couple Don and Catherine Gray took the opportunity to look through after seeing the building working the past few months.  Don Gray said he was a former senior health officer for the then Rotorua District Council and building inspections were part of his job as a former qualified builder.  ”I’ve been interested to see how it’s been built.”  After an initial scan of the apartment, Don Gray said he was impressed.  “There must be double glazing in the front window because you can’t hear the street.”  Catherine Gray was impressed with the carpets and thought they’d be easy to clean if there happened to be spills.  The kitchen and lounge area of one of the 12 new Kāinga Ora apartments on the corner of Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd. Photo / Kelly Makiha  She said she was just happy to see something being built on the land after decades of it being empty.  Julie Fraser-Beach and her daughter, Joy Fraser, were impressed looking through them.  Julie Fraser-Beach said they were a great improvement on the “state houses” of the “old days”.  Joy Fraser said she too liked the look of them inside but, given she lived nearby, she hoped the tenants would be carefully selected and would look after them.  A Rotorua couple who owned a home nearby, who didn’t want their names published in case they offended someone, said their initial reaction to the development was “oh ****”.  “It’s not the homes, it’s who is living in them,” the man said.  The woman said no one wanted drama in their neighbourhood.  “We want to be here for a long time, not a short time.”  Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty housing and wellbeing support manager Teresa Pou outside one of the completed apartment blocks on the corner of Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St. Photo / Kelly Makiha  Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty housing and wellbeing support manager Teresa Pou said Fire and Emergency NZ came to check the complex’s internal alarm system.  She said Fire and Emergency would return once tenants moved in to ensure they knew how it operated and had a good evacuation plan.  About the new apartments and tenants  The units were manufactured offsite and transported to the site in April last year. Offsite manufactured components such as stairs, balconies, roof covering and screens were installed and on-site drainage, service connections, flashings installation and landscaping were then finished in the months ending last year.  Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy said new tenants would begin to move in in February.  He said they were working on identifying suitable applicants from the Ministry of Social Development housing reg... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:38:28 Z /news/national/gay-blood-ban-to-be-removed-next-year-new-zealand-blood-service-says/ /news/national/gay-blood-ban-to-be-removed-next-year-new-zealand-blood-service-says/ Medsafe has approved a change to blood donation rules which would allow more gay and bisexual men to donate  All donors will have an individualised risk assessment, regardless of gender, sex or sexual orientation  The change is expected to occur next year and could boost the number of blood donations  “Discriminatory” rules which prevent some gay and bisexual men from donating blood will be changed next year, the New Zealand Blood Service confirmed today.  Chief medical officer Dr Sarah Morley said Medsafe had approved an application to change the way it assessed potential blood and plasma donors.  That meant the organisation was a step closer to scrapping a ban on donations for some gay men. Under the new system, all donors would have individualised risk assessments, regardless of gender, sex or sexual orientation.  Morley said the final step in the process was to update the New Zealand Blood Service’s testing regime, which was expected to be completed by next year.  “At this stage, we anticipate that individualised donor assessments will be introduced in early 2026. We are committed to change, and we look forward to soon welcoming more gay, bisexual, takatāpui and other men who have sex with men into our whānau of lifesavers.”  A Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study (Spots) study last year found that three times as many gay and bixexual men would donate if the rules were changed to a more individualised assessment.  At the moment, men cannot donate blood if they have had oral or anal sex with another man in the last three months.  The “window period” is designed to reduce the risk of passing undetected HIV on to a blood recipient.  HIV rates are higher among gay men compared to the general population and blood screening processes may not pick up an infection which occurred within the previous eight days.  Many gay and bisexual men consider the criteria to be outdated, unscientific and discriminatory.  This broad brush approach excluded people who posed no risk of HIV transmission, such as people in a monogamous relationship or who had not had sex with new or multiple partners.  Associate Professor Peter Saxton said most gay and bisexual men wanted to donate blood if they were allowed to, and research had shown this would be safe for blood recipients. Photo / RNZ  Associate Professor Peter Saxton, from the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, said he was “extremely pleased” with the Medsafe approval.  “This takes Aotearoa, New Zealand one step closer to a more inclusive blood donor policy and more blood for those who need it.”  He added: “SPOTS data show that four out of five gay and bisexual men in New Zealand wanted to donate blood if the rules were changed and they were allowed to donate. Importantly, our data suggest this would be safe for blood recipients. We found no participants with confirmed undiagnosed HIV.”  New Zealand’s change of direction follows similar moves in the United Kingdom and Canada. Those countries have moved to a more individualised, gender-neutral screening process which allowed gay men to donate if they only had sex with a long-term partner in the last three months. The UK has also removed an exclusion for oral sex.  A HISTORY OF ‘UNJUSTIFIED EXCLUSION’  1980s: Gay men banned from blood donation in NZ during HIV epidemic  2008: Rules changed to allow men who had not had sex with another man for five years to donate blood  2014: Stand-down period reduced to 12 months  2020: Stand-down period reduced to three months  2023: NZ Blood Service commits to new criteria  2025: Medsafe approves change in donor assessments  2026: Individualised assessments expected to begin  Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:19:17 Z /news/politics/what-wellington-city-council-crown-observer-lindsay-mckenzie-said-in-his-first-report/ /news/politics/what-wellington-city-council-crown-observer-lindsay-mckenzie-said-in-his-first-report/ A report detailing initial observations by Wellington City Council’s Crown observer has been made public.  Lindsay McKenzie said factors increasing challenges at the council include political positioning and ideologies and the media spotlight.  McKenzie will now report to Simon Watts who is the new Local Government Minister after Simeon Brown was made Health Minister.  Wellington City Council’s Crown observer says it’s surprising the organisation hasn’t “totally wilted under the pressure” it’s facing.  A report detailing initial observations by observer Lindsay McKenzie dated December 13 has been posted on social media and verified by the Herald.  It’s understood the five-page document was sent to all city councillors on Monday.  McKenzie wrote that some of the issues they faced were similar to other councils around the country, including prevailing economic conditions, Covid-19 disruption and significant shifts in central government policy.  Other factors that have exacerbated challenges at Wellington City Council included personalities, political positioning and ideologies, earthquake risk, the media spotlight, the proximity to central government and “wicked” problems.  Former Local Government Minister Simeon Brown intervened at the council after it stopped the controversial sale of its 34% share in the airport – upending the Long Term Plan (LTP).  The council now has to amend the LTP and cut hundreds of millions of dollars in capital spending to create additional debt headroom to respond to the insurance risks the airport sale was designed to solve.  Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has said the presence of a Crown observer has helped her colleagues work more collaboratively. Photo / Mark Mitchell  McKenzie described this, as well as the current chief executive stepping down, as “massively disruptive”.  “In many respects, this was the perfect storm, even more so when the challenges and expectations of local water done well reforms, on Wellington especially, are overlain.  “My initial observation is that it is surprising that the organisation hasn’t totally wilted under the pressure. It didn’t need to be this way.”  After the council signed off the initial LTP, which included selling the airport shares, councillors still had the opportunity to stop the sale in December if they wanted to.  Chief financial officer Andrea Reeves has previously said council officials would report back to the council in December with recommendations outlining the process to sell the shares. She confirmed councillors would have an opportunity at this time to say they didn’t want to progress.  However, a majority of councillors forced the decision in October by lodging a notice of motion.  If the decision had been made in December, it would have given the council more time and decoupled the issue from three waters reform changes triggered by the change in government, McKenzie said.  “I observe that the alternative path doesn’t appear to have been considered by the proponents, nor does it appear that the impact on the organisation was a factor in the majority decision.”  McKenzie observed the perceived performance and the underlying performance of the council were likely different.  “But perceptions, shaped mostly by elected members' performance in committee room/council chamber, become reality.”  Crown observer Lindsay McKenzie says the perceived performance and the underlying performance of the council were likely to be different. Photo / Mark Mitchell  McKenzie said the recruitment process for a new chief executive was well managed, after Barbara McKerrow said she would step down from the role in March 2025, at the end of her term.  However, McKenzie also said he had been briefed that the name of the new chief executive had been disclosed before the agreed timeline.  He did not say by whom.  “I understand that the dis... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:12:23 Z /news/crime/palmerston-north-police-make-arrests-after-three-violent-incidents/ /news/crime/palmerston-north-police-make-arrests-after-three-violent-incidents/ Three men are facing court action after a spate of violent incidents across Palmerston North since New Year’s Day, including two bar attacks and an assault involving a car.  Police say they have arrested three men aged 22 to 26 after two serious assaults at two bars and a violent incident outside a petrol station.  Early on New Year’s Day, police were called to a Rangitikei St bar, after one person received serious injuries.  A 24-year-old man was charged with wounding with intent to injure and is in custody pending a Palmerston North District Court appearance on March 4.  The victim has since been discharged from hospital.  On January 27, about 11.30pm, a person received serious injuries after a suspected stabbing at a Main St bar.  A 26-year-old man appeared in Palmerston North District Court this week charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.  He is due to reappear on March 10.  The victim is expected to be discharged from hospital today, police said.  In a third incident outside a petrol station, a man was struck by a vehicle on Ferguson St and another person received suspected stab wounds on January 10.  They have both been discharged from hospital.  A 22-year-old man was remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Palmerston North District Court on March 4.  He faces charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon, and assault with a blunt instrument.  Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.  Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:01:33 Z /news/sport/dame-lisa-carrington-hints-at-bid-for-2028-los-angeles-olympic-games/ /news/sport/dame-lisa-carrington-hints-at-bid-for-2028-los-angeles-olympic-games/ Dame Lisa Carrington’s time in the Olympic arena could yet continue.  After sweeping her three events in Paris last year, bringing her gold medal count to eight with wins in the K-1 500m, K-2 500m and K-4 500m, the nine-time Olympic medallist has hinted at mounting a campaign for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.  “And we’re back. Let’s go. #LA28,” Carrington captioned a post on social media this morning.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lisa Carrington (@liscarrington) It was widely assumed the 35-year-old would call time on her career following a successful event in Paris. However, Carrington indicated to the Herald in September she was not yet ready to put a full stop on her career.  In 2024, Carrington achieved a career-first with gold in the K-4 500m alongside Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan. The gold was Carrington’s first Olympic medal in the discipline.  Carrington made her Olympic debut back in London in 2012, claiming gold in the K-1 200m. She followed that up with gold in the same event in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, as well as a bronze in the K-1 500m.  In Tokyo, she claimed three golds – winning the K-1 200m, K-1 500m and K-2 500m, paddling with Caitlin Regal in the latter.  While the K-1 200m was not contested in Paris, Carrington still came away with three golds: the K-1 500m, K-2 500m with Alicia Hoskin, and the K-4 500m.  While that could have been seen as a perfect sign-off, the success in the team event might have also added another reason to continue.  “At this stage, it is about figuring out what is the best for me, and I’m always going to have an obligation to the team,” Carrington told the Herald in September. “It’s so important to keep looking after what we have created. I still love it and still really care for the girls and want to see them succeed, so you don’t just stop that stuff.”  Wed, 29 Jan 2025 21:44:01 Z /news/politics/new-zealand-apologises-for-failing-to-consult-pacific-countries-on-rse-worker-changes/ /news/politics/new-zealand-apologises-for-failing-to-consult-pacific-countries-on-rse-worker-changes/ Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says New Zealand has apologised to Pacific countries for failing to consult them about changes to income and accommodation policies for RSE workers.  Stanford revealed in a select committee on Wednesday an apology was made through those countries’ diplomats.  Late last year, a series of changes were introduced to the RSE scheme. They included lifting a pause on accommodation cost increases and adjusting the application of the 10% above the minimum wage requirement, so it applies to only experienced workers.  Speaking to the Education and Workforce Committee, Stanford admitted the Government had not consulted with the Pacific-labour sending countries whose residents would be affected by the changes.  “That was an issue that we had between us and foreign affairs,” Stanford said in response to questions from Labour MP Phil Twyford.  “My view at the time was that that had been consulted on, and it hadn’t. We have said to the high commissioners that we have apologised for that, and it won’t happen again.”  Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, seen with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, says there was a miscommunication between officials in terms of consulting with Pacific partners. Photo / Mark Mitchell  In a statement, Stanford told the Herald there was a miscommunication between officials in terms of consulting with Pacific partners.  “An apology was made to the relevant high commissioners at the time and a commitment was made to ensure consultation takes place on any proposed future changes,” she said.  Twyford, Labour’s immigration spokesman, told the Herald the failure to consult was “pretty poor form” and a “gross oversight”.  “It’s a sensitive issue because the RSE scheme delivers economic benefits for the labor-sending countries like Samoa, for example.  “But they also try to manage the downsides – that is villages being stripped of their working-age population, losing skilled workers to New Zealand that they need for economic development at home.”  The RSE scheme gives temporary employment to Pacific workers who can then send their earnings to their communities in the Pacific.  Labour's immigration spokesman Phil Twyford says the Government’s changes last year meant RSE workers were “taking a lot less money home to their family”. Photo / Mark Mitchell  The Pacific countries eligible under the RSE scheme are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.  Twyford said he was surprised the Government had not given “the basic courtesy of consultation” with the Pacific countries on such an important issue.  “This shouldn’t be a one-way street. New Zealand doesn’t get to dictate the terms to these countries, they’re sovereign countries, and they’re participating in a scheme that is supposed to be delivering benefits to both sides.”  Twyford said the Government’s changes last year meant RSE workers were “taking a lot less money home to their family”.  “These people are leaving their spouses and children, leaving their villages and communities to spend many months in a foreign country working so they can send money back to their families at considerable sacrifice.  “To not even have the good grace to consult properly with those labour-sending countries, I think it’s pretty poor form.”  In announcing the changes in August, Stanford said they would reduce costs and compliance for employers, and improve flexibility for RSE workers.  Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said at the time the RSE scheme was central to New Zealand’s relationships in the Pacific and has delivered benefits to everyone involved.  “New Zealand is committed to supporting Pacific priorities. That is why these changes include broader opportunities for skills development, greater flexibility in visa settings, and pay based on experience.”  Julia Gabel is a W... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:19:13 Z /news/national/kiwi-found-dead-in-northland-doc-trap/ /news/national/kiwi-found-dead-in-northland-doc-trap/ A kiwi was found dead on Saturday inside a Department of Conservation trap in Puketi Omahuta forest.  DoC said it would review this trap network to ensure the traps were being used according to best practice.  17 kiwi have been found dead or injured in the same or similar traps since 2008.  A woman on a forest walk has found a dead kiwi inside a Department of Conservation pest trap - the 17th kiwi death or serious injury of its kind since 2008.  Sarah, who asked to remain anonymous, was walking in the Puketi Omahuta forest track in Northland on Saturday when she made the grisly discovery.  “It’s an offbeat goat track, it’s cute, there’re kiwi everywhere throughout there, that’s why there’re so many traps out there to help them.  “Don’t get me wrong, I love DoC and I love what they stand for and what they do, but clearly this [trap] is doing the polar opposite of what it should,” Sarah said.  A kiwi was found dead inside a DoC trap by a woman walking the Puketi Omahuta forest track.  DoC Kiwi Recovery Group lead technical adviser Emily King said DoC traps were “thoroughly tested ... to minimise any interaction from non-target species like kiwi”.  DoC records show 16 kiwi have been found dead or seriously injured in DoC traps (or similar traps) from 2008 until 2024.  “In 2022 there were more than 100,000 DoC series traps in kiwi habitats across the country, the proportion of incidents with kiwi is small,” King said.  A North Island brown kiwi. Photo / 123rf  Northland conservation group Kiwi Coast says the DoC mustelid traps “have specially sized entrance holes and off-set mesh walls inside so kiwi cannot enter or poke their curious heads and long bills straight into the traps”.  Sarah said the kiwi wasn’t tagged and looked like it had only died in the previous 24 hours.  “It’s stuck its head in it [the trap]... like a hole where the bugs go, they burrow naturally.  A kiwi was found dead inside a DoC trap by a woman walking the Omahuta Puketi forest track.  “It’s unfortunate that the traps they set there on the ground to help [the kiwis] are actually so easy for them to get caught in,” Sarah said.  The dead kiwi was found in a DoC 200 trap, which is designed to catch rats, stoats and hedgehogs. DoC uses smaller and larger versions of the same trap.  DoC operations manager Bay of Islands Bronwyn Bauer-Hunt said they were thankful that the death of the kiwi was reported to DoC and said staff would “take any necessary steps to reduce the chance of it occurring again.  “Deaths of this kind occasionally happen, but they are extremely rare given the number of traps kiwi could come across in their habitats.”  Without predator control, only 6% of kiwi chicks survive to adulthood. With proper predator control, this can increase up to 60%, Bauer-Hunt said.  DoC said it would review this trap network to ensure the traps were “following best practice”.  Bauer-Hunt said it was likely that it was an adult brown kiwi, which has a “non-threatened” status, dependent on continuing conservation efforts.  The sex of the kiwi is unknown at this stage.  DoC is yet to assess the cause of death and whether the kiwi would have died instantly.  “However it appears the kiwi bill has been trapped,” Bauer-Hunt said.  The population of brown kiwi has been increasing thanks to predator control efforts, Bauer-Hunt said.  “Without this ongoing effort in predator control, we would see brown kiwi populations begin to decline again.”  A spokesperson for Predator Free said kiwi were “a huge factor“ in the designs of the traps.  “A lot of care has gone into the design of the trap boxes to prevent any bycatch of species that aren’t specifically targeted by the trap.”  A kiwi was found dead inside a DoC trap by a woman walking the Omahuta Puketi forest track.  Last year, leg-hold traps, different from DoC... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:15:47 Z /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-former-labour-minister-kiri-allan-slams-despicable-government-actions-ahead-of-oral-submission/ /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-former-labour-minister-kiri-allan-slams-despicable-government-actions-ahead-of-oral-submission/ Kiri Allan is the latest former politician to voice opposition to the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, telling the Herald it will go down as a “black mark” on our history and has created “a sense of heart-brokenness” among Māoridom.  She joins the likes of former National MPs Christopher Finlayson and Dame Marilyn Waring and former Labour MP Andrew Little who all implored the Justice Select Committee to ditch the bill during the first day of submissions.  Today marks the second day of oral submissions. Allan, who was a Labour MP from 2017-2023, is expected to speak to the committee via Zoom at 9.10am.  “This bill has intentionally decided to divide us based on a misrepresentation of our history ... and I think that is a despicable action,” Allan told the Herald.  “This is a sad period for democracy, for relationships within our nation.”  The bill proposes replacing the current Treaty principles – ways of interpreting the Treaty proper in legislation - that have been developed over decades by courts and the Waitangi Tribunal with three new ones determined by Cabinet.  The bill’s architect - Act leader David Seymour - says the purpose of the bill is to provide certainty and clarity, and promote a national conversation about their place in our constitutional arrangements.  In his submission on Tuesday, Seymour said: “The (way) courts and the Waitangi Tribunal have sought to define the principles of the Treaty is incompatible with freedom under the law, a free society, where each of us has equal rights.  “Dividing people into racial groups is the definition of racism. When you see people as a member of a group first and an individual second, you miss interesting things about them, you also open the door to dehumanising oppression.”  Responding to Allan’s comments that the bill has caused division, Seymour said: “What has caused division is successive governments treating New Zealanders based on their ethnicity, which is the problem the Treaty Principles Bill seeks to solve.”  The Justice Select Committee is set to hear 80 hours of oral submissions. That’s after the more than 300,000 submissions received by the committee in writing, a record.  It is a bill that has caused a “visceral reaction” across New Zealand, Allan said. Indeed, tens of thousands of people marched to Parliament in November, chanting “kill the bill” and imploring Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to prevent it from going through the select committee process.  The hīkoi mo te tiriti crosses the Auckland Harbour Bridge in November last year. Photo / Michael Craig  The hīkoi outside Parliament in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Luxon, and Act’s other coalition partner NZ First, have said ad nauseam they would vote down the bill at the second reading. That means it will not become law, but its very existence has nonetheless caused significant damage to the Māori-Crown relationship, Allan said.  “It’s eroded social cohesion; it’s eroded the fundamental trust between all of us as New Zealanders because you have political leadership driving a discussion that seeks to put wedges between people based on race.  “But Te Tiriti is not about race, Te Tiriti is about how each of us find a home here in Aotearoa. It weaves us together, but that’s not the political rhetoric that’s been driven by those that are the leaders and the architects of this bill.”  Allan, former Minister of Conservation, is expected to focus partly on the impacts such a bill would have on the Conservation Act in her oral submission today.  She says section four of that act has “arguably one of the strongest Treaty provisions in all legislation”.  “That created such a strong obligation on, for example, the government agency, the Department of Conservation, to work in partnership with hapū and iwi on the ground.  “Everywhere where that was done in a positive way, you saw inc... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:07:36 Z /news/crime/auckland-airport-customs-officers-seize-16-million-worth-of-methamphetamine/ /news/crime/auckland-airport-customs-officers-seize-16-million-worth-of-methamphetamine/ A 69-year-old man has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison after trying to smuggle about 4.4kg of methamphetamine through Auckland Airport. Customs officers seized the methamphetamine in September 2024 after it was found under the lining of the man’s hand luggage. The 4.4kg located would have had a street value of up to $1.6 million. The Dutch national was sentenced in the Manukau District Court on Tuesday and convicted of the importation of the Class A controlled drug. Auckland Airport Customs manager Paul Williams said stopping this quantity of methamphetamine from entering the country prevented about $4.9m worth of social harm and cost to New Zealand. The 4.4kg of methamphetamine found in the bag of a passenger at Auckland Airport would have had a street value of up to $1.6 million. Photo / New Zealand Customs Service “Anyone committing such a serious crime will have to face the consequences,” he said. “Drug couriers may be willing to take the risk of trying to smuggle illegal drugs, but they should understand that Customs’ training and access to intelligence means there is a good chance we will catch and arrest them.” More than $10m worth of methamphetamine was seized in the first two days of 2025 after three people allegedly tried smuggling it through the border. In one incident, meth had been soaked into clothing to conceal it. Customs said two separate attempts at smuggling turned up about 27kg of meth in luggage at Auckland International Airport. Two men, a 33-year-old and a 39-year-old, arrived in the country on a flight from Toronto, Canada, on New Year’s Day. Customs officers questioned them and searched their bags, finding 20.44kg of meth in the 33-year-old’s suitcase. The bag tag was linked to the 39-year-old. They were due in the Manukau District Court today charged with importing a Class A controlled drug. The 33-year-old faces a charge of possessing a Class A controlled drug for supply. Customs said this drug seizure had an estimated value of $7.66m and avoided about $21.42m worth of harm to New Zealand’s communities and economy. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 08:15:16 Z /news/world/sydney-terror-threat-explosives-list-of-jewish-targets-discovered-in-caravan/ /news/world/sydney-terror-threat-explosives-list-of-jewish-targets-discovered-in-caravan/ Explosives and a list of Jewish targets were found in a caravan in Sydney’s northwest. NSW Police and other agencies are investigating the incident as a credible terror threat. Deputy Commissioner David Hudson stated there is no ongoing threat to the community. By Clareese Packer Explosives and a note of Jewish targets were found in a caravan in Sydney’s northwest. A resident in Dural reportedly made the chilling find in an abandoned caravan on Derriwong Rd, according to the Daily Telegraph, with the masthead reporting the incident was being treated as a credible terror threat. NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson are set to address the media following an investigation in Dural on Wednesday afternoon. Hudson said the incident was being taken “seriously”. “The NSW Police Force is working with the Australian Federal Police, NSW Crime Commission, ASIO [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation], Victoria Police and the Queensland Police Service,” Hudson said. “This is an ongoing investigation and is being taken seriously with all lines of inquiry being pursued. “There is no ongoing threat to the community.” More to come Wed, 29 Jan 2025 08:10:02 Z /news/national/111-ambulance-calls-go-unanswered-as-auckland-baby-chokes-and-turns-blue-st-john-to-investigate/ /news/national/111-ambulance-calls-go-unanswered-as-auckland-baby-chokes-and-turns-blue-st-john-to-investigate/ Auckland parents Steve and Breanne Smith say 111 calls to the ambulance service went unanswered as their infant choked. They performed CPR and dislodged the food before police helped get an ambulance. The Smiths urge better ambulance funding, stressing the importance of learning infant CPR. A young Auckland family say their frantic calls to the 111 ambulance service went unanswered as their infant turned blue while choking on his dinner. The parents are angry and upset, and believe the ordeal last night almost cost them their seven-month-old son. They are calling on the Government to properly fund ambulance services before someone’s child dies. Hato Hone St John said it was not aware of any technical issues with the calling system last night and it needs time to investigate the claims. About 5pm yesterday, Patumāhoe residents Steve and Breanne Smith were feeding their son Reef mashed avocado, a typical meal for the baby. “We noticed that he started to get a bit red and that he was struggling to swallow... then it just got worse and worse,” Steve told the Herald. Breanne yelled “he’s turning blue” before pulling their baby from the high chair and striking his back in an attempt to dislodge the food. When this did not work, she lay him on the ground and started CPR while Steve called 111. Steve said he called twice. Both times a 111 operator answered the call and transferred him to the ambulance call centre. But each time the phone just rang and no one answered the call. “By the second time I started yelling,” Steve said. “My kid is f***ing dying, I need an ambulance now.” Seven-month-old Reef Smith’s parents say he was given the all-clear at the hospital after the ordeal. Photo / Breanne Smith The parents gave up on the ambulance and called a neighbouring nurse before Steve got in contact with police. He said police were able to get an ambulance to their home but at that stage his wife had successfully dislodged the food and Reef started to “come to”. Reef was taken to hospital to have his lungs checked for food and was given the all-clear to return home later that night. Reef was born with oesophageal atresia, a birth defect that means the two separate parts of the oesophagus do not join together correctly. He had an operation as a newborn to correct the issue. Steve and Breanne Smith say they have been left shaken after watching their son choke. Photo / Breanne Smith. Steve said he and Breanne were left shaken by the experience. “If I hadn’t been trained in infant CPR there may have been a not-so-nice outcome,” Breanne said. Both parents stressed the importance of learning infant CPR and said they were not upset at the frontline staff. “We know it’s not their fault, we know they are underfunded,” Steve said. “But [the Government] has to start funding this better, someone is going to end up dead.” A Hato Hone St John spokesperson confirmed to the Herald that an ambulance attended the family’s home last night. “We are not aware of any technical faults in relation to 111 calls last night but we will need some time to investigate. In the meantime, we would encourage the family to contact us so we can discuss it with them directly.” Wed, 29 Jan 2025 08:04:41 Z /news/national/gisborne-council-to-confirm-easter-sunday-trading-policy-for-2025/ /news/national/gisborne-council-to-confirm-easter-sunday-trading-policy-for-2025/ Retailers may assume they will be able to trade on Easter Sunday, as they have for the past seven years, but that right has not yet been confirmed for 2025. Gisborne District Council’s existing Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy is due to lapse on March 1. The council, sitting on Thursday for the first time in 2025, is due to adopt a new policy and have a public consultation process, which may allow for a decision to be made in time for Easter 2025. The recommended option for councillors to support is a Statement of Proposal that would result in a 2025 policy unchanged from the 2018 policy, which would allow Easter Sunday trade from this year. The agenda before councillors states an earlier review of the policy was put on hold because of a Private Member’s Bill being introduced to Parliament, which, if passed into law, would have removed the need for local Easter trading policies. But that bill did not pass the first reading. If the Statement of Proposal is adopted, consultation will be open from February 4 to March 5. A second option available for councillors is to direct a full review of the Easter Sunday and public consultation. The option, if adopted, would mean no Easter Sunday trading in 2025. A third option available to councillors would be to do nothing, meaning the current policy would lapse, resulting in the loss of Easter Sunday trading from 2025. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 03:24:34 Z /news/national/person-missing-at-auckland-s-piha-was-between-flags-believed-unable-to-swim/ /news/national/person-missing-at-auckland-s-piha-was-between-flags-believed-unable-to-swim/ Surf Life Saving crews believe the person missing at Auckland’s Piha was unable to swim. Seven swimmers got into trouble in rough sea conditions at the notorious west coast beach yesterday afternoon. Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) said the group had been swept out to sea in a rip. Today a spokesperson said conditions on Tuesday were rough, with a choppy 2.5-metre swell, gusting wind and low tide at the time. “The swimmers were in the flagged area which meant surf lifeguards were watching and were able to rescue six out of the seven swimmers.” Four were saved by lifeguards with a rescue board and another two were rescued with the IRB. “One person, who surf lifeguards understand could not swim, could not be located,” they said. “Three IRBs and three rescue watercraft (jetskis) were then deployed to search for the missing person. “Police deployed the Eagle helicopter and deployed police personnel to the beach.” The search for a missing swimmer pulled away by a rip resumed this morning. Photo / Auckland Coastguard. The search for the missing swimmer resumed this morning. A police spokesperson said the shoreline would be searched around the Lion Rock and South Piha/Blue Pool area and Land Search and Rescue would join. The Eagle helicopter would be monitoring the water from the sky “when possible”, with Land Search and Rescue on the ground. “Police are liaising with the man’s family, and we will continue to provide updates.” Wed, 29 Jan 2025 03:17:14 Z /news/national/kiwifruit-growers-welcome-241m-payout-to-zespri-for-mice-infestation/ /news/national/kiwifruit-growers-welcome-241m-payout-to-zespri-for-mice-infestation/ By Monique Steele of RNZ Kiwifruit growers are welcoming the $24.1 million payout Zespri has received for the mice infestation on last season’s first shipment of SunGold to Europe as “a late Christmas present”. More than a million trays were destroyed in May following the discovery of vermin aboard the Crown Garnet shipment of SunGold around Belgium in April last year. Zespri said the successful marine cargo insurance claim will return a “substantial proportion of the losses” attributed to the incident to growers of SunGold at a value of 17-18 cents per tray, which will be reflected in the next forecast in February. Chief executive Jason Te Brake said the settlement was a positive outcome for the industry. “We take fruit quality incredibly seriously and our decision to dispose of the fruit from the impacted vessel reflects our ongoing commitment to food safety and protecting our brand.” Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Colin Bond said there was some relief among growers. “I think it’s a late Christmas present for growers that they’ll be delighted to receive,” Bond said. “We were really surprised. “I think we were all expecting a good result, but we weren’t expecting the results so quickly, so it’s great news that Zespri’s confirmed yesterday that growers will be receiving to the pool an extra $24m over the next month or two.” Bond said the payments, as usual, will go to the customers and their various post-harvest suppliers, who then pay growers who provided the fruit. “It’s great that we’ve got a majority of the value of that fruit back in the first payment, and still the opportunity potentially for more once Zespri concludes the process under the other insurance policy.” He said it would help their balance sheets after a couple of tough seasons. “2024 was a season that we all needed after a couple of quality challenges [in] ‘22 and late frosts in ‘23 that hampered yields,” he said. “So ‘24 is a return to profitability for the majority of growers, and at this point in the in the growing season, 2025 is looking promising as well. “So there’s a lot of the positivity in the sector, and [that’s] just aided by this additional 17 cents the gold growers are going to receive from the insurance payout.” Zespri will capture the proceeds in its 2024 SunGold kiwifruit pool and awaits a result for a further product contamination insurance claim. – RNZ Wed, 29 Jan 2025 03:09:11 Z /news/national/fire-and-emergency-battle-large-vegetation-fire-in-porirua-s-spinnaker-reserve/ /news/national/fire-and-emergency-battle-large-vegetation-fire-in-porirua-s-spinnaker-reserve/ A large vegetation fire is burning in Spinnaker Reserve, Whitby. Fire and Emergency say the fire was contained before it could reach nearby homes. A restricted fire season was declared for Porirua and Kāpiti Coast just yesterday. A large vegetation fire in Porirua has been contained before it reached nearby homes. Some homes were evacuated as a precaution after the blaze broke out in Spinnaker Reserve, Whitby, about 1.40pm, Fire and Emergency said. At 2.30pm the fire was estimated to be 480sq m in size, but by 3.15pm the department confirmed it had not become any larger and they had stopped it from reaching houses on nearby Mercury Way. “There are currently 14 crews on site, working to extinguish the fire completely,” they said. “The cause of the fire is not yet known, but it will be investigated. “Outdoor fires are restricted in this area, which means a permit would have been required before a fire could be lit.” People are asked to stay away from the area, so trucks can get through. There is some smoke in the area, so those nearby should keep their windows closed, Fire and Emergency warned. The fire happened just one day after the restricted fire season was declared in Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast. A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire must go to checkitsalright.nz and apply for a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency. A fire has broken out in Spinnaker Reserve in Whitby this afternoon. Image / Google Maps District manager Brett Lockyer said Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast had become extremely dry since the beginning of the year. “Although there has been a bit of rain in the last couple of days, we still have a lot of very dry vegetation on the west side of the district, which could easily catch fire.” Wellington is currently experiencing gusts of up to 72km/h. MetService says the capital will have strong northerlies today but they will be easing this evening. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 02:28:31 Z /news/national/auckland-traffic-motorway-traffic-gridlocked-on-southern-motorway-after-crash-near-newmarket/ /news/national/auckland-traffic-motorway-traffic-gridlocked-on-southern-motorway-after-crash-near-newmarket/ A crash on Auckland’s Southern Motorway near Newmarket has gridlocked afternoon traffic, with queues stretching back almost 10km. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said at 2pm a crash on State Highway 1 was blocking the left northbound lane under the Mountain Rd overbridge, before the Khyber Pass Rd off-ramp. In an update at 2.20pm, NZTA said two lanes were blocked to allow vehicle recovery. It followed this up at 2.40pm by saying the crash had been fully cleared. According to Google Maps, northbound traffic had backed up almost 9km to Sylvia Park. Photo / Google Maps According to Google Maps, northbound traffic had backed up almost 9km to Sylvia Park. The Herald has sought comment from police on the crash. - More to come Wed, 29 Jan 2025 02:17:56 Z /news/national/chinese-new-year-fire-and-emergency-issues-sky-lantern-warning-over-fear-of-wildfires/ /news/national/chinese-new-year-fire-and-emergency-issues-sky-lantern-warning-over-fear-of-wildfires/ Fire and Emergency has urged against using sky lanterns during Lunar New Year celebrations due to fire risks. Bans on fireworks are in place for parts of Mid-South Canterbury and Otago. Hot, dry, and windy conditions have made vegetation highly flammable, increasing wildfire risks. Fire and Emergency has urged people celebrating the Lunar New Year not to light sky lanterns over fears they could quickly cause wildfires. It comes as festivities for the Chinese New Year kicked off today and last 19 days until February 16. It is set to be marked by celebrations across the country. “Some parts of the country are forecast to be hot, dry and windy tonight, so you need to be extra careful celebrating with family and friends,” Fire and Emergency New Zealand warned this morning. Fire and Emergency’s community education manager Tom Ronaldson said it wants everyone to have a wonderful time celebrating the holiday, but asks people to avoid using fireworks or sky lanterns. “We strongly recommend you do not light lanterns, as you have no control over where they travel. If they land in dry vegetation, they can quickly cause a fire,” Ronaldson said. Fire and Emergency have urged people celebrating the Lunar New Year not to light lanterns over fears they could start wildfires. Photo / New Zealand Herald “This includes tethered lanterns, as there is a risk of them becoming untethered and causing a fire.” Meanwhile, Ronaldson said some parts of the country are in prohibited and restricted fire seasons, and a ban on fireworks has been imposed for parts of Mid-South Canterbury and Otago. “These areas are Lake Clearwater and Lake Camp in the Ashburton Lakes area, the Mackenzie Basin, Naseby, Upper Waitaki zones, Central Otago and Central Lakes zones which include Wakatipu Basin, Wānaka and Hāwea areas.” Firework bans mean you can’t light and set off any fireworks, including sparklers. Ronaldson said hot, dry and windy conditions in many parts of New Zealand this summer means “much of our vegetation is dry and ready to ignite”. “Again, we strongly encourage you to celebrate without fireworks or sky lanterns. But if you do decide to use them, please go to www.checkitsalright.nz to find out if it’s safe to do so. “The website advises on the risk for different types of fire activity, provides fire safety advice, and tells you what fire restrictions your location is under if you aren’t sure.” According to the Chinese zodiac signs, each year in the lunar cycle is associated with a particular animal. This 12-year cycle repeats itself. There are 12 animals associated with a year in the cycle: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The snake is a symbol of good luck and happiness and ranks sixth among the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The snake is a symbol of good luck and happiness and ranks sixth among the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. People born in 1929, 1941, 1952, 1977, 1989, 2001, or 2013 are considered born under the sign. Astrologer and feng shui expert Jojo Zhou said the heaven stem Yi and earthly branch Si, characterised by the element of wood (Yi) generating fire (Si), symbolised the emergence of favourable information in the market and the gradual fading of challenging times. “For the real estate sector, the flourishing fire driven by wood may fuel a surge in buying and selling properties,” she said. “Although it is far from the past peak periods, the continuous decline in interest rates still positively impacts the real estate market to some degree.” Zhou also said new concepts and thoughts would enter the market in 2025, bringing a surging wave of ideas. “Both businesses and governments will explore various possibilities,” she said. “This is especially important on a personal level. Whether we are willing to embrace new ideas and make changes will determine whether we can achieve financial success in the new year.” Chinese New Year celebrations in New Zealand Chinese New Year Festi... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:44:35 Z /news/politics/wellington-live-owner-graham-bloxham-announces-mayoral-bid-sale-of-facebook-page/ /news/politics/wellington-live-owner-graham-bloxham-announces-mayoral-bid-sale-of-facebook-page/ Graham Bloxham says he’s sold the Wellington LIVE social media page and is entering the race to become mayor of Wellington. Bloxham describes himself as an “independent centre left” candidate focused on community, transparency, and affordability. He joins Tory Whanau, Ray Chung, and Kelvin Hastie in the bid to be Wellington mayor. The man behind popular Facebook page Wellington LIVE says he’s sold the page and is running for mayor in this year’s local body elections. Graham Bloxham told the Herald he recently sold the social media page to One Network Group, which he describes as a Wellington media organisation. He would not be drawn on details of the sale or his future involvement, saying he is in a “contract phase of the deal” and hopes to continue working for the group. “I’ve decided to run for the exciting and fantastic role of the mayor of Wellington - of our stunning harbour capita l.. I am actually super excited and positive. I can talk to anyone and won’t back down from bullying or hate/abuse. NO WAY [sic]”, Bloxham sent in a message. Graham Bloxham says he will run for the city's top job as an independent centre left candidate. Photo / Linkedin He said he is not a current owner or director of One Network Group and would not comment on who the new operator of the Facebook page is. Bloxham’s LinkedIn page states he is content creator for One Network group. Part of the reason he decided to sell the page he said was because of constant social media attacks from “ruthless” haters. “In the end it was quite tough”. The community Facebook page, which currently has 253,000 followers, started as a live updates page during flooding in the capital in 2015. It was sold to Bloxham in 2021. It has faced some criticism in the years since, including accusations of spreading misinformation. One such incident followed the Loafers Lodge fire, when Wellington LIVE posted that Michael Wahrlich, a well-known street personality also known as Mike the Juggler, had survived the blaze. It was later confirmed Wahrlich died in the fire. Bloxham said he has long intended to run for Mayor. “I’ve always loved politics and I love this city, I’ve had speeding tickets, parking tickets, all sorts of things, I’ve lived and loved in this city,” he said. “Wellington is emotionally bankrupt it’s emotionally broken, it’s emotionally hurt and it hasn’t recovered from Covid.” Bloxham said he would also be running for a council seat in the Motukairangi/Eastern Ward. He described himself as an “independent centre left” candidate but would engage with people from all sides of politics. “I would talk to Julie-Anne Genter of course, I love her she’s awesome, she rides bikes [...] we’ll talk to anyone, Chippy out in the Hutt Valley or Nicola the bean-counter for National.” He said he would run on a platform of “local, community, transparency, and affordability”. Bloxham joins current Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung and Mayor Tory Whanau in the race for the top job. Predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie has also confirmed his candidacy. Whanau has always maintained she wants another term as mayor, although she appeared to waver in that thought in an interview with 九一星空无限talk ZB last year, saying she’d be having conversations with family and friends when the time came. Questions have also been raised about whether former Wellington mayor Justin Lester intends to run for the city’s top job again, with the launch of a new Facebook page Wellington Alive. He says while he doesn’t intend to run, Labour has approached him about his potential candidacy and he’d “never say never”. Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined 九一星空无限 in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:33:25 Z /news/crime/former-givealittle-director-kim-mcwilliams-sentenced-for-drink-driving-twice-in-one-night/ /news/crime/former-givealittle-director-kim-mcwilliams-sentenced-for-drink-driving-twice-in-one-night/ Givealittle director Kim McWilliams was charged with drink-driving twice in one night last year. She resigned from the crowdfunding company before her sentencing today, which included nine months’ community supervision. Community Magistrate Terry Bourke imposed a rehabilitative sentence, noting McWilliams' trauma and proactive steps. By all accounts, when Kim McWilliams was charged with drink-driving around 7pm on September 6 it was considered an aberration for the then-Givealittle director. But then the high-ranking businesswoman, who had never before appeared before the court, got behind the wheel again - in the same vehicle - within hours of being processed at a Hamilton police station. She was arrested a second time just after midnight. On both occasions, she was more than five times the legal limit for driving. McWilliams, who also goes by the surname Nesdale, wept today as she stood in the dock at Auckland District Court for sentencing. She faced up to three months' imprisonment and a fine of up to $4500 for two counts of driving with excess blood alcohol content and the same sentence range for driving while suspended - a restriction that had been put in place between her first and second arrests that night. And she had already lost her job. In a brief statement, Givealittle confirmed that McWilliams had resigned from the board for the popular crowdfunding website ahead of her sentencing. “The board had earlier provided Ms McWilliams an extended leave of absence to undertake the programmes mandated by the court,” the statement said. In New Zealand, the legal limit for driving is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood and anything over 80 milligrams of alcohol results in a criminal case and court appearance. On both occasions, McWilliams was recorded as having a blood alcohol level of 258. “Anyone driving at that level, especially the second time when erratic driving occurred, obviously was of risk to the public,” Community Magistrate Terry Bourke said today, adding that she was so intoxicated she would have known she shouldn’t be driving even before her first arrest. Bourke ordered concurrent sentences of nine months’ community supervision, a 28-day ban from driving, a zero-alcohol licence after that with an alcohol interlock device on her vehicle and several hundred dollars in court fees. It reflected a rehabilitative sentence rather than a punitive one, the magistrate said. “I think it’s important you get your life back on track as much as possible,” he said, noting that police didn’t object to the outcome. “I take it from that they accept the unusual circumstances you found yourself in at that time.” Defence lawyer Nick Leader said his client had been going through trauma at the time and was undergoing steps to address it when she fell from grace. “Regrettably, she wasn’t at the place she wanted to be,” he explained, adding that she’s continued to proactively take steps to make sure such a setback doesn’t happen again. The judge agreed, refusing to elaborate in open court about the trauma but expressing “great confidence” such offending wouldn’t re-occur. “A number of traumatic circumstances arose,” he said. “The anniversary of one has triggered this uncharacteristic episode of drink-driving.” Court documents state McWilliams was behind the wheel of her white Tesla in Hamilton when she was pulled over the first time at 7.06pm. “The defendant stated that after drinking she decided to drive home to Auckland but stopped at the Flagstaff shops carpark on River Rd and decided to sleep the night in her car,” the agreed summary of facts for her case states. She was released from custody at about 9pm, according to the agreed summary of facts for her second set of charges. During the processing, she was suspended from driving for 28 days due to her level of intoxication. At 12.17am, she was stopped again after police observed erratic driving. “In explanation, the defendant stated that she had got an Ub... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:17:52 Z /news/politics/boot-camps-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-mp-says-karen-chhour-does-not-understand-essence-of-being-m%C4%81ori-in-tense-exchange/ /news/politics/boot-camps-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-mp-says-karen-chhour-does-not-understand-essence-of-being-m%C4%81ori-in-tense-exchange/ Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has told Children’s Minister Karen Chhour she does not understand the “essence of being Māori” in a tense and impassioned debate during a Parliamentary Select Committee on Wednesday. Chhour’s Oranga Tamariki bill which would allow the Government to set up military boot camps for young offenders and create a new “young serious offender” sentencing category has been a source of heated criticism. Opponents are concerned about the camps’ efficacy and the ultimate effect the “intensive” programme would have on young people, who often come from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds. Several participants of a boot camp pilot have been accused of reoffending. But Chhour says the current system is not equipped to respond effectively to youth offenders and her proposal would bring about “more immediate, intensive interventions” that would lead to long-term changes for young people. Kapa-Kingi, the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, raised concerns about Chhour’s approach to the boot camps, youth offending and the removal of section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. During the Select Commitee, she asked Chhour how te ao Māori would be incorporated into the process. “Often in your rhetoric, you refer to ancestry cannot matter more than the safety of a mokopuna which is absolutely abhorrent to tikanga, it is abhorrent to Māori, it is abhorrent through the way in which we see the world,” Kapa-Kingi said. Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi during the swearing-in ceremony at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell When Chhour said she disagreed with the statement, Kapa-Kingi replied: “Because you’ve got a gap of knowledge, Minister, you don’t understand the essence of being Māori. You don’t understand that, Minister.” It’s not the first time the two have locked horns. Last year, Kapa-Kingi called Chhour a party puppet in te reo Māori while in the House during a general debate and called for her to resign over her handing of Oranga Tamariki. A spokesperson for Te Pāti Māori said the party took “absolute issue” with the Minister’s implication that ensuring tamariki remained connected to their iwi and hapū compromised their safety. This is in reference to Government plans to remove section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act, which places obligations on the agency including ensuring it considers the whakapapa of Māori children, and reduces disparities between Māori and non-Māori children. Children Minister Karen Chhour. Photo / Mark Mitchell “The state views our move vulnerable tamariki and their whānau through the lens of statistics. Iwi view them as whānau and understand their needs,” the Te Pāti Māori spokesperson said. “The Minister is working from the premise that the safety of tamariki is more important than their whakapapa – as though those two things are mutually exclusive.” Speaking to reporters at Parliament ahead of Question Time, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer backed Kapa-Kingi, saying when the comment should be seen in the context of wider policy changes at Oranga Tamariki that affect Māori. “I get how it is seen out of context, but absolutely in context it is about (the Government) ensuring the removal of 7AA, the way the Oranga Tamariki has been a plight on te ao Māori so yeah, I think that is what she is saying, that is the context that we support her in saying it as well.” In a statement to the Herald, Chhour said there was “no right or wrong way to be Māori.” “As a Māori person who has experienced the care system, I can tell you there is no difference between a Māori child and any other child when it comes to care and protection. They all want to know they are loved, safe, and cared for, by those who are supposed to love them. “So that all children can have better futures and better lives, I will continue to provide the best tools and options to support them and to help protect all children from harm – because abuse and neglect do not discriminate, whether it is rich, poor, Māori or... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:07:35 Z /news/national/auckland-police-chase-ends-in-carpark-armed-officers-pull-driver-from-vehicle/ /news/national/auckland-police-chase-ends-in-carpark-armed-officers-pull-driver-from-vehicle/ Dramatic footage has emerged of the final moments a driver chased by up to 20 police cars is pulled from his vehicle cornered in a mall carpark by armed police. A shopper inside the carpark witnessed the conclusion of the city-wide pursuit across multiple suburbs, including downtown Auckland, yesterday afternoon. At the end, the driver was surrounded and pulled from his vehicle in a mall carpark. Police swarmed a vehicle at Onehunga Dress Smart shopping centre after a pursuit across Auckland. Photo / Kenneth VanHouse Kenneth VanHouse, who took the video, said he and his wife were changing their newborn in their car when police entered the Dress Smart Onehunga shopping centre carpark. “I saw the driver go past me ... then they boxed him in,” he said. VanHouse said he was shocked at what he believed was “aggressive” force used to arrest the man. “It could have been relatively justified, I don’t know what caused the high speed police chase... but maybe 30 seconds after the video ends I walk back and the guy is pummelled,” he said. A police vehicle with damage after a pursuit across Auckland. Photo / Kenneth VanHouse “I mean from head to torso covered in blood ... it was vicious,” he said. VanHouse said saw the driver before the pursuit ended and he appeared unscathed. “One minute he was fine and then the next he was beaten to a pulp.” Police have been approached for comment. How the chase unfolded According to police, before 3pm Tuesday, a blue Subaru was travelling towards the city on the Northwestern Motorway. Inspector Kerry Watson said police staff tried to approach the vehicle at Western Springs. “Instead, the driver took off from police at speed on Great North Rd towards Point Chevalier,” Watson said. Shortly after 3pm, at least 10 police vehicles could be seen descending on the Auckland CBD, with the Eagle helicopter overhead. Police said the vehicle was driven across central Auckland suburbs and the CBD, before heading towards Three Kings and eventually Onehunga. The vehicle drove into Dress Smart Onehunga carpark shortly after 3.30pm. “Our staff blocked the vehicle in before taking the male driver into custody,” Watson said. Three police vehicles were reportedly damaged. Police told the Herald a Northland man was due to appear in court today on charges including aggravated assault, reckless driving, failing to stop and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. During the incident, it was established the 31-year-old was wanted on active court matters, including aggravated robbery. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:38:04 Z /news/national/northland-police-investigating-after-19-year-old-dies-in-%C5%8Dkaihau-hit-and-run/ /news/national/northland-police-investigating-after-19-year-old-dies-in-%C5%8Dkaihau-hit-and-run/ Police are investigating a hit-and-run which killed a 19-year-old cyclist overnight in Ōkaihau, Far North. Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry, of the Northland Criminal Investigation Branch, said police were contacted by Settlers Way residents about 10.15pm last night. “We believe the collision between a cyclist and vehicle has occurred between 10pm and 10.15pm on that road,” he said. “Tragically, it has resulted in a 19-year-old dying from his injuries at the scene.” A traffic crash analyst had examined the scene and detectives were investigating, Verry said. Police would be on the lookout for a vehicle with signs of damage. “A young man has lost his life, and it’s important that anyone in the community with information does the right thing and speaks up now.” “Police will be in the Ōkaihau township as part of our investigation, seeking witnesses and further information.” Verry said the family had been engaged with Victim Support. “Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time and with what they are going through.” Witnesses or anyone with information can contact police online or call 105 using reference number 250129/9912. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:34:37 Z /news/world/president-donald-trump-signs-order-to-get-transgender-ideology-out-of-us-military/ /news/world/president-donald-trump-signs-order-to-get-transgender-ideology-out-of-us-military/ Donald Trump signed an order removing “transgender ideology” from the military, affecting LGBTQ rights. He reinstated service members dismissed for refusing the Covid vaccine and expanded a crackdown on diversity programs. Trump also called for building a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system. US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order ridding the military of what he called “transgender ideology,” in a potentially major setback for LGBTQ rights. In a series of orders related to the military that Trump told reporters he had signed on Air Force One, he also called for the building of a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system. The Republican signed further orders reinstating service members dismissed for refusing to take the Covid vaccine, and extending a wider Government crackdown on diversity programmes for the armed forces. “To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military,” Trump told a Republican congressional retreat in Miami. Trump has previously promised to bring back a ban on transgender troops and demonised any recognition of gender diversity. In his order, Trump claimed the armed forces “have been afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists” and that “many mental and physical health conditions are incompatible with active duty”. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ridding the military of what he called “transgender ideology". Photo / Getty Images The order said “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honourable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life”. “A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honour this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,” it added. In a separate order, Trump claimed diversity programmes in the military “undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness”. It also prohibited the defence department and armed forces from promoting “un-American” theories suggesting America’s founding documents are racist or sexist or advancing discussion on “gender ideology”. The orders came at the start of Trump’s second week back in the White House and on the day a welcome ceremony was held at the Pentagon for his new Defence Secretary, military veteran and Fox 九一星空无限 personality Pete Hegseth. “Thank you for your leadership Mr President. We will execute!” Hegseth – who was confirmed last week despite concerns over his inexperience, and alleged record of heavy drinking and domestic violence – said on X. Transgender Americans have faced a rollercoaster of changing policies on military service in recent years, with Democratic administrations seeking to permit them to serve openly while Trump has repeatedly sought to keep them out of the ranks. The US military lifted a ban on transgender troops in 2016, during Democrat Barack Obama’s second term as President. Under that policy, trans troops already serving were permitted to do so openly, and transgender recruits were set to start being accepted by July 1, 2017. Transgender troops banned by Trump, accepted by Biden But the first Trump administration postponed that date to 2018 before deciding to reverse the policy entirely, sparking criticism from rights groups. Trump’s Democratic successor Joe Biden moved to reverse the restrictions just days after he took office in 2021, saying all Americans qualified to serve should be able to do so. While the number of transgender troops in the US military is fairly small – with estimates of about 15,000 out of more than two million uniformed service members – their dismissal would reduce US forces at a time when the country is already facing difficulties recruiting new personnel. Biden’s defence secretary Lloyd... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:30:41 Z /news/national/lake-taup%C5%8D-jetski-death-maritime-nz-to-investigate-incident-after-supporting-police/ /news/national/lake-taup%C5%8D-jetski-death-maritime-nz-to-investigate-incident-after-supporting-police/ Maritime New Zealand will investigate the Lake Taupō jetski incident that led to the death of Vincent Cornell, a spokesperson for the Crown entity has confirmed. “In the interim we are supporting the police who are leading the initial response,” the spokesperson said. The news comes as Coastguard New Zealand and the Lake Taupō harbourmaster issue safety reminders to water users. Cornell was the jetskier who went missing at Acacia Bay while saving his brother’s life on January 19. Police divers recovered his body the next day. A police spokesperson said at the time that Cornell’s death had been referred to the coroner. A Maritime NZ spokesperson told the Herald the Crown entity would investigate the incident that led to Cornell’s death but police were leading the initial response. Vincent "Vinnie" Cornell died on Sunday, January 19, 2025 as a result of a jetski incident at Acacia Bay. Photo / LinkedIn “[We] will provide [police] with any assistance and maritime expertise they might need.” Maritime NZ is a Crown entity that maintains the national safety, security and environmental protection regulations that govern the operation of vessels, ports and offshore installations in New Zealand waters. The entity is also responsible for providing maritime safety infrastructure and incident response. According to a Givealittle page set up by Cornell’s sister Sani Leota, Cornell’s last act was to give his life for his brother. “[It was] a selfless and heroic act that speaks volumes about the man he was,” Leota said. Leota said Cornell’s loss was “a massive shock”. “Vinnie was an amazing and loving husband and father, who poured his heart and soul into his family. “He was the pillar of strength and joy in their lives.” Lake Taupō harbourmaster Jamie Grant said, “the recent tragic event involving a personal watercraft commonly known as a jetski” highlighted the importance of following maritime rules and navigational safety bylaws. “These rules are not in place to spoil people’s enjoyment on the water,” Grant said. “They have been developed over many years to keep people safe. Operators of any craft should have some knowledge of these requirements to ensure their own safety and that of others while on the water.” Coastguard New Zealand Taupō unit president Mike Hughes said Lake Taupō could be “unforgiving”. Coastguard New Zealand Taupō unit president Mike Hughes said Lake Taupō could be “unforgiving”. “If anything does happen on the water, it happens real quick and it will catch you unawares,” Hughes said. “Don’t take shortcuts on any safety measures.” Hughes said it was important for all lake users to understand their limits, wear life jackets, check the weather and be watchful. “Whether you’re boating, swimming, or paddling know your limit and stay within your comfort zone.” Life jackets, Hughes said, needed to be worn always on any form of watercraft. “No matter how confident you think you are, our lake has very little buoyancy. That life jacket will give us time to save your life.” Hughes said the lake’s waves also behaved differently from the sea and could change very quickly depending on the weather. “Watchfulness is key,” Hughes said. “Drowning is a silent thing. It’s not loud. A lot of our rescues have been because someone has been watchful.” When there was an emergency, Hughes said the best thing to do was to dial 111. “They have the ability to know where you are through that call. Describe what you are seeing. They will activate Coastguard and anyone else appropriate.” If possible, Hughes said, throw something floatable to the person. “If you’re in the water, stay calm and just raise your arm, call out for help if you can and just wait. If you’ve got that life jacket on that will give you time.” Rules for personal watercraft on Lake Taupō include: · Lifejackets: Every person on board a personal watercraft or being towed must wear a properly fitted personal flotation device. · Communication: Every skipper must carry at leas... Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:19:57 Z