Police search for missing 79-year-old woman in Christchurch
Police are conducting a significant search for Elisabeth, a vulnerable 79-year-old woman missing from Riccarton. She was last seen on Bartlett Street on Wednesday evening, and residents are being asked to check their backyards and security cameras.
+26 outlets · Te Pāti Māori MPs suspended for Treaty Principles haka protest
Parliament has voted to suspend Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi for 21 days, and MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven days. The sanctions follow a haka performed during the Treaty Principles Bill vote last year. The decision was reached after a tense debate, with the co-leaders also receiving a severe censure.
+15 outlets · Prime Minister demands answers after press secretary resigns over allegations
Acting deputy chief press secretary Michael Forbes resigned on Wednesday following allegations he recorded audio of sex workers without consent. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed shock at the revelations and is demanding answers regarding staff vetting and disclosure processes. Forbes has apologised for the alleged conduct.
+15 outlets · Desley Simpson rules out running for Auckland mayor
Auckland deputy mayor Desley Simpson has confirmed she will not challenge Wayne Brown for the mayoralty in the upcoming local body elections. During a joint press conference, Simpson endorsed Brown's re-election bid and stated she intends to serve as his deputy again if they are both successful.
+15 outlets · Residents near Taupō prepared for potential evacuation due to flooding
Heavy rain caused the Tauranga-Taupō River north of Tūrangi to rise significantly. Civil Defence and LandSAR teams door-knocked approximately 70 homes to advise residents to prepare for possible evacuations. Authorities believe the river has likely peaked and remains within its banks.
4 outlets · Senior press secretary Michael Forbes resigns following police investigation
Michael Forbes has resigned from his role as acting deputy chief press secretary after being accused of recording audio of sessions with sex workers. Questions have been raised regarding why the Prime Minister's office was not informed of the police investigation last year.
+15 outlets · Ray Chung launches Wellington mayoral campaign with promise of no rates increases
Independent city councillor Ray Chung officially launched his bid for Wellington mayor to a crowd of over 200 people on Thursday night. His campaign focuses on a "back to basics" approach, including freezing rates and cutting council costs through job reductions.
4 outlets · Body found in Boyle River during search operation
A body was spotted by a helicopter in the Boyle River in Canterbury's Hurunui District on Thursday afternoon. Emergency services had been searching the area near Lewis Pass Road after a person was feared swept into the water. Formal identification has not yet been completed.
+15 outlets · Man arrested over $150,000 Facebook Marketplace theft allegations
A 36-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stealing $150,000 worth of high-value items through Facebook Marketplace. Police say the man used fake identification and bank transfers during 17 transactions involving vehicles, jewellery and phones. He is due to appear in Waitākere District Court.
4 outlets · Blenheim man sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his mother
Paul Armon has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jennifer Phyllis Sheehan at her Blenheim home late last year. Following an argument, Armon used a crowbar and a knife to kill his mother before handing himself in to police three days later. He must serve at least 15 years before parole eligibility.
+15 outlets · Three charged with manslaughter following fatal Loafers Lodge fire
Three people have been charged with manslaughter following a two-year police investigation into the Loafers Lodge hostel fire. The blaze occurred in central Wellington in May 2023 and resulted in the deaths of five residents.
+26 outlets · Three Chinese tourists injured in Southland bus crash
Seventeen people were travelling on a bus when it crashed on the Mossburn-Five Rivers Road on Wednesday afternoon. Three Chinese tourists were injured in the incident, with one person taken to hospital in serious condition.
3 outlets · Fake doctor ordered to repay nearly $1 million in UK
Zholia Alemi has been ordered to pay close to NZ$1 million in compensation or face further imprisonment. The 63-year-old worked as an NHS psychiatrist in the United Kingdom for over 20 years using a forged University of Auckland medical degree.
3 outlets · Two men sentenced for smuggling card-skimming gear in air fryers
Two men smuggled card-skimming equipment into New Zealand by hiding it inside electronics like air fryers and laptops. The pair stole more than $60,000 from ATMs and parking machines, including at a hospital, before being detected by Customs. One 21-year-old man was sentenced to community detention and supervision.
3 outlets · Inquest examines moments before New Lynn supermarket stabbing attack
An inquest is investigating the 2021 attack at a New Lynn supermarket where Ahamed Samsudeen stabbed five people and injured two others. Samsudeen, who was being monitored by police for links to Isis, was shot dead by undercover officers following the incident.
2 outlets · Shirley Boys High School to transform open plan classrooms
Shirley Boys High School is spending $800,000 to convert its open-plan classrooms into single-cell rooms. The 2019 classrooms are being modified because the principal noted that distraction levels were too high.
4 outlets · Proposed Litter Act changes could help councils fine fly-tippers
Proposed changes to the Litter Act may allow councils to identify and fine people who dump rubbish on roadsides or private land. Using details such as vehicle registration or names found on letters inside rubbish bags, authorities could issue penalties long after the dumping has occurred.
4 outlets · Storm causes power cuts and property damage across New Zealand
Severe weather has caused flooding, wind damage, and power outages from Northland to Wellington. In Wellington, high winds damaged a school library roof in Wainuiomata and threw a house roof onto another property. Heavy snow warnings have also been issued for Canterbury and Central Otago.
3 outlets · Nigel Tutt appointed managing director of Stuff Digital
Nigel Tutt will become the managing director of Stuff Digital in August. The former leader of the company's digital arm will leave his current position as chief executive of Priority One to take up the new role.
2 outlets · Genesis Energy to install large battery at Huntly Power Station
Genesis Energy chief executive Malcolm Johns says a new grid-scale battery will increase the versatility of the Huntly Power Station. A ceremony was held at the site on Thursday to mark the start of the project. The battery is intended to support the electricity system's functionality.
2 outlets · Erin Patterson denies intentionally killing relatives with mushroom meal
Erin Patterson has testified in court that she did not mean to kill her relatives by serving them death cap mushrooms. The 50-year-old accused pleaded not guilty to triple murder, describing her previous lies to police as a knee-jerk reaction to people becoming ill.
2 outlets · Driver sentenced after causing para-cyclist to crash in Waikato
Brian David Mills has been sentenced to two months of community detention and 12 months of supervision. The sentencing follows an incident where Mills drove his van in front of para-cyclist Eltje Malzbender and braked suddenly while she was training in the Waikato.
3 outlets · Former press secretary investigated over allegations of non-consensual recordings
Police have searched two phones belonging to Michael Forbes following allegations he made covert audio recordings of sex workers in Wellington last July. The former deputy chief press secretary resigned after reports surfaced that he also amassed images of women at a gym. Police say any new information will be thoroughly considered.
2 outlets · Armed police respond to suspicious item at West Auckland mall
LynnMall in West Auckland was evacuated on Thursday afternoon following reports of a suspicious item. Armed police attended the scene and have taken one person into custody. Shoppers were ushered out of the precinct, including those inside the cinema.
2 outlets · Stolen pounamu pieces returned to West Coast hapū
Police have recovered 365 stolen pounamu pieces and boulders from a remote West Coast river. The items were tracked to fossickers and will be returned to the local hapū. Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio described the recovery as a win against the greenstone black market.
2 outlets · Police seek information after armed robbery in Whangārei
Two armed men allegedly forced a woman from her vehicle at Paramount Plaza in Tikipunga on Wednesday afternoon. The offenders reportedly drove away at high speed, damaging four other cars during their escape. Two men appeared in Whangārei District Court on Thursday charged with aggravated robbery and demands to steal.
2 outlets · NZ soldiers deploy for Talisman Sabre military exercise
New Zealand Defence Force personnel and assets are deploying to Australia for the Talisman Sabre military exercise. The multi-national event involves over 30,000 personnel from 19 nations and will run from 13 July to 4 August.
2 outlets · Man rescues horse from flooded Waioeka River in Ōpōtiki
Chase Gage rescued a tethered horse from rising floodwaters in the Waioeka River on Thursday morning. To perform the rescue, the 30-year-old man used a borrowed horse and breached a court-ordered curfew. Gage stated he would repeat the action despite the legal implications.
2 outlets · Victims named following fatal crashes in Manawatū and Northland
Police have identified the victims of two separate fatal accidents. Martin Lucien Symington, 53, died in a crash near Palmerston North on 25 May, while Charmaine Rere Sapphire Haronga Te Purei Singh, 38, died in a two-vehicle collision in Waiomio over the King's Birthday weekend.
2 outlets · New 596-bed facility opens at Waikeria Prison
Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell opened a new 596-bed facility at Waikeria Prison near Te Awamutu on Thursday. The site includes 28 buildings and will be staffed by approximately 300 new corrections officers. Plans are currently underway to build an additional 800-bed extension at the location.
2 outlets · Man jailed for scamming elderly victims of gold and cash
Reece Alexander Salmon, a United Kingdom national, has been sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding seniors. Posing as a police courier, Salmon took more than $400,000 in cash and gold from victims aged between 60 and 90 in the Wellington area.
2 outlets · Wellington brothel madam calls for privacy law reform after alleged recording
A Wellington brothel madam is demanding changes to privacy laws following allegations that the Prime Minister's former deputy chief press secretary recorded a session with a sex worker. She has spoken out about the incident and the need for legal action regarding privacy protections.
2 outlets · Westland District Council to decide fate of Franz Josef southbank
The long-term future of farms, homes, and businesses on the south bank of the Waiho River rests with the Westland District Council. This decision comes as regional councillors prepare to celebrate the completion of floodwalls protecting the north bank of the Franz Josef tourist town.
2 outlets · Former Kiwi NRL and AFL player charged with attempted murder
Shem Tatupu, a 29-year-old former Hawthorn and Melbourne Storm player, has reportedly been arrested by Victoria Police. The attempted murder charge is linked to a family incident and the matter has already appeared in court.
2 outlets · Southland caterer sentenced to home detention for tax evasion
Debra Lee Monteith has been sentenced to 11 months of home detention by the Invercargill District Court. She was charged with aiding and abetting her company's failure to pay more than $800,000 in PAYE taxes. Her catering business had previously received over $780,000 in Covid support funding.
2 outlets · New pink-fleshed apple variety enters commercial markets
The FIZZ apple, featuring pinky-red flesh and a berry-like flavour, is being prepared for commercial sale. Developed by Prevar through a Plant and Food Research programme, the first pallets of the variety are being sent to international markets from Otago.
2 outlets · Seal and sea lion populations increase across New Zealand
Seal and sea lion numbers are growing as animals return to historic habitats. During the seal silly season from May to September, young fur seal pups are venturing out on their own and appearing in unexpected locations such as roads and paddocks.
2 outlets · Snow and cold temperatures forecast for parts of the South Island
A cold snap has brought snow to Canterbury's high country and alpine passes. MetService forecasts temperatures in the mid-single digits this weekend, with overnight lows expected to fall well below freezing.
2 outlets · Rotorua Lakes Council to return Ngongotahā reserve to whānau
The Rotorua Lakes Council has agreed to gift an 810sq m public reserve in Ngongotahā back to the whānau who donated it decades ago. The land was previously part of a family farm. The decision followed a majority of public submissions in April.
2 outlets · Feilding High School hosts interhouse shearing and woolhandling championships
Manawatū high school students recently participated in an interhouse shearing and woolhandling competition. Held at Feilding High School, the event featured students using shearing machines in a contest similar to the Golden Shears championships.
2 outlets · Hamilton house prices rise slightly amid nationwide decline in May
Hamilton property values increased by 0.1% in May, defying a 0.1% nationwide drop. While Hamilton saw growth, prices in Dunedin and Tauranga fell by 0.1%. According to Cotality data, national property values are now 1.6% lower than they were a year ago.
2 outlets · House to debate proposed suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs
Parliament will debate a Privileges Committee recommendation to suspend three Te Pāti Māori members for three weeks. The proposed penalty follows a haka performed in the House regarding the Treaty Principles Bill. A poll suggests more than half of voters consider the punishment to be appropriate or fair.
2 outlets · Two recent political polls show conflicting election outcomes
Recent surveys by TVNZ and RNZ have produced different results regarding the next government. While one poll suggests the current Government will be re-elected, the other indicates a Labour-led coalition may take power. Despite these differences, both polls show National support has decreased.
2 outlets · Charles Afeaki's sentence increased for historical child abuse
Charles Afeaki, 82, has received an additional two months in prison following a new conviction for historical child sexual abuse. The Auckland District Court ruling follows a victim coming forward regarding incidents involving schools in Auckland and Invercargill. Afeaki is also awaiting trial for an alleged 1977 offence.
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