https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/rss NZME Get the latest news from Newstalk ZB. From breaking news to the debate and opinion, we bring NZ the news from around the world as it happens.   Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:51:19 Z en https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/denmark-train-crash-17-injured-after-two-trains-collide-head-on-near-gribskov/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/denmark-train-crash-17-injured-after-two-trains-collide-head-on-near-gribskov/ Two trains crashed head-on near the Danish capital, Copenhagen, on Thursday, leaving several people injured, police and media reports said. Media reports said 17 people were injured with five in critical condition, following the collision at Gribskov about 40km north of Copenhagen. A police statement called it “a serious accident” but a police spokesman told AFP that all passengers had been evacuated from the trains. “Two trains collided and the police and emergency services are mobilised in large numbers,” the statement said. The alert was raised at 6.30am local time, according to police spokesman Tim Simonsen. “It was a head-on collision and there are injuries among the passengers,” he told AFP, without giving details. The mayor of Gribskov municipality, Trine Egetved, said on Facebook that some of the injured were taken to hospital by helicopter. The area was sealed off by police. But media images showed the smashed front locomotives of the two trains that were between the towns of Hillerod and Kagerup when they collided. Egetved said she had been “deeply upset and shocked” by the accident. “This train is used by many residents of Gribskov, workers and students. The emergency services are working tirelessly, and we are trying, at the central level, to get a clear picture of what happened and to ensure that everyone receives the help they need,” she said. Denmark prides itself on its safety record, but a 2019 train crash left eight dead and 16 injured. In August last year, an express train hit a farm truck on a crossing, killing one person and injuring 27. - Agence France-Presse Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:49:34 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/sailgp-confirms-auckland-will-not-feature-on-the-2027-schedule/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/sailgp-confirms-auckland-will-not-feature-on-the-2027-schedule/ When the time comes for SailGP to put together its schedule for 2027, Auckland will not be on it. The global foiling league has confirmed it will not return to the City of Sails in 2027 after being unable to reach an agreement on terms. “SailGP has enjoyed four hugely successful events in New Zealand, with spectacular racing and incredible energy on shore,” SailGP chief executive Sir Russell Coutts said in a statement confirming the league won’t be back next year. “We’re especially grateful to the New Zealand fans, who have shown up in force year after year, and to our partners in Auckland for their support. “We remain in dialogue with the New Zealand Government, Auckland Council and their respective agencies, as we look ahead to a possible return from 2028 and beyond.” The 2026 edition was the fourth year SailGP had run an event on New Zealand waters, with the first two on Lyttelton Harbour. New Zealand’s representatives in the series, the Black Foils, said it was disappointing they won’t get to race in front of home fans in 2027. “The four events held in New Zealand so far across Christchurch and Auckland have been hugely important for the team and we are immensely proud that events held in Aotearoa have set the benchmark across the league, including record crowds. Racing in front of our home fans means the world to us,” they said in a team statement. “Our home events are also vital opportunities to connect with our fantastic group of team partners. We have had amazing support in New Zealand over the last four years when racing at home and we know how important the home events have been to them. “We understand it hasn’t been possible to reach an agreement on a New Zealand event next year but we will put our full support behind efforts to have the Rolex SailGP Championship return in the future. “SailGP is a global championship and, while we won’t be in Auckland, it’s exciting to see the league expand into new territories and grow the calendar. We spend the majority of our year away from home so next year won’t be too much of an adjustment for the team. “Whilst we won’t be racing at home next season, we will still have a presence in Aotearoa, with community events during the season.” 1News reported the league would not be returning in 2027 because of the Government pulling its funding. Coutts had also previously noted there was a timing issue as the league wanted to return to Auckland at the same time as The Ocean Race in March 2027. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) proposed a joint offer of $5 million per annum for the 2027 and 2028 regattas on the condition that a clash with The Ocean Race was avoided. In an email to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston explained the decision and said while the offer was accepted, TAU and SailGP were “unable to reach agreement on delivery dates for the 2027 event”. “SailGP submitted a further MEF [Major Events Fund] application in February 2026 for 2027-2029 seeking higher investment and requested an accelerated decision by March 31, despite the usual assessment period for such a request taking several months,” Upston wrote. “SailGP’s application was assessed under the MEF’s Focus Area One, which requires events to deliver net national economic benefits to New Zealand, primarily through the attraction of international visitors and/or direct event delivery expenditure. Given the timeframes involved and the information available, investment in the 2027 event was declined as it did not meet MEF criteria.” TAU chief executive Nick Hill said Auckland had done everything to get the event across the line, including resolving date issues, committing funds, and meeting land and infrastructure requirements. “We worked incredibly hard to try to make this happen and are committed to SailGP returning to the Waitematā Harbour in future years,” he said. “Auckland’s host city offer was contingent on a two-wa... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:42:43 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/nz-first-deputy-shane-jones-apologises-for-comment-about-nicola-willis-weight-loss/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/nz-first-deputy-shane-jones-apologises-for-comment-about-nicola-willis-weight-loss/ New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones has apologised after making a comment seemingly about Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ weight loss. His leader, Winston Peters, has also called the comment “unacceptable”. Jones was being asked on Thursday about Willis and the National Party reminding New Zealanders that NZ First went with Labour in 2017 and suggesting it was possible again. He was reticent to hit back at National, but among his responses was: “It’s the bump and grind of politics ... I don’t know, maybe it’s an outcome of losing too much weight.” Later, Jones told journalists: “I owe an apology to Nicola Willis.” “It has been reported that my remarks were not in keeping with what one would expect from a senior parliamentarian, and I shall be very mindful in answering questions in the future that don’t have an unnecessarily hurtful impact on my colleagues.” Willis’ office had no comment. Peters told the Herald: “The comment was unacceptable, I spoke to Shane, and he publicly apologised. Shane has also personally apologised.” It comes after Willis on Wednesday asked for an apology from Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who had suggested she needed medical help. Finance Minister Nicola Willis out for a run in Washington DC with other Finance Ministers. During Question Time, Willis at one point emitted a long groan. Hipkins interjected that she “may have been having a few issues” and “may need some medical help”. Willis took offence at that. “I would like to assure all members of this House that I’m in great health and I went for an excellent run with the Treasurer of Australia, the British Chancellor in Washington DC recently and I find it offensive and in a long line of politicians in this House making personal aspersions on people.” Hipkins subsequently withdrew the statement but suggested it had been taken out of context. “I was referring, of course, to the noise that she made, and nothing else.” Later, Willis approached Hipkins in front of journalists and asked if he would like to apologise. Hipkins: “I’m happy to if you were genuinely offended by what I said. I was referring to the noise that you were making and nothing else. Willis: “I think you know exactly what you were meaning.” She later told the Herald: “Chris Hipkins has now contacted me personally to offer a full apology. I’ve accepted his apology and am happy to move on. I have better things to focus on. “As I said in Parliament, I’m in great health and fighting fit for an election year.” Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:38:57 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/remains-of-two-nz-soldiers-reburied-in-france-after-century-in-us-museum/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/remains-of-two-nz-soldiers-reburied-in-france-after-century-in-us-museum/ Two New Zealand soldiers who perished in World War I have been reburied in France after their remains were stored at a Pennsylvania museum for more than 100 years. Lance Corporal Patrick Duffy and Rifleman George James Tombs were both serving on the Western Front with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force when they were killed. The men were laid to rest in France by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) earlier this month after their remains were identified as World War I soldiers. In September last year, Mütter Museum and Historical Medical Library contacted the CWGC about 113 partial remains in their possession of soldiers they believed had been killed in action. The remains of two Kiwi World War I soldiers have been reburied after spending a century in an American museum. Photo / NZDF The Philadelphia medical museum had acquired the collection from the French military hospital Le Tréport at the end of World War I. Through research the CWGC traced the remains to the Mont Huon Military Cemetery in France, where the men had been buried before they were taken to the United States for medical research in 1919. Duffy and Tombs were both identified alongside other remains belonging to fallen Australian, British and Canadian soldiers. Lance Corporal Patrick Duffy died in 1918 after sustaining injuries in France. Photo / NZDF Tapanui-born Duffy arrived in Europe in 1915, leaving his parents, Michael and Lilly Duffy, and 10 siblings behind in Otago. After being shot in the head and left hand in France just over a week earlier, Duffy died on 24 October 1918, aged 37. The war would end less than three weeks later. Tombs suffered a gunshot wound and fractured his arm at the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917, less than six months after he had first landed. The rifleman died of his injuries on December 6 that year, aged just 24. George James Tombs was just 24 when he died in Belgium. Photo / NZDF He was one of the more than 843 Kiwis killed in the battle that has become known as New Zealand’s “blackest day”. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has been in contact with the families and sent a Belgium Defense Attaché to the private internment of the pair, returning them to their existing graves in France. The NZDF is currently working alongside the families and other CWGC member governments to decide whether to hold a public ceremony for all 113 men. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:15:24 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/ukraine-negotiators-floated-donnyland-idea-to-win-over-donald-trump/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/ukraine-negotiators-floated-donnyland-idea-to-win-over-donald-trump/ Ukrainian officials have proposed naming a part of their country “Donnyland” in an effort to win over United States President Donald Trump. The unofficial plan, revealed this week by the New York Times, was suggested by negotiators to rename a slice of the Donbas region as part of the peace talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine. The new name would be both a reference to “Donald” and “Donbas”. It is not the first time international relations have been based on attaching Trump’s name to things, the New York Times reported. Poland wanted a US military base on its land in 2018, so it pitched the idea as “Fort Trump”. When Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace agreement at the White House last year, they announced a new highway between the countries called the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”. In Syria, since the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad, power brokers suggested building a Trump-branded resort and golf course to get sanctions removed. The Ukrainian proposal has not been successful so far, but that didn’t stop a Ukrainian negotiator from reportedly creating an official flag and national anthem for “Donnyland” using ChatGPT, according to the Times newspaper in Britain. The full-scale war began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, and the countries are now locked in a stalemate, with the front lines moving little in the past two years, according to 9News in Australia. Talks to end the war appear to be in a deadlock, with Moscow demanding Ukrainian territory, which Ukraine has dismissed, reported British news site the Independent. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside the West Wing of the White House. Photo / Getty Images When a Ukrainian negotiator first floated Donnyland – partly as a joke – it hoped it would get Trump to push back harder on Russia’s demands in the peace talks, reported the New York Times. Negotiators suggested Donnyland could be formed in a demilitarised zone not fully controlled by either country, which could be “branded as an accomplishment” for Trump. The name also reflects the reality that Governments realise they can secure American support by playing to Trump’s vanity, according to the New York Times. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:10:13 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/financial-stress-is-fraying-new-zealand-s-social-fabric-as-trust-and-unity-fall-new-report-claims/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/financial-stress-is-fraying-new-zealand-s-social-fabric-as-trust-and-unity-fall-new-report-claims/ A new report is warning New Zealanders the “country’s social fabric is fraying on almost every measure”, amid growing isolation, financial stress and institutional distrust. Findings from the Helen Clark Foundation’s second annual Social Cohesion in New Zealand report were “both frightening and hopeful”, economist and report co-author Shambeel Eaqub said. “New Zealand still has strong foundations, but there are growing cracks in how people experience fairness, opportunity and connection,” Eaqub said. “Financial stress is the dominant driver.” Surveying nearly 3000 Kiwis, the annual report measures the “social glue” binding New Zealand society together and compares changes between years. The latest report saw major shifts in social attitudes and beliefs over 2025; trust in the Government fell three points to 39%, belief in hard work dropped seven points to 45% and declining immigration sentiment mirrored global trends. The report's co-author, economist Shambeel Eaqub, said financial stress is the biggest impediment to social cohesion. Photo / Smoke Photo & Video The report deemed financial strain the most significant factor impeding social cohesion, with those struggling under the cost of living considerably less likely to feel connected, trust public institutions and engage with their communities. Paired with rising loneliness and isolation, Eaqub said social participation is moving “away from traditional institutions and toward more oppositional or online forms of engagement”. Drawing from the two years of survey data, the report categorised New Zealanders into three distinct social groups; the connected (30%), the ambivalent (41%) and the alienated (28%). Eaqub described it as having “three different New Zealands living alongside each other”, with the connected group recording strong social cohesion indicators against the alienated group’s more extreme social disconnect. “Financial stress, political allegiance, institutional distrust and social isolation are reinforcing each other, producing a population that is frustrated and disconnecting from the conventional institutions we rely on for collective decision-making.” Growing isolation and institutional distrust were also chipping away at New Zealand's social glue, the report warned. Photo / Michael Craig Despite the fragility, 80% of Kiwis surveyed felt a sense of national belonging and pride in the country’s way of life, similar to last year’s result. Youth were also found to be the most aspirational age group, despite recording the worst social cohesion outcomes in the report. The foundation is now asking politicians to consider how legislative power can be used to restore common ground and foster mutual understanding among fractured groups. “Social cohesion isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s what allows a country to make difficult decisions and navigate long-term challenges,” Eaqub said. “It happens when communities have the support and conditions to solve problems together, manage differences, and care for each other over time. “If we want a resilient, inclusive New Zealand, strengthening social cohesion is vital.” Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:07:07 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/public-service-commission-review-of-police-integrity-finds-reset-urgently-needed/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/public-service-commission-review-of-police-integrity-finds-reset-urgently-needed/ By Sam Sherwood of RNZ A scathing review of police by the Public Service Commission has found an “integrity reset is urgently needed” because of a perceived culture that holds seniors to a “lesser standard than juniors”. It also found a “wave of crime” arriving on New Zealand shores and says police are “struggling to keep up”. In response, police have developed an implementation plan that includes a 10-year police capability plan. The Public Service Commission (PSC) released its Performance Improvement Review (PIR) of police on Thursday. An overview of the report said police needed to tackle three “major challenges” in the next five years. “They need to rebuild police integrity; address persistent traditional crime while adapting to increasingly complex, digital, and transnational threats; and build their corporate performance in the face of ongoing fiscal pressures.” In relation to integrity, the report referenced the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s damning report released in November about how senior police responded to allegations of sexual misconduct by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. “The report revealed integrity failings across a small group of senior individuals. Our findings add to the scale of police’s integrity challenge: we found a perceived culture that holds seniors to a lesser standard than juniors, tribalism especially at senior levels, and complaint systems which can fail staff at all levels. Scrutiny has been put on the response of senior police to allegations of sexual misconduct by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo / Mark Mitchell “An integrity reset is urgently needed. Police understand the scale and urgency of this issue, the recent leadership refresh has aimed to address these challenges, and they have initiatives well underway.” The report says police leadership needs to sustain that effort over years to “embed integrity across the organisation”. “Culture and systems from front-line decision-making to executive governance need to reinforce zero tolerance towards misconduct. We see a strong base to rebuild integrity: the police staff we met are committed to keeping our communities safe and lifting integrity across the organisation.” Crime was also evolving with police “struggling to keep up”. “A wave of crime is arriving on our shores which threatens our economic prosperity, democracy, and social cohesion. Transnational organised criminal groups are bringing increasing amounts of drugs, firearms, and laundered money into our communities. “Increasingly, online fraud (which is the fastest growing source of harm in New Zealand) is originating offshore. Meanwhile traditional physical crimes persist, and they are growing more complex, armed, and violent.” The report says police need to “operate effectively across two parallel worlds”. “They must continue to respond to traditional, place-based crime – an area where stakeholders consistently report that police perform strongly as first responders. At the same time, police must rapidly build the capability, confidence, and tools required to prevent and respond to harm in digital, transnational, and increasingly borderless environments. “This is not a challenge unique to New Zealand. Police agencies worldwide are grappling with the same fundamental shift in crime. The difference will lie in how quickly and decisively police adapt.” Immediate action was required to “restore core investigative competence”. “Investigation skills are deteriorating, particularly among less experienced officers, and this is undermining case outcomes and public confidence. Looking ahead, police must secure the right people, skills, tools, and technology to operate effectively in an increasingly complex, cyber-enabled crime environment.” In relation to core policing, the report says police have “historically underinvested” in its “corporate backbone”. “To operate effectively at police’s scale, complexity, and devolution, the organisation... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:42:27 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/zac-lomax-reveals-how-sonny-bill-williams-helped-guide-switch-to-super-rugby-pacific/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/zac-lomax-reveals-how-sonny-bill-williams-helped-guide-switch-to-super-rugby-pacific/ Code-hopper Zac Lomax has revealed how former All Black Sonny Bill Williams was key to helping him switch from the NRL to Super Rugby Pacific. The 26-year-old Australian joined the Western Force ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup, but had been involved in a legal battle in attempting to transfer from the Parramatta Eels to the Melbourne Storm. The former league player is currently contracted to the Force for two years. Lomax discussed his decision to switch from league to rugby on the Full Force Podcast, where he explained how influential Sonny Bill Williams was in helping him. “I’ve been fortunate enough to lean on him a couple times,” Lomax said, “but I guess for me, Sonny’s just a person that I admire too, just the way that he’s gone about it, but I more or less admire Sonny from a family standpoint. “He’s just such a good human being and that’s what I love about him, but he’s the kind of person that I’ve admired in the sense that he’s courageous and he’s backed his ability and obviously he’s backed it up time and time again. Zac Lomax (left) has credited Sonny Bill Williams with helping him switch from the NRL to Super Rugby Pacific. Photos / Photosport “I guess he’s just a mate that I’m fortunate enough to be able to keep in touch with here and there.” Lomax also said his family, partner and friends helped him through the process and he wanted to give himself the best chance possible in the sport. “It works out, it works out, if not then I’ve given it a red-hot crack. “But I’m going to throw every ounce of me into it to be the best Zac Lomax that I can as a rugby union player.” Williams had successful stints in league and rugby, having won two Rugby World Cups with the All Blacks and the NRL Premiership with the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2004 and in 2013 with the Sydney Roosters after six years away from the code. The former All Black made a shock move to French side Toulon during the 2008 NRL season and later signed with the then New Zealand Rugby Union in 2010. Lomax played his first game for the Force and scored a try in a 31-26 victory over the Crusaders. The Australian will have to wait until May 1 for the Force’s next game against the New South Wales Waratahs, because they are on a bye for the upcoming Super Round in Christchurch. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:26:12 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/business/spark-says-it-will-be-first-to-offer-starlink-for-mobile-roaming-overseas/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/business/spark-says-it-will-be-first-to-offer-starlink-for-mobile-roaming-overseas/ Buying a local sim card, or eSim, will soon no longer be the only way to use your phone overseas. Spark says it’s set to become the fourth telco in the world – and the first in New Zealand – to offer global roaming via Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile service. The telco says it’s in “advanced negotiations” with Japan’s KDDI for a reciprocal roaming agreement that should kick in before year’s end. “We’re actively exploring opportunities to expand this capability to additional countries and telco providers,” Spark chief commercial officer Mark Beder tells the Herald. The other two telcos in the first four are T-Mobile in the United States and Rogers in Canada. As long as they’ve got a compatible phone (which is most recent models), Spark customers visiting Japan, and KDDI customers visiting NZ, will be able to use Elon Musk’s satellite service for texts, plus calls and data via a series of “lite” versions of apps like WhatsApp and Google Maps available for Starlink satellite-to-mobile. And they will roam at no cost if on an eligible plan. If your phone works with Starlink in NZ, it will work with Starlink in Japan, Spark says. When a traveller with satellite service (KDDI’s customer) ventures out of terrestrial coverage in the visited country (New Zealand), they will automatically connect with Starlink Mobile’s satellites and see the hosting partner’s network banner name (Spark NZ SpaceX) appear in the top left corner of the phone. Beder says Japan is already one of Spark’s biggest inbound roaming markets. “Over the last 15 months, we’ve hosted more than 11,600 KDDI roamers, with monthly volumes topping 1000 during peak travel periods.” One NZ has been asked for comment. In December 2024, One NZ became the first local telco to offer Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile service. Spark followed in April this year. 2degrees says it will launch with Starlink rival AST SpaceMobile later this year. Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:21:58 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/wellington/car-catches-fire-on-sh1-wellington-blocks-northbound-lane/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/wellington/car-catches-fire-on-sh1-wellington-blocks-northbound-lane/ Part of the northbound lane on State Highway 1 in Wellington is blocked by a car fire. The incident was reported to emergency services at 2.18pm but no injuries have been reported. Fire and Emergency and traffic control attended the scene. The blocked section of the highway is the left-hand lane headed towards Porirua. Drivers using the motorway to head north can expect delays. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:14:32 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/business/christchurch-massage-business-mother-s-thai-and-owner-janya-duangjai-fined-210k-for-exploiting-workers/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/business/christchurch-massage-business-mother-s-thai-and-owner-janya-duangjai-fined-210k-for-exploiting-workers/ A Christchurch massage business and its owner have been ordered to pay $210,000 in penalties for the exploitation of vulnerable migrant workers. Mother’s Thai, which traded as Diamond Thai, and its sole director, Janya Duangjai, were found responsible for 55 separate breaches of minimum employment standards involving five workers between November 2020 and 2023. The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ordered Mother’s Thai to pay a penalty of $140,000 and Duangjai a further $70,000. The five workers will receive $21,000 each from the penalties. The penalties are in addition to the more than $230,000 that Mother’s Thai and Duangjai had previously agreed to pay five workers following a Labour Inspectorate investigation. Mother’s Thai and Duangjai accepted they had, amongst other breaches: Failed to pay the minimum wage for all hours worked. Unlawfully deducted money from employees’ pay. Charged employees an unlawful premium for their employment. Failed to keep copies of employees’ employment agreements. Failed to pay the correct public holiday and sick leave entitlements. Failed to keep compliant wages and time records. Natalie Gardiner, the Labour Inspectorate migrant exploitation manager, said the significant penalties imposed reflect the seriousness of the harm caused to the workers. “This was a particularly egregious example of migrant exploitation,” Gardiner said. “Employers who deliberately underpay staff, charge unlawful premiums or ignore basic employment obligations should expect strong enforcement action by labour inspectors. “These types of practices have no place in New Zealand.” In his determination, ERA member Peter van Keulen said the five workers had been denied $231,737 they were owed. He said while Mother’s Thai conceded it breached employment standards and agreed to the amounts owed to the workers, there was no evidence the workers had been paid, and Mother’s Thai was no longer operating. “It appears that employees of Mother’s Thai were migrant workers with limited knowledge about their employment rights and little support in terms of questioning their pay and other entitlements,” he said. “It appears that Mother’s Thai, through Duangjai, took advantage of the employee’s vulnerability.” Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:05:15 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/metservice-weather-warnings-heavy-rain-and-storms-for-northland-and-auckland/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/metservice-weather-warnings-heavy-rain-and-storms-for-northland-and-auckland/ An 18-hour drenching and possible thunderstorms are set to strike already sodden regions in the upper North Island overnight and into tomorrow evening. A string of wet-weather warnings has been issued, with MetService advising of possible flooding and slips. After the rain, the weather for most people was set to “calm down” as Anzac commemorations drew closer, it said. Heavy rain is set to lash already sodden regions in the upper North Island overnight and into tomorrow evening. A low and an associated trough are expected to develop east of Northland throughout today. MetService meteorologist John Law said a band of rain would then brush the top of the North Island tonight and tomorrow, “keeping Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel on the wetter side”. Fellow meteorologist Surprise Mhlongo told the Herald there was a low risk of thunderstorms tonight, but that would increase to a moderate risk before dawn tomorrow. “The weather will just deteriorate from tonight into tomorrow morning.” The latest bad weather comes just days after thunderstorms, intense downpours, gusty winds and tornadoes wreaked havoc in parts of the North Island. Wellington was plunged into a State of Emergency on Monday, with many rattled awake to evacuate. The severe weather also led to the death of Karori resident Philip Sutton, who was swept away by flash flooding. Severe weather watches and warnings An orange heavy rain warning is in place for eastern Northland from 2am tomorrow until 8pm. Great Barrier Island is under the same warning from 8pm tonight until 2pm tomorrow. Eastern Auckland, north of Whangaparāoa, has also been issued an orange heavy rain warning from 1am tomorrow until 4pm. MetService said this rain might be accompanied by thunderstorms and warned that streams and rivers could rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions were also possible. From 4am until 10pm tomorrow, a heavy rain watch is in place for Eastern Northland, about and south of the Bay of Islands, not included in the warning. Coromandel Peninsula, north of Whitianga, is under the same watch from 11pm tonight until 1pm tomorrow. What is in store for Anzac weekend? Law said most regions were expected to remain dry during Saturday’s dawn services. A few early showers were possible on the eastern coast of Northland, which could affect some events. “Dawn services are looking mostly dry, but it will be a cold start, especially inland. “Waiouru is set to be one of the coldest spots, with temperatures around 1C at daybreak.” MetService said that, while nights would remain chilly, plenty of sunshine would help to lift daytime temperatures, particularly across the eastern South Island. Anzac Day dawn service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum last year. Photo / NZME After a run of cooler days, Canterbury and Otago are expected to be the warmest parts of the country this weekend, with Dunedin forecast to reach about 22C on Saturday. MetService said this was 5C above average for this time of year. The final day of the long weekend, on Monday, would be settled for most regions. “There will be a few showers pushing into Southland and parts of the West Coast, but for many, especially those recently affected by severe weather, it will be a welcome break,” Law said. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:53:57 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/hawke-s-bay-farmer-gets-home-detention-disqualified-from-owning-animals-after-219-sheep-euthanised/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/hawke-s-bay-farmer-gets-home-detention-disqualified-from-owning-animals-after-219-sheep-euthanised/ A Hawke’s Bay farmer who caused the death of more than 200 sheep has been put on home detention and disqualified from owning animals for a year. David Fraser Beck, 46, pleaded guilty to three charges under the Animal Welfare Act, after prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The Hastings District Court ruled his neglect resulted in 219 sheep having to be euthanised because of starvation, severe flystrike and parasite problems. The charges included reckless ill treatment of the sheep and failing to treat ill or injured animals. One representative charge related to 2164 sheep for failing to provide proper and sufficient food, to provide preventative flystrike treatment and to diagnose and treat sheep for internal parasites. Beck was sentenced yesterday to seven and a half months’ home detention and disqualified from being in charge of or owning sheep and cattle for 12 months. MPI district manager of animal welfare Tom Teneti said inspectors found evidence of serious animal welfare offending when visiting the farm at Waipiropiro station. “This included many sheep with active flystrike, 17 of which had to be euthanised immediately to prevent further suffering. Sheep carcasses were found throughout the property,” said Teneti, who also manages national animal identification and tracing compliance. A sheep affected by major flystrike. Photo / Ministry for Primary Industries “Mr Beck was an experienced farmer but failed to provide the basics – sufficient veterinary treatment and quality feed for his sheep.” In subsequent visits to the farm, animal welfare inspectors had 1497 sheep examined, and only 59 met the minimum standards of the Code of Welfare Sheep and Beef Cattle. “It was clear that these standards, including providing sufficient food and water, were not being met and that preventative or remedial action was not being taken when animals were showing signs of ill health. Mr Beck was failing in his responsibility to these animals. “Fences and gates on the farm were in disrepair, and some had been pushed over by sheep and cattle. An additional 219 sheep had to be euthanised to end their suffering. “This was serious offending. These animals were suffering a range of problems including broken legs, lameness, severe flystrike, parasites and starvation. They were euthanised to end their pain and suffering. “Most farmers do the right thing for their animals and take early action where necessary. Mr Beck let these animals down. When we find evidence of poor practice and cruelty, we take action.” Beck was also ordered to pay $5000 costs to MPI. MPI said animal welfare is everyone’s responsibility and strongly encourages the public who is aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone on (0800) 008 333. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:41:01 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/missing-christchurch-woman-rowena-walker-police-find-items-in-christchurch-red-zone-search/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/missing-christchurch-woman-rowena-walker-police-find-items-in-christchurch-red-zone-search/ Police are working to determine if items found in a search of Christchurch’s red zone are linked to missing woman Rowena Walker. Walker, 39, has not been seen since August 14 last year, when she was captured on CCTV on Bassett St, Christchurch. Search teams began scouring the new area yesterday, using drones, boats and police ground crews. Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan said items have since been found, and work will be done to determine if they’re connected to Walker. “Police have located a number of items following a search of the red zone yesterday,” she said. “We are now working to determine if these items are linked to Rowena. Police continue to search the area with the use of a drone and a police dog unit.” Speaking from the city’s residential red zone yesterday, Carolan said police hold grave concerns for Walker. Police search Christchurch's Residential Redzone. Photo / Alyse Wright It is the first time that the red zone has been searched since Walker disappeared eight months ago. “The focus is really for areas of vegetation where things could be hidden or concealed,” Carolan said. “We very much hope that Rowena is alive and will be coming home, but we have to consider the possibility that that might not be the case. “We go through our life, and we leave footprints, digital and otherwise. “Rowena hasn’t done that since mid-August 2025, and that’s really concerning for us.” Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan fronts media. Photo / Alyse Wright Carolan says Walker lived near the area, and police want to ensure “no stone is left unturned”. “Even small finds could be crucial,” she said. Police have "grave concerns" for Rowena Walker, who has been missing for eight months, and they fear foul play. Photo / NZ Police Carolan said police cannot rule out foul play. Officers have executed a number of search warrants and say they have grave fears for Walker. Carolan said she had been in regular contact with Walker’s family, who were “desperate” to locate Walker, who has not been in contact with her children since she went missing. Earlier this week, Carolan said police believed Walker may have been near the red zone when she went missing. “We believe Rowena went missing from Christchurch, as we have found no evidence she left the city before her disappearance,” Carolan said. “The day before, she told family she was living in Christchurch with a friend, indicating an intention to settle here. “This week, Police Search and Rescue, alongside specialist search teams, will be conducting land, water, and aerial searches in and around the red zone. “Rowena’s last confirmed sighting was on August 14, when she was captured on CCTV in Christchurch on Bassett St with an associate.” It is the first time that the red zone has been searched since Rowena Walker disappeared eight months ago. Photo / Alyse Wright Carolan said police have searched across the country for Walker. “We know she travelled often, and in our efforts, we have searched in several districts, including Waikato, Tasman and Canterbury.” Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:32:39 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/italian-parents-face-manslaughter-charges-after-statuette-thrown-by-son-kills-tourist/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/italian-parents-face-manslaughter-charges-after-statuette-thrown-by-son-kills-tourist/ The Italian parents of a teenage boy accused of killing a tourist with a statuette are facing manslaughter charges alleging they failed to supervise their son. Chiara Jaconis, 30, was in Naples celebrating her birthday when she was killed by a falling statuette as she walked through the city’s Spanish Quarter with her boyfriend, reported Metro. CCTV footage from a nearby cafe captured the moment she collapsed as her boyfriend screamed for help, according to the Daily Mail. She was rushed to hospital and had surgery but died two days later from brain injuries. Police said the statuette was thrown from a third-floor balcony by the 13-year-old boy. A juvenile court cleared him because Italian law does not allow criminal charges against those under 14. The statuette weighed just over 2kg. It fell from a height of 10m before it shattered on the balcony below, reported the Daily Mail. One of the pieces struck Jaconis’ head. Naples prosecutors have requested a trial for the couple on joint manslaughter charges, Metro reported, arguing Jaconis’ death on September 15, 2024, could have been prevented. However, the couple, professionals aged 65 and 54, deny any wrongdoing and have claimed the statuette did not belong to them, reported Metro. Chiara Jaconis was celebrating her birthday when she died. Photo / Chiara Jaconis Through their lawyers, the couple said they had no involvement in Jaconis’ death. They also argued their son should be formally acquitted on the facts of the case rather than solely based on his age, reported Metro. Jaconis was born in Italy but had moved to Paris for work as a store manager for Prada, according to her LinkedIn. Last year, a memorial was organised to mark her death with her family and officials attending, according to the Daily Mail. Her mother asked those there to “live life in colour, because that’s what she always did”. A preliminary hearing at the Naples Court is scheduled for June 26. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:15:33 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/leicester-city-collapse-explained-inside-the-failures-behind-league-one-drop/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/leicester-city-collapse-explained-inside-the-failures-behind-league-one-drop/ Ten years after delivering a sporting miracle, Leicester City have been relegated to League One – a consequence of some catastrophic mismanagement, negligence and ruinous decision-making. Leicester’s third relegation in four seasons was confirmed on Wednesday (NZT) after their 2-2 draw at home with Hull City – and it is completely self-inflicted. It has been argued in some quarters that the drop into the third tier is simply the cycle of football. There is also a claim that while Leicester’s amazing Premier League title win will never be repeated, the lows which have followed are inevitable for a club of their size. That is absolute rubbish. Leicester had their shot at glory and blew it. From a position of strength, where many other clubs envied them, they have inexplicably tossed it away. Supporters’ moods range from anger to apathy. Many of them detest the players. They certainly detest the club. Leicester’s owner Aiyawatt “Top” Srivaddhanaprabha has good intentions, but he has presided over a complete calamity. An era of errors from top to bottom. He has placed too much faith in senior figures, such as chief football officer Jon Rudkin, who is a constant target for fans. It is understood that Rudkin does not even feel safe nowadays walking around the city where he was born. The six-point deduction for breaching financial rules, which was imposed in February, was another hammer blow that increased scrutiny on King Power’s running of the club. Rowing with supporters Though Leicester have put together a new football structure in recent weeks, it is too late. Quite simply, they have made too many mistakes and then continued to repeat them. How can any professional football club have 11 players out of contract going into the summer? This was an issue when Leicester were relegated from the Premier League in the 2022-23 season, when too many players were in the dark over their futures. We can talk all day about professional pride, but are those players really going to be focused on the task? This is not a free pass for those players. Most managers in the Championship will point to the fact that Leicester’s squad should not be in this position. Leicester City player Harry Winks appears to row with fans after the side lost 1-0 to Portsmouth. Those players will rail against the accusation, but most fans insist they simply do not care. The image of Harry Winks rowing with supporters as he boarded the bus after a crucial 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth last weekend perfectly captures the disconnect. The midfielder has fallen out with three of the past four managers but is still affectionately referred to as “Winksy” on official Leicester social media. The famous spirit from that title-winning season has disintegrated. The $230 million training ground is outstanding but appears to have robbed the Foxes of their underdog spirit. It includes luxurious hotel rooms, a swimming pool and a nine-hole golf course. If you added rapids and a slide, it would be more appropriate. Gary Rowett was appointed as interim manager in February and will have expected to do far better. He has solidified a leaky defence and drawn seven of his 11 matches, but won only one. Yet even before the game against Hull, the statistics from the previous five matches painted a sobering picture: 99 shots (33 on target) and only three goals. Expected goals over the five matches were around nine but the problem is that Leicester fans were not expecting any. Poor fortune has also affected them. Centre back Ben Nelson was ruled out for the season after injuring his thigh in a warm-down exercise following the 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. Another defender, Caleb Okoli, sustained a hamstring injury in an innocuous training incident. Huge salaries will be slashed The inquest into this season should be extensive but fans are not expecting a root-and-branch review. Recruitment must be identified as a major failing. Leicester have spent too much on wages in the past five years... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:09:12 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/anzac-day-trading-rules-which-shops-can-open-and-surcharge-rules/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/anzac-day-trading-rules-which-shops-can-open-and-surcharge-rules/ While many businesses are set to close for half the day this Anzac Day, recent law changes have eased some restrictions, particularly for hospitality.  Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, there are four days each year when the majority of businesses face restricted trading.  The full restricted days include Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.  The 1990 act states that on Anzac Day most businesses must stay closed until 1pm.  This year the public holiday will be Mondayised, giving Kiwis an extra day off next week without the same restrictions. However, some businesses may still be closed on Monday.  The Government’s amendment to the law around serving alcohol will also be in force, meaning the rules for on-licence businesses have loosened for the first time.  What will be open this Anzac Day?  Three types of shops can open on restricted trading days.  Shops allowed to open with conditions: dairies, service stations, cafes.  Pharmacies: can open without restrictions.  Shops providing services such as hairdressers: can operate during restricted hours but can’t sell products.  Garden centres: can’t open until 1pm on Anzac Day, despite being open on Easter Sunday.  Tourist areas: some have special exemptions under legislation.  Specific towns: Nelson, Dunedin and Wānaka can trade with conditions; Queenstown can open from noon.  Coromandel towns: Tairua, Whangamatā and Whitianga can trade if Anzac Day falls on a Monday or Friday.  Shops without exemptions must stay closed during the first half of April 25.  On-licence businesses can now operate under their usual licence conditions before 1pm thanks to a recent law change allowing hospitality businesses to sell alcohol as normal.  “Mondayisation” does not affect shop trading restrictions because they apply only to the calendar date of Anzac Day.  Retailers can be fined up to $1000 if they open illegally.  Will I be charged extra?  Cafes and restaurants can choose to add a surcharge for opening on the morning of Anzac Day, but not on Monday.  The surcharge covered the additional cost of wages on a public holiday, Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said.  The Commerce Commission has also said establishments must make it well known to customers that a surcharge will be payable before they decide to buy or engage the service.  “It must be clearly disclosed, for example, by adding information to their website for online sales or placing a sign outside,” the commission says on its website.  “In addition, the reason for any surcharge must be accurately described and must not be capable of misleading consumers. The surcharge should not exceed those costs, and the costs should actually be incurred by the business.”  Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:03:22 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/election-2026-winston-peters-says-nz-first-won-t-do-a-deal-with-labour-as-chris-hipkins-remains-non-committal-nicola-willis-unconvinced/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/election-2026-winston-peters-says-nz-first-won-t-do-a-deal-with-labour-as-chris-hipkins-remains-non-committal-nicola-willis-unconvinced/ New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says his party “won’t do a deal with Labour”, as “nothing has changed” since his 2022 promise to rule out the left-wing party. But his National coalition partner Nicola Willis doesn’t appear convinced, saying Peters “will always find a way” to get around previous comments. She said he had a “track record” of doing so, meaning “I just think it is difficult to assume they wouldn’t find a circumstance in which they would choose to work with Labour”. Despite that, Willis said she trusted Peters. Labour leader Chris Hipkins is still refusing to make a similar commitment, telling reporters on Thursday that he will set out a “comprehensive” picture of who Labour may work with later in the year. He said that prior to the last election he ruled out NZ First and “that’s unlikely to change”. Yet he repeatedly refused to rule the party out. Peters’ refusal to work with Labour means Hipkins’ party may become reliant on the Greens and Te Pāti Māori to form a Government after the election. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi this morning said his party would be taking a wealth tax to any coalition negotiations, something Hipkins says his party won’t support. The question of whether NZ First may work with Labour after the upcoming election reared its head again this week after Willis said it was a “live risk”, pointing to Peters going with Labour after the 2017 election. National leader Christopher Luxon then piled on, saying that despite NZ First professing to be “socially conservative”, the party “put [Dame] Jacinda Ardern into power”. He said many New Zealanders, including NZ First supporters, were “shocked” by that decision. Peters later addressed the issue in a social media post, highlighting that in 2022 he revealed to the Herald that he was ruling out working with the Labour Party. “We did that because the left are full of woke, self-confessed communists who would turn our country into a basket case,” Peters said on Wednesday night. “Nothing has changed. In fact, they are even worse. No, we won’t do a deal with Labour or their Marxist and separatist mates.” While he previously ruled out working with Hipkins, the current Labour leader “permanently”, he hadn’t explicitly ruled out working with the party (should it change its leader). NZ First is currently riding high in the polls. In the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll, taken between April 1 and April 2, it was up 3.9 points to 13.6%. A Talbot Mills poll earlier this month had the party on 15%, while the 1News-Verian poll this week put it at 10%. Those poll results would see the party grow its presence in Parliament and potentially put it in a stronger position to negotiate with a slumping National Party after the election, should the centre-right parties be in a position to form a Government. Hipkins on Thursday morning was non-committal about whether he could work with NZ First. “I’ve said that I’ll set that out closer to the election,” he said. Asked what was stopping him making that commitment today, he said: “I’ll set out in a more comprehensive way our views on the other parties in Parliament, where we have common ground, and where we don’t.” He said he didn’t want to “drip that out piecemeal based on events of the day”. “I am going to do that in a principled way and we’ll do it closer to the election, as we did last time.” Hipkins said Peters’ comments made it clear that a vote for NZ First “is a vote to re-elect Christopher Luxon as Prime Minister”. Labour's Chris Hipkins remained non-committal on Thursday. Photo / Anna Heath Asked about Peters’ post, Willis on Thursday smiled. “You have seen him through the years, haven’t you, he will always find a way of saying, ‘no, no, no, what I meant at the time was’ or ‘well, that was just a tweet, you saw what I said’.” She said it was difficult to forget NZ First’s decision to go with Labour in 2017, despite National receiving a higher election result. Willis said she trusted Peters,... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:58:43 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/p%C5%8Dkeno-goat-killings-police-find-no-evidence-of-shooting-blame-dog-attack/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/p%C5%8Dkeno-goat-killings-police-find-no-evidence-of-shooting-blame-dog-attack/ Police now think 18 dead goats, previously believed to have been shot, were attacked and killed by dogs. The dead animals were discovered at a Ridge Rd, Pōkeno, property last week, sparking a police investigation. Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Nelson said initial information suggested the goats had been shot, but the investigation has found no evidence a firearm was used. Further inquiry has established it was likely the goats had instead been attacked and killed by dogs. “Animal deaths like these can often present in the same way, and while we are pleased to learn the goats haven’t been shot, there are still 18 pet goats that have been killed. “Police have been working alongside Waikato District Council Animal Management and we are following positive lines of inquiry to identify the dogs responsible.” Nelson said police would like to thank members of the community who have provided information. The animals’ bodies had been left in a fenced-in paddock, Nelson said on Tuesday. Investigators believed at the time that the goats were killed by one or more people on the night of April 13, and they were likely accompanied by a dog. Nelson said inquiries would continue, but that the attack was now “a matter for Animal Management to deal with”. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:52:51 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/shelly-beach-search-young-dad-missing-in-kaipara-harbour-swept-away-while-retrieving-fishing-gear/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/shelly-beach-search-young-dad-missing-in-kaipara-harbour-swept-away-while-retrieving-fishing-gear/ A young father was swept away from Shelly Beach Wharf while attempting to retrieve fishing gear. Immediate attempts by his family to save him on Sunday were unsuccessful. Police said today that a search for him continues. The Auckland man was pulled away by strong currents of the Kaipara Harbour while fishing with his family. Emergency services were called at 1pm on Sunday, with police and the coastguard conducting aerial, surface and dive searches in the area. The search has continued daily since he went missing. Rodney Local Board member Mark Dennis told the Herald the man was a “young father and brother” who was fishing with his family on the wharf. He was a strong swimmer and jumped off the edge of the wharf in an attempt to retrieve fishing gear. He was pulled out by the “incredibly strong” current. “The outgoing current on that part of the Kaipara is incredibly strong,” Dennis said. “If you go off that wharf into the outgoing current, it is incredibly hard to get back in, and that brought him out.” Police say the search for an Auckland man missing from Shelly Beach remains ongoing. Photo / Mark Dennis, Rodney Local Board One of the man’s family members jumped in after him with a flotation device, but could not retrieve him. The family have remained at Shelly Beach during the five-day search, with the community rallying around them. “The community’s put their arms around the whānau in a very impressive way,” Dennis said. “They provided kai and warm clothing and shelter for the family because the family wanted to remain at Shelly Beach while the search was going on. “They’ve been there since Sunday, the family, and they’re leaving later on today.” The navy also helped with the search. Photo / Mark Dennis, Rodney Local Board The coastguard said they remained on standby, with the search being led by police. Coastguard air patrol and volunteer crews, which contributed around 40 hours, assisted with the search, with the Winstone Rescue boat searching approximately 25km from the mouth of the Kaipara River to Mosquito Bay. A rāhui in place since Monday was lifted early this morning after a search last night by police dive crews proved unsuccessful. “I’m incredibly impressed by how the community wrapped around the family, looked after them,” Dennis said. “They’re total strangers, but it was a great example of the community, police, iwi and council coming together to support the family through a horrific time.” Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:20:48 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/rugby-jedi-commentator-jed-thian-dies-in-thailand-family-s-heartbreak-as-fans-share-memories/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/rugby-jedi-commentator-jed-thian-dies-in-thailand-family-s-heartbreak-as-fans-share-memories/ Jed Thian, known to fans as the Rugby Jedi, has died in Thailand. He had been living in the South East Asian country before his death. His brother Andrew Thian posted a statement on social media confirming the news. It is unclear how he died but the Herald understands he passed away peacefully. “I have come to Thailand to be with my brother as he has passed away,” Andrew Thian said. “I couldn’t tell everyone as I didn’t have his phone. Our family is so sad it hurts.” He encouraged fans of his brother to share photos and stories of him. Jed Thian, known as the Rugby Jedi, has died in Thailand. Photo / GoFundMe “Tomorrow he will start his journey home. Saturday I will place some of his ashes here in the sea where he loved.” Andrew Thian has also set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs and to bring his brother back to New Zealand. Jed Thian, who had a column in the Herald in 2008 and described himself as a “livestreaming media innovator”, started to promote his alternative rugby commentary in 2005, pioneering the use of social media to promote it as live entertainment. He also helped to coach the Pōneke Rugby Club and later took his show offshore in 2009, while also making appearances on the BBC and RTE in Ireland. In 2012, he was one of the first to report the All Blacks would break with tradition and place a sponsor on the front of their jerseys, after speaking with a source from AIG in Hong Kong. Tributes have poured in for Thian, with some relating the help he gave them throughout his life. “I remember him coming to Dubai while I was living there and I went to pick him up at the airport,” DJ Ryan Salt said. “He comes strolling out larger then life and embraced me in a 2 minute hongi, you could hear the locals thinking ... are they? In Arab culture, it’s how they greet their elders.” “Met Jedi in the 90s through Greg Townsend at Surfing NZ,” another commenter said. “We all became a pretty tight group. Jedi would be the MC at surfing events around the motu. “Those that knew him well will appreciate how much he added to the scene. There has just been a big surfing event at Raglan and during the 90s they were a regular thing. “He was keen to learn to surf, yes really, so we found a big board and spent hours in the water with him. He got to his knees eventually but was determined and loved it.” Rugby Asia Channel posted a photo of him captioned “RIP Jedi”, while former All Blacks hooker Dane Coles commented: “Rest easy Jedi great man you belong.” Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:15:47 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/police-confirm-philip-sutton-formally-identified-after-body-found-in-flood-search/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/police-confirm-philip-sutton-formally-identified-after-body-found-in-flood-search/ Police have formally identified Karori man Philip Sutton as the person found dead after extreme weather in Wellington this week. Searchers found Sutton’s body on the South Coast yesterday after he was reported missing amid flooding on Monday. Search teams, including a dive squad and dog unit, had been searching for Sutton, in his 60s, since the start of the week, but searches have been hampered by dangerous conditions. The South Karori Rd property Sutton was living in was battered and buried in debris after flash flooding swept through the area. Police today confirmed the body found in the search has been formally identified as Sutton, Wellington District Prevention Manager Inspector Fleur de Bes said. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with Philip’s family and friends at this difficult time,” de Bes said. His death has been referred to the coroner. Karori man Philip Sutton disappeared after floodwaters ripped through his Wellington home early on Monday morning. Photo / Supplied A concerned member of Sutton’s family contacted emergency services about 7.15am on Monday. The search was called off on Monday night and did not resume until 8am on Wednesday, with Tuesday treated as a planning day because of a “lack of visibility, fast-flowing water, really unstable ground, [and] a lot of debris”, Senior Sergeant Craig Pickering earlier said. Police found a Suzuki Swift registered to Sutton just before 11am today in Karori Stream, about 1km from where it had been parked before flooding started. His body was found about midday near the mouth of the stream on the South Coast. Inspector Fleur de Bes said although it was not the outcome anyone wanted, “our thoughts are with his family and friends at this awful time”. Pickering said police were still recovering Philip’s body and “working through that with coronial services”. Inspector Fleur de Bes and Senior Sergeant Craig Pickering given an update at the rural Karori search scene. Photo / Tobias Macintosh “The floodwaters hit very rapidly, very quickly, with ferocious strength,” he said. “We do our best to piece together how he’s come to be where he is with the floodwaters. “There was a number of items that we located during the search,” Pickering said, with debris travelling down the Karori stream due to the flash flooding. The devastated South Karori Rd property where Philip Sutton was living. Photo / Billy Paine Sutton, a Karori local, worked for NZ Post, with a spokesman for the organisation saying it was supporting its staff through the situation. “Our thoughts are with our colleague, their family, friends and loved ones in this very difficult situation. We are also supporting our team in Wellington,” chief operating officer Brendon Main said. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:11:19 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/hurricanes-chairman-malcolm-gillies-super-rugby-won-t-survive-without-change/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/hurricanes-chairman-malcolm-gillies-super-rugby-won-t-survive-without-change/ Hurricanes co-owner Malcolm Gillies has delivered an impassioned call to arms by suggesting Super Rugby could die unless serious changes are made.  Wellington property developer Gillies and Porirua-based Summit Capital bailed out the Hurricanes late last year by buying a 50% stake in the franchise after a $2.5 million loss was uncovered in the previous financial year.  Gillies assumed the Hurricanes chairmanship and has since adopted a hands-on approach to tackling the challenging economic climate confronting all professional rugby teams.  Two years after the Melbourne Rebels’ demise, Super Rugby’s sustainability has again been thrust into the spotlight with Moana Pasifika’s five-year existence expected to conclude at the end of this season, unless an unlikely white knight is found. This would leave 10 teams in the competition.  While Super Rugby Pacific is paving the way as an entertainment product thanks to law tweaks that prioritise speed and ball in play, all teams face difficulties in attracting crowds, retaining players and generating enough revenue to stay afloat.  In a wide-ranging interview with the Rugby Direct podcast, Gillies outlined his belief that Super Rugby has a pimple that must be popped. Everything, from privatisation to player movement, transfer fees, New Zealand’s contracting model, eligibility and kickoff times, should evolve for the competition to survive.  Gillies’ public push for change comes as Super Rugby powerbrokers gather in Christchurch this weekend at the opening of the One NZ Stadium to discuss the future of the competition.  “When we got involved, we knew the Hurricanes were losing money ... the model doesn’t work. Unless there’s change, it’s not going to work,” Gillies told Rugby Direct.  “You’ve got five, six, franchises in New Zealand and none of them are making a lot of money. There’s got to be change. The whole system has to change. I don’t think it’s sustainable as it sits right now.  “If it stays the way it is now, I fear for it. If there’s change, then I believe we’ve got a product. But if it doesn’t, I believe it’s going to die. That’s my honest opinion.  “Even more than that, if it doesn’t change, it’s not going to achieve what New Zealand Rugby or private investment wants. It probably isn’t going to achieve what the fans or players want either.  “There’s a lot of good people out there that know we have to do something for the betterment of Super and New Zealand rugby.”  Gillies admits he doesn’t have all the solutions. While some of his proposals would be challenging to pull off, there is no doubting his passion to drive change.  Backers willing to shell out millions on often loss-making sports teams are rare, but attracting further private investment is one avenue Gillies believes would help to sustain Super Rugby.  For this to be attractive, though, he says New Zealand Rugby’s centralised contracting model, in which the national body pays the salaries of the five New Zealand Super teams, should allow the franchises more freedom to retain players and recruit overseas stars.  “My belief is it needs to be privatised. It cannot continue the way it is at the moment.”  Gillies points to Sir Graham Henry’s recent criticism that Super Rugby isn’t producing enough quality players to compete on the international stage.  “You’ve got to change the competition to give you enough competition to give you those sorts of players.  “Should we bring in South Africa or Japan? Those things, I won’t be here long enough. I’m 67, I’ll be dead before that’s ever resolved because they take forever.”  Under the collective agreement, NZ Super teams are permitted to sign a maximum of two foreign players.  “Surely allowing overseas players to come and play in our competition would work. Why wouldn’t you? Imagine if you had the big South African lock [Eben Etzebeth] coming... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:58:00 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/finance-minister-nicola-willis-gives-economic-update-amid-geopolitical-turmoil-nz-s-financial-outlook-downgrade/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/finance-minister-nicola-willis-gives-economic-update-amid-geopolitical-turmoil-nz-s-financial-outlook-downgrade/ Finance Minister Nicola Willis says New Zealand faces “significant short-term challenges” and potential “heightened medium- to long-term risks” economically.  But she has also stressed her confidence in a rejuvenated economic recovery for the country.  Willis made the comments in an economic update from Parliament this afternoon amid warnings from the Reserve Bank that ongoing geopolitical instability is expected to increase inflation and weaken economic recovery.  Willis’ update comes just over a month before the Budget, to be delivered on May 28.  She told those gathered: “Economic recovery is delayed but not derailed.  “I am very conscious that many New Zealanders would like to see us splashing the cash right now, and I would love to ease the pressure that many people are feeling.  “We simply can’t do that responsibly as a country right now because we cannot just keep spending more and borrowing more, as some have suggested.”  Willis said “the choice is really clear”.  New Zealanders could either opt for a Government that had fiscal discipline and “cares about your future and your kids’ future”, or support politicians she claimed “want to pull the wool over your eyes and tell you that the answer is just spending more”.  Willis shared three scenarios that Treasury had prepared over the ongoing Iran conflict and the impact it could have on the economy.  That included how the price of oil could be impacted by a cessation of fighting or if it became a prolonged war.  She said the best-case scenario is for a short conflict, with oil prices averaging US$110 (NZ$186) a barrel in the second quarter of this year before returning to pre-conflict levels.  A widening conflict in the Middle East has led to dramatic swings and surges in the price of fuel for ships, prompting distributors in Singapore, the world's top bunkering hub, to cut back their purchases. Photo / Getty Images  She has shared three scenarios for the price of oil.  “Scenario one looks the most likely,” Willis said.  She said in scenario one, they predict the worst quarter for growth is the second quarter of the year, the quarter that we’re in right now.  “We would expect to see unemployment recovering in the future,” she said.  Willis added of the scenarios: “What it does show you is that while we face significant short-term challenges and heightened medium- to long-term risks, we also hold out the hope that oil will gradually resume flowing through the Strait of Hormuz in the second half of this year. We obviously can’t take that for granted.”  Willis said there is still a huge amount of uncertainty about the ceasefire between America and Iran.  In the latest OCR monetary policy update, the Reserve Bank opted to keep the Official Cash Rate (OCR) on hold, saying that it balanced the benefits of responding pre-emptively with the cost of unnecessarily stifling the economic recovery.  “In the near term, inflation is expected to increase and the economic recovery to weaken,” the Reserve Bank said.  Conflict in Iran had disrupted global supply chains, prompting oil and fuel prices to increase significantly.  Willis said it was important to be “open and transparent” and not fudge around the fact that if oil prices got “really high”, that inflation could “get really bad here”.  But Willis said in terms of future orders, fuel importing companies are telling the Government that their orders are secure through until the end of May.  She said these companies have told them that they are not having challenges placing future orders into June.  In addition, New Zealand’s Consumers Price Index increased 3.1% in the 12 months to the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ on Tuesday. This was higher than most economists’ estimates and has, according to market pricing, lifted the odds of an Official Cash Rate hike in May.  Fina... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:30:24 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/free-trade-chris-hipkins-confirms-labour-will-support-deal-with-india/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/free-trade-chris-hipkins-confirms-labour-will-support-deal-with-india/ Labour leader Chris Hipkins has written to PM Christopher Luxon to say Labour would support legislation to pass the India free trade deal. Hipkins confirmed the move at a press conference along with his party’s trade spokesman Damien O’Connor at 10am. He said the Government had committed to provide legal resources to protect those who could be victims of exploitation and to speed up visa processing. Hipkins said he still remained concerned about the $34 billion private sector investment commitment in the deal, saying it was an “unrealistic target”. He said he wouldn’t stop the deal being passed because of concerns about the target, but he said businesses should be aware of the potential for “clawback” from India if it was not met. In confirming his party’s stance, Hipkins also claimed the Government had been cavalier in how it had engaged with Labour over the deal. Hipkins also warned businesses to proceed at their own risk and do their own due diligence. “New Zealand businesses need to go into this with their eyes wide open,” he said. Labour leader Chris Hipkins (centre) has written to PM Christopher Luxon to say Labour would support legislation to pass the India free trade deal. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “The deal cuts tariffs, and increases market access for New Zealand exporters, and that is very welcome. But the $33b investment target is unrealistic and missing it could see benefits clawed back in 15 years. “While Todd McClay says it’s all aspirational, India is already setting up oversight and has signalled it will enforce the clawback.“ He said it was “not the deal” that Labour would have tried to negotiate. “But we value our relationship with India and the positive contributions of our Indian communities.” Hipkins said he wasn’t concerned about the level of immigration afforded under the agreement. Immigration had been a key factor in NZ First opposing the deal; with Hipkins hitting out in how they had characterised the potential consequences of the agreement. At the press conference, O’Connor defended how long the party had taken to assess the agreement. “I think it would be irresponsible... to make a judgment if we didn’t have as much information as we should have,” he said. He said the party had received a key Cabinet paper on Monday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's Government now has support from Labour for the FTA with India. Photo / Mark Mitchell  The Government doesn’t need Labour’s support to sign the free-trade agreement (FTA) with India. However, National and Act will need its backing when it comes to passing legislation to enact parts of the agreement, as New Zealand First firmly opposes it. Hipkins had previously reserved the party’s position on the FTA, saying he and a select group of MPs continued to meet with officials to better understand the deal. Labour has voiced several concerns about the agreement, including an apparent commitment to “promote” $34 billion worth of New Zealand private sector investment in India. Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.  Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:37:52 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/moody-s-downgrades-new-zealand-s-financial-outlook-to-negative/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/moody-s-downgrades-new-zealand-s-financial-outlook-to-negative/ New Zealand is “clearly on notice” after a second international rating agency downgraded the country’s financial outlook to negative, an economist says.  Infometrics’ principal economist Brad Olsen warned that Nicola Willis’ Budget next month was not “going to look great” and believed the country’s much-promised return to surplus could be pushed out by another year.  While affirming New Zealand’s AAA credit rating, rating agency Moody’s shifted its financial outlook for the country to negative because of the risks posed by global economic and ‌geopolitical uncertainty.  “Inflation pressures also persist, including fuel price increases, stubborn non-tradeable housing costs and utility prices, and higher electricity costs,” the agency said in its report late yesterday.  In March ratings agency Fitch also downgraded New Zealand’s outlook from stable to negative, citing debt reduction concerns.  “The outlook revision reflects our view that a substantial debt reduction is becoming more difficult to envisage, as fiscal consolidation has been delayed in the past few years,” Fitch wrote.  The conflict in the Middle East has sent shockwaves around the world, pushing up the price of fuel and constraining supply. Photo / Getty  Reacting to Moody’s outlook downgrade, Olsen told Ryan Bridge TODAY that New Zealand was “clearly on notice”.  “We’ve had higher inflation in recent times, we’ve of course got expectations that interest rates might have to increase, and the Government’s finances are unlikely to look better after the Iran war that we’re currently seeing. And so Moody’s have looked at all of that and said, well, all of those conditions make it quite difficult for the Government to remain on track to pay down debt, to get things back to surplus,” Olsen said.  “They’ve already seen a couple of years where that sort of debt repayment and surplus return have been pushed out and pushed out and pushed out, and they’re going, surely if you’ve continued to push them out and now got another shock, it can’t look good,” Olsen said.  “So risks [are] there around just how long we’re taking to return to surplus, but some very difficult conversations for the government. They’ll be looking at these sort of international ratings agencies and certainly not feeling comfortable, but equally there’s not a lot of easy options out of this sort of mix.”  Olsen was not sure whether Moody’s had made similar assessments of other countries yet.  “If everyone else gets downgraded around you, then you might be paying a bit more, but so is everyone. That’ll just be part of the global economic cycle. If New Zealand is being singled out a bit more in terms of how long it’s taking us to repay debt and everything else, that’s where you start to get worried that ... our financial positioning, how we’re regarded internationally, is falling back. And I think that’s why it was interesting in this Moody’s release, they said quite clearly, look, institutions in New Zealand are still good, they’re still solid. We’re just worried about how long things are sort of pushing out.“  Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Olsen was of the view that in next month’s Budget, the Government could push out the country’s return to surplus again.  “The Budget’s not going to look great given that the Government’s having to pay a whole lot more for fuel and just doesn’t have as much economic activity coming in. But again, that would be now, I think, the fourth year that you might see a push out. So for the ratings agencies, they’ve put us on notice, they’re not just going to keep watching as this happens. I wouldn’t be surprised within the next year if there’s not a larger sort of focus on fiscal consolidation that they might well sort of threaten to pull that trigger even harder.“  Treasury, in its half-yearly update last December said it saw New Zealand’s deficit deepening further, fro... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:03:05 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/middle-east-conflict-live-updates-three-ships-targeted-in-hormuz-iran-seizes-two-monitors-guards/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/middle-east-conflict-live-updates-three-ships-targeted-in-hormuz-iran-seizes-two-monitors-guards/ (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); Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:23:17 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/anzac-day-services-2026-times-and-road-closures-for-auckland-and-beyond/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/anzac-day-services-2026-times-and-road-closures-for-auckland-and-beyond/ Kiwis around the country are set to mark Anzac Day this weekend, with thousands expected to attend dawn services, parades, and commemorations nationwide.  More than 8000 Kiwis arrived on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915, as the Allies unsuccessfully attempted to capture the Strait of Gallipoli from the Ottomans.  By the campaign’s end in January 1916, 2779 had been killed – close to a sixth of those who had landed there.  This Saturday will mark the 111th anniversary of the land invasion, commemorating the first significant military campaign involving Australian and New Zealand armed services.  Services will be held across the motu in a national day of remembrance for those who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.  Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau  Dawn services are being held all around Auckland, with the largest starting at the Auckland War Memorial Museum at 5am.  The following roads in the area will be closed through the morning:  Museum Circuit Rd closed: 4am - 8am.  Cenotaph Rd closed: 4am - 8am.  Maunsell Rd closed: 4am - 8am. (Restricted parking access until 5.30am.) Timings: 5.30am - 8am.  Football Rd closed: 5.30am - 8am. (Public access to field parking until 5.30am.)  Little George St closed: 5.30am - 8am. (Public access to field parking until 5.30am.)  The Crescent Rd closed: 5.30am - 8am. (Mobility parking access until 5.30am.)  Winter Garden Rd closed: 5.30am - 8am. (Mobility parking access until 5.30am.)  Kiosk Rd closed: 5.30am - 8am. (Mobility parking access until 5.30am.)  A list of local remembrance ceremonies is available here.  Whangārei  In Whangārei, dawn services will begin at 6am at Laurie Hill Park and the Ngunguru Sports Complex.  Other services will follow at Maunu Cemetery and Te Kamo Community Hall, both at 10am, and at Onerahi Community Hall and Maungakaramea Sports Club from 11am.  Waikato  The Morrinsville RSA will be holding a dawn service in the carpark at 6am, with the public to begin assembling by 5.45. A light breakfast will be available after the service.  In Taupō, service personnel and local community groups are to report to the parade marshal in the rear carpark of the Great Lake Centre at 5.40am. Other attendees are to gather at the Taupō Cenotaph by 5.50am.  After the service, breakfast will be served at the Taupō Bowling Club.  A mix and mingle will be held at the Whangamatā Surf Club at 9.30am before the 11.40am civic parade starts at Memorial Hall. A wreath laying and the opening of the remembrance wall will follow.  Tauranga/Mount Maunganui  The Tauranga dawn parade will begin at 5.45am at Memorial Park, with a combined civic service to start at 9.30am.  It’s the first time Mount Maunganui will not be holding its own civic service.  The dawn service will be going ahead at the Mount Maunganui Cenotaph on Marine Parade.  Gisborne/Tairāwhiti  A combined dawn service will begin at 6am at the Cenotaph on the Esplanade, closing several roads around the area:  Fitzherbert St between Stout St and Ormond Rd.  Ormond Rd briefly for the march to the Cenotaph and return.  Esplanade between Rutene and Wainui Rds.  Wainui Rd - Gladstone Rd Bridge briefly after the service is over.  Reads Quay - from Gladstone Rd to Lowe St briefly after the service.  Rawiri Street for approximately 20 metres from the Esplanade.  Napier/Hastings - Ahuriri/Heretaunga  The Napier Sound Shell will host a 6am dawn service, to be followed by an 11am civic service at Memorial Square.  In Taradale, early risers can attend the dawn service at the Lone Pine Memorial at 6am, with breakfast available at the club from 6.45am.  The Hastings dawn parade starts at 5.30am in Cenotaph Civic Square, with civic services continuing throughout the day.  Manawatū & Whanganui  The Marton RSA... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:17:27 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/goldsmith-backs-move-on-orders-despite-treasury-corrections-cost-warnings/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/goldsmith-backs-move-on-orders-despite-treasury-corrections-cost-warnings/ The Justice Minister is standing by the proposal for move-on orders, as documents reveal further concerns raised by Government agencies. Documents proactively released by the Ministry of Justice show officials estimate up to six people a year could be jailed for non-compliance with the orders, something questioned by Treasury, while Police expect “significant costs” to roll-out the policy. The Government announced in February it’s proposing to give officers the power to issue the move-on orders to deal with disorderly behaviour in public places. People who don’t comply could be issued a fine of up to $2000 or face three months in prison. The Bill to amend the Summary Offences Act has not yet had its first reading in Parliament. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is backing the policy, saying officials provide a range of advice and potential outcomes, “but it is for the elected Government to determine how it moves forward”. Separate documents obtained by the Labour Party under the Official Information Act quoted Treasury saying it did not support the orders, “given the benefits of the proposal are not clearly evidenced and implementation will exacerbate justice sector cost pressures”. Treasury also questioned the “highly uncertain” modelling suggesting six people could be jailed a year. “It seems unlikely to withstand scrutiny, given the difficulties the most affected people may face in complying with move on orders.” The Department of Corrections outlined how the prison network has limited capacity and “even a policy change with a small population increase beyond current projections, collectively with other policy changes and factors” is likely to engage the need for investment in further prison infrastructure “which would cost at least $300 million.” “Any new infrastructure to accommodate additional prisoner population impacts would take an average 4 to 8 years to build and implement and may not be available until after the full policy impact takes effect.” Corrections noted even a small increase in the prison population could trigger an increase in investment in prisons in the Treasury OIA. Indicative estimates suggest it would cost $120,000 per prisoner per year, for those predicted to be jailed for non-compliance. In the proactively released documents, Police said they expect “significant costs” as a result of the policy. “If move-on orders are to be developed within baseline, then there could be significant impacts on the delivery of other core Policing functions,” officials said. An aide-memoire written by Housing and Urban Development officials stated the department, and the Ministry of Social Development, both recommended the Government exercise “caution” around introducing move-on orders. “There is a significant risk that they could potentially penalise or criminalise homelessness or cause further harm to people experiencing homelessness.” Officials were also “concerned” about the “limited data or evaluation” on move-on orders overseas. In an email, Ministry of Justice staff called the orders “an effective tool for police to quickly de-escalate”. However, a regulatory impact statement written by justice officials outlined four options: the first was the status quo, second was a narrow order with a $500 fine for non-compliance. The third called for a new criminal offence for non-compliance and a maximum penalty of $2000 or up to three months’ imprisonment. Option four, the minister’s preferred option, was a broader form of move-on order that applies to begging, rough sleeping, and intent to inhabit a public space - with the same penalties as option three. The Ministry of Justice preferred the status quo. A separate document added the justice agency saw the offence for non-compliance having a “disproportionately high penalty”. It also noted there may be benefits to business owners if the public are more likely to visit stores, but said potential benefits were “unclear”. A separate proactively-released Cabinet paper... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:00:26 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/levin-school-diesel-theft-waiopehu-college-van-targeted-amid-rising-costs/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/levin-school-diesel-theft-waiopehu-college-van-targeted-amid-rising-costs/ A Levin high school has become the latest victim of fuel theft, with diesel allegedly siphoned from a school van, leaving it “virtually empty”, amid rising fuel costs. This comes after at least three other major fuel thefts were reported in the past month alone, with one involving 3000 litres of diesel. Waiopehu College principal Guy Reichenbach told the Herald that diesel had apparently been siphoned from one of the school vans during the recent school holidays. “They’re usually just parked in the school grounds, so if staff or if we have sports teams or anything like that using them, then they need [to have] access to them,” Reichenbach said. He said the school suspected the incident occurred at night during the middle weekend of the holidays. “The caretaker found the van; it had been full, and then it was virtually empty with a puddle of diesel underneath it, so clearly someone had been in and got it,” Reichenbach said. He said the school had never had something like this happen before. “Resourcing at schools is always pretty tight, so it’s disappointing that someone would come and take diesel from us, which is used to transport kids to sport and stuff like that,” he said. The school had now decided to move the van to a more secure place. Fuel thefts The country’s fuel prices have been affected by the conflict in the Middle East that started after the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Since the war began, multiple major fuel thefts have been reported as Kiwis struggle with the rising cost of fuel. More than 200 litres of diesel were siphoned from a tank at a property in the Waikato last week. A man allegedly took the diesel from a tank at a commercial property at Horsham Downs. Just a week before that, 3000 litres of diesel were stolen from a Marton fuel tank in the early hours of the morning, and at the start of the month, a Waikato mother-of-three was left without a car after thieves drilled a hole in her fuel tank and drained all the petrol. The Government today confirmed New Zealand’s fuel stock levels have dropped since the last update. As of April 19, 51.2 days of petrol, 41.6 days of diesel and 47.4 days of jet fuel were either in the country or on the way. These latest figures are lower than the previous update, for April 15, but the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) insists these variations are normal and would be expected even had international shipping not been affected by conflict in the Middle East. Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the falling stock levels were not concerning and these levels would continue to fluctuate in the coming weeks. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:53:51 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/taranaki-murder-trial-of-stefan-hannon-mcginn-and-ethan-howe-hears-of-conflict-between-neighbours-before-death/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/taranaki-murder-trial-of-stefan-hannon-mcginn-and-ethan-howe-hears-of-conflict-between-neighbours-before-death/ Long before a man was shot dead on the deck at his home in a remote rural settlement, his relationship with his neighbour had fractured into threats and violence. The victim, Sidney Ross Bridson, had assaulted his neighbour, Mathew David Hannon, with a pitchfork and a bottle, and made drunken threats to kill him. Hannon was paranoid and had become increasingly upset by Bridson’s actions. Those were the recollections of Waitaanga locals, who gave evidence today in the trial of Stefan Hannon-McGinn, 28, and Ethan Howe, 27. The best friends are accused of murdering Bridson, who was terminally ill with cancer at the time, after his ongoing conflict with Hannon, the father of Hannon-McGinn. Stefan Hannon-McGinn is defending a murder charge. At the beginning of the trial, he admitted to a count of arson. Howe is also defending a charge of arson, which Hannon-McGinn pleaded guilty to at the outset of the trial in the High Court at New Plymouth. Jurors have heard that Hannon-McGinn accepted he shot Bridson, causing his death, but that he claimed it was self-defence. Howe has admitted he was present but not criminally responsible. Hannon-McGinn used his father’s 20-gauge shotgun to fire the fatal shot, while Howe allegedly covered his back with a hunting rifle. Neighbour’s concerns ‘a nothing thing’ After the single blow to Bridson’s stomach, his body was dragged inside his property, which was then set alight. Around 7.30am on October 11, 2023, Fire and Emergency NZ were called to his house along Waitaanga Rd, east of Taranaki. The home was extensively damaged, and Bridson’s body was later discovered in the charred ruins. Ethan Howe is defending charges of murder and arson. The death of the father of four followed lingering hostility with Hannon over several issues, including hunting activity on the surrounding land. Matters continued to boil between the men, whose properties were separated by a small valley, until, the Crown alleged, Hannon phoned his son, upset. Hannon-McGinn travelled from Hamilton with Howe and “sorted it out”, the Crown claimed. Victim ‘nutted out’ Today, Tania Petley, who has owned property in the area for more than two decades, said the small community, described by some as the “Wild West”, could be “a bit Days of Our Lives-y”. There was beef between some, but mostly everyone got along, she said. That included Hannon and Bridson at times, with Petley recalling them having “sessions” of marijuana together. But she said drama between them ensued when Hannon began complaining about Bridson’s friends coming on to the land to hunt. Hannon told her people were poaching, and he was worried someone was going to get shot. He had spoken to Bridson about it, Petley said, but Bridson wrote it off as Hannon “grizzling”, and labelled it “a nothing thing”. The trial is being held in the High Court at New Plymouth. Matters escalated in August 2023 when Bridson and Hannon had a physical altercation. Bridson hit Hannon over the head with a bottle and threw a pitchfork, or something of the like, at him. Petley said that after the incident, Hannon was upset, saying Bridson had “nutted out” and that he would not be going back to his house. She felt Bridson’s actions were over the top, and she had “growled” at him for the “unnecessary” violence. It was not the only time she’d had words with Bridson. Petley said she was “always growling him” when he had been drinking, which was often. “It was annoying when he drank.” She said Bridson became “mouthy” and she would argue with him about nothing. When cross-examined by Hannon-McGinn’s lawyer, Nicola Manning, Petley was pushed on Bridson’s behaviour when he drank. She accepted he could “get nasty” and verbally abusive, but said that the next day he would have his “tail between his legs”. The trial is being presided over by Justice Helen McQueen. “I loved him,” she said, adding she accepted him the way he was. Petley also revealed she had caught Bridson talking to himself about Han... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:50:15 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/auckland/police-seek-help-in-search-for-missing-auckland-woman-inna/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/auckland/police-seek-help-in-search-for-missing-auckland-woman-inna/ Police are seeking public help to find a woman reported missing from Waiheke Island. Inna, 61, was last seen about 9am on Friday, April 17, boarding a bus to Matiatia. Police said they believe Inna may be in the Mt Albert or wider West Auckland areas. She is 164cm tall with curly brown hair, and was wearing a lime-green turtleneck jumper and brown checkered pants. “Police and Inna’s family have concerns for her welfare and would like to find her as soon as possible. “If you have seen Inna or have any information that might help us locate her, please call 105, quoting file number 260418/0471.” Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:18:55 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/wellington/missing-wellington-man-philip-sutton-found-dead-after-flash-flooding/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/wellington/missing-wellington-man-philip-sutton-found-dead-after-flash-flooding/ A body has been found in the search for Wellington man Philip Sutton, who has been missing after Monday’s extreme weather. Search teams, including a dive squad and dog unit, had been searching for the man, in his 60s, since Monday, but searches have been hampered by dangerous conditions. The South Karori Rd property Sutton was living in was battered and buried in debris after flash flooding swept through the area. Karori man Philip Sutton disappeared after floodwaters ripped through his Wellington home early on Monday morning. Photo / Supplied Emergency services were first contacted about 7.15am on Monday by a concerned member of Sutton’s family. The search was called off on Monday night and did not resume until 8am today, with Tuesday treated as a planning day due to a “lack of visibility, fast-flowing water, really unstable ground, [and ]a lot of debris,” Senior Sergeant Craig Pickering said. A Suzuki Swift registered to Sutton was found by police just before 11am today, near the mouth of the Karori Stream, about 7km from Karori South Rd. About 12pm, his body was found further along the coast. “Unfortunately we found him deceased but we can bring him back for his family, which is really important,” Inspector Fleur de Bes said. “This is not the outcome any of us were hoping for, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this awful time,” she said. “We’re obviously still working in the process of recovering Philip’s body and working through that with coronial services,” Pickering said. Inspector Fleur de Bes and Senior Sergeant Craig Pickering at the rural Karori search scene. Photo / Tobias Macintosh “The floodwaters hit very rapidly, very quickly, with ferocious strength,” he said. “We do our best to piece together how he’s come to be where he is with the floodwaters. “There was a number of items that we located during the search,” Pickering said, with debris travelling down the Karori stream due to the flash flooding. The devastated South Karori Rd property where Philip Sutton was living. Photo / Billy Paine Sutton, a Karori local, worked for NZ Post, with a spokesman for the organisation saying it was supporting its staff through the situation. “Our thoughts are with our colleague, their family, friends and loved ones in this very difficult situation. We are also supporting our team in Wellington,” chief operating officer Brendon Main said. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:08:52 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/hawke-s-bay-flooding-communities-cut-off-farmer-describes-it-as-worse-than-cyclone-bola/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/hawke-s-bay-flooding-communities-cut-off-farmer-describes-it-as-worse-than-cyclone-bola/ A Central Hawke’s Bay farmer says floods that turned Omakere paddocks into an ocean raged through the area harder than Cyclone Bola, undoing months of recovery work from Cyclone Gabrielle. Mark Warren, who farms at Waipari Station, said he had not seen flooding of the scale of Tuesday’s torrent in decades. “We knew we’d get a bit of rain, but we didn’t know that we’d get the volume we’ve had.” Warren estimated about 250mm of rain fell on his property, with parts of the farm receiving nearly double what the amount they did during Cyclone Gabrielle. “About a month ago, we celebrated the fact that we pretty well got on top of the major excess damage from Cyclone Gabby, and now we’re probably back to square one again,” he said. Warren said what made the event stand out was its intensity and how localised the rainfall appeared to be. Omakere School closed for the day on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Omakere Hall and Mangakuri Station Chapels were surrounded by the floodwaters. “It feels worse for us than Cyclone Bola,” Warren said. He said fears about the latest flooding started when he and his partner, Di Williams, heard the rain on the roof followed by thunderstorms on Monday night. The sudden downpour quickly turned into flooding, with water levels rising over known markers on the farm and eventually cutting off his access roads. “We’ve got certain points we check, and once it gets past those, we know it’s going to get messy,” Warren said. “Our road was completely flooded. In places it was nearly a metre deep.” The pair were able to leave the property using a 4WD vehicle, but said the journey was “pretty nerve-racking”. “At one point, we were getting pushed around by the floodwaters crossing the road,” Warren said. While their home remains safe, being built on higher ground, Warren said the wider impact across the property includes damage to fences and slips in hill country. Communication in the area has also been disrupted, with internet and cell coverage lost during the storm. “It’s just a bit of a mess out there.” Mangakuri Rd on Wednesday afternoon after the downpour in the region. Photo / Central Hawke's Bay District Council Omakere School principal Sue Taylor said while the school itself was not flooded, the nearby community hall was “completely inundated.” She said the hall was used by the school and wider community. “It was still trying to have repairs done on it from Cyclone Gabrielle, so they’re going to be back to square one,” Taylor said. The school reopens on Thursday. On Wednesday morning, Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley said the weather was easing. “[I] appreciate it’s been a pretty rough 48 hours for a lot of you, particularly out on the coast, coastal areas, and so our thoughts go to everyone that’s been impacted out there.” He said a lot of the beaches and farms along the coastline would have suffered damage and advised people to keep in contact with the council. He said roading crews were prioritising areas including Shoal Beach, Pourerere, Mangakuri, Kairakau, Elsthorpe and Omakere. “There will still be some flooding in those areas, so please don’t drive where you shouldn’t and have a little bit of patience.” This afternoon, MetService issued a swell warning for Central Hawke’s Bay that is in effect until 3am Thursday morning. King tides were still in effect on the coast. Waves were expected to reach up to 4 metres, with the greatest risk usually at or within one to two hours of high tide, which is at 9.29pm today. Tararua coastal community remains cut off Tararua District Council today said the weather had “improved greatly” but there were still roading issues, with further slips overnight Tuesday. At 11am nine roads were closed due to slips and treefall, with some roads down to single-lane traffic or 4WD access for residents only. Ākitio remained cut off and closed to all traffic, with both Coast Rd and River Rd remaining closed after further slips overnight. The community had power and tele... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:57:22 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/real-life-national-mp-vanessa-weenink-on-upbringing-career-and-path-to-parliament/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/real-life-national-mp-vanessa-weenink-on-upbringing-career-and-path-to-parliament/ For an accomplished politician, Vanessa Weenink had an unlikely start to life. One of the National MP’s earliest memories is watching from her family home in rural Marlborough as police cars rushed on to their property to arrest her father. She was just 5 years old. “My dad was a bit of a character,” she told Newstalk ZB’s Real Life with John Cowan on Sunday night. “He left home when he was about 14 and went into the forestry service, and had a bit of a rough time there. He was always an entrepreneur and started all sorts of businesses; we had a mussel farm, we had goats, pigs, all sorts of things. “But then he went into horticulture, as I put it. He was a bit of a pioneer of the cannabis industry – unfortunately, not necessarily on the right side of the law 40-odd years ago.” That’s when the police arrived, a dog squad in tow, to take her dad and his cannabis plants away. “That sort of changed him, and changed his outlook on things,” Weenink told Cowan. “He became very much an anti-authority kind of person – somebody who ended up being on the edges of society because of the fact that he’d been in prison, found it hard to get work and have his own businesses.” Despite her difficult upbringing, Weenink had what she now recognises as an “idyllic” childhood in the small settlement of Canvastown, west of Picton. “It was the 80s, we were free-range kids. We jumped on our bikes and went down to the river, went swimming and hunting cockabillies. In the creeks up the back of the house, we’d look for freshwater cod and go hunting eels. “We had a block of native bush at the back of our property that we would just sort of stroll around in and make huts; we played bull rush at school and had mudslides and all sorts of fun things.” The absence of her father was keenly felt, but Weenink’s mother – “a hardcore feminist” – raised her to have confidence in her ability. “It was always instilled in me that I could do anything that I wanted to do as long as I really, truly believed it in myself,” the 47-year-old told Real Life. “She was an interesting person. She was very creative, really hardy, but at the same time she could be irrational and vulnerable and maddening as a mother – as I think probably all women find their mothers!” At age 8, there was more hardship for Weenink as she was rushed to hospital. “I got a horrible infection called osteomyelitis, which is an infection in the bone. I was really quite sick, I had sepsis and had to go to theatre and have my bone scraped out,” she recalls. “[It was] a huge amount of pain – I was in the hospital for six weeks and the doctors saved my life. They were amazing.” It was at that moment she decided she wanted to start down the path to be a doctor herself. National MP Vanessa Weenink during a finance and expenditure select committee hearing at Parliament in 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell “I looked at other options when I was in Year 13, I thought about other career paths that I could take – but I realised that there was nothing else that I wanted to do. That was all I wanted to do.” Weenink enrolled at the University of Otago in her first year out of high school, studying hard to get accepted into medical school, when more tragedy struck. “The dean of the hall had to call me in and tell me my father had died,” she recalled. “He was 52, and it was a huge shock because he died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism … I had to try and process that whilst trying to study and concentrate on getting into med school. I probably delayed my grieving process a bit by doing that.” Despite her grief, Weenink did make it into medical school and several years later graduated, enabling her to work for 20 years as a GP. She also served in the Army for more than two decades, being deployed as a military doctor on two tours of Afghanistan and one in East Timor. On her second deployment in Afghanistan, a patrol she was part of was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device), though no one was injured. Weenink says she... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:33:43 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/huntly-gunshots-investigation-four-arrests-and-more-expected-police-say/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/huntly-gunshots-investigation-four-arrests-and-more-expected-police-say/ Four men have been arrested and charged after gunshots were fired at a Huntly home this month. Police were called shortly before 7pm on April 2 after multiple gunshots were fired at the residential address. Detective Sergeant Rahul Badri of the Waikato West Crime Investigation Branch said no one was injured. “Any report of firearms offences can be dangerous to the community and police are pleased to have brought this matter before the court to hold these people accountable.” Three men, aged 20, 25 and 27, were due to appear in the Hamilton District Court today. They face charges including participation in an organised criminal group, dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm using a firearm, intentional damage and unlawful possession of a firearm. A 54-year-old man was also arrested on April 5 and is due to appear in the Hamilton District Court on April 30. Badri said police executed search warrants in Huntly and Te Kauwhata involving members of the Armed Offenders Squad, Waikato Criminal Investigation Branch and other specialist police staff. “Our investigation remains ongoing, and police are continuing to make inquiries. Further arrests are anticipated in the coming days.” Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:20:55 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/christchurch-court-jails-blair-noble-for-ai-generated-mash-up-of-child-exploitation-material/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/christchurch-court-jails-blair-noble-for-ai-generated-mash-up-of-child-exploitation-material/ A man has been jailed for creating AI-generated images that showed him sexually exploiting children. Blair Charles Noble photographed himself engaged in sexual acts with the fake characters he created by superimposing children’s faces on mature adult bodies. The “mash up” of images were clearly fake, yet they still promoted the sexual exploitation of children, Judge Tom Gilbert said in sentencing Noble last month. Noble had digitally created the cartoon or computer-generated images and videos using AI apps downloaded on to his two phones, which he left behind at home one day. The videos created by Blair Noble were clearly fake, and consisted of children’s faces superimposed on mature adult bodies shown as engaging in sexual acts, the judge said. Photo 123/rf His partner at the time opened one of the phones, saw the material, then went to the police. Closer inspection by a digital forensics unit revealed 601 images and 29 videos identified as objectionable over the two devices, the police summary of facts said. According to a decision released this month, the discovery last September led to two representative charges of knowingly making objectionable publications, to which Noble was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court to prison. Images ‘not real’ but promoted exploitation Judge Gilbert said all of the images were in a category of objectionable material which did not show a real child or young person, but which otherwise “tended to promote the sexual exploitation of children”. “The videos created by you were clearly identifiable again as fake videos rather than realistic ones. “They consisted of children’s faces superimposed upon mature adult bodies depicted to be engaging in sexual acts,” Judge Gilbert said. Noble told police when questioned, he had used various apps downloaded from Play Store on to the phones which could “turn them [the images] into women and give them women parts like breasts”. Judge Gilbert noted Noble’s “enormous criminal history” spanning 19 pages, but none of it was related to objectionable material. Offending triggered by relationship failure A pre-sentence report outlined that the offending occurred after a relationship derailed. After Noble’s last prison term, he was released into the care of a residential community centre, and had maintained support from the Prisoners’ Aid & Rehabilitation Society. Judge Gilbert said the people who had supported Noble reported no indication he had a sexual interest in children, and the offending caught them by surprise. Before being locked up he had worked as a gardener and was “doing pretty well”, given his very chequered history, Judge Gilbert said. The Crown suggested a two-and-a-half to three-year prison starting point for the offending with 25% credit for Noble’s guilty pleas. Noble’s lawyer suggested half that as a starting point, taking into account there was “no actual child abuse” underpinning the imagery, which was “obviously fake”. His lawyer also asked that he not be registered as a child sex offender, as the images were fictional and therefore no subject was aged 16 years or under. Judge Gilbert said a statutory aggravating feature was that Noble’s offending promoted the sexual exploitation of children. There was also the number of images and videos found, and the obvious premeditation involved in taking them. Offending ‘less serious’ but might not always be the case Judge Gilbert agreed the offending was “qualitatively different” to a situation where actual children were depicted being sexually abused. He said it was less serious, but as the Crown pointed out, it was not always going to be the case that artificially generated images would be less serious as they may still appear to show a child being sexually abused. Judge Gilbert acknowledged that as “quite a bit of the material” involved Noble’s own images, it was unlikely he would distribute it and there was no evidence he had. “But nonetheless it was still unpleasant and serious... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:15:33 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/tauranga-boy-recovering-at-home-after-two-brain-surgeries-at-starship-children-s-hospital/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/tauranga-boy-recovering-at-home-after-two-brain-surgeries-at-starship-children-s-hospital/ A 9-year-old Tauranga boy who spent five weeks in Starship hospital for two brain surgeries is home and back to his “normal, cheeky little happy self again”, his mother says. Maverick Marshall was airlifted to Starship children’s hospital on March 5 after several seizures. He had emergency surgery for a brain bleed, and more surgery on March 20 for a brain aneurysm. He was discharged on April 9. Mother Claire Marshall told the Bay of Plenty Times Maverick recovered “really quickly” from the second operation. He was monitored for one night in the High Dependency Unit before being transferred back to the neurology ward. Marshall said the type of aneurysm was “not common in children” and Maverick needed to be tested and monitored for a couple of weeks before being discharged. She said doctors had not confirmed the cause. Marshall said Maverick was “pretty much back to his normal, cheeky little happy self again”. He was enjoying having his own room again at home and having a “normal life” after spending five weeks in hospital. Maverick had seen a couple of friends during the school holidays, but he could not go swimming or do any physical activity yet. Tauranga boy Maverick Marshall, 9, is recovering at home after having two brain operations at Starship Hospital in Auckland. She said Maverick had some eyesight loss in his left eye and a bit of memory loss, “so he kind of repeats himself a bit with questions”. Marshall said the memory and eyesight loss would hopefully be temporary. “He’s still young and he’s developing still. “Apart from that, he’s doing really well and he’s walking around and, you know, just being a normal 9-year-old again.” Marshall said they would return to Auckland for an eye specialist appointment and a check-up at Starship in two weeks. He would need an MRI scan in September. She said Maverick would need additional educational support before returning to school and would see a physiotherapist. Marshall said he needed to be monitored closely in the coming months. “We’re just taking it one day at a time at the moment. “We’re just amazed how well he’s doing and how far he’s come along since he’s been in hospital.” The family set up a Givealittle page, with the money going towards travel expenses between Auckland and Tauranga, and special support for Maverick. Marshall thanked everyone for their support and prayers during this “really difficult challenging time”. The family had been “amazed” by the support from their church, Maverick’s school, and the community. Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:11:08 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/national-whip-stuart-smith-stands-by-denial-he-tried-to-contact-christopher-luxon-over-flagging-support/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/national-whip-stuart-smith-stands-by-denial-he-tried-to-contact-christopher-luxon-over-flagging-support/ National Party senior whip Stuart Smith is continuing to deny he attempted to contact party leader Christopher Luxon over concerns his support from caucus was flagging, as revealed in the Herald last week. The Herald article on Friday reported Smith had tried and failed to contact Luxon over concerns within National’s caucus about Luxon’s leadership, amid poor polling for both the party leader and the party. Smith refused to comment on the report until yesterday, when Luxon’s office issued a statement in Smith’s name, claiming the whip had not attempted to contact Luxon for a meeting. Fronting reporters at Parliament this afternoon after having avoided them throughout the day, Smith reiterated his claim he had not tried to highlight concerns about caucus support for Luxon. He wouldn’t address whether National MPs had raised concerns with him. “I don’t discuss things that go on within caucus.” Asked why it had taken four days for him to deny the Herald’s story, Smith replied: “I didn’t feel it was appropriate.” He didn’t provide an explanation why he believed it was inappropriate. Asked if he had felt comfortable with the speculation prompted by the story without his response, Smith said: “Clearly.” Smith acknowledged he had spoken about the article with National’s chief of staff Cameron Burrows after it was published but wouldn’t say what was discussed. “No, I talked to the chief of staff about that story, and I have my views on it.” Luxon walked away from reporters at Parliament when he was asked about the Smith saga. He referred to comments he made yesterday that he would refuse to engage with the media if reporters continued to ask about the issue, which he described as “speculation and rumour”. Luxon insisted he maintained confidence in Smith as his chief whip. Asked why he had not raised concern about the Herald article earlier if he believed it was inaccurate, Luxon dismissed the question before walking away. “Guys, sorry, as I said yesterday, if you want to talk about things outside the beltway that actually connect to New Zealanders and what’s interesting to them, rather than what may be interesting to you in the beltway and the bubble of Wellington, let’s have that conversation.” Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:01:48 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/nelson-police-increase-city-patrols-after-spike-in-teen-disorder-at-night/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/nelson-police-increase-city-patrols-after-spike-in-teen-disorder-at-night/ Nelson police are increasing their presence around the city centre after a spike in “concerning” behaviour from teenagers. Nelson area response manager, Senior Sergeant Byron Reid, said there had been a rise in large groups of teenagers involved in disorders, alcohol consumption and antisocial behaviour while in the city late at night. “It is especially concerning that some younger people are being exposed to and provided alcohol by older youth or young adults,” Reid said. “Our priority is keeping our rangatahi safe, and being out late at night in these circumstances can increase the risk of harm to both themselves and others around them.” Reid said police would be conducting increased patrols in the city centre during the late hours of the weekends. “If we believe a young person’s safety or wellbeing is at risk, we will return them to the safety of their home,” Reid said. He said police want to work alongside families and caregivers to support positive choices for New Zealand’s young people. “Please take some time to talk with your child or young person about where they are spending time, who they are with, and the potential risks of being in the city late at night. “If they are heading into town, it’s important to know their plans, ensure they are with safe and responsible people, and have a plan to get home safely. “Please also let your young person know that police are there to keep them safe, not to get them into trouble. “It’s also important to remember that if you are providing alcohol, it needs to be given and consumed in the home environment and only to people legally in your care – not anyone else’s." Reid said anyone with questions or concerns could go to the Nelson Police Station, leave their contact details at the front counter, and a staff member would be in touch. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:22:44 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/napier-city-council-abuse-reports-triple-as-mayor-warns-behaviour-not-on/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/napier-city-council-abuse-reports-triple-as-mayor-warns-behaviour-not-on/ Reports of abuse towards Napier City Council staff from members of the public have tripled in a year and Mayor Richard McGrath says it’s not a good look for the city. McGrath said staff came to work to do their best, to keep the city looking nice and to help it run well. “They are not the most highly paid workers and certainly don’t come to work to get harassed and abused,” he said. Abuse incident reports tripled to 152 in the three months from November 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026, compared with 50 during the same period the year before. They included incidents of verbal abuse and aggressive language towards staff from customers at public facilities. A council spokesperson said incidents also included visitors to aquatic facilities ignoring lifeguard instructions, breaking rules, littering and damaging property. “Over the past few months, staff have been encouraged to report incidents to help the council understand patterns and identify areas needing attention.” McGrath said politicians often copped abuse, but staff out on the street should be left alone to do their jobs. “I haven’t experienced it, but I know some elected members in the past have.” He said he liked getting out in the community and most people were great. “It’s our job not to hide and I’m always happy to answer questions and chat. “In fact, my kids stopped coming out with me years ago because a 10-minute trip often turned into an hour.” A council spokesperson said it had hired a training provider to help staff manage challenging interactions. “This training equips staff with practical techniques to manage challenging or confrontational behaviour safely and effectively, including knowing when it is appropriate to step away from a situation. “The training is tailored to each facility, addressing the specific situations staff are most likely to encounter in their day-to-day work.” McGrath said the council fully supported its staff. “This behaviour is unacceptable, and those responsible should be aware that it could lead to serious consequences, including prosecution.” LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:12:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/lotto-powerball-new-plymouth-couple-win-143m-with-favourite-number-five/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/lotto-powerball-new-plymouth-couple-win-143m-with-favourite-number-five/ A New Plymouth woman’s “whole body went numb” after realising she’d won big with Lotto – and that’s before she even knew the amount. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, won $14.3 million with Powerball first division in last Wednesday’s draw. She told Lotto NZ she had been playing the same Lotto numbers for years but would usually choose a random Powerball number. Late last year, she decided to stick with just one – her favourite, number five. “It’s funny, but about six months ago I chose to make my ‘go-to’ Powerball number five, and I have stuck with it ever since,” she said. A few days before winning, she was chatting with her mum when Lotto came up in conversation. “I said to her – ‘wouldn’t it be amazing to win and be able to help people with that money – it’d definitely set you up.’ “I just can’t believe we are here a week later.” On Thursday, she read online that Powerball had been won and logged in to check her ticket. “It’s like I was cheering my ticket on. “I got three numbers and said, ‘keep going.’ Then it was four – ‘keep going.’ Then five. “I knew if I got the next number I’d be winning a big prize – and it came out – I had all six numbers. “Then by the time I’d processed that, I saw the Powerball circle, and I dropped my phone in shock – I didn’t even know how much it was at that point, but my whole body went numb.” Once she steadied herself, she looked at the amount she’d won and called her mum. “I was crying, and I said, ‘Oh my god, Mum, I’ve just won Powerball.’ “Mum was blown away. We both cried on the phone for a while before I thought I’d better call my husband. “He was at work so I ‘ummed and ahhed’ whether to wait for him to get home, but I couldn’t. “I asked him if he was alone, and when he said yes, I blurted out ‘we’ve won $14 million.’ He said the rest of the day was a bit of a struggle.” Over the weekend, the couple shared a takeaway and had a glass of champagne to celebrate their win. “We’ll celebrate with our family in the future – but for now that was perfect.” The couple are taking time to let the enormity of their win sink in and exploring what they might do with the money. “One thing we know is that we want to help others with this. We just need time to figure out the best way to do that.” Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:56:40 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/latest-fuel-numbers-dip-in-stock-levels-normal-says-mbie/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/latest-fuel-numbers-dip-in-stock-levels-normal-says-mbie/ The dip in New Zealand’s fuel stock levels is normal, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) says. As of April 19, there was 51.2 days of petrol, 41.6 days of diesel and 47.4 days of jet fuel either in the country or on the way to New Zealand. These latest figures are lower than the previous update, for April 15, but MBIE insists these variations are normal and would be expected when international shipping was not impacted by conflict in the Middle East. “While the total stock for diesel is down, the stock in country and within our EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone] is almost as high as it has ever been since the Middle East conflict started,” MBIE said. “There is also a ship currently loading diesel in Singapore and this will be on the way to New Zealand shortly.” Further declines in fuel stock levels were expected over the coming weeks, MBIE said, but fuel tankers were on the way to New Zealand to replenish them. “This is normal and is how fuel companies manage their daily business, with fuel distributed around the country and then replenished by incoming imports,” MBIE said. “Fuel tanks are not kept at 100% capacity all the time.” The country’s fuel prices have been impacted by conflict in the Middle East which started after the US and Israel attacked Iran. Iran retaliated with its own strikes and essentially closed the Strait of Hormuz, a global and strategic shipping route. This has added pressure to the fuel market globally including reports of New Zealanders struggling with their own fuel costs. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:27:31 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/national-mps-angry-over-claim-they-were-leaking-amid-christopher-luxon-leadership-speculation/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/national-mps-angry-over-claim-they-were-leaking-amid-christopher-luxon-leadership-speculation/ National MPs alleged to be among those causing trouble for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have denied leaking to the media, with one saying they were “p****d off” and another “outraged”. Amid speculation over his leadership, Luxon on Monday admitted on the Mike Hosking Breakfast that there would be a “handful of people who’d understandably be disgruntled”. He said there were five MPs “that are moaning and frustrated” and possibly speaking to media, including the Herald, but later walked this back. The next day, Newstalk ZB broadcaster Mike Hosking teased listeners over who “the leakers in the National Party are”. “First of all, I am not a journalist,” Hosking said. “Second of all, I don’t have sources. Somebody told me this and I know that they know ... they didn’t say off the record. I said, ‘who are they?’ and they went ‘bing, bing, bing, bing and bing.’” He named the MPs as Tim van de Molen, Sam Uffindell, Barbara Kuriger, Andrew Bayly and Joseph Mooney. “I don’t know how widely these names are known because I don’t care and I haven’t inquired but I have impeccable sources.” Hosking claimed co-ordination between these MPs and Chris Bishop, who is often speculated about as a leadership contender. Bishop has repeatedly denied he is attempting a coup against Luxon and said he would not be the leader before the election. National leader Christopher Luxon put his leadership to the test on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell The five MPs named by Hosking have since denied the allegations. This morning, Hosking read out responses from the MPs. Uffindell told the Herald: “I’ve never leaked to the media”. “I was p****d off. I have responded to ZB overnight.” Mooney told Mike Hosking Breakfast: “I refute the allegations made. I have nothing more to say about it. I am pleased to say, however, that our caucus is completely united behind the Prime Minister.” He threatened on X to make a formal complaint about the broadcast. Later, he told the Herald: “It was complete and utter rubbish”. Kuriger’s response to Hosking was: “Your source was incorrect. I hope this corrects the misinformation.” She told reporters at Parliament: “I’ve actually written and asked what the source of that information was because I have not talked to the media. You’re the first media I’ve talked to.” Bayly told the Herald: “I am very annoyed that allegation has been made. As you will know, I have not been speaking to the media and I refute the allegation.” Van de Molen said he expected better from Hosking. When he was asked on Tuesday if he was among the five “moaning MPs”, the MP said: “No. I am always raising concerns from my constituents as part of my role as MP for Waikato.” Luxon on Tuesday raised and survived a formal motion of confidence during a lengthy National Party caucus meeting. It came after intense speculation over Luxon’s leadership due to poor polling and a Herald article on Friday reporting multiple National sources saying Smith had tried and failed to contact Luxon about wavering caucus support - a report Smith wouldn’t respond to until Tuesday when he denied it. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:17:45 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/pentagon-details-record-25t-budget-request/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/pentagon-details-record-25t-budget-request/ In the United States, the Pentagon has unveiled how it plans to spend US$1.5 trillion ($2.5t) requested in next year’s defence budget, even as some lawmakers cautioned the massive bill is unlikely to pass a sharply divided Congress. The nearly 50% jump in spending would fund many of President Donald Trump’s new military projects, including tens of billions for the Navy’s future “Golden Fleet” battleship and F-47 Air Force fighter jet, as well as US$18 billion for the “Golden Dome” missile defence – a multilayered protection against ballistic missiles that includes space sensors, ground-launched interceptors and radars. But the request will face opposition. Some Republicans have voiced concern that the jaw-dropping size of the Pentagon budget will be hard to sell at home to voters without cuts to offset the spending. Democrats, meanwhile, have taken issue with many of the big-ticket items like Golden Dome and the battleship, saying they are vanity projects instead of critical defence priorities. At present, about US$350b of the total being requested by the Trump administration is being pursued through a legislative process called reconciliation, which allows that spending to be passed by the Senate with a simple 51-vote majority. Last year, the same mechanism was used to boost the Pentagon’s requested US$890b budget to more than US$1t. But programmes funded in this manner do not become part of the Pentagon’s base budget or Congress’ regular process, and have become highly politicised. One Republican Senate staffer said there’s an appetite and need to boost the defence budget, but that it’s facing heartburn because of the way it is being pursued. “There is certainly a desire to spend more on defence. How that happens is up to us, not the administration,” the staffer said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional context to the budget negotiations. The budget also earmarks nearly $75b for building up the military’s arsenal of unmanned weapon systems, including unmanned surface vessels, combat and refuelling aircraft and one-way attack drones – as well as counter-drone technology. Drones have become ubiquitous on the battlefield in Ukraine and have proven to be a significant threat to US service members, including an Iranian Shahed drone attack in Kuwait that killed six service members in the first days of the conflict. The budget also allocates billions of dollars to replenish the arsenal of long-range strike and air defence missiles. The military’s stockpiles were already critically low before the Iran war, which has seen a significant expenditure of expensive guided weapons. For some weapons systems, the 2027 request seeks 10 to 15 times the levels of last year’s procurement. The Navy, for example, is looking to buy 785 Tomahawk missiles next year – and almost 4000 over the next five years – but only purchased 88 in the past two years combined. The Army is asking for more than US$20b to purchase more replacement Terminal High Altitude Air Defence (THAAD) and Patriot missile interceptors, which have seen substantial burn rates in both Ukraine’s defence and in the Middle East. Though the budget would substantially increase funding for missile replenishment, it is unclear whether firms such as Raytheon, which produces the Tomahawk and Patriot, will be able to meet the numbers sought. Trump announced the massive increase in January. Photo / Getty Images “Across our industrial base, this is absolutely a challenge,” said Rear Admiral Ben Reynolds, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for the budget. “We need and expect Raytheon to invest very, very heavily now to be able to ramp up production.” If passed, the US$1.5t budget would be the largest Pentagon request as a percentage of GDP since the Cold War. Trump announced the massive increase in January on social media, saying that it would allow the Pentagon to build “the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to” and would meet quickly evolving... Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:11:55 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/christopher-luxon-fires-up-at-winston-peters-says-nz-first-responsible-for-prime-minister-dame-jacinda-ardern/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/christopher-luxon-fires-up-at-winston-peters-says-nz-first-responsible-for-prime-minister-dame-jacinda-ardern/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has fired up at his coalition partner New Zealand First, including claiming its leader Winston Peters is trying to “scaremonger” and reminding New Zealanders the party put Dame Jacinda Ardern into power.  It follows Peters taking aim at Luxon, the National leader, for what he called a “very bad move” to put his leadership to a confidence vote. While Luxon survived that, Peters warned there would be “consequences”.  Peters told Ryan Bridge TODAY that if he had spoken to Luxon beforehand, he would have advised the Prime Minister against the confidence motion.  “Mary and Joe Bloggs, who want stability, who are concerned about economic and social recovery, it sends the wrong signal to them,” Peters, who also suggested there could be another confidence vote if poor polling continued for National, said.  National deputy leader Nicola Willis later said there was a “live risk” of NZ First working with Labour in a future governing arrangement. Peters has ruled out working with Labour leader Chris Hipkins, but not the party generally if Hipkins was gone.  Now Luxon has piled in, telling Newstalk ZB’s The Country that while he didn’t believe Peters was undermining him, NZ First had a different agenda to National.  Among the differences Luxon identified was National and NZ First’s division over the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He said NZ First was behind the programme to plant a billion trees, which has received some backlash from farmers.  “They’re the guys that claim to be socially conservative and then put Jacinda Ardern into power,” Luxon said.  “I’m just saying we are different and we have our differences. We have things that we can align on and we can work very constructively around and we will if it’s needed down the future.  “The real answer is if you’re sitting out there thinking about what kind of government you want to take New Zealand forward with, you need a National-led Government period, it’s that simple.”  Christopher Luxon (left) identified some differences between his party and Winston Peters'. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Luxon said Peters was “dead wrong on the India FTA”. NZ First has opposed New Zealand signing the deal, raising issues like the number of migrants and their families coming to New Zealand, as well as concerns over an investment clause.  “He is trying to scaremonger. He’s trying to crank it up,” Luxon, who highlighted that NZ First had opposed the China FTA as well, said.  “He has, for want of a better word, an anti-immigrant sort of bias in his party and his constituency and his belief system. We don’t buy that. We’ve got smart, targeted, and immigration settings in New Zealand that have served us well.”  He said areas where the parties agree include growing the economy, law and order, health and education.  Parties often have differences under the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system of Parliament, Luxon said.  The Prime Minister went on to say Peters “shocked” New Zealand when NZ First went with Labour over National following the 2017 election.  “I think it shocked a lot of his own supporters, frankly, but ultimately, that’s his decision. What I’ll do is, we’ve had a very constructive working relationship in this Government,” Luxon said.  “I’m actually very proud of the strong, stable Government the three parties have been able to deliver in this coalition.”  Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:51:49 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/election-2026-several-green-mps-receive-small-boost-but-still-at-risk-as-party-releases-final-candidate-list/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/election-2026-several-green-mps-receive-small-boost-but-still-at-risk-as-party-releases-final-candidate-list/ Several current Green MPs have moved higher up the party’s 2026 election candidate list but some still remain at risk of not returning to Parliament if recent polling is reflected on November 7.  The party has released its final list after a number of party representatives discussed the initial list, which was published in March.  The initial list was formulated by Green Party delegates who met candidates and consulted with their local groups on where they should rank candidates.  Co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick are automatically given the top two list spots.  In the final list out today, MP Lan Pham has moved up to sixth from being ranked number 8 on the initial list, leap-frogging fellow MPs Hūhana Lyndon and Lawrence Xu-Nan.  MPs Teanau Tuiono, Tamatha Paul and Julie Anne Genter round out the top five after the co-leaders.  Other MPs have risen slightly in the list; Steve Abel (12th, up from 14th), Scott Willis (15th, up from 16th) and Mike Davidson (20th, up from 22nd).  Former Te Pāti Māori lawyer Tania Waikato has also moved two places higher to 13th on the final list.  Bhen Goodsir, an Auckland Pride co-chair, is among those to take the biggest tumble down the list, dropping four places to 17th.  According to Sunday’s 1News Verian poll, the Green Party would have enough support to hold 13 seats. That would allow Abel to return as well as making Waikato an MP. It would not lead to Willis remaining as an MP.  However, Green Party polling had been variable in recent polls. This month’s Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll put the party’s support at 7.8%, giving the party just 10 seats.  That would spell an exit from Parliament for Abel and Kahurangi Carter, who is ranked 11th.  Final list:  Marama Davidson  Chlöe Swarbrick  Teanau Tuiono  Tamatha Paul  Julie Anne Genter  Lan Pham  Hūhana Melanie Lyndon   Lawrence Xu-Nan  Ricardo Menéndez March  Francisco Hernandez  Kahurangi Carter  Steve Abel  Tania Waikato  Craig Aaron Pauling  Scott Willis  Rohan O’Neill-Stevens  Bhen Goodsir  Yasmine Serhan  Louise Hutt  Mike Davidson  Heather Hinemoa Te Au-Skipworth  Shreejan Pandey  Lauren Craig  Zephyr Brown  Josh Jacobsen  Angela Dalton  Alika Wells  Carl Morgan  Courtney White  Te Whatanui Kipa Leka Taumalolo Skipwith   Awhi Haenga  Melody Willis  Pamela Grealey  Alma de Anda  Chris Norton  Initial list:  Marama Davidson  Chlöe Swarbrick  Teanau Tuiono  Tamatha Paul  Julie Anne Genter  Hūhana Melanie Lyndon   Lawrence Xu-Nan  Lan Pham  Ricardo Menendez March  Francisco Hernandez  Kahurangi Carter  Craig Aaron Pauling  Bhen Goodsir  Steve Abel  Tania Waikato  Scott Willis  Rohan O’Neill-Stevens  Yasmine Serhan  Heather Hinemoa Te Au-Skipworth  Louise Hutt  Shreejan Pandey  Mike Davidson  Asher Wilson-Goldman  Zephyr Brown  Angela Dalton  Josh Jacobsen  Lauren Craig  Carl Morgan  Nathan Hoturoa Gray  Te Whatanui Kipa Leka Taumalolo Skipwith   Alika Wells  Courtney White  Awhi Haenga  Pamela Grealey  Alma de Anda  Chris Norton  Melody Willis  Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.  Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:30:23 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/missing-christchurch-woman-rowena-walker-police-give-update-on-her-case/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/missing-christchurch-woman-rowena-walker-police-give-update-on-her-case/ Detectives looking into the disappearance of missing Christchurch woman Rowena Walker are holding a press conference this morning.  Walker, 39, has not been seen since August 14 last year, when she was captured on CCTV on Bassett St, Christchurch.  Speaking from the city’s residential red zone today, Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan is giving an update to media. A livestream can be watched at the top of this article.  Rowena Walker, 39, has been missing since August 14, when she was last seen on CCTV in Christchurch’s Bassett St. Photo / Police  Carolan says Walker lived near the red zone that police will search today. Police want to ensure “no stone is left unturned”.  “Even small finds could be crucial,” she said.  Carolan said police cannot rule out foul play.  Officers have executed a number of arrest warrants and say they have grave fears for Walker.  It is the first time that the red zone has been searched since Walker disappeared eight months ago.  The searchers will focus on areas of vegetation.  Earlier this week, Carolan said police believed Walker may have been near the red zone when she went missing.  A drone, boats and police ground crews have since scoured the area for Walker.  “We believe Rowena went missing from Christchurch, as we have found no evidence she left the city before her disappearance,” Carolan said.  “The day before, she told family she was living in Christchurch with a friend, indicating an intention to settle here.  “This week, Police Search and Rescue, alongside Specialist Search teams, will be conducting land, water, and aerial searches in and around the red zone.”  “Rowena’s last confirmed sighting was on August 14, when she was captured on CCTV in Christchurch on Bassett St with an associate,” she said.  Rowena Walker. Photo / NZ Police  Carolan said police have searched across the country for Walker.  “We know she travelled often, and in our efforts, we have searched in several districts, including Waikato, Tasman and Canterbury,” she said.  Walker has not been in contact with her children since she went missing, and her family are “desperately worried”, Carolan said.  Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:20:09 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/person-left-with-serious-injuries-after-stabbing-at-manurewa-railway-station/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/person-left-with-serious-injuries-after-stabbing-at-manurewa-railway-station/ A person has been attacked at a South Auckland railway station, stabbed multiple times by a stranger while waiting to catch a bus. Police say the victim was waiting to catch a bus at Manurewa Railway Station at 1.20am when they were approached by a man who repeatedly wounded them. He then unsuccessfully tried to steal the victim’s backpack. The injured person was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition. Auckland Transport however told the Herald there are no services running at that time, and that the last bus left 45 minutes before the attack, with the next one not available until just after 5am. Police have been approached for further comment. A 24-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and is due to appear at Manukau District Court. Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said police were called to the train station at 1.20am. The attack happened at Manurewa's main transport hub. Photo / Google Maps  “A member of the public has seen the assault occurring, and has driven towards the scene, causing the offender to flee.” Police dogs were deployed and the attacker was found nearby and taken into custody. Hate Hone St John was notified of the incident on Station Rd, at 1.21am and sent one ambulance, one operations manager and one rapid response vehicle. “The victim was assessed by crew and transported to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition”, said a spokesperson. “Police would like to thank members of the public who came to the victim’s aid prior to the arrival of emergency services,” Gillespie said. Manurewa Railway Station is a main transport hub which also houses a bus station. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:42:31 Z https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/weather-live-updates-hawke-s-bay-soaked-moutoa-floodgates-opened-to-ease-pressure-as-rain-pushes-north/ https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/weather-live-updates-hawke-s-bay-soaked-moutoa-floodgates-opened-to-ease-pressure-as-rain-pushes-north/ (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); Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:30:52 Z