Orchestra funding strikes the wrong note
The battle over public funding for our major orchestras has all the ingredients of comic opera, if not farce.There are the two massed camps, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and the Auckland...
View ArticleTearful apologies over 'ginger swap' campaign
A ginger beer maker whose advertising offered to swap a ginger child for the drink has apologised for offending people, and has asked for police help given the strength of the criticism.The public...
View ArticleWorld price slump puts lamb back on NZ tables
After years of high prices which put lamb out of reach for many households, the Kiwi staple is back on the menu.High export prices have pushed up the cost of lamb in recent years, and only months ago...
View ArticleProtest over 'airbrushed' Clark photo
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has been accused of misrepresenting her appearance in a United Nations website profile picture.She was appointed Administrator of the United Nations Development...
View ArticleHart in second overcharging row
Prominent lawyer Barry Hart is embroiled in another dispute about overcharging, amid dealing with an allegation he owes a former client more than $130,000.Mr Hart signed a legal agreement to repay the...
View ArticleTenants start to feel big changes over state housing
"Stolen from GI." The label, scrawled on state houses being removed from the Auckland suburb of Glen Innes shows the anguish already being generated by a radical reform of social housing policy.Fleur...
View ArticleCourt documents reveal Ewen Macdonald secrets
Slain farmer Scott Guy drunkenly told his older sister that Ewen Macdonald was the worst thing that had happened to their family and the farm would be better off without him, evidence withheld from a...
View ArticleHomosexuality a personal choice, says Conservative Party leader
Conservative Party leader Colin Craig has sparked outrage by saying homosexuality is a choice and gay people are more likely to have been abused as children.The comments on TV3's The Nation this...
View ArticleLong journey to health
Mardia Ryan was told her son might not pull through.Jake Sparke dashed from a skatepark on his scooter and smashed head first into the door of a passing bus in his Rotorua hometown on June 30.The...
View ArticleWeather Watch: Bring us sunshine - we're all done with rain
We are at the coldest point of the year, yet our North Island skifields need more snow and almost all of New Zealand has had a frost-free week.The low that brought the rain and milder overnight lows is...
View ArticleProblem house for sale
A sprawling Herne Bay house on one of the country's priciest waterfront streets is up for sale for little more than the value of the land it sits on.Several renovations around the pool and interior of...
View ArticleFormer general manager has assets frozen
The former general manager of a prominent publishing firm has had her assets frozen amid allegations around more than half a million dollars missing from the company.Employment Court judge Christina...
View ArticleWife defends hubby
The family of 9-week-old twins injured during an alleged assault are defending the man charged with the attack.The father of eight was arrested last month and charged with intentionally injuring the...
View ArticleThree, two, one - it all falls down
A quake-damaged building will today meet its end - almost 150 individually placed charges.The Radio Network Building in central Christchurch will be demolished when young Jayden Halliwell pushes a...
View ArticleOlympics: Aunty Gill to watch Nick run
It's been touch-and-go whether the aunt who helped raise Nick Willis would get to see him run in London.Wellingtonian Gill Willis had a nasty dose of flu and chose to stay off a flight earlier in the...
View ArticleNation hails Chiefs win
Hamilton celebrated the city's biggest sporting occasion with a huge street party last night after a rampant Chiefs side smashed the Sharks in the Super 15 final.Nearly 26,000 squeezed into Waikato...
View ArticlePainful legacy for rugby league legend
Rugby league legend Steve Price has revealed his playing days have left him with crippling arthritis.The former Warriors skipper spoke about coping with arthritis as he launched a camp for Kiwi kids...
View ArticleSubstance abuse claims soar
The number of people collecting benefits because of substance abuse has almost doubled since 2004.One leading drug and alcohol counsellor believes the figure includes people who cannot find work,...
View ArticleCricket umpire admits to abuse
A former international cricket umpire has admitted sexually abusing more than a dozen young boys.Ian Shine, 58, pleaded guilty to 25 charges at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday.Shine preyed on...
View ArticlePrice heat on tradesmen
Shonky tradies stand accused of price hikes and substandard workmanship as they vie for a cut of the Government's multimillion-dollar home-insulation subsidy.Auckland Property Investors Association...
View Article