Northland school protest fails to materialise
A protest outside a Northland school has failed to materialise, as a Government-appointed commissioner arrived to take charge of the school.In a surprise move, Education Minister Hekia Parata sacked...
View ArticleArson wrecks family's home dream
A young Whangarei family's dream home has been destroyed by arson before it has even been built.Firefighters were called to a Draffin Rd property, 20km west of Whangarei, about 6.50pm on Saturday after...
View ArticleSuicide rates drop, but still more work to be done
New Zealand's suicide rate declined slightly from 2008 to 2009, but the Mental Health Foundation and the Associate Health Minister agree there is still more work to be done.The Ministry of Health has...
View ArticleMore mobile phones in NZ than people: study
There are more mobile phones in the country than there are people, a study has found.Global market research firm TNS surveyed people in 58 countries, including New Zealand, about the behaviours and...
View ArticleLegionnaire's disease outbreak continues to spread
Auckland's Legionnaire's disease outbreak continues to spread.Three new cases were notified over the weekend, bringing the total over the past nine weeks to 15, with one death.The average is usually...
View ArticleDog shooting 'beggared belief' - police officer
A police officer who went to the scene of a mass dog shooting has told a court he found the owner of 33 shot dogs nursing a puppy that had survived.Russell Mendoza and Tony Campbell are on trial in...
View ArticleLabour pushes Monday-ising on eve of Anzac Day
On the eve of Anzac Day, Labour has released documents supporting its proposal to "Monday-ise" public holidays.Last year, Anzac Day fell on Easter Monday, and Waitangi Day fell on a Sunday, which meant...
View ArticleMan fired after using company vehicle to help pregnant partner
A man who was fired after he used a company vehicle to help out his pregnant partner has been awarded more than $6000 by the Employment Relations Authority.Wellington man Terry Mallia, who worked as a...
View ArticleDunedin police investigate 'unusual' circumstances around death
Dunedin police are investigating "unusual" circumstances surrounding the death of a woman, believed to be Karitane 36-year-old Grace Gardner.The body of a 36-year-old woman was found at a Karitane...
View ArticleMaori activist declares himself 'political refugee'
The Maori activist who stowed away on an unauthorised voyage to Antarctica has declared himself a "political refugee'' in protest against the New Zealand Government.Busby Noble made headlines earlier...
View ArticleLesbian couple withdraw bar complaint
A lesbian couple who said they were kicked out of a Wellington bar for sharing a kiss have decided not to take the matter further after media were invited to watch CCTV footage of the incident.In an...
View ArticleRSA to scrub up with brunch, jam and tweets
The RSA, an alleged enclave of old men and beer, has taken up a Twitter marketing strategy.The association has enlisted a strategic design practice, created a new logo and signage, bottled up some...
View ArticleWoman 'four times over legal limit'
A woman who allegedly returned a breath-test more than four times the legal limit was so drunk she was in the passenger seat of her car, trying to start the engine with the glovebox, witnesses told...
View ArticleTough call for Chace's family
Ryan and Keri Topperwien have made the heartbreaking decision to bring their little boy home from London, cutting short the expensive drug trial they hoped would save his life.Three-year-old Chace has...
View ArticleGovt moves to close money-laundering loophole
Wealthy criminals have escaped money-laundering charges through a legal loophole which means they can go unpunished for spending their ill-gotten gains publicly.The Government is pushing through a...
View ArticleTamihere to remain free despite breach
Convicted double-killer David Tamihere will not be recalled to prison despite breaching his parole conditions by flying over the crime scene with a television crew.Tamihere, 58, was released in late...
View ArticleDog shot, cat kicked in break-in
A dog was shot in the face three times and a cat was kicked in the head and left sneezing blood in a rural burglary that has horrified the animals' owners.Two 15-year-olds have been charged under the...
View ArticleBishop's courage under fire in France
A small bronze crucifix welded from World War I rifle bullet cartridges stands as a testament to the bravery and selflessness shown by an Auckland bishop who tried to rescue the wounded on the fields...
View ArticleBomb threat fails to disrupt Anzac service
Crowds gathered at the Auckland War Memorial Museum for a dawn service were unaware police had received a threat a bomb would be planted at the cenotaph.Inspector Ian Brooker said the threat had been...
View ArticlePower price rises main fear over asset sales bill
Struggling families will suffer because of higher power prices as a result of the Government's "mixed ownership model" and few "mums and dads" have cash to buy shares in the partly privatised power...
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