• Brian Rudman Give public voice in game of I Spy

  The Governments legislation being pushed through without public debate broadens the rights of New Zealand spy agencies to snoop on New Zealanders and foreigners alike. Photo / Mark Mitchell With spies lurking along each twist and turn of the internet, busily scribbling down every dot and dash of information that whooshes past, perhaps it's time to heat up the sealing wax. For less ...

• Vehicles slide off road after diesel spill on SH29

  Motorists driving over the Kaimai Ranges in Bay of Plenty are being urged to take extra care this morning, after a large amount of diesel spilled onto the road. The spill on State Highway 29 begins near Soldiers Rd on the Tauranga side and extends over the ranges and down towards Matamata. Police said the surface was extremely slippery and several vehicles had already slid off the road as a ...

• UPDATE 1-New ZealandAustralia Morning Call-Global markets

  -----------------------(06:33 / 2033 GMT)----------------------- Stock Markets S&P/ASX 200 4,814.35 -11.53 NZSX 50 4,462.10 ...

• Worlds rich get richer – latest wealth report

  Subscribe to NBR Print or NBR ONLINE paid content and be in to win the all-new BMW 320i xDrive Touring valued at $83,800 For the first time in New Zealand, the BMW 3 Series Touring is now available with BMW xDrive, the world's most sophisticated all-wheel drive system. Based on the award winning 3 Series Sedan, the Touring is set to raise the bar once again, starting from just $77,800* ...

• While you were sleeping optimism lifts equities

  Wall Street advanced amid optimism that US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will reassure investors that the central bank will not pull back its monetary stimulus before it is satisfied with the economic outlook. In late afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1 percent, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 0.83 percent and the Nasdaq Composite ...

• Record numbers of New Zealanders deported

  Source: ONE News A sustained crack down by Australian Immigration officials is resulting in a record number of convicted expatriate New Zealanders being deported. New Zealanders who receive jail sentences that accumulate to 12 months or more are subject to Australia's 'character test'. If they fail the test they are then at the mercy of Australia's Immigration Minister ...

• Kiwi found dead in Thai hotel

  Source: Close Up Thai police are speculating that a Dunedin-born man found dead in his apartment in the beach resort city of Pattaya may have suffered from an acute medical problem which caused him to collapse. Alan Patrick Mouncey, 38, was carrying a British passport, the Pattaya People newspaper reported. Mouncey was found dead in his third-floor apartment on Monday afternoon. He had booked ...

• Cold snap forecast to set in over South Island

  VIDEOS: Heavy rain causes South Island flooding Residents still grappling with flooding in the South Island are now being warned that a cold snap is about to set in. MetService reports that a "cold southerly outbreak" is likely to set in later today, with heavy snow expected to fall in parts of the South Island and severe gales predicted to hit central areas. Accordingly, a ...

• Lianne Dalziel to run for Christchurch mayoralty

  Christchurch MP Lianne Dalziel has this morning confirmed speculation that she will stand for the Christchurch mayoralty. "Well its official now - I'm running for the Christchurch Mayoralty," the long-serving MP wrote on Twitter. Dalziel, who will stand as an independent, will resign as Christchurch East MP. The 53-year-old will be challenging current mayor Bob Parker for ...

• Heavy rain brings down bank onto road

  Heavy rain brought down a bank onto a road north of Wellington early this morning. Emergency services were called to the slip on Airlie Rd, Plimmerton, at 5.26am, police said. Trees and soil were blocking both lanes. Council workers were working to clear the scene. ---Send your weather related stories, photos or video here.--- - ...

• MP confirms tilt at Christchurch mayoralty

  Labour MP Lianne Dalziel has confirmed she'll run for the Christchurch mayoralty. The Christchurch East MP had previously ruled out standing as mayor in the local body elections, due to be held in October. However, after much speculation, she has confirmed this morning she'll run. 'Well it's official now - I'm running for the Christchurch Mayoralty.' she tweeted. ...

• Police Alcohol may be a factor in fatal Northland crash

  Police believe alcohol may be a factor in a crash which killed a 73-year-old woman in Northland last night. Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on Whangaroa Rd, Kaeo, about 8pm. The vehicle failed to take a sharp bend before crashing down a bank and into a tree. The woman, who was driving, died at the scene. Her passenger, who police said was ...

• All Blacks Eyes on Midfield

  Coach Steve Hansen is set on developing the midfield by using Ma'a Nonu and Ben Smith together. All Black coach Steve Hansen is not one to throw his weight around - not these days anyway - but he's going to find it hard to resist putting pressure on the Highlanders to use the last few weeks of Super rugby to pair Ma'a Nonu and Ben Smith together in the midfield. Nonu and Smith are expected to be ...

• Time of death estimate in Lundy trial unreliable Privy Council hears

  The evidence a pathologist presented at Mark Lundy's trial on the time of death of his wife and daughter was "unreliable" and flawed", the Privy Council has heard. Lundy is appealing his life sentence with a non-parole period of 20 years for the killing of his wife Christine and daughter Amber, 7, in their Palmerston North home in August 2000. On the second day of a hearing ...

• Porirua stabbing lifts tension with rival gangs

  The stabbing of a teenager in Porirua has ignited tensions between youths with rival gang associations. A 17-year-old was knocked unconscious and stabbed several times in the torso, arms and neck on Thursday night near the Waitangirua Mall. It is understood that he was assaulted because he was wearing a blue bandanna, the colour worn by the local Crips youth gang. Porirua is known ...

• Test match just the ticket for scalpers

  Source: ONE News Ticket scalpers are cashing in on the sold-out All Blacks test match in New Plymouth this weekend. More than 23,000 tickets have been sold and those who missed out were now buying them on Trade Me, at four times the original cost. Yesterday, there were seven auctions on the site for tickets to the game. In one auction, $40 general admission tickets were selling for $175 each. ...

• Aussies snap up our homes

  "One instead will need to take buyers out of the market which are not the ones we think deserve to buy affordable housing. "That means something like a law banning second property purchases, banning purchases by foreigners and forcing people to sell houses they own but are not occupying, perhaps because they are overseas." Judith Taylor, previously with property specialists ...

• Staffer coping well after bank siege

  Police said the man went into the bank with a grievance he wanted to bring to the attention of police. Photo / Sarah Ivey A bank staffer threatened with a gun during a five-hour siege at an Auckland bank returned to work yesterday and was coping well after her ordeal. The female Westpac employee, who is understood to be in a team leader's role, was at work at the Penrose branch on Monday ...

• Lundy appeal Meal evidence misleading

  Mark Lundy. Photo / Mark Mitchell Professor Knight particularly questioned Dr Pang's evidence that "absence of gastric smell" was an important factor. He considered this to be "utterly without foundation and little short of ludicrous". Examining stomach contents to estimate the time of death for Christine and Amber Lundy is deemed "so unreliable as to be of little ...

• Dunne goes into battle for extra funding

  Peter Dunne. Photo / Mark Mitchell United Future leader Peter Dunne will go into battle at the Electoral Commission today to try to persuade it to change its rules so he is not stripped of more than $185,000 a year in extra parliamentary funding for his party. Mr Dunne stands to lose about $186,325 a year in funding if the party cannot re-register quickly and the Speaker decides it no longer ...

• Fierce weather on the way

  The temperature is expected to stay below 10C in Auckland on Friday when a cold southerly sweepes through. Photo / Dean Purcell A weather prediction chart by MetVuw out of Victoria University shows the situation over the country for tomorrow. Astorm set to blast much of the country over the next three days with wind, waves, hail and snow was born from an unusual and powerful mix of ...

• Whats done is done and alls well at home says Dunne

  United Future leader Peter Dunne says all is well in his home life as he faces the Electoral Commission today over funding for his party. Mr Dunne resigned as a minister this month after refusing to hand over emails to an inquiry into a leak of a GCSB report to Fairfax reporter Andrea Vance. Mr Dunne has denied leaking the report. Yesterday he said he did not want to comment on those ...

• Ceiling caves in on fireman

  A body was found in a bedroom of the gutted Hamilton home. Photo / Christine Cornege A firefighter became trapped in a fatal house fire when a ceiling collapsed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. The Hamilton fireman was part of a second crew who entered the fire in the suburb of Claudelands, where a body was later discovered. Two dogs were also trapped but witnesses managed ...

• Leak suspects position revealed

  Paula Rebstock. Photo / NZPA The public servant suspected of embarrassing the Government by leaking sensitive documents about staff cuts to the Opposition last year is a "clerical assistant", it emerged yesterday. The public servant, who has name suppression and is known simply as "Applicant A", is fighting to prevent his alleged involvement being detailed in ...

• Father amazed by sons fall recovery

  Tom Stilwell did not remember anything from the incident. The father of the British man who stunned the world by surviving a 15-floor fall from an Auckland high rise says the fact his son is still alive is nothing short of a miracle. Tom Stilwell, 20, is recovering in Auckland City Hospital but is out of intensive care and will make a full recovery, to the amazement and relief of his family in ...

• Kiwis cracking good idea

  The mechanical engineer knew the final version was a winner when his then 90-year-old grandfather perfectly separated a yolk on his first try. "That was the ultimate test, I think, the final tick we needed. He's actually only got one eye as well, so fairly unstable. But it worked first-shot, which is good proof." Once the Yolkr, which has a patent pending, was ready for sale Mr ...

• Surge in projects sparks warning over pitfalls

  Colliers' analysis on house and apartment prices, median incomes, rents and mortgage payments across Auckland points to rising difficulties for first-time buyers. More than 1600 new apartment units are planned throughout suburban Auckland after a half-decade lull. From Manukau to New Lynn, Takapuna to Herne Bay, Flat Bush to Orewa, a boom has taken hold and once again people are ...

• Fierce weather on the way

  A storm set to blast much of the country over the next three days with wind, waves, hail and snow was born from an unusual and powerful mix of weather systems. Civil Defence is urging people across the country, particularly those in the South Island and central North Island, to prepare for power and phone cuts in the worst storm of the winter so far. "It's going to be cold - and it's going to be ...

• Fierce weather on the way

  A storm set to blast much of the country over the next three days with wind, waves, hail and snow was born from an unusual and powerful mix of weather systems. Civil Defence is urging people across the country, particularly those in the South Island and central North Island, to prepare for power and phone cuts in the worst storm of the winter so far. "It's going to be cold - and it's going to be ...

• Fierce weather on the way

  A storm set to blast much of the country over the next three days with wind, waves, hail and snow was born from an unusual and powerful mix of weather systems. Civil Defence is urging people across the country, particularly those in the South Island and central North Island, to prepare for power and phone cuts in the worst storm of the winter so far. "It's going to be cold - and ...

• Fierce weather on the way

  A weather prediction chart by MetVuw out of Victoria University shows the situation over the country for tomorrow. Astorm set to blast much of the country over the next three days with wind, waves, hail and snow was born from an unusual and powerful mix of weather systems. Civil Defence is urging people across the country, particularly those in the South Island and central North Island, to ...

• Abuser may face longer prison term

  Stuart Hall remained stony-faced as the judge told him that although he was known to the public for his "genial personality there was a darker side to you". Photo / APBritain's Attorney-General is to review the 15-month jail sentence given to Stuart Hall, the disgraced BBC presenter, for a 20-year campaign of sexual abuse against young girls. Dominic Grieve's office confirmed it had received ...

• Ceiling caves in on fireman

  A firefighter became trapped in a fatal house fire when a ceiling collapsed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. The Hamilton fireman was part of a second crew who entered the fire in the suburb of Claudelands, where a body was later discovered. Two dogs were also trapped but witnesses managed to break down a door and rescue them. Waikato Fire Service area commander Roy Breeze said ...

• Ceiling caves in on fireman

  A firefighter became trapped in a fatal house fire when a ceiling collapsed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. The Hamilton fireman was part of a second crew who entered the fire in the suburb of Claudelands, where a body was later discovered. Two dogs were also trapped but witnesses managed to break down a door and rescue them. Waikato Fire Service area commander Roy Breeze said ...

• Ceiling caves in on fireman

  A firefighter became trapped in a fatal house fire when a ceiling collapsed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. The Hamilton fireman was part of a second crew who entered the fire in the suburb of Claudelands, where a body was later discovered. Two dogs were also trapped but witnesses managed to break down a door and rescue them. Waikato Fire Service area commander Roy Breeze said ...

• Underworld killer testifies against boss

  A packed courtroom in Boston listened in rapt silence as a former hitman for the Winter Hill Gang testified against his former underworld boss, James "Whitey" Bulger. John Martorano has confessed to 20 murders during the period that the gang, under Bulger, ran serial criminal enterprises in Boston from 1972 to 2000, extracting protection money from businessmen, drug dealers and ...

• Ceiling caves in on fireman

  A firefighter became trapped in a fatal house fire when a ceiling collapsed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. The Hamilton fireman was part of a second crew who entered the fire in the suburb of Claudelands, where a body was later discovered. Two dogs were also trapped but witnesses managed to break down a door and rescue them. Waikato Fire Service area commander Roy Breeze said ...

• Joking aside Maori Party candidate spells out balance of power

  Na Raihania joked that he could help John Key with his literacy if he wins the Ikaroa-Rawhiti byelection. The Maori Party candidate's name stumped the Prime Minister earlier this week. Mr Key guessed "Ha" before endorsing Mr Raihania. In Gisborne yesterday, Mr Raihania, 50, who began his day campaigning with party flag waving on the bridge into town before 8am, laughed at the ...

• Money-laundering loophole filled

  A legal loophole which allowed wealthy criminals to escape money-laundering charges if they spent their ill-gotten gains publicly is about to be closed. Justice Minister Judith Collins has signed off on a change to the Crimes Act charge of money laundering as part of wide-ranging legislative amendments to fight organised crime, according to a Cabinet paper released to the Herald. Papers obtained ...

• Money-laundering loophole filled

  A legal loophole which allowed wealthy criminals to escape money-laundering charges if they spent their ill-gotten gains publicly is about to be closed. Justice Minister Judith Collins has signed off on a change to the Crimes Act charge of money laundering as part of wide-ranging legislative amendments to fight organised crime, according to a Cabinet paper released to the Herald. Papers obtained ...

• Editorial Cut snapper limit to build up species

  How many snapper should anyone be allowed to catch in a day's fishing? Readers who do not go fishing for fun might be surprised at the bag limit: nine. That seems an excessively generous allowance for every person out fishing, yet the recreational fishing lobby is aggrieved at proposals to reduce the permitted catch in response to diminishing stocks in the Hauraki Gulf, east of Northland and the ...

• Council members meet to discuss building heights

  Auckland Council members meet today on the thorny issue of building heights in town centres - their first grab at the 22,700 items in the draft unitary plan mail bag. The meeting will set the principles of development generally rather than go through the plan area by area, said Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse. "It is about the principles we use: how will we make final decisions on ...

• Change ahead for commuter travel

  Most commuters relying on public transport from South Auckland to the central city will have to catch trains rather than long-distance buses under a sweeping network redesign. A new scheme, which Mayor Len Brown will help Auckland Transport put out for public consultation in Mangere Town Centre today, will focus largely on buses delivering passengers to railway stations or to other ...

• NZ First vote will decide fate of controversial strike bill

  The fate of a controversial bill before Parliament overturning a ban on bosses hiring temporary staff during a strike now rests in the hands of New Zealand First. United Future leader Peter Dunne and the Maori Party yesterday came out in opposition to the bill, joining opposition by Labour, the Greens and Mana. National and Act support the bill, the Employment Relations ...

• Money-laundering loophole filled

  A legal loophole which allowed wealthy criminals to escape money-laundering charges if they spent their ill-gotten gains publicly is about to be closed. Justice Minister Judith Collins has signed off on a change to the Crimes Act charge of money laundering as part of wide-ranging legislative amendments to fight organised crime, according to a Cabinet paper released to the Herald. Papers obtained ...

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