WELLINGTON: Three men charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of an Indian dairy worker in New Zealand have pleaded not guilty to the crime, and will go to trial in 2024, media reports said. Janak Patel, 34, was stabbed multiple times last month at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham, Auckland, where he worked. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, leading police to launch a 48-hour manhunt resulting in the arrest of three men who were charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Of the three, a 34-year-old man has been charged with Patel's murder, as well as aggravated robbery. Most of the dairy owners and workers said they fear going to work after Patel's brutal killing.

December 14, 2022 12:31 UTC

“It is particularly important that businesses which use larger quantities of water face cost-based pricing, to incentivise businesses to use water efficiently. The way the right have framed 3 Waters as an attack on democracy is a masterclass of propaganda that would make your average Qanon Fear grifter blush. 3 Waters isn’t about Māori taking over the fucking water, it’s about Local and Central Government refusing to pay for the mass immigration policies that are enriching the property speculating middle classes. B-U-T these are secondary issues, the main issue has been about corporate users of water avoiding that cost. If it’s not 3 Waters today, it will be All Waters tomorrow.

December 14, 2022 08:35 UTC

Petrol tax cut extended briefly, but Grant Robertson leaves little wriggle room for new spending in 2023The Government is committing to discounting tax on petrol and subsidising public transport fares for two months longer than planned. This includes $4.5 billion of new operational expenditure in Budget 2023 and $3b in each of the next three budgets. He stressed, in his Budget Policy Statement, that “Budget 2023 will involve public agencies examining what needs can be met by reprioritising existing funding”. He said Budget 2023 would involve “difficult trade-offs” and the Government’s policy would “work in concert” with monetary policy – i.e. At the May Budget, Robertson put $5.1b towards capital expenditure in Budgets 2023 to 2025.

December 14, 2022 06:38 UTC

“A spiteful or contemptible man often having some authority” is the definition offered byMerriam-Websterfor the word prick. That’s the fifth definition, but it contains within it some of the fourth, which...

December 14, 2022 04:04 UTC

Video / Parliament TVUkraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a rousing speech to New Zealand MPs this morning, thanking the country for support so far and urging it to further step up on the world stage. “Kia ora,” Zelenskyy said as he started his address to the New Zealand Parliament. In fact, New Zealand was one of the first countries to support Ukraine in its struggle for independence.”He noted how New Zealand had specifically changed its approach to sanctions to support Ukraine and target those “fomenting the aggression”. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressing New Zealand Parliament via video link on Wednesday, December 14. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy receiving applause after his address to Parliament in Wellington.

December 14, 2022 03:03 UTC





The Lyttelton police station was burgled on Tuesday night. Photo: NZ HeraldA police station was burgled in Canterbury overnight, with offenders stealing a police jacket and cap. A police spokesperson confirmed officers were making inquiries following a break-in at the Lyttelton Police Station. “Around 1am a white four-door hatchback vehicle has pulled up outside the station on Sumner Rd. “We are making a number of inquiries to identify and locate the offenders, including reviewing CCTV,” the spokesperson said.

December 14, 2022 02:31 UTC

A crash in Brockville which left a woman with broken bones was caused by a man falling asleep at the wheel of another vehicle, police say. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said officers were called to a head-on collision in Brockville Rd about 3.10pm yesterday. Emergency services at the scene of the crash in Brockville Rd. Photo: Gregor RichardsonIt appeared he had fallen asleep after a 12-hour-shift, Snr Sgt Bond said. With the holiday season in full swing, there would be heightened traffic on the roads and care was needed, Snr Sgt Bond said.

December 14, 2022 00:45 UTC

Though you still need a range hood, cooking using electricity rather than gas means the air stays fresher, making induction hobs well suited to apartments and smaller spaces. Becca Tapert When it comes to the crunch, the tidier and more precise cooking method of induction is the way of the future. Induction cooking only works using pots you can stick a magnet on, such as cast iron, Le Creuset and other enamelled cast iron, and some types of stainless-steel cookware. Induction cooking, by comparison, works by creating a magnetic field between the pot and the magnetic coils beneath the cooking surface. Induction cooking can be three times more energy efficient than gas, according to the rating system Energy Star.

December 13, 2022 21:52 UTC

Here's our summary of key economic events overnight that affect New Zealand, with news the inflation landscape seems to be changing quickly now. Either way, the impetus has gone out of the American inflation surge in November. Core inflation rose at about a 2.5% annualised rate in November from October, but that too was less than expected. Which means 2023 will face less inflation pressure and fewer rate hikes. Meanwhile the US Redbook retail sales data for last week improved from the week before, but only slightly, and by less than inflation.

December 13, 2022 18:41 UTC

Croydon Hodge and Doreen Rudolph want their daughter to have heart surgery overseas. It comes after another family, who cannot be identified, refused “vaccinated” blood for their gravely ill baby’s operation. But parents want her to only receive blood from handpicked, unvaccinated donors for her next surgery, instead of blood from the NZ Blood Service. Liveblood, a group setting up a blood bank for unvaccinated donors, has set up a fundraising page for the family to get them to India. “I’m forced to take my baby overseas for treatment where her human rights and mine will be respected,” she said.

December 13, 2022 16:07 UTC

Border controls were justifiedThe High Court decision accepted that having to possess a voucher to get into MIQ did not, in and of itself, amount to an unjustified infringement of the right to enter the country. Read more: How will history – and the law – judge New Zealand’s mothballed MIQ system? The system should ideally have been able to detect and prioritise differences in individual circumstances, the High Court found. While the MIQ system achieved the government’s health objectives, the result was that some New Zealanders experienced unreasonable delays in exercising their right to enter the country, according to the High Court decision. The royal commission will probably learn from the decision of the High Court and the opinion of the Ombudsman.

December 13, 2022 12:57 UTC

Fifa venue general manager Matt McLennan (left) shows Swiss team delegates team manager Caroline Abbe and media officer Dominik Erb around Forsyth Barr Stadium yesterday. The Switzerland football team yesterday announced it had selected Dunedin as its base camp for the Fifa Women’s World Cup next year. "It is an honour to be selected as the team base camp host city for the Swiss women’s football team, especially given Fifa itself is headquartered in Switzerland," Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said in a statement. "Dunedin is the greatest little city and it’s a real privilege that we get to host the Swiss team here and share it with them," she said. Palmerston North (Spain), Hamilton (Zambia), Christchurch (Japan), Tauranga (the Netherlands) and Wellington (Sweden) will also be used as team base camps in New Zealand.

December 13, 2022 08:36 UTC

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December 13, 2022 06:36 UTC

The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has released its housing market results for November, with sales crashing to a 12-year low, inventory soaring and house prices down 13.7% year-on-year. The number of residential property sales across New Zealand decreased annually by 36.1%, from 8,644 in November 2021 to 5,525 in November 2022. Commenting on the results, REINZ CEO Jen Baird noted that the Reserve Bank’s aggressive interest rate hikes have delivered “more hesitancy” in the real estate market. Those thinking of selling are again looking at the market and asking, ‘Is this the right time?”, Baird said. With the Reserve Bank forecasting a peak official cash rate of 5.5% next year, New Zealand’s housing market will remain stuck in quicksand.

December 13, 2022 05:10 UTC

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December 13, 2022 05:05 UTC