Manawatū boy racers: Projectiles thrown at police cars as vehicles seized, four people arrested
“We’ve seen the damage and distress these people inflict on our communities and we’re not having it. Two police vehicles were damaged by projectiles thrown from a crowd on State Highway 1 near Rongotea Rd. “It was a great effort, and bailiffs also seized several vehicles.”While final enforcement numbers are still being confirmed, initial results include 48 infringements issued, seven vehicles ordered off the road, seven vehicles impounded by police, and two vehicles impounded by court bailiffs, with multiple driver licence suspensions. Four people were arrested for offences including breach of bail, failing to stop for police, and resisting police. Photo / Supplied“While the behaviour of some involved was disappointing, the outcome of this operation is very pleasing,” Gray said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 05, 2026 04:27 UTC
Movie stars join forces to buy Auckland film and TV studio
“I've never really had to deal with notes or studio notes before I did those films in the States and that became a thing that was very surprising to me, because the Thor film was my fifth movie I think, and so at that point I didn't realise that I would ever … deal with notes or have to listen to other people, but you do and it's a real challenge.
Source:Stuff
April 05, 2026 04:13 UTC
Man sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for repeated indecent assaults on stepdaughter
But a jury did believe her, convicting the man on six charges, which largely related to repeated indecent behaviour, and a physical assault. This week, the man was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court, and the girl’s victim impact statement was read by Crown prosecutor Richard Jenson. “This was an ongoing, repetitive series of offences against a girl effectively trapped in the home with you as her stepfather,” Judge Harding said. Defence lawyer Bill Nabney said the Crown’s suggested starting point was too high, and a starting point of between two-and-a-half years and three years was more appropriate, and submitted home detention could be a possible outcome. The judge adopted a starting point of three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 05, 2026 03:54 UTC
Mother-son landlord duo Nick Hoogwerf and Donna Miers under investigation by MBIE
Mother and son Donna Miers and Nick Hoogwerf were ordered to pay more than $30,000 after illegally subletting a rental three years ago. The Chapel St, Greymouth, property that was owned and operated by Donna Miers and Nick Hoogwerf. Annie Binstead also took Hoogwerf and Miers to the tribunal after the pair did not return her bond following her tenancy. She met Hoogwerf in 2024 through Miers, her previous landlord, when he arranged a tenancy for her on Miers’ behalf, which Hoogwerf went on to manage aspects of. “Where they don’t, there are already enforcement mechanisms in place, including Tenancy Tribunal action and investigations by MBIE.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 05, 2026 03:32 UTC
Mother-son landlord duo under investigation by MBIE
A mother-and-son landlord pair with a history of tenant complaints and conduct described as "nefarious" are under investigation. When speaking to NZME, Hoogwerf said, despite his history before the tribunal, he was "fit to be a landlord". Going forward, Hoogwerf’s former tenant, Humberstone, hoped the MBIE investigation would result in "appropriate action" being taken. Wilson, of TCIT, told NZME there was no provision in New Zealand law to ban a person from being a landlord. "Where they don’t, there are already enforcement mechanisms in place, including Tenancy Tribunal action and investigations by MBIE.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 05, 2026 02:36 UTC
Stars join forces to buy Auckland film and TV studio
Photo: SuppliedActors Cliff Curtis and Jason Momoa, along with director Taika Waititi, have acquired Auckland-based film studio Studio West in a bid to bring more jobs and Polynesian-led storytelling to the country. Waititi told RNZ’s Sunday Morning it was about building a space where New Zealand talent could thrive and grow. Dealing with studio notes and next projectThis week, Waititi has been celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Hunt for the Wilderpeople – which is back in cinemas now – along with the actors of the movie. “People don't talk about magical moments, but it was just many, many magical moments creating that film, and I don't think I've felt as good making a film again since then. But dealing with “notes” or feedback from the studio was also something to become accustomed to, he says.
Source:Otago Daily Times
April 04, 2026 23:10 UTC
Iran rejects Trump’s ‘helpless, stupid’ 48-hour ultimatum
Trump threatened to intensify US attacks on the Iranian regime if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened by Monday. “Do not forget that if aggression expands, the entire region will turn into a hell for you,” a regime spokesman told Iranian media, according to the Telegraph. As the global energy crisis deepened, the US and Israel continued to pound Iranian infrastructure. US and Iranian forces scrambled to find a downed American airman and after a strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant prompted evacuations. Tehran has announced fresh attacks in the region, with the Revolutionary Guards saying it hit a commercial ship in Bahrain allegedly linked to Israel.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 22:11 UTC
Nomu Matcha: How a Bay of Plenty start-up is riding the matcha boom
When Stockdale tried a matcha in London, she discovered a problem: high-priced, low-quality options dominating the market. Unlike traditional green tea, matcha is shade-grown, carefully harvested, dried and then finely ground into a vibrant powder. Nomu Matcha has rapidly expanded nationwide. “The spoon really comes back to being the catalyst for why we started Nomu,” Stockdale said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about continuing to drive accessibility to great matcha for our drinkers.”Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 21:08 UTC
Driver dead after car hits tree in late-night Kaitāia crash
One person has died after a single-vehicle crash in Kaitāia overnight. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Driver dead after car hits tree in late-night Kaitāia crashOne person has died after a single-vehicle crash in Kaitāia overnight. One person has died after a single-vehicle crash in Kaitāia overnight. Emergency services were called after a vehicle hit a tree near the intersection of North Rd and Farrimond Place at around 10.30pm.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 20:08 UTC
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley weighs up big decisions ahead of World Cup squad announcement
Bazeley has been loyal to a solid core of players since taking the reins in 2023 and will largely keep faith with that group for the World Cup. Along with captain Chris Wood, he’s the only current player who went to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. “With a World Cup squad, not everyone plays. As well as Wood, Libby Cacace, Michael Boxall, Sarpreet Singh and Matt Garbett were missing, and will all be in the World Cup squad, fitness permitting. We’ll be watching.”Possible 26-man All Whites World Cup squad:Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Kees Sims.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 19:54 UTC
Daylight saving sleep tips: How to reset your body clock after the shift
Photo / Supplied, RNZWhat happens to our brain and body clock when daylight saving switches over? “Everyone has a body clock in the brain that needs to be synchronised to the sun in order to stay healthy and function well. The spring transition is the easier one - going into daylight saving time, putting the clock forward an hour “we just squash an hour out of our day”. “We’re still thinking that we should be waking an hour later with the old body clock time. If you’re organised or a sensitive sleeper you could give sleep shifting a go - starting to adjust your body clock gradually in the days leading up to daylight savings.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 19:38 UTC
Travel discomfort: What pushing past your comfort zone really teaches you
I detest the phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (if I lost an arm and a vital organ in a lion attack, would I really be stronger? In Gambia, basing myself at a locally owned hotel in a small village provided fantastic insights into the country. Photo / Tamara HinsonSticking to comfort zones doesn’t just mean less fun – you’ll learn less about the world. My night as a scare actor at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights – the furthest I’ve ventured from my comfort zone. My bugbear remains “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” but for the University of Liverpool’s Dr Ross White, it’s “comfort zone”.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 19:06 UTC
Three things to help you feel calmer about the crisis this Easter – Liam Dann
Yes, Trump declared a great victory and suggested the war is in its last few weeks in his big speech. And even if the US pulls back on schedule, we have no guarantees about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. My assumption since the beginning has been that the US will declare some sort of victory and step back after several weeks. But it is likely to leave an awful geopolitical mess for the rest of the world to clean up. Which means we all have a choice about the lens we apply to variables X and T.So with all that in mind, as promised, here are three things to help you feel calmer about the crisis this Easter morning.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 18:48 UTC
Green Parrot Cafe at 100: How a Wellington icon survived a century
It was bought by the Greek Sakoufakis family in 1970, around the same time the politicians started coming. The Green Parrot, photographed in 1980, has fed the likes of Norman Kirk, Sir Peter Jackson, and Billy T James. Winston Peters at the Green Parrot Cafe in Wellington, 2013, seated by a mural of famous patrons including Billy T James and Sir Peter Jackson. Not much has changed inside Wellington's iconic Green Parrot Cafe, something that owner Chris Sakoufakis says has kept people coming back. “Wellington is paradise.”The Green Parrot will officially mark its 100th birthday with a party at the restaurant in June.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 18:45 UTC
BSA a relic of a bygone era – Heather du Plessis-Allan
Or, more specifically, a particular part of the internet: the online radio station The Platform. Online radio. The BSA watched as we willingly stuffed all this filth into our brains via the World Wide Web. So if Plunket recorded his online radio show and released it as a podcast, he would go unpunished. The fact that the BSA is trying to find work to do tells you that it is already irrelevant.
Source:New Zealand Herald
April 04, 2026 18:34 UTC