Member of online extortion group sentenced for threatening mass stabbing and sharing objectionable material

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Source: New Zealand Police A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment for indecent communications, distributing objectionable material, and threatening to commit a mass stabbing attack, following a joint investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs and New Zealand Police. The Hastings-based man was granted interim name suppression having previously … Read more

Rotorua homicide – public asked to check properties

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Source: New Zealand Police Police investigating the homicide of a Rotorua man are urging residents near the scene to check their properties for discarded items. Thirty-seven-year-old Nicholas Patrick Mitchell was found deceased in a vehicle on Ford Road shortly before 8:30pm on Friday. Rotorua Area Investigations Manager Senior Sergeant Mark Van Kempen said Police were … Read more

Fire and Emergency takes union to court for alleged intimidation of volunteers

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Source: Radio New Zealand Firefighters protest during their industrial dispute with FENZ. RNZ / Ruth Hill Fire and Emergency has taken legal action against its union and one of its officials, following alleged threats and intimidation. New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) officials are believed to have threatened and intimidated volunteers to stop them responding … Read more

Minister to Japan for defence, security meetings

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Source: New Zealand Government Defence Minister Judith Collins will travel to Japan tomorrow for defence and security meetings. “I am looking forward to travelling to Tokyo to discuss regional security issues with Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi,” Ms Collins says. “Japan is an important partner for New Zealand, with … Read more

Horizon Heen at StarWorld Brings Five-star Gastronomy to Central Macau for an All-Day International Dining Experience

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Source: Media Outreach Connoisseurs of global cuisines are set to enjoy Horizon Heen StarWorld, the novel Central Macau dining hub that offers a wide variety of quality ingredients and sumptuous dishes MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 December 2025 – StarWorld Hotel proudly unveils Horizon Heen StarWorld, a brand-new dining floor introducing an … Read more

Black Caps bowler Jacob Duffy backs injury-plagued attack against West Indies

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Source: Radio New Zealand Jacob Duffy celebrates his five wickets in the second innings against England at Wellington. Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz Third test: Black Caps v West Indies Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui 11am, Thursday, 18 December Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Jacob Duffy believes the Black Caps still have enough experience to beat … Read more

Auckland Zoo euthanises elderly rhino Zambezi

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Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland Zoo has euthanised its elderly rhino Zambezi. Facebook/Auckland Zoo Auckland Zoo has euthanised its elderly rhino, Zambezi, due to age-related health conditions. The 36-year-old Southern white rhino relocated to Auckland from Hamilton Zoo in 2007. Auckland Zoo Veterinarian Dr Adam Naylor said Zambezi’s dental disease had made it difficult for … Read more

How to navigate the toy aisles these holidays

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Source: Radio New Zealand Parents the world over have begun the task of negotiating Christmas lists written by their children. The division of marketplace products into restrictive gender categories – known as gendered marketing – is especially pronounced in the toy market and can help entrench gender inequalities from a young age. It happens when … Read more

Christchurch man accused of trying to solicit sexual favours from teen girls

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Source: Radio New Zealand The man, aged in his 50s, has interim name suppression. RNZ / Nate McKinnon A Christchurch man is accused of trying to solicit sexual favours from two teenage girls and sexually taunting a third, court documents show. The man, aged in his 50s, has interim name suppression that prevents RNZ detailing … Read more

Man arrested in central Auckland

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Source: New Zealand Police Please attribute to Inspector Danny Meade: Police have quickly arrested a man in central Auckland after being located carrying a samurai sword. Just before 4pm, Police responded to information that a person was believed to be carrying a firearm on Upper Queen Street. Armed units immediately responded to the area and … Read more

Another busy year in the House

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Source: New Zealand Government It has been another busy and productive year in the House as the Government continues to fix the basics and build the future, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says.  “We are continuing our mission to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living, in large … Read more

Puberty Blockers decision puts children back at risk

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Source: Family First MEDIA RELEASE – 17 December 2025 Family First NZ says that a decision by a judge today in the Wellington High Court to pause the ban on puberty blockers could have been written by the radical activist transgender group PATHA. The decision by Justice Wilkinson-Smith to grant an injunction on the government’s … Read more

Bill passed to improve court timeliness

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Source: New Zealand Government Legislation which improves court timeliness by updating procedures and adding more High Court Judges has passed in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Courts Minister Nicole McKee say.  “Speeding up court processes is one of our three key priorities as we fix the basics in law and order,” Mr Goldsmith … Read more

Voter suppression law must be reversed

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Source: NZCTU The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is condemning the National-led Government’s Electoral Amendment Bill, rushed through Parliament this week, which will disenfranchise tens of thousands of New Zealanders. “Voter participation is essential for a healthy democracy. All Kiwis should be able to easily vote without restriction,” said NZCTU President Sandra Grey. “This Bill undermines … Read more

Wildberries Launches WB Taxi App in Uzbekistan

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Source: Media Outreach TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 December 2025 – Wildberries, a leading digital platform in Eurasia, has rolled out its WB Taxi mobile app in Uzbekistan, expanding its ride-hailing services to the local market. The app has become available for download on Google Play and the App Store in Uzbekistan. … Read more

Vet network will strengthen animal health response capability

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Source: New Zealand Government A new biosecurity veterinary network will strengthen New Zealand’s ability to respond to a significant animal disease outbreak such as foot and mouth disease, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has contracted the Veterinary Council of New Zealand to establish and maintain a network of private … Read more

TV advertising company caught lying to consumers

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Source: Radio New Zealand Unsplash A TV advertising company has been caught out for lying to consumers and leaving fake reviews on its website. The Commerce Commission says Brand Developer Limited, which trades as The TV Shop, has been convicted of 13 charges for breaches of the Fair Trading Act over a period of nearly … Read more

Puberty blockers ban delayed by judicial review

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Source: Radio New Zealand PATHA is seeking a judicial review of what it calls the “illegal and unethical decision”. File photo. RNZ // Angus Dreaver The ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria in young people – which was due to come into effect this week – has been delayed, pending … Read more

What do new bank rules mean for home loans

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Source: Radio New Zealand The Reserve Bank plans to reduce the amount of capital banks are required to hold against their loans. RNZ / Dom Thomas Changes to bank capital requirements may mean home loan interest rates are lower than they could otherwise have been, but the impact is likely to be small, economists say. … Read more

Jevon McSkimming avoids jail sentence over possession of child sexual exploitation material

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Source: Radio New Zealand Jevon McSkimming was sentenced to nine months home detention at the Wellington District Court. RNZ/Samuel Rillstone Disgraced former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming has avoided jail time, instead sentenced to nine months’ home detention, at the Wellington District Court this afternoon. He pleaded guilty in November to three representative charges of … Read more

Primary school teachers reject government’s latest pay offer

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Source: Radio New Zealand Primary school teachers and principals have both rejected potential settlements. File photo. RNZ / Alexander Robertson Primary school teachers belonging to the NZEI union have rejected the government’s latest pay offer. The decision followed last week’s vote by primary school principals – belonging to the same union – to reject a … Read more

Earlier monetisation of Chorus debt to the Crown

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Source: New Zealand Government The Government has decided to progress with the monetisation of the debt it holds in telecommunications lines company Chorus. “The money raised will be invested in capital projects such as schools, hospitals and roads,” Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Between 2012 and 2023 the Government provided $1.336 billion in interest-free loans … Read more

Prediction is the New Protection: Gartner® Acknowledged CyCraft as a Sample Vendor We Believe for Emerging AI Cyber Solutions

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Source: Media Outreach TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 December, 2025 – CyCraft Technology has been identified as a Gartner® Sample Vendor in both Preemptive Exposure Management (PEM) and Unified Exposure Management (UEM) solutions. With our External Attack Surface Management (EASM) platform and XecGuard LLM firewall, CyCraft continues to integrate AI innovation into … Read more

TSquared Lab launches TSquared Health, an AI-driven longevity ecosystem, with the acquisition of Noviu Health

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Source: Media Outreach Dr. Hisham Badaruddin Appointed Chief Medical Officer as TSquared Health Integrates Medical, Biomarker, and AI Longevity Capabilities SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 December 2025 – TSquared Lab today announced the launch of TSquared Health, a new longevity-focused company designed to help individuals understand and improve their healthspan. By unifying advanced … Read more

‘Somebody ends up paying’ – council considers funding for Tauranga’s civic precinct

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Source: Radio New Zealand An artists impression of the new civic precinct. Supplied / Tauranga City Council Old wounds from the time the Tauranga was run by government commissioners have reopened during a discussion on future funding for the city’s civic precinct. The Tauranga city council met on Tuesday to decide how the Te Manawataki … Read more

Councillors scrap plans to charge motorbikes for parking in Wellington City

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Source: Radio New Zealand Motorcyclists protested the planned charges. Supplied/Lucy Morris A plan to charge motorcyclists for parking in Wellington City has been scrapped by councillors. In May the Wellington City Council voted to put in fees of $1 per hour for motorbikes to park in car parks, with a daily cap of $6. Deputy … Read more

Reserve Bank eases capital requirements on banks

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Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ RBNZ eases capital requirements on banks New settings to reduce bank funding costs overall by about $5 bn RBNZ says settings conservative but closer to global standards Changes likely to benefit smaller banks, improve competition Banks will be expected to pass on savings. The Reserve Bank has reduced the amount … Read more