New Zealand's Latest Breaking News, Business, Sport, Weather, Entertainment, Politics

Latest FromMelissa Nightingale

Joseph William Borton in the dock at the High Court at Wellington when he pleaded guilty in August to murder and sexual offending. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

'Depraved' killing worst cop has seen

18 Oct, 2019 11:20am
5 minutes to read

The lead investigator says this is the worst case he's dealt with in his 30-year career.

Joseph William Borton in the dock at the High Court at Wellington when he pleaded guilty to the grisly attack. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

'Depraved' man sentenced to life for killing woman to sexually attack daughter

18 Oct, 2019 10:00am
5 minutes to read

The gruesome attack left the 12-year-old victim in need of skull reconstruction surgery.

The queue for security is building in Wellington Airport after passengers had to de-plane and be re-screened. Photo / Glenn Dwight

NEW ZEALAND

Delays at airport after security breach

17 Oct, 2019 9:18am
Quick Read

Passengers had to get off their planes and are being re-screened after the breach.

The man appeared for sentencing in the Wellington District Court. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Flasher fined for exposing himself to multiple girls

16 Oct, 2019 12:20pm
2 minutes to read

Victims are now fearful of walking street alone.

The SS Bon Voyage river cruise ship. Photo / Supplied

TRAVEL

Luxury river cruising in Bordeaux

12 Oct, 2019 1:33pm
4 minutes to read

The five-star food and service made this cruise live up to its luxury reputation.

Guests were treated to a light display at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

NEW ZEALAND

Wonderland exhibition 'sensory overload'

9 Oct, 2019 12:19pm
5 minutes to read

Melissa Nightingale takes a journey down the rabbit hole in a sneak peak of Wonderland.

A good buffet at Air New Zealand's international lounge is the best thing for a hungry millenial. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

TRAVEL

Lounge check: Wellington's Air NZ international lounge

1 Oct, 2019 11:18pm
3 minutes to read

Melissa Nightingale starts her trip to Singapore with a visit to Air NZ's lounge.

A photo of Phillip John Smith at the airport during his escape to Brazil was released during the international manhunt. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Murderer Phillip Smith fights to meet with media

23 Sep, 2019 12:11pm
4 minutes to read

Smith has taken a string of cases against Corrections over his rights in prison.

Poppy chases sticks in the Waitemata Harbour on a sunny spring day. Photo / Dean Purcell.

NEW ZEALAND

Weather: Golden days on their way out

23 Sep, 2019 5:00am
2 minutes to read

Cooler temperatures, cloudy conditions and rain are on their way.

The sun was shining for a day of adorable races. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Make the most of the sun this weekend - it won't last

22 Sep, 2019 5:00am
2 minutes to read

Adorable dogs and their owners took to the sun-filled streets yesterday.

Karel Sroubek was sentenced to five years and nine months in jail for drug smuggling. File Photo / Steve McNicholl

NEW ZEALAND

'I've lost everything': Karel Sroubek embarrassed Govt, now he wants parole

16 Sep, 2019 12:30pm
4 minutes to read

The convicted drug smuggler claims his life would be in danger if he was deported.

Heavy rain and strong winds are forecast for much of the country but MetSerivce says

NEW ZEALAND

'Shock to the system' as temperatures set to drop

16 Sep, 2019 5:00am
2 minutes to read

"Changeable" spring weather brings sun, rain, hot and cold all in one week.

Hatch general manager and co-founder Kristen Lunman was surprised to see what importance people place on socially responsible investing. Photo / Supplied

BUSINESS

Kiwis' investing habits revealed

15 Sep, 2019 10:45am
4 minutes to read

New research into what drives Kiwis' investing has been released.

Maia Mariner, 14, collects and distributes sneakers to kids in need. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

NEW ZEALAND

Royal seal of approval: What Prince Harry told big-hearted Kiwi teen

15 Sep, 2019 5:00am
3 minutes to read

Maia Mariner noticed some of her friends couldn't play sport and decided to do something.

Taranaki man Gregory Ross Buchanan, pictured in New Pymouth District Court, wrote four threatening letters to DOC. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

1080 blackmailer's jail term halved

12 Sep, 2019 3:05pm
2 minutes to read

Gregory Buchanan's sentence for threatening DOC workers was too high, a judge has said.

Lois Tolley was murdered in Upper Hutt in December 2016.

NEW ZEALAND

Sobs in court as Lois Tolley murder accused revealed

11 Sep, 2019 12:02pm
5 minutes to read

Police have arrested a man for the murder of Lois Tolley in Upper Hutt in December 2016.

Rakesh Chawdhry insisted what he was doing to his patients was a legitimate medical procedure. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

GP struck off for indecent assaults

10 Sep, 2019 8:23am
3 minutes to read

Rakesh Kumar Chawdhry is now out on parole after being jailed for the offending.

Chewie the dog was found tied to a rubbish bin on SH1 Waikouaiti-Waitati Rd near Seacliff. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Abandoned dog tied to bin on state highway

5 Sep, 2019 12:26pm
2 minutes to read

SPCA members are struggling to understand why anyone would abandon the "lovely" dog.

Stephen Roger Williams, 45, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Wellington this morning to a charge of attempted murder of a 47-year-old fellow inmate.

NEW ZEALAND

Coral's killer admits attempted murder of fellow inmate

5 Sep, 2019 8:52am
2 minutes to read

The man who killed Coral-Ellen Burrows has admitted the vicious attack in prison.

Kiwis are ready to fire up the barbie, but the weather forecast tells a different story. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Kiwis hit Trade Me for spring searches

4 Sep, 2019 2:44pm
2 minutes to read

Kiwis are already searching for spring gear, but the weather isn't playing ball.

Tiana was the type of child who brought everyone together, her mum said. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Rare gene caused toddler's mystery death

2 Sep, 2019 1:43pm
3 minutes to read

Tiana's family have been waiting for months to find out why the toddler suddenly died.

Krystal Thompson and Jasper Hayward feed the lemurs at Wellington Zoo. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Hungry eyes: Why that cheetah at the zoo doesn't actually want to eat you

30 Aug, 2019 9:42am
4 minutes to read

Animal encounters at the zoo aren't just a positive experience for the humans.

Customers were left in the lurch after the money they pre-paid for their funerals was used up by Melissa and Darryl Angus. Photo / 123rf

NEW ZEALAND

Funeral director who ripped off mourners tries to revive her case

30 Aug, 2019 8:30am
3 minutes to read

Melissa and Darryl Angus took more than $90,000 for pre-paid funerals.

Sir Peter Jackson leaving the High Court at Wellington after giving evidence in the trial of alleged fraudster Eugene DeMarco. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

NEW ZEALAND

'Conman, piranha': Sir Peter Jackson gives evidence against former employee

29 Aug, 2019 11:28am
4 minutes to read

Eugene John DeMarco is on trial in Wellington for fraud.

Mark Lundy in the dock during his 2015 trial, for the 2000 murders of his wife Christine Lundy and daughter, Amber Lundy, in the High Court at Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Crown: 'Powerful' reasons to find Lundy guilty, despite bad science

28 Aug, 2019 9:15am
4 minutes to read

Mark Lundy's final appeal will come to an end in Wellington today.

NEW ZEALAND

Lundy's final challenge to murder convictions begins

27 Aug, 2019 9:07am
5 minutes to read

Mark Lundy's case is being heard in the Supreme Court in Wellington today.

NEW ZEALAND

Mark Lundy appeal over brain tissue begins

26 Aug, 2019 8:07pm
2 minutes to read

Mark Lundy's lawyer will argue his convictions should have been overturned.

Arborist Josh Micallef rescues a Wellington cat after five days up a Phoenix palm. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Cat call: Arborist will rescue felines for free

26 Aug, 2019 9:21am
2 minutes to read

Josh Micallef won't charge anyone for his time and expertise, as he just wants to help.

Garry the 13-year-old cat has been reunited with her owner, Lisa Pederson in Masterton, after being missing for 5 years. Photo / SPCA

NEW ZEALAND

Garry's back: Cat home five years after going missing

25 Aug, 2019 3:06pm
3 minutes to read

Lisa Pederson had given up hope of ever seeing her beloved cat again.

Less people are coming to work sick than before. Photo / NZPA / Wayne Drought

NEW ZEALAND

Kiwi workers more stressed, anxious

22 Aug, 2019 5:00am
3 minutes to read

Workers are more stressed than before, the survey says.

Fluffy's owners first noticed something was wrong on Wednesday when she wasn't being her usual self. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

'Senseless violence' as elderly cat shot with slug gun

21 Aug, 2019 9:22am
3 minutes to read

The 13-year-old cat is believed to have been shot on Tuesday last week.

Inspector Todd Southall with one of puppies bred at the NZ Police dog training centre at Trentham. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Fiercest of the fierce: What happens to failed Police dogs?

19 Aug, 2019 5:44pm
3 minutes to read

Up to 45 per cent of police puppies don't make the cut to join the ranks.

Irina Scantee was found dead in Kapiti last week. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Alleged murder victim identified as Irina Scantee

19 Aug, 2019 4:43pm
Quick Read

Irina Scantee is understood to have moved to New Zealand from Romania.

Irina Scantee was found dead on Saturday night. Photo / Facebook

NEW ZEALAND

Man charged with murder after woman dies in Paraparaumu

19 Aug, 2019 10:18am
2 minutes to read

Irina Scantee was killed in Paraparaumu on Saturday night.

Toetoe and pampas are popular to include in floral arrangements - but one of them is forbidden under the Biosecurity Act. Photo / Supplied

LIFESTYLE

Popular wedding trend banned under NZ biosecurity laws

16 Aug, 2019 3:45pm
3 minutes to read

It is actually against biosecurity laws to use this plant in wedding bouquets.

Former bride Becca used both pampas and toetoe in her wedding, but prepared the pampas carefully to reduce malting. Photo / Supplied

LIFESTYLE

Kiwi wedding trend spreading a noxious weed

16 Aug, 2019 5:49am
4 minutes to read

Many people don't know the difference between the invasive pampas and native toetoe.

The bach at Tutukaka in which three people are accused of manufacturing a large quantity of methamphetamine. Photo / John Stone

NEW ZEALAND

Police 'trespassed' in holiday home meth lab

15 Aug, 2019 3:57pm
3 minutes to read

Police had no right to go onto the property where the meth lab was hidden, a lawyer says.

Dune du Pilat, in France. Photo / Yu Wang

TRAVEL

Sunrise hiking up the Dune du Pilat

15 Aug, 2019 3:04pm
3 minutes to read

Melissa Nightingale catches the sunrise from the tallest sand dune in Europe.

The alleged attack happened at Rimutaka Prison on July 31. Photo / NZPA / Ross Setford

NEW ZEALAND

Prisoner in court on attempted murder charge against inmate

13 Aug, 2019 9:51am
Quick Read

The 45-year-old appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court this morning on the charge.

Joseph William Borton came across as intelligent and posh, said the woman. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

He killed a 52yo woman so he could sexually violate her daughter

12 Aug, 2019 3:09pm
4 minutes to read

Nobody saw it coming, said a woman who knew both Joseph Borton and his victims.

Joseph William Borton pleaded guilty this morning to murder and sexual violation, among other charges. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

He murdered mother to sexually abuse daughter

12 Aug, 2019 10:20am
3 minutes to read

Joseph William Borton has admitted murdering a woman and violating a 12-year-old girl.

Sean Mallon and Rachel Yates with the Pasifika-inspired dress Parris Goebel wore to the MTV VMAs in 2016. Photo / Mark Tantrum

NEW ZEALAND

A sneak peek in Te Papa's archives - what the public don't see

11 Aug, 2019 5:00am
10 minutes to read

There are 2.2 million items in Te Papa's collection.

The man became aggressive during a conversation at the couple's home in Blenheim. Photo / John Borren

NEW ZEALAND

Social worker hopeful appeals violence conviction

9 Aug, 2019 12:48pm
3 minutes to read

He beat her eight times in the cheat, but wants his conviction overturned.

Landlords must put ceiling and underfloor insulation into rentals if it's practicable to do so. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Students not worried about retaliation after Tribunal insulation case

8 Aug, 2019 3:20pm
3 minutes to read

The group are often so cold in their own living room they can see their breath.

NEW ZEALAND

Porirua's smiley face rebrand lost city's 'vibrancy'

8 Aug, 2019 9:09am
2 minutes to read

The wonky smiley face is not the problem here, a brand specialist says.

Lorraine Smith has received just 12 years maximum in prison for murdering her granddaughter. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Gran's 'rare' mercy: When murder doesn't merit life in prison

7 Aug, 2019 12:28pm
4 minutes to read

Lorraine Smith avoided a life sentence for murder - how common is it?

Lorraine Smith used a necktie to strangle 13-year-old Kalis Manaia Smith. Photo / NZME

NEW ZEALAND

Grandmother who strangled teen spared life sentence

7 Aug, 2019 11:30am
4 minutes to read

Lorraine Smith will not face the usual life imprisonment sentence for murder.

A photo of Mayor Ray Wallace's car parked partly over the footpath has drawn the ire of locals. Photo / Facebook

NEW ZEALAND

Mayor sorry, tickets himself after 'shocking' parking row with wheelchair user

7 Aug, 2019 8:24am
2 minutes to read

The photo shows Mayor Ray Wallace's branded car parked partly across the footpath.

Chris Parkin has donated $1 million to the fundraising project for the music centre. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Philanthropist's $1m gift to national music centre

6 Aug, 2019 3:41pm
3 minutes to read

Chris Parkin said Wellington had done so much for him, and he wants to give back.

Michael Dell stands by his winning artwork, Every Valley. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

NEW ZEALAND

Drawing prize takes more traditional route

5 Aug, 2019 7:00pm
3 minutes to read

The winning piece is an abstract artwork based on the Pigeon Valley.

Cheyenre San (left) and Anika Moses get into the spirit of the project at a community workshop. Photo / Andrew Turner

NEW ZEALAND

Interactive dance art aims to 'break barriers' in community

5 Aug, 2019 2:48pm
2 minutes to read

Daniel James said breaking barriers in the community was 'crucial' at the moment.

A road roller crushes one of the cars at the meet on August 2. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Road roller attack victims hold vigils

5 Aug, 2019 11:32am
2 minutes to read

People were still shaken at vigils over the weekend.

Chair of judges Jim Harré has been involved with the competition for 12 years. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Chardonnay overtakes sav at wine awards

1 Aug, 2019 4:29pm
3 minutes to read

Looking for something new? Why not try a wine you've never heard of?

Kathleen Valda Grey received a six-month community detention sentence for killing 25-year-old Samuel Jackson-Seligman-Lemaire. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

NEW ZEALAND

'She drove to kill time, she killed my son instead'

31 Jul, 2019 3:04pm
3 minutes to read

Samuel Jackson-Seligman-Lemaire was a "lovable rogue", his family says.

Kathleen Valda Grey stands in the dock at Wellington District Court for her sentencing. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

NEW ZEALAND

Toddler 'bonding with box of ashes' after father killed by wrong-way driver

31 Jul, 2019 12:10pm
4 minutes to read

Kathleen Grey was spotted driving the wrong way on the motorway before the crash.

Dylan's leg was broken in four places and had to be operated on. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Steamroller rampage: Man's leg broken in four places

30 Jul, 2019 5:23pm
3 minutes to read

Dylan was run over by a car that was trying to flee the rampaging road roller.

The Upper Hutt woman's car with damage caused by the Saturday night incident with the steam roller. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

'I've never been so scared': Steamroller rampage victim

30 Jul, 2019 1:41pm
4 minutes to read

Two victims say they believed their lives were in danger during the incident.

The roller was filmed running into cars at the scene of the meet up. Photo / Facebook

NEW ZEALAND

Police ramp up security to protect steamroller rampage accused

29 Jul, 2019 4:47pm
3 minutes to read

A witness says the scene was chaotic when a roller started ploughing into cars.

Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy's Holden Commodore was taken from the parking lot after the thief broke the padlock on his gym locker and swiped his keys, wallet, and cellphone. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Mayor's car stolen from gym after keys swiped from locker

29 Jul, 2019 2:44pm
Quick Read

Mayor Wayne Guppy said the police found the car that same evening.

Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel can only be reached by boat or by a short hike. Photo / Supplied

TRAVEL

Orua Sea Cave a highlight of Coromandel sights

27 Jul, 2019 9:00am
5 minutes to read

The best parts of the Coromandel are the hard-to-reach sea caves.

Sam Fischer's death is being investigated in a coroner's inquest this week. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

'No signs' Wellington man who died in mental health unit was depressed

26 Jul, 2019 12:03pm
3 minutes to read

Nurses say they did the best they could for Wellington man Samuel Fischer.

All Blacks rugby legend Sir Colin Meads, with his wife Lady Verna Meads, at their Te Kuiti home before his death. File photo / Nick Reed

NEW ZEALAND

Sir Colin Meads said chlorine water 'not doing me any good'

24 Jul, 2019 1:10pm
4 minutes to read

Lady Verna believes the drink's creator was "a bit naive".