The 36-year-old man accused of stabbing two people in separate incidents aboard a bus is due to appear in court today, as Auckland Transport describes the event as “deeply concerning”. One man died yesterday, and another was seriously injured after being stabbed by the same person at different times aboard…

A 55-year-old man has been sentenced to five years and two months’ imprisonment for possessing “disturbing” child sexual exploitation material, including of infants under the age of two.Warning: Details in this article may be distressing to some readers. Helplines are provided.Alexandre Harpur, a repeat offender, was sentenced on Tuesday at…

Firefighters, backed by helicopters, continue to battle a large vegetation fire at Tongaririo National Park that broke out yesterday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the blaze just after 1.10pm yesterday, where Fire and Emergency NZ said multiple fires had merged into a single large one.In an update this afternoon,…

A Dunedin recruitment agency has been put into liquidation owing more than $500,000 amid “brutal” conditions in the job market. DKW Personnel (Dunedin) Ltd ceased trading and was placed into liquidation in May. The liquidator’s six-monthly report, made public last week, estimated the total shortfall to creditors at $540,942. A…

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins says he is “adamant” former police commissioner Andrew Coster did not brief him about an affair Jevon McSkimming had prior to his promotion to deputy police commissioner.In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A with Jack Tame which aired on Sunday, Coster claimed he told Hipkins about…

Nicola Willis has challenged former National Party Finance Minister Ruth Richardson to debate the country’s books at Parliament.The Taxpayers’ Union is poised to launch a “pressure campaign” targeting Willis in an effort to convince her to cut spending and reduce debt.Heading into National’s caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, Willis said…

A 38% stake in Taieri Forests Ltd and 100% of the assets of Otago Estate Ltd have been sold to APG Asset Management — Europe’s largest pension investor. Yesterday, New Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, announced its $A700 million ($NZ802.6m) Australia New…

The Government has unveiled its mega-overhaul of New Zealand’s planning system in a radical but long-awaited shift, which it hopes will become active in 2029.The proposed sweeping new rules will affect the way all buildings and infrastructure are planned, and mean big changes for anyone doing work needing a consent.Up…

South Otago-based Calder Stewart is developing a new ingredient warehousing and distribution facility at a cost of more than $15 million at South Auckland business park Drury South Crossing. The 3500sq m facility is being built for multinational food ingredients brand Langdon. Construction begins in March and completion is scheduled…

Insurance firm Tower has been ordered to pay a $7 million penalty after overcharging more than 61,000 customers by $11 million through misleading multi-policy discount claims.The High Court in Auckland handed down the penalty after the general insurer admitted breaching the Financial Markets Conduct Act by misleading customers in invoices…