Ten thousand New Zealanders may have lost vision — sometimes permanently — due to toxoplasmosis, an infection triggered by a parasite spread by cats.Otago University researchers estimate 40,000 people are affected by ocular toxoplasmosis — one in four seriously — but their efforts to develop new treatments are being hampered…

Police investigating the death of 15-year-old Kaea Karauria from Napier say rumours the whānau and victim have gang affiliations are “damaging and unhelpful”. A homicide probe was launched early Sunday after Karauria was found critically injured at an Alexander Avenue address. The teenager died at the scene.In an update this…

A telco is working to repair six damaged cables after suspected vandalism cut internet access to hundreds of homes on Auckland’s North Shore. A Chorus spokesperson said the company received reports of broadband outages in the North Shore area of Auckland late on Thursday night. Technicians arrived on scene shortly…

Former Labour minister Andrew Little launched his bid for Wellington mayor in the capital today, promising to increase transparency and deliver strong financial management.”I think Wellington City Council can do better.”The council can manage its spending a lot more effectively including its capital spending,” Andrew Little said.One of his policies…

A company’s plan to mine 50 million tonnes of South Taranaki seabed every year has cleared the first hurdle in the fast-track process.Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) executive chair Alan Eggers said he was “delighted” the company’s application for its Taranaki VTM project had been accepted as complete and would now move…

Māori Wardens will receive a $1.5 million funding boost in this year’s Budget, which they say will ensure they’re better equipped to keep communities safe.The wardens are a group of volunteers that support communities with things like safety, security, youth training programmes and emergency management.Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said…

An unresolved remnant of New Zealand’s worst aviation disaster was brought to a conclusion today with the unveiling of a gravestone marking the resting place of a victim.The grave of Thomas ‘Tom’ Hyndman and his wife Shirley at Waikumete Cemetery. (Source: 1News)The breakthrough was made by a volunteer group called…

A secretive sect under investigation by New Zealand Police for abuse says fellowship is voluntary, and members are free to leave if they wish.But others who’ve left the group known as the Two by Twos or The Truth say it’s not that simple, with coercive control keeping many locked in.One…

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is bringing its stadium show to Auckland for the first time, with two performances at Eden Park on February 19 and 21 next year.Marking its 75th anniversary with this year’s theme The Heroes Who Made Us, the Tattoo celebrated community and Scottish tradition through a…

People in the South Island are being warned to prepare for a wet and windy Saturday, with heavy rain and strong gusts expected. MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for parts of the South Island, and a strong wind watch for the Canterbury High Country into Sunday. It followed…