Ashburton’s library, civic centre to ‘officially’ open

High-profile scientist Siouxsie Wiles incurred over $350,000 in legal bills due to an employment dispute with the University of Auckland, which has been ordered by the Employment Court to pay $205,000 of that amount. The court ruled that while the university did not breach Wiles' academic freedom, it did violate her employment agreement concerning the threats and harassment she faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially, Wiles sought a contribution of $175,000 from the university for...

Firefighters are battling a significant blaze on the historic ship, The Tui, located by the Waitangi Bridge in Paihia, which ignited around 4am. Four fire crews initially responded, with two additional crews dispatched later as the timber ship is reported to be fully ablaze and severely damaged. Fortunately, there were no individuals on board at the time of the fire, and the cause remains under investigation by Fire and Emergency NZ. Full Article

A lawyer, whose name is suppressed, admitted to taking at least $200,000 from her clients, citing fear for her life due to an abusive husband as a motivating factor. During a disciplinary tribunal, she expressed that her actions stemmed from a long history of domestic violence, stating that she and her children lived in constant fear and often had to barricade themselves for safety. This situation highlights the complex interplay between her circumstances and the...

Media firm NZME has appointed Steven Joyce as chair and Jim Grenon as director following a vibrant annual shareholders’ meeting. During the meeting, outgoing chair Barbara Chapman humorously noted the cold conditions in the iHeart Lounge, while Grenon, a significant shareholder, joked about his chilly seat at the podium. The gathering, attended by nearly 100 shareholders and observers, reflected a mix of humor and formalities as the company transitions to new leadership. Full Article

A man named Quinton Rihari lost his Salvation Army flat after threatening his neighbors by throwing plastic chairs and igniting a gas bottle in the shared hallway while shouting, “Boom, boom, you can all die.” He was absent from the Tenancy Tribunal hearing, where the Salvation Army sought to terminate his tenancy due to these violent threats. Rihari had previously received three written warnings for his disruptive behavior, including an incident where he broke a...

ANZ Reduces Home Loan Rates Following OCR CutANZ has lowered all fixed home loan rates in response to the Reserve Bank's recent cut of the Official Cash Rate (OCR). Notably, the 18-month fixed rate special has been reduced by 10 basis points to 4.89%, marking its lowest since April 2022, while the largest cut was 20 basis points for the six-month special and standard terms, which are now at 5.29% and 5.89%, respectively. Additionally, ANZ...