Ousted Wellington mayor Justin Lester has been officially accused of bullying by a councillor who herself apologised for bullying a city council staffer; and Air New Zealand’s domestic airfare shake-up has resulted in more Kiwis flying from the regions.
* The New Zealand Herald
In the New Zealand Herald, one bullet ended 15 hours of terror in Tauranga where two children were held hostage by a man with a machete.It also ended the life of the man holding them captive, whose family and neighbours believe had been turning his fortunes around.Police yesterday defended Sunday afternoon’s raid, when they stormed a house in the suburb of Bellevue and shot dead the man holding two children, aged 4 and 6, hostage.
In other news, a curly question in last week’s NCEA Level Two maths exam has prompted dozens of complaints, with a university maths professor saying those who put the test together “messed up”.The question asked students to work out the area of a section of a shape – but the answer was geometrically impossible.NZQA said there were 34,465 students entered for Level 2 Mathematics and Statistics paper
In business news, online ticket seller Viagogo says it has acquired StubHub from eBay for US$4.05 billion (NZ$6.25b) in cash in a megadeal that will complicate the landscape for regulators and search engines grappling with ticket resale controversies.If the deal gains regulatory approval, the two companies – who share a common founder – plan to merge operations in the new year.
* The Dominion Post
In the Dominion Post, in France, a northerly wind is called the mistral, and Greymouth has the barber. But despite Wellington being known for its wild wind, it has no official name. With Wellington’s 180th birthday just around the corner, a historian says it is time for Wellingtonians to have a conversation about naming the wind.
In other news, ousted Wellington mayor Justin Lester has been officially accused of bullying by a councillor who herself apologised for bullying a city council staffer.Councillor Diane Calvert has laid a complaint with Mayor Andy Foster and Wellington City Council chief executive Kevin Lavery claiming Lester continued a sustained and secretive campaign against her.
In business news, Countdown will open a distribution centre in Auckland in response to the rapid growth in online delivery sales. Countdown digital general manager Sally Copland said the Penrose distribution centre, which was under construction, would the supermarket’s first “dark store”.
*The Press
In The Press, a major new plan to enhance protection of native species – 4000 of which are now under threat or risk of extinction – will be unveiled by the Government.A leak of the announcement sparked concern from some West Coasters after it was suggested a chunk of private land in the region could be categorised as significant natural areas (SNAs) with new controls on development.
In other news, a non-profit housing development in central Christchurch will be abandoned if it fails to get more funding, including nearly half a million dollars from ratepayers.The Ōtautahi Urban Guild wants to build between 150 and 220 homes on the Crown-owned 8000 square metre site opposite Latimer Square but it needs $900,000 to progress the project.
In business news, Air New Zealand’s domestic airfare shake-up has resulted in more Kiwis flying from the regions.Air New Zealand started discounting regional airfares in smaller regional markets early this year.The airline announced it would cut entry level airfares by up to 50 per cent on 41 domestic routes. More than 750,000 seats a year would be available for less than $50, it said.
