Police reveal details of major gang bust, polar vortex blasts across New Zealand and Kiwibank cuts mortgage and term deposit rates.
1 Nearly every Comanchero member charged amid years-long probe
New details about the three-year investigation were released by police today and also revealed the gang was raising money so its members could undergo "military-style training" by a trainer brought into the country.
It followed a huge gang bust last month that saw every patched member of the Comancheros Christchurch chapter arrested.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said today the investigation led to a total of 137 charges being laid against the gang's members and associates.
2 Polar vortex brings snow, thunderstorms across the country
A polar vortex has led to snow and thunderstorm watches being issued for much of the motu by MetService today, as a chilly blast springs into action.
The wild weather is bringing with it severe wind gusts to Auckland which prompted the closure of lanes on the Harbour Bridge, while thunderstorms are expected to impact many North Island regions.
In the North Island, a heavy snow watch is in place for Taihape, as well as road snowfall warnings for the Desert Rd and SH5 from Napier to Taupō this afternoon.
3 Major bank cuts mortgage, term deposit rates
Kiwibank has announced further decreases to its fixed home loan and term deposit rates.
Effective from today, Kiwibank said it was lowering its six-month, one, two, three, four and five-year fixed loans.
All banks have been lowering mortgage and term deposit rates in the wake of the Reserve Bank's decision last month to cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 5.25%.
4 Polkinghorne deleting WhatsApp messages understandable - defence
Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield has addressed evidence of Philip Polkinghorne deleting WhatsApp messages.
Deleting messages that recorded his extra-martial relationship was understandable, he told jurors.
Mansfield told the jury it was entirely understandable Polkinghorne might seek to delete messages that were intimate and could harm the couple's reputations.
He said the Crown's suggestion Polkinghorne was a "master manipulator" was a theory.
Warning: This article contains content that could be disturbing to some people.
5 Australian mother's heartbreak as son dies after gym shower collapse
The mother of a 33-year-old bodybuilder who died after he spent 15 hours unconscious in a gym shower without anyone noticing wants a coronial inquest into his death.
Giuliano Pirone was working out at Culture Fitness 24/7 in Wanneroo, Perth when he felt unwell and made his way to a shower cubicle, where he collapsed early on August 20.
After his family members raised the alarm with police, officers tracked the man's phone to the gym where they broke down the door and found him slumped on the floor unconscious under cold running water.
ONE CONSUMER COMMENTATORS TAKE
New Zealand's retail habits could see a return to more in-store purchases as overseas online retailers start charging for returns, a consumer commentator has suggested.
It comes after major chains, like ASOS and Amazon, announced customers would be charged for returns – unless a significant chunk of the order is kept.
ONE AIRBNB AWARD
New Zealand’s best Airbnb listings and hosts have been recognised at the platform’s annual awards.
The annual awards celebrated the top listings offered across the country, which people can rent and stay in.
The winners were selected based on Airbnb data, guest scores and reviews, with oversight from a panel of judges.
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