Pip Kay, 65, lives in one of the most unique houses in Mount Maunganui. She bought the section nine years ago when it was a beige cottage-style bach, which she adored and painted yellow with splashes of teal. But when she decided…

A mum, who was left upset by the look of her daughter’s 21st birthday cake, has taken the cake maker to the Disputes Tribunal.The cake’s major fault? It lacked marbled blue buttercream filling between the cake layers, the “disappointed”…

Three youths might have some explaining to do after CCTV footage emerged of them taking selfies as they walked away from a forestry block on fire in Wingatui, on the outskirts of Dunedin.The fire in Friends Hill Rd drew a substantial…

Visitors to the slopes of Mount Ruapehu are being warned to stay at least two kilometres away from the volcano’s Crater Lake due to the increased risk of eruption.Mt Ruapehu is going into ski season under Volcanic Alert Level 2,…

An Adelaide grandfather has been tricked into sending $42,000 to a cruel scammer who pretended to be his son.

Two weeks ago Kent Town resident Nigel Gammon was contacted on WhatsApp, an encrypted messaging service he regularly uses to talk to his son Jock, who recently moved overseas.

The scammer claimed he was Jock texting Nigel from a new mobile phone number in a message which looked and sounded legitimate.

READ MORE: Directors of care provider charged over the death of Ann Marie Smith

"Hii dad. My other phone crashed, but this is my temporary number…" the message read.

"I have a payment that must be paid today. Can you send me a picture from the front and back of your credit card…"

But Nigel was falling for a scam that preys on parents, just like him.

The 77-year-old was in shock and later felt angry after his son broke the news to him.

"Anyone that gets a message from their son would feel the same way if you can help you do it," Nigel said.

"I'm very upset about the whole incident, I think my son particularly feels guilty.

"It was one o'clock in the morning over there and I just didn't want to ring him up, which I should have."

Police said they regularly receive reports about this scam, describing it as "fairly simple".

The fraudster finds information about the victim on social media and then pulls on their heartstrings.

The scammer then uses emojis and establishes a degree of rapport with the victim.

"The worst part was when they closed it off they put a heart as a closure," Nigel said.

So far, only $14,000 has been recovered.

Police "dismissed" the complaints of a Northern Territory woman who was killed by her ex-partner, a coroner has found.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains images of a person who is deceased.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage today handed down her findings after an inquest into the death of the mother-of-three, known as Roberta, after she died in the town of Katherine in 2019.

READ MORE: Sydney barista left shaken after customer throws hot coffee at him

Armitage found police, correctives and triple zero call-takers could have done more to save her life.

The inquest found Roberta called police for help in the days before her death at the hands of her ex-partner Lorenzo Deegan.

Deegan was on parole after he was jailed for a previous assault involving Roberta.

He was released in March 2019 and in rehab until May. 

The mother was dead by June of that year.

The conditions of Deegan's parole included an ankle monitor and sobriety.

Roberta called police for help several times in the lead-up to her death.

Armitage likened what happened to Roberta before she died as "tantamount to kidnapping".

"When Roberta finally called the police, they did nothing to help her," Armitage said.

"To the contrary, the police members were rude to her and dismissed her complaints."

Northern Territory Police Force Assistant Commissioner Michael White said members were disciplined for their behaviour at the time.

"That's certainly been addressed as part of the coronial (inquest) as well," White said.

READ MORE: Is it legal for a shop to charge a surcharge for card transactions?

The coroner's report said "had there been better communication by Police and Territory Families, with Community Corrections, there would likely have been further enquires by (Deegan's) parole officer".

White said police were "working with all agencies to create a better response and information sharing is critical to that".

As a part of the findings, Armitage recommended the fast-tracking of an understanding between police, Corrections and Territory Families to share information, specifically related to monitoring devices.

The coroner also said corrections should provide more comprehensive supervision to violent offenders in the first month of their release. 

As Armitage handed down her findings, she noted in spite of detailed recommendations made in 2016, the contagion of domestic violence rages unabated in the Northern Territory.

Roberta's killer will be eligible for parole in four years.

Roberta's family has granted permission for her to be named and pictured.

Western Australia's casino regulator has approved a US equity giant's acquisition bid of Crown Resorts.

Blackstone has been granted a casino licence and will be allowed to become the new owners of Crown in Perth.

It comes after both NSW and Victoria gambling authorities approved the group to operate in their respective states.

READ MORE: Tears as Nadesalingam family arrives home to Biloela

"As the prospective new owner of the Perth Casino, Blackstone will be required to meet a number of stringent conditions," Racing and Gaming Minister Tony Buti said.

"These conditions align with a number of the recommendations stemming from the recent Perth Casino Royal Commission."

Gaming and Wagering Commission chair Lanie Chopping said Blackstone has been subject to an "extensive probity assessment".

"The Gaming and Wagering Commission's probity approval has been granted subject to a number of conditions designed to ensure that the Commission has oversight and the capacity to monitor any change in licensee management or ownership," Chopping said.

READ MORE: Sydney barista left shaken after customer throws hot coffee at him

The $8.9 billion acquisition deal comes after extensive controversy at the Crown Resorts, which sparked separate inquiries in the three states the gaming giant operates.

A swathe of executives were removed from the Crown Resorts hierarchy after evidence of money laundering and links with organised crime were exposed at Crown Melbourne.

Now the deal can be taken to the Federal Court of Australia for final approval.

A man has died and another is in hospital after their boat struck a marine beacon this morning off the Gold Coast.

The two men had been in a red tinnie off the coast of Jacobs Well about 11am when the vessel hit the beacon at high speed.

Passing sailors spotted the men, pulling them to the nearest sandbank.

READ MORE: Tears as Nadesalingam family arrives home to Biloela

Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) crews and police responded to the accident but one of the men could not be saved.

"On their arrival there was unfortunately one adult male patient who was deceased and another male who had sustained facial injuries who has been transported to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition," Oliver Nicol from Queensland Ambulance said.

READ MORE: Sydney barista left shaken after customer throws hot coffee at him

A police boat brought the man's body back to shore while his companion, aged in his 60s was treated for his injuries.

Malcolm Smith from VMR said members of the community had rushed to the boatie's aid.

"We got to the scene as quickly as we could and there was quite a few members of the public who were providing first aid," he said.

"Very unusual for something like this to occur with this extremity they were very unlucky."

Conditions were calm this morning, with police now investigating what went wrong.

By RNZ The High Court has heard New Zealand First’s former secretary once warned secrecy around the New Zealand First Foundation could expose the party to prosecution.It is now the fourth day of the trial of two men accused of…

A New Zealand authority has refused asylum to an academic and her children who fear they will be killed if they return to Russia where the woman made public allegations of election fraud. The Russian nationals, whose names and…