Author: Press Room

Heavy rain and cooler climes will be sweeping across the country this week, as New Zealand says goodbye to the hot and humid summer days and rings in autumn.MetService is forecasting a cool week for most with wet and thundery weather, and biting southerlies along southern and eastern North Island coastlines.But the last vestiges of meteorological summer will be felt by the end of the working week, with sunny skies returning for many.A rain-bearing cold front will move up the South Island today, delivering heavier falls to eastern areas at times before clearing from the south and west this evening.On…

More than 20 headstones have been vandalised at a Hawke’s Bay urupa over the weekend.Police said it had received a report on Sunday afternoon that between 20-25 headstones at the Ōmāhu Urupa had been damaged sometime on Saturday night.Ōmāhu Urupa was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 with many burial sites impacted by flooding.An aerial picture of Ōmāhu Urupa. (Source: Supplied)Reverend Zhane Tiopira Tāhau said the community was “devastated” by the vandalism but had built “so much resilience” from the weather event.He provided an aerial picture which showed the vicinity of the damaged plots.”We are respecting the sensitivity of…

The Warehouse Group has warned of more tough financial times ahead.In a preliminary financial update, the company said while it has seen positive signs its new product and pricing strategies are resonating with customers, “ongoing headwinds” in New Zealand have “slowed the pace” of a financial turnaround.The Warehouse Group has been plagued with financial issues for some time. Last year, it posted a $54.2m loss.In today’s update, it said group sales were down 1.6% in the first half of the 2025 financial year to 1.607 billion.First half earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were expected to be between $18 and…

Lydia Ko finally conquered the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Championship, clinching her first title at her 11th attempt with a dominant four-stroke win over Ayaka Furue and Jeeno Thitikul in Sunday’s final round.The 2024 Olympic gold medallist and Women’s British Open champion overcame a middling start before finding her rhythm with a birdie on the par-5 sixth.Ko added back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8, seizing control of the leaderboard from then on.Despite dropping two bogeys after the turn, the world No. 3 closed with a solid 69, sealing a 13-under-par 275 total at Sentosa Golf Club.“I dreamt last night…

The karakia from Māori kaumātua (elders) carries through a room filled with human specimens at the University of Auckland as a long line of students file towards the Human Anatomy Lab for the start of another year.The specimens – brains, lungs, eyeballs – are a precursor to what awaits the second year medical students in the next room. They’re about to meet 35 cadavers, the donated human bodies that will play a crucial role in the students’ journey into the medical profession.The cadavers are often referred to as a doctor’s “first patient”, a single body that a group of 10…

Homeownership remains a key goal for many New Zealanders – but how do you know if it’s right for you?The proportion of people who owned their own home increased in the latest census, but many are buying later in life than their parents’ generation. Particularly for those with children, it is prompting some to ask whether it is still worth pursuing.One would-be buyer who said they were “starting from the bottom” in their early 30s with no savings, no KiwiSaver and four kids, asked whether they should accept they could be lifelong renters.They said they might end up “wasting their…

The Commerce Commission is investigating amid hundreds of complaints about the cancelled Juicy Fest NZ music festival, and says it may widen that out to include another event if required. Hundreds of would-be concert goers have been demanding refunds, and answers, following the cancellation of the festival and the postponement of the Timeless Summer Tour. Juicy Fest, a four-date, single day event featuring acts such as Ludacris, Akon and Jay Sean, was scheduled for Tauranga, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in January.However, it was cancelled in December over what organisers claimed was “an intentional” effort to stop the shows from going…

A crash which caused major delays on Auckland’s northwestern motorway this morning has been cleared. In a statement earlier, police said the crash blocked one city-bound lane near the St Lukes off-ramp was reported to police shortly after 6.30am. “It appears five vehicles, including one towing a boat, have crashed in the far right lane,” a police spokesperson said. “As this stage there are no reports of injury.” In an update shortly after 8am, police said all lanes have now reopened. “Police would like to thank motorists for their patience while the scene was cleared.”

The Government is throwing more than $6 million at developing world-first industrial-scale technology to fight caulerpa as the invasive seaweed is confirmed at major tourist hot spot Bay of Islands motu for the first time.Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said big strides were being taken with the $6.2 million development of the new technology at Omākiwi Cove and $3.8 million for other technology at two other New Zealand locations to control the invasive exotic seaweed.Hoggard said funding was based on earlier project success.Northland Regional Council (NRC) confirmed this week that caulerpa had been found at six new locations in the eastern…

Get your popcorn popping – it’s almost time for Hollywood to crown the year’s best films.The 97th Annual Academy Awards ceremony is set to begin at 7pm LA time (1pm NZ time) later today, and we’re here to look at the biggest controversies, pick some likely winners, and see if New Zealand has any chance at Oscar gold at the big event.So what’s everyone talking about this year?This is one of the least predictable Oscars ceremonies of recent years, where past juggernauts like Oppenheimer have dashed all the way to the winners’ podium.The big talking point is the stunning rise…