Author: Press Room

Dunedin’s Meridian Mall has seen a “noticeable uptick” in retail inquiries over the past year. Two new tenants have already been added to its lineup over the past month, while an established tenant has upgraded to a larger shopfront. The mall has also teased the debut of three new brands to the city in coming months. The Icon Group managing director Robert Platt said the mall had experienced good inquiry from retailers looking to expand into Dunedin over the past six months — a “noticeable uptick” on the previous 12 months. “And the recent leases shows this demand.” Collectables and…

Three new cases of measles have been confirmed today, with one from Manawatū, health officials say.The new cases, which are all linked to recent cases in the Wairarapa and overseas travel, bring the total number of cases in the outbreak to eight. National Public Health Service medical officer of health Dr Craig Thornley said one of the new cases may have been infectious at several locations in Feilding for a “brief period”.Exposure sites included local branches of New World, The Warehouse, and Bunnings Warehouse. The visits happened last Friday afternoon. Thornley said: “Although the case did everything right as advised…

It could be the start of a riddle. Wānaka woman Shannon Phillimore gave birth to two babies within a short space of time, yet they were not twins. Confused? Shortly after her daughter was born nine months ago, Ms Phillimore launched Maebl, New Zealand’s first intimate care brand offering certified microbiome friendly products. The range was designed to help women take control of their intimate wellbeing through science-backed, sustainable and stigma-free care, something she initially struggled to find for her own use. Originally from Auckland, Ms Phillimore’s background was in media and advertising. She moved to Wānaka about eight and…

Hundreds of New Zealand distilleries are vying for top honours at the Spirit Awards in Wellington this week, as the industry continues with rapid expansion.Nearly 600 spirits are being judged by more than 20 industry experts, with entries from 170 distilleries — a 530% increase from the 27 operating in 2018. David Hawk, head judge convener, said the growth had spread to all corners.”We’re seeing distilleries pop up in Stewart Island and in Bluff and the Far North, and what a lot of our distillers are doing is finding local botanicals, flavouring agents from their neighbourhoods,” he said.Consumption of spirits…

ADVERTISEMENT The EU’s proposed budget for 2028 until 2034 runs the risk of turning its cohesion policy into a competition for funding, as it would merge it with other major spending areas. There are now concerns over reduced local control and lack of support for disadvantaged regions. For decades, cohesion funds have helped reduce regional disparities across the EU, supporting everything from road construction and hospital upgrades to unemployment, training programmes and green initiatives. As one of the EU’s most tangible policy tools, cohesion funding has delivered visible results in citizens’ daily lives — but that may be about to…

The mother of a 10-year-old Australian girl who drowned during a visit to New Zealand says a coroner’s report into her daughter’s death has spurred feelings of overwhelming sadness as well as some comfort.Tegan Chen, of Lindfield, New South Wales, drowned in the fast-flowing Marian Creek in Fiordland National Park in January last year after she fell in and was swept downstream.In findings released on July 9, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale described Tegan as “a very active and happy girl”.Tegan’s mother, Deb Fung, said she missed her daughter “every moment, every day”.Fung said pictures in the coroner’s report showed how easy…

Worry and speculation about the future use of New Zealand’s largest livestock station are rising following the sudden resignation of its long-term manager.Crown-owned Molesworth station has about 200,000 hectares in the high country — stretching from inland Blenheim to Hanmer Springs further south.The farm manager of 24 years, Jim Ward, abruptly resigned this week, and sources say he was increasingly frustrated about the lack of action to control wilding pine trees that are starting to cover parts of the station’s farmland.There’s also speculation that parts of it could be converted into pine forests, despite it having the largest cattle herd…

Astigmatism is a common condition that becomes even more common as we age. Untreated it can lead to reduced vision, eye strain, or fatigue. Flora Hui and Angela Duan on what to do if you have it. Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football?Or perhaps you’ve noticed your vision is becoming increasingly blurry or hard to focus?You might be among the 40% of people in the world who live with astigmatism.What causes astigmatism?The eye acts like a camera, capturing light through the front surface (the cornea)…

Some of our most basic items harbour bacteria that can cause harmful infections – how do you protect yourself? Medical microbiologist Manal Mohammed explains.From your phone to your sponge, your toothbrush to your trolley handle, invisible armies of bacteria are lurking on the everyday objects you touch the most. Most of these microbes are harmless – some even helpful – but under the right conditions, a few can make you seriously ill.But here’s the catch: some of the dirtiest items in your life are the ones you might least expect.Here are some of the hidden bacteria magnets in your daily…

ADVERTISEMENT Germany deported 81 Afghanistan nationals to their country of origin on Friday, marking the second such operation since the Taliban seized power in 2021 and the first under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government, which has promised a firmer stance on immigration. In a statement, the Interior Ministry confirmed that the men, all of whom had previously come to the attention of judicial authorities, were returned on a flight organised in cooperation with Qatar.  “These are Afghan men who are legally required to leave the country and who have a criminal record,” the ministry said, according to local media. Each…