Author: Press Room

IKEA is opening two pop-up stores ahead of its first New Zealand store, but just for window shoppers. The Swedish furniture giant’s Auckland showroom will open in early December at Sylvia Park. In Christchurch, shoppers can browse what it’s calling a “curated collection of popular products” from Tuesday until December 10. The pop-up is in Cathedral Square and will also include original works from local artists such as Miranda Parkes, Adam Popovic and Dcypher. On November 28, another will open in Wellington at Odlins Plaza and that will feature movie-inspired posters and trailers, created by illustrators and VFX artists from…

Schools in New Zealand and Australia have closed after recall notices were issued on both sides of the Tasman for coloured sand found to contain asbestos. Professor Brian Oliver at the University of Technology Sydney looks at the scale of the risk.Multiple schools and early learning centres in the Australian Capital Territory have shut on Friday after asbestos was found in coloured sand used for children’s art and sensory play. At least one school in Brisbane has also closed due to potential exposure.On Thursday, WorkSafe ACT issued a contamination notice after laboratory testing confirmed traces of chrysotile, a type of…

The three lucky ticket holders who won a share of Saturday’s $55 million Jackpot have come forward to claim their prize. The tickets were sold at New World Kawerau in Bay of Plenty, Pak N Save Moorhouse in Christchurch and on the MyLotto platform to a player from Auckland.After last Wednesday’s draw wasn’t struck, the prize passed $50 million, triggering the must be won event. Each of the three winners will take home $18,388,889.Lotto said there had been a spike in foot traffic at outlets from people checking if their numbers had come in. How lucky ticket-holders enjoy their winnings…

Direct flights between Dunedin and the Gold Coast have been a “major contributor” to an increase in visitors from across the Ditch, Dunedin Airport says. According to data released by Stats NZ last week, visitor arrivals from Australia to New Zealand increased 153,500 (12%) to 1.48 million in the 12 months to September this year. For the September month, 2025 was the second highest for the number of visitor arrivals from Australia, after 2019, international travel statistics spokesman Bryan Downes said. “The increase in visitor numbers from Australia in the September 2025 year coincided with an increase in flights between…

A Southland man who left his home to help a woman claiming to have a flat tyre was set upon by an accomplice and left badly injured on Saturday, police say.At around 10.55pm, a woman knocked on the victim’s door, saying she had a flat tyre and needed help, according to a police spokesperson. “The victim, a man in his 50s, walked with the woman to the corner of Melvin St and Turner St, where he was accosted by a man and assaulted.”Police said the male offender assaulted the victim and tried to tie his hands behind his back during…

Crews have continued the search for the remaining missing fisherman off the coast of Northland’s Pataua South, near Whangārei. The man is one of two who were reported missing after their boat failed to return on time on Friday night.The boat was found adrift on Saturday morning with no one aboard, followed soon after by the body of one of the men.Police, including the national dive squad, and search and rescue crews have been joined by the Royal New Zealand Navy in the search today.Detective Sergeant Paul Overton said the focus was on bringing the missing man home to his…

Public feedback opens this weekend on plans for a major State Highway 1 upgrade stretching from the Terrace Tunnel to Kilbirnie in what would be one of the capital’s largest infrastructure projects.The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will hold events from November 23 to December 6, allowing residents to view early designs and imagery for the Road of National Significance project, which carries a budget envelope of $2.9 billion to $3.8 billion.NZTA regional manager system design Kesh Keshaboina said transport experts would be available to answer questions and gather feedback.”These are significant proposals, and they have the potential to have a…

Equal pay is still not a reality for working women across the European Union, as men continue to earn on average 12% more per hour. This means that from Monday, women could, in theory, stop working until the end of the year to compensate for the pay difference. Each year, Brussels marks this date as “Equal Pay Day.” “There is no reason why men and women should be paid differently for doing the same job,” European Commissioners Roxana Mînzatu and Hadja Lahbib said. The gap has decreased by 4% over the last decade, but overall progress has been slow across…

One of three young children who died following a Manawatū house fire over the weekend was aged just one, police say.The blaze broke out at a home in Sanson around 2.30pm on Saturday, prompting a significant emergency services response.The three children were identified in a Givealittle page as August, Hugo, and Goldie.Friends rally to support mother in wake of Sanson fire – Watch on TVNZ+Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham this afternoon confirmed the children were aged 7, 5 and 1 but they could not be formally identified at this stage.”This is a complex scene and we’re having to work…

The Supreme Court has dismissed Uber’s appeal against an earlier court ruling and has agreed four drivers who brought a case against the rideshare company are employees.Uber New Zealand – which has about 11,000 drivers – took its appeal all the way to the country’s top court to challenge a 2022 Employment Court decision.Today, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Uber’s appeal.The Supreme Court delivered its ruling on Uber’s contract practices today, leaving the door open for contract workers to claim they are employees.  (Source: 1News)The ruling means, in certain circumstances and over time, contract workers with a sole employer can…