Author: Press Room

It’s a brew for a Brew who brewed a best brew. The development of a new RNA/DNA stabilisation buffer at cancer diagnostics company Pacific Edge has been celebrated in liquid form, combining a corporate milestone with a festive narrative. The performance of the company’s Cxbladder Solution — the key stabiliser of RNA in urine — has been improved so it has a longer shelf life at customer sites and can preserve the RNA for even longer periods. The upshot was it would improve both the company’s operations and logistics immensely, chief executive Dr Pete Meintjes said. Tom Brew was the…

The pontiff reminded the Catholic faithful on Wednesday of children suffering from war and hunger, the elderly living in isolation, those fleeing their homelands, people who have lost their jobs and those persecuted for their faith. ADVERTISEMENTIn his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday, Pope Francis urged “all people of all nations” to find the courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia.The pontiff’s address summarised the woes facing the world this year. As Christmas coincided with the start of the 2025 Holy…

I am a little bit out of date — I still use the word “pivot”. In 2020, LinkedIn named “pivot” the word of the year, and many considered it the most overused word of 2021. It became a shorthand way to describe changing a business to adapt to social distancing and other pandemic restrictions. I use it in the sense that I encourage people I work with to “pivot” away from the story they have in their head about a conflict they are stuck in. What story have you had reverberating around your head in 2024 that you want to…

Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s. ADVERTISEMENTGlobal public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up…

One Aucklander will have another reason to celebrate this Christmas after winning $5.3 million with Lotto Powerball. The winning numbers were: 06, 13, 15, 18, 29, 31, Bonus Ball 26, and Powerball 02.The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto.The prize is made up of $5 million from Powerball First Division and $333,333 from Lotto First Division.Meanwhile, two Lotto players have won $333,333 with Lotto First Division. The winning tickets were sold at Ōpōtiki Pharmacy in Ōpōtiki and on MyLotto to a player from Tauranga.Strike Four has rolled over and will be $500,000 on Saturday’s draw.

Britain’s King Charles III has delivered his annual Christmas message from a former hospital chapel.New Zealand is the first country in the Commonwealth to broadcast King Charles’ message.King Charles singled out and thanked the medical profession for its dedication and service.In a break from tradition, the King, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, spoke from a former hospital chapel, rather than from one of the royal residences.He praised those who care for others and gave his own personal thanks in the six-minute address.”All of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our…

Christmas Day is all about family and in Christchurch, one Driving Miss Daisy driver was determined to make sure nobody missed out on Christmas dinner with their whānau.One group of passengers Anne Williams ferried across the city in time for lunch were five women using wheelchairs. “I have done this for the last two or three Xmas days and it’s fun… they get out to see their families. Normally, their families would have to come to them,” Williams told 1News. Another set of passengers was 89-year-old Lindsay Green and his wife Marie.”Anne knows we appreciate her looking after us,” he…

New Zealand Defence Force personnel have sent Christmas messages as they spend the holidays far away from their loved ones. From as far flung as Egypt and South Sudan to South Korea and Antarctica, active duty NZDF troops are spending the day without their whānau – some for the first time.”Yeah, it is actually my first Christmas away from the family,” Major Matthew Horn, who’s stationed in South Sudan, told 1News.There are currently 140 NZDF personnel spread across the world on 12 different missions.For the team at Scott’s Base, Christmas décor is fuelling the festive spirit.”We’ve decorated our bar and…

Euroverify breaks down what we know about the carbon footprint of the centrepiece of Christmas decorations. ADVERTISEMENTIt’s a big dilemma at Christmas: is a real or artificial Christmas tree better for the environment?It seems there’s not one clear answer and many elements to factor in when making the decision.Experts also say that comparing the relative carbon footprint of the real and artificial options could simply be the wrong question to consider and that we should contemplate whether having a tree is necessary, given the toll on the environment.Let’s first break down what we know about the real option.An estimated 60…

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is alerting swimmers to look out for great white sharks after sightings in the Kawhia harbour in Waikato over recent weeks.A video posted on a Kawhia community Facebook page showed what appeared to be a great white approaching a fishing boat.”Two great whites were seen in the harbour yesterday by our local kids swimming quite close to the wharf,” the post read. “Thought I better post before everyone lets their tamariki go swimming.”DOC has issued a warning on its social media page, urging people to avoid swimming in areas where sharks have recently been seen.”If…