Author: Press Room

Tonga league player Eliesa Katoa has undergone surgery after he suffered “seizure activity” on the bench during the second half of Sunday’s Pacific Championship match between Mate Ma’a Tonga and New Zealand.The 25-year-old was seen slouching in his seat minutes after he left the field following a third head knock. He was fitted with an oxygen mask before being stretchered off the field.His NRL club, the Melbourne Storm, have provided an update, saying he was in a stable condition after surgery.”Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa was taken to hospital after suffering seizure activity on the bench during the second half…

Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has fired back over calls to resign – instead suggesting MPs Takuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi should throw in the towel.Calls for Tamihere to resign came after a vote by party members to suspend Kapa-Kingi last month. Although the vote was successful, it was not unanimous within the party.Today, the executive of Te Tai Tonga electorate began a petition for Tamihere’s resignation.The petition, which was posted to Instagram, had also been liked by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.The electorate had previously abstained from suspending Kapa-Kingi at the National Council hui in October. It…

Locals and visitors to Kaikōura are being reminded to look out for distressed birds which may have crash landed.The nationally vulnerable Hutton’s shearwater / Kaikōura tītī birds began returning home in August to breed in the snowy mountain tops of the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges.”Most people are aware to lookout for crash landings in March and April when the fledglings leave the nest for the first time,” Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust volunteer manager Sabrina Luecht said.”But adult birds crash land too, throughout the breeding season from August to March.”We have a lot of seasonal staff and visitors and they can’t be…

The Government has announced changes to initial teacher education and the governance of the Teaching Council over what it says are serious concerns about the preparedness of new teachers and the effectiveness of current oversight.Education Minister Erica Stanford said the changes were aimed at lifting the quality of teacher training and restoring confidence in the system.”We are firmly committed to backing teachers to succeed in the classroom. Multiple reports show initial teacher education is not doing that. It’s letting teachers and students down.”Stanford pointed to findings from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024, which showed that 62%…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a stabbing attack in the UK is not a terror incident, Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua speaks for the first time since her stand down, and the King takes one more thing from his disgraced brother. British police say a stabbing attack on a train was not a terror incident. Dame Noeline Taurua has spoken for the first time since her stand down. The property market is reportedly showing signs of recovery, according to new figures. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will lose his last remaining honorary military title. The Chase New Zealand starts…

Santana Minerals has formally lodged a fast-track application for New Zealand’s biggest new gold project in more than four decades — a turning point for both the company and Central Otago, according to the company’s chief executive. Nearly a year later than initially hoped, the company uploaded about 9440 pages and 135 reports and paid the $390,000 application fee. Processing of the application would begin after formal acceptance by the Environmental Protection Agency. Santana CEO Damian Spring said the lodgement represents a turning point for both the company and the region. “This milestone reflects years of serious technical work and…

Most young people joining KiwiSaver are likely to amass balances of more than $1 million within their working lives.The average balance in KiwiSaver at the moment is about $30,000.But someone who is 18 and joining the scheme earning $65,000 a year and contributing 3%, plus 3% from their employer, will have $1m by their mid-50s in an aggressive fund, according to Sorted’s calculator.Even someone who is 30 with no KiwiSaver balance could get there by 62 on the same income if they contributed 8% of their earnings.Rupert Carlyon, founder of Koura Wealth, said someone who was earning $100,000 a year…

By Nona Pelletier of RNZ Westpac Bank New Zealand’s full-year profit rose 13% with increased revenue and a big drop in bad debts. “This result positions us well to support customers through what we think will be an economic upturn over the coming year, and we are investing heavily in our business to deliver better services for customers and communities,” Westpac NZ chief executive Catherine McGrath said. Net profit down $1.197b vs $1.061bNet income $3.089b vs $$2.869bExpenses $1.471b vs $1.369bImpairment charge $44m vs -$27m (an improvement of $71m)Net interest margin 2.32% vs 2.17% “Our focus on growth in key customer…

Emmy award-winning Kiwi-Japanese actress Anna Sawai has landed the role of Yoko Ono in the ambitious upcoming four-part Beatles biopic set to hit screens in 2028.Sawai, who won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her breakout role as Lady Mariko in Shōgun, will portray the avant-garde artist and musician who became one of John Lennon’s most influential creative partners. Ono and Lennon married in 1969 and remained together until his death in 1980.Rounding out the actresses portraying the Fab Four’s partners are Mia McKenna-Bruce as Ringo Starr’s first wife Maureen, Saoirse Ronan as Paul McCartney’s…

Health experts say increased capacity has to be met with safe staffing, after the Government announced 140 additional beds at hospitals across the country yesterday.Health Minister Simeon Brown said four new hospital wards would open next year at Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson hospitals.They would open at the same time as a new ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, announced in February.The minister said there would be enough staff for the new wards, but one doctor warned that understaffing posed a clear and present danger.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a stabbing attack in the UK is not a terror…