Author: Press Room

A feral cat that wiped out an entire endangered black-fronted tern colony in Canterbury has finally been caught – more than a year after the attack.The tom cat killed and ate birds, chicks and eggs from all 95 nests of a tarapirohe (black-fronted tern) colony on a large island in the Waiau Toa/Clarence River in December 2024. The colony was abandoned, and the local tern population plunged from about 180 to just 20.Contractors Jasen and Shannon Mears of J & S Mears caught the 6kg culprit during a Department of Conservation (DOC) predator control operation targeting feral cats in the…

Relocations of asylum seekers across the EU from countries under the most pressure from migration are set to be fewer than previously expected in 2026. At a meeting in Brussels on Monday, the 27 EU Home Affairs Ministers are set to discuss the size of the “solidarity pool”, a mechanism to determine the total number of asylum seekers to be relocated the following year and the amount each country should allocate, or to compensate for by paying. The European Commission proposed to relocate a certain number of asylum seekers from four countries considered “under migratory pressure”: Spain, Italy, Greece, and…

Marina van Dijk is a 64-year-old semi-retired gardener living in Hillcrest, on Auckland’s North Shore. She has followed a vegetarian diet for 48 years, and has also raised her 27-year-old son Ryan as a vegetarian. He splits his time between her home and his girlfriend’s place. This week Marina spent a total of $144.10, divided between PAK’nSAVE Wairau, Woolworths Northcote, Da Hua Supermarket and Top in Town Spice City in Nothcote. Marina van Dijk spent $144.10 on this week’s shop. (Source: Supplied)I tend to go for specials, if I can, especially when it’s canned stuff, frozen stuff. I generally don’t…

Food allergies or health-related diet restrictions make navigating a holiday treat tray or buffet line risky. But there are steps guests — and party hosts — can take to make everyone safer, writes Jennifer Protudjer. A plate of freshly baked cookies, a glass of perfectly garnished eggnog. For many, these images may conjure up warm memories and the anticipation of the forthcoming holiday season.But for those with dietary restrictions, these goodies — and other holiday treats — can contribute to other emotions as well. During a season filled with parties and food, navigating the holidays while avoiding certain foods can…

All children and staff who were injured after a corrosive chemical was mistaken for detergent and put on a water slide at a childcare centre have been discharged from hospital. Emergency services swarmed to the Kindercare Learning Centre on Ferry Road in Woolston at around 1.13pm after children and staff were “potentially exposed to a chemical detergent used for the centre kitchen steriliser unit, which was mistakenly believed to be dishwashing liquid and poured onto a slide with water for the children’s ‘slip ‘n slide’ activity”.Five children and two employees were taken to hospital, one in a serious condition. In…

A person is in hospital after a house fire in Queenstown this morning. Emergency services were called to Hallenstein Street at around 7.15am. A fire and emergency spokesperson said initial information indicated people were still inside. All occupants of the house managed to get out safely. Four units, totalling 20 firefighters, from Queenstown and Frankton responded to the blaze. On arrival, crews found the fire was “well involved” in the garage area of the property. The fire was contained. A St John spokesperson said one ambulance was sent to the scene, where paramedics assessed and treated one person, who was…

New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon is returning to the World Rally Championship after an eight-year hiatus.Hyundai Motorsport confirmed late on Friday that Paddon will share their third car with two other drivers in next year’s campaign and is confirmed to line up for the season-opening event – Rally Monte Carlo, starting on January 22.The 38-year-old is already in France with long-time co-driver John Kennard and said he was thrilled to be back in the sport’s top flight since contesting Rally Australia in 2018.”I’m very excited to be back with Hyundai Motorsport, eight years after our last event together in the…

Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has spoken about the time she wanted to “punch” Simon Bridges “in the face” on The Graham Norton Show in the UK.The episode, which aired in the UK today, featured Ardern on the famous red couch alongside actress Kate Winslet, US talk show host Seth Meyers and comedian Alan Carr.Her appearance on Norton’s show coincided with a promotional tour for her autobiographical film Prime Minister, which was released in the UK and Ireland on December 5.Introducing Ardern, Norton said it was “lovely to have a New Zealander on the couch rather than the red…

A person has been critically injured after being shot in the Auckland suburb of Papakura in the early hours of this morning.Emergency services received reports of a person being shot on Maadi Pl at around 2.30am.”The person was taken to hospital in a critical condition. Those involved are believed to be known to each other, and police do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the community,” a police spokesperson said.The alleged offender had not yet been found, they added.”Inquiries to locate the offender are ongoing. A scene guard remains in place.”St John said it responded with two rapid…

Secondary teachers have voted to accept the Government’s collective agreement offer. It brings negotiations between the Post Primary Teachers’ Association and the Government to an end – a process that involved strikes and a tense back and forward between the two parties.Bargaining was facilitated by the Employment Relations Authority. The settlement included a 4.7% cumulative pay increase for teachers on the top two steps by January 2027 (2.5% in Year 1 and 2.1% at the beginning of Year 2). Teachers who are growing in their careers and moving up the scale would continue to receive annual step increases, along with…