Author: Press Room

By Mary Argue of RNZ Callaghan Innovation’s shutdown has so far cost taxpayers more than $10 million in redundancy payouts for 209 roles lost, according to recently published documents. The crown-owned science and innovation entity has been a casualty of the Government’s overhaul of the science sector, which has also seen the merging of Crown Research Institutes into Public Research Organisations and a newly established advanced technology institute. While some functions of Callaghan Innovation were retained, other parts have been wound up over the past year, with all funding expected to end by mid-2027. Documents released to the Public Service Association (PSA) under…

Global catering giant Compass Group will not be a supplier in the next round of the Government’s school lunch programme, with new regional providers set to charge up to $5 a meal for participating primary schools.Ten regional suppliers have been selected to deliver lunches to 188 contributing primary schools (years 0-6) from the beginning of Term 1, 2026 – a shift from last year’s centralised model under the School Lunch Collective in which Compass was a major component.Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the two-stage roll-out of the programme was agreed to by Cabinet in 2024.Suppliers had been invited to…

Firefighters are battling a bush fire north of Auckland.Emergency services were called to the rural property in Wainui just before 1pm on Friday afternoon.Michelle, who lived on the property and asked to keep her surname private, told RNZ she heard fireworks in the middle of the day and later found her paddock ablaze.”I actually heard somebody letting off firecrackers, I didn’t really understand it because it’s daytime,” she said.”Suddenly, I heard all these fire engines pulling up the road and thought I had better go and check, and sure enough… It’s down the end of my paddock, so it’s not…

A South Otago business has bullishly talked of expansion — with plans for wind and solar farms, and major infrastructure projects — as it brings up 70 years of existence. Calder Stewart marked its 70th anniversary on Thursday with 500 current and former staff, and others, celebrating at the company’s headquarters just north of Milton. The New Zealand Herald reported there were scenic helicopter rides and New Zealand country star Kaylee Bell entertained the crowd. Calder Stewart director of property Ben Stewart said the celebration was about marking a milestone with its team and setting the foundation for the next 70 years.…

Not like us? More like him: Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy Award nominations, announced Friday.The rapper is up for nine trophies at February’s ceremony: record, song and album of the year — marking the third time he’s had simultaneous nominations in those big categories — as well as pop duo/group performance, melodic rap performance, rap song and rap album. He’s also nominated twice in the rap performance category.Lamar, who is riding the success of last year’s blockbuster GNX album, has 22 Grammy career wins and 66 nominations. GNX is his fifth consecutive studio album to be nominated for album…

Just when you thought it was safe to dust off the barbecue for summer, it may pay to hold off one more weekend.Temperatures well into the 20Cs were recorded around the country this week, as Kiwis began to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather – but MetService warns that celebration may be a little premature.”A slow-moving front in the north is set to bring a burst of heavy rain tomorrow afternoon and evening,” it posted on Friday.”Northland has a high chance for thunderstorms to develop, with localised downpours and hail also possible.Further south in Auckland, the risk of thunderstorms developing…

Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa from Hamilton have been named champions of the national primary school kapa haka competition, Te Mana Kuratahi.The group were one of six representing the rohe (region) of Tainui, emerging from a competitive event with 62 groups competing It’s the first time they have won the title.Tutor Poumea Walker said they were excited and humbled by the win. He said they were a small school from an underprivileged community.“Nō reira ko tā mātou, ko tā ngā kaiako he whakaū i te whakapono i roto i ngā tamariki me te whakaaro ka taea e rātou ngā taumata ikeike…

Published on 07/11/2025 – 16:34 GMT+1 Countries waiting to join the European Union must make a geopolitical decision and choose which side they are on before entering the bloc, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told Euronews in an exclusive interview after presenting her annual review. Her comments come after the European Commission issued an update this week on the enlargement process for candidates, including Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU has revived the stalled efforts around enlargement, pointing to a geopolitical competition for influence in the region. “We could see Europe united…

Christchurch hemp processor and manufacturer Rubisco’s shift to an Ashburton facility will pave the way for a $20 million to $30m expansion plan. The company has begun a capital raise to add more processing equipment and turn more wool and hemp into building, interior decorative, biocomposites, clothing, textile, furnishing, geotextile and other products. Formerly known as New Zealand Natural Fibres, Rubisco’s majority shareholder is family-owned Carrfields, which has bought the facility and leased it back to the hemp company. The Ashburton site will process the first stage of breaking down raw hemp bales. Fibres are separated from hemp stalks in…

Chaser fame has brought Issa Schultz all sorts of (sometimes odd) attention, but still hasn’t delivered the life-long partner his heart desires. Chaser Issa Schulz has been grilled on every issue under (and beyond) the sun, but there’s one topic journalists return to again and again: when will the Supernerd find love?Sometimes the question is even blunter, like the time a pair of radio jocks demanded to know when he’d last had sex. On that occasion the sweet-natured Schultz asked to see a calendar and then rejected the one they produced as being from this century. (Source: TVNZ)So far so…