“That ensures we have the best plans in place to safely destroy and remove those nests and hornet populations,” Inglis said. “We have had a fantastic response from across the country and, importantly, from the local community where these hornets have been found. He said Biosecurity NZ was focused on locating and destroying queens to stop them from producing a new generation of hornets. All queen yellow-legged hornets have been found in Zone A (red circle) – a 1km buffer around detections. Two specialists from the United Kingdom with experience managing yellow-legged hornets are currently in New Zealand, observing the response operation and sharing their expertise, including their use of the tracking technology.

The court heard the children were placed in the fulltime custody of the husband and wife by Oranga Tamariki due to the pair’s existing family connection to them. In his opening address to the jury, Crown lawyer Ben Bosomworth said violence was commonplace for the children. The woman allegedly abandoned the children at an Oranga Tamariki office and said she'd had enough. The woman eventually dropped the children off at the Oranga Tamariki office in Kaitāia and told staff she’d “had enough”. The trial continues, and over the following days, the Crown will call several witnesses, including the complainants and Oranga Tamariki workers.

After a long downturn, sectors like hospitality are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Service sector back in growth for first time in almost two yearsAfter a long downturn, sectors like hospitality are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Photo / NZMEThe services sector has experienced an expansion for the first time since February 2024, according to the latest BNZ–BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index. The Performance of Services Index (PSI) for December was 51.5 (a PSI reading above 50.0 indicates that the service sector is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). The service sector includes parts of the economy like retail, hospitality, real estate and information technology (IT).

Photo: ODT filesOne person has been transported to hospital after a "multiple motorbike crash" near the Devils Staircase south of Queenstown. A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said they were called to the crash in Kingston Rd about 4pm today. One patient, in a moderate condition, was being transported to Lakes District Hospital. Another patient, in a minor condition, was assessed and treated at the scene, the spokesperson said. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said they responded crews from Kingston, Frankton and Queenstown to the "multiple motorbike crash".

SPCA animal attendant Paige Matthews holds 2-year-old Staffordshire terrier-cross Layla, who is available for adoption after a remarkable transformation. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENWhen Staffordshire terrier-cross Layla first came into the SPCA, she was sick, scared and severely malnourished. Today, Layla loves cuddles, is always keen for a headscratch and is up for adoption. SPCA Dunedin centre manager Laura Vander Kley said the day before they found Layla, they got an alert from a member of the public about five dumped puppies. Layla when she first came came to the SPCA in November.

Photo: Jeff Ng / suppliedA fast-moving Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun has hit Earth today, causing a severe G4 geomagnetic storm. Dunedin astronomer Dr Ian Griffin said it was expected to create spectacular aurora australis across southern skies tonight, and he encouraged everyone to get out and take a look. "The radiation storm, which is something that precedes the event, has been really, really strong all afternoon, and that's always a good sign. Sometimes, it will remove South Island electricity transmission lines from service to prevent damage to critical equipment. Nema is monitoring the large ejections and believed they were unlikely to result in significant impacts to New Zealand’s electricity grid.

Of course you can debate, as we have in this country, whether a governor or chair of a central bank is doing the right thing or a good thing. Which is why so many central bank chiefs came out in defence of Powell — one of which was our newly minted Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Anna Breman. Breman says she didn’t want to wake Willis at 3 in the morning. Breman is independent. Or —if we are universally agreed Breman should have taken advice— is she in fact a loose unit?

Photo / Tātaki Auckland UnlimitedAnother world-renowned destination, Piha boasts good peaks on both sides of towering Lion Rock. Photo / Jereme AubertinLaidback Whaingaroa Raglan is built on surf culture ... well, that and some of the planet’s best coffee and ice cream. Famed for the world’s longest left-hand rides, up to 2km or 10 minutes, Manu Bay is best for advanced to expert surfers. Photo / 123rfSimply one of our best surf destinations, Whangamatā offers three distinct options. The Sweet-as SpotThis spot didn’t make it to our finalists list but we think it’s one of New Zealand’s best.

A spacious business class pod on this Cathay Pacific flight came at a non-monetary cost. There is something absurd about seeing a 4-year-old in business class, her tiny feet dangling above the floor. Passengers:Both flights were full, and a full business class cabin was why our group of three couldn’t all sit in business class. For the business flight, I had a beef brisket noodle soup and an osmanthus and oolong tea jelly for dessert. I chose the beef brisket noodle soup on my business class flight.

Morning Headlines | Concern about safety on buses, trains and ferries has sparked calls for a dedicated Transport Police force | Monday, January 20, 2026Man arrested in relation to suspicious death wearing ‘I will put you in a trunk’ sweatshirtA Texas man who was arrested in relation to the suspicious death of a local woman was taken into custody wearing a sweatshirt that bragged of abduction. Kruz Dean Wanser was arrested on January 15, four days after the body of 37-year-old Margaret Pennington was discovered at a property in the city of Azle, the New York Post reports. In a photograph taken during his booking, Wanser can be seen wearing a purple hoodie that read “I will put you in a trunk and help people look for you” in bold text. A cursive subtitle says “Stop playing with me” underneath. Azle Police Department shared the image to its Facebook and listed the charges Wanser was facing, which included tampering with a corpse, possession with intent to distribute and parole violation.

Police are investigating an unexplained death after a body was found washed up on rocks at Torbay Beach on the afternoon of January 19. Photo / Anna HeathPolice are investigating an unexplained death after a body was found washed up on rocks at Torbay Beach on the afternoon of January 19. Photo / Anna HeathPolice have referred a death to the coroner after a body was found on the rocks in the Auckland suburb of Torbay. Officers were called to the North Shore beach after being notified by a member of the public at 3.50pm yesterday. “An investigation into the circumstances of the death is underway, and at this stage it is being treated as unexplained,” police said.

Don’t sweat the big stuff. Luxon used the philosophy when discussing how New Zealand could deal with the major changes in international relations – what he called a rupturing of the old rules-based order, trade globalisation and certainty. Luxon and his National Party deputy, finance minister Nicola Willis, face the media after the state of the nation speech. Luxon said: “We can control the energy and ambition we bring to building a future for every single New Zealander here at home. On the first, Luxon told the business audience the best way to give him control was to vote to get a “very big National Party”.

One person has been airlifted to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after a ute rolled down a farm track near Omakau. A police spokesman said they received reports of the single-vehicle crash near Moa Creek Rd about 9.20am today. Reports indicated the vehicle ‘‘rolled down a farm track’’, the spokesman said. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said they responded trucks from Alexandra and Omakau. One patient, in a serious condition, was being airlifted to Dunedin.

PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYProperty investors across Otago will be "a wee bit gutted" prices did not quite double over the past decade, a Dunedin landlord says. "Over the past decade we have seen significant regional variation and, in many areas, growth has fallen well short of that aspirational ‘doubling in value’ benchmark." Both Otago and Central Otago-Lakes District missed out by a hair, rising 95.3% to $609,497 and 96% to $1,485,995, respectively, over the past decade. Otago Property Investors Association vice-president Kathryn Seque-Roche said investors would be "a wee bit gutted". Ms Williams said that while neither Otago nor Central Otago-Lakes District properties doubled in value, both regions grew substantially over the past decade.

Photo: Fletcher BuildingFletcher Building has reached a binding agreement to sell its construction division to major international firm Vinci Construction. The sale of Fletcher Construction Holdings included its New Zealand business units Higgins, Brian Perry Civil and Fletcher Construction Major Projects. Reding was confident the sale to Vinci would be the right transaction for shareholders, Fletcher Construction itself and the broader New Zealand construction industry. Fletcher Building also expected to set aside $55m to $65m for probable future claims relating to legacy construction contracts retained following the divestment. The decision to sell Fletcher Construction followed a strategic review of the wider Fletcher Building business in 2025.