The Latest Breaking News from Aotearoa

Uncovering the stories my family forgot, about a past still haunting Aotearoa New Zealand

The day my great-grandfather Andrew Gilhooly was buried at Taranaki’s Ōkato cemetery in early February 1922, Jas Higgins played the Last Post. Neither man had seen active service in the “great war” with which that ritual is most closely associated. Rather, both had served in the New Zealand wars, an…

The Conversation · Jun 14, 2022

Rodeo is cruel and abusive – it’s time for New Zealand to ban it

As animal welfare groups take the government to court over rodeo activities, Kiwis are waking up to just how widespread animal cruelty is

The Guardian - AU · Jun 11, 2022

The arts helped us through the pandemic – NZ's budget should radically rethink how and why they're funded

The past two years have made it impossible to ignore the problem in Aotearoa New Zealand’s arts sector. The pandemic has been brutal, with venues shut, festivals cancelled and audiences staying home.

The Conversation · May 12, 2022

New Zealand farmers and growers are already adapting to changing climate conditions – just not enough

This week’s major report on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability highlights the challenges a shifting climate presents for food- and fibre-producing regions, including Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

The Conversation · Mar 3, 2022

IPCC report: this decade is critical for adapting to inevitable climate change impacts and rising costs

Climate change impacts in Aotearoa New Zealand are real and future risks are high, according to the latest report released today by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Conversation · Feb 28, 2022

Two years on from the first COVID case, New Zealand's successful pandemic response still faces major challenges

Two years ago today, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Aotearoa New Zealand. Few of us could have imagined the huge impact this pandemic would still be having two years later.

The Conversation · Feb 27, 2022

NZ's confirmed COVID case numbers are rising fast, but total infections are likely much higher – here's why

With Aotearoa New Zealand’s move into phase 3 of its response to the Omicron outbreak, new definitions and protocols for testing and isolation will mean new ways of measuring the impact of COVID-19.

The Conversation · Feb 25, 2022

As New Zealand's Omicron infections rise rapidly, genome surveillance is shifting gears

Genomic sequencing has been a key tool throughout Aotearoa’s COVID-19 pandemic, with data generated here now part of the 8.5 million genomes shared globally.

The Conversation · Feb 22, 2022

‘Aotearoa is and always will be beautiful’: New Zealand readers’ favourite wild places

From Castlepoint to the Mātakitaki river, New Zealanders are in awe of the natural world around them

The Guardian - AU · Feb 19, 2022

The most challenging phase of the Omicron outbreak is yet to come, but New Zealand may be better prepared than other countries

Within a month of the first community exposure to Omicron in Aotearoa New Zealand, the variant has already become the dominant strain of COVID-19.

The Conversation · Feb 1, 2022