7 h. ago Shimmering with an opal shine: New Zealand’s unique blue pearls face threat of warming seas

In New Zealand only a handful of farms produce pearls from abalone, known as pāua, but the molluscs need delicate conditions to surviveRoger Beattie was diving off the Chatham Islands, about 800km east of New Zealand, when he saw his first pāua pearl. Beattie was familiar with pāua, the Māori word for abalone, and their iridescent shells of shimmering purples and greens. But the pearl that had formed inside was unlike anything he had ever seen, gleaming with layers of the pāua’s natural colours.“I just thought ‘heck, that would make amazing jewellery,’” Beattie says. Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago Brad Pitt, 61, 'back in the arms of love' Ines de Ramon, 32, after New Zealand shoot... but he will soon fly off again

The 61-year-old Hollywood actor has returned to his Los Angeles home where he resides with the 32-year-old jewelry executive, DailyMail.com has learned. They are better than ever.

Events

19 h. ago Cocktail of the week: Elements’ earth – recipe | The good mixer

A zippy take on a gin sour, with extra tropical notes from yuzu and a whack of basil on the noseThe inspiration behind this drink was a basil sour I had when I was working in Trondheim, Norway. I loved the flavour combinations, and was keen to incorporate similar herbaceous notes into a drink that would represent one of the four elements, as well as our new restaurant. I’ve used citrus in the form of yuzu to introduce another flavour dimension that blends in harmoniously. At the restaurant, we make big batches of the citrus syrup from spent lemons and limes, to save on wastage.Connor Wren, bar manager, Elements, Glasgow Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Anyone who gets nose bleeds told it could be sign of deadly condition

The organisation has released a warning, urging people to get checked to avoid potentially serious health problems

Events

22 h. ago Why your hay fever is so bad this year – and how to treat it

Here’s what you can do if you’re finding that nothing seems to be helping your itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose this year

Politics

25 h. ago The decorative cookie tin that helps New Zealand make new laws

The quaintly patterned container might seem like a gag, but the ritual selection of bills from it is a serious affair

Society

28 h. ago How a cookie tin lottery at New Zealand's Parliament helps decide what becomes law

In New Zealand’s Parliament, every legislator has the chance to advance a proposed law, no matter how unpopular, thanks to an unusual lottery where bills are selected by random draw from a cookie tin

Politics

31 h. ago Myth or mystery: are moose roaming the isolated wilds of New Zealand?

Claims of a recent sighting of the animal in the vast Fiordland wilderness reignites public fascination in a story that has endured for decadesOver 100 years ago, a ship dropped anchor in the frigid fjords of New Zealand’s South Island and released 10 nervous moose on to the shore. The crew watched as the animals – the last survivors of a weeks-long voyage from Saskatchewan, Canada – skittered out of their crates and up into the dense, lonely, rainforest.The moose had arrived on a flight of fancy, as part of the then premier’s grand vision to turn Fiordland national park into a hunters’ paradise. It was the second attempt to release moose into the region – in a country whose only native land-based mammals are bats – after nearly all of an earlier herd died crossing the seas. Red deer and wapiti, or elk, were also released around the same time for game-hunting. Continue reading...

Politics

44 h. ago No MBA, no problem: Scottish Leaders can build real credibility in just five hours

According to organisational communication expert Jenni Field, credibility, not authenticity, is the key to influence and success as a leader. And while not everyone is born with it, without it, teams become toxic, careers nosedive, and cultures unravel.

Politics

46 h. ago Terrified passengers scream during flight from hell as plane is hit by severe turbulence and hail storm and then has its nose smashed by a bird strike

Dramatic footage shows terrified passengers screaming as a plane suffers damage to its nose following severe turbulence and a bird strike.

Events

62 h. ago Jacob Bethell ‘has done himself world of good’ – Ben Stokes hints at Test recall

The 21-year-old made a strong impression in his debut series against New Zealand before Christmas.

Politics

67 h. ago Tulisa reveals painful bloodied nose after undergoing six beauty treatments

N-Dubz and I'm A Celebrity... star Tulisa Contostavlos travelled to London for a 'beauty day' as she revealed the six treatments she undergoes to remain looking youthful

Events

3 d. ago The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey review – this dystopia could have been extraordinary

Alternate political realities are compellingly explored in this sinister vision of a children’s home – but the echoes of Ishiguro are just too strongIn 2016 Catherine Chidgey published her fourth novel, The Wish Child, a child’s-eye view of Nazi Germany. Since then the much-garlanded New Zealander has contrived to be not only conspicuously prolific but also intriguingly unpredictable. Though she returned to wartime Germany in her Women’s prize-longlisted Holocaust novel, Remote Sympathy, her work has ranged from the coming-of-age psychological thriller Pet to The Beat of the Pendulum, a “found” novel that drew on everything from conversations and social media posts to news bulletins and even satnav instructions to create a picture of one woman’s life over a year. The Axeman’s Carnival, published in the UK last year, was partly narrated by a magpie. Like The Wish Child it won the Acorn prize for fiction, making Chidgey the only writer to win New Zealand’s mos...

Politics

3 d. ago Pacific must not become a ‘military zone’ amid rise of China, New Zealand’s deputy PM warns

In an interview with the Guardian, Winston Peters says the world faces the ‘most uncertain time’ in 80 years ahead of talks with Australia's foreign ministerThe Pacific must be protected from becoming a military zone amid China’s growing push for influence in the region, New Zealand’s top diplomat Winston Peters has warned ahead of a meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.Peters, who is New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, told the Guardian that his country has a good relationship with China. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago How controversy over Maori haka sparked chaos in New Zealand parliament

The haka is a cherished cultural symbol, but this one has ignited a fiery debate

Politics

3 d. ago 'My man had sex with lover as I ate downstairs – I caught her riding him like a cowgirl'

JUST JANE: Today our agony aunt Jane O'Gorman is dealing with a new issue from a Daily Star reader whose man had sex with a lover right under her nose and is keen to brush the whole thing under the carpet

Events

3 d. ago How uproar over a Māori haka, beloved in New Zealand life, sowed chaos and gridlock in Parliament

The haka, a chanting dance of challenge, is sacred to New Zealand’s Māori people but it’s become a beloved cultural institution among New Zealanders of all races

Politics

4 d. ago Couple tried in New Zealand after escaping on business class flight after $2m fraud

Neha Sharma remains in jail in New Zealand with her baby while husband awaits sentencing

Economics

5 d. ago Ben Stokes quits alcohol to help hamstring injury rehabilitation

England Test captain to return against Zimbabwe‘It’s just getting harder to do everything’Ben Stokes has stopped drinking alcohol during his latest injury rehabilitation in an effort to be firing on all cylinders for England this summer. The Test captain is set to make his comeback on Thursday in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, having been sidelined since December after tearing his left hamstring in New Zealand.He rushed back from a similar injury last year but his recovery this time after an operation has been painstakingly managed and Stokes has left no stone unturned to fulfil his vow to return in peak physical condition. Speaking to the Untapped podcast, the 33-year-old said: “After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped.’ Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Middlesex confirm interest in ‘iconic player of his generation’ Virat Kohli

India batter retired from Test cricket this weekKohli could play in County Championship or Metro Bank CupVirat Kohli could yet be seen batting in England once more after Middlesex confirmed they are keen to lure India’s recently retired galáctico to Lord’s. The 36-year-old called time on his stellar Test career at the start of the week, ruling himself out of the five-Test series in England that begins at Headingley next month. But notably his statement said nothing about drawing a line through first-class cricket.Middlesex have form when it comes to using Lord’s as a pull for star overseas talent, having signed South Africa’s AB de Villiers for the T20 Blast in 2019 and attracted New Zealand’s Kane Williamson over for the second half of this season. Both deals came about in collaboration with MCC – Williamson will also play for London Spirit – and officials there have indicated they would be happy to similarly split the cost of any deal for Kohli. There is a belief that, as someone ...

Sport