Pacific delegates in the United States Congress are warning efforts to fast-track deep-seabed mining could sideline island communities and cause irreversible damage to fragile ocean ecosystems.
The concerns were raised at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing in Washington last week, held a day after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) finalised new rules streamlining permits for seabed mining.
The changes allow companies to apply for exploration and potential commercial recovery through a single process, replacing regulations dating back to the 1980s.
NOAA says the update reflects advances in deep-sea science and technology and does not weaken environmental safeguards.
But Guam Delegate James Moylan said decisions made in Washington had real and lasting consequences in the Pacific.
“The ocean is how we live. It feeds our families, holds our history, and connects our people to generations before us,” Moylan said.
American Samoa Delegate Aumua Amata Radewagen warned seabed mining could threaten fisheries, which she described as the lifeblood of island economies.
Northern Marianas Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds said Pacific territories “don’t get the luxury of being wrong” on ocean policy, warning that damage to the seabed would be permanent.
Industry representatives told lawmakers the streamlined process would provide certainty without weakening environmental reviews, while scientists warned deep-sea ecosystems could take decades to recover, if at all.
For Pacific delegates, the message was clear — faster permitting must not come at the expense of island voices or ocean protection.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Tauranga’s mayor has confirmed council workers were at the fatal Mount Maunganui campground landslide when it happened.
There have been several accounts of warnings that were made to Tauranga City Council and other agencies about landslips at Mauao in the hours before the tragedy.
Mayor Mahe Drysdale told Midday Report that council staff were there when the slip came down at about 9:30am on Thursday.
“There were some staff at the campground at the time of the slip.
“Our City Ops workers were doing a job, and we have camp workers. Those facts will all be established so we can understand exactly where they were and what they were doing.”
Drysdale said a timeline of what staff knew and when would be made public.
He said they were working to verify a large amount of information.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Well-wishers have come out in force for a Wellington cat considered to be Aro Park royalty.
Lola the Cat was a regular fixture in Aro Park for many years.
She died in December last year, her death was announced on her Facebook page on Monday.
“Lola lived one of the fullest lives a little cat could,” the post said.
Most of you will remember the big moments that shaped her life: surviving a greyhound attack (and losing her front leg), and surviving a second dog attack, and a subsequent surgery with just a 10 percent chance of survival,” the post said.
“But those of you lucky enough to pass Lola on your commute will know that her life was made up of so many more small, seemingly insignificant moments. It was in these moments that you all came to love Lola, and it feels only right to thank you as we say goodbye.”
The post said Lola reigned over Aro Park until after the second dog attack, spending her last year’s perched in a basket at home, where she received many visitors, and deliveries of smoked salmon.
“Thank you to everyone who cuddled her, fed her, and treated her to Wellington’s best fish and chips,” the post said.
Aro Park’s beloved cat Lola has died, inspiring hundreds of tributes online.SUPPLIED
“Thank you also to the endless stream of Vic Uni Students who befriended Lola every year (even those of you who drunkenly kidnapped her, only to call the next morning full of apologies and asking to return her – I can only imagine the hangxiety). We are endlessly grateful to you all for the love and care you showed our beautiful girl.”
The Facebook post has attracted more than 100 comments with people reminiscing about their times with Lola.
“May we all live lives as full as this sweet and sassy gal! Lola was my first local friend when I studied abroad in Wellington in 2016,” said Claire Naughton. “Rest easy, sweet Lola! You truly were loved around the world.”
“I’m sitting on my couch crying now,” said Courtney Hutchinson. “Lola was so special, I loved seeing her on my walk to work and back home when I lived in Aro Valley years ago.”
“Very sad, but what an amazing life Lola has had,” said Simon Dartford. “I briefly lived up Aro Valley approx 14 years ago and the highlight of each day was sharing some cuddles and rubs with Lola.”
Lola first arrived in Aro Valley in 2008 and was cared for by Josephine Brien from 2014. Brien’s daughter Zeni, runs the Facebook page.
Brien said she’d received many well-wishes since Lola’s passing.
A drawing of Lola the cat.SUPPLIED
“This boy came around with this beautiful oil painting he’d done of her, which is just so lovely, and […] another beautiful drawing has come through the letterbox as well, lots of cards.”
Brien said people used to spend ages at her fence talking to Lola.
“We used to think that we should put a little sign up, like in that Peanuts cartoon, ‘psychiatric help 5 cents or whatever’, because […] people would talk to her for ages.
Brien said for a little cat, Lola had left behind an enormous hole.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
The Government is deploying motorhomes to quickly support people displaced by recent severe weather, with 10 motorhomes making their way to Northland Te Tai Tokerau today, with an additional 50 intended to be deployed in coming days, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
Additional motorhomes are planned for deployment later in the week as temporary accommodation needs become clearer in other impacted areas particularly the East Coast Tairāwhiti.
“These motorhomes provide an immediate option for people who can’t stay in their homes, especially in affected areas where accommodation may be limited,” Mr Potaka says.
“This is about responding quickly to real need on the ground. Mobilising motorhomes into affected communities gives people somewhere to live while they wait to be allowed back into their home or for more suitable housing if they have sadly lost their home.”
The motorhomes are being delivered through the Government’s Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS), which has been activated to support people displaced across Northland Te Tai Tokerau, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, East Coast Tairāwhiti and other affected areas.
“Agencies are working closely with councils, Iwi and community organisations to make sure people can access the accommodation and wider support they need.
“If your home has been damaged or you think you may need temporary accommodation, even if you’re staying with whānau or friends, please register with TAS as soon as possible so support can be put in place.
“I want to acknowledge marae, whānau, councils, Iwi and community organisations who have acted quickly to support people during this difficult time, and who continue to offer care, manaaki and practical support on the ground.”
On Tuesday, the Government announced an initial package which included $1.2 million to support affected regions with immediate and pressing needs through Mayoral Relief Funds and $1 million to reimburse marae that provided welfare in response to this event, and allow them to replenish and continue to build their resilience.
This is alongside existing funding across government that is available to support recovery effects in response to natural hazards and weather events.
Notes to editors:
People affected by the recent severe weather who have a current, or expected future need for temporary accommodation are encouraged to register with the Temporary Accommodation Service:
Online: www.tas.mbie.govt.nz
Phone: 0508 754 163
People only need to register once per household. The Temporary Accommodation Service is not a free service, and part-payments are required. However, TAS will work with each household to ensure these part-payments are affordable, and a hardship process is available if needed.
At this stage, it is too early to confirm numbers of registrations.
Wētā FX’s visual effects work on Avatar: Fire and Ash has been nominated at the BAFTA Film Awards, alongside major contenders F1, How to Train Your Dragon and Frankenstein.
Directed by James Cameron, the film also received Academy Award nominations last week for best visual effects and best costume design, the latter by Wētā Workshop.
More than 1200 Wētā FX artists contributed to the project, delivering more than 90 percent of the film’s visual effects. Only about 11 seconds did not contain special effects.
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Supplied / 20th Century Studios
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Police have arrested and charged a man in relation to the shooting at Marriner Reserve, Palmerston North, earlier this month.
On Monday 12 January, emergency services responded to a report of gunshots heard on Marriner Street, where they located a victim with serious gunshot related injuries.
Police conducted extensive enquiries to identify a person of interest in relation to the matter, including appealing to the public for CCTV of the area.
At around 12pm yesterday [Tuesday 27 January], Police conducting area enquiries following a report of a stolen vehicle in Roslyn, spotted the vehicle on Featherston Street.
The vehicle we successfully spiked on Railway Road around 12.30pm, before coming to a stop on Alexander Street.
The driver of the vehicle, who Police determined to be a person of interest in the investigation into the Marriner Reserve shooting, fled on foot and extensive area enquiries were underway to locate him.
Police located and arrested the man around 5pm.
The 33-year-old is due to appear in Palmerston North District Court today, charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm with a firearm, in relation to the incident on 12 January.
“Yesterday’s arrest was a great result for our community,” Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson says.
“The work of our frontline and specialist groups, to take this man into custody without incident is a credit to their skill and professionalism.
“It was clear from yesterday’s events that this man was very motivated to remain at large, and that he was not going to stop until he was arrested.
“However, Police staff’s persistence and patience paid off, and we are now able to hold him to account,” Detective Senior Sergeant Thompson says.
The man is also facing a range of charges in relation to yesterday’s events, including two counts of unlawfully taking, unlawful possession of a firearm, failing to stop for Police, dangerous driving, and driving while disqualified.
Well-wishers have come out in force for a Wellington cat considered to be Aro Park royalty.
Lola the Cat was a regular fixture in Aro Park for many years.
She died in December last year, her death was announced on her Facebook page on Monday.
“Lola lived one of the fullest lives a little cat could,” the post said.
Most of you will remember the big moments that shaped her life: surviving a greyhound attack (and losing her front leg), and surviving a second dog attack, and a subsequent surgery with just a 10 percent chance of survival,” the post said.
“But those of you lucky enough to pass Lola on your commute will know that her life was made up of so many more small, seemingly insignificant moments. It was in these moments that you all came to love Lola, and it feels only right to thank you as we say goodbye.”
The post said Lola reigned over Aro Park until until after the second dog attack, spending her last years perched in a basket at home, where she received many visitors and deliveries of smokes salmon.
“Thank you to everyone who cuddled her, fed her, and treated her to Wellington’s best fish and chips,” the post said.
Aro Park’s beloved cat Lola has passed inspiring hundreds of tributes online.SUPPLIED
“Thank you also to the endless stream of Vic Uni Students who befriend Lola every year (even those of you who drunkenly kidnapped her, only to call the next morning full of apologies and asking to return her – I can only imagine the hangxiety). We are endlessly grateful to you all for the love and care you showed our beautiful girl.”
The Facebook post has attracted more than 100 comments with people reminiscing about their times with Lola.
“May we all live lives as full as this sweet and sassy gal! Lola was my first local friend when I studied abroad in Wellington in 2016,” said Claire Naughton. “Rest easy, sweet Lola! You truly were loved around the world.”
“I’m sitting on my couch crying now,” said Courtney Hutchinson. “Lola was so special, I loved seeing her on my walk to work and back home when I lived in Aro Valley years ago.”
“Very sad, but what an amazing life Lola has had,” said Simon Dartford. “I briefly lived up Aro Valley approx 14 years ago and the highlight of each day was sharing some cuddles and rubs with Lola.”
Lola first arrived in Aro Valley in 2008 and was cared for by Josephine Brien from 2014. Brien’s daughter Zeni, runs the Facebook page.
Brien said she’d received many well-wishes since Lola’s passing.
A drawing of Lola the cat by Josephine Brien.SUPPLIED
“This boy came around with this beautiful oil painting he’d done of her, which is just so lovely, and […] another beautiful drawing has come through the letterbox as well, lots of cards.”
Brien said people used to spend ages at her fence talking to Lola.
“We used to think that we should put a little sign up, like in that Peanuts cartoon, ‘psychiatric help 5 cents or whatever’, because […] people would talk to her for ages.
Brien said for a little cat, Lola had left behind an enormous hole.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A Napier-based law firm says it’s been hit by a cyber attack affecting internal information about the firm as well as client documents.
Langley Twigg Law said it’s working with digital forensics and cyber specialists over the attack, which occurred on 11 January.
In a statement on its website on 26 January, the firm said the specialists’ investigation confirmed a “malicious third-party” attack launched a virus on the firm’s IT network, which was not protected by its cyber security software.
The law firm said the “third-party extracted a portion of the data from our file server, which contained both internal information relating to Langley Twigg’s operations and some client documents”.
It said it’s working to understand exactly what information was leaked, and will then contact affected clients.
“We are working intensively on this process but please understand that this may take some time to work through. We will provide further updates as our investigation progresses.”
The firm says it’s contacted the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the police.
The police are investigating.
“We are extremely sorry that this has happened,” the firm said.
“We are working hard to identify whose personal information may have been compromised and ensure that those affected receive appropriate notifications.”
The firm said it had taken immediate steps once it was alerted to the attack on 11 January, including switching off and disconnecting the IT network from the internet.
“At the time of the attack, we were in the process of moving to a cloud-based document management system; this process will be completed shortly and will reduce the risk of any future incidents.”
It advised clients to “be extra vigilent” and keep an “especially keen eye” on bank account and credit card transactions, as well as to stay alert to suspicious messages.
Langley Twigg law has been approached for further comment, as well as the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
UK High Commissioner Iona Thomas is trying to clear up confusion over changes for British and dual nationals travelling to the UK.
It comes after RNZ revealed earlier this month that from February, anyone who was born in Britain – or has citizenship there – will no longer be able to travel to the UK without a British passport.
From 25 February, people travelling to the UK will need a visa, an electronic travel authority (ETA) or a valid UK passport. What documentation travellers need depends on their nationality and the purpose of their visit.
“New Zealand nationals going to the UK for a visit will need an electronic travel authorisation. This can be applied for online,” Thomas told reporters.
“However, the UK’s ETA system only applies to non-British nationals. If you have held, or currently hold British citizenship, including if you are a dual national, you cannot use an ETA to enter the UK. You must travel on a British passport or another passport with a certificate of entitlement.”
These changes apply even for short visits.
The British High Commission said it did put out notifications last year to make people aware of the change.
“Our message is simple: check your documents early and apply well ahead to avoid travel disruption,” Thomas said.
Previously, dual citizens have been able to visit on a New Zealand passport, more recently with an ETA, an electronic online declaration costing about $37.
The British government said that was only ever meant to be a transitional measure.
Citizens of other countries said they too are affected by a similar global tightening of borders and passport rules.
If people are unsure about whether they have British citizenship, they can check online here.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Former St Bede’s College Friar Rowan Donoghue arrives at the Christchurch District Court for an appearance on January 28, 2026.Nathan McKinnon / RNZ
The Society of Mary was made aware of allegations against a priest now convicted of sexual abusing several boys nearly 20 years ago, RNZ can reveal.
The religious group says they tried to investigate the complaint, but didn’t have enough information to verify the anonymous complaint. The priest was then put on a “safety plan”.
The anonymous correspondent was encouraged to contact the police.
RNZ revealed on Wednesday that Friar Rowan Donoghue had pleaded guilty to six charges, five of which are representative, including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College between 1996 and 2000.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
In response to questions from RNZ on Wednesday, the Society of Mary confirmed an anonymous complaint of a sexual nature was made against Fr Donoghue in 2007.
“The Society of Mary sought to investigate the complaint, but was unable to gain sufficient information to verify the allegations. Even so, the Society of Mary determined that Donoghue should be removed from public ministry, with a safety plan enacted. That has stayed in place since that time.”
The Society was not aware of the allegations to which Donoghue entered guilty pleas until Police laid charges, the spokesperson said.
“Our first thoughts are with those who came forward and described what happened to them. We extend our apologies to them, and will seek to do so personally at an appropriate time. We deeply regret the hurt or harm caused.”
The society was “committed to ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of all people in Church settings”.
Asked whether police were told, the spokesperson said the complainant was “encouraged to contact the police”.
In early 2023, police were contacted with allegations of sexual abuse by Fr Donoghue that he has since pleaded guilty to in relation to his time at St Bede’s College.
RNZ asked St Bede’s College rector Jon McDowall for comment this week on when the school was first notified of any allegations regarding Fr Donoghue.
He said the school was “formally notified” of the allegations by police and had “worked openly with them since that time”.
“We hold victims and survivors in our thoughts and remain focused on providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community – past, present and future.”
In response to questions from RNZ, St Patrick’s Silverstream rector Rob Ferreira said the school had not been made aware of any allegations of abuse in care while Fr Donoghue worked at the school between 1982 to 1992.
“We have not had any inquiries from the police either.
“We operate according to clearly set out guidelines and best practice and you should note that our primary concern is the wellbeing of our students. Given that – our protection of the privacy and any other rights of survivors of abuse and other individuals would be paramount.”
He said the school had informed the community that Fr Donoghue’s suppression had lifted.
The Society of Mary encouraged anyone who has a concern or complaint about one of our members to contact the Police, the National Office for Professional Standards 0800 114 622, or the Society’s confidential helpline 021 909 749.
Where to get help
If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you have been abused, remember it’s not your fault.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A police cordon at the corner of Sandhurst St and Truman lane, Mangatawa.LAUREN CRIMP / SUPPLIED
Tauranga City Council has evacuated residents in an area of Papamoa, where a slip poses a risk to life and property.
Residents near the southern end of Truman Lane, which includes the Mangatawa Marae and Papakāinga housing up to State Highway 2, have been evacuated.
The council said after last week’s heavy rainfall, a slip has occurred near a watermain pipe to the reservoir above the Marae, which has the potential to break should the land subside further.
Tauranga City Council Emergency Controller Tom McEntyre said the evacuation order will remain in place while the risk is investigated.
Residents near the southern end of Truman Lane, which includes the Mangatawa Marae and Papakāinga housing up to State Highway 2, have been evacuated.Google Maps
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A property badly damaged in last October’s storm.RNZ/ Katie Todd
The storm that lashed Canterbury, Otago and Southland with severe winds in October has resulted in the second-most claims for an event in rural insurer FMG’s 120-year history.
New Zealand’s largest rural insurer has already paid out $20 million, but expects that figure to rise to about $50 million.
The storm toppled trees, tore roofs from buildings, and downed power lines leaving thousands without power.
Some of the trees that were toppled in Invercargill.RNZ / Calvin Samuel
An FMG spokesperson told RNZ nearly 5000 claims had been lodged with about half of those now closed.
The only event resulting in more claims for the insurer was the Auckland Anniversary floods and [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/484213/widespread-damage-cyclone-gabrielle-in-pictures
Cyclone Gabrielle] in 2023.
“Three months on, we continue to see claims lodged and we encourage anyone who still needs to make a claim or is feeling overwhelmed about their claim to get in touch with FMG,” the spokesperson said.
“We can see that the wait for repairs in some cases will mean it takes people a while to get back on their feet.”
Insurance claims did not reflect the full extent of the damage and disruption experienced by communities, FMG said.
IAG – which operates the AMI, NZI and State insurance brands – said it had received 5000 claims relating to October’s storm.
The majority – about 3600 – were from customers in Southland and Otago, it said.
AMI, State and NZI executive general manager Steph Ferris said that included smashed windows and doors, blown away roofs and sheds, and spoiled food as a result of power outages.
Tower Insurance said it had received 996 claims with 330 lodged by customers in Southland and 200 in Otago.
Head of natural disaster response Lisa Maxwell said the majority of claims were for minor damage and more than 650 claims had been settled.
This week a logging contractor in Clutha District told RNZ there were more than 150,000 tonnes of trees still on the ground at private properties three months on from the storm.
Clutha District Council said the cost of repairing damaged community amenities had climbed to $991,000.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Blair, Emeritus Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, OzGrav, The University of Western Australia
Last year, astronomers were fascinated by a runaway asteroid passing through our Solar System from somewhere far beyond. It was moving at around 68 kilometres per second, just over double Earth’s speed around the Sun.
Imagine if it had been something much bigger and faster: a black hole travelling at more like 3,000km per second. We wouldn’t see it coming until its intense gravitational forces started knocking around the orbits of the outer planets.
This may sound a bit ridiculous – but in the past year several lines of evidence have come together to show such a visitor is not impossible. Astronomers have seen clear signs of runaway supermassive black holes tearing through other galaxies, and have uncovered evidence that smaller, undetectable runaways are probably out there too.
Runaway black holes: the theory
The story begins in the 1960s, when New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr found a solution of Einstein’s general relativity equations that described spinning black holes. This led to two crucial discoveries about black holes.
First, the “no-hair theorem”, which tells us black holes can be distinguished only by three properties: their mass, their spin and their electric charge.
For the second we need to think about Einstein’s famous formula E = mc ² which says that energy has mass. In the case of a black hole, Kerr’s solution tells us that as much as 29% of a black hole’s mass can be in the form of rotational energy.
English physicist Roger Penrose deduced 50 years ago that this rotational energy of black holes can be released. A spinning black hole is like a battery capable of releasing vast amounts of spin energy.
A black hole can contain about 100 times more extractable energy than a star of the same mass. If a pair of black holes coalesce into one, much of that vast energy can be released in a few seconds.
It took two decades of painstaking supercomputer calculations to understand what happens when two spinning black holes collide and coalesce, creating gravitational waves. Depending on how the black holes are spinning, the gravitational wave energy can be released much more strongly in one direction than others – which sends the black holes shooting like a rocket in the opposite direction.
If the spins of the two colliding black holes are aligned the right way, the final black hole can be rocket-powered to speeds of thousands of kilometres per second.
Learning from real black holes
All that was theory, until the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observatories began detecting the whoops and chirps of gravitational waves given off by pairs of colliding black holes in 2015.
One of the most exciting discoveries was of black hole “ringdowns”: a tuning fork-like ringing of newly formed black holes that tells us about their spin. The faster they spin, the longer they ring.
Better and better observations of coalescing black holes revealed that some pairs of black holes had randomly oriented spin axes, and that many of them had very large spin energy.
All this suggested runaway black holes were a real possibility. Moving at 1% of light speed, their trajectories through space would not follow the curved orbits of stars in galaxies, but rather would be almost straight.
Runaway black holes spotted in the wild
This brings us to the final step in our sequence: the actual discovery of runaway black holes.
It is difficult to search for relatively small runaway black holes. But a runaway black hole of a million or billion solar masses will create huge disruptions to the stars and gas around it as it travels through a galaxy.
They are predicted to leave contrails of stars in their wake, forming from interstellar gas in the same way contrails of cloud form in the wake of a jet plane. Stars form from collapsing gas and dust attracted to the passing black hole. It’s a process that would last for tens of millions of years as the runaway black hole crosses a galaxy.
In 2025, several papers showed images of surprisingly straight streaks of stars within galaxies such as the image below. These seem to be convincing evidence for runaway black holes.
One paper, led by Yale astronomer Pieter van Dokkum, describes a very distant galaxy imaged by the James Webb telescope with a surprisingly bright contrail 200,000 light years long. The contrail showed the pressure effects expected from the gravitational compression of gas as a black hole passes: in this case it suggests a black hole with a mass 10 million times the Sun’s, travelling at almost 1,000km/s.
Another describes a long straight contrail cutting across a galaxy called NGC3627. This one is likely caused by a black hole of about 2 million times the mass of the Sun, travelling at 300km/s. Its contrail is about 25,000 light years long.
If these extremely massive runaways exist, so too should their smaller cousins because gravitational wave observations suggest that some of them come together with the opposing spins needed to create powerful kicks. The speeds are easily fast enough for them to travel between galaxies.
So runaway black holes tearing through and between galaxies are a new ingredient of our remarkable universe. It’s not impossible that one could turn up in our Solar System, with potentially catastrophic results.
We should not lose sleep over this discovery. The odds are minuscule. It is just another way that the story of our universe has become a little bit richer and a bit more exciting than it was before.
David Blair receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery and is director of the Einstein-First education project that is developing a modern physics curriculum for primary and middle school science education.
A great white shark is a masterwork of evolutionary engineering. These beautiful predators glide effortlessly through the water, each slow, deliberate sweep of the powerful tail driving a body specialised for stealth, speed and efficiency. From above, its dark back blends into the deep blue water, while from below its pale belly disappears into the sunlit surface.
In an instant, the calm glide explodes into an attack, accelerating to more than 60 kilometres per hour, the sleek torpedo-like form cutting through the water with little resistance. Then its most iconic feature is revealed: rows of razor-sharp teeth, expertly honed for a life at the top of the food chain.
Scientists have long been fascinated by white shark teeth. Fossilised specimens have been collected for centuries, and the broad serrated tooth structure is easily recognisable in jaws and bite marks of contemporary sharks.
But until now, surprisingly little was known about one of the most fascinating aspects of these immaculately shaped structures: how they change across the jaw and to match the changing demands throughout the animal’s lifetime. Our new research, published in Ecology and Evolution, set out to answer this.
From needle-like teeth to serrated blades
Different shark species have evolved teeth to suit their dietary needs, such as needle-like teeth for grasping slippery squid; broad, flattened molars for crushing shellfish; and serrated blades for slicing flesh and marine mammal blubber.
Shark teeth are also disposable – they are constantly replaced throughout their lives, like a conveyor belt pushing a new tooth forward roughly every few weeks.
White sharks are best known for their large, triangular, serrated teeth, which are ideal for capturing and eating marine mammals like seals, dolphins and whales. But most juveniles don’t start life hunting seals. In fact, they feed mostly on fish and squid, and don’t usually start incorporating mammals into their diet until they are roughly 3 metres long.
This raises a fascinating question: do teeth coming off the conveyor belt change to meet specific challenges of diets at different developmental stages, just as evolution produces teeth to match the diets of different species?
Previous studies tended to focus on a small number of teeth or single life stages. What was missing was a full, jaw-wide view of how tooth shape changes – not just from the upper and lower jaw, but from the front of the mouth to the back, and from juvenile to adult.
An array of jaws from sharks ranging from 1.2m to 4.4m. Emily Hunt
Teeth change over a lifetime
When we examined teeth from nearly 100 white sharks, clear patterns emerged.
First, tooth shape changes dramatically across the jaw. The first six teeth on each side are relatively symmetrical and triangular, well suited for grasping, impaling, or cutting into prey.
Beyond the sixth tooth, however, the shape shifts. Teeth become more blade-like, better adapted for tearing and shearing flesh. This transition marks a functional division within the jaw where different teeth play different roles during feeding, much like how we as humans have incisors at the front and molars at the back of our mouths.
Even more striking were the changes that occur as sharks grow. At around 3m in body length, white sharks undergo a major dental transformation. Juvenile teeth are slimmer and often feature small side projections at the base of the tooth, called cusplets, which help to grip small slippery prey such as fish and squid.
As sharks approach 3m, these cusplets disappear and the teeth become broader, thicker, and serrated.
In many ways, this shift mirrors an ecological turning point. Young sharks rely on fish and small prey that require precision and an ability to grasp the smaller bodies. Larger sharks increasingly target marine mammals: big, fast-moving animals that demand cutting power rather than grip.
Once great whites reach this size, they develop an entirely new style of tooth capable of slicing through dense flesh and even bone.
Some teeth stand out even more. The first two teeth on either side of the jaw, the four central teeth, are significantly thicker at the base. These appear to be the primary “impact” teeth, taking the force of the initial bite.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth upper teeth are slightly shorter and angled, suggesting a specialised role in holding onto struggling prey. Their size and position may also be influenced by the underlying skull structure and the placement of key sensory tissues involved in smelling.
We also found consistent differences between the upper and lower jaws. Lower teeth are shaped for grabbing and holding prey, while upper teeth are designed for slicing and dismembering – a coordinated system that turns the white shark’s bite into a highly efficient feeding tool.
Scientists measured teeth from nearly 100 white sharks. Emily Hunt
A lifestory in teeth
Together, these findings tell a compelling story.
The teeth of white sharks are not static weapons but living records of a shark’s changing lifestyle. Continuous replacement compensates for teeth lost and damaged, but at least equally important, enables design updates that track diet changes through development.
This research helps us better understand how white sharks succeed as apex predators and how their feeding system is finely tuned across their lifetime.
It also highlights the importance of studying animals as dynamic organisms, shaped by both biology and behaviour. In the end, a white shark’s teeth don’t just reveal how it feeds – they reveal who it is, at every stage of its life.
This research has received in kind support for collection of specimens from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development through the Shark Management Program. David Raubenheimer has no other relevant relationships or funding to declare.
Ziggy Marzinelli is an Associate Professor at The University of Sydney and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Ian Potter Foundation and the NSW Environmental Trust.
Emily Hunt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
UK High Commissioner Iona Thomas is hosting a press conference to provide practical guidance for travellers to UK and what changes mean for British and dual nationals from February 25.
It comes after RNZ revealed earlier this month that from February anyone who was born in Britain – or has citizenship there – will no longer be able to travel to the UK without a British passport.
The British High Commission said it did put out notifications last year to make people aware of the change.
Until now, dual citizens have been able to visit on a New Zealand passport, more recently with an ETA, an electronic online declaration costing about $37.
The British government said that was only ever meant to be a transitional measure.
The livestream is due to start at about 12.20pm.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Crews continue to search for six people buried in a landslide at Mount Maunganui, while police say they will investigate whether there is any criminal liability.
A rāhui is in place at the site where six people – including two teenagers – were caught in the slip, which came down on the holiday camp.
Rural Support Trusts across Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Tai Rāwhiti are set to receive an additional $200,000 from the government, announced on Tuesday, to assist with recovery efforts.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was advised there were around 500 people as of Tuesday who had been displaced by the storms.
The regional coordinator for Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust, Jodie Craig, said road access was difficult in parts of the area, particularly at the eastern end.
“State Highway 35 is closed and then the Waioweka Gorge is closed, so then the only way to get to Gisborne and up that way is through State Highway 5. So yeah, this eastern Bay is quite impacted with the cut-off of roads.”
The charitable trust works closely with local councils and Civil Defence to ensure farmers, growers and rural people get the help they need.
Craig said the hardest hit areas, like Te Araroa and Pāpāmoa, were “very badly affected”.
She said while there had not been many feed supply issues due to the wet summer, but demand for support was ongoing.
“When you go look at a lot of the paddocks in the area, they are not brown, they’re not dead, so that’s good news,” she said.
“But there are impacts from the water, as well. But that might take time. There could be maize issues down the line with the wet soil.
“And hopefully the kiwifruit are OK, so we’re waiting to see if that water has dissipated because they can’t have water under their vines for very long.”
Craig said the trust’s thoughts were with the local families who have lost loved ones during the floods, and it was also helping provide psychosocial support with government agencies.
The New Zealand Transport Agency said it estimated about 1000 more truck loads of debris around the Waioweka Gorge needed to be removed from the area, and it was too early to know when it would be re-opened.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
The transformation of a quarry just outside of Hamilton is the culmination of 30 years’ hard graft by landowners John and Dorothy Wakeling.
The couple bought the quarry in the mid-1990s, Dorothy told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.
“We thought it had immense potential because of the landscape of cliffs and waterways and big rocks we could move around. So, we could see that we could make it into something extraordinary if we tried hard enough,” she says.
A pond left behind by the quarrying is now a beautiful oasis.
Waitakaruru Arboretum
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Health and safety regulations for laboratory work are not fit for purpose, and regulatory relief is coming, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden confirmed today.
“Nonsensical health and safety compliance was identified as a major pain point for research laboratories during my roadshows and in feedback through submissions. I’m pleased to back scientists to use their expertise to assess risks and put in place effective controls targeted to these highly specialised environments,” says Ms van Velden.
Currently, those working in research, teaching and testing laboratories are subject to the same regulatory requirements as industrial operations that use hazardous substances, such as petrol refineries.
“Research laboratory work is typically smaller-scale and often use a larger range of hazardous substances than industrial operations, whereas the current regulations are more easily applied to situations using a few substances in large quantities.
“Not only are the current rules impractical, in some cases they could end up making laboratory work more dangerous. Some of the examples I heard included:
Laboratories with self-reactive substances are required to be on the ground floor of buildings. But locating laboratories on upper levels makes more sense from a safety perspective because it allows people to get out if there is a fire.
Cabinets used to store certain amounts of flammable substances must be separated by three metres. To meet this requirement, laboratories would need to be made significantly larger, or the hazardous substances would need to be moved frequently from outside the laboratory, which increases handling risks.
Some flammable substances must be managed in workrooms that meet specified fire-resistance ratings. Many research laboratories were not constructed to those standards. Fire risk can be effectively managed in other ways, including storage in industry-standard cabinets and the use of ventilation or sprinkler systems.
Universities New Zealand and the Independent Research Association of New Zealand estimate that the costs of compliance, unless changes are made, is likely to be between $1.5 billion to $3 billion.
“Research laboratories used to be treated differently, with their own compliance pathway under a code of practice. Today’s issues have arisen because that pathway was removed by regulatory amendments in 2017. The Government at the time intended to replace the pathway with a better mechanism for laboratories, however, that did not happen, so research laboratories have been bound by overly restrictive rules for nearly a decade.
“This Government will deliver what laboratories have been waiting for since 2017. There will be new tailored regulations for the sector and an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) that will set out clear guidance on how to manage these risks.
“This is part of my wider health and safety system reform focused on making regulations workable so Kiwis can get on with their work safely without over-zealous rules holding them back,” says Ms van Velden.
The amendments to the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 are expected to come into force in 2026.
