Weather: Tauranga residents urged to consider evacuating as heavy rain heads south

Source: Radio New Zealand The main road in Kawakawa RNZ / Nick Monro People in Tauranga feeling unsafe when heavy rain bears down on the city are being urged to evacuate. The Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane is now under an orange heavy rain warning, with up to 140mm forecast from midnight. Tauranga City … Read more

Gang member arrested and charged for drug supply, Christchurch

Source: New Zealand Police Attributable to Inspector Craig Scott: Police delivered an early Easter surprise to a Christchurch gang member, who was arrested and charged in relation to drug supply last week. At around 2:45pm on Thursday 2 April, the Te Wai Pounamu Gang Disruption Unit located a person of interest on Litchfield Street. A … Read more

Renewed appeal for information on missing woman Rowena Walker

Source: New Zealand Police Christchurch Police remain committed in their efforts to locate missing woman Rowena Walker, nearly eight months on from her last confirmed sighting. Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan says Police continue to follow lines of enquiry to locate the missing 39-year-old. “Rowena’s last confirmed sighting was on 14 August, when she was … Read more

Cyclone Vaianu cuts off roads, closes schools and cancels flights in Fiji

Source: Radio New Zealand Videos shared by the Fiji Meteorological Service – sent by the public – showing real-time weather updates of the impacts of Vaianu show rain and strong winds affecting different parts of the country. Screengrab / Facebook/Fiji Meteorological Service Dozens of roads and crossings are inaccessible in Fiji’s Western Division due to … Read more

Health and Education – From Intern to Psychologist: Fresh Minds helps careers begin

Source: ProCare Fresh Minds is shaping the next generation of psychologists through hands‑on training and supportive pathways into practice. Just one year after joining the Fresh Mind’s Intern Hub, Tasha Francis has stepped into a full-time Psychologist role with ProCare Fresh Minds. Her journey demonstrates how the Hub is delivering tangible outcomes for Aotearoa’s mental … Read more

Reprieve for Christopher Luxon, but National still under 30 in latest poll

Source: Radio New Zealand National Party leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins. RNZ The latest Taxpayers Union-Curia poll shows National slightly up – but still below 30%, and Labour slightly down, with the coalition parties comfortably able to form a government. Labour on 33.4% is still above National on 29.8%. But with NZ … Read more

Missing woman Rowena Walker’s family ‘desperately worried for her safety’

Source: Radio New Zealand Rowena Walker’s last confirmed sighting was on 14 August, when she was captured on CCTV in Christchurch on Bassett Street with an associate. Supplied The family of a woman who has been missing for nearly eight months are “desperately worried for her safety”, police say. Rowena Walker was reported missing by … Read more

Commerce Commission concerned over carpet company merger, delays decision

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Alexander Robertson Commerce Commission to issue detailed concerns about Bremworth takeover Takeover would join Bremworth with rival Godfrey Hirst Regulator previously said not convinced deal would not “substantially lessen” competition Decision pushed out until end of May A proposed merger of the country’s top two carpet makers is faces … Read more

Auckland’s traffic woes threaten New Zealand’s productivity – Infrastructure New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand AFP Infrastructure New Zealand is calling for more investment in Auckland’s transport woes, warning congestion and delays threaten the country’s productivity. The lobby group joined with thinktank Committee for Auckland to hold a summit of leaders from across business, infrastructure, and government to find ways through the city’s transport challenges. Chief … Read more

Pharmac widens access to two melanoma medicines

Source: PHARMAC Pharmac will widen access to two melanoma medicines, giving New Zealanders another funded immunotherapy option and reducing the amount of treatment some people may need. From 1 May 2026, people with stage 3B to stage 4 melanoma that can be removed with surgery will be eligible for funded nivolumab and ipilimumab before surgery. … Read more

Business – Fuel disruption hits business confidence before supplies, EMA survey

Source: EMA Media Release New Zealand businesses are already changing behaviour in response to the global fuel disruption, not because fuel has run out, but because confidence is waning. New survey evidence from the EMA shows employers are reacting to rising prices, volatility and uncertainty well ahead of any widespread disruption to physical fuel supplies, with … Read more

Advocacy – Greenpeace to join the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza

Source: Greenpeace Barcelona, Spain – Greenpeace has announced that its ship, the Arctic Sunrise, will join the upcoming Global Sumud Flotilla. Sailing alongside more than seventy vessels and over a thousand participants who seek to directly challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade of aid to Gaza – the Arctic Sunrise’s role will be to provide technical and operational maritime … Read more

Coromandel and North Waikato move to open fire season

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand Both the Coromandel and North Waikato zones will move into an open fire season from Tuesday 7 April at 9am, until further notice. This means a permit is no longer required to light an open air fire in the area. Fire and Emergency New Zealand Acting District Manager Mark Tinworth … Read more

Events – North Island Firefighters compete in high-speed public event

Source: United Fire Brigades’ Association More than 140 firefighters from across Te Ika-a-Māui, the North Island, will converge on Havelock North this weekend to compete in one of the most physically demanding firefighter-sports events in the country – the UFBA North Island Firefighter Challenge. For the first time ever, this event will be taking place on … Read more

Advocacy – Foreign Minister Peters urged to put Palestine at the front of the agenda in Washington – PSNA

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – PSNA Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has just written to Foreign Minister Winston Peters, urging him to put Palestine front and centre in his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington this week. “The escalating international crisis, which all stems from resistance to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, … Read more

Northland residents using Afterpay to buy essentials amid cost-of-living crisis

Source: Radio New Zealand In the small, predominantly Māori town of Kaikohe, residents struggling with high living costs are using Afterpay to buy things like gas. The buy-now-pay-later service lets you purchase goods and services at a quarter of the cost, then pay off the total in three fortnightly instalments. For some families, it means … Read more

Air NZ cuts more flights from schedules, lifts ticket prices amid fuel crisis

Source: Radio New Zealand File image. Supplied/ Air NZ Air New Zealand is making further cuts to its flight schedules and lifting ticket prices in response to the high cost of jet fuel. The airline said the changes apply to some of its services in May and June, affecting 4 percent of flights, and 1 … Read more

Subscription-based food suppliers struggling with rising fuel costs

Source: Radio New Zealand Wonky Box is being affected by growing fuel prices. Supplied / Wonky Box / Sophie Louise Creative Artisan food producers and speciality food suppliers have expressed their concern about how growing fuel prices will affect their online businesses. Among those affected is Wonky Box, a delivery service that supplies customers with … Read more

Four deaths on our roads across Easter holiday weekend

Source: New Zealand Police Provisionally, four people lost their lives on our roads this Easter holiday weekend. There is still a lot of work to do, and we need to be much better, says Superintendent Steve Greally, Director of Road Policing. “Every death we see on our roads is one too many, and we simply … Read more

Promoter defends plan for Kanye West to headline festival

Source: Radio New Zealand One of the promoters of an annual London music festival on Monday defended plans for Kanye West to headline it, amid a backlash over the US rapper’s previous antisemitic outbursts. Disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star West – now known as Ye – is due to play three nights at the Wireless Festival … Read more

Source of Auckland E coli outbreak probed

Source: Radio New Zealand Supplied / Watercare Watercare is investigating the cause of a possible E coli case which has put thousands of Aucklanders on a boil water notice. The notice was put in place for parts of Hillsborough, Mt Roskill, Royal Oak and Three Kings on Monday after routine water sample testing showed traces … Read more

Controversial Hawke’s Bay dam project gets $18m loan from government

Source: Radio New Zealand The proposed site for the dam project. RNZ / YouTube The government is lending $18 million to a controversial dam project in Central Hawke’s Bay. The Tukituki Water Security Project, formerly the Ruataniwha Dam, is currently undergoing a $6.8m pre-construction feasibility study funded by businesses, water uses and the government. The … Read more

CPA Australia: Malaysian Small Businesses Urged To Adopt Productivity-enhancing Technologies For Sustained Growth

Source: Media Outreach Young business owners drive small businesses in Malaysia Technology adoption remains concentrated in front-end activities Improved access to finance needed for deeper digital transformation KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 April 2026 – Innovation, technology and young entrepreneurs continue to power growth among Malaysian small business, but this has … Read more

‘Passive’ screen time may raise dementia risk

Source: Radio New Zealand Watching television and other “mentally passive” sedentary behaviours are linked to a higher risk of developing dementia, while more mentally engaging activities such as crossword puzzles appear to offer some protection, according to a new study. The findings add nuance to what we know about brain health and aging, and they … Read more

Controversial Hawke’s Bay dam project gets $14m loan from government

Source: Radio New Zealand The proposed site for the dam project. RNZ / YouTube The government is lending $18 million to a controversial dam project in Central Hawke’s Bay. The Tukituki Water Security Project, formerly the Ruataniwha Dam, is currently undergoing a $6.8m pre-construction feasibility study funded by businesses, water uses and the government. The … Read more

‘Never have I felt so dependent on … feelings of one administration’: Nicola Willis on Trump and Iran

Source: Radio New Zealand Nicola Willis speaks after the latest government update on fuel supplies, 6 April. RNZ / Giles Dexter The finance minister says she has “never felt so dependent on the actions and feelings of one administration and its leaders”, as concerns grow about the fuel shock triggered by the US-Israel war on … Read more

Is it safe to eat cold leftovers?

Source: Radio New Zealand Food poisoning is caused by eating food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, fungi or viruses. Although most people know that it can result from poorly cooked foods or risky food preparation habits, improperly stored leftovers are also a key cause. It’s therefore extremely important you take care when storing leftovers to avoid … Read more