Improved economy helped reduce household debt but Middle East war adds uncertainty

Source: Radio New Zealand An improving economy has helped to reduce household debt levels. RNZ / Quin Tauetau Consumer debt arrears fall, but more in deeper distress Consumer credit demand softens a shade, but up on year ago Business credit demand subdued, but service and agriculture show strength Business liquidations in February highest in 17 … Read more

Who the winners and losers of Christopher Luxon’s election-year Cabinet reshuffle might be

Source: Radio New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will be juggling disappointment and elation when announcing his election-year Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday. RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon Analysis: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will be juggling disappointment and elation when announcing his election-year Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday. With senior minister Judith Collins set to become president of … Read more

Rajinder, man who murdered Gurjit Singh, to be sentenced

Source: Radio New Zealand Rajinder was found guilty of murder following a High Court jury trial last year. RNZ The man who murdered Gurjit Singh at his Dunedin home will be sentenced on Wednesday. Singh, 27, was found dead on the lawn of the property in January in 2024 after being stabbed more than 40 … Read more

Crown unlikely to have evidence to pursue David Tamihere retrial – Defence Lawyers’ Association

Source: Radio New Zealand David Tamihere. RNZ The Defence Lawyers’ Association does not believe the Crown has the evidence to pursue a retrial of David Tamihere. Tamihere was convicted in 1990 of killing Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen on the Coromandel Peninsula. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court quashed the convictions and directed a … Read more

Steep rise in sepsis hospital admissions over last two decades, research reveals

Source: Radio New Zealand Sharla McTavish, a Tangata Tiriti PhD student from the Department of Public Health at Otago University. Supplied Hospital admissions for sepsis have risen steeply in the past 20 years, with new research showing infants, people over 70, Māori and Pacific peoples and those living in areas of high deprivation more at … Read more

West Coast polytechnic Tai Poutini to become Open Polytechnic campus next year

Source: Radio New Zealand Tai Poutini will become a campus of the Open Polytechnic next year. Google Maps The West Coast polytechnic Tai Poutini will become a campus of the Open Polytechnic next year. The institute is among the last four polytechnics remaining in super-institute Te Pūkenga. Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds said the other … Read more

KiwiSaver contribution rates rise

Source: Radio New Zealand Employers are generally prepared for Wednesday’s KiwiSaver changes, business groups say. 123RF Employers are generally prepared for Wednesday’s KiwiSaver changes, business groups say. From 1 April, the default rate for KiwiSaver contributions for employers and employees will lift to 3.5 percent, from 3 percent. This would happen for all members who … Read more

Torty the tortoise, who survived World War I, visits Te Papa exhibit which tells her story

Source: Radio New Zealand Torty the tortoise sits next to a story about her at Te Papa. TE PAPA / SUPPLIED A grand old dame who survived World War I and emigrated from Europe to New Zealand with a Kiwi solider has made a surprise visit to Te Papa to see an exhibition which tells … Read more

The Rise of Hybrid Work in the Philippines Brings Home Cooking Back to the Table

Source: Media Outreach PROVACUNO, the Agro-food Interprofessional Organization of the Spanish beef industry, under the framework of the European Union’s promotion program It’s Time for EU Beef, invites Filipino households to make the most of this new lifestyle with premium European beef MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – Hybrid work … Read more

It’s Time for EU Beef: Strengthening Ties with the Philippines through a Successful 2025 and a Promising 2026

Source: Media Outreach The European promotional campaign “It’s Time for EU Beef” has consolidated its presence in the Philippine market throughout 2025 and has kicked off 2026 with renewed momentum. Through trade missions, international exhibitions, exclusive showrooms, and high-level seminars, the campaign continues to position European beef from Spain as a premium product among Filipino … Read more

Exercise New Zealand Part of Global Call for Urgent Action on Obesity Medications: A World’s First

Source: Exercise NZ “GLP-1 therapies can be a powerful tool in addressing obesity. However, without strength training and broader lifestyle support, we risk worse long-term health outcomes and increased pressure on the health system. This is our opportunity to build an approach that is safe, effective, and truly holistic.” “Physical activity should not be an … Read more

Linklogis Releases 2025 Annual Results: Total Volume of Processed Supply Chain Assets Exceeds RMB500 Billion, Unveiling the “SC+ Platform”

Source: Media Outreach SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – On March 31, 2026, Linklogis Inc. (09959.HK, “Linklogis”) released its 2025 annual results. During the year, the total revenue and income amounted to RMB983 million. Revenue and income in the second half of the year increased significantly by 62% compared with … Read more

CK Life Sciences’ Sequencio Therapeutics Presents the Latest Vaccine Research Advancements at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – Sequencio Therapeutics Company Limited (“Sequencio”), a subsidiary of CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc. (“CK Life Sciences”), today announced that five research abstracts will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (“AACR”) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place 17–22 … Read more

For journalists who covered JFK Jr’s fatal plane crash, the memories are much more vivid than Love Story

Source: Radio New Zealand FX’s Love Story — the Ryan Murphy-produced show that revisits the lives of John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy — concludes this week with the episode that won’t be easy to watch, even if everyone knew it was coming. The nine-episode series began by teeing up the fate that … Read more

More Bluebridge Connemara ferry sailings cancelled after Maritime NZ clearance delayed

Source: Radio New Zealand More Bluebridge Connemara ferry sailings have been cancelled (File photo). RNZ / Bill Hickman Bluebridge says sea trials and final clearance from Maritime New Zealand for its beleaguered Connemara ferry have been delayed. The ship was side-lined due to a technical fault 10 days ago. Then, on Monday evening, Maritime NZ … Read more

Former Manukau City mayor Sir Barry Curtis has died, aged 87

Source: Radio New Zealand Former Manukau City Council Mayor Sir Barry Curtis. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Former Manukau City mayor Sir Barry Curtis – one of the country’s longest serving mayors – has died at the age of 87. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says Sir Barry leaves “an enormous legacy”. He led Manukau City from … Read more

Bangkok announced as Host City of the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026

Source: Media Outreach The Grand Final of Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 will take place on 14 November 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, marking the arrival of the world’s most iconic music competition in Asia. BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Voxovation together with Thailand’s … Read more

Whakatāne puppy drowning video streamed to social media

Source: Radio New Zealand The puppies were taken out of a pillowcase and thrown into the Whakatāne River. File photo. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Two young men allegedly filmed themselves drowning young puppies in the Whakatāne River and posted the video to social media last night. A 19-year-old man has been charged with cruelty to … Read more

Health NZ changes advice on Covid-19 vaccinations

Source: Radio New Zealand Covid boosters would no longer be routinely recommended for many people. (File photo) AFP Health NZ has changed its advice on Covid-19 vaccinations, saying most healthy people aged 30-64 no longer need regular boosters. But there were exceptions and anyone who wanted or needed a booster could still have a free … Read more

Government backs down from work from home policy day before court hearing – PSA

Source: Radio New Zealand PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The government’s mega-ministry is backing down from work from home policy a day before the matter was scheduled for court, the Public Service Association (PSA) says. The union filed legal action last year after a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) … Read more

Car left on Interislander ferry first clue person went overboard in Cook Strait

Source: Radio New Zealand Kaiārahi ferry. File photo. Supplied / Regan Ingley Crew on the Kaiārahi did not know a passenger was missing until they found his car. A search is underway for a person that went overboard from an Interislander ferry on the Cook Strait overnight. A KiwiRail spokesperson said the incident happened from … Read more

Apical Launches Rumah FABA Kreasi Muda Initiative to Support Independent Small Businesses in Dumai

Source: Media Outreach SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – Apical, through its business unit PT Sari Dumai Oleo (PT SDO), recently inaugurated the Rumah FABA Kreasi Muda in Lubuk Gaung, Sungai Sembilan, Dumai, Riau. The initiative forms part of the company’s efforts to support community empowerment through productive economic activities. Rumah … Read more

Auckland Council remembers the life of Sir Barry Curtis

Source: Auckland Council Sir Barry Curtis, the former Mayor of Manukau who devoted nearly 40 years of his life to serving the people of Manukau and Auckland has passed away. Sir Barry was a dedicated public servant, known for his remarkable 24-year tenure as the third Mayor of Manukau, a role he held from 1983 … Read more

Apical and Partners Target 30,000 Trees in East Kutai in the Second Year of Sustainable Living Village Programme

Source: Media Outreach SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – The Sustainable Living Village (SLV) programme, a collaboration between Apical and the Earthworm Foundation, has entered its second year of implementation in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. From 8 to 12 February 2026, the programme resumed activities across Tepian Makmur, Tepian Indah, … Read more

Phuket Strengthens Appeal for UK Families as Secure International Residential Destination

Source: Media Outreach Growing demand from British buyers, strengthened long-haul connectivity, and the continued evolution ofLaguna Phuket are reinforcing the appeal of Thailand’s largest island as a secure and globally connected place to live and invest. PHUKET, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – Phuket’s transformation from world-renowned holiday destination into a … Read more

Fullgoal Launches Its First Hong Kong‑Domiciled ETF, Targeting High Dividends and Low Volatility

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 March 2026 – Fullgoal Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (“Fullgoal AM HK”) listed its first Hong Kong-domiciled ETF — the Fullgoal Hang Seng HK High Dividend ETF (Stock Code: 3031) — on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 31 March. A milestone in … Read more

Last doctors at Palmerston North Hospital’s gastroenterology service to leave

Source: Radio New Zealand Palmerston North Hospital. (File photo) Last remaining doctors at Palmerston North Hospital gastroenterology department to leave Concerns expressed about post code lottery for patient care Health NZ says it’s filling gaps at the department using staff from around the country, and recruiting new specialists Doctors at a regional hospital are warning … Read more