Weather: Stormy end to week for upper North Island

Source: Radio New Zealand MetService is forecasting periods of heavy rain for the upper North Island. MetService The upper North Island looks set for a wet end to the week, with a deep subtropical low bringing rain and strong winds. A heavy rain watch is in place for Northland for 53 hours, from 10am Wednesday … Read more

Offenders armed with gun demand cash during robbery

Source: Radio New Zealand Police are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to contact them with information. RNZ / REECE BAKER Three people, one armed with a gun, broke into a home in the Auckland suburb of Wesley on Sunday night, police say. Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk said the armed robbery … Read more

Think the price of petrol is bad? Spare a thought for diesel drivers

Source: Radio New Zealand Diesel is more expensive to make than petrol but the impact of fuel excise tax usually conceals this. RNZ / Quin Tauetau Diesel is now only about 20c a litre cheaper than 91 – even though 70c of the price of a litre of petrol is tax. Data from petrol price … Read more

Man arrested following park assault

Source: New Zealand Police Please attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Paula Drewery, Taranaki Area Investigations Manager: Police investigating a serious assault in King Edward Park in Stratford on Friday evening have arrested one person. A 23-year-old man will appear in the Hawera District Court today on wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Police … Read more

Competitive allocation process applications closed for NZ’s largest farm

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  23 March 2026 Rangitahi/Molesworth is New Zealand’s largest farm and has a long history of high-country farming. It’s also a nationally important drylands ecosystem with a deep cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Kurī, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and Rangitāne o Wairau, and significant biodiversity and recreation values. … Read more

$3.5m boost to restore fire-damaged Tongariro

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  20 February 2026 Source:  Office of the Minister of Conservation “Tongariro is a Dual World Heritage site, a taonga, and a cornerstone of the Ruapehu District economy. The fires have damaged biodiversity, disrupted recreation, and affected the livelihoods of families and businesses across Ruapehu District,” Mr Potaka says. “That is why … Read more

Economy – Canterbury goes back-to-back in ASB’s latest Regional Economic Scoreboard

Source: ASB South Island continues to hold strong with Canterbury outperforming the rest of the country Otago and Waikato coming in second place equal Auckland shows promising signs of improvement, jumps to fourth place Wellington remains under pressure, finishing last place. Canterbury continues to shine in ASB’s Regional Economic Scoreboard, finishing 2025 as New Zealand’s … Read more

Competitive allocation applications process closed for NZ’s largest farm

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  23 March 2026 Rangitahi/Molesworth is New Zealand’s largest farm and has a long history of high-country farming. It’s also a nationally important drylands ecosystem with a deep cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Kurī, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and Rangitāne o Wairau, and significant biodiversity and recreation values. … Read more

Steven Alker wins in a play-off to defend title on Champions Tour

Source: Radio New Zealand Steven Alker during the 2026 Cologuard Classic CHRISTIAN PETERSEN / AFP New Zealand golfer Steven Alker successfully endured another play-off finish to a golf tournament on the PGA Champions Tour. Alker again came out on top to defend his title at the Cologuard Classic in Tuscon, Arizona. He also won the … Read more

Live: Oil prices rise as fall out from Middle East crisis continues

Source: Radio New Zealand Oil prices have risen as the fall out continues from the Middle East crisis. Brent Crude oil rose about US$1 to be just above US$113 a barrel in early Asia trade. The New Zealand share market has retreated sharply, with the benchmark NZX50 down 1.4 percent shortly after 11am. Meanwhile, Finance … Read more

Mangakara Nature Walk to reopen, caution urged

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  23 March 2026 DOC Waikato Operations Manager Niwha Jones says his staff have been working hard to reopen and assess tracks, and the latest to be made available to the public is Mangakara Nature Walk. The Mangakara Nature Walk is a family friendly short walk and easily accessible from Grey … Read more

Chris Wood closing on Premier League return for Nottingham Forest

Source: Radio New Zealand Chris Wood celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC. Michael Regan/Getty Images All Whites captain Chris Wood could return to action for Nottingham Forest for the last two months of their English Premier League campaign after recovering … Read more

Offenders armed with gun demand cash during alleged robbery

Source: Radio New Zealand Police are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to contact them with information. RNZ / REECE BAKER Three people, one armed with a gun, broke into a home in the Auckland suburb of Wesley on Sunday night, police say. Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk said the armed robbery … Read more

NZ Cricket to push for revitalised T20 league in New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand Northern Districts celebrate winning the men’s Super Smash grand final. Photosport New Zealand Cricket will push for a proposed NZ20 franchise league to replace the current domestic T20 Super Smash competition. The NZC Board has made an in-principle decision to support the establishment of the new league, subject to reaching key … Read more

Aged Care Assn: If we can fund EV chargers, why can’t we fund aged care beds?

Source: Aged Care Association This week’s announcement that Government-backed loans will support the rollout of another 2,500 electric vehicle charging points across New Zealand is, in many ways, good news. As an EV owner, I welcome the continued investment in infrastructure that supports the transition to a lower-emissions future. It is practical, forward-looking, and demonstrates that … Read more

Delays on Auckland’s Southern Motorway after multi-vehicle crash

Source: Radio New Zealand There were delays near Auckland’s Ōtāhuhu after the crash. (File photo) Unsplash / Robert Calvert Commuters on Auckland’s Southern Motorway should expect delays following a multi-vehicle crash. Emergency services were at the scene on State Highway One, near Ōtāhuhu. Police said the crash happened near the northbound Princes St off-ramp, about … Read more

Health – Record-breaking drug consumption shows, yet again, a new approach is needed

Source: NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri New data showing record-breaking cocaine consumption is just the latest evidence that the country’s drugs approach is failing, the NZ Drug Foundation says. New wastewater testing data released by Police today shows cocaine consumption surged nationwide to an all-time high in Q4 2025, exceeding MDMA … Read more

Health – New partnership targets long-term GP workforce sustainability through international recruitment

Source: Royal NZ College of General Practitioners Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) have announced a partnership focused on increasing the number of international GPs coming to New Zealand, to join our local GP workforce. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening New Zealand’s … Read more

Two key names missing from Whitney Hansen’s first Black Ferns squad

Source: Radio New Zealand New Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen. Photosport A couple of key names are missing from Whitney Hansen’s first squad as Black Ferns head coach, with 30-players selected for next month’s Pacific Four Series (PAC4) in the USA and Australia. Twenty players from last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup return, with eight … Read more

Black Caps, South Africa locked 2-2 in T20 series, one game to come

Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand Black Caps Kyle Jamieson celebrates the wicket of South Africa Wiaan Mulder, Black Caps v South Africa, Hnry Stadium, Wellington. Kerry Marshall/Photosport An inability to hold onto wickets has cost the Black Caps the chance to seal the T20 series against South Africa, losing the fourth match at Hnry … Read more

White Ferns seal T20 series victory over South Africa

Source: Radio New Zealand Sophie Devine led the charge for the White Ferns in Wellington, scoring a 23rd T20 international half-century. Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz The White Ferns have clinched the T20 international series against South Africa with a game to spare, after a commanding six-wicket win in the fourth match in Wellington. Batter Sophie … Read more

Strange chain of events leads to important ecological discovery of native bats

Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand’s long-tailed bat (pekapeka-tou-roa) is on the edge of extinction. Department of Conservation It’s a conservation story unlike any other. How did a high-profile crime that had the nation’s farmers up in arms and a visit to an out-of-the-way rubbish dump lead to the discovery of critically endangered native bats … Read more

Social media uses negativity to steal our attention – how to reclaim it

Source: Radio New Zealand Thanks to the widespread accessibility of the internet, many of us have front-row seats to suffering and death across the globe for the first time in history, even when we are not directly affected. We’re living in what scholars describe as a “polycrisis” — a set of interconnected crises that compound … Read more

Fonterra delivers strong half-year profit

Source: Radio New Zealand Outgoing chief executive Miles Hurrell said the changes to the forecast Farmgate Milk Price and earnings reflected improvement in global commodity prices and the co-op’s strong underlying margins and cost control. Supplied/LikeMinds Fonterra delivered a strong first half result, beating market expectations, while lifting its full year earnings outlook and forecast … Read more

Woman sent to court after fleeing Police

Source: New Zealand Police A woman nosing through North Shore mailboxes has been diverted to court after fleeing from Police. At 3am, Police detected a stolen Nissan hatchback travelling through Wairau Valley. Acting Inspector Andrew Hawkins, Relieving Waitematā East Area Prevention Manager, says the Police Eagle helicopter had been in the area and deployed to … Read more

Activism – Still waiting for Luxon to condemn illegal war, as government further aligns with US and Israel

Source: Peace Action Wellington Date: Saturday 21 March 2026 – “The people of New Zealand continue to await political leadership from Christopher Luxon regarding the US and Israel’s illegal and aggressivewar on Iran. Instead, today he has issued a statement condemning Iran because it will cost us more for oil. It is frankly astonishing that … Read more

University Research – Brain scientist knows the value of hope – UoA

Source: University of Auckland – UoA A rising star in brain research, Dr Molly Swanson has recently been granted $877,000 for research into motor neurone disease. Dr Molly Swanson’s experience of mothering a child with a life-threatening condition fuels her passion for researching brain diseases. The scientist from University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research … Read more