Morning Report live: Chris Hipkins faces questions after rejecting claims by ex-wife

Source: Radio New Zealand Labour leader Chris Hipkins. RNZ / Mark Papalii Chris Hipkins is speaking to Morning Report shortly. You can listen on the player above, your app or your local RNZ frequency. Labour leader Chris Hipkins is set to face question on Morning Report after rejecting allegations made against him by his ex-wife. … Read more

Serious crash: Mayoral Drive, central Auckland

Source: New Zealand Police Police are in attendance at a serious crash in central Auckland this morning. At 7am, a crash involving a vehicle and scooter has occurred at the intersection of Mayoral Drive and Cook Street. The scooter rider is currently in a critical condition, and is being transported to hospital. Police have put … Read more

Speed limit confusion: NZTA reverses hundreds of fines

Source: Radio New Zealand Motorists had received fines for driving above 30km/h on 16 November. File photo. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Hundreds of speeding fines issued on a single day in Lower Hutt have been cancelled and refunded, after NZTA Waka Kotahi decided road signs had created confusion about the speed limit. The transport agency … Read more

Anxious, desensitised: How teens learn about news now

Source: Radio New Zealand When 18-year-old Wellington student Estella wants a different take on the latest war in the Middle East – or the conflict in Palestine or the Ukraine invasion – she has a quick scroll through her boyfriend’s social media feeds. Even though they share similar political views, his feed tends to skew … Read more

Is Nicola Willis’s ‘worst-case’ scenario not bad enough?

Source: Radio New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis. RNZ / Mark Papalii Finance Minister Nicola Willis might be being optimistic if she thinks inflation at 3.7 percent is a “worst case scenario”, one economist says. Willis told media on Monday that in the event of a prolonged conflict in Iran, lasting until the end of … Read more

Surge in prison sexual assault allegations linked to new complaints system, Corrections says

Source: Radio New Zealand The highest number of sexual assault allegations made by prisoners against staff in the 2024/25 financial year was recorded at Auckland Prison. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Department of Corrections says a sharp rise in allegations of sexual assault by prisoners against staff is largely due to the introduction of a … Read more

‘We feel abandoned’: Kiwi in Dubai describes fear, chaos and lack of consular support

Source: Radio New Zealand A smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport. AFP A New Zealand citizen living in Dubai says they feel abandoned by the government as conflict intensifies, describing constant missile activity, shortages and a lack of clear evacuation support. Speaking anonymously, the expat told RNZ that conditions on … Read more

Seven Oranga Tamariki workers on trial accused of assaulting two teens at youth justice facility

Source: Radio New Zealand The defence lawyers say the staff were using legal restraint to keep themselves and the teens safe in a high risk situation. File photo. RNZ Seven Oranga Tamariki workers are accused of bashing two teens – or failing to stop them being bashed – in a tiny phone room at Korowai … Read more

Crews called in from Wellington to help with warehouse fire in Manawatū

Source: Radio New Zealand The scene of the fire around 4am on Wednesday. Facebook / Palmerston North Fire Brigade Firefighters are still battling a blaze at a large distribution warehouse in the central North Island. The fire in Milson, Palmerston North was first reported at 6.32pm on Tuesday. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the … Read more

White Ferns beaten, Black Caps win in game two of South Africa series

Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand bowler Lockie Ferguson. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz The results were reversed for both the White Ferns and Black Caps in game two of their T20 double-header series against South Africa in Hamilton. After a convincing first up 80-run win, the White Ferns were beaten by 18 runs, while the Black Caps … Read more

AI boom creating shortage of key elements for consumer technology

Source: Radio New Zealand The AI boom is creating a shortage of key elements for phones, computers, even cars and dishwashers. 123RF New Zealand consumers are being warned laptops, smart phones and even fridges are going to cost more as the price of key components jump by 400 percent. Since the AI boom, manufacturers had … Read more

Should teachers give children lollies and chocolates for good behaviour?

Source: Radio New Zealand Some teachers give children lollies and chocolates for good behaviour. RNZ / Diego Opatowski Should teachers give children lollies and chocolates for good behaviour? Some do even though Health Ministry guidelines say schools should not serve sweets or chocolate at all. A teacher RNZ agreed not to name said rewarding children … Read more

Native speargrass survives Tongariro inferno virtually unscathed, report reveals

Source: Radio New Zealand Ecologist Jess Scrimgeour doing fauna assessments in the burnt area. Supplied / Department of Conservation A Department of Conservation (DOC) ecological report reveals that native plants are making a comeback in the blackened fire-charred areas of Tongariro National Park, but warns that invasive weeds and animal pests pose a risk to … Read more

Machete-wielding carjacker to be deported back to New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ A man who threatened four drivers with a machete in Australia in a series of attempted carjackings will be deported back to New Zealand. John Suafai Semau held a 64-year-old man in a headlock while trying to flee an accident scene in Queensland in 2022 and steal his car, and … Read more

Demand for New Zealand cream surges in China

Source: Radio New Zealand Anchor Food whipping cream Global Anchor Food Professionals Brand Team A growing middle class enjoying products like cakes and iced-teas in China is seeing demand for New Zealand cream surge. Fonterra is building a new UHT cream factory at its Southland Edendale site – which when complete later this year will … Read more

Why the government backed away from breaking up supermarkets

Source: Radio New Zealand For most of 2025, the government talked tough on supermarkets, presenting itself as a consumer champion willing to use the toughest tools available to bring down food prices. If competition failed to improve, ministers said they were even prepared to consider the “nuclear option”- forcibly breaking up the companies that dominate … Read more

Former Social Investment boss Andrew Coster won’t comment on deputy Kylie Reiri’s resignation

Source: Radio New Zealand Andrew Coster. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Former Social Investment Agency chief executive Andrew Coster is refusing to comment on the resignation of the deputy chief executive who quit while being investigated over allegations of bullying and harassment. Social Investment Agency (SIA) deputy chief executive Kylie Reiri left the job last month. … Read more

Daughter’s battle with IRD for late dad’s unclaimed money

Source: Radio New Zealand Supplied A woman who is trying to claim $12,000 from Inland Revenue’s unclaimed money list says she has been frustrated by continuous hurdles. IR has a database of amounts of at least $100 that have been left untouched in banks, finance companies, investment funds or with someone such as a solicitor … Read more

‘Your partner is your welfare system’: Coupled up with not enough

Source: Radio New Zealand Out of work New Zealanders are having to rely on their partners as their welfare system. 123RF Out of work New Zealanders who say they have worked hard and paid taxes all their life are forced to rely on their partners as their welfare system. RNZ has been reporting on the … Read more

Dental Association blames workforce shortages on government’s dental school admission limit

Source: Radio New Zealand A dentist provides dental care to a girl. AFP/ Thibaut Durand/ Hans Lucas A government-led cap on dental school admissions are contributing to workforce shortages for clinics around the country, an oral health expert says. The New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) said clinics were going several months short-staffed after it surveyed … Read more

Health support group calls for better government oversight of Long Covid effects

Source: Radio New Zealand New data estimates 185,000 New Zealanders experienced Long Covid symptoms in the 12 months ending July last year. FANATIC STUDIO / SCIENCE PHOTO L The government should be keeping tabs on the lingering and “deeply concerning” effects of Long Covid around the country, a health support group says. Newly released data … Read more

Property Market – Home values still holding steady for now – QV

Source: Quality Valuation (QV) Residential property values have remained virtually flat over summer. Our latest Quotable Value (QV) House Price Index shows the average residential home value increased nationally by just 0.2% in the three months to the end of February 2026, with the national average now sitting at $909,139. That figure is 0.4% lower … Read more

Error notification: Food price index (FPI) for January 2026 – Stats NZ news story

Source: Statistics New Zealand Error notification: Food price index (FPI) for January 2026 – news story 17 March 2026 Stats NZ has corrected the January 2026 food price index (FPI) after the discovery of an error. Food price data is published each month in the selected price indexes release. Stats NZ previously stated food prices were … Read more

Annual food prices increase 4.5 percent – Stats NZ news story and information release

Source: Statistics New Zealand Annual food prices increase 4.5 percent – news story 17 March 2026 Food prices increased 4.5 percent in the 12 months to February 2026, following a 4.2 percent rise in the 12 months to January 2026, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Higher prices for the meat, poultry, and fish … Read more

Macau’s No.1 Water Attraction Reopens This April for a Fun-Packed Experiential Start to Summer at Galaxy Macau Grand Resort Deck

Source: Media Outreach The award-winning luxury resort is set to bring the ultimate expression of summer to Macau, delighting guests with world-class attractions and thrilling experiences. MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 March 2026 – Galaxy Macau, the world-class luxury resort, is proud announces the reopening of the iconic Grand Resort Deck on … Read more

From Gloriavale to KiwiSaver: human rights abuses in plain sight – Mindful Money

Source: Mindful Money, Barry Coates KiwiSaver investors increasingly exposed to companies linked to human rights abuses New analysis shows KiwiSaver investments in companies linked to human rights concerns have surged, despite human rights violations remaining the top ethical priority for New Zealand investors. KiwiSaver investments in companies identified as contributing to human rights harms have … Read more