Banned teacher worked with vulnerable youth before offending exposed

Source: Radio New Zealand April Marie Nordstrom had a sexual relationship with a student at Whangārei Girls’ High School. Social media A former teacher barred from the job for sexual misconduct had worked at an organisation for vulnerable youth for roughly five months before a ruling detailing her offending was made public. The Teaching Council’s … Read more

Analysis: What would it take for Christopher Luxon to quit as prime minister?

Source: Radio New Zealand One of Luxon’s weaknesses in the top job is his inability to take feedback. RNZ / Mark Papalii Analysis – If anyone is going to convince Christopher Luxon it’s time to step aside from the prime ministership, it’s his forerunner and friend Sir John Key. The pair are close, and throughout … Read more

Two seriously injured near Levin after ambulance, gas truck collide

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A St John’s paramedic and a LPG delivery driver have been seriously injured in a crash on State Highway 1, north of Levin. St John’s area operations manager Gareth Collings said a rapid response unit was caught up in the crash which happened at 10.40 am near … Read more

New Dunedin Hospital’s ‘approved budget’ higher than government claimed

Source: Radio New Zealand The new Dunedin Hospital build site. RNZ/Tess Brunton The approved budget for the new Dunedin Hospital (NDH) is just over $2 billion, though the government continues to use a figure $174 million less than that. The newly revealed budget is $2.05b, while the government as recently as Wednesday said it was … Read more

Appointments – Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Appoints New Chief Executive

Source: Heritage New Zealand Appointment announced by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga announces the appointment of Dean Whiting MNZM (Te Whānau ā Apanui/ Farquharson) as its new Chief Executive / Manahautū. Mr Whiting will move from his current position as Deputy Chief Executive Kaihautū Māori. Mr Whiting has been the Acting … Read more

Hauraki Gulf – Connection with one of Auckland’s great backyards

Source: NZ Department of Conservation It’s hard to believe that Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, our largest, busiest and most densely populated city in New Zealand hosts one of the most abundant and diverse marine parks in the world. Our treasured Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, New Zealand’s only national park of the sea, is 1.2 million … Read more

Money20/20 Asia Report: APAC Fintech Ecosystem Shifts from Experimentation to Scale as AI and Digital Assets Drive Regional Leadership

Source: Media Outreach BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 March 2026 – Money20/20, the world’s leading fintech show and the place where money does business, unveiled its annual Future of Fintech in APAC report ahead of Money20/20 Asia in Bangkok on April 21-23 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. The whitepaper reveals … Read more

All avenues exhausted in Christchurch

Source: New Zealand Police Driver summoned to Court after officers hear his car’s “extremely loud exhaust”. Police were out on foot patrol in Cashel Mall on Wednesday when they heard a particularly loud car accelerating and reverberating through the nearby indoor carpark. Senior Constable Scott Agnew says the noise had gained the attention of members … Read more

Conflict – NEW ZEALANDERS URGED TO SUPPORT CHILDREN IN LEBANON FACING YET MORE DANGER AND FEAR – World Vision

Source: World Vision World Vision New Zealand is calling for urgent international action as renewed conflict in Lebanon has forced more than 94,000 people, including thousands of children, from their homes.  The surge in hostilities has centred on southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs, with more than 12,000 families displaced, and numbers rising … Read more

Otago Hector’s dolphin project to reveal links to other populations

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  06 March 2026 Hector’s dolphins, also known as tutumairekurai, pahu, or upokohue, are endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand and considered a taonga species. They are one of the smallest dolphins in the world and known for their rounded ‘Mickey Mouse ear’ shaped dorsal fin. With an estimated population of around 15,700, they are managed under … Read more

ASB wins Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year – KiwiSaver award

Source: ASB Morningstar has named ASB as KiwiSaver Fund Manager of the Year New Zealand for 2026, rewarding the strong fund performance achieved for its nearly half a million KiwiSaver members during 2025. ASB Chief Investment Officer Frank Jasper says that this independent endorsement is a real vote of confidence for ASB’s KiwiSaver members.   … Read more

Sir Peter Jackson to receive an honorary award at Cannes

Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand Oscar-winning filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson will be awarded the Palm d’Or at the opening of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Best known for creating the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson said the honour was “one of the greatest privileges of my career”. The French film festival organisers said … Read more

Move-on orders ‘shift the problem’ as advocates warn of harm to those already struggling

Source: Radio New Zealand The government announced plans to give police the power to direct people to leave a public space for up to 24 hours. Nick Monro Māori advocates and health leaders say the government’s move-on orders push homelessness out of view rather than addressing the conditions driving it. The government announced in February … Read more

NZ athletics to showcase diverse collection of world-class performers at ‘Track Stars’

Source: Radio New Zealand Hamish Kerr accepts the Halberg Supreme Award. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport World, Olympic and Commonwealth Games high jump champion Hamish Kerr stood in a room filled with New Zealand’s biggest sports stars and verbalised what everyone else was thinking. “I want to apologise to any non-athletics fans out there, it’s been a good … Read more

The secret to NZ’s sheep shearing success on show at world championships

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Charlotte Cook New Zealand is world famous for its sheep, and it seems as though those sheep might be the secret to its shearing success. The Golden Shears and the World Shearing Championships are running in parallel in Masterton this week with more than 400 competitors from 24 countries … Read more

Former police base in Auckland CBD still on market 7 years after it was cleared out

Source: Radio New Zealand The old police headquarters in central Auckland. Finn Blackwell / RNZ The former police base in Auckland’s central city is still on the market after it was vacated seven years ago. Staff left the station on the corner of Vincent Street and Cook Street for their current base on College Hill … Read more

Worries AI could be used by supermarkets to charge customers more

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF There is concern that Artificial Intelligence could be used to get customers to pay more, with one expert calling for legislation to block the use of dynamic pricing in supermarkets. The government’s amendment to the Commerce Act, which is expected to pass in the middle of the year, includes giving … Read more

Arrest and appeal following aggravated robbery, Whanganui

Source: New Zealand Police Attribute to Detective Rebecca Taylor, Whanganui CIB: Police have arrested and charged one person in relation to an aggravated robber in Castlecliff, Whanganui, this week. On Wednesday 4 March, around 6.10pm, Police were called with a report of an aggravated robbery that had occurred at a premises on Polson Street. It … Read more

Community effort brings one to court, Feilding

Source: New Zealand Police Police have arrested and charged a 23-year-old man following a reported burglary at the Feilding Library. On Sunday March 1, Police were notified of a burglary believed to have occurred overnight, with initial estimates placing the value of alleged stolen items at more than $20,000. Sergeant Mike Linton says thanks to … Read more

National falls into the 20s in latest poll as pressure mounts on Christopher Luxon

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Marika Khabazi Pressure is mounting on the Prime Minister with a bad poll result putting National in the 20s. A new Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll has National on 28.4 – down nearly 3 points from its poll last month. Labour is up slightly on 34.4, while the Greens, ACT, … Read more

State Highway 1 closes in both directions near Levin after ambulance, gas truck collide

Source: Radio New Zealand SH1 is closed in both directions NZTA The co-owner of a farm near the scene of a crash on State Highway One – north of Levin – says a gas delivery truck and Ambulance have collided. The road is closed after emergency services were called to the crash on the stretch … Read more

Wellington City Council considers budget cuts in bid to slow rates increases

Source: Radio New Zealand Wellington Mayor Andrew Little. RNZ / Mark Papalii Selling off Wellington City Council’s cars, slashing consultant and climate budgets and bringing some traffic management in house make up a new report on council spending. The revenue and financial working group were set up after the election as a campaign promise from … Read more

Pressure mounts on Christopher Luxon with bad poll due

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Marika Khabazi Pressure is mounting on the Prime Minister with a bad poll result expected to land shortly. It comes at the end of a week where Christopher Luxon struggled to communicate clearly on the Iran conflict. A Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll due to be publicly released shortly is … Read more

Attempted ram raid: Police make arrest and recover firearm

Source: New Zealand Police A teenager’s failed bid to ram raid a Far North supermarket has tallied up into a list of serious charges.Police responded after 2.40am yesterday following a burglary reported at the Memorial Avenue store in Kaikohe.Mid/Far North Area Prevention Manager, Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong, says the vehicle allegedly reversed into the supermarket … Read more

District Court Judges appointed

Source: New Zealand Government Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges.   The appointees, who will take up their roles in March at the Kaikohe, Manukau and Napier Courts, are:   Rohan Cochrane  Mr Cochrane was admitted in 1999 and has been a director of the law firm Family Law Specialists … Read more

Building ties with Brazil

Source: New Zealand Government New Zealand will continue to build its relationship with Brazil, Latin America’s most populous country, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  “Our delegation’s visit to Brazil has highlighted a range of areas in which our two countries want to do more together, including agriculture, aviation, trade and investment, education and film collaboration. … Read more

Old photos reveal big changes in West Coast marine environment

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  06 March 2026 West Coast Marine Ranger Don Neale was given the photos which show coastal areas from the 1960’s and the 1970’s, revealing significant changes that would otherwise have gone either un-noticed, or be hard to verify from personal memories. “The photos show changes in life in the intertidal … Read more