Petrol prices jump past $3 a litre at the pump

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Dan Cook The price of 95 petrol has hit $3 in some parts of the country as conflict in the Middle East pushes up oil prices. Motorists contacted RNZ upset at being asked to pay more than $3 in Kapiti outlets. On Friday morning, Z Kapiti Road was recording … Read more

State Highway 1 closes in both directions near Levin after two-car crash

Source: Radio New Zealand File photo. RNZ / Tim Brown State Highway 1, north of Levin, is closed after a crash on Friday morning. Emergency services were called to a two-vehicle crash on the stretch at Waiterere – near the intersection of Koputaroa Road – shortly before 11am. Two people received moderate injuries. A diversion … Read more

US-funded group sues SkyCity over Malta-based online gambling platform

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Marika Khabazi A so-far, unnamed United States-funded group is leading a class action lawsuit against SkyCity.com’s Malta-based online gambling platform, which has been operating since 2020. In a statement to the market, casino operator SkyCity said the class action group was “seeking to test the lawfulness of the online … Read more

The Strategic Importance of Latin America

Source: New Zealand Government [Speech to the New Zealand Innovation Showcase, Brasilia, Brazil, 5 March 2026] Executive Secretary and Deputy Minister Elias, excellencies, distinguished guests, tēnā koutou katoa, boa noite, good evening. We want to acknowledge the senior New Zealand bipartisan political delegation joining this mission: Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Hon … Read more

Phoenix face first away trip under interim coach

Source: Radio New Zealand [authror:rnz_sport] Alex Rufer has been suspended following a fifth yellow card. Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz The Wellington Phoenix travel to Adelaide United on Friday night for their first away game under interim coach Chris Greenacre. Adelaide are in good form and sit fourth on the A-League ladder with the Phoenix dead … Read more

Move over Womad, metal fans are taking over the Bowl

Source: Radio New Zealand Taranaki music fans are being urged to forget the disappointment of Womad taking a break and instead pull on a black T-shirt, a pair of skinny jeans and get ready to rock. Full Metal Orchestra – which marries heavy rock with a live orchestra – is headed to the Bowl of … Read more

TVNZ sees sharp drop in half-year profit on back of revenue decline

Source: Radio New Zealand TVNZ’s headquarters in Auckland. RNZ/Calvin Samuel TVNZ has posted a sharply lower half-year profit as revenue slumped in a tough advertising market, and on a one-off accounting write-down. The state-owned broadcaster’s profit for the six months ended December 2025 was $2.4 million, compared to $53m a year ago. Revenue fell 12 … Read more

The businesses failing most frequently and what can you do to avoid joining them

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ Business failures are forecast to continue, even as the economy grinds to recovery. Centrix said this week that liquidation numbers were up 16 percent year-on-year. Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub has compiled data from the NZ Gazette, which shows that in the year to February, 30 percent of businesses that … Read more

Why ‘digital price tags’ at the supermarket are causing concerns

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Nate McKinnon The increasing use of digital price tags could allow supermarkets to use AI algorithms and ‘dynamic pricing’ where prices change in real time, a competition researcher says. The government’s amendment to the Commerce Act, included increasing the Commerce Commission’s powers in combating predatory pricing , clarifying merger … Read more

Guns N’ Roses add New Zealand show to world tour

Source: Radio New Zealand Rock icons Guns N’ Roses have added an Australian and New Zealand leg to their 2026 world tour. Kiwi fans will score the very last show of the tour at Auckland’s Eden Park Stadium on 17 December. Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said at the time it was a “truly … Read more

High Court upholds decision voiding Papatoetoe local election

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Simon Rogers A High Court judge in Auckland has upheld a District Court ruling that voided the outcome of the 2025 local body election in Papatoetoe. High Court Justice Jane Anderson reserved her decision in February after hearing a petition filed by the Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team, which won … Read more

Community effort brings one to court, Fielding

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

Government clarifies welfare and ACC payments

Source: New Zealand Government The Government has passed legislation clarifying the law on the impact of ACC payments on welfare entitlement to make sure the process is fair for everyone. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says the Social Security (Accident Compensation and Calculation of Weekly Income) Amendment Act fixes an anomaly which saw one group of … Read more

Police round up shoplifting trio

Source: New Zealand Police Three offenders find themselves charged after a botched getaway with thousands of dollars’ worth of power tools. Police were advised of a shoplifting at a Grey Lynn hardware store at 4.30pm on Thursday. “Two offenders had entered the store and allegedly stole around $8,000 in power tools, before fleeing in a … Read more

Two before the courts, drugs and cash located, Cromwell

Source: New Zealand Police Two people are before the courts, following the execution of a search warrant at a Cromwell address. After receiving information through a Crime Stoppers report, Cromwell Police conducted an investigation into the supply of cannabis within the community. As a result, Police executed a search warrant at a local residential address … Read more

‘Who’s quick and who’s not’: Lawson says Australian GP crucial

Source: Radio New Zealand Liam Lawson. photosport New Zealand driver Liam Lawson says practice and qualifying sessions for the Australian Grand Prix will answer a host of questions about the 2026 Formula 1 pecking order. Wheels will spin for the first time this season on Friday afternoon (2.30pm NZT) at the first of three practice … Read more

Nine to Noon live: Why ‘digital price tags’ at the supermarket are causing concerns

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Nate McKinnon The increasing use of digital price tags could allow supermarkets to use AI algorithms and ‘dynamic pricing’ where prices change in real time, a competition researcher says. The Government’s amendment to the Commerce Act, included increasing the Commerce Commission’s powers in combating predatory pricing , clarifying merger … Read more

New Zealand should look overseas to address social media harm, committee lead says

Source: Radio New Zealand Parliament’s Education and Workforce Committee has release its final report into the harm social media causes for young people online. RNZ A leading member of the government’s inquiry into social media harm says New Zealand wants to be a ‘fast follower,’ not a leader. Parliament’s Education and Workforce Committee has released … Read more

New Zealand prices of ‘anything attached to fuel’ will rise, logistics boss warns

Source: Radio New Zealand The increased price of fuel will see prices increase at the pump, Don Braid says. RNZ / Dan Cook Oil costs are contributing to “off the charts” freight prices and it is only a matter of time before it flows on to consumers, a logistics boss says. The war in Iran … Read more

New overseas investment rules inject billions into local economy

Source: New Zealand Government The Government’s work to boost overseas investment and remove barriers to doing business with New Zealand is delivering billions for the local economy and Kiwi businesses, Associate Finance Minister David Seymour and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says. Starting today, many decisions under the Overseas Investment Act will be made in under … Read more

International students securing rentals without seeing them

Source: Radio New Zealand International students are increasingly renting private apartments in central Auckland as demand for university accommodation soars. RNZ / Yiting Lin University student Piki Wang has inspected 20 apartments in central Auckland since January, carefully checking living spaces for signs of dampness, pouring through recent utility bills to get a rough idea … Read more

Donald Trump replaces Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem

Source: Radio New Zealand By Ted Hesson, Reuters Kristi Noem is being moved to a new role. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP One of the top officials overseeing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, will leave her role, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (US time). It’s a major … Read more

Review: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! falls apart

Source: Radio New Zealand From the punctuation in the title of The Bride! you might think you’re about to see something exhilarating. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Frankenstein-inspired romance has all the parts for what should be a monster of a film: big-name lead actors who deliver, a retro creature-feature setup, a Bonnie and Clyde plot, gorgeous costumes … Read more

Former MP Jackie Blue quits National to join Opportunity party

Source: Radio New Zealand Jackie Blue has also been the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner. Supplied Former MP Jackie Blue has resigned her National Party membership and joined The Opportunity Party. Blue was a member of the cross-party People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity. She says the government’s handling of the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 … Read more

A rival to the cheese roll? The story of the Hawke’s Bay meatball

Source: Radio New Zealand This story was first published ahead of the 2025 Meatball Festival. From Friday to Sunday Hastings will host the second annual Meatball Festival. First Up spoke to the town’s chief meatball officer. Those unfamiliar with Hawke’s Bay’s humble meatball imagine Italian mince with red sauce. The actual description isn’t that mouth-watering, … Read more

Britney Spears arrested in California

Source: Radio New Zealand Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night (local time), according to information from Ventura County, California authorities. Booking information obtained by CNN shows that the pop superstar was stopped by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) around 9.30pm, was booked shortly after 3am, Thursday and later released. CHP public information officer Ryan Ayers … Read more

Watch: NZ woman’s brazen meth-smuggling attempt discovered at Sydney border

Source: Radio New Zealand A New Zealander is one of two women facing an Australian court after an alleged attempt to import 38 kilograms of methamphetamine by hiding it under some towels in suitcases. In December, an Australian and the New Zealander, both aged 35, were stopped for a targeted bag exam by Sydney border … Read more