Weather: Severe thunderstorms may hit parts of North Island

Source: Radio New Zealand A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of the central North Island for Friday afternoon and evening. Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for the central North Island Thunderstorms could bring localised areas of very heavy rain and downpours through the second half of today. pic.twitter.com/u2igCHzhNH — MetService NZ (@MetService) February … Read more

Explore new Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct  

Source: Auckland Council Mercury Lane and Beresford Square, two upgraded public spaces framing the forecourts of Karanga-a-Hape Station, are finished and now open for the public to explore. This milestone completes many years of complex construction works above ground, preparing the area for the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL) in the second half … Read more

Update: Manawatū River search

Source: New Zealand Police Attribute to Palmerston North Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Phil Ward: The search for a missing man in the Manawatū River has moved to a limited search phase today. The decision has been made after extensive searches of the river, through to the Foxton Estuary and the surrounding area. Police will continue … Read more

Hillary Clinton faces off with House lawmakers in Epstein probe

Source: Radio New Zealand By Annie Grayer, CNN Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured in February 2026. ADAM BERRY / AFP Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is facing off with the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door interview as part of the panel’s investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. … Read more

‘Gap closing’: Football Ferns ready for Pacific challenge

Source: Radio New Zealand Football Ferns www.photosport.nz Coach Michael Mayne says the Football Ferns won’t take their Oceania qualifying campaign in the Solomon Islands lightly, despite their traditional dominance over Pacific rivals. New Zealand take their first step towards qualifying for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup when they face Samoa in Honiara (3pm NZT). … Read more

Iron Maiden and Megadeth announce NZ show

Source: Radio New Zealand British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden are bringing their Run for Your Lives tour to New Zealand. The band, formed in 1970s East London, have announced one show for Auckland’s Spark Arena on 7 November. Iron Maiden first visited New Zealand in December 1992, playing to 3000 fans at the Logan … Read more

Kiwi golfer Daniel Hillier well-placed at rain-hit NZ Open

Source: Radio New Zealand Daniel Hillier of New Zealand talks to caddy Steve Williams during round one of the New Zealand Open. photosport In-form Kiwi golfer Daniel Hillier flexed his muscles in his curtailed opening round as rain played a part on the first day of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown. Unheralded Australian Matias … Read more

Aucklanders protest government’s move-on orders for rough sleepers

Source: Radio New Zealand People living and working in Auckland’s central city are making their opposition to forcing out homeless people known. Supplied People living and working in Auckland’s central city are making their opposition to forcing out homeless people known. On Thursday night, about 30 rangatahi took their sleeping bags to Karangahape Road to … Read more

Flood early warning systems – where are they in the Civil Defence Act overhaul?

Source: Radio New Zealand An overhaul of emergency management legislation has reached the crucial stage of submissions to a parliamentary select committee. RNZ Transpower is questioning why early warning systems during disasters do not rate as essential infrastructure under an overhaul of emergency management legislation. The overhaul has reached the crucial stage of submissions to … Read more

Foreign crew on retired Interislander ferry earning below minimum wage

Source: Radio New Zealand The Vega, formerly the Interislander ferry Aratere, at anchor in Tasman Bay in December. Barry Whitnall Photography The former ferry has been anchored in Tasman Bay for nearly three months while it awaits permission to enter India. Supplied / Barry Whitnall The former Interislander ferry Aratere has spent five months in … Read more

Tall Blacks beat Philippines in key World Cup qualifier

Source: Radio New Zealand Max Darling of New Zealand shoots against the Philippines. photosport The Tall Blacks are off the mark in their World Cup qualifying pool for next year’s basketball World Cup, overcoming the Philippines 69-66 in a tense affair in Manila. Sam Mennenga was influential under the basket as New Zealand staved off … Read more

Raglan residents worried about hosting World Surf League Championship Tour

Source: Radio New Zealand The World Surf League Championship Tour has added Raglan to the 2026 tour. RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod When Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced the World Surf League Championship Tour was coming to Raglan it caught many locals by surprise and the reaction has not been completely positive. On a … Read more

Residents remain cautious about Moa Point despite authorities’ all clear

Source: Radio New Zealand Wellington authorities have decided it is safe enough for swimmers to make their own calls about whether to jump in at the south coast. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A local diver says he will eat shellfish from the south coast after the mayor has tried some kina from the sewage spill … Read more

The ‘first-night effect’: Why it’s hard to sleep when you’re somewhere new

Source: Radio New Zealand It’s nighttime and you’re exhausted. But the hotel bed feels wrong. The mini fridge won’t stop making that low, irritating hum. The power outlet lights feel brighter than the sun. Outside, random car honks and noises make sleep feel like a distant possibility. Many of us struggle to sleep in new … Read more

Woman describes sexual abuse complaint process with Teaching Council as ‘traumatic’

Source: Radio New Zealand The woman said she lodged a complaint in 2023 about abuse that happened 30 years ago. Women’s Refuge A woman who complained to the Teaching Council about being sexually abused by a former teacher says its investigation was badly handled and traumatic. The woman RNZ agreed to call Ellen said she … Read more

Finn brothers get the band back together for Electric Avenue

Source: Radio New Zealand Iconic Kiwi band Split Enz will headline Australasia’s biggest music festival in Christchurch on Friday night, with a record crowd set to descend on Hagley Park for the historic on-stage reunion at Electric Avenue. The band, led by song-writing siblings Tim and Neil Finn, will play an 80-minute set, marking the … Read more

A home for granny, a headache for the homeowner

Source: Radio New Zealand Experts say that the real rule change is simply that when things go wrong, the burden of responsibility will be on the homeowner, not the council. 123rf Rule changes for putting a granny flat on your section cut very little red tape, but move questions of liability from councils to homeowners … Read more

KiwiSaver withdrawal funded ‘life-saving’ weight loss surgery

Source: Radio New Zealand Biddy Tai Ahmu and her twin grandchildren, Aylani and Zahkani. Supplied Biddy Tai Ahmu says bariatric surgery in Turkey, funded with money withdrawn from her KiwiSaver, saved her life. She had the surgery three years ago after being on the waiting list in New Zealand for years. Diabetes was a problem … Read more

Giancarlo Italiano’s Phoenix coaching exit latest in a season of A-League upheaval

Source: Radio New Zealand Giancarlo Italiano joined a growing list of coaching casualties across the A-League. AAP / Photosport Giancarlo Italiano’s abrupt departure from the Wellington Phoenix is the latest twist in what has become a season of upheaval for A-League coaches. Three A-League head coaches have failed to see out the 2025/26 campaign, and … Read more

Winston Peters rails against ‘blind ideology’ panic amid talk of Air NZ sale

Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. RNZ / Mark Papalii Winston Peters says the “last thing we should do is go and panic” and make a classic mistake “based on blind ideology” in response to Air New Zealand’s financial loss. The ACT party is questioning whether the government should retain its … Read more

Hospital IT outages will continue due to Health NZ staff cuts union warns

Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland and Northland hospitals were hit by an IT outage on Thursday afternoon. RNZ / Dan Cook The Public Service Association is warning hospital IT outages will keep happening due to cuts to Health NZ’s digital team. Auckland and Northland hospitals were hit by an outage on Thursday afternoon. It disrupted … Read more

Plenty of fish in the sea: Voting opens for Fish of the Year competition

Source: Radio New Zealand The blobfish, which was declared the world’s ugliest animal in 2013, beat the odds to win the competition last year. Bhakti Patel Voting for Fish of the Year opens on Saturday. The competition run by the Mountain to Sea Conservation Trust celebrates New Zealand’s weird, wonderful, and often overlooked marine life. … Read more

Thousands of ambulance callouts for mental health non-urgent study shows

Source: Radio New Zealand The study analysed 26847 mental health callouts – or 5.7 percent of total callouts between July 2022 and June 2023. Supplied / St John A study into thousands of ambulance callouts for mental health shows most were non-urgent, and should have been managed in the community. It found “most callouts [89.8 … Read more

Housing market confidence improves, house price growth expected to remain subdued

Source: Radio New Zealand Housing market confidence continues to improve. RNZ Housing market confidence continues to improve, though house price growth is expected to remain subdued. “Indeed, we anticipate only muted house price growth in 2026. High inventory levels and some headwinds for housing demand are likely to temper house price growth,” the latest ASB … Read more

ASB – Housing confidence on the rise according to ASB

Source: ASB Confidence in New Zealand’s housing market has lifted sharply this quarter, with an increasing proportion of Kiwi expecting house prices to rise over the next year, despite growing expectations that interest rates will increase. In ASB’s latest Housing Confidence Survey, a net 30% of respondents now expect house prices to increase over the … Read more

Budget sets out strategies to propel Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – Fast-tracking innovation and technology (I&T) development is a core feature of the 2026-27 Budget, unveiled yesterday (February 25) by Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Mr Chan said Hong Kong would be stepping up … Read more

Galaxy Macau Presents: The Jimmy O. Yang Chinese New Year Show with Two Star-Studded Galaxy Arena Performances

Source: Media Outreach MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – Marking a dynamic arrival of the Year of the Horse, on February 21 and 22 (the fifth and sixth day of the Chinese New Year), Galaxy Macau Presents: The Jimmy O. Yang Chinese New Year Show brought luck and laughter to … Read more