New Year Honours: ‘Fire still burns’ for Sir Scott Dixon

Source: Radio New Zealand Sir Scott Dixon. David Allio/Icon Sportswire / PHOTOSPORT New Zealand’s most successful modern motorsport champion has been knighted – but Sir Scott Dixon is still a bit uncomfortable with his new title. “Just Scott is fine. “I thought it was maybe some spam or something,” the Indycar icon told RNZ. “But … Read more

New Year Honours: Recognition for Dame Coral Shaw – Teacher, lawyer, judge and head of a royal commission

Source: Radio New Zealand Dame Coral Shaw has been recognised for her work, among other things, as a Commissioner on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. Libby Kirkby-McLeod/RNZ Teacher, lawyer, judge and head of a royal commission – Dame Coral Shaw’s career has always been about giving back to those most vulnerable. … Read more

‘Literally the worst nightmare’: Hundreds-strong hunt for beloved runaway horse

Source: Radio New Zealand Erin and her horse Scooter. Supplied Auckland rider Erin Swainston knew she had to let go of the reins, or be crushed by her beloved horse when it lost its footing. “Waves were kind of throwing us around, Scooter was thrashing and trying to get his feet up underneath him and … Read more

Royal recognition for Youth Aid officer

Source: New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has congratulated a Police Youth Aid officer who is recognised today with a royal honour. Senior Constable Grant Watts, based at Palmerston North in Central District, is made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to New Zealand Police and youth. Grant has … Read more

2026 New Year Honours: Seven New Zealanders named Knights and Dames

Source: Radio New Zealand Professor Graham Le Gros, Coral Shaw, Dorothy Spotswood and Scott Dixon are four of the seven being named Dames and Knights. RNZ Seven new Knights and Dames have been named on the New Year Honours list. They include Dames Helen Danesh-Meyer, Carol Shaw and Dorothy Spotswood and Sirs Scott Dixon, Rod … Read more

‘Quite heavy in localised areas ‘: More rain on the way for New Year’s Eve

Source: Radio New Zealand Festival goers at Rhythm and Vines are off to a soggy start after the region was wiped with heavy rain. Lucy Parkinson Much of the country is in for another rainy day on Wednesday, after severe wind and rain battered the North Island and upper South Island. Tuesday’s wild weather downed … Read more

Essential New Zealand Albums: The Warratahs – The Only Game In Town

Source: Radio New Zealand Think about how a great album is made, and it’s hard to escape the image of musicians notching up hundreds of hours of studio time crafting their masterwork, or engineers hunched over mixing boards, deliberating over every beat and chord. Some albums are made that way, but it isn’t the only … Read more

New Year Honours 2026 – the full list

Source: Radio New Zealand Supplied/ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Here is the full list of everyone receiving a 2026 New Year Honour: Dame Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM): DANESH-MEYER, Professor Helen Victoria, CNZM – for services to ophthalmology SHAW, Coral May – for services to public service, the … Read more

Ten businesses that didn’t survive 2025

Source: Radio New Zealand Kitchen Things went into receivership mid-year. Google Maps It’s been another tough year financially for many New Zealand households and businesses. While some commentators said in 2024 that businesses needed to focus on the mantra “survive til 2025”, for some it was a case of battling to survive through the year, … Read more

Huawei and PEA Jointly Release Next-Gen Intelligent Substation Solution

Source: Media Outreach BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2025 – An event themed “AI Empowers New-Gen Intelligent Substations” was successfully held in Bangkok where Huawei and Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) jointly unveiled an innovative next-gen intelligent substation solution, marking a new milestone in the digital and intelligent transformation of Thailand’s … Read more

Te Arawa Lakes Trust battles invasive gold clams

Source: Radio New Zealand The invasive gold clams. Supplied / MPI Te Arawa Lakes Trust and local councils are banding together in the battle against invasive gold clams. The trust is worried about the lakes in its area and the boaties coming to use them. A hui at Lake Ōkāreka has resolved to stand up … Read more

Security – Walk Without Fear Trust Urges Kiwis to Keep Each Other Safe This New Year’s Eve

Source: Authority PR The Walk Without Fear Trust is urging New Zealanders to look out for one another and act responsibly as the country heads into New Year’s Eve celebrations. Chairman Eugene Bareman said the festive season is a time for connection and celebration — but too often ends in preventable tragedy caused by alcohol-fuelled … Read more

Lane Crawford and AiDLab Partner to Innovate Fashion Retail through AI, Launching Interactive Personal Stylist

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2025 – Lane Crawford, Hong Kong’s iconic luxury department store and the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design (AiDLab) funded by the Government of Hong Kong SAR’s InnoHK Research Clusters, are partnering to innovate fashion retail through a series of AI initiatives … Read more

Te Arawa Lakes Trust battle invasive gold clams

Source: Radio New Zealand The invasive gold clams. Supplied / MPI Te Arawa Lakes Trust and local councils are banding together in the battle against invasive gold clams. The trust is worried about the lakes in its area and the boaties coming to use them. A hui at Lake Ōkāreka has resolved to stand up … Read more

HEYTEA Partners with POP MART’s Twinkle Twinkle for First Global Simultaneous Launch

Source: Media Outreach SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 December 2025 – Starting December 22, HEYTEA and POP MART’s popular IP Twinkle Twinkle officially launched their global co-branded campaign across HEYTEA stores worldwide. Timed to the Christmas and New Year season, the collaboration is built around the theme “Twinkle Twinkle for Winter.” Centered … Read more

Sport in 2025: The weird, wacky and wonderful

Source: Radio New Zealand There were a plethora of bizarre, quirky, and eye popping moments in the world of sport in 2025. Photosport What happened in the unpredictable world of sport in 2025? Jonty Dine takes a look back. Whistling Webby Sick of a lack of accountability for referees, Warriors coach Andrew Webster was not … Read more

YEAR IN REVIEW: Five climate disasters that disrupted children’s lives in 2025

Source: Save the Children In 2025, children were deeply affected by climate disasters around the world – from heatwaves that forced schools to close to flash floods and storms that flattened infrastructure and pushed children and families to live in temporary shelters. Save the Children data this year showed about 136,000 children a day have been affected by … Read more

State Highway 2 reopens after fatal crash

Source: Radio New Zealand One person has died after a single vehicle crash on State Highway 2 near Tangoio. The single vehicle crash was reported just after 11:40am today. The sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene. It is the first death on New Zealand roads in this holiday period, although a man … Read more

A history of New Zealand’s wildfires – and what’s to come

Source: Radio New Zealand The Port Hills fire on 14 February 2024. Stuff / Kai Schwoerer Off the back of two devastating wildfires in Tongariro National Park, the country is facing another summer of increased fire risk. And while our wildfire history pales in comparison to our neighbours in Australia, New Zealand has had its … Read more

Rhythm and Vines dries out after soggy start

Source: Radio New Zealand Festival goers at Rhythm and Vines are off to a soggy start after the region was wiped with heavy rain. Lucy Parkinson After a soggy start, festivalgoers at Rhythm and Vines can expect to spend the next two days drying up in a gentle breeze. The three-day music festival in Gisborne … Read more

Fatal crash: Tangoio

Source: New Zealand Police Police can confirm one person has died following a crash in Tangoio earlier today. The single vehicle crash on State Highway 2 was reported just after 11:40am. The sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene. State Highway 2 has since re-opened. ENDS Issued by Police Media Centre  MIL OSI

Family who helped save an elderly lost tramper praised by police.

Source: Radio New Zealand The elderly hiker was in the Kauaeranga Valley when he got into trouble.. Supplied/DOC. Police are looking to publicly recognise the family who helped save an elderly lost tramper who collapsed in the Coromandel. At the end of his ordeal, the 80-year old was taken to Thames Hospital in a moderate … Read more

Man charged, vehicle impounded after antisocial road user activity

Source: New Zealand Police Police have arrested and charged a 20-year-old man following an antisocial road user gathering in Gisborne overnight. In the early hours of this morning, 30 December, Police were alerted to a group of around a dozen vehicles participating in antisocial road activity on the corner of Whatatutu and Matawai roads. Police … Read more

Year in review: NZ Warriors ride rollercoaster to NRL playoffs

Source: Radio New Zealand The Warriors hopes suffer a crippling blow, as star halfback Luke Metcalf falls to a season-ending knee injury. Tertius Pickard/www.photosport.nz Under the Go Media Stadium stand, with the bravado of hope finally stripped away, NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster confronted reality. After a season that saw them off to a best-ever … Read more

Scientists investigate venomous spider ‘hotspots’

Source: Radio New Zealand Supplied / Professor Steve Trewick Researchers are investigating “hotspots” of a venomous spider throughout the country this summer. The invasive noble false widow spider was first spotted in Porirua last year with further sightings in Christchurch, Nelson, Waikato and Northland. It’s not an aggressive spider, but it bites in defence and … Read more

Power outages, heavy rain and strong gales as wild weather heads south

Source: Radio New Zealand Campers at Totaranui Abel Tasman National Park had a near miss when a tree came down on some of their tents. They had moved into a caravan shortly before due to bad weather. Supplied / Warwick Fitzsimmons Wild weather continued to batter much of the country today, leaving thousands without power. … Read more

Name release, New Plymouth house fire

Source: New Zealand Police Police can now release the name of the person who died following a house fire in Trelawney Crescent, New Plymouth on 24 December. He was 49-year-old Dion Thompson, of New Plymouth. Our thoughts are with his family and those close to him at this difficult time. Police are continuing to investigate … Read more