Top seed Elina Svitolina wins 2026 ASB Classic women’s crown

Source: Radio New Zealand Elina Svitolina serves during the ASB Classic final. Alan Lee/Photosport Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina has won the 2026 ASB Classic women’s tournament in Auckland. The 31-year-old proved too good for China’s Xinyu Wang, winning in straight sets 6-3 7-6 in an hour and 43 minutes. Despite the scoreline, the contest was … Read more

NZ Breakers bounce back with gritty win over ANBL champions Illawarra Hawks

Source: Radio New Zealand Parker Jackson-Cartwright led the Breakers to victory against the Hawks. Blake Armstrong / PHOTOSPORT Forty-eight hours after their worst display of the Australian NBL season, the NZ Breakers have regrouped for a gritty 101-96 win over defending champions Illawarra Hawks in Sydney. American point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright led all scorers with … Read more

SH73 closed by flooding between Canterbury, West Coast

Source: Radio New Zealand On the West Coast, winds and heavy rain also brought down trees onto State Highway 6 and caused surface flooding. MetService Flooding has closed the key road link between Canterbury and the West Coast, as a fierce thunderstorm swept over the region this afternoon. State Highway 73 between Otira and Arthur’s … Read more

Iranian Kiwis concerned for family overseas amid deadly protests

Source: Radio New Zealand Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran. AFP/SUPPLIED Iranian New Zealanders hold grave concerns for their family members, amid a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran. Reports from Teheran suggest security forces have killed or injured hundreds over the past three days, as unrest spreads nationwide. … Read more

Wānaka freeskier Melville-Ives wins Colorado Freeski Halfpipe World Cup

Source: Radio New Zealand Finley Melville-Ives, current 2025/26 FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup Standings leader with the yellow bib. FIS/Andrew Wevers Nineteen-year-old freeskier Finley Melville-Ives of Wānaka continues to warm up for the Winter Olympics in sensational style by winning the Aspen Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Colorado. Melville-Ives was the top qualifier into the … Read more

Heavy traffic after car flipped in North Shore crash

Source: Radio New Zealand A car flips on Waipa St on Auckland’s North Shore. Supplied / K Choi Traffic has been building on a main road in Auckland’s North Shore, after a car flipped in a crash. Police said a car crashed into a parked vehicle on Waipa Street in Birkenhead and then rolled at … Read more

Firefighters, helicopters battling Canterbury scrub blaze amid sweltering heat

Source: Radio New Zealand On Friday, FENZ suspended all fire permits for Canterbury, warning of extreme fire danger Sunday. RNZ / Nate McKinnon A dozen fire crews and several helicopters have responded to a fire in Rotherham, a small Canterbury settlement south of Hanmer Springs. A shed and about 100 square metres of vegetation were … Read more

More than 80,000 impacted by Manage My Health breach in Northland

Source: Radio New Zealand *This story has been updated to reflect that funding was available for general practitioners to provide consultation. More than 70 percent of those impacted by the Manage My Health breach are based in Northland, according to Health NZ. The ransomware group behind the attack, Kazu, demanded US$60,000 (NZD$105,000) after hundreds of … Read more

Bluebridge cancels all Connemara sailings through to Tuesday

Source: Radio New Zealand More sailings cancelled after mechanical issues. Supplied Bluebridge has cancelled all of the Connemara sailings through to Tuesday. A problem with the winch that controls the stern door led to 200 passengers being stuck for 15 hours on Thursday. It said it has been working hard to establish a timeframe to … Read more

Rise in kitchen fires has firefighters worried

Source: Radio New Zealand There have been at least eight fatal house fires since July last year. VIKTOR CAP / 123RF There are fears New Zealanders are becoming more complacent around fire safety at home, Fire and Emergency (FENZ) says. The number of fatal house fires increased to 17 for the year ending June 2025, … Read more

‘Ever since I was a young lad, Holdens were my passion’

Source: Radio New Zealand The Hillsborough Holden Museum in New Plymouth has dozens of classics from the original family car the Holden 48-215 through to the muscly, Monaros of the 1970s. “Ever since I was a young lad, Holdens were my passion. We started off with one, bought another, bought another, and now we’ve ended … Read more

Police urge water safety in summer

Source: New Zealand Police Police are urging anyone going near waters, no matter how strong at swimming, to take basic precautions to keep themselves safe. Inspector Andrea McBeth, Area Commander for Hamilton City, says that each year Police see tragic outcomes in and around water. “If you’re heading out to enjoy the water, be prepared. … Read more

Making it easier to find cheap power plans

Source: New Zealand Government Open Electricity will help New Zealand homes and businesses plug in to the best power plan for their needs and drive better competition in our electricity market, Energy Minister Simon Watts and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson say. The Government has designated the retail electricity sector as the next … Read more

Weather: Heat warnings as temperatures set to hit high-30s

Source: Radio New Zealand File photo. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Hastings is forecast to hit 37C on Sunday, and neighbouring Napier an almost equally sweltering 36C, as a wave of heat – and heat warnings – spread across the country. But several warnings for rain and strong winds are also in place, particularly in the … Read more

Scotty Stevenson: ‘Club sport is withering on the vine’

Source: Radio New Zealand Scotty Stevenson was just ten when he saw Keith Quinn commentating on the Rugby World Cup and thought it looked like a great job. Sixteen years after commentating his first rugby game for Sky Sport, the 48-year-old broadcaster and writer now covers cricket matches for TVNZ. While the job of thinking … Read more

Drivers report chipped windscreens from Transmission Gully roadworks

Source: Radio New Zealand Dave Vercoe’s chipped windscreen after driving on Transmission Gully. Dave Vercoe Some people driving on Transmission Gully on State Highway 1 are reporting getting chipped windscreens from roadworks being done on the road. People have taken to social media posting photos of the chipped windscreens, noting that the stones had flicked … Read more

Former PM Helen Clark criticises Trump for pulling US out of international organisations

Source: Radio New Zealand Helen Clark said the US pulling out of 66 international organisations was a “troubling move”. AFP / Kena Betancur A former head of the United Nations Development Programme is concerned that Donald Trump may set a precedent for other countries. The President has signed a memorandum ordering the withdrawal of the … Read more

Tennis: Top seed Elina Svitolina to meet Xinyu Wang in ASB Classic women’s final

Source: Radio New Zealand Elina Svitolina celebrates a point against Iva Jovic in her semifinal. Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz Ukrainian number one seed Elina Svitolina is into the ASB Classic final for the second time after beating American Iva Jovic in straight sets. Svitolina won the first set 7-6 in a tiebreak, before putting on … Read more

Tennis: China’s Xinyu Wang advances to ASB Classic women’s final

Source: Radio New Zealand Xinyu Wang celebrates her ASB Classic semifinal win. Alan Lee/Photosport Chinese seventh seed Xinyu Wang has booked a spot in the ASB Classic women’s final with an enthralling three-set win over fourth-seeded Filipino Alex Eala in Auckland. Eala, 23, served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but was … Read more

Athletics star Sam Ruthe guides young Tamahau Hicks to Colgate Games victory

Source: Radio New Zealand Sam Ruthe and Tamahau Hicks celebrate their 1500m performane at Tauranga. Facebook/Emily Kay Disappointment turned to delight for a 12-year-old visually impaired athlete Tamahau Hicks, when running sensation Sam Ruthe came to his rescue at the Colgate Games in Tauranga on Saturday. The disappointment came when Tamahau’s regular running guide contacted … Read more

The psychology behind New Year’s resolutions

Source: Radio New Zealand What is the science behind setting a New Year’s resolution? SIRA JANTARARUNGSAN / 123RF New Year’s resolutions may trigger mixed feelings, but when done correctly, they can improve our motivation and have an overall positive impact. UK science writer David Robson has looked into the psychology behind a successful New Year’s … Read more

Etiqa’s Project Firefly Reinforces Mangrove Ecosystem in Sungai Panjang in Collaboration with Malaysian Nature Society

Source: Media Outreach SELANGOR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 January 2026 – Etiqa has launched Etiqa’s Project Firefly a new environmental initiative dedicated to conserving one of Malaysia’s iconic firefly habitats while uplifting the livelihood of the communities living along Sungai Panjang in Sabak Bernam, who rely on eco-tourism and the mangrove ecosystem. … Read more

Two dead, one missing in water incidents across New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand Akaroa is a town located south-east of Christchurch. supplied Two people have died in the water on Saturday afternoon. Emergency services in the Bay of Plenty were called to an area off Poripori Road in Lower Kaimai, where a person had been taken out of the water. CPR was carried out, … Read more

Many Manage My Health security breach victims in Northland

Source: Radio New Zealand *This story has been updated to reflect that funding was available for general practitioners to provide consultation. Many of those impacted by the Manage My Health breach are based in Northland, according to Health New Zealand. Hackers, known as ‘Kazu’, took hundreds of thousands of files from the country’s largest patient … Read more

Swimmer missing in Waikato River, Hamilton

Source: New Zealand Police A man is missing after a water-related incident in the Waikato River this afternoon. Police were called to the river near Graham Island about 3.30pm after a report of a struggling swimmer being swept downstream. They have not been located since. Emergency services remain on scene carrying out a search of … Read more

Person drowns in Akaroa

Source: Radio New Zealand Akaroa is a town located south-east of Christchurch. supplied A person has drowned in Akaroa, south-east of Christchurch, this afternoon. Police said staff were notified at about 1.15pm Saturday that a person had been pulled from the water by the harbourmaster. A police spokesperson said CPR was administered, but the person … Read more

Climate News – Richest 1% Blow Carbon Budget in 10 Days, says Oxfam

Source: Oxfam Aotearoa The richest 1% have exhausted their annual carbon budget – the amount of CO2 that can be emitted while staying within 1.5 degrees of warming – only ten days into the year, according to new analysis from Oxfam. The richest 0.1% already used up their carbon limit on the 3rd January. This day … Read more