One in custody following burglaries and fleeing driver incident, Whangamatā

Source: New Zealand Police Attributable to Inspector Mike Henwood, Eastern Waikato Area Commander: An 18-year-old man is before the courts following a series of burglaries and a fleeing driver incident in Whangamatā overnight. About 1am, Police received multiple reports of a person unlawfully entering multiple commercial premises on Port Road. The alleged offender has taken … Read more

New appointments to the Environmental Protection Authority board

Source: New Zealand Government Minister for the Environment Nicola Grigg has announced two new appointments and one reappointment to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board. Lisa Tumahai, CNZM, and Professor Nicola Shadbolt, ONZM, have each been appointed to the EPA board for three-year terms. Lisa Tumahai has extensive governance and leadership experience in iwi, commercial, … Read more

Can anyone be funny?

Source: Radio New Zealand Like in many families, Hoani Hotene‘s whanau won’t say he’s the funniest among them – everyone thinks they are the one. “My dad, like a lot of dads, finds himself the funniest person in the world, you know? He’ll tell his own joke and then he’ll laugh at it the hardest.” … Read more

Pale in comparison: What to know about US butter

Source: Radio New Zealand Butter is synonymous with the colour yellow. Butter yellow was the trending colour of 2025. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for butter translates as yellow oil. So what’s with this white butter appearing on our supermarket shelves? The arrival of a pale, US-sourced butter on Pak’nSave shelves has caused disappointment, confusion, … Read more

Progress on improvements to children’s system

Source: New Zealand Government The Government is continuing to make significant improvements to the children’s system as part of its commitment to keeping vulnerable children safe from harm. Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston is leading the work and says three of the 14 recommendations of the Dame Karen Poutasi Review are now complete, with … Read more

Chris Hipkins confident Labour’s promise of three free doctors visits a year is realistic

Source: Radio New Zealand Labour leader Chris Hipkins. (File photo) RNZ / Mark Papalii Labour leader Chris Hipkins is confident the party’s promise of three free doctors visits a year is “realistic”. His comments come as rural doctor, and Rural Health Network chairperson, Dr Fiona Bolden told Morning Report, a focus was needed on workforce … Read more

Survey reveals the dire state of dialysis services around New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand A four-chair haemodialysis unit in Blenheim, called Tātari Toto, opened last year. RNZ / Samantha Gee Half of all renal services nationally are operating above capacity, with the Auckland renal service operating at 150 percent. The Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry survey for 2025 shows that in the … Read more

Free programme of webinars announced for Privacy Week 2026

Source: Privacy Commissioner 5 May 2026, 09:13 New Zealand’s annual week of privacy education and awareness is set to happen from 11-15 May with a programme of free webinars.  The event, run by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, helps people better understand how privacy applies to them and their organisation, what their rights are, … Read more

‘Significant autumnal change’: Wetter, windier weather for South Island this weekend

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF Heavy rain and strong winds is forecast to lash lower parts of the country this weekend. MetService said a “significant autumnal change” was expected to arrive in the second half of the week. It said after a fine Monday and Tuesday, a change in the Tasman Sea was unfolding, with … Read more

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over It Ends With Us

Source: Radio New Zealand Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled a lawsuit brought by Lively over the filming of the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us, Baldoni’s production company say. The settlement has averted a civil trial scheduled for May where both actors were expected to testify about Lively’s allegations of sexual misconduct … Read more

Variable speed signs operational at rural schools in Western Bay of Plenty

Source: New Zealand Police Attributable to Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter, Police are urging drivers to take extra care around schools as new variable speed limits are introduced to help keep tamariki safe. Over the next month, new variable speed school zones will come into force, with signage now operational at two rural schools in the … Read more

Interislander almost doubles fuel surcharge for commercial vehicles

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Mark Papalii The Interislander is hiking its fuel surcharge to 54 percent on commercial vehicles and trucks crossing the Cook Strait due to soaring energy prices from the Middle East conflict. KiwiRail and the Minister for Rail Winston Peters say the ferry is experiencing cost pressures and can’t keep … Read more

Neil Finn buys pub with notorious history

Source: Radio New Zealand Split Enz and Crowded House member Neil Finn has bought a controversial Auckland pub, with plans to turn it into a wellness retreat. Edinburgh Castle in Eden Terrace has a history of violent incidents, including the manslaughter of rising MMA fighter Fau Vake in 2021. Stuff reported in 2023 the bar … Read more

No one charged after father of three tackled through glass door dies

Source: Radio New Zealand The man was left with security at the entrance, unresponsive, before being flown to Auckland Hospital where he died an hour later. RNZ / Alexander Robertson The Coroner has ruled a man was acting in self-defence, during a fracas that left one person dead in Northland five years ago. Trevor Ruatoto, … Read more

Dunedin bar Dropkicks could lose its liquor licence after locking drunk person in bathroom overnight

Source: Radio New Zealand A report said the patron, who was in a toilet stall, was locked in after staff failed to properly check the venue before leaving last month. Supplied A Dunedin bar could lose its liquor licence after a drunk patron was locked in at the end of the night and later taken … Read more

NZ-AU: BitsStrategy Launches Free AI Trading Bot to Help Users Enter the Fully Automated Quant Trading Market Faster

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU) New York, USA, May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The cryptocurrency market is becoming more automated. Price movements do not stop because users are busy, and trading opportunities do not wait because users do not know how to code. In response to this shift, BitsStrategy announces the launch of its free AI … Read more

Phoenix women have to make the most of being at home

Source: Radio New Zealand Grace Jale (centre) of the Phoenix celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal during the A-League Women’s Semi Final match against the Brisbane Roar, 2026. AAP / Photosport Wellington Phoenix women’s coach Bev Priestman says making the most of the home advantage is what they need to do if they … Read more

Black Sticks women lose final game, finish fourth in China

Source: Radio New Zealand Black Sticks Women prepare for a penalty. Blake Armstrong The Black Sticks women have finished fourth out of five teams at the Changzhou Invitational Tournament following a 1-0 loss to China A in the bronze medal match. New Zealand end the tournament with two wins and four defeats, including a 7-0 … Read more

Coroner rules man was acting in self-defence after person killed in fracas

Source: Radio New Zealand The man was left with security at the entrance, unresponsive, before being flown to Auckland Hospital where he died an hour later. RNZ / Alexander Robertson The Coroner has ruled a man was acting in self-defence, during a fracas that left one person dead in Northland five years ago. Trevor Ruatoto, … Read more

New dad can see his baby born after 11th hour visa win

Source: Radio New Zealand Shantelle Neyra and Gurjeet Singh were worried he would not be in New Zealand for the birth of his baby daughter. Supplied An Auckland woman says it felt like ‘winning the lottery’ when she learned her partner has been granted a visa to be at the birth of their baby. Shantelle … Read more

Gun licences issued despite disqualifying convictions, police check reveals

Source: Radio New Zealand The errors in issuing licences to ten disqualified people are “regretted and should not have happened”, police say. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Ten people have been issued firearms licences despite being disqualified from holding one because of criminal convictions, a review has revealed. Police say the mistake, which related to licences … Read more

Split Enz’ Neil Finn buys controversial pub with plans to turn it into a wellness retreat

Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland’s Edinburgh Castle pub is to get a new life as a wellness centre, after being purchased by musician Neil Finn. Supplied/ Google Maps Split Enz and Crowded House member Neil Finn has bought a controversial Auckland pub, with plans to turn it into a wellness retreat. Edinburgh Castle in Eden … Read more

Who’s’ getting pay rises at the moment?

Source: Radio New Zealand Only half of New Zealand workers reported getting a pay rise last year, but some people are more likely to get them than others, new Seek data shows. The recruitment site said the industries that were most likely to get a pay rise in the past 12 months were industrial, where … Read more

Dunedin bar Dropkicks could lose its liquor licence

Source: Radio New Zealand A report said the patron, who was in a toilet stall, was locked in after staff failed to properly check the venue before leaving last month. Supplied A Dunedin bar could lose its liquor licence after a drunk patron was locked in at the end of the night and later taken … Read more

New Zealand passes solar tipping point

Source: Radio New Zealand Solar installation costs have been reducing and power prices increasing. Fabian Rieger / 123RF New Zealand has passed the “tipping point” where most people buying solar panels will save more money than they spend on them, researchers say, but more could be done to unlock households’ ability to make use of … Read more

TVNZ ‘assessing’ whether to pull show featuring former Amisfield chef

Source: Radio New Zealand The national broadcaster is considering removing food show Taste of Art from its TVNZ+ catalogue, following news of complaints related to one of its judge’s behaviour towards women. Taste of Art is judged by Masterchef Australia’s Melissa Leong with Vaughan Mabee, who was an executive chef at award-winning Arrowtown restaurant Amisfield … Read more

It’s almost tax season: Will you get a refund?

Source: Radio New Zealand Even if you’ve been earning income in a straightforward way, you could end up with a bill or a refund. 123RF Are you on track for a tax refund this year? Inland Revenue now sends automatic tax assessments to people whose only income is salary, wages or investment income that is … Read more