We've hit 'friend, not ally' status with the US
Left out of a new defence pact - and apparently caught unaware by its announcement - can New Zealand still count the US as a friend?
Man accused of murdering RSE worker in Blenheim has charge dropped
After reviewing all “available proof”, the murder charge was not sustainable, says Crown prosecutor.
Student left Auckland to attend Taranaki polytech
A student who spent lockdown in Auckland used his essential service status to exit the city and return to Taranaki to attend a class.
Judge unimpressed with Mob-led rehab programme
A judge has questioned the value of a controversial Mongrel Mob-led rehab scheme, when the gang is responsible for most local meth offending.
Judge exits horse business on day son revealed as lockdown breaker
Judge Mary-Beth Sharp relinquished her shares in a horse breeding business the day her son was named as one of the Wānaka lockdown flouters.
Police investigate triple homicide in Timaru
Police found three people dead at a home in the suburb of Parkside shortly after 10pm on Thursday. Another person was taken to hospital.
Call for assailants to face justice for racial attack
Haraia Bowen-Hakaraia says police recorded the incident as robbery but he knows it was a racially-motivated hate crime.
Killer driver to be released despite concerns
Kevin Ronald Bishell will be released from prison this month despite the Parole Board's concerns he will reoffend.
Get jabbed, help a charity
A Taranaki-based bakery company is encouraging its staff to help a charity by getting themselves vaccinated.
Pedestrian lights transformed to Māori figures
Waiting to walk across Ngāmotu’s (New Plymouth) rainbow crossing, pedestrians are being greeted with new red and green figures.
Stuff Sport Quiz: September 17, 2021
Test your sporting knowledge with our weekly sports trivia quiz.
Asking prices in Auckland's 'most affordable' district near $1m
A $227,000 increase in average asking prices in one year is shutting many locals out of the market, a marae leader says.
Quiz: Morning trivia challenge: September 17, 2021
What was the name of the children's show presented by Steve Burns?
Asian Kiwis lead the way in Covid-19 vaccine uptake
Ethnic vaccination events and the experiences of family overseas have contributed to the uptake, community leaders say.
Is justice colour-blind?
The Wānaka story has put the spotlight on whether name suppression is fair.
Man arrested after police block off Christchurch road to find person of interest
A 26-year-old man is facing serious assault and family harm charges after armed police cordoned off a street in Redwood, Christchurch.
Distance between NZ and allies grows
NZ has rejected Australia's planned fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, as the trans-Tasman ally signs a defence pact with the US and UK.
Is justice colour-blind?
The Wānaka story has put the spotlight on whether name suppression is fair.
Covid-19: New Auckland cases will stop rest of country moving to alert level 1
Auckland is likely to move to level 3 at midnight on Tuesday but the rest of the country won't move down alert levels until there is no threat of community transmission - which could take weeks.
Isis-linked Suhayra Aden's return costs $60k
The repatriation of Suhayra Aden, a woman who joined Islamic State, has cost the Government more than $60,000.
Covid-19: Massey students hope online learning a temporary change
The university has said teaching would mostly remain online for the rest of the semester, but students say their learning is impacted.
Litter turtle promotes marine litter awareness
Students at Marlborough Girls' College have created a turtle sculpture out of litter collected on Long Island as part of a school project.
Repainting and repair work at former Okato primary school
A once thriving primary school that has sat empty since 2004 has been repainted and repairs are underway in preparation for it potentially becoming part of a treaty settlement.
School leader 'very unimpressed' women spread anti-vax information outside school
Two women who stationed themselves outside a high school with Covid-19 misinformation have been reported to authorities, the deputy principal says.
Get jabbed, help a charity
A Taranaki-based bakery company is encouraging its staff to help a charity by getting themselves vaccinated.
Asian Kiwis lead the way in Covid-19 vaccine uptake
Ethnic vaccination events and the experiences of family overseas have contributed to the uptake, community leaders say.
Auckland eyes up Paris-style street cafes ahead of 'long-term' level 2
The council and AT are working on closing roads and cutting red tape so eateries and diners can make the most of what experts say will be a lengthy level 2.
Level 1 still a way off for the rest of New Zealand, experts say
Level 2 restrictions may be loosened soon though, including upping the 50-person indoor capacity limit to 100 — a move hospitality business owners will welcome.
Migrant's chances of being with fiancée in New Zealand becoming slim
OPINION: Most migrants are not afraid of losing our jobs, or finding new ones, but of losing our chance to return to New Zealand if we leave.
Australia poaching migrant dairy workers
They love the lifestyle and want to stay, but immigration tardiness and an aggressive Aussie campaign is luring our skilled migrant dairy workers away.
Overstayers at extra risk from Delta, Tongan Robin Hood says
With the fear of deportation, and some struggling with a language barrier, there are concerns overstayers may not seek Covid-19 help.
Tough path ahead for chef after family denied entry into New Zealand
Abhijit Mallik may have to give up his dream job and leave his adopted home after running into residency struggles due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
France furious at Australia, Biden over submarine deal
The AUKUS alliance scuppers a deal between Australia and France to acquire 12 submarines, costing the French defence industry some 56 billion euros.
Asking prices in Auckland's 'most affordable' district near $1m
A $227,000 increase in average asking prices in one year is shutting many locals out of the market, a marae leader says.
Asian Kiwis lead the way in Covid-19 vaccine uptake
Ethnic vaccination events and the experiences of family overseas have contributed to the uptake, community leaders say.
Auckland eyes up Paris-style street cafes ahead of 'long-term' level 2
The council and AT are working on closing roads and cutting red tape so eateries and diners can make the most of what experts say will be a lengthy level 2.
Wellington today, September 17: Distance between NZ and allies grows, trilingual song encourages Kiwis to unite
Read the headlines and breaking news from around the region.
Trilingual song celebrates the Aotearoa of today
Taking Te Wiki O te Reo Māori one step further, Wellington band Tomorrow People is incorporating a third common Kiwi language into their song.
Privilege compounds offending of lockdown escapees
OPINION: It's long past time for the impression of automatic anonymity of the accused if they’re well known or well-connected.
Police create own te reo Māori app
The app, called Eke Tangaroa, provided guidance for pōwhiri, mihimihi and pēpeha, the police’s haka, as well as waiata and karakia and pronunciation help.
Police investigate triple homicide in Timaru
Police found three people dead at a home in the suburb of Parkside shortly after 10pm on Thursday. Another person was taken to hospital.
Level 1 still a way off for the rest of New Zealand, experts say
Level 2 restrictions may be loosened soon though, including upping the 50-person indoor capacity limit to 100 — a move hospitality business owners will welcome.
Who's wearing it better? Wellington and Christchurch in mask faceoff
Mask wearing isn't required outdoors, but one city's residents appear to be going above and beyond by covering up in public.
Is justice colour-blind?
The Wānaka story has put the spotlight on whether name suppression is fair.
Fossil mistaken for old anchor is new species of Waikato penguin
The revelation, by Massey University researchers, has been years in the making after Hamilton students found the specimen on a scenic reserve in Kawhia.
The unmarked graves of 1918: Māori VC's drive to bring jabs to Waikato uni
'Let's not repeat history' was the cry at Waikato University as it opened the first tertiary vaccination centre with a focus on Māori and Pasifika.
Festival One proposes shift to new rural venue
The farm land ticks all the boxes but neighbours worry that approving the Christian festival will bring other big events to their quiet Waikato community.
Kōkako get their own speed bumps
Signs alone weren't enough to protect the endemic birds from Waikato rural traffic, a local restoration society said.
Auckland man stuck in wage subsidy limbo as workplace moves to level 2
Grant Richards, who lives 1km south of the northern border, is "unable to earn a living" now his work is no longer eligible for the wage subsidy.
Fifty yachts to sail from Fiji to Northland, raising Covid-19 fears
The yachts are expected to sail to Opua before cyclone season starts, with some coming from Fiji, where Covid-19 is out of control.
Mr Whippy-style van to offer Covid-19 vaccines door-to-door
Jacinda Ardern hopes Kiwis can come up with a better name for the mobile vaccination service than Australia's "Jabba the Bus".
Health fears for Northland after Covid-19 rule-breakers flee Auckland
A man who came up north for a tangi, then allegedly went on a pub crawl, among a raft of Aucklanders accused of breaching the border.
Jail, warning for Mykky Icclessiastes Illusion X-Calibur Maxinmus Walker
Teen from "difficult" background who threatened to kill two police officers before taking their patrol car faces prospect of adult life "in and out of jail".
Man accused of torching Bay of Plenty school appears in court
While the man faced a number of charges in the dock, just down the road the school is still dealing with the aftermath of the fire.
Warning for drivers: Heavy rain 'cranking up'
Bad weather is forecast for the peninsula and the bay between 3am and 3pm on Thursday.
Waitangi Day primary school fire: Man arrested, charged with arson
The fire, in the early hours of February 6, destroyed the office block and eight attached classrooms.
Killer driver to be released despite concerns
Kevin Ronald Bishell will be released from prison this month despite the Parole Board's concerns he will reoffend.
Pedestrian lights transformed to Māori figures
Waiting to walk across Ngāmotu’s (New Plymouth) rainbow crossing, pedestrians are being greeted with new red and green figures.
Student left Auckland to attend Taranaki polytech
A student who spent lockdown in Auckland used his essential service status to exit the city and return to Taranaki to attend a class.
Repainting and repair work at former Okato primary school
A once thriving primary school that has sat empty since 2004 has been repainted and repairs are underway in preparation for it potentially becoming part of a treaty settlement.
Call for assailants to face justice for racial attack
Haraia Bowen-Hakaraia says police recorded the incident as robbery but he knows it was a racially-motivated hate crime.
Feilding push for Federation League spot after stellar season
The town's football team only lost two games all season and scored a half-century of goals.
Two-week stay in bug-infested MIQ room 'unbelievable'
Roger Mitchell says there was long blonde hair through the carpet, bugs in the bathroom and thick dust in the fan grates, with a $3100 bill for the experience.
Two dead after crash near Whanganui
A third person is fighting for their life after the crash on SH3 at Kaitoke on Thursday evening.
Taking a leap for Alzheimer's
Jumping out of a plane may be daunting, but for people with dementia, most days have their challenges.
Out Here in Whakatū
Once-marginalised voices, characters and themes are finally finding their way into print.
A boost for the transformative power of art
“You can make a difference, even if it’s that they go away and say, that was good.”
Originair delays start of flights to Hawke's Bay
Originair has postponed the launch of its expanded spring flight schedule including services to Hawke's Bay.
Repeat offender escapes further disqualification
Blenheim man already had 12 disqualification charges to his name, but added another two after he was spotted driving again by police.
Top of the south artists join forces
Despite the challenges that come with Covid, the Marlborough Art and Wine Fair is back for a second year.
Marlborough's youth 'lifekeepers' awarded for their work
It's about building connections and fostering trust say the team at Marlborough Youth Trust.
Man accused of murdering RSE worker Hiko Lynch in Blenheim has charge dropped
After reviewing all “available proof”, the murder charge was not sustainable, says Crown prosecutor.
Police investigate triple homicide in Timaru
Police found three people dead at a home in the suburb of Parkside shortly after 10pm on Thursday. Another person was taken to hospital.
Te reo Māori 'good for the brain'
Felicity Bruce was happy to reveal what the language means to her.
Plan signals Timaru traffic changes
Another new set of traffic lights suggested for Timaru as authorities seek to improve traffic flows and highway safety from the north.
Timaru applies for housing development funding
The Timaru District Council is in wait-and-see mode over an application to the Government's Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to speed up housing development.
'Much-loved employee and friend' dies in Otago helicopter crash
Air crash investigators are appealing for witnesses after a pilot died in a helicopter crash between Milton and Alexandra in Otago.
Warning issued over cracks in Robinson helicopter rotor blades
Authorities are concerned a manufacturing defect making the blades prone to cracking, could lead to loss of control of the chopper.
Sixty women recalled for breast screening
Pacific Radiology is asking 60 Southland and Otago women to return for further breast screening assessments after it says it picked up performance issues with one of its radiologists.
Man avoids conviction over crash that killed girlfriend
Olivia Brown, 22, died when a four-wheel-drive she and boyfriend Campbell Page were in rolled down a 40-metre bank in Central Otago.
The legend of Foveaux Strait
The body of water that lies between Murihiku and Rakiura is well known amongst fishermen and divers. But according to Māori legend, there was once a strip of land that joined the two islands.
'Desperate' times for hospitality sector
The hospitality sector in the South Island must return to alert level 1 “immediately” as the financial situation becomes desparate for many businesses, a prominent industry insider says.
New environmental iwi-led charity receives $2.1m Government funding
Te Tapu o Tāne, a new iwi-led environmental charity, will receive funding to establish native plant nurseries and undertake restoration projects in Southland.
Colombian teen reunites with family
A 13-year-old boy from Colombia has been reunited with his family in Southland after almost three years.