New Zealand has been ranked the second most peaceful country in the Global Peace Index 2022 report, a place it has held since 2017. The annual report, compiled by the Institute for Economics & Peace, measures the “peacefulness” of countries using 23 indicators across the domains of societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international […]

As a cold front moves up the country, MetService has warned of “possibly the coldest week of the year”, particularly for sheltered inland areas of the South Island. The advancing front is bringing thick snow and chilly temperatures. The majority of the country is unlikely to exceed 10 C for most of the week. Parts […]

Young creatives and aspiring entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to kickstart their own businesses with the help of a new accelerator programme based at Impact Hub Waikato. The Co-Creatives accelerator is open to anyone aged 16–35 with an artistic or creative skill and a desire to build a business around this. The programme will consist […]

A seemingly surprising difference between the number of people receiving the jobseeker benefit and the unemployment rate is due to the fact that not all those who are unemployed receive the benefit, an economist says. The National party recently questioned why there has been a rise in the number of people receiving the benefit when […]

Māori tourism businesses are reporting that a targeted government funding boost is assisting their post-pandemic recovery. Last year the government announced funding support of $15 million to be delivered over two years. The goal of the fund is to safeguard the businesses of Māori tourism operators in the short term, and to help them prepare […]

A new sushi restaurant opened in Queenstown last Saturday – the first in the country to include a miniature train for delivering orders. Soki Sushi Train, in Queenstown’s CBD, boasts a custom-made model of Japan’s bullet train, which travels around the tables of the restaurant to deliver food to the diners. Restaurant owner Ting Li […]

The New Zealand ambassador to Vietnam Tredene Dobson visited the south-central Vietnamese province of Binh Dinh on June 6. She commended the New Zealand-funded projects in the region, including healthcare projects at Binh Dinh Provincial General Hospital and an agricultural project that involves the safe production of vegetables. Doctors in Binh Dinh have been receiving […]

A New Zealand survey expedition has recently returned from studying the remnants of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga, which erupted in January this year. The expedition, led by NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) and funded by the Nippon Foundation, discovered that the volcano was still largely intact. This came as […]

New Zealand will sign a “strategic partnership” agreement with Malaysia, promising greater co-operation on counter-terrorism and indigenous collaboration. The decision to sign the partnership document was made at a meeting between New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and her Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur last week. “We’ve had a long-standing partnership with […]

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, together with the Joy Wing Mau Fruit Technology Group and eight New Zealand fruit exporters, have launched a “Taste New Zealand” fruit gift box that is customised for the Chinese market. The gift box contains over ten types of premium fruit, most of them varieties that have been developed in […]

Internationally acclaimed New Zealand architect and researcher Professor Anthony Hoete has returned from the United Kingdom to help revive ancient Māori construction techniques. He will lead a team from the University of Auckland that aims to rebuild a historic Bay of Plenty wharenui (meeting house) that was destroyed in the 1931 Napier earthquake. The reconstruction, […]

Māori tourism businesses are reporting that a targeted government funding boost is assisting their post-pandemic recovery. Last year the government announced funding support of $15 million to be delivered over two years. The goal of the fund is to safeguard the businesses of Māori tourism operators in the short term, and to help them prepare […]

Hawke’s Bay artists have collaborated to create 20 giant apple sculptures, which will feature in an upcoming art trial across Hastings city. Brazilian-born artist Mauricio Benega, who initiated the project,​ wanted to bring something to the region to highlight its reputation as the country’s biggest apple grower. With funding support from the Hastings District Council’s […]

Waikato residents with ideas for community-focussed creative projects are able to request funding to help them get their projects off the ground. The Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) has opened its most recent funding round. Projects must be arts and community focussed and take place in the city no earlier than October 13. To be eligible […]

July was the wettest month on record for Blenheim, with more than 200 millimetres of rain. The heavy rain caused traffic delays across the region and forced the closure of several roads, including State Highway 1, due to flooding. Waka Kotahi Top of the South systems manager Andrew James said that the damaged roads would […]

Auckland’s iconic landmark the Sky Tower is celebrating its 25th birthday on August 3. The Tower has gone from controversial beginnings – many objecting to a tower of its size dominating the Auckland skyline – to become a much-loved symbol and feature of the City. More than 10 million people have visited the Tower since […]

Several multimillion-dollar projects are nearing completion in the Mitre 10 Sports Park complex in Hawkes Bay. One of the projects is the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre, a $32-million venture that is on schedule to open in August. The aquatic centre will house an olympic size 50-metre pool and a learn-to-swim 25-metre pool. Sir Graeme […]

More than 1000 signatures, from supporters in 40 countries, have been obtained on a petition to get a “white wine” emoji created. The petition, launched by New Zealand Wine Growers, will form part of a submission that the organisation plans to present to the Unicode Consortium, the body responsible for approving new emoji icons, this […]