Photo: Peter McIntoshThe cruise ship Crown Princess visits Port Chalmers yesterday. The 290m-long ship, which was first commissioned 20 years ago, was one of several visiting Dunedin this week. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to pound the pavement.
Not a day goes by where Samson Aruwa doesn't think about the night he desperately pulled trapped partygoers from a fatal pile-up at a Dunedin student flat. Mr Aruwa carried Ms Crestani from the pile and his actions that night likely saved many others from the same fate, a ceremony recognising his bravery heard today. On the night of the party Mr Aruwa, a student at the time managed to free himself, and then took charge leading the effort of pulling trapped partygoers free. Mr Aruwa, who was wearing a moon-boot at the time, repeatedly returned to assist others who were stuck and unable to escape, Comm Chambers said. Photo: SuppliedComm Chambers said had it not been for Mr Aruwa, the tragedy would have been ‘‘so much worse’’.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced travel bans on members of the Iranian regime involved in the violent suppression of protests. Photo: RNZ / Mark PapaliiThe Foreign Minister is warning New Zealanders to get out of Iran, adding the advice to not travel there has been long-standing. On Wednesday, Peters announced travel bans on members of the Iranian regime involved in the violent suppression of protests. "It has been horrifying to witness the brutal killing of thousands of protesters in Iran," Peters said. The government's long-standing advice over a number of years has been not to travel to Iran and in January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) urged any New Zealanders still in the country to leave now.
Christchurch Hospital's bed occupancy reached 99% at one point on Wednesday. Photo: Geoff SloanThe Nurses' Organisation says Christchurch Hospital is reaching capacity, with some elective surgeries cancelled on Wednesday. Allister Dietschin, a healthcare assistant and Nurses' Organisation delegate, said the hospital was "heaving" and it had been "madness" for some days. On Wednesday, resourced bed occupancy in the hospital reached 99%. Christchurch Hospital "often" had high volumes of patients and not enough staff.
Photo: RNZ / Mark PapaliiDeputy Prime Minister David Seymour has renewed his call for the government to sell its 51 percent stake in Air New Zealand after it reported a significant half-year loss. Seymour, also the leader of the ACT Party, criticised the airline, saying it should go back to the basics. Seymour said Air NZ had been doing "politically motivated stuff" when it couldn't take off and land on time for a decent price. Air NZ said the half-year loss was largely driven by global engine maintenance delays, slower-than-expected recovery in domestic demand, increasing costs, and a weaker New Zealand dollar. Asked whether he started the culture Seymour was referencing, Luxon said: "You can go look at my track record running Air NZ.
But to get them here required aircraft, and several of Air New Zealand’s have been grounded due to issues with Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney engines. The airline today said capacity across the international long-haul network was down 3.6%, mainly because of aircraft availability issues. Ravishankar said union delegates and Air New Zealand leaders were making progress and mediation was happening this week. On whether he was disappointed by the Samoa fee hike and if authorities there signalled it to Air NZ, he said the International Air Transport Association (Iata) was working on the issue. Air NZ first-half 2026 resultsRevenue: $3.4 billion, up 1.2%.
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. Photo: RNZDeputy Prime Minister David Seymour has renewed his call for the government to sell its 51 percent stake in Air New Zealand after it reported a significant half-year loss. Seymour, also the leader of the Act Party, criticised the airline, saying it should go back to the basics. My question is, what is that purpose if they're not providing a service that is affordable and timely? Seymour said Air NZ had been doing "politically motivated stuff" when it couldn't take off and land on time for a decent price.
I was confused as I didn’t know what had happened and I was getting some oxygen, and my blood pressure was through the roof. “The only thing we can put it down to is just the altitude and some dehydration on the aircraft. Townsend retired at the end of the 2025 season, and has turned his attention to podcasting among other things. This is the third year the NRL season has begun the season in Sin City as part of a push to grow the game globally. Last year, the Warriors played in Las Vegas, but it was a moment to forget, as they were hammered 30-8 by the Canberra Raiders.
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Photo: PhotosportWhile the hunger for poaching Pacific rugby talent appears insatiable, the same appetite does not exist for providing for the Islands. Listen to RNZ's Fair Game: Pacific Rugby Against the World podcast. World Rugby, which provided establishment support when Moana entered Super Rugby, no longer contributes to those operational expenses. Umaga was diplomatic when asked if the greater rugby world is incentivised to keep the islands under-funded and under-resourced. Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nzUnder minimum broadcast standards, staging a Super Rugby game in Tonga requires transporting roughly three tonnes of equipment into the country - costs the club must cover themselves.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has placed travel bans on some Iranian ministers. Winston Peters says New Zealanders in Iran need to get out of the countryForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealanders in Iran need to get out of the country as tensions between the Middle Eastern nation and the United States grow. Peters announced travel bans on some Iranian ministers yesterday, which prompted the Iranian Embassy to accuse New Zealand of “misinformation” and taking “inhumane measures”. Peters told Ryan Bridge TODAY it would be a disaster should the United States and Iran go to war, but that “sadly, that is a high potential now”. A few months ago, Foreign Affairs sent a plane to the Iranian border to attempt to evacuate people before finding out that the “threat had broken”.
New Lynn robbery: Man threatened with weapon after car cuts him offA person was robbed after being cut off by a car on the footpath of a residential street and threatened with a weapon in West Auckland. The victim was walking to his accommodation around 9.16pm on Sunday when a black station wagon cut him off on the footpath on Gilliam St, New Lynn, said Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting. “Two males emerged from the vehicle, making demands towards the victim. One of the offenders was carrying a weapon at the time.”The pair took the victim’s bag after the altercation, which lasted minutes, said Bunting.
A third of New Zealanders have savings of less than $500, Westpac says, with Auckland and Northland lagging the rest of the country. By Susan Edmunds of RNZWestpac has released new data that shows Canterbury and Otago are top of the savings stakes – in both regions 28% of Westpac customers are making monthly payments into savings, and they have the highest median savings balance of $4200. Those regions also had the highest proportion of customers with savings of $15,000 or more, at 32%. Auckland and Northland were at the opposite end, with only 20% of customers making monthly payments into savings and median savings balances of less than $1500. But taking some time to review your overall spending and making small savings commitments can have a big impact over time."
“The primary sector remains a bright spot, driving economic recovery for regional New Zealand,” said Brunsdon. “While the job market remains challenging, households continue to scrimp with their money,” Brunsdon said. Employment gains remained more muted than economic activity, with only three South Island regions experiencing employment growth in the quarter. Earlier this week, BNZ chief economist Mike Jones released a report on regional economic progress, which also identified early signs of improvement in the North Island cities. But some convergence in regional economic performance was likely this year.
