File photoYou weren't imagining it - Valentine's Day chocolate probably was more expensive this year. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said there was usually a price increase for chocolate in either January or February in the lead-up to Valentine's Day. "But chocolate prices have now increased 20 percent, that's three months in a row of double digit annual price increases." Cocoa prices had eased a little from highs earlier in 2025 but New Zealand chocolate prices never lifted as much as cocoa did. "Long story short, where international chocolate prices were at the end of last year up a good 37 percent from where international cocoa prices were two years ago.

The former Exponents singer has lived in Little River for more than a decade. Banks Peninsula is one of the worst-hit areas and today, more rain is forecast to fall. Jordan Luck's Little River property has been overwhelmed by floodwaters. Jordan Luck's Little River property as it normally is – before the flooding. Fire and Emergency New Zealand earlier said “around four people” were rescued from a car stuck in floodwater at the Wairewa Marae in Little River, at around 8.40am.

AdvertisementExclusive BusinessCompaniesPrivate banking ‘Unconscionable’: Westpac lashed by judge after dispute over $44.11 Kishor Napier-Raman February 17, 2026 — 10:33am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Westpac-owned St George was ordered to remove any adverse credit information about the customer. Slattery then ordered the removal of the black mark on Vinall’s credit. Westpac argued that it was powerless to change Vinall’s adverse credit information provided to third parties. The bank’s solicitors told Hammerschlag that they had successfully taken steps to remove Vinall’s adverse payment history from credit registers.

The 44-year-old Auckland woman appeared in Auckland District Court. Photo: Finn Blackwell / RNZA woman accused of defrauding a Dunedin man out of more than half a million dollars in an alleged 18-year romance scam has appeared in court for the first time today. The 44-year-old Auckland woman was arrested last week after a search warrant was carried out by the Dunedin Police and assisted by the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit. Police said romance scams were usually carried out by offshore offenders, making prosecutions difficult for law enforcement. Speaking broadly about romance scams, head of Auckland's Financial Crimes Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton told RNZ he had never seen a local perpetrator before.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in one of the images released by the US Department of State. Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in one of the images released by the US Department of State. Photo / US Justice DepartmentThe executive chairman of the Hyatt hotel chain stepped down today after emails revealing his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light. United States businessman Thomas Pritzker maintained contact with Epstein well after the latter was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. “Good stewardship... means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret,” Pritzker said in a statement picked up by US media.

Multiple Netball NZ board members - including chairperson Matt Whineray - are stepping down from their roles. In a statement released this evening, Netball NZ said Whineray and board members Pavan Vyas, Stephen Cottrell and Aliesha Staples were moving on after a "a challenging period for the sport and broader netball community". The statement said the board members recognised there was "a need for new leadership to enable renewed focus and momentum for Netball NZ". Whineray had served on the Netball NZ Board for more than eight years, and had been chair for the past two and a-half years. A recruitment process will begin in the next week to find replacements for the board chair and board members, who will remain in their roles until those replacements are appointed.

Photo / Tracy NealMedical child abuse was described by Crown prosecutor Mark O’Donoghue as a recognised form of child abuse where a child received “unnecessary, potentially harmful medical care” at the instigation of a caregiver. The first charge alleged that between February 28 and September 10, 2019, the woman intentionally engaged in conduct likely to cause adverse effects to the health of the child. The sixth charge alleged ill-treatment between October 7 and November 30, 2020. The seventh charge alleged that between November 11-27, 2020, the woman wilfully caused a disease in the child, namely polymicrobial sepsis by deliberately contaminating the central line. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.

The person was walking their dog when they were attacked by a group of three males. The person was walking their dog when they were attacked by a group of three males. Photo / AblestockA person walking their dog has been taken to hospital after being jumped by three males at a park in East Auckland. The incident took place between 8.30pm and 9.15pm near Ti Rakau Park playground, when a person was assaulted during an encounter with three males. The victim was walking their dog at the time.

Numerous trees have been cleared along SH1, with roadblocks remaining in place as more debris is cleared. Video / Mike ScottNew Zealand roads at risk of more slips without new strategy, expert warnsSlips are likely to wreak havoc across New Zealand’s road network unless the response to disasters changes, a travel network expert claims. Motorists were forced to sleep in their cars after trees blocked State Highway 1, while Kāwhia was isolated because of multiple slips as a result of wet weather. Dr Douglas Wilson, director of the Transportation Research Centre at the University of Auckland, said the age and design of New Zealand’s roads can make them susceptible to slips. “The road networks in New Zealand obviously have largely been built sort of 50 to 100 years ago and a lot of them were not actually designed to current standards or even to standards at that point because they followed the secondary road network,” Wilson said.

“We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious people or vehicles around the Swanson Rd and Christian Rd areas between January 14-27. Police are investigating a high-value burglary in Swanson involving silver bullion and gold coins. He said police are also keen to hear from people who may have been offered a large amount of silver or gold for sale in unusual circumstances. “If you have any information regarding the burglary or the whereabouts of the bullion please contact police,” he said. Police are investigating a high-value burglary in Swanson involving silver bullion and gold coins.

The fatal crash happened on Puketutu Rd, Matamata, on February 1. Police release name of 49-year-old man killed in Matamata crashThe fatal crash happened on Puketutu Rd, Matamata, on February 1. Photo / NZMEA Mount Maunganui man has been named as the person who died after a crash in Matamata. Fairfax-Brown died after a two-car crash on Puketutu Rd at about 12.15pm on February 1. “Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing,” police said today.

The Black Foils would miss five SailGP events if they were to return at the UK event, missing the regattas in Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda, New York and Halifax. “Safety is the number one priority for SailGP – as such, we are constantly reviewing safety measures. “SailGP Technologies has got much higher priorities than putting the Kiwi boat back together.”Orams praised French helmsman Quentin Delapierre for his quick thinking and preventing a worse incident. “They’re going at speeds we drive down the motorway and we know what happens when there’s an accident on the motorway at nearly 100ks an hour. “So that while Louis Sinclair was badly injured, if it had been a direct hit, it could have been a lot, lot worse.”This was the Black Foils’ second smash of their SailGP campaign, after they crashed with Switzerland in the opening regatta in Perth.

Law & Order and Mortal Kombat star Mehcad Brooks defended the online fundraiser, which has received more than $4.1m in donations, to support Van Der Beek’s widow, Kimberly, and their six children. “I am one of the Van Der Beeks closest friends and the headlines are fake AF, you have no idea wtf you’re talking about,” Brooks wrote on Threads. “James secured a down payment for the Texas ranch for the family with the help of friends through a trust so they could shift from rent to mortgage,” they told People. The fundraiser, which was started by friends, said the costs of medical care and the fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. Others were more sympathetic, saying the United States’ healthcare system is expensive and even the wealthy can struggle to pay the costs.

Radio NZ reports:Rurawhe, who served as the Te Tai Hauāura MP for three terms, also offered a candid reflection on Labour’s time in government, saying the party should’ve done more to bring the public along on key Māori policies. He said that while he had advocated for a Māori Health Authority, Rurawhe said in hindsight that Labour had not convinced the broader electorate of the need for it. “Unless people see themselves in the policy, they’re not going to support it,” he said. If Labour were to pursue similar policies again, Rurawhe said the party would need to take a different approach, focusing on outcomes rather than structures. “I think it is to concentrate less on the Māori Health Authority and focus more on achieving the outcomes that we want for Māori health,” he said.

Photo / SuppliedPlimmer said after the alleged murder, Rodger was “evil” and “demonic” and told her he had “always hated” Leman. Police allege he shot Leman, a father of three, then “decapitated and dismembered” him after smoking methamphetamine. The women claim they were with Leman at Grant’s home when Rodger arrived with a .22-calibre gun and shot him twice. .. this little f***** shot him for no reason, no reason at all. Plimmer told police she had no idea where the missing body parts were.