Is it just me, or is everyone getting sick? Be warned a new ‘severe variant’ flu is looming
“It looks like it’s going to be quite a severe variant of the flu this year,” he said. He said while some schools offered flu vaccines to staff, most did not generally track vaccination rates for staff or students. Flu vaccines were free for eligible people, such as pregnant women or those over 65, and would otherwise cost between $20 and $40. Covid vaccines were free and boosters were available to people aged 30 or older. While many employers commonly funded flu vaccines for their employees each year, not many funded Covid boosters, Betty said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 19, 2026 05:32 UTC
$100m Waikato steel manufacturing plant wins fast-track consent, 200 jobs to be created
The project aims to reduce structural steel imports, as well as the amount of scrap steel being exported. The site is 53ha and rural, at 61 Hampton Downs Rd, Te Kauwhata. The proposal is that scrap steel collected and processed by National Steel and now exported for recycling will instead be processed at Green Steel’s Hampton Downs site. To the north, across Hampton Downs Rd, is the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. Hampton Downs neighbours the site of the proposed new plant.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 19, 2026 04:54 UTC
Queenstown lakefront food stalls banned
The ban on food stalls at the lakefront will take effect on April 17. Photo: Guy Williams/ODTFood stalls will be banned from the Queenstown lakefront after the district council voted on measures to deal with public health concerns, litter and traders blocking footpaths. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) monitoring showed there were often between six and 22 stalls on a 150-metre stretch of the lakefront despite a requirement for stalls to be 50m apart. All nine pop-up food stalls inspected by the council last year had issues with basic safety requirements including lack of hand-washing facilities, poor temperature control and inadequate food storage. Heath Copland said while he enjoyed the vibe the stallholders brought to the lakefront, he backed the council staff.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 19, 2026 04:32 UTC
GDP increase ‘disappointing’ as Government spending boosts growth and households reluctant to spend
“The fact that central government spending and an increase in inventory levels made the biggest positive contributions to growth highlights the economy’s static nature,” he said. The primary sector continued to experience strong growth with a rise of 0.9% for the quarter. However, rental, hiring and real estate services were the largest contributors to the overall increase in GDP, up 0.8% in the quarter. “The volume of building work put in place, a key input into how Stats NZ measures GDP, fell 3.1% in the December 2025 quarter,” Attewell said. The business sector also contributed to slower growth, as private sector investment spending fell by 3.2% from September, its largest quarterly decline in over two years.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 19, 2026 03:44 UTC
Breakfast briefing: Fed steady in face of local and global provocations
Their 1-5 curve is steeper at +18 bps (+3 bps) and the 3 mth-10yr curve is now at +54 bps (+4 bps). The China 10 year bond rate is little-changed at just over 1.82%. The Australian 10 year bond yield starts today at 4.93%, up +3 bps from yesterday. And the NZ Government 10 year bond rate starts today down -8 bps at 4.63%. The bitcoin price starts today at US$71,293 and down -3.9% from this time yesterday.
Source:Stuff
March 19, 2026 02:55 UTC
Seven yellow cards and counting: Crusaders’ discipline under the spotlight
There was to be more for Fihaki to celebrate, too; because when Super Rugby Pacific issued its weekly judicial update on Monday, his name was missing. So while Fihaki has clearance to play Moana Pasifika in North Harbour this weekend, Millar, who did not return to the field after being felled by Fihaki, has been rubbed out. Although the No 10 was reported to have "responded well'' after the incident, he wasn’t considered for the clash against the Hurricanes in Dunedin tomorrow night. The absence of first five-eighth Millar did more than cruel the Highlanders' hopes of reeling in the Crusaders, who were eight points ahead with 20 minutes left to play, and won 29-18. It also damaged their chances of securing a losing bonus point.
Source:Stuff
March 19, 2026 02:53 UTC
Florida hospital sues former patient who refuses to leave room for five months despite discharge
A former patient has refused to leave Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Florida hospital sues former patient who refuses to leave room for five months despite dischargeA former patient has refused to leave Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Photo / Google MapsA Florida hospital is looking to the courts for help after a former patient has refused to leave her room five months after she was discharged. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) asked the courts to order the woman to leave the hospital and authorise police to help, reported the Tallahassee Democrat. “TMH staff made repeated efforts to assist the defendant in safely completing discharge,” according to the lawsuit filed at the beginning of March.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 19, 2026 01:44 UTC
Rocket Lab wins record contract with US Department of War
Rocket Lab founder and chief executive Sir Peter Beck. Photo / Rocket LabBy RNZRocket Lab has won a US$190 million ($327m) contract from the United States Department of War, formerly the Department of Defence, for a series of hypersonic test flights using its Haste launch vehicle. It is the largest single launch contract in the New Zealand-founded company’s history and lifts its total order backlog to more than US$2 billion ($3.44b). The four‑year agreement covers 20 test flights of Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (Haste) rocket, a modified version of its Electron launcher designed to carry suborbital payloads of up to 700kg at speeds above Mach 5. The launches will be carried out under the Multi‑Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH‑TB) 2.0 programme – a partnership between the Department of War and the Naval Surface Warfare Centre Crane Division that aims to accelerate hypersonic flight testing and related technologies.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 19, 2026 01:41 UTC
Rescue plane for NZers in Middle East returning home empty
An RNZAF Hercules departing for the Middle East from Whenuapai Air Base in Auckland. Photo: RNZ/Calvin SamuelThe second of two military planes sent to rescue New Zealanders stranded by the Middle East war is returning home because it's not needed. But the Defence Force said there were plenty of flights available for people wanting to leave. It said one of the Hercules returned on Sunday and the other was currently on route and will arrive on Saturday. It is the second time the Defence Force has flown to the Middle East, but was not needed for any evacuation flights.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 19, 2026 00:39 UTC
One dead after Swiss ski gondola crashes
A gondola cabin lies in snow after crashing at a ski resort in Engelberg. Photo: Polizei Nidwalden via ReutersOne person has died after a cable car cabin at a Swiss ski resort crashed down a snowy mountainside during strong winds. The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, was the only person in the gondola, police said. A helicopter had been dispatched to the scene in the ski resort of Engelberg in central Switzerland, air-rescue service Rega said. The gondola service is normally suspended when winds climb above 60km/h.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 19, 2026 00:33 UTC
Body found in search for missing Gore man
Lake Manapouri. File photo: STEPHEN JAQUIERYPolice searching for a man who fell overboard in Lake Manapouri have recovered a body this morning. While formal identification is yet to take place, police believe it is likely to be the man who went missing on Saturday about 1km offshore in Lake Manapouri. The victim is believed to be a 43-year-old Gore man. Police Search and Rescue and the Police Dive Squad, with assistance from the Royal New Zealand Navy have conducted extensive searches of the lake and surrounding areas over the past few days.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 18, 2026 23:36 UTC
Ong faces pay cut amid conduct allegations
PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYA pay cut could be coming for embattled Dunedin councillor Benedict Ong, while he also faces code of conduct proceedings. She also said Cr Ong had been extremely disrespectful to herself, such as talking over her and walking out when she was speaking to him. Last year, Cr Ong lodged a complaint against Cr Chambers for "discriminatory remarks", but this was found to be without substance. As the ODT reported last week, independent investigator Steph Dyhrberg found Cr Ong to be in serious breach of the council's code of conduct. She regarded his attempt to discredit the staff member as a witness in a code of conduct process as particularly egregious.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 18, 2026 22:51 UTC
Chris Luxon’s Botany office targeted in Greenpeace protest with Trump image, US flags; police investigate
Photos from the Botany office in East Auckland show multiple US flags propped up along the entrance, with a large poster of Trump alongside an image of Luxon, while a sign on the front lawn reads: “Trump war minerals HQ”. A sign outside Christopher Luxon's electorate office reads "Trump war minerals HQ" alongside an image depicting an American bald eagle with a Kiwi in its claws. Greenpeace Aotearoa campaigner Juressa Lee said any minerals deal would not only lead to environmental destruction, but also make New Zealand complicit in Trump’s war-mongering. “We know a minerals deal would be bad for the land and sea of Aotearoa. “We’re calling on Luxon to say no to a minerals deal with Trump.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 18, 2026 22:22 UTC
One killed as cable car plunges down Swiss mountainside
A gondola cabin detached from its cable at the Engelberg-Titlis ski resort in central Switzerland, killing its passenger, according to the cantonal police. One killed as cable car plunges down Swiss mountainsideA gondola cabin detached from its cable at the Engelberg-Titlis ski resort in central Switzerland, killing its passenger, according to the cantonal police. Photo / Kantonspolizei Nidwalden, AFPOne person has been killed after a cable car suddenly detached amid strong winds and plunged down a snowy slope at a Swiss Alpine ski resort, police said. The incident happened at the Engelberg-Titlis ski resort, high up in the Alps in central Switzerland. This person sustained fatal injuries,” Senad Sakic, with the regional police in Nidwalden canton, told reporters.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 18, 2026 22:12 UTC