New Zealand News plus Jacinda Ardern, Auckland & Wellington Updates

LATEST NEW ZEALAND NEWS, PRIME MINISTER AND ECONOMY UPDATES

Jacinda Ardern and Emmanuel Macron will pressure world leaders and tech companies to sign up to 'Christchurch Call' to ban violent, extremist content at G7 summit tomorrow

14/05/19 10:42

New Zealand's Prime Minister and the French President want world leaders to agree to new laws banning extremist material online, and for tech companies to strictly enforce them. The pair will use the G7 meeting of digital ministers in Paris this week to tout an accord dubbed the Christchurch Call - named after the mosque massacre in New Zealand which saw 51 Muslims shot dead and part of the attack streamed on Facebook. The agreement sets out a broad set of commitments for both countries and tech firms aimed at stopping extremist material being posted and accessed....read

The Ford Raptor that police HAD to get off the streets: Mongrel Mob bikies ran a massive $2.6million ice ring in a tiny impoverished town - and their red ute was the cops’ biggest problem

14/05/19 08:37

Kawerau, in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island, had a massive drug problem, with many of its 6,000 residents addicted to methamphetamine.

Donald Trump claims it has been 'a rough time' for Muslims and people of other faiths after devastating terror attacks on places of worship including New Zealand mosques

14/05/19 07:22

Donald Trump said it has been a 'very rough time' for Muslims and people of other faiths at a dinner marking the end of Ramadan. He referenced deadly terror attacks on places of worship.

Revealed: The $30 olive oil from New Zealand that has been named the best in the WORLD

14/05/19 04:17

An award-winning olivery in New Zealand has asserted its dominance worldwide by walking away with gold at the New York International Olive Oil competition.

Jacinda Ardern's fiancé 'nearly died after passing out while spearfishing' - as he reveals the advice he will give to their daughter Neve

14/05/19 01:44

Clarke Gayford, who presents fishing documentary Fish of the Day, opened up about his work with wildlife and how fatherhood has affected the risks he takes on the job.

Nestle changes Milo recipe back to original after customers' fury over healthier version 'because it was less chocolaty'

13/05/19 16:51

Swiss food giant Nestle has decided to go back to its original Milo recipe in New Zealand following a huge backlash from customers four years ago.

Furious Westfield worker explodes at group of young children for being 'too noisy' in the mall's playground during late night shopping

13/05/19 07:37

An Auckland family has expressed outage after their young children were abused by a store employee for being too noisy in a shopping centre play area at Westfield Albany.

'My childhood right here': Domino's launches a new pizza topped with TINNED spaghetti and pineapple - so would you try it?

13/05/19 07:35

Fast food outlet Dominos has launched a new spaghetti and pineapple pizza. The new treat, named the 'Hawaiian Spaghetti Pizza', is a limited edition offer and costs just $7.99.

'No Japanese customers allowed': Karaoke bar comes under fire for controversial sign - but the manager says there's an innocent explanation

12/05/19 07:56

A karaoke hostess bar in Auckland has come under fire for a sign on its door which states 'No Japanese customers allowed'.

Going out with a bang! Jaden Smith thrills crowd in New Zealand while supporting Post Malone as he wears eclectic ensemble for their final Australasian concert

12/05/19 01:32

He has been wowing crowds Down Under over the past month while supporting American rapper Post Malone during his sold-out Australian tour.

Heavily-tattooed Post Malone cements his Rockstar status and puts on an animated performance in Auckland

11/05/19 14:47

He's the American rapper currently on a tour Down Under, and on Saturday, Post Malone, 23, delighted fans at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.

Police with machine guns guard the mosque targeted in the Christchurch terror attack to protect Muslims as they celebrate Ramadan

11/05/19 14:42

Worshipers entering the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch were greeted by armed officers during iftar, the evening meal, on Saturday.

Sushi shop kitchenhand who was fired for 'insulting her elders' by refusing to reduce her holiday is awarded $12,500

11/05/19 14:35

A sushi shop worker has been awarded $12,500 after she was denied her already approved annual leave and then unfairly fired for 'insulting her elders'.

Endangered parrot becomes the first bird in the world to undergo BRAIN SURGERY

10/05/19 17:19

Pioneering brain surgery has been performed on a kakapo parrot by vets at Massey University's Wildbase Hospital in New Zealand.

Zuckerberg meets President Macron as France demands Facebook does more to tackle hate speech - days after co-founder says the social media giant should be broken up

10/05/19 16:41

A report commissioned by Macron said France needs more scope to audit Facebook's 'inadequate' internal policies against hate speech. Zuckerberg and Macron met Friday afternoon in Paris.

No kidding! Heavily tattooed rapper Post Malone looks sleepy as he shows off his 'always tired' under eye tattoos while jetting out of Sydney following three sold out shows

10/05/19 08:40

He has the words 'Always Tired' tattooed underneath his eyes.

Rowdy members of all-male university 'secret society' are kicked out of a Chinese restaurant for loudly downing wine - before marching to an Indian joint and trashing it

10/05/19 06:59

The 'Selwyn Good C**ts' allegedly showed up at The Asian in Dunedin, New Zealand, carrying two bottles of wine each, skolled glasses without ordering food.

Hero tradie stands guard outside a mosque to protect Muslims every Friday prayers in the wake of the Christchurch massacre

10/05/19 06:06

The man, named Matt, regularly stands outside the Darra mosque in Brisbane while worshippers pray inside.

Swimmer taking his dogs for a dip finds million-year-old fossilised footprints of an extinct giant flightless bird

10/05/19 03:17

Michael Johnston was in the Kyeburn River in Maniototo, New Zealand, when he found the fossilised footprints of a moa, an extinct large flightless bird that existed before the ice age.

Was the royal baby name inspired by a New Zealand boy? How the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's moniker was hinted at as far back as OCTOBER

10/05/19 01:59

The royal rumour mill has gone into overdrive amid speculation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby name might have been inspired by a New Zealand boy.

Netherworld Dancing Toys frontman Malcolm Black dies aged 58 after losing his battle with bowel cancer

10/05/19 01:35

Malcolm Black, the frontman of cult New Zealand band the Netherworld Dancing Toys, has died aged 58 after losing his battle with bowel cancer.

Plane stupid: Passenger is kicked off an Air New Zealand flight for putting her fingers in her ears and refusing to listen to safety briefing

09/05/19 21:14

The 'wealthy looking' passenger and her partner were seated together on an Air New Zealand flight in the exit row on Tuesday morning.

Australia's most trusted politician is not even an Aussie - while Pauline Hanson beats both Bill and ScoMo despite One Nation's recent woes

09/05/19 13:54

The New Zealand Prime Minister's landslide popularity was revealed after Research Company Millward Brown asked 1, 4000 Australians to score 12 politicians out of 100.

Open-air carriages on scenic New Zealand train will be taken out of service after several selfie 'near misses' involving passengers leaning out to take photographs

09/05/19 12:23

Passengers have apparently been putting themselves in danger on board the service, run by KiwiRail and called Great Journeys of New Zealand, by leaning out to take snaps.

'Biblical prophets appear in the Quran': Waleed Aly's wife Susan Carland reveals the surprising link between Christianity and Islam... after converting at age 19

08/05/19 22:17

Feminist academic Dr. Susan Carland converted to Islam from Christianity at age 19, despite once believing the religion was 'barbaric, outdated and sexist'.

'I hope New Zealanders like them!' Jacinda Ardern reveals the gift she is giving Harry and Meghan's baby on behalf of Kiwis

08/05/19 11:44

Meghan was dashed to hospital by Harry and their Scotland Yard security team on Sunday and gave birth to her baby boy on Monday at 5.26am, weighing 3.26kg.

Couple renovating their cottage are shocked to find eerie occult markings on their floorboards - and they weren't there last time they replaced carpets

08/05/19 09:06

The New Zealand couple were replacing carpets in their house in Okura, on the North Island, when they discovered a five-pointed star and circle on their bedroom floors.

Under the ink: Incredible photos of Maori people with distinctive 'ta moko' facial tattoos reveal what they would look like without their unique markings

08/05/19 08:34

New Zealand photographer Michael Bradley uses the wet plate collodion developing process popular in the 1800s on photos of Maori people with 'ta moko' facial markings.

'If there is a better sight... I haven't seen it': Students perform spine-tingling schoolboy haka before rugby game at unique sporting ground

08/05/19 07:09

New Plymouth Boys' High School 1st XV rugby team played against their traditional rivals and close neighbours Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth, New Zealand on Wednesday.

Bizarre 1970s CASTLE complete with a moat, drawbridge and not a single square room hits the market - but it's seen its fair share of battles

08/05/19 04:57

Castle Glatisaunt, located in Paparangi in Wellington, New Zealand has hit the market offering buyers the chance to live like royalty in a property complete with a moat, three turrets, and a drawbridge.

Pair of Aboriginal men without Australian citizenship are fighting deportation after their visas were cancelled for serious crimes

08/05/19 00:57

The High Court is set to decide whether Daniel Love and Brendan Thoms, foreign citizens who both identify as Aboriginal, can be considered 'aliens' and deported from the country.

'They didn't seem to care... they were looking at their phones': Louis Vuitton-toting woman and her 'wealthy' boyfriend are BOOTED from a flight after 'refusing to watch safety video'

08/05/19 00:41

Police officers removed the couple from an Air New Zealand flight to Auckland at Wellington Airport by police officers on Tuesday.

Christian whose message of solidarity with Islam became online hit tells Muslims 'come out and vote so you don't get stuck with Tommy Robinson' as he stands against EDL founder in Euro elections

07/05/19 20:12

Andrew Graystone, 57, announced on Twitter he would be standing for the newly founded Change UK party in an attempt to stop the EDL founder from becoming an MEP in the north-west region.

Sir Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter's daughter Renee, 26, admits her parents had a 'wild' start to married life - and that she HID her famous father's identity while growing up in LA

07/05/19 15:37

Renee Stewart, daughter of Sir Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter, admitted her parents had a 'pretty wild' start to married life as she opened up about her unconventional upbringing.

Mongrel Mob bikie gang scares off tourists by holding a patching ceremony at the top of popular lookout

07/05/19 11:09

Locals and tourists at a popular New Zealand lookout allege they were intimidated by an outlaw motorcycle gang into leaving the area.

Avocados hit TEN dollars a piece – causing Mexican restaurants to take guacamole off their menus

07/05/19 08:12

Avocado prices hit an all-time high in New Zealand last month at $5 a piece, but that's nothing compared to this week's hike, which saw the fruit double in price.

Secret society marches into an Indian restaurant and trashes it, rendering the bathrooms unusable and tipping over tables

07/05/19 07:17

Students from a prestigious Catholic college's secret society in New Zealand allegedly trashed a restaurant bathroom after taking over the venue with their behaviour.

Don't be home between 9 and 5 and don't laugh after 11pm: Man sparks debate with his VERY strict flatmate rules - but is everything as it seems?

07/05/19 01:51

A New Zealand man has decided to be brutally honest in his housemate wanted ad by listing his very strict 'flatmate rules' to avoid any surprises when moving day comes around.

Is this the secret to eternal youth? New Zealand becomes the fifth country to launch $59 supplement said to 'reverse ageing'

06/05/19 23:13

A supplement which promotes healthy ageing has just launched in New Zealand. The $59 product is made using a rarer form of vitamin B3. It claims to stop the body ageing at a cellular level.

Christchurch death toll climbs to 51 as Turkish man injured during mosque massacre dies in hospital 50 days after the atrocity

06/05/19 14:35

'We have unfortunately lost our citizen Zekeriya Tuyan, who was critically wounded in the heinous attack in Christchurch, New Zealand,' Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter.

Jacinda Ardern reveals the romantic way her now-fiance proposed to her and that he DIDN'T get down on one knee – and the real reason she didn't wear the sparkler on her ring finger

06/05/19 09:55

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed more details about her romantic proposal and why she doesn't wear her engagement ring on the correct finger.

Mother, 33, gives birth to her thirteen pound 'Hercules' son NATURALLY and without an epidural - but doctors can't figure out where his size comes from

06/05/19 08:43

A mother from New Zealand has given birth to her thirteen pound son naturally and without an epidural, with doctors still not able to explain why he was born so big.

Mandy Moore treks through New Zealand while on a hiking adventure with husband Taylor Goldsmith

05/05/19 21:03

The 35-year-old actress spent four days hiking through 'ice, snow, lush forests canopies' as part of Eddie Bauer's second annual #WHYIHIKE campaign.

Black to basics! Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler puts on a leggy display in a quirky cool romper as she attends a party in New York City

05/05/19 16:45

Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler, 26, recently underwent a hair transformation, unveiling a chic bob.

‘We fear for her life’: Mother-of-five, 61, with serious health problems is imprisoned in Abu Dhabi for failing to pay her debts

05/05/19 11:44

The family of a New Zealand mother-of-five, jailed in Abu Dhabi for failing to pay her debts, say they fear for her life because she has a heart condition.

Two men are charged with murdering father, 60, who was shot dead on his yacht at point blank range while sailing around the world with his family

05/05/19 09:49

Two Panamanian men, Leandro Herrera and Avelino Arosemena, have been charged with murdering New Zealand man Alan Culverwell.

'He died doing a job he loved': Wife of a policeman killed during a 51-hour siege breaks her silence for the first time in a decade to remember her high school sweetheart

05/05/19 09:34

Len Snee died on May 7, 2009, while he and fellow officers Grant Diver and Bruce Miller, went to conduct what was supposed to be a 'routine drugs search warrant' in New Zealand.

Three people are arrested after savage pirates shoot dead a father-of-two and slash at his wife with a machete while injuring the couple's young daughter

05/05/19 09:14

Three people have been arrested after Alan Culverwell, 60, was shot dead and his wife slashed with a machete while on their yacht in Panama on Thursday.

'Don't call me bro': Australian magistrate scolds Kiwi drink-driver for giving him 'attitude' and repeatedly using slang in court

04/05/19 11:57

New Zealand man Rex Morgan faced court in Victoria after he reversed his car 30m on the opposite side of the road and up a driveway before crashing in to his neighbour's fence.

Australians trust Jacinda Ardern more than any Aussie politician - and there’s bad news for Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten

04/05/19 09:24

The NZ PM was 24 points more believable than the most believable Australian politician, according to the 2019 leadership edition of the Belivability Index by OPR.

REVEALED: How a malfunctioning self-service checkout sparked Kmart clash that saw a shopper 'PUNCH a screaming toddler and ram him with a trolley'

04/05/19 05:02

The mother, identified as Rebecca, was purchasing her items at the store in Westfield Albany, Auckland, when the alleged assault occurred on Thursday at about 12pm.

Wife reveals how she survived and saved her kids as shotgun and machete-wielding pirates raided her family's yacht and shot her husband dead at point blank range – as suspects are arrested

04/05/19 04:31

The wife of a man shot dead at close-range by callous Caribbean pirates, who raided the family yacht on a round-the-world trip, survived the traumatising ordeal

Vicious pirates raid the yacht of a family on round-the-world trip of a lifetime, shooting dead a father, 60, and attacking his wife with a machete

04/05/19 00:49

New Zealand man Alan Culverwell, 60, was killed by the armed robbers on his 65-foot yacht near Morodub island in the Guna Yala district in Panama's north-east at on Thursday at about 2am.

Hair today, gone tomorrow! Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler reveals her new blunt bob in Instagram video

03/05/19 17:54

Short hair and don't care! Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler transforms her looks and reveals her new pixie hair cut

A city on edge: Heavily-armed police officer stands guard during Friday prayers at one of the Christchurch mosques where 51 people were shot and killed

03/05/19 16:33

Officers were seen keeping watch at the Al Noor mosque, on New Zealand's south island, on Friday.

Crazy prank war between a father and daughter reaches new heights as dad persuades a flight attendant to PUNCH his daughter for a joke

03/05/19 06:09

Bridie Connell, who lives in Melbourne, was left in disbelief after her father beat her to the punchline in their ongoing 'pinch and a punch, first day of the month' battle on May 1.

Jacinda Ardern confirms she is engaged to her long-term partner Clarke Gayford – a year after the birth of their baby Neve

03/05/19 06:04

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed her engagement to her long-term partner Clarke Gayford.

Kmart shopper 'PUNCHES a toddler having a tantrum and pushes a trolley at his head' at the checkout of the Westfield store

03/05/19 02:48

A woman believed to be in her 60s is accused of punching a toddler in the head at a KMart in Auckland because he was having a tantrum.

Woman, 35, who swerved car to avoid a rabbit – causing a crash that killed eight-year-old girl - was double the legal alcohol limit

02/05/19 07:37

The New Zealand woman, 35, drank six vodka cruisers before the single-car crash on Upper Waingawa Rd near Masterton, on the North Island, on November 2, 2018.

'I'm setting my sights abroad': MAFS' Nasser Sultan applies for New Zealand version of the hit show and believes he has more of a chance to find love as Kiwis are more 'genuine'

02/05/19 07:29

He failed to find love during the 2018 season of Married At First Sight.

'Slow motion' earthquake pushes New Zealand island nearly two inches to the east over a month

01/05/19 00:05

Parts of the east coast of New Zealand's North Island have been shifted so slowly by the 'slow'slip' earthquake that scientists did not even notice the gradual movement. There were 202 over a month.

Horrified passengers describe moment airline crew broke into a toilet to stop a man from self-harming – before flight turned around and made emergency landing in Auckland

30/04/19 09:23

The Latam Airlines flight from Auckland, New Zealand to Santiago, Chile was forced to turn back after an hour in the air on Friday.

The VERY ungrateful graduate: Politics student accuses her own university of being complicit in white supremacy - as the school slams claims that racism is rife on campus

30/04/19 08:41

Pearl Little wore a t-shirt with the words 'UOA: Complicit in white supremacy' emblazoned on it while receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

A day in the life of a Rockstar! Post Malone puffs on a cigarette as he's swarmed by fans wanting selfies and autographs in Melbourne

30/04/19 08:16

He's one of the biggest acts in the world.

I’ve seen a human for the first time in 114 days! Solo kayaker travelling 5,500 miles from New Zealand to Chile has a chat with an air force pilot in the middle of the Southern Ocean

29/04/19 23:09

Fedor Konyukhov, 67, left Dunedin, New Zealand's port city, on December 6, 2018, for the mammoth journey, by row boat, to Chile's Cape Horn.

‘It was a feral cat on steroids’: Couple claim to have spotted a huge wild puma roaming the countryside – and fear it could attack small children

29/04/19 09:50

Juliearna Kavanagh, from Picton, in New Zealand, was driving home on the SH1 from Invercargill on Friday night when what the massive black cat creature jumped out in front of her vehicle.

Top gay netballer praises Maria Folau for supporting her when she married another woman – but slams her rugby star husband Israel for saying ‘hell awaits homosexuals’

29/04/19 09:30

One of Australia's first openly gay netball stars, Ashleigh Brazill, has spoken of Silver Ferns star Maria Folau's gracious support when she married her partner.

'You sat with me in my darkest hour': Young woman meets hero policewoman for the first time since she saved her life as she tried to hang herself from a tree

29/04/19 07:34

The last time Jazz Thornton, then just 19, saw West Auckland officer Meika Campbell she was strapped to a hospital bed in July 2015 angry she wasn't dead.

Man called Mr Brown is banned from flushing his own toilet over claims his waste is ending up in his neighbours' water supply

29/04/19 07:06

The Hawke's Bay man, from New Zealand's North Island, was issued an enforcement notice, stopping him from flushing his own toilet after his resource consent for a septic system expired.

'Sweaty' French tourists 'are caught with a mammoth $50,000 haul of cannabis' after police are alerted to a 'foul-smelling car'

29/04/19 04:17

A member of the public patrolling the community walked past the vehicle on Earl Street in Queenstown, on New Zealand's South Island, at 2am on Sunday.

1 share French tourists 'caught with mammoth haul of cannabis'

Revealed: The accents voted SEXIEST in the world - and it's good news if you're from New Zealand

29/04/19 03:58

The New Zealand accent has been crowned the world's sexiest after an international travel website polled their 1.5 million readers.

BREAKING NEWS: Mid-air chaos as pilots are forced to turn back to New Zealand because of a 'disruptive passenger'

28/04/19 23:37

The flight from Auckland to Santiago in Chile on Friday turned back after 75 minutes into the journey.

French pensioner accused of trying to smuggle 30kg worth of cocaine into Sydney on cruise ship claims strangers on a beach in Mexico asked him to deliver the drugs

28/04/19 17:59

Juan Pedro Carpentier, 64, and three other European nationals were arrested on a cruise ship in Sydney's White Bay in 2017 where 30 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found.

Incredible pictures reveal the inside of Ukraine’s last nuclear missile base where Soviet soldiers waited for the order to destroy America (and yes, there is a red telephone)

28/04/19 11:14

Radio Free Europe photographer Amos Chapple recently had a look around the site, which lies 185 miles south of Kiev, and captured the facility in a set of fascinating photographs.

Farmer weds a wife! Couple pull off the ultimate country wedding for $25,000 - complete with John Deere tractors, matching gumboots and cow tag place settings

28/04/19 10:31

Alex O'Leary, from New Zealand, proposed to his girlfriend Becca on a coastal walk in their hometown but for their wedding the couple headed inland to honour his country roots.

Tragedy as eight people die in a horrific head-on car crash – leaving a boy, nine, fighting for his life

28/04/19 10:06

Two vehicles were travelling along State Highway One, south of Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island, in opposite directions when they collided in wet conditions.

'When JT calls, ScoMo answers': Johnathan Thurston reveals what happened when he phoned up the Prime Minister while he was on a night out with the boys

28/04/19 05:54

The NRL legend, 36, told Channel 9's commentary team after Thursday's night clash between Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors that his unlikely friendship with the PM started with a text.

That's a lot of woolly jumpers! Kiwi sets new sheep shearing world record for most merino ewes shorn in eight hours

27/04/19 17:02

Lou Brown, 31, managed to shear a whopping 497 sheep at the event on Saturday, which was held at Rockcliffe farm near Kojonup, 250 kilometres south of Perth.