https://www.scmp.com/rss/324528/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on The New Zealand Herald. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island on Monday, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancellations were still widespread after authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343699/absolutely-terrifying-new-zealand-storm-leaves-30000-homes-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343699/absolutely-terrifying-new-zealand-storm-leaves-30000-homes-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:26:05 +0000 The Tahuna Golf Club in New Zealand is bringing to an end more than half a century of tradition by getting rid of the flock of sheep that has long kept its fairways trim. The club, some 120 kilometres south of Auckland in the Waikato region, made the decision when faced with a bill of NZ$25,000 (US$14,787.50) for replacing 125 ewes this year. Life member Frank Hopper said another consideration was the desire to attract younger members who might not be happy negotiating the sheep dung as they... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3288793/ewell-be-sorry-sheep-sacked-after-55-years-new-zealand-golf-course-turns-mowers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3288793/ewell-be-sorry-sheep-sacked-after-55-years-new-zealand-golf-course-turns-mowers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Nov 2024 07:00:07 +0000 As the United States seeks to bolster its presence in the Pacific in a bid to counter China’s influence, a senior US Navy official visiting New Zealand this week admitted Washington had “neglected” the region for two decades. US Navy Pacific fleet commander Admiral Samuel J. Paparo told local media that the US was strengthening its presence in the region amid “concerning actions” by China, including its recent security pact with Solomon Islands. “We can say, plainly, that the United States has... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3192443/navy-official-admits-us-neglected-south-pacific-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3192443/navy-official-admits-us-neglected-south-pacific-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:01:11 +0000 A vigorous handshake between Britain’s Boris Johnson and Jacinda Ardern has gone viral, with some even fearing New Zealand’s prime minister may have suffered a workplace injury. As Johnson greeted the visiting prime minister outside his Downing Street residence for an official photo call, the symbolic greeting left observers on either side of the globe wondering what it was all about and praising Ardern’s diplomacy. Lasting for at least five seconds, the firm, energetic shake is coupled with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3183936/awkward-boris-johnson-jacinda-ardern-handshake-goes-viral-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3183936/awkward-boris-johnson-jacinda-ardern-handshake-goes-viral-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Jul 2022 02:10:48 +0000 In the four years leading to the discovery of Elizabeth Zhong’s body in the boot of her Land Rover, the China-born New Zealand businesswoman had visited Auckland’s SkyCity Casino 381 times and had accumulated nearly NZ$240,000 (US$152,000) in gambling losses. At the same time, Zhong was being accused in a civil suit in the High Court at Auckland of improperly funnelling millions of dollars from the business she shared with Fang Sun, while creditors sold the company’s assets to repay debts. Those... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3177060/elizabeth-zhong-murder-victims-daughter-lawyer-describe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3177060/elizabeth-zhong-murder-victims-daughter-lawyer-describe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2022 10:13:40 +0000 In the hours before Elizabeth Zhong’s body was found in the boot of her Land Rover in Auckland in November 2020, former boyfriend David Zheng packed his bicycle into his own vehicle and went searching for her along a trail they used to enjoy walking together, he recalled today. Despite no longer being in a relationship they were still good friends and he feared it might have been another suicide attempt, he told jurors at the murder trial of Zhong’s estranged business partner, Fang Sun. “Ever... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3176273/elizabeth-zhong-murder-victims-ex-boyfriend-testifies-fang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3176273/elizabeth-zhong-murder-victims-ex-boyfriend-testifies-fang?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 May 2022 10:03:17 +0000 An embittered former business partner of a Chinese businesswoman stabbed her until she was nearly decapitated before stuffing her body into a suitcase because he blamed her for ruining his life, a New Zealand court heard. Fang Sun, 48, is accused of murdering Elizabeth Zhong in November 2020. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to the murder at Auckland’s High Court. Sun met Zhong in 2013 and the two were initially so close that he had lived with her family after moving to New Zealand from China,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3175533/elizabeth-zhong-murder-chinese-expat-stabbed-over-20-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3175533/elizabeth-zhong-murder-chinese-expat-stabbed-over-20-times?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Apr 2022 07:07:15 +0000 Four years after a New Zealand teacher died in Japan, where he was restrained to a hospital bed for more than a week, his family remains committed in their campaign to call for the end of the practice they believe killed their son. Kelly Savage died in Yamato City Hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 17, 2017, a week after suffering a heart attack and more than two weeks after he was hospitalised for mental health issues. His parents, Martha and Mike Savage, believe he died after suffering a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3134568/new-zealand-family-urges-japan-stop-restraining-patients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3134568/new-zealand-family-urges-japan-stop-restraining-patients?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 May 2021 14:18:06 +0000 Sixteen inmates who had been locked in a stand-off with authorities and camped on the roof of a New Zealand prison for almost a week have surrendered. Rawiri Waititi, a member of parliament and co-leader of the Maori Party, said he escorted the 16 men out of Waikeria Prison, south of Auckland, at around midday on Sunday. “They were ready to come down. Naturally, they were tired and hungry but still very determined to see change,” Waititi said in a statement. “They have achieved what they set out... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3116229/new-zealand-prison-uprising-rioters-surrender-after-six-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3116229/new-zealand-prison-uprising-rioters-surrender-after-six-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Jan 2021 04:03:24 +0000 It may be the thought that counts, but still thousands of New Zealanders on Saturday hoped one person’s underwhelming Christmas gift would be another’s bargain find. By 8am on Boxing Day, more than 4,400 presents that had apparently missed the mark had been listed on the Trade Me website, including a Mazda car in the “wrong colour” and a pair of Apple Airpods Pro from a parent whose daughter preferred to have just the regular version. “Failed Christmas gift! Box opened, but not even put in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3115407/failed-christmas-gift-new-zealanders-flock-online-get-rid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3115407/failed-christmas-gift-new-zealanders-flock-online-get-rid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Dec 2020 08:00:24 +0000 A 55-year-old businesswoman was killed in her East Auckland house before being put in the boot of her car, New Zealand police said on Friday. Ying Zhong, also known as Elizabeth Zhong, was found dead in Sunnyhills last Saturday. She is believed to have been murdered. Police have formally identified the victim as Zhong, Acting Detective Inspector Shaun Vickers told media on Friday. “Elizabeth was killed in her house,” Vickers said. She was placed in her Land Rover when she was deceased and items... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3112531/new-zealand-businesswoman-elizabeth-zhong-killed-home-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3112531/new-zealand-businesswoman-elizabeth-zhong-killed-home-being?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2020 05:16:06 +0000 A New Zealand man calling himself “Kiwipedo” on the dark web on Thursday admitted to trying to buy a child for NZ$15,000 (US$10,000) for sexual abuse and possessing 417 objectionable images just as his trial was nearing a close. After a week of witness testimony, the man, who has name suppression, pleaded guilty to two charges before Judge Allan Roberts in the Auckland District Court. He admitted that between January 13, 2015, and February 20, 2015, he had attempted to enter into a dealing... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3095302/kiwipedo-tried-buy-child-us10000-sex-abuse-new-zealand-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3095302/kiwipedo-tried-buy-child-us10000-sex-abuse-new-zealand-court?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2020 06:30:12 +0000 New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has faced accusations of abuse of power for allowing two Malaysian friends to go on a taxpayer-funded trip to Antarctica. Peters said Chew Bee Lin and her daughter Kwek Su Arn went on the trip as part of efforts to raise NZ$50 million (US$33.3 million) from donations to redevelop Scott Base, the country’s only Antarctic research station. They have not yet made any donations to the programme. New Zealand PM sacks... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3094253/malaysian-friends-taxpayer-funded-antarctica-trip-causes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3094253/malaysian-friends-taxpayer-funded-antarctica-trip-causes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:30:20 +0000 New Zealand’s main opposition party has been rocked by allegations that one of its parliamentarians texted a pornographic image to a young woman. Andrew Falloon abruptly resigned from parliament on Tuesday after being accused of sending sexually explicit images to women and lying about it to both police and his National Party leader Judith Collins. New Zealand party fraud probes raise questions over Chinese funding Falloon announced he was quitting parliament immediately, a day after had sent a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3094021/new-zealand-lawmaker-quits-after-sexting-scandal-rocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3094021/new-zealand-lawmaker-quits-after-sexting-scandal-rocks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2020 04:05:14 +0000 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered the military to oversee the country’s borders on Wednesday after a bungle that allowed two people with coronavirus to leave quarantine. A 24-day run with no new cases was broken on Tuesday when it emerged two women who recently arrived from Britain were allowed out of quarantine early without being tested for the virus, even though one had mild symptoms. Why food security matters – and why we should all move to New Zealand The pair were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3089349/new-zealand-orders-military-watch-over-borders-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3089349/new-zealand-orders-military-watch-over-borders-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jun 2020 03:01:53 +0000 A Chinese-Australian man has been sentenced to three years’ jail in New Zealand for conspiring with an Australian biker gang to carry out a NZ$1 million (US$650,000) drug deal. He Sha, a 33-year-old Sydney hairdresser, crossed the Tasman to sell drugs for the Comanchero Motorcycle Club to “return some faith” after he had borrowed some money from a gang associate who was his customer. The Australian citizen was on Monday sentenced in the Auckland District Court for conspiring to deal in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3087963/chinese-australian-man-jailed-us650000-drug-conspiracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3087963/chinese-australian-man-jailed-us650000-drug-conspiracy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2020 03:45:10 +0000 A university in New Zealand has been slammed for being “callous” and treating international students like “cash cows” after it dismissed a Chinese student who was struggling with her mental health and tried to take her own life. During a stay last October at a mental health unit at Auckland Hospital, the fourth-year University of Auckland student was allegedly raped by another patient, and she attempted to end her life a month later, the New Zealand Herald reported on Wednesday. After the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3045424/chinese-students-expulsion-auckland-university-sparks-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3045424/chinese-students-expulsion-auckland-university-sparks-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2020 11:52:27 +0000 An Asian councillor on Auckland Council has laid a complaint with the police alleging a racially motivated attack at the local body elections, including claims he has communist links. Howick councillor Paul Young said photocopies of his advertising flyers showing his photograph, name and the addition of the initials “CCP?” have been put up on notice boards at several local supermarkets. The initials CCP stand for the Communist Party of China. Young, who was born in Taiwan and came to New Zealand... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3024809/racist-flyers-paint-new-zealand-councillor-paul-young-member?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3024809/racist-flyers-paint-new-zealand-councillor-paul-young-member?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2019 02:04:51 +0000 The University of Auckland is launching a formal investigation into a confrontation on Monday between students from Hong Kong and the mainland over the now suspended extradition bill. A video posted on social media shows three male students from mainland China arguing with a female student from Hong Kong in front of a so-called Lennon Wall on campus, where people can paste protest notes. University of Auckland: Protect the Freedom of Speech and Safety of Hong Kong students... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3020639/chinese-students-clash-new-zealand-university-over-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3020639/chinese-students-clash-new-zealand-university-over-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2019 08:08:40 +0000 Relations between China and New Zealand took another hit at the end of November over Wellington’s ban on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, but sources in the Pacific nation say there has not been an increase in overt racism or economic turbulence – at least not yet. The latest dispute – in this case involving a fledgling 5G network, new cybertechnology and perceived national security concerns – came after a challenging two years of diplomatic ties that have been tested by allegations of economic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2175808/huaweis-banned-wheres-backlash-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2175808/huaweis-banned-wheres-backlash-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Nov 2018 22:01:19 +0000 The bizarre moment a kayaker got slapped by a seal with an octopus in Kaikoura, New Zealand was captured on camera and has since been shared on social media. Kyle Mulinder, from Motueka, told The New Zealand Herald it was an “absolutely crazy event”. He said he had been testing the new Go Pro Hero 7 with his friends from Kaikoura Kayaks when the unthinkable happened. “[We were] just looking at fur seals, birds, just catching some waves and then we saw a giant male seal fighting an octopus.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2165940/seal-slaps-kayaker-face-octopus-bizarre-video-goes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/2165940/seal-slaps-kayaker-face-octopus-bizarre-video-goes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Sep 2018 05:15:45 +0000 Police are seeking 18-year-old Maaki Emery who has a warrant to arrest for escaping police custody. The warrant is in relation to an incident in Murupara on Tuesday evening where Emery is alleged to have stolen a police car - with a police-issue firearm inside - from Oregon Dr in the Bay of Plenty town around 7pm local time. The car was later found on Gibbs Rd - some 15km away - shortly before 10.50pm that night. Emery was reportedly handcuffed at the time the car was stolen, after he had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2116109/how-did-he-do-it-new-zealand-police-hunt-18-year-old-who-was?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2116109/how-did-he-do-it-new-zealand-police-hunt-18-year-old-who-was?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2017 08:00:15 +0000 The first ever in-depth investigation of the teeth of captive orca has found them a sorry state, raising serious concerns for the charismatic mammals’ overall health and welfare. Anyone with a toothache knows how painful and distracting that can be - in orca which have around 48 large teeth, a sore tooth is likely no less painful or debilitating than for a person. Now, a new study by a team of international researchers, including noted New Zealand orca expert Dr Ingrid Visser and Dr Carolina... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2115083/new-zealand-scientists-alarmed-captive-orcas-teeth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2115083/new-zealand-scientists-alarmed-captive-orcas-teeth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Oct 2017 08:45:30 +0000 A video of a woman in Australia admitting to never having had a driver’s licence is going viral. The lady was stopped by a traffic policeman as she was driving her deceased husband’s car. When the officer asked her for her driver’s licence she said she didn’t have one. He then suggested she gets a licence before going in front of a judge. She explained she is in the process of transferring the car to her name and apologised before breaking into laughter. She asked why the policeman pulled her... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2114927/australian-woman-admits-driving-without-licence-new-zealand-23?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2114927/australian-woman-admits-driving-without-licence-new-zealand-23?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 09:30:15 +0000 Protesters clashing with police while blockading a defence industry conference in Wellington have been carried from the venue. Shouting “army of the rich, enemy of the poor”, the group had set out to make life uncomfortable for those attending what protesters have labelled a weapons expo. At least three people appear to have been carried and escorted away from the scene by police, one in handcuffs. Nine people have been arrested for obstructing a roadway, said Inspector Neil Banks. Eight were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2114700/nine-arrested-protesters-block-entrances-weapons-expo-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2114700/nine-arrested-protesters-block-entrances-weapons-expo-new?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Oct 2017 07:15:45 +0000 A rare luxury limited edition supercar is for sale in Auckland for NZ$4 million (HK$22,090,873), which industry executives say makes it New Zealand’s most expensive car now being marketed. A spokesman for car importers and dealers Giltrap Group said the rare Aston Martin One-77 was “probably the most expensive for sale in New Zealand” and certainly the most expensive at his business which says it sells “16 of the most desirable automotive brands in over 12 dealerships across Auckland.” No... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2114520/aston-martin-one-77-could-be-new-zealands-most-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2114520/aston-martin-one-77-could-be-new-zealands-most-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Oct 2017 06:30:45 +0000 By Sam Hurley A New Zealand Olympic great and politician was the target of an alleged bank fraud scheme. Dick Quax has been named in court documents alongside his wife Roxanne Bakke as the complainants in a criminal case currently before the Manukau District Court. The silver medal-winning Olympic runner confirmed to the Herald he has been in contact with investigating police after an electrician was charged with using bank cheques in Quax and Bakke’s names. James Alexander Spencer Bayley, 33,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2114118/former-medal-winning-new-zealand-olympian-targeted-alleged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2114118/former-medal-winning-new-zealand-olympian-targeted-alleged?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Oct 2017 07:30:00 +0000 It could be the housing crisis or it could be the natural evolution in relationships but there’s a new type of family emerging in New Zealand, behind closed doors. Laurel and Geoff McLay’s marriage ended two years ago but the couple didn’t want to give up their home in Auckland in New Zealand so they decided that, instead of moving into different houses, they’d just move into different rooms. “We love our neighbourhood but we couldn’t afford to both stay here, in separate homes,” Laurel... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2113975/wasband-and-werewife-why-separated-new-zealand-couple-decided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2113975/wasband-and-werewife-why-separated-new-zealand-couple-decided?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Oct 2017 07:45:30 +0000 Modern New Zealand teenagers have turned to healthier living, virtually giving up smoking and cutting back sharply on binge drinking and illicit drugs. The smoking rate had dropped to less than three per cent in 2015, from 15 per cent in 2000. The rate of regular binge drinking nearly halved in the 11 years to 2012. And illicit drug use fell to 23 per cent in 2012. But researchers aren’t clear on the reasons behind these reductions in risky behaviour and wonder whether Snapchat and Facebook may... https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/2113813/social-media-preventing-teens-smoking-drinking-and-taking-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/2113813/social-media-preventing-teens-smoking-drinking-and-taking-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2017 07:45:15 +0000 By Anne Gibson An Auckland architect whose business specialises in giant retail centres says Amazon could establish its own warehouse in New Zealand, after its move into Melbourne. David Thornton, principal of The Buchan Group’s New Zealand operations, said the online giant’s arrival in Australasia could result in it subsequently establishing a huge goods warehouse in New Zealand in the next two to three years to speed items to Kiwis. “We’ve heard there’s talk of them eventually setting up a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/2113649/amazon-tipped-establish-new-zealand-warehouse-following-australian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/2113649/amazon-tipped-establish-new-zealand-warehouse-following-australian?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Oct 2017 05:00:15 +0000 By Jamie Morton Zealandia, the “lost” continent New Zealand lies upon, was much closer to land level than previously believed - and shallow enough to offer pathways for animals and plants to move along. A major international expedition, which involved drilling deep into the seabed, has transformed what we understand about the submerged continent’s intriguing 70-million-year-old history. This year Zealandia was confirmed as Earth’s seventh continent, but little is known about it because most is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2113231/scientific-expedition-reveals-secrets-lost-continent-zealandia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2113231/scientific-expedition-reveals-secrets-lost-continent-zealandia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2017 08:15:45 +0000 By Amy Wiggins Genetics has a part to play in obesity, new research has found. A genetic variant has been linked to increases in the height, weight and waist circumference of four-year-olds, one of the findings of the Growing Up in New Zealand study has shown. The research has found the gene variant in the CREBRF gene, which was previously thought to be present only in Samoans, was more common in the Maori and Pacific Island children in the study compared with the European and Asian... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2112175/gene-variant-linked-childrens-weight-research-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2112175/gene-variant-linked-childrens-weight-research-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Sep 2017 03:45:00 +0000 A journalist in the United States has lifted the lid on one of the most pressing dilemmas of the modern workplace. Amanda Terkel, Huffpost’s Washington bureau chief, tweeted a passive-aggressive note spotted in her office bathroom, detailing in excruciating detail why an unknown person should stop urinating on the toilet seat. Major drama in the women's restroom at our office. This sign popped up in a stall anonymously pic.twitter.com/3M3fYZFbZY — Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) September 12,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2111191/ultimate-passive-aggressive-note-over-toilet-seat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2111191/ultimate-passive-aggressive-note-over-toilet-seat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Sep 2017 08:15:45 +0000 A Westlake Boys High School teacher has been reprimanded after allegedly calling students “idiots with rich parents”. The teacher had been accused of telling students to go back to their own country. There were also suggestions that European students had punched a Chinese boy and that video footage had been shared on Chinese social media platform: WeChat. Headmaster David Ferguson told the Herald he was aware of the incident involving a member of his staff. The school was also aware of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2110780/teacher-new-zealand-reprimanded-over-calling-chinese-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2110780/teacher-new-zealand-reprimanded-over-calling-chinese-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2017 04:30:15 +0000 By Jamie Morton As if Venus flytraps weren’t strange enough, a Wellington designer has used 3D printing and other innovative approaches to create his own biomimetic version of the famous subtropical plant. Chromatose, as Mark Wilson has called it, is a synthetic organism that responds to touch, opening and closing its buds just like its carnivorous inspiration. “Due to recent advances in digital fabrication technologies, with code and algorithms, we have the ability to write or script a digital... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2110642/new-zealand-designers-synthetic-3d-printed-venus-flytrap-even?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2110642/new-zealand-designers-synthetic-3d-printed-venus-flytrap-even?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2017 06:45:45 +0000 By Frances Cook A woman in New Zealand who plotted with her lover to murder her husband, is appealing her sentence on the basis of being a domestic abuse victim. Amandeep Kaur, 33, and Gurjinder Singh, 28, were found guilty in 2016 of the murder of Kaur’s husband, 35-year-old Davender Singh. Singh’s throat was slit as he sat in his car on a south Auckland road on August 7, 2014. His neck was so deeply severed that a pathologist said it was classified as a “partial decapitation”. Kaur and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2110132/woman-new-zealand-appeals-sentence-plotting-husbands-murder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2110132/woman-new-zealand-appeals-sentence-plotting-husbands-murder?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2017 05:30:15 +0000 By Belinda Feek A new drug described as a “game changer” for women with a common and incurable type of breast cancer is now available in New Zealand - but only to those who can afford it. Breast cancer charity Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition [BCAC] chairwoman Libby Burgess said Medsafe NZ had just approved the use of Ibrance for those with advanced hormone receptor positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. She described Ibrance as “revolutionary” and preliminary clinical evidence for it was so... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2109670/breast-cancer-game-changer-hits-new-zealand-only-women-who-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2109670/breast-cancer-game-changer-hits-new-zealand-only-women-who-can?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2017 08:30:45 +0000 By Amy Wiggins Young couples who fear they are infertile may just need more time rather than costly treatments, new research shows. A University of Otago study found almost 62 per cent of the 1386 couples gave birth to a child in the 13 years of the study and just under half of those fell pregnant naturally. Difficulty conceiving is a common problem, with up to one in every four couples taking longer than 12 months or needing medical help. Lead author Dr Antoinette Righarts, of the Department of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2108968/more-time-key-getting-pregnant-new-zealand-study-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2108968/more-time-key-getting-pregnant-new-zealand-study-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2017 08:00:15 +0000 By Simon Collins New Zealand’s West Auckland schools are blaming the TV3 show Westside for driving away thousands of students who travel out of the area to schools in the central city. Five local secondary school principals have issued a joint statement saying the TV show’s portrayal of the fictional West family’s “petty criminal lives” makes it hard to get positive news about their schools across to parents. ”Parents do get influenced by TV programmes like Westside, who conclude they don’t want... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2108794/new-zealand-schools-blame-tv-show-losing-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2108794/new-zealand-schools-blame-tv-show-losing-students?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Aug 2017 08:30:15 +0000 New discoveries by Kiwi scientists could have implications for developing new therapies for brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. For nearly two decades, scientists have recognised how the timing of nerve impulses arriving at brain cells - in the order of one hundredth of a second - is critical to strengthening new connections while our new memories are formed. But, at the same time, researchers have been confounded by the fact that the part of the brain that processes dopamine during the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2108601/new-zealand-brain-study-could-open-door-new-therapies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2108601/new-zealand-brain-study-could-open-door-new-therapies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000 A powerful haka has been performed at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Men’s mental health charity Haka For Life performed the feat today. All 14 climbers had Maori heritage, with the fathers, sons, brothers and a sister performing the haka 134 metres above the harbour as a symbol of bringing people and cultures together. They performed the Ngati Toa Rangatira haka, Ka Mate, the same haka the All Blacks perform before games. Leon Ruri said the haka was a powerful symbol to raise awareness,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2107227/powerful-haka-performed-top-sydney-harbour-bridge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2107227/powerful-haka-performed-top-sydney-harbour-bridge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Aug 2017 09:00:45 +0000 A woman from the New Zealand city of Nelson is using New Zealand-based online auction site Trade Me to get rid of the clothes her husband had worn before she gave him a post-marital makeover. The Trade Me listing is titled “Bulk lot of my husbands disgusting pre-marriage clothes”. “Okay chums, i don’t even know why i am wasting my time listing these!! (possibly to make him feel slightly good about his old ‘choice’ of attire) but anyway,” she explains in the description. “These are some of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2106721/new-zealand-wife-auctions-her-husbands-hideous-wardrobe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2106721/new-zealand-wife-auctions-her-husbands-hideous-wardrobe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Aug 2017 07:45:00 +0000 By Lane Nichols A real estate agent found to have sent faeces, soiled sanitary pads and used condoms through the post has failed in a bid to have his licence reinstated. Grant Tucker was found guilty of disgraceful misconduct in October last year and his license was later cancelled. Sordid details of the case were heard before the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal in August last year. Prosecutors alleged Tucker embarked on a sustained campaign of harassment against his former Custom... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2106268/poo-post-new-zealand-real-estate-agent-loses-bid-reinstate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2106268/poo-post-new-zealand-real-estate-agent-loses-bid-reinstate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Aug 2017 09:00:45 +0000 A New Zealand woman pretending to walk her baby sleeping under an animal print blanket in a pushchair has stolen hundreds of dollars worth of bedding from a home store. Waikato Police have released pictures of a woman pushing a stroller in Briscoes at the Base in Hamilton in June. Using the guise of a mum out shopping with her baby, police say the wanted woman stole more than NZ$600 (US$444) worth of manchester from the store, concealing it under the faux zebra print blanket. Police say there... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2105703/women-uses-baby-pram-steal-hundreds-dollars-worth-bedding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2105703/women-uses-baby-pram-steal-hundreds-dollars-worth-bedding?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2017 04:30:15 +0000 A netball team stacked with police officers abandoned a game to help a man being attacked on nearby courts. The Waitemata Police social netball team’s match had just entered the third quarter at the Netball North Harbour Courts in Northcote on Saturday when the netballers saw a worker and another man fighting beside the courts. One appeared to be struggling in the violent clash. “The whistle had gone but all of us ignored it, quite focused on the two males having a fight on the sideline,” said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2104874/new-zealand-police-netball-team-leave-match-intervene-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2104874/new-zealand-police-netball-team-leave-match-intervene-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2017 03:00:00 +0000 A freezing woman who spent 11 hours in her car as it lay metres from State Highway 41 in New Zealand’s central North Island would have died from hypothermia if she had been left there for another hour, her rescuers were told. The woman, in her 40s, was pale and cold and started shaking as the carpenters from Max Mackenzie Builders ran to her aid and covered her in their jackets to warm her up. The group of Taumarunui builders were on their way to a building site in Omori near Taupo this morning... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2104787/new-zealand-woman-trapped-freezing-car-11-hours-26-cars-drove?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2104787/new-zealand-woman-trapped-freezing-car-11-hours-26-cars-drove?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jul 2017 09:00:15 +0000 Another person in new Zealand has reportedly died after using synthetic cannabis - the eighth death linked to the drug in the past month. A Middlemore Hospital spokesperson has confirmed a man being treated for taking synthetic cannabis died overnight. Police confirmed they are investigating the 24-year-old’s death. They said last week that seven people had died this month after consuming synthetic cannabis. A number of people had also been admitted to hospital in a serious condition. In the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2104177/synthetic-cannabis-toll-hits-eight-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2104177/synthetic-cannabis-toll-hits-eight-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jul 2017 07:00:45 +0000 By Jamie Morton Mick Jagger’s cheating might be as famous as the rock icon’s distinctive vocals. Now a new study suggests that, at least in the songbird world, infidelity and singing prowess could go hand-in-hand. Massey University research just published in journal Animal Behaviour has pointed to a possible link between male songbirds that indulge in steamy liaisons outside their nest, and the complexity of their songs. What’s called “extrapair paternity” is a relatively common feature of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2104003/do-cheating-songbirds-make-better-singers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2104003/do-cheating-songbirds-make-better-singers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2017 06:00:45 +0000 By Kristin Edge Rival gang members in New Zealand were left bashed and bloodied and some with broken bones after a fight tournament in Northland and those involved are calling for it to be made an annual event. And while there were few arrests related to the event, police do not the support the move to hold it again in Whangarei and have vowed to continue to disrupt any criminal behaviour linked to gangs. The reactions come after a mixed martial arts tournament staged at Portland Recreation... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2103889/rival-new-zealand-gangs-call-fight-tournament-become-annual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2103889/rival-new-zealand-gangs-call-fight-tournament-become-annual?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jul 2017 08:30:15 +0000 By Luke Kirkness A new study will investigate whether vitamins and minerals can help lift the mood of pregnant women. Psychology PhD student Hayley Bradley is recruiting pregnant women for the new clinical trial at the University of Canterbury’s Mental Health and Nutrition Research Group. Antenatal depression and anxiety are serious mental health problems and are among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide, according to Bradley. “New Zealand has one of the highest... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2103442/new-zealand-study-reveal-whether-vitamins-can-boost-pregnant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2103442/new-zealand-study-reveal-whether-vitamins-can-boost-pregnant?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2017 07:30:00 +0000