TOPIC

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New Zealand

The latest news, analysis and opinion on New Zealand. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Wellington

Head of State

King Charles III

Head of Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

Antony Starr, who plays Homelander in The Boys. Photos: @benjaminholtrop/Instagram, Handout

Fame and celebrity

Meet Antony Starr, the New Zealand actor who plays Homelander in The Boys

The New Zealand actor was once linked to his co-star Erin Moriarty, and is now said to be dating Sofía Vergara’s cousin, Sandra Vergara.

21 May 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Letters | In medical incident probes, stats and facts are as vital as transparency

21 May 2026 - 11:30AM

India

Trump’s H-1B visa squeeze paves way for Indian tech exodus

20 May 2026 - 6:00PM

Accidents and personal safety

New Zealand car crash: how Hongkongers can stay safe when driving abroad

Experts say motorists must be careful when adapting to driving on opposite side of vehicle with unfamiliar road conditions.

16 May 2026 - 11:15PM

The traffic accident occurred on a highway on the South Island on Friday. Photo: Handout

Accidents and personal safety

2 Hong Kong tourists killed, 2 injured in New Zealand car crash

Chinese consulate activates emergency response, pledging full support to the victims and their families.

16 May 2026 - 9:56PM

Japan

Japan-South Korea ‘comfort women’ row stoked by statues abroad

The removal of wartime sex slave memorials in Germany and New Zealand has electrified certain LDP hardliners, risking a diplomatic rift.

14 May 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

China trade

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

Ahead of Trump’s China visit, experts at an RCEP forum discuss a supply-chain overhaul, looking to insulate the world’s biggest trading bloc.

13 May 2026 - 4:42PMvideocam

Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development, speaks at an RCEP forum in Hainan on Saturday. Photo: Handout

Japan

Mogami momentum: why Japan’s warship is winning over New Zealand

Japan’s Mogami and Britain’s Type 31 are the top two contenders, but Australia may have already tipped the scales.

9 May 2026 - 10:30AM

China economy

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

Imagine China applying the same industry policy playbook for electric cars, solar panels and AI to agriculture and food self-sufficiency.

8 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

8 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Defence

Japanese Mogami-class ships possible replacements for New Zealand’s ageing fleet

Wellington plans to increase defence spending to about 2 per cent of gross domestic product, citing rising geopolitical tensions.

7 May 2026 - 9:55AM

Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Forces frigate JS Mogami sails in an undisclosed location. Photo: Australian Defence Force/AFP

The Philippines

Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Faced with the US’ unreliability and China’s ascent, countries such as the Philippines are creating new networks of partnerships.

7 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Singapore

Singapore, New Zealand ink world first deal to secure essential supplies

Both governments committed not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on crucial goods such as food, fuel and healthcare products.

4 May 2026 - 3:00PMvideocam

Japan

New Zealand officials reject statue remembering Japan’s WWII sex slaves

The government said feedback for the statue application included formal representations from Japan.

29 Apr 2026 - 5:23PMvideocam

A statue of a ‘comfort woman’, pictured in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2020. Japan forced up to 200,000 women from Korea, China and Southeast Asia into sexual slavery between 1932 and 1945. Photo: Reuters

Food and Drinks

Beyond steak: 3 Hong Kong chefs share dry-ageing tips for fish, lamb, poultry

Dry-ageing isn’t reserved for beef only – chefs from Fireside, Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei and Tori Jukusei offer techniques for home cooks.

29 Apr 2026 - 1:00PM

Fireside’s fridges for dry-ageing meat and fish in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong society

Will Hong Kong vapers go underground as public possession ban kicks in?

Survey finds that among 301 alternative tobacco users, 55 per cent intend to continue vaping discreetly, while 35 per cent plan to switch back to traditional cigarettes.

30 Apr 2026 - 6:01PMvideocam

India

India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact

The deal, part of a move to reduce reliance on major powers, will also strengthen India’s hand in trade negotiations with the US, analysts say.

28 Apr 2026 - 7:31PM

Asean

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

28 Apr 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

A worker walks past a liquefied natural gas tanker in the Malacca Strait on April 15. Photo: EPA

India

India, New Zealand sign ‘once-in-a-generation’ free-trade deal

The deal will cut or remove tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to India, with all Indian exports to New Zealand duty free.

27 Apr 2026 - 7:11PMvideocam

Britain

UK agrees ban on cigarette sales for people born after 2008

UK lawmakers approve generational tobacco sales ban, setting the stage for it to become law.

22 Apr 2026 - 11:18AM

Pacific nations

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:37AM

Boats ply the waterway in Buka, Papua New Guinea. Many Pacific Island communities rely on boat transport for movement. Photo: AFP

India

New Zealand minister under fire for ‘butter chicken tsunami’ remarks

A free-trade agreement, to be signed next week, could see more than 20,000 Indian migrants entering New Zealand, officials say.

22 Apr 2026 - 8:33AM

NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones speaks to the media in Wellington on March 27. Photo: AFP

China's military weapons

PLA’s new Type 076 ‘drone carrier’ set for South China Sea training drills

China’s next-level amphibious warship, the Sichuan, in same waters where US, Japan and the Philippines are conducting joint military exercises.

22 Apr 2026 - 8:44AMvideocam

Extreme weather

New Zealand tells Wellington residents to evacuate as rain threat worsens

Wellington had received 77mm of rain ‌in less than an hour, its heaviest rainfall on record.

20 Apr 2026 - 12:26PM

Hong Kong sports

Hong Kong Sevens a treat for fans but local restaurants hungry for more trade

Over three action-packed days of rugby, a record 113,000 fans pass through the turnstiles.

20 Apr 2026 - 12:50AM

Fans are in high spirits in a packed South Stand. Photo: Elson Li

Aviation

Air New Zealand economy passengers can join world’s first mile-high sleep club

Socks are mandatory and crumbs, strong perfumes and bed-sharing are forbidden as fliers get cosy with their fellow passengers.

18 Apr 2026 - 10:23AM

Air New Zealand unveils sleeping pods in a mock-up of a plane cabin in Auckland. Photo: Air New Zealand/AP

China-New Zealand relations

China complains of ‘harassment’ from New Zealand aerial patrols near coastline

Beijing said the plane had been operating over the Yellow and East China Seas and urged Wellington not to put civilian aircraft in danger.

17 Apr 2026 - 7:58PMvideocam

My Life

Former Hong Kong rugby team captain reflects on the first Sevens tournament in 1976

The former England international rugby player tells Annemarie Evans about his turn as captain of the Hong Kong team at the inaugural Sevens tournament here in 1976.

16 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

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New Zealand

Meet Antony Starr, the New Zealand actor who plays Homelander in The Boys

The New Zealand actor was once linked to his co-star Erin Moriarty, and is now said to be dating Sofía Vergara’s cousin, Sandra Vergara.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | In medical incident probes, stats and facts are as vital as transparency

Trump’s H-1B visa squeeze paves way for Indian tech exodus

New Zealand car crash: how Hongkongers can stay safe when driving abroad

Experts say motorists must be careful when adapting to driving on opposite side of vehicle with unfamiliar road conditions.

2 Hong Kong tourists killed, 2 injured in New Zealand car crash

Chinese consulate activates emergency response, pledging full support to the victims and their families.

Japan-South Korea ‘comfort women’ row stoked by statues abroad

The removal of wartime sex slave memorials in Germany and New Zealand has electrified certain LDP hardliners, risking a diplomatic rift.

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

Ahead of Trump’s China visit, experts at an RCEP forum discuss a supply-chain overhaul, looking to insulate the world’s biggest trading bloc.

Mogami momentum: why Japan’s warship is winning over New Zealand

Japan’s Mogami and Britain’s Type 31 are the top two contenders, but Australia may have already tipped the scales.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

Imagine China applying the same industry policy playbook for electric cars, solar panels and AI to agriculture and food self-sufficiency.

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

Japanese Mogami-class ships possible replacements for New Zealand’s ageing fleet

Wellington plans to increase defence spending to about 2 per cent of gross domestic product, citing rising geopolitical tensions.

Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Faced with the US’ unreliability and China’s ascent, countries such as the Philippines are creating new networks of partnerships.

Singapore, New Zealand ink world first deal to secure essential supplies

Both governments committed not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on crucial goods such as food, fuel and healthcare products.

New Zealand officials reject statue remembering Japan’s WWII sex slaves

The government said feedback for the statue application included formal representations from Japan.

Beyond steak: 3 Hong Kong chefs share dry-ageing tips for fish, lamb, poultry

Dry-ageing isn’t reserved for beef only – chefs from Fireside, Kyanbasu by Mt. Yotei and Tori Jukusei offer techniques for home cooks.

Will Hong Kong vapers go underground as public possession ban kicks in?

Survey finds that among 301 alternative tobacco users, 55 per cent intend to continue vaping discreetly, while 35 per cent plan to switch back to traditional cigarettes.

India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact

The deal, part of a move to reduce reliance on major powers, will also strengthen India’s hand in trade negotiations with the US, analysts say.

Why Malacca Strait tolls are unlikely despite Indonesia’s maritime push

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are united in upholding the principle of free passage but this must be ‘actively maintained’, analysts say.

India, New Zealand sign ‘once-in-a-generation’ free-trade deal

The deal will cut or remove tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to India, with all Indian exports to New Zealand duty free.

UK agrees ban on cigarette sales for people born after 2008

UK lawmakers approve generational tobacco sales ban, setting the stage for it to become law.

Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war

Pacific nations are the most reliant on diesel for power generation worldwide. They imported about 2.2 million tonnes of fuel in 2025.

New Zealand minister under fire for ‘butter chicken tsunami’ remarks

A free-trade agreement, to be signed next week, could see more than 20,000 Indian migrants entering New Zealand, officials say.

PLA’s new Type 076 ‘drone carrier’ set for South China Sea training drills

China’s next-level amphibious warship, the Sichuan, in same waters where US, Japan and the Philippines are conducting joint military exercises.

New Zealand tells Wellington residents to evacuate as rain threat worsens

Wellington had received 77mm of rain ‌in less than an hour, its heaviest rainfall on record.

Hong Kong Sevens a treat for fans but local restaurants hungry for more trade

Over three action-packed days of rugby, a record 113,000 fans pass through the turnstiles.

Air New Zealand economy passengers can join world’s first mile-high sleep club

Socks are mandatory and crumbs, strong perfumes and bed-sharing are forbidden as fliers get cosy with their fellow passengers.

China complains of ‘harassment’ from New Zealand aerial patrols near coastline

Beijing said the plane had been operating over the Yellow and East China Seas and urged Wellington not to put civilian aircraft in danger.

Former Hong Kong rugby team captain reflects on the first Sevens tournament in 1976

The former England international rugby player tells Annemarie Evans about his turn as captain of the Hong Kong team at the inaugural Sevens tournament here in 1976.

Letters | In medical incident probes, stats and facts are as vital as transparency

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy