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

A New Zealand politician Jo Galer has raised eyebrows after joining a high-stakes meeting from a bathroom.

Video | New Zealand politician joins meeting from bathroom

Councillor Jo Galer logged into a meeting of the Dunedin City Council with her laundry clearly visible in the background.

5 Aug 2026 - 9:30PM

Pacific nations

New Zealand’s Pacific defence diplomacy shifts into overdrive

2 Aug 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Mainland China

Video | NZ foreign minister faces backlash for China slur

31 Jul 2026 - 7:39PM

Banking & finance

HSBC sells US$25 billion of Australian home loans to Blackstone

The remainder of HSBC Australia’s retail business will be wound down in a phased manner over the next 18 months.

31 Jul 2026 - 5:16PM

A suburban housing estate in Australia. HSBC has agreed to sell a US$25 billion Australian home loan portfolio to a unit of Blackstone, resulting in an immaterial pre-tax loss of less than US$100 million. Photo: Shutterstock

China-New Zealand relations

China lodges protest after NZ foreign minister’s ‘go back’ slur in parliament

Targeting of Chinese-born opposition MP Lawrence Xu-Nan escalates from fiery exchange to broader diplomatic issue.

30 Jul 2026 - 4:26PM

Asean

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

29 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

United States

As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me

While the US is seeking to dismantle the International Criminal Court, it has signed a statement upholding the Hague tribunal’s South China Sea ruling.

28 Jul 2026 - 8:30PM

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the 33rd Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, on July 23. Photo: AFP

Travel Safety

Editorial | Unfamiliar roads demand caution from Hong Kong travellers

Hongkongers who do not drive often should think twice and prepare carefully if they plan to drive on foreign roads.

26 Jul 2026 - 6:45AM

The Philippines

What does New Zealand bring to the Philippines’ security network?

The upgrade to a comprehensive partnership gives both countries a wider framework to deepen cooperation, analysts say.

23 Jul 2026 - 6:00PM

US-China relations

Top Chinese South Pacific security partner to let US patrol its waters

Agreement will allow US vessels to patrol with local police as Honiara expands maritime ties with Washington despite close Beijing links.

22 Jul 2026 - 6:59AM

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has announced plans for a maritime agreement allowing the US Coast Guard to patrol the country’s waters alongside local police. Photo: EPA

Cambodia

Asia-Pacific cyberscam victims lost up to US$114 billion last year: UN

The losses from online scams, mostly investment fraud, are at least triple that from 2023, reflecting a ‘dramatic scaling’, the report says.

21 Jul 2026 - 12:30PMvideocam

A Thai soldier walks near small booths lined with acoustic foam used to make scam calls inside a compound in Cambodia’s O’Smach border town on February 2. Photo: Reuters

India

How India’s ‘practical’ alliances could reshape Indo-Pacific security

New Delhi’s ‘proactive new playbook’ aims to fill the vacuum left by fluctuating US commitments in the region, analysts say.

19 Jul 2026 - 1:00PM

Wellness

Manuka honey: New Zealand’s skincare, wellness and gut health elixir

Discover the benefits of New Zealand’s gold-standard honey, renowned for its antibacterial properties and gut health benefits.

19 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

Hong Kong society

Winter tourists warned as Hongkonger dies in New Zealand car crash

New Zealand police says crash involving car and bus occurred along road near Cardrona, a township home to ski resort.

16 Jul 2026 - 3:57PM

The Crown Range Road lies between Queenstown and Wanaka and is the highest main road in New Zealand. Photo: Getty Images

South China Sea

Opinion | Path to South China Sea stability doesn’t run through US, UK or the EU

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

16 Jul 2026 - 10:55AMvideocam

109

The China Coast Guard vessel Dong’an patrolling in the South China Sea on June 22. Photo: Xinhua

Nato

China report warns against European-led Nato 3.0 expansion in the Asia-Pacific

The alliance’s expanding military cooperation in the region will leave the bloc ‘increasingly at odds’ with multipolar world order.

15 Jul 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Pacific nations

Australia, Fiji and now New Zealand: a new Pacific alliance takes shape

Wellington’s bid to join the pact flags a hard-security pivot, but analysts ask if such treaties serve Pacific societies’ best interests.

15 Jul 2026 - 3:45PM

Pacific nations

China sends a message to Pacific islands amid unease over missile test

Solomons prime minister has pledged to review China pact while advancing talks on a comprehensive treaty with Australia.

14 Jul 2026 - 8:42PMvideocam

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks in Beijing on Tuesday with Rick Houenipwela, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Solomon Islands. Photo: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Fame and celebrity

Meet Russell Crowe’s son Tennyson, who flexed with the Gladiator star in a gym selfie

The Oscar-winning actor recently marked his younger son’s 20th birthday with the tandem photo and a heartfelt post.

14 Jul 2026 - 5:00AM

Obituaries

Sam Neill, known for roles in Jurassic Park and The Piano, dead at 78

The New Zealand actor’s death was ‘sudden and unexpected’, his family says.

13 Jul 2026 - 3:29PM

My Take

My Take | How China’s rare missile test sparked hysterical hypocrisy

Western pundits were quick to denounce Beijing. But far more frequent US launches rate barely a mention.

13 Jul 2026 - 9:01AM

A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on July 6, 2026. Photo: Xinhua via AP

Diplomacy

New Zealand-India trade, defence pact celebrated despite criticism

Anti-immigration members of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s coalition and anti-Modi members of the Indian diaspora opposed the deal.

11 Jul 2026 - 5:55PM

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Nato

Nato, Indo-Pacific 4 vow defence, tech boost as China-Russia ties spark alarm

Nato chief Mark Rutte meets top officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on sidelines of Ankara summit.

8 Jul 2026 - 6:10PM

China's military weapons

What does China’s submarine missile test mean for its nuclear triad expansion?

More than a technical milestone, undersea launch sends strategic signal to the US and Beijing’s neighbours in Asia-Pacific, analysts say.

8 Jul 2026 - 12:43AMvideocam

China's military weapons

China submarine fires long-range missile ahead of Nato summit

An unprecedented missile launch by a PLA nuclear submarine will prompt Nato leaders to focus more on the Asia-Pacific region.

7 Jul 2026 - 5:00PM

Submarine-launched JL-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade in Beijing last year. Photo: Reuters

Asia housing and property

Bargain homes are to be had in New Zealand but here’s the catch: floods

In Auckland, where thousands of properties were swamped in 2023, buying a home in a flood-prone area offers discounts of up to US$60,000.

7 Jul 2026 - 10:00AM

Homes are submerged in a flood caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier in New Zealand, on February 14, 2023. Photo: AFP

Australia

Australia, Fiji sign mutual defence pact to boost Pacific security

Australia has greatly upped its diplomatic efforts in the region following China’s secretive security deal with the Solomon Islands in 2022.

6 Jul 2026 - 10:34AM

US-China relations

Why the Indo-Pacific might be on the back burner at the Nato summit

Immediate pressures over Ukraine, Iran and spending mean alliance’s concerns about China could be sidelined at Ankara gathering.

5 Jul 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

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New Zealand

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | New Zealand politician joins meeting from bathroom

Councillor Jo Galer logged into a meeting of the Dunedin City Council with her laundry clearly visible in the background.

New Zealand’s Pacific defence diplomacy shifts into overdrive

Video | NZ foreign minister faces backlash for China slur

HSBC sells US$25 billion of Australian home loans to Blackstone

The remainder of HSBC Australia’s retail business will be wound down in a phased manner over the next 18 months.

China lodges protest after NZ foreign minister’s ‘go back’ slur in parliament

Targeting of Chinese-born opposition MP Lawrence Xu-Nan escalates from fiery exchange to broader diplomatic issue.

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me

While the US is seeking to dismantle the International Criminal Court, it has signed a statement upholding the Hague tribunal’s South China Sea ruling.

Editorial | Unfamiliar roads demand caution from Hong Kong travellers

Hongkongers who do not drive often should think twice and prepare carefully if they plan to drive on foreign roads.

What does New Zealand bring to the Philippines’ security network?

The upgrade to a comprehensive partnership gives both countries a wider framework to deepen cooperation, analysts say.

Top Chinese South Pacific security partner to let US patrol its waters

Agreement will allow US vessels to patrol with local police as Honiara expands maritime ties with Washington despite close Beijing links.

Asia-Pacific cyberscam victims lost up to US$114 billion last year: UN

The losses from online scams, mostly investment fraud, are at least triple that from 2023, reflecting a ‘dramatic scaling’, the report says.

How India’s ‘practical’ alliances could reshape Indo-Pacific security

New Delhi’s ‘proactive new playbook’ aims to fill the vacuum left by fluctuating US commitments in the region, analysts say.

Manuka honey: New Zealand’s skincare, wellness and gut health elixir

Discover the benefits of New Zealand’s gold-standard honey, renowned for its antibacterial properties and gut health benefits.

Winter tourists warned as Hongkonger dies in New Zealand car crash

New Zealand police says crash involving car and bus occurred along road near Cardrona, a township home to ski resort.

Opinion | Path to South China Sea stability doesn’t run through US, UK or the EU

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

China report warns against European-led Nato 3.0 expansion in the Asia-Pacific

The alliance’s expanding military cooperation in the region will leave the bloc ‘increasingly at odds’ with multipolar world order.

Australia, Fiji and now New Zealand: a new Pacific alliance takes shape

Wellington’s bid to join the pact flags a hard-security pivot, but analysts ask if such treaties serve Pacific societies’ best interests.

China sends a message to Pacific islands amid unease over missile test

Solomons prime minister has pledged to review China pact while advancing talks on a comprehensive treaty with Australia.

Meet Russell Crowe’s son Tennyson, who flexed with the Gladiator star in a gym selfie

The Oscar-winning actor recently marked his younger son’s 20th birthday with the tandem photo and a heartfelt post.

Sam Neill, known for roles in Jurassic Park and The Piano, dead at 78

The New Zealand actor’s death was ‘sudden and unexpected’, his family says.

My Take | How China’s rare missile test sparked hysterical hypocrisy

Western pundits were quick to denounce Beijing. But far more frequent US launches rate barely a mention.

New Zealand-India trade, defence pact celebrated despite criticism

Anti-immigration members of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s coalition and anti-Modi members of the Indian diaspora opposed the deal.

Nato, Indo-Pacific 4 vow defence, tech boost as China-Russia ties spark alarm

Nato chief Mark Rutte meets top officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on sidelines of Ankara summit.

What does China’s submarine missile test mean for its nuclear triad expansion?

More than a technical milestone, undersea launch sends strategic signal to the US and Beijing’s neighbours in Asia-Pacific, analysts say.

China submarine fires long-range missile ahead of Nato summit

An unprecedented missile launch by a PLA nuclear submarine will prompt Nato leaders to focus more on the Asia-Pacific region.

Bargain homes are to be had in New Zealand but here’s the catch: floods

In Auckland, where thousands of properties were swamped in 2023, buying a home in a flood-prone area offers discounts of up to US$60,000.

Australia, Fiji sign mutual defence pact to boost Pacific security

Australia has greatly upped its diplomatic efforts in the region following China’s secretive security deal with the Solomon Islands in 2022.

Why the Indo-Pacific might be on the back burner at the Nato summit

Immediate pressures over Ukraine, Iran and spending mean alliance’s concerns about China could be sidelined at Ankara gathering.

Video | New Zealand politician joins meeting from bathroom

As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me