New Zealand

Helicopters airlifted 40 people to safety overnight, as slips and flooding cut off trapped motorists at Waioeka Gorge; after heavy rain hammered the area between Matawai and Ōpōtiki and as conditions rapidly deteriorated State Highway 2 remains closed

NZ doctors are increasingly finding themselves caring for patients who require medical help following gastric bypass and gastric sleeve procedures undergone abroad; medical tourism is posing new threats as post-op complications cases rise

A judge voided a South Auckland election result over voter fraud claims and the private company running the polls has admitted to a separate privacy breach; the Electoral Services MD released to councillor election results with confidential information

A kauri cross from St. Patrick's Church in Napier was returned 44 years after it fell during the 1981 fire that destroyed the steeple, one of Hawke's Bay's largest; the artifact was recovered and has now been returned to the church

A popular brand of coloured sand sold in New Zealand has been urgently recalled over concerns it may contain asbestos following independent testing in Australia that confirmed asbestos contamination in similar products

"Alarming" gaps in measles immunization, specially among Maori and Pacific communities, should be urgently closed, the WHO advises, revealing that vaccination rates are lower than those of 2012 and another outbreak could occur with current active cases

Bullying at Dunedin Hospital has been revealed in documents released after staff at Southland Hospital had reportedly been told they couldn’t chat for more than five minutes

ED doctors nationwide have sent an open letter to Health New Zealand calling for a set of solutions to be rolled out as soon as possible, saying the immense pressure is compromising both patient care and staff safety

Auckland’s Eden Park will host tonight New Zealand's All Blacks playing against South Africa's Springboks: the two best sides on the planet will meet for the 2025 Rugby Championship in a eagerly anticipated match

The Building Act will allow councils to merge their building consent functions, with private operators doing more consenting work instead of current liability regime; changes to the system will be the largest in decades and clear the way for more building

A glimpse of Auckland Transport's future era was unveiled as a new map at Britomart Station gives commuters a preview of the new stops and links available when the long-awaited City Rail Link will open; over-budget and over-time, CRL is nearing completion

One person has died and several others were stabbed in Hamilton city centre in a “disorder incident” at nighttime; Alexandra St between Collingwood and Hood Sts in the 7th largest town in NZ remained cordoned off in the morning