New Zealand

A major fire is raging through a protected wetland in the Waikato region of the North Island, endangering its fragile ecosystem and the rare species that inhabit it, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet

Young people who were wild boar hunting in the woods of the Waikato region spotted four people, believed by police to be Tom Phillips and his children Ember, Maverick and Jada, aged between 8 and 11, all gone missing in late 2021

Three New Zealand universities dropped in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 and none of the eight New Zealand featured universities improved their ranking this year

The Land, Air, Water Aotearoa project has released nationally updated data for rivers, lakes, groundwater and estuaries, showing that New Zealand's freshwater health is under pressure from human activities

Community and social resilience scores on the World Risk Poll Resilience Index decreased dramatically in the regions most affected by the floods; individual and household resilience remained stable, among the top 10 globally

The 7th Race Relations Day Multicultural Festival 2024 was celebrated; Chinese Consul General in Auckland Chen Shijie spoke about the event, recognising the 100-year history of Chinese settlement in New Zealand and the friendship between the two peoples

The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission has launched an Infrastructure Priorities Programme to address and solve problems such as leaky water pipes, congested roads, schools and hospitals

The Climate Change Commission presented its first progress assessment of the national adaptation plan, examining its effectiveness and implementation, founding that it is not happening at the scale or pace needed; it also contains 9 recommendations

National datasets on rare diseases will be created as part of the Ministry of Health strategy to better support people living with these conditions

The 'AI Blueprint for Aotearoa New Zealand has been published by New Zealand's AI Forum: a comprehensive strategy that aims to position the country as a leading hub for responsible artificial intelligence innovation by 2030

A study of dental care equity in the Ōtautahi/Christchurch emergency room found that Maoris are more than three times as likely as non-Maoris to need emergency dental care and to be admitted to hospital highlighting significant inequalities in oral health

Immigration policies have been revised to improve opportunities for partners of international students enrolled in specific higher education programmes to obtain work visas

According to the latest census, there are one million New Zealand Maoris, a surprising result given that in 1890 there were 42.000 left, decimated by the arrival of settlers who increased poverty and mortality by bringing disease, war and dispossession