Hemp milk: Kiwi woman bets on next plant-based craze with US business
The hemp industry in New Zealand has been fettered by strict regulations on industrial hemp growers, slowing the marketing of products like hemp milk. In general, hemp milk is not widely available in Kiwi supermarkets. Products such as hemp protein and hemp milk contain negligible amounts of THC which is the chemical component in marijuana that makes people high and induces psychoactive effects. In Faumuina’s view, hemp milk is a good choice because hemp is a sustainable, fast-growing crop that uses minimal water. She believes hemp milk will become as popular as almond and oat milk.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 23:11 UTC
Mauri Ora, Te Papa’s big summer show - NZ Herald
Thom Linley in Evolver, a dual-screen projection that follows the journey of breath through a human body, using data from multiple scans. A kapok tree in Colombia was intricately mapped to create a digital rendering of the active life within. Te Papa curator Thom Linley, who accompanied the Herald through the exhibition, says the result is not only a technically accurate scan but a portrait of an individual tree. “It isn’t a model of a tree; it isn’t a representation of a tree. We are all connected.”Breathe|Mauri Ora is on at Te Papa in Wellington until April 27.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 22:26 UTC
Dengue death in Cook Islands as outbreak spreads
Photo: GettyThe Cook Islands has reported its first dengue-related death, amid a significant increase in cases, and reminders to tourists to stay safe. The Cook Islands declared a dengue outbreak in May 2025, and more than 500 cases have been recorded there since. In New Zealand, 86 people had been reported to have contracted dengue, with 75 of those cases connected to travel to the Cook Islands. There had been "a significant increase in dengue cases on Rarotonga at the end of December 2025, and again at the end of January 2026", the Cook Islands health ministry said. "If you aren't improving or concerned, you should seek medical attention, especially if you think you have dengue fever after returning from the islands," Heather said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 07, 2026 22:26 UTC
General Debate 08 February 2026
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Source:Stuff
February 07, 2026 21:44 UTC
Cyclone strengthens as it nears WA coast
Tropical Cyclone Mitchell has strengthened to a category three storm as it nears the Western Australia coast, bringing with it damaging wind gusts of up to 185kmh. Mitchell is expected to make landfall between Onslow and Exmouth on Sunday night before taking a more southerly track over land on Monday, Emergency WA warned. "Damaging to destructive winds are expected to ramp up in the next 24 hours," bureau forecaster Angus Hines said on Saturday. "Those winds are strong enough to bring down big branches or entire trees, damage property, and lead to power outages." Authorities warn the central and west Pilbara coast faces the risk of flash flooding throughout the weekend, with the west Gascoyne region likely also affected by Monday.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 07, 2026 21:40 UTC
How to plan for your retirement if you are under 30
Delgado said if we suddenly had no NZ Super, the country would be in trouble. “Changes to NZ Super are inevitable, and it’s because we need them. It’s unsustainable at the moment, with our ageing population.”Like many others, she suggests lifting the retirement age, and/or means testing. Photo / 123RFDelgado both expects and would like to see changes to KiwiSaver to ensure that her generation has more savings come retirement. She also talks about the need to ingrain the importance of savings into our culture, especially if NZ Super undergoes structural changes.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 21:32 UTC
Tenant loses $17k claim after social media tirade over neighbour groomer ‘vibe’
The man, who has name suppression, was issued with three antisocial behaviour notices during his tenancy. Now he’s taken his landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal, saying the notices were unjustified and he was harassed by neighbours and landlord staff. The landlord, who also has name suppression, wanted the tenancy terminated because of the antisocial behaviour, which occurred on three instances. Antisocial behaviourThe first antisocial behaviour notice related to an incident on May 29 last year, when the tenant got into a physical fight with a person who was visiting him at the property. But the volume, persistence and intensity of this tenant’s behaviour was too much for the team, and required “far greater resourcing and specialist management than is sustainable in the long term”.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 21:32 UTC
Hospital IT outage caused by third-party hardware failure
Photo: ODT FilesA big hospital IT crash in the South Island in mid-January was caused by a third-party hardware failure, Health New Zealand says. It had earlier said a similar outage later the same month in Auckland and Northland was due to a technical failure at a commercial data centre. "We are working with the vendor and internally reviewing opportunities to speed up the response and restoration," he said. HNZ earlier said all four outages in January were due to technical issues, and three were due to "third-party vendor issues". Key IT projects it has promised will cut wait times and boost care for patients have anchor contracts with US Big Tech companies.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 07, 2026 21:28 UTC
Russia offered US £9tn co-operation deal, Zelensky says
Russia presented the United States with a £9tn economic co-operation proposal, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The proposal, dubbed the “Dmitriev package” after Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, was uncovered by Ukrainian intelligence, the Ukrainian president said on Saturday. “Intelligence showed me the so-called ‘Dmitriev package’ that he presented in the US – it amounts to around $12tn (£9tn),” Mr Zelensky said. Some experts were sceptical about the proposed economic package, pointing out that $12tn is several times Russia’s entire GDP. Russia, which occupies around 20 per cent of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of the eastern Donetsk region as part of any peace deal.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 21:22 UTC
Students fundraising for trip
A group of students and their parents are rallying together in efforts to raise money for an annual Spanish trip, most recently setting their sights on volunteer work for the Motatapu. Mount Aspiring College Spanish teacher Caitlin Harvey said the three-week trip in September will include 31 students and three staff members. ‘‘The trip is expensive, costing $9000 per student,’’ she said. ‘‘Doing fundraising has dual benefits for our students; we raise valuable funds but also the students and whanau start to get to know each other, work together as a team, support each other, build stronger bonds. ‘‘Thirty-one students and all their caregivers and even siblings, grandparents and friends are taking part in the fundraising efforts,’’ she said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 07, 2026 21:08 UTC
Kiwi snowboarders miss out on medals at Winter Games
New Zealand's Dane Menzies in action during his third run in the Men's Snowboard Big Air final at the Livigno Snow Park. Photo: ReutersFirst-time Winter Olympian Dane Menzies has slipped off the podium late to finish sixth in the men's snowboard Big Air final at Milano Cortina 2026. One of three Kiwis in the 12-man final, Menzies, 20, sat third after the opening two runs, one of the few with consistent performances across both attempts. Needing a big jump to retain his medal hopes, Menzies could not control his landing, faceplanting hard into the hard snow. Kimura had the best jump of the opening round, but crashed on landing on his second.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 07, 2026 20:46 UTC
Best Beach: NZ’s favourite beaches of 2026 revealed
Waipū Cove is the overall winner for this year's Best Beach competition, securing the most votes across all five categories. Overall Best Beach winnerJust 8km east along the coast, on a well-kept, winding road, basks Waipū Cove. It’s your favourite camping beach, your second-best surfing and family beach, and we’re quite happy to award it our readers’ all-round best beach for 2026 – yes, just like last year. Maz Quinn surfing at Raglan's Manu Bay, voted New Zealand's Best Surf Beach. Photo / Jereme AubertinBest Surf BeachThe World Surf League agreed with you about the best surf beach, adding Manu Bay, Raglan, to its 2026 Championship Tour for the first time.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 20:34 UTC
Sand dune tragedy: Kane Watson’s partner could hear his ‘voice’ as she gave birth to the son he’ll never meet
Zire-Kane Watson was born on January 2, 2026, a few months after his father, Kane Watson, died after a sand-dune collapse at Muriwai Beach. Jasmine Cooke was left heartbroken after the death of her partner, Kane Watson, after a sand dune collapsed on him at Muriwai Beach. Kane Watson with his partner, Jasmine Cooke, while she was pregnant with their first child who was born in 2024. Baby Zire-Kane Watson was born on January 2, 2026, the day after his late father Kane Watson's (inset) 29th birthday. Jasmine Cooke says her older children have stepped up to help her around the house and with morale since Kane Watson's death.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 20:33 UTC
Peter Mandelson, Andrew allegations in Epstein files continue to expand like toxic foam – Editorial
Such is the glare from the latest tranche of Epstein files by the US Department of Justice. We know it took more than 1000 women and girls to come forward and say they were trafficked, abused, raped. We also know Andrew has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. This undated photo at an undisclosed location released by the US Justice Department on January 30 as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files shows British former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over a woman lying on the floor. That is the most depressing truth of all to emerge so far from the Epstein files.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 20:33 UTC
NZ scientists in Antarctica trying to film elusive colossal squid set honey trap
Sightings of the colossal squid, dead or alive, are extremely rare. The first confirmed live observation of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, in its natural habitat was captured in 2025 by a team on Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel in waters off the South Sandwich Islands. However, scientists believe they exist in large numbers in the Antarctic deep sea. “There are places down there where toothfish fishers just don’t go any more, because their fish gets stolen by the colossal squid,” said Linley. So we’re trying to take a much more science-forward approach that’s still full of wonder, because the deep sea is amazing.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 07, 2026 20:33 UTC