Intense rains threaten Hawaii dam, thousands told to evacuate
A dam on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is at imminent risk of failure and thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate. A dam on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is at imminent risk of failure and thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate. Photo / Getty ImagesOfficials in Hawaii today ordered some 4000 people living near an ageing dam on the island of Oahu to evacuate the area immediately, following severe rains that have battered the region. The century-old Wahiawa dam, located in the north of Hawaii’s third-largest island, which is home to the state capital Honolulu, “is at imminent risk of failure”, the local emergency management agency warned. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said torrential rains have caused “serious flooding” and brought water in the reservoir to dangerous levels, prompting authorities to issue the alert.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 04:59 UTC
Stupid Rules: The new book tackling New Zealand’s problem with red-tape
“There’s just a lot of things not happening the way we would like them to happen. “It’s not really a right-wing book or a left-wing book,” she says. “This third option, which is organising things in a hierarchy, is efficient, and it’s effective,” she says. Inside those hierarchies, whether they be corporate, public sector agencies or universities, things work best when they are not running on rules and contracts. “The book is definitely not a case for going back to the ’70s, and I’m not in favour of price controls,” she says.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 04:32 UTC
AA warns against panic buying, stockpiling fuel
Image: RNZThe Automobile Association (AA) is warning against panic buying or stockpiling fuel, saying large quantities may impact house insurance claims. AA principal policy adviser Terry Collins told RNZ the government had been "very clear" the country had enough fuel. It was dangerous to store large quantities of fuel in residential homes - even in jerry cans, Collins said. Insurance providers would not expect people to have large quantities of fuel at their homes, he said. "It's ok to have those cans for your chainsaw, your lawnmower, your motorbike or boat ... but large quantities of fuel is just not recommended."
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 04:01 UTC
New Zealand woman dies on holiday in Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a popular holiday spot for Kiwis. Photo / Cook Islands TourismAlready a subscriber? New Zealand woman dies on holiday in Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands is a popular holiday spot for Kiwis. Photo / Cook Islands TourismA New Zealand tourist has died while on holiday in the Cook Islands. The New Zealander was recovered unresponsive from the lagoon in Vaimaanga on Wednesday afternoon local time (Thursday afternoon NZT), according to the Cook Islands News.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 02:59 UTC
Arrest after assault leaves one critically hurt
A man has been charged over an assault that left another person critically injured in Canterbury on Thursday night. Police were called to an address on Racecourse Rd in Amberley, Hurunui, about 10.25pm after receiving a report a person had been seriously assaulted. "The victim was transported to hospital with critical injuries and is currently undergoing surgery," police said yesterday morning. In an update today Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Vaughan said they had charged a man over the incident. The 24-year-old man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on March 26, charged with wounding with intent.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 01:58 UTC
Pilots on flight from Auckland to Fiji’s Nadi alerted to engineering troubles, plane turned around
NZ Herald Morning Headlines | Saturday, March 21, 2026. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Pilots on flight from Auckland to Fiji’s Nadi alerted to engineering troubles, plane turned aroundAn Auckland flight bound for Nadi in Fiji has been turned around after engineering difficulties. Air New Zealand flight NZ952 returned to Auckland yesterday afternoon after its pilots were alerted to an unknown “engineering requirement” mid-air. Flight radar shows the Nadi bound flight was turned back around to Auckland about halfway through its route.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 23:49 UTC
Nicola Willis faces fuel-crisis budget reckoning as diesel pain spreads – Fran O’Sullivan
Logistics companies like Mainfreight and Move, major supermarket chains like Foodstuffs, Woolworths and the wider food distribution ecosystem, face escalating diesel and freight costs. Escalating fuel costs hit on-farm operations, transport to processing plants, and shipping to global markets. For Air New Zealand, jet fuel pricing is quickly feeding into route economics and ticket prices. The upshot is logistics firms may have to absorb some diesel spikes and exporters have to decide how much of rising freight and fuel costs they can wear before global competitiveness suffers. Let diesel prices rip and you bake higher costs into food, building materials and freight; intervene too crudely and you distort markets, undermine climate settings and risk blowing the fiscal position.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 23:03 UTC
Further setback for Duncan on comeback
The four-time world champion last month revealed to the Otago Daily Times she did not have a seat in this year’s Women’s Motocross Championship. She was supposed to make her competitive return at the Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup in Australia this weekend. "I was really looking forward to competing at this event — it’s always an honour to represent the fern, especially alongside this team of women,’’ Duncan told the Waikato Herald. "Team events are quite different from my normal racing schedule, and so I was excited and well-prepared for this one. Duncan had hoped the event would serve as a springboard for her to mount a comeback.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 22:27 UTC
One injured in crash
A person has been critically injured in a crash affecting a major highway in Central Otago. Police said they received a report of a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 6, near the Roaring Meg Lookout, in the Kawarau Gorge about 5.20pm yesterday. "One person received critical injuries." A Fire and Emergency New Zealand crew from Cromwell attended and a rescue helicopter was also sent to the scene. A spokesman for the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said road users "should avoid the area if possible, or be prepared for delays".
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 22:17 UTC
Govt orders complete review of Dog Control Act
Photo: RNZThe government is ordering a complete review of the decades-old Dog Control Act after sustained criticism the current law is not enough. Watts said the government has heard clearly from Local Government NZ and councils that the Dog Control Act is outdated and stopping them doing their jobs. But Watts said dog control issues were best managed locally by councils, which already had enforcement powers under the existing law. Photo: RNZPolice Minister Mark Mitchell said while the review was under way police would support dog control officers when they needed help. "Police have a role to play in dog control when council staff have safety concerns while dealing with dangerous and high-risk dogs.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 22:17 UTC
Middle East conflict live updates: Trump rules out ceasefire in Iran as Israel strikes Syria
Already a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Middle East conflict live updates: Trump rules out ceasefire in Iran as Israel strikes Syria
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 21:54 UTC
Fitch puts New Zealand AA+ rating on negative outlook over rising debt
But the AA+ rating reflected New Zealand’s “advanced and wealthy economy, high governance standards, and robust policy framework”. Photo / Mark MitchellFitch’s decision to put New Zealand’s AA+ long-term credit rating on negative outlook was a reminder why fiscal discipline was so important, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said. Global economic volatility made the Government’s programme of fiscal consolidation more important than ever, Willis said in a statement this morning. “Energy market disruption adds real uncertainty, and that is precisely why careless spending is off the table.”New Zealand's debt levels influenced Fitch's latest rating and outlook. One of its key rating drivers for New Zealand was delayed debt decline, Fitch wrote.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 21:38 UTC
Man vital link in drug distribution, court told
PHOTO: ROB KIDDA Dunedin man caught as part of a nationwide police drug sting on the Comancheros gang has been jailed for more than six years. The High Court at Dunedin this week heard 37-year-old Luke James Ruaine Maloney was not a member of the motorcycle gang, but provided a vital link in the distribution of narcotics in the South. The outlaw group has become synonymous with weapons and large-scale drug trafficking, which prompted police’s Operation Avon. As investigations progressed, officers discovered a commercial enterprise centred in Christchurch with tentacles in the South, and Operation Leith was launched. Analysis of Maloney’s phone showed he had been involved in the drug enterprise for the preceding five months.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 21:34 UTC
New aerial photos reveal scale of Helena Bay hill slip damage
Landslide clearance work is expected to be completed by June, when Whangārei District Council will look at what sort of roading repairs may be required. Ōakura community members at the Civil Defence recovery workshop next Thursday will also hear about the Kāiikanui Rd southern detour and their community’s storm-damaged hall. Specialist Whangārei District Council Civil Defence recovery team staff will be at the workshop to update the community on larger-scale issues, including the Helena Bay hill slip, which is expected to take 15,000 truckloads to clear. Ōakura community hall was badly damaged by a slip on Sunday, January 18. Photo / Susan BottingThe workshop focuses solely on Whangārei District Council Civil Defence recovery.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 20:05 UTC