New Zealand Financial News

Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka were disrupted by multiple red flags due to crashes and track fires, with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri clocking the fastest time to emerge at the top. Alpine team's Jack Doohan was involved in a crash which led to a brief stoppage in the practice session. New Zealand's Liam Lawson, recently demoted to Racing Bulls, outperformed Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda, who had replaced him. Alpine driver Jack Doohan crashed at the 160mph at the first corner during the second practice session after failing to deactivate his DRS. Team principal Oliver Oakes attributed the incident to «a misjudgement» and a «something to learn from.» The crash caused significant damage to Doohan's car but he escaped without any injuries. “It was a heavy one, something that caught me by surprise, and I will learn from it. I know the team has a lot of work ahead to repair the car,” said the Formula One driver after checking with his team. The DRS issue arose because Doohan lifted off the throttle but didn’t brake, causing the DRS to remain open. This reduced downforce, leading to the spin and subsequent crash. Doohan was participating in only his fourth F1 race, and his car had been driven by reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa in the first practice session.

Phil Goff, New Zealand's former High Commissioner to the UK, sacked for publicly questioning US President Donald Trump's understanding of history, has defended his comments. Goff stated his comments were prompted by the US President's «disgraceful bullying» of Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky, and the «untruthful statements» made by the Trump administration about Russia’s invasion. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters moved quickly to dismiss Goff, stating his position had become “untenable.” Goff, however, maintains he has no regrets and believes his actions will be viewed favorably in the future. Goff made the first comments about Trump during a live-streamed Q&A event with Finland Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on March 4. Referring to Winston Churchill’s 1938 speech to the House of Commons following the Munich Agreement, asking Valtonen, “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?” This question, according to Goff, arose from the “dismay” shared within the diplomatic community in London regarding Trump's stance on Ukraine. “As one untruthful statement followed another like something out of an Orwell novel, I increasingly felt that the lies needed to be called out," he had said.

The rationale, as given by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, was that US sanctions already prohibit «meaningful trade» with these nations, so further tariffs were not needed, according to Axios. But although this argument may make sense, the US continues to trade more with Russia than with nations such as Mauritius or Brunei, which did find themselves on Trump's tariff list, reported Axios.

Trump said he would impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the United States and higher duties on some of the country's biggest trading partners. The tariffs will take effect on April 9 and appeared to target about 60 countries.

Prime Video has launched Apple TV+ as an add-on subscription in India, priced at ₹99 per month. Subscribers can enjoy a diverse range of content, including comedies such as Ted Lasso and Shrinking, dramas like Severance, The Morning Show, Slow Horses, and Disclaimer, as well as sci-fi titles such as Silo. Popular films, including Wolfs and The Gorge, are also available. This add-on subscription is now accessible via Prime Video in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and multiple regions across Europe and Latin America. “We're delighted to continue rolling out Apple TV+ on Prime Video with today’s launch in India, bringing Prime Video customers an even greater selection of TV shows and films, all within one app experience,” said Kelly Day, Vice President of International, Prime Video. Gaurav Bhasin, Head of Marketplace (Add-on Subscriptions and Movie Rentals), Prime Video India, added, “Over the years, we’ve established Prime Video India as a premier entertainment destination, offering a vast selection of premium programming, including Indian and international Originals, films, and series. Our service also features over 75,000 hours of additional content across genres from more than 25 Indian and international add-on subscription partners. We’re thrilled to welcome Apple TV+ to Prime Video’s extensive library. We’re confident Prime members in India will appreciate the easy access to Apple Originals with a simple add-on subscription, along with features such as streamlined content discovery, unified watchlists, and centralised billing.”

Police closed Hastings Road, which lies between between Skeet and Eltham roads following the crash. According to Te Kura o Nga Ruahine Rangi school administrator Patsy Broughton, students from Years 11 to 13 were travelling to attend a sporting event at another school when their van collided with the car. While most of those injured suffered minor cuts, bruises and concussion, at least four people are reported to be serious. While two of the seriously injured were airlifted to Waikato Hospital, the others were taken by air to Whanganui Hospital. Another nine injured were taken by road to the medical centres with three being admitted to Whanganui Hospital while the other six were sent to the Taranaki Hospital.

An atmospheric river is bringing a significant amount of moisture from the tropics, fueling a low-pressure system and potentially causing flooding and slips. Buller and Tasman districts in the South Island could receive a month's worth of rain in 48 hours. The heavy rain is expected to impact the western and northern regions of both islands. MetService and NIWA have advised residents to clear drains, avoid low-lying areas, and drive cautiously. The warning have been issued for the Westland District ranges, Buller district, Tasman northwest of Motueka, Nelson Lakes, Bryant Range, Rai Valley, and Marlborough ranges northwest of the inland Kaikoura Range. “Many areas probably in these regions seeing a couple of hundred millimetres or more of rain over 48 hours, so yeah this’ll be some pretty beefy rain for that region.” The rain is expected to move up over the North Island later in the week," said NIWA principal scientist Chris Brandolino.

Elon Musk has a lot on his mind. In a candid interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, the tech billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) warned about the dangers of a declining birth rate and America’s role in holding up Western civilisation. He described the issue as existential, warning that without intervention, civilization could collapse.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. What do priests in New Zealand, Taiwanese life insurers and the oil-rich nation of Norway have in common? They have all been riding high on booming U.S. markets—and are now vulnerable to a reversal in fortunes.

Rohit Sharma says the Indian team has endured cricket's vicissitudes in the last nine months but it waged a collective battle to achieve success and every member of the side that competed in the last three ICC tournaments deserves «respect». In their last three ICC limited-overs tournaments, India have lost only one out of 24 matches, with the defeat coming against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. The India team recently won the ICC Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup in Barbados last year. In between India lost a rare home Test series against New Zealand and away in Australia. Reflecting on his remarkable tenure as India captain, Rohit said: «Look at what this team has achieved in this big three tournaments. After playing the tournament like that and getting defeated only once and that too in a final (2023 ODI World Cup).»

Stephen Fleming stoutly countered the criticism that his team's brand of cricket was getting outdated, saying the team had enough «firepower» and no one should make the mistake of discounting them. Five-time IPL champions CSK lost to RCB by 50 runs, unable to chase a steep 196/7 set by Rajat Patidar's side on Friday. CSK's defeat to RCB in the 'Southern Derby' in their own den was their first since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008 and it was also their biggest reversal at home thus far. In response to a question if his brand of cricket was getting outdated, the former New Zealand skipper shot back, «What do you mean, my way of playing (cricket)? Like winning the first game, that's a good way to play. We've got firepower all the way through. I don't understand this question.» «Just because we don't swing (the bat) from ball one and have a little bit of luck go our way, we'll see at the end,» said the New Zealander after his team was restricted to 146/8 in 20 overs. The 51-year-added that CSK should not be «discounted» just because they had lost one match.

bilateral trade agreements. Accompanying political energy and encouraging words reflect a dramatic departure from sobering scepticism of the recent past. The big change is, of course, Donald Trump's unsheathing of tariffs. Inevitably, trade negotiations with the US are the principal driver. Not every trade agreement will be uniform. Concessions will likely vary, depending on strategic vulnerability. As India's most consequential business, technology and foreign policy relationship, the US will get priority in timing and substance. This is rooted in realism. It's the same approach every other major trade partner of Washington will take. In a volatile world, marked by American recalibration and retrenchment, there are significant gains to becoming among the earliest countries to find accord with the Trump administration. Gains will be both tangible and intangible.

Liam Lawson's first Formula One season with Red Bull is coming to an end on a disappointing note after just two races. New Zealand’s Lawson is facing the axe after a disappointing show in the 2025 season opening Australian Formula One at Melbourne and the Chinese GP in Shanghai. The decision by Red Bull management to replace Lawson with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has not gone down well in New Zealand as well as the current F1 world champion Max Verstappen. The latter is also the Red Bull flagbearer and Lawson's teammate on the F1 Grand Prix circuit. Verstappen is reported to be frustrated by Red Bull deciding to sack Lawson after only two races. He stated that Racing Bulls, the feeder of Red Bull where Lawson used to race before his elevation, cars are easier to drive. “That Racing Bulls car is easier to drive than ours. I notice that when I talk to Liam. Last year the difference between him and Yuki wasn't that big, I thought. Otherwise the team wouldn't have made the choice to put Liam in at Red Bull,” said the F1 world champion. New Zealand Minister for Sport Mark Mitchell jumped into the controversy backing Lawson. “I'm disappointed if he isn't racing in the Red Bull, but I'm really excited that if he's at least back in the Racing Bull, that he can go and show everyone what he's capable of," he told New Zealand media.

fog enveloped New Zealand’s Christchurch airport on Thursday (March 27) disrupting flight operations and throwing the travel plans of thousands of travellers out of gear. Airlines operating from Christchurch airport either cancelled or delayed their flights due to fog. According to a Christchurch Airport spokesperson, two flights were delayed at 8.40am on Thursday while by 10am the airport's website reported flights coming to Christchurch from Auckland and Nelson were cancelled. Among the affected airlines were Jetstar, which had to delay its flight from Auckland, and Air New Zealand. The latter had to cancel its flight to Invercargill due to fog and also divert some of them away from Christchurch. Just three weeks ago, Christchurch airport was rated as the best in a study of 3500 international travellers. New Zealand’s Queenstown Airport was in second position. Madeira Airport in Portugal ranked third with a score of 9.07. The study, involving 3500 international travellers, focused on airport experiences. Travelers rated airports based on factors like customer service and ease of navigation. Nineteen airports received sufficient reviews for inclusion in the rankings.

One New Zealand Warriors forward Dylan Walker has returned to Australia after being released by club on compassionate grounds. The 30-year-old Walker is set to join join Parramatta Eels, the Australian professional rugby league football club. He had joined One New Zealand Warriors in 2023 on a three-year deal. He has played 232 games in Australia's National Rugby League with 124 of them coming for Manly Warringah. One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George issued a statement on the development and wished Walker all the best. “We were keen for Dylan to stay until the end of the season but we appreciate why he needs to return to Sydney. We’ve really enjoyed having him at our club and he has given us tremendous service. He goes with our support and best wishes.” Walker appeared in 46 matches for match for One New Zealand Warriors and his last match was on March 21 when he ended on the winning side as his team beat Te Atatu Roosters at Go Media Stadium. His deal with Parramatta Eels is until the end of 2026 season. Parramatta Eels General Manager of Football Mark O'Neill said, «We’re excited to have a player of Dylan’s caliber join the Eels. Dylan is such a tough competitor who will suit our style of football and he will provide class and experience to our team.”

Venue : Sky Stadium, Wellington New Zealand Women squad - Brooke Halliday, Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green, Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Bella James, Izzy Sharp, Polly Inglis, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair Australia Women squad - Georgia Voll, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Charli Knott, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Nicole Faltum, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt New Zealand Women vs Australia Women Match Details 3rd T20I of Australia Women tour of New Zealand, 2025 between New Zealand Women and Australia Women to be held at Sky Stadium, Wellington at 07:15 AM.

Snares Islands in New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday (March 25) afternoon. The earthquake took place at a depth of 12km under the sea at 2.43pm New Zealand time but no tsunami warning has been issued. But New Zealand's Civil Defence stated that there was a «danger to anyone in or near the water in the area». While Snares Islands are uninhabited, thousands of South Island residents reported the earthquake. However, no loss of life or property has been reported till now. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised residents of South Island that sea water was unlikely to flood the coastal regions and no evacuation was required. Authorities assert that strong and unusual currents along with unpredictable surges is expected along the shore of the West Coast of South Islands from Milford Sound to Puyseugur Point. «Ongoing risk of strong and unusual currents for the West Coast of the South Island from Milford Sound to to Puysegur Point. This risk is expected to ease around 8pm tonight (25 March). A cancellation message will be issued by NEMA around this time. We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a magnitude 6.8 earthquake near off the West Coast of the South Island NZ at 2:43 PM, 25 March,» the warning stated. «Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to shore. People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries,» it added.

Reacher Season 3 is nearing its conclusion, with the final episode set to release soon. The show follows the same episode structure as previous seasons. Viewers can watch the last episode on Prime Video at different times based on their region.

The Pitt Episode 13 continues the intense storyline from Episode 12. The new episode, titled 7:00 PM, will be released on Max on March 27, 2025. The episode will bring more challenges for the hospital staff as they handle the ongoing crisis.

Charles Wharton, accused of killing an 8-year-old boy in New Zealand's Hamilton with a hammer, grievously injuring his father ands one more person, took the legal route to ensure that he was not revealed by the media during the reporting about the case. But now he has given up and has been officially named as the person charged with the murder. The 37-year-old was charged in 2024 for the brutal murder of 8-year-old Zahquiel Taipeti while he was sleeping. He then attacked Zahquiel's father Mitikiro Woods, and another man in the Anthony Cres, Hamilton house. Woods and the other man were seriously injured in the attack but survived. According to the local residents and police, Wharton had on September 1, 2025, been trespassing on the properties in the area. His suspicious activities led to the residents calling in the police who took him to Anthony Cres in Hamilton's Bader in the evening. Zahquiel Taipeti resided ion the same area along with his family and Wharton is accused of killing Zahquiel and injuring Woods in their sleep. The father-son duo was sleeping in the same room when attacked. The other person who was attacked was living in a nearby room. The victims had come back from a tangi (traditional funeral rite practised by New Zealand's Māori population) in Manawatū.