Jakarta and Wellington denied Monday a claim by rebels in Indonesia’s restive region of Papua that a New Zealand pilot was freed from captivity over the weekend after they received payment from a local leader. Phillip Mehrtens, 38, was released on Saturday by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group after 19 months … Read more
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned of a looming tourist tax that will see the existing levy raised by 65 percent with the hope of deterring visitors. The New Zealand government announced in a statement on Tuesday that it has plans to hike up international visitor and conservation fees to force visitors to “contribute to public services”. … Read more
Portugal has been named the best country in the world for travellers, according to a new survey. The global travel agency Flight Centre analysed responses from more than 170,000 travellers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the UK to determine the top 10 highest-rated countries and cities this year. First-place Portugal gained an … Read more
In a move aimed at providing temporary relief to specific industries in addressing labour shortages, the Government of New Zealand has introduced a new subcategory of the Specific Purpose Work Visa for industries that experience seasonal peaks. The new sub-category of the Specific Purpose Work Visa is aimed at providing interim relief to industries engaged … Read more
Rassie Erasmus has used his X account to slam his critics again, particularly after the comments made by former Springbok coach Jake White. He’s also followed the official account of New Zealand’s All Blacks, who will play South Africa next weekend. The Boks will face their biggest rugby rivals in two home-ground matches on 31 … Read more
Sensitivity by Kiwis appreciated: During President Droupadi Murmu’s recent visit to New Zealand, the authorities ensured that Khalistani activists were not found protesting close to the venue of an event attended by her. While protests were allowed, the activists were kept at a distance. The sensitivity shown by the Kiwis have been appreciated by New … Read more
Increased visa fees have been announced by Immigration New Zealand, the department handling the country’s immigration and visas. Hefty visa costs, on top of already expensive flights, will put trips to New Zealand out of reach for many South Africans. STEEP VISA FEE INCREASE South African passport holders need visas to enter New Zealand. The … Read more
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand government said Tuesday that it would introduce new legislation to make it easier for companies and researchers to develop and commercialize products using gene technologies such as gene editing. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins said in a statement that rules and time-consuming processes have made research … Read more
The wine made from this grape is so ubiquitous in the UK that there is almost no pub, supermarket or off-licence that doesn’t stock it. And I’m in the Sauvignon Blanc capital of the world. As far as the eye can see, there are endless miles of sun-drenched grapevines and I’m looking out over them … Read more
Indian Hockey team- X Paris: Indian men’s hockey team defeated New Zealand 3-2 to open its campaign at the Paris Olympics on a rousing note here on Saturday. It was not an easy win as New Zealand took the lead in the eighth minute through Sam Lane from their first penalty corner. But India bounced … Read more
