Arlene Paredes

A recent series of feline shootings has prompted a Hawke’s Bay fellow to anonymously offer a $1000 reward just to quell see the shooters go to jail, Hawkes Bay Today reported.

The Kiwis may not be feeling it yet, but expatriates in the cities of Wellington and Auckland could not miss the effects of the rising NZ dollar. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reports the latest Worldwide Cost of Living survey, in which Auckland is ranked 15th among the costliest cities in the world. The new record sees Auckland jumping nine places higher, while Wellington rose 16 places to rank 17th with London.

The driver of a truck that killed a teenage pedestrian in a hit-and-run southeast of Melbourne on Monday night is still at large.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says airport officials responded well to a health scare on board an Air New Zealand flight from Japan on Monday. Passengers aboard the morning flight from Tokyo were not allowed to leave the airport for four hours after 73 Japanese students exhibited flu-like symptoms.

The 88-year-old grandstand at the only historic cricket ground in Wellington has been marked with an 'earthquake prone' warning by the city council. The Basin Reserve grandstand is now being assessed to find out the extent of work needed to make it safer in the event of an earthquake.

While the red rose is still ubiquitous on Valentine's Day, the more practical lovers believe they can be romantic on Valentine's Day without letting their wallets suffer over the high cost of a red rose on this day.

An idea sparked by beer bottles made a Waikanae Beach man richer by $3000. Steve Sandvoss, a carpenter, was watching TV while drinking beer when he began to think that there must be something he could do with beer bottles. That was two years ago.

A hundred life-sized sea lion cut-outs are displayed on the shores of Wellington's Oriental Bay on Monday as a conservation organization calls on the public and the government to protect the critically endangered New Zealand sea lions.

The Kiwis are not very optimistic this year, according to a survey that tracks 20 years of New Zealand’s mood as a nation. UMR, a polling agency that has been studying New Zealand’s mood for 20 years now, has recently released a report showing the mood of the nation is at the lowest point since the global financial crisis of 2008.

An average of 14 children from New Zealand are hospitalized each year over eating disorders, according to Manawatu Standard. Documents obtained by the Manawatu Standard under the Official Information Act from 10 district health boards in the country reveal a disturbing scenario of children as young as six years old being treated for effects of anorexia and bulimia.

Kiwis were caught in the mystery of what seemed like UFO sightings in a major city over the weekend, but an answer has come to light soon enough, Fairfax NZ reported.

One of the most important reports in last year’s Christchurch earthquake, a report looking into the CTV the collapsed building in which 115 died, has been released. Families of the casualties have been briefed of the cause of the collapse – inflexible and brittle columns, among other general findings.

Kiwis were not pleased with the 50c-an-hour increase in the minimum wage, but government says the amount strikes the right balance, Fairfax NZ reported. Prime Minister John Key said the government was trying to "get the balance right" between "making sure that people can feed their children and look after their families and themselves, and also ensure that they keep their job."

In an report by New Zealand Herald, a family got into bullion investment of over $340,000 with Auckland-based Grace Holdings NZ Ltd, a company run by sole director Robert Kairua.

Auckland has to re-evaluate its current style of new housing, or else it would need an extra 20,000 ha to accommodate new houses in the next three decades, reports said.

Hundreds of Kiwis were unable to receive gadgets and other items they've bought online last year after the lone shopping website operator died in November. The registered sole shareholder and director of Tech Brands Pacific, Brian Isaksson, died on November 4, without anyone taking over the business.

Noting that Australians are already doing it and Kiwis should not continue to miss a chance on Monday holidays, first-term Labour MP David Clark was pleased that his bill Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill was drawn on Tuesday from the members' bill ballot.

The ill-fated MV Rena which brought to New Zealand its worst maritime disaster, has so far cost $130 million, and $28 million of this amount has come from taxpayers, the Bay of Plenty Times reported.

New Zealand's labour cost index rose 0.6 percent in the three months ended December 31, with private sector wage inflation at a quarterly pace of 0.7 per cent and public sector at 0.4 per cent, according to a report by Statistics New Zealand released on Tuesday.

Kiwis who celebrated Waitangi Day in London have shamed an expat, who made his thoughts known to the Prime Minister and High Commissioner in a complaint, saying the misbehaviour has shamed New Zealand.

Diabetic pregnant women are almost four times more likely to give birth to an unhealthy baby than women without diabetes because higher blood sugar levels raise the risk of birth defects, according to researchers.

Travelers passing through Australian airports will soon undergo full body scans, and refusal to do so would result in missing one's flight. Under Australian laws introduced this week, any passenger selected for a full-body scan will not be able to request a pat-down, but passengers with serious medical conditions will not be required to go through the scans.

The much anticipated premiere of Spartacus: Vengeance has finally aired, and in fact, it has been followed by a second serving last week. Now the audience reacts on the most nagging question before the new season ran: Will Spartacus ever be the same without Andy Whitfield?

Embassies of Syria are being attacked around the world, and the Syrian embassy in Canberra took the latest assault Saturday. A group of around 40 men broke into the Syrian embassy in O'Malley at about 9:30pm (AEDT), while there were three employees inside.

NZ Prime Minister John Key today justified some of the government’s plans for partial asset sales in his official address during the annual Waitangi Day breakfast. Mr. Key discussed to his audience his thoughts on mining, asset sales and the Crafar Farms sale to a Chinese company.

While New Zealand has not felt the brunt of recession, the Treasury has slashed its forecast for economic growth for 2013 in view of volatile and weaker global economy.

Optimism rose as New Zealand shares climbed, and hope springs that global economic growth is possible. Exporting manufacturers Fisher & Paykel Appliances and Methven topped the list of gainers even as the kiwi dollar rose as well, consistent to a five-month high against the greenback.

Electronics retailer Dick Smith could wind up significantly cutting underperforming sites among 66 New Zealand stores in Australia and New Zealand, according to an analyst.

New Zealand has become too Auckland-centric, said the mayor of Invercargill, TVNZ reported. After the birth of a baby girl in Middlemore Hospital Wednesday morning, experts said Auckland has reached 1.5 million in population, and Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt is not pleased.