New Zealand news stories on Newser

Yet Another Quake Hits Christchurch

Rob Quinn — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:49:00 CDT

One of the stronger of the thousands of earthquakes and aftershocks to hit Christchurch since last year's devastating 6.1 quake struck the New Zealand city today. No reports of serious injuries or damage were received after the 4.7 quake, reports the New Zealand Herald . Authorities closed the city's...

NZ on Boston U Crash: We Tell Students Not to Drive

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:28:05 CDT

Three Boston University students studying in New Zealand were killed on Saturday when the minivan they were driving in careened off a road and crashed. Officials of the New Zealand university hosting the Boston visitors said they strongly discourage such students from driving because of their unfamiliarity with driving along...

3 Boston U Students Die in New Zealand Crash

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:21:50 CDT

Three Boston University students who were studying in New Zealand were killed today when their minivan crashed. At least five other students from the university were injured in the accident, including one who was in critical condition. The students were traveling in a minivan about 7:30am near the North...

Facebook Tries Charging Users to Promote Posts

Matt Cantor — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:01:05 CDT

Want to make sure your friends see your latest uber-important Facebook update? Now you can—if you live in New Zealand and are willing to drop a couple bucks. Facebook is testing a service in the country that allows users to pay between about 40 cents and $2 to highlight...

Coming to New Zealand: $100 Packs of Cigarettes?

Evann Gastaldo — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:12:05 CDT

While the US has been trying to disgust smokers into giving up tobacco , New Zealand has been considering a more direct idea: raising the price of cigarettes to $100 a pack. The Ministry of Health wants a smoke-free NZ by 2025, and the $100 price tag—which would be implemented...

Woman's Death Blamed on 2 Gallons of Coke a Day

Dustin Lushing — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:39:05 CDT

A 30-year-old New Zealand woman died of a heart attack in 2010, and her death has been linked to her consumption of about 2 gallons of Coca-Cola every day for several years. Natasha Marie Harris consumed about 4,000 calories of regular Coke daily, reports CBS News . "The first thing...

New Zealand Building $4.1M Cathedral ... From Cardboard

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:42:56 CDT

A cathedral made from cardboard. The idea may sound flimsy, but in the earthquake -devastated city of Christchurch, Anglican leaders believe it will deliver both a temporary solution and a statement about the city's recovery. Albeit a pricey one: The plans call for an 82-foot high cathedral constructed with 104...

Vending Machine as Pot Dealer? Yep, Not Legal

Rob Quinn — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 02:16:26 CDT

Can laws against drug dealing be sidestepped by making a machine the dealer? The answer is no, a group of drug law reform activists in New Zealand discovered this week. Police raided the group's Auckland headquarters and confiscated a vending machine that was selling one-gram bags of marijuana instead of...

With Marmite Dwindling, New Zealand Freaks Out

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:56:05 CDT

It's a time of unprecedented national crisis in New Zealand, where supplies of Marmite—the black, nationally cherished goo—are running dangerously short. Dubbed "Marmageddon," the shortage is hitting even the highest reaches of government, with PM John Key noting that he has but a "very small amount in my...