The Front Page

The Corrections Association says New Zealand’s prisons are in ‘crisis’.

Last year saw record-breaking numbers of assaults on staff, almost double what they were just seven years ago.

There were also more than 15-hundred prisoner-on-prisoner attacks - the highest annual figure on record.

All of this comes with overcrowding, tight budgets, and a growing gang and meth problem.

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senio...

There are more than 9,000 gang members in New Zealand, and thousands more associates.

The coalition government from the get-go promised a crackdown on gangs – they've banned gang insignia in public, handed police greater powers, and created laws to disrupt get-togethers. But, is that all enough?

Jared Savage has been a journalist at the NZ Herald for about 20 years, with a focus on organised crime.

His latest book, Underworld...

A dark day in Australia, as two gunmen opened fire at a Bondi Beach Jewish event marking the first day of Hannukah.

Sixteen people are dead, including one of the assailants.

Police have confirmed there were two offenders and they aren’t looking for anyone else.

One of them, a 50-year-old man, is dead, and a second, a 24-year-old man, is in critical but stable condition. They were a father and son.

There were dozens of people ...

From geopolitical friction and climate chaos to a cost-of-living crisis and a haka heard around the world, 2025 has been a huge year for news.

Trump’s return sparked trade wars, artificial intelligence is getting, well, more intelligent, and we’re rounding out the year with no end in sight for wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

At home, Treaty principles were again put under the microscope, a huge blow for the New Zealand Police...

Tis the season to celebrate the end of the year with your workmates on the company dime.

But, are the days of huge bashes and unlimited bar tabs long gone?

They’ve always been high risk and loaded with legal landmines... with employees toeing the line between loose networking and plain unprofessional.

So, should companies ditch the drama for direct deposits? Or is there still a little magic to the traditional Christmas work d...

Kiwis are flying the coop, most of them heading for better opportunities across the Tasman.

Latest Stats NZ figures show just over 124,000 migrant departures in the year to October, up nearly 7% - 71,000 of them New Zealanders.

What is pushing our best and brightest out the door? And is the grass really greener on the other side?

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Business editor at large Liam Dann is with us to dissect what draws ...

Australia’s social media ban comes into effect this week, when all under 16s there will be restricted from major platforms.

We’re talking TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Kick, Twitch, Threads and X.

The EU passed a similar resolution this month, and the UK has introduced age restrictions on certain content.

But, can you really outlaw part of the world wide web for a generation that has grown up online?

A...

From sideline squabbles to damning defeats, 2026 will need to be a year of refresh when it comes to Kiwi sports.  

The All Blacks’ season has been shaky to say the least, and headlines have been dominated with Netball New Zealand’s off-court chaos. 

But, there have been some major wins on the world stage for some of our best athletes.  

Liam Lawson has become a household name – and Ryan Fox has seen...

Auckland’s CBD should be at its brightest right now, but this Christmas season has exposed just how far the city has slipped.

The former Smith and Caughey’s building - once the centre of Auckland’s festive traditions with its iconic window displays and enchanted forest - now sits dark.

Across the CBD, retail spending is down, site vacancy rates are up, and the district has been plagued by stalled developments and ...

Russia is apparently ready to go to war with Europe, according to its President.

Vladimir Putin met with the US negotiators this week for about five hours to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

He has accused European leaders of trying to scupper his peace talks with the US, saying that their tweaks to a plan to end the war were “unacceptable”.

The Kremlin has apparently accepted some proposals to end the war, although l...

Regional, territorial, unitary, wards and boards.

Local government in New Zealand is made up of 78 different councils that make decisions we encounter daily.

The roads, air, rubbish, waters, environment – it's all local government.

So, why has central government announced a need for change? And why has the Prime Minister himself implored councils to “stop doing dumb stuff”?

Today on The Front Page, Victoria Univer...

There are calls for urgent changes to modernise our laws to better protect victims of sexual violence.

A new Helen Clarke Foundation report identifies several gaps in our laws that need closing and changes to our justice system to reduce underreporting.

Ministry of Justice data estimates about 209,000 incidents of sexual assault occur every year, affecting around 82,000 victims.

Nearly one in four adults report having experienced s...

It’s the moment anyone looking for a conveniently packaged, Swedish designed kitchen cabinet is waiting for.

Ikea opens in Auckland this week at Sylvia Park – and it’ll be the company’s largest store in the Southern Hemisphere, about the size of three rugby fields.

You’d be pressed to find someone who hasn’t encountered news of the iconic brand in Aotearoa. But why is it such a big deal? What&rsq...

It has been a tumultuous time since the collapse of the Du Val property development group.

It was August last year we saw police raid a Remuera property – leaving with a number of assets owned by Charlotte and Kenyon Clarke.

Since then it’s been a tsunami of court hearings, social media posts, and “he said she saids”.

On Monday, a new podcast called *The Fall of the House of Du Val launches on iHeartRadio &n...

The mistlestoe's hung, the bells are a'ringing 

And all through the malls Mariah Carey is singing 

It's the same old story, told year after year 

Of Santa and reindeer and widespread good cheer 

But look a bit closer, and you might see a crack 

In the stronghold St Nick has had since way back 

Where once stood a hero, red coat and beard white 

A sack on his sleigh promising Christmas delight 

The Government’s released its plan to get our Defence infrastructure up to scratch – some of which hasn’t been touched in decades.

The Defence Estate Portfolio sets out how $2.5 billion will be spent over the next 15 years.

At the same time, the Future Naval Base Programme is pinned at $4b over 35 years.

It’s being called a ‘generational investment in defence infrastructure’.

But given the horror...

The Cook Islands’ flag has flown from more than a hundred oil tankers implicated in illicitly trading Russian and Iranian oil.

A special Herald investigation has revealed that it’s sparked alarm from foreign governments – with New Zealand diplomats fielding concerns from Helsinki and London.

Our Foreign Minister Winston Peters has labelled the issue “alarming and infuriating”.

So, what is the link betw...

Our MPs have stakes in a combined $379 million of property in New Zealand.

A Herald investigation has found that’s an average of $3.16 million across each of our 120 Members of Parliament.

And despite the rumours, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon doesn’t top the list as the most lavish.

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald data journalist Chris Knox is with us to dive into the numbers, and why it matters.

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Former cabinet minister, Michael Wood, will be running for the Labour Party in next year’s general election.

He’ll be running for the Mt Roskill seat.

The former MP’s career came crashing down in 2023, after he was forced to resign as Minister for Transport after it was revealed he failed to disclose his airport shares.

He resigned from his remaining ministerial portfolios after the discovery of additional shares ...