13+ hour, 17+ min ago   (286+ words) Aspiring artistes are expected at 8Rivas Ultra Lounge in Ocho Rios on September 16 for the opening round of the Reggae Trail Talent Search, organised by music industry veteran Paula “Suzie Q” Rose. The 11-week event showcases budding acts from across Jamaica…...

3+ day, 10+ hour ago   (1693+ words) Nearly 80 years after Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines were first overhauled in Christchurch, the city’s aerospace engineering sector is about to take another big leap into its future, writes aviation journalist Grant Bradley. Later this year, a joint venture between Pratt…...

2+ day, 23+ hour ago   (1069+ words) Air Niugini’s leadership shake-up and a new Port Moresby–Auckland route signal a faster-than-expected revival of direct air links between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The revival of direct air links between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea is…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago   (1751+ words) The best female reggae singers have shaped one of the most globally beloved music genres for more than six decades, from the rocksteady clubs of Kingston in the 1960s to Grammy stages in the 21st century. Despite a genre landscape long dominated…...

3+ day, 14+ hour ago   (1710+ words) Songs that sampled reggae are everywhere in popular music, yet listeners rarely trace those borrowed rhythms, vocals, and riddims back to their Jamaican roots. From dancehall anthems recorded in Kingston in the early 1980s to lovers rock and dub productions that…...

4+ day, 6+ hour ago   (284+ words) Auckland mayor Wayne Brown is rejecting a finding he put the council in disrepute by saying an RNZ employee looked like a "Muslim terrorist". An independent commissioner found the comments Brown made breached Auckland council's code of conduct earlier this…...

4+ day, 9+ hour ago   (579+ words) Rotorua's mayor says it's a "welcome surprise" councils will take charge of how they spend new International Visitor Levy funding if National is re-elected. National's alternative to a bed tax announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Tourism Minister Louise Upston,…...

4+ day, 9+ hour ago   (1217+ words) National Party MP Stuart Smith (left) has created a Local Government Amendment Bill to ensure elected members have access to council information, and Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell (centre) backs the bill. Tauranga City councillor Glen Crowther shares his previous struggles…...

4+ day, 19+ hour ago   (1075+ words) A major funding shift will see local councils pocket tens of millions of dollars previously destined for nature and tourism promotion. Instead of introducing a proposed “Bed Tax,” the Government is diverting money from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism…...

4+ day, 14+ hour ago   (315+ words) Singer Fred Debs heard a lot about reggae as a young artiste in his native Lebanon. Some of the stories were positive, others negative. But he saw the good side of Jamaican culture while recording Seasons, his first song. The…...