It's one of the most colourful and culturally vibrant events on Tamaki Makaurau's calendar - the Pasifika Festival. Over the weekend, the event returned to Western Springs Lakeside Park, celebrating Pacific cultures from across 11 island nations. Coco Lance reports.

The red carpet is being rolled out, the champagne is on ice and Hollywood is ready to crown the year's best movie. This afternoon the 98th annual Academy Awards will kick off in Los Angeles, hosted by Conan O'Brien. Film critic Kate Rodger spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

An update on what's happening in the sports world with Joe Porter.

The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.

Non-financial benefit sanctions are meant to be a way to prompt people back to meeting their obligations - without cutting their benefits. But new data shows that since they became an option, there have only been 21 issued, while tens of thousands of financial sanctions have been handed out. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds spoke to Corin Dann.

Two mothers whose teenage children spent a week hopping around mahjong venues want tighter regulations for under 18s. The popular Chinese game, which involves four players and 144 tiles, can be played for money. Lucy Xia reports.

Gift cards sold from today must last at least three years, or clearly show they don't expire. Commerce Commission Principal Compliance Advisor Grant MacIntosh spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The government is expecting the war in Iran and the ongoing fuel crisis could curtail the economy's growth by 0.5%. Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold spoke to Corin Dann.

Kiwis could be forced to ration petrol in a worst-case-scenario, should the war in Iran continue to put pressure on international oil supplies. Nicola Willis spoke to Corin Dann, in place of the Prime Minister who is in Samoa.

A school bus charter company says it is being hit hard by rising fuel costs, driven by increasing fuel prices because of the conflict in the Middle East. Kiwi Coaches owner Dayton Howie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.