Ferguson stayed at Ballyliffin twice in 2024, sharing a TikTok video of herself enjoying the “most beautiful, wonderful blast of fresh air” on a nearby beach. The US Department of Justice’s release of the Epstein files has reignited public scrutiny of Ferguson’s long friendship with the convicted paedophile. Photographs released in the Epstein files showed Sarah Ferguson with a woman whose identity has been hidden. Since the scandal broke, Ferguson has been dropped from her roles at several charities. “I think that is why I feel so comfortable in Ireland, because the Irish people accept Sarah as Sarah, instead of trying to make her into anything else.”

Wellington's south coast beaches have been rated unsuitable for swimming just two days after the city's mayor went for a swim in Lyall Bay to show it was safe. On Wednesday, it was announced that the beaches could reopen and mayor Andrew Little taking a dip in front of media. Mayor Andrew Little went for a dip at Lyall Bay on Wednesday. Little said at the announcement he advised residents to check the website before swimming and follow the advice on it. The mayor has been contacted for comment.

Yesterday, Judge Hermann Retzlaff found the defendant guilty of one charge and cleared him of the other. He found that the defendant was aware of the protection order, and the complainant gave credible evidence about the incidents. The court heard the married man had met the woman through work in 2020 before they started a long-distance affair the following year. Judge Retzlaff found the defendant guilty on the second charge of breaching a protection order. At a trial in August, the man was also found guilty of possessing an objectionable publication — footage of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

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Photo: Adele Rycroft / MANAWATŪ STANDARDThe source of the loose tar that littered roads and highways from Waiouru to Wellington earlier this week remains unknown. Police were notified by the public to lumps of tar scattered around central roads and state highways on Wednesday morning as unsuspecting drivers tracked the substance during commutes. Though there were "a number of speculative ideas" about the source of the tar, there was no set culprit for the spillage. Pictures emerged on social media showing the substance has been tracked as far as the Bluebridge ferry terminal in central Wellington by unknowing cars heading south. Anyone who witnessed the tar being spilt from a vehicle can contact them on 105 and reference case number P065564731.

Photo: Warwick Smith / Manawatu Standard / LDRPalmerston North and Whanganui are the two centres in the Horizons catchment most vulnerable to building damage from flooding, a new study shows. Various tests were run to simulate what would happen to existing flood prevention methods during extreme weather events. While we have done some flood modelling before, this assessment fills the gaps where there was no modelling done previously". Deputy chairperson Fiona Gordon said it is the first flood vulnerability assessment to this level. Scenarios such as a 1-in-100-year flood were run, with temperature and geographical variables being altered in some tests based on climate change predictions.

PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHA significant Queenstown and Dunedin-based engineering company is facing liquidation over tax debt of more than $1 million. An application has been made by Inland Revenue to put Dart Engineering (2006) Ltd into liquidation because of unpaid tax. A statement of claim filed with the High Court in November last year said Dart Engineering owed Inland Revenue $1,160,271.61. Dart Engineering opened a branch in Dunedin more than five years ago in Kaikorai Valley Rd. Dart Engineering general manager Richard Cramond had no comment when contacted and referred all comment to Mr Williamson.

A pair of "boozed up" young students who went joyriding in a ute after breaking into the new Dunedin Hospital site have been blasted by police. The two 19-year-olds, both students at a Dunedin tertiary institution, stumbled into the hospital construction site on Cumberland St at 2.46am this morning, Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said. The pair stole a ute and tried to drive off but ‘‘missed the open gate’’. They were soon halted by workers on the site who ‘‘stopped them in the throes of driving around the yard’’. The pair would appear in Dunedin District Court on March 5.laine.priestley@odt.co.nz

The 50-year-old victim had just left the Social Club in the Octagon when the attack happened. Photo: ODT FilesA man was hospitalised after being felled by a coward punch in central Dunedin described by police as a "disgusting act". The victim was transported to Dunedin Hospital by ambulance. Snr Sgt Dinnissen said there could have been ‘‘far more’’ serious injuries, but the fact that the victim was hospitalised was very concerning. ‘‘Anybody who may have seen something or may know more is urged to call us,’’ Snr Sgt Dinnissen said.

Sources in England have confirmed to the Herald that Forest are already planning for Wood to be back in action in mid to late April. The new timeframe is heartening for the All Whites – as well as everyone associated with New Zealand Football. Wood has also been sorely missed at Forest, who are now just two points outside the relegation zone, following last weekend’s home defeat to Liverpool. Forest have scored just 25 goals in 27 League games, the second-lowest in the competition only behind Wolves. Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns.

If their recent State of the Nation speeches are anything to go by, Luxon and Hipkins have no idea how to reverse that trajectory. Luxon and Hipkins are reliable only because their State of the Nation speeches showed no interest in seriously engaging the middle class with that reality. Hipkins did slightly better with Bridges, showing at least some ability to move beyond his prepared script generated by focus groups, his staff or perhaps AI. Hipkins understands the scale of the problem but has no real answer, putting him in roughly the same position as Luxon. The hope – probably forlorn – is that Hipkins is trying to preserve that same sort of policy and political space for manoeuvre.

“They are shocked that this has happened, questioning why someone would commit such a crime,” she said. She said the alleged incident was deeply disheartening for a small iwi working hard to build economic opportunities for its people and the iwi would now face additional costs from recovering and resetting the assets. Te Aupōuri is a relative newcomer to New Zealand’s aquaculture industry. Te Aupōuri previously described the farm as a chance to build intergenerational benefits and local employment in an industry forecast to exceed $3 billion nationally by 2035. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.

But the New Zealand First leader said "politicians should know what they're talking about" before suggesting a sale. The Prime Minister brushed off questions about it, saying there would be no asset sales this political term. Peters said the added value of Air New Zealand being "owned by us" went to taxpayers and the New Zealand economy. She also challenged the Deputy Prime Minister to explain to regional communities how selling it would guarantee connections for their region. "The Co-Deputy Prime Minister is currently selling more of the poison as though it were the medicine."

The study analysed 26847 mental health callouts - or 5.7 percent of total callouts between July 2022 and June 2023. Photo: ODT FilesA study into thousands of ambulance callouts for mental health shows most were non-urgent, and should have been managed in the community. The study, published in the NZ Medical Journal on Friday, analysed 26847 mental health callouts - that was 5.7 percent of total callouts between July 2022 and June 2023 - before police began to retreat from mental health callouts. It also points out that addressing socio-economic determinants of mental health, like financial strain, unemployment and poor access to healthcare services, could improve people's mental health. $3.5m annual funding boost to specialist mental health services for infants, children and teens in Tairāwhiti, Counties Manukau, and Waitematā.

The Gulf Harbour resident said the man started to “act erratically” when he saw his dog was off-leash. He said he was struck three times, on the back of the head and on his left shoulder, leaving him with cuts and bruising. “At around 8.30am, a man has approached the victim over a dispute about a dog being off-leash. “This man has assaulted the victim with a broom handle, causing a minor cut on his chest.”The dog walker was attacked at Okoromai Bay in Shakespear Regional Park. Auckland Council told the Herald it was aware of the incident and confirmed the attacker was not a council worker.