Image: Frank FilmsWinston Peters has committed $15 million to completing the rebuild of Christchurch's Cathedral if New Zealand First is part of the next government. The Christ Church Cathedral in the centre of the city was extensively damaged in the February 2011 earthquake. The about $250 million rebuild project was mothballed in 2024 due to a lack of money. Peters said the project now had an affordable, common-sense plan put forward by Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd and about $90 million had already been invested. Christ Church Cathedral Dean Ben Truman was delighted by Peters' announcement.

Photo: RNZConcerns are growing among health providers and whānau about the governments proposed alcohol reforms, with warnings they could increase harm in vulnerable communities. She said alcohol harm was not just about individual choice. Witika-Hawke pointed to the impact of alcohol harm on future generations, including FASD, a lifelong condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Andrew Galloway told RNZ the scale of alcohol harm was significant in Aotearoa, and that the reforms appeared to remove effective protections. Galloway said the direction of the reforms contradicted other government strategies, including suicide prevention efforts that put an emphasis on reducing alcohol harm.

Not because politicians don’t want them, but because formulating a political magic pill is hard. It requires a system capable of producing outcomes that are more than just tolerable to both sides — outcomes that are genuinely better, cheaper, faster, and fairer all at once. AI is good at the routine; it struggles with judgement, nuance, and the messy edge cases where real people live. It’s easy to sketch broad ideas about a smarter state, but at some point you have to put a real proposal on the table. ACC showed we can build systems that work across ideological lines.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi crews worked on a slip on SH25 between Coromandel and Kūaotunu overnight. Photo / NZTASlips cleared on SH25 from Coromandel to Matarangi; all roads now open, clean-up work underway with rain on radarNew Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi crews worked on a slip on SH25 between Coromandel and Kūaotunu overnight. Photo / NZTAState Highway 25 in Coromandel has reopened after slips forced an overnight closure during severe weather. The road was the last remaining road closure on the peninsula after this week’s deluge, and was closed from Coromandel to Matarangi Rd, Kūaotunu. The highest totals were recorded in the Coromandel Ranges, where Castle Rock received 412mm of rain between Wednesday and Friday, while the Pinnacles recorded 347mm.

Steve Holt, 51, has tried to get a job at Woolworths for years but said he keeps getting seemingly rejected by the AI interview system. Despite that, he said he had been rejected in six Woolworths job applications, submitting his latest application in October. Holt said he was an “affable” person who “was not an a***hole” and would have been capable of stacking shelves in a supermarket if it was not for the AI interview. Suzanne said the AI interview feedback she received called her introverted, which she said was “laughable” because she was known to talk a lot. When asked what human involvement there was in the hiring process, Woolworths confirmed there was a “human in the loop” after the initial AI assessment.

Their 1-5 curve is steeper at +29 bps (+3 bps) and the 3 mth-10yr curve is now at +74 bps (+2 bps). The Australian 10 year bond yield starts today at 5.13%, up +6 bps from yesterday and a fifteen year high. And the NZ Government 10 year bond rate starts today at 4.80%, up +4 bps and its highest in nearly two years. That all means our TWI-5 starts today down -20 bps at just on 61.4, down -70 bps for the week. The bitcoin price starts today at US$66,207 and down -3.9% from this time yesterday, down -4.9% for the week.

A drug bust in Christchurch uncovered $1.1m worth of cannabis plants and four people were arrested and charged. Photo/ New Zealand Herald composite photoFour people arrested after police find $1.1m worth of cannabis plants at Christchurch propertyA drug bust in Christchurch uncovered $1.1m worth of cannabis plants and four people were arrested and charged. Photo/ New Zealand Herald composite photoMore than 1000 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of $1.1 million have been seized at a property in Christchurch. A search warrant targeting cannabis operations uncovered the plants at an address in Waltham earlier in the week. They appeared in court on charges of possessing cannabis for supply, cultivating cannabis, and participating in an organised criminal group.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen joined Lawson in being eliminated in Q2, as Lindblad sealed the final place in the top 10. If there’s any consolation, Lawson started outside the top 10 in both China’s sprint and grand prix, and finished seventh in both. Arvid Lindblad - Racing Bulls11. Max Verstappen - Red Bull12. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls15.

Bank of America is the second biggest bank in the United States. Photo: Getty ImagesThe Bank of America has agreed to pay to settle a civil lawsuit brought by women who accused it of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, court records show. The plaintiffs' lawyers may seek up to 30% of the settlement, or about $US21.8 million, for legal fees, according to court records. The lawyers are also appealing Rakoff's dismissal in January of a similar lawsuit they brought against Bank of New York Mellon. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Photo: Getty ImagesNew fuel security powers allowing the Australian Government to underwrite private sector purchases have been announced to ensure supply flows. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says parliament will on Monday consider measures that will support private companies purchasing shiploads of fuel as prices continue to increase due to shortages caused by the Iran war. This would involve using public funds to underwrite private companies in order to buy additional petrol or diesel for Australia. Six out of 81 fuel cargo ships scheduled to arrive in Australia in April cancelled their arrivals but these have been replaced by others. The trend was even more pronounced in regional Australia, where diesel prices averaged A307.6 cents per litre, a A28.6 cent weekly jump.

Carmen was involved in some of those, racking up a total of 13 shoplifting charges, while Courtney had 18. Taken out to steal from the age of 10Carmen's lawyer Kevin Lamb told the court about the twins' upbringing. Courtney's lawyer Elizabeth Gresson said shoplifting was a learned behaviour for the twins and it was their family's "modus operandi". An organised family operationThe judge said the twins' crimes caused "significant loss" to Woolworths and had a trickle-down effect impacting the wider community. The judge thanked the twins' whānau for filling the court's public gallery in support.

Carmen was involved in some of those, racking up a total of 13 shoplifting charges, while Courtney had 18. On March 24, 2024, Courtney, her brother Brett Habib and another relative were in Woolworths Highland Park. Judge Frances Eivers sentenced the Habib twins in Manukau District Court this week. Carmen was, however, no stranger to the courts and had 15 previous convictions, Judge Eivers said. “Which is still a lot,” Judge Eivers said.

The Connemara has been out of service since last week. Sailings on Connemara have been canned for the eighth day in a row due to a technical fault, which is causing issues for its remaining ship Livia. Connemara, which usually sails up to four times daily between Wellington and Picton, has not run since the fault was identified almost a week ago. Yesterday Bluebridge issued an alert on its website informing passengers Livia was running four hours behind schedule due to re-accommodating Connemara passengers. In their opinion, ‘‘technical issues’’ was an insufficient explanation for the delays and cancellations.

The court heard that on the day of victim’s death, he and other workers tried to move a 1.84-tonne press brake into the workshop. Workers lowered the press brake onto the stacker and skates and tried to pull it into the workshop. The press brake that fatally crushed a young worker at Peter Gray Engineering. The victim got a farm jack and tried to lift the press brake to reposition the dislodged skate. When he tried another full stroke of the jack’s ratchet mechanism, the press brake rocked backwards and then forwards.

Photo: SuppliedThe mayor of Central Hawke's Bay says the region has been hit hard by back-to-back announcements of factory closures. The decision came in the same week that McCain Foods announced it would close its Hastings vegetable processing plant. Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Will Foley says it is a huge blow. I think we need much stronger and more deliberate backing of New Zealand made goods and services both by government and consumers. Canterbury vegetable grower Alastair Clemens, who grew processed peas and carrots for Heinz Wattie's in Barrhill, said the closures were devastating for growers.