Lucy BlakisonA powerhouse line-up of inspiring women’s been confirmed for this year’s Westpac Queenstown Women in Business Conference. Tickets for the June 5 event, being held at QT Queenstown’s brand-new Bloom Conference Rooms, go on sale at noon today. This year’s conference, themed ‘Inspiring Confidence’, features newly-crowned 2026 Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year Lucy Blakison, the founder and CEO of Shit You Should Care About, a media organisation aimed at empowering young people. Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce CEO Sharon Fifield says the conference is a chance to be inspired by women, many of whom ‘‘haven’t had the easiest path to success’’. Tickets are available via queenstownchamber.org.nz

New look coming: A redesign of Arrowtown’s The Hills private golf course is due to start next week. An Aussie golf course architect redesigning Arrowtown’s The Hills has taken a gentle swing at the championship course’s original layout — however, the original designer’s relatively unfazed. An initiative of The Hills’ new American partners, the reworking of the 18-hole private course, due to start next week, is the work of OCM Golf Design director Mike Cocking. In a recent podcast, he praises the playing experience, ‘‘but we felt the [golf course] architecture didn’t necessarily match the experience or the setting, so our aim is to try and elevate the architecture to something approaching the surrounding landscape’’. As to making The Hills’ bunkers more reflective of the rugged mountainscape, Darby says he did that at a similar time when designing Queenstown’s Jack’s Point course beneath the Remarkables mountain range.

It is feared cost-cutting by Tourism New Zealand quality assurance organisation Qualmark will reduce the quality of NZ’s tourism product. In response to increasing costs to deliver its service, Qualmark, from April 1, will only conduct an initial in-person assessment for new business members — from then on, they’ll be online each year. Till Covid, Queenstowner Amanda Cushen was a Qualmark assessor for 12 years, looking after 220 accommodation properties from Mount Cook south. If Qualmark’s funding’s an issue, he suggests it receive a share of the international visitor levy that’s targeted for tourism. ‘‘What I would say is it depends on how good the online system is.’’scoop@scene.co.nz

The Ōtautahi-based fuel distributor and storage firm picked up fuel allocated by importers at 11 ports nationwide for its approximately 10,000 primary industry customers nationwide. Chief executive Chris Gourley said its fuel allocation had been affected by “artificial demand”, driven by panic-buying and stockpiling of fuel as prices soared. “Farmers that are in arable or farmers that are harvesting or cutting grass, they need fuel,” he said. “If you don’t need fuel, don’t enter that market and try to stockpile fuel, because it just really does generate problems for everybody. “We’re really trying to all of us, the importers, the distributors, everybody’s trying to balance that fuel.

For the Warriors, it will be a tough pill to swallow considering their start to the season, where they were near faultless. Warriors coach Andrew Webster pulled a late switch, dropping Ali Leiataua to the reserves, allowing Taine Tuaupiki to start at fullback, and Charne Nicoll-Klokstad to the centres. Boyd then set up Jacob Laban, holding the ball long enough before passing to his edge forward to burst through. The Warriors made multiple chances to score early in the second half, but couldn’t find the magic touch needed to get back in the match. Having had three of their first four games at home, the Warriors now face a daunting road trip.

US President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. Photo: ReutersUS President Donald Trump said he would pause attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days at Tehran's request and said talks with Iran were going "very well," although an Iranian official dismissed a US proposal for ending nearly four weeks of fighting as "one-sided and unfair". "Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well," he said. He said taking control of Iran's oil was an option, but gave no details. The Iranian official told Reuters that a 15-point US proposal, conveyed to Tehran by Pakistan, was reviewed in detail on Wednesday by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran's supreme leader.

Photo: SuppliedA young mum facing life-threatening delays for cancer treatment may be forced to raise more than $1 million for a stem cell transplant overseas. After her diagnosis, Geddes was put straight on a waiting list for a stem cell transplant. Shortly after beginning chemotherapy, it was found her cancer had mutations, putting her in a high-risk category, and making an allogenic stem cell transplant the only possible way to treat her leukaemia. "The delays could be the difference between me living or dying, unfortunately." Stem cell transplants can only be done in Christchurch , Auckland, and Wellington.

Timoci Tavatavanawai will play no part in tonight's clash with Moana Pasifika. Photo: Gregor RichardsonThe Highlanders have made two late changes to their team for tonight’s game against Moana Pasifika. Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot is on paternity leave as he is due to become a father for the first time. Co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai has been scratched with a foot injury. Moana Pasifika: William Havili, Solomon Alaimalo, Tevita Latu, Lalomilo Lalomilo, Glen Vaihu, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Joel Lam, Dominic Ropeti, Niko Jones, Miracle Fai’ilagi (captain), Allan Craig, Veikoso Poloniati, Feleti Sae-Ta’ufo’ou, Millennium Sanerivi, Abraham Pole.

Antonie Richard, in the clothes he was last seen wearing. Photo: Supplied / NZ PolicePolice are continuing their search for a missing man in Cromwell after a sandal matching what he was last seen wearing was found on the shore of Lake Dunstan. Antoine was last seen wearing light coloured knee length shorts, a black t-shirt and light grey rubber sandals. Police said search teams had located a grey rubber sandal from the shore of Lake Dunstan. They are urging anyone who may have seen someone matching Antoine's description to get in touch.

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Their 1-5 curve is steeper at +26 bps (+7 bps) and the 3 mth-10yr curve is now at +72 bps (+9 bps). The Japanese 10 year bond yield is up +2 bps at 2.27%. The Australian 10 year bond yield starts today at 5.07%, up +15 bps from yesterday. The Kiwi dollar is -50 bps lower against the USD from yesterday, now at 57.7 USc. Against the euro we are -30 bps lower at just on 50 euro cents.

The Herald reports:Then-Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins received advice about the potential risks of a second Covid-19 vaccine dose for teenagers at a time when tens of thousands of them had yet to get a follow-up jab. The Phase Two report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response said the advice was never delivered to ministers, but the Herald has unearthed a Cabinet paper, in Hipkins’ name, from March 2022 that includes the advice in question. It was from the Covid-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group (CV TAG), on December 9, 2021, and it covered the possibility of “unnecessary risk” of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) following a second dose of the Covid vaccine for under 18s. It recommended considering changing the requirements of existing vaccine mandates – for the 12-17 age group – from two vaccine doses to one. …Labour’s response to pressure from the Government has leaned on the Royal Commission’s report, which said: “Ministers we interviewed could not recall receiving that advice, nor is there any evidence it was provided to them in the material we obtained from agencies.”But Hipkins’ Cabinet paper indicates he knew of the advice, which was shared with Cabinet colleagues in a Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee meeting (Hipkins is not listed in the minutes as being present at that March 2022 meeting).

Photo: RNZA scam has been uncovered in Christchurch in which fraudsters allegedly steal beneficiaries’ identities to swindle payments from the Ministry of Social Development. Charges are expected to be laid against two people accused of identity theft and fraud. A single parent, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Star her MSD account was accessed by fraudsters in September. They allegedly used her personal information to trick an MSD call centre operator into transferring $3000 into their account, claiming it was for a rental bond. After speaking with the woman and investigating the matter further, MSD determined that fraud and identity theft had taken place.

Earlier this month, Hipkins said the Ministry of Health never passed that expert advice on to ministers. However, a newly surfaced Cabinet paper, uncovered by NZ Herald senior writer Derek Cheng, showed that information was provided to ministers. Speaking on Friday, Hipkins said he had forgotten about that particular Cabinet paper, but any suggestions of a cover-up were "just utterly wrong". "I didn't recall the existence of the Cabinet paper in question," he said. Hipkins said there was "absolutely not" an active decision to keep the information from the public, noting that the Cabinet paper was slated for proactive release.

Jim Grenon's stake now sits 0.1 percent below the threshold that would trigger a compulsory takeover offer. Photo: Supplied/RNZ: Brad WhiteNew Zealand-based Canadian billionaire Jim Grenon has increased his shareholding in listed media company NZME, owner of the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. A notice to the NZX shows Grenon spending just under $2 million to acquire almost 1.8 percent of NZME, making him its largest shareholder. His total stake now stands at 19.9 percent, just below the 20 percent threshold that would trigger a compulsory takeover offer under New Zealand law. Separately, NZME director and former cabinet minister Steven Joyce has almost doubled his shareholding to just over 100,000 shares.