The second half belonged to France, however, and not even a late flurry of All Blacks attacks could dampen the Parisian party. The one-point defeat ended the All Blacks’ five-match winning streak and put an end to their momentum-building second half of the test season that had started on shaky ground. As an embarrassing beating seemed on the cards, Les Bleus slowed the pace down, defended thoroughly and once again became the clinical side who started last year’s World Cup as favourites, showing brilliance and composure when it mattered. The respective kickers did trade efforts off the tee in the latter stages, but France managed to maintain that one-point gap. Having laid the platform for another memorable victory discipline, handling issues and the gradual deterioration of ruck presentation from the All Blacks handed France the chance to recover.

an excerpt from a much more detailedreport that I published over at Carbon Brief today. See that for more details on climate model/observation comparisons, sea ice extent, and other climate variables. In myThis is a re-post from The Climate Brink , and...

Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust vice-chairman Graeme Clark sits under the trust’s ‘‘Dunk a Celebrity’’ machine which will dunk allcomers at the Network Waitaki Victorian Fete on Sunday. For the second straight year the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust will run "Dunk a Celebrity" at the Victorian Fete on Sunday in the hope people will stump up to be drenched for a good cause. The machine is set up for the celebrity to sit in a chair positioned under a tray filled with water. Trust vice-chairman Graeme Clark was tight-lipped this week when asked what local "celebrities" were lined up. Mr Clark said "Dunk a Celebrity" would act as a fundraiser for the trust, to maintain the heritage precinct buildings.

Donald Trump’s granddaughter Kai enlisted a media brand agency to produce a slick behind-the-scenes video of the election night at Mar-a-Lago, leading experts to suggest she is being cultivated as a new Maga star. The 17-year-old budding golf influencer appears to be expanding her social media operation into politics, following a speech she gave to the Republican National Convention in July. She joined with the AKA Collective media agency and changed her handle on X from KaiTrumpGolf to just KaiTrump and has gained thousands of followers away from her previous niche golfing audience. Experts say her lean towards Trump world and her behind-the-curtain look at election night is likely to benefit the president-elect, who is perceived to have a problem with attracting support from young women. “This carefully curated public image points to a likely intentional effort to use her influence to bolster Trump’s brand,” said Krysten Stein, assistant professor of communication at the University of Cincinnati.

Protesters in a convoy organised by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki gesture at people waving Palestine and Tino Rangatiratanga flags from the Market Rd overbridge in Auckland this morning. The Tamaki-organised "Make New Zealand Great Again" convoy from Mercer to Auckland Domain is calling for only the New Zealand flag to be flown in this country. Photo / Sylvie WhinraySpeaking before Tamaki, City Impact Church co-founder Peter Mortlock told the crowd New Zealand had “gone down the wrong path”. A flag-waving protester pictured in the "Make New Zealand Great Again" convoy from Mercer to Auckland this morning. The convoy was organised by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki and calls for only the New Zealand flag to be flown in this country.

WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark sends tee shot into fans at LPGA eventWNBA star Caitlin Clark may have all the skills on the basketball court but she has a few work-ons for her golf game.

“They must have been golfers because they had a golf caddie [trolley] and everything.”The golf club is in the small coastal town of Clarks Beach in the Franklin District – about an hour’s drive south of Auckland, on the shores of the Manukau Harbour. The woman said she made the now viral online post because she thought “someone might have been cheating on someone”. An image posted to Facebook's Clarks Beach and Waiau Pa Grapevine on November 12 showed a couple apparently having sex on a fairway at the Clarks Beach Golf course. When the Herald approached the Clarks Beach Golf Club for comment, it confirmed it was “aware it happened”. “After the giddying heights of viral marketing that has certainly put our golf club on the map... it’s time to get down to business!”.

WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark sends tee shot into fans at LPGA eventWNBA star Caitlin Clark may have all the skills on the basketball court but she has a few work-ons for her golf game.

an excerpt from a much more detailedreport that I published over at Carbon Brief today. See that for more details on climate model/observation comparisons, sea ice extent, and other climate variables. In myThis is a re-post from The Climate Brink , and...

It’s free speech right up until you say something the Right Wing Free Speech Champions don’t like. It’s every other Sports Person facing a Haka vs ACT crying because they faced a Haka. It’s a tale of double standards- Sponsor Promotion -If every sports team who faces us can respect the Haka and observe it, why can’t the ACT Party? The Political Right brought a race war to NZ Parliament and the people responded! We will not allow the far right to rewrite the constitutional framework of our nation for their benefitsNot today!

Entertainment: The creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, lost his son just before the end of World War I. This comes not just from planets and moons, but from asteroid belts and small worlds at the edge of our solar system. Solar system begins next week. Mark van Kaathoven: Doing what happens naturally. (Photos / Mark Smith, Mark van Kaathoven)10.

After the meeting with Xi, Luxon told media he had raised this as an issue, as it was “a concern for many of us in the Pacific – and for the Pacific Island Leaders as well”. “There hadn’t been a missile fired for 44 years and it ended up just north of Tahiti. In the Pacific, we have a history around nuclear testing.”Although New Zealand was advised a few hours before the missile landed, some Pacific Island nations were not told. Despite Luxon’s concerns, both leaders were full of praise for each other’s respective countries in opening remarks ahead of the meeting. Xi said since taking office, Luxon had supported further co-operation between New Zealand and China: “I commend your efforts,” he said through a translator.

He said his time with President Xi was “constructive and positive” and included areas of future, ongoing cooperation. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with China's President Xi Jinping at the APEC Summit in Peru today. Moving to domestic issues, Luxon said - as he has before - that National doesn’t support the Treaty Principles Bill, again referring to it as “simplistic”. President Xi met Luxon on the sidelines of Apec this morning, in what was their first face-to-face meeting. “Mr Prime Minister, China is ready to work with your Government to create more firsts for our relationship.”Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Nearly ten thousand people took to the streets in New Zealand to protest the introduction of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill in Parliament. The bill calls for a reinterpretation of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti) signed between the British colonial ruler and around 500 Indigenous Māori chiefs. It is essential that we protect the principles of partnership, participation, and protection that the Treaty embodies. Honouring Te Tiriti is the constitutional obligation of every Prime Minister – something Christopher Luxon must take personal responsibility for. It will be used to assist with the interpretation of legislation where Treaty principles would normally be considered relevant.

Police and Customs found 515kg of methamphetamine inside these steel beams imported from the United States in September 2024. The NZ Drug Foundation tested the lollies and found “potentially lethal levels” of meth - each sweet contained 3g of pure meth or 300 doses of the Class A drug. Customs NZ began its investigation after border profiling led to the interception of a shipment from the United States around April 10. Customs discovered 47kg of methamphetamine drugs concealed in boxes falsely labelled as "paper reams" and send by air freight to Auckland Airport from Malaysia. Photo / Supplied2018Printer toner cartridgesA 28-year-old Canadian passport holder, apparently on holiday in New Zealand, imported 17.9 kgs of methamphetamine inside printer cartridges.