Money-saving expert Martin Lewis has warned that millions of people could be paying for "absolutely pointless" stuff. However, he pointed out that millions of people were paying for stuff they didn't need or stuff that was "absolutely pointless". In order to check for potential "pointless transactions" however, Mr Lewis explained the three different types of regular payments. Then you have very strong rights on direct debit and what money they can take and how you can cancel. And as for recurring payments, Mr Lewis explained that these were often hidden and "could take elbow grease".

S&P Global Ratings says the credit risk for New Zealand’s local councils is rising after the coalition Government repealed Labour’s water reform legislation last week. “This is because of rising inflation and infrastructure budgets, and given the new National Party-led coalition government's promise to repeal existing water reform legislation”. It's all about making sure that local councils have the financial sustainability and what's required to invest in infrastructure over the long term”. Still ratedWhile the note warns about increasing credit risk, S&P didn’t downgrade any of the councils’ actual credit ratings. “New Zealand's local councils remain highly rated.

Focus: Chris Hipkins says he has no intentions of resigning despite the latest poll resultsLabour leader Chris Hipkins saying he will not resign after yesterday's poll results, that he will be announce some shadow line-up changes this week, and wouldn't confirm if Grant Robertson is leaving. Video / Mark Mitchell

Photo: Gregor RichardsonSouth Dunedin’s Countdown will remain closed for another day after a rat sighting today — bringing the store’s closure to two weeks. A Woolworths New Zealand spokeswoman said today a rat had been seen early this morning and the reopening of the store had been pushed back a day, to Saturday. The delay marks 14 days that the supermarket has been required to shut its doors, so the company could conduct intensive pest-control work. The spokeswoman said that the closure would not pose any risk to jobs and there was ‘‘lots of work available’’. Now, the store must remain closed until both the Ministry for Primary Industries’ New Zealand Food Safety agency and Woolworths are satisfied newly imposed additional pest-control measures have worked.

Fire investigators and police are at the scene of the house bus fire on Blue Spur Rd, Hokitika. Photo: NZ HeraldPolice are continuing to investigate what caused a house bus fire that killed a Chinese woman on the West Coast. Emergency services were called to the house bus fire on Blur Spur Road, about 6km from Hokitika in Westland at 4.15am on Tuesday. The owners of the Airbnb house bus declined to comment. A second person who escaped was staying with the woman in the house bus.

As many of you know, the recent fire in the Port Hills of Christchurch has had a significant impact on the @christchurchprk (CAP), the scheduled venue for Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand fromMarch 1-3, 2024. Firstly, we want to express our gratitude to the emergency responder crews and our mates at CAP for their swift and tireless efforts in response to the fires. The situation remains in the hands of the fire service and the full impact on the Port Hills, CAP, and surrounding areas is yet to be fully determined. It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the complete cancellation of Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand 2024. If you can, please support Christchurch Foundation’s Port Hills regeneration efforts - link in our bio.

Here’s the thing: the City Rail Link is almost certainly going to be overcapacity from day one, with crowding on the trains at peak times. In the simple terms of popular transportThis post was originally published on Linked In by Nicolas Reid. It is republished here with permission....

World Athletics are considering the most radical overhaul of the long jump since it became one of the inaugural events of the first modern Olympics in 1896. In an attempt to make the sport more appealing, the governing body will trial a new ‘take-off zone’ from which competitors can leap into the pit instead of the usual fixed wooden board. “That doesn’t work - that’s a waste of time,” said Jon Ridgeon, the World Athletics chief executive, of all the ‘no jumps’. “So we are testing a take-off zone rather than a take-off board. ‘If you have dedicated your life to hitting that take-off board perfectly and then suddenly we replace it with a take-off zone, I totally get that there might be initial resistance.

There may be more than six feet between them, but the world’s tallest man and shortest woman found common ground when they were reunited this week. Sultan Kosen, who measures 8ft 3in (251cm), towered over his fellow Guinness World Record holder Jyoti Amge, who measures just over 2ft (62.8cm) tall, when they met in California on Monday. Sitting cross-legged together on the floor, their vastly different statures could not have been more apparent. One of Mr Kosen’s feet is 14.3in (36.5cm), more than half Ms Amge’s height.

The housing market is stagnant and the Reserve Bank is likely to raise interest rates twice more this year, according to ANZ New Zealand's economists. "The housing market looks stagnant," they state in their latest New Zealand Property Focus Report. The report said that housing sales are normally soft in January as buyers, sellers and agents all take a Christmas/New Year break. Days to sell in Auckland are back near their 2022 peak, with the average home taking around 48 days to sell. We send it out 3-5 times a week with all of our property-related news, including auction results, interest rate movements and market commentary and analysis.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the country over the weekend in his State of the Nation Speech that New Zealand needed ‘tough love’ and cutbacks some would fund unacceptable. It is difficult taking a ‘tough love’ approach to our social woes from a multimillionaire who owns 7 properties and holidays in Hawaii. That juxtaposition is made more extreme when you consider the last week’s Government policy. Government’s have an obligation to lift everyone, not just their wealthy donors! This Government is asking the poor to pay for rich people’s tax cuts and calling that ‘democracy’.

The Rugby Football Union considered selling Twickenham and buying 50 per cent of Wembley Stadium, leaked documents have revealed. This radical move, part of a ‘leave’ option explored by the RFU, would have been an alternative to undergoing a £663 million redevelopment detailed in a 69-page blueprint entitled ‘Twickenham Stadium Masterplan Programme’ that has been seen by Telegraph Sport. Any loan of more than £150 million would need prior approval from the RFU Council. A statement from the RFU explained that the next year would be critical to organising the next steps. As per the RFU constitution, if borrowing of over £150m was needed, council members’ views and approval would be required.

Covid-19 Inquiry updateWe are happy to announce that the terms of reference on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response have been expanded. This includes what we committed to in our coalition agreement, to:Ensure, as a matter of urgency in establishment and completion, a full scale,

Christchurch District Court. File photo: NZ HeraldA sports star accused of dishonestly taking a vehicle and intentional damage has appeared in court for the first time in person since he was charged. The man - who listed his occupation on court documents as "athlete" - is facing two charges in the Christchurch District Court. An interim suppression order prevents the Herald from reporting his name and any other details that may identify him. The sportsman was granted name suppression when his case was first called in court last year.

Oliver Glasner has been named the new manager of Crystal Palace following an announcement that Roy Hodgson is stepping down over health issues. Glasner, 49, has been a long-term target of chairman Steve Parish and director of football Dougie Freedman in an appointment process that began at the start of this season. There were meetings since then and the process accelerated when Hodgson fell ill at the training ground on Thursday. There was no meeting between Parish and Glasner on Friday. “I am very happy to join Crystal Palace,” said Glasner.