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,

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Christopher Luxon has set out his vision for the country in his first State of the Nation address as Prime Minister, promising to be "straight up" with Kiwis about the country's "fragile" situation. "It tied down our economy with unnecessary regulation, and saw farmers and businesses as something to be sneered at rather than celebrated," Luxon said. Throughout the speech, Luxon referred to "tough choices" and kept coming back to welfare dependency, pointing to the additional 70,000 now on a Jobseeker unemployment benefit compared to 2017. "I won't apologise for making tough choices to support young people off welfare and into work, because 24 years languishing on welfare means no hope. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Anna Spark said she rushed to grab as many of her animals as she could and get out, but her container home was destroyed on day two of the 2024 Port Hills fire. Photo: Supplied/ Anna SparkA woman whose home was destroyed in the Port Hills fire has described the dramatic race to rescue her animals from the flames, including towing a goat behind her car to get it to safety. Flames tore through the property Spark's container's were housed on, on day two of the 2024 Port Hills fires. Photo: Supplied/ Anna Spark"When we left the hill I could see flames as I drove off. Photo: Supplied/ Anna SparkHer grandfather John Joseph told Morning Report on Thursday that it was a "miracle" his house had been spared.

The block of shops is half empty, with a curtain retailer and a United Video store sitting abandoned on the main road. There are a few stores remaining in the section, which is operated by the Upper Hutt Mall, such as the Pet Centre, Bayleys, GO NZ and a cinema. Photo: Stuff/Ryan AndersonWhen Stuff visited the property, a strong smell was immediately obvious while still a block away. Black mould could be seen on several roof sections of the store, while many other panels were damp and discoloured. Several buckets could be seen inside the store on the floor, as well as in the ceiling.

Wakatipu Community Foundation’s (WCF) inaugural chair Ray Key is reflecting on an amazing six years as he prepares to step aside at the end of the month. ‘‘We have raised over $4 million and have in excess of $35m pledged in wills for the local community,’’ Key says. He believes the community foundation model makes so much sense — ‘‘at its core is the aim to build and grow funds so money is available to the local community forever’’. Brent says his vision is for WCF to be a billion-dollar fund within 30 years, ‘‘and I’m excited to guide the organisation to realise this goal’’. ‘‘It’s a big one, but with the significant funds being transferred from the baby boomer generation in the next few decades, it’s entirely achievable.’’Meanwhile, Key’s remaining chair of the umbrella Community Foundation of Aotearoa NZ, and is staying on as a WCF trustee.

The Russian opposition leader died at a prison inside the Artic Circle where he was serving a 19-year sentence. “The doctors who arrived at the scene continued the resuscitation measures that the prison’s doctors had already provided,” RIA quoted an official as saying. The ambulance team reached the prison in less than seven minutes, and doctors reached the patient two minutes later.”The Russian prison service said Navalny “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness. If this is true, then not ‘Navalny died’, but ‘Putin killed Navalny’ and only that. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “The immediate reaction of Nato leaders to Navalny’s death in the form of direct accusations against Russia was self-exposing”.‌

A teenager died while travelling to Melbourne for a Taylor Swift concert when the car she was a passenger in collided with a truck in regional New South Wales. Mieka Pokarier, 16, was travelling from the Gold Coast with her mother and 10-year-old sister when their vehicle collided with a semi-trailer about 30 kilometres north-east of Dubbo on Thursday. Mieka Pokarier (left), pictured here with her friend Cheyenne Craig, died while driving to Melbourne for a Taylor Swift concert. The teenager’s younger sister was critically injured in the crash and was flown to hospital in Sydney for treatment. The girl’s mother and the truck driver both suffered minor injuries and were treated at a Dubbo hospital.

By Amy Ridout ofPhoto: Stuff / SuppliedAn insurance company that used an image of a boy with cancer without permission has been called "predatory" by his mother. "I felt so yuck ... thinking about how someone used my son's cancer story to try and make a profit," she said. Munro, whose job title is risk services director, said the image was used to "underscore vulnerabilities" within the health system. But my expectation was not that it would be used by others for their own commercial gain without our permission," Smithson said. "However, if these pictures were Are Media property and used without permission in advertising, we would get our lawyers onto it."

The UST 10yr yield starts today at 4.30% and up +6 bps from yesterday, up +11 bps from a week ago. A week ago it was at 4.91% so little net change. The Fear & Greed index is still at the "extreme greed" level where it was a week ago. A week ago it was at 61.4 USc. A week ago it was at 70.9.

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,

Mike Wilson has taken another punt at reality television, this time looking for lasting love on the new season of Married at First Sight New Zealand. As the Kiwi iteration of Married at First Sight starts shaping up and making commitments, more details are being revealed – including its latest groom. Wilson, an auctioneer, health and wellness entrepreneur — and an advocate for the naked party scene — placed third in The Apprentice NZ in 2021. He was spotted around the city (including at the Pullman Hotel) filming MAFS NZ before Christmas, and his bride is said to be a tall statuesque blonde. Wilson has carried on the entrepreneurial ideas from his time on The Apprentice NZ with wellness business Bader.

In which US state was Taylor Swift born? Photo / Jordan Strauss/Invision/APIn which US state was Taylor Swift born? Photo / Jordan Strauss/Invision/APAre you smarter than a robot? Test your brains with the Herald’s morning quiz. Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for today’s afternoon quiz.

In the U.K., the economy shrank for the second consecutive quarter, the shorthand definition of a recession. And he’s harpooned plans for a vast Kermadec marine sanctuary – it’s now sunk as deep as the 10,000 metre ocean trench. This what we replaced Labour for, rich pricks manipulating our fear and ignorance for their corporate donor mates and other rich prick friends. 13 000 kids pushed into poverty to pay for rich landlord tax cuts! If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media.

Hundreds ordered to flee one of Gaza’s last working hospitalsHundreds of displaced Palestinians fled one of the Gaza Strip’s last functioning hospitals on Wednesday, after the Israeli military ordered them to leave and threatened further action to stop what it said was Hamas activity there.