The Black Caps also have the bonus of acclimatisation over an extended period, having lost a series 4-1 to India in January. Since 2013 and the infamous hotel room pow-wow after the Black Caps’ dismissal for 45 in a Cape Town test, this side has enjoyed a golden era. The way the New Zealanders play the game makes them standard-bearers for the international cricketing world, despite a relative lack of riches. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert added a record partnership to see the Black Caps beat the UAE at the T20 World Cup in India. Like a form of cricketing roulette, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium block has three types of soil surfaces - red, black and mixed.

Among those attending was Ali Jafari-Gh, an Iranian-born academic who teaches animal science at Massey University. Originally from Karaj, near Tehran, Jafari-Gh said he had travelled to Iran over the New Year period and witnessed protests first-hand. “The main aim is to echo the Iranian voice, which is shut down by the Government,” he said. Amir, who has lived in New Zealand for more than 16 years, said he had struggled to reach family members in recent weeks. “Nobody wants their country to be under attack, but many people believe this operation could help free them from the regime.”- RNZ

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It would become the first big-budget TV series to use Queenstown as a base and showcase the stunning Central Otago landscape. Camera operator Mike O’Connor has kept a record of those early drama days in immaculately kept scrapbooks. Sports clubs in the area were fair game; they needed funds and Hunter’s Gold needed extras. The whole Moke Valley was white, so no continuity [with the previous day’s filming]. Four days later, the key crew would crowd into a tiny edit room set up at our Skippers Lodge accommodation to view the ‘‘rushes’’.

Big win last monthA Masterton man described running through the house in his underwear after winning $5.08m in the Lotto Powerball draw of February 21. Lotto’s First Division Powerball jackpot has been struck twice so far this year. One MyLotto player from the Manawatū-Whanganui region won $10.2m on Wednesday, January 14. One week later, on January 21, a MyLotto player from Otago won $5.3m. For the Powerball jackpot to be claimed, a ticket holder must get all six Lotto numbers correct as well as the added Powerball number.

Auction rooms around the country remained busy in the first week of March, with very little change in either the number of properties on offer or the sales rate from the previous week. Interest.co.nz monitored the auctions of 538 residential properties around New Zealand over the week of 28 February to 6 March, down from 562 (-4.3%) the previous week. Of the 538 properties on offer, 202 sold under the hammer, down from 219 the previous week (-7.8%). That saw the overall sales rate decline by the smallest of margins, to 38% from 39%, so very little change there. It was the third week in a row that the sales rate has been below 40%, after being in the 42% to 45% range in the first three weeks of this year's summer auction season.

Lyall Bay each and the rest of Wellington's south coast has been off-limits since the Moa Point sewage treatment plant failed last month. Photo: RNZPublic health experts are warning the catastrophic failure of Wellington's Moa Point wastewater treatment plant exposes deep, systemic problems with New Zealand's infrastructure management. The government announced a Crown Review Team would investigate the Moa Point failure under the Local Government Act 2002. "The drivers of poor wastewater management are much broader than a single council. That's what we're hoping for with the Moa Point inquiry."

Council policy analyst Hannah Kennedy told a committee meeting this week that the service was not widely used and was handled on an informal basis. The council could also choose to stop providing the assistance, or set a fee to help with costs. Consultation on the policy is set to cover a range of topics such as assistance, extending the service area, inspections, fees for lost or damaged bins, and additional bins. A total 999 requests were received for damaged or stolen bins in the 2024/25 financial year, with 167 replaced. There were 293 rating units paying for additional bins, and a total of 678 additional bin sets.

In fact, it’s not that unusual to see cars from late last century puttering along through the traffic here. Overseas visitors often comment about a blast from the past from seeing cars made as far back as the ’70s and ’80s. Engines from decades long past are far less fuel-efficient and generate much higher emissions compared to those in more recently made cars. Photo: Getty ImagesOf course, we all know that electric vehicles offer one way to cut emissions and protect the environment. The government might be about to ditch holus-bolus the Clean Vehicle Standard, aimed at encouraging the purchase of low and zero-emission vehicles.

A St John rapid-response vehicle was on its way to an emergency when the collision occurred. Photo: RNZA Hato Hone St John paramedic and an LPG delivery driver have been seriously injured in a crash on State Highway 1, north of Levin.St John area operations manager Gareth Collings said a rapid-response vehicle was caught up in the crash, which happened at 10.40am near Poroutawhao yesterday. St John confirmed the rapid-response vehicle involved was on its way to another incident "under lights and sirens". St John would be ‘‘supporting police’’ investigating the cause of the crash. The truck has lost its front wheels and the damaged cab was resting on the ground.

Video evidence then showed Fairbarn walking shirtless through the hotel clutching the distressed bird. Police discovered multiple videos and pictures on Fairbarn’s cellphone of him torturing the flamingo in his hotel room. Images from police showing Mitchell Fairbarn in a Las Vegas hotel with a flamingo he allegedly kidnapped. “Our beloved birds, including Peachy, who was cruelly taken from the habitat, are currently in the care of dedicated veterinarians and our extraordinary flamingo animal care team. We remain hopeful they will make a full recovery.”Caesars Entertainment was grateful to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for their swift response.

Tim Shadbolt’s unlikely journey from scruffy ratbag to Sir Tim Shadbolt KNZM began on February 19, 1947. Sir Tim was the eldest son of Donald (also known as Tim) and Josien (Poppy). Tim Shadbolt, student activist. In 2022 came the end of an era as Sir Tim lost to former deputy mayor Nobby Clark by 847 votes. Sir Tim was afforded the rare honour of a public funeral service, held at a packed Civic Theatre.

Navigating a merge lane, he said the Prado driver behind became agitated. Later at the Opaheke Rd railway, the Prado came to a stop as the crossing barriers lowered for an approaching train. While he lay on the road, the man allegedly kicked his head and stomped on his face with steel-capped boots, according to his wife’s account. Auckland 20-year-old Raees Ali alleges he was brutally attacked in a road rage incident in Papakura on Friday. The attack was just as scary for his wife, Ali said.

Angus Grant and his sisters Addison (left) and Zoe. Arriving at Christchurch Hospital with her desperately ill 10-year-old son, she did not care if she slept on the hospital floor. The Grants are the Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand’s House to House 2026 hero family. Angus received treatment for leukaemia in Christchurch Hospital and then a bone marrow transplant at Starship Hospital in Auckland. Throughout Angus’ treatment in Christchurch and Auckland, Ronald McDonald House was a lifeline for the family, providing them with more than 100 nights’ accommodation.

Hardware retailer Bunnings has announced plans to introduce facial recognition technology across its stores in New Zealand in an effort to identify repeat offenders and reduce incidents of violence against staff and customers. The system is designed to alert staff when serious repeat offenders enter a store, allowing them to respond proactively. Bunnings New Zealand general manager Melissa Haines said repeat offenders were responsible for a growing share of these incidents. Bunnings said the rollout plan was developed after reviewing the findings of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner regarding an earlier facial recognition trial conducted by Foodstuffs North Island. Bunnings said the facial recognition system would complement existing security measures already in place at stores, including body-worn cameras, security personnel, and staff training programs aimed at managing difficult situations, as reported by Stuff.