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12 Jul 2026

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Hokitika’s iconic driftwood sign to rise again despite threat to tear it down
Westland District Council says it is working with the community to rebuild Hokitika’s iconic driftwood sign after it was deliberately torn down, while investigating ways to better protect the landmark.

Brittany Ferries cuts routes amid rising costs

'You pay the price for the price you pay' - original school lunch contractor
An organisation that lost school lunch contracts through the government's shake up says a scathing review confirms long-standing warnings about the programme.

New system set to reduce 'devastating' $1.5b beneficiary debt
Beneficiaries have to declare any income from paid work as it affects their entitlements, but that's difficult to do accurately when wages fluctuate week to week.

How private donors fund political campaigns
Explainer - Who pays the election campaign bills for political parties?

The drug deal that is AI
Is the risk of adopting AI systems for business massively underestimated?

Did ChatGPT give you a perfect answer? Use this prompt to find out why
I’ve written before about how to ask ChatGPT to improve a so-so prompt. But what about those times with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini absolutely hits the nail on the head, giving you exactly what you needed from your prompt? Every so often, you’ll strike upon the perfect prompt, one that...

Government passes law cracking down on street racers
The Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill gives police extra powers to crack down on fleeing drivers, illegal street races, burnouts, disorderly dirt bike gatherings, and siren battles.

Drug checking service identifies other substance sold as GHB in Wellington
It comes after one person died and five others were hospitalised following a string of suspected overdoses of the fantasy drug GHB in Wellington in recent days.

Why more homeowners are getting on with life - and selling up
Fresh data reveals acceptance of a “new normal” for our property market

Mystery military flare found on Waiheke Island, NZDF bomb squad deployed
The New Zealand Defence Force were called into Auckland’s Waiheke Island on Tuesday, to dispose of a military grade marine flare, of which its origins remain unknown.

Rapid review after Waikato Hospital ED death to be done by end of the week
The patient presented to ED on Monday night and was triaged, but was later found unconscious and efforts to resuscitate them were unsuccessful.

Queen meets author JK Rowling to mark start of royal week
The Queen said the pair had spoken about their "deep love of books" and importance of children reading.

Fifa World Cup: Norway v Ivory Coast live updates, Round of 32 clash
Norway look to advance to the round of 16 with a victory over Ivory Coast.

RNZ political donations tracker: Who's bankrolling the party campaigns?
Nearly $4m has been poured into political parties in six months. Where is it coming from? And who's getting it?

Harry Brook says it would be a 'privilege' to succeed Ben Stokes as England test cricket captain
Stokes retired from international cricket on Monday after the test series loss to New Zealand.

Victim Support facing fresh scrutiny over claims of 'toxic' and bullying' workplace culture
The agency's chief executive says the claims don't reflect Victim Support today.

‘What have you done for me lately?’ former top US diplomat David Stilwell asks NZ
'People forget ... it's quid pro quo' the former high ranking US diplomat says of relationship with New Zealand.

MBIE told to look at financial processes after 'unexplained variance' in immigration revenue
There was a $3.6m variation in revenue in the 2023/24 year, officials said in a 'no-surprises' briefing to the immigration minister.