After the All Blacks’ Northern Tour last month, Barrett’s wife, Hannah, who is pregnant with their third child, joined him in Europe. Photo / Paul MenezesEducation and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford’s influence in Auckland’s society circles has been impossible to ignore this year. Photo / Warren BucklandWe interviewed former Labour Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash mid-year, about his new business, Nash Kelly Global, a partnership with Kiwi forestry tycoon Andrew Kelly. The year’s best society wedding was also the first of 2025. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider.

Boris and SPCA Nelson staff member Carmen Torrance. Night raid at the SPCAPolice said a large number of animals were released in the night raid on February 16. Nelson centre manager Amy Sturkenboom said all the animals were found within a couple of days, except Boris. Simba, the Bullmastiff Rottweiler cross, was among the animals set free to roam Nelson after a break-in at the SPCA. Sturkenboom told NZME at the time that four kittens being treated for giardia were released but discovered later hiding in a storage area.

If you’re not having more people coming in, moving around, spending, doing stuff, it makes it harder. If you look at the national house price numbers, that’s pretty flat for the year. “It’s always difficult looking at the official GDP numbers because they told us that the second quarter in particular was very, very weak. So it’s difficult to get an accurate read, I think, on what’s been happening with the economy just from looking at those figures. “All of that relates to the fact that the spending numbers we are seeing are looking better.

Aucklanders enjoying their Christmas lunch will also be in for a mainly fine day with the chance of an afternoon shower forecast to hit north of the city. Christchurch is set for mainly fine weather with noticeable clouds and strengthening winds in the afternoon, which may impact any outdoor barbecue plans. Watches and warningsThe ranges of the Buller District are under an orange heavy rain warning from 6am today until 6am Boxing Day. The ranges of the Westland and Grey districts from Arthurs Pass northwards and the Canterbury Headwaters from Arthurs Pass northwards are under the same warning until 9pm tonight. A heavy rain watch is also in place for Canterbury Headwaters from Mt Cook to Arthurs Pass until 5pm.

England's Ben Stokes answers questions during a news conference in Melbourne ahead of the fourth test which starts on Boxing Day. Photo: Getty ImagesAn emotional England captain Ben Stokes says the mental well-being of his players is his main priority heading into the last two matches of the Ashes series. "It's never a nice place to be when not only the media world but also the social media world is just piling on top of you," Stokes said. "It's a very tough, tough, tough place to be in as an individual, and when you know you've got the support of the people who are sort of leaders, it's very good to know that you've got that support." Stokes appeared to be more concerned with the impact of leaked video on social media than more mainstream criticism of England's cricket.

Photo: Getty ImagesAn emotional England captain Ben Stokes says the mental well-being of his players is his main priority heading into the last two matches of the Ashes series. And my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can. And right here, right now, that is my main job as England captain." Stokes appeared to be more concerned with the impact of leaked video on social media than more mainstream criticism of England's cricket. England are winless in 18 test matches in Australia and will be looking to avoid a 5-0 whitewash.

In 2003, the singer was convicted of felony robbery and served a year in prison and additional probation, according to USA Today. Then in 2008, he was convicted of felony drug possession after Nashville police found cannabis and crack cocaine in his vehicle. He claimed the convictions impacted his ability to travel, and that a pardon would permit him to tour and carry out missionary work overseas. Davidson County sheriff Daron Hall managed one of the prisons where Jelly Roll was held. Jelly Roll was forced to cancel his Auckland show last month because of sudden illness.

Saunders said she immediately alerted cabin crew, who explained the aircraft was a leased plane not fitted with Skycouch seating. Saunders said cabin crew were apologetic and later reseated the couple together in spare crew seats at the back of the plane. In the message, Ravishankar committed to “getting the basics right – the right aircraft, the right schedule, and a travel experience you can trust every time”. Several weeks later, Saunders received a response via a customer engagement specialist on his behalf. Saunders came forward after reading about another Air New Zealand passenger whose premium economy seat was downgraded minutes before boarding.

Photo: Getty ImagesChristmas Eve has been the busiest shopping day of the year with 9745 sales a minute at its peak. Payments company Worldline says noon to 1pm saw 563,303 sales recorded on its network, down by about 7% on a year ago. Official data from Stats NZ to the end of November showed a small rise in spending on the previous month, to 1.6% higher for the year. Boxing Day is traditionally the country's favourite shopping day, but with Black Friday spending also softer this year the amount going through retailers' terminals may also be down on a year ago. Adding a dampener to consumer spending may be the recent rises in longer term fixed mortgage rates because of higher wholesale rates.

“Can I just simply say thank you. Many of you are going to be working while the rest of us gather with our loved ones. Photo / Cameron PitneyThe Prime Minister went on to acknowledge the challenges faced by some this year, saying “2025 has been a tough year for some Kiwis, and this Christmas may not be as joyous and easy to celebrate as previous ones”. “But until then, and from my family to yours, we wish every Kiwi a safe and peaceful and joyful Christmas. This year, the family are spending the evening enjoying a casual picnic with Amanda Luxon’s side of the family.

Christmas shoppers were out spending today but the number of transactions is down on last year. Christmas shoppers were out spending today but the number of transactions is down on last year. Photo / NZMEChristmas Eve has retained its title as the busiest shopping day of the year, but the peak hour was well down on previous years. That was lower than the 607,299 transactions recorded in the same hour on Christmas Eve last year. In 2020, some 678,812 transactions were made between noon and 1pm on Christmas Eve.

The consequences of giving upLee and Yoo are high school friends who grew up in South Korea and whose research focused on the economic consequences of unattainable home ownership. In a time of relatively high inflation, there are many possible explanations for shifting spending patterns, and not every researcher embraces this analysis. Inflation also soared in other parts of the economy, peaking in mid-2022, raising the cost of groceries, electricity, rent and healthcare. But those in the US$200,000 to US$300,000 range are the most likely crypto buyers, with nearly 10% investing. “We think if households perceive home ownership as less achievable, they consume more, [and] because of this behaviour, the wealth inequality has been widened.

Photo: RNZThe High Court has ruled Canterbury's regional council erred when it allowed farms to discharge nitrates and other pollution without resource consents, but stopped short of ordering it to change the rule. The rule - rule 5.63 (Incidental Nutrient Discharges) - had "cemented the conditions for ongoing intensive farming even as nitrate pollution was already mounting", Hall said. The organisation sought the removal of the rule, as well as other declarations about the law, but the court declined. Llast year, the High Court ruled the council unlawfully granted a discharge consent to the Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd (ALIL) irrigation scheme, quashing the consent. RNZ has approached the regional council for comment.

Photo: RNZ (file)A New Zealand law professor is calling for the United Kingdom's role to be considered when it comes to compensation for villagers impacted by the sinking of the Manawanui. The New Zealand navy vessel was surveying the south coast of Upolu when it struck the Tafitoala reef, caught fire, and sank on October 6 in 2024. New Zealand paid $6 million in compensation to the Samoa government for the sinking but Professor Paul Myburgh from Auckland University of Technology (AUT) said what Manawanui was doing on the south coast of Upolu needed to be considered. Pacific security expert Dr Iati Iati from Victoria University questioned whether New Zealand should be the only country paying compensation for the sinking of Manawanui. The Manawanui remains on the Tafitoala Reef and Samoa's Marine Pollution Advisory Committee was expecting a wreck report in the coming month.

RNZ asked what percentage of serious threatening behaviour incidents were being committed by minors at its supermarkets, but the company did not say. The company said the preponderance of teenagers among offenders did not undermine its expectation that adult-only facial recognition was a good way of combating the issue. Facial recognition was a proportionate response because the North Island supermarket trial had been effective at reducing serious threatening behaviour, the privacy assessment said. Auror is a big player in vehicle licence plate recognition but earlier said it had avoided facial recognition until a few months ago because the technology had not been accurate enough at the time. Facial recognition relies on biometrics, like a person’s face or fingerprints.