It was my 85 year-old mum who said it best over the weekend. Chatting on the phone, she said, “Isn’t it just awful what these people are going through in Hawke’s Bay? If there’s one good thing to come out of it though, it’s at least no-one will be stupid ...

READ MORE:* Quiz: Take the three strikes trivia test for February 14, 2023* Quiz: Morning trivia challenge: February 13, 2023* Quiz: Take the three strikes trivia test for February 13, 2023Got a good quiz question? Send your questions to quiz@stuff.co.nz.

How old was actress Raquel Welch when she recently passed away following a brief illness? Photo / APHow old was actress Raquel Welch when she recently passed away following a brief illness? Photo / APTest your brains with the Herald’s afternoon quiz. Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for the morning quiz tomorrow. To challenge yourself with more quizzes, CLICK HERE.

Canguro February 26, 2023 at 2:17 pmJudithW, the less I say about Zachary Rolfe probably the better; but in his eyes he’s done no wrong, and to the contrary, he believes he’s been egregiously wronged by dint of being judged in the court of public opinion and his employers, the NT Police Force, who have now issued him with a Notice of Intention of Dismissal on the grounds that his mental health is such that he is no longer fit to serve. He has, in effect, run away – he’s gone overseas – and whether he appears at the upcoming inquest in Kumanji Walker’s inquest may well be moot. Rolfe seems to me to be somewhat sociopathic, a denialist whose self-appraisal is that of a good man who does good deeds and is just terribly misunderstood because of one tragic incident. His history of excessive force and aggression, his fascination with weapons and their potential, let alone his trading in racist language that vilifies indigenous people seems, to him, to be of little consequence. That he represents the NT Police Force also seems to not have impacted on his consciousness, that in fact they might just not want individuals like him working on their behalf.

Blues demolish Highlanders 60-20 in Super Rugby Pacific openerBlues demolish Highlanders 60-20 in Super Rugby Pacific opener[Photo: Stuff.co.nz]The Auckland Blues have made a huge statement in their opening game of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific 2023, demolishing the Highlanders 60-20 in Dunedin last night. But head coach Leon MacDonald, who recently was linked to the Scotland national team, will be concerned with the Blues' discipline. The Blues started strongly with tries to Telea, Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clark and Rieko Ioane to lead 31-6 after 28 minutes. The Highlanders had a small resurgence before halftime and cut the lead to 31-20 at the break. A try to Marcel Renata kick-started the Blues second-half scoring and with second tries to Ioane and Telea and another to Papali'i to seal their victory.

By Gareth VaughanIn a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, the Labour and National parties teamed-up to enact new housing intensification laws in late 2021. This came through the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act. Councils in the five cities are now moving to adopt medium density residential standards (MDRS). But what does all this really mean, where's the process at, and is this actually the right way to tackle New Zealand's housing crisis? "There has been a strong narrative, [over] the last decade at least, that planning is to blame for high housing prices.

It will soon be legal to cultivate medical cannabis and industrial hemp for export in Vanuatu (reports Radio New Zealand). The Vanuatu government had passed the Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Act in 2021, with new regulations signed off last week. It could be a good opportunity for ethical investors to help kick start a legal cannabis industry there. Medsafe wants CBD over-the-counter. Marijuana Media airs every Thursday at 4:20pm on 95bFM, with your hosts bFM Drive’s Jonny and Chris Fowlie from The Hempstore.

nzherald.co.nz published this video item, entitled “Auckland firefighters use boat to save multiple people in trapped cars | nzherald.co.nz” – below is their description. Firefighters in Dairy Flat used a boat to rescue multiple people from their cars who were trapped in floodwaters on Friday afternoon. Full story: https://bit.ly/41scnZN Subscribe and be notified of breaking news: https://goo.gl/LP45jX Check out our playlists: https://goo.gl/Swd249 Like NZ Herald on Facebook: https://goo.gl/tUC4oq Follow NZ Herald on Instagram: https://goo.gl/oLicXe Follow NZ Herald on Twitter: https://goo.gl/Wi6mbv nzherald.co.nz YouTube ChannelGot a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.

Photo / photosport.nzThe Black Caps will begin against England tomorrow with the inglorious aim of avoiding a 2-0 series sweep inside seven days of cricket. The Black Caps will now focus on avoiding the follow on, a dire proposition when they must win to avoid a first series defeat at home in six years. As in the first test, England were again targeting quick runs and an early declaration, damage be damned. That gave England 35 minutes to bowl at the Black Caps before lunch. That left the Black Caps on 21-3, the same score as England on the opening morning of the match.

A Wellington accounting firm and Coca-Cola have donated more than $50,000 each to Stuff’s fundraising campaign for those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. A Coca-Cola NZ spokesperson said supporting the community was “incredibly important” to the company. Partner Stuart Darvill said although the firm was Wellington based, staff have family and clients impacted by the cyclone. “This is now the second-largest page in Givealittle’s history.”A registered charity, Givealittle’s operating costs amount to approximately 5% of donations. However, Givealittle is reducing the fee charged for all donations made beyond the first $2 million, from 5% to 1%.

Photo: LDR / SuppliedMiddlemore Hospital has been identified as a 'hotspot' needing extra support before the winter flu season. The emergency department is one of eight places identified by Te Whatu Ora as requiring extra resource. Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand chairperson Rob Campbell recently said workforce shortages plaguing Middlemore's ED would not be addressed in time for the flu season. But Campbell said Te Whatu Ora was working to try and address the problem. When asked if diverting patients from Middlemore Hospital's ED to primary care providers could be problematic, he said he was aware of the ongoing shortage of GPs in Counties Manukau.

Esk Valley residents are being evacuated ahead of heavy rain picked for the region. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Silt piles gather after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through Esk Valley.

Stuff readers have given millions of dollars to support those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. An East Coast mayor says she feels “humbled” by community support in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, as a Stuff fundraising campaign for those affected hits the $4 million mark. The campaign hit the milestone early on Friday morning, thanks to contributions from more than 34,000 Stuff readers. “We will be able to match it with basic stuff on the grounds like salt removal, fence fixing, some welfare support,” she said. SUPPLIED Mikey Kihi, Rikki Kihi, and Morehu Maxwell got in an inflatable boat and saved dozens from the flooding in Eskdale as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.

And several Hawke's Bay police officers Stuff have spoken to say it is business as usual, with one saying "the level of crime was no worse than any other day of the year". "But to be honest this is the sort of thing we'd expect whenever there is a significant power cut. "On top of the cyclone we're dealing with business as usual, with all the usual family harm and alcohol-related violence events," one said. Photo: RNZ / Angus DreaverMitchell said he was not exaggerating the level of crime being experienced in the region. Police acknowledged concerns in the area around burglaries and other theft, and said, while it was "natural" such offending could happen after the cyclone, reports of such crime were not significantly larger than before the cyclone.

On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) lifted the official cash rate (OCR) another 0.5% to 4.75%. Specifically, the RBNZ forecasts a “peak-to-trough decline in the level of GDP over 2023… [of] about 1 percent”. “While this recession is assumed to be spread over several quarters from the middle of this year, there is considerable uncertainty about the timing”, the SoMP notes. This decline in GDP will be driven by shrinking household consumption spending. A deep recession cannot be ruled-out.