Tonight’s First Thursdays Quarterly Queenstown CBD art gallery ‘crawl’ features for the first time a satellite event. Called ‘Have and Hold’, it’ll run from 6.30pm, for at least two-and-a-half hours, at St Peter’s Church Hall. The exhibition will feature about 10 works each from seven artists including, pictured left, taxidermist Claire Todd. It came about after First Thursdays organisers asked for interest in any creative event along the gallery route. Meanwhile, the galleries who’ll specially open from 5pm till 7pm comprise Starkwhite, Milford Galleries, Romer, Artbay and Lightworx, many featuring new exhibitions.

Here's our summary of key economic events overnight that affect New Zealand, with news today's Fed positioning is less hawkish than markets had expected. In remarks after the policy announcement, Fed boss Powell said their next move is unlikely to be a rate hike. The Kiwi dollar starts today unchanged from yesterday at just over 59 USc. That all means our TWI-5 starts today just on 68.8 and down -10 bps from yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$57,694 and another -4.3% lower that this time yesterday.

An artist's impression of the yet-to-be-built cycleway on Molesworth St. Photo / Wellington City CouncilAn artist's impression of the yet-to-be-built cycleway on Molesworth St. Photo / Wellington City CouncilThe Wellington High Court has dismissed a judicial review application by supermarket giant Foodstuffs over a cycleway planned outside New World on Molesworth St. The cycleway, signed off by the council but yet to be constructed, is to be situated on the right side of Molesworth St, just 200m from Parliament and the High Court itself. New World’s main entrance is off the right-hand lane, where the cycleway is planned. Wellington City Council argued multiple options were considered including protected cycle lanes in each direction, and a cycle lane on Molesworth St only, not on Murphy St as well. In 2022, the High Court granted an interim injunction over the Newtown cycleway, halting construction until a full judicial review hearing was heard.

Mr Simpkins asked. "It's the furthest he’d ever run," Mr Scott said. Mr Scott said that was simply the woman’s opinion and he did not want to speak to strangers about his brother’s death. "You brushed it off because you knew more about what really happened to Lachlan, didn’t you Mr Scott?" Mr Simpkins asked.

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Usually engagement stories are filled with happy tears, and celebrations. But, when Jason Ritter proposed to Melanie Lynskey, she only felt confused. "I didn't know what was happening... the day before I had been looking at rings and I tried one on and I was like 'Oh, kind of looks like an engagement ring almost. (Getty Images for WarnerMedia)Later when Ritter gave her the same ring and proposed, she assumed it was just a considerate gift. People usually understand that it's happening."

There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. The coalition agreements for both Act and NZ First were written in ink dipped in the politics of vengeance. It shows the limits of the politics of vengeance. On the campaign trail, Act Party leader David Seymour wanted to make 15,000 public servants redundant “as fast as possible”. This was explicitly pitched as an act of vengeance.

The boss of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in New Zealand Glen Kyne has resigned. In a statement this morning, WBD president James Gibbons said: "Glen has done an incredible job of navigating industry disruption." Kyne says he's proud of the work he's done at WBD but felt that the time was right for him to step down and allow someone else to lead the newly remodelled business. "Peterson will assume leadership of the ANZ networks operation from today and work alongside Kyne through a transition period before he departs on July 5."

He says the baby’s death was a case of manslaughter, that he had no murderous intent. In the lead-up to the baby’s death, Topp’s mental health “continued to spiral downwards”. “December was when it simply became too much for Mr Topp,” she told the court. The experts would tell the jury the baby “was the victim of repeated” abuse. “While you’ve heard Mr Topp pleaded not guilty to murder -that doesn’t mean that he’s not accepting responsibility for [her death].

The Nathan Homestead was built in the 1920s and at one stage was a council administration building. Photo: SuppliedLocal Democracy Reporting | Free Public Interest News ServiceBy Torika Tokalau of Local Democracy ReportingA much-loved heritage building in south Auckland, home to a popular community hub, will soon close as it undergoes renewal works for a year. Nathan Homestead in Manurewa will temporarily close from June 30, for approximately 12 months, so work can be carried out on its restoration and seismic strengthening, as part of Auckland Council’s renewals programme. “Nathan Homestead is much loved by the local community,” Winiata said. Hill House Cafe co-owner Peter Matvos was upset when they were told they had to close temporarily for the renewal works.

The Remuneration Authority has announced that MPs will be getting a 10% increase in their salaries during the course of this Parliament. From Radio New Zealand:MPs have reacted cautiously to the news they are set to get a pay rise, admitting it was a no-win situation. On Tuesday afternoon, the Remuneration Authority, an independent body which sets pay for key public office holders, determined MPs should get a pay increase. MPs have not received increases to their salaries since 2017. In 2018 Jacinda Ardern acted to freeze MPs salaries because proposed increases were out of step with the wider workforce and were adding to the rich-poor divide.

The Reserve Bank (RBNZ) says the number of people and businesses defaulting on their loans is rising but remains at relatively low levels. Loan arrears and non-performing loans are around the levels experienced during the Covid crisis and are well below what was seen following the GFC in 2007/08. RBNZ data shows $1.76 billion of banks' $352.4 billion worth of housing loans outstanding at the end of March was non-performing. That's 0.5% compared to 1.7% of agricultural loans and just over 1% of commercial property loans considered to be non-performing. Banks expect the proportion of non-performing loans to peak at about 0.7% at the end of this year before easing.

Most National voters voted National in the hope their house price would go up 10%, they didn’t sign up to ACTs Treaty race war and they sure as christ didn’t want Winston’s weird anti vax conspiracy swamp kingdom nuttiness. This hard right racist climate denying beneficiary bashing Government has gone far beyond the comfort zone of most Kiwis and the Chickens aren’t just coming home to roost, they are in an uber and have already booked the air b’n’b online. Watching the Right Wing Trolls scream at the Poll while stammering their spit flecked reckons to explain it away is hilarious. Suck it up right wing buttercups, you detest us as much as we detest you, but there are more of us. If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media

By Mitchell Hageman ofPhoto: Hawke's Bay Today / Paul TaylorHow long is too long to spend in a 24-hour gym? He claims Eagle broke several gym rules and was loitering, leaving no choice but to terminate his membership. The two clauses Hemmingsen said Eagle broke were around health and safety and not using membership for the intended purpose. He said on the final night he used the gym, Eagle had spent all night there, left for a short time in the morning, and then returned again within an hour. He said Hemmingsen's claim he had spent the night in the gym on "numerous occasions" was inaccurate.

Because it is central to their ideology that there should be less government, less public expenditure and less tax in peoples’ lives. One of the measures economists use to determine how much debt a nation can comfortably carry is the debt-to-GDP ratio. (GDP being the value added created through the production of goods and services in a country) According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development our current debt-to-GDP ratio is 56%. NZ 56%Australia 70.8%UK 104%Canada 113.3%France 117%USA 144%Italy 148%Greece 193%Japan 254%(Source )The reality is that in the wake of a disastrous pandemic our debt-to-GDP ratio is lower than that of many other countries. Bryan Bruce is one of New Zealand’s most important and respected documentary makers.