Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Photo: Getty ImagesLabour leader Chris Hipkins has taken aim at the government's cost of living and climate policies in his State of the Nation speech in Auckland. Hipkins did not announce any new policy in the speech on Monday, repeating his promise that the public would see a "different" Labour to 2023. "Labour didn't get everything right last time - and some of you don't hold back in telling me," Hipkins told the Auckland Business Chamber audience. Or we can recognise that the cost of inaction on climate change now far exceeds the cost of action."

Emergency services attend a crash on the Southern Motorway in Dunedin this morning. Photo: Stephen JaquieryDunedin's Caversham Bypass Motorway was down to one lane for a short time this morning following a crash. Police said the two-vehicle crash was reported just before 8am. One person was injured and being treated by ambulance crews, but police said it was not believed to be serious. The road is now clear and back to fully operational.

It was a positive start to the Chinese New Year at Lan Yuan on Saturday night, as thousands of people attended to mark the Year of the Horse. Dunedin City Council museum and galleries director Cam McCracken said conditions were perfect for the evening, and a key example of how the community at large had embraced the Chinese community. "I think this evening is very close to the hearts of the Chinese community in Dunedin." A dragon lantern floats in the pond as the fireworks burst overhead at Dunedin’s Lan Yuan Chinese garden on Saturday. Dunedin Chinese Cultural Festival advisory board deputy chairman Peter Lee said, on numbers coming through to the food stalls and gardens alone, this would have been the "busiest ever".

Sophia Crestani. Photo: suppliedThe man who rescued people from a fatal stairwell pile-up at a Dunedin student party is being recognised for his courageous actions. On the night, Samson Aruwa helped to free people from the crowd crush, carrying Crestani away from the pile. Photo: ODT filesPolice Commissioner Richard Chambers will present a Certificate of Appreciation to Mr Aruwa on Thursday with Crestani's parents and others in attendance. Mr Aruwa demonstrated exceptional courage, calmness, and leadership on the night, police said.

A third person has died in hospital after a crash between a car and campervan on State Highway 1 in Marlborough. Emergency services were called to the crash near Redwood Pass about 10.40am on Sunday. Two people died at the scene, and three others were taken to Wellington and Christchurch hospitals. Police said on Monday a third person had since died in hospital, while one other was still in a critical condition and another was in a serious condition. State Highway 1 was closed for six hours while police investigated the crash.

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A third person has died after two vehicles collided on State Highway 1 in Marlborough. Emergency services were called to the crash on SH1, near Redwood Pass, at about 10.40am on Sunday. Two people died at the scene, and three others were transported to hospital with serious to critical injuries. Police said on Monday that a third person has since died in hospital. The two others were still in hospital in a serious and critical condition.

This vehicle was seen reversing at speed down Auckland's Northwestern motorway. This vehicle was seen reversing at speed down Auckland's Northwestern motorway. Police have slammed the actions of the driver saying he made a “dangerous decision and put a lot of people at risk”. Footage of the incident taken on Saturday night on the Northwestern Motorway showed the vehicle swerving across westbound lanes next to a double-decker bus without indicating. A spokesperson said police received multiple calls about a silver BMW that was reversing down the motorway at 9.30pm.

Hipkins’ speech criticised the rising cost of living under the coalition Government and its interest in user-pays charges, which Labour has criticised for loading costs on to consumers. National deputy leader Nicola Willis skewered Hipkins for not presenting any new ideas. Willis labelled the Labour leader “Chris – No Idea – Hipkins”. Peters, the NZ First leader, said: “Chris “softy” Hipkins just delivered one of the most boring State of the Nation speeches in recorded history." But because we haven’t made New Zealand good enough for them.

The midwives claimed that while the nurse told them she was going on break, she didn’t say anything about asking them to check on the baby. The nurse checked on the baby when she returned from her break between 1.15am and 1.30am and found he was pale and had vomited, with the feeding tube sticking out of his mouth. ‘… I am critical that Baby A was not checked for over an hour…’Health NZ told the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) that neither midwife was at fault as the nurse hadn’t asked them to check on the baby while she was on her break. In addition, Health NZ said that if the nurse had any concerns about the baby, she would have checked on it immediately after taking her break. “Accordingly, in these circumstances, I am critical that Baby A was not checked for over an hour while [the nurse] was on her break.”Wall directed Health NZ to make an apology to the baby’s parents.

“Am I an a****** if I say no just because I can’t/won’t spend that on dinner at someone else’s wedding?” they asked, saying the couple’s request made them feel “straight-up awkward”. “Can I be offended for you?” one user asked, adding: “I think that this is atrocious behaviour. “Why does this person have zero class and zero etiquette?” another user asked, calling the request “sickening and an absolute breach of civility and manners”. The backlash echoed a 2021 controversy in which another cost-cutting couple sparked outrage after reportedly asking guests to help wash dishes at their wedding. A relative of the bride later claimed the wedding was self-catered but the couple could only afford to feed three-quarters of their guests.

A slightly premature baby who died while the nurse caring for him was on a break should have been checked while she was away, an investigation has found. The baby boy died at Auckland City Hospital, two days after he was born by a "semi-urgent" caesarean at 35 weeks, three days gestation. After 17 hours in the maternal complex care area, the baby was moved to a post-natal ward with his mother, rather than the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). On the night the baby boy died, the nurse caring for him went on a one-hour meal break and when she checked on him on her return, he had vomited heavily and was not breathing. An expert doctor found the baby had been cared for and monitored appropriately by medical staff.

Photo: RNZ / Felix WaltonAuckland Council is hoping recent tragic dog attacks, including a fatal attack, will make the government step in and make changes. The attacks have sparked calls for an overhaul of the Dog Control Act - with Te Rore being the fourth person killed by dogs in the past four years. The Dog Control Act was nearly 30 years old and very outdated, Irvine said. But its initiatives were not enough - and changes were needed to the Act, Irvine said. Local Government Minister Simon Watts previously said he was seeking advice on how central government could respond to the attacks and the Dog Control Act.

Police are seeking information after a man allegedly entered a Greymouth address and assaulted one of the occupants on Saturday night. The man entered an address on Reid St, Blaketown, about 11.15pm on Saturday, Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Lyford said in a press release this afternoon. He assaulted one of the occupants before being confronted by another occupant and leaving, the Det Snr Sgt Lyford said. The home occupants also described the man as being disoriented and under the influence. Police were asking anyone who had seen a man matching this description in the Reid St area on Saturday.

However, the partner wanted the baby, and, initially, misled Ali, believing that she had miscarried. Ali later became aware that she was still pregnant some months later, after finding a photo of her pregnancy scan, which she had hidden from him. A mourner holds a photo of Mustafa Ali during his funeral at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Te Kuiti on June 13, 2024. Mukzameel Ali pictured holding his son, Mustafa Mahir Ali. His partner grabbed the baby and ran outside for help before the couple drove directly to Te Kūiti Hospital.