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.

Trump’s post yesterday on Truth Social follows months in which he unsettled European allies by threatening to take the Arctic territory from Denmark. The helicopter was deployed from the inspection vessel Vædderen.”That event was followed later in the day by Trump’s post, which featured what appears to be an AI-generated illustration of the USNS Mercy steaming towards the Arctic territory. The US Navy operates two hospital ships, the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy. Navy officials and officials with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s team referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond. In June, the Pentagon signed a US$18.7m deal with the same shipyard to place the Mercy in extended maintenance.

Photo: Sam Sherwood / RNZA veterinary specialist says it was shocking to see another serious dog attack in Christchurch, days after a woman was mauled to death in Northland. Association of Professional Dog Trainers president, Dr Jess Beer, said the frequency of dog attacks right now is "distressing". On Tuesday 62-year-old Mihiata Te Rore was killed by dogs while visiting a home in the Northland town of Kaihu. Beer said she did not know what caused the Christchurch attack, but said "backyard breeding" was causing concern generally. There also appeared to be fewer dog owners seeking dog training before a problem occurred, Beer said.

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. The release said the man was described as in his 40s, caucasian and of medium build. 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.

Photo: SuppliedA lone operator of a dairy was left terrified after a group rushed into her store, confronting her with a machete and making demands. Five people involved in the aggravated robbery have now been sentenced for their role, with three imprisoned. Judge Gilbert sentenced him to two years and eight months’ imprisonment and issued him a first strike warning as a violent offender. Judge Gilbert said he had cognitive issues, ADHD and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. At the time, Dairy and Business Owners Group spokesperson Ash Parmar said New Zealand needed to adopt a “zero tolerance approach to retail crime”.

It found internal fraud and corruption were almost certainly being under-reported. The 446 alleged incidents recorded, ranged from misconduct to potentially serious criminal behaviour — but these incidents only involved internal or insider threats, rather than external fraud involving public funds. The taskforce said if extrapolated across the wider public sector, the true number of incidents could be in the thousands. The pilot showed some agencies were not reporting alleged or attempted internal fraud and corruption to law enforcement. The taskforce estimates fraud losses to the public sector could potentially be between $823 million and $10.24 billion.

Photo: Gill Bonnett / RNZChanges to the United Kingdom's entry requirements for dual citizens come into force on Wednesday, but a last-minute update has added further confusion according to travel agents. Late last year, the British government announced anyone classed as a British citizen would soon need a valid UK passport to enter the country, or have to get a $1300 certificate in their foreign passport. But on Friday, the Home Office said it will now allow airlines to decide whether to accept an expired British passport alongside a valid foreign one. She said airlines could only deal with the information they'd been provided and would face fines if they got it wrong. White said some people had chosen to cancel or defer their travel due to the stress, noting insurance wouldn't cover the cost.

By Ellen O'Dwyer of RNZSpending millions on redundancy payouts for non-clinical staff at Health NZ is a "disgraceful waste of money", says the PSA union. Te Whatu Ora made nearly $58 million in redundancy payouts between late 2023 and 2025. "We've lost administrators, we've lost IT experts, we've lost analysts, we've lost people that support training of health professionals - all people who played a critical role in our health system, who have more to give and who will be missed." A Health NZ spokesperson said voluntary redundancy was a choice staff could make based on their own circumstances. "Changes that have been made within Health NZ are part of an ongoing effort toward a more sustainable future for healthcare.

Jurway’s only asset is a loan receivable of €37.19m ($73.56m), according to North Data, an online platform offering company information. Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien has emerged as a majority shareholder in Whakatāne Mill. Photo / Getty ImagesO’Brien is a familiar name in New Zealand business, especially in the media industry. When O’Reilly lost control of INM, O’Brien became the largest shareholder in that company. BusinessDesk reported the parent company remained reliant on its shareholders for financial support and that it noted material uncertainty following sizeable multi-year net losses amid rising energy costs.