Good evening, it’s been a day of motorway chaos, a superpower handshake and tips on maximising your annual leave for the year.
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1 Xi and Biden shake hands amid worldwide tensions
It was just a handshake, but against the background of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions over Taiwan, a meeting today between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping took on extra significance.
The two leaders, who met at a country estate outside San Francisco, are looking to get communication back on track and show they can be global economic competitors without being locked in a winner-take-all faceoff.
They later agreed to resume military-to-military communications and work together on artificial intelligence, illicit fentanyl production and direct flights between the two countries.
2 Motorway chaos after three-vehicle crash
Motorists in south Auckland faced hours of misery today after a three-vehicle crash saw a section of the Southern Motorway closed for several hours.
Lanes between Papakura and Takanini finally reopened mid-afternoon but with delays expected for some time. Police earlier said one person received critical injuries in the accident.
3 Top psychiatrist gives reasons for quitting
One of the country’s most experienced psychiatrists has explained why he quit the public health system, saying care for our most vulnerable is at crisis point.
Dr Erik Monasterio spoke to TVNZ’s Sunday saying services have become “disorganised, chaotic [and] under-resourced”. Te Whatu Ora said it is working on recruiting more staff to tackle issues.
4 Jimmy Kimmel to host the Oscars for fourth time
Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host of the Academy Awards for the second straight year and fourth time overall, it was announced today.
The late-night show host drew 18.7 million viewers in the US last year. "I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times," Kimmel said.
5 MP’s scooter-related nightmare on way to talks
National Party MP Chris Bishop arrived at the dreaded ongoing coalition talks on an e-scooter and then confessed in a social media post that he’d had a nightmare of a morning.
He couldn’t find a cab, took a scooter but fell off it while trying to carry a bag and a coffee and then the scooter ran out of battery meaning he arrived late for the talks. Some might argue he probably didn’t miss much given the glacial pace they’re going at.
ONE GOOD WAY TO EXTEND YOUR HOLIDAYS
Never say we don’t do you a service here at 1News. We’ve pulled together all the ways you can maximise your leave in 2024 by tying your time off to public holidays.
There are variations depending where you live, with Easter looking good in Otago, and a good run on offer in the lead up to Waitangi Day in the Nelson region.
ONE SPORTING SUPERSTAR ON UNFAMILIAR TURF
We won’t mention the Black Caps, who came up short against a strong India side in the Cricket World Cup semi-final, and instead we’ll focus on the appearance of global superstar and former footballer David Beckham who turned up at the match in Mumbai.
He met NZ bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult, but was actually there in his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
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