Murder accused Philip Polkinghorne called a 'sex fiend' by his now dead wife, an Australian minister says he learned what "Aotearoa" means from Split Enz, and a shoe stealing cat.
1 'He's a sex fiend' — court hears recording of the late Pauline Hanna
The court has heard from Pauline Hanna, in her own words — in her own voice.
She was allegedly murdered by her husband Philip Polkinghorne in April 2021. Polkinghorne, 71, is accused of strangling his wife and making it look like a suicide.
The jury has been played an audio recording of her speaking with extended family at her brother Bruce Hanna's Hawke's Bay home in November 2019.
"I just know he's such a sex fiend and wants to have sex with everyone," she said
2 'Significant' $63m Mexican crime syndicate methamphetamine bust in Auckland
Three men have been arrested after allegedly importing and distributing nearly 180kg of methamphetamine through a Mexican crime syndicate operating out of central Auckland.
Over the course of three months, police and customs jointly investigated the operations, resulting today in the arrest of three Mexican nationals aged 23, 27 and 32.
The investigation began after customs officers found approximately 175kg of methamphetamine at the Port of Tauranga on July 26.
3 New Zealand pole vaulters reflect on Olympic Games final: 'So special'
Three New Zealand pole vaulters have made history after they all competed in the women’s final at the Paris Olympics.
Eliza McCartney, Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris all featured in this morning's event - meaning for the first time NZ had a trio of athletes in an Olympic pole vault final.
McCartney told SkySport after the event that she didn't know if she'd even be able to compete at an Olympic Games again after injury troubles prevented her from going to Tokyo.
4 Australian Minister: I know what Aotearoa is, I learned it from Split Enz
An Australian Government Minister hasclarified he's known the word Aotearoa for more than 40 years — thanks to Kiwi musicians.
The word, and some te reo Māori greetings, were removed from a formal Matariki invitation to Minister Tony Burke earlier this year on instructions from NZ’s Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith.
Goldsmith said he didn’t think an Australian would understand what Aotearoa was, and PM Christopher Luxon yesterday said "it always pays to be incredibly simple and clear — and use English" — when dealing with Australians.
But Burke, Australia’s Minister for Arts as well as Multicultural Affairs, said today: "I learnt the word in 1982 thanks to Split Enz including a reference in the lyrics to Six Months in a Leaky Boat."
5 Olympics: The giveaway that Dame Lisa Carrington is biding her time
Not often, if ever, does Dame Lisa Carrington look across the lanes to check the progress of her rivals. She never really has to.
But yesterday, in the K1 500 heats, she took numerous peeks to her left to keep tabs on her rivals, checking if she was doing enough to win her race and qualify automatically for the semifinals.
Carrington, writes Guy Heveldt, needs to take every opportunity to save as much energy as possible.
ONE KLEPTOMANIAC KITTY
Throughout the Auckland suburb of Glenfield, shoes have been going missing — big ones, lefts and rights, even Crocs.
And as Seven Sharp's Lucas de Jong discovered, the finger can be firmly pointed at one very small purr-petrator.
ONE 'SEINE-IC' BIKE TOUR
With all the buzz and hype surrounding the Olympics, it’s hard to imagine Paris as a quiet city, but with many roads blocked, and locals fleeing the disruption, parts of the French capital are eerily empty.
That's perfect if you’re running a bike tour company like Aucklander Niki Rendall.
An expat turned expert, being a tour guide in Paris is a far cry from when she was a paramedic. But Niki and her husband Stu fell in love with the city of love when they moved over in 2017 and started Boutique Bike Tours.
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