Bad weather causes flooding in Wellington, messages between Phillip Polkinghorne and an escort are revealed, and how New Zealanders can become better drivers.
1 Roads flooded in Wellington, slip affects Greymouth residents
Heavy rain brought havoc to parts of the Wellington region this morning, disrupting travel for many commuters. A number of roads were impacted and people were encouraged to work from home if they could.
Amid the downpours, a passenger train travelling from Waikanae to Wellington "clipped debris" beside the line.
Meanwhile, in Greymouth, an "active" slip has blocked access to over 50 homes in Arnott Heights and is still on the move this afternoon.
2 Polkinghorne trial: Messages between accused, escort revealed
The Philip Polkinghorne murder trial has been told a forensic analysis of Pauline Hanna's phone found no searches relating to depression or self harm – and messages between Polkinghorne and an Australian escort have also been revealed.
Polkinghorne, 71, is accused of murdering Hanna at their home at Easter 2021. While Detective Andrew Reeves gave evidence, he detailed WhatsApp messages between Polkinghorne and his Australian escort mistress Madison Ashton.
This article contains content that could be disturbing to some people.
3 Man died after practitioners failed to warn him of antibiotic's risks
The man, who was a paraplegic, used intermittent self-catheterisation to control his lack of bladder control. He was prescribed the antibiotic nitrofurantoin by a specialist, but never warned of its side effects.
Taking nitrofurantoin for more than six months can lead to pulmonary toxicity (lung damage). After 28 weeks of taking the drug, the man died from complications of nitrofurantoin-related pulmonary toxicity.
4 Uber loses appeal against ruling drivers are employees
The multi-billion dollar global rideshare company Uber has lost a landmark appeal against a New Zealand Court, which has ruled that drivers should be treated as employees, not contractors.
In 2022 the Employment Court made a historic ruling against Uber, when four Uber drivers were granted workplace protection. This gave the drivers benefits such as leave entitlements, minimum wage and holiday pay.
Uber appealed against the decision in June 2023, but today the court dismissed the appeal, ruling in favour of the drivers.
5 Aussies get right to disconnect from work - why don't Kiwis have the same?
A new law giving Australian workers the "right to disconnect" – to refuse contact from their employers outside their working hours (unless that refusal is unreasonable) – comes into effect today.
The legislation is a response to growing awareness of the health and safety costs of stress and overwork associated with constant connectivity.
A number of other countries, including France and Belgium, have also recognised such a right, or are considering doing so.
But New Zealand is not.
So, why are we lagging? Asks Amanda Reilly and Joshua Fairfield.
ONE MORE TROPHY
Lydia Ko covered her face with her hands and cried tears of joy.
An Olympic gold medal. Entry into the Hall of Fame. And now another major championship title — at the home of golf, no less.
Summers don't come much better than that.
Ko completed what she described as a "Cinderella-like story" by breaking free from a logjam of world-class talent to win the Women's British Open by two strokes at St Andrews, securing a third major title — and a first in eight years.
ONE POPULATION OF BAD DRIVERS
As the saying goes, New Zealanders are generally nice people - until you put them behind the wheel of a car.
A casual Google search of New Zealand driving habits reveals tales of aggressive tailgating, stubborn refusals to merge like a zip, and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres to get ahead of one car in a queue of traffic.
Recent research showing young people in New Zealand are more likely to die on the roads than young Australians has again raised questions about whether Kiwis have a driving problem.
1News takes a closer look at the issue.
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