Reserve Bank Governor resigns in surprise exit, tropical cyclone barrels towards Queensland, and the unseen power of gangs inside prisons revealed.
1 Reserve Bank announces surprise exit of governor Adrian Orr
Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr has resigned and will finish in the role on March 31, the central bank announced earlier today. It did not give a reason for Orr quitting his role only two years into his second five-year term.
In a brief statement, Finance Minister Nicola Willis acknowledged Orr's service. "I wish him well for the future," she said.
Orr had been governor for seven years at the central bank.
2 Final preparations as Tropical Cyclone Alfred barrels towards Queensland coast
Millions of people are finalising cyclone preparations as a category two system bears down on the Australian coast.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early Friday somewhere between Queensland's Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The danger stretches far further afield and wild weather is tipped to start from Wednesday.
3 'Devoted' Kiwi father, grandfather living in UK killed in motorway crash
A Kiwi man living in the UK, described as a "devoted" father and grandfather and a "well respected" member of the rugby league community, has been killed in a tragic accident on a UK motorway.
The incident occurred after the truck he was driving broke down on the M6 in Staffordshire, south of Manchester.
4 'A very dumb thing to do' – Trudeau takes aim at Trump's tariffs
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has called American tariffs “very dumb” and that US president Donald Trump is appeasing Russia while launching a trade war against Canada.
In a blunt news conference, Trudeau said Canada would plaster retaliatory tariffs on more than US$100 billion of American goods.
5 Wellington teacher disguised himself as drug dealer, deceived student
A Wellington teacher disguised himself as a drug dealer and deceived a 14-year-old student into a sex act in exchange for cannabis.
The teacher, whose name was suppressed alongside the victim’s, worked at a Wellington school between April 2019 and July 2020. A newly-released Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal decision detailed the man’s behaviour.
ONE INSIGHT INTO GANG INFLUENCE IN PRISONS
A young prisoner arrives with a "nice, clean" face. Within weeks of entering a high-security unit, a gang symbol is tattooed on his cheek - likely fashioned using ink made of toothpaste and the soot of burning plastic utensils.
This scene, described in a new report on gang influence inside the prison system, illustrates how the groups have transformed prison environments into a hierarchical structure.
The report paints a picture of the balance of power that gangs have over non-gang members in prisons and one staffer says they "run the jails", but Corrections says it has control.
SHARE ME