A new pope is elected, $50,000 in fines to be repaid after speed camera error, and fresh figures reveal New Zealand's shrinking sheep population.
1 Robert Prevost of the United States is named Pope Leo XIV
Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first pope from the United States in the 2000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV.
2 Speeding fines of $50,000 to be paid back after camera error
Police will have to pay back approximately $50,000 in speeding fines after a camera site in Auckland was found to have broken the rules.
Up to 650 tickets issued to drivers on State Highway 16 in Kumeū are now being reviewed after a concerned motorist queried the location of the camera van.
He said it was too close to where the limit drops from 80km/h to 50km/h - and police now agree.
3 Waitangi Tribunal review to begin in mid-2025 — Government
A review into the Treaty of Waitangi Act - which established the Waitangi Tribunal - will begin in the middle of the year, the Government confirmed today
The review was part of the coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First, which included a commitment to "amend the Waitangi Tribunal legislation to refocus the scope, purpose, and nature of its inquiries back to the original intent of that legislation".
4 Budget 2025: $774m for abuse in state care redress system
The Government has announced a $774 million investment in Budget 2025 to improve the redress process for survivors of abuse in state care and strengthen protections for vulnerable children and adults.
It won't, however, set up a new independent redress entity, as recommended by a Royal Commission and Redress design group.
5 'Privileged people don't tend to get wrongfully convicted' – Tim McKinnel
Stephen Stone's recent acquittal for rape and murder after 26 years in prison is the latest case to highlight a need for changes to our justice system, says private investigator and advocate Tim McKinnel.
He talks to Cushla Norman about a long list of such cases, and his frustration with what he sees as the state's reluctance to make necessary changes.
ONE SHRINKING FLOCK
The vast number of sheep relative to the country’s human population has long been the subject of jokes aimed at New Zealanders abroad.
It’s true: New Zealand is one of a handful of nations in the world that’s still home to more sheep than people... But humans are catching up.
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