Five Big Things That Happened Today: Monday, October 13

Single-digit margins leave mayoral hopefuls in suspense, Razor stays loyal as All Blacks go for experience on Grand Slam tour, and how to make financial progress these holidays.

Some mayoral hopefuls could be waiting a while yet to pop the bubbly, with single-digit margins in some areas and special votes still to be counted in local elections across the country.

Local Government NZ interim chief executive Scott Necklen said early figures showed voter turnout was down from 2022, sitting at just 32.65%.

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At the end of a year characterised by experimentation and near constant selection tweaking, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has picked a squad for the team’s November tour that is low on surprises.

It is a 36-player squad for four difficult Tests against Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales in which experience has been rewarded.

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Poor decision-making contributed to the deaths of two young women in an off-road crash near Nelson last year, a coroner says.

The pair, whose names are suppressed, were returning from a hut in Mt Richmond Forest Park late on April 8 when their ute rolled 98m down a bank.

The 18-year-old women had intended to stay at Beebys Hut but told a friend in a video call they were cold and were driving back down the mountain.

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News in 90 seconds: today's headlines, also including a Kiwi driver conquering Mount Panorama and the historic find in a suburban backyard.

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Over the next few months, as Christmas hits, the summer holidays cost a mint, and the cost-of-living stays sky high, you might feel like any financial progress you've made is lost.

But try a different perspective, says Frances Cook. Being smart with money is about going with the ebb and flow, and not all seasons are equal.

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