67.2% against asset sales
Voters have given the Govt's flagship asset sales policy an emphatic thumbs down, ratcheting up pressure for the sale of Genesis Energy to be shelved.
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Leading Headlines
Len Brown's spend-up revealed
Len Brown used his council phone to make nearly 1400 personal calls and texts to Bevan Chuang and failed to declare more than $39,000 in free hotel rooms and upgrades…
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Emphatic drought-breaker for Black Caps
NZ's innings and 73-run win in the second test against the West Indies was a comprehensive way to end a 10-test drought.
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Bride admits pushing husband off cliff
A newlywed bride has pleaded guilty to killing her husband of eight days by pushing him from a cliff in Glacier National Park.
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Beached whales make it back to sea
Three orca whales which were beached in a bay in Northland's Kaipara Harbour have made it safely back out to sea.
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'Blood money' offer a bad look - Key
The offer of money made to the Pike River families by the mine's former boss doesn't look good, Prime Minister John Key says.
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Car thief jailed for abandoning baby
A man who abandoned an 11-month-old boy alone on the side of a Southland highway after stealing a car has been jailed for 12 months.
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Un's uncle branded 'traitor for all ages'
North Korea has announced the execution of Kim Jong Un's uncle, calling the leader's former mentor "despicable human scum" and "a traitor for all ages".
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New fences for tourist death highway
Fences capable of holding 2500 tonnes of rock will be installed at the Diana Falls slip next year where two Canadian tourists were swept to their deaths.
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Race-based manslaughter appeal fails
A man convicted for the manslaughter of a 15-year-old boy has failed to get his sentence reduced on the grounds of his Maori heritage.
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Doco shows 'mummy's boy' attack
A 'spoilt, jealous mummy's boy' who throttled his model girlfriend before his parents tried to cover it up smashed his victim's head against a table in the 24 hours…
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Politics: From WhaleOil to PM's office
Politics blogger Bryce Edwards rounds up reaction to the news that the Prime Minister's press secretary Jason Ede sent photos to WhaleOil.
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Fox host: 'Jesus was a white man'
A Fox News presenter has told viewers it is a 'fact' that both Jesus and Santa Claus are white.
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New Zealander of the Year
Jamie Curry - teen internet sensation
Her social media followings outnumber NZ's population by 2 million, and she hasn't even finished high school.
Hannah O'Neill - pirouetting to Paris
Most Kiwis have probably not heard of Hannah O'Neill. The 20-year-old is one of the brightest young stars in the ballet world, who also happens to be a Kiwi.
Opinion
School strategy scores F for fail'
These days, no 7-year-old's report can be understood by a 7-year-old, writes Dita De Boni. Nor by his 41-year-old, tertiary-educated mother.
11CommentsGST for online sales? My response
Accountant Steve Waite reacts to the criticism from his original post which calls for GST on online purchases. "I suppose it was always going to be a 'big ask' for the…
89CommentsLatest
News
Editor's Picks
Iceland: Bathing with Bjork
Star's pre-award pot ritual
Christmas danger for Posh
Top matches of 2013 - 6
Top five: Everything on TV
Missing nuts upset Queen
Video Pick
Windies losing wickets
This Weekend
Get in the Christmas spirit
Weekend weather report
Day in Photos
Day in photos - December 13
Friday Playlist
Sounds of summer (+audio)
Cartoon
Cartoon: Pike River
Sideswipe
Dec 13: Affordable Orakei
Quizzes
Herald daily quiz: December 13
National
Te Poi crash victim named
The man killed in an early morning crash near Te Poi in Waikato on Wednesday was Grant Scott Gilmer of Tauranga, police…
Fatal crash blocks highway
Couple accused of benefit fraud to get re-trial
A jury for a trial of two men accused of failing to declare their de-facto relationship in order to claim benefits has failed to reach a verdict on all but one charge…
McCready vows to take Whittall to court
Tasmanian devils welcomed to Wellington Zoo
Business
Europe's first Bitcoin ATM
A Swedish company has launched what it claims is Europe's first Bitcoin ATM. The machine allows people to exchange cash…
Consumer confidence swells
Consumer confidence nears a four-year high in the lead-up to the Christmas season, an all-important period for retailers.
Chorus shares rally, ACC ups stake
Shares in Chorus climbed 8 % in early trading after ACC lifted its holding and Milford Asset Management yesterday gave the company a vote of confidence.
Focus moves to retaining Toyota
The Australian Government will work with Toyota to ensure the automotive sector remains viable in the country, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said. Holden's US owner…
World
Signer blames schizophrenic attack
The sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's funeral said last night that a schizophrenic episode was to blame for…
Interpreter at Mandela a 'Fake'
VideoPutin defends Russian conservative values
President Vladimir Putin cast Russia as a defender of conservative values against the "genderless and infertile" Western tolerance that he said equates good and evil…
Bangladesh executes opposition leader
Video Diary chronicles Mandela's passing
VideoTechnology
The Pirate Bay sails to a new domain
Pressure to get the world's largest torrent tracking site taken down by the entertainment industry is relentless, and in…
Apple Watch: Hey ho Mac Pro
Hey, Apple, it's December and this is the month the amazing new Mac Pro was going to arrive. Things seem a little quiet, and if you want the heavy hitters to buy them…
Samsung tries to silence user over burnt phone
Public Relations can be a particular tricky beast to get right. Samsung are learning that it isn't just the art of persuading the public to adopt a particular perspective…
Tech Universe: Friday 13 December
WHERE THE WIND BLOWS: Skyscrapers are very exposed to the wind, and at 530 metres tall the Pertamina Energy Tower to be built in Jakarta will be well placed to harvest…
Politics
Toby Manhire: The essential gift list
Twelve days to Christmas, and I know what you're thinking, hardworking families of New Zealand: what gift to get your favourite…
4CommentsMai Chen: Election year could do with the goodwill of Mandela
In the context of Nelson Mandela's death, I wonder how election year might treat the race issue. It usually gets a run. This is likely given the ethnicity statistics…
7CommentsGareth Morgan and Susan Guthrie: Creating jobs will not end poverty
The Prime Minister's reaction to the latest survey of child poverty was predictable but misguided. It is not just about jobs.
51CommentsInside the mind of Colin Craig
Colin Craig thinks that his days of being typecast as "whacky" are numbered.
Sport
Basketball: Wildcats tame Breakers
Breakers 62 Wildcats 71 It was a Black Friday for the Breakers as they slumped to their ninth loss of the season, beaten…
Cricket: Black Caps crush Windies
Trent Boult had a 10 wicket haul as New Zealand ended their test win drought in convincing fashion, beating the West Indies by an innings and 73 runs.
Live updates: Ashes third test
Live updates of the third Ashes test between Australia and England at the WACA ground in Perth. England head into the match trailing 2-0 in the series needing to claim…
Soccer: Merrick waiting on his midfield
Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick is keen for his midfielders to have a therapeutic night's sleep tonight. The Scotsman is sweating on the healing powers of Carlos…
Small Business
Small Business: App creators - Dave Bulling
Dave Bulling, managing director, Cook Brothers Construction, a national construction company that operates in Auckland…