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2 Jul 2025

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How good have school lunches been in term two?
David Seymour says they are a success, but a principal says the lack of quality "says a lot about how we really don't value our kids".

Kainga Ora cuts new developments as the housing crisis escalates
After a rebuild was cancelled, the former tenants of a social housing development in Auckland have seemingly 'disappeared'.

Elon Musk’s X wins ‘free speech’ fight against eSafety Commissioner
A court has overruled the eSafety Commissioner’s order to Elon Musk to remove a post on his app X, which attacked an Australian trans rights activist.

Divisive All Blacks pick primed for enforcer role after Razor’s great faith
Samipeni Finau has got a clear message from the All Blacks coach after his nomination for the French series ahead of the likes of Ethan Blackadder.

The abandoned vehicles at scenic Kiwi hotspots
Dozens of vehicles are abandoned on the streets of Queenstown and Wanaka each year. Why?

How to lose a century in one day
Trees are part of our identity and what set New Plymouth apart, but we also have to act like it matters every day.

Luxury $6500-a-week rental had duck poo-filled pool and a broken movie room
Tenants owe landlord thousands after abruptly moving out of the house.

How a Kiwi ultra runner battled excruciating pain to break a world record
Sam Harvey has developed a reputation as a running hard man with an extraordinary ability to push through mental anguish. His mum is vital to his success.

Diagnosed with cancer after a dentist visit, and saved by her sister
A clinical trial involving Kiwi cancer patients has produced astonishing results - tripling the chances of a person being alive and healthy three years after a stem cell transplant.

Woman fights to get back $530k loan she put into ex's trust
She says the money was always meant to be a loan. He says it was payment towards living expenses. A judge has agreed with her.

Grab Samsung’s fast, compact USB-C flash drive for only $18
A great USB flash drive should check all the boxes you’re looking for, including capacity, speed, and compatibility with all your devices. These days, with USB-C being the most popular connection type, you’ll want to upgrade to a USB-C flash drive—and this one by Samsung is the right one to get: 128GB of storage for only $18 on Amazon! Not only does this tiny little thing offer you 128GB of storage space for very little money, but its USB-C connector makes it compatible with most laptops, smartphones, tablets, and pretty much any other modern device. The best part is that it can reach data transfer speeds of up to 400 MB/s, which is fantastic when you want to quickly back up your photos, move files between devices, and so on. This is an extremely compact device, too, and it’ll fit into your pocket with ease, let alone any bag or backpack pocket. Thankfully, it also comes with a lanyard hole in case you really need to secure it. And while it may look sleek and cute, the build is actually quite sturdy and it’ll protect your data from water and dust. Plus, it’s shockproof, magnet-proof, X-ray-proof, and can even handle extreme temperatures. Get your very own 128GB Samsung USB-C flash drive for $18 while this price is still what it is! If you need even more storage space, the 256GB version is down to $27 (from $35). This 128GB Samsung USB-C flash drive is a winner for $18Buy now at Amazon

Flood-hit Nelson-Tasman braces for next big storm
Tasman Mayor Tim King says there's a massive amount of work to be done before the bi storm is expected to hit on Thursday morning.

What tariffs? Philips Hue lights get early Prime Day discounts
As promised, the U.S. retail prices of several key Philips Hue products have jumped in response to tariffs. Just don’t tell anyone at Amazon, where a variety of Hue lights remain on sale in the days leading up to Prime Day. Just to set expectations, the Hue discounts we’re seeing on Amazon aren’t as eye-poppingly steep as we’ve seen during previous Prime Day runups, but they do exist. For example, you can grab a Philips Hue 6-inch White and color ambience downlight for $42.40, a 39-percent discount versus its $69.99 list price and hovering near its all-time low. We also spotted a 2-pack of Hue White candelabra bulbs for $25, down 29 percent, while a kit of two 6-foot Hue indoor White and color ambience LED light strips is $140.99, good for 26 percent off its $189.99 list price. Those deals come just as Philips Hue is raising its prices in response to tariffs levied by the Trump administration. Hue announced last week that price increases were slated to take effect on July 1, and HueBlog notes that retail prices on the official Philips Hue website are showing roughly 10-percent increases for many popular Hue products. The Hue Bridge, for example, is now $65.99 at the Hue online store, versus its previous $59.99 retail price. The 10-foot Hue Solo Lightstrip got a $7 price increase to $76.99, while the Hue Sync Box 8K is now $384.99, up from $349.99. But those Hue price hikes don’t yet appear to have hit Amazon, where the list price for the Hue Bridge is still $59.99–and indeed, the standalone Bridge is now getting a 22-percent Amazon discount to just $46.99. Here are a few more Hue deals on Amazon worth scoping out: Philips Hue Sana Smart Wall Light, White and Color Ambiance, $189 on Amazon (5% off) Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit with Hue Bridge, Dimmer Switch, and a pair of A19 White and color ambiance bulbs, $138 on Amazon (14% off) Philips Hue White A19 bulb, 2-pack, $23.46 on Amazon (24% off) Even the modest Hue discounts might be worth snapping up given that the Hue price hikes will likely make their way to Amazon at some point. It’s not clear how long the official Hue price hikes will last, with the company saying just last week that it “reserves the right to modify prices based on new or additional tariffs becoming effective in the future.” This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lights. Amazon Prime Day is slated to begin July 8 and will run four days this year, concluding on July 11. You must be a Prime member to take advantage of the discounts, but you can always sign up for a 30-day free trial. Be sure to check out our Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub for more great sales across all the tech categories.