Trevor Worthy is a world-leading paleozoologist who has identified new ancestors of the kakapo and takahe among fossil deposits in a Waitomo cave.

Donald Trump and the "possible" takeover of Cuba, the fallout from Mexico's killing of it's most wanted drug cartel leader, and the fatal crash in Bolivia involving a plane transporting money.

Warnings that the new water entities risks creating corporate-heavy bureaucracies that still fail to deliver.

The Crimes Amendment Bill is currently before Select Committee.

Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes against American military in the Middle East, as well as at Israel.

T20 at home, White Ferns v Zimbabwe, and abroad with the Black Caps World Cup semi-final. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe retires, again. The Super Rugby weekend ahead and the New Zealand Golf Open underway.

A look at some of the funnier headlines of the past week - including a drunken passenger disrupting a murder mystery train ride in Napier, a mum whose trip to a public toilet ended in embarrassment in front of her son's football team, and a man who accidentally took control of 7000 robot vacuum cleaners.

The future of Southland's outdoor stadium, Environment Southland has asked the Government to delay its local government reform, and Southland is preparing for a major surge in attention - both on the ground and online - as the Gore-based 2026 MAGNIficent Adventure Race takes place from February 28 to March 7.

Roger Christensen of Unity Books Auckland reviews Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns, published by Farshore.

Old clothes that are unfit for resale are being collected from Northland charity shops to be turned into mattresses and insulation for families in need.