Markets & Economy: The NZX 50 climbed 0.3% on Friday and notched its best month since September, helped by Vista Group’s cloud wins and Infratil’s surge after a major CDC data-centre contract. Finance & Housing: ANZ says it will appeal a High Court ruling in a major class action over mortgage disclosure failures, with its maximum liability previously estimated at about $125m. Science & Budget 2026: Budget 2026 boosts research commercialisation with extra funding for partnerships and start-ups, but experts warn cuts and reshuffles have left parts of the science system struggling. Tech & Telecom Resilience: A Golden Bay group says a single fibre link leaves remote communities exposed when it fails, while analysis also flags how SpaceX’s planned IPO could ripple through telecoms. Health Infrastructure: Budget 2026 includes “critical” early funding for the staged redevelopment of Tauranga Hospital, aimed at bringing improvements sooner for a growing community. Road & Safety: SH1 in Otago faces a long-weekend detour near Milton due to sewer and stormwater work. Culture & Film: The NZ International Film Festival has announced Auckland-based director Paloma Schneideman’s coming-of-age feature Big Girls Don’t Cry as its opening-night pick.