By RNZ With community cases rising again today, Act leader David Seymour says the Government must consider a suppression strategy that finds a middle ground between health and financial stability.Cabinet decided this afternoon…

Three women who allege they were sexually abused by former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer are giving evidence in court.

The former educator is facing 74 counts of child sexual abuse which allegedly happened between 2004 and 2008, when she was principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick.

The committal hearing will remain a closed court for the rest of the day while sisters Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper give their evidence against Ms Leifer.

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The hearing before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, which is set to run throughout the week and finish next Monday, will determine whether is enough evidence for Ms Leifer to stand trial.

Ms Leifer, 55, will be asked to enter a formal plea at the conclusion of the hearing.

The former educator watched the hearing via video link from custody today, wearing a blue top and a white head covering, and held her hand over her face.

Ms Leifer's charges include 11 counts of rape, 47 of indecent assault, 13 of committing an indecent act with a child, and three counts of sexual penetration of a child.

The abuse allegedly occurred in the Melbourne suburbs of Elsternwick, Elwood, Emerald and Frankston, as well as Rawson in west Gippsland and Blampied in the Central Highlands.

Ms Leifer has always maintained her innocence.

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In December last year, the Supreme Court of Israel signed the extradition order for Ms Leifer to return to Australia when it dismissed her final appeal.

Ms Leifer, along with her Jewish witnesses, has been excused from attending the hearing on Thursday because of the Yom Kippur holy day.

The Wānaka community is upset at the “arrogant” attitude of the couple who drove from Auckland to Hamilton, using their “essential worker” exemptions, to then fly to Wānaka to stay at their holiday home.Nick Aubrey, owner…

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the US has appointed its first openly transgender bishop in a service held in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on Saturday.

The Reverend Megan Rohrer will lead one of the church's 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada.

“My call is … to be up to the same messy, loving things I was up to before,” Reverend Rohrer told worshippers.

“But mostly, if you'll let me, and I think you will, my hope is to love you and beyond that, to love what you love.”

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Reverend Rohrer, who uses the pronoun “they," previously served as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco and a chaplain coordinator for the city's police department, and also helped minister to the city's homeless and LGTBQ community.

They studied religion at Augustana University in their hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, before moving to California to pursue master and doctoral degrees at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

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Reverend Rohrer was elected in May to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod after its current bishop announced his retirement.

“I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing,” they said in a statement.

“My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward.”

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Reverend Rohrer became one of seven LGBTQ pastors accepted by the progressive Evangelical Lutheran church in 2010 after it allowed ordination of pastors in same-sex relationships.

They are married and has two children.

The church is one of the largest Christian denominations in the US with about 3.3 million members.

Auckland will remain at level 4 for another week, until 11.59pm on September 21, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.Cabinet has made an in-principle decision that Auckland will move to level 3 at that time.Level 2 will…

A teenager has been arrested after a woman was allegedly stabbed multiple times as she sunbaked at a Queensland beach.

Queensland Police said the 23-year-old victim didn't know the 16-year-old alleged attacker, who stabbed her multiple times in the neck and body with a knife at Blacks Beach in Mackay at 12.20pm.

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The woman ran to a nearby construction site for help and the teen fled.

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Police said she was taken to hospital in a serious condition but her injuries are not life-threatening.

Queensland Police said: "A 16-year-old male has been taken into custody and is currently assisting with inquiries."

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