Top 10 stories this week: March 22-28

A woman wipes her tears as she joins a ceremony in memory of passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in Kuala Lumpur. Photo / AP

The 10 most-read news stories this week covered the missing Flight MH370, Chris Cairns, nudists and a shock resignation.

1. Flight MH370: Pilot in wrong state of mind to fly - friend

Zaharie Ahmad Shah (C)

The captain of Flight 370 was in no state of mind to fly the day it disappeared and could have taken the Boeing 777 for a "last joyride" before crashing into the Indian Ocean, a fellow pilot says.

2. Grieving father's warning after hospital failure

The father of a young Auckland mother who died in hospital two days after complaining of a sore arm says Middlemore staff failed to tell him how serious her condition was.

3. Cairns' lawyer arrested

Chris Cairns has acknowledged for the first time he is now under investigation from the Metropolitan Police and the International Cricket Council anti-corruption unit. The news comes as Cairns seeks new legal counsel after the arrest of his former lawyer Andrew Fitch-Holland in London.

Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns. Photo / Brett Phibbs

4. Weeds choke $70m dream

When Prime Minister John Key launched a multi-million development on this site three years ago, it was expected to change the face of Newmarket. Now it's covered in weeds and the four-star hotel's swimming pool is full of dirt. Jared Savage examines what went wrong.

5. Nudists scare beach kids

Residents and visitors have had enough of sex antics at Ladies Bay, near the wealthy Auckland suburb of St Heliers, and they are relieved summer is coming to a close.

Rose says Ladies Bay is often the scene for lewd gestures and sex acts. Photo / Doug Sherring

6. Tears over principal's shock resignation

There were tears at Dunedin's St Hilda's Collegiate School yesterday as principal Melissa Bell unexpectedly announced she would resign at the end of this year. The 41-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer last March.

7. Lorde's boyfriend reveals downsides of fame

Grammy award-winner Lorde, 17, is planning an emotional reunion next month with her boyfriend at the California music festival Coachella after their longest separation yet, but the young photographer has spoken out about the downsides of his girlfriend's fame.

Photo / Norrie Montgomery

8. Free home with $10m view

His farm-registered SUV and makeshift lean-to with rudimentary kitchen shelves has occupied a prime corner of Auckland's waterfront for more than a year. A so-called freedom camper and fisherman called John is bamboozling officials under pressure to move him on.

Photo / Richard Robinson

9. NZ's worst intersection revealed (+map)

A South Auckland intersection that claimed 50 casualties in a decade has topped a list of the country's 100 most dangerous intersections.

10. Failed eatery leaves behind $100k debt

A central Auckland restaurant shut down this month by its landlord is likely to leave creditors at least $100,000 out-of-pocket, according to a receiver's report.

- nzherald.co.nz