NZ Herald Morning News Update | At least 200 dead in mine collapse in Congo, boat capsizes in Akaroa, Israel kills 28 in Gaza strike. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Man critically injured after being assaulted outside Napier nightclubA man is in hospital after bing critically injured in an early morning assault outside a Napier nightclub. Detective Sergeant Ryan Kemsley said he was taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition. “Police have arrested a 21-year-old man and he is assisting with our investigation,” Kemsley said.

January 31, 2026 21:58 UTC

Download the right apps for smooth travelSmartphone apps can sometimes overcomplicate travel, but in South Korea, certain apps make getting around far easier. Exploring South Korea by foot can be a challenge without the right apps. Some must-visit ones in South Korea include:Bao Haus in Busan: serving Taiwanese cuisine with the best bao buns in town. Photo / UnsplashDon’t travel without a T-Money cardMuch like Wellington’s Snapper card or Auckland’s Hop card, a T-Money card is South Korea’s ticket to everywhere. Escaping the capital for a day trip or weekend getaway is a great way to see what South Korea has to offer.

January 31, 2026 21:48 UTC

Cancer survivor Holly Bonney, of Allanton, enjoys a luge ride with camper Emily Kernohan (6) during the Camp Quality summer camp in Queenstown. PHOTOS: SUPPLIEDFrom patient to mentor, the journey has come full circle for a young Taieri cancer survivor. Miss Bonney, of Allanton, said because the medical care began so early, it was "kind of normal" for her. "It is a pretty big deal ... but I don’t really think about it that much," Miss Bonney said. Holly Bonney, of Allanton, is at the Camp Quality summer camp in Queenstown.

January 31, 2026 21:46 UTC

NZ Herald Morning News Update | At least 200 dead in mine collapse in Congo, boat capsizes in Akaroa, Israel kills 28 in Gaza strike. Video / NZ HeraldAlready a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. One person has died following a single-vehicle crash at Gisborne’s Anaura Bay this morning. The Serious Crash Unit also arrived at the scene.

January 31, 2026 21:42 UTC

Auckland teens Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee attended Pakūranga College together. Furse said the family has been overwhelmed by the messages of love, comfort, and support that have come from across New Zealand and around the world. Max Furse-Kee is one of the six victims of the Mount Maunganui landslide. Sharon’s parents, Natallia and Carmine, said in a statement on Friday that Max was the love of their daughter’s life. The remains of Mount Maunganui landslide victim Sharon Maccanico were formally identified earlier this week.

January 31, 2026 21:31 UTC





Joseph Ritchie (left) walks about of hospital, seven months after a spine injury playing rugby. Photo / 7News / SuppliedA Kiwi rugby player living in Perth has miraculously walked out of hospital, seven months after he fractured his spine in a rugby game and was feared to never walk again. Joseph “Peanut” Ritchie broke his C4 and C3 vertebrae and suffered severe trauma to his spinal cord when a scrum collapsed in the first half of a match between Nedlands Rugby’s third grade team and Joondalup Brothers on June 21. Ritchie, who relocated to Western Australia in 2009, was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital, where he had emergency surgery and was told there was a chance he may never walk again. What made the occasion more special was that Ritchie got to walk out the doors alongside Lachie Glasfurd, who was recovering in the same rehab unit after he also suffered a spinal fracture in a separate incident.

January 31, 2026 20:58 UTC

The luxury Fiordland Lodge near Te Anau. Photo: SuppliedA large number of firefighters have worked through the night to contain a fire which broke out at a luxury lodge on the outskirts of Te Anau. Firefighters had initially feared people were still in the building but said everyone had been accounted for. Fenz assistant commander Nic McQuillan said they had contained the fire to one wing of Fiordland Lodge, but work was continuing to suppress a flare-up and monitor hotspots this morning. Fiordland Lodge has 10 suites, a restaurant and bar and has hosted numerous celebrities, including Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Virat Kohli and Peter Jackson.

January 31, 2026 20:42 UTC

Trump has said the UN has great “potential” but is not living up to its promise to keep world peace. The UN could run out of cash as early as July, by some accounts, if neither the dues nor the financial system is addressed. Saying he was now pushing to revamp pension and compensation plans, Waltz stressed the importance of the UN to international diplomacy. “There needs to be one place in the world where everyone can talk,” he told the New York Post. “We want that one place in the world to be in the United States, not in Brussels or Beijing.”

January 31, 2026 20:35 UTC

ACC rejected the complaint, a choice upheld by the reviewer on the basis the doctor was an ACC contractor and not an employee. The patient emailed ACC and the emails were ignored, prompting the man to phone them and spend hours on hold. ACC has said new information led to the upgraded compensation - from $4162 for 10% to around $7500 for 15%. ACC told the Herald it relied on its assessor’s medical expertise which asserted “new” information. He also discovered the doctor was paid almost $1 million by ACC for the assessments, and had earned $4.6m from ACC over a decade.

January 31, 2026 20:33 UTC

Co-owner of the lodge, Vicki Onions, said all guests were relocated to hotels in Te Anau as a safety measure. “No one was injured”, Onions told the Herald. At the blaze’s peak, eight fire trucks, an aerial appliance, five tankers and two support vehicles were in attendance. McQuillan asked drivers to be mindful of Fire and Emergency vehicles in the area this morning, including water tankers. The outlet reported the lodge as being mostly booked out from October to April with mainly overseas guests.

January 31, 2026 20:24 UTC

Photo: Screenshot / SuppliedA dedicated investigation team from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission will be on the ground in Akaroa, following the grounding of a Black Cat ferry on Saturday afternoon. Louise Cook, chief investigator of accidents, said there were reportedly 38 passengers and three crew on-board the 17-metre catamaran, on a wildlife cruise. The investigation team would be travelling to Akaroa "as soon as practicable", TAIC said in a statement. The passengers were taken to the main wharf at Akaroa and no one was injured, he said. Black Cat Cruises said it was the first time in more than 40 years that anything like this had happened.

January 31, 2026 19:43 UTC

And you don’t really want anyone else in that poo pond.”Life has changed dramatically for Stephanie Tauevihi over the past few years. “I didn’t leave the house – for about a year – but then I started walking, which is really hard to do when you are that big. Her character, Maxine, is similar to her – “she’s warm, she’s friendly”. “I said, Gary, I’m a 52-year-old actress who is back on the screen, why am I feeling this way? Now, grown-up Tauevihi is taking control of her life and, most importantly, starting to live to the fullest again.

January 31, 2026 19:18 UTC

The point of a business column is to step back from the emotion and try to work out what it all means for financial markets and the economy. There have been many strange things happening on financial markets over the summer break. Photo / Sarah IveyRegardless, gold prices have soared – up about 90% in the past year. By “mega-forces”, BlackRock means the power of bond markets to curtail Trump’s trade policy excesses. It hit 79 when Lehman Bros collapsed, sparking the global financial crisis in October 2008.

January 31, 2026 19:03 UTC

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

January 31, 2026 17:06 UTC

A painting of Rob Roy Glacier has raised $50,000 for WAI Wānaka. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDA painting of Mount Aspiring’s iconic Rob Roy Glacier has raised $50,000 for environmental organisation WAI Wanaka. WAI Wanaka chief executive Cat Dillon said the organisation was ‘‘thrilled’’ to be working with Tischler. ‘‘Several months prior I was up the Rob Roy track gathering references, when we had unseasonal snow, it was spectacular. I’m inspired by the cause, protecting our pristine environment — that’s why it’s so fulfilling to collaborate with WAI Wanaka.’’‘‘I call this painting ‘The Source’.

January 31, 2026 15:51 UTC