Three lucky Lotto players from Auckland, Matamata and Timaru were in for a treat after last Wednesday’s draw, after each won $333,333 with Lotto First Division. This comes after $1m was won last week, which brought “tears and laughter” to a Hamilton couple just two weeks after a shocking cancer diagnosis. “My hands were shaking and neither of us could sleep.”A life-changing $8 million is up for grabs in tonight’s lotto Powerball draw. Winners with physical tickets must still visit a Lotto retailer to claim their prize. For the Powerball jackpot to be claimed, a ticket holder must get all six Lotto numbers correct as well as the added Powerball number.

The tenancy at the Northcote house began on April 30, 2022, and ended on April 21, 2024, by mutual agreement. Dogs ‘ventured throughout’ the houseThe landlord claims the tenants kept 10 dogs inside the premises, which urinated all over the floor. The tenants denied the house smelled like dog urine and claimed they protected the flooring by placing vinyl over the carpet. The tenants claimed the puppies were sold at 8 weeks old and not kept inside the house for very long. The landlord claimed the tenants were using the house for an “unlawful purpose” as the puppies weren’t registered.

Former Waikouaiti woman Judy Robertson and her dogs Bella and Gromit have started a nomadic lifestyle in her self-built trailer home. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYWhile many people start the new year with a resolution to improve their health or manage money better, a former Waikouaiti woman has ditched home comforts to start a nomadic life. With no former carpentry experience, Judy Robertson has built a trailer home from scratch using a jigsaw, hammer, nails and screws, along with a little help from family. The bed doubles as a sofa during the day and she will have a working sink once the plumbing is re-glued. Cooking is done on a portable gas cooker — future plans include a small pot belly stove.

Thick smoke drifting from the Australian bushfires is making its way to New Zealand. Photo / MetServiceThick smoke drifting from the Australian bushfires is making its way to New Zealand. Photo / MetServiceThick smoke drifting from the Australian bushfires is making its way to New Zealand, which may cause our skies to change colour. Satellite imagery from MetService showed the smoke moving towards the west coast of the South Island. MetService meteorologist Samkelo Magwala told the Herald some South Island residents may see a reddish colour in the clouds around the sun this evening.

An explosion has gutted a residential building in Madrid, killing an elderly woman and injuring nine other people, according to authorities. An explosion has gutted a residential building in Madrid, killing an elderly woman and injuring nine other people, authorities said. Emergency services posted footage on social media showing firefighters crawling through rubble to rescue survivors from the top floor of a four-storey building in the Spanish capital’s Carabanchel neighbourhood. An explosion in Madrid killed an elderly woman and injured nine others. Inmaculada Sanz, a councillor responsible for security and emergencies at Madrid town hall, told reporters at the scene that an elderly woman had died and there were no further victims beyond those reported.

The Prime Minister has shared his summer 2026 playlist. Photo / Christopher LuxonChristopher Luxon has given Kiwis a peek into his recent listening, dropping his summer playlist just in time for this weekend’s warm weather. The Prime Minister took to X today to share the 27 tracks that have been on his heavy rotation, asking his followers to share their own summer suggestions. “No matter where you are in NZ today, BBQing, at the beach, or just in the backyard, I’m sure you’re listening to some great music in the background.”Ranging from Kiwi classics to TikTok viral trends, the playlist showcases Luxon’s eclectic taste, spanning the genres of country, soul and pop.

MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said heat alerts are issued a day out from hot weather, and are based on each centre’s usual summer highs and/or how many days of hot weather are forecast. The heat, combined with severe northwesterlies forecast for the lower North Island and much of the South Island tomorrow, has raised wildfire risks to extreme. Multiple dead in water incidentsTwo people died in separate water tragedies in Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty this afternoon. Strong wind watches are also in place for eastern Canterbury and the lower South Island. Further north, there are heavy rain watches across the Grey and Buller districts in the upper South Island tomorrow afternoon and evening.

This included 65 in Rotorua Hospital’s Emergency Department. During the same period, 140 physical assaults on health staff were recorded. At Tauranga and Whakatāne Hospitals, 477 verbal assaults were recorded on health staff during the same period, including 80 in Tauranga Hospital’s Emergency Department. There were 467 recorded physical assaults on Tauranga and Whakatāne Hospital health staff. Frontline emergency workers are also often in the firing line, with the nature of policing putting officers in harm’s way.

Armed police took three men away from this Kaikorai Valley property. Photo: Stephen JaquieryArmed police who swooped on a Dunedin house are believed to have arrested fugitive Caleb Lynn who was at the centre of a city-wide manhunt. Police have been appealing for information on the whereabouts of Lynn, wanted over aggravated robbery and other alleged offences, since Tuesday. A witness told the ODT nine police cars and a team of armed officers surrounded a house on Kaikorai Valley Rd around 5.30pm. An armed police officer at the cordon in Kaikorai Valley Rd.

High Court Justice Dani Gardiner disagreed, saying a jail term of two years and three months on a charge of injuring with intent to injure was not “manifestly excessive”. The Australian tribunal decided to uphold the decision to cancel his visa under “character grounds” in section 501 of Australia’s Migration Act. Khoshaba refugee from IraqKhoshaba was born in Iraq during the Gulf War and spent two years in a Jordanian refugee camp as a young child. “Rami was so happy there were people like us around,” his sister later told the Australian tribunal. The Crown, however, said the judge had fairly determined there was no causative link between Khoshaba’s refugee background and his offending.

Sam Ruthe guided visually impaired young runner Tamahau Hicks at the Colgate Games in Tauranga. Photo / Athletics NZWhen the urgent call went out for a guide to run alongside a young athlete in Tauranga this morning, rising Kiwi track star Sam Ruthe answered. The 16-year-old, who holds almost every national record for distances between 800-5000m in under-16s through to U20s, was a surprise starter in the Colgate Games on Saturday morning, lining up to guide visually impaired athlete Tamahau Hicks in his 1500m race. Ruthe had already been planning to attend the event, where athletes between 7-14 years compete, to help with medal presentations and meet some of the athletes. But when Hicks’ original guide had to pull out due to illness, Athletics Tauranga secretary Andrea Neal reached out to see if Ruthe was available.

Milford highway in Winter. PHOTO: ODT FILESRoadworks affecting traffic on Southland's Milford highway start next week. Other highways affected are:■ SH90/Waikaka Valley Highway, between Waikaka Rd and Cunningham Rd — work scheduled until Tuesday, March 31. ■ SH96/Winton-Wreys Bush Highway, at Heddon Bush Rd (until Saturday, January 31). Road users can expect to encounter temporary traffic lights, a 30kmh temporary speed reduction and delays of five to 10 minutes.

This gate at the start of Macetown Rd will be operational from the end of the month. PHOTO: FACEBOOKAt the end of this month a gateway about 3km from Arrowtown, which drivers can pass through with a permit bought online, will go live, securing ongoing public vehicle access to the historic Macetown Rd. Despite that, it is popular as the only way into Macetown — one of the most intact historic goldfield towns in Otago. Local roading authorities can make their own decisions on the maintenance or otherwise of paper roads in their areas. It will cost $40 for a car, truck or motorcycle to use the road, although Queenstown Lakes residents can get an annual pass for $100.

Fenz district commander Craig Gold said galeforce northwesterly winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity added up to high fire danger. "It’s really not the time to be lighting fires of any kind," he said. Permits include conditions which prevent fires being lit in windy conditions, or when strong winds are forecast. This applies to recreational fires as well as land management fires. People often lit recreational fires with good intentions but did not realise the danger.

Heat stress occurs when we produce more body heat than normal. Heat stroke is a medical emergency where “the rise in body temperature results in disruption to a number of bodily functions”, Eggleton says. To treat someone with heat stroke, remove them from direct sunlight or heat to a cool environment, and help them rehydrate and cool down, Eggleton says. Staying hydrated can help guard against heat stress and exhaustion. “Treating heat stroke really depends on people being able to recognise it in others, as people experiencing heat stroke might become confused or may not recognise the symptoms in themselves.”To avoid heat stroke, stay out of the sun during the hotter parts of the day, particularly around midday.