Sharon Maccanico. Sharon Maccanico, 15, was one of six victims of the deadly slip at the holiday park last week. Sharon's parents, Natallia and Carmine, said their daughter was born in Italy and moved to New Zealand when she was 8. Her parents said they were extremely proud of Sharon, and she was loved by all. "Our family is a very close family and always did everything together.

January 30, 2026 05:29 UTC

Photo: ODT FilesClayton Weatherston says he murdered his ex-girlfriend because he was “full of an uncontrollable rage”. The Parole Board this morning decided Weatherston would spend at least another 22 months behind bars. Sophie Elliott. “People go on about my intellect and I just think I’m a battler,” Weatherston said. In declining parole, board chair Hon Jan-Marie Doogue said it would be a “long road” ahead.

January 30, 2026 04:31 UTC

Kazu had previously published samples of the leaked information online. Earlier this month, all posts referring to Manage My Health had been removed from the page. “We want this person to be looked into and this person to be arrested as a result of their actions. They’ve attacked numerous other institutions from across the entire globe.”He said health companies held extremely sensitive data. “These are very sensitive topics and very sensitive information, so a lot of times it’s best to do whatever possible to stop that information getting out.”Scott encouraged victims of ransomware attacks not to pay the hackers.

January 30, 2026 03:10 UTC

A person is seriously injured after a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 85 in Central Otago. A police spokesperson said emergency services were informed of the car v motorcycle collision on the highway near the intersection with St Bathans Loop Rd about 11:40am. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said the highway was closed between Omakau and Idaburn and would likely remain so for several hours to allow serious crash investigations to take place. Road users are asked to avoid the area or delay travel where they can. In a bad day on southern highways, SH87 was closed near Outram for a time this afternoon after a crash this morning left a person with critical injuries.

January 30, 2026 01:34 UTC

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTSGovernment invests in Hawke's Bay healthWe recently cut the ribbon on a new radiology department at our Hawke’s Bay Hospital and now work has begun this week on a new inpatient ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital. National is committed to improving healthcare in Hawke’s Bay and getting better outcomes for patients. More concerts in NZ mean full hotels, busy bars and restaurants, and more people out supporting local businesses. Just prior to Christmas we welcomed a landmark Free Trade Agreement with India and this is significant for Hawke's Bay exporters. Putting rural Hawke's Bay on the mapI loved my recent trip to Waipawa, the beating heart of our rural community.

January 30, 2026 01:10 UTC





The criminal matter experienced months-long delays, with Kokotatsios eventually pleading not guilty to charges of dangerous driving occasioning death and failing to stop and assist after a crash causing death. Kokotatsios died on November 16, with a funeral service held at St Athansios Church in Rookwood Cemetery later that month. As a result, all criminal charges against him, including two other charges of negligent driving occasioning death and illegally using a mobile phone while driving, were withdrawn and the case dismissed, said the outlet. The pain is unbearable.”Mitch East, 28, died in March 2024 after being hit by a car in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. East, a University of Otago and Harvard Law School graduate, had recently moved to Sydney and was working at law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler at the time of his death.

January 30, 2026 01:05 UTC

The outage at hospitals in Auckland and Northland left clinicians unable to communicate with each other or access patient records and forced them to use pen and paper and whiteboards. The PSA is pointing the finger at cuts to Health NZ’s IT team, which it says left too few experts to fix outdated IT systems when they break down. Douglass said technicians had responded “very quickly” to the intermittent technical issue, drawing on teams locally and multiple vendor partners overseas. “We know that we need to take a national approach in order to drive maximum value out of the money we do spend. It was pure luck.”Problems included issues accessing people’s blood type, and patients missing out on care in theatre, she said.

January 30, 2026 00:33 UTC

Theron earned his Springbok colours after representing South Africa in international one-armed golf competitions. He later became a regular presence on golf courses across the Queenstown area, including Arrowtown Golf Club and Jack’s Point. Photo / SuppliedIn March last year, Theron scored his second hole-in-one at the Frankton Golf Centre’s driving range. At the time of his second hole-in-one, Theron was recovering from shoulder surgery. Theron had commuted regularly to New Zealand for about 25 years, following his sons after they moved to the country, and later settled in Queenstown.

January 30, 2026 00:04 UTC

And while the burglary is now before the courts, O'Neill said the theft of Pokémon cards was not being taken seriously enough by police. Along with Pokémon cards, The game Magic: The Gathering was particularly hot at the moment. Scams are also widespread within the trading card community, O'Neill said. He had been collecting Pokémon cards since they first launched in 1996. The first time, Johnson recovered the card after alerting the trading card community.

January 29, 2026 23:54 UTC

Photo: ODT filesPeople addicted to vapes will soon have help to quit, with Medsafe's approval of New Zealand's first vaping-specific nicotine replacement therapy product. The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation welcomed the move as "an important step in the fight against New Zealand's vaping epidemic". Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding said while the product had been on the market for years for smokers, this new indication recognised that NRT was not just for smokers who wanted to quit, but also for those struggling to quit vaping. "Nicotine dependence from vaping is a real and growing problem - so having clinically validated support to quit is important. "While a cessation product is helpful for those already dependent, it doesn't stop young people from starting in the first place."

January 29, 2026 23:28 UTC

Lightning has struck twice for Queenstown golfer Erasmus "Ras" Theron, who picked up his second hole-in-one last week. Photo: Guy WilliamsQueenstown's one-armed golfer, famed for his hole-in-one feats, has died aged 76. South African Erasmus "Ras" Theron had his right arm amputated when he was 19 after it was badly burnt while he was training to be a fighter pilot. Mr Theron gained his private pilot’s licence in 1990 and has flown three modified types of aircraft with one arm. South African media reported that Theron’s body will be repatriated to South Africa for burial, with funeral details to be announced.

January 29, 2026 23:28 UTC

The Hoskyns Rd level crossing in Rolleston. Photo: SuppliedA train collided with a truck and trailer unit this morning at a level crossing in Rolleston. Police were notified of the crash at the Hoskyns Rd crossing at 5.45am on Friday. "It appears the train has collided with the trailer of the truck," a police spokesperson said. The spokesperson said there were no injuriesd reported after the crash.

January 29, 2026 23:24 UTC

Photo: Gerard O'BrienA four-way fender bender left one person injured in central Dunedin this morning. Police were called to the crash in High St, about 10am today, after receiving a report that a car had crashed into a parked car. The crash appeared to have shunted the parked car forwards into two other parked vehicles. The parked car was unoccupied and, while there was minimal blockage to the road, traffic was unaffected, the spokeswoman said. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said they sent two trucks to the scene.

January 29, 2026 22:43 UTC

The single-vehicle crash happened on Lee Steam-Outram Rd (State Highway 87). Photo: Google MapsA person in a ‘‘critical condition’’ has been transported to Dunedin Hospital after a car rolled into a paddock near Outram this morning. Emergency services received reports of the single-vehicle crash on Lee Steam-Outram Rd (State Highway 87) just before 8am today. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said crews freed one person trapped in the vehicle, which had ‘‘rolled into a paddock’’. One patient, in a ‘‘critical condition’’, was transported to Dunedin Hospital, the spokesperson said.

January 29, 2026 22:29 UTC

Photo: ODT filesPolice are investigating a suspected arson after discovering a fire inside an allegedly stolen BMW in Mosgiel. Constable Elijah Stafford-Rogers, of Dunedin, said local units came across the black 2007 BMW in Puddle Alley about 12.40am today. ‘‘While stopping to check the vehicle, officers noticed a fire had recently been lit in the vehicle,’’ Const Stafford-Rogers said. The registered owner was contacted who claimed the vehicle had been stolen. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said they responded two trucks from its Mosgiel station.

January 29, 2026 21:41 UTC