With Crans-Montana a popular destination for international tourists, many foreign nationals are among those hurt in the blaze. They include 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French – the French foreign ministry gave a tally of 16 on Saturday – 11 Italians, four Serbs, a Belgian, a Bosnian, one person from Luxembourg and also a Pole and a Portuguese. Pastor Gilles Cavin speaks during a Sunday mass for the victims of the fire. Horror and angerThe mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, assured Swiss public broadcaster RTS that there had been no negligence on the municipality’s part. Photo / Maxime Schmid, AFPFor Patricia Mazzoni, a 55-year-old Swiss on holiday in Crans-Montana, what happened is simply incomprehensible:“How is this possible, especially in Switzerland?

But the reality is, they’re busy, they’re tired and they’re probably trying to do things as fast as possible just to get through the day. “Life skills are critically important for our young people to learn. If you’ve got habits that are part of your family, then you’re likely to take those habits through to your own adult life.”How do you teach your kids these life skills? Parents can pass on important life skills by including their kids in everyday activities like laundry or cooking. Maguire suggests shifting your mindset; instead of viewing these things as “boring life admin”, look at them as learning opportunities.

US President Donald Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to take control, but gave no further details. “We’re going to be running it [Venezuela] with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly,” Trump said. But Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul, adding to the confusion over how the country would be run. But Trump told the New York Post that “many” Cubans in Maduro’s security detail were killed. Venezuelans demonstrate support for US President Donald Trump and celebrate the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in front of the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC), a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York City, this Sunday, March 4.

Photo / Dean PurcellAside from the Roads of National Significance (Rons), the pipeline for the next generation of national mega-projects is alarmingly thin. Stop-start investment, something New Zealand has become infamous for, drives talent offshore and inflates costs when we eventually decide to build again. A lumpy pipeline also undermines our ability to adopt engineering technologies, build institutional knowledge and by consequence, achieve productivity gains. The funding commitment is the most important commitment needed to build a project, particularly a massive one that will go on for many years. Without a pipeline behind them, they are the end of an era rather than the beginning of a new one.

Photo / 123rfHer blood tests were taken after several hours, she said, but the pain wasn’t subsiding and she wanted to see a doctor to understand what was going on. She said while she understood some of the pressures Wellington Hospital was under, she felt the communication at Christchurch Hospital was clearer, more understanding and more efficient. Health NZ’s target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours by 2030. The Government announced last June that Wellington Hospital would receive a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces. “We are very sorry for the upset and distress this patient experienced during her visit to Wellington Hospital’s Emergency Department on December 1,” Duncan said.

Photo: ScreenshotPeople who have had their personal information stolen from the Stuff-owned Neighbourly platform could be vulnerable to online threats, a cyber security expert says. Neighbourly has told members it will look to get a court injunction, but it is satisfied the breach was quickly contained. "Bear in mind as well that the people who are impacted by the ManageMyHealth breach and the Neighbourly breach are potentially people who are quite vulnerable and don't understand how to protect themselves. Lives could be put at riskGorilla Technology chief executive Paul Spain said the Neighbourly data breach was "really significant". Spain described the Neighbourly breach as a wake-up call.

Witnesses spoke of bombings in La Guaira, Caracas’ airport and port, in Maracay to the west, and in Higuerote to the east. Afterwards, Venezuelans soon learned their long-ruling leader Maduro was out. US special forces seized Maduro and took him to face trial in New York. President Donald Trump said no US soldiers died in Saturday’s strikes, but the toll on the Venezuelan side remained unknown. Petro’s Government has warned of a potential humanitarian crisis with migrants pouring over the border from Venezuela.

Furry friends are factored into many households’ plans, with 50.8% of respondents being unlikely or reluctant to go on holiday without their pet. One respondent said their dog was just “another member of our family”, while another said their cat was “treated as family members - humans”. A similar 2023 Pew Research survey found 97% of Americans with a pet considered them a member of their family and 51% considered them as much a part of their family as human family members. Women, people with lower family incomes and people living in urban areas are more likely to view their pets as family members, the 2023 survey found. Dogs and other pets play an important emotional role, especially for people who are isolated or traumatised, the researcher said.

My new year resolution is to use Aotearoa wherever and whenever I get the opportunity. I see it as an evolving extension of changes already in place, a good example of that being Mount Taranaki. I am encouraged by this “cultural creep” of things Māori across the community. I’m truly confident that use of the name “Aotearoa” will supplant “New Zealand” over time. For some time, observers in the United States have raised concerns about the health of the President.

The new terminal buildings currently under construction at Auckland Airport. Du ValCould legal action against the failed property development group Du Val in Auckland occur in 2026 and some of its long-stalled projects be finished? Fletcher Living’s ex-Three Kings quarry and its $500m The Hill at Ellerslie are just two of its big projects under construction. Plans for 35 Graham St, Auckland CBD. We should see some big moves in 2026 from Precinct, which is also developing apartments in many Auckland areas.

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REPORT: RUBY SHAW / PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONMazda collector and Retro Automotive restorer Cory Wilson, of Dunedin, shows off his rare R100 Mazda during an impromptu car meet in South Dunedin on Saturday. He has owned the car for about 12 years and estimated there were about 10 in New Zealand. It was part of his 15-strong car collection, chiefly of Mazdas. "Went for a ride with my cousin one day when I was about 13 years old and just hooked ever since." He had worked on, or owned, most of the 10 cars at the meet.

Keep it simple. Ask yourself: “Who do I want to be this year?” Then grab a postcard and write a note to yourself about how you’d like things to be at the end of 2026. Include how you want to be thinking, feeling and behaving. There’s not much room, so you’ll need to cut to the chase.

Wellington’s population at last count was 209,800, with the new forecast estimating growth of only 0.3% annually to 228,900 by 2048. Photo / Mark MitchellThe lack of population growth was a key concern often mentioned by Wellington’s new mayor, Andrew Little, during his leadership campaign. Little believes affordability in the city is one of the major factors behind Wellingtonians leaving and outsiders not coming. WellingtonNZ, the capital’s council-controlled organisation tasked with the city’s economic development, is optimistic things will improve. Chief executive Mark Oldershaw said while the city’s population had slowed, Wellington still had “strong fundamentals and sustained appeal as a place to live, work and invest”.

Huntaway-cross Jock and blue heeler Nala were last seen in a ute that was stolen from Omakau on Saturday. PHOTOS: SUPPLIEDThe owner of two missing dogs taken away in a stolen ute in Central Otago says she is praying her "babies" are still alive. Shaid Jackson, of Springvale, said she and partner Jacob Nolan could only watch as their ute was driven away with their beloved dogs still inside on Saturday. Neither of the pair had slept on Saturday night; most of it was spent driving around searching for signs of the dogs. "Just leave the dogs somewhere — take the truck, we don't care about the truck.