The men fell from a ferris wheel after being warned to stop swinging the bucket. File photo: Facebook / Event Hire ChristchurchThe operator of a ferris wheel in Christchurch says three men were warned to stop swinging their bucket, just before they fell. Two of the men were seriously injured when they fell from the ride at the Rolling Meadow Festival at Bottle Lake about 2am on New Year's Day. Event Hire owner Phil Anderson said the safety of riders and the public was their "absolute priority". A WorkSafe spokesperson said they had issued a prohibition notice, which prevents use of the ferris wheel until the department is satisfied an engineering expert has fully investigated and reported back to Event Hire.

Photo: RNZAn investigation is under way after two people were found dead in separate houses on a property in the Bay of Plenty. Early today, police were called back to the Old Coach Rd property, where a man was found dead in a separate house. He was taken into custody and was due to appear in Tauranga District Court today, charged with assault on a person in a family relationship. "Police would like to speak with anyone who has information about what has happened, or who may have visited the Old Coach Road address between 7pm Wednesday 31 December 2025 and 3am Friday 2 January 2026. "If you can help, please make a report through 105, either online or over the phone, and reference file number: 260101/9901."

Police said a large crowd of youths congregated at Williamson Park in Whangamatā and had to be forcibly moved on. Officers were doing foot patrols in the area around 10.30pm when the bottles were allegedly thrown, hitting one member of the police. "Not only does this behaviour put my team at risk - it also puts other attending youth at risk," Henwood said. "It is disappointing that after a good night, it is then ruined by intoxicated youth in denial that New Year's is over. Seven youths were arrested in Whangamatā and another in Pauanui.

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Ownership and shareholdings of some of our biggest media companies form the backbone of this year’s 26 Media Insider predictions for New Zealand media. AI will revolutionise media in 2025 by automating content creation, enhancing personalised recommendations and enabling synthetic media like virtual actors. How do you think 2026 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company/audience/clients? How do you think 2026 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company/audience/clients? How do you think 2026 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company/audience/clients?

We don’t want our child to get hurt, and parents don’t have the time to let their child do stuff. They don’t need to read before they start school, they don’t need to be able to write, they don’t even need to know how to count to 10. If you’re always letting them play by themselves, they’re never learning failure, they’re never learning how to get back up. They’re learning “If I’m in trouble, Mum and Dad are always gonna fix it”. Most teachers can see when kids need extra help beyond the norm.

Afternoon Headlines | Firefighters urge extra fire caution and investigation under way after Bay of Plenty death | Friday, January 2, 2025Already a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Four people will appear in the Hamilton Youth Court after a 100km pursuit across Waikato. Police were alerted to a report of an aggravated robbery at about 8am this morning at a business on Pollen St in Thames. Police identified the second vehicle through inquiries and soon received reports of one matching the description driving dangerously.

“Given the international nature of the Crans resort, we can expect foreign nationals to be among the victims,” local police commander Frederic Gisler said. They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire”, Axel, a witness, told the Italian media outlet Local Team. The canton’s chief prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, said investigators would look into whether the bar met safety standards and had the required number of exits. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian broadcaster Rete 4 that around 15 Italians had been injured in the fire, and a similar number remained missing. The French foreign ministry said nine French citizens figured among the injured, and eight others remained unaccounted for.

A central Auckland home was struck by lightning, causing its roof to burst into flames as thunderstorms hit the region. A Central Auckland home and a Mangawhai home were struck by lightning, resulting in fires as thunderstorms hit the region. Firefighters were called to two separate incidents on Thursday evening: a villa fire in Grey Lynn and a lightning-related blaze in Mangawhai. In Mangawhai, Fire and Emergency crews responded after a lightning strike caused a fire that blew a fuse board. Earlier, in central Auckland, Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews were called to a property on Home St in Grey Lynn about 5.30pm.

Photo: RNZAn Ikea shopper who tried to buy a set of dining chairs was left fuming after the order was cancelled - except for the stickers on the bottom of the chairs, which still carried a $69 delivery fee. Per their app recommendation, I added stickers ($1.25) for the legs of the chairs to prevent these from scratching the floor. Earlier last month it said it would shut its customer support centre for a period to focus on resolving outstanding issues. Ikea said in a statement that it had made significant progress in resolving the majority of cases and delivering outstanding customer orders since it opened. "We remain fully committed to constantly improving our processes to consistently deliver the reliable experience customers expect from Ikea."

Neighbourly is temporarily unavailable following a potential data breach. Photo: ScreenshotWebsite Neighbourly has been temporarily taken down following claims of a data breach. A Neighbourly spokesperson said on Thursday it became aware of claims of a breach of its members' data. The spokesperson said Neighbourly and an external data security team are investigating the claims. Neighbourly said it could not confirm if a breach had occurred, but no demands had been made to Stuff Group directly.

Daniel Hu, also known as Jun Jin, was the main target in Operation Martinez and was kept under surveillance. This Bentley was one of eight luxury cars valued at a total of $1 million seized during Operation Martinez. Photo / NZ PoliceThe settlement assumes the restrained property is relationship property. Surveillance during what police dubbed Operation Martinez showed Hu meeting furtively with criminals, often in carparks, where he was handed large sums of cash. However, he also admitted to four counts of money laundering.

The jewel is Tiwai Island, a “sanctuary of rare flora and fauna”, largely untouched by humans, a Unesco World Heritage Site and top of Intrepid Travel’s Not Hot List. That’s their “call to action to curious travellers”, highlighting 10 places ready to welcome travellers in 2026. Mostly because you’re into nature, culture and adventure, with mountain trails, wildlife safaris – including gorilla trekking – and unforgettable beaches. Adventurous travellers should add gorilla trekking in Cameroon and Rwanda to their travel wish-lists for 2026. Uzbekistan is the most tourist friendly due to its ancient cities, such as Samarkand and Bukhara (Unesco World Heritage sites), but each stan offers a unique experience.

The Te Huia train from Hamilton to Auckland was another customer, and Inter-Weave also did business with a customer supplying Cessna. Some of what was being produced was a combination of Australian and New Zealand wool, while other products were 100% New Zealand wool. The campaign promoted the use of New Zealand wool. Kara Biggs, Campaign for Wool NZ general manager, said the group wanted more New Zealand wool in homes, offices and aircraft. “The largest order we ever got was for the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

Police are investigating an unexplained death in the suburb of Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Police are investigating an unexplained death at a Devonport property, which has left neighbours shocked. The death occurred in the suburb of Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore late on New Year’s Day. Multiple neighbours told the Herald they understood the home’s owners were a couple in their 60s who were not at the property at the time of the incident.