Breakers bag crucial victory in overtime
Parker Jackson-Cartwright has piloted the Breakers to a crucial overtime win against mid-table NBL rivals Tasmania JackJumpers to snap a three-game losing streak. But Breakers guard Jackson-Cartwright (17 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, four steals) stayed calm and forward Sam Mennenga (20 points, seven rebounds) had six quick points to begin the extra period in a victory that ensured they didn't fall three wins behind the sixth-placed JackJumpers. The visitors scored the game's first seven points and led by as many as 10, before 100-game milestone man Nick Marshall led the response for the JackJumpers. JackJumpers coach Scott Roth couldn't put a finger on why his side had struggled against the Breakers this season. "Some crazy turnovers - unforced, self-inflicted wounds - and we fell in love with the three-point line and didn't attack the rim enough.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 27, 2025 09:12 UTC
Kyiv explosions as Russia launches missile and drone attack on capital
NZ Herald Headlines | Saturday, December 27, 2025. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Kyiv explosions as Russia launches missile and drone attack on capitalSeveral powerful explosions rocked Kyiv as authorities warned that the Ukrainian capital was under threat of missile attack. AFP journalists in Kyiv heard several loud explosions, some accompanied by bright flashes that lit the horizon orange. Nearly three hours later, Kyiv’s regional military administration said that air defences had been activated due to the approach of a drone.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 05:29 UTC
Kim Dotcom stroke recovery: Entrepreneur shares rehab video update
Photo / Kim DotcomOne clip shows Dotcom completing the Purdue Pegboard Test, a task used to assess fine motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination and manual dexterity. The video signs off with a “season’s greetings” message with photos of him and his family. If not I will ask you for your help.”Dotcom thanked his family, healthcare workers and rehabilitation experts for supporting his recovery. Dotcom first revealed he had become wheelchair-bound some two months after the stroke. The United States Justice Department pressed charges against Dotcom, including criminal copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 05:26 UTC
US TikToker asks for donations after fatally hitting a pedestrian while livestreaming
At the time of the crash, McCarty-Wroten called 911 and told responding officers the traffic light had been green when she passed through the intersection. Darren Lucas was tragically struck and killed in November as he walked home from his job in a local grocery store. But a screen recording that purportedly captured McCarty-Wroten’s livestream of the accident began circulating on TikTok on November 7, ABC 7 reported. Investigators quickly confirmed the authenticity of the clip and pulled surveillance footage that showed the traffic light was red at the time of the collision. King told the Guardian “the family and myself are glad to see the wheels of justice moving” in relation to McCarty-Wroten‘s arrest.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 05:19 UTC
Kiwi woman with terminal cancer turns dream trips into ‘death rules’ mission
Hayley Killalea had to cut her dream trip down to a month but managed to visit France, the US and Canada. Hayley had 18 rounds of radiation on her buttock before the tumour was removed through surgery. Photo / Woman's DayA popular video that has received more than 500,000 views shows Hayley sharing her “death rules”. “I’m still bewildered this is my reality, but I’m really grateful for all my experiences with the people I love. I’ve had the best time.”Sarcomas are often misdiagnosed as a benign lump, sporting injury or growing pains in young people.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 04:28 UTC
Obituary: Richard Sharp, rugby player
England rugby fly-half Richard Sharp, February 18, 1960. Photo: Getty ImagesDashing former England captain Richard Sharp was not only a sports star; he lent his name to author Bernard Cornwell’s Napoleonic hero Richard Sharpe. Born in India and raised in England, Sharp grew up in Redruth and made his name at the Cornish town’s club before representing Wasps and Bristol. Described as an elegant fly-half, Sharp is regularly featured in any discussion of England’s best ever first-five. While playing rugby, Sharp also rose through the ranks of the armed forces, becoming an officer in the Royal Marines.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 27, 2025 03:35 UTC
Letters to the Editor: marine reserves, cycling and the Hyde Hotel
Abundant sealife in the Goat Island marine reserve. Photo: Getty ImagesToday's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including expanding Otago's marine reserves, closing Maori Rd to all but cyclists, and the historic Hyde Hotel. Finally, marine reserves, but more are requiredIt is just over 50 years since New Zealand’s first marine reserve was created at Goat Island and finally we are going to get a few in Otago. Alan BeckDunedinFormer owner backs newbiesRe your article on the Hyde Hotel (Opinion ODT 16.12.25) written by Jim Sullivan. Ngaire SutherlandPrevious owner, Hyde HotelAddress Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 27, 2025 03:33 UTC
Dramatic rescue after sandbar flips fishing boat
They roll into Raglan and as daylight breaks on November 1, they launch the gamefishing boat with Teague at the helm. Rescuers on the scene after the boat was tipped over on the Raglan Bar. At 10.12am, Coastguard Raglan was alerted to a report of a capsized boat on the Raglan Bar. The first rescue jetski hit the water within 10 minutes, followed by a second jetski and a rescue boat. A couple of minutes later, their inflatable rescue boat (IRB) was on the water speeding towards the bar.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 02:54 UTC
Manukau Harbour boat rescue: Police praise well prepared fishermen
Police said the fishermen did everything right. All three men were located by Eagle not long afterwards and were safely taken aboard the rescue hovercraft about 1.30am. Sergeant Jesse Jenden from the Auckland Police Maritime Unit said the fishermen “did everything right”, which helped in their rescue. “We’re happy these fishermen did all the right things when heading out on the water,” Jenden said. Photo / NZ PoliceThe family of the fishermen said they were in good spirits once they were back on shore.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 00:45 UTC
Perry Bamonte, long-time The Cure guitarist and keyboardist, dies at 65
Perry Bamonte, who played guitar and other instruments in The Cure, has died after a short illness. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Perry Bamonte, long-time The Cure guitarist and keyboardist, dies at 65The Cure’s long-time guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte has died aged 65. In a statement posted on their website, the English band announced with “enormous sadness” Bamonte had died over Christmas following a short illness. “Quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm hearted and vital part of The Cure story.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 27, 2025 00:02 UTC
NZ Herald reporter Ben Francis on darts popularity rise and the best championship players
NZ Herald reporter Ben Francis spoke to Hamish McKay from the World Darts Championship in London to give updates on the most promising players, and the rise in popularity darts is experiencing. "The amount of people that are starting to play darts now is amazing. Darts, if you look at some of the numbers at Sky Sports, and this is in the UK for example, it's the 2nd most-watched sport behind the Premier League football," he said. LISTEN ABOVE
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 26, 2025 23:44 UTC
What immigrants notice and value most about life in New Zealand – Cecilia Robinson
They come for many reasons: adventure, opportunity, family, curiosity or a sense that life could be lived differently here. In my case, my parents did as well, choosing to make Aotearoa home and becoming immigrants to these beautiful shores. Not every country offers that. I can picture the life my children might have had elsewhere, including in Sweden, but I would not choose it over what New Zealand offers. Opportunity knocksNew Zealand continues to attract people not just because of policy settings or economic forecasts, but because it captures the imagination.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 26, 2025 23:30 UTC
Top police officers on the beat over the New Year
Commissioner Richard Chambers will be on the beat in Nelson on New Year's Eve, as well as policing at the Rhythm and Vines event in Gisborne. Chambers said it would be a year since Nelson police officer Lyn Fleming was killed and he wanted to support officers who worked with her. Chambers said he recently required all senior sworn staff to get out to help support the frontline. Deputy Commissioner Mike Pannett will take part in frontline duties in Tamaki Makaurau, and Acting Deputy Commissioner Tusha Penny will be in Wellington. Chambers said helping out freed up frontline staff to work on "major investigations" and handle the busy summer period.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 26, 2025 22:44 UTC
First taste of rodeo life for young Dustin
Seven-year-old Dustin Harborne is encouraged by bullfighter Glenn Taylor (left, in red) and his father, Nye Harborne, during his first steer ride at the Millers Flat Rodeo yesterday. Pint-sized and freshly 7 years old, budding cowboy Dustin Harborne had his first taste of the rodeo life after getting chucked on top of a steer and told to hold on. He had his 7th birthday a mere two days before the Millers Flat Rodeo, and the junior steer ride was his first rodeo event. Dustin, of Waimate, did not know what his favourite part about the experience was — he was "thrown around a lot", he said. First-time rodeo competitor Dustin Harborne was excited to have completed in his first steer ride at the Millers Flat Rodeo yesterday.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 26, 2025 21:35 UTC
Adding up stray Xmas pounds and pennies
Interchange fees now sit at 0.3% for credit cards and about 2% for debit cards. Retailers have frequently applied a blanket surcharge to both credit and debit cards. But debit cards should have been cheaper, even cost-free when inserted or swiped. Chief executive Carolyn Young has proposed a "compromise": capping debit surcharges at 0.5% and credit surcharges at 1%. The planned ban would cover Mastercard and Visa, though some foreign-owned credit cards would be exempt.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 26, 2025 21:35 UTC