Neighbours in shock after teen charged with elderly woman's murder
A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder and two charges of assault in a family relationship in relation to the incident. Emergency services were called to an address on Burnham School Road about 3.05am after a report of disorder. RNZ understands a relative of the 19-year-old called police after she was allegedly assaulted and she barricaded herself in a room. They then found an elderly woman's body at the property. Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said in a statement that a 19-year-old had been charged with murder and two counts of assault in a family relationship.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 21:21 UTC
Regurgitator (AUS) Announce JUKEBOXXIN’ Aotearoa 2026 Tour
Giants of Australian alt-rock, Regurgitator's oeuvre now spans more than three decades of genre-smashing anthems, stretching across eleven studio records so far. Following the phenomenon of juke-bots comes REGURGITATOR’s magnum opus - a convergence of time relative to three decades of cataloguing creativity and inspiring match fitness. Tests revealed sugar is sweet so we are now extending this tour deep into 2026. Blister packin’ energy tracked in cycles of repetition — single after single after single adds up to some decent multitudes. Also of note — album #6 LOVE AND PARANOIA (2007) has finally been pressed on vinyl and is expected imminently.
Source:Stuff
January 26, 2026 21:04 UTC
In Loving Memory of Max – Supporting Hannah Furse & Family
As so many of you would have seen in the media- our good friend Hannah Furse and her family are facing an unimaginable loss. Max was deeply loved, and his loss has left a hole in the hearts of his family, friends, and everyone who knew him. In the midst of their grief, Hannah and her family are now also faced with practical pressures no family should have to carry at such a time. This Givealittle page has been created to wrap support around Hannah and her family—so they can focus on grieving, remembering Max, and being together, without the added stress of financial burden. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing this page and keeping Hannah, her family, and Max in your thoughts.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 20:43 UTC
Hundreds of high-ranking police heading back to front line under new initiative
Photo / Tim Cuff“You can expect to see all staff of all ranks out and about, being present, being visible. Getting senior cops on the job will give frontline staff more opportunities to focus on high priority jobs. File photo / Martin SykesThe FSM is also hoped to free up core frontline staff, giving them more time to attend both priority and critical events. Before officers are able to do frontline work, they must undergo compulsory refresher training, which most staff have now completed. “There’s a day’s worth of first aid training, there’s a day’s worth of physical tactics training.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 20:02 UTC
Election 2026 campaign teams: Who is running National, Labour, Greens, Act, and NZ First’s fight for votes
LabourSpearheading Labour’s effort to return to government will be campaign manager Beth Houston. As a former deputy vice-president of the party, Houston was heavily involved in the successful 2017 general election campaign. She would be supported by deputy campaign manager and field manager Alex O’Connor, who had previously worked as a Labour advisor. Photo / Mark MitchellLabour is expected to receive support from its sister parties, primarily the Australian Labor Party but also the British Labour Party. Te Pāti Māori did not share details of its campaign staff prior to publication.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 19:32 UTC
Arrest made in relation to Burnham homicide
One person has been arrested as police launch a homicide investigation into the death of a woman in Burnham. Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said emergency services were called to a Burnham School Rd address at about 3.05am after a report of disorder. After arriving at the property, police located the body of a woman, Det Sgt Simmons said. "One person has been arrested and is assisting police with our enquiries." RNZ reported a 19-year-old will appear in court on Tuesday afternoon in relation to the Burnham homicide.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 19:13 UTC
Boost for NZ First and Labour in RNZ poll
The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll results, if replicated on polling day, would return the coalition government to power with a narrow majority of 61 seats. Photo: RNZNew Zealand First has climbed into third place in the latest RNZ poll, recording its strongest result in the Reid Research series in more than eight years. The RNZ-Reid Research poll, published Tuesday, also showed NZ First's Winston Peters leaping up the preferred prime minister ranks, closing the gap on the Labour and National leaders. Labour remained out in front on 35%, up 0.7 points since September, while National slipped to 31.9%, down 0.6. ACT leader David Seymour told RNZ his party started election year in a "very comfortable position" and he intended to build on it.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 18:36 UTC
Mount Maunganui landslide: Were warnings missed? A timeline of who knew what and when
Campers are seen on the roof of the ablution block at the Mount Maunganui campground immediately after Thursday's landslide. Dre Kumeroa, who is from Mount Maunganui but lives in Canberra, was in town for a holiday with his partner and children. Eastern region lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell in front of the Mount Maunganui Surf Club. Rotorua woman Sue Knowles is one of the six people believed to have been killed by the Mount Maunganui landslide. A steady flow of people come to pay their respects at the Mount Maunganui cordon.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 18:21 UTC
'Really disrespectful': People circumventing cordons to walk up Mount Maunganui
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Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 18:17 UTC
New RNZ-Reid Research poll brings boost for NZ First, Labour
Photo: RNZNew Zealand First has climbed into third place in the latest RNZ poll, recording its strongest result in the Reid Research series in more than eight years. The RNZ-Reid Research poll, published Tuesday, also showed NZ First's Winston Peters leaping up the preferred prime minister ranks, closing the gap on the Labour and National leaders. Labour remained out in front on 35 percent, up 0.7 points since September, while National slipped to 31.9 percent, down 0.6. NZ First had the biggest bump in support, jumping 1.1 points, to hit 9.8 percent, its highest result with Reid Research since July 2017. This poll of 1000 people was conducted by Reid Research, using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 18:05 UTC
NZ’s most embarrassing tech disasters, Part 4
Jump – soon to be rebranded Lime after the pair’s merger – already had a contract with the Auckland Council. Instead, the tech giant was trying to convey that its Auckland data centre “region” (AWS-speak for a cluster of at least three independently powered data centres) was, in the company’s words, “now open”. The tech giant did say its original claims – a $7.5b spend, 1000 jobs and $10.8b added to NZ’s GDP – all still stood. CDC’s entire revenue for the year to June 2025, from 20 data centres across New Zealand and Australia (its major market) was A$533m ($612m). Data centres are highly automated, requiring only a few dozen staff.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 26, 2026 17:33 UTC
Cars banished in trial
PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHThe closure of a 1.8km section of Dunedin’s Town Belt, between Queens Dr and Braid Rd, for three months began yesterday. The Dunedin City Council has closed the road to motorists to trial a pedestrian and cyclist-only area. If successful, the closure could be made permanent. The council said it would be creating space for food trucks as well as areas designated for activities such as yoga and table tennis. The trial will run until April 19.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 17:05 UTC
Owner forced to close due to surgery complications
Infinite Clothing co-owner Rose Fisk says her nearly 15-year career as a second-hand clothing retailer in Dunedin will soon be over. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYHealth complications and surgery wait times have forced the owner of a Dunedin second-hand clothing store to give up her dream job. Infinite Clothing co-owner Rose Fisk, a seasoned second-hand clothing retailer of about 15 years, said the back surgery she had last year had resulted in too many complications for her to continue working. She was "absolutely devastated" by the closure and confirmed the second-hand clothing store would be her last. It had also not done so well for the 13 weeks she was away for emergency surgery last year.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 17:05 UTC
Duty free cost NZ $96m tax revenue
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDDuty-free tobacco sales in New Zealand’s international airports means up to $96 million of tax revenue has not made it to key parts of the country’s health system, including programmes aimed at reducing smoking, new research shows. However, people travelling internationally can avoid paying the excise tax or GST by buying their tobacco products at airport duty-free stores. This undermined New Zealand’s goals to reduce smoking because it prevented the country from earning between $60m and $96m in tax revenue, between 2015 and 2024. Prof Hoek said the revenue could have been used to support key parts of the New Zealand health system. "It is illogical to subsidise tobacco sales when the revenue could do so much to help people in need.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 17:05 UTC
Flying Finley finds gold in Aspen
Finley Melville Ives, of Wanaka, soars to gold in the men’s ski superpipe at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, yesterday. PHOTO: MIKE YOSHIDA"I’m sorry, world, but Finley Melville Ives has arrived." Mind you, he and his broadcasting crew were running out of words to describe the phenomenal performance of Melville Ives in the final event of the X Games at Aspen yesterday. Melville Ives led from the first of his three runs, getting better each time down the massive pipe in front of thousands of screaming fans. Gold for Melville Ives followed gold and silver for Luca Harrington, two silvers for Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and silver for Rocco Jamieson as the New Zealanders completed an outstanding X Games campaign.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 26, 2026 16:09 UTC