Letters: Trump’s Nato comment brought tear to my eye as I recalled Dad’s stories from Cassino
But my dad saw it happen, along with thousands of others, and with those thousands of others, went to help the stricken Americans. Just not cricketI watched the third T20 cricket game between India and New Zealand on Sunday night until 1am on Monday. Very exciting but completely strange, as New Zealand took the first India wicket before India scored their first run. Of course, India soon recovered well for an enormous win at exactly the end of the 10th over of New Zealand batting. So, it is no longer a T20 but surely should be called a T10 from now on, perfect common sense.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 23:42 UTC
Running prodigy Ruthe smashes world, NZ mile records
Kiwi teenager Sam Ruthe has smashed the U18 world record for the mile and put the athletics world on notice with a phenomenal run at an indoor meet in Boston. Ruthe's time is also the 11th quickest run indoors by any athlete, although he is still 3.70sec outside the extraordinary world record posted a year ago by Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Sam Ruthe breaks the New Zealand indoor mile record in Boston. Ruthe said it was his first race on an indoor track, as New Zealand didn't have them. The Boston race is the first of four of the mile races Ruthe plans to contest this month, before returning to New Zealand for the national championships in early March.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 31, 2026 23:13 UTC
Major fire rips through luxury Fiordland Lodge
Extensive damage to the roof of Fiordland Lodge could be seen this morning. Photo: SuppliedOne of the owners of the five-star Fiordland Lodge hit by a major fire last night says she's relieved everyone got out "safe and well". Fenz assistant commander Nic McQuillan said they had contained the fire to one wing of Fiordland Lodge, but work was continuing to suppress a flare-up and monitor hotspots this morning. Fiordland Lodge has 10 suites, a restaurant and bar and has hosted numerous celebrities, including Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Virat Kohli and Peter Jackson. Imperium Collection also own multiple hotels in the Queenstown area, including Eichardt's Hotel, The Spire and Pacific Gem.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 31, 2026 22:57 UTC
Kai Co supermarket shakes up Christchurch grocery prices and jobs boom
Ethan Vickery, co-founder of Kai Co Supermarket at the Redwood Supa Centre in Christchurch. “I think we’ve increased our grocery lines by 30% in the three weeks we’ve been open.”It has taken a huge effort to get this far. Ethan Vickery (right) and his uncle Steve (left) at Kai Co supermarket at the Redwood Supa Centre in Christchurch. I think I squealed when she got to my calves.”Ethan Vickery and his father Shane ahead of opening the independent Christchurch supermarket Kai Co in the Northwood Supa Centre. Dad is really good at fixing stuff and he’s quite good with the legal stuff.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 22:30 UTC
12-month prescriptions now available
File photo: Getty ImagesTwelve-month prescriptions for long-term medications take effect from today. Patients can now get a script for up to 12 months of medication - up from three - with their doctor's permission. People with 12-month prescriptions will still need to collect their medication every three months, so the changes will not reduce their overall number of visits. "There has been a decline in the number of pharmacies in New Zealand, and there's a serious workforce issue. "Be kind to your pharmacy if you're popping in to talk about a 12-month script and what to expect, because we're all under a lot of pressure at the moment."
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 31, 2026 22:04 UTC
New Zealand has nothing to gain by publicly demonising the US – Editorial
He is writing from an American perspective, but the same is true from our view in New Zealand. This week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand would not be joining Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza “in its current form”. There is, of course, nothing for New Zealand to gain by admonishing Trump’s idea. We have been lucky enough to have lived in a post-Cold War world where there was just one true superpower. And with it the rules-based order that accompanied it, first established after World War II.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 22:04 UTC
12-month prescriptions begin as pharmacists warn of workload strain
NZ Herald Morning News Update | At least 200 dead in mine collapse in Congo, boat capsizes in Akaroa, Israel kills 28 in Gaza strike. Video / NZ HeraldBy RNZTwelve-month prescriptions for long-term medications take effect from Sunday. Patients can now get a script for up to 12 months of medication – up from three – with their doctor’s permission. People with 12-month prescriptions will still need to collect their medication every three months, so the changes will not reduce their overall number of visits. Some have previously told RNZ that explaining the changes, and getting used to a new system, will only add to their already heavy workload when staff are in short supply.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 21:59 UTC
Man critically injured after being assaulted outside Napier nightclub
NZ Herald Morning News Update | At least 200 dead in mine collapse in Congo, boat capsizes in Akaroa, Israel kills 28 in Gaza strike. Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Man critically injured after being assaulted outside Napier nightclubA man is in hospital after bing critically injured in an early morning assault outside a Napier nightclub. Detective Sergeant Ryan Kemsley said he was taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition. “Police have arrested a 21-year-old man and he is assisting with our investigation,” Kemsley said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 21:58 UTC
South Korea travel guide: Key apps, customs and money tips for first-timers
Download the right apps for smooth travelSmartphone apps can sometimes overcomplicate travel, but in South Korea, certain apps make getting around far easier. Exploring South Korea by foot can be a challenge without the right apps. Some must-visit ones in South Korea include:Bao Haus in Busan: serving Taiwanese cuisine with the best bao buns in town. Photo / UnsplashDon’t travel without a T-Money cardMuch like Wellington’s Snapper card or Auckland’s Hop card, a T-Money card is South Korea’s ticket to everywhere. Escaping the capital for a day trip or weekend getaway is a great way to see what South Korea has to offer.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 21:48 UTC
Young cancer survivor giving back
Cancer survivor Holly Bonney, of Allanton, enjoys a luge ride with camper Emily Kernohan (6) during the Camp Quality summer camp in Queenstown. PHOTOS: SUPPLIEDFrom patient to mentor, the journey has come full circle for a young Taieri cancer survivor. Miss Bonney, of Allanton, said because the medical care began so early, it was "kind of normal" for her. "It is a pretty big deal ... but I don’t really think about it that much," Miss Bonney said. Holly Bonney, of Allanton, is at the Camp Quality summer camp in Queenstown.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 31, 2026 21:46 UTC
Person killed in single-vehicle Gisborne car crash
NZ Herald Morning News Update | At least 200 dead in mine collapse in Congo, boat capsizes in Akaroa, Israel kills 28 in Gaza strike. Video / NZ HeraldAlready a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. One person has died following a single-vehicle crash at Gisborne’s Anaura Bay this morning. The Serious Crash Unit also arrived at the scene.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 21:42 UTC
Mount Maunganui landslide: Max Furse-Kee’s family comforted he spent final days with Sharon Maccanico
Auckland teens Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee attended Pakūranga College together. Furse said the family has been overwhelmed by the messages of love, comfort, and support that have come from across New Zealand and around the world. Max Furse-Kee is one of the six victims of the Mount Maunganui landslide. Sharon’s parents, Natallia and Carmine, said in a statement on Friday that Max was the love of their daughter’s life. The remains of Mount Maunganui landslide victim Sharon Maccanico were formally identified earlier this week.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 21:31 UTC
Kiwi rugby player Joseph ‘Peanut’ Ritchie walks out of hospital after serious spinal injury
Joseph Ritchie (left) walks about of hospital, seven months after a spine injury playing rugby. Photo / 7News / SuppliedA Kiwi rugby player living in Perth has miraculously walked out of hospital, seven months after he fractured his spine in a rugby game and was feared to never walk again. Joseph “Peanut” Ritchie broke his C4 and C3 vertebrae and suffered severe trauma to his spinal cord when a scrum collapsed in the first half of a match between Nedlands Rugby’s third grade team and Joondalup Brothers on June 21. Ritchie, who relocated to Western Australia in 2009, was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital, where he had emergency surgery and was told there was a chance he may never walk again. What made the occasion more special was that Ritchie got to walk out the doors alongside Lachie Glasfurd, who was recovering in the same rehab unit after he also suffered a spinal fracture in a separate incident.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 20:58 UTC
Firefighters battle blaze at luxury Fiordland Lodge
The luxury Fiordland Lodge near Te Anau. Photo: SuppliedA large number of firefighters have worked through the night to contain a fire which broke out at a luxury lodge on the outskirts of Te Anau. Firefighters had initially feared people were still in the building but said everyone had been accounted for. Fenz assistant commander Nic McQuillan said they had contained the fire to one wing of Fiordland Lodge, but work was continuing to suppress a flare-up and monitor hotspots this morning. Fiordland Lodge has 10 suites, a restaurant and bar and has hosted numerous celebrities, including Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Virat Kohli and Peter Jackson.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 31, 2026 20:42 UTC
UN secretary-general says global body is at risk of financial collapse
Trump has said the UN has great “potential” but is not living up to its promise to keep world peace. The UN could run out of cash as early as July, by some accounts, if neither the dues nor the financial system is addressed. Saying he was now pushing to revamp pension and compensation plans, Waltz stressed the importance of the UN to international diplomacy. “There needs to be one place in the world where everyone can talk,” he told the New York Post. “We want that one place in the world to be in the United States, not in Brussels or Beijing.”
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 31, 2026 20:35 UTC