Neighbourly gets injunction to stop release of hacked information
Photo: ScreenshotThe owner of a hacked social media platform says they have a court injunction to stop private information being released. Stuff Limited owns Neighbourly and co-owns the Stuff news website, which is reporting they have been granted a High Court injunction to stop the information being shared. The Neighbourly website was temporarily shut down on New Year's Day when the breach was discovered but is back online. An IT security expert has previously told RNZ that the hack has included GPS details which could identify people's homes. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Source:Stuff
January 05, 2026 21:41 UTC
Chch start-up aspires to build in Southland
PHOTOS: ASPIRING MATERIALSChristchurch start-up Aspiring Materials is looking at building a manufacturing plant in Southland converting olivine rock from nearby quarries into valuable materials such as magnesium metal. Christchurch start-up Aspiring Materials’ pilot mineral extraction plant launched in Bromley last March (above and below). "It all points to Southland being the home of Aspiring Materials in the future." Working to provide cleaner energy are Aspiring Materials co-founder Dr Chris Ozes, left, US billionaire and clean energy investor Bill Gates and Aspiring Materials chief executive Mark Chadderton. The Aspiring process produces nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) hydroxides which are essential for making lithium-ion batteries.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 21:33 UTC
Period on sideline for Georgeson
PHOTO: ODT FILESVolts captain Luke Georgeson will be sidelined for an indefinite period in the Super Smash. Volts coach Josh Tasman-Jones yesterday confirmed the skipper had suffered a side strain and would need some time to recover. "I hope I haven’t put the mockers on him but he’s got off to a good start in every game," Tasman-Jones said. "It was a fantastic game of cricket, and there were periods when we played some really good cricket. "You get a decent crowd on a summer’s evening watching a really good game of cricket, and everyone kind of leaves feeling a bit deflated when it’s a tie.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 21:33 UTC
Meghan Markle plans As Ever cookbook after With Love TV show success
Speaking to author and lifestyle creator Courtney Adamo for a Godmothers Bookstore livestream, Meghan explained: “It demystifies. People walk in and go, ‘Oh, she’s in this with me.’ And what are they drawn to? She said: “I love people being able to serve themselves, and having things on the stove that everyone can help themselves to. “I always have music on in the background.”When she travels, Meghan always takes along a portable speaker so she can play music, and a scented candle. She said: “We were meant to fly [to Chicago] but here’s why we didn’t: because 9/11 happened on that same day.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 21:17 UTC
Crews battling blaze at Mosgiel building
Fire crews were called to the Mosgiel building about 9am today. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYFire crews are battling a blaze in a two-storey industrial building in Mosgiel. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said four fire trucks, a heavy aerial appliance and a command unit were called to Silverstream Business Park about 9am today. The fire was located in the roof of the commercial building, about 20m by 50m in size. At this stage, the fire was contained and a heavy aerial appliance was being used to establish better access to the building.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 21:16 UTC
New strategy would no longer broadly recommend shots for flu, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus and meningitis
“We are aligning the US childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent,” Kennedy said in a statement. Officials said coverage in private plans, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programme wouldn’t be affected by the new recommendations. The first category includes vaccines recommended for all children, such as to protect against measles and polio and whooping cough. The second category encompasses vaccines recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations, such as RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and meningitis. Danish health officials also questioned the US following its lead.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 20:58 UTC
Gordon Ramsay was a ‘hot mess’ before daughter Holly’s wedding speech
Gordon Ramsay and daughter Holly Ramsay Peaty sharing a father-daughter dance at Holly's wedding. Photo / Instagram, @hollyramsaypeatyBefore the wedding, Gordon’s daughter Tilly Ramsay, 24, spent time with her father to ensure his speech was spot on, and she revealed it “made everybody cry”. Newlyweds Holly and Adam Ramsay Peaty. “It was a big day for all of us!”Gordon and Tilly also revealed Holly wore her mum Tana Ramsay’s wedding dress as one of three bridal outfits on her big day. Photo / Instagram, @hollyramsaypeatyTilly joked: “Let her do it Dad, it doesn’t matter.”Gordon replied: “I know but three times?
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 20:54 UTC
Oil tankers enter ‘dark mode’ to flee Venezuela
At least 16 sanctioned oil tankers have fled Venezuela in an effort to evade a US navy blockade of the country. The ships, most of which were loaded with Venezuelan crude and fuel, departed the country’s waters in “dark mode” and were spoofing their locations, making it appear as though they are thousands of miles away. The deceptive tactics appear to be part of a coordinated attempt to bypass American naval forces in the region and could open the door for US military action at sea. The ships, which had been in or near Venezuelan ports in recent weeks, had all left by Saturday in the wake of president Nicholas Maduro’s capture by US forces, according to satellite images and ship-tracking data. Donald Trump insisted that an oil embargo on Venezuela was in “full force”, yet the tankers still took the risky decision to leave port.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 20:36 UTC
Letters: New Zealand needs to speak out against US actions in Venezuela
My home country and others in the region have been destroyed by the drug trade through Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and others. The once-mighty United States invades Venezuela? So, without declaration of war, America has attacked and invaded Venezuela, “captured” Maduro, who is to stand “trial” in New York, and Venezuela will now be “run” by the United States. Was the Fifa Peace Prize simply meant to placate a toddler who fawns over awards, medals and glittery things like gold-painted ornaments? There goes the peace prizeThere goes any hope of the Nobel Peace Prize for the Orange Overweight Geriatric in Washington.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 20:36 UTC
Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris marks six years sober with emotional Instagram message
“If you’ve got this s*** of anything of the sort, you’re not alone,” she said. “Hang in there and if no one’s told you they love you today, I love you.”Fans expressed their pride and appreciation in the comment section. Another commenter commended Jackson’s bravery, saying she does not “realise how much you help others when you share such vulnerability”. “You were born into something totally out of your control ... but you’re still here with us despite the trauma,” they continued. “Today marks five years clean and sober from all drugs and alcohol,” she wrote.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 20:30 UTC
Herald morning quiz: January 6
The American M4 tank was better known by what other name? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. The American M4 tank was better known by what other name? Test your general knowledge with the Herald’s morning quiz. Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for tomorrow’s morning quiz.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 19:36 UTC
Man United coach Ruben Amorim sacked after 14-month reign
Current under-18s coach Darren Fletcher, a former United midfielder and technical director between 2021 and 2024, will take charge of the team against struggling Burnley on Wednesday. The BBC said the club were planning to appoint a caretaker boss for the rest of the season. And he made a string of eye-catching comments after Sunday’s draw at Elland Rd, where he stressed he was United’s manager rather than “just the coach”. He had the worst win ratio (32%), the worst goals-conceded-per-game ratio (1.53) and the lowest clean-sheet ratio (15%) of any United boss in the Premier League. His exit leaves the club searching for their seventh permanent manager since the retirement of Alex Ferguson, who left as a Premier League champion in 2013.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 19:28 UTC
Coroner wants internet restrictions, after teen dies imitating online acts
A coroner is urging internet restrictions after a teenager died imitating online acts. Photo / Getty ImagesBy RNZA coroner is calling for restrictions on the internet, after a teenager accidentally died while imitating acts he saw online. An inquest by Coroner Michael Robb found the Bay of Plenty teen had become interested in violent pornography and had made “troubling” internet searches the day before his death in 2024. He was found dead, after disappearing overnight, and Coroner Robb believed he had attempted to imitate what he had seen on the internet. “I consider he [was] in some way endeavouring to mirror what he had seen in the internet searches in some kind of experimental or exploration context,” his report said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 19:26 UTC
Alleged Bondi shooter Naveed Akram moved to Goulburn Supermax prison
Akram has been charged with 59 offences, including commit terrorist act, 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of cause wounding with intent to murder. In a statement of facts prepared by investigators, police say CCTV footage captures two males, alleged to be Naveed Akram and his father Sajid Akram, arriving at the carpark near Archer Park, Bondi Beach, about 9.30pm on December 12. It is alleged the men parked their vehicle and walked over the same footbridge where the alleged mass shooting unfolded. Retired Senior Constable Wayne Jackson spent more than 30 years with the NSW Police Force including time in the registry. “How can police on the ground realistically keep up with safe storage inspections and the broader policing of firearms?” he said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 05, 2026 19:26 UTC
Deadline arrives for health portal ransom
Photo: SuppliedThe deadline has arrived for the ransom being demanded after hundreds of thousands of medical files were stolen from New Zealand's largest patient portal. The hacker has not leaked any further data after the deadline for the ransom had passed. Manage My Health said late yesterday, ahead of the deadline, that any ransom demand was a matter for police. "However, our priority was to secure patient data and work on the accuracy of all information before providing it to practices and patients." "From my perspective, health data is right up there with financial data, some of the most critical data that needs to be protected," he said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 05, 2026 19:12 UTC