'Shocked and deeply saddened': Tributes flow for Jules Radich
PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONDunedin city councillor and former mayor Jules Radich has died. Mayor 'shocked and deeply saddened'In a statement this afternoon, Mayor Sophie Barker said she was "shocked and deeply saddened" at the sudden death. "Jules served his first term as Dunedin City Council Councillor between 2019 and 2022 before being elected the 59th Mayor of Dunedin. Taieri MP Ingrid Leary"I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jules Radich earlier today. Business South chief executive Mike Collins"The business community is shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of former Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 04, 2026 19:52 UTC
Three airlifted to hospital after four-vehicle Tekapo crash
Four people have been transported to hospital, three with serious injuries, after a four-vehicle crash west of Tekapo this evening. A police spokesman said the crash between Tekapo Powerhouse Rd and Braemar Rd happened about 7pm. "Three people are reported to have serious injuries, while another has moderate injuries," the spokesman said. Three rescue helicopters responded to the crash and the highway was expected to be closed for some time. A Hato Hone St John spokesman said those with serious injuries had been airlifted to Christchurch Hospital.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 04, 2026 19:48 UTC
Woman waited over 11 hours at ED, not seen by doctor
By Ellen O'Dwyer of RNZHealth New Zealand has apologised to a woman who spent 11-and-a-half hours at Wellington Hospital's emergency department, but was never seen by a doctor. She arrived at the emergency department about 12.30 pm on December 1, talked to reception and saw a triage nurse, she said. After about 11 hours, she said she asked to talk to the charge nurse about the delay in seeing a doctor. She said while she understood some of the pressures Wellington Hospital was under, she felt the communication at Christchurch Hospital was clearer, more understanding and more efficient. The government announced last June Wellington Hospital would receive a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 04, 2026 19:19 UTC
Patients at risk of identity theft, extortion, experts say
By Ruth Hill of RNZThousands of patients caught up in the ManageMyHealth ransomware attack could be at risk of identity theft or extortion, cyber security experts are warning. Many MMH users have been asking the company for an explanation, but they've either ignored them or responded with vague statements." "But it seems the company doesn't care about their users' data." "We know exactly how valuable health data is and how sensitive it can be. It's seen as convenient, but patients don't have a lot of choice."
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 04, 2026 19:19 UTC
ManageMyHealth breach: Patients at risk of identity theft, extortion
Kazu said it had opted for a low-ball ransom demand of $60,000 “to protect the data and quickly close the deal”. “Even if the company doesn’t pay the ransom, we can still find buyers for this data. IT consultant and Hornby community board member Cody Cooper was signed up to ManageMyHealth through his GP. By that they mean ‘If you pay us, we’ll delete the data and you’ll never hear from us again. If you don’t pay us, bad things will happen to you’.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 19:13 UTC
Mt Huxley search for missing tramper Connor Purvis continues today, police have concerns
This morning, police confirmed that the search is continuing today, with Alpine Cliff Rescue and search and rescue teams on the ground. “We ask anyone who has climbed Mt Huxley or has been tramping or hunting in the Huxley River South Branch between December 28 and January 2 to make contact with police if they haven’t already,” Sheat said. A large-scale search over a large area is underway for a missing tramper in the Mt Huxley region of the Southern Alps. A large search is under way for Connor Purvis, a tramper missing near Lake Ōhau. Image / NZ PoliceThe search is being carried out by police search and rescue teams, joined by Land Search and Rescue teams, the Department of Conservation’s alpine rescue team from Aoraki/Mt Cook, and air support from Heliventures in Ōamaru and The Helicopter Line at Mt Cook.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 19:04 UTC
Auckland’s Northwest Busway moves ahead, but still many years and billions of dollars away
The solutionThe Northwest Busway, to be known as Te Ara Hauāuru, will be delivered in three stages. The advocatesAutomobile Association policy director Martin Glynn strongly supported the Northwest Busway as the next priority for Auckland’s rapid-transit network. The Northwest Busway is modelled on the hugely successful Northern Busway. Chris Bishop and Chlöe Swarbrick don't see eye to eye on many issues, but they both support the Northwest Busway. Like the Northern Busway, a Northwest Busway would cut travel times for suburbs north of the rail line, complementing the CRL’s benefits for areas near the Western Line.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 19:02 UTC
Christmas holiday road toll halves again to seven deaths but police say ‘still too many’
Video / NZ HeraldChristmas holiday road toll halves again to seven deaths but police say ‘still too many’The number of road deaths during the Christmas holiday period has decreased for the second year in a row. There were a total of seven deaths recorded for the holiday period which ended at 6am, a sizeable drop from the 15 deaths reported last year, and even further from the 22 deaths during 2023/2024. While the decrease was described as encouraging, director of road policing Superintendent Steven Greally said it was still seven deaths too many. “Seven families have lost loved ones, for no good reason, and instead of being able to celebrate during this holiday season, their lives have been changed forever. “There are many contributing factors to lowering road trauma.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 18:54 UTC
Swiss identify 24 victims of New Year’s fire at ski resort
With Crans-Montana a popular destination for international tourists, many foreign nationals are among those hurt in the blaze. They include 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French – the French foreign ministry gave a tally of 16 on Saturday – 11 Italians, four Serbs, a Belgian, a Bosnian, one person from Luxembourg and also a Pole and a Portuguese. Pastor Gilles Cavin speaks during a Sunday mass for the victims of the fire. Horror and angerThe mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, assured Swiss public broadcaster RTS that there had been no negligence on the municipality’s part. Photo / Maxime Schmid, AFPFor Patricia Mazzoni, a 55-year-old Swiss on holiday in Crans-Montana, what happened is simply incomprehensible:“How is this possible, especially in Switzerland?
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 18:40 UTC
Raising capable teens: The key life skills kids need before moving out of home
But the reality is, they’re busy, they’re tired and they’re probably trying to do things as fast as possible just to get through the day. “Life skills are critically important for our young people to learn. If you’ve got habits that are part of your family, then you’re likely to take those habits through to your own adult life.”How do you teach your kids these life skills? Parents can pass on important life skills by including their kids in everyday activities like laundry or cooking. Maguire suggests shifting your mindset; instead of viewing these things as “boring life admin”, look at them as learning opportunities.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 18:38 UTC
Maduro now in New York jail as Trump says US to ‘run’ Venezuela
US President Donald Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to take control, but gave no further details. “We’re going to be running it [Venezuela] with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly,” Trump said. But Trump indicated US involvement is likely for the long haul, adding to the confusion over how the country would be run. But Trump told the New York Post that “many” Cubans in Maduro’s security detail were killed. Venezuelans demonstrate support for US President Donald Trump and celebrate the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in front of the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC), a federal prison in Brooklyn, New York City, this Sunday, March 4.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 18:37 UTC
We can build big, so why has New Zealand’s pipeline run dry? – Nick Leggett
Photo / Dean PurcellAside from the Roads of National Significance (Rons), the pipeline for the next generation of national mega-projects is alarmingly thin. Stop-start investment, something New Zealand has become infamous for, drives talent offshore and inflates costs when we eventually decide to build again. A lumpy pipeline also undermines our ability to adopt engineering technologies, build institutional knowledge and by consequence, achieve productivity gains. The funding commitment is the most important commitment needed to build a project, particularly a massive one that will go on for many years. Without a pipeline behind them, they are the end of an era rather than the beginning of a new one.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 18:30 UTC
Woman waited 11 hours at Wellington Hospital’s emergency department, was not seen by doctor
Photo / 123rfHer blood tests were taken after several hours, she said, but the pain wasn’t subsiding and she wanted to see a doctor to understand what was going on. She said while she understood some of the pressures Wellington Hospital was under, she felt the communication at Christchurch Hospital was clearer, more understanding and more efficient. Health NZ’s target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours by 2030. The Government announced last June that Wellington Hospital would receive a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces. “We are very sorry for the upset and distress this patient experienced during her visit to Wellington Hospital’s Emergency Department on December 1,” Duncan said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 18:26 UTC
'Be very, very suspicious': Neighbourly breach makes users vulnerable - expert
Photo: ScreenshotPeople who have had their personal information stolen from the Stuff-owned Neighbourly platform could be vulnerable to online threats, a cyber security expert says. Neighbourly has told members it will look to get a court injunction, but it is satisfied the breach was quickly contained. "Bear in mind as well that the people who are impacted by the ManageMyHealth breach and the Neighbourly breach are potentially people who are quite vulnerable and don't understand how to protect themselves. Lives could be put at riskGorilla Technology chief executive Paul Spain said the Neighbourly data breach was "really significant". Spain described the Neighbourly breach as a wake-up call.
Source:Stuff
January 04, 2026 17:59 UTC
Caracas after US strikes oust Maduro: Quiet streets, fear of more attacks
Witnesses spoke of bombings in La Guaira, Caracas’ airport and port, in Maracay to the west, and in Higuerote to the east. Afterwards, Venezuelans soon learned their long-ruling leader Maduro was out. US special forces seized Maduro and took him to face trial in New York. President Donald Trump said no US soldiers died in Saturday’s strikes, but the toll on the Venezuelan side remained unknown. Petro’s Government has warned of a potential humanitarian crisis with migrants pouring over the border from Venezuela.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 04, 2026 17:35 UTC