Lulu Sun to miss ASB Classic
Lulu Sun is out with a wrist injury. Photo: Getty ImagesNew Zealand tennis star Lulu Sun has had to withdraw from next week's ASB Classic with a wrist injury. Sun was expected to be one of the big attractions for the tournament in Auckland, but said an injured wrist had not recovered in time. "Definitely not the way I wanted to start the new year but since Guangzhou I have been struggling with a wrist injury following a neck injury," the 24-year-old said in an Instagram post. When her entry for the Auckland tournament was announced in September, Sun enthused about returning to play at home.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 19:39 UTC
Two people dead after ‘water-related incident’ at Ripirō Beach near Dargaville
Police responded to the incident in Northland on Saturday evening. Two people dead after ‘water-related incident’ at Ripirō Beach near DargavillePolice responded to the incident in Northland on Saturday evening. Photo / Sue TaylorTwo people have died at a Northland beach in a “water-related incident”. A police spokesperson said they received a report that two men could be seen struggling in the water at Ripirō Beach between Mahuta Gap and Glinks Gully at about 6.50pm yesterday. “Our thoughts are with their family and friends during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 19:23 UTC
NZ Herald Best Beach 2026: Hibiscus Coast noms
The NZ Herald’s annual New Zealand’s Best Beach competition is taking votes again for 2026, and nominations are open now at nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach. You can nominate one contender for each category, and nominations stay open until the end of Sunday, January 11. Last year, Waipu Cove effectively emerged as the new overall best beach, winning both Best Family Beach and Best Camping Beach and placing second in Best Surf Beach. The 2025 Best City Beach went to Mount Maunganui (Main Beach), with Ōrewa in second place, after Ōrewa won the Best City Beach category in 2023. For Coasties, it’s a simple moment to pop in, scroll the categories, and put forward your favourite Hibiscus Coast beaches across as many categories as you can.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 19:01 UTC
Rule changes we’d love to see in sport: Part 3
However, it was not designed to rule out perfectly good goals because someone’s shoulder, knee or toenail is ahead of the last defender. – Michael BurgessRugby: Out of the boxProposed change: Rugby players can call “mark” for a fair catch anywhere in their own half. There’s a nuclear option for this rule change: let players take fair catch marks anywhere on the field. Proposed change: Session breaks in test cricket both 30 minutes. Photo / PhotosportRugby: End the endless advantageProposed change: Instate a limit to the advantage rule in rugby union.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 18:03 UTC
Expert warns Auckland teen violence driven by social media and peer pressure as parents urge action
Chatwin said the factors that motivated teenagers to commit violent crimes were multifaceted and should be addressed to combat the issue. Some of the factors included abuse, a history of violence, family circumstances and involvement with drugs and alcohol. We are seeing them posted to social media where people look and laugh and then try to simulate these horrifying acts. Police told the Herald they located the group of offenders a short time later in Beachlands and they were taken into custody. The mother said the group of offenders allegedly fled and committed another assault and theft only days later.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 17:34 UTC
NZ’s Best Beach 2026: Bret McKenzie, Dai Henwood, Hilary Barry and more share their favourites
Fern SutherlandBack Beach, Taranaki, is my favourite beach. My favourite beach memories involve pōhutukawa trees blooming in the summertime. Ōpito Bay in the Coromandel is NZ's best beach, according to Shortland Street's Jane Wills. Jane Wills plays Phil Grayson in Shortland Street on TVNZ2 and TVNZ+Jason ReevesMy favourite beach would be Waihī Beach. Nominate your favourite beaches in our five categories: Best Family Beach, Best Surf Beach, Best City Beach, Best Hidden Gem Beach and Best Camping Beach.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 17:33 UTC
Winston Peters says NZ ‘concerned’ by US strike on Venezuela as Maduro lands in US
The US President spoke to media after a US military operation to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from the country. Video / AFPWinston Peters says NZ ‘concerned’ by US strike on Venezuela as Maduro lands in USLoad moreSign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 17:29 UTC
MetService forecast: Thunderstorms linger but North Island weather improving
The North Island has experienced widespread thunderstorms since the start of the New Year. Multiple severe thunderstorm warnings were in place across the upper North Island yesterday, with hail and lightning strikes causing havoc in Auckland. The rest of the North Island should see a mainly fine and cloudy day today, with some isolated showers possible. Hail fell across parts of the North Island yesterday, including in Auckland's North Shore. Moving into Monday, MetService has predicted a mainly fine day for the North Island, with scattered showers from Northland to Coromandel Peninsula.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 16:55 UTC
Tribesmen drug syndicate busted
While he was flaunting his wealth and bragging about his status, his minions were kept busy operating the multimillion-dollar meth and cocaine supply network out of Christchurch. He was responsible primarily for sourcing significant quantities of the drugs from organised criminal groups in Auckland and elsewhere. They came to an end in late 2023 when the group were busted as part of Operation Italian Sky. The national vice-president of the Tribesmen Motorcycle gang was in custody as the operation identified 11 members and associates of the Tribesmen operating a meth and cocaine supply network. Associates and prospects are predominantly the workers of the group, completing drug runs and selling drugs at the direction of patched members.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 15:18 UTC
Kiwi baritone Chris Bruerton on quitting the King’s Singers and coming home
Patrick Dunachie, Edward Button, Julian Gregory, Christopher Bruerton, Nick Ashby and Piers Connor Kennedy make up the King's Singers current line-up. His humble nature and his committed work ethic speak to his Canterbury upbringing, of which Bruerton is eternally grateful for. Through countless Evensongs and Choral Eucharists, he followed the footsteps of his big brother at the prestigious Canterbury Choral School and proceeded to take every choral singing opportunity he could. He’d soon be swapping Christchurch for Christ Church, Oxford, where, after a few years, an out-of-the-blue email to audition for the King’s Singers arrived. It was a very special place.”Bruerton is especially excited to perform in the revamped Town Hall on his final Kiwi tour with the singers.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 03, 2026 14:40 UTC
Driver crashes on North Otago beach
A person has been taken to hospital in a moderate condition after their car left the road, crashing onto a North Otago beach. A Fire and Emergency spokesman said crews from Palmerston and Hampden responded to the incident on State Highway 1, near Hillgrove, about 12.50pm today. Initial reports had been of a more serious incident, but the single occupant was not trapped, the spokesman said. A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said one patient, in moderate condition, was being transported to Dunedin Hospital. A police spokeswoman said it appeared there was no significant road blockage at this stage.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 13:44 UTC
Person critically injured in ambulance collision
Photo: ODT filesOne person has been critically injured in a crash involving an ambulance and a car in Northland. The St John ambulance had two officers on board, transporting a patient in a moderate condition from Mangawhai Heads to Whangārei Hospital. One ambulance officer was treated for moderate injuries and taken to Whangārei Hospital, along with a person in a critical condition. The other officer and the patient on the ambulance were not injured in the crash, and the patient was transported to hospital by another ambulance. "Hato Hone St John takes the health and safety of the public and our people very seriously.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 12:02 UTC
Elon Musk's Grok AI floods X with sexualized photos of women and minors
Reuters has also identified several cases where Grok created sexualized images of children. When one X user said their social media feed resembled a bar packed with bikini-clad women, Musk replied, in part, with another laugh-cry emoji. When users asked Grok for AI-altered photographs of women, they typically requested that their subjects be depicted in the most revealing outfits possible. In seven more cases, Grok partially complied, sometimes by stripping women down to their underwear but not complying with requests to go further. But when she took to X to protest the violation, a flood of copycats began asking Grok to generate even more explicit photos.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 11:50 UTC
ManageMyHealth says code fixed after hack
Photo: SuppliedThe operators of compromised patient data app ManageMyHealth say they have received "independent confirmation" from IT experts the flaws in its code have been fixed. On Saturday it said just one part of the app - Health Documents - had been accessed by hackers, and not the whole app. "This is a concerning breach of patient data and Health NZ is working closely with ManageMyHealth to ensure it is being appropriately addressed," he said. "At this stage, there is no evidence any Health NZ systems, including My Health Account, have been compromised as ManageMyHealth has separate systems." ManageMyHealth said it was working with the police, Health NZ and the privacy commissioner, and setting up a dedicated 0800 number and online helpdesk to help affected patients.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 11:22 UTC
Scrutiny turns to safety set-up at Swiss bar
A woman places a candle outside the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana after the deadly fire in southwestern Switzerland. Photo: ReutersScrutiny is intensifying over safety arrangements at a Swiss bar that burst into flames during a New Year's Eve party, killing at least 40. Witnesses reported seeing staff at the Le Constellation bar carrying so-called fountain candles atop bottles of champagne, and questions have also arisen about a foam material used to soundproof the ceiling of the basement where revellers danced. Local residents said the bar was popular with young people and the Swiss government said many of the dead were likely youths. One of them, Ashley Hauri, 23, said just before the fire broke out she had been on the verge of going to Le Constellation to catch up with friends.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 03, 2026 11:12 UTC