Source: Radio New Zealand

State Highway 57 near Levin is closed at the intersection of Kimberley and Arapaepae South roads following a crash.

The two-car crash that was reported at 7.20pm and police said there were serious injuries.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

After overseeing more than 20,000 festival goers who gathered in Gisborne for Rhythm and Vines, and keeping an eye out for possible boy racer gatherings, Tairāwhiti police say their New Year operation has concluded with multiple arrests and infringement notices.

Area commander Danny Kirk said the past few days had been particularly busy.

He said while festival goers were generally well behaved, four people were arrested for supplying drugs and breaches of bail, possession of an offensive weapon and behaving threateningly.

In Mahia, one person was arrested on New Year’s Eve for breaching bail conditions.

On the roads, Police breath tested approximately 12,000 drivers, with 25 found to be in breach of the rules.

The Police Eagle helicopter was deployed to Gisborne following reports of planned group gatherings linked to anti-social road behaviour.

The Auckland-based helicopter provided aerial support and rapid response across the region.

Kirk said plans for a large gathering were “successfully thwarted” by police.

He said there was no significant issues arising from anti-social road users, although one person was arrested for breach of bail and multiple infringement notices were issued for various offences.

As part of the operation, Police issued a non-operation order to one vehicle and impounded two others.

One person was charged with driving related offences and has been summoned to appear in the Gisborne District Court.

Kirk said police will continue to maintain an increased presence across the region, especially in holiday hotspots.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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Source: Radio New Zealand

ManageMyHealth is expecting to start notifying customers impacted by a data breach within the next 48 hours.

The country’s largest patient information portal on Wednesday confirmed it had identified a cyber security incident involving “unauthorised access” to its platform.

Independent international forensic consultants have been engaged to verify the solution and to determine the extent of the data which is affected.

ManageMyHealth believed between 6 and 7 percent of the approximately 1.8 million registered users may have been impacted.

Earlier, chief executive Vino Ramayah assured users, customers and stakeholders that ManageMyHealth takes the protection of health information “extremely seriously”.

“We understand how personal and sensitive health information is, and we recognise the stress an incident like this can cause. Our team is working hard to identify those affected, and to communicate directly and transparently,” Ramayah said.

Ramayah also stated the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been notified and is working with ManageMyHealth to meet their obligations under privacy legislation.

The police have also been notified of the breach.

A Health New Zealand spokesperson told RNZ it was working “closely” with the app’s operators.

“Health New Zealand is aware of the cyber security incident at ManageMyHealth and is working with them to understand any impacts.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government believes new quotas on beef imports to China are unlikely to have a major impact on New Zealand exporters.

China announced quotas following an investigation into the impacts of imports on its domestic beef industry.

From Thursday, New Zealand will have an annual duty-free quota of just over 200,000 tonnes, potentially worth up to $1.75 billion.

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay said while the quota is larger than those of the past two years, it is nevertheless unwelcome.

McClay said he had made a case to Chinese officials that New Zealand exporters were not harming the Chinese beef market.

“I’ve been able to make the case to my Chinese counterparts on three occasions last year that New Zealand exporters are not harming the Chinese beef market and therefore should not be adversely affected by an safeguard measures.

“Our quota allocation means beef exports under the China NZ FTA are in practice unaffected,” McClay said.

China was New Zealand’s second-largest beef market after the United States.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A search and rescue operation is underway after cries for help were heard near a Dunedin walking track.

In a statement, police said they were appealing for information after receiving reports that someone was yelling for help near the Mackie Dackie track, off Flagstaff-Whare Flat Road in Dunedin earlier on Thursday.

A member of the public called police about 9.30am to report the cries for help as they could not find where the voice was coming from.

“Police have conducted initial enquiries and have walked the Mackie Dackie track but have been unable to hear or see anyone.

“A search and rescue operation is now underway, and police would like to hear from anyone who may have also heard someone in the area yelling for help, or if you know someone who was expected to be walking or biking this track and has not returned home, please get in touch.”

Call 111 and use the reference number P064988218 if you have any information.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A man is facing a number of charges following a crash in Levin just before midnight.

A car was seen driving erratically and crashed in Roosevelt Street, where the police arrested the driver.

The 31-year-old has been charged with failing to stop for police, reckless driving and threatening to kill.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Dunedin woman is urging people to check they are not booking flights through a third-party agency, after her elderly mother paid $1300 for two one-way seats with bags from Wellington.

Penny, who did not want her last name used, said her mother thought she had booked with Air New Zealand directly, but she had actually booked through a website called Gotogate.

If she had booked directly, Penny said she would have saved about $600 on the flights on 3 January, for her and her grandson.

At the time of publication, RNZ found Wellington to Dunedin seat and bag fares on the Air New Zealand website for $436 per person.

“Normally, she’s really, really careful about these sorts of things. She’s aware of internet fraud and all of those sorts of things. So it was kind of distressing… it hit her confidence,” Penny said.

Penny said when her mother realised what she had done, she rang Gotogate to plead for a refund, explaining she had made an honest mistake.

Gotogate told her it was not a refundable fare, Penny said.

Penny said she and her mother contacted Air New Zealand to check the tickets were genuine.

They were, but her mother had unwittingly been charged an extra $20 for an exit-row seat located away from her grandson, Penny said.

“She’s not allowed to be in an exit row seat, because she needs wheelchair assistance to get to her seat,” she said.

Consumer NZ’s Head of Research and Advocacy Gemma Rasmussen said third party websites often paid generously to appear near the top of internet search results.

“When you go onto a search page, the top results that you’re seeing may not be genuine – it could be whoever’s willing to pay the highest dollar and actually market themselves…. and the way in which they’re worded can make flights look really appealing or affordable,” she said.

“While it’s very sad, unfortunately it is legal and it highlights the level of due diligence that you need to do when you are searching for flights online, particularly when you’re entering flights into Google.”

Air New Zealand was not responsible for the price that appeared on a website like Gotogate, she said.

“It is really unfortunate that there are these third-party sites that do engage in what we would say is price gouging. They are charging way more than they should be. We often see this quite a lot in the musical event space, particularly when there’s a scarcity of tickets, but unfortunately, that can extend to airlines as well.”

Penny said Air New Zealand advised it could not cancel the tickets because Gotogate was legitimately registered as a travel agent, but it had moved the seats so her mother and grandson were sitting together.

She and her mother were looking into whether their bank could refund the fares, she said.

Rasmussen said consumers could dispute transactions through a bank process called chargeback, but that might not cover unintended third-party bookings.

“Chargeback is really for things where a good or service hasn’t been provided adequately. What chargeback unfortunately doesn’t cover is remorse or regret, or perhaps making the wrong choice,” she said.

RNZ has contacted Air New Zealand, Gotogate and its Swedish owner, Etraveli Group, for comment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Repair crews are trying to restore electricity to hundreds of households and businesses in the North Island, after storms knocked out supplies this week.

About 10,000 properties lost power in the Tasman district on Tuesday after trees came down on powerlines. Network Tasman restored the vast majority by that afternoon.

Meanwhile, Powerco’s website showed about 1000 properties spread around the Coromandel Peninsula, Palmerston North and Taranaki also lost power.

On Thursday, Powerco said more than 160 properties are still without of power, mostly in the Manawatū and Thames-Coromandel regions.

In Horowhenua, there are close to 150 customers without power, mostly around Tokomaru and Shannon.

Residents are being urged to conserve water in Foxton and Foxton Beach.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland woman who is self-funding treatment for her rare, aggressive breast cancer is fed up after years of asking the government to fund a “life-saving” medicine for more patients.

Catherine Cook, 54, was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in November 2024 after her yearly mammogram.

Cook sold her business to pay for Keytruda (also known as pembrolizumab), the only targeted treatment to fight TNBC, given to patients alongside chemotherapy.

Around 10 to 15 percent of breast cancer diagnoses are triple negative, and it is the most challenging type of breast cancer to treat – particularly at the advanced stages, according to Breast Cancer NZ.

But despite Keytruda being recommended by Medsafe for both early and advanced stage of TNBC over two years ago, it had only been funded for advanced patients – not for patients like Cook with early-stage TNBC.

All up, Cook said she expected to pay about $100,000 for Keytruda, with one cycle every three weeks costing her $3000.

“We put the house and the business on the market to see if one or both would go. We ended up selling the business at a $700,000 loss because we simply couldn’t afford to pay for a business and treatment at the same time.

“It’s absolutely devastating. The guilt that I feel, I mean, basically, I’ve worked my whole life pretty much for nothing.”

Keytruda is funded for early stage TNBC in more than 40 countries, including Australia, the UK and Canada.

In New Zealand, Keytruda is only funded for patients with advanced TNBC, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

“You get this diagnosis, and you would think there’s treatment available because it’s standard worldwide to give people Keytruda for early-stage TNBC, and to not have it here is absolutely gut-wrenching,” Cook said.

“I had to make a decision to either pay to live or not pay and go Russian roulette, which is what most people have to do. Right now, only a handful, a minority with money, can access treatment through the private health care system.”

In November 2025, Cooke presented a 17,000-signature strong petition to widen access to funded Keytruda to the Petitions Select Committee.

She said the committee told her Keytruda for early-stage TNBC had been placed on the Options for Investments List, but there was no timeline for when or if it would be publicly funded.

She said she was told it could take up to a year for an update.

“That absolutely blew me away. In fact, it left me distraught and in tears, wondering why I’d even turned up.

“All we’re doing is moving a chess piece on the board. I want to know what the actual plan is.

“But I have to have hope that now it’s on the investment list for funding, the problem sits with the government and not with Pharmac.”

In November 2025, Pharmac [​https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/577655/pharmac-could-trim-list-of-medicines-awaiting-funding said it was considering trimming the list of over 100 medicines awaiting funding] to provide patients with more clarity.

Cook said she wanted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to meet with her in person.

“I want to sit down with her woman-to-woman to let her know that early intervention not only saves lives but will save the government money long-term.

“Dragging people on a journey where they can’t afford treatment and have to be a burden on the health system, the mental health system and welfare, is costing the government a huge amount of money.

“Nicola, if saving lives is not your top priority – which it should be, – let me show you how to save money.”

The Breast Cancer Foundation’s head of research and strategic programmes Mehdi Shahbazpour said New Zealand was missing an opportunity to save lives by not treating breast cancer earlier.

He said, unlike other countries, New Zealand only had funding to extend the life of breast cancer patients who had reached an advanced, incurable stage.

Kisqali (also known as ribociclib), a treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, started being funded for early stage patients in Australia in 2025. But in New Zealand, it was also only funded for advanced patients.

“A lot more targeted therapies are the standard of care internationally. Women have had access to these medicines funded in comparable nations for many years,” Shahbazpour said.

“If we get more funding for medicine for early breast cancer patients, we actually have an opportunity to reduce the chance of cancer coming back and spreading to the rest of the body and making it terminal.”

“Time is the enemy of breast cancer patients. This is our best chance to contain the cancer as early as possible.”​

Shahbazpour said the government needed to ensure Pharmac had the budget it needed, so women like Catherine were not forced to fork out thousands of dollars or go without.

“We have a medicines crisis. We are way behind comparable nations when it comes to funding medicines.

“It’s costing lives and destroying lives. People have to put their homes up for a mortgage or go to Australia to afford these life-saving medicines through private channels.”

In a statement, Pharmac pharmaceuticals director Adrienne Martin told RNZ they could not give any indication of when or if Keytruda specifically would be funded for early stage TNBC, or where it was ranked on the Options for Investment List.

“We understand how difficult it can be when someone is living with a serious health condition and needs access to medicines. We acknowledge there is a high unmet health need for people with breast cancer and a need for more effective treatments.

“Our team works hard to fund as many medicines as possible using the best available clinical evidence, expert advice, and the lived experiences of New Zealanders.

“In September, following a petition from a member of the public, Pharmac was invited to present a submission to the Petitions Select Committee. In the submission, Pharmac confirmed that it was close to finishing its assessment of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for early-stage triple negative breast cancer. After this, the application would be ranked on Pharmac’s Options for Investment List (OFI).

“Pharmac’s submission also included information about the length of time it had taken for the medication to be added to the OFI. The assessment process began in 2023, and the medicine was added to the OFI in 2025.

“We noted in our submission that when this funding application was considered by Pharmac’s Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee in October 2023, the Committee recommended that this medicine be funded for people with early-stage triple negative breast cancer with a low priority. This information was provided to help explain the length of time the assessment process had taken.”

In New Zealand, women between the ages of 45 and 69 years can get free breast screening every two years.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Pharmac Minister David Seymour both declined to comment directly.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A towel shortage at Waikato Hospital has left an elderly patient unable to shower for days, with the family feeling appalled by the lack of basic care.

Maureen Cruickshank, whose mother stayed at the hospital earlier this month, said the wards ran out of towels twice during her stay.

The first was a one-day shortage in mid-December.

But it was the latest three-day shortage in the Older Persons Rehabilitation ward that made her wonder whether something was broken in the system.

“On Friday she messaged me, I can’t have a shower today, there’s no towels. On Saturday morning, she rang me and said they’ve told us there’s no towels until Monday. Which meant she would’ve gone Friday, Saturday, and then Sunday without showers.”

Cruickshank contacted the hospital and asked if she could bring their own towels for staff to use and received a yes.

“It’s definitely not a staff shortage, because they were more than happy to give mum a shower, they just didn’t have towels, which is ridiculous.”

She said she does not have the professional skills and experience to shower her mother who’s only recently out of surgery.

“When a patient has been in hospital for so long, it just feels so good to have a shower. To have the water wash your hair, to actually feel like you are rehabilitating. You’re taking one step closer to going home.

“And when they go you’ve got stay in bed, we’ll give you a bed bath, it just doesn’t feel human really.”

Cruickshank said she only learned about the issue through her elderly mother and is concerned for patients without family nearby.

“How many people aren’t in a position to have family bring up towels? And also the hygiene factor, is it bringing in more germs into the hospital people having to bring in their own towels?”

In a statement, Te Whatu Ora Waikato acting group director for operations Rachel Swain said the towel shortage was an isolated event on 27 December and was resolved within 24 hours.

Swain said the shortage only affected the Older Persons and Rehabilitation ward, and the duty nurse manager sourced towels from other areas of the hospital.

“This occurred due to an unforeseen operational issue that resulted in available emergency linen being depleted. Patient care, hygiene, and access to showers were maintained during this time.

“Patients were advised of the situation and at no time were patients or families asked to provide their own towels.”

Swain said linen services are provided by a long-standing external supplier, and there have been no formal complaints about the supply in the past 12 months. Waikato Hospital does not consider linen availability to be an ongoing concern.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Two new primary schools are scheduled to open at the start of 2026 – one in Christchurch and the other in Auckland.

The Ministry of Education said the schools in Rolleston and Flat Bush would open with about 100 students each.

It said construction of Te Kura Rau Iti Primary in Flat Bush would finish at the end of January.

The school would have 30 classrooms and an initial capacity for 600 pupils, though it was expected to grow to 1250.

The ministry said construction of the first stage of Te Rau Horopito Primary in Rolleston would finish in late January.

The school would open with 12 classrooms and an estimated initial roll of 90-100 students in the first year of operation.

“This projection is subject to the pace of residential development and population growth during the year. The school will be appropriately staffed and equipped with facilities to accommodate additional students if required,” the ministry said.

It said construction of a further 12 rooms plus an administration and technology block would start in February.

The ministry said work on two further new schools in Christchurch was scheduled to begin in 2026 with opening dates in 2027.

The ministry said on-site construction of Prebbleton Primary in Selwyn would start in July.

The school would open at the start of 2027 with 12 classrooms, an administration space and hall for an estimated initial roll of 75-125 students in the first year growing to 275 student places.

The ministry said construction of the first stage of Milns Road School in Christchurch would start in 2026.

It would include 12 classrooms and open in term 1, 2027 with an estimated initial roll 75-125 students ingrowing to 275 student places.

Meanwhile two specialist schools for children requiring significant learning support would be rebuilt.

The ministry said the rebuild of Central Auckland Specialist School was completed in mid-December.

It had 14 teaching spaces.

It said replacement of buildings at Sommerville Base School in Auckland would start in February.

The school would have: “22 new teaching spaces across seven fit-for-purpose one-storey classroom blocks will be provided, as well as an indoor hydrotherapy pool, an outdoor sensory learning environment and two new pick-up/drop-off areas”.

The ministry said construction was expected to finish in February 2027 with the school opening to students in term 2 that year.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Wet weather in parts of the country seem to have dampened New Year celebrations with both police and St John reporting relatively quiet nights.

The ambulance service responded to 177 incidents between 10pm and 3am – around 40 percent down on previous years, and similar to a busy Saturday night.

Deputy chief executive of ambulance operations Dan Ohs told RNZ the workload was busiest across the Western Bay of Plenty and Auckland areas.

“Unfortunately, overnight we have had some reports of our staff being abused at call-outs, including one significant incident in Auckland where our staff were quite significantly abused.

“One of the other trends that we have noted over the last week has been issues and challenges involving people taking synthetic cannabis, particularly in Auckland. And we’re reminding everyone that you need to be particularly cautious when taking any form of drug and please, when our ambulance people get there, ensure that you’ve disclosed to them what you have taken.”

Meanwhile, police said crowds were largely well-behaved during their New Year celebrations and there were no significant issues.

In Auckland city eight arrests were made, while there were large numbers of people in Omaha’s surf club area but no arrests.

In Whangamatā, police said the crowd was “larger than last year” with up to 4000 people at any one time in Williamson Park.

“The crowd was generally well-behaved and in good spirits. Some liquor ban infringements issued (although fewer than last year) and 12 people were arrested (again, fewer than last year).”

Raglan saw people mostly well-behaved, but fireworks were allegedly fired into crows at Mount Maunganaui, although no injuries were reported. A total of 17 arrests were made in the Western Bay of Plenty area for disorder/fighting.

In Tai Rāwhiti, police said plans for large gatherings by anti-social road users were “successfully thwarted by police”. No issues were reported at the Rhythm and Vines festival.

In Queenstown, police were happy with the behaviour of large crowds in the town, with just one arrest being made.

“A 19-year-old man who punched and broke a shop window. He has been charged with wilful damage and is scheduled to appear in Queenstown District Court on 5 January.”

A 29-year-old man was arrested at a bar in Wanakā for “disorderly behaviour and assaulting police”.

Nelson saw no arrests with “good behaviour all around”.

At the Twisted Frequency festival in Takaka, police helped evacuate up to 100 people to Takaka Hall as the local river was rising rapidly and some parts of the festival area began to flood.

In Christchurch, there were a “few minor incidents” at Rolling Meadows festival – including trespass, disorder and assaults.

“No significant disorder or incidents at Rhythm & Alps.”

Finally in Dunedin, police said there were two arrests made – one was a 40-year-old man for assault in a family relationship and the other was a 35-yea-old man for breach of bail, assaulting police and resisting arrest.

“Good natured crowd in the Octagon, no issues throughout the evening and pleased with the crowd’s behaviour.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Parts of the South Island are welcoming the New Year with heavy rain warnings and severe thunderstorm watches.

It has been a turbulent week across the country, with downpours and strong winds threatening celebrations.

At the Twisted Frequency festival in Takaka overnight, police helped evacuate up to 100 people to Takaka Hall as the local river was rising rapidly and some parts of the festival area began to flood.

On Thursday, the ranges of Tasman District, west of Takaka, and Buller were under orange heavy rain warnings.

Tasman’s warnings was until 4pm, with up to 80mm more rain expected on top of what has already fallen.

MetService said streams and rivers could rise rapidly, with surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions possible.

In Buller, up to 100mm of rain could fall on top of what already had. Its warning was in place until 6pm.

Meanwhile, much of the lower half od the South Island was under a severe thunderstorm watch from 2pm until 9pm. It covered Canterbury Plains, Canterbury High Country, Central Otago, Southern Lakes, Southland and Fiordland.

MetService said an “unstable airmass” would affect the area Thursday afternoon and evening.

“For the Canterbury High Country and foothills south of Arthur’s Pass, Central Otago, the Queenstown Lakes District, far inland areas of Southland and inland Fiordland, there is a moderate risk of thunderstorms.

“There is also a moderate risk that some of these storms may become severe until 10pm today, which could produce localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm/h.

“Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are crediting Operation Open Roads for the reduction in road deaths for the third year in a row.

In a statement, police said the provisional number of road deaths in 2025 was 272. In 2024, 292 people died on New Zealand roads.

As of 7am on 1 January 2026, at least one person had already died in a crash.

Superintendent Steve Greally, director of road police, said the reduction was in “large part”, because of its focus on deaths on open roads.

“Over the last three years, we have seen constant reductions in the number of fatalities on our roads, while we have also nearly tripled the number of alcohol breath tests in that same period.

“For another year, our officers have worked tirelessly to ensure we can do everything possible to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.”

While the numbers were decreasing, Greally said far too many families were still having their lives changes after hearing their loved one had died in a crash.

In the 2024/2025 financial year, nearly 4.5 million alcohol breath tests were conducted and more than half a million speeding fines were issues.

“Breath testing and speed enforcement are two of our main focus areas, and we will continue to make no excuses for stopping and testing people.

“We continue to ask drivers to play their part and make sensible decisions both on the road and before you get behind the wheel.

“Unfortunately, we are still seeing evidence that people are making the wrong decisions when it comes to speed.

“Our aim is to see the number of speed infringements issued drop, which is an indication that people are doing the right thing, and following the sign-posted speed limits.”

Greally said roadside drug testing began in the Wellington region in December and that would continue to be scaled up nationally between April and June this year.

“Our staff are dedicated to changing driver behaviour and working towards maintaining the lowest number of fatalities in the coming years.

“We make no apology for taking action against anybody who is putting their life, and the lives of others, at risk on our roads.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has died following a crash in Waikato’s Hauraki District.

Police were called to the intersection of State Highway 26 and Cadman Road in Tirohia at around 12.40am this morning.

The sole occupant of the single vehicle crash died at the scene.

The road was closed as a result of the crash but will reopen once other agencies have finished working at the scene.

As of 7am on 1 January, the holiday road toll stands at five.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has been found dead on Kaipara Coast Highway, north of Auckland.

Police had earlier asked motorists to avoid the village of Makarau after an “incident”.

In a statement, police said officers were called to the scene about 5.20am this morning “where a person was found deceased on the road”.

“The death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances are underway.”

Police said a scene examination was being carried out and the road would remain closed.

Cordons were in place at the West Coast Road intersection and the Makarau Road intersection.

“The public is advised to avoid the area, and motorists should take alternative routes.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Motorists are being asked to avoid the village of Makarau, north of Auckland, after an incident.

Police were called to Kaipara Coast Highway around 5.20am on Thursday.

The road is closed in both directions.

More to come…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The near year has started with a bang across the country.

In Auckland, more than half a tonne of fireworks launched high up the Sky Tower.

Thousands poured into the central city after streets were closed to get a prime viewing spot for the five minute display that had taken half a year of planning.

Bipin Bhattarai and his family from Whangārei came prepared with camping chairs.

“We do a lot of camping, so why not?!” he said.

“We just take this all the time in our car so we’re just making use of it.”

He had only seen Auckland’s New Year fireworks on YouTube and said before they were let off that they looked “amazing”.

“So hopefully it will be nice this time as well.”

For others, it was a temporary homecoming.

Chris, who lives in Australia caring for her grand-daughter, also got a perfect spot near the base of the Sky Tower and had never come to see the fireworks before.

“No, never, I think it will be fabulous.”

But she was expecting more people, she said.

As it got closer to midnight, more people flooded in leaving standing room only on Victoria Street from Albert Park up to the tower.

Tourists were among them, a pair in the country from the UK had come from New Plymouth to see the fireworks.

There was also a group from Las Vegas armed with celebratory horns who took to dancing in the street.

“We travelled here for Christmas and family time,” one of the group said.

“We’ve never been and it was a long trip but it was worth it.”

Another in the group said they heard the excitement would be in the central city.

“So we came out, we wanted to bring some energy and this is a fun place to be to celebrate New Year’s Eve.”

Carnival on capital’s Courtenay Place

Wellington’s entertainment strip, Courtenay Place, was also partly closed to traffic and turned into a carnival zone for the night.

Kushla Pullman (aka Little Red Riding Hood) and husband Keith (the Big Bad Wolf) came from Wairarapa with their friends Chloe and Lee Dancey to see in the New Year.

“We actually dressed up because it’s meant to be a dress up party – it said that online – but nobody else is!”

Amid the hedonism of party central, Derryn and Chris Hunt from Palmerston North were enjoying a cold one of the cone variety.

“My New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier,” Chris said. “Hopes and dreams for 2026? For the war in Ukraine and Russia to end soon, that’s one of my bigger ones.”

Seven-year-old Naiya, who was at Whairepo Lagoon for the Kids’ Countdown, also had high hopes for 2026: “I hope there’s lots of fruit in my garden.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Horizons Regional Council has issued a warning to Manawatū River users at the historic Ōpiki Bridge.

One of the two suspension cables remaining from the old toll bridge, adjacent to State Highway 56, has fallen into the river.

In a post on social media, the council said anyone who used the awa for the likes of jetboating and canoeing should avoid the area because it is not safe.

The same cable had previously fallen into the river, the council said.

“It is the same cable which fell into the river in September 2023, but the issue is different. While the issue last time was with the bridge structure on the Manawatū District side, this time it’s with the bridge structure on the Horowhenua District side,” it said.

“Just like last time, we’re working to put signage up in the area to warn people of the hazard. We don’t have a timeframe for when we’ll be able to get the cable out of the water.”

The toll bridge was opened in 1918 by a flax company and converted to a toll road in the 1920s.

A new highway bridge upstream replaced the Ōpiki toll bridge in 1969.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A cyber security breach at ManageMyHealth has been “contained”, according to the company – but GPs and patients are still waiting to hear if their health records have been compromised.

The country’s largest patient information portal on Wednesday confirmed it had identified a cyber security incident involving “unauthorised access” to its platform.

Chief executive Vino Ramayah said the incident had been contained and was currently under investigation.

“We are working closely with the relevant authorities and independent cybersecurity specialists, and we will provide updates through formal statements as further information is confirmed,” he said.

“I want to assure our users, customers, and stakeholders that we take the protection of your health information extremely seriously.

“We recognise the concern that this situation raises, and I want to reassure you that it is being treated with the utmost seriousness.”

The immediate priority was ensuring the integrity and security of ManageMyHealth’s systems, he continued.

“As you will appreciate, it is important that any information we provide is accurate and verified. We thank you for your patience and will continue to share updates with you as information becomes available.”

GPs critical of lack of information

However, the dearth of communication has left family doctors worried.

The president of the College of GPs, Dr Luke Bradford, said he only learned about the potential breach through the media.

“It’s terribly disappointing. They’re an absolutely key tool that we use for patients. It allows patients to access their records and better manage their health, literally.

“But if their data’s not safe, then their very personal information is not safe, and that’s really concerning.”

It was “terrible timing”, with most practices now closed for four days, he said.

“We’re going into this period without any formal communication about what’s involved in the breach and what can be done about it.”

General Practice NZ chair Dr Bryan Betty agreed the situation was extremely worrying.

“Health data in terms of patients is incredibly important, and any breach like this has to be taken extremely seriously and has to be actioned as a matter of urgency,” he said.

“There should be obviously free and open transparency about the situation and what’s actually happened, both for patients and practices that use the ManageMyHealth portal.

“So I would expect that to be part of their management of the present situation.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A New Zealander has been arrested for breaking through security and walking onto the tarmac at Perth Airport.

Australian Federal Police said the 25-year-old man had been denied entry to his flight on Tuesday because he was thought to be intoxicated.

He allegedly broke the glass on an alarm and activated it, before pushing past airline staff at the international terminal.

The man then entered a restricted area known as ‘airside’ and walked onto the tarmac towards an aircraft. He was stopped by airport staff, who called police.

The man was charged with entering an airside area or airside security zone without permission, which carries a maximum penalty of A$15,650 (NZ$18,140).

He was scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court the following day.

AFP Acting Superintendent Hayly Faithfull said Perth Airport’s secure areas were clearly marked and closely monitored.

“Airside restrictions exist to ensure the safety and security of the travelling public and workers,” she said.

“If you choose to ignore the warnings and enter an airside security zone without permission, you will potentially face prosecution.”

Not the first badly behaved Kiwi

The man is not the only New Zealander to be arrested at an Australian airport for bad behaviour in recent times.

In July, a drunk 50-year-old woman allegedly ignored safety instructions, swore at cabin crew and danced in the aisle when the pilot was taxiing for takeoff on a flight from Sydney to Queenstown.

The pilot aborted takeoff and returned to the gate, calling for police assistance to remove the woman from the aircraft.

When police boarded the plane and asked her to exit, she became argumentative and non-compliant.

She was removed from the aircraft so the flight could depart, and returned to New Zealand the next day. She had been due to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court in September.

At that time, Detective Acting Inspector Trevor Robinson said the woman’s behaviour “risked the safety of herself, passengers and crew”.

“Anyone misbehaving on a flight and not cooperating with law enforcement isn’t just spoiling their trip, but they are potentially ruining the travel plans of hundreds of other people. They also face the possibility of a criminal conviction on their record for life.”

Drunken assault against airline crew

In another recent case, a 23-year-old New Zealand man was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, and ordered to pay Air New Zealand A$10,824 (NZ$11,834) in compensation for drunkenly assaulting two airline crew.

On 23 October, 2024, Australian Federal Police were called to reports of an intoxicated and disruptive passenger on a flight from Perth to Auckland.

The man had refused to comply with requests from two crew members and assaulted both, causing minor injuries. His actions meant the plane had to be diverted to Melbourne, instead of landing in Auckland.

Police said officers boarded the plane once it landed at Melbourne Airport and removed the passenger, who had been restrained at the back of the aircraft.

He pleaded guilty on 17 April, 2025, to two counts of assaulting crew of an aircraft and was sentenced in July.

At the time of sentencing, Detective Superintendent Stephen Cook said airline staff deserved to feel safe in their workplace and not be subjected to violence and aggression from passengers.

“The AFP works closely with the airline industry to intervene if anyone’s behaviour interferes with the safety of workers or the public in or around an airport, or on flights.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Year’s celebrations are well underway – despite the dreary weather in many regions.

Christchurch children have been the first to welcome the New Year, with a mock countdown with confetti cannons at 7pm at North Hagley Park.

The alcohol-free event included performances by headline act Kora and DJs, before what was described as an “epic” fireworks display.

Dunedin was embracing its Scottish heritage, with a piper to see in the New Year at a party in the Octagon.

In Auckland, half a tonne of fireworks launched from the Sky Tower for New Year.

Six months of planning and design work took just five minutes to show off when 3500 individual shots were launched at midnight.

Another severe thunderstorm warning that had been issued for areas around Auckland ended at 10pm.

The storms, with very heavy rain, were detected around just after 5.50pm on Wednesday, mainly in areas north-west of the city

“When it comes to lightning or thunder we just hold off for a little bit longer, but when it comes to 12 midnight we have to fire,” Rob McDermott from Pyrostar International earlier told RNZ.

SkyCity warned in advance that it had plans if wind speeds exceeded safety limits, but McDermott was confident they would not be needed.

“The forecast is saying that this rain is going to stop a couple of hours before midnight, the wind is dropping, it already has dropped, this morning it was about 40km/h and at the moment it’s around 20 or 25, we’ve got a limit around about 30km.

“So we’re going to be well and truly within that limit and we will fire at midnight,” McDermott said.

But there were things to see before then.

For the first time, photos of special moments through the year sent in by the public were shown on the tower in the hours before.

“From milestone birthdays to first smiles, the images capture the moments that shaped 2025 and highlight what mattered most,” SkyCity said.

As the photos were projected, the final testing of the fireworks got underway.

The final work was done from early Wednesday morning until mid-afternoon.

“We had a team of five pyrotechnicians and eight from SkyCity riggers helping us up there so everything is preloaded on the ground and then we take it up in the morning,’ McDermott said.

It had involved 1.6 tonnes of equipment and 14 kilometres of cabling.

“Not a bad morning’s work,” McDermott said.

He said the world was watching at midnight and nothing could go wrong.

“We’ll head up there about 9 o’clock and we’ll just check the coverings and we’ll retest so we can retest all the electrical circuits.”

Not just the Sky Tower

Auckland’s Harbour Bridge also burst into life at 9pm, with a brand new, dynamic light and sound show in the minutes before midnight.

“Roaming performers” would also feature along Queenstreet and the waterfront ahead of the clock ticking over.

Roads in the central city around the Sky Tower and Wynyard Quarter were closed from 10pm-1am.

The Wynyard Quarter pedestrian bridge was also upright, with no pedestrian access, from 11.45pm-12.15am.

‘Courtenay Carnival’

Further south, New Year celebrations in Wellington also went off with a bang, despite the dreary weather.

Courtenay Place, the capital’s entertainment strip, had been transformed into “Courtenay Carnival” for the evening, with multiple stages showcasing live performances, street eats and parades.

The area between Cambridge Terrace and Tory Street, including parts of Blair and Allen Streets was closed to vehicles, with Wellington City Council encouraging people to walk, bike or use public transport to attend the festivities.

The waterfront was the setting for the main event, with covers band Electric Avenue kicking off the entertainment at Whairepo Lagoon at 8pm and the Kids Countdown and fireworks at 9.30pm.

Orchestra Wellington took to the stage at 10pm, ahead of the countdown to 2026 and fireworks at midnight.

Steve and Vanya were seeing in the new year in the capital.

“Hopes and dreams for 2026 really is just, like, everybody just needs to calm the farm and, you know, be a bit more chill and kind to each other,” Steve said.

Vanya agreed: “Kind to each other, that’s the one, yeah.”

Other revellers on the streets of the capital were also happy to share their hopes for the new year.

“Hopeful for happy kids, more grandchildren and love. Keeping strong friendship relations going well, solid foundation with hubby,” a woman said.

“Oh, just carry on being cool and having fun and yeah, nothing major, staying alive,” one man told RNZ.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

With less than two hours left of 2025, New Year’s celebrations are well underway – despite the dreary weather in many regions.

Christchurch children have been the first to welcome the New Year, with a mock countdown with confetti cannons at 7pm at North Hagley Park.

The alcohol-free event includes performances by headline act Kora and DJs, before what’s described as an “epic” fireworks display.

Dunedin is embracing its Scottish heritage, with a piper to see in the New Year at the party in the Octagon.

In Auckland, half a tonne of fireworks are set to launch from the Sky Tower for New Year.

Six months of planning and design work will take just five minutes to show off when 3500 individual shots are launched at midnight.

But another severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for areas around Auckland, which is set to end at 10pm.

The storms, with very heavy rain, were detected around just after 5.50pm on Wednesday, mainly in areas north-west of the city

“When it comes to lightning or thunder we just hold off for a little bit longer, but when it comes to 12 midnight we have to fire,” Rob McDermott from Pyrostar International told RNZ.

SkyCity warned in advance that it had plans if wind speeds exceed safety limits, but McDermott was confident they would not be needed.

“The forecast is saying that this rain is going to stop a couple of hours before midnight, the wind is dropping, it already has dropped, this morning it was about 40km/h and at the moment it’s around 20 or 25, we’ve got a limit around about 30km.

“So we’re going to be well and truly within that limit and we will fire at midnight,” McDermott said.

But there are things to see before then.

For the first time, photos of special moments through the year sent in by the public will be shown on the tower in the hours before.

“From milestone birthdays to first smiles, the images capture the moments that shaped 2024 and highlight what mattered most,” SkyCity said.

As the photos are projected, the final testing of the fireworks gets underway.

The final work was done from early Wednesday morning until mid-afternoon, with just the last tests to go.

“We had a team of five pyrotechnicians and eight from SkyCity riggers helping us up there so everything is preloaded on the ground and then we take it up in the morning,’ McDermott.

It’s involved 1.6 tonnes of equipment and 14 kilometres of cabling.

“Not a bad morning’s work,” McDermott said.

He said the world was watching at midnight and nothing could go wrong.

“We’ll head up there about 9 o’clock and we’ll just check the coverings and we’ll retest so we can retest all the electrical circuits.”

Not just the Sky Tower

Auckland’s Harbour Bridge also bursts into life at 9pm, with a promise of a band new dynamic light and sound show in the minutes before midnight.

“Roaming performers” will also feature along Queenstreet and the waterfront ahead of the clock ticking over.

Roads in the central city around the Sky Tower and Wynyard Quarter will be closed from 10pm-1am.

The Wynyard Quarter pedestrian bridge will also be upright, with no pedestrian access, from 11.45pm-12.15am.

‘Courtenay Carnival’

Further south, New Year celebrations in Wellington are also set to go off with a bang, despite the dreary weather.

In the capital, the Kids’ Countdown has just finished at Whairepo Lagoon, with a short burst of fireworks.

Orchestra Wellington is due to take the stage now, ahead of the countdown and major fireworks display at midnight.

Courtenay Place, the capital’s entertainment strip, has been transformed into “Courtenay Carnival” for the evening, with multiple stages showcasing live performances, street eats and parades.

The area between Cambridge Terrace and Tory Street, including parts of Blair and Allen Streets is closed to vehicles, with Wellington City Council encouraging people to walk, bike or use public transport to attend the festivities.

The waterfront is the setting for the main event, with covers band Electric Avenue kicking off the entertainment at Whairepo Lagoon at 8pm and the Kids Countdown and fireworks at 9.30pm.

Orchestra Wellington takes to the stage at 10pm, ahead of the countdown to 2026 and fireworks at midnight.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand