NZ Herald: New Zealand's Latest News, Business, Sport, Weather, Travel, Technology, Entertainment, Politics, Finance, Health, Environment and Science

This website requires Javascript to run correctly. Click here for help enabling it

Leading Headlines

Road users need to become much more aware of the risks involved in sharing the road with heavy vehicles. Photo / Alan Gibson

Truck driver 'died instantly' in crash

A police campaign to reduce the number of people killed in truck accidents was only a few hours old when a "shocking" head-on collision killed a log-truck driver.

Quickread
✩ Save

NZ should abolish its armed forces

Being military-free would be something to be truly proud of, writes Bob Jones. "If the Aussies and Americans don't like it, well, bad luck, they'll get over it."

Quickread
✩ Save
9Comments

Officials cagey about space-tracking ship

The Chinese Consulate says the Yuan Wang 6 is here to replenish supplies and so its 300 crew members can have a rest. Photo / Scott Yeoman

There are conflicting reports as to whether a ship tied up at Queens Wharf is part of the Chinese navy.

Quickread
✩ Save

Updated 53 min ago

Three die in hot-air balloon collision

A hot-air balloon falls to the ground after colliding with another during a trip in central Turkey. Photo / AFP

Three Brazilian tourists have died and 22 other people were hurt after two hot-air balloons collided in central Turkey, officials say.

Quickread
✩ Save

Ill health rules Beyer out of mayoral race

Ms Beyer was disappointed not to be running for this year's election. Photo / File

Former Carterton mayor Georgina Beyer has stepped down from the Wellington mayoralty campaign to focus on her health.

Quickread
✩ Save

Students struggle with 'right to success'

Professor Jamin Halberstadt. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Students who have an exaggerated belief they have "a right to success" are more likely to struggle come exam time, a University of Otago study shows.

Quickread
✩ Save

Fiancee's past engulfs Kiwi-in-Oz

Bethany Heagney with New Zealander Jeo Ipeekaw. Photo / Supplied

A New Zealand engineer has found himself at the centre of media attention in Australia after it emerged he is engaged to the former girlfriend of a jailed killer.

Quickread
✩ Save

Updated 1 sec ago

Tornado smashes school

Alli Christian, left, returns Jessica Wilkinson's dog Bella to her after finding the pet amid the wreckage of Wilkinson's home shortly after a tornado struck in Oklahoma. Photo / AP

An elementary school in an Oklahoma City suburb has taken a direct hit from a 3.2-kilometre wide tornado as deadly storms continue to batter the region.

Quickread
✩ Save

Yahoo's big leap with $1.1b Tumblr deal

Yahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an internet pioneer that has fallen behind the times.

Quickread
✩ Save

Commuters clog free spots

Diane Morton says she doesn't want to turn her front-yard vegetable garden into a parking space. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Residents of central Auckland fringe suburbs such as Mt Eden, Parnell and Orakei are getting riled at their streets becoming free parking lots for commuters.

Quickread
✩ Save

Airline makes bungladesh of destination

The airline acknowledged the error and installed the couple on flights to West Africa. Photo / Supplied

Two United States holidaymakers found themselves a long way from their intended destination after an airline confused two airport codes.

Quickread
✩ Save

Claws are out in luxury CBD tower

Sally Synnott and Roger Apperley. Photos / Brett Phibbs

Owners of apartments in Auckland's five-star Metropolis tower are pitted against one another in battles which have ranged from cat-keeping to who sits on the body corporate…

Quickread
✩ Save

Twitter and Kiwi athletes

Sports stars make a #hashtag of it

Piri Weepu has heard variations of insults since signing up to Twitter in 2009. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Reporters Kris Shannon and Steven Holloway investigate how Twitter has changed the daily experiences of Kiwi athletes - for better and worse.

@DanCarter seems nicer than Santa

All Black Dan Carter. Photo / Getty images

Alan Perrott finds out just how different @DanCarter is from the real Dan Carter ...

Opinion

Editorial: Disability bill shows contempt

Attorney-General Chris Finlayson. Photo / NZPA

On any number of counts, the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Amendment Bill represents a particularly sorry piece of law-making.

37Comments

Penny Hulse: No chance of a city full of high-rise homes

To avoid Auckland sprawling like Los Angeles, we need to allow for more growth within and outside the urban area. Photo / Janna Dixon

Half of suburban Auckland built up with three-storey apartments? Under the rules of the draft Unitary Plan it's about as likely as the sun setting in the east.