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The eruption produced lava fountains reaching up to 400m and a dense ash column, with a new vent opening on the eastern flank of the Voragine Crater that remains active. Photo / Getty ImagesThe eruption produced lava fountains reaching up to 400m and a dense ash column, with a new vent opening on the eastern flank of the Voragine Crater that remains active. Photo / Getty ImagesMount Etna has been gearing up for 2026 with a bang – or, actually, several of them – with days of explosive activity, bringing lava fountains, loud booms and eruption columns that launched dark clouds of ash into the sky. The latest volcanic activity began last Thursday, when monitors detected a change in Etna’s usual signals, including volcanic tremors, changes in the Earth’s surface and infrasonic activity, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said. The latest volcanic activity intensified, causing ejections of incandescent material above the crater rim, the institute said.

Morning Headlines | Police seek witnesses after K Rd brawl and parts of North Island brace for wild weather | Monday, December 29, 2025Nicola Peltz has shared private photos from her family Christmas gathering as an apparent feud with her Beckham in-laws continues to play out on social media. The 30-year-old actress posted the festive images to Instagram on Boxing Day, writing: “We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year filled with so much love, peace and happiness.”The snaps showed Peltz and husband Brooklyn Beckham wearing matching red pyjamas and posing with her parents, billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Heffner. Several of Peltz’s 3.1 million followers used the comments section to urge the couple to reconcile with the Beckhams. “If your wife was truly supportive of you, she would never allow you to alienate your family,” one commenter wrote.

McCaw’s Mt Harding Farm is cross-sectioned by stockwater races he hasn’t needed for over 10 years, but pays rates for as well as having to fence them off. The farm is home to Drayton’s gate, where water from the Pudding Hill intake meets water from the Methven Auxiliary intake from the Ashburton North Branch. Mt Harding Creek, winding its way from the foothills of Mt Hutt to the Methven township, has been used to connect the stockwater network. McCaw said the decision to partially close the Pudding Hill Intake network, and allow the water to flow down Mt Harding Creek, was a “pragmatic step”. McCaw said Mt Harding Creek is a natural waterway in the “highly modified environment” of the Canterbury plains.

A helicopter was deployed and reached the area, but was unable to land due to deteriorating weather conditions. A second helicopter was sent in, but it too was unable to land as weather conditions worsened. They formed a human heat circle to help warm him before returning with him to the hut to await rescue. At first light, with the assistance of Land Search and Rescue teams, police were able to extract the man from the area. “Emergency Locator Beacons are cheap to hire and are capable of saving your life, even when there’s no cell phone reception.”

MetService described conditions for today and tomorrow as “wet and wild” with heavy rain and gale southeasterlies. A heavy rain watch is currently in place for the Coromandel Peninsula until 7pm, with 90 to 130mm of rain expected today. Heavy rain warnings are forecast to begin from this morning until early tomorrow morning for Gisborne/Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay. 🌧️Rain Band Moving South🌧️📡Heavy Rain Warnings are still in their early days, so accumulations are just starting to climb. A heavy rain watch is also in place this morning for Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua.

Photo: Supplied/DOC via RNZAn elderly hiker who got lost and collapsed wearing only shorts and a singlet was saved by a mother and her two teenagers who huddled around him to keep him warm, police say. The lost man had made the call. But the mother and her two children, who were also on the trail, were about to come to his rescue. Emergency crews managed to contact them to get to them to help find the lost man. He said the elderly man was grateful to see the rescuers when they arrived, but it was an uncomfortably "close call".

Air New Zealand passengers enjoyed listening to pop star Taylor Swift more than any other artist. Gladiator II was Air NZ passengers’ most-watched movie of 2025, with films like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (fifth most popular) and The Amateur (seventh) adding to the genre’s prominence. Kiwi content also found a strong audience, with home-grown film Tinā ranking among the airline’s top 10 most-watched movies. Air New Zealand is now in its busiest time of the year, with more than 2.7 million travellers flying with the airline in December and January. “Further afield, Los Angeles sees 56,000 passengers connecting to and from New Zealand these holidays.”Some domestic destinations also remained popular.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has resisted calls for a national royal commission in the wake of the mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach. Photo: ReutersThe Jewish families of the Bondi Beach terror attack victims are demanding the Prime Minister set up a national royal commission, saying he owes Australians "the truth". But with a well-led Commonwealth Royal Commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more," the families said. Opposition frontbencher James McGrath said it was not just the coalition that was demanding a royal commission. The organisation had been in contact with NSW Police weeks before the Bondi attack over heightened risks to Hanukkah celebrations, the premier confirmed.

Owners of 66 luxury vehicles damaged in Auckland’s 2023 Anniversary Weekend flooding have been given three months to have their cars inspected and re-certified or face de-registration, following an administrative error that left the vehicles improperly registered. Administrative error discoveredStar Insure, which specialises in insurance for high-performance, luxury and classic vehicles, notified NZTA of the issue in late August after discovering the error internally. Star Insure chief executive Roger Wallace says the company acted immediately upon discovering the problem. “On discovering the error, Star Insure was immediately concerned about the potential safety of these vehicles. Dealership involvementSome of the affected vehicles were sold by Star Insure to the Tristram Auckland dealership group.

Trump, who had promised to finish the war on day one of his presidency, said he had no deadline but is embarking on a year-end diplomatic sprint. US President Donald Trump welcomes Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 28, 2025. Photo / Jim Watson, AFPBefore the talks began, Trump posted on social media that his conversation with Putin was “very productive”. At their October meeting, Trump refused Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles as Trump again said that Putin was showing positive signs. Trump and Putin are also set to hold another phone call later Sunday.

Page explained his decision was based on weather conditions, and knowledge that MCG pitches typically don’t deteriorate a lot over the course of a match. The 2017 Boxing Day Ashes Test ended in a deathly dull draw and prompted the MCC to replace its drop-in pitches and the base they sit in. Australia coach Andrew McDonald inspects the MCG pitch on Christmas Eve. Credit: Getty Images“So the longer the grass, the more chance as [the ball] pitches, something will interact with the seam, and it will be more likely to deviate. “The thickness of the grass, the ball was sitting in the grass, if that makes sense to you.

During the 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran in June, the country’s missile defence system failed to intercept all the projectiles fired by Tehran towards Israeli territory. During the 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran in June, the country’s missile defence system failed to intercept all the projectiles fired by Tehran towards Israeli territory. Photo / Getty ImagesIsrael’s Defence Ministry said today that it had deployed a new “Iron Beam” laser system for the Air Force to intercept aerial threats. The laser system’s main developers, the ministry’s research and development department and defence contractor Rafael, delivered it to the Air Force at a ceremony in northern Israel. “For the first time globally, a high-power laser interception system has achieved full operational maturity, successfully executing multiple interceptions,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Kate Bush has paid tribute to a “special” antiques dealer who remains missing after a Christmas Day swim in Devon. The singer said she had been friends with Matthew Upham, 63, for 30 years and that he “lived life to the full”. He was extraordinarily kind, thoughtful and lived life to the full. “His family are heartbroken and, along with many of his friends, so am I. Matthew was a very strong swimmer. Thank you, Matthew, for being one of the best friends anyone could have.”

Auckland's central city may face delays in vehicle extractions after a fire engine crash. Photo / SunLiveBy RNZThe Professional Firefighters Union says there will be delays extracting anyone who may become trapped in a vehicle in Auckland’s central city, after a fire engine was damaged in a crash. Police were called at 9.38am on Sunday morning to the intersection of Hobson St and Victoria St West. Fire and Emergency’s northern communications shift manager Ryan Geen told RNZ the crash occurred while a local crew was responding to a fire call under lights and sirens. “While they’re on the way, they’ve had an incident involving another vehicle,” he said.