Hawke’s Bay will enter the new year with 90 per cent of its population double vaccinated.The milestone was officially reached on the morning of New Year’s Eve.Chris McKenna, Hawke’s Bay DHB Covid-19 Vaccination Senior Responsible…

By RNZ More than 2000 Corrections staff were suspected of misconduct in the five-year period to 2020.Figures released under the Official Information Act (OIA) show the number of staff investigated, the location and the outcome…

A person who later tested positive for Covid-19 visited three stores in Taradale on Christmas Eve.The Ministry of Health also revealed on Friday that a second person in Napier has now tested positive for Covid-19, a close contact…

Auckland has awoken to life under orange in the Government’s Covid-19 traffic light system. The region turned orange at 11.59pm on Thursday – coming after more than 130 days of existence under level 4 and 3 lockdowns, and most recently…

When snake catcher Stuart McKenzie was called to remove a carpet python from a Queensland bedroom, he expected an average day on the job.

But what the Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers owner didn't expect to find was "one of the biggest spiders" he has seen in his career.

The caller, a woman from the town of Landsborough on the Sunshine Coast, told Mr McKenzie the snake was locked in the room the day before.

READ MORE: Why trackers are being fitted to funnel web spiders

So when the snake catcher opened the door, he was taken by surprise.

"Literally the first thing we saw was a huge huntsman," Mr McKenzie said.

The spider, which was above the bed, stood out "because it was so massive".

As the snake catcher's eyes scanned across the room, he spotted the snake curled up on the cupboard at the end of the bed.

The woman was ready to leap into action and take care of the spider, telling Mr McKenzie: "I'll get the bloody fly spray out."

"I think she was pretty happy to tackle the spider herself," he said.

READ MORE: Sydney woman's horror during morning shower

"I didn't want her to kill it."

Mr McKenzie proceeded to catch the snake and spider and take them outside.

As he did this, he noticed the spider was wider than his hand.

"In terms of its leg, it was longer than a toilet roll, the legs would go either end of the roll," he said.

How the snake found its way into the home remains a mystery but Mr McKenzie suspects it may have come in through the ceiling fan in the bathroom.

"The cover had fallen off," he said.

If you find a snake in your home, call a qualified snake catcher.

There was no shortage of video games in 2021, and this year was just a taste of what's to come. With the introduction of Unreal Engine 5, it won't be long before it's near impossible to discern the difference between game and reality. Here's a look at the biggest games this year had to offer.

A COVID-19-positive child under the age of two has died in South Australia, as the state records 1374 new cases of the virus.

The child's death is in addition to the death of a woman in her 90s this week who also contracted the virus.

The causes of their deaths are yet to be confirmed and have been referred to the coroner.

LIVE UPDATES: 'Queenslands cannot avoid the virus'

Premier Steven Marshall described the death of the child "a tragic circumstance for the family".

He said he can not go into further detail about the death.

"It's a very sad set of circumstances but we still don't know what the cause is," Mr Marshall said.

"Obviously the family is in huge distress."

Mr Marshall sent his condolences to the family.

LIVE UPDATES: 'Queenslands cannot avoid the virus'

Mr Marshall noted today's infection numbers were a slight reduction on the number of cases that were reported yesterday and the day before.

"These numbers are very likely to be bobbing around for some time," he said.

He said there were 23,420 processed yesterday in the 24 hours to midnight.

There are currently 37 people in hospital in SA with the virus.

Changes to close contact definition

The Premier announced the definition of a close contact will narrow as of midnight tonight, following an emergency meeting of National Cabinet.

"This will essentially be people who are household or intimate contacts with a positive case," he said.

However, each state will look at "exceptions or exceptional circumstances in their state".

"For example, in more vulnerable communities and also where there is a known significant transmission event," Mr Marshall said.

"We might, if you like, flex up the definition of close contacts in a residential aged care facility because we know people there are far more vulnerable.

"Or if there have been multiple or a larger number of new cases or community transmission within an individual workplace, then we might have a larger definition of close contacts there."

Mr Marshall said the time that both close contacts and positive cases should be in isolation in South Australia was also discussed.

"As of the next 24 to 48 hours we will be moving to 10 days for people who are COVID-positive and seven days for those people who are close contacts if they're vaccinated," he said.

"(This) will remain in 14 days if they're unvaccinated.

"Ultimately if you don't have any symptoms and you've done your 10 days… then you are right to go back to your business, obviously continuing to monitor any symptoms."

Mr Marshall said the states agreed to make a transition to more people using rapid antigen tests and "getting out of the line-ups for a PCR test".

"Over the next 24 to 48 hours we'll be looking at putting new directions in place to make it very clear to every single person in South Australia that we really want to test people that have symptoms, or are close contacts of those people that have symptoms," he said.

"We will be significantly tightening up on that."

Victorians are being warned to be safe and beware of the heat as they celebrate the end of 2021.

A large police presence is set to be out across the state tomorrow, particularly in beach areas and in Melbourne CBD, as temperatures soar into the high 30s.

Victoria Police Minister Lisa Neville has said she understands many Victorians want to celebrate New Year's Eve after what has been a tough year for many.

READ MORE: Most of Australia to enjoy sunny skies for New Year's Eve

"We're only in this position because Victorians have done a lot of the hard yards over the past 12 months," she said.

However, she has warned Victorians to be safe in their celebrations.

"Let's not see tragedy over this New Year's Eve period."

Ms Neville said there would be a substantial amount of police and PSOs out across the state tomorrow, focusing on safety and ready to intervene in anti-social behaviour.

She asked people not attending an event or restaurant to "celebrate locally".

READ MORE: Victoria records 13 COVID-19 deaths overnight

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said there would be a "major" police operation running right across the state, with thousands of extra police having been rostered to work.

"We will absolutely be out in force doing all we can to ensure people have a happy and safe New Year's celebration," he said.

DC Nugent has warned people to beware of the high heat forecast.

"We know that heat and excessive consumption of alcohol doesn't go well."

"Make sure you plan ahead and work out how you are going to get to and from your destination – it would be devastating to think that someone might not live to enjoy 2022 because of a bad decision made on New Year's Eve."

Victorians have also been asked to remember that masks are required in all public indoor settings and on public transport and in ride-share vehicles.

Celebrations in the CBD

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said New Year's Eve celebrations in Melbourne CBD had been modified to be COVID-safe.

She said people needed to be fully-vaccinated and to have a ticket to enter public spaces in the city, which have been divided into designated "celebration zones".

Ms Capp said skyline fireworks were not occurring this year due to COVID-19, because the display attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the city.

She said the display was not in line with a COVID-safe line up of events.

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of five out of six charges of recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

The verdict capped a monthlong trial featuring sordid accounts of the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 14, told by four women who described being abused as teens in the 1990s and early 2000s at Mr Epstein's palatial homes in Florida, New York and New Mexico.

The trial has been seen by some as a chance to hold both her and the late financier accountable.

Among the charges, she has been found guilty of sex trafficking a minor – punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

READ MORE: Maxwell 'participated' in Epstein's sexual assault on 14-year-old

Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Ms Maxwell guilty of five of six counts.

As the verdict was read, Ms Maxwell appeared to show little reaction behind a black mask. She stood with her hands folded as the jury filed out, and glanced at her siblings as she herself was led from the courtroom, but was otherwise stoic.

Deliberations began December 20, halting after Wednesday for the Christmas holiday before resuming Monday.

She faces the likelihood of years in prison — an outcome long sought by women who spent years fighting in civil courts to hold Maxwell accountable for her role in recruiting and grooming Epstein's teenage victims and sometimes joining in the sexual abuse.

The defence had insisted Ms Maxwell was a victim of a vindictive prosecution devised to deliver justice to women deprived of their main villain when Mr Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019.

READ MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell declines to testify

https://twitter.com/LexiDaish/status/1476313961486172161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

During the trial, prosecutors called 24 witnesses to give jurors a picture of life inside Epstein's homes — a subject of public fascination and speculation ever since his 2006 arrest in Florida in a child sex case.

A housekeeper testified he was expected to be "blind, deaf and dumb" about the private lives of Mr Epstein, a financier who cultivated friendships with influential politicians and business tycoons, and Ms Maxwell, who had led a jet-setting lifestyle as the favourite child of a media mogul.

Pilots took the witness stand and dropped the names of luminaries — Britain's Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump — who flew on Epstein's private jets.

Jurors saw physical evidence like a folding massage table once used by Mr Epstein and a "black book" that listed contact information for some of the victims under the heading "massages."

There were bank records showing he had transferred AUD $42 million to Ms Maxwell, his long-time companion — one-time girlfriend, later employee.

But the core of the prosecution was the testimony of four women who said they were victimised by Ms Maxwell and Mr Epstein at tender ages.

READ MORE: Teens left Jeffrey Epstein's home with '$100 bills', ex-boyfriend testifies

Three testified using first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy: Jane, a television actress; Kate, a former model from Great Britain; and Carolyn, now a mom recovering from drug addiction.

The fourth was Annie Farmer, a psychologist who chose to use her real name after being vocal about her allegations in recent years.

They echoed one another in their descriptions of Maxwell's behaviour: She used charm and gifts to gain their trust, taking an interest in their adolescent challenges and giving them assurances that Mr Epstein could use his wealth and connections to fulfil their dreams.

They said the script would darken when Ms Maxwell coaxed them into giving massages to Mr Epstein that turned sexual, encounters she played off as normal: After one sexual massage, Kate, then 17, said Maxwell asked her if she'd had fun and told her: "You are such a good girl."

Prosecutors said Mr Epstein could not have sexually abused girls as young as 14 without Maxwell serving as his "lady of the house."

Ms Maxwell's lawyers claimed she is innocent.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

One of the men injured in a skydiving accident in Wollongong yesterday says he feels lucky to be alive.

Emergency services were called to Stuart Park in North Wollongong yesterday after a tandem skydive went wrong.

The 55-year-old instructor, Mick, and his 27-year-old customer, Brooklan Frkovic, were aiming to land on the beach but became entangled in a pine tree, sending them crashing to the sand.

EXPLAINER:  NSW Health scales back contact tracing – what you need to know

"I have a screenshot in my mind of what it looked like coming into the sand," Mr Frkovic said.

The 55-year-old suffered a concussion, while Mr Frkovic sustained face, chest and pelvic injuries.

Both were transported to hospital in a stable condition.

It was Mr Frkovic's first time skydiving, a bucket list gift from his girlfriend for Christmas.

"The fact that me and Mick came out relatively okay, all things considered, is great," Mr Frkovic said.

READ MORE: Close contacts redefined and isolation period for COVID-19 cases reduced after National Cabinet meeting

Mr Frkovic said the accident happened very quickly.

"We sort of hit the ground and I think we bounced."

"I was quite breathless, so I was just trying to roll myself into a position where I could get my breath back."

READ MORE: NSW COVID-19 cases jump to over 12,000 as testing numbers plunge

After 24 hours, Mr Frkovic is healing well and hopes to be discharged from hospital tonight.

"It's a freak thing that happens," he said.

"It's like having a car crash, you get back in the car. So, I'll see I might do another one."

Skydive Australia is investigating the incident.