![Carterton balloon disaster splash](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/q/8/w/image.related.StuffSplash.300x400.12wq0u.11ys6n.png/1421977556470.jpg)
Balloon disaster photos released
Carterton balloon is seen burning and falling in photos that can now be shown.
Japanese mother pleads
Mother of man held by Islamist militants pleads for son, as ransom deadline passes.
Tramper's body found
Body of missing Wellington tramper, missing for 19 days, is found on river bed.
Swimmer's body found in lake
The body of a 26-year-old foreign woman is found in a Central Otago lake.
Double act inspires Black Caps
Records tumbled as NZ galloped within sight of a Sri Lankan cricket series victory.
BMX star aims for double back-flip
![WIPE OUT: Not all of Jolene Van Vugt's double back-flip attempts went according to plan.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/x/0/e/m/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12x08l.11h8q4.png/1421992978751.jpg)
Action sports star Jolene Van Vugt will attempt to be the first female to double back-flip a BMX bike.
Architect remembered
Hundreds farewelled Sir Ian Athfield, who died last Friday, at his Khandallah home today.
![YOUNG ADVENTURER: Mark Ellis pictured at the summit of Mt Franklin in the Southern Alps.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/j/l/7/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wjip.11h8q4.png/1421969188540.jpg)
Seatbelt could've saved man
A seatbelt would have improved a Christchurch man's chances of surviving a crash on a gravel road.
Double act from Ronchi and Elliott inspires Black Caps
Records tumbled as New Zealand claimed an impressive 108-run victory over Sri Lanka in Dunedin.
Japanese mother pleads
!["I say to you people of the Islamic State, Kenji is not your enemy. Please release him": Junko Ishido, mother of Japanese hostage.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/x/6/x/g/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12x75b.1082x1.png/1422005542354.jpg)
Mother of hostage held by Islamist militants pleads for son to be saved, as deadline for ransom passes.
Yemen's turmoil deepens
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi succumbs to an apparent coup attempt.
![FACING CHARGES: Ousted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets in a traditional way as she leave Parliament yesterday.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/x/4/1/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12x3wp.1082x1.png/1421996901611.jpg)
Ousted Thai PM faces charges
Thailand's junta-stacked parliament has dealt a double blow to ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Challenges face Kathmandu CEO
![PERFORMANCE ISSUES: Last month the company said subdued pre-Christmas sales and declining gross margins were likely to affect its first half profit.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/b/z/s/5/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wlpw.11jm2n.png/1421987191781.jpg)
Frenchman Xavier Simonet will take over the helm at the outdoor goods retailer as it battles headwinds in Australia.
Prime News has new maker
Future of news anchors Eric Young and Charlotte Bellis is uncertain.
![TeamTalk's David Ware.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/x/1/8/9/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12x1do.11jm2n.png/1422002834936.jpg)
TeamTalk shares plunge
TeamTalk shares drop nearly a third after the mobile radio company issues profit warning.
How to avoid buying a lemon
Buying a second-hand car can be a bit like navigating a minefield. Here's how to dodge the old bombs and clangers.
Fashion veteran shuts up shop
After 25 years in Nelson's retail fashion scene, Boutique owner Vanessa Griffin is ready to move on.
iPad stylus on the way?
A stylus would be out of character for Apple, but reliable sources indicate one could be coming.
![Eric Schmidt at Davos.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/u/z/r/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wuoj.zvl7t.png/1421984107695.jpg)
Google boss says Internet will 'disappear'
Google chairman predicts the internet will soon be so ubiquitous it will effectively "disappear" into the background.
Best & worst: Miss Universe
![MISS GREAT BRITAIN: Anyone that goes to Buckingham Palace after this will be sorely disappointed to see the guards don't look like this. They definitely, definitely wear trousers. It looks like she got caught out playing strip Changing of the Guards. "But guys, I'm sure a straight beats three of a kind?" Every other guard: "No, it definitely doesn't, someone must have been having you on. Guess you better lose those pants then..."](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/i/m/x/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wkoe.118kt5.png/1421974063495.jpg)
If you thought parading around in a skimpy bikini would be the most mortifying part of the pageant, well, you were wrong.
I pay $25 for an Invisible Boyf'
'Ryan Gosling' and I chat about Downton Abbey, crying and more. My package includes 100 texts a month.
![NEW-AGE PROCEDURES: From back rolls and chubby cheeks to "long nipples", it seems there's nothing plastic surgery can't solve.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/g/e/g/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wfx0.118kt5.png/1421984531621.jpg)
Most bizarre plastic surgeries
Making an "innie" an "outie" and a silicone bra screwed into your rib cage . . . Who comes up with these things?
Could partners make pain worse?
![RELAX DARLING, I'M HERE: Does having your partner around always make the pain easier?](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/g/1/b/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wfyv.118mbv.png/1421967812092.jpg)
Your partner is supposed to soothe you through pain, but a new study tells it differently.
Rethink our fitness approach
'The fact that it takes character to get out of your chair is perhaps the greatest benefit to be derived from exercise.'
![HEALTH BRAGGING: Being the picture of health is the new status symbol.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/f/i/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wfbp.118mbv.png/1421967812092.jpg)
Are you health bragging?
Forget flaunting the new handbag or car, wellness is the new status symbol.
Meet Claris the comeback caravan
![Claris’ Technicolour coat is a combination of Resene ‘Tangerine’, ‘Trade Green’ and ‘Solitaire’ and her awning was custom-made by Cairnscorp in Pukekohe.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/u/n/l/a/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12umqm.118l16.png/1421870884513.jpg)
From forgotten in a field to festival favourite, this 1960s’ glamour girl now has a new look and a wardrobe to match.
DIY wooden planter box
Take back the power and build your own wooden planter box in eight easy steps.
![.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/d/u/0/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wdqd.118l16.png/1421961449121.jpg)
Amazing 3D-printed mansion
Is this a solution to Auckland's housing supply problem - print your own?
What's really in McDonald's fries
![WHAT'S REALLY INSIDE: Potatoes, plus 14 other ingredients.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/m/y/f/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wm7m.118ols.png/1421985895329.jpg)
French fries in the US may contain a whopping number of ingredients, but we in NZ have just three.
All about sweetcorn
Try these five delicious ideas for that top summer treat - fresh sweetcorn.
More hoof disease cases found
![Annual milk production in Australia has doubled to 9.3 million litres in 30 years despite a steady dairy cow population.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/3/5/a/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12w6t1.11jq0k.png/1421911132091.jpg)
Taranaki study into a hoof disease in dairy cattle has revealed the infection is more widespread than expected.
Farmers want to tap Tekapo
Fed Farmers boss says taking water from Lake Tekapo merits discussion, despite a negative economic report.
British MP blares Beyonce
A British MP got told off by the prime minister when his smartwatch began playing during a cabinet meeting.
![Must-see: Courtney Barnett's charm and effortless skill will be on show at the Laneway Festival.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/r/w/g/7/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wk1t.117jqz.png/1421979868933.jpg)
A look at Laneway's artists
Don't know any of the music at the Laneway festival? Check out some of the artists.
King Tut's beard glued back on
![A golden funerary mask of King Tutankhamun is on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/h/v/6/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12whn7.108gna.png/1421966854903.jpg)
The blue and gold braided beard of famed pharaoh was hastily glued back on after being knocked off during cleaning.
Top travel pics of the week
Here is our round up of the top travel photos from around the world.
![BATTLING THE PLAGUE: The boundary stone where all food and supplies to Eyam were left.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/0/6/j/f/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wgfu.108gna.png/1421963839995.jpg)
Death came in a bundle of cloth
A tailor who ordered a bale of cloth unwittingly triggered a chain of events that led to 260 villagers dying.
Will Hollywood glitz tarnish New Zealand?
As New Zealand's film industry continues to grow, Seng-Lip Ferguson questions who will benefit.
![MARTIN GUPTILL: Form is temporary, class is permanent.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/g/4/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12wg6v.11z3d7.png/1421962588596.jpg)
Black Caps' line-up battle on
There are a lot of question marks in the Black Caps' line up. Andrew Houston fills in the gaps.
DIY supercar replica
![Short video of a Zonda inspired Audi twin turbo V8.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/e/0/f/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wevm.11h2i3.png/1421961844425.jpg)
Amateur mechanic in the UK has spent five years turning his 1990 Ford Granada into a replica of an Italian supercar.
The rise of fake engine noise
Engine growl in many best-selling vehicles is actually a finely tuned bit of lip-syncing - and it's driving car car enthusiasts insane.
![](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/7/t/i/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12t3z6.11h2i3.png/1422006227670.jpg)
What were they thinking?
Here's a handful of automotive shockers from the US car industry that you might not have thought of.
Double act inspires Black Caps
![SMASHED 'EM BRO: Black Caps Grant Elliott and Luke Ronchi both scored unbeaten centuries to help their side to 360-5 in the fifth ODI against Sri Lanka in Dunedin.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/q/8/q/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wggh.11gn2s.png/1422002422118.jpg)
Records tumbled as New Zealand claimed an impressive 108-run victory over Sri Lanka in Dunedin.
Federer knocked out by Seppi
Roger Federer suffers a shock third-round loss at the Australian Open to Italian world No 46 Andreas Seppi.
![OUT OF SORTS: Breakers big man Cedric Jackson shoots for the basket in the home loss to the Sydney Kings.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/x/6/5/2/image.related.StuffLandscapeThreeByTwo.300x200.12x63o.11gn2s.png/1422002235903.jpg)
Kings put Breakers to sword
The Breakers’ five-game winning streak ends after a 101-81 thrashing by the Sydney Kings.
Soft-baiting for beginners
![With a few simple changes in technique, beginner soft-baiters can greatly increase their success](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/n/v/w/2/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12nvsc.11z40i.png/1422005485623.jpg)
Josh Darby offers top tips for fishing lovers struggling to get to grips with soft-baiting.
Death came in a bundle of cloth
![BATTLING THE PLAGUE: The boundary stone where all food and supplies to Eyam were left.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/0/6/j/f/h/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wgfu.11z40i.png/1422005485623.jpg)
A tailor who ordered a bale of cloth unwittingly triggered a chain of events that led to 260 villagers dying.
Where queuing is a profession
![People line up outside a pharmacy to buy baby diapers in Caracas on Monday.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/4/f/o/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12w55w.11z40i.png/1421910441049.jpg)
Lines for basic necessities in this oil-rich nation start before dawn.
Holocaust survivor's story
![Holocaust survivor Vera Egermayer at the Holocaust Centre in Wellington tells of being a child at the Terezin concentration camp.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/v/f/p/t/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12uz3p.11z40i.png/1421871976891.jpg)
One concentration camp survivor explains the importance of remembering the past.
How to travel, even if you haven't saved
![SWAPPING HOMES: Richard Lintott and his wife turned to home swap as an affordable way to travel the world.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/d/n/z/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wdif.png/1421954360574.jpg)
Long and leisurely trips after retirement would have been out of reach if Richard Lintott and his wife hadn't begun home swapping.
Time travelling to Hawaii
![HAPPY NEW YEAR: Fireworks explode over Waikiki Beach to ring in the new year.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/v/o/w/5/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12voir.png/1421888908362.jpg)
NZ has an unusual advantage for NYE: it's one of the few places where you get the chance to replay the occasion.
Don't be a 'cultural pillock'
![SLIM PICKINGS: Jason Scott, co-owner of Scott's Epicurian, empties the meagre takings from the tipping jar.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/v/b/w/m/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12vbo9.png/1421918000403.jpg)
Kiwis hate tipping more than anything else when they travel, a new survey reveals.
Top Kiwi summer escapes
![Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/t/x/t/e/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12tx5l.png/1421715329228.jpg)
If you're looking to follow the crowd for the upcoming long weekends, it appears Queenstown is the place to go.
Alleged poo fight ends in court
![ACCUSED POO THROWER: Sian Payne.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/w/k/5/n/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wl03.png/1421971703859.jpg)
A long-running dispute between two women in Australia took a horrifying and rather putrid turn.
Smoker fined $19k for butt-throwing
![NO BUTTS ABOUT IT: Singapore has fined a smoker $19,716 for throwing cigarette butts out his window.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/k/b/5/i/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12wibd.png/1421967175184.jpg)
Singapore fines smoker $597 for every butt he threw out his flat window. The total sum was a record.
Whoops! Meth-o-drone crashes
![METH-O-DRONE PROGRAMME: A drone loaded with packages containing methamphetamine lies on the ground after it crashed into a supermarket parking lot in the city of Tijuana.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/v/u/f/g/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12vuhu.png/1421894758363.jpg)
A drone overloaded with methamphetamine has crashed into a supermarket parking lot in Mexico.
Cut off by 'young, dumb' gull
![Bad news for the birds in Minnesota.](/web/20150123120143im_/http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/2/s/a/y/j/image.related.StuffThumbnail.90x60.12tqoy.png/1421786694185.jpg)
Cutting power to large parts of Tauranga was one seagull's final act on this earth.