Otago Daily Times Online News

The spooky reason red balloons are popping up in Dunedin drains

Parents, keep your children on a leash — lest they get lured down into Dunedin’s drainage system.
Hundreds without power after South Dunedin crash

A father and son were in a car which was believed to have been speeding when it slammed into a pole cutting power to hundreds in South Dunedin this morning.

Southland teacher aide jailed for child pornography

Southland teacher aide jailed for child pornography

A Southland teacher aide who had child pornography and demonstrated a "concerning desire to escalate" his offending, has been locked up.
More than 100 cops under investigation for falsified breath tests

More than 100 cops under investigation for falsified breath tests

More than 100 police officers are under investigation after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were "falsely or erroneously recorded".
Day walker rescued after getting lost among fallen trees

Day walker rescued after getting lost among fallen trees

A solo day walk turned into a rescue mission while Southland was in a state of local emergency over the long weekend.

dunedin

Bungling boozer leads cops on 'very short foot chase'

An allegedly intoxicated man causing chaos in the main street of an Otago town twice attempted to flee police on foot.

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'He’s either going to kill himself or kill someone else'

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'He’s either going to kill himself or kill someone else'

A methed-up truck driver who caused a fatal fiery crash has been locked up, but a former employer says the tragedy could have been prevented.
No ordinary Halloween set-up

No ordinary Halloween set-up

It takes three weeks for Carmen and Chris Sperandio to put together their Halloween-themed installations in their house — but the reactions are worth it.
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Call for changes to campaign spending

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Call for changes to campaign spending

"Extraordinary" levels of election campaign spending mean changes are required to ensure a level playing field, a Dunedin city councillor says.

regions

The victim of gang-related torture in Nelson over missing drugs had both his toes squeezed with a...

Cocaine, meth and cash found in Glenorchy search - police

A man is in custody after police say they found cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis and $11,000 in cash at a Glenorchy property.

Three men charged over pair of serious Westport assaults

Three men charged over pair of serious Westport assaults

Three men are before the courts after two serious assaults in Westport earlier this week.
Disruptions on South's Great Walks in wake of wild weather

Disruptions on South's Great Walks in wake of wild weather

The wild spring weather is hitting the conservation estate, with tracks blocked and damaged, and the Milford Track start pushed back by another week.
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Uni brings degree to town in first

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Uni brings degree to town in first

Students will soon be able to complete a University of Otago degree from the region’s top recreation destination.

National

James Arthur Holder Photo: Stuff / Pool / Chris Skelton

Jury rejects self-defence argument in Chch murder trial

James Arthur Holder has been found guilty of the murder of David Bridgwater, by a jury in the Christchurch High Court.

Nurses to strike again over unsafe staffing

Nurses to strike again over unsafe staffing

Thousands of nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants have voted to take more strike action next month to highlight what they call unsafe staffing levels.
More than 100 cops under investigation for falsified breath tests

More than 100 cops under investigation for falsified breath tests

More than 100 police officers are under investigation after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were "falsely or erroneously recorded".
Govt announces new charter school for students with autism

Govt announces new charter school for students with autism

The country's first school for teenagers with autism will open next year.

sport

Southern Hoiho Lillian Dart passes the ball to Yaylah Simmons during their destruction of...

Basketball: Hoiho thump Southern rivals

That is how you exact your revenge.

Volts collapse like Soviet bloc

Volts collapse like Soviet bloc

Auckland will keep the Ross Dykes Memorial trophy for another year.
Waller mobbing Melbourne Cup contenders list

Waller mobbing Melbourne Cup contenders list

He may already have a Melbourne Cup win to his name, but New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller still yearns to win the Flemington showpiece as much as anyone.
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Curling journey now headed for Finland

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Curling journey now headed for Finland

Tahlia Petersen is a stone’s throw away from the world stage.

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Rarer than sauvignon blanc, still enough to go around
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Asparagus and cheddar pastry parcels
Good recipes take time
Hot or cold: never-ending joy of lamb

Business

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Selling off dairy brands necessary, chairman says

Fonterra is no different from any other business — if any part of it is not performing, then it needs to be fixed or sold, Otago Federated Farmers chairman Luke Kane believes.

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Longstanding Dunedin motorcycle business closes

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Longstanding Dunedin motorcycle business closes

A "poor economic climate" has resulted in the closure of a nearly 40-year-old Dunedin motorcycle business.
Consent to take 65% stake in Alliance

Consent to take 65% stake in Alliance

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand has granted consent, under the Overseas Investment Act, for Delmec Unlimited — part of the Dawn Meats Group — to take a 65% stake in Alliance Group.
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Filled jobs rise 0.8% in Otago

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Filled jobs rise 0.8% in Otago

Otago has bucked the national trend for the number of people in work, but some jobs are still attracting hundreds of applicants.

Rural Life

'Utter madness': Farmers vote to sell iconic dairy brands to French company

Fonterra's farmer shareholders have voted overwhelmingly to sell brands including Mainland and Anchor to a French company in a move described by Winston Peters as "utter madness".

Southland couple thrilled to win rural competition

Southland couple thrilled to win rural competition

Southland farming couple Mark and Elspeth Thomson are the winners of this year’s Otago Daily Times-Rural Life Rural Champions initiative.
'Huge concern': Irrigators wiped out by wild winds

'Huge concern': Irrigators wiped out by wild winds

Tens of millions of dollars worth of irrigation equipment is thought to have been damaged by strong winds in North Canterbury.
Growing pasture, efficiency and profit

Growing pasture, efficiency and profit

Southland dairy farmers Steven and Hayley Clarke, with their son Jordie, hosted a field day showcasing their passion for maximising pasture growth and utilising it in their system. Shawn McAvinue...

Life & style

The locally-made 4m oak dining table is accompanied by dining chairs covered in various fabrics...

Bringing the wilderness in

The desire to connect with nature in an alpine wilderness environment and spend meaningful time with multiple generations of family informed the creation of this home.

Living relics from the dinosaur era

Living relics from the dinosaur era

I love cycads! Every day as I see them in the winter garden, they always capture my attention with their lush, prehistoric appearance.
Steam dreams in North Wales

Steam dreams in North Wales

Two of Britain’s most revered heritage railways can be combined in a long journey through magnificent scenery, with castles, quarries and mountains as an unsurpassed backdrop.
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A page for all voices

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A page for all voices

An esteemed literary journal is gently changing tack, Paul Gorman reports.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

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Sharing the excitement
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Creatives share art in exhibition

World

Gareth Ward remains an member of the NSW Parliament, despite being found guilty of sexual assault...

'Predatory' former Aussie MP jailed for molesting young men

A former Australian state minister jailed for the sexual abuse of two young men more than a decade ago has been described as callous and predatory over the opportunistic attacks.

Trump drops refugee limit to 7500, mostly white South Africans

Trump drops refugee limit to 7500, mostly white South Africans

US President Donald Trump has set the refugee limit at 7,500 for 2026, the lowest cap on record, and will largely focus on South Africans from the country's white Afrikaner ethnic minority..
Hurricane Melissa death toll rises as storm churns north

Hurricane Melissa death toll rises as storm churns north

Hurricane Melissa's confirmed death toll has climbed to 44, according to official reports, after wreaking destruction across much of the northern Caribbean and picking up speed as it heads toward...
Young woman killed by lightning strike in Queensland

Young woman killed by lightning strike in Queensland

A young Queensland woman has died after being struck by lightning amid warnings of more extreme weather ahead over the weekend.

Opinion

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A black-letter day for communities

Not everyone is a digital native in this super-connected world of ours.

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Cartoonist’s view — Yeo

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Cartoonist’s view — Yeo

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.
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Return by heir

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Return by heir

To the Prince of Wales returning from his South African and South American tour London gave a rousing welcome — half a million people lining the streets. Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII, right) is welcomed at Portsmouth by his brother, Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI), ending his Empire tour of 25,000 miles, which lasted over six months. Otago Witness, 8.10.1925
Whakapapa is more than enough citizenship proof for Māori

Whakapapa is more than enough citizenship proof for Māori

The Waitangi Tribunal is soon to release its findings on an inquiry looking at whether the Citizenship Act 1977 breaches the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi.

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