John Gibb

Australian scientist Prof Kevin McCue says yesterday's major South Island earthquake may bring the Alpine Fault closer to failure, and also warns of a magnitude 8 quake in Wellington.

Dunedin auto engineer Steve Ward is contributing to a "quiet revolution" and a surge in the number of electric bicycles being ridden in city streets.

Ground-breaking theoretical work by University of Otago physics researchers on extremely low-temperature gas droplets has now been confirmed by scientists in Germany.

Time is fast running out for the former Caledonian Bowling Club buildings, once a distinctive sight in Andersons Bay Rd, Dunedin.

District Health Board officials yesterday denied resident doctors had been warned of possible misconduct investigations to gag them from speaking to the media, as further strike action looms.

Two University of Otago foreign affairs specialists warn a Donald Trump presidency will result in ''great uncertainty'' in links between the United States and its allies for some time.

Port Otago's continued efficient operation was ``essential to the economic health'' of Otago, a Dunedin resource consent hearing was told yesterday.

Deaths arising from antimicrobial resistance could exceed the cancer death toll by 2050 unless action is taken to address increasing rates of resistance.

Rabies has killed at least a million people in the past 20 years, but visiting infectious disease specialist Prof Sarah Cleaveland is optimistic the disease can be wiped out in humans by 2030.

Commissioners are "leaning towards" granting a resource consent application to expand OceanaGold’s mine at Macraes, but more information and dialogue are needed.

Proposals to expand OceanaGold's mine at Macraes should be improved to avoid damaging too many sensitive habitats, including many rare plant species and thousands of ''at risk'' lizards.

A fun  alternative to Halloween, with a focus on family and community spirit, attracted several thousand people to Forsyth Barr Stadium last night.

Sixty people, including some from Palmerston and Mosgiel, celebrated the centenary  of  New Zealand’s RSA organisation at a dinner at the Waikouaiti RSA  at the weekend.

The colourful history of the  Donaghy’s  ropewalk building in Dunedin was evoked in a lively short piece of documentary theatre at the weekend.

Staff members were dressed as fairies and a little bit of fairy magic also floated in the air as the University Bookshop Otago celebrated New Zealand Bookshop Day at the weekend.

About 150 people will converge on Dunedin to take part in two major world health and infectious diseases conferences next week.