Otago Daily Times Online News

'Stupid behaviour': Man who tried to body slam orca fined

A 50-year-old Auckland man has been slapped with a $600 infringement after attempting to "body slam" an orca.
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Award winner in ‘perfect job’

Cristy Watkins is going up in the world — one piece of scaffolding at a time.

Huffing paint not ruled out in young Gloriavale man's death

Huffing paint not ruled out in young Gloriavale man's death

A toxicologist has told a court he cannot rule out the possibility that a Gloriavale man may have been huffing paint and other chemical fumes.
Landlord tried to evict disabled tenant over cleanliness

Landlord tried to evict disabled tenant over cleanliness

A landlord has failed in their attempt to evict a cognitively impaired car crash victim for failing to keep his rented house clean.
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New fears on cost blowouts

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New fears on cost blowouts

Fears of further budget blowouts prompted a warning to the government to defer decisions on the lead contractor for the new Dunedin hospital’s inpatient building.

dunedin

Trinity Catholic College alumnus and Nasa scientist Hamish Prince talks to pupils at the school...

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Aim high and follow your passion, Nasa scientist tells pupils

Teenagers at Trinity Catholic College were told to follow their passions by a former pupil, who said taking this approach led to him working for Nasa.

Dismay no-one held to account for fiance's death

Dismay no-one held to account for fiance's death

The fiancee of a Dunedin man who died from complications associated with the Covid-19 vaccine is disappointed no-one will be held to account for his "needless death".
Date-night downer for distracted driver

Date-night downer for distracted driver

A Dunedin man did not quite finish a date the way he wanted to after he crashed his car through a fence and into a tree on his way to a city lookout.
Fault cuts power to Mosgiel

Fault cuts power to Mosgiel

Almost 1500 Mosgiel residents were without power for a period this afternoon after their electricity was cut.

regions

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Staff meeting impacts museum and library opening times

About 250 Waitaki District Council staff will attend a meeting tomorrow regarding the council’s $4.5 million transformation plan.

Southland Boys' High School rector resigns

Southland Boys' High School rector resigns

Southland Boys’ High School rector Simon Coe has resigned after almost eight years in the job.
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100 pupils kept at home due to illness

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100 pupils kept at home due to illness

Staff illness forced a Central Otago high school to keep 100 year 12 pupils from school yesterday.
Road Safety Week display ‘impactful’

Road Safety Week display ‘impactful’

People can witness the tragedy of vehicle accidents via shoes in a display in Balclutha.

City Living: Luxury Townhouses in Dunedin Central

Airbnb consented townhouses within 800m of the CBD from $669,000. Completion in July 2025

National

Scott Watson was jailed for the murders of Olivia Hope, 17, and Ben Smart, 21, who disappeared in...

Scott Watson's appeal dealt blow as report rejected

Convicted murderer Scott Watson's application to include an academic report on eyewitness memory in his upcoming appeal has been thrown out by the court.

Woman rescued from rising floodwaters in Rotorua

Woman rescued from rising floodwaters in Rotorua

Two lines company workers have saved a woman stuck inside her car in rising floodwaters south of Rotorua.
'Stupid behaviour': Man who tried to body slam orca fined

'Stupid behaviour': Man who tried to body slam orca fined

A 50-year-old Auckland man has been slapped with a $600 infringement after attempting to "body slam" an orca.
Landlord tried to evict disabled tenant over cleanliness

Landlord tried to evict disabled tenant over cleanliness

A landlord has failed in their attempt to evict a cognitively impaired car crash victim for failing to keep his rented house clean.

sport

Players' Association threatens to split with NZ Rugby

The New Zealand Rugby Players Association (RPA) has threatened it will walk away from NZ Rugby (NZR) if governance review reforms are not voted on at the end of this month.

Rain helps Grimaldi to bronze

Rain helps Grimaldi to bronze

Anna Grimaldi has used experience gained in the Dunedin rain to reach the world podium in Japan.
Seven records fall at school championships

Seven records fall at school championships

Seven records fell at the Otago secondary school swimming championships on Sunday.
ODT Rugby Chat - SBHS Rugby Special

ODT Rugby Chat - SBHS Rugby Special

Southland Boys made history last year by winning the Moascar cup and became the top secondary school rugby team in New Zealand

Food & Wine

The sacred bond of shared meals
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Cauliflower soup with cheesy croutons
Time to freshen-up fridge leftovers
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Raising a glass to sustainability

Business

SkyCity has reached a settlement with the Department of Internal Affairs. Photo: RNZ

SkyCity to pay $4m over anti-money laundering breaches

Casino operator SkyCity has reached a settlement with the Department of Internal Affairs over breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.

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Otago apple grower sold to Auckland company

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Otago apple grower sold to Auckland company

Central Otago’s largest apple grower has been sold to an Auckland company.
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Award winner in ‘perfect job’

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Award winner in ‘perfect job’

Cristy Watkins is going up in the world — one piece of scaffolding at a time.
Consumer warning over PayWave surcharges

Consumer warning over PayWave surcharges

PayWave has taken off in recent years - but why is there a surcharge to use the convenient tap-and-go payment method at most small businesses?

Life & style

The land remembers

The history of Otago Peninsula is written in its names.

Hakitekura at centre of ill-fated love story

Hakitekura at centre of ill-fated love story

The landscape of Te Waipounamu sustained and shaped its people, who storied it with deeds fantastic, tragic and universal.
Between land and sea

Between land and sea

The many settlements around Otago Harbour were points in a seamless continuum between land and water for mana whenua.
Pathways through a new land

Pathways through a new land

The stories of Te Wai Pounamu flow through the land like water, pathways to history, mātauranga and place.

South Taranaki farmer Ray Nairn was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court for the ill...

Dairy farmer gets home detention after ill-treatment of cattle

One of the several ill-treated cows owned by farmer Ray Nairn suffered such severe mastitis that "part of her udder dropped off".

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Otago apple grower sold to Auckland company

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Otago apple grower sold to Auckland company

Central Otago’s largest apple grower has been sold to an Auckland company.
Ploughing down memory lane

Ploughing down memory lane

Whether using tools that are decades old, or the latest technology, farmers want to keep things on the straight and narrow when ploughing their fields.
Beef + Lamb NZ refutes lower standard claims

Beef + Lamb NZ refutes lower standard claims

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has hit back at claims lamb here is "produced to potentially lower standards than in the UK".

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

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Farquhar’s short stories in art
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Bees get the credit

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In praise of taking the bike lane
The art of getting a good night’s sleep

World

Scarlett Johansson said the voice, dubbed "Sky", was "eerily similar" to her own. File photo:...

ChatGPT pulls AI voice that sounds 'eerily similar' to Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of creating a voice for the ChatGPT system that sounded "eerily similar" to the actress after she declined to voice the chatbot herself.

Scores of Yale students in pro-Palestinian walkout

Scores of Yale students in pro-Palestinian walkout

Scores of graduating students staged a walkout from Yale University's commencement exercises on Monday, protesting the Israeli war in Gaza.
Assange wins right to appeal extradition to US

Julian Assange wins right to appeal extradition to US

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been given permission to appeal against extradition to the United States.
War crimes court seeks arrest of Netanyahu

War crimes court seeks arrest of Netanyahu

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor says he has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders over alleged war...