Govt warned against teen welfare crackdown
Officials urged the govt against its welfare crackdown on 18-and-19-year-olds, warning it could increase the risk of long-term benefit dependency, newly released advice shows.
23 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls released
23 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls released
Twenty-four girls abducted from a government boarding school in northwestern Nigeria have been released, it has been confirmed.
Trump adds turkeys to big pardon list
Trump adds turkeys to big pardon list
Gobble and Waddle have been spared from Thanksgiving dinner tables.
Mum gets life for murdering children and hiding bodies in suitcases
Mum gets life for murdering children and hiding bodies in suitcases
An Auckland mother who murdered her son and daughter before hiding their bodies in suitcases has been sentenced to at least 17 years' jail.
'Great concerns' for missing Christchurch teen
'Great concerns' for missing Christchurch teen
Police and the family of a 14-year-old Christchurch girl been missing for more than a week have "great concerns for her welfare".
Man charged with arson at recycling facility
Man charged with arson at recycling facility
Updated 12.17 pm
Shipping containers near an Auckland business park that caught fire earlier this week were ablaze again this morning.
Otago councils captured by 'green banshees': Jones
Otago councils captured by 'green banshees': Jones
Shane Jones describes the ORC as "the Kremlin of the South Island" saying councils, especially in Otago, have been captured by "green banshees" who want to block development.
Couple taking council to court over buyout refusal
Couple taking council to court over buyout refusal
An Auckland couple who had to kayak from their Huapai home to escape flash flooding are taking the council to court over its refusal to buy their property after devastating storms.
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Mixed reactions to end of ORC
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Mixed reactions to end of ORC
One Otago regional councillor is excited about the prospect of losing his job, while another says massive government reforms for councils is a blow to local democracy.
Wānaka guide who fell to death 'wonderful person'
Wānaka guide who fell to death 'wonderful person'
Updated 11.39 am
A prominent mountaineer says Wānaka mountain guide Thomas Vialletet was a "wonderful person" and his death would be widely felt.
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Student rapist’s appeal declined
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Student rapist’s appeal declined
A Dunedin student who raped an intoxicated woman in a hall of residence has had a second appeal knocked back.
Challenging the cycle of family violence
Challenging the cycle of family violence
Dunedin Collaboration Against Family Violence co-ordinator Michaela Corcoran ties a white ribbon to the First Church fence in commemoration of White Ribbon Day yesterday.
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Mayors open to working on regional deal
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Mayors open to working on regional deal
A proposed regional deal to unlock coastal Otago’s potential could be reinvigorated or revised.
Biker badly hurt in crash
Biker badly hurt in crash
One person was transported to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after a motorcycle crashed into traffic lights.
Man seen slashing tyres
Man seen slashing tyres
A man slashing the tyres of patrol cars outside Dunedin’s central police station was caught after officers looked out the window.
Drugs dropped on car floor
Drugs dropped on car floor
A man arrested in Dunedin landed himself in even more trouble after dropping more than $17,000 of class A drugs on the floor of a police car.
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Out-going principal hopes pupils are prioritised
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Out-going principal hopes pupils are prioritised
A departing Dunedin principal says teachers must put children first as the government introduces an almost-constant stream of changes.
Fire risk ‘high’ as mercury rises
Fire risk ‘high’ as mercury rises
Parts of coastal Otago are expected to swelter in temperatures nearing 30°C today, prompting Fire and Emergency New Zealand to warn of high fire danger in the area.
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CCTV shows Dunedin murder accused buying knife and gloves
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CCTV shows Dunedin murder accused buying knife and gloves
The movements of a Dunedin man — before and after allegedly stabbing his former worker to death — have been placed under the microscope for a jury.
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$300 power hike ‘kick in the nuts’
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$300 power hike ‘kick in the nuts’
Increasing power prices across Otago by more than $300 a year will be a "kick in the nuts" some residents won’t be able to afford, a whistleblower says.