Otago Daily Times Online News

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Dame Jools ’‘humour, generosity, talent’ will be missed

Dame Jools Topp — one half of the Topp Twins duo — has been remembered across the South as a ‘‘bloody good performer’’ and a talent that will be profoundly missed.
Entertainer Dame Jools Topp dies

Dame Jools Topp has died after a battle with breast cancer. As one half of the Topp Twins with sister Lynda, she brought joy to generations of Kiwis.
Spirits high but doubt clouds future of Bluff oyster festival

A lower than usual turnout did little to dampen the high spirits of organisers and attendees at the annual Bluff Oyster and Food Festival.

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Dozens of flights into city axed

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Dozens of flights into city axed

Air New Zealand has canned 81 flights over the next three months into Dunedin, and a 50-year-old veteran of the travel industry says he has never seen domestic prices so expensive.
Family ‘trying to cope’ with loss

Family ‘trying to cope’ with loss

The father of a man killed in suburban Dunedin described the victim as ‘‘the most happy-go-lucky, laid-back sort of person you’d ever meet’’.
Cath lab petition handed over to MPs

Cath lab petition handed over to MPs

After months of street campaigning for Dunedin Hospital’s catheterisation lab to be open 24/7, a grieving widower’s hard work has been handed over to the city’s MPs.

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Mystery surrounds restaurant for sale in city
Sense of belonging grows
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Old Golds great Fifita set son on path to Origin
ODT quiz: May 25

dunedin

Tūhura Otago Museum staff members Annah Taggart (left) and Shanaya Cunningham at the Museums and...

Shortlisted for ‘amazing storytelling’

A Dunedin museum has proved small budgets can create great things after one of its exhibitions was shortlisted among the top five exhibitions in the world.

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Handrail upgrade begins

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Handrail upgrade begins

Work has started on upgrading and replacing the ageing handrail at the Esplanade in St Clair.
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Pair enter school, assault student

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Pair enter school, assault student

Two members of the public entered a Dunedin secondary school yesterday and assaulted a student before leaving in a vehicle.
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Bid to steal car done in instalments

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Bid to steal car done in instalments

A Dunedin man is worried nothing will stop a pair of youths who have tried to steal his car three times.

regions

A drilling rig at Santana mine site. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

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Fast-track bid hits snag over gaps in information

Santana Minerals’ bid for fast-track approval to mine gold at Bendigo has hit a snag over information gaps in its application.

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Rugby club official decries violent fracas at clubrooms

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Rugby club official decries violent fracas at clubrooms

The president of a South Otago rugby club says he is shocked and disappointed a party held at its venue descended into violence, including one person being bottled.
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Arrowtown tops Otago bad air rankings

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Arrowtown tops Otago bad air rankings

Arrowtown has come top of the rankings, but not in a category any town would want to win.
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Fruit variety protections hailed

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Fruit variety protections hailed

A central Otago grower involved in developing new apricot varieties has welcomed changes that will give plant breeders exclusive commercial rights for longer.

National

(From left) Lanyue Xiao, Kaixiao Liu, an interpreter, Jingui Liu, Xiuyun Li in the Auckland High...

Religious group accused of killing woman, dumping body in harbour

The Chinese woman whose body was found in Auckland's Gulf Harbour came to seek religious instruction from Kaixiao Liu, one of the people accused of killing her, the Crown says.

PM has 'real questions to answer' over undisclosed document - Hipkins

PM has 'real questions to answer' over undisclosed document - Hipkins

Christopher Luxon has told Ministerial Services everyone needs to be "fully aware of their obligations", after his office said it had no record of a document that came to light following a court order.
Queenstown-based company to pay $20K to harassed employee

Queenstown-based company to pay $20K to harassed employee

A former account manager for a recruitment company still becomes emotional thinking about the harassment she endured from a colleague.
Govt accused of covering up influence of lobbyists

Govt accused of covering up influence of lobbyists

Iwi leader and climate activist Mike Smith is accusing the government of a "co-ordinated campaign of secret lobbying, political interference and corporate influence at the highest levels of power".

sport

Jojo Fifita trains with the Queensland team ahead of his State of Origin debut tomorrow night....

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Old Golds great Fifita set son on path to Origin

Jojo Fifita has always had maroon in his blood.

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Coach glad Steel aced major test

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Coach glad Steel aced major test

You need to be tested if you want to lift the trophy.
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Dead certs, maybes and probably nots

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Dead certs, maybes and probably nots

The Highlanders’ season is over, and attention naturally turns to how the squad will look in 2027.
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‘Amazing’: southern link to northern triumph

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‘Amazing’: southern link to northern triumph

A Mosgiel lad chose the perfect moment to score his first goal for Auckland FC.

Food & Wine

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Heart and belly fillers
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Leek and feta pie
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Knife sharpener lives up to promises
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Emerging grape variety looking promising

Business

Diane McIlwraith (left) and Laura Foley are the new co-owners of The Good Earth Cafe in North...

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Mystery surrounds restaurant for sale in city

As Dunedin hospitality businesses continue to change hands, mystery surrounds the identity of one restaurant on offer by an anonymous seller.

Dairy season tipped be less profitable

Dairy season tipped be less profitable

Dairy farmers are facing a less prosperous year as a new payout is accompanied by higher farm costs.
Chch to Rarotonga flights start

Chch to Rarotonga flights start

A midwinter holiday break is being made easier for South Island passengers on a new flight direct from Christchurch to Rarotonga.
Govt to offer loans to help businesses reduce gas dependence

Govt to offer loans to help businesses reduce gas dependence

Businesses will be able to access cheaper loans to help reduce their dependence on gas as part of a new scheme in Thursday's Budget.

Rural Life

Family farewell flock and look to future

Farmers Mark and Vicki O'Neill have sold their farm Mount Highlay in Hyde and will leave the property at the end of this month.

Farming family chasing efficiency

Farming family chasing efficiency

The 2026 Ballance Farm Environment Awards winner will be announced at a ceremony in Christchurch on July 2.
Entries open for beef competition

Entries open for beef competition

Entries are open for the Otago and Southland Hoof and Hook Beef Competition.
South cleans up at championships

South cleans up at championships

Southern competitors took home most of the top prizes at the South Island Sheep Dog Trial Championships.

Life & style

Historic buildings in Naseby's main street. PHOTOS: SANTIAGO BONHOMME

Sense of belonging grows

Writer Santiago Bonhomme searches out the poetry in the landscape of the Maniototo on a short trip with his family.

Searching for vintage treasure

Searching for vintage treasure

Hundreds turned out to hunt for clothing treasures at the be-loved Vintage and Pre-Loved Market at the weekend.
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Epic new epoch

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Epic new epoch

Four young Dunedin bands are drawing on the city’s rock ’n’ roll heritage to create new possibilities, Tom McKinlay writes.
Outstanding architecture

Outstanding architecture

Twenty-seven projects, ranging in scale from a small house to a multi-level carpark building, were recognised in the 2026 southern architecture awards in Dunedin last night.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainer Dame Jools Topp dies
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Fair Verona goes country

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Recreating an idyllic lifestyle
Sorting which came first

World

Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders in Garden Grove the site of GKN...

Hopes 'potential crack' in tank could stop toxic LA explosion

Experts trying to prevent a tank holding a highly toxic and flammable chemical from exploding in California have found a "potential crack" that might be reducing the pressure, a fire official says.

'Surprise attack': Bondi probe hears from spy tsar

'Surprise attack': Bondi probe hears from spy tsar

There's no evidence that any intelligence agency suspected a terror attack would take place before the Bondi Beach massacre, a high-level probe into the attack in Australia has been told.
Child sex allegations against Dezi Freeman revealed

Child sex allegations against Dezi Freeman revealed

The alleged sexual assault of a child has been revealed as the reason for a search warrant against Dezi Freeman that ended with him shooting dead two police officers in Australia.
Trump says no rush for Iran deal

Trump says no rush for Iran deal

US President Donald Trump has told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, as his administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war.

Opinion

Labour MP Barbara Edmonds. PHOTO: ODT FILES

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Ducking whether to show your workings

Veteran political journalists often bemoan this modern era of media training, where rather than giving authentic and honest answers to questions MPs and ministers instead issue a stream of waffle...

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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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After 150 years, let us praise the survivors from 1876

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After 150 years, let us praise the survivors from 1876

In a country yet to celebrate its bicentennial reaching 150 years is not a bad effort and this year plenty of institutions are marking their 150th birthday.
New debt level clear fiscal danger

New debt level clear fiscal danger

The Local Government Funding Authority is now the final line of defence against the Dunedin City Council’s debt levels, Rob Hamlin writes.

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