The aftermath of the crash. Photo: Geoff SloanAn e-scooter rider has died after being struck by a train in the Christchurch suburb of Addington early today. Police were called to the scene on Lincoln Rd at 3.30am and officers said the person died at the scene. Road closures are in place to allow the Serious Crash Unit to undertake an examination of the scene. The aftermath of the crash.
While the south end of New Zealand appears to be avoiding much of the wild weather that has devastated the North Island, MetService says we will not be getting off scot free. Meteorologist Silvia Martino said wet and windy weather was headed for Otago and Southland today, and was expected to hang around for the entire weekend. The forecaster has this morning issued a heavy rain watch and a strong wind watch for parts of both provinces. The heavy rain watch covers Dunedin, Clutha, Central Otago south of Alexandra, and Southland, for 30 hours from 9am tomorrow to 3pm on Sunday. The strong wind watch covers coastal Otago and Southland from Waikouati to Bluff, and Stewart Island, for nine hours from 9pm tomorrow to 6am on Sunday.
In response to an Official Information Act (OIA) request from RNZ’s Mata, police refused to say when the Phillips family and the mother of the children were notified about the incident. However, RNZ understands his family was not told until after 7.30am, and the mother was not told until after 8am. Tom Phillips died following a shootout with police in September 2025. RNZ asked police why the documentary crew were informed before relatives, and what the text message said. “While it was ill-advised, the staff member who sent it has been the main point of contact for the documentary crew and did not act with any bad intent.
The court heard that in February 2025 McAuley knocked on the victim’s door and claimed to be “doing rounds for gutter cleaning”. Photo / Greg BowkerSarah said her mother was deeply affected by McAuley’s offending. Photo / NZME“I want a sentence that reflects the deliberate targeting of elderly women in vulnerable positions,” she said. A litany of offending: McAuley’s scammingIn 2023, McAuley was jailed for more than two years for offending against two elderly women in 2022 – one of whom was recovering from a severe stroke. McAuley has been jailed repeatedly for ripping off elderly women.
Smith said his decision to bring charges against Trump was taken “without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election”. Trump denied both charges and sought to frame them as politically motivated, accusing the Justice Department of being weaponised against him. Smith had requested that the deposition be delivered in public, but the Republican majority on the House panel declined his request. Republican committee chairman Jim Jordan accused Smith at Thursday’s hearing of seeking to “get President Trump” in an attempt to prevent him from seeking reelection in 2024. “He’s got to stop President Trump from running, tie him up in court,” Jordan said.
By the end of this decade, the New Zealand Government, whoever leads it, will have both raised taxes and cut the welfare state. Over the 20 years before 2008, neither main party offered handouts or tax cuts unless the money was already in the bank. Borrowing for handouts or tax cuts was assumed to be a sure election loser. After Covid, the initially prudent Grant Robertson became even worse than English, and Nicola Willis’ numbers are little better. Whatever Luxon and Hipkins promise you in terms of spending increases or tax cuts should be ignored.
South Otago Forest & Bird member Jim Young talks with Gina Gardner, and Quinn, 9, and Piper Povey, 7, of Kākā Point, about the plight of yellow-eyed penguins at the recent Kākā Point Market Day. PHOTO: JANINE THOMPSONLocal conservationists say they will not stop advocating for hoiho, as the message of their plight continues to gain public awareness. South Otago Forest & Bird members held twin events at the Kākā Point Surf Lifesaving Club and the Kākā Point Market Day this month, designed to spread the word about the cliff-edge situation in which the endangered species finds itself. "Although awareness of the plight of the hoiho is increasing, there are still some people who don’t know what’s happening, and just how important it is for us to be taking action right now." "We hope to have the ban on set-netting extended into the Catlins, so I would say the plight of the hoiho will be a key focus for our group this year."
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDMcDonald's is "lovin’ it" after being granted consent to build a 24/7 restaurant with a drive-through in Wānaka, on its second attempt. A previous push by McDonald's to open a restaurant at Mt Iron was turned down by the Queenstown Lakes District Council last year. Critics objected to the potential look of McDonald's in the lakeside town, along with concerns about rubbish, traffic and healthy eating. The approval grants a 450.4sqm McDonald’s restaurant and drive-through, located near the BP service station, at 1 Sir Tim Wallis Dr. "It is acknowledged that the nature of a McDonald’s restaurant and the associated drive-through activity create waste.
Plan Change 120 is under threat. This back-down couldn’t be coming at a worse time for Auckland. Plan Change 120 is the final piece of the puzzle to put homes near these investments and maximise our return on them. If we pull back on Plan Change 120 now, we’re putting all of that under threat, and we’ll still have to pay the price of housing growth anyway. Cutting back on the number of houses that Plan Change 120 enables risks wasting those investments.
But its huge tally included a best actor nomination for Michael B. Jordan – who plays twins returning home to the 1930s segregated US South – plus nods for everything from screenplay to score. One Battle After Another came in second place with 13 nods including best picture, best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Guillermo del Toro’s monster epic Frankenstein, Timothee Chalamet’s ping-pong drama Marty Supreme and Norwegian arthouse favourite Sentimental Value each bagged nine nominations. While Sinners tops the nominations, One Battle remains the frontrunner to win best picture, having won almost every precursor prize going so far this awards season. International votersWith the Academy’s overseas voter base rapidly expanding, both Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent were nominated for best picture.
Photo: File imageAuckland first-home buyers and other out-of-towners continue to be lured to Christchurch as property values grow at a faster rate than other main centres. The index recorded a modest drop nationally in property values of 0.2% in December and 1% over the year. Overseas arrivals from the likes of India or South Africa are often making new homes near migrant communities. The latest OneRoof house price figures show the average property value in Christchurch is about $805,000. The property market was providing good value for money with a three-bedroom house in a suburb close to the city going for $700,000 to $800,000, he said.
A serial scammer with a lengthy history of targeting vulnerable elderly women has been sent to prison again after “entirely” cleaning out a 91-year-old’s bank account over five weeks. The court heard that in February 2025 McAuley knocked on the victim’s door and claimed to be “doing rounds for gutter cleaning”. Photo / Greg BowkerSarah said her mother was deeply affected by McAuley’s offending. Photo / NZME“I want a sentence that reflects the deliberate targeting of elderly women in vulnerable positions,” she said. McAuley has been jailed repeatedly for ripping off elderly women.
The site of the old Roslyn scout hall, which was destroyed by fire on January 14. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHPlans to remove the Roslyn scout hall were under way a week before a large fire ripped through the more than 100-year-old building. On January 14, passing Roslyn firefighters noticed smoke billowing from the hall in School St, Kaikorai. The fire quickly engulfed the structure and significant efforts were put into extinguishing the blaze. Firefighters fought the blaze for about five hours and smoke from the fire prompted emergency danger alerts across the city.
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A man was left with five broken teeth, a broken nose and a concussion after he was coward punched at a Milton pub, a court has heard. Damian Ross Wyber, 36, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to injuring with intent to injure. The court heard that on June 27, the defendant was at a pub in Milton playing pool and drinking alcohol. He stood between the two arguing men drinking a beer and without warning Wyber punched him in the face. The victim suffered a cut to his eye, a broken nose, swelling to both eyes, five chipped teeth and a concussion.
