Federal agents kill another US citizen in Minneapolis, sparking protests
Photo: ReutersUS immigration agents shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, officials said, sparking fierce protests and condemnations from local leaders in the second such incident this month. The head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Drew Evans, told reporters that federal agents blocked his team's attempts to begin an investigation on Saturday. The situation appeared to have calmed later Saturday after federal agents left the area, though protesters remained on the streets for hours afterward. People gather around a makeshift memorial at the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents. Vice President JD Vance, who visited the city on Thursday, accused local leaders of refusing to provide local police support to immigration agents.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 16:15 UTC
New video reveals frantic rescue efforts after Mount Maunganui landslide
Baker said he wanted to help but wasn’t agile enough to climb onto the ablution block, which had taken the brunt of the landslide. Campers are seen on the roof of the ablution block at the Mount Maunganui campground immediately after Thursday's landslide. The roof of one of the camp buildings sits upturned on the ground after a large pōhutukawa came down in the landslide. It was coming onto the roadway up to those top sites.”Photos taken in the immediate aftermath of the Mount Maunganui landslide. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald’s video team in July 2024.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 25, 2026 16:07 UTC
Film-maker finds success recipe
Dunedin film-maker Quinn Wilson has received a $10,000 seed grant from the New Zealand Writers Guild to develop his short film It’s Not About You into a feature-length motion picture. Photo: Peter McIntoshAn ADHD diagnosis and baking a batch of brownies helped a young Dunedin film-maker complete a short-film script that has kick-started his career. Quinn Wilson, 22, has received a $10,000 seed grant from the NZ Writers Guild and the New Zealand Film Commission to develop his short film It’s Not About You into a feature-length motion picture. He said a late ADHD diagnosis had helped him with his writing process and reduced his procrastination. He realised university was a "mismatch" for him and enrolled in a much more "hands-on" course at the New Zealand Film and Television School last year.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 16:03 UTC
Old costumes to get new lease of life following sale
Musical Theatre Dunedin president Marlise Sparks shows off some of the items for sale on Saturday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHHundreds of items from old shows could get a new lease of life thanks to a special sale. Volunteers for Musical Theatre Dunedin had spent most of the week getting all the items ready for Saturday’s sale. "Over the past week, as we’ve put this all together, there’s been a lot of reminiscing about the old shows. The money raised from Saturday’s sale will go towards this year’s season of Sister Act.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 16:03 UTC
Dunedin-Brighton All Veteran Vehicle Rally
Some of them had to be hand-cranked to get started, and the rain was a dampener , but more than two dozen veteran vehicles, most of them more than a century old, managed to make their way from the Octagon to Brighton on Saturday afternoon. Photographer Peter McIntosh was there to capture the start of the event.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 16:03 UTC
Blood spilled and everything will be back up in the air again
Foch replied: "Send a single British soldier — and we will see to it that he is killed." Ideally, the Americans would do this unprompted and then the rest of Andersen’s troops could surrender: no need for a massacre. That is not to say that any number of Danish or indeed European Union (EU) troops could repel a full-scale American invasion of Greenland. So let us assume that a violent American invasion of Greenland remains a strong probability. At the very least, a joint front against Trump on this issue would strengthen the European Union’s internal solidarity against American pressure.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 16:02 UTC
Couple selling luxury historic lodge that hosts rich, famous
Luxury lodge Pen-y-bryn has been put on the market by co-owners James Glucksman and James Boussy. Photo: James GlucksmanAfter 16 years’ hosting famous actors, singers, politicians and ultra-wealthy tourists, the Oamaru couple behind the town’s luxurious Pen-y-bryn Lodge are selling up. "We get almost universal positive feedback, both for the lodge and for the experience of staying in Oamaru," Mr Glucksman said. "What really, really helped me a lot was making friends with local people." We were foreigners coming in, completely cold, and people really, really, really treated us well."
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:56 UTC
Death of vet being treated as homicide
Photos: Stephen JaquieryThe tight-knit community of rural Milton is staying silent following the death of a local veterinarian in a suspected homicide on Friday. The police investigation continues today as a death notice from Dr Clark’s family mourns her as being "tragically taken from us". Dr Clark and Malcolm Duff are listed as the occupants of the Adams Flat Rd property. Dr Clark is understood to have recently started her own business after having worked for Clutha Vets for more than 30 years. Several other community members approached yesterday, including those who said they knew Dr Clark personally, declined to comment.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:38 UTC
Strong turnout despite the weather
Ivy Harper enjoys an ice cream at the Taieri A&P show in Mosgiel on Saturday. Photos: Peter McIntoshAt least the 166th Taieri A&P Show in Mosgiel went ahead, despite the torrential weather. "Oh, the weather definitely has put a dampener on it, but I’m still quite surprised how many people have turned up. He said there were about 50 stalls in total this year, which was only slightly down on the previous year. "A few definitely pulled out because of the weather, but initially we were up on what we were going to have last year, so it is growing each year."
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:38 UTC
Bit of sunshine on horizon after region battered by rain
PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHAfter enduring rain all weekend, Otago and Southland can look forward to some sunshine later this week. Parts of Otago and Southland were drenched by rain at the weekend. MetService stations recorded 50mm of rain at Leith Saddle across Saturday and yesterday and 49mm of rain in Toko Mouth, near Milton. A slip closed part of SH6 between Lake Hāwea and Makarora on Saturday. An NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi spokesman said heavy rainfall led to the flooding and closure of SH90 between Tapanui and Waikoikoi in Otago yesterday evening.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:38 UTC
Smooth sire smashes record
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDA Central Southland velvet champion has set a record for the highest price in a wapiti bull auction. Central Southland stud Tikana Wapiti sold bull Prophecy for $20,000, as a 4-year-old, in 2022. Mr Pullar sold White 8 because about two-thirds of his cows were related to him. Tikana Wapiti Stud sold bull Prophecy for $20,000, as a 4-year-old, in Central Southland in 2022. Strong demand for wapiti-cross venison in North America had helped increase prices paid for wapiti bulls as terminal sires.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:38 UTC
Goldmine decision maybe extended
The panel’s decision-making timeframe appears likely to extend well beyond the statutory default of 30 days allowed under the fast-track consenting process. Fast-track legislation provides for a default 30-working-day decision period for nationally significant, well-prepared projects. Submissions from agencies to Judge Borthwick, who is presently determining the panel’s final composition and decision timeframe, also raised worries about the timing, suggesting a much longer period might be needed. It was prepared to support a materially extended timeframe where required to ensure a robust, durable, expert-led decision. On Friday, Mr Spring told the ODT he remained confident a decision would be made quickly and mining would begin soon.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:38 UTC
Mining in our backyard governed by strict rules
However, your recent open letter to Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop about mining and the fast-track (Opinion ODT 20.1.26) cannot pass without comment. It is frustrating when anti-mining groups don’t acknowledge this and try to dismiss mining while benefiting directly from minerals. It is because of the vast array of laws that mining projects belong in the fast-track process. The annualised income of Māori in mining is $78,624, compared with $60,537 Māori earn in all other sectors. • Josie Vidal is the chief executive of the New Zealand Minerals Council.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 25, 2026 15:38 UTC
No more potent reminder of the importance of leadership than in times of disaster – Editorial
Acts of heroism from first responders and witnesses will continue to emerge, revealing the power of community after the tragedy. The focus now is rightly where it should be: he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. The people: those lost, those grieving and the ongoing safety of those in affected areas that remain unstable. What further convincing than the past week do any of us need of the importance of Fire and Emergency New Zealand? We will need to know what we have learned – and we need to be real and honest about the answer.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 25, 2026 12:34 UTC
ManageMyHealth cyber breach exposes wider failures in medical records system
There is a widespread belief that health information, by its nature, is always treated with exceptional care. The reality is often far removed from the idea that patient information is consistently stored securely, transferred carefully and governed tightly. Patient information photocopied, bundled and transported in ways that would shock people if they understood how routinely this still occurs. Health data systems take years to design, implement and embed, and decades to deliver their full value. Photo / Jason DordayWhat patients can doPatients should not be expected to compensate for system-level weaknesses in how health information is managed.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 25, 2026 12:31 UTC