Convicted double-murderer Scott Watson due before Parole Board again
Photo / SuppliedWatson became eligible for parole in June 2015, but his denials had been a factor in why parole had been declined four times so far. His fifth attempt in March last year was abandoned after the Parole Board ran out of time to hear from Watson, his family and an independent psychologist. The application is declined 2020: Then-Justice Minister Andrew Little announces Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy has referred Watson’s case back to the Court of Appeal. He appears before the Parole Board for the third timeThen-Justice Minister Andrew Little announces Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy has referred Watson’s case back to the Court of Appeal. He appears before the Parole Board for the third time 2021: A fourth attempt at parole is declinedA fourth attempt at parole is declined 2025: Watson appears before the parole board for a fifth time (after two adjournments May and November 2024) but the hearing runs out of time.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 21:17 UTC
US Senate rejects vote to avert government shutdown
And Congress has the authority – and the moral obligation – to act,” said Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer before the vote. Democrats demand DHS funding be separated and renegotiated to include limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The House and Senate both have to approve the exact same bill texts before they can become law. Lawmakers have raised concerns about the consequences of a DHS shutdown for agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency during severe winter weather. The White House has become more directly involved in the negotiations as the vote approaches, according to US media, with Trump aides exploring whether a temporary DHS funding extension could defuse the crisis.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 21:04 UTC
NZ not joining Trump's Board of Peace
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZPrime Minister Christopher Luxon will not join United States President Donald Trump's Board of Peace. In a brief statement this morning, Luxon confirmed the New Zealand Government would not accept the invitation to join the board in its "current form", after considering the offer. Opposition leaders condemned the invite, with Labour leader Chris Hipkins earlier labelling the government's refusal to rule out joining the board an "absolute disgrace". Greens-co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick had written to the Prime Minister on Monday, urging Luxon to "publicly and unequivocally reject this invitation".
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 29, 2026 20:38 UTC
US stocks dip as Meta surges while Microsoft slumps
Meta shares rose 8% on strong AI results, while Microsoft fell 10% due to AI spending concerns. US stocks dip as Meta surges while Microsoft slumpsMeta shares rose 8% on strong AI results, while Microsoft fell 10% due to AI spending concerns. Photo / Samuel Boivin, NurPhoto, AFPIn the US, Wall Street stocks dipped following diverging reactions to earnings from tech giants Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms. Shares of Meta jumped about 8% after strong results boosted confidence in the company’s aggressive artificial intelligence push, while Microsoft tumbled about 10% as surging AI spending rattled investors. “But this time around, investors will look at stocks on a company-by-company basis because not all are benefiting now at the same rate of pace.”
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 20:34 UTC
Deadly storms expose growing gap between disaster recovery and climate preparation
Experts say the bill will only continue to rise as climate change worsens, unless the nation makes urgent changes to how it funds climate adaptation. Since its election in 2023, the government has removed or reduced most forms of dedicated climate adaptation and resilience funding. The government also dismantled a $6 billion national resilience fund created after Cyclone Gabrielle, arguing resilience spending should instead be assessed through standard Budget processes. Planned adaptation actions quietly discontinuedThe policy framework intended to guide climate adaptation has also been scaled back. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said climate and resilience spending should be assessed through standard Budget processes rather than ring-fenced funds.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 20:27 UTC
Wife laughing with husband when tree fatally hit him
Wakefield hop grower Peter Lines was killed in June 2025 after he was struck by a tree being removed from a flooded river on the family's Wakefield farm. The tree suddenly came loose and swung towards the pair, hitting them both and fatally injuring Lines. Struck while standing on riverbankLines and his wife, Marlene Lines, were standing on a riverbank watching him work. As the tree was lifted, the rope anchoring the base of the tree caused it to whip around sharply, Coroner Steel said. Marlene Lines said she was "talking and laughing" with her husband on the riverbank when she suddenly saw the tree coming towards them.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 29, 2026 19:28 UTC
Christchurch wastewater plant smell: How far you need to go to escape it
It was not until reaching the outskirts of Halswell, around 16km west from the treatment plant, that the smell noticeably eased. Earlier, Environment Canterbury confirmed it had already received 210 complaints, primarily from east Christchurch residents reporting a strong sewage odour. The wastewater treatment plant is essential for the whole city, and that makes the situation incredibly complex.”Simons said the odour should be recognised as a form of pollution, with real and ongoing health impacts. “It’s very real, and it does have an impact on health, not only their physical health but mental health. “We can’t shut the wastewater treatment plant down.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 19:04 UTC
Weather: Two days of calm weather to be swept away by more rain and wind
“By the end of the day, we have our next weather system coming on to the South Island,” Makgabutlane said. “That weather system slowly moves up the South Island and reaches the North Island. The lower and eastern South Island, and the lower North Island, are forecast to see the strongest winds. Makgabutlane said showers from the weather system were forecast to move from the South Island on to the North Island overnight on Monday and early Tuesday. Meanwhile, temperatures are set to be cooler across much of the South Island, with Invercargill at 16C, Timaru at 17C, and Christchurch reaching 19C.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 17:52 UTC
Coroner rules Tasman hop farmer Peter Lines’ death on riverbank during storm a ‘tragic accident’
Death stuns close-knit communityLines’ death stunned the close-knit hop-growing community and the wider Nelson-Tasman region, it was reported at the time. Wakefield hop grower Peter Lines was killed last June, a month before his 68th birthday. The fifth-generation hop grower was a grandfather to eight and great-grandfather to two. Coroner Amelia Steel said the fatality happened during efforts to mitigate the impact of debris in the rising Wai-iti River next to the Lines’ hop farm. He was a fifth‑generation hop grower on land his family had farmed since 1842.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 17:51 UTC
Rise in stabbings and gunshot wounds in South
Dan OhsA rise in stabbing and gunshot wounds in the South has contributed to a ‘‘record’’ demand for ambulances and paramedics. St John Southland-Otago district operations manager David Milne said ambulance assistance due to stabbing or gunshot wounds was up 69% in Southland — from 13 incidents in 2024 to 22 in 2025. There was a 24% rise in Otago, where the numbers rose from 29 to 36 stabbing or gunshot incidents. Falls were now one of the leading reasons for ambulance demand and disproportionately affected older people. Higher-acuity cases continued to dominate ambulance demand — patients with serious, but not immediately life-threatening conditions accounted for 43% of incidents nationally.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 29, 2026 17:30 UTC
Kumano Kodo family hike: How we tackled Japan’s sacred trail with teens
Photo / Angela BarnettUnlike hikes in Aotearoa, solar-powered vending machines dot the Kumano Kodō, just far enough apart to make you rush when one appears. Some sell hot coffee in cans, others cold Coke, ice cream (the teenagers couldn’t believe it), and occasionally beer. Photo / Angela BarnettOne small jizō was dedicated to Ogin, a young geisha who met a man named Toyonojo in Kyoto in 1816, and she followed him to the Kumano Kodō. Yet, this is the gift of the Kumano Kodō; an opportunity to walk through frustration, to let it go or practice moving your mind on to other things. Views along the Kumano Kodo trail.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 16:13 UTC
Ambulance service has record year
Dan OhsA rise in stabbing and gunshot wounds in the South has contributed to a ‘‘record’’ demand for ambulances and paramedics. There was a 24% rise in Otago, where the numbers rose from 29 to 36 stabbing or gunshot incidents. ‘‘Demand on our emergency ambulance service has never been higher.’’Nearly half of all ambulance responses involved people aged 65 and over, he said. Falls were now one of the leading reasons for ambulance demand and disproportionately affected older people. Higher-acuity cases continued to dominate ambulance demand — patients with serious, but not immediately life-threatening conditions accounted for 43% of incidents nationally.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 29, 2026 16:02 UTC
Grid operator to hear power line concerns
Photo: ODT FilesTranspower representatives will meet members of the Gibbston community next week to discuss their concerns about a second power line running through the valley. Three options would involve a second line between Cromwell and a new substation at Arrow Junction, near Arrowtown. A fourth option was for a 105km line between Roxburgh and Queenstown’s Jacks Point, via the Remarkables Range. The new line would ‘‘roughly follow’’ the existing 40.3km line from Cromwell, although the company would consider options for its alignment. However, Mr Webb said the present preferred option was ‘‘the shortest distance between two points’’, where power was available from Transpower’s existing 220kV network.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 29, 2026 16:01 UTC
Unconscious woman left on street
A resident of a Dunedin street has described people ‘‘bolting’’ from a crash where a woman was found lying unconscious in the street. Stone St resident Matt Thomson says his front porch was damaged after a car crashed into a power pole outside his house early yesterday morning. ‘‘The tyres are screeching and we’re waiting for the bang.’’The Audi with an unconscious woman came to rest on this fence after snapping off a power pole in Stone St. He awoke early yesterday to an ‘‘almighty bang’’ and then overheard a man saying: ‘‘No. Thousands of vehicles went up and down Stone St each day — it was only the occasional driver who did ‘‘silly things’’, he said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 29, 2026 15:34 UTC
Weather-hit Northland communities helped with new disaster recovery model
The Northland disaster recovery model involves services coming out to the people, starting with representatives from a wide range of organisations meeting locals at Mōkau Marae. Health services, particularly mental health support, were a key focus of the hui. Volunteer doctors from Whangārei’s emergency department were working with Ki a Ora Ngātiwai to bring health services out to the area. Emergency Recovery Fund details:The Emergency Recovery Fund is opening on Monday with an initial $130,000 available for communities in Whangārei’s Hikurangi-Coastal Ward, plus Ngaiotonga, Te Rāwhiti and Whangamumu areas of the Far North District. This is to help cover the costs of initial recovery efforts from the storms.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2026 15:04 UTC