New Zealand-born US Marine veteran denied citizenship, now faces deportation
Canton had initially registered to vote by showing his official military service record and had voted eight times since 2004. After years of navigating the immigration system, Canton’s hope of continuing to reside in the place he called home was shattered last month. Paul Canton has spent three decades in the United States. When asked whether he felt he had fallen through the cracks of a larger system, Canton told Yahoo News it feels as though he had “been shoved through a crack”. “I have earned the title of United States Marine and they’re never going to take that from me,” he told Yahoo News.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 16, 2026 23:53 UTC
Govt unveils new rating system for schools
Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneThe Education Review Office is introducing a colour-coded, four-point scale for rating schools' performance. It said the new system would apply to ERO review reports for schools visited from term two and would be easier for families to understand. They would then provide an overview of the school's ratings in 14 areas including student achievement, student progress, teaching, reading and writing, maths and attendance. It also introduced brief outlines of schools' performance in reading, writing, maths and attendance. England's school reviewer, Ofsted, recently introduced a colour-coded, five-point scale for schools' performance in areas including attendance, behavour, acheivement, and personal development.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 23:12 UTC
Weapon sighting puts schools in lockdown
Photo: ODT FilesTwo Tauranga schools were put in lockdown this morning after a person was seen with a weapon. Tauranga Girls' College told RNZ there was an "incident" out the front of the school and Police were then called. "The person alleged to have a weapon was located, where Police found a knife in their possession, and taken into custody," they said. Gate Pā School said it was also put in lockdown after a man with a weapon was seen outside Tauranga Girls' College. "All students, staff and visitors followed instructions calmly and did an excellent job during the lockdown," Gate Pā principal Rochelle Jensen said on Facebook.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 22:50 UTC
Dramatic spike in copper thefts sparks reward
Photo: MainPowerA dramatic rise in copper thefts from power poles has prompted a Canterbury lines company to offer a $5000 reward for "significant" information about the tampering or theft of copper earthing wires. Earlier this month, Orion reported its had seen more than 173 copper wire thefts across its network in the Selwyn district over the past six months, costing the company $512,000. It is also working closely with a private investigator who is independently investigating incidents of copper theft. He says the value of the copper being stolen is low in the grand scheme of things. ‘‘As a community-trust owned business, copper theft is costing every power consumer in the region.’’Copper earthing wires are a safety feature.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 22:46 UTC
Teen busted for drunken Paddy's Day moped jaunt
Photo: Google MapsA Dunedin teenager has landed himself a date in court after allegedly taking a passenger for a drunken ride on a moped. The 18-year-old was observed ‘‘driving poorly on a moped with a passenger on the back’’, about 5.30am this morning, Acting Senior Sergeant Iain Notman, of Dunedin, said. The 18-year-old was summonsed to appear in the Dunedin District Court at a later date, Acting Snr Sgt Notman said. Police arrived and arrested the shirtless man for disorderly behaviour and removed him from the area, Acting Snr Sgt Notman said. The boy was expected to appear in the Dunedin Youth Court today, Acting Snr Sgt Notman said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 22:22 UTC
Dangerous driver Kevin Bishell, who caused fatal crash, sentenced for driving 190km/h, drugs
On that morning, the ute Bishell was driving ploughed into the teen’s vehicle head-on, leaving her dead at the scene. Keightley-Trigg’s mother, Suzie Keightley, told NZME after Bishell’s sentencing last week that their family hoped no other innocent life would be lost to Bishell’s “dangerous pattern”. Bishell told NZME he accepted responsibility for what happened and spoke of being a drug addict, and how he was working towards becoming clean. Kevin Bishell's life of crime has seen him involved in two deaths. He was also disqualified from driving for one year and an order was made for the destruction of the drugs and utensils.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 16, 2026 21:45 UTC
Miramar refugee homicide: Police urge family and friends of Abdulhassan Nabizadah killers to come forward
Police then arrived at the Darlington Rd property and arrested a 28-year-old man for aggravated burglary. The investigation team previously identified a connection between Nabizadah’s death and the Darlington Rd burglary. A cell phone left behind at the Darlington Rd property by the offender was allegedly used to lure Nabizadah to Camperdown Rd, where the assault took place. John Nabizadah was the first person to see his father in the intensive care unit at Wellington Hospital. People with information are asked to use the reference number 250317/6324, or reference Operation Celtic.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 16, 2026 21:38 UTC
Breakfast briefing: Markets discount war risks
Markets have priced in a two-thirds chance of a +25 bps rate rise. Their 1-5 curve is flatter at +19 bps (+4 bps) and the 3 mth-10yr curve is now at +53 bps (-5 bps). The Australian 10 year bond yield starts today at 4.96%, up +1 bp from yesterday. And the NZ Government 10 year bond rate starts today up a sharp +8 bps at 4.77%. That all means our TWI-5 starts today up +60 bps at just under 62.2.
Source:Stuff
March 16, 2026 20:13 UTC
Israel continues to push into southern Lebanon
The extended operation began days after Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been ordered to expand its campaign. "Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite residents of southern Lebanon who have evacuated or are evacuating their homes in southern Lebanon and Beirut will not return to areas south of the Litani line until the safety of northern residents is ensured," he said in a statement. Israeli troops battled Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon throughout the day on Monday, and advanced towards Bint Jbeil, a Lebanese village and Hezbollah stronghold located about 4 km from the border with Israel, the sources said. Under the November 2024 ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull back from southern Lebanon as the Lebanese military took over. Israel said Lebanon never upheld its part of the deal, continuing near-daily air strikes against what it said were Hezbollah positions and weapons.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 20:06 UTC
Van, driver winched to safety after 'teetering' over 15m bank
Emergency services use a winch to hoist a van up from over the edge of a steep bank near Unity Park yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHA Dunedin driver found inside a van "teetering" over the edge of a steep bank was reluctant to take their foot off the brake for fear of it toppling over. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said a van had accidentally driven about halfway over a small bank and was "teetering" and "tilting" over the edge. While not injured nor trapped, the driver did not want to exit the vehicle, the spokeswoman said. A passing motorist, who declined to be named, said the driver was lucky he and the van did not slide down the steep bank.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 19:48 UTC
Cuba's national grid collapses amid US oil blockade
People are relying on other forms of transport in Cuba as US-imposed oil blockade cripples the country. Photo: ReutersCuba's national electric grid collapsed on Monday, the country's grid operator said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system. US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island's already antiquated grid. Venezuela, once Cuba's main oil supplier, has sent no fuel to the island this year. No large imports have entered this year through Cuba's main hubs of Matanzas or Moa, which typically handle crude for refining and fuel oil for power generation, according to satellite images analyzed by TankerTrackers.com.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 19:44 UTC
Sex trial halted after jury questions underwear, sexual history
File photo: NZMEWhat began as a routine trial quickly veered off course as jurors appeared to fixate on the complainant, her underwear choice and her sexual history. Within hours, their questions seemingly exposed outdated misconceptions about women and sex, forcing the judge to abandon the trial altogether. Two hours later, the jury submitted three further questions that brought the trial to a sudden halt. Crown lawyer Jeremy Cameron applied for a mistrial, submitting the questions indicated the jury was engaging in impermissible reasoning. You are discharged.”A new trial began the following week, where a new jury found the defendant guilty of sexual violation.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 19:30 UTC
'Bandaid': Govt announces winter health funding boost
Photo: RNZThe government has announced that hospitals will get hundreds more staff and extra beds as the health system prepares for winter pressure. Health Minister Simeon Brown said Health New Zealand would invest an extra $25 million to boost hospital capacity and staffing across the country ahead of the colder months. The funding would provide up to 378 additional full-time staff across nursing, medical, allied health and support roles and 71 extra winter hospital beds. Brown said emergency department visits continued to rise as the population grows and ages, putting increasing pressure on hospitals during winter. "While hospitals undertake seasonal planning each year as part of normal operations, winter demand still places significant pressure on services and frontline staff.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 16, 2026 19:30 UTC
Inside Sir Peter Beck and Rocket Lab’s sub-$17 million mission to find life above Venus
Rocket Lab founder and boss Sir Peter Beck has spoken of the likely cost and logistics of the Venus Life Finder mission. Photo / SuppliedOnce above Venus’ clouds, time will be of the essence for the probe that will be deployed during the Rocket Lab mission. But Beck said the timeline was delayed while the company got its next-generation Neutron rocket fully operational – a milestone expected later this year. “Although Nasa’s missions are more advanced, Rocket Lab’s Venus mission could strengthen support for low-cost space missions designed to answer specific science questions,” it said. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth (left) with Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 16, 2026 19:03 UTC