Otago Daily Times News Feed

An operation to rescue more than 300 girls kidnapped in Nigeria had failed to pinpoint their location by late on Friday, almost 24 hours after gunmen seized them in a raid on their school.

The Tall Blacks’ hopes of competing at the Tokyo Olympics were extinguished on Friday after Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) said they were forced to withdraw from the qualifiers due to costs associated with COVID-19 protocols and international travel.

Photo: Getty Images Overseas holidays to the Cook Islands could be back as soon as next month.

Photo: Getty Images Overseas holidays to the Cook Islands could be back as soon as next month.

A helicopter is used to help fight a fire above the Lake Waitaki dam village yesterday. PHOTO: RUBY HEYWARD Rural fire service crews were dampening hot spots last night, after a scrub fire on about 2ha of hillside above the Lake Waitaki dam village, near Kurow.

Southland Boys' High School pupils wear blackface at their sports day in 2020, one of several occasions when Pearce House members appeared to use indigenous cultures as costume. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/SOUTHLAND BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL An Invercargill woman is calling for Southland Boys’ High School to change one of its house colours after pupils were seen dressed in blackface and afro wigs at their sports day.

The discovery of a body at the scene of a fire at Rock and Pillar, inland Otago, is not being treated as suspicious, police have confirmed.

Highlanders winger Connor Garden-Bachop, on debut, lunges to score a try during their opening Super Rugby Aotearoa game against the Crusaders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last night. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Same old ruthless Crusaders.

A 1907 photograph of a Moriori man. PHOTO: ODT ARCHIVE If visiting the New Zealand Parliament is on your "must do" list, there are few better days to pick than when the House is dealing with Treaty of Waitangi settlement Bills.

After recovering from methamphetamine addiction, one Oamaru woman opens up about her experience. PHOTO: RUBY HEYWARD For one recovering methamphetamine addict in Oamaru, lockdown was a blessing that changed her life. Ruby Heyward reports.

Wanaka Skateboard park advocate and Queenstown Lakes District Council Deputy Mayor Calum Macleod says he cannot wait for stage 4 as Cruz Morland (15), of Wanaka skateboards on the recently opened stage 3 extension. PHOTO: KERRIE WATERWORTH A claim issues with drugs and too many "dudes" will put off girls from using Wanaka’s new skateboard park has been dismissed as untrue and an outdated assumption.

Clutha District Council library and service centre manager Debbie Duncan says heritage resources such as this 1951 aerial photograph of Balclutha will become easier to access online, thanks to the creation of a new, government-funded community heritage co-ordinator role. PHOTO: RICHARD DAVISON Capturing today’s stories as tomorrow’s heritage will be central to a new library role about to be created in Clutha.

Christchurch International Airport is holding drop-in sessions in Tarras next week to outline its next steps in its proposed Central Otago international airport development.

Moves to make bus stops safer in Dunedin by creating easier entries and exits for drivers should be strongly supported, an advocacy group says.

Adam La Hood, of Dunedin, is Otago Polytechnic’s new board chairman.PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON Otago Polytechnic’s new governance leader wants the institution to maintain its nationally important identity as it eases into life as a subsidiary of New Zealand’s new, merged vocational education provider.

There may not be as much between trainers Graeme Anderson and Mike Love’s pairing of American Lightning and Tres Chic as punters are anticipating in Sunday’s Waikouaiti Cup.

John Gerber called it "couple goals".

Holly Robinson will be more excited than most at the track in Auckland tonight.

Olivier Despatis (left) and Brendan Yielder have launched New Zealand’s first alcoholic iced tea beverage. PHOTO: JAY LEE It was a cheeky idea hatched over Covid-19 lockdown.

A partnership has been struck between an Alexandra company and Australian geospatial-intelligence organisation to tackle illegal activity at sea.