Otago Daily Times News Feed

The Rev Lakepa Finau and his daughter, Mele Finau Huakau, of Oamaru, are feeling helpless as they have been unable to contact family in Tonga since Saturday’s volcanic eruption. PHOTO: RUBY HEYWARD Anguish extended into another day for people desperate to hear their family members in disaster-afflicted Tonga are safe.

An unvaccinated Novak Djokovic at Dubai Airport on Monday after a federal court upheld the Australian government's decision to cancel his visa to play in the Australian Open. Photo: Reuters Novak Djokovic risks being frozen out of tennis as he chases a record 21st Grand Slam title, with rules on travellers who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 tightening in the third year of the pandemic and some tournaments reconsidering exemptions.

A plume rises over Tonga after underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai erupted on Saturday. Photo: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) via REUTERS A distress signal has been detected in an isolated, low-lying group of islands in the Tonga archipelago following a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami, the United Nations says, prompting particular concern for its inhabitants.

Canterbury recorded the highest number of possible Covid-19 traffic light system breaches in New Zealand over the holiday period.

A plume rises over Tonga after underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai erupted on Saturday. Photo: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) via REUTERS A distress signal has been detected in an isolated, low-lying group of islands in the Tonga archipelago following a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami, the United Nations says, prompting particular concern for its inhabitants.

Benthic cyanobacteria. Photo: Supplied People are being urged to be vigilant after toxic algae was discovered in a fourth Southland river.

An unvaccinated Novak Djokovic at Dubai Airport on Monday after a federal court upheld the Australian government's decision to cancel his visa to play in the Australian Open. Photo: Reuters Novak Djokovic risks being frozen out of tennis as he chases a record 21st Grand Slam title, with rules on travellers who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 tightening in the third year of the pandemic and some tournaments reconsidering exemptions.

The Makarora River. Photo: Getty Images A Lake Hawea man has been fined $500 for going jet-boating near Makarora during last year’s Covid-19 lockdown.

A Government communications adviser is before the courts after an alleged attack at a Christchurch bar on Christmas Eve where he cut another man's ear with a glass.

Thrive Alexandra owner Gagan Sharma outside his store, which was broken into on Saturday night and between $12,000 and $13,000 in cash taken. PHOTO: TRACIE BARRETT Police are investigating a break-in and theft of a safe containing a large sum of money from an Alexandra business at the weekend and the possibility it may be related to an earlier break-in at the owner’s home.

A woman has been charged with assaulting a police officer in Oamaru.

Temuera Morrison as the titular bounty hunter turned wannabe crime lord. Photo: Supplied As part of its “owning absolutely everything” policy, Disney spent $4billion to buy Star Wars from George Lucas, and even if all of its new Star Wars movie projects keep inexplicably falling over of late, it’s determined to get value for money from somewhere. Luckily, there’s television!

A handful of players with origins in the South will get a chance to impress the national selectors at the start of a huge year for New Zealand softball.

  For parents of teens who despair of the time their offspring spend in the virtual world, Hugo Allan is proof that time is not necessarily wasted.

Simon Evans shows his style at Highlands at the weekend. PHOTO: BRUCE JENKINS Simon Evans has emerged the early leader in the Toyota 86 racing series.

It was focused on replacing its passenger fleet with electric vehicles (EVs). Photo: Getty Images The Department of Conservation is disputing a suggestion it has left its fleet of utes to dangerously deteriorate because of a focus on electric vehicles.

A neighbourly feud was dismissed in court after the truth could not be found in the two differing testimonies.

Gold-panning, Coromandel. PHOTOS: ELEANOR HUGHES First discovered in 1852 at Driving Creek, just north of where Coromandel Town stands today, gold has left behind a rich history and remnants of its mining dot the Coromandel region. Eleanor Hughes sets out from Coromandel Town to follow in the footsteps of the gold miners on a road trip, winding south to Thames, where the first big strike was made in 1867, and on through Broken Hills and Karangahake Gorge to finish in Waihi, where mining continues today.

PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIEN Antarctic Aurora waits at the Fryatt St wharf in Dunedin yesterday.