Photo: Black Cat CruisesWitnesses are being sought in relation to the grounding of a catamaran near Akaroa on Banks Peninsula. The Black Cat Cruises catamaran was beached at Nīkau Palm Valley Bay, after it got into trouble on Saturday afternoon - requiring more than 40 people to be rescued. ECAN said it was working with the Conservation Department, iwi, and Black Cat Cruises on the recovery and salvage, while the Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it would be investigating. The Black Cat Cruises catamaran sank in Akaroa. Black Cat Cruises was approached for comment.

Mette-Marit said she “showed poor judgment and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein”, calling the relationship “embarrassing”. Slovakia’s security adviserThe Slovakian government’s national security adviser has resigned over his links to Epstein, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced at the weekend. Miroslav Lajcak exchanged text messages about women with Epstein in 2018 during his second spell as foreign minister, the BBC reported. He said he had “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein”, adding that he was “terribly sorry for having any association with either of them”. Banking records cited in British media suggest Epstein transferred $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004.

A man found asleep at the wheel in Dunedin had allegedly taken an "absolutely ludicrous" cocktail of drugs including MDMA, methamphetamine and Ritalin, police say. Located inside the vehicle were bags of MDMA along with "large amounts" of methamphetamine, crystals of another unknown substance and medical supplies, Snr Sgt Dinnissen said. ‘‘The male admitted to taking MDMA, meth, benzos (benzodiazepine) and Ritalin, prior to driving.’’Snr Sgt Dinnissen said the man probably took the drugs, started driving "and then got really tired". "We've got enough pressure with impaired driving as it is, let alone taking a cocktail of four different bloody drugs." At that time of day on Sunday, it was lucky the man did not cause a crash or drive into any parked cars, Snr Sgt Dinnissen said.

In findings released today the coroner has made recommendations that have been implemented following a review of mental health services. Booth’s death sparked calls from his father, Geoffrey Booth, for an inquest on the grounds his son should have received better care from the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) mental health and addiction services. By September 2017, things had further escalated as he regularly sought help from his father who called on mental health services for assistance. “I am satisfied the three recommendations have been adequately addressed by Health New Zealand Canterbury,” the coroner said. Coroner Hesketh acknowledged there had been improvements in specialist mental health services processes and procedures following the review.

Following his 'True Patriots of NZ' protest in Auckland's Victoria Park, Brian Tamaki urged followers to withhold their vote in this years upcoming election. Video / NZ Herald

Photo: Aaron Bui/Athletics NZThe Glasgow Commonwealth Games is now on the radar for New Zealand running sensation Sam Ruthe. "Absolutely," said Ruthe's father Ben Ruthe, when asked if competing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July was on the cards. Ben Ruthe had the option of competing at the Commonwealth Games or the World Junior Championships this year and Ben said with his son still eligible to run the worlds again, the Commonwealth Games is a preference. Ruthe's grandmother Rosemary Wright won the Commonwealth Games 800m gold medal running for Scotland in Edinburgh in 1970. Coach Craig Kirkwood admitted they didn't originally consider the Commonwealth Games at the start of the year because of the qualifying standards, but that had now changed.

Nearly 15,000 students failed to miss the literacy and numeracy standards in last year's NCEA results. Figures provided to RNZ by NZQA showed 9% of students in Year 13 and 15% of Year 12s had not achieved the literacy and numeracy co-requisite by the end of 2025. Maxwell said students who failed were not likely to return to school to keep trying to pass the co-requisite. "Those students haven't had the benefit of the minister's investment in structured literacy or numeracy," he said. He said the tests were not well suited to schools in poor communities, neurodiverse students and many boys.

A group of dirt bikers in South Auckland have put lives at risk after driving into oncoming traffic, over footpaths and across fields where children were playing, say police. Tāmaki Makaurau Duty Operations Manager Inspector Kerry Watson said police were asking for the public's help before someone was killed. "We're asking for assistance from the public so we can locate these riders as soon as possible before they kill someone or themselves. "There are no other words - it was horrifying behaviour, and to see riders speeding across sport fields where young kids are playing . Inspector Watson said the 25-year-old's bike had been impounded, and anyone involved would also lose their bikes once caught.

By Ruth Hill of RNZNew rules allowing GPs and nurse practitioners to prescribe drugs to treat ADHD increase the risk of over-diagnosis, over-prescribing, addiction, psychosis and other harms, some clinicians are warning. Caity has since been diagnosed with ADHD but does not currently take medication, and has not had another psychotic episode. In one devastating case, a teenager died of suspected suicide within weeks of being diagnosed with ADHD. "I'm really concerned about this pathway of making it easier and faster for less qualified people to diagnose ADHD." However, they did not work for everyone, and treating ADHD was often much more complicated than just popping a pill.

PHOTO: ODT FILESA wholesale rethink of the Dunedin City Council’s capital spending programme looms, as councillors weigh potential ramifications of rates capping. Next month, and in April, councillors are set to revisit the entire capital expenditure programme and then set priorities. Budgets in March would "look to reprioritise a whole series of projects, potentially, with the spectre of rates capping in mind", she said. The council last year approved a capital programme worth $2 billion over nine years in its 2025-2034 long-term plan. "I’m actually really very grateful and relieved that our capital spend is significantly down," he said.

Photo: SUPPLIED / NGAI TAHUWitnesses are being sought in relation to the grounding of a catamaran at Akaroa on Banks Peninsula. The Black Cat Cruises catamaran was beached at Nīkau Palm Valley Bay, after it got into trouble on Saturday afternoon - requiring more than 40 people to be rescued. ECAN said it was working with the Conservation Department, iwi, and Black Cat Cruises on the recovery and salvage, while the Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it would be investigating. Black Cat Cruises was approached for comment. ECAN said the exclusion zone around the boat remained in place, and all non-response vessels must keep clear.

PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONThe Dunedin Iranian community is calling for international intervention as violent unrest unfolds in their country. Iranian health officials were saying the death toll could top 30,000 people, The Guardian has reported. The Otago Daily Times spoke to a Dunedin Iranian resident, who asked to remain anonymous. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s regime blocked internet and international telephone calls at the start of last month. The protest on Saturday was about amplifying the voices of Iranians and to get international awareness of the unrest.

“There are now 9931 fewer filled jobs in Wellington City, which is a very significant fall because the long-run trend going back to 2015 had been for slow but quite consistent growth in the number of filled jobs,” he said. Firstly, wages are growing at a much slower rate right now, probably less than inflation for many people in Wellington. “There’s been no plan to deliver economic growth to Wellington to help support new jobs, or to help tackle the downstream effects of those job losses,” he said. Willis said the Government wanted “Wellington to succeed” and talked up “significant investments in the capital”. “They include expanding Wellington Hospital and investing in the film sector, major local roading projects and building work on local schools.

PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYDunedin health charity Te Kāika, which is under investigation, has repeatedly been allowed to miss deadlines for filing crucial financial reports. Charity law dictates charities must file returns of their financial performance and service provision annually and within six months of the end of their financial year, unless granted an extension. A Dunedin charity sector expert, who did not wish to be named, described the charity’s lack of ability to submit returns within six months as compliance "fragility". They stressed the importance of timely returns and said a charity "absolutely puts its registration at risk" if returns are filed late repeatedly. The ODT asked the DIA for reasons why OHL had been given extensions, and for procedures that apply if a charity submits returns late.

PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENWork to improve traffic connections bypassing central Dunedin will be complete by August, the city council says. In a statement, Dunedin City Council transport group manager Jeanine Benson said the goal was to make the harbour arterial the preferred route for vehicles, especially heavy vehicles. It is expected to reduce traffic flow through the centre city during construction of the new hospital. A new roundabout at the intersection of Otaki and Orari Sts will be built to improve traffic flow, sightlines and access. "We understand that removing parking may inconvenience some, but this is necessary to ease congestion and to improve traffic flow and safety," Ms Benson said.