Photo: fileDomestic violence and alcohol abuse are among the reasons people in the South have been denied firearms licences. Data from the Firearms Safety Authority showed that between January 2024 and November 2025, 63 people in Otago and Southland were denied a firearms licence. Nationally, 550 people were denied firearms licences during that period. The Firearms Safety Authority has been collating the reasons for a refused firearms licence since October 2023. "Firearms licence holders in New Zealand overwhelmingly represent people committed to using and storing firearms safely," she said.

Barlow’s latest offending was described by his lawyer, Ian Miller, as “deeply unpleasant”, whereas Judge Snell said it was worse than that, and the charge should have reflected what happened. “It’s a rather innocuous charge for what was serious offending,” he said. The victim now wanted Barlow to get “serious help”, and did not want to hear from him ever again. Judge Snell was not sure if Barlow was telling the truth about him not recalling what happened because of his alcohol consumption, but there was no dispute that he had done it. The theft was reported weeks later when he still hadn’t paid, Judge Snell said.

A woman has admitted to carelessly driving in a Gore driveway, causing the death of a toddler. In the Gore District Court yesterday, Judge Russell Walker suppressed the woman’s name and other details until her sentencing in March. She was originally charged eight months after the incident, which happened on New Year’s Day last year, with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing injury. The Crown yesterday withdrew the second charge and amended the lead charge to a lesser one of careless driving causing death. Judge Walker remanded the woman on bail until sentencing, allowing time for victim impact statements and a psychological report to be filed.

Morning Headlines | More heavy rain on the way and Canadian PM's warning at World Economic Forum | Wednesday, January 21, 2026Already a subscriber? Member of the public disarms teen after stabbing over Pokemon cards in NewmarketA member of the public helped save a shop worker after they were allegedly stabbed following a pursuit of three teens who attempted to steal Pokemon cards. The victim of the attack has also sent a warning to other youths looking to try a similar heist. Police responded to reports of shoplifting at Hobby Lords on Broadway, Newmarket, where a staff member allegedly suffered a stab wound. The employee chased after the alleged offenders, stopping one on Nuffield St before a knife was produced and the alleged stabbing occurred, Detective Senior Sergeant Matt Bunce said.

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The ANL joint lawsuit is the third and final case brought against a British newspaper publisher by Harry, who has called it his “mission” to take on the tabloids “for the greater good”. ‘Greed’Dressed in a dark suit and striped tie, Harry took the stand, swearing an oath on the Bible before facing questions from ANL’s legal team. “There is also a social element concerning all the thousands of people whose lives were invaded because of greed,” the prince argued. While on the stand, Harry described the tabloid’s coverage as “a recurring traumatic experience”. “I’ve never believed that my life is open season to be commercialised by these people,” he added.

Brook had been close to being sacked as white-ball captain after admitting to management he had been punched. The England captain described how he reported himself to the management midway through the third ODI at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. “Obviously I made a terrible mistake, not only as a player, but as a captain,” Brook said. “But he tried to help me through it and he knows exactly what it feels like to be in this situation,” the England white-ball captain said. “He’s the best head coach I’ve had by a million miles,” the white-ball captain said.

Photo: Getty ImagesA Gore man who threw a supermarket trolley at a man accused of sexually violating his niece is ashamed of taking justice into his own hands. The man told the Gore District Court yesterday he was embarrassed by his violent threats and vigilante justice last November, as he works with troubled youth. The defendant approached the man, telling him was going to smash his head in and threatening to kill him. The victim alerted court staff to the violent threats and was escorted out the back of the court by police. When his client saw the man again at the supermarket he became emotional and threw the trolley, counsel said.

The latest property values are good news for Gore homeowners — but it’s a different story for the district’s rural sector. The residential market showed Gore homes have increased in value by 10-15%, driven by first home buyers and investors, with strong value for entry level homes and modern buildings. Property Brokers sales manager and consultant Tara Maxwell said it was a good time to get into the property market in Gore, and encouraged people to go out and get a home. Commercial and industrial properties sit at 9.4% of the district’s value with an uptick of 9.6% and 14.3% respectively. Mr Bell said the improvements in the confidence of the economy and the central nature of the Gore district were key strengths.

Not since 2020’s “Megxit” has a British family feud sent such shock waves across the pond. Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the oldest child of David and Victoria Beckham, has lashed out at his superstar parents in a blistering, multipart Instagram Story posted Monday. Rumors and tabloid whispers about a rift between Brooklyn and his parents have circulated for years and escalated in recent weeks. Victoria and David Beckham have yet to publicly respond to their son’s allegations, which made the front page of various British tabloids. I keep seeing everywhere that word, ‘feud, feud, feud!’” Nicola said.

A woman denied a ride to Balclutha by police ended up spending the night in the cells after allegedly attacking a nearby campervan. The 45-year-old arrived at the Dunedin Central Police Station at 12.30am yesterday to ask for a lift home to Balclutha, Sergeant Simon Reay said. Officers denied her request and, in response, the woman went to the nearby Woolworths carpark and allegedly began punching and kicking a campervan. Police headed over and arrested her for disorderly behaviour, Sgt Reay said. She was held in police custody overnight and charged with breaching bail, disorderly behaviour and resisting police.

The latest ACC statistics show the region had the third-highest number of mountain biking injuries in 2025 — 578 — costing $3.6 million to help people recover. The region crossed the 2025 finish line just behind Canterbury, which had 598 injuries (costing $2.4m) and the Bay of Plenty, which had 642 injuries (costing $3.2m). Otago’s figures were down considerably on 2024, when 624 mountain bikers claimed for injuries. Nationwide, a total of 3980 people made ACC claims in 2025, costing taxpayers $24.4m, which was also down on the 4239 claims made in 2024, costing $22.3m. ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said mountain biking was one of New Zealand’s favourite summertime activities, but riding full-speed down a mountain came with risks.

Experts have indicated the Reserve Bank could be done cutting the OCR for the moment, and there's questions about what this could mean for homeowners. The window of time borrowers had to lock in longer term fixed rates after the OCR cut and before they started rising was narrow, and reports indicate they could have missed their chance. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE

References1.108GB of Your Medical Records Stolen: What the ManageMyHealth Breach Reveals About NZ Healthcare Security On line at https://blackveil.co.nz/blog/managemyhealth-breach-analysis-20252.Ministry of Health. National Health IT Plan Update 2013/14. Wellington: Ministry of Health. Published in November 2013 Available online at https://www.mcguinnessinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/19p.-National-Health-IT-Plan-Update.pdf3.https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/9770678/Patient-portals-have-huge-potential

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