Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature director Carla Munro at the 3-D map of Otago Peninsula. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONA wild ride, a big old sing-song and a programme of hundreds of events — Dunedin’s nature festival is boasting something for everyone. The programme for next month’s Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature has been released, inviting locals and visitors to celebrate nature, conservation and the outdoors. ‘‘There is a real sense of community around Wild Dunedin,’’ she said. About 30,000 people attended last year’s Wild Dunedin Festival.

Reti’s upcoming retirement may prompt Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to remove him from Cabinet at the upcoming reshuffle. Reti, a medical doctor, currently holds a number of ministerial portfolios, including Universities, Science, Innovation and Technology, Statistics, and Pacific Peoples. He previously served as deputy leader of the National Party under Collins and briefly as interim leader after Collins’ was removed until Luxon took the top job in late 2021. Speaking on Tuesday, Reti said Luxon expected him to continue in his roles for now. He said, even if he remained Health Minister, it would be time to call it quits.

Photo: Screengrab / FacebookANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner told RNZ the increase in oil prices had been "quite exponential." Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said petrol prices were on track to return to levels not seen since the invasion of Ukraine. "Consumer confidence in particular, I think, is often related to changes in fuel prices because that's a really frequently purchased item in the budget. He said the longer the conflict continued, the worse it would be for the New Zealand economy. But he was less convinced that it wouldn't mean higher interest rates.

He said that Israel wants Iran, whose cleric-run government has championed Hamas, to be “permanently weakened” - a strategy Israel has pursued across the region, notably in repeatedly bombing historic adversary Syria despite a change in government. Both Netanyahu and Trump have spoken favourably of Iranians overthrowing the Islamic republic, which faces widespread opposition and ruthlessly suppressed protests in January, but neither has made it an explicit goal. Trump - who for years denounced US interventionism in the Middle East as wasteful and misguided - has offered different explanations for attacking the country of 90 million people, mostly focusing on degrading its military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Growing partisan gapIsrael retains strong support within Trump’s Republican Party but the rival Democratic Party - and a few prominent voices on the right - have accused Trump of blindly following Israel into a regional war.

Photo: RNZThe second phase of the Covid-19 response inquiry has found the government's response was effective but late and not communicated well enough to people. Public divisions and anger over the pandemic response in part prompted the second phase begun in December 2022, amid questions if phase one had gone far enough. Phase two looked at four areas of pandemic response from February 2021 to October 2022:- vaccine approval and safety. "These topics, and the time period covered ... capture some of the most difficult and divisive elements of New Zealand's pandemic response," the report said. - Produce regulatory impact statements in future pandemics, and update the Cabinet rules so pandemic decisions get reviewed.

Former councillor Conrad Stedman and former mayor Aaron Hawkins received the most support. Crs Steve Walker, Christine Garey and Mickey Treadwell endorsed Mr Hawkins. Crs Andrew Simms, Lee Vandervis and Russell Lund endorsed Mr Stedman. Cr Lund said Jo Galer was his first pick for council, followed by Mr Stedman, while Crs Walker and Garey also endorsed Richard Knights. Crs Lund and Vandervis also indicated they would not welcome a return to the council table by Mr Hawkins.

Brent crude oil eclipsed US$110 ($185) a barrel for the first time in three and a half years before dropping back under US$90. Parham said Waitomo’s prices had gone up around 10-15 cents on petrol and 20-plus cents on diesel. “We are really seeing diesel being impacted more than petrol at this stage because of the crude that comes out of the Middle East. This morning, Air New Zealand said it was suspending its earning guidance because of volatile jet fuel prices. Jet fuel prices were about US$85 to US$90 per barrel before the conflict but had surged to US$150-US$200 in recent days.

PHOTO: RICHARD DAVISONPolice are investigating the cause of a crash in South Otago that led to one driver being critically injured yesterday. Emergency services were summoned, including a rescue helicopter, which transported the SUV driver to Dunedin Hospital, departing the scene about 10am. Acting Senior Sergeant Robin Hutton, of Balclutha, said police were still establishing the cause of the accident, which led to the SUV driver sustaining critical injuries. ‘‘The male driver of the SUV was flown to Dunedin Hospital in a fairly serious condition. One patient, in a critical condition, was transported to Dunedin Hospital, the spokesperson said.

Trump said the war would continue until Iran is "totally and decisively defeated," but predicted it would be over soon. Trump did not, however, define exactly what victory in the war would look like. Israel says its war aim is to overthrow Iran's system of clerical rule. Israel had said it would kill whoever succeeded the elder Khamenei unless Iran ended its hostile policies. After speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said the United States will waive certain oil-related sanctions to ease the shortage.

In its Q1 Global Dairy Quarterly report, the specialist agribusiness bank says overall global dairy prices have shown tentative signs of recovery in recent months, with consecutive increases seen in Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auctions lifting sentiment in the sector. However, the report, by the bank’s RaboResearch division, notes that global dairy markets continue to be well supplied, with strong milk production growth across all the world’s major dairy-exporting regions, except Australia. This global supply growth has been supported by relatively low livestock feed prices, which have encouraged production and kept milk supply levels elevated worldwide, RaboResearch says. Abundant global supplyAbundant global milk supply had led to a pronounced impact on global dairy prices in the final quarter of 2025, the report said, with the prices of a number of dairy products – including fats, whole milk powder, skimmed milk power, cheese and whey – declining. OutlookLooking ahead, RaboResearch expects global dairy markets to gradually tighten as farm margins come under pressure and supply growth cools across the major exporting regions.

Southland A&P Society president Paula Bell is looking forward to another bumper show next year and refuses to let the office’s weekend ransacking be a cloud over what she has lauded as ‘‘the most successful show yet’’. Photo: TONI MCDONALDAn overnight break-in at the Southland A&P Showgrounds at Donovan Park on Saturday left a bitter aftertaste to an otherwise near-record show weekend. Southland A&P Society executive officer Georgie Day said the extremely successful weekend ended with a stomach-dropping discovery at the site office for organisers on Sunday morning. Society president Paula Bell said the break-in came hard on the heels of a hugely successful show, but she refused to let it rob credit from the small committee, which had worked extremely hard to organise the event. ‘‘We’ll definitely be looking at security, but honestly, the office was locked and everything was properly secured,’’ she said.

Since 2021, there has been a stalemate in negotiations between the organisation and the Public Service Association (PSA) over the proposal to introduce 90-day trials for some new employees. About 20 protesters stood outside Able Minds’ Prince Albert Rd premises yesterday to voice their opposition to the plan. PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons — serenaded by the car horns of passing motorists — said the charity did “absolutely critical work” but called 90-day trials “oppressive and harsh and cruel”. A protest was held yesterday outside Able Minds’ South Dunedin office yesterday over a plan to use 90-day trials. Ms Fitzsimons said the PSA would not sign up to any agreement involving 90-day trials.

File photo: RNZA Kaikōura dairy farmer has been fined $35,000 for failing to register hundreds of cattle or track their movements on and off his farms. Trevor Ronald Bolton, 59, was sentenced at the Kaikōura District Court on March 6, after pleading guilty to three charges under the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Act. Under the act, the movement of all cattle or deer must be declared to Operational Solutions for Primary Industries within 48 hours. MPI district manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance upper south Paul Soper said the system was critical in tracing animals to manage disease or biosecurity incursions. Soper said MPI took non-compliance with the animal tracing rules seriously.

A serious crash has been reported in the small Southland settlement of Isla Bank this morning. In a statement, police said they were called to the two-vehicle crash at about 8.40am. Fairfax-Isla Banks Rd is closed at the intersection with Isla Bank-Flints Bush Rd. The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and motorists are advised to avoid the area.

Sticky Forest will remain an outstanding natural landscape zone, despite the Environment Court’s decision to rezone part of the land. PHOTO: ODT FILESA further 7ha of scenic forest in Wanaka can now be developed into luxury homes, prompting the district’s deputy mayor to express concern about what is left. The Environment Court has ruled that a further 7ha of Sticky Forest will be rezoned from rural to large lot residential. Sticky Forest has a complicated ownership history dating back to the 1870s, when Kāi Tahu leader and politician H.K. Sticky Forest houses an extensive trail network used primarily by mountain bikers.