Buddy Programme seeks volunteers
Presbyterian Support Otago Buddy Programme co-ordinators Steph Finney (left) and Sam Robinson are keen to encourage local adults to "join the Buddy crew". At present the Buddy Programme has 30 active pairings of adult-child buddies, but there are also 40 children on the waiting list hoping for a buddy of their very own. The PSO Buddy Programme covers North Otago, Oamaru, East Otago, Central Otago, Dunedin and Clutha, and currently has about 200 active pairs of buddies across the region. "The children in the Buddy Programme are beautiful kids, they just need a bit of support," she said. For more information, contact the Buddy Programme co-ordinators by emailing buddy@psotago.org.nzbrenda.harwood@thestar.co.nz
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 15:36 UTC
A pathway to success
In their first season in the league the team experienced a steep learning curve, finishing 8th out of 10 teams. ‘‘If you look at how we progressed in a competition that’s quite tough, it was a very successful season,’’ van Hees said. Historically, Wānaka Football Club had punched well above its weight thanks to the steady flow of international players from Europe and South America who passed through the town. ‘‘That’s been quite challenging for a small town like us,’’ van Hees said. ‘‘This is where the community is super important,’’ van Hees said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 15:36 UTC
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Taylor Frankie Paul loses custody of child after domestic assault video
Since a video of the assault surfaced, filming has shut down for season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and ABC has cancelled Season 22 of Bachelorette, starring Paul. On March 19, TMZ posted a video from 2023 of Paul attacking Mortensen in front of her daughter. “This is called physical abuse,” Mortensen said in the footage. In the video Paul attacked her ex, punched him, pulled his hair and threw a chair at him. She was charged with aggravated assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child causing injury, child abuse and criminal mischief, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 15:04 UTC
Arrest over critical injury assault in Amberley
A man has been charged over an assault that left another person critically injured in Canterbury on Thursday night. Police were called to an address on Racecourse Rd in Amberley, Hurunui, about 10.25pm after receiving a report a person had been seriously assaulted. "The victim was transported to hospital with critical injuries and is currently undergoing surgery," police said yesterday morning. In an update today Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Vaughan said they had charged a man over the incident. The 24-year-old man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on March 26, charged with wounding with intent.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 13:07 UTC
US woman charged with murder after taking abortion pill
A 31-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with murder after she took abortion medication and gave birth to a premature infant who died within hours, according to court documents and arrest records. Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion, many states have adopted abortion bans. While other states have sought to prosecute women who had abortions, it is rare they are charged with murder as Moore was. A friend later told police that Moore took the abortion pill because she did not want another child. Georgia's abortion law "does not contemplate murder charges for someone who has an abortion, and self-managing an abortion is not a criminal act in Georgia.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 12:44 UTC
US President Donald Trump says he is considering ‘winding down’ Iran war but rules out ceasefire
Middle East war latest: Trump eyes end to Iran campaign as blasts hit Tehran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States was “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East”. The social media post was the strongest indication yet from the US President that he may be prepared to soon end hostilities. Oil jumped to US$112.19 a barrel as blasts hit Tehran and Gulf energy sites. Photo / Getty Images“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it – The United States does not!” he said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 12:25 UTC
Iran oil crisis: why NZ's car dependence is now a strategic liability
Since Marsden Point stopped refining oil in 2022, New Zealand has imported all its refined fuel, mostly from South Korea and Singapore. The latest official fuel stocks update suggests roughly 52 days of total cover, with less than 33 days of petrol in the country. Yet transport, which consumes nearly 40 percent of all energy in the country, remains almost entirely chained to imported oil. For all its imperfections, the Clean Car Discount scheme, which started in 2021, was shifting the needle. The question now is whether New Zealanders begin to treat their car dependence not as a lifestyle choice but as a strategic liability.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 10:43 UTC
Middle East conflict: How to deal with anxiety about the Iran war and other global events and talk to your children about it
How to deal with anxiety around current news eventsMaguire says there are a number of evidence-based ways to regulate feelings of anxiety when digesting news such as the updates from the ongoing Middle East conflict. Research consistently shows that high media exposure during crises increases anxiety and helplessness,” she says. Saying to yourself, ‘I feel anxious because I cannot control global events’ can reduce the intensity of the emotional response.”Ask yourself whether your thoughts are helpful or harmful. Brief pauses help the nervous system reset.”How to talk to your children about the Iran war, the fuel crisis and other difficult news events“Children take their cues from adults. The psychologist says staying connected to your friends and community is one of the “strongest protective factors against anxiety”.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 10:32 UTC
Petrol hits $4 a litre in some Auckland suburbs, stations ‘run out’
The BP New Lynn price is confirmed in a photo taken by a Herald journalist (see below). BP New Lynn in Auckland has tipped just over $4 a litre for Ultimate 98 petrol. Fuel prices have been surging globally due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s retaliation following US-Israeli strikes on the country. “Gaspy, a crowd-fed app, is a good way to compare fuel prices quickly and easily between retailers. “There are about 50 days of petrol and diesel in the country, or on the way here, which is normal,” she said, noting that petrol stations that had run dry had done so because they were offering heavily discounted promotions.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 09:34 UTC
Neighbours to join butchery in historic precinct
R&J’s resident butcher Rex Spence is looking forward to new neighbours in Milton’s historic precinct, as more buildings will soon join the butchery there. PHOTO: NICK BROOKA growing sense of history is being mapped out in a South Otago town, the founder of a replica vintage butchery says. R&J’s Butchery shop founder Rex Spence said the South Otago Heritage Society had plans to add a neighbour to the traditional-style butchery shop by Milton Blokes Shed, and develop a park-style area with new facilities for local collections at Milton’s historic precinct behind Rugby Park. "They’re putting in the money to build quite a big shed," Mr Spence said. Near the butchery and the Blokes Shed, the Milton Volunteer Fire Brigade was planning a new structure to serve as a small museum.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 21, 2026 09:30 UTC
There Is NO WAY NZ Should Send Navy For Trump's Illegal Iran War
And the drum beat to join Trump’s illegal war in Iran is being beaten, surprise, surprise, by the NZ Fucking Herald……Fuck the NZ Herald. ANYONE trying to trick us into supporting America’s illegal war in Iran needs to face unrelenting criticism. Trump just called NATO cowards for refusing to join his illegal war. This Government has refused to criticise Trump and Israel for their illegal war in Iran and they have sided us with those committing the war crimes. There is NO WAY NZ should send our Navy for Trump’s illegal Iran war
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 08:13 UTC
Mosque shooter video clip was Hastings teen Ronndog Keefe’s ticket to world of online violence
DIA officers and police seized an iPhone 12 and a PlayStation 5 gaming console from the house in August 2024 as they acted on multiple tips from overseas agencies, which had been notified of Keefe’s online activities. Keefe collected and distributed extremist sexual materialThe material Keefe was collecting and posting included the worst sexual abuse of young children imaginable. Online network spans the globeThe online network Keefe was involved with spans the globe. The users gathered child sexual material to create digital “lore” books, which are used as currency, traded, archived and promoted to increase a user’s status or to recruit members. “This individual preyed on the innocence of children by distributing horrific child abuse and exploitation images online, including personally requesting explicit images from a teenager.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 05:31 UTC
Auckland Subaru 22B race car destroyed in Ponsonby Automotive blaze amid fire engine failure
The owner’s son was the main user of the car, racing it in the Sport and GT series at Pukekohe Park Raceway. Firefighters were forced to wait for a second engine to arrive at the fire after a pump providing pressure to the fire hoses failed, New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union Auckland local president Terry Bird said. Faulty equipment caused delays in fighting a fire at Ponsonby Automotive on Thursday, the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union says. Photo / Anna HeathA Fire and Emergency spokesperson said mechanics hadn’t found anything wrong with the vehicle and it was “possible that it’s an intermittent fault”. Meanwhile, the cause of Thursday’s fire was still being investigated, a Fire and Emergency spokesperson said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 21, 2026 05:22 UTC