Police launch murder inquiry after Alexandra Fröhlich is found dead on her boat on the Elbe A murder inquiry has been launched after a bestselling German novelist was found dead on a houseboat in Hamburg having been violently attacked whose novels have had prominence on Germany’s bestseller lists The case was quickly passed to the murder squad amid evidence she had been attacked Authorities have refused to give more details other than saying forensic evidence had been gathered and a coroner’s report submitted Investigators have issued an appeal for potential witnesses who may have observed suspicious activity on or around the long cerise houseboat in which Fröhlich resided on the Holzhafen bank of the Elbe River in the eastern Moorfleet district Her son discovered her body on Tuesday morning who believe she died between midnight and 5.30am relatives found the 58-year-old woman lifeless on her houseboat and alerted the fire brigade who were only able to confirm the woman’s death,” a police spokesperson told local media the investigating authorities now believe that the woman died as a result of violence.” The spokesperson said investigators were looking into possible suspects and whether the killer may have been known to Fröhlich no further information can be provided at this time,” he said Media reported that divers were at the scene of the crime amid speculation that the weapon could have been thrown into the Elbe initially in Ukraine where she founded a women’s magazine in Kyiv She later worked as a freelance journalist in Germany for women’s and other magazines such as Stern My Russian Mother-in-Law and other Catastrophes which she said was based on her own experience of being married to a Russian It entered the bestseller list of Der Spiegel magazine one of the closest-observed indicators of fiction and nonfiction sales in Germany It was subsequently translated into French A critic at the time described it as “a hilarious west-east satire” In 2016 she published the crime novel Death is a Certainty and in 2019 she followed this with Skeletons in the Closet Her novels were characterised by a mix of humour This story discusses plot details of the "1923" Season 2 finale Star-crossed lovers Alex and Spencer overcame every conceivable obstacle separately on ships, cars and trains before joyously coming together near frozen Montana train tracks in Sunday's two-hour season finale (now streaming on Paramount+) After Spencer jumps from his moving train for a final sprint to his stranded The cruel Montana winter for the Taylor Sheridan series was recreated with special effects and fake snowbanks on an Austin soundstage in the dead heat of Texas summer says during a joint interview with Sklenar "We had to do this weird combination of shivering while actually drenched in sweat." We've got room on the couch: Sign up for USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter for more TV & film news We mapped '1923' out: Inside Spencer Dutton's journey back to the ranch in 'Yellowstone' prequel We bow to the power of storytelling and new-fangled technology you see how they've been fighting to find one another." He gallantly bundles up his weakened spouse to sprint towards warmth on the tracks laughing while recalling the dead-serious moment "I had to hold Jules and pretend to just sort of run in place I've never had to fake run for such a pivotal covered in severe frostbite from her frigid ordeal Things get much worse for the Dutton family enemies who Spencer gets to smiting almost single-handedly Alex miraculously gives birth to their premature son and names him John This is the awaited Big Bang in the Yellowstone-Dutton-verse Bet the ranch that this is TV-series-connecting child John Dutton II That it ties into the whole world," says Schlaepfer of baby John She hastily adds that she's not confirming that the child is Costner's TV daddy in swaddling clothes "The only person who could confirm that is Taylor Sheridan himself avoiding confirmation of being Costner's TV grandfather New-found Dutton family bliss is short-lived Alex dies in the hospital holding baby John "They fall asleep together and she drifts away," Schlaepfer says adding that Ford and Mirren were present for the scene out of respect Spencer puts on his revenge face to take his feelings out on family archenemy the sadistic developer and early downhill skiing visionary Spencer shoots Whitfield dead at his pastry-filled breakfast table "Men at that time weren't really exactly attuned to their emotions There weren't podcasts on how to process your grief at the time," Sklenar says the power of love and the power of the bullet." Is this the end of '1923'?Alex is bestowed with the ultimate posthumous Dutton honor a gravestone in the famed ranch cemetery for top-tier clan only Alex earns her plot in the Deceased Dutton Hall of Fame I know that everyone will be upset about (Alex) being a part of the Dutton family cemetery," Schlaepfer says dumped her feeble aristo fiancé for Spencer Sheridan and Paramount Global have always planned to keep "1923" to two seasons while moving the story onto the next chapter "1944" (presumably with a grown-up John Dutton II) the Season 2 finale appears to be the end of the line Jacob already admits he's retiring from ranching Cara points out that baby John is "the future." The finale fast forwards to an obscured view of the never-remarried aged Spencer lying down by his wife's grave Sklenar refuses to confirm his character's death "There might be a ("1923") version with geriatric Spencer dragging his gun because he's too weak to hold it." "We did our best to bring this couple's story to life and do justice to their role in Dutton history," Sklenar says You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image hundreds of Central Otago residents gathered to pay their respects at the various Anzac Day services across the district on Friday one of whom was Teviot Valley Community Board member Sally Feinerman who attended the Roxburgh service Cr Feinerman said there about 100 people present to view the parade and service which she described as really lovely Central Otago District Council chief executive and chief of the New Zealand Army Peter Kelly was the guest speaker at the service Cr Feinerman was also impressed with the role Roxburgh Area School’s head students had in the service Fog shrouded the landscape as more than 100 people gathered at the Clyde Cenotaph for the wreath-laying service Alexandra-Clyde RSA president Kevin Harding opened the ceremony with a reminder that New Zealand Cadets guarded the cenotaph as wreaths were placed The Alexandra and Districts Pipe Band led a parade down Tarbert St before stopping at the cenotaph for the wreath-laying service Three shots from a 25-pounder gun echoed throughout the town to open the service Those present heard of the importance of the Anzac spirit and the shared history with Australia from guest speaker Army Major Duncan McEwan Maj McEwan also spoke of the United Nations and how New Zealanders have contributed to the organisation through peacekeeping and disaster relief Vincent Community Board chairman Jayden Cromb placed a wreath on behalf of the Vincent Community Board alongside his son Tamati Mr Cromb described the turnout in Alexandra as one of the best since he joined the community board "I thought it was really nice and it’s always good to see the older generation but also seeing that cadet squadron there and seeing the next generation still taking part in it," he said Other ceremonies in Central Otago were well-attended with 200 people present for the parade in Ranfurly Maniototo Community Board member Stu Duncan attended the Ranfurly service and described the turnout as great 150 people braved the fog in Lowburn to attend the service there Central Otago District deputy mayor Neil Gillespie said the Lowburn service was really good with a relaxed community atmosphere where people caught up with a cup of tea afterwards Got The Chocolates joined the rarest of racing clubs at Alexandra Park on Saturday night: horses who won a race they were scratched from And he beat the budding superstar of New Zealand pacing in Marketplace to do it The three-year-old pacer was enormous in the Woodlands Stud Northern Derby Prelude at Alexandra Park on Saturday night sitting parked before holding out the red hot favourite in Marketplace The irony for punters is Got The Chocolates was only allowed back into the race because the Alexandra Park meeting was transferred from last Thursday to Saturday because of rough weather in Auckland “We scratched him last week because he had an abscess in his hoof that burst out at the wrong time,” says driver John Dunn.  “But with an issue like that once they burst out they can heal pretty quickly “We flew our farrier Paul Howlett up from Canterbury and he did a great job and once the scratched horses were allowed back in after the meeting was postponed we decided to start.” Many multi punters wish they hadn’t reinstated him as Marketplace was the red hot $1.24 favourite but Got The Chocolates beat the boom three-year-old fair and square Got The Chocolates sat parked for the last lap and while Marketplace had to come three wide and got unbalanced on the home bend His defeat suggests there is life in races like this Friday’s Northern Derby and the other features that lie ahead as Marketplace was starting to look clearly superior but has now lost two of his last three starts both when unable to chase down the horse on the speed “I think our horse will be even better suited by the 2700m next Friday but then again so will Marketplace and even though we beat him he is still the benchmark,” says Dunn The Dunn stable also won the three-year-old trot with Ya Rite Darl who led throughout in the hands of Zachary Butcher to bolt away for the Sires’ Stakes Prelude over stablemate Frazzled The race changed complexion at the start when Habibti Pat became the latest in a long line of good trotters to blow their Alexandra Park debut galloping early to give punters another bleeding nose But smart punters were gifted one free hit when Beside Me won the Northern Oaks Prelude effortlessly for fill-in driver Tony Herlihy Beside Me strode straight to the front and was way too good and while she closed a $1.30 favourite punters were able to get as much as $3 on a TAB promotion that was exempt from any deductions  for scratchings Beside Me will face a deeper field in next Friday’s Oaks with Arafura and Stella Rouge who were scratched on Saturday both returning but she is now the $1.70 favourite to win the Oaks one of five Group 1s at the Alexandra Park meeting The National Racing Bureau now has its own dedicated email and phone accounts HRNZ would like to remind everyone of the Terms and Conditions of the Two-Year-Old Bonus Scheme ("TYOBS”) for the 2025 season © 2025 Harness Racing New Zealand  |  Privacy Policy but she’s giving serious Main Character Energy has transformed herself from a mysterious unknown to a legitimate – and rising – fashion icon it was only in June of 2024 that her Instagram was private she’s the face of a major campaign for Rhode beauty with a devoted 1.3 million following her every last yacht-borne selfie The 22-year-old Italian was first rumoured to be connected to Leclerc in early 2023 after she was spotted in the background of a TikTok of the driver at Paris Fashion Week Saint Mleux appeared at the Monaco Grand Prix as an official guest of Ferrari; in July the pair made their first appearance together at Wimbledon serving serious glamour model Francisca ‘Kika’ Gomes and her partner Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint-Mleux at Wimbledon 2023 where the latter pair made their first appearance together in the form of Ferrari prancing horse earrings This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from who The New York Times dubbed ‘the most famous woman in men’s tennis’ and Wimbledon chose to front its own Threads fashion series It’s about time F1 found its own equivalent: after years of a growing female audience sponsorship by the likes of Charlotte Tilbury and a motorsport-inspired Chanel Cruise 2023 Collection F1 announced in October that LVMH would become a global partner Those in the know about tennis, know about Morgan Riddle. Riddle and boyfriend Taylor Fritz, the US No 1, are the fashion-forward, head-turning, pap-stealing new Posh ‘n’ Becks of the game. Next up? New York Fashion Week. Then? World domination. Deputy features editor Annabel Sampson tries to keep up Alexandra Saint Mleux walks in the paddock during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in June they chose not to walk the red carpet together in an interview at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix Leclerc confirmed to reporters that he was no longer single influencing isn’t Saint Mleux’s career of choice at L'École du Louvre and has worked as an art assistant at auction house Hôtel Des Ventes De Monte-Carlo and in public relations for Monaco Art Week She also runs an Instagram account dedicated to her passion for her subject where she shares pictures of works from Art Basel Paris Hauser & Wirth Menorca and Foundation Louis Vuitton This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco, race winner Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Alexandra Saint Mleux attend the Gala Dinner For The F1 Grand Prix Of Monaco in May 2024 With a centre court that looks out to the French Riviera, this tennis event is giving even Wimbledon a run for its money in the glamour stakes. Just ask: Zendaya, Beatrice Borromeo and the F1 crowd. It’s the tournament that is so VIP it’s even turning celebrities away So, what's next for Alexandra Saint-Mleux? With a new, high-octane collaboration between F1 and LVMH on the horizon, might she be tapped as a fashionable ambassador for the luxury conglomerate's brands? Or perhaps she's on track to become a prima gallerina; she certainly has connections to be leveraged. Either way, Tatler is keeping its eye on this Formula 1 fashion star. Saint Mleux walks the pit lane at the Monaco Grand Prix, May 2024 Beside Me will be many punters' multi anchor tonight Outstanding pacing filly Beside Me’s winning chances at Alexandra Park tonight have been given two mini boosts by the withdrawal of just one rival The big Canterbury filly is the warm favourite for the Northern Oaks Prelude on a night when the three-year-olds take centre stage for a rare Thursday night meeting at The Park the date change coming as there is no domestic racing on Good Friday or Easter Sunday Tonight’s meeting has Marketplace red hot to win the prelude to next Friday’s Great Northern Derby while some smart three-year-old trotters go around in a lead-up to the Northern Trotting Derby albeit tonight’s race will be missing the best of that crop in Meant To Be But it is the fillies race that holds the most interest tonight as the crop has yet to really sort itself and that pecking order won’t be definitive after tonight either A brave last-start winner of the Harness Million on February 21 Stella Rouge is one of the key members of this crop but will miss tonight’s race after her blood report wasn’t perfect yesterday “She doesn’t need to start in this race as it is only a prelude but she will still be good to go for the Oaks next week,” says co-trainer Steve Telfer Stella Rouge missing tonight’s race is a bonus for those who will start Both she and Stella Rouge were drawn wide so the latter being scratched means not only is the field smaller and weaker but there is also less likelihood of early or mid-race pressure that could have forced the hand of young Carter Dalgety driving Beside Me While punters who took the $3 boosted odds from the TAB for Beside Me would love to see her stroll to the front and win easily co-trainer Cran Dalgety would prefer more options that would be great if she can lead and win but it doesn’t always work out that way,” Cran says “We are a week out from the Oaks and you’d hate to go forward have them humming early and have a hard run without winning “Carter drives her great and she has been awesome on the front end or settling and coming into the race later and now with the smaller field and one of the big names out she won’t have as many to run past if she doesn’t go off the gate.” This crop looks to have real depth but with Stella Rouge scratched and smart southern fillies General Jen and Captains Mistress not here only Arafura (1) and Without You (4) look to have the raw talent to test Beside Me They both beat her home last start when the trio took the trifecta in a similar race at Cambridge and while initially disappointed “Not much went her way that night and I wasn’t sure what to make of it until I saw they went a 1:51.8 mile rate for the 1700m and then you realise she went great “I actually think that race has brought her on because we were a bit soft on her before it and she will be a better filly this week.” That should be enough to see Beside Me get her revenge and she will be a multi anchor for many punters alongside Marketplace (R5 who should win the Derby Prelude even though he has the outside draw in the six-horse field The trotters’ contest has a clear favourite in Habibti Pat (R7 No.7) with her main concern being tonight is her first race start right-handed and she did gallop when trialling that way at Pukekohe last week Countering that could be the fact many of her rivals tonight are also southerners and therefore also lack experience right-handed Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990 He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals Trainer: 'She always does her best and she will do her best again.' The partnership also honours the heritage of BBC broadcasting at the Palace which began with the first public television transmission in 1936 The BBC Concert Orchestra has become the first ever Associate Orchestra at Alexandra Palace paying homage to the ongoing collaboration between the orchestra and the iconic venue Alexandra Palace will host London events for BBC Radio 3’s Friday Night is Music Night the long-running live radio concert programme where the BBC Concert Orchestra explores repertoire ranging from the golden age of light music to the best in film Upcoming Friday Night is Music Night events at Alexandra Palace include Paris in the Jazz Age with violinist and conductor Fiona Monbet and clarinettist Giacomo Smith on 30 May and a concert celebrating the life and career of Dame Julie Andrews on 12 September with singers Katie Birtill In addition to performances in the Palace’s award-winning Theatre and opportunities to rehearse in the venue the partnership will expand access to orchestral music as the BBC CO continues to work with both new and established artists the BBC CO will provide education opportunities for local communities through Alexandra Palace’s Creative Learning programme Director of the BBC Concert Orchestra said: “It’s an absolute honour to be the first ever Associate Orchestra at Alexandra Palace and to continue the longstanding relationship the BBC has with the venue As the regular London host of Friday Night is Music Night I look forward to welcoming audiences at Ally Pally and continuing to bring the very best orchestral music to audiences however they choose to join us whether in the theatre or listening on BBC Radio 3 We will continue to take classical programming to venues across the UK and maintain performances at London’s Southbank Centre with Unclassified Live Alexandra Palace CEO: “We’re thrilled that the BBC Concert Orchestra is the first Associate Orchestra in our 150 years Their continued excellence in bringing performances to music lovers all over the world makes them an ideal partner for this moment of Ally Pally history The Palace is bursting with live entertainment with hundreds of renowned artists performing on our stages each year but the regular presence of the Orchestra is something new and will unlock exciting creative opportunities The partnership is the realisation of a long-term ambition – part of our goal to bring great entertainment and culture to all – and continues the ground-breaking relationship between ourselves and the BBC We can’t wait to welcome the Orchestra and all their team to the Palace.” This new partnership with Alexandra Palace will be in tandem with the orchestra’s current Southbank Centre and the Royal Albert Hall partnerships where they continue to perform in high profile concerts and experimental works The BBC CO will also continue to work with its university partners in Nottingham and a growing cohort of wider partnership organisations Hides preview environment warning banner on preview pages Select a theme and theme mode and click "Load theme" to load in your theme combination Elected members of the Central Otago District Council voted unanimously in support of the change at Wednesday’s full council meeting where they heard from police about problems in recent years Police pushed for the geographical area of the ban to be extended as well as its timeframe and the council obliged The alcohol ban will now stretch to cover the Teviot Valley as well as the weekend after the popular spring festival told councillors police had seen more alcohol being consumed over the period and that in turn had led to an increase in antisocial behaviour He showed a booklet of photographs depicting the sorts of scenes their teams had encountered in 2024 — highlighted were the hordes of largely southern "car enthusiasts" travelling in convoy to attend "Blossie" police encountered people urinating and causing disorder and as a result the school community had opted to install security cameras Other people caused damage at the Millers Flat tavern while others posed a risk to other road users at Raes Junction and through the Roxburgh Gorge by "standing on the road and drinking alcohol" "We also had several serious incidents involving members of the contingent which included an assault and threatening act with a weapon and an arson of a vehicle," he said While Sgt Elder acknowledged "the balance of the community" might find the policy shift to be restrictive the "overriding goal" was "to mitigate the level of harm" caused by alcohol The marker pegs were paved with pacing gold in the Group 1s at Alexandra Park on Friday night But even for the biggest winners on the star-studded night could be excused for  feelings of “what if” after all was said and done The three big ones for the hoppled heroes were taken out by Republican Party in the Dawson Harford Messenger Marketplace in the Woodlands Derby and Arafura in the Pascoes the Jewellers Northern Oaks as were the two trotting G1 winners for the night and Arafura was the only G1 winner to not lead She took out the first of the big ones after trailing Beside Me and breaking the national 2700m fillies record without having to go around another horse While driver Tony Herlihy didn’t have to make too many decisions he still had to keep Arafura under control as her and Beside Me’s early burn got them both up and about over the Oaks distance the favourite undoing herself more than Arafura did “She is a really strong filly and that was a huge help when going that speed,” said Herlihy “It is lovely to get this win for Amanda and Hayden [Cullen] while they are so early in their careers.” The Cullens have had a wonderful last six months as the stable goes from strength to strength but the Oaks fortunes were reversed later in the night when Republican Party led and settled beautifully for Carter Dalgety and was too strong in the Group 1 while the Cullen-trained Don’t Stop Dreaming stormed for third While that might have left the Cullens with that “what if” feeling the reality was Republican Party deserved his win after a luckless autumn with poor draws and hard runs “We set him for this race because he loves the longer distances,” said Dalgety whose proud parents Cran and Chrissie train Republican Party but of course also Beside Me It was Republican Party’s 20th win in 54 starts and you could make a case he has been our best open class pacer over the last six months when you consider his Auckland and Invercargill Cup wins and close Hunter Cup third So after the Cullens got the best of the Dalgetys in the first Group 1 they levelled the score at 1-1 in the Messenger and in between the pair came the performance of the night That was undoubtedly Marketplace who as tough fast and strong when obliterating the national 2700m three-year-old 2700m record in the Derby He was asked to use his ace draw by Craig Ferguson and when he refused to relent to Got The Chocolates the latter couldn’t manufacture enough room to slot into the trail so had to sit parked and keep Marketplace running Run he did and when Got The Chocolates started to drop off Ferguson took his chance and was gone Marketplace willing as he charged clear for clearly his best performance of 2025 “It was really satisfying to see him lead and do that tonight,” said trainer Regan Todd “If you keep handing up you will keep getting attacked so tonight will have earned him some more respect so I was thrilled with Craig’s drive and how the horse went.” Marketplace will fly home to Canterbury on Sunday and prepare for his last major of this campaign in the Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on May 16 very good horse and his time and body of work in G1 races suggests he may be the brightest light on our slightly dulled pacing horizon like the other Group 1 winning trainers on the night Todd had his “what if” moment in the Messenger when it was Mo’unga storming late at Republican Party “We almost got two Group 1s for the night,” he laughed “But he might get his best chance in the Roy Purdon next week when he should get a start over the big name horses,” added Todd Five sets of trainers got the Group 1s they crave but a few of them went home thinking had things been different they could have got another Marketplace is one of the harness stars who will have to wait until Saturday Auckland’s shocking weather has claimed tonight’s Alexandra Park harness racing meeting In a rare move for a harness racing meeting the high winds and constant rain made racing unsafe so stipendiary stewards called the meeting off early this afternoon The meeting moves to Saturday night but with one race deleted The meeting was set to be a crucial lead-up to next Friday’s five Group-1 race meeting at the same venue with Thursday’s canned meeting scheduled to hold both the Oaks and Derby Preludes An almost identical meeting will now be held on Saturday night but with the last race canned because of restrictions around how long staff can work with some doubling up from an Ellerslie meeting also being held just two kilometres away earlier on Saturday To assist the connections of horses who would have started in that maiden race HRNZ will add a new maiden race to next Friday’s massive meeting with the stake raised from $15,000 to $20,000 and preference given to horses who were in the now deleted race Moving the meeting means a very rare occasion with all three codes racing in Auckland on the same day: the Manukau greyhounds starting at 11.20am on Saturday morning before Ellerslie starts at 11.40am Almost all bets on the meeting scheduled for today have been refunded by the TAB but the betting agency is sticking solid on its ”Box Seat Boosted Bet” having given a $3 price for a $100 maximum bet on Beside Me to win the Northern Oaks Prelude TAB bookmaker Ben Grimstone confirms the special bet will stand even though Beside Me was in from $3 to $1.70 this afternoon Horses who had been scratched from today’s programme are eligible to go back into the fields for Saturday The Alexandra Park meeting will now run alongside a huge programme from Addington There is no domestic horse or dog racing allowed on either Good Friday or Easter Sunday Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she's (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column on anything she thinks is relevant The Aussie unknowns this Friday at Alexandra Park While the Australian flavour in the north has been strong for the last month there is added intrigue in Friday night's Alexandra Park premier race card.  It comes in the form of a rare Australian juvenile racing here and the change to standing start conditions for two other trans-Tasman visitors in the trotting ranks The surprise entrance of Group 1 winning two-year-old filly Ripples has certainly spiced up the Young Guns series (6.09pm) with Emma Stewart making her long-awaited international training debut alongside her partner Clayton Tonkin have long been regarded as the ‘gold standard’ in the young horse pacing ranks dominating most divisions for the best part of 10 years Their ability to have their two-year-olds well-educated and mannered Ripples is the next in a long line to fit that mould she is out of a sister to Nike Franco and was bred in New Zealand by Mick Harvey The fact that her eligibilities in Australia are limited alongside her Bathurst Gold Tiara success prompted the idea for a shot at the Young Guns series followed by a hard-fought final victory in a 1.53.9second mile rate after working for the first half of the race to eventually position in the breeze thereafter Typical of the Tonkin Stewart Racing operation Ripples has shown maturity beyond her two start career and looks a natural who wears little gear She will be looking to draw on all of this when she tackles right-handed racing for the first time and locks horns with some impressive locals Champion reinsman Luke McCarthy took the reins in her first two starts “She felt really strong at Bathurst and had great manners,” said McCarthy “You never know how they will handle the Auckland way I’m sure they will have given her practice and have her spot on” As Queen Elida approaches the end of her racing career she will line up from behind the tapes for just the fourth time in 86 starts when she takes her place in the H R Fisken & Sons Anzac Cup.  Off the back of excellent seconds in both the TAB Trot and Lyell Creek Stakes it will be her first standing start attempt since success in the Australasian Trotting Championship of September 2023 she has always been a reliable mare and ticked the right-handed box with her luckless effort here a fortnight ago Not As Promised has raced under standing start conditions for almost a third of his career including four of his 10 starts this preparation.  he isn’t necessarily the ‘step and run’ style horse and still requires some balancing up relatively early in his career.  He will of course have benefitted by a look around Alexandra Park in the Lyell Creek Stakes and looks likely to relish the 3200metres of next Friday's Rowe Cup Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s Aspiring Highways crew will be reconstructing close to two km of highway This is a major piece of summer maintenance which will take more than two months to complete NZTA thanks all daily drivers for their patience while this essential maintenance project is underway early in the summer maintenance period “Expect delays particularly through the school holiday period running from the end of September through to mid-October,” says NZTA Otago Journey Manager Nicole Felts the Alexandra-Fruitlands Road at the Symes Road intersection: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Professor Andhov delves into the gap between the rapid evolution of AI and the legal systems that might regulate it Professor Alexandra Andhov might turn to OpenAI’s ChatGPT to refine the tone of an email or brainstorm title ideas but her real interest lies in understanding how OpenAI which began as non-profit research organisation “OpenAI collected vast amounts of data for free over time and within seven years achieved a $160 billion valuation That’s what I’m interested in; how is this possible The unchecked growth and operations of OpenAI raises ethical and legal questions about transparency and accountability Alexandra says the challenge in AI regulation goes beyond just setting rules a strong understanding of the technology is crucial Artificial intelligence is misunderstood by many people who talk about it as if it’s truly ‘intelligent’ But it’s just sophisticated statistical modelling with layers of algorithms “It’s only as ‘smart’ as the data and the logic it’s trained on.” Alexandra joined the University of Auckland’s law and business faculties in October as Chair of Law and Technology and Director of the Centre for Advancing Law and Technology Responsibly whose expertise spans public procurement law also joined the University with joint appointments at both faculties “We were both hired at the same time by the same centre Being new to both the university and the city and now I’m lucky to say that I married my best friend.” Alexandra designed and taught an original start-up law course at the University of Copenhagen where students engaged directly with start-ups and She hopes to introduce a similar course for Auckland law and business students focusing on start-up law and the life cycle of entrepreneurial ventures “By teaching students how to navigate the unique needs of start-ups adaptable legal thinkers and problem solvers.” AI is only as ‘smart’ as the data and the logic it’s trained on Alexandra was born in Czechoslovakia before the ‘velvet divorce’ which saw Slovakia declare itself a sovereign state she convinced her parents to let her travel alone to the US where she spent a summer with a host family in Naperville immersing herself in a new culture and language “I was curious and eager to experience more of the world and I was lucky to have parents who supported me.” Despite attending a school focused on mathematics and physics from the age of ten but I also loved discussions and the ability to argue and persuade During her undergraduate law studies in Bratislava she worked for a law firm and undertook an exchange year at Lund University in Sweden where a professor sparked her interest in legal research “Professor Xavier Groussot showed me that law isn’t just a set of rules but a creative field where you can challenge ideas and explore complex questions,” she says Alexandra graduated with a masters in international law and business a doctorate with the highest distinction from the Central European University She was a Fulbright Scholar at Cornell University and undertook research at Oxford has made a name for herself with research focusing on corporate law capital market law and the regulation of emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI a book titled Fallacies of Corporate and Finance Law The co-edited anthology scrutinises assumptions underpinning corporate and finance law “It’s been a four-year-long passion project bringing together leading voices to challenge and redefine the current paradigms.” Alexandra has published extensively in leading journals and has taught at top universities in Australia It was a thoughtfully crafted email approach from the University of Auckland paired with kind and genuine communication that got the ball rolling on her move to Aotearoa from the University of Copenhagen “I wasn’t actively searching for a job,” she says “But that initial email made an impression The power of a well-crafted email cannot be underestimated the senior recruitment consultant who initially contacted me left a lasting impression; the whole interview process made me feel seen both as a scholar and as a person,” she says After a whirlwind visit to Tāmaki Makaurau Alexandra and Marta decided to make the move here “As people who love exploring and learning we felt that moving to New Zealand would be an adventure This article first appeared in the December 2024 issue of UniNews Heat alerts are triggered when the temperature reaches a certain threshold picked by meteorologists for 46 locations using two decades worth of data MetService has issued heat alerts for both Wānaka and Alexandra for tomorrow The MetService initiative aims to reduce health impacts from hot weather for babies and infants and those with pre-existing medical conditions or on certain medications who are more at risk of extreme heat Wānaka is expected to climb to 31C while Alexandra may record temperatures of 32C on Wednesday check in with vulnerable people and look after your pets & livestock," MetService said However, MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the warmth would be short-lived as a weather system brings rain from the west in the evening. "Brief rain spreads up the South Island on Thursday, bringing a cooler day for many. For the rest of the country, Waitangi Day is shaping up to be mostly settled, including in Waitangi itself." State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there were still a "couple of issues in Banks Peninsula that we need to keep an eye on" New Zealand Council defends management of Lake Ellesmere during storm Environment Canterbury is being criticised for its management of Lake Ellesmere Main road to Akaroa still blocked days after flooding The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) Publican of damaged inn says scale of flooding worst in 50 years Publican Sarah McFarland of Little River Inn is hopeful it would be back up and running soon Wellington wind warning at 'red' level MetService issues red warnings when there is extreme weather which is likely to have a significant impact or disruption National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s 55 mins ago Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire 9:29am US states push for speed-limiting devices on the cars of dangerous drivers 9:20am Ten dead after tourist boats capsize in sudden storm in China 9:07am Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights 8:52am Britain's VE Day parade draws thousands celebrating 80th anniversary 13 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters Erin Patterson shared love of mushrooms in online group Aziz Al Sa’afin: Australian Labor's comeback a wake-up call for Luxon Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on" "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed Most roads across Christchurch were now open Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours A temporary pump installed has now stopped wastewater entering Akaroa Harbour but residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system The Canterbury Regional Council says there was an agreement to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea last Tuesday but sea conditions prevented it from happening before the rain storm hit with people in Selwyn telling RNZ they are frustrated the lake was not opened to the sea earlier Taumutu farmer Tim Sanson said there had been good warning that a fairly serious weather system was on the way He was expecting around 80 millimetres of rain but received more than 150mm on Thursday which was "a fairly significant chunk of rain in a short period of time" "That is a lot more than what we were expecting from the forecast but to get more than sort of two inches in one hit here Sanson said the decision-making around opening Lake Ellesmere was a long-running "bugbear" for many locals "It's a bit like having a bucket that's full of water and potentially we should be doing that with the lake with a bit more management," he said which required heavy machinery and hard work "It did seem crazy to me watching the bulldozers head down there at high tide I think it was yesterday morning or the morning before to start preparing for opening with the southerly roaring in," he said said he thought the lake should have been opened sooner He woke at 4am on Friday to find six inches of water through his home after a nearby creek overflowed "If the council had opened the lake last weekend when it was nice and sunny then there would have been far less room for the water to move to the lake and travel on its way out to the sea," he said also questioned why officials did not act earlier to open the lake before the heavy rain caused widespread flooding She said she struggled in vain to get officials to open Lake Ellesmere to help the rising floodwaters drain away on Thursday evening She rang the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Regional Council after she got home to find water lapping on neighbours' doors The regional council told her it was after hours to call again in the morning and that the lake's opening was out of staff hands Adams said her property was a disaster zone with a repair bill estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars The council used diggers to create a channel between the lake and sea at certain times governed by a 1990 water conservation order and resource consents held jointly with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu ECan general manger of hazards Leigh Griffiths said consultation for a lake opening began on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon a joint decision had been made to open the lake "We can only open the lake once a joint decision has been made and the lake height reaches a minimum of 1.13m (from 1 April to 15 June) The lake conditions were not met until Tuesday 30 April," she said Griffiths said earthworks had begun to open the lake but in current sea conditions it would not be successful because the cut would fill in and it was unsafe for people to operate machinery in the surf zone "We are watching conditions closely and the lake will be opened to the sea as soon as weather and sea conditions allow This is likely several days away at the earliest," she said Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said he was confident officials had made the right call not to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea earlier Mitchell met Environment Canterbury staff and mana whenua on Friday about the lake "It is very apparent there is a lot of work and focus on how they manage Lake Ellesmere and the fact that there was a request to put in to widen that access," he said "All the information that they had in relation to that was what informed their decisions and they're all united in the fact that they've done the right thing and they've made the right decisions and they've done what they could." Mitchell said he had full confidence in that decision but he was prepared to hear more about the community's concerns over the the lake's management rnz.co.nz The main road to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is still blocked days after intense rainfall flooded State Highway 75 and extreme caution is still advised on the remainder of the route to Akaroa Photos and videos shared by residents on social media show fallen trees and other major damage on the highway which is the only road connecting communities like Akaroa to the rest of Canterbury Aerial footage captured by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday evening showed farmland submerged below floodwaters across the peninsula and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell noted the full extent of the damage would not be clear until the water subsided The council also reported large cracks on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa "The assessment found there [is] no immediate danger to the evacuated properties or other properties in the vicinity," the council posted on its Facebook page we may require houses further down to evacuate at short notice." Contractors opened Lake Forsyth to the ocean on Friday afternoon allowing the lake to drain excess water over the next seven days rnz.co.nz A publican on Banks Peninsula says for the first time in 50-odd years businesses on the main road of Little River have been flooded Follow updates with 1News' live blog A state of emergency remains in place in Selwyn Canterbury's civil defence and emergency management says rain is easing in the region and they will be spending the day assessing the damage Publican Sarah McFarland said a breached stream ran through the entire lower level of her Little River Inn on Thursday as well as a couple of other businesses on State Highway 75 and that sort of flooding has not been seen for half a century and farmland in the area has also borne the brunt of heavy rain and floodwaters McFarland said she was hopeful the inn would be back up and running soon A Banks Peninsula business owner says Little River is no longer an accurate description for the village there's lots of little bridges and you see the water rushing through like 20 times at the level The river is 20 times the size of what it normally is "A little river is no longer a little river." Fowler said it was the third time the settlement has flooded since he moved there in 2010 Volunteer firefighters had been flat-out trying to divert the water rnz.co.nz Wellingtonians have been urged to prepare as MetService warns "destructive" gusts of up to 140km/h may hit this afternoon with a rare red warning issued for the capital Hundreds of homes in the region are currently without power and flights have been cancelled out of the city's airport this afternoon Victoria University has suspended teaching activities from midday and urged students to get home safely Follow 1News' live updates for the latest on the severe weather impacting NZ and be prepared for possible power and communication outages "Wellington is no stranger to high winds but this is an extraordinary day in the capital," meteorologist John Law told AAP Law said the "combination of wind direction and rainfall and higher tides" prompted the warning escalation The highest gust was recorded at Mt Kaukau at 150km/h with the airport on the south coast registering 115km/h A 17-hour strong wind warning is in place from 10am today to 3am tomorrow An orange heavy rain warning is also in force until midday Friday Severe gale southwesterlies with damaging gusts would peak this afternoon especially about the south coast and exposed hilltops "Winds are expected to pick up from 10am but continuing into the afternoon," a spokesperson for Wellington Emergency Management said "We are advising people to stay indoors where possible and avoid unnecessary travel If you need to travel this afternoon or evening plan ahead as strong winds can make driving hazardous." Official warnings state there is a threat to life from flying items and falling trees with destructive winds expected to cause damage to powerlines and roofs Disruption to transport and electricity is also anticipated The official forecaster issues red warnings when there is extreme weather which is likely to have a significant impact or disruption Hunker down Wellington 💨The wind is expected to peak this afternoon and an escalation to Red Warning means there's a real risk to life.Stay home if possible and prepare for power outages.Winds are forecast to ease into the evening.https://t.co/HZ2TSD5rV7 pic.twitter.com/WRuONHWKOr The high winds are also causing travel havoc across the region Most arriving and departing flights at Wellington Airport have been cancelled this afternoon Most flights until 6pm have been cancelled "Conditions are expected to continue impacting our network throughout the day so we encourage customers travelling to check the Air New Zealand app or the arrivals and departures page on our website for the latest updates," a spokesperson said Cook Strait ferry crossings have also been cancelled this afternoon and Interislander and Bluebridge sailings face cancellations well into tomorrow as well An orange heavy rain warning for the Wellington region is also expected to bring about disruption but there is a "minimal" chance the warning will be upgraded to red "Expect 90 to 110 mm of rain about the eastern hills and ranges Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h expected mainly about the ranges," according to MetService Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously," the forecaster advised We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ A teenager who admitted being "addicted to speed" behind the wheel had totalled two other cars in the year before he slammed into a minivan at 180km/h in a Seattle suburb killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op After sentencing Chase Daniel Jones last month to more than 17 years in prison the judge tacked on a novel condition should he drive again: His vehicle must be equipped with a device that prevents accelerating far beyond the speed limit Virginia this year became the first state to agree to give its judges such a tool to deal with the most dangerous drivers on the road already is using it and similar measures await governors' signatures in Washington state and Georgia New York and California also could soon tap the GPS-based technology to help combat a recent national spike in traffic deaths "It's a horror no one should have to experience," said Amy Cohen who founded the victims' advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding driver in front of their New York home more than a decade ago the minivan driver who was killed when Jones ran a red light was building a backyard greenhouse with her husband to help educate several kids who shuttle between homes during the school day Also killed in the March 2024 crash near Hudson's home in Renton were Boyd "Buster" Brown and Eloise Wilcoxson Hudson's two children were sitting on the passenger side and survived "You always hear of these horrific accidents Smith knew Washington state Representative Mari Leavitt who reached out to offer condolences and tell him she was sponsoring legislation to mandate intelligent speed assistance devices as a condition for habitual speeders to get back their suspended licenses Leavitt predicts it will have an even more powerful impact than revoking driving privileges citing studies showing around three-quarters of people who lose their licenses get behind a wheel anyway the state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going at least 80km/h over the speed limit according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission "I guess I don't understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast," Leavitt said "But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter It's going to stop them in their tracks." which Washington legislators passed last month and Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson is expected to soon sign using the first letters of the names of the four victims: Buster didn't receive a speeding ticket in his two previous crashes he likely wouldn't have been required to use the speed-limiter ahead of the fatal one And because it could be 2029 before the law takes effect the judge's requirement at sentencing only applies to his time on probation after being released from prison Competing tech companies that joined forces to lobby for ignition interlock requirements for drunken drivers have been working in unison again the last few years to pitch intelligent speed assistance chief government affairs officer at one manufacturer said fleet vehicles including school buses in the nation's capital have been trying it out for years But it took a lot of refinement before the GPS technology could instantly recognize speed limit changes and compel vehicles with the devices installed to adjust accordingly "We've got a lot more satellites in the sky now," said Ken Denton a retired police officer who is the chief compliance officer at Cincinnati-based LifeSafer the devices would prevent cars from exceeding speed limits or whatever threshold regulators set An override button allows speeding in emergencies but states can decide whether to activate it and authorities would be alerted any time the button is pushed which beeps to alert drivers when they are going too fast is required for new cars in the European Union California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar proposal last year explaining vehicle safety requirements are set by the federal government and he was concerned a patchwork of state laws could stir confusion Before Delegate Patrick Hope agreed to sponsor the proposal in the Virginia Legislature he tried out the device in Nannini's car which was calibrated to not go more than 14km/h over the speed limit "That was my first question: Is it safe?" Hope said Hope is now pondering whether to install it on the cars of his three children the price could be hefty: US$4 (NZ$6.70) per day and a US$100 (NZz$167.50) installation fee The fee would be less for low-income offenders which provides support services to the loved ones of crash victims knows firsthand the kind of impact slowing down speeders can make A year after her son was struck and killed in front of their New York apartment the road's speed limit had been lowered "When you are going a few miles slower it's much less likely to be deadly." Four boats capsized in a sudden storm at a tourist spot in southwestern China More than 80 people fell into a river when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province late Sunday afternoon The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm on the upper reaches of the Wu River a man could be seen performing CPR on another person while one of the vessels drifted upside down Initial reports said two tourist boats had capsized but state media said on Monday that four boats were involved and the seven crew members were able to save themselves Guizhou's mountains and rivers are a major tourism draw and many Chinese were travelling during a five-day national holiday that ended Monday Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to find the missing and care for the injured the official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday Xi underscored the importance of strengthening safety at tourist attractions large public venues and residential communities as well as for the rush of people returning at the end of major holidays CCTV said the capsized boats had a maximum capacity of about 40 people each and were not overloaded An eyewitness told state-owned Beijing News the waters were deep but that some people had managed to swim to safety the storm had come suddenly and a thick mist obscured the surface of the river Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." A 100-year-old Royal Air Force veteran accepted the thanks of a nation as Britain paused to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and honour the men and women who fought to save the country during World War II The day featured a procession by 1300 members of the British armed forces accompanied by troops from Ukraine and the UK’s NATO allies The parade didn't begin until Alan Kennett accepted the salute from Garrison Sgt Major Andrew Stokes in front of an audience that included King Charles III “Thank you and your generation for securing our freedom 80 years ago,” Stokes wearing a navy blue blazer with his medals pinned on the left breast This year’s V-E Day events have taken on increased significance because they are likely to be the last major observance to include significant numbers of World War II veterans actor Timothy Spall recited the victory speech wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered to a roaring crowd in central London on May 8 Britain started its V-E Day ceremonies three days early because Monday is a public holiday in the UK “I think we’ve been very lucky that we’ve had 80 years of peace … and we’ve got to think about all those that have (made) the ultimate sacrifice and there’s very few of them left now because they’re all over 100,″ said Michael Burn who wore a suit patterned after Britain’s red “This is the last time we will celebrate the day in this sort of scale.” Then it was time for the parade from the Houses of Parliament through Trafalgar Square and down the Mall to Buckingham Palace won a huge round of applause as their flag swept past the royal viewing platform The event ended with a flyover by British military aircraft including a wartime Lancaster bomber and the RAF’s Red Arrows aerobatic team the Princess of Wales chatted amiably with Bernard Morgan a veteran who worked as a code breaker during the conflict Their place in the front row was a reminder of the gulf between those who fought in World War II and the present generation With even the youngest of those men and women nearing their 100th birthdays and their ranks dwindling rapidly many have said they feel a special imperative to tell their stories and attend events that honour their fallen comrades a mechanic who landed in Normandy to set up an airfield said he was proud to represent the veterans “I just remember those that didn’t come back,” he said Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Erin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington The 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue today It was the comeback no one saw coming at the beginning of this year didn’t just hold on to power in Australia’s federal election,­­ they surged ahead — snatching seats off the Greens routing the Liberals and securing a majority stronger than any seen in nearly two decades It marked the first time since federation in 1901 that a Labor prime minister has increased their majority at re-election Because this wasn't a win powered by fear or division And if New Zealand’s major parties — both in government and opposition — aren’t paying attention they could be walking towards their own political reckoning Albanese and his senior ministers made one thing clear: Australia doesn’t want to go the way of Donald Trump Penny Wong said it plain and clear in her speech where I was on election night: "We choose our future Albanese was trailing now-former opposition leader Peter Dutton in the polls But the tone of the campaign changed as Dutton faced growing criticism over a series of policy backflips and cultural positions that drew comparisons to the US president — despite his campaign pushing back on the label Dutton proposed cutting back public service jobs and made controversial comments about women — moves that voters and analysts said echoed Trump-era politics He tried to present himself as strong on international affairs even claiming he was better positioned than Albanese to stand up to Donald Trump over new tariffs Trump replied: "I don’t even know who the other guy is." the exchange highlighted Dutton’s limited influence Little wonder some voters were questioning whether the Liberal Party had drifted too far from the political centre he was even introduced on stage with the phrase "we’ll make Australia great again" capped by the unprecedented defeat of Dutton in his own electorate He was hoping to make history as the first opposition leader to unseat a first-term government in 100 years he became the first opposition leader to lose his seat at a federal election Winston Peters has fuelled a so-called "gender debate" that inflamed division was seen by some as a direct challenge to Māori rights and the status of Te Tiriti Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and National voted against it at first reading while distancing themselves from the bill — but only after allowing it to progress as part of the coalition agreement Political analysts agreed allowing the bill to be introduced came at a cost While Luxon may not have backed the bill himself his alignment with the parties pushing it drew inevitable criticism Kiwis I have spoken to — not just in New Zealand but here in Australia — said it sent a message (intentional or not) that extreme views still had a seat at the table And that's the real lesson from Australia: When you amplify voices that divide As voters across the ditch and recently in Canada have shown they’re tired of leaders who amplify anger instead of offering answers to everyday struggles such as the cost of living I spotted a familiar face in the crowd at Albanese HQ and made my way over Watching Australian Labor's victory up close was none other than Kieran McAnulty He wasn’t just there to cheer; he was there to learn "You’ve got to give people something to vote for not just something to vote against," he told me summing up what he sees as one of the Australian Labor Party’s key strengths "That was one of the big lessons here they were clear about what they stood for." McAnulty has also spent time in the UK observing how centre-left movements rebuild after defeat shoulder-to-shoulder with the architects of Labor’s success and offering voters a story they can be part of "People want to feel like they're included in a bigger plan they gave people a reason to hope again." New Zealand Labour has its own major challenges to overcome Former prime minister Chris Hipkins struggled to inspire voters during the last election campaign and the party’s support among Māori and younger voters was deeply dented "We’re not pretending we’ve got it all figured out But if there’s one thing we’ve taken from here We’ve got to earn that trust back," McAnulty told me That principle applied to every party in New Zealand The reality is that when politics becomes a game of blame We’ve seen that in New Zealand’s lower voter turnout at the last election where voting was not compulsory — unlike Australia there has also been a general move towards Australia’s independents including the so-called "teal" candidates Their appeal lay in offering an alternative to the binary red-versus-blue approach And that’s something both Labour and National in New Zealand would be wise to reflect on Our next general election is expected in October 2026 Especially when it comes to resetting the tone The National-led coalition could risk looking like Dutton’s and less like Luxon’s original pitch of getting New Zealand "Back On Track" with a steady hand on the economy that was also a slogan used by the now-ousted Liberal leader it’s often said that comebacks happen when leaders offer hope Australia reminded us that when parties reconnect with people’s values and focus on the issues that are front and centre — the cost of living housing affordability and universal healthcare — voters respond at the ballot box Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album After being sent in to bat first at Molyneux Park Canterbury looked to be in trouble at 30 for five early But they came back strong in the latter overs with the ball to win by 12 runs this afternoon Indian international Shikha Pandey impressed on debut for Canterbury She top-scored with 63 runs and picked up two for 17 with the ball Sparks stalwart Suzie Bates was crucial with her knock of 50 and Polly Inglis' addition of 29 was important the Sparks battled to keep the run rate ticking who were without injured White Fern Lea Tahuhu found a nice boundary but was then bowled in the opening over Felicity Robertson was caught behind for nine and Caitlin Blakely (3) went for an lbw for the Sparks to be 46 for three Canterbury squeezed Otago through the middle and the boundaries started to dry up for the Sparks Inglis made a couple of brilliant dives to survive being run out and Bates was dropped on 40 They made Canterbury pay for their overthrows with some good running and built a good partnership adding 51 runs to guide the Sparks through Bates brought up her half-century but was bowled two balls later and Inglis went a couple of balls after that Wickets fell regularly from there for the Sparks to finish 125 for seven Canterbury started well until Kate Anderson was caught in the deep by Olivia Gain Australian Maddie Penna went for a duck and Izzy Sharp was bowled for a duck by Emma Black It was a flurry of wickets to open proceedings for the home side putting Canterbury in trouble at 24 for three English spinner Kirstie Gordon’s return to the Sparks got off to a flying start She opened with a wicket maiden and nabbed the scalp of former Sparks player Kate Ebrahim for six White Fern Eden Carson dismissed opener Jodie Dean with her first delivery to put Canterbury in trouble at 30 for five Natalie Cox and Pandey helped pull Canterbury through and get them back in the game They added 59 much-needed runs in their partnership and took some of the sting out of the Sparks pressure but Carson bowled her in the following over to finally break the partnership It put Canterbury at 89 for six in the 16th over Republican Party triumphed in the Auckland Cup on New Year's Eve The gloves are set to come off at Alexandra Park tonight Which means punters can bet with confidence that the biggest names going into Harness Million night will be the biggest names coming out of it The two Harness Million races see odds-on favourites in Stella Rouge (R5 No 4) with the draws and respect to justify their returns while the City Of Auckland Free-For-All has far more intrigue with two of New Zealand’s best pacers Rublican Party (8) and Don’t Stop Dreaming (11) drawn poorly in a field of depth But two of the most compelling factors for punters to consider tonight are intent and improved fitness Several harness stars have resumed over the last month and been driven conservatively their trainers and drivers facing a growing conundrum as high-level racing is so fast these days few horses are ready to be driven aggressively while fresh up but give a horse a headache fresh-up and you often have a lesser horse in the months ahead So the conservative approach was taken with both Marketplace and Republican Party last Friday and while both sets of connections stated pre-race they would be looking to drive their stars with one run Horses starting new campaigns charging home late when allowed to settle back are nothing new in either equine code and with such tactics telegraphed But with the pipe-openers out of the way tonight punters can expect some more aggression on the big guns tonight Marketplace has looked a bit special for the last six months and he will undoubtedly head forward from barrier four tonight with trainer Regan Todd suggesting last Friday’s sit-and-sprint had brought him on both fitness-wise and mentally His task has been made enormously more comfortable by main rival Rubira being scratched on Wednesday and it is hard to see Marketplace beaten Republican Party could face a more complicated road to the winner’s circle in the free-for-all after drawing the outside of the front line and trainer Cran Dalgety says son Carter “He can pull back and end up behind all the other big-name horses or he can work forward and get in front of them,” says Dalgety “I am not saying he has to try to lead but I don’t see the point in pulling back behind the horses you are most worried about.” Dalgety says Republican Party’s storming late run from last has also tightened him up so he is the horse to beat in a tricky field as you could make a case he is the best pacer in New Zealand right now Punters should expect improvement though from Chase A Dream (No 1) who badly needed the run last Friday while Don’t Stop Dreaming will be rock-hard fit in his first start for new trainer Hayden and Amanda Cullen but is one of the most difficult horses in New Zealand to predict The Cullens also hold a strong hand in the Fillies Harness Million with Winelight (R5 No 1) and Arafura (2) drawn well but Stella Rouge still deserves to be clear favourite She jogged her last 400m when beating older horses last Friday and has genuine x-factor and the hindquarters that produce a good horse’s acceleration “She has turned into a stunning filly,” says driver Tim Williams “She has the looks and the ability to match it and she felt great last week “I am happy with barrier five because she doesn’t have to lead to win and she is one of the fastest horses I have driven.” A man has been charged after an aggravated burglary in Alexandra left two people injured said officers were called to a property in Ashworth St just after 12am on Wednesday after a report of a man known to the occupants entering the house and assaulting two people One of the victims was taken to hospital for treatment Snr Sgt Wright said a  a 52-year-old man was arrested yesterday afternoon in relation to the incident He has been charged with burglary with a weapon and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was due to appear in Queenstown District Court today "We acknowledge this would have been an incredibly distressing incident for those involved and we want to thank the Alexandra community for their help to ensure the quick arrest of the offender without incident It's Friday night and that means dual racing under the lights at Addington and Alexandra Park The return of Wag Star will create a lot of interest in the south while Greased Lightnin aims for a third win in just five career starts at Alexandra Park.  Wag Star favoured for winning resumption at Addington  Wag Star is ready to start making up for his lost summer at Addington tonight But exactly what his campaign looks like heading forward could be decided by his performance in tonight’s feature pace the Studholme Bloodstock handicap Pace (8.26pm) Wag Star looked every inch an open class pacer in the making when he returned with a massive performance in the spring and was then second to Tact McLeod in an open class race at Addington After runs in the Kaikoura Cup and the junior free-for-all he missed his main target the Invercargill Cup with a virus that forced trainer Craig Ferguson to let him miss most of the summer “Once that happened he was better off having a spell,” says Ferguson “But he has come up really well this time and won both his trials without us having the blinds on “He is probably going into this Friday as ready as he was back in the spring and we all saw what he did back then The field contains little winning form but the obvious danger is Dalton Shard who while he hasn’t won in a while has been in great form with a second in the Invercargill Cup and fourth in the Auckland Cup He has had a brief let up too but like Wag Star has plenty of options this new season “He could stick around in the south for the country cups or maybe head up north for some of the better races up there.” Could that possibly extend to a slot in the $1million Race by Betcha at Cambridge on April 4 “Obviously that would be great if the opportunity came up and he was racing well enough.” Tonight’s meeting sees another early season 2YO race the Barron Bloodstock Class of 2025 Mobile Pace (7.29pm)   with the stables represented in the first of the season two weeks ago joined by debutantes from Mark and Nathan Purdon and Team Telfer The Telfer runner Sonofamistery is a $1.90 favourite following the scratching of debut winner Showmethetanlines.  Greased Lightnin aiming to go three in a row at Alexandra Park  Learning curves don’t come much steeper than the one Greased Lightnin finds himself on at Alexandra Park tonight But co-trainer Scott Phelan says he wouldn’t be surprised if the three-year-old keeps on winning and reveals himself as a Derby contender the appropriately named Purdon and Phelan - ATC Leading Trainers Mobile Pace (6.15pm) on a short and sharp night at Alexandra Park and he finds himself being fast forwarded into intermediate grade As can sometimes happen at Alexandra Park Greased Lightnin has come from a maiden race two starts ago to tonight taking on horses like his own stablemate Invisible who a few starts ago was racing Miracle Mile runner-up Sooner The Better and Jolimont in a $100,000 open race who trains in partnership with the legend Barry Purdon says while the two stable reps are coming in with vastly different form lines he can’t choose between them “We all know Invisible can mix it with those better horses and he can win this week if he shows his best,” says Phelan “But I am not sure Greased Lightnin is any inferior ability wise “Sure he is younger and still improving but he has real ability and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in some of the big races over the next few months “So while it is a big step up this week we wouldn’t be stunned if he won again.” If Greased Lightnin can make it three wins on end it could set up a family double as his older half sister Ultimate Racy Girl also finds herself in a race she can win Race 4 - the Woodlands Stud '25 Yearling Draft Junior Mobile Pace.  She had her highs and lows in the second half of last season but is better than the grade she finds herself in tonight While the Purdon/Phelan team has a small but important hand at tonight’s meeting two of their stable stars start their Sydney campaigns at Menangle tomorrow night Sooner The Better returns against a genuinely top class local in Captains Knock at Menangle as he works his way toward the Miracle Mile which has automatic qualifiers in two weeks “He is really well and will go a good race but he will also improve with this week,” says Phelan Better Knuckle Up makes his Australian debut in the $50,000 Hondo Grattan Stakes which is a qualifier for the Chariots of Fire on March 1 He meets NZ Derby winner We Walk By Faith and a strong bunch of Australian four-year-olds and faces the Menangle fresh up curse with the big mile track notoriously difficult for New Zealand horses to win their first start on The stable star Merlin will bypass tomorrow’s meeting and resume at Menangle next week as he also looks to qualify for the Miracle Mile via the lead up races on March 1 the highly-popular Metro Trotting and Pacing Series is back Organisers and the Alexandra community are celebrating a record breaking weekend at the 67th Contact Alexandra Blossom Festival The annual The News Round the Clock Race and Fulton Hogan Mardi Gras returned on Friday night after severe weather forced their cancellation last year Hardy individuals and teams of runners lined up to tackle the climb to the Alexandra Clock high school track suits and bright colours the order of the day a packed-out Mardi Gras lit up the night with Paul Foulds band playing while street performers and illuminated fairies stunned the children.  The addition of interactive lighting installations including an entire garden bed of sunflowers and inflatable flowers were definite favourites The daredevil FMX antics of Freestyle NZ brought the high octane thrills and the night wrapped up with a fantastic fireworks display lighting up the skies above Alexandra thousands of people lined the streets for the Contact Grand Parade as an array of trucks street performers and community groups made their way down Alexandra’s Centennial Ave SteamPunk enthusiasts and cultural groups wowed the crowd Olympic silver medallist Nicole Shields took part in the parade riding in a red Bentley with Olympic rings on the side surrounded by children from Clyde Primary School.  She took time in the afternoon to walk through Pioneer Park talking with the masses who stopped to congratulate her The Contact Saturday in the Park was a huge success with more than 15,000 people attending.   before an emotional kapa haka performance by Central Otago primary school pupils stole the limelight Simon Green’s Neil Diamond Tribute “A Solitary Man’’ and Highland Storm rounded out the night with everyone up on their feet dancing and singing The crowd rang out in support as two historic firsts took place: joint winners for the highly anticipated 2024 Blossom Crown - and the Festival's first ever Blossom King representing Alexandra Scout Group was crowned 2024 Alexandra Blossom Festival Queen representing Puna Rangatahi was crowned 2024 Alexandra Blossom Festival King representing Little Oaks was named first runner up There was not a dry eye in sight as the pair were announced with fellow contestants jumping up to congratulate them The weekend wrapped up with the Delta Garden tour a self-driven tour of eight spectacular gardens around Alexandra and Clyde Blossom Festival chairwoman Sharleen Stirling-Lindsay said she was thrilled with the weekend’s success “It was an absolute stunner of a day in every way The community really came out to celebrate,’’ she said “We are so grateful for all the support from the sponsors the volunteers and our wonderful community.’’ Jointly crowned 2024 King and Queen of the Alexandra Blossom Festival Nate Alexander PHOTO: CLARE TOIA-BAILEY / IMAGE CENTRAL The Lakes Weekly is part of Queenstown Media Group (QMG) QMG is Queenstown’s leading locally owned and operated media company with print online and social platforms that engage locals with what they care about — everything local The Lakes Weekly delivers stories and news that connects with local so they come away each week better connected to their community Advertising sits within this curated content environment and it’s a trusted relationship between readers and the Lakes Weekly Advertisers benefit from the association with the LWB brand values The Lakes Weekly is hand delivered to every business in Queenstown Five Mile Remarkables Park and Glenda Drive on Tuesday libraries and drop boxes throughout the region and every supermarket throughout the Queenstown basin and Wanaka Online the issue is available Monday afternoon is promoted as an opportunity to relax and listen to local musicians in unique outdoor settings A statement advised people to bring their own chair It is an event designed to take the whole day A Devonshire tea is included in the cost of the ticket In each garden a variety of local artists will be working on a wide range of creative projects Many artists have interesting stories to tell about their passion and will be happy to chat with visitors Artists will also have their work for sale there are seven gardens along Dunstan and Springvale Rds Most are close together and many are near the Otago Central Rail Trail The statement said each garden was unique and demonstrated what could be achieved when natural elements such as rocks water and contours of the land were incorporated as design features There was an astonishing range of beautiful trees annuals and perennial plants thriving in Alexandra’s extreme temperature range There were kitchen and orchard gardens focused on self-sufficiency Most garden owners would be on hand to meet visitors Their wines have won many prestigious awards and tastings will be available The Salvation Army’s community vegetable garden — Eden Garden — will also be open both days for guided tours Brian Seymour manages the gardens and his team of volunteers plant Ceramic artist Bridgette Pappe will welcome guests to her Gone Potty Studio and the Orchard Garden Cafe will also be open Art in the Garden invests profits back into the community through scholarships Buy tickets at artinthegarden25.floktu.com You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image. The 29-year-old Alexandra local went back to his former secondary school, Dunstan High, for a show-and-tell with students. Butcher is Central Otago's first Summer Olympics gold medallist and reached top of the podium in the Kayak Cross in Paris. He was welcomed into the school's gymnasium with a guard of honour with the help of canoe paddles. Butcher told 1News: "It's pretty amazing to come back to Dunstan and connect back in." The Olympic champion took questions from students and they got photos and selfies with the Olympic star and his medal. Fourteen-year-old student Adeline Ball told 1News: "Meeting Finn, it was like, holy moly." Her teammates won gold in the South Island secondary schools kayak polo competition last year. Ball took the chance to compare accolades with their newest Olympic champion. "My mum told me I should bring it because he won gold, I won gold." Butcher's father Dale said they have been overwhelmed with messages from the community no matter where they go around the region. "We've had people crying saying how much they enjoyed watching it, people we've hardly met or hardly know." "I felt the support when I was over there and I've always tried to keep a good connection with the community here as well," Butcher said. "Mum and Dad still live here and I call this place home, no matter how long I'm away from it," he said. He's not Dunstan High's only medallist. Nicole Shields brought home silver in the women's team cycling pursuit. Both Olympians are celebrated in the school's Hall of Fame that was established at the school back in 1996. Butcher's former PE teacher now relief teacher Alan Hamilton also received something extra for the collection — his Olympic singlet for the wall. "When you get an Olympic gold, you don't get better than that," he said. When asked if it was worth the wait, he said, "worth the weight in gold". Men's Kayak Cross gold medallist Finn Butcher was back for show-and-tell at his old school today. (Source: 1News) It was a hero's welcome for Central Otago gold medallist Finn Butcher as he returned to his old stomping ground today. Carrington Butcher to lead NZ into Paris Olympics closing ceremonyThe eight-time gold medallist and the inaugural Olympic kayak cross champion will lead our Olympians into Stade de France for the ceremony scheduled to kick off at 7am on Monday Paris Olympics NZ's most golden games — A perfect 10The 10 victories at the Paris Games to date have led New Zealand to its biggest-ever Olympics gold medal haul Sport Kiwi Olympians receive warm welcome returning home from Paris Lisa Carrington was part of a group of Kiwi Olympians that arrived home from Paris today Dame Lisa Carrington to miss 2025 international season The eight-time Olympic gold medallist is back to full training after claiming three gold medals at the Paris Olympics but won't be competing internationally Investigation after man found critically injured on Queenstown street Police said the man was taken to hospital in a critical condition with serious head injuries Controls lifted at Otago poultry farm after bird flu virus eradicated The highly pathogenic bird flu strain H7N6 was detected in poultry at a commercial egg farm in Otago in early December last year Health Lambs euthanised after stock truck rolls in Otago Emergency services were called to the crash at 12.38pm on State Highway 1 between Clinton and Balclutha 'Fly high wee little man': Dunedin boy A family friend said he was "a bright and adventurous little boy who filled every room with joy" Olivia Podmore inquest to resume on Tuesday It’s been a tough four-month wait for the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest for those close to the Olympic cyclist 56 mins ago 14 mins ago It was a hero's welcome for Central Otago gold medallist Finn Butcher as he returned to his old stomping ground today The 29-year-old Alexandra local went back to his former secondary school Butcher is Central Otago's first Summer Olympics gold medallist and reached top of the podium in the Kayak Cross in Paris He was welcomed into the school's gymnasium with a guard of honour with the help of canoe paddles The Olympic champion took questions from students and they got photos and selfies with the Olympic star and his medal Fourteen-year-old student Adeline Ball told 1News: "Meeting Finn Her teammates won gold in the South Island secondary schools kayak polo competition last year Ball took the chance to compare accolades with their newest Olympic champion "My mum told me I should bring it because he won gold Butcher's father Dale said they have been overwhelmed with messages from the community no matter where they go around the region "We've had people crying saying how much they enjoyed watching it people we've hardly met or hardly know." "I felt the support when I was over there and I've always tried to keep a good connection with the community here as well," Butcher said "Mum and Dad still live here and I call this place home no matter how long I'm away from it," he said He's not Dunstan High's only medallist Nicole Shields brought home silver in the women's team cycling pursuit Both Olympians are celebrated in the school's Hall of Fame that was established at the school back in 1996 Butcher's former PE teacher now relief teacher Alan Hamilton also received something extra for the collection — his Olympic singlet for the wall you don't get better than that," he said Dame Lisa Carrington and Finn Butcher have been named as New Zealand's flag bearers for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics later this morning The eight-time gold medal paddler and the inaugural Olympic kayak cross champion would lead Team New Zealand into Stade de France for the ceremony which is scheduled to kick off at 7am on Monday Carrington has earned three gold medals for New Zealand this Games, extending her record as the country's most successful Olympian, while Butcher made history as the first ever men's kayak cross gold medallist With 10 Olympic gold medals, our haul at the Paris Games surpasses the previous record of eight set at the Los Angeles Games in 1984 Track cyclist Ellesse Andrews added one last gold to New Zealand's tally at Paris winning the women's sprint on the last night of competition at the Olympic velodrome The closing ceremony caps off of two weeks of competition and promises to be an exciting ending to what has been a golden Games for New Zealand It features the athletes' parade and the handover of the Olympic flag to organisers of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles While the ceremony will take place in a more traditional setting than the River Seine setting of the opening ceremony Organisers said in a recent statement it will include "over a hundred performers very acrobatic show with an operatic dimension to give a great visual fresco and say goodbye to athletes from all over the world." A key function of the closing ceremony is to hand the Olympics over to the next host city who then introduce themselves with a cultural presentation so many of the city's biggest names are expected to play a part is expected to sing the US national anthem live from the Stade de France as part of the handover Rapper Snoop Dogg will play an unconfirmed role in the ceremony and there have been reports that Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform from the City of Angels Tom Cruise is also reportedly to perform a stunt involving the handover of the Olympic flag from Paris to Los Angeles Several other A-listers have been heavily rumoured to make appearances but these are unconfirmed or have not been officially announced The Los Angeles Olympics will begin on July 14 Kiwi Olympic fortunes have soared in Paris overnight with their tally of gold medals hitting 10 — the most ever New Zealand has won at a single Games The achievement surpasses the previous record of eight golds set at the Los Angeles Games in 1984 with three medals having been won on the same day New Zealand's total tally of 20 matched its haul from Tokyo Sprint queen Ellesse Andrews iced the cake with the 10th gold at the Olympic velodrome on the last night of the Games High jumper Hamish Kerr won the ninth at the Paris Games, emerging victorious after a dramatic jump-off at the Stade de France. His gold came after Lydia Ko triumphed in women's golf made a Dame after a similar three-gold haul in Tokyo now has an incredible eight gold across four Olympics Her Paris exploits confirmed her status not just as a Kiwi great Only seven summer or winter Olympians in history have won more gold than Carrington who even edges Simone Biles' career haul of seven Earlier this month commentators had been mulling the prospect of an underwhelming Olympic campaign after watching the men's rugby sevens team turfed out at the quarter-finals stage Here's a round-up of New Zealand's gold medallists: The Black Ferns achieved a thrilling victory against Canada securing back-to-back Olympic golds and New Zealand's first at the Paris Games The team won gold after overcoming a resilient Canadian side with players Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Tyla King concluding their careers on a high note Taking home gold in their women's double sculls, Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors beat the reigning Olympic and world champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis of Romania in a close finish at the line Butcher was the Olympics' first men's kayak cross gold medallist dominating the final in the frenetic event in his Games debut Having won his quarter-final and coming second in the semi-final Butcher flew off the platform in the final and never looked back winning comfortably and claiming the third Kiwi gold The combination of Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan edged out Germany for gold at Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium on Thursday New Zealand began with a strong lead as the race kicked off but the Germans snuck up on them as they approached the 250m mark Germany edged out in front to set up a thrilling finish but Carrington's crew were too quick and got to the line in 1m and 32s World champion cyclist Ellesse Andrews proved her pedigree as she stormed home to win gold in the women's keirin Andrews flew around the velodrome in the quarters and semis and didn't show any signs of fatigue in the final on Friday She led off early in the final before holding off a fast finishing Hetty van de Wouw of the Netherlands Carrington won this event at Tokyo 2020 with Caitlin Regal and New Zealand has become the first nation to defend the crown dominating their rivals to win by more than a boat length in 1m 37.28s — two seconds clear of their pursuers Pitted in a much-anticipated "showdown" with fellow Kiwi Aimee Fisher Dame Lisa dispensed with that obstacle with a blistering start but still had to come from behind for the eighth gold of her spectacular career Carrington found herself trailing Hungarian veteran Tamara Csipes halfway down the waterway but put more than a second on her rival over the final 250 metres to smash an Olympic record that had stood almost 30 years in 1m 47.36s The 35-year-old hinted she may seek to paddle on in Los Angeles "It's pretty enticing to continue after this one," she said "It's been a long journey and just constant pursuit of growth and learning expectations on myself and honestly I don't know how I did it "It's great to come away with a few great medals this weekend .. I will just get home and see my dog and get grounded." Ko built a five-shot lead on the back nine at Le Golf National as her closest pursuers all collapsed and then had to hang on until the very end Ko made a 7-foot birdie putt for a 1-under 71 and a two-shot victory She completed her Olympic medal collection today with the most valuable of them all a gold medal that puts the 27-year-old into the LPGA Hall of Fame Not long after the event Ko announced to media this would be her last Olympics competition Kerr won gold in dramatic fashion this morning needing a dramatic jump-off to beat his US rival There was much confusion as commentators thought Kerr had won gold over Shelby McEwen due to the fact he cleared an earlier height in less attempts with the two athletes both clearing 2.36m on their first attempt new rules meant they entered a jump-off to see who would win gold In the jump-off the bar would continually be lowered until one of the athletes managed to clear it At 2.34m McEwen missed and Kerr cleared it to win gold The Kiwi then took off around the stadium in a joyous lap of honour Track cyclist Ellesse Andrews has added one last gold medal to New Zealand's record haul at Paris Entering the best-of-three final series against new world recordholder Lea Friedrich of Germany the flying Kiwi had not lost in head-to-head competition since finishing third fastest in qualifying Friedrich had dropped her first contest in the semifinals before rallying to defeat Dutchwoman Hetty van de Wouw to advance Andrews showed her rival no mercy in the medal contest dominating the first two races to quickly put the German out of her misery Hayden Wilde: Men's individual triathlon Matt Macdonald, Tom Murray, Logan Ullrich and Oliver MacLean: Rowing, men's coxless four Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie: Sailing, men's 49er Emma Twigg: Rowing Rebecca Petch, Shaane Fulton and Ellesse Andrews: Cycling, women's team sprint Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman, Nicole Shields and Ally Wollaston: Cycling, women's team pursuit Maddi Wesche: Athletics Kerri Williams, Davina Waddy, Phoebe Spoors and Jackie Gowler: Rowing, women's coxless four Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson: Sailing Ally Wollaston: Cycling - Additional reporting by the Associated Press and AAP A wave of Kiwi Olympians arrived back on New Zealand's shores this morning touching down with a bunch of medals at Auckland Airport the athletes were met by thunderous cheers as Kiwi's welcomed them back home after one of New Zealand's most successful Olympic campaigns New Zealand finished the Paris Olympics with 20 medals with 10 of them gold Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Lisa Carrington was part of the group that returned home today wearing her three new gold medals as she waved to fans gathered around the arrival gate "I had a few days to reflect and I still can't believe we managed to pull off three golds," said Carrington Carrington is now New Zealand's most decorated Olympian after she took home golds in the women's K1 "It's so cool to see all of our other athletes performing so well and its really special to be a part of that." One of those other athletes was Olympic gold medallist Finn Butcher who stormed home to take finish first in the men's Kayak Cross This was the events debut at the Olympic Games "I backed myself and I was there to win it it’s only a dream until it actually happens," Butcher said "We executed the race pretty much how we wanted to it came off and we got to stand on the top step with this thing," Butcher said Originally from Alexandra in Central Otago Butcher said he was happy to represent New Zealand and "put his little region on the map" Fellow Kayaker Aimee Fisher said she watched Butcher's gold medal race and it was very special Fisher finished fourth in the K1 final and was knocked out of the K2 in the quarterfinals alongside partner Lucy Matehaere An emotional Fisher reunited with her family after 16 weeks away from home and said she was "feeling very loved" "It's been a real joy to race for all my people and represent them on the big stage," said Fisher Isaac McHardie showed off the only silver medal at Auckland Airport today which he earned with partner Will McKenzie in the men's 49er sailing class Weightlifter David Liti said the competition he was pitted against for his event was immense after he finished in eighth place in the men's 102kg "It was probably the best line-up for a weightlifting event in history so I'm happy about to come out in eighth place," said Liti Liti also shared his exploits of cheekily pretending to be an athlete from a different sport He said he was able to convince athletes from other countries in the Olympic Village that he was a boxer that finished fourth at the Games Taiko Torepe-Ormsby finished 19th in the men's 50m freestyle and said he was proud to be able to represent Aotearoa at the Games — something not a lot of Kiwis get to do "I'm proud to be a Māori Olympian Torepe-Ormsby said there was one thing he was most looking forward to when he got back home I've been craving a hāngī for a few weeks." 1News can confirm Dame Lisa Carrington will skip this year's international kayak season She will return to international competition next year with her sights firmly set on the LA 2028 Olympic Games The eight-time Olympic gold medallist is back to full training after claiming three gold medals at the Paris Olympics but won't be competing internationally Dame Lisa is New Zealand's most decorated Olympian It comes as Canoe Racing NZ named a 13-strong team for the upcoming ICF Canoe Sprint World Cups in Szeged Police are investigating after a man was found critically injured on a Queenstown street with serious head injuries this morning Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson said the 33-year-old overseas national had been taken to Queenstown Lakes Hospital in a critical condition after he was found on Turner St at around 6am on Tuesday "Police are making urgent enquiries to determine how the man came to be injured," he said The man appeared to be in the vicinity of Turner and Hallenstein streets from around 2am Wilkinson said: "Police would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time who may have information to assist the investigation." Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 St John said it was notified of the incident but that its assistance was not required Strict movement controls have been lifted from an Otago poultry farm following the eradication of a pathogenic strain of avian influenza in chickens at the premises The highly pathogenic bird flu strain H7N6 was detected in poultry at Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove Farm in early December prompting restrictions to be put in place and the culling of tens of thousands of chickens in the weeks following Minsitry for Primary Industries (MPI) moved swiftly to implement strict movement controls on the property to prevent goods or anything else that might be carrying the virus leaving the property Chickens on the farm were humanely euthanised and disposed of in a secure landfill This was followed by an extensive cleaning and disinfection process Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) chief veterinary officer Mary Van Andel said more than 5600 tests have been carried out on samples from poultry and wild birds including from 36 flocks across 5 farms linked to Mainland's Hillgrove property "HPAI was not found anywhere other than Hillgrove giving confidence that the disease had been contained and stamped out," she said "The processes we have followed – depopulation and disposal decontamination of the site and extensive surveillance – give us confidence that the virus has been eradicated." "While there is still work to be done the lifting of movement controls is a significant milestone in the response and means that Mainland Poultry can begin the process of returning to business." Van Andel thanked Mainland Poultry for notifying MPI promptly when the disease was suspected and working to stamp it out successfully "Good progress is being made to restore trade with around $300 million of trade in poultry products recovered to date.” Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard praised the collaboration among industries and "rapid action" taken to contain and stamp out the disease "Rapid action on behalf of the farmer and MPI to stand up a response and restrict movements paid off Tracing did not detect any HPAI-infected chickens beyond the farm where the disease originated He said this has been "important work" as New Zealand's robust biosecurity system and the relative freedom from pests and disease plays a role in farmers' competitive advantage "This was the first detection of HPAI in New Zealand and it tested some of the plans that are being developed for the arrival of HPAI H5N1 "It certainly provides a timely reminder that all New Zealanders have a role to play in being prepared and that is through strong biosecurity as an essential first line of defence." A seven-year-old Dunedin boy who died after a car crash in the Catlins has been described as a "bright Police have named O'siah Prasad as the boy who died after a single-vehicle crash at Ōwaka last month More than $10,000 has been donated to honour his memory and help support his family through a Givealittle page A family friend who created the page said his presence brought so much love and warmth and his loss had left an unimaginable void and adventurous little boy who filled every room with joy." friends and family described as a handsome I enjoyed getting to know you and I was proud to be your big buddy at school last year I will miss seeing you around at school," one person said Another said their heart had shattered for his whānau The cause of the crash was being investigated rnz.co.nz It’s been a tough four-month wait for the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest for those close to Olivia Podmore On Tuesday the inquest into the Olympic cyclist’s 2021 suspected suicide continues after a court adjournment in December Podmore’s mother Nienke and her husband Chris Middleton represented themselves during the initial three weeks of the inquest in Hamilton and will do the same for the continuation in Christchurch The transfer to the hometown of Podmore’s family has been to help ease some of their financial burden Her family said the delay has been tough on top of everything they’ve already been through “We're like 'surely this cannot be happening again' because you expose so much of yourself and you're just absolutely raw and they go 'stop where do you put all that rawness?” Chris Middleton said Things are also still raw for those who gave evidence in the hearing who is determined to do her friend justice wonderful person and she just didn’t have any more fight left," an emotional Bailey said "I just hope that this is the opportunity for the wrongs that need to be righted to be righted." She is one of around 24 witnesses who have given evidence in the three-week hearing which is looking at the circumstances around Podmore’s death in August 2021 As part of last year’s proceedings current Cycling New Zealand boss Simon Peterson apologised to the family for behaviour at the organisation in the past He said Cycling New Zealand has undergone a cultural transformation since 2022 The coroner doesn’t determine liability but she will consider a number of issues including whether the high performance system did enough for Podmore’s mental health challenges after she uncovered an inappropriate athlete-coach relationship in the Cycling New Zealand programme said taking part in the inquest has validated her experiences “I'd been marginalised the whole way through the decade every time I’d tried to report something and all of a sudden there was these important people in a room all backing up what each other was saying.” Watch more on this story on TVNZ+ High Performance Sport New Zealand boss Raelene Castle also took the stand and addressed Podmore’s family directly when closing her evidence "What I can promise you is that everything we do at High Performance Sport is about trying to make sure that we don't find ourselves in this situation again so it is a very real legacy for Olivia in this truly tragic process." Those close to Podmore hope her legacy brings about change “There were so many points in Liv’s journey where someone just needed to push harder or advocate or hear her.” Podmore’s mum has no doubt what her daughter would think if she was still here “I think Livvy would be proud that we're fighting so hard for her and that it wasn't in vain." The family say it’s particularly important the coroner gets the truth The continuation of the inquest in Christchurch has been scheduled for three days Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song. In the video posted to TikTok on April 10, Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City. "Since I was 17, I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream, well baby, what was that? What was that?” she sings over a synth beat. It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. George Hall's 59th-minute strike put the Saddlers on the brink of a top-three finish but rivals Bradford broke their hearts with a stoppage-time winner over Fleetwood It means Mat Sadler's side – who blew a 12-point lead at the top of the table and had been winless in 13 matches since February 22 – will have to go through the play-offs Walsall defender Taylor Allen went close with a thumping low drive before Hall was thwarted by Crewe goalkeeper Filip Marschall as the first half ended goalless Hall put the visitors ahead when David Okagbue helped on a long throw and the Birmingham loanee turned to hook a volley past Marschall Saddlers goalkeeper Tommy Simkin preserved the lead by keeping out Chris Long's powerful effort while Harry Williams almost made the game safe with a low drive that Marschall brilliantly blocked There was a let off at the other end as Crewe substitute Fin Roberts wasted a glorious chance when applying a tame finish to a cross from Charlie Finney But just as Walsall felt they had rescued their promotion bid late drama at Bradford consigned them to the play-offs To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Yellow Card at 62 minutesSubstituteshome team Yellow Card at 62 minutesSubstitutesNumber 9 McEntee Match OfficialsReferee: Matthew CorlettAssistant Referee 1: Carl Fitch-JacksonAssistant Referee 2: Abbas KhanFourth Official: Paul MarsdenMatch StatsKey Scroll LeftScroll RightCrewe Alexandra have lost just two of their last 21 league games against Walsall (W7 D12) conceding multiple goals in just four of those matches Walsall are winless across their last five away league games against Crewe Alexandra (D3 L2) when finishing a Football League campaign on home soil Crewe have won each of their last three final day fixtures scoring nine goals in total across those matches Walsall have failed to win any of their four final games of a league season when those fixtures have come away from home (D2 L2) scoring just one goal in total across that time Albert Adomah (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked Connor O'Riordan (Crewe Alexandra) header from the centre of the box misses to the left Assisted by Max Sanders with a cross following a set piece situation Omar Bogle (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time Calum Agius (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box is too high Liam Gordon (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked Delay in match because of an injury Tommy Simkin (Walsall) Fin Roberts (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal Omar Bogle (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half Harry Williams (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked David Okagbue (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked The 67th Contact Alexandra Blossom Festival returns next week to celebrate spring and all things Central Otago The iconic festival - New Zealand’s longest running festival - officially opens in Alexandra on Wednesday 25 September at the opening of the Alexandra Arts Society’s Blossom Festival Exhibition with the key events taking place on September 27 - 28 The weekend starts off with the Fulton Hogan Mardi Gras on the Friday night - a free family night of entertainment including an FMX show and fireworks display Saturday will see an array of colourful floats community and cultural groups make their way down Centennial Ave for the Grand Parade - a cornerstone of the festival - before the main party Saturday in the Park with bands and entertainment kicks into gear.  The weekend wraps up with the Delta Garden Tour on Sunday Popular Kiwi singer Jody Direen will be taking to the main stage alongside performers Highland Storm Simon Green’s Neil Diamond Tribute “ A Solitary Man’’ and Paul Foulds Reaching 67 years is a significant milestone  - especially in a post-Covid climate of cancelled events and we have some special things happening which may make great news stories for you.   We are happy to help facilitate interviews - please let us know if there is anything in particular you are after Below are some of the potential stories for you: We are able to help coordinate interviews with members of the Alexandra Blossom Festival committee Q&A: The Research and Innovation Office director shares how the recently launched entity is helping enable research excellence and impact and how you came to be here in Aotearoa and in this role New Zealand and spent my early years growing up here My mother is a Kiwi and my father is English my family emigrated to a small town near Liverpool I always knew I wanted to move back to Aotearoa; it had been my life goal to bring up my own children here my husband and I packed up everything and emigrated here with our two daughters – then two years old and five months old There are many video clips of me dancing around the living room and I practised ballet until my late teens But I was also excessively shy when I was young and didn’t really like an audience; my mum made me do speech and drama to push me out of my comfort zone I don’t think dancing was ever really on the cards as a career Is there any alignment with that fantasy and your job I was lucky that I had a fantastic part-time job at the University of Essex when I studied there and that created a pathway for me to move into a university role directly after I graduated I completed a postgraduate qualification while working in the university’s employment service where my job was to help other students find jobs I realised early on that I was good with people and had a common-sense approach to tackling problems We have so many stories to tell about the impact the University is having and we have our researchers to thank for that I didn’t find a topic that I was passionate enough about to attract me to commit to a PhD I have always had so much admiration for my academic colleagues and am inspired by what they do but I wanted to utilise my strengths and work alongside academics and solutions-oriented person and my skill-set complements my academic colleagues who often have wonderfully big ideas that I can help make happen What prompted the redesign that resulted in the Research and Innovation Office Mainly we were operating under a highly complex organisational model with many different parts of a puzzle that we were never quite able to piece together comprising one central hub and faculty/LSRI-based research service teams will create opportunities to build a more cohesive community of research management professionals What feedback are you getting from the many staff across the University who sit in the newly established R&I office We no longer have the invisible organisational barriers that were making things harder than they needed to be We now have a simplified structure that allows us to focus efforts on ensuring our services are more effective for researchers and not spending all our time trying to figure out who should be doing what What is the significance of the te reo Māori name Te Puna Tiketike Puna is a natural spring of water or a well Tiketike reflects the Waipapa Tōitu symbolism of Waipapa Ngā Maunga Whakahī – the mountains that stand as kaitiaki of the knowledge held by our community and embody the pride of our people My hope is that these symbols will guide and inspire our collective mahi to support and enable our community of researchers Taking away administrative burdens and making things simple for researchers to allow them to focus on their research Our locally based teams are critical to providing the support that researchers really value The team’s role is to ensure we build specialised What’s the thing you really love about the job I have the most incredible team and am exceptionally lucky to be surrounded by talented people I am also proud to work for such a highly reputable university This article first appeared in the November 2024 issue of UniNews Bryan and Frances Raymond opened their first Good Oil cafe in George St and it has become a landmark in the city Later they opened another in Nicol’s Green World giving those in South Dunedin a chance to enjoy their high-quality food while running those businesses the Raymonds were holidaying in Clyde "We were always coming to Clyde for holidays and any time off we had and just loved Clyde As their family grew they needed more space so about five years ago built their dream home on the Otago Central Rail Trail next to the Orchard Garden cafe and function centre Since then they had been commuting to Dunedin and coming back to Central a couple of days a week Mrs Raymond decided if they were to semi-retire in Central she needed a project and buying Orchard Garden Initially they were not exactly sure what they were going to do with it Selling one Dunedin cafe let them focus on their new project but they had no intention of selling the George St cafe which was self-managing and did not need their attention as often The past two years at Orchard Garden had been about learning to manage the extensive property "We’re managing it and modifying it as we see fit and getting ready to open it Orchard Garden is such an icon of Alexandra and the Central Otago area that it deserves to be well and truly looked after and shared with the community." Mrs Raymond said seeing other people appreciate and enjoy something like Orchard Garden gave her immense pleasure The cafe would open on November 1 with similar offerings to The Good Oil a cup of tea and a scone or a light lunch would all be on offer Republican Party and Carter Dalgety winning Trillian Trust Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park on Tuesday Two couples who have put faith in their sons received the ultimate racing reward at Alexandra Park last night Because when Republican Party and Muscle Mountain won their respective Group 1s their trainers were just as proud of their drivers as their horses Republican Party captured Alexandra Park’s biggest race the $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup after a step-trail-and-wait drive by Carter Dalgety on the little pacer trained by his parents Cran and Chrissie Chrissie and Carter and while Cran may still be the stable boss he knows that it wasn’t him in the spotlight on this beautiful Auckland night “Chrissie and I are both so happy for Carter,” said Dalgety “He is a young man with a lot of options in life and this is what he has chosen to do and when your son makes that decision you want to see it work out for him,” said Dalgety “So to see how big a season he has had and to have it capped like this means the world to us.”Carter has found the right horse at the right time too with Republican Party a brave little stayer with good manners a combination that has taken him into third in the New Zealand Cup in November before the Group 1 double of the Invercargill and Auckland Cups inside two weeks.“That was a gamble but the flight between Christchurch and Auckland was the deciding factor and we have to thank IRT for their help with that.”The Dalgetys could be calling on IRT again soon as Republican Party may have won himself a trip to Victoria for the Hunter Cup on February 1 “It could be a race that really suits him because staying is his thing,” says Dalgety.“So we will have a look at the programmes and also find out where Leap To Fame is at and Swayzee will be up to and then make a decision.”Republican Party trailed Sooner The Better for most of the Cup and was headed by Merlin at the top of the straight as the favourite stormed up wide on the track after sitting near last for most of the race having had little luck in the early shuffle up.He looked the winner at the 400m but Republican Party had saved too much ground and while beaten Merlin was very brave just meeting a rival in career best form in a race that suited him better.Sooner The Better stuck in well for third while second favourite Don’t Stop Dreaming got back on the inside and was never a winning factor The Dalgetys weren’t the only Canterbury couple dishing out hugs to their driver after a Group 1 on Tuesday as Greg and Nina Hope were in the same position when their son Ben reined Muscle Mountain to an effortless win in the $100,000 Peter Breckon Memorial National Trot.The race was over as a contest before it even really started when favourite Oscar Bonaven broke just before the mobile dispatched leaving Muscle Mountain to stroll to the lead while Oscar settled 40m behind him.From there Ben Hope barely needed to ask Muscle Mountain for an effort until Oscar Bonavena swept up out wide at the 600m but you could see that challenge was going to be in vain.Hope wearing a borrowed set of Johh Dickie’s colours after his bag didn’t join him on the plane from Christchurch to Auckland stoked Muscle Mountain up and they cruised to a five and a half length win Last year's NZ Merino Shears open shearing champion in action in a transtasman test win at the Golden Shears in Masterton in March The world’s biggest, and possibly only, merino shearing and woolhandling championships are expected to attract more than 150 competitors to Alexandra in Central Otago on Friday and Saturday it will be the first outing in a Shearing Sports New Zealand season of almost 60 competitions on an almost weekly basis – through to Easter Monday in mid-April 2025 held in local sports and community venue Molyneaux Stadium is the only one dedicated to merino shearing with over 1200 wethers from Northburn Station and Merino Ridge being shorn each estimated to be cutting 5-6kg of fine wool Competition chairman Lane McSkimming said that while the fleeces were big There is open and senior shearing and open the two open events each attracting over 50 competitors become automatic selections in the New Zealand team for the first of the home-and-away 2024-2025 transtasman tests Read more about shearing and woolhandling here Newly acclaimed Master Shearer Leon Samuels started an amazing sequence of major title wins when he won the open shearing final last year and Tia Potae The open shearing heats also constitute the first round of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit which comprises five qualifying rounds over five different wool types leading to the semifinals and final during the Golden Shears in Masterton in March again posing significant hopes in both shearing events It’s a busy programme with competition starting at 7.45am each day the woolhandling on Friday and the shearing on Friday afternoon and Saturday The championships will be followed by the Waimate Spring Shears the following weekend with the first competition in the North Island being the Gisborne championships at the Poverty Bay A and P Show on October 19 Federated Farmers is concerned that gaps could lead to further farm-to-forest conversions.