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1000 results for “lexfri”
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We don't really have street violence in Dunedin, so twenty teens being involved in a mass brawl in the main street outside Mickie D's is notable.
Cops located the teens nearby, but an unrelated, 67 year old, irritating pensioner gets in police faces and is arrested. Old guy pushes a cop and it's all on. Old guy tries to strangle a cop, another cop fires pepper spray into the fracas taking out the perp as well as three of their colleagues.
Guess who'll be getting a refresher course in pepper spray 101?
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/pensioner-strangles-cop-central-dunedin-fracas
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NIWA has a new toy which predicts rainfall and drought up to 35 days in advance.
They caution that it's experimental.
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Yesterday Helen Clark rightly condemned the Trump regime's illegal and ongoing attacks on Iran, in breach of international law. Today's Stuff headline proclaims "Christopher Luxon hits back".
But does he? Really?
"Meanwhile on RNZ, Luxon refused to explicitly say whether New Zealand supports the Iran strikes or not."
"Asked if the strikes were the right thing to do morally, Luxon danced around the subject."
It strikes me that "Spineless Luxon dances on the head of a pin" might have been a more accurate headline.
Our PM lacks a moral backbone.
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If you haven't read Andrea Vance's piece -- "The girl-math budget that will cut deep, especially for women" -- please do. It hits hard.
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Dunedin's David Hutchinson is five hours into an expected eight hour swim across New Zealand's Cook Strait. And he's doing it for a very good cause.
The physics professor and Otago Museum board chairman is raising money to install a new fire sprinkler system at Tūhura Otago Museum.
Live tracking:
https://livetracking.nz/route/cook-strait/Background story:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dunedin-professor-sets-cook-strait-swim -
The Otago Regional Council is switching from from first past the post, to STV (single transferable vote) for this year’s council elections. This aligns with the DCC system which has been working well for years.
Prof Janine Hayward has some good advice.
"After first past the post (FPP), there was a tendency among some people to rank every single candidate on the ballot sheet, but really that’s unnecessary."
⬆️ Yep. That was me, ranking climate deniers at number 40-something then being required to rank every other candidate in between.
"Put simply, if you don’t like the candidate, don’t rank them."
Amen.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/orc-moving-system-where-no-votes-are-%E2%80%98wasted%E2%80%99
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The Port Chalmers road is full of container & logging trucks and the Port lacks storage space. Calder Stewart's announcement last week of a 200ha inland facility north of Milton, covered in solar, with direct connections to SH1 & the main trunk rail line. The rail connection will remove 10,000 heavy truck trips from the road each year. Even better, the entire $3bn project will be privately financed by Calder Stewart.
A few days later, Shane Jones announced the government was giving Port Otago and Dynes Transport an $8.2m loan for a competing plan to put an inland port in Mosgiel. This can only proceed if NZTA funds a heavy traffic bypass, which they’ve said they won’t do. And I’m sure Mosgiel folks don’t want a massive increase in trucking movements to clog their roads.
Whatever happened to ‘let the market decide’? Trust this coalition to back the wrong horse.
Govt funding:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/government-opens-wallet-mosgiel-inland-port -
I'm sorry if I bang on about this, but since October BlueSky has effectively been owned by one of Steve Bannon's mates via a company called "Blockchain Capital LLC".
Do most BS users not realise this?
Enshitification is guaranteed. I'd give it 3-5 years max.
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If you're comfortable providing free content for (checks) "Blockchain Capital LLC" and have faith that they won't enshittify BlueSky, then good luck to you.
I'm sure you know that Blockchain Capital is now the majority BlueSky shareholder, and that it's run by a friend of Steve Bannon's. But hey... maybe they'll turn out to be good nazis, unlike Twitter.
Sorry... but I have trouble with people trusting the blockchain bros & hoping they've found Twitter Mk II.
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Maybe because since October 2024 its majority owner is a company called "Blockchain Capital LLC", which just happens to be owned by one of Steve Bannon's mates.
Could be that. Just a thought.
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Once again, Costello is protecting her donors' market.
I don't believe the scary figure they're quoting, that over 27% of tobacco consumed in NZ is illicit. Why? Because it comes straight from big tobacco.
"The 27 percent consumption figure used in the Retail NZ report was originally sourced from a separate 2025 report which was prepared for the exclusive benefit and use of Imperial Tobacco New Zealand and British American Tobacco New Zealand."
Big Tobacco is still writing Costello's script and NZ's smoking legislation.
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Once again, Costello is protecting her donors' market.
I don't believe the scary figure they're quoting, that over 27% of tobacco consumed in NZ is illicit. Why? Because it comes straight from big tobacco.
"The 27 percent consumption figure used in the Retail NZ report was originally sourced from a separate 2025 report which was prepared for the exclusive benefit and use of Imperial Tobacco New Zealand and British American Tobacco New Zealand."
Big Tobacco is still writing Costello's script and NZ's smoking legislation.
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Otepoti - Farmlands is closing its Dunedin store at the end of April.
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/supply-store-closing-dunedin-branch
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Otepoti - Farmlands is closing its Dunedin store at the end of April.
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/supply-store-closing-dunedin-branch
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Otepoti - Farmlands is closing its Dunedin store at the end of April.
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/supply-store-closing-dunedin-branch
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Otepoti - Farmlands is closing its Dunedin store at the end of April.
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/supply-store-closing-dunedin-branch
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CW: Cruise ships - like living in a Petrie dish
In case anyone still thinks cruise ships sound like fun, spare a thought for the 1,700 passengers of the 'Ambition' currently stranded off the French coast.
Up to 50 passengers are thought to have gastroenteritis and one person has died.
The world's most environmentally damaging form of tourism is also becoming one of the most dangerous.
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CW: Cruise ships - like living in a Petrie dish
In case anyone still thinks cruise ships sound like fun, spare a thought for the 1,700 passengers of the 'Ambition' currently stranded off the French coast.
Up to 50 passengers are thought to have gastroenteritis and one person has died.
The world's most environmentally damaging form of tourism is also becoming one of the most dangerous.
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CW: Cruise ships - like living in a Petrie dish
In case anyone still thinks cruise ships sound like fun, spare a thought for the 1,700 passengers of the 'Ambition' currently stranded off the French coast.
Up to 50 passengers are thought to have gastroenteritis and one person has died.
The world's most environmentally damaging form of tourism is also becoming one of the most dangerous.
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CW: Cruise ships - like living in a Petrie dish
In case anyone still thinks cruise ships sound like fun, spare a thought for the 1,700 passengers of the 'Ambition' currently stranded off the French coast.
Up to 50 passengers are thought to have gastroenteritis and one person has died.
The world's most environmentally damaging form of tourism is also becoming one of the most dangerous.
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CW: Cruise ships - like living in a Petrie dish
In case anyone still thinks cruise ships sound like fun, spare a thought for the 1,700 passengers of the 'Ambition' currently stranded off the French coast.
Up to 50 passengers are thought to have gastroenteritis and one person has died.
The world's most environmentally damaging form of tourism is also becoming one of the most dangerous.
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Paper sewing patterns are vanishing from the New Zealand and Australian markets. PDFs will still be available, but they're not the same.
Another once-common household item achieves anachronism status.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/lifestyle/style/end-of-an-era-for-sewing-paper-patterns-in-new-zealand
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An ABC (AU) investigation links the deadly herbicide paraquat with Parkinson's. It's affecting farming communities, but the Aussie National Farmers Federation is directing its members to stay shtung to avoid adverse publicity.
In NZ paraquat is restricted to horticultural and agricultural use, however from 2004-19 our use increased five-fold to 42 tonnes pa. At least four people in NZ died using paraquat between 2007 and 2015.
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CW: NZ - Luxon vs OECD
In their annual country report for NZ, the OECD concluded that National's over-priced gas terminal locking in fossil dependence is, and I paraphrase, a stupid idea.
"... and instead recommended investment in non-gas generation like biomass or pumped hydro."
But Christopher Luxon reckons that he knows better than the OECD and claims that their warning on the government's LNG plans are "a load of rubbish."
"Luxon said the coalition government was not going to tolerate "bumper sticker" policies or the sort of "kumbaya and mush" that Labour pursued while it was in power."
Putting aside the immorality of promoting fossil fuels over renewables, a deeply unpopular NZ Prime Minister describing the collective wisdom of the OECD as "kumbaya and mush" is one for the record books.
Dunning-Kruger appears to be getting the better of our PM. The man's an utter embarrassment.
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CW: NZ: sexual assault trial abandoned - bad jury
This is a highly unusual turn of events. A Nelson sexual assault trial has been abandoned after a jury exposed their "outdated misconceptions about women and sex."
A pre-trial ruling had been made that the complainant was not to be cross-examined on her sexual experiences or perceived sexual interest in others.
On the second day of the trial the jury asked the judge for clarification about "a belt the complainant had described and how it was attached to her clothing, as well as what shoe size she wore."
Her shoe size! Two hours later they followed up with more pure misogyny.
"How many times had she had sex with a man prior to this situation with Mr [suppressed]?” they asked, followed by, “Her underwear— is it a typical style and colour she wears daily, or only for special occasions?"
I wonder how many older white men were on that jury?
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/sex-trial-halted-after-jury-questions-underwear-sexual-history
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CW: Oil crisis - NZ Labour finds its voice
Chris Hipkins pops up after a long absence and claims National are not prepared for the incoming oil shock.
Given the IMF's warning that the fuel crisis is likely to lead to a global recession, Hipkins seems close to the mark.
Luxon responded, that was why the government was "focused on avoiding the mistakes seen during the Covid response."
Pardon? Is this somehow Labour's fault?
It seems bizarre that Luxon isn't considering options like carless days and working from home, as many other countries are already doing. Especially when NZ is right at the far end of the supply chain.
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Please... take a moment to appreciate this classic gobbledygook from Luxon as he tries to think on his feet.
"What I agree with is we want this resolved as quickly as possible. We want the parties negotiating, I know ceasefire negotiations, you know, we want ceasefire will remain holding, we want the parties negotiating a negotiated settlement."
It's embarrassing that this inadequate man leads our country.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/fuel-latest-stocks-drop-remain-stable-rnz
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Southland Hospital is losing both of its urologists. This means patients from Southland will need to travel to Dunedin, where there's already a shortage of urologists.
Health NZ is making the usual soothing noises... 'our focus is on patients' while doing nothing practical to sort the problem.
Who remembers Luxon claiming that National's massive cuts to the health service wouldn't affect front line operations? Because urology is as front line as it gets.
https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/urologists-exit-puts-southland-crisis
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Southland Hospital is losing both of its urologists. This means patients from Southland will need to travel to Dunedin, where there's already a shortage of urologists.
Health NZ is making the usual soothing noises... 'our focus is on patients' while doing nothing practical to sort the problem.
Who remembers Luxon claiming that National's massive cuts to the health service wouldn't affect front line operations? Because urology is as front line as it gets.
https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/urologists-exit-puts-southland-crisis
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Southland Hospital is losing both of its urologists. This means patients from Southland will need to travel to Dunedin, where there's already a shortage of urologists.
Health NZ is making the usual soothing noises... 'our focus is on patients' while doing nothing practical to sort the problem.
Who remembers Luxon claiming that National's massive cuts to the health service wouldn't affect front line operations? Because urology is as front line as it gets.
https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/urologists-exit-puts-southland-crisis