Archive

Craig Hands Out Accusatory Pamphlets

Posted 11:35am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Henry Napier

Former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig is back in the media after announcing intentions to sue for defamation.  Craig has made claims that John Stringer, Cameron Slater and Jordan Williams all publicly made false allegations against him. These include recent allegations of sexual Read more...

Foul Play Suspected in Sandra Bland Death

Posted 11:28am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

African-American woman Sandra Bland, who was arrested for assault on a public servant on 10 July, has been found dead in her Texas jail cell three days after her arrest. Authorities claim the death was a suicide, but activists suspecting foul play have led to an investigation by Texas Read more...

Cinema Shooting Kills Two

Posted 11:23am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by India Leishman

The lives of two women have been cut short after a second cinema shooting took place in Lafayette, Louisiana, on 23 July. Jillian Johnson, 33, and Mayci Breaux, 21, were fatally shot during an evening screening of Trainwreck. The shooting left three dead, including gunman John Russell Houser, and Read more...

Cannabis Petition Lights Up Debate

Posted 11:21am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

A petition calling for the legalisation of cannabis in the United Kingdom has amassed over 150,000 signatures, making it likely to receive serious consideration in parliament. The online petition asks the government to allow the sale, production and recreational use of marijuana, citing Read more...

Tobacco Tax Could Save $3.87 Billion

Posted 11:18am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Joe Higham

Research conducted at the University of Otago shows the continuation of yearly 10 percent tax increases on tobacco will have multiple benefits for society.  The research, directed by Professor Tony Blakely, looks at the outcome of the government’s yearly 10 percent tax increase on Read more...

Prisoner Voting Ban Breaches Bill of Rights

Posted 11:15am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Joe Higham

A judgement delivered by the High Court in the recent case of Taylor v Attorney-General has deemed New Zealand’s blanket ban on prisoner voting a breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. Five prisoners had taken the matter to the High Court to challenge the legitimacy of the Read more...

Scarfie Grandma Spins a Yarn

Posted 11:11am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Angus Shaw

A Whangarei woman has become the decoy-grandmother of all Scarfies this week after her hand-knitted beanies were snatched up in seconds.  Geraldine Edwards has been sending the Otago Chaplain, Greg Hughson, regular boxes of hand-knitted beanies for the past few months. Her only request: Read more...

ICT Students Can Rejoyce

Posted 11:06am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Amber Allott

A new information technology graduate school, which is being built in association with local IT businesses and other South Island tertiary institutions, is set to be opened in Dunedin. From 2014 to 2018, the New Zealand government will be investing in the construction and development of Read more...

Professor Extinguishes Firewalking Fears

Posted 11:03am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Laura Munro

Sparks flew outside St David’s lecture theatres last week as students were invited to take part in a firewalking demonstration. Physics expert, Dr John Campbell, hosted the event, which was preceded by a public lecture on why we’re able to safely walk on the coals, which were around Read more...

Students Spark Design Intervention

Posted 10:57am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Laura Munro

University of Otago design students have made a submission against the proposed changes to the Applied Sciences Department. The proposal, which students became aware of earlier this month, would see the removal of Design for Technology and Clothing and Textiles as major subjects. The 16-page Read more...

Execrable | Issue 18

Posted 10:43am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Laura Munro

The executive meeting kicked off with talk of the possible closure of the design department. Announced earlier this month, a proposal by the Division of Sciences would get rid of Design for Technology and focus more on Clothing and Textiles. President Paul Hunt says he and Philippa Keaney of Student Read more...

University of Otago Foundation Trust Divests

Posted 10:41am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Last week, the University of Otago Foundation Trust, an entity separate to the university that holds half its investments, announced that it would be divesting from fossil fuels. The trust will now also prohibit any future investment involving the exploration for and extraction of fossil Read more...

Acceptance and Equality the Big Winners at the ESPY Awards

Posted 12:59pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The ESPYs (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards) are Hollywood’s “ratings-orientated” sports awards, which recognise people for sporting as well as humanitarian contributions to society and popular culture. This year’s edition provided much Read more...

Keeping Track of the Highlanders in Black

Posted 12:43pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

By the end of August, the 43-man All Blacks squad needs to be further narrowed down to the 31 players who will head to England for the World Cup. Only five of the Super Rugby title-winning Highlanders were selected for the initial test squad, with only one of them taking part in the first two tests. Read more...

Labour Flagged for Hypocrisy

Posted 12:28pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Henry Napier

In a recent press release, Labour leader Andrew Little opposed the idea of changing the flag, claiming the money could be spent elsewhere. However, while Labour has been quick to bash National’s flag referendum, a review of the flag has been part of Labour’s policy since before Little Read more...

My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 17

Posted 12:20pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Henry Napier

Sam Lotu-liga should be sacked as a minister. That statement sounds like something you might read on Whaleoil, but it’s the truth. Last week a video emerged on YouTube, which showed a number of organised fights happening in Mt Eden prison as part of an inmate-run fight club. Following the Read more...

Government Speeds through Transport Bill

Posted 12:17pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The House went into urgency last week following fears that thousands of speeding tickets issued through local councils were invalid.  The Land Transport (Speed Limits Validations and Other Matters) Bill — which sought to amend a technicality in the law that had rendered many speed Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 17

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Italy Italy’s farm animals are being given showers, fans and air conditioning in their stalls to try to keep them cool during the current heatwave there. Temperatures in Italy have reached up to 40°C and this has caused a fall in production on the country’s Read more...

Elections to Replace FIFA President

Posted 11:56am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

FIFA announced last Monday that elections will be held next February to replace its controversial president, Sepp Blatter. The election is part of a series of overhauls and reforms designed to restore the organisation’s image after a year of corruption allegations. Blatter, speaking at a Read more...

Mitsubishi Apologises for Torture of Prisoners

Posted 11:54am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Joe Higham

An apology has been issued by Japanese corporation, Mitsubishi, for its use of American prisoners of war during World War Two. The prisoners were used for forced labour at Mitsubishi factories throughout Japan. It has been said that the use of the prisoners of war was deemed necessary to fill Read more...