Otago

Officers found the stone, which was cut and ready for sale, during a search on Monday.

The man known only as Rajinder in on trial for murdering Gurjit Singh, who was found dead on the lawn of his home after being stabbed more than 40 times.

The driver is reported to be seriously injured.

Kate Aynsley, 48, had likely removed the safety catch while preparing to shoot a deer, and then may have slipped.

FENZ says it was only aware of one break down, and that the truck was being fixed and did not affect fire fighting efforts.

High winds and hot temperatures have fanned the nine fires that broke out across Otago and Southland.

A fire in Southland has closed State Highway 96 between State Highway 1 and Waimumu.

A person and their dog were extracted by helicopter, after getting stuck about 60 metres down.

The arrest came after a vacant property, a building and some vegetation were all set alight this week.

A 35-year-old, known only as Rajinder, is on trial at the High Court for the murder of Gurjit Singh.

Two paramedics were targeted while flying over Palmerston on a hospital transfer mission on Tuesday night. Audio

World-class talents Daniel Hillier and Kazuma Kobori, PGA Tour Champions star Steven Alker, and Ben Campbell, who has come close to lifting the trophy, are returning.

Heavy rain hit last month when the plant was operating at reduced capacity due to a major upgrade leading to a spike in nitrogen levels.

Investigators would be looking into the fires.

A friend of a Dunedin man stabbed more than 40 times has described finding his unresponsive body soaked in blood.

State Highway 6 has been closed in both directions between Gibbston and Cromwell in Central Otago, after a two-vehicle crash left a car in a bank.

The store will close an hour earlier after originally applying to increase its off-licence hours.

Stargazers took to social media to post their photographs from places like Dunedin, Waihola Lake, Roxburgh, Cromwell and Mount Cook.