On the Up: Fifty Otago University students set to run Dunedin Marathon to raise mental health awareness
Fifty Castle St students will take on the Emerson's Dunedin Marathon this year to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health.
They aim to continue the legacy of 2023's Heavy Breathers - a group of third-year students who raised more than $100,000 for charity.
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1News
2 minutes ago
- 1News
'No bad dogs, only bad owners': Pacific leaders back free desexing
A new Auckland initiative offering free dog desexing, vaccinations, and microchipping is being welcomed by the community. But local leaders warn digital barriers and deep-rooted mistrust of council officers could hold some families back from using the service. The pilot, rolled out by Auckland Council and the SPCA, targets 10 high-priority suburbs including Māngere, Ōtara, Manurewa and Mt Wellington, where incidents of roaming and unregistered dogs were highest. South Auckland resident Sam Tamatoa owned two dogs and said Pacific communities might not be aware of the pilot programme. 'The visibility isn't there,' Tamatoa said. ADVERTISEMENT 'Our dogs are already microchipped and desexed, so we wouldn't use that service,' they added. 'However, we'll share the news with family members whose dogs aren't desexed.' The programme would be more effective promoted on social media so people could share it, Tamatoa said. Roaming dogs have been an issue in her neighbourhood. 'We've had two instances where roaming dogs have jumped our gates and killed two of our cats – basically ragdoll them. I've also seen a stray dog down the road walking with a lifeless cat in its mouth.' Manukau Ward councillor Alf Filipaina said the project was the result of "many, many years" of advocacy from council's Pacific leaders, especially Regulatory and Safety Committee chairperson Josephine Bartley. 'We need our community to come on board, because this is about the safety of our kids and our elderly.' Filipaina, who lived in Māngere Bridge, said he was fortunate not to face roaming dogs in his own neighbourhood, but that was not the case across most of South Auckland. ADVERTISEMENT 'There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. This is about responsibility,' he said. Ōtara-Papatoetoe local board chairman Apulu Reece Autagavaia said the issue was personal for many families, including his own. 'If there's a roaming dog, I often have to cross the road,' he said. 'Even my boys have to figure out how to avoid certain streets walking home from school. You don't know if that dog is trained or how it'll react.' Autagavaia said the pilot was about more than council checklists and compliance – it was about community safety. 'Our kids need to feel safe walking to school, the shops or the library,' he said. 'So yes, get your dog desexed. Get them chipped. But understand why: it keeps your community safer.' The aim wasn't to punish owners, but to help them keep their dogs secure, he said. 'There's a lot of mistrust. People think dog control officers are just trying to take their dog. But the staff are from our communities. Some of them went to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate. They're out here trying to help.' ADVERTISEMENT Community leaders encourage families to make the most of the free pilot to curb the issue of roaming dogs. (Source: Auckland Council) Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli said the voucher-based programme was the most practical solution available, given mobile desexing units were too costly and not safe for surgical procedures. But she worried the communities most in need might not act in time. 'If our people don't apply, the vouchers will still get used, just by other families,' she said. 'Not only do Pasifika live in those suburbs. But we know our people are often the ones who can't afford it and who are most affected by roaming dog issues.' Fuli said digital access and trust were still major hurdles. 'There's no reason to be ma (ashamed). It's not just for Pasifika or Māori. It's for anyone in those suburbs. But we need our people to know about it and feel confident applying.' The growing issue over roaming dog and dog attacks has led some residents, including councillors, to avoid walking their own neighbourhoods. Autagavaia said his local board had even been willing to use their own budget to fund free desexing, before the pilot was announced. ADVERTISEMENT He urged responsible pet ownership, calling on dog owners to think of the wider community. 'Think about our kids, that they need to get from A to B safely,' he said. 'Securing your dogs in a property allows for our community to feel safe on the streets and in our parks.' 'Our dog owners are responsible,' he added. 'We just need help leading them and showing them the way to do it safely.' LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
AU Financial Review
5 minutes ago
- AU Financial Review
Could this natural remedy be a safe alternative to opioid painkillers?
Fifteen years ago, Trent Scanlen was struggling with persistent back pain. As an active 34-year-old, he assumed it was collateral damage from all the jujitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing he was doing. But as the pain worsened over a number of months, Scanlen got an MRI to check it out. What the scan discovered was horrifying. At the base of his spine was a tumour the size of a golf ball. 'They thought it might be a sarcoma, which is one of the worst forms of cancer,' he recalls. Originally from Wollongong but living in London, Scanlen was subjected to a fortnight of hospital tests. Fearing the worst, he began shooting video diaries for his one-year-old son. In the event of his death, Scanlen figured, the videos could be a way to connect with his child. Thankfully, the test results were relatively positive. Scanlen was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a treatable form of blood cancer. To manage his discomfort, he was put on the opioid painkiller Oxycontin and began to undergo chemotherapy.
Sydney Morning Herald
9 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Marines arrive in LA as Trump vows to use ‘heavy force' against protesters
Los Angeles: Hundreds of US Marines have arrived in Los Angeles ahead of what is expected to be a fifth day of protests over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, as officials said the cost of the extraordinary military deployment would top $US134 million ($206 million). Meanwhile, President Donald Trump vowed to use heavy force against anyone who protested a military parade planned for Washington this weekend, and said he was prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if he believed circumstances warranted more drastic intervention. 'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it – we'll see,' he said. 'There were certain areas of Los Angeles last night, you could have called it an insurrection. It was terrible.' Such a move would represent a significant escalation and allow military personnel to engage in active law enforcement against civilians on the streets of LA, rather than acting to protect federal property. Trump has championed Saturday night's grand military parade in the capital, which celebrates the 250th anniversary of the US Army and coincides with the president's 79th birthday. Trains carrying tanks were photographed rolling into Washington ahead of the event. 'For those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'This is people that hate our country. But they will be met with very heavy force.' The threat comes against the backdrop of violent clashes in Los Angeles, which have also spread to other cities including Dallas, Texas, over the crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, or ICE. Democrats led by Californian Governor Gavin Newsom have accused Trump and his allies of inflaming the situation in Los Angeles by quickly deploying the National Guard, then the Marines, to quell what began as relatively small demonstrations involving a few hundred people on Friday.
