Protesters in Copenhagen wave Greenlandic flags as they take part in a rally under the slogans 'hands off Greenland' and 'Greenland for Greenlanders'. Around her, demonstrators waved the flags of Denmark and Greenland while chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat!” – the vast Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic. US ‘security’ claimsTrump has repeatedly claimed that the United States needs Greenland for US “national security”. Washington and the European Union struck a deal last summer to lower US tariffs on key European goods, with the deal currently being implemented. It is also roundly rejected by Greenlanders, 85% of whom – according to the latest poll published in January 2025 – oppose the territory joining the United States.

Accused Nazi war criminals stand to attention in 1946 in a camp the Germans would once have managed themselves. Photo / 123rfBeale said conditions awaiting the international investigators travelling through Lithuania to find evidence about suspected Nazi war criminals were “like stepping back 50 years”. Nazi hunters provided a list of about 50 suspected Nazi war criminals living in New Zealand during the 1990s, but no charges were laid. Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff was adamant New Zealand had become home to suspected Nazi war criminals after WWII. Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal dedicated his life to try to bring Nazi war criminals to justice in the decades after WWII.

“I’m not actually endorsing doing nothing.”Brendan Liaw joked that being a stay-at-home son was "a pretty good gig" on Jeopardy! But he also has many friends who stuck around the family home until much later in life. Social distancing in the pandemic inspired Abdullah Abbasi, 24, to start selling “Stay at Home Sons” merchandise with two of his friends in 2020. “If you look at it from Hollywood terms, I was like that loser kid that lives with his mom,” Abbasi said. “I can look someone in the eyes and say, ‘Hell, yeah, I’m a stay-at-home son’,” he said.

Or the Finance Minister or the Reserve Bank board before signing the statement? But the central bank leaders’ statement was careful. “It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability.”Importantly, no other central bank governor has been chastened by political leaders for attaching their names to the quite anodyne statement. The central bank heads have not commented directly on that. When a central bank is not independent, monetary policy is usually set with an eye to political outcomes.

“For a lifestyle block, miniature cows do a good job eating the grass and there’s less pugging,” Anna said. “We definitely breed for cuteness, aiming for compact belted Galloways or the white ones with black ears, noses and eyelashes. “There is a good market for miniature cattle.”Anna Campbell, left, with her black and white miniature Galloways. Eleanor started the tradition of everything being black and white when she had her small house built. “When I got two pigs, silkie chickens and dogs all in black and white, it became a thing that we always had black and white animals,” she said.

The North Otago school produced two new Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit — Richard Kennett and Sandy Pasley. "I am really grateful for all the huge number of the people who have supported me throughout my career." She could not remember whether the two were in the same year at school but did remember Mr Kennett and his brother. Mr Kennett, a Glenorchy resident, has spent the past 50 years contributing to conservation projects around the Wakatipu Basin. He was the senior non-police representative on the search and rescue incident management team in the Wakatipu Basin, through which he had contributed to numerous significant search and recovery field operations.

PHOTO: ODT FILESDouglas Brenssell, who received the King’s Service Medal, has been active in the Hāwea community for the past 25 years. "That’s not what it’s about, it’s about doing things for the betterment of the community and helping people." He has also been a committee member of the Hāwea Community Association and Hāwea Picnic Racing Club as well as a founding member of the Hāwea Domain Board and the Upper Clutha community patrol. Mr Brenssell spent 16 years as part of the Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade, also serving as chief fire officer. In 2012 he was the recipient of the Hāwea Volunteer of the Year award.

All Saints’ Church vicar Canon Dr Michael Wallace is pictured with the historic church, which marked its 160th anniversary last year. Photo: Brenda HarwoodAll Saints’ Anglican Church is not only a beautiful historic building housing a vibrant church community, it is also the oldest place of continuous worship in Dunedin. Leading the All Saints’ community and associated organisations is All Saints’ vicar Canon Dr Michael Wallace, who is proud of the church’s 160-year history. A historic image of All Saints’ Church, taken in 1867, shows the church standing proud in the then open ground of Dunedin North. Photo: Brenda HarwoodAll Saints’ and the Dunedin North Parish are working to restore the historic church, with support from Heritage NZ and the Dunedin City Council.

You might have seen that the government delivered early Christmas presents in rates capping, local government reorganisation and Resource Management Act reform. We’ve unwrapped them over the summer, and there’s going to be a lot of change headed our way this year. But it’s not, and that brings me to the water reforms and what it means for our district. As we’ve seen on Wear St recently, repairing and replacing some of our oldest pipework is a challenge. The government’s rates cap won’t include water charges, and we know water charges are going to rise in the next decade.

Photo: suppliedDunedin para-ice swimmer Francois Lambrechts has secured a trifecta of Guinness World Records. The local athlete has been officially recognised for his 1km and 500m para-ice swims undertaken in 2024, in addition to his existing para-ice mile record. Lambrechts said the 500m record was previously held by his ice swimming friend Marc Boutin. New Zealand athletes hold several International Ice Swimming Association world records. While ice swimming was not recognised as an Olympic sport at present, he was hopeful that it would be in the future.

Queenstown Bike Fest co-organiser Emmerson Wilken has a go at the log race during the 2024 event. PHOTO: ODT FILESStarting tomorrow, Queenstown Bike Festival is back full noise after the brakes went on last year. Co-organiser Emmerson Wilken says in ’24 they decided to run the 10-day fest every two years, so last year they only held the still full-on three-day McGazza Fest. Though many of the bike fest’s highlights are during McGazza Fest — from next Friday till Sunday — the first seven days are also jam-packed. scoop@scene.co.nz● The bike fest programme’s at queenstownbikefestival.co.nz; more on McGazza Fest in next week’s Mountain Scene.

PHOTO: ODT FILESIt's still summer, but Queenstown’s about to host 43 games of competitive ice hockey. This year there are six A grade teams, eight B grade teams and three from a new C grade. Organiser Colin McIntosh says the new grade "opens it up to the players who were wishing they were on the ice the previous years, but weren’t quite at the level". "The rosters look stacked with talent and every game in every grade is going to be competitive and impactful on the final standings," McIntosh says. All games are free to watch at the Queenstown Ice Arena — the A grade final’s at 12pm on January 25.

During the holidays I came across an interesting article published on September 20, 2019 by One Earth on sciencedirect.com entitled "Re-defining Sustainability: Living in Harmony with Life on Earth". Instead of simply trying to reduce harm, sustainability must mean living in harmony with all life, recognising that we are part of Earth’s living system, not its masters. What does living in harmony with all life mean? It simply means living with the Earth with respect and co-operation rather than control and exploitation. For example:Farmers can learn more about treating soil and biodiversity as living systems that support their families, stock, and livelihoods, rather than inputs to be used up.

The slip in the Dart Valley. PHOTO: ODT FILESA slip on a section of track in the Dart Valley has severed the popular Rees-Dart tramping circuit for the second time in 11 years. Department of Conservation (DoC) Whakatipu operations manager David Butt says the slip’s opposite Slip Stream, about two hours’ walk from the road end north of Paradise. Trampers can still access the upper Dart Valley by walking from the Rees Valley road end, or by walking the challenging Cascade Saddle route from the Matukituki Valley. They can also walk from Chinaman’s carpark at the Dart Valley road end as far as the closed section before returning.

Mark ‘Horse’ Schultz, left, and Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson reunited in Queenstown this week after the latter determined to find his old mate whom he’d pledged to drink this bottle with, 30-plus years ago. PHOTO: ODT FILESIn October 1995, Queenstowner Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson, then a part-time coach driver, had a long session on the wines with fellow driver Mark ‘Horse’ Schultz, whom he’d bump into around the country. Ferguson says every few years he’d see the bottle gathering dust then try without success to locate Schultz online. The old mates caught up by phone and then, this week, in person, along with the undrunk bottle of wine — Schultz was visiting Queenstown before walking the Greenstone Track. Schultz, 60, tells Ferguson, 67: "I remember you vividly writing [the date] on the label.