Festival to mark 50th anniversary
Photos: suppliedLegendary Dunedin outdoor music festival, the Whare Flat Folk Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary over the festive season, with four days of music, sun, camping and workshops. Whare Flat Folk Festival director Siobhan Dillon said the festival began in 1975 as a modest folk "camp" created by the then New Edinburgh Folk Club. Nordic folk outfit Dragkroka, of Sweden, will be special guests for the upcoming 50th anniversary Whare Flat Folk Festival. Other events will include a 50th anniversary concert, featuring performers involved in the festival over the years, and a 50th celebration panel interview, led by clinical psychologist Sue Galvin. "Throughout its history, Whare Flat Folk Festival has been a place where people come together not only to listen, but to share songs, stories, skills and friendship across generations."
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 15:33 UTC
Forces to combine for monthly get together
Southern Gunners member Lincoln Brosnahan said the idea for a monthly gathering to bring veterans together was inspired by his grandfather Wayne Rickard, an ex-serviceman. "The proposal for a Phoenix bar monthly gathering is for ex-service people, and anyone interested in the military to get together. "It’s a chance to have a catch up and is an extension of the Oamaru RSA Hub which meets weekly and the Southern Gunners to socialise. The Oamaru Coastal Defence Group re-enact historic war battles and are known to mark Anzac Day, Armistice Day and the centenary of the Gallipoli landings by Australian and New Zealand forces by firing 25-pound World War 2 guns owned by the group. Mr Brosnahan said there were about 15 Southern Gunners members in Oamaru and "many veterans" that they hope will join the monthly meeting.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 15:03 UTC
Hopefuls get taste of rural work day
This one-day farm work experience was designed by MTFJ co-ordinator Greg Pestell to provide an authentic, hands-on experience on a working farm. Keen on the idea of farm work, but with no practical knowledge, the day tested their suitability for agricultural employment. "On the journey home they were tired but happy and eager to find out more about farm work as a career. Haarlem said, ‘I wish we were going back tomorrow’ — That says it all about the success of this work experience opportunity." Anyone interested in hosting work experience days, or recruiting Haarlem and Cameron, can contact Greg at Pestell@waitaki.govt.nz— Allied Media
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 15:03 UTC
Muesli mogul moots 'freeze on growth' in Queenstown
He and Diana have epitomised that in their retirement, travelling by motorbike to about 85 countries in months-long expeditions. The Hubbard Foods founder, who’s led a crusade for social responsibility in business, first holidayed in Queenstown in the early 2000s before moving here. In the early years he’d hike to the very top of Queenstown Hill every morning, taking a stone down every time. "I’d do a freeze on growth of some kind — just pull back on any significant new housing areas. He and Diana recently moved to the Queenstown Country Club retirement village and are selling their home overlooking Lake Whakatipu.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 15:03 UTC
Man stabbed in group fight on Auckland’s Ponsonby Rd – bar owner
A bar owner says he called police when he saw a man severely injured from a stabbing after a group fight in Auckland’s Ponsonby Rd. Win-Win Bar owner Bradley, who did not want his last name used, said he was outside his venue when the man walked by with stab wounds after an altercation outside another bar. The injured man had a large gash on his left forearm, with bone visible, and a gash on his neck, Bradley told the Herald. Police then began to tape off the area outside of Win-Win and The Whiskey bar, he said. The injured man was “calm and collected” and showed no signs of panic, Bradley said.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 20, 2025 14:34 UTC
Newly released Epstein files: What we know
Thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's case were released on Friday after pressure for transparency. Photo / Mandel NGAN, AFPThousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's case were released on Friday after pressure for transparency. Photo / Mandel NGAN, AFPThe release of documents on Friday related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein follows months of pressure on the Trump administration for transparency about the politically explosive case. The US Department of Justice provided a link on Friday to what it calls the “Epstein Library”. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said there would be several hundred thousand documents released and several hundred thousand more in coming weeks.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 20, 2025 14:23 UTC
Preparing for anything
"Studies of European windstorms indicate that climate change will increase the frequency of strong jets. [But] it’s not intuitively obvious to me why climate change would make sting jets stronger," he says. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2023. "Broad generalisations of the effect of climate change on human activities are often not valid at the regional and local scales. Every region has its own environmental, social, cultural and economic characteristics which determine vulnerability to climate change.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 13:34 UTC
Thunder, Hail and Heavy rain sweep Canterbury
Parts of Canterbury were battered by a sudden burst of thunderstorms on Saturday evening, bringing lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and hail to several areas. The warning was lifted by 6.48pm, although officials noted that “one or two” thunderstorms lingering over north Canterbury could still turn severe. Lincoln resident Sarah Bisley said the rain and hail lashed her area for around 25 minutes, leading to minor flooding on her road. Despite the disruption, she viewed the sudden weather event with a sense of nostalgia. Bisley, who is originally from the United Kingdom, said the scene reminded her of festive weather back home.
Source:Stuff
December 20, 2025 12:59 UTC
Hamilton crash: pedestrian seriously injured after being hit by vehicle
A pedestrian has been seriously injured after being struck by a car in Melville. Hamilton crash: pedestrian seriously injured after being hit by vehicleA pedestrian has been seriously injured after being struck by a car in Melville. A road has been closed in Hamilton after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle. Police said the crash, Ohaupo Road in Melville, was reported just after 6pm with one person sustaining serious injuries. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) confirmed the road was closed through Melville, with closure points at Normandy Ave and Urlich Ave.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 20, 2025 12:45 UTC
Food systems driving twin crises
Photo: Getty ImagesTackling unsustainable food systems is urgent for both health and climate, according to new research. The authors say our food environment promotes high-calorie, low-fibre ultra-processed foods (UPFs) — the most calorific of which encourage weight gain. The authors note that even if fossil fuel emissions ended today, current food systems alone could still push global temperatures beyond the 2°C threshold. The review calls for food system reforms to replace energy-dense UPFs with unprocessed foods and reduce animal-sourced foods. "To reduce the food system’s health and climate burden, governments must first recognise that both climate change and obesity are symptoms of profit-driven, systemic problems — and address the root."
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 12:27 UTC
Teens lured men on Grindr before filming beatings
Ethan Jeffs, left and Patrick Paul Moloney are two of three men sentenced for their role in attacks on gay men targeted through the Grindr app and labelled by the trio as "paedophiles". Photo: NZ Herald / Ayla YeomanThe actions of a group of young men who posted "video montages" of assaults on gay men they had lured through Grindr have been described as "a hate crime". Fake profiles were made, messages exchanged and gay men were lured to private homes, parks and streets, often late at night. She said the Grindr app was primarily used because it was free, not because it was used by gay men. "It was the targeting of gay men and the clear conclusion I have reached is that this was a hate crime," Judge Coyle said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 11:57 UTC
Weekend briefing: Eyes on rising long bond yields
Here's our summary of key economic events overnight that affect New Zealand, with news of an interesting spike in Australian long term bond yields, coming as Japanese long term bond yields rose even though most observers thought they had priced in the widely anticipated Japanese rate rise. Markets took these signals to be slightly more hawkish than expected and pushed the Japanese 10 year bond yield higher, to a twenty year high. The China 10 year bond rate is up +4 bps at 1.83% but down -2 bps from last week. The Australian 10 year bond yield starts today at 4.80%, up +8 bps from yesterday, up +4 bps from a week ago. That all means our TWI-5 starts today just under 61.8, and down -20 bps from yesterday, down -30 bps from a week ago.
Source:Stuff
December 20, 2025 11:21 UTC
Depressing
Over a third of GOP voters think the moon landing was faked and that the Holocaust was greatly exaggerated or didn’t happen as historians describe. And more than half still think the 2020 election was rigged. The others though are depressing. 36% of Republicans think the moon landings were fake. This detachment from reality used to be a few cranks on the extreme left and now it is mainstream conservative thinking in the US.
Source:New Zealand Herald
December 20, 2025 10:02 UTC
You can have both farms and trees, Wenita boss says
Wenita Forest Products chief executive David Cormack says the forestry business wants to be part of its local communities. In recent years, there has been much rhetoric about forestry — particularly pine trees — and the impact on communities from the conversion of sheep and beef farms. But there was a mindset that it had to be one or the other — "farms or trees, you can’t have both" — and that was not correct. Wenita attended a community meeting between forestry and farming interests in Lawrence last year and Mr Cormack was pleased to see progress being made around communication. Wenita liked being part of the local community and its forests were widely used for all types of recreation.
Source:Otago Daily Times
December 20, 2025 07:57 UTC
General Debate 20 December 2025
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Source:Stuff
December 20, 2025 07:44 UTC