If you're not in the U.S., what's up in your part of the world? Showing 301-350 of 3,266

[Ian]

. Christmas coming, which here means a lot of people go off camping. Only too often, they face a stormy time, and on schedule, a cyclone is hitting Fiji.

. Nervous tension re the possibility of Covid at the summer festivals over the Christmas period,

. Potential travel bubble between NZ and Australia next year, and to the Pacific Islands.

. Two helicopter crashes in essentially one day.

[Leonie]

Sydney is rapidly developing a Covid cluster. (17 and counting.)

Federal budget looking better due to increased economic activity.

Tropical Cyclone Yasa is bearing down on Fiji.

[Ian]

Sydney's Covid cluster may spike NZ - Oz travel bubble
Our economy is apparently much better than expected
Yasi was category 5, but so far it is not coming this way
Ship goes on fire in Napier Harbour
America Cup yacht racing starts - if these boats can be called yachts. Light breeze, and they are going nearly 40 knots

[Leonie]

Most of our news is about the cluster in the Northern Beaches of Sydney/Sydney.
The Sydney to Hobart Race has been cancelled. (For the first time in 76 years.)
Australia has annihilated India in the cricket.

[Philip]

England new lock down - Xmas relief dropped and much of London and SE in new Tier 4 - no travel outside tiers and no overnights for Xmas.

[Leonie]

Cluster in Sydney's Northern Beaches grew by 30 today. I think we're now at a tipping point in NSW. Will have to wait and see.

That's basically all of the top ten stories in our media.

[Anne]

Well Christmas has been limited to one day celebrations in England. More of the country is in lockdown limited capacity. Add to Brexit, plenty of doom and gloom plus rainy grey weather. Instead of hoping 2021 will be better, make it happen. Do something you, enjoy not because you have to. Try new things, take advantage of any opportunities that come along. A 55 year old non dancer won our popular tv show last night Strictly Come Dancing. I wrote 10 books since I retired, so it's never too late. Follow your dreams. Enjoy your reading and writing. Seasons Greetings! All the best

[Ian]

The Sydney outbreak has worried many in NZ because we thought we were on the way to getting a travel bubble, but that is starting to look far more questionable.

This new mutation in England is worrying. Will the new vaccine work against it? We are hoping it will because we would like to return to international travel, but . . .

[Scout]

Seems that things are quiet on the China front.

[Ian]

News here gets very quiet over the Christmas period. The journalists probably all take their summer holidays, but for a few.

[Graeme]

Scout wrote: "Seems that things are quiet on the China front."

Unless your Australia. I feel like the 6yo kid at school who's just been knocked to the ground by the local bully and had my lunch money stolen.

(China is heavily sanctioning Australian trade at the moment).

[Scout]

Sorry to hear that.

[Leonie]

Scout wrote: "Seems that things are quiet on the China front."

Yep, what Graeme said. ^^

[Ian]

From NZ:
1. The more things change, the more they stay the same :-) Christchurch has a serious outbreak of canine cough. Vets urge owners ensure dogs follow social distancing and preferably stay home. Get vaccinated.

2. A riot at an old North Island prison. Fire causes serious damage, prisoners on roof.

3. A bad import - The New Years celebrations at the holiday resort of Whangamata had louts rioting and smashing entry to a small store to loot it. Police have 18 arrests and seriously seeking more.

4. A bad outcome of Covid - apparently thanks to unemployment growing, there has been a 50% increase in gang recruiting. My question - who is keeping statistics??

5. A personal and local piece of tension. With a 50 hr spacing, New Year has been welcomed by two quakes, 4.5 on the Richter scale, centred a few kilometers from Upper Hutt. By themselves, nothing, 4.5 is hardly worth bothering about, BUT they are very close to the main Wellington fault. If they are relieving tension, great, but if they are merely moving it and could be the the straw, so to speak, its could be serious. When the main fault moves, it is usually about 8.5 on the Richter scale, and that is very serious.

[Leonie]

1. Ongoing COVID Community transmission in Victoria and NSW.

2. Winemakers in Australia looking for markets other than China.

3. Bushfires in Perth. (Smelt smoke last night - left this morning.)

And this was Sydney Airport this afternoon. Domestic (Qantas) terminal.

[Nik]

Ian wrote: "From NZ:
2. A riot at an old North Island prison. Fire causes serious damage, prisoners on roof...."

Yeah, ppl protesting lockdowns. I think I've heard it from somewhere

Ian wrote: ".....4. A bad outcome of Covid - apparently thanks to unemployment growing, there has been a 50% increase in gang recruiting. My question - who is keeping statistics??...."

Although you'd probably make a terrific gangster, I still hope you've remained with the other 50% :)

[Nik]

Leonie wrote: "1. Ongoing COVID Community transmission in Victoria and NSW.

2. Winemakers in Australia looking for markets other than China.

3. Bushfires in Perth. (Smelt smoke last night - left this morning.)..."

I was under impression Victoria has gotten rid off the virus, hasn't it?
Can't call myself a market, but I can volunteer to sample some wine and buy, if you send it over :)

[[deleted user]]

Don't know what's happening in the UK yet but, on the subject of wine, Ian might be pleased to know that my mum regards New Zealand as the finest producer of white wine in the world.

[Ian]

Leonie wrote: "1. Ongoing COVID Community transmission in Victoria and NSW.

2. Winemakers in Australia looking for markets other than China.

3. Bushfires in Perth. (Smelt smoke last night - left this morning.)..."

Does this mean you got back? If so, well done :-)

[Ian]

Beau wrote: "Don't know what's happening in the UK yet but, on the subject of wine, Ian might be pleased to know that my mum regards New Zealand as the finest producer of white wine in the world."

:-)

[Ian]

Leonie will like this one. There have been huge floods in Southland. TV news showed roads cut off, walls of water flowing somewhere, large convoys near Wakitipu unable to go anywhere because roads cut off, a picture of a hill-side road with water pouring through the road (Looks like we shall need another half-bridge there) then:

Farmer interviewed: "We needed that. It's been a bit dry around here."

[Leonie]

Does this mean you got back? If so, well done :-)

I did! Flew Perth to Sydney, masked, then straight into the car and a four hour drive home without stopping.

And don't you just love the way farmers just roll with stuff?

I've come home to beautiful greenness. It's been raining the whole time I've been away, and it's actually raining now too. Just lovely.

I was under impression Victoria has gotten rid off the virus, hasn't it? It has a small cluster of cases again. Possibly from NSW.

[Scout]

Good on you, Leonie. I'm sure you were glad to be back home.

And, surely, the US would love to import some of your wine. Why not?

[Leonie]

Scout wrote: "Good on you, Leonie. I'm sure you were glad to be back home.

And, surely, the US would love to import some of your wine. Why not?"

It's nice to be home!

And our wine is excellent, as is NZ's. We have a lovely local winery - well, actually, we live in the middle of wine country - but Two Rivers has some lovely drops if you're into wine.

I particularly like the sparkling Cuvee, and the Verdelho.
https://www.tworivers.com.au

[Scout]

The U.S. would be a good place to export your wine. Why the dependence on China? I know they have a larger population, but maybe not a larger population of imported-wine drinkers:-)

[Leonie]

You're our second top wine destination, actually. We export 15% of our wine exports to you already, Scout. Apparently about $439 million worth. (AUD)

[Leonie]

China takes 39% of our current wine exports.

[Ian]

For what it is worth, Australia does make some excellent full-bodied reds if you are into those. I recall once being taken on a tour of vineyards in the Hunter valley. Excellent tastings, although towards the end the wine was starting to take an effect.

NZ also makes good wines - mainly whites, but there are some good pinot noirs. From my early days, a co-worker chemist bought some land and started a small vineyard, which makes some superb wines. They are rather expensive ($60 upwards a bottle) and they apparently sell out within a week or so of going on the market.

[Leonie]

Ian wrote: "For what it is worth, Australia does make some excellent full-bodied reds if you are into those. I recall once being taken on a tour of vineyards in the Hunter valley. Excellent tastings, although ..."

Hunter Valley - where I currently live. 😊😊😊

[Ian]

I know, Leonie. Just offering moral support 😊😊😊

[Scout]

Ian, you do know you're supposed to taste and spit on those tours, not swallow :-) I've never been on a wine tour, but I learned that tip from one of my favorite movies, Sideways. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

[[deleted user]]

About 15 years ago, I went on a tour of a winery in South Australia - another big wine producing state - and really enjoyed it.

I think I've still got a photo of me with an open bottle of wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other, and a big grin on a very sun-tanned face. Like Ian, I swallowed and never spat. The ciggies have long gone and, for some reason, I've lost my taste for wine too, although can still enjoy a glass of chilled NZ white on a warm summer's evening.

[Ian]

Scout wrote: "Ian, you do know you're supposed to taste and spit on those tours, not swallow :-) I've never been on a wine tour, but I learned that tip from one of my favorite movies, Sideways. If you haven't se..."

I always spit if I am the driver, but if not, well . . . :-)

[Nik]

Spitting good wine? Although not really a wine connoisseur, sounds worse than cannibalism to me :)

[Ian]

Nik wrote: "Spitting good wine? Although not really a wine connoisseur, sounds worse than cannibalism to me :)"

The penalties here for driving over the limit tend to encourage spitting if you are going to visit many wineries. As it happens there are two big wine regions quite close to where I live :-)

[Nik]

Ian wrote: "The penalties here for driving over the limit tend to encourage spitting if you are going to visit many wineries. As it happens there are two big wine regions quite close to where I live :-)..."

Hope they are walking distance, so that you never have to make those impossible choices :)

[Ian]

They would involve very long and tiring walks. Wineries tend to need large areas to grow grapes :-). They also prefer flat land, which means, since I live in a zone tortured by major earthquakes, the odd hour or so in a car :-(

[Graeme]

Jack Ma has gone missing.

"Speculation has swirled around Chinese billionaire Jack Ma’s whereabouts after reports surfaced that the high-profile businessman has not made a public appearance in more than two months."

REF: https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/jac...

Missing or Disappeared?

REF (Twitter Kyle Bass interview (2 minutes) on the future of Jack Ma in Sept 2019...) https://twitter.com/RealVision/status...

[J.]

Graeme wrote: "Jack Ma has gone missing.

"Speculation has swirled around Chinese billionaire Jack Ma’s whereabouts after reports surfaced that the high-profile businessman has not made a public appearance in mor..."

Nothing new.
https://youtu.be/gbg9oKJ56gU

[Graeme]

Indeed. Who knows?

[Matthew]

Scout wrote: "Ian, you do know you're supposed to taste and spit on those tours, not swallow :-) I've never been on a wine tour, but I learned that tip from one of my favorite movies, Sideways. If you haven't se..."

That's why I keep passing out before we get to the third stop!

[Lizzie]

Spit or swallow is the question of the day? I am really laughing over how those posts read to someone who didn't know the topic and was looking over my shoulder.

Considering the wine tastings are no longer free - I vote swallow.

[[deleted user]]

Lizzie wrote: "Spit or swallow is the question of the day? I am really laughing over how those posts read to someone who didn't know the topic and was looking over my shoulder.

Considering the wine tastings are..."

Excellent reasoning!

[Scout]

Naughty, Lizzie :-)

[Papaphilly]

my son and I opened a great bottle of port. 20 years old and wonderful.

[Nik]

Cheers, Papaphilly!

[Leonie]

In Australia today:

Brisbane (capital city of Queensland) is in a solid three day lockdown, after a case of the UK variant of COVID was found in a hotel quarantine worker.

National Cabinet met today: 50% reduction in Australians returning home into QLD, NSW, and WA. Pre-flight negative COVID test required, with masks compulsory on flights. Quick testing prior to boarding in UK must return negative result.

Lots of reporting on yesterday's events in the US, including all the stuff happening today.

Bushfires and heat in WA.

[Ian]

In NZ:

Also preflight negative Covid tests required for incoming from UK, US and other "hotspots".

News swamped with US pictures from the Capitol, none of them pretty.

Weather forecast had predicted Otago Southland to have drought conditions in January. Week 1 has had record floods.

Young woman dies - for some reason swimming 100 m offshore and attacked by a Great White.

[[deleted user]]

Ian, I've always been fascinated by sharks. Very sorry to hear about the young woman. That's a frightening way to go.

[Philip]

UK
COVID deaths - appalling
State of hospitals very worrying
Moderna vaccine approved
Lots of comment on state of USA
Murder charges for 13 and 14 year old's after murder of 13 year old
Assange was in the news briefly - other thread
Overseas reports mostly as usual USA but Hong Kong arrests reported and new COVID outbreak in mainland China. Migrants in Bosnia surviving or not the cold.
Brexit trade delays allegedly immediately forgetting COVID testing restrictions
Musk richest man - more US stories