RUGBY is a game of two halves, but not many know it can also be a game of four quarters. The first test against Australia in the

DONALD Trump is gonna be the prez ... the ice sheets are melting ... innocents are being killed in stupid wars around the planet ..

THE failure of the mainstream media in the United States to provide objective analysis during the recent presidential campaign is

With its trails, tracks and treks, New Zealand is a treasure trove for the active visitor. And each year more people flock to the

"Look, I'm not a cigarette smoker, but I agree with your columns where you put the boot into those 'smokefree' ideologues. It's just

By Margi Keys RECENTLY I was in the South Island. Being interested in the power of natural forces, I was keen to see some effects

Bulldozed We have a very special stream at Castlecliff Beach, and all of my children have played in it over the years. Our council

All of the available evidence rather suggests that the story of satire in 2016 was the old story of how satire has zero impact on

FOR ME, Christmas came early this year - and what a glorious day it was. With two lifeforms living out of town and working over the

Homelessness in New Zealand has been one of the big stories of the year - despite officialdom's attempts to hide the harsh reality

THE stop-go evacuation of rebel fighters and civilians from Aleppo had begun again as I write, but the reason for the last interruption

Margi Keys, an ESOL teacher and a proofreader, moved to Whanganui from the North Shore in June 2015. She was planning a six-day rafting

Silly season About Chris Cresswell's article in Saturday's (December 17) Chronicle, "Take the 'silly' out of silly season": Amen

AT SOME stage next year, Horizons Regional Council will be undertaking a public review of flood protection in Whanganui. If you live

DEAR Uncle Bill ... Congrats on becoming New Zealand's 39th prime minister. It may only be a brief tenure, though, so here's an

IS BEING referred to police Youth Aid a slap with a wet bus ticket? Not necessarily. This week's story of seven youths aged 11-16

LAST week I highlighted 10 businesses which, in my view, stood out as excellent in 2016. I had a lot of feedback with a number of

NO TWO WEEKS are ever the same in politics, and the last couple of weeks have certainly proved the point. The unexpected resignation

SAD to say, it comes as no great surprise to learn that Youi has been fined $320,000 on 15 charges of using misleading sales techniques. There

WHEN news came out that Fidel Castro (1926-2016) had died I got a call from my friend Blackie in Auckland. It has been a sad year

Modern shaman Hill-country farming was at a crisis point in 1988. I was in the Mangamahu War Memorial Hall watching punk rockers

Gallery costs I also got a fright Mr Moles (Chronicle letters; December 9) when I read that Whanganui District Council "has agreed

Flood protection Jim Ennis (letters, Dec 6), thank you for raising your concerns about possible repair work to the riverbank near

By Graham Pearson LET'S skip Christmas and all its commercialisation and the need to purchase new "things". Instead let's consider

I CAN'T help feeling that what started as a beautiful religious celebration has turned into a nightmare for many people as well as

MONDAY It's always been my dream to be the interim Prime Minister. And now here I am. It feels ... unreal. It feels ... not quite

WITH my Christmas menu locked and loaded, it was time to tackle the masses in the supermarket aisles. Shopping list and unfortunately

THE Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Advocacy, Workforce, and Age Settings) Amendment Act 2016 includes provisions to

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas apparently, and I suspect that Maui's dolphins don't vote for set-net fishing. There's always a

IT'S QUITE a coup for the region to get the Hurricanes-Crusaders clash. It was announced this week that Waverley would be venue for