Belated moves to supply air defence systems to Ukraine (presumably to protect its energy infrastructure).
Leaders of the G7 group of rich nations have said they will back Ukraine for "as long as it takes" in the wake of Monday's major Russian missile strikes.
The group, which met for emergency virtual talks, said it would keep on giving military and humanitarian aid.
Nato also said it would stand with Ukraine for as long as necessary.
"We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and will stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes," the group said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the G7 for further air defence capabilities.
The Following cities in Ukraine hit by Russian missiles
[deleted unattributed copypasta]
Do I need to name all the idiots on this site who claim that Ukraine and its supporters are the aggressor?
[the only sources I can find via google for that list are a meme website and a pro-putin twitter account that has no reference. Neither of those are acceptable sources for claims of fact. You also failed to link to where you copied from. You absolutely know that all quotes have to be linked, and I’m sick of having to chase this up. Stop treating TS as if it’s FB. Two week ban (double your last ban) – weka]
The air bombardment came with the appointment of Surovikin, known for the bombing of Aleppo (when commander of their aerospace forces) and atrocities in Idlib in Syria (when in army command). He later became a General with command of the 5th southern district.
His combat roles were in Afghanistan 1980’s Moscow 1991 and Chechnya 2004.
One has to wonder why they continue fighting Are they lunatics? Their buildings are being turned to rubble, their civilian populations are being either killed or forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries What is it all for? To regain territory whose inhabitants have made it pretty clear, since 2014, that they do not want to be part of Ukraine?
Russia's interests seem pretty clear. They need to hold Crimea, which seems to be an important defensive outpost for Russia. They also probably need to re-establish land access to Crimea. They had that access, via Ukraine, when the latter was friendly to Russia, but that seems to have changed, since 2014, with Ukraine looking Westward and seeking to join NATO.
I look at the situation much the same way as I would look at a chess game, and I see that the Ukrainians are doing rather well. I see also that the Russians have refrained from playing the nuclear gambit – up until now anyway.
To regain territory whose inhabitants have made it pretty clear, since 2014, that they do not want to be part of Ukraine?
The 1991 referendum to leave the USSR was as below. Post that leaving Russia started moving more Russians into the area – similar in approach to Israel and China. Take over the space with your own people then say it is yours.
The 2014 referendum was as dodgy as hell.
The referendum was illegal under the Constitution of Ukraine. It is not recognized by most countries, mainly due to the presence of Russian forces. Thirteen members of the United Nations Security Council voted in favor of a resolution declaring the referendum invalid, but Russia vetoed it and China abstained. A United Nations General Assembly resolution was later adopted, by a vote of 100 in favor vs. 11 against with 58 abstentions, which declared the referendum invalid and affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity. As the plebiscite was proclaimed, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People called for a boycott of the referendum.
"One has to wonder why they continue fighting Are they lunatics? Their buildings are being turned to rubble, their civilian populations are being either killed or…."
Britain V Nazi Germany 1940 just as well they didn't listen to defeatists then either
One has to wonder why they continue fighting Are they lunatics?
Yup, they should let Putin annex Ukrainian territory without a fight like they did in 2014 because that will placate him and he won't invade and annex more Ukrainian territory and attack Ukrainian cities and kill even more Ukrainians like he did in 2022.
The nuclear gambit is the one where you throw away all chances of winning by throwing the board over, right? I can't imagine why they haven't tried that.
"We are not scared, we are just very very angry" – Ukrainians respond to major missile attacks on Kyiv
So far, 10 people have been reported killed in the missile and drone attacks, whilst 60 have been injured. The strikes hit civilian areas as well as key infrastructure like Kyiv’s thermal power plant (TPP). But Kyiv’s war-hardened citizens are not going anywhere.
“We are not scared; we are just very very angry. These are fucking terrorists. This is not normal,” Kris, a humanitarian worker, told her more than 21,000 Instagram followers…..
……Queues formed outside the shops as people cancelled their plans for the following days. Despite the sombre mood, Kyiv’s unity and community spirit constantly exceed the pressure of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attacks.
“We had a little party during the air siren,” Kris jokes. “I was chatting in the queue with grannies and teenagers at the coffee shop. We were all talking about what an arsehole Putin is.”……
…..“Not even a nuke will kick me out of Kyiv,” she says.
This sentiment is shared by Nikita and his girlfriend Anna, who also refuse to leave Kyiv, despite the threat of more strikes in the future. “They can shell everything. Why leave for nothing when we can stay and do something,” Nikita told bne IntelliNews.
“Do I need to name all the idiots on this site who claim that Ukraine and its supporters are the aggressor?”
I think you have oversimplified my friend, Russia is not the only aggressor. I’d almost say you have Zero understanding.
Take sometime out and review these idiots then.
“Chomsky’s position on Russia-Ukraine relations is surprisingly similar to International Relations (IR) scholar John Mearsheimer’s (and to a lesser extent, Henry Kissinger’s). According to Professor Mearsheimer, the U.S. is to blame for Russia invading the Ukraine. By pressuring Ukraine to join NATO, the U.S. intensified an already tense situation. It provoked Putin to defend Russia’s security interest in keeping Ukraine out of NATO. (For more, see “Mearsheimer on Ukraine.”)”
Chris Hedges: see example of his work – Chris Hedges Report: Ukraine and Crisis of Media Censorship
Throughout the Ukraine war, Western news outlets have mindlessly parroted the opinions of a ruling elite and overseen a public discourse that is often unhinged from the real world.
This is a war of murder and torture by Russian people against Ukrainian people.
And now Belarus joining its military into Russia's. This puts Poland a NATO member fully in the frame.
The chances of Ukraine continuing to exist without a full defence pact with NATO are now zero.
If Putin wanted to avoid a proxy war with NATO, what he's done is get one.
Ukraine submitted its request for full NATO membership on 22 September 2022. Turkey will veto it. A future Ukraine will join the EU, and have a defence pact with NATO without full membership.
I might add here Karl. The intellectuals in your list of impassioned writers and commentators have made a historic mistake. These illustrious individuals mistake is in thinking that US/Western imperialism is the only evil in the world. This mistaken viewpoint is not unprecedented.
The mistake was made by writers in commentators in Germany before the war, who considered British Imperialism to be the only evil in the world
So convinced were leading German intellectuals of the genocidal and racist nature of the British Empire, (and they weren't wrong about that), That they gave their support to the German National Socialists and their newly envisioned Nazi empire.
But the solution to the evil of imperialism is not another imperialism.
Because all empires are genocidal, racist and avaricious.
Racism, genocide and the driving motive of greed at the core, is the nature of all imperialisms.
Russia took control of $12.4 trillion fields in Ukraine
……Referring to data from the Canadian analytical company SecDev, the publication claims that Russian control now includes 63 Ukrainian coal deposits, 11% of oil reserves, a fifth of natural gas, 42% of metals, and a third of deposits of rare earth elements, including lithium necessary for the production of batteries. Among other things, Ukraine has lost large deposits of uranium, gold and limestone. All in all, Kyiv could lose access to two-thirds of its energy and mineral reserves.
All these deposits are needed for the production of high-tech products from microelectronics to components for aviation, which, according to the authors of WP, will make it difficult for the West to find alternatives to imports from Russia and China…..
“But apart from that. I am familiar with most of these names, as supporters and apologists for the disgusting genocide in Syria.” …………”While these intellectuals and writers may not be idiots, their one eyed hatred of US imperialism, has obscured their vision”
So Chomsky, Hedges, Prof Jeffrey Sachs, Prof John Mearsheimer, Col Douglas Macgregor are all genocide supporters?
Love to see those references
Cant really speak on their behalf but they appear to be American and suspect they love the freedoms of speech and Americas core values. I suspect the imperialism side they’re not to fond of. They’re not exactly one eyed. Again if you can show this “hatred” they supposedly exhibit, please provide references….
So Chomsky, Hedges, Prof Jeffrey Sachs, Prof John Mearsheimer, Col Douglas Macgregor are all genocide supporters?
Love to see those references. Karl Sinclair
Since you asked:
I don't know all of the intellectuals and commentators on your list, Karl. So I will admit that I can't make a judgement on all of them. But I do know for a fact, that those names on your list, that I do recognise have supported, or at the very least denied the ongoing grisly genocide being carried out right now in Syria by the Assad regime and their Russian allies.
For Noam Chomsky, the first person on your list, (and probably the most recognised and feted among this group of intellectuals), this is not his first outing as a genocide denier. As well as supporting/denying the genocide in Syria committed by the regime of Bashar Al Assad, Chomsky has supported/denied genocide in Cambodia committed by the Pol Pot regime.
From wikipedia:
…..Many scholars of Cambodia and intellectuals opposed to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War denied or minimized the human rights abuses of the Khmer Rouge, characterizing contrary reports as "tales told by refugees" and U.S. propaganda.[1]
……On 6 June 1977, Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman published an article in The Nation …..
….. What filters through to the American public is a seriously distorted version of the evidence available…..
….Cambodia correspondent Nate Thayer said of Chomsky and Herman's Nation article that they "denied the credibility of information leaking out of Cambodia of a bloodbath underway and viciously attacked the authors of reportage suggesting many were suffering under the Khmer Rouge."[29]
….Chomsky, he said, questioned "refugee testimony," believing that "their stories were exaggerations or fabrications, designed for a western media involved in a 'vast and unprecedented propaganda campaign' against the Khmer Rouge government, 'including systematic distortion of the truth.'"[30]
The Oxfam international inequality index ranks governments on policies and actions that have major impacts on reducing inequality, like public service spend, taxes and labour rights. Overall, New Zealand was 8th.
136th out of 161 when it comes to fair wealth distribution, and little better on tax at 91st and labour rights, 74th.
It looks like we need a government from 2023 that includes a party with a plan in these areas.
So you will remember just last month when the entire banking and Kiwisaver industry strapped on a 24 kilo enema bomb just for proposing a marginal tax on fees?
What the media are looking for now and until the 2023 election is tax cuts.
And that's likely to be the only dice throw they have left.
1. adopt the simple Greens wealth tax (the smart land tax applied at over $1M only) – other nations do the more complicated things like CGT and inheritance taxes.
Use the money raised to adjust income tax thresholds. More people on higher incomes would gain than lose from this approach (let those people fight each other over it).
2. collect 1% from employees and employers to fund the contribution to the Cullen Fund (frees up money for health and capital input to kainga ora) – if they do not National will stop future contributions (as per 2008-2017).
3. as part of an income support package – WFF tax credits and AS – some change at the bottom of the tax system. My preference would be a low rate 10 cents up towards $20,000 (something across the board) and a low income earner rebate for individuals and couples on two incomes without children.
Benefits are tax paid, Super is based on an assessment of net tax (is impacted by rising incomes and tax changes).
PS. The USA is set to soon have one of the the largest increases in Social Security ever (nothing like it since the 70's) – we don't hear so much about affordability projections since the GFC and the pandemic though (QE …).
What the media are looking for now and until the 2023 election is tax cuts
Yep. But as a differentiation from the Nats, call it "tax cuts for the many, not the few". So start lowering GST in a series of planned and phased reductions (12.5%, 10%), and introduce a tax-free threshold on initial earnings with a series of phased increases to that threshold (initial $10k, $15k, etc.).
Propaganda-wise, steal the Tory, Laffer curve bullshit of saying that the increased growth that results from these cuts will (ahem) over time actually increase tax receipts. With tax cuts for the many it might actually prove partially correct – though also with a demand-driven inflationary risk. Paying for it – increase tax on higher incomes so that from about $90k the effect is neutral and then turns net-negative somewhere in the lower-mid 100's. Almost certainly, this wouldn't be enough, so debt would have to increase, but there is some room for that.
Do you mind sharing the source for the above target list? I'm trying to find a bit more details and the only google search results I get are for images containing this information.
Jenny's comment has now been edited, because it's against site policy to copy material here without attribution. I found stupid memes and a pro-Putin twitter account as sources, none of them seemed useful for information.
Before the tired old "pearl clutching" accusations emerge, I am not suggesting any banning or removal, but questioning the presentation of bad information, and the influence this lack of quality may have on teenage readers.
Particularly those girls who struggle with the developments of puberty.
To think we critiqued publications like Cosmo for increasing body issues in teenage girls, and this celebration of bodily judgement and disconnection is feted.
Thanks SPC for keeping the debate/query going. Recognising the in built inertia in Govt implementation, which can be a good things as well as a bad one, it does seem that we could be working on aspects and signalling that we are. Otherwise the way the media seem to work is that
'can't see anything,
no Govt comment on this
therefore they (Govt) are not doing anything'
More and more…'they are not doing anything' feeds into opinion polls that reflect 'they are not doing anything, I am being ignored' If we/Labour want a third term they will need to do more than sleepwalk or 'trust us'.
I've heard the argument in the last day or two that reducing NZ's agricultural production will see that gap filled internationally by overseas farmers who have a higher GG emissions. Meaning higher aggregate global emissions. National's agriculture spokesperson Barbara Kuriger made it here as did Andrew Hoggard on RNZ. I'm informed secondhand that Luxy also did it as part of the media round this morning.
So a superficially appealing talking point. But what does it mean in practice?
Is some non-existent global referee going to set target emissions for industry sectors and require those countries who exceed them by the greatest margin to act first, while stellar performers like our NZ farmers can change more slowly?
Or is National's emissions policy for agriculture to actually produce a whole lot more, achieve worldwide market domination and displace all high-emitters with our clean-green products, thus saving the rest of planet – who will be eternally grateful and never be alarmed by the resulting rural decay and loss of food security in their own countries?
But neither of these will happen – so it must be just an obfuscation to justify more can kicking.
So, you're right, being widely discussed. I have no doubt the discussion is being driven by interest groups, but still needs to be responded to, forcefully.
Or, the EP is going to suffer from the same loss in public confidence and support that 3 waters has experienced.
The specific points from the article
Job losses in small towns (due to the reduction in herd size)
Will dropping ag exports simply mean other countries will increase their ag exports to fill the market gap? (as you pointed out many of these will have much greater carbon costs than NZ farms)
A third point which I heard in passing on Nat rad (so can't link, I'm sorry – maybe it was the same Hoggard piece you're referencing), was that reducing ag production will result in increased food prices.
But here's a similar piece from Stuff (it's very much 'might' increase food prices – but take that with a grain of salt, if farmer's costs go up, and stocking rates go down, then prices will increase)
Well this frankly seems a little odd after all I have so many times the spiel that the price paid in New Zealand is the 'market' price and so because the 'market' price is set by the international market that we export to…In a shorter sentence we already pay the maximum they can get!
Apples growers made it quite clear they don't sell their surplus apples to the local market so as to keep the price up. Oil, diamonds same thing – the market isn't a free market it is controlled left, right and centre.
And according to some would rather leave the produce rotting on the ground if they cannot ensure their prices remain high, though last season the excuse was lack of imported seasonal pickers.
I remain very cynical/skeptical about much of what farmers or their reps say.
Well they reversed the decision saying it was an error (misinformation) but the market penalized them several magnitudes more ( very close to banking covenant penalties)
Yeah bit like the UK gilt program,with defensive stands by the BOE to fight Fiscal calamity by the UK gov, with 3 different interpretations on the program will finish in 3 days,requiring another statement from the BOE (financial stability committee) that it will end on Friday.
Looks like something (?) went wrong when I scheduled today’s DR around 8:16 pm last night. Things have been very sluggish in the back-end and I apologise for the inconvenience it may have caused. Is there anything important enough that I should salvage from the DR wreckage, as I can still see the comments in the back-end?
This morning from about 7.30am and it had disappeared about the time I read Incognito's post. So a couple of hours, if that. There is always the chance that I magicked a spell check up somehow on to my posts, if so the spell has been lost.
Tempting as it may be to let whole posts disappear into the ether sometimes, this time it was most likely a combination of technical glitch and human (?) error (most likely mine, not Putin’s).
Thank you for the alerting; I hadn’t even noticed it yet, as I haven’t had a coffee yet.
Today I heard James Shaw and Damien O'Connor get hammered during their respective radio interviews regarding Labours Emission Scheme. What scares me was how vague some of their answers were. In my opinion Labour's fate was sealed today. The question that may be more important for the country is 'what policies, apart from the obvious, will National roll back once in government? Seems to me more damage may be done untangling the mess this country is in. That may encourage the Tories to leave things as they are. Given their propensity to hold the status quo, we may be jumping out of the fat and into the fire, if the so far weak National Party response to the emissions scheme is anything to go by.
Nothing says courageous, independent truth-teller quite like taking an autocrat's cash to make a puff piece about him.
/
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As it turns out, a charitable foundation named after and controlled by Nazarbayev paid at least $5 million for the production, a conflict of interest that was not disclosed. Last year, Stone and the film’s director, Igor Lopatonok, told the Guardian that the Kazakh government was not involved, but refused to discuss who had funded it.
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JorgeCaballero, a San Francisco Bay-based anesthesiologist who has tracked coronavirus-related trends on his popular Twitter account, tweeted screenshots Sundayof recent one-star Amazon reviews for Yankee scented candles, and asserted, “Yankee Candle reviews indicate that COVID is about surge again.”
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So much for our brave talk of ‘kaitiakitanga’ for native plants and animals. Once again, New Zealand’s ‘clean green image’ is being trashed.
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Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
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Belated moves to supply air defence systems to Ukraine (presumably to protect its energy infrastructure).
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63217558
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEUx0f2gu9g
'
The Following cities in Ukraine hit by Russian missiles
[deleted unattributed copypasta]
Do I need to name all the idiots on this site who claim that Ukraine and its supporters are the aggressor?
[the only sources I can find via google for that list are a meme website and a pro-putin twitter account that has no reference. Neither of those are acceptable sources for claims of fact. You also failed to link to where you copied from. You absolutely know that all quotes have to be linked, and I’m sick of having to chase this up. Stop treating TS as if it’s FB. Two week ban (double your last ban) – weka]
The air bombardment came with the appointment of Surovikin, known for the bombing of Aleppo (when commander of their aerospace forces) and atrocities in Idlib in Syria (when in army command). He later became a General with command of the 5th southern district.
His combat roles were in Afghanistan 1980’s Moscow 1991 and Chechnya 2004.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2-5It_PJv0
southern district – as per the army group south in Ukraine from June to October.
One has to wonder why they continue fighting Are they lunatics? Their buildings are being turned to rubble, their civilian populations are being either killed or forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries What is it all for? To regain territory whose inhabitants have made it pretty clear, since 2014, that they do not want to be part of Ukraine?
Russia's interests seem pretty clear. They need to hold Crimea, which seems to be an important defensive outpost for Russia. They also probably need to re-establish land access to Crimea. They had that access, via Ukraine, when the latter was friendly to Russia, but that seems to have changed, since 2014, with Ukraine looking Westward and seeking to join NATO.
I look at the situation much the same way as I would look at a chess game, and I see that the Ukrainians are doing rather well. I see also that the Russians have refrained from playing the nuclear gambit – up until now anyway.
Hold Crimea because it's an important defensive outpost? Defence against what and whom? Ukraine attacking Russia seeking to annex it?
To regain territory whose inhabitants have made it pretty clear, since 2014, that they do not want to be part of Ukraine?
The 1991 referendum to leave the USSR was as below. Post that leaving Russia started moving more Russians into the area – similar in approach to Israel and China. Take over the space with your own people then say it is yours.
The 2014 referendum was as dodgy as hell.
The referendum was illegal under the Constitution of Ukraine. It is not recognized by most countries, mainly due to the presence of Russian forces. Thirteen members of the United Nations Security Council voted in favor of a resolution declaring the referendum invalid, but Russia vetoed it and China abstained. A United Nations General Assembly resolution was later adopted, by a vote of 100 in favor vs. 11 against with 58 abstentions, which declared the referendum invalid and affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity. As the plebiscite was proclaimed, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People called for a boycott of the referendum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Crimean_status_referendum
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ukraine_Referendum_1991.png
"One has to wonder why they continue fighting Are they lunatics? Their buildings are being turned to rubble, their civilian populations are being either killed or…."
Britain V Nazi Germany 1940 just as well they didn't listen to defeatists then either
Yup, they should let Putin annex Ukrainian territory without a fight like they did in 2014 because that will placate him and he won't invade and annex more Ukrainian territory and attack Ukrainian cities and kill even more Ukrainians like he did in 2022.
ffs //
The nuclear gambit is the one where you throw away all chances of winning by throwing the board over, right? I can't imagine why they haven't tried that.
Ukrainians express their defiance
With spirit like this Russia’s defeat is guaranteed.
Hi Zero,
You said
“Do I need to name all the idiots on this site who claim that Ukraine and its supporters are the aggressor?”
I think you have oversimplified my friend, Russia is not the only aggressor. I’d almost say you have Zero understanding.
Take sometime out and review these idiots then.
“Chomsky’s position on Russia-Ukraine relations is surprisingly similar to International Relations (IR) scholar John Mearsheimer’s (and to a lesser extent, Henry Kissinger’s). According to Professor Mearsheimer, the U.S. is to blame for Russia invading the Ukraine. By pressuring Ukraine to join NATO, the U.S. intensified an already tense situation. It provoked Putin to defend Russia’s security interest in keeping Ukraine out of NATO. (For more, see “Mearsheimer on Ukraine.”)”
Noam Chomsky: article https://medium.com/statecraft-and-global-affairs/chomsky-on-ukraine-america-is-manufacturing-monsters-f136e7b217a9I’m
Prof Jeffrey Sachs: https://youtu.be/wmOePNsNFw0
Prof John Mearsheimer: https://youtu.be/qciVozNtCDM
Col Douglas Macgregor: https://youtu.be/gaHa59_daGo
Kissinger: https://youtu.be/WOZw0zGFvzI
Alexander Mercouris: https://youtu.be/GYCNkjJ5m9k
Chris Hedges: see example of his work – Chris Hedges Report: Ukraine and Crisis of Media Censorship
Throughout the Ukraine war, Western news outlets have mindlessly parroted the opinions of a ruling elite and overseen a public discourse that is often unhinged from the real world.
https://youtu.be/N0H7PIJcEP0
John Pilger – This Is a War of Propaganda’: John Pilger on Ukraine and Assange https://youtu.be/u9pEotvlW-s
If it was a war about joining NATO, Russia would have invaded Finland by now.
This isn't a war about propaganda.
Belarus and Russia to deploy joint regional military group | News | DW | 10.10.2
This is a war of murder and torture by Russian people against Ukrainian people.
And now Belarus joining its military into Russia's. This puts Poland a NATO member fully in the frame.
The chances of Ukraine continuing to exist without a full defence pact with NATO are now zero.
If Putin wanted to avoid a proxy war with NATO, what he's done is get one.
Ukraine submitted its request for full NATO membership on 22 September 2022. Turkey will veto it. A future Ukraine will join the EU, and have a defence pact with NATO without full membership.
Yep, a NATO security guarantee to all EU members. It could well be
The second part could co-exist with an EU-Russia defence pact post the Putin/Duginite era.
Hi Karl, I didn't know your list of 'idiots' commented here.
But apart from that. I am familiar with most of these names, as supporters and apologists for the disgusting genocide in Syria.
(While these intellectuals and writers may not be idiots, their one eyed hatred of US imperialism, has obscured their vision).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQni3qn6GIU&t=2s
I might add here Karl. The intellectuals in your list of impassioned writers and commentators have made a historic mistake. These illustrious individuals mistake is in thinking that US/Western imperialism is the only evil in the world. This mistaken viewpoint is not unprecedented.
The mistake was made by writers in commentators in Germany before the war, who considered British Imperialism to be the only evil in the world
So convinced were leading German intellectuals of the genocidal and racist nature of the British Empire, (and they weren't wrong about that), That they gave their support to the German National Socialists and their newly envisioned Nazi empire.
But the solution to the evil of imperialism is not another imperialism.
Because all empires are genocidal, racist and avaricious.
Racism, genocide and the driving motive of greed at the core, is the nature of all imperialisms.
Hi, Jenny are we there yet
You said
“But apart from that. I am familiar with most of these names, as supporters and apologists for the disgusting genocide in Syria.” …………”While these intellectuals and writers may not be idiots, their one eyed hatred of US imperialism, has obscured their vision”
So Chomsky, Hedges, Prof Jeffrey Sachs, Prof John Mearsheimer, Col Douglas Macgregor are all genocide supporters?
Love to see those references
Cant really speak on their behalf but they appear to be American and suspect they love the freedoms of speech and Americas core values. I suspect the imperialism side they’re not to fond of. They’re not exactly one eyed. Again if you can show this “hatred” they supposedly exhibit, please provide references….
cheers
So Chomsky, Hedges, Prof Jeffrey Sachs, Prof John Mearsheimer, Col Douglas Macgregor are all genocide supporters?
Love to see those references. Karl Sinclair
Since you asked:
I don't know all of the intellectuals and commentators on your list, Karl. So I will admit that I can't make a judgement on all of them. But I do know for a fact, that those names on your list, that I do recognise have supported, or at the very least denied the ongoing grisly genocide being carried out right now in Syria by the Assad regime and their Russian allies.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/anadolu-post/assad-regime-hanged-13-000-opponents-amnesty/742944
For Noam Chomsky, the first person on your list, (and probably the most recognised and feted among this group of intellectuals), this is not his first outing as a genocide denier. As well as supporting/denying the genocide in Syria committed by the regime of Bashar Al Assad, Chomsky has supported/denied genocide in Cambodia committed by the Pol Pot regime.
From wikipedia:
mod note.
Wow 20 years today.
Feels like it just happened yesterday.
Adam-can you say what you are talking about-the subject of your post-rather than turn us into clickbate.
mouse over link = Bali bombing no need to click
It depends on the browser being used, whether the nature of the link shows up.
Thank you for enlightening the rest of us who aren't using your browser.
The Oxfam international inequality index ranks governments on policies and actions that have major impacts on reducing inequality, like public service spend, taxes and labour rights. Overall, New Zealand was 8th.
136th out of 161 when it comes to fair wealth distribution, and little better on tax at 91st and labour rights, 74th.
It looks like we need a government from 2023 that includes a party with a plan in these areas.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/10/exclusive-new-zealand-ranked-136th-in-world-on-fair-wealth-distribution-leading-to-call-for-new-tax.html
So you will remember just last month when the entire banking and Kiwisaver industry strapped on a 24 kilo enema bomb just for proposing a marginal tax on fees?
What the media are looking for now and until the 2023 election is tax cuts.
And that's likely to be the only dice throw they have left.
Labour should
1. adopt the simple Greens wealth tax (the smart land tax applied at over $1M only) – other nations do the more complicated things like CGT and inheritance taxes.
Use the money raised to adjust income tax thresholds. More people on higher incomes would gain than lose from this approach (let those people fight each other over it).
2. collect 1% from employees and employers to fund the contribution to the Cullen Fund (frees up money for health and capital input to kainga ora) – if they do not National will stop future contributions (as per 2008-2017).
3. as part of an income support package – WFF tax credits and AS – some change at the bottom of the tax system. My preference would be a low rate 10 cents up towards $20,000 (something across the board) and a low income earner rebate for individuals and couples on two incomes without children.
Only point 3 has a chance Budget next year.
Personally I'd wipe tax on all benefits including NZSuper and a really low tax for any income under $20k. Stop taxing the poor.
Sure, it's about the 2023 election policy.
Benefits are tax paid, Super is based on an assessment of net tax (is impacted by rising incomes and tax changes).
PS. The USA is set to soon have one of the the largest increases in Social Security ever (nothing like it since the 70's) – we don't hear so much about affordability projections since the GFC and the pandemic though (QE …).
Yep. But as a differentiation from the Nats, call it "tax cuts for the many, not the few". So start lowering GST in a series of planned and phased reductions (12.5%, 10%), and introduce a tax-free threshold on initial earnings with a series of phased increases to that threshold (initial $10k, $15k, etc.).
Propaganda-wise, steal the Tory, Laffer curve bullshit of saying that the increased growth that results from these cuts will (ahem) over time actually increase tax receipts. With tax cuts for the many it might actually prove partially correct – though also with a demand-driven inflationary risk. Paying for it – increase tax on higher incomes so that from about $90k the effect is neutral and then turns net-negative somewhere in the lower-mid 100's. Almost certainly, this wouldn't be enough, so debt would have to increase, but there is some room for that.
Why wait until 2023? Why not address things now?
Labour have just over 30% and Greens 10%. Lost about 15% support in 18 months.
Opinion polling for the next New Zealand general election – Wikipedia
Figure it out Shanreagh.
Righto, leaving now to figure it out…..
OK Ad, what would you do?
What would you recommend, on the assumption that you are wanting a third term for Labour. Hopefully I am not wrong here?
Labour has over 50% of the seats. Greens already have the policies.
@Jenny are we there yet
Do you mind sharing the source for the above target list? I'm trying to find a bit more details and the only google search results I get are for images containing this information.
Thanks in advance.
Jenny's comment has now been edited, because it's against site policy to copy material here without attribution. I found stupid memes and a pro-Putin twitter account as sources, none of them seemed useful for information.
One selection from Auckland Libraries teenage books:
Welcome to St. Hell : my trans teen misadventure / Lewis Hancox
Before the tired old "pearl clutching" accusations emerge, I am not suggesting any banning or removal, but questioning the presentation of bad information, and the influence this lack of quality may have on teenage readers.
Particularly those girls who struggle with the developments of puberty.
To think we critiqued publications like Cosmo for increasing body issues in teenage girls, and this celebration of bodily judgement and disconnection is feted.
https://twitter.com/FamEdTrust/status/1579784233320869888?s=20&t=jaO04L1uUH5LDCRMqLjSRw
Thanks SPC for keeping the debate/query going. Recognising the in built inertia in Govt implementation, which can be a good things as well as a bad one, it does seem that we could be working on aspects and signalling that we are. Otherwise the way the media seem to work is that
'can't see anything,
no Govt comment on this
therefore they (Govt) are not doing anything'
More and more…'they are not doing anything' feeds into opinion polls that reflect 'they are not doing anything, I am being ignored' If we/Labour want a third term they will need to do more than sleepwalk or 'trust us'.
I've heard the argument in the last day or two that reducing NZ's agricultural production will see that gap filled internationally by overseas farmers who have a higher GG emissions. Meaning higher aggregate global emissions. National's agriculture spokesperson Barbara Kuriger made it here as did Andrew Hoggard on RNZ. I'm informed secondhand that Luxy also did it as part of the media round this morning.
So a superficially appealing talking point. But what does it mean in practice?
Is some non-existent global referee going to set target emissions for industry sectors and require those countries who exceed them by the greatest margin to act first, while stellar performers like our NZ farmers can change more slowly?
Or is National's emissions policy for agriculture to actually produce a whole lot more, achieve worldwide market domination and displace all high-emitters with our clean-green products, thus saving the rest of planet – who will be eternally grateful and never be alarmed by the resulting rural decay and loss of food security in their own countries?
But neither of these will happen – so it must be just an obfuscation to justify more can kicking.
Was front page (I understand – I read it online, so can't actually confirm) of the Herald this morning
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-front-page-why-farmers-are-opposed-to-govts-emission-plan/N36PQMAXVP62EAUEUQQ6OMJFRU/?c_id=1&objectid=12558072&ref=rss
So, you're right, being widely discussed. I have no doubt the discussion is being driven by interest groups, but still needs to be responded to, forcefully.
Or, the EP is going to suffer from the same loss in public confidence and support that 3 waters has experienced.
The specific points from the article
A third point which I heard in passing on Nat rad (so can't link, I'm sorry – maybe it was the same Hoggard piece you're referencing), was that reducing ag production will result in increased food prices.
But here's a similar piece from Stuff (it's very much 'might' increase food prices – but take that with a grain of salt, if farmer's costs go up, and stocking rates go down, then prices will increase)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/130135935/food-prices-will-go-up-when-farmers-start-paying-for-their-emissions
Well this frankly seems a little odd after all I have so many times the spiel that the price paid in New Zealand is the 'market' price and so because the 'market' price is set by the international market that we export to…In a shorter sentence we already pay the maximum they can get!
Apples growers made it quite clear they don't sell their surplus apples to the local market so as to keep the price up. Oil, diamonds same thing – the market isn't a free market it is controlled left, right and centre.
And according to some would rather leave the produce rotting on the ground if they cannot ensure their prices remain high, though last season the excuse was lack of imported seasonal pickers.
I remain very cynical/skeptical about much of what farmers or their reps say.
Is there some issue with today's Daily Review that appears to have vanished into the ether?
I don't think it was Putin,he is busy with a pipeline in Poland.
You never know…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/476460/nz-linked-russian-oligarch-alexander-abramov-and-family-hit-by-tailored-sanctions-from-government
Looks like cloudflare is playing up
I'll have to take your word for it….seems to be a lot of it about
Cant have been misinformation heavy penalties to be had.
https://twitter.com/realmichaelseif/status/1579858356541718529
Will they accept their own stock in payment?
Well they reversed the decision saying it was an error (misinformation) but the market penalized them several magnitudes more ( very close to banking covenant penalties)
Yes saw they'd claimed 'error'…it was an error no doubt…an error of judgement i suspect.
A lot of those about as well.
Yeah bit like the UK gilt program,with defensive stands by the BOE to fight Fiscal calamity by the UK gov, with 3 different interpretations on the program will finish in 3 days,requiring another statement from the BOE (financial stability committee) that it will end on Friday.
( 30 YR RATE JUST HIT 5%)
Looks like something (?) went wrong when I scheduled today’s DR around 8:16 pm last night. Things have been very sluggish in the back-end and I apologise for the inconvenience it may have caused. Is there anything important enough that I should salvage from the DR wreckage, as I can still see the comments in the back-end?
I don't know but I had a brief 3 or so hours when I had a spell check function on TS but this has now come to an end.
Noted, but spellcheckers don’t correct sloppiness.
When was that?
This morning from about 7.30am and it had disappeared about the time I read Incognito's post. So a couple of hours, if that. There is always the chance that I magicked a spell check up somehow on to my posts, if so the spell has been lost.
Perhaps I'm the one who's jinxed
"Is there anything important enough that I should salvage from the DR wreckage,"
I dont think so but was uncertain as to the reason it disappeared…thought perhaps some unknown breach of protocol had occurred.
A technical glitch is unavoidable.
Thank you for the explanation
Tempting as it may be to let whole posts disappear into the ether sometimes, this time it was most likely a combination of technical glitch and human (?) error (most likely mine, not Putin’s).
Thank you for the alerting; I hadn’t even noticed it yet, as I haven’t had a coffee yet.
Today I heard James Shaw and Damien O'Connor get hammered during their respective radio interviews regarding Labours Emission Scheme. What scares me was how vague some of their answers were. In my opinion Labour's fate was sealed today. The question that may be more important for the country is 'what policies, apart from the obvious, will National roll back once in government? Seems to me more damage may be done untangling the mess this country is in. That may encourage the Tories to leave things as they are. Given their propensity to hold the status quo, we may be jumping out of the fat and into the fire, if the so far weak National Party response to the emissions scheme is anything to go by.
What scares me is how sloppy some of the comments here are.
What irks me is that some still refer to voices in their heads rather than providing simple links to the sources of those voices.
Nothing says courageous, independent truth-teller quite like taking an autocrat's cash to make a puff piece about him.
/
Released in 2021 as both an eight-hour miniseries and a feature film, Qazaq: History of the Golden Man turns a flattering lens on Nazarbayev as he reminisces about his years in power and shares thoughts about the country’s future.
As it turns out, a charitable foundation named after and controlled by Nazarbayev paid at least $5 million for the production, a conflict of interest that was not disclosed. Last year, Stone and the film’s director, Igor Lopatonok, told the Guardian that the Kazakh government was not involved, but refused to discuss who had funded it.
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/sidebar/oliver-stone-documentary-about-kazakhstans-former-leader-nazarbayev-was-funded-by-a-nazarbayev-foundation
A new public health index.
A new wave of Yankee Candle reviews on Amazon complains the products lack scent. Does that suggest another COVID-19 surge is imminent? It’s hard to say, but with official case reports increasingly an undercount, people are looking to other forms of information to gauge trends.
Jorge Caballero, a San Francisco Bay-based anesthesiologist who has tracked coronavirus-related trends on his popular Twitter account, tweeted screenshots Sunday of recent one-star Amazon reviews for Yankee scented candles, and asserted, “Yankee Candle reviews indicate that COVID is about surge again.”
https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/covid-scent-loss-yankee-candle-amazon-reviews-20221011.html
Gee, wonder what changed mid September.
/
https://twitter.com/Thoughtfulnz/status/1579986308180905984
Dame Anne Salmond: Seeing the wood for the trees (msn.com)