Slightly less flippantly, talking to recent immigrant teachers at my kids' school, we in NZ have a reputation for being a bit less shitty to immigrants than Australia is. At least to white immigrants that speak English well, that is.
Also, outdoor recreation activities in available in New Zealand were much more appealing to my examples than what is available in Oz. Though since these conversations were with teachers at school camps, that's a heavily biased sample.
I'm sure that almost everyone would consider a 3 year freeze to be anything but "temporary" as you describe it.
Why, and when, do you expect interest rates to rise? You say that 'with an expectation of rising interest rates; not to mention rising house prices. ' whereas TOP do not expect that to happen. If the freeze was to work they say that "with reduced spending, the Reserve Bank will keep interest rates low, and house prices will continue to rise". Why should the interest rates rise if the wage freeze works?
There would seem to be rather more logic in the TOP argument that low interest rates will lead to higher house prices rather than your own statement that rising interest rates will lead to rising prices.
It used to be a well known fable that government borrowing consumed the countries savings and leads to higher interest rates. This narrative was even offered a number of times by the previous National prime minister (as a justification for under funding public services). But it appears TOP have figured out that actually its the RBNZ which decides what interest rates are suitable.
that would give some insight of the historical issues between Israel and the Palistinians but also of the middle eastern region.
As for the comments by Netanyahu at a news conference were that he will not rest until all is quiet in Gaza (or in that vain), will of cause help him politically right now given the internal problems in Israel and the price is paid in, yes yet again… innocent blood. 1/3 of the death are children. Go figure.
No; Francesca & Anker, there are significant differences between the current IDF war crimes, and the systematic murder of approximately 20 million unarmed civilians and PoWs in the holocaust (6 million jewish in the Shoah sub-holocaust, which they are still a bit sensitive about). Such comparisons are just inviting today's OM to devolve into accusations of antisemitism. If you have to Godwin yourself, then Kristallnacht might be a better comparison. Though you are not short of other historical (non-nazi) atrocities to choose from. Parihaka comes to mind for an Aotearoan example.
Also, I can't see that Gantz quote in the text of the CBS article the Guardian references. It may be in one of the video clips, but so undoubtedly are lots of footage of the dead and wounded. That is one time I am not inclined to seek out the primary source! This is the closest I could find:
Netanyahu has vowed to expand the offensive, saying "this will take time," … Gantz said Israel's strikes were "only the beginning" and the military said it was activating some 5,000 reservists and sending troop reinforcements to the Gaza border…
CBS News Radio correspondent Robert Berger, who's covered the Middle East for decades, said the Biden administration appears to be treading cautiously as it wants to avoid getting off to a bad start with Israel.
Berger noted also that as Israeli cities are being bombarded, it would be difficult for the U.S. not to back Israel's right to self-defense. That's what Israel would like to hear, unequivocally, from President Biden, but Israel realizes it will come under increasing pressure from the U.S. to show restraint, so it may be trying to hit Hamas as hard as it can before diplomatic time runs out.
Biden is going to have to do more than mouth empty concern soon, if he doesn't want people (maybe even some Democrat senators who he needs on his side) to start questioning all the US military aid to Israel. It looks like nothing will happen on that until tomorrow (NY Sunday) though:
According to diplomats at the UN, the US mission, led by ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, had been in favour of a security council statement but had been overruled by Washington. However, the prospect of a demonstration of US isolation at the general assembly, on a scale reminiscent of the Trump era, helped bring the White House and state department around to accepting an open meeting.
“They were advising Washington that if they don’t have this meeting on Sunday, if you block too hard and say no to everything, it will go to the general assembly, and the numbers there are not good,” one UN diplomat said.
And on Wednesday, there was no end in sight. Israel's Defense Minister said the attacks on armed groups in Gaza were to be stepped up, to bring what he promised to be "total, long term quiet."
You are right on that, Fransesca! End of the second sentence of the second paragraph. I didn't see it on first skim-through, and a ctrl-f search for "Gantz" only turned up the later quote, – I should have copy/ pasted "total, long term quiet" instead. Also, it was the Guardian's CBS link rather than something I hunted out myself (actually hypertexted in your own quote – so I could've got there via that if I realized earlier and left my own link out).
Comparing Gaza situation to Parihaka; Gaza has been a sore spot for 50 years. Parihaka was one important centre of Maori settlement and culture, Gaza is the main city for the vast majority of the Palestinians. But true to say that Gaza and Parihaka are both atrocities on vulnerable people by a dominant armed and aggressive force.
Are we going to ask for sanctions against Israel for this? What will appease them for the dreadful happenings in WW2, would it be enough if the Middle East could come to terms with them as a precursor to giving Palestinians their own country?
I am not sure how many atrocities have been committed against Jews over the centuries, but after the shock of being ejected from Spain and then Poland, it's no wonder that they wanted a country they could call their own, see brief History early to 2010:
Some Jews, a Judaean tribe from the Levant, migrated to Europe just before the rise of the Roman Empire. A notable early event in the history of the Jews in the Roman Empire was Pompey's conquest of Judea beginning in 63 BCE, although Alexandrian Jews had migrated to Rome before this event.
The pre-World War II Jewish population of Europe is estimated to have been close to 9 million, or 57% of Jews worldwide. Around 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, which was followed by the emigration of much of the surviving population.
The Jewish population of Europe in 2010 was estimated to be approximately 1.4 million (0.2% of European population) or 10% of the world's Jewish population. In the 21st century, France has the largest Jewish population in Europe, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Ukraine.
Being banished from your home after centuries of residence in Spain on the whim of royalty after being excellent citizens must have been a huge shock causing despair in Jewish hearts.
The Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain refers to a period of history during the Muslim rule of Iberia in which Jews were generally accepted in society and Jewish religious, cultural and economic life blossomed. This "Golden Age" is variously dated from the 8th to 12th centuries.
Spanish Inquisition – Sultan Bayezid II sent Kemal Reis to save the Arabs and Sephardic Jews of Spain from the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, and granted them permission to settle in the Ottoman Empire, (…since Jews in 1492,,,had been banished from Spain).
The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms and was under the direct control of the Spanish monarchy. It was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabel II….
The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, as well as expulsion from Austria, Hungary and Germany, stimulated a widespread Jewish migration to the much more tolerant Poland. Indeed, with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, Poland became the recognized haven for exiles from the rest of Europe; and the resulting accession to the ranks of Polish Jewry made it the cultural and spiritual center of the Jewish people in Europe.
Gaza building destruction. News reports say these buildings are being destroyed by rockets, yet the way the fall look like controlled demolitions?. Certainly they fall cleanly, lucky that a rocket can be so accurate to take out a building in that fashion
Wow; aj, that's a blast from the past! I haven't read about "controlled demolitions" conjectures since the conspiracy theorists moved on from the 2001 September 11th attacks on the USA. Who do you reckon it was behind this fiendish plot ; the Illuminati, Elvis, or shape-shifting aliens?
Not at all, it just seems weird that a rocket or two can do that to a building. Have a look at some of the footage. We know they can be very accurate so it's probably just that – highly accurate.
I have mentioned before in today's OM that video images of warzones are the one kind of primary source that I take care to avoid. So I will leave it up to the UN inspection teams to make their assessments in due course (having civil engineering expertise which I lack). Hopefully sooner rather than later.
There is plenty of room for scepticism with respect to 9/11, the report after all was assembled by the same less-than-remarkably-truthful political clique that determined there were WMDs in Fallujah, and was notably lacking physical evidence.
The use of controlled demolitions against occupied populations is not unprecedented.
I realise that this is what passes for an attempt at humour on your part, but it is, I feel, misguided.
Some atrocities, like the Moscow Bombings, or 9/11, or the Gunpowder Plot for that matter, are almost unimaginable betrayals, were they perpetrated by the authorities.
Rather than discounting the possibility, the evidence must be examined carefully. Anyone who lived through Rogergnomics in NZ has learned that a significant proportion of those in power at any time may well be raging sociopaths.
Lidice was destroyed as retaliation, they didn't pretend someone else did it.
911 and the current events have a clear and pretty well documented cause (planes filmed flying into buildings / hamas claiming they fired rockets) and plausible effect (buildings damaged to the point of collapse).
I'm not trying to draw a parallel with 9/11 at all, more with Lidice.
If it transpired that IDF had undertaken controlled demolitions, by the use of dust charges perhaps, rather than exclusively missile or smart bomb strikes, I would not be at all surprised – though it would evaporate the notional figleaf of targeting cells of combatants or whatever the pretext is for current action.
We had a long discussion a couple of years back about 9/11 – and I consider the report of the commission at best rudimentary. Absent physical evidence I'm unlikely to revise that view.
It would help if you leave out the personal insults; some react badly to it and it can quickly descend into a flame war, which I don’t find ironic in the slightest given the topic of conversation.
It would also help if you add some info about the image such as what, where, when and who took the photo.
The picture was from Times Of Israel with the caption
Palestinians inspect destroyed buildings following overnight Israeli airstrikes in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, May 14, 2021
I used this one because it shows the central crater common to these large israeli bombs and the obliteration in immediate area from blast including wrecked structural concrete.
The 'dust explosions' have lighter damage around, mostly light facades, windows and roof sheeting. I had a holiday job when I was a student in a factory processing wheat for flour and starch. They said if you hear the fire alarm, run…dont walk out. This below is dust explosion with no crater and heavier structures nearby still standing
Although contemporary use is more commonly delivered by air as FAE strikes, dust charges have long been popular for military demolitions, being effective against buildings, and not requiring detailed examination of building structure or very precise siting of the charge, lending them to reasonably rapid deployment, especially when retreating.
Your picture could have been the result of any number of different forms of explosive attacks, including charges placed by ground forces.
Thermobaric weapons arent 'dust explosions' which rely on say fine flour dust or similar to rapidly burn from ignition point
Your previous comments were 'dust charges' which is absurd as these large high explosive bombs have been commonly shown in screen grabs from video of them falling onto the buildings that then explode
I love the way you take the mantle of expertise on subjects on which you are, and choose to remain, shamefully ignorant.
But moving past your fatuous trolling to the demolition of civilian dwellings and infrastructure such as a functioning media centre.
The use of house demolition under international law is today governed by the Fourth Geneva Convention, enacted in 1949, which protects non-combatants in occupied territories. Article 53 provides that "Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons … is prohibited."[42] In its accompanying commentaries, the International Committee of the Red Cross refers to demolition only being justified by "imperative military requirements", which the Convention itself distinguishes from security considerations. The ICRC has clarified that the term "military operations" refers only to "movements, maneuvers, and other action taken by the armed forces with a view to fighting" and does not cover action undertaken as a punishment. In a further reservation, the ICRC regards the tactic as legitimate only "where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations".
This, and not your suddenly acquired ersatz understanding of explosives, is the heart of the matter. It is why I instanced the destruction of Lidice, which was demolished, as the Israelis are demolishing buildings at present, as an illegal form of collective punishment.
So you're suggesting "controlled demolitions" of the buildings in Gaza?
Why sneak a team into enemy-controlled territory, place charges, and sneak out again? In order to pretend to drop a bomb on the buildings?
Or are you suggesting "controlled demolitions" of Israeli buildings in order to make the Hamas rockets look more powerful than they actually are? I can at least see a bit of a point to that version.
Whether they are achieved by bombardment or groundbased explosives, demolition is a fair description of what's happening in Gaza.
Ordinarily a force with the kind of power imbalance enjoyed by the Israelis would use ground teams because it's appreciably cheaper and usually much more controllable. Bombs can fall on wedding parties and the like, generating undesirable media responses. But Israel gets a lot of ordnance at low or no cost, some of it may finally be as accurate as claimed, and they may be expected to produce trial results for some items too.
"controlled demolitions" of Israeli buildings in order to make the Hamas rockets look more powerful than they actually are
I have no evidence for that. The Israeli government are not so scrupulous I would rule it out, but they are also pretty thick-skinned with regard to world opinion. Short of graphic slaughter of their own civilians they'd struggle to generate a sympathetic response that eclipsed the disproportionate casualties among Palestinians.
Ordinarily a force with the kind of power imbalance enjoyed by the Israelis would use ground teams because it's appreciably cheaper and usually much more controllable.
[citation needed]
The reference to Lidice is misleading, imo. Lidice was the killing of an entire population and destruction of their dwellings in a single act.
I believe the goal of Netenyahu (beyond immediate domestic political survival) is to continue the Palestinian diaspora to a point the ever-shrinking territory can be annexed. But part of this strategy is to make it difficult to report on the hardship on the ground so the Palestinians have difficulty getting international attention – hence the destruction of media offices.
War crimes? Yes. But not Lidice. More like what was done to the Armenians.
Part of the Lidice item is a demolition which the Nazis recorded for propaganda purposes. We don't have the full reel here, but about 2.30 you can see something of what they were about.
At a political level, the process resembles the Armenian genocide – but the demolition somewhat resembles Lidice – and the parallel ought to trouble the conscience of the perpetrators.
The mk84 (2000lb) bomb comes in at around $3100 US when supplied to the US (other countries pay more – though Israel may not) the JDAM kit is quoted at anything from $17k to $40k – some of those being bulk deals or date back to 2011. So all-up around $50k US – pretty cheap really.
Presumably 500 kgs, give or take, of high explosives for tactical use, without the guidance or casing is somewhat cheaper – though not amazingly so.
The cost of the operation isn't just the explosives. It's the probability of loss of the delivery mechanism for those explosives.
Aircraft: no anti-air threat, precision placement, not much more complex than a training flight.
Ground team: at least half a dozen highly trained individuals who can slip into the heart of Gaza undetected with multiple car bombs (two people each bomb), then slip out again.
Cost: extensive training for the specific mission (would be a bugger for someone to park outside the wrong building), plus the cost of training each soldier and the probability of them being captured or killed in the mission.
Sure, losing a jet and pilot would be expensive, but the probability of that would be incredibly low.
Whereas, while the odds of a ground attack being sprung might be well less than 50% (for the sake of argument), the risk is non-trivial. To do what they can do anyway.
Did the ground forces delivering the "dust charges" do so in IDF-branded vehicles that none of the watching media noticed or mentioned? Or were the "dust charges" delivered by FedEx?
Who knows – either the ground forces weren't there – official version – or they've gone off the radar so to speak. I'm sure the most moral army in the world can be trusted unsupervised – about as much as a US cop who switches off his camera.
Israel restricts dual use materials, cement and reinforcing steel among them, from entering Gaza. Poorly constructed buildings tend to collapse with little prompting.
"Rocket" is a general term used by the media to describe anything from a firework (a very small rocket) to an ICBM (a very, very big rocket).
Technically, a "rocket" is a device that is powered by the chemical reaction of liquid or solid fuel propellants (most likely including an oxidiser) to lift a payload that could be anything from a warhead to a spaceship. Additionally rockets that are not capable of leaving the earth atmosphere are unguided – sounding rockets, rocket pods on helicopter gunships or used by rocket artillery all being examples. Hence, Hamas launch "rockets" at Israel.
A "missile" is powered by any number of engine types – rocket, ramjet, turbojet, pulsejet or even hybrids of the above, has some sort of guidance system and has an explosive warhead, hence Israel uses "missiles" to shoot down "rockets."
The most likely weapons being used on buildings in Gaza will be neither of the above but rather guided bombs like the JDAM or Paveway series of laser and GPS guided weapons. These are kits bolted onto old fashioned "dumb" bombs that give them much improved accuracy and these guys are the ones that really pack a punch – up to 1000kg, more than enough for a few (when accurately and leisurely dropped from medium altitude against no opposition) to demolish a building.
Anyway, I wouldn't get too excited and build an entire world view/conspiracy theory based off a journalists inexact description of the cause of an explosion.
Sharing an hotel breakfast buffet with aircrew, apparently.
180 local cases. That’s what Taiwan’s Dr. Fauci, Chen Shih-chung just confirmed on TV today (May 15th). After holding out for wave after wave, containing each breach with citizen vigilance, contact tracing and cool-headed and coordinated government action, there is now uncontained community spread of COVID-19 in Taiwan. How did we get to here?
(CNN)One of the most vaccinated countries in the world is experiencing a Covid-19 outbreak.
While other nations struggle to secure enough vaccines, the Seychelles is in the enviable position of having already fully immunized more than 61.4% of the population.
But that hasn't been enough to stop the spread of Covid.
Over the past month, case numbers have been rising in the Indian Ocean archipelago, prompting authorities to impose restrictions in the country of 98,000 people. Data released Thursday shows there are more than 2,700 active cases.
Of the current active cases, 33% have been fully vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health.
i expect cases to go up in the US again with the removal of masks. The vaccine helps to make it less deadly, but one can still get it and still transmit it. But maybe that is the new growth sector of the future – covid outbreaks. s/
That's a roll up your sleeves read there; Joe90! Though the google scholar link downloads a pdf rather than online pages. I won't pretend to follow all the calculations, but some of the assumptions are a little suspect.
In particular, based largely off patterns with previous coronaviruses epidemics, they put both the: Loss rate of sterilizing, and partial, immunity at 1/2 per year. While more recent research shows that these values may be unduly pessimistic, at least with known variants and the Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine. Further viral mutation leading to new Variants of Concern will probably require at least a third, though not necessarily yearly shots:
Comirnaty’s six-month data is a testament to the vaccine’s durability, which is likely to be maintained up to at least 12 months following the initial two-dose regimen… The six-month data from the Phase III portion of the Phase I/II/III trial showed a 3.7-point drop to 91.3% efficacy against symptomatic disease…
In general, a vaccine that triggers a durable response for the first six months typically has longer-term durability, Thomas added. And so, despite mRNA vaccines being a new technology, it is unlikely that Comirnaty’s efficacy will drop below 50% protection in the next six months, he noted. Regulatory agencies’ passing grade for Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) is 50%.
Ive had 5 in last year and havent even had the Covid one yet.
2 flu- separate years, 2 others which were some sort of catchup of vaccines past and 1 pneumonia ( which I jumped in early last year once it was clear a lot people were dying from secondary pneumonia)
Its like having dental xrays, just a thing you do as necessary
"But that hasn't been enough to stop the spread of Covid." [Seychelles]
Thats because you are doing cut and pastes without any understanding, Seychelles is a tourist country and those arriving for holiday and testing positive are counted as in community.
Its getting ludicrous for the cut and pasters, people who couldnt read beyond the first paragraph in scientific medical paper are like magpies with some shiny object when they swoop on a pre publication paper that hasnt even been peer reviewed.
The Seychelles is relying on China-made Sinopharm and Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine made in India. Of all fully vaccinated people, 57% received Sinopharm, which was given to those ages 18 to 60, while 43% took Covishield, which was given to those over 60.
As for efficacy, that rather depends on what studies you look at. Possibly relating to variant specificity (with different geographical areas), as well as dose interval period:
Covishield is Serum Institute of India’s version of AZD1222…
AZD1222’s efficacy was around 54.9% when the second dose was given less than six weeks after the first dose, as per a February study analysing Covid-19 cases in phase 3 clinical trial participants across the UK, Brazil and South Africa. The efficacy increased to 59.9% when the second dose was given 6-8 weeks after the first dose, 63.7% when the second dose was at 9-11 weeks, and 82.4% when the dosing interval stretched to 12 weeks or more…
According to Oxford University and AstraZeneca, interim results from phase 3 clinical trials conducted on 32,000 participants across the US, Chile and Peru show that the vaccine had an efficacy of 79% against symptomatic Covid-19 when the interval between doses was four weeks. More importantly, the efficacy in the cases of severe or critical symptomatic Covid-19 was 100%.
The efficacy found in these trials is much higher than its efficacy in trials conducted in countries like the UK and Brazil.
The ongoing Phase III clinical trials of one of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, which have been conducted in five Arab countries since the summer of 2020, show an efficacy of 78.89 percent on people aged 18 and above, the company executives said during a seminar about vaccine development held in Shanghai on Thursday.
The clinical trials also show a 100 percent protection against severe illness and hospitalization of COVID-19 patients
The problem is that these are all interim results against a mutating virus, so may not be entirely predictive for new variants. Also, to be blunt; whether you can trust the results from drug companies who have a profit motive to inflate their stated efficacy. As for Sputnik 5 (or S5light), the Russian's unwillingness to release their data (and some suspiciously fabricated looking numbers) makes it impossible to say for sure.
Ok, thanks. The thing is that it seems that we cannot know what the true level of immunity is at any given point in time in the Seychelles and against the different variants that may be brought into the country by travellers. Thus, it would be prudent not to rely on vaccination alone, despite the high vaccination numbers, wouldn’t you say?
But 60% isn't a high vaccination rate, either. 60% in six months from new is pretty good distribution and puts them on the path to an effective vaccination level, assuming they don't keep bringing in new variants to [checks notes] a global tourist destination [sigh].
The medical experts have allways said they arent a total asnswer
Are you even aware 95% is 1 in 20, who dont get the complete cover obviously not.
Then there is those who claim they are being tested when they arent or say they are vaccinated when they arent – we have seen this in the MIQ system here where there it wasnt voluntary. A sports team that had compulsory vaccinations to travel and play sounds very much like that, but we shall see on that one whether they are the 1 in 20 !
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Thousands of retired Black professional football players, their families and supporters are demanding an end to the controversial use of “race-norming” to determine which players are eligible for payouts in the NFL’s $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims, a system experts say is discriminatory.
Former Washington running back Ken Jenkins, 60, and his wife Amy Lewis on Friday delivered 50,000 petitions demanding equal treatment for Black players to Senior U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia, who is overseeing the massive settlement. Former players who suffer dementia or other diagnoses can be eligible for a payout.
Under the settlement, however, the NFL has insisted on using a scoring algorithm on the dementia testing that assumes Black men start with lower cognitive skills. They must therefore score much lower than whites to show enough mental decline to win an award. The practice, which went unnoticed until 2018, has made it harder for Black former players to get awards.
So on the eve of lifting mask and distancing restrictions, reports are that the majority of anti-vaccers in the US are hardcore Republican Trumpers. And this is a problem?
Well, I can take a Darwinian view of who we're talking about in this exact instance.
But the general principle remains that having a large pool of people where the disease can propagate easily and mutate frequently (because of the large numbers of people currently carrying the disease) is not a good thing.
The point that I take from [Maōri poet] ranapiri and from considering the poetry of breath is not to speak for others but to recognise the responsibility that we have to each other to listen and respond.
I also take this image of shared breath to suggest that the role of professors – and of all teachers, writers, and researchers – should ultimately be not to profess but to enable the sharing of others’ breath, voices, opinions, and words, so that we can all learn, so that we can all breathe a little more easily.
A decent snapshot of the burning question where & how did Covid-19 originate. It is basically a critical appraisal of a (the) recent piece written by Nicholas Wade on this topic.
I kinda take the view that it's somewhat of a distraction whether it was a lab escape or zoonosis directly transferred from the wild.
Both possibilities are completely live at this point, and investigating both possibilities have shown a number of risky practices in labs and in handling wildlife that are risks of being the source of a new pandemic. As are the risks of a new pandemic originating from industrial farming that was a more widespread concern prior to this pandemic breaking out.
All of these issues need attention and improvement. I kinda fear that if the source is definitely proven to be one or the other, then all the focus will go on eliminating that specific risk, and efforts to mitigate the other identified risks drop by the wayside.
It's something I've seen happen all to often in the wake of other cockups, where the identified root cause ends up being the only thing that gets corrected and all the other problem areas (that didn't turn out to be the cause this time around) get forgotten.
I hear you and it could be used as an distraction but I don’t think it is. In fact, I think it quite critical that we’ll be able to answer it and draw conclusions from that. Eliminating other possibilities as the cause doesn’t mean eliminating forever as possible future causes. For example, if the virus originated naturally, it won’t mean we can relax the rules in labs, as these should still be audited and reviewed on a regular basis, as they are here in NZ. I think we need to find out, if we can, and accept all possible consequences, implications, and outcomes of that knowledge.
The problem is that the National Party is not modelled on and thus not representative of Aotearoa-New Zealand as a whole and constantly behind the eight ball. You would expect that to some degree from conservatives. The Party needs to modernise its caucus, its leadership, and its thinking and these things go hand in hand. As it is, National is politically stuffed.
They're sore that they won't be able to sell the water assets off, and line their own pockets in the process.
Tau's comment shows them for what they are,
Co-governance would provide a safeguard against any future government that wants to privatise the waters assets that are being transferred from councils, he said.
"Labour governments in the 1980s and National governments in the 1990s and 2010s, including the one in which Judith Collins served as a senior minister, have not been able to resist the temptation of selling public infrastructure – from electricity networks to rail to offshore interests.
"The Ngāi Tahu presence provides extra protection against that."
old white man, but not for a few months. interesting to see that nats want either , a has been, or somone so new and shiny, that he hasnt been assigned a study buddy. nats have obviously gone down the rascist route, wonder what dr shane and simon truly think of that. nats demographic has changed a lot in the last two yrs, very male pale stale. a zero sum game.
I think the issue is that both Reti and Bridges support their current Leader in this and that they don’t see it as racism as such at all. Labelling them as racists, correctly or incorrectly, is distracting from their arguments and rhetoric and thus not countering them as effectively as one should or could. Countering doesn’t necessarily mean winning the argument either AKA point-scoring. No wonder Te Pāti Māori has had enough of being a political football in Parliament.
Interesting. My take on Reti is that he’s squirming not because he’s trying to show his loyalty to and defend his Leader but because he’s actually agreeing with her and defending the indefensible and being disloyal to his roots. I could be wrong, of course. In any case, he’s put himself in this position and only he can resolve it. Then again, a man’s ambition can be his downfall.
That pundit is right, Reti has gone as far as he could in National and it is only downhill from here for him, I reckon. He seems to have put all his eggs in Judith’s little basket and if she’s toast, he’s the fried egg on top.
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TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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 ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Stokan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County If you live in one of the most economically deprived neighborhoods in your city, you might think the government is directing a smaller share of public funds to your community. ...
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
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I see that TOP has clambered onto the "antifreeze" bandwagon (https://www.top.org.nz/thaw_the_freeze). However they fail to acknowledge:
1. That the freeze is temporary – 3 years in the case of $100k+ salaries, and 1 year in the case of salaries between $60k and $100k,
2. The freeze does not apply to salaries below $60k, and
3. It comes in the wake of a large amount of QE, together with an expectation of rising interest rates; not to mention rising house prices.
I think TOP should get their facts right before coming out with this sort of nonsense.
this is old news from 5 days again.
yawn.
Why would a qualified nurse or teacher choose to come to NZ instead of Australia?
Because Australia is full of Australians?
Slightly less flippantly, talking to recent immigrant teachers at my kids' school, we in NZ have a reputation for being a bit less shitty to immigrants than Australia is. At least to white immigrants that speak English well, that is.
Also, outdoor recreation activities in available in New Zealand were much more appealing to my examples than what is available in Oz. Though since these conversations were with teachers at school camps, that's a heavily biased sample.
Possibly single young teachers and nurses prefer Australia to NZ because they can earn more.
I do not want NZ to lose the teachers and nurses we have here due to the lower pay levels.
Police and social workers are having to work a lot harder as well. Nurses and teachers also work hard.
The government was naive to think they could retain the above occupations with a warped wage freeze or entice those professions to NZ.
Climate lifestyle friendliness of the locals.
I'm sure that almost everyone would consider a 3 year freeze to be anything but "temporary" as you describe it.
Why, and when, do you expect interest rates to rise? You say that 'with an expectation of rising interest rates; not to mention rising house prices. ' whereas TOP do not expect that to happen. If the freeze was to work they say that "with reduced spending, the Reserve Bank will keep interest rates low, and house prices will continue to rise". Why should the interest rates rise if the wage freeze works?
There would seem to be rather more logic in the TOP argument that low interest rates will lead to higher house prices rather than your own statement that rising interest rates will lead to rising prices.
It used to be a well known fable that government borrowing consumed the countries savings and leads to higher interest rates. This narrative was even offered a number of times by the previous National prime minister (as a justification for under funding public services). But it appears TOP have figured out that actually its the RBNZ which decides what interest rates are suitable.
does this sound like the final solution ?
There is a number of reports from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, i.e.
https://www.unrwa.org/userfiles/201006109359.pdf
that would give some insight of the historical issues between Israel and the Palistinians but also of the middle eastern region.
As for the comments by Netanyahu at a news conference were that he will not rest until all is quiet in Gaza (or in that vain), will of cause help him politically right now given the internal problems in Israel and the price is paid in, yes yet again… innocent blood. 1/3 of the death are children. Go figure.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/13/violence-and-mayhem-offer-benjamin-netanyahu-refuge-israel-palestinians
No; Francesca & Anker, there are significant differences between the current IDF war crimes, and the systematic murder of approximately 20 million unarmed civilians and PoWs in the holocaust (6 million jewish in the Shoah sub-holocaust, which they are still a bit sensitive about). Such comparisons are just inviting today's OM to devolve into accusations of antisemitism. If you have to Godwin yourself, then Kristallnacht might be a better comparison. Though you are not short of other historical (non-nazi) atrocities to choose from. Parihaka comes to mind for an Aotearoan example.
Also, I can't see that Gantz quote in the text of the CBS article the Guardian references. It may be in one of the video clips, but so undoubtedly are lots of footage of the dead and wounded. That is one time I am not inclined to seek out the primary source! This is the closest I could find:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-palestinian-gaza-strikes-increase-likely/
Biden is going to have to do more than mouth empty concern soon, if he doesn't want people (maybe even some Democrat senators who he needs on his side) to start questioning all the US military aid to Israel. It looks like nothing will happen on that until tomorrow (NY Sunday) though:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/15/isolated-biden-in-bid-to-forge-un-consensus-on-conflict
I'm referring mainly to the intention of the bombing, which is to snuff out resistance
And from your CBS link
You are right on that, Fransesca! End of the second sentence of the second paragraph. I didn't see it on first skim-through, and a ctrl-f search for "Gantz" only turned up the later quote, – I should have copy/ pasted "total, long term quiet" instead. Also, it was the Guardian's CBS link rather than something I hunted out myself (actually hypertexted in your own quote – so I could've got there via that if I realized earlier and left my own link out).
Comparing Gaza situation to Parihaka; Gaza has been a sore spot for 50 years. Parihaka was one important centre of Maori settlement and culture, Gaza is the main city for the vast majority of the Palestinians. But true to say that Gaza and Parihaka are both atrocities on vulnerable people by a dominant armed and aggressive force.
Are we going to ask for sanctions against Israel for this? What will appease them for the dreadful happenings in WW2, would it be enough if the Middle East could come to terms with them as a precursor to giving Palestinians their own country?
I am not sure how many atrocities have been committed against Jews over the centuries, but after the shock of being ejected from Spain and then Poland, it's no wonder that they wanted a country they could call their own, see brief History early to 2010:
Some Jews, a Judaean tribe from the Levant, migrated to Europe just before the rise of the Roman Empire. A notable early event in the history of the Jews in the Roman Empire was Pompey's conquest of Judea beginning in 63 BCE, although Alexandrian Jews had migrated to Rome before this event.
The pre-World War II Jewish population of Europe is estimated to have been close to 9 million, or 57% of Jews worldwide. Around 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, which was followed by the emigration of much of the surviving population.
The Jewish population of Europe in 2010 was estimated to be approximately 1.4 million (0.2% of European population) or 10% of the world's Jewish population. In the 21st century, France has the largest Jewish population in Europe, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Ukraine.
Being banished from your home after centuries of residence in Spain on the whim of royalty after being excellent citizens must have been a huge shock causing despair in Jewish hearts.
The Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain refers to a period of history during the Muslim rule of Iberia in which Jews were generally accepted in society and Jewish religious, cultural and economic life blossomed. This "Golden Age" is variously dated from the 8th to 12th centuries.
Spanish Inquisition – Sultan Bayezid II sent Kemal Reis to save the Arabs and Sephardic Jews of Spain from the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, and granted them permission to settle in the Ottoman Empire, (…since Jews in 1492,,,had been banished from Spain).
The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms and was under the direct control of the Spanish monarchy. It was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabel II….
The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, as well as expulsion from Austria, Hungary and Germany, stimulated a widespread Jewish migration to the much more tolerant Poland. Indeed, with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, Poland became the recognized haven for exiles from the rest of Europe; and the resulting accession to the ranks of Polish Jewry made it the cultural and spiritual center of the Jewish people in Europe.
And I have not referred to Hungary, another important centre. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Europe
Gaza building destruction. News reports say these buildings are being destroyed by rockets, yet the way the fall look like controlled demolitions?. Certainly they fall cleanly, lucky that a rocket can be so accurate to take out a building in that fashion
Wow; aj, that's a blast from the past! I haven't read about "controlled demolitions" conjectures since the conspiracy theorists moved on from the 2001 September 11th attacks on the USA. Who do you reckon it was behind this fiendish plot ; the Illuminati, Elvis, or shape-shifting aliens?
Not at all, it just seems weird that a rocket or two can do that to a building. Have a look at some of the footage. We know they can be very accurate so it's probably just that – highly accurate.
I have mentioned before in today's OM that video images of warzones are the one kind of primary source that I take care to avoid. So I will leave it up to the UN inspection teams to make their assessments in due course (having civil engineering expertise which I lack). Hopefully sooner rather than later.
https://mobile.twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1393548304852606977
Trying to pin the correct video down…
https://twitter.com/i/status/1393548304852606977
There is plenty of room for scepticism with respect to 9/11, the report after all was assembled by the same less-than-remarkably-truthful political clique that determined there were WMDs in Fallujah, and was notably lacking physical evidence.
The use of controlled demolitions against occupied populations is not unprecedented.
The Masons ?
I realise that this is what passes for an attempt at humour on your part, but it is, I feel, misguided.
Some atrocities, like the Moscow Bombings, or 9/11, or the Gunpowder Plot for that matter, are almost unimaginable betrayals, were they perpetrated by the authorities.
Rather than discounting the possibility, the evidence must be examined carefully. Anyone who lived through Rogergnomics in NZ has learned that a significant proportion of those in power at any time may well be raging sociopaths.
Not sure your comment really follows.
Lidice was destroyed as retaliation, they didn't pretend someone else did it.
911 and the current events have a clear and pretty well documented cause (planes filmed flying into buildings / hamas claiming they fired rockets) and plausible effect (buildings damaged to the point of collapse).
I'm not trying to draw a parallel with 9/11 at all, more with Lidice.
If it transpired that IDF had undertaken controlled demolitions, by the use of dust charges perhaps, rather than exclusively missile or smart bomb strikes, I would not be at all surprised – though it would evaporate the notional figleaf of targeting cells of combatants or whatever the pretext is for current action.
We had a long discussion a couple of years back about 9/11 – and I consider the report of the commission at best rudimentary. Absent physical evidence I'm unlikely to revise that view.
Dust charges ? … of course why is it no one else can see it.
In these terrible circumstances its about time you were called out as fruit loop.
In these terrible circumstances its about time you were called out as fruit loop.
Let me remind you of the Standard policy on gaslighting.
Respect, Stuart, that was superb self-moderation!
It would help if you leave out the personal insults; some react badly to it and it can quickly descend into a flame war, which I don’t find ironic in the slightest given the topic of conversation.
It would also help if you add some info about the image such as what, where, when and who took the photo.
Yes , I worded that badly.
The picture was from Times Of Israel with the caption
Palestinians inspect destroyed buildings following overnight Israeli airstrikes in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, May 14, 2021
I used this one because it shows the central crater common to these large israeli bombs and the obliteration in immediate area from blast including wrecked structural concrete.
The 'dust explosions' have lighter damage around, mostly light facades, windows and roof sheeting. I had a holiday job when I was a student in a factory processing wheat for flour and starch. They said if you hear the fire alarm, run…dont walk out. This below is dust explosion with no crater and heavier structures nearby still standing
We understand of course, that you are as ignorant of dust charges as a prior discussion showed you were of superconductivity.
The principle is explained here.
Although contemporary use is more commonly delivered by air as FAE strikes, dust charges have long been popular for military demolitions, being effective against buildings, and not requiring detailed examination of building structure or very precise siting of the charge, lending them to reasonably rapid deployment, especially when retreating.
Your picture could have been the result of any number of different forms of explosive attacks, including charges placed by ground forces.
Thermobaric weapons arent 'dust explosions' which rely on say fine flour dust or similar to rapidly burn from ignition point
Your previous comments were 'dust charges' which is absurd as these large high explosive bombs have been commonly shown in screen grabs from video of them falling onto the buildings that then explode
That superciliousness never gets old does it?
In the context of military demolitions, dust charges are not absurd – rather they are perfectly ordinary.
from the link I gave you, which you evidently chose not to read:
They are, however, considerably more destructive when used against field fortifications such as foxholes, tunnels, bunkers, and caves
It's good that you know about flour mill explosions
The 'dust explosions' have lighter damage around, mostly light facades, windows and roof sheeting
but these are accidental or inadvertent uses of the principle. A deliberate military use will tend to be more destructive.
Thermobaric is fuel-air , not a dust explosion
Pictures of one 3 Israeli large HEbombsheading to the media tower in Gaza a few days ago
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/05/16/19/43022524-9584835-Gaza_The_bomb_seen_hurtling_towards_the_building_Jawad_Mehdi_the-a-14_1621189551319.jpg
@ ghostwhowalksnz
I worked in a flour factory
Oh well – that must make you an authority on military demolitions.
Those pastries will never know what hit them.
I love the way you take the mantle of expertise on subjects on which you are, and choose to remain, shamefully ignorant.
But moving past your fatuous trolling to the demolition of civilian dwellings and infrastructure such as a functioning media centre.
The use of house demolition under international law is today governed by the Fourth Geneva Convention, enacted in 1949, which protects non-combatants in occupied territories. Article 53 provides that "Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons … is prohibited."[42] In its accompanying commentaries, the International Committee of the Red Cross refers to demolition only being justified by "imperative military requirements", which the Convention itself distinguishes from security considerations. The ICRC has clarified that the term "military operations" refers only to "movements, maneuvers, and other action taken by the armed forces with a view to fighting" and does not cover action undertaken as a punishment. In a further reservation, the ICRC regards the tactic as legitimate only "where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations".
This, and not your suddenly acquired ersatz understanding of explosives, is the heart of the matter. It is why I instanced the destruction of Lidice, which was demolished, as the Israelis are demolishing buildings at present, as an illegal form of collective punishment.
Like I said I worked in a flour factory, so I knew very well what a dust explosion could do , clearly its a danger your head could face any minute.
So you're suggesting "controlled demolitions" of the buildings in Gaza?
Why sneak a team into enemy-controlled territory, place charges, and sneak out again? In order to pretend to drop a bomb on the buildings?
Or are you suggesting "controlled demolitions" of Israeli buildings in order to make the Hamas rockets look more powerful than they actually are? I can at least see a bit of a point to that version.
Whether they are achieved by bombardment or groundbased explosives, demolition is a fair description of what's happening in Gaza.
Ordinarily a force with the kind of power imbalance enjoyed by the Israelis would use ground teams because it's appreciably cheaper and usually much more controllable. Bombs can fall on wedding parties and the like, generating undesirable media responses. But Israel gets a lot of ordnance at low or no cost, some of it may finally be as accurate as claimed, and they may be expected to produce trial results for some items too.
"controlled demolitions" of Israeli buildings in order to make the Hamas rockets look more powerful than they actually are
I have no evidence for that. The Israeli government are not so scrupulous I would rule it out, but they are also pretty thick-skinned with regard to world opinion. Short of graphic slaughter of their own civilians they'd struggle to generate a sympathetic response that eclipsed the disproportionate casualties among Palestinians.
[citation needed]
The reference to Lidice is misleading, imo. Lidice was the killing of an entire population and destruction of their dwellings in a single act.
I believe the goal of Netenyahu (beyond immediate domestic political survival) is to continue the Palestinian diaspora to a point the ever-shrinking territory can be annexed. But part of this strategy is to make it difficult to report on the hardship on the ground so the Palestinians have difficulty getting international attention – hence the destruction of media offices.
War crimes? Yes. But not Lidice. More like what was done to the Armenians.
Part of the Lidice item is a demolition which the Nazis recorded for propaganda purposes. We don't have the full reel here, but about 2.30 you can see something of what they were about.
At a political level, the process resembles the Armenian genocide – but the demolition somewhat resembles Lidice – and the parallel ought to trouble the conscience of the perpetrators.
The main part of it was the murder of everyone in the village.
The Israelis are giving warnings to get out. That's their PR (and conscience) deniability.
citation required
The mk84 (2000lb) bomb comes in at around $3100 US when supplied to the US (other countries pay more – though Israel may not) the JDAM kit is quoted at anything from $17k to $40k – some of those being bulk deals or date back to 2011. So all-up around $50k US – pretty cheap really.
Presumably 500 kgs, give or take, of high explosives for tactical use, without the guidance or casing is somewhat cheaper – though not amazingly so.
The cost of the operation isn't just the explosives. It's the probability of loss of the delivery mechanism for those explosives.
Aircraft: no anti-air threat, precision placement, not much more complex than a training flight.
Ground team: at least half a dozen highly trained individuals who can slip into the heart of Gaza undetected with multiple car bombs (two people each bomb), then slip out again.
Cost: extensive training for the specific mission (would be a bugger for someone to park outside the wrong building), plus the cost of training each soldier and the probability of them being captured or killed in the mission.
Sure, losing a jet and pilot would be expensive, but the probability of that would be incredibly low.
Whereas, while the odds of a ground attack being sprung might be well less than 50% (for the sake of argument), the risk is non-trivial. To do what they can do anyway.
There was a bit of an anomaly about IDF presence in Gaza.
First they said they were present, then they said they were not.
Having largely taken out the alternative sources that could have confirmed the presence or absence, the official line invites a degree of scepticism.
But then announcing an incursion is not covert. Which your secret ground team would have needed to be, to avoid being mobbed.
I am not, and never have, posited a 'secret ground team'.
ok. But you did suggest that the building housing apartments and media offices may have been attacked by ground-delivered explosives, rather than simply by bombs dropped from aircraft, no?
Did the ground forces delivering the "dust charges" do so in IDF-branded vehicles that none of the watching media noticed or mentioned? Or were the "dust charges" delivered by FedEx?
Or were the "dust charges" delivered by FedEx?
Who knows – either the ground forces weren't there – official version – or they've gone off the radar so to speak. I'm sure the most moral army in the world can be trusted unsupervised – about as much as a US cop who switches off his camera.
Who knows? Well, if they existed either their camouflage is awesome or they were operating covertly and in secret.
Either way, the risk-adjusted penalty for failure is much higher for a ground team than just dropping bombs, which they said they did.
Israel restricts dual use materials, cement and reinforcing steel among them, from entering Gaza. Poorly constructed buildings tend to collapse with little prompting.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-15/gaza-needs-to-rebuild-yet-israel-controls-the-cement
"Rocket" is a general term used by the media to describe anything from a firework (a very small rocket) to an ICBM (a very, very big rocket).
Technically, a "rocket" is a device that is powered by the chemical reaction of liquid or solid fuel propellants (most likely including an oxidiser) to lift a payload that could be anything from a warhead to a spaceship. Additionally rockets that are not capable of leaving the earth atmosphere are unguided – sounding rockets, rocket pods on helicopter gunships or used by rocket artillery all being examples. Hence, Hamas launch "rockets" at Israel.
A "missile" is powered by any number of engine types – rocket, ramjet, turbojet, pulsejet or even hybrids of the above, has some sort of guidance system and has an explosive warhead, hence Israel uses "missiles" to shoot down "rockets."
The most likely weapons being used on buildings in Gaza will be neither of the above but rather guided bombs like the JDAM or Paveway series of laser and GPS guided weapons. These are kits bolted onto old fashioned "dumb" bombs that give them much improved accuracy and these guys are the ones that really pack a punch – up to 1000kg, more than enough for a few (when accurately and leisurely dropped from medium altitude against no opposition) to demolish a building.
Anyway, I wouldn't get too excited and build an entire world view/conspiracy theory based off a journalists inexact description of the cause of an explosion.
I don't have a conspiracy based world view. Apart from jfk of course.
Modern warfare precision bombing gps accuracy
Tunnels beneath the building could have stored explosives. The sooner the bombing stops, lives will be spared.
Sharing an hotel breakfast buffet with aircrew, apparently.
180 local cases. That’s what Taiwan’s Dr. Fauci, Chen Shih-chung just confirmed on TV today (May 15th). After holding out for wave after wave, containing each breach with citizen vigilance, contact tracing and cool-headed and coordinated government action, there is now uncontained community spread of COVID-19 in Taiwan. How did we get to here?
https://taipology.substack.com/p/how-taiwan-finally-fell
There but for fortune go we! history shows that the first wave or even the second is not the worst killer.
Singapore too, it seems several clustered centred around Changi Airport.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-testing-and-measures-at-changi-airport-as-covid-19-cluster-grows
So much for the magic bullet.
https://twitter.com/megtirrell/status/1392945389846863874
(CNN)One of the most vaccinated countries in the world is experiencing a Covid-19 outbreak.
While other nations struggle to secure enough vaccines, the Seychelles is in the enviable position of having already fully immunized more than 61.4% of the population.
But that hasn't been enough to stop the spread of Covid.
Over the past month, case numbers have been rising in the Indian Ocean archipelago, prompting authorities to impose restrictions in the country of 98,000 people. Data released Thursday shows there are more than 2,700 active cases.
Of the current active cases, 33% have been fully vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/14/africa/seychelles-covid-vaccination-infection-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
i expect cases to go up in the US again with the removal of masks. The vaccine helps to make it less deadly, but one can still get it and still transmit it. But maybe that is the new growth sector of the future – covid outbreaks. s/
A roll up your sleeve future.
https://twitter.com/citlanx/status/1392113567390789633
That's a roll up your sleeves read there; Joe90! Though the google scholar link downloads a pdf rather than online pages. I won't pretend to follow all the calculations, but some of the assumptions are a little suspect.
In particular, based largely off patterns with previous coronaviruses epidemics, they put both the: Loss rate of sterilizing, and partial, immunity at 1/2 per year. While more recent research shows that these values may be unduly pessimistic, at least with known variants and the Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine. Further viral mutation leading to new Variants of Concern will probably require at least a third, though not necessarily yearly shots:
https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/comment/pfizer-biontechs-covid-19-vaccine-not-expected-to-require-a-booster-in-6-12-months-variant-of-concern-specific-shot-preferred/
Ive had 5 in last year and havent even had the Covid one yet.
2 flu- separate years, 2 others which were some sort of catchup of vaccines past and 1 pneumonia ( which I jumped in early last year once it was clear a lot people were dying from secondary pneumonia)
Its like having dental xrays, just a thing you do as necessary
"But that hasn't been enough to stop the spread of Covid." [Seychelles]
Thats because you are doing cut and pastes without any understanding, Seychelles is a tourist country and those arriving for holiday and testing positive are counted as in community.
Its getting ludicrous for the cut and pasters, people who couldnt read beyond the first paragraph in scientific medical paper are like magpies with some shiny object when they swoop on a pre publication paper that hasnt even been peer reviewed.
Do you know which vaccines are being used and how effective are they?
From the link at 5.2.1:
As for efficacy, that rather depends on what studies you look at. Possibly relating to variant specificity (with different geographical areas), as well as dose interval period:
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-interval-between-covishield-doses-has-been-raised-to-8-weeks-7240465/
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1223468.shtml
The problem is that these are all interim results against a mutating virus, so may not be entirely predictive for new variants. Also, to be blunt; whether you can trust the results from drug companies who have a profit motive to inflate their stated efficacy. As for Sputnik 5 (or S5light), the Russian's unwillingness to release their data (and some suspiciously fabricated looking numbers) makes it impossible to say for sure.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00899-0/fulltext
Ok, thanks. The thing is that it seems that we cannot know what the true level of immunity is at any given point in time in the Seychelles and against the different variants that may be brought into the country by travellers. Thus, it would be prudent not to rely on vaccination alone, despite the high vaccination numbers, wouldn’t you say?
Well, that's a truism.
But 60% isn't a high vaccination rate, either. 60% in six months from new is pretty good distribution and puts them on the path to an effective vaccination level, assuming they don't keep bringing in new variants to [checks notes] a global tourist destination [sigh].
That’s what I thought, but I wasn’t sure whether I was missing something when I tried following this thread; I probably did 🙁
Well, I'm sorry to offend your egg-head sensibilities by noting a couple of instances where vaccines could well not be as effective as we'd like.
/
The medical experts have allways said they arent a total asnswer
Are you even aware 95% is 1 in 20, who dont get the complete cover obviously not.
Then there is those who claim they are being tested when they arent or say they are vaccinated when they arent – we have seen this in the MIQ system here where there it wasnt voluntary. A sports team that had compulsory vaccinations to travel and play sounds very much like that, but we shall see on that one whether they are the 1 in 20 !
Effectiveness is overall.
But it doesn't mean every tenth person will not have an effective response. Clusters happen. Statistics are like that.
Surprised they haven't brought out the calipers.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Thousands of retired Black professional football players, their families and supporters are demanding an end to the controversial use of “race-norming” to determine which players are eligible for payouts in the NFL’s $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims, a system experts say is discriminatory.
Former Washington running back Ken Jenkins, 60, and his wife Amy Lewis on Friday delivered 50,000 petitions demanding equal treatment for Black players to Senior U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia, who is overseeing the massive settlement. Former players who suffer dementia or other diagnoses can be eligible for a payout.
Under the settlement, however, the NFL has insisted on using a scoring algorithm on the dementia testing that assumes Black men start with lower cognitive skills. They must therefore score much lower than whites to show enough mental decline to win an award. The practice, which went unnoticed until 2018, has made it harder for Black former players to get awards.
https://apnews.com/article/health-nfl-race-and-ethnicity-sports-066d9fd6bd85f5b5023207467701fde4
So on the eve of lifting mask and distancing restrictions, reports are that the majority of anti-vaccers in the US are hardcore Republican Trumpers. And this is a problem?
Well, I can take a Darwinian view of who we're talking about in this exact instance.
But the general principle remains that having a large pool of people where the disease can propagate easily and mutate frequently (because of the large numbers of people currently carrying the disease) is not a good thing.
Once more Trumpist's get Covid and die or get long covid they will change their stupidity.
But unfortunately you can't vaccinate against stupidity.
Viva Leicester! And Viva Palestine!
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1393634093800247296.html
Good piece by a good thinker and writer, Rod Oram, about an extraordinary person, Helen Kelly.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/rod-oram-helen-kellys-battles-yet-to-be-won
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/i-cant-breathe-a-marker-of-our-times
A decent snapshot of the burning question where & how did Covid-19 originate. It is basically a critical appraisal of a (the) recent piece written by Nicholas Wade on this topic.
https://sciblogs.co.nz/ariadne/2021/05/16/sars-cov-2-a-natural-event-or-a-lab-escape/
I kinda take the view that it's somewhat of a distraction whether it was a lab escape or zoonosis directly transferred from the wild.
Both possibilities are completely live at this point, and investigating both possibilities have shown a number of risky practices in labs and in handling wildlife that are risks of being the source of a new pandemic. As are the risks of a new pandemic originating from industrial farming that was a more widespread concern prior to this pandemic breaking out.
All of these issues need attention and improvement. I kinda fear that if the source is definitely proven to be one or the other, then all the focus will go on eliminating that specific risk, and efforts to mitigate the other identified risks drop by the wayside.
It's something I've seen happen all to often in the wake of other cockups, where the identified root cause ends up being the only thing that gets corrected and all the other problem areas (that didn't turn out to be the cause this time around) get forgotten.
I hear you and it could be used as an distraction but I don’t think it is. In fact, I think it quite critical that we’ll be able to answer it and draw conclusions from that. Eliminating other possibilities as the cause doesn’t mean eliminating forever as possible future causes. For example, if the virus originated naturally, it won’t mean we can relax the rules in labs, as these should still be audited and reviewed on a regular basis, as they are here in NZ. I think we need to find out, if we can, and accept all possible consequences, implications, and outcomes of that knowledge.
Critical appraisal? The dude is basically writing off one plausible scientific theory as a "conspiracy theory".
English was not your strongest subject, I take it?
Judith isn’t working.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/05/judith-collins-allegations-of-maori-separatism-not-working-for-national-in-newshub-reid-research-poll.html
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/05/tova-o-brien-judith-collins-being-replaced-as-leader-is-now-a-matter-of-when-not-if.html
Well she doubled down, or more like quintupled, claiming Ngai Tahu are going to own half the South Islands water. All based on some random report.
Ngai Tahu's representative said she was "deceptive and wrong"
It's almost as if someone's feeding them stuff so they can make twits of themselves…
The problem is that the National Party is not modelled on and thus not representative of Aotearoa-New Zealand as a whole and constantly behind the eight ball. You would expect that to some degree from conservatives. The Party needs to modernise its caucus, its leadership, and its thinking and these things go hand in hand. As it is, National is politically stuffed.
Deliberately confusing governance for ownership is part of that party's M.O. Nasty, desperate creatures.
They're sore that they won't be able to sell the water assets off, and line their own pockets in the process.
Tau's comment shows them for what they are,
People without principles detest those who have them.
Colin's last stand no bounce for all her Race baiting.can we run a sweepstake who and when.
The who is a problem. Who will bell the cat/dog lol.
old white man, but not for a few months. interesting to see that nats want either , a has been, or somone so new and shiny, that he hasnt been assigned a study buddy. nats have obviously gone down the rascist route, wonder what dr shane and simon truly think of that. nats demographic has changed a lot in the last two yrs, very male pale stale. a zero sum game.
I think the issue is that both Reti and Bridges support their current Leader in this and that they don’t see it as racism as such at all. Labelling them as racists, correctly or incorrectly, is distracting from their arguments and rhetoric and thus not countering them as effectively as one should or could. Countering doesn’t necessarily mean winning the argument either AKA point-scoring. No wonder Te Pāti Māori has had enough of being a political football in Parliament.
Reti had an uncomfortable time on Q&A this morning.
https://twitter.com/FoxyLustyGrover/status/1393751269135699971
Interesting. My take on Reti is that he’s squirming not because he’s trying to show his loyalty to and defend his Leader but because he’s actually agreeing with her and defending the indefensible and being disloyal to his roots. I could be wrong, of course. In any case, he’s put himself in this position and only he can resolve it. Then again, a man’s ambition can be his downfall.
More https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/shane-reti-stands-judith-collins-labelling-proposed-m-ori-health-authority-racist-separatist
Ta
Well, the current system isn’t by Māori nor with Māori, and has led to inequities for Māori. The time of timid tinkering has passed.
One pundit reckons there may be another job for him before this year is up..
https://twitter.com/PouTepou/status/1393851682589581318
That pundit is right, Reti has gone as far as he could in National and it is only downhill from here for him, I reckon. He seems to have put all his eggs in Judith’s little basket and if she’s toast, he’s the fried egg on top.