Let’s help Tonga
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Date published: 8:32 am, January 19th, 2022 - 12 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, disaster, Environment, International, Pacific
Tags:
In 2010 the poor but proud Island Nation raised $705,000 to donate to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Fund. If New Zealanders were to reciprocate their generosity we would donate over $30 million. It is time for us to return the favour.
He’s not the messiah …
Written By:
Date published: 8:22 am, January 18th, 2022 - 97 comments
Categories: covid-19, human rights, law, law and "order", religion, uncategorized
Tags:
… he is allegedly a very naughty boy.
Open mike 20/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 20th, 2022 - 14 comments
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Daily review 19/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 19th, 2022 - 11 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 19/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 19th, 2022 - 128 comments
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Daily review 18/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 18th, 2022 - 16 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 18/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 18th, 2022 - 236 comments
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Daily review 17/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 17th, 2022 - 44 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
New Zealand’s Omicron options
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Date published: 2:31 pm, January 17th, 2022 - 90 comments
It will be a few days before we know if the omicron variant of Covid-19 is starting to spread in New Zealand. There are things we can be doing that will determine how that goes.
Open mike 17/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 17th, 2022 - 111 comments
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Blinken and Blind-Sided?
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Date published: 2:54 pm, January 16th, 2022 - 17 comments
Russian peacekeepers are already leaving Kazakhstan having nipped the ‘colour revolution’ in the bud. Blinken clearly didn’t have a clue when he said Russians never leave the house. Russian intelligence was superb. Now we wait for Russia’s response to US likely refusal to pull back from its borders. One thing I’d bet on – no invasion of Ukraine.
The Department of Earthly Gifts
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Date published: 1:11 pm, January 16th, 2022 - 151 comments
Where western minds are busy arguing if indigenous knowledge is science, botanist and first nations woman Robin Wall Kimmerer exemplifies how to do both at the same time.
Open mike 16/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 16th, 2022 - 251 comments
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Open mike 15/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 15th, 2022 - 150 comments
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Daily review 14/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 14th, 2022 - 39 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
What about those neat capital gains on housing, eh?
Written By:
Date published: 12:48 pm, January 14th, 2022 - 184 comments
Labour are doing the things about the housing crisis they said they would. It’s not working.
More Anarchy in the UK
Written By:
Date published: 8:19 am, January 14th, 2022 - 20 comments
Boris Johnson’s reign as UK Prime Minister may be terminal after news of a Downing Street party held during lockdown was leaked to the press.
Open mike 14/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 14th, 2022 - 227 comments
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Daily review 13/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 13th, 2022 - 49 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 13/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 13th, 2022 - 397 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 12/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 12th, 2022 - 9 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 12/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 12th, 2022 - 159 comments
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Daily review 11/01/2022
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 11th, 2022 - 26 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Is it time for the Greens to go their own way?
Written By:
Date published: 1:18 pm, January 11th, 2022 - 122 comments
Climate, ecology, welfare, housing – we are now at the point for the Greens to go ‘fuck it, time to go back to our radical roots’.
What does Luxon do about Hipango?
Written By:
Date published: 9:31 am, January 11th, 2022 - 49 comments
Harete Hipango is in the news again, this time for posing with a group of anti vaxxers and posting a photo and making some pretty way out there comments on social media.
Open mike 11/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 11th, 2022 - 86 comments
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Daily review 10/01/2022
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, January 10th, 2022 - 23 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
It’s Time.
Written By:
Date published: 2:46 pm, January 10th, 2022 - 323 comments
In seven or eight days from now, the dutiful lackeys of the NZ government and the public health dept they direct, are set to come after every child in NZ between the ages of 5 and 12 with injections of m-RNA to hand.
Human rights and MIQ
Written By:
Date published: 8:42 am, January 10th, 2022 - 155 comments
Well known socialite, fashion blogger and apparent Constitutional expert Jamie Ridge thinks that the country’s MIQ arrangements are completely unconstitutional.
Open mike 10/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 10th, 2022 - 78 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 09/01/2022
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 9th, 2022 - 120 comments
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- The Totalitarian Impulses Driving “Consequences Culture”.
2 hours ago - Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go: The Rings of Power
About an hour ago, we got an interesting tweet. Not a leak, for once, but for the first time since last year’s incident with the Two Trees, an Honest to Eru update, straight from the horse’s mouth. We now have: (1) A name for the series (‘The Lord of ...4 hours ago - Philosophical trends in feminism
Philosophical trends in feminism is a collection of essays by Indian revolutionary Anuradha Roy. I met Anuradha in India in 2004 on a fact finding tour with lawyers investigating human rights abuses in Andhra Pradesh. We spent several hours together discussing the state of the womens movement in India and ...11 hours ago - A democratic peace or a feminist peace?
Many years ago when I was in mid academic career, two theoretical strands emerged in the field of international relations and comparative foreign policy. One was the basis for a school of thought that came to be known as feminist international relations theory, which to crudely oversimplify one sub-strand, posited ...17 hours ago - Hiding their dirty laundry
The government is trying to "reform" Oranga Tamariki, and has a bill before the House to do so: the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People’s Commission Bill. Submissions on the Bill close next Wednesday, and children's rights campaigners are horrified by it - and in particular ...19 hours ago - NZ Politics Daily: 19 January 2022
Covid, MIQ, border RNZ: Government postpones next MIQ lottery due to spike of Omicron cases at border Herald: Upcoming MIQ room release postponed due to Omicron cases at border Kate Green (Stuff): Next MIQ lobby postponed as Omicron arrivals surge David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A cowardly way to close the border Jamie Morton (Herald): Has NZ dodged ...1 day ago - Defending Death of the Author: A Reply to Tolkien LoreIt is one of the oddities of the internet that many commentators will take the side of Authorial Intentionalism over Death of the Author. Part of this, I think, is down to J.K. Rowling – and now also the response to J.K. Rowling. When one has creators delivering New ...1 day ago
- United with Manchester: What happens when we all choose poorly
The city government of Manchester, England is coming under some fire for choosing to lease space on pavements (also known as sidewalks) for electronic display advertisements, or "digital out of home advertising." Criticism is twofold in nature. Some point out that crowding of pavements with bulky fixed installations is an ...2 days ago - The Great Awokening
Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy by Batya Ungar-Sargon is a superb book that examines the transformation of journalism in the US during the twentieth century. She shows how the media has become a key player in the woke movement. The book charts the trajectory of journalism as it ...2 days ago - The Choice.Revolution From Below Averted: The critical political choice made by leading Pakeha politicians, jurists and bureaucrats in the 1980s and 90s was to halt the momentum of left-wing Māori nationalism from below, by inserting a layer of elite Māori business-people between the Crown and the economically and culturally impoverished Māori ...2 days ago
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- Gordon Campbell on sending an Orion P-3 to Tonga
Because the undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga cut communications with the more remote parts of the country, it wasn’t at all surprising that as a good Pacific neighbour, New Zealand sent a reconnaissance aircraft up there to gather information about the extent and location of the damage. The more interesting ...2 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 18 January 2022Covid, MIQ, border Michael Baker, Jennifer Summers, Amanda Kvalsvig, Matire Harwood, Nick Wilson (Public Health Expert):Preparing for Omicron: A proactive Government response is urgently needed to minimise harms RNZ: Experts list steps New Zealand government needs to take to fight Omicron RNZ: Traffic light system may need strengthening or adjusting in face of ...2 days ago
- FSU defend Public Service Advisor censored for using term ‘male-bodied’The Free Speech Union newsletter reports on a case where it defended a worker who was called to a meeting after using accurate language. In something you would almost think is out of George Orwell’s 1984, a member of the Free Speech Union received a scathing and bullying letter from a very senior ...2 days ago
- The top 10 global weather and climate change events of 2021This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters The year 2021 made an indelible mark in the annals of weather history. Not only did it feature the most extreme heat wave in history – the late June heat wave over western North America that smashed all-time records by ...2 days ago
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- Climate Change: Still making the same mistakeLast year it became clear that the government's ETS price control policy was a mistake, resulting in huge public costs for tiny, tiny benefits. The problem was clear well in advance, and while it couldn't be avoided in 2021 without urgent legislation, James Shaw could have used the opportunity of ...3 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 17 January 2022Parliament, MPs, Parties Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Which MPs could lose their jobs in 2022? (paywalled) Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Neck, meet block. Predictions for 2022 (paywalled) David Fisher (Herald): Profile: Harete Hipango and how she upset National colleagues (paywalled) Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Greens satisfied after first year of pact with Labour Ian Powell (Daily Blog): What do you know about ...3 days ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #2Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, January 9, 2022 through Sat, January 15, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Climate Scientists on “Don’t Look Up:” It’s Infuriating, Soul-Sucking and On-the-Nose, New NASA chief scientist to ...3 days ago
- Why I spoke out against lockdownProfessor Carl James Heneghan is a British general practitioner physician, a clinical epidemiologist and a Fellow of Kellogg College. He is the director of the University of Oxford’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and former Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. In this interview with Brendon O’Neill he discusses the impact of ...5 days ago
- Big numbers – dollars and institutions – behind divestments from fossil fuelsThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Kristen Pope About $39 trillion – that’s trillion, with a T – is the total some 1,500 institutions are planning to divest from funds in fossil fuels. And those numbers are growing. The Global Fossil Fuel Divestment Commitments Database, maintained by two nonprofit ...5 days ago
- Beware of Bearing Gifts for Greece: The National Library of New Zealand and the Fate of 1% of the Ov...
So things are supposedly on hold, so far as the National Library of New Zealand’s idiotic plans to purge its Overseas Published Collection. Supposedly. There is currently a lot of uncertainty floating around right now, and there is absolutely no reason to trust the National Library of New ...6 days ago - When Will Evergrande Collapse?
If China’s second largest property developer implodes, the Chinese financial system may be compromised, while the booming property market is so central to the Chinese economy, its staggering would impact internationally, including on New Zealand.For some time I have had on my 2-write list the giant Chinese property company, Evergrande. ...6 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 14 January 2022Covid, MIQ, border Matthew Hooton (Herald): Govt’s sanguine stance on Omicron should have NZ worried (paywalled) Adam Pearse (Herald): Officials predict when Auckland Omicron outbreak will happen Herald: Omicron likely to enter Auckland community in weeks, warns top doctor ODT Editorial: Be as prepared as possible for Covid’s return John Braddock (World Socialists): New Zealand scientists express alarm over ...6 days ago
- The Ships From The North: Why Autarky cannot be New Zealand’s answer to Climate Change.Lifelines: New Zealand, as we know it, would be impossible without the existence of a global transportation and trading system. Should Climate Change fundamentally weaken the industrial societies of the Northern Hemisphere, the supply-chains upon which New Zealanders depend would become increasingly disrupted. How long could our society endure if ...6 days ago
- What’s Sauce For Monroe’s Goose, Is Sauce For Putin’s Gander.Not In My Back Yard! If the American President, Joe Biden, has forgotten the lessons of 60 years ago, then the Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin, has not. Unacceptable in 1962, the stationing of military resources (including tactical nuclear weapons) along Russia’s borders remains unacceptable in 2022.IT WAS BURIED DEEP ...6 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2 2022150 articles in 55 journals by 808 contributing authors Observations of climate change, effects Another Record: Ocean Warming Continues through 2021 despite La Niña Conditions Cheng et al. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00376-022-1461-3 Sea-ice retreat suggests re-organization of water mass transformation in the Nordic and Barents Seas ...7 days ago
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You’ve got to wonder why the National Party, in the face of a worldwide pandemic that has killed approximately 6 million people, is continuing to be so terribly dysfunctional? Perhaps it’s a symptom of their upper management, who despite numerous party leaders coming and going, never actually changed.Unfortunately for the ...7 days ago - Climate Change: Here we go againLast year the government turned the ETS into a farce, flooding the market with 7 million tons of extra pollution in a failed and counterproductive effort to keep carbon prices low. Using the government's internal carbon price of $150/ton, the social cost of this was just over a billion dollars ...7 days ago
- One country at a timePapua New Guinea's Prime Minister has announced that he intends to abolish the death penalty: Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says his government is doing away with the death penalty and those now on death row will instead serve life sentences without parole. Marape told members of ...7 days ago
- The consequences of Covid & why anti-vaxxers aren't free to cross a one-lane bridge wheneve...
New Year’s day, 2022. I’m sitting at a one-lane bridge on the east coast of the Coromandel, watching and waiting as a stream of cars drive over the bridge towards me, reminded once again of the big lessons of 2021 – consequences and the limits of freedom.While so much of ...7 days ago - What Omicron will be like …
I might not be very good at maths but I never bought into the developing "Omicron is the Covid we can live with" narrative. I remember reading that Omicron was about half as likely to end you in hospital as delta was ... but, I thought, given it is several ...7 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 13 January 2022Clarke Gayford testing controversy Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Clarke Gayford needs to clean up bad look (paywalled) Thomas Coughlan (Herald): ‘Deeply inappropriate’: Clarke Gayford sorry for ‘confusion’ after claim he tried to get mate rapid Covid test Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Chris Bishop hits out at Clarke Gayford’s ‘deeply inappropriate’ alleged bid to get rapid antigen tests for ...1 week ago
- Disenchanted.Another World: Oamaru’s whitestone Victorian Precinct is an enclave for aging alternative life-stylers. The air is filled with the scent of patchouli and hand-crafted leather. There are troll figurines and fairies for sale, alongside crystals and dream-catchers.OAMARU likes to think of itself as the “steam-punk” capital of the world. It ...1 week ago
- Cranky Uncle – Resources for EducatorsThis is an adapted repost of the educators' resource page on CrankyUncle.com. Cranky Uncle uses cartoons, humor, and logic-based inoculation to build resilience against misinformation – an ideal tool for teaching critical thinking to students. This page features resources for educators interested in using Cranky Uncle (the game or the book) ...1 week ago
- New Zealand summers are getting hotter – and humans aren’t the only ones feeling the effects
Cate Macinnis-Ng, University of Auckland It’s not a mirage, our summers are getting hotter on average and we are experiencing more extremely hot days. News from NIWA that 2021 was New Zealand’s hottest year on record fits with the long term trend. Analysis of 70 years of data has ...1 week ago - Guantanamo: Twenty years of shameToday (US time) is the 20th anniversary of the opening of America's gulag at Guantanamo Bay. The US has kept people imprisoned without trial - sometimes without even charges - for twenty years now. Most of those kidnapped by the US have since died or been released, but 39 remain ...1 week ago
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- NZ Politics Daily: 11 January 2022Omicron, border Pete McKenzie (Guardian): New Zealand not prepared for Omicron outbreak expected in ‘matter of weeks’, experts warn Jean Bell (RNZ): Covid-19 experts fear Omicron could soon be in community as border cases increase Hamish MacLean (ODT): Fears school year start could bring surge Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Epidemiologist calls for delay in school ...1 week ago
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Just before Christmas, I had an interview with ReadingTolkienPod (https://readingtolkienpod.libsyn.com/) about our joint impressions of The Nature of Middle-earth (2021). As of today that interview has now been released: https://readingtolkienpod.libsyn.com/the-nature-of-middle-earth-with-daniel-stride?tdest_id=2456000 As noted previously, this basically functions as my review of the volume. A bit belated perhaps, but ...1 week ago - Climate Change: A decision with no integrityBack in November, the government introduced a new, "more ambitious" 2030 climate change target, which turned out to not be very ambitious at all. Quite apart from the funny accounting, the target will be met primarily through "international mitigation" (rather than, say, cuts to agricultural emissions). back in November, the ...1 week ago
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- MIQ and the New Zealand ConstitutionOverseas readers might be curious to learn that Omicron has still not arrived in the New Zealand community, so our supermarket shelves are still functioning. And indeed that the August Delta outbreak is well on its way to dying out within the next month or so. The reasons for ...1 week ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #1Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, January 2, 2022 through Sat, January 8, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: ‘Don’t Look Up’: Hollywood’s primer on climate denial illustrates 5 myths that fuel rejection of science, ...1 week ago
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Help! Mercy! I had thought (or hoped) that, as we turned into the New Year, the Herald would give us a break or put another record on. But, presumably because they have nothing new to say, the Herald has begun 2022 by re-publishing the columns written last year by their ...2 weeks ago - Legal Beagle: A submission on the repeal of the three strikes sentencing law
Just sent the following submission in on the law repealing the three strikes sentencing regime.You have until midnight tonight if you want your say.==The Justice CommitteeThree Strikes Legislation Repeal BillSubmission of Graeme EdgelerIntroductionThis submission is made by Graeme Edgeler. I am a barrister with an interest in criminal law issues.I ...2 weeks ago - How the US Failed the Covid Challenge
Michael Lewis The Premonition: A Pandemic Story is another cracker to add to his other books such as ‘Liar's Poker’, ‘The Big Short’ and ‘The Undoing Project’.In October 2019 a report which cost millions of dollars ranked the US first (and Britain second) on the Global Health Security Index. Months ...2 weeks ago - Indigenous socialism with a Chilean face.Happy New Year everyone. I am, by personal and professional inclination, loathe to speculate on uncertain future events. On the other hand, I have an abiding interest in distant political processes even though I cannot claim particular analytic expertise when considering them. Thus, when watching the recent Chilean presidential election ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on Australia’s failed model of Covid best practiceIn decades gone by, New Zealanders tended to diss this country by comparing it to how much better things were in the States, or in Australia, or almost anywhere else except the godforsaken town in which we’d had the misfortune to be born and raised. Of late, ACT and National ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #1 2022Incidental rainmaking with utility-scale PV? Ths week's geoengineering section includes an article that focuses not on planetary cooling but instead a surprising possible feature of decarbonization, for certain circumstances. The analysis treats a particular geographic context and so it's not possible to say how widely it could be replicated. Even ...2 weeks ago
- Majority Overruled.The All-Too-Visible Hand: Most people are surprised to learn how recently this idea: that the greatest say rightly belongs to the greatest number; took root in human societies. While it is most unlikely that nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers would’ve followed a course of action to which most of its members ...2 weeks ago
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Today, as an interesting exercise, I’m taking the Tolkien Elf I personally consider the most morally reprehensible, and giving him his day in court, so to speak. That Elf is Eöl of Nan Elmoth – Sinda, smith, friend of Dwarves, and hater of all things Noldorin. Others might ...2 weeks ago - NZ Politics Daily: 6 January 2022Parliament, government, 2021 Graham Adams (Democracy Project): 2022: Ardern’s plans for co-governance with iwi face rough seas Peter Wilson (RNZ): Politics and the pandemic – another year of Covid-19 Russell Palmer (RNZ): NZ politics in 2021: Rabbles, restrictions and recriminations Martin Bradbury (Daily Blog): TDB 2021 predictions vs 2021 reality RNZ: David Shearer: from South ...2 weeks ago
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- Graham Adams: 2022: Ardern’s plans for co-governance with iwi face rough seasAs voters become more aware of the stealthy implementation of a Māori separatist agenda, the political risks for the government will rise sharply. Graham Adams reports. When the Prime Minister claimed in her first term that her government was going to be “transformational” many voters took her seriously — ...2 weeks ago
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- NZ protesters slam arrest of Lumad cultural speaker and other Filipino political prisoners
An Asia Pacific Newsdesk report on the detention of Philippines indigenous educator Lorena Sigua who toured NZ in 2018 Justice and peace advocates in New Zealand have strongly criticised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “horrific crackdown” on community leaders, activists, and educators. They have condemned in a statement published in Manila ...2 weeks ago - A Two Towers Jigsaw Diversion
It may interest you to know that the only piece of Peter Jackson movie-related paraphernalia I actually own is a jigsaw puzzle. Specifically, a thousand-piece Two Towers-themed one. I received it as a Birthday/Christmas present around 2003 or so, and for old time’s sake I decided to dust it ...2 weeks ago - How weather forecasts can spark a new kind of extreme-event attributionThis is a re-post from Carbon Brief Extreme weather events across the world this year have been hitting the headlines at an alarming rate. To name a few, 2021 has seen flooding in central Europe, China and New York, a record temperature of 49.6C in Canada and wildfires in Siberia, North America and the Mediterranean. With each tragic event comes the question of whether human-caused ...2 weeks ago
- Picking It Wrong: Isildur’s Social Circle and Another Amazon LeakWell, well. Looks like I owe a nameless someone an apology. Back in November, I speculated that a leaked Numenorean character list ‘felt wrong’, and that it was probably a fake: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2021/11/26/rumour-has-it-a-numenorean-character-list/ Today, we have a fresh leak out of Amazon (courtesy of Fellowship of Fans), and it essentially ...2 weeks ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #53Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, December 26, 2021 through Sat, January 1, 2021. This being the final installment for 2021, I'd be interested to know how helpful this summary blog post is, so please leave a comment if you check ...2 weeks ago
- In Defence of the New York Times: The Origins of Science-FictionI’m rather late to the party here, but I thought I would offer my proverbial twenty cents worth anyway. Back in November 2021, the New York Times got a fair bit of blow-back, after putting out a tweet about H.G. Wells inventing the genre of science-fiction: With Jules Verne ...3 weeks ago
- A real focus on “the Public Good” is what 2022 must bring if Covid is to “teach us” anything
Well done and goodbye to the back of 2021. 2022 seemed to start predictably stupid enough in some ways. A certain “Reformed Blogger” of Aotearoa’s “Dirty Politics era” responded to a whine from the Opposition former-Iraq-mercenary-for-hire and current Spokesperson for Police, Mark “Rambo” Mitchell, who had seeded a predictable ...3 weeks ago - 2021 Reading Log: The List
Completed reads for 2021: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe City of God (2 vols), by Saint Augustine of HippoOn the Nature of Things, by LucretiusOn the Cave of the Nymphs, by PorphyryKim, by Rudyard ...3 weeks ago - 2021 – Blog views by countryAs per my blog tradition, here is where my blog viewers came from in 2021: United StatesUnited KingdomCanadaNew ZealandAustraliaGermanySwedenBrazilIndiaThe Netherlands The top three remains the same as 2020. New Zealand and Australia have swapped places from 2020, Germany has gained a place, Sweden has gained two places, India has ...3 weeks ago
- 2021 Reading Log: December (+ Writing Update)Completed reads for December: Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha ChristieThe Murder on the Links, by Agatha ChristieOn Abstinence from Animal Food, by PorphyryLetter to Marcella, by PorphyrySaturnalia, by Lucian of SamosataThe Life of Plotinus, by PorphyryThe Wednesday Wizard, by Sherryl JordanDenzil’s Dilemma, by Sherryl JordanDenzil’s Great Bear Burglary, ...3 weeks ago
- Hard News: Medicinal cannabis: 2022 will be a better yearThe year we are about to depart has been a frustrating one for the New Zealand medicinal cannabis community.A cluster of companies established to produce and distrubute legal cannabis products ran up against a regulatory scheme that sometimes seemed unworkable and informal growers and green fairies struggled to see a ...3 weeks ago
- What’s Labour achieved so far?
Quite a bit! This Government was elected to take on the toughest issues facing Aotearoa – and that’s what we’re doing. Since the start of the pandemic, protecting lives and livelihoods has been a priority, but we’ve also made progress on long-term challenges, to deliver a future the next generation ...6 days ago - Tackling the big issues in 2022This year, keeping Kiwis safe from COVID will remain a key priority of the Government – but we’re also pushing ahead on some of New Zealand’s biggest long-term challenges. In 2022, we’re working to get more Kiwis into homes, reduce emissions, lift children out of poverty, and ensure people get ...1 week ago
- Happy new year, Aotearoa!Welcome to 2022! As we look ahead to another year of progress on the big issues facing our country, we’re taking a look back at the year that’s been and everything the team of five million achieved together in 2021. ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand prepared to send support to Tonga
New Zealand is ready to assist Tonga in its recovery from Saturday night’s undersea eruption and tsunami, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Defence Minister Peeni Henare said today. “Following the successful surveillance and reconnaissance flight of a New Zealand P-3K2 Orion on Monday, imagery and details have been sent ...2 days ago - Aotearoa New Zealand stands ready to assist people of TongaThe thoughts of New Zealanders are with the people of Tonga following yesterday’s undersea volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami waves, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta says. “Damage assessments are under way and New Zealand has formally offered to provide assistance to Tonga,” said Nanaia Mahuta. New Zealand has made an ...4 days ago
- Record high of new homes consented continuesIn the year ended November 2021, 48,522 new homes were consented, up 26 per cent from the November 2020 year. In November 2021, 4,688 new dwellings were consented. Auckland’s new homes consented numbers rose 25 per cent in the last year. Annual figures for the last nine months show more ...7 days ago
- Report trumpets scope for ice cream exportsLatest research into our premium ice cream industry suggests exporters could find new buyers in valuable overseas markets as consumers increasingly look for tip top quality in food. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash has released a new report for the Food and Beverage Information Project. The project is run by ...1 week ago
- Honouring the legacy of legendary kaumātua Muriwai IhakaraAssociate Minister for Arts, Culture, and Heritage Kiri Allan expressed her great sadness and deepest condolences at the passing of esteemed kaumātua, Muriwai Ihakara. “Muriwai’s passing is not only a loss for the wider creative sector but for all of Aotearoa New Zealand. The country has lost a much beloved ...1 week ago
- Have your say on proposed changes to make drinking water saferAssociate Minister for the Environment Kiri Allan is urging all New Zealanders to give feedback on proposed changes aimed at making drinking water safer. “The current regulations are not fit for purpose and don’t offer enough protection, particularly for those whose water comes from smaller supplies,” Kiri Allan said. “This ...1 week ago
- Planting the seeds for rewarding careersA boost in funding for a number of Jobs for Nature initiatives across Canterbury will provide sustainable employment opportunities for more than 70 people, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The six projects are diverse, ranging from establishing coastline trapping in Kaikōura, to setting up a native plant nursery, restoration planting ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand congratulates Tonga's new Prime Minister on appointmentMinister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta today congratulated Hon Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni on being appointed Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Tonga have an enduring bond and the Kingdom is one of our closest neighbours in the Pacific. We look forward to working with Prime ...2 weeks ago
- High-tech investment extends drought forecasting for farmers and growersThe Government is investing in the development of a new forecasting tool that makes full use of innovative climate modelling to help farmers and growers prepare for dry conditions, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said. The new approach, which will cost $200,000 and is being jointly funded through the Ministry for ...2 weeks ago
- Support for fire-hit Waiharara communityThe government will contribute $20,000 towards a Mayoral Relief Fund to support those most affected by the fires in Waiharara in the Far North, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan says. “I have spoken to Far North Mayor John Carter about the effect the fires continue to have, on residents ...2 weeks ago
- Manawatū’s ‘oases of nature’ receive conservation boostThe Government is throwing its support behind projects aimed at restoring a cluster of eco-islands and habitats in the Manawatū which were once home to kiwi and whio. “The projects, which stretch from the Ruahine Ranges to the Horowhenua coastline, will build on conservation efforts already underway and contribute ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand to continue Solomon Islands supportA New Zealand Defence Force and Police deployment to help restore peace and stability to Solomon Islands is being scaled down and extended. The initial deployment followed a request for support from Solomon Islands Government after riots and looting in capital Honiara late last month. They joined personnel from Australia, ...2 weeks ago
- Our Pacific community shares in New Year’s HonoursProminent Pacific health champion Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai Sopoaga has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s Honours list. Professor Sopoaga has been a champion for Pacific Health at Otago University, said Minister of Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “She’s overseen changes in ...3 weeks ago
- Congratulations to Māori New Year’s Honours stars of 2022Kei aku rangatira kua whakawhiwhia koutou ki ngā tohu ā tō tātou kuīni hei whakanui nui i ā koutou mahi rangatira i hāpai i te manotini puta noa i a Aotearoa. Ko koutou ngā tino tauira. I whanake i ngā hapori, iwi, hapū, whānau me te motu anō hoki. Mauri ...3 weeks ago
- Top honours for women in sportMinister of Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson has congratulated Olympian Lisa Carrington and Paralympian Sophie Pascoe on being made Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM) in the 2022 New Year Honours. Lisa Carrington is New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, having won five gold and one bronze ...3 weeks ago
- PM congratulates 2022 New Year Honours recipientsThe New Zealanders recognised in the New Year 2022 Honours List represent the determination and service exemplified by so many New Zealanders during what has been another tough year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “I never fail to be amazed by the outstanding things ...3 weeks ago
- First impressions count, and have an impact on the decisions we make later on
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Turner, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Picture yourself standing at the edge of a road, trying to decide if it’s safe to cross. It’s night time and rain is falling, making it difficult to see what’s ...1 hour ago - ‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Davies, PhD researcher, Curtin University Shutterstock For billions of people across the world, life as we knew it stopped in 2020. Families and friends were separated. Masks mandated. Hand washing essential. Every trip outside became risky. As news ...1 hour ago
- How long to midnight? The Doomsday Clock measures more than nuclear risk – and it’s about to be ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Heinemann, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Canterbury In less than 24 hours the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will update the Doomsday Clock. It’s currently at 100 seconds from midnight – the metaphorical time when the human race ...1 hour ago
- Confusion, financial pressure, discomfort: older people can struggle with sustainable living, despit...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xin Hu, Lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University Shutterstock Improving the sustainability of Australia’s housing stock is crucial to meeting national emissions reduction goals. But for older adults, such changes can bring both benefits and challenges. My ...1 hour ago
- Border opening spurs rebound in demand from international studentsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Anderson. Palawa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student and University Experience, Australian National University Australia’s position in the international higher education market weakened significantly while our border was closed over the past two years. But recent demand and application data suggest our position may ...1 hour ago
- What a disaster: federal government slashes COVID payment when people need it mostSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Goldie, Adjunct Professor and UNSW Law Advisory Council Member, UNSW With Australia’s official COVID-19 infection numbers topping 100,000 a day, the federal government has slashed its last remaining pandemic support payment. The decision is ill-timed, irresponsible and heartless. It is ...1 hour ago
- From fear to connection, dynamic MENTAL exhibition explores a colourful spectrum of experiencesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Haslam, Professor of Psychology, The University of Melbourne Wheel by Hiromi Tango and Dr Emma Burrows (2021) Science Gallery/Alan Weedon Review: MENTAL: Head Inside, curated by Tilly Boleyn. After three false starts due to lockdown, the Science Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, MENTAL: ...1 hour ago
- Northland's traffic light setting future to be revealed after Cabinet makes Covid-19 settings d...
Cabinet ministers met yesterday to decide whether it is tweaking settings that have all regions at orange except Te Tai Tokerau - it has remained in red over the summer break. ...2 hours ago - Screen time: How much is too much?
A healthy digital diet is different for different people. We need to learn to listen for what our body and brain are telling us. How much screen time is too much? It's a question we all want the answer to. But it's like asking, how much sugar is too much? ...3 hours ago - Book of the Week: No sex, please, we're LGBTQIA+
Sexlessness and Wellington wokeness mark an otherwise substantial anthology of LGBTQIA+ writing Out Here: An Anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ writers from Aotearoa is a substantial hardback in gay pinks and lesbian lavenders – the magenta/cyan combination known as “bisexual lighting” in YouTuber circles – in a motif of wet ...3 hours ago - Moment of truth for Waiheke marine reserve
A citizens’ group is pushing for expanded environmental protection in the Hauraki Gulf. Matthew Scott reports The submission period begins today for a proposed marine reserve in the Hauraki Gulf that would be the first new reserve in the area in 20 years. The Hākaimangaō-Matiatia (Northwest Waiheke) marine reserve ...3 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 20 January4 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 20 January
...4 hours ago - Covid fades Waitangi’s spotlight on Māori inequities
Waitangi commemorations have marked the beginning of the political year for successive Parliaments – a place to shine a light on Māori inequities and put pressure on politicians to do more. This year there will be no spotlight in the Far North and one Cabinet Minister worries about what that means for Māori kaupapa. Peeni ...4 hours ago - Tonga eruption: Images appear to show most of Atatā island wiped outRNZ News New images appear to show the majority of structures on the Tongan island of Atatā have been wiped out after a volcanic eruption and tsunami last weekend. The Tongan government has so far confirmed three deaths from Saturday’s eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, and all houses on the ...8 hours ago
- Tongan community welcomes official word from Tongan governmentBy Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific journalist Tongan communities in New Zealand feel relieved to hear official information from the government of Tonga for the first time since Saturday’s eruption and resulting tsunami. The Office of Tonga’s Prime Minister was able to send initial detail of search and rescue efforts and ...8 hours ago
- Repairing Tonga cable no simple process – cable company
*This story was first published on RNZ and is republished with permission* The exact damage to the Tonga undersea cable won't be known until the cable repair ship, the Reliance, arrives in Tonga and pulls the cable up out of the sea. Tonga Cable Limited chairperson Samuiela Fonua said "There ...13 hours ago - Leaf oysters: the unsung heroes of estuaries are disappearing, and we know almost nothing about themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Benkendorff, Associate Professor in Marine Biology, Southern Cross University Charlotte Jenkins , Author provided Am I not pretty enough? This article is part of The Conversation’s series introducing you to Australia’s unloved animals that need our help. Camouflaged ...14 hours ago
Rino Tirikatane, Labour MP for the Maori seat of Te Tai Tonga, had the job – just before Christmas – of championing a retreat from democracy in his home patch by moving that the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill be read a first time in Parliament. He ...15 hours ago- Call For Political Donation Reform & Consider Fully Funding Elections To Avoid Corruption
The chair of the National Maori Authority has told the Ministry of Justice that it is time to overhaul donations to political parties and to ensure that the New Zealand electoral system withstands the scrutiny of voters by ensuring they are protected ...17 hours ago - Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins defends MIQ hold announcementCovid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins fronted to media after a decision yesterday to delay the next MIQ release due to an increase in Omicron cases at the border. ...18 hours ago
- Tongan Government approves arrival of two New Zealand navy vessels with suppliesTwo naval ships with supplies have been approved for arrival in Tonga, an updated statement from the New Zealand government, with more details on the situation, says. ...18 hours ago
- Watch live: Chris Hipkins speaks after MIQ rooms release put on holdCovid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins is fronting to the media after a decision yesterday to delay the next MIQ release due to an increase in Omicron cases at the border. ...18 hours ago
- Lessons To Be Learnt...19 hours ago
- Open Letter To Government From Non-bank Lenders: The Path Forward On CCCFA ChangesResponsible lenders are not interested in telling the Government “I told you so” when it comes to unintended consequences of changes to lending laws that are now causing grief for everyday Kiwis seeking finance. The Financial Services Federation ...20 hours ago
- Former Minister Of Finance Joins Taxpayers’ Union BoardThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming Hon Ruth Richardson onto its Board of Directors. “The quantity and quality of public expenditure again rears its head – it’s time to reapply the discipline of fiscal responsibility.” -Hon Ruth ...21 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 19 2022Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Covid, MIQ, border RNZ: Government postpones next MIQ lottery ...22 hours ago
- A huge project is underway to sequence the genome of every complex species on EarthSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Graves, Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Shutterstock The Earth Biogenome Project, a global consortium that aims to sequence the genomes of all complex life on earth (some 1.8 million described species) in ten ...22 hours ago
- Tongan government confirms all homes on Mango destroyed, fears death toll of 3 may riseRNZ News The Tongan government has confirmed that all houses on the island of Mango were wiped out in the tsunami that followed Saturday’s volcanic eruption. It confirmed that three people are now known to have died: a 65-year-old woman in Mango and a 49-year-old man in Nomuka, both in ...23 hours ago
- How NZ is responding to Tonga’s call for help …Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta issued a press release on Sunday headed “Aotearoa New Zealand stands ready to assist people of Tonga”. Yesterday she and Defence Minister Peeni Henare issued fresh news headed “New Zealand prepared to send support to Tonga”. We shall report on the update today, as soon ...23 hours ago
- Research confirms men with older brothers are more likely to be gay, suggesting same-sex attraction ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Perales, Associate Professor, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland Shutterstock New research shows having a greater number of older brothers increases the probability of a person entering a same-sex union at some point in their lives. ...1 day ago
- The republic debate is back (again) but we need more than a model to capture Australians’ imaginat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Altman, VC Fellow LaTrobe University, La Trobe University Chris Jackson/AP/AAP The Australian Republic Movement has just released their preferred model for a republic. It would see Australia’s parliaments nominate candidates for head of state, who would be put ...1 day ago
- How to look after your mental health if you’re at home with COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Stone, General practitioner; Associate Professor, ANU Medical School, Australian National University Shutterstock For many of us, catching COVID and isolating at home can be a lonely, scary and distressing experience. For those with a pre-existing mental illness, it can ...1 day ago
- 4 ways to stop Australia’s surge in rooftop solar from destabilising electricity pricesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Nikitopoulos, Associate professor, Finance Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Last year saw Australians install rooftop solar like never before, with 40% more installed in 2021 than in 2020. Solar system installations now make up 7% of the ...1 day ago
- COVID and schools: Australia is about to feel the full brunt of its teacher shortageSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Wilson, Associate Professor in Education, University of Sydney Shutterstock The Omicron wave is likely to exacerbate Australia’s existing teacher shortages and demanding workloads. As school starts at the end of January and beginning of February across the country, many ...1 day ago
- 63.5% of Australia’s performing artists reported worsening mental health during COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Rusak, Senior Lecturer, Arts Management, Edith Cowan University Hailey Kean/Unsplash 92% of performing artists experienced significant changes to their work during early stages of the pandemic – and at least half experienced depression. These shocking figures comes from new ...1 day ago
- Concern raised over new Oranga Tamariki legislation: 'I don't trust the government to deli...As an advocacy group urges the government to pump the brakes on new Oranga Tamariki legislation, political parties raise concerns. ...1 day ago
- Cabinet ministers to assess Covid-19 traffic light settings, border reopening and testingAs well as the regional traffic light restrictions, ministers are likely to also discuss the traffic light system's broader parameters, the planned border reopening, and testing requirements. ...1 day ago
- Horizon Poll Reveals Nearly 80% Of NZers Want Bottom Trawling Banned On SeamountsGreenpeace Aotearoa is renewing its call for the New Zealand Government to ban bottom trawling on seamounts. A recent Horizon poll shows there is overwhelming majority support among the New Zealand public for our call to ban destructive bottom trawling ...1 day ago
- Protecting threatened species in a new era of fire
Some plants and animals love fire. Others do not. Science will help figure out which areas to burn, which to hose and how to create resilient ecosystems, write Luke Kelly, Tim Curran, and Sophie Wilkinson The giant sequoias of California are some of the largest, oldest trees on Earth. Stretching ...1 day ago - Portrait: Mum
"It’s been over ten years since she died, and still I often dream about my mother" Mum was first diagnosed with cancer in 2003 on my eleventh birthday. My brother Petar and I didn’t find out for a few months, until after I’d settled into Year 7 at my new ...1 day ago - Daily crossword, Wednesday 19 January
...1 day ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 19 January1 day ago
- Winders sees silver lining in Ferns' thorny tour
It hasn't been the start to 2022 the Silver Ferns wanted, but star midcourter Sam Winders reckons her team will take plenty from the northern Quad Series - with the Commonwealth Games squarely on their horizon. The Silver Ferns won’t be using Covid as an excuse. Even with a limited ...1 day ago - Voting fix in sight for Covid-hit Kiwi expats
A solution seems on the way for Kiwi expats who may become ineligible to vote if pandemic restrictions keep them out of New Zealand, while an end to the de facto media blackout on election day could also be near Overseas Kiwis facing the threat of losing their voting rights due to ...1 day ago - Border clamps a double-edged sword for schools
Uncertainty at the border presents two possible scenarios for schools – either too many teachers or too few, writes Matthew Scott Analysis: Closed borders have posed dual problems for New Zealand schools, with a surplus of primary school teachers and a deficit for high schools. The impact of the vaccine mandate ...1 day ago - Gallery: What the NZ air crew saw at Tonga’s Nomuka – a choking carpet of volcanic ashAsia Pacific Report newsdesk An RNZAF P-3K2 Orion aircraft flies over the small Tongan island of Nomuka showing the heavy ash fall from last Saturday’s volcanic eruption on Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. Five Squadron crew worked on board while flying overhead to gather vital information to send back to New Zealand’s ...1 day ago
- Tonga eruption: New Zealand sends two navy ships with supplies, waterRNZ News Two New Zealand naval ships are being sent to Tonga to provide support, carrying fresh water, emergency provisions, and diving teams. It comes as ashfall on the Nuku’alofa airport runway means one of the aircraft readied yesterday — a C-130 Hercules, to supply aid — would be unable ...1 day ago
- Eruption renews debate on lack of backup for Tongan communicationsBy Kalino Latu and Philip Cass in Auckland Lack of backup satellite and cable links in the wake of Tonga’s volcanic eruption at the weekend reignites debate over the government’s plans to secure communications. Communication with Tonga remains intermittent after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami severed the kingdom’s ...1 day ago
- Fiji’s AG blames Tongan tsunami warning delay on ‘agency liaison’By Luke Nacei in Suva Fiji’s Department of Mineral Resources needs time to liaise with a number of agencies before emergency warnings or alerts are issued, says acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. He made the comment after being quizzed on the delay in issuing a tsunami warning in ...1 day ago
- Tonga’s undersea communications cable could take weeks to repairBy Hamish Cardwell, RNZ News senior journalist It could be weeks before Tonga’s crucial undersea communications cable – which connects it to the world – is back online. The cable carries nearly all digital information including the internet and phone communications in and out of Tonga. It was damaged after ...1 day ago
- Tongan volcanic eruption reveals the vulnerabilities in global telecommunicationsANALYSIS: By Dale Dominey-Howes, University of Sydney In the wake of a violent volcanic eruption in Tonga, much of the communication with residents on the islands remains at a standstill. In our modern, highly-connected world, more than 95 percent of global data transfer occurs along fibre-optic cables that criss-cross through ...1 day ago
- Anxious Tongans in NZ await volcano news from home: ‘It’s painful, you just feel hopeless’By Christine Rovoi, RNZ Pacific journalist Langi Fatanitavake’s wife and son live on one of the islands flanking Tonga’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano, but his repeated calls home since the violent eruption and tsunami have gone unanswered. The South Island seasonal worker last spoke to his family on Ha’apai ...1 day ago
- PM Ardern on covid-19 vaccine for children, booster doses and TongaRNZ News Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will move to the red traffic light setting if omicron is spreading in the community following reports that a border worker who was yesterday reported as covid-19 positive has been confirmed to have the omicron variant. On Tonga, Defence Minister Peeni ...1 day ago
- NZ Air Force plane leaves for Tonga to assess volcano eruption damageRNZ Pacific Power is being restored in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, and the country is sending naval boats to outlying islands to assess the damage from the huge Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami. A New Zealand Defence Force plane has left for Tonga to assess the damage from Saturday’s volcanic ...1 day ago
- Veteran Tahiti politician Flosse accuses France of causing his ‘political death’RNZ Pacific French Polynesia’s former president Gaston Flosse says he is in mourning because the French state has signed his political death by banning him from political office for five years for abusing public funds. Flosse made the statement after France’s highest appeal court upheld a 2020 conviction over a ...1 day ago
- Tsunami wave hits Tonga’s ‘Eua royal palace gate as vehicles try to fleeThe video of the tsunami wave crashing into the gate of the Heilala Tangitangi royal palace in ‘Eua. Video: Kaniva Tonga By Kalino Latu in Auckland Tonga’s King Tupou VI is reportedly still on ‘Eua island despite reports yesterday that he had been evacuated to the royal villa at Mataki’eua ...1 day ago
- Two confirmed dead after Tonga tsunami
*This story was first published on RNZ and is republished with permission* The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed two deaths so far following the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga on Saturday. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which erupted on Saturday, was about 65km north of Tonga's ...1 day ago - New, exclusive letters between the queen and 6 governors-general show the evolution of a relationshi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Hocking, Emeritus Professor, Monash University More than a year after the High Court’s decision in the “Palace letters” case, which said the queen’s correspondence with Governor-General Sir John Kerr is not “personal”, more letters have now been made public. The ...2 days ago
- Direct democracy is not the same as direct representation (a privilege intended for Ngai Tahu on Can...The case for entitling Ngai Tahu leaders to appoint two representatives to the Canterbury Regional Council prompted your Point of Order team to check out the differences between representative and direct democracies. Explaining why it has rejected a ballot-box procedure to decide two places at its table, the council contends ...2 days ago
- Coalition slumps in first poll of 2022 as voters lose confidence in Morrison’s handling of pandemi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne In the first national poll of the new year, a Resolve survey for the Nine newspapers, Labor had 35% of the primary vote (up three percentage points since November), ...2 days ago
- Mythologised, memorialised then forgotten: a history of Australia’s bushfire reportingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiannuala Morgan, PhD Candidate, Australian National University Australia’s Black Summer bushfires of 2019 and 2020 wreaked destruction across South-Eastern Australia. Images of flames crowned trees, engulfed fire trucks and people crowded on beaches and packed in boats were broadcast into our homes. ...2 days ago
- Tonga eruption: New Zealand sends two ships with suppliesTwo New Zealand naval ships are being sent to Tonga to provide support, carrying fresh water, emergency provisions, and diving teams. ...2 days ago
- Westpac NZ Warns About Sophisticated New ScamWestpac NZ is warning New Zealanders about a sophisticated new scam that involves a fake Westpac investment prospectus. The prospectus is formatted to resemble a Westpac document and includes professional-looking imagery. Westpac NZ Chief Risk Officer ...2 days ago
- Pandemic disruption to PhD research is bad for society and the economy – but there are solutionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Whitby, Postgraduate Lead in the School of Natural Sciences and Associate Professor in Chemistry, Massey University Shutterstock Every year thousands of students enrol in PhD degrees at universities in New Zealand. The government funds their degrees because the advanced ...2 days ago
- As international students return, let’s not return to the status quo of isolation and exploitationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Deuchar, Postdoctoral Researcher, Australia India Institute and Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock As Australia welcomes back international students, it’s a time for education providers to re-imagine how they cater to these students. Our research ...2 days ago
- Regional And Unitary Councils Of New Zealand Appoint Inaugural Chief Science AdvisorTe Uru Kahika, the Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa New Zealand, have appointed Dr Chris Daughney as the sector’s inaugural Chief Science Advisor. Regional Chief Executive Officers representative Michael McCartney says the recruitment of Dr Daughney ...2 days ago
- Dominick Stephens Appointed As Chief Economic AdvisorSecretary to the Treasury Caralee McLiesh has announced the appointment of Dominick Stephens as Deputy Secretary, Chief Economic Advisor. "Dominick Stephens is a highly valued and respected member of the Treasury’s executive leadership team," ...2 days ago
- Time to upgrade from cloth and surgical masks to respirators? Your questions answeredSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leyla Asadi, PhD candidate and infectious diseases doctor, University of Alberta Shutterstock With the rapid spread of Omicron, many countries are rethinking their COVID mask advice for the community. Respirators have been mandatory in public places in Austria for ...2 days ago
- Too Many Kiwi Workers Financially Vulnerable As Omicron Looms – Annual Workforce SurveyWith New Zealand on the precipice of an Omicron outbreak and the economic upheaval that comes with it, the CTU’s annual Mood of the Workforce Survey shows the vast majority of kiwi workers do not have the financial resources to survive a period ...2 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 18 2022Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Covid, MIQ, border Michael Baker, Jennifer Summers, Amanda ...2 days ago
- The Real Story Behind Firearms MisinformationThe public is in fear of firearm violence because of deliberate misinformation, but the real story is that the 2021 statistics on firearms violence are no different to the previous three years. President of the NZ Police Association Chris Cahill ...2 days ago
- No, chivalry is not dead – but it’s about time it wasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Beatrice Alba, Lecturer, Deakin University Shutterstock It is customary in many Western cultures for men to offer a range of special courtesies to women. This includes paying on dates, carrying heavy objects, pulling out chairs, opening doors, and allowing women to ...2 days ago
- Sportswashing: how mining and energy companies sponsor your favourite sports to help clean up their ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin Canniford, Department of Management & Marketing, The University of Melbourne Fossil fuel and carbon-intensive industries have an image problem. As awareness of their environmental impact grows, energy and mining companies in particular are desperate to maintain control over spiralling levels of ...2 days ago
- Sponges can survive low oxygen and warming waters. They could be the main reef organisms in the futu...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Valerio Micaroni Sponges are ancient marine animals, very common throughout the world’s oceans and seem less affected by ocean warming and acidification. Our latest research shows they ...2 days ago
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