Open mike 17/01/2025
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6:00 am, January 17th, 2025 - 2 comments
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The post Daily crossword, Friday 17 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 17 January
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- A complete history of New Zealand’s one-term governments
Summer reissue: The current coalition not lasting beyond this parliamentary term is an idea that’s been seized on by its opponents. History suggests it’s unlikely – but not impossible. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...4 hours ago
- Vanuatu polling underway in snap election one month after quake
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Port Vila More than 180,000 registered voters are expected to cast their votes today with polls now open in Vanuatu. It is remarkable the snap election is even able to happen with Friday marking one month since the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the ...7 hours ago - No curbing brain drain without significant productivity boost
New Zealand needs to boost its productivity growth and become more attractive and accessible as a workplace in order to fix its labour market woes, a recruitment agency says.Commenting on new salary survey results from Robert Walters, Shay Peters, the company’s Australia and New Zealand chief executive, says the Government ...8 hours ago
- A pessimist’s reasons to be optimistic in 2025
Comment: When Newsroom’s editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to either review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025.I initially misread Jonathan’s request to review ...8 hours ago
- Māori politicians call for ‘rapid’ aid to Gaza after ceasefire deal
By Daniel Perese of Te Ao Māori News Māori politicians across the political spectrum in Aotearoa New Zealand have called for immediate aid to enter Gaza following a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The ceasefire, agreed yesterday, comes into effect on Sunday, January 19. Foreign Minister Winston Peters ...8 hours ago
- Treaty Principles Bill: 80 hours of submissions Justice Committee must hear
The first full day of hearings will begin on 27 January. ...13 hours ago
- Legally, they can’t be called ‘uggs’ outside of Australia – but the name will stick regardle...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University Australian-owned brand UGG Since 1974 has announced it will change its name to “Since 74” for sales outside Australia and New Zealand. There has been a long-running battle over the rights ...13 hours ago
- Hearings on Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill to start on Monday, 27 January 2025
The committee has agreed to split into two sub-committees to increase the number of people it can hear from in the time available. Each sub-committee will meet for 30 hours total, together making up 60 of the 80 planned hours of hearings. ...14 hours ago - Beyond the Israel–Hamas ceasefire, the future looks unclear. Here are six key unanswered questions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research scholar, Middle East studies, Australian National University The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, to come into effect on Sunday, has understandably been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis are relieved that a process for ...14 hours ago
- Wildfires ignite infection risks, by weakening the body’s immune defences and spreading bugs in sm...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia Over the past several days, the world has watched on in shock as wildfires have devastated large parts of Los Angeles. Beyond the obvious destruction – to landscapes, homes, ...14 hours ago
- No, you don’t need the ‘Barbie drug’ to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here’s why melanotan-II i...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rose Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, University of Sydney AtlasStudio/Shutterstock TikTok and Instagram influencers have been peddling the “Barbie drug” to help you tan. But melanotan-II, as it’s called officially, is a solution that’s too good to ...14 hours ago
- The LA fires have prompted a reckoning for the insurance industry – Australian premiums could soar...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Jarzabkowski, Professor in Strategic Management, The University of Queensland A series of wildfires in Los Angeles County have caused widespread devastation in California, including at least 24 deaths and the destruction of more than 12,000 homes and structures. Thousands of residents ...14 hours ago
- The Human Rights Commission has handed down a report on racism at Australian universities. Here’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chelsea Watego, Professor of Indigenous Health, Executive Director, Carumba Institute, Queensland University of Technology Just before universities closed for the year in 2024, the Australian Human Rights Commission released its Interim Report on Racism at Australian Universities. The timing of the ...15 hours ago
- Fiji quota proposal sparks debate on women’s representation in politics
COMMENTARY: By Monika Singh The lack of women representation in parliaments across the world remains a vexed and contentious issue. In Fiji, this problem has again surfaced for debate in response to Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica’s call for a quota system to increase women’s representation in Parliament. Kamikamica was ...15 hours ago
- US ‘TikTok refugees’ are fleeing to Chinese app RedNote. It’s a new phase of the digital cold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jian Xu, Associate Professor in Communication, Deakin University Ti Vla/Shutterstock Social media giant TikTok is preparing to shut down its app in the United States this Sunday – the day that legislation signed by President Joe Biden last year banning the ...17 hours ago
- Golriz, I think I get it — I shoplifted too
What compels someone of significant status in society to break the law, repeatedly, might be the same reason I did as a poor teenager. Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, who left parliament a year ago today following revelations of shoplifting, is now at the centre of another shoplifting complaint. As ...17 hours ago
- Meta’s shift to ‘community notes’ risks hurting online health info providers more than ever
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath Albury, Professor of Media and Communication and Associate Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making + Society, Swinburne University of Technology natamrli/Shutterstock Last week, social media giant Meta announced major changes to its content moderation practices. This includes an ...18 hours ago
- Remembering Simon Townsend as a conscientious objector and fearless anti-Vietnam War activist
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Effie Karageorgos, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Newcastle Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy SEARCH Foundation, CC BY Journalist Simon Townsend has died aged 79 only a few months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form ...19 hours ago
- Government-iwi partnership to see 48 affordable rental homes built in Gisborne
"Gisborne has suffered from housing underdevelopment and a lack of supply, coupled with damage from severe weather events," Minister Tama Potaka says. ...19 hours ago
- Say it with a picture: overcoming legalese in public procurement contracts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Andhov, Associate Professor, Law School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Iconic Bestiary/Shutterstock They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of legal contracts, pictures can be worth even more by making complicated concepts more ...20 hours ago
- Global watchdog calls for ‘open’ probe into crimes against Gaza media as ceasefire agreed
Asia Pacific Report The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Egyptian, Palestinian and Israeli authorities to allow foreign journalists into Gaza in the wake of the three-phase ceasefire agreement set to to begin on Sunday. The New York-based global media watchdog urged the international community “to independently investigate ...20 hours ago
- World celebrates Gaza ceasefire deal
The agreement will ease Palestinians’ suffering, but international agencies will struggle to meet the massive need for humanitarian relief. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here. We start the World Bulletin’s year with a rare piece of ...21 hours ago
- Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire. It doesn’t guarantee a peaceful end to a devastating ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne After 467 days of violence, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel has been reached and will come into effect on Sunday, pending Israeli government approval. This agreement will not end the ...21 hours ago
- The worst Google reviews of New Zealand’s best tramps
We love to suffer through tramps to enjoy natural beauty… except when we don’t. It can feel a bit shitty to stay inside and wallow all day when it’s nice out. Hot sunlight hits your window and your mum’s voice rings around in your head: get outside and enjoy the ...21 hours ago
- ‘Unreasonably Secretive’ – Otago Regional Council Refuses To Release Potentially Damning Corre...
Requests for official information involving potentially damning correspondence are totally legitimate – but have been put in the ‘too hard basket' by officials refusing to properly follow the Local Government Official Information and Meetings ...22 hours ago
- Bucket fountains of news: The big issues for Wellington in 2025
With the local body elections in October, a long-awaited upgrade of Courtenay Place, and big changes for water, housing and the economy, it’s set to be another dramatic year for the capital city. The Golden Mile Conservative city councillors made a last-minute attempt in November to scrap the Golden Mile ...22 hours ago
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- Despite decades of beach safety ads, at least 55 people have drowned in Australia this summer. It’...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney byvalet/Shutterstock Australia is considered a nation of beach lovers. But with all this water surrounding us, drownings remain tragically common. At least 55 people have ...24 hours ago
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- New shoplifting allegation against former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman
RNZ understands the former Green MP is being investigated for an incident at a Pak'nSave supermarket. ...1 day ago
- The overdue decision to increase Lotto age restrictions
Currently, under 18s are legally allowed to buy Lotto tickets. That’s about to change, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 day ago
As I predicted yesterday…the IDF are going in hard with attacks prior to the ceasefire,
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/jan/16/israel-gaza-war-live-blog-updates-strikes-hamas-ceasefire-talks
What is more surprise surprise, not, is the Israeli Cabinet is not going to meet to ratify the deal as scheduled.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/16/israels-netanyahu-says-cabinet-will-not-meet-to-approve-ceasefire-deal
A young AP reporter, obviously a local, interviewed on TVNZ last night, 6pm news, said that “Israeli forces were trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible before the ceasefire”. Within minutes TVNZ issued a “clarification”, sucking up to Israel yet again.
So yes, a ceasefire will be great compared to open season on Palestinians, but not easy at all, particularly for parts 2 and 3.
From the : It will be somebody else's problem….the uncaring fckwits who handed it down to the next generations….incl ours.
We must stop any more of this thinking. IMO Fast Track (and NAct1) very much of that mindset…
Who pays? We do….