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Comment: Reviewing the Cook Strait Ferry fiasco
Written By: satty - Date published: 5:59 pm, January 16th, 2025
There has been talks abut buying 2nd-hand ferries instead, so there's a 2nd-hand market for ships: Reidy [KiwiRail chief executive] said they also met with a shipbroker in South Korea to discuss the market for second-hand ships. KiwiRail has previously ...Comment: Open mike 05/01/2025
Written By: satty - Date published: 8:54 pm, January 5th, 2025
USA is not part of OPEC, nor OPEC+.Comment: Open mike 13/12/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 12:55 pm, December 13th, 2024
Looking forward to all those (very long-haired) people storming the hairdressers around the country after decades of "hair neglect" caused by lack of refreshments and inability to take their dogs alongComment: Open mike 11/12/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 2:47 pm, December 11th, 2024
They probably tried desperately to find some 2nd hand ferries over the last year... now that ship has sailed (as predicted by experts), it's all back to square one (minus at least 500 million NZD). Also interesting to hear it will be a lot cheaper than the ...Comment: Open mike 08/12/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 3:05 pm, December 8th, 2024
Having family and friends in Germany and UK and usually calls every week, I can remember what their restrictions were compared to ours here in NZ. They couldn't believe it when I showed pictures of me at a crowded stadium or going shopping in town like ...Comment: Open mike 05/12/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 9:30 am, December 5th, 2024
I agree, the "pardon stinks". I guess Biden figured that Trump is going to pardon the capitol rioters anyway... it's a slippery slope.Comment: Electric Shock
Written By: satty - Date published: 12:22 pm, December 3rd, 2024
Yep. Compared to the 45,000 kg a truck is allowed (or is it even more nowadays?), no car - ICE or EV - is in the same ballpark.Comment: Electric Shock
Written By: satty - Date published: 10:03 am, December 3rd, 2024
Last kick at electric cars, they are heaver right? Heavy vehicles cause more damage on the infrastructure? Depends how you look at it... a big car is a heavy car ICE or EV. The most sold cars here in NZ are heavy to start with Ford Ranger (2,000 kg) ...Comment: Daily review 25/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 5:37 pm, November 26th, 2024
Reminds me of the NOFX song "Kill all the white man": The white man call himself civilized 'Cause he know how to take over The white man come to pillage my village Now he tell me I have to bend over Woah-yeah, moh-yeah Kill all the white man Woah-yeah, moh ...Comment: Open mike 24/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 4:00 pm, November 24th, 2024
mikesh, there was an article on the Guardian on Russia’s war on Europe yesterday. It’s a bit vague, because it’s mostly undercover operations… https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/23/the-ukraine-missile-crisis-putins-shadow-war-against-the-west- ...Comment: The great gaslighter
Written By: satty - Date published: 7:27 pm, November 19th, 2024
And no mountains of rubbish afterwards.Comment: Open mike 13/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 10:43 am, November 13th, 2024
Trump nominated Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, so that's almost certainly going to happen. He is an outspoken settlement backer; in 2018, he said he dreamed of building a “holiday home” in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Comment: Open mike 11/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 9:31 am, November 11th, 2024
An apology not heard by the abused - I guess they're not all present in Parliament and not having a gigantic Zoom call - is not giving an apology at all.Comment: Open mike 07/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 10:21 am, November 7th, 2024
More detailed information on NZ trade with the US can be found here: MFAT: NZ exports to the US: strong growth continues - June 2024Comment: Open mike 07/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 10:11 am, November 7th, 2024
The linked article does mention other reasons, too: “In addition to the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui there were contentious cuts announced for the planned Dunedin hospital redevelopment in late September with costs escalating and accusations the National ...Comment: Open mike 04/11/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 3:55 pm, November 4th, 2024
Yep. Elon Musk is obviously very keen to have the US EV market protected. Therefore the Trump super-support by him. BYD has overtaken Tesla now (revenue) and there will be a lot more EVs flooding the market going forward.Comment: Open mike 31/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 12:16 pm, October 31st, 2024
A very simple pocket calculator, like the one my dad brought home in the 70s, could have told N. Willis that cancelling the ferries is a bad idea. No need for AI,Comment: Open mike 31/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 11:21 am, October 31st, 2024
After another devastating flood in Europe, I went through all the articles on the Guardian under "Flooding". Here's a list of all the area / countries affected in 2024, most of them deadly: January 2024 Queensland AU NSW, AU Victoria, AU Storm Henk, UK ...Comment: Open mike 16/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 11:06 am, October 17th, 2024
My observations are: The majority of cars in the CBD don't do any business, they simply drive through. Wellington CBD traffic is not much more than a dozen of alternative motorway lanes with some high-rise buildings in between. The main areas in the CBD, ...Comment: Open mike 16/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 8:55 am, October 17th, 2024
Good Morning. Okay, I did my morning tour... The two disabled car parks outside the Founders Gate are still there, plus some space marked like a bus stop and can be used for drop-off and pick-up. There are 3 more disabled car parks next to the Rose Garden ...Comment: Open mike 16/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 5:59 pm, October 16th, 2024
I walk every morning and most lunchtimes past empty carparks in the Botanical Gardens, including disability carparks. Of the carparks that were along Glenmore Road, how many were suitable for disabled people or people with mobility problems? From some ...Comment: Open mike 16/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 4:39 pm, October 16th, 2024
What's completely missing are talks from the businesses that support less cars and less car parking (like the ones applying for parklets, where carparks in front of their business are transformed into outside serving areas - cafes, bars, restaurants). Some ...Comment: Open mike 15/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 3:50 pm, October 15th, 2024
This is probably linked to the Labour amendment: Labour reduced RUC rate for PHEVsComment: Open mike 01/10/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 10:19 am, October 1st, 2024
So close to the election, no party / candidate can work (fight) against the interests of AIPAC - American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Actually, it doesn't really matter much, if the election is close or not. You won't make it far in US politics if you ...Comment: New Zealand treats the wealthy better than comparable nations
Written By: satty - Date published: 2:20 pm, September 19th, 2024
Is there a statistic of people leaving the country permanently by income band?Comment: New Zealand treats the wealthy better than comparable nations
Written By: satty - Date published: 2:17 pm, September 19th, 2024
I worked in four of those countries (self-employed): Germany United Kingdom Australia New Zealand and New Zealand always had the lowest income tax (for high income earner). It's also by far the easiest country to start a business.Comment: Open mike 10/09/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 3:02 pm, September 10th, 2024
Looks like some people very slowly realise how big a transformation is required to meet our climate targets: NZ Herald - Auckland councillor calls for rethink on plan to halve car use and increase cycling 13-fold by 2030 Obviously, as long as Ford Ranger ...Comment: Open mike 29/08/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 4:08 pm, August 29th, 2024
Reminds me of a Blackadder episode: Blackadder - RelicsComment: Open mike 27/08/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 5:01 pm, August 27th, 2024
In my hometown in Germany, the church bells "tell" you the time (at daytime). With a small bell one gong for each quarter of an hour and for full hours the big bell does a gong for each hour (and, as far as I remember, the full hour is done twice!). So 12 ...Comment: Open mike 23/08/2024
Written By: satty - Date published: 2:51 pm, August 23rd, 2024
There's a battery project coming up in NZ: Contact Energy - Glenbrook-Ohurua Battery Of course, the more the better. Just look at South Australia and their achievements in renewable energy combined with battery technology.
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- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #3 2025
Open access notables Long-term trends in heat wave gaps for the New York City metropolitan area, Lin & Colle, Urban Climate: Heat waves occurring in close succession to one another are hazardous because of the prolonged stress on the human body and energy demand. A heat wave gap metric, the ...4 hours ago - NZ: The Final Atlas Network Puzzle Piece Has Arrived
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- Gordon Campbell On More Threats To Democracy From David Seymour
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There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...2 days ago - The disinformation grift in NZ.
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- Submission on Regulatory Standards Bill
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...3 days ago - There’s a solution in there, there really is
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The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...5 days ago - Elon Musk Adores Chris Luxon
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- L.A. Burns
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Hi,New Zealand multi-billionaire Nick Mowbray continues to tweet at me, seemingly still unhappy about my Webworm story covering his apparent enthusiasm for far right, anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson.Mowbray can be a bit hard to follow at the best of times, but I think this is a billionaire sort of dangling ...1 week ago - Submission on Treaty Principles Bill
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...1 week ago - Sabin 33 #10 – Will utility-scale solar farms destroy the value of nearby homes?
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- Submitted!
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...1 week ago
- The Treaty Principles Bill
My submission - made at the last moment because I'm a neurodivergent millennial - on David Seymour's terrible legislation. ...1 week ago - Rich Opinions
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A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...2 weeks ago
- “It’s Sad Watching Desperate Dave”
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- My Year In Recall
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- Medley
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...2 weeks ago - 2024 Reading Summary: The List
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- 2024 Reading Summary: December (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...2 weeks ago
- 2024 – A Year in Review
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- Nick’s Awards – 2024
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Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...2 weeks ago
- a/b/o and worldbuilding
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...3 weeks ago - YouTube’s Biggest Star “Mr Beast” Has Made a Massive Turd
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...3 weeks ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #52
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...3 weeks ago
- The End of the Horrifying Chris Luxon Painting Saga
Hi,Webworm has been following occasional artist (and Webworm writer) Josh Drummond’s unnerving portrait of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon since he first listed it on TradeMe.Back on October 1, Webworm broke the news that the painting had been removed from online auction site TradeMe for reasons that included not ...3 weeks ago - Climate Change Christmas
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...3 weeks ago - KP 2024 year end review.
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...3 weeks ago
- Greens welcome Gaza ceasefire, but say more work to do
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...12 hours ago - Release: Labour mourns passing of Dame Tariana Turia
Ka kohukohu te awa o Whanganui!Ka tau te kākahu taratara ki runga I te maunga o Whānau Ora!Ka tangi hotuhotu tō iwi Māori! ...4 days ago - Release: Labour acknowledges Lyn Fleming’s death
Labour expresses its shock and sadness at the death of widely respected Police Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. ...4 days ago
- Greens welcome deadline extension but reiterate call for Bill to be binned
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...1 week ago
- Green Party pays respects to Dame Tariana Turia
The Green Party acknowledges the enormous life, contribution and passing of Dame Tariana (Kahurangi) Turia, the co-founder of Te Pāti Māori. ...2 weeks ago
- KO disruptive tenants’ easy ride over
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...7 days ago - 80% reduction in building determination wait times
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...1 week ago
- Top baby names for 2024
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...1 week ago
- Enabling works to begin on Westgate Bus Station
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...1 week ago
- A nationwide shift towards acting together to stop family and sexual violence
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...1 week ago
- He poroporoaki ki a Kahurangi Tariana Turia
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...2 weeks ago
- New qualification a step forward for diabetes care
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...2 weeks ago
- New year, new medicines
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...2 weeks ago
- Māori excel in New Year Honours 2025
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...2 weeks ago
- Stay fire safe this summer in 2025
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...3 weeks ago
- Final-year Fees Free kicks off 1 January 2025
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...3 weeks ago
- Treaty Principles Bill: 80 hours of submissions Justice Committee must hear
The first full day of hearings will begin on 27 January. ...4 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 ...5 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. ...5 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 ...6 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, ...6 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 ...6 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 ...6 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 ...7 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 ...7 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 ...9 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 ...9 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 ...10 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 ...11 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. ...11 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 ...12 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 ...12 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 ...12 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 ...13 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 ...13 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 ...14 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 ...14 hours ago
- Help Me Hera: I’ve already broken four of my five new year resolutions
I’ve already broken most of my resolutions, and it’s only January. How do I salvage my clean slate? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, It’s only 6 days into the new year, and I’m already ready for 2026. I made five resolutions and have already broken ...16 hours ago
- 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 ...16 hours ago
- ‘AI agents’ promise to arrange your finances, do your taxes, book your holidays – and put us a...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Sergii Gnatiuk/Shutterstock Over the past two years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captivated public attention. This year signals the beginning of a new phase: the rise of AI agents. AI ...16 hours ago
- Should we sequence the DNA of every baby born in Australia? Soon, you could have your say
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Norris, Associate Professor of Practice Health Technology Assessment, Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock Within a few days of being born, more than 300,000 Australian babies a year have ...16 hours ago
- Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland shisu_ka/Shutterstock A wide range of voices in the Australian media have been sounding the alarm about the phenomenon of “forever-renting”. This describes a situation in which individuals or families ...16 hours ago
- 50 years of Triple J: challenging censorship, supporting Australian artists, and ‘no dope in the s...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Originally known as 2JJ, or Double Jay, when it launched in Sydney at 11am on January 19 1975, Triple J has since become the national youth network. The station now encompasses broadcast ...16 hours ago
- 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. ...16 hours 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. ...17 hours ago
- $2m upgrade for ‘creaky’ mega government database
The anonymised database is crucial to the government's social investment approach to funding programmes - but was incapable of doing so without extra investment. ...18 hours ago
- Two more years until EV sales recover, motor industry expects
After a miserable year for clean car sales, the industry isn’t counting on a vast improvement in 2025 The post Two more years until EV sales recover, motor industry expects appeared first on Newsroom. ...19 hours ago - Dig deep to find answers in the abyss
Opinion: As I reflect on the tumultuous year that has passed and look forward to the year ahead, I wonder what it will hold.For me I can’t look past the middle of February right now as that is when my dissertation must be submitted, hopefully completing my master’s degree. It ...19 hours ago
- NZ better off when Luxon leans into his potential
Opinion: Dr Areti Metuamate wants to see a 2025 of compassionate decision-making – and a Prime Minister who leans into his potential The post NZ better off when Luxon leans into his potential appeared first on Newsroom. ...19 hours ago
- The environment’s most important year for decades
Opinion: 2025 is a critical year for Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural world. With the entire environmental management system slated for reform, it’s the most important year in decades. If the hot-headed excesses of last year’s law-making continue, it will lead to terrible long-term outcomes. But if sense prevails, we could ...19 hours ago
- Taxing charities’ business income would have ‘devastating’ impact on communities
An anticipated move to tax charities’ business operations would reduce charitable activity and may cause businesses to leave New Zealand, a lawyer warns. In a push to find new sources of revenue the Government is looking at implementing a charity tax, which would see the business arm of companies such as ...20 hours ago
- The submission surge: How having a say on new laws went from nerdy to normal
As parliamentary staff start to read through thousands of submissions on the Treaty principles bill, Shanti Mathias explores how submitting became the go-to way to engage with politics – and asks whether it makes a difference. While the exact number is currently being confirmed, it seems almost certain that submissions ...20 hours ago
- Stayin’ alive at the Beehive in 2025: Your handy guide to the year ahead in politics
A plan about ferries, highly anticipated select committee hearings and a new deputy prime minister are all on the cards for Aotearoa in the 2025 political year. Here’s a rundown of what to expect and when to expect it. The ‘brace for impact, it’s coming soon’ bits The political calendar ...20 hours ago
- NZ wants no beef over China trade investigation
Industry figures say NZ is a help, not a threat as China investigates meat imports The post NZ wants no beef over China trade investigation appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 16 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 16 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 16 January
The post Daily crossword, Thursday 16 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
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