Daily review 10/03/2021
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5:30 pm, March 10th, 2021 - 2 comments
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- Funding for five projects to reduce food wasteThe Government is funding five projects to help address the growing problem of food waste, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “New Zealand households throw away nearly 300,000 tonnes of food every year, half of which could still be eaten. By supporting these initiatives, we’re taking steps to reduce this ...6 days ago
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated for West Coast flooding eventThe Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated today - meaning residents on the West Coast of the South Island and in the Marlborough region hit by flooding over the weekend can now access help finding temporary accommodation, announced Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Poto Williams in Westport today. ...1 week ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New Zealand will be paused from 11.59am (NZT) tonight, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. However, people currently in the state who ordinarily live in New Zealand will be able to return on “managed return” flights starting with the next available flight, ...1 week ago
- New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-sponsored actorsNew Zealand has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. “The GCSB has worked through a robust technical attribution process in relation to this activity. New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious ...1 week ago
- Remarks to Diplomatic CorpsIt is a pleasure to be with you all this evening. Some of you may have been surprised when you received an invitation from the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and I would forgive you if you were. New Zealand is unique in having established a Ministerial portfolio ...1 week ago
- Early Pfizer shipment boosts vaccine scheduleThe largest shipment of the Pfizer vaccine to date has arrived into New Zealand two days ahead of schedule, and doses are already being delivered to vaccination centres around the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “The shipment of more than 370,000 doses reached New Zealand yesterday, following a ...1 week ago
- Backing for Bay of Islands predator free effortThe Government is throwing its support behind an ambitious project to restore native biodiversity and build long-term conservation careers, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Predator Free Bay of Islands aims to eradicate predators from the three main peninsulas in the region, and significantly reduce their impact throughout the wider 80,000-plus ...1 week ago
- Government commits $600,000 to flood recoveryThe Government is contributing $600,000 to help residents affected by the weekend’s violent weather with recovery efforts. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have been in the Buller district this afternoon to assess flood damage and support the local response effort. They have announced ...1 week ago
- Government assisting local responses to heavy rainfall and high windActing Minister of Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says Central Government is monitoring the severe weather across the country, and is ready to provide further support to those affected if necessary. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this latest event, particularly communities on the West Coast and ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight. “For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic ...2 weeks ago
- Health Minister welcomes progress on nurses’ payThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s decision to take the Government’s improved pay offer to members and to lift strike notices is a positive move towards settling district health board nurses’ pay claims, Health Minister Andrew Little said. “It’s encouraging that the discussions between NZNO and DHBs over the nurses’ employment ...2 weeks ago
- Boost for Pacific regional businessPacific businesses will get a much-needed financial boost as they recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the new Pacific Aotearoa Regional Enterprise Fund, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The new $2 million fund will co-invest in Pacific business projects and initiatives to create ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern call with President BidenPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke with US President Biden this morning, ahead of the APEC Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19. “President Biden and I discussed the forthcoming APEC leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jacinda Ardern said. ...2 weeks ago
- Renewed partnership creates jobs for New Zealand youthThe Government has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, strengthening the partnership to get more young people into work. The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide network of all Mayors in New Zealand, who are committed to making sure all young ...2 weeks ago
- South Island areas prioritised in tourism fundFive South Island areas are prioritised in the latest round of decisions from a tourism fund that is supporting infrastructure projects from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island and the Chathams. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has announced details of 57 nationwide projects to receive support from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF). ...2 weeks ago
- New code sets clear expectations for learner safety and wellbeing in tertiary educationA new code of practice for the pastoral care of domestic tertiary and international students will be in place from January next year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The code, which makes clear that creating an environment that supports learning and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between tertiary providers, ...2 weeks ago
- First TAB New Zealand Board appointments announcedThe members of the first TAB NZ Board come with experience in racing and sport administration, business and governance, the betting industry, broadcasting and gambling harm minimisation. “This Board will progress from the excellent work done by the interim board, put in place in August 2020,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...2 weeks ago
- Northland Maori Pathways initiative introducedThe Government has today launched Māori Pathways at Northland Region Corrections Facility, a ground-breaking series of initiatives designed in partnership with Māori to reduce re-offending and improve outcomes for whānau. A key part of the Hōkai Rangi strategy, Māori Pathways looks to achieve long-term change and involves a number of ...2 weeks ago
- Extended Essential Skills visas being rolled outTwo year Essential Skills visa to provide certainty to at least 18,000 visa holders Streamlined application process to benefit at least 57,000 visa holders The Government is increasing the duration of some Essential Skills visas and streamlining the application process to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders while ...2 weeks ago
- Scheduled LIVE: Buchanan + Manning on Cyber-Attacks and the Evolution of Hybrid Warfare
A View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan will present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, LIVE at midday Thursday and will do a deep-dive into cyber-attacks and hybrid warfare – Especially how 2021 has witnessed a Cold War II styled stand-off between global powers. To re-cap, ...24 mins ago - Introducing Hatch’s Great Debate on shares vs property
This Thursday, Hatch will be hosting The Great Debate – a webinar on the merits of property and shares investment. We spoke to the debaters and asked some of the questions that are likely to come up.Both the property market and the world of shares are bedevilled by enough mystery, ...41 mins ago - Samoa’s first female leader has made history — now she faces a challenging future at home and ab...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia A. O’Brien, Visiting Fellow, School of History, Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University After nearly four months of being taken to the brink of dictatorship, Samoa’s constitutional crisis ended on July 26 when the prime minister ...2 hours ago
- Confused about which English subject to choose in year 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to knowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Lambert, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock This article is part of a series providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years. English (or an equivalent literacy requirement) is a compulsory subject for all secondary ...2 hours ago
- MPI’s Failure To Prosecute Mass Chicken Deaths Unacceptable
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has failed in its duty to enforce animal welfare by not prosecuting a farm where a power outage suffocated and killed 180,000 chickens . The incident which occurred in November 2019 has since been described ...2 hours ago - Family Violence And Sexual Violence Literature ReviewAs part of our work programme on public organisations' performance in achieving reductions in family violence, we asked Carswell Consultancy to carry out a literature review of research and evaluation reports on family violence and sexual violence ...2 hours ago
- We’ve heard of R numbers and moving averages. But what are k numbers? And how do they explain COVI...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia Forest Simon/Unsplash First thing in the morning, or come 11 o’clock, countless Australians anxiously wait for the daily COVID-19 case numbers, trying to understand whether their outbreak is under ...3 hours ago
- Fiji student son tells of his pregnant nurse mum’s losing struggle with covidBy Josefa Babitu in Suva The dream of putting a smile on his mother’s face on his graduation day from university has become one that will never happen for Gabriel Gade, after his mother succumbed to the coronavirus that has killed dozens of people in Fiji. “My ultimate dream was ...3 hours ago
- Macron launches cyclone shelter project in French PolynesiaRNZ Pacific France and French Polynesia have agreed to jointly spend US$60 million to build 17 cyclone shelters across the Tuamotu archipelago. This was announced on Manihi atoll, where the visiting French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the construction site for a shelter for the atoll’s 600 inhabitants. The shelters ...3 hours ago
- PM, Bloomfield and Verrall discuss new phase of vaccine rollout
Jacinda Ardern, Ashley Bloomfield and Ayesha Verrall are holding a media briefing on the start of a major new phase of the country's vaccine rollout. ...3 hours ago - Three new heads of mission are appointed and there are more diplomatic posts to be filled
The government has named heads of mission to three key diplomatic posts, in Iran, Ethiopia and Indonesia. In announcing them, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta was herself at her most diplomatic. Mike Walsh is to be Ambassador to Iran, where, she says, NZ has a “constructive relationship, despite a number ...3 hours ago - More livestock, more carbon dioxide, less ice: the world’s climate change progress since 2019 is (...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Newsome, Academic Fellow, University of Sydney Back in 2019, more than 11,000 scientists declared a global climate emergency. They established a comprehensive set of vital signs that impact or reflect the planet’s health, such as forest loss, fossil fuel subsidies, glacier ...4 hours ago
- Woods scores a new portfolio (apparently) while the Govt gives Wallabies a free pass through our Cov...
We were reminded yesterday of an article published by The Spinoff on 1 August last year headed Megan Woods, the minister for everything. The article referred to her “slew of portfolios”. It kicked off by saying Woods’ public profile “… has exploded thanks to her new role as the minister in ...4 hours ago - Greenpeace Calls Foul On INEOS Rugby Sponsorship DealGreenpeace is calling foul on NZ Rugby’s decision to sign a sponsorship deal with the oil and plastic polluting petrochemical giant INEOS. "In the thick of the climate crisis, it’s gutting to see NZ Rugby sign a sponsorship deal with an oil ...4 hours ago
- Laiika’s life-changing pop momentsPop duo Laiika remember the musical moments that made them in this week’s episode of FIRST.What was the first CD you ever bought? Heidi Simpson thinks hers was probably a Hannah Montana CD. “I was the biggest Hannah Montana fan for years.” The first song her bandmate Grace Moller remembers ...4 hours ago
- Don't underestimate Covid in children
Dr Jin Russell and Dr Amanda Kvalsvig explain why we shouldn’t rush to come to a judgment on vaccinating children - there is much we still don't know Comment: While policymakers around the world debate the costs and benefits of vaccinating children against Covid-19, in Aotearoa New Zealand we have an ...5 hours ago - How to be a badass: A guide to thriving in male-dominated workplacesSome of the world’s most exciting and lucrative industries are still largely dominated by men. Maddy King provides some effective ways to help newbies flourish and shine like true badasses. Working with creative technologies like filmmaking, animation and digital art means entering the most exciting, dynamic sectors in the world. These ...5 hours ago
- We’re hiring: HR specialist, The Spinoff GroupThe Spinoff Group is looking for an experienced HR specialist to join our dynamic, creative organisation and help us navigate through a serious growth phase.The Spinoff Group is seeking an HR specialist to work across the organisation as it moves into an exciting new era. Digital magazine The Spinoff has ...5 hours ago
- Response To The Chief Ombudsman’s Report Into The High And Complex FrameworkThe Ministry of Health welcomes recommendations made by the Chief Ombudsman in a report around the care available for people with an intellectual disability. The Ombudsman has been investigating the High and Complex Framework since early 2019. ...5 hours ago
- Stop Poisoning New Zealanders With Lead In Drinking Water – Master PlumbersMaster Plumbers is telling the Government to stop turning a blind eye to compelling evidence that New Zealanders are being put at serious health risk by drinking water with high levels of lead. The comments follow the release of a report from the Dunedin ...5 hours ago
- Hepatitis C plan aims to eliminate virus by 2030More free syringes for drug users and a registry is part of a $2.2 million plan to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, the government has announced. ...5 hours ago
- June Home Transfers Remain HighThere were 44,517 home transfers in the June 2021 quarter, the highest June quarter figure since 2016, Stats NZ said today. The number of home transfers was very similar to the March 2021 quarter and was up 18,252 from the June 2020 quarter. “The June ...6 hours ago
- What went wrong with the Pop-up Globe?With five years of sold-out shows and ambitions to go global, Auckland’s Pop-up Globe carved out a dominant place in New Zealand’s creative ecosystem. So why did it all end so abruptly? Adam Goodall investigates.On March 19 2020, the cast of Emilia were debating whether they could keep going. Emilia ...6 hours ago
- GHG Reducing Solutions Already Out ThereWins can be made right now to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from road freight transport, says Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett. In its submission on Increasing the use of biofuels in transport, the RTF says the Government should ...6 hours ago
- 1981 Springbok tour protests revisited – and now Palestine is the new struggleAsia Pacific Report newsdesk After his release from prison in South Africa and he became inaugural president of the majority rule government with the abolition of apartheid, Nelson Mandela declared in a speech in 1997: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” ...7 hours ago
- ECan Must Front Up About Health Risks Of Nitrate Contamination – GreenpeaceGreenpeace is calling on Environment Canterbury to be upfront about health risks of nitrate contamination, following ECan’s release of new data that shows nitrate contamination in drinking water is rising. ECan has released the results of its annual ...7 hours ago
- Live updates, July 28: ‘Vaccination is the key to our freedom’ – Sydney faces another month of...Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 28, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.05am: ‘Vaccination is the key to our freedom’ – Sydney faces another month of lockdownSydney is set to face another month of lockdown after a record number of ...8 hours ago
- Census 2021 is almost here — what’s changed since #censusfail? What’s at stake in this pandemi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University David Crosling/AAP Australian households will begin receiving instructions on how to fill out the 2021 census from early August. The Census of Population and Housing is ...8 hours ago
- Growing evidence suggests Russia’s Sputnik V COVID vaccine is safe and very effective. But questio...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Steain, Lecturer, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney Antonio Calanni/AP/AAP Russia was the first country to register a COVID vaccine, with its health ministry giving emergency approval to the Sputnik V vaccine in ...8 hours ago
- Artificial refuges are a popular stopgap for habitat destruction, but the science isn’t up to scra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darcy Watchorn, PhD Candidate, Deakin University Shutterstock Wildlife worldwide is facing a housing crisis. When land is cleared for agriculture, mining, and urbanisation, habitats and natural refuges go with it, such as tree hollows, rock piles and large logs. The ...8 hours ago
- We can put city and country people on more equal footing at uni — the pandemic has shown us howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Eversole, Professor and Director, RegionxLink, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock University study is out of reach for many people in regional Australia. Most of our universities are based in a handful of capital cities. The ...8 hours ago
- Yes, Naomi Osaka is Japanese. And American. And HaitianSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aoife Wilkinson, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland Netflix On Friday, Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony. This honour sent an important message to the world: Osaka represents a diversifying Japan. Yet, some still ...8 hours ago
- Inside one artist’s fantastical world of felt foodArtist Chloe Smith, who turns everyday food items into meticulously crafted felt creations, talks to Charlotte Muru-Lanning ahead of her first New Zealand exhibition.It’s the feel of food that Chloe Smith is drawn to. “I really enjoy the challenge of trying to make something that has a really complicated texture,” ...8 hours ago
- Retired people and beneficiaries pay the price of inflation – for now
The prices of meat, insurance, petrol and public transport have risen faster than other costs ...8 hours ago - A moment to reflect on the state of the short story
An update on the New Zealand short story A new old book of short stories has appeared quietly but with perfect timing. Six By Six, an anthology of six short stories by six New Zealand writers, was first published in 1989; Victoria University have released a new edition, and the ...9 hours ago - Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsty Wild, Senior Research Fellow, Public Health, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are ...9 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Nitrates in the water, and the risksGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Risks of nitrates in the water, no additional Covid found in New Plymouth, and Westport faces horror flooding cleanup.Groundwater in Canterbury appears to be increasingly unhealthy from the presence of nitrates, a consequence in part of intensive dairy farming. Stuff’s Amber Allott ...9 hours ago
- Women's football on the rise in Oceania
The Oceania Football Confederation has launched a women's football strategy - a first in the region. Ashley Stanley learns how OFC want to get two competitive teams into the 2027 World Cup Torijan Lyne-Lewis’s main sports goal is to play in a women’s football World Cup. The 26-year-old Samoan football ...10 hours ago - Big water decisions shape futures of small communities
The Prime Minister has committed to settling the contested boundaries of the four new regional water authorities by the end of September – and that means some big decisions for some of New Zealand's smallest communities. Near the north-east corner of the South Island, imposing sandstone cliffs look out over Cook Strait. ...11 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 28 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...11 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 28 July
...11 hours ago - Ocean plastic: Small pieces, big problems
Banning the release of balloons outdoors is another small step to making a difference to our oceans, and New Zealand should consider doing the same, writes Ariel-Micaiah Heswall Plastic pollution is a huge threat to marine life worldwide. Every step we can make to reduce our usage, no matter how ...11 hours ago - The one weird trick that could help NZ catch up with the global vaccine champsAs New Zealand’s vaccine effort picks up speed, there are lessons to be taken from countries that are more rapidly vaccinating their populations. Justin Giovannetti reports.With the global vaccination marathon against Covid-19 accelerating in the second half of 2021, new countries are emerging as leaders after overcoming supply issues and ...11 hours ago
- Our coal usage is going up and up. Here’s how much that mattersCoal-powered electricity generation is hitting record levels. Should we be worried? George Driver investigates.Coal electricity generation is surging, with the country importing more than a million tonnes of Indonesian coal and burning it at record levels to keep the lights on, RNZ has reported. The National Party declared we were ...11 hours ago
- Galileo's lesson: How to think smart about living sustainably
We know the many circumstances that cause us to veer away from rationality; we understand enough to abandon this fossil fuel age with haste ...11 hours ago - Why moths matter
Morgane Merien explains why we need to start recognising the importance of these fascinating little insects and their vital role in the ecosystem Moths, they generally go unnoticed except when they flit annoyingly around your lights. They don’t attract much public interest and there is little understanding of the effects ...11 hours ago - The ethics of saving wild animals
Why do New Zealanders get so invested in saving animals that strand themselves? For more than two weeks, the plight of Toa, the baby orca stranded on rocks north of Porirua after he was separated from his pod, gripped the nation. News bulletins provided hourly updates. Volunteers braved the ...11 hours ago - Free clinics for Hepatitis C pop up across the country
This World Hepatitis Day, the Ministry of Health is funding free clinics across the country, as well as unveiling the plan to eliminate Hepatitis C from New Zealand Around 45,000 New Zealanders are living with Hepatitis C - although half of them may be unaware they have it. Clinics are popping ...11 hours ago - My crazy big brother, and other stories
A portrait of an American family in the 1970s Dick is a patient on the seventh floor of a private psychiatric hospital on Chicago’s Near North side. For the first two weeks we aren’t allowed to visit him at all. I bake cookies and send them in a tin. The ...11 hours ago - Fletcher Building gets $5m too much in carbon subsidy
The Government has over-allocated carbon credits worth a minimum of $5 million to Fletcher Building over the past three years, Marc Daalder reports. ...11 hours ago - When the chips are down: Kiwi firms innovate around global shortages
Manufacturers are building products based on available materials as they prepare for shortages to last until late 2022 and beyond ...11 hours ago - Government's flood protection plans dry up
Work to tackle flooding linked to climate change was quietly cut back due to "resource constraints". ...11 hours ago - The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 4
Was there something in Tokyo's water for Kiwi sportswomen as they struggled on the big stage on Day 4? LockerRoom's daily look at the fortunes of our female athletes continues. Performances of the day Luuka Jones lay her head on her paddle after her run in the canoe slalom final, devastated. ...18 hours ago - Flush Housing Agency Needs To Be Reined InResponding to NBR’s report that Kainga Ora made an offer on a property $8 million above its eventual sale price, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Our housing agency is acting like it’s overfunded. First it bought a motel ...23 hours ago
- New Zealand trapped on the moral high ground with Suhayra AdenPower Play - New Zealand may now be claiming the moral high ground as it grudgingly accepts Suhayra Aden and her two children, but its hands are tied, Jane Patterson writes. ...23 hours ago
- Whipping cream canisters have many uses beyond ‘nangs’. Banning them isn’t necessarySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bright, Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been considering whether whipping cream canisters containing nitrous oxide should be placed in Schedule 10 of the Poisons Standard. Schedule 10 is the ...23 hours ago
- What’s in the CPI and what does it actually measure?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Nils Versemann/Shutterstock So you don’t believe the official inflation figures. Why would you? They show prices climbing at an annual rate of 1.1% On Wednesday the update for June ...24 hours ago
- Why calling ordinary NZ cyclists ‘elitist’ makes little senseIt’s one of the most common criticisms of those fighting for better bike infrastructure in our cities. But the ‘elitist’ jibe has little basis in reality, argues Timothy Welch.Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a ...1 day ago
- Public protest or selfish ratbaggery? Why free speech doesn’t give you the right to endanger other...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major Australian cities at the weekend, to protest ...1 day ago
- Police Association Acknowledges Guilty VerdictThe Police Association thanks the jury in the Eli Epiha trial for carrying out their difficult duty and finding the defendant guilty of attempting to murder Constable David Goldfinch. Epiha, who had already admitted to the murder of Constable Matthew ...1 day ago
- Little says Chinese hacking claims were corroborated, rebuke was 'tame'State-sponsored hacking by China was confirmed and corroborated by spy agencies and the embassy's rebuke after New Zealand called it out was "fairly tame", Minister Andrew Little says. ...1 day ago
- Christchurch City Council’s Bollard Blowout Is BizarreResponding to Christchurch City Council’s $1.1 million spend on a set of 14 bollards , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “The plan should have been abandoned as soon as Councillors learned of the $769,000 price tag. Instead, ...1 day ago
- Science Organisations Pledge Openness In Animal Research And Teaching In New Zealand21 universities, institutes of technology, non-profits, Crown Research Institutes, government organisations, umbrella bodies, research funding organisations and learned societies commit to communicate openly about animal use. New Zealand will be the ...1 day ago
- Hard Questions Remain For Openness Conference For AnimalsHow open should researchers be with what they do to animals in experiments? That’s the question being discussed at a conference on openness in animal research. The conference is being hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care ...1 day ago
- Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-speech laws
******** The Minister of Justice appears to have gone into hiding. GRAHAM ADAMS, writing for The Democracy Project, provides an update on how the public debate on hate speech regulation is going, especially in terms of whether political opinion should or shouldn’t receive an exemption from new laws. ******** It ...1 day ago - Yarns from the heart: the role of Aboriginal English in Indigenous health communicationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, Discipline of Linguistics, The University of Western Australia Indigenous Australians experience poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. They are sick more often, die younger and are at higher risk of serious health complications, ...1 day ago
- It’s all about reducing inequities -and so Maori wellbeing is a big consideration in research fund...The Government has dished out public money on two fronts in its mission to reduce inequitable outcomes in health statistics. On one front, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay ...1 day ago
- If I cry when I get my vaccination, it will be for MumIt was one of Mum’s great joys that she lived to see polio virtually eradicated worldwide in her lifetime, writes Tim Cadogan, mayor of Central Otago.I got the text message last week advising me that I could go online and book my Covid-19 vaccinations. Despite how I sometimes look, I ...1 day ago
- How a South Auckland deep tech company grew 440% in a yearA ‘sleepy R&D startup’ has been transformed into a world-leading tech manufacturer in the space of a year, thanks to its groundbreaking nanofibre products.Any company that was in the business of making masks at the beginning of 2020 was poised to do a roaring trade. Covid-19 hit, and, despite the ...1 day ago
- Suhayra Aden repatriation: Gerry Brownlee suggests following Australian laws on revoking citizenship...National Party's foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee's comments about whether New Zealand should follow Australia's law on revoking citizenships - in light of a terror suspect's repatriation - is stirring up debate. ...1 day ago
- Ancient brains: a look inside the extraordinary preservation of a 310-million-year-old nervous syste...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Paterson, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of New England Javier Ortega-Hernández, Author provided Charles Darwin famously discussed the “imperfections” of the geological record in his book On The Origin of Species. He correctly pointed out that unless conditions are ...1 day ago
- Fiji opposition MPs pledge not to be silenced, despite arrests over criticismRNZ Pacific Fiji’s opposition MPs who were arrested after their criticism of a government land bill say they will not be intimidated or silenced. Police have since released several leaders of the opposition who were arrested late Sunday. One of those arrested, the National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad, ...1 day ago
- Local Government Business Forum Annual Newsletter ReleasedThe Local Government Business Forum has released its annual newsletter. "2021 is proving to be a pivotal year for local government and a challenging one for the people who pay the bills," said Michael Barnett, Chair of the Forum. "Major ...1 day ago
- How do we bridge an impossible divide?Despairing in the wake of large anti-lockdown protests in Australia, Emily Writes searches for ways to fight the monster of ignorance and selfishness.This post was first published on Emily Writes Weekly.Many of us here safe and secure in Aotearoa were horrified by the anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protests in Sydney and Melbourne ...1 day ago
- Quarterly Inflation Rising Steadily Across The BoardHigher prices for transport and food have driven up inflation for the all households group in the June 2021 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The ‘all households group’ represents all private New Zealand-resident households. Inflation for the all households ...1 day ago
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/438074/remote-kiribati-island-calls-for-help-with-water-crisis
Here is a test to our sense of values. We small countries suffer because of the pollutions, the chemicals, the headlong rush to produce, that the big nations indulge in. But the small Pacific Islands need lots of help and now Kirikati needs water badly not the bad water they have.
The island had two desalination plants but they were both out of action, with the Kiribati Government seeking parts for repair.
It's been three months since the second desalination plant on the island was broken and it's been almost a year without substantial rain
Also the United Nations should have a standing engineering group that can go to small countries to help with the funding for practical responses.
With a good dollop of levity and not a little accuracy, I recommend the following:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/09/harry-meghan-royal-family-hrh
The embedded “chief reporter” link is a must…