Migrant workers working in extreme heat barely last 10 years.
One-third of transplant patients at a center near Kathmandu have been young men who worked abroad in extreme heat
In recent years, scientists and groups including the International Labor Organization have increasingly warned about the deadly, yet often overlooked, link between exposure to extreme heat and chronic kidney disease.
“These epidemics of chronic kidney disease that have surfaced … [are] just the beginning,” said Richard Johnson, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado who is studying pockets of kidney disease globally. “As it gets hotter, we expect to see these diseases emerge elsewhere.”
The recent emergence of an apparently new form of chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) has become a serious public health crisis in Sri Lanka. CKDu is slowly progressive, irreversible, and asymptomatic until late stages, and is not attributable to hypertension, diabetes, or other known aetiologies. In response to the scope and severity of the emerging CKDu health crisis, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization initiated a collaborative research project from 2009 through 2012 to investigate CKDu prevalence and aetiology. The objective of this paper is to discuss the recently published findings of this investigation and present additional considerations and recommendations that may enhance subsequent investigations designed to identify and understand CKDu risk factors in Sri Lanka or other countries.
Dairy owners working in increased fear have declared a “retail crime emergency” and called for urgent support from law-makers including more legal protection to use self-defence, installation of facial recognition cameras and cracking down on beggars and “feral families”.
But the fine appeared only to provoke further errant behaviour by Mr Samuel.
Over the following two months, he made explicit threats to two employees by phone, which were recorded and disclosed to the Labour Inspectorate.
Believing one worker to be responsible for the initial complaint, Mr Samuel said he would arrange someone to cut off the man’s limbs and harm his family.
A second man was told to "prepare for his parents’ funeral in Sri Lanka.".
As time went on, Sanjay's conditions worsened. The business owners, he says, began to abuse him, accusing him of stealing, or of abusing customers and other staff. They fabricated events, letters and complaints, digging at his self-esteem, and eroding his mental health.
Eventually, when it came to a head, Sanjay had a mental breakdown.
Once again, my interpretation of these attacks is crime gangs using underage kids to soften up retail business owners for protection rackets. The actual stuff stolen is not the point, the social menace is. A point: many migrant dairy owners are from countries like India where rule of law and the courts are barely functional, and bribery and protection rackets are common. How to address this criminal intimidation is to target not only offenders, but also those who plan to benefit from their actions. There needs to be good education and solidarity at the local business community level, coordinated with police, to resist any 'protection' approaches.
It is a lovely theory but you have zero evidence for protection rackets happening, do you? In other words, it is pure speculation on your behalf, isn’t it? You know that we like to see evidence for claims of opinion because they make debate informative and relevant.
I know nothing about older offenders but according to my SO who works at the pointy end of child protection; in our burg at least the majority of these incidents are social media driven copycat crimes. Offences are committed by young people who've had little previous contact with police/youth justice. They're egged on by media peers to record their offending and post the evidence, their social media is monitored and high clearance rates ensue. Apparently there's little evidence of any Fagin like organiser involvement in young people's offending.
btw, anecdotally, the only dairy in a 5 Km radius of where I live has given up reporting thefts and stand-over tactics. The plods insistence on shutting the doors while they carry out their forensics costs a lot of money, and, I suspect, their presence may interfere with the day to day rorts.
every social media platform (FB, twitter, instagram, tiktok, blogs etc) have a date and sometimes a time stamp on every new post.
For instance, your comment on TS just now, right above your words 'Date stamp?', there are the words '7 January 2023 at 11:43 am'. Those words are a clickable link*. If you click on it, the page will refresh to that link and the URL in the address field of your browser will now show this,
That's a permanent link that you can use anywhere on the internet to direct people to that comment.
Likewise, on your Facebook post, there is currently a time stamp. Directly below your name and to the left of the wee planet. It currently says 53m, and is clickable. If you click on it, the page will refresh, and the browser URL now has a permanent link for use anywhere on the internet.
On some platforms those permanent links will embed. On TS, FB posts will, as well tweets (and some other platform posts).
* (it probably won't be clickable on the Mobile version of TS on a mobile device, in which case switch to the Desktop version using the link at the bottom of the page)
Open day and night, though wider at night. I've become very enthused by the flowers in my tunnel house and so have people seeing the photos on-line. Struggled for a while with my new camera (it's a phone!) but am now better than I was which is good, as flowers are ephemeral 🙂
I'll not post many here (bandwidth 🙂 but here's one more for today.
You need to link to the actual image and not to the page the image is on.
Facebook won't give you a link to the actual image. (Presumably they want all their "branding" around posts.)
You need to go to a website that hosts images, upload the image, open the URL for the page the image is on and then right click on the image and go "open image in new tab". Copy that URL e.g. https://i.postimg.cc/SxhbLTky/flow2.png
flow2.png is the part of the URL for the photo file.
That is the URL you need for the Standard's photo form. Note I cut the photo down so it's not a big drain on bandwidth.
The guy mutilated someone just because they broke into his house. I am picking if he had his way, they would have been strung up from lampposts.
His support for Trump is pretty vocal as well, which means the guy probably condones police brutality, lynching and crackdowns on the LGBT communuty, all things that Trump has backed. He deserves no sympathy. If he had his way, NZ would be like 1950's Mississpi.
The guy is full of hate. Plain and simple. Hate for brown people, hate for LGBT’s, hate for women, hate for due process. He has KKK written all over him.
[1 year ban. Long pattern of behaviour of unsubstantiated claims of fact and slurs, that the mods are sick of, that you apologise for at the time but then keep doing. Explanation is here from one of the more recent moderations, including clear instructions that you need to provide pre-emptive links as evidence for claims. Which you appeared to agree to but you haven’t been doing. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-11-2022/#comment-1920681 and https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-11-2022/#comment-1920633 – weka]
OK. You said that he was "above the law". I merely paraphrased it.
You may therefore be willing to explain how, if he is "above the law" he was prosecuted and appears to be facing a large fine. If he was "above the law" he wouldn't have been charged at all, much less being subject to a large fine would he?
So, in spite of this do you still think he is "above the law" or would you now agree that your statement is simply wrong?
I’m getting tired of your pedantic nitpicking and your ‘paraphrasing’ that is essentially a euphemism for altering and twisting other people’s words to score trivial points. You don’t contribute to (robust) debate, you divert away from it.
If you have a point to make, make it. If you want to indulge in frivolous trivialities then start your own blog.
He was informed of the restrictions yet he went ahead. Either the consequences of going ahead, a $73,000 fine and the costs of the remediation order, were a minor irritation or he thought he was above the law.
He didn't become a wealthy man without knowing the value of a dollar so I'm picking he thumbed his nose.
I don't have any problem with you saying that he thought he was above the law. In fact I agree with the statement and I think he may have been expecting nothing to happen.
What I didn't agree with was that you said, or at least implied, that he was above the law which seems to be saying that no action would be taken and that the Crown would just ignore what he has done.
This seems to me to be saying that the law in New Zealand is not applied equally to everyone. That prospect scares me.
Well thank God they haven't ignored it and I like to think they never will ignore such actions. If we ever get to the stage that the law is applied differently depending upon who you are, or who you know we are sunk.
The Burrs are not "above the law", yet their actions evince their feeling that the law simply did not apply to them.
Prior to purchasing the property the Burrs received advice from the Department of Conservation and the regional council as to the significance of the wetland and restrictions on what activity can occur that may impact on the wetland.
Despite this instruction the Burrs immediately started unlawful works.
…
Judge Harland described the offending as “energetic” stating that “Mr Burr was moving forward at a very fast pace and the impression I gained was that he was not stopping for anyone”.
Maybe the Burrs were aiming for a fait accompli drainage, and a 'no use crying over spilt milk' defence – drain the swamp!
The son's a recent provincial back rower who weighed in at >95Kgs. He and his father weren't happy with just subduing an overweight teenager. They mutilated him to satisfy their own, racist lust for revenge.
Easy to say. He was reportedly (and we only have the reports to go on) – armed with a large knife, and continually getting up to try to attack them.
They also didn't know if there were other people outside (from the original article – he says he assumed that the guy and his girlfriend had been dropped off – and there were others outside).
Nor did they know how long the police would take to get there (a real concern in rural communities).
Do I think it could have been handled better? Sure I do. In many ways, including beginning a lot further back on the criminal trajectory. I also think it could, very easily, have resulted in the teen being dead, or seriously crippled.
It doesn't, but given it was tue third or fourth time and he'd been clattered around the head with a wine bottle at 1 30 am its hardly suprising he lost the plot at went to far.
I'd be really interested to know why he was been targeted by the teen and why he was able to continuously return.
Eitherway the system failed the both of them badly ending in a pretty horrific situation.
Deeply felt racial animosities are all too common in that part of the country but we only have the violent thug's word that this was the fourth time the teen, who he knew, had broken into his home.
Waiting for Crinkle to justify the assertion that this wasthe third or fourth time he'd been clattered around the head with a wine bottle.
Fair enough. Still disgusted by attempts to justify the actions men who beat, subdued, and used a knife to mutilate a disabled teen with, according family, the intellectual capacities of a child.
I'm not justifying anything, just saying the reaction is unsurprising. It's possible we see something similar happen if one of the kids holding up dairies gets collared.
I do think there's alot about this particular case that we don't know, perhaps due to suppression orders. The repeated targeting seems weird and there were attempts at to sort things out. Like I say the system failed both of them.
yeah, there's a lot about that whole story that's not clear.
It's not hard to imagine that cutting the finger tip happened from escalation and trying to stop the kid with the knife from getting up off the floor. But it's also not hard to imagine that the solutions coming into Burr and his son's head arose from their values and lives. Other people would have reacted differently.
It's milly's commenting style and behaviour that is the problem. I assumed there was some truth in what he was saying, but the inflammatory spray style runs counter to TS's requirement of evidence based robust debate. And as you say, the comments are misleading. There's also the problem of defamation and what happens when one of milly's comments puts the site owners at risk.
If millsy had provided the link you did, they wouldn't have gotten banned. They've been told so many times, sucked up so much moderator time, and we're sick of it. Also, election year, so we're tightening up.
It is obvious Burr is MAGA (it's in the link you took the time to provide) and, as you say, therefore it's probable he condones aggressive policing, vigilantism, and crackdowns on vulnerable and minority communities.
The other link provided by joe90 @ 4.3.1 details more of Burr's character, where he likens the young Māori offender to a dog:
“He’s still [his mother’s] kid. He just went off the rails. If you have a dog, and you don’t train it and no discipline – they need education and discipline.
So, probably racist too, which was your other reasoned assertion.
Another link from joe90 @ 4.1 describes Burr's attitude to environmental laws and the environment itself. It's pretty clear what the man is like when you build a picture from his own words and actions, ie, not someone who progressives would defend.
One thing I'd like to say about millsy's extremely heavy ban is that for some commenters TS is a means to document and release frustrations. One commenter who does this a lot is Swordfish in his ongoing battle with the imaginary managerial middle class.
I do it myself, not necessarily seeking feedback, just wanting to get down on paper as it were what I'm thinking, with links, for possible reference later. My point is, some commenters rely on TS for the ability it provides to 'get things down on paper' as described, and this helps with their mental health.
Also, the requirement for commenters to be thorough with expanding on claims and providing links for each claim is discriminatory to those who are time and technology poor.
Such a long ban (particularly for highlighting the behaviour of a horrible individual) doesn't seem to factor much of that in at all.
Frustrated moderator decisions do affect frustrated real people…
Guns and the right to bear arms is always a hot US topic. A six year old shot a teacher in a classroom.
I understand all the stuff about preventing crazed people having guns, them taking guns into schools and procedures in the event of terrible incidents happening.
The need to check 5 and 6 year olds to see if they're carrying?
It's another context for all the talk in the country just a year after there was insurrection at the country's Capitol. And at a time so many in the debate for House Speaker are talking about the US being the greatest country in the world.
"Data also suggests that young people disproportionately commit gun homicides. For example, 18-20-year olds comprise just 4% of the US population, but account for 17% of known homicide offenders."
Most of this stuff is a lot better than the Soviet era stuff the Russians are using atm.
So, it looks like Ukraine is going to get everything it needs to push the Russians out of Ukraine. This is important, even from a negotiating perspective. It is vital that Russia sees that the west is not going to back down in its support for Ukraine. So, in that way Russia will see that continued aggression on its part is futile.
Not really "business" as most of what the US is giving is the stuff they were going to scrap at some stage anyway. Probably cheaper for them to give it to the Ukrainians.
That is a big "if". The Ukrainians tend to be a bit smarter than the Russians who house their soldiers next to ammunition dumps which doesn't lead to great outcomes for the soldiers when their base is targeted by Ukrainian artillery, as happened in Makiivka the other day.
Even the Russians now acknowledge that 89 soldiers were killed in the attack, which means the number is much more likely to be in the hundreds as claimed by the Ukrainians and many other sources.
Given the way Tsar Poot's Army has handle it's fabled "Red God" Zhukov & Co would be rolling in their graves atm.
As for it's Combined Arms Tactics/ Doctrine, you wouldn't be getting a Cuppa Tea & Biscuit interview with Chief Instructor & RSM at the School of Armour, Infantry or at Staff College!
But a RTU or worst a notice to show cause why we shouldn't boot you out on your ass.
Oh sorry to nit prick, the AMX 10 isn't a Light Tank, it's Wheel Tank Destroyer or Heavy Armoured Car armed with a 105mm gun.
The AMX 10 would a good vehicle to have alongside the Aussie Bushies for those deep penetration attacks/ offensives after the Heavy Brigades ie Tanks & Infantry Fighting Vehicles have broken through the Russian Defensive Belt in coming spring after General Mud has passed or this winter which is starting to look very unlikely now.
Yeah, thanks for that. I realise the term "tank" is a fairly loose description.
They should be handy for the Ukrainians though. I think they can be transported by air, and I understand the older version is amphibious, which could be handy for the Ukrainians.
Any MBT would be welcome for the Ukrainian Armoured Corp, heck even the old upgraded IDF Cents, T55's & T62's would be a bit of handful for Poot's Army given the Ukrainian Army's Combined Arms Tactics/ Doctrine has been exceptional.
Yes, it's been rough for the Ukrainian Armed Forces at start of the Russian Invasion & a few things didn't go to plan especially in the Sth Command Region. But they didn't panic & stayed to their Strategic Battle plan as they knew this day would come.
Leopard 2's would be a game changer on the battlefield especially at a tactical level, also of note Jordan is retiring it's Challenger 1's MBT which is also a beast & would be interesting if a 3rd or the Poms suddenly brought them. It may not have the mobility ie speed on the battlefield, but packs a punch with its firepower & protection with it Cobham Armour.
China has rebuffed repeated U.S. offers to share advanced vaccines as Beijing battles a fast-spreading wave of COVID-19, a rejection that’s led to growing frustration among American officials concerned about a resurgence of the pandemic.
I thought that was well written and quite fair in a neutral sort of way. Whatever happens we will end up with with an amalgamated 3 Waters service model. The current local authority model is a failure in many cases, Haldon's 'orphans', and really can't be fixed.
About the only bit that can change is how independent of councillor control, and how universal, the new model is. Some councils have done very well, New Plymouth is an example, but they are lucky to have a strong growing economy and helpful topography along with good leadership. Queenstown Lakes is similar, we can do whatever is required thanks to a vibrant development community that willingly* hand over vast sums in development contributions to realise their dreams.
Down the road is Gore. They have a combined sewage / stormwater system, a shrinking economy along with a similarly shrinking and aging population. Successive councils have kicked the can down the road, funding civic amenities but ignoring the pipes. It's going to be a huge undertaking fixing this and well beyond the resources of the town. Love to see how National and ACT will deal with this.
Most likely outcome if National are government in 2024 will be a "review" which will change the name of it all, maybe create a couple more entities so it feels more local, and Mana Whenua involvement is up to the shareholding Councils to decide. The regions that choose to develop strong relationships with Mana Whenua will get things done, this that don't might find it a bit harder.
That's the problem National will have in trying to dismantle 3 Waters. The 'orphans' are the bluest of the blue. National will be faced with either taking the Gores out the back and shooting it, or having to justify pouring billions into propping up dying towns, which will go down really well with ACT.
I really don't think National have thought through how they are going to sell this to their constituents or support parties. The few Nat MPs that can think more than one move ahead are probably hoping like hell they either don't win this year, or come up with a viable policy PDQ.
I'm not sure the orphans are resistant to help or change, it's just that the problem has been so large and has just been getting larger for 100 years. They should have been moving to separated services in 1930, but couldn't afford it then and it's just got harder with time. They aren't alone, Auckland has only just separated the last of it's combined services.
In Gore's case fixing involves replacing 70% of the towns sewer and stormwater network, and then rehabilitating the street. Starting again on a new site is probably quicker and cheaper.
Esp when a…lot..of the aged and hardened will be gone…and the Somebody Elses Problem is for the Generations to come. Bit like Climate change and our Earth burning : (
His take isn't far from mine. Got to avoid the disaster of a NAct government (and get another Green / Labour one instead) – but Labour has done very little to significantly address the real problems of inequality, poverty, worker's rights and conditions in NZ. And certainly haven’t been transformative in any way, to my mind.
What no one expected was a heat wave in winter. With temperatures of 19 degrees, rather an 1 degree, people were out jogging wearing a teeshirt rather than going skiing.
Blame it on a continuance of La Nina (a rare third year).
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As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
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Migrant workers working in extreme heat barely last 10 years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/06/climate-change-heat-kidney-disease/?
From Sri Lanka to El Salvador.
Abstract
The recent emergence of an apparently new form of chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) has become a serious public health crisis in Sri Lanka. CKDu is slowly progressive, irreversible, and asymptomatic until late stages, and is not attributable to hypertension, diabetes, or other known aetiologies. In response to the scope and severity of the emerging CKDu health crisis, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization initiated a collaborative research project from 2009 through 2012 to investigate CKDu prevalence and aetiology. The objective of this paper is to discuss the recently published findings of this investigation and present additional considerations and recommendations that may enhance subsequent investigations designed to identify and understand CKDu risk factors in Sri Lanka or other countries.
https://bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2369-15-125
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/14/kidney-disease-killing-sugar-cane-workers-central-america
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_nephropathy
Won't be holding my breath waiting for an admission from Kaushal that he's overstating the threat of beggars and “feral families”.
https://twitter.com/sfchronicle/status/1611067264974917652
Dairy owners working in increased fear have declared a “retail crime emergency” and called for urgent support from law-makers including more legal protection to use self-defence, installation of facial recognition cameras and cracking down on beggars and “feral families”.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dairy-crime-fury-if-the-government-is-not-able-to-provide-safety-they-have-no-right-to-govern/6KHRRVE2MRBAPKGAGTBQWH3QE4/
IMO Dairies…will have the same exploitations going on. Does Mr Sunny follow those up? I'm sure….
Once again, my interpretation of these attacks is crime gangs using underage kids to soften up retail business owners for protection rackets. The actual stuff stolen is not the point, the social menace is. A point: many migrant dairy owners are from countries like India where rule of law and the courts are barely functional, and bribery and protection rackets are common. How to address this criminal intimidation is to target not only offenders, but also those who plan to benefit from their actions. There needs to be good education and solidarity at the local business community level, coordinated with police, to resist any 'protection' approaches.
It is a lovely theory but you have zero evidence for protection rackets happening, do you? In other words, it is pure speculation on your behalf, isn’t it? You know that we like to see evidence for claims of opinion because they make debate informative and relevant.
I know nothing about older offenders but according to my SO who works at the pointy end of child protection; in our burg at least the majority of these incidents are social media driven copycat crimes. Offences are committed by young people who've had little previous contact with police/youth justice. They're egged on by media peers to record their offending and post the evidence, their social media is monitored and high clearance rates ensue. Apparently there's little evidence of any Fagin like organiser involvement in young people's offending.
btw, anecdotally, the only dairy in a 5 Km radius of where I live has given up reporting thefts and stand-over tactics. The plods insistence on shutting the doors while they carry out their forensics costs a lot of money, and, I suspect, their presence may interfere with the day to day rorts.
.
Test
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=936000814443028&set=a.102768607766257
posting the photo on its own is a bit more complicated…
https://www.facebook.com/robert.guyton.77582/posts/pfbid02cncguhunt9MxAyK3ispLrgsMJiL4guZqQyAjcb6UG55Sm6GByn7bxUNK4aokwj89l?__tn__=%2CO*F
click on the date stamp of the post (not the image) and then copy and paste that into the TS comment box.
Date stamp?
every social media platform (FB, twitter, instagram, tiktok, blogs etc) have a date and sometimes a time stamp on every new post.
For instance, your comment on TS just now, right above your words 'Date stamp?', there are the words '7 January 2023 at 11:43 am'. Those words are a clickable link*. If you click on it, the page will refresh to that link and the URL in the address field of your browser will now show this,
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-01-2023/#comment-1929463
That's a permanent link that you can use anywhere on the internet to direct people to that comment.
Likewise, on your Facebook post, there is currently a time stamp. Directly below your name and to the left of the wee planet. It currently says 53m, and is clickable. If you click on it, the page will refresh, and the browser URL now has a permanent link for use anywhere on the internet.
On some platforms those permanent links will embed. On TS, FB posts will, as well tweets (and some other platform posts).
* (it probably won't be clickable on the Mobile version of TS on a mobile device, in which case switch to the Desktop version using the link at the bottom of the page)
Okay. Let's see…
https://www.facebook.com/robert.guyton.77582/posts/pfbid0227wz6PV8fktKMWtpMCHoiP6GvE4wKygu8gSpsUMbCw6n9SsLWTaFNjEULvKnPrywl
perfect.
Is that night flowering?
Open day and night, though wider at night. I've become very enthused by the flowers in my tunnel house and so have people seeing the photos on-line. Struggled for a while with my new camera (it's a phone!) but am now better than I was which is good, as flowers are ephemeral 🙂
I'll not post many here (bandwidth 🙂 but here's one more for today.
https://www.facebook.com/robert.guyton.77582/posts/pfbid02npbbJxXszzHMb58vuAT4DRNo5vxwGe1yoJ8jNeKwkquAJBxRDWffdehwvTFgAuQql
They are magnificent Robert. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks and you are very welcome.
You need to link to the actual image and not to the page the image is on.
Facebook won't give you a link to the actual image. (Presumably they want all their "branding" around posts.)
You need to go to a website that hosts images, upload the image, open the URL for the page the image is on and then right click on the image and go "open image in new tab". Copy that URL e.g. https://i.postimg.cc/SxhbLTky/flow2.png
flow2.png is the part of the URL for the photo file.
That is the URL you need for the Standard's photo form. Note I cut the photo down so it's not a big drain on bandwidth.
Dont know why the media is giving this reactionary thug a platform:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/i-would-have-been-killed-why-farmer-bill-burr-ordered-his-son-to-chop-off-the-tip-of-a-teens-finger/WYZYNJR64VHHPA6Q6BWIWADRCM/
The guy mutilated someone just because they broke into his house. I am picking if he had his way, they would have been strung up from lampposts.
His support for Trump is pretty vocal as well, which means the guy probably condones police brutality, lynching and crackdowns on the LGBT communuty, all things that Trump has backed. He deserves no sympathy. If he had his way, NZ would be like 1950's Mississpi.
The guy is full of hate. Plain and simple. Hate for brown people, hate for LGBT’s, hate for women, hate for due process. He has KKK written all over him.
[1 year ban. Long pattern of behaviour of unsubstantiated claims of fact and slurs, that the mods are sick of, that you apologise for at the time but then keep doing. Explanation is here from one of the more recent moderations, including clear instructions that you need to provide pre-emptive links as evidence for claims. Which you appeared to agree to but you haven’t been doing. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-11-2022/#comment-1920681 and https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-11-2022/#comment-1920633 – weka]
Wealthy settler land owners are above the law.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1201/S00140/waikato-farmer-faces-73k-fine-for-not-stopping-for-anyone.htm
You must be very well off yourself if you regard having to pay a $73,000 fine as being so trivial that you can ignore the law with impunity.
If I was going to have to pay a fine of that magnitude I would feel that I had been whacked with the full force of the law.
Good thing I didn't say that he was able to ignore the law with impunity, eh.
OK. You said that he was "above the law". I merely paraphrased it.
You may therefore be willing to explain how, if he is "above the law" he was prosecuted and appears to be facing a large fine. If he was "above the law" he wouldn't have been charged at all, much less being subject to a large fine would he?
So, in spite of this do you still think he is "above the law" or would you now agree that your statement is simply wrong?
I’m getting tired of your pedantic nitpicking and your ‘paraphrasing’ that is essentially a euphemism for altering and twisting other people’s words to score trivial points. You don’t contribute to (robust) debate, you divert away from it.
If you have a point to make, make it. If you want to indulge in frivolous trivialities then start your own blog.
He was informed of the restrictions yet he went ahead. Either the consequences of going ahead, a $73,000 fine and the costs of the remediation order, were a minor irritation or he thought he was above the law.
He didn't become a wealthy man without knowing the value of a dollar so I'm picking he thumbed his nose.
I don't have any problem with you saying that he thought he was above the law. In fact I agree with the statement and I think he may have been expecting nothing to happen.
What I didn't agree with was that you said, or at least implied, that he was above the law which seems to be saying that no action would be taken and that the Crown would just ignore what he has done.
This seems to me to be saying that the law in New Zealand is not applied equally to everyone. That prospect scares me.
Well thank God they haven't ignored it and I like to think they never will ignore such actions. If we ever get to the stage that the law is applied differently depending upon who you are, or who you know we are sunk.
The Burrs are not "above the law", yet their actions evince their feeling that the law simply did not apply to them.
Maybe the Burrs were aiming for a fait accompli drainage, and a 'no use crying over spilt milk' defence – drain the swamp!
Millsy woulda ordered his son to put a brew on. Then he would have sent the lad on his way with a very stern warning not to do it again.
The son's a recent provincial back rower who weighed in at >95Kgs. He and his father weren't happy with just subduing an overweight teenager. They mutilated him to satisfy their own, racist lust for revenge.
Two adult men had the teen on the ground with a rifle pointed at him. All they had to do was wait for the police to arrive.
Easy to say. He was reportedly (and we only have the reports to go on) – armed with a large knife, and continually getting up to try to attack them.
They also didn't know if there were other people outside (from the original article – he says he assumed that the guy and his girlfriend had been dropped off – and there were others outside).
Nor did they know how long the police would take to get there (a real concern in rural communities).
Do I think it could have been handled better? Sure I do. In many ways, including beginning a lot further back on the criminal trajectory. I also think it could, very easily, have resulted in the teen being dead, or seriously crippled.
definitely a dangerous situation. How does cutting off the tip of the teens finger make that better?
It doesn't, but given it was tue third or fourth time and he'd been clattered around the head with a wine bottle at 1 30 am its hardly suprising he lost the plot at went to far.
I'd be really interested to know why he was been targeted by the teen and why he was able to continuously return.
Eitherway the system failed the both of them badly ending in a pretty horrific situation.
Cite?
from the link in millsy's original comment.
Deeply felt racial animosities are all too common in that part of the country but we only have the violent thug's word that this was the fourth time the teen, who he knew, had broken into his home.
Waiting for Crinkle to justify the assertion that this was the third or fourth time he'd been clattered around the head with a wine bottle.
Crickle didn't say that, they said,
My emphasis.
I assumed that the reporter has some familiarity with evidence from the court case, and wasn't just letting him say what he wanted.
Fair enough. Still disgusted by attempts to justify the actions men who beat, subdued, and used a knife to mutilate a disabled teen with, according family, the intellectual capacities of a child.
I'm not justifying anything, just saying the reaction is unsurprising. It's possible we see something similar happen if one of the kids holding up dairies gets collared.
I do think there's alot about this particular case that we don't know, perhaps due to suppression orders. The repeated targeting seems weird and there were attempts at to sort things out. Like I say the system failed both of them.
@ Cricklewood. No system has failed William Burr.
I disagree, to have the same offender in your home multiple times despite restorative justice etc is a failure.
Burr is an odious individual but nobody deserves been burgled robbed or threatened especially in their own home.
yeah, there's a lot about that whole story that's not clear.
It's not hard to imagine that cutting the finger tip happened from escalation and trying to stop the kid with the knife from getting up off the floor. But it's also not hard to imagine that the solutions coming into Burr and his son's head arose from their values and lives. Other people would have reacted differently.
mod note
Prick told an ambulance driver that they were “too PC” and were “dealing with black people”. But millsy's overstating things.
/
It's milly's commenting style and behaviour that is the problem. I assumed there was some truth in what he was saying, but the inflammatory spray style runs counter to TS's requirement of evidence based robust debate. And as you say, the comments are misleading. There's also the problem of defamation and what happens when one of milly's comments puts the site owners at risk.
If millsy had provided the link you did, they wouldn't have gotten banned. They've been told so many times, sucked up so much moderator time, and we're sick of it. Also, election year, so we're tightening up.
From your link
Familiarise yourself with the racial undertones that prevail in Te Rohe Potae.
You see, we only take Burr's word when it suits our narrative.
I stand with you, millsy.
It is obvious Burr is MAGA (it's in the link you took the time to provide) and, as you say, therefore it's probable he condones aggressive policing, vigilantism, and crackdowns on vulnerable and minority communities.
The other link provided by joe90 @ 4.3.1 details more of Burr's character, where he likens the young Māori offender to a dog:
So, probably racist too, which was your other reasoned assertion.
Another link from joe90 @ 4.1 describes Burr's attitude to environmental laws and the environment itself. It's pretty clear what the man is like when you build a picture from his own words and actions, ie, not someone who progressives would defend.
One thing I'd like to say about millsy's extremely heavy ban is that for some commenters TS is a means to document and release frustrations. One commenter who does this a lot is Swordfish in his ongoing battle with the imaginary managerial middle class.
I do it myself, not necessarily seeking feedback, just wanting to get down on paper as it were what I'm thinking, with links, for possible reference later. My point is, some commenters rely on TS for the ability it provides to 'get things down on paper' as described, and this helps with their mental health.
Also, the requirement for commenters to be thorough with expanding on claims and providing links for each claim is discriminatory to those who are time and technology poor.
Such a long ban (particularly for highlighting the behaviour of a horrible individual) doesn't seem to factor much of that in at all.
Frustrated moderator decisions do affect frustrated real people…
Guns and the right to bear arms is always a hot US topic. A six year old shot a teacher in a classroom.
I understand all the stuff about preventing crazed people having guns, them taking guns into schools and procedures in the event of terrible incidents happening.
The need to check 5 and 6 year olds to see if they're carrying?
It's another context for all the talk in the country just a year after there was insurrection at the country's Capitol. And at a time so many in the debate for House Speaker are talking about the US being the greatest country in the world.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-virginia-elementary-school-leaves-1-adult-injured-rcna64695
"Data also suggests that young people disproportionately commit gun homicides. For example, 18-20-year olds comprise just 4% of the US population, but account for 17% of known homicide offenders."
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/minimum-age/
Gotta be a bloke.
https://twitter.com/SlenderSherbet/status/1611344653068177410
It looks like the West is getting serious in the arms it is supplying Ukraine.
The US is supplying 50 Bradley fighting vehicles amongst other things.
France is sending AMX-10 RC light tanks.
Germany is sending Mauder infantry fighting vehicles.
Plus, it looks like countries in Europe are going to send Leopard 2 tanks.
Most of this stuff is a lot better than the Soviet era stuff the Russians are using atm.
So, it looks like Ukraine is going to get everything it needs to push the Russians out of Ukraine. This is important, even from a negotiating perspective. It is vital that Russia sees that the west is not going to back down in its support for Ukraine. So, in that way Russia will see that continued aggression on its part is futile.
Uncle Sam isn't fucking around.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3261263/more-than-3-billion-in-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/
Uncle sam isnt fucking around ….
heck no , endless war is good for business !!
Not really "business" as most of what the US is giving is the stuff they were going to scrap at some stage anyway. Probably cheaper for them to give it to the Ukrainians.
More arms for Ukraine will shorten the war.
War is how the world rids itself of treacherous thugs.
https://twitter.com/Bobrovska_MP/status/1611334341464068098
The National Guard of Ukraine says Sunday's cease-fire was broken and the evacuation plans have been halted after Russian forces opened fire.
It was the second day in a row a cease-fire to allow the evacuation of civilians from the port city of Mariupol has failed.
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/06/1084818850/russia-ukraine-cease-fire-mariupol
Those Bradley fighting vehicles are bad-ass. And I think the US has thousands of them lying around. So, 50 will only be the start I imagine.
Presume this is different to the vehicle in "The Pentagon Wars"?
If it gets hit by Russian artillery it'll blow up just the same tsmithfield
That is a big "if". The Ukrainians tend to be a bit smarter than the Russians who house their soldiers next to ammunition dumps which doesn't lead to great outcomes for the soldiers when their base is targeted by Ukrainian artillery, as happened in Makiivka the other day.
Even the Russians now acknowledge that 89 soldiers were killed in the attack, which means the number is much more likely to be in the hundreds as claimed by the Ukrainians and many other sources.
Aftermath of the attack here:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/cellphone-use-by-russian-soldiers-allowed-ukraine-to-target-troops-russian-military-says
Given the way Tsar Poot's Army has handle it's fabled "Red God" Zhukov & Co would be rolling in their graves atm.
As for it's Combined Arms Tactics/ Doctrine, you wouldn't be getting a Cuppa Tea & Biscuit interview with Chief Instructor & RSM at the School of Armour, Infantry or at Staff College!
But a RTU or worst a notice to show cause why we shouldn't boot you out on your ass.
Oh sorry to nit prick, the AMX 10 isn't a Light Tank, it's Wheel Tank Destroyer or Heavy Armoured Car armed with a 105mm gun.
The AMX 10 would a good vehicle to have alongside the Aussie Bushies for those deep penetration attacks/ offensives after the Heavy Brigades ie Tanks & Infantry Fighting Vehicles have broken through the Russian Defensive Belt in coming spring after General Mud has passed or this winter which is starting to look very unlikely now.
Yeah, thanks for that. I realise the term "tank" is a fairly loose description.
They should be handy for the Ukrainians though. I think they can be transported by air, and I understand the older version is amphibious, which could be handy for the Ukrainians.
Leopard 2's will be welcomed. Designed specifically to operate on the open steppe against Warsaw Pact armour during a European winter.
Any MBT would be welcome for the Ukrainian Armoured Corp, heck even the old upgraded IDF Cents, T55's & T62's would be a bit of handful for Poot's Army given the Ukrainian Army's Combined Arms Tactics/ Doctrine has been exceptional.
Yes, it's been rough for the Ukrainian Armed Forces at start of the Russian Invasion & a few things didn't go to plan especially in the Sth Command Region. But they didn't panic & stayed to their Strategic Battle plan as they knew this day would come.
Leopard 2's would be a game changer on the battlefield especially at a tactical level, also of note Jordan is retiring it's Challenger 1's MBT which is also a beast & would be interesting if a 3rd or the Poms suddenly brought them. It may not have the mobility ie speed on the battlefield, but packs a punch with its firepower & protection with it Cobham Armour.
The AMX 10 is a good wagon for mobile operations & those QRF/RRF UN Missions which the French used them for during the 80's & 90's.
They were a vast improvement over the AML 90's from the 1960's- 70's which were a primped up French version of the British Ferret.
Pride, or they're culling the herd.
China has rebuffed repeated U.S. offers to share advanced vaccines as Beijing battles a fast-spreading wave of COVID-19, a rejection that’s led to growing frustration among American officials concerned about a resurgence of the pandemic.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/01/07/asia-pacific/china-covid-vaccines-us/
One mayor on 3 Waters prospects regardless of who wins election nationally:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/300777969/heres-what-could-be-coming-for-the-new-plymouth-district-council-on-the-three-waters-front
I thought that was well written and quite fair in a neutral sort of way. Whatever happens we will end up with with an amalgamated 3 Waters service model. The current local authority model is a failure in many cases, Haldon's 'orphans', and really can't be fixed.
About the only bit that can change is how independent of councillor control, and how universal, the new model is. Some councils have done very well, New Plymouth is an example, but they are lucky to have a strong growing economy and helpful topography along with good leadership. Queenstown Lakes is similar, we can do whatever is required thanks to a vibrant development community that willingly* hand over vast sums in development contributions to realise their dreams.
Down the road is Gore. They have a combined sewage / stormwater system, a shrinking economy along with a similarly shrinking and aging population. Successive councils have kicked the can down the road, funding civic amenities but ignoring the pipes. It's going to be a huge undertaking fixing this and well beyond the resources of the town. Love to see how National and ACT will deal with this.
Most likely outcome if National are government in 2024 will be a "review" which will change the name of it all, maybe create a couple more entities so it feels more local, and Mana Whenua involvement is up to the shareholding Councils to decide. The regions that choose to develop strong relationships with Mana Whenua will get things done, this that don't might find it a bit harder.
ACT have been wanting to return GST to councils to
reduce ratesfund infrastructure for a while. Reality will be more roads, councillors get elected by promising things that constituents can see and touch, not shit that's buried in the ground and they have to dig up the roads to put there.I'd love to leave the orphans behind because they, in the thrall of the farming lobby, are so resistant to any form of help.
Let them drink cow piss day and night.
That's the problem National will have in trying to dismantle 3 Waters. The 'orphans' are the bluest of the blue. National will be faced with either taking the Gores out the back and shooting it, or having to justify pouring billions into propping up dying towns, which will go down really well with ACT.
I really don't think National have thought through how they are going to sell this to their constituents or support parties. The few Nat MPs that can think more than one move ahead are probably hoping like hell they either don't win this year, or come up with a viable policy PDQ.
I'm not sure the orphans are resistant to help or change, it's just that the problem has been so large and has just been getting larger for 100 years. They should have been moving to separated services in 1930, but couldn't afford it then and it's just got harder with time. They aren't alone, Auckland has only just separated the last of it's combined services.
In Gore's case fixing involves replacing 70% of the towns sewer and stormwater network, and then rehabilitating the street. Starting again on a new site is probably quicker and cheaper.
Well..you've pretty much nailed it ! I'd also add that theres more than a bit of
Esp when a…lot..of the aged and hardened will be gone…and the Somebody Elses Problem is for the Generations to come. Bit like Climate change and our Earth burning : (
Martin Bradbury has an interesting take on the Standard.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/01/07/blogwatch-how-desperate-are-labour-read-this-standard-post-and-gasp/
The pompous arse has a new pejorative?
His take isn't far from mine. Got to avoid the disaster of a NAct government (and get another Green / Labour one instead) – but Labour has done very little to significantly address the real problems of inequality, poverty, worker's rights and conditions in NZ. And certainly haven’t been transformative in any way, to my mind.
Many forecasts were made as to the arrival of winter and its impact on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and wider Europe because of an energy crisis.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=general+winter+ukraine
What no one expected was a heat wave in winter. With temperatures of 19 degrees, rather an 1 degree, people were out jogging wearing a teeshirt rather than going skiing.
Blame it on a continuance of La Nina (a rare third year).
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1147116000/la-nina-climate-change-california-bomb-cyclone-winter-heat-wave
But it is coming to an end. Signs are that it is going neutral for a turn to El Nino later this year.