Having glanced through the story it suggests the following:
Chinese business visitors are being kept under 24hr surveillance from the moment they step off their plane until the moment they leave.
Now, isn’t that ironic. Didn’t JK and co. call out Labour for being racist when they suggested Chinese immigrants were buying up properties at inflated prices thus contributing to market distortion? I venture to suggest this surveillance not only has racial overtones, it’s sinister.
By all means, keep an eye on people who have form (or are associated with those who have form) in attempts to steal trade secrets from other countries but this, in my view, is a step too far!
It is possible, and from the wording about it being a delegation and a group of businessmen, that the arrangements for the group, and their hosts in New Zealand was MFAT itself.
There would probably have been MFAT people present with the group and they would have observed the gift being made, Those gifts are made totally publicly as part of the aim is to highlight your generosity.
MFAT would not have said anything at the time, as this could embarrass the Chinese group, but might have called the recipient later.
I have no way of knowing this explanation to be a true one but it is quite a likely alternative to the more scary option Anne has proposed. It would also fit in with the way these delegation’s visits are routinely organised.
That certainly makes sense Alwyn. It’s still odd that they’d call the man though. Unknown USB devices are suspect no matter where they come from so why did they think this was important enough to call the guy ‘urgently’? It does suggest they’ve previously found spyware in similar circumstances (?)
I also gained the impression the meeting occured in NZ, in which case you’d have to be mad to pass on gifts with spyware in them. That’s a criminal offence here and you can be easily caught in that type of scenario. Unless they’re using an unknown zero-day exploit the chances their spyware would be picked up by antivirus software is very high.
The story still looks a bit contrived to me, or at least missing something.
I was only giving a relatively benign reason for how MFAT would know that he had just received some electronic gear in answer to your final sentence that “how did MFAT know the guy had just received electronic gifts”
Why they had any reason to be suspicious of the items is a different matter, on which I have no ideas.
There seems to be little doubt that the Chinese do carry out industrial espionage though. It is widely reported in reputable publications as this example of a story from Reuters illustrates. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cybercrime-usa-china-idUSKCN0J42M520141120
I have also seen stories fairly regularly in The Economist on the subject.
There seems to be little doubt that the Chinese do carry out industrial espionage though.
Industrial espionage happens at all times from all countries:
The U.S. continued to borrow from abroad for decades, refining and improving, and borrowing some more. Eventually, the laggard became the world’s biggest economy in the 1870s. Since then, the shoe has often been on the other foot, with entrepreneurs in other nations eager to take U.S. innovations to jumpstart their economies.
The Cold War marked a departure from the usual dynamic: the Soviet Union and its allies coveted capitalist technologies to further their distinctly anti-capitalist ambitions. But the end of that era, and the rise of China, has brought a return to form as free-market economies vie against one another.
The Chinese understand the futility of reinventing the wheel. Far better — and faster — to steal it from someone else.
It would, of course, be better for all of us if that technology was freely shared as it would boost innovation rather than the present system that actively prevents it.
“There seems to be little doubt that the Chinese do carry out industrial espionage though.”
They certainly do that and it’s no secret. Speaking technically I’m still a little surprised that a person would see fit to alert someone over a gift such as this unless there was more to it.
The Chinese involved in industrial espionage are no fools, this is about the last vector of attack I’d expect them to use. It’s too risky, little chance of actually installing the spyware and with only small opportunity for reward. Most Chinese hacking is done through email.
In a reply to Anne, just below, I have proposed a reason why they might toss in a warning even if they neither knew, or even suspected, that the gear might be suspect. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27122015/#comment-1112628
Just butt covering.
I won’t have a chance to read it more carefully until later today, but my impression was: MFAT rang the NZ businessman immediately after the visitors left. But I stand to be corrected if I have read it wrong.
They did report that Anne. I was only commenting on a way they would know without quite the extremes suggested in your comment. Perhaps MFAT are a bit more efficient than many of us sometimes suspect?
As an afterthought I would also add the following.
If, as I have suggested, the trip and the visits including the one to this company, were arranged by MFAT they would be very likely to warn him even if they were only basing it on the Chinese being suspected of carrying out hacking type attacks elsewhere.
It would be the old story. How would MFAT, and its political masters, feel if the story on the front page of the Herald a week later had a headline like “MFAT introduced spying activities into my firm” with a story about them asking the company to welcome the Chinese and that it is all the Government’s fault that malware was introduced into their computer systems?
You wouldn’t need much of a reason to talk to the company would you, if you were an MFAT official? You’d just be covering your butt.
alwyn @ 1.2.3.1.1
You seem to have superior knowledge on this subject so I bow to your thesis as being entirely reasonable. However I have re-read the article and this excerpt might be relevant to MFAT’s most recent activity:
Earlier this month, the Minister of Justice, Amy Adams and former Minister of Police, Michael Woodhouse, launched a cybercrime plan as part of the government’s “refreshed Cyber Security Strategy” after reports that cyber attacks were on the rise.
Last year, the cost of online attacks in New Zealand cost more than $250 million, and about 856,000 New Zealanders were impacted by online crime.
A recent report estimated the annual cost of cybercrime to the global economy at more than $600 billion.
At the launch of the plan, Woodhouse said cybercrime could range from personal theft and attacks on businesses to extortion and fraud.
“In a changing world where online security is an issue, we need to be on the front foot against cybercrime,” he said.
Seems like there might be a bit of over-enthusiasm for Amy and Mike’s bran new Cyber Security Strategy.
I left out the most important bit to back up my claim of over-enthusiasm:
The plan included a computer emergency response team to handle computer security threats and provide information to help businesses and individuals to protect themselves online.
Which is the same level of approximation you put forward as red peak = Palestinian flag.
But, you may have the wrong audience.
As someone who has lived and worked for several years in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Maale Adumim and Jericho. Who met and talked to hundreds if not thousands of Palestinians and Israelis while I was there I can tell you this: there is no shame in having a flag similar to the Palestinians.
But back to my actual point; trying to create hazy and loose associations between flags because you wish to project your distaste of the Palestinians onto the Red Peak design is as weak as it is destructive (of goodwill, of reconciliation, of peace).
My comparing the Red Peak to the Canadian flag was simply to point out the paucity of your argument.
The US vs John Lennon doco was on Prime tv the other night. interesting to see snippets from Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali in it, two people banished from mainstream media for telling the uncomfortable truth. The world would be in a much better place if these guys had made it onto our screens every week, sadly not.
I had no idea that Lennon was so politically active either. The doco is dedinitely worth a watch, the whole thing is on youtube.
I saw it too Maui and he certainly was an activist although he maintained he was a peacenik. Didn’t people have fire in their bellies in the 60’s and 70’s. Rallies were massive and they did make a difference. These days certainly here the crowds can be pretty big but the young people do not get out in the numbers they did then. I suppose conscription would bring out the crowds here – imagine all the rich kids actually having to face the conscription call up. Not all would be able to slide out of it like not all were able to do for Vietnam but you can betcha there would be a lot of A-listers whose sons wouldn’t be called up. It was a great documentary..
Didn’t people have fire in their bellies in the 60’s and 70’s. Rallies were massive and they did make a difference.
And then in 1980 there was this deep and pervasive shift. Something happened in that year (I believe Reagan and Thatcher were symptomatic, not causal) to change everything.
I’ve often pondered this question, and while I have some ideas, I’ve never come up with a satisfying or complete answer.
In the early 2000s, the Chinese government decided to invest in chemical production facilities, which served them well on the international market until the global recession. Then, as exports plummeted, these facilities began to flood local markets with their products—including now-cheaper insecticides. Farmers began spraying their fields in earnest.
But, according to a study published in Ecological Applications, this sudden surge in pesticide usage had an unusual effect: While helping to eliminate much of a one of the top 100 invasive species, a pest known as the whitefly, it appears to actually have driven the growth of a different subtype of the same species.
This would all be fine and dandy, except for one enormous issue: This now-booming subtype of whitefly is an enormous plant disease carrier—and as of 2012, it had become dominant in all but two of the 28 provinces and territories examined.
The Market Strikes Again.
What we see here are the true ecological terrorists – corporations and the drive for profit.
Santa delivered a collection of old publications of NZ provinces and ports for my partner. They are extremely interesting and we have been browsing over some of them over the break. Thought this cartoon might interest some of our commentators – it seems Northland has been ignored for at least 100 years or so by successive governments, we don’t seem to progress much in this country and the provinces are bleeding slowly right now and were probably just as bad then. So the recent episode of bribing Northland with bridges hasn’t changed one jot – only the roads were stuffed back then … but of course, they are stuffed now as well.
Kaitaia Hospital was completely rebuilt in 2007 after Nats threatened to close completely during their previous tenure, the Labour Coalition also made major extentions to ALL the local schools, the road to Cape Reinga was finally being sealed, more money was invested in the far north during that era than had been for a very long time, a shame some people don’t remember the historical low in unemployment for the area due to the investment.
Okinawa objects to US military base and is suing Japanese government to stop it.
“More than a simple bureaucratic battle, the relocation issue reflects the decade-long demand by Okinawans to eject US military presence from the island entirely. The residents cite a long record of pollution, noise, public disorder and crime, including sexual abuse that comes from US base Futenma, located slap in the middle of residential blocks in the town of Ginowan. ”
Oh, I see the Slime Master General is to be awarded with a Knighthood by Cameron for services to fear & loathing in the UK….I just wonder how long it might be before Mr Keys feels left behind and awards his old mate some pompous baubles, like Order of The My Flagreferendum Star, 2nd Class.?
Can’t say I’m really surprised by this latest development. First Peter Talley, now Lynton Crosby. I’m just waiting for Genghis Khan and Josef Mengele to be awarded posthumous knighthoods. I wonder if Sir Peter Jackson is considering handing his back, given the dubious nature of his “peers”.
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2024 has been a series of bad news for climate change. From scorching global temperatures leading to devastating ...
Ríu Ríu ChíuRíu Ríu Chíu is a Spanish Christmas song from the 16th Century. The traditional carol would likely have passed unnoticed by the English-speaking world had the made-for-television American band The Monkees not performed the song as part of their special Christmas show back in 1967. The show's ...
Dunedin’s summer thus far has been warm and humid… and it looks like we’re in for a grey Christmas. But it is now officially Christmas Day in this time zone, so never mind. This year, I’ve stumbled across an Old English version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: It has a population of just under 3.5 million inhabitants, produces nearly 550,000 tons of beef per year, and boasts a glorious soccer reputation with two World ...
Morena all,In my paywalled newsletter yesterday, I signed off for Christmas and wished readers well, but I thought I’d send everyone a quick note this morning.This hasn’t been a good year for our small country. The divisions caused by the Treaty Principles Bill, the cuts to our public sector, increased ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30 am include:Kāinga Ora is quietly planning to sell over $1 billion worth of state-owned land under 300 state homes in Auckland’s wealthiest suburbs, including around Bastion Point, to give the Government more fiscal room to pay for tax cuts and reduce borrowing.A ...
Hi,It’s my birthday on Christmas Day, and I have a favour to ask.A birthday wish.I would love you to share one Webworm story you’ve liked this year.The simple fact is: apart from paying for a Webworm membership (thank you!), sharing and telling others about this place is the most important ...
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Asia Pacific Report A Palestine solidarity advocate today appealed to New Zealanders to shed their feelings of powerlessness over the Gaza genocide and “take action” in support of an effective global strategy of boycott, divestment and sanctions. “Many of us have become addicted to ‘doom scrolling’ — reading or watching ...
A former lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump was found to have violated a court agreement after he suggested on a podcast in November two election workers were quadruple counting ballots and using a computer hard drive to fix the machines. ...
Summer reissue: The comedian takes us through her life in television, including her favourite Kardashian tiff, Taskmaster task, and the best thing about being Tina from Turners. Sieni Tiana Leo’o Olo, aka Bubbah, is used to being approached by men in bars – but not for the reasons you might ...
Summer reissue: A special live edition of the Spinoff politics podcast, revisiting the turbulent Lange years with very special guest Kim Hill. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to ...
Summer reissue: On learning an underappreciated but vitally important skill. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It has been almost a decade since I ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey spends the weekend in a new city without her trusty iPhone, and lives to tell the tale. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...
Summer reissue: It’s become an internet trope, but the art of girl rotting dates back at least to the 19th century. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...
COMMENTARY:By Anna Naupa Out of the rubble of last year’s 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila on December 17 and the snap election due next week on January 16, a new leadership is required to reset the country’s developmental trajectory. Persistent political turmoil has hampered the ...
Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing chronic neurological disorder in the world. Currently, 10 million people have Parkinson’s disease, and the number of people receiving diagnoses is increasing year on year. The proportion of early-onset Parkinson’s disease, where people get a diagnosis before age 50, is rising even faster. Some patients ...
2025 is the Year of the Snake, so it should be another productive year for the David Seymours of the world by which I mean of course people with an enigmatic and introspective nature. Those born in previous Snake years – 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 – will flourish in 2025, ...
Chris Hipkins says Labour has got more cut-through in its first year of Opposition than he expected at the start and his own polling has held up better than he’d hoped.In an end-of-year interview, the Labour Party leader outlined what he views as a successful first third of the Parliamentary ...
The proposed plan, debated by around 200 Māori leaders on Friday, has been met with some scepticism but leaders said that is exactly why the debate was needed. ...
Hopes for a fast launch of a Māori deliberative body and unified voice with representatives from iwi, hapū and urban Māori have been dashed, with few iwi leaders showing up to a hui in Hawkes Bay on Friday.The hui, dubbed a Wānanga-ā-Motu by hosts Ngāti Kahungunu, was the latest in ...
Dear Mr Zuckerberg, Nine years ago, we wrote to you about the real-world harms caused by false information on Facebook. In response, Meta created a fact-checking programme that helped protect millions of users from hoaxes and conspiracy theories. This week, you announced you’re ending that programme in the United States ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Moulds, Associate Professor in Law, University of South Australia The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled that Australia breached international human rights law by detaining a group of young asylum seekers in immigration detention in Nauru. The committee found ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne The year 2024 was the world’s warmest on record globally, and the first calendar year in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above its ...
The proposed RSB would make the ACT Party’s libertarian values central to our laws, give power to the Minister for Regulation, currently David Seymour, and a Regulatory Standards Board, while ignoring te Tiriti o Waitangi and broadly held values. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock This time of year, many of us love to get out and spend time in nature. This may include hiking through Australia’s many beautiful national parks. Walking in nature is ...
RNZ Pacific Solomon Islands has the highest-ranked passport of Pacific Island nations, at 37th equal globally. This is according to the Henley Passport Index. The index, organised by a consulting firm that describes itself as “the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment,” releases the list based on global ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tahlia Pollock, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Evans EvoMorph Laboratory, Monash University Fossil reconstruction of Smilodon, one of the largest sabre-toothed cats ever to have lived. Mardoz/Shutterstock Sabre teeth – the long, sharp, blade-like canines found in extinct predators such as Smilodon – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Melleuish, Professor of History and Politics, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong It is an interesting fact that no sitting Australian prime minister since John Howard has led his or her party to more than one election victory. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor There has been a great deal of heat – and not an overabundance of light – when it comes to the media’s reactions to Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Huish, Associate Professor in International Development Studies, Dalhousie University “We take nothing by conquest…Thank God,” wrote the National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, an influential Washington newspaper, in February 1847. The United States had just purchased 55 per cent of Mexico ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Caballero, Senior Economist, IMD World Competitiveness Center, International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Within days of Donald Trump’s election win in November 2024, China’s president Xi Jinping was at a ceremony opening a deep-water port in Peru as part of a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham When Donald Trump first offered to buy Greenland in 2019, he was widely ridiculed and nothing much came of it, apart from a cancelled state visit to Denmark. Fast forward six years and ...
Driven by a minor party’s libertarian ideology, the Regulatory Standards Bill, alongside the Treaty Principles Bill, would have sweeping constitutional implications, if enacted. ...
The sun exploded on May 10th, 2024. It bathed the planet in radiation and flooded Instagram with photos of the resulting aurora. It was the largest solar storm in New Zealand’s modern history. To one expert, it was a wake-up call for the entire planet: “We need to get our shit ...
Opinion: The Department of Conservation is currently consulting on a proposal to significantly change how it plans for, and gives permissions for, activities on public conservation land – currently about a third of New Zealand. The proposals include simplifying and reducing the number of general policies, conservation management strategies and management plans, making ...
Comment: Nearly half of women around Aotearoa New Zealand who exercise recreationally experience health issues due to over-exercising and under-eating.But our new research shows educating them about their energy intake versus outtake is key to fixing the problem and could prevent the development of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (REDs).REDs ...
NewsroomBy Penny Matkin-Hussey and Katherine Black
This is curious…..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75437596/mfat-warning-on-chinese-delegations
My first thought was how did MFAT know the guy had just received electronic gifts. The narrative seems a little strange.
Having glanced through the story it suggests the following:
Chinese business visitors are being kept under 24hr surveillance from the moment they step off their plane until the moment they leave.
Now, isn’t that ironic. Didn’t JK and co. call out Labour for being racist when they suggested Chinese immigrants were buying up properties at inflated prices thus contributing to market distortion? I venture to suggest this surveillance not only has racial overtones, it’s sinister.
By all means, keep an eye on people who have form (or are associated with those who have form) in attempts to steal trade secrets from other countries but this, in my view, is a step too far!
It is possible, and from the wording about it being a delegation and a group of businessmen, that the arrangements for the group, and their hosts in New Zealand was MFAT itself.
There would probably have been MFAT people present with the group and they would have observed the gift being made, Those gifts are made totally publicly as part of the aim is to highlight your generosity.
MFAT would not have said anything at the time, as this could embarrass the Chinese group, but might have called the recipient later.
I have no way of knowing this explanation to be a true one but it is quite a likely alternative to the more scary option Anne has proposed. It would also fit in with the way these delegation’s visits are routinely organised.
That was insightful, alwyn
Zzzzzzzzzzz, sent you some z for Xmas Pauly
I see you don’t like your trolling being called out, rd
That certainly makes sense Alwyn. It’s still odd that they’d call the man though. Unknown USB devices are suspect no matter where they come from so why did they think this was important enough to call the guy ‘urgently’? It does suggest they’ve previously found spyware in similar circumstances (?)
I also gained the impression the meeting occured in NZ, in which case you’d have to be mad to pass on gifts with spyware in them. That’s a criminal offence here and you can be easily caught in that type of scenario. Unless they’re using an unknown zero-day exploit the chances their spyware would be picked up by antivirus software is very high.
The story still looks a bit contrived to me, or at least missing something.
That’s a criminal offence here…
“Our” spies conspire to commit similar criminal offences in or against other nations on a daily basis. Pot, meet kettle.
“It’s still odd that they’d call the man though”
I was only giving a relatively benign reason for how MFAT would know that he had just received some electronic gear in answer to your final sentence that “how did MFAT know the guy had just received electronic gifts”
Why they had any reason to be suspicious of the items is a different matter, on which I have no ideas.
There seems to be little doubt that the Chinese do carry out industrial espionage though. It is widely reported in reputable publications as this example of a story from Reuters illustrates.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cybercrime-usa-china-idUSKCN0J42M520141120
I have also seen stories fairly regularly in The Economist on the subject.
Industrial espionage happens at all times from all countries:
It would, of course, be better for all of us if that technology was freely shared as it would boost innovation rather than the present system that actively prevents it.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if the US still carried out such industrial espionage so would MFAT be calling up the business if the gifts had come from US business people?
“There seems to be little doubt that the Chinese do carry out industrial espionage though.”
They certainly do that and it’s no secret. Speaking technically I’m still a little surprised that a person would see fit to alert someone over a gift such as this unless there was more to it.
The Chinese involved in industrial espionage are no fools, this is about the last vector of attack I’d expect them to use. It’s too risky, little chance of actually installing the spyware and with only small opportunity for reward. Most Chinese hacking is done through email.
In a reply to Anne, just below, I have proposed a reason why they might toss in a warning even if they neither knew, or even suspected, that the gear might be suspect.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27122015/#comment-1112628
Just butt covering.
It’s probably SOP for MFAT in such cases. The real problem is that the person warned then went to the MSM which published it.
I won’t have a chance to read it more carefully until later today, but my impression was: MFAT rang the NZ businessman immediately after the visitors left. But I stand to be corrected if I have read it wrong.
They did report that Anne. I was only commenting on a way they would know without quite the extremes suggested in your comment. Perhaps MFAT are a bit more efficient than many of us sometimes suspect?
As an afterthought I would also add the following.
If, as I have suggested, the trip and the visits including the one to this company, were arranged by MFAT they would be very likely to warn him even if they were only basing it on the Chinese being suspected of carrying out hacking type attacks elsewhere.
It would be the old story. How would MFAT, and its political masters, feel if the story on the front page of the Herald a week later had a headline like “MFAT introduced spying activities into my firm” with a story about them asking the company to welcome the Chinese and that it is all the Government’s fault that malware was introduced into their computer systems?
You wouldn’t need much of a reason to talk to the company would you, if you were an MFAT official? You’d just be covering your butt.
alwyn @ 1.2.3.1.1
You seem to have superior knowledge on this subject so I bow to your thesis as being entirely reasonable. However I have re-read the article and this excerpt might be relevant to MFAT’s most recent activity:
Seems like there might be a bit of over-enthusiasm for Amy and Mike’s bran new Cyber Security Strategy.
I left out the most important bit to back up my claim of over-enthusiasm:
edit.
scratched my comment – re-read the article and noticed a failure in reading comprehension; mine.
I’ve just been shown the Palestinian flag.
Am I a bit slow or is it common knowledge its almost the same as Red Peak.
In that the flag has a ration of 1:2 and contains somewhere in its design a red triangle. Yes.
It’s almost the same as the Canadian flag; that one has the same ratio and contains a red bit too.
Yes but it doesn’t look like the Canadian flag because it doesn’t have a big fuck off maple leaf does it.
Which looks nothing like a triangle.
It’s a red bit though.
Which is the same level of approximation you put forward as red peak = Palestinian flag.
But, you may have the wrong audience.
As someone who has lived and worked for several years in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Maale Adumim and Jericho. Who met and talked to hundreds if not thousands of Palestinians and Israelis while I was there I can tell you this: there is no shame in having a flag similar to the Palestinians.
But back to my actual point; trying to create hazy and loose associations between flags because you wish to project your distaste of the Palestinians onto the Red Peak design is as weak as it is destructive (of goodwill, of reconciliation, of peace).
My comparing the Red Peak to the Canadian flag was simply to point out the paucity of your argument.
Foxy cartoons: Top ten from 2015
Excellent.
“When you are Prime Minister John Key every pic is a dick pic!”
‘Who cares? I’m rich.’
Sums up several of our resident trolls on this site.
The US vs John Lennon doco was on Prime tv the other night. interesting to see snippets from Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali in it, two people banished from mainstream media for telling the uncomfortable truth. The world would be in a much better place if these guys had made it onto our screens every week, sadly not.
I had no idea that Lennon was so politically active either. The doco is dedinitely worth a watch, the whole thing is on youtube.
I saw it too Maui and he certainly was an activist although he maintained he was a peacenik. Didn’t people have fire in their bellies in the 60’s and 70’s. Rallies were massive and they did make a difference. These days certainly here the crowds can be pretty big but the young people do not get out in the numbers they did then. I suppose conscription would bring out the crowds here – imagine all the rich kids actually having to face the conscription call up. Not all would be able to slide out of it like not all were able to do for Vietnam but you can betcha there would be a lot of A-listers whose sons wouldn’t be called up. It was a great documentary..
Didn’t people have fire in their bellies in the 60’s and 70’s. Rallies were massive and they did make a difference.
And then in 1980 there was this deep and pervasive shift. Something happened in that year (I believe Reagan and Thatcher were symptomatic, not causal) to change everything.
I’ve often pondered this question, and while I have some ideas, I’ve never come up with a satisfying or complete answer.
Overuse of pesticides is devastating China’s crops, study says
The Market Strikes Again.
What we see here are the true ecological terrorists – corporations and the drive for profit.
Santa delivered a collection of old publications of NZ provinces and ports for my partner. They are extremely interesting and we have been browsing over some of them over the break. Thought this cartoon might interest some of our commentators – it seems Northland has been ignored for at least 100 years or so by successive governments, we don’t seem to progress much in this country and the provinces are bleeding slowly right now and were probably just as bad then. So the recent episode of bribing Northland with bridges hasn’t changed one jot – only the roads were stuffed back then … but of course, they are stuffed now as well.
[lprent: added the image for WK. ]
Kaitaia Hospital was completely rebuilt in 2007 after Nats threatened to close completely during their previous tenure, the Labour Coalition also made major extentions to ALL the local schools, the road to Cape Reinga was finally being sealed, more money was invested in the far north during that era than had been for a very long time, a shame some people don’t remember the historical low in unemployment for the area due to the investment.
Okinawa objects to US military base and is suing Japanese government to stop it.
“More than a simple bureaucratic battle, the relocation issue reflects the decade-long demand by Okinawans to eject US military presence from the island entirely. The residents cite a long record of pollution, noise, public disorder and crime, including sexual abuse that comes from US base Futenma, located slap in the middle of residential blocks in the town of Ginowan. ”
http://investmentwatchblog.com/okinawa-sue-japanese-govt-over-plans-for-new-us-military-base/
Oh, I see the Slime Master General is to be awarded with a Knighthood by Cameron for services to fear & loathing in the UK….I just wonder how long it might be before Mr Keys feels left behind and awards his old mate some pompous baubles, like Order of The My Flagreferendum Star, 2nd Class.?
Lynton Crosby……. What a low life bastard!
Everything is going to be fine. I was in the same position just like you – it will make you strong.
There is no-one more beautiful than you, I have been ‘everywhere’ and there is no-one more beautiful than you.
You’re the only one who could ‘break my heart’.
No-one else has that ability.
Given your penchant for surreal responses to random comments, I can’t help wondering if you’re abusing psychotropic drugs.
It is ‘Love Potion’
Can’t say I’m really surprised by this latest development. First Peter Talley, now Lynton Crosby. I’m just waiting for Genghis Khan and Josef Mengele to be awarded posthumous knighthoods. I wonder if Sir Peter Jackson is considering handing his back, given the dubious nature of his “peers”.
Don’t accept it, Richie McCaw! Just say no!
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/26/dutch-city-utrecht-basic-income-uk-greens
it’s spreading