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When Mykola Bychok took part in the Walk for Justice for Refugees in his adopted homeland of Australia, he had a simple message. · “Let us remember that the first refugee was Jesus Christ,” he told the crowd in the Melbourne sunshine. · A little over a year later and the 44-year-old was made the world’s youngest cardinal at a lavish ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica, leapfrogging more high-profile Catholic leaders – and raising eyebrows among…

27 February 1951 · The waterfront dispute of 1951 was the biggest industrial confrontation in New Zealand’s history. Although it was not as violent as the Great Strike of 1913, it lasted longer – for five months, from February to July – and involved more workers. At its peak, 22,000 waterside workers (‘wharfies’) and other unionists were off the job. · Sid Holland’s National government declared a state of emergency on 21 February, warning the…

Waitangi Day, a taxpayer-funded event, is framed as a political flashpoint, with activist-driven outrage overshadowing meaningful debate. · Some politicians face no backlash for inflammatory remarks, while others are vilified for questioning Treaty orthodoxy. · Māori leadership is treated as above accountability, and dissenting Māori voices are ignored. · Who benefits? Activists, grievance-driven politicians, and media pushing that narrative. ·…

State media portrays Kāinga Ora evictions as government failures, with no personal responsibility. But Kāinga Ora just provides the housing. The Ministry of Social Development arguably plays a bigger role. · The focus is often on where evicted tenants and their children would go, with emotional appeals overshadowing the impact on others, like law-abiding neighbours. · What would the public think if Kāinga Ora were to set up some sort of…

Donald Trump’s assault on the US federal government and the world’s interlinked manufacturing system have together reached an economic tipping point. · “It seems almost unavoidable that we are headed for a deep, deep recession,” said Jesse Rothstein, Berkeley professor and former chief economist at the US labour department. · Once the pace of job losses crosses a critical line, the multiplier effects can snowball suddenly. · Prof Rothstein said…

Adam Frisch would have to hurry, he realised, if he was to make his pitch to become the next vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to every minority group on the schedule. · Starting the day at the Disability Caucus (10 - 11.30am), he and 18 other candidates were due at the Women’s Caucus, the Black Caucus, the Hispanic Caucus, the American Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus and the Native Caucus all in the space of a single…

Media reports claim Greenland is losing 30 million tonnes of ice per hour, a figure used to stoke climate alarm. · Meteorology student Chris Martz ran the numbers and found it would take over 11,000 years for Greenland’s ice sheet to fully melt at current rates. · Sea level rise from this melt? Just 7cm by 2125. · Context matters—but the media prefers sensationalism. · Are the scary headlines about Greenland’s ice melt misleading? · This time…

Australia has introduced the largest package of sanctions against Russia since 2022, the Australian Defense Ministry said. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his country was also imposing additional sanctions on 52 individuals and entities. · 70 individuals and 79 organizations were sanctioned by Australia. It is noted that “this is the largest package of sanctions in Australia since February 2022”. They concern, among other…

William Brewer died of wounds received during a pistol duel with another Wellington lawyer, Hugh Cokeley Ross, on 26 February 1844. The duel followed a quarrel over a case in the Wellington County Court. · When the two men faced off in Sydney St, Thorndon, Brewer fired into the air but ‘received Mr. Ross’ ball in the groin’. He died four days later. · Although several people witnessed the duel, the coroner’s inquest concluded that there was no…

Mobile tech company Huawei launched the world's first tri-fold smartphone in September 2024, but it was only available in China. Now the company has announced the global launch of the Mate XT, though you might still have a search on your hands to find one. · Yes, Samsung is expected to add another layer to its foldable phone options this year, with an as-yet-unnamed tri-fold model that's tipped for launch around the third quarter. But Huawei…