The Bull Ring

  Petition to end mining on conservation land delivered to Parliament By Eva de Jong Environmentalists are calling on the government to honour its promise seven years ago to end mining on conservation land, with a petition presented to Parliament today. Earlier this month, Green Party conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage's proposed bill to end mining on land protected by the Department of Conservation was drawn from the ballot. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Former Green MP Catherine Delahunty, who now chairs the group Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki, handed over the petition signed by 11,000 people to the Green's conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage. The petition requests that the government puts an immediate moratorium on applications, processing or granting of prospecting, exploration or mining permits on public conservation land in Aotearoa. "The Labour government promised to stop all new mining activity in 2017 and have f

  Claims of torture of China Uyghurs credible - UN A building believed to be used as a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, north of Kashgar in China's northwestern Xinjiang region. Photo: AFP via Getty Images / Greg Baker The UN is accusing China of "serious human rights violations" in a long-awaited report into allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Its publication followed pressure from China for it not to be released - with Beijing calling it a "farce" arranged by the US and Western powers. The report assesses claims of abuse against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, which China denies. Investigators said they found credible evidence of torture against Uyghurs. They noted that members of the Uyghur Muslim community had faced "systems of arbitrary detention" and some had been subjected to "patterns of ill-treatment". This included "incidents of

ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕥 ℝ𝕠𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕋𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕚 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕥 ℝ𝕠𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕪𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕟 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕋𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕚. ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕠𝕝𝕕 N ational will not be going into coalition with Brian Tamaki's new umbrella party should it need a majority to rule in next year's general election. After government finance minister Grant Robertson's contribution to the General Debate  yesterday Christopher Luxon this morning unequivocally ruled out engaging with the fledgling Freedoms NZ coalition party that was announced in a mass demonstration on Parliament grounds last week. . . He told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that

𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕪𝕡𝕠𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕂𝕚𝕨𝕚𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕊𝕋 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕪𝕡𝕠𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕂𝕚𝕨𝕚𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕊𝕋 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘.   I T is the national party  that has systematically made it harder for people to save for their retirement": It was National that introduced a new tax on employer contributions to  KiwiSaver in 2011. . . "It was National that halved the annual maximum Government contribution  to KiwiSaver accounts from $1,042 to $521. "It was National that removed the $1,000 kick-start people were provided when they opened a KiwiSaver account. . "Mr. Luxon routinely ignores or downplays his own party's role in creating many of the problems we currently face. .

ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 - 𝔸 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕝𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕒𝕔𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕖𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪   D oing what Mr Luxon has done gives confidence to those who have threatened and  harassed our Healthcare workers, our journalists, many politicians in parliament. many citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand. . . . What Mr Luxon has done by failing to rule out Brian Tamaki undermines the inclusive and accepting that all New Zealanders would have hoped he would be part of .

  'It's sickening' - Biden denounces attacks on US FBI, police US President Joe Biden condemned violent threats against FBI agents who searched predecessor Donald Trump's home as "sickening," as he called for more police funding and an assault weapons ban in Pennsylvania. US President Joe Biden. Photo: AFP Launching his first of three visits in a week to the political battleground, Biden angrily denounced people who have lashed out at federal law enforcement officials involved in the unprecedented search of the Republican former president's Florida home on 8 August. "It's sickening to see the new attacks on the FBI, threatening the life of law enforcement agents and their families for simply carrying out the law and doing their job," Biden said. "I want to say it as clearly as I can. There is no place in this country - no place - for endangering the lives of law enforcement. No place. None. N

  Protesters face off as far-right media hosts in court Two far-right activists have been forcibly dragged up to the dock and then removed from a Christchurch courtroom this morning. Anti-government protesters have gathered outside the entrance to Christchurch's Court buildings this morning as Counterspin Media hosts were due to appear in court. Photo: Rachel Graham/RNZ Anti-government protesters gathered outside the entrance to Christchurch's Court buildings this morning as the Counterspin Media hosts were due to appear in court. Kelvyn Alp and Hannah Spierer, presenters on the far-right platform Counterspin, are charged with distributing objectionable material and failing to comply with police orders. The pair refused to stand in the dock, instead reading out prepared statements from the lawyer's benches. They failed to acknowledge Justice Large's repeated warnings to stand in the dock, and were eventually forcibly moved by f

  Anti-government group accused of trying to hijack meeting Brendon McMahon , Local Democracy Reporter Conspiracy theorists attempted to hijack a public consultation meeting yesterday in Greymouth for the draft Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP). The scene at the meeting before those accused of trying to take over the meeting walked out. In this photo they are the people who are standing. Photo: LDR / Greymouth Star / Laura Mills Grey district councillor and an alternate member of the TTPP committee Peter Haddock said about 10 people "tried to hijack" the meeting of about 40 by objecting and voicing "anti-government, anti-legislation" sentiment. However, they were managed by the meeting conveners and once the protest group made their orchestrated walkout, "then we had a good meeting". "I don't know where they've come from - I didn't recognise any of them from my lifetime living here,&

ℙ𝕆𝕃𝕃: ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕕𝕣𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕚𝕟 𝔸𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕒 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔸ℕℤ-ℝ𝕠𝕪 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕦𝕡 𝟛.𝟝𝕡𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝟠𝟝.𝟜 𝕚𝕟 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥.   T he proportion of people who believe it is a good time to buy a major household item rose 3% points to 28%, but is still well below those who say it is a bad time to buy at 45% (down 6% points). . . Nevertheless, on a net basis the indicator, the best for assessing retail spending, lifted 8 points to -17, its highest read since January A gap is emerging in this key buying indicator between those with mortgages and those without. . Inflation expectations were little changed at 5.0%, versus 4.9% last month. .

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕦𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝔾𝕊𝕋 𝕠𝕟 𝕂𝕚𝕨𝕚𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕨𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕤𝕞 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝔹𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕪 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕕. T here has been swift reaction to the media misinformation on government wanting to charge GST on service fees of managed funds including Kiwisaver. . . The funds, are currently exempt from the 15 percent goods and services tax - and that won't  change by 2026 against a media campaign of misinformation claiming the government could get an extra 225 million dollars a year in tax. . Hear the interview with Revenue minister David Parker above .

  Police seek suspect after elderly man assaulted, robbed at Sylvia Park Police are seeking help from the public after a violent robbery in Auckland. Police have released images of the suspect following the assault of an elderly man at Sylvia Park on 29 July 2022. Photo: NZ Police An elderly man was assaulted at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre on 29 July, and had his watch and wallet stolen. The incident put the victim in hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect quickly boarded a train to Panmure at 5.55pm and escaped. Since the incident, police have been unable to identify the suspect and have now released his image. They are seeking assistance from the public in naming the offender. "This was an incredibly callous incident which has seen a vulnerable person in the community targeted and had their property stolen," detective senior sergeant Greg Brand said. Police are encouraging anyone who recognises the man to contact

  3:27 pm today Man who killed pregnant ewe with ute sentenced First published on By Tracy Neal, Open Justice reporter Egged on by passengers, Cody Paton revved his engine before deliberately driving at speed into a flock of pregnant sheep, killing one with the bull bars on the front of his ute. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski He then put its body into the back of his ute and went to a party. Paton, 24, was out drinking with mates in Wakefield, south of Nelson, in the early hours of 18 June. They were driving his 4WD ute, which was described by police as having alloy bull bars on the front, and fitted out with all-terrain tyres. Today the Nelson District Court heard how Paton was on Eighty Eight Valley Road, an area surrounded by farmland, when he drove into a council road sign at speed, sending it flying into a nearby paddock. He carried on driving before coming to a paddock full of p