Unexplained Gas Readings: Pike River Re-Entry Delayed

New Judges: Justice Joseph Williams Joins Supreme Court

In 1999 Justice Williams was appointed Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court. The following year, he was appointed acting Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal and was permanently appointed in 2004... He was appointed as a Judge of the High Court in 2008 and a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2018. More>>

Gordon Campbell: On The Christchurch Shooter Trial Coverage

The main news outlets in New Zealand have jointly agreed to limit their coverage of the upcoming trial of the Christchurch shooter, apparently in order to prevent him from turning the trial into a platform for disseminating his white supremacist beliefs... More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Mosque shootings: Media agree on trial coverage protocols
• Media Freedom Committee - Reporting the Trial of Brenton Tarrant

Budget: More For Teacher Training

The Government is pumping more resources into addressing the long term challenge of teacher shortages in our schools by training or supporting 3280 additional teachers over the next four years… More>>

ALSO:

• National - Government’s teacher package a mixed bag
• NZEI Te Riu Roa - Investment in training welcomed, underlying issues remain

Gabriel Makhlouf: NZ Treasury Sec To Head Irish Central Bank

Mr. Makhlouf’s nomination follows a rigorous and comprehensive international process, which included a public call for expressions of interest, online and media advertising, and an extensive executive search... More>>

Big Govt IT Thing Works? IRD Changeover Complete

One of the biggest IT projects ever undertaken in the state sector has successfully passed its latest hurdle with the transition of more than 19.7 million taxpayer accounts from one Inland Revenue computer system to another. More>>

ALSO:

• Earlier NZ Inland Revenue - Inland Revenue to shut down services later this week

Report On Capturing The Benefits Of Automation: Businesses Pledge To Double Upskilling

The Aotearoa New Zealand Skills Pledge launched today by the PM’s Business Advisory Council (BAC) commits organisations that sign up to doubling investment in employee re-skilling and training hours by 2025, and to report annually on that investment. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Boost for employee skills and training
• Canterbury Employers' Chamber Of Commerce - Skills Pledge a strong signal from Government
• Image 2007 Honda - Honda Develops Intelligence Technologies...Robots

Resignation Of Metiria Turei: Were Journalists 'just Doing Their Job'?

In our research we examined the role of journalism in animating the Turei controversy and the different perceptions of professional journalists and online commentators sympathetic to Turei’s left politics. ... More>>

Gordon Campbell: On The Extradition Of Julian Assange

It isn’t necessary to like Julian Assange to think that his extradition to the US (on the charge of aiding and abetting Chelsea Manning) would be a major injustice... More>>

ALSO:

• Binoy Kampmark - Julian Assange as Neuroses - The Effort to Relabel Julian Assange - Shredding Asylum: The Arrest of Julian Assange - Terms of Asylum and Distraction: Moreno’s Assange Problem - Grand Jury Efforts: Jailing Chelsea Manning
• Caitlin Johnstone - How You Can Be Certain The Charge Against Assange Is a Fraud
• David Swanson - 10 Reasons Assange Should Walk Free
• United States Department of Justice - WikiLeaks Founder Charged in Computer Hacking Conspiracy
• Committee to Protect Journalists - CPJ troubled by prosecution of Julian Assange
• Caitlin Johnstone - The Prosecution Of Assange Is Infinitely Bigger Than Assange
• Media Lens - Assange Arrest : 'So Now He's Our Property'
• Robert J. Burrowes - Defending Julian Assange; Defending the Truth

Widely Ignored Report: 40,000 Dead Venezuelans Under US Sanctions

A new report on April 25 by a respected think tank has estimated that US sanctions imposed on Venezuela in August 2017 have caused around 40,000 deaths... Additional sanctions imposed in January 2019 are likely to lead to tens of thousands of further deaths. More>>

ALSO:

• Caitlin Johnstone - Trump Has Murdered Over 40,000 Venezuelans With Sanctions
• Image Out-Link - Venezuela Lost 20 Billion Dollars due to Foreign Sanctions | periodico26.cu

Gordon Campbell: On The Left-Wing Victory In Spain

Portugal and Spain continue to be striking exceptions to the rise of rightwing populism in Europe, a fact that’s commonly explained by the relatively recent experience both countries have had of living under fascist regimes. (Franco in Spain, and Salazar in Portugal.)

That horrific past still seems very much alive in the minds of voters... More>>

Scoop Review Of Books: Shirley Smith - An Examined Life

This book is a fascinating biography, but it is also an important contribution to aspects of New Zealand’s social history in the mid-20th century... Shirley Smith pioneered the way for women to work in the legal system in New Zealand, and she fought for a variety of causes, most of which are now accepted. More>>

Remembrance: Anzac After Christchurch

A community group is creating The Sound of Peace, a crowdsourced soundscape that captures messages of peace from New Zealanders in their own voices and languages... More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Armed police to be deployed at Anzac Day services - Prince William's visit to take more sombre tone - Prince William arrives on Anzac Day for Christchurch visit - Anzac Day ceremonies: Christchurch RSA has 'duty' - Auckland Anzac Day services to merge for safety - Threats over Muslim prayer at Anzac service
• NZ Govt - Boost for services to veterans and their families
• NZ Police - Commissioner comments on ANZAC Day services - Police acknowledge decisions by organisers of ANZAC Day - Police statement on ANZAC Day commemorations in Auckland
• Local Govt Event Info - Auckland (Transport, War Memorial Museum) - Wellington - Christchurch - Hamilton (More) - Palmerston North - Queenstown Lakes - Waikato - Marlborough
• Waikato District Council - Ngaruawahia cenotaph damaged by vandals
• Hastings District Council - Council supports NZ war memorial museum in France
• Auckland Peace Action - Anzac Day Picnic for Peace
• Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at NZ - Ahmadi Muslims Youths to Participate in ANZAC Day Activities
• SKYCITY - Sky Tower to become NZ’s tallest poppy for Anzac Day
• MetService - A wet Monday for most, but improving into the short week