Photo: NZ HeraldA 47-year-old man visiting New Zealand from overseas has pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the death of a school librarian following a crash in the Canterbury village of Castle Hill. Ian Johnson and four other people were injured in the crash which happened just before 5pm. Last week police confirmed that a man had been charged with one count of careless or inconsiderate vehicle operation causing the death of Sue Johnson and one of careless or inconsiderate vehicle operation causing injury to her husband. Court documents reveal he lives overseas - but his lawyer sought that the specifics of his address be suppressed for now. "Sue was a valued member of our staff who enjoyed working with our students in her role as librarian.

This post is an excerpt from a much more detailedreport that I published over at Carbon Brief today. I thought it would be useful to have a more focused discussion here on why 2023 was so exceptionallyThis is a re-post from the Climate Brink ...

Japan's December CPI inflation rate came in at 2.6%, down from 2.8% in November. 2.3% is a 17 month low even if over all of 2023 inflation was at a 41 year high in Japan. They [rightly] point out that inflation and inflation expectations are still far too high. The UST 10yr yield starts today at 4.13% and down -3 bps from this time Saturday. The bitcoin price starts this week a bit higher but still in its recent lower range.

Teams of firefighters from across the North Island took to Carrington Park in Carterton on Saturday to show off their teamwork and firefighting skills in the annual United Fire Brigades’ Association [UFBA] Waterway Challenge. Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick and Carterton Mayor Ron Mark stopped by the event to give their best wishes to the volunteer brigade teams, which hailed from Wainuiomata, Wellsford, Thames, Te Aroha, Havelock North, Morrinsville, Manly, Tairua, Mayor View, Eastland, Martinborough, and Carterton. In the four-person team contest, Carterton A team took out the top spot, followed closely by Wainuiomata and Wellsford, while Carterton B – competing for the first time – finished fourth, and Martinborough team took fifth place. Eleven two-person teams from other parts of the North Island participated in the event, with Havelock North A coming first, Te Aroha A second, and Te Aroha A thirdThe Waterway Challenge will be followed later in the year by the North Island Firefighter Challenge on April 12 and 13 in Palmerston North and the National Firefighter Challenge on May 3 and 4 in Wellington.

Effectively if it was passed it would be difficult to see how the treaty could have any further effect. He also completely misrepresented the treaty and continued with the lie that under the treaty Māori gave up their rights of governance. If you think about the historical context and the time that the treaty was signed you will understand this. He says this:The National Hui for Unity was only called by Kīngi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII (Kīngi Tuheitia) at the beginning of December. I looked at the coalition agreements between National and ACT, and National and New Zealand First.

This post is an excerpt from a much more detailedreport that I published over at Carbon Brief today. I thought it would be useful to have a more focused discussion here on why 2023 was so exceptionallyThis is a re-post from the Climate Brink ...

The new Head Hunters pad in Wairau Valley is emblazoned with gang-related imagery with a North Shore theme befitting the recently formed chapter. And now the freshly minted North Shore chapter of the Head Hunters has snagged a piece of industrial Wairau Valley to set up a permanent base. The new Head Hunters pad in Wairau Valley is emblazoned with gang-related imagery with a North Shore theme befitting the recently formed chapter. The new Head Hunters property in Wairau Valley's Target Rd features the distinctive font used by the gang - used to label its address and recycling bin. A social media post announced the Head Hunters motorcycle gang have expanded with a new chapter in the North Shore in December 2023.

InterContinental Auckland Opens Amid a Vibrant Season of Events Across New ZealandOn January 30, the jewel of Auckland’s central business district, the InterContinental Auckland hotel, will fling open its doors, welcoming guests to a new experience that fuses luxury with a unique cultural touch. A Blend of Luxury and CultureThe InterContinental Auckland not only boasts of world-class amenities, such as a 24-hour fitness center and the Advieh restaurant under the guidance of renowned chef Gareth Stewart, but also a rooftop bar set to open later in the year. A Vibrant Season of EventsAmid the hotel’s grand opening, Christchurch is hosting the 31st World Buskers Festival until January 28. The event, one of the most anticipated on Ōtautahi’s summer calendar, is a vibrant showcase of international and local street performers. Further, the QT hotels in New Zealand and Australia are stirring up excitement with the ‘Get A Room!’ competition throughout February, with prizes ranging from hotel room amenities to electronics.

Photo: UnsplashNew Zealand's TV and film producers have joined an international call to action against streaming services. "The impact of these streamers on local productions globally is so significant and so damaging," SPADA president Irene Gardiner said. "They are operating in the local screen ecosystem without paying any local tax or facing any regulation," she said. "[It] has both an impact on the New Zealand economy and a massive cultural impact, we're talking about the ability to tell local stories and create intellectual property." "Probably the simplest way to do it would be to put a small percentage levy on big international streaming companies, where a percentage of their New Zealand revenue is channelled back into local productions," she said.

Maori King Tuheitia, has hosted a reported 10,000 people for a specially called “unity meeting” to discuss how to respond to policies by the new government of New Zealand seen by many Indigenous groups as undermining their rights and status. Critics say these vows are the most significant step backwards for Maori rights in decades, and some have taken legal action. The government of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says its plans address voters’ concerns, and are aimed at giving all New Zealanders equal rights. Maori King Tuheitia at the gathering on Saturday. Credit: StuffUp to 10,000 Maori and non-Maori descended on the Waikato town of Ngaruawahia for the talks on Saturday, according NZ media outlet Stuff quoting local tribe leaders, after the Maori King issued a royal proclamation – the first in a decade – for the event.

Waimakiriri Mayor Dan Gordon says his heart goes out to people affected by two big fires in Canterbury. Two homes and a church were destroyed in the North Canterbury fires yesterday and dozens of properties evacuated. Two homes and a church were destroyed in North Canterbury yesterday. Photo: NZ HeraldResident Elizabeth du Plessis, who lost her property to the fire, told The New Zealand Herald she is devastated. Another resident, George Gooderham, told the Herald he was painting inside his property when he smelled smoke and went outside to see his whole hedge on fire.

This post is an excerpt from a much more detailedreport that I published over at Carbon Brief today. I thought it would be useful to have a more focused discussion here on why 2023 was so exceptionallyThis is a re-post from the Climate Brink ...

BYD Seal UA Seal U has arrived in New Zealand for evaluation, appearing in December registration statistics. Upon closer inspection of the data, the model that has landed is registered as a petrol plug-in vehicle. BYD Seal U interiorThe Seal U is predominantly driven by its electric motors, with the petrol unit only being used to generate or provide drive at higher speeds. It was not developed from the ground up as an electric vehicle; BYD developed it at the request of the European market. The Sea Lion closely approximates the Tesla Model Y in size, being 20mm longer but 10mm narrower.

A leaked Ministry of Justice document that unveils plans to rewrite the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi will “radically change” the tone of tomorrow’s hui at Tūrangawaewae, says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The bill seeks to redefine three Treaty principles. As the leaked document reveals, the current wording for the three proposed principles closely resembles what Act campaigned on last year. (Photo: Charlotte Muru-Lanning)While the leaked Ministry of Justice document outlines these rewritten Treaty principles, it is not without its criticisms of Act’s “Treaty Principles Bill”. “The coalition agreement is clear that the government will support a bill on Treaty principles to first reading.

Tokyo has overtaken Shanghai as Asia’s biggest equity market, while India’s valuation premium over China has hit a record. Japan's December CPI inflation rate came in at 2.6%, down from 2.8% in November. 2.3% is a 17 month low even if over all of 2023 inflation was at a 41 year high in Japan. They [rightly] point out that inflation and inflation expectations are still far too high there. Wall Street has opened on Friday with the S&P500 up +1.1% so far and heading for a more modest +0.9% weekly rise but racing to a new all-time high.