Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Protests spread around Ihumātao, activists furious about ship coming in with Saharan phosphate, and Sleepyhead plans massive company town in north Waikato. As the standoff between police and protectors at Ihumātao continues, protests have spread to other parts of the country. Land that is culturally significant … Read more
Otago scientists say the lobby group has misrepresented the research. Academics from the University of Otago have torn apart claims made by Family First about the links between cannabis, psychosis and violence in a paper published this morning. Prompted by a Family First petition calling for a government inquiry, the paper critiques a “tendentious” argument … Read more
A number of activists have been arrested tonight after attempting to blockade Auckland’s Southwestern Motorway, as part of an ongoing standoff between police and land protectors at Ihumātao. However, a spokesperson for the group coordinating the occupation say they did not know the action was going to take place. Just after 5pm today a red … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Light a candle and say a prayer, for Love Island NZ is no longer coming to our screens in 2020. At least the Celebrity Treasure Island NZ promo is out, and Matty McLean’s shins are in it … Read more
Sam Brooks re-assesses Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in the wake of ten months of post-release content and works out what the game did right, did wrong, and did weird. Twelve years on, Assassin’s Creed remains one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Every release manages to garner critical acclaim and sell millions of … Read more
Last night TVNZ2 premiered their own panel show, where comedians riff on news from around the country and the world. Sound familiar? Alex Casey reviews. I could only find one moment when Have You Been Paying Attention NZ took a breath last night. Guest quizmaster Ben Barrington, appearing for a special Shortland Street-themed round, was … Read more
From travelling the world pondering her existence to convincing a Swedish furniture giant to back a venture looking at the future of living, Carla Cammilla Hjort has lived several lives. Hjort, who is speaking at the Future of the Future conference next month, told Charles Anderson her story. Carla Cammilla Hjort grew up as a … Read more
Aroha Bridge writer and director Coco Solid talks about the new characters on the show, the ‘psychic vat of reality’ that birthed them, and her Ihumātao call-out of PM Jacinda Ardern. In season two of locally made cartoon series Aroha Bridge, 10-year old wunderkind pop star Angeline announces on television: “I’m Māori so obviously I … Read more
Sam Brooks embarks on a search to watch the much-hyped season four of Veronica Mars. For an update, scroll to the end of the piece to find out where you can watch. The short answer to that question in the headline: You can’t. At least not legally. The new season of Veronica Mars is not on Netflix, … Read more
Why are bitter cocktails all the rage? It could have a little something to do with Sother Teague. We humans emerge from the womb with a sweet tooth – that’s why you’re more likely to see a baby drinking breast milk, which is slightly sweet, than propped up at the bar nursing a Negroni. Seriously … Read more
Ever wanted to buy a sonogram of Quinn’s baby from Glee? How about Dr. House’s bathrobe? Tara Ward shows you how. If you’re a fan of Taika Waititi’s classic Kiwi romantic comedy Eagle and Shark and you’ve a spare hundred bucks rattling around down the back of the couch, then get thee to Screenbid immediately. There are two iconic, … Read more
The Australian Communication and Media Authority has identified ‘serious questions’ about the screening of images from the Christchurch terrorist attack, but declined to find a specific breach. Coverage of the Christchurch terrorism by Australia’s television channels raised “serious questions” about whether they had breached the television codes of practice, according to the broadcasting regulator, the … Read more
Each year, thousands of students embark on a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree, the first step in any number of challenging healthcare careers including dentistry, pharmacy and medicine. But what happens when you realise Health Sci isn’t for you? This story was first published in the Otago University student magazine Critic Te Arohi. It was … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What PM Boris Johnson could mean for NZ, Uyghur refugee in NZ fears long arm of Chinese law, and govt sets out on path towards RMA reform. There was a huge amount of interest yesterday in Boris Johnson becoming PM of Britain, so today we’ll … Read more
Of all the would-bes stuck in minor party hell, the New Conservatives may be the horse that bolts on the back of opportunistic campaigning and culture wars. Alex Braae heads to the Bay of Plenty to watch their leader, Leighton Baker, in action. Leighton Baker strode purposely up to the front of the room when … Read more
Kris Faafoi sits down with The Spinoff’s managing editor to discuss all that bedevils a rowdy sector with big problems and high expectations. After months of trying, the new broadcasting minister Kris Faafoi finally arrived at The Spinoff’s offices for an interview in early March. It was 4pm on Friday, and we drank a beer … Read more
With less than a week to go until the Love Island UK villa evicts its beautiful tenants, Alex Casey and Tara Ward look back at the season that was. Alex: Did you get my text? Tara: I GOT A TEXT Alex: *Ovie in the background voice* MESSAGE! I can’t believe it has taken us this … Read more
At the same time as supermarkets adapt to increasing demand for online shopping, some supermarkets are investing in the development of their people. Alice Webb-Liddall finds out why humans still count. Online supermarket shopping and Click & Collect services aim to make the sometimes lengthy and totally necessary task of grocery shopping easier for everyone. … Read more
Richard Babor, a general surgeon, explains what’s he learned about cancer prevention during the making of his TVNZ show How Not to Get Cancer. The first memory I have of cancer is when my aunt got diagnosed. I was young, in my teens, but I don’t think I really understood what the word “cancer” meant. … Read more
Committed alcohol enthusiast Samuel Flynn Scott investigates whether it’s possible to have fun – and find drinks that hit the spot – when booze is not an option. Choosing not to drink on a night out has traditionally led to a lot of fizzy water or sugary kids’ drinks. I might enjoy the big red … Read more
Jeanette Winterson has based previous fiction on witch trials, her experience of growing up lesbian in a Pentecostal community, and her own affair with her agent. Jean Sergent reviews her latest novel, a reworking of Mary Shelley’s classic – and of Shelley herself. I was so excited to read this book. Jeanette Winterson? Tick. Mary … Read more
Francis McWhannell goes on a grand tour of escapism, adventure and parochialism with our quintessential expatriate artist, Frances Hodgkins, at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Few artists from Aotearoa deliver escapism like Frances Hodgkins (1869–1947). She has a gift for teasing out the transcendent in the world about her. An early watercolour depicts a … Read more
The government have announced plans to reform the Resource Management Act, a hideously complicated piece of legislation that gets a bad rap for all sorts of reasons. Here’s what it all means. What’s all this then? Imagine a set of laws which covered pretty much all of the physical space in New Zealand, and how … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tax break for oil rigs raises subsidy questions, crackdown by police against Ihumātao occupation, and Boris Johnson set to become UK PM. A story about tax breaks for oil rigs has shown how difficult disentangling from the fossil fuels industry will be. Writing on Stuff, Henry Cooke … Read more
The 700-page Thomas Piketty economic treatise Capital in the 21st Century was a surprise blockbuster five years ago. Now it’s been made into a documentary film, directed and produced by New Zealanders. The message is out there, Danyl Mclauchlan writes – but are enough people listening? Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century enjoyed about … Read more
Funny, charismatic, erudite – what could possibly go wrong? First published in July 2019 The votes are in and the people have decided – correction: the Conservative Party membership has decided – that the new prime minister of the United Kingdom shall be Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. The former journalist, former mayor of London … Read more
After months of protest, the last occupants were moved off Ihumātao in south Auckland by police this afternoon. Don Rowe reports. Most of the occupants of Ihumātao had been moved on. The police, numbering at least 30, had finally made good on their promise to remove mana whenua from Kaitiaki Village, enforcing Fletcher Building’s demands … Read more
The 2019 budget put aside $300m for venture capital for small to medium-sized startups with the hope it will allow businesses to grow locally and stay in New Zealand for longer. In a small rural town on the east coast of the North Island a cannabis-growing business is planning for the future. The first seed, … Read more
To give the Pacific a fighting chance Australia and NZ need to take a stand, writes a Fijian litigator and activist. Climate change is now an everyday reality for the Pacific. Its impact on our countries is undeniable. To remain within our own borders in years to come, we need radical global and collective transitions. … Read more