Category Archives: New Zealand

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney will hold her first bilateral talks todaywith the New Zealand Minister for Mori Development, Willie Jackson.

Ms Burney is expected to discuss a range of issues with Mr Jackson, including New Zealand's approach to treaty and reconciliation with Mori people, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and business partnerships.

The ministers will collaborate and share experiences on policy making for First Nations and Mori people, and how to advance Indigenous rights within their respective countries.

Leaders from the Indigenous and Mori business sectors will also be attending, with a view to discussing potential partnerships between the two nations.

The rights of the Mori people in New Zealand have been recognised since 1840, when Mori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi.

The treaty promised to give Mori people self-determination over their lands and resources while giving the British Crown the authority to govern.

Today, the treaty is not recognised as a part of New Zealand law, except where it is referred to in acts of parliament.

In Australia, there are currently no treaties between Indigenous people and the government, but Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory have all started the process of establishing state-based treaties.

The federal government has committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, including a constitutionally enshrined 'voice to parliament' and establishing a Makarrata Commission, which would oversee a truth-telling and treaty process.

In New Zealand, the treaty is now used as part of the Waitangi Tribunal, which acts as a permanent commission of inquiry on Mori rights.

The commission hears claims on Mori business and advises government on language preservation, land rights and cultural protections.

Critics say the protection of Mori rights outlined by the treaty is largely dependent on political will and often inconsistent, and the power of the Waitangi Tribunal is too limited.

The tribunal has consistently advised that Mori people be given foreshore and seabed rights, but successive governments in New Zealand have ignored the recommendation.

The Waitangi Tribunal could be viewed as a model of how a Voice and Makarrata commission might proceed, but Indigenous people are concerned it could also be a model of how it could fail to adequately protect them.

Also on the agenda for MsBurney and MrJackson will be progressing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The declaration outlines the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous people around the world.

Despite initially voting against the declaration in 2007, Australia adopted UNDRIP in 2009 and New Zealand in 2010.

Last year, Mr Jackson announced a national plan was being developed to implement the UNDRIP framework in New Zealand and monitor improvements.

In Australia, progress on UNDRIP had largely stalled, but two bills introduced by Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe earlier this year have relaunched the push to see the framework fully implemented.

An inquiry into the application of the framework in Australia will be established, and SenatorThorpe has also introduced a bill to ensure the government complies with the declaration.

Ms Burney will also join Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday.

Ms Ardern has been in Australia since Monday as part of a trade mission, visiting Melbourne and Sydney accompanied by a delegation of more than 30 New Zealand businesses.

Friday will be the second meeting between Mr Albanese and Ms Ardern since the May election.

Read the original post:

Australia begins bilateral talks with New Zealand on treaty and reconciliation with First Nations people - ABC News

ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ

Jordan Hamel (second from left) and his mates Finbarr Noble, Simon O'Donnell, and Matt Russell were the lads behind Aotearoa Puzzles Inc they competed in the 2017 World Puzzle Championships in India.

Jordan Hamel is a Pneke-based writer, poet and performer. He is the co-editor of No Other Place to Stand, a forthcoming anthology of Aotearoa climate change poetry from Auckland University Press. His debut poetry collection, Everyone is Everyone Except You was recently published too.

OPINION: Jeff Wilson, Suzie Bates, Hamish Bond, Jordan Hamel. Pretty standard list, right? You might be wondering why Ive grouped three of Aotearoas most iconic sportspeople and myself together. Its nothing to do with talent or athletic ability (I ran out of breath on the way to the corner dairy the other day).

But we do all have one thing in common: were all dual internationals, representing New Zealand in multiple disciplines. For Hamish it was rowing and cycling, for Suzie: basketball and cricket, for me? Sudoku and slam poetry of course.

Now I know Im not a traditional sporting icon, and it takes mental gymnastics to call poetry and sudoku sports. But after some reflection, I believe I deserve a place in this pantheon. After all, not many people can say they were a part of the worst New Zealand team in sporting history.

READ MORE:* How I write: Poet and performer Jordan Hamel * Timaru poet Jordan Hamel takes out Fulbright * A love letter to Timaru Airport: please never change

Wait, is my poetry that bad? Luckily not. That honour falls to the 2017 Aotearoa sudoku team.

It was a team that had no right to exist. Myself and a group of friends, none of whom were remotely interested in sudoku, through a series of events discovered the World Sudoku Championships. A competition which, until our arrival, had never featured a New Zealand team.

So, being young and opportunistic, we sent a few emails to the right people telling them we were New Zealands premier sudoku club, ready for the opportunity to compete against the worlds best.

Next thing we knew we were in! Things started happening very fast. We fundraised, found some sponsors (every team needs a uniform, right?), popped up on Seven Sharp and news outlets, enjoyed our 15 minutes. Then it was time to get on a plane to Bangalore.

Ebony Lamb/Supplied

Timaru-raised, Poneke-based poet Jordan Hamel.

Ill never forget turning up to a five-star resort/competition venue, surrounded by a bunch of very serious puzzlers, while we looked at each other in disbelief that a joke we had taken too far had landed us on the other side of the world.

You can probably predict how the competition went for us. We turned up on day one hungover and underprepared. We accidentally missed the pre-tournament information session the night before and had to borrow pencils from the Australian team. The tournament itself resembled an NCEA exam: a cavernous hall with rows of old wooden desks, no sound except for frantic pencils scribbling away through the tension.

It was all a bit much for one of my team-mates, who opened the booklet, realised immediately that he didnt actually know how to do a sudoku, then spent the remainder of the competition in the hotel room drinking cheap wine and watching James Bond movies.

As a result, he is now ranked as the worst sudoku player in the world. The rest of us, despite an overwhelming lack of ability, decided to stick it out, to prove something, maybe to ourselves, or each other.

Needless to say, New Zealand crashed into last place, not that it stopped us using our rankings for bragging rights, or celebrating enthusiastically at the closing gala. Our failure was so spectacular it sparked a viral Stuff article Kiwi lads take on World Puzzle Champs in India, lose pretty much everything.

Aotearoa Puzzles Inc.

We turned up hungover and unprepared... we had to borrow pencils from the Australian team.

I thought for sure the comments section would be riddled with pearl clutchers saying wed soiled the New Zealand name and Colin Meads would be spinning in his grave. But, outside of a few spoilsports, people really got behind us, a ragtag group of plucky underdogs against the world, whats not to love?

This year is the five-year anniversary of our appearance on the world sudoku stage. I dont think Ill ever be a part of something as surreal again. Even though were scattered to different countries now, my friends and I will always have that to bind us, and a reason to keep an eye out for obscure sports in far-off places - cheese-rolling, extreme ironing, snow polo - as the pull of the black jersey gets stronger again.

As for my place in sporting history? After receiving a nomination for Team of the Year, the Halberg Foundation emailed us saying that, while the committee needed to hold further discussions about what exactly constitutes a sport, our exploits were a brilliant example of the Kiwi spirit that is celebrated the world over. I think that says enough.

Here is the original post:

How it feels to be part of the worst New Zealand team in sporting history - Stuff

Anupam Nath/AP

The latest mutant has been spotted in several distant states in India, and appears to be spreading faster than other variants there.

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious Omicron mutant thats worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States.

Scientists say the variant called BA.2.75 may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection. Its unclear whether it could cause more serious disease than other Omicron variants, including the globally prominent BA.5.

Its still really early on for us to draw too many conclusions, said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. But it does look like, especially in India, the rates of transmission are showing kind of that exponential increase." Whether it will outcompete BA.5, he said, is yet to be determined.

Still, the fact that it has already been detected in many parts of the world even with lower levels of viral surveillance is an early indication it is spreading, said Shishi Luo, head of infectious diseases for Helix, a company that supplies viral sequencing information to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

1 NEWS

The prime minister says the Government anticipated cases would rise in winter.

READ MORE:* Monkeypox: What you need to know about testing for the virus in New Zealand* Covid-19: Masks, isolation still important but no plans to change traffic light setting, PM says* 'Please wears masks' urges patient waiting for surgery

The latest mutant has been spotted in several distant states in India, and appears to be spreading faster than other variants there, said Lipi Thukral, a scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in New Delhi. Its also been detected in about 10 other countries, including Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada. Two cases were recently identified on the West Coast of the US, and Helix identified a third US case last week.

R S Iyer/AP

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious Omicron mutant thats worrying scientists

Fueling experts concerns are a large number of mutations separating this new variant from Omicron predecessors. Some of those mutations are in areas that relate to the spike protein and could allow the virus to bind onto cells more efficiently, Binnicker said.

Another concern is that the genetic tweaks may make it easier for the virus to skirt past antibodies protective proteins made by the body in response to a vaccine or infection from an earlier variant.

But experts say vaccines and boosters are still the best defence against severe Covid-19. In the fall its likely the US will see updated formulations of the vaccine being developed that target more recent Omicron strains.

Some may say, Well, vaccination and boosting hasnt prevented people from getting infected. And, yes, that is true, he said. But what we have seen is that the rates of people ending up in the hospital and dying have significantly decreased. As more people have been vaccinated, boosted or naturally infected, we are starting to see the background levels of immunity worldwide creep up.

Anupam Nath/AP

Scientists say the variant called BA.2.75 may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection.

It may take several weeks to get a sense of whether the latest Omicron mutant may affect the trajectory of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Dr Gagandeep Kang, who studies viruses at Indias Christian Medical College in Vellore, said the growing concern over the variant underlines the need for more sustained efforts to track and trace viruses that combine genetic efforts with real world information about who is getting sick and how badly. It is important that surveillance isnt a start-stop strategy, she said.

Luo said BA.2.75 is another reminder that the coronavirus is continually evolving and spreading.

We would like to return to pre-pandemic life, but we still need to be careful, she said. We need to accept that were now living with a higher level of risk than we used to.

More:

New Covid mutant BA.2.75 raises concerns with scientists as it spreads across the world - Stuff

The Government has brought forward places set aside for refugees fleeing the crisis in Afghanistan and has increased the total number of spaces for refugees coming from the Middle East.

In response to the mounting refugee crisis in the Middle East, Cabinet recently agreed to increase the proportion of places allocated to resettlement of refugees from the region.

Now 20% of the annual refugee quota or 300 of the 1500 spots will go to those fleeing conflict or persecution in the Middle East. This is up from 15%.

Meanwhile, in response to the emergency situation in Afghanistan, the Government has decided to bring forward the first 200 places set aside for Afghan refugees.

READ MORE:* New Zealand again falls short of meeting commitment to refugees* By the numbers: What New Zealand does, or says it will do, to help refugees* Government faces mounting pressure to rescue stranded New Zealanders and at-risk Afghans from Taliban* Can New Zealand do more for the world's refugees?* Scores of refugees in limbo as quota system in holding pattern due to Covid-19

The move has been welcomed by a former Afghan refugee, who says it will make life a lot easier for a small group of refugees.

These 200 spots were originally going to be used next quota programme year (starting July 1, 2023), followed by 250 places in 2024, and then 300 places set aside in 2025.

Immigration Minister Michael Wood said Cabinet decided to bring forward the places set aside for Afghan refugees to the current year (starting this month), in order to match the number of refugee referrals being made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Newly minted Immigration Minister Michael Wood says the changes better reflect the current humanitarian need.

The UN refugee agency had signalled it was going to need more help to resettle the high number of Afghan refugees in the short-term.

The first group of Afghan nationals is expected to arrive this month, subject to flight availability and exit procedures.

Regarding the decision to welcome more people from the Middle East, Wood said it better reflected the resettlement needs in the region and the operational priorities of the UNHCR.

The situation of Syrian refugees remains the largest global refugee crisis.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The situation of Syrian refugees remains the largest global refugee crisis. Meanwhile, the crisis in Afghanistan continues to build. (File photo)

Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, nearly 6 million people have fled the country and more than 5.5m have registered as refugees in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

UNHCR figures show that Syrian refugees continue to compose the largest percentage of refugees who have priority resettlement needs at 39% of the total global resettlement needs.

Meanwhile, the crisis in Afghanistan continues to build. And in May, UNHCR announced the number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution has crossed the milestone of 100 million for the first time on record.

Abbas Nazari, former refugee and author, said he welcomed the Governments decision to do more for refugees coming from the Middle East and Afghanistan.

CHRIS SKELTON/Stuff

Former refugee, author and advocate Abbas Nazari says these changes will make life better for a small group of refugees.

The increase is a welcome step in the right direction, and takes some of the pain away for many members of the Afghan-New Zealand community, as well as other refugee communities in New Zealand.

Nazari said people were quick to criticise Immigration New Zealand, but massive staff shortages meant they were under the pump.

While the Government has helped evacuate hundreds of Afghans from Kabul, and has granted them visas, others have been left behind or taking legal action to get their visa applications processed.

More broadly, the Government has faced criticism for not doing more to help resettle refugees during the Covid-19 pandemic. And for what remains a comparatively low refugee quota per capita.

Nazari said he hoped the Government would find ways to address the backlog of cases, and get closure for families whod been waiting for years.

But right now, the changes made by the Government would make life a whole lot easier for a small group of refugees.

Overall, this is fantastic news.

Golriz Ghahraman, the Green Partys refugee and humanitarian issues spokesperson, said the Government should have committed to 200 additional places for Afghans.

Most New Zealanders cared about what was happening in Afghanistan, and they expected the Government to respond, she said.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Green Party MP and former refugee Golriz Ghahraman says New Zealands refugee policy should always respond to the greatest needs.

The Government shouldn't get away with celebrating a response that's actually taking away spots from within our quota. Because actually, New Zealanders expect us to respond with something extra when a new humanitarian crisis happens.

As for the increased slice of the pie for refugees coming from the Middle East, Ghahraman said this was a good thing.

Thats the place with the most need, and with the most displacement, with the most war and violence.

The move comes after the last National government effectively placed a moratorium on refugees coming from the Middle East and Africa, in a policy that was labelled racist by advocates and the refugee community. This was overturned in 2019.

In a statement, National Party immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford said ultimately, New Zealand had a limited amount of spaces it could offer refugees.

But if there are spaces available, we have an obligation to do all we can to help those, especially those who worked with the New Zealand Government/Defence Force, to come to New Zealand.

The Governments refugee policy changes were made as part of Cabinets recent periodic review of the refugee quota programme.

Read this article:

New Zealand Government does more to help Afghan refugees - Stuff

France's Rayan Rupert -- one of the most promising young wing players in the world -- is signing a deal to join the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian national basketball league next season, sources told ESPN.

Rupert, who is 6-foot-7 with a 7-3 wingspan, is projected to be the 21st pick in ESPN's 2023 NBA Mock Draft. Another French forward, Ousmane Dieng, a projected first-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft, made the leap to the Breakers last season.

Rupert, who just turned 18, has drawn comparisons to Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges because of the defensive versatility that comes with his wingspan, his ability to get into the passing lanes and the intensity with which he plays on defense.

Rupert has an intriguing family history in basketball. His sister, Iliana, was the 12th overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2021 WNBA draft. His father, Thierry, was a EuroLeague player and captain of the French national team. He died in 2013 after a heart-related emergency.

Rupert graduated from the INSEP Academy in France, which also trained Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Ronny Turiaf. He averaged 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals in 27 games this season.

Follow this link:

Sources - French prospect Rayan Rupert to play in New Zealand - ESPN

The psychology of the toss in Test cricket is a curious thing. On a delightful opening day at Trent Bridge New Zealand positively cantered to 318 for four by stumps but, while the run-rate was too high for Englands liking, the hosts could have kidded themselves this was only slightly above par had they been asked to field.

Instead Ben Stokes was the captain given the choice when the coin landed first thing, meaning that for all of his sides upbeat perspiration and those four breakthroughs, their returns can only be viewed less favourably.

Their catching also resumed normal service after last weeks uptick, four chances going down and Joe Roots drop off Daryl Mitchell, three runs into an unbeaten 81, the most costly. As tends to be the case when these sides meet on a cricket field, the entertainment levels were high and sliding doors moments plentiful.

The Nottingham crowd was treated to bright sunshine and some wonderfully crisp strokeplay from the tourists, not least during the unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 149 between Mitchell and Tom Blundell that rekindled their bromance from Lords and saw the latter cruise his way to 67 not out. And Stokes was not without his reasons. There was a tinge of green on the pitch and the New Zealand top order that failed twice in last weeks five-wicket defeat had lost Kane Williamson to a positive Covid-19 test overnight.

Tom Latham, deputising for the sixth time in seven Tests, said he, too, would have bowled first and had an all-seam attack that suggested no attempt at kidology. Until a ball is bowled, fingers are always crossed to some degree.

The surface, however, was also dry, hard and, despite some decent carry, on the slow side. New Zealand are such a phlegmatic bunch, too, that the loss of Williamson a player grappling for form as it was had little effect. The tourists took a wonderfully positive approach to their insertion and over the course of the three sessions sent 43 fours racing across a fast outfield, as well as clearing the rope twice.

A slow afternoon at Trent Bridge was livened up by a startling 56th-over moment for one fan trying to enjoy a quiet drink in the Trent Bridge sunshine. New Zealand batterDaryl Mitchellsmashed a six into the stands and directly into a woman's pint, with the splash showering nearby fans. The umpire dried the ball with a tea towel as Jack Leach and Ben Stokes (pictured) looked closely for a reason to switch it, while New Zealands players paid for a refill.

Thank you for your feedback.

With 26 from Latham the lowest score among New Zealands top six, needless to say this was not the day that Stokes had in mind. Englands captain was the bowler to make things happen along the way, claiming figures of two for 40, while Jimmy Anderson picked up a couple himself and was, predictably, the most parsimonious on show.

Stuart Broad tried to orchestrate some energy from his home supporters and, though expensive, was unfortunate not to claim a wicket during a devilish five-over burst after lunch when Zak Crawley put down Henry Nicholls on 17. Matt Potts was used curiously at times he is not an enforcer, we learned while Jack Leach, back from concussion, enjoyed some early turn but saw a tough chance off Blundell put down by Root.

There were no early signs that a cascade of wickets would be possible and by the 20th over Stokes had played all five cards in his hand. Roots trousers already featured a heavy smear of crimson from his attempts to get some swing but it was not forthcoming, Latham and Will Young instead setting the tone with a sprightly 84-run opening stand.

Young was the chief instigator, creaming nine fours and two in succession off Stokes to get within one blow of his first half-century in six innings. Instead the aggression instantly made way for a tentative defensive shot and Crawley clung on at second slip. With Anderson then returning to the Pavilion end and getting Latham caught at midwicket via a long-hop the very next ball, England finally had cause for celebration.

One of the more amusing subplots of the morning had been Englands attempts to get the ball changed. Weirdly, this died down after New Zealand resumed on 108 for two in the afternoon and suddenly the original started to move. After a ding-dong battle between Broad and Nicholls it was Stokes who profited from the balls new lease of life, New Zealands No 4 edging a beautiful outswinger behind on 30 and trudging off.

At the other end Devon Conway was playing a princely little innings, the newly promoted No 3 unfurling a succession of crisp cover drives. But four runs away from his half-century he played for swing from Anderson, only for the ball to hold its line and flick the inside edge. Ben Foakes, on a personally excellent day, made no mistake.

The scoreboard read 169 for four but should have been 170 for five moments later. Mitchell, new to the crease, was put down by Root at second slip on three to deny Stokes his third. It was a simple low pouch and one that would be heavily punished, Mitchell rolling over his form from that memorable century at Lords.

Reaching 195 for four at tea, Mitchell and Blundell then plundered 123 runs in a final session that saw three overs disappear into the ether at the close. The former also killed off any swing when he launched Leach for a mighty six down the ground and the ball gloriously plopped into the pint glass of an unsuspecting punter.

The Spin: sign up and get our weekly cricket email.

Leach did force a couple of unsuccessful reviews as England waited patiently for the second new ball. But when it came a fourth opportunity went to ground, Broad teasing an edge from Blundell on 63 only to see it fly at catchable height between Crawley at second slip and Jonny Bairstow at third.

According to Andy Zaltzman on Test Match Special, this was the 30th time since 1993 that England had inserted a team at home but only the second that their visitors had passed the 300-mark just four wickets down. New Zealand, 1-0 down in the series and without Williamson here, had unquestionably won the day.

Read this article:

New Zealand take charge of second Test with England left to rue missed chances - The Guardian

And now for 900 words on the role played by all different types of soil in the development of New Zealands first-class cricket system. Really. This column probably needs a gratuitous reference to Britney Spears here just by way of apology to the people whose job it is to worry about the Guardians search engine optimisation ratings.

Well as New Zealand played, it was a good day for this kind of thing at Trent Bridge, where it felt, at times, like Englands attack was being taken apart by a firm of accomplished provincial solicitors, Blundell & Young, perhaps, or Mitchell, Conway & Co. Between them, they reeled off four scores of 45 or more while rattling along at the best part of four runs an over.

This is the first away Test New Zealand have played in the past decade without one or the other of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson in the team. Taylor, their all-time leading run-scorer, retired in January, and Williamson, who only needs another 400 runs to overtake him at the top of that particular list, pulled out on Thursday evening after he tested positive for Covid. And they managed just fine without them. Think about how England have batted in these past 18 months. Now ask yourself how many runs youd back them to make if you took Joe Root out of their line-up and the rest lost the toss against this attack on a green-top.

Englands opening bowlers are old enough to remember a time when it really wasnt like this. The last time one of these two teams won the toss and put the other in at Trent Bridge was when New Zealand did it in 2008. England made 364 and still ended up winning by an innings. Jimmy Anderson took seven wickets, Ryan Sidebottom took six, and New Zealand just about managed to bat for 100 overs in the match. Williamson hadnt made his debut yet, Brendon McCullum was batting at No 3, Taylor was at No 4, and the rest of the batting order was made up of, well, take a minute here and see how many of them you can remember.

There was Daniel Flynn, who played 24 Tests, Jamie How, who played 19, Aaron Redmond, eight, and Gareth Hopkins, four. How many did you get? They were all fair first-class batters, each with an average in the mid-30s, but they didnt make a single century between them in Test cricket, where their averages fell to the mid-20s or under. If you remember any of them from that tour, its probably Flynn, a bright young thing who lost two of his teeth when Anderson hit him with a bouncer at Old Trafford. Im not sure that this batting line-up is so very much more talented than that one. Theyre certainly a lot better prepared for Test cricket.

It was around this same time that New Zealand Cricket decided they needed to stop using their low, slow, up-and-down domestic pitches and start playing on flatter, harder surfaces that would be more similar to the ones their batsmen would have to play on in Tests. NZC had just brought in what they called a warrant of fitness for first-class pitches, and ordered groundstaff across the country to start preparing pitches that were better for batting, but still had enough bounce in them to reward bowlers who were willing to put the effort in in the first innings. So a lot of grounds relaid a lot of their squares with Patumahoe clay, which has more pace and bounce than the Waikari clay they had been using.

The upshot was that the number of 500+ totals in their first-class cricket rose from one in every five innings to one in three, while the overall domestic batting average rose from 28 in the 2000s, to 32 in the 2010s. Which means New Zealands is the only first-class competition in the world with an average in the 30s, and the only one that comes to the equivalent figure in Test cricket, too.

A decade later, the knock-on effect is that the typical New Zealand batter is better at playing off the back foot, and has learned to build longer innings. It also means theyve stopped turning out so many dibbly-dobbly bowlers and have, instead, such a battery of fast, highly skilled quicks that has allowed them to pick four fine fast men here and leave a fifth, Neil Wagner, out of the side.

The Spin: sign up and get our weekly cricket email.

If all this sounds a little familiar, it is because weve been having the very same debate in England, but a decade later. It was only last year that Root said that England needed to start playing the county championship on pitches that were better for batting, so that the batters come into this environment of Test cricket and have that knowledge of what its like to go out in the second innings and know the opposition have 450 on the board, the fast bowlers have a range of skills that can exploit flat wickets and the spinners get to do more bowling.

New Zealand have been using that sort of formula for a decade now and are reaping the rewards of it. The satisfaction of watching them make his point for him will have been precious little consolation to Root, you guess, while he stood at slip watching Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell put on another 100-run stand for the fifth wicket.

View original post here:

New Zealand batters thrive without Williamson and teach England lesson - The Guardian

The logo for Air New Zealand is displayed at their office located at Sydney International Airport, Australia, June 20, 2017. REUTERS/David Gray

Register

June 10 (Reuters) - Air New Zealand Ltd (AIR.NZ) on Friday improved its forecast for fiscal 2022, benefiting from a pick-up in demand following the opening up of domestic and international borders.

New Zealand recently said it would fully reopen its international borders from end-July, and the country welcomed travelers from trans-Tasman neighbor Australia for the first time since mid-2021 in April. read more

The airline now expects an annual loss before tax and significant items to be less than NZ$750 million ($478.73 million), compared to a prior forecast of less than NZ$800 million.

Register

In May, the carrier said its annual loss could come in better than expected, owing to an improvement in passenger bookings for short haul and international services.

Domestic demand has improved in recent weeks with business-related demand returning to about 90% of pre-COVID levels, the airline said.

Air New Zealand, however, added it remains mindful of uncertain macroeconomic conditions, including COVID-19 led travel restrictions in some parts of the world and high jet fuel prices.

(This story has been refiled to correct to trans-Tasman, from trans-Tasmanian, in paragraph 2)

($1 = 1.5667 New Zealand dollars)

Register

Reporting by Harish Sridharan in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

View post:

Air New Zealand raises annual earnings forecast on improved demand - Reuters

New Zealand saw their hopes of levelling the ongoing series against England suffer a significant setback after Kane Williamson, captain and leading batsman, was ruled out of todays second Test after contracting Covid-19.

Williamson was present at training on Thursday and in an upbeat pre-match press conference extolled the virtues of Test cricket in response to a recent forecast from Greg Barclay, chair of the International Cricket Council, that the format will shrink in future.

But late in the evening news broke that the 31-year-old has tested positive for the virus. A five-day isolation period follows Williamson could in theory return for the third Test at Headingley and now Tom Latham will lead the tourists in Nottingham as they look to fight back from the five-wicket defeat at Lords.

Asked earlier for his response to Barclays prediction that Test cricket will be cut amid the rise of domestic Twenty20 leagues, Williamson said: We love our Test cricket, as do all nations who have the opportunity to play it. Its the pinnacle of the sport and we want to see more of it. Theres a number of people who have to make decisions but theres certainly a love for it among Test nations.

England: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes(wkt), Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson.

New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt)*, Will Young, Hamish Rutherford, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wkt), Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

*Kane Williamson ruled out due to Covid positive

Thank you for your feedback.

New Zealand, the world champions, already battle for fixtures and this three-match series against England is a rarity. Their lack of fixtures is demonstrated by the fact that Williamson made his Test debut in 2010, two years prior to Joe Root, and before his positive result was in line for an 88th cap to Roots 119th.

Williamson has 24 Test centuries two fewer than Root but had been battling for form on tour. After a poor IPL campaign of one half-century and a strike-rate below 100, the right-hander suffered a golden duck in their solitary warm-up and was nicked off early in both innings at Lords by the England debutant Matt Potts.

Though New Zealand lost a tight series opener that could have gone either way, those two failures for Williamson were overcome as Daryl Mitchell (108) and Tom Blundell (96) at least fired in their second innings. Englands batting unit remains far more reliant on Roots class even if Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes supported his celestial unbeaten 115 in the run chase and this is another case of hoping the support cast step up.

This did not occur in Nottingham last year, when Roots scores of 64 and 109 against India perhaps his finest Test century made for another lone-hand performance in a rain-affected draw. As Root explained after hitting the winning runs at Lords last Sunday, he was also defying the strains of captaincy.

You can end up taking it home and it can affect your personal situation, which Joe was very brave to say, said Stokes, when asked if those comments served as a reminder of what he himself has signed up for as Roots successor.

Joe, without that added pressure of being captain, it was almost like he was 18 again and Im pretty sure it wont be long before he is snipping peoples socks again, Williamson said. Its great he doesnt have that mountain of added pressure of being captain on his shoulders, he can just go out there and score the runs like he does.

At a training session that began with a penalty shootout and Brendon McCullum, the head coach, as one of the goalkeepers, Stokes once again named his XI a day before the toss. In theory, England are unchanged as they seek a first series win for their new captain, even if Matt Parkinson drops out after acting as a concussion sub for Jack Leach.

It looks a sensible call in terms of Leachs incumbency and the history of Trent Bridge. Seamers are likely to lead the way, with Stuart Broad positively bouncing about his latest homecoming. But while hot takes were inevitable when English cricket briefly resumed its maddening relationship with leg-spin, Parkinson should not take his instant demotion after a surprise Test debut as an implied criticism.

The Spin: sign up and get our weekly cricket email.

A hard pitch with a tinge of green awaits at a ground where New Zealand have won once, through the genius of Richard Hadlee in 1986. Williamson was unsure of his team prior to his positive Covid test and though Colin de Grandhommes heel injury had opened up a slot for Henry Nicholls in the middle order after a calf injury, opener Hamish Rutherford has now joined the squad from Leicestershire.

Williamsons uncertainty chiefly surrounded the make-up of his bowling attack. Though the medium pace of Mitchell could in theory pick up the slack in De Grandhommes absence, it may be that Neil Wagner, tenacious purveyor of left-arm seam, replaces the spin of Ajaz Patel.

Complicating this temptation to play an all-seam attack is the expectation of bright sunshine over the course of the five days. Like talk of a reduction in the number of Test matches played in future, it is a forecast that is slightly troubling the tourists.

Excerpt from:

New Zealand plans in tatters after Kane Williamson is ruled out with Covid-19 - The Guardian

Adults in New Zealand who are sexually attracted to children will be able refer themselves to a specialist therapeutic service as part of a government-funded research project designed to prevent abuse.

Stand Strong, Walk Tall is a pilot programme set up by two clinical psychologists with expertise in sexual abuse prevention Dr Sarah Christofferson at the University of Canterbury and Dr Gwenda Willis from the University of Auckland.

Roughly one in six young people in New Zealand experience sexual abuse before they turn 18, Christofferson said.

Its a massive problem and thats why we want to be looking at adding to the puzzle and, collectively, how we can work to bring this down.

But there is an important distinction between attraction and action, she said.

What research tells us more and more, is that this [attraction] is not something that has been chosen its something that theyve learned about themselves. So there shouldnt be any judgment or any stigma.

Christofferson said a conservative estimate would be around 3% 5% of the adult male population in New Zealand would have experienced feelings of sexual attraction to a minor.

The service aims to help prevent child sexual abuse and to enable participants lead safe and fulfilling lives.

The programme, which begins this month, will ask participants to self-refer via website or text. Participant details will remain confidential.

Until now, there have been limited avenues for someone to seek help if they are feeling distressed by their attractions, Christofferson said. Thats why part of our goal is really trying to promote that we are a safe place, that we understand, were specialists and we know that attraction is different from action.

New Zealand is not the first to offer a preventative service to paedophiles and, more broadly, adults attracted to under-18s the most famous example being the Dunkelfeld Project in Germany.

The clinicians found that 84% of child sexual abuse convictions in New Zealand each year were of individuals not previously known to have committed sexual offences.

Yet most prevention work has focused on stopping repeat offending, by targeting those already convicted of sexual offence, Christofferson said.

This is important work, however, there is an opportunity to broaden these prevention efforts to reach a wider group who may be unknown to the justice system.

In New Zealand, contact Victim Support on 0800 842 846: Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz; Whats Up: online chat (3pm-10pm) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 helpline (12pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-11pm weekends)

Link:

New Zealand sets up helpline for adults sexually attracted to children - The Guardian