Free Republic

As the highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un nears, Corin Dann of TVNZ1's Q+A explains why the summit is important, for both the Asia-Pacific region and for New Zealand. "If you go back a year, there really was a great fear Kim Jong Un had developed these missiles and developed that nuclear programme to a point he could effectively fire missiles at the US. But if you're already in Asia, or in Japan in particular, they were firing missiles over Japan. There was a feeling things were really getting a lot more...

Clinton Foundation gets another $5.5m from NZ taxpayers A subsidiary of the controversial Clinton Foundation is set to receive US$3.9m (NZ$5.5m) in taxpayer money in 2018/19, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can confirm. This is in addition to NZ$8m given to the organisation since 2014. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) claims that the organisation in question, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, is a separate entity. This is absurd – the Clinton Foundation appoints the organisation’s directors, making it a subsidiary in legal terms.” “The Foundation is currently under investigation by...

While promoting her book "What Happened" in New Zealand, Hillary Clinton castigated President Trump for having run a "reality TV" campaign. She also decried sexism in the U.S. that she said contributed to her election loss. Hillary Clinton slammed President Trump as a “reality TV” candidate and again claimed sexism contributed to her defeat in the 2016 election while on a speaking tour in Auckland, New Zealand on Monday. Clinton, who is promoting her book “What Happened,” took multiple jabs at Trump throughout her speech and during interviews with New Zealand media, although she didn’t mention him by name much,...

Hillary Clinton slammed President Trump as a “reality TV” candidate and again claimed sexism contributed to her defeat in the 2016 election while on a speaking tour in Auckland, New Zealand on Monday. Clinton, who is promoting her book “What Happened,” took multiple jabs at Trump throughout her speech and during interviews with New Zealand media, although she didn’t mention him by name much, the New Zealand Herald reported. In particular, she called him “a creep” for standing close behind her during a town hall-style debate, a moment during the campaign she’s often brought up since the election. The 2016...

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia and New Zealand warned China on Tuesday against building any military base in the South Pacific, following media reports that the Chinese have proposed a permanent stronghold in Vanuatu. Fairfax Media reported that China had approached the former French colony about building a permanent military presence in the South Pacific. China and Vanuatu denied the reports. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Vanuatu also assured his government that “no such request has been made” by China. “We would view with great concern the establishment of any foreign military bases in those Pacific island countries and neighbors...

The new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump have generated intense controversy. With the debate ongoing, it might be useful to examine how other countries have dealt with similar policy debates in the past. New Zealand now ranks third in The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom and is one of the champions of economic freedom around the world. But it wasn’t always so. In the mid-1980s, New Zealand was facing an economic crisis, with its domestic market and international trade both heavily regulated. Unemployment had reached 11 percent, and inflation was a sky-high 15 percent. In response, the government...

A teenager tried to kill Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to New Zealand in 1981, declassified official documents confirm. Christopher Lewis, 17, fired a shot as the Queen toured the city of Dunedin, New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service (SIS) said. Police had said at the time that the gunshot sound had been caused by a sign falling over, local media report. A former police officer and local media have suggested a cover-up took place. New Zealand feared future royal tours could be cancelled, it is claimed. The royal parade took place in Dunedin on 14 October 1981. Police and...

[snip] Lorraine Thomas is among more than 16,000 passengers impacted by back-to-back outbreaks of norovirus on eight Sun Princess journeys between December 2016 and February 2017, who may be eligible for compensation, according to Shine Lawyers. Thomas, from Queensland, Australia, had saved up $1,700 for a 14-day voyage to New Zealand with a friend who was celebrating a birthday. The trip began well enough, aside from an overflowing toilet and cabin keycard difficulties. But about halfway into the voyage, the two friends began to suffer the awful symptoms of the dreaded norovirus. ‘It was horrendous’ When the vomiting struck, Thomas...

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is coming to Australia and New Zealand to talk about her experiences during the 2016 US presidential election. Hillary Clinton is coming to Australia to talk about her future plans after losing the 2016 US election to Donald Trump. The former Democratic presidential candidate is expected to give a candid account of the campaign and share stories from her New York Times bestseller, What Happened. In an election marked by rage, sexism, misogyny and Russian interference, Ms Clinton will share her personal experience as the first woman presidential candidate for a major party....

The wisdom of the ages are here to be had, But it is the spirit of understanding that will make you glad, For though wisdom is a Ruby, understanding is its light , Revealing Revelation that brings delight, And so it is when your eyes are opened to The All of Me, Through all 7 eyes of The Spirit you shall see, For truly if you retain them with out first having the Fear of The Lord, All these spirits fail to become your Faith and sword, And So it is in all your getting for wisdom to come, You...

George Webb pinpoints Seth Rich’s murderer is Alpha Jalloh; McCabe Plots via New Zealand operatives to assassinate President Trump. ALPHA JALLOH The plot to assassinate Trump is breaking. ******************************************************* This is a previously yanked thread from May 2017. It was too hot to handle and was rumored to be 'actionable'. But now rumors/statements of physical harm to President Trump are being circulated: FBI Official: FBI Agents Threatened Physical Harm to President Trump So the old deleted thread has relevance. Fortunately, a Freeper saved the thread. Here it is again.

The icon, who will be presented with a lifetime achievement at the Grammys on Sunday, has cancelled the third leg of his world tour on the advice of his doctor. Neil Diamond has officially announced his retirement from touring due to his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis. The third leg of his 50th Anniversary tour, which was set to launch in March across Australia and New Zealand, has been cancelled as was medically recommended by his doctor. Fans who already purchased tickets will be refunded in full. “I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time...

The Queen had just stepped out of a Rolls-Royce to greet 3,500 well wishers when a distinctive crack rang out across the grassy reserve. According to former Dunedin police det sgt Tom Lewis (no relation to the shooter), police immediately attempted to disguise the seriousness of the threat, telling the British press the noise was a council sign falling over. Later, under further questioning from reporters, they said someone had been letting off firecrackers nearby. According to Tom Lewis, the then prime minister Robert Muldoon feared if word got out about how close the teenager had come to killing the...

An artist's impression of a New Zealand burrowing bat, Mystacina robusta, that went extinct last century. The new fossil find, Vulcanops jennyworthyae, that lived millions of years ago in New Zealand, is an ancient relative of burrowing or short-tailed bats. Credit: Gavin Mouldey. ================================================================================================================================== The fossilized remains of a giant burrowing bat that lived in New Zealand millions of years ago have been found by a UNSW Sydney-led international team of scientists. Teeth and bones of the extinct bat - which was about three times the size of an average bat today - were recovered from 19 to 16-million-year-old sediments...

Posthumous awareness is yours for the taking as you enter My gates of Thanksgiving and fill My courts with praise for Truly as you enter in My likeness I arise in you ! My words become yours and your words become My knowledge for you HAVE obtained The Mind of CHRIST that "IS" The Manifold Wisdom of God Himself in an eternal manner for His Glory "as" The Kingdom of ZION above all kingdoms for this is the inheritance of The Sons and Daughters of The Living GOD "YAHWEH" 8888888 EPHESIANS 3:8-11 8Though I am less than the least of...

A team of British scientists are set to make the trip to New Zealand this month, all in the hopes of unlocking the secrets hidden in a 600-year-old scroll. The 15th-century English manuscript, known as the Canterbury Roll, is the only genealogical scroll in the whole southern hemisphere, making it an extremely unique and prized artifact. Despite being in the care of the University of Canterbury (UC) for over a century, experts believe they are yet to uncover all of the scroll’s hidden meanings. UC Senior Lecturer Dr. Chris Jones says it is crazy that no one really knows about...

Give us today our daily outrage: the pop star Lorde has decided – after much consideration – to cancel her concert in Israel after a letter from BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) supporters. Cut to a rightwing American rabbi taking out a full-page advert in the Washington Post to denounce her as antisemitic, and also hold her responsible for New Zealand’s entire foreign policy. All of this seems a bit harsh – expecting a 21-year-old to have a fully formed opinion on something she readily admitted to not knowing much about. This is a woman who sang on her first album...

Ringo Starr will perform two shows in Israel later this year in defiance of the anti-Israel BDS movement that calls for the complete isolation of the Jewish State. The former Beatle made the announcement on his personal website. It comes just a week after New Zealand singer Lorde cancelled her planned Tel Aviv concert after a vocal campaign by BDS activists. Ringo has chosen a band that includes fellow rock legends Steve Lukather of Toto, Greg Rollie of Journey and Graham Gouldman of 10cc as the All-Starrs. The two shows are booked for Tel Aviv’s Menorah Mivtahim Arena on June...

Grammy-award winning artist Lorde has canceled a scheduled concert in Tel Aviv following activists' calls for her to join the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel. Eran Arielli, owner and founder of concert organizer Naranjah, which promoted the June show, confirmed the cancellation on Sunday. "The truth is that I was naive to think that an artist of her age can withstand the pressure involved in coming to Israel, and I take full responsibility and ask the forgiveness of fans, admirers, and other dreamers," Arielli wrote on Facebook. "I have no complains about her, and beyond that,...

Grammy-winning singer Lorde has succumbed to peer pressure and canceled a concert in Israel as a way to cater to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, a campaign created as a way to punish Israel for its "oppression" of Palestinians, according to its founders. The movement is so extreme that even liberal governors have condemned it. In June 2016, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order deeming that state agencies can strip funding from any company that is privy to the BDS movement.Still, Jewish activist Justine Sachs and Palestinian activist Nadia Abu-Shanab wanted to get Lorde's attention...