Tag: new zealand

New Zealand Commerce Minister Warns Leaders on Being Slow in Crypto Exploration

New Zealand’s ministry of commerce and consumer affairs have warned the country leaders against keeping a slow approach on cryptocurrencies. In a recent development, minister Andrew Bayly has asked the Australian government to finalise its stance on crypto before it’s too late. This is the time that the crypto sector is just setting its roots in friendly countries and ushering job as well as business opportunities there. In places like the UK, the UAE, the US, South Korea, and India, the Web3 sector is being rapidly adopted.

Bayly, the minister of commerce and consumer affairs in New Zealand has expressed concerns that the country’s ‘wait and see’ approach is snubbing its growth in the sectors of fintech, gaming, blockchain, and more.

In 2021, the Cabinet Legislation Committee had launched a crypto inquiry initiative. Citing findings from which, Bayly is suggesting the government to become more pro-active in its approach towards crypto.

“The cryptocurrency inquiry centres are of the view that New Zealand should take a more proactive and innovation-friendly approach to digital assets and blockchain (including cryptocurrencies). I therefore consider that the Government’s approach to digital assets should support industry development, whilst continuing to consider appropriate policy to manage these risks,” Bayly noted in a published coversheet. 

In 2022, data from the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) had said roughly 10 percent of New Zealand citizens, about 324,000 people, reportedly owned crypto assets. The stats showing how many people in New Zealand hold cryptocurrency has not officially been updated by the country since December 2022, it seems.

The country has not set in place any legal rules to oversee or regulate the crypto sector either. Not only does this keep the country’s crypto sector open for exploitation by miscreants, but also leaves the sector open to facilitate unlawful activities like money laundering and terror financing.

“The Committee launched the Scams Inquiry in 2022 following several high profile cases of digital and online scams which led to victims losing millions of dollars. The Committee was concerned about the impact these scams have on victims’ lives and wanted to understand how banking processes in New Zealand could better protect consumers,” Bayly’s coversheet added.

Overall, the minister has urged the government of New Zealand to take a pro-active approach towards exploring digital assets and blockchain. In addition, the country has also been advised to facilitate more public debate and to prompt further consideration and work by the government to ensure New Zealand is well placed to adapt to the opportunities, challenges, and risks associated with digital assets.

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New Zealand says Chinese ‘state-sponsored’ group hacked parliament | Cybersecurity News

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters says alleged cyberattack ‘unacceptable’

New Zealand has accused Chinese state-sponsored hackers of infiltrating parliament, joining the United States and United Kingdom in accusing Beijing of malicious cyberactivity.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday that the cyberattack was “unacceptable” and his country’s concerns had been conveyed directly to Beijing.

“Foreign interference of this nature is unacceptable, and we have urged China to refrain from such activity in future. New Zealand will continue to speak out – consistently and predictably – where we see concerning behaviours like this,” Peters said.

Peters, who last week met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said New Zealand and China shared a “significant and complex relationship”.

“We cooperate with China in some areas for mutual benefit,” he said. ”At the same time, we have also been consistent and clear that we will speak out on issues of concern.”

New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) said earlier that its National Cyber Security Centre discovered that a state-backed hacking group known as “APT40” had compromised computers linked to the parliamentary network in 2021.

“The NCSC provided extensive support to the victim organisations to reduce the impact of the compromise and delivered advice to other organisations potentially at risk by association,” GCSB Director-General Andrew Clark said in a statement.

“Analysis of the tactics and techniques used by the actor enabled us to confidently link the actor to a People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored group known as APT40. This link has been reinforced by analysis from international partners of similar events in their own jurisdictions.”

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand said the allegations were “groundless and irresponsible.”

“We have never, nor will we in the future, interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including New Zealand. Accusing China of foreign interference is completely barking up the wrong tree,” the spokesperson said.

New Zealand’s allegations come after the US and the UK on Monday announced sanctions against a Chinese company and two individuals accused of orchestrating a cyber-espionage operation targeting millions of people, including lawmakers, voters and prominent Beijing critics.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said cyberattacks in 2021 and 2022 had targeted the Electoral Commission and UK parliamentary accounts, including three MPs who are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins, who is responsible for the GCSB, said her country stood with its international partners in condemning China’s state-backed malicious cyberactivity.

“This collective response from the international community serves as a timely reminder to all organisations and individuals to have strong cybersecurity measures in place,” Collins said.

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New Zealand slips into second recession in 18 months | Business and Economy

Political parties trade blame for economic slump that follows aggressive interest rate hikes to tame inflation.

New Zealand has slipped into its second recession in less than 18 months, according to government figures.

New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.1 percent during the October-December period, following a 0.3 percent contraction in the third quarter, New Zealand’s official statistics agency said on Thursday.

On a per capita basis, the economy fared even worse, with GDP shrinking 0.7 in the last quarter of 2023, according to government figures.

Economists traditionally define a recession as two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

The recession comes as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has aggressively raised interest rates to tame some of the highest inflation in the developed world, putting a brake on economic activity.

The downturn also comes despite record inward migration to New Zealand that saw more than 133,000 net arrivals over the past year.

New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis, a member of the centre-right National Party, blamed the recession on the “big spending, big taxing” policies of the former Labour Party government, which lost power in general elections in October.

“It is concerning that we are in recession even despite our rapidly growing population,” Willis said.

“This simply reinforces that our approach to strengthening and growing the economy is the right one. The good news is that inflation is tracking in the right direction.”

Labour’s finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds accused the government of failing to produce a single policy to help New Zealanders deal with the cost of living.

“Instead of policies to make childcare more affordable, making most prescriptions free, or half-price public transport, this Government has just spent nearly $3bn on landlords and is still planning tax cuts that won’t benefit working people in the way they promised,” Edmonds said.

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Carey and Marsh lead Australia to 2-0 Test series win over New Zealand | Cricket News

Carey shared 140-run partnership with Marsh as Australia won the second Test by three wickets in a tense finish.

Alex Carey scored an unbeaten 98 and shared a 140-run partnership with Mitch Marsh to drive Australia to a three-wicket win in the second Test and a 2-0 sweep of the series over New Zealand in Christchurch.

The contest played out on a relatively mild fourth-day pitch on Monday and both sides had moments when they took control. But it was Marsh’s innings of 80 and Carey’s steady hand which guided Australia to victory.

Wicketkeeper Carey then teamed up with captain Pat Cummins as Australia chased down their 279-run victory target before tea on day four.

“It was pretty tense,” said Cummins, who scored 32 not out and hit the winning runs with a four to the point boundary.

“I think the story of this series was in key moments, someone stood up and made themselves a match-winner so yeah, [we] keep finding ways to win. It’s a pretty awesome squad.”

New Zealand, chasing a first home Test win over their neighbours in 31 years, had put the tourists on the back foot with four wickets in the last 90 minutes of play on day three.

After rain delayed the start of day four for an hour, skipper Tim Southee struck with the eighth delivery to dismiss Travis Head for 18 and reduce the tourists to 80-5.

In retrospect, however, Rachin Ravindra fumbling a straightforward catch that would have sent back Marsh for 28 off the previous delivery was perhaps the more significant moment.

“I think whenever you’ve finished a close game you always look back on a number of things,” said Southee, who with fellow stalwart Kane Williamson was playing his 100th Test.

“This morning was always going to be a crucial period with the ball still reasonably new, and we were able to beat the bat a few times but they were able to weather that storm.”

The defeat left the Black Caps with just one Test win in 24 attempts against their closest rivals this century, while Australia will now move above them into second place in the World Test Championships standings behind India.

Carey was denied his second Test century but cared little as he and his captain steered their side to their target 281-7 and a sixth win in seven Tests over the Australasian summer.

“I was happy with that,” Carey said. “I didn’t want to be on strike again. It was a great series and this match ebbed and flowed. We had our backs against the wall this morning, they came out and put us under the pump so it’s nice to chase those runs down.”

Carey, who also took 10 catches over New Zealand’s two innings to match Adam Gilchrist’s Australian record, said Australia “stayed resilient” despite the early pressure.

“Everyone’s had their moments and it’s a really special team we’re playing in.”

New Zealand seamer Matt Henry was named Player of the Series for his 17 wickets over the two matches, the first of which finished with Australian victors by 172 runs in Wellington.



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New Zealand calls on Papua rebels to release pilot kidnapped a year ago | Politics News

Phillip Mehrtens, a commercial pilot with Susi Air, was taken captive from an airstrip in the troubled Indonesian province.

New Zealand has called for the immediate release of pilot Phillip Mehrtens who was taken captive by fighters in Indonesia’s troubled Papua province a year ago.

Mehrtens, who was flying a single-propeller plane for Indonesia’s Susi Air, was snatched from his aircraft on February 7 last year by a group of fighters from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-PB) who said he would only be released if Papua was given its independence.

The group, led by regional commander Elias Kogoya, later released images and videos showing Mehrtens surrounded by rebels – some armed with guns and others with bows and arrows – in remote forested areas.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the New Zealander had been providing “vital air links and supplies to remote communities” at the time he was kidnapped.

“We strongly urge those holding Phillip to release him immediately and without harm. His continued detention serves the interests of no one,” Peters said in a statement to mark a year since the pilot was taken.

The incident in the remote highlands region of Nduga, one of the most restive areas of the province, drew renewed attention to one of the world’s least-known and longest-running conflicts.

Papua, whose people are ethnically Melanesian, occupies the western half of the island of New Guinea – just 200km (124 miles) north of Australia – and shares a land border with Papua New Guinea (PNG).

A low-level battle for independence has been under way since Indonesia took control of the resource-rich former Dutch colony after a controversial referendum in 1969.

Peters said New Zealand had been working with Indonesian authorities and others towards securing Phillip’s release.

“Let me be absolutely clear,” he said. “There can never be any justification for hostage taking.”

Peters’s statement came after the TPN-PB, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), said they had asked Kogoya to release Mehrtens, although they gave no timeframe for when that might happen.

“We plan to proceed with the release based on humanity,” TPN-PB spokesperson Sebby Sambom was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

“We believed that most Australians and New Zealanders support Papua’s independence,” he added. “We don’t want to be blamed by international community if the pilot dies while he is being held hostage by our fighters.”

Peters said Mehrtens had been able to contact some friends and family before Christmas and had assured them that he was well.

New Zealand was “exploring all avenues” to bring the pilot home, he added.

Indonesia deployed police and soldiers into the highland district in an attempt to rescue Mehrtens shortly after he was taken captive and there have been a number of clashes since.

Outsiders, including foreign journalists, international organisations and diplomats require special permission from Jakarta to visit the region, which is the location of one of the world’s largest gold and copper deposits.

There has been a surge in violence in Papua since 2018 when rebels killed 24 Indonesian men who were building a major new road to connect the coast with the highlands.

United Nations human rights experts have expressed concern about the deteriorating situation.

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World starts welcoming the New Year with fireworks and prayers | News

DEVELOPING STORY,

Sydney and Auckland are the first major world cities to celebrate the arrival of 2024.

Sydney and Auckland are the first major world cities to welcome the arrival of 2024.

Over a million revellers celebrated the New Year on Sunday night amid stunning fireworks displays, illuminating the skies over Australia’s Sydney Harbour and New Zealand’s tallest structure, the Sky Tower in Auckland.

The light rain that had persisted throughout the day in Auckland had cleared by midnight over the city.

The countdown commenced against an illuminated digital display near the top of the 328-metre (1,076-foot) communications and observation tower.

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and on the Harbour Bridge as part of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney, Australia [Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image/AP]

As the clock struck midnight in Australia’s largest city, Sydney, a 12-minute fireworks display erupted around the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

More than one million people watched from the shore and boats in the harbour.

The small Pacific island nations of Tonga, Samoa and Kiribati had ushered in the New Year an hour earlier.

In Japan, temple bells rang out across the nation as people gathered at shrines and temples to welcome in the New Year.

At the Tsukiji Temple in Tokyo, visitors were given free hot milk and corn soup as they stood in line to strike a big bell, and a pipe-organ concert was held before a majestic altar.

End of a tense year

The New Year celebrations came against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has heightened tensions in some cities around the world, including Sydney, where more police than ever were deployed to oversee the fireworks displays.

The waterfront has been the scene of heated pro-Palestinian protests after the sails of the Sydney Opera House were illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag after October 7.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis reflected on 2023 as a year defined by the hardships of war.

In his customary Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square, he extended prayers for various populations, including “the tormented Ukrainian people and the Palestinian and Israeli populations, the Sudanese people, and many others”.

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Thousands gather in New Zealand to protest government’s Indigenous policies | Politics News

Right-leaning coalition has pledged to review affirmative action and remove references to treaty with Maori people.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in New Zealand to express opposition to the new government’s policies towards Indigenous people.

Protesters gathered in front of the parliament and on motorways on Tuesday after the minor Te Pati Maori party called for nationwide demonstrations against the newly elected right-leaning government.

The protests coincided with the opening session of New Zealand’s 54th parliament, following elections in October that ended six years of governance by the centre-left Labour Party.

In a breach of protocol, Te Pati Maori, which holds six seats in parliament, swore oaths of allegiance to the upcoming generation and the Treaty of Waitangi, a colonial-era founding document between the British and the Maori people, before pledging allegiance to King Charles.

The new National Party-led coalition has pledged to review positive discrimination policies, change the names of some departments from the Maori language to English and strip legislation of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

“This is not a protest, this is an activation,” Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told protesters in Wellington.

“Make our voices heard, let our voices fly and be proud to be who we are today.”

New Zealand police said two people involved in the demonstrations had been arrested and there had been disruption to traffic in a number of cities, including the largest city Auckland.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon, who is in coalition with the libertarian ACT New Zealand and populist New Zealand First, described the protesters’ criticism of his government as “pretty unfair”.

“The reality is we’ve been in government for a week,” he told reports. “We are going to get things done for Maori and non-Maori.”

David Seymour, the leader of ACT New Zealand, accused Te Pati Maori of being more interested in “divisive theatrics” than providing solutions for Indigenous people.

“New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race,” Seymour said in a post on X.

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India, New Zealand to Increase Cooperation for Facilitation of UPI System

India and New Zealand on Thursday decided to increase cooperation in areas such as facilitation of UPI system, timely resolution of trade issues, work visa, and improving the banking relations.

Looking at the present quantum of bilateral trade between the two countries, both sides acknowledged the huge potential and the need for bringing in synergy for enhanced economic relations in areas of mutual interest.

These issues were discussed during a joint meeting between India and New Zealand with the industry and industry associations of both the countries here.

The discussions also focused on taking forward the objectives of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC), formed under the Bilateral Trade Agreement of 1986.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agarwal, and High Commissioner of New Zealand in India David Pine.

The additional secretary “appreciated the positivity in discussion leading to tentative identification of various areas of cooperation including the facilitation of UPI system, carbon credit, package proposal on Kiwi fruits, trans-shipment hub, prioritization of bilateral trade issues for their timely resolution, collaboration on technology issues, cooperation in services such as work visa related issues, improving the banking relations further,” the commerce ministry said.

It said that some of the areas explored by the New Zealand High Commissioner included promotion of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) system, carbon credit co-operation, and working together on specific issues like the comprehensive proposal made by Zespri and prioritization of requests on non-tariff measures for bilateral gains.

He also emphasized on increasing the air connectivity links between the countries.

Apple’s annual developer conference is just around the corner. From the company’s first mixed reality headset to new software updates, we discuss all the things we’re looking forward to seeing at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Facebook, Instagram Begin Rolling Out Paid Verification Service in Australia, New Zealand

Facebook and Instagram began a week-long rollout of their first paid verification service on Friday, testing users’ willingness to pay for social media features that until now have been free.

Facing a drop in advertising revenues, parent company Meta is piloting a subscription in Australia and New Zealand before it appears in larger markets. The service will cost $11.99 (roughly Rs. 990) on the web and $14.99 (roughly Rs. 1,240) on the iOS and Android mobile platforms.

From Friday, subscribers Down Under who provide government-issued IDs can start applying for a verified badge, offering protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support and more visibility, according to the company.

“We’ll be gradually rolling out access to Meta Verified on Facebook and Instagram and expect to reach 100 percent availability within the first 7 days of the rollout,” a Meta spokesperson told AFP.

Some attempts to join Meta Verified from Sydney found the service was not available on the first day of the rollout.

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement posted on Facebook and Instagram.

Crucially, the move also provides Meta with a way of mining more revenue from its two billion users.

The swelling army of creators, influencers and pseudo-celebrities who make a living online could be obvious users of verification, according to experts.

Many of them complain that it can be difficult to smooth technical and administrative problems, causing delays and lost revenue.

Slow-burning strategy

Jonathon Hutchinson, a lecturer in online communication at the University of Sydney, said a kind of “VIP service” could be “quite a valuable proposition for a content creator”.

But ahead of the launch, ordinary users seemed less than keen to hand over money to a company that already makes vast sums from their data.

“I think most of my friends would laugh at it,” said Ainsley Jade, a 35-year-old social media user in Sydney.

She sees a trend toward more casual use of social media and a shift away from a time when you “put your whole life on there”.

“I think people are sort of moving away from that… but definitely, definitely wouldn’t pay for it — no way!

Some commentators have expressed puzzlement at why Facebook and Instagram would adopt a verification-subscription strategy that rival Twitter tried just weeks ago — with less than stellar results.

But Hutchinson said Meta has often shown a willingness to try new, and at times risky models, only to drop what does not work.

He sees this latest gambit as part of a broader effort to condition users to pay for social media.

“I think it’s part of a slow-burning strategy to move toward a model that is not free, where more and more services and functionality will be a paid or subscription-based service,” he told AFP.

“I think over the long-term the functionality that we have now — joining groups, selling things on ‘Marketplace’- all of these add-ons that have emerged on Facebook over the years will eventually become subscription-based services.”

After facing headwinds in India last year, Xiaomi is all set to take on the competition in 2023. What are the company’s plans for its wide product portfolio and its Make in India committment in the country? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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India vs New Zealand ODI Series Kicks Off January 18: How to Watch

India vs New Zealand ODI series starts on January 18, with three matches scheduled to be played between the two teams. The series is taking place in India across three venues, with the matches scheduled for January 18, 21, and 24. As with most international cricket matches played in India, viewers will be able to watch the match both through traditional cable or DTH connections, as well as through online streaming. India recently won the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, and is looking to build on the momentum going into the home series against New Zealand.

India Vs New Zealand ODI Series: match details

The three-match ODI series will take place on January 18 in Hyderabad, January 21 in Raipur, and January 24 in Indore. All three matches are scheduled to begin at 1:30pm on the match days, and will be played in the day-night format.

India Vs New Zealand ODI Series: where to watch

As is usually the case with international cricket matches played in India, the three-match ODI series will be available to watch both through traditional cable and DTH services, as well as online. The Star Sports network will broadcast the matches on their channels for the former medium, while Disney+ Hotstar will live-stream the cricket matches online.

Viewers can log in through their premium Disney+ Hotstar accounts either through the streaming service’s various apps on different platforms, or through the website, in order to view the live stream. All three matches will be available to watch, with the broadcast/ live stream of the actual matches expected to start at 1:30pm.

Disney+ Hotstar acquired the rights to stream all ICC cricket matches and events taking place in India in a lucrative deal in 2022, which is expected to run till the end of 2027.

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Apple Postpones Launch of AR Glasses, Follow-Up Mixed Reality Headset to Have Cheaper Price Tag: Reports

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CES 2023: All Things Phone



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