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NZ follows UK in condemning Russian cyber attacks

NZ follows UK in condemning Russian cyber attacks

NZ Herald19-07-2025
New Zealand has joined other countries in condemning cyber attacks orchestrated by the Russian government.
'Russia's hostile behaviour in cyberspace continues to threaten global cybersecurity and undermine agreed international rules and norms,' Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement this morning.
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Round three - United States and China hold economic talks as trade truce nears end
Round three - United States and China hold economic talks as trade truce nears end

NZ Herald

timean hour ago

  • NZ Herald

Round three - United States and China hold economic talks as trade truce nears end

The Trump Administration has been trying to win concessions from many countries before an August 1 deadline for reimposing tariffs announced in April. Those levies were suspended in order to reach trade deals. Over the last week, the Trump Administration has announced deals with some of America's biggest trading partners in quick succession. Last week the US and Japan finally agreed to a deal that included a 15% tariff on Japanese imports and a pledge from Japan to invest US$550 billion in the US. Today, Trump announced that he had also reached a deal with the European Union, whose economies rely on exports to the US. The deal would put a 15% tariff on many European exports, including cars. One of the biggest unknowns is what will happen with China, which remains one of America's largest source of imports. After a tit-for-tat period of tariffs and retaliation, the two nations have come to something of an uneasy truce after talks in Geneva in May, and in London in June. Today, before he met with European officials, Trump implied that some kind of trade arrangement with China might be close at hand. 'We just struck a deal with Japan as you know, and we're very close to a deal with China,' he said. This will be the first meeting between the countries without an imminent crisis, like the tariff standoff or China's economically crippling ban on rare earth exports this year. Trade experts said the list of potential topics for discussion was long, ranging from Trump's push to get China to stop the flow of fentanyl to the US, to America's concerns about its purchases of Russian and Iranian oil, and recent exit bans that have prevented US citizens from leaving China. US officials appear to be looking forward to more ambitious trade talks in the months to come. Those could include Chinese purchases of American products, steps to open the Chinese market and, potentially, Chinese investment in the US. They are also likely seeking to lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, this year. Administration officials are considering a trip to Beijing before a meeting of Asian and Pacific countries in South Korea in October or potentially connecting Trump and Xi on the sidelines of an international meeting. Michael Pillsbury, a former government official who has advised the Trump Administration on China, said this would be Trump's sixth summit meeting with Xi. Each of those summits had a minimum of two hours of dialogue, and Trump went prepared with specific dealmaking requests, he said. 'The President feels it's better to deal face to face,' he said. Trade experts are also wondering whether US technology controls or an agreement to transfer ownership of TikTok may be on the negotiating table. On CNBC last week, Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, said that the US had submitted a proposal to China for transferring ownership of TikTok to American companies, and that the Administration was waiting for the Chinese response. The topic was 'not officially' part of the trade talks, he said, 'but unofficially, of course'. Tensions between the US and China started to spiral after Trump announced his 'Liberation Day' tariffs in early April. China was the only country to immediately retaliate, matching Trump's tariffs of 34% with 34% tariffs on American products. Beijing also set up a licensing system to restrict exports of seven rare earth elements that are processed almost exclusively in China and used in electric cars, smart bombs and other high-tech devices. Trump then responded by ratcheting up tariffs on Chinese products to a minimum of 145%, which brought much of the trade between the countries to a halt. The previous rounds of negotiations secured a temporary truce that included China's relaxing its restrictions on shipments of valuable rare earth minerals and magnets needed by US manufacturers. In return, US officials agreed to roll back limits on exports of US products and technology, including ethane and airplane parts, as well as the proposed visa restrictions. US tariffs on Chinese imports were scaled back to 30%, while China has 10% tariffs on American products. The truce is scheduled to expire on August 12, after which tariffs would rise by 10%. However, Bessent has been optimistic that the truce could be extended. In an interview on the Fox Business Network last week, Bessent said that 'trade is in a good place' with China. He added that he hoped to begin having broader discussions with his counterparts about rebalancing the Chinese economy and encouraging China to curb purchases of Russian and Iranian oil. Bessent said China was in a manufacturing slump and faced a residential real estate market crisis. He argued Beijing must focus on building a consumer economy. 'They can't export their economic problems to the rest of the world; they need to solve them,' Bessent said. US companies continue to have a rash of criticisms about doing business in China, including the country's newly established rare earth licensing system. The processing time for licences is long, American firms say, and China requests proprietary and sensitive business information as part of the applications. In a survey released this month, members of the US-China Business Council said strained relations and tariffs between the two countries remained their biggest concerns. But they also said Chinese policies favouring domestic companies were eroding confidence in doing business in the country. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Alan Rappeport and Ana Swanson ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES

Letters: Our public sector rot, and a wonderful response from the community to find a missing woman
Letters: Our public sector rot, and a wonderful response from the community to find a missing woman

NZ Herald

time2 days ago

  • NZ Herald

Letters: Our public sector rot, and a wonderful response from the community to find a missing woman

Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth. Public sector rot Sadly for the sake of our grandchildren, the demise of our once world-class public service began with the introduction of the State Sector Act 1988. This act compromised the independence and integrity of our public service. Most permanent heads were placed on three-year contracts. Their focus changed to ensure renewal of their contracts. Thank you for nothing Messrs Douglas, Prebble, Palmer, Lange and co. Bruce Tubb, Devonport. NCEA Following on from the report on NCEA (July 20), I must agree that it has been abused extensively and must be replaced by something meaningful, may I suggest School Certificate. NCEA credits have been issued for such menial tasks that demean the education system, so tinkering with it will be meaningless. But the part of the report I take most exception to is the comments by Labour leader Chris Hipkins. His comment that NCEA Level 1 is necessary for apprenticeships is totally derogatory of the trades. His comments are taking things back to the time Helen Clark was in charge stating everybody needed a degree to get a job, and funded bums on seats at universities while the trades never got apprentices, leading to our shortage of tradesmen. Trades are not secondary to academia but are equal and need the same level of education to excel at. Trevor Green, Matamata. Joseph Parker v Oleksandr Usyk Joseph Parker is absolutely dreaming if he thinks he can outbox the Ukrainian world champ. If the fight does go ahead it will be a set-up, with Joe given a few rounds before 'goodnight nurse'. Joe has shown he doesn't have the hitting power to put a good opponent away. Jock MacVicar, Hauraki. Quiet choppers Wouldn't you have thought the helicopter owners could scramble a few billion dollars together to create a quiet helicopter? Technology is so advanced these days that it surely would not be impossible to add blades or vibrational techniques that cancel out the awfully disturbing noise a 'modern' helicopter transmits in residential areas. So, here's a challenge to the Mowbray couple if they want to stay popular in their community, perhaps. René Blezer, Taupō. Nato and the UN I cannot agree with Jock MacVicar (July 20). Nato is a defence pact; the hardware belongs to its member states. Without Nato I would have the Soviet red star on my lapel and so would have four million other Europeans. As for cost, Nato is cheap compared to a Russian invasion. Also, the UN is doing exactly what it was set up to do: serve as a platform where diplomats can lie, cheat, blockade and hurl insults at one another. K H Peter Kammler, Warkworth. Defence spending Your reader Bernard Walker (July 20) gets letter of the week for suggesting we don't need a credible defence force because of our isolation from the rest of the world. It seems reasonable until you look at the facts regarding defence spending. First, we would be considered bludgers by our current allies the US, Australia, the UK and the South Pacific nations. Second, being considered bludgers, we would certainly lose any credibility in trade negotiations and thereby lose huge amounts in exports to two of our largest customers. Third, if other world leaders were invited and came here to avoid a potential World War III, this is considered desertion, an offence punishable by a death sentence. Remember the previous world wars, where soldiers were shot dead for desertion by their commanders? Obviously, it is a proposal which was not to be taken seriously and should have never been published. Bruce Woodley, Birkenhead. Sunday television Sunday night TV1 viewing is these days a heartwarming, New Zealand-centric experience. With the long-running Country Calendar leading at 7pm, this television icon is followed half an hour later by Moving Houses hosted by the likeable Andy Ellis. It is delightful to have primetime viewing that showcases our own heartland places and people. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Peters challenged on tobacco links
Peters challenged on tobacco links

Otago Daily Times

time3 days ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Peters challenged on tobacco links

Public health researchers at the University of Otago have called on the prime minister to show some leadership and remove the tobacco and vaping portfolio from New Zealand First, following allegations the party has been colluding with tobacco giant Philip Morris. Documents from a Radio NZ investigation show Philip Morris provided NZ First with a draft piece of regulation which the deputy prime minister at the time, Winston Peters, supported. They show NZ First assured Philip Morris they would "put that draft into the policy mix". Mr Peters said the documents referenced were more than six years old, and the attempt to attack NZ First was "old, stale, repetitive, and utterly baseless". The allegation comes after NZ First list MP and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello led the repeal of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022. It effectively scrapped laws aimed at slashing tobacco retailers, removing 95% of the nicotine from cigarettes, and creating a smokefree generation by banning sales to those born after 2009. University of Otago Aspire Aotearoa Research Centre co-director and public health researcher Prof Janet Hoek said the fact the documents were six years old was "neither here nor there", because NZ First had repeatedly denied having any connections with the tobacco industry. The revelation raised questions about how easily companies were able to access politicians, and the kind of lobbying that went on behind closed doors. "The challenge that he [Mr Peters] has to address is that there have been allegations that he's been dealing with tobacco companies and using their documents to inform policy. "None of his statements, none of his rebuttals, address that concern. "What we need is some transparency — some actual evidence showing that these allegations that have been put forth in the documents don't stand, and that's not what he's been able to provide. "I think he really needs to be held to account here." She said Mr Peters' instinctive response was "attack is the best defence". "I think there's actually a real question about integrity of the political process here, and what people want to feel is that politicians are acting in the best interest of the country, not the best interest of the tobacco company." Prof Hoek said the "discrepancy" was further decreasing trust in the government, and called on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to assert some leadership and removed the tobacco and vaping portfolio from NZ First, and entrust it to a politician without alleged links to tobacco giants. "We know that tobacco companies operate in the shadows by lobbying politicians. "What these documents reveal are claims that tobacco companies are not just lobbying, they are writing policy. "The New Zealand public will be disgusted to learn that is how the party that should be promoting public health is allegedly behaving." Fellow Aspire co-director Prof Richard Edwards said the repeal of New Zealand's world-leading smokefree legislation prompted a huge outcry from communities affected by smoking, health organisations, health professionals and public health experts. "The repeal raised questions about influence of the tobacco industry. "Subsequent industry-friendly policies like tax cuts for heated tobacco products only increased those concerns, and the recent revelations of close links between NZ First and Philip Morris suggest these concerns were well-founded." He called for the urgent reintroduction of the repealed measures, which were very likely to rapidly reduce the enormous harm from smoking, and protect future generations from smoking. Asked to respond to the accusations, a spokesman for Mr Peters pointed to a social media post online. In it, Mr Peters said the documents referenced were more than six years old, and the "attempt to attack NZ First is old, stale, repetitive, and utterly baseless". He said multiple government departments had themselves proactively reached out to "big tobacco" for direct feedback and advice on tobacco legislation. He accused Radio NZ of being "clearly lefty biased", and their "bottom-of-the-barrel attack reporting" had caused New Zealanders to lose trust in them and switch to other stations. "The smokefree legislation that we implemented is working," he said. "New Zealand First is proud of the smokefree legislation, which is backed by Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH), that we have implemented and that we are still implementing."

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