New Zealand PM bows out
Here's an article from The Economist which, while talking about John Key's resignation, states that NZ is "one of the most successful countries in the world. While this is debatable, there is no doubt that Key has had successes- namely international recognition- along with failures, housing, immigration and the environment. We have yet to see whether the new Prime Minister, John English, will have the same success.
We know the animosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Shia versus Sunni. This article that appeared in the UK"s Independent newspaper the other day illustrates how wide the hatred between the two countries has become- or is the "cosiness" between Saudi Arabia and the USA?
It’s good to know that the organisation for New Zealand’s Techweek ‘17, which will run from 6-14 May 2017 is moving ahead. A week of events bringing together bright minds to tackle global issues with local ingenuity. Head to Techweek‘17 to meet like-minded people, discover new opportunities, and learn about the latest and most exciting technologies that are changing the shape of the near future, according to Techweek’s website.
Recently, I've been reading about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how we can exploit it in different fields such as education. Therefore, I was very interested when I came across this article that talks about AI and the advertising industry. How uncomfortable would you feel if AI was preferred to a human?
Recently I was elected president of Queenstown Travel Club and at the first meet up of the year we learned all about Iran. Here is what the speakers said.
Jon and Robyn Bitchero talked about their experiences in Iran when they spoke at the Queenstown Travel Club, which met on 27 February. They pointed out how different Iran is from the way it is portrayed in the media. Referred too in the ancient world as Persia, it conjures up romance, great food and great living. In contrast, the country Iran often conjures up visions of burqa wearing women (which is often not the case), tyranny and evil. Yet it is the same country.
This story made me laugh. Since it appeared in the "Evening Harold" I take it, it's tongue n' cheek. It's well said though.
This article crossed my desk the other day. It was sent by one of the author's, Amin Rajan. in it, Rajan and Pascal Blanqué explain the blurry distinction between passive and active investing. The article first appeared in The Financial Times.
“Truth is rarely pure and never simple,” cautioned Oscar Wilde, the 19th- century playwright. The advice is worth heeding in the current seemingly black and white debate on active versus passive investing. It ignores the rise of a third way, factor investing, that is blurring old demarcations.
How accessing the right information in crisis situations can be crucial
In this article Lucia Dore and Melisande Middleton, founder of the Center for Internet & Media Ethics (CIME), discuss how information flows matter in crisis situations, even in small, far away countries like New Zealand.
During the civil war in Afghanistan (1989-92) Iran opened its borders to refugees but not many people knew about this, cites an Afghan familiar with the situation. “Many people fled to there and sought safe haven and temporary education for their kids. Many didn’t hear about it and stayed and I know many people who lost their loved ones because they didn’t know that Iran had finally opened the border.”
From time to time I receive press releases from private equity firms since I worked in this sector for so long, in Asia/Pacific and in the Middle East. Here is the latest release from Gaw Capital Partners, a Chinese private equity firm that specialises in real estate.
This article first appeared in Haaretz on February 28th. It's worth the read.
Bernie Sanders' Speech on Israel, Trump and anti-Semitism at J Street Conference
Thank you for inviting me to address you here today. It’s a pleasure to be here with J Street, which has been such a strong voice for saner, more progressive foreign policy ideas. And I am delighted to be in the company of friends from the Middle East and all over the world who I know will continue the struggle for a world of peace, justice and environmental sanity.
It's interesting that trust and warmth matter more than competence when people first meet you. What does that mean for you?A Harvard psychologist says people judge you based on 2 criteria when they first meet you
It's been a week since I last posted on here. Since then I've been on a 60km hike from Te Anau and back again. It's a hike known as the Kepler Track http://www.doc.govt.nz/keplertrack, one of New Zealand's Great Walks. It is a great way to get away from it all, without going on a retreat. No internet, no cellphones- only freez dri food and lots of walking, with a full pack.
For me, since my great grandfather was an early explorer around Lake Manapouri and I was born in that part of the world and spent my early years there, the information I found out was even more impactful. Here are some photos.
by Lucia Dore
On a road show around New Zealand are Sir Geoffrey Palmer, law professor and former prime minister, and Andrew Butler, a litigator at Russell McVeagh in Wellington, New Zealand. They are promoting their book: “A constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand” and are asking people for their views on the points they have laid down for a otential written constitution.
Anti-Muslim rhetoric is increasing all the time and much of it is a result of "lone wolf" attacks. Often these attacks are the result of people acting alone but whom ISIS has approached later in the day. They then claim the attacks as their own. This article is from Brookings Institute.
I received this report from the NZ Super Fund earlier today. It provides some insights into the investment environment right now.
In this 'Investment Environment Report', Dr Roland Winn, Senior Investment Strategist, explains the global investment environment and its implications for the NZ Super Fund.