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Crook Van Velden – Carrots for the bosses, sticks for the poor

There was a fascinating exchange between Jack Tame and Brooke Van Velden on Q+A over the weekend that actually deserves and demands closer inspection because it really does illuminate what ACT are truly are all about.

Brooke was fatuously claiming that Bosses are so frightened by WorkSafe that they dare not dream ever again in colour for fear of persecution, and because of this culture of fear, she was changing WorkSafe from punishment to cuddles (despite 70 people a year dying on the job plus almost a thousand who die from their work environments).

Her argument is that if we cuddle the bosses and provide carrots, the fear of sanction will lift and a workers utopia where family members can expect their loved ones to return safely from word each night will flourish.

Yet, as Jack so eloquently put to Brooke, ACT have pushed for vast punishment sanctions against beneficiaries, beneficiaries with children and state house tenants so why does the sanction and punishment system work for the poor, but ACT are changing it for the bosses?

When it’s the Bosses, it’s all cuddle and carrots, yet when it’s the poor, the beneficiaries, the disabled, the state tenants – it’s all punishment and sticks?

Why is the culture of fear acceptable for the poor, but not the bosses?

ACT is a far right fringe libertarian cult who have manipulated culture war talking points to create a facade of free speech liberalism when they are the same old jack boot of the Billionaire club stamping on the face of the poor they’ve always been.

To quote Mike Hosking.

Happy Days.

 

 

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WAATEA NEWS COLUMN: The Darkest Day in NZ Democracy

It is not hyperbole in any way shape or form to call what happened last week in Parliament with the banishing of Hana, Debbie and Rawiri as the darkest day in NZ Democracy.

The Government of the day destroyed the bipartisanship of the Privileges Committee so that they could lash out at their political opponents.

This ruling was about revenge, it wasn’t about justice.

The pretence that ACT felt threatened by finger guns when Nicole McGee is attempting to bring back real guns highlights the double standard.

That a white middle class women like Brooke Van Velden can say the C word in Parliament and face no charge of disruption is another double standard.

So to is the fact that many other MPs participated in the Haka and weren’t punished. Green Party MP Steve Able made this point last week, he argued that had participated in the Haka, and yet he wasn’t punished.

The manner in which Hana was sanctioned twice alongside the disproportionate punishment handed out to Debbie and Rawiri all add up to a white settler privilege from the Privileges Committee, not a measured justice.

The Government not only banished their political opponents from Parliament, they set in motion the need to now use the Privileges Committee as a Partisan weapon to use the moment you gain power.

This entire fiasco falls on one person, the Prime Minister, who showed no leadership whatsoever in de-escalating this situation and now the damning image we have internationally is Rawiri holding up a noose.

Winston describing Rawiri’s facial tattoos as ‘scribbles’ is a new low point for an old politician who should know better.

History will be damning of this moment, it will view the banishment of 3 Māori MPs righteously performing the Haka against an atrociously racist piece of legislation as a mutilation of our democracy.

The Political Right should hang their heads in shame for this abomination.

Extreme Ocean heatwaves you say? What could possibly be causing that and why the solution is more cows!

Australia, Pacific rocked by ocean heatwaves last year

Ocean temperatures in the south-west Pacific reached fresh highs last year as heatwaves struck more than 10% of the world’s marine waters.

Report after report highlights the catastrophic weather results of climate change are coming harder and faster than we feared, and yet in NZ, what are we doing? Why we are doing what the polluter interests want us to do, nothing.

Just consider the manner in which Corporate Dairy have seized control of NZ’s political right

The Climate Change Commission recommends methane cuts of 35-47%. However, under pressure from lobby groups like Federated Farmers – whose ex-President Andrew Hoggard is now an ACT Party MP – the Government established a separate panel to review the methane target in line with this controversial tool. That panel landed on a much weaker methane target.

Documents released under the Official Information Act show that the methane panel was established because the Climate Commission’s independence meant the Government could not direct it to use “no additional warming”. Ministry for the Environment officials advised at the time that “no additional warming” was not in fact a matter of science, but a political decision.

Larsson says, “The Luxon Government chose to sideline its independent, science-based climate advisory body by setting up a separate review panel with the very narrow task of giving it the answers it wanted. No wonder international climate scientists are raising the alarm.”

Further OIA documents show that the Methane Review Panel only met with agribusiness stakeholders, including a Groundswell-linked lobby group.

Greenpeace says this is just the tip of the iceberg. The organisation has unveiled documents showing the startling level of influence that groups like Federated Farmers, Dairy NZ and Beef+Lamb NZ have had over government policy. This includes writing draft policy and communications plans for Ministers. 

…consider the criticisms of Professor MacCulloch

Perhaps the most under-explored aspect of MacCulloch’s critique is his consistent condemnation of corporate New Zealand’s underperformance. He argues that the real drag on New Zealand’s productivity isn’t just government bureaucracy, but the incompetence of private sector leadership.

Business is too focused on getting either special legislative deals from the government of the day, or else corporate subsidies from the taxpayer. According to MacCulloch, the last Government’s Covid Wage Subsidy Scheme was a giant transfer of $18bn to some of the wealthiest businesses in the country, most of whom didn’t need it.

Pointing to the stagnation of the NZX50 and the dismal share performance of dominant companies like Fletcher Building and Air New Zealand, he suggests that cushy directorships and an old boys’ club mentality have entrenched mediocrity.

…this total policy capture by polluter interests is the reason we are being attacked on the global stage by International Climate Scientists…

Scientists accuse New Zealand and Ireland of trying to cover up livestock emissions

Leading climate scientists have accused politicians in New Zealand and Ireland of using an “accounting trick” to back their sheep and cattle industries, warning their support for methane-emitting livestock could undermine global efforts to fight climate change. In an open letter shared with the Financial Times, 26 climate scientists from around the world warned that New Zealand’s proposed new methane targets risk setting a dangerous precedent. 

…that’s right!

The Corporate Dairy industry has spent millions donating to National and putting dark money into Right Wing astroturf organisations to shut down any meaningful climate emissions targets that the rest of the world has noticed the policy corruption and are now calling us out.

We are being attacked internationally for being a climate criminal all because National refuse to stand up to their Corporate Dairy interests.

The Carbon Capture ‘technology’ that National have banked all our emission offsets on doesn’t work…

Carbon capture: Pivotal project for cutting greenhouse gas emissions looks shaky

A critical part of the government’s plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years appears to have fallen over.

…and in the last budget National cut 50% to climate finance, barely any cuts to emissions, all while slashing foreign aid for our Pacific brothers and sisters by cutting climate aid by $100m.

This Government is a Climate Denial Government who are refusing to do anything about the coming adaptation because they are paid by the polluters.

Whatever the problem, National’s solution is ‘more cows’.

Meanwhile the planet continues to burn!

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The true sadness of ‘Run It’

‘Run it’ goes underground: Backyard version of tackle game live streamed

Another “run it straight” event took place in a backyard last night, taking a more scaled-down approach to the controversial craze.

My fear is that it is the cash prizes for this are generating a need for many men to try it.

Unemployment is 5.1% but 9% for Māori and Pacifica.

It is desperation that is driving these contests, not legitimate competition.

It’s like ‘Running Man’, but without Arnold.

 

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.

GUEST BLOG: Talk Liberation – Tech Giants Under Fire: AI Ethics, Privacy Scandals and Creative Industries Up in Arms

Talk Liberation is committed to providing equal access for individuals with disabilities. To view an accessible version of this article, click here.

In this edition:

  • Meta Reverses Course – Adds Facial Recognition to Smart Glasses Despite Past Promises
  • Telegram Shuts Down Internet’s Largest Black Market in Major Crackdown
  • Digital Resurrection: Deceased Man Testifies in Court Via AI Avatar in Legal First
  • France Proposes Dystopian Cash Ban in Step Toward Total Financial Surveillance
  • Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Plans to Train AI on EU User Data Without Explicit Consent
  • Apple Agrees to Landmark $95 Million Settlement After Confirmed Siri Privacy Violation
  • Music Legend Elton John Blasts UK Over AI Copyright Law Changes That Threaten Artists’ Rights
  • Tech Giant Microsoft Admits To Providing AI Services to Israeli Military During Gaza War

Meta Reverses Course – Adds Facial Recognition to Smart Glasses Despite Past Promises

Meta’s quietly developing facial recognition technology for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses despite previous assurances that it would not incorporate said functions due to surveillance and privacy concerns. Critics argue this could enable intrusive tracking, while Meta has yet to provide a clear public explanation for the shift. The move aligns with Meta’s broader investments in augmented reality (AR) and wearable tech.

The feature, referred to as “on-device face recognition,” would allow wearers to identify people by simply looking at them through the glasses. Unlike cloud-based facial recognition systems, the facial recognition would occur on the glasses themselves, meaning the data wouldn’t necessarily be sent to Meta’s servers. Even so, privacy advocates warn that the tech could enable real-time, covert surveillance, raising concerns about stalking, harassment, or misuse by law enforcement. Unlike stationary cameras, smart glasses could allow unprecedented tracking in public spaces, leading to calls for stricter regulation. Internal documents suggest Meta’s been working on this tech for some time—though the company has not yet publicly confirmed this.

Back in 2021, Meta shut down its decade-old facial recognition system on Facebook after public backlash and a $650 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over improper biometric data collection. Meta’s blotchy history raises questions about Meta’s transparency regarding privacy and surveillance issues.

Telegram Shuts Down Internet’s Largest Black Market in Major Crackdown

Telegram has dismantled the largest black market in internet history, dealing a major blow to the underground sale of illegal goods and services. The platform, which has long been scrutinized for its encrypted channels and lax content moderation, removed the sprawling marketplace that facilitated transactions involving crypto scams, drugs, stolen data, counterfeit documents and cybercrime tools.

For years, Huione Guarantee — one of the internet’s largest black markets — openly operated on Telegram, enabling billions in crypto scams and money laundering. Now after pressure from researchers and Telegram’s sweeping ban, the platform’s been forced to shut down. Also known as Haowang Guarantee, the platform facilitated illicit financial services, primarily for East Asian crypto fraudsters. The company stated all of their NFT (the blockchain-based non-fungible tokens), channels and groups were blocked.

While the takedown represents a significant victory against fraudulent activity, benefiting anti-cybercrime efforts, these companies will likely resurface, under different names in attempts to relaunch. Over time, Telegram will need to prove if it’s serious about curbing this type of online criminal activity.

Digital Resurrection: Deceased Man Testifies In Court Via AI Avatar In Legal First

In a groundbreaking legal proceeding, an artificial intelligence-generated avatar of a deceased man delivered testimony in court—marking one of the first known uses of posthumous digital recreation in a judicial setting. The case involved a contract dispute where the deceased’s account was crucial, and his AI replica, trained on his voice, mannerisms, and personal records, answered questions based on prior statements.

While proponents argue this type of technology preserves critical evidence that would otherwise be lost, critics argue the existence of ethical concerns on consent, accuracy, and potential manipulation. Legal experts debate whether such testimony should be admissible, as it blurs the line between sworn statements and algorithmic reconstruction. The case could set a legal precedent for how courts handle AI-generated evidence in the future, forcing global legal systems to confront the implications of digital resurrection. Sounds biblically sci-fi!

France Proposes Dystopian Cash Ban in Step Toward Total Financial Surveillance

French Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti sparked controversy by calling for the complete abolition of cash transactions. The Minister argues this would help combat organized crime, tax evasion, and terrorism financing, which he says heavily rely on cash transactions. He conceded that organized crime may turn to cryptocurrencies as an alternative, but reasoned this would still be an improvement, adding that digital payments – including cryptocurrencies – are much easier to trace.

Under new European Council rules taking effect in 2026, crypto platforms will be required to identify and report all transaction parties to tax authorities, effectively eliminating anonymous crypto transfers across EU member states. Still, economists warn this would disproportionately affect vulnerable populations like the elderly, undocumented or working class employees who get paid and rely on cash. The proposal faces significant opposition from the public, especially civil liberties groups who view it as a dangerous leap into financial surveillance.

According to some advocates, this follows a broader EU trend of restricting cash, with Italy recently lowering its cash transaction limit to €2,000 and Greece to €500. In France cash payments over €1,000 to a professional entity are prohibited and punishable by a fine of up to 5%, unless the person has no bank account or other forms of digital payment. For private transactions, the limit is set at €1,500 and amounts exceeding this require a formal written contract containing both parties’ full legal names and contact information, as stipulated by Ministry of Economy and Finance regulations.

Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Plans to Train AI on EU User Data Without Explicit Consent

Meta faces potential legal challenges in the EU over its plans to train artificial intelligence models using publicly shared content from Facebook and Instagram users. The company argues that since the data is already publicly available, it falls under “legitimate interest” for AI development and does not require explicit user consent. However, this approach conflicts with the EU’s own privacy regulations, particularly the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandate explicit opt-in consent for processing personal data, even if it’s publicly posted. Privacy regulators, including Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), have previously penalized Meta for unlawful data handling, signaling that this new initiative may invite similar scrutiny.

Privacy advocacy groups, such as NOYB (None of Your Business) led by activist Max Schrems, have already threatened legal action if Meta proceeds without proper consent. Critics argue that Meta’s current opt-out mechanism does not comply with GDPR’s requirement for affirmative user permission. The European Data Protection Board (EPDB) could also intervene, potentially imposing fines or blocking the practice altogether. Meta’s defense is that excluding EU user data would result in inferior AI performance for European users. That said, if forced to comply with consent rules, the company would either redesign its data collection approach or exclude EU data entirely, which could fragment its AI capabilities across regions.

This battle echoes a broader global debate on whether publicly posted content should be freely used for AI training or if individuals retain control over how their data is utilized, even when publicly shared online. If regulators rule against Meta, it could set a precedent limiting how tech companies leverage public social media data for AI training under GDPR. The outcome would not only impact Meta’s AI development but also shape future policies governing the intersection of big data, machines and user privacy in Europe.

Apple Agrees to Landmark $95 Million Settlement After Confirmed Siri Privacy Violation

Apple’s reached a massive $95 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging its Siri virtual assistant illegally recorded and shared users’ private conversations without consent. The settlement, recently approved by a California federal judge, stems from claims that between 2011 and 2023, Siri routinely activated and recorded confidential discussions including medical information, business dealings, and intimate personal moments. These were reportedly accidental recordings which the AI then sent to third-party contractors for quality control purposes withoutuser knowledge.

The lawsuit proved particularly damaging for Apple as internal documents revealed the company was well aware of Siri’s problematic “false triggers” that caused unintended recordings, yet failed to properly disclose this data collection in its privacy policies. While Apple admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, the payout represents one of the largest privacy-related settlements in tech history. Eligible class members include U.S. residents who owned Apple devices with Siri capabilities during the affected period, with individual payouts estimated between $50-$150 depending on claim volume.

Privacy advocates hail the settlement as a crossroads for voice assistant accountability, noting it establishes important precedents about informed consent for such always-on devices. The case also prompted Apple to implement more transparent privacy controls, including allowing users to opt-out of Siri audio recording reviews. However, the penalty represents just a fraction of Apple’s profits and may not fundamentally change the economics of data collection. The resolution comes amid growing scrutiny of voice assistant privacy practices across the tech industry, with similar lawsuits pending against Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.

Music Legend Elton John Blasts UK Over AI Copyright Law Changes That Threaten Artists’ Rights

Sir Elton John launched a scathing attack on the UK government’s proposed changes to copyright law that would favor artificial intelligence companies, calling policymakers “absolute losers” for undermining creators’ rights. The proposed amendments would allow AI developers to freely use copyrighted music, literature, and other artistic works, for training their systems without compensating or requiring permission from rights holders. In a passionate statement, John warned the move would devastate the creative industries by enabling tech firms to profit from artists’ work while offering nothing in return, comparing it to “legalized theft” of intellectual property.

The UK’s desire is to position itself as a global AI hub, with officials arguing that looser copyright restrictions attract tech investment. But John and other artists contend this approach sacrifices creators’ livelihoods at the altar of technological progress, emphasizing how AI systems already replicate musical styles and voices without consent, and warning that the proposed laws would exacerbate these abuses by removing legal protections. The outrage marks a growing resistance from all across the arts, with musicians, authors, and filmmakers increasingly protesting against AI threats to creative professions.

The backlash’s forcing leadership to reconsider its position, with reports suggesting ministers may water down the proposals following pressure from the creative community. John’s outspoken criticism carries particular weight given his five-decade career as one of Britain’s most successful cultural exports. As the debate over the AI vs creators issue intensifies, Britain’s actions could influence similar copyright battles worldwide as governments wrestle with regulating rapidly evolving AI tech.

Tech Giant Microsoft Admits to Providing AI Services to Israeli Military During Gaza War

Microsoft has now publicly acknowledged it provided advanced artificial intelligence services to the Israeli military during its ongoing war in Gaza. The tech giant revealed details of its AI contracts through official filings, confirming it supplied cloud computing infrastructure and AI-powered data analysis tools to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). These technologies reportedly assisted Israel’s military operations by processing vast amounts of surveillance data, identifying targets, and optimizing logistics—capabilities that human rights groups argue may have contributed to mass civilian casualties in the densely populated Gaza Strip. The disclosure comes amid mounting pressure on big tech to clarify their involvement in global conflicts, particularly as AI systems become increasingly integrated into modern warfare.

Microsoft maintains its technologies were used in compliance with international law and primarily for defensive purposes, but some question whether adequate safeguards were implemented to prevent misuse. The revelation has sparked protests from employee groups and activist organizations who accuse Microsoft of enabling military operations that have resulted in significant Palestinian civilian deaths.

Broader ethical dilemmas are increasing in the tech industry as military forces worldwide rapidly adopt AI capabilities, often with limited transparency or public oversight. This may prompt calls for stricter regulations governing the sale of AI technologies to military entities, particularly in active conflict zones where risk of civilian harm is high. Microsoft joins other Silicon Valley giants facing probing on the nature of their technologies and moral responsibilities within an era of AI-powered warfare.

That concludes this edition of Your Worldwide INTERNET REPORT!

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The Daily Blog Open Mic – 11th June 2025

Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.

The Editor doesn’t moderate this blog,  3 volunteers do, they are very lenient to provide you a free speech space but if it’s just deranged abuse or putting words in bloggers mouths to have a pointless argument, we don’t bother publishing.

All in all, TDB gives punters a very, very, very wide space to comment in but we won’t bother with out right lies or gleeful malice. We leave that to the Herald comment section.

EDITORS NOTE: – By the way, here’s a list of shit that will get your comment dumped. Sexist abuse, homophobic abuse, racist abuse, anti-muslim abuse, transphobic abuse, Chemtrails, 9/11 truthers, Qanon lunacy, climate deniers, anti-fluoride fanatics, anti-vaxxer lunatics, 5G conspiracy theories, the virus is a bioweapon, some weird Bullshit about the UN taking over the world  and ANYONE that links to fucking infowar.

In Occupied Palestine – 08 June 2025

In Occupied Palestine

Zionism in practice

Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Land

08:00, 08 June 2025 until 08:00, 09 June 2025

Gaza Strip

Merciless blitz on starving Gaza growing numbers

of dead and injured

Victims 08 June 09 June 2025:

47 more killed and 388 wounded

Since dawn, Israeli air strikes, missile launches and gunfire on homes, as well as medical and other facilities, have resulted in 47 dead and 388 wounded. Civil Defence crews retrieved two more bodies from underneath bomb-damaged property, bringing the total number now killed in Gaza, since 7 October 2023, to at least 54,927. The total wounded is now at least 126,615. The daily average number of men, women and children killed in Gaza is at least 90 and, that of those injured, is more than 207. A UN report states that, as of 14 January 2025, around 70% of those killed in Gaza were women and children.

West Bank

Palestinian Monitoring Group Since midnight on 07 October 2023, Occupation forces have been imposing a complete closure around the whole of the West Bank, preventing people (even including permit-holders) from entering both Jerusalem City as well as Israel, other than for especially-negotiated exceptions. Permanent military checkpoints impose severe travel restrictions within the Occupied West Bank.

Israeli Army attack – 1 wounded: Jerusalem – 23:00, Israeli Occupation forces, on the Annexation Wall, opened fire on and wounded a man, Majd Wael Turk, making his way to work across the Green Line.

Israeli Army attack – 4 taken prisoner: Jenin – 12:20, the Israeli Army, firing live ammunition, continued storming raids on the city and the refugee camp, taking prisoner four residents.

Israeli Army attack – home invasions: Tulkarem – Israeli forces have continued their storming of the city as well as the Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, opening fire on people, raiding and searching many homes. Three people were taken prisoner. More homes and property were seized for military purposes.

Israeli Army assault and robbery: Ramallah – 14:15, Israeli Occupation forces seized a tractor, while raiding the town of Sinjil.

Israeli Army populationcontrol: Tulkarem – 14:15, Israeli forces took prisoner a man, Ahmed Shadi Eid Jaber, when he reported, as ordered, for interrogation at Israeli Military Intelligence.

Israeli Army assault and closure of homes to residents: Hebron – 14:00, the Israeli Army welded shut the doors to several homes in the Jaber and Salaymeh neighbourhoods of the Old City.

Occupation settlement water crime: Salfit – 15:20, Israeli Occupation settlers built a settlement road connecting the Matwi Road to the Farkha village spring and pumped the water to theirsettlement outpost nearby.

Occupation settlement land-grab development: Salfit – 16:15, Israeli settlers built a new road on the western side of Deir Ballut, to connect with pastoral land already seized between Deir Ballut and the village of al-Lubban al-Gharbi.

Occupation settler stoning: Jerusalem – 20:0021:10, Israeli Occupation settlers stoned passing vehicles at the Jaba’ village roundabout.

Occupation settler agricultural sabotage: Ramallah – 15:00, Israeli settlers invaded al-Mughayir village agricultural land and cut off the branches from a number of olive trees.

Occupation settler stoning: Ramallah – 22:45, Israeli of settlers stoned passing vehicles, on the road between the Ein Siniya village roundabout and the Atara town bridge.

Occupation settler terrorism: Nablus – 11:30, Occupation settlers terrorised passersby at the northern entrance to Salfit.

Occupation settler stoning and other vandalism: Nablus – 15:15, Israeli settlers stoned the home of villager, Ayman Atallah Sufan, on the outskirts of Burin village after blocking the road leading to the house and smashing the windows of his vehicle.

Occupation settler stoning: Nablus – 15:40, Occupation settlers stoned passing vehicles on the road between the villages of ‘Urif and Asira al-Qibliya.

Occupation settler violence – Israeli Army complicity: Bethlehem – 07:25, after Israelis, from the Etzion Occupation settlement, had assaulted a man, Khaled Muhammad Yaqoub Subaih, on his property, the Israeli Army came and detained him for a time.

Occupation settler violence: Hebron – 11:30, Israeli Occupation settlers severely beatup a working shepherd, Ibrahim Eid al-Hreizat, near the Masafer area of ​​Yatta.

Occupation settler violence – Israeli Army complicity: Hebron – 11:45, Israeli settlers invaded the Qawawis agricultural area of ​​Yatta and assaulted farm workers until Occupation forces arrived and took prisoner the two farm workers for having tried to defend themselves.

Occupation settler vandalism: Hebron – 16:30, Occupation settlers removed the doors of gold jewellery shops, as well as those to waterstorage tanks.

Raid – robbery: Jerusalem – 14:10, Israeli Occupation forces raided the town of Hizma and seized a motor vehicle belonging to a freed prisoner, claiming that the vehicle was purchased with the salary he received from the Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs.

Raid 1 taken prisoner: Ramallah – 00:35, Israeli forces raided the village of Aboud, taking prisoner a woman.

Raid 3 children assaulted: Ramallah – 06:40, the Israeli Army raided the village of Al-Mughayyir and assaulted three children.

Raid 1 taken prisoner: Jenin – 01:25, Israeli troops raided the village of Fahma, taking prisoner one person.

Raid: Tulkarem – 15:00, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the town of Anabta.

Raid: Tulkarem – 22:10, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the village of Farun.

Raid stun grenades fired: Qalqiliya – 18:50-01:50, Israeli Occupation forces, firing stun grenades, raided Azzun.

Raid: Nablus – 13:30, Israeli forces raided and patrolled Azmut village.

Raid: Nablus – 16:45, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled Tal village.

Raid: Nablus – 18:50, Israeli troops raided and patrolled the city.

Raid 1 taken prisoner: Nablus – 02:50-04:55, Israeli soldiers raided Aqraba, taking prisoner one person.

Raid 1 taken prisoner: Jericho – 08:1004:30, Israeli Occupation forces raided the city, taking prisoner one person.

Raid 2 taken prisoner: Bethlehem – 08:30, Israeli forces raided the village of Khallet al-Loz, taking prisoner two people.

Raid 1 taken prisoner: Bethlehem – 02:15, the Israeli Army raided the town of Tuqu’, taking prisoner one person.

Raid 2 taken prisoner: Bethlehem – 05:00-06:00, Israeli troops raided the city, taking prisoner two people.

Raid on refugee camp: Hebron – 11:40, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the al-Fawar refugee camp.

Raid 4 taken prisoner in refugee camp: Hebron – 01:40, Israeli soldiers raided the al-Arroub refugee camp, taking prisoner four people.

Climate Legal Action Necessary Response To Govt Inaction – NZCTU

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi welcomes the legal action taken against the Minister of Climate Change by a coalition of legal experts as an important step in ensuring that Aotearoa meets its climate action obligations.

“We strongly support legal action to ensure that the Government is held to account for its legal obligations under the Climate Change Response Act,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“The union movement is deeply concerned by the Emissions Reduction Plan 2026-2030, which contains no significant policies to reduce emissions and will fail to get New Zealand meaningfully closer to our 2050 net-zero commitment.

“The actions – or lack of them – by this Government on climate change are the actions of climate deniers, not responsible leaders.

“Workers and communities need real political leadership that combats global emissions and invests in creating a just transition for industries and workers. We need leadership that develops and upholds long term consensus, not more U-turns.

“Instead, we have a government that cancelled 35 climate policies without consulting the public first, as required by law. Robust public engagement is essential.

“Climate policy is yet another area where this Government is prioritising corporate interests over democratic accountability and the interests of working people.

“Evidence is clear that a near-total focus on tree planting through vast pine forests is not a sufficient response – we must reduce emissions at source.

“Alongside the weak emissions budget, in Budget 2025 we saw a total abdication of responsibility on climate change and ensuring a Just Transition for working people in an increasingly volatile world.

“The NZCTU supports bold climate action to reduce emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and transition to a zero emissions economy that provides full employment for workers,” said Wagstaff.

Government rightfully sued over illegal climate ‘plan’ – Greens

Last week, world-leading climate scientists called out the Government’s approach to agricultural emissions. This week, climate lawyers have sued the Government because its Emissions Reductions Plans do not add up.

“Luxon’s Government has chosen to pour oil, coal and gas on the climate crisis fire. Their climate ‘plan’ is not worth the paper it is written on. That’s why they’re being sued today,” says the Green Party’s co-leader and spokesperson for climate change, Chlöe Swarbrick.

“I called it a demonstrable lie when the Prime Minister told Parliament in December 2023 that he wasn’t weakening actions on climate – while he was actively weakening actions on climate. It was and remains a demonstrable lie. This is the first leg of the legal case.

“The Luxon Government’s second Emissions Reduction Plan relies on unproven, economically unfeasible technologies and plastering our country in pine trees. This is the second leg of the legal case.

“Christopher Luxon has spent the better part of two years telling the country everything is fine while he dismantles effective climate policy, gives handouts to the fossil fuel sector and platforms lobbyist’s pseudoscience on agricultural emissions. This would be a meme – a joke – if it wasn’t so serious.

“The Greens have shown we can reduce climate-changing emissions five times faster than the Government’s ‘plan,’ while reducing the cost of living and improving our quality of life.

“New Zealanders deserve so much better than this Government taking them for chumps,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

NOTES:

Legal Experts Sue Climate Minister Over Glaring Holes In Emissions Plan – Lawyers for Climate Action

A coalition of legal experts has launched major legal proceedings against the Minister of Climate Change, alleging that the Government’s emissions reduction plan fails to fulfil basic requirements of the law.

“Under the Climate Change Response Act, the Government has to put in place a credible emissions reduction plan for Aotearoa that will meet our climate targets and set us up for success,” says Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc Executive Director Jessica Palairet.

“Yet, in the face of warnings from our Climate Change Commission that there are “significant risks” around whether New Zealand will meet its climate targets, the plan misses the mark. It takes a high-risk, forestry-led approach to emissions reductions. Our law requires more.”

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and co-applicant the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) allege the Government’s plan fails to meet key requirements of the Climate Change Response Act. “As it stands, the Government’s emissions reduction plan will carry huge consequences for our country. We don’t take this step lightly, but the plan needs to be challenged,” says Ms Palairet.

Under the Climate Change Response Act, governments must set an emissions reduction plan every five years. These plans outline economy-wide policies and strategies for meeting corresponding emissions budgets – which are stepping stones towards achieving our 2050 net-zero target. In 2024, the Government published the second emissions reduction plan, which will be operative from 2026 – 2030.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and ELI challenge decisions relating to both the first emissions reduction plan (2021-2025) and the second emissions reduction plan (2026-2030).

ELI’s director, research and legal, Dr Matt Hall says “the Government cancelled 35 climate policies and actions which were part of the first emissions reduction plan – without consulting the public first, as required by law. It then put in place a second emissions reduction plan which is almost devoid of actions or policies for reducing emissions at their source.”

The NGOs allege that the second emissions reduction plan is unlikely to ensure emissions stay within the budget, has an unrealistic approach to risk management, and assumes that 95% of the planned emissions reductions will occur by themselves without policies or strategies.

Instead of focusing on reducing emissions at source, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts instead relied heavily on offsetting the country’s emissions with forestry plantations.

“This was despite warnings from the Climate Change Commission that tree planting is no substitute for reducing emissions at source. It locks-in vast pine plantations for future generations, and runs up against our obligations under the Paris Agreement. The science is clear that forestry is important, but it’s not a substitute for reducing our combustion of fossil fuels,” says Dr Hall.

Dr Hall says the Minister was required to publish a sufficiently detailed plan that could assure the public New Zealand will meet its emissions budget. The Government’s plan does not give confidence; in our view, it is neither credible nor capable of achieving the purpose, which is to reduce emissions”.

Lawyers for Climate Action NZ’s Jessica Palairet says, “The Minister has made the pathway for achieving the third emissions budget incredibly difficult. Left unchallenged, it will be a huge burden for the future.”

“We believe it is necessary to take this case to protect the interests of the public now and in the future, and to test these important legal provisions for the first time.”

The application for judicial review has been filed with the High Court and is awaiting a court date.

Notes:

Israeli Attack On Gaza Aid Flotilla Is State Piracy, Genocidal Violence — New Zealand’s Silence Is Complicity – Thyme4Action

Today, in a staggering act of violence and defiance of international law, the Israeli military attacked and boarded the Madleen, a humanitarian flotilla attempting to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza. The vessel was in international waters, carrying aid workers, doctors, journalists, and supplies desperately needed by a population Israel has systematically bombed, starved, and displaced.

This was not a military confrontation. It was the assault of an unarmed civilian aid ship by a state acting with total impunity. This is piracy, it is state terror, and it is a genocidal act of war.

A regime engaged in genocide would send sends drones and armed commandos to detain civilians in international waters. We are witnessing the total moral collapse of a state, supported for years by Western Governments to act with utter impunity, violate our global legal system, morality and principles. No amount of spin or military propaganda can hide the cruelty of deliberately starving a population, targeting children, bombing hospitals and bakeries, and then violently stopping others from bringing aid.

This attack on the Madleen not a separate incident — it is part of the same campaign to eliminate Palestinian life, hope, and survival. It is why the International Court of Justice has already ruled that Israel is plausibly committing genocide.

This is not complicated.

Israel has no legal authority in international waters. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Israel’s boarding of a civilian aid ship beyond its territorial waters is an act of piracy, unlawful kidnapping, forcible abduction and armed aggression.

Under international humanitarian law, deliberately blocking aid to a population facing starvation is a war crime.

Under the Genocide Convention, when a state intentionally denies food, water, and medicine to a population it is bombing and displacing, this constitutes part of a genocidal campaign.

The silence of the New Zealand Government is no longer neutral, and it demonstrates a shocking lack of respect for international law, for human rights, and for the safety of global humanitarian workers.

It reflects a broader decay in foreign policy — where selective outrage and Israeli exceptionalism undermine the credibility of everything New Zealand claims to stand for.

We call on the New Zealand Government to:

• Publicly condemn Israel’s illegal assault on the Madleen and its passengers. • Demand the immediate release of all aid workers, journalists, and civilians abducted by Israeli forces.

• Suspend all diplomatic, military, and trade cooperation with Israel until it complies with international law.

• Support international accountability mechanisms, including referring Israel’s crimes to the International Criminal Court and backing enforcement of the ICJ’s provisional measures on genocide.

This Has to Stop. This is not just a crisis in Gaza. It is a crisis of global morality, of international law, and of our basic shared humanity.

We stand with the people of Gaza. We stand with the brave souls aboard the Madleen, and we demand an end to this madness before the world forgets what it means to be human. We need a government that stands for all that is right, not all that is wrong.

Aid is not terrorism. International waters are not Israel’s territory. And silence in the face of evil is complicity.

Thyme4Action
Human rights advocates, educators, and community members committed to justice and international law

Greenpeace calls for international action to release the Madleen aid vessel

Greenpeace calls upon the international community to urgently uphold international law and ensure the immediate release of the Freedom Flotilla humanitarian vessel, the Madleen along with its crew.

The ship was illegally seized in international waters by Israeli forces off the coast of Gaza as it attempted to break the long-standing blockade preventing the delivery of life-saving aid and food by sea.

The Israeli Government continues to enforce a full blockade by land and sea of aid and food from international organisations, compounding an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Blocking aid and targeting those who deliver it are grave violations of international humanitarian law.

While the people of Gaza continue to suffer from the devastating acts of collective punishment, the international community has utterly failed to respond with the necessary moral urgency and integrity. Their inaction is not neutrality. It is complicity.

The ongoing weaponisation of aid has placed over two million on the precipice of famine with most being considered to exist in either a state of emergency or catastrophic food deprivation and malnourishment.

The death toll of bullets and bombs will be lost in the shadows when compared to the innocent lives taken as a consequence of withholding bread and medicine! Only by immediately ending the siege and releasing all UN aid convoys amassed on the border can famine be averted.

Greenpeace demands:

  • An immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to halt the assault on civilians and the environment.
  • The release by Hamas of all hostages.
  • The release by Israel of all illegally detained Palestinians.
  • The imposition of targeted sanctions and a comprehensive arms embargo, enforced by the international community.
  • The unhindered delivery of aid by the UN and other humanitarian organisations.
  • An end to the illegal occupation of Palestine.

Greenpeace supports a future in which Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace, within recognised borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

If the international community continues to stand-by without taking concrete action as ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity mount, it will have to answer for aiding and abetting a genocide.

The time to act is now!

Greenpeace activists aboard the Rainbow Warrior disrupt industrial fishing operation in South Pacific

Greenpeace activists aboard the Rainbow Warrior have disrupted an industrial longlining fishing operation in the South Pacific Ocean, seizing almost 20 kilometres of fishing gear and freeing nine sharks, including an endangered mako, near Australia and New Zealand.

The Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior is seen close to a Spanish longliner to bear witness to the industrial fishing in the South Pacific Ocean.
The Rainbow Warrior is in the South Pacific Ocean to  expose longline fishing and call on governments to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and create a network of protected areas in the High Seas.
The Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior is seen close to a Spanish longliner to bear witness to the industrial fishing in the South Pacific Ocean. The Rainbow Warrior is in the South Pacific Ocean to expose longline fishing and call on governments to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and create a network of protected areas in the High Seas.

With an expert team on a small boat releasing more than a dozen animals, crew aboard the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior retrieved the entire longline and more than 210 baited hooks from a EU-flagged industrial fishing vessel, including an endangered longfin mako shark, eight near-threatened blue sharks and four swordfish. The crew also documented the vessel catching endangered sharks during its longlining operation.

The at-sea action follows new Greenpeace Australia Pacific analysis exposing the extent of shark catch from industrial longlining in parts of the Pacific Ocean. Latest fisheries data showed that almost 70% of EU vessels’ catch was blue shark in 2023 alone. It comes ahead of next week’s UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where world leaders will discuss ocean protection and the Global Ocean Treaty.

On board the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigner Georgia Whitaker says, “These longliners are industrial killing machines. Greenpeace Australia Pacific took peaceful and direct action to disrupt this attack on marine life. We saved important species that would otherwise have been killed or left to die on hooks.

“The scale of industrial fishing – still legal on the high seas – is astronomical. These vessels claim to be targeting swordfish or tuna, but we witnessed shark after shark being hauled up by these industrial fleets, including three endangered sharks in just half an hour. Greenpeace is calling on world leaders at the UN Ocean Conference to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 from this wanton destruction.”

Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling on the New Zealand Government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create global ocean sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand signed the agreement in 2023.

More than two-thirds of sharks worldwide are endangered, and a third of those are at risk of extinction from overfishing. Over the last three weeks, the Rainbow Warrior has been documenting longlining vessels and practices off Australia’s east coast, including from Spain and China.

The Bradbury Group with Rawiri Waititi, Arena Williams, Dita de Boni and Professor Susan St John

Welcome to the new weekly Political Podcast, The Bradbury Group, proudly sponsored by Waatea News (Journalism you can trust) live 8pm Tuesday’s on ROVA, Youtube, SkyTV and Waatea’s main Facebook page.

Each week we will interview a Political Party Leader 1 on 1 live and then open the debate up to a panel of pundits, politicians and political commentators for fierce debate.

Fourth Estate media is dying, The Bradbury Group will fight back.
On this weeks show: Māori Party co-Leader Rawiri Waititi 1 on 1 in 10.

Political Panel:

  • Labour Party MP for Manurewa, Arena Williams
  • Auckland Business Editor for The Post, Dita De Boni
  • Child poverty campaigner, Associate Prof. Susan St John

TOPICS TONIGHT:

  • Issue 1: What does the punishment handed out to the Maori Party MPs say about the state of Democracy in NZ?
  • Issue 2: The NBR 2025 Rich list vs the 500 000 kiwis needing food banks each month
  • and Issue 3 tonight: Greta Thunberg, Trump invading California and the future of protest

The Liberal Agenda – Under The Radar gig guide

Hey, here is your weekly guide to gigs in Auckland.

TICKETS

Punk Ska Alt night of Bands with DJ Sicoff on the side Minuit: A Reunion Of Shows.
Teknotitts Presents - Hot, Hard & Heavy Neither Do I w/ Evie Bamford - Nicegoblins HQ

POPULAR

Floodlights ‘Underneath’ Album tour
Double Whammy (Fri)
Punk Ska Alt night of Bands with DJ Sicoff on the side
Big Fan (Sat)
Imperial Triumphant
The Mothership (Fri)
Neither Do I w/ Evie Bamford – Nicegoblins HQ
NiceGoblins HQ (Sat)
Earth Tongue
Double Whammy (Sat)

COMING UP

Dice Show: Improvised Stand Up Comedy, Chaos And Panel Show!
Whammy Bar
Tue 10th June
花溪 Flowerstream, Chelsea Prastiti (solo), Roger Manins & Michael Howell Duo
THE APARTMENT
Thu 12th June
Bella Mae & Timpani Decot
St Lukes Anglican Hall
Fri 13th June
Imperial Triumphant
The Mothership
Fri 13th June
Sam Manzanza Afrobeat Band
Ponsonby Social Club
Fri 13th June

PROMOTED

Captain Blistermint's Half EP, Full Sound Party Captain Blistermint’s Half EP, Full Sound Party
Cupid Bar
Fri 13th June
Electric Panther Presents Paige Julia Electric Panther Presents Paige Julia
Neck of the Woods
Fri 13th June
Punk Ska Alt night of Bands with DJ Sicoff on the side Punk Ska Alt night of Bands with DJ Sicoff on the side
Big Fan
Sat 14th June
Neither Do I w/ Evie Bamford - Nicegoblins HQ Neither Do I w/ Evie Bamford – Nicegoblins HQ
NiceGoblins HQ
Sat 14th June
The Peacekeepers The Peacekeepers
The Stables Restaurant
Sat 14th June
Geneva AM | Pikipiki - Debut Album Preview Geneva AM | Pikipiki – Debut Album Preview
Goblin Akl
Thu 19th June
Thousand Limbs, Slumbug & In Shade Thousand Limbs, Slumbug & In Shade
Big Fan
Thu 19th June
Geneva Am | Pikipiki - Listening Party Geneva Am | Pikipiki – Listening Party
A Space
Fri 20th June
Geneva AM | Pikipiki - Hākari Kanikani Geneva AM | Pikipiki – Hākari Kanikani
Leigh Sawmill Cafe
Sat 21st June
Common Threads Common Threads
Gribblehirst Community Hub
Fri 27th June
Elliot and Vincent Elliot and Vincent
Grey Lynn RSC
Fri 27th June

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TUESDAY 10TH JUNE

WEDNESDAY 11TH JUNE

THURSDAY 12TH JUNE

FRIDAY 13TH JUNE

SATURDAY 14TH JUNE

SUNDAY 15TH JUNE

MONDAY 16TH JUNE

 

—see all gigs in Auckland

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The Liberal Agenda – Basement Theatre

Kia ora Basement whānau,

Nau mai haere mai ki te hui ahurei me te pāti i tēnei wiki!

The Festival of Live Art [AKL] is taking over Basement Theatre this week. A space for Experimental and Live Art by the misfits, punks, and menaces of the world. Come experience a bold collision of brilliance, storytelling, and radical joy.

Mā te wā,
Basement Theatre x

F.O.L.A [AKL]: Moon Prism Power Bottom
11 – 14 June, 5pm. Festival Hearth.
A drenched pageant under a new moon. A memory evaporating from the bodies of women.

Pageant Moon is a recollection of intimacy, on loop. A kaleidoscoped pair of lovers. A mother and child blurring together in the shallows.

This outdoor movement installation invites you into a nostalgic dreamscape of softening and breaking- slowly, mentally, cellularly.

Pageant Moon extends Presley’s continued exploration of death and dying from a queer Māori perspective. It holds close the slow, small, and sometimes unnoticed losses we experience as humans, and the indistinct but vital impacts of these mundane grievances upon the way that we move through the world.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Return: A Rain Walk
11-14 June, 6.30pm. Basement/Myers Park.
A walk in the rain guided by the recorded voices of children from across Australia and Aotearoa for all ages, by UK live artists Andy Field and Beckie Darlington.

Revel in a walk in the rain, by yourself, with a friend or the whole family.

A stunning audio experience reminding us to find joy and wonder in the small things. Accompanied by the recorded voices of children from across Australia and Aotearoa, the rainfall will become your own private theatre, a space in which to observe, imagine and play. Whether in a drizzle or a deluge, we invite you to step outside, feel the rain on your face, and think about your place in a world that is changing so swiftly around you.

NOTE: This is an audio experience that requires a smartphone. When you register your ticket you will need to pick up a small box with instructions from Basement Theatre. This work can take place anytime but best enjoyed in the rain.

Photo: Jemima Yong

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Queer Powerpoint
12 – 13 June, 6pm/10pm. Theatre.
Don’t miss the Aotearoa debut of cult hit Queer PowerPoint at FOLA 2025. Watch the deepest recesses of your notes app come to life as queer artists, thinkers, babes and glorious weirdos from across Auckland share their burning passions, most cooked theories and secret desires for your viewing pleasure.

The only rule… they must use Microsoft’s most mundane medium PowerPoint. Co-hosts Harriet Gillies and Xanthe Dobbie will take you on a guided journey through this fantasia of hot takes, heartfelt moments, and heated debates, one starwipe at a time.

Produced by Unfunded Empathy. This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

Submit YOUR Queer Powerpoint here: https://www.queerpowerpoint.com/be-in-a-show

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Return – Liquid Light
13 – 14 June, 5pm. Festival Hearth.
Use a variety of liquids and tools to create your own immersive psychedelic world.

A live, unfolding and shapeshifting creation that drips, spreads, leaks and evolves. Sometimes intentionally, and sometimes not.

A variety of liquids, compounds, tools, and techniques are used to create art inspired by the psychedelic movement of the 60s and beyond.

Liquid Light will light up the entire Festival Hearth (outside Basement) for 2 nights with all creations projected on the garden walls. Plates will be available to interact with and you are invited to participate in designing your very own liquid existence.

Free
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Moonrise Keynote: Ahakoa Te Ahi
11 June, 4.30pm. Myers Park (Meet Outside). 
A mass ritual under the light of the full moon. Bring your bells.

F.O.L.A. [AKL] has summoned exuberant Taranaki artist and social alchemist Grayson Goffe to orchestrate a public participation, mass ritual under the light of the Full Moon. Igniting the heartbeat of our festival, this event invites you to ring your bells and meet the elements in a collective open-air rite.

Binding three tempos of Ahi (fire), Wai (water) & Whenua (earth), this procession and ceremony reflect the Te Ao Maori approach to BELONGING – Ahakoa te Ahi, No matter the Fire.

Melding fire and warmth with the cool and sacred waters of Waihorotiu, running beneath Myers Park, this moment of communion unfolds through sound, bodies and voice, lifting the veil, dissolving the everyday and stepping through to the artistic underground of Tāmaki Makaurau.

“As a Mataawaka (Urbanised) practitioner & Whanau Rerenga (Refugee family), together we embrace our troubling realities, lived experiences & adversity as a form of resistance and as opportunities for growth, conceptualizing through sound and movement; spirit of whenua, resonance of belonging and calls of home.”

The sounds of this ritual will be captured and played each day of the festival at Moonrise, keeping the fire burning. Thursday 12 June at 5:31pm, Friday 13 June at 6.30pm & Saturday 14 June at 7:34pm.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Art Brats Art Party
11 June, 9.30pm. Foyer & Festival Hearth. 
“Calling all ART BRATS! You know who you are!

Your attendance is required at the ART BRAT PARTY from 9.30pm till midnight. For a classic arty and bratty opening night knees up. Join us in our warm, cozy, immersive Festival Hearth amongst Tyrone Te Waa’s interactive Fleapit sculpture and Mush and Sione’s playful, uncanny and glittering visuals, Moon Prism Power Bottoms, with DJ Sarah providing the feel good fuzzies on the decks.”

Free Event
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Pageant Moon
11 June, 6.30pm. The Slab.
A drenched pageant under a new moon. A memory evaporating from the bodies of women.

Pageant Moon is a recollection of intimacy, on loop. A kaleidoscoped pair of lovers. A mother and child blurring together in the shallows.

This outdoor movement installation invites you into a nostalgic dreamscape of softening and breaking- slowly, mentally, cellularly.

Pageant Moon extends Presley’s continued exploration of death and dying from a queer Māori perspective. It holds close the slow, small, and sometimes unnoticed losses we experience as humans, and the indistinct but vital impacts of these mundane grievances upon the way that we move through the world.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Fetū x Fetu’u
11 June, 8.30pm. Theatre.
Fetū x Fetu’u chronicles the multifaceted experiences of Moe Laga as a Samoan Fa’afafine born in Aotearoa, grappling with the complexities of life in South Auckland.

This new work by Moe Laga delves into profound themes of grief, god/s, taboos, sex, pop cultural witchery, and the VĀ. The dichotomy of “Stars” and “Curses” underscores the piece, with stars symbolizing hope, dreams, and the cosmos — while curses represent pain, misfortune, and dark.

Fetū x Fetu’u, evokes a journey through the celestial and the terrestrial, the sacred and the profane. Through this evocative performance, Laga invites the audience to explore the interplay between light and shadow.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: BTM Voices of Vessels
12 June, 8.30pm. Theatre.
BTM The Voice of Vessels expands on Sung Hwan Bobby Park’s visceral exploration of creation and sexuality.

The next work in the BTM series, Park sculpts clay through fisting, forming ceramic vessels and excavating microphones and karaoke hits. Vulnerable and powerful, this irreverent performance art work is a dual act of creation and liberation.

Delving into queer identity through raw, embodied expression, Park intertwines the physicality of clay-making with the emotional release of song.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Return – Liquid Light Workshop
13 June, 11am. Studio.
Turn liquid into light in a free workshop by Ōtepoti based multimedia artist, Sam Caldwell.

Sam Caldwell is the mastermind behind FOLA [AKL]’s favourite live, unfolding and shapeshifting creation that drips, spreads, leaks and evolves. In this workshop, Sam will guide you through experimenting with a variety of liquids, compounds, tools, and techniques to create art inspired by the psychedelic movement of the 60s and beyond.

Register Here
F.O.L.A [AKL]: The Devil Wears Rats (Director’s Cut)
13 June, 6pm. Festival Hearth. Free.
Crawl into the Basement Hearth for Rats in the Gutter: The Devil Wears Rats (Directors Cut)

A filthy, no-filter directors’ commentary with Johanna Cosgrove and Samuel Te Kani.

Tāmaki’s two most beloved rats pick through the wreckage of this iconic film to create their own chaotic masterpiece. Nothing’s sacred, nobody’s safe. It’s grim, it’s glorious, it’s falling apart at the seams — and you’re front row for the mess. If you like your art cooked and your heroes feral, grab a mulled wine, hop under a heater and get in the gutter with us.

Register Here
F.O.L.A [AKL]: MDF (Medium Density Fantasy)
13 June, 8.30pm. Theatre.
A hypocritical critique of personal brand. A proclamation from a high horse. SOFT Co. is here asking its audience to trust them, though there may be reasons not to.

From the makers of HEALR and Inflated Rebel, MDF is at once a signature genre-bending dance escapade, and a disintegration of the contracts of presentation.

(medium density fantasy) is the second work in SOFT.co’s performance research series MDF, in collaboration with lighting artist Elekis Poblete-Tierney. MDF looks at the elation and problematics of self-representation and branding in the making of work and the making of oneself. Flags and banners, statements of intent, frames-within-a-frame. SOFT.co works with a process of rigorous confusion to query the performativity of performance in personal and political arenas.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Art Brats’ (Potluck) Art Brunch
14 June, 11am. Studio. Free.
Arts brats are our festival residents and ambassadors. They embody the heart of our festival and make the type of work that really gets our blood pumping!

Our 2025 art brats will be seen all over the festival, yelling about the work they love, and soaking it all in for their future artworks. They’ll be having an informal chat together about art and life over a potluck brunch in Basement’s cozy studio space and you’re invited! Bring a plate and get ready to be served some hot takes, raucous reckons and audacious attitudes, alongside your BYO hashbrown and breakfast mimosa.

Register Here
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Hulla Gulla (Chaos Party)
14 June, 10pm til late. Bar & Festival Hearth. Free.
Line up your comfy shoes and morning after electrolytes for FOLA [AKL]’s chaotic and cathartic final party.

Hulla Gulla, meaning chaos in Hindi: a party to herald in the new lunar cycle with one last spin across the dance floor. Embrace chaos, release catharsis and your final excuse to go full throttle under the moonlight.

Wear comfy shoes. Move it like you mean it. Expect to sweat.

Full DJ lineup announced soon.

Register Here
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Glory Whole
14 June, 8.30pm. Theatre.
A bathroom stall with a viewing hole remains constant. A portal between states of being, a liminal space where identities dissolve and reform as perfectionism confronts authenticity — through which the audience is invited to question its own voyeurism.

Glory Whole is a collaboration between brutalist sewer-pop trio Grecco Romank and drag-creature Copper MaeSteal. Over 60 minutes, four dream-logic scenes continuously evolve. Each segment a grotesque interpretation of society’s maladaptive tendencies — from over-consumption of fitness culture, to the body-horror of plastic surgery, the psychosexual melodrama of the boudoir before dissolving into a collective communion of self-annihilation.

Audiences move freely through the space alongside performers, experiencing the metamorphosis firsthand, soundtracked by Grecco Romank and Copper MaeSteal’s transgressive movement work.

Book Now
F.O.L.A [AKL]: Materiel World (TAS)
14 June, 6.30pm. Theatre.
In this artwork, the artists attempt to mine copper from the community to shoot back into the earth.

Materiel World explores the physical, logistical, and social lives of objects via a highly loaded question: can we keep it in the ground?

Mixing metallurgy and dramaturgy, the artists will attempt to reverse-mine community e-waste for copper, preparing it to shoot back from whence it came. Along the way, they explosively collide with the intersecting laws, ethics, and regulations that guide the lifespan of risky objects: as raw matter, as tools, and as waste.

The word “Materiel”, as used in the title, is the military definition for equipment and munitions: non-human inventory managed by the armed forces. From swords, to plowshares, and back again.

In Materiel World, artist Loren Kronemyer is seeking E-Waste from the community – to be collaboratively dismantled and transmuted. Visitors can contribute their discarded tech – from tangled cords to dead devices – which will be mined for copper and lovingly re-cast for an eventual return to the earth.

What kind of e-waste can you bring?
We’re looking for small, dismantle-able items – especially things with copper inside.

– Audio and USB cables (any length, any condition – the more tangled, the better)
– Power cords and chargers
– Old headphones or earbuds
– Broken remote controls
– Dead phones, MP3 players, or portable electronics
– Computer mice, keyboards, or hard drives
– Small electronic toys or gadgets
– Miscellaneous e-waste bits from the bottom of your drawer

NOTE: We can’t accept Large Household, Kitchen or Laundry Appliances. If you can carry it in one hand & If it once had a working wire, plug, or beep – we’ll take it.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. This project has been developed with support from SPACED and Contemporary Art Tasmania.

Book Now
HAU Festival: Tāne Rore
17 – 21 June, 6:30pm/8pm. Theatre.
TĀNE RORE is a devised, bilingual theatre extravaganza that features singing, dance, haka and authentic storytelling through text (monologue and poetry) featuring BIPOC male-identifying performers. Scattered with songs, dance (contemporary, hip-hop, Pasifika) and haka elements, Basement audiences are in for a powerful and moving experience celebrating the Māori atua (deity) of performing arts.

This is the ‘brother-show’ of HINE-TE-RĒHIA presented in 2022, and at BATS Wellington last year.

Please note that the 20th June performance starts at 6.30PM.

Book Now
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
19 June, 8.30pm. Studio. Choose What You Pay.
Which comedian can cut a job in the “real-world”?

There’s plenty of people who will say ‘comedy isn’t a “real job”’ but this is the only show which tests comedians to see if they’re capable of doing anything else. Through a series of quizzes and improv situations all based around one area of work, each comic will be vying to see who can walk away with the Champions title of “Employee of the Month”.

Hoani Hotene hosts, while two teams of comedians know their knowledge and improv skills to show that they’re more than just punchlines and the rule of threes. If you enjoy shows like QI and Thank God You’re Here this is the show for you!

Book Now
HAU Festival: Garage Party
20 June, 8pm. Theatre.
MATARIKI: 20 June (FREE EVENT)

GARAGE PARTY presents an incredible all-female, all-rainbow line-up of Māori and Pasifika musicians performing throughout the night at this free event at the Basement. This is an old-school jam session, join us for some sumptuous Māori-inspired kai, and a couple of inu’s as we welcome in the Māori New Year.

Featuring Daughters of Ally (Jessie & Georgina Matthews), Liana Frangipani, DJ Ayesha and Bonnie Hurunui from White Chapel Jak.

Book Now
HAU Festival: SURVIVE
24-28 June, 7pm. Theatre.
SURVIVE features three solo performances by queer Aotearoa artists, each delving into themes of identity, authenticity, and navigating the trials and triumphs of a life within the diverse LGBTQiA2+ spectrum.

These shows* include:

– ESCAPING, a gay exposé about living, loving, losing and learning. Written and performed by Adam Burrell. A development season of this show was presented at BATS Wellington in April.

– PRAY, a gay exposé about faith, fa’ataupati, fellas and fellatio. Written and performed by Vincent Farane.

– LADY SINGS THE OOO’S, a gay exposé with oooh’s and aaah’s, and ew’s and nah’s. Written and performed by Nan