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Pakistan’s Draconian Blasphemy Laws Claim Two More Victims

Michael Cook mercatornet.com Michael Cook is the editor of MercatorNet. District Headquarters Hospital Faisalabad is a 570-bed hospital in the second-largest city in the Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. Like all hospitals in Pakistan, it is under pressure from the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has excellent facilities and

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Daily News Roundup – 20 April 2021

Daily News Roundup – 20 April 2021

NZ-China relations: Mahuta Speech Alexander Gillespie (The Conversation): Without evidence of real progress, NZ’s foreign policy towards China looks increasingly empty Luke Malpass and Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): The taniwha and the dragon: Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta talks China in major speech Audrey Young (Herald): Nanaia Mahuta likens NZ-China relations

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Stalemate?

Stalemate?

18th April 2021 The conflict in Myanmar is reaching a stage where the Military won’t lose, but equally they can’t win. The Tatmadaw have about 350,000/400,000 troops and the EAOs about 100,000.  The Tatmadaw are better armed and have an air force, most of

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The Week in Review

The Week in Review

Like many Kiwis across New Zealand, we were shocked to find, yet again, that the Government have not been doing their job to keep our border secure. After all the carefully choreographed public reassurances and spin, we find that a border worker went without mandatory testing for six months, 450

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Daily News Roundup – 19 April 2021

Daily News Roundup – 19 April 2021

Housing crisis Reuters: ‘Explosion of wealth inequality’ as housing boom leaves many behind – economist Dan Satherley (Newshub): Housing crisis: Price falls coming, but ‘nothing compared to’ how much they’ve risen – economists Miriam Bell (Stuff): What will happen if house prices fall? Tara Shaskey (Stuff): Poverty will cripple Maori if

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A Land with No Beer

A Land with No Beer

17th April 2021 The economy is taking a hit in the weirdest ways and the military in particular are suffering from the downturn. By closing down the internet and mobile networks the Junta have hit at the heart of the modernising transactional banking part of the economy. This, combined with

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Myanmar: Could Defecting Security Forces Bring down the Military Regime?

Myanmar: Could Defecting Security Forces Bring down the Military Regime?

Natasha Lindstaedt University of Essex Natasha Lindstaedt is Deputy Dean (Education) (Social Sciences) and Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex. Her teaching interests include State Building, Democracy, Authoritarian Regimes, US Politics, Middle East Politics and Latin American Politics. Just over ten years ago there were

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New Government Formed, Junta Trying to Find Them

New Government Formed, Junta Trying to Find Them

16th April 2021 In keeping with my policy of fair news reporting from Myanmar, I have another piece from the Global New Light of Myanmar. Yesterday’s headlines included the shattering news that the price of Tamarind leaves was holding up well. Tamarind leaves ready for market. The seasonal fresh

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Military Media Reports Interesting Banana News

Military Media Reports Interesting Banana News

15th April 2021 The clampdown on the media, internet and mobile phone services is beginning to have an effect. I have not had contact with my regular contacts in Myanmar for 5 days now, but on the other hand, the banking system is close to collapse. The media sources are

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Daily News Roundup – 16 April 2021

Daily News Roundup – 16 April 2021

National Party leadership Matthew Hooton (Herald): My message to National – and how to avoid another leadership fiasco (paywalled) Peter Dunne: National needs to sort out what it stands for before it thinks about leadership Grant Duncan: The National Party’s leadership woes Government Richard Harman: So Grant, what’s next?

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Military Casualties Increase

Military Casualties Increase

14th April 2021 The military attempted to retake one of its outposts today and succeeded in sustaining heavy losses.  Lesson number 1. It is always difficult to try to attack guerrillas who hold the high ground when you have to proceed uphill through the jungle to get at them. The

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Become a Citizen Journalist like Lionred

Become a Citizen Journalist like Lionred

The BFD is seeking citizen journalists to write news articles for us in a voluntary capacity. Regular contributor Lionred reported on a disaster in Lostwithiel, Cornwall at the end of last year, providing both commentary and photos of what was happening. This year he has been reporting daily on the

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