EDGE #323: NZ A Haven of Liberal Politics, Inspirational Arts Producer Sue Paterson, NZ Rules “High Seas of Rugby”, Les Mills Turns 50 + Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit + +

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News of Global New Zealanders From Brian Sweeney, publisher, NZEDGE.COM | 18 July 2018 | #323 | New York Researched, edited and produced by Jane Nye (Berlin), Carla Hofler, Henrike Forschler (Auckland). See all stories and a 14,000 story archive of international New Zealand news 2000-2018 at NZEDGE/MEDIA. Fern symbol by www.nzflag.com founded by Lloyd Morrison. Politics and Economics | Independent (The) 17 July 2018 New Zealand Is a Haven of Liberal Politics “Unlike most other countries, New Zealand’s parliament appears to have realised that no one’s going to get anywhere by pretending to agree with, or make bargains with, Donald Trump,” freelance journalist Matteo di Maio writes in an opinion piece published in The Independent. “It is difficult to… Politics and Economics | Independent (The) 12 July 2018 NZ Passport Ranked 7th Most Powerful New Zealand has been placed on rank 7 – tied with the Czech Republic and Malta – in this year’s Henley Passport Index, which ranks “all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access… Science/Tech | Reuters 12 July 2018 Rocket Lab to Open Second Launch Pad Silicon Valley-funded space launch company Rocket Lab is planning “to open a second launch site in the United States to complement its remote New Zealand pad.” Charlotte Greenfield reports for Reuters. “Rocket Lab said it was considering four… Medicine/Health | Eureka Magazine 18 July 2018 First 3D Colour X-Ray Of A Human Using CERN Technology “A New-Zealand company has scanned a human body using a colour medical scanner based on Medipix3 technology developed at CERN. Father and son scientists Professors Phil… Rugby | The Roar 16 July 2018 Why New Zealand “Still Rules the High Seas of Rugby” “The flag which flutters highest on the masthead of world rugby is still all black in colour. It does not have a skull-and-crossbones on it, but when it hoves into view everyone knows its meaning. For an opponent, this… Business | Australasian Leisure Management 13 July 2018 World’s Largest Group Fitness Provider Turns 50 “Marking half a century in the fitness industry this year, the family behind Les Mills, the world’s largest group fitness provider, have shared their remarkable story of struggle, success and striving for a… Sport General | New York Post 13 July 2018 Israel Adesanya Might Be the UFC’s Next Superhero Nigeria-born New Zealander Israel Adesanya “is one of the (Ultimate Fighting Championship’s) UFC’s hottest prospects and has the best nickname ever: he is ‘The Last Stylebender’. It’s a reference to Avatar… Theatre | Fortune 14 July 2018 Two NZ Comedians Part of Netflix Global Comedy Event Series Netflix “is launching an international stand-up comedy event series that will feature 47 comedians from 13 regions”. New Zealand comedians Urzila Carlson and Cal Wilson are part of the line-up. Anita Bennett reports… Writers | The Scotsman 15 July 2018 Ali Smith Marvels at Katherine Mansfield’s Letters New Zealand novelist Kirsty Gunn was in London recently listening to Scottish author Ali Smith talk about Katherine Mansfield. Gunn’s article about the event appears in The Scotsman. “Smith’s talk, hosted by the Katherine… Writers | The Washington Post 12 July 2018 Ashleigh Young Turns a Lyrical Eye “When I uprooted my family from Seattle this year to move to Wellington, I knew little of the foreign, faraway place beyond its reputation for grey days and great coffee,” Maggie Trapp writes for The Washington Post. “My first introduction to the country… Film & TV | Variety 15 July 2018 Anna Paquin: “You Don’t Do It for Fame, Finance or Glory” “Sitting down with Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge, Paquin discussed the release of her newest independent movie at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic.” Tara Bitran reports for Variety… Film & TV | Vanity Fair 16 July 2018 Andrew Niccol’s Truman Show 20 Years On Jim Carrey, Peter Weir, New Zealand-born screenwriter Andrew Niccol, Laura Linney, and Sherry Lansing thought their paranoid dramedy The Truman Show seemed absurd – until life began to imitate art. In the 1990s, as… Film & TV | Screen Daily 14 July2018 Taika Waititi Reveals Details of ‘Jojo Rabbit’ New Zealand “director Taika Waititi has revealed more details of his upcoming projects Jojo Rabbit and Bubbles.” Orlando Parfitt reports for Screen Daily.“Waititi told Screen at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival that the Fox Searchlight… Opera | Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald 11 July 2018 Soprano Claire Egan Makes Violetta Her Own Understudies rarely get the opportunity to have their names in bright lights, but a sequence of mishaps at the UK’s Longborough Festival Opera gave New Zealand-born soprano Claire Egan, 34, a starring role in one of the… Music | Houston Chronicle 17 July 2018 Ruban Nielson Talks Music & NZ Artists Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s “lead singer/songwriter/ guitarist Ruban Nielson takes influence from a diverse group of artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to punk act the Buzzcocks to musical iconoclast Frank Zappa,” writes Carlos De Loera in an article… Music | Lancaster Guardian 16 June 2018 Cellist Yuuki Bouterey-Ishido Exhilarates “On the last flaming day of June, a packed Lancaster Town Hall stood at the end to acclaim another Haffner Orchestra’s triumphant summer concert. The star of the show was a new up-and-coming young cellist, Christchurch-born Yuuki… Taste | Broadsheet 17 July 2018 Farmer Rick Scoones Supplying Perth’s Eateries New Zealander Rick Scoones, one suspects, doesn’t have troubles getting a table at many of Perth’s better restaurants. As the public face behind Warren Grange Horticulture – the heirloom vegetable farm he and his… Video | Youtube 11 July 2018 Discover Mudbrick Vineyard Meet Nick Jones from Mudbrick Vineyard and find out more about Waiheke – New Zealand’s “Island of Wine” in this short video from Tourism NZ. The clip is part of a series in which NZ’s luxury accommodation owners invite you to explore their… Business | AirlineRatings 16 July 2018 Air New Zealand Partners With Jetblue “Air New Zealand and JetBlue venture capital subsidiary JetBlue Technology Ventures have joined forces to help foster emerging technologies in the travel industry.” The two companies “are launching the International Innovation Partnership to seek out…