Sam Smith
- Digital Media Officer, Auckland United F.C.
Auckland
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Articles by Sam Smith
Blended finance is crucial to meeting housing targets
COMMENT Over recent months, the UK government has implemented a “decisive action” package aimed at accelerating housing delivery to meet its target of 1.5m homes, largely targeting stalled sites, planning bottlenecks and SME builder constraints.
President Trump’s Latin America Policy: Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Risks
This commentary is part of a report from the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department entitled Navigating Disruption: Ally and Partner Responses to U.S. Foreign Policy. Digital Report — October 6, 2025 Introduction One lament often heard from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) since the turn of the twenty-first century is that the United States has paid insufficient attention to the region.
How To Watch Reds-Brewers Game Today
Check which TV and radio stations are airing the Reds-Brewers game today. Where To Watch Reds-Brewers Game 📅 Game date: Friday, August 30th, 2024 ⌚ Game time: 5:40PM CST Broadcast Type Reds (home) Brewers (away) 📺 TV Bally Sports Ohio Bally Sports Wisconsin 📻 Radio WLW 700 WTMJ 620, Brewers Radio Network Additional Information About the Cincinnati-Milwaukee Game Today The baseball game is set for 5:40 PM CST.
The Ministry of Disabled People will be restructured
The Ministry of Disabled People is set to be restructured and will lose responsibility for delivering support services. The government has announced the move after a critical review, which says the ministry is not set up to effectively manage the scale and nature of its funding and has inadequate budget controls.
While The US And EU Raise Trade Barriers, Australia Opens Its Doors To Chinese EVs | Carscoops
Australia’s EV market is growing, and China wants a slice of the pie. But can they take the crown from Tesla? Multiple Chinese automakers are looking to do battle in Australia, thanks to growing EV demand. Unlike the US and the EU, Australia is unlikely to implement trade restrictions and welcomes competition. Tesla remains the best-selling EV Down Under, but increased Chinese competition will threaten its lead. China needs to seek out new markets for its electric vehicles.
The greed cycle - market cycles explained
Fear and greed have the potential to cause serious problems. Succumbing to fear and greed can profoundly harm investors’ portfolios. Moreover, the above-mentioned emotions could affect the stock market’s stability, etc. So, it is important to understand the role of fear and greed. Let’s focus on the fear and greed cycle. Let’s start with greed. It is no secret that the vast majority of traders would like to get rich as soon as possible.
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News Eswatini trade pact to be extended by five years (Taipei Times) President Tsai Ing-wen and Eswatini Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini agreed to extend a bilateral economic cooperation agreement to 2028, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Dlamini said he would soon arrange for his country — Taiwan’s sole diplomatic ally in Africa — to renew cooperation with Taipei during talks with Tsai and Premier Chen Chien-jen, the person said.
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News Egypt’s trade deficit plunges 54% YoY in December 2022: CAPMAS (ZAWYA) Egypt’s trade balance deficit dropped by 54% year on year (YoY) to $1.93 billion in December 2022, compared to $4.20 billion in the same month of 2022, according to a press release published by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) on March 14th. The value of Egyptian exports slipped by 2.7% YoY to $4.18 billion in December 2022 from $4.29 billion, the CAPMAS added.
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‘EU is putting draconian measures on South African citrus’ (SABC News) The Citrus Growers Association of South Africa has requested Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel to urgently convene a panel of the World Trade Organisation regarding restrictive and expensive measures imposed by the European Union to export oranges. This is over an insect found in Sub-Saharan Africa that the EU deems potentially dangerous for its citrus growers.
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SA tyre manufacturers potentially exposed to dumping from China (The Citizen) Anti-dumping duties against Chinese exporters of car, bus and lorry tyres to South Africa have expired, leaving local producers potentially exposed to far cheaper products that can be dumped on the market. The Chinese manufacturers are also entitled to claim a refund from the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for the 38.3% provisional duties imposed on them since September last year.
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News IMF Staff Completes 2023 Article IV Mission to Eswatini (IMF) “Eswatini’s economy was comparatively resilient through the pandemic. Following a strong rebound of 7.9 percent in 2021, real GDP growth stagnated in 2022, at 0.4 percent. This reflects the continued dampening effect from civil unrest, government payment arrears, slowing growth in South Africa, and heavier than normal rainfall and industrial action on the sugar sector.
What drives the ANC’s pro-Russia policy and where will it lead?
Trade Briefs 09 Mar 2023 ~ Author/s: Gerhard Erasmus A year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. At that point a quick “special military operation” was predicted to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine. But President Putin soon declared that he also wanted to secure the independence of eastern Ukrainian territories and to protect the inhabitants from Ukrainian “bullying and genocide”.
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in trade and integration arrangements
The Government of the United States has recently concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AfCFTA Secretariat. It has also concluded one with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). What are they about? How does an MoU differ from a formal international agreement? Are MoU’s legally binding and can they be enforced through dispute settlement procedures?
Remittance costs - challenges for intra-Africa transfers
Remittances, from wealthier countries to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), account for far larger financial flows that either Official Development Assistance (ODA) or Foreign Direct Investment. produced by the World Bank’s Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD) found that remittances are three times greater than ODA and, if China is excluded, 50 percent higher than FDI. These flows are particularly useful in smoothing consumption in poorer countries.
Botswana and Namibia concluded an agreement on the movement of persons
On 24 February 2023, Botswana and Namibia concluded a bilateral agreement on the movement of persons.[1] This is an important regional development. What is the context and what are the implications? Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa has written that this agreement is a step in the right direction.
African States should keep track of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as implementation advances
Blog On December 13, 2022, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the implementation of an EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). This agreement brings the European Union a step closer to finalising what has been a lengthy legislative process to implement a CBAM. The mechanism was first proposed by the European Commission in July 2021 and concern from its trading partners has been increasing since.
Is the Future of Africa’s Trade Corridors Green?
Blog Trade corridors are transportation routes that connect major centres of economic activity, such as cities, ports, and industrial areas, to facilitate the movement of goods and services. These corridors can include a range of transportation modes, including highways, railways, waterways, and air transport, as well as the soft infrastructure and logistics services necessary to support these modes.
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News Stainless steel sector well-positioned to supply African markets, despite loadshedding challenge (Engineering News) The biggest hurdle stainless steel production and fabrication faces to date is loadshedding, with this challenge overriding all previous issues and leading to diminishing staff safety, motivation, productivity and increased living costs, and contributing to a visible decline in apparent consumption during 2022, says industry organisation Southern Africa Stainless Steel...
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News South Africa is exporting more food. But it needs to find new growth frontiers (The Conversation) South African agricultural exports were up for the third consecutive year in 2022, reflecting favourable production conditions and higher commodity prices. The export numbers for the full year have not yet been published. The major export crops continued to be maize, wine, grapes, citrus, berries, nuts, apples and pears, sugar, avocados, and wool.
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News South Africa swings into a R23 billion trade deficit (Business Tech) South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance deficit of R23.05 billion in January 2023. Despite recording a full-year total trade surplus of R211.6 billion (exports of R2.02 trillion and imports of R1.81 trillion) in 2022, South Africa is importing more than it was exporting at the start of 2023.
Customs and border management - Balancing trade with facilitation and public policy objectives
In recent years, the role of customs officers has transitioned from primarily collecting duties and taxes to a broader role that involves facilitating the flow of goods and services across international borders, and ensuring the legitimacy, safety, and security of goods admitted into the various countries.
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News Infrastructure is key to SA’s development (SAnews) Improving government’s performance as a contributor to the construction sector is key to unlocking the country’s economic and social development, says the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. “Government is a key player in the construction sector accounting for about 40% of the country’s total infrastructure budget,” the department said in a statement.
Developing Value Chains in Africa - mapping the soya value chain
Working Papers 23 Feb 2023 ~ Author/s: Taku Fundira Login Login to your account Register Reset your password Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. Reminder Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file.
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News Uganda - South Africa Investment Summit opens next week in South Africa (Monitor) The Ugandan business community has been flagged off in preparation for the South Africa Trade Investment and Tourism summit, scheduled at the Gallagher Convention Center, Midrand, South Africa, from February 27th to 28th.
Of border delays and barriers to trade in the cross-border corridors of the Eastern and Southern African region: What are the lessons for Africa?
Trade Briefs 24 Feb 2023 ~ Author/s: Rwatida Mafurutu Login Login to your account Register Reset your password Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. Reminder Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file.
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News Ministers welcome 2023 Budget (SAnews) Government Ministers have welcomed the 2023 Budget Speech, saying Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana did his best to extricate the country from an economic conundrum. “The conditions under which the minister had to work were extremely toxic but he has done his best,” Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, told SAnews. “He doesn’t have to mention department by department but we have our letters of allocation.
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News Parliament passes Agricultural Amendment Bill (SAnews) The National Assembly (NA) has passed the Agricultural Product Standards Amendment Bill and the National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill during its hybrid plenary on Tuesday.
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News Agriculture growth projects stalled by load shedding crisis (IOL) Further deterioration in the electricity crisis has been a major cause of delay in the implementation of agricultural programmes intended to grow the sector, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber’s Chief Economist Wandile Sihlobo.
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News TRACIT calls for improved measures to combat illicit trade in South Africa (AJOT) A new study by the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) shows that illicit trade is one of the biggest threats to stability and economic growth in South Africa.
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Trade, Industry and Competition on Defence Export Council mission to seek export opportunities in Middle East for South African Companies (South African Government) The Chief Executive Officer of the South African Aerospace Maritime Defence Export Council (SAAMDEC), Mr Sandile Ndlovu will embark on a mission to seek export opportunities in the Middle East for the South African manufacturing companies operating in the aerospace, maritime and defence industries.
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Sugar industry making progress on implementing master plan (Engineering News) The advent of the Sugarcane Master Plan has been a crucial intervention aimed at stabilising the sugar industry and putting it on an upward growth trajectory, especially as it has been impacted negatively by recent events, says the South African Sugar Association (SASA). The ambitious plan has sought to ensure that 95% of sugar is locally procured and that local demand doubles from 150 000 t to 300 000 t by 2023.
Japanese club plunged into scandal over bar incident
The Japan rugby side Hino Red Dolphins has suspended its operations following a media report that has accused its players of stripping, groping waitresses, and smashing glasses at a bar in southwestern Japan’s Oita. The club – which once boasted All Black No.8 Kieran Read among its number – has withdrawn from its upcoming match in Japan’s second division.
Customs border management through the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) concept: What are the issues and the way forward?
Trade Briefs 03 Feb 2023 ~ Author/s: Innocent Muranganwa Login Login to your account Register Reset your password Please enter the email address for your account. A verification code will be sent to you. Once you have received the verification code, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. Reminder Please enter the email address associated with your User account. Your username will be emailed to the email address on file.
The 5 major omissions from Steve Borthwick's first England team
A number of players have been snubbed by Steve Borthwick as the head coach named a revamped side for England’s Guinness Six Nations opener against Scotland. Borthwick named a 29-man team on Tuesday, so that meant at least six players were going to be left out when the Cumbrian named the first official England side of his tenure. MANU TUILAGI Tuilagi, a veteran of 46 caps and a regular choice for the Red Rose for much of the past decade, has not even been named in Borthwick’s first 23-man squad.
Bernard Laporte taken into police custody in France - report
Six weeks after receiving a two-year suspended prison sentence and a fine from the Paris Criminal Court for a range of corruption charges, French rugby president Bernard Laporte was reportedly placed in police custody on Tuesday regarding an allegation of tax evasion. Following the December 13 court judgment, Laporte stepped back from his FFR presidency duties but would remain in the role during his appeal process.
Exeter turn to Bath to quickly fill the gap left by van Heerden
Rob Baxter has moved quickly to replace the departed Ruben van Heerden, agreeing to a deal that has taken Mike Williams from Bath to Exeter for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. The 25-year-old van Heerden had made 14 appearances for the Chiefs this season since his July arrival in England, but homesickness left the South African taking up a contract offer back home with the URC Stormers.
Slap on the wrist ban for brutal incident caught on camera
In a shocking incident caught on camera, a rugby player has been filmed kneeing and kicking another player in the face during a ruck in an unnamed fixture. The reckless actions of the number 26 player have sparked widespread condemnation and calls for disciplinary action online. The incident occurred during a routine ruck, with the attacking team protecting the ball.
EPCR statement: Pau coach banned for verbally abusing Hollie Davidson
Pau assistant coach Geoffrey Lanne-Petit has been banned and his club given a suspended fine after misconduct charges for abusing assistant referee Hollie Davidson and failure to control staff members at the end of a match last month were upheld at a disciplinary hearing.
Williams takes swipe at 'multi-million $ deals' for Jones and co
Former All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams has taken a swipe at the big money recently splashed out on Test-level coaches, insisting that this financial largesse must also trickle down to the players. Wales last month brought in Warren Gatland to replace Wayne Pivac while Steve Borthwick is now in charge of England where their ex-boss, Eddie Jones, has headed home to take the Australia job from Dave Rennie.
Blueprints of four rugby masterminds on show in mouth-watering League One clashes
Four of the modern game’s greatest coaches will match wills this weekend as Japan Rugby League One brings together Eddie Jones, Wayne Smith, Steve Hansen, and Robbie Deans. Jones and Smith are advisors at Tokyo Suntoy Sungoliath and Kobelco Kobe Steelers respectively, and the pair are on opposite sides on Saturday as their teams square off in Kobe in what promises to be one of the games of the round.
O'Gara at the centre of flyhalf controversy next to Carter and Wilkinson
A fan poll by French rugby publication Rugbyrama has turned heads after putting former Ireland flyhalf Ronan O’Gara alongside World Cup-winning duo Dan Carter and Jonny Wilkinson. Ex-All Black Carter is widely regarded as the most complete No 10 the game has seen as a running threat, passing playmaker and skilled tactician while Jonny Wilkinson is held in similar esteem as the game’s greatest goal kicker who also possessed a heralded attacking game.
Graham Rowntree has bolstered his Munster staff with Connacht raid
Graham Rowntree has bolstered his Munster backroom staff for next season, the head coach securing the services of Connacht assistant Mossy Lawlor. A statement read: “Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm that Mossy Lawler will join the province at the beginning of the 2023/24 season as skills coach. “A former Munster player, Mossy will return to the province after eight years with Connacht Rugby where he is attack and skills coach with the senior men’s squad.
Ngani Laumape continues to shine in Japan with another dominate performance
Former Hurricanes and All Blacks midfielder Ngani Laumape has hit the ground running in Japan Rugby League One, producing two dominant performances in his first three outings for Kobelco Kobe Steelers. In his second appearance for the club against Hanazono Kintetsu Liners the 29-year-old bulldozed his way to a hat-trick of tries to announce his arrival in Japan with a man-of-the-match showing.
Fans show their frustration with Kolbe at Toulon
SPOTLIGHT: The use of Toulon’s megastar wing Cheslin Kolbe has come under question as fans grow frustrated with the Springboks star and the hefty price tag he brings. Toulon made waves in 2021 when it paid a blockbuster transfer fee to buy out his Toulouse contract and sign a new one at a reported €1M per season. However, since making the move to the glamour club injuries have marred his time at the famous Toulon club with extended time on the sidelines in between internationals with South Africa.
'Hurts to watch': Frustrations grow over Toulon's Springbok star Kolbe
The use of Toulon’s megastar wing Cheslin Kolbe has come under question as fans grow frustrated with the Springboks star and the hefty price tag he brings. Toulon made waves in 2021 when it paid a blockbuster transfer fee to buyout his Toulouse contract and sign a new one at a reported €1M per season. However since making the move to the glamour club injuries have marred his time at the famous Toulon club with extended time on the sidelines in between internationals with South Africa.
Yellow and red cards fly for Springboks and All Blacks in Japan
Two reds and three yellow cards were issued to international stars across the latest round of Japan Rugby League one in the three Saturday games, with Springbok stars copping three of them. International stars are highly sought after by Japanese clubs for their talents, but their aggressive style of play can lead to trouble in the Japan League. A slate of offences were called up by officials across the Saturday games.
Former All Black Aaron Cruden red-carded for clean out on Faf De Klerk
Former All Black first five Aaron Cruden was handed a red card for a clean out gone wrong which collected Springboks scrumhalf Faf de Klerk directly in the face, knocking him to the ground in the latest round of Japan Rugby League One. De Klerk was in the process of delivering a pass from the base of a ruck as Cruden charged through with an attempt to a counter-ruck. The former All Black’s shoulder connected directly to the forehead, sending the Springboks No 9 reeling.
Fiji Rugby CEO resigns effective immediately
Fiji Rugby Chief Executive Mr. John O’Connor has resigned effective immediately, after six years in the role since joining the rugby house in 2016. Fiji Rugby Chairman Commodore Humphrey Tawake said “On behalf of the FRU Board, we would like to thank Mr. O’Connor for his service and contribution not only as the leader at the Union but to the rugby community for the past six years being at the helm of FRU.” He added that FRU Board Director Mr. Tevtia Tuiloa will be the Acting CEO as of today.
Three time World Cup winner Farah Palmer made Dame
Roy 8 hours ago If you've ever played rugby or cricket, you've probably heard a lot of banter, sledging, and winding people up. It's part of the game. There are lines, like calling Samson Lee "Gypsy Boy," that deserved a ban. But calling his mum a "sex worker"? Really? Jake Heenan needs to grow thicker skin. Mum / wife comments, or fat comments are par the course in most competitive team games. One of the classic sledges is "why are you so fat?"...
2022's top international points scorer extends stay with Edinburgh
Edinburgh Rugby has been handed a significant boost ahead of tomorrow night’s 1872 Cup decider at BT Murrayfield with the re-signing of Argentine superstar Emiliano Boffelli, who pens a new two-year deal with the capital club. Boffelli, 27 – labelled world class by Head Coach Mike Blair – has been one of rugby’s standout stars in 2022, with a series of impressive displays for both club and country.
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